A study was conducted to investigate whether aspiration of amniotic fluid is associated with a deleterious effect on absorption of colostral immunoglobulins or on blood gas and acid-base values of healthy newborn calves. Fourteen calves purchased from commercial sources were transported to a research facility immediately after birth and fed colostrum with known concentrations of immunoglobulins. Blood samples for gas analyses were collected within 5 hours of birth, 24 hours later, and prior to euthanasia. Between 3 and 5 days of age, calves were euthanatized by an overdose of barbiturates. Eleven calves had evidence of bronchoaspiration of amniotic fluid, as determined by presence of meconium, squamous epithelium, or keratin in histologic sections of fixed lung or by cytologic analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Blood gas tensions and pH were within reference ranges in 11 of 14 calves. Aspiration of amniotic fluid could not be linked to any specific changes in blood gas tensions, acid-base status, or absorption of colostral immunoglobulins. Presence of keratin and meconium in the lungs often was accompanied by mild exudative alveolitis and focal atelectasis. It was concluded that aspiration of small amounts of amniotic fluid with or without meconium is common in calves and is not associated with hypoxemia, respiratory acidosis, or failure of passive transfer.

In this study, we described water-insoluble proteins extracted from the germinative regions (stratum internum and coronary band epithelium) and the cornified outer surface (stratum medium) of the equine hoof wall. Two major types of polypeptides were identified: the intermediate filaments (IF) and the IF-associated proteins. The IF, including keratins, composed a major portion of this fraction, had electrophoretic mobilities on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the range of 40 to 80 kDa, and reacted with acidic or basic keratinspecific monoclonal antibodies. Differences in the composition of keratins between germinative layers and the stratum medium were seen. Another less well-characterized group of polypeptides associated with the IF also were extracted with the water-insoluble polypeptide fraction. These associated proteins had an apparent molecular weight between 10 and 30 kDa on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and contained a higher percentage of sulfur-containing amino acids than did the IF. Water-insoluble protein fractions compared favorably with those found in other less-specialized keratinizing tissue with respect to size, immunoreactivity with monoclonal antibody, and amino acid composition.

Oral keratinocytes from dogs were cultured on either collagen gels or artificial matrices at the air-liquid interface, and the expression of keratinocyte antigens and basement membrane components was determined, using various monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies. Keratinocytes grown on collagen gels expressed pemphigus vulgaris, pemphigus foliaceous, and bullous pemphigoid antigens. Diffuse, suprabasal, and superficial keratinocyte membrane differentiation antigens identified by various monoclonal antibodies also were expressed in a pattern identical to that observed in the native tissue. Laminin and type-IV collagen were deposited at the keratinocyte-collagen interface in a patchy distribution. When synthetic matrices were used, the oral keratinocytes differentiated, but to a lesser extent than cells grown on collagen gels. Antigen expression for cells grown on synthetic matrices was similar to that for cells on collagen, except for failure of the keratinocytes on synthetic membranes to express superficial cell antigens and pemphigus foliaceous antigens.

Three commonly used keratin monoclonal antibodies (MAB)--AE1:AE3, CAM 5.2, and MAK-6--were compared with routinely used cytokeratin antibody. The expression of these antibodies was analyzed in several tissues obtained from clinically normal dogs and in a variety of neoplasms from dogs. Using appropriate enzymatic digestion, paraffin-embedded tissues processed in routine manner retained their typical keratin expression. Differentiated and poorly differentiated epithelial neoplasms, lymphomas, and melanomas were studied by use of the avidinbiotin-peroxidase technique. All 4 of the aforementioned antibodies had similar staining profiles. Of 3 anaplastic carcinomas, 2 had positive reaction to all 4 antibodies. All lymphomas, plasma cell tumors, and amelanotic melanomas had negative reaction to MAK-6, CAM 5.2, AE1:AE3, and cytokeratin MAB. Three basal cell epitheliomas had positive reaction to all 4 antibodies, whereas 1 basal cell tumor with a solid pattern had negative staining reaction. Two carcinoids had negative reaction to all markers and 1 of 2 malignant chemodectomas and 1 transitional cell carcinoma had staining reaction to only AE1:AE3 MAB. Comparing the 4 antibodies, use of AE1:AE3 MAB produced the strongest staining intensity followed by cytokeratin, MAK-6, and CAM 5.2 MAB. All 4 antibodies had low background staining. In conclusion, AE1:AE3 and MAK-6 MAB are as useful as cytokeratin MAB for identification of poorly differentiated epithelial neoplasms in dogs and cats.

Pemphigus antigens were localized, by use of immunoelectron microscopy, on canine keratinocytes in vivo on esophageal mucosa and in vitro on established cultured keratinocytes. Convalescent sera from a human being with pemphigus vulgaris and a human being with pemphigus foliaceus reacted with the interdesmosomal cytoplasmic keratinocyte membrane of canine esophagus. Cultured canine keratinocytes expressed the pemphigus vulgaris antigen in a similar pattern, but did not carry the pemphigus foliaceus antigen. The differential presence of cell surface antigens and its relation to various forms of the disease are discussed.

A study was conducted to investigate whether aspiration of amniotic fluid is associated with a deleterious effect on absorption of colostral immunoglobulins or on blood gas and acid-base values of healthy newborn calves. Fourteen calves purchased from commercial sources were transported to a research facility immediately after birth and fed colostrum with known concentrations of immunoglobulins. Blood samples for gas analyses were collected within 5 hours of birth, 24 hours later, and prior to euthanasia. Between 3 and 5 days of age, calves were euthanatized by an overdose of barbiturates. Eleven calves had evidence of bronchoaspiration of amniotic fluid, as determined by presence of meconium, squamous epithelium, or keratin in histologic sections of fixed lung or by cytologic analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Blood gas tensions and pH were within reference ranges in 11 of 14 calves. Aspiration of amniotic fluid could not be linked to any specific changes in blood gas tensions, acid-base status, or absorption of colostral immunoglobulins. Presence of keratin and meconium in the lungs often was accompanied by mild exudative alveolitis and focal atelectasis. It was concluded that aspiration of small amounts of amniotic fluid with or without meconium is common in calves and is not associated with hypoxemia, respiratory acidosis, or failure of passive transfer.

Expression of keratins (cytokeratins, CK) in healthy feline epithelia and 2 established feline mammary carcinoma cell lines was examined immunohistochemically and by use of immunoblotting analysis. A panel of specific anti-CK monoclonal antibodies (MAb) identifying epitopes unique to individual keratins or shared by 2 (or 3) CK polypeptides was used. Besides already available antihuman CK Mab, this panel of MAb consisted of 9 newly generated anti-human CK MAb and 1 newly generated anti-feline CK MAb. Immunohistochemical analysis on normal epithelia revealed that most of the anti-human CK MAb and the anti-feline CK MAb reacted with both feline and human epithelia, with a comparable tissue distribution pattern. However, slight differences in CK tissue distribution pattern between human beings and cats were detected by one MAb. Immunoblotting analysis revealed that all antihuman CK MAb that were immunohistochemically reactive with feline tissues detected analogous CK in cats, indicating the presence of a number of common epitopes on human and feline CK. Two continuous cell lines derived from 2 distinct feline mammary adenocarcinomas, K248C and K266, were analyzed with respect to their CK phenotype. Although no difference in CK expression between the 2 cell lines was detected in vitro, a difference in CK phenotype was detected on subcutaneous transplantation of the 2 cell lines into nude mice. Although the K248C-induced adenocarcinomas maintained the same CK phenotype as observed in vitro, the CK pattern of the K266 heterotransplants, growing as adenosquamous carcinomas, changed with squamous differentiation. Our findings confirm the high degree of homology between mammalian CK, and on the basis of those findings, we suggest that CK proteins provide a set of markers valuable for the characterization of normal and neoplastic feline tissues and for studies of squamous metaplasia.

Objective: This experiment was conducted to evaluate the therapeutic potency of marigold flower (Calendula officinalis) and turmeric (Curcuma longa) rhizome paste in wound healing. Materials and methods: Thirty six aseptic surgical wounds were tooled in six non-pregnant black Bengal goats dividing them in 3 groups. Month long information and follow-up examinations along with complications such as edema, wound dehiscence, suture abscess, exudation etc. were studied. Wound healing was assessed by observing some morphological characters as well as histopathological changes of the wounded area. Results: Results revealed that negligible elevation of suture line (1.17±0.11 mm) and significant (P [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2017; 4(4.000): 333-342]