Clinico-physiological effects of Xylazine - Ketamine were evaluated in 12 clinical cases of uremic buffalo calves having urolithiasis. In group A, Xylazine -Ketamine were used at the dose rate of 0.05 mg/kg body weight and 2.5 mg/kg body weight respectively to create regional spinal anesthesia at the lumbosacral space in 6 buffalo calves. In group B, Xylazine and Ketamine at the same dose rates were used intramuscularly in 6 buffalo calves. Analgesia was then recorded at different regions by the pin prick method and scored on a scale and motor incoordination, sedation, complete duration of anesthesia, complete recovery and physiological parameters (heart rate, respiration rate and rectal temperature) were evaluated in both the groups at various intervals of time throughout the duration of surgery of Tube cystotomy. It was found that the animals of group B achieved a safer physiological peak values than animals of group A.

Out of73 washing samples from commonly used vegetable viz. dhania (14), coriander (Coriandrum sativum) (12), pudina (11), spinach (Spinacia oleracea) (9), carrot (15) and raddish (12) collected either from local vegetable markets or residences, only 2 carrot washings and one radish washing were found positive for strongyle ova and one dhania sample was positive for ascarid ova.

Comparision of the carcass traits and sensory properties of meat between different genetic groups of guinea fowl and broiler chickens at 16 weeks ofa gerevealed that the dressing and eviscerated weight percentage of broiler chickens were significantly lower from that all the guinea fowl groups, except from that of Pearl, where the differences were not significant. Percent giblet weight was lower (P of weeks 16 at meat raw properties sensory their in chickens broiler than grades higher scored fowls guinea general, In weights. wing and leg cent per for except ofcarcass cuts birds groups between observed were differences No cross. ofLXP that from only significant but (67.77%), lowest also was yield Similarly, fowls.

Abortion, still birth, premature birth and mortality of cross bred dairy cattle (Jersey × Tharparkar/Red Sindhi) were noticed in the organized dairy farm of National Dairy Research Institute, Eastern Regional Station, Kalyani, Nadia, situated in hot and humid climatic area nearer to the river Ganges of West Bengal, India. The history of the farm revealed newly introduction of pure bred dairy cattle and outbreak of FMD during mid March to mid April, affected about 34% cross bred cows. During investigation, intermittent rise of temperature (104°F -108°F), anorexia, rapid respiration, progressive deterioration of health of animals and loss of milk production were also noticed. On the basis of past history, twenty suspected animals were taken for disease investigation. Repeated visit of the farm and repeated examinations of blood smears were done to observe any haemoprotozoan infections. Twenty to thirty percent of those suspected animals were found positive for Brucella antibodies by STAT, plate agglutination test and MRT. After a massive screening of blood smears, during the visit of third time, ultimately one animal (Identification number JT614) was found positive for the presence of Trypanosoma evansi infections in Giemsa stained blood smears. The infected and all suspected animals were successfully treated with single injection of a mixture of quinapyramine sulphate and chloride @ 7.4 mg/kg body weight subcutaneously. As a prophylactic measure, a mixture of quinapyramine sulphate and chloride @ 7.4 mg/kg body weight subcutaneously were also administered to all suspected animals prevented further occurrence of the disease in this dairy farm. It can be concluded that the iAfection with T. evansi in this farm has happened in a condition of intercurrent diseases with environmental stresses.

The donkey population has remained unchanged in the last two decades despite a decrease in the overall population of equids, emphasizing the usefulness of the donkey as a draught and pack animal. Piroplasmosis in donkeys, caused by Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, has been recognized as a serious problem of major economic importance as the affected animals manifest decreased working capacity, loss of appetite, etc. In tropical countries, T. equi infections are more wide-spread and pathogenic than those caused by B. caballi. Donkeys usually remain asymptomatic carriers with positive antibody titres throughout life. Transmission of infection occurs from animal to animal through ticks such as Hyalomma spp. Rhipicephalus spp. and Dermacentor spp. The clinical form of the disease is diagnosed by peripheral blood smear examination, but in carrier donkeys it is very difficult to demonstrate the parasite in stained blood smears as the parasitaemia is extremely low. For diagnosis of such low grade infection or carrier animals, serological tests and DNA-based molecular diagnostic techniques, which are discussed in the present review, have become mandatory. Currently, there is no suitable pharmacotherapy available to clear the T. equi infection from affected donkeys, though some new drugs and drug combinations used against this disease condition have been discussed. In the present situation, there is an urgent need for international cooperation and coordination for development of sensitive molecular diagnostic tools and effective pharmacotherapies for curtailment of the disease condition. Hence, it is imperative to develop and exchange reagents and technology developed through human resource sharing in the interest of sustainability of donkey husbandry.

Test vaccines comprised of inactivated water-in-oil emulsions containing various antigen levels were prepared using a non-pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (AI) virus, A/duck/Hokkaido/Vac-1/04 (H5N1). The potencies of these test vaccines were evaluated by two experiments. In the first experiment, the triangular relationship among the antigen levels of test vaccines, the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody response, and the protective effect against challenge with a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus, A/chicken/Yamaguchi/7/04 (H5N1), was confirmed. Then lasting immunity of chickens after a single-shot vaccination was confirmed in the second experiment. As a result, complete protection after the challenge was observed in chickens immunized by test vaccines with an antigen level of 160 HA units/dose or higher. Thus, it was ascertained that the minimum antigen level in the AI vaccine was 160 HA units/dose, and the minimum HI antibody titer that could protect chickens from HPAI virus infection-related death was considered to be 1:16. Dose-dependent HI antibody responses were observed in chickens after the vaccination. Thus, 640 HA units/dose were thought to be similar to the optimal antigen level. Alternatively, the HI antibody titers of chickens, injected with the vaccine containing 640 HA units/dose, were maintained at 1:181 or higher for 100 weeks after the single-shot vaccination.

We investigated the feasibility of cryopreservation of zebrafish (Danio rerio) blastomeres and primordial germ cells (PGCs) by rapid freezing of dechorionated whole embryos at the blastula, gastrula and segmentation stages. Initially we examined the glass-forming properties and embryo toxicities of 5 cryoprotectants: methanol (MeOH), ethylene glycol (EG), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), propylene glycol (PG), and 1,3-butylene glycol (1,3-BG). Embryos at the blastula and gastrula stages had high sensitivities to cryoprotectant toxicities and were fragile against mechanical damage. Thus the segmentation stage embryos, the PGCs of which were visualized by injecting green fluorescence protein-nos1 3'UTR mRNA, were frozen using solutions containing each cryoprotectant at 6 M (first trial) and 2 types of cryoprotectants at 3 M each (second trial). In the first trial, live PGCs were recovered from most of the embryos frozen with EG (about 2 cells/embryo); however, a few embryos had live PGCs when embryos were frozen with other cryoprotectants. In the second trial; a mixture of EG + PG better preserved the viability of PGCs in frozen embryos. Live PGCs were recovered from all embryos frozen with EG + PG (about 3 cells/embryo), and the survival rate of PGCs was estimated to be about 25% based on the number of live PGCs in fresh embryos (about 12 cells/embryo). The present study indicates that we can utilize rapid freezing of dechorionated whole embryos at the segmentation stage for the cryopreservation of PGCs.

While the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail of anion exchanger 1 (AE1, band 3) has been reported to possess important physiological roles, including one for proper membrane trafficking, its precise characteristics remain unclear. To clarify the overall structural consequences of the conserved sequence EL(K/Q)(L/C)LD(A/G)DD, containing the core binding sequence LDADD for carbonic anhydrase II, in the C-terminal region, we analyzed the membrane expression and turnover of bovine AE1 with a series of truncation and substitution mutations in HEK293 cells. Immunofluorescence microscopy and cell-surface biotinylation demonstrated that truncation mutants missing 18 C-terminal residues targeted the plasma membrane, but the one lacking the conserved region, by truncation of 28 amino acid residues, was retained inside the cells. Substitutions of Ala for Glusup(901), Leusup(902), Leusup(905), and Aspsup(906) in the sequence E901L(K/Q)(L/C)LDADD909 of bovine AE1 or those in the corresponding murine sequence also caused intracellular retention, though these mutants had half-lives comparable to that for wild-type AE1. These data demonstrate that the conserved amino acid residues Glusup(1), Leusup(2), Leusup(5), and Aspsup(6) in the EL(K/Q)(L/C)LD(A/G)DD region have essential structural consequences in stable expression of AE1 at the plasma membrane regardless of the ability in binding to carbonic anhydrase II of this region.

To characterize the roles of C-peptide in vascular homeostatic processes, we examined the genes regulated by C-peptide in LEII mouse lung microvascular endothelial cells. Treatment of the cells with C-peptide increased the expression of c-Jun N-terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) mRNA dose-dependently, accompanied by an increase in JNK1 protein content. Prior treatment of the cells with PD98059, an ERK kinase inhibitor or SB203580, a p38MAPK inhibitor, abrogated the C-peptide-elicited JNK1 mRNA expression. These results indicate that C-peptide increases JNK1 protein levels, possibly through ERK- and p38MAPK-dependent activation of JNK gene transcription.

One hundred thirty one samples (nasal, faecal, soil, tissue from dead foal) were tested for presence of Rhodococcus equi. These samples included 58 nasal swabs including 45 from foals with respiratory problem and 13 from in contact apparently healthy foals. Faecal samples were 54 including 41 from foals with respiratory problem and 13 from in contact apparently healthy foals. Faecal and nasal samples were from same foals, soil samples from infected premises were 15, besides tissues from foals (4) which died due to respiratory problems. Fourteen isolates of Rhodococcus equi were obtained from foals with respiratory problems, which were subjected to in vitro antibiotic sensitivity testing to 17 antimicrobial agents which were amoxycillin, gentamycin, ampicillin, trimethoprim, chloramphenicol, sulphadiazine, cloxacin, oxytetracycline, amikacin, streptomycin, cotrimoxazole, cephalexin, kanamycin erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, neomycin and rifampicin. All the isolates were found sensitive to chloramphenicol, erythromycin, oxytetracycline, ciprofloxacin, neomycin and rifampicin.