The in vitro antimicrobial activities of aditoprim (AP), a new dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitor, trimethoprim (TMP), sulfadimethoxine (SDM), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), and combinations of these drugs against some porcine respiratory tract pathogens were determined by use of an agar dilution method. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of these agents were determined twice against Bordetella bronchiseptica (n = 10), Pasteurella multocida (n = 10), and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (n = 20) strains isolated from pigs suffering from atrophic rhinitis or pleuropneumonia. All B bronchiseptica strains were resistant to AP and TMP. The MIC50 values of AP and TMP for P multocida were 0.25 and 0.06 microgram/ml, respectively, and for A pleuropneumoniae, 1 and 0.25 microgram/ml, respectively. The MIC50, values of SDM and SDM for B bronchiseptica were 4 and 1 microgram/ml, respectively; for P multocida, 16 and 8 microgram/ml, respectively; and for A pleuropneumoniae, 16 and 8 microgram/ml, respectively. The investigated combinations of the DHFR inhibitors and the selected sulfonamides had synergism for the A pleuropneumoniae strains; the MIC90 values of the combinations were less than or equal to 0.06 microgram/ml. Potentiation was not observed for the B bronchiseptica and the P multocida isolates. The MIC of the combinations against B bronchiseptica and P multocida corresponded respectively to the concentrations of the sulfonamides and the DHFR inhibitors in the combinations. For A pleuropneumoniae, 2 types of strains were used (25% of serotype 2 and 75% of serotype 9). Type-2 strains had lower susceptibility than type-9 strains to AP and TMP as well as to SDM and SMX (at least a fourfold difference in MIC between the 2 types of strains). The MIC of the combinations were similar for the 2 types of strains.

Introduction: Porcine pleuropneumonia inflicts important economic losses on most commercial herds. Detection of subclinical or chronic infection in animals still remains a challenge, as isolation and identification of A. pleuropneumoniae serotypes is difficult and quantification of the bacteria on agar plates is often almost impossible. The aim of the study was to develop and evaluate a serotype-specific quantitative TaqMan probe-based PCR for detection of serotype 2 in pig lungs, tonsils, and nasal swabs.Material and Methods: The primers were designed from the capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis genes of A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 2. PCR specificity and sensitivity were evaluated using reference strains and several other bacterial species commonly isolated from pigs.Results: The real-time qPCR for detection of A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 2 was highly specific and gave no false positives with other serotypes or different bacterial species of pig origin. The detection limit for pure culture was 1.2 × 10⁴ CFU/mL, for lung tissue and nasal swabs it was 1.2 × 10⁵ CFU/mL, and for tonsils - 1.2 × 10⁵ CFU/mL.Conclusion: The method can be used to serotype A. pleuropneumoniae isolates obtained during cultivation and to detect and identify A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 2 directly in nasal swabs and tonsil scrapings obtained from live pigs or lung tissue and tonsils collected post-mortem.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of tulathromycin in vitro and in experimental models of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae–induced pleuropneumonia and zymosan-induced pulmonary inflammation in pigs. ANIMALS Blood samples from six 8- to 30-week-old healthy male pigs for the in vitro experiment and sixty-five 3-week-old specific pathogen–free pigs. PROCEDURES Neutrophils and monocyte-derived macrophages were isolated from blood samples. Isolated cells were exposed to tulathromycin (0.02 to 2.0 mg/mL) for various durations and assessed for markers of apoptosis and efferocytosis. For in vivo experiments, pigs were inoculated intratracheally with A pleuropneumoniae, zymosan, or PBS solution (control group) with or without tulathromycin pretreatment (2.5 mg/kg, IM). Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was collected 3 and 24 hours after inoculation and analyzed for proinflammatory mediators, leukocyte apoptosis, and efferocytosis. RESULTS In vitro, tulathromycin induced time- and concentration-dependent apoptosis in neutrophils, which enhanced their subsequent clearance by macrophages. In the lungs of both A leuropneumoniae– and zymosan-challenged pigs, tulathromycin promoted leukocyte apoptosis and efferocytosis and inhibited proinflammatory leukotriene B4 production, with a concurrent reduction in leukocyte necrosis relative to that of control pigs. Tulathromycin also attenuated the degree of lung damage and lesion progression in A pleuropneumoniae–inoculated pigs. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Tulathromycin had immunomodulatory effects in leukocytes in vitro and anti-inflammatory effects in pigs in experimental models of A pleuropneumoniae infection and nonmicrobial-induced pulmonary inflammation. These data suggested that in addition to its antimicrobial properties, tulathromycin may dampen severe proinflammatory responses and drive resolution of inflammation in pigs with microbial pulmonary infections.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between swine health status and the concentration of the serum acute phase proteins, haptoglobin (HP), and C-reactive protein (CRP). A total of 378 clinically healthy pigs from farms A and B, plus 20 pigs culled from farm A due to poor growth, were used in this experiment. Each pig was examined and blood samples were collected during slaughter. The HP concentration was measured by using an HP-hemoglobin binding assay. The CRP concentration was measured by using a CRP enzyme immunoassay. Gross and histopathological lesions were examined and recorded at slaughter. Representative samples were then collected in order to isolate pathogens. Swine enzootic pneumonia, found in 47.7% of the pigs, was the most common lesion. Other lesions included pleuropneumonia (32.7%), suppurative pneumonia (10.3%), fibrinous pericardititis (4.3%), Ascaris migration in the liver (33.9%), and intestinal serositis (3.0%). On farm A, the percentage of pigs with 1 or more lesions was 88.2%. For culled pigs from farm A, the mean serum concentrations of HP and CRP were 2.23 +/- 0.14 mg/mL and 252.93 +/- 11.62 μg/mL, which were significantly higher than concentrations in clinically normal pigs (1.42 +/- 0.02 mg/mL and 84.88 +/- 2.61 μg/mL, respectively, P < 0.01). Moreover, among clinically normal farm A pigs, the mean HP concentration in pigs with lesions (1.43 +/- 0.02 mg/mL) was significantly higher than in pigs without lesions (1.32 +/- 0.07 mg/mL) (P < 0.05). However, the mean serum CRP concentrations in these animals were not significantly different. On farm B, the percentage of pigs with one or more lesions was 50.0%. Interestingly, the mean serum HP concentration in clinically normal pigs with lesions was significantly lower in farm B pigs (1.23 +/- 0.07 mg/mL) than in the farm A pigs (1.43 +/- 0.02 mg/mL; P < 0.01). However, serum CRP concentrations in farm A and B pigs were not significantly different. Serum HP concentration, which is a better indicator of inflammatory reactions in pig herds than serum CRP concentration, provides an important marker for swine health status.

The possible role of the complement-mediated bactericidal system in protection of swine against contagious pleuropneumonia was investigated. Strains of Actinobacillus (Haemophilus) pleuropneumoniae representing serotypes 2, 3 and 5 were found to be fully resistant to the bactericidal action of porcine serum from precolostral, clinically normal adult, and chronically infected pigs. All strains were also resistant to hyperimmune rabbit serum, but 3 of 4 strains were sensitive to normal human serum. This bactericidal effect was lost when human serum was previously absorbed with the homologous bacteria, indicating that antibody was necessary for killing. Addition of human serum to porcine serum or to absorbed human serum did not restore the bactericidal system. Pretreatment of the bacteria with undiluted heat-treated human serum also failed to sensitize the bacteria to the absorbed serum, indicating that a heat-labile, absorbable factor may have been required for killing of A pleuropneumoniae. None of the strains was sensitized to porcine serum by sublethal treatment with polymyxin B, a treatment that is known to disrupt the integrity of the outer membrane and induce serum sensitivity in gram-negative bacteria. The ability of A pleuropneumoniae to resist complement killing in vitro may reflect a virulence mechanism in vivo that assists bacteria in avoiding the pulmonary defenses of swine and promotes bacterial invasion of the lungs.

Serum concentrations of metronidazole were determined in 6 healthy adult mares after a single IV injection of metronidazole (15 mg/kg of body weight). The mean elimination rate (K) was 0.23 h(-1), and the mean elimination half-life (t1/2) was 3.1 hours. The apparent volume of distribution at steady state was 0.69 L/kg, and the clearance was 168 ml/h/kg. Each mare was then given a loading dose (15 mg/kg) of metronidazole at time 0, followed by 4 maintenance doses (7.5 mg/kg, q 6 h) by nasogastric tube. Metronidazole concentrations were measured in serial samples of serum, synovia, peritoneal fluid, and urine. Metronidazole concentrations in CSF and endometrial tissues were measured after the fourth maintenance dose. The highest mean concentration in serum was 13.9 +/- 2.18 microg/ml at 40 minutes after the loading dose (time 0). The highest mean synovial and peritoneal fluid concentrations were 8.9 +/- 1.31 microg/ml and 12.8 +/- 3.21 microg/ml, respectively, 2 hours after the loading dose. The lowest mean trough concentration in urine was 32 microg/ml. Mean concentration of metronidazole in CSF was 4.3 +/- 2.51 microg/ml and the mean concentration in endometrial tissues was 0.9 +/- 0.48 microg/g at 3 hours after the fourth maintenance dose. Two mares hospitalized for treatment of bacterial pleuropneumonia were given metronidazole (15.0 mg/kg, PO, initially then 7.5 mg/kg, PO, q 6 h), while concurrently receiving gentamicin, potassium penicillin, and flunixin meglumine IV. Metronidazole pharmacokinetics and serum concentrations in the sick mares were similar to those obtained in the healthy mares.

Pleuropneumonia is an important disease of swine caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae. Putative virulence determinants include capsule, lipopolysaccharide, and cytotoxin. We studied the virulence and virulence determinants of 2 strains: CM5 and CM5A of serotype 1. Strain CM5 was isolated from a pig with pleuropneumonia and passaged once in vitro; strain CM5A was a substrain of CM5 passaged 70 times in vitro. Pigs challenge exposed to an aerosol of 1.3 x 10(7) colony-forming units of CM5/ml died within 30 hours; pigs challenge exposed to an aerosol of 1.6 X 10(8) colony-forming units of CM5A/ml survived. The average thickness of the capsular layer was 137 nm in strain CM5 and 53 nm in strain CM5A in bacteria treated with homologous antibody and examined by transmission electron microscopy. Similarly, capsular material binding polycationic ferritin was found in colonies of strain CM5, but not in strain CM5A. The ratio of hexosamine to protein in extracted capsule of CM5 was more than twice that of CM5A. The polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic profile of the lipopolysaccharide, outer membrane proteins, and whole cell proteins did not differ between the 2 strains. Also, the amount of cytotoxin or endotoxin produced by the 2 strains during the logarithmic growth phase was not different. The electrophoretic profile of restriction endonuclease digested DNA was similar, with the exception of bands in the 750- and 620-basepair regions. It was concluded that attenuation of strain CM5A during in vitro passage was a result of reduced capsule production and that encapsulation is an important virulence determinant of A pleuropneumoniae, serotype 1.

Twelve-week-old specific-pathogen-free pigs were inoculated deep in the bronchi with Haemophilus (Actinobacillus) pleuropneumoniae strain 13261 in doses ranging from 8 x 10(1) to 9 X 10(7) colony-forming units (CFU). Pigs that survived infection were euthanatized and examined 48 hours after inoculation. The relationship between dose and severity of disease was evaluated clinically and the weight of pneumonic lesions was compared. The relationship between infection dose and weight of pneumonic lesions proved to be unimodal and not linear. Inoculation of 10(4) CFU of strain 13261 resulted in severe pneumonic lesions and mortality of 29%. In contrast, death was not observed after inoculation with 10(6) CFU of strain 13261 and pneumonic lesions were less severe (P < 0.05). An infective dose of 10(3) CFU induced pneumonic lesions that tended (not statistically significant) to be less severe than those induced by a dose of 10(4) CFU. The peak fever response in all infected pigs was observed from 6 to 12 hours after inoculation. Leukocytosis developed within 12 hours after inoculation, because of an increase of neutrophilic granulocytes. Thereafter, WBC count decreased owing to lymphopenia. Serum iron concentration decreased 80% after inoculation, and zinc concentration decreased 54%.

Analysis of national studies and literary sources on problems of haemophilus pleuropneumoniae of swine was realized in the conditions of the republic of Belarus. Research was realized in the conditions of Agricultural Production Co-operative Uritskoe (Gomel region, Belarus). It was established that medical actions gave positive result only at early stages of disease.