To examine the selectivity of diltiazem, used in the cardiovascular diseases, on alpha-1 and alpha-2 adrenoceptor-induced pressor responses, effect of diltiazem on alpha-adrenoceptor agonist-induced pressor responses were investigated in urethane-anesthetized rabbits and spinal rabbits. Intravenous diltiazem(10,30,100,300,1000 micro g/kg) produced dose-dependent depressor response in rabbits. Pressor responses to intravenous norepinephrine(10 micro g/kg) and phenylephrine (30 micro g/kg) were inhibited by pretreatment with intravenous diltiazem in rabbits and no difference was noted between the degree of both inhibitions of the pressor response by diltiazem. Pressor responses to intravenous norepinephrine (3 micro g/kg), phenylephrine (20 micro g/kg) and clonidine (300 micro g/kg) were inhibited by pretreatment with intravenous diltiazem in spinal rabbits. No difference was noted between the inhibition of norepinephrine-induced pressor response and that of phenylephrine-induced pressor response by diltiazem. The inhibition of clonidine-induced pressor response by diltiazem was slightly more prominent than that of norepinephrine-or phenylephrine-induced pressor response. These results suggest that diltiazem significantly inhibits both pressor responses mediated by alpha-1 and alpha-2 adrenoceptors

The In vitro drug susceptibility of 83 strains of Bordetella bronchiseptica recoverd from Korean pigs with atrophic rhinitis was investigated by the use of disk diffusion method. The majority of the organisms were highly resistant in order of prevalence to penicillin (98.7%), ampicillin(91.5%), streptomycin (90.3%), triple sulfa (83.1%), and trimethoprim/sulfamet-hoxazole (70.7%) while none of them were resistant to gentamicin, only 3.6% to colistin, chloramphenicol and kanamycin and 6.0% to tetracycline. The percentage of the organism resistant to bicozamycin, cephalothin and neomycin were 34.9%, 34.1% and 18.4%, respectively. A high prevalence of multiple drug resistance was observed and the 3 most common resistant patterns among 35 patterns noted were Am Pc Sm Sss Sxt(26.5%), Am Cf Pc Sm Sss Sxt(12%) and Am Bm Pc Sm Sss Sxt(9.6%) patterns

Nutritional risk factors for liver damage were surveyed in Black-Pied French dairy herds using serum glutamic dehydrogenase and gamma glutamyl transferase levels to monitor liver dysfunction.The 34 herds chosen were free of parasitic liver injuries. Feeding systems, nutritional blood parameters and production characteristics are analyzed. Two risk factors appeared to be involved in hepatic injury: feeding of fresh rape (Brassica napus) and high levels of serum urea (>/=6.64 mmol/L) associated with grass pasture or dietary nonprotein nitrogen with corn silage