The present study aimed to assess some biochemical changes of oxidative stress in alloxaninduced diabetic rats with administration of lipoic acid. The experiment was carried out on 96 male rats. The group I (32 rats) was left as control (normal non-diabetic). Sixty-four rats were injected subcutaneously with alloxan (120 mg / kg.b.wt.) for induction of diabetes. Then it was divided into two equal groups, group II (diabetic without administration of lipoic acid) and group III (diabetic with administration of lipoic acid). Blood samples were collected from 8 rats of each group for separation of clear serum at 1st, 2nd, 3rd and the 4th week after administration for determination of glucose. Fresh liver and brain tissue samples (0.2 g) were collected from sacrificed rats and homogenized in ten volumes of (ice-cold phosphate saline pH: 7), then kept at –20 ?C for assay of malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione and liver glycogen. The obtained data revealed that serum glucose level was significantly decreased in the 3rd group as compared with the diabetic one. Also there was a significant decrease of liver glycogen in the diabetic group as compared with the non-diabetic control group. Moreover, significant decrease of reduced glutathione in both liver and brain tissues in diabetic group as compared with control. Lipoic acid caused a significant elevation in liver reduced glutathione as compared with the diabetic group, but without effect on brain. There was a significant rise in malondialdehyde in liver and brain tissues of diabetic group as compared with control. On the other hand there was a significant decrease of malondialdehyde in liver and brain tissues of diabetic rats with lipoic acid as compared with diabetic rats throughout the experiment period. It could be concluded that significant increase of malondialdehyde together with the decrease of reduced glutathione in the diabetic group: indicated the oxidative stress of induced diabetes. Also the study revealed that lipoic acid exerted a powerful antioxidant effect and therefore the diabetics should be supplemented regularly with this vitamin.

The objective of this study was to compare the presence on goats and cattle of adult ticks that usually infest cattle. To this end ticks collected from sets of five goats were compared with those collected from sets of five cattle at 72 communal dip-tanks in the eastern region of the Eastern Cape Province. Amblyomma hebraeum was present on goats at 25 and on cattle at 39 dip-tanks, and a total of 61 goats and 138 cattle were infested. Adult Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus was present on goats at 48 and on cattle at 69 dip-tanks, and a total of 113 goats and 242 cattle were infested. The lengths of 84 of 148 female R. (Boophilus) microplus collected from the goats exceeded 5 mm or more, indicating that they could successfully engorge on these animals. The differences between the proportions of dip-tanks at which A. hebraeum or R. (Boophilus) microplus was present on goats and cattle and also between the proportions of goats and cattle that were infested were significant (Chi square test, P < 0.01). Adult Rhipicephalus appendiculatus was present on goats at 70 and on cattle at 67 dip-tanks, and a total of 296 goats and 271 cattle were infested. The proportion of dip-tanks at which cattle were infested did not differ significantly from the proportion of tanks at which goats were infested (Fischer's exact probability test, P = 0.44), but the proportion of infested cattle was significantly lower than the proportion of infested goats (Chi-square test, P < 0.05). Adult Rhipicephalus evertsi evertsi was present on goats and cattle at all 72 sampling localities, and a total of 334 goats and 316 cattle were infested. The proportion of infested cattle was significantly lower than the proportion of infested goats (Chi-square test, P < 0.05). These results underscore the necessity of including goats in any tick control programme designed for cattle at the same locality.

Trypanosomal infections in female Glossina morsitans morsitans were investigated in an area in the Eastern Province of Zambia between 1992 and 1994. A total of 4 416 flies were captured, aged using the ovarian ageing method and screened for trypanosomal infections in both the mouthparts, salivary glands and the midgut. Congolense-type infections were identified in 4.8 % of the flies. Vivax-type and immature infections were identified in 1.8 % and 6.8 % of the flies, respectively. The prevalence of con golense-type, vivax-type and immature infections increased with age. For vivax-type infections the age-prevalence relationship could be described by a model assuming a constant per capita rate of infection. For congolense-type and midgut infections, a polynomial term was added to the model significantly improving the fit. The per capita at which flies become infected was significantly higher for immature compared to mature infections. Observations strongly suggest that tsetse acquire new midgut infections at any age and that maturation of these infections is not limited to those obtained during the first blood meal.

The length of the antibiotic withdrawal period after intramammary treatment was influenced by the milk yield of dairy goats during this trial. Shorter withdrawal periods were seen in relatively high yielding dairy goats (production above 1.5 ℓ per day) compared to low producers (less than 1.3 ℓ per day). High yielding goats treated with Curaclox LC (Norbrook [Pharmacia AH]) had a withdrawal period of 42 h, while low yielding goats, treated with the same product, had a withdrawal period of 74 h. The recommended withdrawal period for Curaclox LC for use in cattle is 72 h. Relatively high yielding goats treated with Rilexine 200 LC (Logos Agvet [Virbac]) had a significantly shorter withdrawal period (37 h) than that recommended for use in cattle (96 h). Low yielding goats treated with Spectrazol Milking Cow (Schering-Plough Animal Health) had a significantly longer (95 h) withdrawal period than that recommended for use in cattle (60 h). Withdrawal periods were also influenced by stage of lactation and parity. There was a moderate positive correlation between lactation number and withdrawal period, as measured by TRIS (R2 = 0.621), and a moderate negative correlation between stage of lactation and withdrawal period (R2 = -0.669). In Trials 1, 2 and 3 combined there was a moderate negative correlation between withdrawal period and volume (R2 = -0.511) and a strong positive correlation between withdrawal period and lactation number (R2 = 0.720). The differences in percentage milk fat, protein and lactose before, during and after treatment were not statistically significant except in Trial 3 (Curaclox LC and Rilexine 200 LC) where protein and lactose differed significantly. In Trial 2 (Spectrazol Milking Cow) milk fat percentages differed significantly between treatment and control groups as did protein percentages in Trial 3. These differences are however, not biologically meaningful.

The aim of this study was to determine withdrawal periods (WP) and tissue irritation after administration of three intramammary antibiotics [Curaclox LC (Norbrook (ARK AH)], Spectrazol Milking Cow (Schering-Plough AH) and Rilexine 200 LC [Logos Agvet (Virbac)] in goats with clinical mastitis.Withdrawal periods in goats with clinical mastitis treated with Curaclox LC, were not significantly different from those recommended for use in cows (72 h) with (67 h) or without (48 h) the 24 h mandatory safety margin while Spectrazol caused a significantly longer withdrawal period (122 h) than that recommended for use in cattle with (60 h) and without (36 h) the 24h safety margin. The withdrawal period of clinical mastitis cases treated with Rilexine 200 LC was 48 h compared to the 96 h recommended for use in cows.A linear model of regression with factors influencing the WP in goats with clinical mastitis was as follows : WP = 30.21 + 4.692 (sampling time) + 22.11 (udder pathology) - 13.6 (floccules) - 0.00649 (milk yield).Somatic Cell Counts (SCC) of milk from udder halves with clinical mastitis ranged from 7 053 x 103 to 7 948 x 103 cells per mℓ without isolations of bacteria and between 6 476 x 103 and 8 479 x 103 cells per mℓ with isolations of bacteria. Most of the variation in SCC could not be explained and the California Milk Cell Test (CMCT) and SCC on their own were not reliable methods for mastitis diagnosis. However, CMCT and SCC were indicators of udder irritation. In goats without clinical mastitis, Spectrazol Milking Cow caused the least tissue irritation followed by Rilexine 200 LC and Curaclox LC. For goats with clinical mastitis, Rilexine 200 LC caused the least irritation, followed by Curaclox LC while Spectrazol Milking Cow caused the most irritation.

The ultrastructure of the surface epithelium and tubular glands of the uterus in the immature ostrich is described. In ostriches with inactive ovaries the uterus is lined by a non-ciliated simple columnar epithelium, with basally located heterochromatic nuclei. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that these non-ciliated cells have a dense microvillous cover. A simple columnar to pseudostratified columnar epithelium, comprised of non-ciliated and ciliated cells, lines the uterus in birds with active ovaries. The ciliated cells possess a wide luminal region, which contains a nucleus and various organelles. An accumulation of secretory granules was observed in the apical regions of the non-ciliated cells, as well as in a few ciliated cells. In addition to non-ciliated and ciliated cells, a cell type with rarefied cytoplasm was also identified. These cells appear to correspond to calcium secreting cells identified in other avian species. The results of this study indicate that, although uterine differentiation is present in immature ostriches with active ovaries, the production of secretory product appears to occur mainly in non-ciliated epithelial cells.

Between July 2005 and November 2006 the gastro-intestinal helminths of 15 Helmeted guineafowls and a single Crested guineafowl from Musina, Limpopo Province were examined, and in July and August 2005 helminths were collected from five Helmeted guineafowls from Mokopane in the same province. The acanthocephalan Mediorhynchus gallinarum, the cestodes Abuladzugnia gutterae, Davainea nana, Hymenolepis cantaniana, Numidella numida, Octopetalum numida, Ortleppolepis multiuncinata, Porogynia paronai, Raillietina angusta, Raillietina pintneri, Raillietina steinhardti and Raillietina sp. and the nematodes Ascaridia numidae, Cyrnea parroti, Gongylonema congolense, Hadjelia truncata, Sicarius caudatus, Subulura dentigera, Subulura suctoria, Subulura sp., Tetrameres numida and an unidentified subulurid were recovered. A single trematode species, Dicrocoelium macrostomum, was present in the liver. Mediorhynchus gallinarum, A. gutterae, O. multiuncinata, H. truncata and S. caudatus are recorded for the first time from Helmeted guineafowls, as well as from South Africa. South Africa is a new geographic record for D. macrostomum, G. congolense and D. nana. Subulura suctoria, G. congolense and H. truncata from the Crested guineafowl constitute new host-parasite associations.

This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of the Newcastle disease (ND) live vaccines from different commercial sources used in different programs for vaccination of chicks having maternal antibodies against Mycoplasma infection. The immune response was estimated using HI and challenge tests. The effect on the chicken performance was estimated by the detection of the body weight gain. The role of vaccines in stimulating respiratory bacterial stress was pointed out by the lesion scores. Birds vaccinated with live vaccines from source (2) showed higher HI titers than those vaccinated with vaccine from source (1) and birds received the 2nd vaccination from heterologous source showed lower titers than those received from homologous source. Results of the challenge test indicated that birds vaccinated with live ND vaccines from one source and those vaccinated with Hitchner B1 at 33-days of age instead of La Sota showed 100% protection rate as compared with 95 % followed by vaccination with heterologous La Sota. Birdsreceived Hitchner B1 of vaccine source (1) showed only 85% protection rate. All vaccinated chicken groups showed feed conversion rates lower than the non-vaccinated control one. Groups received Hitchner B1 as a 3rd dose of the vaccine showed higher rates than those vaccinated with La Sota. Results of the lesion score for chronic respiratory disease (CRD) in vaccinated groups with different regimes revealed that birds received ND vaccinal strains from source (1) having higher scores than those received ND vaccines from the 2nd source. Administration of Hitchner B1 vaccine at 33-days of age showed lower scores. Hitchner B1 can be recommended in vaccination of chickens derived from Mycoplasma infected hens.

The pharmacokinetic profile of ceftiofur sodium, a third generation cephalosporin, was studied in both Friesian and buffalo calves following a single intravenous and intramuscular administration of 2.2 mg kg-1 b.wt. in a cross over study with 15-day wash out period. After i.v administration the serum concentration-time curve of ceftiofur sodium was best fitted using two-compartments open model, with distribution half-lives (t½(()) of 0.384 and 0.176 h., elimination half-lives (t½(0)) of 5.047 and 1.607 h., mean residence time (MRT) of 6.926 and 2.072 h., volumes of distribution at steady-state (Vdss) of 0.206 and 0.134 L kg-1 and total body clearance (ClB) of 0.029 and 0.065 L kg-1 h-1 in Friesian and buffalo calves, respectively. Following intramuscular administration, the drug absorbed with half-lives of absorption (t½(ab)) of 1.010 and 0.217 h., maximum serum concentrations (Cmax) of 5.539 and 9.663 g ml-1 which attained after (tmax) of 3.147 and 0.825 h. and the drug was eliminated with half-lives (t½(el)) of 5.239 and 1.750 h. in Friesian and buffalo calves, respectively. The systemic intramuscular bioavailabilities were 89.82 and 99.7 %, while the in-vitro serum proteinbinding tendencies were 39.68 and 14.44 % in Friesian and buffalo calves, respectively

The urinary bladder of 15 clinically normal dogs was excised and the ureters wereimplanted into an isolated, vagotomized gastric segment derived from the fundic region of the stomach. The gastric segment was closed to form a neobladder. Continence was maintained with a "nipple valve" created at the tubularized end of isolated segment of stomach. Clinical, radiological, ultrasonographical, urine and blood analysis and histopathological examination were carried out for assessment of the technique. Eleven cases showed an apparently normal bladder function. Two cases suffered from renal hydronephrosis and other two suffered from incontinence. It was concluded that gastric neobladder urinary diversion is satisfactory for clinical use in dogs.