The placenta of llamas is epitheliochorial, with patchy areas of dense folded papillation serving as the placentome. The amnion of the full-term placenta is closely adhered to either the allantois or the chorion and remains with these structures at the time of parturition. Llamas and alpacas, like dromedaries, have an extra fetal membrane that is derived from the epidermis of the fetus. In association with the watery amniotic fluid of llamas, the epidermal membrane is slippery, facilitating delivery of the fetus.

Transabdominal ultrasonography has been popularly used in animal reproduction for the assessment of pregnancy status and foetal viability where as transvaginal method for pregnancy diagnosis is rarely used for pregnancy diagnosis in goats. The study was conducted in 74 Attappady Black goats from Government Goat Farm, Attappady and Livestock Research Station, Thiruvizhamkunnu to evaluate the accuracy of trans-vaginal methods and to identify the fetal characteristics from day 20 to 75. Transvaginal ultrasonographic examination was performed using endocavity transducer with frequency of 6.5 to 8 MHz. Observations were made in all the pregnant does at three different stages of pregnancy i.e., 20-35 days, 35-55 days and 55-75 days. Does were diagnosed as pregnant from the observation of gestational sac, embryo or foetus, embryonic or foetal heartbeat, placentomes or foetal skeleton. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and overall accuracy along gestation period were 98.03, 92.3, 96.15, 96 and 95.62%, respectively. It is concluded from the present study that transvaginal ultrasonography can be used for herd pregnancy diagnosis at early stages from day 20 to 45 of pregnancy diagnosis in goats.

Placental transfer of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin was evaluated, using a rabbit in situ perfusion model. A two-step infusion program was carried out to obtain steady-state maternal plasma concentrations of these drugs. For each compound, the placenta in 5 rabbits was perfused for 200 minutes with Earle's enriched bicarbonate buffer at flow rate of 1.5 ml/min. To assess reliability of the model, most of the determinants of placental transfer (maternal and fetal pH, gas balance, heart status, rectal temperature, and protein binding) were controlled. In addition, the infusion program included administration of antipyrine, a commonly used indicator of placental exchange. Drug concentrations were measured in maternal plasma and perfusate by use of a high-performance liquid chromatographic assay. Plasma protein-binding estimation indicated no differences between the drugs. Placental clearance of the drugs was significantly (P < 0.01) different (0.88 +/- 0.13 ml/min for enrofloxacin and 0.06 +/- 0.02 ml/min for ciprofloxacin). These values accounted for 81 and 5%, respectively, of the placental clearance found for antipyrine. These results indicate that caution must be taken when enrofloxacin is to be used during pregnancy, and suggest the need to extend this type of experiment to species that can be exposed to these drugs used for therapeutic or prophylactic purposes.

Two experiments were undertaken to evaluate whether porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus was able to cross the placenta and infect midgestation fetuses following intranasal inoculation of sows and whether PRRS virus directly infected fetuses following in utero inoculation. In experiment 1, eight sows between 45 and 50 days of gestation were intranasally inoculated with PRRS virus (ATCC VR-2332), and four control sows were inoculated with uninfected cell culture lysate. Virus inoculated sows were viremic on postinoculation (PI) days 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9, shed virus in their feces and nasal secretions, and became leukopenic. Sixty-nine of 71 fetuses from principal sows euthanized on PI day 7, 14 or 21 were alive at necropsy and no virus was isolated from any of the fetuses. Two principal sows that farrowed 65 and 67 days PI delivered 25 live piglets and three stillborn fetuses. The PRRS virus was isolated from two live piglets in one litter. In experiment 2, laparotomies were performed on five sows between 40 and 45 days of gestation and fetuses were inoculated in utero with either PRRS virus alone, PRRS virus plus a swine serum containing PRRS antibodies, or uninfected cell culture lysate. Three sows were euthanized on PI day 4 and two sows on PI day 11. Viral replication occurred in fetuses inoculated with virus alone and was enhanced in fetuses inoculated with virus plus antibody. No virus was isolated from control fetuses. The results indicate that sows and fetuses are susceptible to PRRS virus infection in mid-gestation, that viral replication is enhanced by the addition of serum with PRRS virus antibody, and that the virus does not readily cross the placental barrier during mid-gestation.

Objective—To evaluate the efficacy and effects of labeling equine umbilical cord blood (UCB)– and bone marrow (BM)–derived multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) with an ultrasmall uperparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) contrast agent and the detection of labeled MSCs by use of MRI. Sample—UCB MSCs from placental tissues of 5 foals and BM MSCs from 5 horses. Procedures—UCB and BM MSC cultures were seeded in duplicate (5,000 cells/cm2). One duplicate was incubated with SPIO (50 μg/mL); the other was processed identically, but without SPIO. Mesenchymal stromal cells were expanded in triplicates for 5 passages and assessed for viability and proliferative capacity, labeling efficacy, and labeled cell proportion. For MRI detection, 5 × 106 labeled BM MSCs from passage 1 or 2 were injected into a collagenase-induced superficial digital flexor tendon defect of an equine cadaveric forelimb from 2 horses. Results—For passages 1, 2, and 3, labeling efficacy and cell proportion for UCB MSCs (99.6% [range, 98.8% to 99.9%], 16.6% [range, 6.5% to 36.1%], and 1.0% [range, 0.4% to 2.8%], respectively) were significantly higher than for BM MSCs (99.2% [range, 97.8% to 99.7%], 4.5% [range, 1.6% to 11.8%], and 0.2% [range, 0.1% to 0.6%], respectively). Labeling was not detectable after passage 3. Viability of MSCs was not affected, but cell doubling time increased in labeled MSCs, compared with that of unlabeled MSCs. On MRI 3-D T2*-weighted fast gradient echo sequences, decreased signal intensity was observed for BM passage 1 MSCs. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Equine UCB and BM MSCs were labeled with SPIO at high efficiencies.

We evaluated the effectiveness of 2 dopamine antagonists as treatments for fescue toxicosis in horses. Sixteen gravid mares were assigned by breed and expected foaling date to 1 of 3 treatment groups: endophyte-infested control 1.1 mg of domperidone/kg of body weight/d; and 3.3 mg of sulpiride/kg/d. Mares were pastured on endophyte-infected fescue and received 0.454 kg of a corn and dried molasses carrier containing the drug treatment. Treatment started 30 days prior to expected foaling date and continued until parturition. Blood samples were collected, and mammary gland scores were recorded every 5 days. Body weight and body condition scores were obtained every 28 days. Serum was analyzed for prolactin, progesterone, and estradiol-17beta concentrations. Domperidone-treated mares had shorter (P = 0.09) gestation duration and foaled closer (P = 0.07) to their expected parturition date than did control mares. Mammary gland scores were higher (P < 0.05) for domperidone-treated mares than for control mares. By 4 and 9 days after the start of treatment, serum prolactin concentration was higher P < 0.05) in domperidone-treated mares and sulpiride-treated mares, respectively, than in control mares. Domperidone- and and sulpiride-treated mares had higher (P < 0.05) serum progesterone and lower (P < 0.01) estradiol-17beta concentrations than did control mares. These results indicate that domperidone may offer considerable potential as a treatment for fescue toxicosis in horses.

Akabane virus (AKV) strain OBE-1 was inoculated IV into 17 pregnant sheep. Ten fetuses infected at 29 to 45 days of gestation and examined 29 to 30 days later had AKV antigen in the following groups of cells: neuroglial cells in the brain and spinal cord, ganglion cells in the cranial and abdominal ganglia, layer of ganglion cells in the retina, ganglion cells (Auerbach's plexus) in small intestine, hepatocytes, cells in the arterial wall of mesenteric membrane, and trophoblast cells in the placenta. Prior to detection of circulating virus-neutralizing antibody, immunoglobulin-containing cells were found initially at 59 days of gestation in the peripheral portion of white pulp tissue in the spleen. After that, numbers of immunoglobulin-containing cells gradually increased. These results indicated that AKV may have strong affinity for neuronal and ganglional cells in infected fetuses and immunoglobulin-containing cells might be considered the earliest immunologic response to AKV replication in the fetus.