Blood, feces, nasal secretions, and tears werecollected weekly from 5 randomly selected 1- to 8-week-old calves in a large commercial dairy herd. Clinical signs and bovine coronavirus (BCV) shedding from the respiratory and enteric tracts of calves were monitored through the 8-week period by direct immunofluorescence of nasal epithelial cells, protein A-gold immunoelectron microscopy on feces, and ELISA on nasal secretions and feces. All samples were analyzed for antibody isotypes to BCV structural proteins by immunoblotting. All calves had BCV respiratory tract infections and 4 of 5 calves shed virus in feces. Several calves had multiple or prolonged periods of BCV respiratory tract or enteric tract shedding or both. All calves (except 1) had passive IgG1 antibodies to some BCV proteins (mainly the E2 and E3 proteins) in their serum when they were 1 week old. The presence of these passive serum antibodies (mainly to the E2 and E3 BCV proteins) was associated with decreased or delayed systemic and mucosal antibody responses in calves, in particular IgA responses in nasal secretions and tears to the E2 and E3 BCV proteins, but not to the N protein. Moderate amounts of maternal BCV E2- and E3-specific antibodies in serum did not prevent BCV enteric tract or respiratory tract infections in calves, but may have delayed the development of active antibody responses to these BCV proteins. However, calves with BCV respiratory tract or enteric tract infections had no detectable passive antibodies to any BCV proteins in nasal secretions or feces.

Samples of sera were obtained from 5,725 cows in a semiclosed herd. In each of the preceding 7 years, the herd was vaccinated against bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) with killed virus. Neutralizing antibody tests were done on all samples of sera, using cytopathic virus, BVD-TGAC virus, that was antigenically distinct from the vaccine virus. Most samples of sera had high titers of neutralizing antibodies against BVD-TGAC virus. In 48 samples of sera, neutralizing antibodies were not detected against BVD-TGAC virus, but were detected against the vaccine virus. Neutralizing antibodies against selected noncytopathic BVD viruses were not detected in several samples of serum that had neutralizing antibodies against the vaccine virus and BVD-TGAC virus. Noncytopathic BVD virus was isolated from sera obtained from 3 cows < 4 years old. Two cows were available for further testing, and persistent infection with BVD virus was confirmed in both cows. The BVD viruses isolated from those cows were not neutralized by several samples of sera. Immunoprecipitation of polypeptides induced by the vaccine virus was done with selected samples of serum. Two patterns of immunoprecipitated viral-induced polypeptides were identified. One pattern was consistent with exposure of cows with live virus. The other pattern was consistent with exposure of cows with only the killed virus vaccine.

Chemotaxis under agarose was evaluated to establish an assay system and to characterize chemotacticresponses of canine neutrophils. A method for the measurement of canine neutrophil chemotaxis was established, with optimal responses obtained with agarose containing 10% pooled canine serum, a concentration of 5 X 10(5) cells/well, zymosan-activated serum (ZAS), or autologous serum or plasma as the chemoattractants, and a 120-minute incubation period. Canine neutrophils responded well to ZAS, heat-inactivated ZAS, autologous serum and plasma, and heat-inactivated pooled serum. Chemotactic activity was proportional to the concentration of serum used as the chemoattractant. Mean (+/- SD) random migration, chemotaxis, chemotactic index, and chemotactic differential of neutrophils from 9 healthy Greyhounds were 1.09 (+/- 0.23), 1.95 (+/- 0.38), 1.82 (+/- 0.31), and 0.86 (+/- 0.32) mm,respectively.

Three trials were conducted to establish if young primary specific pathogen free (SPF) pigs could be protected from Glasser's disease by vaccination. Three age groups of cesarean-derived isolator-reared gnotobiotic pigs were vaccinated twice at 4 and 6, 3 and 5, and 2 and 4 wk of age respectively with a formalin killed aluminum hydroxide adsorbed bacterin prepared from three strains of Haemophilus parasuis isolated from Ontario pigs affected with Glasser's disease. When challenged two weeks later with the homologous strains of virulent bacteria, all the vaccinated pigs remained healthy, while 17/18 nonvaccinated pigs became severely sick or died between three and seven days postchallenge. The one surviving nonimmunized pig was retarded in growth. All of the nonimmunized pigs had visible lesions of polyserositis, the most common being polyarthritis (14/18). Other lesions were ribrinous meningitis, pericarditis, pleurisy and/or peritonitis. Two of the pigs died with a septicemia. Haemophilus parasuis was isolated from 15/18 nonimmunized pigs, usually from several of the affected sites. The organisms were not isolated from the immunized pigs, nor from the surviving nonimmunized pig. Attempts to detect the presence of specific antibodies against the H. parasuis strains in the sera of the immunized or exposed pigs by the passive hemagglutination test or by enzyme linked immunoassay were unsuccessful. The results of this work indicate that primary SPF pigs can be protected from Glasser's disease by vaccination as early as 2 and 4 wk of age. The nature of this protective mechanism was not established in this study.

Ovulation has been likened to an inflammatory process. Inflammatory cells accumulate in the ovulating follicle, presumably because of chemotactic factors. Chemotactic activity was measured in fluid aspirated from follicles of estrous mares 0, 12, 24, and 36 hours after ultrasonographic detection of a 35-mm follicle and IV treatment with 2,500 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin. Chemotaxis was assessed by measuring directional migration of equine neutrophils under agarose. Follicular fluid acted as a chemoattractant for neutrophils, but there was no significant difference in chemotactic activity among different time intervals after administration of human chorionic gonadotropin. On the basis of results of various treatments, chemotactic properties of serum and follicular fluid were similar. Chemotactic activity was significantly reduced by heating (56 C for 30 minutes) and by trypsinization and was virtually removed by charcoal treatment. Dialyzing the follicular fluid (3,500 and 8,000 molecular weight cut-off) significantly reduced the chemotactic activity of follicular fluid and serum. The importance of chemotactic factors in the process of ovulation in the mare is yet to be established.

To determine the effect of oral administration of prednisolone on thyroid function, 12 healthy Beagles were given 1.1 mg of prednisolone/kg of body weight every 12 hours for 22 days after 8 days of diagnostic testing of the dogs before treatment with prednisolone. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) response tests were performed before treatment (days 1 and 8 of the study) and during treatment (days 21 and 28 of the study). Blood samples were collected daily at 8 AM and 2 and 8 PM to rule out normal daily hormone fluctuations as the cause of a potential decrease in serum triodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and free T4 (fT4) concentrations. Serum T3, T4, and fT4 concentrations before treatment and 1 day and 21 days after the first prednisolone dose were compared by analyses of variance. Post-TSH and -TRH serum T3 and T4 concentrations before and during treatment were compared, using the Student t test for paired data. Oral administration of prednisolone significantly (P < 0.005) decreased serum T3, T4, and fT4 concentrations in the 8 AM and 2 and 8 PM samples obtained 1 day and 21 days after the first prednisolone dose. Serum T4 and fT4 concentrations in 8 AM and 2 PM samples were significantly (P < 0.05) lower 21 days after the first prednisolone dose than they were at 1 day after the first dose. Before treatment, serum T4 concentration in the 2 PM samples was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than serum T4 concentration in 8 AM and 8 PM samples. Oral administration of prednisolone significantly (P < 0.01) decreased serum T3 and T4 concentrations 6 hours after TSH and TRH injections. Significant difference in the mean incremental change in serum T3 and T4 concentrations was not observed when comparing before- and during prednisolone treatment values for the TRH response test. However, for the TSH response test, the mean incremental changes in serum T3 and T4 concentrations were significantly (P < 0.01) lower during prednisolone treatment. Despite the decreased TSH response incremental change in serum T4 concentration during oral treatment with prednisolone, the lowest value observed fell within the before-treatment range. In addition, during treatment, baseline serum T3 and T4 concentrations after TSH administration increased, on average, 3.7 and 8.4 times, respectively.

Four consecutive 6-hour urine sample collections were performed on 7 healthy adult Holstein cows fed a diet of coastal Bermuda hay with ad libitum water consumption. Urine (via indwelling urinary catheter) and venous blood samples were collected at 6, 12, 18, and 24 hours. Total 24-hour urine production for the 7 cows ranged from 4,515 to 7,130 ml/d (mean +/- SD, 5,633 +/- 946 ml/d) or 0.02 to 0.04 ml/kg of body weight/d (mean +/- SD, 0.03 +/- 0.007 ml/kg/d). Renal clearance (C) of creatinine (Cr), sodium (Na), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) varied significantly (P less than 0.05) among individuals, but did not vary significantly among the four 6-hour collection periods. Clearance of chloride (Cl) and phosphorous (P) did not vary significantly either among individuals or among the four 6-hour periods. Clearance of potassium (K) varied significantly (P less than 0.05) among individuals and among the four 6-hour periods. Creatinine clearance was significantly (P less than 0.01) correlated with CCl, CCa, CP, and CMg when all data were considered. Significant (P less than 0.05) correlations were also found between CCl, and CK, CCa, CP, and CMg; between CCa and CP and CMg; and between CP and CMg. Fractional excretion (FE) of Na, K, Cl, Ca, P, and Mg did not vary significantly among the four 6-hour periods. Fractional excretion of Na, Ca, and Mg (P less than 0.01) and K and P (P less than 0.05) varied significantly within individuals among the 6-hour periods. Mean FE values, calculated by averaging values for each of the 4 collection periods for all 7 cows, ranged from 0.05 to 0.78% for FENa; 129.33 to 670.40% for FEK; 1.23 to 6.23% for FECl; 0.17 to 4.44% for FECa; 0.36 to 1.14 for FEP; and 4.96 to 11.73% for FEMg. Linear relationships between the clearance and fractional excretion of electrolytes were observed on base-10 logarithmically transformed data for Na, Ca, P, and Mg. Linear relationship was not found between CK and FEK or between CCl and FECl.

The effects of single IV injections of sodium bicarbonate (0.5 mEq/kg of body weight, 1 mEq/kg, 2 mEq/kg, and 4 mEq/kg) on serum osmolality, serum sodium, chloride, and potassium concentrations, and venous blood gas tensions in 6 healthy cats were monitored for 180 minutes. Serum osmolality increased and remained significantly (P less than 0.05) increased for 120 minutes in cats given 4 mEq of sodium bicarbonate/kg. Serum sodium was increased significantly (P less than 0.05) for 30 minutes in cats given 4 mEq of sodium bicarbonate/kg. Serum sodium decreased and remained significantly (P less than 0.05) decreased for 120 minutes in cats given 1 g of 20% mannitol/kg, and serum osmolality was significantly (P less than 0.05) decreased at 30 and 60 minutes. Serum chloride decreased significantly (P less than 0.05) for 10 minutes in cats given 1 mEq of sodium bicarbonate/kg, and was significantly decreased for 30 minutes in cats given 2 mEq and 4 mEq of sodium bicarbonate/kg. Serum chloride decreased and remained significantly (P less than 0.05) decreased for 30 minutes in cats given 1 g of 20% mannitol/kg. Serum sodium and serum osmolality did not change significantly (P less than 0.05) in cats given 4 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride/kg. Serum potassium decreased significantly (P less than 0.05) for 10 minutes in cats given 1 mEq of sodium bicarbonate/kg, and for 120 minutes in cats given 2 mEq/kg or 4 mEq/kg. There was a significantly (P less than 0.05) greater decrease in serum potassium that lasted for 30 minutes after giving sodium bicarbonate at the dosage of 4 mEq/kg, compared with other dosages given. Serum potassium did not change significantly in cats given 1 g of 20% mannitol/kg, but was significantly (P less than 0.05) decreased 10 minutes following 4 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride/kg. Sodium bicarbonate infusion significantly (P less than 0.05) increased venous blood pH and plasma bicarbonate concentration in all cats. The magnitude and duration of these changes were significantly greater following administration of sodium bicarbonate at dosages of 2 mEq/kg and 4 mEq/kg. Significant (P less than 0.05) increases in PCO2 were associated only with the highest dosage of sodium bicarbonate (4 mEq/kg). Base excess increased significantly (P less than 0.05) in all cats following sodium bicarbonate infusion. There were significantly (P less than 0.05) greater increases in base excess lasting 30 minutes following administration of sodium bicarbonate at dosages of 2 mEq/kg and 4 mEq/kg. Significant (P less than 0.05) changes in venous blood pH, PCO2, or bicarbonate were not observed in cats given 4 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride/kg, or in cats given 1 g of 20% mannitol/kg. Base excess was significantly (P less than 0.05) increased for 10 minutes in cats given 1 g of 20% mannitol/kg. As expected, 4 mEq of sodium bicarbonate/kg induced the most time- and dosage-related effects. Caution should be used when administering sodium bicarbonate IV to cats at dosages greater than 2 mEq/kg, because of the potential for important acid-base and electrolyte changes.

Failure to obtain passive transfer of immunity via colostrum can be detrimental to the health and survival of a young pup. It has been stated that pups that do not receive colostrum in the first 2 days after birth, be given adult dog serum as a source of protective immunoglobulins. Twenty-five Beagle pups were obtained by cesarean section from 6 Beagle bitches. The pups were allotted to 3 groups at birth. Group 1 was a control group and was allowed to suckle colostrum. Group-2 pups received 22 ml of pooled adult dog serum/kg of body weight (10 ml/lb) SC at birth. Group-3 pups were given 22 ml of pooled adult dog serum/kg by stomach tube at birth. Pups from groups 2 and 3 were separated from the bitch for 48 hours to prevent colostral antibody absorption and were fed a commercially available milk replacer by stomach tube. After 48 hours, all pups were returned to the bitch until they were weaned at 6 weeks of age. Blood samples were collected from all of the pups at birth and on days 1, 2, 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35. The concentration of IgA, IgG, and IgM in serum was determined by radial immunodiffusion and compared by use of a one-way analysis of variance. The control pups had significantly higher serum concentrations of IgA and IgG, than the pups in groups 2 and 3 on days 1 and 2 and 2 and 7, respectively. Group-2 pups had significantly higher serum IgM concentrations on day 1 than either group 1- or group-3 pups.

Classical hemolytic complement (C) of calves was analyzed during a protocol designed to imitate the usual market handling of feeder calves from the southeastern United States. Serum C concentrations of the calves (n = 100 X 4 years) were evaluated on their farm of origin, on arrival at an auction market, on arrival at a feedyard, and during their first 4 weeks in the feedyard. Complement concentrations (measured in CH50 units) were typically lowest at the farm of origin and highest when the calves entered the auction market 28 to 133 days later. Serum C concentrations decreased after the calves encountered the severe stresses of being in the auction market for 7 days, 24-hour truck transport (1,932 km) to the feedyard, and the first 7 days in the feedyard. The C concentrations recovered after 21 to 28 days in the feedyard. Steers had significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05) lower C concentrations than did heifers in 3 of 4 years at the farm of origin, and in 2 of 4 years at the auction market. Morbid calves had significantly (P less than or equal to 0.05) lower C values than did healthy calves on day 7 in the feedyard in 3 of 4 years. There were significant differences in C concentrations of calves from different farms of origin in each of the 4 years. There was no significant difference in C concentrations of calves that were vaccinated vs those not vaccinated with Pasteurella haemolytica.