Freshwater snails collected from ditch like ponds near the River Nile in Beni-Suef Governorate during three climatically differed periods. Lymnaea cailliaudi, Biomphalaria alexandarina, Bulinus truncatus, Lanistes carinatus, Cleopatra bulimoids,Physa acuta, Viviparus viviparus, Melania tuberclata and Bivalves species were included. The total number of collected snails in December 2008, March 2009 and July 2009 were 1321, 1370 and 1211 respectively, with larger number in March than in July or December due to optimal climatic conditions in Marsh for most of collected snails. The recorded survival longevity in the laboratory was more than 90 days for Lymnaea cailliaudi, two months for Lanistes carinatus, while in Melania tuberclata, was about three weeks but only two to three days for Bivalves. Cercariae shedding observed from Lymnaea, Lanistes and Biomphalaria species beside stylet cecariae from Lymnaea and Lanistes snails, also rediae and sporocysts were found in crushed snails in all periods of collections with little difference between these periods, about 14% of crushed Lymnaea were containing rediae. Aquatic insects and their larvae were found especially water bug Sphaerodema sp. found predating snails or their eggs, also the mature insect still alive in the breeding container all over the period of the experiment more than three months. Culex larvae attacked egg masses of the snails, estacosa predated the snails while Telapia nilotica fishes showed low affinity to predate such snails. The oleo-gum resin Myrrh (Commiphora molmol) in the concentration of 0. 5gm/1 litre water killed 90 % of the exposed snails after 72 hours.

Objective--To describe the simple elimination kinetics of methyllycaconitine (MLA) and deltaline and evaluate the heart rate response in cattle following oral administration of larkspur. Animals--5 healthy Angus steers that were habituated to metabolism crates. Procedures--Tall larkspur (Delphinium barbeyi) in the early flowering stage was collected, dried, and ground. Each steer received a single dose of larkspur that was equivalent to 10.4 mg of MLA/kg and 11.0 mg of deltaline/kg via oral administration. Steers were housed in metabolism crates during a 96-hour period following larkspur administration; heart rate was monitored continuously, and blood samples were collected periodically for analysis of serum MLA and deltaline concentrations as well as assessment of pharmacokinetic parameters. Results--No overt clinical signs of poisoning developed in any steer during the experiment. Mean ± SE heart rate reached a maximum of 79.0 ± 5.0 beats/min at 17 hours after larkspur administration. Serum MLA concentration was correlated directly with heart rate. Mean times to maximal serum concentration of MLA and deltaline were 8.8 ± 1.2 hours and 5.0 ± 0.6 hours, respectively. Mean elimination half-life values for MLA and deltaline were 20.5 ± 4.1 hours and 8.2 ± 0.6 hours, respectively. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance--Following larkspur administration in 5 healthy steers, maximum serum concentrations of MLA and deltaline were detected within 10 hours, and changes in serum MLA concentration and heart rate were correlated. Results indicated that cattle that have consumed larkspur will eliminate 99% of MLA and deltaline from serum within 144 hours.

Sheep given powdered Ferula communis variety brevifolia at dosage of 2.5 g/kg of body weight/d for 15 days developed classical clinical signs of intoxication: anorexia, somnolence, apparent weakness, and hemorrhage. Marked reduction of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors and prolongation of prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time were consistent with presence of ferulenol, a toxic coumarinic factor in the plant. Changes induced in the coagulation system developed by the second day of plant administration and were normal within 4 days after dosing was stopped. There was no evidence of primary liver damage or platelet malfunction. Of 6 intoxicated sheep, 2 died with only minimal evidence of hemorrhage.

Progressive changes in serum enzyme activity and liver histologic features were monitored in calves fed tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)-contaminated pellets. The experiments were designed to simulate natural intoxicant ingestion conditions in relationship to the dose and duration of exposure to the toxic plant to correlate early laboratory diagnostic changes with the natural progression of the disease, thereby facilitating early diagnosis and intervention by veterinary clinicians. Eight calves were fed tansy ragwort and 4 additional calves served as controls. In group 1, 4 calves were continuously fed dried tansy ragwort mixed in a pelleted feed at a 5% concentration by dry weight until terminal liver disease developed. Serum liver enzyme (alkaline phosphatase, glutamate dehydrogenase, and gamma-glutamyltransferase) activities were monitored at weekly intervals in these calves and in the 2 controls. In group 2, 4 calves were fed the same contaminated feed for only 60 days, with return to normal feed for the duration of the trial. Two additional calves served as controls. Their liver enzyme activities were monitored every other week in conjunction with percutaneous liver biopsies. All 8 calves fed tansy ragwort-contaminated pellets developed terminal hepatopathy in either a chronic pattern (n = 6) or a chronic-delayed pattern (n = 2), with the onset of a moribund state or sudden death at 11 to 17 weeks and 27 to 51 weeks, respectively. The calves were euthanatized when classic terminal signs of hepatic encephalopathy first became evident. The clinicopathologic patterns of chronic and chronic-delayed toxicoses were typical of over 5,000 cases of field tansy toxicosis diagnosed at the diagnostic laboratory. Serum glutamate dehydrogenase was the first enzyme to increase in most animals, with a short-term increase to peak values followed by a rapid return to normal. This enzyme change was followed by increases in alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyltransferase. Serum enzyme changes preceded development of recognizable histologic lesions. Vacuolar changes in hepatocyte nuclei, biliary hyperplasia, and fibrosis sequentially developed in liver biopsy specimens from each animal, whereas megalocytosis was not a predominant feature until necropsy. On the basis of our finding we suggest that the optimal tests for diagnosis of pyrrolizidine alkaloid intoxication should consist of liver biopsy and determination of concurrent serum liver-enzyme activities.

Ruminal microorganisms in cattle at a Florida agriculture research station did not have the ability to detoxify leucaena by degradation of 3-hydroxy-4(lH)-pyridone (3,4,-DHP), but a DHP isomer (2,3-DHP) was degraded in some cattle. Cattle with microorganisms that degraded 2,3-DHP were mostly Senepol cattle imported from St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, where leucaena is an indigenous species. Hereford cattle at the research station in Florida generally did not degrade 3,4-DHP or 2,3-DHP. An experiment was conducted in which a pure culture of 3,4-DHP-degrading bacteria was inoculated into Hereford cattle (with ruminal fistula) grazing leucaena. The bacteria successfully colonized the rumen of recipient cattle and persisted through the following winter when there was no leucaena in the diet.

Objective--To determine the contribution of 7,8-methylenedioxylycoctonine (MDL)–type alkaloids to the toxic effects of tall larkspur (Delphinium spp) consumption in cattle. Animals--Sixteen 2-year-old Angus steers. Procedures--Plant material from 3 populations of tall larkspur that contained different concentration ratios of MDL-type-to-N-(methylsuccinimido) anthranoyllycoctonine (MSAL)–type alkaloids was collected, dried, and finely ground. For each plant population, a dose of ground plant material that would elicit similar clinical signs of toxicosis in cattle after oral administration was determined on the basis of the plants' MSAL-type alkaloid concentration. Cattle were treated via oral gavage with single doses of ground plant material from each of the 3 populations of tall larkspur; each animal underwent 1 to 3 single-dose treatments (> = 21-day interval between treatments). Heart rate was recorded immediately before (baseline) and 24 hours after each larkspur treatment. Results--Tall larkspur populations with a lower MDL-type-to-MSAL-type alkaloid concentration ratio required a greater amount of MSAL-type alkaloids to cause the expected clinical signs of toxicosis (including increased heart rate) in cattle. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance--Results indicated that the typically less toxic MDL-type alkaloids contributed in a significant manner to the toxic effects of tall larkspur in steers. Consequently, both the concentration of MSAL-type alkaloids and the total concentration of MSAL- and MDL-type alkaloids should be determined when assessing the relative toxicity of tall larkspur populations. These results provide valuable information to determine the risk of toxicosis in cattle grazing on tall larkspur–infested rangelands.

Dynamics of plasma ferulenol concentration and its effect on the vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors, prothrombin time (PT), and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) were determined in 4 sheep intoxicated individually with 600 g of powdered Ferula communis variety brevifolia (FCb) given in 8 doses at intervals of 6 hours. Ferulenol was detected in the plasma of all sheep at initial blood sample collection, 6 hours after the first dose of approximately 75 g of FCb was placed in the rumen. The last observed peak of approximately 20 microgram/ml was detected at about 12 hours after the last of 8 doses, and the mean concentration then decreased to < 1 microgram/ml during the next 70 hours. Maximal concentration of ferulenol and time for plasma clearance varied with individual sheep. The PT increased steadily to a maximum of 6 times normal about 70 hours after the last peak plasma ferulenol concentration and about 80 hours after FCb administration was stopped. The PT then retumed to almost normal (ratio of 1.12) from the maximum (ratio of 6.12) within approximately 5 days. The APTT results gnerally paralleled the PT results, but the change was not as marked. Maximal PT and APTT ratios were animal-dependent and not always related to plasma ferulenol concentration. The activity of all the vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors was depressed, but the variations were unique to each factor. Factor V, a vitamin K-independent coagulation factor actually had a brief period of increased plasma activity. We concluded that the effects on PT, APTT, and vitarnin K-dependent coagulation factors induced in sheep intoxicated with FCb were consistent with the coumarinic structure of ferulenol, the intoxicating compound in FCb, which seems to have a short-term anticoagulation effect.

Surface temperatures of hoofs of calves given toxic anion fractions of tall fescue were measured with an infrared sensitive camera. These changes expressed in terms of a weighted average coronary band temperature relate to clinical signs of fescue foot. The weighted average coronary band temperature values for control calves given saline solution were 27 to 31 C; those values of test calves given anion fractions of tall fescue were as low as 22 +/- 1 C. Videothermometry provides an independent, permanent, objective measure that is useful in assessing fescue-foot potential of tall fescue fractions by intraperitoneal injection. Videothermometry may also serve as a clinical means for determining progression of the total fescue foot syndrome.

The toxicity of Riddell groundsel (Senecio riddellii) gavaged to calves at a known lethal rate was compared with the toxicity of riddelliine and riddelliine N-oxide, the pyrrolizidine alkaloids isolated from the plant, which were fed by intraruminal infusion. Doses of the alkaloids were adjusted to the amount determined to be in the plant and fed individually and in combination. The relative toxicosis in the calves was measured by clinical signs, serum enzyme changes, survival time to morbidity, and histologic changes. Calves fed Senecio riddellii by gavage for 20 consecutive days to provide 45 mg of total pyrrolizidine alkaloids/kg of body weight/d developed clinical signs and serum enzyme changes typical of seneciosis, with 100% morbidity. However, calves receiving riddelliine at 4.5 mg/kg/d for 20 days had neither serum enzyme changes nor clinical signs of pyrrolizidine alkaloidosis. Calves treated with riddelliine N-oxide (40.5 mg/kg/d), and with riddelliine (4.5 mg(kg/d) and riddelliine N-oxide (40.5 mg/kg/d) in combination, had 100% morbidity, although the latter group had fewer liver lesions. These results establish that the N-oxide form of the alkaloid alone is capable of inducing typical Senecio toxicosis in cattle and that the free base level of the plant cannot be considered to be the sole factor in assessing the toxicity of S riddellii.

An aqueous extract was made from black walnut (Juglans nigra) heartwood obtained in the fall of the year. Ten hours after nasogastric administration of 5 L of the extract, a 550-kg, 13-yr-old Quarter Horse gelding experienced Obel grade-3 laminitis. The effect of aqueous extract of black walnut on vascular contractility was then tested, using isolated equine digital arteries and veins. The vessels were maintained in Krebs bicarbonate buffer with 95% oxygen at 37 C. The extract did not induce a direct contractile effect. It did, however, reversibly enhance the vasoconstriction induced in the isolated vessels by administration of epinephrine potentiated with hydrocortisone. In contrast, aqueous extracts made, using the same techniques, from the shavings of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), and pin oak (Quercus palustrus) had no effect on epinephrine-induced digital vessel contractions.