Experimental Anaphylaxis in Pigs

An anaphylactic reaction was provoked in pigs by two intravenous injections of chicken egg albumin given approx. 2 weeks apart; some of the animals were in a state of vitamin E deficiency. The second injection of albumin was followed by vomiting, forced respiration, severe cyanosis and distinct edema in the stomach, larynx and gall bladder. These pathomorphological changes are in accordance with those regarded as typical for edema disease. Both the clinical symptoms and the pathomorphological alterations were most evident in animals with vitamin E supplementation, whereas vitamin E deficient animals showed a more moderate response. The anaphylactic reaction was not accompanied by evident changes resembling Mulberry heart disease, either in normal pigs or in vitamin E deficient animals.     

Arabidopsis calcium-binding mitochondrial carrier proteins as potential facilitators of mitochondrial ATP-import and plastid SAM-import

Chloroplasts and mitochondria are central to crucial cellular processes in plants and contribute to a whole range of metabolic pathways. The use of calcium ions as a secondary messenger in and around organelles is increasingly appreciated as an important mediator of plant cell signaling, enabling plants to develop or to acclimatize to changing environmental conditions. Here, we have studied the four calcium-dependent mitochondrial carriers that are encoded in the Arabidopsis genome. An unknown substrate carrier, which was previously found to localize to chloroplasts, is proposed to present a calcium-dependent S-adenosyl methionine carrier. For three predicted ATP/phosphate carriers, we present experimental evidence that they can function as mitochondrial ATP-importers.     

Unstable Stifles without Clinical or Radiographic Osteoarthritis in Young Goats: An Experimental Study

Thirteen young, castrated male goats had instability of one stifle (knee joint) created by surgical transection of the cranial cruciate ligament, but did not develop any signs of osteoarthritis (OA) in treated joints when confined in limited space for 8 months. At the end of the experiment, the instability in the stifles had not improved, the joints were normal at radiographic examination, there were no signs of inflammation in the synovial membrane or joint capsule, and fibrosis in these tissues was not evident. The articular cartilage was normal both visually and histologically. This may indicate that the young age of the goats and the restricted physical activity on soft floor had prevented the expected development of OA in the experimantally operated joints. Synovial fluid volumes and proteoglycan concentration were measured in the treated and control joints in 6 of the goats. There seemed to be increased quantity of the proteoglycan aggrecan in the synovial fluid from the treated joints compared to the contralateral joints throughout the course of this study. It was concluded that the turnover of aggrecan in the articular cartilage of the treated joints may have been increased.     

Corynebacterium Pseudotuberculosis Infection in Goats VII.

Six castrated male kids from 2 herds free from caseous lymphadenitis, were inoculated subcutaneously with about 1 million colony forming units of a Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis strain isolated from goat. The animals exhibited a febrile response and marked inflammatory reaction at the inoculation site during the first days after infection. Post mortem examination carried out 2 months after inoculation revealed abscesses in the regional lymph node (Inn. subiliaci) of all animals, in 3 of which lesions also appeared in other lymph nodes. The antibody titre (mean value) in the bacterial agglutination test peaked during the first 2 weeks following inoculation, while the titre in the hemolysis inhibition test began to rise from 2–3 weeks after the infection and continued to increase during the rest of the investigation period (9 weeks after inoculation). Hemoglobin and hematocrit levels decreased significantly after inoculation, and remained below the preinfection levels for 2 weeks. A significant leucocytosis was also seen during the same period. The present investigation indicates that subcutaneous inoculation with C. pseudotuberculosis might be a suitable challenge system to study the efficacy of vaccines against caseous lymphadenitis in goats.     

The Generalized Shwartzman Reaction in Association With E. Coli Enterotoxemia in a Pig

A pig at the age of approx. 10 weeks died after four days of illness. Distinct necrotic changes were found both in the skin and the cortex of the kidneys. The histological examination revealed fibrinoid thrombi in skin vessels. In the kidneys similar thrombi were observed in capillaries of the glomeruli and in their afferent arterioles and in the interlobular arteries. In these vessels there were also a fibrinoid mural necrosis. These changes were in accordance with those expected to occur in the generalized Shwartzman reaction (GSR). The diagnosis of Escherichia coli enterotoxemia was based on the pathomorphological changes in the alimentary tract. The E. coli enterotoxemia was considered the cause of the GSR-changes.