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This study involved 145 cows with type-2 abomasal ulcer. The most common clinical signs were, in decreasing order of frequency, depressed demeanour (100%), partial or complete anorexia (93%), rumen atony (91%), tachycardia (90%), dark or black manure (80%), prolonged capillary refill time (71%), pale mucous membranes (69%) and tachypnoea (62%). The most common abnormal laboratory findings were azotaemia (89%), low haematocrit (82%), hypokalaemia (81%), hypoproteinaemia (74%) and metabolic acidosis (61%). Ten cows were euthanased immediately after, or died during, the initial examination, and treatment was started (day 0) in 135 cows. Treatment included blood transfusion, sodium chloride/glucose solution, calcium borogluconate, vitamin C and metamizole. Fourteen cows also underwent right-flank laparotomy because of displaced abomasum (n = 7) or to rule out other causes of gastrointestinal haemorrhage (n = 7). The mean heart rate decreased significantly from 108 bpm on day 0 to 88 bpm on day 3. The haematocrit decreased significantly in cows that did not receive blood and increased significantly in the transfused cows during this period. The plasma protein concentration also increased significantly in transfused cows. Ninety-one (67%) of the 135 treated cows recovered and were discharged after a mean hospitalisation period of nine days, and 44 cows (33%) failed to respond to treatment and were euthanased or died. Aggressive treatment, which should include blood transfusion when indicated, is warranted in valuable cows because >50% can be expected to return to full production in the long term.

Within the family Flaviviridae, viruses within the genus Pestivirus, such as Border disease virus (BDV) of sheep, can cause great economic losses in farm animals. Originally, the taxonomic classification of pestiviruses was based on the host species they were isolated from, but today, it is known that many pestiviruses exhibit a broad species tropism. This review provides an overview of BDV infection in cattle. The clinical, hematological and pathological-anatomical findings in bovines that were transiently or persistently infected with BDV largely resemble those in cattle infected with the closely related pestivirus bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV). Accordingly, the diagnosis of BDV infection can be challenging, as it must be differentiated from various pestiviruses in cattle. The latter is very relevant in countries with control programs to eradicate BVDV in Bovidae, as in most circumstances, pestivirus infections in sheep, which act as reservoir for BDV, are not included in the eradication scheme. Interspecies transmission of BDV between sheep and cattle occurs regularly, but BDV in cattle appears to be of minor general importance. Nevertheless, BDV outbreaks at farm or local level can be very costly.

Cystoisospora (syn. Isospora) suis is the causative agent of neonatal porcine coccidiosis and one of the main causes of diarrhoea in suckling piglets worldwide. Infection with porcine cytomegalovirus (PCMV, Suid herpesvirus 2) causes inclusion body rhinitis in pigs. In a Swiss pig herd (n = 2 boars, 7 sows, 2 gilts, 18 finishing pigs, 30 fattening pigs, 54 suckling piglets), an outbreak of PCMV infection with high morbidity in all age categories, characterized by fever, anorexia, reduced general condition, respiratory signs and increased piglet mortality, was diagnosed by histopathology and molecular methods. Five fattening pigs (age ~ 17 weeks) additionally showed diarrhoea, not typical for PCMV infections, and one fattener had to be euthanized due to poor condition. Histopathologically, severe fibrinopurulent jejunoileitis with extensive atrophy and fusion of intestinal villi, loss of goblet cells and crypt abscesses associated to C. suis infection were present. In the liver, herpesvirus intranuclear inclusion bodies were observed and PCMV was confirmed by PCR/sequencing. No further infectious causes of diarrhoea (i.e. Rotavirus A; TGEV; PEDV; PCV-2; enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli or Lawsonia intracellularis) were detected in the euthanized fattener. Coproscopically, C. suis oocysts were identified in the faeces from further fatteners with diarrhoea. While C. suis usually produces disease only in suckling piglets, its association with severe intestinal lesions and diarrhoea in ~ 17-week-old fatteners was surprising. It is supposed that the underlying PCMV infection might have contributed to the presentation of clinical cystoisosporosis in fattening pigs. The interaction mechanisms between these two pathogens are unknown., Graphical abstract Image 1, Highlights • A Porcine Cytomegalovirus (PCMV) outbreak was diagnosed in a Swiss pig herd • Cystoisospora suis caused diarrhoea in 17 week-old fattening pigs co-infected with PCMV • PCMV infection may produce immunosuppression in pigs • PCMV may have contributed to presentation of clinical cystoisosporosis in fattening pigs

Cardiopulmonary nematodes in cats include different parasite species affecting feline lungs and the heart, with the metastrongyloid Aelurostrongylus abstrusus being the most frequent feline lungworm worldwide. The present case report describes an 11-month-old male neutered European short hair cat which presented with generalised subcutaneous oedema and pleural and peritoneal effusions. According to clinical examination, abdominal imaging and laboratory analyses, a tentative diagnosis of severe glomerulopathy with massive proteinuria was made. Due to worsening of the clinical signs despite therapeutic interventions and a poor prognosis, the cat was euthanised. Necropsy and histological examinations revealed severe bilateral collagenofibrotic glomerulopathy, generalised oedema and a focal verminous pneumonia with thrombosis in arterial lung vessels containing nematode cross sections. A serum sample was tested for the presence of antibodies against the cat lungworm A. abstrusus, resulting negative. Genetic analyses confirmed the presence of nematode DNA; after exclusion of common lung and heart parasites occurring in cats, DNA of the canid heart worm nematode Angiostrongylus vasorum was identified. This is the first description of a naturally occurring infection with A. vasorum in a cat. Previous experimental studies demonstrated the development of adult male and female A. vasorum worms containing eggs in cats, but no larval excretion in the faeces. Although cats did not become patent, A. vasorum infections were clinically relevant. As A. abstrusus and A. vasorum are both gastropod transmitted nematodes, they may share the same intermediate hosts within overlapping areas. In addition, especially chronic A. abstrusus infected cats become non-patent and do not excrete L1. Considering that patent A. vasorum infections are widespread in the dog and fox population in Switzerland (and several other countries) but are apparently not patent in cats, we cannot exclude that infections with A. vasorum may occur more frequently than expected., Highlights • Angiostrongylus vasorum is a cardiopulmonary nematode of dogs and other canids • First natural infection of a cat (Felis catus) with Angiostrongylus vasorum • Histological nematode sections identified in pulmonary arteries, confirmed by PCR • Aberrant, non-patent infection in the cat with clinical relevance • Such infections may occur more frequently particularly in highly endemic areas

Bovine besnoitiosis is an economically important disease of cattle, caused by Besnoitia besnoiti (Protozoa, Apicomplexa). A considerable spreading of this parasitic infection has been observed in Europe in the last ten years, mainly related to animal trade. In order to investigate the possibility of B. besnoiti being unnoticed introduced and getting established in Switzerland through the import of breeding cattle from France, a total of 767 animals (650 cattle imported from France and 117 cattle that had contact with B. besnoiti positive cattle in Swiss farms) were screened for antibodies against B. besnoiti by both a commercial ELISA and by the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). A total of 101 (13.17%) samples showed a positive reaction in ELISA (cut-off: percent of positivity [PP] ≥ 15) and 16 (2.09%) samples had IFAT titers ≥ 1:100. Eight of those samples reacted positive in Western blot (WB), corresponding to five imported Limousin cattle (two cows and one bull from France and two cows from Germany) and to three cattle born in Switzerland (one Limousin heifer born from one of the positive German cows, and two adult Braunvieh cows, that had been in contact with one of the French cows at a Swiss farm). Seven of those animals were subclinically infected and one animal showed only very mild signs. They were subsequently slaughtered, and the serological diagnosis could be confirmed by real-time PCR and/or histopathology in seven animals. The most frequent parasite localizations were the tendons and surrounding connective tissue of the distal limbs and the skin of the head region. Furthermore, B. besnoiti could be successfully isolated in vitro from one French, one German and one Swiss cattle (isolates Bb-IPZ-1-CH, Bb-IPZ-2-CH and Bb-IPZ-3-CH). In the current situation in Switzerland, prophylactic and control measures should include a serological examination of cattle to be imported from endemic areas and the culling of all confirmed positive animals from the herd. The evidence of B. besnoiti infection in both imported and locally born cattle shows that the conditions for the establishment and dissemination of this parasite in Switzerland seem to be adequate.

Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) is an economically important cattle disease with a world-wide distribution that is caused by BVD virus, a pestivirus of the flaviviridae family. BVD viruses are genetically highly variable. They are classified into two genetic species (BVDV-1 and -2) that are further divided into numerous subgroups, particularly for BVDV-1. The complexity of these viruses is also reflected in their interaction with the host animals. Infections are either transient or persistent and can cause a wide spectrum of clinical signs, from no or very mild disease to severe forms, reminiscent of viral haemorrhagic fevers. In this work, we have analysed the clinical signs and the pathology of BVD viral infections in a cattle population where different subgroups of BVDV-1 genotype viruses are endemic. In addition, we have examined potential virulence properties of BVDV-1 subgroups during persistent infection by comparing the viral subgroups present in clinical cases with those detected in persistently infected (PI) animals sampled for epidemiological criteria, irrespective of their health condition. Furthermore, the clinical and postmortem findings were compared with respect to genetic characteristics of the viruses isolated from these animals. Our results indicate that the BVDV positive animals fall roughly into two categories, depending on the primary organ affected and the age, with lung-centred pathology occurring mainly in young animals and mucosal pathology predominantly in older animals. Furthermore, we found a markedly higher proportion of representatives of the BVDV-1e subgroup in stillborn calves and aborted foetuses originating from epidemically unrelated cattle herds, suggesting that BVDV-1e may play a special role in prenatal and perinatal losses.

The design of new bioactive scaffolds mimicking the physiologic environment present during tissue formation is an important frontier in biomaterials research. Herein, we evaluated scaffolds prepared from blends of two biopolymers: silk fibroin and hyaluronan. Our rationale was that such blends would allow the combination of silk fibroin's superior mechanical properties with the biological characteristics of hyaluronan. We prepared scaffolds with porous microstructures by freeze-drying aqueous solutions of silk fibroin and hyaluronan and subsequent incubation in methanol to induce water insolubility of silk fibroin. Hyaluronan acted as an efficient porogenic excipient for the silk fibroin scaffolding process, allowing the formation of microporous structures within the scaffolds under mild processing conditions. Mesenchymal stem cells were seeded on silk fibroin/hyaluronan scaffolds and cultured for three weeks. Histology of the constructs after cell culture showed enhanced cellular ingrowth into silk fibroin/hyaluronan scaffolds as compared to plain silk fibroin scaffolds. In the presence of tissue-inductive stimuli, in vitro stem cell culture on silk fibroin/hyaluronan scaffolds resulted in more efficient tissue formation when measured by glycosaminoglycan and type-I and type-III collagen gene expression, as compared to plain silk fibroin scaffolds. In conclusion, our data encourages further exploration of silk fibroin/hyaluronan scaffolds as biomimetic platform for mesenchymal stem cells in tissue engineering.

Equine and feline dysautonomias are characterized histopathologically by degenerating neurons with chromatolysis, pyknotic and sometimes eccentric nuclei, and loss of Nissl substance in the peripheral autonomic ganglia. Because it may be difficult to distinguish pathological from post-mortem changes in affected ganglia by histopathological examination, synaptophysin was evaluated as an immunohistochemical marker. Degenerating neurons showed strong intracytoplasmic labelling indicating abnormal accumulation of synaptophysin. It was concluded that synaptophysin immunohistochemistry is a helpful tool for detecting degenerating neurons in equine (grass sickness) and feline (Key-Gaskell syndrome) dysautonomias.

Background: Low dietary calcium intake and bioavailability may adversely affect bone health. Reducing the size of calcium compounds increases their specific surface area (SSA, expressed as m2/g) and may increase calcium dissolution and bioavailability. Objective: We investigated the influence of SSA and chemical composition on the bioavailability of calcium and compared in vitro calcium dissolution with in vivo absorption. Methods: Calcium dissolution was measured in 0.1 M phosphoric acid, whereas color and pH changes of foods were assessed as indicators for potential sensory performance. Calcium absorption, retention, and fractional retention were measured over a 5-d balance study in growing Sprague-Dawley male rats after 21 d of feeding. Femoral and vertebral bone mineral density (BMD) and extensive tissue histology were assessed at study end. The influence of SSA on calcium bioavailability was assessed by comparing the groups fed pure calcium carbonate (CaCO3) with increasing SSAs of 3, 36, and 64 m2/g (CaCO3_3, CaCO3_36 and CaCO3_64), whereas chemical composition was assessed by comparing the smallest CaCO3_64, a 50:50 wt:wt percent solution mixture of CaCO3 and hydroxyapatite_94, and pure hydroxyapatite_100. Results: In vivo, fractional calcium retention from hydroxyapatite_100 (mean ± SEM: 54.86% ± 0.95%/5 d) was significantly greater than from CaCO3_64 (49.66% ± 1.15%/5 d) (P = 0.044). Increasing SSA of the pure CaCO3 did not significantly improve calcium retention. Across all 5 groups, there were no significant differences in BMD or tissue calcification by histology. In vitro calcium dissolution did not correlate with SSA or calcium absorption. In selected food matrixes, hydroxyapatite_100 caused less color change and/or smaller pH increase than did the other calcium compounds. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that chemical composition rather than SSA is a predictor of nanostructured calcium bioavailability and that in vitro dissolution of nanostructured calcium does not predict in vivo absorption. Although its phosphorus content may limit use in some populations, nanostructured hydroxyapatite may be a promising calcium compound for food fortification.

The present work aims at the validation of excised bovine nasal mucosa as an in vitro model to address transport and metabolism pathways relative to the nasal mucosal uptake of therapeutic peptides. Preservation of the viability of the excised tissue in the course of in vitro studies of up to 3 h was demonstrated by (i) positive viability staining, (ii) constant transepithelial electrical resistance (42 ± 12 Ω cm 2 ), (iii) constant rates of metabolic turnover, and (iv) linear permeation profiles of therapeutic peptides and 3 H‐mannitol. Using 1‐leucine‐4‐methoxy‐2‐naphthylamide as a model substrate, we observed no difference between bovine and human nasal aminopeptidase activity. By a series of therapeutic peptides, no direct correlation was found between their effective permeability coefficients (from 0.1 × 10 −5 to 5 × 10 −5 cm s −1 ) and their respective molecular masses (from 417 to 3,432 Da), indicating that other factors dominate nasal permeability. For instance, the permeabilities of metabolically labile peptides were concentration dependent and saturable, as demonstrated for two short thymopoietin fragments, Arg‐Lys‐Asp (TP3) and Arg‐Lys‐Asp‐Val (TP4). By permeation studies using gonadorelin and two gonadorelin derivatives, buserelin and Hoe 013, without and in the presence of the chemical enhancer bacitracin, we also verified the ability of the model to assess chemical enhancer effects and their reversibility. In conclusion, our work demonstrates the potential of the investigated in vitro model, excised bovine nasal mucosa, to explore mechanistic aspects of nasal transport and metabolism of therapeutic peptides. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmaceutical Association. J Pharm Sci 89:396–407, 2000

a Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, MA, USA b Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA c Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA d Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Switzerland e Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA f Center for Molecular Orthopaedics, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA g Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland h Musculoskeletal Research Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland i Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA