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Biomedical subjects

J P Hurtgen

Publications and source records attributed to J P Hurtgen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Evaluation of the stallion for breeding soundness.

The breeding soundness evaluation of a stallion is a thorough investigation of a stallion's libido, mating ability, and semen quality. The evaluation should include historical data about the medical aspects of the horse's performance and breeding career, observations and breeding behavior characteristics, collection and evaluation of semen, tests to determine freedom from infectious or contagious disease, and production of foals free of genetic defects. This information should allow the examiner to anticipate the impact of the stallion on the reproductive efficiency of a group of mares. The breeding soundness evaluation should also assist farm management in optimizing stallion, mare, veterinary, and management influences on total herd breeding performance.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

The use of DNA index and karyotype analyses as adjuncts to the estimation of fertility in stallions.

A total of 174 stallions were subjected to a standard fertility examination and classified as fertile, subfertile or sterile. All stallions were phenotypical males involved in breeding programmes with no detectable abnormalities in their reproductive organs. Fertile stallions had no history of any breeding problem. Subfertile stallions were referred with a history of a breeding problem that was subsequently determined not to be attributable to the mares or infectious diseases. They were divided into chromosomally normal and abnormal groups on the basis of karyotype. The relative DNA content of lymphocytes (DI) was estimated by flow cytometry to relate this parameter with chromosome status. Of 62 completed karyotypes, 44 were normal diploid stallions and 18 had chromosomal defects, including mosaics with sex or autosomal deletions or duplications. The seasonal pregnancy rates for the subfertile chromosomally defective and subfertile chromosomally normal stallions were similar but were less than half of those of the fertile stallions. With the present limited data, no association was noted between DI and pregnancy rate. The mean DI for the subfertile stallions with chromosome defects was not different from those of the fertile and the subfertile chromosomally normal stallions. However, the DI for a mosaic stallion with sex chromosome deletion was lower than the DI for the fertile stallions. Extremely high and low values of the DI may be useful for flagging potential subjects for detailed chromosome investigation. The DI also was correlated negatively (P less than 0.002) with progressive sperm motility.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

Bilateral seminal vesiculitis and ampullitis in a stallion.

A Thoroughbred stallion suspected of having venereal disease was found to have an infection of the accessory sex glands. Purulent debris, blood, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were recovered from all ejaculates. Treatment with gentamicin sulfate, tobramycin, and amikacin sulfate was unsuccessful in eliminating the infection. The stallion's seminal plasma, collected during treatment with gentamicin sulfate, did not contain any appreciable antibacterial activity. Apparently, negligible amounts of gentamicin diffused across the mucosal cell borders of the accessory sex glands into the seminal plasma. Bilateral seminal vesiculitis and ampullitis were evident on examination of the reproductive tract when the stallion was euthanatized.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Use of a semen extender containing antibiotic to improve the fertility of a stallion with seminal vesiculitis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

A breeding trial was conducted to determine if a semen extender containing polymixin-B sulfate would improve the fertility of a stallion with seminal vesiculitis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Twenty-three mares were bred to the stallion by one of three methods: artificial insemination with raw semen (Group 1, n = 10), artificial insemination with semen mixed 1:1 with a nonfat dry skim milk/glucose extender containing 1000 units/ml polymixin-B sulfate (Group 2, n = 9), or natural service immediately following infusion of the uterus with 100 ml of the same extender (Group 3, n = 4). Artificial breedings contained a minimum insemination dose of 500 x 10(6) progressively motile spermatozoa. All mares were bred every other day while in estrus. Pregnancy status was determined by transrectal ultrasound examination 15 d after the last breeding. First-cycle pregnancy rate for Group 2 mares (78%) was greater (P < 0.01) than for Group 1 mares (10%). There was a tendency (P = 0.10) for the pregnancy rate of Group 3 mares (50%) to be greater than Group 1 mares. The use of a semen extender containing polymixin-B sulfate improved the fertility of this stallion.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1985

Complications from a testicular prosthesis in a stallion.

A testicular prosthesis was removed from the scrotum of a 3-year-old Quarter Horse stallion. The prosthesis had been placed in the left side of the scrotum 10 months earlier, after an unsuccessful attempt to reposition the retained left testis. Because of a persistent draining fistula on the scrotum, first noted 5 months after placement of the prosthesis, surgery was performed to remove the prosthesis. At surgery, the left testis was found in a fibrous mass surrounding the prosthesis. The left testis had descended after placement of the prosthesis, and its involvement in the fibrous tissue surrounding the infected prosthesis necessitated its removal. Had the prosthesis not been placed, descent of the left testis probably would have resulted in an essentially normal stallion.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Unilateral hydrosalpinx and absence of the infundibulum in a mare.

Both ovaries and associated oviducts were removed from a mare via colpotomy. The right oviduct was greatly enlarged and filled with fluid. No infundibulum could be identified; rather, the blind distended end of the oviduct adhered to the ovary at the ovulation fossa. Two cysts were attached to the exterior of the oviduct a few centimeters from the fossa. Histologic examination of the oviduct and cysts revealed a dilated lumen, a decreased infolding of the wall into the lumen, and a lack of a defined muscle layer. Congenital absence of the infundibulum resulting in a blind ampullar terminus is proposed as the cause of the hydrosalpinx.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1983

The in vitro effects of EDTA-tris, EDTA-tris-lysozyme, and antimicrobial agents on equine genital isolants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Five isolants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa collected from clinical cases of equine genital infection and one standard strain of P. aeruginosa were exposed to various concentrations of ethylene-diaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane (tris buffer pH 8) and EDTA-tris lysozyme. Colony forming units of the isolants and minimal inhibitory concentrations for 11 antimicrobial agents were determined with each isolant before and after exposure to the EDTA solutions. Decreased cellular viability was found with all six isolants after exposure to the EDTA-tris solutions. Reversal of antimicrobial resistance was variable and unpredictable. These effects were not enhanced by the addition of lysozyme. The results suggest that EDTA-tris could be a useful adjunct in treating equine genital infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1983

Response of gilts with delayed puberty to pregnant mare serum gonadotropin or estrogen.

The effect of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) or estradiol cyclopentylpropionate (EC) on the induction of estrus, duration of estrus, and serum progesterone concentration after estrus was evaluated in 8 gilts with delayed puberty. Four gilts were given 500 IU of PMSG IM and 4 were given 2 mg of EC, IM. The inactive status of the ovaries at the time of treatment was verified by serum progesterone values of less than 0.5 ng/ml in serial samples collected before treatment. The 4 EC-treated gilts came into estrus at a mean of 3.5 days after treatment, but 1 of the gilts did not form corpora lutea. Three PMSG-treated gilts came into estrus at a mean of 4.0 days after treatment. The remaining PMSG-treated gilt remained anestrus and did not form corpora lutea. The mean duration of estrus in EC-treated gilts was 5.25 days compared with 2.0 days for PMSG-treated gilts (P less than 0.05). Serum progesterone concentrations were higher in PMSG-treated gilts than in EC-treated gilts at 8, 11, and 17 days after treatment (P less than 0.05).

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Fertility of stallions with abnormalities of the sperm acrosome.

During a 2-year period, 7 stallions were identified as having ejaculated spermatozoa characterized by a high incidence (27-74%) of acrosomal abnormalities. The most frequent abnormality of the acrosome was the 'knobbed sperm' defect which was observed in nigrosin--eosin, Giemsa, and haematoxylin and eosin stained semen smears under light microscopy, in buffered formal--saline and in glutaraldehyde-fixed wet mounts under phase contrast and differential interference microscopy, and in glutaraldehyde-fixed spermatozoa with electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The defect was visible as a flattened apical ridge, tongue-like flap at the apical surface of the acrosome, or a bead-like protrusion from the apical ridge. A cystic swelling on the acrosomal surface was also seen in some electron micrographs of knobbed spermatozoa. Crater defects of the sperm nucleus were also present in the spermatozoa of 3 of 4 stallions examined by phase contrast, differential interference and electron microscopy. All the stallions sired foals; they achieved a pregnancy rate that ranged from 12.5 to 100% per oestrous cycle.

Acrosome↗
PubMed1981

The seasonal breeding pattern of sows in seven confinement herds.

The breeding herd records from 7 confinement herds were analyzed to determine the association of season with the frequency of estrus within 1 week after weaning and the farrowing rate following mating during this estrus. All herds utilized the cooling of sows during lactation and water fogging during the postweaning, breeding and early gestation periods. During July, August and September, the frequency of estrus within 7 days after weaning was lower (P < 0.05) than the frequency of estrus during October, November and December. The farrowing rate for matings during September and October was lower (P < 0.05) than the farrowing rate for sows mated from February through May. These data suggest that reduced postweaning estrous activity and fertility may occur in confinement herds, despite the use of cooling systems used to minimize heat stress of sows during hot weather.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1981

Comparison between two techniques for endometrial swab culture and between biopsy and culture in barren mares.

The endometria of 77 barren mares was swabbed simultaneously using a swab guarded with a single cannula and distal, gelatin capsule (completely guarded swab - CGS) and a partially guarded swab (PGS) with an open cannula. Sheep blood (5%) agar plates were inoculated with each swab, while MacConkey's agar plates were inoculated with the swabs from 44 mares. The presence of bacterial or fungal growth was determined after 24 and 48 hours of aerobic incubation at 37 C. Organisms present were identified, counted, and categorized as saprophytic or pathogenic flora. The endometria of all mares were biopsied immediately following swabbing. Histologic evidence of inflammation in biopsy specimens was classified as (1) none, (2) slight, discrete, focal, and (3) slight or moderate, diffuse, widespread infiltration of inflammatory cells. The number of inflammatory cells migrating through the luminal epithelium was counted and averaged. There were significantly fewer CGS than PGS cultures that yielded growth at 24 and 48 hours of incubation after being streaked on blood agar and MacConkey's agar plates. There were fewer pathogenic bacterial or fungal colonies present at 48 hours of incubation on blood agar plates after being streaked with CGS as compared to PGS. There were no differences in the number of pathogenic bacterial or fungal colonies present at 24 hours of incubation on blood agar or at 24 and 48 hours of incubation on MacConkey's agar plates. There was no correlation between CGS or PGS culture of pathogens and severity of histologic inflammation. There was a positive correlation between culture of pathogens and number of inflammatory cells migrating through the luminal epithelium.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1981

Comparison of two techniques for obtaining endometrial bacteriologic cultures in the mare.

The endometria of 39 mares were cultured simultaneously using a swab guarded with a double cannula and distal, teflon plug and an unguarded swab with a single, open cannula. Sheep blood (5%) agar, Mac-Conkey's agar, and Sabourad's agar media were innoculated with each swab. The presence of bacterial or fungal growth was determined after 24 and 48 hours of aerobic incubation at 37 C. There were significantly more plates that failed to yield bacterial or fungal growth when streaked with swab specimens obtained with the guarded cannula than when streaked with those obtained with the unguarded cannula. It was concluded that while culturing the endometrium of mares for bacteria or fungi, the use of a guarded instrument consisting of a double cannula with a closed end will result in the recovery of fewer contaminants; therefore, it will be more likely to result in a more accurate representation of uterine bacterial and fungal flora.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1981

Decline in assayable progesterone in bovine plasma: effect of time, temperature, anticoagulant, and presence of blood cells.

Jugular vein blood samples collected from 5 Holstein-Friesian cows during the luteal phase of the estrous cycle were incubated at 4 C, 22 C, and 37 C for 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, and 24 hours. Blood samples were centrifugated after each incubation period, and plasma was frozen for later progesterone assay. Mean progesterone concentration in blood samples incubated at 4 C, 22 C, and 37 C decreased from 5.7 ng/ml at 0 hour to minimum concentrations of 3.5 ng/ml at 12 hours, 0.9 ng/ml at 12 hours, and 1.0 ng/ml at 8 hours, respectively. The first progesterone concentration which was significantly different from the initial value (0 hour) was at the 8-hour incubation period for blood samples incubated at 4 C and at the 1-hour incubation period for blood samples incubated at 22 C and 37 C. Progesterone concentration decreased similarly when blood samples were collected into heparinized tubes or EDTA tubes and incubated at 22 C for 0, 6, and 12 hours. Incubating harvested plasma or serum for 0 to 6 hours at 37 C had no effect on progesterone concentrations (7.9 and 8.2 ng/ml for plasma, and 6.9 and 6.6 ng/ml for serum.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Survey of porcine parvovirus infection in swine fetuses and their dams at a Minnesota abattoir.

Reproductive tracts were recovered from 209 sow and 32 gilt carcasses at slaughter; animals had been pregnant not less than 27 days. Of 241 litters examined, 28 (11.6%) contained one or more porcine parvovirus (PPV)-infected fetuses, as determined by immunofluorescent microscopy. The frequencies in sow and gilt litters were 12.0% and 9.4%, respectively. The PPV antigen was detected in 219 of 334 (65.6%) dead or mummified fetuses and in 12 of 2,172 (0.5%) live fetuses examined. The 18 litters which contained only dead or mummified fetuses were infected with PPV. As the percentage of litter mummification increased, the likelihood of finding PPV increased. The PPV antibody was detected in ovarian follicular fluids of 94.3% of the sows and 78.1% of the gilts. These findings indicate that PPV is highly associated with fetal mummification and that some pregnant gilts and sows are susceptible to infection.

Abattoirs↗