N M Fairley | PubMed Health

PubMed1990

Peritoneal fluid values from healthy foals.

Peritoneal fluid was analysed from 17 foals, aged 13 to 134 days with a mean age of 68 days. Cytologically, the peritoneal fluid was characterised by a mean total cell count of 0.45 x 10(9)/litre (range 0.06 to 1.42 x 10(9)/litre), rare eosinophils, rare cytophagia and variable percentages of neutrophils and mononuclear cells. These data indicate that peritoneal fluid nucleated cell counts over 1.50 x 10(9)/litre in the foal should be interpreted as elevated. Biochemical evaluation revealed a mean biuret protein level of 12 g/litre, mean refractive index protein level of 16 g/litre and urea nitrogen concentration of 1.96 mmol/litre. There was no correlation between the foals' white blood cell and peritoneal fluid nucleated cell counts. Results of this study indicate that adult horse reference values for evaluation of peritoneal fluid are of questionable validity for foals. Diagnostically, the most important observation was that maximum peritoneal fluid nucleated cell counts in healthy foals were much lower than reported maximal reference values for adult horses (1.5 x 10(9)/litre versus 5.0 x 10(9)/litre or 10.0 x 10(9)/litre).

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Experimental ocular herpesvirus infection in the cat. Sites of virus replication, clinical features and effects of corticosteroid administration.

Experimentally induced ocular feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1) infection was studied in 30 specific pathogen-free cats. In ten cats, the ability of five field isolates of FHV-1 to replicate in the epithelium and substantia propria of cornea and conjunctiva was demonstrated by histochemical techniques. Feline herpesvirus 1 was found to preferentially infect and induce necrosis of conjunctival epithelium. Although significant histologic lesions were not induced, all FHV-1 strains were observed to replicate in corneal epithelium; minimal viral antigen was detected in the corneal stroma. The course and clinical features of ocular FHV-1 infection were then studied over a period of 60 days in two groups of ten cats: in one group, infection was preceded by administration of subconjunctival betamethasone. In each of these groups, a distinct clinical syndrome developed. In cats not receiving corticosteroids, a course of epithelial keratitis, characterized by the formation of punctate and dendritic epithelial lesions, persisted for up to 24 days postinfection. In the corticosteroid treated group, a chronic (greater than 60 days) stromal keratitis developed, characterized by geographic epithelial ulceration, interstitial edema and deep vascularization. Other complications observed in corticosteroid-treated animals included decreased tear production, calcific-band keratopathy and a unique stromal disorder of cats termed corneal sequestration. The results of this study indicate that while epithelial keratitis may occur during primary infection, stromal keratitis does not, unless immune responsiveness to FHV-1 is concomitantly suppressed. This feature is similar to naturally occurring HSV-1 keratitis of humans, but contrasts to other animal model systems in which stromal keratitis predictably occurs during primary infection. Study of this animal model, therefore, may allow unique insights into the events preceding the establishment of stromal keratitis.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Evaluation of red blood cell fragility in Pygmy goats.

Red blood cells from 6 Pygmy goats were determined to be significantly (P less than 0.01) more susceptible to osmotic lysis and mechanical stress than were RBC from 6 Toggenburg goats. Differences in RBC size and shape and adenosine 5'-triphosphate concentration between the 2 breeds were not significant. The differences observed in the in vitro tests may be attributable to differences in RBC membrane composition.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗