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- Author or Editor: Edzard van Santen x
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Abstract
Objective—To assess serum concentrations of adiponectin and characterize adiponectin protein complexes in healthy dogs.
Animals—11 healthy dogs.
Procedures—Sera collected from 10 dogs were evaluated via velocity sedimentation and ultracentrifugation, SDS-PAGE, western immunoblotting, and radioimmunoassay. Visceral adipose tissue (approx 90 g) was collected from the falciform ligament of a healthy dog undergoing elective ovariohysterectomy, and adiponectin gene expression was assessed via a real-time PCR procedure.
Results—Adiponectin gene expression was detected in visceral adipose tissue. Serum adiponectin concentrations ranged from 0.85 to 1.5 μg/mL (mean concentration, 1.22 μg/mL). In canine serum, adiponectin was present as a multimer, consisting of a low–molecular-weight complex (180 kd); as 3 (180-, 90-, and 60-kd) complexes under denaturing conditions; as 2 (90- and 60-kd) complexes under reducing conditions; and as a dimer, a monomer, and globular head region (60, 30, and 28 kd, respectively) under reducing-denaturing conditions. It is likely that adiponectin also circulates as a high–molecular-weight (360- to 540-kd) complex in canine serum, but resolution of this complex was not possible via SDS-PAGE.
Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—After exposure to identical experimental conditions, adiponectin protein complexes in canine serum were similar to those detected in human and rodent sera. Circulating adiponectin concentrations in canine serum were slightly lower than concentrations in human serum. Adiponectin gene expression was identified in canine visceral adipose tissue. Results suggest that adiponectin could be used as an early clinical marker for metabolic derangements, including obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes mellitus in dogs.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the use of 3-D accelerometers to evaluate behavioral changes in cattle experimentally infected with a low-virulent strain of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV).
ANIMALS 20 beef steers (mean weight, 238 kg).
PROCEDURES Calves were allocated to a BVDV (n = 10) or control (10) group. On day 0, calves in the BVDV group were inoculated with a low-virulent strain of BVDV (4 × 106 TCID50, intranasally), and calves in the control group were sham inoculated with BVDV-free medium (4 mL; intranasally). An accelerometer was affixed to the right hind limb of each calf on day −7 to record activity (lying, walking, and standing) continuously until 35 days after inoculation. Baseline was defined as days −7 to −1. Blood samples were collected at predetermined times for CBC, serum biochemical analysis, virus isolation, and determination of anti-BVDV antibody titers.
RESULTS All calves in the BVDV group developed viremia and anti-BVDV antibodies but developed only subclinical or mild disease. Calves in the control group did not develop viremia or anti-BVDV antibodies. Mean time allocated to each activity did not differ significantly between the BVDV and control groups on any day except day 8, when calves in the BVDV group spent less time standing than the calves in the control group. Following inoculation, calves in both groups tended to spend more time lying and less time walking and standing than they did during baseline.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that behavioral data obtained by accelerometers could not distinguish calves subclinically infected with BVDV from healthy control calves. However, subtle changes in the behavior of the BVDV-infected calves were detected and warrant further investigation.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether exercise on alternative terrain affects the development of the digital cushion and bony structures of the bovine foot.
ANIMALS 20 weaned bull calves.
PROCEDURES Two-month-old calves were randomly allocated to an exercise or control group. For 4 months, the control group was maintained in grass paddocks, and the exercise group was maintained in a 0.8-km lane with a mixed terrain of dirt, stones (0.32- to 0.95-cm pea gravel and 5-cm crusher run), and grass. Water and food for the exercise group were located at opposite ends of the lane; calves were fed twice daily, which ensured they walked 3.2 km/d. Pedometers were applied to all calves to measure distance traveled. All calves were slaughtered at 6 months of age. The right forefeet and hind feet were harvested for MRI and CT evaluation.
RESULTS Control calves walked a mean of 1.1 km daily, whereas the exercised calves walked a mean of 3.2 km daily. Mean digital cushion volume and surface area were 25,335 mm3 and 15,647 mm2, respectively, for the exercised calves and 17,026 mm3 and 12,745 mm2, respectively, for the control calves. When weight was controlled, mean digital cushion volume and surface area for the exercise group were increased by 37.10% and 18.25%, respectively, from those for the control group.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that exercise on alternative terrain increased the volume and surface area of the digital cushion of the feet of dairy calves, which should make them less susceptible to lameness.
