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Clinical pathology parameters change with age
New Informationabout
Smectite for Clostridial colitis
Your subscription to JEVS provides you with a password to the equinevetnet website where this and other abstracts from the 6th Equine Colic Research Symposium can be found. www.equinevetnet.com/vetabstracts "
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Another case of a n t h r a x has been reported in New Mexico (Mora County). All of the cattle on a ranch where a cow died of anthrax last summer were vaccinated-- except one was missed. It wandered into the herd, contracted anthrax and died the day after Christmas . . . . The report of the introduction of E q u i n e A r t e r i t i s V i r u s (EAV) into South Africa through the importation of infective frozen semen highlights the urgent need for greater harmonization of testing procedures among countries involved in the international movement of stallions or shipment of semen. Failure to do so can only lead to further dissemination of EAV and the very real risk of outbreaks of EVA similar to what has been reported in the USA, the United Kingdom and South Africa. - - Dr. Peter Timoney For more infectious disease news: www.iaep.com/weva
Am J Vet Res 1998;59:1247-1251. Your subscription to JEVS provides you
with a password to the equinevetnet website where all the abstracts for Am J Vet Res can be found. www.equinevetnet.com/vetabstracts
More information on-line about Lyme disease: www.equinevetnet.com/jevs
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Speaking at the 6th Equine Colic Research Symposium, Dr. Douglas Herthel described why Clostridial colitis can be experimentally induced in horses through the administration of the antibiotic lincomycin. Lincomycin destroys gram-positive aerobes and some gram-negative anaerobes thereby allowing proliferation of certain clostridial organisms including Clostridium difficile. Clostridial toxin has been implicated as the cause of fatal lincomycin-induced pseudomembranous colitis in humans. Dr. Herthel hypothesized that the deleterious effects of lincomycin on the intestinal tract could be altered by administration of smectite, a compilation of 66 naturally occurring macro- and micro-minerals. The hypothesis was tested by experimental induction of colitis with intravenous administration of lincomycin (25 mg/kg) in 8 horses. Four horses not receiving additional treatment developed severe typhlocolitis and died or required euthanasia within 72 hours of administration. Four additional horses received four doses of smectite via nasogastric tube, beginning either immediately (2 horses) or 24 hours (2 horses) after administration of lincomycin. The two horses treated immediately with smectite did not develop any evidence of intestinal disturbance. The initial effects (depression, increased intestinal sounds, toxic mucous membranes, increased heart and respiratory rates) of lincomycin-induced colitis in the other 2 horses were absent after 4-6 treatments with smectite. The results of this study suggest that early treatment of horses with lincomycin-induced clostridial colitis with smectite can protect against development and progression of signs associated with colitis.
Clinical pathology parameters change with age ~ |
It is important to establish age matched control values for optimal interpretation of clinicopathologic variables. Dr. Dianne McFarlane and coworkers compared hematologic and serum/plasma biochemical parameters of horses in their prime (2 to 12 years of age) and those of horses more than 20 years old. Venous blood was collected from all horses, and CBC and serum biochemical analysis were performed for each horse. Plasma ACTH concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay. Compared with values for the younger group, aged horses had significantly higher erythrocyte mean cell volume and mean cell hemoglobin. Aged horses also had significantly decreased total lymphocyte count. Five aged horses had lymphocyte counts that were lower than the low reference limit. Differences between control and aged horses for serum biochemical or plasma ACTH values were not significant. Therefore, compared with younger adult horses, those more than 20 years old have some hematologic differences, but there is no apparent effect of aging on baseline plasma ACTH concentration.
FDA approves Lyme disease vaccine The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first
32
JOURNAL
OF EQUINE VETERINARY
SCIENCE
Smectite for Clostridial colitis
Your subscription to JEVS provides you with a password to the equinevetnet website where this and other abstracts from the 6th Equine Colic Research Symposium can be found. www.equinevetnet.com/vetabstracts "
'
|
"-
"
''-
"
Another case of a n t h r a x has been reported in New Mexico (Mora County). All of the cattle on a ranch where a cow died of anthrax last summer were vaccinated-- except one was missed. It wandered into the herd, contracted anthrax and died the day after Christmas . . . . The report of the introduction of E q u i n e A r t e r i t i s V i r u s (EAV) into South Africa through the importation of infective frozen semen highlights the urgent need for greater harmonization of testing procedures among countries involved in the international movement of stallions or shipment of semen. Failure to do so can only lead to further dissemination of EAV and the very real risk of outbreaks of EVA similar to what has been reported in the USA, the United Kingdom and South Africa. - - Dr. Peter Timoney For more infectious disease news: www.iaep.com/weva
Am J Vet Res 1998;59:1247-1251. Your subscription to JEVS provides you
with a password to the equinevetnet website where all the abstracts for Am J Vet Res can be found. www.equinevetnet.com/vetabstracts
More information on-line about Lyme disease: www.equinevetnet.com/jevs
':i
ii i! ~j :i!
~i
N ;;i? ~
Speaking at the 6th Equine Colic Research Symposium, Dr. Douglas Herthel described why Clostridial colitis can be experimentally induced in horses through the administration of the antibiotic lincomycin. Lincomycin destroys gram-positive aerobes and some gram-negative anaerobes thereby allowing proliferation of certain clostridial organisms including Clostridium difficile. Clostridial toxin has been implicated as the cause of fatal lincomycin-induced pseudomembranous colitis in humans. Dr. Herthel hypothesized that the deleterious effects of lincomycin on the intestinal tract could be altered by administration of smectite, a compilation of 66 naturally occurring macro- and micro-minerals. The hypothesis was tested by experimental induction of colitis with intravenous administration of lincomycin (25 mg/kg) in 8 horses. Four horses not receiving additional treatment developed severe typhlocolitis and died or required euthanasia within 72 hours of administration. Four additional horses received four doses of smectite via nasogastric tube, beginning either immediately (2 horses) or 24 hours (2 horses) after administration of lincomycin. The two horses treated immediately with smectite did not develop any evidence of intestinal disturbance. The initial effects (depression, increased intestinal sounds, toxic mucous membranes, increased heart and respiratory rates) of lincomycin-induced colitis in the other 2 horses were absent after 4-6 treatments with smectite. The results of this study suggest that early treatment of horses with lincomycin-induced clostridial colitis with smectite can protect against development and progression of signs associated with colitis.
Clinical pathology parameters change with age ~ |
It is important to establish age matched control values for optimal interpretation of clinicopathologic variables. Dr. Dianne McFarlane and coworkers compared hematologic and serum/plasma biochemical parameters of horses in their prime (2 to 12 years of age) and those of horses more than 20 years old. Venous blood was collected from all horses, and CBC and serum biochemical analysis were performed for each horse. Plasma ACTH concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay. Compared with values for the younger group, aged horses had significantly higher erythrocyte mean cell volume and mean cell hemoglobin. Aged horses also had significantly decreased total lymphocyte count. Five aged horses had lymphocyte counts that were lower than the low reference limit. Differences between control and aged horses for serum biochemical or plasma ACTH values were not significant. Therefore, compared with younger adult horses, those more than 20 years old have some hematologic differences, but there is no apparent effect of aging on baseline plasma ACTH concentration.
FDA approves Lyme disease vaccine The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first
32
JOURNAL
OF EQUINE VETERINARY
SCIENCE