Epidemiology of salmonella infections in pig units and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of the strains of Salmonella species isolated.

One hundred and thirteen finishing pig units and 74 sow units in Catalonia, Spain, were examined to determine the prevalence of salmonella infections and the factors that could be associated with them. Pooled faecal samples were taken from the finishing units, and samples of faeces were collected from individual sows. The Salmonella isolates were serotyped, phage typed and examined for their antimicrobial susceptibility to 18 common antimicrobial drugs. In addition, blood samples from pigs on 141 farms were analysed by ELISA. In both the bacteriological and serological surveys, a questionnaire with 84 questions was completed for each farm. Salmonella species were isolated from 20 per cent of the finishing units and 24 per cent of the sow units; 14 serotypes were detected in the finishing pigs and 11 in the sows. More than 30 per cent of the strains were resistant to tetracycline, sulphonamides, ampicillin or streptomycin, and 69 per cent of the strains were resistant to three or more agents up to 10 compounds. Seventy-seven per cent of the farms had at least one seropositive animal, and 26 per cent of these farms had an individual seroprevalence of 50 per cent or more. The factors associated (P<0.05) with the excretion of Salmonella species in the finishing units were the practice of raising livestock other than pigs (odds ratio [OR]=6.18), the herd size (OR=5.87), and a past history of clinical salmonellosis (OR=4.97). For the sows, the factors associated (P<0.05) with the excretion of Salmonella species were having open-flushed drainage of sewage (OR=34.48), a lack of rodent control measures (OR=0.05) and the number of sows in the unit (OR=9.26). Factors associated with seropositivity in the finishing units were a lack of bird-proof nets (OR=0.30) and the use of water from private wells (OR=3.64).

Comparison of two commercial ELISAs for the serological diagnosis of salmonellosis in pigs.

Serum samples from 361 pigs (194 fattening pigs and 167 sows) were examined by means of two commercial ELISAs (Svanovir; Svanova Biotech and Salmotype; Labor Diagnostik) used for the serological diagnosis of salmonellosis in pigs; 211 of the samples came from farms of known bacteriological status and the other 150 were collected randomly from 60 farms of unknown status. The ELISAs were done according to the manufacturers' directions and the samples were categorised accordingly. The results were compared by using a linear regression analysis and by the calculation of Kappa values. To try to improve the agreement between the tests, the raw optical densities (ODS) were transformed to sample/positive (S/P) ratios by using the positive control as a reference, and cut-off values for these S/P ratios were calculated by means of a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. All but two of the known infected farms were recognised as such by both tests. However, the correlation of the raw ODS for individual pigs was poor (r=0.546) and had a Kappa value for the results categorised according to the manufacturers' recommendations of 0.191. On some farms the correlation was high (r=0.97) but on others it was low (r=0.05) with no apparent reason for the difference. The S/P ratios did not improve the agreement (Kappa=0.25).

Mutations in the quinolone-resistance determining region (QRDR) of Salmonella strains isolated from pigs in Spain.

Quinolone-resistance determining region (QRDR) of Gyrase A gene was sequenced in 54 Salmonella strains of pig origin that have different quinolone-resistance patterns. Those strains accounted for 12 different serotypes. Mutations at Ser83 or Asp87 were predominant in the studied isolates. However, for serotypes Anatum and Virchow, resistance to quinolones seemed to be linked to specific mutations, namely, Ser83-->Tyr and Ser83-->Phe, respectively. Other mutations found in different positions did not seem to have clinical significance except for changes at Asp82.

Several Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype 4,5,12:i:- phage types isolated from swine samples originate from serotype typhimurium DT U302.

Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, plasmid profiling, and phage typing were used to characterize and determine possible genetic relationships between 48 Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica isolates of pig origin collected in Catalonia, Spain, from 1998 to 2000. The strains were grouped into 23 multidrug-resistant fljB-lacking S. enterica serovar 4,5,12:i:- isolates, 24 S. enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates, and 1 S. enterica serovar 4,5,12:-:- isolate. After combining the XbaI and BlnI macrorestriction profiles (XB profile), we observed 29 distinct subtypes which were grouped into seven main patterns. All 23 of the 4,5,12:i:- serovar strains and 10 serovar Typhimurium isolates were found to have pattern AR, and similarities of >78% were detected among the subtypes. Three of the serovar Typhimurium DT U302 strains (strains T3, T4, and T8) were included in the same 4,5,12:i:- serovar cluster and shared a plasmid profile (profile I) and a pattern of multidrug resistance (resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfonamide, tetracycline, gentamicin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole) commonly found in monophasic isolates. This led us to the conclusion that strains of the S. enterica 4,5,12:i:- serovar might have originated from an S. enterica serovar Typhimurium DT U302 strain.

Liver-specific igf-1 gene deletion leads to muscle insulin insensitivity.

Insulin and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) mediate a variety of signals involved in mammalian development and metabolism. To study the metabolic consequences of IGF-I deficiency, we used the liver IGF-I-deficient (LID) mouse model. The LID mice show a marked reduction (approximately 75%) in circulating IGF-I and elevated growth hormone (GH) levels. Interestingly, LID mice show a fourfold increase in serum insulin levels (2.2 vs. 0.6 ng/ml in control mice) and abnormal glucose clearance after insulin injection. Fasting blood glucose levels and those after a glucose tolerance test were similar between the LID mice and their control littermates. Thus, the high levels of circulating insulin enable the LID mice to maintain normoglycemia in the presence of apparent insulin insensitivity. Insulin-induced autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor and tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 were absent in muscle, but were normal in liver and white adipose tissue of the LID mice. In contrast, IGF-I-induced autophosphorylation of its cognate receptor and phosphorylation of IRS-1 were normal in muscle of LID mice. Thus, the insulin insensitivity seen in the LID mice is muscle specific. Recombinant human IGF-I treatment of the LID mice caused a reduction in insulin levels and an increase in insulin sensitivity. Treatment of the LID mice with GH-releasing hormone antagonist, which reduces GH levels, also increased insulin sensitivity. These data provide evidence of the role of circulating IGF-I as an important component of overall insulin action in peripheral tissues.

Age, fatigue, and excitation-contraction coupling in masseter muscles of rats.

The purpose of this study was to determine if masseter muscle endurance changes with increasing age and, if so, to examine mechanisms of fatigue. Characteristics of fatigue were measured under isometric conditions using high-frequency stimulation of anterior deep masseter (ADM) muscles of male Fischer 344 rats, 5 to 24 months old, and fed a hard (HD) or a soft (SD) diet. Potentiating effects of caffeine on ADM muscle performance in vitro were also examined. Fatigability increased by 48% with age in muscles of HD rats. Muscles of SD rats were highly fatigable at all ages. Increased HD fatigability was associated with significantly decreased concentrations of Na+/K+-adenosine triphosphatase (22%) and decreased responsiveness to caffeine postfatigue (29%). The pH levels decreased similarly in fatigued muscles of all groups. We conclude that the age-related increase in fatigability is associated with alterations in excitation-contraction coupling mechanisms. However, differences between SD and HD on ADM muscles represent possible fiber-type transitions.

Analysis of the effects of growth hormone, voluntary exercise, and food restriction on diaphyseal bone in female F344 rats.

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of growth hormone, exercise, and weight loss due to food restriction on tibial diaphyseal bone and on tibial muscle mass. Thirteen-month-old female F344 rats were divided into six groups: group 1, baseline controls (B); group 2, age-matched controls (C); group 3, GH treated (GH); group 4, voluntary wheel running exercise (EX); group 5, GH + EX; and group 6, food restricted (FR). The dose of GH was 2.5 mg recombinant human (rh) GH/kg body weight/day, 5 days per week, given in two divided doses of 1.25 mg at 9-10 A.M. and 4-5 P.M. Food-restricted rats were fed 60% of the mean food intake of the age-matched controls. All animals except the baseline controls were killed after 4.5 months. The baseline controls were killed at the beginning of the study. Growth hormone increased the body weight and tibial muscle mass of the rats markedly, while EX caused only a slight decrease in body weight and partially inhibited the increase caused by GH in the GH + EX group. Food restriction greatly decreased body weight below that of age-matched controls, but neither FR nor EX had a significant effect on the mass of the muscles around the tibia. Growth hormone and EX independently increased tibial diaphyseal cortical bone area (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001), cortical thickness (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001), cortical bone mineral content (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001), periosteal perimeter (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001), and bone strength-strain index (SSI) (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001). The effects of GH were more marked and resulted in a greater increase in the weight of the mid tibial diaphysis (p < 0.0001). The combination of GH and EX produced additive effects on many of the tibial diaphyseal parameters, including bone SSI. GH + EX, but not GH or EX alone, caused a significant increase in endocortical perimeter (p < 0.0001). In the FR rats, cortical bone area and cortical mineral content increased above the baseline level (p < 0.001, p < 0.0001) but were below the levels for age-matched controls (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001). In addition, marrow area, endocortical perimeter, and endocortical bone formation rate increased significantly in the FR rats (p < 0.01, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001). Three-point bending test of right tibial diaphysis resulted in maximum force (Fmax) values that reflected the group differences in indices of tibial diaphyseal bone mass, except that GH + EX did not produce additive effect on Fmax. The latter showed good correlation with left tibial diaphyseal SSI (r = 0.857, p < 0.0001), and both indices of bone strength correlated well with tibial muscle mass (r = 0.771, Fmax; r = 0.700, SSI; p < 0.0001). GH increased serum IGF-I (p < 0.0001), and the increase was partially reduced by EX. Serum osteocalcin was increased by GH with or without EX (p < 0.01, p < 0.01), and FR or EX alone did not alter serum IGF-I and osteocalcin levels. The bone anabolic effects of GH with or without EX may relate, in part, to increased load on bone from tibial muscles and body weight, which were increased by the hormone. The osteogenic effect of EX with or without GH may relate, in part, to increased frequency of muscle load on bone as EX decreased body weight (p < 0.05), but had no significant effect on tibial muscle mass. The enhanced loss of endocortical bone by FR may relate, in part, to decreased load on bone due to low body weight (p < 0.0001), as FR did not cause a significant decrease in tibial muscle mass (p = 0.357). The roles of humoral and local factors in the bone changes observed remain to be established.

Insulin-like growth factor-I, but not growth hormone, is dependent on a high protein intake to increase nitrogen balance in the rat.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of dietary protein level on the protein anabolic effects of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I). Female growing rats were fed on either a high- or a low-protein diet with crude protein contents of 222 and 83 g/kg respectively. The diets contained the same amount of metabolizable energy (15.1 MJ/kg) and were given during a 14 d period. During the same time, three groups of rats (n 8) on each diet received subcutaneous infusions of either saline, recombinant human GH (rhGH) or recombinant human IGF-I (rhIGF-I). rhGH and rhIGF-I were given in doses of 360 and 500 micrograms/d respectively. The low-protein diet alone reduced significantly (P < 0.05) IGF-I concentrations in serum and in tissue taken from the gastrocnemius muscle as well as IGF-I mRNA from the same muscle. The responses to rhGH and rhIGF-I in terms of muscle IGF-I and its mRNA were variable. However, when rhIGF-I was infused into rats on the high-protein diet, significantly elevated levels of IGF-I in muscle tissues could be observed. This was associated with a significantly (P < 0.05) increased N balance, whereas rhGH significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the N balance in rats on the low-protein diet. Thus, it can be concluded that the level of dietary protein ingested regulates not only the effect of IGF-I on whole-body N economy but also the regulation of IGF-I gene expression in muscles. The exact mechanism by which GH exerts its protein anabolic effect, however, remains to be elucidated.

Additive effect of voluntary exercise and growth hormone treatment on bone strength assessed at four different skeletal sites in an aged rat model.

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of growth hormone (GH), voluntary exercise (Ex), and the combination of GH and Ex on bone strength, mass, and dimensions in aged, intact female rats. In addition, the effect of food restriction (FR) was studied. Fourteen-month-old virgin F-344 rats were divided into 6 groups with 13 animals in each: (1) baseline (BSL); (2) control + solvent vehicle (CTRL); (3) GH 2.5 mg/kg/day (GH); (4) exercise, voluntary: 0.6-0.7 km/day (Ex); (5) GH treatment and voluntary exercise (GH + Ex); and (6) FR. Group 1 was killed at the beginning of the study and served as baseline. All the other groups were killed after 18 weeks' treatment. The effects of aging and treatment regimes were measured at four different skeletal sites: lumbar vertebrae, femoral cortical bone, femoral neck, and the distal femoral metaphysis. Aging in itself induced a decline in vertebral body strength and ash density. At the appendicular skeletal sites, bone mass and strength were unchanged or increased. Treatment with GH alone induced a significant increase in the biomechanical parameters at the vertebral body and the femoral diaphysis, but not at the femoral neck or the distal femoral metaphysis. Voluntary exercise on its own increased load values significantly over CTRL at the vertebral body site, but not at any of the appendicular skeletal sites. The combination of GH and voluntary exercise resulted in an additive effect at the vertebral site and at the femoral diaphysis, and a synergistic (potentiating) effect at the two femoral metaphyses. FR, on the other hand, had a negative effect on cortical bone area and strength at the femoral diaphysis, but no significant effect on the other sites tested. We conclude that GH treatment and voluntary exercise both have skeletal anabolic effects; however, these effects are exerted to differing degrees at different sites. Importantly, when dosed together, GH and Ex have either an additive or synergistic anabolic effect on all sites (axial and appendicular).

Infusión intracardíaca de cristaloides: informe de 1 caso / Intracardiac crystalloid infusion: case report

Se informa sobre 1 caso de infusion intracardiaca de cristaloides como medida inicial de reanimacion. El procedimiento está indicado en toracotomia de resucitacion por desangramiento. Se revisa la literatura disponible y se discuten las alternativas de manejo. La infusion intracardiaca de cristaloides y sangre es uno de los objetivos terapéuticos de la toracotomía de resucitación.

Early malnutrition followed by nutritional restoration lowers the conduction velocity and excitability of the corticospinal tract.

The physiological sequelae of undernutrition were investigated in rats that were undernourished from day 1-21 and subsequently free-fed to 75 days of age. Population responses were recorded in the corticospinal tract following surface stimulation of the motor cortex, which activates corticospinal cells directly, and also indirectly via cortical synapses. The conduction velocity of the fastest corticospinal fibers in 15 malnourished rats was 16.9 m/s, significantly slower (P < 0.001) than the 20.0 m/s observed in 26 controls. In addition, the excitability of corticospinal neurons to direct stimulation was reduced as much as 67% in malnourished rats, while no effect on synaptic activation was observed. Our findings suggest that early malnutrition reduces the number of large fibers in the adult corticospinal tract. These results are discussed with respect to known morphological and behavioral effects of malnutrition in rats and their relevance to humans.

Corea de Sydenham. Forma de la fiebre reumatica. Estudio clinico-estadistico de 260 casos. / Sydenham's chorea.Form of rheumatic fever. Clinico-statistical study of 260 cases

Entre 1958 y 1978 ingresaron 984 ninos con el diagnostico de fiebre reumatica (FR) en el Pabellon Infantil del Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paul, Medellin, Colombia, de los cuales 260 presentaron la corea de Sydenham. De este grupo, 78 ninos (30%) sufrian tambien de carditis al ingreso. El proposito de este trabajo es de confrontar los casos que presentaban carditis con aquellos sin carditis,para aclarar la situacion de la corea de Sydenham como una forma de la FR, haciendo enfasis en la relacion con una infeccion estreptococica y otros criterios de la FR. El grupo en estudio constaba de 86 hombres y 174 mujeres; 19 ninos (7,3%) eran menores de siete anos, el resto entre 7 y mas de 12 anos. 219 ninos (84%) furon hospitalizados con un promedio de permanencia de 31 dias. Considerando la poca diferencia en el comportamiento de la corea con o sin carditis en los parametros estudiados, se aconseja catalogar la corea sin carditis como una forma de la FR con el peligro potencial de un compromiso cardiaco en el futuro e insistir en la profilaxis antiestreptococica y el control hasta la edad de 20 anos

Existe la corea "pura"? Estudio clinico estadistico de 200 casos. / Does exist the \"pure\" chorea? Clinico-statistical study of 200 cases

Entre 1958 y 1980 ingresaron 200 ninos al Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paul, Medellin, Colombia, con el diagnostico de corea de Sydenham sin carditis.Para buscar la existencia de la corea "pura" definida como enfermedad no vinculada a la FR, se descartaron ocho pacientes coreicos que sufrian a la vez artritis al ingreso. Se descartaron ademas 87 casos con titulo de AELO mayor de 333 u Todd y 57 pacientes con eritrosedimentacion elevada. Se discuten otros 40 pacientes con historia de astralgias, amigdalofaringitis, fiebre y epistaxis los cuales igualmente se excluyeron. Finalmente se analizan los ocho pacientes que habian resultado negativos en todos los rubros estudiados y relacionados con la FR, incluyendo dos ninos que posteriormente presentaron una carditis. En ausencia de una prueba especifica para el diagnostico de la FR, el criterio queda dependiendo de los fenomenos reportados en la historia, de los datos de la clinica y del laboratorio. Este trabajo insinua la estrecha relacion de la corea con la FR, aunque no se puede categoricamente negar la posibilidad de corea "pura"