Multisite randomised controlled trial to evaluate polypropylene clips applied to the breech of lambs as an alternative to mulesing. II: multivariate analysis of relationships between clip treatment and operator, sheep, farm and environmental factors.

OBJECTIVE: A multivariate analysis approach was used to evaluate both the effects of application of occlusive polypropylene clips to the breech on bare area measurements and scores of lambs, and the influence of operator, region, sheep, farm and environmental factors on outcomes. PROCEDURES: A randomised controlled trial using 32,028 lambs was conducted on 208 commercial wool-growing properties across Australia. Differences in bare area measurements and scores between groups were estimated and analysed using a mixed model to investigate the effects of operator differences, farm and environmental factors and the interactions among these factors. RESULTS: Clip-treated lambs with higher body weight at visit 1 had higher bare area measures and scores, but lower changes in dag and urine scores. Lambs with tight skin showed improved response in bare area scores and measurements after clip treatment, but lambs with a high wrinkle score at visit 1 showed less response to the treatment in their urine, dag and wrinkle and bare area scores. These effects of the clip treatment were not significantly influenced by estimated fleece fibre diameter, operator or region, but were significantly influenced by farm. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of occlusive clips on breech measurements and scores was significantly influenced by body weight, skin type and thickness, wrinkle score and sex of the lamb, but not by region, operator or estimated fibre diameter. The clip treatment significantly improved characteristics that influence the susceptibility of lambs to flystrike under most conditions.

Dietary alterations in plasma very low density lipoprotein levels modify renal excretion of urates in hyperuricemic-hypertriglyceridemic patients.

Hyperuricemic-hyperlipidemic patients exhibit decreased renal excretion of urates relative to purely hyperuricemic patients; also, very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) levels are inversely proportional to the amount of urate excreted. Based on this knowledge, the aim of this study was to alter VLDL levels by dietary manipulation and assess its effect on uric acid levels and renal excretion of uric acid. Thirty-six men were studied in 2 groups consisting of 20 primary hyperuricemic (group I) and 16 primary hyperuricemic-hypertriglyceridemic patients (group II). The patients were analyzed for apoproteins and lipoproteins, urate levels, and renal excretion of uric acid in a first, basal determination, after 3 weeks of a 1200-Cal diet, and after another 3 weeks of a 2500-Cal diet. After the 1200-Cal diet, patients in group I exhibited significantly decreased levels of cholesterol (P < 0.05) and apoprotein CIII (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in renal excretion of uric acid (P < 0.05) between the basal and third determinations. Patients in group II exhibited significantly decreased levels of triglycerides (P < 0.01), VLDL cholesterol (P < 0.01), VLDL triglycerides (P < 0.01), and VLDL apoprotein B (P < 0.05) after the 1200-Cal diet; all of these parameters returned to values similar to the basal levels on completion of the 2500-Cal diet. With regard to purine parameters, the low calorie diet led to significantly increased fractional excretion of uric acid (P < 0.01) and uric acid clearance (P < 0.01), both of which decreased significantly to values near basal after the 2500-Cal diet. The results obtained in this study reveal that the decreased levels of triglyceride and VLDL components that arise from a low calorie diet are accompanied by increased renal excretion of urates and that the increase in the amount of this type of lipoprotein particle with an increase in dietary energy offsets the increase in renal excretion of urate.