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Thirty-six young fattening bulls from three breeds (Belgian Blue, Limousin and Aberdeen Angus) were fattened over 5 months with fattening diets based either on sugar-beet pulp or on cereals. Fattening performance as well as carcass and meat characteristics were measured. There were few relevant effects of the diets on the parameters. The breeds also showed similar fattening features. However, the BB had higher killing-out proportion and their carcasses presented better scores in terms of conformation and fattening. The meat quality of the breeds differed, especially in terms of luminosity, redness and cooking losses. There were also significant influences of breed on the chemical composition of meat; fat content was lowest in Belgian Blue and highest in Aberdeen Angus. Such specificities could help to allocate breeds in appropriate niches in Belgium.

The aim of this study was (i) to evaluate the effect of ovariectomy on daily energy requirement in Beagle dogs, and (ii) to evaluate the effects of ad libitum feeding with a high energy diet on energy consumption, body weight gain and blood metabolites in these spayed dogs. Four young adult female Beagle dogs were used. Ovariectomy induced a significant decrease of daily energy requirement in dogs. Ad libitum feeding, initiated 6 months after spaying, induced a significant increase in consumption in spayed dogs. This overconsumption was greatest during the first month of ad libitum feeding but continued for the entire 4 months of this period. When fed ad libitum, dogs gained excess body weight without significant effect on plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and insulin, at short term. These data suggest that energy intake should be strictly controlled to avoid excess weight gain in spayed dogs.

Objective-To study diVerences between repetitive monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (RMVT) of right ventricular origin, and ventricular tachycardia in arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD). Patients-Consecutive groups with RMVT (n = 15) or ARVD (n = 12), comparable for age and function. Methods-Analysis of baseline, tachycardia, and signal averaged ECGs, clinical data, and right endomyocardial biopsies. Pathological findings were related to regional depolarisation (QRS width) and repolarisation (QT interval, QT dispersion). Results-There was no diVerence in age, ejection fraction, QRS width in leads I, V1, and V6, and QT indices. During ventricular tachycardia, more patients with ARVD had a QS wave in V1 (p < 0.05). There were significant diVerences for unfiltered QRS, filtered QRS, low amplitude signal duration, and the root mean square voltage content. In the absence of bundle branch block, diVerences became nonsignificant for unfiltered and filtered QRS duration. Mean (SD) percentage of biopsy surface diVered between RMVT and ARVD: normal myocytes (74(3.4)% v 64.5(9.3)%; p < 0.05); fibrosis (3(1.7)% v 8.9(5.2)%; p < 0.05). When all patients were included, there were significant correlations between fibrosis and age (r = 0.6761), and fibrosis and QRS width (r = 0.5524 for lead I; r = 0.5254 for lead V1; and r = 0.6017 for lead V6). Conclusions-The ECG during tachycardia and signal averaging are helpful in discriminating between ARVD and RMVT patients. There are diVerences in the proportions of normal myocytes and fibrosis. The QRS duration is correlated with the amount of fibrous tissue in patients with ventricular tachycardia of right ventricular origin. (Heart 1998;79:388-393) Keywords: arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia; electrocardiography; endomyocardial biopsy; ventricular arrhythmias It is not always easy to diVerentiate idiopathic or repetitive monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (RMVT) of right ventricular origin from tachycardia in early stages of arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD).1 From a clinical point of view, the major points helpful in the recognition of RMVT remain the absence of overt cardiomyopathy and myocardial dysfunction.2 A good tolerance of the arrhythmia (which does not exclude symptoms) is also suggestive of RMVT.3 RMVT is thought to have a good long term prognosis. Unfortunately, patients aVected by ARVD in the early stages often also have a normal heart at routine examination and even after full noninvasive and invasive investigations the diagnosis is not always definite. This is embarrassing, as some patients with ARVD may experience palpitations due to minor ventricular arrhythmias, while others may die suddenly. 4 Furthermore, ARVD can progress to left ventricular disease, making confusion with other pathology possible (for example, dilated cardiomyopathy). 5To improve our understanding of the two diseases, we analysed clinical data, routine ECG data, ECG data during ventricular tachycardia, QT measurements, and signal averaged elec...