The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of long-term supplementation of fat in the diets on the fatty acid composition, chemical, mechanical, and histological properties of tibial bone. Month-old male Japanese quail were fed a basal diet containing either soybean oil (SBO), hydrogenated soybean oil (HSBO), chicken fat (CF), or menhaden fish oil (FO) at 50 g/kg of the diet and maintained on these diets for 7 mo. Lipid treatments did not affect body weight, food intake, tibial length, or diameter. The FO diet group had the highest percentage of tibial ash, and both the FO and HSBO significantly increased tibial mineral content compared to those given SBO or CF. The type and amount of fatty acids in the diets had a profound influence on fatty acid composition of lipids in tibial cortical bones. Quail fed FO had the highest concentration of (n-3) fatty acids, and those fed SBO were highest in (n-6) fatty acids. The HSBO diet, containing high level of trans-fatty acids, led to the accumulation of these fatty acids in bone. In quail, long-term supplementation of FO or HSBO increased tibial shear force and shear stress and improved histological cortical thickness and density when compared to those given SBO or CF. These results suggest that long-term exposure to a FO or HSBO diet have a significant beneficial effect on bone metabolism.

The objectives of this investigation were to assess the relationship between chemical measures and imaging estimates (radiographic photometry and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry) of bone mineral content in dairy cows and to evaluate the effects of parity, stage of lactation, and site of measurement (fused third and fourth metacarpal bone vs. caudal vertebrae 14 and 15) on bone mineral content. In a preliminary study, the caudal vertebrae were excised from 33 cows following slaughter. Samples were analyzed by radiographic photometry and then analyzed for mineral content chemically. In a second experiment, the caudal vertebrae and right front metacarpal (sample pairs) were excised from 107 Holstein cull cows following slaughter. Parity and days in milk (DIM) of the donor animals were obtained for 43 pairs of samples. Samples were grouped by parity (1, 2, 3, and >or=4) stage of lactation (Stage 1: <90 DIM, Stage 2: 90 to 150 DIM, Stage 3: 151 to 250 DIM, and Stage 4: >250 DIM). Samples were analyzed by radiographic photometry and dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and then analyzed for mineral content chemically. In both experiments, the relationship between mineral content estimated via the imaging techniques and mineral content measured chemically was poor, likely because of the relative maturity of animals in the sample set and lack of variation in mineral content. Ash content was higher in the metacarpal than in the caudal vertebrae, as were concentrations of Mg (expressed as a proportion of bone ash). No effects of stage of lactation were observed on bone mineral in the caudal vertebrae, but in the metacarpal, P content (proportion of total mineral) was highest in second lactation cows. Total bone mineral content (ash) was not affected by parity in the metacarpal or caudal vertebra, but Ca and P content of the metacarpal increased with parity. Noninvasive imaging techniques are not sufficiently sensitive to detect changes in mineral content or composition of mature cows, and only modest changes in bone mineral were observed with stage of lactation and parity.

This study evaluated the effects of maternal dietary lipids on chemical components and mechanical and histological properties of tibia in progeny of Japanese quail fed different dietary lipids. Laying hens were fed a basal diet containing either soybean oil (SBO), hydrogenated soybean oil (HSBO), chicken fat (CF), or menhaden fish oil (FO) at 50 g/kg of the diet. The various maternal dietary lipid treatments did not affect growth of progeny at any developmental stage. There were no differences in tibial length, diameter, or collagen content. Tibial percentage ash was significantly higher in newly hatched progeny from hens fed the FO and HSBO diets. The levels of tibial deoxypyridinoline and total pyridinium crosslinks were higher in the FO and HSBO groups at hatch. At 7 d of age, the tibial deoxypyridinoline links remained higher in the FO group compared to the CF and SBO groups. Likewise, progeny from hens consuming the FO or HSBO diet had higher tibial shear force and stiffness at 7 and 14 d of age. There were no pronounced differences in tibial fracture energy and deflection among treatments. Maternal FO or HSBO enlarged the cartilaginous proliferative and hypertrophic zones of the tibial proximal end in newly hatched quail, which was accompanied by a thicker cortical bone in the diaphysis. However, the width of the hypertrophic zones tended to be smaller in these two groups coupled with improvement in trabecular density and cortical thickness in the proximal end and cortical density in the diaphysis at 3 wk of age. These results suggest that maternal dietary lipids altered bone development by influencing organic matrix quality and mineralization in embryos.

A fluid adjuvanted vaccine consisting of inactivated hepatitis virus (iH) and leptospirae antigens (L) was developed. The vaccine (Kavak iHL; Duphar) was tested in several vaccination programmes both alone and in combination with freeze dried measles (M) or distemper (D) vaccines. The results demonstrate that this new vaccine is also effective in pups with maternally derived antibodies, although a second vaccination at 14 weeks of age is recommended to boost the first vaccination. For the booster vaccination either the iHL-vaccine or the liver attenuated hepatitis vaccine (H) can be used.

Results from studies performed by the authors and by other workers, have greatly increased the knowledge of canine parvovirus. The authors review the situation with particular reference to virology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, pathology and immunoprophylaxis.