The objective of the present study was to evaluate different methods for indirectly diagnosing mastitis during the postpartum period. These methods were: automatic and microscopic somatic cell counting (SCC), the California Mastitis Test (CMT) and Somaticell V R . A total of 538 milk samples from 34 cows were used. These were collected at six times: day of parturition (M1) and 3 (M2), 7 (M3), 15 (M4), 21 (M5) and 30 (M6) days after parturition. Automatic and microscopic SCC, CMT and Somaticell V R were all able to detect mastitis during the immediate postpartum period (up to 3 days postpartum). However, higher cut-off values should be applied to automatic and microscopic SCC. The negative score (score 0) of CMT was considered to be the best cut-off point at all times. Moreover, the values found using the Somaticell V R test should not be used to presume the automatic SCC values, since there are discrepancies between the values of Somaticell V R and automatic and microscopic SCC. It can be concluded that the different methods evaluated here to milk cellularity can be applied for diagnosing bovine mastitis, even during the immediate postpartum period, when there is greater cellularity, such as in the colostrum and transition milk. ARTICLE HISTORY

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The objective of this study was to evaluate the metabolic profile, the activity of blood neutrophils, and the immunoglobulin G levels of primiparous and multiparous sheep (Lacaune breed) during the first 30 days after lambing. Fifteen primiparous ewes (GPR) and 15 multiparous ewes (GPM) were used. Evaluations were performed on the days of lambing and at three, seven, fifteen and thirty days post-lambing. In general, the basal and bactericidal activity of neutrophils were lower in GPR than in GPM. Phagocytosis was greater in the primiparous sheep in the initial moments after lambing. Non-esterified fatty acid concentrations were highest for GPM, indicating a negative energy balance in this group. The results obtained in this study allow us to conclude that primiparous sheep have higher neutrophil phagocytosis, while this cell type has higher bactericidal activity in multiparous sheep. Multiparous ewes presented with higher lipomobilization due to maintenance needs and higher milk production.

This report describes the inspection of the inside surface of the gallbladder and the cystic duct by a newly available catheter and endoscopic system, with the aid of retrograde endoscopy. Using our newly developed endoscopic retrograde catheter system, we were able to cannulate the gallbladder in nearly 80% of all cases. No papillotomy is needed. Owing to its high degree of flexibility and relative robustness, coupled with brilliant optical quality, the new 0.5 mm miniscope permits careful and virtually complete inspection of even such small structures as the tortuous cystic duct.