ABSTRACT. Plasma lipoprotein cholesterol in 64 clinically healthy Shetland sheepdogs was evaluated to assess whether the breed is more susceptible to hypercholesterolemia. The incidence of hypercholesterolemia was clearly higher in Shetland sheepdogs and mean plasma cholesterol level was significantly higher in Shetland sheepdogs than in control dogs. Blood biochemical examinations did not evidence the abnormalities, which imply the causative disorders, and thyroid hormone levels were not significantly different from the controls. These results suggest that the cholesterolemia is a primary disorder. Cholesterol fractionation by agarose gel electrophoresis and ultracentrifugation revealed that accumulation of α 2 -migrating lipoproteins was the common characteristic of dogs showing cholesterol level over 250 mg/dl in the breed. Increase in preβ~β-lipoproteins was also found in Shetland sheepdogs with marked hypercholesterolemia over 500 mg/dl. Therefore, Shetland sheepdogs may include more dogs with primary disorders in lipoprotein metabolism, which cause hypercholesterolemia, at least in Japan. KEY WORDS: cholesterol, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, Shetland sheepdog.

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One hundred and twenty 30-day-old specific-pathogen-free chickens were inoculated with the liposomal inactivated avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) vaccine by eye drop or coarse spraying. All of the chickens produced anti-lipopolysaccharide antibodies of the IgG subclass in their sera as well as IgA antibodies in their oral mucus. The results demonstrated a rise in antibodies in the serum of chickens administered the APEC vaccine through nonparenteral mucosal routes. Bacterial counts in the blood decreased, and clinical signs were moderated in the vaccinated chickens after challenge with a strain of APEC. No harmful effects from the vaccination were observed. The liposomal inactivated APEC vaccine described in this paper would contribute to a practical method of control for avian colibacillosis.

In iron-limiting environments, Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium synthesize and secrete several types of siderophore to trap trivalent ferric ions; these bacteria then express siderophore receptors called iron-regulated outer membrane proteins (IROMPs). In this study, we experimentally reproduced iron-limiting environments using a divalent metal chelator. IroN, one of the IROMPs, was purified by affinity chromatography with an anti-IroN-MAb-immobilized column. Thirty-day-old chickens were immunized intramuscularly with purified IroN from Salmonella Typhimurium mixed with Freund's incomplete adjuvant; the chickens were then challenged intravenously with Salmonella Enteritidis. The mortality rate of immunized chickens was 10%. On the other hand, that of control chickens was 80%. By Western blot analysis, specific IgG antibody responses against IroN of Salmonella Enteritidis were identified in chickens immunized with purified IroN. These results indicate that IroN might be promising as an important vaccine component against Salmonella infection in chickens.

The virulence factors of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) isolated in Japan were investigated. Serogroups O, serotypes K1 and K5, and genes cva C, iss, iutA, papA, tsh, and usp, which have been thought to be related to virulence, were examined for their association with E. coli strains isolated from diseased and healthy chickens. The frequently recognized serogroups O1, O2, and O78 were found in 56 of 125 (44.8%) strains of diseased chickens (APEC) versus 13 of 100 (13.0%) strains of healthy chickens (commensal E. coli), a significant difference at risk ratio < 0.01. Although iss, iutA, and tsh were widely distributed in the APEC irrespective of O serogroup, papA, usp, and the K1 serotype were detected in serogroup O2 of APEC. The kfiD gene related to the K5 capsule and VT, LT, and ST genes related to exotoxins were not detected in any strains examined.