dinoprost and Sarcocystosis

Disseminated eosinophilic myositis was diagnosed in an alpaca that had been imported to the USA from Peru 5 years earlier. The myositis was associated with macroscopically visible large sarcocysts that were characterized histologically by septate compartments containing bradyzoites, and ultrastructurally by cyst walls composed of anastomosing villous protrusions. Two hours before death, the alpaca aborted an 8-month-gestation fetus, but no lesions were found in the uterus, placenta or fetus. Additional macroscopical findings included haemoabdomen and myofibre haemorrhage, degeneration and necrosis. It is believed that this is the first described case of clinical disease associated with a Sarcocystis sp. (probably S. aucheniae) in camelids.

Topics: Abortion, Veterinary; Animals; Camelids, New World; Dinoprost; Eosinophilia; Fatal Outcome; Female; Microscopy, Electron; Muscle, Skeletal; Myositis; Pregnancy; Protozoan Infections, Animal; Sarcocystosis

The stable metabolites of thromboxane A2, prostaglandin E2, and prostaglandin F2 alpha (TxB2, PgEM, and PgFM, respectively) were measured in the blood plasma of nine castrated male pigs, each inoculated with 2 x 10(5) sporocysts of Sarcocystis miescheriana (group A), and in that of nine non-infected controls (group B). All infected pigs developed mild disease, the clinical signs being most severe between days 14 and 17 post infection (p.i.). In the infected pigs of group A, the TxB2 plasma levels increased with the onset of the acute phase of illness (12 days p.i.), reaching peak values at day 14 p.i. The mean TxB2 values were significantly higher in the infected pigs from day 12 p.i. until the termination of the experiment on day 21 p.i. The PgEM values increased steadily in the infected pigs from day 12 p.i. until day 21 p.i. but remained relatively constant in the control pigs during the same period. In contrast, PgFM values remained low in the infected pigs throughout the experiment, and no significant differences between infected and non-infected pigs could be found. We conclude that the elevated TxB2 and PgEM values reflect a major involvement of prostanoids in the pathogenesis of sarcocystiosis.

Topics: Animals; Dinoprost; Dinoprostone; Male; Sarcocystosis; Swine; Swine Diseases; Thromboxane B2

Pregnant cows at 4- to 5-months' of gestation were exposed to Sarcocystis cruzi or Campylobacter fetus. Plasma prostaglandin F (PGF) and 13,14-dihydro-15-ketoprostaglandin metabolite (PGM) concentrations were determined at intervals from before exposure until abortion or parturition. The plasma PGF concentration of pregnant infected cattle remained at 0.02 +/- 0.04 ng/ml until 24 to 48 hours before abortion or parturition when it increased 5-fold to 0.11 +/- 0.12 ng/ml. The plasma PGM concentration of these cattle remained at 0.10 +/- 0.07 ng/ml until 24 to 48 hours before abortion or parturition when it increased over 10-fold to 1.36 +/- 0.60 ng/ml. This change in PGF and PGM was similar to that of cattle exposed to each of the infective agents and to that of normal cows at parturition. Thus, changes in PGF and PGM concentrations in bovine plasma cannot be used as a diagnostic tool to determine fetal distress or fetal death for these infections.

Topics: Abortion, Veterinary; Animals; Campylobacter Infections; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Dinoprost; Female; Labor, Obstetric; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious; Prostaglandins F; Sarcocystosis