minocycline and Abortion--Veterinary

A virus-like cytopathic agent isolated from swine farms with a history of recurrent abortion episodes was investigated. We employed a differential display reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (ddRT-PCR) to obtain genetic information of the cytopathic agent. Partial nucleotide sequence (527 bp) obtained from differentially displayed PCR fragments showed 88.7% similarity with the 23S rRNA gene of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. Unexpectedly, the 5' portion (1-333 bp) of the sequence shared 96.1% similarity with 5' untranslated region (UTR) of human prostate tumor inducing gene 1 (PTI-1). Cytopathic effects and extranuclear DNA fluorescence were no longer observed when BM-cyclin was added in the culture medium, suggesting that BM-cyclin sensitive mycoplasma-like organisms caused the cell death. Further evidence supporting the cytopathic agent as a mycoplasma-like organism was obtained by the capability of (3)H-thymidine and (3)H-uridine incorporation, a single peak in buoyant density gradient profile (1.20-1.24 g/ml), and ultrastructural morphology. Unlike M. hyopneumoniae, the organism was not propagated in Friis medium. Nucleotide sequence of 16S rRNA obtained from the cytopathic agent showed 0.8-1.0% divergences with other M. hyorhinis strains, suggesting that the newly isolated cytopathogenic swine mycoplasma was a variant form of M. hyorhinis. Striking homology between a portion of the 23S rRNA gene of M. hyorhinis and 5' UTR of human PTI-1 implicated that M. hyorhinis might potentially be related to the evolution of human PTI-1.

Topics: Abortion, Veterinary; Animals; Base Sequence; Bone Marrow Cells; Cell Division; Centrifugation, Density Gradient; Diterpenes; DNA, Bacterial; Female; Minocycline; Molecular Sequence Data; Mycoplasma; Mycoplasma Infections; Pregnancy; Recurrence; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Bacterial; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; RNA, Ribosomal, 23S; Swine; Swine Diseases; Trachea

Slide agglutination and mercaptoethanol tube agglutination tests for canine brucellosis were performed on 158 dogs. Clinical status was compared with the serologic test results. Sera were from 56 clinically normal dogs, 63 dogs with reproductive disorders, and 39 dogs with various nonreproductive disorders that could be associated with canine brucellosis. Ten of 21 (48%) aborting bitches and 2 of 9 (22%) bitches with other reproductive disorders were seropositive for brucellosis. Enlarged testicles, orchitis, and epididymitis were the main clinical disorders associated with positive (33%) or suspect (20%) serologic reactions in 15 male dogs. In 13 dogs of both sexes, diskospondylitis and osteomyelitis were the most common nonreproductive disorders associated with seropositive status for canine brucellosis (46%). Of 138 stray dogs, 17 were seropositive for canine brucellosis. Treatment of seropositive animals with antibiotics gave variable results. Of the 296 serum samples tested, 43 (14.5%) gave a positive reaction by the slide agglutination test but were negative by the mercaptoethanol tube agglutination test. Correlation was not found between serologic results and sex or breed.

Topics: Abortion, Veterinary; Agglutination Tests; Animals; Brucellosis; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Female; Infertility; Male; Minocycline; Pregnancy; Tetracycline