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Biomedical subjects

R L Peet

Publications and source records attributed to R L Peet.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Zinc toxicity in ruminants.

Four natural occurrences of zinc toxicity in sheep and one in calves were studied. To assist in the confirmation of a diagnosis of zinc toxicity, 2 experiments were conducted in which sheep were given toxic amounts of zinc. The clinical findings, clinical pathology, and gross and microscopic pathology are given. Clinical manifestations included inappetance, loss of condition, diarrhoea with dehydration or subcutaneous oedema, profound weakness and jaundice. Significant rises in the concentration of zinc were usually found in the liver, kidney and pancreas, but occasionally in only 1 or 2 of these organs. Many affected sheep were anaemic. Pathological changes were found in the pancreas, kidney, liver, rumen, abomasum, small intestine and adrenal gland. Lesions in the kidney and abomasum apparently made the most significant contribution to the deterioration in health of affected animals, but the pancreas was the only organ consistently affected. The degenerative changes in the pancreas were mainly restricted to the exocrine portion of the organ, and regeneration of the damaged tissue was observed although exposure to toxic amounts of zinc continued. Attention is drawn to the importance of the pancreas in the diagnosis of zinc toxicity and in estimating the period of exposure.

Animals↗

Asymmetric hindquarter syndrome in pigs.

An outbreak of the asymmetric hindquarter syndrome was investigated in a Western Australian piggery. The condition was manifested as asymmetry of the hindquarter, particularly the semitendinosis, semimembranosis and biceps femoris muscles. The gait of affected animals was not noticeably altered, despite an obvious disparity in size between normal and affected limbs. Histologically, muscular degenerative and dystrophic changes were seen but were not present in all undersized muscles and were occasionally present in macroscopically normal muscles. All 7 affected pigs whose breeding history could be traced were sired by the same boar. The condition adversely affected conformation and resulted in down-grading of carcases.

Animals↗

Low alpha-tocopherol levels in livers of weaner sheep with nutritional myopathy.

Outbreaks of ovine weaner nutritional myopathy occurring in the southwest of Western Australia outside the recognised selenium-responsive areas have been investigated. One hundred and five sheep died in 3 outbreaks following 5 months grazing cereal stubble paddocks. Liver selenium and glutathione peroxidase activities, measured as an index of biological availability of dietary selenium, indicated that the selenium status of the animals was probably adequate. A comparison fo liver selenium and alpha-tocopherol concentrations and glutathione peroxidase activity was made with both selenium supplemented sheep and sheep affected with selenium-responsive nutritional myopathy. In all cases investigated in this study liver alpha-tocopherol levels in affected animals were low and this may be important in the aetiology of this myopathy.

Animals↗