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Biomedical subjects

S Ranjan

Publications and source records attributed to S Ranjan.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

Hypobiosis of Haemonchus contortus in natural infections of sheep and goats in a semi-arid area of Kenya.

A total of 42 lambs, 42 kids, 21 ewes and 21 does were necropsied during an investigation of the epidemiology of Haemonchus contortus infection of sheep (Red Maasai) and goats (Small East African Goat) in a semi-arid area of Kenya. Availability and establishment of the infective stages were monitored by the necropsy of 21 tracer lambs and 21 tracer kids. Prevalence of H. contortus was over 90% in both sheep and goats and this species contributed to about 80% of the total worm burden. Only about 10% of the hypobiotic larvae were recovered from the mucosal digest whereas about 90% were recovered from the abomasal contents and washings, thereby suggesting that hypobiotic larvae may be loosely attached to the abomasal mucosa from which they may be dislodged during the processing of the abomasa for examination. Throughout the study, both adult worms and hypobiotic larvae were found in proportions that varied with seasons. Statistically, a higher proportion of hypobiotic larvae was found during the dry months than during the wet months, an indication that hypobiosis was an important feature in the survival of H. contortus during the dry months. Negligible worm burdens were acquired by the tracers during the short rains, suggesting that few H. contortus larvae survived on pasture in this season. The effectiveness of strategic control using ivermectin varied according to the timing in relation to the wet season. Treatment did not influence the seasonal pattern of hypobiosis but the treatment administered before the onset of the rains significantly reduced the numbers of both hypobiotic larvae and the adult worms. Treatment during the rains conferred a temporary relief of adult worm burden but had no impact on hypobiotic larvae.

Animals

Effects of three nematode anthelmintic treatment regimes on flock performance of sheep and goats under extensive management in semi-arid Kenya.

A study was undertaken in a semi-arid area of Kenya between August 1991 and June 1993 to evaluate the effects of anthelmintic treatment using ivermectin before or during the rains, on performance of mixed sheep and goat flocks, in comparison with an untreated flock. Performance parameters measured included age and weight of dams at first parturition, parturition intervals, body weights of dams and offspring, and birth weights, growth rates, and mortality rates of offspring. Among these parameters, birth weights and growth rates of offspring were found to be significantly improved by the treatment administered before the rains compared with the other two treatments. Mortality was lower in lambs and kids with high birth weights. Treatment, either before or during the rains, significantly reduced the faecal egg output and improved body weight, packed cell volume and flock fertility. Liveweight was confirmed to be a better measure of sexual maturity than age. It was further shown that lambs and kids, born of dams at their first lambing or kidding, experienced higher mortality rates than lambs and kids born of dams in their second and subsequent parturitions. Overall, treatment with ivermectin before the onset of rains was equal to or better, in terms of the performance parameters measured, than treatment during the rains, whilst treatment compared with no treatment increased performance in almost all of the parameters measured.

Albendazole

Nematode reinfection following treatment of cattle with doramectin and ivermectin.

A study was conducted to investigate reinfection with nematodes in calves following treatment with doramectin or ivermectin administered subcutaneously at a dose rate of 200 micrograms kg-1 of body weight under conditions of natural challenge. Thirty calves were allocated to three groups of 10 calves each based on body weight, sex, breed and pre-treatment faecal egg counts (FEC) after grazing together on a common pasture for three months. Treatments were doramectin, ivermectin and no treatment. Calves were returned to the same pasture for 56 days, placed on dry lot from days 56 to 63 and then necropsied over days 64-66. Faecal egg counts were done at days -1 and 0, then bi-weekly from day 14 to 56 and day 63. Mean FEC in control calves continued to rise throughout the grazing period. Trichostrongyle FEC were significantly (P < 0.05) greater in the control group compared to either treated group at each sample time following treatment. At necropsy, a total geometric mean of 19,847 nematodes per calf was recovered from untreated controls, of which eight genera were identified. The predominant nematode genera were Ostertagia (8749), Nematodirus (3702) and Cooperia (1927). In the ivermectin-treated calves, geometric mean worm burden was similar to that of the untreated controls: A total of 20,349 nematodes per calf was present including the genera Nematodirus (8633), Ostertagia (4700) and Cooperia (1740). In contrast, the geometric mean worm burden in doramectin-treated calves was 12,173, including Ostertagia (4310), Cooperia (1141) and Nematodirus (1667). Doramectin was more effective than ivermectin in protecting calves from reinfection over a 56-day post-treatment grazing period under conditions of natural challenge as measured by accumulated mean worm burdens.

Animals

Anthelmintics.

Anthelmintics remain the principal means for the prevention and control of subclinical and clinical ostertagiasis. The selection of an appropriate anthelmintic depends on whether one is controlling or preventing Type I ostertagiasis (caused by the establishment of adult worms derived from recently acquired infective larvae), preventing Type II (treating pre-Type II or inhibited larvae) or controlling Type II ostertagiasis (caused by the development of inhibited larvae to adults), or using the anthelmintic as part of an epidemiologically based plan to reduce pasture contamination with infective Ostertagia ostertagi larvae. In the latter case, the choice of an anthelmintic may depend on whether the targets for treatment are only adult worms and developing larvae or whether the targets include hypobiotic larvae. Thus for Ostertagia control, anthelmintics must be divided into those that normally control all stages, such as the avermectin group (ivermectin, abamectin and moxidectin) and some of the benzimidazoles (albendazole, oxfendazole and fenbendazole at appropriate dose rates), and those that only control adult worms and developing larvae (levamisole, morantel, coumaphos, phenothiazine and thiabendazole).

Animals

Epidemiological study of parasite infection in a cow-calf beef herd in Quebec.

The patterns of gastrointestinal and pulmonary nematode infections in a previously untreated Aberdeen Angus cow-calf herd were observed between May 1988 and December 1990. The cow-calf herd and replacement heifers were on separate pastures. The relatively high mean faecal egg counts of cows and heifers at the time of turnout were mainly owing to the maturation of hypobiotic worms. The strongyle egg counts of calves began to rise soon after turnout onto pasture and reached peak levels at the end of the grazing season. The number of infective larvae on pasture was highest during September/October. Ostertagia, Cooperia and Nematodirus were the most prevalent genera found at necropsy and on pasture. Larvae of these nematodes were able to overwinter on pasture and Ostertagia larvae, additionally, were able to overwinter in the host as arrested early fourth stage larvae. The high egg output of cows at the time of turnout may serve as a source of infection for their calves and be responsible for the late-season rise in pasture larval counts.

Animals

Efficacy of moxidectin against naturally acquired nematode infections in cattle.

The efficacy of moxidectin, a new endectocide against natural nematode infections, was evaluated. Twenty-five calves were divided into two groups of eight calves each and a third group of nine calves. Moxidectin was administered s.c. to two groups (I, 0.2 mg kg-1 body weight (BW); II, 0.3 mg kg-1 BW) and the third group (III) received the vehicle (placebo) s.c. Two pre-treatment and one post-treatment faecal nematode egg count determinations were made from all calves, and they were necropsied 2 weeks after treatment for the identification and enumeration of nematode parasites. Group III calves, which received the drug-free vehicle, harboured eight species of nematodes (Ostertagia ostertagi, Trichostrongylus axei, Cooperia oncophora, Cooperia punctata, Nematodirus helvetianus, Trichuris discolor, Oesophagostomum radiatum and Dictyocaulus viviparus). The mean total worm burden for this group was 8935. There was a significant reduction in the numbers of many species of nematodes (Ostertagia, Trichostrongylus, Cooperia and Nematodirus) in both treated groups. Cooperia oncophora was reduced by 94% in Group I and by 96% in Group II, while all other nematode species were reduced by 99%. Immature stages of Ostertagia and Nematodirus were significantly reduced in the two treated groups. Two weeks after treatment, the mean faecal egg counts of both treated groups were reduced by more than 98%. There was no significant difference in mean total worm burdens or egg counts between the two treated groups.

Animals

Morantel tartrate release from a long-acting intraruminal device in cattle: pharmacokinetics and gastrointestinal distribution.

The pharmacokinetics and gastrointestinal distribution of morantel tartrate release from a sustained release trilaminate bolus in cattle were investigated over a 98-day period post-treatment. Six Holstein calves (125-150 kg) had permanent indwelling fistulae surgically inserted into the rumen, abomasum and terminal ileum. Samples of jugular blood, feces and ruminal, abomasal and ileal fluids were taken on days -3, 1, 4, 7, 10, 14 and weekly up to 98 days post-bolus administration. Morantel tartrate concentrations were measured by HPLC after extraction and clean-up. Morantel was not detected in plasma at any time after bolus administration. High concentrations of morantel tartrate were found in ruminal, abomasal and ileal fluids and feces over 98 days post-treatment. The morantel peak concentration (Cmax) was achieved at Day 1 post-administration in each of these compartments. The steady-state morantel concentration (Css) was achieved at approximately 10 days post-treatment and maintained for 91-98 days post-treatment in these gastrointestinal compartments. The morantel Cmax, Css, area under the zero (AUC) and first moment (AUMC) of the concentration-time curve were significantly higher (P less than 0.01) in feces than in other compartments. The in vivo drug release profile of this device has been determined. Steady-state concentrations for from 91 to 98 days have been confirmed.

Abomasum

Pharmacokinetic profiles of netobimin metabolites after oral administration of zwitterion and trisamine formulations of netobimin to cattle.

Pharmacokinetic profiles of the major metabolites of netobimin were investigated in calves after oral administration of the compound (20 mg/kg) as a zwitterion suspension and trisamine salt solution in a two-way cross-over design. Blood samples were taken serially over a 72-h period and plasma was analysed by HPLC for netobimin (NTB) and its metabolites, including albendazole (ABZ), albendazole sulphoxide (ABZSO) and albendazole sulphone (ABZSO2). NTB was occasionally detected in plasma between 0.5 and 1.0 h post-treatment. ABZ was not detectable at any time. ABZSO was detected from 0.5-0.75 h up to 32 h post-administration, with a Cmax for the zwitterion suspension of 1.21 +/- 0.13 micrograms/ml and AUC of 18.55 +/- 1.45 micrograms.h/ml, respectively, which were significantly higher (P less than 0.01) than the Cmax (0.67 +/- 0.12 micrograms/ml) and AUC (8.57 +/- 0.91 micrograms.h/ml) for the trisamine solution. ABZSO2 was detected in plasma between 0.75 and 48 h post-administration. The zwitterion suspension resulted in a Cmax (2.91 +/- 0.10 micrograms/ml) and AUC (51.67 +/- 1.95 micrograms.h/ml) for ABZSO2, which were significantly higher (P less than 0.01) than those obtained for the trisamine solution (Cmax = 1.67 +/- 0.11 micrograms/ml and AUC = 22.77 +/- 1.09 micrograms.h/ml). The ratio of AUC for ABZSO2/ABZSO was 2.92 +/- 0.26 (zwitterion) and 2.80 +/- 0.20 (trisamine). The MRT for ABZSO2 was significantly longer (P less than 0.01) after treatment with the zwitterion suspension than after treatment with the trisamine solution.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Administration, Oral

Comparison of pharmacokinetic variables for two injectable formulations of netobimin administered to calves.

In a 4 x 4 crossover-design study, pharmacokinetic variables of 2 injectable formulations of netobimin (trisamine salt solution and zwitterion suspension) were compared after SC administration in calves at dosage of 12.5 mg/kg of body weight. Netobimin parent drug was rapidly absorbed, being detected between 0.25 and 12 hours after treatment, with maximal plasma drug concentration (Cmax) values of 2.20 +/- 1.03 micrograms/ml achieved at 0.75 +/- 0.19 hour (trisamine) and 1.37 +/- 0.59 micrograms/ml at 0.81 +/- 0.18 hour (zwitterion). Netobimin area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) was 7.59 +/- 3.11 micrograms.h/ml (trisamine) and 6.98 +/- 1.60 micrograms.h/ml (zwitterion). Elimination half-life (t1/2 beta) was 2.59 +/- 0.63 hours (trisamine) and 3.57 +/- 1.45 hours (zwitterion). Albendazole was not detected at any time. Albendazole sulfoxide was detected from 4 hours up to 20 hours (trisamine) and from 6 hours up to 24 hours (zwitterion) after administration of the drug. The Cmax values were 0.48 +/- 0.16 micrograms/ml and 0.46 +/- 0.26 micrograms/ml for trisamine and zwitterion formulations, respectively, achieved at time to peak drug concentration (Tmax) values of 9.50 +/- 1.41 hours (trisamine) and 11.30 +/- 1.04 hours (zwitterion). Albendazole sulfoxide AUC was 3.86 +/- 1.04 micrograms.h/ml (trisamine) and 4.40 +/- 3.24 micrograms.h/ml (zwitterion); t1/2 beta was 3.05 +/- 0.75 hours (trisamine) and 3.90 +/- 1.44 hours (zwitterion). Albendazole sulfone was detected from 4 (trisamine) or 6 hours (zwitterion) to 24 hours after treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Albendazole