W. Oyaert

The influence of the administration of sow's milk on the post-weaning excretion of hemolytic E. coli in the pig.

The postweaning excretion rate of hemolyticE. coli was determined in piglets from herds affected with edema disease and on control farms. No distinct difference in rate of excretion was observed. A split litter trial was set up to evaluate the importance of sows milk in the postweaning rise of fecal hemolyticE. coli. 525 ml of sows milk a day, mixed with the feed, completely inhibited that postweaning rise, even after oral challenge with a pathogenic strain.

Pulmonary driving pressure as a pulmonary function test in horses

Summary Pulmonary Driving Pressure (PDP) is defined as the difference between the pulmonary artery pressure and the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. Pulmonary driving pressure is a measure of alveolar ventilation. This parameter was determined in 20 normal horses. The mean value was 10.0 +/−2.37 mm Hg. The PaO2 in these horses varied between 98 and 110 mm Hg. In two of these 20 horses, pulmonary driving pressure was determined 10 timesconsecutively. The obtained values were within very narrow limits for the respective horses indicating the reproducibility of the technique.

The influence of clenbuterol on prostaglandin F2α-induced dyspnoea in calves

Pulmonary function tests were performed in six healthy calves. Prostaglandin F2α causes severe narrowing of both upper and lower airways (total lung resistance increased, dynamic compliance decreased). Clenbuterol administered intravenously fifteen minutes prior to prostaglandin F2α aerosol, and in increasing doses (0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2 μg/kg), on days 1, 2, 4 and 6 of the experiment, effectively but not entirely suppressed these responses.These data indicate that β-adrenergic receptors are present in the bovine airways and that the use of clenbuterol (0.8 μg/kg) may be effective in treating clinical respiratory disease such as bronchopneumonia in calves.

The effect of clenbuterol on lung function parameters in calves suffering from bronchopneumonia

Pulmonary function testing was performed in calves affected with bronchopneumonia. In these calves respiratory rate, viscous work per litre air and per minute, intrapleural pressure difference, mean inspiratory and expiratory flow rate and ventilation per minute were significantly increased. Total resistance of the lung was just not significantly increased. Dynamic compliance and tidal volume were significantly reduced.The main effect of clenbuterol was a significant increase in dynamic compliance. The reduction in the total resistance of the lung was just not significant. These results indicate that clenbuterol can antagonise, at least partly, the alterations caused by bronchopneumonia.