Vet Group Research Articles

Effect of exercise from a very early stage after intracerebral hemorrhage on microglial and macrophage reactivity states in rats.

This study investigated the effects of exercise, starting very early after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), on microglia and macrophages in a rat model. Collagenase solution was injected into the left striatum to induce ICH. Rats were randomly assigned to receive placebo surgery without exercise (sham surgery), ICH without exercise (ICH), or ICH with very early exercise (ICH + VET). The ICH + VET group was subjected to treadmill running 6 h, 24 h, and days 2-6 after ICH. Motor function assessment was performed using the ladder test and rotarod test 3 h, 25 h, and 7 days after ICH. Postexercise brain tissue was collected on day 8 after surgery to investigate the lesion volume. Very early exercise temporarily worsened motor dysfunction. The protein expression levels of the macrophage and microglial markers CD80, CD163, and TMEM119 were analyzed 6 h, 24 h, and 8 days after ICH. Protein analysis of NeuN, GFAP, and PSD95 was also performed on day 8 after ICH. There was no significant difference in lesion volume between the ICH and ICH + VET groups on day 8 after ICH. Exercise from very early stage prevented elevated CD163 protein expression. Very early exercise may inhibit the activation of anti-inflammatory-associated macrophages/microglia.

Optimizing the extra-mural studies experience

David Charles was the 2018/19 President of The Association of Veterinary Students (UK and Ireland), founding the AVS EMS Grants and leading the EMS Experience project which culminated in the launch of the AVS EMS Resources and EMS Experience Report. He graduated from the University of Bristol in 2019 and works in mixed practice for The Oakwood Vet Group, Norfolk.

From practice to The City: my career change

Julie Ross is the commercial director at Pets at Home Vet Group. Here, she reviews her career and explains how it has evolved and changed since she graduated in 2002.

Inter- and intra-operator variability in the analysis of packed cell volume.

To identify whether inter- and intra-operator variability occurs in the measurement of canine packed cell volume and, if so, at which stage these errors occur. Undergraduate veterinary students and veterinary surgeons were recruited to measure the packed cell volumes of three samples in duplicate. Measurements from each sample were confirmed by one author, and it was then ascertained whether the error was made in the capillary preparation or reading. Data were obtained from 44 students and 11 vets. A total of 25% of students made errors associated with inadequate mixing; 23% students and 9% of vets made errors consistent with incorrect reading. There was also less intra-operator variation in values within the vet group (0·027 from the mean) in comparison to the student group (-0·21 from the mean). A total of 68·2% of students and 91% of vets filled the capillary tubes outwith World Health Organisation standards of two-thirds to three-quarters full. Packed cell volume measurement is extremely useful when measuring erythroid mass, but it is crucial that the results upon which decisions are made are accurate and precise in order to manage these cases appropriately. Operator variation is a significant factor and must be addressed by proper training and following standard operating procedures.

Vets drive CPD in Scotland.

The CPD provider, VET Trust, was set up by a group of vets nearly 25 years ago with the aim of making CPD accessible to vets and veterinary nurses in Scotland. Kathleen Robertson reports on the Trust's aims and its newest CPD prize.

Celebrating 40 years of funding

Abstract PetSavers was founded in 1974 by a group of vets who realized that research into unresolved animal medical problems needed a source of funding. 40 years on a look at some of the key achievements.

Evaluation of effects of EarlyBird associated with FloraMax-B11 on Salmonella Enteritidis, intestinal morphology, and performance of broiler chickens

A posthatch fasting period of 24 to 72 h is a common and inevitable practice in commercial poultry production. This delay in start of feed intake has been reported to negatively affect yolk utilization, gastrointestinal development, slaughter weight, breast meat yield, performance, and to also depress immunological development, making the birds more susceptible to infection from pathogens such as Salmonella. Furthermore, public concerns regarding the considerable human rates of illness reported and the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of Salmonella have doubled the challenge on the poultry industry to find alternative means of Salmonella control. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of a combination of early feeding with probiotic supplementation on morphological development of mucosa, control of Salmonella, and overall performance in broiler chickens. We used a blend of a commercially available perinatal supplement, EarlyBird (EB; Pacific Vet Group USA Inc., Fayetteville, AR), and a successful probiotic supplement, FloraMax-B11 (FM; Pacific Vet Group USA Inc.), to evaluate the effects on gut morphology, Salmonella intestinal colonization, and horizontal transmission, along with its effects on BW and related performance in broiler chickens under simulated commercial hatching management and shipping conditions. Morphometric analysis showed increased villus height, villus width, villus to crypt ratio, and villus surface area index in chickens treated with EB + FM groups. Significant reductions in Salmonella recovery, incidence, and horizontal transmission were also observed among the same groups, suggesting beneficial effects of early feeding and competitive exclusion by probiotic bacteria. Improved gut morphology and Salmonella exclusion was very well supported by BW data with significantly lower early BW loss and overall BW gains in birds treated with EB + FM mixture. The results of this study demonstrated that the combination of EB and FM improved gut morphology, reduced the amount of Salmonella that could be recovered, as well as improved BW when compared with controls and each product individually. These data address both animal welfare and food safety concerns faced by the poultry industry.

BSAVA invites Belarus vets to Congress

Abstract Each year a group of vets from an emerging veterinary association is invited to BSAVA Congress.

Vet group support for project in india

Vet group support for project in india

New graduate's diary

It is almost a year to the day since Jen Hall graduated from Nottingham – one of the first group of vets to do so. Here, she looks back on her first year in practice and offers some thoughts on PDP.

Transcriptional profiling of cecal gene expression in probiotic- and Salmonella- challenged neonatal chicks

Probiotics are currently used to improve health and reduce enteric pathogens in poultry. However, the mechanisms by which they reduce or prevent disease are not known. Salmonella are intracellular pathogens that cause acute gastroenteritis in humans, and infections by nontyphoid species of Salmonella also can result in diarrhea, dehydration, and depression in poultry. Frequently, however, no clinical signs of infection are apparent in poultry flocks. In this study, day-of-hatch chicks were challenged with Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) and treated 1 h later with a poultry-derived, Lactobacillus-based probiotic culture (FloraMax-B11, Pacific Vet Group USA Inc., Fayetteville, AR). Cecae were collected 12 and 24 h posttreatment for Salmonella detection and RNA isolation for microarray analysis of gene expression. At both 12 and 24 h, SE was significantly reduced in chicks treated with the probiotic as compared with the birds challenged with only SE (P < 0.05). Microarray analysis revealed gene expression differences among all treatment groups. At 12 h, 170 genes were expressed at significantly different levels (P < 0.05), with a minimum difference in expression of 1.2-fold. At 24 h, the number of differentially regulated genes with a minimum 1.2-fold change was 201. Pathway analysis revealed that at both time points, genes associated with the nuclear factor kappa B complex, as well as genes involved in apoptosis, were significantly regulated. Based on this analysis, probiotic-induced differential regulation of the genes growth arrest-specific 2 (GAS2) and cysteine-rich, angiogenic inducer, 61 (CYR61) may result in increased apoptosis in the cecae of chicks. Because Salmonella is an intracellular pathogen, we suggest that increased apoptosis may be a mechanism by which the probiotic culture reduces Salmonella infection.

Ten‐minute chat

Stephen Lister spent 10 years in the State Veterinary Service before setting up a poultry advisory and consultancy service in Norfolk. He is currently president of an EU poultry vet group

Ten‐minute chat

Pete Southgate is one of the directors of the Fish Vet Group, an Inverness‐based veterinary practice that is dedicated to fish health and welfare. He is an RCVS recognised specialist in fish health and production, and a trustee of the BVA Animal Welfare Foundation.

Clinical: Blood transfusions in cattle

LivestockVolume 11, Issue 3 p. 39-43 Clinical: Blood transfusions in cattle Gareth Bell BVM&S CertCHP DBR MRCVS, Gareth Bell BVM&S CertCHP DBR MRCVS JUBILEE VET GROUP, JUBILEE ROAD, NEWTOWNARDS, CO. DOWN, N. IRELAND. BT23 4YHSearch for more papers by this author Gareth Bell BVM&S CertCHP DBR MRCVS, Gareth Bell BVM&S CertCHP DBR MRCVS JUBILEE VET GROUP, JUBILEE ROAD, NEWTOWNARDS, CO. DOWN, N. IRELAND. BT23 4YHSearch for more papers by this author First published: 30 September 2010 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-3870.2006.tb00024.xCitations: 4AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume11, Issue3May 2006Pages 39-43 RelatedInformation