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Objectives: In a prior retrospective analysis of 32 infants diagnosed with cow's-milk protein-induced enterocolitis (CMPIE), gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms were observed with the introduction of milk-free infant cereal. The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to compare the incidence of new GI symptoms with the introduction of either milk-free infant rice cereal or carrots as the first complementary food at 6 months of age in infants previously diagnosed as having CMPIE., Patients and Methods: Thirty-nine infants were enrolled in the study. Twenty were randomized to start with pureed carrots and 19 were randomized to start with milk-free infant rice cereal. GI signs and symptoms developing within 2 weeks were recorded., Results: No significant differences were noticed in the incidence of new GI symptoms and the change in the frequency of GI symptoms upon solid-food introduction, whether it was carrots or milk-free infant rice cereal. A high overall incidence rate (47%) of new GI symptoms was observed in the whole cohort. The mean number of days for onset of new symptoms was 6. The most common GI signs and symptoms observed were related to alteration of stool characteristics. Breast-feeding was not shown to have a protective effect on the development of new GI symptoms during solid-food introduction., Conclusions: Many infants with CMPIE will develop GI signs and symptoms following the introduction of solid food, whether milk-free infant rice cereal or carrots are introduced, and their onset may be delayed.

Thirty of 52 pedigree Suffolk lambs (58 per cent) were born with arthrogryposis characterised by bilateral flexion rigidity of the metacarpophalangeal and carpal joints. The recent introduction of a breeding ram was identified as the only significant risk factor in the flock, and embryo transfer was used to test the hypothesis that the arthrogryposis was an inherited disorder associated with the introduction of this ram. Two adult ewes that had previously produced lambs with arthrogryposis by the ram and four of its affected daughters were available as donors, and 20 crossbred ewes were used as recipients. Ten Suffolk-crossed ewes that had no known familial relationship with the ram were also mated by the ram as controls and they produced 10 normal lambs. Following embryo transfer, 19 lambs were born, of which seven were stillborn; arthrogryposis was evident in 10 of the 12 live lambs. Analysis of the data suggested that in the population under study, arthrogryposis was inherited as an autosomal recessive condition.

Twenty-five oestrus synchronised ewes were subjected to superovulation treatment with horse anterior pituitary extract, and 23 of these were similarly treated between two and six months later. Seven of these 23 ewes were treated a third time, approximately four months after the second treatment. Ovulatory response was low after the second treatment within two months, but it was satisfactory if a longer period of time was allowed to elapse. Recovery rates of eggs decreased with successive treatments, but fertilisation rates were high. Results of the present experiment demonstrate that ewes can be successfully superovulated three times within a six month period; if a period greater than two months is allowed between successive treatments, high ovulatory responses can be obtained.

Forty-six adult merino ewes were immunised against oestradiol-17 beta-6 carbomethyloxime:human serum albumin and 48 comparable ewes were used as controls in an experiment to study the effects of gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) on ovulatory responses after treatment with pregnant mare's serum gonadotrophin (PMSG). All the ewes were treated with progestogen sponges for 14 days and received 1500 iu PMSG on the 12th day. Twenty-four control and 24 immunised ewes received 25 micrograms GnRH 21.5 hours and 23 hours after the sponges were withdrawn. Plasma samples were collected between 17 and 50 hours after the sponges were withdrawn and assayed for luteinising hormone (LH). Immunisation reduced the proportion of ewes which ovulated and their rate of ovulation. Injection of GnRH increased the proportion of immunised ewes ovulating (P less than 0.0005) and their rate of ovulation (P less than 0.0001). More unovulated follicles were observed in immunised ewes regardless of GnRH treatment (P less than 0.0001). The rate of recovery of eggs was reduced after immunisation. Treatment with GnRH produced a surge of LH of equal magnitude in the control and immunised ewes although not as many immunised ewes ovulated.

Ninety-one to 100 per cent of pregnant sows injected with 0.25, 0.5 or 1 mg of fenprostalene on days 112, 113 or 114 of gestation began to farrow within 30 hours of treatment, the majority during working hours on the day after injection. Induction of farrowing had no significant effect on the piglets' viability, the litter weight or the subsequent sow or litter performance. Treatment of sows with fenprostalene and oxytocin on day 114 of pregnancy resulted in a reduction in duration of farrowing compared with fenprostalene alone.

Thirty-nine pure bred Texel ewes were superovulated with horse anterior pituitary extract (HAP) and 24 of these ewes were treated for superovulation a second time 55 to 76 days after the first treatment. A 12 day SC-9880 sponge was used to synchronise oestrus in the ewes and all were superovulated with 200 mg HAP (4 days X 50 mg HAP). Surgical insemination and cervical insemination were employed to breed the ewes following the first and second superovulation treatments, respectively. The incidence of oestrus and ewes ovulating were significantly (P less than 0.005) lower following the second treatment. There was no significant difference in the ovulation rate in ewes ovulating between the first and second treatments. The mean number of eggs recovered per ewe decreased following the second treatment but fertilisation rate was not affected. Results would suggest that the period of time between first and second superovulation treatments was not sufficiently long to allow Texel ewes to respond to a second stimulation, or that surgical insemination may have had a detrimental effect.

An experiment was conducted to determine if concentrations of luteinising hormone or progesterone were different in pregnant or non-pregnant heifers for seven days before and 20 days after a successful or non-successful insemination. Heifers with an oestrous cycle length of 18 to 24 days only were used and they were bled at 08.00, 16.00 and 24.00 each day for seven days before and for 20 days after insemination with thawed semen (treatment 1) or semen diluent (treatment 2). Animals allocated to treatment 3 had the embryo nonsurgically flushed from the uterus at days 10 to 12 while animals allocated to treatment 4 were inseminated with semen diluent and then had a viable embryo transferred to the uterus between days 10 and 12. All animals were slaughtered between 19 and 21 days after insemination and pregnancy rate determined. There were no differences in basal luteinising hormone levels between treatments. Blood concentrations of progesterone were not different before insemination and for 16 days after insemination for pregnant (11 out of 15) and non-pregnant heifers (14) allocated to treatments 1 and 2. Between days 17 and 20, progesterone concentrations declined in non-pregnant heifers. Transfer of an embryo to non-pregnant heifers on day 10 to 12, did not affect progesterone concentrations, but non-surgical flushing of the embryo caused a decline in blood concentrations of progesterone. It was concluded that basal blood concentrations of luteinising hormone and progesterone, in samples taken three times daily were not different in pregnant or non-pregnant heifers before and for 16 days after insemination.