COMBINED EFFECT OF AMPICILLIN, COLISTIN AND DEXAMETHASONE ADMINISTERED INTRAMUSCULARLY TO DAIRY-COWS ON THE CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL COURSE OF E-COLI-ENDOTOXIN MASTITIS
G. Ziv et al., COMBINED EFFECT OF AMPICILLIN, COLISTIN AND DEXAMETHASONE ADMINISTERED INTRAMUSCULARLY TO DAIRY-COWS ON THE CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL COURSE OF E-COLI-ENDOTOXIN MASTITIS, Veterinary research, 29(1), 1998, pp. 89-98
The effects of a single intramuscular injection of a drug product cont
aining ampicillin, colistin and dexamethasone, as a suspension in a di
ester of propylene glycol of medium-chain fatty acids, on the clinico-
pathological course of experimental Escherichia coli-endotoxin mastiti
s was examined in 30 dairy cows. Cows were divided into five groups, s
ix cows per group, and 24 of them were infused with E. coli endotoxin
into two quarters of their udders. The drug product was injected at 25
000 IU colistin sulphate, 10.0 mg ampicillin anhydrate and 0.025 mg d
examethasone acetate.kg(-1) body weight as follows: Group 2 cows, imme
diately post-endotoxin infusion (PEI); Group 3 cows, 2 h PEI and, Grou
p 4 cows, 4 h PEI. Group 1 cows were not treated with the product and
served as a positive (endotoxin only) control while Group 5 cows were
not challenged with endotoxin and were not treated with the product. A
clinical mastitis score (CMS) was developed to quantitatively assess
the degree of inflammation. Blood biochemistry and hematological param
eters were used to monitor the immediate effects of treatment on sever
al conventional inflammatory markers. Milk somatic cell counts (MSCC),
milk electrical conductivity and daily milk production were among the
parameters used to monitor systemic and local inflammatory reactions.
Administration of the drug product immediately PEI and 2 h PEI clearl
y nullified some of the most severe early systemic reactions to inflam
mation but the effect of therapy on the local inflammatory markers was
not as obvious. Notewhorthy, however, were the effects of the treatme
nt on reducing the duration of elevated quarter MSCC and the increase
in the speed of return to pre-endotoxin challenge daily milk productio
n levels. (C) Inra/Elsevier, Paris.