SIMPLE RAPID BLOOD TEST ANNOUNCED FOR MARE
PREGNANCY DIAGNOSIS
The Mare Immunological Pregnancy Test( MIP-Test) shows pregnancy with virtually 100 per cent accuracy at-11-63 days after servicing by the formation of an easily distinguished ring( top illustration) in the kit’ s test tube The bottom illustration shows a negative test for pregnancy. A mirror, included in each five-test package, enables the veterinarian to observe the results while seated.
Five-test kit of the MIP-Test includes the bottled reagents, sterilized dis posable eye-droppers deft) for use with equine blood samples, lest tubes and eye-droppers for reagent bottles. Produced by Denver Chemical Manufac turing Company, the MIP-Test can determine equine pregnancy in two hours from a blood sample.
EDITOR ' S NOTE— The following news release was of such interest that we decided to run it in the December issue rather than wait for the January Stallion Directory. Perhaps this development will be the answer to many of our current problems in dealing with mares for breeding purposes. Not only will this greatly enhance the prospects of determining whether or not a mare is in foal, it should somewhat reduce the cost of this operation.
A new immunological test which accurately deter mines pregnancy in the mare was described by Ron ald Chak, D. V. M., of the Ocala( Florida) Stud Farm, at the opening session of the December 8-12 confer ence of the Equine Practitioners Association in Phila delphia. He did his work in collaboration with Max Bruss, of Dorchester Laboratory, Ocala.
Dr. Chak said in a panel discussion that their ex perience with the new test, called the Mare Immuno logical Pregnancy Test( MIP-Test), shows it to be accurate and simple to perform, eliminating the need for rectal examination or the bioassay procedure for the diagnosis of pregnancy in mares.
The MIP-Test used by Chak and Bruss in their ex periments is supplied by Denver Chemical Manufac turing Co., Stamford, Connecticut. It utilizes the prin ciple whereby pregnant mare serum gonadotropin inhibits the agglutination of gonadotropin-coated ery throcytes in the presence of gonadotropin antiserum. The result is the formation of a ring at the bottom of a test tube.
Breeders have long recognized the importance of determining whether a mare is pregnant as soon as possible after service. Up to now, methods for con firming pregnancy have included rectal examination as early as 40 to 45 days after breeding. The rat bio assay test accurately detects gonadotropin from about the 40th day of pregnancy, but availability of rats and appropriate housing, along with the need for con secutive serum injections for three days, discourage this procedure’ s widespread use.
Dr. Chak outlined in detail the MIP-Test procedure. Each MIP-Test kit contains all supplies needed for running the test: test tubes, rack with mirror, drop pers, antiserum, stabilized coated erythrocytes and other necessary reagents.
The procedure is performed with a control test tube and a sample test tube. Mare serum is placed in both, along with erythrocytes and reagents. However, where antiserum is placed in the sample test tube, a control solution is used in the other test tube.
The control tube will show at the bottom the pattern of a doughnut-like ring, whether or not the mare is pregnant. But the sample tube with the antiserum will show the same pattern only if gonadotropin is present in the mare’ s serum.
In their experiments, the authors performed the MIP- Test on 57 thoroughbred mares who were also given the rectal examination. There were no false MIP-Tests, either positive or negative, for the 35 mares tested between 41 and 63 days after servicing. An additional ten barren mares tested out negative.
" It is apparent,” concluded Dr. Chak, " that the ac curacy of the MIP-Test is virtually 100 per cent using serum obtained approximately 41-63 days after serv icing.” They added that unpublished data on several hundred mares examined with the MIP-Test by other investigators confirm and extend their findings to in dicate that between 41 and 110 the overall accuracy of the new test is over 97 per cent, " prompting us to recommend the procedure as a noteworthy advance in the diagnosis of pregnancy in mares.”
C. A. BOBO and SON STABLES
SHELBYVILLE, TENNESSEE PHONE: 615 / 684-1043
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HENRY PEARL SAIN PASSES IN BELL BUCKLE
Henry Pearl Sain, noted Walking Horse personality and farmer of Bell Buckle, Tennessee, passed away on December 8. He died of an apparent heart attack at his home. Mr. Sain, a native of Manchester, Ten nessee, had owned and operated a hotel in Clear water, Florida, in addition to operating his farm in Bell Buckle.
Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Virginia Wright Sain; a daughter, Miss Betty Sain; and a son, Henry Parker Sain.
Mr. Sain was well-known throughout Walking Horse circles, as he had raised and bred Tennessee Walking Horses for many years. He purchased SHAKER’ S SHOCKER as a young colt and saw him progress to the 1966 World Championship as a four-year-old with Betty riding and training him. Funeral services were held Wednesday, December 11 at the Manchester Funeral Home. Mr. Sain was a member of the Church of Christ.
December, 1968 47