Immunohistochemical detection of virus antigen in the nasal planum of rabid dogs

The rabies virus is one of the most neurotropic of all viruses infecting mammals. During the terminal phases of infection, the virus spreads to peripheral tissues, including the skin. The external skin of the nose, called the nasal planum, is a sensory organ where numerous nerve bundles and terminal nerves are distributed. Therefore, the nasal planum is expected to serve as a postmortem diagnostic material. However, the distribution of rabies virus antigens in the nasal planum in rabid animals has not yet been studied. In this study, the nasal planum was obtained from 45 rabid dogs. In all rabid dogs, the viral antigen was detected in the peripheral nerve tissues, Merkel cells, and squamous cells. The viral antigen in the epidermis exhibited three patterns: first, a diffuse positive pattern from the basal layer to the squamous layer; second, a reticular positive pattern along the cell membrane in the squamous layer; and third, a basal layer pattern of the epidermis. In the dermis, viral antigens were detected more often in lamellated corpuscles just beneath the rete pegs. These results suggest that the nasal planum could serve as a useful alternative source for postmortem diagnosis in rabies endemic countries.     

白茶提取物对纳米SiO2诱导的大鼠肺纤维化的抑制作用及机制

硅肺是吸入SiO₂粉尘引起的以肺间质纤维化为主的全身性疾病。探讨了白茶提取物对纳米SiO₂诱导大鼠肺纤维化的抑制作用及机制。54只Wistar大鼠随机分为正常组、模型组、白毫银针提取物组、白牡丹提取物高和低剂量组、EGCG组共6个组,每组9只大鼠。除正常组外的其余5个组采用非暴露式气管插管方法造模纳米SiO₂粉尘(80 mg·mL^-1),每天以灌胃方式给予药物两周之后,检测肺组织中羟脯氨酸(HYP)、一氧化氮(NO)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、丙二醛(MDA)和谷光甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)含量以及肺组织形态学变化。结果显示,与模型组相比,白茶提取物各处理组及EGCG组病理形态改变有不同程度的减轻,其中白毫银针提取物组的效果最佳。白茶提取物各处理组与EGCG组的大鼠肺NO含量和炎症因子IL-6都显著低于模型组(P<0.05),GSH-Px活力高于模型组(P<0.05),高剂量白牡丹提取物对降低NO含量和升高GSH-Px活力效果最好;本研究表明,白茶提取物对于纳米SiO₂引起的大鼠肺纤维化氧化应激损伤具有有效的减缓和修复作用,主要与其抗氧化作用和抑制炎症反应相关。     

Effect of Ethylene Treatment on Kiwifruit Bioactivity

The consumption of fruits and vegetables with high antioxidant activities leads to best healthful results. Therefore, in the present investigation we tried to find the peak of the kiwifruits antioxidant activity during the first 10 days of ethylene treatment (100 ppm at 20 °C).In order to receive the most reliable data five different antioxidant assays were used: ferric-reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP); cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC); trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC); 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH); and Folin-Ciocalteau. It was found by all applied methods that kiwifruit samples have the highest contents of polyphenols and flavonoids and the highest antioxidant activity on the 6-th day of the ethylene treatment. The correlation coefficients between polyphenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activities of kiwifruit methanol extracts with TEAC and CUPRAC, were as followed: 0.81 and 0.63, and 0.23 and 0.17, respectively, and showed that the free polyphenols correlation coefficients were higher than that of the flavonoids.In conclusion: during ethylene treatment the bioactivity of kiwifruit is increasing and reaches its maximum at the 6th day and therefore it is the optimum time for kiwifruit consumption; total polyphenols were the main contributor to the overall antioxidant activity of kiwifruit; the most sensitive test for antioxidant activities determination is FRAP.     

Caval foramen hernia in a dog: Preoperative diagnosis and surgical treatment

A 13-year-old, 5.6-kg castrated-male Maltese was presented for reverse sneezing. A dome-shaped round mass abutting diaphragm was incidentally found ventral to caudal vena cava, which had the same echogenicity and density as that of the liver during ultrasonography and computed tomography, showing isoattenuation with a contrast study. Vascular distribution was identified throughout the mass. A caval foramen hernia (CFH) was diagnosed tentatively, followed by a herniorrhaphy and splenectomy of the chronically congested spleen. The patient had been doing well for 5-month postoperative but died because of aspiration pneumonia. CFH is an extremely rare condition, requiring surgery due to compression of the vena cava. It should be considered as a differential diagnosis when intrathoracic, mass-like lesions are identified near the diaphragm.     

Surveillance of classical swine fever in wild boar in South Korea from 2010–2014

Classical swine fever (CSF) is a highly contagious systemic hemorrhagic viral disease of pigs. Wild boar plays a crucial role in the epidemiology of CSF. Between 2010 and 2014, samples were collected nationwide from 6,654 wild boars hunted in South Korea. Anti-CSF antibodies were identified in 0.59% (39 of 6,654) of the wild boar samples using a virus neutralization test and were primarily detected in wild boars living close to the demilitarized zone and the area of the Taebaek Mountains surroundings. The CSF virus (subgroup 2.1b) was isolated from two wild boars captured in a nearby border area. The criteria used to define high-risk areas for targeted CSF surveillance in South Korea should be further expanded to include other regions nationwide.     

Efficacy and safety of allogenic canine adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell therapy for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in four dogs: A pilot study

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) possess regenerative and immunomodulatory properties and can control the immune dysregulation that leads to β-cell destruction. Stem-cell transplantation could thus manage insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in dogs. In this pilot study, we aimed to assess canine adipose tissue-derived MSCs (cAT-MSCs) transplantation as a treatment for canine diabetes mellitus. This study included four dogs with over a year of insulin treatment for IDDM, following diagnosis at the Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital of Seoul National University. Allogenic cAT-MSCs were infused intravenously three or five times monthly to dogs with IDDM. Blood and urine samples were obtained monthly. General clinical symptoms, including changes in body weight, vitality, appetite, and water intake were assessed. Three of the four owners observed improvement of vitality after stem cell treatment. Two of the four dogs showed improvement in appetite and body weight, polyuria, and polydipsia. C-peptide has increased by about 5–15% in three of the cases, and fructosamine and HbA1c levels have improved in two of the cases. Hyperlipidemia was resolved in two of the dogs, and there was no concurrent bacterial cystitis in any of the dogs. C-peptide secretion and lipid metabolism are associated with diabetic complications. Improvement in these parameters following the treatment suggests that cAT-MSC transplantation in dogs with IDDM might help to improve their insulin secretory capacity and prevent diabetic complications.     

Mesh selectivity of encircling gill net for gizzard shad Konosirus punctatus in the coastal sea of Korea

ABSTRACT:   Fishing experiments were carried out in Yeongil Bay, Korea using an encircling gill net with four different mesh sizes and two different hanging ratios to measure the mesh selectivity for gizzard shad Konosirus punctatus . Twenty-six trials were conducted giving a total catch of 485 gizzard shad. The 'share each length's catch total' (SELECT) analysis with maximum likelihood method was used to fit the different functional models, the normal, lognormal, and bi-normal model, for a selectivity curve to the catch data. In addition, two cases in which the relative fishing intensity was either estimated or fixed were compared. The bi-normal model with the fixed relative fishing intensity was found to fit the data best. For the selectivity curve on the bi-normal model, the relative length (the ratio of fish length to mesh size) with the maximum efficiency was obtained as 3.70. From this, the focal fish lengths in the commercial encircling gill net, with mesh size ranging from 5.0 to 6.0 cm, were inferred to be 18.5–22.2 cm.