Association of red‐mark syndrome with a Rickettsia‐like organism and its connection with strawberry disease in the USA

Red‐mark syndrome (RMS), a disease seen mostly in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, is of unknown aetiology. The research presented here indicates the presence of an intracellular bacterium in RMS‐affected fish. A positive reaction was observed using immunohistochemistry (IHC) with skin lesions, liver, kidney and spleen of affected fish sampled from several locations within the United Kingdom using two different polyclonal antisera raised against Piscirickettsia salmonis. The same reaction was also seen with a number of different anti‐P. salmonis monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). A disease with similar clinical signs to RMS, referred to as strawberry disease (SD), has been reported in the USA. A Rickettsia‐like organism (RLO) has recently been associated with SD based on analysis of 16S rDNA sequences. Using the same panel of anti‐P. salmonis antibodies used to screen the RMS samples, similar staining was obtained in tissue of SD‐affected fish by IHC. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using RLO‐specific primers was also performed on RMS‐affected fish from the United Kingdom, and the samples were positive for the RLO 16S rRNA sequence. These findings suggest that the same aetiological agent may be responsible for RMS in the United Kingdom and SD in the USA.     

利用免疫组化方法初步鉴定雌性三疣梭子蟹视神经节GnRH受体

为了研究促性腺激素释放激素(GnRH)受体在甲壳动物视神经节中的存在及分布情况,采用MaxVisionTM免疫组织化学方法,以兔抗人GnRH受体的多克隆抗体,对不同发育期雌性三疣梭子蟹的视神经节进行了免疫组织化学定位。结果显示,GnRH受体的免疫阳性物质在视神经节的多个部位,视神经层、视外髓、视内髓、视端髓及X器中都有较为广泛的存在,在视外髓、视内髓与X器处的神经分泌细胞中尤为明显。不同发育期的雌性三疣梭子蟹视神经节GnRH受体的免疫阳性分布位置相似,免疫阳性强度存在一定的差异。三疣梭子蟹视神经节存在的GnRH受体免疫阳性物质,为GnRH参与视神经节调节作用提供了形态学依据。     

鸡Toll样受体15单克隆抗体的制备及其初步应用

旨在制备鸡Toll样受体15 (ChTLR15)的特异性单克隆抗体(mAb),并初步应用.利用PCR技术扩增ChTLR15第162-386位氨基酸,克隆于载体pET-30a中进行诱导表达,获得高纯度的重组ChTLR15 (162-386 aa)蛋白.然后采用皮下多点注射方式将ChTLR15免疫6周龄的雌性BALB/c小...     

3种组织固定液对大菱鲆肝脏切片质量影响和效果比较

为查明3种组织固定液对大菱鲆肝脏石蜡切片质量的影响,筛选效果最佳的固定液。本实验选用波恩氏(Bouin)、戴维森氏(Davidson)和4%多聚甲醛(Paraformaldehyde, PFA)3种组织固定液,对大菱鲆的肝脏进行固定,制作石蜡切片,通过苏木素-伊红(H-E)和免疫组织化学(Immunohistochemistry)染色,观察组织细胞形态学特征,利用统计学方法分析细胞完整度和免疫组化阳性率情况。结果发现,3种固定液对大菱鲆肝组织石蜡切片固定效果存在显著差异,Bouin固定液组织H-E染色细胞结构清晰、形态完整,Davidson固定液H-E染色组织溶解、细胞结构不清晰,但能分辨出核质界线,4%多聚甲醛组H-E染色鲜艳,但核质分界不清晰。完整肝细胞比例,4%PFA显著低于Bouin和Davidson固定液(P<0.05),且Bouin和Davidson固定液无显著差异(P>0.05)。肝组织增殖细胞核抗原(proliefrating cell nuclear antigen, PCNA)免疫组化染色阳性率3种固定液存在显著差异,Bouin固定液显著高于4%PFA和...     

Time after seawater transfer influences immune cell abundance and responses to SAV3 infection in Atlantic salmon

Pancreas disease (PD) caused by salmonid alphavirus (SAV) severely affects salmonid aquaculture during the seawater phase. To characterize immune cells in target tissues for SAV infection, heart, pancreas and pyloric caeca were analysed from two groups of fish adapted to seawater for 2 and 9 weeks. The sections were scored for the relative abundance of cells expressing MHC class II, IgM, CD3, CD8 or neutrophil/granulocyte markers using immuno‐histochemical techniques. In general, necrosis of tissue was more severe in fish infected at 2 weeks post‐seawater transfer (wpt) compared with those infected at 9 wpt. At 9 wpt, there were higher numbers of MHC II⁺ cells in heart, pancreas and pyloric caeca, IgM⁺ cells in heart and pancreas, and CD3⁺ cells in pancreas compared to those infected at 2 wpt. The majority of the immune cells infiltrating PD‐affected tissues were MHC II⁺ and CD3⁺ cells suggesting that antigen‐presenting cells and T lymphocytes are the main types of immune cells responding to SAV infection. All the investigated cell types were also observed in pyloric caeca of infected fish, suggesting that this tissue may play a role in the immune response to SAV.     

Bromodeoxyuridine DNA labelling reveals host and parasite proliferation in a fish‐myxozoan model

Enteromyxum leei is a myxozoan parasite responsible for enteritis in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata). The parasite proliferates in the paracellular space of the intestinal epithelium and induces an inflammatory reaction. To assess intestinal cell turnover and parasite proliferation, fish were infected with the parasite by anal intubation; after 17 and 64 days, the cell proliferative marker bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was administered; and after 24 hr, tissue samples were taken for immunohistochemical detection. Parasite exposure induced increased epithelial and immune cell proliferation in all intestinal segments at all time points, even before parasite establishment. This increased turnover was triggered early after intubation and mainly at a local level, as shown by an increased proliferating cell nuclear antigen (pcna) gene expression only at the posterior intestine after 17 days (not found in lymphohaematopoietic organs). Incorporation of BrdU in parasite secondary and tertiary daughter cells indicated that parasite endogeny is not by schizogonial division, which uses de novo synthesis pathway of pyrimidines. Altogether, BrdU immunolabelling and pcna gene expression showed the rapid proliferative response of the fish intestines upon a myxozoan infection and how this response is effectively triggered even before the parasite reaches or establishes in the site.     

Functional and structural assessment of retinal sheet allograft transplantation in feline hereditary retinal degeneration

Purpose  To investigate whether sheets of fetal retinal allografts can integrate into the dystrophic Abyssinian cat retina with progressive rod cone degeneration.
Methods  Fetal retinal sheets (cat gestational day 42), incubated with BDNF microspheres, were transplanted to the subretinal space of four cats at an early disease stage. Cats were studied by fundus examinations, bilateral full-field flash ERGs, and indocyanine green and fluorescein angiograms up to 4 months following surgery. E42 donor and transplanted eyes were analyzed by histology and immunohistochemistry for retinal markers.
Results  Funduscopy and angiography showed good integration of the transplants in two of four cats, including extension of host blood vessels into the transplant and some scarring in the host. In these two, transplants were found in the subretinal space with laminated areas, with photoreceptor outer segments in normal contacts with the host retinal pigment epithelium. In some areas, transplants appeared to be well-integrated within the host neural retina. Neither of these two cats showed functional improvement in ERGs. In the other two cats, only remnants of donor tissue were left. Transplants stained for all investigated cellular markers. No PKC immunoreactivity was detected in the fetal donor retina at E42, but developed in the 4-month-old grafts.
Conclusions  Fetal sheet transplants can integrate well within a degenerating cat retina and develop good lamination of photoreceptors. Functional improvement was not demonstrated by ERG in cats with well-laminated grafts. Transplants need to be further evaluated in cat host retinas with a more advanced retinal degeneration using longer follow-up times.     

Extramedullary plasmacytoma of the third eyelid gland in a dog

A case of extramedullary plasmacytoma of the third eyelid gland in a 7-year-old American Cocker Spaniel is reported. An enlargement of the third eyelid gland, abundant mucopurulent discharge, mild hyperemia and corneal pigmentation in the OD was present. Excisional biopsy of the mass revealed the gland was infiltrated and partially destroyed by a uniform population of neoplastic plasma cells. The neoplastic cells were positive for CD138, Ki-67 and λ light chain. CD20, CD3, κ light chain and cytokeratin were negative. Twelve months following surgery, no recurrence was observed. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first extramedullary plasmacytoma of the third eyelid gland reported in dogs.