FEASIBILITY FOR USING HYPOFRACTIONATED STEREOTACTIC VOLUMETRIC MODULATED ARC RADIOTHERAPY (VMAT) WITH ADAPTIVE PLANNING FOR TREATMENT OF THYMOMA IN RABBITS: 15 CASES

Thymoma is a relatively common tumor in rabbits. Treatment with surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy alone or in combination has been reported with varying outcomes. Stereotactic volumetric modulated arc radiotherapy delivered in a hypofractionated manner allows high doses of radiation to be delivered to the target volume while allowing sparing of adjacent critical structures. This therapy is ideally suited for thymomas in rabbits given their size, the difficulty of multiple anesthesia episodes and the complexity of the radiotherapy plans required due to the tumor's proximity to the heart, lungs, and mediastinal structures. Fifteen rabbits with thymoma were prospectively recruited for this observational, single institution, single arm clinical study. All rabbits were imaged with both computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A total dose of 40 Gy in six fractions was delivered using a single arc over an 11‐day period with repeat CT simulation done every other fraction for adaptive planning. Follow‐up evaluation was done through repeat CT and MRI imaging and revealed complete responses using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria. Two rabbits had died at 618 and 718 days, 10 were alive and three were lost to follow‐up. Observed acute and late effects were graded according to the Veterinary Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (VRTOG) criteria and were found to be minimal.     

Molecular cloning and tissue distribution of a short form chicken leptin receptor mRNA

In mammals, alternative splicing of the leptin receptor (LEPR) produces several C-terminal truncated isoforms that are believed to play a role in the transport, cellular internalisation and degradation of the hormone leptin. The chicken leptin receptor (chLEPR) is similar to its mammalian counterparts in terms of its intron/exon structure and conserved motifs. However, it is unknown whether the chLEPR also undergoes alternative splicing. To test this, structural analysis of intron 19 of the chLEPR, equivalent to the intron in which alternative splicing occurs in mammals, was combined with 3'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (3'-RACE) to search for chLEPR splice variants. A 44-amino acid alternative exon 20 was identified that is spliced to generate a short isoform of the chLEPR (chLEPR-SF). Comparative sequence analysis of intron 19 identified two regions that are highly conserved between the chicken and mammals, indicating their possible importance as intronic elements in the regulation of alternative splicing of the LEPR in vertebrates. Tissue expression of the chLEPR-SF was lower and more restricted than that of the chLEPR long isoform. Collectively these data demonstrate that the chLEPR is alternatively spliced to produce at least one short isoform, as is the case in mammals.     

Transthoracic echocardiographic measurement of patent ductus arteriosus in dogs

BACKGROUND: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) size and morphology influence the selection of the kind and the size of the embolization device used to effect shunt closure. HYPOTHESIS: That echocardiographic measurement of PDA in dogs is accurate. ANIMALS: Forty-five client-owned dogs with PDA. METHODS: Prospective observational study. Echocardiographic and angiographic data were compared. RESULTS: Measurement of the ductus in color Doppler echocardiography (CD-E) and 2-dimensional echocardiography (2D-E) was achieved from left parasternal views in 43 of 45 unsedated dogs (96%). In these 43 dogs, the angiographic minimal PDA diameter was 3.72 +/- 1.59 mm, and the diameter of the PDA ampulla was 8.46 +/- 3.01 mm. The CD-E minimal PDA diameter ranged from 2.3 to 9.5 mm (median, 4.0 mm). There was a significant mean difference to the angiographic measurements (1.15 +/- 0.95 mm; P < .0001). An agreement in a 1-mm range was found in 21 of 43 dogs (48%). The 2D-E minimal PDA diameter was 3.73 +/- 1.78 mm, and the mean difference to the angiographic measurements was not significant (0.00 +/- 0.72 mm; P = .98). An agreement in a 1-mm range was found in 31 of 43 dogs (72%). The 2D-E measurement of the PDA ampulla revealed a significant mean difference to the angiographic data (1.95 +/- 2.43 mm, P < .0001). An agreement in a 2-mm range was found in 21 of 43 dogs (49%). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: The 2D-E from the left cranial parasternal view is an excellent noninvasive method to estimate the PDA minimal diameter before doing catheter intervention.     

分子标记技术及其在稻瘟病抗性基因中的应用

分子标记技术是近20年发展起来的一种分子生物学技术，具有准确度高、多态性高、表现共显性等特点。根据检测手段的不同，分子标记技术可分为以DNA-DNA杂交为基础、以PCR技术为基础、以DNA杂交和PCR技术相结合为基础和以单核苷酸多态性为基础的4种类型分子标记技术。研究者利用各种分子标记技术已鉴定出30多个水稻抗稻瘟病基因，并进行了基因定位，其中抗稻瘟病基因Pi-ta和Pi-b已被克隆。本文简要介绍了多种分子标记技术及其在抗稻瘟病基因研究中的应用进展。     

新城疫病毒La Sota株HN基因的克隆与序列分析

旨在从分子生物学角度进一步研究新城疫病毒La Sota株HN基因,探究NDV La Sota HN基因的遗传变异情况。研究以试验室冻存的p NDV-HN为模版,根据Gen Bank中登录的NDV La Sota株序列设计引物扩增HN基因,将其克隆到pMD18-T载体后进行鉴定,对鉴定正确的重组质粒p MD-NDV-HN进行测序分析。应用生物信息学软件对新城疫病毒Lasota株HN基因进行系统进化树分析、氨基酸序列同源性分析、糖基化位点、蛋白结构跨膜区分析及磷酸化位点预测分析。核苷酸序列测定结果表明:HN基因的序列长度为1743bp,该基因的开放阅读框(Open Reading Frame,ORF)总长为1716 bp,编码571个氨基酸。生物信息学表明:试验获得的HN基因具有6个潜在糖基化位点及12个半胱氨酸残基,第5个潜在糖基化位点(508-510 aa)发生缺失及第123位半胱氨酸残基被色氨酸残基取代。La Sota株HN基因编码的蛋白质中有29个丝氨酸、10个酪氨酸和16个苏氨酸可能成为蛋白激酶磷酸化位点。将试验获得的La Sota株HN基因序列和推导的氨基酸序列与新城疫毒株的HN基因相应序列比较后发现,它们的核苷酸序列同源性和氨基酸序列同源性最高均可达到99%,表明HN基因在种属间具有较高的保守性。研究为新城疫病毒的分子病毒学研究奠定了基础。     

农杆菌介导遗传转化在水稻基因工程育种中的应用

随着生物技术的发展，水稻基因工程育种在水稻育种中发挥着越来越重要的作用。在诸多的转基因方法中，农杆菌作为一种天然的植物基因转化系统，以其独特优点而倍受重视。本文概述了农杆菌介导转化水稻的原理，农杆菌介导转化水稻的优点并且介绍了农杆菌菌株、受体材料和培养基成分的不同对农杆菌介导转化水稻的影响。另外对农杆菌介导遗传转化在水稻抗虫基因工程育种、抗病基因工程育种、抗逆基因工程育种、优质基因工程育种、耐除草剂基因工程育种及提高水稻光合效率和延缓衰老方面的研究进展进行了综述。最后对农杆菌介导遗传转化在水稻基因工程育种中存在的问题和发展前景做了简要说明。     

炭疽菌附着胞的研究进展

摘 要：炭疽菌属Colletotrichum Corda 是一类重要的植物病原菌，寄主范围广，对农林生产危害很大。炭疽菌能产生特殊的侵染结构附着胞穿透寄主组织，附着胞的形成对炭疽菌确立侵染非常关键。综述了炭疽菌分生孢子在寄主表面的附着、附着胞的形成、附着胞对环境影响因素的应答和附着胞的穿透。影响炭疽菌附着胞形态发育的因素很多，其中硬质疏水表面在短时间内通常是有利于附着胞的形成。并简要概述了炭疽菌附着胞的基因克隆研究情况。