Chemopreventive efficacy of lycopene on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis

The chemopreventive efficacy of lycopene on 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced hamster buccal pouch (HBP) carcinogenesis was examined using lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR) as biomarkers of chemoprevention. Twenty four male Syrian hamsters were divided into four groups of six animals each. The right buccal pouches of the animals in group 1 were painted with a 0.5% solution of DMBA in liquid paraffin three times a week. The animals in group 2 were painted with DMBA as in group 1 and in addition received 2.5 mg/kg body weight lycopene orally three times a week on days alternate to DMBA application. Group 3 animals received lycopene as in group 2. Animals in group 4 received neither DMBA nor lycopene and served as control. The hamsters were killed after an experimental period of 14 weeks. Biochemical measurements were carried out in tumour and normal tissues. All hamsters painted with DMBA alone for 14 weeks developed well-differentiated squamous cell carcinomas. Diminished lipid peroxidation in the oral tumour tissue was accompanied by a significant increase in the levels of GSH, GPx, GST and GR. Administration of lycopene significantly suppressed DMBA-induced oral carcinogenesis as revealed by the absence of carcinomas. The results of the present study suggest that lycopene may exert its chemopreventive effects by modulating lipid peroxidation and enhancing the activities of the enzymes in the glutathione redox cycle.     

内质网应激和氧化应激在纳米氧化铈所致肺损伤中的作用

观察不同剂量纳米氧化铈颗粒染毒后对大鼠血清超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活力和丙二醛(MDA)含量的影响及大鼠肺组织GRP78蛋白表达情况,探讨其导致肺损伤的作用机制。将粒径为35nm±3nm的纳米氧化铈颗粒悬液以不同剂量(100mg/kg、400mg/kg)给大鼠气管滴注,染毒28d后,测定大鼠血清中SOD活力、MDA含量及肺组织GRP78蛋白表达情况。与对照组相比,高低剂量纳米氧化铈染毒组大鼠血清中SOD活力及MDA含量均无明显改变(P0.05),GRP78蛋白表达均显著增高(P0.05)。纳米氧化铈染毒大鼠所致肺损伤与内质网应激有关,与氧化应激的关系有待进一步研究。     

犬前列腺疾病概述

犬前列腺疾病是临床常见的公犬泌尿生殖道疾病,通常发生于老龄公犬,特别是6岁以上的未去势公犬。常见的犬前列腺疾病主要有前列腺炎、良性前列腺增生、前列腺囊肿、前列腺脓肿和前列腺癌。前列腺疾病的临床表现相似,表现为排尿困难、尿淋漓、血尿、前列腺液成分改变、便秘等,因此仅从病史、临床症状方面难以对疾病进行确诊,需要借助于X光检查、B超检查、前列腺液检查、组织/细胞学检查等特殊的诊断方法。在确诊的基础上根据不同的发病原因采取抗生素治疗,去势,前列腺切除手术等治疗方法。论文对各种常见犬前列腺疾病的病因、临床表现、诊断和治疗方案进行综述。     

COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC FINDINGS IN 57 CATS WITH PRIMARY PULMONARY NEOPLASIA

Primary pulmonary neoplasia is relatively uncommon in cats and generally has a poor prognosis. In this multicenter, retrospective study of 57 cats with pulmonary neoplasia, the most frequent presenting signs were anorexia/inappetence (39%) and cough (37%). The pulmonary tumors were considered to be incidental findings in 9% cats. In computed tomographic (CT) images, primary pulmonary tumors appeared as a pulmonary mass in 55 (96%) cats and as a disseminated pulmonary lesion without a defined mass in two (4%) cats. Most pulmonary tumors were in the caudal lobes, with 28 (49%) in the right caudal lobe and 17 (30%) in the left caudal lobe. CT features associated with pulmonary tumors included mass in contact with visceral pleura (96%), irregular margins (83%), well‐defined borders (79%), bronchial compression (74%), gas‐containing cavities (63%), foci of mineral attenuation (56%), and bronchial invasion (19%). The mean (range) maximal dimension of the pulmonary masses was 3.5 cm (1.1–11.5 cm). Additional foci of pulmonary disease compatible with metastasis were observed in 53% cats. Pleural fluid was evident in 30% cats and pulmonary thrombosis in 12% cats. The histologic diagnoses were 47 (82%) adenocarcinomas, six (11%) tumors of bronchial origin, three (5%) adenosquamous cell carcinomas, and one (2%) squamous cell carcinoma. In this series, adenocarcinoma was the predominant tumor type, but shared many features with less common tumor types. No associations were identified between tumor type and CT features. Prevalence of suspected intrapulmonary metastasis was higher than in previous radiographic studies of cats with lung tumors.     

Lipopolysaccharide induces expression of collagen VI in the rat lung

The involvement of the lung during the septic systemic inflammatory response elicited by administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was investigated. Eight-week-old male Sprague–Dawley rats were injected i.p. with 15 mg/kg LPS. After 24 h, the lungs were excised to evaluate the cellular responses to LPS. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) analysis revealed that type VI collagen (ColVI) was extremely upregulated during sepsis in the rat lung within the first 24 h of LPS administration. Upregulation of ColVI protein and its mRNA was demonstrated by Western blot analysis, real time PCR, and immunohistochemistry. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the activation of ColVI in the rat lung at the early stage of systemic inflammation. Activation of ColVI might be involved in sepsis-mediated lung fibrosis at an early stage.     

Relationship between three novel SNPs of BRCA1 and canine mammary tumors

The BRCA1 gene plays an important role in the development of human breast cancer, and recent research indicated that genetic variations of BRCA1 are also related to canine mammary tumors (CMTs). Here, using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE), we cloned the 5′- and 3′-UTRs of BRCA1. By direct sequencing of the flanking sequences of the 5′- and 3′-UTRs of BRCA1, three previously unreported single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, two (−1228T >C, −1173C >T) in the putative promoter regions and one non-synonymous SNP (63449G >A) in exon 23. Compared with 16 normal samples, the sequences from 34 CMTs suggested that SNP (−1173C >T) was associated with the development of CMTs (odds ratio (OR)=2.57, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07–6.15).     

Metastatic cancer of unknown primary in 21 dogs

The aim of this retrospective study was to describe clinical features, treatment and outcome of 21 dogs with metastatic cancer of unknown primary (MCUP), a biopsy‐proven malignancy being diagnosed at a metastatic stage, in which the anatomical origin of the primary tumour cannot be detected. All dogs underwent total‐body computed tomography. Signalment, type and duration of clinical signs, metastasis site, pathology results, treatment and outcome were recorded. Carcinoma was the most common diagnosis (57.1%), followed by sarcoma, melanoma and mast cell tumour. The median number of disease sites per dog was 2, with bones, lymph nodes, lungs and spleen being the most frequent metastatic locations. The median survival for all dogs was 30 days. Overall, a primary site was not identified in 20 (95.2%) dogs. MCUP encompasses a variety of different pathologic entities and harbours a poor prognosis.     

环境低温对H9N2亚型禽流感病毒感染小鼠致病性的影响

旨在分析环境低温对H9N2亚型禽流感病毒感染小鼠致病性的影响。选用120只6~8周龄,雄性SPF BALB/c小鼠,随机分为4组:无感染常温组(PBS处理,(20±2)℃)、无感染低温组(PBS处理,(10±2)℃)、H9N2病毒感染常温组(H9N2处理,(20±2)℃)、H9N2病毒感染低温组(H9N2处理,(10±2)℃)。在感染后观察感染小鼠发病14 d内的临床症状、存活率,肺脏病变程度、肺部细胞因子含量的动态变化以及肺脏病毒载量。结果表明:1)与H9N2病毒感染常温组小鼠相比,环境低温处理的H9N2病毒感染小鼠临床症状明显加重,其中体重明显降低,但差异不显著(P>0.05),存活率由95%降为67%,肺水肿程度和肺组织病变程度更加严重;2)H9N2病毒感染低温组与H9N2病毒感染常温组相比,肺脏TNF-a和IL-1β含量无显著差异,但均显著高于2个无感染组(P<0.01);3)H9N2病毒感染低温组与H9N2病毒感染常温组相比,肺组织病毒载量显著增加(P<0.01)。综上,环境低温明显增加了H9N2亚型流感病毒对小鼠的致病性,为进一步揭示环境低温与流感病毒感染之间的关系,以及采取有效的预防措施提供数据基础。