水环境中Ni~(2+)对鲤鱼鳃和肝脏的组织损伤

为研究水环境中Ni~(2+)对鲤鱼鳃和肝脏的组织损伤,将鲤鱼(Cyprinuscarpio)暴露在Ni~(2+)浓度为0、0.55、0.62、0.72、0.83、0.96、1.09、1.25mmol/L的水环境中进行急性毒性试验,并通过组织切片观察鳃和肝脏的组织病理变化。结果显示,Ni~(2+)对鲤鱼的96h半数致死浓度(LC_(50))为0.72 mmol/L,安全浓度(SC)为0.007 2 mmol/L。高浓度Ni~(2+)(1.25 mmol/L)试验组鲤鱼的鳃小片呼吸上皮细胞坏死、脱落,肝血窦淤血,肝细胞核固缩;中低浓度Ni~(2+)(0.72～1.09mmol/L)试验组鲤鱼的鳃小片呼吸上皮水肿浮离、细胞增生,血窦充血,肝细胞胞浆空泡化。表明水环境中的Ni~(2+)浓度高于0.007 2mmol/L时会对鲤鱼的鳃和肝脏造成急性毒性,导致鳃和肝脏出现明显的组织病理变化。     

Acute phase response in mice experimentally infected with Trypanosoma congolense: a molecular gauge of parasite-host interaction

Mice infected with Trypanosoma congolense developed a severe anaemia 1 week after infection, which persisted till treatment with diminazine aceturate when the packed cell volume (PCV) recovered to pre-infection levels. This was accompanied by a marked increase in the plasma levels of the acute phase proteins (APP), serum amyloid P-component (SAP) and haptoglobin (Hp). The initial peak levels of Hp and SAP were attained 7 and 12 days post-infection (DPI), respectively. Thereafter SAP levels decreased significantly to near pre-infection levels, but later increased even after treatment to give a second peak 34 DPI after which there was a decline till the study was terminated. The Hp levels on the other hand decreased to an intermediate level after the initial peak increasing to a second peak 22 DPI. Thereafter Hp decreased significantly following diminazine aceturate treatment to reach pre-infection levels within 5 days post-treatment. This indicates that T. congolense-infected mice develop severe anaemia accompanied by an acute phase response leading to an increase in SAP and Hp but that following treatment divergent responses occurred indicating differences in the pathways for stimulation of the APP. Haptoglobin was shown to be an earlier indicator of infection and a better marker in monitoring the response to treatment.     

A novel clinical scoring system for outcome prediction in dogs with acute kidney injury managed by hemodialysis

BACKGROUND: No reliable tool to predict outcome of acute kidney injury (AKI) exists. HYPOTHESIS: A statistically derived scoring system can accurately predict outcome in dogs with AKI managed with hemodialysis. ANIMALS: One hundred and eighty-two client-owned dogs with AKI. METHODS: Logistic regression analyses were performed initially on clinical variables available on the 1st day of hospitalization for relevance to outcome. Variables with P< or = .1 were considered for further analyses. Continuous variables outside the reference range were divided into quartiles to yield quartile-specific odds ratios (ORs) for survival. Models were developed by incorporating weighting factors assigned to each quartile based on the OR, using either the integer value of the OR (Model A) or the exact OR (Models B or C, when the etiology was known). A predictive score for each model was calculated for each dog by summing all weighting factors. In Model D, actual values for continuous variables were used in a logistic regression model. Receiver-operating curve analyses were performed to assess sensitivities, specificities, and optimal cutoff points for all models. RESULTS: Higher scores were associated with decreased probability of survival (P < .001). Models A, B, C, and D correctly classified outcomes in 81, 83, 87, and 76% of cases, respectively, and optimal sensitivities/specificities were 77/85, 81/85, 83/90 and 92/61%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The models allowed outcome prediction that corresponded with actual outcome in our cohort. However, each model should be validated further in independent cohorts. The models may also be useful to assess AKI severity.     

Development of a composite orthopaedic pain scale in horses

This study addresses development and validation of a composite multifactorial pain scale (CPS) in an experimental equine model of acute orthopaedic pain. Eighteen horses were allocated to control (sedation with/without epidural analgesia - mixture of morphine, ropivacaine, detomidine and ketamine) and experimental groups: amphotericin-B injection in the tarsocrural joint induced pain and analgesia was either i.v. phenylbutazone administered post-induction of synovitis, or pre-emptive epidural mixture, or a pre-emptive combination of the 2. Inter- and intra-observer reproducibility was good (0.8相似文献   

Stress response of extensively reared young bulls being transported to growing-finishing farms under Spanish summer commercial conditions

To evaluate the effect of Spanish summer commercial journeys on the stress response of young bulls born and reared under extensive conditions, 2 replicates of a transport from an assembly centre to a growing-finishing farm were studied. Journeys lasted 27 h, involving a total of 62 young bulls. Variables under study included haematocrit, red blood cell count (RBC), total white blood cell count (WBC), differential WBC counts, serum haptoglobin (Hp), cortisol, glucose, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total protein, and albumin at loading, at the end of an intermediate market stop, and at the unloading. Before the beginning of the journey elevated WBC and neutrophil counts, and high Hp values were detected, reflecting high stress levels probably as a consequence of previous procedures associated with the grouping at the assembly centre. Some stress was also detected at the end of the market stop, with cortisol increasing from 6.5 to 12.6 ± 2.0 ng/mL (P < 0.001), although a change in Hp concentration was not observed. Neither CPK and LDH activities, related to muscular tissue damage, nor haematocrit and RBC count, related to dehydration revealed a significant effect of this first stage of the journey on the physical stress of the young bulls. Subsequent 13 h transport to the growing-finishing farm induced an increase in Hp levels from 0.48 to 0.78 ± 0.16 mg/mL (P < 0.001), reflecting an onset of the acute stress response, although cortisol levels immediately after the unloading were similar to those found before loading at the market, suggesting that calves got accustomed to transport. At the end of the journey some dehydration and physical stress were also detected. Overall, our study provides new information to the discussion of the effect of temperatures during cattle transport. Although an improvement in pre-transport conditions is essential if the welfare of assembled and transported cattle is to be improved, the stress-related alteration of cattle physiology under Spanish summer commercial transport conditions is similar to that observed under colder conditions.     

Phosphorus toxicity in the Proteaceae: A problem in post-agricultural lands

South African Proteaceae are adapted to the low soil phosphorus (P) concentrations of the Cape Floristic Region. The efficient P uptake by Proteaceae means that these plants experience phosphorus (P) toxicity at lower rhizosphere [P] than crop plants. This is only problematic when cultivating Proteaceae (and many plants from this region) on previously agricultural land with high residual soil [P]. In this study we hypothesize that P toxicity will result in element imbalances in leaves of Proteaceae and information from this study aims to facilitate ameliorative treatments. Phosphorus toxicity was induced on-farm in Leucadendron ‘Safari Sunset’ (Proteaceae) with subsequent mapping of element distribution in non-necrotic leaf tissue using micro particle-induced X-ray emission spectrometry. Phosphate supply up to 0.01 mM in a fertigation solution resulted in increased stem length of Leucadendron ‘Safari Sunset’ while P concentrations in excess of this resulted in decreased stem length, increased leaf [P] up to 0.25% (w/w) and, between 1 mM and 5 mM P supply, typical P toxicity symptoms were observed. High P supply (5 mM P) resulted in increased leaf [P] in most leaf tissues including the epidermis, where calculations from an equilibrium speciation model indicated that there was 30% more dissolved PO₄³⁻ in the epidermis compared to leaves at low P supply (0 mM added P on soil with 34 mg P kg⁻¹). Concomitantly, bundle sheath and epidermal [Ca] were reduced and 10% more Ca was predicted to be adsorbed and precipitated as hydrapatite at high P supply. High P supply resulted in increased leaf [Cl] and [Mn] in all tissues studied; decreased total leaf [Fe], bundle sheath, xylem, phloem and epidermal [Fe] and decreased total leaf [Zn] and xylem and phloem [Zn]. The observed symptoms of P toxicity in Leucadendron ‘Safari Sunset’ (necrosis in some plants, chlorosis and leaf rosetting) co-occurred with (1) excess PO₄³⁻, which may bind Ca in the epidermis (leading eventually to necrosis); (2) reduced [Fe] and increased [Mn] (leading to chlorosis) and (3) reduced total and vascular [Zn] (leading to leaf rosetting).     

High expression level of TAL1 gene in newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia

AIM: To investigate the characteristic of T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia 1 (TAL1) gene expression in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines and in primary AML cells from de novo AML patients with different subtypes. METHODS: Real-time PCR was used to determine the expression of TAL1 mRNA in acute leukemia cell lines (Jurkat, CCRF-CEM, HL-60 and NB4 cell lines) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 47 newly diagnosed AML patients. Twelve healthy individuals were served as healthy control group. RESULTS: A significantly increased level in TAL1 mRNA was found in AML cell lines (HL-60 and NB4), T-cell acute lymphacytic leukemia (T-ALL) cell lines (Jurkat, CCRF-CEM) and primary AML cells compared with the healthy controls. Over-expression of TAL1 was found in all detected AML subtypes, the highest level of TAL-1 mRNA was found in AML-M1 and AML-M5 subtype (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: High expression of TAL1 in AML might influence the differentiation and proliferation of myeloid cells, further investigation needs to confirm whether it would be as a biomarker for pathogenesis of AML.     

Progress on role of CCN1 in pulmonary diseases

Cysteine-rich angiogenic inducer 61 (Cyr61/CCN1) is an extracellular matrix-associated signaling protein consisting of 381 amino-acid residues, which has the regulatory function for a multitude of cellular responses. The pleiotropic effects of CCN1 on the initiation and resolution of inflammation as well as oncogenesis and development of tumor were reported. According to the numerous data from experimental and clinical studies, this article provides an overview on CCN1 and summarizes the latest understanding of the role of CCN1 in pulmonary diseases.     

Over-expression of P21 attenuates cisplatin-induced HK-2 cells injury

AIM:To investigate the effect of P21 on cisplatin-induced renal tubular epithelial cells injury.METHODS:The expression of P21 at mRNA and protein levels in cisplatin treated human renal tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) cells was determined by RT-qPCR and Western blot. Over-expression of P21in the HK-2 cells was induced by the transfection of pcDNA3-P21. The cell viability and cell apoptosis were detected by CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Furthermore, the protein expression of kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), caspase-3, glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP), and phosphorylation level of eucaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) and protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) were detected by Western blot.RESULTS:Cisplatin increased the mRNA and protein levels of P21 in a time-and concentration-dependent manner in the HK-2 cells. Over-expression of P21 inhibited cisplatin-induced cell apoptosis, and down-regulated the expression of KIM-1 and NGAL. Furthermore, Over-expression of P21 decreased the protein levels of GRP78, p-PERK, p-eIF2α, CHOP and cleaved caspase-3.CONCLUSION:Over-expression of P21 attenuates cisplatin-induced HK-2 cells injury, and the mechanism may be related to the modulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway and inhibition of cell apoptosis.