Comparative study on calretinin immunoreactivity in gerbil and rat retina

Expression of calretinin in retina has been ascribed to multiple biological and functional aspects in the visual system. In this study, we examined the distribution patterns of calretinin immunoreactivity in gerbil and rat retina. In the gerbil, calretinin immunoreactivity was present in bipolar and amacrine cells of the inner nuclear layer and in neurones of the ganglion cell layer. In the rat, amacrine and ganglion cells showed calretinin immunoreactivity, but bipolar cells did not contain calretinin immunoreactivity. In both species, calretinin immunoreactivity was absent in cones, cone bipolars, and horizontal cells. In conclusion, gerbil as well as rat has a rod-dominant retina. The differences in calretinin expression between rat and gerbil require further investigations under various functional and developmental conditions.     

Thermographic evaluation for the efficacy of acupuncture on induced chronic arthritis in the dog

This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture on induced chronic arthritis of the dog by thermography. Complete Freund's adjuvant was injected into the left knee joint of 8 dogs to induce arthritis. Acupuncture was applied to BL-40, GB-33, GB-34, and LIV-8 once a week for 4 consecutive weeks, from 3 weeks after induction of chronic arthritis, in treatment group. At 3 weeks of acupuncture treatment, skin temperature difference (DeltaT) of treatment group returned to normal range (< 0.3 degrees C), while DeltaT remained high in non-treatment group. Infrared thermography (IRT) is useful to evaluate the treatment of acupuncture for induced canine chronic arthritis. Therefore, it is considered that clinical application of IRT in arthritis treatment would be also valuable.     

Anti-protozoal efficacy of high performance liquid chromatography fractions of Torilis japonica and Sophora flavescens extracts on Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii

We previously reported that alcoholic extracts of Sophora flavescens and Torilis japonica from South Korea demonstrated good efficacy in reducing replication of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum. To characterize the chemical component associated with anti-protozoal activity, specific fractions were isolated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and used for in vitro testing. These fractions were evaluated in vitro against T. gondii and N. caninum. Fractions of the herb extracts were serially diluted to final concentrations of 2.850 to 0.356 ng/ml in medium and added to wells containing replicating T. gondii and N. caninum. To determine the ability of each fraction to inhibit parasite proliferation, 3H-uracil incorporation was used to determine parasite replication. In cultures infected with T. gondii, a fraction of T. japonica (TJ2) inhibited T. gondii proliferation by 99.2, 94.4, 88.6 and 27.0% in the range from 2.850 to 0.356 ng/ml. Four fractions of S. flavescens (SF1-SF4) inhibited T. gondii proliferation by 99.6-60.6, 96.9-48.1, 92.3-68.2 and 95.4-52.9% in the range from 2.850 to 0.356 ng/ml. In cultures infected with N. caninum, a fraction of T. japonica (TJ2) inhibited N. caninum proliferation by 98.3, 95.5, 79.7 and 30.6% in the range from 2.850 to 0.356 ng/ml. Four fractions of S. flavescens (SF1-SF4) inhibited N. caninum proliferation by 97.1-25.9, 94.8-35.5, 95.9-33.7 and 95.4-49.4% in the range from 2.850 to 0.356 ng/ml. These fractions of T. japonica and S. flavescens extracts are currently undergoing in vivo evaluation in experimentally infected mice.     

Medial canthoplasty for epiphora in dogs: a retrospective study of 23 cases

The medical records of 23 dogs that underwent medial canthoplasty for treatment of epiphora were reviewed. The most prevalent breed encountered was the shih tzu. Other affected breeds included the Pekingese, Maltese, toy poodle, and pug. All dogs had epiphora associated with medial canthal trichiasis and/or entropion. Other ocular abnormalities included conjunctivitis, keratitis, pigmentary keratitis, corneal ulceration, globe prolapse, and nasal fold trichiasis. After medial canthoplasty, the epiphora resolved in all dogs.     

Seroepidemiological evidence for the possible presence of Babesia (Theileria) equi and Babesia caballi infections in donkeys in western Xinjiang, China

The prevalence of Babesia (Theileria) equi and B. caballi infections in donkeys in western Xinjiang China was investigated. In total, 93 serum samples were randomly taken from donkeys in the Kashi and Ili areas, and examined for B. equi and B. caballi infections by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays using recombinant antigens. Of the 93 samples, 9 (9.6%) and 36 (38.7%) samples were positive for B. equi infection and B. caballi infection, respectively. In addition, 2 (2.2%) samples were positive for both B. equi and B. caballi infections. These results indicate that equine babesiosis might be extensively prevalent in donkeys in western Xinjiang.     

Reticulated nanoporous polymers by controlled polymerization-induced microphase separation

Materials with percolating mesopores are attractive for applications such as catalysis, nanotemplating, and separations. Polymeric frameworks are particularly appealing because the chemical composition and the surface chemistry are readily tunable. We report on the preparation of robust nanoporous polymers with percolating pores in the 4- to 8-nanometer range from a microphase-separated bicontinuous precursor. We combined polymerization-induced phase separation with in situ block polymer formation from a mixture of multifunctional monomers and a chemically etchable polymer containing a terminal chain transfer agent. This marriage results in microphase separation of the mixture into continuous domains of the etchable polymer and the emergent cross-linked polymer. Precise control over pore size distribution and mechanical integrity renders these materials particularly suited for various advanced applications.     

A PCR-based assay for discriminating Cervus and Rangifer (Cervidae) antlers with mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms

This study describes a method for discriminating Rangifer antlers from true Cervus antlers using agarose gel electrophoresis, capillary electrophoresis, quantitative real-time PCR, and allelic discrimination. Specific primers labeled with fluorescent tags were designed to amplify fragments from the mitochondrial D-loop genes for various Cervus subspecies and Rangifer tarandus differentially. A 466-bp fragment that was observed for both Cervus and Rangifer antlers served as a positive control, while a 270-bp fragment was specifically amplified only from Rangifer antlers. Allelic discrimination was used to differentiate between Cervus and Rangifer antlers, based on the amplification of specific alleles for both types of antlers. These PCR-based assays can be used for forensic and quantitative analyses of Cervus and Rangifer antlers in a single step, without having to obtain any sequence information. In addition, multiple PCR-based assays are more accurate and reproducible than a single assay for species-specific analysis and are especially useful in this study for the identification of original Cervus deer products from fraudulent Rangifer antlers.     

Evaluation of the efficacy of immunocastration vaccine composed of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone conjugated with Salmonella typhimurium flagellin in rats

Immunocastration is an alternative method to replace surgical castration that is commonly performed in domestic and pet animals. In this study, a new immunocastration vaccine was developed, and its efficacy was evaluated in male rats. Six tandem copies of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) peptide were genetically fused to Salmonella typhimurium flagellin fljB (STF2) that is a ligand of toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5). The recombinant STF2-GnRH protein expressed in Escherichia coli was used as the immunocastration vaccine. Sixteen male rats were equally assigned to four groups. Excluding the control rats, three groups were immunized with 100, 200 and 400 μg of the STF2-GnRH vaccine, respectively. All of the immunized rats developed significantly higher titres of antibodies to GnRH than the control rats. The size and weight of both testes and epididymides from the immunized rats were significantly smaller than those of the control rats. Testicular tissues in the immunized rats demonstrated atrophy of seminiferous tubules and decreased numbers of both spermatogonia and spermatocytes. These data indicate that the newly developed STF2-GnRH vaccine has a potent immunogenicity to GnRH and efficiently suppresses the development of testes in rats.     

Expression of secreted and membrane-bound mucins in the airways of piglets experimentally infected with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae

Immunohistochemistry was used to demonstrate secreted mucins MUC2, MUC5AC and MUC5B and membrane-bound mucin MUC4 in the pulmonary bronchioles of piglets experimentally infected with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. Conventional status, Landrace-Duroc cross-bred piglets, 13 days of age, were randomised to two groups. One group (n=20) was infected by the intra-tracheal route with the SNU98703 strain of M. hyopneumoniae, and a group of 12 animals acted as uninfected controls. Five infected and three uninfected piglets were euthanased on the day of infection and at 7, 21, and 35 days post-inoculation (PI). Membrane-bound MUC4 and secreted MUC5AC were the predominant mucins produced in the bronchioles of the piglets in response to M. hyopneumoniae infection, but by day 35 PI, all labelled mucins had returned to pre-infection levels, contemporaneous with reduced pulmonary lesion scores. The increased mucin production may result from direct stimulation of the epithelium by mycoplasmal infection, or may arise indirectly following M. hyopneumoniae-induced ciliostasis.