Grid keratotomy as a treatment for superficial nonhealing corneal ulcers in 10 horses

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical symptoms of 10 cases of superficial nonhealing corneal ulcers in horses and to evaluate the results of grid keratotomy in these patients. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: Ten horses with superficial nonhealing corneal ulceration in one eye. PROCEDURE: The signalment, history and clinical symptoms are reported of 10 patients with superficial nonhealing corneal ulcers during the period from August 2003 to February 2005. Grid keratotomy was performed in all cases. In addition, the surgical procedure of grid keratotomy and response to therapy are described. RESULTS: Horses generally responded well to grid keratotomy (eight cases healed after one grid keratotomy and one horse healed after a second grid keratotomy; one case was not available for follow-up). Only 2/10 had discomfort after treatment and only 2/9 had some degree of scarring after treatment. The healing time, which was known in seven cases, averaged 8.4 days (+/- SD 4). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Grid keratotomy is an appropriate option for treatment of superficial nonhealing corneal ulcers in horses. The procedure is simple to perform. It generally induces a rapid and uncomplicated healing of the cornea. Only in a limited number of cases does a small amount of scarring occur.     

川南常羽乌骨鸡肤色的遗传研究与杂交利用

通过对川南常羽乌骨鸡3种羽色系的纯繁、杂交以及与3个浅肤品种的杂交,初步揭示了川南常羽乌骨鸡肤色的遗传现象。结果表明,所用乌骨鸡的肤色主要受遗传控制,存在杂合类型,黑羽系和麻羽系的肤色遗传较为稳定。乌肤性状终生不变,且与趾色、肉骨及内膜色高度相关。乌肤公鸡与不同浅肤母鸡的杂交后代可表现出较高的不同的乌肤比例,表明适当引入浅肤血缘尚可保持乌骨鸡的乌色性状。     

Expression of Wnt1 and LGR5 in gastric mucosa with stress ulcer after TBI in rats

AIM To investigate the expression of Wnt1 and LGR5 in gastric mucosa with stress ulcer after traumatic brain injury （TBI） in rats, and to study the relationship between Wnt1/LGR5 expression and stress ulcer after TBI. METHODS Healthy 7-week-old male SD rats （n=30） were randomly divided into 3 groups： sham operation （sham） group, mild TBI （mTBI） group, and severe TBI （sTBI） group. The mTBI and sTBI were induced by electronic cortical contusion impactor. Neurological severity score （NSS） was calculated 24 and 48 h after modeling. Mucosal blood flow in gastric fundus, greater curvature, pylorus and cardia of anesthetized rats 48 h after injury was measured by Doppler flowmeter. All rats were sacrificed, and their gastric tissues were harvested after 48 h and then stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The protein expression of Wnt1 and LGR5 was analyzed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Compared with sham group, the NSS in mTBI group and sTBI group was significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with sham group, the gastric mucosal blood flow of the rats after TBI was significantly decreased （P<0.01）, and the decrease in sTBI group was more significant than that in mTBI group （P<0.05）. The protein expression of Wnt1 and LGR5 in mTBI group was significantly higher than that in sham group （P<0.05）, and that in sTBI group was significantly higher than that in mTBI group （P<0.05）. Normal glandular gastric tissue was observed, and no abnormal change was found in sham group, while the infiltration of inflammatory cells in gastric lamina propria, mucosa and submucosa was obvious in mTBI group and sTBI group. CONCLUSION Traumatic brain injury activates Wnt1 and LGR5 expression to induce inflammatory changes in gastric mucosa, and then induces stress ulcer. This results provides experimental basis for the pathogenesis and treatment of stress ulcer after trauma.     

灰额刺尾鱼溃疡病病原分离及鉴定

从灰额刺尾鱼(Acanthurus glaucopareius)体表溃烂处及内脏器官中分离到5株较强致病力的菌株,经过人工感染健康鱼证实该菌株是致病菌。对该病原菌进行了形态、生理生化反应测试,结果显示为溶藻弧菌(Vibrioalginolyticus)。应用细菌16S rDNA的通用引物对该菌基因组DNA进行PCR扩增、克隆测序,得到1条长度为1 392 bp的核苷酸序列,该序列与溶藻弧菌(登录号GQ455008)的16S rDNA基因序列同源性达99%,进一步确定该致病菌为溶藻弧菌。药敏试验结果表明,该菌株对痢特灵、氟哌酸、环丙沙星等药物敏感,对甲氧胺嘧啶、氨苄青霉素、阿米卡星、青霉素等药物耐药。研究亮点:通过系统的病原学试验研究,证实了灰额刺尾鱼溃疡病的病原为溶藻弧菌,并验证了该病原菌的药物敏感性等特性,以及对该病的病症、病因及临床治疗方法进行了分析,这些结论尚属首次报道,为灰额刺尾鱼溃疡病以及其他海水观赏鱼同类疾病的临床诊断和防治技术提供科学依据。     

Conjunctivitis and ulcerative keratitis secondary to conjunctival plant foreign bodies in a herd of alpacas (Lama Pacos)

Purpose To describe six cases of conjunctivitis and ulcerative keratitis secondary to plant foreign bodies from weed‐contaminated grass hay which were lodged within the temporal conjunctival fornix in a herd of alpacas. Methods A total of 21 alpacas from the same farm developed blepharospasm and mucopurulent ocular discharge. Six of the 21 were evaluated at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine within a 2‐week period. The six animals evaluated received an ophthalmic examination including slit‐lamp biomicroscopy, fluorescein staining, and topical corneal anesthesia for foreign body removal when necessary. Results Six animals had conjunctivitis characterized by hyperemia and mucopurulent discharge. Five animals had superficial ulcerative keratitis with intense corneal neovascularization and edema. In all cases, the keratitis was located at the temporal limbus. Seven plant foreign bodies were observed and were removed following topical corneal anesthesia in five animals. The plant seeds were identified as three common weed species found in orchard grass hay. Complete resolution of all clinical signs was achieved with foreign body removal and medical therapy. Conclusions Fan‐shaped temporal corneal ulcers may signify the presence of conjunctival foreign bodies in alpacas. Plant foreign bodies should be considered in addition to ocular infection when multiple animals of a herd are affected as outbreaks may occur with weed‐contaminated hay.     

Structural and physiological changes associated with the skin spot disorder in apple

Skin spot is an important physiological disorder of ‘Elstar’ apples (Malus × domestica Borkh.) that occurs after fruit have been removed from controlled atmosphere storage. Skin spots are irregular patches of small, round, brown blemishes. Cross-sections reveal a browning of protoplasts (coagulated) and of cell walls that extends into the hypodermis. Skin spots are always associated with linear, gaping and non-gaping microcracks in the cuticle. Staining of apple skin with calcofluor white usually results in white fluorescence of cell walls but, within a skin spot, the white fluorescence is weak or absent. Cell walls within, and in the immediate vicinity of skin spots stain with phloroglucin/HCl indicating the presence of lignin. The area of skin affected by skin spots was positively and linearly correlated with the area of the non-blush fruit surface infiltrated by acridine orange. In general, skin spots were limited to the non-blush fruit surface and occurred more frequently near the stem-end than the calyx region of the fruit. Skin spot areas were correlated with a 2.5-fold increase in water vapour permeability compared with unaffected areas (23.8 ± 4.0 m s⁻¹ with skin spots, 9.6 ± 2.1 × 10⁻⁵ m s⁻¹ without skin spots). Strips of the fruit skin from regions with skin spots had an increased maximum force and modulus of elasticity. Dipping fruit in ascorbic acid (0.1 or 0.3 mM for 10 min) before storage decreased the area affected by skin spots. There was no effect of dipping in ethanol/water (70%, v/v, 15 min) or in solutions of captan (1.5 g L⁻¹, 10 min) or trifloxystrobin (0.1 g L⁻¹, 10 min). In contrast, prestorage treatment with 1-methylcyclopropene (630 nL L⁻¹ for 24 h) or poststorage incubation in H₂O₂ (10% for 2, 6, 10 and 16 h) increased skin spots. Our data are consistent with a typical cell response to an oxidative burst that seems to be focussed on particular regions of the ‘Elstar’ fruit surface by concentrations of cuticular microcracks, and that is possibly caused by reoxygenation injury upon removal from CA storage.     

Superficial, nonhealing corneal ulcers in horses: 23 cases (1989-2003)

Objective To characterize superficial, nonhealing corneal ulcers in the horse and to assess the affect of age, breed, sex, inciting cause of the ulcer, and treatment on healing time of these ulcers. Design Retrospective study. Animals Twenty‐three horses with superficial, nonhealing corneal ulcerations. Procedure Medical records from 1989 to 2003 of horses diagnosed with superficial, nonhealing corneal ulcers were reviewed. Signalment, duration of clinical signs, ophthalmic abnormalities, treatment and response to treatment were recorded. Horses were treated, in addition to medical therapy, using debridement, debridement and grid keratotomy, superficial keratectomy, and superficial keratectomy with conjunctival graft placement. Results Mean age ± SD of horses was 13.7 ± 5.8 years. The mean time of presence of the corneal ulceration was 38.9 ± 21.3 days. Mean time to complete re‐epithelialization of the corneal ulcers after treatment was 20 ± 14.7 days. Horses treated with debridement alone, grid keratotomy and superficial keratectomy healed in a mean time of 15.3 ± 14.6 days, 16 ± 12.6 days, and 22.8 ± 6.7 days, respectively. Conclusions and clinical relevance Horses treated with a single debridement at initial evaluation healed in a significantly shorter time period than horses treated with grid keratotomy or superficial keratectomy. The latter two procedures may be beneficial in the treatment of nonhealing ulceration in horses, but the results of this study suggest that these procedures should only be performed following failure of the ulcer to heal after epithelial debridement.     

安徽白山羊杂交效应

对安徽白山羊及其二元杂交组合(波×安,萨×安)、三元杂交组合(波×萨×安,马×萨×安)和级进杂交组合(波×波×安)研究表明:(1)杂交能提高安徽白山羊的生长发育速度。二元杂交和三元杂交组合在6月龄前生长较快,6月龄后变慢;级进杂交在8月龄前生长较快。(2)无论是二元杂交还是三元杂交,均能提高安徽白山羊的产肉性能(P<0 01,P<0 05),但肉质有下降的趋势,三元杂交比二元杂交下降更多。(3)二元杂交和三元杂交能够增大安徽白山羊板皮面积(P<0 01,P<0 05),减小毛纤维密度,二元杂交使板皮的均匀度提高。     

Effect of lansoprazole on gastric ulceration in rats

AIM:To investigate the effect of lansoprazole on gastric ulceration in rats. METHODS:Using the gastric ulcer model induced by hemorrhagic shock, restraint water-immersion stress and pylorus-ligature, the protective effect of lansoprazole (iv) on gastric ulceration was observed. RESULTS:Pretreatment with lansoprazole (7.5-60 mg/kg) significantly inhibited the formation of gastric ulcer in the three models in a dose-dependent manner. The autiulcer efficacy of lansoprazole was similar to that of omeprazole in the equal dose, but stronger than that of omeprazole for ulcer induced by water-immersion stress.CONCLUSION:The intravenously administered lansoprazole inhibited formation of experimental gastric ulcer in rats.