Cerebellar cortical abiotrophy in Wiltshire sheep

AIM: To investigate the nature of a neurological disease in Wiltshire sheep. METHODS: Three affected lambs were examined, humanely killed and necropsied. Selected neurological tissues were examined by light and electron microscopy. RESULTS: Primary neurological lesions were confined to the cerebellum and were characterised by loss of Purkinje cells and the presence of large hypertrophied dendrites of surviving Purkinje cells. These contained stacks of smooth endoplasmic reticulum. There was hyperplasia and cell swelling of Bergmann glia. Mild Wallerian-type degeneration affected white matter in the cerebellum and spinal cord. CONCLUSION: The cerebellar lesions were of a degenerative and reactive rather than hypoplastic nature. These, and the history, suggest a genetic cause with putative inheritance as an autosomal recessive trait. Accordingly, the disorder is described as a cerebellar abiotrophy.     

Cerebellar cortical degeneration in adult American Staffordshire Terriers

Adult-onset cerebellar cortical degeneration recently has been reported in American Staffordshire Terriers. We describe the clinical and histopathologic features of this disease and examine its mode of inheritance in 63 affected dogs. The age at which neurologic deficits 1st were recognized varied from 18 months to 9 years, with the majority of dogs presented to veterinarians between 4 and 6 years of age. Time from onset of clinical signs to euthanasia varied from 6 months to 6.5 years, with the majority of affected dogs surviving from 2 to 4 years. Initial neurologic findings included stumbling, truncal sway, and ataxia exacerbated by lifting the head up and negotiating stairs. Signs progressed to obvious ataxia characterized by dysmetria, nystagmus, coarse intention tremor, variable loss of menace reaction, marked truncal sway, and falling with transient opisthotonus. With continued progression, dogs became unable to walk without falling repeatedly. Cerebellar atrophy was visible on magnetic resonance images and on gross pathology. Histopathologic findings included marked loss of Purkinje neurons with thinning of the molecular and granular layers and increased cellularity of the cerebellar nuclei. The closest common ancestor of the dogs was born in the 1950s and inheritance was most consistent with an autosomal recessive mode of transmission with a prevalence estimated at 1 in 400 dogs. This inherited disease is comparable to the group of diseases known as spinocerebellar ataxias in humans. Many spinocerebellar ataxias in humans are caused by nucleotide repeats, and this genetic aberration merits investigation as a potential cause of the disease in American Staffordshire Terriers.     

Morphometric analysis of progressive changes in hereditary cerebellar cortical degenerative disease (abiotrophy) in rabbits caused by abnormal synaptogenesis

We previously investigated rabbit hereditary cerebellar cortical degenerative disease, called cerebellar cortical abiotrophy in the veterinary field, and determined that the pathogenesis of this disease is the result of failed synaptogenesis between parallel fibers and Purkinje cells. In this study, longitudinal changes in the development and atrophy of the cerebellum of rabbits with hereditary abiotrophy after birth were morphometrically examined (postnatal day [PD] 15 and 42) using image analysis. Although development of the cerebellum in rabbits with abiotrophy was observed from PD 15 to PD 42, the growth rate of the cerebellum was less than that in normal rabbits. In rabbits with abiotrophy, the number of granular cells undergoing apoptosis was significantly higher at PD 15 and dramatically decreased at PD 42. The number of granular cells did not increase from PD 15 to 42. The synaptogenesis peak at PD 15 occurred when the largest number of apoptotic granular cells in rabbits with abiotrophy was observed. Although 26% to 36% of parallel fiber terminals formed synaptic junctions with Purkinje cell spines, the remainder did not at PD 15 and 42. The rate of failure of synaptogenesis in the present study might be specific to this case of abiotrophy. Morphometric analysis revealed detailed changes in development and atrophy in animals with postnatal cerebellar disease occurring soon after birth.     

Cerebellar abiotrophy in a 6‐year‐old Arabian mare

Cerebellar abiotrophy (CA) is an uncommon neurological disease that most commonly affects Arabian horses. Affected horses are typically identified within the first 6 months of life. Intention tremor, wide based stance and ataxia are common clinical signs observed in affected individuals. No treatment is available for resolution of clinical signs. Definitive diagnosis is based on histopathological examination of cerebellar tissue, which is characterised by loss of Purkinje cell layer. This report describes a case of cerebellar abiotrophy that had a delayed diagnosis until 6 years of age.     

Cerebellar cortical abiotrophy in a beagle

A beagle puppy was presented with clinical signs indicative of a cerebellar disease. Histopathological evaluation of the cerebellum revealed a diffuse degenerative cortical lesion. The clinical history and the histopathological findings are consistent with a neonatal cerebellar abiotrophy. Furthermore, the breeding history supports the hypothesis of an inherited genetic disorder that is, most likely, an autosomal recessive trait.     

Cerebellar cortical abiotrophy in Lagotto Romagnolo dogs

This case report documents two pathological variations of potentially inherited, cerebellar cortical abiotrophy in two unrelated Lagotto Romagnolo breed dogs. The first dog had an atypical lesion in the cerebellar cortex with depletion of cerebellar granular cell layer and sparing of the Purkinje cell layer. The second case had degenerative changes in both Purkinje and granular cell layers. The clinical picture was similar in both cases presented, although the severity of the signs of cerebellar dysfunction varied.     

Cerebellar cortical abiotrophy in two Portuguese Podenco littermates

Cerebellar cortical abiotrophy in two Portuguese Podenco littermates is reported and discussed. The disease is characterized by progressive cerebellar ataxia with an early onset of two to three weeks. Extensive loss, degeneration, and necrosis of Purkinje cells particularly involved the cerebellar hemispheres. An autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance is suspected.     

Late onset cerebellar cortical degeneration in a koala

A 10-year-old male koala started to fall from the tree while sleeping. Subsequently, the koala often fell down while walking and showed a gait abnormality, abnormal nystagmus and hypersalivation. At 12 years of age, the koala became ataxic and seemed blind. At 13 years of age, the koala exhibited signs of dysstasia and was euthanased. Necropsy revealed marked symmetrical atrophy of the cerebellum. Histopathologically, a severe loss of Purkinje and granule cells was evident in the cerebellum, while the molecular layer was more cellular than normal with cells resembling small neurons, which were positively stained with parvalbumin immunohistochemistry. Reactive Bergmann glial cells (astrocytes) were present adjacent to the depleted Purkinje cell zone. The very late onset and slow progression of the cerebellar cortical degeneration in this case is particularly interesting and appears to be the first report in the koala.     

Congenital Cerebellar Cortical Degeneration in Holstein Cattle in Southern Brazil

A congenital progressive cerebellar disorder is described in Holstein calves. The clinical signs were progressive and were characterized by ataxia, hypermetria, a wide stance and fine head tremors. When the affected cattle were forced to run, the signs were exacerbated, leading to epileptiform attacks. Histological lesions consisted of a very selective cerebellar cortical degeneration, almost exclusively affecting the Purkinje cells. The disease affected 6 out of 200 Holstein calves from the same bull. However, results of mating tests of the bull with his daughters and granddaughters suggested that it was not hereditary (p = 0.0062) although an environmental–genetic interaction could not be ruled out.     

Cerebellar cortical abiotrophy in American Staffordshire terriers: clinical and pathological description of 3 cases

Three American Staffordshire Terriers were presented with gait abnormalities and loss of balance at the age of 4.5 (female) and 6 years (2 males). The onset varied between 3 and 5 years of age and the clinical signs were slowly progressive. The neurological examination revealed symmetrical generalized cerebellar ataxia with hypermetria, stiffness, and loss of balance with no evidence of paresis. The menace reflex was decreased in one dog and absent in another. A positional nystagmus was found in two dogs. The dogs were euthanized and a histopathological examination of each brain was performed. Pathological changes were confined to the cerebellum. The main finding was loss of Purkinje cells, as well as depletion of granular cell bodies and shrinkage of the granular and molecular cell layer. These findings are consistent with cerebellar cortical abiotrophy. A genetic basis is supposed, but the mode of inheritance is not determined yet. In contrast to some spinocerebellar ataxias in humans, the cause of Purkinje cell degeneration in cerebellar cortical abiotrophy of dogs is not known.     

波德代、无角陶赛特与甘南藏羊F1生长发育研究

试验结果表明:在相同的自然条件下,波杂(波德代羊×甘南山谷型藏羊)F1羔羊和陶杂(无角陶塞特羊×甘南山谷型藏羊)F1羔羊在初生重、0~180日龄平均日增重,公羔分别为4.65 kg、124.67 g/d和4.57 kg1、21.39 g/d;母羔分别为4.36 kg1、12.11 g/d和4.19 kg1、16.67 g/d,均显著高于甘南山谷型藏羊的相应指标,差异极显著。1、3、6月龄体重、体高、体长、胸围均高于甘南山谷型藏羊,差异极显著;管围、尻宽差异不显著体型指数优于甘南山谷型藏羊,接近肉用羊体型。     

肠上皮细胞中内质网应激与动物肠道炎症机制的研究进展

近年来,内质网应激参与动物炎症性肠病发病机制的研究引起了广泛关注,未折叠或错误折叠的蛋白质在内质网腔中过量积累而引发内质网应激,持续的内质网应激则会导致动物肠黏膜屏障损伤并诱发肠道炎症。本文就内质网应激发生机制、未折叠蛋白质反应及内质网应激与肠道炎症互作机制进行了综述,旨在为防治动物肠道炎症提出新的治疗策略。     

BCG感染巨噬细胞后内质网应激对细胞焦亡的调控作用

旨在探讨牛分枝杆菌疫苗株卡介苗（Bacillus Calmette-Guérin,BCG）感染人单核巨噬细胞THP-1细胞后内质网应激（endoplasmic reticulum stress,ERS）对细胞焦亡的调控作用及分子机制。在BCG单独感染THP-1细胞或与ERS抑制剂TUDCA共处理细胞后,采用qRT-PCR检测ERS标志性分子GRP78,细胞焦亡标志性分子GSDMD、Caspase1、NLRP3、IL-1β和IL-18在mRNA水平的表达,采用Western blot检测GRP78、Caspase12、GSDMD、Caspase1和NLRP3在蛋白水平的表达,采用ELISA检测IL-1β和IL-18的释放量,采用CCK-8检测细胞存活率。结果表明：在BCG单独感染THP-1细胞不同时间后,GRP78在mRNA水平和蛋白水平的表达均随感染时间延长而升高（P<0.01）,GSDMD蛋白表达在24 h达到最高,IL-1β和IL-18在mRNA水平的表达呈时间依赖性（P<0.01）。在BCG单独感染或与TUDCA共同作用细胞24 h后,与未感染对照组相比,BCG感染组GRP78、GSDMD、Caspase1、NLRP3、IL-1β和IL-18 mRNA水平表达上调（P<0.05）,GRP78、Caspase12、GSDMD、Caspase1和NLRP3蛋白水平表达上调（P<0.001）,IL-1β和IL-18的浓度增加（P<0.01）,细胞存活率下降（P<0.001）,而经TUDCA预处理的BCG感染组与BCG单独感染组相比,以上分子的表达下降,细胞存活率上升（P<0.01）。综上表明,在BCG感染THP-1细胞后,引起的ERS对细胞焦亡具有调控作用。     

玉米赤霉烯酮诱导山羊子宫内膜基质细胞凋亡的研究

玉米赤霉烯酮(zearalenone,ZEN)是由镰刀菌产生的一种霉菌毒素,具有细胞毒性和雌激素活性,会对生殖系统、泌尿系统和消化系统等产生严重毒性影响.目前,ZEN对山羊子宫内膜基质细胞(endometrial stromal cells,ESCs)凋亡的潜在作用仍不清楚.本研究通过体外培养山羊永生化ESCs,采用C...