Extranodal conjunctival Hodgkin's-like lymphoma in a cat

A seven-year-old female spayed Domestic Short-haired cat was brought for examination following a four-month history of conjunctivitis in the right eye. The superior palpebral conjunctiva was diffusely swollen and firm, displacing the right globe ventrally and preventing full closure of the eyelids. The right popliteal lymph node was enlarged as were several other peripheral lymph nodes. An incisional biopsy of the conjunctival swelling revealed a lymphoid neoplasm, the cellular make up of which suggested features of feline Hodgkin's-like lymphoma. Although the neoplasm was poorly responsive to standard chemotherapeutic protocols for lymphoma, radiation therapy rapidly reduced its size. Three years following the initial diagnosis, there has been no recurrence of the conjunctival neoplasm. To the authors' knowledge, there are no previous reports of extranodal or adnexal (conjunctiva, eyelid, orbit) Hodgkin's-like lymphoma in the veterinary literature.     

IMAGING DIAGNOSIS—PULMONARY ALVEOLAR PROTEINOSIS IN A DOG

A young dog was presented for cyanosis and right heart failure. Radiographic and CT characteristics included right heart/pulmonary artery enlargement, hepatomegaly, abdominal effusion, and severe, generalized air‐space filling. Focal increased opacities were present in the peripheral lung, as were multiple pulmonary blebs and bullae. Echocardiographic findings were consistent with cor pulmonale and pulmonary hypertension. Bronchoscopic findings were consistent with chronic inflammation. Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) was confirmed at necropsy. Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis is an interstitial lung disease that results in accumulation of phospholipoproteinaceous material and should be included as a differential diagnosis for dogs with these clinical and imaging characteristics.     

Genetic variant BDNF (Val66Met) polymorphism alters anxiety-related behavior

A common single-nucleotide polymorphism in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene, a methionine (Met) substitution for valine (Val) at codon 66 (Val66Met), is associated with alterations in brain anatomy and memory, but its relevance to clinical disorders is unclear. We generated a variant BDNF mouse (BDNF(Met/Met)) that reproduces the phenotypic hallmarks in humans with the variant allele. BDNF(Met) was expressed in brain at normal levels, but its secretion from neurons was defective. When placed in stressful settings, BDNF(Met/Met) mice exhibited increased anxiety-related behaviors that were not normalized by the antidepressant, fluoxetine. A variant BDNF may thus play a key role in genetic predispositions to anxiety and depressive disorders.     

Sirtuin 2 inhibitors rescue alpha-synuclein-mediated toxicity in models of Parkinson's disease

The sirtuins are members of the histone deacetylase family of proteins that participate in a variety of cellular functions and play a role in aging. We identified a potent inhibitor of sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) and found that inhibition of SIRT2 rescued alpha-synuclein toxicity and modified inclusion morphology in a cellular model of Parkinson's disease. Genetic inhibition of SIRT2 via small interfering RNA similarly rescued alpha-synuclein toxicity. Furthermore, the inhibitors protected against dopaminergic cell death both in vitro and in a Drosophila model of Parkinson's disease. The results suggest a link between neurodegeneration and aging.     

A ten-year review of commercial vaccine performance for control of tick infestations on cattle

Ticks are important ectoparasites of domestic and wild animals, and tick infestations economically impact cattle production worldwide. Control of cattle tick infestations has been primarily by application of acaricides which has resulted in selection of resistant ticks and environmental pollution. Herein we discuss data from tick vaccine application in Australia, Cuba, Mexico and other Latin American countries. Commercial tick vaccines for cattle based on the Boophilus microplus Bm86 gut antigen have proven to be a feasible tick control method that offers a cost-effective, environmentally friendly alternative to the use of acaricides. Commercial tick vaccines reduced tick infestations on cattle and the intensity of acaricide usage, as well as increasing animal production and reducing transmission of some tick-borne pathogens. Although commercialization of tick vaccines has been difficult owing to previous constraints of antigen discovery, the expense of testing vaccines in cattle, and company restructuring, the success of these vaccines over the past decade has clearly demonstrated their potential as an improved method of tick control for cattle. Development of improved vaccines in the future will be greatly enhanced by new and efficient molecular technologies for antigen discovery and the urgent need for a tick control method to reduce or replace the use of acaricides, especially in regions where extensive tick resistance has occurred.     

The impact of oral versus inhaled glucocorticoids on allergen specific IgE testing in experimentally asthmatic cats

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are palliative for allergic asthma, but allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT), which relies on identification of allergens, represents a potentially curative treatment. The purpose of this study was to determine if oral or inhaled GCs would interfere with identification of sensitizing allergens. The hypothesis was that oral but not inhaled GCs would interfere with accurate allergen-specific IgE identification determined by skin and serum testing in experimentally asthmatic cats. Asthma was induced in 18 cats using Bermuda grass allergen (BGA). Cats (n=6/group) were randomized to receive oral GCs (10mg prednisolone q 24 h), inhaled GCs (600 μg budesonide q 24 h) or placebo (q 24 h PO) for one month. Intradermal skin testing (IDST) and serum BGA-specific IgE were measured prior to, during and after treatment. A paired t test was used to compare groups pre- and post-treatment (P<0.05 significant). IDST reactivity was eliminated in 4/6, 3/6, and 1/6 cats receiving oral GCs, inhaled GCs, and placebo respectively. Two weeks after stopping treatment, IDST was again positive in all cats. Serum IgE reactivity to BGA was not significantly diminished by any treatment. In conclusion, a two-week withdrawal from GCs is adequate for IDST, but may not be necessary for serum IgE testing.     

Functional genomics and evolution of tick–Anaplasma interactions and vaccine development

The genus Anaplasma (Rickettsiales: Anaplasmataceae) includes several tick-transmitted pathogens that impact veterinary and human health. Tick-borne pathogens cycle between tick vectors and vertebrate hosts and their interaction is mediated by molecular mechanisms at the tick–pathogen interface. These mechanisms have evolved characteristics that involve traits from both the tick vector and the pathogen to insure their mutual survival. Herein, we review the information obtained from functional genomics and genetic studies to characterize the tick–Anaplasma interface and evolution of A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum. Anaplasma and tick genes and proteins involved in tick–pathogen interactions were characterized. The results of these studies demonstrated that common and Anaplasma species-specific molecular mechanism occur by which pathogen and tick cell gene expression mediates or limits Anaplasma developmental cycle and trafficking through ticks. These results have advanced our understanding of the biology of tick–Anaplasma interactions and have opened new avenues for the development of improved methods for the control of tick infestations and the transmission of tick-borne pathogens.     

The effects of belowground resources on aboveground allometric growth in Bornean tree species

Tree height and crown allometries reflect adaptations for resource acquisition and structural stability, as well as plastic responses to a heterogeneous environment. While both light and soil resources limit growth and influence competitive responses in tropical forests, the effects of belowground resources on allometries are less understood, especially within the understory. To characterize outcomes of tree competition along an edaphic resource gradient, we quantified variation in height and crown allometries of six Bornean tree species from contrasting regeneration niches (light-demanding vs. shade-tolerant) on two soil habitats (clay-fine loam and sandy loam) within a 52-ha forest dynamics plot. Using empirically-fit allometric parameters and diameter growth rates from plot census data, we modeled tree height and crown area growth over the projected life span of each species. Based on resource competition theory, we hypothesized that tree species specializing on and populations of generalist species growing on the relatively moister, more fertile clay-fine loam soil habitat would have faster height and crown growth rates, compared to those on the sandy loam habitat, regardless of regeneration niche. Among soil specialists and within generalists of both genera, trees growing on clay-fine loam had taller stems and larger crowns at a given age and faster height and crown area growth rates at most sizes than trees on sandy loam. Differences in height and crown growth were driven by the faster diameter growth rates of trees on clay-fine loam, not by differences in height- and crown-diameter allometries, as trees on sandy loam were significantly taller at a given diameter, and differences in crown allometry were not consistent across soil habitats. Characterizing the height and crown growth responses of trees along resource gradients provides insight into the mechanisms that maintain diversity in tropical forests. Our results point to the importance of adaptive and plastic responses to both above and belowground resource availability in determining the allometric growth of trees and suggest that this diversity of responses may contribute tree species coexistence through competition-based trade-off mechanisms and variation in growth among individuals. Additionally, as the importance estimating natural carbon sequestration increases with the escalating effects of anthropogenic climate change, differences in tree growth and architecture across soil habitats also have implications for the approximation of forest carbon storage on heterogeneous tropical soils.