Cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) concentration in an ovine model of myocardial ischemia

Cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) is a polypeptide involved in myocardial contraction and has been shown to be a highly sensitive biomarker of myocardial injury in humans. Chronic myocardial ischemia was induced in eight adult sheep by anterior coronary artery legation. Forty-five days after coronary artery legation, sheep underwent autologous myoblasts implantation to the infarct area to improve local tissue regeneration. Blood samples were taken at regular intervals before and after the induced coronary ischemia and myoblast implantation and serum levels of cTnI were assessed with chemiluminescent immunodosage using a commercially available anti-human cTnI monoclonal antibody. cTnI levels began to increase the day after coronary legation and after myoblast implantation and gradually recovered to physiological levels in the next 14 days. Furthermore, the commercial anti-human antibody was shown to completely cross react with the ovine polypeptide as well as with canine, swine and equine sera.     

Cellular immune response and immunotoxicity induced by DON (deoxynivalenol) in piglets

Veterinary Research Communications -     

Study on the Virulence,Cell-mediated Immune Response and Histolesivity of Three Field PRRSV Strains with an ORF 5 Genetic Variation

Veterinary Research Communications -     

Parameters for Evaluating the Cell-Mediated Immune Response During Viral Infection: Diagnostic and Prognostic Applications

Veterinary Research Communications - Corradi, A., Ferrari, L. and Borghetti, P., 2007. Parameters for evaluating the cell-mediated immune response during viral infection: diagnostic and prognostic...     

The response of pigs inoculated with a thymidine kinase-negative (TK-) pseudorabies virus to challenge infection with virulent virus

12 Large-White-Landrace piglets were subdivided in four groups of 3 and housed in separate units. The piglets of three groups were inoculated with the 86/27V 6C2 thymidine kinase negative (TK-) mutant of pseudorabies virus (PRV), by different routes. A second inoculation with the same mutant was given to the pigs 21 days later. The animals of a fourth group were left as uninoculated controls. 21 days following the second inoculation with the TK- mutant all pigs were challenge infected with the virulent PRV. On post challenge day (PCD) 30 all pigs were killed and samples for virus detection and histology were taken from several organs. The inoculated TK- mutant of PRV did not induce any ill effects in the pigs except a transient febrile reaction in some animals. Virus was recovered from nasal swabbings from one pig 2 days after the first inoculation of the mutant. After challenge exposure with virulent PRV, the TK- mutant-inoculated pigs were apparently protected, whereas the control pigs all were severely affected and recovered very slowly over 3 weeks. Virus was isolated from the nasal swabbings from the TK- mutant-inoculated pigs on PCDs 2 and 4, whereas the nasal swabbings from the control piglets were all positive for virus from PCD 2 through PCD 10. DNA analysis of the virus recovered showed a pattern identical to that of the virulent PRV. Histologic lesions were found in the respiratory and the central nervous systems, however, the lesions in the TK- mutant-inoculated pigs were much milder compared to those registered for the control pigs. Virus was not isolated from any of the tissue samples that were tested, but viral DNA with sequences typical of PRV genome was detected by PCR in all samples of trigeminal ganglia from either the TK- mutant-inoculated pigs or from the controls.     

Adaptive Response of Osteoblasts Grown on a Titanium Surface: Morphology,Cell Proliferation and Stress Protein Synthesis

Veterinary Research Communications -     

Adult stem cells: perspectives for therapeutic applications

The use of adult stem cells in tissue regeneration appears to be a powerful research tool, due to the intrinsic characteristics of these cells, i.e., self-renewal and unlimited capacity for proliferation. In particular, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from bone marrow or peripheral blood can be easily isolated, cultivated, propagated and can be differentiated into several specialized cell types thanks to their plasticity. Among these cells, MSCs can evolve into cardiac cell lineages. Since heart damage leads to the irreversible loss of cardiac function, cell transplantation could be a potential therapy for heart injury. Our laboratory has focused on the purification and expansion of rat and sheep MSCs, their differentiation into cardiomyocytes and their characterisation. Numerous results indicate that MSCs could be promising for therapy, however we need to better understand the biology of stem cells to improve methods for delivery and/or pharmacological activation. These techniques can indeed track engrafted cells and systems to guarantee their safe use.     

Evaluation of safety and efficacy of DNA vaccines against bovine herpesvirus-1 (BoHV-1) in calves

Four DNA vaccines against BoHV-1 were evaluated for their efficacy in calves. Twelve animals were divided into four groups which were injected with four different DNA vaccines: pVAX-tgD (Vaccine A); pVAX-tgD co-immunised with pVAX-48CpG (Vaccine B); pVAX-UbiLacI-tgD-L (Vaccine C); pVAX-UbiLacI-tgD-L co-immunised with pVAX-48CpG (Vaccine D). Three additional calves were given the plasmid vector and served as controls. Ninety days after the first vaccination all calves were challenge infected with BoHV-1.All animals developed a severe form of infections bovine rhinotracheitis. Only the calves given the pVAX-tgD co-immunised with pVAX-48CpG (Vaccine B) developed humoral antibodies against BoHV-1 between 56 and 90 days after the first vaccination, whereas in calves of other groups and in the controls, antibodies appeared only after the infection. In the calves vaccinated with either pVAX-tgD (Vaccine A) or pVAX-tgD combined with pVAX-48CpG (Vaccine B), BoHV-1-specific IFN-γ secreting cells were detected in PBMCs 90 days after the first vaccination and their number increased after challenge exposure. In the other groups the IFN-γ secreting cells were detected after virus infection and at low values.     

Effect of Weaning and Vaccinations on Immune and Hormonal Parameters in Neonatal Piglets

Veterinary Research Communications -