Application of a compact magnetic resonance imaging system for toxicologic pathology: evaluation of lithium-pilocarpine-induced rat brain lesions

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a useful noninvasive tool used to detect lesions in clinical and veterinary medicine. The present study evaluated the suitability of a new easy-to-use compact MRI platform (M2 permanent magnet system, Aspect Imaging, Shoham, Israel) for assisting with preclinical toxicologic pathology examination of lesions in the rat brain. In order to induce brain lesions, male Sprague-Dawley rats were treated once with lithium chloride (127 mg/kg, intraperitoneal [i.p.]) followed by pilocarpine (30 mg/kg, i.p.). One week after dosing, the perfused, fixed brains were collected, analyzed by the MRI system and examined histopathologically. MRI of the brain of treated rats revealed areas of high T1 and middle to low T2 signals, when compared with the controls, in the piriform cortex, lateral thalamic nucleus, posterior paraventricular thalamic nucleus and posterior hypothalamic nucleus of the cerebrum. The altered MRI signal areas were consistent with well-circumscribed foci of neuronal cell degeneration/necrosis accompanied by glial cell proliferation. The present data demonstrated that quick analysis of fixed organs by the MRI system can detect the presence and location of toxicologic lesions and provide useful temporal information for selection of appropriate sections for histopathologic examination before routine slide preparation, especially in complex and functionally heterogeneous organs such as the brain.     

Development of a CO2 gas analyzer for monitoring soil CO2 concentrations

Measurement of soil CO₂ concentrations is important for investigating the dynamics and diffusion of CO₂ in soil. In this study, we developed a small CO₂ analyzer for measuring in situ-soil CO₂ concentrations. The CO₂ analyzer consists of a module containing an infrared CO₂ gas sensor, a temperature sensor, and a relative humidity sensor. These sensors are installed in a protective box with an air vent, which is suitable for burying in the soil. The output response time of the CO₂ analyzer was 349 s, as evaluated from the phase lag after input of known CO₂ concentrations. This response time is short enough to measure soil CO₂ concentrations, because variations in concentration are slower than the response time of the analyzer. In a field test, we used the CO₂ analyzer to measure soil CO₂ concentrations at five depths (0–50 cm) over 2.5 months. While the CO₂ concentration generally increased with depth, the amplitude of the variation in CO₂ concentration decreased with depth. The phase lag of the variations in soil CO₂ concentration also increased with depth, as did soil temperature. The tests confirm that the CO₂ analyzer is applicable to continuous monitoring of soil CO₂ concentrations.     

Abnormal development of nephrons in claudin-16-defective Japanese black cattle

The kidneys of 37 Japanese Black calves aged 2 to 65 months diagnosed with Claudin 16 (CL-16) defect by the DNA-based test were examined pathologically. The animals exhibited clinical symptoms such as growth impairment, renal failure, overgrowth of hooves, and anemia at a young age. There was no correlation between the time of onset and age. Kidney weights relative to body weight were similar to those in normal animals, but both kidney net weights and size were reduced due to atrophy in animals that showed severe renal dysfunction. Histopathological examination of the kidneys showed reduction in the number of glomeruli, compensatory hypertrophy of glomeruli and tubules, and glomerular and tubular atrophy accompanied by interstitial fibrosis and lymphocytic infiltration. Glomeruli were clearly less in number in the kidneys of CL-16-defective animals than those of normal animals even in the cases with mild lesions. A small number of immature glomeruli and tubules were also detected, suggesting that there were fewer nephrons developed at birth in CL-16-defective animals. It was suggested that a defect of the CL-16 gene is involved in the "abnormal development of nephrons". Immunohistopathological examination of the kidneys showed that the epithelium of thick ascending limb of Henle was stained with anti-CL-16 antibody in the control animals, but not in the affected animals, suggesting a defect of CL-16 in the epithelium of renal tubules in the affected animals.     

Evaluation of effects of dietary carbohydrate on formation of struvite crystals in urine and macromineral balance in clinically normal cats

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate effects of dietary carbohydrate on urine volume; struvite crystal formation; and calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium balance in clinically normal cats. ANIMALS: 21 healthy adult cats (15 sexually intact males and 6 sexually intact females). PROCEDURE: Diets containing no carbohydrate source (control diet), control plus starch, or control plus fiber were given in a 3 X 3 Latin-square design. The diets were available ad libitum in study 1 (n = 12) and given under restrictions in study 2 (9) to equalize daily intakes of crude protein among the 3 groups. Formation of struvite crystals and balance of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium were measured. RESULTS: Urine volume was lower in the starch group and fiber group in study 1, whereas no differences were detected among the groups in study 2. Urinary pH and struvite activity product were higher in the starch group in both studies, and the fiber group also had higher struvite activity product in study 2. In both studies, urinary concentrations of HCl-insoluble sediment were higher in the starch group and fiber group. In the fiber group, a net loss of body calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium was detected in study 2. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Starch and fiber in diets potentially stimulate formation of struvite crystals. Hence, reducing dietary carbohydrate is desirable to prevent struvite urolith formation. In addition, a net loss of body calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium during feeding of the fiber diet suggests that dietary inclusion of insoluble fiber could increase macromineral requirements of cats.     

Evidence for bovine immunodeficiency virus infection in cattle in Zambia

We report herein on the first evidence for the presence of bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) in Zambia. Serological surveillance of BIV and bovine leukemia virus (BLV) was conducted in traditional cattle herds in Zambia. Out of a total of 262 sera analyzed, 11.4% were found positive for anti-BIV p26 antibodies as determined by Western blot analysis, while 5.0% were positive for anti-BLV gp51 antibodies as detected by immunodiffusion test. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from BIV seropositive cattle were found to have BIV-provirus DNA, as detected by nested polymerase chain reaction. A nucleotide sequence corresponding to a 298 bp fragment of the BIV pol gene was also analyzed. Amino acid sequences of these Zambian pol gene products showed 98.0 to 100% homology to the American strain BIV R29, 97.0 to 99.0% to Japanese BIV isolates, and divergence ranged from 0.0 to 2.0% among Zambian BIV isolates.     

A possibility of application of the 105-kilodaltons protein of Brachyspira alvinipulli cross-reacting with antisera to five species in the genus Brachyspira to diagnosis

The antigenic properties of Brachyspira (B.) alvinipulli ATCC 51933 and strain C2 were analyzed and compared with those of B. hyodysenteriae ATCC 27164 and ATCC 31212, B. pilosicoli ATCC 51139, B. innocens ATCC 29796 and B. aalborgi NCTC 11492. In gel immunodiffusion tests, a protein in B. alvinipulli ATCC 51933 reacted strongly with anti-B. alvinipulli ATCC 51933-serum and formed two precipitin lines. Furthermore, by an immunoblotting technique, the 105-kilodaltons (kDa) protein in B. alvinipulli ATCC 51933 reacted strongly with each of the antisera to B. hyodysenteriae, B. pilosicoli, B. innocens and B. aalborgi. Therefore, the 105-kDa protein could be applied to diagnosis of chicken infection by B. alvinipulli and B. pilosicoli. But the 105-kDa protein reacting with the anti-B. alvinipulli ATCC 51933-serum was not confirmed in B. hyodysenteriae, B. pilosicoli, B. innocens and B. aalborgi. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the 105-kDa protein isolated from B. alvinipulli ATCC 51933 was Met-Lys-Lys-Met-Val-Tyr-Phe-Phe-Gly-Asn. The amino acid alignment of this protein possessed 50% homology with the periplasmic-iron-binding protein BitC in B. hyodysenteriae.     

Development of nitric oxide synthase-immunoreactive nerves in the cerebral arteries of the rat

Development of cerebrovascular nitrergic nerves was investigated in the rat, using immunohistochemistry for nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and quantitative analysis. Cerebral perivascular NOS nerves usually appeared on the walls of both the intracranial part of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and the internal ethmoidal arteries (IEA) at birth. NOS nerves via the IEA grew more rapidly than those via the ICA. They extended over all the major arteries located more rostral than the middle part of the basilar arteries during the third postnatal week, while those from the ICA remained limited to the caudal segment of the anterior circulation and to the rostral segment of the posterior circulation throughout development. The appearance of NOS nerves on the vertebrate artery (VA) was not demonstrated before the third postnatal week, being apparently far late in development as compared to that of the same nerve type on the ICA and IEA.     

In vitro susceptibility of 21 antimicrobial agents to 37 isolates of Brachyspira hyodysenteriae isolated from pigs in Okinawa Prefecture

The in vitro susceptibilities to 21 antimicrobial agents, of 37 isolates of Brachyspira (B.) hyodysenteriae isolated from pigs in Okinawa meat center and a pig farm in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, were determined by the agar dilution method. Carbadox was the most active of all the agents tested against the isolates (MIC: <0.003 to 0.05). All the isolates were highly susceptible to olaquindox, tiamulin, dimetridazole, efrotomycin and valnemulin with MICs ranging from 相似文献   

Brachyspira pilosicoli isolated from pigs in Japan

Two of four weak beta-hemolytic isolates of intestinal spirochetes isolated from pigs in Japan possessed a unique base alignment of TTTTTT on the 16S ribosomal DNA of Brachyspira pilosicoli and were identified as B. pilosicoli. The other two isolates were not identified by this technique. The identified isolates were 4.2 to 11 microm in length and 0.2 to 0.3 microm in diameter, 4 periplasmic flagella at each end were observed dominantly. The isolates were hippurate positive but indole negative. This is the first report on the isolation of B. pilosicoli from pigs in Japan.     

Adjuvant effects of sugar cane extracts (SCE) in chickens

The effects of sugar cane extracts (SCE) on immune responses in chickens were studied. Two- or 10-month-old chickens orally administered SCE (500 mg/kg/day), for 3 consecutive days before immunized with sheep red blood cells, Brucella abortus and Salmonella Enteritidis organisms, showed significantly increased and prolonged antibody responses to these antigens, compared to control chickens without SCE. Furthermore, chickens orally administered SCE also revealed enhanced delayed type hypersensitivity responses to human gamma globulin. These results indicated that SCE has immunostimulating and adjuvant effects in chickens.