Effect of topical anesthesia on evaluation of corneal sensitivity and intraocular pressure in rats and dogs

Objective To determine the effect of 0.5% proparacaine in tonometry by evaluating corneal touch threshold (CTT) and intraocular pressure (IOP). Animal studied Nine rats (18 eyes, Sprague–Dawley) and 10 dogs (20 eyes, Beagle) Procedures The IOP and CTT were measured in each eye before and after topical anesthesia with 0.5% proparacaine. The IOP was evaluated using Tonopen for dogs and Tonolab for rats. The corneal sensitivity was evaluated by CTT through a Cochet–Bonnet aesthesiometer. Results The mean IOP was not significantly changed in rats or dogs before and after topical anesthesia. However, after application of proparacaine, CTT was significantly increased in both animal groups compared with that before application of proparacaine. Conclusion From this study, topical anesthesia was found to significantly lower the corneal sensitivity but have little effect on IOP measurements. In ophthalmologic examination, topical anesthesia can be used to reduce corneal sensation without an effect on IOP.     

对饲养毛皮动物饲料的卫生检验与监督

当前饲养的毛皮动物种类较多 ,食性较杂。水貂、狐、貉、獾、鼬、水獭等以畜禽副产品、鱼类、肉类为主要饲料。麝鼠、海狸鼠、毛丝鼠、獭兔等以植物性饲料为主。毛皮动物的阿留申病、结核病、巴氏杆菌病、旋毛虫病等都是由肉类饲料传染的。因此 ,饲养毛皮动物的饲料 ,必须认真搞好检验与监督 ,防止各种疫病的发生。下面 ,就毛皮动物常用的动物、植物性饲料 ,如何搞好卫生检验与监督分述如下 :１畜禽副产品的检验１．１猪副产品。猪的传染病种类较多 ,是水貂阿留申病毒的携带者。用生的猪副产品饲喂动物 ,易引起阿留申氏病的地方性流行。因此…     

Dog erythrocyte antigens 1.1, 1.2, 3, 4, 7, and Dal blood typing and cross‐matching by gel column technique

Background: Testing for canine blood types other than dog erythrocyte antigen 1.1 (DEA 1.1) is controversial and complicated by reagent availability and methodology. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to use available gel column technology to develop an extended blood‐typing method using polyclonal reagents for DEA 1.1, 1.2, 3, 4, 7, and Dal and to assess the use of gel columns for cross‐matching. Methods: Dogs (43–75) were typed for DEA 1.1, 1.2, 3, 4, 7, and Dal. Methods included tube agglutination (Tube) using polyclonal reagents, a commercially available DEA 1.1 gel column test kit (Standard‐Gel) using monoclonal reagent, and multiple gel columns (Extended‐Gel) using polyclonal reagents. Blood from 10 recipient and 15 donor dogs was typed as described above and cross‐matched using the gel column technique. Results: Of 43 dogs typed for DEA 1.1, 23, 25, and 20 dogs were positive using Standard‐Gel, Extended‐Gel, and Tube, respectively. Typing for DEA 1.2 was not achievable with Extended‐Gel. For 75 dogs typed for DEA 3, 4, and 7, concordance of Extended‐Gel with Tube was 94.7%, 100%, and 84%, respectively. Dal, determined only by Extended‐Gel, was positive for all dogs. Post‐transfusion major cross‐matches were incompatible in 10 of 14 pairings, but none were associated with demonstrable blood type incompatibilities. Conclusions: Gel column methodology can be adapted for use with polyclonal reagents for detecting DEA 1.1, 3, 4, 7, and Dal. Agglutination reactions are similar between Extended‐Gel and Tube, but are more easily interpreted with Extended‐Gel. When using gel columns for cross‐matching, incompatible blood cross‐matches can be detected following sensitization by transfusion, although in this study incompatibilities associated with any tested DEA or Dal antigens were not found.     

Spectral Doppler ultrasound in the major arteries of normal conscious immature micropigs

Spectral waveform analysis of blood flow velocity in the major arteries of six healthy, conscious immature micropigs was determined using Doppler ultrasonography. Doppler spectral tracings were recorded from the external iliac artery, femoral artery, and renal arcuate artery. Tracings were also taken from three parts of the common carotid artery and two parts of the abdominal aorta. Spectral Doppler parameters included peak systolic velocity, early diastolic velocity, peak systolic velocity-to-end diastolic velocity ratio, resistive index, and pulsatility index. In addition, the diameter of major arteries and indirect blood pressure were measured. These results from spectral Doppler analysis in major arteries may be useful as reference ranges in the future studies of vascular hemodynamics in immature micropigs.     

Bartonella species and their ectoparasites: selective host adaptation or strain selection between the vector and the mammalian host?

A wide range of blood-sucking arthropods have either been confirmed or are suspected as important vectors in Bartonella transmission to mammals, including humans. Overall, it appears that the diversity of Bartonella species DNA identified in ectoparasites is much broader than the species detected in their mammalian hosts, suggesting a mechanism of adaptation of Bartonella species to their host-vector ecosystem. However, these mechanisms leading to the fitness between the vectors and their hosts still need to be investigated.     

Development of a disperse dye immunochromatographic test for the detection of antibodies against infectious bursal disease virus

For investigating the feasibility of using disperse dyes as an immunoassay chromogenic marker, a disperse dye, DADISPERSE NAVY BLUE SP, was selected in analyzing antibody against infectious bursal disease virus (anti-IBDV). With the color intensity revealed in the disperse dye immunochromatographic test (DICT) strip as the objective function, the optimal dyeing conditions were found as follows: dye concentration absorbance (at lambda(max)=587nm)=3, pH 7, 50 degrees C, for 10min. Under these conditions, the resultant dyed-antibody (rabbit anti-chicken) can produce an optimal color intensity reading of 55,054 on the strip. For performing qualitative immunoassay, chicken sera samples taken from different farms were used for the anti-IBDV titre assessment. The results of DICT strips showed very high sensitivity and specificity as compared to that analyzed by FlockChek enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (F-ELISA) kits. For quantitative immunoassay, it was found that the color intensity measured with DICT was linearly correlated to that of F-ELISA titre (r(2)=0.9687). Therefore, DICT was further applied to the detection of chicken anti-IBDV sera under vaccination in the farms. The average titres of the sampling groups exhibited a strong agreement to that of F-ELISA. Accordingly, the DICT method developed in this study, shown to be reliable, cheap and simple in both qualitative and quantitative immunoassays, is particularly suitable for point-of-need testing (PONT) in agricultural applications.     

三聚氰胺对小鼠睾丸病理损伤的观察

本研究采用组织病理学和免疫组织化学技术观察了三聚氰胺（Melamine,MA）对雄性小鼠睾丸的毒性作用,以深入揭示三聚氰胺的毒性作用及其机理。将25只28日龄SPF雄性昆明小鼠随机均分为5组,1组为对照组,其他4组为试验组。4个试验组分别按下述不同剂量灌服三聚氰胺：0.6 mg/kg（bw）/d（每日每公斤体重0.6 mg）、3.0 mg/kg（bw）/d、15.0 mg/kg（bw）/d和17.5 mg/kg（bw）/d,用玉米油做溶剂;空白对照组每日灌服等量玉米油。连续灌胃30天后剖检小鼠并取其睾丸组织进行固定、切片和染色,观察睾丸的组织病理变化。同时,采用免疫组织化学方法检测睾丸组织中增殖细胞核抗原（PCNA）的表达量。观察结果表明,与对照组相比,试验组不同剂量浓度的三聚氰胺对小鼠睾丸组织造成不同程度的病理损伤;三聚氰胺也会在一定程度上影响睾丸组织中PCNA的表达。研究结果表明三聚氰胺对于小鼠生殖系统有明显毒性作用。     

Calcium homeostasis and its relationship to superoxide production in blood and milk neutrophils of lactating goats

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), which comprise over 70% of the somatic cells in goat milk, are a major cellular component of innate immunity in the goat mammary gland. However, the function of milk PMNs is modified after diapedesis compared to PMNs in blood. As many aspects of PMN activity depend directly on intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration ((Ca²⁺)_i), the present study aimed to determine the changes in Ca²⁺ homeostasis of milk PMNs from lactating goats compared to autologous blood PMNs, and to examine the significance of these variations to the immuno-competency of milk PMNs. The intracellular Ca²⁺ store of freshly prepared milk cells was estimated from the elevation of (Ca²⁺)_i after ionomycin treatment, which was found to be significantly less than blood PMNs. Replenishment of the intracellular Ca²⁺ store in milk cells after intracellular Ca²⁺ depletion by Bapta-AM followed by spiking with 2.5 mM Ca²⁺ for 20 min was also compared to that of blood PMNs, showing that after depletion/spiking the intracellular Ca²⁺ store in milk cells was much less than blood PMNs. The production of superoxide anion (O₂^?) in vitro in response to (Ca²⁺)_i-dependent or (Ca²⁺)_i-independent modulators was used to evaluate the relevance of altered Ca²⁺ homeostasis on the immuno-competency of milk cells compared to blood PMNs. The results indicated that milk cells produced similarly low levels of O₂^? as blood PMNs when treated with ionomycin. However, the amount of O₂^? produced by milk cells in response to phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) stimulation, although greater than ionomycin treatment, was significantly less than that of blood PMNs. The capacity for O₂^? production by both cell types in response to PMA reverted to the resting state with use of the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor, staurosporine. In conclusion, the current study demonstrated an irreversible shortage of intracellular Ca²⁺ in the milk PMNs of lactating goats compared to blood PMNs. It also showed that preliminary O₂^–production, primed by ionomycin treatment, remained unchanged in milk PMNs, despite the shortage in intracellular Ca²⁺, but decreased O₂^? production capacity, mediated via the PKC pathway, in milk PMN. It is suggested that the defects in Ca²⁺ homeostasis in milk PMNs of lactating goats is partially attributable for the post-diapedesis functionality modifications.     

Characterization of antibody response to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus ORF5 product following infection and evaluation of its diagnostic use in pigs.

The sensitivity and specificity of recombinant open reading frame 5 products used in the Western blotting assay for confirmation of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) serologic status were evaluated. The recombinant antigen-based assays were specifically compared with a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for PRRSV antibodies using 1) PRRSV antibody-negative reference sera (n = 30), 2) naturally infected pig sera (n = 40), 3) sequential sera obtained from 24 experimentally infected pigs, and 4) sera submitted to 3 state diagnostic laboratories (n = 200). The recombinant antigen assay yielded an average increased sensitivity of 10% over the commercial PRRSV ELISA. The negative controls (group 1 sera) showed no difference between the 2 assays. This comparison confirmed that the recombinant antigen-specific assay was more sensitive than the commercial ELISA and is well suited for routine confirmation of the presence of PRRSV antibodies.