A retrospective study and gene analysis of canine sterile panniculitis

In this study, a retrospective analysis was conducted to assess the current aspects and predisposing factors of canine sterile panniculitis. Miniature dachshund, neutered, and younger dogs appeared to be predisposed. In addition, histories of previous surgery and injection were associated in 46.5% of the cases, with several types of surgical suture materials used. About 88% of the dogs had multifocal lesions, frequently with signs of systemic illnesses. Whereas systemic immunosuppressive therapy was effective in most dogs, surgical excision of lesions was rarely curative. In order to prevent recurrences, over 65% of the cases required prolonged immunosuppressive therapy. Polymorphism of canine alpha(1)AT gene was investigated as a candidate gene for sterile panniculitis. Eight polymorphisms were discovered in seven Miniature dachshunds by direct nucleotide sequencing, which included a 12-bp deletion, three non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms, and four silent substitutions. Genotyping of the two polymorphisms, c.109_120del12 and c.483A>C, which identified at high incidence in the dachshunds, was conducted in 83 dogs of 6 popular breeds. The frequencies of neither polymorphism differed between Miniature dachshunds and other breeds, suggesting that neither is responsible for developing panniculitis.     

Biodegradation kinetics of monosaccharides and their contribution to basal respiration in tropical forest soils

Low molecular weight (LMW) organic compounds in soil solution are easily biodegradable and could fuel respiration by soil microorganisms. Our main aim was to study the mineralization kinetics of monosaccharides using ¹⁴C-radiolabelled glucose. Based on these data and the soil solution concentrations of monosaccharides, we evaluated the contribution of monosaccharides to basal respiration for a variety of tropical forest soils. Further, the factors controlling the mineralization kinetics of monosaccharides were examined by comparing tropical and temperate forest soils. Monosaccharides comprised on average 5.2 to 47.7% of dissolved organic carbon in soil solution. Their kinetic parameters (V _max and K_M ), which were described by a single Michaelis-Menten equation, varied widely from 11 to 152?nmol?g^?1?h^?1 and 198 to 1294?µmol?L^?1 for tropical soils, and from 182 to 400?nmol?g^?1?h^?1 and 1277 to 3150?µmol?L^?1 for temperate soils, respectively. The values of V _max increased with increasing microbial biomass-C in tropical and temperate soils, while the K_M values had no correlations with soil biological or physicochemical properties. The positive correlation between V _max values and microbial biomass-C indicates that microbial biomass-C is an essential factor to regulate the V _max values in tropical and temperate forest soils. The biodegradation kinetics of monosaccharides indicate that the microbial capacity of monosaccharide mineralization far exceeds its rate at soil solution concentration. Monosaccharides in soil solution are rapidly mineralized, and their mean residence times in this study were very short (0.4–1.9?h) in tropical forests. The rates of monosaccharide mineralization at actual soil solution concentrations made up 22–118% of basal respiration. Probably because of the rapid and continuous production and consumption of monosaccharides, monosaccharide mineralization is shown to be a dominant fraction of basal respiration in tropical forest soils, as well as in temperate and boreal forest soils.     

Seroepidemiological evidence of avian H4, H5, and H9 influenza A virus transmission to pigs in southeastern China

Pig serum samples collected in southeastern China were examined for antibodies to influenza A viruses. Since the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test does not accurately detect antibodies to the hemagglutinins (HAs) of "avian" influenza viruses, we utilized the neutralization (NT) test to detect subtype-specific antibodies to the HA of avian viruses in pig sera. Neutralizing antibodies to H1, H3, H4, and H5 influenza viruses were detected in the serum samples collected in 1977-1982 and 1998, suggesting that pigs in China have been sporadically infected with avian H4 and H5 viruses in addition to swine and human H1 and H3 viruses. Antibodies to H9 virus, on the other hand, were found only in the sera collected in 1998, not in those collected in 1977-1982, correlating with the recent spread in poultry and subsequent isolation of H9N2 viruses from pigs and humans in 1998. The present results indicate that avian influenza viruses have been transmitted to pig populations in southeastern China.     

Blockade of bovine PD-1 increases T cell function and inhibits bovine leukemia virus expression in B cells in vitro

Programmed death-1 (PD-1) is a known immunoinhibitory receptor that contributes to immune evasion of various tumor cells and pathogens causing chronic infection, such as bovine leukemia virus (BLV) infection. First, in this study, to establish a method for the expression and functional analysis of bovine PD-1, hybridomas producing monoclonal antibodies (mAb) specific for bovine PD-1 were established. Treatment with these anti-PD-1 mAb enhanced interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) production of bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Next, to examine whether PD-1 blockade by anti-PD-1 mAb could upregulate the immune reaction during chronic infection, the expression and functional analysis of PD-1 in PBMC isolated from BLV-infected cattle with or without lymphoma were performed using anti-PD-1 mAb. The frequencies of both PD-1⁺ CD4⁺ T cells in blood and lymph node and PD-1⁺ CD8⁺ T cells in lymph node were higher in BLV-infected cattle with lymphoma than those without lymphoma or control uninfected cattle. PD-1 blockade enhanced IFN-γ production and proliferation and reduced BLV-gp51 expression and B-cell activation in PBMC from BLV-infected cattle in response to BLV-gp51 peptide mixture. These data show that anti-bovine PD-1 mAb could provide a new therapy to control BLV infection via upregulation of immune response.     

Structural reappraisal of corticatic acids,biologically active linear polyacetylenes,from a marine sponge of the genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Petrosia</Emphasis>

Structural reinvestigation of corticatic acid A from a marine sponge, Petrosia sp., resulted in the revision of its structure, which conformed to the structural features of the biosynthetically related linear acetylenes isolated from Petrosia sp. In the process of isolating an authentic corticatic acid A, we isolated three new congeners and determined their structures. We also suggested that the structures of other corticatic acids need revision.     

Cryopreservation of male and female gonial cells by vitrification in the critically endangered cyprinid honmoroko <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gnathopogon caerulescens</Emphasis>

We investigated the feasibility of cryopreservation of spermatogonia and oogonia in the critically endangered cyprinid honmoroko Gnathopogon caerulescens using slow-cooling (freezing) and rapid-cooling (vitrification) methods. Initially, we examined the testicular cell toxicities and glass-forming properties of the five cryoprotectants: ethylene glycol (EG), glycerol (GC), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), propylene glycol (PG), and 1,3-butylene glycol (BG), and we determined cryoprotectant concentrations that are suitable for freezing and vitrification solutions, respectively. Subsequently, we prepared the freezing solutions of EG, GC, DMSO, PG, and BG at 3, 2, 3, 2, and 2 M and vitrification solutions at 7, 6, 5, 5, and 4 M, respectively. Following the cryopreservation of the testicular cells mainly containing early-stage spermatogenic cells (e.g., spermatogonia and primary spermatocytes), cells were cultured for 7 days and immunochemically stained against germ cell marker protein Vasa. Areas occupied by Vasa-positive cells indicated that vitrification led to better survival of germ cells than the freezing method, and the best result was obtained with 5 M PG, about 50% recovery of germ cells following vitrification. In the case of ovarian cells containing oogonia and stage I, II, and IIIa oocytes, vitrification with 5 M DMSO resulted the best survival of oogonia, with equivalent cell numbers to those cultured without vitrification. The present data suggest that male and female gonial cells of the endangered species G. caerulescens can be efficiently cryopreserved using suitable cryoprotectants for spermatogonia and oogonia, respectively.