Magnetic resonance imaging and pathological findings in a cat with brain contusions

Necropsy was performed on a mongrel male cat of unknown age weighing 1.3 kg, which probably encountered a traffic accident. Gross pathological examination of the brain revealed reddish colour of the right cerebral hemisphere and haemorrhages on the surface of the right frontal lobe to temporal lobe. Histologically, there was diffuse vacuolation in the cortex of the right frontal lobe and extensive haemorrhages in the base of brain. These histopathological findings were consistent with areas of abnormal signals found on post-mortem magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this study, the MRI findings were identical to that reported in human cases of head trauma as well as histopathological changes.     

Equine pyoderma associated with malnutrition and unhygienic conditions due to neglect in a herd

Twelve horses kept at a riding club suffered from pyoderma. All the horses displayed crusting, scaling and alopecia. The lesions were distributed in the chest, back, rump and limbs. Some of the horse patients also showed epilation with an attached crust similar to a 'paintbrush lesion' of dermatophilosis, but normal skin flora or opportunistic pathogenic bacteria were only isolated from the lesions. Some patients clearly showed weight loss, anemia and low levels of serum protein and cholesterol. General condition and skin lesions of the patients were improved gradually with improvement of feed and environment after being moved to new stables. Malnutrition under conditions of poor hygiene and poor management due to neglect might be associated with these equine cases of pyoderma in the herd.     

Neutralizing test of hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus (HEV) in FS-L3 cells cultured without serum

FS-L3 cells, originating from porcine kidney, were used for propagation of Hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus (HEV) and development of a virus neutralizing (VN) test. Sera of pigs, rats, cows and dogs had VN activities to HEV. On the other hand, sera of mice, rabbits, goats, sheep, horses, cats, chickens, hamsters and human did not have measurable VN activities, although these sera had high HI activities. Our results support the idea that the VN is a more reliable measure of HEV infection than the conventionally used HI test.     

Detection of the anti-P53 antibodies in dogs with tumors

To detect the anti-P53 antibodies of dogs with tumors, a GST-recombinant canine (rc) P53 fusion protein was expressed and purified. Immunoblot analysis was performed using this GST-rcP53 fusion protein as an antigen and serum samples from dogs suffering from tumors as primary antibodies. Out of 16 serum samples obtained from various tumor cases, four samples showed reaction with GST-rcP53. In contrast, serum from other 12 dogs with tumors, four dogs with non-neoplastic diseases and two control healthy dogs (as controls) did not show any reaction with GST-rcP53 in immunoblotting. The p53 gene mutation and the P53 protein expression were examined, using the tumor tissues to explore the relationship between the existence of the GST-rcP53 bands, gene mutations of p53 and the accumulation of P53 protein. One case, which showed a clear GST-rcP53 band, had a point mutation of the p53 cDNA and showed nuclear accumulation of P53 protein. These results suggest that the anti-P53 antibodies are also produced in tumor dogs with p53 gene mutations.     

Analysis of the 18S rRNA gene sequence of a Hepatozoon detected in two Japanese dogs

Partial sequences of the 18S rRNA gene (625 bp) from a Hepatozoon detected in two canine hepatozoonosis cases, one clinical and one subclinical, in Japan were analyzed. Both sequences were identical to each other and they were closely related to the Hepatozoon canis strain found in Israel with 99% (617/625) nucleotide identity. Both Hepatozoon americanum and Hepatozoon catasbianae were distantly related to the Japanese Hepatozoon with 94% (586/625) and 91% (566/625) identities, respectively. In a phylogenetic tree, the Japanese Hepatozoon was most closely related to H. canis from Israel but was significantly different than H. americanum and H. catasbianae. These results suggest that the Hepatozoon detected in the Japanese dogs might be a strain variant of H. canis, but is apparently a different species than H. americanum.     

Changes in hepatic enzyme activities in transgenic mice carrying human prototype c-Ha-ras gene treated with diethylnitrosamine

Activities of malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and aspartate aminotransferase in the malate-aspartate shuttle were significantly increased in the cytosolic fractions of livers with early neoplastic symptoms such as swelling and discoloration in transgenic mice carrying the prototype human c-Ha-ras gene, Tg-rasH2 mice, which were administered with diethylnitrosamine (DEN) as a carcinogenic chemical at a dose of 200 mg/kg body weight. Cytosolic MDH/LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) (ML) ratio increased significantly and was considered to be a useful marker to characterize the energy metabolism at early neoplastic stage in livers of the Tg-rasH2 mice.     

Serotypes of avian infectious bronchitis virus isolates from field cases in Japan

Eight etiologic agents isolated from field cases in Japan were identified as isolates of infectious bronchitis virus by agar-gel diffusion, buoyant-density determination on sucrose-density centrifugation, and morphological study by electron microscope of the purified viruses. In studies of the antigenic relationships of the eight isolates and six known infectious bronchitis viruses, antigenic diversity of these viruses was recognized from the degrees of relatedness using a plaque reduction in the "constant-virus decreasing-serum" method.     

Specific Oligonucleotide Primers Based on Sequences of the 16S-23S rDNA Spacer Region for the Detection of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Burkholderia gladioli </Emphasis>by PCR

Specific primers were designed based on the sequences of the spacer region between the 16S and 23S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) for direct, rapid and specific detection of Burkholderia gladioli. These primers were named GLA-f and GLA-r. PCR performed on boiled bacterial suspensions yielded an amplification product of approximately 300 bp. No products from other bacterial species, including B. glumae were amplified, even after complete DNA extraction by the cetyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide (CTAB) method. Using the specific primers designed in this study, the PCR method can detect B. gladioli in plant samples within 6 hr. These data demonstrate the potential of specific PCR for the detection of B. gladioli. Received 10 December 2001/ Accepted in revised form 15 April 2002     

Divergence of p33/34 gene of Theileria found in Cervus nippon in Japan

The 18S rRNA gene and the piroplasm major immunodominant protein gene (p33/34) of Theileria from various subspecies of sika deer in 8 different locations of Japan were analyzed. The similarity between 633 bp partial sequences of the 18S rRNA gene among various subspecies of sika deer was found to be between 99.7% and 100%. While the percent identities of the 412 bp partial p33/34 gene sequence and deduced amino acid sequences between Theileria of sika deer from Yamaguchi Prefecture and those found in deer from other Prefectures, were comparatively low, 68.7% to 70.1% and 64.1% to 70.0% respectively. These findings suggest that there are at least two genetically distinct strains of Theileria of sika deer in Japan.