Congenital stationary night blindness is associated with the leopard complex in the Miniature Horse

Objective To determine if congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) exists in the miniature horse in association with leopard complex spotting patterns (LP), and to investigate if CSNB in the miniature horse is associated with three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the region of TRPM1 that are highly associated with CSNB and LP in Appaloosas. Animals studied Three groups of miniature horses were studied based on coat patterns suggestive of LP/LP (n = 3), LP/lp (n = 4), and lp/lp genotype (n = 4). Procedures Horses were categorized based on phenotype as well as pedigree analysis as LP/LP, LP/lp, and lp/lp. Neurophthalmic examination, slit‐lamp biomicroscopy, indirect ophthalmoscopy, and scotopic flash electroretinography were performed on all horses. Hair samples were processed for DNA analysis. Three SNPs identified and associated with LP and CSNB in the Appaloosa were investigated for association with LP and CSNB in these Miniature horses. Results All horses in the LP/LP group were affected by CSNB, while none in the LP/lp or lp/lp groups were affected. All three SNPs were completely associated with LP genotype (χ² = 22, P << 0.0005) and CSNB status (χ² = 11, P < 0.0005). Conclusions The Miniature Horse breed is affected by CSNB and it appears to be associated with LP as in the Appaloosa breed. The SNPs tested could be used as a DNA test for CSNB until the causative mutation is determined.     

Wettability influences cell behavior on superhydrophobic surfaces with different topographies

Surface wettability and topography are recognized as critical factors influencing cell behavior on biomaterials. So far only few works have reported cell responses on surfaces exhibiting extreme wettability in combination with surface topography. The goal of this work is to study whether cell behavior on superhydrophobic surfaces is influenced by surface topography and polymer type. Biomimetic superhydrophobic rough surfaces of polystyrene and poly(L-lactic acid) with different micro/nanotopographies were obtained from smooth surfaces using a simple phase-separation based method. Total protein was quantified and showed a less adsorption of bovine serum albumin onto rough surfaces as compared to smooth surfaces of the same material. The mouse osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cell line and primary bovine articular chondrocytes were used to study cell attachment and proliferation. Cells attached and proliferate better in the smooth surfaces. The superhydrophobic surfaces allowed cells to adhere but inhibited their proliferation. This study indicates that surface wettability, rather than polymer type or the topography of the superhydrophobic surfaces, is a critical factor in determining cell behavior.     

Detection of enzootic nasal tumor virus (ENTV) in a sheep flock in southern Brazil

Enzootic nasal tumor (ENT) is a contagious neoplasm associated with enzootic nasal tumor virus (ENTV), which may induce disease in sheep (ENTV-1) and goats (ENTV-2). This study aimed to describe the occurrence of ENT in two Texel sheep (Ovis aries) from a 75-sheep flock, located in the city of Gravataí, southern Brazil. Animals used to be purchased from different origins, and no specific tests for disease monitoring or quarantine procedure were performed. Affected animals presented respiratory distress, anorexia with severe weight loss, and mucopurulent unilateral nasal discharge. Necropsy was performed in both animals and nasal cavity masses were observed. Histopathological analysis demonstrated an epithelial neoplasm compatible with nasal adenocarcinoma. PCR using a protocol that amplifies a 591 bp sequence of 5’LTR-gag region of ENTV1 was performed followed by DNA sequencing. Both samples were positive, and the sequences obtained presented highest identity (97%) with ENTV strain TN28 (GenBank accession number MH899613) detected in a Texel sheep from Scotland. This is the first report of ENTV-1 leading to enzootic nasal tumor in sheep in Latin America, which confirms the presence of the retrovirus in sheep flocks in the Brazilian territory.