A technique for creating critical-size defects in the metatarsus of sheep for use in investigation of healing of long-bone defects

OBJECTIVE: To develop a technique for use in investigation of healing of long-bone defects by creation of a critical-size defect in the left metarsal III and IV bone (metatarsus) of sheep. ANIMALS: 18 healthy adult sheep. PROCEDURE: Sheep were allocated to 4 groups (3, 3, 5, and 7 sheep in groups 1 to 4, respectively). An ostectomy with various segmental length-to-diaphyseal diameter ratios (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 2.0 for groups 1 to 4, respectively) was performed on the left metatarsus of each sheep. The defect was left empty in sheep of groups 1, 2, and 3, whereas the defect was filled with a massive corticocancellous bone autograft in sheep of group 4. RESULTS: All sheep tolerated the surgical procedure well and were able to use the affected limb the day after surgery. Radiographic and histologic examinations conducted 16 weeks after surgery revealed nonunion in all sheep of groups 1, 2, and 3, whereas consistent bone healing with abundant bone formation was observed in all sheep of group 4. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Analysis of these findings suggests that the sheep metatarsal model is a critical-size defect model with low morbidity. It should allow the assessment of new technologies for bone regeneration in conditions closely mimicking the clinical setting. IMPACT FOR HUMAN MEDICINE: Use of this technique in sheep should be of benefit for the preclinical study of osteoconductive, osteoinductive, or osteogenic biomaterials for use in humans.     

Treatment of tracheal collapse with an intraluminal stent in a miniature horse

A 7-month-old miniature horse was referred for respiratory distress. Tracheal collapse at the level of the thoracic inlet was diagnosed. An intraluminal nitinol stent was placed with endoscopic guidance. Respiratory function was restored immediately after stent placement. The main complication observed during a 14-month follow-up period was growth of granulation tissue through the stent, which was controlled satisfactorily by electrocautery performed during endoscopy with the horse standing. Treatment of tracheal collapse with an intraluminal stent is an effective, practical, and minimally invasive procedure in miniature and young equids and ponies.     

Laonastes and the "Lazarus effect" in recent mammals

The living Laotian rodent Laonastes aenigmamus, first described in early 2005, has been interpreted as the sole member of the new family Laonastidae on the basis of its distinctive morphology and apparent phylogenetic isolation from other living rodents. Here we show that Laonastes is actually a surviving member of the otherwise extinct rodent family Diatomyidae, known from early Oligocene to late Miocene sites in Pakistan, India, Thailand, China, and Japan. Laonastes is a particularly striking example of the "Lazarus effect" in Recent mammals, whereby a taxon that was formerly thought to be extinct is rediscovered in the extant biota, in this case after a temporal gap of roughly 11 million years.     

Aseptic suppurative meningitis in juvenile boxer dogs: retrospective study of 12 cases

Immune-mediated central nervous system inflammation is described in a series of 12 juvenile boxer dogs. A diagnosis of steroid-responsive meningitis-arteritis was made based on the clinical presentation and on diagnostic findings. The boxer breed was at a higher risk for this inflammatory condition than other breeds. Long-term follow-up (>2 years) confirmed a better prognosis in this breed than in the beagle and the Bernese mountain dog. Complete resolution of clinical signs without significant deficits or recurrences was obtained in all cases. Early clinical recognition and immunosuppressive treatment resulted in a better response and complete resolution of the disorder.     

The Xist RNA gene evolved in eutherians by pseudogenization of a protein-coding gene

The Xist noncoding RNA is the key initiator of the process of X chromosome inactivation in eutherian mammals, but its precise function and origin remain unknown. Although Xist is well conserved among eutherians, until now, no homolog has been identified in other mammals. We show here that Xist evolved, at least partly, from a protein-coding gene and that the loss of protein-coding function of the proto-Xist coincides with the four flanking protein genes becoming pseudogenes. This event occurred after the divergence between eutherians and marsupials, which suggests that mechanisms of dosage compensation have evolved independently in both lineages.     

Glucocorticoids can induce PTSD-like memory impairments in mice

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by a hypermnesia of the trauma and by a memory impairment that decreases the ability to restrict fear to the appropriate context. Infusion of glucocorticoids in the hippocampus after fear conditioning induces PTSD-like memory impairments and an altered pattern of neural activation in the hippocampal-amygdalar circuit. Mice become unable to identify the context as the correct predictor of the threat and show fear responses to a discrete cue not predicting the threat in normal conditions. These data demonstrate PTSD-like memory impairments in rodents and identify a potential pathophysiological mechanism of this condition.     

Computed tomographic evaluation of a bronchogenic cyst in a German shepherd dog

A German shepherd dog was referred for further evaluation of a cavitary pulmonary lesion. Computed tomography identified a well-defined rounded radiolucent area in the left cranial lung lobe in continuity with the bronchial lumen. These findings were consistent with a bronchogenic cyst.