ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC AND DOPPLER DIAGNOSIS: FIRST CASE OF ATRIAL SEPTAL ANEURYSM IN A CAT

A 6-year-old female cat developed pleural and abdominal effusion. Cardiac ultrasound and 2D color tissue Doppler imaging revealed restrictive cardiomyopathy with severe biatrial dilatation and hypertension. This cardiomyopathy was associated with atrial septal aneurysm and a patent foramen ovale. The atrial septal aneurysm involved the entire atrial septum. Necropsy and histological examination confirmed all these findings. ASA is a rare malformation and, as in this cat, it generally occurs concomitantly with congenital or acquired heart disease and may be explained by greater pressure in one atrium, leading to controlateral protrusion of the atrial septum.     

COMPARISON OF FLUID-ATTENUATED INVERSION RECOVERY AND T2-WEIGHTED MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGES IN DOGS AND CATS WITH SUSPECTED BRAIN DISEASE

To compare fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in small animal patients with suspected brain disease, paired sets of FLAIR and T2-weighted MR images of 116 dogs and cats were reviewed separately without any patient information. Images were rated as normal or abnormal using a five-point scale, and the distribution, signal intensity, and anatomic location of abnormalities were recorded. In 60 animals, both FLAIR and T2-weighted images were normal. In 50 animals, the same abnormalities were identified in both FLAIR and T2-weighted images. Overall, very good agreement was found between FLAIR and T2-weighted MR images (kappa = 0.88). FLAIR images had abnormalities that were not recognized in the corresponding T2-weighted images in six of 116 examinations (5%). In four of these, the abnormalities in FLAIR images were thought to represent pathology, including granulomatous meningoencephalitis in one dog, postictal edema in one dog, and undiagnosed lesions in two dogs. In the remaining two examinations, the abnormalities in FLAIR images were probably artifacts. No examples were found of intracranial abnormalities in T2-weighted images that were not visible in FLAIR images. In this study, acquiring FLAIR images in addition to T2-weighted images resulted in detection of otherwise occult abnormalities in relatively few patients.     

家蚕中肠酸性磷酸酶细胞化学的研究

应用超微结构酶细胞化学技术研究了家蚕幼虫中肠ＡＣＰａｓｅ 活性的亚细胞分布,结果表明ＡＣＰａｓｅ 主要分布在圆筒形细胞的细胞核内,核周围的内质网及溶酶体中,杯形细胞的细胞核、细胞底部的内褶膜上也有少量的酶活性存在。不同数量性状的蚕品种间圆筒形细胞细胞核内的ＡＣＰａｓｅ 活性分布有显著差异。     

DIURETIC RENAL SCINTIGRAPHY IN NORMAL DOGS

Diuretic renal scintigraphy is commonly used in human medicine to differentiate obstructive from nonobstructive pyelectasia. In order to determine normal parameters, 99mTc-DTPA renal scintigraphy was performed twice in 20 healthy adult Mongrel dogs. Each dog was injected with either 3.0 mg/kg furosemide or an equivalent volume of saline 4.5 min following injection of the radiopharmaceutical. The following parameters were evaluated: (1) global and individual glomerular filtration rate (GFR); (2) time of peak (TOP) of the time-activity curve (TAC); (3) shape of the TAC; (4) individual kidney excretion half-time (T1/2); (5) proportion of maximum activity measured at end of study (8 min); (6) time of onset; and (7) duration of the effect of the diuretic. Most TAC in the diuretic renography group showed a steep drop in the curve following administration of the diuretic compared with a gradual slope in the saline control group. There was a statistically significant difference in T1/2 between the control renograms (median 10.25 min, range 4.41-18.07 min) and the diuretic renograms (median 4.16 min, range 3.62-5.90 min). There was a statistically significant difference in percentage maximum activity between the control renograms (median 65.25%, range 48.27-93.68%) and the diuretic renograms (median 48.54%, range 35.64-58.76%). Median time of onset of the diuretic effect was 1.10 min (0.20-2.40 min), and median duration was 0.83 min (0.30-2.35 min).     

Malignant pheochromocytoma presenting as a bradyarrhythmia in a dog

Objective: To describe a case of atrioventricular block and syncope secondary to systemic hypertension in a dog with malignant pheochromocytoma. Case Summary: A 13‐year‐old spayed female mixed‐breed dog presented following an acute onset of collapse. The dog was hypertensive and had paradoxical high‐grade second‐degree atrioventricular block with concurrent syncope. Initial emergent therapy included a nitroprusside infusion for the systemic hypertension and vagolytic therapy for the bradyarrhythmia. A left adrenal mass was seen on abdominal ultrasound and was further characterized by MRI. Following medical stabilization with phenoxybenzamine and propantheline, a left adrenalectomy was performed. Histological diagnosis was consistent with a malignant pheochromocytoma. Following tumor removal there has been no further hypertension, atrioventricular block or syncope. Unique information provided: This is the first documented case of a malignant pheochromocytoma presenting as syncope secondary to hypertension induced atrioventricular block.     

MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING CHARACTERISTICS OF PERIPHERAL NERVE SHEATH TUMORS OF THE CANINE BRACHIAL PLEXUS IN 18 DOGS

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations from 18 dogs with a histologically confirmed peripheral nerve sheath tumor (PNST) of the brachial plexus were assessed retrospectively. Almost half (8/18) had a diffuse thickening of the brachial plexus nerve(s), six of which extended into the vertebral canal. The other 10/18 dogs had a nodule or mass in the axilla (1.2-338 cm3). Seven of those 10 masses also had diffuse nerve sheath thickening, three of which extended into the vertebral canal. The majority of tumors were hyperintense to muscle on T2-weighted images and isointense on T1-weighted images. Eight of 18 PNSTs had only minimal to mild contrast enhancement and many (13/18) enhanced heterogeneously following gadolinium DTPA administration. Transverse plane images with a large enough field of view (FOV) to include both axillae and the vertebral canal were essential, allowing in-slice comparison to detect lesions by asymmetry of structures. Higher resolution, smaller FOV, multiplanar examination of the cervicothoracic spine was important for appreciating nerve root and foraminal involvement. Short tau inversion recovery, T2-weighted, pre and postcontrast T1-weighted pulse sequences were all useful. Contrast enhancement was critical to detecting subtle diffuse nerve sheath involvement or small isointense nodules, and for accurately identifying the full extent of disease. Some canine brachial plexus tumors can be challenging to detect, requiring a rigorous multiplanar multi-pulse sequence MRI examination.     

猪传染性胃肠炎病毒S与M基因融合表达载体及IRES连接双基因共表达载体的构建

目的:研究如何提高猪传染性胃肠炎病毒(TGEV)中主要抗原基因S与M基因对猪传染性胃肠炎的免疫调节作用,进一步探究基因疫苗的有效开发途径。方法:通过两种方法应用牛β酪蛋白启动子构建S和M融合基因表达载体以及构建IRES连接M和S双基因共表达核酸疫苗载体。结论:成功构建好M和S融合基因表达载体及IRES连接的M和S双基因真核共表达载体,并为利用乳腺生物反应器生产可食性疫苗提供有效措施。     

Single nucleotide polymorphism identification, linkage and radiation hybrid mapping of the porcine pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide type I receptor gene to chromosome 18

Pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a neuropeptide with diverse biological actions. Type I PACAP receptors (PACAPR) are specific for PACAP, whereas type II and III PACAPRs are less restricted. To localize and analyse the variation of this gene, a 559‐bp long intronic fragment of the porcine PACAPR gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced in samples from five different pig breeds. One single nucleotide polymorphism was identified and its allele frequency was determined in all five breeds. Linkage analysis in a Berkshire × Yorkshire reference family placed the PACAPR gene on chromosome 18, between SW787 and S0062 (SW787– 8.1 cM –PACAPR– 3.0 cM –S0062). Radiation hybrid mapping confirmed that the PACAPR gene was linked to SW1682 on chromosome 18 (28.8 cR₃₀₀₀; LOD = 10.4).     

THE DURAL TAIL SIGN IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF MENINGIOMAS

In humans the dural tail is a sign seen on contrast enhanced T1 weighted magnetic resonance images. This finding is considered specific for meningioma. The purpose of this study was to determine how often the dural tail occurs in cats and dogs and whether it is a specific sign for meningiomas in these species. MR examinations for eighteen dogs and four cats with proven diagnoses were reviewed. Diagnoses included ten meningiomas (seven dogs and three cats), three gliomas, two pituitary tumors, single examples of two other tumor types and five patients with mass lesions due to inflammatory disease. Contrast enhanced T1 weighted images were evaluated independently by three of the authors for the presence of a dural tail, without knowledge of the diagnoses. The results were compared to the diagnosis for each patient and the performance of individual reviewers compared. When their results were averaged, the reviewers reported the presence of a dural tail in 6 of 10 (60%) meningiomas, although detection varied between observers from 40% to 80%. Each reviewer had one false positive result, two reported a dural tail with a chromophobe adenocarcinoma and one with a toxoplasma meningoencephalitis. When a dural tail is seen an associated mass is most likely a meningioma. It is uncertain whether the dural tail represents neoplastic infiltration beyond the margins of the meningioma. This should be considered when planning treatment.     

花生多胺氧化酶的组织化学定位及显微拍摄

报告了花生幼苗（苗龄为６ｄ）中多胺氧化酶的组织化学定位，并就该酶定位研究中的摄影问题提出了几点看法