猪脑微血管内皮细胞和星型胶质细胞共培养模拟体外血脑屏障模型

血脑屏障是隔离外周体循环和中枢神经系统的屏障结构.它可以选择性允许血液中的一些物质通过脑微血管内皮细胞进入大脑中.除了脑微血管内皮细胞之外,血脑屏障的组成主要还有星型胶质细胞、周细胞、神经元和细胞外基质.本试验通过原代培养猪脑微血管内皮细胞和星型胶质细胞,以Transwell细胞板为载体构建猪体外血脑屏障的共培养模型.经过4h渗漏试验和TEER电阻的测定试验显示所构建的猪体外血脑屏障的模型具备了血脑屏障基本的生物学特性,可以用于猪血脑屏障相关疾病尤其是人兽共患性疾病致病机制的研究.     

长蛸脑显微结构及视腺的超微结构

为研究长蛸神经系统结构及神经调控机制,通过解剖学和石蜡组织切片技术对长蛸的脑部结构进行观察。结果显示,以食道为参照,根据所处位置将脑分为3部分:食道上神经团、食道下神经团以及位于食道上下神经团两侧的视叶区。食道上神经团包含垂直叶、上额叶、下额叶、前基底叶和后基底叶,食道下神经团包含腕叶、足叶、巨细胞叶、色素细胞叶、内脏叶、外套内脏叶和血管舒缩叶,视叶区包含视神经、视叶、视腺、嗅叶、脑脚叶和视神经束。采用石蜡组织切片、光镜和透射电镜技术对视腺进行显微和超显微结构观察,结果发现视腺外有一层结缔组织包裹,位于视神经束区上,与嗅叶和脑脚叶相邻;内部可观察到大量分泌细胞,细胞核较大,直径范围为4～8μm;分泌细胞含有丰富的粗面内质网、高尔基体及高尔基体分泌的分泌小泡与大泡。研究表明,长蛸视腺结构特征与曼氏无针乌贼和真蛸的高度相似。     

4种鲌脑形态度量的比较研究

对鲌属翘嘴鲐（Culter albunms）、蒙古鲌C．mongolicus）、达氏鲌（C．dabryi）和原鲌属红鳍原鲌（Cultrichthys erythropterus）脑形态进行度量学及判别函数分析。结果表明：鲌属与原鲌属鱼类脑形态差异主要表现在小脑大小、嗅束长等,达氏鲌与翘嘴鲌、蒙古鲌脑形态差异主要表现在小脑及端脑大小。脑形态度量的聚类分析结果与依据表型性状进行的分类结果相一致,形态度量可作为对生态位相近的鱼类间的脑形态区分的一种有效方法。     

CEREBRAL VENTRICULAR SIZE IN DEVELOPING NORMAL KITTENS MEASURED BY ULTRASONOGRAPHY

To evaluate the age of fontanelle closure of normal kittens and the size of their lateral ventricles, 50 ultrasonographic examinations using the bregmatic fontanelle as an acoustic window were made. Seven kittens, laboratory animals, were included in the study. To verify the location of the lateral ventricle, two of the kittens were sacrificed as neonates. In one of them ink was injected prior to autopsy into one lateral ventricle under sonographic guidance. In a longitudinal study of five of the kittens, the skull depth and the depth of the central part of the lateral ventricle reproduced in a longitudinal view could be measured up to the age of about 5 months. During that period, the skull depth increased from a median value of 1.95 cm (1.92-1.98) in a seven-day-old cat to 2.58 cm (2.52-2.59) in a 154-day-old cat, while the afore-mentioned ventricle values increased from 0.3 mm to 1.1 mm.     

The Elekta Fraxion™ system is not suitable for maxillary fixation in canine conformal radiation therapy techniques

In this prospective, exploratory study, we evaluated the positioning accuracy in a group of 15 dogs undergoing fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for tumors affecting the head, using a modified human maxillary fixation device (Elekta Fraxion? system). Positioning was assessed using on‐board volumetric imaging, with a six‐degrees‐of‐freedom image registration technique. Prior to treatment delivery, CBCT images were obtained and patient alignment was corrected, in both translational and rotational planes, using a six‐degrees‐of‐freedom robotic patient positioning system (HexaPOD Evo RT System). The maximum angular inter‐fraction motions observed were 6.1° (yaw), 10.9° (pitch), and 4.5° (roll). The mean systematic translational errors were 4.7, 2.6, and 2.3 mm, mean random translational errors were 3.0, 2.2, and 2.5 mm, and mean overall translational errors were 2.4, 0.7, and 2.3 mm in the cranial‐caudal, lateral, and dorsal‐ventral directions, respectively. The mean systematic rotational errors were 1.17°, 0.77°, and 1.43°, the mean rotational random errors were 1.65°, 1.46°, and 1.34° and the mean overall rotational errors were 0.56°, 0.22°, and 0.29° in the yaw, pitch, and roll directions, respectively. The mean error of the three‐dimensional vector was 6.9 mm with a standard deviation of 3.8 mm. Ninety‐five percent of the three‐dimensional vectors were <14.8 mm. This study demonstrates that this maxillary fixation device relies on six‐degrees‐of‐freedom registration and an ability to apply corrections using a six‐degrees‐of‐freedom couch for accurate patient positioning and tumor targeting. Its use in conformal radiation therapy in dogs is not recommended.     

Contrast-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion recovery vs. contrast-enhanced spin echo T1-weighted brain imaging

In humans, contrast-enhanced fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging plays an important role in detecting brain disease. The aim of this study was to define the clinical utility of contrast-enhanced FLAIR imaging by comparing the results with those with contrast-enhanced spin echo T1-weighted images (SE T1WI) in animals with different brain disorders. Forty-one dogs and five cats with a clinical suspicion of brain disease and 30 normal animals (25 dogs and five cats) were evaluated using a 0.2 T permanent magnet. Before contrast medium injection, spin echo T1-weighted, SE T1WI, and FLAIR sequences were acquired in three planes. SE T1WI and FLAIR images were also acquired after gadolinium injection. Sensitivity in detecting the number, location, margin, and enhancement pattern and rate were evaluated. No lesions were found in a normal animal. In affected animals, 48 lesions in 34 patients were detected in contrast-enhanced SE T1WI whereas 81 lesions in 44 patients were detected in contrast-enhanced FLAIR images. There was no difference in the characteristics of the margins or enhancement pattern of the detected lesions. The objective enhancement rate, the mean value between lesion-to-white matter ratio and lesion-to-gray matter ratio, although representing an overlap of T1 and T2 effects and not pure contrast medium shortening of T1 relaxation, was better in contrast-enhanced FLAIR images. These results suggest a superiority of contrast-enhanced FLAIR images as compared with contrast-enhanced SE T1WI in detecting enhancing brain lesions.     

Eosinophilic cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis associated with neural Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in a dog

A 1‐year‐old, female intact Pug dog was presented to the Small Animal Teaching Hospital of the University of Liverpool with a 4‐week history of progressive multifocal intracranial signs. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) detected multiple hemorrhagic lesions in the brain. The Baermann and zinc sulfate flotation tests with centrifugation, performed on fecal samples, were positive for lungworm larvae and an antigenic test confirmed Angiostrongylus vasorum infection. Anthelmintic treatment was started with a consequent marked clinical improvement. Seventy days later, the dog was clinically normal, and no larvae were detected on the Baermann test. Repeat MRI of the brain revealed marked improvement of the hemorrhagic lesions. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis (CSF) showed marked eosinophilic pleocytosis, and anthelmintic treatment was restarted. A follow‐up CSF analysis 4 months after the first presentation revealed resolution of the eosinophilic pleocytosis. This is the first case report of marked eosinophilic pleocytosis associated with neural A vasorum infection in a dog. The CSF eosinophilic pleocytosis persisted for several weeks after treatment, even in the absence of concurrent clinical signs and with a negative A vasorum Baermann test.