Intracardiac foreign body in a dog

A dog that was referred to the University of Florida Veterinary Medical Center was discovered to have a bamboo skewer within the right atrium and right ventricle, traversing the tricuspid valve. The skewer was ingested approximately four months prior to referral and was partially removed via gastrotomy. The presenting complaint at the time of referral included coagulopathy, anemia and leukocytosis. A linear, hyperechoic structure was identified in the right heart during an echocardiogram. The foreign body was suspected to be a portion of the skewer that the patient had previously ingested. Cardiopulmonary bypass was performed and the foreign body was removed successfully. Complications following surgery included the development of tricuspid valve and ventricular wall thrombi, atrial flutter and amiodarone toxicity. Many indications have been described in the veterinary literature for cardiopulmonary bypass. However, to the best of the authors' knowledge, successful removal of an intracardiac foreign body with cardiopulmonary bypass has not been reported in a veterinary patient. This represents a new indication for cardiopulmonary bypass in veterinary medicine.     

Effect of Xingnao enema fluid on brain injury and IL-33/ST2 signaling pathway in rats after cardiopulmonary resuscitation

AIM: To study the effects of Xingnao enema fluid on brain injury and IL-33/ST2 signaling pathway in rats after cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and to explore the brain protective effect and mechanism of Xingnao enema fluid. METHODS: SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, model group, low-dose (5 mL/kg), middle-dose (10 mL/kg) and high-dose (20 mL/kg) Xingnao enema liquid groups, and ulinastatin group, with 12 rats in each group. Except for the rats in sham operation group, the rats in other groups were used to establish the model of cardiopulmonary resuscitation and were treated with Xingnao enema fluid and ulinastatin. Seven days later, all rats were scored for neurological deficit. The rats were sacrificed, and the water content of brain tissues was calculated. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to detect the pathological changes of brain tissues of the rats in each group. The levels of super-oxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were detected in the brain tissue. The levels of S100 calcium bin-ding protein beta subunit (S100β) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in serum, and interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in brain tissue were measured by ELISA. The expression of interleukin-33 (IL-33) and growth stimulation expressed gene 2 (ST2) in brain tissue was determined by Western blot. RESULTS: Compared with sham operation group, the brain tissue of model group showed tissue disorder, focal hemorrhage, neuronal nucleus contraction, apoptosis and other pathological changes, and the neurological deficit score was increased. The water content of brain tissue, the le-vels of S100β, NSE, MDA, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-33 and ST2 were significantly increased, and the level of SOD decreased significantly (P<0.05). Compared with model group, the pathological damage of brain tissue in low-, middle- and high-dose Xingnao encma fluid groups and ulinastatin group was reduced, and the neurological deficit score was decreased. The water content of brain tissue, levels of S100β, NSE, MDA, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-33 and ST2 were significantly decreased, and the level of SOD was increased significantly (P<0.05). There was a dose-dependent relationship in different doses of Xingnao enema fluid groups, and no significant difference between high-dose Xingnao enema fluid group and ulinastatin group was observed (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Xingnao enema fluid repairs brain injury in rats after cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and down-regulation of IL-33/ST2 signaling pathway may be its mechanism.     

猪ZAR1基因变异及其对产仔数的影响

根据合子阻滞因子1(zygotearrest 1,ZAR1)基因GenBank的DNA序列(DQ231443,gi:83727928)设计2对引物,用直接测序和PCR-SSCP相结合的方法,进行单核苷酸多态性(single nucleotide polymorphism,SNP)检测,分析该基因在5个品种猪(小梅山、清平、杜洛克、长白和大白)中变异特征及其与产仔数的相关性。测序后在内含子2、3和外显子3中存在6个SNP及在内含子3中存在1处5bp的插入/缺失变异。在5个品种猪群中,对外显子3中的第54碱基处C→T突变(Exon3-BstUⅠ)和内含子3中的5个碱基插入/缺失的变异(Intron3-TspRⅠ)进行了PCR-RFLP检测,并与产仔数进行了关联分析,结果表明,Exon3-BstUⅠ多态对杜洛克母猪第1胎和2胎总产仔数产生显著(P<0.05)影响,对经产母猪总产仔数产生极显著(P<0.01)影响,对经产母猪的产活仔数影响极显著(P<0.01),携带CC基因型母猪的产仔数均高于TT基因型的;Intron3-TspRⅠ多态对杜洛克母猪第1胎和经产胎次总产仔数和产活仔数有显著(P<0.05)影响,NN基因型高于MN和MM基因型的产仔数。     

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation in small animal medicine: an update

In December 2005, the American Heart Association published new guidelines for cardiopulmonary cerebral resuscitation (CPCR) in humans for the 1st time in 5 years. Many of the recommendations are based on research conducted in animal species and may be applicable to small animal veterinary patients. One important change that may impact how CPCR is performed in veterinary medicine is the recommendation to avoid administration of excessive ventilatory rates because this maneuver severely decreases myocardial and cerebral perfusion, decreasing the chance of survival. The new guidelines also emphasize the importance of providing well-executed, continuous, uninterrupted chest compressions. Interruption of chest compressions should be avoided and, if necessary, should be minimized to <10 seconds. During defibrillation, immediate resumption of chest compressions for 2 minutes after a single shock, before reassessment of the rhythm by ECG, is recommended. This recommendation replaces previous recommendations for the delivery of 3 defibrillatory shocks in rapid succession. Allowing permissive hypothermia postresuscitation has been found to be beneficial and may increase success rate. Medications utilized in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, including amiodarone, atropine, epinephrine, lidocaine, and vasopressin, along with the indications, effects, routes of administration, and dosages, are discussed. The application of the new guidelines to veterinary medicine as well as a review of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in small animals is provided.     

Identification of Eusynstyelamide B as a Potent Cell Cycle Inhibitor Following the Generation and Screening of an Ascidian-Derived Extract Library Using a Real Time Cell Analyzer

Ascidians are marine invertebrates that have been a source of numerous cytotoxic compounds. Of the first six marine-derived drugs that made anticancer clinical trials, three originated from ascidian specimens. In order to identify new anti-neoplastic compounds, an ascidian extract library (143 samples) was generated and screened in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells using a real-time cell analyzer (RTCA). This resulted in 143 time-dependent cell response profiles (TCRP), which are read-outs of changes to the growth rate, morphology, and adhesive characteristics of the cell culture. Twenty-one extracts affected the TCRP of MDA-MB-231 cells and were further investigated regarding toxicity and specificity, as well as their effects on cell morphology and cell cycle. The results of these studies were used to prioritize extracts for bioassay-guided fractionation, which led to the isolation of the previously identified marine natural product, eusynstyelamide B (1). This bis-indole alkaloid was shown to display an IC₅₀ of 5 µM in MDA-MB-231 cells. Moreover, 1 caused a strong cell cycle arrest in G2/M and induced apoptosis after 72 h treatment, making this molecule an attractive candidate for further mechanism of action studies.     

关于西气东输工程管道止裂问题的思考

管道的断裂分为脆性断裂和延性断裂两大类,随着理论研究的深入和冶金工业的发展,脆性断裂问题已基本解决。而在输送压力和钢材等级提高以后,延性断裂及其止裂成为主要的研究领域。对于止裂问题,着重阐述了缺陷的允许值及临界裂纹长度与起裂、管道止裂的Rudinger试验、Battelle止裂试验和止裂条件,以及定货规范中对CVN值的要求等理论问题。根据我国目前有关止裂问题的理论与实际研究现状,提出了深入开展止裂研究的若干重大建议以及管道试压介质选择必须注意的问题。     

输卵管上皮细胞共培养促进小鼠早期胚胎发育机理的探索

为研究输卵管上皮细胞对小鼠早期胚胎发育质量及胚胎对共培养细胞活力和基因转录量的影响,探索输卵管上皮细胞共培养促进小鼠早期胚胎发育的机理,建立纯化的小鼠输卵管上皮细胞系并对合子进行共培养,用DCHFDA测定胚胎内部的H2 O2含量,以MTT法测定输卵管上皮细胞活力,用RT-PCR检测CAT及GPX的转录状况.结果表明:1)共培养能够提高2-细胞早期、4-细胞期胚胎发育率(0.951 3％ VS 0.903 3％,0.857 6％ VS0.700 5％,P＜0.05)和囊胚发育率(0.537 9％ VS 0.573 3％,P＞0.05);2)2-细胞早期胚胎内部的H2 O2含量显著降低(0.047 9 VS 0.068 2,P＜0.05);3)Ⅰ和Ⅱ型阻滞胚胎的比例降低(0.158 3％ VS 0.192 6％,0.213 3％ VS0.433 9％,P＞0.05),Ⅲ型阻滞胚胎的比例提高(0.621 6％ VS 0.373 3％,P＜0.05);4)共培养细胞活性上升(0.216 7 VS0.195 7,P＞0.05);5)CAT及GPX的转录量增加(1.202 0 VS0.984 9,1.310 1 VS 0.998 3,P＞0.05).结果显示输卵管上皮细胞共培养通过增强自身的抗氧化能力,利用细胞-细胞间的相互作用降低胚胎细胞内部的活性氧,提高胚胎质量,促进胚胎发育.     

Smenospongine,a Sesquiterpene Aminoquinone from a Marine Sponge,Induces G1 Arrest or Apoptosis in Different Leukemia Cells

Smenospongine, a sesquiterpene aminoquinone isolated from the marine sponge Dactylospongia elegans, was previously reported by us to induce erythroid differentiation and G1 phase arrest of K562 chronic myelogenous leukemia cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of smenospongine on the cell cycles of other leukemia cells, including HL60 human acute promyelocytic leukemia cells and U937 human histiocytic lymphoma cells by flow cytometric analysis. Smenospongine induced apoptosis dose-dependently in HL60 and U937 cells. The smenospongine treatment increased expression of p21 and inhibited phosphorylation of Rb in K562 cells, suggesting the p21-Rb pathway play an important role in G1 arrest in K562 cells. However, the p21 promoter was not activated by the smenospongine treatment based on a luciferase assay using the transfected K562 cells. Smenospongine might induce p21 expression via another mechanism than transactivation of p21 promoter.