Clinical findings and outcomes of ulcerative keratomycosis in 30 horses in the mid‐Atlantic United States (2006–2007)

The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical course and outcome associated with keratomycosis in horses in the mid‐Atlantic USA. Records of horses diagnosed with keratomycosis at New Bolton Center from November 2006 to November 2007 with positive fungal culture were retrospectively studied. Neither horses with ulcerative keratitis and a negative fungal culture nor those with stromal abscesses were included. Subject details, history, clinical findings, therapy and outcome were recorded. Thirty horses fitted both inclusion criteria (diagnosis of keratomycosis and positive corneal fungal culture). Fourteen of 30 cases occurred during summer. Aspergillus was the most commonly cultured fungal genus (17/30, or 57%) followed by Alternaria (4/30). Seventeen horses had positive bacterial and fungal cultures. Fifteen of 30 horses were treated surgically by a keratectomy and amnion (8) or conjunctival (7) graft. Itraconazole was the most common topical anti‐fungal therapy and was utilised in 25/30 horses. Globe survival was 97% (29/30). All surviving globes had a positive menace response and were visual at the last examination. It was concluded that in the mid‐Atlantic USA, fungal keratitis is common, has the highest incidence in summer, and is usually associated with a positive outcome. Aspergillus may be a relatively more common corneal pathogen in this region than elsewhere in the USA. Surgical cases were more likely to have fungal hyphae identified on cytology and tended to be hospitalised longer than medical cases. There was no apparent association between surgical disease and all other patient, organism and treatment variables.     

人工践踏对无土草坪基质的影响

本试验采用人工践踏的方式,研究了不同组合配比的基质对无土草坪耐践踏性的影响。结果表明,良好的无土草坪基质配比及适合的厚度是保证无土草坪优良的耐践踏性及观赏性的关键。本试验中,草坪草生长基质层和弹性材料层均为25 mm,结构合理、厚度适中,克服了现有草坪基质薄、持水力差的缺点。在相同践踏强度下,能维持较高水平的草层高度、草坪盖度和草坪草分蘖数,分别达到了5.14 cm、97.60%和123.97 个·dm-2,且停止践踏后草坪质量能快速恢复。均匀混合的草坪草生长基质层和弹性材料层,在厚度一致的前提下并不耐践踏,实际效果不好。土壤坪床的处理效果最差。因此,具有独立的草坪草生长基质层和弹性材料层且厚度适中的基质,适用于生产耐践踏性好的无土草坪。     

Analysis of KIT expression and KIT exon 11 mutations in canine oral malignant melanomas

KIT, a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase, is one of the specific targets for anti-cancer therapy. In humans, its expression and mutations have been identified in malignant melanomas and therapies using molecular-targeted agents have been promising in these tumours. As human malignant melanoma, canine malignant melanoma is a fatal disease with metastases and the poor response has been observed with all standard protocols. In our study, KIT expression and exon 11 mutations in dogs with histologically confirmed malignant oral melanomas were evaluated. Although 20 of 39 cases were positive for KIT protein, there was no significant difference between KIT expression and overall survival. Moreover, polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of KIT exon 11 in 17 samples did not detect any mutations and proved disappointing. For several reasons, however, KIT expression and mutations of various exons including exon 11 should be investigated in more cases.     

益生素雏鸡新城疫疫苗免疫后局部黏膜组织T淋巴细胞数量变化

100只艾维因雏鸡随机分成益生素组、新城疫(ND)疫苗免疫组、益生素ND疫苗组和对照组,采用组织石蜡切片及酸性a-醋酸萘酯酶(acid nonspecifica-naphthyl acetate esterase,ANAE)染色法分别测定ND疫苗首次免疫后第0、7、14、28天和第42天各组雏鸡盲肠扁桃体、哈德尔氏腺、十二指肠和回肠派伊尔结T淋巴细胞数量的动态变化,结果发现:益生素ND疫苗免疫雏鸡,ND疫苗单独免疫雏鸡上述免疫组织T淋巴细胞数量于ND疫苗免疫后14d明显高于未免疫的对照雏鸡和益生素雏鸡;益生素ND疫苗免疫雏鸡又不同程度高于ND疫苗单独免疫雏鸡;益生素单独应用雏鸡上述被检指标高于对照雏鸡.表明益生素可增强雏鸡消化道和呼吸道局部黏膜组织的细胞免疫及对ND疫苗的免疫应答.     

苦参苍术口服液的抗炎与止泻作用研究

为研究苦参苍术口服液的抗炎、止泻作用,观察了不同剂量苦参苍术口服液对二甲苯致小鼠耳肿胀及蓖麻油致小鼠腹泻的影响。结果显示,苦参苍术口服液能抑制二甲苯导致的小鼠耳肿胀,减轻蓖麻油造成的小鼠腹泻,并呈剂量依赖关系（P〈0．05）,提示其具有明显的抗炎和止泻作用。该试验可为参苍术口服液的进一步研究与临床应用提供参考。     

Oral vaccination of brushtail possums (Trichosurus vulpecula) with BCG: immune responses,persistence of BCG in lymphoid organs and excretion in faeces

AIMS: To determine immune responses, and the localisation and persistence of Mycobacterium bovis bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT) and other organs in possums vaccinated orally with lipid-formulated BCG vaccine. To determine the duration of excretion and longevity of survival of BCG in the faeces of vaccinated animals.

METHODS: Possums (n=28) were vaccinated with lipid-formulated BCG (1 x 10 ⁸ colony forming units (cfu) of formulated BCG) by the oral route. Control possums (n=17) were fed oral bait pellets containing formulation medium only. Possums were sacrificed at 3 days and at 1, 3, 6 and 8 weeks after vaccination or ingestion of bait. Proliferation responses to bovine purified protein derivative (PPD) were measured in lymphocytes from blood and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and samples of lung, spleen, liver, MLN and Peyer's patches (PP) were cultured for the presence of BCG. The number of BCG organisms excreted in faeces and the duration of excretion were determined in eight vaccinated possums and eight control possums over a 3-week period. In a separate experiment, a further six possums were vaccinated with oral BCG vaccine (5–10 x 10 ⁸ cfu BCG/possum) and their faeces collected over 48–72 h, for culture of BCG. The longevity of survival of BCG in these faeces was determined by storing faecal samples (n=12) under three different conditions: in an incubator (22.5°C), and conditions which simulated the forest floor and open pasture. A proportion (1–2 g) of these faecal samples was collected after storage for 1, 3, 5, 8 or 20 weeks, and cultured for BCG.

RESULTS: Possums vaccinated orally with BCG vaccine showed strong proliferation responses to bovine PPD in peripheral blood lymphocytes at 6–8 weeks post-vaccination (p.v.). Positive lymphocyte proliferation assay (LPA) responses to bovine PPD were first evident in MLN at 3 weeks p.v. BCG was cultured from MLN and PP in a proportion of animals at 3–8 weeks p.v. BCG was not cultured from sections of spleen, lung or liver at any time p.v. BCG was recovered in low to moderate numbers from the faeces of vaccinated possums for up to 7 days, and maximal numbers were cultured in faeces collected 48–72 h p.v. After storage for 1 week, BCG was cultured from all faecal samples placed in the incubator and from a proportion of faeces exposed to conditions similar to those on the forest floor and pasture. With the exception of one faecal sample stored under forest floor conditions which was culture-positive for BCG at 3 and 5 weeks, BCG was not cultured from any other faecal sample stored for more than 1 week.

CONCLUSIONS: Ingestion of oral BCG vaccine by possums was associated with the development of strong cell-mediated immunity in both blood and MLN. Following oral vaccination with BCG, the organisms were localised and persisted in GALT but did not spread to the spleen, liver or lungs. BCG was shed in low to moderate numbers in the faeces for up to 7 days p.v. The viability of BCG excreted in faeces decreased rapidly, particularly when faeces were exposed to an open pasture environment. Oral vaccination of possums with formulated BCG is unlikely to result in undue contamination of the environment with BCG.     

Induction of immune tolerance to caseins and whey proteins by oral intubation in mouse allergy model

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of oral tolerance of caseins (CSN) and whey proteins (WP) in alleviating the allergic response to cow's milk proteins in Swiss albino mice raised on a milk protein–free diet. Oral tolerance was induced by feeding mice with 20 mg of CSN or WP once in a day for 4 days consecutively before immunization with respective protein by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections (20 μg 200 per μl of PBS) using 2% of alum Al(OH)₃ as adjuvant. Three weeks later, oral tolerance induction was analysed in humoral and cellular compartments of CSN‐ and WP‐fed versus saline‐fed control mice groups by measuring seric and intestinal antibody responses, mRNA abundance in splenic tissue and cytokine secretion patterns. The specific serum immunoglobulin‐E (IgE) levels were significantly suppressed (p < 0.05), while sIgA was enhanced in these groups when compared with their respective saline‐fed mice. Moreover, the mRNA levels of interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) and interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) in both CSN‐ and WP‐tolerized mice were found to be significantly decreased, while the abundance of interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) and transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) was increased significantly, as compared to respective control groups. Finally, cytokine profiles indicated a reciprocal decrease in IL‐4 and IFN‐γ versus an increase in IL‐10 secretions in supernatants of cultured splenocytes of tolerized mice. Taken together, these results clearly showed that oral administration of cows' milk caseins and whey proteins can induce significant hyposensitization in mice, with the participation of suppressor cytokines.     

Effect of magnitude and direction of force on laryngeal abduction: Implications for the nerve‐muscle pedicle graft technique

Reasons for performing study: The nerve‐muscle pedicle graft technique is a treatment for recurrent laryngeal neuropathy (RLN), but the optimal placement of the pedicles within the cricoarytenoideus dorsalis (CAD) muscle is unknown. Hypothesis: The magnitude and direction of force placed on the muscular process of the left arytenoid cartilage affects the magnitude of laryngeal abduction. Methods: Five larynges were harvested from cadavers. Using increments of 0.98 N, a dead‐weight force generator applied a force of 0–14.7 N for 1 min each to the left muscular process at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70° angles. The rima glottis was photographed digitally 1 min after each force had been applied. Distances between biomarkers (Lines 1–4) and right to left angle quotient (RLQ) were used to assess the degree of left arytenoid abduction. Results: Increasing force from 0–14.7 N progressively and significantly increased the length of all lines and RLQ, indicating abduction. Furthermore, there was a significant interaction between force and angles. Applying forces of 7.84 N or greater (Lines 2–4 and RLQ) or 11.76 N or greater (Line 1) at angles 0, 10, 20 and 30° resulted in significantly greater abduction than applying the same forces at 40, 50, 60 and 70°. Angles of 0–30° correspond with the direction of pull exerted by the lateral compartment of the CAD muscle. Conclusion: In RLN, nerve‐muscle pedicle grafts should be placed preferentially in the lateral rather than in the medial compartment of the CAD muscle. Potential relevance: The information presented can be used to assist surgeons in the planning and application of the nerve‐muscle pedicle graft procedure.     

自由基在二恶英毒性机理中的作用及其清除剂的保护效应研究

本试验使用清洁级SD大鼠54只,雌雄不限,体重250±20 g,随机分成3组:Ⅰ组为正常对照组,腹腔注射等量0.3 m lM DSO;Ⅱ组为二恶英(TCDD)染毒组,染毒剂量为50μg/kg;Ⅲ组为染毒TCDD加自由基清除剂保护组。每组18只,TCDD溶于二甲基亚砜(DM SO)中,质量浓度为25μg/m l。分别在24、48和72 h后,处死动物,制备肝匀浆组织和肝线粒体膜,通过对SD大鼠肝脏中抗氧化酶还原型谷胱苷肽(g lu tath ione,G SH)、总抗氧化能力(tota l an tiox idative capac ity,T-AOC)、还原型谷胱苷肽过氧化物酶(g lu tath ione perox idase,G SH-Px)、超氧化物歧化酶(superox ide d im u tase,SOD)活性及丙二醛(m a lond ia ldehyde,M DA)含量变化和线粒体膜磷脂酶A2(PLA2)活性变化的研究,从自由基角度揭示TCDD的毒性机制及清除剂G的保护效应。TCDD染毒急性清洁级SD大鼠后,诱生过多的自由基,消耗机体内酶性和非酶性的自由基清除剂,引起机体内自由基积累对肝脏造成脂质过氧化作用,膜酶受损,致使整个细胞稳态被扰乱;清除剂G可以通过减少自由基的大量产生而间接抑制PLA2活性的增强,保护膜的结构和功能,具有稳膜效应,减轻TCDD对膜的损伤,并维持磷脂组分的稳定。