Preliminary evaluation of serial (18) FDG-PET/CT to assess response to toceranib phosphate therapy in canine cancer

Palladia(TM) (toceranib phosphate-Pfizer Animal Health) is a novel orally administered receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) approved for treatment of canine mast cell tumors. Receptor tyrosine kinase dysregulation leads to tumor growth, progression, and metastasis. Toceranib's targets include vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR-2/Flk-1/KDR), platelet-derived growth factor receptor, and kit. Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) is used commonly to diagnose, prognosticate, and monitor response to antineoplastic therapy in human patients. In this study, serial PET/CT imaging with (18) F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18) FDG) was used to assess response to toceranib therapy in dogs with measurable solid malignancies. Six tumor-bearing dogs underwent tumor assessment using both standard RECIST criteria and PET/CT prior to and at a median of 5 weeks postinitiation of toceranib treatment. Toceranib was prescribed initially at a target dose 3.25 mg/kg PO q48 h, with subsequent modifications based on observed toxicity. Treatment was continued in patients achieving stable disease with acceptable drug tolerance. One dog was maintained on drug despite dose modification due to toxicity; measurable clinical and image-based responses were seen after 10 weeks of therapy. All others had stable or progressive disease based on clinical restaging and PET/CT at first recheck. . Due to discordance with anatomic and metabolic imaging, further studies are needed to investigate the role of molecular imaging in assessment of drug response and identify other potential molecular targets of toceranib.     

18% 2，4 滴微乳剂防除薇甘菊技术的研究

在广东省深圳市薇甘菊为害严重的地区设置样地,用18%2,4-滴微乳剂不同浓度进行除治试验,结果表明:400～800倍液为有效浓度,1 000～1 200倍液为有效低浓度。不同生境样地防除试验结果表明:在山坡林地带可选用400～600倍液,在丘陵植被地带和果树周边地带可选用500～800倍液,在水塘、水库、水源周边地带以及菜地、花卉、药材和植物保护区周边地带可选用800倍液以下的有效低浓度。     

C18-磁性纳米颗粒萃取虾肉中氯霉素残留

建立了一种用C18键合磁珠固相萃取虾肉中氯霉素残留的方法。在Fe3O4超顺磁性纳米颗粒的表面键合C18基团,制备双功能反相萃取颗粒。用该颗粒对样品中的氯霉素残留进行固相萃取,对结合时间、温度、磁珠用量等因素进行了优化,建立磁珠法兽药残留固相萃取方法。用标准方法(SN/T 1864-2007)对萃取所得产物进行检测。经过优化,C18键合磁珠的最佳萃取条件为50℃结合5 min,用1 mL甲醇洗脱3次。检测结果显示该方法具有良好的精密度和回收率。在0.1～10μg/kg之间具有良好的线性关系,相关系数为0.9941,检出限为0.1μg/kg。该方法灵敏度高、重现性好、准确度高,可满足虾肉中氯霉素残留检测的需要。     

猪水肿病大肠杆菌F18ab菌毛A亚单位与志贺样毒素Ⅱ型变异体A亚单位的联合表达

扩增、克隆和表达了水肿病大肠杆菌的致病因子F18ab 菌毛的主要亚单位FedA全基因(包括信号肽序列),并与现有的另一致病因子志贺样毒素Ⅱ型变异体A亚单位基因(stx 2eA)连接,然后进行联合表达。同时用已制备的抗Stx 2eA 单克隆抗体和抗F18ab菌毛单克隆抗体对联合表达的融合蛋白质进行检测鉴定。     

Assessing the relationship between patch type and soil mites: A molecular approach

An urgent need exists for indicators of soil health and patch functionality in extensive rangelands that can be measured efficiently and at low cost. Soil mites are candidate indicators, but their identification and handling is so specialised and time-consuming that their inclusion in routine monitoring is unlikely. The aim of this study was to measure the relationship between patch type and mite assemblages using a conventional approach. An additional aim was to determine if a molecular approach traditionally used for soil microbes could be adapted for soil mites to overcome some of the bottlenecks associated with soil fauna diversity assessment. Soil mite species abundance and diversity were measured using conventional ecological methods in soil from patches with perennial grass and litter cover (PGL), and compared to soil from bare patches with annual grasses and/or litter cover (BAL). Soil mite assemblages were also assessed using a molecular method called terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis. The conventional data showed a relationship between patch type and mite assemblage. The Prostigmata and Oribatida were well represented in the PGL sites, particularly the Aphelacaridae (Oribatida). For T-RFLP analysis, the mite community was represented by a series of DNA fragment lengths that reflected mite sequence diversity. The T-RFLP data showed a distinct difference in the mite assemblage between the patch types. Where possible, T-RFLP peaks were matched to mite families using a reference 18S rDNA database, and the Aphelacaridae prevalent in the conventional samples at PGL sites were identified, as were prostigmatids and oribatids. We identified limits to the T-RFLP approach and this included an inability to distinguish some species whose DNA sequences were similar. Despite these limitations, the data still showed a clear difference between sites, and the molecular taxonomic inferences also compared well with the conventional ecological data. The results from this study indicated that the T-RFLP approach was effective in measuring mite assemblages in this system. The power of this technique lies in the fact that species diversity and abundance data can be obtained quickly because of the time taken to process hundreds of samples, from soil DNA extraction to data output on the gene analyser, can be as little as 4 days.     

Prevalence of Cryptosporidium species isolated from HIV/AIDS patients in southwest of Iran

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and species of Cryptosporidium among HIV/AIDS patients in southwest of Iran. Two hundred fifty faecal samples from HIV patients were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts using a conventional coproscopic approach. Such oocysts were detected in 18 (7.2%) out of 250 faecal samples. Genomic DNAs from 250 samples were then subjected to a nested-PCR-RFLP technique targeting different loci of 18S rRNA gene for species identification. Out of 250 samples, 27 (10.8%) were positive for different Cryptosporidium spp; Restriction patterns resulting from the digestion of the nested amplicon with restriction endonucleases VspI and SspI showed that C. parvum (70.38%) was the most prevalent species, followed by C. hominis (25.92%) and C. meleagridis (3.7%), respectively. The mean CD4+ T-cell count was 215 cells/μL. There was a strong association between cryptosporidiosis and CD4+ T-cell count (P = 0.000) with the highest prevalence recorded among patients with CD4+ T-cell count < 200 cells/μL. This confirms that there is a low opportunity for this parasite to get established as the patients CD4+ T-cell count increases. Also HIV infection increased the risk of having Cryptosporidium. Our epidemiological findings are useful for any preventive intervention to control disease diffusion.     

北极狐白介素-18基因的克隆与序列分析

根据GenBank中登录的犬白介素-18（IL-18）基因序列,设计了1对特异性引物。将北极狐外周血淋巴细胞经植物血凝素（PHA）诱导,用TRIzol裂解,提取总RNA,通过反转录聚合酶链式反应（RT—PCR）扩增狐狸IL-18基因,连接pMD18-T载体,转化DH5d感受态细胞,获得阳性重组质粒。核苷酸测序结果显示,获得的基因序列全长590bp,含582bp的开放阅读框,编码193个氨基酸,与已知犬IL-18序列的同源性高达98．7％,氨基酸同源性为96．4％。     

猪带绦虫45W-4BX和TSOL18的高效表达及免疫效果研究

RT-PCR扩增45W-4B和TSOL18基因,PCR截去45W-4B基因的N端信号肽和C端疏水氨基酸序列形成45W-4BX。将45W-4BX和TSOL18 PCR产物分别亚克隆人pGEX-4T-1,用IPTG诱导表达,取产物进行SDS-PAGE和Western blot分析。纯化表达产物制成油佐剂疫苗分别免疫家猪,用25000枚猪带绦虫成熟虫卵进行攻击感染,ELISA检测各组的抗体水平,90d后剖检计算各组的减虫率。结果表明,45W-4BX和TSOL18基因在大肠杆菌中分别以可溶性和包涵体形式获得高效表达,并能被囊虫病人血清所识别。重组蛋白免疫猪15d血清抗体即为阳性,30d左右达到峰值。2种重组抗原的减虫率均在88％以上,与囊虫粗抗原免疫效果相当。这为进一步研制基于45W-4BX和TSOL18的猪囊虫重组基因工程疫苗奠定了基础。     

Occurrence of fatal canine Angiostrongylus vasorum infection in Italy

A total of 469 fecal samples were collected from American minks (Mustela vison) on a farm in Hebei Province in China and examined for Cryptosporidium by Sheather's sugar flotation technique and 8 Cryptosporidim isolates were obtained. The partial 18S rRNA, 70 kDa heat shock protein (HSP70), Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein (COWP) and actin genes of six isolates were sequenced. Sequence data were analyzed together with known Cryptosporidium spp. and genotypes. Results of this multi-locus genetic characterization indicated that the six Cryptosporidium isolates in this study shared the same sequences of the genes studied and were different from known Cryptosporidium species and genotypes. The closest relative was Cryptosporidium ferret genotype with 7, 22, 2 and 2 nucleotide differences in the 18S rRNA, HSP70, COWP and actin genes, respectively. The homology to ferret genotype at the 18S rRNA locus was 99.1%, which is comparable to that between C. parvum and C. hominis (99.2%), or between C. muris and C. andersoni (99.4%). Therefore, the Cryptosporidium in minks in this study is considered a new genotype, the Cryptosporidium mink genotype.