Conservative Management of a Cervical Vertebral Fracture in a Gelding

The presentation, diagnostic evaluation, treatment, and 5 years follow-up of a 12-year-old Arabian-Saddlebred cross gelding with neck pain and stiffness, attributable to a fracture of the third cervical vertebrae (C3), is described. Initial cervical spinal radiographs revealed a concave defect in the ventral aspect of the cranial end plate of C3. However, both this finding and ultrasonographic imaging of the area were inconclusive for a fracture. Nuclear scintigraphy revealed that the lesion was metabolically active, prompting computed tomographic imaging that revealed a fracture of C3. Sequential radiographs documented progressive fusion of C2-C3 and no neurological deficits developed over the 5 years after the injury. Cervical vertebral injuries in horses can lead to various clinical signs including ataxia, weakness, and neck stiffness or pain. Diagnosis with cervical radiographs alone can be challenging and, in some cases as the horse in this report, multiple imaging modalities may be required to establish a definitive diagnosis. Horses without neurological signs may recover successfully with conservative medical management, which was performed in this case.     

A BOOST TECHNIQUE FOR IRRADIATION OF MALIGNANT CANINE NASAL TUMORS

Eighteen dogs with malignant nasal cavity tumors were treated with radiation therapy, including a boost technique. Three 3:0 Gy boost doses were added to a treatment protocol consisting of sixteen 3.0 Gy daily fractions, bringing the total dose to 57 Gy. This boost technique was implemented without an associated increase in overall treatment time by giving the boost doses on a twice-a-day basis. Boost doses were given during the first half of the radiation therapy period. The treatment was completed as planned in 16 of the 18 dogs; two dogs received lower doses (51 and 54 Gy). Median survival was 177 days, poorer than in some other reported studies of nasal tumor irradiation. Acute effects were unacceptable, with 11 of the 18 dogs developing severe mucositis, desquamation, edema, swelling, and pruritus. The extensive nature of the acute reactions compromised assessment of the effect of the increased radiation dose on the tumor. Although there is justification for assessing more aggressive radiation protocols in canine nasal tumor patients, total doses approximating 60 Gy can not be given as described because of the inability of acutely responding normal tissues to compensate.     

干细胞与肿瘤研究进展

肿瘤是危害人类健康的恶性疾病,近年来越来越多证据显示肿瘤与干细胞有着密切的关系。肿瘤可能是干细胞在异常微环境中差异分化的结果。它与正常干细胞有相似的表面标志和生化特点。在此,综述了干细胞与肿瘤发生的关系及干细胞工程在肿瘤治疗中的应用前景,旨在为肿瘤发生发育的研究及干细胞在肿瘤治疗方面的应用提供理论依据。     

Genetic Engineering Approaches to Pig Production*

Modern biotechnology promises a number of new applications in animal breeding and production. Although conventional pig breeding has achieved a high level of efficiency and productivity numerous problems have been encountered with animal health and the loss of meat quality. Selection based on phenotypic performance data of individual animals does not take into account the importance of specific genes and their relevance within a complex regulatory system. In most cases it is therefore difficult to trace back the genetic origins of clinically important disorders. The application of genetic engineering techniques in pig production will facilitate diagnosis, improvement of productivity, and animal health by allowing direct genetic manipulation. Attention must be focussed on the physical and genetic analysis of the procine genome. The isolation and characterisation of genes, DNA-markers, polymorphic DNA-fragments, and their chromosomal assignment will be important prerequisites and tools for the elucidation of genetic disorders. Especially the detection of heterozygous carriers of recessive disorders and their elimination from the breeding stock will increase selection accuracy and decrease the generation intervals. But also the rapid and simple detection of infectious diseases, which is sometimes difficult if not impossible at present, will improve animal health and welfare. Although the production of transgenic animals either by DNA-microinjection into zygotes or the use of embryonal stem cells manipulated in vitro is less straightforward than DNA-based diagnosis it will play an important role in the direct manipulation of the porcine genome and genes. Breeding programmes including the use of transgenic livestock have already been developed. There is no doubt that genetic engineering has reached a degree of practical feasibility, allowing it to play an important role in pig breeding in particular and animal production in general.     

健骨注射液硬膜外腔注射治疗腰腿痛52例的疗效观察

用中草药健骨注射液行硬膜外腔注射治疗急慢性腰腿痛52例,结果症状消失与功能恢复者占40.7％,总有效率为92.3％,其疗效不亚于用普鲁卡因加强的松龙注射液,且未见有何副作用,使用无禁忌症。     

激光麻醉的镇痛机理研究——氦氖激光照射胫神经前后马脑脊液中乙酰胆碱含量、胆碱酯酶活性变化规律的探讨

本文通过对9匹临床健康马激光麻醉实验研究,用18mWHe-Ne激光照射马胫神经30分钟,确认达到了良好的全身镇痛状态,观察分析了激光照射前后三个不同时期脑脊液(CSF)内乙酰胆碱(Ach)含量、真假胆碱酯酶活性的消长规律。激光照射30分后停照10分,CSF内Ach含量显著增高,即由照前的197.91±17.89pg/ml升高到405.50±23.45pg/ml,激光停照60分时,CSF内Ach含量恢复至与照前值没有显著差异的水平。认为在激光镇痛过程中中枢胆碱能神经元功能增强,积极参与了激光麻醉。正常马CSF中真性胆碱酯酶(AchE)与假性胆碱酯酶(ChE)活性分别为2.21±0.1454、0.36±0.0486μM/ml/37℃/30′。激光照射前后马CSF内AchE和ChE均未发生显著变化。     

壳寡糖与草莓细胞结合过程的研究

 壳寡糖是一类能有效的诱导植物抗病性的重要激发子。本研究用2 - 氨基吖啶酮(22AMAC)标记壳寡糖, 应用激光共聚焦显微成像技术, 研究了壳寡糖与草莓细胞结合过程。结果表明壳寡糖能通过草莓细胞壁与细胞膜结合, 在细胞壁和细胞膜上有其结合位点, 与壳寡糖的结合具有专一性。     

Spatial pattern analysis of pre- and post-hurricane forest canopy structure in North Carolina,USA

Existing spatial patterns of a forest are in part a product of its disturbance history. Using laser altimetry and field measures of canopy top height to represent pre- and post-hurricane canopy topography, respectively, we measured changes in spatial patterns of stand structure of a United States southern mixed coniferous-deciduous for est. Autocorrelative and fractal properties were measured in this opportunistic study to quantify changes in canopy architecture along twelve, 190-250 m transects that were subjected to moderate to high levels of wind disturbance. Prior to the hurricane, canopy heights were autocorrelated at scales <40 m with an average fractal dimension of 1.71. After the disturbance, autocorrelation disappeared; the average fractal dimension rose to 1.94. This shift towards spatial randomness illustrates part of the cyclical nature of ecosystem development. It shows how a catastrophic collapse of biomass accumulation corresponds to a decrease in ecosystem organization across a landscape. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Construction and identification of recombinant adenovirus vector containing CTLA4Ig gene

AIM:To construct a recombinant adenovirus expression vector containing CTLA4Ig gene.METHODS:The CTLA4Ig gene derived from the plasmid PCDNA3.0/CTLA4Ig by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was inserted into the backward position of cytomegalovirus (CMV) immediate early promoter of the shuttle plasmid (pAdTrack-CMV). After being identified by endonuclease, PCR and sequencing, the recombinant shuttle plasmid pAdTrack-CTLA4Ig was co-transformed into E.coli. BJ5183 cells with the adeoviral backbone plasmid pAdEasyl-1 to obtain the homologous recombination. The adenovirus was generated in 293 cells. A series methods such as PCR and fluorescence microscope was employed to identify the generated recombinant adenovirus.RESULTS:Recombinant CTLA4Ig adenoviruses were constructed and the titer of virus was generally up to 1.65×10¹² phaque forming units per liter (PFU/L).CONCLUSION:Success in constructing recombinant pAdTrack-CTLA4Ig will be the base of the further research on its expression in the mammalian cells, and be potenially used in the prevention of transplant rejection and autoimmunity diseases.     

Preparation of gfp-bcl-XL-contained recombinant adenovirus vector by the homologous recombination in bacteria

AIM: To prepare gfp-bcl-X_L-contained recombinant adenovirus(rAd-gfp-bcl-X_L).METHODS: Bcl-X_L gene was amplified from pEGFP-C₃-bcl-X_L, subcloned into shuttle plasmid and formed transfer plasmid of pAdTrack-CMV-bcl-X_L. Then pAdTrack-CMV-bcl-X_L was linealinzed with PmeI and co-transformed into BJ5183 bacteria with adenovirus genomic plasmid of pAdEasy-1. The identified recombinant adenovirus plasmid was digested with PacI and transfected into 293 cells to package recombinant adenovirus particles. The target gene was detected by PCR.RESULTS: There were about 35% positive recombinant bacterial clones after the co-transformation of pAdTrack-CMV-bcl-X_L and pAdEasy-1 into BJ5183. Recombinant adenovirus particle were produced and further amplified after the transfection of pAdEasy-1-gfp-bcl-X_L into 293 cells. PCR test indicated that the recombinant Ad contained bcl-X_L gene. The titer of the purified rAd-gfp-bcl-X_L was 6.5×10¹² PFU/L. CONCLUSIONS: The homologous recombination in bacteria is a convenient and high efficient method to prepare rAd-gfp-bcl-X_L. This affords a good gene transfer vector for the gene therapy in human’s diseases.