Balb/c小鼠新孢子虫病动物模型的建立及在其体内发育过程的研究

 【目的】建立Balb/c小鼠感染新孢子虫的急性和亚急性发病模型,并研究新孢子虫在小鼠体内的发育过程。【方法】分别对两组小鼠腹腔接种新孢子虫8×106个/只和5×105个/只,接种后小鼠进行定时宰杀,取心、肝、肺、脑和后肢肌肉等进行组织病理学、免疫组织化学和PCR检测。【结果】发现Balb/c小鼠感染后病理变化主要表现为各器官组织的广泛性出血,非化脓性脑炎和肝细胞空泡变性。接种后第16天观察到脑组织内包囊,在其它组织中未观察到包囊样结构。PCR检测结果显示,接种后12 h即可检测到肺脏和心脏组织内的新孢子虫特异性基因Nc-5,脑内最早于第8天检测到。接种25 d后在肝脏、肺脏和脑内仍能检测到新孢子虫基因。综合观察和检测结果,发现新孢子虫对肝脏、肺脏和脑组织有一定的组织亲嗜性;雄性小鼠对新孢子虫更为敏感。【结论】 成功建立了新孢子虫感染Balb/c小鼠的急性和亚急性发病的动物模型;跟踪观察了新孢子虫在小鼠体内各器官组织出现时间、持续时间以及分布的规律,初步掌握了新孢子虫在其体内发育的动态过程。     

Neospora caninum and Ehrlichia canis co‐infection in a dog with meningoencephalitis

An 8‐year‐old mixed‐breed dog was presented for acute, progressive weakness and ataxia, inappetence, and weight loss. The patient was mentally normal, but nonambulatory, with a right head tilt, right positional ventral strabismus, and slight head tremors. A neurologic lesion was localized to the cerebellum and right brainstem. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis showed a markedly increased protein concentration and mixed pleocytosis, with eosinophil predominance (44%), intracytoplasmic inclusions within eosinophils, consistent with Ehrlichia canis (E canis) morulae, and Toxoplasma gondii (T gondii) or Neospora caninum (N caninum) tachyzoites within eosinophils and monocytes. A serum indirect immunofluorescent antibody test was positive for N caninum (titer 1:12 800) and negative for T gondii. Both blood and CSF PCR results were N caninum‐ and E canis‐positive and T gondii‐ and Anaplasma phagocytophilum‐negative, and blood PCR, but not CSF PCR, was Hepatozoon canis‐positive. The dog was treated for 30 days with clindamycin, sulfamethoxazole‐trimethoprim, doxycycline, prednisone, and cephalosporin, but did not improve neurologically, and was euthanized. Brain histopathology showed moderate multifocal, subacute meningoencephalitis with necrosis and gliosis. The neurologic disease was mostly attributed to central nervous system (CNS) neosporosis, with the possible contribution of ehrlichiosis, which was likely a manifestation of blood‐brain barrier disruption. Hepatozoonosis was probably a result or cause of underlying immunosuppression. To our knowledge, this is the first report of CNSN caninum and E canis co‐infection detected by both CSF PCR and cytology and E canis morulae identified within CSF eosinophils.     

基于Nc2和Nc5基因的新孢子虫PCR方法的建立

本试验筛选了新孢子虫病PCR检测的引物,运用《新孢子虫病检疫技术规范》(SN/T 3499-2013)对根据犬新孢子虫Nc2和Nc5基因设计的PCR引物进行了评价。此外,同时运用F1/R1、F2/R2和SN/T 3499 F/SN/T 3499 R共同对14份荷斯坦牛和19份西门塔尔牛全血DNA进行PCR检测,旨在筛选出特异性较好的引物,建立新孢子虫病PCR检测方法和了解当地不同品系牛患新孢子虫病的感染率。结果显示,3对引物分别扩增出105、128和231 bp目的片段,均与预期目的片段大小相符;其中,F1/R1与SN/T 3499 F/SN/T 3499 R的最低检测量相同,为19.9 fg/μL,F2/R2最低检测量为199 fg/μL,说明F1/R1和SN/T 3499 F/SN/T 3499 R引物的敏感性更好;运用F1/R1、F2/R2引物分别对19.9 pg/μL和199 fg/μL模板重复进行4次扩增,均出现了较明亮的扩增条带,证明两对引物重复性较好。33份血液样品共检出6份阳性DNA,阳性率分别为21.43%和15.79%,检出复合率为100%。以上结果说明F1/R1和F2/R2引物均可作为新孢子虫病PCR的诊断引物,本试验初步建立了新孢子虫PCR方法,同时初步了解了当地牛群中新孢子虫感染情况,为有效预防和控制新孢子虫病提供了科学的理论依据。     

吉林省牛新孢子虫病的流行病学调查

采用间接荧光抗体试验（IFAT）方法，对吉林省7个地区的1091份牛血清进行牛新孢子虫病的流行病学调查．结果表明，吉林省牛新孢子虫病的整体感染率为17．32％，感染率比较高．本次血清学检测为今后吉林省有效预防和治疗牛新孢子虫病提供了一定的科学依据．     

青海省格尔木市乳牛新孢子虫病的血清学调查

用重组蛋白GST-NcSAG1t作为ELISA诊断抗原,对格尔木市乳牛犬新孢子虫病进行了调查.结果,从 35份乳牛血清样品中检出犬新孢子虫抗体阳性血清4份,阳性率为11.42%.检测结果说明,青海省格尔木市饲养的乳牛牛群中存在犬新孢子虫感染.     

Prevalence of streptococcus bovis in racing pigeons

Summary

The prevalence of S. bovis in the intestinal tract of healthy racing pigeons was determined. Crop and cloaca swab samples obtained from 810 pigeons from 14 different lofts and from 122 pigeons that were presented for routine health control were examined for the presence of S. bovis. Pooled faecal samples were also obtained from pigeons in 82 different pigeon lofts. S. bovis was isolated from crop or cloaca samples of approximately 40 % of pigeons of all ages by direct culture and from 80 % of the pooled faecal samples by enrichment culture.

In a longitudinal study, crop and cloaca samples were collected every 3 months from pigeons in seven different pigeon lofts. The prevalence of S. bovis in these pigeons ranged from 0 to 100 %. The carriage rate was not related to the season or to the age of the pigeons.

The prevalence of S. bovis in organ lesions of pigeons examined at necropsy was investigated over a 35‐month period. S. bovis was isolated from 10 % of the birds examined. The incidence of S. bovis septicaemia was significantly higher in January to August than in September to December. It was concluded that S. bovis is an opportunistic pathogenic agent in pigeons.     

Uterine serpin (SERPINA 14) correlates negatively with cytokine production at the foetal–maternal interface but not in the corpus luteum in pregnant dairy heifers experimentally infected with Neospora caninum

This study examines gene expression patterns in dairy heifers experimentally infected with N. caninum during on Day 110 of pregnancy with live foetuses at euthanasia, 42 days later. The study population was constituted of four non‐infected controls and three infected dams. Gene expression was determined on gamma interferon (IFNγ), (Th1 pro‐inflammatory cytokine), interleukin‐4 (IL4) (Th2 pro‐gestation cytokine) or interleukin‐10 (IL10) (T regulatory cytokine) and the serine peptidase inhibitor SERPINA14 in intercaruncular, placental, uterine lymph node (UTLN) and luteal tissue samples. Intercaruncular SERPINA14 expression was negatively correlated with IFNγ expression in cotyledon samples and with IL4 expression in UTLN. No relationships were detected between cytokine gene expression at the foetal–maternal interface and SERPINA14 expression in the luteal samples. Our findings suggest that gene expression of the uterine serpin SERPINA14 correlates negatively with the expression of Th1 and Th2 cytokines at the foetal–maternal interface but not in the corpus luteum.     

Neospora caninum associated with epidemic abortions in dairy cattle: The first clinical neosporosis report in Turkey

Neospora caninum, a protozoan parasite, has been considered as one of the most important etiological agents responsible for abortion in dairy cattle throughout the world since it was first identified in dogs in 1988. In this report, characteristics of neosporosis, detected in a dairy cow ranch having epidemic abortions as high as 18.4%, were described. Blood samples were collected from 25 infertile or aborted dairy cattle, 6 calves born in 2006 and 40 heifers that were born in 2005 and raised in the same ranch. Necropsy was conducted in a 20-day-old Simmental calf that exhibited neurological signs including incoordination, head shaking, hyperextension in forelimbs and hindlimbs and tremor. The seroprevalance in aborted or infertile dairy cattle, heifers, and calves was 60%, 40%, and 33.3%, respectively. The mothers of seropositive two calves including clinically affected calf and its dam were N. caninum seropositive. In immunoperoxidase examinations, N. caninum antigen immunopositivity was observed in the degenerative and necrotic neurons in the brain, cerebellum as well as neurons in dorsal root ganglia of the cervical and thoracic regions of the spinal cord. In the heart, myocytes and Purkinje cells exhibited granular and linear patterns of immunoreactivity. Striated myofibers around the eyeball also showed immunolocalization for N. caninum antigen. Ultrastructurally, tachyzoites with typical apical complex, rhoptries and double-layered parasitic membrane were detected in the brain and heart sections. In conclusion, this report described clinical neosporosis for the first time in Turkey with tissue localization of the causative agents. This scientific communication also discusses the possible impact of cattle neosporosis by clinical, serologic and pathologic evidences collected from the survey of calves born in two successive generations in a ranch.     

Establishing the Screening PCR Diagnostic Method of Neosporacaninum Based on Nc2 and Nc5 Genes

To screen applicable PCR diagnostic primers of Neosporacaninum based on Nc2 and Nc5 genes,two pairs of primer were designed according to the Nc2 and Nc5 genes sequences conserved region and"Quarantine Protocol For Neosporosis"(SN/T 3499-2013)were applied to verify the characteristic of primers.14 Holstein and 19 Simmental cattles blood DNA were detected using these primers by PCR to select specific primers which would be used to establish the new detection method and understand the neosporiasis infection rate of different local cattle farms.The results showed that 105,128 and 231 bp gene fragments were amplified using three pairs of primers,which were consistent with the expected fragment size.The F1/R1 and SN/T 3499 F/SN/T 3499 R minimum detectable amount both were 19.9 fg/ μL and the minimum amount of F2/R2 was 199 fg/ μL,indicating that F1/R1 and SN/T 3499 F/SN/T 3499 R were more sensitive than F2/R2.The bands were bright when used F1/R1,F2/R2 primers to amplify 19.9 pg/μL and 199 fg/μL DNA samples,proving two primers had good repeatability.6 positive samples were detected among 33 blood samples,and the positive rate was 21.43% and 15.79%,the recombination rate was 100%.It showed that F1/R1 and F2/R2 primer were both suitable to detect eneosporosis by PCR and the method was preliminary established.The condition of local cattle Neosporacaninum infections were learned.This study could provide a scientific basis for the effective prevention and control of neosporosis.