Hypercalcaemia associated with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in a Giant Schnauzer.

A 7-year-old male Giant Schnauzer was referred with a history of severe vomiting, lethargy, weight loss, polydipsia and polyuria. Detailed investigations revealed leucocytosis with a marked lymphocytosis, mild non-regenerative anaemia, thrombocytopenia, hypercalcaemia and azotaemia. Circulating lymphocytes were small and well-differentiated, and the same lymphoid population was present in bone marrow. Chronic lymphocyctic leukaemia with associated paraneoplastic hypercalcaemia was diagnosed. Immunohistochemical staining of a bone marrow biopsy revealed a neoplastic B-cell line expressing CD79. The dog responded to therapy with prednisolone and chlorambucil for a period of 8 months.     

Evaluation of Caspase-3 and Ki-67 expression in squamous cell hyperplasia of the stomach induced by Platycodi radix water extract in Sprague–Dawley rats

Platycodi radix is widely used in traditional herbal medicine for the treatment of bronchitis, asthma, pulmonary tuberculosis, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. This study aimed to investigate cell proliferation (Ki-67) and apoptosis (Caspase-3) potential in squamous cell hyperplasia of the stomach induced by a Platycodi radix water extract in a subchronic toxicity study. One hundred formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded stomach tissues of rats treated with Platycodi radix at doses of 0, 500, 1,000, and 3,000 mg/kg body weight/day were used for the analysis. They were conventionally stained using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunohistochemically (IHC) stained using caspase-3 and Ki-67 antibodies. The incidence of squamous cell hyperplasia was significantly increased in the 3,000 mg/kg b.w./day treatment group in both sexes (p<0.01). However, the hyperplastic change was completely repaired after 4 weeks of recovery period. Ki-67 expression was similar in all groups, with no statistically significant differences among the groups. Caspase-3 expression was significantly increased in both sexes in the 3,000 mg/kg b.w./day treatment group (p<0.01), compared with the vehicle control groups, and then reduced to normal levels in the recovery groups in both sexes. In conclusion, this study showed that squamous cell hyperplasia induced by the Platycodi radix water extract in the limiting ridge of the stomach is not considered to be abnormal proliferative change; as a result, squamous cell hyperplasia is considered to be a non-adverse effect when induced by the oral administration of the Platycodi radix water extract once daily for 13 weeks in rats.     

花粉治疗前列腺增生的研究进展

对花粉治疗前列腺的实验室研究和临床应用进行了综述,初步探讨了其作用机理,并指出花粉制剂在治疗前列腺增生方面的研究进展。     

Equine conjunctival pseudotumors

Five horses presented with unilateral pink, smooth, nonulcerated conjunctival masses with histologic features characteristic of inflammatory pseudotumors, i.e. proliferative inflammatory lesions clinically resembling true neoplasia. Although causes for the inflammatory lesions were not determined, based on the presence histologically of mononuclear (predominantly lymphocytic) inflammatory cell infiltrates and the absence of infectious agents, parasites or foreign bodies, an immune-mediated pathogenesis was suspected. Affected horses ranged from 5 to 8 years of age with no apparent breed or sex predilection. Conjunctival lesions were nodular in two cases and relatively flat and more diffuse in three cases. Third eyelid lesions were present in three cases and two affected eyes had corneal involvement. Based on findings from these five cases, the prognosis for equine conjunctival pseudotumors appears to be good when lesions are treated by partial or complete surgical excision, local administration of anti-inflammatory agents, or a combination of surgery and anti-inflammatory therapy.     

两株不同J亚群禽白血病毒株诱发组织增生病变和细胞因子表达的比较

旨在比较ALV-J-SD1005毒株和ALV-J-NX0101毒株感染鸡只致病性、诱发先天性免疫因子和致肿瘤因子表达的差异,用感染剂量为10³TCID50的两株病毒分别颈部皮下接种75只1日龄海兰褐鸡,感染后7、14、21 d检测体重、肿瘤病变、死亡率、血液和皮下纤维组织中病毒含量以及肝中鸡TRIM25、MDA5、IRF7、IFN-α/β、14-3-3σ、P53、STAT1等免疫因子或肿瘤因子的mRNA表达量。结果显示,雏鸡感染ALV-J-SD1005毒株后最早于第10天出现纤维组织增生,14 d致纤维组织增生率为100%(18/18),死亡率为5.2%(1/19);随着感染日龄的增加,增生组织指数和死亡率不断升高,21 d时分别达34.4%(74.5/209.5)和58.3%(7/12)。血液和皮下纤维组织的病毒载量显著升高;同时,显著上调鸡肝中MDA5、IRF7、P53等基因的表达量,下调IFN-α/β和14-3-3σ基因的表达量;而鸡TRIM25基因呈现感染早期(7 d)表达显著下调,后期(14~21 d)表达显著上调。ALV-J-NX0101毒株感染后21 d未检测到肿瘤发生,也没有鸡只死亡,但见鸡血液等组织中病毒载量显著增多,鸡TRIM25、MDA5、IRF7、IFN-β、IFN-α基因表达显著下降,STAT1基因表达显著上调。上述结果可以看出,ALV-J-SD1005毒株与ALV-J-NX0101毒株在感染鸡体内诱发不同的抗病毒反应和抗肿瘤反应,导致产生明显不同的病毒增殖和致病特点。本研究为深入理解两株ALV-J病毒致肿瘤机制、探索新诊断标识提供重要科学依据。     

The effect of strain, growth stage, and cultivating condition of Ganoderma lucidum on 5α-reductase inhibition

The inhibitory effects of 102 methanol extracts of 40 mycelia, 9 culture fluids, and 53 fruiting bodies of 40 strains of Ganoderma lucidum on 5-reductase were investigated. The methanol extract of the fruiting body of each strain was found to show the strongest 5-reductase inhibitory activity among the extracts tested.     

Experimental amoebic gill disease of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.: further evidence for the primary pathogenic role of Neoparamoeba sp. (Page, 1987)

Amoebic gill disease (AGD) has been attributed to infection by Neoparamoeba sp. The causal mechanisms for AGD lesion development and the primary pathogenic role of Neoparamoeba sp. require elucidation. Three groups of Atlantic salmon were exposed to viable gill isolated amoebae, to sonicated amoebae, or to sea water containing viable amoebae without direct contact with gill epithelia. Fish were removed 8 days post-exposure and the gills assessed histologically for AGD. AGD occurred only when fish were exposed to viable trophozoites. Consequently, in an accompanying experiment, infection was evaluated histologically at 12, 24 and 48 h post-exposure in three groups of salmon, one group being mechanically injured 12 h prior to exposure. A progressive host response and significant increase (P < 0.001) in the numbers of attached amoebae was apparent over the 48-h duration in undamaged hemibranchs in both treatment groups. There were no significant differences to mucous cell populations. Attachment of Neoparamoeba sp. to damaged gill filaments was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) by 48 h post-exposure. These data further confirm and describe the primary pathogenic role of Neoparamoeba sp. and the early host response in AGD. Preliminary evidence suggests that lesions resulting from physical gill damage are not preferentially colonized by Neoparamoeba sp.