Spontaneous Osteoarthritis in Dogs - Clinical Effects of Single and Multiple Intra-articular Injections of Hyaluronic Acid

Background: The treatments of osteoarthritis (OA) are commonly conservative and multimodal to relieve pain and improve movement. Intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid (IAHA) has been studied as a treatment option for OA in dogs. IAHA helps restore the viscoelasticity of the synovial fluid and relieves the clinical symptoms of OA. However, the efficacy of IAHA in dogs is still a controversial subject. This study aims to confirm the IAHA effect in dogs with spontaneous OA and to compare the effectiveness depending on the number of injections. Materials, Methods & Results: Thirty dogs with spontaneous OA were assigned to a single injection group (n=17) and a 3-weekly injections group (n=13). Dogs weighing less than 10 kg were injected 1 mL of HA to the OA joint, and more than 10 kg dogs were injected 2 mL of HA. In the case of the 3-weekly injections group, the same amount was administered 3 times at 1-week intervals. After the injection, physical and orthopedic examinations were performed to check for complications. Radiographic OA score was evaluated before and 3 months after the injection to confirm and to evaluate the progression of OA. Clinical symptom evaluations were performed on pre-injection, 1-, 2-, and 3-months post-injection. They consisted of the clinical lameness score by veterinarians and Canine Brief Pain Inventory (CBPI) by owners. Results were compared with unpaired t-test, repeated-measures ANOVA with Tukey’s or Sidak’s multiple comparison test, or Wilcoxon test, with P < 0.05. Patients had a median age of 9 years (range 3 to 16 years) and a bodyweight of 4.8 kg (range 2 to 48 kg). No systemic side effects or major complications were detected during the trial period. IAHA produced temporary pain and discomfort in 6 cases. There was no change in the radiographic OA score before and 3 months after injections in both groups, and the difference between groups was not confirmed. In both groups, the clinical lameness score significantly decreased at 1, 2, 3 months after injection compared with pre-injection. The score was lower at 3 months after the injection than at 1 month. The clinical lameness score had no significant difference between the groups. Similarly, CBPI was all decreased in the single injection group and 3-weekly injections group compared to pre-injection, and the score at 3 months post-injection was lower than at 1 month. No significant differences between the groups were found in CBPI. Discussion: Most studies on the efficacy of IAHA in canine OA have been conducted using an experimental model, so studies on spontaneous canine OA are insufficient. This study confirmed that IAHA improves clinical symptoms such as pain relief and movement improvement in spontaneous OA dogs using CBPI and clinical lameness score. In order to confirm the optimal IAHA protocol, a single IAHA and 3-weekly IAHA were compared. The result shows that clinical symptoms improved in both single and 3-weekly injections groups, but no significant difference was confirmed during the 3-month study period. These findings  may suggest that a single IAHA may have a similar effect to multiple IAHA, and repeated injections are unnecessary. In humans and canine OA models, it is reported that the effect of IAHA was maintained for 6 months. This study showed that the effect of IAHA was maintained for 3 months study period and that clinical symptoms improved at 3 months than at 1 month. In conclusion, these findings suggested that IAHA improves clinical symptoms in dogs with spontaneous OA, and a single IAHA showed a similar effect to 3 weekly IAHA. Keywords: canine, treatment, hyaluronic acid, intra-articular injection, osteoarthritis

Physical properties of transparent perovskite oxides (Ba,La)SnO3 with high electrical mobility at room temperature

Transparent electronic materials are increasingly in demand for a variety of optoelectronic applications. BaSnO3 is a semiconducting oxide with a large band gap of more than 3.1 eV. Recently, we discovered that La doped BaSnO3 exhibits unusually high electrical mobility of 320 cm^2(Vs)^-1 at room temperature and superior thermal stability at high temperatures [H. J. Kim et al. Appl. Phys. Express. 5, 061102 (2012)]. Following that work, we report various physical properties of (Ba,La)SnO3 single crystals and films including temperature-dependent transport and phonon properties, optical properties and first-principles calculations. We find that almost doping-independent mobility of 200-300 cm^2(Vs)^-1 is realized in the single crystals in a broad doping range from 1.0x10^19 to 4.0x10^20 cm^-3. Moreover, the conductivity of ~10^4 ohm^-1cm^-1 reached at the latter carrier density is comparable to the highest value. We attribute the high mobility to several physical properties of (Ba,La)SnO3: a small effective mass coming from the ideal Sn-O-Sn bonding, small disorder effects due to the doping away from the SnO2 conduction channel, and reduced carrier scattering due to the high dielectric constant. The observation of a reduced mobility of ~70 cm^2(Vs)^-1 in the film is mainly attributed to additional carrier-scatterings which are presumably created by the lattice mismatch between the substrate SrTiO3 and (Ba,La)SnO3. The main optical gap of (Ba,La)SnO3 single crystals remained at about 3.33 eV and the in-gap states only slightly increased, thus maintaining optical transparency in the visible region. Based on these, we suggest that the doped BaSnO3 system holds great potential for realizing all perovskite-based, transparent high-frequency high-power functional devices as well as highly mobile two-dimensional electron gas via interface control of heterostructured films.Comment: 31 pages, 7 figure

A potential role of coumestrol in soybean leaf senescence and its interaction with phytohormones

Coumestrol is a natural organic compound synthesized in soy leaves and functions as a phytoalexin. The coumestrol levels in plants are reported to increase upon insect attack. This study investigates the correlation between coumestrol, senescence, and the effect of phytohormones on the coumestrol levels in soybean leaves. Our analysis involving high-performance liquid chromatography and 2-D gel electrophoresis indicated a significant difference in the biochemical composition of soybean leaves at various young and mature growth stages. Eight chemical compounds were specifically detected in young leaves (V1) only, whereas three different coumestans isotrifoliol, coumestrol, and phaseol were detected only in mature, yellow leaves of the R6 and R7 growth stage. MALDI-TOF-MS analysis was used to identify two proteins 3,9 -dihydroxypterocarpan 6A-monooxygenase (CYP93A1) and isoflavone reductase homolog 2 (IFR2) only in mature leaves, which are key components of the coumestrol biosynthetic pathway. This indicates that senescence in soybean is linked to the accumulation of coumestrol. Following the external application of coumestrol, the detached V1-stage young leaves turned yellow and showed an interesting development of roots at the base of the midrib. Additionally, the application of phytohormones, including SA, methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and ethephon alone and in various combinations induced yellowing within 5 days of the application with a concomitant significant increase in endogenous coumestrol accumulation. This was also accompanied by a significant increase in the expression of genes CYP81E28 (Gm08G089500), CYP81E22 (Gm16G149300), GmIFS1, and GmIFS2. These results indicate that various coumestans, especially coumestrol, accumulate during leaf maturity, or senescence in soybean

Lichen Striatus Occurring after Allogenic Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation in an Adult with Aplastic Anemia

Lichens striatus (LS) is an acquired, self-limiting inflammatory dermatosis that follows the lines of Blaschko. The etiology of the eruption is unknown, but several theories have been proposed with focus on environmental factors, viral infection, cutaneous injury, hypersensitivity, and genetic predisposition. We describe a 19-year-old woman who developed a unilateral linear eruption 17 months after allogenic peripheral blood stem cell transplantation. Histopathology revealed features, which were consistent with LS. To the best of our knowledge, our patient is the first case describing the appearance of LS occurring after allogenic stem cell transplantation. We speculate that this condition represents an unusual form of localized, chronic graft-versus-host disease

High Mobility in a Stable Transparent Perovskite Oxide

We discovered that La-doped BaSnO3 with the perovskite structure has an unprecedentedly high mobility at room temperature while retaining its optical transparency. In single crystals, the mobility reached 320 cm^2(Vs)^-1 at a doping level of 8x10^19 cm^-3, constituting the highest value among wide-band-gap semiconductors. In epitaxial films, the maximum mobility was 70 cm^2(Vs)^-1 at a doping level of 4.4x10^20 cm^-3. We also show that resistance of (Ba,La)SnO3 changes little even after a thermal cycle to 530 Deg. C in air, pointing to an unusual stability of oxygen atoms and great potential for realizing transparent high-frequency, high-power functional devices.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figure

Incidentally Detected Inguinoscrotal Bladder Hernia

The bladder is involved in less than 4% of inguinal hernias. Inguinoscrotal bladder hernias are difficult to diagnose, and less than 7% are diagnosed preoperatively. Inguinoscrotal bladder hernias are usually asymptomatic. However, they can result in significant complications, such as bladder necrosis or acute renal failure. Accurate diagnosis is crucial to avoid bladder injury during surgery and other complications. Here we report the case of a 64-year-old man who presented with a scrotal mass. Ultrasonography of the scrotal mass showed a nonspecific cystic mass. During surgery, the mass was revealed to be a herniated bladder

Chitosan-GSNO nanoparticles : a positive modulator of drought stress tolerance in soybean

Funding: This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea funded by the Ministry of Education (RS-2023-00245922) to Prof. Byung-Wook Yun and by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (2021R1I1A1A01049154) to Dr. Bong-Gyu Mun.Background : Chitosan biopolymer is an emerging non-toxic and biodegradable plant elicitor or bio-stimulant. Chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) have been used for the enhancement of plant growth and development. On the other hand, NO is an important signaling molecule that regulates several aspects of plant physiology under normal and stress conditions. Here we report the synthesis, characterization, and use of chitosan-GSNO nanoparticles for improving drought stress tolerance in soybean. Results: The CSGSNONPs released NO gas for a significantly longer period and at a much lower rate as compared to free GSNO indicating that incorporation of GSNO in CSNPs can protect the NO-donor from rapid decomposition and ensure optimal NO release. CS-GSNONPs improved drought tolerance in soybean plants reflected by a significant increase in plant height, biomass, root length, root volume, root surface area, number of root tips, forks, and nodules. Further analyses indicated significantly lower electrolyte leakage, higher proline content, higher catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase activity, and reduction in MDA and H2O2 contents after treatment with 50 μM CS-GSNONPs under drought stress conditions. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis indicated that CS-GSNONPs protected against drought-induced stress by regulating the expression of drought stress-related marker genes such as GmDREB1a, GmP5CS, GmDEFENSIN, and NO-related genes GmGSNOR1 and GmNOX1. Conclusions : This study highlights the potential of nano-technology-based delivery systems for nitric oxide donors to improve plant growth, and development and protect against stresses.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Myofilament Ca2+ desensitization mediates positive lusitropic effect of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in left ventricular myocytes from murine hypertensive heart

AbstractNeuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS1 or nNOS) exerts negative inotropic and positive lusitropic effects through Ca2+ handling processes in cardiac myocytes from healthy hearts. However, underlying mechanisms of NOS1 in diseased hearts remain unclear. The present study aims to investigate this question in angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertensive rat hearts (HP). Our results showed that the systolic function of left ventricle (LV) was reduced and diastolic function was unaltered (echocardiographic assessment) in HP compared to those in shams. In isolated LV myocytes, contraction was unchanged but peak [Ca2+]i transient was increased in HP. Concomitantly, relaxation and time constant of [Ca2+]i decay (tau) were faster and the phosphorylated fraction of phospholamban (PLN-Ser16/PLN) was greater. NOS1 protein expression and activity were increased in LV myocyte homogenates from HP. Surprisingly, inhibition of NOS1 did not affect contraction but reduced peak [Ca2+]i transient; prevented faster relaxation without affecting the tau of [Ca2+]i transient or PLN-Ser16/PLN in HP, suggesting myofilament Ca2+ desensitization by NOS1. Indeed, relaxation phase of the sarcomere length–[Ca2+]i relationship of LV myocytes shifted to the right and increased [Ca2+]i for 50% of sarcomere shortening (EC50) in HP. Phosphorylations of cardiac myosin binding protein-C (cMyBP-C282 and cMyBP-C273) were increased and cardiac troponin I (cTnI23/24) was reduced in HP. Importantly, NOS1 or PKG inhibition reduced cMyBP-C273 and cTnI23/24 and reversed myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity. These results reveal that NOS1 is up-regulated in LV myocytes from HP and exerts positive lusitropic effect by modulating myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity through phosphorylation of key regulators in sarcomere

Exploring the Role of a Novel Peptide from Allomyrina dichotoma Larvae in Ameliorating Lipid Metabolism in Obesity

The aim of this study was to identify an anti-obesity peptide from Allomyrina dichotoma and investigate the lipid metabolic mechanism. Enzymatically hydrolyzed A. dichotoma larvae were further separated using tangential flow filtration and consecutive chromatographic processes. Finally, an anti-obesity peptide that showed the highest inhibitory effect on lipid accumulation was obtained, and the sequence was Glu-Ile-Ala-Gln-Asp-Phe-Lys-Thr-Asp-Leu (EIA10). EIA10 decreased lipid aggregation in vitro and significantly reduced the accumulation of body weight gain, liver weight, and adipose tissue weight in high-fat-fed mice. Compared with the control group, the levels of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), insulin, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in the high-fat diet (HFD) group increased significantly, and the content of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) in the serum decreased significantly. On the contrary, the levels of TC, TG, and insulin in the EIA10 group decreased significantly, and the HDL content increased significantly compared with the HFD group. Additionally, EIA10 dramatically decreased mRNA and protein levels of transcription factors involved in lipid adipogenesis. Taken together, our results suggest that EIA10 could be a promising agent for the treatment and prevention of obesity

The seroprevalence of Japanese encephalitis virus in goats raised in Korea

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) causes a mosquito-borne viral zoonosis that is becoming increasingly important to public health in east and south Asia. Although JEV is primarily associated with reproductive failure in swine, JEV infection can cause fever and headache in humans and is associated with aseptic meningitis and encephalitis. The exact mode of transmission, including host range and possible source of viral amplification within livestock, is still not completely clear. This study consisted of a serological survey of JEV infection in goats. A total of 804 goat serum samples were collected from 144 farms in Korea between May 2005 and May 2006. The incidence of positive cases was 12.1% (97 out of 804 goats). The seroprevalence of JEV infection in the 144 farms screened was 31.3% (45/144), indicating that JEV infection is frequent in goat farms in Korea. In addition, three districts of Korea (mainly in the southern region) had a higher seroprevalence of JEV compared to other areas. The results suggest that goats could be monitored epidemiologically as a sentinel animal for JEV transmission in Korea