555 research outputs found
Successful Treatment of Pneumothorax in a Dog With Sterile Pleural Fibrosis Caused by Chylothorax
A 2-year-old, 12 kg, intact male crossbreed dog was presented with respiratory distress, exercise intolerance, and gagging. Plain thoracic radiographs revealed severe pleural effusion. Although bilateral needle thoracocentesis and chest tube placement were performed, no re-expansion of the lung lobes occurred. Pleural effusion was of chylous quality and led to lung entrapment. Computer tomography revealed a highly atrophic and atelectatic right middle lung lobe. The remaining lung lobes were only expanded to ~40%. Visceral pleura and pericardium showed a heterogeneous thickening consistent with pleural fibrosis. Partial pericardiectomy with resection of the middle lung lobe through a right lateral thoracotomy was performed. Ligation of the thoracic duct and ablation of the cisterna chyli was achieved through a single paracostal approach. Histopathology revealed chronic-active proliferative beginning granulomatous pleuritis, fibrotic pericarditis, and partial coagulative necrosis with incomplete granulomatous sequestration in the resected middle lung lobe. Chylothorax resolved after surgical intervention. Active pleural effusion resolved, and lung entrapment changed to trapped lung disease. The remaining lung lobes re-expanded to ~80% over the following 6 days. The dog was discharged 10 days later. Mild to moderate pleural effusion of non-chylic quality was present during the following 4 months. Meloxicam was administered for 4 months because of its anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory properties. Fifteen months later, thoracic radiographs revealed full radiologic expansion of the lungs with persistent mild pleural fibrosis. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case report of pneumothorax due pleural fibrosis caused by chylothorax in a dog with an excellent clinical outcome
What Is Possible and What Questions Can Be Asked?
In recent years several technologies for the complete analysis of the
transcriptome and proteome have reached a technological level which allows
their routine application as scientific tools. The principle of these methods
is the identification and quantification of up to ten thousands of RNA and
proteins species in a tissue, in contrast to the sequential analysis of
conventional methods such as PCR and Western blotting. Due to their technical
progress transcriptome and proteome analyses are becoming increasingly
relevant in all fields of biological research. They are mainly used for the
explorative identification of disease associated complex gene expression
patterns and thereby set the stage for hypothesis-driven studies. This review
gives an overview on the methods currently available for transcriptome
analysis, that is, microarrays, Ref-Seq, quantitative PCR arrays and discusses
their potentials and limitations. Second, the most powerful current approaches
to proteome analysis are introduced, that is, 2D-gel electrophoresis, shotgun
proteomics, MudPIT and the diverse technological concepts are reviewed.
Finally, experimental strategies for biomarker discovery, experimental
settings for the identification of prognostic gene sets and explorative versus
hypothesis driven approaches for the elucidation of diseases associated genes
and molecular pathways are described and their potential for studies in
veterinary research is highlighted
High prevalence of Sarcocystis calchasi in racing pigeon flocks in Germany
The apicomplexan parasite Sarcocystis calchasi (Coccidia: Eimeriorina: Sarcocystidae) is the causative agent of Pigeon Protozoal Encephalitis (PPE) and infects birds of the orders Columbiformes, Piciformes and Psittaciformes. Accipiter hawks (Aves: Accipitriformes) are the definitive hosts of this parasite. Infections of S. calchasi have been detected in Germany, the United States and Japan. However, the prevalence of the parasite in racing pigeon flocks has not yet been determined. Here, the first cross-sectional prevalence study to investigate S. calchasi in pigeon racing flocks was accomplished including 245 pigeon flocks across Germany. A total of 1,225 muscle biopsies, were taken between 2012 and 2016 and examined by semi-nested PCR for S. calchasi DNA targeting the ITS gene. Additionally, a questionnaire on construction of the aviary as well as management and health status of the flock was conducted. In 27.8% (95% C.I. = 22.3–33.8%) of the flocks, S. calchasi DNA was detected in at least one pigeon. Positive flocks were located in 15 out of 16 federal states. A significant increase of infected racing pigeons was seen in spring. Half-covered or open aviary constructions showed a trend of increase of the prevalence rate, while anti-coccidian treatment and acidified drinking water had no effects. The high prevalence and the geographical distribution of S. calchasi suggest a long-standing occurrence of the parasite in the German racing pigeon population. For pigeons presented with neurological signs or other symptoms possibly related to PPE, S. calchasi should be considered as a potential cause throughout Germany
Modulation of the host Th1 immune response in pigeon protozoal encephalitis caused by Sarcocystis calchasi
Pigeon protozoal encephalitis (PPE) is an emerging central-nervous disease of domestic pigeons (Columba livia f.
domestica) reported in Germany and the United States. It is caused by the apicomplexan parasite Sarcocystis
calchasi which is transmitted by Accipter hawks. In contrast to other members of the Apicomplexa such as
Toxoplasma and Plasmodium, the knowledge about the pathophysiology and host manipulation of Sarcocystis is
scarce and almost nothing is known about PPE. Here we show by mRNA expression profiling a significant
down-modulation of the interleukin (IL)-12/IL-18/interferon (IFN)-γ axis in the brains of experimentally infected
pigeons during the schizogonic phase of disease. Concomitantly, no cellular immune response was observed in
histopathology while immunohistochemistry and nested PCR detected S. calchasi. In contrast, in the late
central-nervous phase, IFN-γ and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α-related cytokines were significantly up-modulated,
which correlated with a prominent MHC-II protein expression in areas of mononuclear cell infiltration and necrosis.
The mononuclear cell fraction was mainly composed of T-lymphocytes, fewer macrophages and B-lymphocytes.
Surprisingly, the severity and composition of the immune cell response appears unrelated to the infectious dose,
although the severity and onset of the central nervous signs clearly was dose-dependent. We identified no or only
very few tissue cysts by immunohistochemistry in pigeons with severe encephalitis of which one pigeon repeatedly
remained negative by PCR despite severe lesions. Taken together, these observations may suggest an immune
evasion strategy of S. calchasi during the early phase and a delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction as cause of the
extensive cerebral lesions during the late neurological phase of disease
Genomic, biochemical and expressional properties reveal strong conservation of the CLCA2 gene in birds and mammals
Recent studies have revealed the dynamic and complex evolution of CLCA1 gene homologues in and between mammals and birds with a particularly high diversity in mammals. In contrast, CLCA2 has only been found as a single copy gene in mammals, to date. Furthermore, CLCA2 has only been investigated in few mammalian species but not in birds. Here, we established core genomic, protein biochemical and expressional properties of CLCA2 in several bird species and compared them with mammalian CLCA2. Chicken, turkey, quail and ostrich CLCA2 were compared to their mammalian orthologues using in silico, biochemical and expressional analyses. CLCA2 was found highly conserved not only at the level of genomic and exon architecture but also in terms of the canonical CLCA2 protein domain organization. The putatively prototypical galline CLCA2 (gCLCA2) was cloned and immunoblotting as well as immunofluorescence analyses of heterologously expressed gCLCA2 revealed protein cleavage, glycosylation patterns and anchoring in the plasma membrane similar to those of most mammalian CLCA2 orthologues. Immunohistochemistry found highly conserved CLCA2 expression in epidermal keratinocytes in all birds and mammals investigated. Our results suggest a highly conserved and likely evolutionarily indispensable role of CLCA2 in keratinocyte function. Its high degree of conservation on the genomic, biochemical and expressional levels stands in contrast to the dynamic structural complexities and proposed functional diversifications between mammalian and avian CLCA1 homologues, insinuating a significant degree of negative selection of CLCA2 orthologues among birds and mammals. Finally, and again in contrast to CLCA1, the high conservation of CLCA2 makes it a strong candidate for studying basic properties of the functionally still widely unresolved CLCA gene family
Hamster models of COVID-19 pneumonia reviewed: How human can they be?
The dramatic global consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic soon fueled quests for a suitable model that would facilitate the development and testing of therapies and vaccines. In contrast to other rodents, hamsters are naturally susceptible to infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and the Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) rapidly developed into a popular model. It recapitulates many characteristic features as seen in patients with a moderate, self-limiting course of the disease such as specific patterns of respiratory tract inflammation, vascular endothelialitis, and age dependence. Among 4 other hamster species examined, the Roborovski dwarf hamster (Phodopus roborovskii) more closely mimics the disease in highly susceptible patients with frequent lethal outcome, including devastating diffuse alveolar damage and coagulopathy. Thus, different hamster species are available to mimic different courses of the wide spectrum of COVID-19 manifestations in humans. On the other hand, fewer diagnostic tools and information on immune functions and molecular pathways are available than in mice, which limits mechanistic studies and inference to humans in several aspects. Still, under pandemic conditions with high pressure on progress in both basic and clinically oriented research, the Syrian hamster has turned into the leading non-transgenic model at an unprecedented pace, currently used in innumerable studies that all aim to combat the impact of the virus with its new variants of concern. As in other models, its strength rests upon a solid understanding of its similarities to and differences from the human disease, which we review here
mCLCA3 Modulates IL-17 and CXCL-1 Induction and Leukocyte Recruitment in Murine Staphylococcus aureus Pneumonia
The human hCLCA1 and its murine ortholog mCLCA3 (calcium-activated chloride
channel regulators) are exclusively expressed in mucus cells and linked to
inflammatory airway diseases with increased mucus production, such as asthma,
cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Both proteins have
a known impact on the mucus cell metaplasia trait in these diseases. However,
growing evidence points towards an additional role in innate immune responses.
In the current study, we analyzed Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia, an
established model to study pulmonary innate immunity, in mCLCA3-deficient and
wild-type mice, focusing on the cellular and cytokine-driven innate
inflammatory response. We compared clinical signs, bacterial clearance,
leukocyte immigration and cytokine responses in the bronchoalveolar
compartment, as well as pulmonary vascular permeability, histopathology, mucus
cell number and mRNA expression levels of selected genes (mClca1 to 7, Muc5ac,
Muc5b, Muc2, Cxcl-1, Cxcl-2, Il-17). Deficiency of mCLCA3 resulted in
decreased neutrophilic infiltration into the bronchoalveolar space during
bacterial infection. Only the cytokines IL-17 and the murine CXCL-8 homolog
CXCL-1 were decreased on mRNA and protein levels during bacterial infection in
mCLCA3-deficient mice compared to wild-type controls. However, no differences
in clinical outcome, histopathology or mucus cell metaplasia were observed. We
did not find evidence for regulation of any other CLCA homolog that would
putatively compensate for the lack of mCLCA3. In conclusion, mCLCA3 appears to
modulate leukocyte response via IL-17 and murine CXCL-8 homologs in acute
Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia which is well in line with the proposed
function of hCLCA1 as a signaling molecule acting on alveolar macrophages
Malignancy Associated MicroRNA Expression Changes in Canine Mammary Cancer of Different Malignancies
MicroRNA has been suspected to be generally involved in carcinogenesis since
their first description. A first study supported this assumption for canine
mammary tumors when miRNA expression was compared to normal gland. The present
study extends these results by comparing the expression of 16 microRNA (miRNA)
and 4 small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA) in tumors of different malignancy, for
example, adenomas, nonmetastasizing and metastasizing carcinomas as well as
lymph node metastases, with each other and with normal mammary gland. All
neoplastic tissues differed in their miR-210 expression levels from normal
gland. While metastatic cells differed in their expression of mir-29b,
miR-101, mir-125a, miR-143, and miR-145 from primary tumors, the comparison of
miRNA expression in primary tumors of different malignancy failed to reveal
significant differences except for a significant downregulation of mir-125a in
metastasizing carcinomas when compared to adenomas
Transcriptome and Proteome Research in Veterinary Science: What Is Possible and What Questions Can Be Asked?
In recent years several technologies for the complete analysis of the transcriptome and proteome have reached a technological level which allows their routine application as scientific tools. The principle of these methods is the identification and quantification of up to ten thousands of RNA and proteins species in a tissue, in contrast to the sequential analysis of conventional methods such as PCR and Western blotting. Due to their technical progress transcriptome and proteome analyses are becoming increasingly relevant in all fields of biological research. They are mainly used for the explorative identification of disease associated complex gene expression patterns and thereby set the stage for hypothesis-driven studies. This review gives an overview on the methods currently available for transcriptome analysis, that is, microarrays, Ref-Seq, quantitative PCR arrays and discusses their potentials and limitations. Second, the most powerful current approaches to proteome analysis are introduced, that is, 2D-gel electrophoresis, shotgun proteomics, MudPIT and the diverse technological concepts are reviewed. Finally, experimental strategies for biomarker discovery, experimental settings for the identification of prognostic gene sets and explorative versus hypothesis driven approaches for the elucidation of diseases associated genes and molecular pathways are described and their potential for studies in veterinary research is highlighted
Microsatellites within the feline androgen receptor are suitable for X chromosome-linked clonality testing in archival material
Objectives A hallmark of neoplasms is their origin from a single cell; that
is, clonality. Many techniques have been developed in human medicine to
utilise this feature of tumours for diagnostic purposes. One approach is X
chromosome-linked clonality testing using polymorphisms of genes encoded by
genes on the X chromosome. The aim of this study was to determine if the
feline androgen receptor gene was suitable for X chromosome-linked clonality
testing. Methods The feline androgen receptor gene, was characterised and used
to test clonality of feline lymphomas by PCR and polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis, using archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded material.
Results Clonality of the feline lymphomas under study was confirmed and the
gene locus was shown to represent a suitable target in clonality testing.
Conclusions and relevance Because there are some pitfalls using X chromosome-
linked clonality testing, further studies are necessary to establish this
technique in the cat
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