Antiretroviral therapy and HIV-associated cancers: Antiangiogenic effect of efavirenz on chick chorioallantoic membrane

Purpose: To investigate the anti-angiogenic effect of efavirenz in chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM).Methods: Fertile eggs of the domestic fowl (Gallus gallus, variant Domesticus) were used as the in vivo vascular test environment. Experimental groups were VEGF, thalidomide (negative control), efavirenz (test drug), control 1 (treated with diluent) and control 2 (no treatment). CAM photographs were taken using a microscope camera. CAM blood vessels were scored as either “present” or “absent”.Results: There was association between treatment drugs and growth of CAM blood vessels (p < 0.05) as follows: control 1 – 100 %, control 2 – 67 %, VEGF - 83 %, thalidomide - 17 %, and efavirenz - 0 % (n = 30). Although efavirenz had absolute anti-angiogenicity and presented as a potential anti-cancer drug, there was no significant difference between the anti-angiogenicity of efavirenz (100 %) and thalidomide (83 %) (F = 1.000, p = 0.341).Conclusion: Being a first-line drug in both HAART and combination treatment of HIV-1, efavirenz may be responsible for spontaneous resolution of secondary cancers in HIV-infected patients on HAART regimen.Keywords: Efavirenz, HIV, Cancers, Angiogenesis, Chick chorioallantoic membran

Genetic diversity of Brazilian isolates of feline immunodeficiency virus

We isolated Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) from three adult domestic cats, originating from two open shelters in Brazil. Viruses were isolated from PBMC following co-cultivation with the feline T-lymphoblastoid cell line MYA-1. All amplified env gene products were cloned directly into pGL8MYA. The nucleic acid sequences of seven clones were determined and then compared with those of previously described isolates. The sequences of all of the Brazilian virus clones were distinct and phylogenetic analysis revealed that all belong to subtype B. Three variants isolated from one cat and two variants were isolated from each of the two other cats, indicating that intrahost diversity has the potential to pose problems for the treatment and diagnosis of FIV infection

The role of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 in infection with feline immunodeficiency virus

Infection with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) leads to the development of a disease state similar to AIDS in man. Recent studies have identified the chemokine receptor CXCR4 as the major receptor for cell culture-adapted strains of FIV, suggesting that FIV and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) share a common mechanism of infection involving an interaction between the virus and a member of the seven transmembrane domain superfamily of molecules. This article reviews the evidence for the involvement of chemokine receptors in FIV infection and contrasts these findings with similar studies on the primate lentiviruses HIV and SIV (simian immunodeficiency virus)

The clonal root system of balsam poplar in upland sites of Quebec and Alberta

Balsam poplar seeds are short-lived and require moist seedbeds soon after they are released to germinate. In addition to sexual reproduction, balsam poplar stands can regenerate clonally by root suckering. The origin of stands will in turn affect their genetic structure and root system architecture, which are poorly understood for upland forest stands. Three stands were hydraulically excavated in Quebec (moist) and Alberta (dry) to determine the origin of trees and to characterize root systems with respect to presence of parental roots and root grafts connections. Clones were identified using single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs), and all stems, roots and root grafts were aged using dendrochronology techniques. All 82 excavated trees were of sucker origin, and four of the six stands contained a single clone. Parental root connections were found between 22% and 25% of excavated trees, and 53% and 48% of trees were linked with a root graft between the same or different clones, in Alberta and Quebec, respectively. Mean distance between trees connected by parental root was significantly lower than the distance between unconnected trees (0.47 ± 0.25 m vs. 3.14 ± 0.15 m and 1.55 ± 0.27 m vs. 4.25 ± 0.13 m) in Alberta and in Quebec, respectively. The excavations also revealed many dead stumps with live roots, maintained through root connections with live trees. This research highlights that balsam poplar growing in upland stands is a clonal species that can maintain relatively high genotypic diversity, with frequent root connections between trees at maturity. Maintaining an extensive root system through root connections increases the chances of a clone surviving when the above ground tree is dead and may also enhance the resilience of balsam poplar stands after disturbance

Multicomponent non-pharmacological intervention to prevent delirium for hospitalised people with advanced cancer: Study protocol for a phase II cluster randomised controlled trial

© 2019 Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Introduction Delirium is a significant medical complication for hospitalised patients. Up to one-third of delirium episodes are preventable in older inpatients through non-pharmacological strategies that support essential human needs, such as physical and cognitive activity, sleep, hydration, vision and hearing. We hypothesised that a multicomponent intervention similarly may decrease delirium incidence, and/or its duration and severity, in inpatients with advanced cancer. Prior to a phase III trial, we aimed to determine if a multicomponent non-pharmacological delirium prevention intervention is feasible and acceptable for this specific inpatient group. Methods and analysis The study is a phase II cluster randomised wait-listed controlled trial involving inpatients with advanced cancer at four Australian palliative care inpatient units. Intervention sites will introduce delirium screening, diagnostic assessment and a multicomponent delirium prevention intervention with six domains of care: preserving natural sleep; maintaining optimal vision and hearing; optimising hydration; promoting communication, orientation and cognition; optimising mobility; and promoting family partnership. Interdisciplinary teams will tailor intervention delivery to each site and to patient need. Control sites will first introduce only delirium screening and diagnosis, later implementing the intervention, modified according to initial results. The primary outcome is adherence to the intervention during the first seven days of admission, measured for 40 consecutively admitted eligible patients. Secondary outcomes relate to fidelity and feasibility, acceptability and sustainability of the study intervention, processes and measures in this patient population, using quantitative and qualitative measures. Delirium incidence and severity will be measured to inform power calculations for a future phase III trial. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval was obtained for all four sites. Trial results, qualitative substudy findings and implementation of the intervention will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals, and reported at conferences, to study sites and key peak bodies

Functional characterisation of a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha subunit from the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus

Open Access funded by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Under a Creative Commons license This work was supported by a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (UK) Industrial CASE studentship award (BBSSM200411428) to K.L. with co-funding from Pfizer Animal Health, UK. We thank Dr. Andy Ball for help with rearing of ticks.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Serological and Molecular Investigation of SARS-CoV-2 in Horses and Cattle in Switzerland from 2020 to 2022

Horses and cattle have shown low susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2, and there is no evidence of experimental intraspecies transmission. Nonetheless, seropositive horses in the US and seropositive cattle in Germany and Italy have been reported. The current study investigated the prevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in horses and cattle in Switzerland. In total, 1940 serum and plasma samples from 1110 horses and 830 cattle were screened with a species-specific ELISA based on the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) and, in the case of suspect positive results, a surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) was used to demonstrate the neutralizing activity of the antibodies. Further confirmation of suspect positive samples was performed using either a pseudotype-based virus neutralization assay (PVNA; horses) or an indirect immunofluorescence test (IFA; cattle). The animals were sampled between February 2020 and December 2022. Additionally, in total, 486 bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), oropharyngeal, nasal and rectal swab samples from horses and cattle were analyzed for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA via reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Six horses (0.5%; 95% CI: 0.2–1.2%) were suspect positive via RBD-ELISA, and neutralizing antibodies were detected in two of them via confirmatory sVNT and PVNA tests. In the PVNA, the highest titers were measured against the Alpha and Delta SARS-CoV-2 variants. Fifteen cattle (1.8%; 95% CI: 1.0–3.0%) were suspect positive in RBD-ELISA; 3 of them had SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibodies in sVNT and 4 of the 15 were confirmed to be positive via IFA. All tested samples were RT-qPCR-negative. The results support the hypotheses that the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in horses and cattle in Switzerland was low up to the end of 2022