A Novel Recombinant Peste des Petits Ruminants-Canine Adenovirus Vaccine Elicits Long-Lasting Neutralizing Antibody Response against PPR in Goats

BACKGROUND: Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious infectious disease of goats, sheep and small wild ruminant species with high morbidity and mortality rates. The Peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) expresses a hemagglutinin (H) glycoprotein on its outer envelope that is crucial for viral attachment to host cells and represents a key antigen for inducing the host immune response. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To determine whether H can be exploited to generate an effective PPRV vaccine, a replication-competent recombinant canine adenovirus type-2 (CAV-2) expressing the H gene of PPRV (China/Tibet strain) was constructed by the in vitro ligation method. The H expression cassette, including the human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) promoter/enhancer and the BGH early mRNA polyadenylation signal, was inserted into the SspI site of the E3 region, which is not essential for proliferation of CAV-2. Infectious recombinant rCAV-2-PPRV-H virus was generated in transfected MDCK cells and used to immunize goats. All vaccinated animals produced antibodies upon primary injection that were effective in neutralizing PPRV in vitro. Higher antibody titer was obtained following booster inoculation, and the antibody was detectable in goats for at least seven months. No serious recombinant virus-related adverse effect was observed in immunized animals and no adenovirus could be isolated from the urine or feces of vaccinated animals. Results showed that the recombinant virus was safe and could stimulate a long-lasting immune response in goats. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: This strategy not only provides an effective PPR vaccine candidate for goats but may be a valuable mean by which to differentiate infected from vaccinated animals (the so-called DIVA approach)

Protective effect of oxytocin through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant role in a model of sepsis-induced acute lung injury: Demonstrated by CT and histological findings

Purpose: Although several studies demonstrate the anti-inflammatory effect of oxytocin in different pathophysiological processes, there are limited data describing the impact of oxytocin on acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We aimed to elucidate the protective effect of oxytocin in ARDS with histopathological evaluation and radiological imaging in addition to biochemical markers. Materials and Methods: Fecal intraperitoneal injection procedure (FIP) was performed on 24 of 32 rats included in the study for creating a sepsis model. Rats were randomly assigned into four groups: control group (no procedure was applied, n = 8), untreated septic group [was operated (FIP) and received no treatment, n = 8], placebo group (FIP, treated with 10 ml/kg of saline at once, n = 8), and treated group (FIP, treated with 0.1 mg/kg of oxytocin at once, n = 8). Chest CT was performed for all rats 20 hours after the procedure and density of the lungs were measured manually by using HU. All animals were sacrificed for histopathological examination of lung damage and blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis. Results: Plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), lactic acid (LA), C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin 1-beta (IL 1-beta) levels were significantly increased in the placebo (FIP + saline) and the untreated (FIP) groups, and plasma levels of all biomarkers were reversed by oxytocin. Further, the density of the lung parenchyma (Hounsfield unit) on CT images and the histopathological lung damage score values were closer to the control group in the oxytocin-treated group compared to the placebo group. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that oxytocin could exert anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and protective effects in FIP-induced ARDS

Heterotropic Gastric Mucosa in Sigmoid Colon: Report of One Case

In this case presentation we aimed to discuss, with literature, a female patient with rarely seen sigmoid localized heterotopic gastric mucosa. An approximate 0.5 and ndash; 1 cm polyp was determined in the rectosigmoidoscopy of the 37-year-old female patient who had applied to the general surgery department with a constipation complaint. Heterotopic gastric mucosa was detected as a result of histopathological examination. Heterotopic gastric mucosa is frequently determined in the upper gastrointestinal tract. The number of cases of heterotopic gastric mucosa localized on the lower gastrointestinal tract is considerably low in literature. [Arch Clin Exp Surg 2013; 2(1.000): 63-65

Concurrent peste des petits ruminants virus and pestivirus infection in stillborn twin lambs

Ozkul, Aykut/0000-0001-5008-9443; ATMACA, HASAN TARIK/0000-0001-8379-4114WOS: 000254766100011PubMed: 18424832Concurrent infection with peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) and pestivirus was diagnosed in stillborn twin lambs. With the flock history, the findings of epidermal syncytial cells and necrotizing bronchitis/bronchiolitis prompted testing for PPRV infection, and PPRV antigen was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the skin, lungs, kidneys, rumen, and thymus. Macroscopic anomalies that were typical of border disease included scoliosis, brachygnathism, prognathism, arthrogryposis, hydranencephaly, cerebellar hypoplasia, and hairy fleece; pestiviral antigen was detected by IHC in the brain, liver, lungs, and kidneys. Tissues from both lambs were positive by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for PPRV and pestivirus. To the authors' knowledge, PPR has not been reported previously as a congenital infection or in combination with pestiviral infection

The Investigation of Abrasion Resistance and Mechanical Properties of Self Compacting Concrete Containing Polypropylene Fibers

Self-compacting concrete (SCC) was first developed in Japan in the late 1980s as a material that can flow through congested reinforcing bars without need for additional consolidation and without undergoing any significant separation under its own weight. In this study, the optimum polypropylene fiber content, which maintain the self-compactability and stability, was determined for SCCs incorporating polypropylene fibers and fly ash as mineral additive. SCC mixtures were prepared with water to cement ratio of 0.33 and polypropylene fibers amount was from 0.5 % to 2 % by volume for the mixtures. Workability of SCC was determined using slump- flow and T-50 time. In addition, the mechanical performance and abrasion resistance of SCCs were determined by using these fibers. The hardened properties that were determined included abrasion resistance and compressive strength at 28 and 56 and 90 days. The results showed that incorporating polypropylene fibers improved mechanical properties, particularly the abrasion resistance of SCG. It was shown that using 1.5 % by volume polypropylene fibers in the fly ash additive mixtures increases compressive strength and especially the abrasion performance of the SCC

The effect of medroxyprogesterone acetate on bone marrow and testis during cytotoxic chemotherapy

The effect of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) on the mitotic activity of bone marrow and testis during chemotherapy was investigated experimentally in an animal study. A total of 120 male Swiss albino mice were included in this study. Six groups were formed, each consisting of 20 mice. Low-dose MPA (LD-MPA) (15 mg/kg), high-dose MPA (HD-MPA) (100 mg/kg), LD-MPA plus cyclophosphamide (CP) (65 mg/kg), HD-MPA plus CP (65 mg/kg), and CP (65 mg/kg) were administered to the test groups and no drug was administered to the control group. Bone marrow samples and testis were examined for mitotic activity rate (MAR) on days 0, 18, 22, 26, and 30. In groups with regimens containing CP, MAR of hematopoietic cells in bone marrow was suppressed significantly (p 0.05). Mitotic activity rate of the testis cells was significantly suppressed in groups with regimens containing MPA (p <0.05). In conclusion, MPA inhibited mitotic activity of testis, but there was no effect on the mitotic activity of bone marrow. These data do not seem to confirm the hypothesis of a myeloprotective effect of MPA