Nitric Oxide (NO) is an important mediator in various pathological conditions. The list of agents known to activate the NO pathway continues to expand and now includes bacterial products, cytokines, cAMP-elevating agents, trauma, and ozone. The activation of the L-arginine-dependent NO pathway via NO synthase is an important mechanism to stimulate both antimicrobial capability and cytotoxicity of phagocytes. NO has both beneficial and detrimental effects on host responses including lung injury. The effects of NO on the host were intensively investigated in lung injury, bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis (51). However, there was no description about the effect on the primary agent of the disease, Pasteurella haemolytica Al. Therefore, we investigated the effect of NO produced from bovine alveolar macrophages on the growth of Pasteurella haemolytica Al which is the primary agent of bovine pneumonic pasteurellosis. With the exogenous source of NO, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), the growth of the bacterium was dose-dependently inhibited by NO produced from SNP when measured by XTT colorimetric assay and standard plate count method. Also, same effect was observed in AM-derived NO. The effect was bacteriostatic rather than bactericidal.
Animals ; Cytokines ; Lung Injury ; Macrophages, Alveolar* ; Mannheimia haemolytica* ; Nitric Oxide Synthase ; Nitric Oxide* ; Nitroprusside ; Ozone ; Pasteurella* ; Pasteurellosis, Pneumonic ; Phagocytes ; Thiram

It is known that CD28, a positive costimulatory receptor, plays a very important role in inducing the optimal stimulation of T lymphocytes. CTLA-4 (CD152), however, acts as a negative regulator in T lymphocyte activation. The effect of an feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection on the expression of feline CD28 and CTLA-4 was studied with FIV-infected and uninfected peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using a competitive PCR assay. The nature of CD28 and CTLA-4 expression was also examined with fresh and antigen-stimulated PBMC. FIV infection induced a lower expression of CD28, but a higher expression of CTLA-4 in the infected PBMC than in the uninfected PBMC. Relatively high levels of CD28 expression were demonstrated in both the fresh and the antigen-stimulated PBMC. The expression level of CTLA-4 in the freshly isolated PBMC was rather low, however, FIV antigen stimulation induced a relatively high expression of CTLA-4 in feline PBMC.
Animals ; Antigens, CD ; Antigens, CD28/*biosynthesis ; Antigens, Differentiation/*biosynthesis ; Antigens, Viral/*immunology ; Cats ; Cell Survival ; Cells, Cultured ; Gene Expression ; Immunodeficiency Virus, Feline/immunology/*physiology ; Leukocytes, Mononuclear/immunology/*virology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary

Transmitral left ventricular diastolic inflow velocities determined by pulsed Doppler in 47 normotensives, 80 hypertensives and 44 age-matched hypertensives were measured to evaluate the effects of age and left ventricular hypertrophy on left ventricular diastolic fuction in normotensives and hypertensives. The results were as follows: 1) The peak E velocity in normotensives(77.82+/-13.53cm/sec) was significantly different from those of hyeprtensives(58.13+/-11.80cm, p<0.01) and age-matched hypertensives(59.31+/-10.94cm/sec, p<0.01). The peak E/A in normotensives(1.31+/-0.45) was significantly different from those of hypertensives(0.83+/-0.21,p<0.01) and age-matched hypertensives(0.83+/-0.20, p<0.01). 2)In normotensives, simple linear regression analysis revealed strong inverse correlations of peak E with age(r=-0.758, p<0.01), peak E/A with age(r=-0.748, p<0.01), but no significant correlation of peak E and peak E/A with LVMI(p>0.05). Stepwise regression analysis revealed that age was the most important correlate of peak E and peak E/A in normotensives(peak E: R
Heart Diseases ; Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular* ; Linear Models

The primary hyperparathyroidism is a complex endocrine disease caused by neoplasm or diffuse hyperplasia of parathyroid gland in which excessive paratyroid hormon is secreted. This results in chemical abnormalities of serum, and exerts major influences on the bone, kidney and gastrointestinal tract. The authors report 2 cases of primary hyperparathyroidism with review of the literature.
Adenoma ; Endocrine System Diseases ; Gastrointestinal Tract ; Hyperparathyroidism, Primary ; Hyperplasia ; Kidney ; Parathyroid Glands

No abstract available.
Hyperthyroidism*

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is introduced as a marker of disease. At present, a variety of method may be used to quantify expression of this protein. Antigen capture-ELISA is a sensitive and accurate quantification method previously used with ovine, rat, and human IL-6 proteins. However, it has never been reported to quantify porcine IL-6 protein using capture ELISA. In this study, we generated and characterized a set of IgY and mono-specific polyclonal antibodies to recombinant porcine IL-6 (rpIL-6), and combining these with a sensitive and specific capture-ELISA for a diagnostic purpose. cDNA encoding the mature protein coding region of porcine IL-6 was cloned and expressed with pQE-30UA expression vector. rpIL-6 was then expressed and purified by using Ni-NTA resin. Protein mass of 24 kDa was found with SDS-PAGE and the identity of the protein was confirmed by Western-blot. Production of polyclonal antibodies against rpIL-6 was performed using the purified rpIL-6 in mice and hens. An antigen capture-ELISA was developed with the antibodies after their extraction. To compare the IL-6 level in the different sanitary state of farms, pig sera were randomly collected and concentration of IL-6 in the sera was measured with the antigen capture-ELISA. The capture-ELISA with the optimal concentration of antibodies, in this study, was able to detect about 10 ng/ml of rpIL-6. IL-6 levels determined with the capture-ELISA in pig sera showed positive correlation with the sanitary states of the farms. These results suggested that the developed antigen capture-ELISA could be a good tool for the screening of microbial infection in pig farms.
Animals ; Biological Markers/blood ; Blotting, Western/veterinary ; Chickens ; Cloning, Molecular ; DNA, Complementary/genetics/isolation&purification ; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel/veterinary ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/methods/*veterinary ; Female ; Immunoglobulins/*blood ; Interleukin-6/*immunology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Recombinant Proteins/immunology ; Swine/*immunology

A one step reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) combined nested PCR was set up to increase efficiency in the diagnosis of canine distemper virus (CDV) infection after developement of nested PCR. Two PCR primer sets were designed based on the sequence of nucleocapsid gene of CDV Onderstepoort strain. One-step RT-PCR with the outer primer pair was revealed to detect 10(2) PFU/ml. The sensitivity was increased hundredfold using the one-step RT-PCR combined with the nested PCR. Specificity of the PCR was also confirmed using other related canine virus and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and body secretes of healthy dogs. Of the 51 blood samples from dogs clinically suspected of CD, 45 samples were revealed as positive by one-step RT-PCR combined with nested PCR. However, only 15 samples were identified as positive with a single one step RT-PCR. Therefore approximately 60% increase in the efficiency of the diagnosis was observed by the combined method. These results suggested that one step RT-PCR combined with nested PCR could be a sensitive, specific, and practical method for diagnosis of CDV infection.
Animals ; Distemper Virus, Canine/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Dogs ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/*methods/*veterinary ; RNA, Viral/genetics/isolation & purification ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Vaccines, Attenuated ; Viral Vaccines

Metastasis to bone with destruction of the skeletal system is a common problem in old patients with malignancy. Destruction of the musculoskeletal system poses major problems for the patients, including uncontrollable pain, forced immmobilization, pathologic fracture and hypercalcemia. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of surgical treatment and to suggest treatment guidelines for impending or established pathologic fractures due to metastasis of the femur. Between 1985 and 1995, thirty six patients who had pathologic or impending fractures in the femur underwent surgical treatment. The indications of surgery for pathologic fractures are 1) the possibility of survival time more than three months, 2) more benefits of sungical treatment than those of conservative treatment, 3) the possibility of rigid internal fixation, 4) patient s general condition allowing surgery, and those in impending fractures are 1) cortical destruction more than 50% or lytic lesion more than 2.5cm. The method of surgery was excision of the tumor and rigid internal fixation to allow early ambulation with or without bone cement augmentation. The results were analyzed by three criteria, the performance status, pain relief and survival time. Pain relief more than Lots was achieved in 80.6% of patients according to the Kaiko's criteria. The performance status improved more than one grade in all patients except one who died of acute respiratory failure and the mean improvement was 1.8 grade by the Functional Classification of the New York Heart Association. Postoperatively, most of the patients had only slight to moderate limitation of physical activities and felt comfortable at rest and ordinary activities. The survival time was 20.9 months in patients with single metastasis and 10.2 months in patients with multiple metastases. But there was no statistical significance due to large deviation of survival time in each case. In summary, surgical stabilization of the pathologic lesion involving the femur provided definite improvement of quality of life including pain relief and early ambulation. In selected patients with single metastasis, low grade malignancy, or good performance status, postoperative survival time may be expected to be prolonged. More aggressive treatment for the metastatic lesion of the femur is suggested.
Classification ; Early Ambulation ; Femur* ; Fractures, Spontaneous ; Heart ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia ; Motor Activity ; Musculoskeletal System ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Quality of Life ; Respiratory Insufficiency

A novel coronavirus emerged in human populations and spread rapidly to cause the global coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Although the origin of the associated virus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2]) remains unclear, genetic evidence suggests that bats are a reservoir host of the virus, and pangolins are a probable intermediate. SARS-CoV-2 has crossed the species barrier to infect humans and other animal species, and infected humans can facilitate reverse-zoonotic transmission to animals. Considering the rapidly changing interconnections among people, animals, and ecosystems, traditional roles of veterinarians should evolve to include transdisciplinary roles.

No abstract available.
Nasal Bone*