In this study we investigated maternal Helicobacter felis (H. felis) infection status to determine the potential of maternal transmission. Pregnant Beagle dogs were infected experimentally with H. felis. Following the experimental design, the stools of the mother and litters were isolated and assessed for transmission of H. felis at parturition day, 1-week old age and 6-week old age respectively. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to examine the presence of transmitted H. felis. All litters showed no transmission of H. felis at parturition day. However, they revealed 14.3% and 100% at 1-week old age and 6-week old age respectively by PCR. These results suggested that vertical infection during prenatal period or delivery procedure is unlikely as a route of mother-to-child H. felis infection. It might be acquired H. felis through breast-feeding, contaminating saliva and fecal-oral during co-habitat.
Animals ; Cats ; Dogs ; Felis ; Helicobacter ; Helicobacter felis ; Humans ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Postpartum Period ; Research Design ; Saliva

In this study we investigated maternal Helicobacter felis (H. felis) infection status to determine the potential of maternal transmission. Pregnant Beagle dogs were infected experimentally with H. felis. Following the experimental design, the stools of the mother and litters were isolated and assessed for transmission of H. felis at parturition day, 1-week old age and 6-week old age respectively. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to examine the presence of transmitted H. felis. All litters showed no transmission of H. felis at parturition day. However, they revealed 14.3% and 100% at 1-week old age and 6-week old age respectively by PCR. These results suggested that vertical infection during prenatal period or delivery procedure is unlikely as a route of mother-to-child H. felis infection. It might be acquired H. felis through breast-feeding, contaminating saliva and fecal-oral during co-habitat.
Animals ; Cats ; Dogs ; Felis ; Helicobacter ; Helicobacter felis ; Humans ; Mothers ; Parturition ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Postpartum Period ; Research Design ; Saliva

In this study, we examined a colony of 20 beagle dogs in a laboratory animal facility. Mycoplasma was detected by consensus PCR assay in 1 dog with respiratory and constitutional symptoms. None of the other dogs were affected. The dog was euthanized and necropsied. In postmortem examinations, gray or plum-colored gross lesions were found on the lung, most commonly in the apical and cardiac lobes. Some lesions showed clear demarcation and consolidation. Microscopic examination showed peribronchiolar lymphoid hyperplasia and interstitial thickening, lesions pathognomonic for mycoplasma pneumonia. To identify canine Mycoplasma species, we used species-specific PCR reactions for M. arginini, M. canis, M. cynos, M. edwardii, M. felis, M. gateae, M. maculosum, M. molare, M. opalescens, M. spumans, Mycoplasma sp. HRC 689, and M. collis. As the result, we identified Mycoplasma cynos by amplification of DNA extracted from lung tissue of the laboratory beagle dog with respiratory disease.
Animals ; Animals, Laboratory ; Autopsy ; Cats ; Consensus ; DNA ; Dogs ; Felis ; Hyperplasia ; Lung ; Molar ; Mycoplasma ; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

Recently, several companies have released H. pylori stool antigen (HpSA) test kits. However, there is little information about the usefulness of HpSA testing for Helicobacter felis, which is the major Helicobacter species in cats. The aim of the present study was to compare diagnostic methods for diagnosis of H. felis with HpSA tests and PCR assay using cat stools or gastric mucosa. Male cats (n=6) were infected with H. felis ATCC 49179 (1.0 x 10(9) CFU /cat) by intragastric inoculation two times at 3-day intervals, and stool specimens of cats were collected 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, and 21 days after infection for HpSA testing and H. felis-specific PCR. For the results, sensitivities of the HpSA test and PCR analysis were 50.0% and 83.3% respectively. Cats were sacrificed 21 days after H. felis inoculation, and gastric tissues were homogenized. All gastric biopsy specimens were positive based on a rapid urease test (RUT) (6/6, 100%) and PCR (6/6, 100%). Based on these results, the HpSA kit is useful and effective for monitoring H. felis infection using stool specimens. If an HpSA test could be made with H. felis antibodies in the future, its sensitivity could be increased further. Further, PCR assay could be successfully used to detect H. felis in stools. Application of this HpSA kit and PCR assay can be utilized as a non-invasive strategy to identify H. felis in cats.
Animals ; Antibodies ; Biopsy ; Cats* ; Diagnosis ; Felis ; Gastric Mucosa ; Helicobacter felis* ; Helicobacter* ; Humans ; Male ; Natural Resources ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Urease

Eimeria tenella and Eimeria maxima are important pathogens causing intracellular protozoa infections in laboratory avian animals and are known to affect experimental results obtained from contaminated animals. This study aimed to find a fast, sensitive, and efficient protocol for the molecular identification of E. tenella and E. maxima in experimental samples using chickens as laboratory avian animals. DNA was extracted from fecal samples collected from chickens and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis was employed to detect E. tenella and E. maxima from the extracted DNA. The target nucleic acid fragments were specifically amplified by PCR. Feces secreting E. tenella and E. maxima were detected by a positive PCR reaction. In this study, we were able to successfully detect E. tenella and E. maxima using the molecular diagnostic method of PCR. As such, we recommended PCR for monitoring E. tenella and E. maxima in laboratory avian facilities.
Animals ; Chickens ; DNA ; Eimeria ; Eimeria tenella ; Feces ; Oocysts ; Pathology, Molecular ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

An abnormal swelling was identified in the distal portion of the right femur in a 1-year-old non-obese diabetic (NOD) mouse. Grossly, a large mass of the distal femur was observed in the right femur. Lesions were poorly marginated, associated with destruction of the cancellous and cortical elements of the bone, and showed ossification within the soft tissue component. Histologically, the tumor was identified as a poorly differentiated sarcoma. Histopathologic examination of the bone masses revealed invasive proliferation of poorly differentiated neoplastic mesenchymal cells forming streams, bundles, and nests, which resulted in destruction of normal bone. Neoplastic cells exhibited random variation in cellular appearance and arrangement, as well as matrix composition and abundance. Haphazard and often intermingling patterns of osteogenic, chondroblastic, lipoblastic, and angiogenic tissues were present. Larger areas of neoplastic bone and hyaline cartilage contained multiple large areas of hemorrhage and necrosis bordered by neoplastic cells. The mass was diagnosed as an osteosarcoma. To our knowledge, this is the first spontaneous osteosarcoma in an NOD mouse.
Animals ; Chondrocytes ; Durapatite ; Femur ; Hemorrhage ; Hyaline Cartilage ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred NOD ; Necrosis ; Osteosarcoma ; Rivers ; Sarcoma

A male one year-old beagle dog with unilateral cryptorchism was presented for investigation of reduced appetite. Abdominal sonography and radiography demonstrated abnormal enlargement of the left testicle in the abdominal cavity. Both the retroperitoneal cryptorchid testicle and the other contralateral testicle were removed surgically. The retroperitoneal cryptorchid testicle was an enlarged, firm and bulging sphere mass. The cut surface revealed a homogeneous white color. The contralateral testicle in the scrotum showed an almost normal appearance. Histopathologically, the retroperitoneal cryptorchid testicle was diagnosed as a Sertoli cell tumor. This report describes a case of Sertoli cell tumor with cryptorchism in a beagle dog.
Abdominal Cavity ; Animals ; Appetite ; Cryptorchidism ; Dogs ; Humans ; Male ; Scrotum ; Sertoli Cell Tumor ; Testis

Mycoplasmas are highly fastidious bacteria, difficult to culture and slow growing. Many species of mycoplasmas are important pathogens that cause respiratory infection in laboratory animals and that are known to affect experimental results obtained with contaminated animals. The aim of the present study was to develop a sensitive and specific assay for the detection of mycoplasma species. To this end, we developed a polymerase chain reaction and dot blot hybridization assay (PCR/DBH) for detecting mycoplasma DNA and evaluated it for its sensitivity and specificity. Mycoplasma consensus primer pairs were used for the amplification of target DNA. When PCR product was visually detected, the limit of detection of the PCR test was 10(2) pg of mycoplasma purified DNA. For DBH, the amplified DNA was labeled by incorporation of digoxigenin (DIG). This DIG-labeled probe was capable of detecting 10(4) pg of purified mycoplasma DNA by DBH. PCR/DBH was more sensitive than PCR or DBH alone and was also very specific. Our PCR/DBH assay can be applied efficiently to confirm the presence of mycoplasma species on clinical samples and to differentiate between mycoplasma species infection and other bacterial infections.
Animals ; Animals, Laboratory ; Bacteria ; Bacterial Infections ; Chimera ; Consensus ; Digoxigenin ; DNA ; Limit of Detection ; Mycoplasma ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sensitivity and Specificity

A one-year-old male Beagle dog showed dermatitis, alopecia and scales. Examination of the affected dog revealed generalized alopecia, patchy erythema, and superficial erosions with histological evidence of mural folliculitis. External tests for parasites in scraped skin samples were negative. However, fungal culture tests and polymerase chain reaction revealed the existence of Candida in the lesion. These results suggest that cutaneous candidiasis may induce mural folliculitis and alopecia in dogs.
Alopecia ; Animals ; Candida ; Candidiasis ; Candidiasis, Cutaneous ; Dermatitis ; Dogs ; Erythema ; Folliculitis ; Humans ; Male ; Parasites ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Skin ; Weights and Measures

Cronobacter sakazakii (C. sakazakii), formerly Enterobacter sakazakii, is an emerging pathogen associated with the ingestion of contaminated reconstituted formula that causes serious illnesses such as bacteremia, septicemia, necrotizing enterocolitis, meningitis and death in low-birth-weight preterm neonatal infants. The objective of this study was to develop an animal model for human neonatal C. sakazakii infections. We acquired timed-pregnant ICR mice and allowed them to give birth naturally. On postnatal day 3.5, each pup was administered orally a total dose of approximately 107 CFU C. sakazakii strain 3439. Mice were observed twice daily for morbidity and mortality. At postnatal day 10.5, the remaining pups were euthanized, and brain, liver, and cecum were excised and analyzed for the presence of C. sakazakii. C. sakazakii was isolated from cecum and other tissues in inoculated mice. In the tissues of C. sakazakii infected mice, meningitis and gliosis were detected in brain. In this study, we confirmed the neonatal ICR mice may be used a very effective animal model for human neonatal C. sakazakii infections.
Animals ; Bacteremia ; Brain ; Cecum ; Cronobacter ; Cronobacter sakazakii ; Eating ; Enterocolitis, Necrotizing ; Gliosis ; Humans ; Infant ; Liver ; Meningitis ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Models, Animal ; Parturition ; Sepsis ; Sprains and Strains