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Sample records for experimentally infected rabbits

  1. Quantification of HTLV-I proviral load in experimentally infected rabbits

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    Kindt Thomas J

    2005-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Levels of proviral load in HTLV-1 infected patients correlate with clinical outcome and are reasonably prognostic. Adaptation of proviral load measurement techniques is examined here for use in an experimental rabbit model of HTLV-1 infection. Initial efforts sought to correlate proviral load with route and dose of inoculation and with clinical outcome in this model. These methods contribute to our continuing goal of using the model to test treatments that alleviate virus infection. Results A real-time PCR assay was used to measure proviral load in blood and tissue samples from a series of rabbits infected using HTLV-1 inocula prepared as either cell-free virus particles, infected cells or blood, or by naked DNA injection. Proviral loads from asymptomatically infected rabbits showed levels corresponding to those reported for human patients with clinically silent HTLV-1 infections. Proviral load was comparably increased in 50% of experimentally infected rabbits that developed either spontaneous benign or malignant tumors while infected. Similarly elevated provirus was found in organs of rabbits with experimentally induced acute leukemia/lymphoma-like disease. Levels of provirus in organs taken at necropsy varied widely suggesting that reservoirs of infections exist in non-lymphoid organs not traditionally thought to be targets for HTLV-1. Conclusion Proviral load measurement is a valuable enhancement to the rabbit model for HTLV-1 infection providing a metric to monitor clinical status of the infected animals as well as a means for the testing of treatment to combat infection. In some cases proviral load in blood did not reflect organ proviral levels, revealing a limitation of this method for monitoring health status of HTLV-1 infected individuals.

  2. Detection and localization of rabbit hepatitis e virus and antigen in systemic tissues from experimentally intraperitoneally infected rabbits.

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    Jingjing Mao

    Full Text Available Rabbit hepatitis E virus (HEV is a novel genotype of HEV, and is considered to pose a risk of zoonotic transmission. Research into the systemic distribution of rabbit HEV in rabbits during different periods of infection has rarely been reported. To better understand this virus, we infected rabbits with second-passage rabbit HEV via an intraperitoneal route. After inoculation, the infection showed two types, temporary and constant infection. The detection of HEV RNA in the feces varied with time, and serum antigen correlated with fecal HEV RNA. Viremia only appeared 72 days after inoculation. The rabbits remained antibody negative throughout the experimental period. When HEV was localized, several organs besides the liver were HEV RNA positive. Tissue antigen was observed immunohistochemically in the different cells of various organs, especially in parts of the small intestine and the characteristic rabbit gut-associated lymphoid tissue. These data provide valuable information for future research into the pathogenesis of HEV.

  3. Molecular diagnosis of Eimeria stiedae in hepatic tissue of experimentally infected rabbits.

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    Hassan, Khaled M; Arafa, Waleed M; Mousa, Waheed M; Shokier, Khaled A M; Shany, Salama A; Aboelhadid, Shawky M

    2016-10-01

    The early detection of Eimeria stiedae in the hepatic tissue of experimentally infected rabbits was investigated using molecular assay. Forty 6-week-old male New Zealand rabbits were divided into two groups. Group A (30 animals) was infected with 2.5 × 10(4) sporulated oocysts of E. stiedae per animal on Day 0 and Group B (10 animals) was used as the uninfected controls. Three animals from Group A and one from Group B were sacrificed at 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24 and 27 days post infection (PI). Gross and microscopic post-mortem findings were recorded. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the E. stiedae internal transcribed spacer 1 genomic region was conducted on blood, liver tissue, and feces from the Group A experimentally infected animals. Macroscopically, the liver showed irregular yellowish white nodules pathognomonic to E. stiedae infection beginning on Day 15 PI. Hepatomegaly and ascites were obvious from Day 21-24 PI. The presence of different E. stiedae schizonts and gametocytes in the histopathological sections of the biliary epithelium were evident on Day 15 PI. The E. stiedae PCR was first positive in liver tissues on Day 12 and in fecal samples on Day 18 PI, but the blood samples were negative. In conclusion, the PCR can be used for early diagnosis and control of E. stiedae schizonts before shedding of the oocysts in feces. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Studies on experimental infection of rabbits with irradiated metacercariae of Fasciola giganticas Cobbold, 1885

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Subramanian, G.; Srivastava, V.K.; Verma, J.C.

    1976-01-01

    Worm burden, gross pathology and serological response of rabbits infected with gamma irradiated metacercariae of Fasciola gigantica has been studied with a view to prepare a vaccine against the pathogen. Infection with metacercariae irradiated at 2 or 3 kr caused reduced worm burden and gross pathology and produced antibody titres comparable to the titres in rabbits infected with normal cysts. Infection with metacercariae irradiated at 4 kr resulted in total absence of worm burden and caused no rise of antibody titre in the sera of rabbits. In every case after infection, worm burden was progressively eliminated over long duration. The pathogenicity was comparatively severe in rabbits infected with normal cysts. (M.G.B.)

  5. Cholinesterase as inflammatory markers in a experimental infection by Trypanosoma evansi in rabbits

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    Márcio M. Costa

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of cholinesterases as an inflammatory marker in acute and chronic infection by Trypanosoma evansi in rabbits experimentally infected. Twelve adult female New Zealand rabbits were used and divided into two groups with 6 animals each: control group (rabbits 1-6 and infected group (rabbits 7-12. Infected group received intraperitoneally 0.5 mL of blood from a rat containing 108 parasites per animal. Blood samples used for cholinesterases evaluation were collected on days 0, 2, 7, 12, 27, 42, 57, 87, 102 and 118 days post-inoculation (PI. Increased activity (P0.05 was observed in the encephalic structures. The increased activities of AChE and BChE probably have a pro-inflammatory purpose, attempting to reduce the concentration of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter which has an anti-inflammatory property. Therefore, cholinesterase may be inflammatory markers in infection with T. evansi in rabbits.O objetivo do presente estudo é avaliar o papel das colinesterases como marcadores inflamatórios nas fases aguda e crônica da infecção por T. evansi em coelhos infectados experimentalmente. Foram utilizados 12 coelhos adultos, fêmeas, da raça Nova Zelândia, divididos em dois grupos: um grupo controle, com seis animais (coelhos 1-6, e um grupo infectado, com seis animais (coelhos 7-12. Os animais pertencentes ao grupo infectados receberam, pela via intraperitoneal, 0,5 mL de sangue de rato contendo 108 tripanossomas por animal. Amostras do sangue utilizado para avaliação das colinesterases foram coletadas nos dias 0, 2, 7, 12, 27, 42, 57, 87, 102 e 118 pós-inoculação (PI. Aumento (P0,05 foi observada nas estruturas encefálicas. O aumento de atividade da AChE e BChE provavelmente tenha finalidade pró-inflamatória, a fim de reduzir as concentrações de acetilcolina, neurotransmissor que apresenta propriedade anti-inflamatória. Portanto, as colinesterases podem ser marcadores inflamatórios na infec

  6. Prevention and treatment of Encephalitozoon cuniculi infection in immunosuppressed rabbits with fenbendazole.

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    Abu-Akkada, S S; Oda, S S

    2016-01-01

    This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of oral administration of fenbendazole (20 mg/kg body weight) prior to and after experimental infection of immunosuppressed rabbits with Encephalitozoon cuniculi . A total of thirty rabbits were divided into five groups: NN (non-immunosuppressed; non-infected), IN (immunosuppressed; non-infected), IPI (immunosuppressed; protected-infected), ITI (immunosuppressed; treated-infected), and II (immunosuppressed; infected) groups. Fenbendazole was administered as a prophylactic for seven successive days before infection with E. cuniculi and as a treatment for four weeks initiated on the 28th day post-challenge (PC). Experimental rabbits were infected with intraperitoneal injection of 2 × 10 5 E. cuniculi spores. Parameters evaluated were body weight, detection of spores in urine, serum antibody assay, hematological, biochemical and histopathological changes. The IPI and ITI groups showed a significant better final bwt than the II group. Spores were detected in urine of all infected rabbits from the 28th day PC until the end of the study. The IPI group showed the least values of antibodies (IgG) compared to the ITI and II groups. Concerning histopathological changes, the intensity of the lesions was marked particularly in the II rabbits and to a lesser extent in the ITI rabbits. Noticeable improvement was found in the IPI rabbits. It could be concluded that fenbendazole was effective to some extent in protection of rabbits against E. cuniculi infection, while when administered as a therapeutic no significant effects were observed.

  7. An ultrasonic study of experimental infected hydronephrosis in rabbit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Byung Ihn; Yu, Yun Jeong; Han, Man Chung; Kim, Chu Wan

    1983-01-01

    Ultrasonography of rabbit kidney was performed after induction of infected hydronephrosis to evaluate the sequential sonographic changes in 15 rabbits. Infected hydronephrosis was induced by ligation of the distal ureter and ureteral inoculation of Escherichia coli. Ultrasonography was performed daily during the first two weeks and weekly during the following 4 weeks after induction of infected hydronephrosis. The results are as follows: 1. The earliest abnormal ultrasonographic findings was appearance of internal echoes in dependent portion of the pelvis, which appeared within 4 days after inoculation in all cases. 2. Degree of internal echoes within the pelvis increased progressively with lapse of time and the entire pelvis was filled with internal echoes within 2 weeks after inoculation in all cases. 3. Echogenecity of internal echoes within the pelvis was similar to that of renal parenchyma in the first week after inoculation, however was weaker than that of renal parenchyma 2 weeks after inoculation in all cases

  8. the assessment of fasciola gigantica infection in the rabbit ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In this study, the rabbit was assessed as a laboratory host for the helminthes parasite, Fasciola gigantica. Three groups of rabbits were Infected experimentally with 5, 10 end 15 metacercariae of F. gigantica respectively. Clinical signs found included pale mucous membrane, progressive emaciation and rough hair coat.

  9. Rabbit haemorrhagic disease: are Australian rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) evolving resistance to infection with Czech CAPM 351 RHDV?

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    Elsworth, P G; Kovaliski, J; Cooke, B D

    2012-11-01

    Rabbit haemorrhagic disease is a major tool for the management of introduced, wild rabbits in Australia. However, new evidence suggests that rabbits may be developing resistance to the disease. Rabbits sourced from wild populations in central and southeastern Australia, and domestic rabbits for comparison, were experimentally challenged with a low 60 ID50 oral dose of commercially available Czech CAPM 351 virus - the original strain released in Australia. Levels of resistance to infection were generally higher than for unselected domestic rabbits and also differed (0-73% infection rates) between wild populations. Resistance was lower in populations from cooler, wetter regions and also low in arid regions with the highest resistance seen within zones of moderate rainfall. These findings suggest the external influences of non-pathogenic calicivirus in cooler, wetter areas and poor recruitment in arid populations may influence the development rate of resistance in Australia.

  10. Virological and clinico-pathological features of orf virus infection in experimentally infected rabbits and mice.

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    Cargnelutti, J F; Masuda, E K; Martins, M; Diel, D G; Rock, D L; Weiblen, R; Flores, E F

    2011-01-01

    Many aspects of the biology of orf virus (ORFV) infection remain poorly understood and attempts to establish animal models have yielded conflicting and non-reproducible results. We herein describe the characterization of ORFV infection and disease in rabbits and mice. A protocol of intradermal inoculation was employed to inoculate 10(8.5)TCID₅₀/mL of ORFV strain IA-82 in the skin of ears, of the back and labial commissures. All inoculated rabbits presented a clinical course characterized by erythema, macules, papules/vesicles or pustules that eventually dried originating scabs. Local signs started around days 3 and 4 post-inoculation (pi) and lasted 3-10 days. Virus was recovered from lesions between days 2 and 14pi. Histological examination of lesions revealed focal proliferative dermatitis with ballooning degeneration and eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies in keratinocytes, histological hallmarks of contagious ecthyma in sheep. A similar, albeit milder clinical course occurred in 5/10 inoculated mice; virus was recovered from lesions from three animals. Inoculated lambs - used as controls - developed severe lesions of contagious ecthyma. VN tests performed at day 28pi failed to detect neutralizing antibodies in all inoculated animals. In contrast, convalescent rabbit sera were positive by ELISA at dilutions from 100 to 400. These results show that rabbits are susceptible to ORFV infection and thus may be used to study selected aspects of ORFV biology. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. The rabbit as an experimental model in laryngology

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    Carneiro, Christiano de Giacomo

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: In the research in laryngology we normally use animal models. The animal experimentation may also contribute largely for this evolution, mainly for the easy access compared to human larynxes and for they are more easily controlled. Objective: The objective of this work is to analyze the laryngofissure with vocal cords graft as an experimental surgical technique in male adult rabbits. Method: We studied 46 New Zealand albino rabbits submitted to microsurgery in both vocal cords with autologous unilateral or bilateral graft of fat or fascia. Results: There were 4 losses of 3 animals until the first week of the postoperative period and another after 19 days after surgery. In the subsequent animals there were no infection, hematoma or sutures dehiscence. Conclusion: The study enables the conclusion that the experimental laryngofissure in rabbits is a safe method that may be used for laryngological studies.

  12. Identification of toxocara canis antigens by Western blot in experimentally infected rabbits

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    MORALES Olga Lucía

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Toxocariasis is a frequent helminthiasis that can cause visceral and ocular damage in humans specially in children. The identification of specific antigens of Toxocara canis is important in order to develop better diagnostic techniques. Ten rabbits were infected orally with a dose of 5000 Toxocara canis embryonated eggs. Rabbits were bled periodically and an ELISA assay was performed to determine levels of specific Toxocara IgG antibodies. ELISA detected antibodies at day 15 after infection. Western blot (WB assay was performed using excretory/secretory antigens (E/S of T. canis second stage larvae. Different antigen concentrations were evaluated: 150, 200, 250 and 300 µg/mL. The concentration of 250 µg/mL was retained for analysis. Rabbit sera were diluted 1:100. Secondary antibody was used at a dilution of 1:1000. Results of WB indicated that in the first month after infection specific antibodies against the 200 KDa, 116 KDa, 92 KDa and 35 KDa antigens were detected; antibodies against the 92 KDa, 80 KDa, 66 KDa, 45 KDa, 31 KDa and 28 KDa antigens appeared later. All positive sera in the ELISA test were also positive in WB. Two antigen bands, 92 KDa and 35 KDa, were identified since the beginning and throughout the course of infection. These antigens merit further evaluation as candidates for use in diagnosis.

  13. Blood Profile of Rabbits Infected with Eimeria magna

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    A Hana

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract. The research aimed at determining the blood profile of local rabbits infected with different dose of Eimeria magna oocysts. This research used 45 male rabbits with the age of 4 month old, range from 1.5 to 1.8 kg, clinically healthy and free from coccidiosis. The rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups, group I as control (K-0 was given 1.0 ml distilled water/rabbit orally, group II (K-10 was infected with single dose of 10x106 oocysts of E. magna/rabbit orally, and group III (K-20 was infected with single dose of 20x106 oocysts of E. magna/rabbit orally. After infection, rabbits were examined for clinical signs, body weight and temperature daily for five days. Blood samples were drawn from the vena marginalis to examine the number of erythrocytes, hemoglobine, packed cell volume (PCV, leukocytes and its deferent, total protein plasma (TPP and fibrinogen, activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP, alanine amino transferase (ALT, and aspartat aminotransferase (AST. The data were statistically analyzed by two-way anova using factorial design. The results of this research showed that the infection of E. magna in rabbits caused fever and weight loss, accompanied by normochromic microcytic anemia (at doses of 10x106 oocysts, macrocytic normochromic (at doses of 20x106 oocysts, leukocytosis, lymphocytosis, hiperfibrinogenemia, and increased of ALP activity. There were correlations between clinical symptoms and blood profile of rabbits infected with E. magna for five days. The higher the dose and the longer the infection of E. magna in rabbits caused weight loss, increased body temperature, MCV (microcytic to macrocytic, leukocyte, fibrinogen and ALP activity. These findings were useful to have a better understanding of pathophysiology of E. magna infection in  rabbits. Key Words: Eimeria magna, oocyst, rabbit, blood profile A Hana et al/Animal Production 13(3:185-190 (2011

  14. Effect of a lytic bacteriophage on rabbits experimentally infected with pathogenic Escherichia coli

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    J. Zhao

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli is severely threatening the rabbit industry in China, and the concern over antibiotic-resistant bacteria has given rise to an urgent need for antibiotic alternatives. In this study, a member (ZRP1 of the Myoviridae family was isolated from rabbit faeces using a strain of rabbit atypical enteropathogenic E. coli (ZR1 as host. The one-step growth curve indicated that the latent period was around 25 to 30 min and the burst size was 144±31 plaque-forming unit/cell. The rate of phage-resistant mutation was 7×10–5±4×10–5. When the bacteriophage input at the multiplicity of infection (MOI was 0.1, 1 or 10, the growth of host E. coli in broth was inhibited for 5 h. A single intravenous injection of ZRP1 at MOI 0.1, 1 or 10 significantly prolonged the survival time of rabbits which simultaneously received a lethal dose of ZR1.

  15. Coccidian and nematode infections influence prevalence of antibody to myxoma and rabbit hemorrhagic disease viruses in European rabbits.

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    Bertó-Moran, Alejandro; Pacios, Isabel; Serrano, Emmanuel; Moreno, Sacramento; Rouco, Carlos

    2013-01-01

    The interaction among several parasites in European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) is crucial to host fitness and to the epidemiology of myxomatosis and rabbit hemorrhagic disease. These diseases have caused significant reductions in rabbit populations on the Iberian Peninsula. Most studies have focused on the epidemiology and pathogenesis of these viruses individually, and little is known about interactions between these viruses and other parasites. Taking advantage of an experimental restocking program in Spain, the effects of coccidian and nematode infections on the probability of having detectable antibody to myxoma and rabbit hemorrhagic disease viruses were tested in European wild rabbits. For 14 mo, we monitored rabbit abundance and parasite loads (coccidia and nematodes) in three reintroduced rabbit populations. While coccidian and nematode loads explained seasonal antibody prevalences to myxoma virus, the pattern was less clear for rabbit hemorrhagic disease. Contrary to expectations, prevalence of antibody to myxoma virus was inversely proportional to coccidian load, while nematode load seemed to play a minor role. These results have implications for viral disease epidemiology and for disease management intended to increase rabbit populations in areas where they are important for ecosystem conservation.

  16. Isolation of Trichophyton mentogrophytes var mentogrophytes from naturally infected laboratory albino rats: experimental infection and treatment in rabbits

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    N. A. Issa

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available The present study demonstrated for the first time the occurrence of dermatophytosis in naturally infected rats and from asymptomatic and from breeding boxes of white rats kept in animal housing of college of Veterinary Medicine, University of Dohuk, Iraq. The prevalence rate of infection was (28%, clinically infected rats characterized by appearance of scaly ovoid type lesions with crusty edge and patch of hair loss mostly seen on the back, neck and face of the infected rats, itching was reported in some rats. Only one species of the trichophyton, T. mentogrophytes var mentogrophytes was isolated with growth rate (85.71% of samples collected from clinically infected rats, and (28.57% from asymptomatic and from breeding cages, the growth was observed within the 21 days at 25ºC on Sabouraud's Dextrose Agar. Lacto phenol cotton blue staining slides of T. mentogrophytes var mentogrophytes revealed both microconidia and macroconidia. Microconidia found in numerous numbers often in dense cluster which were hyaline, smooth walled and predominantly spherical to sub spherical in shape, varying numbers of chlamydoconidia. Spiral hyphae and smooth, thin walled clavate shaped multicelled macroconidia were also present. The study also dealt with experimental infection in rabbits with T. mentogrophytes var mentogrophytes and treated by two drugs, natural herbal preparation of acidic pomegranate (Punica granatum fruit and synthetic nystatine ointment. The complete recovery of lesions was recorded after 14 days and 21 days of topical application of a pomegranate and nystatine ointment for 5 successive days respectively.

  17. An experimental model of mycobacterial infection under corneal flaps

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    C.B.D. Adan

    2004-07-01

    Full Text Available In order to develop a new experimental animal model of infection with Mycobacterium chelonae in keratomileusis, we conducted a double-blind prospective study on 24 adult male New Zealand rabbits. One eye of each rabbit was submitted to automatic lamellar keratotomy with the automatic corneal shaper under general anesthesia. Eyes were immunosuppressed by a single local injection of methyl prednisolone. Twelve animals were inoculated into the keratomileusis interface with 1 µl of 10(6 heat-inactivated bacteria (heat-inactivated inoculum controls and 12 with 1 µl of 10(6 live bacteria. Trimethoprim drops (0.1%, w/v were used as prophylaxis for the surgical procedure every 4 h (50 µl, qid. Animals were examined by 2 observers under a slit lamp on the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 11th, 16th, and 23rd postoperative days. Slit lamp photographs were taken to document clinical signs. Animals were sacrificed when corneal disease was detected and corneal samples were taken for microbiological analysis. Eleven of 12 experimental rabbits developed corneal disease, and M. chelonae could be isolated from nine rabbits. Eleven of the 12 controls receiving a heat-inactivated inoculum did not develop corneal disease. M. chelonae was not isolated from any of the control rabbits receiving a heat-inactivated inoculum, or from the healthy cornea of control rabbits. Corneal infection by M. chelonae was successfully induced in rabbits submitted to keratomileusis. To our knowledge, this is the first animal model of M. chelonae infection following corneal flaps for refractive surgery to be described in the literature and can be used for the analysis of therapeutic responses.

  18. Characterization of a novel alphaherpesvirus associated with fatal infections of domestic rabbits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jin, L.; Loehr, C.V.; Vanarsdall, A.L.; Baker, R.J.; Moerdyk-Schauwecker, M.; Levine, C.; Gerlach, R.F.; Cohen, S.A.; Alvarado, D.E.; Rohrmann, G.F.

    2008-01-01

    A virus was found to be associated with a severe disease affecting rabbits on a farm near Anchorage, Alaska. Extracts from the skin of infected rabbits produced syncytia and cell lysis in cultured rabbit skin, rabbit kidney, and Vero cells. Examination of the infectious agent by electron microscopy revealed an icosahedral nucleocapsid surrounded by an envelope with a diameter of about 120 nm, suggesting that it was a herpesvirus. The viral genome was determined to be composed of double-stranded DNA of 120-130 kbp. PCR using degenerate primers to conserved herpesvirus genes was used to amplify sequences from purified viral DNA. Sequencing of these products allowed the design of specific primers so that complete sequence data for a number of genes could be determined. Analysis of these data indicated that the virus is most closely related to bovine herpesvirus 2. The next most closely related viruses are human herpesviruses 1 and 2, and a number of cercopithecine herpesviruses. Experimental exposure of domestic rabbits to the isolate resulted in severe clinical disease and necrosis in the spleen and lymph node. In addition, viral DNA was identified in a variety of tissues by PCR, consistent with a systemic infection. Taken together, these data suggest that this virus is highly pathogenic for domestic rabbits and belongs to the family Herpesviridae, subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae, genus Simplexvirus

  19. Usefulness of high-resolution sonography in early diagnosis of rabbit clonorchiasis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lim, Jae Hoon; Choi, Don Gil; Chung, Il Gyu; Phyun, Lae Hyun; Pyeun, Yong Seon; Hong, Sung Tae; Lee, Me Jeong

    1999-01-01

    To determine the role of high-resolution sonography in the early diagnosis of experimentally induced clonorchiasis in rabbits. We performed sonographic examination weekly in 22 lightly-infected rabbits (10 rabbits infected with 10 metacercariae, 6 rabbits infected with 20 metacercariae, and 6 rabbits infected with 40 metacercariae), and 10 heavily-infected rabbits (500 metacercariae). The sonographic criterion of diagnosis with dilatation of the intrahepatic ducts. We sacrificed lightly-infected rabbits and counted numbers of adult worms of clonorchis sinensis 9 weeks after infection. Sonographic abnormalities were found 3 weeks after infection in 2 lightly-infected rabbits and 5 heavily-infected rabbits. On sonography at 9 weeks after infection, we observed dilatation of the intrahepatic ducts in 11 (65%) of 17 lightly-infected rabbits and all of 10 heavily-infected rabbits. High-resolution sonography is very useful in early diagnosis of rabbits clonorchiasis.

  20. Usefulness of high-resolution sonography in early diagnosis of rabbit clonorchiasis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lim, Jae Hoon; Choi, Don Gil; Chung, Il Gyu; Phyun, Lae Hyun; Pyeun, Yong Seon [Sungkyunkwan University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Hong, Sung Tae; Lee, Me Jeong [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1999-09-15

    To determine the role of high-resolution sonography in the early diagnosis of experimentally induced clonorchiasis in rabbits. We performed sonographic examination weekly in 22 lightly-infected rabbits (10 rabbits infected with 10 metacercariae, 6 rabbits infected with 20 metacercariae, and 6 rabbits infected with 40 metacercariae), and 10 heavily-infected rabbits (500 metacercariae). The sonographic criterion of diagnosis with dilatation of the intrahepatic ducts. We sacrificed lightly-infected rabbits and counted numbers of adult worms of clonorchis sinensis 9 weeks after infection. Sonographic abnormalities were found 3 weeks after infection in 2 lightly-infected rabbits and 5 heavily-infected rabbits. On sonography at 9 weeks after infection, we observed dilatation of the intrahepatic ducts in 11 (65%) of 17 lightly-infected rabbits and all of 10 heavily-infected rabbits. High-resolution sonography is very useful in early diagnosis of rabbits clonorchiasis.

  1. Immunodiagnosis of systemic aspergillosis. I. Antigenemia detected by radioimmunoassay in experimental infection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weiner, M.H.; Coats-Stephen, M.

    1979-01-01

    Because systemic aspergillosis is difficult to diagnose ante mortem, a study to improve immunodiagnosis was undertaken in a rabbit model of disseminated infection. We found that the predominant humoral response of infected animals was directed against four Aspergillus antigens identified by crossed immunoelectrophoresis. One of these antigens, a cell-wall carbohydrate, was purified by gel-filtration chromatography and was used to develop a radiommunoassay. The sensitivity of this assay was increased by testing for serum-bound antigen as well as for free antigen. When the sensitivity of the RIA was evaluated in the animal model, antigenemia was detected in 78% of 51 rabbits with disseminated infection and ante mortem in 86% of 42 rabbits with lethal infection. By contrast, with immunoprecipitin analysis only eight of 51 rabbits were positive for antigen, and six of 51 rabbits were positive for Aspergillus antibody. The specificity of the RIA was also tested. Negative controls for antigen included sera from 76 normal rabbits and sera from 25 rabbits with systemic candidiasis. The Candida control group is pertinent because 48% of these rabbits had specific Candida antigenemia detected by a mannan RIA. This study demonstrates that Aspergillus antigenemia occurs during the course of experimental disseminated aspergillosis and illustrates the potential of an Aspergillus antigen RIA for sensitive, specific immunodiagnosis of human infections

  2. Healthy rabbits are susceptible to Epstein-Barr virus infection and infected cells proliferate in immunosuppressed animals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Gulfaraz; Ahmed, Waqar; Philip, Pretty S; Ali, Mahmoud H; Adem, Abdu

    2015-02-18

    Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an oncogenic virus implicated in the pathogenesis of several human malignancies. However, due to the lack of a suitable animal model, a number of fundamental questions pertaining to the biology of EBV remain poorly understood. Here, we explore the potential of rabbits as a model for EBV infection and investigate the impact of immunosuppression on viral proliferation and gene expression. Six healthy New Zealand white rabbits were inoculated intravenously with EBV and blood samples collected prior to infection and for 7 weeks post-infection. Three weeks after the last blood collection, animals were immunosuppressed with daily intramuscular injections of cyclosporin A at doses of 20 mg/kg for 15 days and blood collected twice a week from each rabbit. The animals were subsequently sacrificed and tissues from all major organs were collected for subsequent analysis. Following intravenous inoculation, all 6 rabbits seroconverted with raised IgG and IgM titres to EBV, but viral DNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) could only be detected intermittently. Following immunosuppression however, EBV DNA could be readily detected in PBMCs from all 4 rabbits that survived the treatment. Quantitative PCR indicated an increase in EBV viral load in PBMCs as the duration of immunosuppression increased. At autopsy, splenomegaly was seen in 3/4 rabbits, but spleens from all 4 rabbit were EBV PCR positive. EBER-in situ hybridization and immunoshistochemistry revealed the presence of a large number of EBER-positive and LMP-1 positive lymphoblasts in the spleens of 3/4 rabbits. To a lesser extent, EBER-positive cells were also seen in the portal tract regions of the liver of these rabbits. Western blotting indicated that EBNA-1 and EBNA-2 were also expressed in the liver and spleen of infected animals. EBV can infect healthy rabbits and the infected cells proliferate when the animals are immunocompromised. The infected cells expressed several EBV

  3. Is there a difference between hare syphilis and rabbit syphilis? Cross infection experiments between rabbits and hares

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lumeij, J.T.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/073286826; Mikalová, L.; Smajs, D.

    2013-01-01

    Abstract Cross infection of rabbits and hares with Treponema paraluiscuniculi from rabbits and the related microorganism from hares, which was provisionally named "Treponema paraluisleporis", revealed that T. paraluiscuniculi affects rabbits clinically, but only causes seroconversion in hares

  4. An Experimental Study for Radiation Nephritis in Rabbits

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Myung Jae [Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1972-09-15

    Experimental radiation nephritis was produced in 15 rabbits by X-irradiation. About 2, 000gamma(tissue doses) were given to both kidneys of a rabbit in 5 days. Other tissues and organs except both kidneys were protected with 2 mm thickened lead plates. 5 weeks after the last irradiation, blood pictures, blood pressures, B.U.N., serum creatinine, Ca, Mg, Fe levels and serum erythropoietin activity of the irradiated rabbits were studied. After finishing above studies, rabbits were sacrificed and both kidneys were removed and examined histopathologically. Same laboratory and pathological studies were performed in 6 control rabbits. In this study, the author obtained following results. 1) Both kidneys of rabbits with experimental radiation nephritis showed marked histopathological changes, i.e.: renal tubules showed diffuse cloudy swelling, impacted intraluminal hyaline casts and focal precipitations of lime salts on the tubular epithelium. Diffuse interstitial fatty necrosis and various degrees of fibrotic infiltrations on the interstitium were also seen in association with focal lymphocytic infiltrations. Hyaline degenerations were observed on the glomeruli and small vessels. 2) Experimental radiation nephritis rabbits showed marked lowering in R.B.C. counts, decreased hemoglobin levels, low hematocrit values and leucopenia in comparison with those of control rabbits. (P<0.01). (Table 1 and 2). 3) Mild proteinuria were observed in experimental radiation nephritis in rabbits. 4) The levels of B.U.N. and serum creatinine increased in experimental radiation nephritis. (P<0.01). (Table 1, 3 and 4). 5) The levels of serum Ca and Mg Showed no statistical difference in comparison with those of control rabbits. (P>0.05). (Table 3 and 4). 6) No statistical correlations were observable between the levels of B.U.N. and Hb. values. (gamma=-0. 223). No close correlations (gamma=-0.338) were noticed between the levels of B.U.N. and serum iron levels. 7) Erythropoietin activity (R

  5. Experimental studies on the blood loss and intake of 51Cr labelled red cells by Clonorchis sinensis in rabbits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, M.J.; Kim, J.R.; Rim, H.J.

    1982-01-01

    Experimental study was carried out to observe the blood loss due to the ingestion of host blood by Colonorchis sinensis in the rabbits by using chromium radioisotope 51 Cr. On the other hand, in order to confirm the blood intake activity by the worms, the radioactivity was measured on blood, bile juice and flukes removed from the bile ducts of the rabbits experimentally infected with C. sinensis. (Author)

  6. Immune response in rabbit ovaries following infection of a recombinant myxoma virus expressing rabbit zona pellucida protein B

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gu Wenyi; Holland, Michael; Janssens, Peter; Seamark, Robert; Kerr, Peter

    2004-01-01

    In this study, we investigated the autoimmune response in rabbit ovaries following infection with a recombinant myxoma virus expressing rabbit zona pellucida protein B (MV-ZPB). A specific IgG antibody response to ZPB was elicited in the serum of infected rabbits and the antibody strongly bound to the zona pellucida of oocytes in secondary and tertiary follicles. T cell infiltration in the ovary was detected in a small proportion of the infected rabbits. In spite of this, the mean number of preovulatory and tertiary follicles in the ovary was significantly reduced at 30 days postinfection compared with that of the infected and uninfected controls. Histological analysis revealed that the cortex and medulla of these ovaries had accumulated a large number of probably luteinized cells and there were no follicles in these areas, indicating the ovaries were in a severe pathological condition. The data suggest that the delivery of ZP antigens using a recombinant myxoma virus is a prospective way to develop immunocontraceptive vaccines for rabbit population control, but that more understanding of the kinetics of the autoimmune response induced by viral delivery is needed

  7. Desenvolvimento de um modelo experimental de falha óssea infectada na ulna de coelhos Development of an experimental model of infected bone void in the ulna of rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matheus Lemos Azi

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Desenvolver um modelo experimental que permita estudar a regeneração de grandes falhas ósseas em condições de infecção. MÉTODO: Falhas ósseas segmentares de 15mm foram criadas cirurgicamente na ulna de 12 coelhos e inoculadas com 5x10(8 unidades formadoras de colônia (UFC de S. aureus. O desbridamento da infecção foi realizado duas semanas após, seguida da aplicação sistêmica de gentamicina por quatro semanas. Os animais foram acompanhados por um período de 12 semanas para avaliação do controle da infecção e da regeneração óssea. RESULTADOS: A regeneração espontânea foi inferior a 25% do defeito na avaliação radiográfica e histológica. CONCLUSÃO: A Falha óssea infectada de 15mm na ulna de coelhos é incapaz de alcançar a regeneração completa sem tratamentos adicionais. Nível de Evidência V, Estudo experimental.OBJECTIVE: Develop a model that allowed the study of bone regeneration in infection conditions. METHOD: A 15 mm defect was surgically created in the rabbit ulna and inoculated with 5x10(8 colony-forming units (CFU of S. aureus. Surgical debridement was performed two weeks after and systemic gentamicin was administered for four weeks. Animals were followed up to 12 weeks to evaluate infection control and bone regeneration. RESULT: Bone regeneration was inferior to 25% of the defect in radiological and histological analysis. CONCLUSION: Infected bone defect of 15 mm in the rabbit ulna was unable to achieve full regeneration without further treatment. Level of Evidence V, Experimental Study.

  8. Experimental studies on the blood loss and intake of /sup 51/Cr labelled red cells by Clonorchis sinensis in rabbits

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, M.J.; Kim, J.R.; Rim, H.J. (Korea Univ, Seoul (Republic of Korea). Coll. of Medicine)

    1982-03-01

    Experimental study was carried out to observe the blood loss due to the ingestion of host blood by Colonorchis sinensis in the rabbits by using chromium radioisotope /sup 51/Cr. On the other hand, in order to confirm the blood intake activity by the worms, the radioactivity was measured on blood, bile juice and flukes removed from the bile ducts of the rabbits experimentally infected with C. sinensis.

  9. Titanium and steel fracture fixation plates with different surface topographies: Influence on infection rate in a rabbit fracture model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metsemakers, W J; Schmid, Tanja; Zeiter, Stephan; Ernst, Manuela; Keller, Iris; Cosmelli, Nicolo; Arens, Daniel; Moriarty, T Fintan; Richards, R Geoff

    2016-03-01

    Implant-related infection is a challenging complication in musculoskeletal trauma surgery. In the present study, we examined the role of implant material and surface topography as influencing factors on the development of infection in an experimental model of plating osteosynthesis in the rabbit. The implants included in this experimental study were composed of: standard Electropolished Stainless Steel (EPSS), standard titanium (Ti-S), roughened stainless steel (RSS) and surface polished titanium (Ti-P). Construct stability and load-to-failure of Ti-P implants was compared to that of Ti-S implants in a rabbit cadaveric model. In an in vivo study, a rabbit humeral fracture model was used. Each rabbit received one of three Staphylococcus aureus inocula, aimed at determining the infection rate at a low, medium and high dose of bacteria. Outcome measures were quantification of bacteria on the implant and in the surrounding tissues, and determination of the infectious dose 50 (ID50). No significant differences were observed between Ti-S and Ti-P regarding stiffness or failure load in the cadaver study. Of the 72 rabbits eventually included in the in vivo study, 50 developed an infection. The ID50 was found to be: EPSS 3.89×10(3) colony forming units (CFU); RSS 8.23×10(3) CFU; Ti-S 5.66×10(3) CFU; Ti-P 3.41×10(3) CFU. Significantly lower bacterial counts were found on the Ti-S implants samples compared with RSS implants (ptitanium and steel implants with conventional or modified topographies. Ti-P implants, which have previously been shown in preclinical studies to reduce complications associated with tissue adherence, do not affect infection rate in this preclinical fracture model. Therefore, Ti-P implants are not expected to affect the infection rate, or influence implant stability in the clinical situation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Parasitic infections of wild rabbits and hares

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ilić Tamara

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents the most important parasitic infections of wild rabbits and hares, which harmful effect in this animal population is manifested as a gradual weakening of the immune system, reduction in fertility, weight loss and constant exhaustion. Order of Lagomorpha (hares or lagomorphs belongs to superorder of higher mammals which includes the family of rabbits (Leporidae which are represented in Europe as well as the family of whistleblowers (Ochotonidae which live only in North America and Northern regions of Asia. The most important representatives of Leporidae family are European hare (Lepus europeus and wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus. The most important endoparasitosis of hares and wild rabbits are: coccidiosis, encephalitozoonosis (nosemosis, toxoplasmosis, sarcocystosis, giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, protostrongylosis, trichostrngylodosis, passalurosis, anoplocephalidosis, cysticercosis and fasciolosis. The most frequent ectoparasites of rabbits and wild hares are fleas, lice and ticks. Reduction in hare population, which is noticed in whole Europe including Serbia, is caused by changed living conditions, quantitatively and qualitatively insufficient nutrition, increased use of herbicides as well as various infectious diseases and the diseases of parasitic etiology. Since wild rabbits and hares pose a threat to health of domestic rabbits and people, knowledge of parasitic fauna of these wild animals is of extreme epizootiological and epidemiological importance.

  11. Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Chlamydia Infection in Domestic Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoting Ni

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Chlamydia spp. are obligate intracellular bacteria distributed all over the world, known to cause various forms of diseases in animals and humans. In the present study, a serological survey was conducted to detect the seroprevalence and risk factors associated with rabbit chlamydiosis in northeast China, including Liaoning province, Jilin province, Heilongjiang province, and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Antibodies to Chlamydia were determined by indirect hemagglutination assay (IHA. The overall seroprevalence was estimated at 17.88% in total of 800 blood samples. The Chlamydia seroprevalence varied in domestic rabbits from different factors, and genders of domestic rabbits were considered as major risk factors associated with Chlamydia infection. Our study revealed a widespread and high prevalence of Chlamydia infection in domestic rabbits in northeast China, with higher exposure risk in female domestic rabbits. These findings suggested the potential importance of domestic rabbits in the transmission of zoonotic Chlamydia infection, and thus Chlamydia should be taken into consideration in diagnosing rabbit diseases. To our knowledge, there is no report of Chlamydia infection in domestic rabbits in China and the results extend the host range for Chlamydia, which has important implications for public health and the local economy.

  12. Aterosclerose experimental em coelhos Experimental atherosclerosis in rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Waleska C. Dornas

    2010-08-01

    Full Text Available Numerosas pesquisas têm sido realizadas utilizando modelos experimentais para estudar o desenvolvimento da aterosclerose com dieta induzindo hiperlipidemia. Devido ao fato de que coelhos são muito sensíveis a dietas ricas em colesterol e acumulam grandes quantidades no plasma, a utilização destes animais como modelo experimental para avaliar o desenvolvimento de aterosclerose é de grande relevância, trazendo informação sobre fatores que contribuem para progressão e regressão aplicadas a situações humanas. Sendo assim, nessa revisão a função aterogênica do colesterol é mostrada em trabalhos que incluem o coelho como modelo experimental, uma vez que este animal tornou-se o mais popular modelo experimental de aterosclerose.Many researches have been conducted in experimental models in order to study the development of atherosclerosis from hyperlipidemia-inducing diets. Since rabbits are very sensitive to cholesterol-rich diets and accumulate large amounts of cholesterol in their plasma, their use as experimental models to evaluate the development of atherosclerosis is highly relevant and brings information on factors that contribute to the progression and regression of this condition that can be applied to humans. As such, this review includes studies on the atherogenic function of cholesterol based on rabbits as the experimental model, since they have become the most largely used experimental model of atherosclerosis.

  13. Immunodiagnosis of systemic aspergillosis. I. Antigenemia detected by radioimmunoassay in experimental infection. [/sup 125/I tracer technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weiner, M.H.; Coats-Stephen, M.

    1979-01-01

    Because systemic aspergillosis is difficult to diagnose ante mortem, a study to improve immunodiagnosis was undertaken in a rabbit model of disseminated infection. We found that the predominant humoral response of infected animals was directed against four Aspergillus antigens identified by crossed immunoelectrophoresis. One of these antigens, a cell-wall carbohydrate, was purified by gel-filtration chromatography and was used to develop a radiommunoassay. The sensitivity of this assay was increased by testing for serum-bound antigen as well as for free antigen. When the sensitivity of the RIA was evaluated in the animal model, antigenemia was detected in 78% of 51 rabbits with disseminated infection and ante mortem in 86% of 42 rabbits with lethal infection. By contrast, with immunoprecipitin analysis only eight of 51 rabbits were positive for antigen, and six of 51 rabbits were positive for Aspergillus antibody. The specificity of the RIA was also tested. Negative controls for antigen included sera from 76 normal rabbits and sera from 25 rabbits with systemic candidiasis. The Candida control group is pertinent because 48% of these rabbits had specific Candida antigenemia detected by a mannan RIA. This study demonstrates that Aspergillus antigenemia occurs during the course of experimental disseminated aspergillosis and illustrates the potential of an Aspergillus antigen RIA for sensitive, specific immunodiagnosis of human infections.

  14. Atypical myxomatosis--virus isolation, experimental infection of rabbits and restriction endonuclease analysis of the isolate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Psikal, I; Smíd, B; Rodák, L; Valícek, L; Bendová, J

    2003-08-01

    Atypical form of myxomatosis, which caused non-lethal and clinically mild disease in domestic rabbits 1 month after immunization with a commercially available vaccine MXT, is described. The isolated myxoma virus designated as Litovel 2 (Li-2) did not induce systemic disease following subcutaneous and intradermal applications in susceptible experimental rabbits but led to the immune response demonstrated by ELISA. No severe disease was induced in those Li-2 inoculated rabbits by challenge with the virulent strains Lausanne (Lu) or Sanar (SA), while the control animals showed nodular form of myxomatosis with lethal course of the illness. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of genomic DNA with KpnI and BamHI endonucleases was used for genetic characterization of the Li-2 isolate, the vaccine strain MXT and both virulent strains Lu and SA, respectively. In general, RFLP analysis has shown to be informative for inferring genetic relatedness between myxoma viruses. Based on restriction endonuclease DNA fragment size distribution, it was evident that the pathogenic strain SA is genetically related to the reference strain Lu and the isolate Li-2 is more related, but not identical, to the vaccination strain MXT.

  15. An ultrasonographic study of experimental hydronephrosis in rabbit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Byung Ihn; Yeon, Kyung Mo; Han, Man Chung; Kim, Chu Wan

    1984-01-01

    Ultrasonographic of rabbit kidney was enformed after induction of simple and infected hydronephrosis to evaluate the sequential sonographic changes in 27 rabbits. Simple hydronephrosis was induced by ligation of the distal ureter and infected hydronephrosis by ligation of the distal ureter and ureteral inoculation of Escherichia coli. Ultrasonography was performed daily during the first week and weekly during the following 5 weeks after induction of simple and infected hydronephrosis. 1. In simple hydronephrosis, the earliest abnormal ultrasonographic finding was splitting of central renal echo complex, which appeared within 1 day after ureteral ligation in all cases. 2. In simple hydronephrosis, complete loss of central renal echo complex and cystic dilatation of pelvis were seen with in 5 days after ureteral ligation in all cases. 3. In infected hydronephrosis, the earliest abnormal ultrasonographic finding was appearance of internal echoes in dependent portion of the pelvis, which appeared within 4 days after inoculation in all cases. 4. In infected hydronephrosis, degree of internal echoes within the pelvis increased progressively with lapse of time and the entire pelvis was filled with internal echoes within 2 weeks after inoculation in all cases. 5. In infected hydronephrosis, echogenecity of internal echoes within the pelvis was similar to that of renal parenchyma in the first week after inoculation, however was weaker than that of renal parenchyma 2 weeks after inoculation in all cases

  16. A new rabbit model of implant-related biofilm infection: development and evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Cheng-Bing; Zeng, Hong; Shen, Ding-Xia; Wang, Hui; Wang, Ji-Fang; Cui, Fu-Zhai

    2016-03-01

    This study is to establish a rabbit model for human prosthetic joint infection and biofilm formation. Thirty-two healthy adult rabbits were randomly divided into four groups and implanted with stainless steel screws and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) washers in the non-articular surface of the femoral lateral condyle of the right hind knees. The rabbit knee joints were inoculated with 1 mL saline containing 0, 102, 103, 104 CFU of Staphylococcus epidermidis ( S. epidermidis) isolated from the patient with total knee arthroplasty (TKA) infection, respectively. On the 14th postoperative day, the UHMWPE washers from the optimal 103 CFU group were further examined. The SEM examination showed a typical biofilm construction that circular S. epidermidis were embedded in a mucous-like matrix. In addition, the LCSM examination showed that the biofilm consisted of the polysaccharide stained bright green fluorescence and S. epidermidis radiating red fluorescence. Thus, we successfully create a rabbit model for prosthetic joint infection and biofilm formation, which should be valuable for biofilm studies.

  17. Analysis of Host Range Restriction Determinants in the Rabbit Model: Comparison of Homologous and Heterologous Rotavirus Infections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciarlet, Max; Estes, Mary K.; Barone, Christopher; Ramig, Robert F.; Conner, Margaret E.

    1998-01-01

    The main limitation of both the rabbit and mouse models of rotavirus infection is that human rotavirus (HRV) strains do not replicate efficiently in either animal. The identification of individual genes necessary for conferring replication competence in a heterologous host is important to an understanding of the host range restriction of rotavirus infections. We recently reported the identification of the P type of the spike protein VP4 of four lapine rotavirus strains as being P[14]. To determine whether VP4 is involved in host range restriction in rabbits, we evaluated infection in rotavirus antibody-free rabbits inoculated orally with two P[14] HRVs, PA169 (G6) and HAL1166 (G8), and with several other HRV strains and animal rotavirus strains of different P and G types. We also evaluated whether the parental rhesus rotavirus (RRV) (P5B[3], G3) and the derived RRV-HRV reassortant candidate vaccine strains RRV × D (G1), RRV × DS-1 (G2), and RRV × ST3 (G4) would productively infect rabbits. Based on virus shedding, limited replication was observed with the P[14] HRV strains and with the SA11 Cl3 (P[2], G3) and SA11 4F (P6[1], G3) animal rotavirus strains, compared to the homologous ALA strain (P[14], G3). However, even limited infection provided complete protection from rotavirus infection when rabbits were challenged orally 28 days postinoculation (DPI) with 103 50% infective doses of ALA rabbit rotavirus. Other HRVs did not productively infect rabbits and provided no significant protection from challenge, in spite of occasional seroconversion. Simian RRV replicated as efficiently as lapine ALA rotavirus in rabbits and provided complete protection from ALA challenge. Live attenuated RRV reassortant vaccine strains resulted in no, limited, or productive infection of rabbits, but all rabbits were completely protected from heterotypic ALA challenge. The altered replication efficiency of the reassortants in rabbits suggests a role for VP7 in host range restriction

  18. Detection of toxoplasma gondii antigens in sera from experimentally infected mice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shojaee, S.; Keshavarz, H.; Rezaian, M.; Mohebali, M.

    2007-01-01

    Detection of Toxoplasma antigen in serum of mice by Immunoblotting. strain. IgG isolated from rabbits that were immunized with T. gondii Immunoblotting was performed to detect T. gondii antigens in sera of mice. Serum samples from mice experimentally infected with T. gondii RH strain. The value of Immunoblotting in diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in acute stage of infection. The antigen bands detected in serum sample of mice were experimentally infected with T. gondii tachyzoite in immunoblotting. Six bands demonstrated on seventh post infection day six bands were identified. Similarly on sixth day four bands, on day five three bands and on fourth post infection day two bands were identified. No band was detected in control group sera. Immunoblotting is a sensitive method for diagnosis of acute stage of toxoplasmosis. (author)

  19. Imaging experimental infective endocarditis with indium-111-labeled blood cellular components

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riba, A.L.; Thakur, M.L.; Gottschalk, A.; Andriole, V.T.; Zaret, B.L.

    1979-01-01

    The capability of radionuclide imaging to detect experimental aortic valve infective endocarditis was assessed with indium-111 ( 111 In)-labeled blood cells. Sequential cardiac imaging and tissue distribution studies were obtained in 17 rabbits with infective endocarditis after administration of 111 In-platelets and in five after 111 In-polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Forty-eight to 72 hours after platelet administration, in vivo imaging demonstrated abnormal 111 In uptake in all animals in the region of the aortic valve in an anatomically distinct pattern. Images of the excised heart showed discrete cardiac uptake conforming to the in vivo image and gross pathological examination. 111 In-platelet uptake in vegetations from the 17 animals averaged 240 +- 41 times greater than that in normal myocardium and 99 +- 15 times greater uptake in blood. In contrast, 111 In-leukocyte cardiac imaging showed no abnormal aortic valve uptake 24 hours after tracer administration and the lesion myocardium activity ratio was only 5 +- 2 (3 +- 1 for lesion/blood activity). Four normal rabbits demonstrated neither positive 111 In-platelet scintigraphs nor abnormal cardiac tissue uptake. Likewise, noncellular 111 In was not concentrated to any significant extent in three animals with infective endocarditis. This study demonstrates that 111 In-platelet, but not leukocyte cardiac imaging, is a sensitive technique for detecting experimental infective endocarditis. The imaging data conform to the cellular pathology of the infective endocarditis vegetation

  20. Streptococcus agalactiae infection in domestic rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, S Y; Geng, Y; Wang, K Y; Zhou, Z Y; Liu, X X; He, M; Peng, X; Wu, C Y; Lai, W M

    2014-12-01

    Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B streptococcus, GBS) has emerged as an important pathogen that affects humans and animals, including aquatic species. In August 2011, a severe infectious disease affecting rabbits, which caused 42% mortality, occurred in Mianyang, Sichuan Province, China. The main clinical signs included acute respiratory distress syndrome, fever, paddling and convulsions. A Gram-positive, chain-forming coccus was isolated from the primary organs and tissues of diseased rabbits and then identified as S. agalactiae by morphology, biochemical and physiological characteristics, 16S rDNA and gyrB gene sequences analysis. All isolates of S. agalactiae showed a similar antibiotic susceptibility, which were sensitive to florfenicol, ampicillin,gentamicin and norfloxacin, as well as being resistant to penicillin, amoxicillin and tetracycline. To our knowledge, this is the first report on S. agalactiae natural infection in domestic rabbits. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  1. Effect of radiofrequency microtenotomy on degeneration of tendons: an experimental study on rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gunes, Taner; Bilgic, Erkal; Erdem, Mehmet; Bostan, Bora; Koseoglu, Resit Dogan; Sahin, Seyyid Ahmet; Sen, Cengiz

    2014-03-01

    Radiofrequency microtenotomy is used to enhance healing by increasing vascularity in the degenerated tendon. In the present study, the effect of radiofrequency microtenotomy (Rf-mt) treatment on tendon degeneration was investigated. A total of 32 New Zealand rabbits were enrolled in the current study. Experimental degeneration was performed by injecting prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) into the bilateral Achilles tendons of rabbits. After excluding 4 rabbits with an infection on the injection site, 4 other rabbits were sacrificed to define the histopathologic changes in the tendons. The remaining 24 rabbits were divided into 2 groups: the control group and the Rf-mt group. In the control group, the Rf-mt device was only applied to the Achilles tendon without running the device. In the Rf-mt group, the Rf-mt device was applied bilaterally at the fourth energy level for 500ms to an area within 2cm proximal to the insertion site at 0.5cm intervals in order to form a grid. Six rabbits from each group were sacrificed at 6 and 12 weeks. The Achilles tendons were evaluated histopathologically by a modified Movin scale and by immunohistopathologic staining for vascular endothelial growth factor and type 4 collagen. After the PGE1 injection, findings similar to chronic degenerative tendinopathy were observed. The Rf-mt group showed significant improvement in vascularity in the histopathological and immunohistochemical examination (P0.05). Rf-mt treatment increases vascularity in degenerated tendons but does not create difference to facilitate the healing process comparing control group. Copyright © 2013 European Foot and Ankle Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Characteristics of experimental Candida albicans infection of the central nervous system in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jafari, H S; Sáez-Llorens, X; Grimprel, E; Argyle, J C; Olsen, K D; McCracken, G H

    1991-08-01

    Different concentrations (10(7), 10(5), 10(3) cfu/ml) of Candida albicans were injected intracisternally in rabbits. The highest inoculum was fatal within 14 h in all animals. In recipients of 10(5) and 10(3) cfu/ml inocula, the mean +/- SD peak cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) concentrations were 1.6 +/- 2.42 and 0.3 +/- 0.59 ng/ml, respectively, at 6 h; the mean +/- SD CSF leukocyte and protein concentrations were 6291 +/- 6515 and 453 +/- 674 cells/mm3 (at 24 h) and 118 +/- 90 and 109 +/- 122 mg/dl (at 12 and 24 h), respectively. At 6-10 days after inoculation, a second peak of TNF alpha activity was accompanied by increased CSF inflammation. Mortality in the 10(5) and 10(3) cfu/ml inoculum groups was 56% and 22%, respectively. Fatal infection was associated with higher second CSF peak TNF alpha and leukocyte concentrations and a larger proportion of culture-positive CSF samples. Histopathology revealed hyphal invasion, vasculitis, abscesses, and acute and chronic inflammatory infiltration of meninges and brain parenchyma. This model can be useful for evaluation of the pathogenesis and therapy of central nervous system fungal infections.

  3. Experimental model of cutaneous radiation injury in rabbits

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meirelles, Rafael Panisi de Campos [Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP), SP (Brazil). Escola Paulista de Medicina; Hochman, Bernardo [Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP), SP (Brazil). Escola Paulista de Medicina. Dept. de Cirurgia; Helene Junior, Americo; Fraga, Murillo Francisco Pires [Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas da Santa Casa de Sao Paulo (FCMSCSP), SP (Brazil). Dept. de Cirurgia. Divisao de Cirurgia Plastica; Lellis, Rute [Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas da Santa Casa de Sao Paulo (FCMSCSP), SP (Brazil). Divisao de Patologia; Ferreira, Lydia Masako, E-mail: rpcmeirelles@yahoo.com.br, E-mail: lydia.dcir@epm.br [Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (EPM/UNIFESP), SP (Brazil). Escola Paulista de Mediciana. Divisao de Cirugia Plastica

    2013-07-01

    Purpose: to describe an experimental model of cutaneous radiation injury in rabbits. Methods: on this study eight six-month-old New Zealand male rabbits, with an average weight of 2.5kg were used. They were distributed in four groups (n=2 per group). The control group did not receive radiotherapy and the others received one radiotherapy session of 2000, 3000 and 4500 cGy, respectively. Photographic analysis and histopathological evaluation of the irradiated areas were carried out. Results: after 30 days, the animals from the control group had all their hair grown. In spite of that, the animals from group 2000 cGy had a 60-day alopecia and from group 3000 cGy, a 90-day alopecia. After the 30th day, the 3000cGy group demonstrated 90-day cutaneous radiation injuries, graded 3 and 4. One of the animals from group 4500 cGy died on the 7th day with visceral necrosis. The other from the same group had total skin necrosis. A progressive reduction of glands and blood vessels count and an increase on collagen deposition was observed. Conclusion: The proposed experimental model is reproducible. This study suggests that the dosage 4500cGy is excessive and the 3000 cGy is the most effective for this experimental model of cutaneous radiation injury in rabbits. (author)

  4. Comparative quantitative monitoring of rabbit haemorrhagic disease viruses in rabbit kittens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matthaei, Markus; Kerr, Peter J; Read, Andrew J; Hick, Paul; Haboury, Stephanie; Wright, John D; Strive, Tanja

    2014-06-09

    Only one strain (the Czech CAPM-v351) of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) has been released in Australia and New Zealand to control pest populations of the European rabbit O. cuniculus. Antigenic variants of RHDV known as RHDVa strains are reportedly replacing RHDV strains in other parts of the world, and Australia is currently investigating the usefulness of RHDVa to complement rabbit biocontrol efforts in Australia and New Zealand. RHDV efficiently kills adult rabbits but not rabbit kittens, which are more resistant to RHD the younger they are and which may carry the virus without signs of disease for prolonged periods. These different infection patterns in young rabbits may significantly influence RHDV epidemiology in the field and hence attempts to control rabbit numbers. We quantified RHDV replication and shedding in 4-5 week old rabbits using quantitative real time PCR to assess their potential to shape RHDV epidemiology by shedding and transmitting virus. We further compared RHDV-v351 with an antigenic variant strain of RHDVa in kittens that is currently being considered as a potential RHDV strain for future release to improve rabbit biocontrol in Australia. Kittens were susceptible to infection with virus doses as low as 10 ID50. Virus growth, shedding and transmission after RHDVa infection was found to be comparable or non-significantly lower compared to RHDV. Virus replication and shedding was observed in all kittens infected, but was low in comparison to adult rabbits. Both viruses were shed and transmitted to bystander rabbits. While blood titres indicated that 4-5 week old kittens mostly clear the infection even in the absence of maternal antibodies, virus titres in liver, spleen and mesenteric lymph node were still high on day 5 post infection. Rabbit kittens are susceptible to infection with very low doses of RHDV, and can transmit virus before they seroconvert. They may therefore play an important role in RHDV field epidemiology, in

  5. A rabbit model of non-typhoidal Salmonella bacteremia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panda, Aruna; Tatarov, Ivan; Masek, Billie Jo; Hardick, Justin; Crusan, Annabelle; Wakefield, Teresa; Carroll, Karen; Yang, Samuel; Hsieh, Yu-Hsiang; Lipsky, Michael M; McLeod, Charles G; Levine, Myron M; Rothman, Richard E; Gaydos, Charlotte A; DeTolla, Louis J

    2014-09-01

    Bacteremia is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in humans. In this study, we focused on the development of an animal model of bacteremia induced by non-typhoidal Salmonella. New Zealand White rabbits were inoculated with a human isolate of non-typhoidal Salmonella strain CVD J73 via the intra-peritoneal route. Blood samples were collected at specific time points and at euthanasia from infected rabbits. Additionally, tissue samples from the heart, lungs, spleen, gastrointestinal tract, liver and kidneys were obtained at euthanasia. All experimentally infected rabbits displayed clinical signs of disease (fever, dehydration, weight loss and lethargy). Tissues collected at necropsy from the animals exhibited histopathological changes indicative of bacteremia. Non-typhoidal Salmonella bacteria were detected in the blood and tissue samples of infected rabbits by microbiological culture and real-time PCR assays. The development of this animal model of bacteremia could prove to be a useful tool for studying how non-typhoidal Salmonella infections disseminate and spread in humans. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Assessment of the rabbit as a wildlife reservoir of bovine viral diarrhoea virus: serological analysis and generation of trans-placentally infected offspring

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dawn M Grant

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Eradication of Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV is ongoing in many European countries and is based on removal of persistently infected (PI cattle. In this context, low-level risks, including alternative reservoirs of infection, may become more important as the number of BVDV-free herds increases. Alternative reservoirs include livestock, such as sheep and goats, as well as wildlife, including deer and rabbits. Due to the extensive nature of the beef industry in Scotland, where eradication started in 2010, contact between cattle and alternative reservoir hosts is common.Seroprevalence to BVDV in rabbit populations can be high. In addition, rabbits can be infected with BVDV by natural routes, indicating that they could be a wildlife reservoir of infection. We analysed the potential risk to livestock from rabbit populations in the UK by two approaches. First, approximately 260 serum samples from free-ranging wild rabbits in Scotland and northern England were tested for BVDV-specific antibodies by ELISA. Only three samples exhibited low level BVDV-specific reactivity, suggesting that BVDV infection of rabbits was not frequent. Second, rabbits were challenged with BVDV at day 7 or 12 of pregnancy. This did not lead to any clinical signs in the infected animals or obvious increases in abortion or stillbirth in the infected dams. Samples from the dams, placental material and approximately 130 offspring were tested by BVDV-specific RT-PCR and antibody ELISA. Positive PCR results in the placentas and in the tissues and body fluids of rabbits up to 10 days old showed that trans-placental infection of rabbits with BVDV had occurred. Many of the offspring had BVDV-specific antibodies.These data support the view that a wildlife reservoir of BVDV in rabbit poses a small but non-zero risk of re-infection for BVDV-free cattle herds. Rabbits are susceptible to infection with BVDV but a small proportion of free-living rabbits in the UK appear to have been

  7. sup(99m)Tc-labeled antibacterial antibody scan for the diagnosis of infective endocarditis (in rabbit)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, J T; Tanaka, T; Wong, D W; Mishkin, F; Thadepalli, H [University of Southern California, Los Angeles (USA)

    1978-01-01

    The mortality of infective endocarditis is high and the results of blood cultures and clinical manifestations may be unreliable in its diagnosis. A technique has been developed using the specific antigen-antibody reaction against sup(99m)Tc-labelled antibacterial antibody. The antibody, tagged by an electrolytic method, remained very active and was not denatured since 99% of the sup(99m)Tc-antibody was able to react with antigen. The labelled antibody was injected intravenously into rabbits with experimental aortic endocarditis. The radioactivity of the infected aortic valves was about four times greater than that in the uninfected valves. A scintillation scan was able to detect the infected valves in vivo.

  8. sup(99m)Tc-labeled antibacterial antibody scan for the diagnosis of infective endocarditis (in rabbit)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, J.T.; Tanaka, T.; Wong, D.W.; Mishkin, F.; Thadepalli, H.

    1978-01-01

    The mortality of infective endocarditis is high and the results of blood cultures and clinical manifestations may be unreliable in its diagnosis. A technique has been developed using the specific antigen-antibody reaction against sup(99m)Tc-labelled antibacterial antibody. The antibody, tagged by an electrolytic method, remained very active and was not denatured since 99% of the sup(99m)Tc-antibody was able to react with antigen. The labelled antibody was injected intravenously into rabbits with experimental aortic endocarditis. The radioactivity of the infected aortic valves was about four times greater than that in the uninfected valves. A scintillation scan was able to detect the infected valves in vivo. (U.K.)

  9. Fungus infection in immunocompromised rabbits: correlation of thin-section CT findings and histopathology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xue Feng; Liu Shiyuan; Xie Lixuan; Liu Kai; Zhang Jian; Chen Yousan; Li Huimin; He Jin

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To compare the thin-section CT findings of pulmonary candidiasis, aspergillosis and cryptococcosis with histopathology in immunocompromised rabbits and improve the diagnostic accuracy of fungus infection. Methods: Healthy New Zealand white rabbits were used for immunocompromised animal models. Thin-section CT scan was performed before and 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 d after inoculation. The pattern and distribution of the pulmonary abnormalities were retrospectively assessed by two thoracic radiologists and compared with histopathology. The granulocyte count was compared before and after administration of immunosuppressive agents. The paired t test, chi square test and the Fisher's exact test were used for the statistics. Results: Fourteen rabbits had candidiasis, 16 rabbits had eryptococcosis, 15 rabbits had aspergillosis. The granulocyte counts before and after administration of immunosuppressive agents were (2.91±0.92) and (0.35±0.19) x 10 9 /L respectively in candidiasis group, there was a significant difference (t=12.484, P 9 /L in aspergillosis group, there was a significant difference (t=5.792, P 9 /L in cryptococcosis group, there was a significant difference (t=8.199, P 0.05). Ground glass opacity (GGO) and consolidation were the two most common findings in immunocompromised rabbits with three fungus infections, areas of GGO was correlated with the congestion, hemorrhage, inflammatory cell infiltration and interstitial hyperplasia in pathology. Consolidation was correlated with the severe congestion, hemorrhage, inflammatory cell infiltration, interstitial hyperplasia, necrosis and vascular embolism in pathology. Conclusion: GGO and consolidation are the two most common findings of fungus infections in immunocompromised animal models and thin-section CT findings can reflect the pathological changes. (authors)

  10. Experimental study on lyophilized irradiation sterilized nerve allografts in rabbits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Zhiyuan; Sun Shiquan; Liu Hechen

    1991-01-01

    Lyophilized irradiation sterilized nerve grafts in rabbits were used in allogeneic nerve transplantation. The result show that about 76% of experimental rabbits had fairly well morphologic (microscopic and electron microscopic) and electrophysiological recovery 3 month after operation. Preservation of neurilemmal tubes in nerve grafts, repopulation of Schwann cells in this tube and suppression of immune rejection are the key points in allogeneic nerve transplantation

  11. Experimental model of bladder instability in rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Balasteghin K.T.

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Propose a new experimental model of bladder instability in rabbits after partial bladder obstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty North Folk male rabbits, weighting 1,700 to 2,820 g (mean: 2,162 g were studied. The animals were distributed in 2 experimental groups, formed by 15 rabbits each: Group 1 - clinical control. In this group there was no surgical intervention; Group 2 - bladder outlet obstruction. In this group, after anesthetizing the animal, urethral cannulation with Foley catheter 10F was performed and then an adjustable plastic bracelet was passed around the bladder neck. It was then adjusted in order to not constrict the urethra. The following parameters were studied in M1 - pre-operative period; M2 - 4 weeks post-operatively moments: 1- urine culture; 2- cystometric study; 3- serum creatinine and BUN. RESULTS: Bladder weight was 2.5 times larger in the group with obstruction than in the control group. Cystometric evaluation showed a significant increase in maximal vesical volume in the final moment at Group G2. However, there was no statistically significant difference among the groups studied. There was no statistically significant difference between maximal detrusor pressure and vesical compliance in the different moments or in the studied groups. There was an absence of uninhibited detrusor contractions in all the animals in group 1, and involuntary contractions were detected in 93% of group 2 animals. There was no significant variation in BUN and serum creatinine either among the groups or in the same group. CONCLUSIONS: We observed in the group with obstruction a bladder weight 2.5 higher than normal bladders. We detected involuntary contractions in 93% of the animals in group 2, establishing this experimental model as appropriate to secondary bladder instability and partial bladder outlet obstruction.

  12. Technetium-99m-labeled annexin V imaging for detecting prosthetic joint infection in a rabbit model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Cheng; Wang, Feng; Hou, Yanjie; Lu, Shanshan; Tian, Wei; Xu, Yan; Jin, Chengzhe; Wang, Liming

    2015-05-01

    Accurate and timely diagnosis of prosthetic joint infection is essential to initiate early treatment and achieve a favorable outcome. In this study, we used a rabbit model to assess the feasibility of technetium-99m-labeled annexin V for detecting prosthetic joint infection. Right knee arthroplasty was performed on 24 New Zealand rabbits. After surgery, methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus was intra-articularly injected to create a model of prosthetic joint infection (the infected group, n = 12). Rabbits in the control group were injected with sterile saline (n = 12). Seven and 21 days after surgery, technetium-99m-labeled annexin V imaging was performed in 6 rabbits of each group. Images were acquired 1 and 4 hours after injection of technetium-99m-labeled annexin V (150 MBq). The operated-to-normal-knee activity ratios were calculated for quantitative analysis. Seven days after surgery, increased technetium-99m-labeled annexin V uptake was observed in all cases. However, at 21 days a notable decrease was found in the control group, but not in the infected group. The operated-to-normal-knee activity ratios of the infected group were 1.84 ± 0.29 in the early phase and 2.19 ± 0.34 in the delay phase, both of which were significantly higher than those of the control group (P = 0.03 and P = 0.02). The receiver operator characteristic curve analysis showed that the operated-to-normal-knee activity ratios of the delay phase at 21 days was the best indicator, with an accuracy of 80%. In conclusion, technetium-99m-labeled annexin V imaging could effectively distinguish an infected prosthetic joint from an uninfected prosthetic joint in a rabbit model.

  13. Experimental and finite element analysis of tibial stress fractures using a rabbit model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Franklyn, Melanie; Field, Bruce

    2013-01-01

    To determine if rabbit models can be used to quantify the mechanical behaviour involved in tibial stress fracture (TSF) development. Fresh rabbit tibiae were loaded under compression using a specifically-designed test apparatus. Weights were incrementally added up to a load of 30 kg and the mechanical behaviour of the tibia was analysed using tests for buckling, bone strain and hysteresis. Structural mechanics equations were subsequently employed to verify that the results were within the range of values predicted by theory. A finite element (FE) model was developed using cross-sectional computer tomography (CT) images scanned from one of the rabbit bones, and a static load of 6 kg (1.5 times the rabbit's body weight) was applied to represent running. The model was validated using the experimental strain gauge data, then geometric and elemental convergence tests were performed in order to find the minimum number of cross-sectional scans and elements respectively required for convergence. The analysis was then performed using both the model and the experimental results to investigate the mechanical behaviour of the rabbit tibia under compressive load and to examine crack initiation. The experimental tests showed that under a compressive load of up to 12 kg, the rabbit tibia demonstrates linear behaviour with little hysteresis. Up to 30 kg, the bone does not fail by elastic buckling; however, there are low levels of tensile stress which predominately occur at and adjacent to the anterior border of the tibial midshaft: this suggests that fatigue failure occurs in these regions, since bone under cyclic loading initially fails in tension. The FE model predictions were consistent with both mechanics theory and the strain gauge results. The model was highly sensitive to small changes in the position of the applied load due to the high slenderness ratio of the rabbit's tibia. The modelling technique used in the current study could have applications in the development of

  14. Evaluation of 99mTc-UBI 29-41 scintigraphy for specific detection of experimental Staphylococcus aureus prosthetic joint infections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarda-Mantel, Laure; Meulemans, Alain; Vrigneaud, Jean-Marc; Raguin, Olivier; Lebtahi, Rachida; Guludec, Dominique Le; Saleh-Mghir, Azzam; Welling, Mick M.; Hervatin, Florence; Martet, Genevieve; Chau, Francoise

    2007-01-01

    99m Tc-UBI 29-41 (UBI), an antimicrobial peptide, specifically targets bacteria. We tested the ability of UBI to discriminate between infected and uninfected prosthetic joints using a rabbit model previously validated. Left knee arthroplasty was performed on 20 New Zealand rabbits, then 10 7 cfu of S. aureus (n = 12) or sterile saline (n = 8) was injected into the joint. On days 9 and 20 after surgery, planar UBI scintigraphy was performed in six infected and four uninfected rabbits, 1 h and 4 h p.i. (150 MBq), on a gamma camera. Operated-to-normal knee activity ratio (ONKR) was calculated on each scintigram. Then, after sacrifice, tissue samples of both knees were counted in a gamma counter. One rabbit injected with sterile saline had cutaneous infection at sacrifice and was excluded from analysis. ONKR was higher in infected than in uninfected animals 4 h p.i. 20 days after surgery: 1.75 ± 0.48 vs 1.13 ± 0.11, p = 0.04. From 1 h to 4 h p.i., ONKR increased in 9/12 infected and 0/7 uninfected animals. According to UBI uptake intensity and kinetics, scintigraphy was truly positive in all infected cases on day 9 and in four of six infected cases on day 20. It was truly negative in two of three sterile inflamed prosthetic knees on day 9, and in all cases on day 20. Biodistribution studies revealed increased UBI uptake in periprosthetic tissues in all animals 9 days after surgery, and only in infected animals on day 20. In this experimental study, 99m Tc-UBI 29-41 scintigraphy permitted the early detection of acute prosthetic joint infection, and exclusion of infection in chronic sterile prosthetic joint inflammation. (orig.)

  15. Evaluation of {sup 99m}Tc-UBI 29-41 scintigraphy for specific detection of experimental Staphylococcus aureus prosthetic joint infections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sarda-Mantel, Laure; Meulemans, Alain; Vrigneaud, Jean-Marc; Raguin, Olivier; Lebtahi, Rachida; Guludec, Dominique Le [Universite Denis Diderot-Paris 7, UMR S773, Paris (France); Service de Medecine Nucleaire, AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Bichat-Beaujon, Paris (France); INSERM, U773, Paris (France); Saleh-Mghir, Azzam [Universite Versailles-St-Quentin, EA 3647, Garches (France); Welling, Mick M. [Leiden University Medical Center (LUCM), Department of Radiology, Section of Nuclear Medicine, Leiden (Netherlands); Hervatin, Florence [Universite Denis Diderot-Paris 7, UMR S773, Paris (France); CEA, DSV/DRM/SHFJ, Orsay (France); Martet, Genevieve [Universite Denis Diderot-Paris 7, UMR S773, Paris (France); INSERM, U773, Paris (France); Chau, Francoise [Universite Denis Diderot-Paris 7, UMR S773, Paris (France); Universite Denis Diderot Paris 7, EA 3964, Paris (France)

    2007-08-15

    {sup 99m}Tc-UBI 29-41 (UBI), an antimicrobial peptide, specifically targets bacteria. We tested the ability of UBI to discriminate between infected and uninfected prosthetic joints using a rabbit model previously validated. Left knee arthroplasty was performed on 20 New Zealand rabbits, then 10{sup 7} cfu of S. aureus (n = 12) or sterile saline (n = 8) was injected into the joint. On days 9 and 20 after surgery, planar UBI scintigraphy was performed in six infected and four uninfected rabbits, 1 h and 4 h p.i. (150 MBq), on a gamma camera. Operated-to-normal knee activity ratio (ONKR) was calculated on each scintigram. Then, after sacrifice, tissue samples of both knees were counted in a gamma counter. One rabbit injected with sterile saline had cutaneous infection at sacrifice and was excluded from analysis. ONKR was higher in infected than in uninfected animals 4 h p.i. 20 days after surgery: 1.75 {+-} 0.48 vs 1.13 {+-} 0.11, p = 0.04. From 1 h to 4 h p.i., ONKR increased in 9/12 infected and 0/7 uninfected animals. According to UBI uptake intensity and kinetics, scintigraphy was truly positive in all infected cases on day 9 and in four of six infected cases on day 20. It was truly negative in two of three sterile inflamed prosthetic knees on day 9, and in all cases on day 20. Biodistribution studies revealed increased UBI uptake in periprosthetic tissues in all animals 9 days after surgery, and only in infected animals on day 20. In this experimental study, {sup 99m}Tc-UBI 29-41 scintigraphy permitted the early detection of acute prosthetic joint infection, and exclusion of infection in chronic sterile prosthetic joint inflammation. (orig.)

  16. Staphylococcus aureus nasal carriage could be a risk for development of clinical infections in rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Selva Martínez

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Although nasal carriage has been described as a risk factor for Staphylococcus aureus infections in humans, there is a scarcity of studies about S. aureus nasal carriers in animals. In rabbits, S. aureus is one of the most important pathogens responsible for a number of different types of infections. This study was designed to determine the extent of staphylococcal nasal carriage and to establish whether a relationship exists between nasal carriage and development of lesions. One hundred and sixteen rabbits with and without chronic signs of staphylococcosis from 6 industrial rabbitries were monitored. Nasal swabs for microbiological assessments were obtained from all animals. Microbiological results showed that 56% of the animals carried S. aureus in their nasal cavities with significantly higher incidence in animals with staphylococcal-related lesions (84.2% compared to apparently healthy animals (28.8%. Additionally, the S. aureus strains isolated from the nasal cavity and lesions were clonally related in 91.7% of animals. This suggests that nasal carriage of S. aureus in rabbits could be a risk for development of clinical infections.

  17. Detection of parenchymal abnormalities in experimentally induced acute pyelonephritis in rabbits using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, CT, and MRI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ryu, Jeong Ah; Kim, Bo Hyun; Kim, Seung Kwon; Seo, Jin Won [Dept. of Radiology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Jong Sung [Laboratory Animal Research Center, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2016-12-15

    We evaluated the efficacy of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in detecting acute pyelonephritis (APN) using the rabbit kidney model and compared it with CT and MRI. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board. In a total of 20 New Zealand White rabbits, APN was induced experimentally. CEUS, CT, and MRI were performed on the first, third, and seventh postoperative days. After imaging studies, the subjects were sacrificed and the pathological diagnosis of APN was confirmed in each animal by a pathologist. Imaging studies were obtained in eight animals, including eight CEUS, four computed tomography (CT), and four magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images. CEUS depicted diffuse renal enlargement (7), diffuse heterogeneous parenchymal enhancement (6), and focal areas of decreased parenchymal enhancement (6). These findings were well correlated with the CT and MRI findings in five cases in which these studies were available. CT and MRI showed diffuse renal enlargement, diffuse heterogeneous parenchymal enhancement, focal areas of decreased parenchymal enhancement, focal contour bulging, and the finding of perinephric spread of infection. In a rabbit model, CEUS could depict the parenchymal lesions of APN similar to CT or MRI; however, it was limited in depicting the perinephric extension of inflammation.

  18. The complete mitochondrial genomes of five Eimeria species infecting domestic rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Guo-Hua; Tian, Si-Qin; Cui, Ping; Fang, Su-Fang; Wang, Chun-Ren; Zhu, Xing-Quan

    2015-12-01

    Rabbit coccidiosis caused by members of the genus Eimeria can cause enormous economic impact worldwide, but the genetics, epidemiology and biology of these parasites remain poorly understood. In the present study, we sequenced and annotated the complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes of five Eimeria species that commonly infect the domestic rabbits. The complete mt genomes of Eimeria intestinalis, Eimeria flavescens, Eimeria media, Eimeria vejdovskyi and Eimeria irresidua were 6261bp, 6258bp, 6168bp, 6254bp, 6259bp in length, respectively. All of the mt genomes consist of 3 genes for proteins (cytb, cox1, and cox3), 14 gene fragments for the large subunit (LSU) rRNA and 11 gene fragments for the small subunit (SSU) rRNA, but no transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. The gene order of the mt genomes is similar to that of Plasmodium, but distinct from Haemosporida and Theileria. Phylogenetic analyses based on full nucleotide sequences using Bayesian analysis revealed that the monophyly of the Eimeria of rabbits was strongly statistically supported with a Bayesian posterior probabilities. These data provide novel mtDNA markers for studying the population genetics and molecular epidemiology of the Eimeria species, and should have implications for the molecular diagnosis, prevention and control of coccidiosis in rabbits. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Development of a vivo rabbit ligated intestinal Loop Model for HCMV infection

    OpenAIRE

    Tang, Jin; Wu, Qiaoxing; Tang, Xinming; Shi, Ruihan; Suo, Jingxia; Huang, Guangping; An, Junqing; Wang, Jingyuan; Yang, Jinling; Hao, Wenzhuo; She, Ruiping; Suo, Xun

    2016-01-01

    Background Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections can be found throughout the body, especially in epithelial tissue. Animal model was established by inoculation of HCMV (strain AD-169) or coinoculation with Hepatitis E virus (HEV) into the ligated sacculus rotundus and vermiform appendix in living rabbits. The specimens were collected from animals sacrificed 1 and a half hours after infection. Results The virus was found to be capable of reproducing in these specimens through RT-PCR and West...

  20. Substitution of porcine small intestinal submucosa for rabbit Achilles tendon, an experimental study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Yan; Dai, Kerong

    2002-09-25

    To study the effect of substitution of porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) for rabbit Achilles tendon. Porcine SIS was taken out and processed. Part of Achilles tendons of 20 rabbits' right legs were removed and substituted by porcine SIS and the Achilles tendon of the left legs were used as controls. One, four, eight, twelve, and sixteen weeks after the operation 4 rabbits were killed and their right Achilles tendons were taken out to be examined histologically and their maximum load was tested. One week after the operation, the porcine SIS was already fused with the remaining part of rabbit Achilles tendon. Sixteen weeks after all the Achilles tendons looked like normal one. The maximum load of experimental Achilles tendon was 48 N +/- 9 N one week after the operation, and increased gradually. In the 16th week after the operation, the maximum load was 178 N +/- 6 N for the experimental Achilles tendon and 174 N +/- 10 N for the control tendon. The differences of maximum load between different weeks after operation, except that between one week and 4 weeks after, were statistically significant (P Achilles tendon is effective, thus proving the feasibility of in vivo tissue engineering technology.

  1. Animal in vivo models of EBV-associated lymphoproliferative diseases: special references to rabbit models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashi, K; Teramoto, N; Akagi, T

    2002-10-01

    Animal models of human EBV-associated diseases are essential to elucidate the pathogenesis of EBV-associated diseases. Here we review those previous models using EBV or EBV-like herpesviruses and describe the details on our two newly-developed rabbit models of lymphoproliferative diseases (LPD) induced by simian EBV-like viruses. The first is Cynomolgus-EBV-induced T-cell lymphomas in rabbits inoculated intravenously (77-90%) and orally (82-89%) during 2-5 months. EBV-DNA was detected in peripheral blood by PCR from 2 days after oral inoculation, while anti-EBV-VCA IgG was raised 3 weeks later. Rabbit lymphomas and their cell lines contained EBV-DNA and expressed EBV-encoded RNA-1 (EBER-1). Rabbit lymphoma cell lines, most of which have specific chromosomal abnormality, showed tumorigenicity in nude mice. The second is the first animal model for EBV-infected T-cell LPD with virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (VAHS), using rabbits infected with an EBV-like herpesvirus, Herpesvirus papio (HVP). Rabbits inoculated intravenously with HVP-producing cells showed increased anti-EBV-VCA-IgG titers, and most (85%) subsequently died of fatal LPD and VAHS, with bleeding and hepatosplenomegaly, during 22-105 days. Peroral spray of cell-free HVP induced viral infection with seroconversion in 3 out of 5 rabbits, with 2 of the 3 infected rabbits dying of LPD with VAHS. Atypical T lymphocytes containing HVP-DNA and expressing EBER-1 were observed in many organs. Hemophagocytic histiocytosis was observed in the lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, and thymus. These rabbit models are also useful and inexpensive alternative experimental model systems for studying the biology and pathogenesis of EBV, and prophylactic and therapeutic regimens.

  2. Experimental bacterial meningitis in rabbit; evaluation with CT and MRI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seo, Jeong Jin; Kang, Heoung Keun; Chu, Sung Nam; Kim, Yun Hyeon; Jeong, Yong Yeon; Chung, Hyon De [Chonnam Univ. Medical School, Kwangju (Korea, Republic of)

    1996-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of computed tomography(CT) and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) in experimental bacterial meningitis. CT and MR images of experimental bacterial meningitis were obtained after inoculation of 1ml suspension of 10-6/ml Staphylococcus aureus directly into the supratentorial arachnoid space of 18 New Zealand white rabbits. Each animal was studied with both pre-enhanced and post-enhanced CT and MRI at 12, 24, 48 hours and 1 week. Cerebrospinal fluid of all of 18 rabbits were sampled and cultured for bacterial growth. All of 18 rabbits had the clinical symptoms such as neck stiffness and anorexia within 24 hours after the inoculation. Cerebrospinal fluid cultures were positive for Staphylococcus aureus growth. Gd-enhanced MRI exhibited diffuse enhancement along the thickened supratentorial meninges earlier than CT. In Gd-enhanced MRI, the mean contrast enhancement along the thickened supratentorial meninges earlier than CT. In Gd-enhanced MRI, the mean contrast enhancement ratio(CER) at supratentorial meninges increased to 1.93 at 12 hours and 2.99 at 24 hours from 1.06 at 0 hour. Histologic evaluation demonstrated inflammatory cell infiltration into the meninges. MRI also identified the complications of meningitis such as ependymitis and hydrocephalus more effectively than CT. These results indicated that Fd-enhanced MRI detectred earlier the abnormal findingfs of bacterial meningitis and evaluated more effectively the complications of meningitis compared with CT. MRI was more useful than CT in evaluation of the bacterial meningitis.

  3. Experimental bacterial meningitis in rabbit; evaluation with CT and MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seo, Jeong Jin; Kang, Heoung Keun; Chu, Sung Nam; Kim, Yun Hyeon; Jeong, Yong Yeon; Chung, Hyon De

    1996-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of computed tomography(CT) and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) in experimental bacterial meningitis. CT and MR images of experimental bacterial meningitis were obtained after inoculation of 1ml suspension of 10-6/ml Staphylococcus aureus directly into the supratentorial arachnoid space of 18 New Zealand white rabbits. Each animal was studied with both pre-enhanced and post-enhanced CT and MRI at 12, 24, 48 hours and 1 week. Cerebrospinal fluid of all of 18 rabbits were sampled and cultured for bacterial growth. All of 18 rabbits had the clinical symptoms such as neck stiffness and anorexia within 24 hours after the inoculation. Cerebrospinal fluid cultures were positive for Staphylococcus aureus growth. Gd-enhanced MRI exhibited diffuse enhancement along the thickened supratentorial meninges earlier than CT. In Gd-enhanced MRI, the mean contrast enhancement along the thickened supratentorial meninges earlier than CT. In Gd-enhanced MRI, the mean contrast enhancement ratio(CER) at supratentorial meninges increased to 1.93 at 12 hours and 2.99 at 24 hours from 1.06 at 0 hour. Histologic evaluation demonstrated inflammatory cell infiltration into the meninges. MRI also identified the complications of meningitis such as ependymitis and hydrocephalus more effectively than CT. These results indicated that Fd-enhanced MRI detectred earlier the abnormal findingfs of bacterial meningitis and evaluated more effectively the complications of meningitis compared with CT. MRI was more useful than CT in evaluation of the bacterial meningitis

  4. Protein changes in the retina following experimental retinal detachment in rabbits

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mandal, Nakul; Lewis, Geoffrey P.; Fisher, Steven K.

    2011-01-01

    Retinal detachment leads to the widespread cellular remodeling of the retina. The purpose of this study was to identify protein changes that accompany these cellular alterations by comparing the proteomic profiles of sham and experimentally detached rabbit retina. Elucidation of the proteins most...

  5. An in vivo system for directed experimental evolution of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Robyn N; Capucci, Lorenzo; Matthaei, Markus; Esposito, Simona; Kerr, Peter J; Frese, Michael; Strive, Tanja

    2017-01-01

    The calicivirus Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is widely used in Australia as a biocontrol agent to manage wild European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations. However, widespread herd immunity limits the effectiveness of the currently used strain, CAPM V-351. To overcome this, we developed an experimental platform for the selection and characterisation of novel RHDV strains. As RHDV does not replicate in cell culture, variant viruses were selected by serially passaging a highly virulent RHDV field isolate in immunologically naïve laboratory rabbits that were passively immunised 18-24 hours post-challenge with a neutralising monoclonal antibody. After seven passages, two amino acid substitutions in the P2 domain of the capsid protein became fixed within the virus population. Furthermore, a synonymous substitution within the coding sequence of the viral polymerase appeared and was also maintained in all subsequent passages. These findings demonstrate proof-of-concept that RHDV evolution can be experimentally manipulated to select for virus variants with altered phenotypes, in this case partial immune escape.

  6. Characterization of Pasteurella multocida involved in rabbit infections

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Massacci, Francesca Romana; Magistrali, Chiara Francesca; Cucco, Lucilla

    2018-01-01

    In rabbit, P. multocida is considered a predominant pathogenic agent; despite this, few data on the molecular epidemiology are available so far. The aim of this work was to characterize P. multocida isolates from rabbit affected by various diseases in Italy. Comparison was made to reference strains...... belonged to the LPS genotypes 3 (22/39) or 6 (17/39). The clonal relationships of the Italian strains from rabbit had similarity to previously reported rabbit isolates that belonged to ST9, ST74, ST204 and ST206, however, they differed from other rabbit references strains that belonged to six other STs....... In particular, ST9 with capsular type F has been previously reported from diseased rabbit in Czech Republic and ST74 has been observed for older rabbit isolates. ST50 has probably been reported from Spain. ST9 and ST50 have previously also been reported from birds and pig, respectively, whereas ST74 has...

  7. Occurrence of Gastrointestinal Helminths in rabbits with special ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2013-09-25

    Sep 25, 2013 ... droppings to digest their food further and extract sufficient nutrients (Oaktreevet, 2010). Rabbits are generally infected with numerous parasites. Parasitic infections have caused considerable losses to rabbits in the region. Numbers of parasites are responsible for illness of rabbits (Allan et al., 1999).

  8. Therapeutic trials for a rabbit model of EBV-associated Hemophagocytic Syndrome (HPS): effects of vidarabine or CHOP, and development of Herpesvirus papio (HVP)-negative lymphomas surrounded by HVP-infected lymphoproliferative disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashi, K; Joko, H; Koirala, T R; Onoda, S; Jin, Z-S; Munemasa, M; Ohara, N; Oda, W; Tanaka, T; Oka, T; Kondo, E; Yoshino, T; Takahashi, K; Yamada, M; Akagi, T

    2003-10-01

    Epstein-Barr virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (EBV-AHS), which is often associated with fatal infectious mononucleosis or T-cell lymphoproliferative diseases (LPD), is a distinct disease characterized by high mortality. Treatment of patients with EBV-AHS has proved challenging. To develop some therapeutic interventions for EBV-AHS, we examined the effectiveness of an antiviral agent (vidarabine) or chemotherapy (CHOP), using a rabbit model for EBV-AHS. Fourteen untreated rabbits were inoculated intravenously with cell-free virions of the EBV-like virus Herpesvirus papio (HVP). All of the rabbits died of HVP-associated (LPD) and hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) between 21 and 31 days after inoculation. Furthermore, three HVP-infected rabbits treated with vidarabine died between days 23 and 28 after inoculation, and their clinicopathological features were no different from those of untreated rabbits, indicating that this drug is not effective at all to treat HVP-induced rabbit LPD and HPS. Three of the infected rabbits that were treated with one course, with an incomplete set of three courses, or with three full courses of CHOP treatment died of HVP-induced LPD and HPS with a bleeding tendency and/or with opportunistic infections. They died on the 26th, 62nd and 105th day after virus inoculation, respectively. CHOP treatment transiently suppressed the HVP-induced LPD and contributed to the prolonged survival time of two infected rabbits. However, it did not remove all of the HVP-infected cells from the infected rabbits, and residual HVP-infected lymphocytes caused recurrences of rabbit LPD and HPS. The most interesting finding of this experiment was observed in the infected rabbit with the longest survival time of 105 days: HVP-negative lymphomas surrounded by HVP-induced LPD developed in the larynx and ileum of this rabbit, causing an obstruction of the lumen. We concluded that these were not secondary lymphomas caused by CHOP treatment, because no suspicious

  9. Experimentally induced acute uric acid nephropathy in rabbits: Findings of high resolution gray scale and doppler ultrasonographies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Ik; Chung, Soo Young; Lee, Kyung Won; Kim, Hong Dae; Ko, Eun Young; Won, Mi Sook; Noh, Jung Woo [Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Park, Moon Hyang [Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2001-12-15

    To evaluate changes of the high-resolution (HR) gray scale and doppler ultrasonographic (US) characteristics of experimentally induced acute uric acid (UA) nephropathy in rabbits. Acute UA nephropathy was induced in ten rabbits using supersaturated lithium carbonate solution. The rabbits were divided in two groups. Group I consisted of five rabbits, and they were injected with a single dose of 150 ml of saturated UA over one hour. During tis period, serial US studies of the kidneys of these rabbits were performed every ten minutes. Group II consisted of the remaining five rabbits, and three injections of 50 ml of saturated UA solution were given on the first, fifth and eight day and follow-up was done upto twenty fifth day. Sequential HR and Doppler US, renal biopsy and blood sampling were performed on day 1, 5, 8, 21, and 25 in the group II rabbits. In group I, HR and Doppler US examination revealed the normal resistive index without significant abnormality. On the other hand, US studies of group II showed poor renal corticomedullary differentiation, decreased renal blood flow and elevated resistive index. There was statistically significant correlation among US findings, histologic characteristics and chemical index (BUN, creatinine) of renal function. In addition, sequentially increased size and volume of the kidney were noted in both groups. HR gray scale and doppler US characteristics of experimentally induced acute UA nephropathy in rabbits were similar to those of acute renal failure caused by other well-known causes.

  10. Experimentally induced acute uric acid nephropathy in rabbits: Findings of high resolution gray scale and doppler ultrasonographies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Ik; Chung, Soo Young; Lee, Kyung Won; Kim, Hong Dae; Ko, Eun Young; Won, Mi Sook; Noh, Jung Woo; Park, Moon Hyang

    2001-01-01

    To evaluate changes of the high-resolution (HR) gray scale and doppler ultrasonographic (US) characteristics of experimentally induced acute uric acid (UA) nephropathy in rabbits. Acute UA nephropathy was induced in ten rabbits using supersaturated lithium carbonate solution. The rabbits were divided in two groups. Group I consisted of five rabbits, and they were injected with a single dose of 150 ml of saturated UA over one hour. During tis period, serial US studies of the kidneys of these rabbits were performed every ten minutes. Group II consisted of the remaining five rabbits, and three injections of 50 ml of saturated UA solution were given on the first, fifth and eight day and follow-up was done upto twenty fifth day. Sequential HR and Doppler US, renal biopsy and blood sampling were performed on day 1, 5, 8, 21, and 25 in the group II rabbits. In group I, HR and Doppler US examination revealed the normal resistive index without significant abnormality. On the other hand, US studies of group II showed poor renal corticomedullary differentiation, decreased renal blood flow and elevated resistive index. There was statistically significant correlation among US findings, histologic characteristics and chemical index (BUN, creatinine) of renal function. In addition, sequentially increased size and volume of the kidney were noted in both groups. HR gray scale and doppler US characteristics of experimentally induced acute UA nephropathy in rabbits were similar to those of acute renal failure caused by other well-known causes.

  11. Liquid nitrogen-treated autogenous dentin as bone substitute: an experimental study in a rabbit model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atiya, Basim K; Shanmuhasuntharam, Palasuntharam; Huat, Siar; Abdulrazzak, Shurooq; Oon, Ha

    2014-01-01

    Different forms of dentin, including untreated, undemineralized, demineralized, boiled, or mixed with other materials, have been evaluated for efficacy as bone substitutes. However, the effects of application of liquid nitrogen-treated dentin for bone grafting remain unknown. The objective of this study was to chronologically evaluate bone healing following grafting with liquid nitrogen-treated dentin in a rabbit model. Autogenous dentin treated with liquid nitrogen at -196°C for 20 minutes was used. In 16 New Zealand White rabbits, a bone defect (5 mm in diameter) was created in each femur and randomly grafted with either autogenous dentin (experimental group) or autogenous bone grafts (positive control). In another four rabbits (negative control), a similar defect in each femur was left empty. The rabbits were sacrificed at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Explants of grafted sites were harvested for histologic and histomorphometric analysis. At 2 and 4 weeks in both the experimental and positive control groups, accelerated formation of new bone was observed, which was undergoing remodeling at 8 and 12 weeks. The mean new bone score was higher in the experimental than in the negative control groups, but this was not statistically significant. The present results demonstrated that liquid nitrogen-treated autogenous dentin has both osteoconductive and osteoinductive properties and therefore has potential as a bone substitute.

  12. Anatomic and histological study of the rabbit mandible as an experimental model for wound healing and surgical therapies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campillo, V-E; Langonnet, S; Pierrefeu, A; Chaux-Bodard, A-G

    2014-10-01

    The rabbit is one of the most widely used models for studying bone remodeling or dental implant osseointegration but very few data are available about the rabbit's mandible. The aim of this work was to describe the anatomy of the rabbit mandible and to estimate the available bone volume for experimental studies. First, with a dissection, the morphology of the mandible was described and the mental foramen, the position of the main salivary glands and muscular insertions were located. Then, by X-ray imaging, the position of the inferior alveolar canal, the dental root courses and volume and bone density were described. Finally, with frontal sections of the mandible body, the rabbit's dental and alveolar bone histological structure were assessed. Thus, the relevance of the rabbit mandible as an experimental model for wound healing or surgical therapies was discussed. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  13. Assessment of Biochemical Changes and Protein Pattern in Kidney of Fasciola gigantica. Infected Rabbit Untreated and Treated with Triclabendazole

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moawad, M.A.; Hafez, E.N.

    2014-01-01

    Fascioliasis is a hepatic parasitic infection caused by Fasciola gigantica that affects numerous mammalian species, mainly ruminants and occasionally human. Triclabendazole TCBZ (marketed as Fasinex) has high efficacy against all stages of F. gigantica in mammalian host. The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of infection on liver and kidney functions in rabbits untreated and treated with triclabendazole and the electrophoretic pattern of proteins of the rabbit kidney as well. Twenty four (24) parasite-free rabbits were divided into four groups, group (1): normal control (non treated, non infected), group (2): infected only, group (3): treated with TBCZ only, group: (4) infected and then treated with TBCZ. Biochemical studies on infected, treated and infected treated showed a high significant hyperbilirubinaemia P<0.001 in infected and treated groups and significant hyperbilirubinaemia P<0.01 in infected treated group compared to the normal control group. Ala - nine aminotransferase (ALT) value was highly significantly increased in infected group P<0.001 with no significant changes (P>0.05) in both treated and infected treated groups compared to control normal group. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels showed high significant increase P>0.001 compared to normal control group. Blood urea levels in infected and treated groups were highly significant increased compared to control normal group with P<0.001. Similarly serum creatinine levels showed high significant increase P<0.001 in both infected and infected treated groups with values (1.4 Mg/dl) and (1.2 Mg/dl) respectively. While only treated group showed significant decrease (0.6 Mg/dl) compared to normal group (0.77 Mg/dl). The concentration of protein bands in kidney electrophoresis revealed no significant changes in pre albumin in infected group (P>0.05) and significant difference in treated and infected treated groups (P<0.01) compared to normal control group. Albumin concentration showed

  14. The Streptococcus sanguinis competence regulon is not required for infective endocarditis virulence in a rabbit model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Callahan, Jill E; Munro, Cindy L; Kitten, Todd

    2011-01-01

    Streptococcus sanguinis is an important component of dental plaque and a leading cause of infective endocarditis. Genetic competence in S. sanguinis requires a quorum sensing system encoded by the early comCDE genes, as well as late genes controlled by the alternative sigma factor, ComX. Previous studies of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus mutans have identified functions for the >100-gene com regulon in addition to DNA uptake, including virulence. We investigated this possibility in S. sanguinis. Strains deleted for the comCDE or comX master regulatory genes were created. Using a rabbit endocarditis model in conjunction with a variety of virulence assays, we determined that both mutants possessed infectivity equivalent to that of a virulent control strain, and that measures of disease were similar in rabbits infected with each strain. These results suggest that the com regulon is not required for S. sanguinis infective endocarditis virulence in this model. We propose that the different roles of the S. sanguinis, S. pneumoniae, and S. mutans com regulons in virulence can be understood in relation to the pathogenic mechanisms employed by each species.

  15. Detection of the new emerging rabbit haemorrhagic disease type 2 virus (RHDV2) in Sicily from rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and Italian hare (Lepus corsicanus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camarda, A; Pugliese, N; Cavadini, P; Circella, E; Capucci, L; Caroli, A; Legretto, M; Mallia, E; Lavazza, A

    2014-12-01

    Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV), a member of the genus Lagovirus, causes rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD), a fatal hepatitis of rabbits, not previously reported in hares. Recently, a new RHDV-related virus emerged, called RHDV2. This lagovirus can cause RHD in rabbits and disease and mortality in Lepus capensis (Cape hare). Here we describe a case of RHDV2 infection in another hare species, Lepus corsicanus, during a concurrent RHD outbreak in a group of wild rabbits. The same RHDV2 strain infected rabbits and a hare, also causing a RHD-like syndrome in the latter. Our findings confirmed the capability of RHDV2 to infect hosts other than rabbits and improve the knowledge about the epidemiology and the host range of this new lagovirus. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Technetium-99m stannous pyrophosphate imaging of experimental infective endocarditis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Riba, A.L.; Downs, J.; Thakur, M.L.; Gottschalk, A.; Andriole, V.T.; Zaret, B.L.

    1978-01-01

    Technetium-99m stannous pyrophosphate (/sup 99m/Tc-PYP) cardiac scintigraphy was performed in 15 rabbits with experimental Streptococcus sanguis aortic-valve infective endocarditis. The animals were imaged five to seven days after the administration of bacteria, and in each case abnormal accumulation of the tracer was visualized in the region of the aortic valve. Three types of cardiac scintigraphic patterns were demonstrated: focal, multifocal, and extensive, each correlating well with the anatomical extent of the lesion as defined by gross pathology. Tissue distribution studies demonstrated a 30 +- 5.3 (mean +- SEM) fold excess of radionuclide uptake in the infective endocarditis lesion compared with that of normal myocardium. Imaging of excised hearts from four animals showed an excellent correlation with in vivo imaging as well as gross pathology. Five animals with nonbacterial thrombotic aortic valve endocarditis demonstrated similar scintigraphic and tissue distribution results. In contrast, four normal animals failed to demonstrate abnormal /sup 99m/Tc-PYP cardiac scintigrams or tissue uptake. This study demonstrates that /sup 99m/Tc-PYP cardiac scintigraphy is a sensitive technique to detect experimental aortic valve endocarditis

  17. Proteomic analysis of the vitreous following experimental retinal detachment in rabbits

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mandal, Nakul; Lewis, Geoffrey P.; Fisher, Steven K.

    2015-01-01

    of the vitreous following experimental retinal detachment using a comparative proteomic based approach. Materials and Methods. Retinal detachment was created in the right eyes of six New Zealand red pigmented rabbits. Sham surgery was undertaken in five other rabbits that were used as controls. After seven days......Purpose. The pathogenesis of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) remains incompletely understood, with no clinically effective treatment for potentially severe complications such as photoreceptor cell death and proliferative vitreoretinopathy. Here we investigate the protein profile...... the eyes were enucleated and the vitreous was removed. The vitreous samples were evaluated with two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the differentially expressed proteins were identified with tandem mass spectrometry. Results. Ten protein spots were found to be at least twofold...

  18. Experimental corneal calcification, hydration and /sup 45/Ca uptake in rabbit corneas incubated in vitro

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Obenberger, J [Ceskoslovenska Akademie Ved, Prague. Oftalmologicka Laborator; Dobiasova, M; Babicky, A [Ceskoslovenska Akademie Ved, Prague. Isotopova Laborator Biologickych Ustavu

    1974-07-01

    Experimental corneal calcification could easily be produced by a combination of corneal injury (perfusion of the anterior chamber of the eye with a solution of potassium permanganate) amd dihydrotachysterol (DHT) treatment. Rabbit corneas with induced calcification as well as corneas of three additional groups of rabbits, i.e. those treated with permanganate or DHT only and control animals were incubated for two hours in a medium containing /sup 45/Ca. An increased uptake of /sup 45/Ca into the cornea was found in the group of rabbits receiving DHT only. Potassium cyanide added to the incubation medium did not affect corneal hydration nor the final activity of the incubated corneas. (auth)

  19. Effects of experimental infections with larvae of Eustrongylides ignotus Jäegerskiold, 1909 and Contracaecum multipapillatum (Drasche, 1882 Baylis, 1920 in rabbits Efeitos de infecções experimentais em coelhos com larvas de Eustrongylides ignotus Jäegerskiold, 1909 e Contracaecum multipapillatum (Drasche, 1882 Baylis, 1920

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L.A. Barros

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Rabbits were infected per os with 10 Eustrongylides ignotus L4 and with 50 Contracaecum multipapillatum L3 per rabbit, recovered from naturally infected freshwater fishes (Hoplias malabaricus in order to evaluate the patogenicity of these two nematode species in mammalian host. Two rabbits (20% infected with E. ignotus died before the fourth day post-inoculation (one after 51 and the other after 78 hours. Six rabbits (60% were inappetent until the fifth day following experimental inoculation. No clinical signs in rabbits inoculated with C. multipapillatum were observed; nevertheless, eight (80% animals were positive for this nematode species. Rabbits inoculated with E. ignotus, had gastric congestion with hematoma of the gastric wall in 60% of the cases. Peritoneum was congested in 20% of the animals with the presence of peritoneal abscess in 10% of the cases. All inoculated animals showed hyperemia of the gastric mucosa with hemorrhagic gastritis due to infections with E. ignotus. In C. multipapillatum inoculated animals, the hyperemia was followed by disruption of the epithelial mucosa in the sites of parasite attachment. In the gastric mucosa, miscellaneous leukocitary infiltrates, with multifocal necrosis reaching the submucosa in the infections with C. multipapillatum were observed under bright field microscopy. Perforating lesions in several organs, mainly in the gastric wall, pancreas and liver, always in the presence of a mixed inflammatory process, intensely fibrous, with hemorrhage and necrosis were observed in animals infected with E. ignotus.Coelhos foram infectados experimentalmente per os com 10 larvas L4 de Eustrogylides ignotus (n= 10 e 50 L3 de Contracaecum multipapillatum (n= 50 coletados em traíras (Hoplias malabaricus naturalmente parasitadas a fim de se avaliar a patogenicidade induzida por essas espécies de nematóides em mamíferos. Dois coelhos (20% infectados com E. ignotus morreram antes do quarto dia p

  20. A thymidine kinase-negative bovine herpesvirus 5 is highly attenuated for rabbits, but is neuroinvasive and establishes latent infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Campos da Silva

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Mutant viral strains deleted in non-essential genes represent useful tools to study the function of specific gene products in the biology of the virus. We herein describe an investigation on the phenotype of a bovine herpesvirus 5 (BoHV-5 recombinant deleted in the gene encoding the enzyme thymidine kinase (TK in rabbits, with special emphasis to neuroinvasiveness and the ability to establish and reactivate latent infection. Rabbits inoculated with the parental virus (SV-507/99 (n=18 at a low titer (10(5.5TCID50 shed virus in nasal secretions in titers up to 10(4.5TCID50 for up to 12 days (average: 9.8 days [5-12] and 5/ 16 developed neurological disease and were euthanized in extremis. Rabbits inoculated with the recombinant BoHV-5TKΔ at a high dose (10(7.1TCID50 also shed virus in nasal secretions, yet to lower titers (maximum: 10(2.3TCID50 and for a shorter period (average: 6.6 days [2-11] and remained healthy. PCR examination of brain sections of inoculated rabbits at day 6 post-infection (pi revealed a widespread distribution of the parental virus, whereas DNA of the recombinant BoHV-5TKΔ-was detected only in the trigeminal ganglia [TG] and olfactory bulbs [OB]. Nevertheless, during latent infection (52pi, DNA of the recombinant virus was detected in the TGs, OBs and also in other areas of the brain, demonstrating the ability of the virus to invade the brain. Dexamethasone (Dx administration at day 65 pi was followed by virus reactivation and shedding by 5/8 rabbits inoculated with the parental strain (mean duration of 4.2 days [1 - 9] and by none of seven rabbits inoculated with the recombinant virus. Again, PCR examination at day 30 post-Dx treatment revealed the presence of latent DNA in the TGs, OBs and in other areas of the brain of both groups. Taken together, these results confirm that the recombinant BoHV-5TKΔ is highly attenuated for rabbits. It shows a reduced ability to replicate in the nose but retains the ability to invade

  1. Characterization of Staphylococcus aureus isolates from patients with toxic shock syndrome, using polyethylene infection chambers in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scott, D F; Kling, J M; Kirkland, J J; Best, G K

    1983-01-01

    Isolates of Staphylococcus aureus from patients with toxic shock syndrome (TSS) were compared with non-TSS strains of S. aureus with respect to their virulence in rabbits. When the organisms were injected into subcutaneous chambers (perforated polyethylene golf balls) to assess virulence, a rapid mortality was observed with TSS but not with non-TSS strains. Of 16 TSS strains, 11 caused lethal infections in 33 rabbits tested, and none of the 5 control strains caused mortality in 10 rabbits. This evidence of enhanced virulence associated with TSS strains did not appear to be associated with the size of the inoculum. In addition, strains which produced lethal infections appeared to do so despite a reduction in the size of the original inoculum during the first 24 h. All of the TSS strains and none of the non-TSS strains elaborated extracellular protein(s) with a neutral pI when grown in a dialyzed beef heart medium. No other physiological difference was noted between the TSS and non-TSS strains.

  2. Detection of Genotype 4 Swine Hepatitis E Virus in Systemic Tissues in Cross-Species Infected Rabbits

    OpenAIRE

    Wu, Qiaoxing; An, Junqing; She, Ruiping; Shi, Ruihan; Hao, Wenzhuo; Soomro, MajidHussain; Yuan, Xuerui; Yang, Jinling; Wang, Jingyuan

    2017-01-01

    Increasing evidence demonstrates that hepatitis E virus (HEV) can be transmitted across species. According to previous reports, swine HEV has two genotypes, genotype 3 and 4, and both can infect humans by the fecal-oral route. Thus, it is crucial for the control of HEV zoonotic transmission to evaluate the dynamics of viral shedding and distribution in different tissues during cross-species infection by HEV. In this study, rabbits were infected with genotype 4 swine HEV by the intraperitoneal...

  3. The Streptococcus sanguinis competence regulon is not required for infective endocarditis virulence in a rabbit model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jill E Callahan

    Full Text Available Streptococcus sanguinis is an important component of dental plaque and a leading cause of infective endocarditis. Genetic competence in S. sanguinis requires a quorum sensing system encoded by the early comCDE genes, as well as late genes controlled by the alternative sigma factor, ComX. Previous studies of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Streptococcus mutans have identified functions for the >100-gene com regulon in addition to DNA uptake, including virulence. We investigated this possibility in S. sanguinis. Strains deleted for the comCDE or comX master regulatory genes were created. Using a rabbit endocarditis model in conjunction with a variety of virulence assays, we determined that both mutants possessed infectivity equivalent to that of a virulent control strain, and that measures of disease were similar in rabbits infected with each strain. These results suggest that the com regulon is not required for S. sanguinis infective endocarditis virulence in this model. We propose that the different roles of the S. sanguinis, S. pneumoniae, and S. mutans com regulons in virulence can be understood in relation to the pathogenic mechanisms employed by each species.

  4. Endovascular treatment of experimentally induced aneurysms in rabbits using stents: a feasibility study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hans, F.J.; Thiex, R.; Gilsbach, J.M.; Krings, T.; Moeller-Hartmann, W.; Dreeskamp, H.; Stein, K.P.; Meetz, A.; Thron, A.; Pfeffer, J.; Scherer, K.; Brunn, A.

    2003-01-01

    Although Guglielmi detachable coil (GDC) systems have been generally accepted for treatment of intracranial aneurysms, primary stenting of aneurysms using porous stents or implantation of coils after stent placement remains experimental. Testing of these new methods requires an animal model which imitates human aneurysms in size, configuration and neck morphology. We assessed in detail the technical requirements of and steps for transfemoral stent treatment of experimentally induced aneurysms at the top of the brachiocephalic trunk in rabbits. We created aneurysms in ten rabbits by distal ligation and intraluminal digestion of the right common carotid artery with elastase. We treated five animals with porous stents alone, and five with stents plus coiling via the meshes of the stent, which permitted dense packing of coils. No complications related to the procedures occurred. In all animals, even in those treated solely with porous stents, total occlusion of the aneurysm was achieved. Our animal model can be suitable for testing the biocompatibility and occlusion rate of new methods and devices for the treatment of experimental aneurysms. (orig.)

  5. The effect of infection and lag screw fixation on revascularization and new bone deposition in membranous bone grafts in a rabbit model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fialkov, J A; Phillips, J H; Walmsley, S L; Morava-Protzner, I

    1996-08-01

    We have suggested that rigid fixation of membranous bone grafts in the presence of infection may improve graft-recipient bone union by facilitating graft revascularzation. To test this hypothesis, we grafted autogenous membranous bone grafts to the mandibles of 94 New Zealand White rabbits. Lag screw fixation was applied in half the animals. The wounds were inoculated with a range of Staphylococcus aureus doses. Infected and noninfected rabbits were injected weekly over a 5-week course with fluorescein bone markers and with a marker of vascular endothelium (procion red) just prior to sacrifice. Revascularization and new bone deposition in the grafts were then quantified histologically for the 75 rabbits available for data collection. Infection decreased the amount of graft revascularized and the amount of new bone deposited for both rigidly fixated and nonfixated grafts. Grafts fixated with a lag screw showed a greater amount of revascularization and new bone deposition in the presence and absence of infection when compared with nonfixated grafts, supporting the hypothesis that rigid fixation of membranous bone grafts in the presence of infection may promote graft survival and union by improving revascularization and osteogenesis within the graft.

  6. Disruption of M-T5, a novel myxoma virus gene member of poxvirus host range superfamily, results in dramatic attenuation of myxomatosis in infected European rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mossman, K; Lee, S F; Barry, M; Boshkov, L; McFadden, G

    1996-07-01

    Myxoma virus is a pathogenic poxvirus that induces a lethal myxomatosis disease profile in European rabbits, which is characterized by fulminating lesions at the primary site of inoculation, rapid dissemination to secondary internal organs and peripheral external sites, and supervening gram-negative bacterial infection. Here we describe the role of a novel myxoma virus protein encoded by the M-T5 open reading frame during pathogenesis. The myxoma virus M-T5 protein possesses no significant sequence homology to nonviral proteins but is a member of a larger poxviral superfamily designated host range proteins. An M-T5- mutant virus was constructed by disruption of both copies of the M-T5 gene followed by insertion of the selectable marker p7.5Ecogpt. Although the M-T5- deletion mutant replicated with wild-type kinetics in rabbit fibroblasts, infection of a rabbit CD4+ T-cell line (RL5) with the myxoma virus M-T5- mutant virus resulted in the rapid and complete cessation of both host and viral protein synthesis, accompanied by the manifestation of all the classical features of programmed cell death. Infection of primary rabbit peripheral mononuclear cells with the myxoma virus M-T5-mutant virus resulted in the apoptotic death of nonadherent lymphocytes but not adherent monocytes. Within the European rabbit, disruption of the M-T5 open reading frame caused a dramatic attenuation of the rapidly lethal myxomatosis infection, and none of the infected rabbits displayed any of the characteristic features of myxomatosis. The two most significant histological observations in rabbits infected with the M-T5-mutant virus were (i) the lack of progression of the infection past the primary site of inoculation, coupled with the establishment of a rapid and effective inflammatory reaction, and (ii) the inability of the virus to initiate a cellular reaction within secondary immune organs. We conclude that M-T5 functions as a critical virulence factor by allowing productive infection of

  7. Bacterial and Pneumocystis Infections in the Lungs of Gene-Knockout Rabbits with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jun Song

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology, we recently produced a number of rabbits with mutations in immune function genes, including FOXN1, PRKDC, RAG1, RAG2, and IL2RG. Seven founder knockout rabbits (F0 and three male IL2RG null (−/y F1 animals demonstrated severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID, characterized by absence or pronounced hypoplasia of the thymus and splenic white pulp, and absence of immature and mature T and B-lymphocytes in peripheral blood. Complete blood count analysis showed severe leukopenia and lymphocytopenia accompanied by severe neutrophilia. Without prophylactic antibiotics, the SCID rabbits universally succumbed to lung infections following weaning. Pathology examination revealed severe heterophilic bronchopneumonia caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica in several animals, but a consistent feature of lung lesions in all animals was a severe interstitial pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis oryctolagi, as confirmed by histological examination and PCR analysis of Pneumocystis genes. The results of this study suggest that these SCID rabbits could serve as a useful model for human SCID to investigate the disease pathogenesis and the development of gene and drug therapies.

  8. Bacterial and Pneumocystis Infections in the Lungs of Gene-Knockout Rabbits with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Jun; Wang, Guoshun; Hoenerhoff, Mark J.; Ruan, Jinxue; Yang, Dongshan; Zhang, Jifeng; Yang, Jibing; Lester, Patrick A.; Sigler, Robert; Bradley, Michael; Eckley, Samantha; Cornelius, Kelsey; Chen, Kong; Kolls, Jay K.; Peng, Li; Ma, Liang; Chen, Yuqing Eugene; Sun, Fei; Xu, Jie

    2018-01-01

    Using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology, we recently produced a number of rabbits with mutations in immune function genes, including FOXN1, PRKDC, RAG1, RAG2, and IL2RG. Seven founder knockout rabbits (F0) and three male IL2RG null (−/y) F1 animals demonstrated severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), characterized by absence or pronounced hypoplasia of the thymus and splenic white pulp, and absence of immature and mature T and B-lymphocytes in peripheral blood. Complete blood count analysis showed severe leukopenia and lymphocytopenia accompanied by severe neutrophilia. Without prophylactic antibiotics, the SCID rabbits universally succumbed to lung infections following weaning. Pathology examination revealed severe heterophilic bronchopneumonia caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica in several animals, but a consistent feature of lung lesions in all animals was a severe interstitial pneumonia caused by Pneumocystis oryctolagi, as confirmed by histological examination and PCR analysis of Pneumocystis genes. The results of this study suggest that these SCID rabbits could serve as a useful model for human SCID to investigate the disease pathogenesis and the development of gene and drug therapies. PMID:29593714

  9. Establishment of a head injury by club model in rabbits and experimental conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cao Yunxing; Xi Huanjiu; Zhang Jing; Li Hongwei; Yin Zhiyong; Zhao Hui

    2013-01-01

    Objective: To establish an animal model to replicate the injury by club in forensic medicine. Methods: Twenty-four New Zealand white rabbits were divided into control group (n=4), minor injury group (n=10), and severe injury group (n=10). Based on the BIM-Ⅱ Horizontal Bio-impact Machine, a self-designed iron bar was used to produce head injury by club. Six hours after injury, all the rabbits were subjected to a CT examination and dissected to observe the injury morphology and undergo routine pathological examination. Four control, six minor and severe rabbits were given moisture content examination. Results: Varying degrees of positive signs of the nervous system were observed in all the injured rabbits within 6 hours. The mortality rate was 1/10 in the minor injury group and 6/10 in the severe injury group. The morphological changes consisted of different levels of scalp hematoma, skull fracture, epidural hematoma, subdural hematoma, subarachnoid hemorrhage and brain injury. The difference in moisture content between the three groups was of statistical significance. Conclusion: Under the rigidly-controlled experimental condition, this animal model produces good reproducibility and stable results. Meanwhile, it can simulate the morphology of injury by club and be used to study the mechanism of injury by club in forensic medicine. (authors)

  10. Evaluation of the effect of vitamin E doped UHMWPE on biofilm development and infection using an in vivo experimental model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Molina-Manso D; Gomez-Barrena E; Alonso-Rodriguez N; Sandoval E; Cordero J; Fernandez-Roblas R; Puertolas J A; Esteban J

    2010-01-01

    The aim of our study was the evaluation of an in vivo experimental model of implant-related septic arthritis. 5 x 10 mm strips out of a polyethylene sheet 500 microns thick were incubated with a 0.5 McFarland bacterial suspension of collection strains S. aureus and S. epidermidis. A surgical experimental model was prepared, implanting the samples in the subquadricipital articular space of the rabbit's knee. After 7 days of survival, the knee joint was opened wide through the previous surgical approach and the polyethylene sample was retrieved. The UHMWPE samples were processed following a sonication and quantification protocol. Ten rabbits for each species were studied, five with each material. Negative controls (UHMWPE strips without attached bacteria) were also implanted in contralateral knees. S. aureus colonies were detected only in three rabbits with non-treated UHMWPE and in two with vitamin E-doped UHMWPE. No differences in colony counts were observed for S. aureus. No growth was detected for S. epidermidis, although clinical signs of infection were detected in all animals with inoculated samples. The model was useful to evaluate the effect of modifications in biomaterials, although highly pathogenic bacteria are needed to obtain quantifiable data.

  11. Serological Survey for RHD Antibodies in Rabbits from Two Types of Rabbit Breeding Farms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fitzner, A; Niedbalski, W

    2016-09-01

    Seroprevalence studies of RHDV antibodies in domestic rabbits were conducted between 2008-2014. A total of 12,169 sera from the provinces of central, southern and south-east Poland, including 7,570 samples collected from mixed-breed rabbits reared in smallholder farms and nearly 4,600 sera taken mainly from unvaccinated rabbits kept in industrial farms, were examined using ELISA tests. Additionally, cross-reactivity of selected tested and control archival sera using both classic RHDV and RHDVa antigens was determined by HI assay. The overall seroprevalence was 13.3%. In rabbits with unkown history of immunisation or RHD infection which came from small farms, RHDV antibodies were detected in 6.1% ranging between 1.0% to 17.2% of animals. In rabbits of the same group, but with a declared vaccination status, or confirmed exposure to an infectious virus, or coming from exposed females, the seroprevalence ranged from 83% to 100%. Among unvaccinated meat rabbits aged 71 to 90 days from industrial farms, low (1.85%, 4.17%, 11%), medium (34%, 54%) or high rates (98.7%) of seropositivity were detected. The seroconversion recorded in adult vaccinated females from industrial farms was 70% and 95%. Generally, the antibody levels examined by ELISAs and HI were comparable. However, a number of sera from the rabbits from small farms, as well as archival sera, showed clear differences. Several-fold differences in antibody titers, evidenced mainly in the postoutbreak sera, indictaed the contact of animals with RHDVa antigen. The overall results of the survey revealed a great proportion of seronegative rabbits potentially highly susceptible to RHD infection. In combination with the emergence of a novel pathogenic RHD virus type (RHDV2), it poses a severe risk of a next wave of fatal disease cases spreading in the native population of domestic rabbits, especially in farms with a traditional system of husbandry.

  12. Confirmation and phylogenetic analysis of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus in free-living rabbits from the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van de Bildt, M. W. G.; van Bolhuis, G. H.; van Zijderveld, F.; van Riel, D.; Drees, J. M.; Osterhaus, A. D. M. E.; Kuiken, T.

    2006-01-01

    The number of free-living European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in the Netherlands has declined dramatically in recent years. Although rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) infection has been implicated as a possible cause of this decline, the definitive diagnosis has not been reported. We

  13. Panton-valentine leukocidin enhances the severity of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus rabbit osteomyelitis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anne-Claude Crémieux

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Extensive spread of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA in the United States, and the concomitant increase in severe invasive staphylococcal infections, including osteomyelitis, in healthy children, has led to renewed interest in Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL. However, the pathogenetic role of PVL in staphylococcal infections remains controversial, possibly because it depends on the site of infection. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We compared the course of experimental rabbit osteomyelitis due to the PVL-positive CA-MRSA strain USA 300 (LAC and its PVL-negative isogenic derivative (LACDeltapvl, using a low and a high inoculum (8x10(5 and 4x10(8 CFU. With the low inoculum, bone infection was less frequent on day 7 (D7 and day 28 (D28 with LACDeltapvl than with LAC (respectively 12/19 and 18/19 animals, p = 0.042. With the high inoculum of both strains, all the animals were infected on D7 and the infection persisted on D28 in almost every case. However, tibial bacterial counts and the serum CRP concentration fell significantly between D7 and D28 with LACDeltapvl but not with LAC. Respectively 67% and 60% of LAC-infected rabbits had bone deformation and muscle/joint involvement on D7, compared to 0% and 7% of LACDeltapvl-infected rabbits (p = 0.001 and p = 0.005 respectively. Between D0 and D28, the anti-PVL antibody titer increased significantly only with the high inoculum of LAC. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: PVL appears to play a role in the persistence and rapid local extension of rabbit osteomyelitis, in keeping with the greater severity of human bone infections due to PVL-positive S. aureus. The possible therapeutic implications of these findings are discussed.

  14. Vascular morphologic and functional effect of endogenous androgens in an experimental atherosclerotic rabbits model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Echeverry, Dario; Delgadillo, Alexandra; Montes, Felix

    2007-01-01

    Previous clinical and experimental studies suggest that androgens could have adverse, neutral or beneficial effect on atherosclerosis and its clinical manifestations. Methods: an experimental, randomized controlled study in 40 New Zeland white male rabbits was realized. 20 rabbits underwent orchidectomy and 20 were fed with an atherogenic diet for 20 weeks. These were distributed in four groups: 1. non-castrated under normal diet, 2. Castrated under normal diet, 3. non-castrated under atherogenic diet, and 4. Castrated under atherogenic diet. Total cholesterol and free testosterone were measured. After euthanasia, arterial relaxation independent of endothelium was quantified in aorta, as well as the one depending on endothelium, in vitro, and histomorphometric analysis of thoracic aorta were made in order to quantify the atherosclerotic plaque formation. Results: animals that had a normal diet (n=20) had total cholesterol of 51.1 ± 8.5 mg/dl and those with atherogenic diet of 429.2 ± 262.0 mg/dl (p< 0.001). Testosterone levels in the non- castrated group were 2.1 ± 0.3 ng/ml and in the castrated were 0.8 ± 0.4 ng/ml (p= 0.024). In non-castrated rabbits the effect of hypercholesterolemia (366 ± 226.1 mg/dl) inducing atherosclerotic plaque and functional vascular alteration was mild. On the other hand, atherogenic diet in castrated rabbits induced an increment in total cholesterol from 387.6 ± 292.7 mg/dl (p <0.001) and severe morphological changes such as plaque area 2.6 ± 2.3mm (p <0.001), vessel plaque/area 0.25 ± 0.1 (p <0.001) and area index of plaque/area of the media 0.4 ± 0.3 (p <0.001). Endothelium independent relaxation percentage was 85.5 ± 14.3% (p = NS) and endothelium dependent relaxation was 38.5 ± 201% (p = 0.03). Conclusion: This study realized in rabbits demonstrates that endogenous testosterone might have a preventive effect on atherosclerosis and favor endothelium dependent vascular relaxation in the presence of severe

  15. Increases In Plasma Urea And Creatinine In Experimental ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Alterations in both plasma urea and creatinine levels were monitored over a period of twenty eight (28) days in experimentally infected rabbits. A total of 15 animals were randomly divided into three groups of n=5. The groups were control (group I), infected and treated (group II) and infected but untreated (group III) ...

  16. Early infections by myxoma virus of young rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) protected by maternal antibodies activate their immune system and enhance herd immunity in wild populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marchandeau, Stéphane; Pontier, Dominique; Guitton, Jean-Sébastien; Letty, Jérôme; Fouchet, David; Aubineau, Jacky; Berger, Francis; Léonard, Yves; Roobrouck, Alain; Gelfi, Jacqueline; Peralta, Brigitte; Bertagnoli, Stéphane

    2014-03-04

    The role of maternal antibodies is to protect newborns against acute early infection by pathogens. This can be achieved either by preventing any infection or by allowing attenuated infections associated with activation of the immune system, the two strategies being based on different cost/benefit ratios. We carried out an epidemiological survey of myxomatosis, which is a highly lethal infectious disease, in two distant wild populations of rabbits to describe the epidemiological pattern of the disease. Detection of specific IgM and IgG enabled us to describe the pattern of immunity. We show that maternal immunity attenuates early infection of juveniles and enables activation of their immune system. This mechanism associated with steady circulation of the myxoma virus in both populations, which induces frequent reinfections of immune rabbits, leads to the maintenance of high immunity levels within populations. Thus, myxomatosis has a low impact, with most infections being asymptomatic. This work shows that infection of young rabbits protected by maternal antibodies induces attenuated disease and activates their immune system. This may play a major role in reducing the impact of a highly lethal disease when ecological conditions enable permanent circulation of the pathogen.

  17. Effect of interventional treatment with p53 on the invasion and metastasis of VX2 liver tumor in experimental rabbits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Caixia; Feng Yan; Gu Tao; Li Chunmei

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the effect of interventional treatment with p53 on the invasion and metastasis of VX2 liver tumor in experimental rabbits. Methods: VX2 carcinoma cells were surgically implanted into the left hepatic lobe in 48 New Zealand white rabbits, and the rabbit hepatic carcinoma models were thus established. The rabbits were randomly divided into 4 groups with 12 rabbits in each group. After hepatic arterial catheterization was completed physiological saline (control group), Lipiodol (Group A), Ad-p53 (Group B) and Lipiodol+Ad-p53 (Group C) were respectively infused into the rabbits of four groups via common hepatic artery. One week after the procedure the rabbits were sacrificed and the livers were removed for the determination of matrix metalloprotein-2 (MMP-2), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) of the tumor with immunohistochemistry technique. Results: The tumor growth in study groups (group A, B and C) was markedly suppressed, which was significantly different in comparison with that in control group (P 0.05). The positive rates of MMP-2, PCNA and VEGF in group B and C were significantly lower than those in control group (P < 0.05). The positive rates of MMP-2, PCNA and VEGF of the rabbits with metastasis were markedly higher than those without metastasis(P < 0.05). MMP-2 bore a certain relationship with VEGF and PCNA (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The increase of the positive rates of MMP-2, PCNA and VEGF indicates that the tumor possesses higher possibility for developing metastasis, proliferation and vascular formation. The interventional treatment with Adp53 or Lipiodol+Ad-p53 can inhibit the growth, metastasis and vascular formation of VX2 liver tumor in experimental rabbits. (J Intervent Radiol, 2010, 19 : 800-804) (authors)

  18. Flagella-induced immunity against experimental cholera in adult rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yancey, R J; Willis, D L; Berry, L J

    1979-07-01

    The adult rabbit ligated ileal loop model was used to evaluate the prophylactic potential of a crude flagellar (CF) vaccine produced from the classical. Inaba strain CA401. A greater than 1,000-fold increase in the challenge inoculum was required to induce an intestinal fluid response in actively immunized adult rabbits equivalent to that produced in unimmunized animals. Similar protection was afforded against challenge with classical and El Tor biotypes of both Inaba and Ogawa serotypes. Highly virulent 35S-labeled vibrios were inhibited in their ability to associated with the intestinal mucosa of CF-immunized rabbits. The protection conferred by CF immunization was found to be superior to that of a commercial bivalent vaccine and also to that of glutaraldehyde-treated cholera toxoid. The critical immunogenic component of CF appears to be a flagella-derived protein. The immunogenicity of CF was destroyed by heat treatment, and absorption of CF-immune serum with aflagellated mutant vibrios did not diminish its ability to confer a high level of passive protection. The intestinal protection of CF-immunized rabbits was completely reversed by the introduction of both goat anti-rabbit immunoglobulins A and G, but by neither alone.

  19. Replication of hepatitis E virus in the ovary and promotion of oocyte apoptosis in rabbits infected with HEV-4

    OpenAIRE

    An, Junqing; Liu, Tianlong; She, Ruiping; Wu, Qiaoxing; Tian, Jijing; Shi, Ruihan; Hao, Wenzhuo; Ren, Xinxin; Yang, Yue; Lu, Yiyao; Yang, Yifei; Wu, Yuanheng

    2017-01-01

    Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection can induce infertility and miscarriage in pregnant women and infect neonates through vertical transmission. However, the mechanism of infertility and vertical transmission remains unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the replication of HEV in the ovary and structural and molecular changes induced by HEV after intraperitoneal injection of HEV in rabbits. Positive- and negative-strand HEV RNA was detected in the ovaries at 28 and 49 days post-infection. ...

  20. Evaluation of the effect of vitamin E doped UHMWPE on biofilm development and infection using an in vivo experimental model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Molina-Manso D; Gomez-Barrena E; Alonso-Rodriguez N; Sandoval E; Cordero J; Fernandez-Roblas R; Puertolas J A; Esteban J, E-mail: dmolina@fjd.es

    2010-11-01

    The aim of our study was the evaluation of an in vivo experimental model of implant-related septic arthritis. 5 x 10 mm strips out of a polyethylene sheet 500 microns thick were incubated with a 0.5 McFarland bacterial suspension of collection strains S. aureus and S. epidermidis. A surgical experimental model was prepared, implanting the samples in the subquadricipital articular space of the rabbit's knee. After 7 days of survival, the knee joint was opened wide through the previous surgical approach and the polyethylene sample was retrieved. The UHMWPE samples were processed following a sonication and quantification protocol. Ten rabbits for each species were studied, five with each material. Negative controls (UHMWPE strips without attached bacteria) were also implanted in contralateral knees. S. aureus colonies were detected only in three rabbits with non-treated UHMWPE and in two with vitamin E-doped UHMWPE. No differences in colony counts were observed for S. aureus. No growth was detected for S. epidermidis, although clinical signs of infection were detected in all animals with inoculated samples. The model was useful to evaluate the effect of modifications in biomaterials, although highly pathogenic bacteria are needed to obtain quantifiable data.

  1. Changes in vascularization of internal organs in rabbits with experimental atherosclerosis, treated with protein hydrolysate

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Demireva, K.; Popdimitrov, I.

    1979-01-01

    The vascularization of the internal organs of rabbits with experimental atherosclerosis was studied by the method of Sapirstein with 86 rubidium. Experiments were carried out on male Chinchilla rabbits, fed cholesterol in a dose of 0,2 g/kg of body weight daily for a period of 90 days. Part of the animals were treated with protein hydrolysate in a dose of 5 ml/kg of body weight subcutaneously and the remaining - with physiologic saline. There was reduced vascularization in the heart, kidneys, intestines, liver, adrenals, pancreas and other internal organs in rabbits fed cholestrol and treated with physiologic saline. Administration of protein hydrolysate had protective effect on organ vascularization. Accumulation of 86 rubidium in a large part of the animals was greater than in control group. It is shown that protein hydrolysate amino acids stabilize the endothelial cells and stimulate the local vascularization. (author)

  2. Myxomatosis in farmland rabbit populations in England and Wales.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, J; Tittensor, A M; Fox, A P; Sanders, M F

    1989-10-01

    The overall pattern and consequences of myxomatosis in wild rabbit populations were studied at three farmland sites in lowland southern England and upland central Wales between 1971 and 1978. When results from all years were combined, the disease showed a clear two-peaked annual cycle, with a main autumn peak between August and January, and a subsidiary spring peak during February to April. Rabbit fleas, the main vectors of myxomatosis in Britain, were present on full-grown rabbits in sufficient numbers for transmission to occur throughout the year, but the observed seasonal pattern of the disease appeared to be influenced by seasonal mass movements of these fleas. However other factors were also important including the timing and success of the main rabbit breeding season, the proportion of rabbits which had recovered from the disease and the timing and extent of autumn rabbit mortality from other causes. Significantly more males than females, and more adults and immatures than juveniles, were observed to be infected by myxomatosis. Only 25-27% of the total populations were seen to be infected during outbreaks. Using two independent methods of calculation, it was estimated that between 47 and 69% of infected rabbits died from the disease (much lower than the expected 90-95% for fully susceptible rabbits with the partly attenuated virus strains that predominated). Thus it was estimated that 12-19% of the total rabbit populations were known to have died directly or indirectly from myxomatosis. Although the effects of myxomatosis were much less than during the 1950s and 1960s, it continued to be an important mortality factor. It may still have a regulatory effect on rabbit numbers, with autumn/winter peaks of disease reducing the numbers of rabbits present at the start of the breeding season.

  3. Kinetics of Anti-Phlebotomus perniciosus Saliva Antibodies in Experimentally Bitten Mice and Rabbits.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Inés Martín-Martín

    Full Text Available Sand flies are hematophagous arthropods that act as vectors of Leishmania parasites. When hosts are bitten they develop cellular and humoral responses against sand fly saliva. A positive correlation has been observed between the number of bites and antibody levels indicating that anti-saliva antibody response can be used as marker of exposure to sand flies. Little is known about kinetics of antibodies against Phlebotomus perniciosus salivary gland homogenate (SGH or recombinant salivary proteins (rSP. This work focused on the study of anti-P. perniciosus saliva antibodies in sera of mice and rabbits that were experimentally exposed to the bites of uninfected sand flies.Anti-saliva antibodies were evaluated by ELISA and Western blot. In addition, antibody levels against two P. perniciosus rSP, apyrase rSP01B and D7 related protein rSP04 were determined in mice sera. Anti-saliva antibody levels increased along the immunizations and correlated with the number of sand fly bites. Anti-SGH antibody levels were detected in sera of mice five weeks after exposure, and persisted for at least three months. Anti-apyrase rSP01B antibodies followed similar kinetic responses than anti-SGH antibodies while rSP04 showed a delayed response and exhibited a greater variability among sera of immunized mice. In rabbits, anti-saliva antibodies appeared after the second week of exposure and IgG antibodies persisted at high levels, even 7 months post-exposure.Our results contributed to increase the knowledge on the type of immune response P. perniciosus saliva and individual proteins elicited highlighting the use of rSP01B as an epidemiological marker of exposure. Anti-saliva kinetics in sera of experimentally bitten rabbits were studied for the first time. Results with rabbit model provided useful information for a better understanding of the anti-saliva antibody levels found in wild leporids in the human leishmaniasis focus in the Madrid region, Spain.

  4. Effect of Camel Milk on Oxidative Stresses in Experimentally Induced Diabetic Rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esraa Tantawy

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Camel milk has an importance in the treatment of diabetes. It has been shown that the patients who drink camel milk daily, their need to insulin decrease. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of camel milk in comparison with insulin treatment in experimentally-induced diabetes. This study was carried out on forty male New Zealand rabbits, divided into four groups with ten rabbits in each. The first group G1 was considered as control non-diabetic group and received only normal saline solution. The other animals were injected intravenously with alloxan for induction of diabetes mellitus and then divided into three groups' ten rabbits each as the follows: G2 considered as control diabetic and left untreated, G3 was considered as diabetic and treated with insulin, and G4 was considered as diabetic and received camel milk. At the end of the experiment (4 weeks, blood (whole blood & serum and tissue samples (liver, kidney and pancreas were collected from all the animals for analysis of: enzymatic SOD and catalase, non-enzymatic GSH antioxidant enzyme activities. Serum malondialdeyde, glucose, insulin and lipid profile also were analyzed. The results showed that the camel milk was effective in the treatment of diabetes in comparison to insulin treatment alone. In addition to its hypoglycemic effect, camel milk improved the diabetes-induced oxidative stress. The histopathological evaluations demonstrated that there was a regeneration in β cells and the islets of Langerhans among the pancreatic acini in rabbits receiving camel milk. Our findings suggested that the camel milk administration in case of insulin dependant diabetes mellitus might be recommended as an oral anti-diabetic remedy.

  5. MR-Guided PTA in Experimental Bilateral Rabbit Renal Artery Stenosis and MR Angiography Follow-Up Versus Histomorphometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Le Blanche, Alain-Ferdinand; Rossert, Jerome; Wassef, Michel; Levy, Bernard; Bigot, Jean-Michel; Boudghene, Frank

    2000-01-01

    Purpose: To assess in vivo 1) MR-guided percutaneous transluminal renal angioplasty (PTRA) in experimental bilateral rabbit renal artery stenosis (RAS); 2) postprocedural follow-up by gadolinium-enhanced MR angiography versus histomorphometry.Methods: Fifteen male NZW rabbits of mean weight 4.0 kg (range 3.5-4.2 kg) underwent bilateral RAS induction by combined overdilation-deendothelialization with a gadolinium-filled balloon, passively MR-guided by the artifact of a 0.014-inch guidewire. After 4 weeks the rabbits were randomized into two groups: group A (n = 8) underwent right-sided PTRA for treatment of RAS, group B (n = 7) underwent left-sided PTRA. After another 4 weeks the rabbits were killed to assess by histomorphometry recurrent stenosis and contralateral induction injury stenosis lesions. Each step was preceded by gadolinium-enhanced three-dimensional MR angiography, and the cortex-to-aorta (C/A) signal intensity ratio was calculated.Results: RAS induction was successful in all cases. Fourteen arteries developed restenosis and 13 only initial stenosis. MR-guided PTRAs were feasible in 22 arteries (73%). For a successful catheterization of the ostium (20 arteries, 66% success rate), 10-25 steps were required. Five to eight steps were required for balloon localization and inflation for each PTRA. The restenosis effect was reflected by a 16% (12%-27%) decrease in C/A values on MR angiograms (p < 0.05).Conclusion: MR guidance and MR angiography represent a feasible, less invasive alternative for performing and assessing experimental PTRA in RAS

  6. Sarpogrelate hydrochloride reduced intimal hyperplasia in experimental rabbit vein graft.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kodama, Akio; Komori, Kimihiro; Hattori, Keisuke; Yamanouchi, Dai; Kajikuri, Junko; Itoh, Takeo

    2009-05-01

    The selective 5-HT(2A) receptor antagonist sarpogrelate has been clinically used for treatment in atherosclerotic diseases. However, it remains unknown whether administration of sarpogrelate inhibits intimal hyperplasia seen in autologous vein grafts. Therefore, we sought to clarify this question using an experimental rabbit vein graft model. Male rabbits were divided into two groups: a control group and a sarpogrelate-treated group. The jugular vein was interposed in the carotid artery in reversed fashion for 4 weeks and intimal hyperplasia of the grafted vein was measured (n = 8, in each group). Acetylcholine (ACh)-induced endothelium-dependent relaxation was tested by precontraction with prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF(2alpha), 5 muM) (n = 5, in each). endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) protein expression and superoxide production of these veins were also assessed. The suppression of intimal hyperplasia was significantly greater in the sarpogrelate-treated group than in the control group. ACh induced an endothelium-dependent relaxation in the sarpogrelate-treated group (but not in the control group). In endothelium-intact strips from the sarpogrelate-treated group, the nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor nitroarginine enhanced the PGF(2alpha)-induced contraction and blocked the ACh-induced relaxation. Immunoreactive eNOS protein expression was similar between the two groups but superoxide production (estimated from ethidium fluorescence) in endothelial cells was significantly smaller in the sarpogrelate-treated group. The present results indicate that in vivo blockade of 5-HT(2A) receptors leads to an inhibition of intimal hyperplasia in rabbit vein graft. It is suggested that an increased function of endothelium-derived NO through a reduction in endothelial superoxide production may be a possible underlying mechanism for this. These novel findings support the clinical usefulness of sarpogrelate for preventing intimal hyperplasia in vein graft after bypass

  7. COMPOSTING OF RABBIT MORTALITIES IMPLEMENTD IN THE EXPERIMENTAL FARM AT CHAPINGO AUTONOMOUS UNIVERSITY

    OpenAIRE

    Y. Jerónimo-Romero; L.A. Miranda-Romero; L.A. Saavedra-Jiménez

    2014-01-01

    In order to investigate the feasibility of composting rabbit carcasses with various substrates, six treatments were established according to the substrate used: oat straw-rabbit manure-dead rabbit (PAEC), wood shavings- rabbit manure- dead rabbit (EVC) and oat straw-dead rabbit (PAC), with or without the addition of 0.3 % ( v / w) mixed microbial inoculum consisting of Streptomyces spp, Aspergillus sp, Cladosporium sp. Temperature, pH, dry matter (DM ), moisture, organic matter (OM), ash and ...

  8. Lavage with allicin in combination with vancomycin inhibits biofilm formation by Staphylococcus epidermidis in a rabbit model of prosthetic joint infection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haohan Zhai

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND AIM: The present anti-infection strategy for prosthetic joint infections (PJI includes the use of antibiotics and surgical treatments, but the bacterial eradication rates are still low. One of the major challenges is the formation of biofilm causing poor bacterial eradication. Recently it has been reported that allicin (diallyl thiosulphinate, an antibacterial principle of garlic, can inhibit bacteria adherence and prevent biofilm formation in vitro. However, whether allicin could inhibit biofilm formation in vivo is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of allicin on biofilm formation, and whether allicin could potentiate the bactericidal effect of vancomycin in a rabbit PJI model. METHODS: A sterile stainless-steel screw with a sterile ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene washer was inserted into the lateral femoral condyle of the right hind knee joint of rabbit, and 1 mL inoculum containing 104 colony-forming units of Staphylococcus epidermidis was inoculated into the knee joint (n = 32. Fourteen days later, rabbits randomly received one of the following 4 treatments using continuous lavages: normal saline, vancomycin (20 mcg/mL, allicin (4 mg/L, or allicin (4 mg/L plus vancomycin (20 mcg/mL. Three days later, the washer surface biofilm formation was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM. The bacterial counts within the biofilm of implanted screws were determined by bacterial culture. RESULTS: The lowest number of viable bacterial counts of Staphylococcus epidermidis recovered from the biofilm was in the rabbits treated with allicin plus vancomycin (P<0.01 vs. all other groups. The biofilm formation was significantly reduced or undetectable by SEM in rabbits receiving allicin or allicin plus vancomycin. CONCLUSION: Intra-articular allicincan inhibit biofilm formation and enhance the bactericidal effect of vancomycin on implant surface in vivo. Allicin in combination with vancomycin may be

  9. Cefazolin-containing poly(ε-caprolactone sponge pad to reduce pin tract infection rate in rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hirotaka Mutsuzaki

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available In our previous study, a fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2–apatite composite layer coated on titanium screws effectively prevented pin tract infection in rabbits because of enhanced wound healing; however, the FGF-2–apatite composite layers did not completely prevent pin tract infection. Thus, we recently developed a poly(ε-caprolactone (PCL sponge pad embedded with cefazolin sodium (+CEZ, which has a fast-acting bactericidal effect. The pad is placed on the skin around the screws. The purpose of this study was to determine the anti-infective efficacy of the +CEZ pad on the pin–skin interface of the FGF-2–apatite-coated titanium screws. The +CEZ pads were prepared by mixing PCL and CEZ in 1,4-dioxane, followed by freeze-drying and compaction. They were analyzed regarding their surface structure, in vitro CEZ release profile, and bactericidal activity. The FGF-2–apatite-coated screws were implanted percutaneously in bilateral rabbit proximal tibial metaphyses—with and without the +CEZ pad—for 4 weeks (n = 20. The + CEZ pads consisted of a porous matrix of PCL in which CEZ was embedded. The CEZ-release profile showed an initial burst on Day 1 and a sustained release lasting for 30 days. The +CEZ pad retained its bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus after preincubation on an agar plate for 7 days. Based on visual inspection, the pin tract infection rate was successfully reduced from 72.2% to 15.0% with the +CEZ pad (p < 0.05, which reduced the bacterial count, especially S. aureus (p < 0.05. The histological inflammation rate of the soft tissues was also significantly lower with the +CEZ pad than without it (p < 0.05. The pin tract infection rate was reduced to one-fifth with the +CEZ pad. Using it as described improves infection resistance during percutaneous implantation.

  10. In vitro stimulation of rabbit T lymphocytes by cells expressing herpes simplex antigens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kapoor, A K; Ling, N R; Nash, A A; Bachan, A; Wildy, P

    1982-04-01

    Lymphocyte stimulation responses to herpes antigens were studied using virus-infected X-irradiated cells. Rabbits were immunized with herpes simplex virus type 1 (strain HFEM) grown in RK 13 cells. For in vitro stimulation assay BHK21 cells were X-irradiated (15 000 rad) and infected with a high m.o.i. of a temperature-sensitive (ts) mutant (N102) of HFEM strain at the non-permissive temperature (38.5 degrees C) of virus. Virus antigens were expressed on the infected cells and there was no leakage of infectious virus into the medium at 38.5 degrees C. T lymphocytes from rabbits immunized with herpes simplex virus were specifically activated by herpesvirus-infected X-irradiated cells; lymph node cells from rabbits immunized with RK13 cells and from non-immune rabbits showed no proliferative response.

  11. Evidence of Leishmania infantum Infection in Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus in a Natural Area in Madrid, Spain

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nerea García

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Leishmaniasis is one of the most important neglected zoonosis and remains endemic in at least 88 developing countries in the world. In addition, anthropogenic environmental changes in urban areas are leading to its emergency world wide. Zoonotic leishmaniasis control might only be achieved by an integrated approach targeting both the human host and the animal reservoirs, which in certain sylvatic cycles are yet to be identified. Recently, hares have been pointed out as competent reservoirs of Leishmania infantum in Spain, but the role of other lagomorphs has not been clarified. Here, 69 rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus from a natural area in Madrid in which a high density was present were analyzed using indirect (immunofluorescence antibody test, IFAT and direct (PCR, culture techniques. Fifty-seven (82.6% of the animals were positive to at least one technique, with IFAT yielding the highest proportion of positive samples. L. infantum was isolated in 13% animals demonstrating the occurrence of infection in this setting. Our results suggest that rabbits could play a role of competent reservoir of L. infantum and demonstrate that the prevalence of infection is high in the analyzed area.

  12. An immunohistochemical study of Flexibacter psychrophilus infection in experimentally and naturally infected rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Evensen, O.; Lorenzen, Ellen

    1996-01-01

    An immunohistochemical method is described for the detection of Flexibacter psychrophilus in formalin-fixed, parafiin-wax-embedded fry of rainbow trout. Rabbit antiserum as well as rainbow trout hyperimmune serum were used in the study. The distribution and tissue localization of the bacterium wa...... are typically found during the chronic stage of the disease....... and experimentally infected fry showed that there was a localization of bacteria in the monocyte-macrophage system, in skin lesions, and in the retina and the choroid gland of the eye. The dermal changes included superficial or deep ulcers extending to the subcutaneous tissue or the musculature accompanied...... by inflammatory cell infiltrates in which polymorphonuclear inflammatory cells were shown to contain the bacterium in the cytoplasm by immunostaining. The eye changes were likewise a common finding in chronic cases with severe inflammatory changes in the retina and with numerous bacteria in inflammatory (mainly...

  13. Effects of size of Trichostrongylus colubriformis infections on histopathology of the mucosa along the whole small intestine in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoste, H; Mallet, S

    1990-11-01

    The influence of population size of Trichostrongylus colubriformis on the structures of the small intestine, especially with regard to the development and origin of an intestinal adaptive response, was examined in experimentally infected rabbits. The effects of low (500 L3) and high (50,000 L3) infection on histological (villous length, mucosa to serosa ratio, crypt surface) and biochemical (protein content, alkaline phosphatase and leucine aminopeptidase activities) aspects of the mucosa were assessed along the whole small intestine. The presence of a small number of worms induced only minor mucosal changes, indicating a regenerative response of the intestinal epithelium. The role of a local small population of T. colubriformis in the development of a previously described adaptive response appeared thus to be limited. On the other hand, the 50,000 L3 inoculum was associated with severe lesions of villi, marked crypt hyperplasia and with a major reduction of enzyme activities. The changes were found along the whole length of the small intestine. These results suggest that the generally recognized dose-dependent pathogenicity of the intestinal nematode infections could be ascribed to two different processes: firstly, a greater severity of the lesions; secondly, more extensive damage leading to the disappearance of any adaptive intestinal region.

  14. Comparative study of radiologic-pathologic findings of experimental clonorchiasis in rabbits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ryu, Kyung Nam; Lim, Jae Hoon; Cho, You Jung; Yang, Moon Ho

    1993-01-01

    Radiological investigation in patients with clonorchiasis is very important as this is the only method of evaluating the severity of clonorchiasis. In order to correlate the radiologic and pathologic findings of clonorchiasis, fourteen rabbits infested with Clonorchis sinensis and five control rabbits were examined radiologically by ultrasonography, computed tomography and cholangiography and the results were correlated with pathologic findings. Dilatation of the intrahepatic small bile ducts of the liver was due to obstruction by flukes: oval or elliptical, small filling defects or irregular margin of the bile ducts on cholangiogram or intraluminal echoes on sonogram represented flukes per se; periductal thickening on sonogram and periductal enhancement of bile ducts on CT were due to inflammatory cell infiltration, adenomatous hyperplasia and periductal fibrosis; band like enhancement at the periphery of the liver on CT represented proliferated bile ducts, destruction of liver cells and resultant fibrosis. The study confirmed the pathological bases for the radiological findings of clonorchiasis in liver and bile ducts and will, perhaps, serve as a basis for the future radiologic-pathological correlation of clonorchiasis and in further clinical and experimental researches in the biliary tract diseases

  15. Comparative study of radiologic-pathologic findings of experimental clonorchiasis in rabbits

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ryu, Kyung Nam; Lim, Jae Hoon; Cho, You Jung; Yang, Moon Ho [College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1993-01-15

    Radiological investigation in patients with clonorchiasis is very important as this is the only method of evaluating the severity of clonorchiasis. In order to correlate the radiologic and pathologic findings of clonorchiasis, fourteen rabbits infested with Clonorchis sinensis and five control rabbits were examined radiologically by ultrasonography, computed tomography and cholangiography and the results were correlated with pathologic findings. Dilatation of the intrahepatic small bile ducts of the liver was due to obstruction by flukes: oval or elliptical, small filling defects or irregular margin of the bile ducts on cholangiogram or intraluminal echoes on sonogram represented flukes per se; periductal thickening on sonogram and periductal enhancement of bile ducts on CT were due to inflammatory cell infiltration, adenomatous hyperplasia and periductal fibrosis; band like enhancement at the periphery of the liver on CT represented proliferated bile ducts, destruction of liver cells and resultant fibrosis. The study confirmed the pathological bases for the radiological findings of clonorchiasis in liver and bile ducts and will, perhaps, serve as a basis for the future radiologic-pathological correlation of clonorchiasis and in further clinical and experimental researches in the biliary tract diseases.

  16. Myxomatosis. The effect of age upon survival of wild and domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) with a degree of genetic resistance and unselected domestic rabbits infected with myxoma virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sobey, W R; Conolly, D; Haycockp; Edmonds, J W

    1970-03-01

    The response of wild and domestic rabbits with a degree of genetic resistance to myxomatosis has been shown to be markedly affected by the age at which they were infected with a virulent strain of the virus. The response, in terms of mean survival time and percentage survival, fell with increasing age from 10 to 30 weeks with little change thereafter.

  17. Celiac artery in New Zealand rabbit: anatomical study of its origin and arrangement for experimental research and surgical practice

    OpenAIRE

    Abidu-Figueiredo,Marcelo; Xavier-Silva,Bárbara; Cardinot,Themis M.; Babinski,Márcio A.; Chagas,Maurício A.

    2008-01-01

    Rabbits have been used as an experimental model in many diseases and for the study of toxicology, pharmacology and surgery in many universities. However, some aspects of their macro anatomy need a more detailed description, especially the abdominal and pelvic arterial vascular system, which has a huge variability in distribution and trajectory. Thirty cadaveric adult New Zealand rabbits, 13 male and 17 female, with an average weight and rostrum-sacral length of 2.5 kg and 40cm, respectively, ...

  18. Can a graft be placed over a flap in complex hypospadias surgery? An experimental study in rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo Marcondes de Mattos

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Purpose: To develop a rabbit experimental study to test the hypothesis that surgical repair of hypospadias with severe ventral curvatures might be completed in one stage, if a graft, such as buccal mucosa, could be placed over the tunica vaginalis flap used in corporoplasty for ventral lengthening, with the addition of an onlay preputial island flap to complete the urethroplasty. Materials and methods: The experimental procedure with rabbits included a tunica vaginalis flap for reconstruction of the corpora after corporotomy, simulating a ventral lengthening operation. A buccal mucosa graft was placed directly on top of the flap, and the urethroplasty was completed with an onlay preputial island flap. Eight rabbits were divided into 4 groups, sacrificed at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks postoperatively, and submitted to histological evaluation. Results: We observed a large number of complications, such as fistula (75%, urinary retention (50% and stenosis (50%. There were two deaths related to the procedure. Histological evaluation demonstrated a severe and persistent inflammatory reaction. No viable tunica vaginalis or buccal mucosa was identified. Conclusions: In this animal model, the association of a buccal mucosa graft over the tunica vaginalis flap was not successful, and resulted in complete loss of both tissues.

  19. An experimental model for measuring gastrointestinal bleeding rate using Tc-99m DTPA in rabbits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Owunwanne, A.; Abdel-Dayem, H.M.; Sadek, S.; Yakoub, T.; Mahajan, K.K.; Ericsson, S.B.

    1987-01-01

    An animal experimental model to measure the rate of gastrointestinal bleeding rate in a rabbit using Tc-99m DTPA is described. It was possible to detect a bleeding rate of 0.1 ml/min. However, the model could not be used to calculate the minimum amount of radioactivity needed to detect the bleeding site. (orig.) [de

  20. Spillover Events of Infection of Brown Hares (Lepus europaeus) with Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Type 2 Virus (RHDV2) Caused Sporadic Cases of an European Brown Hare Syndrome-Like Disease in Italy and Spain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velarde, R; Cavadini, P; Neimanis, A; Cabezón, O; Chiari, M; Gaffuri, A; Lavín, S; Grilli, G; Gavier-Widén, D; Lavazza, A; Capucci, L

    2017-12-01

    Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is a lagovirus that can cause fatal hepatitis (rabbit haemorrhagic disease, RHD) with mortality of 80-90% in farmed and wild rabbits. Since 1986, RHDV has caused outbreaks in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Europe, but never in European brown hares (Lepus europaeus, EBH). In 2010, a new RHDV-related virus, called RHDV2, emerged in Europe, causing extended epidemics because it largely overcame the immunity to RHDV present in most rabbit populations. RHDV2 also was identified in Cape hare (Lepus capensis subsp. mediterraneus) and in Italian hare (Lepus corsicanus). Here, we describe two distinct incidents of RHDV2 infection in EBH that occurred in Italy (2012) and Spain (2014). The two RHDV2 strains caused macroscopic and microscopic lesions similar to European brown hare syndrome (EBHS) in hares, and they were genetically related to other RHDV2 strains in Europe. EBHs are common in Europe, often sharing habitat with rabbits. They likely have been exposed to high levels of RHDV2 during outbreaks in rabbits in recent years, yet only two incidents of RHDV2 in EBHs have been found in Italy and Spain, suggesting that EBHs are not a primary host. Instead, they may act as spillover hosts in situations when infection pressure is high and barriers between rabbits and hares are limited, resulting in occasional infections causing EBHS-like lesions. The serological survey of stocked hare sera taken from Italian and Spanish hare populations provided an understanding of naturally occurring RHDV2 infection in the field confirming its sporadic occurrence in EBH. Our findings increase the knowledge on distribution, host range and epidemiology of RHDV2. © 2016 The Authors. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases Published by Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  1. Ultrasonographic analysis versus histopathologic evaluation of carotid advanced atherosclerotic stenosis in an experimental rabbit model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mehrad, Hossein; Mokhtari-Dizaji, Manijhe; Ghanaati, Hossein; Shahbazfar, Amir-Ali; Salehnia, Mojdeh

    2012-08-01

    Advanced carotid atherosclerosis with severe stenosis (>70%) is a major clinical risk factor for ischemic stroke. Our ability to test new protocols for the treatment of atherosclerotic stenosis in humans is limited for obvious ethical reasons; therefore, a suitable animal model is required. The aim of this study was to generate an easily reproducible and inexpensive experimental rabbit carotid model of advanced atherosclerosis with morphological similarities to the human disease and the subsequent assessment of the reliability of B-mode ultrasound technology in the study of lumen area stenosis in this model. Briefly, New Zealand white rabbits underwent primary perivascular cold injury at the right common carotid artery followed by a 1.5% cholesterol-rich diet injury for eight weeks. All of the rabbits' arteries were imaged by B-mode ultrasound weekly, after which the rabbits were sacrificed, and their vessels were processed for histopathology. Ultrasound longitudinal view images from three cardiac cycles were processed by a new computerized analyzing method based on dynamic programming and maximum gradient algorithm for measurement of instantaneous changes in arterial wall thickness and lumen diameter in sequential ultrasound images. Histopathology results showed progressive changes, from the lipid-laden cells and fibrous connective tissue proliferation in neointimal layer, up to the fibro-lipid plaque formation, resulting in vessel wall thickening, remodeling and lumen stenosis. The B-mode ultrasound images and the histologic measurements showed an increase in the mean wall thickness and the lumen area stenosis within eight weeks. Quantitative and morphometric analysis of the mean wall thickness and the lumen area stenosis percentage showed a significant correlation between the B-mode ultrasound and the histological measurements at each time point (R = 0.989 and R = 0.995, p < 0.05, respectively). In conclusion, we successfully produced advanced atherosclerosis in

  2. Evaluation of arterial impairment after experimental gelatin sponge embolization in a rabbit renal model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oh, Jung Suk; Lee, Hae Gi; Chun, Ho Jong; Choi, Byung Gil; Choi, Yeong Jin

    2015-01-01

    Arterial stenosis is a major obstacle for subsequent interventional procedures. We hypothesized that the stenosis is caused by gelatin sponge embolization and performed an experimental study in a rabbit renal model. A total of 24 rabbits were embolized with porcine gelatin sponge particles injected into the renal arteries. Four rabbits were sacrificed on 1 day, 4 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, and 4 weeks after embolization. Microscopic evaluations were performed on hematoxylin-eosin and smooth muscle actin immunohistochemical stained sections. Gelatin sponge particles were mainly observed in the segmental and interlobar arteries. Transmural inflammation of the embolized arterial wall and mild thickening of the media were observed 1 week after embolization. Resorption of the gelatin sponge and organization of thrombus accompanied by foreign body reactions, were observed from 2 to 4 weeks after embolization. Microscopic images of the 3 weeks group showed vessel lumens filled mostly with organized thrombi, resulting in severe stenosis. Additionally, vessels showed a thickened intima that contained migrating smooth muscle cells and accompanying interruption of the internal elastic lamina. The migrating smooth muscle cells were distributed around the recanalized arterial lumen. Gelatin sponge embolization may induce arterial stenosis by causing organized thrombus and intimal hyperplasia, which consists of migrating smooth muscle cells and intimal collagen deposits.

  3. Evaluation of arterial impairment after experimental gelatin sponge embolization in a rabbit renal model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Oh, Jung Suk; Lee, Hae Gi; Chun, Ho Jong; Choi, Byung Gil; Choi, Yeong Jin [Seoul St. Mary' s Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2015-02-15

    Arterial stenosis is a major obstacle for subsequent interventional procedures. We hypothesized that the stenosis is caused by gelatin sponge embolization and performed an experimental study in a rabbit renal model. A total of 24 rabbits were embolized with porcine gelatin sponge particles injected into the renal arteries. Four rabbits were sacrificed on 1 day, 4 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, and 4 weeks after embolization. Microscopic evaluations were performed on hematoxylin-eosin and smooth muscle actin immunohistochemical stained sections. Gelatin sponge particles were mainly observed in the segmental and interlobar arteries. Transmural inflammation of the embolized arterial wall and mild thickening of the media were observed 1 week after embolization. Resorption of the gelatin sponge and organization of thrombus accompanied by foreign body reactions, were observed from 2 to 4 weeks after embolization. Microscopic images of the 3 weeks group showed vessel lumens filled mostly with organized thrombi, resulting in severe stenosis. Additionally, vessels showed a thickened intima that contained migrating smooth muscle cells and accompanying interruption of the internal elastic lamina. The migrating smooth muscle cells were distributed around the recanalized arterial lumen. Gelatin sponge embolization may induce arterial stenosis by causing organized thrombus and intimal hyperplasia, which consists of migrating smooth muscle cells and intimal collagen deposits.

  4. Transplantation of autologous bone marrow stem cells via hepatic artery for the treatment of acute hepatic injury: an experimental study in rabbits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Yinghe; Han Jinling; Liu Yanping; Gao Jue; Xu Ke; Zhang Xitong; Ding Guomin

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the transplantation of autologous bone marrow stem cells via hepatic artery in treating acute hepatic injury in experimental rabbit models and to clarify the synergistic effect of hepatocyte growth-promoting factor (pHGF) in stem cell transplantation therapy for liver injury. Methods Acute hepatic injury models were established in 15 experimental rabbits by daily subcutaneous injection of CCl 4 olive oil solution with the dose of 0.8 ml/kg for 4 days in succession. The experimental rabbits were randomly and equally divided into three groups: study group A (stem cell transplant, n = 5), study group B (stem cell transplant + pFHG, n = 5), and control group (n = 5). Bone marrow of 5 ml was drawn from the tibia in all rabbits of both study groups, from which bone marrow stem cells were isolated by using density gradient centrifugation, and 5 ml cellular suspension was prepared. Under fluoroscopic guidance, catheterization through the femoral artery was performed and the cellular suspension was infused into the liver via the hepatic artery. Only injection of saline was carried out in the rabbits of control group. For the rabbits in group B, pFHG (2.0 mg/kg) was administered intravenously every other day for 20 days. At 2, 4 and 8 weeks after stem cell transplantation, hepatic function was determined. Eight weeks after the transplantation all the rabbits were sacrificed and the liver specimens were collected and sent for pathological examination. Results After stem cell transplantation, the hepatic function was gradually improved.Eight weeks after the transplantation, the activity of AST, ALT and the content of ALB, TBIL were significantly lower than that before the procedure, while the content of GOLB was markedly increased in all rabbits. In addition, the difference in the above parameters between three groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Pathologically, the hepatocyte degeneration and the fiberous hyperplasia in the study groups

  5. Experimental study on quantitative analysis of fatty liver by computed tomography in rabbit

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Choong Ki; Hahm, Chang Kok; Kim, Chung Jin [Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yoon, Jong Sup [Hallym College, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1985-10-15

    For the study of correlation of CT number and fatty contact of the liver, total 35 rabbit were used. The rabbits were divided into one control and three experimental groups according to the amount of carbon tetrachloride, administered 1 ml, 2 ml, and 3 ml per kg of body weight respectively. The carbon tetrachloride was administered via intragastric route. CT was performed 72 hours following administration of carbon tetrachloride, and immediately prior to CT scan each rabbit was anesthetized by means of IM injection of ketamine and IV injection of succinylcholine to stop motion and respiration. CT numbers were measured and histological study for the deposition of fat in the liver tissue was done. Also biochemical analysis of lipid in the blood and in the extraction of liver tissue was performed. Comparison of CT number with biochemical and histological data was done. The result was as follows: 1. In each experimental group, the degree of accumulation of fat in the liver was proportional to the amount of carbon tetrachloride. 2. Degree of decreasing CT number was correlated with the increase in the accumulation of fat in the liver. 3. In the control and experimental (1, 2, 3) groups, when the amount of carbon tetrachloride increased, the amount of total lipid, cholesterol and triglyceride on biochemical analysis of the liver increased. Also increase in the amount of plasma lipids on biochemical analysis and great degree of increase in accumulation of fat in the liver on histological examination were seen. But no changes in the amount of phospholipid and protein on biochemical analysis of the liver were noticed. 4. Increase in the amount of total lipid could make a change in the CT number of the liver remarkably (r=-0.63). As the amount of cholesterol and triglyceride increased, the CT number of the liver decreased (r=-0.61 and r=-0.76 respectively). But there was no significant correlation between the amount of protein and phospholipid and the degree of decrease in

  6. Experimental study on quantitative analysis of fatty liver by computed tomography in rabbit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Choong Ki; Hahm, Chang Kok; Kim, Chung Jin; Yoon, Jong Sup

    1985-01-01

    For the study of correlation of CT number and fatty contact of the liver, total 35 rabbit were used. The rabbits were divided into one control and three experimental groups according to the amount of carbon tetrachloride, administered 1 ml, 2 ml, and 3 ml per kg of body weight respectively. The carbon tetrachloride was administered via intragastric route. CT was performed 72 hours following administration of carbon tetrachloride, and immediately prior to CT scan each rabbit was anesthetized by means of IM injection of ketamine and IV injection of succinylcholine to stop motion and respiration. CT numbers were measured and histological study for the deposition of fat in the liver tissue was done. Also biochemical analysis of lipid in the blood and in the extraction of liver tissue was performed. Comparison of CT number with biochemical and histological data was done. The result was as follows: 1. In each experimental group, the degree of accumulation of fat in the liver was proportional to the amount of carbon tetrachloride. 2. Degree of decreasing CT number was correlated with the increase in the accumulation of fat in the liver. 3. In the control and experimental (1, 2, 3) groups, when the amount of carbon tetrachloride increased, the amount of total lipid, cholesterol and triglyceride on biochemical analysis of the liver increased. Also increase in the amount of plasma lipids on biochemical analysis and great degree of increase in accumulation of fat in the liver on histological examination were seen. But no changes in the amount of phospholipid and protein on biochemical analysis of the liver were noticed. 4. Increase in the amount of total lipid could make a change in the CT number of the liver remarkably (r=-0.63). As the amount of cholesterol and triglyceride increased, the CT number of the liver decreased (r=-0.61 and r=-0.76 respectively). But there was no significant correlation between the amount of protein and phospholipid and the degree of decrease in

  7. Blastema Tissue Formed at Experimentally-Created Rabbit Ear Hole

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamadreza Baghaban Eslaminejad

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available   Objective(s: Throughout evolution, mammalians have increasingly lost their ability to regenerate structures however rabbits are exceptional since they develop a blastema in their ear wound for regeneration purposes. Blastema consists of a group of undifferentiated cells capable of dividing and differentiating into the ear tissue. The objective of the present study is to isolate, culture expand, and characterize blastema progenitor cells in terms of their in vitro differentiation capacity.   Materials and Methods: Five New Zealand white male rabbits were used in the present study. Using a punching apparatus, a 4-mm hole was created in the animal ears. Following 4 days, the blastema ring which was created in the periphery of primary hole in the ears was removed and cultivated. The cells migrated from the blastema were expanded through 3 successive subcultures and characterized in terms of their potential differentiation, growth characteristics, and culture requirements. Results: The primary cultures tended to be morphologically heterogeneous having spindly-shaped fibroblast-like cells as well as flattened cells. Fibroblast-like cells survived and dominated the cultures. These cells tended to have the osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic differentiation potentials. They were highly colonogenic and maximum proliferation was achieved when the cells were plated at density of 100 cells/cm2 in a medium which contained 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS. Conclusion: Taken together, blastema tissue-derived stem cells from rabbit ear are of mesenchymal stem cell-like population. Studies similar to this will assist scientist better understanding the nature of blastema tissue formed at rabbit ear to regenerate the wound.

  8. Enhanced inflammation in New Zealand white rabbits when MERS-CoV reinfection occurs in the absence of neutralizing antibody.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katherine V Houser

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV is a zoonotic betacoronavirus that was first detected in humans in 2012 as a cause of severe acute respiratory disease. As of July 28, 2017, there have been 2,040 confirmed cases with 712 reported deaths. While many infections have been fatal, there have also been a large number of mild or asymptomatic cases discovered through monitoring and contact tracing. New Zealand white rabbits are a possible model for asymptomatic infection with MERS-CoV. In order to discover more about non-lethal infections and to learn whether a single infection with MERS-CoV would protect against reinfection, we inoculated rabbits with MERS-CoV and monitored the antibody and inflammatory response. Following intranasal infection, rabbits developed a transient dose-dependent pulmonary infection with moderately high levels of viral RNA, viral antigen, and perivascular inflammation in multiple lung lobes that was not associated with clinical signs. The rabbits developed antibodies against viral proteins that lacked neutralizing activity and the animals were not protected from reinfection. In fact, reinfection resulted in enhanced pulmonary inflammation, without an associated increase in viral RNA titers. Interestingly, passive transfer of serum from previously infected rabbits to naïve rabbits was associated with enhanced inflammation upon infection. We further found this inflammation was accompanied by increased recruitment of complement proteins compared to primary infection. However, reinfection elicited neutralizing antibodies that protected rabbits from subsequent viral challenge. Our data from the rabbit model suggests that people exposed to MERS-CoV who fail to develop a neutralizing antibody response, or persons whose neutralizing antibody titers have waned, may be at risk for severe lung disease on re-exposure to MERS-CoV.

  9. The establishment and spread of myxomatosis and its effect on rabbit populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, J; Tittensor, A M

    1986-12-15

    The establishment of myxomatosis, the spread of the disease and its effects on rabbit populations in Australia and in Britain are briefly reviewed. Though the disease is endemic, with regular outbreaks in most rabbit populations, its effect is now much less dramatic than previously. Recent epidemiological studies have shown that the rate of spread of infection, the proportion of rabbits infected and the proportion dying from the disease are very much smaller than recorded in earlier outbreaks. The reasons for these changes are discussed, and the epidemiology of the disease in Britain is compared with that in Australia.

  10. COMPOSTING OF RABBIT MORTALITIES IMPLEMENTD IN THE EXPERIMENTAL FARM AT CHAPINGO AUTONOMOUS UNIVERSITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Y. Jerónimo-Romero

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available In order to investigate the feasibility of composting rabbit carcasses with various substrates, six treatments were established according to the substrate used: oat straw-rabbit manure-dead rabbit (PAEC, wood shavings- rabbit manure- dead rabbit (EVC and oat straw-dead rabbit (PAC, with or without the addition of 0.3 % ( v / w mixed microbial inoculum consisting of Streptomyces spp, Aspergillus sp, Cladosporium sp. Temperature, pH, dry matter (DM , moisture, organic matter (OM, ash and ammonia was measured. The substrates were aerated by turning at 25 days of composting. The analysis was performed with the GLM procedure (SAS, 2009 and the Tukey test. The inoculum had no effect on the composting of the substrates investigated. The PAC had the highest substrate temperature (30 ° C, although this is low compared to conventional composting which manure. After the substrates were overturned, the temperature increased only in PAEC. Compost PAC had a low content of organic matter and a more alkaline pH. It was concluded that it is feasible composting dead rabbit, but to optimize the process requires improving the conditions of composting to achieve a higher temperature and mineralization and reduce nitrogen loss by degradation of the protein of meat.

  11. A resorbable antibiotic-eluting polymer composite bone void filler for perioperative infection prevention in a rabbit radial defect model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamin D Brooks

    Full Text Available Nearly 1.3 million total joint replacement procedures are performed in the United States annually, with numbers projected to rise exponentially in the coming decades. Although finite infection rates for these procedures remain consistently low, device-related infections represent a significant cause of implant failure, requiring secondary or revision procedures. Revision procedures manifest several-fold higher infection recurrence rates. Importantly, many revision surgeries, infected or not, require bone void fillers to support the host bone and provide a sufficient tissue bed for new hardware placement. Antibiotic-eluting bone void fillers (ABVF, providing both osteoconductive and antimicrobial properties, represent one approach for reducing rates of orthopedic device-related infections. Using a solvent-free, molten-cast process, a polymer-controlled antibiotic-eluting calcium carbonate hydroxyapatite (HAP ceramic composite BVF (ABVF was fabricated, characterized, and evaluated in vivo using a bacterial challenge in a rabbit radial defect window model. ABVF loaded with tobramycin eliminated the infectious burden in rabbits challenged with a clinically relevant strain of Staphylococcus aureus (inoculum as high as 10⁷ CFU. Histological, microbiological, and radiographic methods were used to detail the effects of ABVF on microbial challenge to host bone after 8 weeks in vivo. In contrast to the HAP/BVF controls, which provided no antibiotic protection and required euthanasia 3 weeks post-operatively, tobramycin-releasing ABVF animals showed no signs of infection (clinical, microbiological, or radiographic when euthanized at the 8-week study endpoint. ABVF sites did exhibit fibrous encapsulation around the implant at 8 weeks. Local antibiotic release from ABVF to orthopedic sites requiring bone void fillers eliminated the periprosthetic bacterial challenge in this 8-week in vivo study, confirming previous in vitro results.

  12. Diagnostic Value of ELISA Tests for the Detection of Specific Antibodies in Cats and Rabbits with Dermatophytosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marinka Drobnič-Košorok

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Two indirect ELISA tests developed for the detection of specific IgG in cats and rabbits, infected with M. canis and T. mentagrophytes, respectively, were evaluated and compared. The levels of specific antibodies were determined in sera of 20 cats and 25 rabbits naturally infected with M. canis and T. mentagrophytes, respectively. Infection was confirmed by the results of fungal culture. Blood samples from 12 cats and 17 rabbits, previously unexposed to dermatophytes, served as negative controls. A significant increase in the level of specific antibodies in groups of infected animals was demonstrated. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of a positive and a negative test were determined to evaluate the diagnostic potential. ELISA for the detection of specific antibodies in cats infected with M. canis (ELISA-cats test exhibited 75.0 % of sensitivity at 91.7 % of specificity, whereas the test for the detection of specific antibodies in rabbits, infected with T. mentagrophytes (ELISA-rabbits test is highly sensitive (96.0 % and highly specific (94.1 %, confirming its encouraging diagnostic potential. The cross-reactivity of fungal antigens was tested by performing the assays with antigens M. canis, T. mentagrophytes, M. pachydermatis and A. fumigatus. There were no significant indications of cross-reactions in the test T. mentagrophytes-rabbits, whereas strong cross-reaction between dermatophyte antigens was observed in the test M. canis-cats.

  13. Electroacupuncture analgesia in a rabbit ovariohysterectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parmen, Valentin

    2014-02-01

    This study investigated the effectiveness of electroacupuncture analgesia (EAA) at local and paravertebral acupoints for a rabbit undergoing an ovariohysterectomy. Twelve clinically healthy New Zealand white rabbits were chosen and divided into two groups: the control group (5 rabbits) and the experimental group (7 rabbits). A neuroleptanalgesic (ketamine + xylazine) was administered to the control group (NLA group); the experimental group received EAA treatment (EAA group). The EAA treatment includes one acupuncture formula for local stimulation at the incision site and systemic stimulation. Results of clinical research have shown postoperative analgesia using EAA treatment to be superior to that using NLA. The average postoperative recovery time was 5.2 times longer in the NLA group than in the EAA group. Because consciousness was maintained, EAA presented an advantage in thermoregulation. Animals administered NLA had prolonged thermal homeostasis because of neurovegetative disconnection. For the EAA group, the operative times were characterized as excellent (28%, p = 0.28) or good (72%, p = 0.72). Local stimulation at the incision site provided excellent analgesia of the abdominal wall (100%). In conclusion, EA can provide general analgesia with a considerable analgesic effect for a rabbit undergoing an ovariohysterectomy, resulting in a short postoperative recovery time. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  14. Effect of nano-silver hydrogel coating film on deep partial thickness scald model of rabbit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xi, Peng; Li, Yan; Ge, Xiaojin; Liu, Dandan; Miao, Mingsan

    2018-05-01

    Observing the effect of nano-silver hydrogel coating film on deep partial thickness scald model of rabbit. We prepared boiling water scalded rabbits with deep II degree scald models and applied high, medium and low doses of nano-silver hydrogel coating film for different time and area. Then we compared the difference of burned paper weight before administration and after administration model burns, burn local skin irritation points infection, skin crusting and scabs from the time, and the impact of local skin tissue morphology. Rabbits deep II degree burn model successful modeling; on day 12, 18, high, medium and low doses of nano-silver hydrogel coating film significantly reduced skin irritation of rabbits infected with the integral value ( P  film group significantly decreased skin irritation, infection integral value ( P  film significantly reduced film rabbits' scalded skin crusting time ( P  film on the deep partial thickness burns has a significant therapeutic effect; external use has a significant role in wound healing.

  15. Effects of a bacterial lipopolysaccharide on the reproductive functions of rabbit does.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brecchia, G; Menchetti, L; Cardinali, R; Castellini, C; Polisca, A; Zerani, M; Maranesi, M; Boiti, C

    2014-06-30

    Systemic and local infections and inflammations are known to cause infertility in humans and animals. However, the mechanisms by which infection/inflammation induces infertility are only partially known. The objectives of this study were: (i) to provide models of systemic (acute) and local (sub-acute) inflammation by intra-peritoneal injection or intra-cervical deposition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the rabbit and (ii) to assess their effects on uterine tissues and sperm transport in the genital tract of rabbit does. Intra-peritoneal administration of different doses of LPS induced systemic effects such as fever, anorexia and changes in white blood cells (WBC) count. In our study, LPS inoculation (100μg/kg) produced an inflammation-like status that lasted for about 3 days, with minimal distress for the animals. Intra-peritoneal administration of LPS 60h before artificial insemination induced a rapid increase of IL-1β concentrations. The intra-cervical inoculation of LPS did not show any systemic effects, as confirmed by the lack of changes in body temperature, feed intake and WBC count. Histological examination of uterine tissues showed an endometritis-like inflammation status in LPS-treated does, more severe in those inoculated intra-cervically. The number of spermatozoa recovered from uterine horns and oviducts of intra-cervically treated does was less than that retrieved from intra-peritoneally treated animals and controls. These results suggest (i) that sub-acute or acute inflammation may cause infertility by compromising the uterine environment and/or impairing sperm transport and (ii) that the LPS-induced -infection/inflammation experimental model is useful for studying the mechanisms involved in reproductive dysfunctions in the rabbit. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Antenatal phosphodiesterase 4 inhibition restores postnatal growth and pulmonary development in a model of chorioamnionitis in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Homer, L; Launay, E; Joram, N; Jacqueline, C; Jarreau, P-H; Caillon, J; Moyon, T; Branger, B; Potel, G; Roze, J C; Méhats, C; Gras-Leguen, C

    2012-03-01

    Chorioamnionitis is implicated in the pathophysiology of bronchopulmonary disease, and the associated inflammatory response is responsible for adverse effects on alveolar development. The aim of this work was to analyze the effects of a phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4)-selective inhibitor, rolipram (a modulator of the inflammatory response), in an experimental model of chorioamnionitis on pulmonary development and on the processes of infection and inflammation. Rabbit mothers were assigned to four groups: 1) saline serum inoculation (controls); 2) Escherichia coli intrauterine inoculation (C+); 3) rolipram infusion (R+); and 4) E. coli inoculation + rolipram infusion (C+R+). High rates of morbility and mortality were noticed in mothers and pups (5 of 13 pregnant rabbits in groups with rolipram). Alveolar development, inflammation, and infection were analyzed in pups at day 0 and day 5. At day 0, in the context of chorioamnionitis, rolipram significantly decreased birth weight (p demise and growth retardation.

  17. Virulence and pathogenesis of the MSW and MSD strains of Californian myxoma virus in European rabbits with genetic resistance to myxomatosis compared to rabbits with no genetic resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silvers, L; Inglis, B; Labudovic, A; Janssens, P A; van Leeuwen, B H; Kerr, P J

    2006-04-25

    The pathogenesis of two Californian strains of myxoma virus (MSW and MSD) was examined in European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) that were either susceptible to myxomatosis (laboratory rabbits) or had undergone natural selection for genetic resistance to myxomatosis (Australian wild rabbits). MSW was highly lethal for both types of rabbits with average survival times of 7.3 and 9.4 days, respectively, and 100% mortality. Classical clinical signs of myxomatosis were not present except in one rabbit that survived for 13 days following infection. Previously described clinical signs of trembling and shaking were observed in laboratory but not wild rabbits. Despite the high resistance of wild rabbits to myxomatosis caused by South American strains of myxoma virus, the MSW strain was of such high virulence that it was able to overcome resistance. The acute nature of the infection, relatively low viral titers in the tissues and destruction of lymphoid tissues, suggested that death was probably due to an acute and overwhelming immunopathological response to the virus. No virus was found in the brain. The MSD strain was attenuated compared to previously published descriptions and therefore was only characterized in laboratory rabbits. It is concluded that Californian MSW strain of myxoma virus is at the extreme end of a continuum of myxoma virus virulence but that the basic pathophysiology of the disease induced is not broadly different to other strains of myxoma virus.

  18. Development and characterization of an experimental model of diet-induced metabolic syndrome in rabbit.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oscar Julián Arias-Mutis

    Full Text Available Metabolic syndrome (MetS has become one of the main concerns for public health because of its link to cardiovascular disease. Murine models have been used to study the effect of MetS on the cardiovascular system, but they have limitations for studying cardiac electrophysiology. In contrast, the rabbit cardiac electrophysiology is similar to human, but a detailed characterization of the different components of MetS in this animal is still needed. Our objective was to develop and characterize a diet-induced experimental model of MetS that allows the study of cardiovascular remodeling and arrhythmogenesis. Male NZW rabbits were assigned to control (n = 15 or MetS group (n = 16, fed during 28 weeks with high-fat, high-sucrose diet. We measured weight, morphological characteristics, blood pressure, glycaemia, standard plasma biochemistry and the metabolomic profile at weeks 14 and 28. Liver histological changes were evaluated using hematoxylin-eosin staining. A mixed model ANOVA or unpaired t-test were used for statistical analysis (P<0.05. Weight, abdominal contour, body mass index, systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure increased in the MetS group at weeks 14 and 28. Glucose, triglycerides, LDL, GOT-AST, GOT/GPT, bilirubin and bile acid increased, whereas HDL decreased in the MetS group at weeks 14 and 28. We found a 40% increase in hepatocyte area and lipid vacuoles infiltration in the liver from MetS rabbits. Metabolomic analysis revealed differences in metabolites related to fatty acids, energetic metabolism and microbiota, compounds linked with cardiovascular disease. Administration of high-fat and high-sucrose diet during 28 weeks induced obesity, glucose intolerance, hypertension, non-alcoholic hepatic steatosis and metabolic alterations, thus reproducing the main clinical manifestations of the metabolic syndrome in humans. This experimental model should provide a valuable tool for studies into the mechanisms of cardiovascular

  19. Immunogenicity of Phleum pratense depigmented allergoid vaccines: experimental study in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iraola, V; Gallego, M T; López-Matas, M A; Morales, M; Bel, I; García, N; Carnés, J

    2012-01-01

    Immunogenicity studies are based on accurate preclinical and clinical assessment of pharmaceutical products. The immunogenicity of modified allergen vaccines has not been fully elucidated, and the mechanisms involved are not well understood. Animal and human models have recently shown that depigmented allergoids induce specific immunoglobulin (Ig) G against individual allergens, thus supporting the clinical efficacy of these vaccines. The aim of this study was to investigate the production of specific IgG against individual antigens and their isoforms in rabbits injected with depigmented allergoid extracts of Phleum pratense pollen. Two New Zealand rabbits were immunized with depigmented-polymerized extracts adsorbed onto aluminum hydroxide (Depigoid) of P pratense. Rabbits were injected 3 times (35 microg Phl p 5). Specific IgG titers against native, depigmented, and depigmented-polymerized extracts and individual allergens (rPhl p 1 and rPhl p 5a) were analyzed by direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The capacity of these synthesized antibodies to recognize individual native and depigmented allergens and different isoforms was evaluated by immunoblot and 2-D analysis. All rabbits produced high titers of specific IgG against the 3 extracts. Rabbits injected with depigmented allergoids produced similar specific antibody titers against native, depigmented, and depigmented-polymerized extracts. Serum samples recognized individual allergens and their isoforms in the nonmodified extracts. Vaccines containing depigmented allergoid extracts of P pratense induce immunogenicity in vivo. The antibodies produced after injection of these extracts clearly recognized allergens and different isoforms in their native configuration.

  20. Innate resistance to myxomatosis in wild rabbits in England*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, J.; Sanders, M. F.

    1977-01-01

    Wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) from one study area in England have been used over a period of 11 years to investigate the possible appearance of innate resistance to myxomatosis. Rabbits of 4-6 weeks old were captured alive, retained in the laboratory until at least 4 months old, and then infected with a type of myxoma virus which kills 90-95% of laboratory rabbits. Observations were made of symptoms, mortality rate and survival times. In the first 4 years of the study (1966-9), mortality rates were not significantly different from those of laboratory rabbits, although survival times of wild rabbits were appreciably longer. In 1970, the mortality rate amongst wild rabbits was 59%, in 1974 it was 17%, and in 1976 it was 20%, thus showing that a considerable degree of inherited resistance to myxomatosis has developed. The types of myxoma virus most commonly isolated from wild rabbits in Great Britain in recent years have been those which cause 70-95% mortality in laboratory rabbits. Therefore, if the degree of innate resistance demonstrated is widespread in Great Britain, there are serious implications regarding the size of the rabbit population, because myxomatosis has been an important factor in holding rabbit numbers at a relatively low level. PMID:270526

  1. Innate resistance to myxomatosis in wild rabbits in England.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ross, J; Sanders, M F

    1977-12-01

    Wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) from one study area in England have been used over a period of 11 years to investigate the possible appearance of innate resistance to myxomatosis. Rabbits of 4-6 weeks old were captured alive, retained in the laboratory until at least 4 months old, and then infected with a type of myxoma virus which kills 90-95% of laboratory rabbits. Observations were made of symptoms, mortality rate and survival times.In the first 4 years of the study (1966-9), mortality rates were not significantly different from those of laboratory rabbits, although survival times of wild rabbits were appreciably longer. In 1970, the mortality rate amongst wild rabbits was 59%, in 1974 it was 17%, and in 1976 it was 20%, thus showing that a considerable degree of inherited resistance to myxomatosis has developed.The types of myxoma virus most commonly isolated from wild rabbits in Great Britain in recent years have been those which cause 70-95% mortality in laboratory rabbits. Therefore, if the degree of innate resistance demonstrated is widespread in Great Britain, there are serious implications regarding the size of the rabbit population, because myxomatosis has been an important factor in holding rabbit numbers at a relatively low level.

  2. Clinical and experimental keratitis caused by the Colletotrichum state of Glomerella cingulata and Acrophialophora fusispora.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shukla, P K; Khan, Z A; Lal, B; Agrawal, P K; Srivastava, O P

    1983-06-01

    Two cases of mycotic keratitis caused by the Colletotrichum state of Glomerella cingulata and Acrophialophora fusispora are reported for the first time. Both the isolates produced experimental corneal lesions in rabbit eyes but A. fusispora was more pathogenic. The experimental infection was more severe, with both the fungi, in rabbits pretreated with cortisone as compared with untreated animals. In vitro A. fusispora was most sensitive to miconazole and tolciclate followed by clotrimazole, amphotericin B and lactones while clotrimazole exerted maximum inhibitory effect on Colletotrichum followed by miconazole, lactones, amphotericin B and arnebins. Arnebins and tolciclate were inactive respectively against A. fusispora and Colletotrichum. Of the 3 drugs tested in vivo, against A. fusispora keratitis in rabbit, amphotericin B showed better results than tolciclate and miconazole.

  3. Subunit Rotavirus Vaccine Administered Parenterally to Rabbits Induces Active Protective Immunity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciarlet, Max; Crawford, Sue E.; Barone, Christopher; Bertolotti-Ciarlet, Andrea; Ramig, Robert F.; Estes, Mary K.; Conner, Margaret E.

    1998-01-01

    Virus-like particles (VLPs) are being evaluated as a candidate rotavirus vaccine. The immunogenicity and protective efficacy of different formulations of VLPs administered parenterally to rabbits were tested. Two doses of VLPs (2/6-, G3 2/6/7-, or P[2], G3 2/4/6/7-VLPs) or SA11 simian rotavirus in Freund’s adjuvants, QS-21 (saponin adjuvant), or aluminum phosphate (AlP) were administered. Serological and mucosal immune responses were evaluated in all vaccinated and control rabbits before and after oral challenge with 103 50% infective doses of live P[14], G3 ALA lapine rotavirus. All VLP- and SA11-vaccinated rabbits developed high levels of rotavirus-specific serum and intestinal immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies but not intestinal IgA antibodies. SA11 and 2/4/6/7-VLPs afforded similar but much higher mean levels of protection than 2/6/7- or 2/6-VLPs in QS-21. The presence of neutralizing antibodies to VP4 correlated (P < 0.001, r = 0.55; Pearson’s correlation coefficient) with enhanced protection rates, suggesting that these antibodies are important for protection. Although the inclusion of VP4 resulted in higher mean protection levels, high levels of protection (87 to 100%) from infection were observed in individual rabbits immunized with 2/6/7- or 2/6-VLPs in Freund’s adjuvants. Therefore, neither VP7 nor VP4 was absolutely required to achieve protection from infection in the rabbit model when Freund’s adjuvant was used. Our results show that VLPs are immunogenic when administered parenterally to rabbits and that Freund’s adjuvant is a better adjuvant than QS-21. The use of the rabbit model may help further our understanding of the critical rotavirus proteins needed to induce active protection. VLPs are a promising candidate for a parenterally administered subunit rotavirus vaccine. PMID:9765471

  4. Myxoma virus M130R is a novel virulence factor required for lethal myxomatosis in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrett, John W; Werden, Steven J; Wang, Fuan; McKillop, William M; Jimenez, June; Villeneuve, Danielle; McFadden, Grant; Dekaban, Gregory A

    2009-09-01

    Myxoma virus (MV) is a highly lethal, rabbit-specific poxvirus that induces a disease called myxomatosis in European rabbits. In an effort to understand the function of predicted immunomodulatory genes we have deleted various viral genes from MV and tested the ability of these knockout viruses to induce lethal myxomatosis. MV encodes a unique 15 kD cytoplasmic protein (M130R) that is expressed late (12h post infection) during infection. M130R is a non-essential gene for MV replication in rabbit, monkey or human cell lines. Construction of a targeted gene knockout virus (vMyx130KO) and infection of susceptible rabbits demonstrate that the M130R knockout virus is attenuated and that loss of M130R expression allows the rabbit host immune system to effectively respond to and control the lethal effects of MV. M130R expression is a bona fide poxviral virulence factor necessary for full and lethal development of myxomatosis.

  5. Rabbit haemorrhagic disease: advantages of cELISA in assessing immunity in wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Tao; Parkes, John P

    2011-12-15

    Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) is an acute fatal disease of domestic and wild European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) caused by RHD virus (RHDV). Accurate assessment of immunity is of great importance for the conservation and control of wild rabbits. We evaluated a competitive ELISA (cELISA) against isotype ELISAs for assessing the protective immunity against the disease by challenging 50 wild-caught rabbits with a lethal dose of RHDV. Death or survival to the challenge was used as a criterion to determine the performance characteristics of the assay for the assessment of immunity in rabbits. At 1:10 dilution, a serum exhibiting ≥ 25% inhibition (1:10(25)) was regarded as the presence of RHDV-specific antibodies. Eleven of 16 (68.8%) rabbits with antibodies at 1:10(25) (<1:40) died of RHD. When the cut-off was moved from 25% to 50% inhibition (1:10(50)) at 1:10 serum dilution, the assay sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for the protective immunity were improved from 84%, 54.2% and 69.4% to 84%, 100% and 91.8%, respectively. We also demonstrated at the epitope amino acid sequence level why the presence of the RHDV-cross reactive benign rabbit calicivirus, which interfered with isotype ELISAs, had little impact on the specificity of the cELISA for the diagnosis of RHDV infection. The presence of RHDV-specific antibody at 1:10(50) by the cELISA is a reliable indicator for the protective immunity. In contrast to isotype ELISAs, the cELISA is a valuable specific tool for monitoring the herd immunity to RHD for the conservation and management of wild rabbits in the field. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Chondromalacia induced by patellar subluxation in the rabbit

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, B.N.; Møller-Larsen, F.; Frich, Lars Henrik

    1989-01-01

    A unilateral patellar malalignment was induced in 20 young and 20 mature rabbits by lateral displacement of the tibial tuberosity, the other knee serving as osteotomized in situ control. At 6 weeks, all the knees appeared macroscopically normal, but histologically definite cartilage degeneration...... was found on the experimental side. At 3 months, macroscopic changes occurred in 5 of 10 mature rabbits, and histologic cartilage degeneration was found in all the experimental knees, most pronounced in mature animals, and particularly in joint facets submitted to high pressure. This experimental model...

  7. A radioimmunoassay method for the rapid detection of Candida antibodies is experimental systematic candidiasis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Y.; Berry, W.; Cooper, H.; Zachariah, Y.; Newman, T.

    1979-01-01

    Rabbits were employed as experimental models to evaluate a solid-phase radioimmunoassay (RIA) method for the diagnosis of systematic candidiasis. Ten rabbits were incubated subcutaneously to mimic superficial candidiasis and were found to produce no antibodies to Candida as determined by both immunodiffusion and RIA procedures. However, 94 per cent of 18 rabbits systematically infected by intravenous injection of Candida cells were observed to produce antibody as assessed by the RIA technique. These data encourage further tests with human sera and the continued development of this RIA procedure as a useful tool in the early serodiagnosis of systematic candidiasis. (Auth.)

  8. Large Amounts of Reactivated Virus in Tears Precedes Recurrent Herpes Stromal Keratitis in Stressed Rabbits Latently Infected with Herpes Simplex Virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perng, Guey-Chuen; Osorio, Nelson; Jiang, Xianzhi; Geertsema, Roger; Hsiang, Chinhui; Brown, Don; BenMohamed, Lbachir; Wechsler, Steven L

    2016-01-01

    Recurrent herpetic stromal keratitis (rHSK), due to an immune response to reactivation of herpes simplex virus (HSV-1), can cause corneal blindness. The development of therapeutic interventions such as drugs and vaccines to decrease rHSK have been hampered by the lack of a small and reliable animal model in which rHSK occurs at a high frequency during HSV-1 latency. The aim of this study is to develop a rabbit model of rHSK in which stress from elevated temperatures increases the frequency of HSV-1 reactivations and rHSK. Rabbits latently infected with HSV-1 were subjected to elevated temperatures and the frequency of viral reactivations and rHSK were determined. In an experiment in which rabbits latently infected with HSV-1 were subjected to ill-defined stress as a result of failure of the vivarium air conditioning system, reactivation of HSV-1 occurred at over twice the normal frequency. In addition, 60% of eyes developed severe rHSK compared to tears of that eye and whenever this unusually large amount of reactivated virus was detected in tears, rHSK always appeared 4-5 days later. In subsequent experiments using well defined heat stress the reactivation frequency was similarly increased, but no eyes developed rHSK. The results reported here support the hypothesis that rHSK is associated not simply with elevated reactivation frequency, but rather with rare episodes of very high levels of reactivated virus in tears 4-5 days earlier.

  9. Measuring of the airway dimensions with spiral CT images: an experimental study in Japanese white big-ear rabbits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han Xinwei; Lu Huibin; Ma Ji; Wu Gang; Wang Nan; Si Jiangtao

    2009-01-01

    Objective: To measure the length, angle and their correlation of the main anatomical dimensions of the trachea and bronchus in experimental Japanese white big-ear rabbits with the help of spiral CT 3D images, in order to lay the foundation of treating the airway disorders with stenting in animal experiment. Methods: Multi-slice CT scanning of cervico-thoracic region was performed in 30 healthy adult Japanese white big-ear rabbits, the longitudinal, transversal dimensions of the trachea, the glottis-carina length, the inner diameter and length of bronchi, and the angle formed by bronchial long axis and sagittal section were measured. Results: No significant difference was found in the inner diameters of various parts of the trachea and upper apical bronchi. The angle formed by bronchial long axis and sagittal section were smaller than that of the left ones. And the inner diameters of the right main bronchus was bigger than the left ones. Conclusion: The complex branching structure of the rabbit airway tree can be well displayed on spiral CT 3D images. Through measuring and statistical analysis of the results the authors have got a regressive equation for estimating the value of the inner diameter, length, angle, etc. concerning the airway tree, which is very helpful for providing the useful anatomical parameters in rabbit experiment. (authors)

  10. Myxoma virus in the European rabbit: interactions between the virus and its susceptible host.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanford, Marianne M; Werden, Steven J; McFadden, Grant

    2007-01-01

    Myxoma virus (MV) is a poxvirus that evolved in Sylvilagus lagomorphs, and is the causative agent of myxomatosis in European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). This virus is not a natural pathogen of O. cuniculus, yet is able to subvert the host rabbit immune system defenses and cause a highly lethal systemic infection. The interaction of MV proteins and the rabbit immune system has been an ideal model to help elucidate host/poxvirus interactions, and has led to a greater understanding of how other poxvirus pathogens are able to cause disease in their respective hosts. This review will examine how MV causes myxomatosis, by examining a selection of the identified immunomodulatory proteins that this virus expresses to subvert the immune and inflammatory pathways of infected rabbit hosts.

  11. Comparison of xenogenic bone bioimplant and calcium phosphate granules on experimental femoral bone defect healing in rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    GH Mousavi

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Rebuilding and renovation of lost bone whether because of physiologic or pathologic factors was one of the surgeons’ motivations from the past. Osteogenesis of decalcified bone induced by growth factors contained in it. This study is to assay probability effect of decalcified bone and calcium phosphate granules on osteogenesis which is made in experimental flaw and it is as a laboratory pattern in rabbit femur.This experimental study is made on 15 male rabbits. Animals were divided randomly into 3 groups (control and treatments.After induction of general anesthesia, 2 holes in size of 2 mm in diameter was made using a dental bit in femur width to medullary channel. After surgery, the control group left untreated and decalcified bones was placed in group 2 and calcium phosphate granules were placed in group 3. Histopathological and histomorphometrical studies for evaluation of bone healing were carried out in experimental rats, which were euthanized after 45 days of the experiment using hematoxylin-eosin (H&E staining method.In control group, defect seemed to be filled with woven bone and bone marrow spaces and in spite of a poor osteogenic activity. In calcium phosphate group, young bone trabeculas increased in number and bone trabeculas more organized. Histomorphometric results, observed that calcium phosphate granules has significant effect on bone healing than decalcified and control groups.

  12. Autologous tenocyte therapy for experimental Achilles tendinopathy in a rabbit model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jimin; Yu, Qian; Wu, Bing; Lin, Zhen; Pavlos, Nathan J; Xu, Jiake; Ouyang, Hongwei; Wang, Allan; Zheng, Ming H

    2011-08-01

    Tendinopathy of the Achilles tendon is a chronic degenerative condition that frequently does not respond to treatment. In the current study, we propose that autologous tenocytes therapy (ATT) is effective in treating tendon degeneration in a collagenase-induced rabbit Achilles tendinopathy model. Chronic tendinopathy was created in the left Achilles tendon of 44 rabbits by an intratendonous injection of type I collagenase. Forty-two rabbits were randomly allocated into three groups of 14 and received control treatment; autologous tenocytes digested from tendon tissue; and autologous tenocytes digested from epitendineum tissue. For cell tracking in vivo, the remaining two animals were injected with autologous tenocytes labeled with a nano-scale super-paramagnetic iron oxide (Feridex). Rabbits were sacrificed at 4 and 8 weeks after the therapeutic injection, and tendon tissue was analyzed by histology, immunostaining, and biomechanical testing to evaluate tissue repair. Autologous tenocyte treatment improved tendon remodeling, histological outcomes, collagen content, and tensile strength of tendinopathic Achilles tendons. Injected tenocytes were integrated into tendon matrix and could be tracked up to 8 weeks in vivo. Immunohistochemistry showed that ATT improved type I collagen expression in repaired tendon but did not affect type III collagen and secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine expression. ATT may be a useful treatment of chronic Achilles tendinopathy.

  13. Reproductive performance of rabbits fed maize-milling waste based ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Owner

    The influence of maize-milling waste on the reproductive performance of rabbits was assessed. The .... stored in air-tight polythene bags prior to use in the experimental .... Nutrient digestibility and effect of heat treatment, J. Appl. Rabbit Res.

  14. Prevalence and zoonotic risks of Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Cheyletiella spp. in guinea pigs and rabbits in Dutch pet shops

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Overgaauw, P.A.M.; van Avermaete, K. H.A.; Mertens, C. A.R.M.; Meijer, M.; Schoemaker, N. J.

    2017-01-01

    Young rabbits and guinea pigs are often purchased as pets for children and may be infected with zoonotic skin infections. To assess the risk of acquiring such an infection from rabbits or guinea pigs, this study investigated the prevalence of the fungus Trichophyton mentagrophytes and the fur mite

  15. Experimental abscess in the thigh of rabbit : magnetic resonance imaging and pathologic correlation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Heung Sik; Chung, Yoong Ki; Jang, Ja June

    1996-01-01

    To understand MR imaging characteristics, of abscesses by correlation with pathologic findings, with emphasis on the hypointense rim of the abscess wall on T2-weighted images. We experimentally induced twenty abscesses on both thighs of ten New Zealand white rabbits by innoculation of E. coli. Spin-echo axial T1-weighted images(T1WI), proton density weighted images(PDWI), T2-weighted images(T2WI) and gadolinium enhanced T1WI of two rabbits were each obtained at 1 and 3 days, and at 1, 2 and 4 weeks following innoculation of pathogens. Rabbits were sacrificed after MR imaging, and freezing, sectioning along MR imaging planes and histopathologic examination were subsequently carried out. MR-pathologic correlation was performed, with emphasis on the MR signal characteristics of the abscess wall. In 19 abscesses, necrotic portions except gas showed hypointensity or hyperintensity on T1WI and hyperintensity on T2WI. Peripheral inflammatory reaction showed hypointensity on T1WI, hyperintensity on PDWI and T2WI, and contrast enhancement. Abscess wall showed slightly increased signal intensity on T1WI. A hypointense rim on PDWI and T2WI appeared from 3 days after pathogen innoculation. The rim was thickest at 1 week, and showed multilayers at 2 weeks and double layers at 4 weeks after pathogen innoculation. Cellular and necrotic debris was accumulated at the inner portion of the abscess wall. Inflammatory cells were mainly polymorphonuclear leukocytes and lymphocytes. Macrophages, which appeared at 3 days, suggested active phagocytosis at 1 week after innoculation. Thereafter, inflammatory reactions decreased and fibrosis progressed. The hypointense rim of the abscess wall on T2WI reflects the accumulation of cellular debris, the paramagnetic effect of free radicals due to active phagocytosing macrophages during the abscess forming stage, and fibrosis during the maturation stage

  16. EFFECT OF USE OF BONE-MARROW CENTRIFUGATE ON MUSCLE INJURY TREATMENT: EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON RABBITS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vieira, Daniel Ferreira Fernandes; Guarniero, Roberto; Vaz, Carlos Eduardo Sanches; de Santana, Paulo José

    2015-01-01

    Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of bone-marrow centrifugate on the healing of muscle injuries in rabbits. Methods: This experimental study involved use of fifteen adult male New Zealand White rabbits. Each animal received a transverse lesion in the middle of the right tibialis anterior muscle, to which an absorbable collagen sponge, soaked in a centrifugate of bone marrow aspirate from the ipsilateral iliac bone, was added. The left hind limb was used as a control and underwent the same injury, but in this case only the absorbable collagen sponge. Thirty days later, the animals were sacrificed to study the muscle healing. These muscle areas were subjected to histological analysis with histomorphometry, with the aim of measuring the number of muscle cells per square micrometer undergoing regeneration and the proportion of resultant fibrosis. Results: The centrifugation method used in this study resulted in an average concentration of nucleated cells greater than the number of these cells in original aspirates, without causing significant cell destruction. Addition of the bone marrow centrifugate did not result in any significant increase in the number of muscle cells undergoing regeneration, in relation to the control group. There was also no significant difference in the proportion of resultant fibrosis, compared with the control group. Conclusion: Administration of the bone marrow centrifugate used in this study did not favor healing of muscle injuries in rabbits. PMID:27047832

  17. [Protective effect of Helianthus annuus (sunflower) on myocardial infarction in New Zealand rabbit].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guardia-Espinoza, Edith; Herrera-Hurtado, Gianina Liseth del Carmen; Garrido-Jacobi, Saúl; Cárdenas-Peralta, Danitza; Martínez-Romero, Christian; Hernández-Figueroa, Pedro; Condori-Calizaya, Mary; La Barrera-Llacchua, Juan; Flores-Ángeles, Miguel

    2015-01-01

    Determine the protective effect of oil Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) on myocardial infarction induced by epinephrine in New Zealand rabbits. The rabbits were randomized into five groups (8 per group): blank, negative control, experimental 1 (10 mg / kg), experimental 2 (20 mg / kg) and three experimental (40 mg/ kg). Experimental groups 1, 2 and 3 received Helianthus annuus oil for two weeks. Epinephrine (2 mg/Kg) to the negative, Experimental Control 1, 2 and 3 groups was given over two consecutive days with an interval of 24 h after pretreatment with oil. Twenty four hours after the last administration, the rabbits were anesthetized and sacrificed. Serum troponin I and polymorphonuclear evaluated by .mu.m.sup.2. Significant difference between the negative control group and the experimental groups 1, 2 and 3 was found in the serum variables troponin I and polymorphonuclear by .mu.m.sup.2. Helianthus annuus oil at doses of 20 mg/kg has protective effect on myocardial infarction induced by epinephrine in New Zealand rabbits.

  18. Rabbit Model for Human EBV-Associated Hemophagocytic Syndrome (HPS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashi, Kazuhiko; Jin, Zaishun; Onoda, Sachiyo; Joko, Hiromasa; Teramoto, Norihiro; Ohara, Nobuya; Oda, Wakako; Tanaka, Takehiro; Liu, Yi-Xuan; Koirala, Tirtha Raj; Oka, Takashi; Kondo, Eisaku; Yoshino, Tadashi; Takahashi, Kiyoshi; Akagi, Tadaatsu

    2003-01-01

    Epstein-Barr virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (EBV-AHS) is often associated with fatal infectious mononucleosis or T-cell lymphoproliferative diseases (LPD). To elucidate the true nature of fatal LPD observed in Herpesvirus papio (HVP)-induced rabbit hemophagocytosis, reactive or neoplastic, we analyzed sequential development of HVP-induced rabbit LPD and their cell lines. All of the seven Japanese White rabbits inoculated intravenously with HVP died of fatal LPD 18 to 27 days after inoculation. LPD was also accompanied by hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) in five of these seven rabbits. Sequential autopsy revealed splenomegaly and swollen lymph nodes, often accompanied by bleeding, which developed in the last week. Atypical lymphoid cells infiltrated many organs with a “starry sky” pattern, frequently involving the spleen, lymph nodes, and liver. HVP-small RNA-1 expression in these lymphoid cells was clearly demonstrated by a newly developed in situ hybridization (ISH) system. HVP-ISH of immunomagnetically purified lymphoid cells from spleen or lymph nodes revealed HVP-EBER1+ cells in each CD4+, CD8+, or CD79a+ fraction. Hemophagocytic histiocytosis was observed in the lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, and thymus. HVP-DNA was detected in the tissues and peripheral blood from the infected rabbits by PCR or Southern blot analysis. Clonality analysis of HVP-induced LPD by Southern blotting with TCR gene probe revealed polyclonal bands, suggesting polyclonal proliferation. Six IL-2-dependent rabbit T-cell lines were established from transplanted scid mouse tumors from LPD. These showed latency type I/II HVP infection and had normal karyotypes except for one line, and three of them showed tumorigenicity in nude mice. These data suggest that HVP-induced fatal LPD in rabbits is reactive polyclonally in nature. PMID:12707056

  19. The effects of the stem cell on ciliary regeneration of injured rabbit sinonasal epithelium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kavuzlu, Ali; Tatar, Emel Çadallı; Karagöz, Tuğba; Pınarlı, Ferda Alpaslan; Tatar, İlkan; Bayır, Ömer; Korkmaz, Mehmet Hakan

    2017-08-01

    Defects in mucosal healing after sinonasal surgery cause infection, scar formation causing obstruction, relapse of the disease within a shorter period and revision surgery. The present study aimed to create a functional ciliated epithelium using a stem cell and stem cell sheet of adipose tissue origin and to show such regeneration ultra-structurally on experimentally injured rabbit nasal epithelium. This was an experimental animal study and basic research. A total of 18 white New Zealand rabbits were divided into three groups. The medial wall of the maxillary sinus of the subjects was peeled off bilaterally. No additional procedure was applied to the subjects in Group 1. In Group 2, adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell was implanted on the wound edges of the subjects. In Group 3, a stem cell sheet of three layers was laid onto the defect area. All subjects were killed after 3 weeks. The presence of the stem cell stained with bromo-deoxyuridine was assessed with a light microscope, whereas cilia density, ciliated orientation and cilia structure were evaluated with a scanning electron microscope. Ciliary densities in Group 2 and Group 3 were statistically superior compared to the control group (p stem cell increased the healing of the injured maxillary sinus mucosa of the rabbits in terms of cilia presence, density and morphology regardless of the implementation technique. Level of evidence NA.

  20. Experimental study on skin irritation of bone spur powder on rabbit

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Zhenzhen; Zhang, Xuhui; Hao, Shaojun; Shen, Huiling; Wang, Huamin; Ji, Xianghui; Zhang, Zhengchen; Huang, Youling

    2018-04-01

    To observe the effect of bone powder of rabbit skin, provide the basis for the safety of clinical use of bone powder, 24 rabbits were randomly divided into 6 groups, complete skin test and damaged skin test each divided into 3 groups (n=4), high, low, 3 doses tested daily administered 1 times, continuous administration for 7 days, in 24 hours after the last administration of drug residues, wash with warm water, the removal of L hours after drug for 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours and seventh days, observed and recorded to apply position before administration and administration during the skin no erythema and edema, and observe the smear Parts of any pigmentation, bleeding, rough skin or thin skin etc., record the occurrence time and duration time. Through comparative observation, intact skin group before administration and dosing period, there were no erythema and edema, pigmentation, bleeding, rough skin or thin skin etc., there is no difference with the control group; the damaged skin group after administration of 1 to 5 days, each rabbit skin there are different degrees of erythema and edema, especially to skin injury after 24-48 hours is obvious, 2 days (48 hours) after 4 days gradually reduced, significantly subsided after 6 days, erythema and edema phenomenon subsided completely, not out of blood, pigmentation, rough skin or thin skin and so on. The bone spur powder has no irritation on the intact skin of rabbits. The bone spur powder has moderate irritation on the damaged skin of rabbits, but after 48 hours, the stimulation reaction subsided spontaneously, which is caused by the inflammatory reaction caused by skin injury, rather than the medication. The bone spur powder is safe for clinical use.

  1. Experimental imaging study of 99Tcm-ciprofloxacin in detection of infection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He Wei; Chen Shaoliang; Mao Jinlei; Jiang Maosong

    2008-01-01

    Objective: Most of the current imaging agents fox inflammatory and(or) infectious dis- eases are not specific enough. It was studied that using ciprofloxacin(an antibiotics)labeled with 99 Tc m for a novel imaging agent detected inflammatory and(or) infectious foci in vivo. Methods: In this investigation, the biological properties were evaluated by pharmacologic experiments. The end points of this study were two. One was to study the biodistribution of 99 Tc m labeled ciprofloxacin (an antibiotics)in vivo. The other was to understand the potential role of 99 Tc m -ciprofloxacin in detecting inflammatory and(or) infectious foci in rabbit models. The biodistribution of 99 Tc m -ciprofloxacin was studied in mice models. Scintigraphy of 99 Tc m -ciprofloxacin was performed in rabbit models. Results: The labeling rate was over 90%. The dissociation of 99 Tc m ciprofloxacin was minimal within 8 h at room temperature. After intravenous injection, rapid plasma clearance and renal clearance were observed. Kidney, liver and spleen were the target organs for the accumulation of injected 99 Tc m -ciprofloxacin. In the infectious rabbit models (n=3), accumulation of 99 Tc m -ciprofloxacin was found at the infective lesion (left thigh). The dynamic study showed that the optimal acquisition time for 99 Tc m ciprofloxacin imaging was at 3 h after injection. Moreover, images could still be positive at 24 h after injection. Notably, little 99 Tc m -ciprofloxacin accumulation was observed at the inflammation foci in above rabbit models. Conclusion: 99 Tc m -ciprofloxacin could be a potential imaging agent for infectious rather than inflammatory disease in vivo in the future. (authors)

  2. Spongy film of cellulosic polysaccharide as a dressing for aphthous stomatitis treatment in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes Teixeira, Fernanda Mossumez; Figueiredo Pereira, Márcia de; Gomes Ferreira, Nara Lins; Miranda, Guilherme Marcelino de; Andrade Aguiar, José Lamartine de

    2014-04-01

    To develop an experimental model of acute inflammation, like aphthous ulcers, in oral cavity of rabbits, and also, to evaluate the results of the application of a polysaccharide spongy film of molasses from sugar cane as assist treatment in the healing process. Twenty adult rabbits weighting between 2.5 kg and 3.9 kg were divided into two groups: experimental and control infected ulcers were induced on the jugal mucosa by surgical excision. They were treated at the experimental group by curettage and dressing with spongy film of cellulosic polysaccharide film, whereas saline solution was used in the control group. Temporal evolution of the healing area, histopathology and bacteriological analysis were used to evaluate the healing process on the 3rd (D3), 7th (D7) and 11th days (D11). The healing time and bacteriological study showed no statistical differences on the group means. Analyzing the histopathology of the experimental group we verified epithelial hyperplasia from D3 to D11, instead in the control group there was a greater clutter of the epithelial cells from the D3 to D11. The experimental model used caused aphthous ulcers and the polysaccharide sponge film can be used as an aid in the symptomatic treatment and healing of the ulcerative lesions of the oral mucosa.

  3. Challenges in the rabbit haemorrhagic disease 2 (RHDV2) molecular diagnosis of vaccinated rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carvalho, C L; Duarte, E L; Monteiro, M; Botelho, A; Albuquerque, T; Fevereiro, M; Henriques, A M; Barros, S S; Duarte, Margarida Dias

    2017-01-01

    Molecular methods are fundamental tools for the diagnosis of viral infections. While interpretation of results is straightforward for unvaccinated animals, where positivity represents ongoing or past infections, the presence of vaccine virus in the tissues of recently vaccinated animals may mislead diagnosis. In this study, we investigated the interference of RHDV2 vaccination in the results of a RT-qPCR for RHDV2 detection, and possible associations between mean Cq values of five animal groups differing in age, vaccination status and origin (domestic/wild). Viral sequences from vaccinated rabbits that died of RHDV2 infection (n=14) were compared with the sequences from the commercial vaccines used in those animals. Group Cq means were compared through Independent t-test and One-way ANOVA. We proved that RHDV2 vaccine-RNA is not detected by the RT-qPCR as early as 15days post-vaccination, an important fact in assisting results interpretation for diagnosis. Cq values of vaccinated and non-vaccinated infected domestic adults showed a statistically significant difference (pRHDV2-victimised rabbits. Although the reduced number of vaccinated young animals analysed hampered a robust statistical analysis, this occurrence suggests that passively acquired maternal antibodies may inhibit the active immune response to vaccination, delaying protection and favouring disease progression. Our finding emphasises the importance of adapting kitten RHDV2 vaccination schedules to circumvent this interference phenomenon. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Experimental atheromatous plaque imaging with 99mTc labelled low density lipoproteins in rabbit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Quanshi; Chen Yu; Wu Chunshan; Zhang Yijin; Liu Dexuan

    1996-01-01

    Atheromatous plaque imaging with 99m Tc labeled low density lipoproteins ( 99m Tc-LDL) were evaluated in rabbits for its clinical prospect. The 99m Tc-LDL atheromatous plaque imaging were performed in 9 rabbit models of atherosclerosis and 4 controls. The imagings were compared with autoradiographic and pathological results. The rabbit models of atherosclerosis by high cholesterol and high fat diet were successful in 100%. The atheromatous plaques well visualized in 8 of 9 rabbit models 24 hours after injection. The site and density of radioactive accumulation was closely correlated in autoradiography also. There was no radioactive spot in 4 controls. 99m Tc-LDL imaging may have a significant value for the diagnosis of atherosclerosis

  5. Presence of a biomaterial implant facilitates induction of experimental infective endocarditis due to streptococci and staphylococci

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Zaat, S. A. J.; Dankert, J.; VanderWerff, J.; Brokke, P.; Feijen, J.

    1995-01-01

    Infective endocarditis (IE) usually is studied using animals with catheters inserted into the heart, which causes formation of platelet-fibrin thrombi (vegetations, VGs). We used two rabbit models to study the respective roles of the catheter and the VGs in the development of IE. The influence of

  6. Anatomy and Surgical Approaches to the Rabbit Nasal Septum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badran, Karam W; Chang, John C; Kuan, Edward C; Wong, Brian J F

    2017-09-01

    The rabbit is the primary animal model used to investigate aspects of nasal surgery. Although several studies have used this model, none has provided a comprehensive analysis of the surgical anatomy and techniques used to gain access to the rabbit nasal fossae and septum. To describe and optimize the surgical anatomy and approach to the rabbit nasal vault and septal cartilage. In an ex vivo animal study conducted at an academic medical center, preliminary cadaveric dissections were performed on rabbit head specimens to establish familiarity with relevant anatomy and rehearse various approaches. Live Pasteurella-free New Zealand white rabbits (3.5-4.0 kg) were used to further develop this surgical technique developed here. Access of the nasal vault was gained through a midline nasal dorsum incision and creation of an osteoplastic flap with a drill. Submucosal resection was performed with preservation of the mucoperichondrium. All rabbits were monitored daily for 4 weeks in the postoperative period for signs of infection, pain, and complications. The study was conducted from June 1, 2014, to December 1, 2014. Surgical anatomy and techniques used to gain access to the rabbit nasal vault and harvest septal cartilage. Four Pasteurella-free New Zealand white rabbits (Western Organ Rabbit Co), ranging in age from 9 to 12 months and weighing between 3.5 and 4.0 kg, were used in this study. Initial dissections demonstrated the feasibility of harvesting septal cartilage while preserving the mucoperichondrial envelope. Access to the nasal vault through this 3-osteotomy approach allowed for maximal exposure to the nasal cavity bilaterally while maintaining the integrity of the mucoperichondrium following septal cartilage harvest. The maximum amount of bulk, en bloc, cartilage harvested was 1.0 × 2.5 cm. Following surgical dissection, all animals maintained adequate airway patency and support to midface structures. Furthermore, all specimens preserved the integrity of the

  7. Does myxomatosis still regulate numbers of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus Linnaeus, 1758) in the United Kingdom?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trout, R C; Ross, J; Fox, A P

    1993-03-01

    Myxomatosis now kills a much smaller proportion of rabbit populations than in the past, while remaining an important regulatory factor, as shown experimentally. On two separate occasions, experimental reduction of the prevalence of the disease (by reducing infestations of the main vector, the rabbit flea) led to significant increases in numbers of rabbits surviving the winter.

  8. Meningeal hyperaemia and myocarditis in a caged rabbit with encephalitozoonosis: Case report and literature review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Davinson Chuka Anyogu

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Over the years, encephalitozoonosis in rabbits has raised serious concern owing to the subclinical nature of the infection in most rabbits and the danger of zoonosis in immunocompromised persons. The disease has been diagnosed by clinical signs, histopathological examination and detection of the antibody in serum. The lesions have been described mainly in the brain, kidney and liver of infected rabbits. The present report documented additional lesions seen in a male rabbit presented to the Necropsy Unit of the Department of Veterinary Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka for euthanasia. Following euthanasia, tissue samples from the rabbit were processed and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. The microscopic lesions were comprised of meningeal hyperaemia, myocarditis, chronic nonsuppurative granulomatous hepatitis, and Encephalitozoon cuniculi spores in the brain parenchyma. The study showed the importance of reporting new findings in order to elucidate the pathogenic mechanisms for the disease and to renew attention to its zoonotic potential.

  9. Intrinsic connectivity of neural networks in the awake rabbit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schroeder, Matthew P; Weiss, Craig; Procissi, Daniel; Disterhoft, John F; Wang, Lei

    2016-04-01

    The way in which the brain is functionally connected into different networks has emerged as an important research topic in order to understand normal neural processing and signaling. Since some experimental manipulations are difficult or unethical to perform in humans, animal models are better suited to investigate this topic. Rabbits are a species that can undergo MRI scanning in an awake and conscious state with minimal preparation and habituation. In this study, we characterized the intrinsic functional networks of the resting New Zealand White rabbit brain using BOLD fMRI data. Group independent component analysis revealed seven networks similar to those previously found in humans, non-human primates and/or rodents including the hippocampus, default mode, cerebellum, thalamus, and visual, somatosensory, and parietal cortices. For the first time, the intrinsic functional networks of the resting rabbit brain have been elucidated demonstrating the rabbit's applicability as a translational animal model. Without the confounding effects of anesthetics or sedatives, future experiments may employ rabbits to understand changes in neural connectivity and brain functioning as a result of experimental manipulation (e.g., temporary or permanent network disruption, learning-related changes, and drug administration). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Induction of corneal collagen cross-linking in experimental corneal alkali burns in rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcello Colombo-Barboza

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the effect of riboflavin-ultraviolet-A-induced cross-linking (CXL following corneal alkali burns in rabbits. Methods: The right corneas and limbi of ten rabbits were burned using a 1N solution of NaOH and the animals were then divided into two groups: a control group submitted to clinical treatment alone and an experimental group that was treated 1 h after injury with CXL, followed by the same clinical treatment as administered to the controls. Clinical parameters were evaluated post-injury at 1, 7, 15, and 30 days by two independent observers. Following this evaluation, the corneas were excised and examined histologically. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in clinical parameters, such as hyperemia, corneal edema, ciliary injection, limbal ischemia, secretion, corneal neovascularization, symblepharon, or blepharospasm, at any of the time-points evaluated. However, the size of the epithelial defect was significantly smaller in the CXL group (p<0.05 (day 15: p=0.008 and day 30: p=0.008 and the extent of the corneal injury (opacity lesion was also smaller (day 30: p=0.021. Histopathology showed the presence of collagen bridges linking the collagen fibers in only the CXL group. Conclusions: These results suggest that the use of CXL may improve the prognosis of acute corneal alkali burns.

  11. Effect of nano-silver hydrogel coating film on deep partial thickness scald model of rabbit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peng Xi

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Observing the effect of nano-silver hydrogel coating film on deep partial thickness scald model of rabbit. Method: We prepared boiling water scalded rabbits with deep II degree scald models and applied high, medium and low doses of nano-silver hydrogel coating film for different time and area. Then we compared the difference of burned paper weight before administration and after administration model burns, burn local skin irritation points infection, skin crusting and scabs from the time, and the impact of local skin tissue morphology. Result: Rabbits deep II degree burn model successful modeling; on day 12, 18, high, medium and low doses of nano-silver hydrogel coating film significantly reduced skin irritation of rabbits infected with the integral value (P < 0.01, P < 0.05; high, medium and low doses of nano-silver hydrogel coating film group significantly decreased skin irritation, infection integral value (P < 0.01, P < 0.05; high, medium and low doses of nano-silver hydrogel coating film significantly reduced film rabbits’ scalded skin crusting time (P < 0.01, significantly shortened the rabbit skin burns from the scab time (P < 0.01, and significantly improved the treatment of skin diseases in rabbits scald model change (P < 0.01, P < 0.05. Conclusion: The nano-silver hydrogel coating film on the deep partial thickness burns has a significant therapeutic effect; external use has a significant role in wound healing. Keywords: Nano-silver hydrogel coating film, Deep degree burns, Topical, Rabbits

  12. Effect of Garlic on Perfusion Scintigraphy of Rabbit's Lungs ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Purpose: To study of the effect of garlic on rabbit's lungs, with the aid of perfusion scintigraphy, after experimentally-induced pulmonary embolism. Methods: Twelve adult rabbits were anesthetized. Prepared macroaggregated albumin- technetium 99m (99mTc-MAA) radiopharmaceutical was injected into the ear vein at a ...

  13. An animal model for human EBV-associated hemophagocytic syndrome: herpesvirus papio frequently induces fatal lymphoproliferative disorders with hemophagocytic syndrome in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashi, K; Ohara, N; Teramoto, N; Onoda, S; Chen, H L; Oka, T; Kondo, E; Yoshino, T; Takahashi, K; Yates, J; Akagi, T

    2001-04-01

    Epstein-Barr virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (EBV-AHS) is often associated with fatal infectious mononucleosis. However, the animal model for EBV-AHS has not been developed. We reported the first animal model for EBV-AHS using rabbits infected with EBV-related herpesvirus of baboon (HVP). Eleven of 13 (85%) rabbits inoculated intravenously with HVP-producing cells developed fatal lymphoproliferative disorders (LPD) between 22 and 105 days after inoculation. LPD was also accompanied by hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) in nine of these 11 rabbits. The peroral spray of cell-free HVP induced the virus infection with increased anti-EBV-viral capsid antigen-IgG titers in three of five rabbits, and two of these three infected rabbits died of LPD with HPS. Autopsy revealed hepatosplenomegaly and swollen lymph nodes. Atypical lymphoid T cells expressing EBV-encoded small RNA-1 infiltrated diffusely in many organs, frequently involving the lymph nodes, spleen, and liver. Hemophagocytic histiocytosis was observed in the lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, and thymus. HVP-DNA was detected in the tissues and peripheral blood from the infected rabbits by polymerase chain reaction or Southern blot analysis. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction revealed both HVP-EBNA1 and HVP-EBNA2 transcripts, suggesting latency type III infection. These data indicate that the high rate of rabbit LPD with HPS induction is caused by HVP. This system is useful for studying the pathogenesis, prevention, and treatment of human EBV-AHS.

  14. Effects of myxoma virus and rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus on the physiological condition of wild European rabbits: Is blood biochemistry a useful monitoring tool?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pacios-Palma, Isabel; Santoro, Simone; Bertó-Moran, Alejandro; Moreno, Sacramento; Rouco, Carlos

    2016-12-01

    Myxomatosis and rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) are the major viral diseases that affect the wild European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus). These diseases arrived in Europe within the last decades and have caused wild rabbit populations to decline dramatically. Both viruses are currently considered to be endemic in the Iberian Peninsula; periodic outbreaks that strongly impact wild populations regularly occur. Myxoma virus (MV) and rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) alter the physiology of infected rabbits, resulting in physical deterioration. Consequently, the persistence and viability of natural populations are affected. The main goal of our study was to determine if blood biochemistry is correlated with serostatus in wild European rabbits. We carried out seven live-trapping sessions in three wild rabbit populations over a two-year period. Blood samples were collected to measure anti-MV and anti-RHDV antibody concentrations and to measure biochemical parameters related to organ function, protein metabolism, and nutritional status. Overall, we found no significant relationships between rabbit serostatus and biochemistry. Our main result was that rabbits that were seropositive for both MV and RHDV had low gamma glutamyltransferase concentrations. Given the robustness of our analyses, the lack of significant relationships may indicate that the biochemical parameters measured are poor proxies for serostatus. Another explanation is that wild rabbits might be producing attenuated physiological responses to these viruses because the latter are now enzootic in the study area. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Prevalence and zoonotic risks of Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Cheyletiella spp. in guinea pigs and rabbits in Dutch pet shops.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Overgaauw, P A M; Avermaete, K H A van; Mertens, C A R M; Meijer, M; Schoemaker, N J

    2017-06-01

    Young rabbits and guinea pigs are often purchased as pets for children and may be infected with zoonotic skin infections. To assess the risk of acquiring such an infection from rabbits or guinea pigs, this study investigated the prevalence of the fungus Trichophyton mentagrophytes and the fur mite Cheyletiella parasitovorax in asymptomatic rabbits and guinea pigs in Dutch pet shops. In 91 pet shops a total of 213 rabbits and 179 guinea pigs were sampled using the Mackenzie technique and cultured. Clean cultures were examined microscopically and a PCR was performed on at least one sample from each pet shop. All animals were investigated for fur mite using a flea comb, a magnifying glass and white paper. From the fur of 3.8% (8/213) of the rabbits and 16.8% (30/179) of the guinea pigs, T. mentagrophytes was isolated. From 1 guinea pig (0,6%) Chrysosporium keratinophilum was isolated. Dermatophyte-positive rabbits and guinea pigs originated from 5.6% (5/90) and 27.3% (24/88) of the investigated pet shops, respectively. Fur mites were not found. Pet shops can play an important role in preventing transmission of zoonotic ringworm infections (dermatophytosis) and educating their customers. Specific preventive measures such as routine screening examinations and (prophylactic) treatment of rabbits and guinea pigs are recommended next to regular hygiene when handling animals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Inhibition of erythropoietin siRNA on corneal neovascularization of rabbit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yu-Shun Xue

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available AIM: To observe the expression of erythropoietin(EPOon the corneal of rabbit and evaluate the inhibition effect of EPO siRNA on corneal neovascularization(CNV. METHODS: Totally 22 healthy rabbits were randomly divided into 2 groups, which were experimental group and normal control group. Both eyes of rabbits in experimental group were chosen to establish corneal neovascularization model by alkali burn. The morphologic change of corneal was observed with slit lamp microscope and the area of CNV was calculated every day. After alkali burn, the right eye of the experimental group was accepted EPO siRNA injection under the conjunctiva, and the left eye was assigned to be experimental control group. The corneal with CNV was collected for immunohistochemistry at 3d, 7d, 14d, 21d after alkali burn, and the expression of EPO was measured. RESULTS: CNV began growing at the 3d after alkali burn in experimental group, and it was vigorous growing at 7d-14d period. The result of immunohistochemistry shows that the expression of EPO increased after the operation. Compared with experimental group, the rabbits who were treated by EPO siRNA was found with less neovascularization on their corneal, and the expression of EPO decreased. There were statistical significance between the two group at different time(PCONCLUSION: EPO is likely to play an important role on CNV growth, and EPO siRNA can inhibit the growth of CNV by restraining the expression of EPO.

  17. Infectivity of Trichinella papuae for experimentally infected red foxes (Vulpes vulpes)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Webster, P.; Malakauskas, A.; Kapel, C. M O

    2002-01-01

    To evaluate infectivity for carnivores as well as other biological characteristics of the newly described Trichinella papuae, eight red foxes were experimentally infected with the parasite. Five weeks after inoculation, T. papuae larvae were recovered from nine different muscle types. The larvae...

  18. Effects of morphine on the expression of cytokines and inflammatory mediators in a rabbit model of endotoxin-induced experimental uveitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kethye P. Ortencio

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Purpose: To evaluate the effects of 1% morphine instillation on clinical parameters, aqueous humor turbidity, and expression levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2, and myeloperoxidase (MPO in rabbits with endotoxin-induced experimental uveitis. Methods: Twenty four New Zealand white rabbits were divided into four groups (n=6 each: control (CG, morphine (MG, naloxone (NG, and morphine-naloxone (MNG groups. Under dissociative anesthesia, 0.1 mL of solution containing 0.2 µg of lipopolysaccharide (LPS endotoxin from the Salmonella typhimurium cell wall was injected in the vitreous chamber. Clinical evaluations (conjunctical hyperemia, chemosis blepharospasm, and ocular discharge and laser flaremetry were performed before (baseline, and 10 and 20 hours after induction of uveitis. Rabbits were subsequently euthanized and eyes were enucleated to quantify expression levels of TNF-α, IL-1 beta, PGE2, and MPO. Results: No significant differences in clinical parameters and flare values were observed between the study groups. TNF-α and IL-1 beta levels increased significantly in the CG, MG, NG, and MNG groups compared to baseline (P0.05. Conclusions: Morphine has no effect on clinical parameters, flare, or expression levels of inflammatory mediators in a rabbit model of uveitis induced by intravitreal injection of LPS.

  19. Experimental osteoarthritis in the rabbit knee joint

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bohr, H.

    1976-01-01

    development of arthrotic-like changes following resection of the of the cruciate ligaments in the knee joint of rabbits has been studied at intervals from 2 weeks to 10 months in 35 animals. Signs of cartilage degeneration were followed by changes in the subchondral bone, where formation of osteophytes and condensation to took place. An increased vascular supply was demonstrated by microangiographic and scintigraphic investigations. The uptake of 18 F and 99 mTc-polyphosphate reached a maximal value about 2 months after the operation and then diminished despite further development of arthrotic changes. (author)

  20. Effect of Monocular Deprivation on Rabbit Neural Retinal Cell Densities

    OpenAIRE

    Mwachaka, Philip Maseghe; Saidi, Hassan; Odula, Paul Ochieng; Mandela, Pamela Idenya

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: To describe the effect of monocular deprivation on densities of neural retinal cells in rabbits. Methods: Thirty rabbits, comprised of 18 subject and 12 control animals, were included and monocular deprivation was achieved through unilateral lid suturing in all subject animals. The rabbits were observed for three weeks. At the end of each week, 6 experimental and 3 control animals were euthanized, their retinas was harvested and processed for light microscopy. Photomicrographs of ...

  1. Repair of the meniscus. An experimental investigation in rabbits

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veth, R. P.; den Heeten, G. J.; Jansen, H. W.; Nielsen, H. K.

    1983-01-01

    The healing process of wedge-shaped and longitudinal lesions in the meniscus of the knee was investigated in 74 menisci in 24 Chinchilla rabbits. In four cases the whole meniscus was removed and reimplanted. healing was most evident in the wedge-shaped lesions, which were repaired by fibrocartilage.

  2. The effect of infection and lag screw fixation on the union of membranous bone grafts in a rabbit model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fialkov, J A; Phillips, J H; Walmsley, S L

    1994-03-01

    Infection complicating craniofacial procedures contributes significantly to patient morbidity and health care costs. The role of fixation materials in this setting remains unclear. As foreign material, does fixation hardware increase patients' susceptibility to developing postoperative infection? Furthermore, once infection is established, should fixation hardware be removed? To answer these questions, we performed an onlay membranous bone grafting procedure to the mandible in 94 New Zealand White rabbits, applied lag-screw fixation in half the animals, and inoculated the wounds with different bacterial doses. We quantified the differential rates of infection and rates of graft union in the presence of infection. The infection rates for the rigidly fixated group were not significantly different from the rates for the nonfixated group for a range of bacterial inoculum doses. There was no significant difference in the rates of resolution of infection and sepsis between the two groups. Gross and histologic assessments revealed a significantly lower union rate for infected grafts when compared with uninfected grafts. Furthermore, grafts rigidly fixated with a lag screw showed a higher rate of union when compared with nonfixated grafts in the presence of infection. In the absence of infection, the union rates for fixated and nonfixated groups did not differ significantly. While fixation hardware has been cited as a risk factor for postoperative infection, we were unable to show that lag-screw fixation contributes to this risk. Although infection impaired the union of membranous bone grafts to the recipient mandible, fixation of the grafts with a lag screw significantly decreased this deleterious effect of infection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  3. Ultrastructural researches on rabbit myxomatosis. Lymphnodal lesions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marcato, P S; Simoni, P

    1977-07-01

    Ultrastructural examination of head and neck lymph nodes in rabbits with spontaneous subacute myxomatosis showed fusion of immature reticuloendothelial cells which lead to the formation of polykarocytes. There was no ultrastructural evidence of viral infection of these polykaryocytes. Histiosyncytial lymphadenitis can be considered a specific lesion of myxomatosis.

  4. The effect of butyric acid with autogenous omental graft on healing of experimental Achilles tendon injury in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jahani, S; Moslemi, H R; Dehghan, M M; Sedaghat, R; Mazaheri Nezhad, R; Rezaee Moghaddam, D

    2015-01-01

    In this study, the role of local injection of butyric acid (BA) with autogenous omental graft was evaluated in healing of experimental Achilles tendon injury in rabbits. Nine adult male New Zealand rabbits were anesthetized and a partial thickness tenotomy was created on both hindlimbs. In treated group, omental graft was secured in place using BA soaked polygalactin 910 suture. In control group, the graft was sutured without BA. Butyric acid and normal saline were injected daily to treatment and control groups for three days, respectively. Based on the findings, on day 15 after injury, the tendon sections showed that healing rate in BA treated group was higher than that in control group. Furthermore, at days 28 and 45, comparison between BA treated and control groups demonstrated that BA increased the healing rate but with no significance. In summary, results of this study show that application of BA with autogenous omental graft can improve healing process of damaged Achilles tendon.

  5. A Survey on the Gastrointestinal Parasites of Rabbit and Guinea Pig in a Laboratory Animal House

    OpenAIRE

    Motamedi, G.,; Moharami, M.,; Paykari, H.,; Eslampanah, M.,; Omraninava, A.

    2014-01-01

    There is documented evidence that infection in laboratory animals can often influence the outcome of experiments. All infections, apparent or inapparent, are likely to increase biological variability. As a research project concerning the diversity and distribution of parasites of rabbit and guinea pig in a conventional laboratory animal house, about 87 rabbits (from 700 ) and 105 guinea pigs (from 1500 ) were selected randomly from a Research, Production & Breeding of Laboratory Animals Depar...

  6. Phacoemulsification of bilateral cataracts in two pet rabbits

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Ibrahim Eldaghayes

    2018-04-04

    Apr 4, 2018 ... treatment of cataracts can be considered as a treatment option whenever a healthy rabbit is visually impaired due ... titers were 0.711 (>0.350: consistent with infection). ..... Valinhos, M.A.R., Ranzani, J.J.T., Rodrigues, A.C.L..

  7. Accidental and experimental salinomycin poisoning in rabbits Intoxicações natural e experimental por salinomicina em coelhos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paulo Vargas Peixoto

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available An outbreak of salinomycin poisoning in rabbits is described. At least 27 out of 2,000 rabbits reared on a farm died after the coccidiostatic drug sulfaquinoxaline was substituted by salinomycin in the feed. An average of 26.9ppm salinomycin was detected in the ration given to the rabbits. Clinical signs included anorexia, apathy and bradykinesia, which progressed to incoordination and recumbency. Gross lesions consisted of pale areas in the skeletal muscles. The histopathological findings showed severe necrotic degenerative myopathy in association with infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages. One rabbit exhibited similar alterations in the myocardium. Mineralization was observed in the affected skeletal muscles in some cases. In order to verify if the poisoning was due to salinomycin, 20 rabbits were divided into five groups and a ration containing the drug at doses of 10, 25, 50, 75 and 100ppm was given. The administration of doses higher than 50ppm resulted in manifestation of the clinical signs seen in the outbreak of poisoning. It was concluded, that probably an error related to the mixture of salinomycin in the feed was the cause of deaths in the spontaneous outbreak of poisoning on the rabbit farm.Relata-se, pela primeira vez, um surto de intoxicação por salinomicina em coelhos. De 2000 animais, no mínimo 27 morreram após troca do coccidiostático sulfaquinoxalina pela salinomicina. A análise de parte da ração detectou 26,9ppm de salinomicina. Os sinais clínicos observados foram anorexia, apatia e lentidão com evolução para incoordenação dos movimentos e decúbito. As lesões macroscópicas consistiram de áreas pálidas na musculatura esquelética. O exame histopatológico evidenciou miopatia degenerativo-necrótica. Adicionalmente, verificou-se reação inflamatória constituída por neutrófilos e macrófagos. Um coelho apresentou lesões similares no miocárdio. Em alguns casos, mineralização estava presente nos m

  8. Is the Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbit a suitable experimental model for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in humans? A light microscopic, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wanibuchi, H.; Dingemans, K. P.; Becker, A. E.; Ueda, M.; Naruko, T.; Tanizawa, S.; Nakamura, K.

    1993-01-01

    This study was designed to assess an experimental model for the study of mechanisms that underlie restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. The Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbit lacks the receptor for low density lipoproteins, produces atherosclerotic lesions

  9. Changes in Retinal Function and Cellular Remodeling Following Experimental Retinal Detachment in a Rabbit Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tilda Barliya

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. To explore functional electroretinographic (ERG changes and associated cellular remodeling following experimental retinal detachment in a rabbit model. Methods. Retinal detachment was created in ten rabbits by injecting 0.1 ml balanced salt solution under the retina. Fundus imaging was performed 0, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days postoperatively. ERGs were recorded pre- and 7 and 21 days postoperatively. Eyes were harvested on day 21 and evaluated immunohistochemically (IHC for remodeling of second- and third-order neurons. Results. Retinal reattachment occurred within two weeks following surgery. No attenuation was observed in the photopic or scotopic a- and b-waves. A secondary wavefront on the descending slope of the scotopic b-wave was the only ERG result that was attenuated in detached retinas. IHC demonstrated anatomical changes in both ON and OFF bipolar cells. Bassoon staining was observed in the remodeled dendrites. Amacrine and horizontal cells did not alter, but Muller cells were clearly reactive with marked extension. Conclusion. Retinal detachment and reattachment were associated with functional and anatomical changes. Exploring the significance of the secondary scotopic wavefront and its association with the remodeling of 2nd- and 3rd-order neurons will shade more light on functional changes and recovery of the retina.

  10. PHARMACOKINETIC VARIATIONS OF OFLOXACIN IN NORMAL AND FEBRILE RABBITS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. AHMAD, H. RAZA, G. MURTAZA AND N. AKHTAR

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available The influence of experimentally Escherichia coli-induced fever (EEIF on the pharmacokinetics of ofloxacin was evaluated. Ofloxacin was administered @ 20 mg.kg-1 body weight intravenously to a group of eight healthy rabbits and compared these results to values in same eight rabbits with EEIF. Pharmacokinetic parameters of ofloxacin in normal and febrile rabbits were determined by using two compartment open kinetic model. Peak plasma level (Cmax and area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC0-α in normal and febrile rabbits did not differ (P>0.05. However, area under first moment of plasma concentration-time curve (AUMC0-α in febrile rabbits was significantly (P<0.05 higher than that in normal rabbits. Mean values for elimination rate constant (Ke, elimination half life (t1/2β and apparent volume of distribution (Vd were significantly (P<0.05 lower in febrile rabbits compared to normal rabbits, while mean residence time (MRT and total body clearance (Cl of ofloxacin did not show any significant difference in the normal and febrile rabbits. Clinical significance of the above results can be related to the changes in the volume of distribution and elimination half life that illustrates an altered steady state in febrile condition; hence, the need for an adjustment of dosage regimen in EEIF is required.

  11. Animal model of atherosclerosis using rabbit experimentally induced by combination of X-ray and hypercholesterolemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishiyama, Tomotoshi; Sawai, Takashi; Okuma, Tsuneo; Mori, Shozo

    1995-01-01

    An attempt was made to prepare an animal model of atherosclerosis similar to human lesions. The experimental animals were male Japanese white rabbits weighting about 2 kg. Hypercholesterolemia was experimentally induced by giving a 1% cholesterol diet. Four weeks later, a single dose of 45 Gy was delivered to the femur to produce vascular changes. Soon after irradiation, immunohistochemical examination revealed the adhesion and invasion of macrophages to endothelial cells, followed by accumulation of foam cells and thickness of the intimal plaques. Three months after irradiation, these thickened plaques became fibrotic, calcified, and necrotic. The tunica media was thinned and the internal elastic lamella was destroyed. Irradiated arteries exhibited not only severe narrowing of the lumen but also aneurysmal dilation and the lesions of the irradiated arteries resembled human atherosclerosis. In conclusion, the atherosclerotic model produced by combining experimental hypercholesterolemia and X-ray irradiaiton may serve as a useful model for studies on atherosclerosis because it can be prepared with no need of complicated or time-consuming procedures. (N.K.)

  12. Blood biochemistry responses of chickens experimentally infected ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study investigated the blood biochemistry responses of cockerels experimentally infected with a velogenic Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strain, KUDU 113. One hundred Isa white cockerels were used for the study. The cockerels were obtained at day-old and randomly divided into groups A- vaccinated and infected, ...

  13. Effect of cyclic training model on terminal structure of rabbit Achilles tendon: an experimental study

    OpenAIRE

    Chang-lin HUANG; Wang GAO; Tao HUANG; Zhen-hai GUO

    2012-01-01

    Objective  To observe the effect of cyclic training on histomorphology of the terminal structure of rabbit Achilles tendon, and explore its preventive effect on training-based enthesiopathy. Methods  Seventy-two Japanese white rabbits were randomly assigned to four groups: control group, jumping group, running group and cyclic training group, 18 for each. Three rabbits of each group were sacrificed at the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 8th and 10th week. The terminal insertion tissues of bilateral Achil...

  14. The possibility of using irradiated untraditional feed-stuffs in rabbits nutrition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mekawy, H.M.S.H.

    2007-01-01

    The present work was designed and carried out at food irradiation research department , National Center for Radiation Research and Technology (NCRRT), Nasr City, Cairo , Egypt , in co-operation with animal production department, faculty of agriculture, Moshtohor, Benha University. The main target of the present study was to evaluate, improve and upgrade the utilization of olive cake and the possibility of replacing part of (clover hay) in rabbits diets by either non-or irradiated processed olive cake with gamma irradiation at dose levels of 20 and 60 kGy . The performance of growing rabbits digestibility, nutritive values of experimental diets, alongside some blood haematological and biochemical parameters, violability rate and economical efficiency were also studied. The growing rabbits were fed on diets without olive cake by - product (control diet) , or with 15% raw or processed olive cake at the above mentioned radiation dose (20 and 60 kGy) from cobalt-60 radioisotopes. Accordingly, a total of 4 experimental diets were used. The experimental diets were formulated to be iso-nitrogenous ( ∼ 17% CP), iso - caloric (∼2500 kcal DE/kg diet) and to , satisfy the nutrients requirements of growing rabbits according to agriculture ministry decree (1996)

  15. Evaluation of clinical and paraclinical effects of intraosseous vs intravenous administration of propofol on general anesthesia in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazaheri-Khameneh, Ramin; Sarrafzadeh-Rezaei, Farshid; Asri-Rezaei, Siamak; Dalir-Naghadeh, Bahram

    2012-01-01

    This prospective study aimed to compare the intraosseous (IO) and intravenous (IV) effects of propofol on selected blood parameters and physiological variables during general anesthesia in rabbits. Thirty New Zealand White rabbits were studied. Six rabbits received IV propofol (group 1) and another 6 rabbits, were injected propofol intraosseously (Group 2) for 30 minutes (experimental groups). Rabbits of the third and fourth groups received IV and IO normal saline at the same volume given to the experimental groups, respectively. In the fifth group IO cannulation was performed but neither propofol nor normal saline were administered. Blood profiles were assayed before induction and after recovery of anesthesia. Heart and respiratory rates, rectal temperature, saturation of peripheral oxygen and mean arterial blood pressure were recorded. Heart rate increased significantly 1 to 5 minutes after induction of anesthesia in experimental groups (P anesthesia in rabbits with limited vascular access.

  16. Evaluation of the toxicity of onyx compared with n-butyl 2-cyanoacrylate in the subarachnoid space of a rabbit model: an experimental research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bakar, Bulent [Kirikkale University, School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Kirikkale (Turkey); Kirikkale University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Kirikkale (Turkey); Oruckaptan, Hakan H.; Hazer, Burcu D. [Hacettepe University, School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Ankara (Turkey); Saatci, Isil [Hacettepe University, School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Ankara (Turkey); Atilla, Pergin; Muftuoglu, Sevda F. [Hacettepe University, School of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embriology, Ankara (Turkey); Kilic, Kamer [Hacettepe University, School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Ankara (Turkey)

    2010-02-15

    The toxic effects of onyx, its solvent dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), and n-butyl 2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) were evaluated after infusion into the subaracnoid space of a rabbit model. Each of the two various concentrations of onyx, pure DMSO, NBCA, and normal saline solution were percutaneously infused into the pontocerebellar cisternae of 39 domestic male albino rabbits, after which, the brain stems and medial cerebellar tissues were harvested for biochemical and histopathological studies. The specimens infused in various concentration of onyx, DMSO, and NBCA showed neural tissue necrosis and edema with inflammatory cell infiltration in the acute stage. Although the mean values of the lipid peroxidase in the control, saline, and NBCA groups were found to be almost similar, they were found to be low in the onyx and DMSO groups. This experimental study suggests that NBCA, and various concentrations of onyx and DMSO have toxic effects on the neural tissues of rabbits when infused into the subarachnoid space. (orig.)

  17. THERAPEUTIC MANAGEMENT OF SARCOPTIC MANGE IN RABBIT WITH IVERMECTIN

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    Joyjit Mitra

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Sarcoptic mange infected non-descriptive rabbits were successfully treated with Ivermectin @ 400 µg / kg body weight sub-cutaneously once weekly for 4 weeks resulted complete recovery within a month in Kalyani area, West Bengal, India.

  18. Punica granatum L. Juice Attenuates Experimental Cerebral Vasospasm in the Rabbit Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Model: A Basilar Artery Morphometric Study and Apoptosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guvenc, Yahya; Demirci, Adnan; Billur, Deniz; Aydin, Sevim; Ozeren, Ersin; Bayram, Pinar; Dilli, Alper; Gokce, Emre Cemal; Yaman, Onur; Celik, Haydar; Karatay, Mete; Alagoz, Fatih; Kaptanoglu, Erkan

    2017-03-01

    Background This study investigated the effect of Punica granatum L. (pomegranate) juice on the rabbit basilar artery in an experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) model. Methods  Eighteen adult male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into three groups: a control group ( n  = 6), SAH group ( n  = 6), and SAH + treatment group ( n  = 6). Basilar artery diameter was measured with magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) in all groups at the beginning of the study. Experimental SAH was created by injecting autologous arterial blood into the cisterna magna. In the treatment group, the subjects were administered a daily dose of 30 ml/kg pomegranate juice via gastric gavage for 4 days after the SAH. The SAH group and SAH + treatment group underwent cerebral MRA after 72 hours. After a neurologic score assessment, all the animals were killed. The wall thickness and lumen area of the basilar artery were measured histometrically in all groups, and the apoptotic cell percentage in the artery was identified. The mean diameter of the basilar artery during MRA was measured. Results  Pomegranate improved neurologic functions compared with the SAH group ( p   0.05). The apoptotic cell rate in the SAH + treatment group was significantly lower than in the SAH group ( p   0.05). Discussion  Pomegranate was shown to have a vasospasm- attenuating effect on the basilar artery in the rabbit SAH model for the first time in our study. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  19. Experimental microangiographic study in normal rabbit liver

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Yoon Gyoo; Park, Jong Yeon; Han, Kook Sang; Moon, Ki Ho; Choi, Chang Ho; Han, Koon Taek; Lee, Suck Hong; Kim, Byung Soo

    1994-01-01

    Microangiography is an experimental radiologic technique for evaluation of the morphology and the function of small vessels. The purpose of this study is to introduce a good microangiographic technique and to present the microangiographic appearance of normal hepatic vascular pattern. Five white rabbits weighing 2.5-2.9Kg were objected. Polyethylene catheters were inserted in portal vein and then in IVC. Heparin mixed normal saline (2cc/1000cc) was infused through portal vein and blood was drained to IVC. Barium suspension was infused via the catheter placed in portal vein until the liver surface showed satisfactory finding in barium filling. The liver was removed and this preparation was fixed in 10% formaline for 7 days. After fixation, the liver was sectioned on 1-2mm thickness. The slices were radiographed on high resolution plate using Faxitron. H-E staining of liver tissue was also done. The microbrium was well distributed in all small vessels without filling defect. And we could find the hexagonal shaped classic liver lobule, in which the central vein was located at central portion and portal vein at periphery. The enlargement was showed numerous sinusoids, but there was less dye in the central portion of lobule, but the central vein was well filled by microbarium. The peripheral portion of lobule was well filled with microbarium. So, we could find diamond shaped liver acinus, in which central vein was located at priperal portion and the center of liver acinus was terminal portal vein that growed out from a small portal space. The three acini made the complex acinus and acinar agglomerate was composed of three or four complex acini. It is considered that the liver acinus pattern of Rapparport is more acceptable on microangiography than the classic concept of hepatic lobule

  20. Effects Of Chloroquine On Some Visceral Organs In The Rabbit ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Effects Of Chloroquine On Some Visceral Organs In The Rabbit: Histopathological Perspective. ... Journal of Experimental and Clinical Anatomy ... 60 and 90 days in the albino (n=10) and pigmented (n=22) rabbits, with mean weight value of 1.40 ± 0.44kg and mean age value of 9.0 ± 0.25 months were investigated in the ...

  1. Simian rhesus rotavirus is a unique heterologous (non-lapine) rotavirus strain capable of productive replication and horizontal transmission in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciarlet, M; Estes, M K; Conner, M E

    2000-05-01

    Simian rhesus rotavirus (RRV) is the only identified heterologous (non-lapine) rotavirus strain capable of productive replication at a high inoculum dose of virus (>10(8) p.f.u.) in rabbits. To evaluate whether lower doses of RRV would productively infect rabbits and to obtain an estimate of the 50% infectious dose, rotavirus antibody-free rabbits were inoculated orally with RRV at inoculum doses of 10(3), 10(5) or 10(7) p.f.u. Based on faecal virus antigen or infectious virus shedding, RRV replication was observed with inoculum doses of 10(7) and 10(5) p.f.u., but not 10(3) p.f.u. Horizontal transmission of RRV to one of three mock-inoculated rabbits occurred 4-5 days after onset of virus antigen shedding in RRV-infected rabbits. Rabbits infected at 10(7) and 10(5), but not 10(3), p.f.u. of RRV developed rotavirus-specific immune responses and were completely (100%) protected from lapine ALA rotavirus challenge. These data confirm that RRV can replicate productively and spread horizontally in rabbits. In attempts to elucidate the genetic basis of the unusual replication efficacy of RRV in rabbits, the sequence of the gene encoding the lapine non-structural protein NSP1 was determined. Sequence analysis of the NSP1 of three lapine rotaviruses revealed a high degree of amino acid identity (85-88%) with RRV. Since RRV and lapine strains also share similar VP7s (96-97%) and VP4s (69-70%), RRV might replicate efficiently in rabbits because of the high relatedness of these three gene products, each implicated in host range restriction.

  2. Trichostatin A (TSA) improves the development of rabbit-rabbit intraspecies cloned embryos, but not rabbit-human interspecies cloned embryos.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Li-Hong; Miao, Yi-Liang; Ouyang, Ying-Chun; Huang, Jun-Cheng; Lei, Zi-Li; Yang, Ji-Wen; Han, Zhi-Ming; Song, Xiang-Fen; Sun, Qing-Yuan; Chen, Da-Yuan

    2008-03-01

    The interspecies somatic cell nuclear transfer (iSCNT) technique for therapeutic cloning gives great promise for treatment of many human diseases. However, the incomplete nuclear reprogramming and the low blastocyst rate of iSCNT are still big problems. Herein, we observed the effect of TSA on the development of rabbit-rabbit intraspecies and rabbit-human interspecies cloned embryos. After treatment with TSA for 6 hr during activation, we found that the blastocyst rate of rabbit-rabbit cloned embryos was more than two times higher than that of untreated embryos; however, the blastocyst rate of TSA-treated rabbit-human interspecies cloned embryos decreased. We also found evident time-dependent histone deacetylation-reacetylation changes in rabbit-rabbit cloned embryos, but not in rabbit-human cloned embryos from fusion to 6 hr after activation. Our results suggest that TSA-treatment does not improve blastocyst development of rabbit-human iSCNT embryos and that abnormal histone deacetylation-reacetylation changes in iSCNT embryos may account for their poor blastocyst development. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  3. Phosphodiesterase-4 inhibition alters gene expression and improves isoniazid-mediated clearance of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in rabbit lungs.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Selvakumar Subbian

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Tuberculosis (TB treatment is hampered by the long duration of antibiotic therapy required to achieve cure. This indolent response has been partly attributed to the ability of subpopulations of less metabolically active Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb to withstand killing by current anti-TB drugs. We have used immune modulation with a phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4 inhibitor, CC-3052, that reduces tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α production by increasing intracellular cAMP in macrophages, to examine the crosstalk between host and pathogen in rabbits with pulmonary TB during treatment with isoniazid (INH. Based on DNA microarray, changes in host gene expression during CC-3052 treatment of Mtb infected rabbits support a link between PDE4 inhibition and specific down-regulation of the innate immune response. The overall pattern of host gene expression in the lungs of infected rabbits treated with CC-3052, compared to untreated rabbits, was similar to that described in vitro in resting Mtb infected macrophages, suggesting suboptimal macrophage activation. These alterations in host immunity were associated with corresponding down-regulation of a number of Mtb genes that have been associated with a metabolic shift towards dormancy. Moreover, treatment with CC-3052 and INH resulted in reduced expression of those genes associated with the bacterial response to INH. Importantly, CC-3052 treatment of infected rabbits was associated with reduced ability of Mtb to withstand INH killing, shown by improved bacillary clearance, from the lungs of co-treated animals compared to rabbits treated with INH alone. The results of our study suggest that changes in Mtb gene expression, in response to changes in the host immune response, can alter the responsiveness of the bacteria to antimicrobial agents. These findings provide a basis for exploring the potential use of adjunctive immune modulation with PDE4 inhibitors to enhance the efficacy of existing anti-TB treatment.

  4. An overview on development and application of an experimental platform for quantitative cardiac imaging research in rabbit models of myocardial infarction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feng, Yuanbo; Bogaert, Jan; Oyen, Raymond; Ni, Yicheng

    2014-10-01

    To exploit the advantages of using rabbits for cardiac imaging research and to tackle the technical obstacles, efforts have been made under the framework of a doctoral research program. In this overview article, by cross-referencing the current literature, we summarize how we have developed a preclinical cardiac research platform based on modified models of reperfused myocardial infarction (MI) in rabbits; how the in vivo manifestations of cardiac imaging could be closely matched with those ex vivo macro- and microscopic findings; how these imaging outcomes could be quantitatively analyzed, validated and demonstrated; and how we could apply this cardiac imaging platform to provide possible solutions to certain lingering diagnostic and therapeutic problems in experimental cardiology. In particular, tissue components in acute cardiac ischemia have been stratified and characterized, post-infarct lipomatous metaplasia (LM) as a common but hardly illuminated clinical pathology has been identified in rabbit models, and a necrosis avid tracer as well as an anti-ischemic drug have been successfully assessed for their potential utilities in clinical cardiology. These outcomes may interest the researchers in the related fields and help strengthen translational research in cardiovascular diseases.

  5. Hepatitis E Virus in Farmed Rabbits, Wild Rabbits and Petting Farm Rabbits in the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Burt, S.A.; Veltman, Jorg; Hakze-van der Honing, Renate; Schmitt, Heike; van der Poel, Wim H.M.

    2016-01-01

    Rabbits have been suggested as a zoonotic source of Hepatitis E virus. Phylogenetic analysis of HEV isolates from farmed, wild and pet rabbits in the Netherlands (23, 0, and 60 % respectively) showed them to be grouped amongst published rabbit HEV sequences and distinct from most human isolates.

  6. Is the repair of articular cartilage lesion by costal chondrocyte transplantation donor age-dependent? An experimental study in rabbits.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Janusz Popko

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available The repair of chondral injuries is a very important problem and a subject of many experimental and clinical studies. Different techniques to induce articular cartilage repair are under investigation. In the present study, we have investigated whether the repair of articular cartilage folowing costal chondrocyte transplantation is donor age-dependent. Transplantation of costal chondrocytes from 4- and 24-week old donors, with artificially induced femoral cartilage lesion, was performed on fourteen 20-week-old New Zealand White male rabbits. In the control group, the lesion was left without chondrocyte transplantation. The evaluation of the cartilage repair was performed after 12 weeks of transplantation. We analyzed the macroscopic and histological appearance of the newly formed tissue. Immunohistochemistry was also performed using monoclonal antibodies against rabbit collagen type II. The newly formed tissue had a hyaline-like appearance in most of the lesions after chondrocyte transplantation. Positive immunohistochemical reaction for collagen II was also observed in both groups with transplanted chondrocytes. Cartilage from adult donors required longer isolation time and induced slightly poorer repair. However, hyaline-like cartilage was observed in most specimens from this group, in contrast to the control group, where fibrous connective tissue filled the lesions. Rabbit costal chondrocytes seem to be a potentially useful material for inducing articular cartilage repair and, even more important, they can also be derived from adult, sexually mature animals.

  7. Experimental study with gianturco stent in the trachea of rabbit

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Jeong Kook; Kim, Yun Hwan; Suh, Won Hyuck [College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1991-09-15

    An expendable stainless steel stent was formulated for use in treatment of tracheobronchial stenosis, tracheomalacia and air way collapse following tracheal reconstruction. The stents were placed throughout an endobronchial tube into the trachea of 20 healthy rabbits. Two different of sizes (10mm, A type and 20mm, B type in diameter and length) and two kinds of shapes (standard, A and B and modified, A' and B' with barbs) were used. Group I were used with A and A' type stents and group II were used with B and B' types. The animals were observed under fluoroscopy and findings were later confirmed at autopsy. With the exception of 2 cases where the stents migrated. 1 case in A subgroup and A' and an inflammatory reaction was noted in each animal. Group II rabbits were almost died within 2-4 weeks after stent placement. In the comparison of the pathohistologic findings between group I and II, the tissue necrosis at the sites of stent placement in trachea is more severe and extensive in group II than that of group I, and also reactive fibroblastic reaction is more severe in group II. So the thickness of the tracheal wall in group II is two or three times thicker than that of group I which seems to be a result of reactive fibrosis. So, A and A' type stent is safer than B and B' type stent in normal rabbit trachea. It is advisable to use stents in diameter under 2 times to tracheal width and the complication of stent placement in trachea may be reduced for appropriate reconstruction of stenotic lesion.

  8. Experimental study with gianturco stent in the trachea of rabbit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Jeong Kook; Kim, Yun Hwan; Suh, Won Hyuck

    1991-01-01

    An expendable stainless steel stent was formulated for use in treatment of tracheobronchial stenosis, tracheomalacia and air way collapse following tracheal reconstruction. The stents were placed throughout an endobronchial tube into the trachea of 20 healthy rabbits. Two different of sizes (10mm, A type and 20mm, B type in diameter and length) and two kinds of shapes (standard, A and B and modified, A' and B' with barbs) were used. Group I were used with A and A' type stents and group II were used with B and B' types. The animals were observed under fluoroscopy and findings were later confirmed at autopsy. With the exception of 2 cases where the stents migrated. 1 case in A subgroup and A' and an inflammatory reaction was noted in each animal. Group II rabbits were almost died within 2-4 weeks after stent placement. In the comparison of the pathohistologic findings between group I and II, the tissue necrosis at the sites of stent placement in trachea is more severe and extensive in group II than that of group I, and also reactive fibroblastic reaction is more severe in group II. So the thickness of the tracheal wall in group II is two or three times thicker than that of group I which seems to be a result of reactive fibrosis. So, A and A' type stent is safer than B and B' type stent in normal rabbit trachea. It is advisable to use stents in diameter under 2 times to tracheal width and the complication of stent placement in trachea may be reduced for appropriate reconstruction of stenotic lesion

  9. Experimental study with gianturco stent in the trachea of rabbit

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Jeong Kook; Kim, Yun Hwan; Suh, Won Hyuck [College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    1991-09-15

    An expendable stainless steel stent was formulated for use in treatment of tracheobronchial stenosis, tracheomalacia and air way collapse following tracheal reconstruction. The stents were placed throughout an endobronchial tube into the trachea of 20 healthy rabbits. Two different of sizes (10mm, A type and 20mm, B type in diameter and length) and two kinds of shapes (standard, A and B and modified, A' and B' with barbs) were used. Group I were used with A and A' type stents and group II were used with B and B' types. The animals were observed under fluoroscopy and findings were later confirmed at autopsy. With the exception of 2 cases where the stents migrated. 1 case in A subgroup and A' and an inflammatory reaction was noted in each animal. Group II rabbits were almost died within 2-4 weeks after stent placement. In the comparison of the pathohistologic findings between group I and II, the tissue necrosis at the sites of stent placement in trachea is more severe and extensive in group II than that of group I, and also reactive fibroblastic reaction is more severe in group II. So the thickness of the tracheal wall in group II is two or three times thicker than that of group I which seems to be a result of reactive fibrosis. So, A and A' type stent is safer than B and B' type stent in normal rabbit trachea. It is advisable to use stents in diameter under 2 times to tracheal width and the complication of stent placement in trachea may be reduced for appropriate reconstruction of stenotic lesion.

  10. Hepatitis E Virus in Farmed Rabbits, Wild Rabbits and Petting Farm Rabbits in the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Burt, Sara A.; Veltman, Jorg; Hakze-van der Honing, Renate; Schmitt, Heike; Poel, van der Wim H.M.

    2016-01-01

    Rabbits have been suggested as a zoonotic source of Hepatitis E virus. Phylogenetic analysis of HEV isolates from farmed, wild and pet rabbits in the Netherlands (23, 0, and 60 % respectively) showed them to be grouped amongst published rabbit HEV sequences and distinct from most human isolates.

  11. [In vitro differentiation of synovial-derived mesenchymal stem cells infected by adenovirus vector mediated by bone morphogenetic protein 2/7 genes into fibrocartilage cells in rabbits].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Peiliang; Zhang, Lei; Wu, Haishan; Cong, Ruijun; Chen, Song; Ding, Zheru; Hu, Kaimen

    2013-03-01

    To investigate the feasibility of rabbit synovial-derived mesenchymal stem cells (SMSCs) differentiating into fibrocartilage cells by the recombinant adenovirus vector mediated by bone morphogenetic protein 2/7 (BMP-2/7) genes in vitro. SMSCs were isolated and purified from 3-month-old New Zealand white rabbits [male or female, weighing (2.1 +/- 0.3) kg]; the morphology was observed; the cells were identified with immunocytological fluorescent staining, flow cytometry, and cell cycles. The adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic differentiations were detected. The recombinant plasmid of pAdTrack-BMP-2-internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-BMP-7 was constructed and then was used to infect SMSCs. The cell DNA content and the oncogenicity were tested to determine the safety. Then infected SMSCs were cultured in incomplete chondrogenic medium in vitro. Chondrogenic differentiation of infected SMSCs was detected by RT-PCR, immunofluorescent staining, and toluidine blue staining. SMSCs expressed surface markers of stem cells, and had multi-directional potential. The transfection efficiency of SMSCs infected by recombinant plasmid of pAdTrack-BMP-2-IRES-BMP-7 was about 70%. The safety results showed that infected SMSCs had normal double time, normal chromosome number, and normal DNA content and had no oncogenicity. At 21 days after cultured in incomplete chondrocyte medium, RT-PCR results showed SMSCs had increased expressions of collegan type I and collegan type II, particularly collegan type II; the expressions of RhoA and Sox-9 increased obviously. Immunofluorescent staining and toluidine blue staining showed differentiation of SMSCs into fibrocartilage cells. It is safe to use pAdTrack-BMP-2-IRES-BMP-7 for infecting SMSCs. SMSCs infected by pAdTrack-BMP-2-IRES-BMP-7 can differentiate into fibrocartilage cells spontaneously in vitro.

  12. [Formation and persistence of L-variants of Salmonella typhi in experimental typhoid and in carriers].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levina, G A; Prozorovskiĭ, S V; Iagud, S L; Grumman, M I; Gorelov, A L

    1981-07-01

    The possibility of the induction and persistence of S. typhi L-forms in the process of experimental typhoid infection and carriership has been studied in rabbits. This study has revealed that the process of L-transformation leading to the appearance of the imbalanced growth forms and unstable L-forms of S. typhi in the organism of the animals infected with S. typhi culture may occur under the conditions of carriership. Such changed forms can be detected in the organism of the animals 18 months after the primary infection.

  13. Evaluation of peritoneal endometriosis treatment using intralesional acetylsalicylic acid injection in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saad-Hossne, Rogério; Barretto, Adriana Beatriz; Siqueira, Juliana Menezes; Denadai, Rafael

    2016-04-01

    To investigate the efficacy of intralesional 20% aspirin injection for treatment of experimental peritoneal endometriosis. Peritoneal endometriosis was experimentally induced in forty adult nulligravid female rabbits. On day 30 post-endometriosis induction, rabbits were randomly divided to assess early (10 days) and late (20 days) effects of intralesional injection of physiological saline solution (control groups) in comparison to intralesional injection of 20% bicarbonate aspirin solution (experimental groups) as follows: control group 1 (10 days, n=10); control group 2 (20 days, n=10); experimental group 3 (10 days, n=10); experimental group 4 (20 days, n=10). Resected tissues, including endometriosis foci, were qualitatively (general morphology and signs of inflammatory cells infiltrate, necrosis and apoptosis) and quantitatively (remaining endometriosis area) assessed by histopathological analysis. Extensive necrosis, hemorrhage, apoptosis, and fibrosis were observed in the experimental groups 3 and 4. Groups 1 and 2 presented typical endometrial tissue cysts, respectively. Groups 3 and 4 showed sparse endometrial tissue foci and no endometrial tissue, respectively. Quantitative analysis revealed that aspirin-treated groups 3 and 4 had significantly (pendometriosis area, compared to control groups 1 and 2. Intralesional 20% aspirin injection caused total destruction of peritoneal endometriosis foci in rabbits.

  14. Penetration of 45Ca in rabbit cornea following the introduction of air in the anterior chamber and its paracenthesis and following experimental intraocular hypertension

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Votockova, J.; Obenberger, J.; Babicky, A.

    1977-01-01

    In one group of Chinchilla rabbits the aqueous humor was withdrawn and the anterior chamber was refilled with air; in a second group only simple paracenthesis and withdrawal were performed; in a third group of animals experimental intraocular hypertension was produced by means of a subconjunctival injection of hypertonic sodium chloride. Immediately after these operations, a solution of 45 CaCl 2 was intravenously injected, and the rabbits were sacrificed after an interval of 30 min or 120 min. The corneas were excised and the radioactivity in central parts (trephined discs of 8 mm in diameter) and in remaining peripheral parts was determined. In all groups the corneal radioactivity in operated eyes exceeded the values found in the contralateral corneas of not operated eyes, radioactivity in these eyes being equal to the radioactivity found in the corneas of not operated rabbits in the control group. Various possible explanations of the increase of corneal radioactivity in operated eyes are briefly discussed. (author)

  15. RESEARCHES ON THE PHENOTYPIC CORRELATION BETWEEN DIFFERENT MEASUREMENTS ON THE CARCASS OF RABBITS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    DANIELA MARCELA TOBĂ (GOINA

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this experiment was to get more experimental data on newmethodologies for rabbit meat production evaluation. The trial was carried out on30 rabbits. The rabbits were weaned at 35 days, having an average live weight of499.11+25.98 g. Rabbits were all slaughtered on the same day, that was on the 84th day of living (at this time the average live weight was 1701.7+34.07, andsome linear measurements (body length, loin width, chest width, carcass lengthchest dept and hind leg length were performed on cold carcasses. The rabbitshave been kept in wire fattening cages: 6 rabbits / cage.

  16. Dietary supplementation with olive stone meal in growing rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerolamo Xiccato

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Olive stone meal is a low-digested fibre source potentially useful in the prevention of digestive troubles in growing rabbit permitting a better balance of dietary fibre fractions. To evaluate its efficacy, three experimental diets containing 0, 3 or 6% olive stone meal were fed to 222 rabbits from weaning (28 d to slaughter (73 d. Olive stone inclusion increased the proportion of large dietary particles while did not affect growth performance, digestive physiology and carcass and meat quality. Due to optimum health status observed in all experimental groups, the preventive action of olive stone meal against the occurrence of digestive troubles was not proven.

  17. GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND CARCASS COMPOSITION OF RABBITS FED ON DIETS OF GRADUAL LEVELS OF BARLEY GRAIN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.M. El-Adawy

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Forty-eight male New Zealand White rabbits of 6 weeks age (BW 875 ± 28.3 g were randomly allocated among six groups in different levels of barley grains (BG; 0 (B0, 5 (B5, 10 (B10, 15 (B15, 20 (B20, 25% (B25 of the total diet on growth performance and carcass composition of rabbits . The highest live BW value (P < 0.05 was obtained in B20 rabbits, whereas the highest feed intake (P < 0.05 value was obtained in B25 rabbits followed by those fed on the other diets. The better-feed conversion ratio (FCR was obtained in B20 rabbits followed by those of B15 and B25. Animals of B20 had better FCR than those of the other experimental diets. The relative contribution of soft feces to dry matter or crude protein intake differed (P < 0.05 among the experimental diets. The caecal turnover rate was increased (P < 0.05 in B15 and B20 rabbits than those other diets. The per-slaughter weight, hot and cold carcass weight and dressing percentage were differed (P < 0.05 among the experimental groups and highest values were recorded in B20 rabbits. Data suggested that a partial replacement of corn grains (CG by 20% BG in rabbit diets was increased live body weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio.

  18. Infections in orthopaedic surgery : clinical and experimental studies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vogely, Henri Charles

    2000-01-01

    The diagnostic difficulties, variability in outcome and the heterogeinity of the problem of orthopaedic infections stimulated the author to a study of the literature, and several clinical and experimental studies. The diagnosis prosthesis-related infection can only be reached with an acceptable

  19. Technetium-99m labelled antimicrobial peptides discriminate between bacterial infections and sterile inflammations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Welling, M.M.; Pauwels, E.K.J.; Paulusma-Annema, A.; Nibbering, P.H.; Balter, H.S.

    2000-01-01

    The aim of this study was to select technetium-99m labelled peptides that can discriminate between bacterial infections and sterile inflammations. For this purpose, we first assessed the binding of various 99m Tc-labelled natural or synthetic peptides, which are based on the sequence of the human antimicrobial peptide ubiquicidin (UBI) or human lactoferrin (hLF), to bacteria and to leucocytes in vitro. In order to select peptides that preferentially bind to bacteria over host cells, radiolabelled peptides were injected into mice intraperitoneally infected with Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) and the amount of radioactivity associated with the bacteria and with the leucocytes was quantitated. The next phase focussed on discrimination between bacterial infections and sterile inflammatory processes using 99m Tc-labelled peptides in mice intramuscularly infected with various bacteria (e.g. multi-drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and in animals that had been injected with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of bacterial origin to create a sterile inflammatory process. Also, we studied the distribution of 99m Tc-labelled UBI 29-41 and UBI 18-35 in rabbits having an experimental thigh muscle infection with K. pneumoniae and in rabbits injected with LPS. Based on the results of our in vitro and in vivo binding assays, two peptides, i.e. UBI 29-41 and UBI 18-35, were selected as possible candidates for infection imaging. The radiolabelled peptides can detect infections with both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria in mice as early as 5-30 min after injection, with a target-to-non-target (T/NT) ratio between 2 and 3; maximum T/NT ratios were seen within 1 h after injection. In rabbits, high T/NT ratios (>5) for 99m Tc-labelled UBI 29-41 were observed from 1 h after injection. No accumulation of the selected 99m Tc-labelled UBI-derived peptides was observed in thighs of mice and rabbits previously injected with LPS. Scintigraphic investigation into the biodistribution of

  20. Technetium-99m labelled antimicrobial peptides discriminate between bacterial infections and sterile inflammations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Welling, M.M.; Pauwels, E.K.J. [Dept. of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) (Netherlands); Paulusma-Annema, A.; Nibbering, P.H. [Dept. of Infectious Diseases, Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands); Balter, H.S. [Centro Investigaciones Nucleares, Univ. of the Republic Uruguay, Montevideo (Uruguay)

    2000-03-01

    The aim of this study was to select technetium-99m labelled peptides that can discriminate between bacterial infections and sterile inflammations. For this purpose, we first assessed the binding of various {sup 99m}Tc-labelled natural or synthetic peptides, which are based on the sequence of the human antimicrobial peptide ubiquicidin (UBI) or human lactoferrin (hLF), to bacteria and to leucocytes in vitro. In order to select peptides that preferentially bind to bacteria over host cells, radiolabelled peptides were injected into mice intraperitoneally infected with Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) and the amount of radioactivity associated with the bacteria and with the leucocytes was quantitated. The next phase focussed on discrimination between bacterial infections and sterile inflammatory processes using {sup 99m}Tc-labelled peptides in mice intramuscularly infected with various bacteria (e.g. multi-drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and in animals that had been injected with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) of bacterial origin to create a sterile inflammatory process. Also, we studied the distribution of {sup 99m}Tc-labelled UBI 29-41 and UBI 18-35 in rabbits having an experimental thigh muscle infection with K. pneumoniae and in rabbits injected with LPS. Based on the results of our in vitro and in vivo binding assays, two peptides, i.e. UBI 29-41 and UBI 18-35, were selected as possible candidates for infection imaging. The radiolabelled peptides can detect infections with both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria in mice as early as 5-30 min after injection, with a target-to-non-target (T/NT) ratio between 2 and 3; maximum T/NT ratios were seen within 1 h after injection. In rabbits, high T/NT ratios (>5) for {sup 99m}Tc-labelled UBI 29-41 were observed from 1 h after injection. No accumulation of the selected {sup 99m}Tc-labelled UBI-derived peptides was observed in thighs of mice and rabbits previously injected with LPS. Scintigraphic investigation

  1. Rabbit model for human EBV-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS): sequential autopsy analysis and characterization of IL-2-dependent cell lines established from herpesvirus papio-induced fatal rabbit lymphoproliferative diseases with HPS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashi, Kazuhiko; Jin, Zaishun; Onoda, Sachiyo; Joko, Hiromasa; Teramoto, Norihiro; Ohara, Nobuya; Oda, Wakako; Tanaka, Takehiro; Liu, Yi-Xuan; Koirala, Tirtha Raj; Oka, Takashi; Kondo, Eisaku; Yoshino, Tadashi; Takahashi, Kiyoshi; Akagi, Tadaatsu

    2003-05-01

    Epstein-Barr virus-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (EBV-AHS) is often associated with fatal infectious mononucleosis or T-cell lymphoproliferative diseases (LPD). To elucidate the true nature of fatal LPD observed in Herpesvirus papio (HVP)-induced rabbit hemophagocytosis, reactive or neoplastic, we analyzed sequential development of HVP-induced rabbit LPD and their cell lines. All of the seven Japanese White rabbits inoculated intravenously with HVP died of fatal LPD 18 to 27 days after inoculation. LPD was also accompanied by hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) in five of these seven rabbits. Sequential autopsy revealed splenomegaly and swollen lymph nodes, often accompanied by bleeding, which developed in the last week. Atypical lymphoid cells infiltrated many organs with a "starry sky" pattern, frequently involving the spleen, lymph nodes, and liver. HVP-small RNA-1 expression in these lymphoid cells was clearly demonstrated by a newly developed in situ hybridization (ISH) system. HVP-ISH of immunomagnetically purified lymphoid cells from spleen or lymph nodes revealed HVP-EBER1+ cells in each CD4+, CD8+, or CD79a+ fraction. Hemophagocytic histiocytosis was observed in the lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, and thymus. HVP-DNA was detected in the tissues and peripheral blood from the infected rabbits by PCR or Southern blot analysis. Clonality analysis of HVP-induced LPD by Southern blotting with TCR gene probe revealed polyclonal bands, suggesting polyclonal proliferation. Six IL-2-dependent rabbit T-cell lines were established from transplanted scid mouse tumors from LPD. These showed latency type I/II HVP infection and had normal karyotypes except for one line, and three of them showed tumorigenicity in nude mice. These data suggest that HVP-induced fatal LPD in rabbits is reactive polyclonally in nature.

  2. Binding of the ligand [3H]MK-801 to the MK-801 binding site of the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor during experimental encephalopathy from acute liver failure and from acute hyperammonemia in the rabbit

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    R.J. de Knegt (Robert); J. Kornhuber (Johannes); S.W. Schalm (Solko); K. Rusche (K.); P.F. Riederer (Peter); J. Tan (J.)

    1993-01-01

    textabstractBinding of the ligand [3H]MK-801 to the MK-801 binding site of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor population on brain homogenates in rabbits was studied during experimental encephalopathy from acute liver failure and from acute hyperammonemia in the rabbit. Homogenates were

  3. Electron Microscopic Changes of Rabbit Retina after Chromovitrectomy Using Combined Dyes (Experimental Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B. M. Aznabaev

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: to evaluate on experimental model electron-microscopic changes of rabbit retina after staining of the posterior eye segmentwith combined dyes based on Trypan blue and Brilliant blue G for the assessment of their safety. Methods. The study was performed onChinchilla breed rabbits. Combined dyes based on Trypan blue and Brilliant blue were used: MembraneBlue-Dual (DORC, Netherlandsand “Staining solution for ophthalmic surgery” (JCS “Optimedservis”, Russia. Standard three-port vitrectomy technique was used. After vitreous removal dyes were injected in vitreous cavity and exposed for 10 seconds and then removed. The vitreous cavity was filled by a balanced salt solution. An electron-microscopic evaluation was performed on 5, 14 and 30 days after surgery. Eyes were enucleated in 20 minutes after animal was killed by air embolization. Intact eyes were used as a control, all samples were prepared in same сonditions. The damage of the retina architectonics and the presence of intracellular inclusions were evaluated. Results. The staged character of pathomorphological changes was revealed. On the 5th day moderate edema and hydropic dystrophy of neurons were registered. On the 14th day, there was no negative dynamics. On day 30, the signs of edema and dystrophy of neurons practically disappeared, which may indicate a fundamental reversibility of the registered changes. Conclusion. Investigated dyes for staining intraocular structures based on Trypan blue and Brilliant blue did not cause significant histomorphological changes and toxic effects on retinal cell structures. Detected electron microscopic changes were insignificant, had reversible character and could be mostly caused by a surgical injury.

  4. Atelocollagen Enhances the Healing of Rotator Cuff Tendon in Rabbit Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suh, Dong-Sam; Lee, Jun-Keun; Yoo, Ji-Chul; Woo, Sang-Hun; Kim, Ga-Ram; Kim, Ju-Won; Choi, Nam-Yong; Kim, Yongdeok; Song, Hyun-Seok

    2017-07-01

    Failure of rotator cuff healing is a common complication despite the rapid development of surgical repair techniques for the torn rotator cuff. To verify the effect of atelocollagen on tendon-to-bone healing in the rabbit supraspinatus tendon compared with conventional cuff repair. Controlled laboratory study. A tear of the supraspinatus tendon was created and repaired in 46 New Zealand White rabbits. They were then randomly allocated into 2 groups (23 rabbits per group; 15 for histological and 8 for biomechanical test). In the experimental group, patch-type atelocollagen was implanted between bone and tendon during repair; in the control group, the torn tendon was repaired without atelocollagen. Each opposite shoulder served as a sham (tendon was exposed only). Histological evaluation was performed at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Biomechanical tensile strength was tested 12 weeks after surgery. Histological evaluation scores of the experimental group (4.0 ± 1.0) were significantly superior to those of the control group (7.7 ± 2.7) at 12 weeks ( P = .005). The load to failure was significantly higher in the experimental group (51.4 ± 3.9 N) than in the control group (36.4 ± 5.9 N) ( P = .001). Histological and biomechanical studies demonstrated better results in the experimental group using atelocollagen in a rabbit model of the supraspinatus tendon tear. Atelocollagen patch could be used in the cuff repair site to enhance healing.

  5. Tumor hepático experimental (VX-2 em coelho: implantação do modelo no Brasil Experimental liver tumor (VX-2 in rabbits: implantation of the model in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rogério Saad Hossne

    2002-08-01

    Full Text Available Os estudos para a investigação de novas modalidades terapêuticas em biologia tumoral, deveriam passar por estudos experimentais prévios. Neste sentido dispõem-se hoje de uma grande variedade de modelos tumorais experimentais; em determinadas investigações faz-se necessária a adequação do modelo tumoral às necessidades biológicas, patológicas e experimentais dos estudos. Desta forma, em nosso serviço, buscávamos um modelo tumoral hepático para estudos experimentais que se adequasse às seguintes características: fácil manipulação, crescimento controlável, evolução e agressividade semelhantes aos seres humanos. Os dados da literatura nos levaram a busca do tumor hepático VX-2, em coelhos. Neste artigo discutimos as vantagens da utilização deste modelo experimental e a sua introdução em nosso país.Studies for investigation of new therapeutic modalities in tumoral biology should be based on previous experimental studies. Then, there are a great variety of tumoral experimental models today. Some investigations have been done necessary an adaptation of the tumoral model to the needing of the studies biological and pathological. So, in our laboratory, we looked for a tumoral hepatic model for experimental studies with the following characteristics: easy manipulation, control of growing, evolution and aggressiveness like to humans. Data of the literature took us the search of the hepatic tumor VX-2, in rabbits. In this article we discussed the advantages of use this experimental model and its introduction in our country. Experimental hepatic tumor (VX-2 in rabbit. Implantation of the model in Brazil.

  6. Treatment with Entinostat Heals Experimental Cholera by Affecting Physical and Chemical Barrier Functions of Intestinal Epithelia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarker, Protim; Banik, Atanu; Stromberg, Roger; Gudmundsson, Gudmundur H; Raqib, Rubhana; Agerberth, Birgitta

    2017-07-01

    We have shown previously that oral treatment with sodium butyrate or phenylbutyrate in an experimental model of shigellosis improves clinical outcomes and induces the expression of the antimicrobial peptide CAP-18 in the large intestinal epithelia. In a subsequent study, we found that entinostat, an aroylated phenylenediamine compound, has similar therapeutic potential against shigellosis. In this study, we aimed to evaluate entinostat as a potential candidate for host-directed therapy against cholera in an experimental model. Vibrio cholerae -infected rabbits were treated with two different dose regimens of entinostat: either 0.5 mg twice daily for 2 days or 1 mg once daily for 2 days. The effects of treatment on clinical outcomes and V. cholerae shedding (CFU count in stool) were observed. Immunohistochemical analysis was carried out to assess CAP-18 expression in ileal and jejunal mucosae. The serum zonulin level was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to evaluate gut permeability. Infection of rabbits with V. cholerae downregulated CAP-18 expression in the ileal epithelium; the expression was replenished by oral treatment with entinostat at either dose regimen. The level of zonulin, a marker of gut permeability, in serum was upregulated after infection, and this upregulation was counteracted after treatment with entinostat. Entinostat treatment also led to recovery from cholera and a decline in the V. cholerae count in stool. In conclusion, the improved clinical outcome of cholera for rabbits treated with entinostat is associated with the induction of CAP-18 and the reduction of gut epithelial permeability. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  7. Assessing Anticalcification Treatments in Bioprosthetic Tissue by Using the New Zealand Rabbit Intramuscular Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Gregory A; Faught, Joelle M; Olin, Jane M

    2009-01-01

    The objective of this work was to demonstrate that the New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit intramuscular model can be used for detecting calcification in bioprosthetic tissue and to compare the calcification in the rabbit to that of native human valves. The rabbit model was compared with the commonly used Sprague–Dawley rat subcutaneous model. Eighteen rabbits and 18 rats were used to assess calcification in bioprosthetic tissue over time (7, 14, 30, and 90 d). The explanted rabbit and rat tissue discs were measured for calcium by using atomic absorption and Raman spectroscopy. Calcium deposits on the human valve explants were assessed by using Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that the NZW rabbit model is robust for detecting calcification in a shorter duration (14 d), with less infection complications, more space to implant tissue groups (thereby reducing animal use numbers), and a more metabolically and mechanically dynamic environment than the rat subcutaneous model . The human explanted valves and rabbit explanted tissue both showed Raman peaks at 960 cm−1 which is representative of hydroxyapatite. Hydroxyapatite is the final calcium and phosphate species in the calcification of bioprosthetic heart valves and rabbit intramuscular implants. The NZW rabbit intramuscular model is an effective model for assessing calcification in bioprosthetic tissue. PMID:19619417

  8. Anti-fibrin antibody binding in valvular vegetations and kidney lesions during experimental endocarditis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yokota, M; Basi, D L; Herzberg, M C; Meyer, M W

    2001-01-01

    In Streptococcus sanguinis (sanguis) induced experimental endocarditis, we sought evidence that the development of aortic valvular vegetation depends on the availability of fibrin. Endocarditis was induced in New Zealand white rabbits by catheter placement into the left ventricle and inoculation of the bacteria. Fibrin was localized in the developing vegetation with 99mTechnetium (Tc)-labeled anti-fibrin antibody one or three days later. When rabbit anti-fibrin antibody was given intravenously on day 1, the mass of aortic valvular vegetation was significantly reduced at day 3; infusion of non-specific rabbit IgG showed no effect. The 99mTc-labeled anti-fibrin antibody also labeled kidneys that showed macroscopic subcapsular hemorrhage. To learn if the deposition of fibrin in the kidneys was a consequence of endocarditis required a comparison of farm-bred and specific pathogen-free rabbits before and after the induction of endocarditis. Before induction, the kidneys of farm-bred rabbits were labeled, but specific pathogen-free rabbits were free of labeling and signs of macroscopic hemorrhage. After 3 days of endocarditis, kidneys of 10 of 14 specific pathogen-free rabbits labeled with 99mTc-labeled anti-fibrin antibody and showed hemorrhage. Kidney lesions were suggested to be a frequent sequellae of S. sanguinis infective endocarditis. For the first time, fibrin was shown to be required for the continued development of aortic valvular vegetations.

  9. INFECTIOUS MYXOMATOSIS OF RABBITS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smadel, Joseph E.; Ward, S. M.; Rivers, Thomas M.

    1940-01-01

    A second soluble antigen, separable from the virus, occurs in extracts of infected skin and in the serum of rabbits acutely ill with infectious myxomatosis. Like the first antigen (A), the second (B) is heat labile and has certain characteristics of a globulin. The two antigens precipitate in different concentrations of ammonium sulfate and can be separated by this method. Neither of the antigens after being heated at 56°C. precipitates in the presence of specific antibody but each is capable of inhibiting the activity of its antibody. PMID:19871012

  10. Pathogenesis of meningoencephalitis in rabbits by bovine herpesvirus type-5 (BHV-5

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silva Adriana M. da

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available This article describes the main aspects of bovine herpesvirus type-5 (BHV-5 neurologic infection and disease in rabbits, a candidate animal model for studying BHV-5 neuropathogenesis. Intranasal inoculation of weanling rabbits with a Brazilian BHV-5 isolate produced neurological disease and death in 78.8% (26/33 of the animals. Neurological signs started as early as 5 days post-inoculation and lasted from 10-12 hours up to several days. Most animals evolved to a moribund state or death within 24 (69.2% to 48 hours (88.5%. Neurological disease was characterized by excitability or depression, tremors, bruxism, walking or running in circles, backward arching of the head and body, incoordination, backward and sideways falling, paddling, profound depression and death. Moderate levels of infectivity were detected in several areas of the brain, most consistently in the ventro-lateral hemisphere (in 16 out of 20 animals, anterior cerebrum (15/20, midbrain (11/20, dorso-lateral hemisphere (10/20 and pons (12/26. Infectious virus was also recovered from the olfactory bulb (9/20, medulla oblongata (10/26, cerebellum (7/20, posterior cerebrum (5/20 and trigeminal ganglia (4/20. No gross lesions were observed. Microscopic lesions were mild and consisted of non-suppurative meningitis, mononuclear perivascular cuffing and focal gliosis. These changes were observed most consistently in the ventro-lateral hemisphere and anterior cerebrum. Passive immunity partially protected rabbits from BHV-5-induced encephalitis. Rabbits born to immunized dams showed a significative delay in the onset of clinical disease and reduced morbidity and mortality rates compared to rabbits born to unvaccinated dams. These results demonstrate that BHV-5-induced neurological disease can consistently be reproduced in rabbits and point towards the use of this species as an animal model to study BHV-5 neuropathogenesis.

  11. An experimental microangiographic study on radiation injury: Microangiography in radiation-injured rabbit kidney

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, Man Chung; Chang, Kee Hyun; Yoo, Seong Yul; Yeon, Kyung Mo; Kim, Chu Wan

    1980-01-01

    Microangiography may be defined as a branch of radiology which deals with the production and study of roentgenograms of thin sections of tissue for evaluation of microvasculatures. Its main advantage is that it permits study of a vascular system in continuity so that the pattern and overall architecture can be appreciated. Authors performed the microangiography to study the irradiation changes of kidney in 30 rabbits. Following local irradiation of 2,000 rads to one kidney of each rabbit, both normal and irradiated kidneys of each rabbit were studied. The results are as follows; 1. In the normal kidneys there is good filling of interiobular arteries, afferent arterioies, glomeruli and efferent arterioies. 2. In the early stage 91 month) after irradiation there appears to be no identifiable abnormal findings except slightly poor filling of glomeruli in the irradiated kidneys. 3. 5 months after irradiation the radiation-injured kidneys reveal intense curling and spralling of interlobular arterials and afferent arterioles with poor filling of glomeruli. 4. Microangiography, as expected, proved to be of good value in evaluation of the microvasculature of the kidney.

  12. Assessment of tissue viability after frostbite injury by technetium-99m-sestamibi scintigraphy in an experimental rabbit model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sarikaya, I. [Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, Kocaeli University Medical Faculty, Kocaeli (Turkey); Cemal Aygit, A. [Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Trakya University Medical Faculty, Edirne (Turkey); Candan, L. [Department of Pathology, Trakya University Medical Faculty, Edirne (Turkey); Sarikaya, A.; Berkarda, S. [Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, Trakya University Medical Faculty, Edirne (Turkey); Tuerkyilmaz, M. [Dept. of Chemistry, Trakya University Faculty of Science, Edirne (Turkey)

    2000-01-01

    Frostbite causes injury to the tissue by direct ice-crystal formation at the cellular level with cellular dehydration and microvascular occlusion. Muscle that initially appears viable on reperfusion may subsequently become necrotic because of microcirculatory collapse. Since muscle is a sensitive tissue in frostbite injury, we used technetium-99m-sestamibi limb scintigraphy to assess tissue viability in an experimental rabbit model. Twelve rabbits were used for this investigation. The right hind limb of the rabbits was immersed to the ankle joint in a container filled with 90% ethanol at -25 C for 10 min. Frostbitten limbs were allowed to thaw in air at room temperature. Imaging and pathological examination of the affected limbs were performed 2 h, 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after freezing. In 2-h images, initial hypoperfusion was seen that corresponded to circulatory collapse. In 24-h images, there was hyperperfusion (so-called period of temporary reperfusion), corresponding to circulatory restoration. In 48-h images, a second hypoperfusion corresponded to viable but ischaemic tissue. In 72-h images, there was non-perfusion of the limb that correlated with the pathologically determined diagnosis of necrosis. All scintigraphic patterns correlated with pathological findings. We suggest that these scintigraphic patterns in soft tissue may be helpful in distinguishing between frank infarction and reversible ischemia and therefore may be useful in selecting early therapeutic or surgical interventions to salvage bone and soft tissue. Further studies are needed to show the usefulness of {sup 99m}Tc sestamibi scintigraphy in clinical frostbite cases. (orig.)

  13. Effect of aguamiel (agave sap) on hematic biometry in rabbits and its antioxidant activity determination

    OpenAIRE

    Héctor Silos-Espino; José Luis Moreno Hernández-Duque; Fidel Guevara-Lara; Juan Florencio Gómez-Leyva; Luis Lorenzo Valera-Montero; Alejandro Nava-Cedillo; Catarino Perales-Segovia; Clara Lourdes Tovar-Robles

    2011-01-01

    In this work, we analysed the effect of aguamiel (sap from Agave salmiana) on haematic biometry in rabbits as well as its antioxidant activity with the objective of determining its nutritional value. Nine male Landrace 55-day-old rabbits were sorted into three groups of three rabbits each, which had access to fresh aguamiel, boiled aguamiel and water instead of aguamiel. Commercial rabbit food was supplied ad libitum to each experimental unit. Fresh aguamiel promoted weight increases of about...

  14. The E7 protein of the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus immortalizes normal rabbit keratinocytes and reduces pRb levels, while E6 cooperates in immortalization but neither degrades p53 nor binds E6AP

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ganzenmueller, Tina; Matthaei, Markus; Muench, Peter; Scheible, Michael; Iftner, Angelika; Hiller, Thomas; Leiprecht, Natalie; Probst, Sonja; Stubenrauch, Frank; Iftner, Thomas

    2008-01-01

    Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) cause cervical cancer and are associated with the development of non-melanoma skin cancer. A suitable animal model for papillomavirus-associated skin carcinogenesis is the infection of domestic rabbits with the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV). As the immortalizing activity of CRPV genes in the natural target cells remains unknown, we investigated the properties of CRPV E6 and E7 in rabbit keratinocytes (RK) and their influence on the cell cycle. Interestingly, CRPV E7 immortalized RK after a cellular crisis but showed no such activity in human keratinocytes. Co-expressed CRPV E6 prevented cellular crisis. The HPV16 or CRPV E7 protein reduced rabbit pRb levels thereby causing rabbit p19 ARF induction and accumulation of p53 without affecting cellular proliferation. Both CRPV E6 proteins failed to degrade rabbit p53 in vitro or to bind E6AP; however, p53 was still inducible by mitomycin C. In summary, CRPV E7 immortalizes rabbit keratinocytes in a species-specific manner and E6 contributes to immortalization without directly affecting p53

  15. Prior Inoculation with Type B Strains of Francisella tularensis Provides Partial Protection against Virulent Type A Strains in Cottontail Rabbits.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vienna R Brown

    Full Text Available Francisella tularensis is a highly virulent bacterium that is capable of causing severe disease (tularemia in a wide range of species. This organism is characterized into two distinct subspecies: tularensis (type A and holarctica (type B which vary in several crucial ways, with some type A strains having been found to be considerably more virulent in humans and laboratory animals. Cottontail rabbits have been widely implicated as a reservoir species for this subspecies; however, experimental inoculation in our laboratory revealed type A organisms to be highly virulent, resulting in 100% mortality following challenge with 50-100 organisms. Inoculation of cottontail rabbits with the same number of organisms from type B strains of bacteria was found to be rarely lethal and to result in a robust humoral immune response. The objective of this study was to characterize the protection afforded by a prior challenge with type B strains against a later inoculation with a type A strain in North American cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus spp. Previous infection with a type B strain of organism was found to lengthen survival time and in some cases prevent death following inoculation with a type A2 strain of F. tularensis. In contrast, inoculation of a type A1b strain was uniformly lethal in cottontail rabbits irrespective of a prior type B inoculation. These findings provide important insight about the role cottontail rabbits may play in environmental maintenance and transmission of this organism.

  16. Garenoxacin treatment of experimental endocarditis caused by viridans group streptococci.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anguita-Alonso, Paloma; Rouse, Mark S; Piper, Kerryl E; Steckelberg, James M; Patel, Robin

    2006-04-01

    The activity of garenoxacin was compared to that of levofloxacin or penicillin in a rabbit model of Streptococcus mitis group (penicillin MIC, 0.125 microg/ml) and Streptococcus sanguinis group (penicillin MIC, 0.25 microg/ml) endocarditis. Garenoxacin and levofloxacin had MICs of 0.125 and 0.5 microg/ml, respectively, for both study isolates. Rabbits with catheter-induced aortic valve endocarditis were given no treatment, penicillin at 1.2x10(6) IU/8 h intramuscularly, garenoxacin at 20 mg/kg of body weight/12 h intravenously, or levofloxacin at 40 mg/kg/12 h intravenously. For both isolates tested, garenoxacin area under the curve (AUC)/MIC and maximum concentration of drug in serum (Cmax)/MIC ratios were 368 and 91, respectively. Rabbits were sacrificed after 3 days of treatment; cardiac valve vegetations were aseptically removed and quantitatively cultured. For S. mitis group experimental endocarditis, all studied antimicrobial agents were more active than no treatment (PS. sanguinis group endocarditis, no studied antimicrobial agents were more active than no treatment. We conclude that AUC/MIC and Cmax/MIC ratios may not predict activity of some quinolones in experimental viridans group endocarditis and that garenoxacin and levofloxacin may not be ideal choices for serious infections caused by some quinolone-susceptible viridans group streptococci.

  17. Epidemiological survey of dermatophytosis in meat rabbits with alopecia in Portugal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernando Moreira

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available An epidemiological dermatophytosis survey was carried out in farmed rabbits with alopecia in Northern and Central Portugal.  Between August and October 2008, samples from suspected clinical cases of alopecia in meat rabbits on industrial farms were collected and cultured by conventional methods.  Effects on the prevalence of several variables, such as breed, age, month of sample collection, configuration of the lesions and presence of concomitant infections in the rabbitries were evaluated using a logistic regression model.  The overall prevalence of dermatophytes species was 82.7% (95% CI: 80.1-85.3%. Two dermatophytes species were isolated: Trichophyton mentagrophytes (91.9% and Microsporum canis (8.1%.  Five variables were associated with dermatophyte isolation in univariate analysis.  The multivariate logistic regression model identified configuration of lesions (OR=3.15; 95% CI: 1.39-7.15% and the presence of concomitant infections on the farms (OR=2.71; 95% CI: 1.03-7.12% as risk factors.  Considering the paucity of epidemiological reports in this country, these results could make a useful contribution towards the diagnosis and prevention of rabbit dermatophytosis.

  18. Myxomatosis: passive immunity in the offspring of immune rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) infested with fleas (Spilopsyllus cuniculi Dale) and exposed to myxoma virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sobey, W R; Conolly, D

    1975-02-01

    Kittens with maternal antibodies to myxoma virus, the offspring of rabbits which had recovered from myxomatosis, were exposed to fleas contaminated with myxoma virus and/or contact with infected rabbits from birth. All kittens died or became infected before 8 weeks of age. When compared with adult animals similarly infected the kittens showed no advantage in terms of survival time or recovery rate attributable to maternal antibodies. Flea transmission of virus was found more effective than contact transmissions.

  19. Pathogenesis of natural and experimental Pseudorabies virus infections in dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Letian; Zhong, Cheng; Wang, Jushi; Lu, Zijie; Liu, Lei; Yang, Wanlian; Lyu, Yanli

    2015-03-18

    Since late 2011, cases of suspected canine pseudorabies have increased in north China with the outbreak of swine pseudorabies in the same area, but the pathogenesis of canine Pseudorabies virus (PRV) infections in China is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the pathogenesis of canine pseudorabies. The pathological changes in 13 dogs that died of natural PRV infections (confirmed by pathogen detection) during 2011-2013 in Beijing were evaluated. An experimental study was also conducted in which healthy adult beagle dogs were administered PRV isolate BJ-YT by subcutaneous injection. The dog tissues were subjected to gross and microscopic examinations and immunohistochemical analysis and the dogs' serum cardiac troponin-I (cTn-I) was measured. Systemic hemorrhage and/or congestion were the most marked pathological changes in both the naturally and experimentally PRV-infected dogs. Macroscopically, the major lesions consisted of petechiae and ecchymoses in both the endocardium and epicardium, thrombi in the mitral valves, hemorrhage in the lungs and thymus, and incomplete contraction of the spleen. Microscopically, the major histopathological findings were systemic hemorrhage and congestion, nonsuppurative ganglioneuritis (in the experimentally infected dogs, unexamined in the naturally PRV-infected dogs), brainstem encephalitis (in the naturally infected dogs), necrosis or exudation in the myocardium, and lymphoid depletion in many lymphoid organs and tissues. Viral antigens were only detected in the brainstems and peripheral ganglia of the infected dogs. Serum cTn-I was significantly higher in the experimentally PRV-infected dogs with myocardial lesions than in the dogs without myocardial lesions. Based on these results, we conclude that virally induced systemic hemorrhage, peripheral nervous system pathology, and/or cardiac injury can individually or collectively cause death in PRV-infected dogs. The respiratory signs of the disease are attributed to

  20. RABBIT POX : II. PATHOLOGY OF THE EPIDEMIC DISEASE.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greene, H S

    1934-09-30

    The lesions found in animals with epidemic rabbit pox have been described in this paper. The most distinctive gross lesion in all organs and tissues was the small nodule or papule which was found to consist of mononuclear infiltration and necrosis. Diffuse lesions were also found in which the infiltration was widespread and accompanied by edema, hemorrhage and extensive necrosis of affected tissues and organs. The possibility of the diffuse lesions being due to the action of secondary invaders was considered, but available evidence indicated that the different types, including pneumonia, represented reactions to a single causative agent. Moreover, an intimate relationship was observed to exist between lesions and small blood vessels in which primary endothelial damage was usually apparent. The degree of vascular damage generally corresponded to the extent of the lesion and it is probable that this in turn corresponded to the dose of the causative agent. The close analogy between the clinical manifestations and pathological processes of this disease in the rabbit and small pox in man led to the conclusion that the disease in the rabbit is essentially the same as small pox, and that it is probably produced by a virus closely related to the virus of small pox. Available evidence indicated that the infection originated in the Institute and that it spread in atypical form or masked by some other disease until it reached the breeding colony as a clearly defined epidemic infection.

  1. Efficacy of pamiray as a nonionic intravenous contrast material; experimental study suing normal rabbits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Joon Woo; Kim, Tae Kyoung; Kim, Seung Hyup; Kim, Hyun Beom; Kim, Se Hyung; Hwang, Sung Il; Yeon, Kyung Mo

    2000-01-01

    To evaluate the efficacy of Pamiray as an intravenous nonionic contrast material by comparing it with an established nonionic contrast material (Iopamiro). Forty adult New Zealand white rabbits weighing about 3.0 kg were used in this study. Aortography and urography (scout, 5, 15 and 30 minutes delay after injection) were performed in ten rabbits with Pamiray (370 mgI/mL) and in other ten rabbits with Iopamiro (370 mgI/mL). All twenty rabbits underwent abdominal triple-phase spiral CT before and 5 and 30 seconds after injection of the contrast material. The degree of contrast enhancement seen on aortograms and intravenous urograms was determined using a three-point scale by two radiologists, who reached a consensus. CT attenuation expressed in Hounsfield units (HU) was measured using the regions of interest (ROIs) facility in the liver, bilateral kidneys, aorta, portal vein, and inferior vena cave. The Mann-Whitney U test was used in image evaluation for intergroup comparisons. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the degree of contrast enhancement seen on aortograms. In urography, however, Iopamiro was superior to Pamiray in demonstrating calyces of the right kidney on 15-minute delay images and Pamiray was superior to Iopamiro in demonstrating the right ureter and the renal pelvis on five minute-delay images and the left ureter on 30 minutes delay (p less than 0.05). Peak enhancement of the aorta during the first phase of abdominal CT was higher in the group in which Pamiray was used. When normal rabbits were used for aortography, abdominal CT, and urography, Pamiray provided more effective contrast enhancement than a previously used nonionic contrast material, namely Iopamiro. There were, however, slight differences in the enhancement features of renal calyces and ureters seen on 5- and 15-minute urograms. (author)

  2. The effect of irradiation on biological defense system of experimental rabbits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Urata, Yoshishige; Goto, Shinzi; Kondo, Takahito; Shimasaki, Tatsuya; Okumura, Yutaka

    1992-01-01

    Radiation effects on antioxidant factors as glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, γ-gluthamine cysteine synthetase, Cu, Zn-superoxide dismutase and Mn-superoxide dismutase are measured in liver, kidney and genitals of rabbits with single irradiation of 50 Gy X-ray. (J.P.N.)

  3. Upregulation of Relaxin after Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuichiro Kikkawa

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Although relaxin causes vasodilatation in systemic arteries, little is known about its role in cerebral arteries. We investigated the expression and role of relaxin in basilar arteries after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH in rabbits. Methods. Microarray analysis with rabbit basilar artery RNA was performed. Messenger RNA expression of relaxin-1 and relaxin/insulin-like family peptide receptor 1 (RXFP1 was investigated with quantitative RT-PCR. RXFP1 expression in the basilar artery was investigated with immunohistochemistry. Relaxin concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF and serum were investigated with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Using human brain vascular smooth muscle cells (HBVSMC preincubated with relaxin, myosin light chain phosphorylation (MLC was investigated with immunoblotting after endothelin-1 stimulation. Results. After SAH, RXFP1 mRNA and protein were significantly downregulated on day 3, whereas relaxin-1 mRNA was significantly upregulated on day 7. The relaxin concentration in CSF was significantly elevated on days 5 and 7. Pretreatment with relaxin reduced sustained MLC phosphorylation induced by endothelin-1 in HBVSMC. Conclusion. Upregulation of relaxin and downregulation of RXFP1 after SAH may participate in development of cerebral vasospasm. Downregulation of RXFP1 may induce a functional decrease in relaxin activity during vasospasm. Understanding the role of relaxin may provide further insight into the mechanisms of cerebral vasospasm.

  4. Serial correlation between the ultrasonographic and pathologic findings of intramuscular hemorrhaging in an experimental rabbit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ko, Kyung Ran; Ryu, Kyung Nam; Park, Ji Seon; Jin, Wook; Sung, Dong Wook; Park, Yong Koo

    2008-01-01

    To evaluate the serial ultrasonographic findings of experimental intramuscular hemorrhaging to determine if there is a correlation with the pathologic findings. An ultrasonography (US) was performed before and immediately after an intramuscular blood injection in nine rabbits. In addition, follow-up US images were obtained at 1, 4, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 28 days after the intramuscular blood injections in seven of the rabbits. The pathologic specimens, compared to the US findings on each date, and consisted of samples of left thigh muscle. A US, performed immediately after a blood injection, showed two patterns; 6 cases of hyperechoic muscle thickening and 3 cases of hyperechoic muscle thickening with extravasation between the epimysium and muscle bundle or within muscle bundle. A follow-up US showed a marked decrease in intramuscular hemorrhaging and microcalcifications, which appeared on the 4th, 7th and 10th day after the blood injection. The pathologic findings revealed several short echogenic lines in the muscular bundles which were hemosiderin. Moreover, a 28 day follow-up US revealed that the normal findings are correlated with the normal gross pathologic findings. The US findings of the intramuscular hemorrhaging, for each of the follow-up dates, in comparison to the pathologic findings, revealed a high correlation with the pathologic specimens. Consequently, a US transducer with high resolution can be considered as a helpful technique in the diagnosing and evaluating the follow-up treatment of intramuscular hemorrhaging

  5. Dose rate effect of 125I irradiation on normal rabbit eyes and experimental choroidal melanoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, C.M.; Olsen, K.R.; Schwade, J.G.; Houdek, P.V.; Markoe, A.M.; Pisciotta, V.; Xiaodong Wu

    1993-01-01

    The dose rate effect of radiation by 125 I plaque on choroidal melanoma and normal intraocular tissue was studied. In the first part of the experiment, high activity plaques (HAP) and low activity plagues (LAP) were implanted on rabbit eyes with experimental Greene choroidal melanoma to deliver a total dose of 10 000 cGy to the tumor apex. The mean dose rate calculated at 0.5 mm from the inner sclera in eight eyes with high activity plaques was 3341.5 cGy hr -1 while that in ten eyes with low activity plaques was 239.9 cGy hr -1 . For tumors less than 1.0 mm in height, both groups showed complete tumor regression at the tumor implantation site after plaque treatment. For tumours more than 1.0 mm in height, two out of two eyes in the low activity plaque group and one of four eyes in the high activity plaque group failed to show complete tumor regression. In the second part of the experiment, 125 I plaques were implanted on the sclera of 12 normal rabbits' eyes. Six received high dose rate plaque treatment, while the other six received low dose rate plaque treatment. Clinical and histologic examinations demonstrated more damaging effects to the normal chorioretinal tissues at the plaque implantation site in the high dose rate plaque group. These results suggest that high dose rate plaques are more effective than low dose rate plaques when tumor height is statistically controlled. (Author)

  6. Serial correlation between the ultrasonographic and pathologic findings of intramuscular hemorrhaging in an experimental rabbit

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ko, Kyung Ran [National Cancer Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Ryu, Kyung Nam; Park, Ji Seon; Jin, Wook; Sung, Dong Wook; Park, Yong Koo [KyungHee University Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2008-05-15

    To evaluate the serial ultrasonographic findings of experimental intramuscular hemorrhaging to determine if there is a correlation with the pathologic findings. An ultrasonography (US) was performed before and immediately after an intramuscular blood injection in nine rabbits. In addition, follow-up US images were obtained at 1, 4, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 28 days after the intramuscular blood injections in seven of the rabbits. The pathologic specimens, compared to the US findings on each date, and consisted of samples of left thigh muscle. A US, performed immediately after a blood injection, showed two patterns; 6 cases of hyperechoic muscle thickening and 3 cases of hyperechoic muscle thickening with extravasation between the epimysium and muscle bundle or within muscle bundle. A follow-up US showed a marked decrease in intramuscular hemorrhaging and microcalcifications, which appeared on the 4th, 7th and 10th day after the blood injection. The pathologic findings revealed several short echogenic lines in the muscular bundles which were hemosiderin. Moreover, a 28 day follow-up US revealed that the normal findings are correlated with the normal gross pathologic findings. The US findings of the intramuscular hemorrhaging, for each of the follow-up dates, in comparison to the pathologic findings, revealed a high correlation with the pathologic specimens. Consequently, a US transducer with high resolution can be considered as a helpful technique in the diagnosing and evaluating the follow-up treatment of intramuscular hemorrhaging.

  7. FELASA recommendations for the health monitoring of mouse, rat, hamster, guinea pig and rabbit colonies in breeding and experimental units.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mähler Convenor, M; Berard, M; Feinstein, R; Gallagher, A; Illgen-Wilcke, B; Pritchett-Corning, K; Raspa, M

    2014-07-01

    The microbiological quality of experimental animals can critically influence animal welfare and the validity and reproducibility of research data. It is therefore important for breeding and experimental facilities to establish a laboratory animal health monitoring (HM) programme as an integrated part of any quality assurance system. FELASA has published recommendations for the HM of rodent and rabbit colonies in breeding and experimental units (Nicklas et al. Laboratory Animals, 2002), with the intention of harmonizing HM programmes. As stated in the preamble, these recommendations need to be adapted periodically to meet current developments in laboratory animal medicine. Accordingly, previous recommendations have been revised and shall be replaced by the present recommendations. These recommendations are aimed at all breeders and users of laboratory mice, rats, Syrian hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits as well as diagnostic laboratories. They describe essential aspects of HM, such as the choice of agents, selection of animals and tissues for testing, frequency of sampling, commonly used test methods, interpretation of results and HM reporting. Compared with previous recommendations, more emphasis is put on the role of a person with sufficient understanding of the principles of HM, opportunistic agents, the use of sentinel animals (particularly under conditions of cage-level containment) and the interpretation and reporting of HM results. Relevant agents, testing frequencies and literature references are updated. Supplementary information on specific agents and the number of animals to be monitored and an example of a HM programme description is provided in the appendices. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  8. Benefficial effect of plant extracts in rabbit husbandry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renáta Szabóová

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The present study evaluates the effect of plant extracts of oregano and commercial XtraktTM administrations on microbial, biochemical, immunological and nutritional indicators and on Eimeria sp. oocyst occurrence in rabbits. Rabbits (5 weeks old, Hy-plus hybrid, n = 66 were divided into experimental group 1 (E1 with oregano extract application, experimental group 2 (E2 with XtractTM application and control group. Natural substances were administered for the first 21 days. The experiment lasted for 42 days. The antibacterial effect was determined by the decrease of coagulase-positive staphylococci in E1 compared to control at day 42. Staphylococcus aureus cells were detected in lower counts in E2 compared to control at day 21. The counts of Clostridium-like bacteria were lower in both experimental groups at day 21 compared to day 7 (difference 1.2 and 1.3 log cycles, respectively and to control (difference 0.5 and 0.3 log cycles, respectively. At day 7, the counts of coliforms in E1 were significantly lower than in E2 (P Eimeria sp. oocysts and higher value of phagocytic activity (21.6 ± 0.51 % were found compared to XtractTM, and prolonged immuno-stimulatory effect was noted. In the animals of both experimental groups higher final weight, feed conversion ratio and lower mortality were achieved compared to control. The administration of oregano showed antibacterial, anticoccidial, and immunomodulatory effects. The results showed that oregano administration may be used as an alternative prophylactic measure in rabbits.

  9. Microbiologic, Pharmacokinetic, and Clinical Effects of Corneal Collagen Cross-Linking on Experimentally Induced Pseudomonas Keratitis in Rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cosar, C Banu; Kucuk, Mutlu; Celik, Ekrem; Gonen, Tansu; Akyar, Isin; Serteser, Mustafa; Tokat, Fatma; Ince, Umit

    2015-10-01

    To determine the effects of corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) on the penetration of topical 0.5% moxifloxacin, on the number of colony-forming units (CFUs) in the cornea, and on the clinical course in a rabbit eye model of experimentally induced Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis. In this prospective animal study, experimental Pseudomonas corneal ulcers were induced in 56 corneas of 28 albino New Zealand rabbits. The corneas were randomly divided into the following 4 groups: the control group (14 eyes), the MOX group (moxifloxacin) (14 eyes), the MOX + CXL group (14 eyes), and the CXL group (14 eyes). On day 4 of the experiment, the eyes in the control group were enucleated and CFU counting was performed. On day 10 of the experiment, all eyes were enucleated and CFU counting was performed. In the MOX and MOX + CXL groups, the moxifloxacin level in the cornea, aqueous humor, iris, plasma, and serum was measured by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The difference in the corneal CFU count between the MOX group and the MOX + CXL group was not significant (P = 0.317). Clinical improvement was greatest in the MOX + CXL group (P < 0.001). The mean corneal moxifloxacin level was 0.391 ± 0.09 μg·mg in the MOX group versus 0.291 ± 0.09 μg·mg in the MOX + CXL group; as such, CXL did not have a significant effect on antibiotic penetrance (P = 0.386). Clinical improvement was greatest in the MOX + CXL group. The synergistic effect of CXL on corneal ulcer treatment is not through antibiotic penetrance.

  10. Accumulation of 125I-factor XI in atheroma of rabbit with hereditary hyperlipidemia (WHHL-rabbit)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Komiyama, Y.; Masuda, M.; Murakami, T.; Nishikado, H.; Egawa, H.; Nishimura, T.; Morii, S.; Murata, K.

    1989-01-01

    We have studied the turnover and accumulation of rabbit factor XI (F.XI) in atherosclerotic lesion in Watanabe-hereditable hyperlipidemic rabbit (WHHL rabbit) to reveal the participation of blood coagulation in atherosclerotic lesion. Rabbit F.XI was iodinated and administered intravenously to WHHL rabbits and Japanese white rabbits. The turnover of 125 I-rabbit F.XI was significantly faster in WHHL rabbits (T1/2 = 2.84 +/- 0.44 days) than in normal rabbits (T1/2 = 4.44 +/- 0.42 days). The thoracic aorta of WHHL rabbit was strongly labelled with 125 I-rabbit F.XI, in sections obtained after 5 days by en-face autoradiography, whereas no radioactivity was detected in normal aorta. By an immunohistochemical study of WHHL rabbit aorta, we confirmed that many F.XI- and fibrin-related compounds existed in the atheroma, whereas albumin did not in these area. These results suggest that the activation of F.XI proceeds on the atherosclerotic lesions of WHHL rabbits

  11. [ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW RADIUS DEFECT MODEL BASED ON ULNA ANATOMICAL MEASUREMENT IN RABBITS].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hanjiang; Guo, Ying; Mei, Wei

    2016-02-01

    To introduce a new bone defect model based on the anatomical measurement of radius and ulna in rabbits for offering a standard model for further tissue engineering research. Fifteen healthy 4-month-old New Zealand rabbits were selected for anatomic measurement and radiological measurement of the radius and ulna. Another 30 healthy 4-month-old New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into groups A, B, and C (n=10). The radius bone defect was created bilaterally in 3 groups. In group A, the periosteum and interosseous membranes were fully removed with jig-saw by approach between extensor carpi radialis muscle and musculus extensor digitorum. The periosteum and interosseous membranes were fully removed in group B, and only periosteum was removed in group C with electric-saw by approach between extensor carpi radialis muscle and flexor digitorum profundus based on anatomical analysis results of ulnar and radial measurement. The gross observation, X-ray, micro-CT three-dimensional reconstruction, bone mineral density (BMD), and bone mineral content (BMC) were observed and recorded at immediate and 15 weeks after operation. HE staining and Masson staining were performed to observe bone formation in the defect areas. Blood vessel injury (1 rabbit), tendon injury (2 rabbits), postoperative hematoma (1 rabbit), and infection (1 rabbit) occurred in group A, postoperative infection (1 rabbit) in group C, and no postoperative complications in group B; the complication rate of group A (50%) was significantly higher than that of groups B (0%) and C (10%) (P0.05). HE staining and Masson staining results showed bone formation in group A, with structure disturbance and sclerosis. New bone formed in groups B and C, cartilage cells were observed in the center of bone cells. The radius bone defect model established by approach between extensor carpi radialis muscle and flexor digitorum profundus is an ideal model because of better exposures, less intra-operative blood loss, less

  12. Allergy to Rabbits. 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Price, J.A.; Longbottom, J.L.

    1986-01-01

    Investigations have been carried out into the presence of antibody light chains in rabbit allergenic extracts and the interference in RAST and crossed-radioimmunoelectrophoresis (XRIE) caused by antibodies directed against them. A ''non-specific'' uptake of radioactivity in XRIE has been demonstrated to be caused by direct cross-linking of the 125 I rabbit anti-human IgE by the sheep antibodies in the immunoprecipitate of rabbit light chains. Preincubation with normal rabbit serum blocked this direct uptake of the labelled antibody and enabled specific IgE uptake on the light chains to be demonstrated for rabbit allergic sera. Verification of the allergenicity of the light chains was obtained from a specific light chain RAST. Elution from a Sephacryl S-200 gel filtration column indicated a MW of approx. 50Kd and confirmation of the components as light chain dimers, not Fab fragments, was obtained by allotyping for loci present on heavy chains and light chains in the Fab region. Light chains were detected in urine from rabbits of all ages and in an extract of dust collected in a rabbit housing area. No background staining was observed in XRIE using rabbit antisera, either with rabbit allergic sera with specific IgE or with a human serum containing specific IgG antibodies to rabbit IgG. This latter serum also showed no evidence of uptake on all immunoprecipitates in systems using rabbit antisera, and did not give false positive RAST results when the labelled rabbit anti-human IgE contained unlabelled rabbit IgG. Those sera with specific IgE to light chains showed no uptake in XRIE using rabbit antisera, indicating that the IgE was possibly specific for epitopes revealed by the dissociation on the whole IgG molecule. (author)

  13. Host Response in Rabbits to Infection with Pasteurella multocida Serogroup F Strains Originating from Fowl Cholera

    Science.gov (United States)

    The ability of two avian Pasteurella multocida serogroup F strains to induce disease in rabbits was investigated in this study. Two groups of 18 Pasteurella-free rabbits each were intranasally challenged with strains isolated from chicken and turkey, respectively. Half the animals in each challenge ...

  14. A New Combination Formula for Treatment of Fungal Keratitis: An Experimental Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hala Mohamed El-Mofty

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective. To formulate and evaluate slow release ketoconazole and ketorolac to treat fungal keratitis and associated inflammation. Methods. Experimental study with the following outcome measures. Pharmaceutical Evaluation. Mucoadhesive gels containing ketoconazole and ketorolac were used. Microbiological in vitro evaluation was performed using cup method. In vivo evaluation was performed on 24 rabbits divided into 2 groups, 12 rabbits each, group A (fast release formula; 6 times daily and group B (slow release formula; 3 times daily. Each group was divided into two subgroups (6 rabbits each. Both eyes of rabbits were inoculated with Candida albicans. The left eye of all rabbits received the combination formulae. The right eye for one subgroup received ketoconazole as control 1 while the other subgroup received placebo as control 2. Clinical follow-up was done and, finally, the corneas were used for microbiological and pathological evaluation. Results. Gels containing high polymer concentration showed both high viscosity and mucoadhesion properties with slower drug release. The infected eyes treated with slow release formula containing both drugs showed better curing of the cornea and pathologically less inflammation than eyes treated with fast release formula. Conclusion. Slow release formula containing ketoconazole and ketorolac showed higher activity than fast release formula against fungal keratitis and associated inflammation.

  15. Virus specific antigens in mammalian cells infected with herpes simplex virus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watson, D. H.; Shedden, W. I. H.; Elliot, A.; Tetsuka, T.; Wildy, P.; Bourgaux-Ramoisy, D.; Gold, E.

    1966-01-01

    Antisera to specific proteins in herpes simplex infected cells were produced by immunization of rabbits with infected rabbit kidney cells. These antisera were highly virus specific and produced up to twelve lines in immunodiffusion tests against infected cell extracts. Acrylamide electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis revealed up to ten virus specific proteins of varying size. ImagesFIG. 1FIG. 2FIG. 3FIG. 4FIG. 5 PMID:4288648

  16. Rabbit analgesia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barter, Linda S

    2011-01-01

    With the increasing popularity of rabbits as household pets, the complexity of diagnostic and surgical procedures performed on rabbits is increasing, along with the frequency of routine surgical procedures. More practitioners are faced with the need to provide adequate analgesia for this species. Preemptive analgesia prior to planned surgical interventions may reduce nervous system changes in response to noxious input, as well as reduce postoperative pain levels and analgesic drug requirements. Concurrent administration of analgesic drugs to anesthetized rabbits undergoing painful procedures is warranted both pre- and intraoperatively as well as postoperatively. This article discusses the neuropharmacologic and pharmacologic aspects of pain in rabbits, and reviews current protocols for the use of analgesic drugs. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  17. Primary peak and chronic malaria infection levels are correlated in experimentally infected great reed warblers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asghar, Muhammad; Westerdahl, Helena; Zehtindjiev, Pavel; Ilieva, Mihaela; Hasselquist, Dennis; Bensch, Staffan

    2012-09-01

    Malaria parasites often manage to maintain an infection for several months or years in their vertebrate hosts. In humans, rodents and birds, most of the fitness costs associated with malaria infections are in the short initial primary (high parasitaemia) phase of the infection, whereas the chronic phase (low parasitaemia) is more benign to the host. In wild birds, malaria parasites have mainly been studied during the chronic phase of the infection. This is because the initial primary phase of infection is short in duration and infected birds with severe disease symptoms tend to hide in sheltered places and are thus rarely caught and sampled. We therefore wanted to investigate the relationship between the parasitaemia during the primary and chronic phases of the infection using an experimental infection approach. We found a significant positive correlation between parasitaemia in the primary peak and the subsequent chronic phase of infection when we experimentally infected great reed warblers (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) with Plasmodium ashfordi. The reason for this association remains to be understood, but might arise from individual variation in exoerythrocytic parasite reservoirs in hosts, parasite antigenic diversity and/or host genetics. Our results suggest that the chronic phase parasitaemia can be used to qualitatively infer the parasitaemia of the preceding and more severe primary phase, which is a very important finding for studies of avian malaria in wild populations.

  18. Expression of rabbit IL-4 by recombinant myxoma viruses enhances virulence and overcomes genetic resistance to myxomatosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerr, P J; Perkins, H D; Inglis, B; Stagg, R; McLaughlin, E; Collins, S V; Van Leeuwen, B H

    2004-06-20

    Rabbit IL-4 was expressed in the virulent standard laboratory strain (SLS) and the attenuated Uriarra (Ur) strain of myxoma virus with the aim of creating a Th2 cytokine environment and inhibiting the development of an antiviral cell-mediated response to myxomatosis in infected rabbits. This allowed testing of a model for genetic resistance to myxomatosis in wild rabbits that have undergone 50 years of natural selection for resistance to myxomatosis. Expression of IL-4 significantly enhanced virulence of both virulent and attenuated virus strains in susceptible (laboratory) and resistant (wild) rabbits. SLS-IL-4 completely overcame genetic resistance in wild rabbits. The pathogenesis of SLS-IL-4 was compared in susceptible and resistant rabbits. The results support a model for resistance to myxomatosis of an enhanced innate immune response controlling virus replication and allowing an effective antiviral cell-mediated immune response to develop in resistant rabbits. Expression of IL-4 did not overcome immunity to myxomatosis induced by immunization.

  19. Pseudogenization of the MCP-2/CCL8 chemokine gene in European rabbit (genus Oryctolagus, but not in species of Cottontail rabbit (Sylvilagus and Hare (Lepus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    van der Loo Wessel

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Recent studies in human have highlighted the importance of the monocyte chemotactic proteins (MCP in leukocyte trafficking and their effects in inflammatory processes, tumor progression, and HIV-1 infection. In European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus one of the prime MCP targets, the chemokine receptor CCR5 underwent a unique structural alteration. Until now, no homologue of MCP-2/CCL8a, MCP-3/CCL7 or MCP-4/CCL13 genes have been reported for this species. This is interesting, because at least the first two genes are expressed in most, if not all, mammals studied, and appear to be implicated in a variety of important chemokine ligand-receptor interactions. By assessing the Rabbit Whole Genome Sequence (WGS data we have searched for orthologs of the mammalian genes of the MCP-Eotaxin cluster. Results We have localized the orthologs of these chemokine genes in the genome of European rabbit and compared them to those of leporid genera which do (i.e. Oryctolagus and Bunolagus or do not share the CCR5 alteration with European rabbit (i.e. Lepus and Sylvilagus. Of the Rabbit orthologs of the CCL8, CCL7, and CCL13 genes only the last two were potentially functional, although showing some structural anomalies at the protein level. The ortholog of MCP-2/CCL8 appeared to be pseudogenized by deleterious nucleotide substitutions affecting exon1 and exon2. By analyzing both genomic and cDNA products, these studies were extended to wild specimens of four genera of the Leporidae family: Oryctolagus, Bunolagus, Lepus, and Sylvilagus. It appeared that the anomalies of the MCP-3/CCL7 and MCP-4/CCL13 proteins are shared among the different species of leporids. In contrast, whereas MCP-2/CCL8 was pseudogenized in every studied specimen of the Oryctolagus - Bunolagus lineage, this gene was intact in species of the Lepus - Sylvilagus lineage, and was, at least in Lepus, correctly transcribed. Conclusion The biological function of a gene was often

  20. Lipid metabolism abnormalities in alcohol-treated rabbits: a morphometric and haematologic study comparing high and low alcohol doses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ikemura, Satoshi; Yamamoto, Takuaki; Motomura, Goro; Iwasaki, Kenyu; Yamaguchi, Ryosuke; Zhao, Garida; Iwamoto, Yukihide

    2011-08-01

    The pathogenesis of alcohol-induced osteonecrosis remains unclear. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the morphological changes in bone marrow fat cells and the changes in the serum lipid levels in alcohol-treated rabbits. Fifteen rabbits were randomly assigned into three groups: Four rabbits intragastrically received low-dose alcohol (LDA) (15 ml/kg per day) containing 15% ethanol for 4 weeks, five rabbits received high-dose alcohol (HDA) (30 ml/kg per day) for 4 weeks and six rabbits received physiologic saline for 4 weeks as a control group. Six weeks after the initial alcohol administration, all rabbits were sacrificed. The mean size of the bone marrow fat cells in rabbits treated with HDA was significantly larger than that in the control group (P = 0.0001). Haematologically, the levels of triglycerides and free fatty acids in the rabbits treated with both low-dose and HDA were significantly higher than those in the control group (P = 0.001 for both comparisons). The results of this study are that there are lipid metabolism abnormalities, both morphologically and haematologically, after alcohol administration. Also these findings were more apparent in rabbits treated with HDA than those treated with LDA. © 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Experimental Pathology © 2011 International Journal of Experimental Pathology.

  1. A rabbit eye model for in vivo transformation of progenetic metacercariae of Clinostomum complanatum into ovigerous adult worms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rizvi, A; Zaidi, Z A; Alam, M M; Zafar, A; Shareef, P A A; Saifullah, M K; Saleemuddin, M; Abidi, S M A

    2014-03-01

    Clinostomum complanatum is a digenetic trematode that causes yellow grub disease in some fish species and also shows zoonotic potential by sporadically infecting humans. In this study, progenetic metacercariae of C. complanatum were obtained from the fish Trichogaster fasciatus, and were aseptically placed in conjunctival incisions made in the superior and inferior fornices of the eye of rabbits, which served as the experimental hosts. Worms were harvested without necropsy of the host on days 4 and 8 post infection, to observe in vivo transformation of the progenetic metacercariae into ovigerous adult worms. The worms appeared to cause minimal damage to the host although they were tenaciously attached. In vivo maturation was evident by the development of the vitellaria, enlargement of gonads, the presence of a large number of shelled eggs in a distended uterus and ramifications of the intestinal caeca. Obtaining mature ovigerous worms without sacrificing the host clearly gives the rabbit eye model an advantage over those described previously. Due to the relative advantage of the short time required for maturation and the prolific egg production by C. complanatum, it is suggested that this host-parasite system could be used as an excellent model for classroom teaching of trematode biology and to investigate the cues involved in in vivo transformation and host-parasite interactions.

  2. The Effect of Autologous Platelet Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Achilles Tendon Ruptures: An Experimental Study on Rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Şen, Baran; Güler, Serkan; Çeçen, Berivan; Kumtepe, Erdem; Bağrıyanık, Alper; Özkal, Sermin; Ali Özcan, M; Özsan, Hayri; Şanlı, Namık; Tatari, M Hasan

    2016-01-01

    Achilles tendon ruptures are characterized by a long recovery period, high re-rupture rate and late return to work. To overcome these difficulties and augment tendon repair, many agents have been used. To determine the effect of autologous platelet rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of Achilles tendon ruptures in rabbits. Animal experimentation. The study included 14 New Zealand albino rabbits that were divided randomly into 2 groups, A and B, each containing seven rabbits. On day zero, all 28 Achilles tendons were tenotomized and repaired. In group A, the tendons were injected with PRP post-surgery, whereas those in group B were left untreated. On day 28, the right tendons in both groups were examined histopathologically via both light and electron microscopy, and the left tendons were subjected to biomechanical testing. The histological and biomechanical findings in both light and electron microscopy in group A were better than those in group B, but the difference was not significant. According to Tang's scale, the mean value in Group A was 3.57, while it was 3.0 in Group B. The mean value of Group A for the length of collagen bands was 48.09 nm while the mean value of Group B was 46.58 nm (p=0.406). In biomechanical tests, although stiffness values were higher in group A, the difference between groups was not significant. In addition, maximum load values did not differ between groups A and B. PRP had no effect on the healing process 28 days post-Achilles tendon rupture.

  3. Primary infection protects pigs against re-infection with Lawsonia intracellularis in experimental challenge studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Riber, Ulla; Hvass, Henriette Cordes; Boutrup, Torsten Snogdal

    2011-01-01

    In two separate trials previous termpigsnext term were experimentally infected with previous termLawsonia intracellularisnext term at 5–6 weeks of age followed by antibiotic treatment and resolution of the previous termprimary infection and then renext term-inoculated at 12–13 weeks of age. A tre...

  4. Oxidative stress in rats experimentally infected by Sporothrix schenckii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro, Verônica S P; Da Silva, Aleksandro S; Thomé, Gustavo R; Wolkmer, Patrícia; Castro, Jorge L C; Costa, Márcio M; Graça, Dominguita L; Oliveira, Daniele C; Alves, Sydney H; Schetinger, Maria R C; Lopes, Sonia T A; Stefani, Lenita M; Azevedo, Maria I; Baldissera, Matheus D; Andrade, Cinthia M

    2017-06-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate whether oxidative stress occurs in rats experimentally infected by Sporothrix schenckii, and its possible effect on disease pathogenesis. Thirty rats were divided into two groups: the group A (uninfected, n = 18) and the group B (infected by S. schenckii, n=21). Blood samples were collected on days 15, 30 and 40 post-infection (PI). At each sampling time, six rats of the group A, and seven of the group B were bled. TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) levels in serum samples were measured to evaluate lipid peroxidation. In addition, catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, known as biomarkers of antioxidants levels, were verified in whole blood. Seric pro-inflammatory cytokine levels were measured (IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-6), which showed that these inflammatory mediators were at higher levels in the infected rats (P sporotrichosis showed significantly higher (p sporotrichosis is a likely mechanism for redox imbalance, and consequently cause the oxidative stress in experimentally infected rats. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Anchorage of titanium implants with different surface characteristics: an experimental study in rabbits

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gotfredsen, K; Berglundh, T; Lindhe, J

    2000-01-01

    ) TiO2-blasted with particles of grain size 10 to 53 microns; (3) TiO2-blasted, grain size 63 to 90 microns; (4) TiO2-blasted, grain size 90 to 125 microns; (5) titanium plasma-sprayed (TPS). The surface topography was determined by the use of an optical instrument. Twelve rabbits, divided into two...... groups, had a total of 120 implants inserted in the tibiae. One implant from each of the five surface categories was placed within the left tibia of each rabbit. By a second operation, implants were installed in the right tibia, after 2 weeks in group A and after 3 weeks in group B. Fluorochrome labeling...

  6. Emergence of a new lagovirus related to rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus

    OpenAIRE

    Le Gall-Recule, Ghislaine; Lavazza, Antonio; Marchandeau, Stephane; Bertagnoli, Stéphane; Zwingelstein, Francoise; Cavadini, Patrizia; Martinelli, Nicola; Lombardi, Guerino; Guérin, Jean-Luc; Lemaitre, Evelyne; Decors, Anouk; Boucher, Samuel; Le Normand, Bernadette; Capucci, Lorenzo

    2013-01-01

    Since summer 2010, numerous cases of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease (RHD) have been reported in north-western France both in rabbitries, affecting RHD-vaccinated rabbits, and in wild populations. We demonstrate that the aetiological agent was a lagovirus phylogenetically distinct from other lagoviruses and which presents a unique antigenic profile. Experimental results show that the disease differs from RHD in terms of disease duration, mortality rates, higher occurrence of subacute/chronic form...

  7. Selected HIV-1 Env trimeric formulations act as potent immunogens in a rabbit vaccination model

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Heyndrickx, Leo; Stewart-Jones, Guillaume; Jansson, Marianne Bendixen

    2013-01-01

    Ten to 30% of HIV-1 infected subjects develop broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) during chronic infection. We hypothesized that immunizing rabbits with viral envelope glycoproteins (Envs) from these patients may induce bNAbs, when formulated as a trimeric protein and in the presence of an ad...

  8. Selected HIV-1 Env Trimeric Formulations Act as Potent Immunogens in a Rabbit Vaccination Model

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heyndrickx, Leo; Stewart-Jones, Guillaume; Jansson, Marianne; Schuitemaker, Hanneke; Bowles, Emma; Buonaguro, Luigi; Grevstad, Berit; Vinner, Lasse; Vereecken, Katleen; Parker, Joe; Ramaswamy, Meghna; Biswas, Priscilla; Vanham, Guido; Scarlatti, Gabriella; Fomsgaard, Anders

    2013-01-01

    Ten to 30% of HIV-1 infected subjects develop broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) during chronic infection. We hypothesized that immunizing rabbits with viral envelope glycoproteins (Envs) from these patients may induce bNAbs, when formulated as a trimeric protein and in the presence of an

  9. Chronologic changes of free fat graft in rabbit using CT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kondo, Norihiro; Kurita, Kenichi; Yajima, Tetsuya; Izumi, Masahiro

    2008-01-01

    Free fat grafts are now used for preventing osteal readhesion, filling dead space, and protecting grafted nerves and vessels. However, it is reported that grafted fat tissue is unstable resulting in high risk of cicatrization and infection. We grafted free fat to a rabbit's back and observed the chronologic change using CT. Ten adult male Japanese white rabbits (3.5 kg) were used. In five rabbits, fat tissue was obtained from the back under general anaesthesia, and transplanted into the back about 50 mm posterior from the donor site. CT was taken in the fixed scan condition five times (preoperation, immediate postoperation, postoperative 1-month, 2-month, and 3-month). In the remaining five rabbits, only CT scan was taken three times as a control. It was observed that we compared preoperative fat volume with the postoperative volume using RealINTAGE. Grafted fat tissue decreased postoperatively at 1-month and completely disappeared at 3-months. We were able to prove that CT scan is effective to observe the chronologic change of grafted fat tissue. Techniques of tissue engineering are necessary for survival of grafted fat tissue. (author)

  10. Large-scale lagovirus disease outbreaks in European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) in France caused by RHDV2 strains spatially shared with rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Gall-Reculé, Ghislaine; Lemaitre, Evelyne; Bertagnoli, Stéphane; Hubert, Céline; Top, Sokunthea; Decors, Anouk; Marchandeau, Stéphane; Guitton, Jean-Sébastien

    2017-10-28

    Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is a lagovirus that causes rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) in European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). In 2010, a new genotype called RHDV2 emerged in France. It exhibits a larger host range than classical RHDV strains by sporadically infecting different hare species, including the European hare (Lepus europaeus). Phylogenetic analyses revealed that closely related RHDV2 strains circulate locally in both hares and rabbits, and therefore that RHDV2 strains infecting hares do not belong to a lineage that has evolved only in this species. We showed that RHDV2 is widely distributed in France and that it was responsible for more than a third of cases of lagovirus disease in European hare populations in 2015. The oldest RHDV2 positive hare was sampled in November 2013 and we reported two hares co-infected by EBHSV and RHDV2. All together, our results raise important epidemiological and evolutionary issues. In particular, along with the potential emergence of recombinant EBHSV/RHDV2 strains in hares, the enlargement of the host range changes the host population structure of RHDV2 and may alter the impact of the virus on rabbit and hare populations.

  11. Biomechanical and histologic comparison of Achilles tendon ruptures reinforced with intratendinous and peritendinous plantaris tendon grafts in rabbits: an experimental study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ilhami, Kuru; Gokhan, Maralcan; Ulukan, Inan; Eray, Bozan M; Levent, Altinel; Ciğdem, Tokyol

    2004-11-01

    We hypothesized that the closer the reinforcing graft was to the repair zone, the more strength the healed tendon would achieved. Therefore, we compared the ruptured rabbit Achilles tendons reinforced with intratendinous and peritendinous plantaris grafts. The experimental study was performed on Achilles tendons of 20 rabbits. First, they were divided into two groups: group I (n=10) underwent intratendinous graft and end-to-end tenorraphy, and group P (n=10) were repaired end-to-end and then reinforced with a peritendinous plantaris graft. An above-knee cast was applied during 6 weeks postoperatively. The two groups were compared to each other biomechanically and histologically. Seven randomly selected rabbits from each group were used for biomechanical evaluation. The remaining six rabbits (three from each group) were used for histologic comparison. Non-operated sides (n=20) served as the control group. The mean maximum load at rupture of the repaired and control groups was 159.9+/-31 N, 83+/-7.5 N, and 207.5+/-35 N for group I, group P, and the control group, respectively. Values between groups were significantly different considering maximum load and absorbed energy to rupture. There was no significant difference between groups I and P in respect to strain. Control group tendons (groups I-C and P-C) had significantly more lengthening capability than operated tendons. Macroscopically, group I tendons were thicker and stiffer than group P tendons. Histologically, differences between the group I and group P specimens revealed that the healing process was faster in tendons augmented intratendinously. In reinforcing Achilles tendon repair, the site of the tendon graft affected the result. When the graft was used intratendinously, the healed tendon was more similar biomechanically to normal tendon and had more graft-tendon orientation histologically than the tendon augmented peritendinously.

  12. Observations on the seasonal incidence of myxomatosis and its interactions with helminth parasites in the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boag, B

    1988-07-01

    European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were collected monthly over a 10-yr period and the incidence of myxomatosis and the size of helminth populations were recorded. Myxomatosis occurred annually, always as an epidemic in the latter half of the year and was associated with both an increase in the percentage of animals infected and the size of the infections of the nematodes Trichostrongylus retortaeformis and Passalurus ambiguus and the cestode Mosgovoyia pectinata. It is suggested that myxomatosis had the effect of reducing the rabbits' overall immune response to infection and that due to the regular annual occurrence of myxomatosis, the resulting increase in the size of helminth infections must be considered an integral part of the population dynamics of these parasites.

  13. Effect of competitive exclusion in rabbits using an autochthonous probiotic

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sara Cunha

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Animal nutrition has been severely challenged by the ban on antimicrobials as growth promoters. This has fostered the study of alternative methods to avoid colonisation by pathogenic bacteria as well as to improve the growth of animals and feed conversion efficiency. These new options should not alter the normal intestinal microbiota, or affect it as little as possible. The use of probiotics, which are live microorganisms that beneficially affect the host by improving its intestinal microbial balance, can be seen as a promising way to achieve that goal. In this study, New Zealand White rabbits were fed diets containing an autochthonous probiotic of Enterococcus spp., with the strains EaI, EfaI and EfaD, and Escherichia coli, with the strains ECI 1, ECI 2 and ECD, during a 25-d trial, to evaluate the impact of the probiotic on the faecal microbiota, including population dynamics and antimicrobial resistance profiles. A control group of rabbits, which was fed a diet containing a commonly used mixture of antimicrobials (colistin, oxytetracycline, and valnemulin, was also studied. To assess the colonisation ability of the mentioned probiotic, the faecal microbiota of the rabbits was characterised up to 10 d after the administration had ended. Isolates of enterococci and E. coli were studied for phylogenetic relationships using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC-PCR and pulse-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE, respectively. Although partially affected by an unexpected clinical impairment suffered by the rabbits in the experimental group, our results showed the following. The difference between the growth rate of the animals treated with antimicrobials and those fed the probiotic was not statistically significant (P> 0.05. The competitive exclusion product was present in the faecal samples in a large proportion, but stopped being recovered by culture as soon as the administration ended and the housing conditions were changed

  14. Ultrastructural pathological study on skeletal muscle injury in rabbit after a high-dose radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Wei; Ni Xinchu; Sun Suping; Cai Leiming; Yu Jingping; Wang Jian; Nie Bin; Sun Zhiqiang; Ni Xinye; Cao Xiufeng

    2012-01-01

    Objective: To establish a rabbit model of radiation-induced skeletal muscle injury in order to study the ultrastructural pathological changes and underlying mechanism. Methods: 28 New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into 2 groups with 16 rabbits in experimental group and 12 rabbits in control group. The experimental rabbits were irradiated on hip with a single dose of 80 Gy of 9 MeV electrons from a linear accelerator. 1 month and 6 months after irradiation the pathological changes were respectively observed under light microscope and electron microscope. Results: One month after irradiation, the morphologic changes including degeneration, necrosis of muscle cells, and hemorrhage between the muscle cells were observed under light microscope and the swelling of myofibrillae, blurring of light and shade band, vacuolar degeneration of mitochondria and amorphous areas of necrosis were observed under electron microscope. Six months after irradiation, the morphologic changes of nucleolus chips, fibrous connective tissue, thickening of vascular wall and vascular congestion between the muscle cells and the amorphous areas of necrosis in the experimental group were much more serious than those of 1 month after irradiation. In addition, the myofilaments were lost in degeneration areas and the sarcomere became shorten. Observation with electron microscope showed that the mitochondrial size and its morphological changes were varied and the amounts of collagen between myofibrillaes were increased 6 months after irradiation. Conclusions: A rabbit model of high-dose irradiated skeleton muscle injury was successfully established with a single dose of 80 Gy of 9 MeV electrons from a linear accelerator. The degeneration and necrosis of muscle cells may be promoted by mitochondrial and vascular injury, degeneration of vessel and nerve fiber. (authors)

  15. Effect of hypothyroidism on the purinergic responses of corpus cavernosal smooth muscle in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yildirim, M K; Bagcivan, I; Sarac, B; Kilicarslan, H; Yildirim, S; Kaya, T

    2008-01-01

    Several studies have reported evidence of hormonal abnormalities in 25-35% of impotent men. Hypothyroidism has been reported to occur in 6% of impotent men. In the present study, we examined purinergic relaxation responses in hypothyroidism in an experimental rabbit model and compared them with controls to evaluate the possible involvement of the purinergic pathway. The study comprised 20 male New Zealand white rabbits. The rabbits were divided into two equal groups. We tested the effects of ATP, alpha beta ATP, and adenosine precontracted with phenylephrine on the isolated corpus cavernosum preparations from control and hypothyroid rabbits. We also evaluated the effects of ATP, alpha beta ATP, and adenosine on the cGMP levels in the isolated corpus cavernosum preparations from control and hypothyroid rabbits. T3, T4, and testosterone levels were significantly lower in hypothyroid rabbits. ATP, alpha beta ATP, carbachol, and electrical field stimulation (EFS)-induced frequency-dependent relaxation responses in the isolated rabbit corpus cavernosum strips precontracted with phenylephrine reduced significantly (Phypothyroid rabbits. Reduction of relaxation response in hypothyroid rabbits corpus cavernosum can depend on a decreased release of nitric oxide (NO) from nitrergic nerves and endothelium.

  16. Evaluation of clinical and paraclinical effects of intraosseous vs intravenous administration of propofol on general anesthesia in rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramin Mazaheri-Khameneh

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available This prospective study aimed to compare the intraosseous (IO and intravenous (IV effects of propofol on selected blood parameters and physiological variables during general anesthesia in rabbits. Thirty New Zealand White rabbits were studied. Six rabbits received IV propofol (group 1 and another 6 rabbits, were injected propofol intraosseously (Group 2 for 30 minutes (experimental groups. Rabbits of the third and fourth groups received IV and IO normal saline at the same volume given to the experimental groups, respectively. In the fifth group IO cannulation was performed but neither propofol nor normal saline were administered. Blood profiles were assayed before induction and after recovery of anesthesia. Heart and respiratory rates, rectal temperature, saturation of peripheral oxygen and mean arterial blood pressure were recorded. Heart rate increased significantly 1 to 5 minutes after induction of anesthesia in experimental groups (P < 0.05. Although mean arterial blood pressure decreased significantly from baseline, values remained above 60 mm Hg (P < 0.05. Respiratory rate decreased significantly in experimental groups, but remained higher in group 2 (P < 0.05. The lymphocyte count decreased significantly in group 1 (P < 0.05. The concentration of alkaline phosphatase in all rabbits, aspartate aminotransferase and gamma- glutamyl transferase in the first group and gamma-glutamyl transferase in the third group increased significantly (P < 0.05. Total bilirubin decreased significantly in group 2 (P < 0.05. All measured values remained within normal limits. Based on the least significant physiological, hematological and biochemical effects, the IO injection of propofol appears to be safe and suitable method of anesthesia in rabbits with limited vascular access.

  17. Waning of maternal immunity and the impact of diseases: the example of myxomatosis in natural rabbit populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fouchet, D; Marchandeau, S; Langlais, M; Pontier, D

    2006-09-07

    Myxomatosis is a leporipoxvirus that infects the european rabbit, inducing a high mortality rate. Observations lead us to hypothesize that a rabbit carrying maternal antibodies (or having recovered) can be infected (or re-infected) upon being exposed (or re-exposed) to the virus. Infection will lead to mild disease, boosting host immune protection. Using a modelling approach we show that this phenomenon may lead to a difference of impact of myxomatosis according to its transmission rate. Young are exposed when they still carry maternal antibodies and develop a mild disease in high transmission populations. Our results show that the impact of myxomatosis is generally higher in epidemic situations compared to populations where the virus circulates all the year. As a consequence, waning of acquired immunity and the continuous supply of newborn along the year may reduce the impact of the disease.

  18. Effect of host nutrition on immunity and local immune response of rabbits to Obeliscoides cuniculi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sinski, E.; Bezubik, B.; Wedrychowicz, H.; Szklarczyk, J.; Doligalska, M.

    1988-01-01

    In a series of experiments carried out on young and adult rabbits the effect of isocaloric low protein diets containing 4% or 8% protein compared with a diet containing 21% protein on Obeliscoides cuniculi infection was studied. The pathogenesis, resistance and local immunity were assessed after single infections with 10,000 larvae or reinfection with 5000 larvae. Live weight gain was reduced in young and adult rabbits fed the low protein diets, but the establishment of parasites was not substantially influenced by protein deprivation. However, development of worms in the histotrophic phase and parasite fecundity were impaired in association with the low protein diet. Moreover, mild anaemia as well as changes in the mucosal immune response as a result of infection were related to the level of dietary protein. (author). 30 refs, 6 figs, 5 tabs

  19. Efficacy of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor agonist in the treatment of virus-associated haemophagocytic syndrome in a rabbit model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsieh, Wen-Chuan; Lan, Bau-Shin; Chen, Yi-Ling; Chang, Yao; Chuang, Huai-Chia; Su, Ih-Jen

    2010-01-01

    Virus-associated haemophagocytic syndrome (VAHS) is a fatal complication of viral infections, such as Epstein-Barr virus and H5N1 influenza, that results from macrophage activation and pro inflammatory cytokine injuries. The high comorbidity and mortality of current therapy urgently demands an ideal agent based on VAHS pathogenesis. Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) agonists, regulators of metabolic syndrome, can exhibit immunomodulatory effects on macrophage activation and cytokine secretion. In this study, we adopted rosiglitazone, a PPAR-gamma agonist, for VAHS control in a Herpesvirus papio (HVP)-infected rabbit model. Various doses of rosiglitazone were orally administered to rabbits on day 7 or day 20 after intravenous challenge with 5 x 10(7) copies of HVP. The rabbits that received 4 mg/day rosiglitazone had significantly increased survival when treated at an early stage of infection (P<0.01), whereas a higher dose (8 mg/day) was required at the advanced stage of the disease (P<0.05). All rosiglitazone-treated rabbits had significantly improved laboratory parameters and plasma tumour necrosis factor-alpha levels. Importantly, rosiglitazone could also inhibit viral replication in vitro and in vivo. PPAR agonists could represent a potentially new agent for the therapy of VAHS.

  20. Psoroptes cuniculi induced oxidative imbalance in rabbits and its alleviation by using vitamins A, D3, E, and H as adjunctive remedial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Shanker Kumar; Dimri, Umesh; Sharma, Mahesh Chandra; Swarup, Devendra; Kumar, Mritunjay; Tiwary, Ramesh

    2012-01-01

    The oxidant/antioxidant balance of rabbits naturally infected with Psoroptes cuniculi and treated with ivermectin +/- vitamins A, D(3), E, and H supplementation was investigated. Two groups of seven mixed ♂ and ♀, 6-to-8 month-old New Zealand White rabbits, diagnosed Psoroptes mites-positive by skin scraping examination and seven clinically healthy control rabbits were examined. Blood samples were obtained on day 0 and at 28 days post-therapy to determine oxidative stress indices. On day 0, the levels of lipid peroxides were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.01) in the Psoroptes-infected rabbits compared with the healthy controls while those of reduced glutathione and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase were significantly lower (P ≤ 0.01). Vitamin supplementation of the ivermectin-treated rabbits revealed both faster clinical (14 days) and parasitological (10 days) recovery. It was concluded that significant alteration of oxidant/antioxidant balance is a factor in the pathogenesis of P. cuniculi infestation of rabbits, and recovery can be enhanced by combining ivermectin treatment with vitamin A, D(3,) E, and H supplementation.

  1. Detection of thrombosis and plaque rupture in atherosclerotic rabbit model by using 3.0 T MR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ma Xiaohai; Zhang Zhaoqi; Zhao Lei; Zhao Quanming; Shang Jianfeng; Feng Tingting; Zeng Conghe

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To explore the imaging of the thrombosis after pharmacological triggering of plaque rupture in atherosclerotic rabbit model by using 3.0 T high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging. Methods: Twenty male New Zealand white rabbits were divided into an experimental group (n=16) and a control group (n=4). The aortic wall injuries were induced by an intravascular balloon in experimental group rabbits after high cholesterol diet. The pharmacological triggering with Russell's viper venom and histamine was performed after 3 months of establishment of model. All of the animals underwent pre-trigger and post-trigger MR examinations including 3D time of fight (3D TOF), T 1 WI, T 2 WI and post contrast T 1 WI. Euthanasia was performed in all rabbits and gross anatomy and histological specimen of aorta were obtained. Comparing the location and length of the thrombus between MRI images and histopathology was used Pearson test. Comparing the calculated indexes of abdominal aorta between rabbits with and without thrombosis was used AVONA test and LSD-t test. Results: After triggering, 8 in 14 survived rabbits developed thrombosis in experimental group, meanwhile, no thrombus was found in control group. The accuracy of multi-sequences MRI for detecting of thrombus was 87.1% (27/31). MRI data correlated with the histopathology regarding thrombus length (r=0.85, P 2 vs. (8.93±5.36) mm 2 , P<0.01]. Conclusion: MRI is useful tool to determine the thrombosis and plaque rupture in atherosclerotic rabbit model. (authors)

  2. [Morphologic study of the intestine in an experimental model of amnioinfusion in fetal rabbits with gastroschisis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muñoz, M E; Albert, A; Juliá, V; Sancho, M A; Grande, C; Martínez, A; Morales, L

    2002-10-01

    An experimental model of serial amnioinfusion has been developed in fetal rabbits with gastroschisis, using an intraamniotic catheter connected to a subcutaneous port. Fetuses of 4 groups were compared 7 days after surgery: group A: gastroschisis and daily amnioinfusion through an implanted catheter; group C: gastroschisis and blind amniotic catheter; group G: gastroschisis without catheter; group O: nonoperated fetuses. Survival rate, fetal body weight, lung weight, intestinal weight and length were determined. Computer aided morphometric analysis was performed, in which intestinal diameter, thickness and villi length were measured. Amniotic fluid samples were recovered along the experimental period. Intestinal length was significantly shorter and had a significantly thicker wall than nonoperated fetuses; we found no other morphometric differences between gastroschisis treated with amnioinfusion (group A) and the other gastroschisis groups (C and G). Amnioinfusion did not affect fetal survival rate; the amniotic catheter alone did not cause pulmonary hypoplasia due to significant amniotic leak. The physiological decrease in amniotic volume towards the end of gestation has not been modified by this regime of amnioinfusion.

  3. Oxidative Damage and Mitochondrial Injuries Are Induced by Various Irrigation Pressures in Rabbit Models of Mild and Severe Hydronephrosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cao, Zhixiu; Yu, Weimin; Li, Wei; Cheng, Fan; Rao, Ting; Yao, Xiaobing; Zhang, Xiaobin; Larré, Stéphane

    2015-01-01

    Objective We aimed to study whether tolerance to irrigation pressure could be modified by evaluating the oxidative damage of obstructed kidneys based on rabbit models experiencing different degrees of hydronephrosis. Methods A total of 66 rabbits were randomly divided into two experimental groups and a control group. In the experimental groups, the rabbits underwent a surgical procedure inducing mild (group M, n=24) or severe (group S, n=24) hydronephrosis. In each experimental group, the rabbits were then randomly divided into 4 subgroups (M0-M3 and S0-S3) consisting of 6 rabbits each. Group 0 received no perfusion. Groups 1 through 3 were perfused with 20, 60 and 100 mmHg fluid, respectively. For the control group, after a sham operation was performed, the rabbits were divided into 4 subgroups and were perfused with fluid at 0, 20, 60 or 100 mmHg of pressure. Kidney injuries was evaluated by neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL). Oxidative damage was assessed by analyzing superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, glutathione reductase (GR), catalase (CAT) and peroxide (H2O2) levels, mitochondrial injuries was assessed by mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), the mitochondrial ultrastructure and tubular cell apoptosis. Results In the experimental groups, all results were similar for groups 0 and 1. In group 2, abnormalities were observed in the S group only, and the kidneys of rabbits in group 3 suffered oxidative damage and mitochondrial injuries with increased NGAL, decreased Mn-SOD, GR and CAT,increased MDA and H2O2, lower levels of MMP, mitochondrial vacuolization and an increased apoptotic index. Conclusion In rabbits, severely obstructed kidneys were more susceptible to oxidative damage and mitochondrial injury than mildly obstructed kidneys when subjected to higher degrees of kidney perfusion pressure. PMID:26090815

  4. Oxidative Damage and Mitochondrial Injuries Are Induced by Various Irrigation Pressures in Rabbit Models of Mild and Severe Hydronephrosis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhixiu Cao

    Full Text Available We aimed to study whether tolerance to irrigation pressure could be modified by evaluating the oxidative damage of obstructed kidneys based on rabbit models experiencing different degrees of hydronephrosis.A total of 66 rabbits were randomly divided into two experimental groups and a control group. In the experimental groups, the rabbits underwent a surgical procedure inducing mild (group M, n=24 or severe (group S, n=24 hydronephrosis. In each experimental group, the rabbits were then randomly divided into 4 subgroups (M0-M3 and S0-S3 consisting of 6 rabbits each. Group 0 received no perfusion. Groups 1 through 3 were perfused with 20, 60 and 100 mmHg fluid, respectively. For the control group, after a sham operation was performed, the rabbits were divided into 4 subgroups and were perfused with fluid at 0, 20, 60 or 100 mmHg of pressure. Kidney injuries was evaluated by neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL. Oxidative damage was assessed by analyzing superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD activity, malondialdehyde (MDA levels, glutathione reductase (GR, catalase (CAT and peroxide (H2O2 levels, mitochondrial injuries was assessed by mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, the mitochondrial ultrastructure and tubular cell apoptosis.In the experimental groups, all results were similar for groups 0 and 1. In group 2, abnormalities were observed in the S group only, and the kidneys of rabbits in group 3 suffered oxidative damage and mitochondrial injuries with increased NGAL, decreased Mn-SOD, GR and CAT,increased MDA and H2O2, lower levels of MMP, mitochondrial vacuolization and an increased apoptotic index.In rabbits, severely obstructed kidneys were more susceptible to oxidative damage and mitochondrial injury than mildly obstructed kidneys when subjected to higher degrees of kidney perfusion pressure.

  5. Efficacy of topotecan treatment on antioxidant enzymes and TBA-RS levels in submandibular glands of rabbits: an experimental study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muluk, Nuray Bayar; Kisa, Uçler; Kaçmaz, Murat; Apan, Alpaslan; Koç, Can

    2005-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of topotecan (Hycamtin), a topoisomerase I inhibiting anticancer agent, on antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px) and TBA-RS values of the submandibular glands of the rabbits. The study was conveyed in two groups (Group I, II) and control with a total of 24 rabbits. Eight rabbits in group I received intravenous (i.v.) topotecan (0.25 mg/kg once daily) for 3 days. Eight rabbits in group II received i.v. topotecan (0.5 mg/kg once daily) for 3 days. On the 15th day after administration of topotecan, submandibular glands were removed and levels of the SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px and the TBA-RS in the submandibular glands of the rabbits were examined. SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px values were significantly higher in high-dose topotecan group compared to control group (P TBA-RS values were significantly higher in high-dose topotecan group compared to low-dose topotecan group (P TBA-RS values in group II showed that permanent damage was present because of high-dose topotecan administration in the submandibular glands of the rabbits.

  6. Large-scale lagovirus disease outbreaks in European brown hares (Lepus europaeus) in France caused by RHDV2 strains spatially shared with rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

    OpenAIRE

    Le Gall-Reculé, Ghislaine; Lemaitre, Evelyne; Bertagnoli, Stéphane; Hubert, Céline; Top, Sokunthea; Decors, Anouk; Marchandeau, Stéphane; Guitton, Jean-Sébastien

    2017-01-01

    Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) is a lagovirus that causes rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) in European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). In 2010, a new genotype called RHDV2 emerged in France. It exhibits a larger host range than classical RHDV strains by sporadically infecting different hare species, including the European hare (Lepus europaeus). Phylogenetic analyses revealed that closely related RHDV2 strains circulate locally in both hares and rabbits, and therefore that RHDV2 s...

  7. A Survey on the Gastrointestinal Parasites of Rabbit and Guinea Pig in a Laboratory Animal House

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Motamedi, G.,

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available There is documented evidence that infection in laboratory animals can often influence the outcome of experiments. All infections, apparent or inapparent, are likely to increase biological variability. As a research project concerning the diversity and distribution of parasites of rabbit and guinea pig in a conventional laboratory animal house, about 87 rabbits (from 700 and 105 guinea pigs (from 1500 were selected randomly from a Research, Production & Breeding of Laboratory Animals Department. Samples were collected between 19.02.2010 and 20.05.2011. The samples and animals were examined by dissection and flotation methods. In this study only one species of nematodes (Passalorus ambiguus: 6.9%; one species of protozoa (Eimeria spp.: 21.8% in rabbits and one species of nematodes (Paraspidodera Uncinata: 24.7%; one species of protozoa (Balantidium coli: 11.4% in guinea pigs were identified. However, there was not any cestodes or trematodes identified from this group of laboratory animals.

  8. Effects of genipin corneal crosslinking in rabbit corneas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avila, Marcel Y; Narvaez, Mauricio; Castañeda, Juan P

    2016-07-01

    To evaluate the effect of genipin, a natural crosslinking agent, in rabbit eyes. Department of Ophthalmology, Universidad Nacional de Colombia Centro de Tecnologia Oftalmica, Bogotá, Colombia. Experimental study. Ex vivo rabbit eyes (16; 8 rabbits) were treated with genipin 1.00%, 0.50%, and 0.25% for 5 minutes with a vacuum device to increase corneal permeability. Penetration was evaluated using Scheimpflug pachymetry (Pentacam). In the in vivo model (20 rabbits; 1 eye treated, 1 eye with vehicle), corneas were crosslinked with genipin as described. Corneal curvature, corneal pachymetry, and intraocular pressure (IOP) assessments as well as slitlamp examinations were performed 0, 7, 30, and 60 days after treatment. In the ex vivo model, Scheimpflug pachymetry showed deep penetration in the rabbit corneas with an increase in corneal density and a dose-dependent relationship. Corneal flattening was observed in treated eyes (mean 4.4 diopters ± 0.5 [SD]) compared with the control eyes. Pachymetry and IOP were stable in all evaluations. No eye showed toxicity in the anterior chamber or in the lens. Corneal crosslinking induced by genipin produced significant flattening of the cornea with no toxicity in rabbit eyes. This crosslinking could be useful in the treatment of corneal ectasia and in the modification of corneal curvature. None of the authors has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned. Copyright © 2016 ASCRS and ESCRS. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Alanine - Valine dynamics in pregnant rabbits | Emudianughe ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    [15N]-alanine and [15N]–valine dynamics were studied in 29 -30 days pregnant New-Zealand rabbits. Over the experimental period, there was no detectable significant difference of mean ± SD of alanine concentrations within the sampling intervals in maternal, umbilical venous and arterial blood samples suggesting that ...

  10. Multiple Natural and Experimental Inflammatory Rabbit Lacrimal Gland Phenotypes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mircheff, Austin K.; Wang, Yanru; Schechter, Joel E.; Li, Meng; Tong, Warren; Attar, Mayssa; Chengalvala, Murty; Harmuth, Joe; Prusakiewicz, Jeffery J.

    2016-01-01

    Purpose To investigate lacrimal gland (LG) immunophysiological and immune-mediated inflammatory process (IMIP) phenotype diversity. Methods Ex vivo matured dendritic cells (mDC) were loaded with acinar cell microparticles (MP). Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) were activated in mixed cell reactions with mDC and injected directly into autologous, unilateral LG (1° ATD-LG) of two rabbit cohorts, one naïve, one immunized with a LG lysate membrane fraction (Pi). Autoimmune IgG titers were assayed by ELISA, MCR PBL stimulation indices (SI) by [3H]-thymidine incorporation. Schirmer tests without and with topical anesthetic (STT-I, STT-IA) and rose Bengal (RB) staining tests were performed. H&E and immunohistochemically stained sections were examined. RNA yields and selected transcript abundances were measured. Immune cell number and transcript abundance data were submitted to Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Results Immunizing Pi dose influenced SI but not IgG titers. STT scores were decreased, and rose Bengal scores increased, by day 118 after immunization. Previous immunization exacerbated scores in 1° ATD-eyes and exacerbated 1° ATD-LG atrophy. IMIP were evident in 2° ATD-LG as well as 1° ATD-LG. PCA described diverse immunophysiological phenotypes in control LG and diverse IMIP phenotypes in ATD-LG. IgG titers and SI pre-adoptive transfer were significantly associated with certain post-adoptive transfer IMIP phenotype features, and certain LG IMIP features were significantly associated with RB and STT IA scores. Conclusions The underlying variability of normal states may contribute to the diversity of experimental IMIP phenotypes. The ability to generate and characterize diverse phenotypes may lead to phenotype-specific diagnostic and therapeutic paradigms. PMID:27423911

  11. EFFECT OF CYCLOSPORINE A ON THE KIDNEY OF RABBIT: A LIGHT AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL STUDY

    OpenAIRE

    Fathy Ahmed Fetouh; Abdelmonem Awad Hegazy

    2014-01-01

    Background: Nephrotoxicity is a relatively common problem in patients immunosuppressed with cyclosporine A (CsA) with an incidence reaching up to thirty percent. The present work aimed to study the histological and ultrastructural effects of CsA on the kidney of rabbit. Materials and Methods: Two groups of Egyptian adult rabbits were used for this study (5 rabbits for each). One group was used as a control and the other group (experimental) was treated with CsA in a dose of 15 mg/kg of bod...

  12. Oral Transmucosal Detomidine Gel in New Zealand White Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williams, Morika D; Long, C Tyler; Durrant, Jessica R; McKeon, Gabriel P; Shive, Heather R; Griffith, Emily H; Messenger, Kristen M; Fish, Richard E

    2017-07-01

    Handling and restraining rabbits for routine procedures may be impossible without prior sedation, result in unnecessary stress or injury to the rabbit or handler, and increase experimental variability. Parenteral administration of sedatives can cause stress also, as well as localized pain and tissue damage, especially in fractious animals. Detomidine hydrochloride, an α2-adrenergic receptor agonist, is commercially available in an oral transmucosal (OTM) gel formulation that is FDA-approved for sedation and restraint in horses. This study investigated the efficacy and safety of detomidine gel as an alternative to injectable sedation in rabbits. Eight adult male New Zealand White rabbits each received 0.6, 1.2, or 1.8 mg/kg OTM detomidine gel. Physiologic parameters and sedation scores (SS) were assessed at 10-min intervals from before administration until 100 min afterward. Histopathology of cardiac tissue was scored through 12 d after dosing. Gel administration increased the SS in all rabbits, but none of the animals developed clinically effective sedation (SS of 10 or greater, based on 5 reflex responses on a 3- or 4-point scale). The SS did not differ among dosage groups, and the time-dose interaction was not statistically significant. Heart rate decreased rapidly in all rabbits, with no difference among dosage groups, and there was no effect of time or dosage on peripheral capillary oxygen saturation. Minimal to mild degenerative changes were seen in the myocardium of all treated rabbits, but myocyte necrosis, inflammation, fibrosis, and mural thrombi-reported previously in rabbits that had received parenteral detomidine-did not occur. OTM detomidine gel was safely and easily administered to rabbits, but the duration and level of sedation were unpredictable. The use of OTM detomidine as a sole agent to facilitate handling and restraint of rabbits does not offer advantages over existing parenteral regimens.

  13. Relationship of sexual hormone variation with productive and reproductive activities in rabbits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ishak, M.H.G.

    1993-01-01

    Experimental work and hormonal radioimmunoassays in the present study were carried out at the rabbit experimental house and laboratories of endocrinology research unit, belonging to radiobiology department, nuclear research center, atomic energy authority, Inchas, Sharkia governerate. A total number of 60 female rabbits were used along the period from 1988 to 1990, of this number 15 dose were selected for a preliminary study and the rest (45 dose) were assigned to a composite detailed experiment. The preliminary experiment was performed during winter season (1988) to answer a question : whether mating estradiol (Ez) blood levels correlates with litter size; and to study the relation between mating circulating steroid levels and pregnancy estradiol (Ez) and progesterone (P4). The detailed experiment was performed during summer 1989 (8 treatments with 3 replicates/cell) and winter 1990 (7 treatments with 3 replicates/cell). It was aimed to investigate the pituitary gonadal axis as affected by season to elucidate possible endocrinological origin for the reproductive halt in rabbits during summer

  14. Histologic and histomorphometric evaluation of bone regeneration using nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite and human freeze-dried bone graft : An experimental study in rabbit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadeghi, Rokhsareh; Najafi, Mohammad; Semyari, Hassan; Mashhadiabbas, Fatemeh

    2017-03-01

    Bone regeneration is an important concern in periodontal treatment and implant dentistry. Different biomaterials and surgical techniques have been used for this purpose. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite and human freeze-dried bone graft (FDBG) in regeneration of rabbit calvarium bony defects by histologic and histomorphometric evaluation. In this experimental study, three similar defects, measuring 8 mm in diameter, were created in the calvaria of 16 white New Zealand rabbits. Two defects were filled with FDBG and nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite silica gel, while the other one remained unfilled to be considered as control. All the defects were covered with collagen membranes. During the healing period, two animals perished; so 14 rabbits were divided into two groups: half of them were euthanized after 6 weeks of healing and the other half after 12 weeks. The specimens were subjected to histologic and histomorphometric examinations for assessment of the following variables: percentage of bone formation and residual graft material, inflammation scores, patterns of bone formation and type of newly formed bone. The percentages of new bone formation after 6 weeks were 14.22 ± 7.85, 21.57 ± 6.91, and 20.54 ± 10.07% in FDBG, NanoBone, and control defects. These values were 27.54 ± 20.19, 23.86 ± 6.27, and 26.48 ± 14.18% in 12-week specimens, respectively. No significant differences were found in the amount of bone formation between the groups. With regard to inflammation, the control and NanoBone groups showed significantly less inflammation compared to FDBG at the 6-week healing phase (P = 0.04); this difference was not significant in the 12-week specimens. Based on the results of this experimental study, both NanoBone and FDBG exhibited a similar effect on bone formation.

  15. Bone mineral measurements of subchondral and trabecular bone in healthy and osteoporotic rabbits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Castaneda, S; Largo, R.; Marcos, M.E.; Herrero-Beaumont, G.; Calvo, E.; Rodriguez-Salvanes, F.; Diaz-Curiel, M.

    2006-01-01

    Experimental models of osteoporosis in rabbits are useful to investigate anabolic agents because this animal has a fast bone turnover with predominant remodelling over the modelling processes. For that purpose, it is necessary to characterize the densitometric values of each type of bony tissue. To determine areal bone mass measurement in the spine and in trabecular, cortical and subchondral bone of the knee in healthy and osteoporotic rabbits. Bone mineral content and bone mineral density were measured in lumbar spine, global knee, and subchondral and cortical bone of the knee with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry using a Hologic QDR-1000/W densitometer in 29 skeletally mature female healthy New Zealand rabbits. Ten rabbits underwent triplicate scans for evaluation of the effect of repositioning. Osteoporosis was experimentally induced in 15 rabbits by bilateral ovariectomy and postoperative corticosteroid treatment for 4 weeks. Identical dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) studies were performed thereafter. Mean values of bone mineral content at the lumbar spine, global knee, subchondral bone and cortical tibial metaphysis were: 1934±217 mg, 878±83 mg, 149±14 mg and 29±7.0 mg, respectively. The mean values of bone mineral density at the same regions were: 298±24 mg/cm 2 , 455±32 mg/cm 2 , 617±60 mg/cm 2 and 678±163 mg/cm 2 , respectively. (orig.)

  16. Effect of calcium citrate on bone integration in a rabbit femur defect model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wei; Wang, Wei; Chen, Qing-Yu; Lin, Zhong-Qin; Cheng, Shao-Wen; Kou, Dong-Quan; Ying, Xiao-Zhou; Shen, Yue; Cheng, Xiao-Jie; Nie, Peng-Fei; Li, Xiu-Cui; Rompis, Ferdinand An; Huang, Hang; Zhang, Hua; Mu, Zhong-Lin; Peng, Lei

    2012-04-01

    To explore effect of calcium citrate on bone integration in a rabbit femur defect model, and to compare the bone formation with different sizes by radiological and histological study. Twenty-four male Japanese white rabbits were randomly divided into three groups (Group A, B, C) in this study. Under anesthesia, defects of four sizes (1.2, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 mm) were created in each of the rabbits. Commercially pure calcium citrate powder was placed inside the medullary compartment of the femur (Experimental), while in the contralateral femur (Control) nothing was implanted. The defects were analyzed using radiography and histological analysis by using Imagepro-Plus 6.0 software after animal was sacrificed at 4th(Group A), 6th(Group B) and 8th(Group C) weeks postoperatively. Four samples were analyzed for each size of defect and each healing period. The histological and the radiologic evaluation were performed after sacrification of all rabbits on postoperative 4th and 6th weeks, It showed significant difference between the experimental group and the control group when these defects were less than or equal to 2.0 mm. No statistical difference was observed when these defects were larger than 2.0 mm at all healing periods except at the 4th week. Calcium citrate affects the early periods of bone defects healing mechanism in Japanese white rabbits positively, especially when the defect is not too large. We suggest further studies on calcium citrate to determine the effects of various dosages, administration ways and the experimental time on the bone defects. Copyright © 2012 Hainan Medical College. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Effect of nano-silver hydrogel coating film on deep partial thickness scald model of rabbit

    OpenAIRE

    Peng Xi; Yan Li; Xiaojin Ge; Dandan Liu; Mingsan Miao

    2018-01-01

    Objective: Observing the effect of nano-silver hydrogel coating film on deep partial thickness scald model of rabbit. Method: We prepared boiling water scalded rabbits with deep II degree scald models and applied high, medium and low doses of nano-silver hydrogel coating film for different time and area. Then we compared the difference of burned paper weight before administration and after administration model burns, burn local skin irritation points infection, skin crusting and scabs from th...

  18. Infectivity and temperature tolerance of non-encapsulating Trichinella zimbabwensis in experimentally infected red foxes (Vulpes vulpes)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hurníková, Z.; Dubinský, P.; Mukaratirwa, S.

    2004-01-01

    The non-encapsulating Trichinella zimbabwensis was evaluated for infectivity in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), the larval distribution and cold tolerance in fox muscle tissue. Six red foxes were experimentally infected with T. zimbabwensis larvae. Five weeks after inoculation, muscle larvae were...... recovered from 9 different muscle types using artificial digestion method. The establishment of infection in all infected red foxes demonstrated the ability of T. zimbabwensis to complete its life cycle in a carnivore mammal host. The larvae recovered from fox muscle tissue were infective to mice, they have...

  19. Experimental porcine cysticercosis using infected beetles with Taenia solium eggs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomez-Puerta, Luis A; Garcia, Hector H; Gonzalez, Armando E

    2018-07-01

    Beetles are intermediate hosts for human and animal parasites, and several beetle species have been shown to carry Taenia eggs. An experimental porcine cysticercosis infection model was developed using beetles (Ammophorus rubripes) infected with Taenia solium eggs and then using these beetles for oral pig challenge. A total of 18 three months-old Landrace pigs were divided in four groups. Pigs from groups 1, 2, and 3 (n = 6 pigs per group) were challenged with one, three, and six beetles infected with T. solium eggs, containing approximately 52, 156 or 312 eggs respectively. Pigs were necropsied 12 weeks after infection to assess the presence of T. solium metacestode. Porcine cysticercosis by T. solium was produced in 17 out of 18 pigs (94.4%) challenged with infected beetles, all infected pigs had viable cysts. Only one pig from group 1 was negative to the presence of cysts. The median number of metacestodes per pig in groups 1, 2, and 3 were 2 (range 0-71), 26 (range 5-33) and 40 cysts (range 4-111), respectively. Experimental porcine cysticercosis infection is consistently obtained using beetles as mechanical vectors for T. solium eggs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Magnetic resonance evaluation of luminal patency after polylactide stent implantation: an experimental study in a rabbit aorta model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hietala, Eeva-Maija; Salminen, Ulla-Stina; Harjula, Ari L.J.; Maasilta, Paula; Staahls, Anders; Vaelimaa, Tero; Kivisaari, Leena

    2003-01-01

    Intravascular metallic stents cause magnetic field distortions, disturbing luminal detection. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of polylactic acid (PLA) stents on magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Biodegradable double spiral helical PLA stents (n=12) or stainless steel (SS) (n=6) stents were implanted into the infrarenal aortas of New Zealand White rabbits. All SS- and 6 PLA-stented animals as well as 6 non-operated control rabbits were imaged with gadolinium-enhanced MRA (1.5 T), and infrarenal aortic diameters (proximal, distal, and narrowest), together with the stent artifact, were measured. Six of the PLA-stented rabbits were followed up, and MRA was assessed at 2, 6, 9, and 12 months after the stent implantation. Image artifacts caused by the SS stents were visualized in all cases. The PLA stents caused no magnetic field distortion, allowing imaging of the underlying vessel including the vessel lumen. In the follow-up group of 6 rabbits with a PLA stent, 5 of 6 were patent at the end of the follow-up of 12 months. These stents allowed luminal detection at all time points, with no significant differences in aortic measurements emerging during the whole follow-up period. When immediately postoperatively scanned SS and PLA rabbits were compared with controls, no differences were observable in proximal diameters. Instead, the percentage of distal luminal loss was greater in the PLA-stented rabbits, as compared with SS stents (p<0.01). The PLA stenting in small vessels allows evaluation of luminal patency with MRA both immediately after implantation and during follow-up. (orig.)

  1. Erythrocyte Osmotic Fragility and Excitability Score in Rabbit fed Hibiscus Sabdariffa in Graded Level.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adenkola, A Y; Oluremi, O I A

    2014-12-29

    This study was conducted for 10 weeks with the aim of investigating the erythrocyte membrane integrity as measured by erythrocyte osmotic fragility and excitability scores of rabbits fed graded level of Hibiscus sabdariffa calyx (HSC). Twenty weaners' rabbit of both sexes were used for the study and were placed on four experimental diets which contain the following percentages of HSC 0 %, 25 %, 50 %, 75 %, as feed additive and were added at 0 g, 62.5 g, 125 g, 187.5 g designated as T1, T2, T3 and T4 experimental diets. Excitability scores were measured weekly as described by Voisnet et al. (1997). At the end of the experiment, the rabbits were slaughtered by severing the jugular vein. A Blood sample (2 ml) was collected from each rabbit into sampled bottles, containing the Na EDTA as anticoagulant for hematological analysis. Packed cell volume (PCV) Haemoglobin concentration (Hb), Total red blood cell (RBC) count, Total leukocyte count as well as differential leukocyte was determined using standard method. The percentage haemolysis recorded at 0.3 % to 0.8 % was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in rabbits in T1 compared to the remaining 3 diets. The result of excitability score shows that rabbit on diet 1 and 2 had a lower value which was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than rabbits on diets 3 and 4 with a value of 65.5 ± 5.0 and 70.00 ± 5.50 % respectively. In conclusion this study demonstrated for the first time that chronic administration of HSC improves haematological parameters, brain mood and function as well as maintaining erythrocyte membrane integrity.

  2. EFFECT OF HUMIC SUBSTANCES AND PROBIOTICS ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND MEAT QUALITY OF RABBITS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimír Parkányi

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Normal 0 21 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4  The aim of this work was determined effect of supplemental humic substances and probiotics on growth performance and meat quality of rabbits.  The growth performances were observed on two hundred and twelve growing rabbits assigned randomly by weight to two treatments. The treatments included: 1 Control group: in this group were rabbits fed with basal diet during all experiment (35th – 77th day, 2 experimental group: the animals were fed with basal diet+3kg/t humic substances – Humac Nature during whole experiment.  In this group was during fattening period (35th – 49th and 63rd – 70th days of age added to feed the probiotic preparation – Propoul (Lactobacillus fermentum CCM 7158 1x108 CFU 2 g per ten pieces. Body weight and feed intake were measured weekly in order to determine the average daily gain, average daily feed intake and gain/feed. The characteristics of meat quality were determined on twelve rabbit males at the age of 77 days, when the rabbits achieved average slaughter weight 2500g. Results of the whole experimental period showed that addition humic substances and probiotic preparation to the diet had positive effect (not significantly on intensity of growth live weight in the last phase of fattening period. The results of this study suggest that humic substances with probiotics might be utilized as a feed additive in the rabbit diet. It could not significantly improve growth performance and meat quality of rabbits.doi:10.5219/192 

  3. Humoral immune response and spreading of Encephalitozoon cuniculi infection in experimentally infected ponies

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Wagnerová, Pavla; Sak, Bohumil; Květoňová, Dana; Maršálek, M.; Langerová, I.; Kváč, Martin

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 197, 1-2 (2013), s. 1-6 ISSN 0304-4017 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : Ponies * Encephalitozoon cuniculi genotype II * PCR * Antibodies * Experimental infection Subject RIV: EC - Immunology Impact factor: 2.545, year: 2013

  4. Oral administration of myostatin-specific recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae vaccine in rabbit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhongtian; Zhou, Gang; Ren, Chonghua; Xu, Kun; Yan, Qiang; Li, Xinyi; Zhang, Tingting; Zhang, Zhiying

    2016-04-29

    Yeast is considered as a simple and cost-effective host for protein expression, and our previous studies have proved that Saccharomyces cerevisiae can deliver recombinant protein and DNA into mouse dendritic cells and can further induce immune responses as novel vaccines. In order to know whether similar immune responses can be induced in rabbit by oral administration of such recombinant S. cerevisiae vaccine, we orally fed the rabbits with heat-inactivated myostatin-recombinant S. cerevisiae for 5 weeks, and then myostatin-specific antibody in serum was detected successfully by western blotting and ELISA assay. The rabbits treated with myostatin-recombinant S. cerevisiae vaccine grew faster and their muscles were much heavier than that of the control group. As a common experimental animal and a meat livestock with great economic value, rabbit was proved to be the second animal species that have been successfully orally immunized by recombinant S. cerevisiae vaccine after mice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Dissociative anesthetic combination reduces intraocular pressure (IOP in rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ewaldo de Mattos-Junior

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was evaluate the effects of three anesthetic combinations, ketamine-midazolam, ketamine-xylazine and tiletamine-zolazepam, on IOP in rabbits. In a experimental, blind, randomized, crossover study, six rabbits were anesthetized with each of 3 treatments in random order. Groups KM (ketamine, 30 mg/kg + midazolam, 1 mg/kg; KX (ketamine, 30 mg/kg + xylazine, 3 mg/kg; and TZ (tiletamine + zolazepam, 20 mg/kg. The drugs were mixed in the same syringe injected intramuscularly (IM into the quadriceps muscle. IOP was measured before drug administration (baseline and at 5-minute intervals for 30 minutes. The data were analyzed by a 2-way repeated measures ANOVA followed by Bonferroni test. All groups had significant decreases in IOP compared to baseline (p 0.05. Administration of either ketamine-midazolam, ketamine-xylazine, or tiletamine-zolazepam similarly decrease IOP in rabbits within 30 minutes of injection.

  6. Selected HIV-1 Env trimeric formulations act as potent immunogens in a rabbit vaccination model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leo Heyndrickx

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Ten to 30% of HIV-1 infected subjects develop broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs during chronic infection. We hypothesized that immunizing rabbits with viral envelope glycoproteins (Envs from these patients may induce bNAbs, when formulated as a trimeric protein and in the presence of an adjuvant. METHODS: Based on in vitro neutralizing activity in serum, patients with bNAbs were selected for cloning of their HIV-1 Env. Seven stable soluble trimeric gp140 proteins were generated from sequences derived from four adults and two children infected with either clade A or B HIV-1. From one of the clade A Envs both the monomeric and trimeric Env were produced for comparison. Rabbits were immunized with soluble gp120 or trimeric gp140 proteins in combination with the adjuvant dimethyl dioctadecyl ammonium/trehalose dibehenate (CAF01. Env binding in rabbit immune serum was determined using ELISAs based on gp120-IIIB protein. Neutralizing activity of IgG purified from rabbit immune sera was measured with the pseudovirus-TZMbl assay and a PBMC-based neutralization assay for selected experiments. RESULTS: It was initially established that gp140 trimers induce better antibody responses over gp120 monomers and that the adjuvant CAF01 was necessary for such strong responses. Gp140 trimers, based on HIV-1 variants from patients with bNAbs, were able to elicit both gp120IIIB specific IgG and NAbs to Tier 1 viruses of different subtypes. Potency of NAbs closely correlated with titers, and an gp120-binding IgG titer above a threshold of 100,000 was predictive of neutralization capability. Finally, peptide inhibition experiments showed that a large fraction of the neutralizing IgG was directed against the gp120 V3 region. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the strategy of reverse immunology based on selected Env sequences is promising when immunogens are delivered as stabilized trimers in CAF01 adjuvant and that the rabbit is a valuable model

  7. Selected HIV-1 Env trimeric formulations act as potent immunogens in a rabbit vaccination model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heyndrickx, Leo; Stewart-Jones, Guillaume; Jansson, Marianne; Schuitemaker, Hanneke; Bowles, Emma; Buonaguro, Luigi; Grevstad, Berit; Vinner, Lasse; Vereecken, Katleen; Parker, Joe; Ramaswamy, Meghna; Biswas, Priscilla; Vanham, Guido; Scarlatti, Gabriella; Fomsgaard, Anders

    2013-01-01

    Ten to 30% of HIV-1 infected subjects develop broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) during chronic infection. We hypothesized that immunizing rabbits with viral envelope glycoproteins (Envs) from these patients may induce bNAbs, when formulated as a trimeric protein and in the presence of an adjuvant. Based on in vitro neutralizing activity in serum, patients with bNAbs were selected for cloning of their HIV-1 Env. Seven stable soluble trimeric gp140 proteins were generated from sequences derived from four adults and two children infected with either clade A or B HIV-1. From one of the clade A Envs both the monomeric and trimeric Env were produced for comparison. Rabbits were immunized with soluble gp120 or trimeric gp140 proteins in combination with the adjuvant dimethyl dioctadecyl ammonium/trehalose dibehenate (CAF01). Env binding in rabbit immune serum was determined using ELISAs based on gp120-IIIB protein. Neutralizing activity of IgG purified from rabbit immune sera was measured with the pseudovirus-TZMbl assay and a PBMC-based neutralization assay for selected experiments. It was initially established that gp140 trimers induce better antibody responses over gp120 monomers and that the adjuvant CAF01 was necessary for such strong responses. Gp140 trimers, based on HIV-1 variants from patients with bNAbs, were able to elicit both gp120IIIB specific IgG and NAbs to Tier 1 viruses of different subtypes. Potency of NAbs closely correlated with titers, and an gp120-binding IgG titer above a threshold of 100,000 was predictive of neutralization capability. Finally, peptide inhibition experiments showed that a large fraction of the neutralizing IgG was directed against the gp120 V3 region. Our results indicate that the strategy of reverse immunology based on selected Env sequences is promising when immunogens are delivered as stabilized trimers in CAF01 adjuvant and that the rabbit is a valuable model for HIV vaccine studies.

  8. Establishment of a new model for culturing rabbit osteoblasts in vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cao Xianying; Yin Meizhen; Zhang Lina; Li Shipu; Cao Yang

    2006-01-01

    To establish an experimental model for culturing rabbit osteoblasts in vitro, the osteoblasts were isolated from the calvarial bone of a 15-day old rabbit using a method of culturing the bone pieces in a medium after they had been digested by an enzyme for 15 min. The acquired cells were assayed by cell morphology, alkaline phosphatase activity and production of a mineralized matrix. The results showed that the cells had the morphologic characteristics and some biological behaviours of osteoblasts. Based on the primary isolation of osteoblasts from bone and combining digestion with explants, a novel model for culturing rabbit osteoblasts in vitro was established, which is easy, efficient and effective. This model can be used in many studies of osteogenesis mechanisms and bone replacement materials. (communication)

  9. The impact of nicotine on osseointegration. An experimental study in the femur and tibia of rabbits

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Balatsouka, Dimitra; Gotfredsen, Klaus; Lindh, Christian H

    2005-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to analyze the effect of an enhanced systematic dose of nicotine on osseointegration of titanium implants. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixteen female rabbits received either nicotine (n=8) or saline (n=8) administered subcutaneously via mini-osmotic pumps...... for 2 months. The pump delivered 6 mug/kg/min of nicotine for the animals in the test group. Blood was withdrawn and plasma cotinine levels were measured weekly. Thirty-two titanium implants were inserted into the femur and tibia of all rabbits after 4 weeks and after 6 weeks of nicotine...... and the peri-implant BD-i showed no significant differences between the test and the control group after 2 or after 4 weeks. CONCLUSION: Nicotine exposure for a short period of time even in a high dose did not have a significant impact on implant osseointegration in rabbits....

  10. Detection of experimental thrombi in rabbits with an 131I-labelled fibrin-specific monoclonal antibody

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walker, K.Z.; Milner, L.J.; Boniface, G.R.

    1990-01-01

    The detection of thrombi in rabbits has been investigated with 131 I-labelled DD-3B6/22, a monoclonal antibody (Mab) reactive at high affinity (Kd=2.68x10 -10 M) with human D Dimer (DD). DD-3B6/22 bound well to both 'fresh' and 'aged' human clots in an in vitro assay but showed poor binding to rabbit clots. However, reactivity was restored to rabbit blood if it was seeded, before clotting, with human DD covalently coupled to Sepharose beads. Thus, a rabbit model was developed in which blood was allowed to clot around DD-Sepharose beads introduced into the jugular vein. Gamma camera imaging showed that intact 131 I-labelled DD-3B6/22 localised to these clots within 24 h. Uptake at this time was 0.202%±0.012% injected dose per gram (%ID/g) compared with 0.086±0.018%ID/g after injection of control antibody. 131 I-labelled F(ab') 2 fragments of DD-3B6/22 allowed earlier scintigraphic detection of the clot which was evident 4 h after injection. Uptake in the clot at 24 h was 0.154±0.038% ID/g compared with 0.109±0.027% ID/g for a control F(ab') 2 . As antigen levels in the clot are estimated to be less than 300 μg DD, thus representing a very small human clot, the DD-3B6/22 Mab would appear to have a good potential for the sensitive detection of thrombi in a clinical setting. (orig.)

  11. Effect of diet supplementation with Toyocerin (R) (Bacillus cereus var. toyoi) on performance and health of growing rabbits.

    OpenAIRE

    Trocino, A.; Xiccato, G.; Carraro, L.; Jimenez, G.

    2005-01-01

    Two trials were performed to evaluate the effect of a dietary supplementation with Bacillus cereus var. toyoi on performance and health of growing rabbits. The studies were conducted in two commercial farms using the same experimental diets. In the first trial, 216 rabbits were controlled from 35 d (weaning) until 70 d of age. In the second trial, 180 rabbits were controlled from 37 until 79 d of age. At weaning, rabbits were put into bicellular cages, divided into three groups and fed the ex...

  12. MR staging of malignant musculoskeletal tumors: An experimental study on MR and pathologic correlation of rabbit VX-2 carcinoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Heung Sik; Chung, Sung Hoon; KIm, Cheol Woo; Kim, Seong Moon; Im, Jung Gi; Han, Man Chung

    1993-01-01

    To evaluate the reliability of MR imaging in tissue characterization and depiction of tumor boundaries, we performed MR pathologic correlation using parosteally implanted VX-2 carcinoma in 17 rabbit thighs. T1-weighted, T2-weighted and Gd-DTPA enhanced T1-weighted axial images were obtained 10-30 days after tumor implantation. After the animals were killed, frozen and sectioned along the MR imaging planes, and histopathologic examination were done. For accurate MR pathologic correlation, rabbit were fixed on the cardboard plate to minimize position change during the procedure. Tumor boundaries depicted on MR images were larger than those depicted on the specimen. Small tumors were surrounded by capsule-like loose connective tissue. Loose connective tissue became compact with tumor growth. This connective tissue showed high signal intensity on both T2-weighted and Gd-DTPA enhanced T1-weighted images. Muscle atrophy with fatty tissue accumulation around the tumor also contributed to the high signal intensity on MR images. Peritumoral edema and inflammatory reaction were not remarkable. Six of 8 cases with bone marrow fibrosis were detected on MR images. We concluded that peritumoral loose connective tissue and muscle atrophy exaggerated the size of experimentally induced malignant musculoskeletal tumors on MR images

  13. Effects of Experimental Sarcocystis neurona-Induced Infection on Immunity in an Equine Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Rochelle Lewis

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Sarcocystis neurona is the most common cause of Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM, affecting 0.5–1% horses in the United States during their lifetimes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the equine immune responses in an experimentally induced Sarcocystis neurona infection model. Neurologic parameters were recorded prior to and throughout the 70-day study by blinded investigators. Recombinant SnSAG1 ELISA for serum and CSF were used to confirm and track disease progression. All experimentally infected horses displayed neurologic signs after infection. Neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes from infected horses displayed significantly delayed apoptosis at some time points. Cell proliferation was significantly increased in S. neurona-infected horses when stimulated nonspecifically with PMA/I but significantly decreased when stimulated with S. neurona compared to controls. Collectively, our results suggest that horses experimentally infected with S. neurona manifest impaired antigen specific response to S. neurona, which could be a function of altered antigen presentation, lack of antigen recognition, or both.

  14. Effects of Experimental Sarcocystis neurona-Induced Infection on Immunity in an Equine Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, S Rochelle; Ellison, Siobhan P; Dascanio, John J; Lindsay, David S; Gogal, Robert M; Werre, Stephen R; Surendran, Naveen; Breen, Meghan E; Heid, Bettina M; Andrews, Frank M; Buechner-Maxwell, Virginia A; Witonsky, Sharon G

    2014-01-01

    Sarcocystis neurona is the most common cause of Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM), affecting 0.5-1% horses in the United States during their lifetimes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the equine immune responses in an experimentally induced Sarcocystis neurona infection model. Neurologic parameters were recorded prior to and throughout the 70-day study by blinded investigators. Recombinant SnSAG1 ELISA for serum and CSF were used to confirm and track disease progression. All experimentally infected horses displayed neurologic signs after infection. Neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes from infected horses displayed significantly delayed apoptosis at some time points. Cell proliferation was significantly increased in S. neurona-infected horses when stimulated nonspecifically with PMA/I but significantly decreased when stimulated with S. neurona compared to controls. Collectively, our results suggest that horses experimentally infected with S. neurona manifest impaired antigen specific response to S. neurona, which could be a function of altered antigen presentation, lack of antigen recognition, or both.

  15. [Experimental infection of the gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) by Colombian isolates of Giardia duodenalis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arévalo, Adriana; Duque, Sofía; Nicholls, Rubén Santiago

    2005-09-01

    Natural and experimental Giardia infections have been reported from bovines, equines, goats, canines, felines and rodents such as mice, rats and gerbils. The latter have provided successful animal models for Giardia duodenalis and Giardia muris experimental infections. The gerbil model was used to establish the pattern of infection of Colombian Giardia human isolates. Giardia cysts were obtained from stool specimens of symptomatic giardiasis patients by means of sucrose-percoll gradients. Animal inoculation was performed by gastric intubation and injection with 5 x 10(3) Giardia cysts. The course of infection was established by counting cysts every day and trophozoites weekly throughout a period of 30 days. The pattern of cyst excretion was found to be intermittent. Cysts were released during the second and third weeks of infection but not during the first or fourth weeks. The mean minimal number of cysts released per 2-hr collection period was 79 and the mean maximum number was 17,943. Colonization of the small intestine by trophozoites was observed with a mean number ranging from 15,000 to 6,577,778 trophozoites/ml. Gerbils inoculated with G. duodenalis isolates obtained from geographical areas outside Colombia resolved the infection between 86 and 114 days after infection, whereas gerbils infected with Colombian G. duodenalis isolates resolved the infection at 30 days. The gerbil proved to be a good animal model for experimental infection with Colombian isolates of G. duodenalis. Experimental Giardia infection of gerbils permit a sufficient yield of cysts and trophozoites to be used as antigens for the immunization of other animals and to obtain Giardia antibodies that could be used for Giardia antigen detection assays in stool specimens.

  16. Effect of platelet-derived growth factor-BB on bone formation in calvarial defects: an experimental study in rabbits

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vikjaer, D; Blom, S; Hjørting-Hansen, E

    1997-01-01

    The effect of recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor-BB (rhPDGF-BB) on bone healing was examined in calvarial defects in rabbits. Bicortical circular (critical size) defects were prepared in the calvarial bone of 16 rabbits. The defects were closed on the dural side and covered externally...

  17. Antifungal activity of caspofungin in experimental infective endocarditis caused by Candida albicans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Victorio, Gerardo Becerra; Bourdon, Lorena Michele Brennan; Benavides, Leonel García; Huerta-Olvera, Selene G; Plascencia, Arturo; Villanueva, José; Martinez-Lopez, Erika; Hernández-Cañaveral, Iván Isidro

    2017-05-01

    Infective endocarditis is a disease characterised by heart valve lesions, which exhibit extracellular matrix proteins that act as a physical barrier to prevent the passage of antimicrobial agents. The genus Candida has acquired clinical importance given that it is increasingly being isolated from cases of nosocomial infections. To evaluate the activity of caspofungin compared to that of liposomal amphotericin B against Candida albicans in experimental infective endocarditis. Wistar rats underwent surgical intervention and infection with strains of C. albicans to develop infective endocarditis. Three groups were formed: the first group was treated with caspofungin, the second with liposomal amphotericin B, and the third received a placebo. In vitro sensitivity was first determined to further evaluate the effect of these treatments on a rat experimental model of endocarditis by semiquantitative culture of fibrinous vegetations and histological analysis. Our semiquantitative culture of growing vegetation showed massive C. albicans colonisation in rats without treatment, whereas rats treated with caspofungin showed significantly reduced colonisation, which was similar to the results obtained with liposomal amphotericin B. The antifungal activity of caspofungin is similar to that of liposomal amphotericin B in an experimental model of infective endocarditis caused by C. albicans.

  18. Evaluation of Three Bone Substitute Materials in the Treatment of Experimentally Induced Defects in Rabbit Calvaria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Paknejad

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The aim of present study was to evaluate the quality, density and thickness of newly formed bone in experimental defects treated with Combi-Pack®, Bio-Oss® and Biostite®.Materials and Methods: Eight New Zealand white rabbits were included in this randomized,blinded study. Four equal 3×6 mm bone defects were created on the frontal and parietal bones of each animal and three were immediately grafted with Bio-Oss®, Combi-Pack® and Biostite® while one was left untreated, serving as negative control. Histologic and histomorphometric analysis was performed four weeks after surgery.Results: Histomorphometric bone area and trabecular maturity was significantly higher in the Bio-Oss® and Combi-Pack® samples as compared to the Biostite® and control cases.The amount of remaining biomaterial was almost equal in the three experimental groups at the end of the study period. Neither foreign body reaction nor severe inflammation was seen in any of the specimens except for the Biostite® samples.Conclusion: It may be suggested that implantation of Bio-Oss® particles and Combi-Pack® blocks can promote bone regeneration more effectively than Biostite®.

  19. Evaluation of milled pearl millet in the feeding of growing rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fernanda Catelan

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Two experiments were carried out in order to estimate the nutritional value and the performance of growing rabbits fed different levels of pearl millet (ADR 7010. In the digestibility trial, nutritional values of pearl millet were determined in 22 45-day-old New Zealand White rabbits, allotted in a completely randomized design, subjected to two treatments - a reference diet and a test diet with 70% of its volume composed of reference diet and 30% of pearl millet - and 11 replications. The apparent digestibility values of dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber and gross energy of the pearl millet were 88.7, 85.4, 24.4 and 75.0%, respectively. In the performance trial, 120 32-day-old New Zealand White rabbits were used. Rabbits were allotted in a completely randomized design and subjected to six treatments, with 10 replications and two animals for each experimental unit. The diets were formulated with increasing levels of pearl millet (20, 40, 60, 80 and 100%, substituting the corn in the reference diet, according to the digestible energy. No differences were observed in daily feed intake, daily weight gain, feed conversion, carcass traits and feed cost per kilogram of rabbit. Regardless of the amount of corn substituted, pearl can replace corn in diets for growing rabbits.

  20. Ventricular tachyarrhythmia-related basal cardiomyopathy in rabbits with vagal stimulation--a novel experimental model for inverted Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takato, Tetsuya; Ashida, Terunao; Seko, Yoshinori; Fujii, Jun; Kawai, Sachio

    2010-07-01

    Electrical stimulation of the intact (unsectioned) cervical vagus in rabbits frequently provokes ventricular tachyarrhythmias that are often accompanied by mitral regurgitation. Unique pathological lesions often arise on the mitral valve, papillary muscles, and mitral annulus (mitral complex), the latter two of which become swollen and stiffened. These lesions are reversible in nature. Previous studies have essentially ignored the basal portion except for the mitral annulus. Therefore, the present study examined pathological lesions on the left ventricular basal portion in rabbits. The intact right vagal nerves of 20 anesthetized rabbits were repeatedly electrically stimulated under electrocardiographic monitoring. Colloidal carbon (lml) was injected intravenously immediately after the end of the stimulation and all animals were killed 1 week later. Pathological lesions were identified as carbon deposits visible at gross examination. Ventricular bigeminy was induced after vagal stimulation in 15 (75%) of the 20 rabbits. Pathological lesions were evident on the basal portion in 16 (80%) and on the mitral valve and papillary muscles of 15 (75%) of the 20 rabbits. Ventricular bigeminy was closely associated with the development of the pathological lesions, which were rarely observed on the ventricular apex. Cardiomyopathic lesions involving the basal portion and mitral complex were frequently induced in rabbits by vagal stimulation. These lesions bear a close similarity in distribution and reversibility to inverted Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Copyright 2010 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Tumor vascularity of experimentally induced VX2 carcinoma in the rabbit thigh: evaluation with enhanced power doppler sonography and DSA correlated with histopathologic findings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Young Hoon; Han, Joon Koo; Chung, Jin Wook; Lee, Kyoung Ho; Kim, Se Hyung; Kim, Seog Joon; Choi, Byung Ihn; Chang, Kee Hyun [College of Medicine, Seoul National Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2002-05-01

    To describe findings of enhanced power Doppler sonography and DSA in experimentally induced VX2 carcinomas in rabbit thigh and to correlate the imaging findings with the histopathologic features. A total of 30 VX2 carcinomas were implanted in rabbit thigh, and after conventional and enhanced power Doppler sonography and DSA, histopathologic examination was performed. Enhanced power Doppler sonography and DSA, were used to determine the distribution pattern of tumor vascularity; to assess its grade and the percentage of a tumor area occupied by vessels, conventional and enhanced power Doppler sonography, as well as DSA, were used. The grade of necrosis and the development of fibrovascular stroma and capsule were histopathologically determined. The findings of power Doppler sonography were compared with those of DSA and the imaging features were correlated with the histopathologic features. At enhanced power Doppler sonography, the signal was either avascular (n=9), peripheral (n=15) or diffuse (n=6), while at DSA, the corresponding totals were eight, fourteen and eight. There was statistically significant corelation between enhanced power Doppler sonogrpahy and DSA, both in their depiction of the distribution of patterns of tumor vascularity and as regards their findings of grade and percentage of vascular area. As determined by both conventional and enhanced power Doppler sonogrpahy, and by DSA, grade of necrosis and the development of fibrovascular stroma and a capsule correlated with grade and the percentage of vascular area. Experimentally induced VX2 carcinomas in rabbit thigh demonstrated various patterns of tumor vascularity, and the findings of enhanced power Doppler sonography correlated with those of DSA. Tumor vascularity, as demonstrated by two imaging modalities, correlated closely with grade of necrosis and the development of fibrovascular stroma and a capsule, as revealed by histopathologic examination.

  2. Tumor vascularity of experimentally induced VX2 carcinoma in the rabbit thigh: evaluation with enhanced power doppler sonography and DSA correlated with histopathologic findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Young Hoon; Han, Joon Koo; Chung, Jin Wook; Lee, Kyoung Ho; Kim, Se Hyung; Kim, Seog Joon; Choi, Byung Ihn; Chang, Kee Hyun

    2002-01-01

    To describe findings of enhanced power Doppler sonography and DSA in experimentally induced VX2 carcinomas in rabbit thigh and to correlate the imaging findings with the histopathologic features. A total of 30 VX2 carcinomas were implanted in rabbit thigh, and after conventional and enhanced power Doppler sonography and DSA, histopathologic examination was performed. Enhanced power Doppler sonography and DSA, were used to determine the distribution pattern of tumor vascularity; to assess its grade and the percentage of a tumor area occupied by vessels, conventional and enhanced power Doppler sonography, as well as DSA, were used. The grade of necrosis and the development of fibrovascular stroma and capsule were histopathologically determined. The findings of power Doppler sonography were compared with those of DSA and the imaging features were correlated with the histopathologic features. At enhanced power Doppler sonography, the signal was either avascular (n=9), peripheral (n=15) or diffuse (n=6), while at DSA, the corresponding totals were eight, fourteen and eight. There was statistically significant corelation between enhanced power Doppler sonogrpahy and DSA, both in their depiction of the distribution of patterns of tumor vascularity and as regards their findings of grade and percentage of vascular area. As determined by both conventional and enhanced power Doppler sonogrpahy, and by DSA, grade of necrosis and the development of fibrovascular stroma and a capsule correlated with grade and the percentage of vascular area. Experimentally induced VX2 carcinomas in rabbit thigh demonstrated various patterns of tumor vascularity, and the findings of enhanced power Doppler sonography correlated with those of DSA. Tumor vascularity, as demonstrated by two imaging modalities, correlated closely with grade of necrosis and the development of fibrovascular stroma and a capsule, as revealed by histopathologic examination

  3. Experimental reproduction of an Enterococcus cecorum infection in Pekin ducks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jung, Arne; Metzner, Martin; Köhler-Repp, Dagmar; Rautenschlein, Silke

    2013-12-01

    Enterococcus cecorum (EC) was thus far only known as a pathogen for broilers and broiler breeders. Recently there was evidence of EC field outbreaks in Pekin duck flocks in Germany. In this study we experimentally reproduced an EC infection in Pekin ducks. At 12 days post hatch, groups of Pekin ducks were infected orally, via the thoracic air sac or intravenously with 1.5 × 10(9) colony-forming units (CFU) of EC per bird or via the air sac with 8.5 × 10(5) or 8.5 × 10(7) CFU per bird. Ducks of the intravenously infected group showed 100% mortality after 2 days post infection. The air sac inoculated high-dose group exhibited a mortality rate of 67%. Birds that were infected with 8.5 × 10(5) and 8.5 × 10(7) CFU showed 6.7% mortality after 7 days post infection. Dead birds displayed pneumonia, airsacculitis, pericarditis and splenitis and EC was re-isolated from these organs. Surviving birds of all groups apart from the orally infected ducks demonstrated clinical signs such as huddling, reduced mobility and diarrhoea. Furthermore, they showed gross pathological lesions including airsacculitis and splenitis and lower bodyweights than the control group at necropsy on days 7, 14 and 21 post infection. The present study clearly confirms that EC is pathogenic for Pekin ducks after experimental infection via the intravenous route or the respiratory tract. EC therefore has to be considered as an emerging avian pathogen not only in broilers but also in Pekin ducks.

  4. Histopathological study of experimental and natural infections by Trypanosoma cruzi in Didelphis marsupialis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Carlos Araujo Carreira

    1996-10-01

    Full Text Available Didelphis marsupialis, the most important sylvatic reservoir of Trypanosoma cruzi, can also maintain in their anal scent glands the multiplicative forms only described in the intestinal tract of triatomine bugs. A study of 21 experimentally and 10 naturally infected opossums with T. cruzi was undertaken in order to establish the histopathological pattern under different conditions. Our results showed that the inflammation was predominantly lymphomacrophagic and more severe in the naturally infected animals but never as intense as those described in Chagas' disease or in other animal models. The parasitism in both groups was always mild with very scarce amastigote nests in the tissues. In the experimentally infected animals, the inflammation was directly related to the presence of amastigotes nests. Four 24 days-old animals, still in embryonic stage, showed multiple amastigotes nests and moderate inflammatory reactions, but even so they survived longer and presented less severe lesions than experimentally infected adult mice. Parasites were found in smooth, cardiac and/or predominantly striated muscles, as well as in nerve cells. Differing from the experimentally infected opossums parasitism in the naturally infected animals predominated in the heart, esophagus and stomach. Parasitism of the scent glands did not affect the histopathological pattern observed in extraglandular tissues.

  5. Determination of Tropical Forage Preferences Using Two Offering Methods in Rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. M. Safwat

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Two methods of feed preference trials were compared to evaluate the acceptability of 5 fresh foliages: Leucaena leucocephala, Moringa oleifera, Portulaca oleracea, Guazuma ulmifolia, and Brosimum alicastrum that was included as control. The evaluation included chemical analyses and forage intake by rabbits. The first method was a cafeteria trial; 12 California growing rabbits aged 8 wk, allocated in individual cages, were offered the five forage plants at the same time inside the cage, while in the second trial 60 California growing rabbits aged 8 wk, allocated individually, were randomly distributed into 5 experimental groups (n = 12/group; for each group just one forage species was offered at a time. The testing period for each method lasted for 7 d, preceded by one week of adaptation. The results showed that B. alicastrum and L. lecocephala were the most preferred forages while on the contrary G. ulmifolia was the least preferred one by rabbits. The results also revealed that the CV% value for the 2nd method (16.32%, which the tested forages were presented separately to rabbits, was lower and methodologically more acceptable than such value for the 1st method (34.28%, which all forages were presented together at the same time. It can be concluded that a range of tropical forages were consumed in acceptable quantities by rabbits, suggesting that diets based on such forages with a concentrate supplement could be used successfully for rabbit production. However, growth performance studies are still needed before recommendations could be made on appropriate ration formulations for commercial use.

  6. Ultrastructural Comparison of the Nasal Epithelia of Healthy and Naturally Affected Rabbits with Pasteurella multocida A

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    Paula Esquinas

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available An ultrastructural comparison between the nasal cavities of healthy rabbits and those suffering from two forms of spontaneous infection with Pasteurella multocida was undertaken. Twelve commercially produced rabbits of different ages and respiratory health status were divided into four groups: healthy from 0 to 21 days (G1, n=2; healthy from 23 to 49 days (G2, n=2; healthy from 51 to 69 days (G3, n=2; diseased rabbits with septicemia and the rhinitic form of P. multocida infection (G4, n=3. The main ultrastructural changes observed were a widening of the interepithelial spaces, increased activity and number of goblet cells, the formation of two types of vacuoles in epithelial cells, the degranulation and migration of heterophils between the epithelial cells, and the association of this migration with some of the other changes. No bacteria were observed adhering to the epithelium, and very few were observed free in the mucus. Scant inter-epithelial spaces were found in healthy rabbits, but they were not as large and numerous as those found in diseased animals. We discuss the origin and meaning of these changes but, we focus on the significance of the inter-epithelial spaces and goblet cells for the defense of the upper respiratory airways against the bacterium and its lipopolysaccharide.

  7. Myxomatosis: population dynamics of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus Linnaeus, 1758) and ecological effects in the United Kingdom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flowerdew, J R; Trout, R C; Ross, J

    1992-12-01

    In 1953-1955, myxomatosis spread among rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in the United Kingdom, causing 99% mortality. Subsequently, there was a gradual increase in rabbit numbers. By 1955, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) had already found attenuated strains of myxoma virus. By 1970, genetic resistance had appeared. In the 1970s, mortality declined to 47-69% with only approximately 25% of rabbits infected, giving a field mortality of 12-19%. However, myxomatosis is persistent, generally showing a major prevalence peak in autumn and often a minor peak in spring. An eight-year MAFF experiment in which prevalence of the disease was artificially reduced indicates that myxomatosis remains a significant factor in population regulation. After rabbit numbers fell in the 1950s, important ecological changes took place: vegetation altered due to reduced grazing pressure, predators were affected by the reduction of a major prey species and these changes also affected many other animals. Currently, rabbit numbers have returned to approximately one-third of pre-myxomatosis levels and this is causing damage to farm and conservation habitats.

  8. Enveloping bioabsorbable polyglycolide membrane and immobilization in Achilles tendon repair: A comparative experimental study on rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pihlajamäki, Harri; Tynninen, Olli; Karjalainen, Pertti; Rokkanen, Pentti

    2008-02-01

    Using qualitative and histoquantitative methods, we investigated the effect of immobilization versus nonimmobilization on the biodegradation process, implant-tissue interaction, and scar formation after enveloping a rejoined rabbit Achilles tendon with a self-reinforced polyglycolide (SR-PGA) membrane. The soleus and gastrocnemius tendons of the right hind legs of 40 rabbits were transected. After suturing the ends, the seam was enveloped with the bioabsorbable membrane. Twenty ankles were immobilized with cast, 20 remained nonimmobilized. All nonoperated left ankles served as intact controls. During the follow-up of 3, 6, 12, and 24 weeks, scar formation, tissue response, and membrane biodegradation were studied histologically and histomorphometrically. The amount of scar tissue, highest at 3 weeks, gradually approached intact controls. SR-PGA degradation in both cast and noncast specimens was near complete by 24 weeks. Signs of an inflammatory process were most prominent at 3 weeks and diminished gradually by 24 weeks. No significant difference between cast and noncast specimens was noted at any time point regarding the amount of scar tissue, degradation process of PGA, or intensity of inflammatory reaction. In the present experimental setting, cast immobilization influenced neither scar formation nor speed of degradation during reunion of transected Achilles tendon ends as compared with nonimmobilization. No differences in the reunion process of the tendon ends were seen between the immobilized and nonimmobilized groups. Moreover, inflammatory cells were similar in both groups and reflected a transient tissue reaction to the membrane. Within the follow-up, the seam area (cross-sectional) approached that of intact controls. (c) 2007 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Novel animal model for Achilles tendinopathy: Controlled experimental study of serial injections of collagenase in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Cesar Netto, Cesar; Godoy-Santos, Alexandre Leme; Augusto Pontin, Pedro; Natalino, Renato Jose Mendonça; Pereira, Cesar Augusto Martins; Lima, Francisco Diego de Oliveira; da Fonseca, Lucas Furtado; Staggers, Jackson Rucker; Cavinatto, Leonardo Muntada; Schon, Lew Charles; de Camargo, Olavo Pires; Fernandes, Túlio Diniz

    2018-01-01

    Our goal was to develop a novel technique for inducing Achilles tendinopathy in animal models which more accurately represents the progressive histological and biomechanical characteristic of chronic Achilles tendinopathy in humans. In this animal research study, forty-five rabbits were randomly assigned to three groups and given bilateral Achilles injections. Low dose (LD group) (n = 18) underwent a novel technique with three low-dose (0.1mg) injections of collagenase that were separated by two weeks, the high dose group (HD) (n = 18) underwent traditional single high-dose (0.3mg) injections, and the third group were controls (n = 9). Six rabbits were sacrificed from each experimental group (LD and HD) at 10, 12 and 16 weeks. Control animals were sacrificed after 16 weeks. Histological and biomechanical properties were then compared in all three groups. At 10 weeks, Bonar score and tendon cross sectional area was highest in HD group, with impaired biomechanical properties compared to LD group. At 12 weeks, Bonar score was higher in LD group, with similar biomechanical findings when compared to HD group. After 16 weeks, Bonar score was significantly increased for both LD group (11,8±2,28) and HD group (5,6±2,51), when compared to controls (2±0,76). LD group showed more pronounced histological and biomechanical findings, including cross sectional area of the tendon, Young's modulus, yield stress and ultimate tensile strength. In conclusion, Achilles tendinopathy in animal models that were induced by serial injections of low-dose collagenase showed more pronounced histological and biomechanical findings after 16 weeks than traditional techniques, mimicking better the progressive and chronic characteristic of the tendinopathy in humans.

  10. Comparison of biological behavior of 99Tcm-ciprofloxacin (Infecton) and 99Tcm-HIgG in rabbit models of inflammation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    He Wei; Chen Shaoliang; Mao Jinlei; Jiang Maosong

    2008-01-01

    Objective: 99 Tc m -ciprofloxacin(Infecton) and 99 Tc m -HIgG are both radiopharmaceuticals for inflammation and infectious disease imaging. It was reported that 99 Tc m -ciprofloxacin (Infecton)was able to distinguish inflammation from infection, while 99 Tc m -HIgG was a nonspecific agent. The study was designed to compare the in vivo characteristics between 99 Tc m -ciprofloxacin(Infecton) and 99 Tc m -HIgC in rabbit model of inflammation. Methods: Eight rabbits were grouped as inflammation model (the first group), infection mod- el (the second group), concomitant inflammation and infection model (the third group), and control (the fourth group) groups. A total of 185 MBq (0.5 ml) 99 Tc m -ciprofloxacin (Infecton) was administered intravenously to each rabbit, a serious dynamic images were acquired till 24 h post-injection. Repeated examination with 99 Tc m -HIgG was carried out 2 d later. Results: 99 Tc m -ciprofloxacin (Infecton) scan was negative in the inflammation models and controls, and was positive in the infection models. In the third group 99 Tc m - ciprofloxacin (Infecton) showed infection focus in the left thigh but negative uptake at inflammation focus in the right thigh. 99 Tc m -HIgG scan were positive in all models. The optimal image time for 99 Tc m -ciproftoxacin (Infecton) was 3 h after administration, but positive image could still be observed 24 h later. Conclusion 99 Tc m -ciprofloxacin (Infecton) appears to specifically accumulate in the infective lesion. (authors)

  11. Celiac artery in New Zealand rabbit: anatomical study of its origin and arrangement for experimental research and surgical practice Artéria celíaca em coelhos Nova Zelândia: estudo anatômico de sua origem e arranjo para a pesquisa experimental e a prática cirúrgica

    OpenAIRE

    Marcelo Abidu-Figueiredo; Bárbara Xavier-Silva; Themis M. Cardinot; Márcio A. Babinski; Maurício A. Chagas

    2008-01-01

    Rabbits have been used as an experimental model in many diseases and for the study of toxicology, pharmacology and surgery in many universities. However, some aspects of their macro anatomy need a more detailed description, especially the abdominal and pelvic arterial vascular system, which has a huge variability in distribution and trajectory. Thirty cadaveric adult New Zealand rabbits, 13 male and 17 female, with an average weight and rostrum-sacral length of 2.5 kg and 40cm, respectively, ...

  12. The Rabbit Stream Cipher

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boesgaard, Martin; Vesterager, Mette; Zenner, Erik

    2008-01-01

    The stream cipher Rabbit was first presented at FSE 2003, and no attacks against it have been published until now. With a measured encryption/decryption speed of 3.7 clock cycles per byte on a Pentium III processor, Rabbit does also provide very high performance. This paper gives a concise...... description of the Rabbit design and some of the cryptanalytic results available....

  13. Increased virulence of Cunninghamella bertholletiae in experimental pulmonary mucormycosis: correlation with circulating molecular biomarkers, sporangiospore germination and hyphal metabolism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petraitis, Vidmantas; Petraitiene, Ruta; Antachopoulos, Charalampos; Hughes, Johanna E; Cotton, Margaret P; Kasai, Miki; Harrington, Susan; Gamaletsou, Maria N; Bacher, John D; Kontoyiannis, Dimitrios P; Roilides, Emmanuel; Walsh, Thomas J

    2013-01-01

    Members of the order Mucorales are emerging invasive molds that cause infections in immunocompromised patients. However, little is known about the relation between different species of Mucorales and their virulence in invasive pulmonary mucormycosis. Based upon our earlier epidemiological studies, we hypothesized that Cunninghamella bertholletiae would demonstrate increased virulence. Therefore, we studied the relative virulence of C. bertholletiae (CB), Rhizopus oryzae (RO), R. microsporus (RM), and Mucor circinelloides (MC) in experimental invasive pulmonary mucormycosis in persistently neutropenic rabbits in relation to the fungi in vitro sporangiospore germination rate and hyphal metabolic activity. Rabbits infected with CB demonstrated (1) higher lung weights in comparison to RM (P ≤ 0.05), RO and MC (P ≤ 0.001), (2) pulmonary infarcts in comparison to RO and MC (P ≤ 0.001), (3) tissue fungal burden (CFU/g) vs. MC (P ≤ 0.001), and (4) the lowest survival of 0% (0/18), in comparison to 16% (3/18, P ≤ 0.01) of RM, 81% (21/26) of RO, and 83% (15/18) of MC-infected rabbits (P ≤ 0.001). Serum PCR concentration-time-curve showed the greatest amplitude for CB. Virulence correlated directly with sporangiospore germination rate at 4 h among species, i.e., CB (67-85%) > RM (14-56%) > RO (4-30%) > MC (0%), and hyphal metabolic activity, i.e., CB (1.22-1.51) > MC (0.54-0.64) = RM (0.38-0.41) = RO (0.37-0.59). C. bertholletiae was significantly more virulent in experimental invasive pulmonary mucormycosis than R. microsporus, R. oryzae, and M. circinelloides. In vivo virulence correlated with species-dependent differences of in vitro germination rate and hyphal metabolic activity.

  14. Experimental In Vivo Models of Candidiasis

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    Esther Segal

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Candidiasis is a multifaceted fungal disease including mucosal-cutaneous, visceral, and disseminated infections caused by yeast species of the genus Candida. Candida infections are among the most common human mycoses. Candida species are the third to fourth most common isolates from bloodstream infections in neutropenic or immunocompromised hospitalized patients. The mucosal-cutaneous forms—particularly vaginal infections—have a high prevalence. Vaginitis caused by Candida species is the second most common vaginal infection. Hence, candidiasis is a major subject for research, including experimental in vivo models to study pathogenesis, prevention, or therapy of the disease. The following review article will focus on various experimental in vivo models in different laboratory animals, such as mammals (mice, rats, rabbits, the fruit fly–Drosophila melanogaster, the larvae of the moth Galleria mellonella, or the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. The review will describe the induction of the different clinical forms of candidiasis in the various models and the validity of such models in mimicking the human clinical situations. The use of such models for the assessment of antifungal drugs, evaluation of potential vaccines to protect before candidiasis, exploration of Candida virulence factors, and comparison of pathogenicity of different Candida species will be included in the review. All of the above will be reported as based on published studies of numerous investigators as well as on the research of the author and his group.

  15. Experimental study of the preventive effect of 1'03Pd stent on in-stent restenosis in rabbit iliac artery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Luo Quanyong; Chen Libo; Yuan Zhibin; Lu Hankui; Zhu Ruisen

    2003-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the ability of γ-emitting 103 Pd radioactive stent implantation for preventing in-stent restenosis in iliac artery of rabbits. Methods: Twenty New Zealand white rabbits were divided into six groups on the basis of radioactivity loading [2.22 (n=3), 5.55 (n=4), 9.25 (n=4), 14.8 (n=3), 22.2 (n=3), 33.3 MBq (n=3)]. 103 Pd stent was implanted in one of the two iliac arteries of each rabbit and nonradioactive stent in the contralateral artery. The rabbits were fed with high fat diet. Treatment efficiency was assessed by angiography and quantitative histomorphometry of the stented iliac segments 28 d after the implantation. Results: Quantitative histomorphometry analysis indicated that 103 Pd stents induced a significant reduction in neointimal area and the percentage of stenosis within radioactive stents was lower compared with that in the control stents. Nevertheless, the suppression of neointima formation by 103 Pd stent implantation was not in a dose-dependent manner. Conclusions: Low-dose intravascular brachytherapy via a γ-particle-emitting 103 Pd radioactive stent potently inhibits neointimal hyperplasia and prevents the in-stent restenosis in rabbit iliac artery. 103 Pd stent implantation probably can be employed as a novel means to prevent in-stent restenosis

  16. [Experimental study on vascular bundle implantation combined with cellular transplantation in treating rabbit femoral head necrosis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Shuang-Tao; Zhang, Wei-Ping; Liu, Chang-An; Wang, Jun-Jiang; Song, Heng-Yi; Chai, Zhi-wen

    2013-03-01

    To discuss the feasibility of vascular bundle implantation combined with allogeneic bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) transplantation in treating rabbit femoral head osteonecrosis and bone defect, in order to explore a new method for the treatment of femoral head necrosis. Thirty-six New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into three groups,with 12 rabbits in each group. Bilateral femoral heads of the rabbits were studied in the experiment. The models were made by liquid nitrogen frozen, and the femoral heads were drilled to cause bone defect. Group A was the control group,group B was stem cells transplantaion group of allograft marrow stromal,and group C was stem cells transplantation group of allograft marrow stromal combined with vascular bundle implantation. Three rabbits of each group were sacrificed respectively at 2, 4, 8, 12 weeks after operation. All specimens of the femoral heads were sliced for HE staining. Furthermore ,vascular density and the percentage of new bone trabecula of femoral head coronary section in defect area were measured and analyzed statistically. In group C,new bone trabecula and original micrangium formed at the 2nd week after operation; new bone trabecula was lamellar and interlaced with abundant micrangium at the 8th week;at the 12th week,the broadened,coarsened bone trabecula lined up regularly,and the mature bone trabecula and new marrow were visible. At the 2nd week after operation,there was no statistical significance in the percentage of new bone trabecula of femoral head coronary section in defect area between group B and C. While at 4, 8, 12 week after operation, vascular density and the percentage of new bone trabecula of femoral head coronary section in defect area of group C was higher than that of group B. Allogeneic bone marrow stromal cells cultured in vivo can form new bone trabecula, and can be applied to allotransplant. Vascular bundle implanted into the bone defect area of femoral head necrosis could improve blood

  17. Nutritive value of brewers’ grain and maize silage for fattening rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Guermah

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Specific knowledge of the nutritive value of raw materials is fundamental to formulate balanced diets for rabbits and allows greater use of by-products and non-conventional feedstuffs. This paper examines the feeding value of sun-dried brewers’ grain and maize silage (whole plant for fattening rabbits. Twenty-four individually caged 8-wk-old rabbits were used to determine the digestibility. Both wet products were sun-dried and ground before being incorporated into a basal diet. The inclusion level at the expense of all basal ingredients amounted to 30%. Basal diet and both experimental diets were fed ad libitum to 8 rabbits during the 4-d balance trial. The determined digestibility of protein, fat, crude fibre and neutral detergent fibre digestibility amounted to 76.2 and 77.2%; 86.5 and 99.1%; 8.1 and 8.3% and 28.0 and 13.5%, respectively, for brewers’ grain and maize silage. The digestible energy content amounted to 11.66 MJ/kg dry matter (DM (brewers’ grain and 11.10 MJ/kg DM (maize silage. Both by-products have potential as alternative feedstuff in rabbit diets. However, further experiments are necessary to determine the effect of ensilaging the whole maize plant, as a significantly lower (P<0.001 feed intake was observed.

  18. Cardiac complication after experimental human malaria infection: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Druilhe Pierre

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract A 20 year-old healthy female volunteer participated in a clinical Phase I and IIa safety and efficacy trial with candidate malaria vaccine PfLSA-3-rec adjuvanted with aluminium hydroxide. Eleven weeks after the third and last immunization she was experimentally infected by bites of Plasmodium falciparum-infected mosquitoes. When the thick blood smear became positive, at day 11, she was treated with artemether/lumefantrine according to protocol. On day 16 post-infection i.e. two days after completion of treatment, she woke up with retrosternal chest pain. She was diagnosed as acute coronary syndrome and treated accordingly. She recovered quickly and her follow-up was uneventful. Whether the event was related to the study procedures such as the preceding vaccinations, malaria infection or antimalarial drugs remains elusive. However, the relation in time with the experimental malaria infection and apparent absence of an underlying condition makes the infection the most probable trigger. This is in striking contrast, however, with the millions of malaria cases each year and the fact that such complication has never been reported in the literature. The rare occurrence of cardiac events with any of the preceding study procedures may even support a coincidental finding. Apart from acute coronary syndrome, myocarditis can be considered as a final diagnosis, but the true nature and patho-physiological explanation of the event remain unclear.

  19. Gadolinium as a CT contrast agent: an experimental study for the effects of injection parameters in the rabbit brain model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Hyun Jin; Choi, Hye Young; Lee, Sun Wha; Hwang, Ji Young

    2005-01-01

    We wanted to investigate the use of gadolinium based contrast agent (Gd-DTPA) for computed tomography (CT), and we also wanted to assess the effects of valuable injection parameters on enhancement in an experimental rabbit brain model. In vitro, attenuation measurements of serial dilutions of Gd-DTPA and iopromide were compared. In five rabbits, single level dynamic gadolinium-enhanced brain CT studies were obtained using different injection parameters. A comparision CT scan after iopromide administration was performed. The time-attenuation curves of the brain vessel and parenchyma were obtained and the magnitude of enhancement (Hmax) and the time to peak enhancement (Tmax) were analyzed. In vitro, the attenuation coefficient of undiluted Gd-DTPA (2,578 HU) was higher than that of iopromide (1,761 HU) at equimolar concentrations. In 5 rabbits, the time-attenuation curve demonstrated a distinct pattern with peak enhancement only in the brain vessel, but not in the brain parenchyma. There was increasing linear relationship between the injection rate of Gd-DTPA and Hmax, and a declining linear relationship with Tmax. The higher the concentration of Gd-DTPA, the higher Hmax was, but no significant difference was found for the Tmax. Higher volumes of Gd-DTPA revealed a higher Hmax and a delayed Tmax. Enhancement of the brain parenchyma on gadolinium-enhanced CT is minimal, while enhancement of the brain vessels is distinctive. The most important factor affecting Hmax of the vessel is the concentration of the contrast medium and the most important factor affecting Tmax of the vessel is volume of the contrast medium. The gadolinium-based contrast agent may be an reasonable alternative contrast agent for brain CT, and especially in cerebral vessels, and it may also be advantageous for brain parenchyma of those patients with BBB dysfunction

  20. Blood brain barrier and brain tissue injury by Gd-DTPA in uremia-induced rabbits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Sun Seob; Huh, Ki Yeong; Han, Jin Yeong; Lee, Yong Chul; Eun, Choong Gi; Yang, Yeong Il

    1996-01-01

    An experimental study was carried out to evaluate the morphological changes in the blood brain barrier and neighbouring brain tissue caused by Gd-DTPA in uremia-induced rabbits. Bilateral renal arteries and veins of ten rabbits were ligated. Gd-DTPA(0.2mmol/kg) was intravenously injected into seven rabbits immediately after ligation. After MRI, they were sacrificed 2 or 3 days after ligation in order to observe light and electron microscopic changes in the blood brain barrier and brain tissue. MRI findings were normal, except for enhancement of the superior and inferior sagittal sinuses on T1 weighted images in uremia-induced rabbits injected with Gd-DTPA. On light microscopic examination, these rabbits showed perivascular edema and glial fibrillary acidic protein expression: electron microscopic examination showed separation of tight junctions of endothelial cells, duplication/rarefaction of basal lamina, increased lysosomes of neurons with neuronal death, demyelination of myelin, and extravasation of red blood cells. Uremia-induced rabbits injected with Gd-DTPA showed more severe changes than those without Gd-DTPA injection. Injuries to the blood brain barrier and neighbouring brain tissue were aggravated by Gd-DTPA administration in uremia-induced rabbits. These findings appear to be associated with the neurotoxicity of Gd-DTPA

  1. Effect of Monocular Deprivation on Rabbit Neural Retinal Cell Densities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mwachaka, Philip Maseghe; Saidi, Hassan; Odula, Paul Ochieng; Mandela, Pamela Idenya

    2015-01-01

    To describe the effect of monocular deprivation on densities of neural retinal cells in rabbits. Thirty rabbits, comprised of 18 subject and 12 control animals, were included and monocular deprivation was achieved through unilateral lid suturing in all subject animals. The rabbits were observed for three weeks. At the end of each week, 6 experimental and 3 control animals were euthanized, their retinas was harvested and processed for light microscopy. Photomicrographs of the retina were taken and imported into FIJI software for analysis. Neural retinal cell densities of deprived eyes were reduced along with increasing period of deprivation. The percentage of reductions were 60.9% (P < 0.001), 41.6% (P = 0.003), and 18.9% (P = 0.326) for ganglion, inner nuclear, and outer nuclear cells, respectively. In non-deprived eyes, cell densities in contrast were increased by 116% (P < 0.001), 52% (P < 0.001) and 59.6% (P < 0.001) in ganglion, inner nuclear, and outer nuclear cells, respectively. In this rabbit model, monocular deprivation resulted in activity-dependent changes in cell densities of the neural retina in favour of the non-deprived eye along with reduced cell densities in the deprived eye.

  2. Análise radiológica da degeneração discal experimental em coelhos Radiological analysis of experimental disc degeneration in rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emiliano Vialle

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Validar a avaliação radiográfica da degeneração discal experimental em coelhos. MÉTODOS: Os discos intervertebrais lombares de coelhos New Zealand foram puncionados três vezes com uma agulha 18G com profundidade limitada de 5mm, através de abordagem lateral. Foram realizadas radiografias seriadas pré e pós-operatórias imediatas, e depois de quatro, oito e 12 semanas do procedimento, com posterior análise da altura discal, formação de osteófito, esclerose da placa vertebral e presença de degeneração discal. A análise estatística dos dados foi validada pelo coeficiente de concordância Kappa, com intervalo de confiança (IC de 95%. RESULTADOS: Observou-se diminuição significativa do espaço discal nas radiografias em AP após 12 semanas de pós-operatório, com Kappa = 0,489 para IC 95% (0,25-0,72 com p OBJECTIVE: To validate radiographic evaluation of a rabbit model for disc degeneration. METHODS: Lumbar intervertebral discs of New Zealand rabbits were stabbed three times with a 18G needle at a limited depth of 5mm, through lateral approach. Serial radiographic images were taken on the early pre-and postoperative periods, and after four, eight and 12 weeks of the procedure, with subsequent analysis of disc height, osteophyte formation, endplate sclerosis, and presence of disc degeneration. The statistical analysis of data was validated by the Kappa coefficient, with a confidence interval (CI of 95%. RESULTS: A significant reduction of disc space was found on AP X-ray images after 12 postoperative weeks, with Kappa = 0.489 for CI 95% (0.25-0.72 with p < 0.001. X-ray signs of disc degeneration also presented Kappa = 0.63 for CI 95% (0.39-0.86 with p < 0.001. The remaining assessed criteria showed positive results, but with a lower Kappa value. CONCLUSION: The disc degeneration model using rabbits as proposed in this study was shown to be feasible, with positive X-ray correlation between pre- and postoperative images

  3. Evaluation of Positron Emission Tomographic Tracers for Imaging of Papillomavirus-Induced Tumors in Rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sonja Probst

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In this study, simultaneous positron emission tomography (PET/magnetic resonance (MR imaging was employed to evaluate the feasibility of the PET tracers 2-deoxy-2-18F-fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG, 11C-choline, and 18F-fluorothymidine (18F-FLT to detect papillomavirus-induced tumors in an established rabbit model system. The combined PET/MR allowed the analysis of tracer uptake of the tumors using the morphologic information acquired by MR. New Zealand White rabbits were infected with cottontail rabbit papillomavirus genomes and were imaged for up to 10 months with a simultaneous PET/MR system during the course of infection. The uptake characteristics of the PET tracers 11C-choline and 18F-FLT of tumors and reference tissues were examined relative to the clinical standard, 18F-FDG. Tracer biodistribution of various organs was measured by gamma-counting after the last PET scan and compared to the in vivo PET/MR 18F-FDG uptake. Increased tracer uptake was found 2 months postinfection in primary tumors with 18F-FDG and 11C-choline, whereas 18F-FLT failed to detect the tumors at all measured time points. Our data show that the PET tracer 18F-FDG is superior for imaging papillomavirus-induced tumors in rabbits compared to 11C-choline and 18F-FLT. However, 11C-choline imaging, which has previously been applied to detect various tumor entities in patients, appears to be an alternative to 18F-FDG.

  4. Computational fluid dynamics modeling of Bacillus anthracis spore deposition in rabbit and human respiratory airways

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kabilan, S.; Suffield, S. R.; Recknagle, K. P.; Jacob, R. E.; Einstein, D. R.; Kuprat, A. P.; Carson, J. P.; Colby, S. M.; Saunders, J. H.; Hines, S. A.; Teeguarden, J. G.; Straub, T. M.; Moe, M.; Taft, S. C.; Corley, R. A.

    2016-09-01

    Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics and Lagrangian particle deposition models were developed to compare the deposition of aerosolized Bacillus anthracis spores in the respiratory airways of a human with that of the rabbit, a species commonly used in the study of anthrax disease. The respiratory airway geometries for each species were derived respectively from computed tomography (CT) and µCT images. Both models encompassed airways that extended from the external nose to the lung with a total of 272 outlets in the human model and 2878 outlets in the rabbit model. All simulations of spore deposition were conducted under transient, inhalation–exhalation breathing conditions using average species-specific minute volumes. Two different exposure scenarios were modeled in the rabbit based upon experimental inhalation studies. For comparison, human simulations were conducted at the highest exposure concentration used during the rabbit experimental exposures. Results demonstrated that regional spore deposition patterns were sensitive to airway geometry and ventilation profiles. Due to the complex airway geometries in the rabbit nose, higher spore deposition efficiency was predicted in the nasal sinus compared to the human at the same air concentration of anthrax spores. In contrast, higher spore deposition was predicted in the lower conducting airways of the human compared to the rabbit lung due to differences in airway branching pattern. This information can be used to refine published and ongoing biokinetic models of inhalation anthrax spore exposures, which currently estimate deposited spore concentrations based solely upon exposure concentrations and inhaled doses that do not factor in species-specific anatomy and physiology for deposition.

  5. HoBi-like pestivirus experimental infection in pregnant ewes: Reproductive disorders and generation of persistently infected lambs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Decaro, Nicola; Losurdo, Michele; Larocca, Vittorio; Lucente, Maria Stella; Mari, Viviana; Varello, Katia; Patruno, Giovanni; Camero, Michele; Sciarra, Marina; Occhiogrosso, Leonardo; Tempesta, Maria; Iulini, Barbara; Buonavoglia, Canio

    2015-08-05

    In order to evaluate sheep as experimental model to test the efficacy of HoBi-like pestivirus vaccines for cattle, 10 sheep at different stages of pregnancy (30 or 50 days) were experimentally infected with the Italian prototype isolate Italy-1/10-1. Irrespective of the stage of pregnancy, virus inoculation resulted in reproductive failures, consisting of abortion, stillbirths or birth of weak or persistently infected (PI) lambs. Aborted fetuses, stillborn and dead lambs displayed extensive histopathological changes, consisting of hemorrhages, congestion and mononuclear infiltration in major organs. Pestiviral antigens were detected by immunohistochemistry in most tissues with remarkable signals in lungs and kidneys. PI lambs were constantly viremic, shed the virus through the nasal secretions and feces and, in all cases but one, did not have detectable HoBi-like pestivirus antibodies before the assumption of colostrum. The single seropositive infected lamb showed low-titer viremia and viral shedding that ceased only several weeks after the 3-month observation period. The study proves that sheep are susceptible to the reproduction failures caused by HoBi-like pestivirus infection and can serve as a suitable model for the evaluation of the fetal protection induced by homologous experimental vaccines. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. A new species of Eimeria (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from Californian rabbits in Hebei Province, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Ping; Liu, Hongbin; Fang, Sufang; Gu, Xiaolong; Wang, Peng; Liu, Chunling; Tao, Geru; Liu, Xianyong; Suo, Xun

    2017-10-01

    Rabbit coccidiosis is caused by infection with one or usually several Eimeria species, parasitizing in hepatobiliary ducts or intestinal epithelium of rabbits. To date, 11 species of rabbit coccidia have been well documented. Here we report a new species of Eimeria from rabbits. Sporulated oocysts were ellipsoidal to slightly ovoidal, 37.4 (32.6-41.2) μm in length, 23.5 (20.9-25.5) μm in width, with a shape index (length/width) 1.6 (1.43-1.91) and smooth, bilayered, homogeneously thick wall. The micropyle was obvious and with an inner diameter of 6.2 (5.0-7.5) μm. Both oocyst residuum and polar granule were absent. Sporocysts were ellipsoidal to elongate, 17.2 (13.2-20.0) μm long and 8.4 (7.5-9.1) μm wide, with a shape index (length/width) of 2.1 (1.74-2.21) and the presence of Stieda body and sporocyst residuum. The prepatent period was 132h. Phylogenetic analysis showed that 18S rDNA sequence of the new species clustered together with the 11 rabbit Eimeria species into a clade. However, ITS-1 sequence of the new species shared low similarities (27.1%-30%) with those of 11 rabbit Eimeria species. As the data above supported the erection of a new species, we named it as Eimeria kongi n. sp., in honor of Fanyao Kong, a Chinese parasitologist. The finding of the new species has important implications for the diagnosis and prevention of rabbit coccidiosis. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  7. Digestibility of diets containing an antibiotic, a probiotic and a prebiotic in growing rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Euclides Braga Malheiros

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a probiotic and/or prebiotic additive on the nutrient digestibility of diets for growing rabbits. Twenty 50-day-old rabbits were used. A completely randomized experimental design, with five treatments and four replicates each, was used. The applied treatments (T were the following: T1 = negative control diet (no growth promoter; T2 = diet with antibiotic, positive control (0.05% zinc bacitracin; T3 = diet with probiotic (0.15% Bacillus subtillis at a concentration of 109 UFC/g; T4 = diet with prebiotic (0.15% phosphorylated mananoligossaccharide at 30%; and T5 = diet with symbiotic (probiotic + prebiotic. The experimental period lasted 12 days, seven for adaptation to the experimental diets and to the cages, and five days of feces collection. The apparent digestibility coefficients of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, mineral matter, and ether extract were calculated. The addition of a probiotic and of a symbiotic to the rabbit diet resulted in digestibility similar to that of animals fed diets containing antibiotics or no additive at all. The best digestibility results were obtained with the prebiotic.

  8. RabbitMQ essentials

    CERN Document Server

    Dossot, David

    2014-01-01

    This book is a quick and concise introduction to RabbitMQ. Follow the unique case study of Clever Coney Media as they progressively discover how to fully utilize RabbitMQ, containing clever examples and detailed explanations.Whether you are someone who develops enterprise messaging products professionally or a hobbyist who is already familiar with open source Message Queuing software and you are looking for a new challenge, then this is the book for you. Although you should be familiar with Java, Ruby, and Python to get the most out of the examples, RabbitMQ Essentials will give you the push y

  9. Study of action of biological aerococcus аutosymbiont on the model of staphylococcal infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stepanskyi D.O.

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents data on the study of the antagonistic effect of aerococcus autosymbionts in experimental models of infections caused by staphylococci. To study the antagonistic action of aerococcus autosymbiont on staphylococcus, a model of chronic staphylococcal infection in white mice and rabbits was used. In staphylococcal experimental infection, aerococcus antagonistic action against staphylococcus was tested by subcutaneous injection on white mice. Aerococci survival under the skin was studied. Aerococcus autosymbionts introduced under the skin to staphylococcus in 5 hours and 3 hours after administration of the latter cause antagonist effect and inhibit the development of infiltrates. Similar results were obtained when introducing aerococcus autosymbionts in the focus of infection in 5 minutes, 5 minutes and 3 hours, 1 and 5 hours after infection. Aerococci introduced after 24 and 48 hours shortened terms of disease manifestations as compared to the control group of mice. The therapeutic effect of aerococcus autosymbionts was tested on the experimental model of burns and wounds infected with staphylococcus. In animals with wounds treated with aerococcus autostrains the number of pathogenic staphylococci was 10 times less than in the control group. According to our observations aerococcus autosymbionts showed no irritant effect when applied on the wound surface, helped its healing, sharply reduced the percentage of staphylococcus inoculation from wound secretions.

  10. Hepatic encephalopathy: experimental studies on the pathogenesis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    R.J. de Knegt (Robert)

    1993-01-01

    textabstractAims of this thesis: 1. To study, in rabbits, the suitability of experimental acute liver failure and acute hyperammonemia simulating acute liver failure for the study of hepatic encephalopathy and ammonia toxicity. 2. To study glutamate neurotransmission in rabbits with acute liver

  11. Quercetin-induced changes in femoral bone microstructure of adult male rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramona Babosová

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Flavonoids are a group of plant metabolites with antioxidant effects. One of the most abundant flavonoids in the human diet is quercetin. It is found widely in fruits, vegetables and has a lot of beneficial effects on human health. Quercetin has a positive pharmacological effect on bone metabolism and it prevents the organism against bone loss. However, its impact on the size of basic structural units of the compact bone is still unknown. Therefore, the aim of present study was to investigate the impact of the quercetin on femoral bone microstructure in 5-month-old male rabbits. Five rabbits of Californian broiler line were randomly divided into two groups. In the experimental group (E group; n=3, animals were intramuscularly injected with quercetin at dose 1000 μg.kg-1 body weight (bw for 90 days, 3 times per week. Two rabbits without quercetin administration served as a control group (C group. According to our results, intramuscular application of quercetin had an insignificant effect on cortical bone thickness in male rabbits. In these rabbits, changes in qualitative histological characteristics were present in the middle part of the compacta, where primary vascular longitudinal bone tissue was present and expanded there from the periosteum. Also, a lower number of secondary osteons was found in these animals. From the histomorphometrical point of view, significantly decreased sizes of primary osteons' vascular canals and secondary osteons (p <0.05 were found in rabbits administered by quercetin. Our findings indicate that subchronic administration of quercetin at the dose used in our study had considerable impact on both qualitative and quantitative histological characteristics of the compact bone in adult male rabbits.

  12. Experimental infection of the tick Amblyomma cajennense, Cayenne tick, with Rickettsia rickettsii, the agent of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soares, J F; Soares, H S; Barbieri, A M; Labruna, M B

    2012-06-01

    In the laboratory, Amblyomma cajennense (Acari: Ixodidae) (Fabricius) larvae, nymphs and adults were exposed to Rickettsia rickettsii by feeding on needle-inoculated animals, and thereafter reared on uninfected guinea pigs or rabbits. Regardless of the tick stage that acquired the infection, subsequent tick stages were shown to be infected (confirming transstadial and transovarial transmissions) and were able to transmit R. rickettsii to uninfected animals, as demonstrated by serological and molecular analyses. However, the larval, nymphal and adult stages of A. cajennense were shown to be partially refractory to R. rickettsii infection, as in all cases, only part of the ticks became infected by this agent, after being exposed to rickettsemic animals. In addition, less than 50% of the infected engorged females transmitted rickettsiae transovarially, and when they did so, only part of the offspring became infected, indicating that vertical transmission alone is not enough to maintain R. rickettsii in A. cajennense for multiple generations. Finally, the R. rickettsii-infected tick groups had lower reproductive performance than the uninfected control group. Our results indicate that A. cajennense have a low efficiency to maintain R. rickettsii for successive generations, as R. rickettsii-infection rates should decline drastically throughout the successive tick generations. © 2011 The Authors. Medical and Veterinary Entomology © 2011 The Royal Entomological Society.

  13. [Effects of extract of Buddleja officinalis on prevention of dry eye in castrated rabbits].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peng, Qing-Hua; Yao, Xiao-lei; Wu, Quan-long; Chen, Mei

    2008-11-01

    To assess the preventive effects of extract of Buddleja officinalis on dry eye in castrated rabbits and to discuss the mechanism of these effects. It was a experimental study. Thirty male rabbits were divided equally into normal group (A), disease group (B) and treatment group (C, D, and E). The dry eye model was established with orchiectomy (ORX) in Group B, C, D and E. Group C, D and E were gastrically perfused with single-dose or double-does of Buddleja officinalis extract or genistein for 30 days. All rabbits were examined with Schirmer I test (SIT). TGF-beta1, IL-1beta, TNF-alpha, Fas, FasL, Bax and bcl-2 were detected by immunohistochemistry. Morphological and ultrastructure changes were observed by electron microscopy. The SIT value of group C, D, E was significantly greater than that of group B (P Buddleja officinalis has a significant effect on the prevention of experimental dry eye in castrated male rabbits. The main components of extract of Buddleja officinalis are the flavonoids. The flavonoids display androgen-like activity. Therefore, it can adjust gonadal hormone level in vivo. As a result, it can inhibit local inflammation in lacrimal gland and reduce apoptosis of lacrimal gland cells.

  14. Effects of iloprost and piracetam in spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in the rabbit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalkan, E; Keskin, F; Kaya, B; Esen, H; Tosun, M; Kalkan, S S; Erdi, F; Unlü, A; Avunduk, M C; Cicek, O

    2011-01-01

    Experimental Study. The aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of iloprost and piracetam on spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in the rabbit. The Experimental Research Center of Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey. A total of 24 rabbits were divided into four groups of six rabbits each, as follows: group 1 (n = 6) sham, laparotomy only; group 2 (n = 6) I/R; group 3 (n = 6) I/R+iloprost; and group 4 (n = 6) I/R+piracetam. I/R was established in groups 2, 3 and 4. Subsequently, they were followed up neurologically for 24 h until the rabbits were killed; biochemical and histopathological examinations of samples from the spinal cord were carried out. Neurological examination results were significantly better in the iloprost and piracetam groups compared with the I/R group (P piracetam by suppressing malondialdehyde (P piracetam groups were statistically different from the I/R group in terms of the number of apoptotic neurons in gray matter and white matter, as well as in terms of degenerated neurons and glial cells (P 0.05). This study has shown that iloprost and piracetam have neuroprotective effects in I/R injury both neurologically and histopathologically because of inhibition of lipid peroxidation.

  15. Screening of virulence genes in Staphylococcus aureus isolates from rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Viana Martín

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Staphylococcus aureus is a versatile pathogen able to cause disease in both humans and animals. In rabbits, this bacterium infects animals of different ages, producing several purulent lesions. The ability of S. aureus to cause disease depends on a combination of virulence factors. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the distribution of bacterial virulence determinants in 69 S. aureus isolates from rabbits. Some virulence factors (7 adhesins, 1 toxin and 1 protease were positive in all rabbit S. aureus isolates analysed, while others (1 adhesin and 10 toxins were always negative. The remaining virulence factors were more variable among isolates. An association between genotype and the different profiles of virulence factors was observed, but not with the type of lesion (P<0.05. One strain of each genotype was further analysed by multilocus sequence typing, generating ST121, ST96 and ST2951, determining a greater number of enterotoxins in ST121 isolates compared to ST96 and ST2951 isolates, which could justify the different pathogenicity between strains. 

  16. Antirestenotic Effects of a Novel Polymer-Coated D-24851 Eluting Stent. Experimental Data in a Rabbit Iliac Artery Model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lysitsas, Dimitrios N.; Katsouras, Christos S.; Papakostas, John C.; Toumpoulis, Ioannis K.; Angelidis, Charalampos; Bozidis, Petros; Thomas, Christopher G.; Seferiadis, Konstantin; Psychoyios, Nikolaos; Frillingos, Stathis; Pavlidis, Nikolaos; Marinos, Euaggelos; Khaldi, Lubna; Sideris, Dimitris A.; Michalis, Lampros K.

    2007-01-01

    Experimental and clinical data suggest that stents eluting antiproliferative agents can be used for the prevention of in-stent restenosis. Here we investigate in vitro the antiproliferative and apoptotic effect of D-24851 and evaluate the safety and efficacy of D-24851-eluting polymer-coated stents in a rabbit restenosis model (n = 53). Uncoated stents (n = 6), poly (dl-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA)-coated stents (n = 7), and PLGA-coated stents loaded with 0.08 ± 0.0025 μM (31 ± 1 μg; low dose; n = 7), 0.55 ± 0.02 μM (216 ± 8 μg; high dose; n = 6), and 4.55 ± 0.1 μM (1774 ± 39 μg; extreme dose; n = 5) of D-24851 were randomly implanted in New Zealand rabbit right iliac arteries and the animals were sacrificed after 28 days for histomorphometric analysis. For the assessment of endothelial regrowth in 90 days, 12 rabbits were subjected to PLGA-coated (n = 3), low-dose (n = 3), high-dose (n = 3), and extreme-dose (n = 3) stent implantation. In vitro studies revealed that D-24851 exerts its growth inhibitory effects via inhibition of proliferation and induction of apoptosis without increasing the expression of heat shock protein-70, a cytoprotective and antiapoptotic protein. Treatment with low-dose D-24851 stents was associated with a significant reduction in neointimal area and percentage stenosis only compared with bare metal stents (38% [P = 0.029] and 35% [P = 0.003] reduction, respectively). Suboptimal healing, however, was observed in all groups of D-24851-loaded stents in 90 days in comparison with PLGA-coated stents. We conclude that low-dose D-24851-eluting polymer-coated stents significantly inhibit neointimal hyperplasia at 28 days through inhibition of proliferation and enhancement of apoptosis. In view of the suboptimal re-endothelialization, longer-term studies are needed in order to establish whether the inhibition of intimal growth is maintained

  17. Progression of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 upon vaccination in an industrial rabbitry: a laboratorial approach

    OpenAIRE

    C.L. Carvalho; E.L. Duarte; J.M. Monteiro; C. Afonso; J. Pacheco; P. Carvalho; P. Mendonça; A. Botelho; T. Albuquerque; P. Themudo; M. Fevereiro; A.M. Henriques; S.S. Santos Barros; M. Dias Duarte

    2017-01-01

    Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) emerged recently in several European countries, leading to extensive economic losses in the industry. In response to this new infection, specific inactivated vaccines were developed in Europe and full and rapid setup of protective immunity induced by vaccination was reported. However, data on the efficacy of these vaccines in an ongoing-infection scenario is unavailable. In this study we investigated an infected RHDV2 indoor industrial meat rabbitry...

  18. Myocardial hydroxyproline reduced by early administration of methylprednisolone or ibuprofen to rabbits with radiation-induced heart disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reeves, W.C.; Cunningham, D.; Schwiter, E.J.; Abt, A.; Skarlatos, S.; Wood, M.A.; Whitesell, L.

    1982-01-01

    The ability of methylprednisolone (MP) and ibuprofen (IB) to reduce the severity of the late state of radiation-induced heart disease was assessed in 57 New Zealand white rabbits. Before and shortly after cardiac irradiation, 15 rabbits received i.v. MP, 30 mg/kg twice daily for 3 days, and 15 others received IB, 12.5 mg/kg twice daily for 2 days. No drug administered to 14 irradiated rabbits, and neither irradiation nor drugs were administered to 13 rabbits that served as controls. All 15 rabbits treated with MP and 13 of the 15 treated with IB lived for 100 days. Only seven of the untreated, irradiated rabbits lived that long. Longevity of each treated group of rabbits was better (p < 0.01 and 0.05) than that of the untreated, irradiated rabbits. Surviving rabbits were killed 100 days after irradiation. Pericarditis (p < 0.05) and pericardial effusion (p < 0.01) were less frequent in the treated, irradiated groups than in the untreated, irradiated rabbits. At least some rabbits in each irradiated group had microscopic evidence of myocardial fibrosis. The fibrosis was quantitated by determination of myocardial hydroxyproline concentrations (MHP). MHP concentration in the untreated, irradiated rabbits was greater than in those treated with MP (p < 0.05) or IB (p < 0.01) and in the untreated, unirradiated rabbits (p < 0.01). Early administrative of MP or IB retarded the development of myocardial fibrosis, pericarditis and pericardial effusin, and improved survival in this experimental model of radiation-induced heart disease

  19. [Influence of high-voltage electric burn on the microcirculation of heart in rabbit].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Qing-fu; Zhou, Hui-min; Wang, Che-jiang; Shao, Hong-bo

    2012-06-01

    To study the influence of high-voltage electric burn on the microcirculation of heart in rabbit. One-hundred and twenty New Zealand rabbits of clean grade were divided into control group (C) and electric burn group (EB) according to the random number table, with 60 rabbits in each group. Rabbits in EB group were subjected to high-voltage electric burn (the electrical current flow into the left foreleg at the lateral side of proximal end and out from the corresponding site of the right hind leg) with voltage regulator and experimental transformer. Rabbits in C group were sham injured with the same devices without electrification. At 15 minutes before injury, and 5 minutes, 1, 2, 4, 8 hour (s) post injury (PIM or PIH), ten rabbits in each group were chosen to examine the cardiac apex microcirculation hemoperfusion (CAMH) with laser Doppler hemoperfusion image instrument. The morphologic changes of microvessels of left ventricular wall tissues of 2 rabbits from each of the 10 rabbits collected at above-mentioned time points were observed with light microscope and transmission electron microscope. Auricular vein blood of rabbit was harvested at above-mentioned time points for the determination of aspartate amino transferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBDH), creatine kinase (CK), and creatine kinase isozyme MB (CK-MB) by full-automatic biochemical analyzer. Data were processed with two-factor analysis of variance and LSD test. (1) The differences between C group and EB group in detection results were statistically significant, with F values from 425.991 to 3046.834, P values all below 0.01. Only the data within EB group were comparable. (2) At PIM 5, the CAMH value of rabbits in EB group was (1.96 ± 0.09) V, which was lower than that at 15 minutes before injury [(4.34 ± 0.35) V, P electric burn can bring damage to the microvessels of heart in rabbits and change blood flow of microcirculation, which should be given adequate

  20. Simple Additive Weighting to Diagnose Rabbit Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramadiani; Marissa, Dyna; Jundillah, Muhammad Labib; Azainil; Hatta, Heliza Rahmania

    2018-02-01

    Rabbit is one of the many pets maintained by the general public in Indonesia. Like other pet, rabbits are also susceptible to various diseases. Society in general does not understand correctly the type of rabbit disease and the way of treatment. To help care for sick rabbits it is necessary a decision support system recommendation diagnosis of rabbit disease. The purpose of this research is to make the application of rabbit disease diagnosis system so that can help user in taking care of rabbit. This application diagnoses the disease by tracing the symptoms and calculating the recommendation of the disease using Simple Additive Weighting method. This research produces a web-based decision support system that is used to help rabbit breeders and the general public.

  1. Simple Additive Weighting to Diagnose Rabbit Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramadiani

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Rabbit is one of the many pets maintained by the general public in Indonesia. Like other pet, rabbits are also susceptible to various diseases. Society in general does not understand correctly the type of rabbit disease and the way of treatment. To help care for sick rabbits it is necessary a decision support system recommendation diagnosis of rabbit disease. The purpose of this research is to make the application of rabbit disease diagnosis system so that can help user in taking care of rabbit. This application diagnoses the disease by tracing the symptoms and calculating the recommendation of the disease using Simple Additive Weighting method. This research produces a web-based decision support system that is used to help rabbit breeders and the general public.

  2. Trypanosoma cruzi infection in the opossum Didelphis marsupialis: absence of neonatal transmission and protection by maternal antibodies in experimental infections

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana M. Jansen

    1994-03-01

    Full Text Available The high rate of natural Trypanosoma cruzi infection found in opossums does not always correlate with appreciable densities of local triatomid populations. One alternative method which might bypass the invertebrate vector is direct transmission from mother to offspring. This possibility was investigated in five T. cruzi infected females and their litters (24 young. The influence of maternal antibodies transferred via lactation, on the course of experimental infection, was also examined. Our results show that neonatal transmission is probably not responsible for the high rate of natural T. cruzi infection among opossums. In addition antibodies of maternal origin confer a partial protection to the young. This was demonstrated by the finding of a double prepatency period and 4,5 fold lower levels of circulating parasites, in experimentally infected pouch young from infected as compared to control uninfected mothes. On the other hand, the duration of patent parasitemia was twice as long as that observed in the control group.

  3. Preclinical Assessment of a 68Ga-DOTA-Functionalized Depsipeptide as a Radiodiagnostic Infection Imaging Agent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebenhan, Thomas; Mokaleng, Botshelo Brenda; Venter, Jacobus Daniel; Kruger, Hendrik Gert; Zeevaart, Jan Rijn; Sathekge, Mike

    2017-08-24

    The study assessed a radiolabeled depsipeptide conjugate ( 68 Ga-DOTA-TBIA101) for its potential as an imaging agent targeting infection or infection-associated inflammation. 68 Ga-labeled DOTA-TBIA101 imaging was performed in (NZR1) healthy rabbits; (NZR2) rabbits bearing muscular sterile inflammation and Staphylococcus aureus (SA) infection; and (NZR3) rabbits infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) combined with a subcutaneous scruff infection of SA in the same animal. All animals were imaged using a PET/CT scanner at 5 and 60 min post injection. Images showed elevated accumulation of 68 Ga-DOTA-TBIA101 in the sterile muscular inflammation site (T/NT ratio = 2.6 ± 0.37 (5 min) and 2.8 ± 2.3 (60 min)) and muscles infected with MTB (T/NT ratio = 2.6 ± 0.35 (5 min) and 2.8 ± 0.16 (60 min)). The findings suggest that 68 Ga-DOTA-TBIA101-PET/CT may detect MTB-associated inflammation, although more foundational studies need to be performed to rationalize the diagnostic value of this technique.

  4. Anchorage of TiO2-blasted, HA-coated, and machined implants: an experimental study with rabbits

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gotfredsen, K; Wennerberg, A; Johansson, C

    1995-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the histometrical and biomechanical anchorage of TiO2-blasted implants and TiO2-blasted implants coated with hydroxyapatite. The control implants were machined. Twenty-six rabbits had a total of 156 implants placed in the proximal part of the tibia. Each...... rabbit had a machined, a TiO2-blasted, and a TiO2-blasted, HA-coated implant placed in each tibia. After a healing period of 3 and 12 weeks, respectively, the implants placed in the right tibia were used for removal torque test, and the implants placed in the left tibia were used for histomorphometrical...

  5. Experimental treatment of the transplanted hepatoma in rabbit by hepatic arterial embolization using interleukin-2 dextran microsphere and iodized

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zeng Xiaohua; Wang Songzhang; Jin Deqin; Tang Ying; Ding Jinya; Feng Gansheng

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To observe the degree of necrosis in the transplanted hepatic tumor and the changes in immunity of the rabbits after hepatic arterial embolization using interleukin-2 (IL-2) dextran microsphere and iodized oil. Methods: IL-2 dextran microsphere and iodized oil were infused into hepatic artery of 20 rabbits with transplanted hepatic tumor. Infusion of dextran microspheres and iodized oil were taken in another transplanted hepatic tumor group of rabbits as the control. The blood samples were acquired pre-and post-embolization to measure the changes of IL-2 and sIL-2R in both groups. The rabbits were killed one week after the performance to get tumor tissue for pathologic examination. The comparison between using IL-2 dextran microsphere and dextran microsphere was made through optic and electronic microscopy for pathologic analysis. Results: Obvious increase of IL-2 and apparent decrease of sIL-2R in blood were demonstrated after the performance. The transplanted tumors mass underwent complete necrosis with false membranous capsule formation. In controlled group, slight increase of IL-2 and slight decrease of sIL-2R in blood were shown with partial central necrosis without false membraneous capsule formation of the transplanted tumor. Conclusions: The afficacy of the group IL-2 dextran microsphere was superior to group of arterial infusion of dextran microsphere in outcoming with tumor necrosis and strengthening the immunity of the rabbits. (authors)

  6. Study on the use of sheep serum post vaccination of three phase larva (L3) Haemonchus contortus worm irradiated inoculated to rabbit

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Partodihardjo, Sukardji; Suryadi, Helmi; Purwanti, Endang; Adiwinata, Gatot; Irtisam

    1998-01-01

    Study has been done on rabbit to find out the effect of giving sheep serum post vaccination with irradiated gastric worm challenged with infective H. contortus larva. Forty eight local rabbit divided into 3 groups : K, VI and V2, each groups: consists of 4 rabbit, by using 4 times repetition. K group which only inoculated 10,000L3 H. contortus infective. V1 = group which twice serum inoculated with 21 days interval, inoculation dose were 0,3 ml serum each, and challenged with 10.000 L3 H.contortus infective. V2 = group which 3 times serum inoculation with 21 days interval, inoculation dose 0,3 ml serum each and challenged with 10.000 L3 H.contortus infective. Design model used with Completely Random Design (RAL), Duncan was used as inter treatment test. Parameter observed are total protein fraction, Larva L4 content in gaster, cumulative weight gain, and death percentage rabbits. Result of study showed that on average parameter total protein fraction on K + 2,0086 ± 0,2353 mg/dl, V1 = 3,2781 ± 0,9227 mg/dl and V2 = 5,5035 ± 1,6794 mg/d. Average parameter L4 death showed on K = 10, V1 = 8, and V2 = 4, while L4 alive on K = 3, V1 + 1 and V2 = 0. Commutative Average parameter PCV value on K = 19,91 ± 1,24%, V1= 27,31 ± 1,22%, and V2 35,71 ± 0,56 %. Average parameter weight gain per week on K = 24,46 ± 0,74 g, V1 = 26,04 ± 2.23 g, and V2 = 28,93 ± 1,67 g. Percentage average parameter death rate on K = 37,5 ± 14,46%, V1=18,75 ± 23,90% and V2 = 0± 0%. The conclusion of the study result was serum inoculation on rabbits have positive result on reducing anaemia rate, elevating weight gain, reduce death percentage, reduced L4 alive content in gaster, and able oneelevate immunity respond content that is total protein fraction on rabbits. (author)

  7. Restoration of diaphragmatic function after diaphragm reinnervation by inferior laryngeal nerve; experimental study in rabbits

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    de Barros Angelique

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Objectives To assess the possibilities of reinnervation in a paralyzed hemidiaphragm via an anastomosis between phrenic nerve and inferior laryngeal nerve in rabbits. Reinnervation of a paralyzed diaphragm could be an alternative to treat patients with ventilatory insufficiency due to upper cervical spine injuries. Material and method Rabbits were divided into five groups of seven rabbits each. Groups I and II were respectively the healthy and the denervated control groups. The 3 other groups were all reinnervated using three different surgical procedures. In groups III and IV, phrenic nerve was respectively anastomosed with the abductor branch of the inferior laryngeal nerve and with the trunk of the inferior laryngeal nerve. In group V, the fifth and fourth cervical roots were respectively anastomosed with the abductor branch of the inferior laryngeal nerve and with the nerve of the sternothyroid muscle (originating from the hypoglossal nerve. Animals were evaluated 4 months later using electromyography, transdiaphragmatic pressure measurements, sonomicrometry and histological examination. Results A poor inspiratory activity was found in quiet breathing in the reinnervated groups, with an increasing pattern of activity during effort. In the reinnervated groups, transdiaphragmatic pressure measurements and sonomicrometry were higher in group III with no significant differencewith groups IV and V. Conclusion Inspiratory contractility of an hemidiaphragm could be restored with immediate anastomosis after phrenic nerve section between phrenic nerve and inferior laryngeal nerve.

  8. The Protective Effect of Spinal Cord Stimulation Postconditioning Against Spinal Cord Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in Rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Huixian; Dong, Xiuhua; Jin, Mu; Cheng, Weiping

    2018-01-18

    Delayed paraplegia due to spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) remains one of the most severe complications of thoracoabdominal aneurysm surgery, for which effective prevention and treatment is still lacking. The current study investigates whether spinal cord stimulation (SCS) postconditioning has neuroprotective effects against spinal cord IRI. Ninety-six New Zealand white male rabbits were randomly divided into four groups as follows: a sham group and three experimental groups (C group, 2 Hz group, and 50 Hz group) n = 24/group. Spinal cord ischemia was induced by transient infrarenal aortic balloon occlusion for 28 min, after which rabbits in group C underwent no additional intervention, while rabbits in the other two experimental groups underwent 2 Hz or 50 Hz epidural SCS for 30 min at the onset of reperfusion and then daily until sacrifice. Hind limb neurologic function of rabbits was assessed using Jacob scale. Lumbar spinal cords were harvested immediately after sacrifice for histological examination and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. The number of viable α-motor neurons in ventral horn was counted and TUNEL-positive rate of α-motor neurons was calculated. Spinal cord IRI was caused by transient infrarenal aorta occlusion for 28 min. Both 2 Hz and 50 Hz SCS postconditioning had neuroprotective effects, particularly the 2 Hz SCS postconditioning. Comparing to C group and 50 Hz group, rabbits in the 2 Hz group demonstrated better hind limb motor function and a lower rate of TUNEL-positive α-motor neuron after eight hours, one day, three days, and seven days of spinal cord reperfusion. More viable α-motor neurons were preserved after one and three days of spinal cord reperfusion in 2 Hz group rabbits than in C group and 50 Hz group rabbits. SCS postconditioning at 2 Hz protected the spinal cord from IRI. © 2018 International Neuromodulation Society.

  9. Assessment of polycaprolacton (PCL) nanocomposite scaffold compared with hydroxyapatite (HA) on healing of segmental femur bone defect in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eftekhari, Hadi; Jahandideh, Alireza; Asghari, Ahmad; Akbarzadeh, Abolfazl; Hesaraki, Saeed

    2017-08-01

    Segmental bone loss due to trauma, infection, and tumor resection and even non-union results in the vast demand for replacement and restoration of the function of the lost bone. The objective of this study is to utilize novel inorganic-organic nanocomposites for biomedical applications. Biodegradable implants have shown great promise for the repair of bone defects and have been commonly used as bone substitutes, which traditionally would be treated using metallic implants. In this study, 45 mature male New Zealand white rabbits 6-8 months and weighting 3-3.5 kg were examined. Rabbits were divided into three groups. Surgical procedures were done after an intramuscular injection of Ketamine 10% (ketamine hydrochloride, 50 mg/kg), Rompun 5% (xylazine, 5 mg/kg). Then an approximately 6 mm diameter - 5 mm cylinder bone defect was created in the femur of one of the hind limbs. After inducing the surgical wound, all rabbits were colored and randomly divided into three experimental groups of nine animals each: Group 1 received medical pure nanocomposite polycaprolactone (PCL) granules, Group 2 received hydroxyapatite and Group 3 was a control group with no treatment. Histopathological evaluation was performed on days 15, 30 and 45 after surgery. On day 45 after surgery, the quantity of newly formed lamellar bone in the healing site in PCL group was better than onward compared with HA and control groups. Finally, nanocomposite PCL granules exhibited a reproducible bone-healing potential.

  10. Experimental study on intra-arterial infusion of basic fibroblast growth factor in the ischemic limbs of rabbit model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang Jing; Yang Wenduo

    2005-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the effect of intra-arterial infusion of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on improving neovascularization, vascular perfusion and the function of partially ischemic limbs of rabbits. Methods: Twenty-seven New Zealand male rabbits were selected. Partial ischemia model was induced by surgical ligation of the primary branches of right femoral artery in each animal, and the left hind limb of each animal was served as a nonischemic control. Then, 27 rabbits were randomly assigned to three groups: intra-arterial (IA) infusion of bFGF (n=9), intravenous (IV) infusion of bFGF and IA infusion of saline (n=9). Infusion was separately performed immediately after vascular ligation, 8th and 15th days post-surgery with 10 μg (4 ml) of bFGF per-time (or the same volume of saline). The differences between three groups and between ischemic and nonischemic limbs of the same group were compared and evaluated by the following indexes: (1) vessel section count (VSC), vessel section surface area (VSS) and vessel section perimeter (VSP) in the field of ischemic muscle tissues taken at 22nd day postoperatively; (2) capillary refilling time of ischemic limbs; and (3) functional and trophic changes of ischemic limbs. Statistical differences were evaluated by one-way ANOVA and T test. Results: VSC, VSS and VSP of the IA-bFGF group were significantly increased than those of the IV-bFGF and IA-saline groups (P<0.01). At 22nd day postoperatively, the capillary refilling time, new hair growth, the appearance and function of all ischemic limbs in IA-bFGF group were approximately normal. However, in IA-saline group, the ischemic changes, capillary refilling time and the function of ischemic limbs were not improved significantly. All the indexes of IV-bFGF group showed no difference statistically from those of IA-saline group. Conclusions: This experimental study identifies that intra-arterial infusion of bFGF may significantly promote neovascularization and vascular

  11. Progression of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 upon vaccination in an industrial rabbitry: a laboratorial approach

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    C.L. Carvalho

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2 emerged recently in several European countries, leading to extensive economic losses in the industry. In response to this new infection, specific inactivated vaccines were developed in Europe and full and rapid setup of protective immunity induced by vaccination was reported. However, data on the efficacy of these vaccines in an ongoing-infection scenario is unavailable. In this study we investigated an infected RHDV2 indoor industrial meat rabbitry, where fatalities continued to occur after the implementation of the RHDV2 vaccination, introduced to control the disease. The aim of this study was to understand if these mortalities were RHDV2-related, to discover if the dead animals showed any common features such as age or time distance from vaccination, and to identify the source of the outbreak. Anatomo-pathological analysis of vaccinated animals with the virus showed lesions compatible with systemic haemorrhagic disease and RHDV2-RNA was detected in 85.7% of the animals tested. Sequencing of the vp60 gene amplified from liver samples led to the recognition of RHDV2 field strains demonstrating that after the implementation of vaccination, RHDV2 continued to circulate in the premises and to cause sporadic deaths. A nearby, semi-intensive, RHDV2 infected farm belonging to the same owner was identified as the most probable source of the virus. The main risk factors for virus introduction in these two industries were identified. Despite the virus being able to infect a few of the vaccinated rabbits, the significant decrease in mortality rate observed in vaccinated adult rabbits clearly reflects the efficacy of the vaccination. Nonetheless, the time taken to control the infection also highlights the importance of RHDV2 vaccination prior to the first contact with the virus, highly recommendable in endemic areas, to mitigate the infection’s impact on the industry.

  12. Tc-99m labeled Sparfloxacin: A specific infection imaging agent

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, A.K.; Verma, J.; Bhatnagar, A.; Ali, A.

    2003-01-01

    Radiolabeled antibiotics are being used for the specific diagnosis of infection by exploiting their specific binding properties to the bacterial component, thereby making it possible to differentiate infection from sterile lesions. A new radiopharmaceutical, Tc-99m Sparfloxacin has been developed for infection imaging. Sparfloxacin is a quinolone based broad-spectrum antibiotic, which is more potent than Ciprofloxacin. Radiolabeling of Sparfloxacin with Tc-99m was standardized using direct labeling protocol. Labeling efficiency, in-vitro and in-vivo stability, blood kinetics and organ distribution studies (in balb/c mice and New Zealand White Rabbits at different time interval up to 24hrs) were carried out. Biological activity of Sparfloxacin after its labeling with Tc-99m was evaluated with S.aureus using Peptone water (DIFCO) as media. Turpentine oil (100 μl) in left thigh and S.aureus (100μl of 3x10 7 cells) in right thigh were injected intramuscularly to create sterile and infective inflammation respectively in six New Zealand white rabbits. The localization kinetics of the radiolabeled complex were studied in the animal model by injecting 70-75MBq of Tc-99m Sparfloxacin intravenously in the ear of rabbit and the images were taken with a Gamma-camera (ECIL) at different post-injection time intervals. Standardized protocol produced >95% labeled complex. About 8% of tracer leached out at 24 hrs when incubated in serum at 37 0 C, confirming high stability of the complex. Blood clearance in rabbit revealed biphasic pattern and 50% of the complex clears from the blood within 5 min. Biodistribution studies in balb/c mice showed hepatobiliary route of excretion. Presence of insignificant amount of tracer at 24 hrs in the stomach confirmed high in vivo stability of the complex. Imaging in rabbits showed significant concentration of tracer in lesions with infection. Typical imaging patterns revealed initial accumulation of radiotracer in both sterile inflammatory

  13. Plasma rico em plaquetas de coelhos: introdução a um modelo animal experimental Platelet-rich plasma in rabbits: introduction of one experimental animal model

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    Marco Antonio de Oliveira-Filho

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available RACIONAL: Muitas dúvidas ainda permanecem no que se refere às ações dos fatores de crescimento e do plasma rico em plaquetas sobre o mecanismo de reparação tissular. Há necessidade de serem esclarecidos pontos controversos ainda existentes. OBJETIVO: Obter o plasma rico em plaquetas em coelhos através de um método simplificado e ao mesmo tempo adequado, introduzindo um modelo experimental que possa ser utilizado em estudos posteriores. MÉTODOS: Foram utilizados 25 coelhas da raça Nova Zelândia e sem doenças prévias. Quinze mL de sangue de cada animal foi coletado, sendo 10 mL submetidos à dupla centrifugação. Para comprovar a efetividade do método proposto realizou-se contagem mecânica do sangue, bem como do produto final. RESULTADO: Obteve-se uma concentração média de plaquetas no plasma rico em plaquetas 687% maior que a contagem inicial observada no sangue venoso periférico. Para as variáveis: contagem inicial de plaquetas, contagem de plaquetas no plasma rico em plaquetas e enriquecimento, foram obtidos os limites de 95% de confiança para suas médias, sendo que, no que se refere ao percentual de enriquecimento, existe 95% de chance de que o intervalo de (530-844 contenha a média real de enriquecimento de plaquetas. CONCLUSÃO: O método simplificado utilizado permite a obtenção de plasma rico em plaquetas adequado permitindo seu uso em estudos dos fatores de crescimento nos mecanismos de reparação tecidual.BACKGROUND: Multiple uncertainties still exist about the action of the growth factors and the platelet-rich plasma on the mechanism of repair. AIM: To obtain the platelet-rich plasma in rabbits through a simplified and suitable method, creating an experimental model. METHODS: Twenty-five female New Zealand rabbits without previous diseases were used. Fifteen mL of blood of each rabbit was collected and 10 mL of the collected blood were twice centrifugated. To check the effectiveness of the proposed method

  14. Comparison of degrees of maturity of rabbit lines selected for different traits

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    M. Pascual

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work was to study whether commercial nucleus lines of rabbits selected for different traits, and experimental lines having commercial purposes, have the same degree of maturity when compared at the same slaughter age. The study was carried out with 17897 rabbits from Universitat Politècnica de València. Rabbits came from the maternal lines A (3902 rabbits; 44th generation, V (4238 rabbits; 39th generation and LP (6115 rabbits; 9th generation, selected for litter size at weaning; the paternal line R (2023 rabbits; 25th generation, selected for growth rate between 28 and 63 days of age; the maternal line OR (586 rabbits; 11th generation selected for ovulation rate; and the lines High (503 rabbits; 5th generation and Low (530 rabbits; 5thgeneration lines, from a divergent selection for high and low intramuscular fat, respectively. Rabbits were weighted at 28 (W28 and 63 (W63 days of age. Rabbit does (42, 25, 39, 94, 14, 32 and 22 from lines A, V, R, LP, OR, High and Low, respectively were weighed between 30 and 80 wk of age to determine adult weight (AW. Line R had higher W28 and W63, growth rate between 28 and 63 d of age and AW than lines A, V and LP (5802 g vs. 4410, 4222, and 4391 g for AW, respectively. No relevant differences between lines in degrees of maturity at 28 and 63 d of age and time to reach 40% of degree of maturity (percentage of weight compared to AW were found between lines A, V, R and LP, but the degree of maturity at 2000 g and the time taken to reach that weight were lower in line R (34.7% and 55.2 d than in lines A (45.5% and 71.1 d, V (47.4% and 69.6 d, and LP (45.8% and 68.0 d. No relevant differences were found between lines OR, High and Low in the traits analysed. A robustness analysis showed that results can be extrapolated to other commercial lines and other slaughter weights. In conclusion, comparison of lines at similar slaughter age could be considered a valid approach for comparisons at the same

  15. Myocardial hydroxyproline reduced by early administration of methylprednisolone or ibuprofen to rabbits with radiation-induced heart disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reeves, W.C.; Cunningham, D.; Schwiter, E.J.; Abt, A.; Skarlatos, S.; Wood, M.A.; Whitesell, L.

    1982-01-01

    The ability of methylprednisolone (MP) and ibuprofen (IB) to reduce the severity of the late state of radiation-induced heart disease was assessed in 57 New Zealand white rabbits. Before and shortly after cardiac irradiation, 15 rabbits received i.v. MP, 30 mg/kg twice daily for 3 days, and 15 others received IB, 12.5 mg/kg twice daily for 2 days. No drug was administered to 14 irradiated rabbits, and neither irradiation nor drugs were administered to 13 rabbits that served as controls, All 15 rabbits treated with MP and 13 of the 15 treated with IB lived for 100 days. Only seven of the untreated, irradiated rabbits lived that long. Longevity of each treated group of rabbits was better (p less than 0.01 and 0.05) than that of the untreated, irradiated rabbits. Surviving rabbits were killed 100 days after irradiation. Pericarditis (p less than 0.05) and pericardial effusion (p less than 0.01) were less frequent in the treated, irradiated groups than in the untreated, irradiated rabbits. At least some rabbits in each irradiated group had microscopic evidence of myocardial fibrosis. The fibrosis was quantitated by determination of myocardial hydroxyproline concentrations (MHP). MHP concentration in the untreated, irradiated rabbits was greater than in those treated with MP (p less than 0.05) or IB (p less than 0.01) and in the untreated, unirradiated rabbits (p less than 0.01). Early administration of MP or IB retarded the development of myocardial fibrosis, pericarditis and pericardial effusion, and improved survival in this experimental model of radiation-induced heart disease

  16. Histological comparison of autograft, allograft-DBM, xenograft, and synthetic grafts in a trabecular bone defect: an experimental study in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Athanasiou, Vasilis T; Papachristou, Dionysios J; Panagopoulos, Andreas; Saridis, Alkis; Scopa, Chrisoula D; Megas, Panagiotis

    2010-01-01

    Different types of bone-graft substitutes have been developed and are on the market worldwide to eliminate the drawbacks of autogenous grafting. This experimental animal study was undertaken to evaluate the different histological properties of various bone graft substitutes utilized in this hospital. Ninety New Zealand white rabbits were divided into six groups of 15 animals. Under general anesthesia, a 4.5 mm-wide hole was drilled into both the lateral femoral condyles of each rabbit, for a total of 180 condyles for analysis. The bone defects were filled with various grafts, these being 1) autograft, 2) DBM crunch allograft (Grafton), 3) bovine cancellous bone xenograft (Lubboc), 4) calcium phosphate hydroxyapatite substitute (Ceraform), 5) calcium sulfate substitute (Osteoset), and 6) no filling (control). The animals were sacrificed at 1, 3, and 6 months after implantation and tissue samples from the implanted areas were processed for histological evaluation. A histological grading scale was designed to determine the different histological parameters of bone healing. The highest histological grades were achieved with the use of cancellous bone autograft. Bovine xenograft (Lubboc) was the second best in the histological scale grading. The other substitutes (Grafton, Ceraform, Osteoset) had similar scores but were inferior to both allograft and xenograft. Bovine xenograft showed better biological response than the other bone graft substitutes; however, more clinical studies are necessary to determine its overall effectiveness.

  17. Distribution and prevalence of the Australian non-pathogenic rabbit calicivirus is correlated with rainfall and temperature.

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    June Liu

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Australia relies heavily on rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV for the biological control of introduced European wild rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, which are significant economic and environmental pests. An endemic non-pathogenic rabbit calicivirus termed RCV-A1 also occurs in wild rabbits in Australian and provides partial protection against lethal RHDV infection, thus interfering with effective rabbit control. Despite its obvious importance for rabbit population management, little is known about the epidemiology of this benign rabbit calicivirus. METHODS: We determined the continent-wide distribution and prevalence of RCV-A1 by analysing 1,805 serum samples from wild rabbit populations at 78 sites across Australia for the presence of antibodies to RCV-A1 using a serological test that specifically detects RCV-A1 antibodies and does not cross-react with co-occurring RHDV antibodies. We also investigated possible correlation between climate variables and prevalence of RCV-A1 by using generalised linear mixed effect models. RESULTS: Antibodies to RCV-A1 were predominantly detected in rabbit populations in cool, high rainfall areas of the south-east and south-west of the continent. There was strong support for modelling RCV-A1 prevalence as a function of average annual rainfall and minimum temperature. The best ranked model explained 26% of the model structural deviance. According to this model, distribution and prevalence of RCV-A1 is positively correlated with periods of above average rainfall and negatively correlated with periods of drought. IMPLICATIONS: Our statistical model of RCV-A1 prevalence will greatly increase our understanding of RCV-A1 epidemiology and its interaction with RHDV in Australia. By defining the environmental conditions associated with the prevalence of RCV-A1, it also contributes towards understanding the distribution of similar viruses in New Zealand and Europe.

  18. Experimental infection of Artibeus intermedius with a vampire bat rabies virus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obregón-Morales, Cirani; Aguilar-Setién, Álvaro; Perea Martínez, Leonardo; Galvez-Romero, Guillermo; Martínez-Martínez, Flor Olivia; Aréchiga-Ceballos, Nidia

    2017-06-01

    Experimental infection of Artibeus intermedius, the great fruit-eating bat, was performed with vampire bat rabies isolates. Bats (n=35) were captured in the wild and quarantined prior to experimental infection. No rabies antibodies were detected by rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT) prior to infection. Three doses of rabies virus (RV) and three different routes of infection were used. One out of 35 bats died without showing any clinical signs at day 14 and was positive for rabies. None of the 34 other bats showed clinical signs for rabies, but high antibody titers were detected post-inoculation, suggesting either innate immune response to the vampire bat rabies virus or possible pre-exposure to RV and inoculation leading to a booster effect. Rabies virus was detected by hemi-nested RT-PCR (hnRT-PCR) in the brain (n=3), stomach (n=1) of bats that were negative by immunofluorescence and that survived rabies infection. The bat that died on day 14 was positive by hnRT-PCR on the brain, heart and liver. These results suggest that either previous non-lethal exposure to RV or natural low susceptibility to vampire bat viruses somehow protected Artibeus intermedius from clinical rabies infection leading to a marginal lethality effect on this bats species population in the wild. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Prostaglandin synthesis and catabolism in the gastric mucosa: studies in normal rabbits and rabbits immunized with prostaglandin E2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Redfern, J.S.

    1988-01-01

    Antral and fundic mucosal homogenates obtained from prostaglandin E2-immunized rabbits converted 14C-arachidonic acid to prostaglandin E2, 6-keto prostaglandin F1 alpha, prostaglandin F2 alpha, and prostaglandin D2. Percentage conversion of 14C-arachidonic acid to these prostaglandin products was not significantly different in prostaglandin E2-immunized rabbits compared with control rabbits (thyroglobulin-immunized and unimmunized rabbits combined). Synthesis of 6-keto prostaglandin F1 alpha, prostaglandin E2 and 13,14-dihydro 15-keto prostaglandin E2 from endogenous arachidonic acid after vortex mixing fundic mucosal homogenates was similar in prostaglandin E2 immunized rabbits and control rabbits. Both in prostaglandin E2-immunized rabbits and controls, 3H-prostaglandin E2 was catabolized extensively by the fundic mucosa, whereas 3H-6-keto prostaglandin F1 alpha, 3H-prostaglandin F2 alpha, and 3H-prostaglandin D2 were not catabolized to any appreciable extent. The rate of catabolism of PGs was not significantly different in prostaglandin E2-immunized rabbits and control rabbits, with the exception of prostaglandin F2 alpha which was catabolized slightly more rapidly in prostaglandin E2-immunized rabbits. These results indicate that development of gastric ulcers in prostaglandin E2-immunized rabbits is not associated with an alteration in the capacity of the gastric mucosa to synthesize or catabolize prostaglandins

  20. Dermatophytes in pet Guinea pigs and rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kraemer, A; Mueller, R S; Werckenthin, C; Straubinger, R K; Hein, J

    2012-05-25

    The frequency of dermatophytes in pet Guinea pigs and rabbits. To determine the frequency and types of dermatophytes in pet Guinea pigs and rabbits. First, 2153 samples collected from pet Guinea pigs (n=1132) and rabbits (n=1021) with suspected dermatophytosis and submitted to three different laboratories for fungal culture were analysed. Subsequently, healthy Guinea pigs and rabbits, animals with skin lesions and with noncutaneous diseases were examined prospectively for dermatophytes. Trichophyton (T.) mentagrophytes was the most common fungal species isolated (91.6% and 72.3% of positive cultures from Guinea pigs (n=431) and rabbits (n=83), respectively). Animals with positive fungal culture did not show any gender predisposition, but affected animals were younger than those with negative fungal culture (PGuinea pigs and 0/140 healthy rabbits. In addition, fungal cultures of Guinea pigs with skin lesions (n=26) and other diseases (n=25) were positive in 7.7% and 8.0% respectively. Samples collected from 17 rabbits with skin lesions and 32 rabbits with noncutaneous disease were all negative in culture. T. mentagrophytes is the most common dermatophyte in pet Guinea pigs and rabbits, asymptomatic carriers are regularly seen in Guinea pigs, but not in rabbits. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Myxomatosis in wild rabbit: design of control programs in Mediterranean ecosystems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Bocanegra, Ignacio; Astorga, Rafael Jesús; Napp, Sebastián; Casal, Jordi; Huerta, Belén; Borge, Carmen; Arenas, Antonio

    2010-01-01

    A cross-sectional study was carried out in natural wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations from southern Spain to identify risk factors associated to myxoma virus infection. Blood samples from 619 wild rabbits were collected, and questionnaires which included variables related to host, disease, game management and environment were completed. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the associations between myxomatosis seropositivity (dependent variable) across 7 hunting estates and an extensive set of explanatory variables obtained from the questionnaires. The prevalence of antibodies against myxomatosis virus was 56.4% (95% CI: 52.5-60.3) and ranged between 21.4% (95% CI: 9.0-33.8) and 70.2% (95% CI: 58.3-82.1) among the different sampling areas. The logistic regression analysis showed that autumn (OR 9.0), high abundance of mosquitoes (OR 8.2), reproductive activity (OR 4.1), warren's insecticide treatment (OR 3.7), rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) seropositivity (OR 2.6), high hunting pressure (OR 6.3) and sheep presence (OR 6.4) were associated with seropositivity to myxomatosis. Based on the results, diverse management measures for myxomatosis control are proposed.

  2. Evidence-Based Advances in Rabbit Medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Summa, Noémie M; Brandão, João

    2017-09-01

    Rabbit medicine has been continuously evolving over time with increasing popularity and demand. Tremendous advances have been made in rabbit medicine over the past 5 years, including the use of imaging tools for otitis and dental disease management, the development of laboratory testing for encephalitozoonosis, or determination of prognosis in rabbits. Recent pharmacokinetic studies have been published, providing additional information on commonly used antibiotics and motility-enhancer drugs, as well as benzimidazole toxicosis. This article presents a review of evidence-based advances for liver lobe torsions, thymoma, and dental disease in rabbits and controversial and new future promising areas in rabbit medicine. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Evaluation of potassium permanganate against an experimental subacute infection of Flavobacterium columnare in channel catfish, Icatlurus punctatus

    Science.gov (United States)

    The efficacy of potassium permanganate (KMnO4) as a prophylactic and therapeutic treatment for subacute infection of Flavobacterium columnare was demonstrated in experimentally infected channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. Catfish experimentally infected with F. columnare to mimic a subacute infec...

  4. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Tualang honey in alkali injury on the eyes of rabbits: Experimental animal study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sirajudeen KNS

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Alkali injury is one of the most devastating injuries to the eye. It results in permanent unilateral or bilateral visual impairment. Chemical eye injury is accompanied by an increase in the oxidative stress. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents play a major role in the treatment of chemical eye injuries. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the anti-inflammatory (clinical and histopathological and antioxidant effects of Tualang honey versus conventional treatment in alkali injury on the eyes of rabbits. Methods A preliminary study was carried out prior to the actual study to establish the alkali chemical injury on rabbit's cornea and we found that alkali chemical injury with 2 N NaOH showed severe clinical inflammatory features. In actual study, alkali injury with 2 N NaOH was induced in the right eye of 10 New Zealand White rabbits' cornea. The rabbits were divided into two groups, Group A was given conventional treatment and Group B was treated with both topical and oral Tualang honey. Clinical inflammatory features of the right eye were recorded at 12 hours, 24 hours, 72 hours, 5th day and 7th day post induction of alkali burn on the cornea. The histopathological inflammatory features of the right corneas of all rabbits were also evaluated on day-7. The level of total antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation products in the aqueous humour, vitreous humour and serum at day-7 were estimated biochemically. Fisher's Exact, Chi-Square and Mann-Whitney test were used to analyse the data. Results There was no statistically significant difference in clinical inflammatory features (p > 0.05 between honey treated and the conventional treated group at different times of examination. Histopathological examination of the cornea showed the number of polymorphonuclear leucocytes was below 50 for both groups (mild grade. There was also no significant difference in the level of total antioxidant status as well as lipid

  5. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Tualang honey in alkali injury on the eyes of rabbits: experimental animal study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bashkaran, Karuppannan; Zunaina, Embong; Bakiah, Shaharuddin; Sulaiman, Siti Amrah; Sirajudeen, Kns; Naik, Venkatesh

    2011-10-09

    Alkali injury is one of the most devastating injuries to the eye. It results in permanent unilateral or bilateral visual impairment. Chemical eye injury is accompanied by an increase in the oxidative stress. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents play a major role in the treatment of chemical eye injuries. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the anti-inflammatory (clinical and histopathological) and antioxidant effects of Tualang honey versus conventional treatment in alkali injury on the eyes of rabbits. A preliminary study was carried out prior to the actual study to establish the alkali chemical injury on rabbit's cornea and we found that alkali chemical injury with 2 N NaOH showed severe clinical inflammatory features. In actual study, alkali injury with 2 N NaOH was induced in the right eye of 10 New Zealand White rabbits' cornea. The rabbits were divided into two groups, Group A was given conventional treatment and Group B was treated with both topical and oral Tualang honey. Clinical inflammatory features of the right eye were recorded at 12 hours, 24 hours, 72 hours, 5th day and 7th day post induction of alkali burn on the cornea. The histopathological inflammatory features of the right corneas of all rabbits were also evaluated on day-7. The level of total antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation products in the aqueous humour, vitreous humour and serum at day-7 were estimated biochemically. Fisher's Exact, Chi-Square and Mann-Whitney test were used to analyse the data. There was no statistically significant difference in clinical inflammatory features (p > 0.05) between honey treated and the conventional treated group at different times of examination. Histopathological examination of the cornea showed the number of polymorphonuclear leucocytes was below 50 for both groups (mild grade). There was also no significant difference in the level of total antioxidant status as well as lipid peroxidation products in aqueous humour (p = 0.117, p = 0

  6. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of Tualang honey in alkali injury on the eyes of rabbits: Experimental animal study

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Background Alkali injury is one of the most devastating injuries to the eye. It results in permanent unilateral or bilateral visual impairment. Chemical eye injury is accompanied by an increase in the oxidative stress. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agents play a major role in the treatment of chemical eye injuries. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the anti-inflammatory (clinical and histopathological) and antioxidant effects of Tualang honey versus conventional treatment in alkali injury on the eyes of rabbits. Methods A preliminary study was carried out prior to the actual study to establish the alkali chemical injury on rabbit's cornea and we found that alkali chemical injury with 2 N NaOH showed severe clinical inflammatory features. In actual study, alkali injury with 2 N NaOH was induced in the right eye of 10 New Zealand White rabbits' cornea. The rabbits were divided into two groups, Group A was given conventional treatment and Group B was treated with both topical and oral Tualang honey. Clinical inflammatory features of the right eye were recorded at 12 hours, 24 hours, 72 hours, 5th day and 7th day post induction of alkali burn on the cornea. The histopathological inflammatory features of the right corneas of all rabbits were also evaluated on day-7. The level of total antioxidant status and lipid peroxidation products in the aqueous humour, vitreous humour and serum at day-7 were estimated biochemically. Fisher's Exact, Chi-Square and Mann-Whitney test were used to analyse the data. Results There was no statistically significant difference in clinical inflammatory features (p > 0.05) between honey treated and the conventional treated group at different times of examination. Histopathological examination of the cornea showed the number of polymorphonuclear leucocytes was below 50 for both groups (mild grade). There was also no significant difference in the level of total antioxidant status as well as lipid peroxidation products in aqueous

  7. Effect of apricot seeds on renal structure of rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Kolesárová

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Amygdalin is the major cyanogenic glycoside present in apricot seeds and is degraded to cyanide by chewing or grinding. The animal data available did not provide a suitable basis for acute human health hazard. The apricot seeds are potentially useful in human nutrition and for treatment of several diseases especially cancer. The present study demonstrates the potential effect of short-term oral application of apricot seeds on renal structure of rabbit as a biological model. Meat line P91 Californian rabbits from the experimental farm of the Animal Production Research Centre Nitra (Slovak Republic were used in the experiments. The animals were randomly divided into the three groups (C-control, P1, P2 - experimental groups leading to 8 rabbits in each group. The control group received no apricot seeds while the experimental groups P1 and P2 received a daily dose 60 and 300 mg.kg-1 b.w. of crushed apricot seeds mixed with feed during 28 days, respectively. After 28 days all animals were slaughtered and kidney tissue was processed by standard histopathological techniques. Tissue sections were observed under an optical microscope with camera Olympus CX41 (Olympus, Japan at a magnification of 10 x 0.40. The basic morphometric criteria of the preparations were quantified using image program MeasurIT (Olympus, Japan. From each sample (n = 24 three histological sections with five different fields of view in each section were analysed and followed parameters were analysed: diameter of renal corpuscles (RC, diameter of glomeruli (G, diameter of tubules (T and the height of epithelial tubules (E. In our study, we observed a slight increase in the most frequent occurrence parenchyma dystrophy experimental animals. These changes were more pronounced in the experimental group (P2 rabbits received a daily dose of 300 mg.kg-1 of body weight of apricot seeds. Most often, we have found enlarged glomeruli filling the entire space of the capsule, and also glomerular

  8. Biochemical and Histopathological study of Mesobuthus eupeus scorpion venom in the experimental rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Koohi, M.K.

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available In tropical and subtropical countries, envenomation by scorpions (so-called scorpionism represents a serious public health problem. In the present study, the toxic effects of mice LD50 injections of Mesobuthus eupeus (Me venom on the kidney and liver of anesthetized rabbits were investigated. Six rabbits were selected and ALT, AST, BUN and creatinine were measured at 0, 1 and 3 hours after envenomation and histopathological studies were carried out postmortem. All the animals showed signs and symptoms ofenvenomation within 30-40 minutes and died 3 to 3.5 hours after venom injection. Histopathological examinations revealed glumerolar congestion, dilated vessels of interstitium and focal interstitial congestion in the kidney and focal hemorrhage, central vein congestion, congested vessels in portal areas and dilatedsinusoids in the liver at 3 to 3.5 hrs following venom injection. In addition, biochemical analyses indicated significant rise in the levels of ALT and creatinine following Mesobuthus eupeus envenomation in animals at 3 hrs. However no significant changes were observed at 1 hr. In conclusion, scorpion (Mesobuthuseupeus venom leads to damage in vital organs such as liver and kidney.

  9. Prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in fecal Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica in Canadian commercial meat, companion, laboratory, and shelter rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and its association with routine antimicrobial use in commercial meat rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kylie, Jennifer; McEwen, Scott A; Boerlin, Patrick; Reid-Smith, Richard J; Weese, J Scott; Turner, Patricia V

    2017-11-01

    Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in zoonotic (e.g. Salmonella spp.), pathogenic, and opportunistic (e.g. E. coli) bacteria in animals represents a potential reservoir of antimicrobial resistant bacteria and resistance genes to bacteria infecting humans and other animals. This study evaluated the prevalence of E. coli and Salmonella enterica, and the presence of associated AMR in commercial meat, companion, research, and shelter rabbits in Canada. Associations between antimicrobial usage and prevalence of AMR in bacterial isolates were also examined in commercial meat rabbits. Culture and susceptibility testing was conducted on pooled fecal samples from weanling and adult commercial meat rabbits taken during both summer and winter months (n=100, 27 farms), and from pooled laboratory (n=14, 8 laboratory facilities), companion (n=53), and shelter (n=15, 4 shelters) rabbit fecal samples. At the facility level, E. coli was identified in samples from each commercial rabbit farm, laboratory facility, and 3 of 4 shelters, and in 6 of 53 companion rabbit fecal samples. Seventy-nine of 314 (25.2%; CI: 20.7-30.2%) E. coli isolates demonstrated resistance to >1 antimicrobial agent. At least one E. coli isolate resistant to at least one antimicrobial agent was present in samples from 55.6% of commercial farms, and from 25% of each laboratory and shelter facilities, with resistance to tetracycline being most common; no resistance was identified in companion animal samples. Salmonella enterica subsp. was identified exclusively in pooled fecal samples from commercial rabbit farms; Salmonella enterica serovar London from one farm and Salmonella enterica serovar Kentucky from another. The S. Kentucky isolate was resistant to amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, ampicillin, cefoxitin, ceftiofur, ceftriaxone, streptomycin, and tetracycline, whereas the S. London isolate was pansusceptible. Routine use of antimicrobials on commercial meat rabbit farms was not significantly associated with the

  10. Correction of rabbit model with mandibular ramus shortening by distraction osteogenesis at condylar neck.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Qinggong; Yang, Xuewen; Long, Xing; Li, Jian; Cai, Hengxing

    2012-04-01

    The rabbit model has been established to mimic the effect of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) arthroplasty of ankylosis, and distraction at the level of the condylar neck is used to elongate the ascending ramus. The histomorphologic changes of TMJ and distraction gap were investigated. The unilateral condyles and articular discs were extirpated, and the experimental mandibular rami were shortened by 5 mm. An embedded distracter was used to restore the height of the mandibular ramus by unilateral condylar neck distraction (0.8 mm daily for 7 days). A total of 12 adult white rabbits were used, 8 in the experimental group and 4 in the control group. Of the 8 rabbits in the experimental group, 4 each were killed at 4 and 8 weeks after completion of distraction. The TMJ and distracted calluses were harvested and processed for radiographic and histologic examination. An open bite was seen in all rabbits postoperatively that had diminished at the end of distraction. The newly formed condyles radiologically showed remodeling, flattening, and sclerosis. The bony transport disc had gradually remodeled to a new condyle that was similar to the original condyle in appearance and structure. The surface of the transport disc was covered with a fibrous tissue. Moreover, the bony regeneration was perfect in the distraction gap. These results suggest that distraction osteogenesis at the condylar neck using the traditional preauricular approach of TMJ surgery, without the additional incision, can be performed concurrently with arthroplasty of TMJ ankylosis at the same region. Copyright © 2012 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Effect of high dose irradiation on the red cell span in rabbits

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, T.W.; Koh, J.W.; Woo, K.S.; Lee, O.H.; Youn, C.S.

    1982-01-01

    As a part of studies on acute effects of high dose irradiation in vivo, the present report was carried out to evaluate the changes of the red cell life span in the white rabbits by a single whole body exposure to gamma rays from 60 Co teletherapy unit. The exposure was done in dose levels of 100, 600 and 900 rads to each experimental group of 10 rabbits. The life span apparent half survival time of red cells, and that the red cell volume in the circulting blood were measured by ICSH Reference method using 51 Cr. (Author)

  12. Evaluation of healing potential of autogenous, macroscopic fat deposited or fat free, omental graft in experimental radius bone defect in rabbit: Radiological study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Masouleh, M.N.; Haghdoost, I.S.; Heydari, G.A.C.; Raissi, A.; Mohitmafi, S.

    2011-01-01

    This study was designed for evaluation of the difference between the ability of greater omentum graft with or without macroscopic fat deposition in acceleration of bone healing process. Adult female New Zealand white rabbits (n=15) were randomly divided into three equal groups. In groups A and B, the drilled hole on the left radius was filled by the omentum without and with macroscopic fat deposition, respectively while drilled hole on the right radius left intact for consideration as control. In group C, the drilled hole on the left and right radius was filled by the omentum sample with and without macroscopic fat deposition, respectively. Experimental bone defects on the radiuses were secured by the pieces of greater omentum, with or without macroscopic fat deposition, which obtained as an autogenous graft from each rabbit in accompany with control samples. Standardized serial radiography for evaluation of bone healing was performed and the difference in bone healing process in three groups of study was determined. According to the obtained data, the radius bones which filled by omentum without macroscopic fat deposition showed faster healing process than the radius bones which filled by omentum with macroscopic fat deposition (P<0.05). (author)

  13. Estudo da transmigração bacteriana na apendicite experimental em coelhos A study about bacterial transmigration in experimental Appendicitis in rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ECF RAMOS

    2000-01-01

    Full Text Available Introdução: A queda extrínseca dos mecanismos de defesa de um hospedeiro é vista classicamente como uma infecção, que resulta na aquisição de um tecido normal, de um novo microorganismo, cuja virulência é fundamental para a sua patogenia.Na década de 50, estudos comprovaram que bactérias e endotoxinas podem ultrapassar a barreira intestinal e atingir a circulação, demonstrando ainda, que a flora intestinal representa uma importante fonte para o desenvolvimento da infecção sistêmica. Objetivo: o presente estudo visa avaliar a ocorrência de transmigração bacteriana em apendicite experimental induzida em coelhos, mediante a oclusão completa do apêndice vermiforme. Métodos: foram utilizados 24 coelhos brancos, da linhagem Nova Zelândia, com peso corporal variando de 2500 a 3000 gramas, sendo então divididos em 2 grupos. Os animais do Grupo I foram submetidos a laparotomia mediana e retirada de fragmentos do baço, rim esquerdo, pulmão direito, linfonodo abdominal, conteúdo da luz do apêndice vermiforme e sangue da veia porta para cultura. Os animais do Grupo II foram submetidos a laparotomia mediana e oclusão completa do apêndice vermiforme para a indução de apendicite e, após 24 horas, realizada a coleta do material nos moldes do Grupo I. Resultados: No Grupo controle (Grupo I, não se observou o crescimento de bactérias nas amostras analisadas. No Grupo experimento (Grupo II, observou-se o crescimento de Escherichia coli em todos os animais. Conclusão: Ocorreu transmigração bacteriana após 24 horas de observação em coelhos com apendicite experimental.The present study aims to evaluate the occurrence of the bacterial transmigration in induced ezxperimental appendicitis in rabbitis through complete oclusion of the vermiform appendix. 24 New Zealand white rabbits with a body weight ranging from 2500 to 3000 grams were used. They were divided into 2 groups. The animals from group I were submitted to a median

  14. Experimental Salmonella typhimurium infections in rats. I

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hougen, H P; Jensen, E T; Klausen, B

    1989-01-01

    The course of experimentally induced Salmonella typhimurium infection was studied in three groups of inbred LEW rats: homozygous +/+, athymic rnu/rnu and isogeneic thymus-grafted rnu/rnu rats. In the first experiment the animals were inoculated intraperitoneally with 10(8) bacteria and all animals...... became severely septicemic and died within a week of inoculation, irrespective of presence or absence of thymus. In the second experiment the animals were inoculated with 10(6) bacteria, and both euthymic and thymus-grafted animals responded with high titres of anti bacterial antibodies while these were...... very low in the athymic nude animals. Polyclonal antibody production was only observed in the euthymic animals and only regarding IgG. Athymic rats were not able to clear the infection, while the thymus-grafted animals reacted like euthymic rats: Very few animals housed the bacteria four weeks after...

  15. Anatomical relationship between the collecting system and the intrarenal arteries in the rabbit: contribution for an experimental model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shalgum, A; Marques-Sampaio, B P S; Dafalla, A; Pereira-Sampaio, M A

    2012-04-01

    Intrarenal anatomy was studied in detail to evaluate how useful rabbits could be as a urologic model. Only one renal artery was observed, which was divided into dorsal and ventral branches in all cases. Three segmental arteries (cranial, mesorenal and caudal) was the most frequent branching pattern found in both the dorsal and ventral division. There was an important artery related to the ureteropelvic junction in both dorsal and ventral surfaces in all specimens. The cranial pole was supplied by both dorsal and ventral divisions of the renal artery in 23 of 41 casts (56%). Although the cranial pole of the rabbit kidney could be useful as a model because of the resemblances with human kidney, the different relationship between the intrarenal arteries and the kidney collecting system in other regions of the kidney must be taken into consideration by the urologists, when using rabbit kidney in urological research. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  16. Effect of Exposure Dose on Ichthyophonus Prevalence and Infection Intensity in Experimentally Infected Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kocan, Richard; LaPatra, Scott

    2016-02-01

    This study describes the effect of increasing exposure dose on Ichthyophonus prevalence and infection intensity in experimentally infected rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Specific-pathogen free trout were exposed per os to increasing numbers of Ichthyophonus schizonts obtained from naturally infected donor fish, then sampled after 30 and 60 days post-exposure. Both in vitro explant culture and histology revealed that as the number of schizonts per dose increased there was a proportionate increase in the number of infected fish, as well as an increase in the number of infected organs; parasite density in individual infected organs also increased with dose. Explant culture revealed that all fish exposed to the highest dose (≥2,080 schizonts) became infected, while only 67% of those exposed to the intermediate dose (1,040-1,153 schizonts) were Ichthyophonus-positive after 60 days; Ichthyophonus was not detected in fish exposed to the 2 lowest doses (≤280 schizonts). Histologic examination of individual infected organs also revealed increasing infection prevalence and parasite density in response to exposure to increasing numbers of Ichthyophonus schizonts.

  17. Tissue response and wound healing after placement of two types of bioengineered grafts containing vital cells in submucosal maxillary pouches: an experimental pilot study in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bornstein, Michael M; Reichart, Peter A; Buser, Daniel; Bosshardt, Dieter D

    2011-01-01

    This pilot study evaluated the wound healing and tissue response after placement of two different skin substitutes in subgingival mucosal pouches in rabbits. Four rabbits were selected to receive a commercially available skin substitute consisting of a collagen matrix with fibroblasts and an epithelial layer (test membrane 1) and a prototype device consisting of a collagen matrix with fibroblasts only (test membrane 2). In each rabbit, two horizontal incisions were made in the buccal alveolar mucosa of the maxilla bilaterally to create submucosal pouches. Three pouches in each animal were filled with either the test 1 or test 2 membranes, and one pouch was left without a membrane (sham-operated control). All rabbits were sacrificed after a healing period of 4 weeks, and histologic samples were prepared and examined. After a healing period of 1 month, both tested membranes were still visible in the sections. Test membrane 1 was still bilayered, contained inflammatory cells in its center, and was encapsulated by a thick fibrous tissue. Numerous ectopic calcifications were evident in the collagenous part of the membrane and in association with some basal epithelial cells. Test membrane 2 was also encapsulated in fibrous tissue, with inflammatory cells present only between the fibrous encapsulation and the remnants of the membrane. For test membrane 2, no calcifications were visible. Test membrane 1 seemed to be more resistant to degradation, but there was also a more pronounced inflammatory reaction in comparison to test membrane 2, especially in the vicinity of the keratinocytes. The significance of the ectopic calcifications, along with that of the resorption or degradation processes of both tested membranes, must be evaluated in future experimental studies, with different time points after implantation examined.

  18. Evaluation of a simple Theileria annulata culture protocol from experimentally infected bovine whole blood

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gharbi M.

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available We have evaluated a new simple technique using whole blood from experimentally infected cattle for the isolation and cultivation of Theileria annulata. The study was carried out on 20 Holstein-Frisian bovines that had been experimentally infected with a virulent lethal dose of Theileria annulata. This technique has been compared to the classical peripheral blood monocyte isolation with Ficoll carried out on 22 experimentally infected Holstein-Friesian calves. The effectiveness of the reference technique was estimated to 86.4%, whilst the effectiveness of the new technique was 100%. Moreover, this new technique leads to time and money saving estimated to € 3.06 per sample. It decreases the contamination risks by reducing the steps of sample manipulation.

  19. Development of Taenia pisiformis in golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maravilla Pablo

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The life cycle of Taenia pisiformis includes canines as definitive hosts and rabbits as intermediate hosts. Golden hamster (Mesocricetus auratus is a rodent that has been successfully used as experimental model of Taenia solium taeniosis. In the present study we describe the course of T. pisiformis infection in experimentally infected golden hamsters. Ten females, treated with methyl-prednisolone acetate were infected with three T. pisiformis cysticerci each one excised from one rabbit. Proglottids released in faeces and adults recovered during necropsy showed that all animals were infected. Eggs obtained from the hamsters' tapeworms, were assessed for viability using trypan blue or propidium iodide stains. Afterwards, some rabbits were inoculated with eggs, necropsy was performed after seven weeks and viable cysticerci were obtained. Our results demonstrate that the experimental model of adult Taenia pisiformis in golden hamster can replace the use of canines in order to study this parasite and to provide eggs and adult tapeworms to be used in different types of experiments.

  20. Population of computational rabbit-specific ventricular action potential models for investigating sources of variability in cellular repolarisation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Philip Gemmell

    Full Text Available Variability is observed at all levels of cardiac electrophysiology. Yet, the underlying causes and importance of this variability are generally unknown, and difficult to investigate with current experimental techniques. The aim of the present study was to generate populations of computational ventricular action potential models that reproduce experimentally observed intercellular variability of repolarisation (represented by action potential duration and to identify its potential causes. A systematic exploration of the effects of simultaneously varying the magnitude of six transmembrane current conductances (transient outward, rapid and slow delayed rectifier K(+, inward rectifying K(+, L-type Ca(2+, and Na(+/K(+ pump currents in two rabbit-specific ventricular action potential models (Shannon et al. and Mahajan et al. at multiple cycle lengths (400, 600, 1,000 ms was performed. This was accomplished with distributed computing software specialised for multi-dimensional parameter sweeps and grid execution. An initial population of 15,625 parameter sets was generated for both models at each cycle length. Action potential durations of these populations were compared to experimentally derived ranges for rabbit ventricular myocytes. 1,352 parameter sets for the Shannon model and 779 parameter sets for the Mahajan model yielded action potential duration within the experimental range, demonstrating that a wide array of ionic conductance values can be used to simulate a physiological rabbit ventricular action potential. Furthermore, by using clutter-based dimension reordering, a technique that allows visualisation of multi-dimensional spaces in two dimensions, the interaction of current conductances and their relative importance to the ventricular action potential at different cycle lengths were revealed. Overall, this work represents an important step towards a better understanding of the role that variability in current conductances may play in

  1. Population of computational rabbit-specific ventricular action potential models for investigating sources of variability in cellular repolarisation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gemmell, Philip; Burrage, Kevin; Rodriguez, Blanca; Quinn, T Alexander

    2014-01-01

    Variability is observed at all levels of cardiac electrophysiology. Yet, the underlying causes and importance of this variability are generally unknown, and difficult to investigate with current experimental techniques. The aim of the present study was to generate populations of computational ventricular action potential models that reproduce experimentally observed intercellular variability of repolarisation (represented by action potential duration) and to identify its potential causes. A systematic exploration of the effects of simultaneously varying the magnitude of six transmembrane current conductances (transient outward, rapid and slow delayed rectifier K(+), inward rectifying K(+), L-type Ca(2+), and Na(+)/K(+) pump currents) in two rabbit-specific ventricular action potential models (Shannon et al. and Mahajan et al.) at multiple cycle lengths (400, 600, 1,000 ms) was performed. This was accomplished with distributed computing software specialised for multi-dimensional parameter sweeps and grid execution. An initial population of 15,625 parameter sets was generated for both models at each cycle length. Action potential durations of these populations were compared to experimentally derived ranges for rabbit ventricular myocytes. 1,352 parameter sets for the Shannon model and 779 parameter sets for the Mahajan model yielded action potential duration within the experimental range, demonstrating that a wide array of ionic conductance values can be used to simulate a physiological rabbit ventricular action potential. Furthermore, by using clutter-based dimension reordering, a technique that allows visualisation of multi-dimensional spaces in two dimensions, the interaction of current conductances and their relative importance to the ventricular action potential at different cycle lengths were revealed. Overall, this work represents an important step towards a better understanding of the role that variability in current conductances may play in experimentally

  2. Suppression of inflammatory immune responses in celiac disease by experimental hookworm infection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Henry J McSorley

    Full Text Available We present immunological data from two clinical trials where the effect of experimental human hookworm (Necator americanus infection on the pathology of celiac disease was evaluated. We found that basal production of Interferon- (IFN-γ and Interleukin- (IL-17A from duodenal biopsy culture was suppressed in hookworm-infected participants compared to uninfected controls. Increased levels of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ cells in the circulation and mucosa are associated with active celiac disease. We show that this accumulation also occurs during a short-term (1 week oral gluten challenge, and that hookworm infection suppressed the increase of circulating CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ cells during this challenge period. When duodenal biopsies from hookworm-infected participants were restimulated with the immunodominant gliadin peptide QE65, robust production of IL-2, IFN-γ and IL-17A was detected, even prior to gluten challenge while participants were strictly adhering to a gluten-free diet. Intriguingly, IL-5 was produced only after hookworm infection in response to QE65. Thus we hypothesise that hookworm-induced TH2 and IL-10 cross-regulation of the TH1/TH17 inflammatory response may be responsible for the suppression of these responses during experimental hookworm infection.

  3. Predictors of early mortality after rabbit antithymocyte globulin as first-line treatment in severe aplastic anemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atta, Elias H; Lima, Carlos B L; Dias, Danielle S P; Clé, Diego V; Bonduel, Mariana M; Sciuccati, Gabriela B; Medeiros, Larissa A; Oliveira, Michel M; Salvino, Marco A; Garanito, Marlene P; Blum Fonseca, Patricia B; Saad, Sara Teresinha O; Calado, Rodrigo T; Scheinberg, Phillip

    2017-11-01

    Despite being recommended as first-line immunosuppressive therapy in severe aplastic anemia (SAA), horse antithymocyte globulin (ATG) is still unavailable in many countries outside the USA. Rabbit ATG is more lymphocytoxic than horse ATG, and this might result in a higher incidence of severe infections and early mortality. This study was designed to identify the risk factors for early mortality and overall survival (OS) after rabbit ATG in patients with SAA. We retrospectively reviewed 185 patients with SAA who underwent rabbit ATG and cyclosporine. The incidence of death in 3 months following rabbit ATG therapy was 15.1% (28/185). Early mortality was mainly related to infectious complications, despite adequate antibiotic and/or antifungal treatment. Age > 35 years (odds ratio [OR] 5.06, P = 0.001) and baseline absolute neutrophil count (ANC) ≤ 0.1 × 10 9 /L (OR 7.64, P  35 years (OR 1.88, P = 0.03), baseline ANC ≤ 0.1 × 10 9 /L (OR 2.65, P < 0.001), and lack of response to rabbit ATG (OR 11.40, P < 0.001) were independently associated with mortality. Alternative strategies are needed for the treatment of SAA patients in countries were horse ATG is unavailable, particularly for those at high risk for early mortality after rabbit ATG due to a higher age and very low pre-treatment neutrophil count.

  4. The Effect of Feed Form on Diet Digestibility and Cecal Parameters in Rabbits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alvarenga, Isabella Corsato; Aldrich, Charles Gregory; Kohles, Micah

    2017-01-01

    Simple Summary In addition to hay or forage in the diet pet rabbits are commonly fed a supplementary food as a muesli (granular mix), pellets, or extruded croquettes. This study aimed to determine if form of this supplementary diet (pelleted vs. extruded) or composition (muesli) had an effect on the diets total tract digestibility and cecal fermentation patterns. Rabbits had slightly higher intake when fed extruded and pelleted diets compared to muesli. Digestibility results were inconsistent between estimation methods. The extruded diet was more digestible than pelleted according to the total collection digestibility method, but according to internal marker acid insoluble ash the pelleted diet was the most digestible. Both the extruded and pelleted diet had similar fermentation patterns, with lower cecal pH and greater proportions of butyrate. Our findings suggest that diet composition, rather than form, may have a greater impact on nutrient utilization by rabbits. Abstract Fifteen New Zealand rabbits were randomly assigned to one of 3 dietary treatment groups of 5 animals each and fed pelleted, extruded, or muesli diets in a completely randomized design experiment. Rabbits were placed in individual cages with ad libitum access to water and food for 45 days acclimation followed by 30 days experimental period. Feed intake of rabbits fed pelleted and extruded diets was greater (p digestibility among the treatments was inconsistent when comparing results obtained from total fecal collection and AIA (please define) as an internal marker. Rabbits fed extruded and pelleted diets had lower (p < 0.05) cecal pH (6.42 and 6.38 vs. 7.02, respectively), and higher (p < 0.05) production of SCFA (18.5 and 19.0 vs. 11.7 mM, respectively) than those fed muesli. The fermentation products from rabbits fed pelleted and extruded diets had a greater proportion of butyrate and less propionate than rabbits fed muesli. The results of this study indicate that the basal dietary composition

  5. Taenia pisiformis cysticercosis induces decreased prolificacy and increased progesterone levels in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hallal-Calleros, Claudia; Morales-Montor, Jorge; Orihuela-Trujillo, Agustín; Togno-Peirce, Cristián; Murcia-Mejía, Clara; Bielli, Alejandro; Hoffman, Kurt L; Flores-Pérez, Fernando Iván

    2016-10-15

    Reproductive alterations in hosts infected by parasites have been recognized in several phyla, especially in arthropods and mollusks, but it has been less studied in higher vertebrates, particularly in mammals. In the present study, ten eight week-old female New Zealand rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were either infected with Taenia pisiformis eggs or uninfected, and 7 weeks later they were mated. We found that serum progesterone levels were increased during pregnancy in infected does. At birth, litter size of infected does was reduced by half as compared to the control group, and, at weaning, the number of kits and the weight of litters was lower. Since serum progesterone levels have a key role in the maintenance of pregnancy and implantation, we propose that the observed prolificacy alterations in does infected with T. pisiformis infection were due to changes in the levels of circulating progesterone during pregnancy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Serum levels of cytokines in water buffaloes experimentally infected with Fasciola gigantica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Fu-Kai; Guo, Ai-Jiang; Hou, Jun-Ling; Sun, Miao-Miao; Sheng, Zhao-An; Zhang, Xiao-Xuan; Huang, Wei-Yi; Elsheikha, Hany M; Zhu, Xing-Quan

    2017-09-15

    Fasciola gigantica infection in water buffaloes causes significant economic losses especially in developing countries. Although modulation of the host immune response by cytokine neutralization or vaccination is a promising approach to control infection with this parasite, our understanding of cytokine's dynamic during F. gigantica infection is limited. To address this, we quantified the levels of serum cytokines produced in water buffaloes following experimental infection with F. gigantica. Five buffaloes were infected via oral gavage with 500 viable F. gigantica metacercariae and blood samples were collected from buffaloes one week before infection and for 13 consecutive weeks thereafter. The levels of 10 cytokines in serum samples were simultaneously determined using ELISA. F. gigantica failed to elicit the production of various pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-2, IL-6, IL-12, and IFN-γ. On the other hand, evidence of a Th2 type response was detected, but only early in the course of parasite colonization and included modest increase in the levels of IL-10 and IL-13. The results also revealed suppression of the immune responses as a feature of chronic F. gigantica infection in buffaloes. Taken together, F. gigantica seems to elicit a modest Th2 response at early stage of infection in order to downregulate harmful Th1- and Th17-type inflammatory responses in experimentally infected buffaloes. The full extent of anti-F. gigantica immune response and its relation to pathogenesis requires further study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. High rabbit abundance proves detrimental to the population growth rate in European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus L. extensive breeding enclosures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. Ruiz-Aizpurua

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus L. is a key prey species in Mediterranean ecosystems that has declined in its natural ranges as a result of diseases and loss of habitat. This situation has led to the production of wild rabbits in enclosures in which they can acclimate and breed. The efficiency of these enclosures as extensive breeding systems is defined by their population growth rate (PGR. The aim of this study is to analyse the effect of rabbit abundance on the PGR. This has been done by creating general linear models to explain autumn and spring PGR with the use of rabbit abundance estimates, enclosure size, aerial predation and previous PGR as possible explanatory variables. Rabbit abundance and enclosure size negatively affected the autumn PGR, while only rabbit abundance affected the spring PGR in the best-fit models. It is suggested that maintaining rabbit densities at fewer than 30 rabbits per hectare might help to optimise the efficiency inside enclosures.

  8. Detection of Mycobacterium avium subspecies in the gut associated lymphoid tissue of slaughtered rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arrazuria, Rakel; Sevilla, Iker A; Molina, Elena; Pérez, Valentín; Garrido, Joseba M; Juste, Ramón A; Elguezabal, Natalia

    2015-06-11

    Rabbits are susceptible to infection by different species of the genus Mycobacterium. Particularly, development of specific lesions and isolation of Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium and Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis, both subspecies of the M. avium complex, has been reported in wildlife conditions. Although, rabbit meat production worldwide is 200 million tons per year, microbiological data on this source of meat is lacking and more specifically reports of mycobacterial presence in industrially reared rabbit for human consumption have not been published. To this end, we sought mycobacteria by microbiological and histopathological methods paying special attention to Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis in rabbits from commercial rabbitries from the North East of Spain. M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis was not detected either by culture or PCR. However, Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium was detected in 15.15% (10/66) and Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis was detected in 1.51% (1/66) of gut associated lymphoid tissue of sampled animals by PCR, whereas caecal contents were negative. 9% (6/66) of the animals presented gross lesions suggestive of lymphoid activation, 6% (4/66) presented granulomatous lesions and 3% (2/66) contained acid fast bacilli. Mycobacterial isolation from samples was not achieved, although colonies of Thermoactinomycetes sp. were identified by 16s rRNA sequencing in 6% (4/66) of sampled animals. Apparently healthy farmed rabbits that go to slaughter may carry M. avium subspecies in gut associated lymphoid tissue.

  9. Haematology, Blood Chemistry and Carcass Characteristics of Growing Rabbits Fed Grasshopper Meal as a Substitute for Fish Meal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. A. Njidda* and C. E. Isidahomen1

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of replacing fish meal with grasshopper meal on haematology, blood chemistry and carcass characteristics of growing rabbits. Forty rabbits of mixed breeds, aged 6-10 weeks, were randomly assigned to the dietary treatments in a complete randomized design with eight rabbits per treatment. The rabbits were fed with diets containing 0, 1.25, 2.50, 3.75 and 5% grasshopper meal in diets designated as T1 (control, T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively. The experimental diets and clean drinking water were supplied ad libitum throughout the experimental period of nine weeks. At the end of the feeding trial, three rabbits per treatment were slaughtered for carcass evaluation, while blood samples were collected for analysis. The result of the experiment showed significant differences (P0.05 on haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC. The results also revealed significant differences (P0.05 on serum albumin and total protein. The results of carcass characteristics showed significant differences among treatments (P<0.05 for slaughter weight, carcass weight, dressing percentage, skin pelt, tail, feet and abdominal fat. The slaughter weight and carcass weight were better in groups receiving 2.5% grass hopper meal (50% fish meal replacement. From the results, it can be concluded that inclusion of 2.50% grasshopper meal as a replacement for fish meal (50% replacement has no adverse effects on the haematological parameters, serum biochemistry and carcass characteristics of rabbits.

  10. INFLUENCE OF NATURAL IMMUNOMODULATORS ON PROTEIN FRACTIONS AND CORTISOL CONTENT IN RABBIT BLOOD UNDER STRESS

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    Grabovskyi S.

    2015-08-01

    feed increases the Prealbumin concentration in rabbits blood plasma of two experimental groups twice (P ≤ 0.05 and 2.8 times (P ≤ 0.01 compared to the control. Cortisol level in rabbits (which further added to the feed of spleen extract (I research group blood plasma was reliable lower by 40 % (Р<0.05 compared to control, that may to indicate decreasing of stress before slaughter. On the rabbits feeding final stage is necessary to consider a pre-slaughter stress and to apply of natural origin biologically active substances. The results which obtained can to use in researches of stress hormones, such as cortisol, on farm animals for organism resistance increasing, correction and avoid their pre-slaughter stress and improve product quality.

  11. Evaluation of Orally Delivered ST-246 as Postexposure Prophylactic and Antiviral Therapeutic in an Aerosolized Rabbitpox Rabbit Model

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Nalca, Aysegul; Hatkin, Josh M; Garza, Nicole L; Nichols, Donald K; Norris, Sarah W; Hruby, Dennis E; Jordan, Robert

    2008-01-01

    ...) to treat smallpox or monkeypox infection. In this study, we showed that administration of the antiviral compound ST-246 to rabbits by oral gavage, once daily for 14 days beginning 1h postexposure (p.e.), resulted in 100...

  12. Chondromalacia induced by patellar subluxation: morphological and morphometrical aspects in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sant'Anna, M M S; Apfel, M I R

    2002-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe morphologically and quantify the changes of the articular cartilage in chondromalacia, concerning both the chondrocytes and extracellular matrix. Eight rabbits were submitted daily to patellar subluxation, causing chondromalacia after two weeks. The knee fragments obtained were processed by the standard methods. These experimental conditions caused degenerative alterations of the articular cartilage, varying from a slight decrease of proteoglycans, to fibrillations, clefts, and horizontal splitting. The results showed a significantly increase number of chondrocytes (p < 0,000139), although smaller in size (p < 0,000109). The immobilization for 2 weeks and the intermittent passive daily motion afterwards for a period of 2 weeks, was effective to cause patellar chrondomalacia in rabbits.

  13. Evaluating the Effect of Sarconesiopsis magellanica (Diptera: Calliphoridae Larvae-Derived Haemolymph and Fat Body Extracts on Chronic Wounds in Diabetic Rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifher Góngora

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available We evaluated extracts taken from S. magellanica third instar larvae fat body and haemolymph using a diabetic rabbit model and compared this to the effect obtained with the same substances taken from Lucilia sericata larvae. Alloxan (a toxic glucose analogue was used to induce experimental diabetes in twelve rabbits. Dorsal wounds were made in each animal and they were infected with Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. They were then treated with haemolymph and lyophilized extracts taken from the selected blowflies’ larvae fat bodies. Each wound was then evaluated by using rating scales and histological analysis. More favourable scores were recorded on the PUSH and WBS scales for the wounds treated with fat body derived from the larvae of both species compared to that obtained with haemolymph; however, wounds treated with the substances taken from S. magellanica had better evolution. Histological analysis revealed that treatment led to tissue proliferation and more effective neovascularisation in less time with both species’ fat body extracts compared to treatment with just haemolymph. The results suggest the effectiveness of the substances evaluated and validate them in the animal model being used here as topical agents in treating chronic wounds.

  14. Evaluating the Effect of Sarconesiopsis magellanica (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Larvae-Derived Haemolymph and Fat Body Extracts on Chronic Wounds in Diabetic Rabbits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Góngora, Jennifher; Díaz-Roa, Andrea; Ramírez-Hernández, Alejandro; Cortés-Vecino, Jesús A.; Gaona, María A.; Patarroyo, Manuel A.

    2015-01-01

    We evaluated extracts taken from S. magellanica third instar larvae fat body and haemolymph using a diabetic rabbit model and compared this to the effect obtained with the same substances taken from Lucilia sericata larvae. Alloxan (a toxic glucose analogue) was used to induce experimental diabetes in twelve rabbits. Dorsal wounds were made in each animal and they were infected with Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. They were then treated with haemolymph and lyophilized extracts taken from the selected blowflies' larvae fat bodies. Each wound was then evaluated by using rating scales and histological analysis. More favourable scores were recorded on the PUSH and WBS scales for the wounds treated with fat body derived from the larvae of both species compared to that obtained with haemolymph; however, wounds treated with the substances taken from S. magellanica had better evolution. Histological analysis revealed that treatment led to tissue proliferation and more effective neovascularisation in less time with both species' fat body extracts compared to treatment with just haemolymph. The results suggest the effectiveness of the substances evaluated and validate them in the animal model being used here as topical agents in treating chronic wounds. PMID:25866825

  15. Evaluation of a novel Dot-ELISA assay utilizing a recombinant protein for the effective diagnosis of Taenia pisiformis larval infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Lin; Yang, Deying; Gu, Xiaobin; Peng, Xuerong; Yang, Guangyou

    2014-08-29

    Cysticercosis, caused by the larvae of Taenia pisiformis, is a common disease in domestic breeds of the rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus that results in economic losses. At present, there is no convenient and effective method for the rapid detection of T. pisiformis larvae. Here, we developed and tested the efficacy of a Dot-ELISA assay for the diagnosis of T. pisiformis larval infections in rabbits, based on the expression of the recombinant fusion protein (rTp1) from the Tp1 gene. Rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) was used to amplify the 3' ends of the Tp1 gene, based on the unigene similar to Ts1 gene (EU009656.1) which comes from transcriptome sequencing of T. pisiformis. The Tp1 gene was successfully amplified, cloned and expressed in BL21 (DE3). Western blot analysis revealed that the recombinant Tp1 protein is specifically recognized by rabbit T. pisiformis cysticercosis antisera. This purified recombinant fusion protein, rTp1, was probed by Dot-ELISA with sera from rabbits infected with T. pisiformis larvae and with other parasitic infections. Results showed that this Dot-ELISA assay had both high sensitivity (92.9-97.6%) and specificity (95.2-98.4%) to detect T. pisiformis larval infections. We also found very low levels of cross-reaction with other parasitic infections. This study has revealed that our novel Dot-ELISA assay utilizing the recombinant fusion protein, rTp1, has a strong potential for the effective diagnosis of T. pisiformis infections in rabbits. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Intraosseous Urography Compared with Intravenous Urography: An Experimental Study in the Rabbit Model

    OpenAIRE

    SAĞLAM, Mutlu; UĞUREL, Şahin

    2014-01-01

    This study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of bone injection gun assisted intraosseous administration of contrast media as an alternative to the intravenous route for urography. Intravenous urographies were obtained in 6 rabbits. Urographic examinations by the intraosseous route were performed in the same animals 48 h later. After adequate anesthesia, the retroauricular vein was punctured for intravenous injection and a bone injection gun was used for intraosseous injections to the ...

  17. Antithrombotic and Antiatherosclerotic Properties of Olive Oil and Olive Pomace Polar Extracts in Rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nektaria Tsantila

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Olive oil polar lipid (OOPL extract has been reported to inhibit atherosclerosis development on rabbits. Olive pomace polar lipid (PPL extract inhibits PAF activity in vitro and the most potent antagonist has been identified as a glycerylether-sn-2-acetyl glycolipid with common structural characteristics with the respective potent antagonist of OOPL. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of PPL on early atherosclerosis development on rabbits and to compare it with the antiatherosclerotic effect of OOPL. OOPL and PPL inhibition potency, towards both PAF action and PAF binding, was tested in vitro on washed rabbit platelets. Consequently, rabbits were divided into three groups (A, B, and C. All groups were fed atherogenic diet for 22 days. Atherogenic diets in groups B and C were enriched with OOPL and PPL, respectively. At the end of the experimental time, rabbits were euthanized and aortic samples were examined histopathologically. OOPL and PPL inhibited PAF-induced aggregation, as well as specific PAF binding, with PPL being more potent. Free and bound PAF levels and PAF-AH activity were significantly elevated at the end of the experimental time. Plasma total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides levels were also found increased. Groups B and C exhibited significantly increased values of EC50 compared to group A. Histopathological examination revealed that the development of early atherosclerosis lesions in groups B and C were significantly inhibited compared to group A. Significant differences were noted in the early atherosclerosis lesions between groups B and C, thus indicating that PPL exhibit its anti-atherosclerotic activity by blocking PAF receptor. Specific PAF antagonists with similar in vitro and in vivo bioactivity to those that have been previously reported in OOPL exist in PPL.

  18. Isolation and characterization of the progenitor cells from the blastema tissue formed at experimentally-created rabbit ear hole.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baghaban Eslaminejad, Mohamadreza; Bordbar, Sima

    2013-02-01

    Objective(s) : Throughout evolution, mammalians have increasingly lost their ability to regenerate structures however rabbits are exceptional since they develop a blastema in their ear wound for regeneration purposes. Blastema consists of a group of undifferentiated cells capable of dividing and differentiating into the ear tissue. The objective of the present study is to isolate, culture expand, and characterize blastema progenitor cells in terms of their in vitro differentiation capacity. Five New Zealand white male rabbits were used in the present study. Using a punching apparatus, a 4-mm hole was created in the animal ears. Following 4 days, the blastema ring which was created in the periphery of primary hole in the ears was removed and cultivated. The cells migrated from the blastema were expanded through 3 successive subcultures and characterized in terms of their potential differentiation, growth characteristics, and culture requirements. The primary cultures tended to be morphologically heterogeneous having spindly-shaped fibroblast-like cells as well as flattened cells. Fibroblast-like cells survived and dominated the cultures. These cells tended to have the osteogenic, chondrogenic, and adipogenic differentiation potentials. They were highly colonogenic and maximum proliferation was achieved when the cells were plated at density of 100 cells/cm2 in a medium which contained 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). Taken together, blastema tissue-derived stem cells from rabbit ear are of mesenchymal stem cell-like population. Studies similar to this will assist scientist better understanding the nature of blastema tissue formed at rabbit ear to regenerate the wound.

  19. Efficient immunoglobulin gene disruption and targeted replacement in rabbit using zinc finger nucleases.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatiana Flisikowska

    Full Text Available Rabbits are widely used in biomedical research, yet techniques for their precise genetic modification are lacking. We demonstrate that zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs introduced into fertilized oocytes can inactivate a chosen gene by mutagenesis and also mediate precise homologous recombination with a DNA gene-targeting vector to achieve the first gene knockout and targeted sequence replacement in rabbits. Two ZFN pairs were designed that target the rabbit immunoglobulin M (IgM locus within exons 1 and 2. ZFN mRNAs were microinjected into pronuclear stage fertilized oocytes. Founder animals carrying distinct mutated IgM alleles were identified and bred to produce offspring. Functional knockout of the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus was confirmed by serum IgM and IgG deficiency and lack of IgM(+ and IgG(+ B lymphocytes. We then tested whether ZFN expression would enable efficient targeted sequence replacement in rabbit oocytes. ZFN mRNA was co-injected with a linear DNA vector designed to replace exon 1 of the IgM locus with ∼1.9 kb of novel sequence. Double strand break induced targeted replacement occurred in up to 17% of embryos and in 18% of fetuses analyzed. Two major goals have been achieved. First, inactivation of the endogenous IgM locus, which is an essential step for the production of therapeutic human polyclonal antibodies in the rabbit. Second, establishing efficient targeted gene manipulation and homologous recombination in a refractory animal species. ZFN mediated genetic engineering in the rabbit and other mammals opens new avenues of experimentation in immunology and many other research fields.

  20. The pathogenesis of single experimental infections with Strongylus vulgaris in foals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duncan, J L; Pirie, H M

    1975-01-01

    The clinical signs, pathology and clinical pathology associated with single experimental infections of Strongylus vulgaris in worm-free pony foals are described. The major clinical signs which became apparent in the infected foals during the first three weeks were pyrexia, anorexia, dullness and abdominal pain. Within the first two weeks of infection lesions were confined to the intestine and terminal branches of the intestinal arteries and consisted of mucosal, submucosal and serosal haemorrhage together with arteritis of submucosal and serosal arteries and also a marked inflammatory reaction. The main lesion seen three weeks after infection was gross thrombosis of the anterior mesenteric artery or one of its major branches. On section these affected arteries showed marked intimal thickening with infiltration of plasma cells, lymphocytes, macrophages and neutrophils. Between one and four months after infection the gross lesions were predominantly in the arteries and consisted of fibrous thickening of the arterial wall and thrombosis associated with the presence of developing fourth stage larvae. Four months after infection the arterial lesions were still prominent and microscopically there was fibrosis of the wall of the affected artery with wide-spread disruption of the intima. In the adventitia organised thrombi were apparent in the vasa vasorum and resulted in the obliteration of their lumina. The typical lesion associated with the return of fifth stage larvae to the intestine was nodule formation in close proximity to thrombosed terminal intestinal arteries and sections of parasites were seen in the intestinal wall surrounded by neutrophils and necrotic debris. By nine months after infection the arterial lesion had healed, but histologically there was fibrosis of the intima and macrophages containing haemosiderin were seen in the arterial wall. The most significant haematological findings during the experimental period were a marked polymorphonuclear

  1. Histological and autoradiographic changes in locally irradiated lymph nodes (an experimental study on rabbits)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kett, K.; Csere, T.; Lukacs, L.; Szilagyi, K.; Illenyi, L.

    1979-01-01

    The authors studied the local effect of 3000 Rxl X-ray irradiation on the popliteal lymph nodes of rabbits. Beside the morpho-histological description autoradiography was performed after injection of H 3 -thymidine in the afferent lymphatic of the irradiated knee node. The main finding is the appearence of newly-formed germinal centers between the 6-10 days after irradiation. (orig.) [de

  2. Benefits of combinative application of probiotic, enterocin M-producing strain Enterococcus faecium AL41 and Eleutherococcus senticosus in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lauková, Andrea; Simonová, Monika Pogány; Chrastinová, Ľubica; Plachá, Iveta; Čobanová, Klaudia; Formelová, Zuzana; Chrenková, Mária; Ondruška, Ľubomír; Strompfová, Viola

    2016-03-01

    This study presents the effects of the probiotic and enterocin M-producing strain Enterococcus faecium AL41 on microbiota, phagocytic activity (PA), oxidative stress, performance and biochemical parameters when applied individually or in combination with Eleutherococcus senticosus in rabbits. The novelty of the study lies in the use of our non-rabbit-derived strain (AL41 = CCM8558) which produces new enterocin M. Ninety-six post-weaned rabbits (Hyplus breed) aged 5 weeks were divided into three experimental groups, 24 in each: E. senticosus (ES, 30 g/100 kg) in feed, E. faecium AL41 (10(9) CFU/mL marked by rifampicin to differentiate it from other enterococci) in water, and ES + AL. AL41 colonized sufficiently in rabbits to reduce coliforms, staphylococci, pseudomonads and clostridia. Slight decrease in bacteria was also found in the caecum and appendix. Phagocytic activity was significantly increased in the experimental groups compared to the control group (CG) (p < 0.001; p < 0.05). Applications did not evoke oxidative stress. Biochemical parameters in blood and caecal organic acids were slightly influenced. Average daily weight gain was slightly higher in ES and AL + ES. Combinative application of E. faecium with E. senticosus can be beneficial in rabbits. AL41 strain alone and in combination with ES produced reduction in spoilage bacteria; the highest stimulation of PA was in the AL41 + ES group.

  3. Histopathological evaluation of urethroplasty with dorsal buccal mucosa: an experimental study in rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geovanne F. Souza

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available PURPOSE: Buccal mucosa is a widely accepted tissue for urethroplasty. The exact healing and tissue integration process, mainly the histological characteristics of dorsal buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty when used dorsally to reconstruct the urethral plate has not previously been assessed, and thus we developed an experimental model to address this question. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 12 New Zealand rabbits (weight 2.5 kg we surgically created a dorsal penile urethral defect. A buccal mucosa graft was sutured to the corpora and tunica albuginea, and the ventral urethra anastomosed to this new urethral plate. The animals were divided in three groups and sacrificed 1, 3 and 6 weeks after surgery (groups 1, 2 and 3. A retrograde urethrogram was obtained at autopsy in the last group and the penis analyzed histologically with hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's staining. RESULTS: The urethrograms showed no evidence of fistula or stricture. In group 1 the histopathological analysis showed submucosal lymph-mononuclear inflammatory edema, numerous eosinophils and squamous epithelium integrated into the adjacent urothelium. In group 2 there was no evidence of an inflammatory response but rather complete subepithelial hyaline healing, which was more marked in group 3. CONCLUSION: Healing of buccal mucosa grafts to reconstruct the urethral plate can be achieved by total integration of the squamous epithelium with the urothelium, maintaining the original histological properties of the graft with no fibrosis or retraction.

  4. The Effects of Irreversible Electroporation on the Achilles Tendon: An Experimental Study in a Rabbit Model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yue Song

    Full Text Available To evaluate the potential effects of irreversible electroporation ablation on the Achilles tendon in a rabbit model and to compare the histopathological and biomechanical changes between specimens following electroporation ablation and radiofrequency ablation.A total of 140 six-month-old male New Zealand rabbits were used. The animals were randomly divided into two groups, 70 in the radiofrequency ablation group and 70 in the electroporation group. In situ ablations were applied directly to the Achilles tendons of rabbits using typical electroporation (1800 V/cm, 90 pulses and radiofrequency ablation (power control mode protocols. Histopathological and biomechanical evaluations were performed to examine the effects of electroporation ablation and radiofrequency ablation over time.Both electroporation and radiofrequency ablation produced complete cell ablation in the target region. Thermal damage resulted in tendon rupture 3 days post radiofrequency ablation. In contrast, electroporation-ablated Achilles tendons preserved their biomechanical properties and showed no detectable rupture at this time point. The electroporation-ablated tendons exhibited signs of recovery, including tenoblast regeneration and angiogenesis within 2 weeks, and the restoration of their integral structure was evident within 12 weeks.When applying electroporation to ablate solid tumors, major advantage could be that collateral damage to adjacent tendons or ligaments is minimized due to the unique ability of electroporation ablation to target the cell membrane. This advantage could have a significant impact on the field of tumor ablation near vital tendons or ligaments.

  5. The Effects of Irreversible Electroporation on the Achilles Tendon: An Experimental Study in a Rabbit Model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Yue; Zheng, Jingjing; Yan, Mingwei; Ding, Weidong; Xu, Kui; Fan, Qingyu; Li, Zhao

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate the potential effects of irreversible electroporation ablation on the Achilles tendon in a rabbit model and to compare the histopathological and biomechanical changes between specimens following electroporation ablation and radiofrequency ablation. A total of 140 six-month-old male New Zealand rabbits were used. The animals were randomly divided into two groups, 70 in the radiofrequency ablation group and 70 in the electroporation group. In situ ablations were applied directly to the Achilles tendons of rabbits using typical electroporation (1800 V/cm, 90 pulses) and radiofrequency ablation (power control mode) protocols. Histopathological and biomechanical evaluations were performed to examine the effects of electroporation ablation and radiofrequency ablation over time. Both electroporation and radiofrequency ablation produced complete cell ablation in the target region. Thermal damage resulted in tendon rupture 3 days post radiofrequency ablation. In contrast, electroporation-ablated Achilles tendons preserved their biomechanical properties and showed no detectable rupture at this time point. The electroporation-ablated tendons exhibited signs of recovery, including tenoblast regeneration and angiogenesis within 2 weeks, and the restoration of their integral structure was evident within 12 weeks. When applying electroporation to ablate solid tumors, major advantage could be that collateral damage to adjacent tendons or ligaments is minimized due to the unique ability of electroporation ablation to target the cell membrane. This advantage could have a significant impact on the field of tumor ablation near vital tendons or ligaments.

  6. A bovine herpesvirus 5 recombinant defective in the thymidine kinase (TK gene and a double mutant lacking TK and the glycoprotein E gene are fully attenuated for rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.C. Silva

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Bovine herpesvirus 5 (BoHV-5, the agent of herpetic meningoencephalitis in cattle, is an important pathogen of cattle in South America and several efforts have been made to produce safer and more effective vaccines. In the present study, we investigated in rabbits the virulence of three recombinant viruses constructed from a neurovirulent Brazilian BoHV-5 strain (SV507/99. The recombinants are defective in glycoprotein E (BoHV-5gEΔ, thymidine kinase (BoHV-5TKΔ and both proteins (BoHV-5gEΔTKΔ. Rabbits inoculated with the parental virus (N = 8 developed neurological disease and died or were euthanized in extremis between days 7 and 13 post-infection (pi. Infectivity was detected in several areas of their brains. Three of 8 rabbits inoculated with the recombinant BoHV-5gEΔ developed neurological signs between days 10 and 15 pi and were also euthanized. A more restricted virus distribution was detected in the brain of these animals. Rabbits inoculated with the recombinants BoHV-5TKΔ (N = 8 or BoHV-5gEΔTKΔ (N = 8 remained healthy throughout the experiment in spite of variable levels of virus replication in the nose. Dexamethasone (Dx administration to rabbits inoculated with the three recombinants at day 42 pi did not result in viral reactivation, as demonstrated by absence of virus shedding and/or increase in virus neutralizing titers. Nevertheless, viral DNA was detected in the trigeminal ganglia or olfactory bulbs of all animals at day 28 post-Dx, demonstrating they were latently infected. These results show that recombinants BoHV-5TKΔ and BoHV-5gEΔTKΔ are attenuated for rabbits and constitute potential vaccine candidates upon the confirmation of this phenotype in cattle.

  7. Efficacy of imidocarb dipropionate in eliminating Theileria equi from experimentally infected horses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grause, Juanita F; Ueti, Massaro W; Nelson, Jeffrey T; Knowles, Donald P; Kappmeyer, Lowell S; Bunn, Thomas O

    2013-06-01

    Theileria equi, one of the causative agents of equine piroplasmosis, is endemic in many regions of the world but is considered a 'foreign' animal disease in the USA. In an effort to prevent the importation of T. equi, stringent serological screening of horses is practiced prior to entry to the USA. Current regulatory options available where horses are found to be infected include permanent quarantine with or without chemotherapy, repatriation, or euthanasia. Chemotherapeutics that eliminate infection and subsequently transmission risk are critical in the management of infected horses. In this study, the efficacy of the drug imidocarb dipropionate against experimental T. equi infection was assessed. Of nine horses experimentally inoculated with T. equi isolated from an animal previously imported from Peru, six were treated with imidocarb dipropionate after the resolution of the acute phase of the disease. Elimination of the parasite was demonstrated in 5/6 by nested PCR, blood transfusions to naïve horses, and reversion to seronegative status. The findings support the use of this drug as a potential treatment option in controlling outbreaks of T. equi, and also suggest that 'combination testing' using both serological and PCR detection methods are necessary to demonstrate clearance of infection. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  8. Local application of a gentamicin-loaded thermo-responsive hydrogel allows for fracture healing upon clearance of a high Staphylococcus aureus load in a rabbit model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G-JA ter Boo

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available ntibiotic-loaded biomaterials (ALBs have emerged as a potential useful adjunctive antimicrobial measure for the prevention of infection in open fracture care. A biodegradable thermo-responsive poly(N-isopropylacrylamide grafted hyaluronic acid (HApN hydrogel loaded with gentamicin has recently been shown to prevent implant-related infection in a rabbit osteosynthesis model. The primary aim of this study was to determine the influence of this HApN hydrogel on bone healing at an early stage (4 weeks. A rabbit humeral osteotomy model with plating osteosynthesis was used to compare fracture healing in rabbits receiving the hydrogel as compared with control animals. The secondary aim was to observe fracture healing in groups treated with and without antibiotic-loaded hydrogel in the presence of bacterial contamination. In all groups, outcome measures were mechanical stability and histological score, with additional quantitative bacteriology in the inoculated groups. Application of the HApN hydrogel in non-inoculated rabbits did not significantly influence humeral stiffness or histological scores for fracture healing in comparison to controls. In the inoculated groups, animals receiving the bacterial inoculum without hydrogel were culture-positive at euthanasia and found to display lower humeral stiffness values and higher histopathological scores for bacterial presence in comparison with equivalents receiving the gentamicin-loaded HApN hydrogel, which were also infection-free. In summary, our data showed that HApN was an effective antibiotic carrier that did not affect fracture healing. This data supported its suitability for application in fracture care. Addition of osteopromotive compounds could provide further support for accelerating fracture healing in addition to successful infection prophylaxis.

  9. Myxoma virus expressing interleukin-15 fails to cause lethal myxomatosis in European rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jia; Wennier, Sonia; Reinhard, Mary; Roy, Edward; MacNeill, Amy; McFadden, Grant

    2009-06-01

    Myxoma virus (MYXV) is a poxvirus pathogenic only for European rabbits, but its permissiveness in human cancer cells gives it potential as an oncolytic virus. A recombinant MYXV expressing both the tdTomato red fluorescent protein and interleukin-15 (IL-15) (vMyx-IL-15-tdTr) was constructed. Cells infected with vMyx-IL-15-tdTr secreted bioactive IL-15 and had in vitro replication kinetics similar to that of wild-type MYXV. To determine the safety of this virus for future oncolytic studies, we tested its pathogenesis in European rabbits. In vivo, vMyx-IL-15-tdTr no longer causes lethal myxomatosis. Thus, ectopic IL-15 functions as an antiviral cytokine in vivo, and vMyx-IL-15-tdTr is a safe candidate for animal studies of oncolytic virotherapy.

  10. Some factors affecting rabbit production under egyptian environment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nessim, M.Z.

    1994-01-01

    The present work was carried out in the rabbit of the department of animal production, faculty of agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt, Blood biochemical analysis and hormonal assay were conducted in tracer bio climatology Unit., Department of radiobiology, nuclear research centre, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt. Eighty male New Zealand white (NZW) and 80 male californian (Cal) rabbits aged 5-6 weeks were used. The animals were housed in rabbit building, naturally ventilated. Rabbits cages were provided with automatic nipple drinkers and drinking and drinking water ad libitum.Rabbits were fed ad libitum on balanced growing pelted rabbit ration. 21 tabs.,13 figs.,158 refs

  11. Light colour preference of growing rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zsolt Szendrő

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the light colour preference of growing rabbits placed in a free-choice cage. The experiment was carried out on 128 Pannon White growing rabbits weaned at the age of 5 weeks and placed into blocks (2m2 of four cages. The rabbits could move freely among the four cages (0.5m2 each through swing doors. The cages differed only in the colour of the light applied (white, yellow, green or blue. The lighting schedule was 16L: 8D. From 6 until 10 weeks of age, infrared video recording was performed once a week (24 hours. The number of rabbits in each cage was counted every 15 minutes. Feed consumption was measured weekly. Between 6 and 10 weeks of age the rabbits significantly preferred white light (28.0%. The preference order was the following: yellow (26.3%, blue (23.4% and green (22.3% (P<0.001. No significant differences were recorded in the feed consumption among the cages. In conclusion, the cage preference of the rabbits was slightly affected by the light colour.

  12. Herbage intake regulation and growth of rabbits raised on grasslands: back to basics and looking forward.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, G; Duprat, A; Goby, J-P; Theau, J-P; Roinsard, A; Descombes, M; Legendre, H; Gidenne, T

    2016-10-01

    Organic agriculture is developing worldwide, and organic rabbit production has developed within this context. It entails raising rabbits in moving cages or paddocks, which enables them to graze grasslands. As organic farmers currently lack basic technical information, the objective of this article is to characterize herbage intake, feed intake and the growth rate of rabbits raised on grasslands in different environmental and management contexts (weather conditions, grassland type and complete feed supplementation). Three experiments were performed with moving cages at an experimental station. From weaning, rabbits grazed a natural grassland, a tall fescue grassland and a sainfoin grassland in experiments 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Rabbit diets were supplemented with a complete pelleted feed limited to 69 g dry matter (DM)/rabbit per day in experiment 1 and 52 g DM/rabbit per day in experiments 2 and 3. Herbage allowance and fiber, DM and protein contents, as well as rabbit intake and live weight, were measured weekly. Mean herbage DM intake per rabbit per day differed significantly (P<0.001) between experiments. It was highest in experiment 1 (78.5 g DM/day) and was 43.9 and 51.2 g DM/day in experiments 2 and 3, respectively. Herbage allowance was the most significant determinant of herbage DM intake during grazing, followed by rabbit metabolic weight (live weight0.75) and herbage protein and fiber contents. Across experiments, a 10 g DM increase in herbage allowance and a 100 g increase in rabbit metabolic weight corresponded to a mean increase of 6.8 and 9.6 g of herbage DM intake, respectively. When including complete feed, daily mean DM intakes differed significantly among experiments (P<0.001), ranging from 96.1 g DM/rabbit per day in experiment 2 to 163.6 g DM/rabbit per day in experiment 1. Metabolic weight of rabbits raised on grasslands increased linearly over time in all three experiments, yielding daily mean growth rates of 26.2, 19.2 and 28.5 g/day in

  13. Reproducibility of intrarenal kinetics of Gd-DOTA with rabbits with dynamic MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grenier, N.; Broussin, J.; Barat, J.L.; Ducassou, D.

    1989-01-01

    Ten normal rabbits and seven rabbits with experimental acute renal failure by tubular necrosis were studied with dynamic MR to evaluate the reproducibility of intrarenal kinetics of Gd-DOTA. Sequential spin-echo sequences with short TR (200 msec)/TE (26 msec) were used yielding a 29 sec acquisition time. A usual semi-quantitative analysis of intrarenal contrast demonstrated the reproducilibity of some phases of the dynamic sequence in particular a drop in the signal within inner medulla between the third and the fourth minute after infusion. This effect, related to a high concentration of Gd-DOTA within the tubules was observed in 9 over 10 normal rabbits and in none of the rabbits with acute renal failure. The quantitative analysis calculation was based on relative signal intensity and contrast-to-noise ratio from the absolute signal intensity measure on regions-of-interest (ROI) on the cortex, outer medulla and inner medulla. No reproducibility of the variations with time of these parameters could be assessed. A gread number of factors of variations or error, mainly during the measurements of signal intensity with ROI, could explain this lack of reproducibility. At the present, dynamic MR is therefore not able to quantitatively evaluate the renal function. Only a semi-quantitative estimation of tubular concentration can be deduced [fr

  14. Microbiologic, radiographic, and anatomic study of the nasolacrimal duct apparatus in the rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculas)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marini, R.P.; Foltz, C.J.; Kersten, D.; Batchelder, M.; Kaser, W.; Li, X.

    1996-01-01

    This study was motivated by the sporadic observation of epiphora in two male rabbits. The epiphora was unilateral and not associated with conjunctivitis or Pasteurella infection. To characterize the cause of epiphora, we studied 15 specific-pathogen-free New Zealand White rabbits. This study group was composed of the two affected males, four unaffected males, and nine unaffected females. Clinical evaluation consisted of bacterial culture of conjunctival specimens, examination of conjunctival scrapings for chlamydial inclusions, culture and cytologic examination of specimens from the nasolacrimal duct, plain and contrast radiography, latex casting, histologic examination, and the Schirmer tear test. Important differences found in the rabbits with epiphora included an opalescent, gritty, nasolacrimal duct flush fluid and marked unilateral dilatation of the duct proximal to a dorsal flexure at the caudal limit of the incisor tooth root. The flush solution from one affected rabbit cleared with ether, suggesting the presence of triglycerides or cholesterol. The organisms most commonly isolated from the conjunctiva were Moraxella sp., Oligella urethralis, Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus sp., and Streptococcus viridans. The organisms most commonly isolated from the nasolacrimal duct flush fluid were Moraxella sp., S. viridans, and Neisseria sp. Culture of the nasolacrimal duct flush fluid yielded microorganisms more consistently than did culture of the conjunctival specimens. All microorganisms isolated from affected rabbits also were isolated from unaffected rabbits. There was no apparent contribution of microorganisms to the development of epiphora, and Schirmer tear test results for affected animals were within the range seen in unaffected animals. Occlusion of the nasolacrimal duct was presumed to be attributable to fat droplets nasolacrimal duct anatomic

  15. Detection of macrophages in rabbit semen and their relationship with semen quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuželová, Lenka; Vašíček, Jaromír; Rafay, Ján; Chrenek, Peter

    2017-07-15

    We aimed at the evaluating the occurrence of macrophages in rabbit semen and finding possible relationship between macrophage concentration and spermatozoa quality. The concentration of macrophages in semen samples from broiler rabbit males of lines M91 and P91 (n = 30) without overt evidence of genital tract infections was determined using monocyte/macrophage lineage antigen CD14 and flow cytometry. Then the rabbits were assigned into three groups according to the macrophage concentration in semen (MΦ1 group with less than 1 × 10 6 macrophages/mL, MΦ2 group with 1.5-3.5 × 10 6 macrophages/mL and MΦ3 group with more than 8 × 10 6 macrophages/mL). Spermatozoa viability parameters such as occurrence of apoptotic (Yo-Pro-1) and dead/necrotic (propidium iodide) spermatozoa and plasma membrane integrity (PNA-Fluos) were evaluated using flow cytometry. Sperm motility parameters were determined by CASA (Computer Assisted Semen Analysis). Ultrastructural detection of macrophages was performed using transmission electron microscopy. Spermatozoa fertility potential was examined after intravaginal artificial insemination of rabbit doses. Significantly higher proportions of the apoptotic and necrotic spermatozoa and spermatozoa with lower plasma membrane integrity were revealed in the MΦ3 group compared to MΦ1 and MΦ2 groups. The percentage value of total motility and progressive movement was significantly highest in the MΦ1 group, whilst lowest in the MΦ3 group. The conception rate and the kindling rate were significantly decreased in the group with the highest macrophage concentration (MΦ3). Based on our results we can conclude that the abundance of seminal macrophages in the rabbit semen may be closely associated with poor spermatozoa quality. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  16. Comparison of bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of diclofenac sodium and diclofenac potassium in normal and dehydrated rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, Mahmood; Iqbal, Muhammad; Murtaza, Ghulam

    2009-01-01

    Two different salts of diclofenac, diclofenac sodium and diclofenac potassium, in tablet dosage form were tested for their bioavailability and disposition kinetics in a group of eighteen rabbits in normal and experimentally induced dehydrated conditions with a wash out period of 7 days between both stages of study. Biochemical and physiological parameters were also measured in both normal and dehydrated states. Diclofenac levels in plasma were determined using a validated reversed phase HPLC method. Primary kinetic parameters i.e. AUC(0-infinity), Cmax, Tmax and other disposition kinetics were obtained with non-compartmental procedure. Biochemical parameters i.e. packed cell volume, plasma glucose and total lipid concentration in dehydrated rabbits increased significantly. Plasma concentration of diclofenac sodium and diclofenac potassium decreased significantly in water deprived rabbits. In comparison, diclofenac potassium in normal and dehydrated state of the same group of rabbits showed a significantly increased plasma concentration when compared with diclofenac sodium.

  17. Therapeutic effect of cefozopran (SCE-2787), a new parenteral cephalosporin, against experimental infections in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iizawa, Y; Okonogi, K; Hayashi, R; Iwahi, T; Yamazaki, T; Imada, A

    1993-01-01

    The therapeutic effect of cefozopran (SCE-2787), a new semisynthetic parenteral cephalosporin, against experimental infections in mice was examined. Cefozopran was more effective than cefpiramide and was as effective as ceftazidime and cefpirome against acute respiratory tract infections caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae DT-S. In the model of chronic respiratory tract infection caused by K. pneumoniae 27, cefozopran was as effective as ceftazidime. The therapeutic effect of cefozopran against urinary tract infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa P9 was superior to that of cefpirome and was equal to those of ceftazidime and cefclidin. In addition, cefozopran was more effective than ceftazidime and was as effective as flomoxef in a thigh muscle infection caused by methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus 308A-1. Against thigh muscle infections caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus N133, cefozopran was the most effective agent. The potent therapeutic effect of cefozopran in those experimental infections in mice suggests that it would be effective against respiratory tract, urinary tract, and soft tissue infections caused by a variety of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria in humans. PMID:8431004

  18. Influence of olive oil on alveolar bone response during orthodontic retention period: rabbit model study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Hamdany, Afrah K; Al-Khatib, Ali R; Al-Sadi, Hafidh I

    2017-08-01

    This study attempted to evaluate clinically and histologically the effects of olive oil (Ol) consumption on orthodontic relapse after the retention period. Thirty apparently healthy female albino rabbits, weight more than 1000 g each was used in this study. The animals were grouped randomly into six groups of five animals each: two control and four experimental groups. In control groups, the relapse was estimated either at zero day, or at the end of the fourth week after orthodontic retention period. In the experimental groups, the animals' groups received Ol, 7.7, or 15.4 ml/kg b.w. per day during the orthodontic retention period. The relapse was estimated either at zero day, or at the end of the fourth week after orthodontic retention period for each concentration. Modified fixed orthodontic appliances were attached to the rabbits' lower central incisors. Each rabbit received orthodontic intervention for one week, followed by six weeks retention period. At the end of the experiments, the clinical and histological investigations were conducted. Data analyses were performed at the level of p orthodontic retention period, especially at 15.4 ml/kg b.w. per day concentration, clinically reduced orthodontic relapse on rabbit model. Histologically, Ol increased osteoblasts and osteocytes counts and the relative amount of bone mineralization of connective tissue layer forming alveolar bone (AB) at the end of four weeks after the orthodontic retention period.

  19. Three Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Latency-Associated Transcript Mutants with Distinct and Asymmetric Effects on Virulence in Mice Compared with Rabbits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perng, Guey-Chuen; Esmaili, Daniel; Slanina, Susan M.; Yukht, Ada; Ghiasi, Homayon; Osorio, Nelson; Mott, Kevin R.; Maguen, Barak; Jin, Ling; Nesburn, Anthony B.; Wechsler, Steven L.

    2001-01-01

    Herpes simplex virus type 1 latency-associated transcript (LAT)-null mutants have decreased reactivation but normal virulence in rabbits and mice. We report here on dLAT1.5, a mutant with LAT nucleotides 76 to 1667 deleted. Following ocular infection of rabbits, dLAT1.5 reactivated at a lower rate than its wild-type parent McKrae (6.1 versus 11.8%; P = 0.0025 [chi-square test]). Reactivation was restored in the marker-rescued virus dLAT1.5R (12.6%; P = 0.53 versus wild type), confirming the importance of the deleted region in spontaneous reactivation. Compared with wild-type or marker-rescued virus, dLAT1.5 had similar or slightly reduced virulence in rabbits (based on survival following ocular infection). In contrast, in mice, dLAT1.5 had increased virulence (P Wechsler, J. Virol. 73:920–929, 1999), had decreased virulence in mice (P = 0.03). In addition, we also found that dLAT371, a LAT mutant that we previously reported to have wild-type virulence in rabbits (G. C. Perng, S. M. Slanina, H. Ghiasi, A. B. Nesburn, and S. L. Wechsler, J. Virol. 70:2014–2018, 1996), had decreased virulence in mice (P < 0.05). Thus, these three mutants, each of which encodes a different LAT RNA, have different virulence phenotypes. dLAT1.5 had wild-type virulence in rabbits but increased virulence in mice. In contrast, LAT2.9A had increased virulence in rabbits but decreased virulence in mice, and dLAT371 had wild-type virulence in rabbits but decreased virulence in mice. Taken together, these results suggest that (i) the 5′ end of LAT and/or a gene that overlaps part of this region is involved in viral virulence, (ii) this virulence appears to have species-specific effects, and (iii) regulation of this virulence may be complex. PMID:11533165

  20. Possible interaction between myxomatosis and calicivirosis related to rabbit haemorrhagic disease affecting the European rabbit.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marchandeau, S; Bertagnoli, S; Peralta, B; Boucraut-Baralon, C; Letty, J; Reitz, F

    2004-11-06

    Serological data on myxoma virus, rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) virus and RHD-like viruses in juvenile rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) trapped in 1995, 1996 and 1997 in two areas of France were analysed. For each disease, the effects of bodyweight, year, month and seropositivity for the other disease were modelled by using logistic regressions. In one area, a model including RHD seropositivity was selected to explain the myxoma virus seropositivity. Models including myxoma virus seropositivity were selected to explain the RHD seropositivity in both areas, and the odds of a rabbit being seropositive to both viruses were 5.1 and 8.4 times higher than the odds of a rabbit being seronegative to myxoma virus and seropositive to RHD. The year and bodyweight had significant effects for myxomatosis in one area and for RHD in both areas.

  1. Efecto morfológico y funcional vascular de los andrógenos endógenos en un modelo experimental en conejos ateroscleróticos Vascular morphologic and functional effect of endogenous androgens in an experimental atherosclerotic rabbits' model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Darío Echeverri

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Resumen: estudios clínicos y experimentales previos, sugieren que los andrógenos podrían tener un efecto adverso, neutral o benéfico, sobre la aterosclerosis y sus manifestaciones clínicas. Métodos: se realizó un estudio experimental aleatorizado y controlado en 40 conejos de raza Nueva Zelanda. 20 animales se sometieron a orquidectomía y 20 se alimentaron con dieta aterogénica durante 20 semanas. Se distribuyeron en cuatro grupos: 1: no castrados sometidos a dieta normal; 2: castrados sometidos a dieta normal; 3: no castrados sometidos a dieta aterogénica y 4: castrados sometidos a dieta aterogénica. Se hicieron mediciones de colesterol total y testosterona libre. Después de la eutanasia, se cuantificó en aorta la relajación arterial independiente de endotelio y dependiente de endotelio in-vitro, y se hicieron análisis histomorfométricos de la aorta torácica para cuantificar la formación de placa aterosclerótica. Resultados: los animales sometidos a dieta normal (n=20 tuvieron colesterol total de 51,1 ± 8,5 mg/dL y los sometidos a dieta aterogénica de 429,2 ± 262,0 mg/dL (p Summary: previous clinical and experimental studies suggest that androgens could have an adverse, neutral or beneficial effect on atherosclerosis and its clinical manifestations. Methods: an experimental, randomized controlled study in 40 New Zealand white male rabbits was realized. 20 rabbits underwent orchiectomy and 20 were fed with an atherogenic diet for 20 weeks. These were distributed in four groups: 1. non-castrated under normal diet, 2. castrated under normal diet, 3. non-castrated under atherogenic diet, and 4. castrated under atherogenic diet. Total cholesterol and free testosterone were measured. After euthanasia, arterial relaxation independent of endothelium was quantified in aorta, as well as the one depending on endothelium, in vitro, and histomorphometric analysis of thoracic aorta were made in order to quantify the atherosclerotic

  2. Experimental erbium: YAG laser photoablation of trabecular meshwork in rabbits: an in-vivo study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dietlein, T S; Jacobi, P C; Schröder, R; Krieglstein, G K

    1997-05-01

    Photoablative laser trabecular surgery has been proposed as an outflow-enhancing treatment for open-angle glaucoma. The aim of the study was to investigate the time course of repair response following low-thermal Erbium: YAG laser trabecular ablation. In 20 anaesthetized rabbits gonioscopically controlled ab-interno photoablation of the ligamenta pectinata and underlying trabecular meshwork (TM) was performed with a single-pulsed (200 microseconds) Erbium: YAG (2.94 microns) laser. The right eye received 12-15 single laser pulses (2 mJ) delivered through an articulated zirconium fluoride fiberoptic and a 200 microns (core diameter) quartz fiber tip, the left unoperated eye served as control. At time intervals of 30 minutes, 2, 10, 30, and 60 days after laser treatment, eyes were processed for light- and scanning electron microscopy. The applied energy density of 6-4 J cm-2 resulted in visible dissection of the ligamenta pectinata and reproducible microperforations of the TM exposing scleral tissue accompanied by blood reflux from the aqueous plexus. The initial ablation zones measured 154 +/- 36 microns in depth and 45 +/- 6 microns in width. Collateral thermal damage zones were 22 +/- 8 microns. At two days post-operative, ablation craters were still blood- and fibrin-filled. The inner surface of the craters were covered with granulocytes. No cellular infiltration of the collateral thermal damage zone was observed. At 10 days post-operative, progressive fibroblastic proliferation was observed, resulting in dense scar tissue formation with anterior synechiae, proliferating capillaries and loss of intertrabecular spaces inside the range of former laser treatment at 60 days post-operative. Trabecular microperforations were closed 60 days after laser treatment in all rabbits. IOP in treated and contralateral eyes did not significantly change its level during whole period of observation. Low-thermal infrared laser energy with minimal thermal damage to collateral

  3. Effect of Alchornea cordifolia leaf meal inclusion and enzyme supplementation on performance and digestibility of rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.O. Ayodele

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available A feeding trial was conducted to study the performance, digestibility and health status of weaner rabbits fed diets including Alchornea cordifolia leaf meal (ALM: 18% crude protein [CP] and 12.9% crude fibre and supplemented with a multi-enzyme additive (cellulase, xylanase, β-glucanase, α-amylase, protease, lipase. Six experimental diets were arranged factorially: 3 levels of ALM (0, 5 and 10% substituting palm kernel cake: 16.3% CP and 39.1% neutral detergent fibre combined with 2 levels of enzyme supplementation (0 and 0.35 g/kg. One hundred and eighty healthy, 5-wk-old weaner rabbits of cross-breeds were randomly allotted to 6 dietary treatments (30 rabbits/treatment, 3 rabbits/replicate. Growth rate was not affected (P>0.05 by the main factors (exogenous enzyme and ALM inclusion and their interactions (13.5 g/d on av.. Daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio decreased (P=0.01 with the ALM inclusion by 8%, but did not affect faecal digestibility. However, enzyme supplementation improved crude protein and crude fibre digestibility (P<0.001 by 6%. In conclusion, ALM inclusion and enzyme supplementation had no adverse effect on the performance and digestibility of rabbits.

  4. Immunologic responses in corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) after experimentally induced infection with ferlaviruses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neul, Annkatrin; Schrödl, Wieland; Marschang, Rachel E; Bjick, Tina; Truyen, Uwe; von Buttlar, Heiner; Pees, Michael

    2017-04-01

    OBJECTIVE To measure immunologic responses of snakes after experimentally induced infection with ferlaviruses. ANIMALS 42 adult corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) of both sexes. PROCEDURES Snakes were inoculated intratracheally with genogroup A (n = 12), B (12), or C (12) ferlavirus (infected groups) or cell-culture supernatant (6; control group) on day 0. Three snakes from each infected group were euthanized on days 4, 16, 28, and 49, and 3 snakes from the control group were euthanized on day 49. Blood samples were collected from live snakes on days -6 (baseline), 4, 16, 28, and 49. Hematologic tests were performed and humoral responses assessed via hemagglutination-inhibition assays and ELISAs. Following euthanasia, gross pathological and histologic evaluations and virus detection were performed. RESULTS Severity of clinical signs of and immunologic responses to ferlavirus infection differed among snake groups. Hematologic values, particularly WBC and monocyte counts, increased between days 4 and 16 after infection. A humoral response was identified between days 16 and 28. Serum IgM concentrations increased from baseline earlier than IgY concentrations, but the IgY relative increase was higher at the end of the study. The hemagglutination-inhibition assay revealed that the strongest reactions in all infected groups were against the strain with which they had been infected. Snakes infected with genogroup A ferlavirus had the strongest immune response, whereas those infected with genogroup B had the weakest responses. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results of this experimental study suggested that the ferlavirus strain with the highest virulence induced the weakest immune response in snakes.

  5. Performance and cost-benefits of weaner rabbits fed graded levels of Moringa oleifera leaf meal

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    Ayo-Ajasa

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Moringa has been acclaimed to be beneficial especially in livestock production. Its leaves and green fresh pods are said to be rich in carotene and ascorbic acid with a good profile of amino acids while its twigs are reported to be very palatable to ruminants and have appreciable crude protein levels. However, Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM has been observed to contain higher pepsin and total soluble protein than other parts of the plant which makes it more suitable to monogastric animals. MOLM has been widely used in poultry production but with limited use in rabbits� diets; hence this study was conducted to determine the performance of weaner rabbits fed graded levels of MOLM. A total of 48 unsexed weaner rabbits of mean initial weight of 744.56�29.25 g were assigned to 4 experimental diets, namely T1, T2, T3 and T4 containing 0%, 15%, 30% and 45% MOLM, respectively, having 3 replicates and 4 animals per replicate. The results showed that the dry matter intake of T1-T4 ranged 53.17 - 55.31g/day. Though not significant, highest crude protein digestibility coefficient was recorded for experimental animals on diet T4 (71.36% followed by diets T1 (69.67%, T2 (69.17%, T3 (68.25%, respectively. The keel length for T1, T2, T3, and T4 rabbits were 225.39, 201.64, 246.66 and 217.26cm, respectively Rabbits fed 30% MOLM were found to be most profitable numerically (N1320.10 while the least profit was obtained with 0% MOLM with N1305.40. Hence, it can be concluded that Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM can replace soya bean meal up to 45% in the nutrition of weaner rabbits.

  6. Characterising the mucosal and systemic immune responses to experimental human hookworm infection.

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    Soraya Gaze

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available The mucosal cytokine response of healthy humans to parasitic helminths has never been reported. We investigated the systemic and mucosal cytokine responses to hookworm infection in experimentally infected, previously hookworm naive individuals from non-endemic areas. We collected both peripheral blood and duodenal biopsies to assess the systemic immune response, as well as the response at the site of adult worm establishment. Our results show that experimental hookworm infection leads to a strong systemic and mucosal Th2 (IL-4, IL-5, IL-9 and IL-13 and regulatory (IL-10 and TGF-β response, with some evidence of a Th1 (IFN-γ and IL-2 response. Despite upregulation after patency of both IL-15 and ALDH1A2, a known Th17-inducing combination in inflammatory diseases, we saw no evidence of a Th17 (IL-17 response. Moreover, we observed strong suppression of mucosal IL-23 and upregulation of IL-22 during established hookworm infection, suggesting a potential mechanism by which Th17 responses are suppressed, and highlighting the potential that hookworms and their secreted proteins offer as therapeutics for human inflammatory diseases.

  7. Dynamic change in cerebral microcirculation and focal cerebral metabolism in experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Jin-Ning; Chen, Hu; Zhang, Ming; Zhao, Yong-Lin; Ma, Xu-Dong

    2013-03-01

    Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the cerebral metabolism and energy metabolism measurements can be used to assess blood flow of brain cells and to detect cell activity. Changes of rCBF in the cerebral microcirculation and energy metabolism were determined in an experimental model of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) model in 56 large-eared Japanese rabbits about 12 to 16-month old. Laser Doppler flowmetry was used to detect the blood supply to brain cells. Internal carotid artery and vein blood samples were used for duplicate blood gas analysis to assess the energy metabolism of brain cells. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was detected by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) perfusion imaging using Tc-99m ethyl cysteinate dimer (Tc-99m ECD) as an imaging reagent. The percentage of injected dose per gram of brain tissue was calculated and analyzed. There were positive correlations between the percentage of radionuclide injected per gram of brain tissue and rCBF supply and cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (P brain cells after SAH, and also found that deterioration of energy metabolism of brain cells played a significant role in the development of SAH. There are matched reductions in CBF and metabolism. Thus, SPECT imaging could be used as a noninvasive method to detect CBF.

  8. Detection of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in sera samples of mice experimentally infected

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    H. Langoni

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Detection of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii DNA in blood can help to diagnose the disease in its acute phase; however, it must be considered that hemoglobin, present in blood, can inhibit polymerase activity, making impracticable the detection of DNA in samples. Mice were experimentally infected via oral route with ME49 and BTU2 strains cysts and RH strain tachyzoites; polymerase chain reaction was used to detect T. gondii DNA in mice sera 18, 24, 48, 96, and 192 hours post infection (PI. Toxoplama gondii DNA was detected in only one animal infected with BTU2 strain, genotype III (isolated from a dog with neurological signs 18 hours PI. The agent's DNA was not detected in any sample of the other experimental groups. New studies must be carried out to verify the technique sensitivity in researches on this agent's genetic material using sera samples of acute-phase toxoplasmosis patients, especially in cases of immunosuppression.

  9. Bladder urine oxygen tension for assessing renal medullary oxygenation in rabbits: experimental and modeling studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sgouralis, Ioannis; Kett, Michelle M.; Ow, Connie P. C.; Abdelkader, Amany; Layton, Anita T.; Gardiner, Bruce S.; Smith, David W.; Lankadeva, Yugeesh R.

    2016-01-01

    Oxygen tension (Po2) of urine in the bladder could be used to monitor risk of acute kidney injury if it varies with medullary Po2. Therefore, we examined this relationship and characterized oxygen diffusion across walls of the ureter and bladder in anesthetized rabbits. A computational model was then developed to predict medullary Po2 from bladder urine Po2. Both intravenous infusion of [Phe2,Ile3,Orn8]-vasopressin and infusion of NG-nitro-l-arginine reduced urinary Po2 and medullary Po2 (8–17%), yet had opposite effects on renal blood flow and urine flow. Changes in bladder urine Po2 during these stimuli correlated strongly with changes in medullary Po2 (within-rabbit r2 = 0.87–0.90). Differences in the Po2 of saline infused into the ureter close to the kidney could be detected in the bladder, although this was diminished at lesser ureteric flow. Diffusion of oxygen across the wall of the bladder was very slow, so it was not considered in the computational model. The model predicts Po2 in the pelvic ureter (presumed to reflect medullary Po2) from known values of bladder urine Po2, urine flow, and arterial Po2. Simulations suggest that, across a physiological range of urine flow in anesthetized rabbits (0.1–0.5 ml/min for a single kidney), a change in bladder urine Po2 explains 10–50% of the change in pelvic urine/medullary Po2. Thus, it is possible to infer changes in medullary Po2 from changes in urinary Po2, so urinary Po2 may have utility as a real-time biomarker of risk of acute kidney injury. PMID:27385734

  10. Effects of hydroxyl radical induced-Injury in atrial versus ventricular myocardium of dog and rabbit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nitisha Hiranandani

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Aim: Despite the widespread use of ventricular tissue in the investigation involving hydroxyl-radical (OH* injury, one of the most potent mediators in ischemia-reperfusion injury, little is known about the impact on atrial myocardium. In this study we thus compared the OH*-induced injury response between atrial and right ventricular muscles from both rabbits and dogs under identical experimental conditions. Methods: Small, contracting ventricular and atrial rabbit and dog trabeculae were directly exposed to OH*, and contractile properties were examined and quantified. Results: A brief OH* exposure led to transient rigor like contracture with marked elevation of diastolic tension and depression of developed force. Although the injury response showed similarities between atrial and ventricular myocardium, there were significant differences as well. In rabbit atrial muscles, the development of the contracture and its peak was much faster as compared to ventricular muscles. Also, at the peak of contracture, both rabbit and dog atrial muscles show a lesser degree of contractile dysfunction. Conclusion: These results indicate that both atrial and ventricular muscles develop a rigor like contracture after acute OH*-induced injury, and atrial muscles showed a lesser degree of contractile dysfunction. Comparison of dog versus rabbit tissue shows that the response was similar in magnitude, but slower to develop in dog tissue.

  11. Acid base balance in the rabbit following whole-body gamma irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bassant, M.-H.; Touchard, Francoise; Court, Louis

    1981-01-01

    2 hrs. after whole-body gamma irradiation (doses of 1.5 and 4.5 Gy) a metabolic acidosis developed in curarised Rabbits placed under artificial respiration in order to eliminate radiation-induced respiratory effect. The metabolic acidosis was evaluated by measurement of the negative base excess. The results were compared to others obtained under different experimental procedures [fr

  12. Acid base balance in the rabbit following whole-body gamma irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bassant, M.H.; Touchard, F.; Court, L. (CEA Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires de Fontenay-aux-Roses, 92 (France). Dept. de Recherches sur la Fusion Controlee)

    1981-07-06

    2 hrs. after whole-body gamma irradiation (doses of 1.5 and 4.5 Gy) a metabolic acidosis developed in curarised rabbits placed under artificial respiration in order to eliminate radiation-induced respiratory effect. The metabolic acidosis was evaluated by measurement of the negative base excess. The results were compared to others obtained under different experimental procedures.

  13. In vitro and in vivo effect of Citrus limon essential oil against sarcoptic mange in rabbits

    Science.gov (United States)

    The effect of lemon oil (Citrus limon) on Sarcoptes scabiei var. cuniculi was evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The mite samples were collected from naturally infected rabbits. The lemon oil was prepared in six concentrations by dilution with distilled water (2.5, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 %). In vitro a...

  14. E-ADA activity in serum of lambs experimentally infected with Haemonchus contortus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Da Silva, Aleksandro S; Fausto, Guilherme C; Grando, Thirssa H; Cadore, Carlos A; Pimentel, Victor C; Jaques, Jeandre A; Schetinger, Maria R C; Monteiro, Silvia G; Leal, Marta L R

    2013-08-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate adenosine deaminase (E-ADA) activity in sera of lambs experimentally infected with Haemonchus contortus. We used 12 lambs divided into 2 groups; Group A had 5 healthy, non-infected animals (control) and Group B had 7 healthy animals infected with H. contortus . Lambs were infected orally with 500 larvae (L3) per animal every 2 days, for a period of 20 days, and later the infection was confirmed by examination of feces (eggs per gram [EPG] via fecal egg count). Blood collection was performed at days 0, 20, 40, 60, and 80 post-infection (PI) for analysis of E-ADA activity. Animals in Group A showed negative EPG throughout the experiment unlike those from Group B that had elevated EPG counts. E-ADA activity was reduced in the serum of animals infected with H. contortus when compared to non-infected controls at days 20, 40, 60, and 80 PI. Therefore, it is concluded that infection with H. contortus influences the E-ADA activity in lambs.

  15. Experimental cross-species infection of common marmosets by titi monkey adenovirus.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guixia Yu

    Full Text Available Adenoviruses are DNA viruses that infect a number of vertebrate hosts and are associated with both sporadic and epidemic disease in humans. We previously identified a novel adenovirus, titi monkey adenovirus (TMAdV, as the cause of a fulminant pneumonia outbreak in a colony of titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus at a national primate center in 2009. Serological evidence of infection by TMAdV was also found in a human researcher at the facility and household family member, raising concerns for potential cross-species transmission of the virus. Here we present experimental evidence of cross-species TMAdV infection in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus. Nasal inoculation of a cell cultured-adapted TMAdV strain into three marmosets produced an acute, mild respiratory illness characterized by low-grade fever, reduced activity, anorexia, and sneezing. An increase in virus-specific neutralization antibody titers accompanied the development of clinical signs. Although serially collected nasal swabs were positive for TMAdV for at least 8 days, all 3 infected marmosets spontaneously recovered by day 12 post-inoculation, and persistence of the virus in tissues could not be established. Thus, the pathogenesis of experimental inoculation of TMAdV in common marmosets resembled the mild, self-limiting respiratory infection typically seen in immunocompetent human hosts rather than the rapidly progressive, fatal pneumonia observed in 19 of 23 titi monkeys during the prior 2009 outbreak. These findings further establish the potential for adenovirus cross-species transmission and provide the basis for development of a monkey model useful for assessing the zoonotic potential of adenoviruses.

  16. A case of low success of blind vaccination campaigns against myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease on survival of adult European wild rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rouco, Carlos; Moreno, Sacramento; Santoro, Simone

    2016-10-01

    Vaccination campaigns against myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) are commonly used in translocation programs conducted for the purpose of recovering wild European rabbit populations in Iberian Mediterranean ecosystems. In most cases rabbits are vaccinated 'blind' (i.e. without assessing their prior immunological status) for economic and logistic reasons. However, there is conflicting evidence on the effectiveness of such an approach. We tested whether blind vaccination against myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease improved rabbit survival in a rabbit translocation program where wild rabbits were kept in semi-natural conditions in three enclosures. We conducted nine capture sessions over two years (2008-2010) and used the information collected to compare the survival of vaccinated (n=511) versus unvaccinated (n=161) adult wild rabbits using capture-mark-recapture analysis. Average monthly survival was no different for vaccinated versus unvaccinated individuals, both in the period between release and first capture (short-term) and after the first capture onward (long-term). Rabbit survival was lower in the short term than in the long term regardless of whether rabbits were vaccinated or not. Lower survival in the short-term could be due to the stress induced by the translocation process itself (e.g. handling stress). However, we did not find any overall effect of vaccination on survival which could be explained by two non-exclusive reasons. First, interference of the vaccine with the natural antibodies in the donor population. Due to donor populations have high density of rabbits with, likely, high prevalence of antibodies as a result of previous natural exposure to these diseases. Second, the lack of severe outbreaks during the study period. Based on our findings we argue that blind vaccination of adult rabbits in translocation programs may be often mostly ineffective and unnecessarily costly. In particular, since outbreaks are hard to predict

  17. Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infectious Keratitis in a High Oxygen Transmissible Rigid Contact Lens Rabbit Model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Cynthia; Zhu, Meifang; Petroll, W. Matthew; Robertson, Danielle M.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose. To establish a rabbit model of infectious Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis using ultrahigh oxygen transmissible rigid lenses and characterize the frequency and severity of infection when compared to a non–oxygen transmissible lens material. Methods. Rabbits were fit with rigid lenses composed of ultrahigh and non–oxygen transmissible materials. Prior to wear, lenses were inoculated with an invasive corneal isolate of P. aeruginosa stably conjugated to green fluorescent protein (GFP). Corneas were examined before and after lens wear using a modified Heidelberg Rostock Tomograph in vivo confocal microscope. Viable bacteria adherent to unworn and worn lenses were assessed by standard plate counts. The presence of P. aeruginosa-GFP and myeloperoxidase-labeled neutrophils in infected corneal tissue was evaluated using laser scanning confocal microscopy. Results. The frequency and severity of infectious keratitis was significantly greater with inoculated ultrahigh oxygen transmissible lenses. Infection severity was associated with increasing neutrophil infiltration and in severe cases, corneal melting. In vivo confocal microscopic analysis of control corneas following lens wear confirmed that hypoxic lens wear was associated with mechanical surface damage, whereas no ocular surface damage was evident in the high-oxygen lens group. Conclusions. These data indicate that in the absence of adequate tear clearance, the presence of P. aeruginosa trapped under the lens overrides the protective effects of oxygen on surface epithelial cells. These findings also suggest that alternative pathophysiological mechanisms exist whereby changes under the lens in the absence of frank hypoxic damage result in P. aeruginosa infection in the otherwise healthy corneal epithelium. PMID:25125601

  18. Transcriptomic study of 39 ostreid herpesvirus 1 genes during an experimental infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Segarra, Amélie; Faury, Nicole; Pépin, Jean-François; Renault, Tristan

    2014-06-01

    Massive mortality outbreaks have been reported in France since 2008 among Pacific oysters, Crassostrea gigas, with the detection of a particular OsHV-1 variant called μVar. Virus infection can be induced in healthy spat in experimental conditions allowing to better understand the disease process, including viral gene expression. Although gene expression of other herpesviruses has been widely studied, we provide the first study following viral gene expression of OsHV-1 over time. In this context, an in vivo transcriptomic study targeting 39 OsHV-1 genes was carried out during an experimental infection of Pacific oyster spat. For the first time, several OsHV-1 mRNAs were detected by real-time PCR at 0 h, 2 h, 4 h, 18 h, 26 h and 42 h post-injection. Several transcripts were detected at 2h post-infection and at 18 h post-infection for all selected ORFs. Quantification of virus gene expression at different times of infection was also carried out using an oyster housekeeping gene, Elongation factor. Developing an OsHV-1-specific reverse transcriptase real time PCR targeting 39 viral gene appears a new tool in terms of diagnosis and can be used to complement viral DNA detection in order to monitor viral replication. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  19. Effect of aguamiel (agave sap on hematic biometry in rabbits and its antioxidant activity determination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Héctor Silos-Espino

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available In this work, we analysed the effect of aguamiel (sap from Agave salmiana on haematic biometry in rabbits as well as its antioxidant activity with the objective of determining its nutritional value. Nine male Landrace 55-day-old rabbits were sorted into three groups of three rabbits each, which had access to fresh aguamiel, boiled aguamiel and water instead of aguamiel. Commercial rabbit food was supplied ad libitum to each experimental unit. Fresh aguamiel promoted weight increases of about 13% by the seventh week. Haemoglobin counts increased by 4.5% and 9% when rabbits were fed with fresh and boiled aguamiel, respectively. Haematocrit counts increased from 2.6% to 5.3%. Mean corpuscular volume did not show a change. Mean corpuscular haemoglobin significantly increased up to 12% above that previously reported on rabbits. Observed Fe (fixed to transferrin, transferrin and ferritin content increased slightly when fresh aguamiel was included in the diet, as compared to the control. In bone, Fe increased 79.3% (boiled aguamiel while P increased 23.6% (fresh aguamiel. In antioxidant activity determination, the aguamiel showed 20% with respect to that found in coffee and/or grape juice (commercial beverages with a high antioxidant capability, 226.2 µmol gallic acid equivalent and 35.1 mg ascorbic acid in 250 mL, respectively. These results showed that aguamiel is an innocuous beverage to feed animals, conferring some beneficial properties, and it could be considered as a nutraceutical product.

  20. Welfare aspects in rabbit rearing and transport

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Claudio Cavani

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The review starts with the description of the rabbits’ (Oryctolagus cuniculus main habits and the current situation concerning the rabbit husbandry and management systems, as well as their effects on the welfare of these animals. As far as the intensive rabbit husbandry systems are concerned, the main problems are related to the time since rabbits have been domesticated and their adaptive capacity and coping styles as respects the farming environment and management systems. Both these aspects have implications in the present and future of rabbit rearing for different purposes. Examples are given on the effects of different housing and management systems on rabbit welfare, as well as examples of the ethological, physiological and productive indicators used to evaluate these effects. Transportation and, more generally, preslaughter phases including catching, fasting and lairage at the abattoir are considered major stressors for farmed rabbits and might have deleterious effects on health, well-being, performance, and finally, product quality. A general statement of the recent scientific studies considering the effects of pre-slaughter factors on physiological and productive measurements are reported. Finally, some indications in order to improve rabbit welfare, already present at the European level, are also outlined, together with the European Food Safety Authority opinions.

  1. Excretion of [3H]prednisolone in clinically normal and experimentally infected bovine udders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Geleta, J.N.; Shimoda, W.; Mercer, H.D.

    1984-01-01

    The excretion rate of [3H]prednisolone from clinically normal and experimentally infected udders of 10 lactating cows was studied. Each quarter of 6 cows was injected with a single dose of [3H]prednisolone mixed with non-radioactive prednisolone equivalent to 10 mg in 10 ml of peanut oil base. Each of the remaining 4 cows was given 40 mg of nonradioactive prednisolone and [3H]prednisolone in 60% ethanol IV. Control and postadministration samples of blood, milk, and urine were examined for radioactivity. The effects of [3H]prednisolone were evaluated in the same cows, first in clinically normal udders, then 2 weeks later in udders experimentally infected with Streptococcus agalactiae. Absorption and elimination of prednisolone were the same before and after induced infection. Within 3 hours after intramammary injection, 95% of the labeled prednisolone was absorbed systemically, less than 5% of this dose was recovered in milk, and 29% was excreted in urine. After IV injection of [3H]prednisolone, less than 0.2% of the total radioactivity was recovered in milk and less than 46% was excreted in urine. Clinical mastitis induced by S agalactiae was moderate. Circulating blood leukocytes and somatic cells in the milk of normal cows remained essentially unchanged. The leukocyte response to induced infection was rapid in blood and milk. Large numbers of leukocytes were noticed in the milk and a severe leukopenia occurred. Prednisolone treatment did not alter the number of somatic cells in milk or reduce the inflammatory response of experimentally infected cows

  2. Excretion of (3H)prednisolone in clinically normal and experimentally infected bovine udders

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Geleta, J.N.; Shimoda, W.; Mercer, H.D.

    1984-08-01

    The excretion rate of (3H)prednisolone from clinically normal and experimentally infected udders of 10 lactating cows was studied. Each quarter of 6 cows was injected with a single dose of (3H)prednisolone mixed with non-radioactive prednisolone equivalent to 10 mg in 10 ml of peanut oil base. Each of the remaining 4 cows was given 40 mg of nonradioactive prednisolone and (3H)prednisolone in 60% ethanol IV. Control and postadministration samples of blood, milk, and urine were examined for radioactivity. The effects of (3H)prednisolone were evaluated in the same cows, first in clinically normal udders, then 2 weeks later in udders experimentally infected with Streptococcus agalactiae. Absorption and elimination of prednisolone were the same before and after induced infection. Within 3 hours after intramammary injection, 95% of the labeled prednisolone was absorbed systemically, less than 5% of this dose was recovered in milk, and 29% was excreted in urine. After IV injection of (3H)prednisolone, less than 0.2% of the total radioactivity was recovered in milk and less than 46% was excreted in urine. Clinical mastitis induced by S agalactiae was moderate. Circulating blood leukocytes and somatic cells in the milk of normal cows remained essentially unchanged. The leukocyte response to induced infection was rapid in blood and milk. Large numbers of leukocytes were noticed in the milk and a severe leukopenia occurred. Prednisolone treatment did not alter the number of somatic cells in milk or reduce the inflammatory response of experimentally infected cows.

  3. Genetic variability of Taenia solium cysticerci recovered from experimentally infected pigs and from naturally infected pigs using microsatellite markers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pajuelo, Mónica J; Eguiluz, María; Roncal, Elisa; Quiñones-García, Stefany; Clipman, Steven J; Calcina, Juan; Gavidia, Cesar M; Sheen, Patricia; Garcia, Hector H; Gilman, Robert H; Gonzalez, Armando E; Zimic, Mirko

    2017-12-01

    The adult Taenia solium, the pork tapeworm, usually lives as a single worm in the small intestine of humans, its only known definitive host. Mechanisms of genetic variation in T. solium are poorly understood. Using three microsatellite markers previously reported [1], this study explored the genetic variability of T. solium from cysts recovered from experimentally infected pigs. It then explored the genetic epidemiology and transmission in naturally infected pigs and adult tapeworms recovered from human carriers from an endemic rural community in Peru. In an initial study on experimental infection, two groups of three piglets were each infected with proglottids from one of two genetically different tapeworms for each of the microsatellites. After 7 weeks, pigs were slaughtered and necropsy performed. Thirty-six (92.3%) out of 39 cysts originated from one tapeworm, and 27 (100%) out of 27 cysts from the other had exactly the same genotype as the parental tapeworm. This suggests that the microsatellite markers may be a useful tool for studying the transmission of T. solium. In the second study, we analyzed the genetic variation of T. solium in cysts recovered from eight naturally infected pigs, and from adult tapeworms recovered from four human carriers; they showed genetic variability. Four pigs had cysts with only one genotype, and four pigs had cysts with two different genotypes, suggesting that multiple infections of genetically distinct parental tapeworms are possible. Six pigs harbored cysts with a genotype corresponding to one of the identified tapeworms from the human carriers. In the dendrogram, cysts appeared to cluster within the corresponding pigs as well as with the geographical origin, but this association was not statistically significant. We conclude that genotyping of microsatellite size polymorphisms is a potentially important tool to trace the spread of infection and pinpoint sources of infection as pigs spread cysts with a shared parental genotype.

  4. Genetic variability of Taenia solium cysticerci recovered from experimentally infected pigs and from naturally infected pigs using microsatellite markers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mónica J Pajuelo

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The adult Taenia solium, the pork tapeworm, usually lives as a single worm in the small intestine of humans, its only known definitive host. Mechanisms of genetic variation in T. solium are poorly understood. Using three microsatellite markers previously reported [1], this study explored the genetic variability of T. solium from cysts recovered from experimentally infected pigs. It then explored the genetic epidemiology and transmission in naturally infected pigs and adult tapeworms recovered from human carriers from an endemic rural community in Peru. In an initial study on experimental infection, two groups of three piglets were each infected with proglottids from one of two genetically different tapeworms for each of the microsatellites. After 7 weeks, pigs were slaughtered and necropsy performed. Thirty-six (92.3% out of 39 cysts originated from one tapeworm, and 27 (100% out of 27 cysts from the other had exactly the same genotype as the parental tapeworm. This suggests that the microsatellite markers may be a useful tool for studying the transmission of T. solium. In the second study, we analyzed the genetic variation of T. solium in cysts recovered from eight naturally infected pigs, and from adult tapeworms recovered from four human carriers; they showed genetic variability. Four pigs had cysts with only one genotype, and four pigs had cysts with two different genotypes, suggesting that multiple infections of genetically distinct parental tapeworms are possible. Six pigs harbored cysts with a genotype corresponding to one of the identified tapeworms from the human carriers. In the dendrogram, cysts appeared to cluster within the corresponding pigs as well as with the geographical origin, but this association was not statistically significant. We conclude that genotyping of microsatellite size polymorphisms is a potentially important tool to trace the spread of infection and pinpoint sources of infection as pigs spread cysts with a shared

  5. PCR diagnostics underestimate the prevalence of avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) in experimentally-infected passerines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jarvi, Susan I.; Schultz, Jeffrey J.; Atkinson, Carter T.

    2002-01-01

    Several polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods have recently been developed for diagnosing malarial infections in both birds and reptiles, but a critical evaluation of their sensitivity in experimentally-infected hosts has not been done. This study compares the sensitivity of several PCR-based methods for diagnosing avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) in captive Hawaiian honeycreepers using microscopy and a recently developed immunoblotting technique. Sequential blood samples were collected over periods of up to 4.4 yr after experimental infection and rechallenge to determine both the duration and detectability of chronic infections. Two new nested PCR approaches for detecting circulating parasites based on P. relictum 18S rRNA genes and the thrombospondin-related anonymous protein (TRAP) gene are described. The blood smear and the PCR tests were less sensitive than serological methods for detecting chronic malarial infections. Individually, none of the diagnostic methods was 100% accurate in detecting subpatent infections, although serological methods were significantly more sensitive (97%) than either nested PCR (61–84%) or microscopy (27%). Circulating parasites in chronically infected birds either disappear completely from circulation or to drop to intensities below detectability by nested PCR. Thus, the use of PCR as a sole means of detection of circulating parasites may significantly underestimate true prevalence.

  6. Protection against myxomatosis and rabbit viral hemorrhagic disease with recombinant myxoma viruses expressing rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus capsid protein.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertagnoli, S; Gelfi, J; Le Gall, G; Boilletot, E; Vautherot, J F; Rasschaert, D; Laurent, S; Petit, F; Boucraut-Baralon, C; Milon, A

    1996-08-01

    Two myxoma virus-rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) recombinant viruses were constructed with the SG33 strain of myxoma virus to protect rabbits against myxomatosis and rabbit viral hemorrhagic disease. These recombinant viruses expressed the RHDV capsid protein (VP60). The recombinant protein, which is 60 kDa in size, was antigenic, as revealed by its reaction in immunoprecipitation with antibodies raised against RHDV. Both recombinant viruses induced high levels of RHDV- and myxoma virus-specific antibodies in rabbits after immunization. Inoculations by the intradermal route protected animals against virulent RHDV and myxoma virus challenges.

  7. Effect of testosterone administration on lead induced zincprotoporphyrin in blood concentration in castrated male rabbits

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wibowo, A.A.E.; Zielhuis, R.L.

    1981-11-01

    The influence of testosterone propionate on the concentration of zincprotoporphyrin in blood (ZPP) of castrated lead treated rabbits was investigated. The experimental design allowed comparison of the relative ZPP increase (RZI) in testosterone treated and non testosterone treated rabbits. Testosterone was administered by subcutaneous injection of 3 mg/kg body weight/day for 7 consecutive days directly prior to the lead exposure, which was performed by subcutaneous injection of 0.50 mg lead acetate/kg body weight, three times a week for 7 weeks. No effect was found on the hemoglobin concentration (Hb) and hematocrit (Ht) and on the increase of body weight during the experiment. But the increase of RZI in the non testosterone treated rabbits was significantly steeper and earlier than in the testosterone treated group. The possible consequences of the findings had been further commented on.

  8. Detection of pulmonary fat embolism with dual-energy CT: an experimental study in rabbits

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tang, Chun Xiang; Zhou, Chang Sheng; Zhao, Yan E.; Han, Zong Hong; Qi, Li; Zhang, Long Jiang; Lu, Guang Ming [Medical School of Nanjing University, Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China); Schoepf, U.J. [Medical School of Nanjing University, Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing, Jiangsu (China); Medical University of South Carolina, Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Mangold, Stefanie; Ball, B.D. [Medical University of South Carolina, Division of Cardiovascular Imaging, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States)

    2017-04-15

    To evaluate the use of dual-energy CT imaging of the lung perfused blood volume (PBV) for the detection of pulmonary fat embolism (PFE). Dual-energy CT was performed in 24 rabbits before and 1 hour, 1 day, 4 days and 7 days after artificial induction of PFE via the right ear vein. CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) and lung PBV images were evaluated by two radiologists, who recorded the presence, number, and location of PFE on a per-lobe basis. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CTPA and lung PBV for detecting PFE were calculated using histopathological evaluation as the reference standard. A total of 144 lung lobes in 24 rabbits were evaluated and 70 fat emboli were detected on histopathological analysis. The overall sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 25.4 %, 98.6 %, and 62.5 % for CTPA, and 82.6 %, 76.0 %, and 79.2 % for lung PBV. Higher sensitivity (p < 0.001) and accuracy (p < 0.01), but lower specificity (p < 0.001), were found for lung PBV compared with CTPA. Dual-energy CT can detect PFE earlier than CTPA (all p < 0.01). Dual-energy CT provided higher sensitivity and accuracy in the detection of PFE as well as earlier detection compared with conventional CTPA in this animal model study. (orig.)

  9. The cytolethal distending toxin of Haemophilus ducreyi aggravates dermal lesions in a rabbit model of chancroid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wising, Catharina; Mölne, Lena; Jonsson, Ing-Marie; Ahlman, Karin; Lagergård, Teresa

    2005-05-01

    Haemophilus ducreyi, the etiologic agent of the sexually transmitted disease chancroid, produces a cytolethal distending toxin (HdCDT) that inhibits cultured cell proliferation, leading to cell death. A rabbit model of dermal infection was used to investigate the roles of H. ducreyi bacteria and HdCDT in the development, clinical appearance, and persistence of infection. A non-toxin producing H. ducreyi strain, and for comparison purposes a non-capsulated Haemophilus influenzae strain, were inoculated intradermally, with and without co-administration of purified HdCDT. Co-administration of HdCDT resulted in significant aggravation of H. ducreyi-induced inflammatory lesions, and development of ulcers in rabbit skin. Less pronounced inflammatory lesions and lack of epithelial eruption were observed after inoculation with H. influenzae. Histopathological sections of the H. ducreyi-induced lesions, in both the presence and absence of HdCDT, showed dense infiltrates of the same type inflammatory cells, with the exception of a prominent endothelial cell proliferation noted in sections from lesions caused by H. ducreyi and toxin. Signs of chronic inflammation with involvement of T cells, macrophages, eosinophils, and granuloma formation were observed after H. ducreyi inoculation both with and without toxin. In conclusion, H. ducreyi causes a pronounced, chronic inflammation with involvement of T cells and macrophages, and in combination with HdCDT production of ulcers in the rabbit model. These pathogenic mechanisms may promote the development and persistence of chancroid ulcers.

  10. THE IMPACT OF HEPARIN IMPLEMENTER (GAG IN THE RABBIT INSEMINATION DOSE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Fik

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work was to evaluate the impact of implementer heparin in insemination dose in rabbits selected on reproductive parameters.The experiment was monitored reproductive parameters (conceptual relationship, the number of live-born pups per litter, the number of dead-born pups per litter, the number of live-born pups per inseminated does 156 does in the experimental group and 165 does in the control group. We used the ejaculate of synthetic broiler rabbit population with concentration of sperm 25-50 mil. / 0.5 ml / 1 ID. Heparin was added at a dose - 0.06 ml = 10 mg per 0.5 ml semen / 1 ID. Assessing selected reproductive parameters in does inseminated with insemination dose with the addition of heparin, we observed a higher conceptual proportion of 14.12 % in the experimental group compared to the control group. These differences did not show a statistically significant difference (χ 2 3.56-. The number of live-born pups per litter was 8.69 ± 4.10 pc in the experimental group and 8.41 ± 3.62 pc in the control group (P> 0.05. The number of dead-born pups was recorded 0.74 pc in the experimental group and 0.76 pc in the control group (P> 0.05. The number of live-born pups per litter per inseminated does we have seen improvement in favor of experimental group by 1.39 pc. This parameter was within each of experiments ranged from 0.91 to 1.66 pc live-born pups to inseminated does.

  11. A radioactive seed implant on a rabbit's liver following a voxel model representation for dosimetric proposals

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Campos, Tarcisio P.R.; Andrade, Joao Paulo Lopes de; Costa, Igor Temponi; Teixeira, Cleuza H. [Minas Gerais Univ., Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Programa de Pos-graduacao em Ciencias e Tecnicas Nucleares]. E-mail: campos@nuclear.ufmg

    2005-07-01

    Animal models have been used in experimentation with ionizing radiation. The evaluation of the energy absorbed per unit tissue mass in vivo transported by nuclear particles is a task to be performed before experimentation. Stochastic or deterministic methodology can be applied, however the dosimetric protocols applied in radiotherapy center cannot be applied directly due to the inherent small geometry and chemical composition of the animal distinct from human. The present article addresses a method in development that will predict the dose distribution into the rabbit thorax based on the solution of the transport phenomena in a voxel model. The model will be applied to simulate a seed implant experiment on a rabbit. Herein, the construction of the three-dimensional voxel model anthropomorphic -anthropometrics to the rabbit is presented. The model is assembling from a set of computer tomography of the rabbit. The computational phantom of the thorax starts at the digitalisation of the CT images, tissue definition, and color image representation of each tissue and organ. The chemical composition and mass density of each tissue is evaluated as similar date presented by ICRU-44. To treat the images, a code namely SISCODES, developed in house, was used. The in vivo experiment that will be simulated is also described. That is a implant of five seeds of 1.6x2 mm performed in a rabbit's liver. The perspective of this work is the application of the model in dosimetric studies predicting the dose distribution around the seed's implanted in vivo experiments. (author)

  12. Hematologic profile of hematophagous Desmodus rotundus bats before and after experimental infection with rabies virus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marilene Fernandes de Almeida

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction Hematophagous Desmodus rotundus bats play an important role in the rabies lifecycle. This study describes the hematological profile of these bats before and after experimental infection with rabies virus. Methods Cells counts were performed in a Neubauer chamber. Results The average values of erythrocytes and leucocytes counts in blood before experimental infections were 9.97 × 106mm3 and 4.80 × 103mm3, respectively. Neutrophils represented 69.9% of white blood cells and the lymphocytes represented 26.9%. Following the experimental infections, the average numbers of erythrocytes and leucocytes was 9.43 × 106mm3 and 3.98 × 103mm3, respectively. Neutrophils represented 40% of white blood cells and the lymphocytes represented 59%. Conclusions The hematological profile given in this study can serve as reference values for D. rotundus bats.

  13. Manipulations of core temperatures in ischemia-reperfusion lung injury in rabbits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Hung; Huang, Kun-Lun; Li, Min-Hui; Hsu, Ching-Wang; Tsai, Shih-Hung; Chu, Shi-Jye

    2008-01-01

    The present study was designed to determine the effect of various core temperatures on acute lung injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in our isolated rabbit lung model. Typical acute lung injury was successfully induced by 30 min of ischemia followed by 90 min of reperfusion observation. The I/R elicited a significant increase in pulmonary arterial pressure, microvascular permeability (measured by using the capillary filtration coefficient, Kfc), Delta Kfc ratio, lung weight gain and the protein concentration of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Mild hypothermia significantly attenuated acute lung injury induced by I/R, all parameters having decreased significantly (p<0.05); conversely, mild hyperthermia did not further exacerbate acute lung injury. These experimental data suggest that mild hypothermia significantly ameliorated acute lung injury induced by ischemia-reperfusion in rabbits.

  14. Welfare assessment in pet rabbits

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schepers, F.; Koene, P.; Beerda, B.

    2009-01-01

    One million pet rabbits are kept in The Netherlands, but there are no data available on their behaviour and welfare. This study seeks to assess the welfare of pet rabbits in Dutch households and is a first step in the development of a welfare assessment system. In an internet survey, housing

  15. Estimating Apparent Nutrient Digestibility of Diets Containing or Leaf Meals for Growing Rabbits by Two Methods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. M. Safwat

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate the nutrient digestibility of growing rabbits fed diets with different levels of either Leucaena leucocephala (LLM or Moringa oleifera (MOLM leaf meals and also to compare total collection and TiO2 marker methods for estimating digestibility. A total of 30 California growing rabbits (1.81±0.19 kg live weight on average were randomly distributed into five experimental groups of six rabbits each and were housed in individual cages. The groups were control, 30% LLM, 40% LLM, 30% MOLM, and 40% MOLM. All groups received pelleted diets for two weeks; diets also contained 4 g/kg titanium dioxide as dietary marker. Daily feed intake was recorded during the whole experimental period and total feces were collected daily and weighed individually during four days. The results showed that there were no difference (p>0.05 in feed, dry matter (DM, organic matter (OM, crude protein (CP, digestible energy, and crude fiber (CF intake between the control group and the other experimental groups. The apparent digestibility values of DM, OM, CP, CF, acid detergent fiber, and gross energy were the highest for control group (p = 0.001, meanwhile MOLM diets had generally higher nutrient digestibility coefficients than LLM diets. Increasing the inclusion level of leaf meal in the diet from 30% to 40% improved the digestibility of CF from 45.02% to 51.69% for LLM and from 48.11% to 55.89% for MOLM. Similar results for apparent nutrient digestibility coefficients were obtained when either total collection or indigestible marker method was used. In conclusion, the digestibility of MOLM containing diets were better than LLM diets, furthermore TiO2 as an external marker could be used as a simple, practical and reliable method to estimate nutrients digestibility in rabbit diets.

  16. Bactericidal micron-thin sol-gel films prevent pin tract and periprosthetic infection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qu, Haibo; Knabe, Christine; Burke, Megan; Radin, Shula; Garino, Jonathan; Schaer, Thomas; Ducheyne, Paul

    2014-08-01

    Orthopedic injuries constitute the majority of wounds sustained by U.S. soldiers in recent conflicts. The risk of infection is considerable with fracture fixation devices. In this pilot study, we examined the use of unique bactericidal micron-thin sol-gel films on fracture fixation devices and their ability to prevent and eradicate infections. External fixation was studied with micron-thin sol-gel coated percutaneous pins releasing triclosan and inserted medially into rabbit tibiae. A total of 11 rabbits received percutaneous pins that were either uncoated or sol-gel/triclosan coated. Internal fracture fixation was also studied using sol-gel coated intramedullary (IM) nails releasing vancomycin in the intramedullary tibiae. Six sheep received IM nails that were coated with a sol-gel film that either contained vancomycin or did not contain vancomycin. All animals were challenged with Staphylococcus aureus around the implant. Animals were euthanized at 1 month postoperative. Rabbits receiving triclosan/sol-gel coated percutaneous pins did not show signs of infection. Uncoated percutaneous pins had a significantly higher infection rate. In the sheep study, there were no radiographic signs of osteomyelitis with vancomycin/sol-gel coated IM nails, in contrast to the observations in the control cohort. Hence, the nanostructured sol-gel controlled release technology offers the promise of a reliable and continuous delivery system of bactericidals from orthopedic devices to prevent and treat infection. Reprint & Copyright © 2014 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

  17. Market Driving to Develop Rabbit Meat Products in Indonesia

    OpenAIRE

    Atien Priyanti; Yono Cahyo Rahadjo

    2012-01-01

    Rabbit meat is a nutritional food containing high protein and low cholesterol, fat and sodium. Current research in rabbit production is aimed for developing production strategies to increase the nutritional and economic values of rabbit meat products as functional food. Nowadays, producing rabbit is a popular farming activity in many parts of Indonesia as a small and medium scale operation for food security and cash income. Rabbit farming is to produce meat, skin and hides, fur, organic ferti...

  18. Renal and vascular studies of aqueous extract of Urtica dioica in rats and rabbits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K.F. Dizaye

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Urtica dioica has a variety of uses in traditional medicine for genitourinary ailments kidney disorders, allergies, diabetes, anemia, gastrointestinal tract ailments, musculoskeletal aches and alopecia. However, only a few of these uses have scientific bases that support their clinical uses. This study was done to evaluate some of the in vivo and in vitro pharmacological actions of this plant. Eighteen local domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus were used for in vitro studies (effect of the plant extract on isolated pulmonary arteries and isolated urinary bladder smooth muscle and in vivo studies (effect of the extract on renal function. Six male albino rats were used for studying the effects of the plant extract on blood pressure and heart rate. Urtica dioica extract produced a significant increase in urine volume and urinary Na+ excretion without significant changes in K+ excretion rates in experimental rabbits. No changes occurred in Glomerular filtration rate and %Na+ reabsorption of filtered load. Neither vasodilatation nor vasoconstriction of isolated pulmonary arteries of the rabbit was seen after applying the aqueous extract of U. dioica. Besides it could not reverse the vasoconstrictor effect of phenylephrine. Urtica dioica has no detectable effects on the isolated bladder; moreover it did not reverse the contraction that was produced by pilocarpine. In experimental rats, the plant extract produced a profound drop in blood pressure associated with decreased heart rate. In conclusion the aqueous extract of U. dioica produced diuretic and natriuretic effects with out significant effect on the K+ excretion rate in rabbits. Moreover it produced a profound drop in blood pressure and heart rate.

  19. Timing and severity of immunizing diseases in rabbits is controlled by seasonal matching of host and pathogen dynamics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wells, Konstans; Brook, Barry W; Lacy, Robert C; Mutze, Greg J; Peacock, David E; Sinclair, Ron G; Schwensow, Nina; Cassey, Phillip; O'Hara, Robert B; Fordham, Damien A

    2015-02-06

    Infectious diseases can exert a strong influence on the dynamics of host populations, but it remains unclear why such disease-mediated control only occurs under particular environmental conditions. We used 16 years of detailed field data on invasive European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) in Australia, linked to individual-based stochastic models and Bayesian approximations, to test whether (i) mortality associated with rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) is driven primarily by seasonal matches/mismatches between demographic rates and epidemiological dynamics and (ii) delayed infection (arising from insusceptibility and maternal antibodies in juveniles) are important factors in determining disease severity and local population persistence of rabbits. We found that both the timing of reproduction and exposure to viruses drove recurrent seasonal epidemics of RHD. Protection conferred by insusceptibility and maternal antibodies controlled seasonal disease outbreaks by delaying infection; this could have also allowed escape from disease. The persistence of local populations was a stochastic outcome of recovery rates from both RHD and myxomatosis. If susceptibility to RHD is delayed, myxomatosis will have a pronounced effect on population extirpation when the two viruses coexist. This has important implications for wildlife management, because it is likely that such seasonal interplay and disease dynamics has a strong effect on long-term population viability for many species. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

  20. Efficacy of albendazole against Taenia multiceps larvae in experimentally infected goats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Afonso, Sónia M S; Neves, Luis; Pondja, Alberto; Macuamule, Cristiano; Mukaratirwa, Samson; Arboix, Margarita; Cristòfol, Carles; Capece, Bettencourt P S

    2014-12-15

    A controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of three therapeutics regimes of albendazole (ABZ) against Taenia multiceps larvae in experimental infected goats. Forty-nine goats experimentally infected with 3000 T. multiceps eggs were selected and randomly divided into treatment or control groups. Treatment with 10mg/kg for 3 days for group 1 (G1), 10mg/kg for group 2 (G2) and 20mg/kg/day for group 3 (G3) was applied 2 months after infection; group 4 (G4) served as a control group. A treatment with doses of 10mg/kg/day for 3 days on group 5 (G5) and group 6 (G6) was used as control, 5 months after the infection. The efficacy of ABZ was assessed as percentage of non-viable cysts which were determined by morphologic characteristics, movement and methyl blue staining technique. The efficacy of ABZ against 2 months old cysts was significantly different from the control and were 90.3% (28/31), 72.7% (8/11) and 73.9% (14/19) for G1, G2 and G3, respectively. No differences were observed in cyst viability between treated and control groups for 5-month old cysts. The results in this study indicate that ABZ is effective in goats against 2-month-old cysts of T. multiceps larva located in tissues outside the brain. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Experimental Infection and Clearance of Coccidian Parasites in Mercury-Exposed Zebra Finches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebers Smith, Jessica H; Cristol, Daniel A; Swaddle, John P

    2018-01-01

    Mercury is a globally distributed, persistent environmental contaminant that affects the health of many taxa. It can suppress the immune system, which often plays a role in defense against parasites. However, there have been few investigations of whether mercury affects the abilities of animals to resist parasitic infection. Here, we exposed zebra finches to a lifetime dietary exposure of methylmercury (1.2 μg/g wet weight) and experimentally infected them with coccidian parasites to examine the effect of methylmercury exposure on parasitic infection. The mercury-exposed birds did not have an altered immune response (heterophil:lymphocyte ratio) nor a reduced ability to clear the infection. However, mercury-exposed birds tended to have higher parasite loads at the time when we expected the greatest immune response (2-3 weeks post-infection). Although mercury did not greatly influence the infection-course of this parasite in captivity, responses may be more accentuated in the wild where birds face additional immune challenges.

  2. An experimental study on the effect of mixture of absolute ethanol and lipiodol injected into normal liver of rabbit : CT features and histopathologic changes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Mee Ran; Kim, Yun Hwan; Cha, In Ho; Chung, Kyoo Byung; Suh, Won Hyuk; Um, Soon Ho; Choi, Young Hee

    1999-01-01

    To investigate the safety and usefulness of Lipiodol-percutaneous transhepatic ethanol injection(LPEI) and to determine the appropriate concentration of Lipiodol during L-PEI. This was achieved by evalvating CT findings and histopathologic changes according to the concentration of Lipiodol, amount of ethanol, and the time interval after injection into normal rabbit liver. This experimental study involved 18 New Zealand rabbits under US guidance. They were divided into five groups according to injected materials; two rabbits with 0.4cc of normal saline(group I), six with 0.4cc of ethanol in the left hepatic lobe(group II), and 0.4cc of Lipiodol in the right hepatic lobe(group III), five rabbits with 5% Lipiodol-ethanol(5% vol. of Lipiodol+95% vol. of ethanol), 0.2cc in the right hepatic lobe, and 0.4cc in the left(group IV); and five rabbits with 10% Lipiodol-ethanol as per group IV(group V). CT was performed immediately, one week, two weeks, and three-four weeks after injection, and pathologic specimens were obtained on the third day(acute phase) and during the third or fourth week(chronic phase) after injection. On CT, intrahepatic localization of the L-PEI injection site was well demonstrated as a focal high attenuated area which gradually decreased in attenuation on follow up CT. The opacification of the inferior vena cava by Lipiodol, the linear distribution of Lipiodol along portal veins or fissures, and peritoneal leakage were clearly demonstrated in groups III-V, though the effects gradually disappeared during follow-up CT. There was no remarkable difference in gross CT attenuation between group IV and group V. The main pathologic findings during the acute phase of group II were coagulation necrosis surrounded by macrophage, inflammatory reaction, and early periportal and subcapsular fibrosis. The findings in group IV and V were similar to those in group II and additional fat vacuole accumulations in the necrotic area were also seen. During the chronic phase

  3. Ultrastructure of Reissner's membrane in the rabbit

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Qvortrup, K.; Rostgaard, Jørgen; Bretlau, P.

    1994-01-01

    Anatomy, Reissner's membrane, electron microscopy, tubulocisternal endoplasmic reticulum, subsurface cisterns, rabbit......Anatomy, Reissner's membrane, electron microscopy, tubulocisternal endoplasmic reticulum, subsurface cisterns, rabbit...

  4. A Parsimonious Model of the Rabbit Action Potential Elucidates the Minimal Physiological Requirements for Alternans and Spiral Wave Breakup.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, Richard A; Pathmanathan, Pras

    2016-10-01

    Elucidating the underlying mechanisms of fatal cardiac arrhythmias requires a tight integration of electrophysiological experiments, models, and theory. Existing models of transmembrane action potential (AP) are complex (resulting in over parameterization) and varied (leading to dissimilar predictions). Thus, simpler models are needed to elucidate the "minimal physiological requirements" to reproduce significant observable phenomena using as few parameters as possible. Moreover, models have been derived from experimental studies from a variety of species under a range of environmental conditions (for example, all existing rabbit AP models incorporate a formulation of the rapid sodium current, INa, based on 30 year old data from chick embryo cell aggregates). Here we develop a simple "parsimonious" rabbit AP model that is mathematically identifiable (i.e., not over parameterized) by combining a novel Hodgkin-Huxley formulation of INa with a phenomenological model of repolarization similar to the voltage dependent, time-independent rectifying outward potassium current (IK). The model was calibrated using the following experimental data sets measured from the same species (rabbit) under physiological conditions: dynamic current-voltage (I-V) relationships during the AP upstroke; rapid recovery of AP excitability during the relative refractory period; and steady-state INa inactivation via voltage clamp. Simulations reproduced several important "emergent" phenomena including cellular alternans at rates > 250 bpm as observed in rabbit myocytes, reentrant spiral waves as observed on the surface of the rabbit heart, and spiral wave breakup. Model variants were studied which elucidated the minimal requirements for alternans and spiral wave break up, namely the kinetics of INa inactivation and the non-linear rectification of IK.The simplicity of the model, and the fact that its parameters have physiological meaning, make it ideal for engendering generalizable mechanistic

  5. Iodine-125 Seeds Strand for Treatment of Tumor Thrombus in Inferior Vena Cava: An Experimental Study in a Rabbit Model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Wen; Yan, Zhiping; Luo, Jianjun; Fang, Zhuting; Wu, Linlin; Liu, QingXin; Qu, Xudong; Liu, Lingxiao; Wang, Jianhua

    2013-01-01

    Objective: The purpose of this study was to establish an animal model of implanted inferior vena cava tumor thrombus (IVCTT) and to evaluate the effect of linear iodine-125 seeds strand in treating implanted IVCTT. Methods: Tumor cell line VX 2 was inoculated subcutaneously into New Zealand rabbit to develop the parent tumor. The tumor strip was inoculated into inferior vena cava (IVC) to establish the IVCTT model. The IVCTT was confirmed by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) after 2 weeks. Twelve rabbits with IVCTT were randomly divided into two groups. Treatment group (group T; n = 6) underwent Iodine-125 seeds brachytherapy, and the control group (group C; n = 6) underwent blank seeds strand. The blood laboratory examination (including blood routine examination, hepatic and renal function), body weight, survival time, and IVCTT volume by MDCT were monitored. All rabbits were dissected postmortem, and the therapeutic effects were evaluated on the basis of histopathology. The proliferating cell nuclear antigen index (PI) and apoptosis index (AI) of IVCTT were compared between two groups. T test, Wilcoxon rank test, and Kaplan–Meier survival curve analysis were used. Results: The success rate of establishing IVCTT was 100 %. The body weight loss and cachexia of rabbits in group C appeared earlier than in group T. Body weight in the third week, the mean survival time, PI, AI in groups T and C were 2.23 ± 0.12 kg, 57.83 ± 8.68 days, (16.73 ± 5.18 %), (29.47 ± 7.18 %), and 2.03 ± 0.13 kg, 43.67 ± 5.28 days, (63.01 ± 2.01 %), (6.02 ± 2.93 %), respectively. There were statistically significant differences between group T and group C (P < 0.05). The IVCTT volume of group T was remarkably smaller than that of group C. Conclusions: Injecting and suspensory fixing VX2 tumor strip into IVC is a reliable method to establish IVCTT animal model. The linear Iodine-125 seeds strand brachytherapy was a safe and effective method for treating IVCTT in rabbit model

  6. Iodine-125 Seeds Strand for Treatment of Tumor Thrombus in Inferior Vena Cava: An Experimental Study in a Rabbit Model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Wen; Yan, Zhiping; Luo, Jianjun; Fang, Zhuting; Wu, Linlin; Liu, QingXin; Qu, Xudong; Liu, Lingxiao; Wang, Jianhua [Fudan University, Department of Interventional Radiology, Zhongshan Hospital (China)

    2013-10-15

    Objective: The purpose of this study was to establish an animal model of implanted inferior vena cava tumor thrombus (IVCTT) and to evaluate the effect of linear iodine-125 seeds strand in treating implanted IVCTT. Methods: Tumor cell line VX{sub 2} was inoculated subcutaneously into New Zealand rabbit to develop the parent tumor. The tumor strip was inoculated into inferior vena cava (IVC) to establish the IVCTT model. The IVCTT was confirmed by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) after 2 weeks. Twelve rabbits with IVCTT were randomly divided into two groups. Treatment group (group T; n = 6) underwent Iodine-125 seeds brachytherapy, and the control group (group C; n = 6) underwent blank seeds strand. The blood laboratory examination (including blood routine examination, hepatic and renal function), body weight, survival time, and IVCTT volume by MDCT were monitored. All rabbits were dissected postmortem, and the therapeutic effects were evaluated on the basis of histopathology. The proliferating cell nuclear antigen index (PI) and apoptosis index (AI) of IVCTT were compared between two groups. T test, Wilcoxon rank test, and Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis were used. Results: The success rate of establishing IVCTT was 100 %. The body weight loss and cachexia of rabbits in group C appeared earlier than in group T. Body weight in the third week, the mean survival time, PI, AI in groups T and C were 2.23 {+-} 0.12 kg, 57.83 {+-} 8.68 days, (16.73 {+-} 5.18 %), (29.47 {+-} 7.18 %), and 2.03 {+-} 0.13 kg, 43.67 {+-} 5.28 days, (63.01 {+-} 2.01 %), (6.02 {+-} 2.93 %), respectively. There were statistically significant differences between group T and group C (P < 0.05). The IVCTT volume of group T was remarkably smaller than that of group C. Conclusions: Injecting and suspensory fixing VX2 tumor strip into IVC is a reliable method to establish IVCTT animal model. The linear Iodine-125 seeds strand brachytherapy was a safe and effective method for treating IVCTT

  7. Anti diabetic effect of Momordica charantia (bitter melone on alloxan induced diabetic rabbits.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yakaiah Vangoori, Mishra SS, Ambudas B, Ramesh P, Meghavani G, Deepika K, Prathibha A

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available Objective: to investigate the anti diabetic effect of the bitter melon on Alloxan induced diabetes in experimental animals (rabbits. Materials and Methods: the alcohol extract of whole fruit was tested for its efficacy in Alloxan (150mg/kg induced diabetic rabbit. The diabetic rabbits were divided into 5groups. Group I (control received 2% gumacasia, groupie (positive control received standard drug Metformin (62.5mg+2%GA, group III, IV, V (T1 T2 T3 were treated orally with a daily dose of 0.5(gm 1gm, 1.5gm respectively for 35 days, for all diabetic rabbits after giving TEST,NC,PC preparations, the blood samples were collected and determined the blood glucose level 0,1,3,24hrs intervals. 0hr reading is before drug giving and remaining 3 readings after drugs giving. 24th her reading is considered as 0hr reading for the next day. Results: administration of alcohol of an extract of bitter melon produced a dose dependent decrease in blood glucose levels in Alloxan induced rabbits. There was a significant fall in blood sugar level in High dose (1.5GM/kg in comparison to low dose (0.5gm/kg and median dose (1gm/kg shown by LSD test. This is comparable to the effect of Metformin. Conclusion: the results of this study show that chronic oral administration of an extract of Momordica charantia fruit at an appropriate dosage may be good alternative anti diabetic agent.

  8. Protective effect of exercise and alpha tocopherol on atherosclerosis promotion in hypercholesterolemic domestic rabbits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shekh, Mudhir S.; Mahmud, Almas M. R.

    2017-09-01

    This study was designed to determine effects of exercise training (Moderate and severe) and alpha tocopherol on lipid profiles and organ weights in hypercholesterolemic domestic rabbits. Hypercholesterolemia (HC) and atherosclerotic lesions were induced by feeding the male rabbits the standard chow supplemented with 1% cholesterol (atherogenic diet) for 36 days. Experimental rabbits were divided into seven groups: normal (T1), HC control (T2), HC plus alpha tocopherol (0.5mg /animal/day) (T3), HC plus moderate exercise 40 minutes/day (0.5km/day) 5 days/week (T4), HC plus severe exercise 40 minutes/day (1km/day) 5 days/week (T5), HC plus alpha tocopherol plus moderate exercise (T6) and HC plus alpha tocopherol plus severe exercise (T7). After the treatment period of 36th day, blood samples were collected and total cholesterol (TC), Triglyceride (TG), Very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL)-cholesterol, High-density lipoproteins (HDL)-cholesterol, Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, serum glucose, body and organ weights were assayed and compared with hypercholesterolemic control. Combination of moderate exercise with alpha tocopherol produced significant reduction (Pgroup showed no significant change in all lipid profiles. However, the decrement in the above parameters was comparable with hypercholesterolemic rabbits in combination of severe exercise with alpha tocopherol. The results suggest that the combination of moderate exercise with alpha tocopherol can be exploited for prevention of atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

  9. Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of Gene and Association with Non-specific Digestive Disorder in Rabbit

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yun-Fu Liu

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available The NLRP12 (NLR family, pyrin domain containing 12 serves as a suppressor factor in the inflammatory response and protects the host against inflammation-induced damage. In the present study, we aimed to study the polymorphisms of NLRP12 gene and its association with susceptibility to non-specific digestive disorder (NSDD in rabbits. We re-sequenced the entire coding region of the rabbit NLRP12 gene and detected a total of 19 SNPs containing 14 synonymous and five non-synonymous variations. Among them, the coding SNP (c.1682A>G, which would carry a potential functional implication, was subsequently subjected to genotyping for case-control association study (272 cases and 267 controls. The results revealed that allele A was significantly protective against NSDD with an odds ratio value of 0.884 (95% confidence interval, 0.788 to 0.993; p = 0.038. We also experimentally induced NSDD in growing rabbits by feeding a fibre-deficient diet and subsequently investigated NLRP12 mRNA expression. The mRNA expression of NLRP12 in healthy status was significantly higher than that in severe NSDD (p = 0.0016. The highest expression was observed in individuals carrying the protective genotype AA (p = 0.0108. These results suggested that NLRP12 was significantly associated with the NSDD in rabbits. However, the precise molecular mechanism of NLRP12 involving in the development of rabbit NSDD requires further research.

  10. Digestion, growth performance and caecal fermentation in growing rabbits fed diets containing foliage of browse trees

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.H. Abu Hafsa

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate the effect of feeding dried foliage (leaves and petioles of Acacia saligna, Leucaena leucocephala or Moringa oleifera on the performance, digestibility, N utilisation, caecal fermentation and microbial profiles in New Zealand White (NZW rabbits. One hundred weaned male NZW rabbits weighing 819.2±16.6 g and aged 35±1 d were randomly allocated into 4 groups of 25 rabbits each. Rabbits were fed on pelleted diets containing 70% concentrate mixture and 30% Egyptian berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum hay (Control diet or one of the other 3 experimental diets, where 50% of berseem hay was replaced with A. saligna (AS, L. leucocephala (LL or M. oleifera (MO. Compared to Control diet, decreases in dry matter (DM; P=0.004, organic matter (P=0.028, crude protein (CP; P=0.001, neutral detergent fibre (P=0.033 and acid detergent fibre (P=0.011 digestibility were observed with the AS diet. However, DM and CP digestibility were increased by 3% with the MO diet, and N utilisation was decreased (P<0.05 with AS. Rabbits fed AS and LL diets showed decreased (P=0.001 average daily gain by 39 and 7%, respectively vs. Control. Feed conversion was similar in Control and MO rabbits, whereas rabbits fed AS diet ate up to 45% more feed (P=0.002 than Control rabbits to gain one kg of body weight. Caecal ammonia-N was increased (P=0.002 with LL, while acetic acid was decreased (P=0.001 with AS diet vs. other treatments. Caecal E. coli and Lactobacillus spp. bacteria counts were decreased with MO by about 44 and 51%, respectively, vs. Control. In conclusion, under the study conditions, tree foliage from M. oleifera and L. leucocephala are suitable fibrous ingredients to be included up to 150 g/kg in the diets of growing rabbits, and can safely replace 50% of berseem hay in diets of NZW rabbits without any adverse effect on their growth performance. Foliage from M. oleifera had a better potential as a feed for rabbits than that from L

  11. Phototoxic effects of 8-methoxypsoralen on rabbit corneal endothelium

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Menon, I.A.; Basu, P.K.; Hasany, S.M.; Persad, S.D. (Univ. of Toronto, Ontario (Canada))

    1989-01-01

    The phototoxic effects of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) were investigated using the rabbit corneal endothelium in organ culture. The corneas were divided into four groups: (a) irradiated with a mercury vapor lamp (emitting UVA and visible radiation) in the presence of 8-MOP (experimental), (b) irradiated without 8-MOP (control A), (c) incubated with 8-MOP (control B) and (d) incubated without 8-MOP (control C). Specular and light microscopic examination showed that the experimental corneas had greater cellular damage compared to the control corneas. The effects of 8-MOP were restricted to certain localized areas of the cornea. However there was no significant difference in the amounts of 51Cr released from the labelled experimental and control corneas. These results show phototoxic damage of the corneal endothelial cells.

  12. Immune response to rabbit coccidiosis: a comparison between infections with Eimeria flavescens and E. intestinalis

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pakandl, Michal; Hlásková, Lenka; Poplštein, M.; Nevečeřalová, M.; Vodička, T.; Salát, Jiří; Mucksová, J.

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 55, č. 1 (2008), s. 1-6 ISSN 0015-5683 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA524/05/2328 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518 Keywords : rabbit coccidiosis * Eimeria intestinalis * Eimeria flavescens * immune response * ELISA * lymph ocyte proliferation * intraepithelial lymph ocytes Subject RIV: GJ - Animal Vermins ; Diseases, Veterinary Medicine Impact factor: 1.307, year: 2008

  13. [Effect of vascular endothelial growth factor and tumor necrosis factor receptor for treatment of avascular necrosis of the femoral head in rabbits].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Zhi-ming; Zhou, Ming-qian; Gao, Ji-min

    2008-12-01

    To evaluate the therapeutic effect of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) on avascular necrosis of the femoral head in rabbits. Avascular necrosis of the femoral head was induced in 26 New Zealand white rabbits by injections of horse serum and prednisolone. The rabbits were then divided into VEGF/TNFR treatment group, VEGF treatment group, and untreated model group, with another 4 normal rabbits as the normal control group. In the two treatment groups, the therapeutic agents were injected percutaneously into the femoral head. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to determine the concentration of TNF-alpha in rabbit serum followed by pathological examination of the changes in the bone tissues, bone marrow hematopoietic tissue and the blood vessels in the femoral head. Compared with the model group, the rabbits with both VEGF and TNFR treatment showed decreased serum concentration of TNF-alpha with obvious new vessel formation, decreased empty bone lacunae in the femoral head and hematopoietic tissue proliferation in the bone marrow cavity. Percutaneous injection of VEGF and TNFR into the femoral head can significantly enhance bone tissue angiogenesis and ameliorate osteonecrosis in rabbits with experimental femoral head necrosis.

  14. Heterogeneous infectiousness in guinea pigs experimentally infected with Trypanosoma cruzi.

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    Castillo-Neyra, Ricardo; Borrini Mayorí, Katty; Salazar Sánchez, Renzo; Ancca Suarez, Jenny; Xie, Sherrie; Náquira Velarde, Cesar; Levy, Michael Z

    2016-02-01

    Guinea pigs are important reservoirs of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative parasite of Chagas disease, and in the Southern Cone of South America, transmission is mediated mainly by the vector Triatoma infestans. Interestingly, colonies of Triatoma infestans captured from guinea pig corrals sporadically have infection prevalence rates above 80%. Such high values are not consistent with the relatively short 7-8 week parasitemic period that has been reported for guinea pigs in the literature. We experimentally measured the infectious periods of a group of T. cruzi-infected guinea pigs by performing xenodiagnosis and direct microscopy each week for one year. Another group of infected guinea pigs received only direct microscopy to control for the effect that inoculation by triatomine saliva may have on parasitemia in the host. We observed infectious periods longer than those previously reported in a number of guinea pigs from both the xenodiagnosis and control groups. While some guinea pigs were infectious for a short time, other "super-shedders" were parasitemic up to 22 weeks after infection, and/or positive by xenodiagnosis for a year after infection. This heterogeneity in infectiousness has strong implications for T. cruzi transmission dynamics and control, as super-shedder guinea pigs may play a disproportionate role in pathogen spread. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Market Driving to Develop Rabbit Meat Products in Indonesia

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    Atien Priyanti

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Rabbit meat is a nutritional food containing high protein and low cholesterol, fat and sodium. Current research in rabbit production is aimed for developing production strategies to increase the nutritional and economic values of rabbit meat products as functional food. Nowadays, producing rabbit is a popular farming activity in many parts of Indonesia as a small and medium scale operation for food security and cash income. Rabbit farming is to produce meat, skin and hides, fur, organic fertilizers and pet or fancy animals. Consumption of rabbit meat is considered very low, due partly to low meat supply and inavailability of marketing. In some tourist areas, such as Lembang (West Java, Tawangmangu (Central Java, Sarangan and Batu (East Java rabbit meat is a specific food. Attempt to create and drive rabbit markets will simultaneously increase meat production to fulfill the demand and meet economic scale of farming. Hence, this will give significant impact to the farmers’ welfare. Availability of good quality meat, dissemination and diversification of meat products, production efficiency toward competitive price along with its proper marketing strategy will drive consumers’ preferences to consume more rabbit meat. Market driving needs to be created in order to promote rabbit meat products by establishing food outlets. This program has been developed by a farmers group in Magelang, Central Java. During the period of 2006 – 2007 the food outlets had increased to 5 outlets, and in 2012 become 9 outlets. This market driving will also have an impact on changing orientation of rabbit farming from traditional to a small and medium economic scale that will influence the production efficiency.

  16. Metabolomic profiling in cattle experimentally infected with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis.

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    Jeroen De Buck

    Full Text Available The sensitivity of current diagnostics for Johne's disease, a slow, progressing enteritis in ruminants caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP, is too low to reliably detect all infected animals in the subclinical stage. The objective was to identify individual metabolites or metabolite profiles that could be used as biomarkers of early MAP infection in ruminants. In a monthly follow-up for 17 months, calves infected at 2 weeks of age were compared with aged-matched controls. Sera from all animals were analyzed by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. Spectra were acquired, processed, and quantified for analysis. The concentration of many metabolites changed over time in all calves, but some metabolites only changed over time in either infected or non-infected groups and the change in others was impacted by the infection. Hierarchical multivariate statistical analysis achieved best separation between groups between 300 and 400 days after infection. Therefore, a cross-sectional comparison between 1-year-old calves experimentally infected at various ages with either a high- or a low-dose and age-matched non-infected controls was performed. Orthogonal Projection to Latent Structures Discriminant Analysis (OPLS DA yielded distinct separation of non-infected from infected cattle, regardless of dose and time (3, 6, 9 or 12 months after infection. Receiver Operating Curves demonstrated that constructed models were high quality. Increased isobutyrate in the infected cattle was the most important agreement between the longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis. In general, high- and low-dose cattle responded similarly to infection. Differences in acetone, citrate, glycerol and iso-butyrate concentrations indicated energy shortages and increased fat metabolism in infected cattle, whereas changes in urea and several amino acids (AA, including the branched chain AA, indicated increased protein turnover. In conclusion, metabolomics

  17. Immunological correlates for protection against intranasal challenge of Bacillus anthracis spores conferred by a protective antigen-based vaccine in rabbits.

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    Weiss, Shay; Kobiler, David; Levy, Haim; Marcus, Hadar; Pass, Avi; Rothschild, Nili; Altboum, Zeev

    2006-01-01

    Correlates between immunological parameters and protection against Bacillus anthracis infection in animals vaccinated with protective antigen (PA)-based vaccines could provide surrogate markers to evaluate the putative protective efficiency of immunization in humans. In previous studies we demonstrated that neutralizing antibody levels serve as correlates for protection in guinea pigs (S. Reuveny et al., Infect. Immun. 69:2888-2893, 2001; H. Marcus et al., Infect. Immun. 72:3471-3477, 2004). In this study we evaluated similar correlates for protection by active and passive immunization of New Zealand White rabbits. Full immunization and partial immunization were achieved by single and multiple injections of standard and diluted doses of a PA-based vaccine. Passive immunization was carried out by injection of immune sera from rabbits vaccinated with PA-based vaccine prior to challenge with B. anthracis spores. Immunized rabbits were challenged by intranasal spore instillation with one of two virulent strains (strains Vollum and ATCC 6605). The immune competence was estimated by measuring the level of total anti-PA antibodies, the neutralizing antibody titers, and the conferred protective immunity. The results indicate that total anti-PA antibody titers greater than 1 x 10(5) conferred protection, whereas lower titers (between 10(4) and 10(5)) provided partial protection but failed to predict protection. Neutralizing antibody titers between 500 and 800 provided partial protection, while titers higher than 1,000 conferred protection. In conclusion, this study emphasizes that regardless of the immunization regimen or the time of challenge, neutralizing antibody titers are better predictors of protection than total anti-PA titers.

  18. Effects of plant extracts and essential oils as feed supplements on quality and microbial traits of rabbit meat

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    A. P. Kone

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The effects of dietary supplementation of onion, cranberry,  strawberry and essentials oils on meat quality were analysed. Five groups of 48 Grimaud female weaned rabbits received the supplemented or the control ration; the experimental unit was a cage of 6 rabbits. Each experimental diet contained 10 ppm of added active ingredients.  Rabbits were fed with the experimental diets for 4 wk before determining slaughter and carcass traits and determining the pH at 1 and 24 h post mortem (pHu of the Longissimus dorsi (LD and the Biceps femoris (BF muscle, left and right, respectively. Cooking loss, drip loss and L*, a* and b* color parameters were obtained of the right LD and for ground meat and antioxidant status (TBARS, DNPH, Folin Ciocalteu. Only the pHu of the LD muscle for the strawberry supplemented group was significantly lower when compared to the control group (P=0.04. However, we note that for the pH of the LD, the average was less than 6 for the meat of animals who received a diet enriched in polyphenols, compared to the control group. Plant extract supplementation did not influence meat quality traits, growth performance or oxidative stability. But under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, our results indicate that diet supplementation with extracts rich in polyphenols, especially with essential oils, had a small bot sporadic positive effect in reducing bacterial microflora compared to the control group (P<0.05. In conclusion, plant extracts and essential oils can be used in a rabbit diet without adverse effects on performance and meat quality traits. This effect could be optimized by investigating higher doses.

  19. The importance of subcutaneous abscess infection by Pasteurella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus as a cause of meat condemnation in slaughtered commercial rabbits

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    A. Ferreira

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Subcutaneous abscesses are lesions frequently reported in commercial rabbits. Both at farm and slaughterhouse level, these lesions are responsible for economic losses and a potential decrease in meat quality. The present study was devised to identify the main causes of meat condemnation in slaughtered commercial rabbits and assess the importance of abscess lesions in this domain. For these purposes, 281423 rabbits were evaluated during meat inspection at the slaughterhouse. The results achieved showed that subcutaneous abscesses were the major cause of condemnation, being responsible for the rejection of 1355 (0.48% rabbit carcasses. The main affected area was the hind limbs (31.37%, followed by the cervical area (23.10%. Microbiological analyses of 27 abscess samples indicated Pasteurella spp. as the bacteria mostly isolated (59.3%, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (25.9%. These results enable us to advise the industry on the significance of abscesses as an important cause of economic losses, due to meat condemnation during post mortem inspection, and highlight the importance of implementing monitoring plans as a way to control this pathological problem.

  20. [The rabbit experimental study for toxicokinetics of chlorpyrifos impacted by hemoperfusion].

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    Guo, Xiang; Chen, Xiao; Zhang, Hongshun; Long, Xin; He, Qian; Sun, Chengye; Huang, Xianqing; He, Jian

    2015-11-01

    To investigate toxicokinetic parameters impacted by hemoperfusion after oral chlorpyrifos exposure, to investigate the adsorption effect of hemoperhusion for chlorpyrifos poisoning. 12 rabbits were divided into two groups after oral exposure with chlorpyrifos 300 mg/kg body weight. Control group: without hemoperfusion; hemoperfusion group: hemoperfusion starts 0.5 h after chlorpyrifos exposure and lasts for 2h. Blood samples were collected at different times, concentrations of chlorpyrifos were tested by GC, then, toxicokinetic parameterswere calculated and analysis by DAS3.0. In hemoperfusion group, peak time was (7.19±3.74) h, peak concentrations was (1.37±0.56) mg/L, clearance rate was (13.93±10.27) L/h/kg, apparent volume of distribution was (418.18±147.15) L/kg The difference of these parameter were statistically significant compared with control group (Pchlorpyrifos poisoning.