Systemic nocardiosis in a hill mynah (Gracula religiosa) a pathological study

A case of systemic nocardiosis in a hill mynah (Gracula religiosa) studied by pathological techniques, is described. Macroscopically, greyish white nodular lesions of 2 to 8 mm in diam. were seen in the lungs, kidneys, proventriculus, mesentery and muscles of the eye ball. Histologically, there was replacement of normal parenchyma in these organs by areas of caseation necrosis or granulomas with epithelioid andLanghan's giant cells. The organism was gram and PAS positive, but not acid fast. No culture was obtained.     

Systemic and intestinal limits of O2 extraction in the dog

When systemic delivery of O2 (QO2 = QT X CaO2, where QT is cardiac output and CaO2 is arterial O2 content) is reduced by bleeding, the systemic O2 extraction ratio [ER = (CaO2 - CVO2)/CaO2, where CVO2 is venous O2 content] increases until a critical limit is reached below which O2 uptake (VO2) becomes limited by O2 delivery. During hypovolemia, reflex increases in mesenteric arterial tone may preferentially reduce gut blood flow so that the onset of O2 supply dependence occurs in the gut before other regions. We compared the critical O2 delivery (QO2c) and critical extraction ratio (ERc) of whole body and an isolated segment (30-50 g) of small bowel in seven anesthetized paralyzed dogs ventilated with room air. Systemic QO2 was reduced in stages by controlled hemorrhage as arterial O2 content was maintained, and systemic and gut VO2 and QO2 were measured at each stage. Body QO2c was 7.9 +/- 1.9 ml X kg-1 X min-1 (ERc = 0.69 +/- 0.12), whereas gut O2 supply dependency occurred when gut QO2 was 34.3 +/- 11.3 ml X min-1 X kg gut wt-1 (ERc = 0.63 +/- 0.09). O2 supply dependency in the gut occurred at a higher systemic QO2 (9.7 +/- 2.7) than whole-body QO2c (P less than 0.05). The extraction ratio at the final stage (maximal ER) was less in the gut (0.80 +/- 0.05) than whole body (0.87 +/- 0.06). Thus during reductions in systemic QO2, gut VO2 was maintained by increases in gut extraction of O2.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Localized cutaneous nocardiosis in Japan

A turbidometric method was used to measure Candida albicans yeast cell growth and to quantitate the postantifungal effect (PAFE) after exposure to various concentrations of flucytosine and amphotericin B, alone and in combination, for 2 hr at 30°C. The drug concentrations used in the PAFE assays were determined by initial MIC and FIC (fractional inhibitory concentration) evaluations. The PAFE was calculated by the difference in time (hr) required for growth of the control and test cultures to reach the 0.5 absorbance level following removal of the drug by dilution. A synergistic PAFE was evidenced with combinations of the two drugs at concentrations below their individual MICs. Combinations of flucytosine (0.012 to 0.049 g ml^–1) and amphotericin B (0.195 to 0.39 g ml^–1) produced PAFEs ranging from 6.3 to 21.8 hr. These PAFEs persisted from 0.3 to 14.7 hr longer than those achieved when each of the two agents was assayed separately.     

Disseminated nocardiosis in three macaque monkeys

Extrapulmonary nocardiosis was diagnosed at necropsy in two rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) and one pigtailed monkey (M. nemestrina) over a four-year period in a large primate center. Typical lesions were multiple pyogranulomatous foci in the liver, intestines, peritoneum, lung and brain. Partially acid-fast, branching, filamentous organisms were seen in all lesions. Nocardia sp. was isolated from two cases. We postulate that two of the monkeys were infected by the oral route because of the distribution of lesions.     

Experimental pulmonary nocardiosis in monkeys.

The study describes an easy and reproducible technique of producing pulmonary nocardiosis in monkeys, yielding consistent morbidity and mortality results. Introduction of the fungal suspension into the lower canaliculus, with or without debridement of the canalicular epithelium, produced fatal pneumonitis in 1-2 weeks. Specificity of the lesions was determined by demonstration of Nocardia in tissue sections and in culture.     

Antibodies to phospholipids in experimental nocardiosis

Live Nocardia asteroides injected intraperitoneally into guinea pigs produced antibodies to phospholipids of Nocardia whereas antibodies were not detected in animals injected with heat-killed N. asteroides. The antibody titer was found to be related with the degree of infection; a significant decrease was noted after sulfadiazine treatment suggesting that antibodies were produced in response to an increasing bacterial load that occurred as the infection progressed.This work was partly financed by a grant from the Indian Council of Medical Research.     

Immunodiagnosis of nocardiosis.

A specific immunodominant 54-kDa antigen was purified from a culture filtrate of Nocardia asteroides by immunoaffinity chromatography. The chromatography column was prepared with immunoglobulin G obtained from sera from patients with lepromatous leprosy. Unbound solutes consisted of specific, partially purified N. asteroides antigens, primarily a 54-kDa band, accompanied by two others of 31 and 62 kDa. The Western blot (immunoblot) technique was applied to detecting the immunologic response to nocardiae in the serum of nocardiosis patients. Each of the serum samples from immunosuppressed or immunocompetent patients infected with N. asteroides reacted with the 54-kDa band, and two reacted with the 31- and 62-kDa bands. There was no reaction to either the 54- or the 31-kDa antigen with all serum samples obtained from patients with tuberculosis, except for one, with all serum samples obtained from patients with leprosy, or with all sera obtained from healthy controls. The partially purified 54-kDa antigen, specific for N. asteroides, was used as the immunogen to generate monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and two mAbs were selected. As determined by Western blot, both mAbs reacted with the 54-kDa band. Using indirect immunofluorescence or enzyme immunoassay with whole N. asteroides micro-organisms, the mAbs did not react with N. asteroides cells. No cross-reactivity with mycobacterial antigens, either culture-filtrate antigens or tuberculin, was exhibited with any of the two mAbs. These mAbs are candidates to be used for the development of a sensitive and specific diagnostic test for nocardiosis.     

Immunogenicity of cell extract proteins in pulmonary nocardiosis

Summary Crude protein fraction (CPF) ofNocardia asteroides was fractionated into F₁ and F₂ subfractions. CPF F₁ elicited both cellular as well as humoral immune responses, while F₂ was found to be non-immunogenic. Mice immunized with CPF F₁ and challenged with calculated LD₅₀ dose ofN. asteroides exhibited significant protection against nocardiosis as compared to non-immunized mice. CPF was found to be the best immunogen.

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Immunogénicité de protéines d'extrait cellulaire dans la nocardiose pulmonaire

Résumé La fraction brute de protéines (CPF) deNocardia asteroides a été fractionnée en sous-fractions F₁ et F₂. CPF-F₁ engendre les réponses immunologiques tant cellulaire qu'humorale, tandis que CPF-F₂ s'est révélée non-immunologique. Des souris immunisées par CPF-F₁ et soumises à des doses calculées pour un LD₅₀ deN. asteroides ont montré une protection significative contre la nocardiose par comparaison aux souris non immunisées. CPF s'est révélé être le meilleur immunogène.

     

Pulmonary nocardiosis report of the first two Brazilian cases

Summary The first two Brazilian cases of human pulmonary nocardiosis are reported. Diagnosis was established on material obtained by direct lung puncture. A review of selected aspects on pulmonary nocardiosis in Latin American countries is presented.     

养殖乌鳢诺卡氏菌病及其病原研究

2006年6月至7月,浙江萧山的部分乌鳢养殖池塘出现大规模死鱼现象,发病率达35%,死亡率100%。病死鱼鱼龄多在18个月左右,体长30－35 cm。症状主要表现为体表、鳍条充血,肝、脾、肾等内脏器官出现直径1－5 mm的乳白色结节。从病鱼的肝脏和肾脏中分离到菌株W060622,经光镜、电镜观察,在形态上均表现为长或短的分支状杆菌。回归感染试验证实W060622即引起此次乌鳢结节病的病原菌。通过16S rRNA基因的全序列测定,并与Genbank中相关序列进行比对,发现W060622与鰤鱼诺卡氏菌Nocardia seriolea JCM3360T (Z36925)的16S rRNA基因序列相似性达99.9%。结合菌株回归感染、形态学和生物学特征及16S rRNA分子鉴定,确定W060622为鰤鱼诺卡氏菌。     

Intersexes in the dog

A litter of five salukis was presented in which all of the individuals were intersexes or hermaphrodites. Anatomical abnormalities were observed. The external genitalia resembled a combination of penile sheath and vulva positioned approximately midway between the anus and umbilicus. At birth structures resembling scrotal sacs were present on either side of the genital structure. These were not apparent in older animals. Internal anatomy consisted of two gonads in a position expected for ovaries, oviducts, uterus and cord-like structures lateral to the uterus which extended from gonad to inside of the "scrotal sacs." Histologically, the gonads appeared to be ovaries which contained many dysgenic follicles. Cause of the condition is unknown.