Histological and enzyme histochemical investigation of the hemal nodes of the hair goat

Abstract

We investigated the structure of the hemal node in six healthy hair goats using histological and enzyme histochemical methods. After processing, tissue sections were stained with Crossman's trichrome, Gordon-Sweet's silver and Pappenheim's panoptic stains. Alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase (ANAE) and acid phosphatase (ACP-ase) were demonstrated in frozen sections. Hemal nodes were encapsulated by connective tissue and few smooth muscle cells. Several trabeculae originated from the capsule and extended into the hemal node. A subcapsular sinus was present beneath the capsule and was continuous with the deeper sinuses. Subcapsular and deep sinuses were filled with erythrocytes. The parenchyma consisted of lymphoid follicles, diffuse interfollicular lymphocytes and irregular wide lymphoid cords. Cortical and medullary regions were not distinct. ANAE (+) and ACP-ase (+) cells were located mainly in the germinal centers of the lymphoid follicles and also were scattered equally in the interfollicular region and lymphoid cords. Monocytes, macrophages and reticular cells displayed a diffuse positive reaction, whereas localized granular positivity was observed in lymphocytes. We demonstrated that the general structure of the hair goat hemal nodes is similar to that of other ruminant species.     

Determination of acid α-naphthyl acetate esterase enzyme activity in peripheral blood leukocytes of gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa)

We examined gazelle peripheral blood leucocytes using the α-Naphthyl acetate esterase (ANAE) staining technique (pH 5.8). Our purpose was to determine the percentage of ANAE positive lymphocytes. The proportion of ANAE positive T-lymphocytes was 72%. T-lymphocytes showed an ANAE positive reaction, but eosinophilic granulocytes and monocytes also showed a positive reaction. By contrast, no reaction was detected in B-lymphocytes, neutrophil granulocytes or platelets. The reaction observed in T-lymphocytes was a red-brown coloration, usually 1–2 granules, but enough granules to fill the cytoplasm were detected rarely. As a result of ANAE enzyme staining, we concluded that the staining technique can be used as a cytochemical marker for gazelle T-lymphocytes.     

Effects of zinc supplementation to ration on some hematological parameters in broiler chicks

The aim of the study was to examine the effects of zinc supplementation on some hematological parameters. Sixty newborn male broiler chicks were utilized in the study. Zinc (Zn) was added into drinking water at levels of 0, 125, 500, and 1000 mg/kg. In the study, there was no significant difference between control and Zn-supplemented groups in erythrocyte count, hemoglobin amount, hematocrit levels, total leukocyte count, and differential leukocyte % levels, but the α-naphthyl acetate esterase ANAE(+) lymphocyte rate significantly (p<0.05) increased in the 125-ppm Zn-supplemented group compared with the control group. In conclusion, the data obtained may be beneficial in demonstrating the effects of zinc on, at least, these parameters.     

壳聚糖对急性氨氮胁迫下中华鳖稚鳖非特异性免疫反应的影响

本研究旨在探讨壳聚糖对急性氨氮胁迫下中华鳖(Pelodiscus sinensis)稚鳖非特异性免疫功能的影响。实验共设5组,实验组中华鳖分别腹腔注射0mg/ml(C0组)、1mg/ml(C1组)、5mg/ml(C2组)、50mg/ml(C3组)壳聚糖溶液0.1ml,并饲养于总氨氮浓度(TAN)为110mg/L的水环境中;对照组注射等量生理盐水溶液并饲养于新鲜晾晒自来水中。注射7d后观测外周血和脾脏中淋巴细胞ANAE阳性率、血清旁路途径溶血活性、血清溶菌活性。与对照组相比,C0组外周血T淋巴细胞ANAE阳性率和血清旁路途径溶血活性均有显著提高,脾脏T淋巴细胞和血清溶菌活性没有显著变化。与C0组相比,注射壳聚糖各组外周血T淋巴细胞ANAE阳性率和血清溶血活性均有不同程度的显著下降,并且恢复到接近对照组的水平(P>0.05),只有C3组溶血活性显著低于对照组;注射壳聚糖对脾脏中T淋巴细胞ANAE活性没有显著影响。C2组溶菌活性显著高于其他组,其他各组间差异不显著。表明壳聚糖对氨氮胁迫导致的免疫应激反应有一定的拮抗作用,其作用强度因壳聚糖浓度和免疫指标不同而异     

配偶选择中“听众效应”及鸣唱对雌性灰文鸟行为的影响

配偶选择是性选择研究核心问题之一。雌性通过选择高质量的雄性配偶获得直接利益,如资源、营养和保护等,也可以通过获得高质量雄性提高后代的适合度。配偶选择研究对于研究性选择机制和进化均具有重要意义。目前,对配偶选择的研究主要集中在影响配偶选择的因素及雌性"听众效应"中雄性-雄性竞争方面。鸣唱对配偶选择的影响和雄性"听众效应"中雌性-雌性竞争的研究对于探索鸟类配偶选择中信号交流、调整的方式及选择策略均具有重要意义。以灰文鸟为对象,研究了雄性鸣唱对雌性配偶选择的影响及雄性"听众效应"对雌性灰文鸟同性竞争行为的影响进行了探讨。实验一利用双向选择装置,以配偶鸣唱(求偶鸣唱或非求偶鸣唱)和非配偶鸣唱(求偶鸣唱或非求偶鸣唱)对雌鸟进行刺激,观察雌鸟对两端鸣唱的偏爱状况。实验二主要观察雌鸟之间在无听众、听众为熟悉的雄性和听众为配偶条件下的竞争行为。结果表明,雌性灰文鸟大多偏爱配偶鸣唱,相对于配偶的非求偶鸣唱更偏爱非配偶的求偶鸣唱。求偶鸣唱比非求偶鸣唱更具有吸引力,求偶鸣唱更能刺激雌性灰文鸟配偶选择的积极性,这种积极要付出更多的时间和资源,但雌鸟可以通过选择更高质量的雄性配偶获益。在配偶雄性作为听众条件下雌鸟攻击行为最高,显著高于熟悉雄性为听众的条件下,并且两者都显著高于无听众条件下雌鸟的攻击行为。雌性灰文鸟会基于不同"听众"而对雌-雌竞争行为做出适当调整。上述研究结果对于深入理解鸟类的性选择行为机制具有重要帮助作用。     

鳖、蛙及鲢免疫组织中两种不同淋巴细胞的分布

分别以中华鳖(Trionyx sinesis Wiegmann) 、美国青蛙(Rana grylio stejneger)及鲢(Hypo phthaImichthys molitrix Cuvier et Valenciennes)为材料,采用醋酸萘酯酶(Acid α-Naphtyl Acetate Esterase,ANAE)染色及植物凝集素荧光(Fluorescein isothiocyanat-Phytohaemagglutinin,FITC-PHA)受体标记的方法,对被标记阳性淋巴细胞在上述水产动物不同免疫组织中的分布状况进行了分析和比较.       

血培养阳性报警时间联合降钙素原、中性粒细胞/淋巴细胞比值对大肠埃希菌血流感染患者死亡风险的预测价值

摘要 目的：探讨血培养阳性报警时间（TTP）联合降钙素原（PCT）、中性粒细胞/淋巴细胞比值（NLR）对大肠埃希菌血流感染（BSI）患者死亡风险的预测价值。方法：选取2020年1月～2022年6月我院收治的223例大肠埃希菌BSI患者,根据入院后28 d内是否死亡分为死亡组和存活组。收集患者临床资料和血培养TTP,检测PCT、NLR。采用多因素Logistic回归分析大肠埃希菌BSI患者死亡的影响因素。采用受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析TTP、PCT、NLR对大肠埃希菌BSI患者死亡风险的预测价值。结果：223例大肠埃希菌BSI患者入院后28 d内死亡率为30.04％（67/223）。死亡组TTP短于存活组,PCT、NLR高于存活组（P均＜0.001）。多因素Logistic回归分析显示,年龄增加、入住重症监护病房（ICU）、气管插管/切开、PCT升高、NLR升高为大肠埃希菌BSI患者死亡的独立危险因素,TTP延长为独立保护因素（P＜0.05）。ROC曲线分析显示,TTP、PCT、NLR联合预测大肠埃希菌BSI患者死亡的曲线下面积大于各指标单独预测。结论：TTP缩短和PCT、NLR升高与大肠埃希菌BSI患者死亡风险增加相关,TTP、PCT、NLR联合预测大肠埃希菌BSI患者死亡风险的价值较高。     

Trypanosoma cruzi: Impact of dual-clone infections on parasite biological properties in BALB/c mice

Herein, we have analyzed major biological properties following dual-clone Trypanosoma cruzi infections in BALB/c mice. Eight T. cruzi clonal stocks, two of each principal genotype, including genotype 19 and 20 (T. cruzi I), hybrid genotype 39 (T. cruzi) and 32 (T. cruzi II) were combined into 24 different dual-clone infections. Special attention was given to characterize biological parameters assayed including: prepatent period, patent period, maximum of parasitemia, day of maximum parasitemia, area under the parasitemia curve, infectivity, mortality, and hemoculture positivity. Our findings clearly demonstrated that features resultant of dual-clone infections of T. cruzi clonal stocks did not display either the characteristics of the corresponding monoclonal infections or the theoretical mixture based on the respective monoclonal infections. Significant changes in the expected values were observed in 4.2-79.2% of the mixtures considering the eight biological parameters studied. A lower frequency of significant differences was found for mixtures composed by phylogenetically distant clonal stocks. Altogether, our data support our hypothesis that mixed T. cruzi infections have a great impact on the biological properties of the parasite in the host and re-emphasizes the importance of considering the possible occurrence of natural mixed infections in humans and their consequences on the biological aspects of ongoing Chagas' disease.     

Positivity and intensity of Gnathostoma spinigerum infective larvae in farmed and wild-caught swamp eels in Thailand

From July 2008 to June 2009, livers of the swamp eels (Monopterus alba) were investigated for advanced third-stage larvae (AL3) of Gnathostoma spinigerum. Results revealed that 10.2% (106/1,037) and 20.4% (78/383) of farmed eels from Aranyaprathet District, Sa Kaeo Province and those of wild-caught eels obtained from a market in Min Buri District of Bangkok, Thailand were infected, respectively. The prevalence was high during the rainy and winter seasons. The infection rate abruptly decreased in the beginning of summer. The highest infection rate (13.7%) was observed in September and absence of infection (0%) in March-April in the farmed eels. Whereas, in the wild-caught eels, the highest rate (30.7%) was observed in November, and the rate decreased to the lowest at 6.3% in March. The average no. (mean±SE) of AL3 per investigated liver in farmed eels (1.1±0.2) was significantly lower (P=0.040) than those in the caught eels (0.2±0.03). In addition, the intensity of AL3 recovered from each infected liver varied from 1 to 18 (2.3±0.3) in the farmed eels and from 1 to 47 (6.3±1.2) in the caught eels, respectively. The AL3 intensity showed significant difference (P=0.011) between these 2 different sources of eels. This is the first observation that farmed eels showed positive findings of G. spinigerum infective larvae. This may affect the standard farming of the culture farm and also present a risk of consuming undercooked eels from the wild-caught and farmed eels.     

Cross-reactivity of the IDEXX Legiolert method with other Gram-negative bacteria and waterborne pathogens leads to false-positive assay results

Legionella species are the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease, a potentially fatal bacterial pneumonia. New regulations and standards have prioritized the development of water safety plans to minimize the growth and spread of Legionella species in buildings. To determine the presence and type of Legionella in a water system, microbiological culturing is the gold standard method. However, recently new methodologies have been developed that claim to be sensitive and specific for Legionella at the genus or L. pneumophila at the species level. Published and anecdotal reports suggest that one of these newer culture-based, enzyme-substrate methods, the IDEXX Legiolert test, may exhibit false positivity with other microbes common to water sources. We experimentally evaluated the IDEXX Legiolert method using these other waterborne bacteria including Elizabethkingia meningoseptica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis and Serratia marcescens at real-world environmental concentrations. We saw false-positive results for the Legiolert test with several of these organisms, at sample concentrations as low as 60 CFU per ml. False-positive Legionella results can trigger costly remediation and water-use restrictions, that may be implemented while waiting for additional, confirmatory microbiological testing that could, in this case, yield no L. pneumophila.