Prion Infectivity and PrP in the Peripheral and Central Nervous System of Cattle 8 Months Post Oral BSE Challenge.

After oral exposure of cattle with classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (C-BSE), the infectious agent ascends from the gut to the central nervous system (CNS) primarily via the autonomic nervous system. However, the timeline of this progression has thus far remained widely undetermined. Previous studies were focused on later time points after oral exposure of animals that were already 4 to 6 months old when challenged.

Detection of PrP and prion infectivity in the ileal Peyer's patch of young calves as early as 2 months after oral challenge with classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

In classical bovine spongiform encephalopathy (C-BSE), an orally acquired prion disease of cattle, the ileal Peyer's patch (IPP) represents the main entry port for the BSE agent. In earlier C-BSE pathogenesis studies, cattle at 4-6 months of age were orally challenged, while there are strong indications that the risk of infection is highest in young animals. In the present study, unweaned calves aged 4-6 weeks were orally challenged to determine the earliest time point at which newly formed PrP and BSE infectivity are detectable in the IPP.

Osteomorphometry of the bones of the thigh, crus and foot in the New Zealand white rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

The morphology and morphometry of the bones of the thigh, crus and foot of ten adult New Zealand white rabbits were investigated to outline the peculiarities of the species and attempt to establish a morpho-functional paradigm. The femur, tibia-fibular, tarsus, metatarsals and digits of the right and left limbs were extracted and properly macerated. Gross observations of the femur revealed the presence of three trochanters.