Toxicity and pathophysiology of palytoxin congeners after intraperitoneal and aerosol administration in rats.

Preparations of palytoxin (PLTX, derived from Japanese Palythoa tuberculosa) and the congeners 42-OH-PLTX (from Hawaiian P. toxica) and ovatoxin-a (isolated from a Japanese strain of Ostreopsis ovata), as well as a 50:50 mixture of PLTX and 42-OH-PLTX derived from Hawaiian P. tuberculosa were characterized as to their concentration, composition, in-vitro potency and interaction with an anti-PLTX monoclonal antibody (mAb), after which they were evaluated for lethality and tissue histopathology after intraperitoneal (IP) and aerosol administration to rats.

Characterization of clinical and immunological parameters during Ebola virus infection of rhesus macaques.

The rhesus macaque serves as an animal model for Ebola virus (EBOV) infection. A thorough understanding of EBOV infection in this species would aid in further development of filovirus therapeutics and vaccines. In this study, pathological and immunological data from EBOV-infected rhesus macaques are presented.

Filovirus infection of STAT-1 knockout mice.

We evaluated the susceptibility to Ebola and Marburg virus infection of mice that cannot respond to interferon (IFN)-α/β and IFN-γ because of deletion of the STAT-1 gene. A mouse-adapted Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV) caused rapidly lethal disease; wild-type ZEBOV and Sudan Ebolavirus and 4 different Marburg virus strains produced severe, but more slowly progressive illness; and Reston Ebolavirus caused mild disease that was late in onset. The virulence of each agent was mirrored by the pace and severity of pathologic changes in the liver and lymphoid tissues.

Infection of cynomolgus macaques with a recombinant monkeypox virus encoding green fluorescent protein.

Monkeypox virus (MPXV) causes a vesiculopustular rash illness resembling smallpox in humans and produces a similar disease in nonhuman primates. To enhance the ability of researchers to study experimental MPXV infections, we inserted a gene encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) into Monkeypox virus Zaire-79. Wild-type and MPXV-GFP replicated with similar kinetics in cell culture and caused a similar disease when injected intravenously into cynomolgus macaques.

Effect of teriparatide [rhPTH(1,34)] and calcitonin on intertransverse process fusion in a rabbit model.

Study Design: Randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled animal study.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of teriparatide and calcitonin after an intertransverse process spinal fusion in a rabbit model.

Summary Of Background Data: It is widely recognized that some osteoporosis medications, including bisphosphonates, can interfere with bone healing.

Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-response, and preclinical safety study of transforaminal epidural etanercept for the treatment of sciatica.

Background: Recent evidence implicates the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor as a major cause of radiculopathy. Yet, whereas open-label studies with systemically delivered tumor necrosis factor inhibitors have yielded positive results, a placebo-controlled study failed to demonstrate efficacy. One variable that may have contributed to poor outcomes is low drug levels at the site of nerve inflammation.

Impact of phlebotomine sand flies on U.S. Military operations at Tallil Air Base, Iraq: 1. background, military situation, and development of a "Leishmaniasis Control Program".

One of the most significant modern day efforts to prevent and control an arthropod-borne disease during a military deployment occurred when a team of U.S. military entomologists led efforts to characterize, prevent, and control leishmaniasis at Tallil Air Base (TAB), Iraq, during Operation Iraqi Freedom.