Mineralization of equine proximal sesamoid bones precedes articular cartilage and fibrocartilaginous enthesis maturation in early postgestational development.

Objective: To describe the development and maturation of equine proximal sesamoid bones (PSBs) in fetuses and young horses using radiography, microcomputed (micro)-CT, and histology.

Methods: A descriptive study. Forelimb PSBs from 12 equids ranging in age from 105 days of gestation to 540 days postgestation were evaluated.

Equine gamma herpesvirus presence and viral load are not associated with equine glandular gastric disease.

Objective: To investigate the role of equine herpesvirus-2 (EHV-2) and equine herpesvirus-5 (EHV-5) in equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) by visualizing and quantifying these gamma herpesviruses in EGGD-affected and normal glandular gastric mucosa of horses. A secondary objective was to describe the histopathological abnormalities in the equine gastric glandular mucosa in horses with EGGD.

Animals: 29 horses (n = 21 postmortem and 8 gastroscopy) categorized as normal (11), EGGD (12), or both EGGD and equine squamous gastric disease (6).

Proteomic profiling of membrane vesicles from Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis: Navigating towards an insilico design of a multi-epitope vaccine targeting membrane vesicle proteins.

Bacteria typically produce membrane vesicles (MVs) at varying levels depending on the surrounding environments. Gram-negative bacterial outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) have been extensively studied for over 30 years, but MVs from Gram-positive bacteria only recently have been a focus of research. In the present study, we isolated MVs from Mycobacterium avium subsp.

Experimental Induction of Acute Acanthamoeba castellanii Keratitis in Cats.

Purpose: To develop a feline model of acute Acanthamoeba keratitis using methods that replicate natural routes of infection transmission.

Methods: Corneal Acanthamoeba castellanii inoculation was performed by three methods: topical inoculation with Acanthamoeba solution following corneal abrasion, placement of a contaminated contact lens for 7 days, and placement of a contaminated contact lens for 7 days following corneal abrasion. Sham inoculations with parasite-free medium and sterile contact lenses were also performed.

Metacarpophalangeal Joint Pathology and Bone Mineral Density Increase with Exercise but Not with Incidence of Proximal Sesamoid Bone Fracture in Thoroughbred Racehorses.

Proximal sesamoid bone (PSB) fracture is the leading cause of fatal musculoskeletal injury in Thoroughbred racehorses in Hong Kong and the US. Efforts are underway to investigate diagnostic modalities that could help identify racehorses at increased risk of fracture; however, features associated with PSB fracture risk are still poorly understood. The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate third metacarpal (MC3) and PSB density and mineral content using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), computed tomography (CT), Raman spectroscopy, and ash fraction measurements, and (2) investigate PSB quality and metacarpophalangeal joint (MCPJ) pathology using Raman spectroscopy and CT.

Leucine-Rich Repeat Proteins Provide Strong Protective Efficacy as Novel Leptospiral Vaccine Candidates.

Leucine-rich repeat (LRR) proteins are advocated for being assessed in vaccine development. Leptospiral LRR proteins were identified recently in silico from the genome of Leptospira borgpetersenii serogroup Sejroe, the seroprevalence of leptospiral infections of cattle in Thailand. Two LRR recombinant proteins, rKU_Sej_LRR_2012M (2012) and rhKU_Sej_LRR_2271 (2271), containing predicted immunogenic epitopes, were investigated for their cross-protective efficacies in an acute leptospirosis model with heterologous Leptospira serovar Pomona, though, strains from serogroup Sejroe are host-adapted to bovine, leading to chronic disease.

Plakoglobin and High-Mobility Group Box 1 Mediate Intestinal Epithelial Cell Apoptosis Induced by Clostridioides difficile TcdB.

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated intestinal disease, resulting in severe diarrhea and fatal pseudomembranous colitis. TcdB, one of the essential virulence factors secreted by this bacterium, induces host cell apoptosis through a poorly understood mechanism. Here, we performed an RNA interference (RNAi) screen customized to Caco-2 cells, a cell line model of the intestinal epithelium, to discover host factors involved in TcdB-induced apoptosis.

Mediastinal Serous Cavity Mesothelioma in Two Dogs.

The mediastinal serous cavity (MSC)-well documented but seldom recognized in the caudal mediastinum-is embryologically derived from the omental bursa. Mesothelioma arising from the MSC in two dogs is described. Both dogs presented with acute life-threatening hemorrhagic pleural effusion.

Proximal sesamoid bone microdamage is localized to articular subchondral regions in Thoroughbred racehorses, with similar fracture toughness between fracture and controls.

Objective: To determine whether proximal sesamoid bone (PSB) microdamage and fracture toughness differ between Thoroughbred racehorses sustaining PSB fracture and controls.

Study Design: Cadaveric case-control.

Animals: Twenty-four Thoroughbred racehorses (n = 12 PSB fracture, n = 12 control).

Bacterial culture and immunohistochemical detection of bacteria and endotoxin in cats with suppurative cholangitis-cholangiohepatitis syndrome.

Objective: To characterize the frequency and type of bacterial infection by culture- and immunohistochemical (IHC)-based methods and determine the impact of infection on clinical features and survival time in cats with suppurative cholangitis-cholangiohepatitis syndrome (S-CCHS).

Animals: 168 client-owned cats with S-CCHS (cases).

Procedures: Clinical features, bacterial culture results, culture-inoculate sources, and survival details were recorded.

Determination of correlation of proximal sesamoid bone osteoarthritis with high-speed furlong exercise and catastrophic sesamoid bone fracture in Thoroughbred racehorses.

Objective: To examine whether proximal sesamoid bone (PSB) articular cartilage and bone osteoarthritic changes or palmar osteochondral disease (POD) scores were associated with exercise history and catastrophic PSB fracture in Thoroughbred racehorses.

Samples: PSBs from 16 Thoroughbred racehorses (8 with and 8 without PSB fracture).

Procedures: Exercise history was collected, and total career high-speed furlongs was used as the measure of total exercise per horse.

Pathogenesis, MicroRNA-122 Gene-Regulation, and Protective Immune Responses After Acute Equine Hepacivirus Infection.

Background And Aims: Equine hepacivirus (EqHV) is phylogenetically the closest relative of HCV and shares genome organization, hepatotropism, transient or persistent infection outcome, and the ability to cause hepatitis. Thus, EqHV studies are important to understand equine liver disease and further as an outbred surrogate animal model for HCV pathogenesis and protective immune responses. Here, we aimed to characterize the course of EqHV infection and associated protective immune responses.

Equine leptospirosis: Experimental challenge of Leptospira interrogans serovar Bratislava fails to establish infection in naïve horses.

Background: Little information is available about experimental inoculation of leptospirosis in horses and the pathogenicity of Leptospira interrogans serovar Bratislava in this host.

Objectives: To determine the serological, clinical, pathological and haematological responses of horses to L. interrogans serovar Bratislava strain PigK151.

sclerokeratitis in a cat.

Case Description: A 12-year-old neutered male domestic shorthair cat with chronic anterior uveitis and secondary glaucoma of the right eye was examined for persistent blepharospasm 2 weeks after corneal debridement and grid keratotomy for nonhealing superficial ulcerative keratitis.

Clinical Findings: Examination of the right eye revealed a central superficial corneal ulcer associated with corneal epithelial and subepithelial infiltrates and mild aqueous flare. Structures consistent with amoeboid cysts and trophozoites were detected in the cornea by in vivo confocal microscopy.

Evaluation of new leptospiral antigens for the diagnosis of equine leptospirosis: An approach using pan-genomic analysis, reverse vaccinology and antigenic selection.

Background: The current gold standard diagnostic test for leptospirosis is the microscopic agglutination test (MAT), which has many drawbacks; therefore, the development of a better and easier serological test for leptospirosis is needed.

Objectives: To apply reverse vaccinology (RV) and antigenic selection on the assortment of leptospiral targets and evaluate their potential for use as reagents for the diagnosis of equine leptospirosis.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Clinical, clinicopathologic, and hepatic histopathologic features associated with probable ketoconazole-induced liver injury in dogs: 15 cases (2015-2018).

Objective: To characterize clinical, clinicopathologic, and hepatic histopathologic features and outcome for dogs with probable ketoconazole-induced liver injury.

Animals: 15 dogs with suspected ketoconazole-induced liver injury that underwent liver biopsy.

Procedures: Medical record data were summarized regarding signalment, clinical signs, clinicopathologic and hepatic histopathologic findings, concurrent medications, ketoconazole dose, treatment duration, and outcome.

Developing mechanically robust, triazole-zwitterionic hydrogels to mitigate foreign body response (FBR) for islet encapsulation.

Zwitterionic hydrogels such as those based on polycarboxybetaine (PCB) or polysulfobetaine (PSB) have potential for various biomedical applications, due to their biocompatibility and low biofouling properties. However, the poor mechanical properties of zwitterionic hydrogels developed to date remain a challenge, severely limiting their practical uses. To improve the mechanical properties without compromising their zwitterionic feature or biocompatibility, we designed a new class of zwitterionic hydrogels by introducing triazole moieties into the hydrogel monomers that could form energy-dissipating π-π stacking.

Leptospirosis trends in China, 2007-2018: A retrospective observational study.

Leptospirosis is one of the most common and neglected tropical waterborne diseases in China, causing serious economic losses, and constituting a significant public health threat. Leptospirosis has recently received increased attention and is considered a re-emerging infectious disease in many countries. The incidence of leptospirosis among people suggests that occupation, age, season, sex and water recreational activities are significant risk factors.

Reference limits for hepatic bile duct-to-arteriole and bile duct-to-portal tract ratios in healthy cats.

OBJECTIVE To establish reference limits for hepatic bile duct-to-arteriole ratio (BD:A) and bile duct-to-portal tract ratio (BD:PT) in healthy cats and assess whether these parameters could be used to support a diagnosis of biliary ductopenia in cats. SAMPLE Hepatic biopsy samples from healthy cats (n = 20) and cats with ductopenia (2). PROCEDURES Hepatic biopsy samples from healthy cats were used to count the number of bile ducts and hepatic arterioles in 20 portal tracts for each cat.

Biodegradable amino acid-based poly(ester amine) with tunable immunomodulating properties and their in vitro and in vivo wound healing studies in diabetic rats' wounds.

The objective of this study is to design a new family of biodegradable synthetic polymeric biomaterials for providing a tunable inhibition of macrophage's nitric oxide synthase (NOS) pathway. l-Arginine (Arg) is the common substrate for NOS and arginase. Both two metabolic pathways participate in the wound healing process.

Nonarticular osseous cyst-like lesions of the intermedioradial carpal bone may be incidental magnetic resonance imaging findings in dogs.

As magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) becomes more readily available and more frequently utilized in the assessment of canine carpal lameness, both normal variations and early pathologic conditions must be recognized to optimize patient care and provide accurate diagnosis. On cross sectional studies of the canine carpus, cyst-like lesions have been detected at the dorsolateral aspect of the intermedioradial carpal bone. The cross-sectional imaging and histologic properties of these lesions have not been described.

Extended low-resolution structure of a antigen offers high bactericidal antibody accessibility amenable to vaccine design.

Pathogens rely on proteins embedded on their surface to perform tasks essential for host infection. These obligatory structures exposed to the host immune system provide important targets for rational vaccine design. Here, we use a systematically designed series of multi-domain constructs in combination with small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to determine the structure of the main immunoreactive region from a major antigen from , LigB.