FAP upregulates PD-L1 expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts to exacerbate T cells dysfunction and suppress anti-tumor immunity.

FAP-positive cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), recognized as a critical subset of CAFs, have been implicated in fostering an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in various cancers. However, their potential mechanisms of immunosuppression, particularly in modulating T cells, remain elusive. In this study, multiple internal cohorts consisting of 328 patients as well as 5 external cohorts were integrated to delineate the association between unfavorable prognosis or therapeutic resistance and FAP CAFs in gastric cancer patients.

Deletion of IRS-1 leads to growth failure and insulin resistance with downregulation of liver and muscle insulin signaling in rats.

Insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 and IRS-2 are major molecules that transduce signals from insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I receptors. The physiological functions of these proteins have been intensively investigated in mice, while little is known in other animals. Our previous study showed that the disruption of IRS-2 impairs body growth but not glucose tolerance or insulin sensitivity in rats, which led us to hypothesize that IRS-1 plays more pivotal roles in insulin functions than IRS-2.

Novel Antigenic Variant Infectious Bursal Disease Virus Outbreaks in Japan from 2014 to 2023 and Characterization of an Isolate from Chicken.

Novel antigenic variant strains of the infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) classified into genogroup A2d have been found in the western part of Japan since 2017. Novel antigenic variant IBDVs now occur in higher frequencies in poultry houses and have been detected in the eastern part of Japan, indicating the spread of IBDVs despite the usual IBDV vaccination. We isolated a novel antigenic variant IBDV, designated as the B2977CE2C3 strain.

A new genus and species of isosporoid coccidium from captive green tree frogs, (Anura: Hylidae).

A new genus and a new species of isosporoid coccidium (Apicomplexa: Conoidasida: Eimeriorina) are described and illustrated from green tree frogs () (Anura: Hylidae) imported from Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. The described species has disporocystic and tetrasporozoic oocysts without a Stieda body. Nine species originally belonging to the genus Schneider, 1881 in the family Eimeriidae Minchin, 1903 described from Anura are recognized as members of the new genus and new combinations of the species names are proposed.

Effect of commercial prescription diets containing prebiotics on clinical signs and fecal microbiome in dogs with intestinal disease.

Diet has emerged as a key modulator of the gut microbiota, offering a potential strategy for disease prevention and management. This study investigated the effects of the Prescription Diet Gastrointestinal Biome (GB) on 7 healthy dogs and 16 dogs with chronic gastrointestinal diseases (GI dogs). Our investigation monitored changes in body weight and the Canine Inflammatory Bowel Disease Activity Index (CIBDAI) in 16 GI dogs fed a GB diet.

DNA metabarcoding reveals diet diversity and niche partitioning by two sympatric herbivores in summer.

Background: Food provides essential nutrients and energy necessary for animals to sustain life activities. Accordingly, dietary niche analysis facilitates the exploration of foraging strategies and interspecific relationships among wildlife. The vegetation succession has reduced understory forage resources (.

TIM3 on natural killer cells regulates antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in HER2-positive gastric cancer.

Therapies targeting HER2 are the standard treatment for HER2-positive gastric cancer (GC). Trastuzumab, a monoclonal antibody against HER2, exerts anti-tumor activity through cell growth regulation and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). ADCC is induced by the binding of trastuzumab to Fcγ receptor III (CD16) in natural killer (NK) cells.

Development of a sensitive disease-screening model using comprehensive circulating microRNA profiles in dogs: A pilot study.

In the veterinary field, the utility of disease-identification models that use comprehensive circulating microRNA (miRNA) profiles produced through measurements based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) remains unproven. To integrate NGS technology with automated machine learning (autoML) to create a comprehensive circulating miRNA profile and to assess the clinical utility of a disease-screening model derived from this profile. The study involved dogs diagnosed with or being treated for various diseases, including tumors, across multiple veterinary clinics ( = 254), and healthy dogs without apparent diseases ( = 91).

Characteristics of Cerebrovascular Response to Intrinsic Vasoactive Substances in Sika Deer () and the Possible Effects of Gravity on Adrenergic Responses.

Gravity may exert species-specific effects on quadrupedal vasoreactivity, reflecting variations in the vertical displacement of the cardiocranial axis from the dorsal plane. Deer show markedly displaced cardiocranial axes compared to their closest phylogenetic relatives, but their relative cerebrovascular responses remain unelucidated. Accordingly, we investigated the responses to noradrenaline (NA), acetylcholine (ACh), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), histamine, angiotensin (Ang) II, and bradykinin (BK) in cervine basilar arterial rings.

SUSD2 cancer-associated fibroblasts in gastric cancer mediate the effect of immunosuppression and predict overall survival and the effectiveness of neoadjuvant immunotherapy.

Background: The expression patterns and functions of Sushi Domain Containing 2 (SUSD2) differ among various malignancies. This research aims to investigate the expression of SUSD2 and the role of the SUSD2 cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) for immunotherapy in gastric cancer.

Methods: The expression of SUSD2 and specific markers (CD4, CD8, PD-1, TIGIT, TIM-3 and CD163) was determined using immunohistochemistry and multiplex immunofluorescence (mIHC) on paraffin sections.

-Infected Macrophage Extracellular Vesicles Cause Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes.

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease triggered by oral bacterial infection, with the bacterium being a major causative agent. The association between periodontitis and various systemic diseases has been demonstrated. Recent research has also highlighted the relationship between the aggravation of maternal periodontitis and adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth and low birth weight.

Disseminated proliferative mesocestoidosis caused by Mesocestoides vogae (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidae) in a French bulldog in Japan.

This report describes a case of disseminated proliferative mesocestoidosis in a French bulldog from Aichi, Japan. In July 2023, the dog presented with chronic enteritis, and histological examination of the endoscopic biopsy specimen revealed parasites with suckers. Three months later, numerous tetrathyridia were detected in the inguinal mass.

Gnathostoma doloresi in domestic pigs in the Republic of Palau, 2020-2022.

Gnathostoma adult worms were found in the stomachs of domestic pigs in the Republic of Palau, with a prevalence of 0.7% (2/277) in the meat inspections conducted between 2020 and 2022. Based on morphological characteristics and nucleotide sequence analysis, the worms were identified as the adult stage of Gnathostoma doloresi Tubangui, 1925 (Rhabditida: Gnathostomatidae).

Evaluating Laparoscopic Skills: Report on the Origami Crane Folding Competition Using Laparoscopic Instruments With Objective Criteria.

Purpose: To evaluate the importance of daily laparoscopic training using laparoscopic forceps to fold origami paper cranes (a traditional Japanese paper craft) and assess the performance of laparoscopic origami crane folding in an actual competition.

Method: A competition, named the "Kaminote Challenge World Championship," was used to evaluate the effectiveness of training. The participants folded the paper cranes using laparoscopic forceps.

Tibial Torsion Malalignment in Small Dogs with Medial Patellar Luxation.

Objective:  Medial patellar luxation (MPL) is prevalent in small dogs; however, the causes vary, and few studies have reported tibial deformities. We aimed to conduct a detailed morphological investigation of internal tibial torsion and internal foot rotation and compare the results between MPL grades to better understand the pathogenesis of MPL.

Study Design:  We performed a morphological study of the tibia and comparison with MPL grade, and established a new parameter, metatarsal orientation relative to the orientation of the tibial tuberosity, the proximal tibia metatarsal angle (PTMTA).

Heritabilities for copy number variation of porcine endogenous retrovirus by a quantitative PCR.

Pigs (Sus scrofa) have been expected to have organs transplanted to humans, but porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) is one of the risks because the PERV has the possibility to get infected with human cells. Therefore, the pigs are required to have as low a PERV copy number as possible. In this study, firstly, we investigated the estimates of heritabilities for the PERV copy numbers in the Vietnamese native breeds.

Seasonal infestation patterns of ticks on Hokkaido sika deer ().

Ticks prefer specific feeding sites on a host that are influenced by host–tick and tick–tick interactions. This study focused on the spatiotemporal distribution of ticks in Hokkaido sika deer, an important tick host in Hokkaido, Japan. Tick sampling was performed on the sika deer in the Shiretoko National Park between June and October 2022.

Possibility of Vertical Transmission of Spp. in Sika Deer in Japan.

In recent years, the wild deer population in Japan has grown exponentially, causing severe feeding damage to the agricultural and forestry industries. Therefore, the game meat industry is being promoted for effective utilization of hunted animals. Wild animals are not hygienically controlled and can serve as reservoirs for pathogenic microorganisms.

Antitumor effects of inhibitors of ERK and Akt pathways in canine histiocytic sarcoma cell lines.

Canine histiocytic sarcoma (CHS) is characterized by aggressive biological behavior. In our previous study, ERK and Akt pathways were found to be activated in CHS tissues. Thus, the objective of this study was set to investigate the relationships between the activation status of these pathways and the proliferation of CHS cell lines by examining the effects of single and co-administrations of drugs targeting these pathways.

CXCL12/CXCR4 pathway as a novel therapeutic target for RNF213-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Genetic backgrounds of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) were not fully investigated. A variant of c.14429G > A (p.

Pelvic osteotomy for pelvic canal stenosis after malunion pelvic fractures in cats.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of pelvic osteotomy and ventral fixation of the ischium using cortical screws and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) for feline pelvic canal stenosis (PCS) associated with malunion after conservative management of pelvic fractures.

Methods: Surgical pelvic enlargement was performed for PCS in six cats. The medical records, including information on the patients, surgical procedures, defecation and complications, were reviewed.

Efficacy of a DNA vaccine encoding the E2 glycoprotein of bovine viral diarrhea virus 1 fused to mouse lysosome-associated membrane protein 1.

The E2 protein of bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is a known protective antigen and a major target for DNA vaccines. DNA vaccines have various advantages; however, their immunogenicity needs to be enhanced by using adjuvants or drug delivery systems. In this study, we used mouse lysosome-associated membrane protein 1 (mLAMP1) as a molecular adjuvant and developed a DNA vaccine encoding an mLAMP1-BVDV E2 chimeric protein (pVax-mLAMP1-E2).

A new subtype of serovar 6, K6b:O3, of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae based on genotypic analysis.

We have analyzed the capsule (CPS) and the lipopolysaccharide O-Antigen (O-Ag) biosynthesis loci of fifteen field isolates of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, including eleven North American and four Japanese ones, reactive to antisera against serovars 3, 6, 8 and/or 15. Ten North American isolates amplified a serovar 6-indicative fragment derived from the capsular loci, whereas one North American isolate and all four Japanese isolates amplified the serovar 6-indicative fragment as well as the serovar 3-indicative fragment. The five isolates producing a 3/6 banding pattern contain a type I CPS locus, named K6b, similar to serovar 6, but with differences in the cpxABCD and cpsABC gene sequences and the length of intergenic regions (modF-cpxA, and cpsC-cpsD).

Examination of yield, bacteriolytic activity and cold storage of linker deletion mutants based on endolysin S6_ORF93 derived from Staphylococcus giant bacteriophage S6.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. present challenges in clinical and veterinary settings because effective antimicrobial agents are limited. Phage-encoded peptidoglycan-degrading enzyme, endolysin, is expected to be a novel antimicrobial agent.