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Abstract: Background: Sex-determining region Y (Sry) is a transcription factor. Our research group has shown that there are multiple copies of Sry in Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneous hypertensive (SHR) rats, and that they have novel functions separate from testes determination. Objective: We hypothesized that exogenously delivered Sry3 to the normotensive WKY male kidney would activate the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and raise blood pressure (BP), based on previous in vitro studies. Methods: Sry3 or control vector was electroporated to the left kidney of male WKY rats and the following measurements were taken: BP by telemetry, renin-angiotensin measures by radioimmunoassay, plasma and tissue catecholamines by HPLC with electrochemical detection, sodium by flame photometry, and inulin by ELISA. Results: Sry3 increased BP 10 to 20 mm Hg compared with controls (P < 0.01) and produced a significant 40% decrease in urine sodium compared with controls (P < 0.05). Sry3 increased renal angiotensin II and plasma renin activity by >100% compared with controls (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). Conclusion: The findings presented here confirm and extend the argument for Sry3 as one of the genes responsible for the SHR hypertensive Y chromosome phenotype and are consistent with increased tissue RAS activity due to Sry3 and increased sodium reabsorption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article deals with the detection of canine distemper virus in asymptomatic and non-vaccinated dogs using a quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Blood samples from 11 domestic dogs with no signs of canine distemper and non vaccinated dogs were examined. Canine distemper virus vaccine samples in VERO cells were used as positive controls while ribonucleic acid (RNA) was isolated with Trizol and treated with a protein coding region fragment amplification. It claims that the procedure is capable of detecting even a few copies of viral RNA and identify subclinically infected dogs providing accurate diagnosis of the disease at an early stage.