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A spayed female mixed‐breed dog was presented with excessive bleeding from a wound in the mouth. The dog had a history of self‐limiting bleeding following ovariohysterectomy. A coagulation test revealed prolongation of the activated partial thromboplastin time (20.2 seconds; reference interval: 11.0–15.0 seconds), prothrombin time was normal and factor VIII activity was markedly decreased (1.9%; reference interval: >50%). The von Willebrand factor antigen concentration was 158% (reference interval: >50%). A cross‐mixing test indicated that the diminished factor VIII activity was due to deficiency or dysfunction of factor VIII rather than inhibition of factor VIII activity. Based on these results, the dog was diagnosed with haemophilia A. Haemophilia A should be considered in the differential diagnosis of bleeding disorders also in female mixed‐breeds dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To retrospectively compare the data taken at the first visit of 34 cats with chronic renal failure surviving more than one month (surviving group) and 16 cats dying within one month (non-surviving group). Methods: Records were collected on cats with chronic renal failure presented to a private veterinary practice in Nagoya, Japan, from March 1996 to March 2005. All cats with chronic renal failure diagnosed on the basis of case histories, clinical signs (such as, lethargy, anorexia, loss of bodyweight and vomiting) and a high plasma creatinine (>180 μmol/l) were included in the study. Results: Plasma creatinine, urea nitrogen, inorganic phosphate, packed cell volume and urine protein/creatinine ratio were significantly different between cats of the surviving and non-surviving groups. In the surviving group, survival statuses were recorded, and laboratory data was obtained within one month before death in 13 cats. In the 13 cats, plasma creatinine, packed cell volume and urine protein/creatinine ratio showed significant differences between the data taken within one month before death and that taken at first visit, and only urine protein/creatinine ratio exhibited a consistent alteration (increase) in relation to first visit data. Clinical Significance: These results indicated that plasma creatinine, urea nitrogen, inorganic phosphate, packed cell volume and urine protein/creatinine ratio were associated with death within one month and urine protein/creatinine ratio was most likely to be associated with mortality in cats with chronic renal failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Interleukin (IL)-17 is a newly identified T-cell-specific cytokine. In this study, we investigated the effects of IL-17 on colony-stimulating factor (CSF) release in human colonic subepithelial myofibroblasts (SEMFs).Methods: CSF release and mRNA expression were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Northern blotting, respectively. Nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB- and activating protein (AP-1)-DNA binding activities were evaluated by electrophoretic gel mobility shift assays (EMSAs).Results: Unstimulated cells secreted a small amount of granulocyte G- and granulocyte/macrophage (GM)-CSF, and a considerable amount of M-CSF. IL-17 weakly enhanced G-CSF release, but did not affect GM- and M-CSF release. IL-17 selectively enhanced tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha-induced G- and GM-CSF release. The combination of IL-17 plus TNF-alpha induced a marked increase in NF-kappaB- and AP-1-DNA binding activities. The adenovirus-mediated transfer of a stable form of IkappaBalpha and/or a dominant negative mutant of c-Jun markedly inhibited the IL-17 plus TNF-alpha-induced G- and GM-CSF mRNA expression. Furthermore, a stability study showed that IL-17 plus TNF-alpha markedly enhanced the stability of G- and GM-CSF mRNA.Conclusions: IL-17 augments TNF-alpha-induced G- and GM-CSF release via transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: E7010 is an orally active sulfonamide antitumor agent showing good activity against various subcutaneously inoculated rodent tumors and human tumor xenografts. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of E7010 on liver metastasis and life span of mice bearing orthotopically transplanted murine Colon 38 tumor.Methods: Orthotopic transplantation of murine Colon 38 tumor as intact tissue yielded hepatic metastasis with a high incidence in about 1 month in C57BL/6 mice, and the mice died in about 2 months with cachexia. In this model, the maximum tolerated dose of E7010 (100 mg/kg per day) was administered orally on various schedules, including for 14 days or daily until death, starting at 14 days after transplantation, or for 8 days from 21 days after transplantation.Results: E7010 showed tumor growth inhibition (T/C=40%) at the orthotopic site similar to that at the subcutaneous site (T/C = 32%) when administered from 14 days after transplantation. When E7010 was started from 21 days after transplantation, it significantly decreased the number of hepatic metastases (control 17.1+/-20.8, E7010 2.6+/-5.3), although inhibition of tumor growth at the orthotopic site was only moderate (T/ C=60%). The administration of E7010 until death produced a significant increase in life span (control 49.8+/-8.9 days, E7010 62.5+/-6.1 days). Although the tumor weight of the E7010-treated group on the day of death was similar to that of the untreated group (control 1.166+/-0.507 g, E7010 1.211+/-0.632 g), there were significantly fewer liver metastases in the E7010-treated group (control 41.3+/-31.1, E7010 2.0+/-2.0).Conclusion: E7010 suppressed tumor growth at both primary and metastatic sites and increased life span in an orthotopic transplantation model of murine Colon 38 tumor in syngeneic C57BL/6 mice. Hepatic metastasis was inhibited more effectively than the growth of the primary tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Histochemical reports claim that sulfomucins decrease and sialylated mucins increase during colon carcinogenesis. We examined the expression of colon-specific sulfomucins and sialosyl Tn antigen (STN) in normal small intestine, normal colorectal mucosa and colorectal tumours at different stages of progression immunohistochemically, using MAb 91.9H specific for colonic sulfomucins and MAb TKH-2 for STN. No expression of sulfomucins recognized by MAb 91.9H was found in normal small intestine, whereas STN staining was pronounced. The converse was the case in normal colorectal mucosa. Sulfomucins were still found in adenomas, but the amounts decreased with depth of invasion in cancers (P < 0.001). In contrast, no STN could be detected in benign lesions, but staining became increasingly evident with invasion (P < 0.001). This reciprocal control of expression of colon-specific sulfomucins and STN evident in tumour progression indicates that the mucous phenotype shifts from the colonic to the small intestinal type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesocestoides vogae is a cestode of the order Cyclophyllidea, and its second intermediate hosts are mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. The parasite forms a tetrathyridium in the second intermediate host and multiplies asexually, sometimes to the point of filling the host's abdominal cavity. Proliferated tetrathyridium may cause lethal conditions in the host. During the asexual multiplication period, the scolex first replicates into two and then divides into two worms. In this study, to investigate the factors that promote the replication, tetrathyridia were cultured under various in vitro conditions. When several worms which already had two scolexes were cultured together, the division into two worm bodies was complete, but when single worm was cultured, the division hardly proceeded. The result indicates that the division progression of tetrathyridia with two scolexes requires the presence of other worms. In contrast, tetrathyridia with only one scolex did not initiate the division process, whether cultured together or alone. Then, the necessity of direct contact between the bodies of the worms to promote the division of tetrathyridia with two scolexes was assessed. For this, the well of the culture plate was partitioned into upper and lower parts using a mesh, and 20 worms in the upper part and single worm in the lower part were cultured. In all examined wells, worms in the upper part showed complete division, whereas the worms in the lower part rarely completed the division. Thus, direct contact between tetrathyridium promotes the division of tetrathyridia bearing two scolexes., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite with a wide host range that includes humans, domestic animals and wild animals. Small mammals serve as intermediate hosts for T. gondii and may contribute to the persistence of this parasite in the environment. Mass mortality in wild animals and deaths in rare endemic species make the study of this parasite of growing importance. In this study, T. gondii infection prevalence was evaluated in brain tissues from 474 small mammals captured at 26 trapping points in urban and rural areas of Tatarstan, Russian Federation. Nested PCR was used to detect the T. gondii B1 gene in the samples. Overall, 40/474 samples (8.44%) showed B1 gene positivity. T. gondii infection among the wild small mammals trapped in the rural area was significantly higher as a whole than that of the urban area as a whole. Multivariate logistical regression analysis also showed that the trapping area (rural or urban) significantly contributed to T. gondii positivity. Vegetation in the trapping points, small mammal species, sex, age or distance from the trapping points to the nearest human settlements did not significantly affect T. gondii positivity in the sampled small mammals., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, infects a wide variety of mammals and birds. Although T. gondii infects the brain and muscles in its latent cyst form containing bradyzoite stage parasites during chronic infection, when a chronically infected host becomes immunodeficient or is preyed upon by a predator, the latent cyst undergoes excystation. However, it is not yet known how T. gondii recognises the triggers of excystation in the microenvironment surrounding the cyst. In this study, we incubated T. gondii cysts from host cells in several solutions containing a variety of ionic compositions. Excystation occurred in a solution with an ionic composition which mimicked that of the extracellular environment. However, excystation did not occur in a solution that mimicked the intracellular environment. We also found that the specific Na + /K + ratio and the presence of Ca 2+ , mimicking the extracellular environment, are required to trigger excystation. To examine whether the stage conversion of bradyzoite to tachyzoite occurs prior to egress, we constructed a gene-modified T. gondii strain expressing a green fluorescent protein specifically in the tachyzoite stage. During the process of cyst reactivation of this strain, green fluorescence was detected prior to excystation. This suggests that stage conversion from bradyzoite to tachyzoite occurs prior to cyst disruption. These results indicate that T. gondii bradyzoites monitor the ionic composition of their surroundings to recognise their expulsion from host cells, to effectively time their excystation and stage conversion., (Copyright © 2021 Australian Society for Parasitology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Toxoplasma gondii is a globally wide-spread parasite that infects almost all species of mammals and birds, including humans. We studied the spatial distribution of individual T. gondii-seropositive wild boar in Gifu Prefecture (10,621 km 2 ), Japan. Altogether, 744 wild boars were captured at 663 points around human settlements in Gifu Prefecture. Serum samples were collected after recording the exact capture locations, along with each wild boar's body length and sex. We then used a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit for swine to measure anti-T. gondii antibodies in these animals. Among the 744 wild boars, 169 tested positive for T. gondii (22.7%). No significant difference in T. gondii seroprevalence was observed between the mountainous northern region with high winter snow cover and the mild-wintered geographical plain of the southern part of the prefecture. In contrast, 8 of the 11 wild boars that were captured in a public park surrounded by residential areas showed T. gondii seropositivity (72.7%), a value significantly higher than those of the wild boar populations in the other prefecture areas. This in-depth analysis, which spans the big city suburbs and rural areas of a whole prefecture, explains the seroprevalence of zoonotic T. gondii in wild boar and has public health implications., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Mesocestoides vogae is a cestode parasite of the family Mesocestoididae (order Cyclophyllidea). Its larvae, tetrathyridium, are approximately 1 mm long and 300 μm wide and infect a wide range of host species including humans. Tetrathyridium migrate through the intestinal wall to invade the peritoneal cavity. Despite intestinal penetration by such a large-sized parasite, symptomatic intestinal disorders are not common during the migration period. In this study, the dynamics of tetrathyridia migration and their pathogenicity towards intestinal tissues were examined in mice infected orally with these parasites. Most tetrathyridia were found to migrate through the intestinal wall, moving into the peritoneal cavity or liver 24 to 48 hours after the oral infections. Next, the pathogenicity of tetrathyridium in the intestinal wall was histopathologically evaluated, and tissue injury from tetrathyridium migration was confirmed. Inflammatory foci were observed as tetrathyridium migration tracks from 48 hours after oral infection; however, the number of inflammatory foci had decreased by half more than 48 hours later. Therefore, we examined the gene expression levels of the macrophage driving cytokine, IL-1β, and the eosinophil recruiting chemokine, CCL11, by quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR. The expression levels of these genes in the infected group were significantly lower than those of the non-infected group at 48 hours post-infection. Although the immunomodulating ability of the excretory-secretory products released from tetrathyridium has been previously shown by in vitro assays, the significance of this ability in their lifecycle has remained unclear. In this study, we discovered that tetrathyridium causes temporal inflammation in the intestinal wall during penetration and large-scale migration in this organ, but tetrathyridium simultaneously suppresses the host's inflammatory gene expression, might to be a strategy that reduces inflammatory responses and increases survival of the parasite., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that infects almost all species of mammals and birds, including fur-bearing animals. However, the prevalence of T. gondii among Russian fur-bearing animals is unknown. In this study, the seroprevalence of T. gondii in European mink in Russia was investigated. In total, 100, 119 and 61 serum samples were collected from a fur farm, located in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, in autumn 2016, 2017 and 2018, respectively. The seroprevalence of T. gondii in 2016, 2017 and 2018 was 32% (23.2%-42.2%, 95% confidence interval [CI]), 31.1% (23.1%-40.3%, 95% CI) and 41.0% (28.8%-54.3%, 95% CI), respectively. In total, 50 brain samples from 100 animals whose blood was sampled in 2016 were analyzed by PCR to detect T. gondii DNA. T. gondii DNA was detected in 14% (7/50) of the mink brain samples. To examine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the partial B1 gene, we sequenced an 836-bp fragment, which contains a few SNPs, from the detected T. gondii DNA. The sequences of the fragments were identical to those of two of the major lineages, Type II and Type III, but differed from that of the Type I lineage., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Toxoplasma gondii strains have been isolated all over the world and their virulence has been examined mainly using laboratory mice. However, T. gondii differs in virulence depending on the host animal species. Therefore, to evaluate the virulence of each strain in domestic animals, it is necessary to examine using not only mice but also the concerned animals. We have shown that TgCatJpOk4, a T. gondii strain recently isolated in Okinawa, Japan, has a high virulence against laboratory mice, comparable to highest virulent RH strain in mice; however, the virulence to domestic animals remains unknown. In this study, we examined the virulence using the Microminipig. After infection, four out of five infected pigs showed severe clinical symptoms: inappetence, hypoactivity and tachypnea. Eventually, three out of the five infected pigs succumbed before the end of the observation. Among the three dead pigs, histological analysis revealed that interstitial pneumonia and spotty necrosis in the liver indicating that the TgCatJpOk4 strain has a high virulence not only in laboratory mice, but in pigs as well., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In South Asia, Theileria annulata is known to be less pathogenic to local breeds of Bos indicus cattle comparing to Bos taurus cattle and some of mix breeds between them. Seroepidemiological surveys have revealed high sero-prevalence of T. annulata in asymptomatic local breeds of cattle in Bangladesh. Therefore, these asymptomatic infection in local breeds can be infectious sources to more sensitive breeds. In this study, 59 bloods of cattle showing no symptom were screened by species specific PCRs for hemoto-protozoan parasites, to prove the existence of T. annulata parasite in asymptomatic cattle in Bangladesh. The T. annulata infection was confirmed along with other parasitic species, and this is the first report of T. annulata DNA detection in Bangladesh.

Background: Collagenous colitis (CC) is a clinicopathologic syndrome characterized by chronic watery diarrhea and distinctive histopathologic features. Spontaneous perforation of CC is extremely rare, because CC is usually managed medically, and the need for surgical intervention is rare. We report a surgical case of spontaneous colonic perforation of CC with acute abdomen disease., Case Presentation: A 77-year-old man was admitted to our hospital for abdominal pain and watery diarrhea. Computed tomography (CT) showed a thickened bowel wall with edema involving free air around the splenic flexure of the colon. Therefore, we performed emergency surgery with a diagnosis of colonic perforation. Intraoperative findings revealed colonic necrosis at the splenic flexure, so we performed a left hemicolectomy. Histopathological examination revealed typical findings of CC, a thick subepithelial collagenous band and deep ulcers with perforation. The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on the 28th postoperative day. After changing the proton pump inhibitor (PPI) from lansoprazole (LPZ) to rabeprazole (RPZ), he has not complained of diarrhea symptoms., Conclusions: Although spontaneous perforation is a rare complication of CC, it is possible to be diagnosed by symptom of acute abdomen disease. This is the seventh case of spontaneous colonic perforation of CC worldwide.

Toxoplasma gondii can infect almost all mammals and birds, including chickens. The aim of this study was to identify an appropriate immunogenic antigen for serodiagnosis of T. gondii infections in chickens. We examined serum samples from chickens that were intravenously or intraperitoneally infected with 10 6 -10 8 tachyzoites of T. gondii strains PLK, RH, CTG, ME49 or TgCatJpGi1/TaJ using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), latex agglutination tests (LATs) and western blotting. Regardless of parasite strain or infection dose and route, the commercial LAT was positive for almost all sera collected 1 week post-infection. However, at 2 weeks post-infection, LATs were negative in the same birds. ELISAs using the Escherichia coli-produced recombinant T. gondii antigens SAG1 and GRA7 showed strong signals at 1-2 weeks post infection, but thereafter diminished for the majority of serum samples. In contrast, western blotting against crude tachyzoite antigens showed a persistent band up to 4 weeks post-infection. Sera from these chickens reacted much more strongly with SAG1 from crude tachyzoite antigens than with recombinant SAG1. Even in experimentally-infected birds whose parasite burdens in tissue were undetectable, sera still reacted with native SAG1. We tested sera from free-range chickens on a small farm in Ghana, Africa, using western blotting and found that the serum of one bird reacted with a single band of approximately 27 kDa, the putative molecular weight of SAG1. Thus we conclude that native SAG1, but not E. coli-produced recombinant SAG1, is suitable for serodiagnosis of T. gondii infections in chickens., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

An 11-year-old cat presented with nasal discharge and lacrimation and was diagnosed with nasal lymphoma. Although the cat showed favorable progression after undergoing chemotherapy, CT imaging demonstrated enlarged pulmonary nodules caused by Toxoplasma gondii. Following the cessation of chemotherapy, the cat was prescribed clindamycin hydrochloride for toxoplasmosis treatment; however, the cat developed kidney lymphoma and died. No T. gondii organisms were observed in the whole body necropsy specimens. It is known that immunocompromised human patients, including those who undergo chemotherapy, are considered at risk for toxoplasmosis. However, the risk of developing toxoplasmosis in cats undergoing chemotherapy is currently unknown. Findings from this case report suggest that cats with chemotherapy-resistant pulmonary masses might have a T. gondii infection rather than metastatic disease.

Background: In canine epitheliotropic cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (ECTCL), neoplastic cells cause skin lesions and potentially metastasize to lymph nodes, blood and other organs. Murine models are potentially valuable for elucidating the molecular mechanisms responsible for regulation of ECTCL cell migration., Hypothesis/objectives: To describe a phenotype of mice xenografted with canine ECTCL cells (EO-1 cells)., Animals: Four NOD.CB17-Prkdc scid /J (NOD SCID) mice were used., Methods and Materials: EO-1 cells were subcutaneously xenografted into NOD SCID mice. After four weeks, the development of tumour lesions in skin and other organs was investigated., Results: Mice developed skin lesions with metastasis to the lymph nodes, spleen, lung, blood and liver., Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Mice xenografted with EO-1 cells may be useful for studying the pathogenesis of canine ECTCL., (© 2018 ESVD and ACVD.)

The objective of this study was to evaluate the magnified endoscopic findings in the diagnosis of follicular lymphoma in the small intestine in comparison with those of intestinal follicular lymphoma and lymphangiectasia. Four patients with follicular lymphoma and 3 with lymphangiectasia in the small intestine were retrospectively analyzed. A prototype magnifying singleballoon enteroscope was used. The findings of the intestinal follicular lymphoma and lymphangiectasia were retrospectively analyzed to determine the magnified endoscopic findings of follicular lymphoma in the small intestine. Opaque white granules were observed in 3 of the 4 patients with follicular lymphoma. Magnified narrow-band imaging (NBI) of the opaque white granules showed stretched microvessels, which had a diminutive tree-like appearance. The remaining patient had no opaque white granules and only displayed whitish villi. Magnified NBI observation of the whitish villi revealed the absence of marginal villus epithelium, which was confirmed by histology. The magnified NBI enteroscopy revealed the diminutive tree-like appearance on the opaque white granules and the absence of marginal villus epithelium of the whitish villi in intestinal follicular lymphoma. These findings may be useful in diagnosing follicular lymphoma.

The virulence of a type III Toxoplasma gondii strain isolated in Japan and designated here as TgCatJpGi1/TaJ was examined in mice and micro minipigs in this study. Despite its type III genotype, oral or intraperitoneal inoculation of cysts from it resulted in severe virulence in C57BL/6J and BALB/c mice. In contrast, mice inoculated with a high dose of TgCatJpGi1/TaJ tachyzoites showed no obvious clinical signs of infection, and all of them survived for >21 days post-inoculation. Furthermore, no clinical signs of infection were seen when micro minipigs were inoculated with 900 cysts. Interestingly, our allelic type screening of the virulence-related rop5, rop16, rop17, and rop18 genes, as based on restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (RFLP), revealed that the RFLP patterns for TgCatJpGi1/TaJ were identical to those from nonvirulent type III parasites. These results suggest that TgCatJpGi1/TaJ possesses an unknown virulence factor or factors., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Toxoplasmosis, a most common zoonosis, is caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. However, there is little epidemiological information on T. gondii infections in humans and livestock animals in Russia. Therefore, in this study, the seroprevalence of T. gondii in goats in Russia was investigated. A total of 216 goats from 32 farms were investigated and 95 of them were seropositive for T. gondii. The difference in seroprevalence between the examined regions was not statistically significant. We next collected serum samples from 99 cats and 181 humans in Kazan city, the state capital of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, and examined their T. gondii seroprevalences. Thirty-nine of the 99 cat samples and 56 of the 181 human samples showed seropositivity. Logistical regression analysis revealed that the cat breeding history of the human subjects, but not their sex or age is a significant risk factor for T. gondii seropositivity. These findings suggest that the natural environment in Russia may be widely polluted with T. gondii oocysts shed by cats, and ingestion of these oocysts provides a major route for human infection with this parasite., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Intracellular pathogens have numerous strategies for effective dissemination within the host. Many intracellular pathogens first infect leukocytes, which they use as a vehicle to transport them to target organs. Once at the target organ, intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii can cross the capillary wall in extracellular form by infecting endothelial cells. However, after egression from leukocytes, extracellular parasites face the risk of host immune attack. In this study, observation of infected mouse organs, using a method that renders tissue transparent, revealed that adhesion of tachyzoite-infected leukocytes to endothelial cells triggers immediate egression of the parasite. This signal enables the parasite to time egression from its vehicle leukocyte to coincide with arrival at a target organ, minimizing the opportunity for immune attack during the transition from a vehicle leukocyte to capillary endothelial cells.