Delivery of DNA vaccines by agarose hydrogel implants facilitates genetic immunization in cattle.

The present study demonstrates the interest of two slow-release systems as vaccination tools in cattle. Two experiments show that a first intradermal administration of one DNA vaccine dose combined with the slow-release of a second dose conduct to a priming of the bovine herpesvirus 1-specific immune response similar to the one generated by two discrete administrations 4 weeks apart. The first experiment demonstrates the efficacy of the slow-release system with well-characterized Alzet osmotic pumps, whereas the second experiment extends the same concept with innovative agarose hydrogel implants. These latter implants are cheaper and more convenient than the osmotic pumps or repeated intradermal administrations since they contribute to an efficient priming of the immune response in a single manipulation of the animals.

Prime-boost strategies combining DNA and inactivated vaccines confer high immunity and protection in cattle against bovine herpesvirus-1.

DNA vaccines have frequently been associated with poor efficacy in large animals. In the present study, one administration of an inactivated marker vaccine to cattle considerably boosted both humoral and cellular arms of the immune response primed with Bovine herpesvirus-1 (BoHV-1) DNA vaccines encoding glycoprotein D (gD) or gC+gD. Calves vaccinated according to the DNA prime-inactivated boost also showed significantly enhanced virological protection as compared to controls. The 4-logarithms reduction of virus shedding observed in primed-boosted animals was comparable to the one previously reported in calves immunized twice with marker vaccines. Intradermal immunization of cattle with DNA vaccines promoted a Th2-biased immune response but also primed a cellular component that was further boosted by the inactivated vaccine. Individual IgG2 titers of vaccinated calves were significantly correlated to IFN-gamma production. The immunization protocol described in the present study demonstrates the complementarity between DNA and conventional marker vaccines.

Radiographic appearances of the St. Jude Medical Valve.

The St. Jude Medical Valve (SJMV), one of the more popular prosthetic cardiac valves in use today, has been described as poorly visualized on plain radiographs, being visible only at fluoroscopy. The chest radiographs of 76 patients (85 valves) in whom the SJMV had been implanted were reviewed in order to assess the visibility and appearances of the SJMV. We found that the SJMV was visible postoperatively in 70 of the 76 patients (92%) on either frontal or lateral chest radiographs or both. Knowing the various normal appearances of the SJMV described here and the anatomic locations of the heart valves, radiologists should be able to visualize and identify this prosthetic valve on chest radiographs in the majority of patients.

Hepatic parenchymal gas after blunt trauma.

Hepatic parenchymal gas was demonstrated by computed tomography in a boy who had sustained severe blunt trauma to the abdomen 12 hours earlier. There was no clinical evidence of infection. Although previous reports have suggested that hepatic parenchymal gas indicates the presence of infection, such gas may also be a manifestation of severe blunt trauma without infection.

Immunological relationship between the hydrophobic fraction of proteose-peptone and the milk fat globule membrane of bovine milk.

The antigenic relationship between the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) and the hydrophobic fraction of proteose-peptone (HFPP) was demonstrated, using a mono-specific anti-HFPP antibody.

[Muscular contractions during sleep in children (author's transl)]. / Etudes des contractions musculaires au cours du sommeil chez le jeune enfant.

The present paper deals with a transitory axial EMG phenomenon during sleep: muscular contractions visible not only on the EMG channel but on the EEG channels as well. Only those contractions which did not lead to behavioural or electrical awakening were considered here. Records were kept on their number, duration, time of occurrence during the night as well as the sleep stage and the level of the background tonic EMG activity during the 2 minutes preceding and succeeding the contraction. The function of these contractions in the regulation of sleep was discussed: the need for tonic reafferentation or counteraction of prolonged axial hypotony which may bring about discomfort; the maintenance of sleep throughout this periodic reafferentation.