Rickettsia japonica Infections in Humans, Xinyang, China, 2014-2017.

During 2014-2017, we screened for Rickettsia japonica infection in Xinyang, China, and identified 20 cases. The major clinical manifestations of monoinfection were fever, asthenia, myalgia, rash, and anorexia; laboratory findings included thrombocytopenia and elevated hepatic aminotransferase concentrations. Physicians in China should consider R. japonica infection in at-risk patients.

Effects Mifepristone on Aminotransferase Activities in the Liver in Rats with Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetes Mellitus.

The glucocorticoid status and activities of ALT, AST, and tyrosine aminotransferase in the liver are studied in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus in response to repeated intraperitoneal injections of mifepristone. Diabetic rats develop an increase of the blood corticosterone and liver aminotransferase levels in response to mifepristone. These results indicate that in diabetic animals the glucocorticoid hormones with high blood concentrations, increasing still more in response to mifepristone, overcome the receptor blockade, and realize their regulatory functions in hepatocytes. The effects of mifepristone on ALT activity are the most manifest. In normal rats, only ALT activity is increasing in response to mifepristone, while in rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes mellitus, ALT activity increases more intensely than activities of tyrosine aminotransferase and AST.

Effects of Oxytetracycline and Gentamicin Therapeutic Doses on Hematological, Biochemical and Hematopoietic Parameters in Cyprinus carpio Juveniles.

Hematological, biochemical and hematopoietic effects of therapeutic doses of two antibiotics, oxytetracycline (OTC) and gentamicin (GEN), in clinically healthy common carp juveniles were studied. The fish were divided into four groups: controls 1 and 2 (untreated or injected with 0.6% NaCl solution), and two groups treated with antibiotics (orally with 75 mg/kg OTC four times every two days or injected with a single dose (4 mg/kg) of GEN dissolved in 0.6% NaCl). Blood and head kidneys were sampled from all fish 3 days post-treatments for hematological, biochemical and hematopoietic tissue analyses. No major alterations in the values of hematological and serum biochemical parameters occurred following administration of OTC or GEN. Glucose concentrations were significantly lower in both groups of fish subjected to injections (Control 2 and GEN), while the oxidative metabolic activity of phagocytes increased in the antibiotic-treated groups (significantly in OTC). More alterations were observed in hematopoietic tissue. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that G caused a significant increase in the rate of cell proliferation (PCNA-positive cells) and an increase in the frequency of apoptotic cells (caspase-positive). The frequency of lymphoid lineage decreased, which was related to a decrease in the abundance of mature lymphocytes in GEN-treated fish. Percentages of neutrophilic lineage were significantly elevated in OTC and GEN groups compared to controls. The obtained results showed no considerable hematotoxicity or hepatotoxicity of therapeutic doses of OTC and GEN to carp.