Characterization of minimal lesions related to the presence of visna/maedi virus in the mammary gland and milk of dairy sheep.

BACKGROUND: In order to characterize the complete range of lesions, especially minimal, affecting mammary gland and viral antigen distribution and target cells using immunohistochemistry in naturally Visna/maedi (VM) 84 infected sheep were studied, forty-four from flocks with clinical cases (A) and 35 randomly sampled from two abattoirs (B) together with five negative controls (C). An immunocytochemistry technique was developed and further milk samples (n = 39) were used to study viral excretion, carrier cells and the role of milk and colostrum in the transmission of the disease. RESULTS: All sheep from group C and three sheep from group B were negative to VM in tissue sections by histopathology, immunohistochemistry and PCR, and also in serum using ELISA. Several degrees of CD3 + lymphocytic interstitial mastitis were observed in groups A and B: minimal (+) n = 26 sheep; moderate (++), n = 32 and severe (+++), n = 12. No differences in lesion distribution were observed between groups A and B. Viral presence was confirmed by immunohistochemistry using two different antibodies and/or PCR in every tissue with lesions while serology was negative in six sheep with lesions. Two milk samples taken from milk tanks from two flocks from group A and fourteen milk samples from 29 infected sheep from group B were positive to VM (most of them from animals with moderate and severe lesions). Positivity was only found in macrophages, even in focal and minimal lesions, while no positivity was observed in epithelial or any other cells in either tissue and milk samples. CONCLUSIONS: This new observation of the minimal lesions described in this work increased the prevalence of VM lesions in mammary gland up to 90.9% and VM should be considered as a differential diagnosis when minimal interstitial lesions are detected. A high prevalence of VM was observed in intensive milk-producing sheep, ELISA serology did not detect as positivity all infected animals, while histology, IHC or PCR showed higher sensitivity. The cytological technique developed was very useful in milk-cell studies using hematoxylin and eosin and immunocytochemistry. Viral detection in milk samples (16/39) confirms a potential but limited role of milk/colostrum in viral transmission.

[Analysis of an incident notification system and register in a critical care unit]. / Análisis del registro de un sistema de notificación de incidentes en una unidad de cuidados críticos.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the incident communicated through a notification system and register in a critical care unit. METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted by performing an analysis of the records of incidents communicated anonymously and voluntarily from January 2007 to December 2013 in a critical care unit of adult patients with severe trauma. STUDY VARIABLES: incident type and class, professional reports, and suggestions for improvement measures. A descriptive analysis was performed on the variables. RESULTS: Out of a total of 275 incidents reported, 58.5% of them were adverse events. Incident distributed by classes: medication, 33.7%; vascular access-drainage-catheter-sensor, 19.6%; devices-equipment, 13.3%, procedures, 11.5%; airway tract and mechanical ventilation, 10%; nursing care, 4.1%; inter-professional communication, 3%; diagnostic test, 3%; patient identification, 1.1%, and transfusion 0.7%. In the medication group, administrative errors accounted for a total of 62%; in vascular access-drainage-catheter-sensor group, central venous lines, a total of 27%; in devices and equipment group, respirators, a total of 46.9%; in airway self-extubations, a total of 32.1%. As regards to medication errors, 62% were incidents without damage. Incident notification by profession: doctors, 43%, residents, 5.6%, nurses, 51%, and technical assistants, 0.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Adverse events are the most communicated incidents. The events related to medication administration are the most frequent, although most of them were without damage. Nurses and doctors communicate the incidents with the same frequency. In order to highlight the low incident notification despite it being an anonymous and volunteer system, therefore, it is suggested to study measurements to increase the level of communication.

[Pain assessment of tracheal suctioning on brain injury patients by pain behavioral indicator scale (ESCID)]. / Valoración del dolor en la aspiración de secreciones traqueales en pacientes con traumatismo craneal mediante la Escala de conductas indicadoras de dolor (ESCID).

OBJECTIVE: To assess pain response on patients with moderate to severe head injury before a common nursing procedure: tracheal suctioning. MATERIAL AND METHOD: An observational longitudinal pilot study with consecutive sampling performed from September to December of 2012. Pain was assessed by a pain behavioral indicator scale 5 minutes before, meanwhile and 15 minutes after tracheal suctioning the days 1, 3 and 6 of their intensive care unit (ICU) stay, as well as a non-painful procedure: rubbing with gauze the forearm of the patient. Pseudo-analgesia and hemodynamic variables were also recorded. Descriptive analysis of the variables, inferential statistics with t-student and Anova with SPSS 17.0; statistical tests were considered significant if the critical level observed was less than 5% (P<.05). RESULTS: Pain was assessed on 27 patients. 82% suffered from severe head trauma and 18% moderate. The average pain value during nursing procedure day 1 was 3, 18±2.6, day 3: 2, 59±2 and day 6: 3, 94±2.3. There was a significant increase in mean pain while performing suctioning during the three days of assessment (P<.05); however no significant differences between the average pain value on the three days of the assessment (P>.05) were shown. Data for the painless procedure were significantly different on day 6 (P<.05) CONCLUSION: During tracheal suctioning in patients with head injury in the first 6 days in the ICU, objective mild-moderate pain according to ESCID scale has been detected.

[Analysis of constipation in severe trauma patients]. / Análisis del estreñimiento en pacientes con traumatismo grave.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the incidence and risk factors of constipation in patients with severe trauma (ST). MATERIALS AND METHOD: A retrospective observational study (January-December 2011) of medical records in ST-patients with a minimum stay of 5 days was performed. Descriptive analysis of variables, inferential analysis: Student's T test and Chi-square of SPSS 17.0. Significance level P<.05. RESULTS: A total of 80 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria, but only 69 could be analyzed. Of these, 84.06% showed constipation (according to its definition by the Work Group for Metabolism and Nutrition SEMICYUC). The most frequent day of first stool was day 7 and 9 after tolerance of enteral nutrition. Statistical significance (S.S.) of constipation was found with stay, days of sedation/relaxation/opiates, and mechanical ventilation. There was no S.S. between early enteral nutrition (EEN) and constipation (P>.05). CONCLUSIONS: There is a very high incidence of constipation in ST patients. ICU stay, days of analgesic sedation, relaxation, and mechanical ventilation are risk factors that influence the occurrence of this problem. Laxatives should be prescribed prophylactically.

[Audit of the bedside monitor alarms in a critical care unit]. / Auditoría de las alarmas del monitor de cabecera en una unidad de cuidados críticos.

AIMS: Quantifying and evaluating the response to the bedside monitor alarms (BMA) by nurses in intensive care unit (ICU). METODOLOGY: Prospective observational study (October 2011-January 2012). Randomized blind audit on alarm management. Alarm programming and alarm limits were related to experience in ICU. We evaluated the response to BMA with the variables: alarm type (relevant/not relevant/alert) and response type. Descriptive analysis of variables for multivariate ANOVA and Chi-square test with SPSS 17.0. RESULTS: 434 audits were analyzed. The programming was: Blood pressure (BP) 88.25%, heart rate (HR) 98.62% O(2) saturation (SO) 96.79%, respiratory rate (FR) 65.75%. The alarms originated were BP 49.73%, 10.75% HR, 39.25% SO, 3.27% FS. The nurse responded to 93.3% of them and 50% were treated before 10 sec. 56.16% of the alarms were not relevant, 25.12% relevant and 18.72% alerting. 41.8% were due to handling. CONCLUSION: The alarms are programmed/attended by the nurse and there is uniformity in programming/selection limits. 25% of BMA carried therapeutic attitude.

[Pain behaviour indicator scale (ESCID) application in severe non-communicative trauma patients receiving mechanical ventilation]. / Aplicación de la Escala de conductas indicadoras de dolor (ESCID) en el paciente con trauma grave no comunicativo y ventilación mecánica.

OBJECTIVE: To assess pain in non-communicative patients with severe trauma undergoing mechanical ventilation prior to, during and after tracheal suctioning, mobilization and wound care. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A prospective and observational study from October to December 2011 was performed. Study variables were ESCID scale and monitoring of vital signs (blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate). Data were gathering 5 minutes before, during and 15 minutes after the 3 procedures. The nursing evolutive report recorded pain assessment, administration and effectiveness of the analgesia. Descriptive analysis of variables included Student's T test/ANOVA for multivariate analysis with SPSS 17.0. RESULTS: A hundred eighty four observations: 46.8% tracheal suctioning, 38.5% mobilization and 14.7% wound care were performed in 29 patients. ESCID score was 0.4±1 before, 3.4±2.7 during and 0.4±1 after for wound care; 0.4±1.1 before, 3.6±2.2 during and 1.1±0.5 for tracheal suctioning; 0.5±1.1 before, 3±2.8 during and 0.2±0.8 after for mobilization. These increased significantly during the performance of the 3 procedures before-during/during-after: P=.000. All the hemodynamic variables were significantly modified during mobilization and tracheal suctioning: before-during/during-after: P=.000, with the exception of the cures that only affected respiratory rate. 27% of the procedures received analgesia: 9% received it before, 15% during and 3.2% after, with more analgesia being required for the wound care (33.3%). The data collected in the nursing report on the evaluation of pain/effectiveness of the analgesia showed 20.66%. CONCLUSION: An increase on the ESCID score was observed while performing the procedures.

Effect of hip hemiarthroplasty dislocation on mortality after hip fracture surgery. / [Artículo traducido] Efecto de la luxación de la prótesis parcial de cadera en la mortalidad tras la cirugía de fractura de cadera.

INTRODUCTION: Hip arthroplasty is the treatment of choice for displaced femoral neck fractures among the older population. The hip prosthesis dislocation is one of the most pointed potential complications after hip arthroplasty, but there is a lack of updated information on the effect of dislocation on the survival of older hip fracture patients so treated by hip hemiarthroplasty. We aim to evaluate the standalone effect of hip prosthesis dislocation after hip fracture hemiarthroplasty on patients' survival outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective multicenter study, including 6631 femoral neck fracture patients over 65 surgically treated by hemiarthroplasty. We made follow-up cut-offs 30-days, 6 weeks, 90-days, and one year after hospital discharge determining hip dislocation rate and patients' survival. RESULTS: The women population represented 78.7%, and the mean age of the population was 85.2 ± 6.7 years. Hip prosthesis dislocation incidence was 1.9% in the first 90-days after discharge, representing 91.54% of primary dislocations yearly noted. We reported statistically significant increased mortality rates of patients presenting at least one hip prosthesis dislocation event (from 16.0% to 24.6% at 90-day after discharge, and 29.5% to 44.7% at one year), and also significantly decreasing patient survival function at 90-day (P = .016) and one-year follow-up (P < .001). The recurrent dislocation events (26.15%) showed even higher mortality rates (up to 60.6%, p < .001). The multivariate Cox regression model determined that prosthesis dislocation was the only significant variable (P = .035) affecting patient survival, increasing the risk of dying before one year of follow-up by 2.7 times. DISCUSSION: Our study stands for the standalone hip prosthesis dislocation entailing a higher risk of death after hip fracture hemiarthroplasty in the older population.

Effect of hip hemiarthroplasty dislocation on mortality after hip fracture surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Hip arthroplasty is the treatment of choice for displaced femoral neck fractures among the older population. The hip prosthesis dislocation is one of the most pointed potential complications after hip arthroplasty, but there is a lack of updated information on the effect of dislocation on the survival of older hip fracture patients so treated by hip hemiarthroplasty. We aim to evaluate the standalone effect of hip prosthesis dislocation after hip fracture hemiarthroplasty on patients' survival outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective multicenter study, including 6631 femoral neck fracture patients over 65 surgically treated by hemiarthroplasty. We made follow-up cut-offs 30-days, 6 weeks, 90-days, and one year after hospital discharge determining hip dislocation rate and patients' survival. RESULTS: The women population represented 78.7%, and the mean age of the population was 85.2±6.7 years. Hip prosthesis dislocation incidence was 1.9% in the first 90-days after discharge, representing 91.54% of primary dislocations yearly noted. We reported statistically significant increased mortality rates of patients presenting at least one hip prosthesis dislocation event (from 16.0% to 24.6% at 90-day after discharge, and 29.5% to 44.7% at one year), and also significantly decreasing patient survival function at 90-day (p=0.016) and one-year follow-up (p<0.001). The recurrent dislocation events (26.15%) showed even higher mortality rates (up to 60.6%, p<0.001). The multivariate Cox regression model determined that prosthesis dislocation was the only significant variable (p=0.035) affecting patient survival, increasing the risk of dying before one year of follow-up by 2.7 times. DISCUSSION: Our study stands for the standalone hip prosthesis dislocation entailing a higher risk of death after hip fracture hemiarthroplasty in the older population.

[Validity and usefulness of the RAE-CMBD studying patients hospitalised with influenza]. / Validez y utilidad del RAE-CMBD en el estudio de los pacientes hospitalizados con gripe.

OBJECTIVE: Understanding the hospital impact of influenza requires enriching epidemiological surveillance registries with other sources of information. The aim of this study was to determine the validity of the Hospital Care Activity Record - Minimum Basic Data Set (RAE-CMBD) in the analysis of the outcomes of patients hospitalised with this infection. METHODS: Observational and retrospective study of adults admitted with influenza in a tertiary hospital during the 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 seasons. We calculated the concordance of the RAE-CMBD with the influenza epidemiological surveillance registry (gold standard), as well as the main parameters of internal and external validity. Logistic regression models were used for risk adjustment of in-hospital mortality and length of stay. RESULTS: A total of 907 (97.74%) unique matches were achieved, with high inter-observer agreement (ƙ=0.828). The RAE-CMBD showed a 79.87% sensitivity, 99.72% specificity, 86.71% positive predictive value and 99.54% negative predictive value. The risk-adjusted mortality ratio of patients with influenza was lower than that of patients without influenza: 0.667 (0.53-0.82) vs. 1.008 (0.98-1.04) and the risk-adjusted length of stay ratio was higher: 1.15 (1.12-1.18) vs. 1.00 (0.996-1.001). CONCLUSIONS: The RAE-CMBD is a valid source of information for the study of the impact of influenza on hospital care. The lower risk-adjusted mortality of patients admitted with influenza compared to other inpatients seems to point to the effectiveness of the main clinical and organisational measures adopted.

Time course of reendothelialization of stents in a normal coronary swine model: characterization and quantification.

Late thrombosis of coronary drug-eluting stents is an infrequent but serious complication of percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. The best predictor of this event is the lack of endothelialization of stent struts. The objective of this study is to characterize and quantify the time course of endothelialization of different stents implanted in nonatherosclerotic swine coronary arteries. Thirty-three Carbofilm-coated stents were implanted percutaneously in 11 anesthetized domestic, crossbred pigs (weight 25 ± 3 kg, 2 months old). Each animal received 1 stainless steel stent (SS), 1 cobalt-chromium stent (CCS), and 1 tacrolimus-eluting stent (TES) in each coronary artery. Follow-up periods were 1 day (n = 9 stents), 3 days (n = 9 stents), and 7 days (n = 15 stents). Longitudinal sections of the stented vessels were examined using scanning electron microscopy. At 1 day, there was scarce, patchy endothelialization with areas of fibrin; the endothelialization rate was similar for all the stents (SS, 29% ± 23%; CCS, 29% ± 24%; TES, 31% ± 25%; P = .9). At 3 days, there were more endothelial cells but with immature features and giant cells over fibrin; the endothelialization was greater in SS and CCS than in TES (SS, 79% ± 14%; CCS, 81% ± 17%; TES, 46% ± 9%; P = .007). At 7 days, arteries showed better endothelialization with few giant cells; the endothelialization was greater in SS and CCS than in TES (SS, 95% ± 4%; CCS, 98% ± 4%; TES, 79% ± 9%; P = .01). In conclusion, the described model is useful for the analysis of endothelialization of coronary stents and facilitates measurement of its rate of formation and characterization of the involved cell types.

Causes of Mortality and Disease in Rabbits and Hares: A Retrospective Study.

In this study we determined the causes of mortality and disease in a total of 325 lagomorphs (rabbits and hares) in northern Spain between 2000 and 2018. Risk factors such as the species, age, sex, time of year and origin were also considered. Clinical signs, gross and histopathological findings and ancillary test results were the basis for the final diagnoses that were reviewed to classify and identify the different disorders. A total of 26 different conditions were identified. A single cause of death or illness was detected in 267 animals. They were grouped into parasitic conditions (n= 65; 24.34%) represented by encephalitozoonosis, hepatic coccidiosis, hepatoperitoneal cysticercosis, intestinal coccidiosis, parasitic gastritis and cutaneous ectoparasitosis; bacterial diseases (n = 56; 20.97%) including pseudotuberculosis, blue breast, skin abscesses, tularemia, pneumonic pasteurellosis and staphylococcal infections; nutritional and metabolic diseases (n = 48; 17.97%) with epizootic rabbit enteropathy, hepatic steatosis and pregnancy toxemia as prominent diseases; viral infections (n= 31; 11.61%) comprising rabbit hemorrhagic disease and myxomatosis and miscellaneous causes (n = 31; 11.61%) where rabbit enteritis complex, renal conditions (nephrosis), heat stroke, and arterial bone metaplasia were included; neoplasms (n = 12; 4.49%) represented by uterine adenocarcinoma, mammary adenocarcinoma, cutaneous fibroma, intestinal lymphoma and hepatic cholangiocarcinoma; toxicoses (n = 11; 4.11%); trauma-related injuries (n = 9; 3.37%) and finally congenital diseases (n = 4; 1.49%). In 58 animals of the study, some of these conditions were presented jointly. We discuss the detection frequency, possible causes or associated factors of the different pathologies as well as the importance of the different variables considered.

Inflammatory Lesion Patterns in Target Organs of Visna/Maedi in Sheep and their Significance in the Pathogenesis and Diagnosis of the Infection.

Ovine visna/maedi (VM) infection is characterized by the development of chronic inflammatory lesions in different organs, mainly in the lung, mammary gland and central nervous system (CNS), with either histiocytic or lymphocytic pattern predominance being described in the CNS. To help to understand the role of host immune response in the development of these patterns, 50 naturally-infected sheep and eight non-infected sheep from intensive milk-producing flocks were studied. The histological lesion patterns in the three main target organs in each sheep were characterized. Lesion severity was determined, including minimal lesions. A histiocytic pattern was observed in 23 sheep (46%), a lymphocytic inflammatory pattern in 19 sheep (38%) and a mixed inflammatory pattern in eight sheep (16%). Forty animals showed moderate or severe lesions (80%), while 10 had minimal lesions (20%). Moderate or severe lesions affected only one target organ in 20 sheep (50%), two organs in 14 sheep (35%) and all three target organs in six sheep (15%). Infection was confirmed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using an antibody specific for p28 of VM virus/caprine arthritis and encephalitis virus and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in all sheep. Minimal inflammatory lesions associated with positive IHC and PCR were observed. The results suggest that the development of a predominant inflammatory pattern in different organs within the same animal may be related to the host immune response. Minimal and focal lesions, not considered previously, should be taken into account when formulating a differential diagnosis in affected sheep.

Systemic lupus erythematosus in Europe at the change of the millennium: lessons from the "Euro-Lupus Project".

The "Euro-Lupus Cohort" is composed by 1000 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that have been followed prospectively since 1991. These patients have been gathered by a European consortium--the "Euro-Lupus Project Group". This consortium was originated as part of the network promoted by the "European Working Party on SLE", a working group created in 1990 in order to promote research in Europe on the different problems related to this disease. The "Euro-Lupus Cohort" provides an updated information on the SLE morbidity and mortality characteristics in the present decade as well as defines several clinical and immunological prognostic factors.

[Opinion survey on information, communication and treatment in an Emergency Department]. / Información, comunicación y trato en un servicio de urgencias: evaluación mediante una encuesta de opinión.

OBJECTIVE: To gather specific details about the information, communication, and treatment as regards users of hospital emergency services using a telephone survey, in order to implement improvement measures, if necessary. METHODS: A prospective study was conducted in two emergency departments in Salamanca. A total of 400 patients were included in the study (mean age 56.4±20.5years, 58.4% women). A telephone survey was performed with 19 items, of which 12 required responses on a Likert-type scale, with scores of 1 (very bad) to 5 (very good). The remainder of the questions allowed to answer "yes" or "no". RESULTS: The treatment received by the professionals in general was evaluated positively by 86% of the patients; with 92% reporting they were respectful, 87% were treated by doctors and 71% received treatment from nurses. More than one-quarter (27.5%) did not recall receiving information from blue point staff (personnel specially trained to provide information. Statistical significance (P=.045) was found in relation to the kindness and respect shown by nurses. Most patients that were admitted to the observation area of the emergency department were not informed about the visiting hours (P=.003). CONCLUSIONS: Perception of care received by patients is good, while in relation to information and communication it is evidently improvable, and could be assessed using the survey that is proposed in order to detect and use the weaknesses in these aspects of health care as implementation initiatives.

Morphologic and biochemical changes caused by experimentally induced dicroceliosis in hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The aim of the study reported here was to investigate the pathomorphologic changes caused by experimentally induced dicroceliosis and their correlation with hepatobiliary function. METHODS: Studies were carried out at days 80 and 120 after oral inoculation of hamsters with 40 metacercariae of Dicrocoelium dendriticum. RESULTS: The parasite-induced pathologic changes were assessed by presence of fluke eggs in feces, increased plasma alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase activities and morphologic alterations. Dicroceliosis was characterized by bile ductular proliferation and enlargement of the bile duct surface area caused by hyperplastic cholangitis in septal bile ducts. The liver from infected animals contained portal tracts infiltrated with small to moderate numbers of lymphocytes, macrophages, and eosinophils. Simultaneously, there was an increase in portal tract collagen that extended to the interlobular septa and caused pressure atrophy of the hepatic parenchyma. The concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and the ratio of oxidized to reduced glutathione, measured as markers of oxidative stress, were significantly increased. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of oxidative alterations could be related to the morphologic evidence of chronic inflammatory response as well as to liver cellular injury indicated by cellular swelling, and increased presence of peroxisomes and lysosomes.

Expression of cytokeratins and vimentin in normal and neoplastic tissue from the bovine female reproductive tract.

The distribution of cytokeratins (CKs) and vimentin in the normal genital tract of calves and cows at different stages of the oestrous cycle and in epithelial tumours of the tract was studied immunohistochemically. Few differences in CK and vimentin immunolabelling were detected in relation to age or stage of the oestrous cycle. Coexpression of CKs in simple epithelia and in basal cells of stratified epithelia was detected in the oviduct and endocervix; this coexpression was different from that previously described in women. The demonstration of CKs but not vimentin in the neoplastic cells of a serous superficial ovarian papilloma suggested an origin from the ovarian surface epithelium, while the coexpression of CKs and vimentin in serous papillary and mucinous cystadenomas pointed to a possible origin from the rete ovarii. Studies on three uterine adenocarcinomas and the ovarian metastases from two of these showed an endometrial-CK phenotype. The intermediate filament profile of normal endometrium, conserved in uterine adenocarcinomas and their ovarian metastases, may be useful in discriminating between ovarian metastases from endometrial carcinomas and those originating from primary carcinomas in other organs.

Biological characterization of ovarian granulosa cell tumours of slaughtered cattle: assessment of cell proliferation and oestrogen receptors.

Of 1489 slaughtered cattle, 11 had ovarian granulosa cell tumours (GCTs). These GCTs were examined immunohistochemically for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and oestrogen receptor (ER) in relation to histopathological features (growth pattern, nuclear atypia and mitotic count). On the basis of nuclear atypia and mitotic count, the prognosis for GCTs with a diffuse growth pattern appeared less favourable than that for GCTs with a follicular or trabecular pattern. Increased PCNA expression was significantly associated with nuclear atypia but not with histological growth pattern or mitotic count. A novel finding was the presence of ERbeta but not ERalpha in bovine ovarian GCTs. However, ERbeta expression did not appear to be related to the histopathological features examined. The results indicate that PCNA expression may be of value in establishing the biological behaviour of bovine GCTs. However, a larger series of bovine GCTs should be examinated to assess the prognostic significance of ERbeta.

Effects of in-utero exposure to zeranol or diethylstilboestrol on morphological development of the fetal testis in mice.

The morphological development of the fetal mouse testis exposed to alpha-zearalanol (zeranol) or diethylstilboestrol (DES) was evaluated as part of an examination of the effects of transplacental exposure to non-steroid oestrogens on susceptible tissues. On days 9 and 10 of gestation, pregnant NMRI mice were given subcutaneous injections of ethyl oleate alone (0.1 ml) or zeranol or DES (150 micrograms/kg body weight) in ethyl oleate. The mice were killed from days 12 to 18 of gestation and the male fetuses were examined. Microscopical examination of the gonads indicated that the onset of testicular differentiation was earlier in the oestrogen-treated fetuses than in controls. Abnormal differentiation of gonocytes and foci of hyperplasia of fetal Leydig cells were observed in the oestrogen-treated mice. Male fetuses from female mice treated with DES showed a delay in testicular descent and progressive decrease in reactivity for cytokeratin (CK) 8 in fetal Sertoli cells. These morphological findings suggest that prenatal exposure to zeranol or DES induces abnormal testicular differentiation in the mouse.

A pathological study of experimental long-standing Schistosoma bovis infection in sheep.

The pathological response of sheep to two dose levels (400 or 10,000 cercariae) of Schistosoma bovis was evaluated 24 weeks after infection. The results confirmed that a single low or high dose causes lesions in the liver and intestine, and that the lungs, lymph nodes, pancreas and abomasum are affected in sheep given a single high dose. In addition, the study showed that pathological changes (mainly a granulomatous inflammatory reaction) were induced not only by eggs but also by adult worms, and that their severity was in general related to the dose of S. bovis. Hoeppli reaction product, observed on the surface of adult schistosomes in some parasitic granulomas, showed no immunoreaction for IgG, IgA or IgM.

Optimization of the immunohistochemical demonstration of keratins in paraffin wax-embedded mouse skin.

The purpose of this study was to develop an immunoperoxidase technique for the detection of cytokeratins in samples of paraffin wax-embedded adult and fetal skin from NMRI mice, with various antibodies (Troma-1, LL001, 8.60, MCK5, MCK6, AF129) that have been tested mainly on fresh-frozen sections. Each antibody was tested with three different fixatives (10% neutral buffered formalin, Bouin's fluid, and 70% ethanol) and two distinct pretreatments (enzymatic digestion with trypsin, or heat treatment). The best results, in terms of non-specific background labelling, morphological preservation and intensity of specific labelling, were obtained (1) for adult skin, by the use of Bouin's fluid, heat pretreatment and antibodies LL001, MCK5, MCK6 or AF129, and (2) for fetal skin, by the use of 70% ethanol, heat pretreatment and antibody Troma-1. Monoclonal antibody 8.60 gave the best results when the use of 70% ethanol was combined with either enzymatic digestion or heat pretreatment.