Rodent models of diet-induced type 2 diabetes mellitus: A literature review and selection guide

Several research teams have focused on finding the “ideal” animal model that reflects the pathophysiological changes and closely simulates the metabolic characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes. However, the multitude of studies on this topic has resulted in large variations, making the models difficult to compare, as the measured parameters vary significantly. Additionally, selecting the appropriate animal model for a new study has become more difficult due to the increasing number of background variables. This article gives a detailed overview of the literature, covering the entire range of animal models and model characteristics, and most importantly, provides guidance for selecting the most suitable model for specific research goals in the future.     

Modular epitope binding predicts influenza quasispecies dominance and vaccine effectiveness: Application to 2018/19 season

The modular binding sites on the influenza A(H3N2) hemagglutinin protein are under significant pressure to acquire mutations in order to evade human antibody recognition. Analysis of these hemagglutinin epitopes in the strains circulating during 2017/18 and early 2018/19 identified the emergence of a new antigenic cluster that has grown from 4% of circulating strains to 11%. We regressed our module-based antigenic distance, p_epitope, with A(H3N2) vaccine effectiveness from recent studies conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (r² = 0.92), and we used this to estimate that the 2018/19 vaccines will protect against most circulating A(H3N2) strains. The pEpitope model is useful for A(H3N2) influenza vaccine virus selection and development, and it has the potential to aid national or regional regulatory authorities in making geographically localized decisions.     

白藜芦醇对酒精诱导雄性大鼠骨量减少和骨强度降低的保护作用

目的探索白藜芦醇对酒精诱导雄性大鼠骨量减少和骨强度降低的影响。方法 30只12周雄性大鼠随机分为对照组、模型组和治疗组3组,每组10只。模型组和治疗组大鼠给予0.4 mL/100 g的20%乙醇溶液,每周3次。治疗组接受白藜芦醇40 mg/kg治疗,每日一次,治疗为期12周。治疗结束时收集血清和股骨对治疗结果进行评价。结果治疗12周后,治疗组的股骨骨密度较模型组显著升高,差异有统计学意义(P0.05);Mircro-CT显示治疗组大鼠股骨干骺端较模型组具有更多骨小梁以及更佳的骨微观参数,差异有统计学意义(P0.05);生物力学结果显示治疗组股骨的极限载荷和峰值负荷较模型组显著升高,差异有统计学意义(P0.05);而血清检测结果表明治疗组的碱性磷酸酶和骨钙素较模型组明显降低,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论白藜芦醇对酒精诱导雄性大鼠骨量减少和骨强度降低有一定的保护作用。     

Protection of White Leghorn chickens by recombinant fowlpox vector vaccine with an updated H5 insert against Mexican H5N2 avian influenza viruses

Despite decades of vaccination, surveillance, and biosecurity measures, H5N2 low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) virus infections continue in Mexico and neighboring countries. One explanation for tenacity of H5N2 LPAI in Mexico is the antigenic divergence of circulating field viruses compared to licensed vaccines due to antigenic drift. Our phylogenetic analysis indicates that the H5N2 LPAI viruses circulating in Mexico and neighboring countries since 1994 have undergone antigenic drift away from vaccine seed strains. Here we evaluated the efficacy of a new recombinant fowlpox virus vector containing an updated H5 insert (rFPV-H5/2016), more relevant to the current strains circulating in Mexico. We tested the vaccine efficacy against a closely related subcluster 4 Mexican H5N2 LPAI (2010 H5/LP) virus and the historic H5N2 HPAI (1995 H5/HP) virus in White Leghorn chickens. The rFPV-H5/2016 vaccine provided hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) titers pre-challenge against viral antigens from both challenge viruses in almost 100% of the immunized birds, with no differences in number of birds seroconverting or HI titers among all tested doses (1.5, 2.0, and 3.1 log₁₀ mean tissue culture infectious doses/bird). The vaccine conferred 100% clinical protection and a significant decrease in oral and cloacal virus shedding from 1995 H5/HP virus challenged birds when compared to the sham controls at all tested doses. Virus shedding titers from vaccinated 2010 H5/LP virus challenged birds significantly decreased compared to sham birds especially at earlier time points. Our results confirm the efficacy of the new rFPV-H5/2016 against antigenic drift of LPAI virus in Mexico and suggest that this vaccine would be a good candidate, likely as a primer in a prime-boost vaccination program.     

动物瘢痕模型的相关研究进展

皮肤损伤后的异常愈合会导致病理性瘢痕的产生。病理性瘢痕的出现不仅影响美观,严重时还会造成心理和生理功能障碍。病理性瘢痕的机制研究对于瘢痕治疗有极为重要的意义。其中,动物瘢痕模型是目前研究病理性瘢痕的重要模型手段之一。理想的动物瘢痕模型应该在组织学、细胞学等层面尽可能接近于人类的病理性瘢痕。该文分别从传统技术动物瘢痕中的啮齿类动物模型、兔耳模型和猪模型,以及新技术动物瘢痕模型这两个方面,结合近年来在瘢痕领域应用较多的研究,进行了相应系统的阐述。     

脊柱化脓性感染动物模型的建立及应用进展

手术部位感染是脊柱手术后常见且非常严重的并发症,严重影响患者的身体健康。尽管手术操作无菌细致,及时给予适当的全身抗生素,但手术部位感染率仍然很高[1-2]。据报道,我国脊柱手术感染的风险从0.5%~7.8%不等[3-4]。糖尿病、肥胖、高血压等疾病显著增加脊柱术后感染,感染后治疗的费用可达10多万美元[5],大大增加了患者的经济负担。