Merits of Sheep Antisera for Antivenom Manufacture

The first immunotherapeutic product was of ovine origin but horses were used from the outset for antivenom production and continue to be the species of choice. Nonetheless, sheep offer some advantages. The practicalities of raising antisera in sheep are reviewed and a schedule for immunising, sampling and bleeding sheep is presented. Among factors of critical importance are the choice of adjuvant, the quality and amount of venom injected, the care taken in ensuring a stable venom:adjuvant emulsion, the frequency of immunisation and the site and number of injections given. The main advantage of using sheep lies in the excellence of their humoral immune response which probably depends, in part, on being able to employ Freund's adjuvant routinely. Virtually 100% of sheep attain specific antibody levels of more than 6 g/l and maintain their response for as long as immunisation is continued. Each sheep provides 4 to 5 litres of antisera annually for some 5 to 8 years. Sheep are relatively inexpensive to purchase, house and feed and are easy to handle, immunise and bleed. They provide a viable alternative to horses and the eventual choice of species may well depend upon the relative costs.     

Fistulous withers and eosinophilia in a horse

Fistulous withers is a chronic inflammatory disease of horses in the supraspinous bursa and associated tissues. The referred horse had a fistulous tract in the withers area with presence of purulent material accumulation under the ligamentum nuchae. The radiographic examination of the lesion showed an osteomyelitis involved area. The hematological examination revealed eosinophilia. Long-term antibiotic therapy reduced the eosinophilic reaction to normal. It was assumed that osteomyelitis was the cause of eosinophilia in this horse.     

癫痫宁片治疗癫痫的随机双盲临床研究

目的：观察癫痫宁片添加治疗强直-阵挛性癫痫发作的临床疗效。方法：收集我院2007年4月~2008年4月门诊及住院的69例强直-阵挛性发作癫痫患者,既往脑电图明确诊断为癫痫,近3月至少有两次发作,采取随机双盲方法,在应用原抗癫痫药物的基础上添加癫痫宁片或安慰剂,治疗3个月,每月记录1次患者的发作情况。治疗组46例,对照组23例,实验结束后作统计学分析及安全性评价。结果：癫痛宁片添加治疗癫痫,严重程度明显减轻,发作频率明显减少,伴随症状明显好转,用药期间无明显的毒副作用,耐受性良好。结论：癫痫宁片添加治疗强直-阵挛性癫痫发作具有较好疗效,不良反应少。     

Comparison of antibody and cell-mediated immune responses of foals and adult horses after vaccination with live Mycobacterium bovis BCG

Background

Equine neonates have reduced humoral and cell-mediated immune responses compared to adult horses after administration of killed vaccines. As a basis for this study, we hypothesized that newborn foals can mount strong immune responses after vaccination with live Mycobacterium bovis BCG.

Methods

Healthy 4-day-old foals (n = 7), 4-month-old foals (n = 7) and adult horses (n = 6) were vaccinated once with live M. bovis BCG. Age-matched animals (n = 5 per group) were used as unvaccinated controls. Relative vaccine-specific immunoglobulin concentrations and whole blood mRNA expression of IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-10 were measured prior to and 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after vaccination. Eight weeks after vaccination, delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) responses were assessed by measuring the increase in double skin thickness after intradermal injection of purified protein derivative.

Results

Both groups of foals and adult horses responded with a significant increase in vaccine-specific total IgG, IgGa, IgGc, IgG(T), and IgM concentrations. In contrast, only adult horses mounted significant IgGb responses. Vaccine-specific concentrations of total IgG and IgGa were significantly higher in adult horses than in 4-day-old foals whereas IgGc responses were significantly higher in 4-day-old foals than in the other two age groups. Adult horses had significantly higher basal IFN-γ and IL-4 mRNA expression than both groups of foals but vaccination with M. bovis BCG did not significantly increase expression of these cytokines, regardless of age group. Immunized horses had significantly higher DTH responses than age-matched unvaccinated controls. DTH responses were significantly greater in both groups of vaccinated foals than in vaccinated adult horses.

Conclusion

Despite a naïve immune system, newborn foals have the ability to mount robust antibody and cell-mediated immune responses to M. bovis BCG.     

三种选择性培养基分离流感嗜血杆菌的效果分析

目的探讨以脑心浸液琼脂（BHIA）、胰大豆蛋白胨琼脂（TSA）、哥伦比亚（Columbia）琼脂为基础培养基配制的马血巧克力培养基对流感嗜血杆菌（Hi）的分离效果。方法将458份标本和流感嗜血杆菌标准菌株ATCC10211分别接种于3种培养基上,比较3种培养基对流感嗜血杆菌的检出率,计算标准菌株ATCC10211在3种培养基上的生长指数（GI）。结果 Columbia、BHIA、BHIA三种培养基上流感嗜血杆菌的检出率分别为33.4%、32.8%和32.5%。流感嗜血杆菌标准菌株ATCC10211在三种培养基上的GI值分别为14.28（±1.54）、6.96（±1.56）和8.16（±1.98）。Columbia培养基上的GI值与其他两种培养基上的GI值比较有显著性差异（P〈0.05）。结论马血Columbia巧克力培养基是一种分离Hi的首选培养基。     

抗SARS—CoV免疫球蛋白的安全性评价

目的　评价抗SARS CoV免疫球蛋白治疗性抗体的安全性。方法　观察抗SARS CoV免疫球蛋白对小鼠和Beagle狗的急性毒性 ,对家兔红细胞的体外溶血作用和对兔耳血管的刺激性作用。结果　抗SARS CoV免疫球蛋白静脉注射对小鼠的最大耐受量为大于 130 0mg·kg-1,对Beagle狗的最大耐受量为大于 2 6 0mg·kg-1。抗SARS CoV免疫球蛋白 (5 .2mg·ml-1)未见体外溶血和红细胞粘集反应 ,也未见明显血管刺激性。结论　抗SARS CoV免疫球蛋白对动物是安全的。     

西南马遗传资源研究

本文阐述了西南马的起源进化、分布数量、遗传研究现状、保种等方面,并对今后发展进行了展望。