Enhanced expression of interleukin-1alpha and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein 1 in ileal tissues of cattle infected with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis

Infection with Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis is associated with high levels of morbidity, decreased production, and early culling in dairy cattle. Clinical symptoms of Johne's disease include persistent diarrhea, inappetence, and resultant weight loss due to chronic inflammation of the small intestine. Although the presence or absence of intestinal lesions cannot be used as a definitive indicator of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection, most infected cattle exhibit significant changes to intestinal mucosa, with the focus of pathology surrounding the ileal cecal junction. Typical pathology of M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection includes inflammation, thickening of the lumenal wall, and hyperplasia in draining lymph nodes. To further understand the pathology of Johne's disease, we compared the gene expression profiles of ileal tissues from Johne's disease-positive (n = 6), and Johne's disease-negative (n = 5) Holstein cattle. Gene expression profiles were compared with a bovine total leukocyte (BOTL-3) cDNA microarray. Genes that were expressed at significantly higher levels (>1.5-fold; P < 0.05) in tissues from Johne's disease-infected animals relative to noninfected animals included those encoding tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated protein 1 (TRAF1), interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha), MCP-2, N-cadherin, and beta1 integrin (CD29). Dramatic upregulation of IL-1alpha (21.5-fold) and TRAF1 (27.5-fold) gene expression in tissues of Johne's disease-positive cows relative to tissues from control cows was confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR. Western blot analysis confirmed that IL-1alpha and TRAF1 mRNA levels resulted in increased protein expression in tissues of Johne's disease-positive cattle relative to tissues from control cattle. High levels of IL-1alpha can produce symptoms similar to those found in clinical Johne's disease. Taken together, the data presented in this report suggest that many outward symptoms of Johne's disease may be due to IL-1alpha toxicity. In addition, enhanced levels of TRAF1 could result in cells within the lesions of Johne's disease-positive cattle that are highly resistant to TNF-alpha-induced signaling.     

Adult asthma review in general practice: nurses' perception of their role

BACKGROUND: Asthma clinics have become widespread in general practice with nurses now playing an important role in asthma review. However, little is known about training of nurses carrying out reviews and how this affects the nurse role in patient management. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to discover the level of asthma training of practice nurses carrying out review of adult asthma patients in one Health Authority and to see if this has any effect on their perception of their role. METHOD: All 187 practice nurses in Grampian were sent a postal questionnaire investigating how asthma review is organized in general practice, their role in review and the asthma training they had received. Personal interviews were carried out with 17 nurses, exploring in more depth the topics covered in the questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 167 nurses from 92% of the practices in Grampian responded, of whom 61% carried out asthma reviews. Among nurses carrying out reviews 71% did so on their own. 49% of nurses had or were training for advanced asthma qualification. Nurses without an asthma qualification were significantly more likely to feel that their training was not sufficient for their asthma related tasks (54% versus 11%, P = 0.0002). Nurses without advanced asthma qualifications were less likely to provide or review a self-management plan (29% versus 49%, P = 0.01), to review patient PEF recording (38% versus 65%, P < 0.01), to discuss patient worries (75% versus 94%, P < 0.05) or to make the initial diagnosis of asthma (24% versus 76%, P < 0.005). Nurses were unlikely to view their role as fully responsible unless they had an asthma qualification (13% versus 49%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Nurses without advanced asthma qualifications do not feel fully confident in responsibility for patient management. Nurses without training are more likely to only carry out routine monitoring at reviews while nurses with asthma training are more likely to actively develop patient self- management skills. This suggests that nurses should be supported to obtain asthma qualifications if they are to give the best possible care to asthma patients.      

Influence of the amount of platelet-bound IgG on platelet survival and site of sequestration in autoimmune thrombocytopenia

Seventeen patients with idiopathic autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura were studied in order to establish whether the amount of platelet-bound antibody influenced the rate and site at which these platelets were destroyed. Platelet-bound antibody was measured by a quantitative antiglobulin consumption technique, and platelet survival and sites of sequestration were determined by the use of 51Cr-labeled platelets and surface radioactivity measurements. A correlation significant at the 5% level was observed between the amount of platelet-bound antibody and the rate of platelet destruction. A highly significant correlation (p less than 0.001) existed between antiplatelet antibody and spleen: liver surface radioactivity ratios, demonstrating that greater amounts of antibody bound to platelets result increasingly in their destruction within the liver.     

Morphological and molecular characteristics of living human fetuses between Carnegie stages 7 and 23: ultrasound scanning and direct measurements

The developmental age of an embryo in the first trimester ofpregnancy is generally determined by ultrasound scanning and/orby calculation from menstrual age. In the original studies,validation of the estimate of gestational age by ultrasoundwas not possible as the exact date of conception was unknown.Variation in growth rates of identically aged fetuses has previouslybeen reported after assisted conception and with the use ofultrasound scanning. As these pregnancies were ongoing the accuracyof the scanning results could not be determined. Comparisonof scanning and direct measurements after termination of pregnancyand menstrual age were carried out to determine the accuracyin fetal dating. The results suggest that the use of ultrasoundscanning to determine gestational age is of less use than previouslythought, and that the use of menstrual age is severely limited.     

催醒安在大鼠尿内代谢产物的研究

催醒安是一种新的中枢性抗胆碱酯酶药。给大鼠灌胃后,用HPLC分离纯化尿提取液中的代谢产物,得到四个组分。经MS鉴定分别为原形药物,N-羟甲基,N-甲基氨基甲酸-[间-(2-二甲氨基)]乙氧基苯酯(简称羟基化催醒安),N-甲基氨基甲酸-[间-(2-二甲氨基)乙氧基]苯酯(去甲基催醒安)及间-(2-二甲氨基)乙氧基苯酚(催醒安水解物)。原药及产物对电鳐乙酰胆碱酯酶抑制率的实验表明,去甲基催醒安抑酶活性与原药相近,羟基化催醒安活性比原药低,水解物无抑酶活性。