Infection of Chickens Caused by Avian Influenza Virus A/H5N1 Delivered by Aerosol and Other Routes

This study presents results of the study of infectivity of avian influenza virus (AIV) A subtype H5N1 strains isolated from agricultural birds across the territory of the Russian Federation and CIS countries. The results of the susceptibility of chickens to the AIV isolates delivered by the aerosol route and the dissemination of the virus in the organs of infected birds are presented. As was observed, the sensitivity of birds to AIV by the aerosol route of infection is 30 times higher than by intranasal route, 500 times higher than by the oral route and 10 000 times higher than by the intragastric route of infection, which is indicative of higher permissivity of respiratory organs to AIV. The highest titres of AIV A subtype H5N1(A/Chicken/Kurgan/05/2005 strain) in aerosol‐infected chickens were found in nasal cavity mucosa, lungs, cloaca, serum and kidney, where viable virus accumulation was detected by 18 h post‐infection (p.i.). The highest virus titres were observed 54 h p.i. in lungs, serum and kidney, reaching the value of 8.16 lg EID₅₀/g(ml) in the lungs. The results showed that birds infected by the aerosol route developed higher titres of virus than those infected by other routes.     

Studies on the effect of vanadate on endocytosis and shape changes in human red blood cells and ghosts

When amphipathic cationic drugs are added to intact human RBCs, the RBCs first undergo a stomatocytic shape change and then, if relatively large amounts of drug are added and if the metabolic state of the RBC is appropriate, endocytic vacuoles form. Vanadate has a structural similarity to the transition state of phosphate, which presumably accounts for its ability to inhibit phosphohydrolases, although other actions of vanadate have been described. Vanadate inhibited three forms of drug-induced endocytosis in intact RBCs despite the fact that the three drugs chosen (primaquine, chlorpromazine, and vinblastine) are known to have differing requirements for RBC ATP. Vanadate also inhibited the stomatocytic shape change produced by primaquine, chlorpromazine, and vinblastine, but not the stomatocytosis produced by low pH. Vanadate had no effect on RBC echinocytosis produced by lysophosphatidylcholine. In studying endocytosis in hypotonic, leaky, "white" ghosts, we discovered that vanadate inhibited only the endocytosis produced by Mg-ATP and not the endocytosis produced by manipulations that directly attack the cytoskeletal proteins. These findings suggest that ATP hydrolysis has a role in some forms of amphipathic cation-induced stomatocytosis and endocytosis in intact RBCs. In addition, studies in ghosts support the idea that Mg-ATP does indeed produce "energized" endocytosis dependent on utilization or hydrolysis of ATP.     

Molecular characterization of a high A2 beta thalassemia by direct sequencing of single strand enriched amplified genomic DNA

Two families, one of Anglo-Saxon-Dutch descent, and the other, West Indian black, have an atypical beta thalassemia characterized by an unusually high level of Hb A2 in the heterozygous state. Restriction endonuclease mapping showed a deletion of about 1.35 kilobase (kb) in the 5' region of the beta globin gene. Direct sequencing of a specific region of genomic DNA amplified by a new modification of the polymerase chain reaction defined the deletion to be 1,393 base pairs (bp) and to be the same in both families. The deletion extends from 485 bp 5' to the mRNA CAP site to the middle of the second intervening sequence. This deletion, together with three others previously described that remove the 5' end of the beta gene but leave the delta gene intact, are all associated with unusually high levels of Hb A2 in the heterozygous state.     

Attention‐network specific alterations of structural connectivity in the undamaged white matter in acute neglect

Visual neglect results from dysfunction within the spatial attention network. The structural connectivity in undamaged brain tissue in neglect has barely been investigated until now. In the present study, we explored the microstructural white matter characteristics of the contralesional hemisphere in relation to neglect severity and recovery in acute stroke patients. We compared age‐matched healthy subjects and three groups of acute stroke patients (9 ± 0.5 days after stroke): (i) patients with nonrecovered neglect (n = 12); (ii) patients with rapid recovery from initial neglect (within the first week post‐stroke, n = 7), (iii) stroke patients without neglect (n = 17). We analyzed the differences between groups in grey and white matter density and fractional anisotropy (FA) and used fiber tracking to identify the affected fibers. Patients with nonrecovered neglect differed from those with rapid recovery by FA‐reduction in the left inferior parietal lobe. Fibers passing through this region connect the left‐hemispheric analogues of the ventral attention system. Compared with healthy subjects, neglect patients with persisting neglect had FA‐reduction in the left superior parietal lobe, optic radiation, and left corpus callosum/cingulum. Fibers passing through these regions connect centers of the left dorsal attention system. FA‐reduction in the identified regions correlated with neglect severity. The study shows for the first time white matter changes within the spatial attention system remote from the lesion and correlating with the extent and persistence of neglect. The data support the concept of neglect as disintegration within the whole attention system and illustrate the dynamics of structural‐functional correlates in acute stroke. Hum Brain Mapp 35:4678–4692, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc .     

Risk factors associated with having psoriatic arthritis in patients with cutaneous psoriasis

The aim of this study was to determine if the following characteristics were associated with the presence of psoriatic arthritis in a sample of psoriasis patients: race, family history of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, age of onset of psoriasis, smoking, alcohol consumption and the maximum body surface area (BSA) affected by psoriasis. This was a case–control study involving 400 psoriasis patients who attended the Psoriasis and Photo‐medicine clinic in the National Skin Center of Singapore over a 1‐year period. Cases were psoriasis patients with psoriatic arthritis while controls were psoriasis patients without psoriatic arthritis. The diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis was made by rheumatologists and participants completed a self‐administered standardized questionnaire. The maximum BSA involved was determined from the case notes. Psoriatic arthritis was not significantly associated with sex, race, age of onset of psoriasis, a family history of psoriasis, smoking and alcohol consumption but was significantly associated with a family history of psoriatic arthritis (P < 0.001) and the maximum body surface involved (P = 0.05). Using multivariate analysis to control for variables, the presence of psoriatic arthritis was significantly associated with a family history of psoriatic arthritis (odds ratio [OR] = 20.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.49–169.10) and the maximum BSA involved (OR = 2.52; 95% CI = 1.33–4.75). Indian psoriatic patients were more likely to have psoriatic arthritis compared to the other races. A family history of psoriatic arthritis and a greater maximum body surface involved may be associated with having psoriatic arthritis in this study population of psoriasis patients.     

Effect of akatinol (Memantine) in central spinal pain syndrome

On the model of central spinal pain syndrome in rats induced by application of penicillin to the dorsal surface of the lumbar spinal cord, akatinol injected intraperitoneally at the peak of syndrome or applied locally simultaneously with penicillin produced a dose-dependent analgesic effect. Intraperitoneal injection of akatinol at the peak of pain syndrome inhibited neuronal activity in spinal dorsal horn: the amplitude of total evoked neuronal response significantly decreased and the duration of action potentials returned to normal. It is concluded that activation of NDMA receptors plays a significant role in the development of central spinal pain syndrome, in particular spontaneous pain attacks, hyperalgesia, and tactile allodynia. Akatinol can be an essential component of the complex pathogenetic therapy of central pains. Translated fromByulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 129, No. 5, pp. 500–503, May, 2000     

In vitro and in vivo effects of ingavirin on the ultrastructure and infectivity of influenza virus

The aim of this investigation was to study the effect of ingavirin on the structure and properties of influenza virions forming in its presence. The infectious activity of the virus and the morphology of the virions were analyzed by titration in cell culture and electron microscopy, respectively. The use of ingavirin was shown to reduce the proportion of morphologically intact virions and to increase that of filamentous and giant particles. No defects of surface glycoproteins were observed. The effect of the drug did not depend on the chosen model of virus replication and it was similarly shown in both cultured human cells and laboratory animals. In MDCK and A549 cells and in the mouse lungs, viral infectious activity was decreased by 1-2 orders of magnitude in relation to a model. The findings suggest that Ingavirin is able to impair the processes of viral morphogenesis, which in turn leads to a reduction in the infectivity of progeny virions.