Molecular characterisation of rabies virus strains in the Republic of Macedonia

Rabies, a worldwide zoonosis, remains a public-health concern despite oral wildlife vaccination in Europe. After a ten-year break, Macedonia reported eight rabies cases in 2011-2012. Two countries (Serbia and Bulgaria) bordering Macedonia are reporting cases in domestic and wild animals. This report describes the genetic characterisation of eight isolates from Macedonia compared with representative samples from neighbouring countries. All of the isolates tested belong to the Eastern European group, with a high degree of nucleotide sequence identity in the nucleoprotein gene. The close genetic relationship between isolates from the three bordering countries suggests that wildlife is responsible for rabies movements in the region.     

Larval helminths in the invasive American brine shrimp Artemia franciscana throughout its annual cycle

One of the best examples of rapid displacement of native species by an invader is the eradication of native Artemia salina and A. parthenogenetica in the Mediterranean by the introduced American A. franciscana. Previous studies based on sampling from limited time periods suggest that the success of the American species as a competitor may be due partly to different parasite burden, since native Artemia spp. have high cestode infection rates regulating their density. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that the helminth infection in A. franciscana in its invasive range is low throughout its annual life cycle. Samples of A. franciscana were collected every second month from La Tapa saltern (Andalusia) during one year. Five helminth species were recorded: cestodes Flamingolepis liguloides, F. flamingo, Gynandrotaenia stammeri (all flamingo parasites), Eurycestus avoceti (a shorebird parasite) and larval spirurids of the Acuariinae (the first record of nematodes in Artemia). The overall infection rate was low, with total prevalence 5.9% and prevalence of individual parasite species between 0.2 and 3.2%. The mean abundance of helminths was 0.005–0.155 (av. 0.068), 5–13 times lower than in native congeners. Waterbird counts indicate that the low infection rates cannot be explained by lack of definitive hosts. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that helminths have no regulating effect on the invasive brine shrimp in the Mediterranean. The replacement of the native populations by the invader can be partially explained by a competition mediated by parasites/predators through a differential impact on host fitness.     

Air gun injury with deadly aftermath – Case report

In Republic of Macedonia the use of air guns is quite widespread. They are used mainly for target practice. They are regulated by the Law of Arms, where they are defined as pneumatic weapons. There is no legal limit on type or quantity of ammunition that one may possess. Our Institute performs at least 90% of the forensic autopsies in Macedonia. In this report we describe the only fatality by pneumatic weapon to come to our attention over the past 10 years. A 6-year-old girl was accidentally wounded by her brother when he and his father were trying a new air gun, a 4.5 mm single shot, break barrel, spring piston air rifle manufactured in China under the brand “Westlake”. She died within minutes. Autopsy showed cardiac tamponade due to penetration of the aorta. A 0.5 g metal projectile, 4.5 mm in diameter, with a pointed, conical shape, was recovered from the pericardial sac.     

A novel regulator of angiogenesis in endothelial cells: 5-hydroxytriptamine 4 receptor

The 5-hydroxytryptamine type 4 receptor (5-HT₄R) regulates many physiological processes, including learning and memory, cognition, and gastrointestinal motility. Little is known about its role in angiogenesis. Using mouse hindlimb ischemia model of angiogenesis, we observed a significant reduction of limb blood flow recovery 14 days after ischemia and a decrease in density of CD31-positive vessels in adductor muscles in 5-HT₄R^?/? mice compared to wild type littermates. Our in vitro data indicated that 5-HT₄R endogenously expressed in endothelial cells (ECs) may promote angiogenesis. Inhibition of the receptor with 5-HT₄R antagonist RS 39604 reduced EC capillary tube formation in the reconstituted basement membrane. Using Boyden chamber migration assay and wound healing ??scratch?? assay, we demonstrated that RS 39604 treatment significantly suppressed EC migration. Transendothelial resistance measurement and immunofluorescence analysis showed that a 5-HT₄R agonist RS 67333 led to an increase in endothelial permeability, actin stress fiber and interendothelial gap formation. Importantly, we provided the evidence that 5-HT₄R-regulated EC migration may be mediated by G??13 and RhoA. Our results suggest a prominent role of 5-HT₄R in promoting angiogenesis and identify 5-HT₄R as a potential therapeutic target for modulating angiogenesis under pathological conditions.