[en] To determine the role of high-resolution sonography in the early diagnosis of experimentally induced clonorchiasis in rabbits. We performed sonographic examination weekly in 22 lightly-infected rabbits (10 rabbits infected with 10 metacercariae, 6 rabbits infected with 20 metacercariae, and 6 rabbits infected with 40 metacercariae), and 10 heavily-infected rabbits (500 metacercariae). The sonographic criterion of diagnosis with dilatation of the intrahepatic ducts. We sacrificed lightly-infected rabbits and counted numbers of adult worms of clonorchis sinensis 9 weeks after infection. Sonographic abnormalities were found 3 weeks after infection in 2 lightly-infected rabbits and 5 heavily-infected rabbits. On sonography at 9 weeks after infection, we observed dilatation of the intrahepatic ducts in 11 (65%) of 17 lightly-infected rabbits and all of 10 heavily-infected rabbits. High-resolution sonography is very useful in early diagnosis of rabbits clonorchiasis.

[en] The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of stent design on in-stent stenosis in rabbit iliac arteries. Four different types of stent were implanted in rabbit iliac arteries, being different in stent design (crown or wave) and strut thickness (50 or 100 μm). Ten stents of each type were implanted. Each animal received one crown and one wave stent with the same strut thickness. Follow-up was either 12 weeks (n = 10 rabbits) or 24 weeks (n = 10 rabbits). Primary study end points were angiographic and microscopic in-stent stenosis. Secondary study end points were vessel injury, vascular inflammation, and stent endothelialization. Average stent diameter, relative stent overdilation, average and minimal luminal diameter, and relative average and maximum luminal loss were not significantly different. However, a trend to higher relative stent overdilation was recognized in crown stents compared to wave stents. A trend toward higher average and minimal luminal diameter and lower relative average and maximum luminal loss was recognized in crown stents compared to wave stents with a strut thickness of 100 μm. Neointimal height, relative luminal area stenosis, injury score, inflammation score, and endothelialization score were not significantly different. However, a trend toward higher neointimal height was recognized in crown stents compared to wave stents with a strut thickness of 50 μm and a follow-up of 24 weeks. In conclusion, in this study, crown stents seem to trigger neointima. However, the optimized radial force might equalize the theoretically higher tendency for restenosis in crown stents. In this context, also more favorable positive remodeling in crown stents could be important.

[en] Immunoglobulin (IgG) from rabbit serum was isolated and purified by sodium sulphate precipitation followed by ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose. The efficiency of the procedure was followed by total protein determination during all purification steps. The purity of the final product was verified through immunoelectroforesis of IgG with sheep serum anti-rabbit whole serum. Were obtained 850 mg of pure IgG, enough for the immunization of several sheeps to be used in the production of a second antibody for radioimmunoassay. (author)

[en] Gating in small-animal CT imaging can compensate artefacts caused by physiological motion during scanning. However, all published gating approaches for small animals rely on additional hardware to derive the gating signals. In contrast, in this study a novel method of intrinsic respiratory gating of rodents was developed and tested for mice (n=5), rats (n=5) and rabbits (n=2) in a flat-panel cone-beam CT system. In a consensus read image quality was compared with that of non-gated and retrospective extrinsically gated scans performed using a pneumatic cushion. In comparison to non-gated images, image quality improved significantly using intrinsic and extrinsic gating. Delineation of diaphragm and lung structure improved in all animals. Image quality of intrinsically gated CT was judged to be equivalent to extrinsically gated ones. Additionally 4D datasets were calculated using both gating methods. Values for expiratory, inspiratory and tidal lung volumes determined with the two gating methods were comparable and correlated well with values known from the literature. We could show that intrinsic respiratory gating in rodents makes additional gating hardware and preparatory efforts superfluous. This method improves image quality and allows derivation of functional data. Therefore it bears the potential to find wide applications in small-animal CT imaging. (orig.)

No abstract available

[en] Sequenctial ultrasonography was performed after induction of vitreous hematoma in 24 rabbits eyeball to analyze the characteristic sonographic findings of resorbing hematoma. Ultrasonography was done at immediate after inducing hematoma and were followed up at 2nd day, 1st week, 2nd week and 4th week. The result were as follows; 1. In immediate scan after inducing hematoma, multiple sheet-like or linear shaped hematoma was more common than round or diffuse shaped. 2. Size of hematoma was decreased from 2nd day, much more at l1st week, and nearly or completely absorbed at 4th week. 3. Margin of hematoma was blurred from 2nd day and rapidly changed afterward. 4. Even though echogenecity of hematoma in immediate B-mode scan after inducing hematoma showed largely less echogenic than that of retro-orbital fat, hyperechoic and isoechoic cases were also seen. 5. Reflectivity of hematoma, till 2nd day, showed largely over 50% of that of retro-orbital fat, but decreased to the level of below 50%at 1st week, and nearly or completely absorbed at 4th week

[en] hnRNP K is a highly conserved nucleocytoplasmic shuttling protein, which associates with RNAs through synergistic binding via its three KH domains. hnRNP K is required for proper nuclear export and translational control of its mRNA targets, and these processes are controlled by hnRNP K's movement between subcellular compartments. Whereas the nuclear export and localization of hnRNP K that is associated with mRNP complexes has been well studied, the trafficking of hnRNP K that is unbound to mRNA has yet to be elucidated. To that end, we expressed an EGFP-tagged RNA binding-defective form of hnRNP K in intact Xenopus embryos, and found it was rapidly degraded in vivo. Deleting hnRNP K's nuclear localization signal (NLS), which contains two prospective ubiquitination sites, rescued the protein from degradation. These data demonstrate a novel activity for the NLS of hnRNP K in regulating the protein's stability in vivo when it is unbound to nucleic acids. - Highlights: • An RNA-binding mutant of Xenopus hnRNP K is degraded in vivo. • hnRNP K's nuclear localization signal contains two predicted ubiquitination sites. • Deletion of the nuclear localization signal rescues RNA-binding mutant degradation.

No abstract available

[en] The double tracer study on erythrokinetics was carried out experimentally with radioactive iron(⁵⁹Fe) and chromium (⁵¹Cr) in rabbits. The 0.1% cantharidin solution and 1% pot. perchlomate solution was given subcutaneously to 20 rabbits respectively. 3 and 6 days after injection, the blood chemistry, urine examination, ferrokinetics and apparent half survival time of RBC were (⁵¹Cr T-1/2) determined. Following were the results: 1) Red blood cell hematocrit and hemoglobin values were moderately reduced and B.U.N. and serum creatinine values were slightly increased in the cantharidin group, while B.U.N. and serum creatinine values were within normal limits in the pot. perchlomate group. Reticulocyte values were slightly increased in the cantharidin group, while was normal range in the pot. perchlomate group. 2) Blood chemistry finding was not significant statistically in both experimental groups, but serum iron value was moderately reduced in both group. 3) Plasma volume was unchanged in both group, but red cell volume and whole blood volume were slightly reduced in both groups. 4) Results of ferrokinetics were as follows: i) The plasma iron disappearance rate was delayed in both groups. Plasma iron turnover rate, red cell iron utilization and red cell iron turnover rate were decreased in both groups, and then red cell iron turnover rate was more decreased than plasma iron turnover rate in both groups. Circulating red cell iron was slightly increased in cantharidin group and red cell iron concentration was within normal range in both groups. ii) P.I.T.R.-R.C.I.T. value moderately increased in the cantharidin group and slightly increased in the pot. perchlomate group. Reticulocyte index, red cell iron turnover index, plasma iron turnover index and effective erythropoiesis index were wholly reduced in both groups. iii) The red cell life span was slightly shortened in the cantharidin group while was within normal range in pot. perchlomate group. The pathologic finding of renal biopsy of the cantharidin group shows a selective damage in glomerulus, while shows almost normal range or slight damage in tubules. And that of the pot. perchlomate group shows a selective damage in tubules with slight damage of glomerulus.

[en] The utilization of the radioimmunoassay in the study of the testicular endocrine function of rabbits was showed. (L.J.C.)