Partial Lumbosacral Transitional Vertebra: A case of unilateral sacralization and its embryological and clinical implications.

Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV) are congenital anomalies of the lumbosacral spine. In lumbosacral transitional vertebrae either sacralization of the lowest lumbar segment or lumbarization of the upper sacral segment of the spine is seen. One of the sacra from macerated cadavers has shown sacralization with unilateral fusion of transverse process on right side, while on left side it was normal, there was no fusion of bodies and left transverse processes of lumbosacral transitional vertebrae and first sacral vertebrae. Since there is association between lumbosacral transitional vertebrae and low back pain (LBP) and other spinal pathology; this anomaly has increased clinical interest. The morphological details of the case, its embryological and clinical implications from the literature are reviewed.

Drug Repurposing by Simulating Flow Through Protein-Protein Interaction Networks.

As drug development is extremely expensive, the identification of novel indications for in-market drugs is financially attractive. Multiple algorithms are used to support such drug repurposing, but highly reliable methods combining simulation of intracellular networks and machine learning are currently not available. We developed an algorithm that simulates drug effects on the flow of information through protein-protein interaction networks, and used support vector machine to identify potentially effective drugs in our model disease, psoriasis. Using this method, we screened about 1,500 marketed and investigational substances, identified 51 drugs that were potentially effective, and selected three of them for experimental confirmation. All drugs inhibited tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced nuclear factor kappa B activity in vitro, suggesting they might be effective for treating psoriasis in humans. Additionally, these drugs significantly inhibited imiquimod-induced ear thickening and inflammation in the mouse model of the disease. All results suggest high prediction performance for the algorithm.

Bilateral prehilar multiple branching of renal arteries: a case report and literature review.

Proper knowledge of variations of the arteries supplying the kidney is essential not only to the anatomists but also to the surgeons. In the present paper we are reporting a case of bilateral early and multiple branching of the renal arteries. The origin of the 2 renal arteries was normal but soon after their origin they ended by giving rise to multiple branches. Most of these branches entered the kidney through the hilum. However, on both sides, one of the branches (superior polar artery) passed superolaterally to reach the upper pole of the kidney. The superior polar artery also gave rise to the inferior suprarenal artery. Further, related literature review is done and the urological implications of these variations in renal surgeries are discussed.

Alginate microparticles prepared by spray-coagulation method: preparation, drug loading and release characterization.

A spray-coagulation method was developed for the preparation of large scale of porous alginate microparticles. The effect of three variables on porosity was evaluated: (1) alginate solution concentration (2) the concentration of CaCl2 in the coagulation medium and (3) the ratio of guluronic acid to manuronic acid of the alginate. Methylene blue (MB), a highly water-soluble compound and a practically water-insoluble compound, 4-phenylazoaniline (PAA) were used as the model drugs to study drug loading and release characteristics from alginate microparticles. The release of the model compounds from the microparticles was found to depend upon the release medium. Incomplete in vitro release of both model drugs in deionized (DI) water was observed. The release of MB in simulated gastrointestinal fluid (0.1N HCl) was fast and complete, while the release of PAA was slow in 0.1N HCl and fast in phosphate buffer solution (pH 6.8). Interactions between the model drugs and alginate microparticles were identified from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis. The results indicated that (1) porous alginate microparticles can be produced by the spray-coagulation method; (2) drugs can be loaded by the adsorption method; (3) and the obtained microparticles may be used for delaying the release of drugs of low water solubility in acidic conditions.

Placebo-controlled evaluation of a modified life virus vaccine against feline infectious peritonitis: safety and efficacy under field conditions.

A modified live virus vaccine against feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) was evaluated in a double blind, placebo-controlled field trial in two high-risk populations. The vaccine was found to be safe and efficacious in one population of cats that had low antibody titre against feline coronavirus (FCoV) at the time of vaccination. Although clinically healthy at the time of vaccination, retrospectively some vaccinees that later came down with FIP were found to be RT-PCR positive for FCoV in plasma and showed changes in blood parameters consistent with early stage of FIP. It is concluded that vaccination can protect cats with no or low FCoV antibody titres and that in some cats vaccine failure was probably due to pre-existing infection.

[Detection of feline coronavirus using RT-PCR: basis for the study of the pathogenesis of feline infectious peritonitis (FIP)]. / Nachweis feliner Coronaviren mittels RT-PCR: Grundlage zum Studium der Pathogenese der Felinen Infektiösen Peritonitis (FIP).

The aim of this study was to further investigate the pathogenesis and epidemiology of feline coronavirus (FCoV)-infections and among others to determine the prognostic value of a positive result in the RT-PCR for FCoV in serum samples collected from cats with abdominal signs. Viral RNA was isolated from 100 microl of serum and subsequently amplified by a nested RT-PCR using primers binding to a highly conserved region of the 3'-end of the FCoV-genome. Sixty-three serum samples collected from 62 cats with abdominal signs were examined by RT-PCR and the clinical outcome was followed up. Four of these cats with a positive PCR-result are healthy more than 70 months after the collection of the blood sample. It can be concluded that viremia with FCoV does not necessarily lead to FIP and death. With respect to diagnosing FIP, a positive FCoV-RT-PCR is of low prognostic and diagnostic value. It can not be recommended to use this assay as sole indication to euthanize cats. Further studies will have to be carried out to demonstrate if the prognostic and diagnostic value of this PCR-assay in other samples such as peripheral blood mononuclear cells is more reliable. However, this method was found to be an important tool to further study the pathogenesis and epidemiology of FIP.