The long-term neurocompatibility of human fibrin sealant and equine collagen as biomatrices in experimental spinal cord injury.

INTRODUCTION: While fibrin sealant (FS) and equine collagen (EC) have been used as scaffold materials in experimental spinal cord injury (SCI), questions concerning neurocompatibility still remain. In this study, we assessed potential adverse effects, as well as functional and histological impact of FS and EC in subtotal hemisection of the thoracic spinal cord (SC) in rats. METHODS: 124 male rats were randomly assigned to four main groups (n=31): Sham (SH), Lesion only (L), fibrin sealant (GFS) and equine collagen group (GEC). SH animals received laminectomy only; all other animals underwent subtotal lateral hemisection at T9. Treatment consisted of application of FS or EC into the lesion gap in GFS and GEC, which was left empty in L. GFS, GEC, L and SH were each further divided into 4 subgroups: One subgroup, consisting of 10 rats was subjected to behavioural and reflex testing before surgery and followed up on days 1,7, 14, 21, 28 post op and then sacrificed. Haemalaun or cresyl violet (CV) was used to identify neutrophils in parasagittal cord sections which were obtained on day 1 (n=7). Sections stained for quantification of microglia/macrophages using ED-1 on day 3 (n=7), day 7 (n=7) and day 28 (n=7 out of 10). Additionally, neural filament (NF) staining was chosen to detect axonal regeneration and the length of ingrowth into FS and EC, Luxol blue for myelination, Von Willebrand factor for vascularisation, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) staining for detection of astrocytes in glial scars on day 28. RESULTS: No adverse effects were observed in the treatment groups. Compared to L, GFS and GEC performed significantly better in the Basso, Beattie, Bresnahan (BBB) score and hopping responses. Proprioceptive placing was markedly improved in FS and EC compared to L. Axonal regrowth was found in GFS and GEC--the regrowth in the GFS was accompanied by myelination and vascularisation. Glial scarring occurred in all groups. Discussion Both biomatrices improved functional recovery compared to L and no adverse effects were perceived.

Pestivirus exposure in free-living and captive deer in Austria.

During the hunting season of 2001-02, blood and spleen samples from 59 red deer (Cervus elaphus), 77 roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), four fallow deer (Dama dama), and five chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) were collected from nine hunting districts (n = 133) and one deer farm (n = 12) in southern Austria. Sera were tested for antibodies against bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and virus neutralization tests against three BVDVs and one border disease virus strain. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used for detection of pestivirus-specific RNA in spleen samples. Antibodies were detected in one serum sample when using ELISA and virus neutralization tests. Results of the virus neutralization tests of this sample provided strong evidence for the exposure to the BVDV-1 genotype. The spleen samples were negative for pestivirus-specific RNA.