The effect of low intensity laser irradiation of inflamed udders on the efficacy of antibiotic treatment of clinical mastitis in dairy cows.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of STP-99 laser irradiation applied locally to inflamed cow udders on the efficacy of clinical mastitis treatment with either intramammary infusions of antibiotic products or systemic injections of antibiotics. Examinations were carried out on 124 milking dairy cows suffering from clinical, bacterial mastitis. Cows with signs of local acute inflammation were treated with approved intramammary antibiotic products at labeled doses as control. The exposed cows received the same antibiotic treatment but were also subjected to irradiation of the inflamed udders with a laser for 5 consecutive days (2 minutes a day). Cows with local and systemic signs of mastitis were treated with either intramuscular injections of approved antibiotics in label doses alone (controls), or with the same intramuscular treatment protocol and laser irradiation of inflamed glands for 5 consecutive days (2 minutes a day). The recovery rate after intramammary treatment with antibiotics was 43.7%. Irradiation with laser significantly (P < 0.05%) increased the recovery rate by 31.2%. The recovery rate in the cow cohort receiving systemic treatment with antibiotics was 46.7%. The laser irradiation resulted in a 16.6% increase in recovery. Supportive treatment with laser irradiation increased recovery rates by 24.2%.

Circulating Immune Complexes and Heat Shock Protein 70 in the Sera of Patients with Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this paper is to analyze and assess the usefulness of heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) and circulating immune complexes (CIC) in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) in a tertiary care hospital in a research university (2014-2017). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients were interviewed about the history of diseases; underwent an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) examination; a hearing test; and were analyzed for the presence of CIC and Hsp70 protein. A simple dot blot method was designed for the purpose of identification of Hsp70 bound to CIC and free Hsp70. RESULTS: In 59.4% of patients with idiopathic SSHL, elevated levels of immune complexes were observed. Compared with healthy subjects, a significant difference was noted (p=0.00016). Positive reactions to the presence of free Hsp70 protein were noted in the sera of 48.4% of patients. In the control group, free Hsp70 was observed in 8% of patients (p=0.0000034). Hsp70 bound to CIC was detected in the sera of 62.5% of patients; and in healthy cases, in 12% (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: In the sera of persons with SSHL, there are elevated levels of CIC and Hsp70. After the application of the innovative method for determining the occurrence of Hsp70 bound to CIC, it was stated that its presence is greater than that of free Hsp70, commonly detected by means of the Western-blot method. The dot blot method applied in the present study increases the Hsp70 identification and by the same token increases the probability of detection of autoimmunological background of SSHL.

The effect of storage on whole blood chemiluminescence measurement of equine neutrophils.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of duration and temperature of sample storage on whole blood chemiluminescence measurement results. Venous blood from 18 clinically healthy Polish half-bred horses aged 4 to 11 years were used in the study. Luminol dependent chemiluminescence (CL) was used to measure neutrophil oxygen metabolism in whole blood. Blood samples were examined for spontaneous CL and stimulated by a surface receptor stimulus as well as extra-receptor stimulus. The assay was performed in two parallel experimental sets with samples stored at 4 and 22 °C, respectively. Whole blood CL was estimated at 2, 6, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h after collection. The study demonstrated that temperature and duration of sample storage are factors that determine the quality of CL measurements of whole blood in horses. The study concluded that samples should be stored at 4 °C and the assay should be performed as early as possible. It was also shown that the viability period of horse blood for CL assays is relatively long. Material stored at room temperature for 24 h and even up to 48 h at 4 °C did not show any significant decrease in spontaneous or stimulated chemiluminescence.