Establishment and characterization of a coculture system of equine endometrial epithelial and stromal cells.

To investigate the equine endometrium as close to the in vivo situation as possible, we established a coculture system for epithelial and stromal cells (ECs/SCs). ECs and SCs were isolated from nine endometrial tissue specimens. ECs obtained as glandular formations were cultivated on one side of the semipermeable membrane of a Millicell® insert. After 2 days, SCs (2 × 104 cells/membrane) were seeded onto the other side of the same membrane. During cocultivation, the low serum containing culture medium (Theuß et al., 2010) was supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of 17ß-estradiol (2.0-3.0 pg/ml medium) and progesterone (0.5-15.0 ng/ml medium). Once the cocultures formed continuous cell layers as determined by phase-contrast microscopy, the membranes were fixed and processed for light microscopical examination. Cytokeratin 19, steroid hormone receptors and the uterine proteins uteroglobin and calbindinD9k were detected using immunocytochemistry to determine the degree of culture purity and functional cellular differentiation. The culture purity of the EC layer averaged ≥95%. Uteroglobin and calbindinD9k were consistently expressed in ECs, while hormone receptors were predominantly absent in both cell populations. An explicit cytomorphological epithelial differentiation with formation of round-oval to polygonal cell forms was encountered in ≤50% of all ECs and independent of supplemented steroids. Based on the findings altogether, and despite the partly absent congruence to the in situ prerequisites, we established a standardized and reproducible coculture system, which offers a basic approach for studies of physiologic and pathophysiologic issues in the mare.

[Sporadic cutaneous lymphosarcoma of T-cell origin with involvement of lymph nodes and internal organs in a Holstein cow]. / Sporadische kutane T-Zell-Leukose mit Beteiligung von Lymphknoten und inneren Organen bei einer Holstein-Kuh.

Sporadic lymphosarcomas in adult cattle are rare entities with an unknown etiology. This case report describes the course of the disease in a 3.5-year-old cow of the breed German Holstein, which was presented to the veterinarian due to multifocal nodular skin lesions. Several superficial lymph nodes (Lymphonodi mandibulares, parotidei and mammariae) were enlarged, had a tight-elastic consistency and were freely movable. The histopathological and immunohistochemical examination of skin biopsies showed the presence of multifocal cutaneous T-cell lymphosarcomas consistent with a skin leukosis. Bovine leukemia virus infection was excluded by serological investigation of a milk sample and virological examination of a tissue sample, respectively. Seven weeks after the first clinical examination, the cow deteriorated rapidly and was euthanized. A post mortem examination revealed the presence of neoplastic cells within lymph nodes (all superficial lymph nodes of the carcass and Lymphonodi pulmonales), kidney and lungs as well as a liver rupture. Additionally, an overview of the case reports of sporadic bovine cutaneous lymphosarcomas published during the previous 15 years will be provided. The legal background for a further utilization of affected animals for milk and meat production will be discussed. This case report illustrates that sporadic bovine leukosis represents an important differential diagnosis for viral-, bacterial- and parasitic-induced skin lesions and enlargement of lymph nodes in adult cattle.

[Certain metabolic and vascular changes in the relatives of patients with diabetes mellitus]. / Nekotorye metabolicheskie i sosudistye izmeneniia u rodstvennikov bol'nykh sakharnym diabetom

On the basis of instrumental and biochemical study of 186 relatives suffering from diabetes mellitus it was revealed that the diabetic type of sugar curve was encountered in 17.2% of cases, doubltful--in 15.6%; at the same time there was revealed an increase in the immunoreactive insulin level both on fasting stomach and after the glucose load, and a distrubance of fat-lipoid metabolism. Functional changes in the vessels of different calibre independent of the GTT character, accompanied by a reduction of vascular permeability and tissue circulation were revealed in some of the persons examined.

Relationship between auditory discrimination, articulation stimulability, and consistency of misarticulation.

A study was conducted to measure the relationship between auditory discrimination, articulation stimulability, and consistency of misarticulation. Data were based on the Carter-Buck Nonsense-Syllable Imitation Test for stimulability of /s/, the McDonald Deep Test of Articulation which measured consistency of misarticulation of /s/, and the Farquhar-Bankson In-depth Test of Auditory Discrimination which measured external and internal auditory discrimination of /s/. Ss were 25 kindergarten and first grade children with normal hearing and intelligence. No S had received any speech therapy. Each S misarticulated a minimum of three /s/ items on the McDonald Screening Test of Articulation. No more than one phoneme was misarticulated in addition to misarticulation of /s/. A significant correlation between the child's ability to discriminate his own production of /s/ (internal or self-monitoring) and the consistency of misarticulation of /s/ was obtained, as well as one between the consistency of misarticulation of /s/ and the stimulability of /s/. No statistically significant correlations were found between the other variables. A low nonsignificant correlation was found between the stimulability of /s/ and internal discrimination abilities. Different types of discrimination tasks were of varying difficulty. Performance on external discrimination items was better than for internal discrimination items.