ABSTRACT
Epidemiological studies found that hepatitis E virus genotype 3 (HEV-3) infection was associated with chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis in immunocompromised patients. Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between the host immunosuppressive status and the occurrence of HEV-related chronic hepatitis. Here we describe a successful experimental study, using cynomolgus monkeys previously treated with tacrolimus, a potent calcineurin inhibitor immunosuppressant, and infected with a Brazilian HEV-3 strain isolated from naturally infected pigs. HEV infected monkeys were followed up during 160 days post infection (dpi) by clinical signs; virological, biochemical and haematological parameters; and liver histopathology. The tacrolimus blood levels were monitored throughout the experiment. Immunosuppression was confirmed by clinical and laboratorial findings, such as: moderate weight loss, alopecia, and herpes virus opportunistic infection. In this study, chronic HEV infection was characterized by the mild increase of liver enzymes serum levels; persistent RNA viremia and viral faecal shedding; and liver histopathology. Three out of four immunosuppressed monkeys showed recurrent HEV RNA detection in liver samples, evident hepatocellular ballooning degeneration, mild to severe macro and microvesicular steatosis (zone 1), scattered hepatocellular apoptosis, and lobular focal inflammation. At 69 dpi, liver biopsies of all infected monkeys revealed evident ballooning degeneration (zone 3), discrete hepatocellular apoptosis, and at most mild portal and intra-acinar focal inflammation. At 160 dpi, the three chronically HEV infected monkeys showed microscopic features (piecemeal necrosis) corresponding to chronic hepatitis in absence of fibrosis and cirrhosis in liver parenchyma. Within 4-months follow up, the tacrolimus-immunosuppressed cynomolgus monkeys infected with a Brazilian swine HEV-3 strain exhibited more severe hepatic lesions progressing to chronic hepatitis without liver fibrosis, similarly as shown in tacrolimus-immunosuppressed solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients. The cause-effect relationship between HEV infection and tacrolimus treatment was confirmed in this experiment.
Subject(s)
Hepatitis E virus/pathogenicity , Immunosuppressive Agents/immunology , Macaca fascicularis/immunology , Macaca fascicularis/virology , Animals , Brazil , Female , Genotype , Hepatitis Antibodies/immunology , Hepatitis E/immunology , Hepatitis E/virology , Hepatitis E virus/genetics , Hepatitis E virus/immunology , Immunosuppression Therapy/methods , Liver/immunology , Liver/virology , Liver Cirrhosis/immunology , Liver Cirrhosis/virology , Liver Function Tests/methods , Male , RNA, Viral/genetics , Virus Shedding/immunologyABSTRACT
Este estudo investigou o efeito da ropivacaína, da lidocaína e da associação de lidocaína e xilazina na anestesia epidural de cães. Trinta cães foram tranqüilizados com acepromazina intravenosa, distribuídos em três grupos e submetidos à anestesia epidural no espaço lombo-sacro, com lidocaína 2 por cento com vasoconstrictor (GL), ropivacaína 1 por cento (GR) ou com xilazina associada à lidocaína (GXL). Mensuraram-se as freqüências cardíaca (FC) e respiratória (f), a pressão arterial sistólica (PAS), a concentração final expirada de CO2 (EtCO2), o volume minuto (VM) e a temperatura retal (T). Para avaliação da analgesia somática, utilizou-se o teste do panículo e o teste térmico a 55°C. Os protocolos produziram anestesia da região retro-umbilical, sendo que a associação XL produziu bloqueio anestésico mais cranial, porém causou bradicardia moderada. A duração da anestesia foi mais prolongada nos animais dos grupos GXL (240 min) e GR (250 min), quando comparada as do grupo GL (120 min).
This study was aimed at investigating the effects of ropivacaine, lidocaine or lidocaine combined with xylazine for epidural anaesthesia in dogs. Thirty dogs were sedated with acepromazine IV, divided in to three groups and submitted to lumbosacral epidural anaesthesia using 2 percent lidocaine with adrenaline (L) or 1 percent ropivacaine (R) or xylazine combined with lidocaine (XL). Heart and respiratory rates, systolic arterial blood pressure, EtCO2, minute volume and temperature were measured. Cutaneous anaesthesia was investigated using a forceps and thermic stimulus. All protocols produced retroumbilical anaesthesia. The combination of XL produced a more cranial anaesthetic block, with moderate bradycardia. The duration of the anaesthesia was more prolonged in animals treated with XL (240min) and R (250min), when compared to L alone (120min).
ABSTRACT
O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a taxa de maturação nuclear in vitro de oócitos provenientes de gatas doméstica púbere e pré-púbere. Foram utilizadas 15 fêmeas felinas, 10 púberes e 5 pré-púberes; sendo os oócitos obtidos por aspiração quantificados e classificados. Os oócitos classificados como excelentes e regulares foram reunidos em grupos de 10, em meio de cultura, recobertos em óleo mineral em Placas de Petri siliconizadas e descartáveis. Após permanência em estufa, a 38ºC e 5 por cento de CO2 por 48 horas, os oócitos foram submetidos a duas lavagens com solução de hialuronidase a 0,4 por cento, fixados em metanol/acido acético e corados com orceína acética. A avaliação da configuração cromossômica de oócitos maturados in vitro resultou em 44,68 por cento das células em metáfase II no grupo das fêmeas púberes e 25,32 por cento no grupo das doadoras pré-púberes, indicando que a puberdade influencia a capacidade dos oócitos se desenvolverem in vitro.
