Building a Web-Augmented Reality application for demonstration of kidney pathology for veterinary education.

Three-dimensional (3D) models created with computers and educational applications designed using such models are used in the medical field every day. However, there is a lack of macroscopic demonstration applications built with digital 3D models in the field of veterinary pathology. The aim is to build a fully interactive 3D educational web-based augmented reality application, to demonstrate macroscopic lesions in kidneys for educational purposes. We used open source and free software for all 3D modelling, Augmented Reality and website building. Sixteen 3D kidney pathology models were created. Kidney models modelled in 3D and published as WebAR are as follows: normal kidney, unilateral neurogenic shutdown with atrophy, hydronephrosis, hypercalcemia of malignancy tubular nephrosis, interstitial corticomedullary nephritis, renal infarct, multifocal petechial hemorrhages, polycystic kidneys, renal masses, multifocal nephritis, pigmentary nephrosis, papillary necrosis, glucose-related rapid autolysis (pulpy kidney), pyelonephritis, renomegaly and kidney stones. With the workflow shown here, it has been presented as a feasible model application for human pathology and presented to educators, researchers and developers who have 3D models and AR in their field of interest. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study on Web-Augmented Reality application for veterinary pathology education.

Effects of oral zinc administration on long-term ipsilateral and contralateral testes damage after experimental testis ischaemia-reperfusion.

The purpose of this study was to examine potential long-term post-torsion changes that can occur in the histopathology, biochemistry and spermatogenesis of both torsioned and nontorsioned opposite testes. The study also determines the effect of zinc (Zn) administration on the testicular torsion/detorsion (T/D) damage on both testes. Forty-eight male rats, divided equally into eight groups: (SHAM), (SHAM+,Zn+), (T/D+, Zn- 1 month), (T/D+,Zn- 2 months), (T/D+,Zn- 3 months), (T/D+,Zn+ 1 months), (T/D+,Zn+ 2 months), (T/D+,Zn+ 3 months), have been used. Drug administration was carried out by adding 100 µg (0.016 ml/rat) Zn per rat to drinking water in related groups. Testicular damage decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) and increased malondialdehyde (MDA) in the testis tissues of rats, while Zn administration increased SOD and GSH and decreased MDA in the testis tissues in comparison with the SHAM group. The beneficial effect of zinc sulphate was more evident on the nonrotated testis than the rotated testis. In the histopathological study, a significant decrease in torsion and detorsion injuries was observed in the treatment groups compared to the torsion and detorsion groups. We found a protective effect of zinc sulphate on oxidative stress as a result of T/D injuries in rats, especially for the nonrotated testis; results were supported histopathologically.

Neospora caninum: the First Demonstration of the Enteroepithelial Stages in the Intestines of a Naturally Infected Dog.

A 1.5-month-old Kangal breed puppy from a dairy cattle farm died after showing severe diarrhoea and incoordination. Necropsy examination revealed multifocal pulmonary consolidation and necrosis and fibrinohaemorrhagic enteritis. Microscopically, there was necrotic and purulent bronchopneumonia, myocarditis and non-purulent encephalitis. In the jejunum and ileum there was villous atrophy and crypt hyperplasia with oocyst-like and schizont-like structures in the epithelia. Immunohistochemically, Neospora caninum antigen was detected in association with the intestinal protozoal structures, degenerative neurons and areas of necrosis in the lungs and heart. Polymerase chain reaction confirmed that the organism was N. caninum and not Toxoplasma gondii. The seroprevalence for N. caninum was 74.2% (49/66 animals) for the cattle and 57.1% (4/7 animals) for dogs on this farm. This report documents fatal systemic neosporosis and enteroepithelial stages of N. caninum in a naturally infected puppy. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first definition of intestinal neosporosis in a naturally infected dog as well as the first evidence of fatal canine neosporosis in Turkey.

The lung endothelin system: a potent therapeutic target with bosentan for the amelioration of lung alterations in a rat model of diabetes mellitus.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to show the effect of a new mechanism on endothelin (ET) receptors in the physiopathology of diabetes-related pulmonary injury. We tested the hypothesis that dual ET-1 receptor antagonism via bosentan can reverse diabetes-induced lung injury. METHODS: The rats (24 male) were separated into four groups: group 1 (HEALTHY): Control group; group 2 (DM): Streptozotocin 60 mg/kg (i.p.); group 3 (DM + BOS-1): Diabetes + bosentan 50 mg/kg per-os; group 4 (DM + BOS-2): Diabetes + bosentan 100 mg/kg per-os. The bosentan treatment was initiated immediately after the onset of STZ-induced diabetes and continued for 6 weeks. RESULTS: In the treatment group, SOD activity was significantly increased, although GSH and MDA levels and TNF-α and TGF-ß gene expression were decreased. Bosentan 50 mg/kg and bosentan 100 mg/kg showed a significantly down-regulatory effect on ET-1, ET-A, and ET-B mRNA expression. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, increased endothelin levels in the lung associated with diabetes may be one cause of endothelial dysfunction, cytokine increase, and oxidant/antioxidant imbalance in the pathogenesis of complications that may develop during diabetes. With its multiple effects, bosentan therapy may be an effective option against complications that may develop in association with diabetes.

Astrocytes, microglia/macrophages, and neurons expressing Toll-like receptor 11 contribute to innate immunity against encephalitic Toxoplasma gondii infection.

Toll-like receptor 11 (TLR11) is a specific receptor for Toxoplasma gondii and uropathogenic Escherichia coli and has recently been identified in the mouse brain. In the present study, TLR11 gene expression was measured in the mouse brain by Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Furthermore, the TLR11 protein expression profile was evaluated in neuroglia and neurons throughout the encephalitic period (10, 20, and 30days after inoculation) in mice with experimentally induced T. gondii infection. In the brains of experimental (n=21) and control (n=7) mice, TLR11, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), cd11b, NeuN, TLR11/GFAP+, TLR11/cd11b+, and TLR11/NeuN+ cells were investigated using either indirect single- or double-labeling immunoperoxidase staining. The results indicated that TLR11 gene expression increased during chronic toxoplasmic encephalitis, and there was a variable degree of TLR11 immunopositivity among cd11b+, GFAP+, and NeuN+ cells in the brain. On the tenth day of infection, there was a significant increase in TLR11 protein and gene expression, which remained stable during the later stages of infection. In this experimental model, TLR11 expression was induced in astrocytes, neurons, and microglia/macrophages during the immune response to T. gondii infection.

Examination of epithelial tissue cytokine response to natural peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) infection in sheep and goats by immunohistochemistry.

In this study, we aimed to evaluate expression of IL-4, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ and iNOS in lingual, buccal mucosa and lung epithelial tissue using immunoperoxidase technique and to compare with the tissues of control animals. The tissues used in the study were collected from 17 PPRV-affected and 5 healthy sheep and goats. In PPRV positive animals, the lungs, lingual and buccal mucosa had significantly higher iNOS, IFN-γ and TNF-α expressions compared to control group animals. There was no significant difference between PPRV positive and control groups for IL-4 and IL-10 expressions of epithelial tissues. In conclusion, the epithelial tissues infected by PPRV showed significant iNOS, IFN-γ and TNF-α expressions and they might play an important role in the initiation and regulation of cytokine response, as they take place in the first host barrier to be in contact with PPRV. It is suggested that the more epithelial damage produced by PPRV the more cytokine response may result in the infected epithelial cells. The first demonstration of iNOS expression and epithelial cytokine response to PPRV in natural cases is important because it may contribute to an early initiation of systemic immunity against PPRV infection, in addition to direct elimination of the virus during the initial epithelial phase of the infection.

Concurrent peste des petits ruminants virus and pestivirus infection in stillborn twin lambs.

Concurrent infection with peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) and pestivirus was diagnosed in stillborn twin lambs. With the flock history, the findings of epidermal syncytial cells and necrotizing bronchitis/bronchiolitis prompted testing for PPRV infection, and PPRV antigen was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the skin, lungs, kidneys, rumen, and thymus. Macroscopic anomalies that were typical of border disease included scoliosis, brachygnathism, prognathism, arthrogryposis, hydranencephaly, cerebellar hypoplasia, and hairy fleece; pestiviral antigen was detected by IHC in the brain, liver, lungs, and kidneys. Tissues from both lambs were positive by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for PPRV and pestivirus. To the authors' knowledge, PPR has not been reported previously as a congenital infection or in combination with pestiviral infection.

Natural peste des petits ruminants virus infection: novel pathologic findings resembling other morbillivirus infections.

The present study describes pathologic and virologic findings in 15 sheep and 6 goats that died of natural peste des petits ruminants virus infection in Turkey. Pathologic findings included erosive-ulcerative stomatitis, fibrino-necrotic tracheitis, bronchointerstitial pneumonia, multifocal coagulation necroses in the liver, and severe lymphocytolysis in lymphoid tissues. Syncytial cells were conspicuous, especially in the oral mucosa, pulmonary alveoli, liver, and lymphoid tissues. In addition to the typical tissue distribution, eosinophilic intracytoplasmic and/or intranuclear inclusions were observed in epithelial cells lining the renal pelvis and abomasal mucosa. Immunolabeling of the viral antigen was observed in the kidney, brain, rumen, abomasum, heart, and myocytes of the tongue besides its more typical locations. In this study, we report and describe in detail the first peste des petits ruminants endemic in Kirikkale Province, Central Anatolia of Turkey. In conclusion, these previously unreported pathologic findings in natural peste des petits ruminants virus infection establish a basis for resemblance to other morbillivirus infections, such as canine distemper and distemper of sea mammals. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction analyses indicated that the 448-bp genome fragment was amplified in 18 cases (18/21, 85.7 %). Phylogenetic analysis showed that viruses belong to lineage 4 in the peste des petits ruminants virus common phylogenetic tree.