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A Fontanals

Publications and source records attributed to A Fontanals.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Evidence of genetic heterogeneity in a BALB/c mouse colony as determined by DNA fingerprinting.

A genetic monitoring of the BALB/c mouse foundation colony in our animal facility was carried out. The techniques of choice were skin grafting, coat colour test, flow cytometric analysis for H2 antigens (loci H2-D and H2-A), electrophoretic analysis of isoenzymes (loci Idh1, Pep3, Es3 and Mod1), PCR-amplified microsatellites (loci Igh-V, Ngfg, Plau, Crp, Igh, D16Mit5, D3Mit49 and D17Mit16) and DNA fingerprinting (multilocus probes 33.6, 33.15 and (CAC)5). No evidence of genetic contamination was found, ruling out the possibility of an outcross with AKR, the other albino strain maintained at the facility. Nevertheless, DNA fingerprint patterns revealed evidence of genetic heterogeneity in four out of nine lines of the nucleus colony, interpreted as minisatellite mutations favoured for a single line system with more than 40 generations of separation from the ancestral pair. These mice are mainly used in cancer and immunological research within the institute.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

[Immune response against foot-and-mouth disease virus in cattle: effect of vaccination].

Foot and Mouth Disease Virus (FMDV) is one of the most feared animal virus and vaccination still has to be used in many countries. In previous reports, using a murine model, we studied the cellular basis of immune responses against FMDV and were able to show that they are atypical. In cattle, although complete protection may be attained after only one dose of killed virus vaccine, very little is known about protection against FMDV, except for antibody responses, but practically nothing concerning the cellular basis of their immune response. Moreover, since neutralizing titers do not always correlate with protection, the potency of vaccines in controlled by viral challenge. Our aim is to study cellular immune responses against FMDV, and to search for a correlate to protection. As a first step, 55 virgin cattle from a non endemic area (Patagonia) were divided into three groups: C: non immunized controls; HS: immunized with saponine containing vaccine; and EO: with oil emulsified vaccine. After vaccination, they were carried to an endemic area (Buenos Aires), where they were challenged with live FMDV. Animals were bled immediately before and 7 days after challenge, and their white blood cells and lymphocyte subpopulations were counted. All animals showed a marked neutropenia and eosinophilia, significantly higher in HS than in EO and C groups; both parameters were significantly better in the 2nd assay. Total lymphocyte counts were normal. Lymphocyte subpopulations were assessed by immunofluorescence using monoclonal antibodies: their proportions were normal and did not change during illness in group C. Several factors could have induced the observed eosinophilia and neutropenia: parasites, stress, saponine, others.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Leptospira interrogans serovar Pomona: detection of antigenic differences among 3 regional isolates from cattle and a reference strain].

Leptospirosis is a zoonosis caused by Leptospira interrogans. This disease is diagnosed by quantification of specific immunoglobulins in serum by the microagglutination test (MAT). The aims of this research were: a) to compare the protein profiles of 3 clinical isolates of bovine leptospirosis with the reference strain used for the MAT, and b) to identify the immunodomain antigens of the regional isolates through PAGE and immunoblotting techniques of bovine sera from infected, vaccinated and MAT-negative animals. Coomassie-blue stained gels revealed extensive protein similarities between pathogenic and reference strain. Most infected (8/10) and vaccinated animal sera (4/7) showed by immunoblotting a similar reactivity against the proteins from pathogenic leptospires, with a strong band of 25-30 kDa which was not detected in the reference strain. The lack of correlation between MAT and immunoblotting techniques for infected animals could be due either to the infection stage at which the diagnosis was made or to the immunoglobulin isotype involved in the response. Results obtained would confirm the antigenic differences between the 3 isolates and the reference strain.

Agglutination Tests↗