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Biomedical subjects

F Guscetti

Publications and source records attributed to F Guscetti.

33 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

[Immunohistochemical determination of Chlamydia psittaci/pecorum and C.trachomatis in the piglet gut].

The jejunum, ileum, caecum and colon of 200 piglets were investigated immunohistochemically for the presence of Chlamydia psittaci and C. trachomatis using a vitelline IgY. Positive samples were later labelled using a commercial C. trachomatis polyclonal antiserum. Chlamydia were present in 33 (16.4%) of the animals, and 30 out of 33 were labelled by C. trachomatis polyclonal antiserum. Inclusions occurred predominantly (67%) in the large intestine. The serological results (CFT, ELISA) did not correlate well with immunohistochemical labelling in the gut. The incidence of Chlamydia rose from 6.9% in animals up to 4 weeks, to 41.8% in those over 4 weeks of age. A correlation between chlamydia and enteric disease was not obvious. Besides chlamydia, most of the diseased animals harboured other additional agents. In conclusion, intestinal chlamydiae in piglets, predominantly C. trachomatis, exist in Switzerland, although their pathogenic potential seems to be low.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Access to the abomasum of sheep via a rumen fistula for follow-up studies during trichostrongylid infections.

A technique is described for the examination of the abomasum of adult sheep via a rumen fistula. The size of the fistula allowed a manual exploration of the rumen which was necessary to achieve an access to the abomasum. In four adult sheep, two of them infected with Haemonchus contortus, fibreoptic endoscopy was used to investigate the abomasal mucosa macroscopically as well as histopathologically and ultrastructurally by means of mucosal biopsy specimen. The acidity of the abomasal contents was measured directly by introducing an electrode into the abomasum or indirectly in abomasal fluid which was obtained via a stomach catheter through the rumen fistula. The measured values in all four sheep ranged between pH2 and 4. The fibreoptic examination of the abomasum did not influence the plasma pepsinogen and gastrin levels. The possibility of combining histological, serological and coprological data in follow-up studies on the pathophysiology of trichostrongylid infections in the abomasum of individual sheep seems to be useful for the investigation of primary and secondary infections and may contribute to a reduction of the number of experimental animals in such studies.

Abomasum↗
PubMed1994

[Diarrheal diseases in 1 to 4 week old suckling piglets from problem herds: microbial spectrum, histology, enzyme histochemistry].

Postmortem investigation was performed on 54 scouring (soon after onset of diarrhea) and 23 healthy suckling piglets. The animals were 1 to 4 weeks of age and were collected from 27 herds. In 21 herds diarrhea had been observed for a long time in piglets in this age group. Coccidia were found in 34 piglets, rotavirus in 2, cryptosporidia in 2, enterotoxigenic E. coli in 6, attaching and effacing E. coli in 1, Cl. perfringens type C in 1, Campylobacter coli in 53 and C. hyointestinalis in 8 piglets. Some of these microorganisms were isolated from healthy piglets as well. TGE- and PED-Virus antigen, as well as Salmonella were not recovered from any of the pigs. Results of the histopathological and enzyme histochemical investigations were in agreement with data from the literature. They confirmed and emphasized the role of coccidia as enteropathogenic agents in the animals examined. On the other hand evidence was shown, that C. coli is non-pathogenic. The role of C. hyointestinalis could not be fully elucidated. At least one sort of enteropathogenic agent was detected in about 68% (n = 37) of the scouring pigs or was present in 81% (n = 17) of the herds, respectively.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Ultrasonographic findings in a cow with extra-hepatic cholestasis and cholangitis.

This case report describes a 6-year-old Holstein Friesian cow with extrahepatic cholestasis. The most prominent clinical signs were disturbed general condition and behaviour, icterus, yellowish brown urine, and bilirubinuria. An increased concentration of serum bilirubin and an increase in hepatic enzyme activity were the most important laboratory findings. Ultrasonographic examination of the liver and gall bladder revealed severe bile stasis. The intrahepatic bile ducts, the cystic duct, and the gall bladder were severely dilated. Histological examination of a liver biopsy revealed cholestasis, cholangitis, and acute hepatosis. A liver abscess was also found at post mortem examination. It was assumed that cholestasis was caused by the inflammatory products resulting from cholangitis.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Preliminary characterization of a monoclonal antibody specific for a viral 27 kD glycoprotein family synthesized in porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus infected cells.

We describe a new monoclonal antibody No. 204 (mcAb 204) which recognized a family of four polypeptides, consisting of a 27kD, a 24/23kD double band and a 19kD protein present within PEDV infected cell lysates. These proteins were identified by immunoprecipitation as well as by staining of immunoblots. In infected Vero cell cultures, the synthesis of the 27kD protein was initiated between 6 and 8 hours post inoculation. The 24/23kD double band and the 19kD protein were only detectable later. At least the 27 and the 24/23kD proteins were apparently glycosylated and present in purified virions. Pulse-chase as well as solubilization experiments indicated that the faster migrating bands represented processed products of the 27kD glycoprotein. The nature of the processing is not known at present. We suggest that the 27kD protein family may represent the integral membrane protein M of PEDV. Since this protein is highly abundant in virions as well as in infected cells, and since mcAb 204 is able to react with its antigen under various conditions, this monoclonal antibody may be useful to further studies of the M-protein of PEDV. In addition, it may provide a useful tool for routine diagnosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

[Muscular dystrophy in a cat].

A case of muscular dystrophy in a 1-year-old male castrated Domestic Shorthair cat is presented. The most striking clinical features were regurgitation, a stiff gait, an increased muscle tone and exercise intolerance. Serum biochemistry panels showed a marked increase in the muscle specific enzyme creatine kinase, and moderately elevated levels of LDH, AST and ALT. Spontaneous electrical activity of skeletal muscles in the form of "bizarre high frequency discharges" and "myotonia-like repetitive discharges" were registered. Gross pathology revealed a marked hypertrophy of the skeletal muscles. The main histopathological changes were myofiber necrosis and calcification, variation in fiber size, hypertrophied muscle fibers of type I and type II and fiber splitting. Indirect immunofluorescence showed dystrophin deficiency. Feline muscular dystrophy resembles the X-linked human Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Besides the X-linked muscular dystrophy in the mouse and Golden Retriever the feline muscular dystrophy could represent another valuable animal model for the study of DMD.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1992

[An outbreak of infectious chicken anemia in fattening chickens in Switzerland].

An outbreak of infectious anaemia in 46 broiler flocks due to chicken anaemia agent (CAA) is described. The vertically acquired infection led to increased mortality (3.6-19.8%) in 16 to 24 day-old broiler chickens. At necropsy severe atrophy of thymus and anaemia with pale bone marrow was observed. The histologic findings were depletion of cortical thymocytes and of hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow. The CAA was isolated from 15 of 35 examined broiler flocks.

Anemia↗
PubMed1991

Animal model for dermolytic mechanobullous disease: sheep with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa lack collagen VII.

A severe congenital mechanobullous disease with dermolytic blistering and recessive inheritance is described in sheep. The affected animals of wild and inbred flocks of the breed Weisses Alpenschaf (WAS) have blisters of skin, oral mucosa, tongue, and esophagus at birth or within the first week of life. Exungulation occurs early, and severe erosions in the mouth lead to difficulty in feeding. Electron microscopic examination revealed sub-lamina densa splitting in natural or fresh friction blisters and absence of identifiable anchoring fibrils in clinically uninvolved skin. Antigen mapping localized laminin and collagen IV to the blister roof. Indirect immunofluorescence staining with antibodies to collagen VII, the major structural component of the anchoring fibrils, demonstrated a complete absence of reaction in clinically uninvolved tissues of the affected sheep, whereas in normal sheep a strong linear fluorescence was seen at the epithelial-mesenchymal basement membrane zone. Dermal extracts of normal sheep contained intact collagen VII, but epidermal and dermal extracts from the affected sheep lacked this collagen or its fragments in immunoblotting experiments. Based on genetic, clinical, ultrastructural, and immunochemical findings, the sheep disorder corresponds to the severe mutilating subtype of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa in humans and can be used as an animal model to investigate the human disorder.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

[Pathomorphology of feline dysautonomia (Key-Gaskell syndrome). Histologic, electron microscopic and immunohistologic findings in 4 cats].

The histopathologic, immunohistochemical and electronmicroscopic findings of four dysautonomic cats are presented. The main histopathologic changes were seen in the nervous system, e.g. in sympathetic and parasympathetic ganglia that were similarly affected. Acute cases showed a degeneration of most of the neurons, in one subacute case less neurons and degeneration of some of the remaining neurons were present. Degenerating neurons were swollen or shrunken and had pycnotic, eccentric nuclei. The Nissl substance was lost, the cytoplasma stained eosinophilic and was often vacuolated. Degenerating neurons were also seen in some nuclei of cranial nerves. In sympathetic ganglia numbers of glial cells were increased as shown by immunohistochemical markers (GFAP, S-100). The main ultrastructural changes in sympathetic ganglia were eccentric, crenated nuclei, loss of Nissl substance, loss of ribosomes, distended cisternae and vacuoles filled with floccular material. Circular stacks of parallel smooth-membranes and autophagic vacuoles were also often seen. No normal Golgi fields were seen. These findings closely resemble those already described for feline dysautonomia.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Serological evidence of herpesvirus infection in captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus).

In mid 1988 a 3-yr-old Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) from a circus in Switzerland died following generalized manifestation of a herpesvirus infection. In an effort to determine prevalence of infection with the herpesvirus, and due to lack of a corresponding virus isolate, it was decided to evaluate contact animals and elephants from a second herd for antibody to bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV1) and bovine herpesvirus 2 (BHV2). Of 15 sera tested four displayed low neutralizing antibody titers to BHV2. None of the sera neutralized BHV1. However, as evidenced by protein A-mediated immunoprecipitation of metabolically radio-labeled virus-infected and mock-infected cell antigens, followed by separation of precipitation products in SDS-polyacrylamide gels, the 15 sera precipitated multiple antigens from both viruses. Similar results were obtained when using BHV4 antigens. The extent of reaction was most distinct with respect to BHV2 antigens, less prominent with BHV1 antigens, and least with BHV4 antigens. The respective protein patterns, although less marked, matched well with those obtained with bovine reference sera. Additional evaluation of sera from six elephants from two zoos in the Federal Republic of Germany gave essentially identical results. It was concluded that at least one herpesvirus, immunologically related to BHV2, may be widely distributed among captive Asian elephants, and that this virus apparently does not cause overt disease in the majority of animals.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Surgical and chemotherapeutic treatment of alveolar echinococcosis in a dog.

Surgical removal of macroscopically detectable metacestode tissue followed by postoperative chemotherapy according to established human protocols resulted in complete clinical remission and immediate normalization of hyperglobulinemia in a dog with alveolar echinococcosis (AE). The disease is caused by the metacestode stage of the cestode, Echinococcus multilocularis. In endemic areas, AE should be included in the differential diagnosis of polycystic liver masses, especially if concomitant hyperglobulinemia is present. However, the importance of AE is not only the disease of the single dog itself but also the potential risk of infection for humans in an endemic area.

Albendazole↗