scholarly journals Neuroaxonal Degeneration in Sheep Grazing Sorghum Pastures

1995 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 229-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory A. Bradley ◽  
H. Carter Metcalf ◽  
Carlos Reggiardo ◽  
Ted H. Noon ◽  
Edward J. Bicknell ◽  
...  

During the fall of 1992, 250 (10%) of 2,500 Rambouilet cross feeder lambs grazing Sorghum bicolor developed neurologic signs including weakness, ataxia, head shaking, knuckling of the fetlocks, inability to rise, and opisthotonos. One hundred fifteen (46%) of the affected lambs died. Twenty of the surviving lambs exhibited residual neurologic signs of ataxia when stressed. At the same time, 275 (25%) of 1,100 ewes grazing a nearby sudex pasture ( S. sudanese × S. bicolor) gave birth to lambs that were weak and unable to rise. Newborn lambs exhibited extensor rigidity and opisthotonos when assisted to a standing position. The dystocias that occurred were due to lambs with contracted limbs (arthrogryposis). All affected lambs died or were euthanized. Histologic examination of the brains of 3 feeder lambs and 9 newborn lambs revealed similar microscopic lesions. The predominant change was the presence of focal axonal enlargements (spheroids) in the proximal segments of axons, which were restricted to the nuclei of the medulla, cerebellum, and midbrain. In addition, the spinal cord contained spheroids in the ventral horn gray matter of the 6 newborns examined. Ultrastructurally, the spheroids were composed of aggregates of neurofilaments, mitochondria, vesicular bodies, and dense bodies bounded by a thin myelin sheath. There was mild gliosis in the more severely affected animals of both groups. There was minimal Wallerian degeneration in the white matter adjacent to affected nuclei in the brain and the ventromedial and dorsolateral funiculi of the spinal cord. This is the first detailed report of Sorghum toxicity in sheep.

2001 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Noda ◽  
H. Yokoyama ◽  
T. Katsuki ◽  
S. Kurashige ◽  
Y. Uchinuno ◽  
...  

Eight newborn calves showing ataxia were necropsied and examined histologically. Six of seven cerebrospinal fluid samples collected from these animals had neutralizing antibody for Akabane virus (AKV). All examined calves had nonsuppurative encephalomyelitis, localized mainly in the midbrain and spinal cord. Corresponding to the encephalitic lesion, AKV antigen was demonstrated in neuroglial cells in the brain stem and neuronal cells in the ventral horn of the spinal cord. This is the first study to demonstrate AKV antigen by immunohistochemistry in naturally infected newborn calves.


2002 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. K. Lee ◽  
J. S. Park ◽  
J. H. Choi ◽  
B. K. Park ◽  
B. C. Lee ◽  
...  

Between August and September 2000, five 2–7-year-old cows in Korea exhibited neurologic signs and were diagnosed as infected with Akabane virus based on the results of histopathology, immunohistochemistry, serology, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. Immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR were equally effective and sensitive for diagnosing Akabane virus infection during the early stage of infection. Typical lymphohistiocytic inflammation characterized by perivascular mononuclear cell infiltration, gliosis, neuronophagia, and neuronal loss was noted in the brain and the ventral horn gray matter of the spinal cord. The lesions in the brain were most prominent in the pons and medulla oblongata. Akabane virus antigen was detected in the brain and spinal cord, mainly in degenerating neurons and glial cells. RTPCR analysis revealed a target band of expected size in four cows. This is the first report on an outbreak of natural Akabane virus infection in adult cattle.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-13
Author(s):  
James B. Talmage ◽  
Jay Blaisdell

Abstract Injuries that affect the central nervous system (CNS) can be catastrophic because they involve the brain or spinal cord, and determining the underlying clinical cause of impairment is essential in using the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (AMA Guides), in part because the AMA Guides addresses neurological impairment in several chapters. Unlike the musculoskeletal chapters, Chapter 13, The Central and Peripheral Nervous System, does not use grades, grade modifiers, and a net adjustment formula; rather the chapter uses an approach that is similar to that in prior editions of the AMA Guides. The following steps can be used to perform a CNS rating: 1) evaluate all four major categories of cerebral impairment, and choose the one that is most severe; 2) rate the single most severe cerebral impairment of the four major categories; 3) rate all other impairments that are due to neurogenic problems; and 4) combine the rating of the single most severe category of cerebral impairment with the ratings of all other impairments. Because some neurological dysfunctions are rated elsewhere in the AMA Guides, Sixth Edition, the evaluator may consult Table 13-1 to verify the appropriate chapter to use.


Author(s):  
Hubertus Axer ◽  
Martina Axer ◽  
David Graßel ◽  
Otto Witte

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 2420-2426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl V. Clemons ◽  
Raymond A. Sobel ◽  
Paul L. Williams ◽  
Demosthenes Pappagianis ◽  
David A. Stevens

ABSTRACT The efficacy of intravenously administered liposomal amphotericin B (AmBisome [AmBi]) for the treatment of experimental coccidioidal meningitis was compared with those of oral fluconazole (FLC) and intravenously administered conventional amphotericin B (AMB). Male New Zealand White rabbits were infected by intracisternal inoculation of arthroconidia of Coccidioides immitis. Starting 5 days postinfection, animals received one of the following: 5% dextrose water diluent; AMB given at 1 mg/kg of body weight; AmBi given at 7.5, 15, or 22.5 mg/kg intravenously three times per week for 3 weeks; or oral FLC given at 80 mg/kg for 19 days. One week after the cessation of therapy, all survivors were euthanatized, the numbers of CFU remaining in the spinal cord and brain were determined, and histological analyses were performed. All AmBi-, FLC-, or AMB-treated animals survived and had prolonged lengths of survival compared with those for the controls (P < 0.0001). Treated groups had significantly lower numbers of white blood cells and significantly lower protein concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid compared with those for the controls (P < 0.01 to 0.0005) and had fewer clinical signs of infection (e.g., weight loss, elevated temperature, and neurological abnormalities including motor abnormalities). The mean histological scores for AmBi-treated rabbits were lower than those for FLC-treated and control rabbits (P < 0.016 and 0.0005, respectively); the scores for AMB-treated animals were lower than those for the controls (P < 0.0005) but were similar to those for FLC-treated rabbits. All regimens reduced the numbers of CFU in the brain and spinal cord compared with those for the controls (P ≤0.0005). AmBi-treated animals had 3- to 11-fold lower numbers of CFU than FLC-treated rabbits and 6- to 35-fold lower numbers of CFU than AmB-treated rabbits. Three of eight animals given 15 mg of AmBi per kg had no detectable infection in either tissue, whereas other doses of AmBi or FLC cleared either the brain or the spinal cord of infection in fewer rabbits. In addition, clearance of the infection from both tissues was achieved in none of the rabbits, and neither tissue was cleared of infection in AMB-treated animals. Overall, these data indicate that intravenously administered AmBi is superior to oral FLC or intravenous AMB and that FLC is better than AMB against experimental coccidioidal meningitis. These data indicate that AmBi may offer an improvement in the treatment of coccidioidal meningitis. Additional studies are warranted.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 143
Author(s):  
Ganchimeg Davaa ◽  
Jin Young Hong ◽  
Tae Uk Kim ◽  
Seong Jae Lee ◽  
Seo Young Kim ◽  
...  

Exercise training is a traditional method to maximize remaining function in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), but the exact mechanism by which exercise promotes recovery after SCI has not been identified; whether exercise truly has a beneficial effect on SCI also remains unclear. Previously, we showed that epigenetic changes in the brain motor cortex occur after SCI and that a treatment leading to epigenetic modulation effectively promotes functional recovery after SCI. We aimed to determine how exercise induces functional improvement in rats subjected to SCI and whether epigenetic changes are engaged in the effects of exercise. A spinal cord contusion model was established in rats, which were then subjected to treadmill exercise for 12 weeks. We found that the size of the lesion cavity and the number of macrophages were decreased more in the exercise group than in the control group after 12 weeks of injury. Immunofluorescence and DNA dot blot analysis revealed that levels of 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in the brain motor cortex were increased after exercise. Accordingly, the expression of ten-eleven translocation (Tet) family members (Tet1, Tet2, and Tet3) in the brain motor cortex also elevated. However, no macrophage polarization was induced by exercise. Locomotor function, including Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) and ladder scores, also improved in the exercise group compared to the control group. We concluded that treadmill exercise facilitates functional recovery in rats with SCI, and mechanistically epigenetic changes in the brain motor cortex may contribute to exercise-induced improvements.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joddat Fatima ◽  
Muhammad Usman Akram ◽  
Amina Jameel ◽  
Adeel Muzaffar Syed

AbstractIn human anatomy, the central nervous system (CNS) acts as a significant processing hub. CNS is clinically divided into two major parts: the brain and the spinal cord. The spinal cord assists the overall communication network of the human anatomy through the brain. The mobility of body and the structure of the whole skeleton is also balanced with the help of the spinal bone, along with reflex control. According to the Global Burden of Disease 2010, worldwide, back pain issues are the leading cause of disability. The clinical specialists in the field estimate almost 80% of the population with experience of back issues. The segmentation of the vertebrae is considered a difficult procedure through imaging. The problem has been catered by different researchers using diverse hand-crafted features like Harris corner, template matching, active shape models, and Hough transform. Existing methods do not handle the illumination changes and shape-based variations. The low-contrast and unclear view of the vertebrae also makes it difficult to get good results. In recent times, convolutional nnural Network (CNN) has taken the research to the next level, producing high-accuracy results. Different architectures of CNN such as UNet, FCN, and ResNet have been used for segmentation and deformity analysis. The aim of this review article is to give a comprehensive overview of how different authors in different times have addressed these issues and proposed different mythologies for the localization and analysis of curvature deformity of the vertebrae in the spinal cord.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document