Enhancement of growth, antioxidative status, nonspecific immunity, and disease resistance in gibel carp (Carassius auratus) in response to dietary Flos populi extract

This study investigated the effects of dietary Flos populi extract (FPE) on the growth, antioxidation capability, innate immune response, and disease resistance in gibel carp. A total of 480 fish were fed with five different diets containing 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, or 2.0 g kg−1 FPE (designated as control, D0.5, D1.0, D1.5, or D2.0 groups) for 45 days. The fish were challenged with A. hydrophila after the feeding trial. Compared with the control, the feed efficiency (FE), weight gain (WG), final body weight (FBW), and specific growth rate (SGR) were significantly improved in groups D1.0 and D1.5. Dietary FPE significantly increased serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) activities, as well as glutathione (GSH) content. The contents of protein carbonyl (PCC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum decreased significantly. Additionally, FPE supplementation in diets resulted in significant improvement in serum lysozyme (LZM) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities, as well as immunoglobulin M (IgM) and complement 3 (C3) concentrations. The hepatic antioxidant enzymes (CAT and SOD) activities increased, whereas content of MDA decreased in fish treated with dietary FPE than those of control both pre- and post-challenged. After 12 h-challenge, an obvious downregulation of hepatic Kelch-like-ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), splenic tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-8, IL-1β, and toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) mRNA levels was observed in fish treated with dietary FPE, whereas hepatic Nrf2 transcription level was upregulated compared to the control. Furthermore, compared to group D0.5, higher relative percent survival (RPS) was observed in gibel carp fed dietary 1.0–2.0 g/kg FPE. Our results reveal that FPE supplemented diet has a stimulatory effect on antioxidant capacity and nonspecific immune response, along with improved growth performance and enhanced resistance against A. hydrophila infection in juvenile gibel carp.

A Recurrent Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor-like Lesion of the Splenic Capsule in a Kitten: Clinical, Microscopic and Ultrastructural Description

Objective: To describe the findings of an unusual splenic tumor in a kitten. Methods: A grossly multinodular mass arising from the splenic capsule of a 7-month-old male Havana kitten was echographically detected and surgically removed by splenectomy, then analyzed microscopically and ultrastructurally. Results: The mass showed features of an inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor. Treatment and Outcome: Two months after surgical excision, the mass recurred in the same intra-abdominal area but disappeared after 2 months of anti-inflammatory therapy. Follow-up at 18 months after surgery revealed resolution of the disease. Clinical Relevance: Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor in cats have been rarely reported and are usually in the orbital region. In the present report, an unusual multinodular gross presentation, a recurrence over time, and a favorable clinical course, are described.

A focal extramedullary hematopoiesis of the spleen in a patient with essential thrombocythemia presenting with a complicated postoperative course: a case report

Background Extramedullary hematopoiesis is a compensatory response occurring secondary to inadequate bone marrow function and is occasionally observed in essential thrombocythemia (ET). This disease usually presents as multifocal masses in the paravertebral or intra-abdominal region; however, formation of a focal mass in the liver or spleen is rare. In addition, ET is characterized by increased platelet count and shows a tendency toward thrombosis and, occasionally, bleeding. Serious bleeding is common in ET patients, caused by the decrease in or abnormalities of von Willebrand factor (vWF) as a consequence of the precipitous rise in platelets. Therefore, strict management of platelet count using medication is crucial in patients with ET who require invasive procedures, especially splenectomy. Case presentation A 68-year-old man with ET was found to have an enlargement of a focal splenic tumor. Imaging findings revealed that the tumor was likely a hemangioma or hamartoma; however, the possibility of malignant disease could not be completely ruled out because of short-term tumor enlargement, and we conducted a splenectomy. The surgery was uneventful, but the patient presented with severe polycythemia and vWF abnormalities postoperatively, which resulted in bleeding from the drain insertion site and wound, epistaxis, and hemorrhoidal bleeding. Three months after discharge, polycythemia still persisted and the level of vWF gradually decreased. With a decrease in vWF, the patient suffered from an increased bleeding tendency. Therefore, the patient has been referred for bone marrow transplantation and is currently awaiting a suitable donor. Conclusions Extramedullary hematopoiesis should be listed as a differential diagnosis of focal enlarged splenic tumors, especially in patients with myeloproliferative disorders. Additionally, in splenectomy for ET patients, careful perioperative management taking into consideration the conflicting features of a tendency toward thrombus formation and bleeding is necessary.

A unique case of splenic tumor exhibiting a serous carcinoma phenotype

The spleen has no epithelial element; thus, primary carcinoma of the spleen is quite rare. We present the case of a patient with serous carcinoma of the spleen. A 76-year-old woman with no significant medical history presented with a huge lesion in the spleen. Except this lesion, clinical examination, including imaging examination, revealed no remarkable findings. She underwent excision of the spleen for treatment and diagnosis. Postoperative pathological examination revealed neoplastic cells with pleomorphic and hyperchromatic nuclei, prominent nucleoli, and frequent mitotic activity. The neoplastic cells exhibited a papillary pattern with psammoma bodies. Immunohistochemistry showed positivity for cytokeratin 7, PAX-8, WT-1, p16, p53, and Ber-EP4 and negativity for cytokeratin 20, thyroid transcription factor-1, carcinoembryonic antigen, CD10, estrogen receptor, calretinin, D2-40, intelectin-1, and sialylated HEG1. We inferred that this tumor was a primary splenic serous carcinoma. Serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma is the plausible origin of most pelvic serous carcinomas. However, the origin of serous carcinoma of the spleen remains unknown. We speculated that endosalpingiosis might be the origin of the tumor.

Report on four cases of the rarest benign splenic tumor - myoid angioendothelioma, with literature review

Introduction. Myoid angioendothelioma of the spleen is an extremely rare form of a benign splenic tumor. There is no characteristic symptomatology for this disease. Case outline. We present four patients operated on for myoid angioendothelioma of the spleen. Three patients were without problems while one had nonspecific problems. Two patients underwent laparoscopic surgery and two underwent open splenectomy. In all patients, the definitive diagnosis was confirmed by histopathological examination. Discussion. By reviewing the aforementioned medical databases of published papers in English, we found a total of eight cases of myoid angioendothelioma of the spleen. In addition to the mentioned number, we have added our series of cases. Conclusion. Twenty-one years after the discovery of myoid angioendothelioma of the spleen, the small number of cases presented in the literature is still a limiting factor in making conclusions and in learning lessons about this disease

INFLAMMATORY PSEUDOTUMOR OF THE SPLEEN: A CASE REPORT

Inflammatory pseudotumor of the spleen (IPTS) is an extremely rare benign condition of uncertain etiology. Preoperative diagnosis of this entity is usually difficult, only the histological study allows the diagnosis to be made. We report an observation of a 35-year-old women patient, hospitalized for left hypochondrium pain with vomiting. Physical examination noted tenderness of the left hypochondrium and splenomegaly, CT scan showed a large tissue mass, measuring 14x15x9.6 cm, probably at the expense of the upper pole of the spleen, containing central calcifications. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a splenic tumor. A splenectomy was performed. IPTS diagnosis was made after histological and immunohistochemical study of the splenectomy specimen.

Induction of Durable Antitumor Response by a Novel Oncolytic Herpesvirus Expressing Multiple Immunomodulatory Transgenes

Oncolytic virotherapy is a promising new tool for cancer treatment, but direct lytic destruction of tumor cells is not sufficient and must be accompanied by strong immune activation to elicit anti-tumor immunity. We report here the creation of a novel replication-competent recombinant oncolytic herpes simplex virus type 1 (VG161) that carries genes coding for IL-12, IL-15, and IL-15 receptor alpha subunit, along with a peptide fusion protein capable of disrupting PD-1/PD-L1 interactions. The VG161 virus replicates efficiently and exhibits robust cytotoxicity in multiple tumor cell lines. Moreover, the encoded cytokines and the PD-L1 blocking peptide work cooperatively to boost immune cell function. In vivo testing in syngeneic CT26 and A20 tumor models reveals superior efficacy when compared to a backbone virus that does not express exogenous genes. Intratumoral injection of VG161 induces abscopal responses in non-injected distal tumors and grants resistance to tumor re-challenge. The robust anti-tumor effect of VG161 is associated with T cell and NK cell tumor infiltration, expression of Th1 associated genes in the injection site, and increased frequency of splenic tumor-specific T cells. VG161 also displayed a superb safety profile in GLP acute and repeated injection toxicity studies performed using cynomolgus monkeys. Overall, we demonstrate that VG161 can induce robust oncolysis and stimulate a robust anti-tumor immune response without sacrificing safety.