Decoy Immunization for Mice, Rats, and Hamsters

Decoy immunization relies on misdirecting the T and B cells of the immune system away from immunogenic regions against which one does not want to generate antibodies, allowing the desired region to be profiled. Essentially, it involves immunizing animals with two forms of the targeted protein on opposite sides of the body. One form, with the region of interest removed (i.e., a modified protein), is injected into the left side of animal, whereas the intact protein of interest is injected into the right side. In theory, undesired B cells are drawn to the left side of the animal, leaving the desired B cells to be drawn to the right (specifically, in the procedure presented here, to the right popliteal lymph node).

Lymph nodes lose their nerve

Loss of sciatic innervation of the popliteal lymph node causes IFN-γ–dependent lymph node expansion.

Canine visceral leishmaniasis in Rondônia, Brazil: a report of an autochthonous case

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, is a disseminated protozoan infection caused by the Leishmania donovani complex. Traditionally, the definitive diagnosis is made by detecting amastigotes in biological tissue samples. In August 2015, an apparently healthy, young adult, female, mongrel dog from the Zoonosis Control Center of the Rolim de Moura,Rondônia, was subjected to the canine visceral leishmaniasis diagnosis. The diagnosis was conducted using bone marrow aspirate smears and popliteal lymph node smears by Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB); stained slides with Diff-Quick screened for Leishmania amastigotes by means of direct optical microscopic examination (100×). Lymph node and bone marrow aspirates were used to investigate the presence of Leishmania infantum chagasi DNA by real-time PCR. The popliteal lymph node positive result was observed in typical amastigotes, presenting nucleus and kinetoplasts associated with lymphoblastic proliferation, reactive macrophages, plasmocytes (commonly Mott cells), eosinophils, and lymphoglandular hyperplasia. A positive bone marrow sample resulted from the observation of amastigotes in the monocyte cytoplasm or free on the smear background. The presence of the L. infantum kDNA was detected in lymph node and bone marrow FNAB samples. This research note describes the autochthonous case of CVL recorded in the state of Rondônia, Brazil, a non-endemic area for VL. According to the data, future studies must include a larger number of animals to elucidate the parasite’s epidemiological resource in Rondônia.

The Effects of Deep Oscillation Therapy for Individuals with Lower-Leg Pain

Purpose: Lower extremity (LE) pain accounts for 13-20% of injuries in the active population. LE pain has been contributed to inflexibility and fascial restrictions. Deep oscillation therapy (DOT) has been proposed to improve range of motion and reduce pain following musculoskeletal injuries. Therefore, our objective was to determine the effectiveness of DOT on ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) and pain in individuals with and without lower-leg pain. Methods: We used a single blind, pre-post experimental study in a research laboratory. Thirty-two active participants completed this study. Sixteen individuals reporting lower-leg pain and sixteen non-painful individuals completed the study. Participants received a single session of DOT performed by one researcher to their affected limb or matched limb. The intervention parameters included a 1:1 mode and 70-80% dosage. The intervention began by stimulating the lymphatic channels at the cisterna chyli, the inguinal lymph node, and the popliteal lymph node at a frequency of 150 Hz all for a minute each. Next, the researcher treated the triceps surae complex for 11 minutes at three different frequencies. Finally, the participant was treated distal to the popliteal lymph node at 25 Hz for 5 minutes. The main outcome measures included pain using the VAS and ankle dorsiflexion ROM with the weight-bearing lunge test (WBLT). Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and F-test comparisons between and within groups. Results: The average WBLT measures for all participants increased 0.6 cm, which not to the minimal detectable change for passive ankle dorsiflexion ROM. Significant differences from pre-post measures were identified for pain on the VAS. Conclusion: While increases in ROM were identified, the difference was not clinically important. DOT was successful in decreasing lower-leg pain

Radiographic evaluation of subcutaneously injected, water-soluble, iodinated contrast for lymphography

Sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping is common in many types of human cancers, and is gaining utility in veterinary medicine. There are currently many different methods described in veterinary medicine for pre-operative SLN mapping, however, most of these are restricted to referral institutions due to cost and need for specialized equipment. The purpose of this prospective, pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility of radiographic evaluation of water-soluble, iodinated contrast (WIC) injected subcutaneously for lymphography in dogs. Eight dogs were injected with 1-2 milliliters of WIC into the subcutaneous tissues overlying the tarsus in 4 separate locations mimicking a circumferential, peri-tumoral injection. Radiographs were taken at select time points up to 50 minutes. Image sequences were evaluated by a single, board-certified radiologist. All 8 dogs had visible contrast-enhancing lymphatic channels. Median time to lymphatic enhancement was immediately post-injection. Seven dogs (88%) had 8 contrast enhancing lymph nodes (7 popliteal and 1 superficial inguinal). Median time to lymph node enhancement was 20 minutes. In this study, the plantar aspect of the pes drained to the superficial inguinal lymph node, and the dorsal aspect of the pes drained to the popliteal lymph node. Subcutaneously-injected WIC was readily identifiable in the lymphatic channels and draining lymph node(s). Subcutaneously injected WIC may offer a practical alternative to previously described pre-operative methods of SLN mapping. Additionally, one cannot assume that the popliteal lymph node alone, drains the distal pelvic limb.