Suppression of Radioactive Strontium Absorption by Sodium Alginate in Animals and Human Subjects

The effect of 23 sodium alginate preparations from different species of algae (Sargassum sp.) and kelp (Laminaria sp.) on reducing the absorption of strontium was studied in detail. A pilot production procedure has been established. Na alginate from S. siliquastrum was proven to be a potent agent for reducing Sr absorption, with high efficiency and virtually no toxicity. It reduced the body burden of strontium 3.3-4.2 fold in rats. Strontium absorption in human subjects was reduced by 78% ( ±8.9) or completely suppressed the increase of serum Sr at 2 h after ingestion of stable Sr in volunteers and decrease 24 h urine Sr to similar extent. No undesirable effects on gastrointestinal function was observed nor were Ca, Fe, Cu and Zn metabolism changed, both in the animal experiments and in human. It was concluded that alginate preparations derived from Sargassum species are a suitable antidote against radiostrontium absorption on a long-term basis, when added to bread at a 6% level. In cases of emergency, an alginate syrup preparation appears to be more suitable because of its rapid action.

Public Health Significance of <i>Campylobacter jejuni</i>

Campylobacter jejuni is a prominent bacterial cause of human gastroenteritis. Campylobacteriosis outbreaks reported were related to the ingestion of the contaminated food. Meat are reported to be frequently infected with C. jejuni. It is well recognized that C. jejuni is one of the main causes of gastroenteritis in humans, and poultry meat is reported to be the main source. A number of studies in several countries have shown the occurrence of C. jejuni in animal farms, slaughterhouses, and meat. This review simply describes the occurrence, spreading, and public health significance of C. jejuni.

Animal model of repetitive mild traumatic brain injury for human traumatic axonal injury and chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy（CTE）is a chronic neurodegenerative disease featured with tauopathy.CTE is tightly related with repetitive mild traumatic brain injury（m TBI）,which is interchangeably known as concussion（Mc Kee et al.,2009,2013）.This disease is differentiated by neuropathological features from other neurological diseases that involve tau protein aggregation and tangle formation abnormalities like Alzheimer＇s disease （AD）, frontotemporal dementia, and Parkinson- ism linked to chromosome 17 （FTDP-17）.

Prevalence and transmission of mobilized colistin resistance(mcr)gene in bacteria common to animals and humans

Colistin is an old antimicrobial that has been revitalized as last-resort treatment against multidrug-resistant(MDR)gram-negative bacterial infections.However,colistin has been widely used in agricultural production and veterinary medicine for decades,and the recent global dissemination of mobilized colistin resistance(mcr)genes from animals to humans seriously threats the clinical use of colistin.Most of the mcr-harboring isolates have been Enterobacteriaceae,such as Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica which are common to animals and humans.An understanding of the origin,dissemination and transmission of mcr genes in bacteria common to animals and humans will facilitate the management of colistin use and relevant interventions to prevent further spread of resistance.This reviewaims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the global prevalence and transmission of mcr genes of animal and human commensal/pathogenic bacteria.

A novel luciferase immunosorbent assay performs better than a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect MERS-CoV specific IgG in humans and animals

The Middle East respiratory syndrome(MERS)is a lethal zoonosis caused by MERS coronavirus(MERS-CoV)and poses a significant threat to public health worldwide.Therefore,a rapid,sensitive,and specific serologic test for detecting anti-MERS-CoV antibodies in both humans and animals is urgently needed for the successful management of this illness.Here,we evaluated various novel luciferase immunosorbent assays(LISA)based on nucleocapsid protein(NP)as well as fragments derived from spike protein(S)including subunit 1(S1),N terminal domain(NTD),receptorbinding domain(RBD)and subunit 2(S2)of S for the detection of MERS-CoV-specific IgG.Fusion proteins,including nanoluciferase(NLuc)and various fragments derived from the NP or S protein of MERS-CoV,were expressed in human embryonic kidney 293 T cells.LISAs that detected anti-MERS-CoV IgG were further developed using cell lysates expressing various fusion proteins.Panels of human or animal samples infected with MERS-CoV were used to analyze the sensitivity and specificity of various LISAs in reference to a MERS-CoV RT-PCR,commercial S1-based ELISA,and pseudovirus particle neutralization test(ppNT).Our results showed that the S1-,RBD-,and NP-LISAs were more sensitive than the NTD-and S2-LISAs for the detection of anti-MERS-CoV IgG.Furthermore,the S1-,RBD-,and NP-LISAs were more sensitive(by at least 16-fold)than the commercially available S1-ELISA.Moreover,the S1-,RBD-,and NPLISA specifically recognized anti-MERS-CoV IgG and did not cross-react with samples derived from other human CoV(OC43,229E,HKU1,NL63)-infected patients.More importantly,these LISAs proved their applicability and reliability for detecting anti-MERS-CoV IgG in samples from camels,monkeys,and mice,among which the RBD-LISA exhibited excellent performance.The results of this study suggest that the novel MERS-CoV RBD-and S1-LISAs are highly effective platforms for the rapid and sensitive detection of anti-MERS-CoV IgG in human and animal samples.These assays have the potential to be used as serologic tests for the management and control of MERS-CoV infection.

Fabrication of open-cellular(porous) titanium alloy implants: osseointegration, vascularization and preliminary human trials

In this study we describe the fabrication of a variety of open-cellular titanium alloy（Ti-6 Al-4 V） implants,both reticular mesh and foam structures, using electron beam melting（EBM）. These structures allow for the elimination of stress shielding by adjusting the porosity（or density） to produce an elastic modulus（or stiffness） to match that of both soft（trabecular） and hard（cortical） bone, as well as allowing for bone cell ingrowth, increased cell density, and all-matrix interactions; the latter involving the interplay between bone morphogenetic protein（BMP-2） and osteoblast functions. The early formation and characterization of elementary vascular structures in an aqueous hydrogel matrix are illustrated.Preliminary results for both animal（sheep） and human trials for a number of EBM-fabricated, and often patient-specific Tialloy implants are also presented and summarized. The results, while preliminary, support the concept and development of successful, porous, engineered ＂living＂ implants.

An everlasting role of animal models in understanding human disease

Model organisms have been widely used to dissect important biological phenomena, as well as to explore potential causes and treatments for human disorders. Much of our knowledge on molecular mechanisms underlying the heredity, development as well as physiology is largely derived from the researches of model organisms. We have witnessed an explosive increase in the development and application of genetic modified model organisms in the last decade.

Platelets and platelet alloantigens:Lessons from human patients and animal models of fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia

Platelets play critical roles in hemostasis and thrombosis.Emerging evidence indicates that they are versatile cells and also involved in many other physiological processes and disease states.Fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia(FNAIT)is a life threatening bleeding disorder caused by fetal platelet destruction by maternal alloantibodies developed during pregnancy.Gene polymorphisms cause platelet surface protein incompatibilities between mother and fetus,and ultimately lead to maternal alloimmunization.FNAIT is the most common cause of intracranial hemorrhage in full-term infants and can also lead to intrauterine growth retardation and miscarriage.Proper diagnosis,prevention and treatment of FNAIT is challenging due to insufficient knowledge of the disease and a lack of routine screening as well as its frequent occurrence in first pregnancies.Given the ethical difficulties in performing basic research on human fetuses and neonates,animal models are essential to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment of FNAIT.The aim of this review is to provide an overview on platelets,hemostasis and thrombocytopenia with a focus on the advancements made in FNAIT by utilizing animal models.