The Experts below are selected from a list of 282 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Jody L Gookin - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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comparative genomics of atypical enteropathogenic escherichia coli from Kittens and children identifies bacterial factors associated with virulence in Kittens
Infection and Immunity, 2021Co-Authors: Victoria E Watson, Stephen H. Stauffer, Tracy H Hazen, David A Rasko, Megan E Jacob, Johanna R Elfenbein, Jody L GookinAbstract:Typical enteropathogenic E. coli (tEPEC) is a leading cause of diarrhea and associated death in children worldwide. Atypical EPEC (aEPEC) lacks the plasmid encoding bundle-forming pili and is considered less virulent, but the molecular mechanisms of virulence is poorly understood. We recently identified Kittens as a host for aEPEC where intestinal epithelial colonization was associated with diarrheal disease and death. The purpose of this study was to (1) determine the genomic similarity between kitten aEPEC and human aEPEC isolates and (2) to identify genotypic or phenotypic traits associated with virulence in kitten aEPEC. We observed no differences between kitten and human aEPEC in core genome content or gene cluster sequence identities and no distinguishing genomic content was observed between aEPEC isolates from Kittens with nonclinical colonization (NC) versus lethal infection (LI). Variation in adherence pattern and ability to aggregate actin in cultured cells mirrored descriptions of human aEPEC. The aEPEC isolated from Kittens with LI were significantly more motile than isolates from Kittens with NC. Kittens may serve as a reservoir for aEPEC that are indistinguishable from human aEPEC isolates and may provide a needed comparative animal model for the study of aEPEC pathogenesis. Motility seems to be an important factor in pathogenesis of LI associated with aEPEC in Kittens.
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Association of Atypical Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli with Diarrhea and Related Mortality in Kittens
Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 2017Co-Authors: Victoria E Watson, Chitrita Debroy, Megan E Jacob, James R. Flowers, Sandra Jo Strong, Jody L GookinAbstract:ABSTRACT Diarrhea is responsible for the death of approximately 900,000 children per year worldwide. In children, typical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a common cause of diarrhea and is associated with a higher hazard of death. Typical EPEC infection is rare in animals and poorly reproduced in experimental animal models. In contrast, atypical EPEC (aEPEC) infection is common in both children and animals, but its role in diarrhea is uncertain. Mortality in Kittens is often attributed to diarrhea, and we previously identified enteroadherent EPEC in the intestines of deceased Kittens. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and type of EPEC in Kittens and whether infection was associated with diarrhea, diarrhea-related mortality, gastrointestinal pathology, or other risk factors. Kittens with and without diarrhea were obtained from two shelter facilities and determined to shed atypical EPEC at a culture-based prevalence of 18%. In contrast, quantitative PCR detected the presence of the gene for intimin (eae) in feces from 42% of Kittens. aEPEC was isolated from Kittens with and without diarrhea. However, Kittens with diarrhea harbored significantly larger quantities of aEPEC than Kittens without diarrhea. Kittens with aEPEC had a significantly greater severity of small intestinal and colonic lesions and were significantly more likely to have required subcutaneous fluid administration. These findings identify aEPEC to be prevalent in Kittens and a significant primary or contributing cause of intestinal inflammation, diarrhea, dehydration, and associated mortality in Kittens.
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recovery of normal esophageal function in a kitten with diffuse megaesophagus and an occult lower esophageal stricture
Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2015Co-Authors: Jaycie Schneider, Marisa K Ames, Michael Dicicco, Mason Y Savage, Clarke E Atkins, Michael W Wood, Jody L GookinAbstract:An 8-week-old male domestic shorthair was presented to the Internal Medicine Service at North Carolina State University for regurgitation. Radiographic diagnosis of generalized esophageal dilation and failure of esophageal peristalsis were compatible with diagnosis of congenital megaesophagus. Endoscopic examination of the esophagus revealed a fibrous stricture just orad to the lower esophageal sphincter. Conservative management to increase the body condition and size of the kitten consisted of feeding through a gastrostomy tube, during which time the esophagus regained normal peristaltic function, the stricture orifice widened in size and successful balloon dilatation of the stricture was performed. Esophageal endoscopy should be considered to rule out a stricture near the lower esophageal sphincter in Kittens with radiographic findings suggestive of congenital megaesophagus. Management of such Kittens by means of gastrostomy tube feeding may be associated with a return of normal esophageal motility and ...
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Mortality in Kittens Is Associated with a Shift in Ileum Mucosa-Associated Enterococci from Enterococcus hirae to Biofilm-Forming Enterococcus faecalis and Adherent Escherichia coli
Journal of clinical microbiology, 2013Co-Authors: Anuradha Ghosh, Luke B. Borst, Stephen H. Stauffer, M. Mitsu Suyemoto, Peter Moisan, Ludek Zurek, Jody L GookinAbstract:Approximately 15% of foster Kittens die before 8 weeks of age, with most of these Kittens demonstrating clinical signs or postmortem evidence of enteritis. While a specific cause of enteritis is not determined in most cases, these Kittens are often empirically administered probiotics that contain enterococci. The enterococci are members of the commensal intestinal microbiota but also can function as opportunistic pathogens. Given the complicated role of enterococci in health and disease, it would be valuable to better understand what constitutes a “healthy” enterococcal community in these Kittens and how this microbiota is impacted by severe illness. In this study, we characterized the ileum mucosa-associated enterococcal community of 50 apparently healthy and 50 terminally ill foster Kittens. In healthy Kittens, Enterococcus hirae was the most common species of ileum mucosa-associated enterococci and was often observed to adhere extensively to the small intestinal epithelium. These E. hirae isolates generally lacked virulence traits. In contrast, non-E. hirae enterococci, notably Enterococcus faecalis, were more commonly isolated from the ileum mucosa of Kittens with terminal illness. Isolates of E. faecalis had numerous virulence traits and multiple antimicrobial resistances. Moreover, the attachment of Escherichia coli to the intestinal epithelium was significantly associated with terminal illness and was not observed in any kitten with adherent E. hirae. These findings identify a significant difference in the species of enterococci cultured from the ileum mucosa of Kittens with terminal illness compared to the species cultured from healthy Kittens. In contrast to prior case studies that associated enteroadherent E. hirae with diarrhea in young animals, these controlled studies identified E. hirae as more often isolated from healthy Kittens and adherence of E. hirae as more common and extensive in healthy Kittens than in sick Kittens.
Reidar Andersen - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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risk taking by eurasian lynx lynx lynx in a human dominated landscape effects of sex and reproductive status
Journal of Zoology, 2006Co-Authors: Nils Bunnefeld, John Odden, John D. C. Linnell, Van Marijtje Duijn, Reidar AndersenAbstract:This study aimed to test how the sex and reproductive status of Eurasian lynx influenced their use of ‘attractive sinks’ – habitats with high prey density and high mortality risks. Locations of 24 Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx were obtained by radiotelemetry in a mixed forest and agricultural habitat in south-eastern Norway. Roe deer, the major food source of lynx in the study area, occurred at higher densities closer to areas of human activity and infrastructure. Proximity of lynx locations to human activity and infrastructure was used as a risk index because the most common causes of death among Scandinavian lynx were of anthropogenic origin. This study shows that distances from lynx locations to human activity were significantly greater for females with newborn Kittens than for males, but this decreased with kitten age. The data suggest that this response to human activity is influenced by the reproductive strategies of males and females, and might explain male-biased human-induced mortality in this study and in carnivores more generally.
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use of intraperitoneal radio transmitters in lynx lynx lynx Kittens anaesthesia surgery and behaviour
Wildlife Biology, 1999Co-Authors: Jon M Arnemo, John D. C. Linnell, Sari J Wedul, Birgit Ranheim, John Odden, Reidar AndersenAbstract:The suitability of intraperitoneally implanted radio-transmitters as a method for studying young lynx Lynx lynx Kittens was tested under field conditions. Radio-marked adult females were followed to the lair where they kept their Kittens. In 1997 and 1998, nine Kittens (4–5 weeks old) were located. One of two implant models (7 g and 20 g) were implanted using surgical procedures and a combination of medetomidine (0.08 mg/kg) and ketamine (5 mg/kg) for anaesthesia. No complications occurred during the operations. All Kittens were accepted again by their mother and were moved to a new lair within 1 km. All survived at least three months after the operation. Six of the Kittens were re-examined 4–5 months after the operation. In all of these cases the implants were floating freely in the peritoneal cavity. Based on these results it appears that intraperitoneal implanting of radio-transmitters is a very useful method for studying very young lynx Kittens, and could be used for most felids of a similar, or larger, size.
Max S. Cynader - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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columnar distribution of serotonin dependent plasticity within kitten striate cortex
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2000Co-Authors: Ljubomir Kojic, Robert M Douglas, Richard H Dyck, Joanne A Matsubara, Max S. CynaderAbstract:Recent studies have identified the potential for an important role for serotonin (5-HT) receptors in the developmental plasticity of the kitten visual cortex. 5-HT2C receptors are transiently expressed in a patchy fashion in the visual cortex of Kittens between 30–80 days of age complementary to patches demarcated by cytochrome oxidase staining. 5-HT, operating via 5-HT2C receptors, increases cortical synaptic plasticity as assessed both in brain slices and in vivo. Herein, we report that bath application of 5-HT substantially increases the probability of long-term potentiation within 5-HT2C receptor-rich zones of cortex, but this effect is not observed in the 5-HT2C receptor-poor zones. Instead, in these zones, 5-HT application increases the probability of long-term depression. These location-specific effects of 5-HT may promote the formation of compartment-specific cortical responses.
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serotonin facilitates synaptic plasticity in kitten visual cortex an in vitro study
Developmental Brain Research, 1997Co-Authors: Ljubomir Kojic, Robert M Douglas, Max S. CynaderAbstract:Abstract We have addressed the role of serotonin-2C (5-HT 2C ) receptors in the development and maintenance of synaptic plasticity in the kitten visual cortex. In visual cortical slices, taken from 40- to 80-day-old Kittens, bath application of serotonin markedly facilitated the induction of both long-term depression (LTD) and long-term potentiation (LTP). Field potential responses to white matter stimulation were recorded from layer IV after a regime of low frequency stimulation (LFS; 1 Hz, 15 min), which reliably induced LTP or LTD in younger Kittens (less than 30 days of age). At 40–80 days, this protocol almost never induced LTD or LTP in layer IV. However, in 50% of the visual cortical slices studied in 40–80-day-old Kittens, LTD or LTP was induced, if serotonin (1 or 10 μ M) was co-applied with LFS. No such serotonin facilitation of long-term plasticity was ever detected in >120-day-old animals, indicating that serotonin facilitates synaptic plasticity within a defined period of visual cortical development. Serotonergic 5-HT 2C receptors are likely to contribute to the synaptic plasticity observed in layer IV, since mesulergine, an antagonist of the 5-HT 2C receptor, completely blocked synaptic modifications induced by the combination of low frequency stimulation and serotonin application.
Domenico Otranto - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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transmammary transmission of troglostrongylus brevior feline lungworm a lesson from our gardens
Veterinary Parasitology, 2020Co-Authors: Marcos Antonio Bezerrasantos, Jairo Alfonso Mendozaroldan, Francesca Abramo, Riccardo Paolo Lia, Viviana Domenica Tarallo, Harold Salant, Emanuele Brianti, Gad Baneth, Domenico OtrantoAbstract:Abstract Feline lungworms such as Aerulostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior are snail-borne pathogens causing respiratory disease in domestic cats. Paratenic hosts such as rodents and reptiles have also been implicated in the epidemiology of these parasites. Although A. abstrusus has been recognized for a long time as the most prevalent lungworm among cats worldwide, T. brevior is of major concern in Kittens. Bearing in mind that disease due to T. brevior occurs mainly in pediatric patients younger than 6 months of age, the diagnosis of this parasite in two Kittens presenting severe respiratory disease from the garden of one of the authors inspired us to investigate the potential routes of transmission for T. brevior in domestic cats. Of the three queens (A, B and C) that delivered Kittens (n = 8), only cat A was positive for T. brevior, presenting her two Kittens severe respiratory clinical signs, which lead to the exitus in one of them, 18 days of age. In addition, three Kittens, the offspring of queen B, turned to be positive at the coprological examination after suckling from queen A, whereas those from queen C (that suckled only on their own mother) remained negative. A series of coprological, histological and molecular tests were conducted to confirm the presence of T. brevior in the patients as well as in the other cats cohabiting the same garden. Adult nematodes were retrieved from the trachea and bronchi of the dead kitten (kitten 1A), and larvae at the histology of the lung and liver parenchyma associated with bronco pneumonitis and lymphocytic pericholangitis, respectively. Cornu aspersum (n = 60), Eobania vermiculata (n = 30) snails (intermediate hosts) as well as lizards and rats (potential paratenic hosts) were collected from the same garden and processed through tissue digestion and molecular detection. Troglostrongylus brevior larvae were recovered through tissue digestion from two C. aspersum (3.33 %) and it was confirmed by PCR-sequencing approach, which also detected T. brevior DNA in the liver and lungs of one rat and in the coelomatic cavity of one gecko lizard. During the COVID-19 lockdown, when scientists spent more time at home, we grasp the opportunity to decipher T. brevior biology and ecology starting in a small ecological niche, such as the garden of our house. Data herein presented led us to suggest: i) the transmammary transmission of T. brevior in domestic cats; ii) the role of intermediate and paratenic hosts (including reptiles) in the epidemiology of the infection which they transmit; as well as iii) the importance of observational parasitology in studying any event that certainly occurs in small ecological niches, as it could be in our home gardens.
S. V. Naidenko - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Effect of inbreeding on Kittens’ body mass in Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx)
Mammal Research, 2020Co-Authors: M. N. Erofeeva, N. A. Vasilieva, S. V. NaidenkoAbstract:The development of industry and agriculture and the continuous growth of human population on Earth have dramatically increased anthropogenic pressure on natural ecosystems and wildlife. As a result, fragmentation of the natural habitats and the decrease in genetic diversity in these populations increase the probability of reproduction with genetically closely related individuals (inbreeding). However, the effect of inbreeding in felids has been studied insufficiently and data are scarce. We decided to study the effect of inbreeding on Kittens’ body mass in captivity in the Eurasian lynx ( Lynx lynx ) colony which we keep near Moscow to study behavior and reproductive physiology of this species. This study analyzed the data on lynx Kittens’ body mass in inbred and non-inbred litters. Newborn Kittens’ body mass correlated negatively with the parents’ inbreeding coefficient. Inbred parents had smaller Kittens at birth in comparison with non-inbred ones. These differences disappeared when Kittens reached 2 months of age. It is probable that this correlates with the maternal effect (higher investment in smaller Kittens) and changes in the diet of Kittens.
