Standardization of BSE rapid test performances and experiences gathered during the implementation of large-scale testing

The accumulation of pathological prion protein is used as a diagnostic marker for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. According to European Union (EU) regulations cattle older than 30 months of age (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain by national law >24 months) and slaughtered for human consumption must be tested by using rapid tests for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). Likewise fallen stock and clinically affected animals must be tested. This article gives a short overview of the incidence of BSE in Europe. The diagnostic hierarchy, i.e., the officially approved methodology for the confirmation of suspect rapid test cases, and the organization of the numerous laboratories involved in this large-scale testing for BSE are described. Special emphasis is given to necessary quality control measures currently in place for BSE rapid testing laboratories and to measures intended to assure a consistent performance of the commercially available rapid test kits.Presented at BERM-9—Ninth International Symposium on Biological and Environmental Reference Materials, 15–19 June 2003, Berlin, Germany.     

亚临床肝性脑病患者的血清锌,铜含量的测定及临床意义

检测了３０例慢性活动性肝炎患者、３０例肝硬化患者、３０例亚临床肝性脑病患者血清中的铜、锌含量，并与正常对照组进行比较分析，探讨了微量元素铜、锌的血清含量改变及其影响因素，分析其临床意义。结果表明体内的铜锌含量与肝脏功能有密切的关系。在慢性活动性肝炎时，虽然肝脏功能有一定的损害，但由于肝脏的代偿能力强，铜，锌含量仍可保持在正常水平，而在肝硬化、亚临床肝性脑病时，铜锌明显降低，而铜锌含量的降低又导致机     

Detection of banned meat and bone meal in feedstuffs by near-infrared microscopic analysis of the dense sediment fraction

In this paper we present an alternative method for detection of meat and bone meal (MBM) in feedstuffs by near-infrared microscopic (NIRM) analysis of the particles in the sediment fraction (dense fraction (d >1.62) from dichloroethylene) of compound feeds. To apply this method the particles of the sediment fraction are spread on a sample holder and presented to the NIR microscope. By using the pointer of the microscope the infrared beam is focussed on each particle and the NIR spectrum (1112–2500 nm) is collected. This method can be used to detect the presence of MBM at concentrations as low as 0.05% mass fraction. When results from the NIRM method were compared with the classical microscopic method, a coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.87 was obtained. The results of this study demonstrated that this method could be proposed as a complementary tool for the detection of banned MBM in feedstuffs by reinforcement of the monitoring of feeds.     

Neuroprotection of N-benzyl Eicosapentaenamide in Neonatal Mice Following Hypoxic–Ischemic Brain Injury

Maca (Lepidium meyenii) has emerged as a popular functional plant food because of its medicinal properties and nutritional value. Macamides, as the exclusively active ingredients found in maca, are a unique series of non-polar, long-chain fatty acid N-benzylamides with multiple bioactivities such as antifatigue characteristics and improving reproductive health. In this study, a new kind of macamide, N-benzyl eicosapentaenamide (NB-EPA), was identified from maca. We further explore its potential neuroprotective role in hypoxic–ischemic brain injury. Our findings indicated that treatment with biosynthesized NB-EPA significantly alleviates the size of cerebral infarction and improves neurobehavioral disorders after hypoxic–ischemic brain damage in neonatal mice. NB-EPA inhibited the apoptosis of neuronal cells after ischemic challenge. NB-EPA improved neuronal cell survival and proliferation through the activation of phosphorylated AKT signaling. Of note, the protective property of NB-EPA against ischemic neuronal damage was dependent on suppression of the p53–PUMA pathway. Taken together, these findings suggest that NB-EPA may represent a new neuroprotectant for newborns with hypoxic–ischemic encephalopathy.     

北五味子对糖尿病脑病大鼠脑中神经活性物质含量影响的在线微透析-高效液相色谱-串联质谱联用分析

采用在线微透析-高效液相色谱-串联质谱联用方法,测定了糖尿病脑病大鼠大脑海马区的8种脑递质的含量,从脑中神经活性物质的角度研究五味子改善学习记忆能力的作用机制.实验结果表明,经五味子治疗后,痴呆大鼠脑透析液中的谷氨酸(Glu)、丝氨酸(Ser)、多巴胺(DA)及5-羟色胺(5-HT)的含量显著降低(P0.05),牛磺酸(Tau)及乙酰胆碱(Ach)的含量显著升高(P0.01),天冬氨酸(Asp)和γ-氨基丁酸(GABA)的含量有降低趋势(P0.05),8种神经活性物质的水平均向正常水平发生了调节.此结果说明五味子可能通过调节糖尿病大鼠大脑中神经活性物质的含量发挥保护中枢神经系统的作用,从而改善糖尿病脑病大鼠的学习记忆能力.Morris水迷宫实验结果表明,五味子水提物可以明显缩短糖尿病脑病大鼠的逃避潜伏期,增加穿越目标区域次数及中心区域(%)(P0.05).     

新生鼠缺氧缺血性脑病脑组织中微量元素的变化

为探讨新生鼠缺氧缺血性脑病脑组织中 5种元素 (Fe2 + 、Ca2 + 、Zn2 + 、Cu2 + 、Mg2 + )的变化及意义 ,将新生Wistar鼠 2 4只随机分为正常对照组和缺氧缺血性脑病组 ,乙醚吸入麻醉后用1 0双线结扎右侧颈总动脉 ,术后恢复 4h ,吸入含 8%O2 和 92 %N2 混合气体 2h后将 2组大鼠处死 ,取脑组织 ,用原子吸收分光光度仪测定其微量元素的变化。结果表明 ,与正常对照组相比较 ,缺氧缺血性脑病脑组织中Zn2 + 、Mn2 + 、Cu2 + 含量明显减少 (P <0 0 1 ) ;Ca2 + 增加 (P <0 0 1 )。提示缺氧缺血性脑病能引起大鼠脑组织微量元素的改变     

Monitoring the brain metabolites of children with acute encephalopathy caused by the H1N1 virus responsible for the 2009 influenza pandemic: a quantitative in vivo H MR spectroscopy study

Background and Purpose

Influenza viral infection, which results in central nervous system dysfunction, is a major cause of acute encephalopathy (AE). The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the concentrations of brain metabolites in children with AE using single-voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and to provide diagnostic information about the relationship between the symptoms of AE and metabolite concentrations.

Materials and Methods

The subjects were 10 children (mean age: 6.2 years; range: 1–13) with AE caused by the novel influenza A virus responsible for the 2009 influenza pandemic. The serial MRS data (TE/TR=30/5000 ms, 3 T) acquired from the basal ganglia (BG) and centrum semiovale (CS) of each patient were categorized into three periods: (1) initial neurological symptom presentation and the start of treatment (n= 10), (2) short-term follow-up (n= 9) and (3) long-term follow-up (n= 3). As controls, the magnetic resonance (MR) spectra of eight age-matched children were also investigated.

Results

In both regions, the concentrations of the major metabolites (N-acetylaspartate, creatine, choline, myo-inositol, glutamate/glutamine complex and glutamate) only showed minor fluctuations between the three periods. On the other hand, higher levels of taurine (Tau) were observed in the BG during the second period (P=.005), and increased levels of glucose were observed in the CS during the first (P=.005) and second (P=.036) periods.

Conclusions

Serial monitoring of brain metabolite changes was carried out with a clinical MR system. The concentrations of major metabolites only displayed very minor fluctuations in response to mild H1N1-related AE. However, a higher Tau concentration was found to be associated with neurological symptoms. Further studies are required to improve our understanding of the detailed activity of Tau in AE.     

Citric acid-loaded W1/O/W2 multiple emulsions efficiently remove colonic ammonia both in vitro and in vivo

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a neuropsychiatric disorder caused by chronic and acute liver diseases. It is believed that ammonia played an important role on the pathogenesis of the disease. Herein, acid-loaded water-in-oil-in-water (W₁/O/W₂) multiple emulsions with over 95% encapsulation efficiency were prepared and used to absorb colonic ammonia. The study of citric acid release from W₁ to W₂ in bulk deionized water indicated that only 17% acid released in 8 hours, which proved the stability of the multiple emulsions and hence prevented the intestine from being irritated by acid burst release. In vitro, the W₁/O/W₂ emulsion could remove around 90% ammonia in 1.5 hours from either the 3 mmol/L ammonia solution or the artificial colonic fluid with 1 and 0.5 mmol/L ammonia without acidifying the artificial colonic fluid. In vivo, compared with lactulose, W₁/O/W₂ emulsions could efficiently reduce the blood ammonia to the similar level in the rat models with HE without increasing the water content in feces. All these results indicated a potential application of W₁/O/W₂ multiple emulsions for the treatment of HE.     

Failure of immunocompetitive capillary electrophoresis assay to detect disease-specific prion protein in buffy coat from humans and chimpanzees with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

The emergence of a new environmentally caused variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD), the result of food-born infection by the causative agent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), has stimulated research on a practical diagnostic screening test. The immunocompetitive capillary electrophoresis (ICCE) assay has been reported to detect disease-specific, proteinase-resistant prion protein (PrPres) in the blood of scrapie-infected sheep. We have applied this method to blood from CJD-infected chimpanzees and humans. The threshold of detection achieved with our ICCE was 0.6 nM of synthetic peptide corresponding to the prion protein (PrP) C-terminus, and 2 nM of recombinant human PrP at the optimized conditions. However, the test was unable to distinguish between extracts of leucocytes from healthy and CJD-infected chimpanzees, and from healthy human donors and patients affected with various forms of CJD. Thus, the ICCE assay as presently performed is not suitable for use as a screening test in human transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs).     

新生儿缺氧缺血性脑病血清钙、钠的变化

为观察新生儿缺氧缺血性脑病血清钙,钠的谱化规律,对１４０例ＨＩＥ新生儿和１００例正常新生儿血清钙,钠进行了对比观察。提示ＨＩＥ新生儿要适当纠正血甭钙,钠。