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comparison of ranging behaviour in a multi-species complex of free-ranging hosts of bovine tuberculosis in relation to their use as disease sentinels.sentinel species are increasingly used by disease managers to detect and monitor the prevalence of zoonotic diseases in wildlife populations. characterizing home-range movements of sentinel hosts is thus important for developing improved disease surveillance methods, especially in systems where multiple host species co-exist. we studied ranging activity of major hosts of bovine tuberculosis (tb) in an upland habitat of new zealand: we compared home-range coverage by ferrets (mustela furo), wild ...201323433406
kinetics of viral replication and induction of host responses in ferrets differs between ocular and intranasal routes of inoculation.while influenza viruses are typically considered respiratory pathogens, the ocular system represents a secondary entry point for virus to establish a productive respiratory infection and the location for rare instances of virus-induced conjunctivitis. we used the ferret model to conduct a side-by-side comparison of virus infectivity, kinetics of viral replication, and induction of host responses following inoculation by either the intranasal or ocular routes with two viruses, a/netherlands/230/0 ...201323415392
a simple hplc method for the comprehensive analysis of cis/trans (z/e) geometrical isomers of carotenoids for nutritional studies.geometrical isomers of carotenoids behave differently in aspects like stability towards oxidants, bioavailability, vitamin a activity and specificity for enzymes. the availability of hplc methods for their detailed profiling is therefore advisable to expand our knowledge on their metabolism and biological role. in this paper the development of a methodology to determine the highest number of geometrical isomers of major carotenoids in humans (phytoene, phytofluene, lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxa ...201323411252
isolation of a novel swine influenza virus from oklahoma in 2011 which is distantly related to human influenza c viruses.of the orthomyxoviridae family of viruses, only influenza a viruses are thought to exist as multiple subtypes and has non-human maintenance hosts. in april 2011, nasal swabs were collected for virus isolation from pigs exhibiting influenza-like illness. subsequent electron microscopic, biochemical, and genetic studies identified an orthomyxovirus with seven rna segments exhibiting approximately 50% overall amino acid identity to human influenza c virus. based on its genetic organizational simila ...201323408893
identification of critical residues in the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase of influenza virus h1n1pdm for vaccine virus replication in embryonated chicken eggs.in 2009, we successfully produced a high-yield live attenuated h1n1pdm a/california/7/2009 vaccine (ca/09 laiv) by substitution of three residues (k119e, a186d, and d222g) in the hemagglutinin (ha) protein. since then, we have generated and evaluated additional h1n1pdm vaccine candidates from viruses isolated in 2010 and 2011. the 2010 strains with the new ha substitutions near the ha receptor binding site (n125d and d127e or d127e and k209e) grew well in eggs and formed large plaques in madin-d ...201323408613
complete genome sequence of a rabies virus isolate from cattle in guangxi, southern china.a street rabies virus (rv) isolate, gxhxn, was obtained from brain tissue of rabid cattle in the guangxi zhuang autonomous region of china in 2009. gxhxn is the first isolate from cattle in china with its entire genome sequenced and is closely related to bj2011e from horse in beijing, wh11 from donkey in the hubei province, and isolates from dogs in the guangxi and fujian provinces, with homologies of 97.6% to 99.6%. it is more distantly related to isolates from domestic cat, pig, chinese ferret ...201323405368
genetic variability and the classification of hepatitis e virus.the classification of hepatitis e virus (hev) variants is currently in transition without agreed definitions for genotypes and subtypes or for deeper taxonomic groupings into species and genera that could incorporate more recently characterized viruses assigned to the hepeviridae family that infect birds, bats, rodents, and fish. these conflicts arise because of differences in the viruses and genomic regions compared and in the methodology used. we have reexamined published sequences and found t ...201323388713
experimental adaptation of an influenza h5ha strain confers respiratory droplet transmission to reassortant h5h/h1n1 virus strain in ferrets.an evaluation of the role - if any - of censorship in scientific papers, based on the publishing of the article that shows it is possible to modify the genetics of the h5n1 aviary influenza virus, enhancing its transmission among mammals, which was followed by much ado and ethical discussion.201223386026
sample size considerations for one-to-one animal transmission studies of the influenza a viruses.animal transmission studies can provide important insights into host, viral and environmental factors affecting transmission of viruses including influenza a. the basic unit of analysis in typical animal transmission experiments is the presence or absence of transmission from an infectious animal to a susceptible animal. in studies comparing two groups (e.g. two host genetic variants, two virus strains, or two arrangements of animal cages), differences between groups are evaluated by comparing t ...201323383167
ferret thoracic anatomy by 2-deoxy-2-(18f)fluoro-d-glucose (18f-fdg) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18f-fdg pet/ct) imaging.the domestic ferret (mustela putorius furo) has been a long-standing animal model used in the evaluation and treatment of human diseases. molecular imaging techniques such as 2-deoxy-2-((18)f)fluoro-d-glucose ((18)f-fdg) positron emission tomography (pet) would be an invaluable method of tracking disease in vivo, but this technique has not been reported in the literature. thus, the aim of this study was to establish baseline imaging characteristics of pet/computed tomography (ct) with (18)f-fdg ...201223382267
infection of the upper respiratory tract with seasonal influenza a(h3n2) virus induces protective immunity in ferrets against infection with a(h1n1)pdm09 virus after intranasal, but not intratracheal, inoculation.the clinical symptoms caused by infection with influenza a virus vary widely and depend on the strain causing the infection, the dose and route of inoculation, and the presence of preexisting immunity. in most cases, seasonal influenza a viruses cause relatively mild upper respiratory tract disease, while sometimes patients develop an acute severe pneumonia. heterosubtypic immunity induced by previous infections with influenza a viruses may dampen the development of clinical symptoms caused by i ...201323365444
functional characterization of ferret ccl20 and ccr6 and identification of chemotactic inhibitors.ccl20 is currently the only known chemokine ligand for the receptor ccr6, and is a mucosal chemokine involved in normal and pathological immune responses. although nucleotide sequence data are available for ccl20 and ccr6 sequences from multiple species, the ferret ccl20 and ccr6 sequences have not been determined. to increase our understanding of immune function in ferret models of infection and vaccination, we have used rt-pcr to obtain the ferret ccl20 and ccr6 cdna sequences and functionally ...201323360828
evaluation of recombinant 2009 pandemic influenza a (h1n1) viruses harboring zanamivir resistance mutations in mice and ferrets.recombinant influenza a(h1n1)pdm09 wild-type (wt) and zanamivir-resistant e119g and q136k neuraminidase mutants were generated to determine their enzymatic and replicative properties in vitro, as well as their infectivity and transmissibility in mice and ferrets. viral titers of recombinant e119g and q136k mutants were significantly lower than those of the wt in the first 36 h postinoculation (p.i.) in vitro. the e119g and q136k mutations were both associated with a significant reduction of tota ...201323357777
viscoelastic properties of the ferret brain measured in vivo at multiple frequencies by magnetic resonance elastography.characterization of the dynamic mechanical behavior of brain tissue is essential for understanding and simulating the mechanisms of traumatic brain injury (tbi). changes in mechanical properties may also reflect changes in the brain due to aging or disease. in this study, we used magnetic resonance elastography (mre) to measure the viscoelastic properties of ferret brain tissue in vivo. three-dimensional (3d) displacement fields were acquired during wave propagation in the brain induced by harmo ...201323352648
diagnosis of liver disease in domestic ferrets (mustela putorius).liver disease in ferrets is often subclinical and underdiagnosed. clinical pathology and diagnostic imaging are needed to guide clinicians but definite diagnosis is based on histopathologic lesions. inflammatory digestive conditions can lead to ascending tract infection and hepatobiliary inflammation. ferrets have a specific sensitivity to hepatic lipidosis. incidence of hepatic neoplasia is high in ferrets. after a summary of anatomy and physiology of the ferret liver, hepatic diseases known in ...201323347541
promotion of hendra virus replication by microrna 146a.hendra virus is a highly pathogenic zoonotic paramyxovirus in the genus henipavirus. thirty-nine outbreaks of hendra virus have been reported since its initial identification in queensland, australia, resulting in seven human infections and four fatalities. little is known about cellular host factors impacting hendra virus replication. in this work, we demonstrate that hendra virus makes use of a microrna (mirna) designated mir-146a, an nf-κb-responsive mirna upregulated by several innate immune ...201323345523
in vivo genetic manipulation of cortical progenitors in gyrencephalic carnivores using in utero electroporation.brain structures such as the outer subventricular zone (osvz) and the inner fiber layer (ifl) in the developing cerebral cortex are especially prominent in higher mammals. however, the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of the osvz are still largely unknown, mainly because genetic manipulations that can be applied to the osvz in higher mammals had been poorly available. here we developed and validated a rapid and efficient genetic manipulation technique for germinal zones including th ...201223336081
experimental infection and natural contact exposure of ferrets with canine influenza virus (h3n2).epidemics of h3n2 canine influenza virus (civ) among dogs in south korea and southern china have raised concern over the potential for zoonotic transmission of these viruses. here, we analysed the pathogenesis and transmissibility of h3n2 civ in ferret. h3n2 civ replicated efficiently in the respiratory system of inoculated ferrets and caused acute necrotizing bronchioalveolitis and non-suppurative encephalitis. transmission of h3n2 civ was detected in three of six ferrets co-housed with inocula ...201323329681
evaluation of portable blood glucose meters for measurement of blood glucose concentration in ferrets (mustela putorius furo).to evaluate agreement of 3 models of portable blood glucose meters (pbgms; 2 designed for use with human samples and 1 designed for veterinary use) with a laboratory analyzer for measurement of blood glucose concentrations in ferrets (mustela putorius furo).201323327177
cold-adapted x-31 live attenuated 2009 pandemic h1n1 influenza vaccine elicits protective immune responses in mice and ferrets.the 2009 pandemic influenza h1n1 (pdmh1n1) is characterized by rapid transmission among humans and disproportionate infection to children and young adults. although the pdmh1n1 demonstrated less lethality than initially expected and has now moved into its post-pandemic period, it remains highly possible that through antigenic shift or antigenic drift the pdmh1n1 might re-emerge in the future as a more virulent strain than before, underscoring the need for vaccination prior to an outbreak. using ...201323313655
in vivo selection of h1n2 influenza virus reassortants in the ferret model.although the ferret model has been extensively used to study pathogenesis and transmission of influenza viruses, little has been done to determine whether ferrets are a good surrogate animal model to study influenza virus reassortment. it has been previously shown that the pandemic 2009 h1n1 (h1n1pdm) virus was able to transmit efficiently in ferrets. in coinfection studies with either seasonal h1n1 or h3n2 strains (h1n1s or h3n2s, respectively), the h1n1pdm virus was able to outcompete these st ...201323302886
pharmacological properties of fk886, a new, centrally active neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist.the pharmacological properties of the novel neurokinin-1 (nk(1)) receptor antagonist fk886, ([3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl][(2r)-2-(3-hydroxy-4-methylbenzyl)-4-{2-[(2s)-2-(methoxymethyl)morpholin-4-yl]ethyl}piperazin-1-yl]methanone dihydrochloride), were studied. fk886 potently inhibited the binding of [(125)i]bolton-hunter-labeled substance p ([(125)i]bh-sp; 100 pm) to human nk(1) receptors expressed in chinese hamster ovary (cho) cells (ic(50)=0.70 nm). it also possessed high affinities for ...201323302639
spectral timbre perception in ferrets: discrimination of artificial vowels under different listening conditions.spectral timbre is an acoustic feature that enables human listeners to determine the identity of a spoken vowel. despite its importance to sound perception, little is known about the neural representation of sound timbre and few psychophysical studies have investigated timbre discrimination in non-human species. in this study, ferrets were positively conditioned to discriminate artificial vowel sounds in a two-alternative-forced-choice paradigm. animals quickly learned to discriminate the vowel ...201323297909
neuraminidase-inhibiting antibody is a correlate of cross-protection against lethal h5n1 influenza virus in ferrets immunized with seasonal influenza vaccine.in preparing for the threat of a pandemic of avian h5n1 influenza virus, we need to consider the significant delay (4 to 6 months) necessary to produce a strain-matched vaccine. as some degree of cross-reactivity between seasonal influenza vaccines and h5n1 virus has been reported, this was further explored in the ferret model to determine the targets of protective immunity. ferrets were vaccinated with two intramuscular inoculations of trivalent inactivated split influenza vaccine or subcompone ...201323283953
in vitro imaging of retinal whole mounts.neuronal circuits of the vertebrate retina are organized into stereotyped laminae. this orderly arrangement makes the retina an ideal model system for imaging studies aimed at understanding how circuits assemble during development. in particular, live-cell imaging techniques are readily applied to the developing retina to monitor dynamic changes over time in cell structure and connectivity. such imaging studies have collectively revealed novel strategies by which retinal neurons contact their pr ...201323282639
multisensory and unisensory neurons in ferret parietal cortex exhibit distinct functional properties.despite the fact that unisensory and multisensory neurons are comingled in every neural structure in which they have been identified, no systematic comparison of their response features has been conducted. towards that goal, the present study was designed to examine and compare measures of response magnitude, latency, duration and spontaneous activity in unisensory and bimodal neurons from the ferret parietal cortex. using multichannel single-unit recording, bimodal neurons were observed to demo ...201323279600
tropism and infectivity of influenza virus, including highly pathogenic avian h5n1 virus, in ferret tracheal differentiated primary epithelial cell cultures.tropism and adaptation of influenza viruses to new hosts is partly dependent on the distribution of the sialic acid (sa) receptors to which the viral hemagglutinin (ha) binds. ferrets have been established as a valuable in vivo model of influenza virus pathogenesis and transmission because of similarities to humans in the distribution of ha receptors and in clinical signs of infection. in this study, we developed a ferret tracheal differentiated primary epithelial cell culture model that consist ...201323255802
pandemic influenza a h1n1 in swine and other animals.influenza a virus infection has been reported in a variety of mammalian and avian species. wild waterfowl such as ducks and geese are considered the principal reservoir of many influenza a viruses. on may 2, 2009, the first confirmed case of pandemic 2009 h1n1 (ph1n1) in animals was reported in a small swine herd in canada. a public health investigation concluded that transmission from people to pigs was the likely source of infection. subsequently the ph1n1 virus has been reported in turkeys, c ...201323254339
cloned defective interfering influenza virus protects ferrets from pandemic 2009 influenza a virus and allows protective immunity to be established.influenza a viruses are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the human population, causing epidemics in the winter, and occasional worldwide pandemics. in addition there are periodic outbreaks in domestic poultry, horses, pigs, dogs, and cats. infections of domestic birds can be fatal for the birds and their human contacts. control in man operates through vaccines and antivirals, but both have their limitations. in the search for an alternative treatment we have focussed on defective inte ...201223251341
pharmacological and nutritional agents promoting browning of white adipose tissue.the role of brown adipose tissue in the regulation of energy balance and maintenance of body weight is well known in rodents. recently, interest in this tissue has re-emerged due to the realization of active brown-like adipose tissue in adult humans and inducible brown-like adipocytes in white adipose tissue depots in response to appropriate stimuli ("browning process"). brown-like adipocytes that appear in white fat depots have been called "brite" (from brown-in-white) or "beige" adipocytes and ...201323246573
absence from work and the medical sickness certificate.internet and dematerialization have greatly facilitated the medical profession. contractual physicians and national health service doctors now have efficient tools for the electronic management of their routine administrative workload. a recent innovation is the medical sickness certificate issued by primary care providers and national health service physicians. following postponements and uncertainties, procedures for the electronic completion and online transmission of the sickness certificate ...201323241839
early indicators of disease in ferrets infected with a high dose of avian influenza h5n1.avian influenza viruses are widespread in birds, contagious in humans, and are categorized as low pathogenicity avian influenza or highly pathogenic avian influenza. ferrets are susceptible to infection with avian and human influenza a and b viruses and have been widely used as a model to study pathogenicity and vaccine efficacy. in this report, the natural history of the h5n1 influenza virus a/vietnam/1203/04 influenza infection in ferrets was examined to determine clinical and laboratory param ...201223240077
the laminar development of direction selectivity in ferret visual cortex.sensory experience plays a critical role in the development of cortical circuits. at the time of eye opening, visual cortical neurons in the ferret exhibit orientation selectivity, but lack direction selectivity, which is a feature of mature cortical neurons in this species. direction selectivity emerges in the days and weeks following eye opening via a process that requires visual experience. however, the circuit mechanisms that underlie the development of direction selectivity remain unclear. ...201223238731
sequencing, annotation, and characterization of the influenza ferret infectome.ferrets have become an indispensable tool in the understanding of influenza virus virulence and pathogenesis. furthermore, ferrets are the preferred preclinical model for influenza vaccine and therapeutic testing. here we characterized the influenza infectome during the different stages of the infectious process in ferrets with and without prior specific immunity to influenza. rna from lung tissue and lymph nodes from infected and naïve animals was subjected to next-generation sequencing, follow ...201223236062
rare and new cumaceans (crustacea, peracarida) from the southern margin of the cap ferret canyon (bay of biscay).a new cumacean genus and species, ithyleucon sorbeigen. et sp. n., was described from material collected in the southern margin of the cap ferret canyon (bay of biscay, ne atlantic). although the new genus resembles pseudoleucon zimmer, 1903, in terms of the general aspect of the carapace and the pseudo-rostrum position, it shows important differences in the uropod structure and in the size of the antenna 1 accessory flagellum. in addition, some comments regarding the morphology of certain rare ...201223226964
identification and structural characterization of a broadly neutralizing antibody targeting a novel conserved epitope on the influenza virus h5n1 hemagglutinin.the unabated circulation of the highly pathogenic avian influenza a virus/h5n1 continues to be a serious threat to public health worldwide. because of the high frequency of naturally occurring mutations, the emergence of h5n1 variants with high virulence has raised great concerns about the potential transmissibility of the virus in humans. recent studies have shown that laboratory-mutated or reassortant h5n1 viruses could be efficiently transmitted among mammals, particularly ferrets, the best a ...201323221567
anesthesia case of the month. hyperthermia and hypercarbia in a ferret during anesthesia. 201223216029
deafferentation-induced plasticity of visual callosal connections: predicting critical periods and analyzing cortical abnormalities using diffusion tensor imaging.callosal connections form elaborate patterns that bear close association with striate and extrastriate visual areas. although it is known that retinal input is required for normal callosal development, there is little information regarding the period during which the retina is critically needed and whether this period correlates with the same developmental stage across species. here we review the timing of this critical period, identified in rodents and ferrets by the effects that timed enucleat ...201223213572
ferret lung transplant: an orthotopic model of obliterative bronchiolitis.obliterative bronchiolitis (ob) is the primary cause of late morbidity and mortality following lung transplantation. current animal models do not reliably develop ob pathology. given the similarities between ferret and human lung biology, we hypothesized an orthotopic ferret lung allograft would develop ob. orthotopic left lower lobe transplants were successfully performed in 22 outbred domestic ferrets in the absence of immunosuppression (is; n = 5) and presence of varying is protocols (n = 17) ...201323205765
comparison of the effects of antiarrhythmic drugs flecainide and verapamil on fkv1.4δn channel currents in xenopus oocytes.to study the effects of na(+) channel blocker flecainide and l-type ca(2+) channel antagonist verapamil on the voltage-gated fkv1.4δn channel, an n-terminal-deleted mutant of the ferret kv1.4 k(+) channel.201323202797
immunogenic and protective properties of the first kazakhstan vaccine against pandemic influenza a (h1n1) pdm09 in ferrets.this paper presents the results of a pre-clinical study of the immunogenicity and efficacy of an egg-derived, inactivated, whole-virion adjuvanted vaccine (refluvac®) on ferret models. for this purpose, groups of eight ferrets (6 to 7 months old) were injected with 0.5 ml of vaccine specimens containing 3.75, 7.5 or 15.0 μg of virus hemagglutinin. administration was intramuscular and given either as a single dose or as two doses 14 days apart. all vaccine specimens manifested immunogenicity in f ...201223180289
insulin glargine treatment of a ferret with diabetes mellitus.a 7.5-year-old spayed female ferret was evaluated because of weight loss despite a good appetite. pancreatic insulinoma had been diagnosed at another animal hospital on the basis of detection of low blood glucose concentration on 1 occasion; however, concurrent determination of blood insulin concentration was not performed. the ferret had been treated sc with methylprednisolone acetate (unknown dosage) every 30 days for 2 years. no follow-up data regarding blood glucose concentration were availa ...201223176242
echocardiographic and electrocardiographic findings in client-owned ferrets: 95 cases (1994-2009).to characterize echocardiographic and ecg findings in ferrets (mustela putorius furo) evaluated at a clinical practice.201223176241
laminar and connectional organization of a multisensory cortex.the transformation of sensory signals as they pass through cortical circuits has been revealed almost exclusively through studies of the primary sensory cortices, for which principles of laminar organization, local connectivity, and parallel processing have been elucidated. in contrast, almost nothing is known about the circuitry or laminar features of multisensory processing in higher order, multisensory cortex. therefore, using the ferret higher order multisensory rostral posterior parietal (p ...201323172137
transmission routes for nipah virus from malaysia and bangladesh.human infections with nipah virus in malaysia and bangladesh are associated with markedly different patterns of transmission and pathogenicity. to compare the 2 strains, we conducted an in vivo study in which 2 groups of ferrets were oronasally exposed to either the malaysia or bangladesh strain of nipah virus. viral shedding and tissue tropism were compared between the 2 groups. over the course of infection, significantly higher levels of viral rna were recovered from oral secretions of ferrets ...201223171621
protective efficacy of in vitro synthesized, specific mrna vaccines against influenza a virus infection.despite substantial improvements, influenza vaccine production-and availability-remain suboptimal. influenza vaccines based on mrna may offer a solution as sequence-matched, clinical-grade material could be produced reliably and rapidly in a scalable process, allowing quick response to the emergence of pandemic strains. here we show that mrna vaccines induce balanced, long-lived and protective immunity to influenza a virus infections in even very young and very old mice and that the vaccine rema ...201223159882
an adenovirus-based vaccine with a double-stranded rna adjuvant protects mice and ferrets against h5n1 avian influenza in oral delivery models.an oral gene-based avian influenza vaccine would allow rapid development and simplified distribution, but efficacy has previously been difficult to achieve by the oral route. this study assessed protection against avian influenza virus challenge using a chimeric adenovirus vector expressing hemagglutinin and a double-stranded rna adjuvant. immunized ferrets and mice were protected upon lethal challenge. further, ferrets immunized by the peroral route induced cross-clade neutralizing antibodies, ...201323155123
reference intervals and working ferrets. 201223144096
differential localization and function of antibody-forming cells responsive to inactivated or live-attenuated influenza virus vaccines.currently, there are two different types of licensed influenza virus vaccines available in the usa, the live attenuated cold-adapted vaccine and the inactivated vaccine. children greater than 2 years of age and adults younger than 50 years (apart from those suffering from immunodeficiencies or lung disease) may choose between the two vaccines. previous studies have shown that both vaccines elicit significant serum antibody responses. however, comprehensive analyses of antibody-forming cells (afc ...201323143476
ovulation-inducing factor in seminal plasma: a review.ovulation in mammals involves pulsatile release of gnrh from the hypothalamus into the hypophyseal portal system with subsequent release of lh from the anterior pituitary into systemic circulation. elevated circulating concentrations of lh induce a cascade of events within the mature follicle, culminating in follicle rupture and evacuation. the broad classification of species as either spontaneous or induced ovulators is based on the type of stimulus responsible for eliciting gnrh release from t ...201323141951
complete genome sequence of hepatitis e virus from rabbits in the united states.hepatitis e virus (hev) is a single-strand positive-sense rna virus in the family hepeviridae. the disease caused by hev, hepatitis e, is an important public health problem in developing countries of asia and africa and is also endemic in many industrialized countries, including the united states. hev has been identified from several other animal species in addition to humans, including the pig, chicken, mongoose, deer, rabbit, ferret, bat, and fish. here we report the complete genome sequence o ...201223118454
the use of a slow release gnrh-agonist implant in female ferrets in season for oestrus suppression.the jill is a long-day breeder with a constant oestrus without mating. persistent oestrogen production results in clinical signs of hyperoestrogenism including pancytopenia and death if untreated. as spaying is thought to be related to the development of hyperadrenocorticism, a non-invasive, safe and effective long-term treatment is needed for oestrus suppression in jills. seven jills in oestrus were treated with a 4.7mg deslorelin implant. blood samples for estradiol-17ß (e2) and progesterone ( ...201223117991
expression of sfrp1 and activation of the wnt pathway in the adrenal glands of healthy ferrets and neutered ferrets with hyperadrenocorticism.gonadectomy induces the pathogenesis of luteinising hormone receptor positive, androgen and oestrogen producing tumours in the adrenal cortex of ferrets. in mice, the castration-dependent appearance of adrenocortical tumours has been attributed to loss of expression of the tumour suppressor gene secreted frizzled related protein 1 (sfrp1), a dominant inhibitor of the wnt pathway, which controls cell proliferation and 'cell faith' decisions. this study investigated whether sfrp1 and the wnt pathw ...201323117029
seasonal trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine does not protect against newly emerging variants of influenza a (h3n2v) virus in ferrets.the recent increase in human cases of influenza a h3n2 variant virus [a(h3n2)v] highlights the need to assess whether seasonal influenza vaccination provides cross-protection against a(h3n2)v virus. our data demonstrate that the 2011-2012 trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (tiv) protected ferrets against homologous h3n2 virus challenge but provided minimal to no protection against a(h3n2)v virus. the complete absence of specific hemagglutination inhibition antibody response to a(h3n2)v is c ...201323115290
sequential seasonal h1n1 influenza virus infections protect ferrets against novel 2009 h1n1 influenza virus.individuals <60 years of age had the lowest incidence of infection, with ~25% of these people having preexisting, cross-reactive antibodies to novel 2009 h1n1 influenza. many people >60 years old also had preexisting antibodies to novel h1n1. these observations are puzzling because the seasonal h1n1 viruses circulating during the last 60 years were not antigenically similar to novel h1n1. we therefore hypothesized that a sequence of exposures to antigenically different seasonal h1n1 viruses can ...201323115287
optimizing particle-mediated epidermal delivery of an influenza dna vaccine in ferrets.particle-mediated dna delivery technologies ("gene guns") have been shown in both animal and clinical studies to be an effective means of increasing the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of dna vaccines. the primary goal in optimizing particle-mediated epidermal delivery (pmed) vaccination in different animal models is to achieve delivery of dna-coated gold beads into the viable epidermis. two key para-meters that influence this outcome include the delivery pressure, which controls the pene ...201323104347
detection of neospora caninum in wild carnivorans in great britain.samples of brain and other tissues were collected from 99 ferrets (mustela furo), 83 red foxes (vulpes vulpes), 70 european polecats (mustela putorius), 65 american mink (neovison vison), 64 eurasian badgers (meles meles) and 9 stoats (mustela erminea), from around great britain. dna was extracted from approximately 1g of tissue and tested by specific nested its1 pcr for neospora caninum. the results from the pcr demonstrated that neospora specific dna was detected in all species of wild carnivo ...201323102760
mucosal transmission and pathogenesis of chronic wasting disease in ferrets.chronic wasting disease (cwd) of cervids is almost certainly transmitted by mucosal contact with the causative prion, whether by direct (animal-to-animal) or indirect (environmental) means. yet the sites and mechanisms of prion entry remain to be further understood. this study sought to extend this understanding by demonstrating that ferrets exposed to cwd via several mucosal routes developed infection, cwd prion protein (prp(cwd)) amplification in lymphoid tissues, neural invasion and florid tr ...201323100363
long-term synchronized electrophysiological and behavioral wireless monitoring of freely moving animals.parallel electrophysiological recording and behavioral monitoring of freely moving animals is essential for a better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying behavior. in this paper we describe a novel wireless recording technique, which is capable of synchronously recording in vivo multichannel electrophysiological (lfp, mua, eog, emg) and activity data (accelerometer, video) from freely moving cats. the method is based on the integration of commercially available components into a sim ...201323099345
evidence for anti-inflammatory and putative analgesic effects of a monoclonal antibody to calcitonin gene-related peptide.calcitonin gene-related peptide (cgrp) is a powerful pro-inflammatory mediator thought to play a significant role in the development of inflammation and pain. we investigated the role of cgrp in trigeminal inflammatory pain by determining the ability of a monoclonal antibody to cgrp to modify central fos expression in response to stimulation of the inflamed ferret tooth pulp. we also assessed the effect of the antibody on pulpal inflammation.201323098803
mycoplasmosis in ferrets.we report an outbreak of severe respiratory disease associated with a novel mycoplasma species in ferrets. during 2009-2012, a respiratory disease characterized by nonproductive coughing affected ≈8,000 ferrets, 6-8 weeks of age, which had been imported from a breeding facility in canada. almost 95% became ill, but almost none died. treatments temporarily decreased all clinical signs except cough. postmortem examinations of euthanized ferrets revealed bronchointerstitial pneumonia with prominent ...201223092744
consecutive ct in vivo lung imaging as quantitative parameter of influenza vaccine efficacy in the ferret model.preclinical vaccine efficacy studies are generally limited to certain read out parameters such as assessment of virus titers in swabs and organs, clinical signs, serum antibody titers, and pathological changes. these parameters are not always routinely applied and not always scheduled in a logical standardized way. we used computed tomography (ct) imaging as additional and novel read out parameter in a vaccine efficacy study by quantifying alterations in aerated lung volumes in ferrets challenge ...201223085360
investigating the role of wild carnivores in the epidemiology of bovine neosporosis.neospora caninum is a protozoan parasite, primarily associated with bovine abortion. the only definitive hosts discovered to date are carnivores. this study aimed to identify the role of mammalian carnivores in the epidemiology of bovine neosporosis. a sample bank of serum, fecal and brain samples was established: american mink (mustela vison), red foxes (vulpes vulpes), pine martens (martes martes), badgers (meles meles), stoats (mustela erminea), otters (lutra lutra) and feral ferrets (mustela ...201323068142
scientific investigations into febrile reactions observed in the paediatric population following vaccination with a 2010 southern hemisphere trivalent influenza vaccine.during the 2010 southern hemisphere (sh) influenza season, there was an unexpected increase in the number of febrile reactions reported in the paediatric population in australia shortly after vaccination with the csl 2010 trivalent influenza vaccine (tiv) compared to previous seasons. a series of scientific investigations were initiated to identify the root cause of these adverse events, including in vitro cytokine/chemokine assays following stimulation of adult and paediatric whole blood, as we ...201223063831
neurovirulence of h5n1 infection in ferrets is mediated by multifocal replication in distinct permissive neuronal cell regions.highly pathogenic avian influenza a (hpai), subtype h5n1, remains an emergent threat to the human population. while respiratory disease is a hallmark of influenza infection, h5n1 has a high incidence of neurological sequelae in many animal species and sporadically in humans. we elucidate the temporal/spatial infection of h5n1 in the brain of ferrets following a low dose, intranasal infection of two hpai strains of varying neurovirulence and lethality. a/vietnam/1203/2004 (vn1203) induced mortali ...201223056366
differential pathological and immune responses in newly weaned ferrets are associated with a mild clinical outcome of pandemic 2009 h1n1 infection.young children are typically considered a high-risk group for disease associated with influenza virus infection. interestingly, recent clinical reports suggested that young children were the smallest group of cases with severe pandemic 2009 h1n1 (h1n1pdm) influenza virus infection. here we established a newly weaned ferret model for the investigation of h1n1pdm infection in young age groups compared to adults. we found that young ferrets had a significantly milder fever and less weight loss than ...201223055557
zinc histochemistry reveals circuit refinement and distinguishes visual areas in the developing ferret cerebral cortex.a critical question in brain development is whether different brain circuits mature concurrently or with different timescales. to characterize the anatomical and functional development of different visual cortical areas, one must be able to distinguish these areas. here, we show that zinc histochemistry, which reveals a subset of glutamatergic processes, can be used to reliably distinguish visual areas in juvenile and adult ferret cerebral cortex, and that the postnatal decline in levels of syna ...201323052548
thymosin α1 continues to show promise as an enhancer for vaccine response.thymosin α1 (tα1) is an immune-modulating peptide that can be expected to improve response to vaccinations, as stimulated dendritic cells and t cells can act in concert to increase antibody production along with an improved cytotoxic response from the t cells themselves. tα1 demonstrated efficacy in preclinical studies; subsequently, it was shown to enhance response to vaccinations in difficult-to-treat populations, including individuals immune suppressed due to age or hemodialysis, and leading ...201223050813
characterization of the 2009 pandemic a/beijing/501/2009 h1n1 influenza strain in human airway epithelial cells and ferrets.a novel 2009 swine-origin influenza a h1n1 virus (s-oiv h1n1) has been transmitted among humans worldwide. however, the pathogenesis of this virus in human airway epithelial cells and mammals is not well understood.201223049974
adjuvant solution for pandemic influenza vaccine production.extensive preparation is underway to mitigate the next pandemic influenza outbreak. new vaccine technologies intended to supplant egg-based production methods are being developed, with recombinant hemagglutinin (rha) as the most advanced program for preventing seasonal and avian h5n1 influenza. increased efforts are being focused on adjuvants that can broaden vaccine immunogenicity against emerging viruses and maximize vaccine supply on a worldwide scale. here, we test protection against avian f ...201223045649
canid progesterone receptors lack activation function 3 domain-dependent activity.progesterone regulates multiple behavioral, physiological, and pathological aspects of female reproductive biology through its two progesterone receptors (prs), pr-b and the truncated pr-a. pr-b is necessary for mammary gland development in mice and, compared with pr-a, is overall a stronger transactivator of target genes due to an additional activation function 3 (af3) domain. in dogs, known for their high sensitivity to progesterone-induced mammary cancer, the pr-b function was studied. canine ...201223041671
comparison of the protection of ferrets against pandemic 2009 influenza a virus (h1n1) by 244 di influenza virus and oseltamivir.the main antivirals employed to combat seasonal and pandemic influenza are oseltamivir and zanamivir which act by inhibiting the virus-encoded neuraminidase. these have to be deployed close to the time of infection and antiviral resistance to the more widely used oseltamivir has arisen relatively rapidly. defective interfering (di) influenza virus is a natural antiviral that works in a different way to oseltamivir and zanamivir, and a cloned version (segment 1 244 di rna in a cloned a/pr/8/34 vi ...201223041142
lack of innate interferon responses during sars coronavirus infection in a vaccination and reinfection ferret model.in terms of its highly pathogenic nature, there remains a significant need to further define the immune pathology of sars-coronavirus (sars-cov) infection, as well as identify correlates of immunity to help develop vaccines for severe coronaviral infections. here we use a sars-cov infection-reinfection ferret model and a functional genomics approach to gain insight into sars immunopathogenesis and to identify correlates of immune protection during sars-cov-challenge in ferrets previously infecte ...201223029269
virulence and transmissibility of h1n2 influenza virus in ferrets imply the continuing threat of triple-reassortant swine viruses.efficient worldwide swine surveillance for influenza a viruses is urgently needed; the emergence of a novel reassortant pandemic h1n1 (ph1n1) virus in 2009 demonstrated that swine can be the direct source of pandemic influenza and that the pandemic potential of viruses prevalent in swine populations must be monitored. we used the ferret model to assess the pathogenicity and transmissibility of predominant korean triple-reassortant swine (trsw) h1n2 and h3n2 influenza viruses genetically related ...201223019374
spread of influenza virus a (h5n1) clade 2.3.2.1 to bulgaria in common buzzards.on march 15, 2010, a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was isolated from the carcass of a common buzzard (buteo buteo) in bulgaria. phylogenetic analyses of the virus showed a close genetic relationship with influenza virus a (h5n1) clade 2.3.2.1 viruses isolated from wild birds in the tyva republic and mongolia during 2009-2010. designated a/common buzzard/bulgaria/38wb/2010, this strain was highly pathogenic in chickens but had low pathogenicity in mice and ferrets and no molecular marke ...201223017273
gastric helicobacter spp. in animal models: pathogenesis and modulation by extragastric coinfections.animal models are used to study complex host, microbial, and environmental influences associated with gastric helicobacter infection. evidence that gastric helicobacters are pathogenic in animals first came from ferrets. felids, nonhuman primates, and many other species also harbor stomach helicobacters. today, mice are preferred by most researchers for scientific investigation because of cost-efficiencies, rapid reproduction, choice of laboratory reagents, and availability of genetically engine ...201223015504
mapping pitch representation in neural ensembles with fmri.functional magnetic resonance imaging (fmri) in humans and macaques allows a test of the hypothesis that there is a specialized neural ensemble for pitch within auditory cortex: a pitch center. fmri measures the blood oxygenation level-dependent (bold) response related to regional synaptic activity (logothetis et al., 2001). the distinction between synaptic activity and spike firing, and species differences encourage caution when comparing bold activity in humans and macaques to recordings from ...201223015424
flagellin-ha vaccines protect ferrets and mice against h5n1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (hpaiv) infections.in order to meet the global demand for rapid production of pandemic influenza vaccines, we have developed a recombinant fusion vaccine platform in which the globular head of hemagglutinin (ha) antigen is genetically fused to bacterial flagellin (a tlr5 ligand). these flagellin-ha fusion vaccine candidates elicit highly protective immunity against a lethal challenge with 2009 pandemic h1n1 (liu, et al. plos one 2011; 6:e20928) or h5n1 influenza a/vietnam/1203/04 (a/vn) infections in mice (song, e ...201223000130
abnormal endocrine pancreas function at birth in cystic fibrosis ferrets.diabetes is a common comorbidity in cystic fibrosis (cf) that worsens prognosis. the lack of an animal model for cf-related diabetes (cfrd) has made it difficult to dissect how the onset of pancreatic pathology influences the emergence of cfrd. we evaluated the structure and function of the neonatal cf endocrine pancreas using a new cftr-knockout ferret model. although cf kits are born with only mild exocrine pancreas disease, progressive exocrine and endocrine pancreatic loss during the first m ...201222996690
cloning and quantification of ferret serum amyloid a.serum amyloid a (saa) is used as a biomarker for infections and inflammation in humans and veterinary medicine. we cloned ferret cdna encoding saa from the liver of a ferret via reverse transcription pcr (rt-pcr). the sequence of the cdna clone revealed that ferret saa has an open reading frame of 387 bp that encodes 129 amino acids. the deduced amino acid sequence of ferret saa has 96.1, 89.9, 86.0, 83.8, 83.0, 73.8 and 65.3% similarity to the mink, dog, cat, cattle, horse, human and mouse saa ...201322972465
a comparison of two methods of endoscopic dilation of acute subglottic stenosis using a ferret model.balloon dilation is accepted as a first line treatment of acute subglottic stenosis, but its effects on the subglottic tissue remain largely unknown. we aimed to develop an animal model of acute subglottic stenosis using endoscopic techniques. once developed, this model was used to compare the immediate effects of balloon dilation and endotracheal tube dilation on subglottic tissue.201322961260
radiographic kidney measurements in north american pet ferrets (mustela furo).the purpose of the current study was to determine normal radiographic kidney -measurements in pet ferrets.201322957926
transmission of a 2009 h1n1 pandemic influenza virus occurs before fever is detected, in the ferret model.during the early phase of the 2009 influenza pandemic, attempts were made to contain the spread of the virus. success of reactive control measures may be compromised if the proportion of transmission that occurs before overt clinical symptoms develop is high. in this study we investigated the timing of transmission of an early prototypic strain of pandemic h1n1 2009 influenza virus in the ferret model. ferrets are the only animal model in which this can be assessed because they display typical i ...201222952661
oligomeric recombinant h5 ha1 vaccine produced in bacteria protects ferrets from homologous and heterologous wild-type h5n1 influenza challenge and controls viral loads better than subunit h5n1 vaccine by eliciting high-affinity antibodies.recombinant hemagglutinin from influenza viruses with pandemic potential can be produced rapidly in various cell substrates. in this study, we compared the functionality and immunogenicity of bacterially produced oligomeric or monomeric ha1 proteins from h5n1 (a/vietnam/1203/04) with those of the egg-based licensed subunit h5n1 (su-h5n1) vaccine in ferrets challenged with homologous or heterologous h5n1 highly pathogenic influenza strains. ferrets were vaccinated twice with the oligomeric or mon ...201222951833
impacts and outcomes of diabetes care in a high risk remote indigenous community over time: implications for practice.the aim of this study was to determine diabetes care processes and intermediate clinical outcomes in a remote primary care service in 2009 compared with 2004. a retrospective review of diabetes care from january 2009 to january 2010 was conducted using a chronic disease register (project ferret). completeness of ascertainment was verified by a manual audit of charts. the results from this audit were compared with a similar study conducted in this community in 2004. the main outcome measure was d ...201322950855
pentamers not found in the universal proteome can enhance antigen specific immune responses and adjuvant vaccines.certain short peptides do not occur in humans and are rare or non-existent in the universal proteome. antigens that contain rare amino acid sequences are in general highly immunogenic and may activate different arms of the immune system. we first generated a list of rare, semi-common, and common 5-mer peptides using bioinformatics tools to analyze the uniprotkb database. experimental observations indicated that rare and semi-common 5-mers generated stronger cellular responses in comparison with ...201222937099
mycobacterium chelonae hand infection following ferret bite.we present a case of hand infection caused by mycobacterium chelonae. the patient was a 58-year-old woman with type ii diabetes mellitus and stage 4 chronic kidney disease. the infection occurred following a ferret bite and had not responded to oral antibiotics in the primary care setting. she developed signs of pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis of the index and middle fingers of her left hand. laboratory parameters showed high c-reactive protein, raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate and leucocytos ...201322930069
development of cerebral sulci and gyri in ferrets (mustela putorius).the present study aimed to clarify sulcation and gyration patterns in the developing cerebrum of ferrets. while the brain weight and fronto-occipital length of the cerebral hemisphere reached a plateau by postnatal day (pd) 42, the cerebral width reached a plateau at the rostral region by pd 21, and subsequently at the caudal region by pd 42. the ferret cerebrum already showed a convoluted surface with indentations of coronal and rostral suprasylvian sulci on pd 4. the presylvian and cruciate su ...201222925218
systemic coronavirus-associated disease resembling feline infectious peritonitis in ferrets in the uk. 201222923084
campylobacter polysaccharide capsules: virulence and vaccines.campylobacter jejuni remains a major cause of bacterial diarrhea worldwide and is associated with numerous sequelae, including guillain barré syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, reactive arthritis, and irritable bowel syndrome. c. jejuni is unusual for an intestinal pathogen in its ability to coat its surface with a polysaccharide capsule (cps). these capsular polysaccharides vary in sugar composition and linkage, especially those involving heptoses of unusual configuration and o-methyl phosph ...201222919599
comparison of the activation of somatostatin- and neuropeptide y-containing neuronal populations of the rat amygdala following two different anxiogenic stressors.rats exposed to the odor of a predator or to the elevated plus maze express fear behaviors without a prior exposure to either stimulus. the expression of innate fear provides for an ideal model of anxiety which can aid in the elucidation of brain circuits involved in anxiety-related behaviors. the current experiments compared activation of neuropeptide-containing neuronal populations in the amygdala of rats exposed to either the elevated plus maze (epm; 5 min) versus home cage controls, or preda ...201222917777
molecular imaging reveals a progressive pulmonary inflammation in lower airways in ferrets infected with 2009 h1n1 pandemic influenza virus.molecular imaging has gained attention as a possible approach for the study of the progression of inflammation and disease dynamics. herein we used [(18)f]-2-deoxy-2-fluoro-d-glucose ([(18)f]-fdg) as a radiotracer for pet imaging coupled with ct (fdg-pet/ct) to gain insight into the spatiotemporal progression of the inflammatory response of ferrets infected with a clinical isolate of a pandemic influenza virus, h1n1 (h1n1pdm). the thoracic regions of mock- and h1n1pdm-infected ferrets were image ...201222911695
man's underground best friend: domestic ferrets, unlike the wild forms, show evidence of dog-like social-cognitive skills.recent research has shown that dogs' possess surprisingly sophisticated human-like social communication skills compared to wolves or chimpanzees. the effects of domestication on the emergence of socio-cognitive skills, however, are still highly debated. one way to investigate this is to compare socialized individuals from closely related domestic and wild species. in the present study we tested domestic ferrets (mustela furo) and compared their performance to a group of wild mustela hybrids and ...201222905244
comparison of temporal and spatial dynamics of seasonal h3n2, pandemic h1n1 and highly pathogenic avian influenza h5n1 virus infections in ferrets.humans may be infected by different influenza a viruses--seasonal, pandemic, and zoonotic--which differ in presentation from mild upper respiratory tract disease to severe and sometimes fatal pneumonia with extra-respiratory spread. differences in spatial and temporal dynamics of these infections are poorly understood. therefore, we inoculated ferrets with seasonal h3n2, pandemic h1n1 (ph1n1), and highly pathogenic avian h5n1 influenza virus and performed detailed virological and pathological an ...201222905124
long-term vaccine-induced heterologous protection against h5n1 influenza viruses in the ferret model.highly pathogenic h5n1 influenza viruses reemerged in humans in 2003 and have caused fatal human infections in asia and africa as well as ongoing outbreaks in poultry. these viruses have evolved substantially and are now so antigenically varied that a single vaccine antigen may not protect against all circulating strains. nevertheless, studies have shown that substantial cross-reactivity can be achieved with h5n1 vaccines. these studies have not, however, addressed the issue of duration of such ...201322897930
elicitation of broadly neutralizing influenza antibodies in animals with previous influenza exposure.the immune system responds to influenza infection by producing neutralizing antibodies to the viral surface protein, hemagglutinin (ha), which regularly changes its antigenic structure. antibodies that target the highly conserved stem region of ha neutralize diverse influenza viruses and can be elicited through vaccination in animals and humans. efforts to develop universal influenza vaccines have focused on strategies to elicit such antibodies; however, the concern has been raised that previous ...201222896678
spectrotemporal contrast kernels for neurons in primary auditory cortex.auditory neurons are often described in terms of their spectrotemporal receptive fields (strfs). these map the relationship between features of the sound spectrogram and firing rates of neurons. recently, we showed that neurons in the primary fields of the ferret auditory cortex are also subject to gain control: when sounds undergo smaller fluctuations in their level over time, the neurons become more sensitive to small-level changes (rabinowitz et al., 2011). just as strfs measure the spectrote ...201222895711
early hearing-impairment results in crossmodal reorganization of ferret core auditory cortex.numerous investigations of cortical crossmodal plasticity, most often in congenital or early-deaf subjects, have indicated that secondary auditory cortical areas reorganize to exhibit visual responsiveness while the core auditory regions are largely spared. however, a recent study of adult-deafened ferrets demonstrated that core auditory cortex was reorganized by the somatosensory modality. because adult animals have matured beyond their critical period of sensory development and plasticity, it ...201222888454
adaptation of a chinese ferret badger strain of rabies virus to high-titered growth in bhk-21 cells for canine vaccine development.rabies virus strain jx08-45cc was derived from a chinese isolate (jx08-45) by serial passage in the bhk-21 cell line, reaching a titer of 10(8) tcid(50)/ml. jx08-45cc produced rabies in adult mice but was nonpathogenic in dogs after intramuscular injection. a comparison of the entire genomes of jx08-45 and jx08-45cc led to the identification of 17 nucleotide substitutions, resulting in seven amino acid changes in the mature g and l proteins. the immunogenicity of β-propiolactone-inactivated jx08 ...201222886183
cedar virus: a novel henipavirus isolated from australian bats.the genus henipavirus in the family paramyxoviridae contains two viruses, hendra virus (hev) and nipah virus (niv) for which pteropid bats act as the main natural reservoir. each virus also causes serious and commonly lethal infection of people as well as various species of domestic animals, however little is known about the associated mechanisms of pathogenesis. here, we report the isolation and characterization of a new paramyxovirus from pteropid bats, cedar virus (cedpv), which shares signif ...201222879820
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