Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year(sorted ascending) Filter | PMID Filter |
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| detection of influenza a and b neutralizing antibodies in vaccinated ferrets and macaques using specific biotin-streptavidin conjugated antibodies. | several critical factors of an influenza microneutralization assay, utilizing a rapid biotin-streptavidin conjugated system for detecting influenza virus subtypes a and b, are addressed within this manuscript. factors such as incubation times, amount of virus, cell seeding, sonication, and tpck trypsin were evaluated for their ability to affect influenza virus neutralization in a microplate-based neutralization assay using madin-darby canine kidney (mdck) cells. it is apparent that the amount of ... | 2010 | 19913054 |
| chemotactic properties and absence of the formyl peptide receptor in ferret (mustela putorius furo) neutrophils. | this study describes a chemotaxis assay of ferret polymorphonuclear cells (pmns). the optimal conditions for this chemotaxis assay were investigated for three chemoattractants: zymosan activated serum (zas), recombinant human interleukin-8 (rhil-8) and n-formyl-met-leu- phe (fmlf). in this study, ferret polymorphonuclear cells (pmns) reacted to zas and rhil-8, but not fmlf. the optimal concentration of zas and rhil-8 were 5% and 100 ng/ml, respectively. the optimal incubation time of each reagen ... | 2010 | 19539964 |
| influenza pathogenesis: lessons learned from animal studies with h5n1, h1n1 spanish, and pandemic h1n1 2009 influenza. | because cases of highly pathogenic influenza are rare, no systematic clinical studies have evaluated different therapeutic approaches. instead, treatment recommendations are aimed at the alleviation of clinical signs and symptoms, especially the restoration of respiratory function, and at the inhibition of virus replication, assuming viral load is responsible for disease phenotype. studies of highly pathogenic influenza in different animal models, especially nonhuman primates and ferrets, reprod ... | 2010 | 19935414 |
| modulation of vocal fold scar fibroblasts by adipose-derived stem/stromal cells. | to explore whether adipose-derived stem/stromal cells (ascs) have therapeutic potential for treating scarred superficial lamina propria through the effects of secreted hepatocyte growth factor (hgf) on scar fibroblasts. | 2010 | 20013848 |
| acute canine distemper encephalitis is associated with rapid neuronal loss and local immune activation. | for most virus infections of the central nervous system (cns), immune-mediated damage, the route of inoculation and death of infected cells all contribute to the pathology observed. to investigate the role of these factors in early canine distemper neuropathogenesis, we infected ferrets either intranasally or intraperitoneally with the neurovirulent canine distemper virus strain snyder hill. regardless of the route of inoculation, the virus primarily targeted the olfactory bulb, brainstem, hippo ... | 2010 | 20016033 |
| animal models for the preclinical evaluation of candidate influenza vaccines. | at present, new influenza a (h1n1)2009 viruses of swine origin are responsible for the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century. in addition, highly pathogenic avian influenza a/h5n1 viruses continue to cause outbreaks in poultry and, after zoonotic transmission, cause an ever-increasing number of human cases, of which 59% have a fatal clinical outcome. it is also feared that these viruses adapt to replication in humans and become transmissible from human to human. the development of effecti ... | 2010 | 20021306 |
| characterization of nikr-responsive promoters of urease and metal transport genes of helicobacter mustelae. | the nikr protein is a nickel-responsive regulator, which in the gastric pathogen helicobacter pylori controls expression of nickel-transporters and the nickel-cofactored urease acid resistance determinant. although nikr-dna interaction has been well studied, the helicobacter nikr operator site remains poorly defined. in this study we have identified the nikr operators in the promoters of two inversely nickel-regulated urease operons (ureab and urea2b2) in the ferret pathogen helicobacter mustela ... | 2010 | 19894125 |
| experimental animal models in periodontology: a review. | in periodontal research, animal studies are complementary to in vitro experiments prior to testing new treatments. animal models should make possible the validation of hypotheses and prove the safety and efficacy of new regenerating approaches using biomaterials, growth factors or stem cells. a review of the literature was carried out by using electronic databases (pubmed, isi web of science). numerous animal models in different species such as rats, hamsters, rabbits, ferrets, canines and prima ... | 2010 | 20556202 |
| [reproductive physiology of the european mink: progesterone profile during pregnancy]. | reproductive physiology of the european mink, an endangered mustelid species, has been so far scarcely investigated. this study confirms that in european mink embryo implantation occurs on the day 12 of pregnancy. progesterone profile during pregnancy has been compared in european mink and domestic ferret. in both species, progesterone increases at peri-implantation period, i. e. on day 8 and day 12 after mating. however, toward the end of pregnancy, on day 40 after mating, progesterone concentr ... | 2010 | 20564957 |
| igg antibodies mediate protective immunity of inactivated vaccine for highly pathogenic h5n1 influenza viruses in ferrets. | outbreaks of highly pathogenic h5n1 influenza viruses have been reported in many countries worldwide. the possibility of pandemics caused by h5n1 influenza viruses is high since human infections by h5n1 viruses continually occur. in this study we determined the immune response and efficacy of inactivated h5n1 vaccine developed by reverse genetics in ferrets. ferrets intramuscularly inoculated with two doses of h5n1 vaccine survived the lethal challenge with homologous or heterologous h5n1 influe ... | 2010 | 20565295 |
| design, assembly, and validation of a nose-only inhalation exposure system for studies of aerosolized viable influenza h5n1 virus in ferrets. | the routes by which humans acquire influenza h5n1 infections have not been fully elucidated. based on the known biology of influenza viruses, four modes of transmission are most likely in humans: aerosol transmission, ingestion of undercooked contaminated infected poultry, transmission by large droplets and self-inoculation of the nasal mucosa by contaminated hands. in preparation of a study to resolve whether h5n1 viruses are transmissible by aerosol in an animal model that is a surrogate for h ... | 2010 | 20573226 |
| receptor specificity and transmission of h2n2 subtype viruses isolated from the pandemic of 1957. | influenza viruses of the h2n2 subtype have not circulated among humans in over 40 years. the occasional isolation of avian h2 strains from swine and avian species coupled with waning population immunity to h2 hemagglutinin (ha) warrants investigation of this subtype due to its pandemic potential. in this study we examined the transmissibility of representative human h2n2 viruses, a/albany/6/58 (alb/58) and a/el salvador/2/57 (elsalv/57), isolated during the 1957/58 pandemic, in the ferret model. ... | 2010 | 20574518 |
| molecular analysis of neocortical layer structure in the ferret. | molecular markers that distinguish specific layers of rodent neocortex are increasingly employed to study cortical development and the physiology of cortical circuits. the extent to which these markers represent general features of neocortical cell type identity across mammals, however, is unknown. to assess the conservation of layer markers more broadly, we isolated orthologs for 15 layer-enriched genes in the ferret, a carnivore with a large, gyrencephalic brain, and analyzed their patterns of ... | 2010 | 20575059 |
| bilateral cochlear implantation in the ferret: a novel animal model for behavioral studies. | bilateral cochlear implantation has recently been introduced with the aim of improving both speech perception in background noise and sound localization. although evidence suggests that binaural perception is possible with two cochlear implants, results in humans are variable. to explore potential contributing factors to these variable outcomes, we have developed a behavioral animal model of bilateral cochlear implantation in a novel species, the ferret. although ferrets are ideally suited to ps ... | 2010 | 20576507 |
| h1n1 swine flu: the 2010 perspective--a new york academy of sciences meeting. | the h1n1 swine flu: the 2010 perspective conference, held in new york city, included topics covering new research developments regarding the h1n1 influenza virus. this conference report highlights selected presentations on high-yield reassortant viral production, virus transmission and pathogenesis in ferret and guinea pig models, and the advantages of virus-like particle vaccines. fatal pathology findings from the 2009 h1n1 strain in new york, and preparedness for and response to the 2009 pande ... | 2010 | 20582868 |
| [cytogenetic study on the activity of the ferret embryonic genome before implantation]. | a cytogenetic study of the activity of the embryonic genome in ferret (mustelaputorius) blastocysts during 6 days after their transition from the oviduct to the uterus has been carried out. it has been found that the prolongation in the preimplantation period in the ferret is not accompanied by inhibition of mitosis or activity in nucleolus organizing regions of inner cell mass cells as occurs in species having an obligatory delay of implantation (obligate embryonic diapause). amitosis of tropho ... | 2010 | 20583631 |
| luteolin, a non-selective competitive inhibitor of phosphodiesterases 1-5, displaced [3h]-rolipram from high-affinity rolipram binding sites and reversed xylazine/ketamine-induced anesthesia. | the aim of the present study was to investigate the mode of action of luteolin on phisphodiesterase (pde) 1-5, and the possible adverse effects, such as nausea, vomiting, and gastric hypersecretion, determined by replacing [(3)h]-rolipram binding and reversing xylazine/ketamine-induced anesthesia. the reversing effect was reported to occur through a presynaptic alpha(2)-adrenoceptor inhibition and trigger vomiting in ferrets. in contrast, clonidine, an alpha(2)-adrenoceptor agonist, prevented em ... | 2010 | 19853596 |
| assessing the development of oseltamivir and zanamivir resistance in a(h5n1) influenza viruses using a ferret model. | using an in vivo ferret model, we investigated the development of resistance to oseltamivir and zanamivir for two different influenza a(h5n1) viruses (a/vietnam/1203/2004, haemagglutinin phylogenetic clade 1, and a/chicken/laos/26/2006, haemagglutinin phylogenetic clade 2.3) by treating the animals with doses equivalent either to the recommended human treatment dose or a range of sub-optimal drug doses. no resistance was observed in oseltamivir-treated ferrets, but analysis of nasal washes from ... | 2010 | 20603155 |
| evidence of human-to-swine transmission of the pandemic (h1n1) 2009 influenza virus in south korea. | as the pandemic (h1n1) 2009 influenza virus continues to infect human populations globally, reports on epidemiologically linked animal infections are also on the rise. since december 2009, pandemic (h1n1) 2009-like viruses have been isolated in pigs from different swine farms of south korea. genetic and phylogenetic analyses of viral segments demonstrated several events of human-to-swine transmission with no apparent signs of reassortment. these events were also supported by serological surveill ... | 2010 | 20610681 |
| course of seasonal influenza a/brisbane/59/07 h1n1 infection in the ferret. | every year, influenza viruses infect approximately 5-20% of the population in the united states leading to over 200,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths from flu-related complications. in this study, we characterized the immune and pathological progression of a seasonal strain of h1n1 influenza virus, a/brisbane/59/2007 in a ferret model. the immune response of the animals showed a dose-dependent increase with increased virus challenge, as indicated by the presence of virus specific igg, igm, ... | 2010 | 20618974 |
| [effect of the 5-ht3 receptor antagonist granisetron on estramustine phosphate sodium (estracyt)-induced emesis in ferrets]. | estracyt(r) is an antimitotic drug used for the treatment of prostate cancer, and its most common adverse effects are nausea and vomiting. in this study, we investigated the effect of a 5-ht3 receptor antagonist, granisetron, on emesis induced in ferrets by estramustine phosphate sodium (emp), the active ingredient of estracyt. to clarify the mechanism of action of emp-induced emesis, we also investigated the effect of emp on the release of serotonin (5-ht) in the isolated rat ileum. emp (3 mg/k ... | 2010 | 20724808 |
| the electrocardiographic holter monitoring in experimental veterinary practice. | the long-term electrocardiographic recording with retrospective evaluation (holter system) has been widely used not only in cardiology, but also in other disciplines of internal medicine and in pharmaceutical research. the holter system can be used in mini-pig, sheep, dog, cat, rabbit, ferret, and rat. in this paper hardware, software, and anesthesia requirements are summarized with respect to the experimental work with various species. as the holter systems work in bipolar mode, the use of bipo ... | 2010 | 20626221 |
| autochthonous dirofilaria immitis infection in a ferret with aberrant larval migration in europe. | a two-year-old male ferret (mustela putorius furo) was presented to the faculty of veterinary science, szent istván university, for investigation of somnolence. following unsuccessful therapeutic attempts, the ferret was euthanased and a male dirofilaria immitis worm was found in the pulmonary artery and a female d. immitis specimen in the subdural space of the cranial cavity. to the authors' knowledge, this is the first european record of d. immitis infection in a ferret, and the first case in ... | 2010 | 20626785 |
| viremia associated with fatal outcomes in ferrets infected with avian h5n1 influenza virus. | avian h5n1 influenza viruses cause severe disease and high mortality in infected humans. however, tissue tropism and underlying pathogenesis of h5n1 virus infection in humans needs further investigation. the objective of this work was to study viremia, tissue tropism and disease pathogenesis of h5n1 virus infection in the susceptible ferret animal model. to evaluate the relationship of morbidity and mortality with virus loads, we performed studies in ferrets infected with the h5n1 strain a/vn/12 ... | 2010 | 20730085 |
| cannabinoid-induced reduction in antral pacemaker frequency: a telemetric study in the ferret. | the gastric myoelectric activity (gma) is the electrical pacesetter potential, which drives gastric motility. cannabinoids have broad-spectrum antiemetic and antinauseant activity. paradoxically, they inhibit intestinal peristalsis and reduce gastric motility but their effect on gma remains unknown. | 2010 | 20731777 |
| oseltamivir-resistant variants of the 2009 pandemic h1n1 influenza a virus are not attenuated in the guinea pig and ferret transmission models. | oseltamivir is routinely used worldwide for the treatment of severe influenza a virus infection, and should drug-resistant pandemic 2009 h1n1 viruses become widespread, this potent defense strategy might fail. oseltamivir-resistant variants of the pandemic 2009 h1n1 influenza a virus have been detected in a substantial number of patients, but to date, the mutant viruses have not moved into circulation in the general population. it is not known whether the resistance mutations in viral neuraminid ... | 2010 | 20739532 |
| transgenic animals may help resolve a sticky situation in cystic fibrosis. | cystic fibrosis (cf) is caused by defects in the cftr, a camp-activated cl- channel of epithelia. the resulting reduction in epithelial fluid transport creates abnormally viscous secretions from airway mucous glands that may be a major factor in cf pathology. mouse airways have few mucous glands, and the mouse model of cf exhibits no significant airway disease. pigs and ferrets, however, have approximately the same number of airway mucous glands as humans. in this issue of the jci, three indepen ... | 2010 | 20739746 |
| preclinical effectiveness of a novel pulp capping material. | the purpose of this study was to evaluate the direct pulp capping response to a novel resin-based calcium phosphate cement (rcpc). | 2010 | 20630303 |
| assessing the viral fitness of oseltamivir-resistant influenza viruses in ferrets, using a competitive-mixtures model. | to determine the relative fitness of oseltamivir-resistant strains compared to susceptible wild-type viruses, we combined mathematical modeling and statistical techniques with a novel in vivo "competitive-mixtures" experimental model. ferrets were coinfected with either pure populations (100% susceptible wild-type or 100% oseltamivir-resistant mutant virus) or mixed populations of wild-type and oseltamivir-resistant influenza viruses (80%:20%, 50%:50%, and 20%:80%) at equivalent infectivity tite ... | 2010 | 20631138 |
| mapping primary gyrogenesis during fetal development in primate brains: high-resolution in utero structural mri of fetal brain development in pregnant baboons. | the global and regional changes in the fetal cerebral cortex in primates were mapped during primary gyrification (pg; weeks 17-25 of 26 weeks total gestation). studying pregnant baboons using high-resolution mri in utero, measurements included cerebral volume, cortical surface area, gyrification index and length and depth of 10 primary cortical sulci. seven normally developing fetuses were imaged in two animals longitudinally and sequentially. we compared these results to those on pg that from t ... | 2010 | 20631812 |
| properly folded bacterially expressed h1n1 hemagglutinin globular head and ectodomain vaccines protect ferrets against h1n1 pandemic influenza virus. | in the face of impending influenza pandemic, a rapid vaccine production and mass vaccination is the most effective approach to prevent the large scale mortality and morbidity that was associated with the 1918 "spanish flu". the traditional process of influenza vaccine production in eggs is time consuming and may not meet the demands of rapid global vaccination required to curtail influenza pandemic. | 2010 | 20634959 |
| the eurocine l3 adjuvants with subunit influenza antigens induce protective immunity in mice after intranasal vaccination. | the immunogenicity and protective efficacy in mice of intranasally (i.n.) administrated influenza subunit antigens together with lipid-based adjuvants (eurocine) were compared to those of subcutaneous (s.c.) immunisation. influenza hemagglutination inhibition (hai) and elisa igg titers were similar in the group's vaccinated s.c. and after i.n. vaccination with adjuvants. the virus-specific iga levels in serum were higher after vaccination i.n. with adjuvant than after s.c immunisation. virus-spe ... | 2010 | 20637767 |
| the non-lemniscal auditory cortex in ferrets: convergence of corticotectal inputs in the superior colliculus. | descending cortical inputs to the superior colliculus (sc) contribute to the unisensory response properties of the neurons found there and are critical for multisensory integration. however, little is known about the relative contribution of different auditory cortical areas to this projection or the distribution of their terminals in the sc. we characterized this projection in the ferret by injecting tracers in the sc and auditory cortex. large pyramidal neurons were labeled in layer v of diffe ... | 2010 | 20640247 |
| an abc transporter and a tonb ortholog contribute to helicobacter mustelae nickel and cobalt acquisition. | the genomes of helicobacter species colonizing the mammalian gastric mucosa (like helicobacter pylori) contain a large number of genes annotated as iron acquisition genes but only few nickel acquisition genes, which contrasts with the central position of nickel in the urease-mediated acid resistance of these gastric pathogens. in this study we have investigated the predicted iron and nickel acquisition systems of the ferret pathogen helicobacter mustelae. the expression of the outer membrane pro ... | 2010 | 20643857 |
| deep brain stimulation results in local glutamate and adenosine release: investigation into the role of astrocytes. | several neurological disorders are treated with deep brain stimulation; however, the mechanism underlying its ability to abolish oscillatory phenomena associated with diseases as diverse as parkinson's disease and epilepsy remain largely unknown. | 2010 | 20644423 |
| induction of broadly neutralizing h1n1 influenza antibodies by vaccination. | the rapid dissemination of the 2009 pandemic influenza virus underscores the need for universal influenza vaccines that elicit protective immunity to diverse viral strains. here, we show that vaccination with plasmid dna encoding h1n1 influenza hemagglutinin (ha) and boosting with seasonal vaccine or replication-defective adenovirus 5 vector encoding ha stimulated the production of broadly neutralizing influenza antibodies. this prime/boost combination increased the neutralization of diverse h1n ... | 2010 | 20647428 |
| a novel model of lethal hendra virus infection in african green monkeys and the effectiveness of ribavirin treatment. | the henipaviruses, hendra virus (hev) and nipah virus (niv), are emerging zoonotic paramyxoviruses that can cause severe and often lethal neurologic and/or respiratory disease in a wide variety of mammalian hosts, including humans. there are presently no licensed vaccines or treatment options approved for human or veterinarian use. guinea pigs, hamsters, cats, and ferrets, have been evaluated as animal models of human hev infection, but studies in nonhuman primates (nhp) have not been reported, ... | 2010 | 20660198 |
| focusing attention on sound. | a new study finds that neurons in the ferret frontal cortex typically respond to sound only during trained auditory tasks and that these neurons depict the task-related meaning rather than the acoustical properties of stimuli. | 2010 | 20661266 |
| oseltamivir-resistant pandemic a/h1n1 virus is as virulent as its wild-type counterpart in mice and ferrets. | the neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir is currently used for treatment of patients infected with the pandemic a/h1n1 (ph1n1) influenza virus, although drug-resistant mutants can emerge rapidly and possibly be transmitted. we describe the characteristics of a pair of oseltamivir-resistant and oseltamivir-susceptible ph1n1 clinical isolates that differed by a single change (h274y) in the neuraminidase protein. viral fitness of ph1n1 isolates was assessed in vitro by determining replication kineti ... | 2010 | 20661429 |
| an influenza a/h1n1/2009 hemagglutinin vaccine produced in escherichia coli. | the a/h1n1/2009 influenza pandemic made evident the need for faster and higher-yield methods for the production of influenza vaccines. platforms based on virus culture in mammalian or insect cells are currently under investigation. alternatively, expression of fragments of the hemagglutinin (ha) protein in prokaryotic systems can potentially be the most efficacious strategy for the manufacture of large quantities of influenza vaccine in a short period of time. despite experimental evidence on th ... | 2010 | 20661476 |
| expression of biologically active recombinant ferret (mustela putorius furo) interleukin-8 from escherichia coli. | the authors expressed recombinant ferret interleukin-8 protein (rfril-8) in escherichia coli as a glutathione-s-transferase fusion protein. western blot analyses revealed that anti-ovine il-8 antibody reacted with rfril-8 at 10 kda. to confirm that the rfril-8 was biologically active, the authors examined chemotaxis and respiratory burst activity of ferret polymorphonuclear blood cells (pmns) exposed to rfril-8. the rfril-8 strongly induced chemotactic and respiratory burst activities in a stati ... | 2010 | 20678809 |
| the superior colliculus of the ferret: cortical afferents and efferent connections to dorsal thalamus. | by injecting both biotinylated and fluorescent dextran amines into the superior colliculus of the ferret we traced its afferent connections from the cerebral cortex and its projections to nuclei of the dorsal thalamus. all visual and auditory cortical areas had retrogradely labelled layer 5 pyramidal neurons projecting to the superior colliculus, with the highest density in areas 18 and 21. secondary somatosensory and motor cortical regions also projected to the superior colliculus. no retrograd ... | 2010 | 20682301 |
| advanced diagnostic approaches and current medical management of insulinomas and adrenocortical disease in ferrets (mustela putorius furo). | endocrine neoplasia is the most common tumor type in domestic ferrets, especially in middle-aged to older ferrets. islet cell tumors and adrenocortical tumors constitute the major types of endocrine neoplasms. insulinoma is a tumor that produces and releases excessive amounts of insulin. evaluation of fasted blood glucose levels provides a quick diagnostic assessment for the detection of insulinomas. use of glucocorticoids, diazoxide, and diet modification are some of the medical treatment optio ... | 2010 | 20682429 |
| ferret coronavirus-associated diseases. | a novel coronavirus of ferrets was first described in 1993. this coronavirus caused an enteric disease called epizootic catarrhal enteritis (ece). recently, a ferret systemic coronavirus (frscv)-associated disease was discovered. this new systemic disease resembles the dry form of feline infectious peritonitis (fip) and has been reported in the united states and europe. this article addresses the clinical signs, pathology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of this ferret fip-lik ... | 2010 | 20682435 |
| henipavirus: a review of laboratory animal pathology. | the genus henipavirus contains two members-hendra virus (hev) and nipah virus (niv)-and each can cause fatal disease in humans and animals. hev and niv are currently classified as biosafety level 4, and niv is classified as a category c priority pathogen. the aim of this article is to discuss the pathology of laboratory animal models of henipavirus infection and to assess their suitability as animal models for the development and testing of human therapeutics and vaccines. there has been conside ... | 2010 | 20682803 |
| comparative pathology of select agent influenza a virus infections. | influenza a virus infections may spread rapidly in human populations and cause variable mortality. two of these influenza viruses have been designated as select agents: 1918 h1n1 virus and highly pathogenic avian influenza (hpai) virus. knowledge of the pathology of these virus infections in humans, other naturally infected species, and experimental animals is important to understand the pathogenesis of influenza, to design appropriate models for evaluation of medical countermeasures, and to mak ... | 2010 | 20682805 |
| expression and distribution of voltage-gated ion channels in ferret sinoatrial node. | spontaneous diastolic depolarization in the sinoatrial (sa) node enables it to serve as pacemaker of the heart. the variable cell morphology within the sa node predicts that ion channel expression would be heterogeneous and different from that in the atrium. to evaluate ion channel heterogeneity within the sa node, we used fluorescent in situ hybridization to examine ion channel expression in the ferret sa node region and atrial appendage. sa nodal cells were distinguished from surrounding cardi ... | 2010 | 20682846 |
| recombinant soluble, multimeric ha and na exhibit distinctive types of protection against pandemic swine-origin 2009 a(h1n1) influenza virus infection in ferrets. | the emergence and subsequent swift and global spread of the swine-origin influenza virus a(h1n1) in 2009 once again emphasizes the strong need for effective vaccines that can be developed rapidly and applied safely. with this aim, we produced soluble, multimeric forms of the 2009 a(h1n1) ha (sha(3)) and na (sna(4)) surface glycoproteins using a virus-free mammalian expression system and evaluated their efficacy as vaccines in ferrets. immunization twice with 3.75-microg doses of these antigens e ... | 2010 | 20686020 |
| oseltamivir-resistant pandemic h1n1/2009 influenza virus possesses lower transmissibility and fitness in ferrets. | the neuraminidase (na) inhibitor oseltamivir offers an important immediate option for the control of influenza, and its clinical use has increased substantially during the recent h1n1 pandemic. in view of the high prevalence of oseltamivir-resistant seasonal h1n1 influenza viruses in 2007-2008, there is an urgent need to characterize the transmissibility and fitness of oseltamivir-resistant h1n1/2009 viruses, although resistant variants have been isolated at a low rate. here we studied the trans ... | 2010 | 20686654 |
| ferret badger rabies origin and its revisited importance as potential source of rabies transmission in southeast china. | the frequent occurrence of ferret badger-associated human rabies cases in southeast china highlights the lack of laboratory-based surveillance and urges revisiting the potential importance of this animal in rabies transmission. to determine if the ferret badgers actually contribute to human and dog rabies cases, and the possible origin of the ferret badger-associated rabies in the region, an active rabies survey was conducted to determine the frequency of rabies infection and seroprevalence in d ... | 2010 | 20691095 |
| behavioral measures of auditory streaming in ferrets (mustela putorius). | an important aspect of the analysis of auditory "scenes" relates to the perceptual organization of sound sequences into auditory "streams." in this study, we adapted two auditory perception tasks, used in recent human psychophysical studies, to obtain behavioral measures of auditory streaming in ferrets (mustela putorius). one task involved the detection of shifts in the frequency of tones within an alternating tone sequence. the other task involved the detection of a stream of regularly repeati ... | 2010 | 20695663 |
| electrodiagnostic examination of the tibial nerve in clinically normal ferrets. | tibial nerves of 10 normal domestic ferrets (mustela putorius furo) were evaluated by means of electrodiagnostic tests: motor nerve conduction studies (mncss), supramaximal repetitive nerve stimulation (srns), f waves, and cord dorsum potentials (cdps). values of conduction velocity, proximal and distal compound muscular action potentials, and amplitudes of mncs were, respectively, 63.25 +/- 7.56 m/sec, 10.79 +/- 2.75 mv, and 13.02 +/- 3.41 mv. mean decrements in amplitude and area of compound m ... | 2010 | 20706690 |
| diagnosis and treatment of myelo-osteolytic plasmablastic lymphoma of the femur in a domestic ferret. | a 6-year-old 0.82-kg (1.8-lb) spayed female domestic ferret was evaluated because of a 1-month history of decreased activity that had progressively worsened over the past week. the ferret had previously been determined to have adrenocortical disease and was undergoing medical management for the associated clinical signs. | 2010 | 20707751 |
| protection of ferrets from infection by swine-origin 2009 a (h1n1) influenza virus by the inactivated vaccine. | swine-origin pandemic 2009 a (h1n1) influenza viruses are still infecting humans, and humans are currently being vaccinated with the inactivated vaccine of 2009 a (h1n1) influenza virus. we wanted to determine the efficacy of 2009 a (h1n1) inactivated vaccine in ferrets. ferrets immunized with one dose (7.5 microg) of 2009 a (h1n1) inactivated vaccine were not protected from infections of either pandemic h1n1 or seasonal h1n1 influenza viruses, while ferrets immunized with two doses of 2009 a (h ... | 2010 | 20712484 |
| multiple infections with seasonal influenza a virus induce cross-protective immunity against a(h1n1) pandemic influenza virus in a ferret model. | an age bias toward children and young adults has been reported for infection and hospitalizations with pandemic h1n1 influenza (a[h1n1]pdm) in the 2009 and 2010 influenza seasons in the southern and northern hemispheres. serological analysis of prepandemic samples has shown a higher incidence of cross-reactive antibodies to a(h1n1)pdm virus in older populations; conserved t cell epitopes between viruses have been identified. the contribution of preexisting immunity to seasonal influenza to prote ... | 2010 | 20715930 |
| evaluation of a modified vaccinia virus ankara (mva)-based candidate pandemic influenza a/h1n1 vaccine in the ferret model. | the zoonotic transmissions of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses of the h5n1 subtype that have occurred since 1997 have sparked the development of novel influenza vaccines. the advent of reverse genetics technology, cell-culture production techniques and novel adjuvants has improved the vaccine strain preparation, production process and immunogenicity of the vaccines, respectively, and has accelerated the availability of pandemic influenza vaccines. however, there is still room for improv ... | 2010 | 20719991 |
| multicentric squamous cell carcinoma in situ associated with papillomavirus in a ferret. | a 6-year-old castrated male ferret presented with multiple black and tan proliferative skin lesions. histologically, the lesions were characterized by multifocal plaques of irregular epidermal hyperplasia and full-thickness dysplasia, with loss of normal epithelial stratification, loss of nuclear polarity, and rare eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies in the superficial layers of the epidermis. immunohistochemical staining with a monoclonal antibody against papillomaviruses was strongly im ... | 2010 | 20466863 |
| recombinant h1n1 virus-like particle vaccine elicits protective immunity in ferrets against the 2009 pandemic h1n1 influenza virus. | the pandemic virus of 2009 (2009 h1n1) continues to cause illness worldwide, especially in younger age groups. the widespread h1n1 virus infection further emphasizes the need for vaccine strategies that are effective against emerging pandemic viruses and are not dependent on the limitations of traditional egg-based technology. this report describes a recombinant influenza virus-like particle (vlp) vaccine consisting of hemagglutinin (ha), neuraminidase (na), and matrix (m1) proteins of influenza ... | 2010 | 20470801 |
| comparative sequence analysis of the distal one-third of the genomes of a systemic and an enteric ferret coronavirus. | ferret systemic coronavirus (frscv) infection is associated with an emerging, highly fatal disease of ferrets. enhanced macrophage tropism and the resulting induction of pyogranulomatous lesions are shared with feline infectious peritonitis virus (fipv) infection in cats, but are not features of ferret enteric coronavirus (frecv) infection. comparative sequence analysis of the distal one-third of the genomes of one frscv and one frecv strain showed that these two ferret coronaviruses share >96% ... | 2010 | 20079778 |
| in vitro assessment of attachment pattern and replication efficiency of h5n1 influenza a viruses with altered receptor specificity. | the continuous circulation of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (hpai) h5n1 virus has been a cause of great concern. the possibility of this virus acquiring specificity for the human influenza a virus receptor, alpha2,6-linked sialic acids (sa), and being able to transmit efficiently among humans is a constant threat to human health. different studies have described amino acid substitutions in hemagglutinin (ha) of clinical hpai h5n1 isolates or that were introduced experimentally that resul ... | 2010 | 20392847 |
| [sequencing and analysis of complete genome of rabies viruses isolated from chinese ferret-badger and dog in zhejiang province]. | based on sequencing the full-length genomes of four chinese ferret-badger and dog, we analyze the properties of rabies viruses genetic variation in molecular level, get the information about rabies viruses prevalence and variation in zhejiang, and enrich the genome database of rabies viruses street strains isolated from china. rabies viruses in suckling mice were isolated, overlapped fragments were amplified by rt-pcr and full-length genomes were assembled to analyze the nucleotide and deduced p ... | 2010 | 20329558 |
| modeling host responses in ferrets during a/california/07/2009 influenza infection. | immune responses during infection with pandemic h1n1 2009 influenza a virus (2009-h1n1) are still poorly understood. using an experimental infection model in ferrets, we examined the pathological features and characterized the host immune responses by using microarray analysis, during infection with 2009-h1n1 a/california/07/2009 and seasonal a/brisbane/59/2007. chemokines ccl2, ccl8, cxcl7 and cxcl10 along with the majority of interferon-stimulated genes were expressed early, correlated to lung ... | 2010 | 20334888 |
| rapid selection of a transmissible multidrug-resistant influenza a/h3n2 virus in an immunocompromised host. | the overall impact of influenza virus infection in immunocompromised patients is largely unknown. antigenic drift and genetic variations during prolonged influenza infection have been demonstrated. in this report we describe a multidrug-resistant h3n2 influenza virus isolated from an immunocompromised patient after 5 days of therapy. | 2010 | 20350163 |
| comparative efficacy of hemagglutinin, nucleoprotein, and matrix 2 protein gene-based vaccination against h5n1 influenza in mouse and ferret. | efforts to develop a broadly protective vaccine against the highly pathogenic avian influenza a (hpai) h5n1 virus have focused on highly conserved influenza gene products. the viral nucleoprotein (np) and ion channel matrix protein (m2) are highly conserved among different strains and various influenza a subtypes. here, we investigate the relative efficacy of np and m2 compared to ha in protecting against hpai h5n1 virus. in mice, previous studies have shown that vaccination with np and m2 in re ... | 2010 | 20352112 |
| disseminated, histologically confirmed cryptococcus spp infection in a domestic ferret. | a 4-year-old castrated male domestic ferret from central massachusetts was evaluated for weight loss over a 1.5-month period and for 2 days of retching, diarrhea, and signs of lethargy. it had been housed indoors, with 2 other ferrets, 2 cats, and humans that lacked signs or symptoms of disease. | 2010 | 20367045 |
| development of an acute and highly pathogenic nonhuman primate model of nipah virus infection. | nipah virus (niv) is an enigmatic emerging pathogen that causes severe and often fatal neurologic and/or respiratory disease in both animals and humans. amongst people, case fatality rates range between 40 and 75 percent and there are no vaccines or treatments approved for human use. guinea pigs, hamsters, cats, ferrets, pigs and most recently squirrel monkeys (new world monkey) have been evaluated as animal models of human niv infection, and with the exception of the ferret, no model recapitula ... | 2010 | 20502528 |
| evaluation of replication and cross-reactive antibody responses of h2 subtype influenza viruses in mice and ferrets. | h2 influenza viruses have not circulated in humans since 1968, and therefore a large segment of the population would likely be susceptible to infection should h2 influenza viruses reemerge. the development of an h2 pandemic influenza virus vaccine candidate should therefore be considered a priority in pandemic influenza preparedness planning. we selected a group of geographically and temporally diverse wild-type h2 influenza viruses and evaluated the kinetics of replication and compared the abil ... | 2010 | 20504935 |
| establishment and characterization of a madin-darby canine kidney reporter cell line for influenza a virus assays. | influenza virus diagnosis has traditionally relied on virus isolation in chicken embryo or cell cultures. many laboratories have adopted rapid molecular methods for detection of influenza viruses and discontinued routine utilization of the relatively slow viral culture methods. we describe an influenza a virus reporter cell line that contributes to more efficient viral detection in cell culture. madin-darby canine kidney (mdck) cells were engineered to constitutively produce an influenza virus g ... | 2010 | 20504984 |
| a single immunization with covaccine ht-adjuvanted h5n1 influenza virus vaccine induces protective cellular and humoral immune responses in ferrets. | highly pathogenic avian influenza a viruses of the h5n1 subtype continue to circulate in poultry, and zoonotic transmissions are reported frequently. since a pandemic caused by these highly pathogenic viruses is still feared, there is interest in the development of influenza a/h5n1 virus vaccines that can protect humans against infection, preferably after a single vaccination with a low dose of antigen. here we describe the induction of humoral and cellular immune responses in ferrets after vacc ... | 2010 | 20519384 |
| competitive fitness of oseltamivir-sensitive and -resistant highly pathogenic h5n1 influenza viruses in a ferret model. | the fitness of oseltamivir-resistant highly pathogenic h5n1 influenza viruses has important clinical implications. we generated recombinant human a/vietnam/1203/04 (vn; clade 1) and a/turkey/15/06 (tk; clade 2.2) influenza viruses containing the h274y neuraminidase (na) mutation, which confers resistance to na inhibitors, and compared the fitness levels of the wild-type (wt) and resistant virus pairs in ferrets. the vn-h274y and vn-wt viruses replicated to similar titers in the upper respiratory ... | 2010 | 20519385 |
| effect of neuraminidase inhibitor-resistant mutations on pathogenicity of clade 2.2 a/turkey/15/06 (h5n1) influenza virus in ferrets. | the acquisition of neuraminidase (na) inhibitor resistance by h5n1 influenza viruses has serious clinical implications, as this class of drugs can be an essential component of pandemic control measures. the continuous evolution of the highly pathogenic h5n1 influenza viruses results in the emergence of natural na gene variations whose impact on viral fitness and na inhibitor susceptibility are poorly defined. we generated seven genetically stable recombinant clade 2.2 a/turkey/15/06-like (h5n1) ... | 2010 | 20523902 |
| molecular characterization of in vivo adjuvant activity in ferrets vaccinated against influenza virus. | the 2009 h1n1 influenza pandemic has prompted a significant need for the development of efficient, single-dose, adjuvanted vaccines. here we investigated the adjuvant potential of cpg oligodeoxynucleotide (odn) when used with a human seasonal influenza virus vaccine in ferrets. we found that the cpg odn-adjuvanted vaccine effectively increased antibody production and activated type i interferon (ifn) responses compared to vaccine alone. based on these findings, pegylated ifn-alpha2b (peg-ifn) wa ... | 2010 | 20534862 |
| a comparison of epigean and subterranean locomotion in the domestic ferret (mustela putorius furo: mustelidae: carnivora). | burrows are used by many mammals to escape predation, cache food and for parturition. although the construction of burrows has been studied in some taxa, the locomotion while inside of them has received scant attention. in this study we collected simultaneous video and force data to characterize gaits, kinematics, peak ground reaction forces (grfs) and external mechanical energy profiles in the domestic ferret, an animal that displays the typical morphology and behaviors associated with subterra ... | 2010 | 20545058 |
| the impact of key amino acid substitutions in the hemagglutinin of influenza a (h3n2) viruses on vaccine production and antibody response. | influenza h3n2 viruses have recently drifted from a/wisconsin/67/05-like to a/brisbane/10/07-like viruses. the effect of key amino acid substitutions in the hemagglutinin (ha) protein on the replication, antigenicity and immunogenicity of cold-adapted, live attenuated vaccine strains was examined. a/brisbane/10/07 egg isolate contained a unique combination of g186 and p194 which were required for efficient virus growth in madin-darby canine kidney (mdck) cells and embryonated chicken eggs, but t ... | 2010 | 20399830 |
| transcriptome sequencing and development of an expression microarray platform for the domestic ferret. | the ferret (mustela putorius furo) represents an attractive animal model for the study of respiratory diseases, including influenza. despite its importance for biomedical research, the number of reagents for molecular and immunological analysis is restricted. we present here a parallel sequencing effort to produce an extensive est (expressed sequence tags) dataset derived from a normalized ferret cdna library made from mrna from ferret blood, liver, lung, spleen and brain. | 2010 | 20403183 |
| neuraminidase receptor binding variants of human influenza a(h3n2) viruses resulting from substitution of aspartic acid 151 in the catalytic site: a role in virus attachment? | changes in the receptor binding characteristics of human h3n2 viruses have been evident from changes in the agglutination of different red blood cells (rbcs) and the reduced growth capacity of recently isolated viruses, particularly in embryonated eggs. an additional peculiarity of viruses circulating in 2005 to 2009 has been the poor inhibition of hemagglutination by postinfection ferret antisera for many viruses isolated in mdck cells, including homologous reference viruses. this was shown not ... | 2010 | 20410266 |
| immunogenicity, protective efficacy and mechanism of novel ccs adjuvanted influenza vaccine. | we optimized the immunogenicity of adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccine based on commercial split influenza virus as an antigen (hemagglutinin = ha) and on a novel polycationic liposome as a potent adjuvant and efficient antigen carrier (ccs/c-ha vaccine). the vaccine was characterized physicochemically, and the mechanism of action of ccs/c as antigen carrier and adjuvant was studied. the optimized ccs/c-ha split virus vaccine, when administered intramuscularly (i.m.), is significantly more imm ... | 2010 | 20412874 |
| trichinella infection in wild animals from endemic regions of argentina. | natural infection with trichinella has been described in more than 150 mammalian species. however, few reports of trichinella infection in wild animals have come from argentina. in this study, muscle tissue was obtained from wild animals in argentina with the aim of evaluating the presence of trichinella. a total of 169 muscle samples were collected to determine the presence of trichinella larvae by artificial digestion. the 169 muscle samples originated from 12 species including 36 opossums (di ... | 2010 | 20424859 |
| glycosylation at 158n of the hemagglutinin protein and receptor binding specificity synergistically affect the antigenicity and immunogenicity of a live attenuated h5n1 a/vietnam/1203/2004 vaccine virus in ferrets. | a live attenuated influenza a/vietnam/1203/2004 (h5n1) vaccine virus (vn04 ca) has receptor binding specificity to alpha2,3-linked sialosides (alpha2,3sal), and a single dose induces a minimal serum antibody response in mice and ferrets. in contrast, a/hong kong/213/2003 (h5n1) vaccine virus (hk03 ca) binds to both alpha2,6sal and alpha2,3sal and generates a stronger serum antibody response in animals. among the 9 amino acids that differed between the two h5 ha1 proteins, several hk03-specific r ... | 2010 | 20427525 |
| search for mycobacterium leprae in wild mammals. | leprosy is still a worldwide public health problem. brazil and india show the highest prevalence rates of the disease. natural infection of armadillos dasypus novemcinctus with mycobacterium leprae has been reported in some regions of the united states. identification of bacilli is difficult, particularly due to its inability to grow in vitro. the use of molecular tools represents a fast and sensitive alternative method for diagnosis of mycobacteriosis. in the present study, the diagnostic metho ... | 2010 | 20428654 |
| neuroblastoma of the adrenal gland in a ferret. | a 5-year-old castrated male ferret was referred for hind limb paresis and subcutaneous mass at the lumber area. based on clinical examination including computed tomography, extension of the mass to the abdominal cavity was confirmed. an exploratory laparotomy revealed that the mass at the cranial area of the left kidney extended dorsally to the vertebra and to the subcutis. the excised mass was histologically diagnosed as a medullary tumor of the adrenal gland, and some neoplastic cells were bet ... | 2010 | 20431253 |
| mucus secretion from individual submucosal glands of the ferret trachea. | mucus secretion from individual tracheal glands in adult ferrets was studied with time-lapse optical imaging of mucus droplets under an oil layer. density of functional glands (determined by responses to 1 mum carbachol) was 1.5 +/- 0.3 per mm(2) (n = 6). secretion rates (in pl.min(-1).gland(-1)) were as follows: 4.1 +/- 0.7 basal (unstimulated; n = 27, 669 glands), 338 +/- 70 to 10 microm forskolin (n = 8, 90 glands), 234 +/- 13 to 1 microm vip (n = 6, 57 glands), 183 +/- 92 to 10 microm isopro ... | 2010 | 20435689 |
| osvz progenitors of human and ferret neocortex are epithelial-like and expand by integrin signaling. | a major cause of the cerebral cortex expansion that occurred during evolution is the increase in subventricular zone (svz) progenitors. we found that progenitors in the outer svz (osvz) of developing human neocortex retain features of radial glia, in contrast to rodent svz progenitors, which have limited proliferation potential. although delaminating from apical adherens junctions, osvz progenitors maintained a basal process contacting the basal lamina, a canonical epithelial property. osvz prog ... | 2010 | 20436478 |
| electrotonic coupling between pyramidal neurons in the neocortex. | electrotonic couplings (i.e., electrical synapses or gap junctions) are fundamental to neuronal synchronization, and thus essential for many physiological functions and pathological disorders. interneuron electrical synapses have been studied intensively. although studies on electrotonic couplings between pyramidal cells (pcs) are emerging, particularly in the hippocampus, evidence is still rare in the neocortex. the electrotonic coupling of pcs in the neocortex is therefore largely unknown in t ... | 2010 | 20436674 |
| injectable hyaluronic acid-dextran hydrogels and effects of implantation in ferret vocal fold. | injectable hydrogels may potentially be used for augmentation/regeneration of the lamina propria of vocal fold tissue. in this study, hyaluronic acid (ha) and dextran were chemically modified and subsequently crosslinked via formation of hydrazone bonds in phosphate buffer. swelling ratios, degradation, and compressive moduli of the resulting hydrogels were investigated. it was found that the properties of ha-dextran hydrogels were variable and the trend of variation could be correlated with the ... | 2010 | 20151459 |
| inefficient control of host gene expression by the 2009 pandemic h1n1 influenza a virus ns1 protein. | in 2009, a novel swine-origin h1n1 influenza a virus emerged. here, we characterize the multifunctional ns1 protein of this human pandemic virus in order to understand factors that may contribute to replication efficiency or pathogenicity. although the 2009 h1n1 virus ns1 protein (2009/ns1) is an effective interferon antagonist, we found that this ns1 (unlike those of previous human-adapted influenza a viruses) is unable to block general host gene expression in human or swine cells. this propert ... | 2010 | 20444891 |
| type 1 diabetes mellitus and hyperadrenocorticism in a ferret. | diabetes mellitus (dm) was diagnosed in a 6-year-old neutered male ferret with polyuria/polydipsia, symmetrical alopecia, and weight loss. laboratory tests revealed severe hyperglycemia, glucosuria, and increased steroid hormone profile. abdominal ultrasound revealed a bilateral enlargement of the adrenal glands. significant clinical improvement was achieved with insulin- and leuprolide acetate-based therapy. after 2 months of therapy, the ferret showed a severe ketoacidosis, and the owner decid ... | 2010 | 20446034 |
| introduction of virulence markers in pb2 of pandemic swine-origin influenza virus does not result in enhanced virulence or transmission. | in the first 6 months of the h1n1 swine-origin influenza virus (s-oiv) pandemic, the vast majority of infections were relatively mild. it has been postulated that mutations in the viral genome could result in more virulent viruses, leading to a more severe pandemic. mutations e627k and d701n in the pb2 protein have previously been identified as determinants of avian and pandemic influenza virus virulence in mammals. these mutations were absent in s-oivs detected early in the 2009 pandemic. here, ... | 2010 | 20130063 |
| transvenous heartworm extraction in a ferret with caval syndrome. | a 10-month-old ferret was diagnosed with heartworm disease and caval syndrome. associated clinical signs included weakness and a green-colored urine, identified as biliverdinuria. despite the animal's small size, removal of three heartworms via transvenous heartworm extraction was successfully performed. although at least one female worm remained in the right ventricle, the majority of clinical signs related to the presence of the heartworms resolved. the ferret was subsequently managed medicall ... | 2010 | 20045834 |
| laninamivir prodrug cs-8958, a long-acting neuraminidase inhibitor, shows superior anti-influenza virus activity after a single administration. | two neuraminidase (na) inhibitors, zanamivir (relenza) and oseltamivir phosphate (tamiflu), have been licensed for use for the treatment and prophylaxis of influenza. we have reported on laninamivir (code name, r-125489), a novel neuraminidase inhibitor, and have discovered that the laninamivir prodrug cs-8958 worked as a long-acting neuraminidase inhibitor in a mouse influenza virus infection model when it is intranasally administered. in this study, cs-8958 was administered just once 7 days be ... | 2010 | 20047917 |
| molecular characterization of giardia duodenalis isolates from domestic ferrets. | giardia duodenalis is a pathogen that has been found in a variety of mammals, including humans, and consists of host-specific (assemblages c, d, e, f, and g) and zoonotic (assemblages a, b) genetic groups. ferrets are popular pets, and they, like humans, are hosts to this pathogen. the genetic characteristics of the giardia population in ferrets are unclear because only one ferret isolate has been genotyped. to develop a more complete picture of the genetic characteristics of the giardia populat ... | 2010 | 20054561 |
| effect of conditioned stimulus parameters on timing of conditioned purkinje cell responses. | pavlovian eyeblink conditioning is a useful experimental model for studying adaptive timing, an important aspect of skilled movements. the conditioned response (cr) is precisely timed to occur just before the onset of the expected unconditioned stimulus (us). the timing can be changed immediately, however, by varying parameters of the conditioned stimulus (cs). it has previously been shown that increasing the intensity of a peripheral cs or the frequency of a cs consisting of a train of stimuli ... | 2010 | 20032243 |
| lesions of the auditory cortex impair azimuthal sound localization and its recalibration in ferrets. | the role of auditory cortex in sound localization and its recalibration by experience was explored by measuring the accuracy with which ferrets turned toward and approached the source of broadband sounds in the horizontal plane. in one group, large bilateral lesions were made of the middle ectosylvian gyrus, where the primary auditory cortical fields are located, and part of the anterior and/or posterior ectosylvian gyrus, which contain higher-level fields. in the second group, the lesions were ... | 2010 | 20032231 |
| sensory and motor innervation of the crural diaphragm by the vagus nerves. | during gastroesophageal reflux, transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation and crural diaphragm (cd) inhibition occur concomitantly. modifying vagus nerve control of transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxation is a major focus of development of therapeutics for gastroesophageal reflux disease, but neural mechanisms that coordinate the cd are poorly understood. | 2010 | 19732773 |
| disseminated idiopathic myofasciitis in ferrets. | first described in 2003, disseminated idiopathic myofasciitis (dim) has emerged as a new disease in young, domestic ferrets. dim is a severe inflammatory condition that affects primarily muscles and surrounding connective tissues. the disease is characterized by rapid onset of clinical signs, high fever, neutrophilic leukocytosis, and general lack of response to therapeutic intervention. until recently dim was considered fatal, but a few surviving ferrets indicate there may be an effective treat ... | 2010 | 20682436 |
| activation of nmda receptors is necessary for the recovery of cortical binocularity. | classic experiments have indicated that monocular deprivation (md) for a few days during a critical period of development results in a decrease in the strength of connections mediating responses to the deprived eye, leading to a dramatic breakdown of cortical neuron binocularity. despite the substantial functional change in the visual cortex, recovery from the effects of md can be obtained if binocular vision is promptly restored. while great efforts have been made to elucidate the mechanisms re ... | 2010 | 20457852 |
| chronic detachable headphones for acoustic stimulation in freely moving animals. | a growing number of studies of auditory processing are being carried out in awake, behaving animals, creating a need for precisely controlled sound delivery without restricting head movements. we have designed a system for closed-field stimulus presentation in freely moving ferrets, which comprises lightweight, adjustable headphones that can be consistently positioned over the ears via a small, skull-mounted implant. the invasiveness of the implant was minimized by simplifying its construction a ... | 2010 | 20346981 |
| ovariohysterectomy in ferrets. | surgical sterilization of ferrets is a relatively common surgical procedure. it is usually done as a method of contraception and to prevent diseases associated with the reproductive system. this column will describe the anatomy, principles, possible complications and outcomes of surgical ovariohysterectomy in ferrets. | 2010 | 20410897 |
| neural ensemble codes for stimulus periodicity in auditory cortex. | we measured the responses of neurons in auditory cortex of male and female ferrets to artificial vowels of varying fundamental frequency (f(0)), or periodicity, and compared these with the performance of animals trained to discriminate the periodicity of these sounds. sensitivity to f(0) was found in all five auditory cortical fields examined, with most of those neurons exhibiting either low-pass or high-pass response functions. only rarely was the stimulus dependence of individual neuron discha ... | 2010 | 20371828 |
| do ferrets perceive relative pitch? | the existence of relative pitch perception in animals is difficult to demonstrate, since unlike humans, animals often attend to absolute rather than relative properties of sound elements. however, the results of the present study show that ferrets can be trained using relative pitch to discriminate two-tone sequences (rising vs. falling). three ferrets were trained using a positive-reinforcement paradigm in which sequences of reference (one to five repeats) and target stimuli were presented, and ... | 2010 | 20329865 |