Publications

brainstem auditory-evoked response (baer) in client-owned pet ferrets with normal hearing.	the objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of brainstem auditory-evoked response (baer) testing in pet ferrets in a clinical setting, and to describe a routine method and baseline data for normal hearing ferrets for future investigation of deafness in this species. twenty-eight clinically normal client-owned ferrets were included. baer measurements were recorded under general anaesthesia (isoflurane delivered by mask), from subcutaneously placed needle electrodes. a 'click' stim ...	2014	24714054
low dose influenza virus challenge in the ferret leads to increased virus shedding and greater sensitivity to oseltamivir.	ferrets are widely used to study human influenza virus infection. their airway physiology and cell receptor distribution makes them ideal for the analysis of pathogenesis and virus transmission, and for testing the efficacy of anti-influenza interventions and vaccines. the 2009 pandemic influenza virus (h1n1pdm09) induces mild to moderate respiratory disease in infected ferrets, following inoculation with 106 plaque-forming units (pfu) of virus. we have demonstrated that reducing the challenge d ...	2014	24709834
retinal ganglion cells projecting to the accessory optic system in optokinetic blind albinotic rats are direction-selective.	the optokinetic deficits in albinotic rats and ferrets are caused by the loss of direction selectivity in the accessory optic system (aos). however, the underlying mechanisms for this loss are still not clear. here we tested the hypothesis that, in albino rats, the retinal input to the aos lacks direction selectivity and, as a consequence, neurons in the aos are direction non-selective. we investigated on-center direction-selective retinal ganglion cells, the major input to the aos, in pigmented ...	2014	24698401
use of spectroscopy for assessment of color discrimination in animal vision.	animals use color vision for a number of tasks including food localization, object recognition, communication, and mate selection. for these and other specific behaviors involving the use of color cues, models that quantify color discriminability have been developed. these models take as input the photoreceptor spectral sensitivities of the animal and radiance spectra of the surfaces of interest. these spectra are usually acquired using spectroscopic instruments that collect point-by-point data ...	2014	24695182
quantitative measurement of influenza virus replication using consecutive bronchoalveolar lavage in the lower respiratory tract of a ferret model.	the ferret is an established animal model of influenza virus infection. although viral replication in the upper respiratory tract is usually measured with consecutively collected nasal washes, daily evaluation of viral replication in the lung is limited because a large numbers of ferrets need to be sacrificed at consecutive time points. to overcome this limitation, we performed a virus quantification assay using bronchoalveolar lavage (bal) fluid. this non-invasive bal technique allows consecuti ...	2014	24690606
histologic examinations of teeth treated with 2 scaffolds: a pilot animal investigation.	a growing body of evidence is building a case for the possibility of tissue regeneration within the root canal of necrotic teeth, allowing for continued root development. however, it remains unknown what type of tissue is produced after regenerative endodontics. the purpose of this study was to use blood clots and platelet-rich plasma (prp) as scaffolds in regenerative endodontics under ideal conditions in a ferret model to examine the tissues generated within the root canals.	2014	24666902
a data repository and analysis framework for spontaneous neural activity recordings in developing retina.	during early development, neural circuits fire spontaneously, generating activity episodes with complex spatiotemporal patterns. recordings of spontaneous activity have been made in many parts of the nervous system over the last 25 years, reporting developmental changes in activity patterns and the effects of various genetic perturbations.	2014	24666584
developmental remodeling of corticocortical feedback circuits in ferret visual cortex.	visual cortical areas in the mammalian brain are linked through a system of interareal feedforward and feedback connections, which presumably underlie different visual functions. we characterized the refinement of feedback projections to primary visual cortex (v1) from multiple sources in juvenile ferrets ranging in age from 4-10 weeks postnatal. we studied whether the refinement of different aspects of feedback circuitry from multiple visual cortical areas proceeds at a similar rate in all area ...	2014	24665018
functional imaging of auditory cortex in adult cats using high-field fmri.	current knowledge of sensory processing in the mammalian auditory system is mainly derived from electrophysiological studies in a variety of animal models, including monkeys, ferrets, bats, rodents, and cats. in order to draw suitable parallels between human and animal models of auditory function, it is important to establish a bridge between human functional imaging studies and animal electrophysiological studies. functional magnetic resonance imaging (fmri) is an established, minimally invasiv ...	2014	24637937
the claustrum of the ferret: afferent and efferent connections to lower and higher order visual cortical areas.	the claustrum, a subcortical telencephalic structure, is known to be reciprocally interconnected to almost all cortical regions; however, a systematic analysis of claustrocortical connectivity with physiologically identified lower and higher order visual cortical areas has not been undertaken. in the current study we used biotinylated dextran amine to trace the connections of the ferret claustrum with lower (occipital areas 17, 18, 19 and 21) and higher (parietal and temporal areas posterior par ...	2014	24616671
the precedence effect and its buildup and breakdown in ferrets and humans.	although many studies have examined the precedence effect (pe), few have tested whether it shows a buildup and breakdown in nonhuman animals comparable to that seen in humans. these processes are thought to reflect the ability of the auditory system to adjust to a listener's acoustic environment, and their mechanisms are still poorly understood. in this study, ferrets were trained on a two-alternative forced-choice task to discriminate the azimuthal direction of brief sounds. in one experiment, ...	2014	24606278
emerging feed-forward inhibition allows the robust formation of direction selectivity in the developing ferret visual cortex.	the computation of direction selectivity requires that a cell respond to joint spatial and temporal characteristics of the stimulus that cannot be separated into independent components. direction selectivity in ferret visual cortex is not present at the time of eye opening but instead develops in the days and weeks following eye opening in a process that requires visual experience with moving stimuli. classic hebbian or spike timing-dependent modification of excitatory feed-forward synaptic inpu ...	2014	24598528
quantifying insulin sensitivity and entero-insular responsiveness to hyper- and hypoglycemia in ferrets.	ferrets are an important emerging model of cystic fibrosis related diabetes. however, there is little documented experience in the use of advanced techniques to quantify aspects of diabetes pathophysiology in the ferret. glycemic clamps are the gold standard technique to assess both insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion in humans and animal models of diabetes. we therefore sought to develop techniques for glycemic clamps in ferrets. to assess insulin sensitivity, we performed euglycemic hype ...	2014	24594704
short-term outcome following partial or complete liver lobectomy with a commercially prepared self-ligating loop in companion animals: 29 cases (2009-2012).	to evaluate the clinical use of a self-ligating loop (sll) for partial or complete liver lobectomy in a variety of companion animal species.	2014	24568111
animal models for influenza viruses: implications for universal vaccine development.	influenza virus infections are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the human population. depending on the virulence of the influenza virus strain, as well as the immunological status of the infected individual, the severity of the respiratory disease may range from sub-clinical or mild symptoms to severe pneumonia that can sometimes lead to death. vaccines remain the primary public health measure in reducing the influenza burden. though the first influenza vaccine preparation was l ...	2014	25436508
eye-specific retinogeniculate segregation proceeds normally following disruption of patterned spontaneous retinal activity.	spontaneous retinal activity (sra) is important during eye-specific segregation within the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dlgn), but the feature(s) of activity critical for retinogeniculate refinement are controversial. pharmacologically or genetically manipulating cholinergic signaling during sra perturbs correlated retinal ganglion cell (rgc) spiking and disrupts eye-specific retinofugal refinement in vivo, consistent with an instructive role for sra during visual system development. parad ...	2014	25377639
differential hypoglycaemic, anorectic, autonomic and emetic effects of the glucagon-like peptide receptor agonist, exendin-4, in the conscious telemetered ferret.	rodents are incapable of emesis and consequently the emetic potential of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (glp-1r) agonists in studies designed to assess a potential blood glucose lowering action of the compound was missed. therefore, we investigated if the ferret, a carnivore with demonstrated translation capability in emesis research, would identify the emetic potential of the glp-1r agonist, exendin-4, and any associated effects on gastric motor function, appetite and cardiovascular homeostas ...	2014	25491123
decision criterion dynamics in animals performing an auditory detection task.	classical signal detection theory attributes bias in perceptual decisions to a threshold criterion, against which sensory excitation is compared. the optimal criterion setting depends on the signal level, which may vary over time, and about which the subject is naïve. consequently, the subject must optimise its threshold by responding appropriately to feedback. here a series of experiments was conducted, and a computational model applied, to determine how the decision bias of the ferret in an au ...	2014	25485733
somatotopic organization of ferret thalamus.	the stereotaxic reference marks of ferret skull have large variability and the reference point for stereotaxic experiments in ferret brain is difficult to define. here, using extracellular single-unit recordings, we studied the somatotopic organization of cutaneous receptive fields in the ventroposterior medial (vpm) and the ventral posterolateral (vpl) nuclei of the ferret thalamus. the mechanical stimulation of the skin was done through air puffs. the skull was positioned according to horsley- ...	2014	25484859
ferret and pig models of cystic fibrosis: prospects and promise for gene therapy.	large animal models of genetic diseases are rapidly becoming integral to biomedical research as technologies to manipulate the mammalian genome improve. the creation of cystic fibrosis (cf) ferrets and pigs is an example of such progress in animal modeling, with the disease phenotypes in the ferret and pig models more reflective of human cf disease than mouse models. the ferret and pig cf models also provide unique opportunities to develop and assess the effectiveness of gene and cell therapies ...	2014	25549055
interkinetic nuclear migration generates and opposes ventricular-zone crowding: insight into tissue mechanics.	the neuroepithelium (ne) or ventricular zone (vz), from which multiple types of brain cells arise, is pseudostratified. in the ne/vz, neural progenitor cells are elongated along the apicobasal axis, and their nuclei assume different apicobasal positions. these nuclei move in a cell cycle-dependent manner, i.e., apicalward during g2 phase and basalward during g1 phase, a process called interkinetic nuclear migration (inm). this review will summarize and discuss several topics: the nature of the i ...	2014	25674051
evidence for radiation-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation as a major cause of radiation-induced death in ferrets.	the studies reported here were performed as part of a program in space radiation biology in which proton radiation like that present in solar particle events, as well as conventional gamma radiation, were being evaluated in terms of the ability to affect hemostasis.	2014	24495588
antiemetic effect of a potent and selective neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist, fk886, on cisplatin-induced acute and delayed emesis in ferrets.	the antiemetic effect of a potent and selective neurokinin-1 (nk1) 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), on cisplatin-induced acute and delayed emesis in ferrets was studied. intravenous administration of fk886 dose-dependently inhibited cisplatin (10 mg/kg)-induced acute emesis with a minimum effective dose (med) of 0.32 mg/kg. in the same study, o ...	2014	24492720
meloxicam pharmacokinetics using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling in ferrets after single subcutaneous administration.	this study was designed to investigate the pharmacokinetics of meloxicam, an oxicam class, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (nsaid), in ferrets. we determined the pharmacokinetic properties of a single subcutaneous dose of meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg) in nine male and nine female ferrets. blood samples were collected by venipuncture of the cranial vena cava into heparinized syringes. plasma meloxicam concentrations were determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography (hplc). pharmacokinetic variab ...	2014	24483951
shrinkage of x cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus after monocular deprivation revealed by foxp2 labeling.	the parallel processing of visual features by distinct neuron populations is a central characteristic of the mammalian visual system. in the a laminae of the cat dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dlgn), parallel processing streams originate from two principal neuron types, called x and y cells. disruption of visual experience early in life by monocular deprivation has been shown to alter the structure and function of y cells, but the extent to which deprivation influences x cells remains less c ...	2014	24480423
bidirectional plasticity of purkinje cells matches temporal features of learning.	many forms of learning require temporally ordered stimuli. in pavlovian eyeblink conditioning, a conditioned stimulus (cs) must precede the unconditioned stimulus (us) by at least about 100 ms for learning to occur. conditioned responses are learned and generated by the cerebellum. recordings from the cerebellar cortex during conditioning have revealed cs-triggered pauses in the firing of purkinje cells that likely drive the conditioned blinks. the predominant view of the learning mechanism in c ...	2014	24478355
genetic characterization of coronaviruses from domestic ferrets, japan.	we detected ferret coronaviruses in 44 (55.7%) of 79 pet ferrets tested in japan and classified the viruses into 2 genotypes on the basis of genotype-specific pcr. our results show that 2 ferret coronaviruses that cause feline infectious peritonitis-like disease and epizootic catarrhal enteritis are enzootic among ferrets in japan.	2014	24447852
fight like a ferret: a novel approach of using art therapy to reduce anxiety in stroke patients undergoing hospital rehabilitation.	the holistic aspect of stroke rehabilitation to include psychological well-being is currently neglected, with more emphasis placed on physical recovery despite anxiety and depression being common poststroke. from the limited amount of current literature, it seems that creative strategies such as art therapy (at) can be beneficial in reducing isolation and anxiety among stroke patients.	2014	24429732
[attempt to objectify of coronary vessels course variability on the standard arteriograms by using original image processing algorithm].	the aim of paper: the analysis of standard angiograms of the left coronary artery was done in this paper in purpose of performing the uniform mathematical description of the coronary branches (both proximal and distal) course. the changes the coronary branches underwent depending the phase of cardiac cycle (diastole, isovolumic systole and tonic systole) were examined as well. the examined material consists of sequences of standard angiograms of the left coronary artery (lca) obtained from 10 pa ...	2014	25782214
[immunoallergic skin manifestations associated with new pets: three cases].	the number of household pets increased greatly during the twentieth century, with numbers of new pets (np, i.e. any pets other than cats and dogs) rising especially sharply over the last decade.	2014	25288061
memory trace and timing mechanism localized to cerebellar purkinje cells.	the standard view of the mechanisms underlying learning is that they involve strengthening or weakening synaptic connections. learned response timing is thought to combine such plasticity with temporally patterned inputs to the neuron. we show here that a cerebellar purkinje cell in a ferret can learn to respond to a specific input with a temporal pattern of activity consisting of temporally specific increases and decreases in firing over hundreds of milliseconds without a temporally patterned i ...	2014	25267641
plant expression systems for production of hemagglutinin as a vaccine against influenza virus.	many examples of a successful application of plant-based expression systems for production of biologically active recombinant proteins exist in the literature. these systems can function as inexpensive platforms for the large scale production of recombinant pharmaceuticals or subunit vaccines. hemagglutinin (ha) is a major surface antigen of the influenza virus, thus it is in the centre of interests of various subunit vaccine engineering programs. large scale production of recombinant ha in trad ...	2014	25203219
evidence of disseminated intravascular coagulation in a porcine model following radiation exposure.	recent evidence has suggested that disseminated intravascular coagulation (dic) plays an integral role in death at the ld50 dose of either gamma or solar particle event (spe)-like proton radiation in ferrets. in these studies, yucatan minipigs were evaluated to determine whether they were susceptible to the development of radiation induced dic. yucatan minipigs were exposed to a dose of 2.5 gray (gy) with x-rays and monitored over the course of 30 days. evidence of dic was evaluated by way of th ...	2014	25197627
activity dependent mechanisms of visual map formation--from retinal waves to molecular regulators.	the refinement of neural connections requires activity-dependent mechanisms in addition to the genetic program initially establishing wiring diagrams. the well-understood organization of the visual system makes it an accessible model for analyzing the contribution of activity in the formation of connectivity. prior to visual experience, patterned spontaneous activity in the form of retinal waves has an important role for the establishment of eye-specific and retinotopic maps by acting on the ref ...	2014	25152335
changes in complex spike activity during classical conditioning.	the cerebellar cortex is necessary for adaptively timed conditioned responses (crs) in eyeblink conditioning. during conditioning, purkinje cells acquire pause responses or "purkinje cell crs" to the conditioned stimuli (cs), resulting in disinhibition of the cerebellar nuclei (cn), allowing them to activate motor nuclei that control eyeblinks. this disinhibition also causes inhibition of the inferior olive (io), via the nucleo-olivary pathway (n-o). activation of the io, which relays the uncond ...	2014	25140129
establishment of an experimental ferret ocular hypertension model for the analysis of central visual pathway damage.	glaucoma optic neuropathy (gon) is a condition where pathogenic intraocular pressure (iop) results in axonal damage following retinal ganglion cell (rgc) death, and further results in secondary damage of the lateral geniculate nucleus (lgn). therapeutic targets for glaucoma thus focus on both the lgn and rgc. however, the temporal and spatial patterns of degeneration and the mechanism of lgn damage have not been fully elucidated. suitable and convenient ocular hypertension (oh) animal models wit ...	2014	25308730
diverse behaviors of outer radial glia in developing ferret and human cortex.	the dramatic increase in neocortical size and folding during mammalian brain evolution has been attributed to the elaboration of the subventricular zone (svz) and the associated increase in neural progenitors. however, recent studies have shown that svz size and the abundance of resident progenitors do not directly predict cortical topography, suggesting that complex behaviors of the progenitors themselves may contribute to the overall size and shape of the adult cortex. using time-lapse imaging ...	2014	24523546
assessment of a blood preservation protocol for use in ferrets before transfusion.	blood transfusion has been described in ferrets as a treatment for oestrus-associated anaemia and as a life-saving therapy following trauma, iatrogenic (usually surgery-induced) anaemia, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and pure red cell aplasia. although blood banking is a common method for storage of feline and canine blood it is not currently done with ferret blood. the aim of this study was to determine the shelf-life of ferret blood using the anticoagulant citrate-phosphate-dextrose-solution w ...	2014	24523302
nonsurgical management of hyperadrenocorticism in ferrets.	several medical therapeutic options are available for the management of the clinical signs of adrenal disease in ferrets. many of these medical modalities seem to be well tolerated and are a suitable alternative to adrenalectomy, especially for ferrets that are not surgical candidates. however, drugs that are currently available only manage the symptoms and do not provide a cure for the diseased adrenal gland, which may continue to enlarge. the medical management of urinary obstruction caused by ...	2014	24274921
behavioural sensitivity to binaural spatial cues in ferrets: evidence for plasticity in the duplex theory of sound localization.	for over a century, the duplex theory has guided our understanding of human sound localization in the horizontal plane. according to this theory, the auditory system uses interaural time differences (itds) and interaural level differences (ilds) to localize low-frequency and high-frequency sounds, respectively. whilst this theory successfully accounts for the localization of tones by humans, some species show very different behaviour. ferrets are widely used for studying both clinical and fundam ...	2014	24256073
targeted disruption of layer 4 during development increases gabaa receptor neurotransmission in the neocortex.	cortical dysplasia (cd) associates with clinical pathologies, including epilepsy and mental retardation. cd results from impaired migration of immature neurons to their cortical targets, leading to clustering of neural cells and changes in cortical properties. we developed a cd model by administering methylazoxymethanol (mam), an anti-mitotic, to pregnant ferrets on embryonic day 33; this leads to reduction in cortical thickness in addition to redistribution and increased expression of gabaa rec ...	2014	24155012
natural and lesion-induced decrease in cell proliferation in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body during hearing development.	the functional interactions between neurons and glial cells that are important for nervous system function are presumably established during development from the activity of progenitor cells. in this study we examined proliferation of progenitor cells in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (mntb) located in the rat auditory brainstem. we performed dna synthesis labeling experiments to demonstrate changes in cell proliferation activity during postnatal stages of development. an increase in c ...	2014	24115041
immune system cells in healthy ferrets: an immunohistochemical study.	the ferret has emerged as an excellent animal model to characterize several physiologic and pathologic conditions. the distribution and characterization of different types of immune system cells were studied in healthy ferret tissues. eight primary antibodies were tested for immunohistochemistry in formalin-fixed tissues: anti-cd3, anti-cd79α, anti-cd20, anti-hla-dr, anti-lysozyme, anti-cd163, anti-swc3, and anti-mac387. the anti-cd3 antibody labeled t cells mainly in interfollicular and paracor ...	2014	24045889
the medical implications of gastrointestinal vagal afferent pathways in nausea and vomiting.	nausea and vomiting are biological systems for defense against food poisoning that are also provoked by numerous drugs (e.g., chemotherapy, anesthesia) and chronic diseases (e.g., cancer, diabetic gastroparesis). the sensory pathways that stimulate nausea and vomiting include vestibular, area postrema, and forebrain inputs, but gastrointestinal vagal afferent fibers arguably play the most prominent role as a first-line defense. vagal sensory neurons detect toxins that enter the gastrointestinal ...	2014	23886386
altered migratory behavior of interneurons in a model of cortical dysplasia: the influence of elevated gabaa activity.	appropriate function of the neocortex depends on timely generation and migration of cells produced in the germinal zones of the neocortex and ganglionic eminence (ge). failure to accurately complete migration results in cortical dysplasia, a developmental syndrome implicated in many neurologic disorders. we developed a model of cortical dysplasia in ferrets involving administration of methylaxozymethanol acetate (mam), an antimitotic, to pregnant ferrets on gestational day 33, leading to dramati ...	2014	23574639
dependence of cardiac transverse tubules on the bar domain protein amphiphysin ii (bin-1).	transverse tubules (t-tubules) regulate cardiac excitation-contraction coupling and exhibit interchamber and interspecies differences in expression. in cardiac disease, t-tubule loss occurs and affects the systolic calcium transient. however, the mechanisms controlling t-tubule maintenance and whether these factors differ between species, cardiac chambers, and in a disease setting remain unclear.	2014	25332206
golgi cell activity during eyeblink conditioning in decerebrate ferrets.	golgi cells have a central position in the cerebellar cortical network and are indirectly connected to purkinje cells, which are important for the acquisition of learned responses in classical conditioning. in order to clarify the role of golgi cells in classical conditioning, we made extracellular golgi cell recordings during different stages of conditioning, using four different conditional stimuli. our results show that forelimb and superior colliculus stimulation, but not mossy fiber stimula ...	2014	23982588
expression of m1-type muscarinic acetylcholine receptors by parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons in the primary visual cortex: a comparative study of rat, guinea pig, ferret, macaque, and human.	cholinergic neuromodulation is a candidate mechanism for aspects of arousal and attention in mammals. we have reported previously that cholinergic modulation in the primary visual cortex (v1) of the macaque monkey is strongly targeted toward gabaergic interneurons, and in particular that the vast majority of parvalbumin-immunoreactive (pv) neurons in macaque v1 express the m1-type (pirenzepine-sensitive, gq-coupled) muscarinic ach receptor (m1achr). in contrast, previous physiological data indic ...	2014	23983014
comparison of the digestive efficiency of extruded diets fed to ferrets (mustela putorius furo), dogs (canis familiaris) and cats (felis catus).	the digestive tract of ferrets is anatomically simple, with no caecum, ileocolic valve or external differentiation between the transition of ileum and colon. the species has a short large intestine that provides minor contributions to the digestive process. aiming to better understand the digestibility efficiency of ferrets, the present study compared the digestibility of extruded diets with different amounts of macronutrients fed to dogs, cats and ferrets. three formulations for cat maintenance ...	2014	26101601
the body has a brake: micrin is a postulated new gonadal hormone curbing tissue overgrowth and restricting reproduction.	there is evidence for an unrecognised classical hormone secreted by the mammalian gonad. this postulated hormone--'micrin' (pronounced 'my-crin')--represents the body's brake against tissue overgrowth. when oestrogens are administered in high doses to female rats there is a considerable (non-artefactual) increase in the relative size and weight of organs such as the pituitary, adrenals, uterus and liver--suggesting an organotrophic (organ-building) role for endogenous oestrogens. this effect is ...	2014	25456786
host species restriction of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus through its receptor, dipeptidyl peptidase 4.	middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (mers-cov) emerged in 2012. recently, the mers-cov receptor dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (dpp4) was identified and the specific interaction of the receptor-binding domain (rbd) of mers-cov spike protein and dpp4 was determined by crystallography. animal studies identified rhesus macaques but not hamsters, ferrets, or mice to be susceptible for mers-cov. here, we investigated the role of dpp4 in this observed species tropism. cell lines of human and nonhuman ...	2014	24899185
identification of interspecific differences in phase ii reactions: determination of metabolites in the urine of 16 mammalian species exposed to environmental pyrene.	interspecific differences in xenobiotic metabolism are a key to determining relative sensitivities of animals to xenobiotics. however, information on domesticated livestock, companion animals, and captive and free-ranging wildlife is incomplete. the present study evaluated interspecific differences in phase ii conjugation using pyrene as a nondestructive biomarker of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (pah) exposure. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their metabolites have carcinogenic and endoc ...	2014	24899081
effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.	the objectives of this review were to summarize the evidence from randomized controlled trials (rcts) on the effects of animal-assisted therapy (aat). studies were eligible if they were rcts. studies included one treatment group in which aat was applied. we searched the following databases from 1990 up to october 31, 2012: medline via pubmed, cinahl, web of science, ichushi web, ghl, wprim, and psycinfo. we also searched all cochrane database up to october 31, 2012. eleven rcts were identified, ...	2014	24731910
transmission in the guinea pig model.	the ability of an influenza virus to transmit efficiently from human-to-human is a major factor in determining the epidemiological impact of that strain. the use of a relevant animal model to identify viral determinants of transmission, as well as host and environmental factors affecting transmission efficiency, is therefore critical for public health. the characterization of newly emerging influenza viruses in terms of their potential to transmit in a mammalian host is furthermore an important ...	2014	25001209
tnap activity is localized at critical sites of retinal neurotransmission across various vertebrate species.	evidence is emerging with regard to the role of tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (tnap) in neural functions. as an ectophosphatase, this enzyme might influence neural activity and synaptic transmission in diverse ways. the localization of the enzyme in known neural circuits, such as the retina, might significantly advance an understanding of its role in normal and pathological functioning. however, the presence of tnap in the retina is scarcely investigated. our multispecies comparative ...	2014	24988913
animal models for influenza virus pathogenesis, transmission, and immunology.	in humans, infection with an influenza a or b virus manifests typically as an acute and self-limited upper respiratory tract illness characterized by fever, cough, sore throat, and malaise. however, influenza can present along a broad spectrum of disease, ranging from sub-clinical or even asymptomatic infection to a severe primary viral pneumonia requiring advanced medical supportive care. disease severity depends upon the virulence of the influenza virus strain and the immune competence and pre ...	2014	24709389
modeling spatial patterns in the visual cortex.	we propose a model for the formation of patterns in the visual cortex. the dynamical units of the model are kuramoto phase oscillators that interact through a complex network structure embedded in two dimensions. in this way the strength of the interactions takes into account the geographical distance between units. we show that for different parameters, clustered or striped patterns emerge. using the structure factor as an order parameter we are able to quantitatively characterize these pattern ...	2014	25375560
a rapid field test for sylvatic plague exposure in wild animals.	plague surveillance is routinely conducted to predict future epizootics in wildlife and exposure risk for humans. the most common surveillance method for sylvatic plague is detection of antibodies to yersinia pestis f1 capsular antigen in sentinel animals, such as coyotes (canis latrans). current serologic tests for y. pestis, hemagglutination (ha) test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (elisa), are expensive and labor intensive. to address this need, we developed a complete lateral flow dev ...	2014	24484483
enteric colonization by staphylococcus delphini in four ferret kits with diarrhoea.	four, 1-to 4-week-old ferret kits were submitted to the diagnostic center for population and animal health at michigan state university for post-mortem examination. grossly, multiple bowel loops in all ferret kits were distended by mucoid faecal material. microscopically, there was no evidence of inflammation or notable alteration to the normal mucosal morphology. gram-positive coccoid bacteria colonized variable segments of the small intestine. these bacteria were identified as staphylococcus d ...	2014	25246181
ferrets as sentinels of the presence of pathogenic cryptococcus species in the mediterranean environment.	cryptococcus gattii is a pathogenic environmental yeast that is considered to be emerging in different areas of the world including the mediterranean basin. exposure to infection might be more likely in animals than in human beings, given their closer relationship with the natural habitat of the yeast, vegetation and soil. thus, animals, and especially pets, can act as indicators of the presence of this yeast in a determined area. domestic ferrets (mustela putorius furo) have become common pets ...	2014	24962111
[sequencing and analysis of n gene of street rabies virus isolated from different hosts in zhejiang province].	to elucidate the characteristics of genetic variability and its relationship with prevalence, through sequencing and analysis of n gene among street rabies virus isolated from different hosts (homo sapiens, ferret badger, dog) in zhejiang province.	2014	25294078
molecular characterization of cryptically circulating rabies virus from ferret badgers, taiwan.	after the last reported cases of rabies in a human in 1959 and a nonhuman animal in 1961, taiwan was considered free from rabies. however, during 2012-2013, an outbreak occurred among ferret badgers in taiwan. to examine the origin of this virus strain, we sequenced 3 complete genomes and acquired multiple rabies virus (rabv) nucleoprotein and glycoprotein sequences. phylogeographic analyses demonstrated that the rabv affecting the taiwan ferret badgers (rabv-twfb) is a distinct lineage within t ...	2014	24751120
molecular characterization of three ferret badger (melogale moschata) rabies virus isolates from jiangxi province, china.	ferret badger (fb) rabies viruses jx09-17(fb), jx09-18 and jx10-37 were isolated from three different regions in jiangxi province, china, in 2009 and 2010. the complete nucleotide sequence identity between these three isolates was 87-93 %. compared with the other chinese rabies virus isolates and vaccine strains, 101 substitutions (53 in jx10-37, 23 in jx09-17(fb) and 25 in jx09-18) in the five structural proteins were observed, and 47 of these substitutions (27 in jx10-37, 14 in jx09-17(fb) and ...	2014	24643334
gall bladder rupture associated with cholecystitis in a domestic ferret (mustela putorius).	a six-year-old neutered female albino ferret was presented with an acute episode of lethargy and anorexia. clinical examination revealed marked cranial abdominal pain. a severe neutrophilic leukocytosis was present. abdominal ultrasound was consistent with a diffuse peritonitis and severe bile duct inflammation. cytology of the abdominal effusion revealed bile peritonitis. an exploratory laparotomy was performed and the gall bladder appeared inflamed with multiple perforations. a cholecystectomy ...	2014	25168742
pathogenic influenza b virus in the ferret model establishes lower respiratory tract infection.	influenza b viruses have become increasingly more prominent during influenza seasons. influenza b infection is typically considered a mild disease and receives less attention than influenza a, but has been causing 20 to 50 % of the total influenza incidence in several regions around the world. although there is increasing evidence of mid to lower respiratory tract diseases such as bronchitis and pneumonia in influenza b patients, little is known about the pathogenesis of recent influenza b virus ...	2014	24989173
hemozoin is a potent adjuvant for hemagglutinin split vaccine without pyrogenicity in ferrets.	synthetic hemozoin (shz, also known as β-hematin) from monomeric heme is a particle adjuvant which activates antigen-presenting cells (apcs), such as dendritic cells and macrophages, and enhances humoral immune responses to several antigens, including ovalbumin, human serum albumin, and serine repeat antigen 36 of plasmodium falciparum. in the present study, we evaluated the adjuvanticity and pyrogenicity of shz as an adjuvant for seasonal trivalent hemagglutinin split vaccine (sv) for humans us ...	2014	24721532
rabies and rabies virus in wildlife in mainland china, 1990-2013.	the number of wildlife rabies and wildlife-associated human and livestock rabies cases has increased in recent years, particularly in the southeast and northeast regions of mainland china. to better understand wildlife rabies and its role in human and livestock rabies, we reviewed what is known about wildlife rabies from the 1990s to 2013 in mainland china. in addition, the genetic diversity and phylogeny of available wildlife-originated rabies viruses (rabvs) were analyzed. several wildlife spe ...	2014	24911887
ferrets exclusively synthesize neu5ac and express naturally humanized influenza a virus receptors.	mammals express the sialic acids n-acetylneuraminic acid (neu5ac) and n-glycolylneuraminic acid (neu5gc) on cell surfaces, where they act as receptors for pathogens, including influenza a virus (iav). neu5gc is synthesized from neu5ac by the enzyme cytidine monophosphate-n-acetylneuraminic acid hydroxylase (cmah). in humans, this enzyme is inactive and only neu5ac is produced. ferrets are susceptible to human-adapted iav strains and have been the dominant animal model for iav studies. here we sh ...	2014	25517696
enhancement of influenza virus transmission by gene reassortment.	influenza a virus is characterized by a genome composed of eight single-stranded, negative sense rna segments, which allow for reassortment between different strains when they co-infect the same host cell. reassortment is an important driving force for the evolution of influenza viruses. the ability of reassortment allows influenza virus to endlessly reinvent itself and pose a constant threat to the health of humans and other animals. of the four human influenza pandemics since the beginning of ...	2014	25048543
animal model of respiratory syncytial virus: cd8+ t cells cause a cytokine storm that is chemically tractable by sphingosine-1-phosphate 1 receptor agonist therapy.	the cytokine storm is an intensified, dysregulated, tissue-injurious inflammatory response driven by cytokine and immune cell components. the cytokine storm during influenza virus infection, whereby the amplified innate immune response is primarily responsible for pulmonary damage, has been well characterized. now we describe a novel event where virus-specific t cells induce a cytokine storm. the paramyxovirus pneumonia virus of mice (pvm) is a model of human respiratory syncytial virus (hrsv). ...	2014	24672024
avian influenza h7n9/13 and h7n7/13: a comparative virulence study in chickens, pigeons, and ferrets.	human influenza cases caused by a novel avian h7n9 virus in china emphasize the zoonotic potential of that subtype. we compared the infectivity and pathogenicity of the novel h7n9 virus with those of a recent european avian h7n7 strain in chickens, pigeons, and ferrets. neither virus induced signs of disease despite substantial replication in inoculated chickens and rapid transmission to contact chickens. evidence of the replication of both viruses in pigeons, albeit at lower levels of rna excre ...	2014	24899194
development of a high-yield live attenuated h7n9 influenza virus vaccine that provides protection against homologous and heterologous h7 wild-type viruses in ferrets.	live attenuated h7n9 influenza vaccine viruses that possess the hemagglutinin (ha) and neuraminidase (na) gene segments from the newly emerged wild-type (wt) a/anhui/1/2013 (h7n9) and six internal protein gene segments from the cold-adapted influenza virus a/ann arbor/6/60 (aa ca) were generated by reverse genetics. the reassortant virus containing the original wt a/anhui/1/2013 ha and na sequences replicated poorly in eggs. multiple variants with amino acid substitutions in the ha head domain t ...	2014	24719414
hepeviridae: an expanding family of vertebrate viruses.	the hepatitis e virus (hev) was first identified in 1990, although hepatitis e-like diseases in humans have been recorded for a long time dating back to the 18th century. the hev genotypes 1-4 have been subsequently detected in human hepatitis e cases with different geographical distribution and different modes of transmission. genotypes 3 and 4 have been identified in parallel in pigs, wild boars and other animal species and their zoonotic potential has been confirmed. until 2010, these genotyp ...	2014	25050488
consensus proposals for classification of the family hepeviridae.	the family hepeviridae consists of positive-stranded rna viruses that infect a wide range of mammalian species, as well as chickens and trout. a subset of these viruses infects humans and can cause a self-limiting acute hepatitis that may become chronic in immunosuppressed individuals. current published descriptions of the taxonomical divisions within the family hepeviridae are contradictory in relation to the assignment of species and genotypes. through analysis of existing sequence information ...	2014	24989172
complete genome of hepatitis e virus from laboratory ferrets.	the complete genome of hepatitis e virus (hev) from laboratory ferrets imported from the united states was identified. this virus shared only 82.4%-82.5% nt sequence identities with strains from the netherlands, which indicated that the ferret hev genome is genetically diverse. some laboratory ferrets were contaminated with hev.	2014	24655541
molecular characterization of a novel hepatitis e virus (hev) strain obtained from a wild boar in japan that is highly divergent from the previously recognized hev strains.	although a consensus classification system for hepatitis e virus (hev) genotypes is currently unavailable, hev variants (jboar135-shiz09 and wbjoy_06) from wild boars (sus scrofa leucomystax) have provisionally been classified into two novel genotypes (5 and 6). while performing a survey of hev infections among 566 wild boars that were captured in japan between january 2010 and august 2013, we found 24 boars (4.2%) with ongoing hev infections: 13 had genotype 3 hev, 10 had genotype 4 hev and the ...	2014	24370869
the r292k mutation that confers resistance to neuraminidase inhibitors leads to competitive fitness loss of a/shanghai/1/2013 (h7n9) influenza virus in ferrets.	neuraminidase (na) inhibitors are the only licensed therapeutic option for human zoonotic h7n9 infections. an na-r292k mutation that confers broad-spectrum resistance to na inhibitors has been documented in h7n9 patients after treatment.	2014	24951824
a single dose of whole inactivated h7n9 influenza vaccine confers protection from severe disease but not infection in ferrets.	the h7n9 influenza virus caused significant mortality and morbidity in infected humans during an outbreak in china in 2013 stimulating vaccine development efforts. as previous h7-based vaccines have been poorly immunogenic in humans we sought to determine the immunogenic and protective properties of an inactivated whole virus vaccine derived from a 2013 h7n9 virus in ferrets. as whole virus vaccine preparations have been shown to be more immunogenic in humans, but less likely to be used, than sp ...	2014	24950355
response of mice and ferrets to a monovalent influenza a (h7n9) split vaccine.	in early spring 2013, the emergence of the influenza a (h7n9) virus in humans in eastern china raised concerns of a new influenza pandemic. development of a safe and effective h7n9 influenza vaccine is urgently needed. to this end, we first synthesized the hemagglutinin (ha) and neuraminidase (na) genes of the influenza a (h7n9) virus a/anhui/1/2013. using reverse genetics, we rescued a reassortant virus (h7n9/pr8) that contained the ha and na genes from wild-type h7n9 and six genes encoding int ...	2014	24937303
transmissibility of novel h7n9 and h9n2 avian influenza viruses between chickens and ferrets.	previous studies have shown that the h7n9 avian influenza virus cannot be transmitted efficiently between ferrets via respiratory droplets. here, we studied the infectivity of the h7n9 avian influenza virus in chickens and its transmissibility from infected to naïve chickens and ferrets. the h7n9 virus (a/anhui/1/2013) replicated poorly in chickens and could not be transmitted efficiently from infected chickens to naïve chickens and ferrets. h7n9 virus was shed from chicken tracheae for only 2 d ...	2014	24503095
genetics, receptor binding property, and transmissibility in mammals of naturally isolated h9n2 avian influenza viruses.	h9n2 subtype influenza viruses have been detected in different species of wild birds and domestic poultry in many countries for several decades. because these viruses are of low pathogenicity in poultry, their eradication is not a priority for animal disease control in many countries, which has allowed them to continue to evolve and spread. here, we characterized the genetic variation, receptor-binding specificity, replication capability, and transmission in mammals of a series of h9n2 influenza ...	2014	25411973
identification of molecular markers associated with alteration of receptor-binding specificity in a novel genotype of highly pathogenic avian influenza a(h5n1) viruses detected in cambodia in 2013.	human infections with influenza a(h5n1) virus in cambodia increased sharply during 2013. molecular characterization of viruses detected in clinical specimens from human cases revealed the presence of mutations associated with the alteration of receptor-binding specificity (k189r, q222l) and respiratory droplet transmission in ferrets (n220k with q222l). discovery of quasispecies at position 222 (q/l), in addition to the absence of the mutations in poultry/environmental samples, suggested that th ...	2014	25210193
human h7n9 and h5n1 influenza viruses differ in induction of cytokines and tissue tropism.	since emerging in 2013, the avian-origin h7n9 influenza viruses have resulted in over 400 human infections, leading to 115 deaths to date. although the epidemiology differs from human highly pathogenic avian h5n1 influenza virus infections, there is a similar rapid progression to acute respiratory distress syndrome. the aim of these studies was to compare the pathological and immunological characteristics of a panel of human h7n9 and h5n1 viruses in vitro and in vivo. although there were similar ...	2014	25210188
mammalian models for the study of h7 virus pathogenesis and transmission.	mammalian models, most notably the mouse and ferret, have been instrumental in the assessment of avian influenza virus pathogenicity and transmissibility, and have been used widely to characterize the molecular determinants that confer h5n1 virulence in mammals. however, while h7 influenza viruses have typically been associated with conjunctivitis and/or mild respiratory disease in humans, severe disease and death is also possible, as underscored by the recent emergence of h7n9 viruses in china. ...	2014	24996862
antigenic variation of clade 2.1 h5n1 virus is determined by a few amino acid substitutions immediately adjacent to the receptor binding site.	highly pathogenic avian influenza (hpai) viruses of the h5n1 subtype are genetically highly variable and have diversified into multiple phylogenetic clades over the past decade. antigenic drift is a well-studied phenomenon for seasonal human influenza viruses, but much less is known about the antigenic evolution of hpai h5n1 viruses that circulate in poultry. in this study, we focused on hpai h5n1 viruses that are enzootic to indonesia. we selected representative viruses from genetically distinc ...	2014	24917596
high doses of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in chicken meat are required to infect ferrets.	high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (hpaiv) have caused fatal infections in mammals through consumption of infected bird carcasses or meat, but scarce information exists on the dose of virus required and the diversity of hpaiv subtypes involved. ferrets were exposed to different hpaiv (h5 and h7 subtypes) through consumption of infected chicken meat. the dose of virus needed to infect ferrets through consumption was much higher than via respiratory exposure and varied with the virus strai ...	2014	24894438
activation of coagulation and tissue fibrin deposition in experimental influenza in ferrets.	epidemiological studies relate influenza infection with vascular diseases like myocardial infarction. the hypothesis that influenza infection has procoagulant effects on humans has been investigated by experimental animal models. however, these studies often made use of animal models only susceptible to adapted influenza viruses (mouse adapted influenza strains) or remained inconclusive. therefore, we decided to study the influence of infection with human influenza virus isolates on coagulation ...	2014	24884666
intranasal h5n1 vaccines, adjuvanted with chitosan derivatives, protect ferrets against highly pathogenic influenza intranasal and intratracheal challenge.	we investigated the protective efficacy of two intranasal chitosan (csn and tm-csn) adjuvanted h5n1 influenza vaccines against highly pathogenic avian influenza (hpai) intratracheal and intranasal challenge in a ferret model. six groups of 6 ferrets were intranasally vaccinated twice, 21 days apart, with either placebo, antigen alone, csn adjuvanted antigen, or tm-csn adjuvanted antigen. homologous and intra-subtypic antibody cross-reacting responses were assessed. ferrets were inoculated intrat ...	2014	24850536
african green monkeys recapitulate the clinical experience with replication of live attenuated pandemic influenza virus vaccine candidates.	live attenuated cold-adapted (ca) h5n1, h7n3, h6n1, and h9n2 influenza vaccine viruses replicated in the respiratory tract of mice and ferrets, and 2 doses of vaccines were immunogenic and protected these animals from challenge infection with homologous and heterologous wild-type (wt) viruses of the corresponding subtypes. however, when these vaccine candidates were evaluated in phase i clinical trials, there were inconsistencies between the observations in animal models and in humans. the vacci ...	2014	24807726
identification, characterization, and natural selection of mutations driving airborne transmission of a/h5n1 virus.	recently, a/h5n1 influenza viruses were shown to acquire airborne transmissibility between ferrets upon targeted mutagenesis and virus passage. the critical genetic changes in airborne a/indonesia/5/05 were not yet identified. here, five substitutions proved to be sufficient to determine this airborne transmission phenotype. substitutions in pb1 and pb2 collectively caused enhanced transcription and virus replication. one substitution increased ha thermostability and lowered the ph of membrane f ...	2014	24725402
highly pathogenic avian influenza a virus (h5n1) can be transmitted in ferrets by transfusion.	highly pathogenic avian influenza a virus has been shown to infect organs other than the lung, and this is likely to be mediated by systemic spread resulting from viremia which has been detected in blood in severe cases of infection with avian h5n1 viruses. the infectivity of virus in blood and the potential for virus transmission by transfusion has not been investigated.	2014	24712669
a novel neutralizing antibody against diverse clades of h5n1 influenza virus and its mutants capable of airborne transmission.	highly pathogenic avian influenza a virus h5n1 continues to spread among poultry and has frequently broken the species barrier to humans. recent studies have shown that a laboratory-mutated or reassortant h5n1 virus bearing hemagglutinin (ha) with as few as four or five mutations was capable of transmitting more efficiently via respiratory droplets between ferrets, posing a serious threat to public health and underscoring the priority of effective vaccines and therapeutics. in this study, we ide ...	2014	24681124
a model for early onset of protection against lethal challenge with highly pathogenic h5n1 influenza virus.	highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses of subtype h5n1 sporadically cause severe disease in humans and involve the risk of inducing a pandemic by gaining the ability for human-to-human transmission. in naïve poultry, primarily gallinaceous birds, the virus induces fatal disease and the used inactivated vaccines occasionally are unable to provide efficient and early onset of protection. therefore, optimized vaccines must be developed and evaluated in model systems. in our study, we tested a no ...	2014	24674664
red ginseng-containing diet helps to protect mice and ferrets from the lethal infection by highly pathogenic h5n1 influenza virus.	the highly pathogenic (hp) h5n1 influenza virus is endemic in many countries and has a great potential for a pandemic in humans. the immune-enhancing prowess of ginseng has been known for millennia. we aimed to study whether mice and ferrets fed with red ginseng could be better protected from the lethal infections of hp h5n1 influenza virus than the infected unfed mice and ferrets. we fed mice and ferrets with red ginseng prior to when they were infected with hp h5n1 influenza virus. the mice an ...	2014	24558309
gla-af, an emulsion-free vaccine adjuvant for pandemic influenza.	the ongoing threat from influenza necessitates the development of new vaccine and adjuvant technologies that can maximize vaccine immunogenicity, shorten production cycles, and increase global vaccine supply. currently, the most successful adjuvants for influenza vaccines are squalene-based oil-in-water emulsions. these adjuvants enhance seroprotective antibody titers to homologous and heterologous strains of virus, and augment a significant dose sparing activity that could improve vaccine manuf ...	2014	24551202
pathobiological features of a novel, highly pathogenic avian influenza a(h5n8) virus.	the endemicity of highly pathogenic avian influenza (hpai) a(h5n1) viruses in asia has led to the generation of reassortant h5 strains with novel gene constellations. a newly emerged hpai a(h5n8) virus caused poultry outbreaks in the republic of korea in 2014. because newly emerging high-pathogenicity h5 viruses continue to pose public health risks, it is imperative that their pathobiological properties be examined. here, we characterized a/mallard duck/korea/w452/2014 (mdk/w452(h5n8)), a repres ...	2014	26038499
an avian h7n1 gain-of-function experiment of great concern.	inappropriately named gain-of-function influenza research seeks to confer airborne transmission on avian influenza a viruses that otherwise cause only dead-end infections in humans. a recent study has succeeded in doing this with a highly pathogenic ostrich h7n1 virus in a ferret model without loss of virulence. if transposable to humans, this would constitute a novel virus with a case fatality rate ~30 greater than that of spanish flu. a commentary from three distinguished virologists considere ...	2014	25316697
airborne transmission of highly pathogenic h7n1 influenza virus in ferrets.	avian h7 influenza viruses are recognized as potential pandemic viruses, as personnel often become infected during poultry outbreaks. h7 infections in humans typically cause mild conjunctivitis; however, the h7n9 outbreak in the spring of 2013 has resulted in severe respiratory disease. to date, no h7 viruses have acquired the ability for sustained transmission among humans. airborne transmission is considered a requirement for the emergence of pandemic influenza, and advanced knowledge of the m ...	2014	24696487
transmission of h7n9 influenza virus in mice by different infective routes.	on 19 february 2013, the first patient infected with a novel influenza a h7n9 virus from an avian source showed symptoms of sickness. more than 349 laboratory-confirmed cases and 109 deaths have been reported in mainland china since then. laboratory-confirmed, human-to-human h7n9 virus transmission has not been documented between individuals having close contact; however, this transmission route could not be excluded for three families. to control the spread of the avian influenza h7n9 virus, we ...	2014	25367670
dna prime and virus-like particle boost from a single h5n1 strain elicits broadly neutralizing antibody responses against head region of h5 hemagglutinin.	since 1996, highly pathogenic avian influenza (hpai) h5n1 virus has presented a persistent threat to public health. its high degree of genetic diversity also poses enormous challenges in developing effective vaccines. to search for vaccine regimens that could elicit broadly neutralizing antibody responses against diverse hpai h5n1 strains, in the present study we tested h5 hemagglutinin (ha) from an a/thailand/1(kan)-1/2004 strain in a heterologous prime-boost vaccination. we demonstrated that p ...	2014	23911711