Nobuhiro Yasuda

Helminths of the Tsushima leopard cat (Felis bengalensis euptilura).

Three Tsushima leopard cats (Felis bengalensis euptilura) in Japan were collected as road kills. Three species of trematodes (Pharyngostomum cordatum, Paragonimus sp. and Dicrocoeliidae gn. sp.), one species of cestode (Spirometra erinacei) and nine species of nematodes (Arthrostoma hunanensis, Uncinaria felidis, Uncinaria sp., Ancylostoma tubaeforme, Molineus springsmithi, Toxocara cati, Capillaria aerophila, Capillaria feliscati, and Capillaria sp.) were found. Among these helminths, Arthrostoma hunanensis, Uncinaria spp., and Molineus springsmithi have not been reported previously in Japanese domestic cats.

Expression of NOS and VEGF in feline mammary tumours and their correlation with angiogenesis

In order to define the role of nitric oxide (NO) in feline mammary tumours, the expression of endothelial or inducible nitric oxide synthase (e/iNOS) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and their relationship with angiogenesis, was investigated in 23 feline mammary tumours (two hyperplastic, 19 adenocarcinoma, one osteosarcoma and one squamous cell carcinoma) by immunohistochemistry. Tumour angiogenesis was assessed by CD31 immunostaining and was expressed as microvessel density (MVD). In general, iNOS immunoreactivity was localised in tumour cells and occasionally in stromal myofibroblasts, whereas eNOS and VEGF were localised in the cytoplasm of tumour epithelial cells and endothelium. In malignancy, expression of iNOS increased from well- to less-differentiated phenotypes (Grades 1-3) and was significantly higher in G3 and G2 when compared with G1 cases. However, increasing eNOS expression was limited only in hyperplastic lesions and showed no significant changes among the grades. In addition, expression of iNOS was positively correlated with VEGF and MVD in feline mammary tumours and both measures were significantly greater in less differentiated phenotypes (P<0.05). In conclusion, the expression of NOS isoforms in feline mammary tumours depended on tumour grade, and the positive correlations between iNOS and angiogenic markers suggests that iNOS synthesised by tumour cells promotes tumour growth. Thus, iNOS can be used as an important immunohistochemical marker to determine the degree of malignancy and prognosis of feline mammary carcinoma.

Teratogenicity of Aino virus in the chick embryo

Aino virus (JaNAr 28 strain), a possible agent of a congenital anomaly of calves, was inoculated into the yolk sac of chick embryos at a dose of 10(2), 10(3), 10(4) or 10(5) TCID50 0.2 ml-1 at four, six or eight days of incubation. At 21 days of incubation all the unhatched embryos or hatched chickens in the experimental and control groups were sacrificed for pathological examination. The incidence of hydranencephaly, cerebellar hypoplasia or agenesis and arthrogryposis or scoliosis was highest (85 per cent in the chicks inoculated with 10(3) TCID50 0.2 ml-1 at eight days of incubation. The lesions were very similar to those found in congenital abnormalities in calves suspected of a natural infection with Aino virus.

Reference Values and Limited Serological Survey for the Iriomote Cat in Japan

Clinical investigations and hematological, serum biochemical, and serological surveys were carried out on 11 male and 6 female Iriomote cats (Felis iriomotensis) in Japan. Examined Iriomote cats were considered clinically healthy by the inspection for the general physical conditions. However, urinalysis suggested the inflammation of the urinary tract in all the cats. Antibody for feline panleukopenia virus was positive in one of the examined Iriomote cats, which suggested a previous infection.

Vertebral Formula in Red-Crowned Crane (Grus japonensis) and Hooded Crane (Grus monacha)

ABSTRACT Red-crowned cranes (Grus japonensis) are distributed separately in the east Eurasian Continent (continental population) and in Hokkaido, Japan (island population). The island population is sedentary in eastern Hokkaido and has increased from a very small number of cranes to over 1,300, thus giving rise to the problem of poor genetic diversity. While, Hooded cranes (Grus monacha), which migrate from the east Eurasian Continent and winter mainly in Izumi, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, are about eight-time larger than the island population of Red-crowned cranes. We collected whole bodies of these two species, found dead or moribund in eastern Hokkaido and in Izumi, and observed skeletons with focus on vertebral formula. Numbers of cervical vertebrae (Cs), thoracic vertebrae (Ts), vertebrae composing the synsacrum (Sa) and free coccygeal vertebrae (free Cos) in 22 Red-crowned cranes were 17 or 18, 9–11, 13 or 14 and 7 or 8, respectively. Total number of vertebrae was 47, 48 or 49, and the vertebral formula was divided into three types including 9 sub-types. Numbers of Cs, Ts, vertebrae composing the Sa and free Cos in 25 Hooded cranes were 17 or 18, 9 or 10, 12–14 and 6–8, respectively. Total number of vertebrae was 46, 47, 48 or 49, and the vertebral formula was divided into four types including 14 sub-types. Our findings clearly showed various numerical vertebral patterns in both crane species; however, these variations in the vertebral formula may be unrelated to the genetic diversity.