Summary Background/Objective Currently, due to lack of optimal donors, more marginal organs are transplanted. Therefore, there is a high interest to ameliorate preischemic organ preservation, ...especially for critical donor organs. In this regard, a new histidine-tryptophane ketoglutarate (HTK-N) solution has been designed and its protective efficacy was compared with the standard preservation solutions—University of Wisconsin solution and standard HTK or Custodiol (Bretschneider's solution). Methods Seventy-two landrace pigs were included into the study, as donors and recipients. The donor kidneys were perfused during explantation with cold University of Wisconsin solution ( n = 12), standard HTK ( n = 12), or HTK-N solutions ( n = 12), kept in the respective preservation solution at 4°C for 30 hours, implanted in the recipient pigs, and reperfused. The pigs survived in daily control for 7 days. The serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen were assessed in pre- and postreperfusion phase on the 3rd day and 7th day posttransplantation. Additionally, tissue samples were taken to analyze the histopathological degree of tubular injury and regeneration before and after reperfusion. Results The three preservation groups were comparable in age, body weight, and hemodynamic parameters. According to statistical proof, they differed in none of the control parameters. Conclusion Although the new preservation HTK solution is in several points a well-thought-out modification of the standard HTK solution, its preservation efficacy, at least for kidney preservation in a pig model for 30 hours, seems to be comparable to the current used solutions. A real advantage, however, could be confirmed in clinical settings, where marginal organs may influence the clinical outcome.
To determine whether FIV infection in captive African lions is associated with changes in immune cell variables similar to those detected in domestic cats infected with FIV.
5 captive African lions ...naturally infected with FIV (FIV+) and 5 lions not infected with FIV (FIV-).
Peripheral blood samples were collected from FIV+ lions during annual examinations conducted during a 7-year period and at a single time point from the FIV- lions. From results of CBC and flow cytometry, lymphocyte subsets were characterized and compared.
Flow cytometric analysis revealed that the percentage and absolute number of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were significantly lower in FIV+ lions, compared with these values in FIV- lions. In FIV+ lions, severe depletion in the absolute number of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was detected, although this did not correlate with clinical signs. Muscle wasting was the most consistent clinical sign of infection.
Results suggest that FIV+ African lions develop lymphocyte deficiencies, including significant decreases in the absolute number of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells; these findings of immune dysfunction are similar to those defined for FIV+ domestic cats. It is important to monitor the number of CD4+ T cells in infected animals as a measure of disease progression.
Free-ranging African lion (
Panthera leo) peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were examined using flow cytometry and antibodies developed for use in the domestic cat to determine if phenotypic ...changes occurred in lion lymphocytes as a result of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection. The percentage of CD8 cells from lion peripheral blood was considerably lower than in the domestic cat. Lions with elevated levels of CD8
+ cells were typically infected with FIV, similar to observations in the domestic cat. Antibodies against the α chain of the CD8 receptor (monoclonal antibody (mAb) 3.357) did not react consistently in all lions examined. Flow cytometric analysis determined that approximately 82 and 80% of the animals from Kruger and Hluhluwe-Umfolozi National Parks in South Africa reacted with the monoclonal antibody against the α chain of CD8 receptor, while only 17% of the lions in Etosha National Park in Namibia cross-reacted with the CD8α chain. There was no apparent correlation between FIV status and CD8α chain reactivity. The relative isolation of Etosha from the other two parks could explain the marked difference in CD8α chain expression and suggests that lions similar to other mammalian species demonstrate polymorphic expression of the CD8α chain (197).
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