Locoweeds cause significant livestock poisoning and economic loss all over the world. The purpose of this studywas to evaluate the immune effect of locoweed toxin, swainsonine (SW), and human serum albumin (HSA) immunoconjugate (SW-HSA) on goats. Twenty four Sannon goats were randomly separated into immune control group, immune poisoning group I, immune poisoning group II and poisoning control group. Immune control group, immune poisoning group I and II were first vaccinated with SW-HSA immunoconjugate. Then, the poisoning control group, immune poisoning group I and II were fed with 10.0 g/kg BW/d dry powder of Oxytropis kansuensis Bunge in every morning and the duration of poisoning was 80 days. The immune control group was supplied with an alfalfa-based diet. Blood samples of these experimental animals were collected every 7 days after poisoning, and the serum enzymes -mannosidase (AMA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were analyzed. Comparing with the poisoning control group, the changes of serum LDH, AKP, AST,AMA and BUN level of the two immune groups (I and II) were delayed 28, 14, 28, 21, 14 days, respectively, which indicated that SW-HSA immunoconjugate could prevent tissues containing BUN and these serum enzymes of the experimental animals from Oxytropis kansuensis Bunge injuring during these days. In the whole study, SW-HSA immunoconjugate and swainsonine did not influence serum ALT levels of the experimental goats.

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) causes significant losses in the pig industry in many countries. NS3 proteins of CSFV, which include serine protease and RNA helicase/nucleotide triphosphatase (NTPase) activities, are multifunctional proteins involved in polyprotein processing and viral replication. Previous reports showed that NS3 protein can induce apoptosis in host cells that present cytopathic effects (CPE). Baculovirus/insect cell systems are used widely for recombinant protein production. In this study, one recombinant baculovirus BacSC-NS3 expressing histidine-tagged NS3 with the transmembrane domain (TM) and cytoplasmic domain (CTD) derived from baculovirus envelope protein gp64 of baculovirus was constructed. After infection, NS3 was expressed and anchored to the plasma membrane of Sf-9 cells, as demonstrated byWestern blot assay and confocal microscopy. Immunogold electron microscopy demonstrated that the NS3 glycoprotein successfully displayed on the baculoviral envelope. Animal vaccine tests showed that recombinant baculovirus BacSC-NS3 elicited significantly higher NS3 antibody titers in the treatedmousemodels than the control group. This reportdemonstrated the potential of NS3-pseudotyped baculovirus expression of NS3 protein successfully.

Locoweeds cause significant livestock poisoning and economic loss all over the world. The purpose of this study was to investigate the immune effects of locoweed toxin, swainsonine (SW) and human serum albumin (HSA) conjugate (SW-HSA), on goats. Twenty-four Sannon goats were randomly separated into immune control group (eight goats), immune poisoning group I (six goats), immune poisoning group II (six goats) and poisoning control group (four goats). Immune control group, immune poisoning groups I and II were first vaccinated with SW-HSA conjugate. The poisoning control group, immune poisoning groups I and II were then fed with 10.0 g/kg BW/day dry powder of Oxytropis kansuensis Bunge everyday morning. The immune control group was supplied with an alfalfa-based diet. Blood samples of these experimental animals were collected at different time interval. Immunoassay was performed using indirect ELISA and E-rosette technique. The results show that, after second booster immunization: (1) anti-SW antibody level in some goats increased to 28, which proves that SW-HSA conjugate can induce experimental animals to produce high-level anti-SW antibody in their bodies; (2) the high-level antibody in their bodies could maintain 30 days, and decreased gradually after poisoning experiment (in our experiment, there was a return of the antibody level on day 21 after poisoning experiment); (3) the decreasing of the E-rosette rate of the immune poisoning group was delayed 14 days, which suggests that SW-HSA could low down the loss of the immunity of the goats; (4) swainsonine concentration in the blood was significantly lower (p<0.01) in the immune poisoning groups than that in the poisoning control group, and there was no significant difference (p>0.01) between the two immune poisoning groups within the poisoning experiment.

Recent advances in the research of artificial antigen have shown that artificial antigens can be valuable approach for the treatment of some diseases as well as the detection of pesticide residues. By directly/indirectly coupling hapten to an appropriated carrier (macromolecule), artificial antigen can induce animals to produce hapten-specific antibody. Based on this principle, various vaccines have been developed. More impotently, new analytical method, immunological analysis has also been established. Comparing the conventional technologies, such as chromatographic methods, this promising method offers an alternative with high specificity, sensitivity, simplicity and suitability for the analysis of a large number of samples in a short period of time. In this review, we describe the recent advances in the synthesis of artificial antigen and its application in the detection of pesticide residues.

A carboxylated superparamagnetic microbead-assisted sandwich fluoroimmunoassay was successfully demonstrated for the analysis of the early protein markers, myoglobin and human heart-type fatty acidbinding protein (H-FABP), associated with acute myocardial infarction. This assay approach consisted of the preparation of superparamagnetic polymer microbeads using a dispersion polymerization, followed by grafting of capture antibodies (monoclonal anti-H-FABP 10E1 and anti-myoglobin 7C3) onto the polymer microbeads using EDC-NHS protocol, and then a sequential sandwich fluoroimmunoassay using detection antibodies (FITC-labeled anti-H-FABP 9F3 and FITC-labeled anti-myoglobin 4E2). The Fe3O4 nanoparticles and carboxylated Fe3O4-polymer microbeads were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry, vibrating sample magnetometry, and X-ray diffraction. The fluoroimmunoassay images were recorded using a confocal laser-scanning microscope, and the average fluorescence intensity of the microbeads was found to correspond to the concentration of each cardiac marker, in agreement with the results obtained by a spectrofluorophotometer. The carboxylated magnetic microbead-assisted protocol could be utilized to semi-quantitatively detect both myoglobin and H-FABP.

Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) causes significant losses in the pig industry in many countries. Erns is an envelope glycoprotein of CSFV which is known to induce virus-neutralizing antibodies and protective immunity in the natural host. In this study, one recombinant baculoviruses BacSC-Erns expressing histidine-tagged Erns with the transmembrane domain (TM) and cytoplasmic domain (CTD) derived from baculovirus envelope protein gp64was constructed and its immunizing efficacywas evaluated in a mouse model. After infection, Erns was expressed and anchored on the plasma membrane of Sf-9 cells, as demonstrated by Western-blot and confocal microscopy. Immunogold electron microscopy demonstrated that the Erns glycoprotein was successfully displayed on the baculoviral envelope. Vaccine tests in animals showed that BacSC-Erns elicited significantly higher Erns antibody titers in the immunized mouse models than the control group. This demonstrates that the BacSC-Erns vaccine can be used potentially against CSFV infections. This is the first report demonstrating the potential of Erns-pseudotyped baculovirus as a CSFV vaccine.

Lolines are a group of saturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids that possess broad bioactivity against a wide array of herbivorous insects. However, they do not exhibit toxicity to ruminants such as cattle and sheep. In order to study the direct and potential physiological effects on ruminants and the mechanism of insecticidehsectifuge, the distribution of loline alkaloids in endophyte-infected meadow fescue and the seasonal change of the distribution were analyzed. The crowns, roots and leaves of endophyte-infected meadow fescue at its four different growth periods, i.e., spring, summer, early autumn and late autumn, in New Zealand were colleted. After powdering, organic solvent extraction and purification by column chromatography, all loline alkaloid samples were analyzed by capillary gas chromatography with 4-phenylmorpholine (PM) as an internal standard. The analytic results showed that the loline contents in the roots, crowns and leaves of endophyte-infected meadow fescue vary with seasons. Even within the same season, the distribution of lolines in endophyte-infected meadow fescue varies. During summer, lolines mainly existed in the leaves and roots, but in early autumn, they are produced in the crowns. It was concluded that, lolines were mainly produced in the leaves and roots of endophyte-infected meadow fescue. In gas chromatographic analysis, N-formylloline, the major component of loline alkaloid in the plant, was employed to assay the alkaloids.

Purpose: It is crucial for the treatment of severe ocular surface diseases such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) to find strategies that avoid the risks of allograft rejection and immunosuppression. Here, we report a new strategy for reconstructing the damaged corneal surface in a goat model of total limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) by autologous transplantation of epidermal adult stem cells (EpiASC). Methods: EpiASC derived from adult goat ear skin by explant culture were purified by selecting single cell-derived clones. These EpiASC were cultivated on denuded human amniotic membrane (HAM) and transplanted onto goat eyes with total LSCD. The characteristics of both EpiASC and reconstructed corneal epithelium were identified by histology and immunohistochemistry. The clinical characteristic of reconstructed corneal surface was observed by digital camera. Results: Ten LSCD goats (10 eyes) were treated with EpiASC transplantation, leading to the restoration of corneal transparency and improvement of postoperative visual acuity to varying degrees in 80.00% (8/10) of the experimental eyes. The corneal epithelium of control groups either with HAM transplantation only or without any transplantation showed irregular surfaces, diffuse vascularization, and pannus on the entire cornea. The reconstructed corneal epithelium (RCE) expressed CK3, CK12, and PAX-6 and had the function of secreting glycocalyx-like material (AB-PAS positive). During the follow-up period, all corneal surfaces remained transparent and there were no serious complications. We also observed that the REC expressed CK1/10 weakly at six months after operation but not at 12 months after operation, suggesting that the REC was derived from grafted EpiASC. Conclusions: Our results showed that EpiASC repaired the damaged cornea of goats with total LSCD and demonstrated that EpiASC can be induced to differentiate into corneal epithelial cell types in vivo, which at least in part correlated with down-regulation of CK1/10 and upregulation of PAX-6.