Disturbances of gastric motor, secretory and/or sensory functions are frequently associated with gastritis. The aim of this study was to characterize motor and secretory alterations associated to chemically-induced gastritis in mice. Mild gastritis was induced with 0.1% iodoacetamide administered intragastrically and added to the drinking water for a 6 days period. A significant loss of body weight and a reduction in food and water intake was observed in iodoacetamide-treated animals compared with those receiving vehicle. At the end of the treatment period, no macroscopic alterations were observed in the gastric mucosa of iodoacetamide-treated mice. However, histological sections revealed a mixed inflammatory infiltrate, with a predominance of mast cells in the submucosa; suggesting a mild gastritis. Gastric emptying rate of a nutrient solid meal was not modified in mice with gastritis compared with normal controls. In animals with gastritis, basal gastric acid secretion was increased compared with normal controls. Basal gastric acid secretion was not modified by either indomethacin or compound 48/80. Secretory response to secretagogues (pentagastrin and histamine) was enhanced during gastritis. Hypersecretory responses to both gastrin and histamine in iodoacetamide-treated mice were blocked by the mast cell stabilizer sodium cromoglycate, and enhanced by indomethacin, without affecting the secretory response in normal mice. These results suggest that mild gastritis alters gastric acid secretory responses through a mechanism related, at least partially, to mast cells activation. Moreover, prostaglandins also modulate secretory responses during mild inflammation. This animal model of gastritis might be useful to characterize pathophysiological changes and potential therapeutic targets in secretory-related gastric pathologies.

Abstract. Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is an infrequent condition of animals characterized by the existence of numerous thin-walled, gas-filled cystic structures within the intestinal wall and adjacent lymph nodes. Microscopically, the cystic structures appear to be dilated lymphatics located in the lamina propria, submucosa, muscularis, subserosa, mesentery, and mesenteric lymph nodes. This report describes a case of pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis in a rabbit doe from an organic farm where 20 rabbit does were fed ad libitum with a natural diet consisting of whole barley, pea beans, alfalfa hay, and a pelleted vitamin-mineral blend. A combination of nutritional, bacterial, and other factors are hypothesized as possible predisposing factors in the development of PCI.Key words: Intestinal emphysema; organic farm; pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis; rabbits. * Calculated from a measured average daily intake of barley (113 g), pea (96 g), alfalfa hay (138 g), and vitamin-mineral blend (7 g), and tables of nutritional values of feed ingredients. 4 Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is an uncommon disorder of animals characterized by the presence of gasfilled cysts within the wall of some parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Similar cysts are found frequently in the mesentery adjacent to the affected intestine and are found occasionally in other organs of the abdominal cavity. Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis is also known as pneumatosis intestinalis, intestinal emphysema, cystic lymphopneumatosis, and abdominal or intestinal gas cysts. 11 The condition has been described infrequently in animals and is usually an incidental finding at slaughter in healthy swine. 7 A similar condition also occurs in humans, where both fulminant and benign forms exist. 6 Although numerous explanations have been advanced as to the cause of this condition, the etiology remains unknown. 9 This report describes a case of PCI in a rabbit doe from an organic farm and discusses various etiologic factors.A 15-month-old female New Zealand white rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) was housed with 19 other female rabbits in an organic farm in Spain. The does were fed ad libitum with a diet consisting of whole barley, pea beans, alfalfa hay, and a pelleted vitamin-mineral blend. A mixture of the concentrate ingredients (whole barley 39%, pea beans 58.5%, and pelleted vitamin-mineral blend 2.5%) was placed in a feeder, whereas alfalfa hay was offered separately in another feeder. The animals selectively ingested more barley than pea, thus effectively consuming a diet that was not of the expected composition. Table 1 shows that the nutritive value of the diet differed from current recommendations for breeding rabbit does, especially because of its very high starch content.The 20 rabbits exhibited normal appetite but they had chronic weight loss, probably because of inadequate dietary energy content. The doe in this case presented with lethargy and apparent inactivity. No other clinical abnormalities were observed. The doe was eutha...

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease often accompanied by diabetic retinopathy (DR), one of the most common diabetic complications. DR is an eye condition that causes vision deficiency and often leads to blindness. DR develops when blood vessels damage the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. Before changes in retinal blood vessel permeability, different molecular and anatomical modifications take place in the retina, including early neural changes. This review will summarize the current status of knowledge regarding pathophysiological mechanisms underlying DR, with a special focus on early neural modifications associated with DR. We describe hyperglycemia-associated molecular and cellular alterations linked to the initiation and progression of DR. We also discuss retinal neurodegeneration as a shared feature in different in vitro and in vivo models of DR. Given how ubiquitous diabetes is and how severe the effects of DR are, we also examine the current pharmacological and genetic approaches for combatting this disease.

(1) Background: Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is characterized by progressive photoreceptor death. A Prph2Rd2 or an rds mouse is an RP model that closely reflects human RP. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship of rod and cone death with oxidative stress and inflammation in rds mice. (2) Methods: The retinas of control and rds mice on postnatal days (PN) 11, 17, 21, 28, 35, and 42 were used. Oxidative damage to macromolecules, glutathione (GSH and GSSG), GSH synthesis enzymes, glial fibrillar acidic protein (GFAP), ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1 (Iba1), and cluster of differentiation 68 (CD68) was studied. (3) Results: The time sequence of oxidative stress and inflammation changes in rds mice occurs as follows: (i) At PN11, there is a small increase in photoreceptor death and in the microglial cells; (ii) at PN17, damage to the macromolecules is observed; (iii) at PN21, the maximum photoreceptor death rate is detected and there is an increase in GSH-GSSG and GFAP; (iv) at PN21, the microglial cells are activated; and(v) at PN28, there is a decrease in GSH synthesis enzymes. (4) Conclusions: These findings contribute to the understanding of RP physiopathology and help us to understand whether oxidative stress and inflammation are therapeutic targets. These findings contribute to our understanding that, in RP, oxidative stress and inflammation evolution and their relationship are time-dependent. In this sense, it is important to highlight that both processes are potential therapeutic targets in this disease.

Introducción: El vértigo es un motivo frecuente de consulta en los servicio deurgencias, por lo tanto es primordial para iniciar un tratamiento adecuado diferenciar un origen periférico de uno central. La historia clínica y la exploración neurológica completa son fundamentales para llegar a un diagnóstico, ya que las pruebas de imagen tienen una baja sensibilidad en la fase aguda y no siempre están disponibles en los servicios de urgencias. Objetivo: Presentar el caso clínico de una paciente de 74 años con vértigo agudo que sugiere inicialmente un origen periférico, pero que se debe a un infarto cerebeloso. Diseño: Reporte de caso. Materiales y métodos: Se presenta el caso de una paciente de 74 años que acude a urgencias por presentar de manera súbita vértigo objetivo con los movimientos cefálicos, intenso cortejo vegetativo, sin síntomas otológicos, con factores de riesgo cardiovascular importantes; al examen físico nistagmo horizontal derecho, no agotable, dismetría, disdiadococinesia izquierda e inestabilidad marcada que le impide la bipedestación. En tomografía craneal, se observa hipodensidad en región superior del hemisferio cerebeloso izquierdo sugestiva de lesión isquémica aguda en territorio vascular de la arteria cerebelosa superior. Resultados: Se diagnosticó mediante resonancia magnética nuclear, infarto isquémico en fase subaguda en el territorio de arteria cerebelosa superior izquierda. Conclusiones: Es importante diferenciar el vértigo aislado por causa vascular de trastornos más benignos que se relacionan con el oído interno, ya que la estrategia terapéutica y el pronóstico difieren considerablemente.

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