No abstract

Viral nervous necrosis (VNN) is a worldwide disease among marine fishes. In Taiwan, NNN disease was first identified in 2 species of hatchery-reared grouper, Epinephelus fuscogutatus and E. akaaya in 1994. Since then, increasing mortalities have occurred among groupers Epinephelus spp., and also among European eels Anguilla anguilla L., yellow-wax pompano Trachinotus falcatus, firespot snapper Lutaanus erythropterus B., barramundi Lates calcarifer, cobias Rachycentron canadum, humpback groupers Cromileptes altivelis and Chinese catfish Parasilurus asotus. In the present study, samples were collected from affected fishes and processed for reverse transcriptase (RT) PCR amplification and virus isolation in cell culture. Infected cells (GF-1 cell line) exhibited cytopathic-effect characteristics of grouper nervous necrosis virus (GNNV). A RT-PCR product of approximately 830 bp was amplified from the brain homogenate of tested samples and sequenced. The nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequences of the amplified RT-PCR products from all isolates were strongly homologous (> 97%) with the corresponding region of the published sequence of redspotted grouper nervous necrosis virus (RGNVV). Therefore, all Taiwan NNV (nervous necrosis virus) isolates studied in this report belong to the RGNNV genotype. We used 5 neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against GNNV to analyze the antigenic relationship of Taiwan NNV isolates and striped jack nervous necrosis virus (SJNNV). The results of neutralization tests revealed that all Taiwan NNV isolates were closely related, but antigenically different from SJNNV in 3 neutralizing epitopes. To our knowledge, this is the first description of NNV infection in European eels, yellow-wax pompano, firespot snapper, cobia and Chinese catfish, and the first reported instance of natural NNV infection in freshwater fishes causing high mortality. KEY WORDS: Fish nodavirus · Betanodavirus · Nervous necrosis virus · NNV · Monoclonal antibody · Neutralizing epitopeResale or republication not permitted without written consent of the publisher

Following horseradish peroxidase injection into the cervical and lumbosacral cords of adult albino rats, labeled neurons were seen in the first cervical segment, brain stem, and cerebellar and diencephalic nuclei. A new pathway, the faciospinal projection, originating in the medial portion of the rostral part of the facial nucleus, was traced. Another new pathway, the olivospinal pathway, is probably also present. Our results for neurons projecting to the spinal cord (spinal-projecting neurons) from the nucleus ambiuus, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, superior vestibular nucleus and nucleus f, nucleus Darshevch, nucleus Rolleri, nucleus prepositus hypoglossi, and nucleus of the posterior commissure have been reported before in other mammals but not in rats. Projections from the following regions are in general agreement with previous results in rats, but show significant topographical differences: the first cervical segment; nuclei gracilis, cuneatus, and cuneatus lateralis; the midline and lateral reticular nuclear complex; the trigeminal nuclear complex (spinal, principal, and mesencephalic); nucleus of the tractus solitarius; the medial, lateral, and descending vestibular nuclei, nuclei coeruleus and subcoeruleus; superior colliculus; interstitial nucleus of Cajal, and the deep cerebellar nuclei. The distribution of labeled neurons in the nucleus parabrachialis, nucleus tegmentolaterodorsalis, nucleus Kölliker-Fuse, nucleus Edinger-Westphal, and the hypothalamic nuclear complex confirmed that of previous reports in rats. With the exception of a few nuclear groups which project primarily to either lumbosacral (e.g., the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus) or cervical segments (e.g., the facial motor nucleus and the superior colliculus) most of the other nuclear groups project to both the lumbar and cervical levels. There is no distinct somatotopy in the neuronal groups projecting to both cervical and lumbosacral levels. With only a few exceptions (e.g., the superior vestibular nucleus) most of the spinal-projecting neurons are bilaterally distributed, some with contralateral and others with ipsilateral predominance.

The aim of this study was to investigate reactive changes of astrocytes and Müller glial cells in rats subjected to kainate treatment, which leads to neuronal degeneration in the ganglion cell layer and the inner border of the inner nuclear layer as confirmed by labelling with Fluoro-Jade B, a marker for degenerating neurons and fibres.

Adding neurologic music therapy to functional resistance exercise could induce greater improvements in gross motor capacity for children with cerebral palsy.