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At least 667 records · Page 37Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Results of retrograde urethrography in cats with idiopathic, nonobstructive lower urinary tract disease and their association with pathogenesis: 53 cases (1993-1995).

OBJECTIVE: To describe results of retrograde urethrography in cats with idiopathic, nonobstructive lower urinary tract disease (LUTD), to review the normal anatomy of the feline urethra, and to relate anatomy observed radiographically to the pathogenesis and diagnosis of LUTD in cats. DESIGN: Retrospective case series and anatomic study. ANIMALS: 53 cats with signs of nonobstructive LUTD for which an underlying cause could not be determined. Results for these cats were compared with those for 6 healthy female cats undergoing urethrocystoscopy for another study and 6 male cats without a history of LUTD undergoing necropsy examination. PROCEDURE: Medical records, results of positive-contrast retrograde urethrography (cats with idiopathic, nonobstructive LUTD) and urethrocystoscopy (healthy female cats), and necropsy findings (healthy male cats) were reviewed. RESULTS: Abnormalities were not detected during urethrocystoscopy, dissection, or urethrography. Previously, the urethra in male cats has been described simply as a long tube that tapers caudally, and the only structures consistently differentiated by radiography have been pelvic and penile parts. In this study, the seminal colliculus, isthmus of the urethra, preprostatic part of the urethra, and urethral crest were consistently observed in male cats in addition to pelvic and penile parts. The urethral crest also was observed in the comparatively simple female urethra. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: During retrograde urethrography in cats, prior distention of the bladder with positive-contrast medium may obscure radiographic signs associated with normal anatomic structures. Knowledge of urethral anatomy and radiographic signs associated with idiopathic, nonobstructive LUTD in cats should improve understanding of the pathogenesis and diagnosis of this disease.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Detection of feline herpesvirus 1 DNA in corneas of cats with eosinophilic keratitis or corneal sequestration.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV-1) DNA is in the corneas of clinically normal cats and cats with eosinophilic keratitis or corneal sequestration. SAMPLE POPULATION: Corneal biopsy specimens obtained from cats referred for treatment of corneal sequestration or eosinophilic keratitis. PROCEDURE: Corneal scraping or keratectomy specimens collected from clinically normal cats, cats with eosinophilic keratitis, and cats with corneal sequestration were evaluated for FHV-1 DNA by use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). DNA was extracted from the tissue, and 1 microgram was assayed for FHV-1 by use of a single-round (40 cycles) PCR assay with primers directed at a 322-bp region of the thymidine kinase gene. Polymerase chain reaction positivity for clinically normal and affected cats of various breeds was compared by chi 2 analysis at alpha = 0.05. RESULTS: The FHV-1 DNA was detected in 5.9% (1/17) of corneas from clinically normal cats, in 55.1% (86/156) of corneal sequestra, and in 76.3% (45/59) of scraping specimens from cats with eosinophilic keratitis. Prevalence was significantly (P < 0.001) greater for cats with corneal sequestration or eosinophilic keratitis than for clinically normal cats. For cats with corneal sequestration, prevalence of FHV-1 DNA was significantly lower in Persian and Himalayan, compared with domestic shorthair and longhair breeds. CONCLUSION: Data strongly imply involvement of FHV-1 in the pathogenesis of eosinophilic keratitis and corneal sequestration. In Persian and Himalayan breeds, however, other nonviral factors also appear to be involved. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Feline herpesvirus 1 must be considered when treating cats with corneal sequestration or eosinophilic keratitis.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Psychogenic alopecia in cats: 11 cases (1993-1996).

OBJECTIVE: To determine signalment, history, clinical signs, and response to treatment of cats with psychogenic alopecia (PA) and to identify factors associated with its onset and propagation. DESIGN: Retrospective study. ANIMALS: 11 cats. PROCEDURE: A survey was used to obtain information about breed, sex, age at time of weaning, frequency and duration of licking bouts, age at time of onset of PA, situations eliciting licking bouts, results of diagnostic tests, treatment, response to treatment, and current status of the cats. Additional information was obtained from medical records and by telephone conversations with owners and attending veterinarians. RESULTS: Four cats were purebred, and 7 were domestic shorthair. Six were female, and 5 were male; all were neutered. Eight cats were kept exclusively indoors. Age at time of onset of PA ranged from 6 months to 12 years. Environmental stresses initiated or exacerbated PA in 9 cats. Various methods were used to confirm the diagnosis, including therapeutic trials with antidepressant and anxiolytic drugs in 10 cats. All 5 cats treated with clomipramine, 2 of 3 treated with amitriptyline, and 1 of 4 treated with buspirone responded positively. Only 3 cats were still receiving medication at the time of this study; none of those 3 groomed excessively while receiving medication. Psychogenic alopecia resolved in 6 cats after drug treatment, environmental modification, or both. Psychogenic alopecia continued to be a problem in the remaining 2 cats. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Environmental stress may initiate or exacerbate PA in cats. Drug treatment, environmental modification, or both may be useful in treatment of affected cats.

Alopecia↗
PubMed1981

Further evidence of an early critical period in the development of the cat's dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus.

The concept of an early postnatal critical period of development for the lateral geniculate nucleus was assessed by determining in adult cats whether previously established properties of geniculate neurons could be altered by varying the cat's visual experience. The analysis was limited to lamina A1 and the binocular segment of lamina A, and the properties studied were the percentage of physiologically recorded Y-cells and cell soma size. Eleven experimental cats in four groups were studied, and three cats reared normally plus three cats reared with continuous monocular lid suture served as controls. Two cats raised first with monocular suture followed by a prolonged period in adulthood with both eyes open had cell size distributions and Y-cell proportions that were indistinguishable from cats raised with continuous monocular suture. Four cats raised first with one eye sutured underwent a reverse suture procedure in adulthood (i.e., the originally sutured eye opened and the other closed) and were maintained in this fashion for a prolonged period. These cats also had geniculate cell size distributions and Y-cell proportions that were indistinguishable from cats raised with continuous monocular suture. Two cats were raised first with binocular suture followed by a prolonged period in adulthood with one eye opened. Their geniculate cell size distributions and Y-cell proportions showed no effect on the adult monocular deprivation and were indistinguishable from previously published data concerning cats raised with continuous binocular suture. Finally, three normally raised cats underwent a prolonged period of monocular suture in adulthood. Their geniculate cell size distributions and Y-cell proportions showed no effects on the adult monocular deprivation. From these data, we conclude that an early critical period of development occurs for geniculate cell sizes and Y-cell proportions. Adult visual environments, whether normal or abnormal, had no detectable effect on geniculate neurons for these previously developed properties, whether normal or abnormal.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1992

Feline immunodeficiency virus: quantification in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and isolation from plasma of infected cats.

The titer of feline immunodeficiency virus in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and the presence of infectious virus in plasma was investigated over 20 week period in 8 experimentally infected cats, 3 uninfected cats and 2 naturally infected cats by end point dilution cultures using a feline T-lymphoblastoid cell line (MYA-1). FIV was isolated from PBMC of all infected cats, but not from the uninfected cats. FIV was also isolated consistently from 100 microliters plasma from most of the experimentally infected cats, but not from the 2 naturally infected cats. The virus titer in PBMCs in both experimentally and naturally infected cats was comparatively high, ranging from 10 TCID/10(6) PBMC to 14,286 TCID/10(6) PBMC. The titers in PBMC of individual cats remained unchanged or varied only slightly over the 20 week period. In contrast, the titers varied substantially between cats, with significantly higher titers in the youngest litter (4 cats) than in the oldest litter (3 cats). This suggests that there is an age-related factor influencing the level of PBMC virus titers in experimental infection with FIV. A similar age-related susceptibility has been shown with feline leukemia virus. More importantly, the sustained titers in the experimentally infected cats bear close resemblance to infection of children with human immunodeficiency virus. These data reinforce suggestions that age and immune maturity have a fundamental influence on PBMC and plasma titers in lentivirus infections.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Properties of X- and Y-type retinal ganglion cells in Siamese cats.

There is ample evidence that the visual system of the Siamese cat is different from common cats. These abnormalities suggest possible retinal origins, although no documentation exists. In the present study, single unit recordings were made from 91 misrouted and 209 normally-routed optic tract fibers in Siamese cats. Electrophysiological responses of the misrouted fibers did not differ from those found in the normally-routed fibers of the Siamese cat with the exception of depressed responses to contrast reversal stimuli. X/Y classification of units and experiments on receptive field center sizes, intensity-response functions, and responses to flicker failed to demonstrate significant differences between the misrouted and normally-routed fibers in Siamese cats. These results were not affected by different degrees of interocular misalignment exhibited by the Siamese cat studied. Response properties of retinal ganglion cells in Siamese cats, however, were found to be quite abnormal when compared with common cats. Only 14% (42/300) of all units studied were Y-cells in Siamese cats in comparison to 35% (60/170) in common cats. The percentage of Y-units also was correlated with the severity of interocular misalignment in Siamese cats, i.e. the greater the misalignment of the eyes, the lower the percentage of Y-cells. Experiments on response to contrast reversal stimuli, intensity-response functions and responses to flicker revealed that the ganglion cells in Siamese cats are not as responsive as those in common cats.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Individual differences in temporal lobe sensory processing of threatening stimuli in the cat.

In Experiment I, neurosensory responses from three limbic areas in the cat brain were recorded when cats of differing defensive temperamental traits were exposed to species characteristic threat. The cats investigated were more or less defensive in response to rats and conspecific threat howls. The behavioral disposition of these cats was stable over retest periods of more than one year. It was found that during visual inspection of rats, more defensive cats displayed greater neural activity in the amygdala and the ventromedial hypothalamus than less defensive cats, who showed no change over baseline. Neurosensory response of the amygdala to conspecific threat howls was also found to be greater in more defensive cats. In contrast, there was no neural response to threat howls in the hypothalamus. Neurosensory response to mice was different from the response to rats and threat howls. Visual inspection of the mouse was associated with a decrease in activity in the amygdalas of more defensive cats. Finally, response of the ventral hippocampus was unspecific, appearing to signal only a change in the stimulus environment. The increase in hypothalamic neural activity in response to rats in more defensive cats appeared to be driven by a potentiated output from the amygdala, since the ratio of hypothalamic to amygdala neurosensory response to rats was greater than one in more defensive cats, but equal to one in less defensive cats. Output of the amygdala was directly investigated using evoked potential techniques in Experiment II. Potentials evoked in the hypothalamus by amygdala stimulation were larger in more defensive cats. Size of the hypothalamic potential was highly correlated with the ratio of hypothalamic to amygdala neurosensory response (ratio response) to rats. Removing the effects of size of the hypothalamic evoked potential from the ratio response by analysis of covariance eliminated the difference between more and less defensive cats in ratio response to rats. The significance of these findings for the physiological bases of defensive response to threat and of temperamental traits are discussed.

Aggression↗
PubMed1986

Dose of cat (Felis domesticus) allergen 1 (Fel d 1) that induces asthma.

In 10 patients with cat asthma and hay fever, we quantified the doses of cat allergen (expressed as cat allergen 1 [Cat-1] in log Food and Drug Administration [FDA] units) inspired from the ambient air of a room containing living cats required to induce a 20% drop in FEV1. These doses were compared with the doses required to cause the same change in FEV1 when the patients were subjected to bronchial challenge with aerosols of cat hair and dander extract in the conventional manner. Patients highly sensitive to cat extract by skin, leukocyte histamine release, and bronchoprovocation tests and with measurable levels of anticat IgE by RAST were exposed for up to 2 hours in a room occupied full-time by two cats. At the same time, room air was sampled by a Durham gravity sampler, by an Andersen sampler, and by lapel fiberglass filters. When hair and dander particles trapped on greased slides by gravity and Andersen samplers were stained, sized, and counted, squamous cell fragments in the less than 10 mm range were abundant. Assays of extracts from the lapel filters for Cat-1 content by radioimmunoassay and for allergenic activity by leukocyte histamine release demonstrated a significant correlation (p less than 0.05) between the results of the two assays. All patients developed rhinitis and asthma during exposure. At the time of a 20% drop in FEV1, when air sampling was stopped, the lapel filters had trapped a total of -1.86 to less than -3.04 (median -2.74) log FDA units Cat-1. These measurements of Cat-1 exposure in the room correlated (p less than 0.01) with the doses of cat extract (-1.18 to -3.15 [median -2.26] log FDA units Cat-1 equivalents) required to induce a 20% fall in FEV1 in the conventional bronchoprovocation tests.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1990

Variability of cat-allergen shedding.

To study the differences in total allergen shed, nine cats were placed individually in a lucite chamber with an air sampler attached for 1 hour. With a RAST-inhibition assay that used specific cat IgE antibodies from cat-sensitive subjects, we ranked the allergen production of each cat. From these nine cats, three high producers and one low producer were studied further. Each cat's allergens were collected for two to four separate 1-hour intervals on 6 different days. The high producers' samples remained high in allergen content, and the low producer's sample remained low. An additional eight cats were selected for similar longitudinal measurements, and allergens from each of these 12 cats were collected during four 1-hour intervals on 2 different days and assayed for total allergy units (AUs) by RAST inhibition and for the major cat allergen, Fel d I, by a two-site assay with a monoclonal antibody. Shedding, particularly by high producers, varied considerably from hour to hour. We found a hundredfold difference in AUs between the mean rate of shedding of the highest and lowest producers and a sixfold difference in Fel d I units. Variation in rate of shedding of Fel d I accounted for about half the variation of shedding of AUs. Allergen shedding varies not only between cats but also in the same cat during the course of a day and between days. Male cats shed more than female cats.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1990

Comparative physiology and pharmacology of the cat and rabbit urinary bladder.

The cat and the rabbit are two of the most popular models for the study of lower urinary bladder function. The cat has been used extensively for in-vivo studies of spinal and supra-spinal micturition reflexes. In contrast, the rabbit has been used extensively for the in-vitro study of bladder function. In order to determine if the results obtained using one species can be applied to another, we have compared the in-vitro physiology and pharmacology of the cat and rabbit bladder using isolated strips and whole bladder preparations. The results can be summarized as follows: 1) The cat displays significant spontaneous activity during in-vitro cystometry, but the rabbit shows no such activity (whole bladder studies). 2) Although the bladder weights of the cat and rabbit are similar, the rabbit bladder has a capacity three times that of the cat. 3) The maximal response to field stimulation was obtained at one gram of passive tension for the rabbit isolated strips, whereas five grams of passive tension was required for the cat strips. 4) Atropine inhibited the response of isolated strips of cat bladder to field stimulation by approximately 13% whereas the response of rabbit bladder strips was inhibited by approximately 45%. 5) The magnitude of the response of rabbit bladder strips to ATP was similar to the response to field stimulation in the presence of atropine; the response of cat bladder strips to ATP was only 20% of the response of that of the rabbit bladder strips, and approximately 10% of the response of the cat strips to field stimulation in the presence of atropine. 6) Field stimulation produced a 10fold greater rise in intravesical pressure in the cat isolated bladder than in the isolated rabbit bladder; in response to bethanechol, the cat bladder generated a 6-fold greater response than the rabbit bladder. It is clear that the in-vitro pharmacological responses of the cat urinary bladder are qualitatively and quantitatively different from that of the rabbit bladder.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed2000

Safety of selamectin in cats.

The safety of the avermectin, selamectin, was evaluated for topical use on the skin of cats of age six weeks and above, including reproducing cats and cats infected with adult heartworms. All studies used healthy cats. Acute safety was evaluated in domestic cross-bred cats. Margin of safety was evaluated in domestic-shorthaired cats, starting at six weeks of age. Reproductive, heartworm-infected, and oral safety studies were conducted in adult, domestic-shorthaired cats. Studies were designed to measure the safety of selamectin at the recommended dosage range of 6-12mgkg(-1) of body weight. Assessments included clinical, biochemical, pathologic, and reproductive indices. Selected variables in the margin of safety study and the reproductive studies were subjected to statistical analyses by using a mixed linear model. Cats received large doses of selamectin at the beginning of the margin of safety study when they were six weeks of age and at their lowest body weight, yet displayed no clinical or pathologic evidence of toxicosis. Similarly, selamectin had no adverse effect on reproduction in adult male and female cats. There were no adverse effects in heartworm-infected cats. Oral administration of the topical formulation, which might occur accidentally, caused mild, intermittent, self-limiting salivation and vomiting. Selamectin is a broad-spectrum avermectin endectocide that is safe for use in cats starting at six weeks of age, including heartworm-infected cats and cats of reproducing age, when administered topically to the skin monthly at the recommended dosage to deliver at least 6mgkg(-1).

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1991

Depth perception and cortical physiology in normal and innate microstrabismic cats.

Evidence is presented that innate microstrabismus and abnormal cortical visual receptive-field properties can occur also in cats without any apparent involvement of the Siamese or albino genetic abnormalities in their visual system. A possible cause for microstrabismus in these cats may be sought in an abnormally large horizontal distance between blind spot and area centralis indicated by a temporal displacement of the most central receptive fields on both retinae. Depth perception was found to be impaired in cats with innate microstrabismus. Behavioral measurements using a Y-maze revealed in four such cats that the performance in recognizing the nearer of two random-dot patterns did not improve when they were allowed to use both eyes instead of only one. The ability of microstrabismic cats to perceive depth under binocular viewing conditions only corresponded to the monocular performance of five normal cats. Electrophysiological recordings were performed in the visual cortex (areas 17 and 18) of four awake cats, two normal, and two innate microstrabismic animals. Ocular dominance and orientation tuning of single neurons in area 17 and 18 were analyzed quantitatively. The percentage of neurons in area 17 and 18 which could be activated through either eye was significantly reduced to 49.7% in the microstrabismic animals when compared to the normal cats (74.8%). "True binocular cells," which can only be activated by simultaneous stimulation of both eyes, were significantly less frequent (1.6%) in microstrabismic cats than in normal animals (10.4%). However, subthreshold binocular interactions were identical in both groups of animals. In the strabismic animals, long-term binocular stimulation of monocular neurons did not give a clear indication of alternating use of one or the other eye. The range of stimulus orientations leading to discharge rates above 50% of the maximal response, i.e. the half-width of the orientation tuning curves, was the same in the two groups of cats. However, orientation sensitivity, i.e. the alternation in discharge rate per degree change in stimulus orientation, was higher in cortical cells of normal cats than in those of microstrabismic cats. In normal and microstrabismic cats, no clear sign of an "oblique effect," i.e. the preference of cortical neurons for vertical and horizontal orientations compared to oblique orientations, could be found neither in the incidence of cells with horizontal or vertical preferred orientation nor in the sharpness of orientation tuning and sensitivity of these neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Molecular cloning, expression and modelling of cat allergen, cystatin (Fel d 3), a cysteine protease inhibitor.

BACKGROUND: Cats are an important source of indoor allergens. However, only two cat allergens, Fel d 1 and albumin, have been cloned and sequenced. IgE antibodies to Fel d 1 and albumin do not fully account for IgE responses to cat and there is good immunochemical evidence that cats produce other allergens. OBJECTIVE: To identify and define the molecular structure of the other potential cat allergens. METHODS: A cat skin cDNA library was screened using pooled serum obtained from five asthmatic patients which contained high levels of IgE antibody to cat dander. Selected cDNA clones were screened by plaque immunoassay and one cDNA clone, encoding cystatin, was expressed in E. coli. The three dimensional structure of cat cystatin was modelled using the SWISS-MODEL computer program. RESULTS: Three positive cDNA clones (A, B and C) were identified, two of which were fully sequenced. Clones A and C encoded the same 98 amino acid residue sequence which showed 79% and 75% homology with bovine and human cystatin A, respectively. The cat cystatin sequence contained the conserved cysteine protease inhibitor signature and two of three lipocalin motifs. By plaque immunoassay, 60-90% of cat allergic sera had IgE ab to the expressed cystatin clones. The cysteine protease inhibitor motif was also partially conserved in dog allergen sequences, Can f 1 and Can f 2, which are lipocalins. The recombinant protein was expressed in E. coli as an 11-kDa protein, corresponding to the predicted MW of cat cystatin. The three-dimensional structure of cat cystatin was modelled on human cystatin structures. CONCLUSION: A newly identified allergen, cystatin (Fel d 3), has been cloned from cat skin and is a member of the cysteine protease inhibitor family.

Allergens↗
PubMed1999

Auditory activation of cortical visual areas in cats after early visual deprivation.

Auditory activation of the primary visual cortex (area 17) and two extrastriate visual cortical areas - the anterolateral lateral suprasylvian area (ALLS) and anteromedial lateral suprasylvian area (AMLS), was investigated in visually impaired cats. Impairment was accomplished shortly after birth by bilateral eyelid suturing (binocularly deprived cats, BD) or bilateral enucleation (binocularly enucleated cats, BE). In BE cats, the optic nerve and chiasm were entirely degenerated. No cortical atrophy or cytoarchitectural malformation was noticed in either BD or BE cats. In both normal and impaired cats we found auditory-responsive cells in the ALLS and AMLS, areas that are considered strictly visual. The most remarkable finding was an increase in the relative number of these auditory cells in the BD and BE cats, which was more prominent in the latter. Some auditory-responsive cells were also found in area 17 of BE cats. On the basis of formal calculation, it is tempting to suggest that the increase in relative number of auditory cells in these areas reflects the transformation of all the visual cells in the ALLS of BD and BE cats into auditory cells. In BE cats, all bimodal cells and an appreciable percentage of non-responsive cells also had transformed to auditory cells. In the AMLS of BD cats, it is primarily the bimodal cells that become auditory cells, whereas in BE cats all the visual and bimodal cells as well as non-responsive cells undergo this transformation. This assumption, however, is one possible interpretation of our results but not the only one. Other modes of neuronal plasticity that might yield similar results in the visually deprived cats can not be ruled out.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1993

The effect of age on the course of experimental feline immunodeficiency virus infection in cats.

Neonatal, young adult, and aged specific pathogen-free cats were experimentally infected with cat-passaged Petaluma strain of feline immunodeficiency virus. The primary stage of illness occurred 6-8 weeks following infection in cats of all ages, but it differed in severity and clinical signs. Generalized lymphadenopathy persisted for the entire 42-week study period in neonatally infected cats, was transient in young adults, but inapparent in aged cats. Only two aged cats became chronically and severely ill during the study. One aged cat died with severe necrotizing transmural enteritis, while a second developed chronic generalized staphylococcal pyoderma that was partially controlled with antibiotics. Neutropenia appeared 6-8 weeks following infection in cats of all ages, but was more severe in newborn and aged cats than in young adults. A persistent decrease in CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocyte ratios, due to both increased CD8+ and decreased CD4+ T lymphocytes, occurred in the neonatal and aged cats. Decreased CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocyte ratios in the young adult cats was due solely to decreased CD4+ T lymphocytes. Antibody response to FIV virus, as measured by ELISA to recombinant FIV p24 antigen, was lower in aged cats than the other age groups during the first 6 weeks after infection. Antibody levels were not significantly different among the three age groups thereafter. Although there are some differences between FIV infection of cats and HIV infection of human beings, age at infection influences the severity of disease in both species.

Aging↗
PubMed1992

Impaired T-cell priming and proliferation in cats infected with feline immunodeficiency virus.

OBJECTIVE: Cats naturally infected with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) are particularly susceptible to infection with opportunistic pathogens, suggesting that these animals are unable to develop an effective immune response against the pathogen. Previous studies have used CD4+:CD8+ lymphocyte ratios and mitogen blastogenesis to identify immunological abnormalities in FIV-infected cats. However, these studies provide limited information for understanding the nature of the cellular dysfunction in FIV-infected cats, particularly defects in antigen-specific immune responses. DESIGN: To investigate whether cats infected with FIV are less able to mount an immune response to previously unencountered antigens, we compared the development of antigen-specific cellular immunity at the stage of T-cell priming in uninfected and FIV-infected cats. INTERVENTIONS: The general immune status of cats was assessed by peripheral blood CD4+:CD8+ lymphocyte ratios (flow cytometry), and by lymphocyte blastogenesis response to T- and B-cell mitogens. In addition, we describe the development of an autologous culture system to measure specific priming of naive feline T-cells to soluble antigen in vitro. This assay was used to compare T-cell priming in uninfected cats and cats which had been infected with FIV for 6-27 months. RESULTS: As in HIV infection, CD4+:CD8+ lymphocyte ratios in FIV-infected cats were found to be inverted, due to a reduction in the percentage of CD4+ cells. In addition, lymphocyte blastogenesis to both T- and B-cell mitogens was significantly impaired in FIV-infected cats. Priming to keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) elicited a late proliferative response resulting from the expansion of CD4+ (T-helper cells). T-cell growth factor secretion correlated with cell proliferation. Restimulation of cells with fresh antigen-presenting cells and antigen showed that antigen-specific T-cell priming had occurred in the initial culture. When primary proliferation responses in FIV-infected cats were examined, it was observed that naive CD4+ T-cells from FIV-infected cats were significantly impaired (P less than 0.001) in their ability to be primed to KLH when compared with uninfected controls. CONCLUSIONS: Impaired priming of naive CD4+ T-helper cells to antigen in FIV-infected cats may explain the increased susceptibility of these animals to infection by opportunistic pathogens. The poor ability of human patients with AIDS to develop humoral immunity following vaccination may also be caused by such a defect in T-cell priming.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1992

Prevalence of feline leukemia virus and antibodies to feline immunodeficiency virus in cats in Norway.

Serum samples from 224 Norwegian cats were analyzed for the presence of feline leukemia virus (FeLV) p27 common core antigen, and for antibodies to feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV). Ninety specimens originated from the serum bank at the central referral clinic at the Norwegian College of Veterinary Medicine, which had been collected during the years 1983-1989; 67 sera were submitted from veterinarian practitioners; while 67 sera originated from cats presented for euthanasia. The cats were classified into one "healthy" and one "sick" group. Only 2.2% of sick cats and 1.2% of healthy cats showed FeLV antigenemia, a finding which is lower than which has been reported from many other countries. The prevalence of FIV antibodies was 10.1% in sick cats and 5.9% in healthy cats. Antibodies to FIV was most prevalent in male cats (14.7%) than in female cats (2.1%), and more prevalent among domestic cats (12.0%) compared to pedigree cats (2.4%). Antibodies to FIV in the cats demonstrated increasing prevalence with increasing age. It may be concluded that FeLV causes minor problems in Norwegian cats, while FIV is present in a similar prevalence to what is reported from other countries.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis in the domestic cat.

Helicobacter pylori has been cultured from the inflamed gastric mucosae of naturally infected cats; the lesions in H. pylori-infected cat stomachs mimic many of the features seen in H. pylori-infected human stomachs. To determine whether H. pylori-negative specific-pathogen-free cats with normal gastric mucosae were susceptible to colonization by this bacterium and whether gastritis developed after infections, four H. pylori-negative cats treated with cimetidine were orally dosed three times with 3 ml (1.5 x 10(8) CFU/ml) of H. pylori every 4 days. All four cats became persistently colonized as determined by gastric cultures and PCRs from serial gastric biopsy samples and necropsy samples at 7 months postinfection. H. pylori was not isolated from the two control cats, nor were their gastric tissues positive by PCR; one of the two cats had a few focal lymphocytic aggregates in the body submucosa, whereas the second cat had a normal gastric mucosa. All four H. pylori-infected cats had multifocal gastritis consisting of lymphoid aggregates plus multiple large lymphoid nodules, which were most noticeable in the antral mucosa. In addition, one H. pylori-infected cat had a moderate diffuse infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in the subglandular region of the antrum. H. pylori-like organisms were focally distributed in glandular crypts of the antrum. Two of the H. pylori-infected cats had significant (eightfold) increases over baseline in levels of immunoglobulin G H. pylori serum antibody. The H. pylori isolates from the four experimentally infected cats had restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns specific for the flaA gene that were identical to those of the inoculating strain. H. pylori readily colonizes the cat stomach and produces persistent gastritis.

Animals↗