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Proceedings. Biological Sciences Jan 2010Animals frequently use metabolites produced by symbiotic bacteria as agents against pathogens and parasites. Secretions from the preen gland of birds are used for this...
Animals frequently use metabolites produced by symbiotic bacteria as agents against pathogens and parasites. Secretions from the preen gland of birds are used for this purpose, although its chemicals apparently are produced by the birds themselves. European hoopoes Upupa epops and green woodhoopoes Phoeniculus purpureus harbour symbiotic bacteria in the uropygial gland that might be partly responsible for the chemical composition of secretions. Here we investigate the antimicrobial activity of the volatile fraction of chemicals in hoopoe preen secretions, and, by means of experimental antibiotic injections, test whether symbiotic bacteria living within the uropygial gland are responsible for their production. Hoopoes produce two different kinds of secretions that differ drastically in their chemical composition. While the malodorous dark secretions produced by nestlings included a complex mix of volatiles, these chemicals did not appear in white secretions produced by non-nesting birds. All volatiles detected showed strong antibacterial activity, and a mixture of the chemicals at the concentrations measured in nestling glands inhibited the growth of all bacterial strains assayed. We found support for the hypothesized role of bacteria in the production of such antimicrobial chemicals because experimental clearance of bacteria from glands of nestlings with antibiotics resulted in secretions without most of the volatiles detected in control individuals. Thus, the presence of symbiotic bacteria in the uropygial gland provides hoopoes with potent antimicrobials for topical use.
Topics: Amoxicillin; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Birds; Bodily Secretions; Enterococcus; Female; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Perianal Glands
PubMed: 19812087
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.1377 -
Journal of the American Veterinary... Aug 2009To evaluate effectiveness of a combination of topically applied tacrolimus, orally administered prednisone, and a novel-protein diet for treatment of perianal sinuses in... (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate effectiveness of a combination of topically applied tacrolimus, orally administered prednisone, and a novel-protein diet for treatment of perianal sinuses in dogs and to monitor clinical progress and owner management of the condition for 2 years.
DESIGN
Noncontrolled clinical trial. Animals-19 dogs with perianal sinuses. Procedures-Perianal sinuses were diagnosed during physical examination, and dogs were placed on a 16-week treatment protocol consisting of topically applied 0.1% tacrolimus ointment, orally administered prednisone (tapering dose), and a novel-protein diet. Metronidazole was orally administered for the first 2 weeks. Anal sacculectomy was recommended whenever anal sacs were involved. Dogs were evaluated every month for the first 4 months and then every 6 to 12 weeks for 2 years.
RESULTS
Perianal sinuses resolved completely in 15 of 19 dogs during the 16 weeks. In the remaining 4 dogs, the lesions markedly improved but failed to completely resolve. Three of these had anal sac involvement, and the owner of 1 dog had complied poorly with treatment instructions. During the 2 years following treatment, all dogs were maintained on intermittently applied tacrolimus ointment, 4 dogs also received prednisone every other day, and 11 dogs remained on the novel-protein diet. At the conclusion of the study, 13 of the 15 dogs that survived to that point were free of perianal disease.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
The described protocol was effective and economical for resolving perianal sinuses. Dogs maintained on intermittent medications were unlikely to redevelop lesions. When the anal sacs were involved, anal sacculectomy appeared to improve the outcome.
Topics: Administration, Oral; Administration, Topical; Anal Sacs; Animals; Dietary Proteins; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Immunosuppressive Agents; Male; Metronidazole; Perianal Glands; Prednisone; Rectal Fistula; Tacrolimus; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 19681720
DOI: 10.2460/javma.235.4.397 -
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics Sep 2008None of the proposed materials tested for the management of perianal fistulae has proven to be a definitive treatment.
BACKGROUND
None of the proposed materials tested for the management of perianal fistulae has proven to be a definitive treatment.
AIM
To assess a new repair scaffold and drug delivery device conceived to target perianal fistula repair.
METHODS
Poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) porous microspheres containing either antibacterial silver-releasing degradable phosphate glass or metronidazole were prepared using thermally induced phase separation.
RESULTS
Ion- and drug-release profiling of the microspheres revealed continued release of silver ions from microspheres filled with silver-doped phosphate glass and high encapsulation efficiency for metronidazole [78% and 82% for microspheres loaded with 2.5% and 1.3% (w/w), respectively]. Microbicidal activity was confirmed by growth inhibition of bacterial species (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Bacteroides fragilis), which characteristically dominate the colonization of perianal fistula tracts. Microspheres containing >3 mol% silver or metronidazole resulted in strong bacterial inhibition/kill against B. fragilis; the presence of one sphere containing >3 mol% silver had a potent inhibitory effect against all the microbes studied. Microspheres became rapidly integrated with host tissue following subcutaneous implantation into a rodent wound model.
CONCLUSION
The study demonstrates a novel scaffold for guided tissue regeneration providing local release of antimicrobial agents sufficient to counter bacterial colonization and warrants further investigation.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Infective Agents; Biocompatible Materials; Drug Delivery Systems; Humans; Metronidazole; Microspheres; Perianal Glands; Polyglycolic Acid; Prospective Studies; Rectal Fistula; Silver; Tissue Scaffolds; Wound Healing
PubMed: 18565160
DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2036.2008.03773.x -
Actas Dermo-sifiliograficas Mar 2008Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory disease that usually affects areas of the skin with a high density of apocrine glands (axillae, groin, perianal and... (Review)
Review
Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic inflammatory disease that usually affects areas of the skin with a high density of apocrine glands (axillae, groin, perianal and perineal regions, submammary area, etc). It usually appears in women during puberty. The etiology of the disease is unknown, although it is thought to be a primary defect of the hair follicle. When diagnosing hidradenitis suppurativa, a number of genetic and hormonal predisposing factors should be considered alongside other putative triggers, such as obesity, smoking, and tight clothing. Diagnosis is essentially clinical and it is important to bear in mind the possible complications associated with the disease, such as the development of tumors. Management of the disease includes general measures (antiseptic soaps, warm baths, etc), pharmacological therapy (topical, intralesional, and systemic), surgery (direct closure, second-intention healing, grafts, flaps, etc), and other measures (carbon dioxide laser, radiation therapy, etc). It is important that the disease be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible given the potential physical and psychological problems that it can generate.
Topics: Clinical Protocols; Decision Trees; Hidradenitis Suppurativa; Humans
PubMed: 18346431
DOI: No ID Found -
Archives of Pathology & Laboratory... Aug 2007Anal gland carcinoma (AGC) is a rare perianal invasive cancer composed of tubular glands lined by cuboidal epithelium. The clinical features and histogenesis of AGC are...
Anal gland carcinoma (AGC) is a rare perianal invasive cancer composed of tubular glands lined by cuboidal epithelium. The clinical features and histogenesis of AGC are not well understood and its origin from anal glands is often difficult to prove. Little is known about immunophenotypic features of AGC that could be useful in establishing the diagnosis. This study evaluated the immunohistochemical profile of 2 cases of AGC in comparison to anal glands from 11 hemorrhoidectomy specimens. Sections from the specimens were routinely processed and immunostained using commercial antibodies to cytokeratin (CK) 7, CK20, CK5/ 6, p63, CDX2, smooth muscle actin, calponin, heavy chain smooth muscle myosin, p53, and p16. In case 1 of AGC, radiation and chemotherapy preceded an abdominoperineal resection. In biopsies from this case, the neoplastic anal glands had a tubular pattern, whereas most glands in the resection specimen exhibited mucinous features. The histologic pattern in case 2 was tubular. Normal anal glands showed immunoreactivity for myoepithelial and basal cell markers CK5/6 and p63 in basal and parabasal cell layers and for CK7 in superficial cell layers. In contrast, both cases of AGC were negative for CK5/6 and p63 and were diffusely positive for CK7. Normal glands and both cases of AGC were negative for the intestinal differentiation marker CDX2, CK20, smooth muscle actin, calponin, smooth muscle myosin heavy chain, p16, and p53. Our data suggest that loss of p63 and CK5/6 expression is a feature of AGC. Anal gland carcinoma shares negativity for CDX2 and CK7+/CK20- profile with normal anal glands. No evidence of myoepithelial cells was found in normal or malignant anal glands. These data may be useful in establishing the diagnosis of AGC.
Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Anal Canal; Anus Neoplasms; Biomarkers, Tumor; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; Hemorrhoids; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Immunophenotyping; Keratin-5; Keratin-6; Male; Membrane Proteins; Middle Aged
PubMed: 17683193
DOI: 10.5858/2007-131-1304-ICOAGC -
Journal of Clinical Pathology Feb 2005Benign apocrine lesions have been described in the anogenital region, although according to the World Health Organisation convincing examples of anal apocrine... (Review)
Review
Benign apocrine lesions have been described in the anogenital region, although according to the World Health Organisation convincing examples of anal apocrine adenocarcinomas have not been published. This report describes the case of an invasive apocrine adenocarcinoma arising in a benign adenoma in the perianal region of a 45 year old woman. The origin and invasiveness are supported by histological and immunohistochemical studies.
Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Adenoma, Sweat Gland; Anus Neoplasms; Apocrine Glands; Female; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Invasiveness; Sweat Gland Neoplasms
PubMed: 15677547
DOI: 10.1136/jcp.2004.021394 -
Endocrinology Mar 2005The original strain of proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-deficient mice (Pomc-/-) was generated by homologous recombination in 129X1/SvJ (A(w)/A(w))-derived embryonic stem...
The original strain of proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-deficient mice (Pomc-/-) was generated by homologous recombination in 129X1/SvJ (A(w)/A(w))-derived embryonic stem cells using a targeting construct that deleted exon 3, encoding all the known functional POMC-derived peptides including alpha MSH, from the Pomc gene. Although these Pomc-/- mice exhibited adrenal hypoplasia and obesity similar to the syndrome of POMC deficiency in children, their agouti coat color was only subtly altered. To further investigate the mechanism of hair pigmentation in the absence of POMC peptides, we studied wild-type (Pomc+/+), heterozygous (Pomc+/-), and homozygous (Pomc-/-) mice on a nonagouti (a/a) 129;B6 hybrid genetic background. All three genotypes had similar black fur pigmentation with yellow hairs behind the ears, around the nipples, and in the perianal area characteristic of inbred C57BL/6 mice. Histologic and electron paramagnetic resonance spectrometry examination demonstrated that hair follicles in back skin of Pomc-/- mice developed with normal structure and eumelanin pigmentation; corresponding molecular analyses, however, excluded local production of alpha MSH and ACTH because neither Pomc nor putative Pomc pseudogene mRNAs were detected in the skin. Thus, 129;B6 Pomc null mutant mice produce abundant eumelanin hair pigmentation despite their congenital absence of melanocortin ligands. These results suggest that either the mouse melanocortin receptor 1 has sufficient basal activity to trigger and sustain eumelanogenesis in vivo or that redundant nonmelanocortin pathway(s) compensate for the melanocortin deficiency. Whereas the latter implies feedback control of melanogenesis, it is also possible that the two mechanisms operate jointly in hair follicles.
Topics: Adrenal Glands; Alleles; Animals; Crosses, Genetic; DNA, Complementary; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; Exons; Gene Deletion; Hair; Hair Color; Heterozygote; Homozygote; Melanins; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Models, Biological; Mutation; Phenotype; Pigmentation; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Pro-Opiomelanocortin; alpha-MSH
PubMed: 15564334
DOI: 10.1210/en.2004-0733 -
Journal of the American Veterinary... Apr 2002To evaluate efficacy and cost of using cyclosporine and ketoconazole for the treatment of perianal fistulas in dogs. (Clinical Trial)
Clinical Trial
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate efficacy and cost of using cyclosporine and ketoconazole for the treatment of perianal fistulas in dogs.
DESIGN
Clinical trial.
ANIMALS
12 dogs with perianal fistulas.
PROCEDURE
Dogs received cyclosporine and ketoconazole orally (target whole blood trough cyclosporine concentrations of 400 to 600 ng/ml). Study endpoints were resolution of clinical signs, remission, and recurrence of disease. Adverse effects and cost of medications were reported. Results were compared with those from previous studies in humans and in dogs in which single agent cyclosporine treatment for perianal fistulas was used.
RESULTS
All dogs had resolution of clinical signs. Eight dogs went into remission; however, 5 of those 8 had recurrence of fistulas. Adverse effects of treatment were minimal and well tolerated. Cost of treatment was comparable to traditional surgical options and less than single agent cyclosporine treatment.
CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Administration of cyclosporine with ketoconazole is an effective and cost-comparable treatment for perianal fistulas in dogs.
Topics: Administration, Oral; Animals; Cyclosporine; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Drug Interactions; Drug Therapy, Combination; Female; Immunosuppressive Agents; Ketoconazole; Male; Perianal Glands; Rectal Fistula; Recurrence; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 12420778
DOI: 10.2460/javma.2002.220.1009 -
Archives of Pathology & Laboratory... Aug 2001A large percentage of cases of perianal Paget disease are associated with an internal cancer, most commonly rectal adenocarcinoma. Immunostains for cytokeratin 7,... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
CONTEXT
A large percentage of cases of perianal Paget disease are associated with an internal cancer, most commonly rectal adenocarcinoma. Immunostains for cytokeratin 7, cytokeratin 20, and gross cystic disease fluid protein 15 are useful in identifying cases associated with rectal adenocarcinoma. The Paget cells and rectal adenocarcinoma cells of these lesions typically have a cytokeratin 7(+)/cytokeratin 20(+)/gross cystic disease fluid protein 15(-) immunophenotype. It is not known whether rectal adenocarcinoma unassociated with perianal Paget disease has the same cytokeratin profile as rectal adenocarcinoma associated with perianal Paget disease.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the immunohistochemical cytokeratin 7 and 20 profile of resected rectal adenocarcinoma unassociated with perianal Paget disease as well as that of normal anal glands from hemorrhoidectomy specimens.
DESIGN
We performed immunohistochemistry for cytokeratins 7 and 20 on tissues from 30 cases of rectal adenocarcinoma unassociated with perianal Paget disease and 12 hemorrhoidectomy specimens from 12 cases with normal anal glands. We defined positive staining as any immunoreactivity within the neoplastic cells.
RESULTS
Twenty-six of 30 cases of rectal adenocarcinoma (87%) had a cytokeratin 7(-)/cytokeratin 20(+) immunophenotype, similar to the immunophenotype of cases of nonrectal large intestine adenocarcinoma. In 4 cases (13%), neoplastic cells coexpressed cytokeratins 7 and 20. Anal glands stained strongly for cytokeratin 7 but were negative for cytokeratin 20 in all cases, and the anal transitional zone mucosa had a similar immunophenotype.
CONCLUSIONS
Rectal adenocarcinoma unassociated with perianal Paget disease has a cytokeratin profile similar to that of nonrectal large intestine adenocarcinoma. These data suggest that rectal adenocarcinoma unassociated with perianal Paget disease has a different cytokeratin profile than rectal adenocarcinoma associated with perianal Paget disease.
Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Anal Canal; Colonic Neoplasms; Hemorrhoids; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Intermediate Filament Proteins; Keratin-20; Keratin-7; Keratins; Paget Disease, Extramammary; Rectal Neoplasms
PubMed: 11473461
DOI: 10.5858/2001-125-1074-CSIIRA -
The Anatomical Record Nov 1998Apocrine sweat glands in the circumanal glands of the dog are not connected morphologically with the lobules of the circumanal glands. However, an apparent functional...
Apocrine sweat glands in the circumanal glands of the dog are not connected morphologically with the lobules of the circumanal glands. However, an apparent functional association has been demonstrated and it is possible that the apocrine sweat glands might serve as excretory ducts for degenerated polyhedral cells of the circumanal glands. In this study, we examined the ultrastructure of the apocrine sweat glands in the circumanal glands of the dog in an effort to define more precisely the relationship between the apocrine sweat glands and the circumanal glands. Paraffin sections stained with azan and sections after immunohistochemical staining with antibodies against actin were examined by light microscopy. Samples fixed by aldehyde perfusion were examined with the electron microscope. Diameters of apocrine sweat glands and height of cells in the secretory epithelium varied considerably. Immunohistochemical staining for actin was weakly positive in the supranuclear regions of secretory cells and very intense in myoepithelial cells. In secretory cells, the endoplasmic reticulum was well-developed. Multivesicular bodies were abundant and were discharged into lumens. Apocrine secretion and exocytosis were observed at luminal surfaces of secretory cells. There were three types of large granule in the cytoplasm: giant mitochondria without cristae; membrane-enclosed globules with or without myelin-like contents; and electron-dense, homogeneous, globular structures. Luminal surfaces were always covered with microvilli, and extensive folding of the cell membrane was found in basal regions. Bundles of actin filaments were dispersed throughout the cytoplasm. In the lumens of apocrine tubules, we observed shed secretory cells with well-preserved normal fine structures. We also noted the differentiation of secretory cells that was due to cell renewal. Apocrine sweat glands in the circumanal glands of the dog appear to be more active than those on the general body surface in terms of apocrine secretion, exocytosis, and the release of multivesicular bodies. Shed secretory cells containing large granules, as well as degenerated polyhedral cells from the circumanal glands, might contribute, to some extent, to the subtle composition of sweat from these apocrine sweat glands.
Topics: Animals; Cytoplasmic Granules; Dogs; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Epithelial Cells; Exocytosis; Female; Male; Microscopy, Electron; Perianal Glands; Sweat Glands
PubMed: 9811218
DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0185(199811)252:3<403::AID-AR8>3.0.CO;2-F