Veterinary Science & Technology

Background: Porcine parvovirus (PPV) is a widespread, infectious virus associated with reproductive disease of swine and death of piglets, and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is an important emerging pathogen associated with a number of different syndromes and diseases in pigs.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to construct a series of recombinant plasmids used for immunizing mice, and measure the immune responses.

Methods: A bicistronic DNA vaccine against PPV and PCV2 infection was developed by subcloning PPV-VP2 and PCV2-ORF2 genes into a bicistronic vector. After the in vitro expression of both the proteins was characterized, the bicistronic DNA vaccine and monocistronic DNA vaccines were injected into mice and the induced immune responses were compared with monocistronic DNA vaccines.

Results: There was no significant difference in ELISA antibody, virus neutralizing antibody and cellular immune responses against PPV and PCV2 in mice immunized with bicistronic or monocistronic DNA vaccine, respectively.

Conclusions: This study indicates that bicistronic DNA vaccine can induce humoral and cellular immune responses in mice against both PPV and PCV2.

The cornea is an ideal target for gene therapy due to its accessibility, immune-privileged nature, and ability to perform frequent non-invasive assessment. Gene therapy has been studied in animal models of ocular corneal graft rejection, neovascularization, wound healing, fibrosis, macular degeneration, optic neuropathy, and retinal degeneration. Medical research has widely used animal models in the pursuit of improved therapeutic strategies intended to aid people. In this review we summarize the vectors currently used in ocular gene therapy and the potential applications of emerging new strategies for use in veterinary medicine.

A 2.5-year-old, male Great Dane dog was presented to the surgery clinic of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University with a history of multiple skin swellings distributed in many regions. Macroscopy, the swellings had soft and rubbery consistency, and showed grey pink tissue pieces on cut section. Histopathology showed lobulated growth pattern, made up of many small round cells intermixed with lymphocytes. The condition was diagnosed by as apocrine secretory adenoma. Treatment was by surgical excisions of the presented cutaneous swellings.