201-207
Immune Responses Induced in Mice after Intragastral Administration with Sendai Virus in Combination with Extract of Uncaria Tomentosa
by Gazim Bizanov & Vytas Tamosiunas

In the present study, the dried hydroalcoholic extract from the bark of Uncaria tomentosa was evaluated as a potential immunostimulator. BALP/c mice were seven times immunized intragastrically (i.g.) with a formalin-inactivated whole Sendai virus (SV) with two doses of the dry extract. The efficacy of the U. tomentosa was evaluated by examining specific IgA in saliva as well as IgG and haemagglutination inhibition (HI) in serum antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and HI tests. We found that the animals inoculated with 5.6 mg of the dry extract of U. tomentosa induced higher saliva IgA antibodies. Furthermore, the mice immunized e.g. with SV plus 0.56 mg of the extract had significantly higher IgA, IgG and HI antibody responses to SV than did those administered with the SV alone. These results suggest that dry extract from bark of U. tomentosa is useful as a mucosal adjuvant for mice.

211-220
The Protective Effect of Kefir and Vitamin C on Azoxymethane Induced Toxicity and Induction of Metallothionein in Mice
by Sozmen M, Erginsoy SD, Cenesiz S& Devrim AK

The present study was conducted to investigate whether vitamin C or kefir (a milk-based fermentation product) protected Swiss albino mice from azoxymethane (AOM) toxicity. We also investigated the effect of AOM administration on the induction of metallothionein (MT) expression in mice tissues. 40 12-weekold male/female (20:20) Swiss albino mice with a mean weight of 31.4 g were allocated into four groups. Animals in the first group were the control group. Animals in the other three groups were treated with AOM (5mg/kg body weight) subcutaneously twice weekly for a total of 7 weeks. Animals in the second group were treated only with AOM. Those in the third group were allowed access to kefir (50% wt/vol) ad libitum. Those in the fourth group received vitamin C subcutaneously (500 mg/kg) per day for 7 weeks. Six weeks after the final AOM treatment, all animals were sacrificed and necropsied. AOM administration caused severe liver lesions including enlarged hepatocytes (megalocytes) and many contained enlarged nuclei. Vitamin C and kefir administration clearly reduced the severity of AOM induced liver lesions. Induction of MT expression was observed in the liver and kidneys, particularly in the centrilobular zones and renal cortex, mainly in the distal renal tubules, collecting tubules, Henle's loop, and medulla, respectively. In conclusion, vitamin C and kefir supplementation were found to be able to reduce the severity of hepatotoxic lesions.

229-237
A Novel Animal Model for Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Rabbits - Pathology due to Hemorrhage
by Lin Wang, Meng-liang Zhou, Hui-lin Chen,Wei Wu, Hong-xia Yin & Ji-xin Shi*

The Pathophysiological course of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is not completely understood, such as how and why blood or its lysate can influence the brain. Although many SAH animal models have previously been reported, none are suitable for research in this field. The aim of the present study was to establish such an animal model. Twenty New Zealand rabbits were divided into two groups, a control group and a SAH group (n=10). Blood was lysed using an in vitro freeze-thaw method. After anesthesia, 0.9 ml of cerebrospinal fluid was drawn from both groups. An identical volume of heparinized hemolysate was then slowly injected into the cisterna magna of the SAH group animals. Control group animals while the control group received heparinized isotonic sodium chloride solution. Forty-eight hours post-injection, samples were excised after perfusion fixation for further determinations. The degree of cerebral vasospasm was evaluated by measuring the cross-sectional area of the basilar arterial lumen, and brain damage was examined by TUNEL staining. Weight, blood pressure and saturation of blood oxygen showed no statistical differences between groups. The cross-sectional area of the arterial lumen in the SAH group was roundly 0.402 mm2, which was statistically the same as that for the control group (0.435 mm2). The apoptosis index for the SAH group was significantly higher than that for the control group. Taken together, our results show that this model is effective in reproducing the influence of blood on the brain after SAH and, at the same time, strictly excludes influences on the brain by other factors. Thus, this model can effectively be applied to investigate blood-related neuropathophysiology following SAH.

243-250
Histological and Ultrastructural Findings in Commercial Bred Rabbits Exhibiting Severe Diarrhea
by KM Beltz, MM Rosales & E Morales

The objective of this study was to describe histological and ultrastructural findings in the intestine of 8 rabbits exhibiting severe diarrhea, a problem which occasionally severely effects commerceila rabbit breading operations.. Microscopic lesions from the small and large intestines were very similar to those described in the mucoid enteritis complex. Histological lesions included mucoid neutrophilic or lymphocytic-plasmacytic enteritis with atropy and fusion of the villi, hyperplasia of the goblet cells and submucosal and serosal edema in the small intestine. Escherichia coli was isolated from 3 animals. The ultrastructural study revealed in addition to hyperplasia of goblet cells, loss of microvilli in the small intestine. Furthermore pseudonuclear inclusions surrounded by true nuclear membrane and free intranuclear and intracytoplasmic virus-like particles were observed in all rabbits. It was concluded that the diarrhea had a multi-factorial etiology, probably due to change in feed, bacterial proliferation and bacterial coinfection with enteric virus.