Elephant endotheliotropic herpesviruses (EEHVs) can cause fatal hemorrhagic disease in juvenile Asian elephants (Elephas maximus); however, sporadic shedding of virus in trunk washes collected from healthy elephants also has been detected. Data regarding the relationship of viral loads in blood compared with trunk washes are lacking, and questions about whether elephants can undergo multiple infections with EEHVs have not been addressed previously. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the kinetics of EEHV1 loads, and genotypic analysis was performed on EEHV1 DNA detected in various fluid samples obtained from five Asian elephants that survived detectable EEHV1 DNAemia on at least two separate occasions. In three elephants displaying clinical signs of illness, preclinical EEHV1 DNAemia was detectable, and peak whole-blood viral loads occurred 3–8 days after the onset of clinical signs. In two elephants with EEHV1 DNAemia that persisted for 7–21 days, no clinical signs of illness were observed. Detection of EEHV1 DNA in trunk washes peaked approximately 21 days after DNAemia, and viral genotypes detected during DNAemia matched those detected in subsequent trunk washes from the same elephant. In each of the five elephants, two distinct EEHV1 genotypes were identified in whole blood and trunk washes at different time points. In each case, these genotypes represented both an EEHV1A and an EEHV1B subtype. These data suggest that knowledge of viral loads could be useful for the management of elephants before or during clinical illness. Furthermore, sequential infection with both EEHV1 subtypes occurs in Asian elephants, suggesting that they do not elicit cross-protective sterilizing immunity. These data will be useful to individuals involved in the husbandry and clinical care of Asian elephants.

In previous studies we have characterized the expression of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein in clathrin-coated vesicles derived from bovine brain and in neurons of rat brain. In this study we have further characterized the expression of the CFTR protein mRNA and protein in rat brain with reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction amplification (RT-PCR), in situ hybridization, and immunocytochemistry. The expression of CFTR mRNA and protein in discrete areas of brain, including the hypothalamus, thalamus, and amygdaloid nuclei, which are involved in regulation of appetite and resting energy expenditure, is identical. The presence of CFTR in neurons localized to these regions of brain controlling homeostasis and energy expenditure may elucidate the pathogenesis of other nonpulmonary and gastrointestinal manifestations which commonly are observed in children with cystic fibrosis. Dysregulation of normal neuropeptide vesicle trafficking by mutant CFTR in brain may serve as a pathogenic mechanism for disruption of homeostasis. (J. Clin. Invest. 1995. 96:646-652.)

Abstract. Acute phase protein (APP) immunoassays and serum protein electrophoresis (SPEP) are assays for evaluating the inflammatory response and have use as diagnostic tools in a variety of species. Acute phase proteins are markers of inflammation that are highly conserved across different species while SPEP separates and quantifies serum protein fractions based on their physical properties. In the current study, serum samples from 35 clinically healthy Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) were analyzed using automated assays for C-reactive protein, serum amyloid A, and haptoglobin and SPEP. Robust methods were used to generate reference intervals for the APPs: C-reactive protein (1.3-12.8 mg/l), serum amyloid A (0-47.5 mg/l), and haptoglobin (0-1.10 mg/ml). In addition, SPEP was performed on these samples to establish reference intervals for each protein fraction. A combination of APPs and SPEP measurements are valuable adjunctive diagnostic tools in elephant health care.Key words: Acute phase protein; acute phase response; Asian elephants; Elephas maximus; serum amyloid A; serum protein electrophoresis.Acute phase proteins in Asian elephants 617 inflammatory disease. 8,14 Acute phase proteins are impressively conserved among different species, and reagents made for human APPs have been demonstrated to be cross-reactive in many animal species. 1,2,[4][5][6][7][8][9]14,15,[17][18][19]26 Validation of these reagents has been based on standard methods in clinical pathology (coefficient of variation, linearity under dilution, and recovery analyses) and examination of samples from clinically abnormal animals with known inflammatory processes. 1,2,4,5,7,8,14,18,26 In captive nondomestic species, concurrent measurement of APPs and SPEP fractions are noninvasive assays that can supplement and extend the baseline information obtained from the complete blood cell count, fibrinogen, and standard serum chemistry panels.The objective of the current study was to provide preliminary reference intervals for both APP and SPEP fractions from healthy, captive, Asian elephants housed in North America. A secondary objective was to compare APPs and SPEP protein measurements and determine their potential clinical value from an opportunistic sampling of Asian elephants, categorized either as having observable clinical problems or as clinically healthy.Serum samples were obtained from 35 healthy Asian elephants (group A) ranging in age from 3 to 66 years. Within group A, there were 6 intact males, 1 castrated male, and 28 females. The clinical health of the animals was verified by a review of the medical history and visual physical examination. Elephants were kept in an indoor-outdoor enclosure during daylight hours at a private facility in central Florida. The animals were fed ad libitum grass and orchard hay, various browse species, supplemental bread, fresh fruit, and elephant supplement d-alpha-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1,000 succinate (TPGS), a a form of vitamin E. Using standard phlebotomy techniques, approximately 6-9 ml of v...