Jpn. J. Infect.Dis., 52 (6), 242-244, 1999

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Short Communication

Exacerbated Spongiform Lesions in the Cerebral Cortex in Japanese Sheep, in an Outbreak of Scrapie during 1984-1987

Shigeru Mizoi, Tomoo Yoshino¹, Eiichi Momotani², Atsutaka Kubosaki³, Yuko Nakamura³ and Takashi Onodera³*

Hokkaido Nemuro Livestock Hygene Service Center, Betukai-cho, Hokkaido 086-0214, ¹Rakuno Gakuen University, Ebetsu, Hokkaido 069-8501, ²National Institute of Animal Health, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0856 and ³Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tokyo, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan

(Received November 1, 1999. Accepted December 3, 1999)

SUMMARY: The present study dealt with the pathology of natural scrapie in Japanese Suffolk sheep in a certain selected area. Vacuolations in the cytoplasm of neurons were conspicuous. They were particularly evident in many areas of the medulla and pons, extending into and through pedunculus cerebri and thalamus to the septal area and olfactory tubercle. Proliferation of astrocytes was also easily observed with glial fibrillary acidic protein staining. Neural vacuolations in the cerebral cortex were
observed in 73% of the cases. Abnormal prion protein deposits were seen in all cases observed by hydrolytic autoclaving, and subsequent peroxidase and anti-peroxidase immunostaining. Abnormal prion protein staining was the most conspicuous in the polymorphic layers of the hippocampus.

* Corresponding author: Tel: +81-3-5841-5196, Fax :+81-3-5841-8020,
E-mail: aonoder@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp

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