Eight rabbits exhibited head tilt and subsequently died. At necropsy, three rabbits had crusty deposits in ears and four had reddish lungs. The main histopathological features were severe diffuse suppurative meningoencephalitis (75.0% of rabbits), fibrinopurulent pneumonia (37.5%), and otitis externa (37.5%). Pasteurella multocida (P. multocida) was isolated from brains, ears, and lungs. The capsular serogroups of the isolates were untypable. Based on histopathological features and bacterial analysis results, the rabbits were diagnosed as P. multocida infection. P. multocida infections might result in considerable economic loss in commercial rabbit production facilities in Korea.

To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of autoimmune inflammation in the central nervous system, we examined the expression and localization of STAT1, STAT3, STAT4 and STAT6 molecules during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) by competitive PCR. In the present study, we quantitated IL-4 and IL-12 p40 mRNA by competitive PCR in the CNS during EAE. IL-4 mRNA was found at early and peak stages. On the other hand, the IL-12 p40 mRNA level reached maximal levels at the peak stage and still found at the recovery stage of the disease.

This paper describes a naturally occurring case of meningoencephalitis associated with Listeria monocytogenes in a 4 month-old Korean native goat. The goat was raised in a herd consisting of seventy goats, and fed on straw and leftover vegetables including onions, cauliflower, and bean sprouts. The clinical symptoms of the goat were depression, inappetence, anorexia, circling, and recumbency before death. No conspicuous gross lesions were found except consolidation of the lung.

To elucidate the involvement of interleukin-1beta converting enzyme (ICE) in the courseof experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), we induced EAE by immunizing rats with an emulsion of rat spinal cord homogenate with complete Freund's adjuvant supplemented with Mycobacterium tuberculosis(H37Ra, 5mg/ml) and then examined the expression of ICE in the spinal cord of rats with EAE. In normal rate spinal cords, ICE is constitutively, but weakly, expressed in ependmal cells, neurons, and some neuroglial cells. In EAE, many inflammatory cells are positive for ICE, and the majority of ICE+ cells were identified as ED1+ macrophages. During this stage of EAE, the number of ICE+ cells in brain cells, including neurons and astrocytes, increased and these cells also had incresed ICE immunoreactivity. These findings suggest that the upregulation of ICE in both brain cells and invading hematogenous cells is stimulated by a secretory product from inflammatory cells, and that this enzyme is involved in the pathogenesis of EAE via the production of IL-1 beta.

The expression of nestin and vimentin in the spinal nerve roots of rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) was studied to ascertain whether Schwann cells in the peripheral nerves respond to acute central nervous system autoimmune injury. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that nestin was constitutively expressed in the dorsal roots of spinal nerves in control ratsits expression was enhanced in the spinal nerve roots of rats with EAE. Vimentin expression was weak in control rat spinal nerve roots, and it was increased in the dorsal roots of rats with EAE.