Sarcocystid organisms found in bile from a dog with acute hepatitis: a case report and review of intestinal and hepatobiliary Sarcocystidae infections in dogs and cats

Sarcocystidae is a family of coccidian protozoa from the phylum Apicomplexa that includes Toxoplasma, Neospora, Sarcocystis, Hammondia, and Besnoitia spp. All species undergo a 2‐host sexual and asexual cycle. In the definitive host, replication is enteroepithelial, and infection is typically asymptomatic or less commonly causes mild diarrhea. Clinical disease is most frequently observed in the intermediate host, often as an aberrant infection, and is mostly associated with neurologic, muscular, or hepatic inflammation. Here, we review the literature regarding intestinal Sarcocystidae infections in dogs and cats, with emphasis on the life cycle stages and the available diagnostic assays and their limitations. We also report the diagnostic findings for an 11‐year‐old dog with acute neutrophilic hepatitis, biliary protozoa, and negative biliary culture. Although Toxoplasma and Neospora IgG titers were both high, PCR for these 2 organisms was negative for bile. The organisms were identified by 18S rDNA PCR as most consistent with Hammondia, either H heydorni or H triffittae. This is the first report of presumed Hammondia organisms being found in canine bile.     

Effects of butafosfan with or without cyanocobalamin on the metabolism of early lactating cows with subclinical ketosis

Fifty‐one dairy cows with subclinical ketosis were used to investigate the effects of butafosfan alone or in combination with cyanocobalamin on metabolism. Treatments included i.v. injection of 10 ml/100 kg of body weight with butafosfan (BUT) or combined cyanocobalamin with butafosfan (BUTCO) at a similar concentration as in Catosal^®. Control cows (CON) received a 0.9% saline solution. Cows were injected on days 1–3 at 22.3 ± 0.7 days post‐partum. Milk production and composition were not affected by the treatments. In plasma, CON cows had a significantly higher plasma NEFA concentration (0.59 ± 0.03 mm ) across the study period than BUTCO cows (p < 0.05; 0.42 ± 0.03 mm ), whereas the plasma NEFA concentration of BUT was intermediate (0.52 ± 0.03 mm ) but not significantly different from CON. Both BUTCO and BUT cows had lower (p < 0.05) plasma BHBA concentrations (1.02 ± 0.06 mm and 1.21 ± 0.06 mm , respectively) across the study period than CON (1.34 ± 0.06 mm ). Plasma glucose was not different between treatments, but plasma glucagon concentrations were consistently high in BUT compared to BUTCO and CON. Lowest post‐treatment glucagon levels were observed in BUTCO. Hepatic mRNA abundance of liver X receptor α, a nuclear receptor protein involved in lipid metabolism, was higher in BUTCO compared to BUT and CON (p < 0.05) on day 7. Furthermore, on day 7, the mRNA abundance of beta‐hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase 2 was higher in BUTCO compared to BUT and CON (p < 0.01). In conclusion, injections of combined cyanocobalamin with butafosfan post‐partum in early lactation ketotic dairy cows act on lipid metabolism with effects on plasma metabolites, most likely mediated via modified activity of key factors in the liver. Results indicate that the application of butafosfan only in combination with cyanocobalamin exhibits the expected positive effects on metabolism.     

Mechanism of Fuzilizhong decoction alleviating inflammatory damage of rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

AIM To observe the effect of Fuzilizhong decoction on the inflammatory damage of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） rats and to explore its mechanism. METHODS SPF male SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups： control group, model group, high dose （20 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）, middle dose （10 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）, low dose （5 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） Fuzilizhong decoction group and Yishanfu （30 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）group, 8 rats in each group. A NAFLD rat modelwas established by intragastric administration of fat emulsion for 4 weeks. Then the drug was given for 4 weeks in each treatment group. HE staining was performed to observe the histopathological changes of the rat liver.The serum levels of interleukin-2（IL-2）, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α） were measured by ELISA. The expression of toll like receptor 4（TLR4） and NF-κB p65 in liver tissues at mRNA and protein levels was determined by RT-qPCR and Western bolt,respectively. RESULTS Compared with control group, the inflammatory damage of liver tissue was more serious, the serum levels of IL-2, IL-6 and TNF-α, the mRNA expression TLR4 and NF-κB p65 in liver tissues were significantly increased in model group（P<0.05）. However, compared with model group, the liver pathological changes in each treatment group were significantly relieved, the serum levels of IL-2, IL-6 and TNF-α, the mRNA expression of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 in liver tissues were significantly reduced（P<0.05）.In addition, the changes of TLR4 and p-NF-κB p65 protein levels in liver tissue were consistent with the changes of TLR4 and NF-κB p65 mRNA. CONCLUSION Fuzilizhong decoction attenuates the inflammatory damages of NAFLD in rats by inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB p65 signaling pathway.     

博落回急性及亚慢性毒性试验

博落回对小鼠经口急性毒性和对大鼠腹腔注射慢性毒性试验结果表明：博落回生物碱硫酸盐对昆明系小鼠的急性毒性为：水溶液ＬＤ５０＝９００ｍｇ·ｋｇ＾－１，水混悬液ＬＤ５０＝１０４３ｍｇ·ｋｇ＾－１，均属低毒级。博落回注射液对Ｗｉｓｔａｒ大鼠亚慢性毒作用的靶器官主要为肝，长时间或大剂量接毒引起肝细胞变性，增生，使雄性动物肝／体比明显增高，而血清谷－丙转氯酶下降。     

不同植物油对大规格吉富罗非鱼生长性能、组织脂肪酸组成的影响

本试验旨在探究大规格吉富罗非鱼(GIFT)对不同植物油的利用效果,筛选出大规格吉富罗非鱼饲料中合适的植物脂肪源。分别以大豆油(SO)、棕榈油(PO)、棉籽油(CO)、菜籽油(RO)、磷脂油(SL)和大豆油∶棕榈油∶棉籽油∶菜籽油∶磷脂油=1∶1∶1∶1∶1的混合油(MIX)为脂肪源配制6种等氮等脂的试验饲料,饲喂初始体重为(229.92±0.31)g的吉富罗非鱼8周。每种试验饲料投喂4个网箱(重复),每个网箱放养50尾。结果表明:对于增重率和特定生长率,棉籽油组和混合油组显著低于菜籽油组(P0.05)。菜籽油组饲料系数显著低于混合油组(P0.05),其他各组间无显著差异(P0.05)。混合油组蛋白质效率显著低于菜籽油组和磷脂油组(P0.05)。混合油组肝体指数显著高于棕榈油组和菜籽油组(P0.05)。大豆油组、菜籽油组、棕榈油组和磷脂油组在增重率、特定生长率和饲料系数方面没有显著差异(P0.05)。大豆油组和菜籽油组肌肉饱和脂肪酸总量显著低于其他各组(P0.05)。对于肌肉中n-3系脂肪酸/n-6系脂肪酸,菜籽油组显著高于其他各组(P0.05),棉籽油显著低于其他各组(P0.05)。棉籽油组肝脏饱和脂肪酸总量显著高于其他各组(P0.05),菜籽油组则显著低于其他各组(P0.05);对于肝脏n-3/n-6,菜籽油组显著高于其他各组(P0.05)。各组肌肉脂肪酸组成与饲料脂肪酸组成的相关系数均高于肝脏脂肪酸组成与饲料脂肪酸组成的相关系数。在饲料脂肪酸组成与肌肉或肝脏脂肪酸组成的相关系数中,均以棕榈油组最大,磷脂油组最小。由此得出,大豆油、棕榈油、菜籽油和磷脂油可以作为大规格吉富罗非鱼(体重为230~790 g)饲料中良好的脂肪源。大规格吉富罗非鱼肌肉中脂肪酸组成一定程度上被饲料脂肪酸组成影响,但肝脏脂肪酸组成与饲料脂肪酸组成的相关性较小。     

Histopathology of Hematopoietic Tissue in Channel Catfish,Ictalurus punctatus,with Anemia

Outbreaks of anemia (CCA) in channel catfish, Ictalurirs punctatus, in Mississippi occur predominantly during spring and fall. Between October, 1990 and May, 1991, twenty-seven cases of CCA were submitted to the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service-College of Veterinary Medicine Fish Diagnostic Laboratories. Histologic lesions were identified in the head and trunk kidneys of all affected fish. The head kidney contained less than 25% immature hematopoietic tissue in 3 of 22 cases (14%). 25-50% immature hematopoietic tissue in 7 of 22 cases (32%), and greater than 50% immature hematopoietic tissue in 12 of 22 cases (54%). The trunk kidney contained less than 25% immature hematopoietic tissue in 5 of 27 cases (18%), 25-50% immature hematopoietic tissue in 15 of 27 cases (56%), and greater than 50% immature hematopoietic tissue in 7 of 27 cases (26%). The histopathologic findings noted in cases of CCA from Mississippi affect primarily the hematopietic tissues of the head and trunk kidneys.     

An Abattoir Survey on the Frequency of Fatty Liver Syndrome in Dairy Cows from the Suburbs of Tehran

One hundred and six Holstein and Holstein x native cows were inspected before and after slaughter, and liver samples were taken. The fat content of all the liver samples was estimated by an extraction method (Soxhlet). The livers of 29 cows (27%) were classified as fatty. Seventeen of the animals were newly calved, 47 were non-pregnant, 33 were pregnant and 9 were dry, the median values for the fat content of their livers being 60.6, 34.4, 34.7 and 33.8 mg/g, respectively. The median concentration of liver fat in the first group was significantly different from that in each of the other groups (p < 0.01).