Essential oils and their components as promising approach for gastropod mollusc control: a review

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection -  Despite the great benefits of using synthetic molluscicides as mollusc control agents, they can destroy the entire ecosystems,...     

Anti-Hepatozoon canis serum antibodies and gamonts in naturally-occurring canine monocytic ehrlichiosis

The prevalence of IgG antibodies to Hepatozoon canis and the presence of gamonts in the blood and hemolymphatic tissues were studied in dogs with canine monocytic ehrlichiosis (CME) caused by Ehrlichia canis. Both pathogens are transmitted by the tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Forty-five out of 69 (65.2%) dogs with CME were seropositive to H. canis by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Intra-neutrophilic gamonts of H. canis were found in 2 out of 69 dogs (2.9%) comprising 4.5% of the seropositive dogs. The present study indicated that the prevalence of antibodies to H. canis was high among dogs with CME in an area where both infections are endemic. However, previous exposure to H. canis was not found as an important contributor to clinical or clinicopathologic abnormalities found in dogs with CME.     

Aortic thromboembolism associated with Spirocerca lupi infection

A 2-year-old male castrated Cavalier King Charles Spaniel was presented with paraplegia, cold caudal extremities and lack of femoral pulses. A 2 cm long thrombus occluding the aortic trifurcation and a 3 cm long abdominal aortic aneurysm with a thrombus were detected by ultrasonographic examination. The clinical and ultrasonographic findings were consistent with aortic thromboembolism. Anti-thrombotic and vasodilative therapy was not helpful and the dog was euthanized 3 days after the onset of paraplegia. A thrombus in the aortic trifurcation, multiple thoracic and abdominal aneurysms and a distal mediastinal esophageal granuloma containing Spirocera lupi worms were found on necropsy. The abdominal aortic aneurysms formed by S. lupi larval migration are believed to be responsible for the formation of the thrombus that occluded the aortic trifurcation. This is the first report of aortic thromboembolism associated with S. lupi infection.     

Detection of Ehrlichia canis by PCR in different tissues obtained during necropsy from dogs surveyed for naturally occurring canine monocytic ehrlichiosis

A molecular study for the detection of Ehrlichia canis was carried out on tissues obtained at necropsy from randomly selected dogs with the intention of investigating naturally-occurring canine ehrlichiosis. The tissues evaluated for the presence of E. canis included lymph nodes, spleen, liver, bone marrow, and blood. Eight of the 18 dogs included were found to be positive for E. canis by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Two dogs were positive for Anaplasma platys of which one dog was co-infected with E. canis and A. platys. Blood (5/8) and lymph nodes (5/8) were the tissues found to yield the highest number of positive E. canis PCR results with 7/8 dogs positive in the blood or lymph node. E. canis and A. platys DNA could be amplified by PCR when tissue samples were obtained 72h after the time of death.     

Hepatozoon canis infection causing a strong monocytosis with intra‐monocytic gamonts and leading to erroneous leukocyte determinations

In this case report, a Swedish flat‐coated retriever was diagnosed with an extensive Hepatozoon canis infection. The dog had a prominent monocytosis (14.0 × 10⁹/L) with H canis gamonts detected in most monocytes, but none were found in the neutrophils. On the hematology system ADVIA 2120 peroxidase (PEROX) cytogram, most leukocytes were seen as a distinct cell population above the lymphocytes, which indicated that most of the cells were larger than lymphocytes and had weak myeloperoxidase staining. This distinct cell cluster appeared to be of a single cell type but was incorrectly divided by the ADVIA 2120 into lymphocytes, monocytes, and large unstained cells (LUC). The total leukocyte counts on the ADVIA 2120 WBC basophil (BASO) channel were much higher than that on the WBC PEROX count. The WBC BASO cytogram appeared abnormal with two parallel cell populations, so the BASO WBC count was considered erroneous. Polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing verified H canis infection. The dog was treated with subcutaneous imidocarb dipropionate (6 mg/kg) injections every other week. Post‐treatment hematology analyses indicated that the percentage of parasitized leukocytes decreased from 40% to 5% about 4 weeks after the start of treatment and were not found in any monocytes 6 weeks after the beginning of the treatment. In conclusion, H canis infection in this dog was associated with a strong monocytosis, and gamonts were present in many monocytes, which caused aberrant automated leukocyte counts to occur.     

Neospora caninum and Ehrlichia canis co‐infection in a dog with meningoencephalitis

An 8‐year‐old mixed‐breed dog was presented for acute, progressive weakness and ataxia, inappetence, and weight loss. The patient was mentally normal, but nonambulatory, with a right head tilt, right positional ventral strabismus, and slight head tremors. A neurologic lesion was localized to the cerebellum and right brainstem. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis showed a markedly increased protein concentration and mixed pleocytosis, with eosinophil predominance (44%), intracytoplasmic inclusions within eosinophils, consistent with Ehrlichia canis (E canis) morulae, and Toxoplasma gondii (T gondii) or Neospora caninum (N caninum) tachyzoites within eosinophils and monocytes. A serum indirect immunofluorescent antibody test was positive for N caninum (titer 1:12 800) and negative for T gondii. Both blood and CSF PCR results were N caninum‐ and E canis‐positive and T gondii‐ and Anaplasma phagocytophilum‐negative, and blood PCR, but not CSF PCR, was Hepatozoon canis‐positive. The dog was treated for 30 days with clindamycin, sulfamethoxazole‐trimethoprim, doxycycline, prednisone, and cephalosporin, but did not improve neurologically, and was euthanized. Brain histopathology showed moderate multifocal, subacute meningoencephalitis with necrosis and gliosis. The neurologic disease was mostly attributed to central nervous system (CNS) neosporosis, with the possible contribution of ehrlichiosis, which was likely a manifestation of blood‐brain barrier disruption. Hepatozoonosis was probably a result or cause of underlying immunosuppression. To our knowledge, this is the first report of CNSN caninum and E canis co‐infection detected by both CSF PCR and cytology and E canis morulae identified within CSF eosinophils.     

Isolation of radiolabeled isoflavones from kudzu (Pueraria lobata) root cultures

Isoflavones have potential for preventing and treating several chronic health conditions, such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. In this study, radiolabeled isoflavones were recovered from kudzu (Pueraria lobata) root cultures after incubation with uniformly labeled (14)C-sucrose in the culture medium for 21 days. Approximately 19% of administered label was recovered in the isoflavone-rich dried extracts of kudzu root cultures (90.2 microCi/g or 3.3 MBq/g extract). HPLC-PDA analysis revealed the predominant isoflavones isolated from kudzu root cultures to be puerarin, daidzin, and malonyl-daidzin. The average concentration of the major isoflavone puerarin in kudzu root cultures was 33.6 mg/g extract, with a specific activity of 63.5 microCi/g (2.3 MBq/g). The isolated isoflavones were sufficiently (14)C-labeled to permit utilization for subsequent in vivo metabolic tracking studies.     

Development,and genetic and metabolic characterization of new tomato mutants with enhanced and deficient carotenoid content

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a valuable vegetable crop rich in health-protective carotenoids, but breeding improvements are limited by its narrow genetic diversity. New mutants with enhanced and deficient carotenoid content in a single genetic background of tomato cv. MicroTom were developed via chemical mutagenesis. Genetic and metabolic analyses showed that mutant DC260, which exhibited fruit color alteration from red to deep red interlaced with orange color, had significant (P < 0.05) increases of lycopene (up to 42.8%) and ß-carotene (up to 61.5%) compared with control plants. Pearson correlation analysis of M1 and M2 generations in DC260 revealed that fruit color alteration was significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with lycopene (coefficient = 0.55) and ß-carotene content (coefficient = 0.63). The fruit color alteration of DC260 was controlled by a single gene at a heterozygous locus. In contrast, mutant DC107 and DC624, which exhibited fruit color alteration from red to orange-yellow, was significantly (P < 0.05) carotenoid-deficient with up to 346.3-, 10.8-, and 185.2- fold reductions of lycopene, ß-carotene, and total carotenoids, respectively, compared with the control plants. Carotenoid deficiency in DC170 and DC624 was responsible for the fruit color alteration and was controlled by a dominant gene at a homozygous locus.     

Perspectives on canine and feline hepatozoonosis

Two species of Hepatozoon are currently known to infect dogs and cause distinct diseases. Hepatozoon canis prevalent in Africa, Asia, southern Europe, South America and recently shown to be present also in the USA causes infection mainly of hemolymphoid organs, whereas Hepatozoon americanum prevalent in the southeastern USA causes myositis and severe lameness. H. americanum is transmitted by ingestion of the Gulf Coast tick Amblyomma maculatum and also by predation on infected prey. H. canis is transmitted by Rhipicephalus sanguineus, in South America also by Amblyomma ovale, and has also been shown to be transmitted transplacentally. Hepatozoonosis of domestic cats has been described mostly from the same areas where canine infection is present and the exact identity of the species which infect cats, their pathogenicity and vectors have not been elucidated. The diagnosis of hepatozoonosis is made by observation of gamonts in blood smears, histopathology, PCR or serology. The main treatment for H. canis is with imidocarb dipropionate whereas H. americanum infection is treated with an initial combination of trimethoprim-sulfadiazine, pyrimethamine and clindamycin followed by maintenance with decoquinate. Treatment for both diseases has not been reported to facilitate complete parasite elimination and new effective drugs are needed for the management of these infections. Prevention of hepatozoonosis should be based on avoidance of oral ingestion of infected tick vectors and infected prey.     

Babesiosis in dogs and cats--expanding parasitological and clinical spectra

Canine babesiosis caused by different Babesia species is a protozoal tick-borne disease with worldwide distribution and global significance. Historically, Babesia infection in dogs was identified based on the morphologic appearance of the parasite in the erythrocyte. All large forms of Babesia were designated Babesia canis, whereas all small forms of Babesia were considered to be Babesia gibsoni. However, the development of molecular methods has demonstrated that other Babesia species such as Babesia conradae, Babesia microti like piroplasm, Theileria spp. and a yet unnamed large form Babesia spp. infect dogs and cause distinct diseases. Babesia rossi, B. canis and Babesia vogeli previously considered as subspecies are identical morphologically but differ in the severity of clinical manifestations which they induce, their tick vectors, genetic characteristics, and geographic distributions, and are therefore currently considered separate species. The geographic distribution of the causative agent and thus the occurrence of babesiosis are largely dependent on the habitat of relevant tick vector species, with the exception of B. gibsoni where evidence for dog to dog transmission indicates that infection can be transmitted among fighting dog breeds independently of the limitations of vector tick infestation. Knowledge of the prevalence and clinicopathological aspects of Babesia species infecting dogs around the world is of epidemiologic and medical interest. Babesiosis in domestic cats is less common and has mostly been reported from South Africa where infection is mainly due to Babesia felis, a small Babesia that causes anemia and icterus. In addition, Babesia cati was reported from India and sporadic cases of B. canis infection in domestic cats have been reported in Europe, B. canis presentii in Israel and B. vogeli in Thailand. Babesiosis caused by large Babesia spp. is commonly treated with imidocarb dipropionate with good clinical response while small Babesia spp. are more resistant to anti-babesial therapy. Clinical and parasitological cure are often not achieved in the treatment of small Babesia species infections and clinical relapses are frequent. The spectrum of Babesia pathogens that infect dogs and cats is gradually being elucidated with the aid of molecular techniques and meticulous clinical investigation. Accurate detection and species recognition are important for the selection of the correct therapy and prediction of the course of disease.