Isolation,identification and antibiotic resistance of Campylobacter strains isolated from domestic and free-living pigeons

1. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of Campylobacter spp. in domestic and free-living pigeons and to evaluate the antibiotic resistance profiles.

2. The material consisted of cloacal swabs obtained from 108 homing pigeons and fresh faeces from 72 wild birds from Lublin and its vicinity. The identification of strains isolated on differential/selective media for Campylobacter spp. was carried out by MALDI-TOF and PCR. The susceptibility to antibiotics was evaluated by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) in Mueller-Hinton broth.

3. A total of 35 strains of Campylobacter spp. were isolated; 27 were identified as Campylobacter jejuni and 8 as Campylobacter coli. Over half of the isolates were resistant to erythromycin and streptomycin, 40% of strains were resistant to tetracycline and ampicillin and 37% isolates were resistant to amoxicillin. Resistance to two or more antibiotics was observed in all strains tested.

4. The results indicate that both domestic and free-living pigeons are reservoirs for bacteria of the genus Campylobacter, which are characterised by varied and growing resistance to commonly used antibiotics.     

Pharmacokinetic investigations of the marker active metabolites 4‐methylamino‐antipyrine and 4‐amino‐antipyrine after intramuscular injection of metamizole in healthy piglets

Metamizole (MT) is a pyrazolone nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug labelled for humans and animals. The aim of this study was to assess the pharmacokinetics of its active metabolites 4‐methylamino‐antipyrine (MAA) and 4‐amino‐antipyrine (AA) in male piglets after a single intramuscular injection of MT. Eight healthy male piglets were administered MT (100 mg/kg) intramuscularly. Blood was sampled at scheduled time intervals, and drug plasma concentrations evaluated by a validated HPLC method. MAA and AA plasma concentrations were quantitatively detectable from 0.25 to 48 h and 0.50 to 72 h, respectively, in 6 of 8 and 7 of 8 animals. The average maximum concentrations of MAA and AA were of 47.59 and 4.94 mg/mL, respectively. The average half‐lives were 8.57 and 13.3 h for MAA and AA, respectively. This study showed that the amount of MAA and AA produced in piglets is different to that in the animal species previously investigated. Further studies are necessary to understand whether these differences in MAA and AA plasma concentrations between animal species necessitate diverse therapeutic drug dosing.     

Über die unterschiedliche Reaktion der Chromosomen des Sproß-und Wurzelmeristems von Gerste gegenüber mutagener Behandlung

Zusammenfassung Nach Einwirkung von Nitrosomethylharnstoff (NMH) auf Gerstenkaryopsen wurden die Prozentsätze geschädigter Zellen mit Chromosomenaberrationen in der mittleren Anaphase bis frühen Telophase für Wurzel- und Sproßmeristem im 1. Mitosezyklus der Keimung ermittelt. Eine geringfügig stärkere Wirkung auf das Wurzelmeristem ist nicht signifikant.Eine Vorbehandlung mit Äthylendiaminotetraessigsäure (ÄDTE) sensibilisierte die Chromosomen gegenüber der radiomimetischen Wirkung von NMH in beiden Meristemen. Der durch ÄDTE verursachte Sensibilisierungseffekt betraf das Wurzelmeristem in signifikant stärkerem Maße als das Sproßmeristem.Unterschiede in der Permeabilität und im Mitoserhythmus zwischen Sproß-und Wurzelmeristem konnten als mögliche Ursachen der beobachteten Differenzen ausgeschlossen werden. Es wird vermutet, daß die ermittelten Differenzen in kausalem Zusammenhang mit stoffwechselphysiologischen Verschiedenheiten zwischen beiden Meristemen stehen.Die Befunde zeigen, daß im Wurzelmeristem ermittelte Chromosomenaberrationsfrequenzen nicht ohne weiteres auf das Sproßmeristem übertragen werden dürfen, wie das vielfach geschieht.

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Summary The percentages of damaged cells with chromosomal bridges or fragments in the middle ana- to early telophase were determined in barley seeds treated with nitrosomethylurea (NU), after various recovery times in the first mitotic cycle, both for shoot and root meristems. A slightly higher effect in the root meristem is not significant.Pretreatment with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) sensitized the chromosomes against the radiomimetic effects of NU in both meristems. This EDTA-dependent sensitization affected the root meristem to a significantly greater extent than the shoot meristem.Differences in permeability or in duration of mitosis could be excluded as a possible cause for the observed differences. It appears probable that the found differences are caused by specific metabolic features of both meristems.These findings indicate that one cannot infer, as sometimes done, the situation in the shoot meristem directly from the known frequencies of chromosomal aberrations in the root.

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Affinity of microorganisms of the genus Ureaplasma to the reproductive organs of cattle

The purpose of this work was to define more precisely the role of Ureaplasma organisms in the aetiology of granular vulvovaginitis and balanoposthitis (GVVBP) of cattle. To contribute to this question the frequency and degree of infection with Ureaplasmas in two main groups of cattle was taken into account: (a) in cattle with symptoms of the mentioned disease, (b) in cattle without clinical symptoms. The samples of semen from 301 sires with symptoms of GVVBP and from 43 healthy sires as also vaginal mucus swabs from 96 cows with GVVBP and from 40 cows mated by the sire infected with Ureaplasma organisms and from 50 cows inseminated with semen which contained Ureaplasma organisms were taken for bacteriological examinations. The control group in relation to the above mentioned cows constituted of 22 heifers free from symptoms of GVVBP and neither inseminated nor mated naturally. It has been shown that on an average 78.1% of sires with pathological changes in the mucosa of the penis or prepuce and only 25.6% of healthy sires were infected with Ureaplasma organisms. The concentration of Ureaplasma organisms was also significantly higher in material obtained from sires with symptoms of the disease than in that from healthy animals. Ureaplasma organisms were demonstrated more frequently (72.7%) in cows with GVVBP than in cows without these symptoms (13.3%). Similarly, as in the material obtained from sires, in the material taken from cows with symptoms of the disease the concentration of Ureaplasma organisms was significantly higher than that in the material originating from the healthy cows. The obtained findings may indicate that Ureaplasma organisms play a role in the aetiology of GVVBP.     

Differential effects of heparin on NO and tumor necrosis factor-alpha production in bovine blood mononuclear cells stimulated with Salmonella typhimurium lipopolisaccharide.

We investigated the influence of heparin, one of the extracellular matrix (ECM) components, on nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) production by bovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and monocytes left to adhere for 2 (freshly adherent monocytes) and 48 h (resting monocytes), activated with Salmonella typhimurium lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After 24-h stimulation with LPS, heparin (100 microg/ml) increased (by about 40%) NO production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells and by freshly adherent monocytes. However, it did not change NO synthesis by the resting monocytes. Unlike its influence on NO level, heparin diminished TNF-alpha production by PBMC and monocytes stimulated with LPS. Microscopical examination of PBMC stained with biotin-labeled heparin, showed that both lymphocytes and monocytes were able to bind this glycosaminoglycan. We suggest that heparin, as a component of ECM, modulates the early response of monocytes to exogenous stimuli.     

Porcine theca cells produce immunoreactive beta-endorphin and change steroidogenesis in response to opioid agonist.

In earlier in vitro experiments opioids affected steroidogenesis in porcine luteal and granulosa cells. The present studies were undertaken to examine the effects of FK 33-824 (opioid agonist) alone or in combination with LH, PRL or naloxone (NAL, opioid antagonist) on steroidogenesis in cultured porcine theca cells. Moreover, we have tested beta-endorphin-like immunoreactivity (beta-END-LI) concentrations in culture media under control conditions and following treatments of theca cells with LH, PRL, progesterone (P4), oestradiol (E2) or testosterone (T). FK 33-824 and NAL significantly increased P4 release by theca cells and inhibited stimulatory effect of LH on this steroid output. PRL-induced P4 secretion from the cells was blunted only by FK 33-824. Secretion of androstenedione (A4) and T was essentially elevated in the presence of FK 33-824 and this potentiation of both androgen release was completely abolished by PRL. NAL blocked stimulatory effect of the opioid agonist only in case of T. Secretion of oestradiol and oestrone was completely free from the influence of both the opioid agonist and antagonist. Pig theca cells were able to produce beta-END-LI but none of tested hormones (LH, PRL, P4, E2 and T alone or in combination) significantly affected this production. In conclusion, these data indicate that porcine theca cells may produce beta-END-LI and change their steroidogenesis in response to opioid peptides.