Leishmaniasis phytotherapy. Nature's leadership against an ancient disease.

The use of phytotherapy to treat human diseases has its roots in pre-historical times. Despite the modern advances achieved in the field of synthetic chemistry, the most efficient drugs available have their genesis directly or indirectly related with the vegetal kingdom. Indigenous communities have long used plant extracts to treat illnesses. Many of these extracts have shown effective action, with new bioactive compounds being extracted and screened every year. These extracts have also proven to be good sources of therapeutic agents to the treatment of Leishmaniasis. This work highlights some of these agents, while trying to emphasize the importance of plants as a source of new and powerful drugs against this widespread disease.     

Evaluation of Corn Gluten Feed as a Dietary Ingredient for Pond-Raised Channel Catfish Ictalurus punctatus

Abstract.— This study was conducted to evaluate corn gluten feed as an alternative feedstuff in the diet of pond-raised channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus . Three 32%-protein diets containing 0%, 25%, or 50% corn gluten feed were tested. Channel catfish fingerlings (average weight: 57 g/fish) were stocked into 15 0.04-ha ponds at a rate of 18,530 fish/ha. Five ponds were used for each dietary treatment. Fish were fed to satiation once daily for a 147-d growing period. No differences were observed in feed consumption, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, survival, or fillet protein concentration among fish fed the test diets. Fish fed diets containing 25% and 50% corn gluten feed exhibited a lower level of visceral fat and a higher carcass yield than fish fed the control diet without corn gluten feed. The diet containing 50% corn gluten feed resulted in a lower level of fillet fat and a higher level of moisture than the control diet. There were no visible differences in the coloration of skin or fillet of channel catfish fed diets with and without corn gluten feed. Results from this study indicated that channel catfish can efficiently utilize corn gluten feed at levels up to 50%n without adverse effect on feed palatability, weight gain, or feed efficiency. Corn gluten feed may be beneficial in reducing fattiness of channel catfish and improving carcass yield by reducing the digestible energy to protein ratio of the diet.     

Flow cytometric analysis of intracellular complexity and CD45 expression for use in rapid differentiation of leukocytes in bovine blood samples.

OBJECTIVE: To develop an efficient and reliable method that accurately differentiates bovine lymphocytes from monocytes in leukograms. SAMPLE POPULATION: Blood samples from 30 healthy cows and 1 calf with bovine leukocyte adhesion deficiency. PROCEDURE: Flow cytometric analysis of intracellular complexity and CD45 expression on bovine leukocytes was compared with results for conventional light microscopy methods. Verification of leukocyte subpopulations determined by intracellular complexity and CD45 expression was conducted, using 2-color phenotypic analysis with selected monoclonal antibodies. RESULTS: The CD45 and side-scatter properties of bovine leukocytes clearly differentiated cell types, including neutrophils, eosinophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This is a rapid assay that is simple to use. More importantly, it is more accurate than the conventional method that involves the use of blood slides and light microscopy, because of the ability of the assay to readily distinguish bovine monocytes and lymphocytes. Rapid preparation of samples and short analysis times allow for efficient and reliable examination of a large number of samples, and the task of viewing slides by light microscopy is eliminated. The labor-savings benefit of this procedure is most apparent in research environments that require frequent processing of batches of blood samples.     

Periodontal disease. Therapy and prevention

Success in veterinary dentistry lies in good home care and regular, thorough dental prophylaxis. The removal of supragingival and subgingival calculus must be accomplished before periodontal disease can be controlled. When gingival sulcus depths exceed 4 or 5 mm, the gingivae must be excised or reflected to allow proper treatment of the pocket area. Antibiotic therapy should be instituted in the extensively involved veterinary dental patient.     

The effects of experimentally induced fever on the estimated blood flow to and oxygen utilization by the liver and the viscera drained by the portal vein in sheep

Intrajugular injection of a purified E. coli lipopolysaccharide induced a biphasic fever in sheep after a latent period of 12 to 20 min. The changes in the blood flow from the liver and from the viscera drained by the portal vein were: (a) in the latent period, decreases in total hepatic blood flow (THF) due to decreased portal venous blood flow (PVF); (b) during the first febrile phase, increases in THF due to increased hepatic arterial blood flow and, (c) in the second febrile phase, increases in THF due to decreased PVF. Although there were large variations in the oxygen supply to the viscera drained by the portal vein and to the liver, there were relatively small or no changes in their oxygen consumption.     

The failure of selenium supplementation to prevent copper-induced liver damage in Fischer 344 rats.

This study evaluates the ability of selenium (Se) supplementation to prevent experimental copper (Cu)-induced hepatocellular damage. Weanling male Fischer 344 rats were randomly assigned to groups of 15, 3 groups (A,B,C) were fed Cu-loaded diets (containing 2000 microg/g copper, added as CuSO4) and different levels of Se (added as Na2SeO3 x 5H2O) as follows: A) Cu-loaded/Se adequate diet (0.4 microg/g Se, fed basis); B) Cu-loaded/Se-supplemented diet (2 microg/g Se); and C) Cu-loaded/Se-deficient diet (< 0.2 microg/g). Three additional groups (D,E,F) were fed diets containing adequate levels of Cu (14 microg/g Cu, fed basis) and different levels of Se as follows: D) Cu-adequate/Se-adequate diet; E) Cu-adequate/Se-supplemented diet (2 microg/g Se); and F) Cu-adequate/Se-deficient (< 0.2 microg/g) diet. After 4, 8, and 12 weeks on the experimental diets, liver samples were processed for histology, histochemistry, metal analysis, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) measurement, and quantification of malondialdehyde (MDA). Morphologic changes characteristic of Cu-associated hepatitis, without an increase in hepatic MDA levels, were seen in all Cu-loaded rats in each sampling. Similar changes occurred in rats fed Se-adequate, Se-supplemented and Se-deficient diets. This study demonstrates that Fischer 344 rats fed 2000 microg/g Cu develop morphologic changes due to Cu toxicity without evidence of lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, Se supplementation does not result in protection against Cu-induced liver injury.     

Vaccination of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) against Mycobacterium bovis infection with bacille Calmette-Guérin: the response to multiple doses.

In New Zealand, the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula) is the principal wildlife vector of bovine tuberculosis. Control of infected possum populations contributes to the control of tuberculosis in domestic livestock. Vaccination is potentially a complementary strategy to population control, but to be cost-effective, administration of the vaccine to possums would need to be from an appropriately designed automatic vaccinator. Possums themselves would activate the vaccinator so that it would deliver an aerosol spray of vaccine. There would be no direct way to prevent possums receiving multiple doses of vaccine. This study examined the effect on protective immunity of repeated vaccination. Captive possums were vaccinated with BCG strain pasteur 1173P2 either 12 times at weekly intervals, twice at 6-weekly intervals, or once. Vaccination was by a combination of intranasal aerosol and conjunctival instillation. Eight weeks after the last dose of vaccine, all possums were challenged intratracheally with Mycobacterium bovis strain 83/6235. Vaccination induced a significant immune response as measured by the lymphocyte proliferation assay (LPA). A significant level of protection, as measured by the response to challenge, developed in all the vaccinated possum groups, but protection was greatest in the group vaccinated 12 times. It was concluded that protection would be enhanced if vaccinations were repeated at short intervals (weekly), but no benefit or detriment resulted from revaccination after longer intervals (1-2 months).