Autochthonous probiotic as growth promoter and immunomodulator for Astyanax bimaculatus cultured in water recirculation system

This work aimed to evaluate the probiotic Lactobacillus spp. in the microbiota of Astyanax bimaculatus reared in a water recirculation system. The experiment was randomized, using 800 postlarvae distributed into eight polyethylene containers, separated into two treatments, in quadruplicate: supplementation with Lactobacillus spp. (Probiotic) and no supplementation (Control). After 90 days of culture, 13 fish per container were anaesthetized. Three of these underwent microbiological evaluation, and haematological analyses were carried out on five. Immunological assessment was performed on another five fish. Zootechnical parameters were evaluated for all animals. In the microbiological evaluation, the probiotic group presented higher counts of lactic acid bacteria, but lower counts of Vibrio spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Staphylococcus spp., when compared with control. After haematological analysis, the supplemented group presented low haematimetric indices of Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin Concentration and Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCHC and MCH, respectively) and higher amounts of total leucocytes, thrombocytes and circulating monocytes when compared with control. The immunological profile did not differ between treatments. In the zootechnical performance, probiotic group presented higher productivity, survival and apparent food efficiency when compared with control. Therefore, when Lactobacillus spp. was supplemented in the diet of A. bimaculatus, immunocompetence and the zootechnical performance of animals increased.     

Effects of dietary supplementation with probiotic live yeast Debaryomyces hansenii on the immune and antioxidant systems of leopard grouper Mycteroperca rosacea infected with Aeromonas hydrophila

Two trials were conducted to determine the efficacy of fish fed live yeast Debaryomyces hansenii strain CBS 8339 on immune and antioxidant systems in leopard grouper Mycteroperca rosacea infected with Aeromonas hydrophila. Juveniles (12±0.5 g) were fed with a control diet or a D. hansenii‐supplemented diet (10⁶ colony‐forming units per gram) for 5 weeks. The live weight of fish was registered on a weekly basis. After 4 weeks, fish from each treatment were immunocompromised with pathogenic A. hydrophila and further fed for 1 week in order to evaluate the effect on immunological and antioxidant parameters. Generally, the results showed enhanced growth performance in fish fed the diet containing yeast compared with the control. Addition of live yeast had no significant effect on the immunological parameters after 4 weeks of feeding. However, post infection with A. hydrophila fish fed the yeast‐supplemented diet resulted in a significant increase in the levels of plasmatic immunoglobulin M. Superoxide dismutase and catalase (CAT) activities were significantly higher in the yeast group. In this fish, CAT and heat shock protein 70 genes were up‐regulated before and after infection of A. hydrophila. The present study is the first one reporting that yeast (D. hansenii) can enhance immunity and resistance against A. hydrophila.     

Irrigation practices may affect denitrification more than nitrogen mineralization in warm climatic conditions

Predicting the impact of irrigation practices on soil N mineralization and N balance is an important issue to optimize N fertilization and reduce the N losses towards the environment. The effect of summer irrigation on N dynamics was investigated in two arable fields in Southern France. Net N mineralization was assessed by combining frequent measurements of water and mineral N contents in soil and the use of a calculation model (LIXIM). It was first calculated assuming that denitrification was negligible. This hypothesis led to inconsistent results, apparent net N mineralized being smaller under irrigated than non-irrigated conditions and net mineralization kinetics being erratic. The occurrence of denitrification was confirmed by the use of ¹⁵NO₃ tracing in an experiment carried out in summer, including three irrigated treatments. The average ¹⁵N recovery varied from 45% to 85% and was smallest in the most frequently irrigated treatment. Over the 8-week experiment, the N losses varied from 30 to 38 kg ha⁻¹ in the irrigated treatments. They were satisfactorily simulated by a simple denitrification model (NEMIS). Combining the LIXIM model and the simulated or calculated denitrification allowed to predict satisfactorily the evolution of soil mineral N accounting for the effects of temperature and moisture. The net N mineralized for 8 weeks varied from 34 kg N ha⁻¹ in the un-irrigated to 46 kg N ha⁻¹ in the irrigated treatments. The drying–rewetting cycles did not induce a flush of N mineralization. Our results suggest that denitrification has to be accounted for in irrigated systems, particularly in warm conditions and when the topsoil contains high nitrate contents.     

Severity of E. coli mastitis is mainly determined by cow factors

Intramammary infections of dairy cows with Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (major cause of mastitis) have received a lot of attention because of their major economic impact on the dairy farm through production losses induced by an increase in somatic cell count. Management strategies, including greater awareness for efficient milking and hygienic measures, have limited the spread of Gram-positive bacteria and resulted in a significant decrease of proportion of S. aureus isolates and subclinical mastitis worldwide. Other organisms such as coliform subspecies and Streptococcus uberis, both environmental bacteria that cause clinical mastitis, have received less attention. Escherichia coli causes inflammation of the mammary gland in dairy cows around parturition and during early lactation with striking local and sometimes severe systemic clinical symptoms. This disease affects many high producing cows in dairy herds and may cause several cases of death per year in the most severe cases. It is well known that bacterial, cow and environmental factors are interdependent and influence mastitis susceptibility. Many studies, executed during the last decade, indicate that the severity of E. coli mastitis is mainly determined by cow factors rather than by E. coli pathogenicity. During E. coli mastitis, the host defense status is a cardinal factor determining the outcome of the disease. Today, we know that the neutrophil is a key factor in the cows' defense against intramammary infection with E. coli. Effective elimination of the pathogen by neutrophils is important for the resolution of infection and the outcome of E. coli mastitis. This review is a compilation of some major findings over the last 15 years concerning mainly host factors that modulate and influence neutrophil function and the mammary inflammatory reaction. The individual chapters address: virulence factors of E. coli strains, how neutrophils kill E. coli, connection between endotoxins, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and nitric oxide, severity classification of E. coli mastitis, lifespan of neutrophils, host factors that influence severity, tissue damage and production loss.     

Temporal IgG subclasses response in dogs following vaccination against Leishmania with Leishmune®

Canine Visceral Leishmaniasis (CVL) is a widespread zoonotic disease with mandatory euthanasia of infected dogs determined by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Development of vaccines against CVL may provide a prophylactic barrier, but transitory peak of antibody response detected by standard diagnostic techniques in vaccinated dogs may be interpreted as natural infection. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to sequentially evaluate total and IgG subclasses response between naturally Leishmania-infected and dogs vaccinated with Leishmune(?). A total of 172 mongrel dogs were divided in four groups: Group 1 (G1) with 45 clinically healthy dogs, Group 2 (G2) and Group 3 (G3) with 45 dogs naturally infected by Leishmania sp. each, symptomatic and asymptomatic respectively, and G4 (G4) with 37 healthy dogs submitted to a complete protocol of a commercially available vaccine against CVL, monitored and evaluated in 5 different chronological moments (M0-M4) up to 180 days after M0. Total IgG, IgG1 and IgG2 were unable to differentiate between infected (G2 and G3) and vaccinated (G4) dogs, demonstrating that polyclonal commercial antibodies do not distinguish these groups apart. Total and IgG subclasses antibodies were not detected until 21 days of the second vaccination dose; however, seroconversion was observed on 21 days and sustained positivity up to 6 months after the vaccination start. A peak of antibodies response was observed on 90 days (M3), when results for total IgG, IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4 where highly significant when compared to M0 (P<0.0001). Neither total IgG nor IgG1 effectively differentiated between infected (G2 and G3) and vaccinated (G4) dogs. In conclusion, despite dogs may test serologically negative immediately after vaccination against CVL with Leishmune(?), subsequent seroconversion, antibody peak and positivity up to six months may lead vaccinated dogs to be mistakenly identified as naturally infected dogs during this period.     

Developing fertilizer recommendations for rice in Sub-Saharan Africa,achievements and opportunities

Improving agricultural productivity to keep pace with the fast-growing food demand is a huge challenge for sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Fertilizer is a powerful productivity-enhancing input; nevertheless, farmers of SSA use only 5–9 kg ha^?1 of fertilizer, which is ten times lesser than Latin America and Asia (50 and 80 kg ha^?1, respectively). Rice (Oryza sativa) is one of the most important food crops of SSA, and its consumption is growing faster than any other commodity in Africa. Rice-based systems have high potential for improving food production through an efficient management of fertilizers. The biophysical environment, cropping systems and socio-economic status of farmers including market opportunities are the main factors for developing appropriate fertilizer recommendations. Many research efforts have been invested in different countries to develop fertilizer recommendation for rice. However, the diversity of rice ecologies, the type and the cost of fertilizers available on local market are the main constraints for development of blanket recommendations of fertilizer usually applied in many countries. Here, we make a reviews of the progress made on the development of fertilizer recommendations for rice-based systems in SSA. The utilization of the new concepts and decisions support tools for development of fertilizer recommendation and the main achievements and weakness are discussed. The opportunities offered by the new concepts, modeling and decision support tools are discussed in a regional strategic approach for better management of fertilizers in the diversified ecologies of rice-based systems.     

EFFICACY AND TOXICITY OF AN ACCELERATED HYPOFRACTIONATED RADIATION THERAPY PROTOCOL IN CATS WITH ORAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common feline oral tumor. Standard radiation protocols have been reported to achieve tumor control durations of 1.5–5.5 months (45–165 days). The purpose of this study was to describe the efficacy and toxicity of an accelerated hypofractionated radiation therapy protocol in cats with oral SCC. Twenty‐one cats with histologically confirmed oral SCC and T1‐3N0M0 were treated with 10 once‐daily fractions (Monday–Friday) of 4.8 Gy. Seventeen cats had macroscopic disease and four were microscopic after incomplete excision. Acute toxicity consisted of grade 2 mucositis in all cats and this was effectively managed using esophageal or gastric tube feeding, pain medication, and antibiotics. Late toxicity effects for cats with available follow‐up data included alopecia (4 cats), leukotricia (6), tongue ulceration (1), and oronasal fistula (1). Response could be assessed in 17 cats (seven complete response and five partial response). Four cats (19%) developed metastatic disease without evidence of local progression. The median progression‐free survival (PFS) was 105 days (1 year PFS of 23%), median local progression‐free survival (LPFS) was 219 days (1 year LPFS of 41%), and median overall survival (OS) was 174 days (1 year OS of 29%). Only tumor stage was prognostic, with T1 having a median PFS of 590 days. Findings indicated that this accelerated hypofractionated radiation therapy protocol was well tolerated in cats with oral SCC, with manageable adverse events. Tumor response was observed in most cats and long tumor control durations were achieved in some cats.     

Amblyomma variegatum in cattle in Marie Galante, French Antilles: prevalence, control measures, and infection by Ehrlichia ruminantium

We report Marie Galante as one of the Caribbean islands most heavily infested by the tropical bont tick (TBT) Amblyomma variegatum which is associated with two major diseases of ruminants: heartwater and dermatophilosis. In 2005, a survey was undertaken to assess the prevalence of TBT infestation in cattle, the prevalence of Ehrlichia ruminantium infection in TBTs, and the tick control measures implemented by livestock owners. A random sample of 195 cattle herds out of 1885 recorded on the island was investigated by thoroughly counting adult ticks on each animal and filling a questionnaire. A randomly collected sample of 136 TBTs was tested for infection by E. ruminantium by pCS20 nested PCR. Cattle herd prevalence (hp) was 73.8% for infestation by at least one TBT, 17.9% for infestation by at least one engorged female TBT, and 8.2% for clinical dermatophilosis. Cattle individual prevalence was 42.3% for infestation by at least one TBT, 6.6% for infestation by at least one engorged female TBT, and 2.2% for clinical dermatophilosis. The minimum, maximum and average numbers of TBTs per infested animal were, respectively 1, 108 and 11.5. Prevalence of TBT infection by E. ruminantium was 19.1%. No significant difference in herd prevalence was found among parishes or among ecological zones. For cattle owners treating against ticks (97.9% of all owners), all used aspersion of amitraz and herd prevalence was significantly different among those treating every 1-2-week (hp=69.6%, n=148), and less often than every 2-week (hp=88.6%, n=35) (P=0.031). Of the 42 herd subunits treated less than 4 days before the survey, 27 (64%) were infested with at least one TBT, and 6 (14%) with at least one engorged female TBT. These results indicate a high level of TBT infestation in Marie Galante, the inefficacy of tick treatments currently performed, and the need for an improved tick control strategy. Persisting high levels of infestation in Marie Galante threaten the success of on-going TBT eradication programs in the Caribbean because TBT can spread through migrating birds and trade of animals or of animal hides to other islands and potentially the American continent.