The Healing Potential of Plantago lanceolata Ointment on Collagenase-Induced Tendinitis in Burros (Equus asinus)

This study was carried out to evaluate the healing potential of water-soluble extract of Plantago lanceolata as a topical ointment on experimental tendinitis in burros. Tendinitis was induced by injection of 2,500 U of bacterial collagenase in the superficial digital flexor tendon of both forelimbs of six male burros. Tendinitis was confirmed ultrasonographically. 48 hours after collagenase injection, two grams of 10% P lanceolata ointment was applied on one limb (treatment group) and the same amount of eucerin (the vehicle of the ointment) on the other limb (control group), every other day for 6 weeks. Ultrasonographic examination of the tendon was performed weekly during the study and mean cross-sectional area of the superficial digital flexor tendon was measured, which was found to increase significantly after injection of collagenase in both groups. From the third week, it decreased significantly in the treatment group in comparison with the control group. At the end of the study, the animals were euthanized for histopathological study of the tendons. In control group, degenerative changes in tendon could be seen, whereas significant degree of healing was observed in the treatment group. It can thus be concluded that the P lanceolata ointment was effective in promoting the healing process of the tendon.     

Effect of tebuconazole-tolerant and plant growth promoting Rhizobium isolate MRP1 on pea–Rhizobium symbiosis

Seed dressing with fungicides adversely affects the structure and function of beneficial soil microbial communities and consequently crop yield. This study was aimed to evaluate the impact of technical-grade fungicide tebuconazole on plant growth promoting potentials of tebuconazole-tolerant Rhizobium isolate MRP1. The performance of the isolate MRP1-inoculated pea plants grown in tebuconazole treated soils was also assessed. Generally, the three concentrations [100 (recommended dose), 200 and 300 μg kg⁻¹ soil] of tebuconazole when used alone, adversely affected the growth, symbiosis, grain yield and nutrient uptake by pea plants. Concentration dependent phytotoxicity of tebuconazole was observed for all the measured parameters. On the contrary, fungicide tolerant Rhizobium sp. MRP1 in the presence of fungicide increased the measured parameters at all tested concentrations. As an example, when inoculant MRP1 was also used with 300 μg tebuconazole kg⁻¹ soil, it substantially increased the root nitrogen, shoot nitrogen, root P, shoot P, seed yield and grain protein by 20, 19, 50, 31, 15 and 7%, respectively, when compared with uninoculated plants grown in fungicide-treated soils. The study suggests that the plant growth promoting Rhizobium sp. MRP1 can be used as bacterial inoculant to increase the production of pea in soils polluted with fungicides.     

SnToxA,SnTox1, and SnTox3 originated in Parastagonospora nodorum in the Fertile Crescent

The centre of origin of the globally distributed wheat pathogen Parastagonospora nodorum has remained uncertain because only a small number of isolates from the Fertile Crescent were included in earlier population genetic and phylogeographic studies. We isolated and genetically analysed 193 P. nodorum strains from three naturally infected wheat fields distributed across Iran using 11 neutral microsatellite loci. Compared to previous studies that included populations from North America, Europe, Africa, Australia, and China, the populations from Iran had the highest genetic diversity globally and also exhibited greater population structure over smaller spatial scales, patterns typically associated with the centre of origin of a species. Genes encoding the necrotrophic effectors SnToxA, SnTox1, and SnTox3 were found at a high frequency in the Iranian population. By sequencing 96 randomly chosen Iranian strains, we detected new alleles for all three effector genes. Analysis of allele diversity showed that all three effector genes had higher diversity in Iran than in any population included in previous studies, with Iran acting as a hub for the effector diversity that was found in other global populations. Taken together, these findings support the hypothesis that P. nodorum originated either within or nearby the Fertile Crescent with a genome that already encoded all three necrotrophic effectors during its emergence as a pathogen on wheat. Our findings also suggest that P. nodorum was the original source of the ToxA genes discovered in the wheat pathogens Phaeosphaeria avenaria f. sp. tritici 1, Pyrenophora tritici-repentis, and Bipolaris sorokiniana.     

In vitro maturation and fertilization of prepubertal and pubertal black Bengal goat oocytes

Oocytes retrieval, in vitro maturation (IVM) and fertilization (IVF) efficiency are inevitable steps towards in vitro production of embryos. In the present study, these parameters were investigated in the ovaries of prepubertal (n = 31) and pubertal (n = 61) black Bengal goats obtained from a slaughterhouse. Nuclear maturation was evaluated upon aspiration and following IVM in TCM-199 (Earle''s salt with L-glutamine and sodium bicarbonate) for 27 h at 39℃ under 5% CO₂ in humidified air. The oocytes retrieval and efficiency (mean ± SD) per prepubertal and pubertal goats were 5.2 ± 0.6 and 6.8 ± 0.6, and 77.3 ± 0.1% and 80.5 ± 0.6%, respectively. Anaphase I - telophase I stages differed significantly (7.3 ± 0.8 vs. 2.6 ± 0.2, p < 0.05) between the two groups of goats. After IVM, the percentages of metaphase II were significantly higher (66.3 vs. 60.3, p < 0.05) in pubertal goats than in their prepubertal counterparts. The percentages of normal in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Fert-Tyrode''s albumin lactate pyruvate of pubertal goat oocytes did not differ between Percoll and swim-up sperm separation methods (36.7 ± 0.9% vs. 32.7 ± 1.3%, p > 0.05). Furthermore, sperm capacitation by heparin alone or in combination with ionomycin did not lead to a significant increase in the normal fertilization rate (34.8 ± 1.7 vs. 32.2 ± 1.5%, respectively) in the oocytes of pubertal goats. In conclusion, the ovaries of pubertal black Bengal goats obtained from the slaughterhouse could be used for in vitro embryo production. However, further optimization of the IVM and IVF techniques are necessary for satisfactory in vitro embryo production.     

Isolation and partial characterization of excretory/secretory antigens of Gastrothylax crumenifer

The present study was carried out to identify the excretory/secretory (E/S) antigens of the rumen infecting digenetic trematode Gastrothylax crumenifer that may be useful for the immunodiagnosis of rumen amphistomosis particularly during the pre-monsoon season during which this rumen parasite stops shedding eggs. The in vitro released E/S proteins were purified on a Sephadex G-200 column. The gel filtration profile revealed three distinct fractions F1-F3 where F1 and F3 appeared as sharp peaks while the F2 fraction was dispersed. The antibody titre against each of the purified E/S fractions was determined by ELISA using anti-whole E/S polyclonal antibodies raised in rabbit. Among the three fractions, the antibody titre against F1 was highest (1:12,800) whereas IgG titre was very low (1:50) for fraction F2 and F3 (1:100). Of the total polypeptides resolved on gradient SDS-PAGE, only a few antigenic polypeptides were detected in each fraction with hyperimmune anti-serum as revealed by Western Blot analysis. However, a 33 kDa antigen detected in each fraction appeared to be immunodominant which could be exploited for the diagnosis of the pouched amphistome.     

Experimental caprine coccidiosis caused by Eimeria arloingi: Morphopathologic and electron microscopic studies

The progressive morphohistopathologic changes, distribution pattern of lesions and ultrastructural characteristics in Eimeria arloingi infection were investigated in experimentally infected kids. The 18 newborn animals allocated to 3 equal groups. Two of groups, A, B were inoculated with a single dose of 1 × 10³ and1 × 10⁵ sporulated oocysts of E. arloingi, respectively. At 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 days postinoculation (DPI), 1 kid from each group was necropsied for pathologic and ultrastructural studies. Progressive lesions were present at 21, 28, 35 and 42 DPI in the jejunum, ileum, cecum with fewer in the duodenum and proximal colon. The oocysts shedding begin between 16 to 18 DPI. Grossly, minimal changes were observed at 21 DPI as few whitish plaques or nodules and advanced lesions at 42 DPI as pseudoadenomatous pattern in the mucosa and a cerebriform pattern on the serosal surface of jejunum and ileum. Early histopathologic lesions due to schizogony phase were including presence of intracytoplasmic developmental stages of the parasite such as trophozoites, immature to mature schizonts and mild infiltration of inflammatory cells. In late lesions due to various stages of gametogony, the histological pattern was mainly remarkable hyperplasia of the villi and crypts epithelial cells, eventually developed into papillary projections of reactive epithelium. The mesenteric lymph nodes showed a few numbers of large schizonts in the cortical lacteals. This study showed E. arloingi as a highly pathogenic species for kids, the incubation period was 16–18 days and the main target organ was jejunum with characteristic morphohistopathologic lesions.     

DNA vaccine-encoded glycoprotein B of HSV-1 fails to protect chronic morphine-treated mice against HSV-1 challenge

The use of morphine has been demonstrated to increase susceptibility to infections. Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is a highly successful pathogen among immunocompromised individuals. In the present study, due to the importance of HSV vaccination in morphine abusers, the effects of chronic morphine exposure on the host response to a HSV-1 gB DNA-based vaccine have been investigated. The study is addressing an important aspect of vaccine development among the susceptible (immunocompromised) hosts. BALB/c mice were exposed to morphine over 11 days. They were then vaccinated with DNA vaccine or KOS strain as a live vaccine. The findings showed that the morphine-treated animals failed to respond to DNA vaccination evaluated by the anti-HSV gB antibody titer, delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) and lethal HSV-1 challenge. Under the same conditions, the KOS vaccine showed a reduced Ab titer and DTH response in morphine-treated mice, but could protect mice against the lethal challenge and was safe for vaccination of morphine-treated animals.     

Further evidence for the involvement of anatomical parameters of the cardiopulmonary system in the development of ascites syndrome in broiler chickens

Eggs from a broiler line were incubated at two different altitudes and hatched. Relative heart and lung weights, volumes of the heart, lung and thoracic cavity, incidence of right ventricular hypertrophy and ascites, and related physiological parameters were followed in the day-old chickens hatched from the above eggs. Lung and heart weights as a percentage of body weight, lung and heart volumes relative to the volume of the thoracic cavity after removing the heart and lungs were higher in chickens hatched at high altitude. Additionally, embryonic triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) levels relative to cardiopulmonary parameters were higher in day-old chickens that hatched at high altitude as compared with chickens hatched at low altitude. This was associated with a lower incidence of right ventricular hypertrophy and ascites in chickens hatched at high altitude. Our data indicate that chronic hypoxia interacting with the endogenous functions of embryos during embryonic development at high altitude, as adaptation mechanisms, changed the developmental trajectories of cardiopulmonary parameters in postnatal chickens. This important development facilitates an increase in the gas exchange area in broiler chickens, thus lowering their susceptibility to pulmonary hypertension and ascites.     

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids from Senecio lorenthii.

The isolation and NMR spectra of otosenine (1) and seneciphylline (2) from Senecio lorenthii are reported.