Induction of immune tolerance to caseins and whey proteins by oral intubation in mouse allergy model

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of oral tolerance of caseins (CSN) and whey proteins (WP) in alleviating the allergic response to cow's milk proteins in Swiss albino mice raised on a milk protein–free diet. Oral tolerance was induced by feeding mice with 20 mg of CSN or WP once in a day for 4 days consecutively before immunization with respective protein by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injections (20 μg 200 per μl of PBS) using 2% of alum Al(OH)₃ as adjuvant. Three weeks later, oral tolerance induction was analysed in humoral and cellular compartments of CSN‐ and WP‐fed versus saline‐fed control mice groups by measuring seric and intestinal antibody responses, mRNA abundance in splenic tissue and cytokine secretion patterns. The specific serum immunoglobulin‐E (IgE) levels were significantly suppressed (p < 0.05), while sIgA was enhanced in these groups when compared with their respective saline‐fed mice. Moreover, the mRNA levels of interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) and interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) in both CSN‐ and WP‐tolerized mice were found to be significantly decreased, while the abundance of interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) and transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) was increased significantly, as compared to respective control groups. Finally, cytokine profiles indicated a reciprocal decrease in IL‐4 and IFN‐γ versus an increase in IL‐10 secretions in supernatants of cultured splenocytes of tolerized mice. Taken together, these results clearly showed that oral administration of cows' milk caseins and whey proteins can induce significant hyposensitization in mice, with the participation of suppressor cytokines.     

Treatment of wheat straw using tannase and white-rot fungus to improve feed utilization by ruminants

Background

Current research to enrich cattle feed has primarily focused on treatment using white rot fungi, while there are scarce reports using the enzyme tannase, which is discussed only in reviews or in the form of a hypothesis. In this context, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of tannase on wheat straw (WS) and also the effect of lyophilized tannase at concentrations of 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.3% (w/w) on WS followed by fermentation with Ganoderma sp. for 10 d and compared in relation to biochemical parameters, crude protein (CP) content, and nutritional value by calculating the C/N ratio in order to improve the nutritional value of cattle feed.

Results

Penicillium charlesii, a tannase-producing microorganism, produced 61.4 IU/mL of tannase in 54 h when 2% (w/v) tannic acid (TA) was initially used as a substrate in medium containing (% w/v) sucrose (1.0), NaNO₃ (1.0), and MgSO₄ (0.08 pH, 5.0) in a 300-L fermentor (working volume 220 L), and concomitantly fed with 1.0% (w/v) TA after 24 h. The yield of partially purified and lyophilized tannase was 5.8 IU/mg. The tannin-free myco-straw at 0.1% (w/w) tannase showed 37.8% (w/w) lignin degradation with only a 20.4% (w/w) decrease in cellulose content and the in vitro feed digestibility was 32.2%. An increase in CP content (up to 1.28-fold) along with a lower C/N ratio of 25.0%, as compared to myco-straw, was obtained.

Conclusions

The use of tannin-free myco-straw has potential to improve the nutritional content of cattle feed. This biological treatment process was safe, eco-friendly, easy to perform, and was less expensive as compared to other treatment methods.     

First record of the entomopathogenic fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Entomophaga aulicae</Emphasis> on the Bihar hairy caterpillar <Emphasis Type="Italic">Spilarctia obliqua</Emphasis> in Manipur,India

Entomophaga aulicae (Hoffman in Bail) Batko (Zygomycotina: Entomophthorales) was found to cause epizootics in Spilarctia obliqua (Walker) (Arctiidae: Lepidoptera), a polyphagous pest in Manipur, India. Infected caterpillars climbed to elevated positions on plants where they hung upside down, attached by their abdominal prolegs. Infection levels reached up to 57%. The conidiophores are simple, conidia are ovoid to pyriform in shape, and the nuclei stained readily in aceto-orcein. Secondary, tertiary conidia and resting spores were also observed. No rhizoids and cystidia were found. This is the first report of E. aulicae infecting S. obliqua in Manipur.     

Embryo transfer: a discussion on its potential for infectious disease control based on a review of studies on infection of gametes and early embryos by various agents

Studies on laboratory animals have shown that viruses vary as to whether or not they are transmissible by the gametes or are capable of passing through the zona pellucida and infecting the embryo.

Methods of studying early embryos for the presence of infectious agents include electron microscopy, immunocytochemistry and cell cultivation.

Determination that early bovine embryos do not become infected by certain agents might allow for easing of restrictions in the current import and export regulations for cattle embryos.

Embryo transfer could be used as a means of controlling or eliminating disease in a herd or flock if the causal agent does not infect the early embryo via the gametes or by penetrating the zona pellucida.

     

Impact of heat stress,nutritional restriction and combined stresses (heat and nutritional) on growth and reproductive performance of Malpura rams under semi‐arid tropical environment

A study was conducted to assess the combined effect of heat stress and nutritional restriction on growth and reproductive performances in Malpura rams. Twenty‐eight adult Malpura rams (average body weight (BW) 66.0 kg) were used in this study. The rams were divided into four groups: CON (n = 7; control), HES (n = 7; heat stress), NUS (n = 7; nutritional stress) and COS (n = 7; combined stress). The study was conducted for a period of 2 months. CON and HES rams had ad libitum access to their feed while NUS and COS rams were under restricted feed (30% intake of CON rams) to induce nutritional stress. The HES and COS rams were kept in climatic chamber at 42 °C and 55% relative humidity for 6 h a day between 10 : 00 h and 16 : 00 h to induce heat stress. Body weight increased significantly (p < 0.05) in CON as compared to NUS and COS. When compared within groups, scrotal width morning, scrotal width afternoon, scrotal circumference morning and scrotal circumference afternoon were significantly (p < 0.05) larger in CON while smaller in COS rams. The higher testicular length was recorded both during morning (p < 0.05) and afternoon (p < 0.01) in COS rams while the lowest in NUS rams. The highest plasma testosterone concentration was recorded in CON and lowest in COS rams. Semen volume and mass motility also differed significantly (p < 0.05) between the groups. The highest semen volume and mass motility was recorded in CON and NUS while lowest in both HES and COS rams. It can be concluded from this study that when two stressors occur simultaneously, they may have severe impact on reproductive performance of rams.     

Renal and biochemical changes produced in broilers by high-protein, high-calcium, urea-containing, and vitamin-A-deficient diets

Three hundred 18-day-old male chicks (Arbor Acre) were divided into five groups of 60 each and given high-protein (42.28%), high-calcium (3.37%), urea-containing (5%), vitamin-A-deficient, or control diets to study the effect of nutritional imbalances on the development of nephritis and related biochemical changes over 15 weeks. The first four diets increased the levels of glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase, glutamate pyruvate transaminase, uric acid, and nonprotein nitrogen in serum. Blood urea was increased by only the urea diet. Hypoglycemia and a decrease in hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase were also observed in chicks fed the first four diets. The vitamin-A-deficient diet resulted in a depletion of vitamin A in the liver and kidneys. These changes were directly correlated with the prolonged feeding of experimental diets and also with the severity of nephritis and degenerative changes in various organs. It was concluded that increasing the intake of nitrogen or calcium in order to increase production may in fact have the opposite effect, leading to degenerative changes in various tissues and to nephritis.     

ANGIOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF BOVINE INTESTINAL HEALING FOLLOWING INVERTING, EVERTING, AND END-ON ANASTOMOSIS

Angiography during intestinal healing following single-layer inverting, everting, and end-on anastomoses was carried out in 18 calves. Six anastomoses using the same technique were performed in each animal. Six anastomoses, along with one main artery supplying the anastomotic site, were removed from each calf on the first, third, seventh, 15th, 21st, and 28th postoperative days. Angiograms of tubular intestinal segments were obtained after intraarterial infusion of 2–3 ml of sodium iothalamate and lead suspension. Lead-infused intestinal segments were cut open through the mesenteric border to obtain additional angiograms of flat bowel. Angiograms in the early stage of intestinal healing revealed hypervascularity at the cut edges and an avascular zone at the suture line. These changes were more intense with the everting than with the inverting and end-on techniques. The sprouting of vessels at the anastomotic junction and their crossing over started on third postoperative day but were clearly visualized only after the seventh postoperative day. By 15–21 days after operation, anastomotic sites were almost completely revascularized for all techniques. Everted anastomosis elicited more intense vascular response and resulted in earlier vascularization than the other two techniques. No appreciable differences in the pattern of revascularization were observed with inverting and end-on anastomoses. Lead suspension proved to be better than sodium iothalamate for such studies. Angiograms of the open bowel provided more realistic and confirmatory information regarding the sequence of vascular-changes at the suture line.     

Mango explant browning: Effect of ontogenic age,mycorrhization and pre-treatments

The in vitro performance of mango shoot culture is delimited by several factors, of which explant necrosis and media browning are considered as major constraints for successful exploitation of such an important commercial crop. Our results showed that source of explants had a significant effect on the performance of in vitro cultures of mango. The variations in survival of explants collected from glasshouse grown seedlings and field-grown stock plants indicated towards differences between their physiological/ontogenic age. Though, chronologically, both are young, the glasshouse grown shoots are ontogenetically younger and; therefore, responded better over field-grown shoots. Improved performance of explants harvested from mycorrhizal plants suggests integration of mycorrhizal biotechnology with tissue culture biotechnology in order to achieve better results as mycorrhiza being a well-known stress alleviator may help explants mitigate in vitro stresses. Furthermore, shoot tip explants of field-grown ‘Amrapali’ mango was assayed for their browning propensity at pre- and post-culture stages. Status of different bio-chemicals such as in vivo phenol, in vitro phenol exudation, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase as affected by various pre-treatments were estimated to establish the relationship of these bio-chemicals with necrosis of mango shoot cultures. The different pre-treatments comprised etiolation of newly emerged shoots (5–7 days old) of stock plants using black polythene for 7 days, etiolation treatment + agitation of explants in antioxidant solution (antioxidants: ascorbic acid at 100 mg l⁻¹ + citric acid at 50 mg l⁻¹), etiolation treatment + agitation of explants in polyvinylpyrrolidone solution (PVP) at 0.2% and non-etiolated control. Of these, explants treated with PVP proved to be superior to other treatments with regards to explant necrosis percentage as such explants exhibited least activities of phenols and oxidative enzymes. Correlation studies indicated existence of high positive correlation between explant necrosis and these bio-chemicals.