Susceptibility of in vitro produced hatched bovine blastocysts to infection with bluetongue virus serotype 8

ABSTRACT: Bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8), which caused an epidemic in ruminants in central Western Europe in 2006 and 2007, seems to differ from other bluetongue serotypes in that it can spread transplacentally and has been associated with an increased incidence of abortion and other reproductive problems. For these reasons, and also because BTV-8 is threatening to spread to other parts of the world, there is a need for more information on the consequences of infection during pregnancy. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether hatched (i.e. zona pellucida-free) in vitro produced bovine blastocysts at 8-9 days post insemination are susceptible to BTV-8 and whether such infection induces cell death as indicated by apoptosis. Exposure of hatched in vitro produced bovine blastocysts for 1 h to a medium containing 103.8 or 104.9 TCID50 of the virus resulted in active viral replication in between 25 and 100% of the cells at 72 h post exposure. The infected blastocysts also showed growth arrest as evidenced by lower total cell numbers and a significant level of cellular apoptosis. We conclude from this in vitro study that some of the reproductive problems that are reported when cattle herds are infected with BTV-8 may be attributed to direct infection of blastocysts and other early-stage embryos in utero.     

Transformation Strategy for Managing Coupled Socio-Ecological Systems: Case Studies from Bangladesh and the Philippines

This study demonstrates the potential of transformation strategy (an approach that emphasizes strengthening interdependence among social and ecological systems) to rehabilitate degraded land by examining two cases in Bangladesh and one in the Philippines. The study considers the benefits obtained from forests and forest-related activities in the form of income and energy sources as key parameters to link the social system (local people) with the ecological system (forest). Qualitative and quantitative analysis of data on land use and socio-economic changes indicates that the transformation strategy improved both the wellbeing of local people and forest cover. In the case of the Philippines, social and ecological linkages were found to be strong, with local people rehabilitating the degraded land while also obtaining a high proportion of their total income from the activity. For the two Bangladesh cases, however, the level of dependency on the forest for livelihood declined as local people used their income from the forest and forest-related activities for diversification to non-forest activities.     

Assessment of Different Sperm Quality Parameters to Predict in vitro Fertility of Bulls

Frozen‐thawed semen from six bulls with high (> 60%) and low (20–35%) in vitro fertility was used for studying the predictive value of simple sperm quality tests with respect to in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcome as assessed by pronucleus (PN) formation ability. Sperm quality parameters, such as sperm concentration, motility, progressive motility, live‐dead sperm ratio, morphology, membrane integrity, mitochondrial activity and acrosomal status were analysed using both conventional and automatic techniques at three time points during the IVF process, namely after sperm thawing, Percoll differential gradient centrifugation and IVF. Associations between the sperm quality parameters before and after IVF, and PN formation ability were assessed by using linear regression analyses. The percentages of motility, progressive motility and normal morphology determined after sperm thawing, and the percentage of live spermatozoa assessed after Percoll preparation by using nigrosin‐eosin (N‐E) staining showed a good correlation with PN formation ability, but the regression parameters were borderline not significant. These parameters formed the most reliable basis for predicting IVF outcome. After IVF, the percentage of live spermatozoa determined by using N‐E staining was the only sperm quality parameter showing a significant association with the PN formation ability of a given bull. This sperm quality test can be used as a non‐invasive method to estimate the PN formation ability of oocytes which are further cultured to assess embryonic development.     

Dietary Multispecies Probiotic Supplementation Enhances the Immunohematological Responses and Reduces Mortality by Aeromonas hydrophila in Labeo rohita Fingerlings

A study was conducted to determine the immunomodulatory effect of probiotic mixture on the nonspecific immune response and disease resistance of Labeo rohita. Fish were fed with six different test diets with or without probiotics, namely, T1 (basal feed [BF] without probiotics), T2 (BF + Bacillus subtilis [BS] + Lactococcus lactis [LL]), T3 (BF + LL + Saccharomyces cerevisiae [SC]), T4 (BF + BS + SC), T5 (BF + BS + LL + SC), and T6 (BF + heat‐killed bacteria of BS + LL + SC). During the prechallenge period, significantly higher (P < 0.01) nitroblue tetrazolium assay (NBT), red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), globulin, and albumin content were recorded in the probiotic‐supplemented diet group. Feeding all the three probiotics significantly decreased (P < 0.01) the serum aspartate aminotransferases (AST), alanine aminotransferases (ALT), acid phosphatase (ACP), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and increased the myeloperoxidase (MPO) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) value. Significant difference in the NBT, Hb, serum albumin, and MPO was noticed in both prechallenged and postchallenged fish. Lowest survivability was recorded in the nonprobiotic fed group, followed by the group fed with heat‐killed probiotics, whereas the highest survivability was noticed in the group fed with all the three probiotics in live form. Thus, a probiotic mixture diet constituting of three probiotics in viable form is found to be optimum to enhance the immunity and postinfection survivability in L. rohita fingerlings.     

Descriptors for morphological and biochemical characterization of Bhela (Semecarpus anacardium L.): An underutilized plant of tropics

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Semecarpus anacardium L. is a potential underutilized edible, highly nutritious fruit crop with ample medicinal properties grown in some localized pockets of...     

Nickel induced hyperglycemia in the freshwater fish,Colisa fasciatus

Effect of nickel sulphate at the sublethal dose of 64 ppm (0.8 of LC50 96 hr) on the blood glucose levels of the freshwater fish, Colisa fasciatus, has been estimated from 3 to 96 hr. The blood glucose level exhibits a steady increase due to Ni toxicity. A maximum increase of 85.08% is observed at 96 hr (P < 0.001). It is suggested that the hyperglycemia in C. fasciatus, caused by exposure to nickel sulphate, is possibly a reflection of stress-induced hormone mediated response. It appears that the blood glucose level is a reliable indicator of Ni toxicity to fish.     

Discontinuous counter-immunoelectrophoresis test for detection of Trypanosoma evansi antibody in buffalo calves and its comparison with agar gel precipitation test

Discontinuous counter-immunoelectrophoresis was used to detect Trypanosoma evansi antibodies in experimentally-infected buffalo calves. The method was found to be simple, reproducible, rapid and sensitive. Results could be read within 15 min and compared favourably with results obtained with the agar gel precipitation test.     

Seed protein electrophoresis of wild and cultivated species of Celosia (Amaranthaceae)

Total seed storage proteins of five species of Celosia (14 taxa) have been compared by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Relative similarities between the taxa were estimated by Jaccard's similarity index and cluster analysis was performed to produce a UPGMA dendrogram which divides 14 taxa into two groups while C. trigyna holds an isolated position. One group includes 4x C. cristata and C. plumosa, wild 8x C. argentea and 12x C. whitei and the other separates four accessions of 4x C. argentea. This raises a doubt regarding 4x types of C. argentea being the direct progenitors of the cultivated types.