A single insemination intervention in the sow with barium alginate-encapsulated boar semen

Veterinary Research Communications -     

Nuclear remodelling of in vitro grown sheep oocytes

Veterinary Research Communications -     

Effects of fertilizer rate,application timing and plant spacing on yield and nutrient content of bell pepper

Bell pepper (Capsicum annuum var annuum L.), cv Pip, transplants were established at 31 and 46 cm in‐rows on bare soil and drip irrigated on a twice weekly schedule. A base rate of fertilizer was applied either in one preplant application or in two (preplant and first flower set) or three (preplant, first flower set, after the midseason harvest) split applications. Additional fertilizer was applied in excess of the base rate on a predetermined schedule or after significant yield decline ('as needed'). Concentrations of 12 elements in leaf and fruit tissues were determined throughout the growing season. The three‐split application of the base rate of fertilizer increased total yield. Plants spaced at 46 cm had increased total and marketable yield in one year. Interactions of fertilizer treatment and plant spacing did not affect total yield. In one year when additional fertilizer was applied ‘as needed’, plants spaced at 31 cm produced more marketable yield than plants spaced at 46 cm. Nutrients in leaves and fruit did not respond to fertilizer treatment or spacing. In leaves and fruit, concentrations of elements increased, decreased/or stayed the same in both years. For leaves, exceptions were Cu, Mn, and N. For fruit, exceptions were Al, Fe, K, and N. A base level application of fertilizer applied preplant was sufficient to support marketable fruit production.     

Ovothiol Isolated from Sea Urchin Oocytes Induces Autophagy in the Hep-G2 Cell Line

Ovothiols are histidine-derived thiols isolated from sea urchin eggs, where they play a key role in the protection of cells toward the oxidative burst associated with fertilization by controlling the cellular redox balance and recycling oxidized glutathione. In this study, we show that treatment of a human liver carcinoma cell line, Hep-G2, with ovothiol A, isolated from Paracentrotus lividus oocytes, results in a decrease of cell proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. The activation of an autophagic process is revealed by phase contrast and fluorescence microscopy, together with the expression of the specific autophagic molecular markers, LC3 II and Beclin-1. The effect of ovothiol is not due to its antioxidant capacity or to hydrogen peroxide generation. The concentration of ovothiol A in the culture media, as monitored by HPLC analysis, decreased by about 24% within 30 min from treatment. The proliferation of normal human embryonic lung cells is not affected by ovothiol A. These results hint at ovothiol as a promising bioactive molecule from marine organisms able to inhibit cell proliferation in cancer cells.     

Intrinsic innervation of the horse ileum

This paper describes the morphology and distribution of the enteric nervous system (ENS) cells and fibres immunoreactive for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), substance P (SP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), NF200 kDa (NF200), and S100 protein. The percentages of subclasses of enteric neurons in the total neuronal population were investigated by the use of anti-PGP 9.5 or anti-NSE antibodies.ChAT-IR myenteric plexus (MP) and submucosal plexus (SMP) neurons were 66 ± 7% and 74 ± 15%, respectively, whereas those cells expressing nNOS-IR were 38 ± 7% and 5 ± 1%, respectively. MP and SMP neurons expressing both phenotypes were also present. SP-IR was expressed by 14 ± 13% of MP and 66 ± 8% of SMP neurons whereas CGRP-IR was observed only in the SMP (43 ± 6%). NF200-IR was expressed by 61 ± 15% and 91 ± 10% of the MP and SMP neurons, respectively. The majority of the CGRP-IR SMP neurons expressed also SP-IR. Almost all SP-IR neurons in both the plexuses were cholinergic. The present study quantifies the main neuronal subpopulations of the ENS of the horse ileum; these data might be utilized to understand the neuronal modifications which occur in several gastrointestinal tract disorders.     

Fish species identification in surimi-based products

Whole fish morphologically identified as belonging to Theragra chalcogramma, Merluccius merluccius, Merluccius hubbsi, and Merluccius capensis and 19 fish products commercialized as surimi with different commercial brands and labeled as T. chalcogramma were analyzed by direct sequence analysis of the cytochrome b gene. A phylogenetic analysis of surimi products was performed as well. Results demonstrated that mislabeling is a large-scale phenomenon, since 84.2% of surimi-based fish products sold as T. chalcogramma (16/19) were prepared with species different from the one declared. In fact, only three samples (samples 15-17) were found to belong to T. chalcogramma. In the remaining samples, Merluccidae (samples 4-14), Gadidae (samples 18 and 19), Sparidae (sample 1), and Pomacentridae (samples 2 and 3) families were detected. A phylogenetic tree was constructed, and the bootstrap value was calculated. According to this methodology, 11 samples were grouped in the same clade as Merluccius spp.     

Natural trematode infestation in feral Nebrodi Black pigs: Pathological investigations

Few studies describe the parasites of pigs bred in the wild state, although pigs are a known reservoir of trematode infestation. This article reports the results of a retrospective study carried out from January 2003 to June 2007 on 3021 Nebrodi Black male and female pigs, regularly slaughtered, aged between 8 months and 4 years. Fasciola hepatica and Dicrocoelium dendriticum flukes were detected in 143 (4.37%) of 3021 livers. The predominant histological features were multifocal to diffuse chronic hepatitis, with fibrosis and severely thickened walls of the bile ducts and chronic parietal, sometimes nodular inflammation. F. hepatica infestation was frequently associated with marked hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the submucosal glands. The study results confirm the important role swine play in the transmission of trematode infestations, indicate the prevalence of these parasites in the Nebrodi Park area, and draw attention to the need for a prophylaxis plan to prevent the spread of infestation to ruminants and humans living in the area.     

Goats may experience reproductive failures and shed Coxiella burnetii at two successive parturitions after a Q fever infection

Q fever is a zoonosis caused by the obligate intracellular bacterium, Coxiella burnetii. Aborting domestic ruminants are the main source of human infection. In January 2003, an abortion episode occurred in a dairy caprine herd where 18/60 (30%) goats experienced reproductive problems: 4/60 (7%) aborted and 14/60 (23%) had stillbirths. Serological screening for abortion-related infectious diseases suggested Q fever. The diagnosis of C. burnetii infection was confirmed with PCR based on the occurrence of C. burnetii shedding into vaginal mucus, faeces and colostrums taken after kidding from the affected animals. The pregnancy following this episode resulted in one abortion and four stillbirths; three of those goats had already experienced reproductive failure during the previous kidding season. The seroprevalence of C. burnetii infection and the bacteria shedding were investigated using both ELISA and PCR assays, respectively, during the course of the initial and subsequent kidding seasons. Serological testing, performed on the whole herd 6 weeks after the abortion episode, showed 48/60 (80%) of ELISA positive goats. PCR assay performed on both vaginal swab and milk samples showed that the bacterium was shed for almost four months after the outbreak. C. burnetii DNA was also amplified from vaginal swab and milk samples taken from goats after the second kidding season. Furthermore, the bacteria were found into 14 vaginal swabs and 12 milk samples taken from infected females at both kidding seasons.     

Detection and phylogenetic characterization of astroviruses in insectivorous bats from Central‐Southern Italy

In recent years, bats have been found to harbour many viruses, raising several questions about their role as reservoirs and potential disseminators of zoonotic viruses. We investigated the presence of six virus families in bats in three regions of Central‐Southern Italy. Astroviruses were identified in seven of 13 bat species. Sequence analysis revealed marked genetic heterogeneity among the astroviruses identified, with nucleotide identity ranging between 60.26% and 87.62%. Astrovirus diversity was not associated with the bat species, the geographic areas or the bat colony, suggesting the circulation of several astrovirus strains in Italian ecosystems. Genetic diversification and interspecies transmission appear common in bat astroviruses and could provide, potentially, the bases for transmission to humans and other mammals. Yet overemphasizing this risk might have detrimental consequences for bat conservation and preservation of the important ecosystem services bats provide.