State-of-the-art review of goat TSE in the European Union, with special emphasis on PRNP genetics and epidemiology

Scrapie is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease of sheep and goats. It is also the earliest known member in the family of diseases classified as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSE) or prion diseases, which includes Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and chronic wasting disease in cervids. The recent revelation of naturally occurring BSE in a goat has brought the issue of TSE in goats to the attention of the public. In contrast to scrapie, BSE presents a proven risk to humans. The risk of goat BSE, however, is difficult to evaluate, as our knowledge of TSE in goats is limited. Natural caprine scrapie has been discovered throughout Europe, with reported cases generally being greatest in countries with the highest goat populations. As with sheep scrapie, susceptibility and incubation period duration of goat scrapie are most likely controlled by the prion protein (PrP) gene (PRNP). Like the PRNP of sheep, the caprine PRNP shows significantly greater variability than that of cattle and humans. Although PRNP variability in goats differs from that observed in sheep, the two species share several identical alleles. Moreover, while the ARR allele associated with enhancing resistance in sheep is not present in the goat PRNP, there is evidence for the existence of other PrP variants related to resistance. This review presents the current knowledge of the epidemiology of caprine scrapie within the major European goat populations, and compiles the current data on genetic variability of PRNP.     

Pancytopenia in a cat with visceral leishmaniasis

Abstract: A 4‐year‐old, domestic shorthair, female spayed cat was presented for decreased appetite and depression. Severe pancytopenia with erythrocyte autoagglutination was found. The cat was seronegative for feline immunodeficiency and leukemia viruses. Immune‐mediated hemolytic anemia was suspected but no response to treatment with a blood transfusion, enrofloxacin, and prednisone was observed. Blood and bone marrow smears obtained 11 days later contained Leishmania amastigotes in the cytoplasm of neutrophils and macrophages, respectively. Serologic and PCR testing of peripheral blood confirmed infection with Leishmania infantum. Despite treatment, the cat worsened clinically and was euthanized. At necropsy, visceral dissemination of the parasite was confirmed. The findings in this case indicate that visceral leishmaniasis should be considered as a differential diagnoses in cats with pancytopenia in areas endemic for Leishmania. In addition, amastigotes may be observed in peripheral blood neutrophils.     

Extra hepatic expression of the acute phase protein alpha 1-acid glycoprotein in normal bovine tissues

Combined quantitative (real-time) polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were used to evaluate the expression of the minor acute phase protein alpha 1-acid glycoprotein (AGP, orosomucoid) in bovine extrahepatic tissues. AGP was produced mainly in the salivary glands and spleen, whereas minor expression was detected in all other tissues sampled, including lung, lymph nodes, uterus, ovary, kidney and tongue. The findings were consistent with immunohistochemical results. In view of the immunomodulatory and direct antibacterial activity of AGP, its expression in the salivary glands may signal an involvement in the regulation of the local immunity, even in non-pathological conditions.     

Determination of volatile organic compound patterns characteristic of five unifloral honey by solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled to chemometrics

We report the evaluation of the floral origin of honey by analysis of its volatile organic compounds (VOCs) profile, joined with the use of combined pattern recognition techniques. Honey samples, from five floral origins, were analyzed by headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, selecting 35 VOCs out of the entire profiles, which were analyzed by hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), stepwise discriminant analysis (SDA), and K-nearest-neighbor (KNN). Both HCA and SDA were used as exploratory tools to select a group of VOCs representing similitude and differences among studied origins. Thus, six out of 35 VOCs were selected, verifying their discriminating power by KNN, which afforded 93% correct classification. Therefore, we drastically reduced the amount of compounds under consideration but kept a good differentiation between floral origins. Selected compounds were identified as octanal, benzeneacetaldehyde, 1-octanol, 2-methoxyphenol, nonanal, and 2-H-1-benzopyran-2-one. The analysis of VOC profiles, coupled to HCA, SDA, and KNN, provides a feasible alternative to evaluate the botanical source of honey.     

Modeling bleaching of tomato derivatives at subzero temperatures

This work was addressed to obtain a predictive model of the rate of bleaching in tomato derivatives at subzero temperatures. To this aim, a tomato puree was freeze-dried and equilibrated at increasing solid fractions. The bleaching rate was assessed by measuring tomato color during storage for up to 18 months at temperatures from -30 to 0 degrees C. The temperature dependence of the tomato-bleaching rate was neither predictable using the Arrhenius equation nor simply related to tomato physical state. The lack of a clear Arrhenius relation was attributed to the occurrence of temperature-dependent phenomena, such as ice crystallization and oxygen solubility modifications, which strongly changed the local concentration of reactants. A modified Arrhenius equation predicting the tomato-bleaching rate in the entire temperature range was proposed. Tomato concentration, and hence its physical state, affected the temperature dependence of bleaching, modifying apparent activation energy and frequency factor of the modified Arrhenius equation. In light of these considerations, a mathematical model was set up and validated to accurately predict the tomato-bleaching rate on the basis of only its concentration and storage temperature.     

Ethanol/Water extraction combined with solid-phase extraction and solid-phase microextraction concentration for the determination of chlorophenols in cork stoppers

The appearance of 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) in cork stoppers is of great concern because it can cause off-flavors in bottled wine. To prevent this sensorial defect, there should not be any traces of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP), 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol (TeCP), or pentachlorophenol (PCP) in the finished corks, because they are the direct precursors of TCA. In the course of this study two methodologies based upon an extraction with ethanol/water mixtures to determine the chlorophenolic content in cork matrices were developed. The cork extract is preconcentrated using both solid-phase extraction and solid-phase microextraction methodologies. The latter was optimized by applying a full two-level factorial design. Finally, spiked ground corks at nanogram per gram levels of each chlorophenol were analyzed under optimal conditions and by applying both procedures. The obtained results demonstrate that chlorophenols can be detected in corks contaminated at the nanogram per gram level and, thus, these approaches can be successfully applied as quality control measures in the cork industry.     

Localisation of iron in wheat grain using high resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry

Insufficient iron (Fe) is one of the most prevalent micronutrient deficiencies in humans, with billions of people affected. Cereal grains are an important source of Fe for humans but the bioavailability of Fe in cereals is generally low. Information regarding the cellular and sub-cellular localisation of Fe in wheat grain will aid optimising nutrient delivery for human health. In this study high resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) was used to map the distribution of Fe in the aleurone layer and in the endosperm of immature wheat grain. Iron was shown to be localised strongly in the phytin globoids in the aleurone cells and to a lesser extent in the cytoplasm around the starch granules in the endosperm.     

Trypanocidal Action of (?)-Elatol Involves an Oxidative Stress Triggered by Mitochondria Dysfunction

Natural compounds have shown good potential for the discovery of new chemotherapeutics for the treatment of Chagas’ disease. Recently, our group reported the effective trypanocidal activity of (−)-elatol, extracted from the red macroalgae Laurencia dendroidea present in the Brazilian coast against Trypanosoma cruzi. However, the mechanism of action of this compound has remained unclear. There are only hypotheses concerning its action on mitochondrial function. Here, we further investigated the mechanisms of action of (−)-elatol on trypomastigotes of T. cruzi. For this, we evaluated some biochemical alterations in trypomastigotes treated with (−)-elatol. Our results show that (−)-elatol induced depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane, an increase in the formation of mitochondrial superoxide anion and loss of cell membrane and DNA integrity. Additionally, (−)-elatol induced formation of autophagic vacuoles and a decrease in cell volume. All together, these results suggest that the trypanocidal action of (−)-elatol involves multiple events and mitochondria might be the initial target organelle. Our hypothesis is that the mitochondrial dysfunction leads to an increase of ROS production through the electron transport chain, which affects cell membrane and DNA integrity leading to different types of parasite death.     

Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids of Marine Macroalgae: Potential for Nutritional and Pharmaceutical Applications

As mammals are unable to synthesize essential polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), these compounds need to be taken in through diet. Nowadays, obtaining essential PUFA in diet is becoming increasingly difficult; therefore this work investigated the suitability of using macroalgae as novel dietary sources of PUFA. Hence, 17 macroalgal species from three different phyla (Chlorophyta, Phaeophyta and Rhodophyta) were analyzed and their fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) profile was assessed. Each phylum presented a characteristic fatty acid signature as evidenced by clustering of PUFA profiles of algae belonging to the same phylum in a Principal Components Analysis. The major PUFA detected in all phyla were C₁₈ and C₂₀, namely linoleic, arachidonic and eicosapentaenoic acids. The obtained data showed that rhodophytes and phaeophytes have higher concentrations of PUFA, particularly from the n-3 series, thereby being a better source of these compounds. Moreover, rhodophytes and phaeophytes presented “healthier” ∑n-6/∑n-3 and PUFA/saturated fatty acid ratios than chlorophytes. Ulva was an exception within the Chlorophyta, as it presented high concentrations of n-3 PUFA, α-linolenic acid in particular. In conclusion, macroalgae can be considered as a potential source for large-scale production of essential PUFA with wide applications in the nutraceutical and pharmacological industries.     

Bioindicator role of aquatic Ranunculus in Mediterranean freshwater habitats

相似文献