Improving the reproductive,immunity and health status of rabbit does using honey bee venom

The aim of the present study was to investigate the long-term effect of using bee venom (BV) on the reproductive performance, immune, and health status of rabbit does and its effect on their litters. Sixty mature does, from Spanish V-line rabbit stock, were randomly assigned to four homogeneous groups with 15 does each. The 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd groups were injected twice weekly under the neck skin with 0.1 ml solution contains 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 mg BV/rabbit respectively. The 4^th group served as a control group. From the results, litter size at birth, litter weight and survival rate at weaning age as well as milk yield were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) increased in BV groups than in the control group. Serum estradiol 17-β (E2) was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher (15%) in the rabbit does treated with BV compared to the control group. The treated does with BV at any study doses showed a gradual and significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease (12%) in serum progesterone levels (P4) compared to the control. They also showed a significant (p≤0.05) increase in conception (17%) and fertility rates (10%) compared to the control does. Treatment of rabbit does with BV caused a gradual and significant (p ≤ 0.05) reduction in both aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (16%) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (37%) liver enzyme activities. Additionally, results have shown that BV resulted in a gradual and significant (p ≤ 0.05) increase in total antioxidant capacity (TAC), antioxidative enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), serum IgG, IgM and IgA levels with significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in BV groups compared to the control group. Results suggest that BV can be used in rabbit farming as an effective and safe alternative to artificial chemical drugs (sexual-stimulants) to improve certain reproductive traits, immune response and health.     

Egg production,fertility, hatchability and immune responses of some chicken strains under high ambient temperatures

This experiment was designed to investigate and compare the egg production, fertility, hatchability and immune responses of some local developed Egyptian chicken strains under high ambient temperatures. A total of 108 (26 weeks old) laying hens of Matrouh, Silver Montazah, Mandarah and Inshas (9 hens × 3 replicates × 4 strains) were used to evaluate the impact of thermal stress (24-34ºC) during summer season (June, July and August) on egg production, fertility, hatchability and immune responses. The obtained results revealed that final body weight (FBW/g) and body weight change (BWC/g) among different chicken strains were not affected. The daily feed consumption (FC/g) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) for Silver Montazah and Inshas strains were significantly (p ≤ .05) higher than those of Matrouh and Mandarah strains. The mean egg production (EP/%) and egg mass (EM) for Silver Montazah and Inshas strains were significantly (p ≤ .05) higher than those of Matrouh and Mandarah strains. The highest percentages of hatchability of total eggs (HTE) and fertile eggs (HFE) were recorded in Inshas chickens, while the lowest value was recorded in Mandarah chickens. Also, the highest embryonic mortalities (p ≤ .05) and lowest chick weight at hatch (CWH/g) were recorded in Mandarah chickens compared with the other strains. The highest values for antibody titres against phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) were recorded in Mandarah chickens, while the least values were recorded in Inshas chickens.     

Skull size and shape variation in Psammomys spp. (Rodentia,Gerbillinae) from Tunisia,with emphasis on the impact of allometric variation on species recognition

In Tunisia both Psammomys obesus and P. vexillaris are found. These taxa have been the subject of taxonomic controversy for some time, due to variability in the classical morphological characters used for taxonomic recognition. In this study we investigated skull size and shape variation in the genus Psammomys by using geometric morphometrics to evaluate the extent of intra- and interspecific shape variation and explicitly tested for the impact of allometric shape variation on species discrimination. Eleven populations of the two species from 10 localities in Tunisia were studied. Statistical analyses of size and shape showed large size variation within P. obesus, but no shape differences were revealed among populations of this species. Interspecific analysis revealed that P. vexillaris had the smallest skull. Principal component analysis and Procrustes distances showed good discrimination between the two species after removal of the allometric component of shape variation. The results obtained show that allometric-related shape variation could mask discrimination between the two Psammomys species. This finding might explain the uncertainty in classification of these species in the past. The interspecific allometric-free phenotypic differences observed may be associated with adaptive processes linked to the different environmental and trophic preferences of the two species.     

Canine fetal echocardiography: correlations for the analysis of cardiac dimensions

The aim of this study was to develop regression models for correlation of canine fetal heart development with body size to characterize normal development or suggest cardiac anomalies. Twenty clinically healthy pregnant bitches, either brachycephalic and non-brachycephalic, were examined ultrasonographically. Transabdominal fetal echocardiography was conducted every 4 days from the beginning of cardiac chambers differentiation until parturition. Ten cardiac parameters were measured: length, width and diameter of the heart; heart area; left and right ventricular dimensions; left and right atrial dimensions; and aortic and pulmonary artery diameter. Femoral length, biparietal diameter and abdominal cross-sectional area were also recorded. Regression equations were developed for each parameter of fetal body size, and linear and logarithmic models were compared. The model with the highest correlation coefficient was chosen to produce equations to calculate relative dimensions based on the correlations. Only the left-ventricular chamber differed between the two racial groups. Biparietal diameter was the independent parameter that produced the highest correlation coefficient for the most fetal cardiac dimensions, although good correlations were also observed using femoral length and abdominal cross-sectional area. Heart width and heart diameter were used as surrogates of cardiac development, as these measurements showed the best statistical correlation. Quantitative evaluation of fetal cardiac structures can be used to monitor normal and abnormal cardiac development.     

Tenogenic induction of equine mesenchymal stem cells by means of growth factors and low-level laser technology

Tendons regenerate poorly due to a dense extracellular matrix and low cellularity. Cellular therapies aim to improve tendon repair using mesenchymal stem cells and tenocytes; however, a current limitation is the low proliferative potential of tenocytes in cases of severe trauma. The purpose of this study was to develop a method useful in veterinary medicine to improve the differentiation of Peripheral Blood equine mesenchymal stem cells (PB-MSCs) into tenocytes. PB-MSCs were used to study the effects of the addition of some growth factors (GFs) as TGFβ3 (transforming growth factor), EGF2 (Epidermal growth factor), bFGF2 (Fibroblast growth factor) and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) in presence or without Low Level Laser Technology (LLLT) on the mRNA expression levels of genes important in the tenogenic induction as Early Growth Response Protein-1 (EGR1), Tenascin (TNC) and Decorin (DCN). The singular addition of GFs did not show any influence on the mRNA expression of tenogenic genes whereas the specific combinations that arrested cell proliferation in favour of differentiation were the following: bFGF2 + TGFβ3 and bFGF2 + TGFβ3 + LLLT. Indeed, the supplement of bFGF2 and TGFβ3 significantly upregulated the expression of Early Growth Response Protein-1 and Decorin, while the use of LLLT induced a significant increase of Tenascin C levels. In conclusion, the present study might furnish significant suggestions for developing an efficient approach for tenocyte induction since the external administration of bFGF2 and TGFβ3, along with LLLT, influences the differentiation of PB-MSCs towards the tenogenic fate.     

Immunological and pathological investigations in equine experimental uveitis

Background

The pathogenic mechanism of equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is still poorly defined and many variations between experimental animal models and spontaneous disease exist.

Objectives

The aim of our study was to investigate if Th17 cell-mediated response plays role in the pathogenesis of the used experimental model in horses and to reveal its pathological findings.

Methods

Experimental uveitis was induced in 6 healthy horses. The concentrations of retinal autoantigen CRALBP and IL-17 were measured using ELISA in aqueous humor and vitreous body of the 12 inflamed eyes as well as in 12 control non-inflamed eyes taken from 6 horses in slaughter house. After centrifugation of the two eye media, smears were prepared and cytological investigation was performed. Tissue specimens were taken from all eye globes and were submitted to histopathological investigation.

Results

CRALBP and IL-17 concentrations were significantly elevated in eye media of horses with experimental uveitis in comparison with controls. Cytological and histopathological findings corresponded to the changes characteristic of chronic immune-mediated inflammation with mononuclear cell infiltration of uvea, choroid, retina, and eye media as well as severe retinal destruction.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated the involvement of the retinal autoantigen CRALBP as well as IL-17 in the pathogenesis of experimental uveitis in horses. These findings suggests that this experimental uveitis in horses may serve as a suitable animal model for investigation of IL-17- mediated immune response during spontaneous autoimmune uveitis in horses as well as in humans.