Occurrence of hydatidosis in slaughter buffaloes (Bos bubalis) and helminths in stray dogs in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal

The study aimed at identifying the occurrence of hydatidosis in slaughter buffaloes and helminth eggs, particularly Taenia spp. eggs in stray dogs' fecal samples in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. The study period was from November, 2004 to April, 2005. A total of 500 buffalo carcasses in a slaughterhouse, at the riversides and individual butchers'sites were examined for the presence of hydatid cysts. The cyst fluid was collected and microscopically examined to determine if it was fertile or not. Of the 500 carcasses examined, 10.6% had hydatid cysts. Specifically, the slaughterhouse carcasses had a 6.7% occurrence of hydatid cysts, whereas those examined at riversides and individual butcher places had 10.0% and 12.7%, respectively. Distributions of the hydatid cysts by specific organs showed single occurrence of 6.4% in lungs, 2.4% in livers and 1.8% in both, livers and lungs. In a total of 53 infected buffaloes, 58.5% were fertile and 41.5% sterile cysts. Overall, 366 faecal samples from stray dogs were collected around buffaloes slaughtering areas (slaughterhouse and individual butcher places), riversides, garbage sites and temple sites. These samples were examined by formalin-ether concentration technique to investigate the presence of different helminth eggs. The total prevalence of Taenia, hookworms, Trichuris/Capillaria,Toxocara, Spirometra and Physaloptera eggs were 12.8%, 18.3%, 19.1%, 12.8%, 1.4% and 1.9%, respectively.     

Effect of Mitragyna speciosa aqueous extract on ethanol withdrawal symptoms in mice

Administration of the aqueous extract of Mitragyna speciosa at a dose of 300 mg/kg significantly inhibited ethanol withdrawal-induced behaviors that included rearing, displacement and head weaving. The results also showed that at doses of 100, 300 and 500 mg/kg M. speciosa showed antidepressant activity without effect on the spontaneous motor activity.     

Suppressive effects of dichloromethane fraction from the Areca catechu nut on naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal in mice

In the present study, we investigated the effect of the dichloromethane fraction from Areca catechu nut on the severity of naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal in morphine-dependent mice. A single intraperitoneal injection of dichloromethane fraction at dose of 125 and 175 mg/kg significantly delayed the onset of withdrawal jumping behavior in a concentration-dependent manner compared to that of saline controls. The dichloromethane fractions also significantly decreased jumping numbers and faecal and urinary excretions during the withdrawal period.     

Differentiation of avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) strains by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis

Here we describe the application of a random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis for molecular genetic typing avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) strains. The RAPD technique was shown to be highly reproducible. Stable banding patterns with a high discriminatory capacity were obtained using two different primers. Overall, 55 E. coli strains were analyzed with a RAPD technique. The RAPD analysis showed that the E. coli strains isolated from poultry in Thailand and Sweden could be grouped into 50 of RAPD types by using these two different primer sets. Most of these different E. coli RAPD types were not geographically restricted. There was, as expected, a tendency of higher genetic relationship among E. coli strains isolated from the same farm. It is suggested that the RAPD technique may provide a rapid, low cost, simple and powerful tool to study the clonal epidemiology of avian E. coli infections.     

Comparison of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) strains from pigs and humans in Sweden by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) using standardized reagents

Infections with atypical mycobacteria belonging to the Mycobacterium avium/intracellulare complex (MAC) can cause infection in both animals and humans. Using a standardized reagents commercial kit for random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis, 49 MAC strains isolated from 32 slaughter pigs and 17 humans in Sweden were identified and sorted out, yielding 6 RAPD types. By combining the results of RAPD primers 4 and 5 and the primer IS1245A, we found that pigs and humans may be infected with the same types of MAC strains, since 14 strains from humans and 8 strains from pigs were essentially identical and together, comprised RAPD type 2, the largest group of strains (44.8% of strains). With respect to grouping of strains, serotype and RAPD type were uncorrelated, except for serotype 20 and RAPD type 6. Using standardized beads, RAPD analysis is a reproducible technique for typing MAC strains, as the indistinguishable banding patterns obtained with repeated analyses of two isolates from each strain in this study demonstrate. However, primer selection and DNA purity were crucial for differentiating closely related strains.