Comparative evaluation of therapeutic efficacy of sulfadiazine-trimethoprim,oxytetracycline, enrofloxacin and florfenicol on Staphylococcus aureus–induced arthritis in broilers

1. Staphylococcus aureus is an important human and veterinary pathogen that causes economic loss in the poultry industry. This study aimed to compare therapeutic efficacy of 4 commonly used antibiotics in poultry on S. aureus–induced arthritis in broilers.

2. Sixty broilers, 8 weeks of age, were assigned at random into 7 groups as follows: (1) negative control (n = 5); (2) vehicle control (n = 5); (3) sulfadiazine-trimethoprim, 250 ml/1000 l drinking water (n = 10); (4) oxytetracycline 20%, 1 mg/l drinking water (n = 10); (5) florfenicol 10%, 1/1000 v/v in drinking water (n = 10); (6) enrofloxacin 10%, 1/1000 v/v in drinking water (n = 10) and (7) positive control (n = 10).

3. Birds in group 2 were injected with 1 ml of sterile TSB medium into the right tibiotarsal joint on d 0 while other birds (except group 1) were challenged with 1 ml of 1.2 × 10¹⁰ CFU/ml suspension of S. aureus bacteria.

4. Antibiotic therapy was started from d 4 post challenge and continued for 5 d. At the end, birds were weighed and clinical severity of arthritis was determined. After blood collection, birds were slaughtered and tibiotarsal and hip joints were evaluated grossly. The content of inflammatory exudates of tibiotarsal joint and the degree of femoral head necrosis were recorded. Mucin clot test and histopathological evaluation were performed on right tibiotarsal joint. Serum interleukin 6 was also assayed.

5. Sulfadiazine-trimethoprim had higher therapeutic efficiency with regard to most of the assayed criteria, whereas none of the antibiotics significantly affected femoral head necrosis and body weight. These data will help clinicians to have better antibiotic choice in field conditions.

     

Echinococcosis/hydatidosis in western Iran

In the present study, 115 stray dogs (56 males and 59 females, mixed breed), 86 golden jackal (Canis aureus, 42 males and 44 females), 60 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes, 33 males and 27 females), and three female wolves (Canis lupus) were examined for Echinococcus granulosus infection, as well as, 32,898 sheep, 10,691 goats, 15,779 cattle and 659 buffaloes for hydatid infection from five provinces in western Iran during 3 years (1997-2000). Meanwhile fertility rates of different types and forms of cysts isolated from infected animals and the viability of protoscolices were also determined. Results indicated that 19.1% of the dogs, 2.3% of the golden jackals and 5% of the red foxes were infected with Echinococcus granulosus. 11.1% of the sheep, 6.3% of the goats, 16.4% of the cattle and 12.4% of the buffaloes were also found to be infected with hydatid cyst. The cysts isolated from liver and lungs of the sheep show higher fertility rate than the cysts of liver and lungs of goats, cattle and buffaloes.     

Difference in Some Biological Properties of Saline and Non-saline Soil under Sugarcane Cultivation

Eurasian Soil Science - Microorganisms as essential components of soils have important roles in biochemical cycles of organic matter conversion into nutrients available for an uptake by plants....     

Effect of pistachio (Pistacia vera) hull extract on growth performance,body composition,total phenolic compound and fillets peroxide value of common carp,Cyprinus carpio

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of pistachio green hull extract (PGHE) on growth, survival rates, body composition and oxidative spoilage of common carp fillet. Three hundred fish (11.65 ± 1.65 g) were divided into five dietary treatments with three replications, including 0, 0.5, 1.5, 4.5 and 9 g PGHE kg^?1 of diet. No significant difference were observed in specific growth rate, food conversion rate, weight gain percentage, survival rate and body composition (i.e. moisture, protein, lipid and ash) between different treatments. By increasing the level of PGHE, amount of phenolic compounds in fish meat was elevated whilst peroxide value was reduced. The amount of phenolic compounds in fish fillet was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in control treatment in comparison with other treatments. Peroxide content for 9 g PGHE kg^?1 diet treatment (6.15 ± 0.79 meq peroxide kg^?1 oil) was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than control group (18.82 ± 1.93 meq peroxide kg^?1 oil). Regression analysis of peroxide value indicated that minimum peroxide value obtains in 1187 mg gallic acid kg^?1 diet. This study indicated that ethanolic extract of Pistachia vera hull can be considered as a supplement in fish diet to delay oxidative spoilage of common carp fillet.     

Antibacterial activity of the fruits of Iranian Torilis leptophylla against some clinical pathogens

The aim of this study was to examine the antimicrobial activity of the methanolic extract of Torilis leptophylla was tested on eleven bacteria (Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pumilus, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus licheniformis, Brucella melitensis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, Proteus mirabilis, Bordetella bronshiseptica and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Tested extract was effective against all bacteria but not B. subtilis. Consequently, the ethanolic extract had antibacterial activity on some pathogens thus confirming their use in folk medicine.     

A study on intestinal helminthes of dogs, foxes and jackals in the western part of Iran

Human infection especially with helminth parasites is an emerging health issue, as the human environment is increasingly shared with infected animals, either pets or wild life. In this survey, the intestinal content of 83 stray dogs, 22 red foxes and 10 golden Jackals collected from the West Azarbaijan, Kordestan and Kermanshah provinces in the west of Iran, were studied for the presence of helminth parasites. The percentage of different species recovered from these animals is listed as follows: From stray dogs: Toxocara canis (6.02%), Toxascaris leonina (32.53%), Ancylostoma caninum (3.61%), Oxynema sp. (1.35%), Rictularia affinis (12.05%), Taenia hydatigena (53.01%), Taenia ovis (7.23%), Taenia multiceps (4.82%), Echinococcus granulosus (13.25%), Dipylidium caninum (38.55%), Mesocestoides lineatus (26.50%) and Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus (4.82%). From red foxes: T. canis (4.54%), T. leonina (31.82%), A. caninum (4.54%), Uncinaria stenocephala (13.64%), Oxynema sp. (9.09%), R. affinis (54.54%), Strongyloides sp. (4.54%), Physaloptera sp. (4.54%), T. hydatigena (9.09%), E. granulosus (4.54%), D. caninum (9.09%), M. lineatus (81.82%), Joyeuxiella pasqalei (27.27%), Diplopylidium nolleri (4.54%), M. hirudinaceus (22.72%) and Macracanthorhynchus sp. (9.09%). From golden jackals: T. canis (10%), T. leonina (30%), R. affinis (50%), T. hydatigena (10%), D. caninum (20%), M. lineatus (70%), J. pasqalei (30%.), Alaria canis (10%), M. hirudinaceus (30%) and Macracanthomynchus sp. (10%).     

Effect of Heavy Metals on Silencing of Engineered Long Interspersed Element-1 Retrotransposon in Nondividing Neuroblastoma Cell Line

Background: L1 retrotransposons are the most active mobile DNA elements in human genome. Unregulated L1 retrotransposition may have deleterious effect by disrupting vital genes and inducing genomic instabilities. Therefore, human cells control L1 elements by silencing their activities through epigenetic mechanisms. It has been shown that cell division and heavy metals stimulate the frequency of L1 activities. Removal of silencing by L1 motivators may restart L1 element functions. Here, we have proposed that weather neurotoxic environmental heavy metals (as L1 stimulating factors) have a role in removing L1 silencing and restating its activities in nondividing neuronal cells. Methods: L1-RP green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged knock-in human neuroblastoma clones were prepared. Single-cell clone was treated with mitomycin-c combined with nontoxic and toxic concentrations of iron (Fe), copper (Cu), and mercury (Hg). Silencing status of engineered L1 elements in dividing and nondividing cells was determined through measuring the amount of GFP expressing cells with flow cytometry. The cytotoxic effect of mitomycin-c combined with metals was measured by MTT assay. Results: Hg in nondividing cells and Fe, Cu, and Hg in dividing neuroblastoma cells could significantly remove L1 silencing. Also, mitomycin-c treatment did not have any effect on metal toxicity status in neuroblastoma cells. Conclusion: Totally, our findings have shown that cell division has a role in removing L1 silencing as well as L1 retrotransposition induced by environmental heavy metals. It has been also indicated that Hg at all concentrations could remove silencing of engineered L1 element regardless of cell cycle state. Key Words: Cell division, Heavy metals, L1 retrotransposon     

Assessing the Potential of Pomegranate Meal and Potato Waste as New Organic Amendments for Vermicompost

Waste disposal has become one of the greatest global concerns, which has high operational costs and might cause environmental pollution. Due to the lack of the organic matter in most of the Iranian agro-ecosystem, recycling organic waste materials favors the environment by reducing chemical fertilizers as well as improving soil structure and fertility. A vermicomposting system using cow manure (CM), pomegranate meal (PM) + sawdust (S), CM + potato waste (PW), PM + PW, CM + PM, and CM + PM + PW was set up to find a viable alternative raw material for improving physico-chemical properties of vermicompost after 60 days. The amended vermicompost of PM + S and PM + PW markedly improved the electrical conductivity (EC), which were below the EC limit (by 1.01 and 2.27 dS m^?1, respectively), pH (by 7.04 and 6.60, respectively), and water holding capacity (respectively 1.9 and 1.2 times higher than CM). Vermicompost amendment led to significant reduction of organic carbon (OC), but nonetheless, PM + S and PM + PW showed higher OC content in the final product probably due to the higher initial carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio, raw material origin, and lower decomposition rate. In regard to nutrient value, the total phosphorus content in the end-product of PM + S and PM + PW was, respectively, 19.3 and 7.9 times higher compared with the final product of CM. Additionally, the amended vermicompost of PM + PW markedly improved total nitrogen content as compared with CM. The findings suggested that the additional amounts of nitrogen and potassium to PM + S and also potassium to PM + PW would improve the physico-chemical properties and fertilization of the final vermicompost considerably higher than CM vermicompost. This amendment has the potential to mitigate the adverse effects of vermicompost of CM, for example, salinity and alkalinity; and chemical fertilizers, for example, soil pollution with heavy metals in phosphate fertilizers, as well as the potential for soil rehabilitation.     

Effect of Different Levels of Glycerol and Cholesterol‐Loaded Cyclodextrin on Cryosurvival of Ram Spermatozoa

This study was conducted to determine the optimum level of glycerol and cholesterol‐loaded cyclodextrin (CLC) in a Tris‐based diluent for cryopreservation of ram spermatozoa. Ram semen was treated with 0, 1.5, 3 or 4.5 mg CLC/120 × 10⁶ cells in Tris‐based diluents containing 3, 5 or 7% glycerol in a factorial arrangement 3 × 4 and frozen in liquid nitrogen vapour. Sperm motility, viability (eosin–nigrosin staining) and functional membrane integrity (hypo‐osmotic swelling test) were assessed immediately after thawing (0 h) and subsequently after 3 and 6 h at 37°C. There was an interaction between CLC and glycerol on the functional membrane integrity (p < 0.05). In the presence of 3% glycerol, the highest functional membrane integrity (32.2%) was found in the spermatozoa treated with 1.5 mg CLC/120 × 10⁶ sperm. Post‐thaw sperm motility was highest in 1.5 mg CLC immediately after thawing (40.5%) and after 3‐h (30.6%) incubation at 37°C (p < 0.05). Viability of spermatozoa was higher in all CLC treatments than in the untreated samples, and it was highest (33.9%) in the spermatozoa treated with 1.5 mg CLC (p < 0.05). These data indicate that the addition of cholesterol to sperm membranes by 1.5 mg CLC/120 × 10⁶ cells may allow the use of a lower concentration of glycerol (3%), which is sufficient to mitigate the detrimental effects of freezing and thawing.