Viral and bacterial agents associated with experimental transmission of infectious proventriculitis of broiler chickens.

Proventriculitis of broilers can be reproduced by oral inoculation of day-old chicks with a proventricular homogenate from affected 3-wk-old broilers. The objective of the following studies was to isolate from this homogenate viral and bacterial isolates that could produce proventriculitis. A monoclonal antibody to infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) was used to precipitate virus from the homogenate. A primary chicken digestive tract cell culture system was also used to isolate virus from a 0.2-microm filtrate of the homogenate, and a bacterium was also isolated from the homogenate. In trial 1, day-old birds were orally inoculated with either proventriculus homogenate or monoclonal antibody immunoprecipitated IBDV (MAB-IBDV). At 4, 7, 14, and 21 days postinfection (PI), 12 birds from each treatment group were subjected to necropsy. In trial 2, day-old birds were orally inoculated with either infectious proventriculus homogenate, suspect virus isolated in cell culture and propagated in embryo livers and spleens, or a bacterial isolate. Twelve birds from each treatment were subjected to necropsy at days 7, 14, 21, and 28 PI. In trial 3, treatments were maintained in negative pressure isolation chambers, and an additional treatment included virus plus bacterial isolate. Twenty-four birds from each treatment were subjected to necropsy at day 21 PI. In trial 1, infectious homogenate decreased body weight and relative gizzard weights at 4, 7, 14, and 21 days PI. Proventriculus relative weight was increased at days 7, 14, and 21 PI, and proventriculus lesion scores were increased at days 14 and 21 PI. Bursa/spleen weight ratios were decreased at day 14, and feed conversion was increased at days 4 and 21. The MAB-IBDV treatment decreased proventriculus and gizzard relative weights at day 4 PI, increased proventriculus lesion scores and bursa/spleen weight ratios at day 14, and decreased heterophil/lymphocyte ratios at day 21. In trial 2, all infected birds had significantly higher mean relative proventriculus weights at 21 days PI and had higher 4-wk mean proventriculus scores as compared with both control groups. In trial 3, birds treated with homogenate and birds treated with both suspect virus and the bacterial isolate had significantly higher proventriculus lesion scores; higher relative weights of proventriculus, gizzard, liver, and heart; lower body weights; and lower relative bursa weights compared with the saline control group. These studies suggest that infectious proventriculitis has a complex etiology involving both viral and bacterial infection.     

The effects of water supplementation with vitamin E and sodium salicylate (Uni-Sol) on the resistance of turkeys to Escherichia coli respiratory infection

The objective of this study was to determine the prophylactic efficacy of two commercial products, soluble vitamin E and soluble sodium salicylate (Uni-Sol), in an Escherichia coli respiratory challenge. The drinking water of male turkey poults was nonsupplemented or supplemented with either vitamin E or Uni-Sol or a combination of both at dosages recommended by the manufacturer. There were 110 birds in each of the four treatments, housed in four floor pens per treatment. At 5 wk of age, birds in half of the pens were challenged with an air sac inoculation of approximately 50 colony-forming units of E. coli. Water treatment commenced 5 days before challenge and continued for 2 wk after challenge, when birds were necropsied. All water treatments prevented the decrease in body weight due to E. coli challenge; however, either vitamin E or Uni-Sol alone, but not the combination of the two, decreased body weight in nonchallenged controls. Either vitamin E or Uni-Sol treatment alone, but not the combination of the two, significantly decreased mortality and air sacculitis scores of challenged birds, and all treatments decreased the isolation rates of E. coli from the liver. All treatments protected liver, spleen, and bursa weights (relative to body weight) from the effects of E. coli challenge, and Uni-Sol alone or vitamin E with Uni-Sol protected relative heart weights from the effect of challenge. Uni-Sol treatment alone increased the main effect mean total leukocyte counts and the number and percent of lymphocytes. Uni-Sol in combination with vitamin E increased the number of lymphocytes of challenged birds. Uni-Sol alone decreased the main effect mean heterophil/lymphocyte ratio (H/L) ratio, whereas vitamin E alone increased the H/L ratio of challenged birds. These results indicate that treatment of turkey poults with vitamin E or Uni-Sol prior to and during the stressful events that can lead to colisepticema may decrease disease incidence and mortality.     

Oxidant/antioxidant properties of Croatian native propolis

Native propolis was defined as propolis powder collected from the continental part of Croatia and prepared according to a patented process that preserves all the propolis natural nutritional and organoleptic qualities. Nine phenolic compounds (out of thirteen tested) in propolis sample were detected by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Among them chrysin was the most abundant (2478.5 microg/g propolis). Contrary to moderate antioxidant activity of propolis examined in vitro (ferric reduction antioxidant power; FRAP-assay), propolis as a food supplement modulated antioxidant enzymes (AOE) and significantly decreased lipid peroxidation processes (LPO) in plasma, liver, lungs, and brain of mice. The effect was dose- and tissue-dependent. The lower dose (100 mg/kg bw) protected plasma from oxidation, whereas the higher dose (300 mg/kg bw) was pro-oxidative. Hyperoxia (long-term normobaric 100% oxygen) increased LPO in all three organs tested. The highest vulnerability to oxidative stress was observed in lungs where hyperoxia was not associated with augmentation of AOE. Propolis protected lungs from hyperoxia by increased catalase (CAT) activity. This is of special importance for lungs since lungs of adult animals are highly vulnerable to oxidative stress because of their inability to augment AOE activity. Because of its strong antioxidant and scavenging abilities, native propolis might be used as a strong plant-based antioxidant effective not only in physiological conditions but also in cases that require prolonged high concentration of oxygen.     

Abnormal regulation of muscle contraction in horses with recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether abnormal regulation of muscle contraction similar to that associated with malignant hyperthermia (MH) was evident in intact external intercostal muscle cells from Thoroughbreds with recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis (RER). ANIMALS: 5 adult Thoroughbred horses with RER and 7 clinically normal adult Thoroughbred or mixed-breed horses. PROCEDURES: Twitch time course variables and contracture responses to various concentrations of potassium, caffeine, and halothane were measured in small bundles of intact external intercostal muscle cells from clinically normal horses and horses with RER. RESULTS: Threshold for significant contracture induced by potassium depolarization was lower for RER-affected muscles, compared with normal muscles, although the relationship between potassium concentration and membrane potential were not different. Thresholds for contracture induced by caffeine and halothane were also lower for RER-affected muscles, compared with normal muscles. Lower thresholds for caffeine- and halothane-induced contractures, as well as depolarization-elicited contractures, in RER-affected muscles suggest a defect in myoplasmic calcium regulation. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Regulation of muscle contraction is abnormal in Thoroughbreds with RER. The specific defect may be attributable to abnormal intracellular calcium regulation. Knowledge of the specific defect involved in RER may lead to improved prevention and treatment of RER-affected horses.     

Comparing disease resistance of local and international plum cultivars (Prunus domestica) from Eastern Transylvania,Romania

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Assessments were carried out to evaluate disease susceptibility in two local and three internationally recognised plum cultivars...     

Differences in the progress of the biopesticide revolution between the EU and other major crop‐growing regions

The five‐year value in the compound annual growth rate of the biopesticides sector is predicted to be 16% by 2017 and to produce a global market worth $US 10 billion. Despite this, several impediments occur within the EU that negatively affect biopesticide research and innovation. At present, there are fewer biopesticide‐active substances registered in the EU compared with the United States, India, Brazil and China. The relatively low level of biopesticide research in the EU (6880 ISI papers) versus the United States (18 839), India (9501) and China (7875) relates to the greater complexity of EU‐based biopesticide regulations compared with these other countries. In this light, it is worth noting that tensions may exist between regulators that emphasise the beneficial nature of biopesticides in environmentally friendly crop management and those that adopt a more technologically based approach dependent on a chemical‐pesticide‐driven model. Compared with the other aforementioned countries, far fewer biopesticide products are available in the EU market, mainly as a direct result of the severe regulatory factors present there. The extent to which this trend will continue depends largely on a range of interacting political and/or regulatory decisions that influence environmentally friendly agricultural industries. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

dSarm/Sarm1 is required for activation of an injury-induced axon death pathway

Axonal and synaptic degeneration is a hallmark of peripheral neuropathy, brain injury, and neurodegenerative disease. Axonal degeneration has been proposed to be mediated by an active autodestruction program, akin to apoptotic cell death; however, loss-of-function mutations capable of potently blocking axon self-destruction have not been described. Here, we show that loss of the Drosophila Toll receptor adaptor dSarm (sterile α/Armadillo/Toll-Interleukin receptor homology domain protein) cell-autonomously suppresses Wallerian degeneration for weeks after axotomy. Severed mouse Sarm1 null axons exhibit remarkable long-term survival both in vivo and in vitro, indicating that Sarm1 prodegenerative signaling is conserved in mammals. Our results provide direct evidence that axons actively promote their own destruction after injury and identify dSarm/Sarm1 as a member of an ancient axon death signaling pathway.