Investigation of bovine interleukin-6 gene polymorphism and its association with Cryptosporidium infection in calves

ΔΕΝ ΔΙΑΤΙΘΕΤΑΙ ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗInterleukin-6 (IL-6) is associated with inflammatory diseases, but its connection with Cryptosporidium in Holstein calves remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IL-6 on the resistance and susceptibility to Cryptosporidium in calves and to prepare a phylogenetictree in order to show the relation between Cryptosporidium species. Seventy-two samples were studied from healthy and infected with Cryptosporidium calves and genotyped using the tetra amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS). The phylogenetic tree was constructed by the neighbor-joining method using the MEGA 7.0 software. The results showed a frequency of 76.40% for T allele and 23.60% for C allele in the healthy calves, while the results showed a frequency of 73.60% for T allele and 26.40% for C allele in calves infected with Cryptosporidium. The results did not reveal a significant difference between healthy and infectious animals according to the allele frequency (P=0.637). The phylogenetic tree demonstrated that C. parvum (HQ259589.1) with an 81% bootstrap were clustered with C. hominis (KM012041.1). The results also indicated that C. parvum (HQ259589.1) and C. hominis (KM012041.1) had a common ancestor with C. cuniculus. Additionally, C. andersoni(HQ259590.1) with an 88% bootstrap of support was placed in the same clade of C. muris (L19069.1), and both of them had a common ancestor with C. serpentis(KF240618.1). Further studies are required to investigate the relation between SNPs of IL-6 in other regions and the resistance or susceptibility to Cryptosporidium in calves

Prevalence of Abomasum Nematode infection in Sheep from North of Iran

Abstract In many countries, small ruminants provide the primary source of human protein and play an important role in livestock production. Parasitic infections, especially gastrointestinal parasites, cause economic losses such as reduced fertility and milk production, damage to the leather industry, weight loss, treatment costs, and losses in severe infections. Thus, identifying and classifying these parasites, including the above cases, is essential for scientific research in any country. This study aimed to Prevalence of Abomasum Nematode infection in Sheep from North of Iran. In the present cross-sectional descriptive study, we have studied the prevalence of infection with abomasum nematodes in sheep in northern Iran from April 2020 to September 2021 in 2400 abomasum sheep slaughtered in industrial slaughterhouses in Gilan and Mazandaran provinces (1200 sheep from each province). With three age groups of below two years, two to four years, and above four years and gender segregation of hosts, after necropsy and preparation of sheep abomasal mucosa chip and isolation and segregation of samples, we studied the morphologic and morphometric characteristics of the samples. The actions were performed according to the taxonomic keys and using SPSS software V.16 and Paired Sample T-Test statistical test to determine the level of significance of the data (p <0.05) to classify and compare the obtained data and examine the ratio. The sex of the host was determined by the age of the animal and the prevalence of the parasite at the mentioned ages. The present study results and comparison of the prevalence of infection in Gilan and Mazandaran provinces showed that Marshallagia marshalli had the highest prevalence of 94.6% and 91.9% in Mazandaran and Gilan province, respectively. The prevalence of Ostertagia circumcincta was 87.2% and 77.2% in Gilan and Mazandaran provinces. The prevalence of Ostertagia occidentalis was 86.9% in Gilan province and 78% in Mazandaran province, while the prevalence of Parabronema skrjabini was 86.6% in Gilan province and 61.2% in Mazandaran province. The prevalence of Haemonchus contortus was 66.8% and 60.5% in Gilan and Mazandaran, the lowest prevalence in these two provinces. The present study results showed the importance of combating the spread of parasitic infections with strategic treatment methods and biological control of these parasites. Also, various reports of drug resistance in abomasal nematodes should be emphasized more and more by competent bodies. Keywords: Abomasum, Nematodes, North of Iran, Parasitic infections, Sheep

Epidemiological Aspects of Canine Dirofilariasis in the North of Iran

Background: Dirofilaria immitis is an important parasite in dog and other carnivores. Our objec­tive was study on incidence and periodicity of heartworm in north of Iran and using other meth­ods for its diagnosis in addition to Parasitology exam.Methods: This survey spanned two years, between 2006 and 2008. Blood samples were collected from 431 stray dogs distributed along north of Iran, the coastal areas of the Caspian Sea. The Knott's modified test was used for diagnosis of D. immitis and other filariae. Meanwhile, the periodic­ity of microfilaria in peripheral blood circulation was calculated and the imaging diagno­sis techniques of four dogs that had positive results were done.Result: Diagnostic parasitology results indicated that 16.01% of stray dogs were microfilaremic. Two different microfilariae were diagnosed: D. immitis in 13.69%, Dipetalonema reconditum in 1.86% and in 0.46% both of them. There was no statistically significant between infection to fiariae with sex and age of dogs. Also study on the periodicity of the presence of microfilaria in peripheral circulation showed that the highest rate of those was at 1 am and the lowest rate at 12 pm. Radiographic study showed distinctive signs with varied degrees of severity included: Tortu­ous and enlargement of main and lobar pulmonary artery, pulmonary parenchymal lesions and Right side heart enlargement that confirmed in electrocardiography. Also in echocardiographic images observed short parallel-sided images with the appearance of equal signs that indicated the pres­ence of the heartworm.Conclusion: These results showed that to obtain a reliable diagnosis of heartworm infection, imag­ing tests could support parasitological exams

Investigation of bovine interleukin-6 gene polymorphism and its association with Cryptosporidium infection in calves

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is associated with inflammatory diseases, but its connection with Cryptosporidium in Holstein calves remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IL-6 on the resistance and susceptibility to Cryptosporidium in calves and to prepare a phylogenetictree in order to show the relation between Cryptosporidium species. Seventy-two samples were studied from healthy and infected with Cryptosporidium calves and genotyped using the tetra amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS). The phylogenetic tree was constructed by the neighbor-joining method using the MEGA 7.0 software. The results showed a frequency of 76.40% for T allele and 23.60% for C allele in the healthy calves, while the results showed a frequency of 73.60% for T allele and 26.40% for C allele in calves infected with Cryptosporidium. The results did not reveal a significant difference between healthy and infectious animals according to the allele frequency (P=0.637). The phylogenetic tree demonstrated that C. parvum (HQ259589.1) with an 81% bootstrap were clustered with C. hominis (KM012041.1). The results also indicated that C. parvum (HQ259589.1) and C. hominis (KM012041.1) had a common ancestor with C. cuniculus. Additionally, C. andersoni(HQ259590.1) with an 88% bootstrap of support was placed in the same clade of C. muris (L19069.1), and both of them had a common ancestor with C. serpentis(KF240618.1). Further studies are required to investigate the relation between SNPs of IL-6 in other regions and the resistance or susceptibility to Cryptosporidium in calves.</jats:p

The use of pressure monitoring to standardize fetal arterial visualization

The application of a new x-ray opaque postmortem perfusion system for the visualization of vascular structures in fetal models is presented. This new system allows pig fetus perfusion to be performed at pressures of less than 30 mmHg. At higher pressures, extravasations were observed in known weak spots in the fetal vasculature, and multiple perfusions at the same pressure exhibited similar patterns of extravasation (demonstrated at all pressures studied). Therefore this technique is controllable and predictable. It will allow determination of fetal vascular malformations which have been implicated as causes of many birth defects. </jats:p