Changes in MicroRNA Expression during Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV) Infection.

Current knowledge on the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) infection and the pathogenesis of rabbit hemorrhagic disease (RHD) is still limited. RHDV replicates in the liver, causing hepatic necrosis and liver failure. MiRNAs are a class of short RNA molecules, and their expression profiles vary over the course of diseases, both in the tissue environment and in the bloodstream. This paper evaluates the expression of miRNAs in the liver tissue (ocu-miR-122-5p, ocu-miR-155-5p, and ocu-miR-16b-5p) and serum (ocu-miR-122-5p) of rabbits experimentally infected with RHDV. The expression levels of ocu-miR-122-5p, ocu-miR-155-5p, and ocu-miR-16b-5p in liver tissue were determined using reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR), and the expression level of circulating ocu-miR-122-5p was established using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). The expression levels of ocu-miR-155-5p and ocu-miR-16b-5p were significantly higher in the infected rabbits compared to the healthy rabbits (a fold-change of 5.8 and 2.5, respectively). The expression of ocu-miR-122-5p was not significantly di�erent in the liver tissue from the infected rabbits compared to the healthy rabbits (p = 0.990), while the absolute expression level of the circulating ocu-miR-122-5p was significantly higher in the infected rabbits than in the healthy rabbits (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, a functional analysis showed that ocu-miR-155-5p, ocu-miR-16b-5p, and ocu-miR-122-5p can regulate the expression of genes involved in processes correlated with acute liver failure (ALF) in rabbits. Search tool for the retrieval of interacting genes/proteins (STRING) analysis showed that the potential target genes of the three selected miRNAs may interact with each other in di�erent pathways. The results indicate the roles of these miRNAs in RHDV infection and over the course of RHD and may reflect hepatic inflammation and impairment/dysfunction in RHD

Assessment of oral acute toxicity (LD50) OF Green Health Herbal mixture in Wistar Albino rats

Green Health herbal mixture is a pharmacological pure herb product of Green Healthcare Limited, Aboha, Ohii, Imo State, Nigeria, approved by National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) used orally and topically in the treatment of muscular ache/pain, scalp, warts, inflammation, skin infection due to bacteria/fungi, and lumps and to relieve high fever. However, its oral lethal dose is yet to be reported. Thus, this work was aimed at assessing its oral acute toxicity in wistar albino rats. The results of phase one and phase two of the study showed no mortality in any of the groups of rats in 24 hours, 72 hours and up to two weeks after oral administration of 5000 mg per kg body weight (b.w) of the herbal mixture, but the histology (photomicrograph) of the liver sections revealed multiple dose-dependent necrosis, histological lesions, and abnormal sinusoids. Therefore, oral intake of the herbal mixture at dose less than or equal to 5000 mg/kg b.w. is safe, but may not be advisable, having noted its deleterious effects on the hepatocytes via the photomicrograph (H and E 400). That is oral LD 50 &gt; 5000 mg/kg b.w. Hence, topical usage is recommended