Effects on of dexamethasone on vaccination responses against pneumonic pasteurellosis in goats

A study was conducted to compare the effect of dexamethasone treatment prior to, during and post-vaccination on antibody response and protection against experimental challenge with Mannhaemia haemolytica. Sixteen goats of about 7 months old were divided into 4 equal groups. All goats were vaccinated twice intranasally with 1 ml inoculum containing 106 colony forming unit (cfu) of formalin-killed Mannhaemia haemolytica A2/ml. The two doses were administered at 2-week intervals. Goats in group 1 were treated with dexamethasone prior to vaccination, group 2 was treated during vaccination, group 3 was treated at 1 week-post vaccination while group 4 remained as the vaccinated control. Serum samples were collected weekly for a period of 5 weeks to detect antibody using an ELISA. Two weeks post-vaccination, all goats were challenged intratracheally with 4 ml inoculum containing live Mannhaemia haemolytica at a concentration of 109 cfu/ml before slaughtering at 2 weeks post-challenge. The extent of pneumonic lung lesions was determined. Generally, animals without dexamethasone treatment had significantly (p<0.05) high antibody response compared to other groups while the extent of pneumonic lung lesions was significantly (p<0.05) lowest. Although group 1 showed the second highest antibody response and a lower percentage of lesions, the differences were significant (p<0.05) compared to the control group. Group 2 which showed the second lowest antibody response recorded significantly (p<0.05) extensive lung lesions while group 3, which showed the lowest antibody level had insignificantly (p<0.05) more extensive lung lesions. There were strong correlations between the antibody response and the severity of lesions. The results emphasise that vaccination will not be efficient if carried out when the animal is under stressful conditions

The effects of prenatal and early postnatal tocotrienol-rich fraction supplementation on cognitive function development in male offspring rats.

Background: Recent findings suggest that the intake of specific nutrients during the critical period in early life influence cognitive and behavioural development profoundly. Antioxidants such as vitamin E have been postulated to be pivotal in this process, as vitamin E is able to protect the growing brain from oxidative stress. Currently tocotrienols are gaining much attention due to their potent antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. It is thus compelling to look at the effects of prenatal and early postnatal tocotrienols supplementation, on cognition and behavioural development among offsprings of individual supplemented with tocotrienols. Therefore, this study is aimed to investigate potential prenatal and early postnatal influence of Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction (TRF) supplementation on cognitive function development in male offspring rats. Eight-week-old adult female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned into five groups of two animals each. The animals were fed either with the base diet as control (CTRL), base diet plus vehicle (VHCL), base diet plus docosahexanoic acid (DHA), base diet plus Tocotrienol-Rich fraction (TRF), and base diet plus both docosahexaenoic acid, and tocotrienol rich fraction (DTRF) diets for 2 weeks prior to mating. The females (F0 generation) were maintained on their respective treatment diets throughout the gestation and lactation periods. Pups (F1 generation) derived from these dams were raised with their dams from birth till four weeks post natal. The male pups were weaned at 8 weeks postnatal, after which they were grouped into five groups of 10 animals each, and fed with the same diets as their dams for another eight weeks. Learning and behavioural experiments were conducted only in male off-spring rats using the Morris water maze.Eight-week-old adult female Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly assigned into five groups of two animals each. The animals were fed either with the base diet as control (CTRL), base diet plus vehicle (VHCL), base diet plus docosahexanoic acid (DHA), base diet plus Tocotrienol-Rich fraction (TRF), and base diet plus both docosahexaenoic acid, and tocotrienol rich fraction (DTRF) diets for 2 weeks prior to mating. The females (F0 generation) were maintained on their respective treatment diets throughout the gestation and lactation periods. Pups (F1 generation) derived from these dams were raised with their dams from birth till four weeks post natal. The male pups were weaned at 8 weeks postnatal, after which they were grouped into five groups of 10 animals each, and fed with the same diets as their dams for another eight weeks. Learning and behavioural experiments were conducted only in male off-spring rats using the Morris water maze.Results: Results showed that prenatal and postnatal TRF supplementation increased the brain (4-6 fold increase) and plasma α-tocotrienol (0.8 fold increase) levels in male off-springs. There is also notably better cognitive performance based on the Morris water maze test among these male off-springs.Conclusion: Based on these results, it is concluded that prenatal and postnatal TRF supplementation improved cognitive function development in male progeny rats

Edible bird's nest (EBN) is a potential natural product against influenza virus infection

Edible bird’s nest (EBN) is an emergent industry in Malaysia. In 2016, EBN worth RM 1.2 billion with the total production of 228-tonne metrics. EBN is salivary secretion of swiftlets (Aerodramus spp.) that contained various nutritive values. Back in Tang Dynasty, it had been recognized as a natural product with broad medicinal effects. Recently, various scientific studies have been done to elucidate the medicinal properties of this precious food. For the past 10 years, antiviral effects of EBN had been explained via in-vitro and in-vivo well-designed researches, in which generally EBN is exerting a good alternative food for prophylactic and therapeutic agent against Influenza A virus infection in the laboratory setting. The limited study had been done to identify the bioactive ingredient of EBN that have antiviral properties. Nevertheless, based on the previous nutritional studies, some contents of EBN have been hypothesised to serve as an antiviral agent, and comprehensive study is required to explicate those claimed. The aim of this paper is to review on the recent discovery pertaining to the potential antiviral effect of EBN in the cell culture and animal model studies

Histopathological changes of skin and gills of catfish (Clarias gariepinus) exposed to organophosphate toxicant

The usage of pesticide in the industry will help increase crop yield and meet consumer demand for Malaysia, a country that is undergoing economic revolution through the agricultural. However, the excessive and inappropriateness use of pesticides can affect the environment, water quality and public health. In this experiment, 40 adult African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) were divided and exposed into sublethal concentrations of Malathion (0.8, 1.6 and 3.0 ppm) and a control group for 48 hours. At the end of the study, all fish were sacrificed before skin and gill samples were collected to determine the effect of malathion on the gills and skin. The histopathological lesions in the gills and skin were scored and statistically analysed to compare between group. Histological examination of the gill showed epithelial lifting at secondary lamella, hyperplasia of primary epithelium, fusion of secondary lamella and infiltration of inflammatory cells with peeling and rupture of epithelial cells of secondary lamellae. In the skin, the changes observed were hyperplasia of mucus cell and shrinkage of the club cells after the exposure to malathion. There were significant differences between treatment and control groups. Thus, malathion causes concentration-independent and nonspecific lesions in the gills and skin of African catfish

Effect of garlic on serum cholesterol level in rats on high fat diets.

Garlic has been reported to possess the effect of lowering serum cholesterol level in blood thus may reduced the occurrence of cardiovascular disease but scientific reports are lacking. Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats of 16-weeks old were divided into four groups (n = 6). Hypercholesterolemia was induced by feeding 20% butter as high fat diet for two weeks and the treatment diet for three weeks. Group A was fed normal diet, group B fed normal diet + butter, group C fed normal diet + butter + garlic and group D was fed normal diet + butter + dexamethasone. The serum cholesterol concentration, average body weight and organ weight were determined for five weeks. The results showed a significant (p<0.05) decrease in the serum total cholesterol concentration for groups C and D. The average body weight was significantly (p<0.05) different between the initial body weight and final body weight. The organ weight showed a significant (p<0.05) decrease in mean blotted dry liver weight in groups C and D. These observations indicate that consumption of raw garlic has beneficial effect in lowering serum total cholesterol concentration and promote weight control

Histopathological evaluation of visceral organs and brain of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) exposed to sublethal concentrations of malathion

Organophosphate is a neurotoxin that inhibits acetylcholinesterase. Exposure to organophosphate toxicants can be through inhalation, absorption and ingestion of food treated with an organophosphate herbicide or insecticide. Malathion is among the most frequently used organophosphate insecticides. Malathion has been associated with reproductive malfunction, neurotoxicity, kidney and liver damage and birth defects. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of malathion on the catfish species C. gariepinus. One hundred and ten mature catfish, C. gariepinus with a body length of about 15cm were obtained from Taman Pertanian Universiti, Universiti Putra Malaysia. Prior to experimental trial, the fish were acclimatised for one week in a clean fibreglass tank provided with aeration, biophysical filtration and treated with Aqua-Med® to remove external bacteria and parasites. The fish were exposed to four different malathion concentrations of 1.6, 3.2, 6.4 and 8.5 ppm in a controlled laboratory condition. The LC50 of malathion at 48 hours was determined to be 3.2 ppm. In the acute exposure study, 40 catfish with an average length of 18.0 ± 2 cm were divided equally into four tanks. Tank 1 contained the control group, where the fishes were bathed in dechlorinated water provided with aeration and biophysical water filter. The fish in the other three tanks were exposed to malathion concentrations of 0.8, 1.6 and 3.0 ppm for 48 hours. The fishes were then euthanized with an overdose of MS222 and their visceral organs viz., kidney and liver tissues were fixed in 10% buffered formalin and the brain tissue in Bouin’s solution. All samples were histologically processed and stained with H & E stains. Histopathological evaluations were carried out using lesion scores of 0 to 3 and the significant differences were tested by one-way ANOVA. The kidneys of the malathion-treated group showed necrosis, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and capillary congestion while the controls did not. There was no difference (p>0.05) in kidney lesions between malathion-treated groups. Liver necrosis, infiltration of inflammatory cells, congestion and haemorrhage were evident in the malathion-treated group, which was greatest (p0.05) in other lesions among treated groups. The control catfish did not show any lesion. The malathion-treated catfish also showed brain necrosis, congestion and infiltration of inflammatory cell, which were not significantly (p>0.05) different among treatment groups. The control group did not show any brain lesion. The study showed that at concentrations below LD50 and exposure time of 48 hours, malathion is moderately toxic to C. gariepinus

Histologic evaluation of critical size defect healing with natural and synthetic bone grafts in the pigeon (Columba livia) ulna

Fracture and bone segment loss are major clinical problems in birds. Achieving bone formation and clinical union in a fracture case is important for the survival of the bird. To evaluate the efficacy of bone grafts for defect healing in birds, 2 different bone grafts were investigated in the healing of a bone defect in 24 healthy pigeons (Columba livia). In each bird, a 1-cm critical size defect (CSD) was created in the left ulna, and the fracture was stabilized with external skeletal fixation (ESF). A graft of hydroxyapatite (HA) alone (n = 12 birds) or demineralized bone matrix (DBM) combined with HA (n = 12 birds) was implanted in the CSD. The CSD healing was evaluated at 3 endpoints: 3, 6, and 12 weeks after surgery. Four birds were euthanatized at each endpoint from each treatment group, and bone graft healing in the ulna CSD was evaluated by histologic examination. The CSD and graft implants were evaluated for quality of union, cortex development, and bone graft incorporation. Results showed no graft rejection in any bird, and all birds had connective tissue formation in the defect because of the bone graft application. These results suggest that bone defect healing can be achieved by a combination of osteoinductive and osteoconductive bone graft materials for clinical union and new bone regeneration in birds. The combination of DBM and HA resulted in a better quality bone graft (P < .05) than did HA alone, but there was no significant differences in cortex development or bone graft incorporation at 3, 6, or 12 weeks. From the results of this study, we conclude that HA bone grafts, alone or in combination with DBM, with external skeletal fixation is suitable and safe for bone defect and fracture treatment in pigeons

Anatomical structures of the limb of white-nest swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus) and white-headed munia (Lonchura maja)

The main aims of this study were to examine the anatomical structures of the pelvic limb of white-nest swiftlet and to find the reason why the birds are not able to walk, stand and perch while standing. The findings were compared with the white-headed munia which has almost similar body weight and appearance, and the above-mentioned abilities. Four left limbs from each type of the birds were examined macroscopically under the stereomicroscope, whereas the bones and muscles of both the species were measured and compared. The lengths of the femur and tibial bones of the two species were not significantly different, although the metatarsal bone and digits of the white-nest swiftlet were found to be shorter than those of the white-headed munia. In particular, the digits of the white-nest swiftlet were shorter and curvy as compared to the white-headed munia which has longer digits with straight and sharp claws. The limb muscles of white-nest swiftlets were smaller and thinner than the white-headed munia. Four muscle groups, namely, bicep femoris, semimembranous, semitendinosus and gastrocnemius, were also taken from each bird for histological examination. The muscle sections were stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin. Histologically, the white-nest swiftlets have relatively smaller muscle groups and muscle bundles as compared to the white-headed munia. Thus, the limb is weak and unable to support its body weight. In conclusion, apart from the short metatarsal bone and digits, the small muscles of the limb could be the main reason for the inability of the white-nest swiftlets to use their limbs for walking, standing and perching while standing

Gross morphology of the stomach (proventriculus and ventriculus) of the edible bird's-nest swiftlet (Aerodramus fuciphagus) and house swift (Apus nipalensis)

This study was attempted to describe the gross anatomy of the stomach of Edible Bird’s-Nest Swiftlet (Aerodramusfuciphagus). In addition, the comparison was made with the House Swift (Apusnipalensis). These two aerial insectivorous birds from Apodidae family are feed on similar flying insects group. The stomach of seven Aerodramusfuciphagus and six Apusnipalensis were dissected, examined, the weight and length were measured. The stomach of these two species of the birds comprises of proventriculus or pars glandularis, a glandular stomach and ventriculus or pars muscularis, a muscular stomach. The mean weight of the stomach of Aerodramusfuciphagus and Apusnipalensis were 0.39±0.05 and 1.15±0.08 g, respectively, while the mean length of the stomach of Aerodramusfuciphagus and Apusnipalensiswere 2.87±0.41 cm and 2.53±0.19 cm, respectively. The relative weight of Aerodramusfuciphagus stomach (4.82±0.43 g) was higher than the Apusnipalensis (4.30±0.36 g) stomach, but the difference was not significant at P<0.05. Interestingly, the relative length of stomach of Aerodramusfuciphagus (17.88±2.26 mm) was found to be significantly higher than the Apusnipalensis (13.66±0.35 mm) at P<0.05. In conclusion, although the Aerodramusfuciphagus is smaller than the Apusnipalensis and these two insectivorous birds are grouped in the same family and consume similar diet, the stomach of Aerodramusfuciphagus is bigger than the Apusnipalensis relative to body weight

The effects of oestrogen and progesterone on lymphocyte and plasma cell population in the oviduct and uterine mucosae during follicular and luteal phases in ewes

Hormonal changes during the oestrous cycle influence the immune cells pattern in ewe's reproductive tract, particularly in the uterus and oviduct. This study was conducted to quantify the number of lymphocytes and plasma cells of the uterus and oviduct under the influences of oestrogen or progesterone. Results showed that the number of lymphocytes in different parts of the uterus was significantly (p<0.05) higher during the follicular phase as compared to the luteal phase. Nevertheless, in the follicular phase group, the number of lymphocytes was not significantly different between the middle and anterior horn, while in the luteal phase group, the number of lymphocytes was not significantly different between the posterior and middle horns. Similarly, the number of plasma cells was significantly (p<0.05) higher in the follicular phase compared to the luteal phase for the different parts of the reproductive tract. In the luteal phase group, on the contrary, the number of plasma cells was not significantly different between the posterior and middle horns and between the anterior horn and oviduct. Thus, the results emphasize that the ewes are much more protected when they are in follicular phase since the number of lymphocytes and plasma cells are higher