Humoral and cellular response to BoHV-1 in buffalo and cattle treated with an inactivated marker vaccine

The study is aimed at assessing and comparing the immune response to BoHV-1 elicited by an inactivated marker vaccine in buffaloes and cattle. Vaccination did not produced any local or general reactions in buffaloes. Seroneutralizing antibodies and cellular response by IFN-γ- test have been detected in buffaloes and cattle after a prime/ booster vaccination strategy. Humoral and cellular responses were significantly higher in cattle than in buffaloes. Data pointed out the possibility to use the marker vaccine in buffaloes. However, further studies must be planned to assess the immune pressure of marker vaccines in terms of IBR eradicative attitude in infected buffalo herds

A short-term comparison of wheat straw and poplar wood chips used as litter in tiestalls on hygiene, milk, and behavior of lactating dairy cows

A short-term study was conducted to compare the effect of using poplar wood chips (PWC) instead of wheat straw (WS) litter in dairy cows. A total of 38 lactating Holstein cows (204 ± 119 days in milk, 26.9 ± 6.5 kg of milk yield [MY]) were housed in a tiestall farm for a 10-d trial including 5 d of adaptation followed by 5 sampling days (from d 5 to 10). Cows were divided into 2 homogeneous groups: one group was bedded with WS, and the second with PWC. Both litter materials were provided in the amount of 7 kg/stall per d. Each group was composed of 3 subgroups of 6 or 7 cows; the subgroups were physically separated along the feeding line by wooden boards. During the sampling days, fecal composition, used litter composition, and bacterial count (Clostridium spp., Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus, and total bacterial count) were analyzed by subgroup twice a day. On d 1 and from d 5 to 10, udder hygiene score and cow cleanliness score were also evaluated individually twice a day. Meanwhile MY, milk hygiene (total bacterial count [TBC], coliform bacterial count [CBC], and spore-forming unit [SFU]) and quality were measured and analyzed from 9 animals per group. Moreover, individual animal behavior (body position and behavioral traits) and subgroup dry matter intake were measured on d 9 and 10. Fecal dry matter did not differ between groups, PWC had the lowest used litter moisture and N content favoring the highest clean cow frequency, but also gave rise to the greatest used litter microbial contamination. The MY, milk quality, TBC, SFU, and CBC were similar. The lying behavior frequency was similar between groups. However, the PWC group showed the lowest sleeping frequency, the highest frequency of other behaviors (including discomfort signs), and the lowest dry matter intake. However, despite this apparent reduction in cow comfort, no biologically important differences were observed in this short-term study between cows on PWC and WS in milk production or hygiene

Nuovi peptidi cationici ciclici ad attività antimicrobica

Si descrivono una serie di peptidi cationici ciclici utili per il trattamento di patologie infettive in ambito clinico/chirurgico sia umano che veterinario. I peptidi dell’invenzione hanno una lunghezza da 15 a 21 aminoacidi, e sono ciclizzabili mediante formazione di un ponte disolfuro tra due aminoacidi contenenti zolfo, opportunamente localizzati in prossimità delle regioni -NH2 terminale e -COOH terminale del peptide. Inoltre, la porzione centrale del peptide è caratterizzata dalla presenza di numerosi aminoacidi carichi, in parte o totalmente alternati con aminoacidi neutri. Più specificamente, i peptidi presentano una sequenza A-B-C-D-C’-B’-A’, dove: le unità A e A’ corrispondono alle regioni -NH2 terminale e -COOH terminale; le unità B e B’ corrispondono ad aminoacidi contenenti zolfo; le unità C e C’ sono sequenze di 5 o 6 aminoacidi scelti tra gli aminoacidi idrofobici e tra gli aminoacidi basici o formanti legami idrogeno; l’unità D corrisponde all’aminoacido glicina. Detti peptidi presentano una significativa attività antibatterica, associata ad una elevata stabilità e resistenza all’azione delle peptidasi batteriche, ed una scarsa o nulla tossicità contro le cellule eucariotiche. In particolare, la disposizione degli aminoacidi idrofobici in regioni discrete separate da aminoacidi carichi conferisce ai peptidi una elevata attività, anche associata ad una significativa sale-insensibilità. L'invenzione riguarda anche la sintesi di detti peptidi, le relative composizioni farmaceutiche, e l’impiego di detti peptidi nel trattamento di infezioni batteriche, da funghi e/o lieviti

NEW CYCLIC CATIONIC PEPTIDES WITH ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY

A series of cationic cyclic peptides, useful for the treatment of infectious diseases in both human and veterinary clinical/surgical environment are described herein. The peptides of the invention have a length of 15 to 21 amino acids, and show a sequence A-B-C- D-C'-B'-A', wherein units A and A' correspond to -NH2 terminal and - COOH terminal regions; units B and B' correspond to cyclizable amino acids containing sulfur; units C and C are sequences of 5 amino acids selected among hydrophobic amino acids, basic amino acids and amino acids forming hydrogen bonds; unit D is a dipeptide consisting of glycine and one basic amino acid. Said peptides show significant antibacterial activity, associated with high stability and resistance to the action of bacterial endopeptidases, and weak or null toxicity against eukaryotic cells. In particular, the diposition of hydrophobic amino acids in discrete regions, separate from charged amino acids, gives the peptides high activity, also associated with significant salt-insensitivity. The invention also relates to the synthesis of said peptides, relative pharmaceuticals compositions, and use of said peptides in the treatment of infections caused by bacteria, fungi and/or yeasts