siRNA blocking of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) attenuates pathology in annonacin-induced tauopathy in mice

Tauopathy is a pathological hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases. It is characterized by abnormal aggregates of pathological phosphotau and somatodendritic redistribution. One suggested strategy for treating tauopathy is to stimulate autophagy, hence, getting rid of these pathological protein aggregates. One key controller of autophagy is mTOR. Since stimulation of mTOR leads to inhibition of autophagy, inhibitors of mTOR will cause stimulation of autophagy process. In this report, tauopathy was induced in mice using annonacin. Blocking of mTOR was achieved through stereotaxic injection of siRNA against mTOR. The behavioral and immunohistochemical evaluation revealed the development of tauopathy model as proven by deterioration of behavioral performance in open field test and significant tau aggregates in annonacin-treated mice. Blocking of mTOR revealed significant clearance of tau aggregates in the injected side; however, tau expression was not affected by mTOR blockage

Ultrasonography of the reticulum in 30 healthy Saanen goats

Background: The reticulum plays a crucial role in the ruminant digestive tract because the primary cycle of rumen motility always starts with a reticular contraction. In contrast to cattle, there are only few results on the ultrasonographic examination of the reticulum in goats. Therefore, it was the goal of the present study, to describe the results of ultrasonography of the reticulum of 30 healthy Saanen goats. Methods: Ultrasonography was carried out on standing, non-sedated animals using a 5.0 MHz linear transducer. The shape, contour and motility of the reticulum were investigated. A nine-minute video recording of the reticulum was made for each goat and the frequency, duration and amplitude of reticular contractions were calculated as described for cattle. Results: The reticulum appeared as a crescent-shaped structure with a smooth contour located immediately adjacent to the diaphragm. 0.8 to 2.1 (1.41 ± 0.31) reticular contractions were seen per minute. In all goats, biphasic reticular contractions were observed. 90% of the goats also had monophasic reticular contractions, and two had triphasic contractions. During the nine-minute observation periods, there were 0 to 6 monophasic reticular contractions and 6 to 15 biphasic contractions per goat. The duration of the biphasic contractions was 6.56 ± 0.74 s, which was significantly longer than the monophasic contractions at 4.31 ± 0.81 s. The average interval between two reticular contractions was 45.06 ± 12.57 s. Conclusion: Ultrasonography of the reticulum in goats is a valuable tool to characterise the appearance and motility of this organ. In addition to the biphasic motility pattern seen in cattle the reticular motility of goats is characterized by monophasic reticular contractions. The results of the present study are an important contribution for better understanding of the reticular motility in goats

Gene silencing by RNA interference in the ectoparasitic mite, Psoroptes ovis

Abstract The presence of components of the RNA interference (RNAi) pathway in Psoroptes ovis, an ectoparasitic mite responsible for psoroptic mange, was investigated through interrogation of the P. ovis genome. Homologues of transcripts representing critical elements for achieving effective RNAi in the mite, Tetranychus urticae and the model organisms Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster were identified and, following the development of a non-invasive immersion method of double stranded RNA delivery, gene silencing by RNAi was successfully demonstrated in P. ovis. Significant reductions in transcript levels were achieved for three target genes which encode the Group 2 allergen (Pso o 2), mu-class glutathione S-transferase (PoGST-mu1) and beta-tubulin (Poβtub). This is the first demonstration of RNAi in P. ovis and provides a mechanism for mining transcriptomic and genomic datasets for novel control targets against this economically important ectoparasite

A comparison of surgical outcomes of perineal urethrostomy plus penile resection and perineal urethrostomy in twelve calves with perineal or prescrotal urethral dilatation

Abstract The clinical diagnosis, ultrasonographic findings, surgical management, outcome, and survival rate of perineal or prescrotal urethral dilatation in 12 male calves are described. All calves were crossbred and intact males. The most noticeable clinical presentations were perineal (n= 10) or prescrotal (n= 2) swellings and micturition problems. The main ultrasonographic findings were oval shaped dilatation of the urethra in all animals with dimensions of 40-75 X 30-62 mm. The calves with perineal urethral dilatation were treated by perineal urethrostomy (n= 4) and partial penile transection including the dilated urethra and urethral fistulation (n= 6). Prescrotal urethral dilatations were treated by penile transection proximal to the dilatation site (n= 2). Cystitis and stricture of the urethra were recorded postoperatively for two of the calves that underwent perineal urethrostomy. Nine animals were slaughtered at normal body weight approximately 6-8 months after the surgical treatment. Three animals were slaughtered after approximately three to four months, two of them having gained insufficient body weight. Our study shows that ultrasonography is a useful tool for the diagnosis of urethral dilatation in bovine calves. Our study also shows that the partial penile transection may be a suitable and satisfactory choice of surgical treatment for correcting the urethral dilatation in bovine calves

Comparative evaluation of the intravenous effect of medetomidine, tramadol and mede-tomidine/tramadol combination on tear production in clinically healthy donkeys (Equus asinus)

Various ophthalmic disorders (conjunctivitis, corneal wounds, keratitis) have been reported in donkeys. There are no studies on the effect of medetomidine or tramadol on Schirmer tear test (STT) readings in donkeys. This prospective study investigated changes in STT readings in 24 clinically healthy donkeys (Equus asinus) (14 geldings and 10 mares) treated with commonly used doses of medetomidine hydrochloride and tramadol hydrochloride as mono- or combined therapy. Analgesia, sedation, ataxia, and STT readings were measured before treatment (baseline) and at different periods after administration (5–120 min) of the specific drug in each group. Tramadol monotherapy induced a mild analgesic effect (score 1) at 10 min post-administration. All treated donkeys exhibited mild to moderate ataxia. Medetomidine alone or in combination with tramadol induced a significant decrease (P<0.05) in the STT readings in both right and left eyes at 5, 15, 30, and 60 min relative to baseline, and the lowest values were observed 60 min after drug administration in both groups. Intravenous administration of medetomidine alone or in combination with tramadol induced a significant reduction in STT readings in clinically healthy donkeys. Therefore, in donkeys, the ocular surface treated with these sedatives should be carefully examined and adequately covered by an artificial tear solution or ophthalmic gel

A Descriptive Study of the Carpal Joint of Healthy Donkeys Using Ultrasonography, Computed Tomography, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging

This study was conducted to establish a detailed anatomic reference for the carpal joint of apparently healthy donkeys using ultrasonography (US), computed tomographic (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ten orthopedically sound adult donkeys were used for US examination of the carpal joint in each forelimb. Additionally, the carpi of ten donkey cadavers were subjected to CT and MRI examinations. The carpal joint was divided into four zones to simplify examination. US assessment of the carpal joint included transverse and longitudinal sonograms. CT was performed using three planes: axial, sagittal, and coronal. MRI was performed using axial and sagittal planes with two sequences: gradient-echo T1-weighted and proton density. The donkeys’ carpus US, CT, and MRI images were labeled and serially interpreted based on references and anatomical cross-sections. The anatomical characteristics of the carpal joint and the surrounding soft tissue structures were thoroughly described and precisely differentiated on US, CT, and MRI scans. It can be concluded that US, CT, and MRI are effective noninvasive diagnostic imaging tools for evaluating the carpal joint in donkeys. Moreover, these imaging modalities can aid in establishing a reference database for the carpal joint of donkeys, which differs from that of horses

Epidemiological and Molecular Investigation of Ocular Fungal Infection in Equine from Egypt

Diagnosis and treatment of ocular fungal infection in equine seems very challenging for owners and clinicians. The present study aimed to identify and characterize fungal species isolated from the eyes of clinically healthy and diseased equines (N = 100) from Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt. The work also involved morphological and molecular characterization of the major fungal species. In addition, correlations between the occurrence of isolated fungi and some of the potential risk factors were also investigated. Interestingly, the prevalence rate of ocular mycosis in all examined equines in the study was 28% and there were major clinical signs associated with ocular fungal infection. Moreover, the identified fungal species included Aspergillus flavus, A. fumigatus, A. niger, Penicillium spp., Mucor spp., and Alternari spp. with a corresponding prevalence rate of 63.9%, 27.8%, 15.3%, 18.1%, 13.9%, and 4.2%, respectively, in healthy equine eyes, while their prevalence in diseased equine eyes was 57.1%, 32.1%, 21.4%, 7.1%, 3.6%, and 0%. Furthermore, a statistical significant association (p &lt; 0.05) was found between the frequency of isolation of A. fumigatus and Penicillium and several risk factors (breed, sex, and ground type), while the remaining risk factors and occurrence of fungi were not statistically correlated. A subset of the Aspergillus species samples positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were sequenced and their phylogenetic analysis identified three species of Aspergillus. Taken together, our study provides novel data related to the occurrence of ocular mycosis in equine in Egypt. Given the zoonotic potential of some identified fungi, our data may be helpful for implementation of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for combating this sight-threatening infection in equine

The Prevalence and Molecular Biology of Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Healthy and Diseased Equine Eyes in Egypt

This work aimed to characterize S. aureus isolates from the eyes of healthy and clinically affected equines in the Kafrelsheikh Governorate, Egypt. A total of 110 animals were examined for the presence of S. aureus, which was isolated from 33 animals with ophthalmic lesions and 77 healthy animals. We also investigated the antimicrobial resistance profile, oxacillin resistance mechanism, and the major virulence factors implicated in many studies of the ocular pathology of pathogenic S. aureus. The association between S. aureus eye infections and potential risk factors was also investigated. The frequency of S. aureus isolates from clinically affected equine eyes was significantly higher than in clinically healthy equids. A significant association was found between the frequency of S. aureus isolation from clinically affected equine eyes and risk factors including age and season but not with sex or breed factors. Antimicrobial resistance to common antibiotics used to treat equine eyes was also tested. Overall, the isolates showed the highest sensitivity to sulfamethoxazole (100%) and the highest resistance to cephalosporin (90.67%) and oxacillin (90.48%). PCR was used to demonstrate that mecA was present in 100% of oxacillin- and &beta;-lactam-resistant S. aureus strains. The virulence factor genes Spa (x region), nuc, and hlg were identified in 62.5%, 100%, and 56%, of isolates, respectively, from clinically affected equines eyes. The severity of the eye lesions increased in the presence of &gamma;-toxin-positive S. aureus. The phylogenetic tree of the Spa (x region) gene indicated a relationship with human reference strains isolated from Egypt as well as isolates from equines in Iran and Japan. This study provides insight into the prevalence, potential risk factors, clinical pictures, zoonotic potential, antimicrobial resistance, and &beta;-lactam resistance mechanism of S. aureus strains that cause eye infection in equines from Egypt