Use of Probiotics as Growth Promoters and Immunostimulators in Fingerlings of Cyprinid Fish Species

Intensive aquaculture production has required the development of an individual’s resistance to disease rather than depending upon antibiotics or chemotherapeutics. The role of gastrointestinal microflora in disease resistance has been established in many fish species, which has led to the concept of manipulating gastrointestinal microflora for better health management. A number of studies has been conducted in different fish species with various useful microorganisms called ‘probiotics’ to amplify gastrointestinal microflora to fight against various infectious diseases. Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms which protect the host from diseases. Probiotic protection can be achieved by various mechanisms. Most probiotics used in aquaculture belong to the lactic acid bacteria, the genus Bacillus, the photosynthetic bacteria, the yeast, notwithstanding other genera and species have also been used. The immunostimulatory effect of probiotics has been established in many fish species, but their direct involvement in the immune response is not well established. It has also been proven that the application of probiotics in aquaculture has beneficial effects on growth of fish as well as on the environment. At present, data about the efficacy of probiotics in commercial aquaculture of Serbia is still lacking. This review discusses mainly the studies and applications about effects, problems and perspectives of probiotics used in fingerlings of cyprinid fish species, and highlights immunostimulatory effects and growth promotion effects of commercial probiotic products. In the present paper the results that show positive influence of probiotics in cyprinides nutrition on production performance and immune system are summarized. Special accent is given to criteria for proper selection of probiotics in cyprinides production

Black Pepper (Piper Nigrum L.) and Hot Red Pepper (Capsicum Annum L.) in Broiler Chicken Nutrition

Antibiotics have been widely used in animal production for decades in past. Although some are used therapeutically to improve the health and well-being of animals, most were given for prophylactic purposes and to improve growth rate and feed conversion ratio efficiency. After the ban of nutritive antibiotic usage in animal nutrition in the European Union, many alternative substances have been investigated for growth promoter potential as their replacement. A large number of experiments have confirmed a wide range of activities of phytoadditives such as black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) and hot red pepper (Capsicum annum L.) in poultry nutrition for feed intake stimulation, antimicrobial, antioxidative, anticoccidiostatic effects. Besides these effects, black pepper and hot red pepper also have a strong influence on lowering the cholesterol level in edible tissuses as well as on reducing deposition of abdominal fat in carcass. The aim of this review is to present characteristics and effects of phytoadditives, especially black pepper and hot red pepper and their bioactive components in broiler chicken nutrition

Antibiotics Residues as Limiting Factor of Honey Quality

Residues of veterinary drugs represent a significant risk to the health of honey consumers. Antibiotics can get into honey by using the antibiotics for treatment and prevention of bees diseases but also through the plant nectar and pollen. In Serbia, the use of antibiotics in beekeeping for bacterial diseases treatment is prohibited and accordingly there is no prescribed maximum permissible concentration for them in honey. The aim of this paper is to monitor the presence of antibiotic residues in honey which necessarily indicate their illegal and uncontrolled use. The presence of antibiotic residues in honey was screened for microbiological method "Modified method 4 plates" (EUR 15127-EN). The total of 135 samples of different honey types has been examined. Five of them (3.7%) were positive to antibiotic residues. The presence of antibiotic residues was found in the acacia honey (0.31%), linden honey (0.33%), sunflower honey (0.19%), mixed honey (0.17%) and honeydew honey (0.10%). Such unprofessional, unconscionable and unlawful use of antibiotics leads to their presence in honey and other bee products, as well as in the highly desirable and valuable products making them unusable

Effects of Short Term Adiponectin Receptor Agonism on Cardiac Function and Energetics in Diabetic db/db Mice.

Objective Impaired cardiac efficiency is a hallmark of diabetic cardiomyopathy in models of type 2 diabetes. Adiponectin receptor 1 (AdipoR1) deficiency impairs cardiac efficiency in non-diabetic mice, suggesting that hypoadiponectinemia in type 2 diabetes may contribute to impaired cardiac efficiency due to compromised AdipoR1 signaling. Thus, we investigated whether targeting cardiac adiponectin receptors may improve cardiac function and energetics, and attenuate diabetic cardiomyopathy in type 2 diabetic mice. Methods A non-selective adiponectin receptor agonist, AdipoRon, and vehicle were injected intraperitoneally into Eight-week-old db/db or C57BLKS/J mice for 10 days. Cardiac morphology and function were evaluated by echocardiography and working heart perfusions. Results Based on echocardiography, AdipoRon treatment did not alter ejection fraction, left ventricular diameters or left ventricular wall thickness in db/db mice compared to vehicle-treated mice. In isolated working hearts, an impairment in cardiac output and efficiency in db/db mice was not improved by AdipoRon. Mitochondrial respiratory capacity, respiration in the presence of oligomycin, and 4-hydroxynonenal levels were similar among all groups. However, AdipoRon induced a marked shift in the substrate oxidation pattern in db/db mice towards increased reliance on glucose utilization. In parallel, the diabetes-associated increase in serum triglyceride levels in vehicle-treated db/db mice was blunted by AdipoRon treatment, while an increase in myocardial triglycerides in vehicle-treated db/db mice was not altered by AdipoRon treatment. Conclusion AdipoRon treatment shifts myocardial substrate preference towards increased glucose utilization, likely by decreasing fatty acid delivery to the heart, but was not sufficient to improve cardiac output and efficiency in db/db mice

Laboratory practice is central to earlier myeloma diagnosis: Utilizing a primary care diagnostic tool and laboratory guidelines integrated into haematology services.

Treatment advances have greatly improved survival, but myeloma is among the worst of all cancers for delayed diagnosis, causing serious morbidities and early deaths. This delay is largely because the symptom profile of myeloma has very low specificity, and in primary care, myeloma is rare. However, initiating the journey to diagnosis simply requires considering myeloma and sending blood to test for monoclonal immunoglobulin. Laboratory tests reliably detect monoclonal immunoglobulin, which is present in 99% of myeloma cases, so why do health care systems have such a problem with delayed diagnosis? The Myeloma UK early diagnosis programme has brought together diverse expertise to investigate this problem, and this article was prepared by the programme's working group for laboratory best practice. It reviews evidence for test requesting, analysis and reporting, for which there is large variation in practice across the United Kingdom. It presents a 'GP Myeloma diagnostic tool' and how it can be integrated into laboratory practice alongside a laboratory best practice tool. It proposes improved requesting and integration with haematology services for reporting and interpretation. Here the laboratory has a central role in creating efficient and cost-effective pathways for appropriate and timely bone marrow examination for myeloma diagnosis

The Transient Receptor Potential Ion Channel TRPV6 Is Expressed at Low Levels in Osteoblasts and Has Little Role in Osteoblast Calcium Uptake

Background: TRPV6 ion channels are key mediators of regulated transepithelial absorption of Ca2+ within the small intestine. Trpv6-/- mice were reported to have lower bone density than wild-type littermates and significant disturbances in calcium homeostasis that suggested a role for TRPV6 in osteoblasts during bone formation and mineralization. TRPV6 and molecules related to transepithelial Ca2+ transport have been reported to be expressed at high levels in human and mouse osteoblasts. Results: Transmembrane ion currents in whole cell patch clamped SaOS-2 osteoblasts did not show sensitivity to ruthenium red, an inhibitor of TRPV5/6 ion channels, and 45Ca uptake was not significantly affected by ruthenium red in either SaOS-2 (P = 0.77) or TE-85 (P = 0.69) osteoblastic cells. In contrast, ion currents and 45Ca uptake were both significantly affected in a human bronchial epithelial cell line known to express TRPV6. TRPV6 was expressed at lower levels in osteoblastic cells than has been reported in some literature. In SaOS-2 TRPV6 mRNA was below the assay detection limit; in TE-85 TRPV6 mRNA was detected at 6.90±1.9 × 10−5 relative to B2M. In contrast, TRPV6 was detected at 7.7±3.0 × 10−2 and 2.38±0.28 × 10−4 the level of B2M in human carcinoma-derived cell lines LNCaP and CaCO-2 respectively. In murine primary calvarial osteoblasts TRPV6 was detected at 3.80±0.24 × 10−5 relative to GAPDH, in contrast with 4.3±1.5 × 10−2 relative to GAPDH in murine duodenum. By immunohistochemistry, TRPV6 was expressed mainly in myleocytic cells of the murine bone marrow and was observed only at low levels in murine osteoblasts, osteocytes or growth plate cartilage. Conclusions: TRPV6 is expressed only at low levels in osteoblasts and plays little functional role in osteoblastic calcium uptake

Safer Sex as the Bolder Choice: Testosterone Is Positively Correlated with Safer Sex Behaviorally Relevant Attitudes in Young Men

Introduction.  Higher testosterone (T) is tied to risk‐taking, especially in financial domains but also in health domains relevant to acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs). However, safer sex constructs could themselves carry the possibility of “social risk” due to sexual stigma or embarrassment, or could involve boldness or confidence because they could represent status displays of frequent sexual activity. Aim.  To determine how T and behaviorally relevant attitudes about sexual risk‐taking are linked, to better understand biopsychosocial aspects of sexual health related to STIs. Methods.  In 78 first‐year male college students, we examined correlations between salivary T and behaviorally relevant safer sex attitudes assessed via questionnaires. Main Outcome Measures.  T, via saliva; safer sex attitudes, via a composite and the University of California, Los Angeles Multidimensional Condom Attitudes Scale (MCAS). Results.  Higher T was significantly correlated with higher scores on the following: safer sex likelihood composite, r (73) = 0.33, P  = 0.003; the MCAS safer sex resilience, r (32) = 0.36, P  = 0.037; and the MCAS condom purchase comfort, r (32) = 0.37, P  = 0.031. Associations between T and safer sex likelihood and resilience were still robust after controlling for potential confounds, though the association between T and purchase comfort diminished to a trend. Conclusions.  Higher T was positively linked with safer sex attitudes, especially those most closely tied to STI risk avoidance. Thus, future research and interventions for STI prevention should address the possibility that safer sex may be paradoxically perceived as a “bold” or “risky” choice even as it decreases STI risk. van Anders SM, Goldey KL, Conley TD, Snipes DJ, and Patel DA. Safer sex as the bolder choice: Testosterone is positively correlated with safer sex behaviorally relevant attitudes in young men. J Sex Med 2012;9:727–734.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90413/1/j.1743-6109.2011.02544.x.pd

7th Drug hypersensitivity meeting: part two

No abstract availabl