Effect of ruminal plastic bags on haematological and biochemical parameters of sheep and goats

A study was carried out with the objective of determining the haematological and blood biochemical parameters in sheep and goats with plastic bags in the rumen for a period of 42 days. This was to indicate the possible influence of plastic bags in the rumen on blood parameters. 16, one-year old castrate Dorper sheep with a mean body weight of 26.8 kg (± 0.3 kg) and 16 one-year old castrate small East African goats with a mean weight of 24.5 kg (± 0.3 kg) were used for the study. The 16 sheep and 16 goats were divided into 4 groups of 4 animals each (n = 4). Three groups of each species were implanted with 129 g, 258 g and 387 g of plastic bags, respectively, in the rumen through rumenotomy and the fourth group of each species was control on which rumenotomy was done but with no implanting of plastic bags. Blood samples were obtained by jugular venipuncture from all sheep and goats every 2 weeks for analysis. The only haematological parameter that had significant change was platelets, which significantly (p < 0.05) increased in both sheep and goats with plastic bags in the rumen. However, mean values of erythrocytes, packed cell volume, haemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume decreased but not significantly in the sheep and goats with plastic bags in the rumen. The sheep and goats with plastic bags in the rumen had hyponatraemmia, hypochloridaemia and decreased aspartate aminotransferase enzyme activity. The changes observed in haematological and biochemical parameters could be an indication of adverse effects on the production and well-being of sheep and goats that ingest these plastic bags. These finding may be of diagnostic importance in cases of rumen impaction with indigestible foreign bodies, particularly, plastic bags

Clinical manifestations in sheep with plastic bags in the rumen

Sixteen 1-year-old castrate Dorper sheep were used for the study. The animals were divided into four groups of four animals (n = 4). Three groups were implanted with 129 g, 258 g and 387 g of thin plastic bags into the rumen through rumenotomy, while the fourth group was subjected to rumenotomy without implanting plastic bags, and served as control. All the animals were monitored daily for 6 weeks following implantation. Presence of plastic bags in the rumen was characterized by anorexia, severe depression, discomfort, dehydration, firmness and asymmetrical distension of the abdomen, ruminal hypomotility and diarrhoea with intermittent constipation, weight loss, terminal recumbency and death. The severity of these clinical manifestations increased with increased quantities of plastic bags and their duration in the rumen. Sheep implanted with 258 g and 387 g lost 7.8 percent and 14.2 percent of their initial mean body weight, respectively, by the end of 6 weeks. Presence of plastic bags in the rumen could interfere with digestion, with a gradual loss in body weight, productivity and occasional mortality. Plastic bags in the rumen should be considered as a differential diagnosis in sheep presenting the observed clinical signs, especially in urban and periurban areas

Flecainide reduces Ca2+ spark and wave frequency via inhibition of the sarcolemmal sodium current

AIMS: Ca(2+) waves are thought to be important in the aetiology of ventricular tachyarrhythmias. There have been conflicting results regarding whether flecainide reduces Ca(2+) waves in isolated cardiomyocytes. We sought to confirm whether flecainide inhibits waves in the intact cardiomyocyte and to elucidate the mechanism. METHODS AND RESULTS: We imaged spontaneous sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) release events in healthy adult rat cardiomyocytes. Variation in stimulation frequency was used to produce Ca(2+) sparks or waves. Spark frequency, wave frequency, and wave velocity were reduced by flecainide in the absence of a reduction of SR Ca(2+) content. Inhibition of I(Na) via alternative pharmacological agents (tetrodotoxin, propafenone, or lidocaine) produced similar changes. To assess the contribution of I(Na) to spark and wave production, voltage clamping was used to activate contraction from holding potentials of −80 or −40 mV. This confirmed that reducing Na(+) influx during myocyte stimulation is sufficient to reduce waves and that flecainide only causes Ca(2+) wave reduction when I(Na) is active. It was found that Na(+)/Ca(2+)-exchanger (NCX)-mediated Ca(2+) efflux was significantly enhanced by flecainide and that the effects of flecainide on wave frequency could be reversed by reducing [Na(+)](o), suggesting an important downstream role for NCX function. CONCLUSION: Flecainide reduces spark and wave frequency in the intact rat cardiomyocyte at therapeutically relevant concentrations but the mechanism involves I(Na) reduction rather than direct ryanodine receptor (RyR2) inhibition. Reduced I(Na) results in increased Ca(2+) efflux via NCX across the sarcolemma, reducing Ca(2+) concentration in the vicinity of the RyR2

Ethnopharmacological survey of Samburu district, Kenya

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Ethnobotanical pharmacopoeia is confidently used in disease intervention and there is need for documentation and preservation of traditional medical knowledge to bolster the discovery of novel drugs. The objective of the present study was to document the indigenous medicinal plant utilization, management and their extinction threats in Samburu District, Kenya.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Field research was conducted in six divisions of Samburu District in Kenya. We randomly sampled 100 consented interviewees stratified by age, gender, occupation and level of education. We collected plant use data through semi-structured questionnaires; transect walks, oral interviews and focus groups discussions. Voucher specimens of all cited botanic species were collected and deposited at University of Nairobi's botany herbarium.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Data on plant use from the informants yielded 990 citations on 56 medicinal plant species, which are used to treat 54 different animal and human diseases including; malaria, digestive disorders, respiratory syndromes and ectoparasites.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The ethnomedicinal use of plant species was documented in the study area for treatment of both human and veterinary diseases. The local population has high ethnobotanical knowledge and has adopted sound management conservation practices. The major threatening factors reported were anthropogenic and natural. Ethnomedical documentation and sustainable plant utilization can support drug discovery efforts in developing countries.</p

CDK2 and PKA Mediated-Sequential Phosphorylation Is Critical for p19INK4d Function in the DNA Damage Response

DNA damage triggers a phosphorylation-based signaling cascade known as the DNA damage response. p19INK4d, a member of the INK4 family of CDK4/6 inhibitors, has been reported to participate in the DNA damage response promoting DNA repair and cell survival. Here, we provide mechanistic insight into the activation mechanism of p19INK4d linked to the response to DNA damage. Results showed that p19INK4d becomes phosphorylated following UV radiation, β-amyloid peptide and cisplatin treatments. ATM-Chk2/ATR-Chk1 signaling pathways were found to be differentially involved in p19INK4d phosphorylation depending on the type of DNA damage. Two sequential phosphorylation events at serine 76 and threonine 141 were identified using p19INK4d single-point mutants in metabolic labeling assays with 32P-orthophosphate. CDK2 and PKA were found to participate in p19INK4d phosphorylation process and that they would mediate serine 76 and threonine 141 modifications respectively. Nuclear translocation of p19INK4d induced by DNA damage was shown to be dependent on serine 76 phosphorylation. Most importantly, both phosphorylation sites were found to be crucial for p19INK4d function in DNA repair and cell survival. In contrast, serine 76 and threonine 141 were dispensable for CDK4/6 inhibition highlighting the independence of p19INK4d functions, in agreement with our previous findings. These results constitute the first description of the activation mechanism of p19INK4d in response to genotoxic stress and demonstrate the functional relevance of this activation following DNA damage

R. P Florentino Ogara, S. I. (13-III-1877 - 25-III-1954)

Ningun

Choosing the right partner in hormone-dependent gene regulation: Glucocorticoid and progesterone receptors crosstalk in breast cancer cells

Steroid hormone receptors (SHRs) belong to a large family of ligand-activated nuclear receptors that share certain characteristics and possess others that make them unique. It was thought for many years that the specificity of hormone response lay in the ligand. Although this may be true for pure agonists, the natural ligands as progesterone, corticosterone and cortisol present a broader effect by simultaneous activation of several SHRs. Moreover, SHRs share structural and functional characteristics that range from similarities between ligand-binding pockets to recognition of specific DNA sequences. These properties are clearly evident in progesterone (PR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR); however, the biological responses triggered by each receptor in the presence of its ligand are different, and in some cases, even opposite. Thus, what confers the specificity of response to a given receptor is a long-standing topic of discussion that has not yet been unveiled. The levels of expression of each receptor, the differential interaction with coregulators, the chromatin accessibility as well as the DNA sequence of the target regions in the genome, are reliable sources of variability in hormone action that could explain the results obtained so far. Yet, to add further complexity to this scenario, it has been described that receptors can form heterocomplexes which can either compromise or potentiate the respective hormone-activated pathways with its possible impact on the pathological condition. In the present review, we summarized the state of the art of the functional cross-talk between PR and GR in breast cancer cells and we also discussed new paradigms of specificity in hormone action.Grants from the Agencia Estatal de Investigación AEI/10.13039/501100011033 [PID2019-105173RBI00]; Agencia Nacional de Programación Científica y Tecnológica, [Préstamo BID-PICT2019-0158] and University of Buenos Aires [20820180100745BA], Argentina. MO and AP are members of the CONICET-Argentina. GV is Researcher of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Spain

Developmental and metabolic regulation of nitrogen-fixation gene expression in Rhizobium meliloti

de Philip P, BOISTARD P, Schlüter A, et al. Developmental and metabolic regulation of nitrogen-fixation gene expression in Rhizobium meliloti. In: Canadian Journal of Microbiology. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY. Vol 38. NATL RESEARCH COUNCIL CANADA; 1992: 467-474

Participatory Approaches in the Control of Camel Trypanosomosis in Lapur Division of Turkana District, Kenya

This study was conducted to evaluate the control of trypanosomosis in camels in Turkana district of Kenya using participatory approaches. Lapur division of the district was conveniently selected as the study area considering logistics and security concerns. Four main animal camps (adakars) formed the study units. Key informants from each adakar were selected for participatory research processes. Participatory mapping, semi-structured interviews, pair-wise comparisons and matrix scoring were the participatory methods employed. Five camel diseases in order of their importance, were identified, namely, camel trypanosomosis, tick infestation, non-specific diarrhea, mange and hemorrhagic septicemia. Twelve groups of the lay key informants agreed well on the presenting signs of these diseases. Although trypanocides were considered by the informants to be reasonably available, the most preferred method for the control of camel trypanosomosis was the use of indigenous remedies. These indigenous remedies included the oral administration to sick camels with variety of herbs mixed with soups from goat, wildcat, bird or donkey meat. The results from this study revealed that camel trypanosomosis is an important disease in Turkana district. The prices of the available modern trypanocides in the management of camel trypanosomosis appeared to hamper the effective control of the disease. However, the efficacy of the widely used indigenous remedies remains undetermined The Kenya Veterinarian Vol. 30 (1) 2006: pp. 1-1