11 research outputs found
Role of FKBP51 in the modulation of the expression of the corticosteroid receptors in bovine thymus following glucocorticoid administration
Evaluation of the effect of oxidative stress in blood serum and endometrial cells in cows with metritis
Expression of corticosteroid hormone receptors, prereceptors, and molecular chaperones in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and adipose tissue after the administration of growth promoters in veal calves
FKBP5 gene expression in skeletal muscle as a potential biomarker for illegal glucocorticoid treatment in veal calves
Seasonality of reproduction in wild boar (Sus scrofa)assessed by fecal and plasmatic Steroids
The collection of biological samples through non-invasive techniques represents one way of monitoring in vivo physiological
changes associated with reproductive activity. Such techniques are particularly important for the study of animal species in the wild.
The goals of this study were 1) to evaluate fecal progestogen (P), estrogen (E), and androgen (A) by means of radio-
immunoassays, in male and female wild boars culled in the Piedmont, Italy area; 2) to compare them with plasmatic concentrations
and the animals’ reproductive status; and 3) to assess variations in reproductive seasonality between two populations of wild boars
living in a mountainous vs. a plain habitat in Piedmont.
The results demonstrate a positive correlation between fecal and plasmatic steroid concentrations (r = 0.46, 0.58, and 0.45 for
plasma P4 and P, E2 and E, and T and A; P 170 ng/g and >100 pg/g
respectively) were found in 70.6% of pregnant sows and in none of the non-pregnant animals, thus supporting the use of this
technique for detecting pregnancy status in wild boar.
Similar birth patterns were displayed by the mountain and plain populations, but births peaked significantly only in the mountain
population, in the spring (46%, P < 0.05, vs. other seasons). A corresponding autumnal peak of plasma testosterone concentrations
in males was displayed only by the mountain population (7.4 vs. < 2.0 ng/mL in the other seasons, P < 0.05).
The correlation between fecal and plasmatic steroid concentrations obtained in this study supports the applicability of this non-
invasive sampling technique for monitoring reproductive status in wild boar, thus enabling a more informed and correct
management of the species
Prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites in hooded crows from Piedmont region
Morphometric characterization of necrosis induced by perfused and non-perfused radiofrequency thermal ablation needles in liver on a swine in vivo model
Application of RNA-sequencing to identify biomarkers in broiler chickens prophylactic administered with antimicrobial agents
Antimicrobial (AM) resistance is largely acknowledged as one of the biggest global health and food safety challenges and the overuse of AMs is known to generate resistance in bacteria that may affect both animals and humans. Poultry meat is the second most-produced meat in the European Union and in recent years consumers are becoming more concerned about food safety, traceability, and animal welfare in poultry rearing system, increasingly requiring meats from broilers reared without AMs. In the present study, we performed RNA sequencing to analyze 64 liver and 54 muscle transcriptomic profiles in broilers reared without treatment or treated with different classes of AMs. Moreover, we validated the most differentially expressed genes among the treated groups to detect putative novel biomarkers able to discriminate meats of broilers reared without AMs. The PDK4, IGFBP1, and RHOB genes were identified as putative novel hepatic biomarkers, discriminating broilers treated with AMs compared to broilers reared without treatments. The whole transcriptome changes revealed the liver as a valuable target organ for AM administration screening. In addition, our results suggest a leading effect of the coccidiostat when associated with AMs, influencing several biological processes. Our study showed that RNA sequencing is a powerful and valuable method to detect aberrant regulated genes and to identify biomarker candidates for AM misuse detection in farm animals. Further validation on larger sample size and a wider spectrum of AMs are needed to confirm the viability of the aforementioned biomarkers in poultry population