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This study was carried out on 15 Holstein cows divided into 3 groups of 5. Group 1 was the control, group 2 had traumatic reticuloperitonitis (TRP), and group 3 had traumatic pericarditis (TP). Comparison between the groups included clinical, hematological, biochemical, and ultrasonographic changes. TRP cows had arched backs, a sharp decrease in milk yield, and a reluctance to move, with abduction of the fore limbs. TP cows had edema of the brisket and submandibular region, with jugular vein distension and pulsation. TRP cows had a significant increase in PCV, leukocytes, and neutrophils, and a significant decrease in RBC, hemoglobin, and lymphocytic counts, as compared to the control group. TP cows had significant erythrocytopenia, leukocytosis, neutrophilia, monocytosis eosinopenia, and basopenia, and a significant decrease in the hemoglobin, lymphocytes, eosinophils, and basophils as compared to the controls. Serum AST, SLT, LDH, and CPK were significantly higher in the TP group than they were in the control and TRP groups. It was concluded that TP cows had more significant changes in hematology, biochemistry, ultrasonography, and histopathology than the TRP cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity was measured in 48 Egyptian water buffaloes four weeks pre-parturient. The activity was significantly low in 37 buffaloes (77.1%). Four weeks post-partum, clinical examination revealed that 23 buffaloes had the clinical signs of ketosis (K) while 14 had the clinical signs of parturient-haemoglobinuria (PHU). Serum samples were collected from 5 buffaloes of each group (K and PHU) besides 5 clinically healthy buffaloes with normal LCAT (control). Glucose level was significantly reduced in K and PHU groups while the phosphorous (P) level was significantly reduced in PHU group compared to control. There were significant reductions in the total cholesterol, free cholesterol, triglycerides, total protein and albumin in K and PHU groups; whereas, significant increases in AST, GGT, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) in K and PHU groups were detected. Therefore, LCAT could be a predictor for metabolic disorders in Egyptian water buffaloes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We compared the therapeutic effect of three anticoccidial drugs (toltrazuril, sulphadimidine and amprolium) in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) calves experimentally infected with Eimeria bovis (E. bovis) and E. zuernii oocysts (3×104oocyst/calf). Buffalo calves (1.5–4 month old, 70-kg body weight) were randomly allocated into 3 groups (9 calves each). Group T was experimentally infected with oocysts and treated with toltrazuril (20mg/kg BW twice orally at a 1-week interval). Group S was experimentally infected with oocysts and treated with sulphadimidine (125mg/kg injected IM followed by half dose for 4 successive days). Group A was experimentally infected with oocysts and treated with amprolium (50mg/kg orally for 7 successive days). Each group had three subgroups (three calves/subgroup) to represent timing of the drug administration: 1st day of coccidia infection (FD), onset of clinical signs of coccidiosis (CC), and onset of oocyst shedding into the faeces (OS). Clinical signs, body-weight gain (BWG) and number of oocysts per gram feces (OPG) were monitored daily for 35 days post-infection (DPI). The OPG were reduced (but the BWG was not different) in the T calves compared to S and A calves. Within the same group, treatment from the 1st day of infection reduced the OPG and increased the BWG compared to the later treatment timings. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are products of incomplete combustion that are commonly inhaled by workers in the dusty trades. Many PAHs are metabolized by cytochrome P-4501A1 (CYP1A1), which may facilitate excretion but may activate pulmonary carcinogens. PAHs also stimulate their own metabolism by inducing CYP1A1. Recent studies suggest that respirable coal dust exposure inhibits induction of pulmonary CYP1A1 using the model PAH β-naphthoflavone. The effect of the occupational particulate respirable crystalline silica was investigated on PAH-dependent pulmonary CYP1A1 induction. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to intratracheal silica or vehicle and then intraperitoneal β-naphthoflavone, a CYP1A1 inducer, and/or phenobarbital, an inducer of hepatic CYP2B1, or vehicle. β-Naphthoflavone induced pulmonary CYP1A1, but silica attenuated this β-naphthoflavone-induced CYP1A1 activity and also suppressed the activity of CYP2B1, the major constituitive CYP in rat lung. The magnitude of CYP activity suppression was similar regardless of silica exposure dose within a range of 5 to 20 mg/rat. Phenobarbital and β-naphthoflavone had no effect on pulmonary CYP2B1 activity. Both enzymatic immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescent staining for CYP1A1 indicated that sites of CYP1A1 induction were nonciliated airway epithelial cells, endothelial cells, and the alveolar septum. Using immunofluorescent colocalization of CYP1A1 with cytokeratin 8, a marker of alveolar type II cells, the proximal alveolar region was the site of both increased alveolar type II cells and decreased proportional CYP1A1 expression in alveolar type II cells. Our findings suggest that in PAH-exposed rat lung, silica is a negative modifier of CYP1A1 induction and CYP2B1 activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Miners inhaling respirable coal dust (CD) frequently develop coal workers' pneumoconiosis, a dust-associated pneumoconiosis characterized by lung inflammation and variable fibrosis. Many coal miners are also exposed to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) components of diesel engine exhaust and cigarette smoke, which may contribute to lung disease in these workers. Recently, apoptosis was reported to play a critical role in the development of another pneumoconiosis of miners, silicosis. In addition, CD was reported to suppress cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1) induction by PAHs. METHODS: We investigated the hypothesis that apoptosis plays a critical role in lung injury and down-regulation of CYP1A1 induction in mixed exposures to CD and PAHs. We exposed rats intratracheally to 0.0, 2.5, 10.0, 20.0, or 40.0 mg/rat CD and, 11 days later, to intraperitoneal β-naphthoflavone (BNF), a PAH. In another group of rats exposed to CD and BNF, caspase activity was inhibited by injection of the pan-caspase inhibitor Q-VD-OPH [quinoline-Val-Asp (OMe)-CH2-OPH]. RESULTS: In rats exposed to BNF, CD exposure increased alveolar expression of the proapoptotic mediator Bax but decreased CYP1A1 induction relative to BNF exposure alone. Pan-caspase inhibition decreased CD-associated Bax expression and apoptosis but did not restore CYP1A1 activity. Further, CD-induced lung inflammation and alveolar epithelial cell hypertrophy and hyperplasia were not suppressed by caspase inhibition. CONCLUSIONS: Combined BNF and CD exposure increased Bax expression and apoptosis in the lung, but Bax and apoptosis were not the major determinants of early lung injury in this model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The importance of upper airway structure in the susceptibility of the lower respiratory tract to colonization with potential pathogens is well established. With the advent of rapid, high throughput, next generation sequencing, there is a growing appreciation of the importance of commensal microbial populations in maintaining mucosal health, and a realization that bacteria colonize anatomical locations that were previously considered to be sterile. While upper respiratory tract microbial populations have been described, there are currently no published studies describing the normal microbial populations of the bovine lower respiratory tract. Consequently, we have little understanding of the relationship between upper and lower respiratory tract microbiota in healthy cattle. The primary objective of our study was to characterize the composition, structure and relationship of the lower and upper respiratory microbial communities in clinically healthy feedlot cattle. Nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS), and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, were collected from clinically healthy feedlot calves (n = 8). Genomic DNA from each sample was extracted, and the V3-V4 hypervariable region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene was amplified and sequenced using Illumina Miseq platform. Results: Across all samples, the most predominant phyla were Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. The most common genera were Rathayibacter, Mycoplasma, Bibersteinia and Corynebacterium. The microbial community structure was distinct between these two biogeographical sites. Most of the bacterial genera identified in the BAL samples were also present in the NPS, but biogeographical-specific genera were enriched in both the NPS (Rathayibacter) and BAL (Bibersteinia) samples. There were strong associations between the presence of certain taxa at each specific location, and strong correlations between the presence of specific taxa in both the NPS and BAL samples. Conclusions: The correlation between the presence of specific taxa in both the NPS and BAL samples, supports the notion of a mutualistic interrelationship between these microbial communities. Future studies, in large cohorts of animals, are needed to determine the role and clinical importance of the relationships of respiratory tract microbial communities with health, productivity, and susceptibility to the development of respiratory disease, in growing cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]