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Simple Summary: Vector-borne infectious zoonotic diseases are a relevant problem, not only in veterinary medicine, but also in human medicine. Dogs are considered the main reservoir of these zoonoses and sentinels for the control of these diseases that, due to the increase in temperatures due to climate change, are becoming more and more frequent. Most of these zoonotic diseases are endemic to the Mediterranean Basin, and knowing their prevalence in different canine breeds and other related factors could contribute to controlling these diseases. This paper analyzes the prevalence of different infections and coinfections of zoonotic disease in four different canine breeds, and the results obtained indicate that the most frequent infections was Leishmania infantum, followed by Ricketsia rickesii. Changes in the hematological and biochemical values in infected dogs of different breeds could suggest a certain resistance against L. infantum infection in the Cirneco dell'Etna canine breed, autochthonous of Sicily. Dogs are considered the main reservoir of several zoonoses endemic to the Mediterranean Basin. In this study, a prevalence of infections and coinfections of canine vector-borne diseases was analyzed in apparently healthy dogs of different canine pure breeds in Sicily (Italy), where these diseases are endemic. The seroprevalence of Leishmania infantum, Ricketsia ricketsii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Erlichia canis was assessed, as single and coinfections. Biochemical and hematological parameters were evaluated, and epidemiological factors, including sex, age, and canine breed, were recovered. The most frequent infection was L. infantum (45.61%), following R. ricketsii (36.84%), both as single, double, or triple coinfections. Coinfections change the biochemical and hematological parameters of the host, and canine breeds are related to the infection frequency and the parameters observed during infections. Changes in the complete blood count (CBC) and biochemical values also differ between canine breeds, with the Cirneco dell'Etna dogs infected with L. infantum being the animals presenting the most interesting results in our study. High values of RBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), the albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio, and albumin and low levels of β-2 globulin and γ-globulin were found only in this canine breed, suggesting some resistance to infection in these dogs. Future studies about the immune response of this canine breed could be interesting to determine their possible resistance to zoonotic pathogens, such as L. infantum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thyroid hormones physiologically regulate the semen quality, by altering testosterone concentrations, and different seminal parameters, as well as sperm motility, viability and semen volume. Serum thyroxine (T4), free thyroxine (fT4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and testosterone (T) concentrations were measured in 26 adult Labrador Retriever dogs (n. 20 normospermic and n. 6 azoospermic groups), aged 3 ± 0.5 years old, to determine their specific references, by taking into account the related conventional and kinematic sperm parameters and clinical ultrasound evaluations. The mean values of T4, fT4, TSH and T concentrations, as soon as those of sperm parameters and clinical evaluations of normospermic group were in line with dog's physiological range of literature data. Normospermic group showed significant correlations between T4 and T (r = −0.681; p <.01), sperm progressive motility (%) (r = −0.623; p <.01), and sperm non-progressive motility (%) (r = 0.625; p <.02). The azoospermic group showed higher T4, fT4, TSH and lower T concentrations, compared to normospermic group, and a positive correlation between T4 and T (r = 0.8548; p <.046). The use of breed-specific hormonal ranges and sperm parameters will improve the knowledge of their interaction in Labrador Retriever dogs, adding a new segment of scientific literature. Thyroxine (T4), free thyroxine (fT4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and testosterone (T) concentrations were measured in male dogs. Conventional and kinematic sperm parameters were also evaluated. Dogs were divided in 20 normospermic and n. 6 azoospermic Labrador Retrivers. Azoospermic group showed higher values of T4, fT4, TSH and lower values of T compared to normospermic Use of breed-specific hormonal ranges and sperm parameters will improve the knowledge of scientific literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of a study conducted on Sicilian population that identified D1S80 allele distributions is presented. The results indicate that southeastern Sicily has a relatively low level of allele 29 and 31 but a high level of allele 25.

In this note we study the property (V) of Pelczynski, in a Banach space X, in relation with the presence, in the dual Banach spaceX*, of suitableweak*basic sequences. We answer negatively to a question posed by John and we prove that, ifXis a Banach space with the Property (V) of Pelczynski and the Gelfand Phillips property, thenXis reflexive if and only if every quotient with a basis is reflexive. Moreover, we prove that, ifXis a Banach space with the property (V) of Pelczynski, then eitherXis a Grothendieck space orW(X, Y) is uncomplemented inL(X, Y) provided thatYis a Banach space such thatW(X, Y) ≠L(X, Y). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

By using the methodology of both wet and thy biology (i.e., RT-PCR and cycle sequencing, and biocomputational technology, respectively) and the data obtained through the Genome Projects, we have cloned Xenopus laevis SOD2 (MnSOD) cDNA and determined its nucleotide sequence. These data and the deduced protein primary structure were compared with all the other SOD2 nucleotide and amino acid sequences from eukaryotes and prokaryotes, published in public databases. The analysis was performed by using both Clustal W, a well known and widely used program for sequence analysis, and Antit'lustAl, a new algorithm recently created and implemented by our group. Our results demonstrate a very high conservation of the enzyme amino acid sequence during evolution, which proves a close structure-function relationship. This is to be expected for very ancient molecules endowed with critical biological functions, performed through a specific structural organization. The nucleotide sequence conservation is less pronounced: this too was foreseeable, due to neutral mutations and to the species-specific codon usage. The data obtained by using Antit'lustAl are comparable with those produced with Clustal W, which validates this algorithm as an important new tool for biocomputational analysis. Finally, it is noteworthy that evolutionary trees, drawn by using all the available data on SOD2 nucleotide sequences and amino acid and either Clustal W or AnticlustAl, are comparable to those obtained through phylogenetic analysis based on fossil records. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Most parasitic diseases, including Leishmania infection, often show more severe clinical signs in males than females. This is related to a different immune response, presumably related to testosterone activity. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone GnRH agonist implant (deslorelin acetate) in association with meglumine antimoniate plus allopurinol in the treatment of dogs affected by Leishmania. Deslorelin acetate is a GnRH agonist, widely used for chemical reversible sterilization in male dogs, inducing testosterone suppression. Dogs treated with deslorelin show a significant decrease of clinical scores and serological test, suggesting a possible employ of GnRH agonist in the treatment of canine leishmaniosis. Sex-associated hormones such as testosterone have been demonstrated to modulate immune responses, which can result in different disease outcomes. The present study was aimed at evaluating the efficacy of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone GnRH agonist implant as deslorelin acetate in association with meglumine antimoniate plus allopurinol in dogs with canine leishmaniosis (CanL). Twenty-two dogs with CanL confirmed by clinical findings and laboratory tests were included in the study. Dogs were randomized into two groups. A control group (CTR, n = 12) was treated with meglumine antimoniate 50 mg/kg SC q 12 h for 28 days plus allopurinol at 10 mg/kg PO q 12 h for the whole study period (six months). An experimental group was treated with allopurinol and meglumine antimoniate, plus an implant of 4.7 mg deslorelin acetate (DES, n = 10). The animals were observed for three months, during which clinical evaluation, indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) titre and testosterone assay were performed on time at day (D)0, 90 and 180. A significantly lower clinical score was recorded in DES than in CTR (p < 0.01) at D90 and D180 (p < 0.01). After 180 days of treatment (D180), a significant reduction of mean levels of IFAT was observed in the DES group (p = 0.03). A highly significant reduction of testosterone (p = 0.01) was observed in the DES group during the study. No statistical correlation between clinical scores, IFAT titres and testosterone within two groups was observed. Data suggested that the agonist of GnRH may be useful in the treatment of CanL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic respiratory disease COVID-19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in Wuhan in December 2019 and then spread throughout the world; Italy was the most affected European country. Despite close pet–human contact, little is known about the predisposition of pets to SARS-CoV-2. Among these, felines are the most susceptible. In this study, a domestic cat with clear clinical signs of pneumonia, confirmed by Rx imaging, was found to be infected by SARS-CoV-2 using quantitative RT–qPCR from a nasal swab. This is the first Italian study responding to the request of the scientific community to focus attention on the possible role of pets as a viral reservoir. An important question remains unanswered: did the cat actually die due to SARS-CoV-2 infection? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dogs are considered the main reservoir of several zoonoses endemic to the Mediterranean Basin. In this study, a prevalence of infections and coinfections of canine vector-borne diseases was analyzed in apparently healthy dogs of different canine pure breeds in Sicily (Italy), where these diseases are endemic. The seroprevalence of Leishmania infantum , Ricketsia ricketsii , Anaplasma phagocytophilum , and Erlichia canis was assessed, as single and coinfections. Biochemical and hematological parameters were evaluated, and epidemiological factors, including sex, age, and canine breed, were recovered. The most frequent infection was L. infantum (45.61%), following R. ricketsii (36.84%), both as single, double, or triple coinfections. Coinfections change the biochemical and hematological parameters of the host, and canine breeds are related to the infection frequency and the parameters observed during infections. Changes in the complete blood count (CBC) and biochemical values also differ between canine breeds, with the Cirneco dell'Etna dogs infected with L. infantum being the animals presenting the most interesting results in our study. High values of RBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), the albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio, and albumin and low levels of β-2 globulin and γ-globulin were found only in this canine breed, suggesting some resistance to infection in these dogs. Future studies about the immune response of this canine breed could be interesting to determine their possible resistance to zoonotic pathogens, such as L. infantum .

Sex-associated hormones such as testosterone have been demonstrated to modulate immune responses, which can result in different disease outcomes. The present study was aimed at evaluating the efficacy of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone GnRH agonist implant as deslorelin acetate in association with meglumine antimoniate plus allopurinol in dogs with canine leishmaniosis (CanL). Twenty-two dogs with CanL confirmed by clinical findings and laboratory tests were included in the study. Dogs were randomized into two groups. A control group (CTR, n = 12) was treated with meglumine antimoniate 50 mg/kg SC q 12 h for 28 days plus allopurinol at 10 mg/kg PO q 12 h for the whole study period (six months). An experimental group was treated with allopurinol and meglumine antimoniate, plus an implant of 4.7 mg deslorelin acetate (DES, n = 10). The animals were observed for three months, during which clinical evaluation, indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) titre and testosterone assay were performed on time at day (D)0, 90 and 180. A significantly lower clinical score was recorded in DES than in CTR ( p < 0.01) at D90 and D180 ( p < 0.01). After 180 days of treatment (D180), a significant reduction of mean levels of IFAT was observed in the DES group ( p = 0.03). A highly significant reduction of testosterone ( p = 0.01) was observed in the DES group during the study. No statistical correlation between clinical scores, IFAT titres and testosterone within two groups was observed. Data suggested that the agonist of GnRH may be useful in the treatment of CanL.

Bovine seminal-ribonuclease (BS-RNase) is a member of the 'ribonucleases with special biological actions' family since it possesses specific anti-tumour, anti-spermatogenic and embryotoxic activities and exerts an immunosuppressive effect on T lymphocytes. In previous studies it was demonstrated that BS-RNase induced apoptosis in proliferating, malignant and normal cells and that telomerase activity loss also caused apoptotic death in neoplastic cells. Since an obvious relationship between cell proliferation and telomerase activity exists, the aim of this work was to study if the pro-apoptotic cytotoxic action exerted by BS-RNase on proliferating malignant cells (HT29) and proliferating normal cells (PHA-stimulated lymphocytes) could be linked to a possible BS-RNase effect on telomerase activity. In BS-RNase-treated HT29 cells (Na-butyrate-differentiated or not) and human lymphocytes (proliferating or not), we investigated cell vitality (MTT method) and morphology (SEM), BS-RNase localization (immunofluorescence), telomerase activity (TRAP-ELISA method), hTR mRNA expression (RT-PCR), and hTERT levels (western blot). While no BS-RNase effect was detectable on not proliferating cells, a clear relationship was noticed between the diminished number of vital elements of both proliferating cell populations after treatment (48 h and 72 h for HT29 and PHA-stimulated lymphocytes, respectively) with 50 microg/ml BS-RNase and the decrease of their telomerase activity. At the same time, we found that hTR levels, the RNA subunit of telomerase, in proliferation-inhibited BS-RNase-treated cells were diminished. Moreover, by immunofluorescence technique, we detected BS-RNase in the HT29 cell nucleolus after 3-h treatment. Therefore, as hTR has been recently proven to co-fractionate with nucleoli, we hypothesize that a BS-RNase direct action on the telomerase hTR subunit could be a possible mechanism of action by which BS-RNase exerts its pro-apoptotic effects only on proliferating cells.

By using the methodology of both wet and dry biology (i.e., RT-PCR and cycle sequencing, and biocomputational technology, respectively) and the data obtained through the Genome Projects, we have cloned Xenopus laevis SOD2 (MnSOD) cDNA and determined its nucleotide sequence. These data and the deduced protein primary structure were compared with all the other SOD2 nucleotide and amino acid sequences from eukaryotes and prokaryotes, published in public databases. The analysis was performed by using both Clustal W, a well known and widely used program for sequence analysis, and AntiClustAl, a new algorithm recently created and implemented by our group. Our results demonstrate a very high conservation of the enzyme amino acid sequence during evolution, which proves a close structure-function relationship. This is to be expected for very ancient molecules endowed with critical biological functions, performed through a specific structural organization. The nucleotide sequence conservation is less pronounced: this too was foreseeable, due to neutral mutations and to the species-specific codon usage. The data obtained by using AntiClustAl are comparable with those produced with Clustal W, which validates this algorithm as an important new tool for biocomputational analysis. Finally, it is noteworthy that evolutionary trees, drawn by using all the available data on SOD2 nucleotide sequences and amino acid and either Clustal W or AntiClustAl, are comparable to those obtained through phylogenetic analysis based on fossil records.

The effects of all trans retinoic acid and hyperthermia were studied in the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line HT29. Cell cytotoxicity after exposure to ATRA or heat-shock, alone or in association, was evaluated by the MTT assay while cell surface and ultrastructure modifications and actin fibre assembly changes were investigated by electron microscopy and by the FITC-phalloidin method. Apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytofluorimetry and electron microscopy. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was employed to study mRNA expression of genes involved in apoptosis, differentiation and growth arrest. Joint treatments were more effective in reducing the vital cell yield, being this effect only partially due to apoptosis. A marked up-regulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21WAF1/Cip1 expression, not followed by any differentiation process, was responsible for growth arrest. Modulation of Hsp-70 expression, involved in cell response to treatments, was considered. Our results demonstrate that cell treatment with ATRA followed by heat-shock may elicit useful effects to treat tumours, which are responsive to retinoids, as well as those malignant cells which may be constitutively thermotolerant.

Background: It has been suggested that changes in immune response to infectious agents in patients on haemodialysis might be due to impaired monocyte function; uraemic and haemodialysed patients overproduce proinflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)., Methods: We quantitated the cytokines released into the plasma and into the supernatants of 24-h cultured purified monocytes, under basal conditions and after stimulation by lipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli, in 15 healthy subjects (CON), 20 uraemic patients who had not yet started dialysis (CRF) and 60 haemodialysed patients (HD), who were divided into three groups of 20 patients corresponding to short-, medium- and long-term dialysis., Results: Monocytes from HD patients spontaneously secreted significantly higher levels of cytokines than those from controls and uraemic patients who had not yet started dialysis. After stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), cytokine levels in culture supernatants of cells from HD patients were significantly lower than those from controls and uraemic patients. Moreover, levels of cytokines in monocyte supernatants and plasma from short-, medium- and long-term haemodialysed patients decreased progressively with dialytic age. Monocytes from haemodialysed patients tended to be constitutively active, but their ability to secrete proinflammatory cytokines was inversely correlated with dialytic age., Conclusions: These results indicate that prolonged treatment with dialysis can be considered a form of chronic stress that causes the progressive activation of monocytes, which ultimately leads to monocyte exhaustion and dysfunction.