Search

This study investigates influence of the anti-anthrax vaccination on blast transformation capacity of the leukocytes and also the possible in vitro influence of two, taxonomically different, autochthonous plants, Calendula officinalis and Vaccinium mirtyllus in promoting post-vaccinal proliferation. For that, blood was sampled on heparine (50 IU/ml) before and two weeks after the anti-anthrax vaccination (R 1190 Stamatin strain) of twenty-three dairy cows and 11 calves raised extensively. Blood samples were subjected to the in vitro blast transformation test, where glucose consumption was read after 72 hours of incubation at 37oC by the o-toluidine test. The experimental variants included samples treated with alcoholic extracts of the plants (7.5 µ/ml). There was a statistically significant increase in all the stimulation indices after the vaccination of the animals in cows, including those for Vaccinium myrtillus (48.57±13.27 to 53.53±12.49, p=0.02) and Calendulla officinalis (56.39±12.57 and 61.51±13.85, p=0.01). The increase induced in the growth of calf lymphocytes by the two plants was non-significant post vaccination. Both extracts could be used to enhance cell mediated immunity but there was an age dependent improvement of their in vitro response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed at investigating the presence of various variants of the IBV by RT-PCR in Romania, the territory being divided into four main regions: Q1-North West (n=78), Q2-North East (n=68), Q3-South East (n=173) and Q4-South West (n=53) to provide information for improvement of vaccination protocols and IBV infection overall control strategies. Two types of RT-PCR were applied to characterise the strains from the 33 farms. Numerous variants of the IBV virus were identified in different farms of the four major regions of Romania, with the obvious dominance of 4/91. Nevertheless, the identified pathotypes, of which some not mentioned in Romania, like Xinandi which might have been "imported" from Turkey or D1466, mentioned elsewhere in Europe, did not overlap the vaccine strains, leading to the clinical expression of the disease with different degrees of severeness, which stands for IBV versatile character and potential re-combinations occurring in spite of affiliation of certain variants to various geographical areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of three different oral administration protocols of a H. rhamnoides whole fruit preparation on xenograft rejection in vaccinated rabbits (n=21) was investigated. Although statistically non significant (p<0.05, d=9.8±3.27mm), the increase in the group treated from day 0 to day 14, indicated the potential of both the extract and this protocol in augmenting the adaptive response in this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]