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The present study was designed with an attempt to explore therapeutic potential of Indian mackerel against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced hepatic damage in rats. Male Wistar albino rats (n=18), weighing about 150-200 g, were randomly assigned to 3 groups of six each. Rats of Group I (control) received 1% DMSO daily orally for 3 weeks and olive oil I/P twice a week in the 2nd and 3rd week. Group II and III received CCl4 @ 1 mL/kg b.wt. in olive oil (1:1) I/P twice a week in 2nd and 3rd week, whereas, Group III rats were also administered with fish extract @ 300 mg/kg b.wt. orally daily in 1% DMSO for 3 weeks. The extent of CCl4 induced damage was measured by estimating ALT, AST, ALP, bilirubin in serum, total protein and albumin in plasma, SOD, CAT, GSH, GPx and TBARS in liver tissue homogenate and histopathological examination of liver. CCl4 induced oxidative damage was evidenced by elevated levels of ALT, AST, ALP, TBARS and reduced levels of GSH, SOD, CAT, GPX and total protein. Treatment with fish extract along with CCl4 led to reversal in the altered hepatic biomarkers and a significant reduction in the MDA levels, improvement in antioxidant markers when compared to CCl4 induced hepatotoxic group. Thus, results of the present study indicated that fish extract offered protection against CCl4-induced hepatic damage in rats due to its antioxidant effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ovine pulmonary adenocarcinoma (OPA), a transmissible lung tumor in sheep, caused by jaagsiekte sheep retrovirus (JSRV) can inflict fatality as high as 50% in the infected flock following initial detection of the disease. The routine diagnosis of OPA is entirely dependent on clinical signs that appear only at the terminal stages of the disease, followed by confirmation upon macroscopic and microscopic pathological investigations that requires sacrifice of the infected sheep. Serological tests are not available due to lack of JSRV specific antibodies. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is a useful tool for molecular diagnosis of OPA in sheep. This study aims to appraise the identification of OPA based on gross and histopathological lesions followed by molecular diagnosis of exogenous JSRV (ex- JSRV) by U3-hn PCR. A total of 150 lung samples of sheep suspected for OPA were collected from different slaughter houses and field mortalities in Andhra Pradesh for this investigation. Of these, 22 samples (14.7%) were positive for OPA based on gross histopathological findings and specific U3-hn PCR. Grossly, the affected lungs showed either consolidated areas or clearly demarcated tumor nodules in varying sizes. A few lungs revealed both. Histologically, papillary growth pattern was observed in 9 OPA lung samples. Acinar and bronchoalveolar growth patterns were observed in 7 and 4 lungs respectively. Two lungs showed more than one type of pattern in the same neoplastic tissue. Advanced lesions were characterized by dense fibrous tissue, thickened alveolar septa and infiltration of mononuclear cells in the interstitium. U3-hn PCR was conducted for molecular diagnosis and confirmation of OPA. An amplified product of 176bp was detected in positive samples. To improve the sensitivity, the product of the first round PCR was amplified by using a primer internal to the PCR product (P-VI) that was paired with primer P-I in the second round of hn PCR and a product of 133bp was detected. Electrophoretic analysis revealed the presence of bands of expected sizes in the PCR products in OPA positive animals. The study tends to conclude that U3-hn PCR may be used as a confirmatory inquest to detect the presence of ex-JSRV in OPA affected tissues in addition to gross and histopathological lesions and may be useful in epidemiological studies and disease control of OPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India, ranking first in poultry meat production in the world has a sizeable population of country fowls (Gallus domesticus), reared in rural backyard poultry farms with low output due to conventional feeding practices and high incidence of parasitic infections owing to poor veterinary coverage. Acuaria spiralis is a highly pathogenic parasitic infection of poults and is widely prevalent in domestic fowls causing loss of production and high bereavement. Moreover, it often eludes proper diagnosis due to lack of adequate and precise pathological portrait hindering thereby timely prophylaxis. The present paper reports the pathological findings of A. spiralis infection with a detailed morphological description of adult nematodes in 23 Desi fowls (Gallus domesticus) carcasses with the reported symptoms of retarded growth, weakness and anemia presented to the Department of Veterinary Pathology for necropsy diagnosis from the surrounding villages during the period of June 2015 to March 2016. Necropsy examination of dead birds revealed emaciation with enlarged proventriculus. Grossly, the proventriculus was round and hard. The lumen of the proventriculus revealed thickened nodular mucosa along with deeply buried slender parasites. The lumen was greatly reduced and the mucosa was covered with white slimy mucous exudates. The parasites collected from affected organs were processed and later were identified as Acuaria spiralis, based on their morphological characteristics. Histologically, the proventriculus revealed haemorrhages and the cut section of parasites. Degenerative changes and necrosis of glandular epithelium in focal areas along with infiltration of inflammatory cells, especially eosinophils, in lamina propria were observed. Dilated glands of proventriculus revealed cystic changes and hyperplasia of glandular epithelium in non affected glands. This study implicates that parasitic proventriculitis caused due to A. spiralis, being transmitted through consumption of insects of orthopteran species can be averted with regular deworming of birds besides neutralizing the intermediate hosts (arthropod vectors) by using phytochemical sprays in the vulnerable zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]