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Anaplasma marginale (A. marginale), Anaplasma ovis (A. ovis) and Theileria ovis (T. ovis) are among the most commonly reported intracellular tick borne pathogens that infect ruminants across the globe causing huge economic losses. This study aims to report the prevalence and phylogenetic evaluation of these three pathogens infecting sheep and goats (n = 333) that were enrolled from Fort Munro region in Pakistan by using msp1b, msp4 and 18S rRNA genes for A. marginale, A. ovis and T. ovis respectively. Results revealed almost similar infection rates in sheep and goats with an overall prevalence of 11% for A. marginale, 28% for A. ovis and 3% for T. ovis. Concurrent infection was also recorded, however, the number of animals infected with two pathogens (n = 24; 7.2%) was higher than infection with three pathogens (n = 2; 0.6%). Risk factor analysis revealed that sheep reared in small herds had higher A. marginale (P = 0.03) and A. ovis (P = 0.04) infection rates compared to those from large herds. In addition, it was observed that bucks (P ≤ 0.05) and tick-free goats (P ≤ 0.05) exhibited higher A. ovis infection rates than nannies. Phylogenetic analysis of all three pathogens showed that Pakistani isolates were clustered together and were closely related to previously deposited Pakistani isolates as well as with those that were reported from worldwide countries. In conclusion, we are reporting that Pakistani sheep and goats have A. marginale, A. ovis and T. ovis mediated infections and control measures should be taken against them to improve the productivity of the livestock sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caprine theileriosis, caused by Theileria ovis is a serious production issue, especially in the areas that depend on goats and sheep for milk, meat, and other economic benefits. Pakistan has a large goat population, but few reports have been documented from this country regarding PCR-based detection of T. ovis. The molecular prevalence of T. ovis, on a seasonal basis, in various goat breeds enrolled from Muzaffar Garh district of Punjab in Pakistan was determined from October 2018 to September 2019. In this study, 1084 goat blood samples were screened for the detection of T. ovis DNA through PCR-based amplification of 18S rRNA gene. Out of 1084 goats, 12 (1.11%) were infected with T. ovis. The parasite prevalence varied with the sampling seasons (Chi square test, P = 0.008), and the parasite prevalence was highest in goat blood samples collected in summer (2.39%) followed by winter (1.88%). DNA sequencing and BLAST analysis confirmed the presence of T. ovis, and the amplified isolates from the 18S rRNA gene of T. ovis were found to be highly conserved during phylogenetic analysis. Young goats (Fischer exact test, P = 0.022) were found more infected with T. ovis during the winter season. Infected goats had elevated white blood cell counts (Two-sample t-test, P = 0.04), blood urea nitrogen to Creatinine ratio (Two-sample t-test, P = 0.02) and decreased serum Creatinine (Two-sample t-test, P = 0.001) as compared to T. ovis negative goats. We report a relatively low molecular prevalence of T. ovis in goats from the Muzaffar Garh district. However, it is recommended that control measures to eradicate T. ovis infection in goats in this area should be taken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theileria annulata (T. annulata) and Anaplasma marginale (A. marginale) are among the most extensively reported tick borne pathogens and are associated with huge economic losses worldwide. A total of 298 cattle blood samples were screened to report the presence of these two pathogens. The samples were collected from apparently healthy cattle (Achai, n = 155, Jersy, n = 88 and crossbred, n = 55) in Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) during June and July of 2022. A total of 31 out of 298 cattle (10.4%) were found infected with T. annulata as PCR amplified a 156 base pair fragment from Tams-1 gene of T. annulata from their blood. While 16/298 animals (5.4%) were found infected with A. marginale as they amplified a 382 base pair fragment specific for msp5 gene of this bacterium. Three animals (1%) were found co infected. Cattle susceptibility to T. annulata infection was significantly higher than A. marginale infection (P < 0.001). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Pakistani isolates of both detected pathogen clustered together and were closely related isolates from worldwide countries. Prevalence of T. annulata varied significantly among the sampling sites (P = 0.05) while no such association was observed for A. marginale among the tested cattle. Epidemiological data analysis revealed that none of the studied risk factors was found associated either with the prevalence of T. annulata or A. marginale (P > 0.05) among enrolled cattle. In conclusion, our study has revealed a relatively higher prevalence of T. annulata than A. marginale in cattle from the Bajaur district in KPK. This information is important for improving the productivity of the livestock sector, which is one of the main sources of income in the country. It is recommended that this data be taken into account for the development and implementation of effective tick control programs, as well as for the improvement of livestock management practices to prevent and manage TBDs in Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers in Taiwan. Although chemotherapy is the primary treatment for HCC patients, drug resistance often leads to clinical failure. Galectin-1 is a beta-galactoside binding lectin which is up-regulated in HCC patients and promotes tumor growth by mediating cancer cell adhesion, migration and proliferation, but its role in chemoresistance of HCC is poorly understood. In this study we found that galectin-1 is able to lead to chemoresistance against cisplatin treatment, and subsequent inhibition has reversed the effect of cell death in HCC cells. Moreover, galectin-1 was found to induce autophagic flux in HCC cells. Inhibition of autophagy by inhibitors or knockdown of Atg5 cancels galectin-1-induced cisplatin resistance in HCC cells. Increase of mitophagy triggered by galectin-1 was found to reduce the mitochondrial potential loss and apoptosis induced by cisplatin treatment. Finally, using an in situ hepatoma mouse model, we clearly demonstrated that inhibition of galectin-1 by thiodigalactoside could significantly augment the anti-HCC effect of cisplatin. Taken together, our findings offer a new insight into the chemoresistance galectin-1 causes against cisplatin treatment, and points to a potential approach to improve the efficacy of cisplatin in the treatment of HCC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]