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Staphylococcus aureus is the most common cause of bacterial arthritis in broiler breeder chickens. In this study, we established a model of broiler breeder chicken arthritis inoculated with Staph. aureus isolated from a spontaneously occurring bacterial arthritis in chickens. We evaluated the model by bacteriology, serology, pathology, and immunology. The results showed that 2.5 × 109 cfu Staph. aureus injected into the right joint cavity can successfully induce a chicken arthritis model. The majority of the infected chickens suffered lameness and joint swelling at 3 days post-inoculation (DPI). The death peak time was on 7 DPI and the mortality rate was 51.1%. Staph. aureus can be continuously isolated from the blood and left joint synovial fluid of the infected chickens. Lesions found on the infected chickens consisted of swollen joints full of caseous exudates, cartilage injury, and synovial membrane thickening with infiltration of inflammatory cells. The center of the lesion contained many round bacterial cocci. With joint injury aggravation, intra-articular hyaluronic acid gradually decreased, and serum interleukin-6 became significantly higher compared with the control (P

Japanese encephalitis is caused by Japanese encephalitis viruses (JEV) with neurotropism. As one of the most important immune organ, spleen is directly involved in immune response against JEV. However, little research about JEV infection process in spleen has been reported. In this study, immunopathological changes in mouse spleen were analyzed every other day after subcutaneous injection of mice with JEV wild-type strain P3 by immunohistochemistry assay. Immunohistochemistry analysis demonstrated that the number of T lymphocytes was reduced from 0 to 3 DPI, increased from 3 to 7 DPI, and reduced again from 7 to 10 DPI. In addition, neurological dysfunction appeared at 6 DPI. These results suggested that spleen of mice suffered incontrovertible damages in influence of JEV infection. It can also be deduced that the cellular immunity took the crucial part in the first phase of transient viremia against JEV. Moreover, immune response was activated after the immune-depressed period in the first phase of viremia and neurological dysfunction appeared when cellular immunity was activated. Taking together, our research showed distinct immunopathological changes in mice after JEV infection, which enriched our understanding of Japanese encephalitis immunopathogenesis.

This study was designed to establish if Curcumin (CM) alleviates Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-induced hepatotoxic effects and to determine whether alteration of the expression of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) isozymes is involved in the regulation of these effects in chick liver. One-day-old male broilers (n = 120) were divided into four groups and used in a two by two factorial trial in which the main factors included supplementing AFB1 (< 5 vs. 100 μg/kg) and CM (0 vs. 150 mg/kg) in a corn/soybean-based diet. Administration of AFB1 induced liver injury, significantly decreasing albumin and total protein concentrations and increasing alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities in serum, and induced hepatic histological lesions at week 2. AFB1 also significantly decreased hepatic glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione levels, while increasing malondialdehyde, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, and exo-AFB1-8,9-epoxide (AFBO)-DNA concentrations. In addition, the mRNA and/or activity of enzymes responsible for the bioactivation of AFB1 into AFBO—including CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2A6, and CYP3A4—were significantly induced in liver microsomes after 2-week exposure to AFB1. These alterations induced by AFB1 were prevented by CM supplementation. Conclusively, dietary CM protected chicks from AFB1-induced liver injury, potentially through the synergistic actions of increased antioxidant capacities and inhibition of the pivotal CYP450 isozyme-mediated activation of AFB1 to toxic AFBO.

This study was designed to establish if Curcumin (CM) alleviates Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-induced hepatotoxic effects and to determine whether alteration of the expression of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) isozymes is involved in the regulation of these effects in chick liver. One-day-old male broilers (n = 120) were divided into four groups and used in a two by two factorialtrial in which the main factors included supplementing AFB1 (< 5 vs. 100 μg/kg) and CM (0 vs. 150 mg/kg) in a corn/soybean-based diet. Administration of AFB1 induced liver injury, significantly decreasing albumin and total protein concentrations and increasing alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities in serum, and induced hepatic histological lesions at week 2. AFB1 also significantly decreased hepatic glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione levels, while increasing malondialdehyde, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine, and exo-AFB1-8,9-epoxide (AFBO)-DNA concentrations. In addition, the mRNA and/or activity of enzymes responsible for the bioactivation of AFB1 into AFBO—including CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2A6, and CYP3A4—were significantly induced in liver microsomes after 2-week exposure to AFB1. These alterations induced by AFB1 were prevented by CM supplementation. Conclusively, dietary CM protected chicks from AFB1-induced liver injury, potentially through the synergistic actions of increased antioxidant capacities and inhibition of the pivotal CYP450 isozyme-mediated activation of AFB1 to toxic AFBO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is often associated with subclinical infections and swine post weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS). In the present study, 28-day-old piglets were inoculated with PCV2, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), as well as PCV2+PRRSV. Macroscopic lesions, histologic lesions, virus distribution in tissues were systematically examined. Histologic lesions were found in both single PCV2 and dual PCV2+PRRSV- inoculated piglets, including lymphoid depletion and intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies within histiocytes, as well as bronchointerstitial pneumonia and granulomatous inflammation in the lungs. The lesions were more severe in piglets inoculated with PCV2+PRRSV than in those with PCV2. PRRSV-inoculated piglets showed lymphoid depletion and moderate interstitial pneumonia, but no inclusion body or granulomatous inflammation. PCV2 antigen intensity in many tissues was higher in the coinfection group than in the single PCV2, but PRRSV antigen intensity had no difference between the PRRSV and PCV2+PRRSV groups. Therefore, PCV2, not PRRSV, induced the inclusion bodies and granulomatous inflammation that characterizes PMWS. PRRSV+PCV2 coinfection also promoted the replication of PCV2, but not of PRRSV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activated sludge membrane bioreactor (MBR) has been shown to have some advantages for the processing and reclamation of domestic wastewater. We hypothesized that certain microorganisms, chosen for their abilities to decompose the chemical components of raw sewage, would, when coupled with the MBR, significantly improve the stability and efficiency of this system. We selected environmental bacterial strains which oxidize ammonia and nitrites and produce protease, amylase, and cellulase for the development and testing of a novel biologically enhanced MBR (eMBR). We compared the eMBR with the activated sludge MBR. With the eMBR, the average values of effluent quality were: chemical oxygen demand (COD), 40 mg/l(average efficiency of removal 90.0%); and NH4 +–N, 0.66 mg/l(average efficiency of removal 99.4%). Effluent qualities met the standard and were stable during the entire 90 days of this study. For the activated sludge MBR, the COD removal rate was 91.7%, and the NH4 +–N removal (94.8%) was less than that of the eMBR. Start-up time for the eMBR was only 24–48 h, much shorter than the 7–8 days required to initiate function of the standard MBR. The biomass concentrations of total heterotrophic bacteria and autotrophic bacteria in the eMBR did not fluctuate significantly during the course of the study. Various kinds of microorganisms will establish an ecological balance in the reactor. Compared with the activated sludge MBR, the eMBR not only produced an excellent and stable quality of effluent but also resulted in a shorter time to start-up and significantly improved the efficiency of NH4 +–N removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of variant pseudorabies virus caused great economic losses in domestic farms in the recent past. The mice were infected with Halv strain PRV via intragastric administration, intranasal and subcutaneous into the cervical skin to study the Pseudorabies in mouse model. The gross lesions, microscopic lesions and the distribution of PRV in mice were investigated. All the mice in each group showed exciting and roughening of the fur and frequent scratching. Microscopic lesions included mild-to-severe interstitial pneumonia, hemorrhage and nonsuppurative encephalitis in brain. The distribution of PRV in three groups was different. In intragastric administration group, PRV antigens were distributed in brain hippocampus, medulla oblongata, gray substance spinal cord and intestinal submucosa. In intranasal group, PRV antigens were detected in gray substance spinal cord, pons, myocardial cells, pulmonary epithelial cells and lymphocytes in red pulp of the spleen. In subcutaneous group, the PRV antigens were located in the sensory and motor cortex, prefrontal cortex, gray matter in spinal cord, purkinje cells in the cerebellum and lymphocytes in the splenic red pulp. These findings provided evidence that the distribution of PRV was depended on injected-routes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 14-year-old female Mongrel dog presented with multiple, cherry-sized, wellcircumscribed papillary masses on the right upper hard palate and gingival area. Histologically, the masses contained biphasic components composed of hyperplastic squamous epithelium forming papillary fronds, and underlying tortuous dilated ducts and cysts. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that both squamous and ducts epithelium were pan-Cytokeratin (pCK) positive, but they were negative of Alpha smooth muscle (α-SMA), Vimentin and Protein 53 (P53). Duct epithelial cells were strong positive of Cytokeratin 8 & 18 (CK8&18), Ki-67, and weakly positive of S-100, whereas squamous component were strong positive of Cytokeratin 5&6 (CK5&6). Sialadenoma papilliferum (SP) was diagnosed based on clinical sign, gross and histopathological findings, and biochemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]