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Apparently healthy mares with conception failure or embryonic loss may have subclinical endometritis (SE). Our objective was to document evidence of systemic immune responses against SE in mares. In apparently healthy (control) mares as well as those with chronic endometritis (ChE) or subacute suppurative endometritis (SSE), both considered classes of SE, serum concentrations of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α), chemokines (IL-8), acute phase protein (SAA), and plasma concentrations of prostaglandins (PGF2α and PGE2) were measured using validated enzyme linked immunoassays (EIA). Mixed-breed mares of known reproductive history, were used. Based on an endometrial cytological examination, mares were allocated into the following groups: healthy (control), ChE, and SSE (12, 26 and 11 mares, respectively). Serum concentrations of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 and plasma PGF2α concentrations were increased (P

So far the intimate link between serum microRNA (miRNA) and uterine inflammation in mares is unknown. We aimed (I) to investigate expression profile of eca-miR-155, eca-miR-223, eca-miR-17, eca-miR-200a, and eca-miR-205 (II) and to measure concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL-6), and prostaglandins (PGF2α and PGE2) in serum of mares with healthy and abnormal uterine status (endometritis). This study was conducted on 80 Arabian mares: young (4–7 years), and old (8–14 years). Mares were divided into 48 sub-fertile (endometritis) and 32 fertile (control) at stud farms. Serum was collected for measuring IL-6, PGF2α, and PGE2, as well as miRNA isolation and qRT-PCR. Concentrations of IL-6, PGE2, and PGF2α were higher in mares with endometritis compared to control. Age of mares had a remarkable effect on IL-6, PGE2, and PGF2α concentrations. Relative abundance of eca-miR-155, eca-miR-223, eca-miR-17, eca-miR-200a, and eca-miR-205 was higher in both young and old mares with endometritis. We noticed that eca-miR-155, eca-miR-223, eca-miR-200a, and eca-miR-205 revealed higher expression level in old than young mares with endometritis. This is the first study that has revealed the changes in cell free miRNA and serum inflammatory mediators during endometritis, and these findings could be used for a better understanding the pathophysiology mechanisms of endometritis in equine.

Background: So far the intimate link between serum microRNA (miRNA) and uterine inflammation in mares is unknown. We aimed (I) to investigate the expression profile of eca-miR-155, eca-miR-223, eca-miR-17, eca-miR-200a, and eca-miR-205 (II) and to measure the concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL-6), and prostaglandins (PGF2α& PGE2) in serum of Arabian mares with healthy and abnormal uterine status (endometritis).Methods and Results: This study was conducted on 80 Arabian mares; young (4-7 years), and old (8-14 years). These animals were divided into 48 sub-fertile including 16 young and 32 old mares suspected of endometritis and 32 fertile as control (24 young and 8 old) at stud farms. Serum samples were collected for measuring IL-6, PGF2α, and PGE2 concentrations, as well as serum miRNA isolation and qRT-PCR. Serum concentrations of IL-6, PGE2, and PGF2α were higher (P≤0.001) in mares with endometritis (young and old) compared to the control ones. Age of mares had a remarkable effect(0.001≤P≤0.01) onIL-6, PGE2, and PGF2αconcentrations. The relative abundance of eca-miR-155, eca-miR-223, eca-miR-17, eca-miR-200a, and eca-miR-205 was higher (P≤0.001) in both young and old mares with endometritis. We noticed that eca-miR-155, eca-miR-223, eca-miR-200a, and eca-miR-205 revealed higher (0.001≤P≤0.01) expression level in old than young mares with endometritis. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study revealed that serum miRNA and serum inflammatory mediators (IL-6, PGE2, and PGF2α) could be used as non-invasive gold standard biomarkers, and therefore might be served as an important additional diagnostic tool for endometritis in Arabian mares.

Objective: To improve in vitro embryo production in buffalo by supplementation of L-ascorbic acid during maturation and development (experiment 1) and combination with another antioxidant as cysteamine (experiment 2).Methods: Two experiments were performed, the first one aimed to evaluate the different concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100 μM) of L-ascorbic acid on embryo developmental rate of buffalo oocytes. The L-ascorbic acid was added to the maturation and culture media. In the second experiment, oocytes were cultured in media with two type of antioxidant (ascorbic acid + cysteamine) or ascorbic acid only.Results: There was a significant increase in cleavage rate at 25, 50 μM than 100 μM and control group. But, the blastocyst rate was higher at 50 μM ascorbic acid than other concentrations (0, 25, 100 μM). Supplementation of ascorbic acid and cysteamine to maturation and cultured media improved embryo development than ascorbic acid alone.Conclusions: Using of 50 μM L-ascorbic acid during in vitro maturation and development improve the developmental competence of buffalo oocytes, this effect was increase with the presence of cysteamine.

THIS STUDY aimed to evaluate the sperm characteristics in buffalo bulls and to screen the genetic polymorphisms in PIT-1 gene as bases for selection of bulls with good breeding value. The study was performed on 60 buffalo bulls aged 2-8 years. The animals were divided into three groups according to the age. The first group were between 2 to

This study was conducted to determine chromatin integrity and DNA damage by DNA electrophoresis and comet assays of buffalo fresh and frozen semen. Semen samples were collected from four buffalo bulls and evaluated after freezing for semen motility, viability, sperm abnormalities, chromatin integrity and DNA damage. A significant variation was found in semen parameters after thawing. Highly significant differences (P

Objective: To assess the effect of region, season and year of insemination on in-vivo fertility of Italian-Egyptian crossbred buffalo semen.Methods: A total number of 4 799 female buffaloes were inseminated by frozen semen with at least 50% post-thaw motility of Egyptian-Italian crossbred bulls in three localities in Delta, lower Egypt (El-Behira, El-Sharkia and Damietta) during the period of 2013, 2014 and 2015. The pregnancy rate after two months was evaluated during the four seasons.Results: The rate of pregnancy was significantly (P

Summary Secondary iodine deficiency was experimentally produced in growing male lambs by oral administration of 50 mg/kg bodyweight of Thiourea daily for 3.5 months. At the end of the experiment the animals became weak, emaciated, anaemic, significantly reduced in body weight with facial oedema and alopecia at thigh, legs and abdomen. The clinical analysis showed significant reduction in erythrocyte and leucocyte numbers and in levels of triiodothyronine and testosterone at the end of the experiment. The histopathological picture of the thyroid gland revealed hyperplasia of the follicle-lining epithelial cells which project into the lumen. The lumens of the follicles are devoid of colloid. The testes showed ill-developed small, empty seminiferous tubules. In the liver, the hepatocytes showed degeneration and vacuolation with proliferation of Kupffer cells, which contain haemosiderin pigment. The kidney showed glomerular lipidosis with accumulation of haemosiderin pigment in the cytoplasm of the renal tubules. Hyperkeratosis of the epidermis associated with excessive keratin formation within the hair follicles was detected. In conclusion, deficiency of iodine causes hypothyroidism which leads to retardation of growth, reduced wool production and interferes with sexual maturity of growing male lambs.

Lactating goats were fed on aerial parts of the herb Euphorbia peplus L. admixed with their usual green fodder. During the experimental feeding period they showed symptoms of general poisoning. In necropsy the main toxic effects were seen in the heart, lung and liver. Histopathological examinations revealed that the primary toxic effects originated from degenerative changes in parenchymal and endothelial cells. Adverse symptoms in the liver and kidney were also reflected in an alteration of the levels of certain serum enzymes and of blood urea nitrogen. The milk of the goats fed on E. peplus, consumed by their young kids, caused poisoning and even death, with signs similar to those observed in the adult dams. These observations support the hypothesis that the poisoning observed in both milk-raised kids and mother goats is caused by diterpene ester type toxins present in the aerial parts of the herb contaminating the dams fodder. Generally, such skin irritant and hyperplasiogenic toxins are known to be highly active tumour promoters of skin and other organ, e.g. in mice. Lactating goats - as an important source of milk around the world - in a setting similar to that described, may provide a valid experimental etiological model for investigation of food polluted by tumour-promoting diterpene ester toxins.

This study was designed to evaluate effects of different combinations of cryoprotectants on the ability of vitrified immature buffalo oocytes to undergo in vitro maturation. Straw and open-pulled straw (OPS) methods for vitrification of oocytes at the germinal vesicle stage also were compared. The immature oocytes were harvested from ovaries of slaughtered animals and were divided into three groups: (i) untreated (control); (ii) exposed to cryoprotectant agents (CPAs); or (iii) cryopreserved by straw and OPS vitrification methods. The vitrification solution (VS) consisted of 6 m ethylene glycol (EG) as the standard, control vitrification treatment, and this was compared with 3 m EG + 3 m dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 3 m EG + 3 m glycerol, and 3 m DMSO + 3 m glycerol. Cryoprotectants were added in two steps, with the first step concentration half that of the second (and final) step concentration. After warming, oocyte samples were matured by standard methods and then fixed and stained for nuclear evaluation. Rates of MII oocytes exposed to CPAs without vitrification were lower (54.3 +/- 1.9% in EG, 47.5 +/- 3.4% in EG + DMSO, 36.8 +/- 1.2% in EG + glycerol and 29.9 +/- 1.0% in DMSO + glycerol; p < 0.05) than for the control group (79.8 +/- 1.3%). For all treatments in each vitrification experiment, results were nearly identical for straws and OPS, so all results presented are the average of these two containers. The percentages of oocytes reaching telophase-I or metaphase-II stages were lower in oocytes cryopreserved using all treatments when compared with control. However, among the vitrified oocytes, the highest maturation rate was seen in oocytes vitrified in EG + DMSO (41.5 +/- 0.6%). Oocytes cryopreserved in all groups with glycerol had an overall low maturation rate 19.0 +/- 0.6% for EG + glycerol and 17.0 +/- 1.1% for DMSO + glycerol. We conclude that the function of oocytes was severely affected by both vitrification and exposure to cryoprotectants without vitrification; the best combination of cryoprotectants was EG + DMSO for vitrification of immature buffalo oocytes using either straw or OPS methods.

To evaluate Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate in children with sickle cell disease.Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate was performed in 95 children with sickle cell disease during the period from December 1992 to June 1999. Patients were classified into 4 groups. Patients in the steady state (group 1), painful crisis (group 2), mild infection (group 3) and moderate/severe infection (group 4). Comparison between the groups was performed using ANOVA and ANCOVA.There were 55 males (58%) and 40 females (42%) with a mean age of 79.1 months. The mean Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate values for the various groups were as follows: Group 1 (n=10); mean Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate is 5 mm/hr (+/-4.6) and was significantly the lowest (p0.05), group 2 (n=44); mean Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate is 25.8 mm/hr (+/-16.3), group 3 (n=18); mean Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate is 28.1 mm/hr (+/-25.8), while group 4 (n=23); mean Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate is 99.2 mm/hr (+/-33.5) and was significantly the highest (p0.05). Two cut-off values for the Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (or = 30 mm/hr thenor = 50 mm/hr) were considered to evaluate their specificity and sensitivity for moderate/severe infection.Although the Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate is low in sickle cell disease, it does increase during painful crisis and infection and it is a useful indicator of moderate/severe infection.

The feeding of lactating goats on usual green fodder, contaminated with Euphorbia helioscopia or E. nubica, results in poisoning of the dams as well as their suckling kids. General signs of toxicity were emaciation, depression, shedding of body hair, arching of back, and possible death. Post-mortem changes of dams and dead suckling kids included congestion and hemorrhage in cardiac muscle, lung, liver, and kidneys. Blood analyses of goats exposed to these contaminants showed an increased level of serum alanine amino transferase compared to control samples, indicating cellular destruction in the liver. The latter was confirmed by histopathological changes in the organ which include severe congestion, necrosis, and degenerative changes. The goats also suffered from deterioration of renal function as indicated by increased blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels. In histopathologic inspections of kidney, severe congestion, hemorrhage in the cortex and medulla, as well as necrosis of epithelial cells of kidney tubules were noticed. Considerable degenerative changes were also observed in heart and lung. The pathophysiological appearances indicate that by feeding on the Euphorbia species mentioned above, the goats are poisoned in a way similar to the case of E. peplus reported previously. Such intoxication most likely is due to irritant and hyperplasiogenic diterpene ester (DTE) toxins, usually present in the aerial parts of Euphorbia species and well known as tumor promoters in mouse skin. After ingestion of the toxic plant parts by the goats, the DTE toxins might be metabolized and thereby partially detoxified. Yet, at least in part, they may show up in the milk of the goats, as indicated by severe poisoning of their suckling kids. As discussed previously in lactating goats fed on fodder contaminated with E. peplus, tumor promoters of the DTE type may enter the human food chain via this source of milk. Such milk may be considered a valuable etiologic model for the investigation of economic, ecologic, and public health problems raised by human diet polluted with tumor promoters, i.e., conditional (non-genotoxic) cancerogens.