Coxiellosis in domestic livestock of Puducherry and Tamil Nadu: Detection of Coxiella burnetii DNA by polymerase chain reaction in slaughtered ruminants

Research (Published online: 19-06-2017)

16. Coxiellosis in domestic livestock of Puducherry and Tamil Nadu: Detection of 

Coxiella burnetii DNA by polymerase chain reaction in slaughtered ruminants

Jothimani Pradeep, Selvaraj Stephen, Pratheesh Pooja, Anbalagan Akshayavardhini, Balakrishnan Sangeetha and Prabakar Xavier Antony

Veterinary World, 10(6): 667-671

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim: In the course of our Indian Council of Medical Research project on coxiellosis in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, 5.64% goat, 1.85% sheep, 1.06% buffaloes, and 0.97% cattle were positive for Coxiella burnetii antibodies by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay kit (IDEXX, Liebefeld, Switzerland). In this preliminary study, we have proceeded to look for C. burnetii DNA in those antibody positive specimens employing an imported commercial C. burnetii polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kit.

Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected during slaughtering. All 15 blood samples of antibody positive ruminants and three antibody negative samples were subjected to conventional Trans-PCR assay with a commercial PCR kit (Genekam Biotechnology AG, Duisburg, Germany). An in-house Trans-PCR was included in the study for comparison.

Results: A total of 15 antibody positive and three antibody-negative serum samples belonging to 11 goat, 4 sheep, 1 cattle, and 2 buffaloes were tested in duplicate for the presence of C. burnetii DNA by the commercial agar gel PCR kit and an in-house Trans-PCR. Only one buffalo serum sample was positive for C. burnetii with a band at 243 bp in in-house Trans-PCR.

Discussion: Seropositivity for C. burnetii need not necessarily translate into infectivity status of the animal. Conversely, seronegative ruminants can shed C. burnetii. Rapid disintegration of C. burnetii DNA during the storage period is an important impediment in QF-PCR research. This is the first time the performance of this commercial PCR kit is being validated in India.

Conclusion: Commercial PCR kit, Genekam did not identify any positive sample, probably because it targeted a larger amplicon of 687 bp.

Keywords: Coxiella burnetii DNA, coxiellosis, Trans-polymerase chain reaction.

Changes in histopathology and cytokeratin AE1/AE3 expression in skin graft with different time on Indonesian local cats

Research (Published online: 18-06-2017)

15. Changes in histopathology and cytokeratin AE1/AE3 expression in skin graft with 

different time on Indonesian local cats

Erwin, Etriwati, Gunanti, Ekowati Handharyani and Deni Noviana

Veterinary World, 10(6): 662-666

ABSTRACT

Aim: A good skin graft histopathology is followed by formation of hair follicle, sweat gland, sebaceous gland, blood vessel, lightly dense connective tissue, epidermis, and dermis layer. This research aimed to observe histopathology feature and cytokeratin AE1/AE3 expression on cat skin post skin grafting within a different period of time.

Materials and Methods: Nine male Indonesian local cats aged 1-2 years old weighing 3-4 kg were separated into three groups. First surgery created defect wound of 2 cm x 2 cm in size to whole groups. The wounds were left alone for several days, differing in interval between each group, respectively: Group I (for 2 days), Group II (for 4 days), and Group III (for 6 days). The second surgery was done to each group which harvested skin of thoracic area and applied it on recipient wound bed. On day 24th post skin graft was an examination of histopathology and cytokeratin AE1/AE3 immunohistochemistry.

Results: Group I donor skin's epidermis layer had not formed completely whereas epidermis of donor skin of Groups II and III had completely formed. In all group hair follicle, sweat gland, sebaceous gland, and neovascularization were found. The density of connective tissue in Group I was very solid than other groups. Cytokeratin AE1/AE3 expression was found on donor skin's epithelial cell in epidermis and dermis layer with very brown intensity for Group II, brown intensity for Group II, and lightly brown for Group I.

Conclusion: Histopathological structure and cytokeratin AE1/AE3 expression post skin graft are better in Groups II and III compared to Group I.

Keywords: cats, cytokeratin AE1/AE3, histopathology, skin graft.

Hemogram responses in goats toward challenged with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis and its immunogen mycolic acids

14. Hemogram responses in goats toward challenged with Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis and its immunogen mycolic acids

Effect of season on physiological, biochemical, hormonal, and oxidative stress parameters of indigenous sheep

Research (Published online: 16-06-2017)

13. Effect of season on physiological, biochemical, hormonal, and oxidative stress parameters of indigenous sheep

Sawankumar D. Rathwa, A. A. Vasava, M. M. Pathan, S. P. Madhira, Y. G. Patel and A. M. Pande

Veterinary World, 10(6): 650-654

ABSTRACT

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of summer and winter season on physiological, biochemical, hormonal, and antioxidant parameters in Indigenous sheep.

Materials and Methods: The research was carried out during summer and winter season. 8 adult apparently healthy female sheep (aged 2-4 years) of similar physiological status were selected. Daily ambient temperature and relative humidity were recorded to calculate the temperature-humidity index (THI). The THI value of summer and winter season were 82.55 and 59.36, respectively, which indicate extreme hot condition during summer season and extreme cold condition during winter season. Physiological parameters were recorded daily during the experimental periods. Blood samples were collected at weekly interval and analyzed for biochemical, hormonal, and antioxidant parameters. The results were analyzed using completely randomized design.

Results: From data obtained in this study, we found that higher THI during summer have significant effect over various physiological, biochemical, hormonal, and enzymatic indices of indigenous sheep. The physiological response such as rectal temperature, respiration rate (RR), pulse rate (PR), and skin temperature (ST) was increased significantly. We also found a significant increase in some biochemical parameters such as blood urea nitrogen (BUN), uric acid, creatinine (Cr), alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), sodium (Na), and potassium (K). The level of cortisol hormone and superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and lipid peroxidase (LPO) antioxidants increased significantly during summer. Whereas, some parameters such as glucose, cholesterol, calcium (Ca), inorganic phosphorus (IP), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4) were decreased significantly during summer season.

Conclusion: It was concluded that the THI is a sensitive indicator of heat stress and is impacted by ambient temperature more than the relative humidity in Indigenous sheep. Higher THI is associated with significant increase in RT, RR, PR, ST, BUN, uric acid, Cr, ALT, AST, Na, K, cortisol, SOD, GPx, and LPO and with a significant decrease in glucose, cholesterol, Ca, IP, T3 and T4.

Keywords: biochemical, indigenous sheep, physiological, temperature humidity index.

Induced pluripotent stem cell: A headway in reprogramming with promising approach in regenerative biology

Review (Published online: 14-06-2017)

12. Induced pluripotent stem cell: A headway in reprogramming with promising approach in regenerative biology

N. Rawat and M. K. Singh

Veterinary World, 10(6): 640-649

ABSTRACT

Since the embryonic stem cells have knocked the doorsteps, they have proved themselves in the field of science, research, and medicines, but the hovered restrictions confine their application in human welfare. Alternate approaches used to reprogram the cells to the pluripotent state were not up to par, but the innovation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) paved a new hope for the researchers. Soon after the discovery, iPSCs technology is undergoing renaissance day by day, i.e., from the use of genetic material to recombinant proteins and now only chemicals are employed to convert somatic cells to iPSCs. Thus, this technique is moving straightforward and productive at an astonishing pace. Here, we provide a brief introduction to iPSCs, the mechanism and methods for their generation, their prevailing and prospective applications and the future opportunities that can be expected from them.

Keywords: cellular reprogramming, embryonic stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells, stem cells.

Seroprevalence of antibodies to astrovirus in chickens in Grenada, West Indies

Research (Published online: 13-06-2017)

11. Seroprevalence of antibodies to astrovirus in chickens in Grenada, West Indies

Ravindra Nath Sharma, Romane Dufayet, Thomas Maufras, Kathryn O' Connell and Keshaw Tiwari

Veterinary World, 10(6): 636-639

ABSTRACT

Aim: Chicken astroviruses (CAstV) are known to cause mild gastroenteritis, growth depression, and even mortality in poultry, especially in chickens, turkeys, and ducks. To the best our knowledge, there is no published information on CAstV in Grenada. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of astrovirus in chickens in Grenada.

Materials and Methods: Blood samples from 366 indigenous chickens and 92 commercial chicken layers were collected from all parishes of the island and tested for antibodies against CAstV using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results: The seroprevalence of antibodies against astrovirus was 57.6% (95%, Confidence interval [CI]: 47.4-67.2) in commercial layers and 61.5% (95%, CI: 56.4-66.3) in indigenous chickens. The results show the presence of infection throughout the island.

Conclusion: The results show the infection with CAstV in approximately half of the chicken population in Grenada. This is the first report on the prevalence of CAstV in chickens in Grenada and the Caribbean region.

Keywords: Astrovirus, chicken astroviruses, chickens, Grenada, seroprevalence.

Enhancing the growth performance of replacement female breeder goats through modification of feeding program

Research (Published online: 11-06-2017)

10. Enhancing the growth performance of replacement female breeder goats through modification 

of feeding program

A. A. A. Ghani, M. S. Shahudin, M. Zamri-Saad, A. B. Zuki, H. Wahid, A. Kasim, M. S. Salisi and 

Hasliza Abu Hassim

Veterinary World, 10(6): 630-635

ABSTRACT

Aim: The study was conducted at a smallholder goat farm located in Labu, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of proper feeding program on growth performances of replacement breeder goats.

Materials and Methods: A total of 30 healthy female boer cross goats at the age of 4 months old with average initial live body weight (BW) of 20.05±0.5 kg were used for on-farm feeding trial to evaluate the growth performance as preparation for breeding purposes. The experimental goats were divided into two groups of 15 animals each labeled as control and treatment groups, which were kept under intensive farming system. Goats in control group were fed with normal routine feeding protocol practiced by the farmer, while goats in the treatment group were fed with new feed formulation. Throughout the experimental period, on-farm monitoring and data collection were carried out. Initial BW and body condition score (BCS) were recorded before the start of the experiment while final BW and BCS were gained after 7 months of the experimental period. Average daily gain (ADG) was calculated after the experiment end. Data on BW, ADG, and BCS were recorded from both groups for every 2 weeks and reported monthly. The feed intake for the control group was 2.8 kg/animal/day which practiced by the farmer and 3.2 kg/animal/day as new feed formulation for the treatment group.

Results: After 7 months of the experimental period, final BW shows an improvement in treatment group (39.1±1.53 kg) compared with control group (32.3±1.23 kg). The ADG in treatment group also gives promising result when comparing with control group. Goats in treatment group significantly attained better ADG than control group which were 126.7 g/day and 83.3 g/day, respectively. For the BCS, goats in the treatment group had shown an improvement where 86.67% (13 out of 15) of the group had BCS≥3 (1-5 scoring scale) and only 66.67% (10 out of 15) of the control group had BCS≥3.

Conclusion: Therefore, it was concluded that implementation of proper feeding program as shown in treatment group give promising result to improve the growth performance of replacement breeder goats which can be adopted by the farmers to improve farm productivity.

Keywords: feeding, goat, growth performance, replacement breeder.