Background: Toxoplasma gondii is a significant cause of abortion in sheep and goats in the world. Toxoplasmosis is caused reproduction disorders such as fetal resorption, early embryonic death, mummification, abortion, stillbirth, neonatal and fetal death in sheep . Objectives: The aim of this study was to detect T. gondii infection in ovine aborted fetuses in Khorasan Razavi province. Methods: From June 2009 to July 2013, 112 brain samples of aborted ovine fetuses were collected and examined to detect T.gondii DNA by nested- PCR. The association the frequency of T.gondii infection with age and geographical location of aborted fetuses were also studied. Results: The results showed that 18 (16.07%) of brain samples of aborted fetuses were Toxoplasm positive in PCR reaction . The frequency of T.gondii in the age group ≥120 day was more than other age groups of infected aborted fetuses (P<0.05) . All the infected fetuses belonged the sheep flocks in the northern part of province. Conclusion: The results showed the moderate T.gondii infection among ovine aborted fetuses in the northern part of Khorasan Razavi province.

BACKGROUND: Adenosine has many physiological roles in the brain, and in rodents, it changes food intake when applied centrally. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the effect of central injection of the purine molecule adenosine on both food and fat intakes in neonatal chicks. METHODS: In the first trial, various doses of adenosine (an endogenous P1 receptor agonist), and its synthetic antagonist CGS-15943, were injected intracerebroventricularly (ICV) to the chicks and the cumulative food intake was measured at definite time intervals. The second trial was similar to the first one, only the chicks were fed with a high-fat diet. RESULTS: Adenosine did not affect food or fat intake. Food consumption was increased 30 min after injection of CGS-15943. CGS-15943 also increased fat intake in chicks fed a high-fat diet. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that in the avian central nervous system, P1 receptors are entailed in the regulation of food and fat intake in an antagonistic manner.