A captive adult common mynah (Acridotheres tristis) died shortly after a course of seizure and opisthotonous with an illness characterized by severe lethargy, depression, loss of appetite, polyurate, and urate discoloration. Abdominal distention and hepatomegly, visible over the abdominal skin, were noticed clinically. At necropsy, severe enlargement of liver with general discoloration was obvious. Histopathological findings included schizonts and gametes in the intestine, especially in the duodenum. Cytology from impression smears revealed intracyto-plasmic Atoxoplasma-like zoites in the inflammatory cells especially macrophages within the liver and in the contact smears prepared from the liver, lung, and spleen. Based on postmortem findings of the organisms in blood mononuclear cells and in impression smears of liver and Giemsa stained impression smears of liver, the spleen and lung atoxoplasmosis caused by Isoapora sp. was specified as the cause of death. According to the literature, visceral coccidiosis (atoxo-plasmosis), described here, could be considered as one of the severe causes of mortality among captive birds.

BACKGROUND: Betaine has been shown to be antioxidantand methyl donor effects in our recent studies. OBJECTIVES: Inthe present study, the antioxidant and methyl donor properties ofbetaine in levodopa/benserazide-mediated hyperhomocysteinemiaand levodopa-induced oxidative stress in rat's kidney wereexamined. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley male rats were dividedinto levodopa (LD), Betaine (Bet.), levodopa plus betaine(LD/Bet.), levodopa plus benserazide (LD/Ben.), levodopa plusbetaine-benserazide (LD/Bet.-Ben.), and control groups. Theexperimental groups received LD (3 × 100 mg/kg), Bet. (1.5%w/w of the total diet), Ben. (3 × 25 mg/kg), and distilled waterwas given to controls for 10 consecutive days, orally by gavage.RESULTS: Plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrationdecreased significantly in Bet.-, LD/Bet.-, and LD/Bet.-Ben.-treated rats compared to LD/Ben. group. Thiobarbituric acidreactive substances concentration (as a lipid peroxidationmarker) in renal tissue reduced statistically in betaine group incomparison with LD and LD/Ben. groups. Renal catalaseactivity increased significantly in LD-treated rats whencompared to controls. Renal superoxide dismutase activitysignificantly decreased in LD-treated group when compared toLD/Ben. group. However, there was not any significantdifference in renal glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity amongthe groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that LD andLD/Ben. have side effects in kidney due to induction ofhyperhomocysteinemia and oxidative stress. In contrast, betaineacts as a promising antioxidant and methyl donor agent versusLD-induced complications.

BACKGROUND: Occurrence of resistance against antibioticsand inadequate efficacy of some vaccines necessitates studies ofnatural immunostimulators in aquaculture. Shrimps shell derivedfrom Chitosan can be used as immune stimulators in fish.OBJECTIVES: In this study, the effects of oral administration ofchitosan, derived from shrimp shell, on some immune responsesand disease resistance in Cyprinus carpio were studied. METHODS:Three hundred healthy fish weighing 42.4+8.1 g were divided into4 equal groups: the first group (G10) was fed with foodsupplemented with 10 mg kg-1 chitosan, the second (G5) and thirdgroups (G2.5) were fed with food supplemented with 5 mg kg-1 and2.5 mg kg-1, respectively. The control group was fed with basal feed(without chitosan). All groups were treated for 60 days. Bloodsamples were taken on 0, 20, 40, and 60 days post- experiment; Inaddition, some immunological indices, including serum lysozymeactivity, serum bactericidal activity, Nitro Blue Tetrazolium (NBT)reduction activity, serum proteins, white blood cell count (WBC),and differentiated count were measured. At the end of the treatment,fish were challenged with live Aeromonas hydrophila and mortalityrate was recorded for 14 days. RESULTS: Oral administration ofchitosan (0.5 and 1%) significantly enhanced NBT reductionactivity and resistance to A. hydrophila infection (p=0.012). Serumlysozyme and bactericidal activity, serum total protein andglobulin, WBC and leukocytes ratio showed no significant changeamong the groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicatesthat oral administration of shrimp shell chitosan may have a positiveeffect on some immune parameters and resistance against bacterialinfection in Cyprinus carpio.

BACKGROUND:Herbal methionine can be compared relative toDl-methionine with evaluation of bioavailability of this source ofmethionine. OBJECTIVES: An experiment was carried out todetermine the relative bioefficacy of herbal methionine (H-Met)®relative to DL-methionine (DL-Met) on performance criteria andimmunocompetence of Met sources in male broilers. Atotal of 160male broilers were fed a Met-deficient basal diet or the basal dietsupplemented with three or four concentrations of each Metsources. METHODS: Multiexponential and multilinear regressionswere used to determined bioavailability of herbal methionine (HMet)®relative to DL-Met on performance and immunocompetenceof broilers. RESULTS: Body weight gain and feed intake of thebroilers fed H-Met or DL Met improved in the experiment,regardless of Met sources, relative to those broilers that were fed thebasal diet. Immunocompetence of broilers were not significant at 28day of age (p>0.05), whereas the broilers were significantlyaffected by the additional levels of Met sources at 42 day of age.CONCLUSIONS: The bioefficacy estimates for H-Met® relative toDL-Met on a product basis were 55% for weight gain, 71% for feedintake, 78% for feed conversion ratio, 70% for dilution 1-choloro 2-3-dinitrobenzene (DNCB), 67% for sheep red blood cell (SRBC),and 68% for phytohemagglutinine (PHA-P). The relativeeffectiveness of H-Met® compared to that of DL-Met is 68% onaverage across performance criteria and all immune criteria tested.H-Met®can be supplemented as a new and natural source of Met forthe poultry industry.

BACKGROUND: The acute phase response is beneficial to theanimal in restoring homeostasis, and measuring the circulatingacute phase proteins, cytokines, and enzymes can be used toevaluate the innate immune system's responses to invader agentssuch as bacterial lipopolysaccharide. Measurement of theseparameters has shown to be useful as diagnostic and prognosticmarkers in animal endotoxemia. OBJECTIVES: The aim of thepresent experimental study was expression of the acute phaseresponse following the induction of endotoxemia by Escherichiacoli serotype O55:B5 in sheep and the relationships among the acutephase response parameters during endotoxemia and their changingpatterns. METHODS: Five clinically healthy 1-year-old Iranian fattailedewes (25±1.5 kg, bodyweight) were randomly selected andlipopolysaccharide from Escherichia coli serotype O55:B5 wasinfused at 20 μg/kg intravenously to each animal. Fluid therapy wasperformed in all ewes over 120 minutes after lipopolysaccharideinjection and continued for 180 minutes. Blood samples werecollected from all ewes prior and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 24 hours afterlipopolysaccharide injection and sera were separated. Serumconcentrations of haptoglobin, serum amyloid A, tumor necrosisfactor-alpha, interferon-gamma, superoxide dismutase, andglutathione peroxidase were assayed. RESULTS: The rapid andsignificant elevation of haptoglobin, serum amyloid A, tumornecrosis factor-alpha, and interferon-gamma were seen afterendotoxemia induction. Serum concentrations of superoxidedismutase and glutathione peroxidase were significantly decreasedafter intravenous lipopolysaccharide infusion. The results of thepresent experimental study showed that haptoglobin, serumamyloid A, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interferon-gamma atall hours studied after endotoxemia induction were positivelycorrelated together. These parameters were negatively correlatedwith superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase at all hoursafter lipopolysaccharide infusion. CONCLUSIONS: The results ofthe present experiment can provide evidence for associationsamong acute phase proteins, cytokines, and enzymes and theirchanges during endotoxemia in sheep.

BACKGROUND: The effect of heat stress on physiologicalparameters has been well documented. However, there arereports of a genetic based heat tolerance in some sheep breeds.OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to monitor thephysiological responses of an Iranian fat-tailed breed againstheat stress and an acute stress insult. METHODS:Atotal numberof 15 fall-born ram lambs were selected and subjected to directsummer solar radiation throughout the day (May 2009 toFebruary 2010). Ten lambs were semi-castrated in October to seethe physiologic response of animals to an acute stress. Thegeneral parameter as well as blood chemistry and cortisol wereanalyzed during the study. RESULTS: The results showed that allphysiologic parameters had significant changes; however, theirvalues were in normal range. The fact that the animals in thepresent study experienced their first exposure of heat stress anda significant increase in serum cortisol concentration in semicastratedlambs in October, compared to the respected values inthe hottest months of the experiment, may indicate a geneticbased adaptability of the breed in Iran. CONCLUSIONS: Thepresent study shows the dynamic changes of general andbiochemical parameters in response to chronic heat stress and anacute stress that raises a possible tolerance of the breed againstheat stress.

The herd consisted of 25 captive Esfahan mouflons and theiroffspring. The mouflons were wild and originated from theirnatural habitat in Esfahan province. They had been kept in smallenclosures with rough concrete floors. The diet consisted ofalfalfa hay, corn silage, and a commercial concentrate. Themouflons showed severe claw overgrowth and detectablesubclinical form of laminitis such as sole hemorrhage and yellowwax discoloration. Both prevalences were unexpectedly high(73.9%). The majority of foot lesion samples included in thisstudy were taken from mouflons examined in the course ofveterinary practice over a period of 4 months in a farm for clinicaland histopathological purposes. Pseudocarcinomatous epidermalhyperplasia which are characterized by extreme proliferation ofepithelial cells with large amounts of whorl-like structures thatshow no specific pattern, like dyskeratosis or central keratinization.Our findings were supportive of researchers who havesuggested that subclinical laminitis is a multifactorial diseasethat involves a complex interaction between nutrition andmanagement. Feeding management, proper design of facilitiesand routine trimming seems to prevent subclinical laminitis ispredisposed for more serious lesions in Esfahan mouflons.

BACKGROUND: The extensive consumption of milk anddairy products makes these foodstuffs targets for potentialadulteration with financial gains for unscrupulous producers.OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was using PCR assay todetect cow milk in labeled sheep milk, sheep yoghurt, andLighvan cheese (a traditional ripened cheese produced fromsheep's milk). METHODS: The assay utilized primers targetingthe mitochondrial 12s and 16s rRNA gene. In this study, 35samples of sheep milk, 35 samples of sheep yoghurt, and 35samples of Lighvan cheese were purchased from differentsupermarkets in Mashhad city with different batch numbers.RESULTS: The results showed only 21 out of 105 (20%) samplescontained pure sheep milk. Undeclared presence of cow and goatmilk was detected in 33(31.5%) and 68(65%) of the 105 samples,respectively. CONCLUSIONS: It seems the PCR based analyticalmethod is an applicable technique to monitor adulteration indairy products.

BACKGROUND: Closantel is a broad-spectrum antiparasiticagent and is widely used for the control of Fasciola spp. andHaemonchus spp. infestations in sheep and cattle. OBJECTIVES:The present study was carried out to evaluate the bioequivalenceof a domestic closantel formulation, Fascinil® (DamloranPharmaceutical Co., Iran), in comparison with Flukiver®(Janssen pharmaceutical Co., Belgium) in sheep. METHODS: Ina parallel design, twenty-eight male sheep, 4- 5 months of age,were randomly divided into two groups. First group received asingle dose of Fascinil® oral suspension as a test product at 10mg/kg BW, and the second group received Flukiver® as areference product with the same dose. Blood samples were takenon 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 32, 48, and 72 hours after drugadministration, and the plasma concentrations of closantel weredetermined using a high performance liquid chromatographic(HPLC) method. Pharmacokinetic analysis was performed; inaddition, the areas under the plasma concentration-time curvesat 0-72h (AUC0-72), maximum plasma concentrations (Cmax),and times to reach Cmax (Tmax) of the closantel in test andreference groups were compared. RESULTS: There were nosignificant differences in the AUC0-72 (2913.00±648.18,2957.88± 623.41 μg.h/mL), Cmax (62.22±7.74, 71.71±13.03μg/mL), and Tmax (23.38±4.27, 23.23±4.28h) between Fascinil®and Flukiver®, respectively. The 90% confidence intervals fortest: reference ratios of these pharmacokinetic (PK) parameterswere within bioequivalence acceptable range (80-120%).CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the test product (Fascinil®)and Flukiver® are bioequivalent, and they can be used asinterchangeable anthelmintic drugs.

BACKGROUND:Class II transactivator (CIITA) is a dominanttranscriptional element, controlling numerous genes in theimmune system. CIITA is expressed in a constitutive pattern inantigen presenting cells although its expression can occur inother cell types. Since the revelation of CIITA, there have beenconsiderable advances toward understanding its role as anactivator of MHC II genes in humans and mice; nonetheless,there is a lack of published data for this gene in other animals suchas chickens. OBJECTIVES: The goals of this study were todetermine the expression of class II transactivator (CIITA) inchicken and analysis of the CIITA gene sequence between fourIranian indigenous chicken ecotypes. METHODS:After securingthe research accuracy and optimization of reaction conditions,cDNA and DNA samples of gene were obtained from fourIranian indigenous chicken ecotypes. The PCR and RT-PCRproducts were sequenced and the data were analyzed bybioinformatics software. RESULTS: Comparison of thesequencing results with the reference sequence of the red junglefowl revealed that these sequences belonged to the predictedCIITA gene. There was a high conservation rate in the sequenceof CIITA. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicated that like otherspecies, CIITA is transcripted in chickens' immune system cells.Further studies on chickens must be done to reveal CIITAroles inimmune responses of chickens.