BACKGROUND: Phenobarbital is one of the most commonly used drugs to treat epilepsy and other seizure disorders in dogs and cats. Hepatotoxicity following phenobarbital administration is dose-dependent. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to evaluate the protective action of silymarin on phenobarbital-in- duced hepatotoxicity in cats. METHODS: For this purpose, twenty-four healthy adult cats were randomly allotted to four equal groups. Cats in group A were given phenobarbital with dosage 16 mg/kg orally for 28 days; group B received silymarin (30 mg/kg/day for twenty-eight days) orally concurrent with phenobarbital; groups C and D were treated like group B, but silymarin was administered 3 and 48 h after administration of phenobarbital, respectively, and continued up to twenty-eight days. The serum concentrations of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate amino- transferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, total and direct bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine were measured before administration of phenobarbital and after 24 h, 72 h and 28 days. RESULTS:Phenobarbital elevated significantly serum concentrations of liver enzymes (in all cases), and total and direct bilirubin in two cats of group A, after 24 h (P <0.001). In groups, B and C, levels of serum enzyme activities and total and direct bilirubin remained within the normal range up to 28 days (P>0.05), while in group D, levels of serum enzyme activities (in 4 cases) were higher than the normal values (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that silymarin can protect liver tissue against oxidative stress in cats with phenobarbital intoxication especially in the first 3 h post-exposure.

reducing production and death. The disease in endemic areas would be mild or subclinical in indigenous cattle and clinically acute in exotics. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to evaluate the resistance of indigenous cattle in comparison with Holstein and crossbred cattle against Theileria annulata through assessment of clinical signs and response to treatment. METHODS: For this purpose, the data history and clinical examination were observed on 51 naturally affected cattle with T. annulata (17 Holstein, 17 crossbred and 17 indigenous cows). Examination of blood smears was used for diagnosis. Detection of schizonts in lymph node punctured smears confirmed validity of the suspect samples. All three groups of cows were treated with buparvaquone along with oxytetracycline. Their clinical signs and the results of blood smear examinations were recorded before and 48 hours after treatment. The severity of clinical signs, parasitemia rates and response to treatment were compared among the groups. RESULTS: The results showed significant difference (p <0.05) in severity of fever, intense and abnormal lung sounds, mucosal changes (pallor, jaundice, petechiae) and ruminal hypomotility among the groups. There was no significant difference in parasitemia rate and response to treatment among the groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that Iranian indigenous cattle in comparison with Holsteins and crossbreeds had milder clinical manifestations and no significant difference in response to treatment for tropical theileriosis.

BACKGROUND: Fat-tailed sheep breeds have a  unique  ability  to  tolerate  periods  of  negative  energy  balance  due to seasonal changes in feed availability. This ability is attributed to presence  of  fat-tail  as  a  body  energy  reserve, however the exact underlying  mechanisms  controlling  the  response  of adipose  tissue  depots  to variations in energy balance in fat-tailed breeds are not well understood. OBJECTIVES: As definition of a set of stable reference gene is an absolute prerequisite of any gene  expression study, therefore the current research was conducted to define the most  stable  reference  genes  in  adipose  tissue  depots and muscle of fat-tailed Lori-Bakhtiari lambs during periods of negative and positive energy balances. METHODS: Eighteen fat-tailed Lori-Bakhtiari male lambs were divided into 3 groups according to their  body- weight. The experiment was consisted of an adaptation  period  (2  weeks),  negative  energy  balance  period  (3  weeks), followed by positive energy balance  period  (3  weeks).  The  3  groups  of  lambs  were  randomly  selected and slaughtered at the  beginning  and  end  of negative  energy  balance  and  at the end of positive energy balance to collect samples of muscle and adipose tissue depots. RESULTS: The stability of the reference genes  differed  among  different  tissues  and also between  various  depots  of adipose tissue. Average of ranking by different software programs showed that glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH),  B-actin  and  peptidylprolyl  isomerase  A  (PPIA)  were  the  3  most  stable  reference genes in mesenteric adipose tissue, whereas in fat-tail adipose tissue, PPIA, tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/tryptophan 5-monooxygenase activation protein, zeta polypeptide (YWHAZ) and RNA polymerase  II  subunit  A  (POLR2A) were considered as genes with least expression variability during periods of negative and positive energy balance. B-actin, YWHAZ and phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) were defined as the most stable reference genes in longissimus dorsi muscle tissue of Lori-Bakhtiari lambs. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the current study demonstrate that the stability of the reference  genes  varied  between mesenteric and fat-tail adipose tissues and the level  of energy  balance  affects  the  stability  of the  refer-  ence genes. In addition,  ranking  of  the  reference  genes  differs  among  different  software  programs  possibly  due to different mathematical algorithms used by different programs.

BACKGROUND: Animal breeds are often recognized through their specific characteristics, nevertheless, the breeds' anatomical and biochemical characteristics have not considered yet in many of the researches done on one-humped camels. There are some particular differences in camel breeds due to different climate conditions and rearing necessity. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the current study was to compare differences in anatomical and plasma biochem- ical parameters of two Iranian one-humped camels, the Jammaz (racing) and Balouchi (dual-purpose) breeds. METHODS: Anatomical parameters were body length (BL), neck length (NL), chest girth (CG), barrel girth (BG), hump circumference (HC), fore limb length (FLL), hind limb length (HLL), height at hump (HH), fore limbs interval (FLI), hind limbs interval (HLI), fore hoof circumference (FHC), hind hoof circumference (HHC), abdominal circumference (AC), shank circumference (SC) and leg circumference (LC). Moreover, concentra- tions of Glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, cholesterol, total bilirubin (Bili-T), direct bilirubin (Bi- li-D), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) were measured as plasma biochemical parameters. Data analysis was conducted through t-test statistics. RESULTS: Results revealed significant differences between body type traits of breeds, especially in organs related to running ability, while the Jammaz breed has more height and longer limbs than the Balouchi breed. Some blood parameters (glucose, LDH, BUN, cortisol and T4) are considerably higher in Jammaz breed, too. CONCLUSIONS: Results of the current study suggest some anatomical (especially fore and hind limb lengths, neck length and body height at hump) and physiological characteristics (lactate dehydrogenase, blood urea nitrogen, cortisol, glucose and T4) of Iranian racing and dual purpose camels as breed markers.

BACKGROUND: Hemolytic anemia is a disorder characterized by the premature erythrocytes destruction. Phenylhydrazine (PHZ) induces oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, which causes hemolytic anemia. Cynara scolymus due to its antioxidant compounds, has been used for various therapeutic purposes in traditional medicine. OBJECTIVES: The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of Cynara scolymus extract on PHZ -induced anemia in male rats. METHODS: Hemolytic anemia was induced by intraperitoneal injection of PHZ (40 mg/kg) for 2 days. Thirty male Wistar rats were divided into five groups. Group 1 (normal control). Group 2 (anemic control) received only PHZ. The groups 3 to 5 were injected with 100, 200, 400 mg/kg of the Cynara scolymus by gavage, respectively, daily from day 2 to day 15 after PHZ administration. At the end of the treatment period, blood samples were collected to assess hematological parameters, malondialdehyde (MDA) level and antioxidant enzymes activity, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in the serum and erythrocytes. RESULTS: In anemic rats, serum and erythrocytes MDA level increased, but SOD and TAC activity de- creased significantly when compared with control group (p ≤ 0.05). These changes were ameliorated by treat- ment with Cynara scolymus at different doses (p ≤ 0.05). Also, improvement in several hematological param- eters was observed in anemic rats after administration of Cynara scolymus (p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Cynara scolymus extract exhibits protective property against PHZ-induced oxidative stress presumably due to antioxidative activity.

BACKGROUND: Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (ST) is a gram-negative facultative intracellular bacterium with the ability to infect a wide range of hosts. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to provide a snapshot of the immune responses against ST challenge in primary chicken monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) by evaluating the transcriptional changes in inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β. METHODS: After preparing blood MDMs, cell monolayers were challenged with ST at a multiplicity of infection of 50. Transcriptional analyses of inflammatory cytokine IL-1β were performed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction using SYBR Green dye. RESULTS: The results indicated that wildtype ST challenge in avian MDMs favors the differentiation of macrophages toward the alternatively activated M2-like cells through downregulating inflammatory IL-1β. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrated the preferential differentiation of chicken macrophages toward the alterna-tively activated M2-like cells upon ST infection. Further improvement of the existing control measures, such as vaccination and molecular-based immunotherapeutic strategies against poultry salmonellosis requires a better understand-ing of mechanisms involved in the immunomodulatory actions of Salmonella in immune cells in future studie

BACKGROUND: Members of the genus Mycoplasma are known as pathogens causing respiratory disease in cattle world-wide. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to investigate mycoplasmal infection in the lung tissue of cattle slaughtered in Hamadan industrial abattoir, Iran, using molecular and histopathological methods. METHODS: A total of 108 tissue samples were collected from the cranioventral parts of the cattle lung during March 2015-February 2016. The specimens were subjected to a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and histopathological examinations. The PCR-positive samples were tested subsequently for Mycoplasma bovis and Mycoplasma dispar using nested PCR assay. RESULTS: Nine (8.33%) samples contained the DNA of genus Mycoplasma, among which, five and one showed the DNA sequences of M. bovis and M. dispar, respectively. Pathological changes, such as caseonecrotic lesions, interstitial pneumonia, lobar bronchopneumonia, and bronchial atelectasis were observed in 24 (22.22%) tissue samples. All the PCR-positive lungs demonstrated at least one pathological manifestation. However, not every pathognomonic tissue changes were concomitant with the presence of the DNA of Mycoplasma spp. CONCLUSIONS: It could be concluded that M. bovis and to a lesser extent M. dispar are relatively common in the cattle population of the western part of Iran. Therefore, these pathogens should be taken into consideration whenever respiratory problems are evident in cattle

BACKGROUND: Bee venom contains various biomolecules, such as enzymes, peptides, and amines. The immune sys-tem produces IgG antibodies against bee venom proteins. However, IgE antibodies may also be developed in allergic individuals. OBJECTIVES: In this study, immune responses, including IgG and IgE reactions to bee venom were assessed in vari-ous individuals, using the immunoblotting technique. METHODS: Serum samples were collected from 20 people of three major groups, namely beekeepers, allergic individu-als, and normal people. Venom samples of honey bees and wild bees were collected from the suburbs of Tehran, Iran. Furthermore, commercial honey bee venom samples extracted from Apis mellifera and samples of wild bees extracted from Polistes and Vespula were purchased from France. Immunoblotting was carried out using the sera of subjects and anti-human IgG and IgE coupled to horseradish peroxidase. RESULTS: The results of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed similar protein bands in Iranian and European honey bee venoms, including α-glucosidase (170 kDa), Api m (100 kDa), acid phosphatase (49 kDa), hyaluronidase (43 kDa), phospholipase A2 (17 kDa), and melittin (2 kDa). In wild bees, two bands were found with the molecular weights of 35 and 25 kDa belonging to antigen 5 and phospholipase A1, respectively. These were not observed in honey bee venoms. Immunoblot analysis revealed that all the mentioned proteins were immunogenic and al-lergenic in different individuals. Hyaluronidase, as well as phospholipases A1 and A2, were the major allergens in most individuals, while IgE reaction to melittin was only reported in one person. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, studies on antibodies against bee venoms can be useful in immunotherapy. Different people indicated distinct allergenic patterns. Therefore, further similar assays are recommended before, during, and after immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, use of rabbits in research as laboratory animals is quite prevalent, however imaging modal-ities for producing anatomical illustrations are rare. Computed tomography (CT) is a nonaggressive modality which provides more anatomical detailed data. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to create a plenary and exact deliniation and morphometric evaluation of cervical ver-tebrae in rabbits. METHODS: A CT scanner with two detectors was used in this study. Several parameters were measured in 10 healthy, adult female white New Zealand rabbits and the results were evaluated. RESULTS: Some parameters including VBH, SCH, PDL, PDW, VBL, EPH, and EPW had no significant difference through cervical vertebrae but other parameters such as SPH, TPL, TPW, SPA, and TPA were significantly different. In the fifth cervical vertebrae, transverse process had three parts, as well as having a big transverse foramen while in the sixth vertebra, transverse process resembled a wide plate CONCLUSIONS: VBH had an invariable measure from the second to seventh cervical vertebrae. SPH had an invariable measure from the second cervical vertebra to the sixth one, then once more it increased at the location of the seventh cervical vertebra and was invariable up to the first thoracic vertebra. This study presents a complete and precise description and morphometric evaluation of cervical vertebrae in rabbits using CT scan. As an important feature of this study, no specimen was killed and anatomical studies were performed using the CT scan technique .

BACKGROUND: Fish and fish products are consumed in many countries as a considerable source of nutrients. The heavy metals contents are known to increase drastically in the marine environment. OBJECTIVES: The present study investigated the contents of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) in four com-mercially valuable fish species of the Caspian Sea (Rutilus frisii kutum) and Persian Gulf (Parastromateus niger, Pomadasys kaakan, and Scomberomorus commerson). METHODS: A total of 200 samples were collected randomly from fresh fish. A microwave-assisted digestion method was conducted to prepare fish samples and atomic absorption spectroscopy was used for determining heavy metals. RESULTS: The ranges obtained for heavy metals were 0.013-0.038, 0.127-0.352, and 0.007-0.067 mg/kg for Cd, Pb, and Hg, respectively. No fish species overpassed the standard concentrations of metals set by the national or international standards, except for the mean level of Pb in Parastromateus niger. CONCLUSIONS: Results of the present study indicated that Pb, Cd, and Hg were found in Iranian fish species exclu-sively in trace levels except for the Pb content of the black pomfret of the Persian Gulf. The concentrations of these elements did not exceed the legal limits of the European Commission or the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran.