BACKGROUND: Many studies have demonstrated the important role of hippocampal serotonergic receptors in the emotional memory formation. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the possible role of hippocampal serotonergic receptors in emotional memory formation in several animal model tasks. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the possible role of ventral hippocampal (CA3) 5-HT4 receptors in emotional memory formation of rats in elevated plus-maze task. METHODS: 102 male Wistar rats were divided to 16 groups  (n=7), randomly. Two guide cannulae were implanted bilaterally, into the left and right hippocampi, using stereotaxic apparatus. At the test time and following the injections of saline, 5-HT4 receptor’s agonist and/or antagonist, the elevated plus-maze was used for evaluation of the emotional memory. RESULTS: A pre-test intra-CA3 injection of competitive agonist (RS67333; 1.2 µg/rat) and competitive antagonist (RS23597-190; 1.2 µg/rat) of 5-HT4 receptor, increased OAT% and OAE% by themselves while only the RS23597-190 decreased the closed arm entries, indicating that these drugs impaired the memory formation. Also, a pre-retest intra-CA3 injection of RS67333 and RS23597-190 (1.2 µg/rat) increased OAT% and OAE% by themselves, indicating that these drugs prevented the recall of the memories that formed on first day. CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that the hippocampal 5-HT4 serotonergic receptor have an important role in memory formation and memory recall, at the time of emotional arousal and stressful situations.

BACKGROUND: Neospora caninum is a protozoanintracellular parasite which is considered as one of the main factors forrecurrent abortions of dairy cattle in various countries such as Iran. Thisparasite leads to negative economic impacts such as decline in reproduction,reduced amount of milk, and long calving intervals. OBJECTIVES: Therehave been numerous tests to determine the cause of abortion. PCR test isconsidered as a suitable method to specify Neospora caninum DNA and itcan determine the DNA in tissue samples and body fluids of the aborted fetus.This study aims to use PCR to evaluate parasites in the tissues of abortedfetuses so as to detect the best tissue for determining the parasite. METHODS:In this study, 82 aborted fetuses in the first six months of 2015 were studied.The tissues were selected from brain, liver, lungs, spleen, kidneys and rennetfluids. The NP21plus primer was used to detect the presence of Neosporacaninum in samples. After conducting the PCR Test, samples with 340bp bandin Gel electrophoresis were considered as positive. Statistical data from thesurvey of Neospora caninum’s presence in selected tissues were evaluatedby SAS (version 9.2) software. RESULTS: Contamination with this parasitewas found in 34 brain samples (41.5%) of aborted fetuses. In 2 (2.4%) and 4(4.9%) of the aborted fetuses, parasite DNA was found in lung and liver tissuesalong with brain tissues, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Due to significantdifference of infection of brain tissues in comparison to other tissues, ourstudy considers brain tissue as the most appropriate sample for detecting Neosporacaninum infection in aborted fetuses in PCR method

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the use of biofloc has been considerable as a culture method to protect water quality and reduce the cost of food in the environment cultured shrimp. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of different levels of biofloc on water quality, growth performance and survival of Litopenaeus vannamei post larvae reared with no water exchange. METHODS: Post larvae with weight of 7.48 ± 0.85 mg and length of 9.23 ± 0.49 mm were reared in fifteen tanks with volume of 40-L and stocking density of 10 PL/L. Different levels of biofloc were added to tanks’ water as food sources: B0 (100% concentrate); B75 (75% biofloc +25% concentrate); B50 (50% biofloc +50% concentrate); B25 (25% biofloc +75% concentrate) and B100 (100% biofloc). The experiment was carried out for twenty=eight days. Results: Total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) level was lower in B25 than other treatments (P<0.05). The levels of Nitrate (mg NO3–N L−1) were significantly lower in B25 and B50 in 28 days of the experiment than in other treatments (P<0.05). At the end of the experiment, results showed that shrimp growth and survival were higher in B25 (301.23± 32.20 g and 81.56%, respectively) than in other treatments (P<0.05). The concentration of TSS tended to increase in the treatments during the experiment. CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study suggest that replacement of 25% biofloc (B25) with food concentrate can improve growth performance and water quality of the cultured shrimp.

BACKGROUND: Barley cultivars contain different anti-nutritional factors that have negative effects on the intestinal ecosystem and reduce blood cholesterol concentration. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effect of processing barley cultivars on the intestinal morphology, enzyme activity and volatile fatty acids of the small intestine and serum lipid levels of broiler chickens. Methods: The experiment was carried out using a factorial experiment with a completely randomized design. Factors were barley cultivars (Fajr, Reyhaneh, and Yosef), diet form (mash or pellet) and enzyme level (0 and 0.05 g/kg dry matter). Around 927 one day of old Ross 308 broiler chickens were assigned into 12 treatments, 3 replicates and 27 chickens in each replicate. Results: Pancreatic amylase, lipase enzyme activity and digesta pH are affected by main (except for cultivar) and interaction effects (P< 0.05). Feed Processing (pelleting, adding enzyme or combination of pelleting and enzyme) of barley cultivars, especially diets containing Ryhaneh barley cultivar reduced digesta viscosity and increased the concentration of volatile fatty acids and relative percentage of acetic acid and butyric acid (P<0.05). Diets containing Fajr barley cultivars, enzyme or pelleted diets significantly decreased blood glucose, cholesterol and HDL concentration (P<0.05). Conclusions: Due to lower amount of soluble NSP compared with the other barley cultivars, Ryhaneh cultivar resulted in a better response to processing as well as enzyme addition, and improved the morphological characteristics of the small intestine

BACKGROUND: Honey is an excellent food product with health-giving characteristics. On the other hand, the honey quality can change based on various factors. OBJECTIVES: Physicochemical experiments intend to investigate the honey quality in four geographic directions of Kurdistan province shelf-life and the containers the honey is placed in. METHODS: In this research, totally 96 samples from 4 apiaries in various parts of the province were prepared and maintained in various dishes/containers and various (time) periods at 25.5±3.5 °C. After preparing the samples, some factors including moisture, reducing sugars, sucrose, pH, acidity, the ratio of fructose to glucose, ash, diastase, hydroxyl methyl furfural were evaluated. RESULTS: The result showed the moisture total average, reducing sugars, sucrose, pH, acidity, the ratio of fructose to glucose, and ash were 13.79%, 77.67%, 2.22%, 3.86, and 21.39 of meq/kg, 1.09% and 0.13%, respectively. Qualitative examinations showed, there was the distance in all samples but no HME. With the increase in shelf-life time, metabolites in the ratio of fructose to glucose and acidity increased significantly, but the factors, moisture, pH were reduced significantly (P<0.05). Various containers had no significant impact on physicochemical characteristics of honey. CONCLUSIONS: Generally, one can say that the comparison between the obtained amounts with the current standards, quality of the honey samples were standard and favorable. According to the results of this study, honey can remain at room temperature in different containers for 9 months and maintain anacceptable quality.

BACKGROUND: Ascites is a metabolic disease that has negative effects on broiler chickens. OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to investigate the effect of cold induced ascites on performance, meat quality and quantity indices and some blood indices of broiler chickens with cold induced ascites. METHODS: Three hundred one-day-old female chicks (Ross 308) were used in a completely randomized design with two treatments of control (under normal temperature) and ascitic (under cold stress) with five replicates and 30 birds per each replicate. RESULTS: The results showed that cold-induced ascites caused the lower performance, carcass weight and thigh and breast meat (P<0.05). Furthermore, ascites caused the increased anus temperature and thigh lightness (L) and redness (a) at day 42 of age (P<0.05). Cold induced ascites decreased the enzymes of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, uric acid, albumen and malondihaldehyde in blood at day 42 of age (P<0.05). The higher blood hematocrit and hemoglobin were observed in ascetic birds (P<0.05). CONLUSIONS: In conclusion, cold induced ascites increase the meat lightness through the increased peroxidation and decreased antioxidants of the body. Moreover, ascites cause the higher anus temperature by increasing the body basal metabolism.

BACKGROUND: Leptin as a cytokine-like hormone is derived from ob gene (one of the major effect genes on birth weight and growth traits) and is secreted by adipose tissue. This hormone with binding to its receptors in the hypothalamus, inhibits food intake and increases energy consumption. OBJECTIVES: There is not any report about expression of leptin gene in response to oral administration of selenium in livestock. In the present study, the effects of selenium nanoparticle and sodium selenite on the transcription of leptin gene in placenta were studied. METHODS: Twenty, four-month pregnant ewes within the same age were selected randomly. During the 21 days leading up to birth, oral administration of selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) with dosages of 0.05 and 0.10 mg/kg B.W. and sodium selenite with dosage of 0.1 mg/kg B.W. was carried out. At the same time the control group was fed distilled water in equal volume. With sampling of the placenta during childbirth, transcription amount of leptin gene was determined by RT PCR Real Time based on a comparison assay of 2-ΔΔCt. Results: The results of this study showed that leptin gene is expressed in placental tissue. The oral administration of selenium nanoparticle and sodium selenite caused a significant increment in terms of expression of mentioned gene in comparison to the control treatment. Also, there was a significant difference between the supplements, so that the highest leptin gene expression in placenta was observed in selenium nanoparticle treatment with dose of 0.1 mg and then supplement with selenium nanoparticles with dose of 0.05 mg. CONCLUSIONS: Selenium causes an increment of leptin gene expression in placental tissue.

BACKGROUND: Reproductive diseases are among the most important life threatening problems in captive female iguanas. Egg binding is a reproductive disorder in which female iguana cannot lay one or more of its eggs, mainly caused by improper husbandry. Physiological and pathological process of egg production such as egg binding in iguanas has to be assessed more. Objectives: In this study, diagnostic value of two modalities, radiography and ultrasonography, have been compared for evaluation of egg binding in green iguana. Methods: In this study ultrasonography and digital radiography were used as non-invasive methods to evaluate and describe dystocia in captive female green iguanas. Ultrasonography was performed in ventral aspect of abdomen in two sagittal and transverse planes. While radiographic images were taken in both dorso-ventral (DV) and lateral projections. Results: Ultrasonography provided more accurate and informative results than digital radiology. Radiography can be used to detect gravidity and presence of large eggs or follicles. Heterogeneous echogenic eggs or follicles, with different egg size, irregularity in egg borders and echogenic free fluid in celomic cavity were detected in egg-bound green iguanas. Among these ultrasongraphic evidences, the strongest sign was presence of echogenic free fluid in celomic cavity. However digital radiography is unable to delineate fluids in celomic cavity following egg binding in green female iguanas. Among two radiographic positioning, dorso-ventral view provides more information than lateral images. Conclusions: In conclusion, when we encounter a female green iguana with clinical signs of egg binding, ultrasonography has more advantages than radiography, however both modalities can be informative

BACKGROUND: Escherichia coli is a particularly complex species that is grouped into pathotypes of partly zoonotic intestinal pathogenic E. coli and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC). Strains belonging to ExPEC are able to cause various clinical signs in hosts and due to similar genetic determinants, these hosts may act as a source of infection for each other. OBJECTIVES: Recent reports of outbreaks of human urinary tract infections (UTIs) have stimulated interest in the potential that E. coli from animals has to cause human UTIs via the food supply especially poultry meat, so we aimed to assess the genetic relationships between strains from these two hosts. METHODS: A total  of  260  E. coli  isolates  were  obtained  from human  UTI’s (160 strains) and  poultry colibacillosis cases (100 strains)  and  phylogenetic  grouping  was  done  based  on  the Triplex-PCR  method and virulence genotyping was carried out using a modified Tetraplex-PCR detecting hly, iucD, papEF and sfa/focDE genes. RESULTS: Statistical analysis of results demonstrated that prevalence of B2 &amp; D phylogroups in human UTI’s (77%) and D &amp; A groups in poultry strains (66%) are higher than others, considerably. Statistical analysis showed that distribution of A phylogroup within poultry isolates versus human and B2 phylogroup within human isolates versus poultry ones were higher, significantly. It was shown that iucD is noticeablymore prevalent in poultry strains rather than human isolates,. Also, sfa/focDE gene was significantly more distributed in human strains than poultry isolates. CONCLUSIONS: In sum, despite the minor genetic differences between isolates from both hosts, our results showed that there are major genetic similarities in E. coli isolates from human UTI and poultry colibacillosis cases in the region and these two hosts can play an important role as infection source for the other one.   ________________________________________________________________

Dicrocoeliasis caused by the small liver fluke Dicrocoelium dendriticum which live in the bile ducts and gall bladder of wild and domesticated mammals, particularly ruminant. Immunodiagnostic methods are useful for early diagnosis. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was evaluation of agglutination latex (LAT) and indirect haemagglutination (IHA) tests for diagnosis of Dicrocoelium dendriticum infection in sheep. Methods: Adult worms were collected from infected livers of sheep at a local abattoir. The excretory-secretory and somatic antigens were prepared through homogenization and sonication. Infected sheep with Dicrocoelium dendriticum and non-infected lambs were bleeded to providing positive and negative serum. Somatic and excretory-secretory antigens were added and blended to latex particles. All samples of positive and negative serum were added to latex and considered according to agglutination reaction. In IHA, the sensitive RBC and somatic and ES antigens were added and blended and haemagglutination was evaluated . Results: The sensitivity and specificity of LAT by excretory secretory antigen were 84% and 97/6% and by somatic antigen were 96% and 97/6%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of IHA by excretory secretory antigen were 60% and 92/9%, and bysomatic antigen were 92% and 66/7%, respectively. Conclusions: According to present study, the LAT test by excretory secretory antigen and somatic has high sensitivity and specificity, and it is a quick test and without need to special tools for diagnosis of dicrocoeliosis.