peer reviewed | In mares, endometrial cysts are associated with endometriosis and can cause maternal recognition failure or compromise and delay pregnancy diagnoses. Historical treatments were invasive and had adverse effects on the endometrium. Hysteroscopically guided laser therapy is easy and effective for endometrial cysts resection, with no deleterious effects for the endometrium. A 110 cm long and 1.0 cm wide endoscope is sterilely introduced in the uterus through the open cervix of an estrous mare after vulvar cleaning. The uterus is slowly infused with less than 1 L of physiologic solution and the laser fiber is inserted in the biopsy canal of the endoscope. Cysts are then cauterized with the 980 nm diode laser with a contact fiber set at 20‒2 5W in continuous mode. Each cyst is punctured until complete voiding of the cyst and shrinking of the cyst wall around the fiber. Uterine lavages with sterile saline solution are performed directly after the surgery and for one or two days as non-inflammatory fluid can be observed. This procedure is easy and quickly performed, with no obvious deleterious effects. Cysts resection makes ultrasound pregnancy diagnosis easier and, in some cases, could restore proper embryo migration in the uterine horns between day 6.5 and 17. However, this treatment does not improve the underlying histological lesions related to endometriosis. These considerations should be clearly expressed to the breeder before this procedure.

In mares, endometrial cysts are associated with endometriosis and can cause maternal recognition failure or compromise and delay pregnancy diagnoses. Historical treatments were invasive and had adverse effects on the endometrium. Hysteroscopically guided laser therapy is easy and effective for endometrial cysts resection, with no deleterious effects for the endometrium. A 110 cm long and 1.0 cm wide endoscope is sterilely introduced in the uterus through the open cervix of an estrous mare after vulvar cleaning. The uterus is slowly infused with less than 1 L of physiologic solution and the laser fiber is inserted in the biopsy canal of the endoscope. Cysts are then cauterized with the 980 nm diode laser with a contact fiber set at 20‒2 5W in continuous mode. Each cyst is punctured until complete voiding of the cyst and shrinking of the cyst wall around the fiber. Uterine lavages with sterile saline solution are performed directly after the surgery and for one or two days as non-inflammatory fluid can be observed. This procedure is easy and quickly performed, with no obvious deleterious effects. Cysts resection makes ultrasound pregnancy diagnosis easier and, in some cases, could restore proper embryo migration in the uterine horns between day 6.5 and 17. However, this treatment does not improve the underlying histological lesions related to endometriosis. These considerations should be clearly expressed to the breeder before this procedure.

International audience | Studies of the gut microbiota contribution to the host physiology and immunocompetence are facilitated by the availability of germ-free animal models, which are considered the gold standard. Nesting birds are ideal models for the production of germ-free animals since there is no need to raise their relatives under sterile conditions. Germ-free chickens are mainly generated from specific-pathogen-free (SPF) experimental lines, which are poorly representative of commercial chicken lines. The method proposed here allowed the production of germ-free chickens from the fast growing broiler line Ross PM3, commonly used by the poultry industry. Eggs were quickly collected after laying at a broiler breeder farm. They underwent a strict decontamination process from the collection to the introduction in a sterile egg hatching isolator. The chicks have been hatched and kept in these sterile isolators during the period necessary to control their sterility. Originally developed for an experimental SPF white leghorn line, the present protocol has been adapted not only to the Ross PM3 broiler line but also to quails. It therefore represents a robust and readily adaptable procedure to other poultry species and nesting birds of economic, biological or ecological relevance.

Studies of the gut microbiota contribution to the host physiology and immunocompetence are facilitated by the availability of germ-free animal models, which are considered the gold standard. Nesting birds are ideal models for the production of germ-free animals since there is no need to raise their relatives under sterile conditions. Germ-free chickens are mainly generated from specific-pathogen-free (SPF) experimental lines, which are poorly representative of commercial chicken lines. The method proposed here allowed the production of germ-free chickens from the fast growing broiler line Ross PM3, commonly used by the poultry industry. Eggs were quickly collected after laying at a broiler breeder farm. They underwent a strict decontamination process from the collection to the introduction in a sterile egg hatching isolator. The chicks have been hatched and kept in these sterile isolators during the period necessary to control their sterility. Originally developed for an experimental SPF white leghorn line, the present protocol has been adapted not only to the Ross PM3 broiler line but also to quails. It therefore represents a robust and readily adaptable procedure to other poultry species and nesting birds of economic, biological or ecological relevance.

International audience | Ticks are obligatory blood feeding parasites at all stages of development (except eggs) and are recognized as vectors of various pathogens. The use of mouse models in tick research is critical for understanding their biology and tick-host-pathogen interactions. Here we demonstrate a non-laborious technique for the feeding of immature stages of hard ticks on laboratory mice. The benefit of the method is its simplicity, short duration, and the ability to monitor or collect ticks at different time points of an experiment. In addition, the technique allows attachment of two individual capsules on the same mouse, which is beneficial for a variety of experiments where two different groups of ticks are required to feed on the same animal. The non-irritating and flexible capsule is made from easily accessible materials and minimizes the discomfort of the experimental animals. Furthermore, euthanasia is not necessary, mice recover completely after the experiment and are available for re-use.

Ticks are obligatory blood feeding parasites at all stages of development (except eggs) and are recognized as vectors of various pathogens. The use of mouse models in tick research is critical for understanding their biology and tick-host-pathogen interactions. Here we demonstrate a non-laborious technique for the feeding of immature stages of hard ticks on laboratory mice. The benefit of the method is its simplicity, short duration, and the ability to monitor or collect ticks at different time points of an experiment. In addition, the technique allows attachment of two individual capsules on the same mouse, which is beneficial for a variety of experiments where two different groups of ticks are required to feed on the same animal. The non-irritating and flexible capsule is made from easily accessible materials and minimizes the discomfort of the experimental animals. Furthermore, euthanasia is not necessary, mice recover completely after the experiment and are available for re-use.

In the field of nanotechnology, analytical characterization plays a vital role in understanding the behavior and toxicity of nanomaterials (NMs). Characterization needs to be thorough and the technique chosen should be well-suited to the property to be determined, the material being analyzed and the medium in which it is present. Furthermore, the instrument operation and methodology need to be well-developed and clearly understood by the user to avoid data collection errors. Any discrepancies in the applied method or procedure can lead to differences and poor reproducibility of obtained data. This paper aims to clarify the method to measure the hydrodynamic diameter of gold nanoparticles by means of Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA). This study was carried out as an inter-laboratory comparison (ILC) amongst seven different laboratories to validate the standard operating procedure’s performance and reproducibility. The results obtained from this ILC study reveal the importance and benefits of detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs), best practice updates, user knowledge, and measurement automation.

In the field of nanotechnology, analytical characterization plays a vital role in understanding the behavior and toxicity of nanomaterials (NMs). Characterization needs to be thorough and the technique chosen should be well-suited to the property to be determined, the material being analyzed and the medium in which it is present. Furthermore, the instrument operation and methodology need to be well-developed and clearly understood by the user to avoid data collection errors. Any discrepancies in the applied method or procedure can lead to differences and poor reproducibility of obtained data. This paper aims to clarify the method to measure the hydrodynamic diameter of gold nanoparticles by means of Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA). This study was carried out as an inter-laboratory comparison (ILC) amongst seven different laboratories to validate the standard operating procedure’s performance and reproducibility. The results obtained from this ILC study reveal the importance and benefits of detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs), best practice updates, user knowledge, and measurement automation.