The possible relationships between trace elements, oxidative stress and subclinical ketosis during the transition period were evaluated in dairy cows. Blood samples were obtained by jugular venipuncture at four times of the transition period: 3 weeks and 1 week before and 1 week and 3 weeks after calving. The highest concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA) and betahydroxybutyrate (BHB) were observed on the week 1 after calving. In contrast, the serum values of copper, zinc, albumin, uric acid and TIBC decreased after calving. After calving, zinc concentration showed a significant negative correlation with MDA concentration (p

Worldwide including Iran, Fasciola species are the causes of human and animal fasciolosis which have comparatively identical morphologies. The present study is aimed to identify different Fasciola forms by using morphologic and morphometric variations from domestic ruminants of northwestern Iran. A total of 130, 67 and 140 livers of cattle, water buffaloes and sheep respectively were collected from Urmia slaughterhouse. The adult helminths were removed and stained using Acetocarmine staining. The Fasciola eggs were directly extracted from the uterus of adult helminths. The overall frequency of infection was 28.19%. The highest infection rate was found in water buffalos (34%). The highest number of helminth per each animal was recorded for cattle (9.23%). The predominant infecting fasciolid in the examined ruminants was F. gigantica (51.89%) from water buffaloes origin. There was a significant difference among the width (W), the length (L), and the distance between ventral sucker to the posterior end of the body (DBVE) of all Fasciola forms from the examined animals. The L of different Fasciola forms had a significant difference for F. gigantica and intermediate form of Fasciola from cattle and water buffaloes origins. The W and the proportion of the body length to the width (SI) of eggs from all Fasciola forms had no significant difference. The Ls of eggs of F. hepatica and F. gigantica were significantly different. The results of this study elucidated three forms of Fasciola co-existing in the ruminants of the region. Additionally, the morphology and morphometry of adult and eggs of Fasciola species within a range of hosts may be taxonomically informative and one of the character sets for discrimination of fasciolid forms.

This study was undertaken to estimate specific activities of rhodanese and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (MST) in different tissues of turkey. Enzyme activities were determined in tissue samples from freshly killed adult male turkeys by measurement of thiocyanate amounts produced by the action of enzymes on suitable substrates. Activities of rhodanese and MST in examined tissues of turkey range from 0.023 to 0.448 and 0.01 to 0.191, respectively. The highest activity of the rhodanese was observed in the liver followed by the kidney and then heart, with statistically significant difference between them. Indeed, the activities of MST were significantly higher in hepatic and renal tissues of turkey than in other examined tissues. Although both sulfurtransferases were detected in brain and all studied parts of the digestive tract, the mean values of enzyme activities were far less compared with those of liver and kidney. The results suggest high potential of liver and kidney in sulfurtransferases mediated cyanide detoxification in turkey. However, the demonstration of both enzyme activities in all examined tissues supports the involvement of them in other biochemical processes besides cyanide detoxification which needs to be clarified in detailed studies.

Viral infections are the cause of great economic losses in the poultry industry. Development of appropriate reagents and serological diagnostic kits will help to control these infections. The aim of this study is to prepare a peroxidase labeled anti-chicken IgG using a MAb (5B8) against chicken IgG, for detection of chicken antibodies in ELISA. Hybridoma cells producing the MAb 5B8 were cultured in RPMI 1640 medium and the MAb was purified from the cells supernatant using a sepharose matrix column, sensitized with chicken IgG. The purified MAb was labeled with Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) by periodate treatment. The peroxidase labeled MAb was compared with a commercial polyclonal product for detection of chicken antibodies against avian influenza virus nucleoprotein in ELISA. Therefore, type A recombinant nucleoprotein influenza virus was used as the antigen and chicken sera prepared from healthy and influenza virus infected chickens were used as primary antibodies. The results showed that there is a strong and direct correlation (r =0.972) between the optical densities of a commercial anti-chicken IgG and the prepared conjugate. In conclusion, the conjugated MAb is appropriate for the development of serological diagnostic tests for poultry infections.

In the present study karyotype of Mazani river buffalo was studied in comparison with those of Azeri buffalo populations from Iran. Blood samples were taken from ten (5 males and 5 females) Mazani buffaloes and thirty (15 males and 15 females) Azeri buffaloes. The Mazani buffaloes belong to Mazendaran province and Azeri buffaloes belong to west and east Azerbaijan and Ardebil provinces. Blood lymphocytes cultured at 37ºC for 72 hours in the presence of phytohemagglutinin and the metaphase spreads were performed on microscopic slide. Giemsa was used to stain chromosomes. The Mazani and Azeri Buffalo exhibited the same karyotype with diploid number of 2n = 50. The fundamental numbers (NF) were 60 in male and female. The types of chromosome were 6 submetacentric, 4 metacentric and 40 telocentric which the X chromosome is the largest telocentric and the Y chromosome is one of the smallest telocentric chromosomes. The relative length of chromosomes ranged between 2.17% to 7.2% in Mazani buffalo, and also 2.21% to 6.55% in Azeri buffalo. No obvious abnormality was found among chromosomes. Therefore, based on the identified karyotype both Mazani and Azeri buffaloes are riverine.

Benign tumors in liver are rare and appear not to have been previously reported in camel (Camelus dromedarius). This study describes histopathologic characteristics of lipoma, cavernous hemangioma and leiomyoma in the liver of dromedary camels. Seventy livers of dromedary camels which were slaughtered for human consumption were collected from July to November 2011 from the north east of Iran and they had macroscopic lesions and all of them were studied histopathologically. Microscopic examination revealed different metaplastic and neoplastic lesions in the liver of the camels. Lipoma (with multiple large vacuolated cells), cavernous hemangioma (with large lakes filled with oval erythrocytes) and leiomyoma (with homogenous intense eosinophilic spindle cells) were diagnosed as benign tumors. The relatively high occurrence of these mesenchymal neoplastic lesions may be due to some metabolic imbalances and some toxicosis in dromedary camels which live in the deserts. Also, metaplastic changes are the causes of lipoma. According to the literature, this is the first report of hepatic cavernous hemangioma and leiomyoma in camels (Camelus dromedarius).

Poultry nutrition or inappropriate treatments by antibiotics can lead to production of eggs with antibiotic residues. The aim of the present study is to assess the prevalence of drug residues in eggs presented in Kermanshah, Iran. For this purpose, 120 eggs with the average weight of 60 grams were collected randomly from the supermarkets in Kermanshah and later were tested for antibiotic residues using the Four- Plate Test (FPT) method. The results showed that 3.3% of the tested eggs had antibiotic residues. The main residues in egg yolk was due to tetracycline. Aminoglycosides were also detected as minor contaminants. Accordingly, antibiotic residues in eggs presented in Kermanshah are a threat for human consumption and therefore strong supervision of the authorities is essential.

The fowl blood sucking tick "Argas persicus" is of great medical and veterinary importance in tropical and subtropical regions because of its role as the vector of certain parasitic bacterial and viral pathogens. In this study, the pathological changes of its bite on the poultry skin have been investigated. Twenty two (12 infested with adults and 10 infested with nymphs) Ross broilers (308) were infested with the tick on the skin of hock joints. Other side healthy legs were used as control. Samples were collected after 6, 24, 48 and 96 hours and 1 or 2 weeks. The skin samples were fixed at 10% buffered formalin and histological sections were prepared using routine Haematoxylin and Eosin staining method. The results showed subcutaneous oedema, massive infiltration of lymphocytes, extensive hemorrhage, feather follicle oedema. Necrosis and epidermal hyperplasia are the prominent lesions in this study. It is concluded that the chicken infestation with Argas persicus caused cutaneous and subcutaneous lesions. Therefore, it can be considered as a cause of economic loss.

Electrocardiographic (ECG) parameters and cardiac rhythms have been evaluated and published in different breeds of beef and dairy cattle but there is limited information regarding these parameters in healthy sheep. This study is aimed to investigate the ECG parameters in Balouchi sheep. The ECG parameters including the amplitudes of P, Q, R, S and T waves, duration of P, QRS and T waves and P-R, Q-T and R-R intervals were evaluated in 44 male and female clinically healthy Balouchi sheep in standard and augmented limb leads (I, II, III, AVR, AVL, and AVF) and base-apex lead. The mean heart rate was 89.6 beats/minute which had a significant correlation with age (r=-0.269, p=0.014). Different configurations of P-wave, QRS complex and T wave were observed in different ECG leads. It was found that age and gender affects some ECG parameters. In some leads, rams had significantly higher amplitudes of P, Q, R, S and T waves and longer duration of PRR interval than ewes. Also in some leads, the amplitudes of P, R and S waves were significantly higher and the duration of QRS complex was shorter in sheep less than one year old than sheep with age three years or older. The most common cardiac dysrhythmia observed on the ECG traces was Sinus arrhythmia. Sheep with this dysrhythmia had a significantly lower heart rate (p

Monocephalus thoracopagus is a kind of attached symmetrical twin in which two nearly complete individuals joined front-to-front in the thoracic region with a single head, fused chests, one or two hearts and two lower bodies. A died female kid goat with one head, four ears, four paired limbs and two more or less complete body was referred to the Veterinary Faculty of the Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman. Detailed dissection was done on it and the progress of the duplication process of the internal organs was studied precisely. In the presented case, the way of the articulation of the ribs to the sterna and the progress of the duplication process in the alimentary canal can support the Spencer's spherical theory, saying that “a group of conjoined twins resulting from the union of two embryonic discs (or incomplete fission in one disc) over a common yolk sac”.