BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress is believed to be one of the major causes of tissue damage in aquatic animals exposed to heavy metals. It leads to certain changes in the antioxidant and enzyme system. Given the fact that research on the effect of sub-acute toxicity of silver nitrate in shrimps is not very developed, the present study can be conducive to formulating the international standards of contamination of shrimps with silver nitrate.OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to evaluate the toxic effects of silver nitrate on the changes in the antioxidant and enzyme systems of hepatopancreas, muscle and gills of Litopenaeus vannamei.METHODS: After acclimatization of shrimps, they were exposed to silver nitrate with concentrations of 0.0084, 0.021, 0.042 and 0.063 mg/L for 21 days. At the end of the experimental period, gill, muscle and hepatopancreas were sampled, and the changes in the antioxidant system (SOD, GPx and GST) and metabolic enzymes (ALT, ALP, AST and LDH) were examined.RESULTS: There was no significant difference in terms of SOD and GST activity in the gill and muscle of the exposed shrimps (P>0.05). However, GPx in treatment 4 increased significantly in gill and muscle while it saw a decrease in hepatopancreas (P<0.05). In hepatopancreas, GST significantly increased in treatments 3 and 4 (P<0.05) whereas SOD did not show any significant changes compared with other treatments (P>0.05). The metabolic enzymes of the muscle did not show any significant differences in any of the treatments (P>0.05), but in gill, the level of ALT in treatment 4 decreased significantly while the levels of AST and LDH in treatment 3 and 4 significantly increased (P<0.05). In hepatopancreas, the activity of ALT in treatments 2 and 4, AST in treatments 3 and 4, and ALP in all treatment except treatment 1 saw significant reduction. Nevertheless, LDH in treatments 3 and 4 had a significant rise (P<0.05).CONCLUSIONS: A significant increase in GST and LDH as well as a significant decrease in GPx and ALT, AST and ALP enzymes in the hepatopancreas revealed that the antioxidant and enzyme system of shrimps is further disturbed with the rise in silver nitrate concentration in the hepatopancreas compared to the gill and muscle.

BACKGROUND: Meat is one of society's most important nutritional needs, the price of which is higher than other food groups. In recent years, the use of meat products has increased due to human lifestyle changes. Fraud in meat products occurs for various reasons, including the economic value of meat. Therefore, it is crucial to use fast and accurate methods of identifying these frauds.OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to determine the unauthorized tissue by a histological method as well as to determine the unauthorized species used in meat products of factories in Hamadan province.METHODS: In the summer of 2021, fifty samples were collected from active production units of the Hamedan province that were available in the Hamadan city market and transferred to the laboratory for histological laboratory and animal species determination by PCR test. For the histology test based on the national standard 6103, the samples were subjected to fixation, passage (dehydration, clearing, impregnation with molten paraffin), blocking, sectioning, and H&amp;E staining. PCR method was used to determine the type of animal species used in the production of the collected samples.RESULTS: The results confirmed the presence of unauthorized tissues, including bone, cartilage (articular and respiratory cartilage), skin, and glandular organ in meat products. Also, PCR test results showed that chicken meat was found in 100% of the samples labeled with beef.CONCLUSIONS: The presence of illegal tissue and the use of chicken meat in products labeled as beef meat is evident in the sausages produced in Hamadan province.

BACKGROUND: Bovine Herpes Virus-1 (BHV-1) belongs to the  Alpha herpesviral family. The virus is the cause of Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) and Bovine Abortion. In the initial infection, the virus proliferates excessively. Moreover, shedding the virus leads to conditions in the latent phase of the disease. Infectious Bovine Vulvovaginit (IPV ) is the genital form of the disease that represents a genital infection and transmits via pustules and mucopurulent secretions. Exposure to the virus in genital mucosa leads to IPV infection through mating or artificial insemination and the diseases that can be transmitted to healthy livestock by frozen sperm during artificial insemination.OBJECTIVES: Viral contamination of the semen is one of the routes to spread the disease among dairy cattle. Therefore, we investigated the presence of the virus in domestic and frozen imported semen consumed in industrial dairy cattle farms.METHODS: In the present study, 140 frozen straws were collected. After melting each straw, 200 µl of obtained semen was used for DNA extraction, which was done directly on the semen samples and via a Genome Extraction Kit. Subsequently, to ensure the accuracy of the extraction, the PCR technique was done using PRM-1 gene primer. Tracking the viral genome was done using the PCR technique and known primers.RESULTS: In total, one out of 140 samples was found to be virally contaminated, and IBR contamination was confirmed by repeating all the steps and determining the gene sequence.CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to further investigate the possibility that contamination can be transmitted via frozen semen, given that even one out of 140 samples is contaminated, and the importance of the disease.

BACKGROUND: Stenotic nares and malocclusion are common congenital disorders in the brachycephalic breeds of cats which cause respiratory and oral problems in these breeds, respectively.OBJECTIVES: In this study, the prevalence of two congenital disorders, stenotic nares, and malocclusion, the correlation among them in brachycephalic breeds of cats referred to several private veterinary clinics in Tehran were evaluated.METHODS: 90 brachycephalic cats were evaluated for stenotic nares, and malocclusion and indices was checked, then determined the prevalence percentage and correlation with the statistical data between stenotic nares and malocclusion in brachycephalic breeds of cats were referred to several private veterinary clinics in Tehran.RESULTS: Malocclusion was diagnosed in 35 cats (38.9 %), stenotic nares were detected in 31 cats (34.4 %), and two diseases were diagnosed in 17 cats (18.9 %) concurrently in 90 brachycephalic cats. According to a statistical test, the probabilities of identifying the second disease are 2.7 times higher if one of the two disorders is identified.CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of stenotic nares and malocclusion in brachycephalic cats is very high and there is a significant correlation between two disorders so clinicians should have great attention in their clinical examination of these two disorders in these breeds.

BACKGROUND: The use of additives, such as medicinal plants, may result in improved digestion and fermentation and consequently, animal production. OBJECTIVES: The present experiment was conducted to determine the most appropriate amount of Ziziphora cliniopodiodes plant to be utilized in lamb diet and its effect on digestibility, fermentation, growth performance, blood, and quality of carcass and meat. METHODS: Different amounts of Ziziphora cliniopodiodes (0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1 %) were added to diet of lambs. The best diet was selected based on gas production method and fed to male lambs with an average weight of 41 ± 2 kg in a completely randomized design with three treatments and six replications. The selected diets for feeding lambs included: control diet (Ziziphora cliniopodiodes) and control diet supplemented with 0.2 or 0.4 % Ziziphora cliniopodiodes. Feed intake, digestibility of nutrients, fattening performance, blood and rumen fermentation parameters, protozoan population, and certain meat quality indexes were measured. At the end of the experiment, the carcass traits were studied. RESULTS: The obtained results herein revealed that the potential of gas production, partitioning factor, truly degradable organic matter, dry matter intake, apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, blood urea nitrogen, and protozoa population were not affected by the experimental diets. There was a significant difference among the experimental diets for daily weight gain, the total weight gain of lambs, and microbial biomass production. The highest records belonged to the diet containing 0.2 % Ziziphora cliniopodiodes. Antioxidant characteristics, colorimetric indices, and pH of meat were not affected by the applied treatments. CONCLUSIONS: In general, according to livestock experiments, the best amount of Ziziphora cliniopodiodes to be employed was 0.2 %, which improved certain fermentative and performance traits.

BACKGROUND: Calf pneumonia is one of the most common diseases in dairy and beef herds. OBJECTIVES: To compare steroidal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as adjunctive therapy in dairy calf pneumonia. METHODS: Forty calves less than six months of age diagnosed with calf pneumonia in dairy farms of Mashhad suburb were enrolled in this study based on the University of Wisconsin Calf Respiratory Scoring Chart. In this system, calves are scored based on factors such as nasal discharge, rectal temperature, cough, eye and ear staining. Calves should not have a history of any other disease. Moreover, factors such as age, sex, and severity of the disease were considered similar in distributing calves among different groups. These calves were divided into four treatment groups; all were treated with antibiotic florfenicol. The first group received dexamethasone, while dexaphenyl, phenylbutazone, distilled water were used in other groups. After 5 days, calves were examined and scored again and blood samples were taken. Complete blood count (CBC), fibrinogen, total protein, hapto-globulin and albumin measurements on blood samples before and after treatment were done. Repeated measurement ANOVA and Paired t-test were used for statistical analysis with the significance level of 0.05. RESULTS: The results showed that the degree of health, heart and respiratory rate, fibrinogen and total protein, Lymphocyte, N/L, TP-Fib/Fib ratio, MCV and MCHC significantly changed during the two sampling periods (p < /em>˂0.05), but there was no significant difference between the treatment groups (p < /em>˃0.05). Only the PCV factor and TP-Fib/Fib ratio was significant between groups (p < /em>˂0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that in the treatment regimen of dairy calf pneumonia, the use of an anti-inflammatory drug, along with antibiotics and antibiotic treatment alone are not significantly different.

BACKGROUND: Backyard poultry are at risk of exposure to various viral contagious diseases such as Newcastle (ND) and Avian Influenza (AI). These diseases, in addition to the backyard poultry infection have an influence on villagers’ livelihoods. Also, backyard poultry plays an important role in circulation and survival of these viruses in environment and are considered as a risk factor for the poultry industry. OBJECTIVES: Studying the prevalence level of ND and Influenza H9N2 diseases in backyard chickens in Iran, in 2014-2015. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted for two years (2014-2015) in backyard chickens with mortalities suspected of infection with ND or AI H9N2 viruses. Each mortality report was considered as one outbreak. For detection of possible ND or influenza virus infection tracheal and lung tissue samples were investigated by RT-PCR reaction test. Results were analyzed statistically by SPSS software. RESULTS: Overall, 121 outbreaks of Newcastle or influenza (H9N2) disease with 25.936 cases of death from 17 provinces were reported in two years. of  these, 54 outbreaks (44/6 %) were caused by H9N2 influenza virus, 58 (47/9 %) by velogenic ND virus and 9 (7/4 %) outbreaks were caused by influenza and Newcastle concurrent infection. Hotspot ratio in 2015 was significantly higher than in 2014. In comparison with Newcastle disease alone or concurrent ND and influenza outbreaks, the highest mean mortality rate was observed in H9N2 outbreaks. Outbreaks were reported in all seasons but the rate of occurrence in the months of June and July was significantly higher than the rest of the year. CONCLUSIONS: According to our results ND and H9N2 influenza virus infections are widely distributed in backyard chickens of villages in Iran. So, for implementation of control strategies, education of villagers, vaccination and annual surveillance of backyard poultry seem necessary.

BACKGROUND: There have been many reports on spinal cord injuries in humans and animals, which is  a major medical and veterinary concern; therefore, the present research project was carried out to devise an appropriate treatment approach. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study was to apply the modified Allen’s test and Royan Impactor Devicein order to 1) induce spinal cord injury on rhesus monkeys and 2) gain the ultimate confirmation by clinical examinations and MR imaging for application in human and veterinary medicine. METHODS: Royan Impactor Device  was used to induce spinal cord injury on rhesus monkeys. Five rhesus monkeys were anesthetized with ketamine, xylazine, and isoflurane. Laminectomy  was done at the level of T9-T10, and a 50 g weight was then dropped from a 12 cm height through a guide tube onto a 10 mm2 impact plate on the exposed spinal cord. RESULTS: The results of the present study showed signal changes with decreasing the trend in the T2W of spinal cord in sagittal and axial areas due to hematoma, inflammation, pressure on spinal cord, and tissue destruction after spinal cord injury. In the clinical examination of all samples, spinal cord shock symptoms, marked by bladder distention, disappeared 3-5 days post spinal cord injury. Not all measurable factors related to the severity of the injury  were restored to the normal condition until the end of the study although their severities were reduced to some extend. CONCLUSIONS: Modified Allen’s test and the instrument that we designed for this study were able to satisfy the needs of the researchers in treating the spinal cord injury.

BACKGROUND: Various flea species have already been reported from dogs, among which the most important ones include Ct. felis, Ct. canis, and P. irritans. Fleas can cause annoyance in dogs and human and transmit a variety of bacterial, fungal, and viral agents to the host. In addition, they could function as an intermediate host of Dipylidium caninum and Hymenolepis diminuta.  OBJECTIVES: Due to the lack of molecular species-associated identification data, we conducted the current study to differentiate Ct. felis and Ct. canis with molecular assay. METHODS: In the present study, 605 fleas were primarily collected from the dogs referred to Tehran Veterinary Faculty hospital. Subsequently, the flea species were identified under a microscope with morphological keys. Afterwards, COX1 genes of Ct. felis and Ct. canis were amplified via PCR and the locus was finally compared utilizing RFLP and sequencing. RESULTS: Totally, 605 fleas were isolated from 20 dogs. In morphological studies, three species were identified: Ctenocephalides felis, Ctenocephalides canis, Pulex irritans. Pulex irritans had the highest frequency (61.8 %). In molecular study, 552 bp fragment of COX1 gene in two species was amplified and seen on agarose gel. After sequencing, it was seen that two species sequences in COX1 locus had a similarity of 99 % and all of them depended on Ct. canis. In PCR-RFLP, in which Taq1 enzyme was used for differentiation of two species, the same result was obtained. CONCLUSIONS: Even though these two species of dog flea are distinct morphologically, their molecular differentiation using COX1 genes was not successful.

BACKGROUND: Toxocaiasis is an important zoonotic disease caused by the second stage larvae of Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati. Toxocariasis is the most common worm infection in several temperate countries and causes severe complications. C-type lectin is one of the larval stage products of this parasite. It is involved in immune responses, including cellular signals in vertebrate immunity, activation of innate immunity in vertebrates and non-vertebrates, and induction of homeostasis.  OBJECTIVES: The current research aimed to optimize the production of recombinant C-type lectin of Toxocara canis and investigate its antigenic properties. METHODS: Reference nucleotide sequence of lectin type C (CTL) of Toxocara canis (T. canis) was extracted from Genbank. Recombinant Plasmid, pET32a, including the desired sequence was then constructed by GENERAY. The recombinant plasmid was transformed to Escherichia coli strain BL21 (DE3). The expression of the recombinant protein was investigated using SDS-PAGE and dot blot methods and approved with human T. canis positive serum. RESULTS: The findings of the present study showed that optimization and high level production of recombinant protein expression was achieved by selecting Escherichia coli (BL21 (DE3), 37 °C temperature for 4 hours after induction and 1 mM IPTG concentration. After optimization, the recombinant protein was obtained at a concentration of 1160±0.6 µg/mL. The molecular weight of the resulting recombinant protein was 42 kDa. Recombinant plasmid passage in Escherichia coli DH5α strain caused a significant increase in recombinant protein expression. The results of condition optimization evaluation, with SDS-PAGE and Dot blot methods, showed that the highest production of recombinant C type lectin protein of T. canis was obtained under optimized conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, to produce reasonable amounts of specific C-type lectin recombinant protein, further studies are needed to evaluate its immunogenicity and protection against Toxocara canis infection.