Journal of Veterinary Science最新文献

Importance: Thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) is a vital glycoprotein that plays a key role in critical biological functions, including cell migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and proliferation. Understanding the roles of its variants, particularly TSP1 variant (TSP1V), is critical for cancer biology and therapy.

Objective: This study examined the expression of the transcriptional variant TSP1V, focusing on canine TSP1 sequences.

Methods: The expression of canine TSP1 sequences was analyzed using a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to identify the TSP1 wild-type (dTSP1W) and novel canine TSP1V transcripts (dTSP1V). The effects of damnacanthal and genistein, anticancer compounds, on the viability of canine mammary and osteosarcoma cell lines were assessed by modulating the expression ratios of TSP1V to TSP1W at the transcriptional level. RT-PCR analysis compared the relative dTSP1V and dTSP1W concentrations in normal and tumor canine mammary tissues.

Results: Two dTSP1V were identified. Treatment with damnacanthal and genistein decreased cell proliferation in canine mammary and osteosarcoma cell lines, associated with changes in the TSP1V to TSP1W expression ratio. RT-PCR analysis revealed increased dTSP1V expression in normal tissues, while dTSP1W expression was elevated in tumor tissues.

Conclusions and relevance: TSP1V may be a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for mammary tumors and osteosarcoma in dogs. The differential expression of dTSP1V and dTSP1W in normal versus tumor tissues underscores the importance of TSPIV in cancer biology, expanding the understanding of its role beyond human thyroid cancer and laying the groundwork for future research in other cancers and species.

Importance: Terpenoids of a plant origin are a class of alternatives to chemical acaricides for tick control. Despite this, few studies have evaluated the efficacy of terpenoid-containing herbal extracts or individual terpenoids in Hyalomma anatolicum.

Objective: This study evaluated the killing efficacy of terpinolene and γ-terpinene against H. anatolicum to identify herbs rich in these compounds as potential candidates for future materials in the control of H. anatolicum.

Methods: Terpinolene and γ-terpinene were subjected to adult tick immersion experiments to evaluate their killing effect on H. anatolicum, following their identification post-collection. The herbs were screened for the two terpenoids using the HERB database, and the resulting data were categorized and analyzed.

Results: The acaricidal effect of terpinolene and γ-terpinene against H. anatolicum showed a clear dose-response relationship, with effective doses LC₅₀ of 6.60 mg/mL and 4.86 mg/mL, respectively. In silico analysis revealed the presence of terpinolene and γ-terpinene in 52 and 36 herbs, respectively, with 16 herbs containing both compounds. These herbs could be grouped into 35 plant families. In particular, Lamiaceae and Apiaceae emerged as the most represented families, each accounting for 9.23% of the total herbs identified, followed by Zingiberaceae (7.69%) and Asteraceae and Rutaceae (6.15% each).

Conclusions and relevance: Terpinolene and γ-terpinolene have good killing effects against H. anatolicum. Herbs rich in the two terpenoids are promising candidates as plant-derived materials for managing H. anatolicum.

Importance: Chemokines and their receptors play integral roles in carcinogenesis. CXC motif chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) in T cells mediates anti-tumor effects, whereas CXCR3 in malignant cells promotes proliferation and metastasis. Although the role of CXCR3 has been well-documented in human cancers, including breast cancer, its function in canine tumors remains largely unexplored.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of CXCR3 and its ligand interaction in canine mammary gland tumor (cMGT) cells.

Methods: CXCR3 expression in two cMGT cell lines, CIPp and CIPm, was evaluated using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and flow cytometry. CXC motif chemokine ligand 10 (CXCL10)-induced changes in CXCR3 protein expression in cMGT cells were assessed using membrane fractionation assays. Cell proliferation and migration in response to CXCL10 treatment were analyzed using Cell Counting Kit-8 and wound-healing assays, respectively. Additionally, the downstream molecular mechanisms of the CXCL10/CXCR3 axis were examined.

Results: CXCR3 expression was significantly higher in CIPm than in CIPp cells. In both the cMGT cell lines, CXCL10 treatment reduced CXCR3 expression on the cell membrane in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The CXCR10/CXCR3 axis promoted cell proliferation and migration in cMGT cells. CXCL10/CXCR3 interaction upregulated the phosphorylation of AKT1 and ERK.

Conclusions and relevance: This study demonstrates that the CXCL10/CXCR3 axis may contribute to the pathogenesis of cMGTs by promoting tumor cell proliferation and migration. CXCR3 signaling represents a potential therapeutic target for cMGTs.

Importance: Although antibiotics can prevent and treat diseases, their overuse can be harmful. Despite this, the effects of orally administered florfenicol on intestinal health in broilers are unclear.

Objective: This study examined oral florfenicol's effects on intestinal function in broilers to guide its clinical use.

Methods: One hundred and twenty Arbor Acres broilers (8-d-old) were divided randomly into the control (N) and florfenicol groups (F). The broilers in group F were fed 100 mg/kg body weight florfenicol for seven days. On day 15, the broilers were euthanized and sampled to analyze fluid metabolism-related genes and proteins, jejunal morphological and microbiota.

Results: The results revealed a decrease in body weight and an increase in diarrhea rate in broilers in group F compared to group N. The villus length and villus length/crypt depth (V/C) of the jejunum were lower in group F than in group N, whereas the crypt depth was higher. The levels of tumor necrosis factor α, Toll-like receptor 4, lipopolysaccharide, nuclear factor kappa-B, interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-10 in group F were higher in group F than in group N, whereas the levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and aquaporins (AQP) 4 and AQP5 were lower. Proteobacteria were more abundant in group F than in group N, whereas Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria were less abundant.

Conclusions and relevance: Oral florfenicol might adversely affect the intestinal mucosa, intestinal mucosal immune system, intestinal microbiota balance, and water metabolism in broilers. This study provides a theoretical basis for the rational use of florfenicol.

Importance: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is a major pathogen responsible for the porcine circovirus-associated disease, causing significant economic losses in the swine industry worldwide. PCV2d has become the dominant, following a sequential shift from the previously predominant PCV2a and PCV2b genotypes. Although an effective vaccine based on virus-like particles (VLPs) of recombinant PCV2d-based capsid protein has been developed, intramuscular inoculation of the vaccine still induces a wide variety of side effects. In contrast, intradermal vaccination offers benefits, including enhanced immune activation due to the abundance of dendritic cells in the dermal layer, while also reducing side effects.

Objective: Developing a novel vaccine combined with a needle-free inoculation technique is required to elicit protection against PCV2d infection with fewer side effects and higher effectiveness. This study aimed to develop a VLP-based vaccine targeting PCV2d and assess its efficacy when administered intradermally using a needle-free system.

Methods: To optimize the intradermal vaccine formulation, we evaluated humoral immunity and neutralizing activity following intradermal administration of test vaccines prepared with varying adjuvant types, adjuvant ratios, and antigen doses.

Results: IMS1313 adjuvant provided the best induction of total IgG and neutralizing antibody titers. A dose-dependent evaluation indicated that 20 μg of antigen combined with 40% IMS1313 achieved optimal immune responses. Compared to intramuscular injection, intradermal injection using this formulation induced 1.3-fold higher neutralizing antibody titers, demonstrating higher efficacy.

Conclusions and relevance: Intradermal vaccination using a PCV2d VLP-based vaccine improves immunogenicity and cost-effectiveness, providing a promising strategy for controlling PCV2d infections in swine.

Importance: Research on tissue preservation, including cortical bone, skin, nerves, and vessels in glycerol and cortical bone in honey, has shown positive results. On the other hand, relatively few studies have been performed on fascia preservation, and comparisons between different fascia preservation methods remain scarce.

Objective: This in vitro study compared the biomechanical properties of five different methods of preserving fascia lata.

Methods: The control group underwent biomechanical testing immediately after decellularization, while the other five groups were stored in glycerol, honey, deep freezer, lyophilizer, and liquid nitrogen for 30 days. The ultimate load, elongation at failure, and stiffness for each group were determined from a load-elongation curve.

Results: A comparison of the ultimate load showed that the control group had the highest value, followed by the glycerol group. The glycerol group was the only group that did not show a significant difference from the control group, while all the other groups showed a significantly lower ultimate load. A comparison of elongation at failure revealed the glycerol group to have the highest value at failure among all groups and was significantly higher than the deep freeze, honey, and cryopreservation groups.

Conclusions and relevance: Glycerol can be used as an effective method for preserving fascia allografts because the resulting allografts show a similar ultimate load to the control group and the highest mean elongation at failure.

Importance: The Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a massive threat to the pig-raising industry and attenuated-live vaccines are used widely to prevent JEV infections. Primary hamster kidney cells and Vero cells are mainly used to propagate JEV-attenuated vaccines.

Objective: This study aimed to construct porcine mesangial cells (PMCs) for JEV cultivation and study its characteristics.

Methods: An immunofluorescence assay was used to analyze the homogeneity of PMCs. Karyotypic analysis and flow cytometry were used to detect the cell chromosome numbers and cell cycle, respectively. TCID₅₀ was used to measure the viral titers.

Results: The prepared PMCs were uniform in shape and without variation in chromosome numbers. The PMCs exhibit strong division and proliferation ability, and the JEV could replicate efficiently, having a similar cytopathic effect to that in Vero cells. The viral titer results showed that the JEV grows faster in PMCs than in Vero cells.

Conclusions and relevance: This study generated an immortalized PMC cell line suitable for cultivating the JEV, which has significance for producing pig JEV-attenuated vaccines.

Importance: Pseudorabies (PR) is a significant disease that adversely affects the healthy growth of the pig industry in China. However, data on molecular epidemiology and genetic characterization of PRV is sparse.

Objective: This study examined the epidemic trends and variation characteristics of the PR virus (PRV) in Henan Province of China.

Methods: Six hundred eighty-eight clinically infected pig tissue samples were collected from 18 cities in Henan Province from January 2021 to March 2023 and tested for the PRV. The PRV was isolated from positive samples and identified by a polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence assay. The gB, gC, gD, and gE genes of the isolates were then amplified and sequenced for phylogenetic analysis. The gC and gE gene sequences of the isolates in this study were deduced to the respective amino acids for sequence analysis. Selected isolates were evaluated for pathogenicity in KM mice.

Results: The positive rate of PRV nucleic acid was 7.99% (55/688) in Henan Province, China. This study isolated eight PRV strains, all of which were genotype II variants. Seven isolates displayed unique amino acid mutations in the gC or gE proteins. The isolates of G22, HN4, QX, and QX2 can cause acute neurological symptoms in KM mice, with 50% lethal dose values of 10^4.2, 10^4.5, 10^5.2, and 10^4.8 50% tissue culture infectious doses, respectively.

Conclusions and relevance: This study revealed a high prevalence of the PRV in Henan Province, with genotype II variants being the predominant strains. These findings provide essential data for the prevention and control of the PRV.

Importance: Ticks transmit severe human and animal diseases, posing global health and economic risks. Haemaphysalis longicornis spreads infections like Rickettsia, Theileria, and Anaplasma, exacerbating concerns. Conventional tick control, including chemical acaricides, faces challenges like toxicity, non-target effects, and resistance. Innovative, sustainable strategies are essential. Advances in tick antigen research have identified molecular targets, paving the way for anti-tick vaccines as a promising, eco-friendly alternative to manage H. longicornis infestations and reduce tick-borne disease transmission. This review explores recent discoveries in tick antigens, the development of recombinant proteins, and their knockdown effects on H. longicornis infestations.

Observations: Several novel antigens target essential physiological processes for tick survival. Reproductive and developmental antigens, such as subolesin and subolesin+cystatin, regulate immunity and reproduction, reducing blood feeding, oviposition, egg mass, and hatching rates. Knockdown of recombinant P27/30 impairs embryogenesis, significantly reducing larval survival. Chitinase inhibition disrupts molting, impairing nymph development. Metabolic enzymes like enolase and GSK-3β regulate homeostasis and energy production; their inhibition reduces feeding efficiency and survivability. Additionally, ribosomal protein S27 and troponin I-like protein, essential for protein synthesis and muscle contraction, respectively, impact tick growth and mobility. These antigens may serve as valuable vaccine targets for controlling H. longicornis.

Conclusions and relevance: Anti-tick vaccines offer a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to chemical controls. Advances in transcriptomics, genomics, and proteomics have identified promising antigens, with subolesin, chitinase, troponin I-like protein, GSK-3β, and enolase demonstrating strong potential. Enolase, affecting immunity, reproduction, and pathogen transmission, emerges as the most effective target for reducing H. longicornis infestations.

Importance: Species of the genus Corynosoma are acanthocephalan parasites widely distributed among fish-eating mammals and birds. However, their occurrence in pinnipeds within Korean waters has been rarely documented. Previously, only a single case involving C. strumosum in a spotted seal has been reported. Clarifying the presence and distribution of Corynosoma in Korean waters is essential for improving regional parasite surveillance and assessing related ecological and zoonotic risks.

Objective: The northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) inhabits the North Pacific and occasionally reaches Korean waters during its nonbreeding season. Despite this migratory presence, no acanthocephalan infections have been reported in this host in Korea. This study sought to fill that gap by examining a bycaught northern fur seal for intestinal parasites and characterizing the recovered acanthocephalans.

Methods: In 2013, a dead northern fur seal was recovered off Goseong-gun, East Sea, Korea. Acanthocephalans collected from the small intestine were examined using light microscopy, histology, and scanning electron microscopy. Morphological features were compared with existing descriptions.

Results: Twenty-two specimens (3 males, 19 females) were identified as Corynosoma spp., exhibiting sexual dimorphism and typical proboscis hook arrangements (16-20 rows, 8-11 hooks/row). Genital spines were present only in males. Morphological similarities with C. strumosum, C. simile, and C. magdaleni were noted, but species-level identification was inconclusive due to overlapping traits and lack of genetic data.

Conclusions and relevance: This first report of Corynosoma from a northern fur seal in Korea expands the known host and geographic range of the genus. The findings highlight the need for further morphological and molecular studies to better understand parasite diversity and potential zoonotic risks in Korean marine ecosystems.