Veterinary Research Communications最新文献

A free-ranging adult male jaguarundi (Puma yagouaroundi) was referred to a wildlife rehabilitation center after sustaining blunt trauma caused by a vehicle collision and died one month later. Following death due to trauma-related complications, a targeted post-mortem examination focused on the reproductive system and laboratory analyses were conducted to evaluate potential reproductive abnormalities. Macroscopic examination of the testis revealed no external alterations. However, histopathological evaluation confirmed moderate bilateral testicular degeneration, characterized by reduced seminiferous tubule diameter and epithelial height, vacuolization, germ cell loss, and premature shedding of immature cells into the lumen and epididymis. Approximately 70% of tubules were atrophic, although some retained limited spermatogenic activity. Epididymal sperm analysis revealed poor motility, reduced viability, and impaired plasma and acrosomal membrane integrity, along with a high proportion of morphological abnormalities. These findings were consistent with impaired spermatogenesis and functional compromise. No inflammatory infiltrates were observed, supporting a non-inflammatory, likely trauma-related etiology. To our knowledge, this is the first report documenting testicular degeneration in P. yagouaroundi. These findings contribute to understanding reproductive pathology in wild felids and underscore the importance of routine reproductive assessment in conservation efforts.

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), caused by the PRRS virus (PRRSV), is a prevalent swine pathogen that results in reproductive and respiratory issues. The non-structural protein 4 (NSP4) of PRRSV is a 3C-like serine enzyme with a vital triad (His39-Asp64-Ser118), which is crucial for cleaving viral polyproteins pp1a and pp1ab to yield operational non-structural proteins (NSP3-NSP12). In addition to its role in viral replication, NSP4 suppresses interferon production and triggers host cellular apoptosis, thereby facilitating immune evasion and disease progression. This review provides insights into the structure and function of NSP4, which provide perspectives for enhancing PRRS management strategies and formulating more potent vaccines.

This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with different levels of Spirulina platensis (SP) on laying performance, immune response, serum fatty acid profile of laying hens and SP's in vitro antioxidant capacity. About 160 hens were assigned to four dietary treatments: control (0) and SP-supplemented diets (1.5, 3, and 4.5 g/kg diet). Supplementation with SP showed notable, significant positive effects on laying rate (92.9-94.5%), egg weight (62.2-67.1 g), egg mass, yolk color, shell quality traits, and feed conversion ratio compared to the control group (P < 0.05). SP supplementation also enhanced the humoral immune response, as shown by increased Newcastle disease antibody titers, particularly at 1.5 and 3 g/kg during the first 60 days. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of serum fatty acid profile revealed a dose- and time-dependent increase in beneficial unsaturated fatty acids and a marked reduction in cholesterol levels in SP-fed hens. In vitro evaluations showed that SP extract had potent antioxidant activity with 2, 2-azino-bis-3 ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity comparable to vitamins C and E, particularly at high concentrations (3 and 4.5 g/kg). These results highlight the promising potential of Spirulina platensis as a functional, natural feed additive to improve the laying performance, egg quality, immune response, yolk fat and provide potent antioxidant protection in poultry production systems.

Background: Inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) and Newcastle disease (ND) impose substantial economic burdens on global poultry production, with combined annual losses exceeding $3 billion worldwide. Current vaccination strategies requiring separate immunizations increase handling stress and operational costs.

Objective: To evaluate immunogenicity, cross-neutralization patterns, protective efficacy against virulent challenge, maternal antibody transfer, and commercial field performance of a novel multivalent inactivated vaccine containing fowl adenovirus (FAdV) serotypes 2, 8a, 8b, and 11 combined with Newcastle disease virus (NDV).

Methods: Two randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled trials were conducted: SPF trial (n = 200, Egypt) and commercial field trial (n = 120,000, Saudi Arabia). The multivalent vaccine contained inactivated FAdV serotypes 2, 8a, 8b, and 11 plus NDV strains, administered at 10 and 16 weeks of age with 24-week monitoring.

Results: Vaccination induced robust antibody responses with FAdV ELISA geometric mean titers (GMT) reaching 22,847 (95% CI: 18,245 - 28,589) at weeks 4-6 post-primary vaccination, with peak anamnestic response of 28,945 (95% CI: 23,186 - 36,115) at week 8 following booster (p < 0.001) and NDV hemagglutination inhibition titers of 9.8 log₂ (95% CI: 8.4-11.4) (p < 0.001). Challenge studies demonstrated 96.7% protection against FAdV-2 (species D) (29/30 vaccinated vs. 6/30 controls; Fisher's exact p < 0.0001) and 100% protection against NDV (30/30 vs. 0/30). Maternal antibody transfer efficiency was 68.6% for IBH and 81.7% for NDV, with half-lives of 4.2 and 4.8 days respectively, providing 24-28 days and 21-24 days protection in progeny. Commercial field trial (120,000 birds) demonstrated 94.2% reduction in IBH mortality with 3.47:1 return on investment.

Conclusions: The multivalent IBH-NDV vaccine provides comprehensive immunological protection and consistent field efficacy. Although the cross-neutralization assay included representative serotypes, broader testing across additional field isolates is warranted to further define cross-protective breadth. Cross-neutralization analysis confirms the necessity of multivalent formulations due to type-specific immunity patterns, supporting implementation for integrated disease control in commercial broiler operations. This study provides a detailed evaluation of a quadrivalent FAdV-NDV inactivated vaccine demonstrating efficient maternal antibody transfer in broiler breeders.

This review critically evaluates recent advances in understanding the adverse effects of thermal pollution on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), focusing on the integrated roles of heat shock proteins (HSPs) and acute-phase proteins (APPs) in stress adaptation. The primary objective is to clarify mechanistic pathways through which temperature elevation and fluctuations, often driven by anthropogenic activities, disrupt homeostasis and trigger molecular and systemic stress responses in this cold-water species. The review synthesizes experimental and field findings to outline how distinct thermal stressors influence the expression, induction and functional modulation of HSPs and APPs, which act as biomarkers and mediators of resilience through protein folding, oxidative balance, immune signaling and survival mechanisms. Major topics include: (i) characterization of HSP families (e.g., HSP70, HSP90) in thermal responses; (ii) APP-mediated inflammation and immune modulation and (iii) molecular networks linking heat shock signaling to physiological outcomes such as altered growth and reproduction. Although considerable progress has been made, variability across study conditions restricts generalization. Future research should focus on (i) defining the specific functional roles and cross-talk of small HSPs (sHSPs) under chronic stress, (ii) investigating epigenetic mechanisms underlying intergenerational thermotolerance and (iii) applying integrated multi-omics approaches to map regulatory interactions between HSPs, APPs and overall stress physiology under climate-driven warming. These efforts will guide strategies to strengthen thermal resilience and welfare in aquaculture and conservation.