Veterinary Quarterly最新文献

Timely diagnosis is essential for managing feline panleukopenia (FPL), a devastating disease of cats caused by feline parvovirus (FPV) or canine parvovirus variants (CPV-2a, -2b, -2c). To support swift clinical decisions, point-of-care (PoC) antigen kits offer frontline tools. Given their cost and availability advantages, CPV-specific kits are often used off-label in cats; however, their interchangeability with manufacturer-matched FPV-specific kits remains unverified. This study assessed the diagnostic agreement between paired canine- and feline-specific PoC parvovirus antigen tests from two manufacturers. Fifty cats (30 with acute gastroenteritis, 20 healthy) were tested using all test formats. All cats underwent PCR and sequencing for parvovirus typing. Tests from the same manufacturer showed near-perfect or perfect agreement for result interpretation (Cohen's κ: 0.919 and 1.000). This strong inter-kit concordance also extended to test line intensity (κ = 0.908 and 1.000). Antigen-positive results were limited to diseased cats, mirroring the distribution of PCR positives. The latter included all the 30 cases, and were typed by sequencing as follows: 28 FPV, 1 CPV-2a, and 1 CPV-2c. All kit types detected FPV and CPV variants, and agreement within each manufacturer's paired kits was consistent across detected viral types. This preliminary evidence suggests that for two manufacturers, CPV antigen tests were non-inferior to their FPV counterparts, supporting flexible, cost-effective FPL diagnosis in cats, regardless of implicated parvovirus types.

Canine mammary tumor is the most common tumor in intact female dogs and poses a growing health burden due to its high malignancy rate and increasing canine populations. However, research on sarcomatous subtypes has been hindered by a lack of representative cell lines. Here, we successfully established a novel canine mammary liposarcoma cell line, designated CMLPS-N1, which represents the first such model derived from a spontaneous tumor. This cell line has been stably maintained for over 80 passages and exhibits an abnormal karyotype, high proliferative and migratory capacity, and strong tumorigenicity in mouse xenografts. Molecular profiling confirmed a phenotype consistent with liposarcoma (MDM2+) and mesenchymal origin (Vimentin+/N-cadherin+), alongside high-risk markers (p53+/Ki67+/Notch1), and hormone receptor expression (ER/PR), while being negative for epithelial (PCK) and HER-2 markers. We used functional assays, including cell proliferation, colony formation, wound healing, and transwell invasion, to confirm its aggressive phenotype. Furthermore, cytotoxicity testing with four chemotherapy agents further supports its utility as a preclinical model for therapeutic screening and mechanistic research. The establishment of CMLPS-N1 enriches the canine mammary tumor cell line repository and provides a valuable experimental model for studying disease mechanisms, developing therapies, and facilitating translational applications.

Cushing's syndrome (CS) is a common endocrine disorder in dogs that can significantly impair their quality of life. Diagnosis is often challenging because of its variable clinical presentation, making it difficult to identify suitable candidates for further diagnostic tests. This study employed machine learning algorithms to assist in CS diagnosis using routinely available screening diagnostics, including complete blood count, serum chemistry panel, and urinalysis parameters such as urine specific gravity and urine protein-to-creatinine ratio. Data were collected from 153 control dogs initially suspected of CS but later excluded and 152 dogs with confirmed CS. A boosted tree algorithm (gradient boosting) was trained on 80% of the collected data, with the remaining 20% reserved for testing. The developed model demonstrated an accuracy of 88.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): 80.5-96.5%], a sensitivity of 83.3% (95% CI: 70.7-96.7%), a specificity of 93.5% (95% CI: 84.9-100%), and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.912 (95% CI: 0.835-0.988), indicating excellent discriminatory ability. A user-friendly graphical interface was also developed to facilitate clinical implementation, potentially improving diagnostic efficiency and owner satisfaction.

Bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) is the causative agent of infectious bovine rhinotracheitis and reproductive disorders causing significant economic losses in the cattle industry. Both BoHV-1 glycoproteins B (gB) and D (gD) are targets of neutralizing antibodies and desirable antigens for subunit vaccine. In this study, a bivalent subunit vaccine was generated based on the ectodomain of gD and gB expressed by baculoviruses system. Compared with the inactivated vaccine, the bivalent subunit vaccine induced higher neutralizing antibody levels against both the BoHV-1 reference strain and the virulent BoHV-1 field strain. Following intranasally challenge with BoHV-1 J2303, the clinical signs and virus excretion were significantly reduced in rabbits vaccinated with this subunit vaccine whereas severe clinical symptoms appeared in the non-vaccinated rabbits, indicating that the bivalent subunit vaccine provides complete protection against virulent BoHV-1 infection. Considering that the respiratory symptoms caused by J2303 in rabbits is highly similar and even identical to those of cattle, our findings suggest that the bivalent subunit vaccine based on combination of gD with gB protein have promising application to BoHV-1control programs.

Salmonella enterica subsp. Salmonella Pullorum is a concerned pathogenic microorganism that poses a serious threat to the global poultry industry due to high mortality in chicken. Acquired immunity is considered the most effective means to prevent and control Salmonella pullorum. However, safe and effective vaccines are still lacking worldwide. In this study, Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used as a chassis to design an oral vaccine for pullorum by displaying Salmonella fimbriae and outer membrane proteins on its surface. The results demonstrated that the engineered yeast EY-01 exhibited strong antigenicity as identification and capture by specific antibodies. In addition, oral administration of EY-01 significantly stimulated a 1.4- to 2.7-fold increase in antibody (IgG/A) and immune factors levels (IL-1β/2/4, IFN-γ) in chicks without affecting the growth performance. The ratios of CD4⁺/CD3⁺ and CD8⁺/CD3⁺ T cell subsets in peripheral blood were significantly increased by 2.1-fold. Importantly, 37.5% of chicks were protected from challenge with Salmonella pullorum after oral administration of EY-01. And the Salmonella load in various tissues, especially muscle, was significantly reduced by 7.2%-22.4%. Collectively, EY-01 is a safe and effective oral vaccine to against Salmonella infection in chicks and such surface display-based vaccine is potential to be used for decreasing the poultry diseases.

Uterine luminal fluid influences embryonic development and the subsequent phenotype of offspring, yet its detailed metabolomic composition remains poorly characterized. Here, minimally invasive transcervical techniques were employed to collect neat uterine fluid from postpartum dairy cows and cyclic beef cows to allow for metabolomic profiling via targeted mass spectrometry. Objectives were to 1) compare the metabolomic profile of uterine fluid with plasma in dairy cows and 2) assess the impact of dietary rumen-protected methionine and stage of estrous cycle (day 0 vs 7) on plasma and uterine fluid metabolomic profile in beef cows. Results revealed that the concentrations of many metabolites, including amino acids, signaling molecules (e.g. dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid) and lipids (e.g. ceramides, diacylglycerols), were higher in uterine fluid than in plasma. An oral bolus of rumen-protected methionine increased uterine concentration of methionine on day 0 of the estrous cycle. The uterine metabolome remained relatively stable between days 0 and 7 although there was temporal variability for a select number of metabolites (cysteine, methionine, methionine sulfoxide, asymmetric dimethylarginine, ceramides, and glycerophospholipids). Correlations between plasma and uterine fluid concentrations were strong or moderate for many amino acids. Collectively, these findings highlight that the uterine lumen is a specialized, selectively regulated biochemical compartment.

Vaccination is routinely used in industrial poultry to control infectious diseases. Vaccines based on mRNA and self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) are approved for human use, but research on their application in poultry is limited. In this study the saRNA vaccine platform is evaluated in poultry. First, a luciferase-encoding saRNA (luc-saRNA) was tested as a model vaccine across different administration routes and doses in broilers. High luciferase expression, and anti-luciferase antibodies were observed after intramuscular (IM), subcutaneous (SC), and in ovo (IO) administration. After a second Luc-saRNA injection, seroconversion rates and antibody titers increased in the IM and SC group to almost 100%. Higher doses of Luc-saRNA increased luciferase production. However, they did not linearly increase antibody production, as all tested doses (0.20-5.0 µg) elicited an equipotent immune response. A vaccination experiment with saRNA encoding the hemagglutinin head-domain (HA-HD) of H5N1 avian influenza showed hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) titers that are indicative for protection after a single injection and these titers remained above the protective threshold during 6 weeks without boosting. When boosted, the HI titers increased four-fold. This study confirms effective protein translation and immune response induction in chickens with IM or SC administered saRNA-LNPs, even at the lowest dose of 0.20 µg.

Herein, we present novel quantitative loop-mediated isothermal amplification (qLAMP) and reverse-transcription qLAMP (RT-qLAMP) assays for the detection of five viruses implicated with the onset and progression of bovine respiratory disease (BRD): Bovine Alphaherpesvirus Type 1 (BHV-1), Bovine Adenovirus Type 3 (BAV-3), Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV), Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus Type 1 (BVDV-1), and Bovine Parainfluenza Virus Type 3 (BPIV-3). Using contrived samples spiked with whole viruses, our extraction-free assays have limits of detection between 30 and 1,057 copies per reaction (1.8% final sample concentration) with minimal sample processing. Using dual-tipped swabs and 1.4 mL resuspension volumes, limits of detection are on the order of 2 × 10⁵ copies per swab for BAV-3 and BHV-1 and between 6.31 × 10⁶ to 8.22 × 10⁶ copies per swab for BPIV-3, BRSV, and BVDV-1. Analytical sensitivities ranged from 73 - 100% and analytical specificities ranged from 90 - 100%. Additionally, we introduced a streamlined pipeline to minimize the experimental workload to design, screen, select, and characterize LAMP performance for developing assays. Our assays support the development of colorimetric LAMP assays that enable the sensitive and specific detection of these viruses' chute side to aid in diagnosing and treating BRD. The associated pipeline enables more rapid development of LAMP-based diagnostic tools targeting emerging pathogens.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) evades host immunity by modulating macrophage functions, including immune regulation and phagocytosis, ultimately contributing to bovine mastitis. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of S. aureus-induced bovine mastitis from both host and pathogen perspectives, focusing on prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) as a key regulator. During bovine mastitis, macrophages were recruited into the mammary gland with elevated inflammatory mediators. S. aureus lipoproteins amplified inflammation by activating MAPK and NF-κB pathways via TLR2, TLR4, and NLRP3, leading to elevated secretion of mediators, including PGE₂, in bBMMs. Inhibition of TLR2, TLR4, or NLRP3 decreased COX-2 and mPGES-1 expression, suppressing PGE₂ synthesis, while inhibition of COX-2 or mPGES-1 can regulate the expression of TLR2 and NLRP3, as well as the activation of MAPKs and NF-κB signaling pathways. Excess PGE₂ can regulate inflammation and phagocytosis mediated by TLR2, TLR4, and NLRP3. S. aureus lipoproteins promote PGE₂ synthesis via TLR2, TLR4, and NLRP3 signaling, while PGE₂, in turn, modulates receptor activity, inflammation, and phagocytosis. These findings reveal crucial functional cross-talk between PGE₂ and innate immune receptors in S. aureus-induced mastitis, suggesting that targeting this interaction may provide novel therapeutic strategies.

While thyroid physiology has been studied in domestic ruminants, many uncertainties remain. In fact, this metabolism is rarely assessed in routine veterinary practice, and diseases of the thyroid gland or its metabolism are poorly documented in domestic ruminants. This scoping review aims to summarize current knowledge in anatomy, physiology, diseases, and diagnostic methods related to thyroid function in domestic ruminants. A structured research methodology was followed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for scoping reviews. Four databases were used: CAB Abstracts, Embase, PubMed and Scopus. Selection and screening process of the identified studies, as well as data extraction, were managed using Covidence software. Finally, 206 studies were included. Most studies involved cattle (n = 104), followed by sheep (n = 65) and goats (n = 28). The main study topic was on thyroid physiology (n = 127), followed by diseases (n = 48), diagnostic methods (n = 22) and histology (n = 9). Although many studies addressed the anatomy and physiology of the thyroid gland, few confirmed the euthyroid status (having a normally functioning thyroid gland) of these animals, warranting cautious interpretation of the results. Hypothyroidism is the most documented thyroid disease in ruminants, predominantly caused by iodine deficiency. The physiology of the thyroid gland has been extensively studied in relation to heat stress, reproduction, animal production and nutrition. However, there is much less literature available on diseases described in domestic ruminants and their diagnostic methods. Diagnostic tools for assessing thyroid metabolism in ruminants include assays for total thyroxine, total triiodothyronine, bovine thyroid stimulating hormone, total serum iodine, milk iodine, urine iodine, and plasmatic inorganic iodine.