Evaluation of nanoselenium (Nano-Se) effect on hematological and serum biochemical parameters of rat in experimentally lead poisoning.

The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of nanoselenium (Nano-Se) on hematological and biochemical parameters of rats experimentally intoxicated with lead (Pb). Thirty male rats were randomly divided into six groups as follows: the control, selenite, Nano-Se, Pb group, Pb + selenite, and Pb + Nano-Se groups. After 35 days, blood was collected from rats and hematology and serum biochemical parameters of oxidative stress were measured. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) level of Pb group was significantly higher than other groups. Also, TBARS level was significantly lower in the Pb + Nano-Se group than Pb + selenite group. The serum superoxide dismutase activities were significantly lower in Pb group than the control, Pb + selenite, and Pb + Nano-Se groups. The catalase activities in the Pb group showed no significant change when compared to other groups. In the Pb group, packed cell volume was lower than the control group. A significant difference was observed between the control group and the Pb, Pb + selenite, and Pb + Nano-Se groups. In the Pb group, the numbers of white blood cell (WBC) decreased in comparison with the control group. Also, there was significant increase in WBC counts in the Pb + Nano-Se and Pb + selenite groups in comparison with Pb group. The number of lymphocytes in the Pb group decreased in comparison with the control group. By comparing the means of the Pb + Nano-Se and Pb + selenite groups together, it was determined that there were significant differences in the lymphocytes and neutrophil counts. In conclusion, usage of selenium compounds particularly Nano-Se particles inhibits the adverse effects of Pb on antioxidant activity and immune system function in the Pb poisoning.

Endocarditis associated with Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in a fat-tailed ram.

Endocarditis is rarely reported in sheep and information presented for ovine endocarditis is based mostly on comparative findings in the cattle. Infective vegetative endocarditis of the right heart was diagnosed in a 3-year-old fat-tailed ram. Clinical findings included tachycardia, marked brisket edema, jugular veins distention and pulsation and pale mucous membranes. Hematologic abnormality included neutrophilic leukocytosis. Necropsy confirmed severe right atrioventricular and pulmonary valves vegetative endocarditis with evidence of right heart failure. Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae was isolated from those vegetative lisions.

Evaluation of allicin for the treatment of experimentally induced subacute lead poisoning in sheep.

Garlic (Allium sativum) is known to reduce lead toxicity in some species of animals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of allicin, one of the most active components of garlic, in the treatment of subacute lead intoxication in sheep. Nine female sheep weighing 25-29 kg orally received a daily dose of 80 mg/kg body weight of lead acetate for 5 days. The animals were then assigned into two groups. Group 1 did not receive any further treatment and was used as the control group and group 2 was treated orally by 2.7 mg/kg body weight of allicin twice daily for 7 days. Within one day following allicin treatment, group 2 blood lead levels were significantly lower than that in group 1 (mean of 616.9 microg/l and 290.02 microg/l, respectively; P < 0.05). Also, allicin treatment significantly reduced kidney lead content and considerably reduced bone and ovary lead contents. These results suggest that allicin might have some therapeutic effects on lead poisoning.

Castor bean (Ricinus communis) toxicosis in a sheep flock.

This paper describes clinical, laboratory and pathological findings of sheep, which is intoxicated with castor bean. The source of intoxication was a miscellaneous garden waste. Forty-five animals showed clinical toxicosis and 17 died. The clinical signs included weakness, salivation, profuse watery diarrhoea, dehydration, mydriasis, teeth grinding, hypothermia and recumbency. The most significant haematological and biochemical findings were a high haematocrit, high concentration of serum BUN, creatinine and phosphorus and high activity of serum CK and AST. Pathology revealed severe gastroenteritis, cardiac haemorrhage and necrosis, hepatic necrosis and acute tubular necrosis in kidneys. Treatment included symptomatic and supportive care with fluid therapy and cathartic administration.

An epidemiological study on Anaplasma infection in cattle, sheep, and goats in Mashhad Suburb, Khorasan Province, Iran.

The prevalence of Anaplasma infection was studied in cattle, sheep, and goats in the Mashhad area from 1999 to 2002. A total of 160 cattle from 32 farms and 391 sheep and 385 goats from 77 flocks were clinically examined for the presence of Anaplasma spp. in blood smears. The study revealed that 19.37% of cattle were infected with Anaplasma marginale and 80.3% of sheep and 38.92% of goats were infected with Anaplasma ovis. Prevalence of Anaplasma infection between male and female and between different age groups of cattle, sheep, and goats were statistically nonsignificant. Seasonally, the prevalence of Anaplasma infection in sheep and goats reached its highest level in summer, while a decrease was observed in autumn, and reached the lowest level in winter. The seasonal prevalence of Anaplasma infection in cattle was not significantly different. Symptomatic cases were not observed in any of the cattle, sheep, and goats. The ranges of anaplasmatemia in infected cattle, sheep, and goats were 0.005-0.5%, 0.01-3%, and 0.01-3%, respectively.

Relaxant effect of Crocus sativus (saffron) on guinea-pig tracheal chains and its possible mechanisms.

As indicated in ancient Iranian medical books, Crocus sativus has therapeutic effects on respiratory diseases. The relaxant effect of this plant has been observed also on smooth muscles in previous studies. Therefore, in this study the relaxant effects of aqueous-ethanolic extracts of C. sativus and one of its main constituents, safranal, were examined on guinea-pig tracheal chains. The relaxant effects of four cumulative concentrations of aqueous-ethanolic extract (0.15, 0.3, 0.45, and 0.60 g %) and safranal (0.15, 0.30, 0.45, and 0.60 mL 0.2 mg mL(-1) solution) in comparison with saline, as negative control, and four cumulative concentrations of theophylline (0.15, 0.30, 0.45, and 0.60 mM), as positive control, were examined using guinea-pig precontracted tracheal chains. The tracheal chains had been precontracted by three different methods. Group 1 had been precontracted using 10 microM methacholine. The other two groups had been precontracted using 60 mM KCl at two different conditions: non-incubated tissues (group 2) and tissues incubated with 1 microM propranolol, 1 microM chlorpheniramine and 1 microM atropine (group 3) (for each group, n = 6). In group 1 all concentrations of theophylline, extract and safranal showed significant relaxant effects compared with saline (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001). In group 2 theophylline, extract and safranal showed concentration-dependent relaxant effects also compared with saline (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001 for different concentrations except two low concentrations of safranal). However, in group 3 the extracts of C. sativus showed a weak relaxant effect (P < 0.05 only for the highest concentration). The effects of the last concentration of safranal (0.60 mL 0.2 mg mL(-1) solution) in group 1, and all its concentrations in group 2 were significantly lower than those of theophylline (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001). In addition, the effects of safranal 0.45 and 0.60 mL 0.2 mg mL(-1) solution in groups 1 and 2 were significantly lower than that of C. sativus extract. There were significant correlations between the relaxant effects and concentrations for extract, safranal and theophylline in all experimental groups (P < 0.001 for all cases). These results showed a potent relaxant effect of C. sativus on tracheal chains of guinea-pigs that was comparable to or even higher than that of theophylline at the concentrations used. The results indicated that safranal was, at least in part, responsible for the relaxant effect of C. sativus.

Relaxant effect of Thymus vulgaris on guinea-pig tracheal chains and its possible mechanism(s).

Thymus vulgaris for the treatment of respiratory diseases is indicated widely, and relaxant effects on smooth muscle have been shown previously. In the present study, the relaxant effects of macerated and aqueous extracts of Thymus vulgaris on tracheal chains of guinea-pigs were examined using cumulative concentrations of macerated and aqueous extracts in comparison with saline (as the negative control) and theophylline (as the positive control). The relaxant effects of four cumulative concentrations of macerated and aqueous extracts (0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 g %) in comparison with saline (as the negative control) and four cumulative concentrations of theophylline (0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1.0 mm; as the positive control) were examined for their relaxant effects on precontracted tracheal chains of guinea-pig by 60 mm KCl and 10 microm methacholine in two different conditions: non-incubated tissues and incubated tissues with 1 microm propranolol and 1 microm chlorphenamine. There were significant correlations between the relaxant effects and the concentrations for both extracts and theophylline in all experimental groups (p < 0.01 to p < 0.001). These results demonstrated a potent relaxant effect of Thymus vulgaris on guinea-pig tracheal chains that was comparable to theophylline at the concentrations used.

Influence of epithelium and isoprenaline incubation on responsiveness of guinea-pig trachea to methacholine.

There are reports regarding harmful effect of long-term use of beta2-agonist drugs on asthma severity and airway responsiveness. In the present study, the responses of guinea pig trachea with intact and denuded epithelium (groups 1 and 2, n = 10) to methacholine as EC50 were measured in tissues nonincubated or incubated with 10 mumol/l isoprenaline during the resting period. The same protocol was performed in groups 3 and 4 (n = 5 for each group) with an additional 30 min rest time after isoprenaline incubation. The response of trachea with denuded epithelium (groups 2 and 4) to methacholine was significantly higher than that with intact epithelium both in incubated and nonincubated conditions (groups 1 and 3, p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). Incubation with isoprenaline caused a significant reduction in the tracheal response to methacholine in both the denuded groups (p < 0.005 and p < 0.001) and intact epithelium groups (p < 0.005 for both cases). The reduction in tracheal responsiveness to methacholine due to incubation in epithelium denuded trachea (groups 2 and 4) was nonsignificantly greater than that of intact epithelium tissues. There was no difference between groups 3 and 4 with those of groups 1 and 2 in both incubated and non incubated conditions. The maximum contractility response to methacholine was not different between tracheal chains with denuded and intact epithelium and did not change due to incubation with isoprenaline. The results of this study indicate reduction of tracheal response to methacholine due to incubation of tissues with isoprenaline, which was relatively more pronounced in epithelium denuded trachea.

Studies on haemoglobin polymorphism of two breeds of Iranian sheep and its relationship to concentrations of iron, copper, haemoglobin, haematocrit and RBC number.

After electrophoresis on cellulose acetate, two haemoglobin phenotypes were detected in Baloochi and Kordi breeds: AA and AB phenotypes. AA was commonest in two breeds. The incidence of type AB haemoglobin in Baloochi and Kordi breeds was 26.5% (9/34) and 9.5% (2/21), respectively. BB phenotype was not seen in Baloochi and Kordi breeds. In sheep with AB phenotype, haemoglobin B was dominant. The mean +/- SD of the two kinds of haemoglobin in sheep with AB phenotype were haemoglobin B percentage 60.5% +/- 9.04%, haemoglobin B absolute 73.84 +/- 5.44 g/L, haemoglobin A percentage 39.5% +/- 9.04%, haemoglobin A absolute 32.88 +/- 2.89 g/L. There were no significant differences for total haemoglobin, haematocrit, red blood cell (RBC) number, iron and copper levels between breed, sex and age groups and also between sheep with AA phenotype and AB phenotype. Pearson's method showed significant correlations for total haemoglobin with packed cell volume (PCV), RBC number, copper concentration and RBC number with PCV, copper level and PCV with copper amount and copper concentration with iron level (p<0.05). In the Kordi breed, significant correlations were seen for total haemoglobin with PCV, RBC number, copper concentration and PCV with RBC number and RBC number with copper level and copper concentration with iron amount (p<0.05). In the Baloochi breed, significant correlations were detected for total haemoglobin with PCV, RBC number and PCV with RBC number (p<0.05).

Clinical and pathological aspects of experimental oleander (Nerium oleander) toxicosis in sheep.

Dried Nerium oleander leaves at single lethal dose of 110 mg/kg body weight were administered orally to six native male sheep. Clinical signs of toxicosis in sheep began to appear about 30 min after receiving the oleander and included decrease of the heart rate followed by cardiac pauses and tachyarrhythmias; ruminal atony, mild to moderate tympany, abdominal pain, polyuria and polakiuria. Electrocardiography revealed bradycardia, atrio-ventricular blocks, depression of S-T segments, ventricular premature beats and tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation. Five sheep died within 4-12 h and one survived. At necropsy there were varying degrees of haemorrhages in different organs and gastroenteritis. Histopathological examination of tissue sections revealed myocardial degeneration and necrosis, degeneration and focal necrosis of hepatocytes, necrosis of tubular epithelium in kidneys, oedema in the lungs, and ischemic changes in the cerebrum.

Mass cyanide intoxication in sheep.

An outbreak of cyanide poisoning that killed 56 ewes and 2 goats is reported. Fluid released into a ditch contained 1 g cyanide/L and produced toxicity in 3 ewes experimentally dosed with the liquid waste.

A study about tick vectors of bovine theileriosis in an endemic region of Iran.

The aim of this study was to determine the population of ticks in infected cattle and to identify the tick vectors of bovine theileriosis in an endemic area of Iran from 1998 to 1999. A total of 120 suspected cattle suffering from theileriosis were clinically examined and investigated for the presence of Theileria annulata in blood smears and the presence of any tick species on the body of cattle. In this study, 680 ticks were collected from 107 cattle infected with T. annulata. The prevalence of ticks infesting cattle was 92.35% Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum, 5.14% H. marginatum marginatum, 1.17% H. asiaticum asiaticum and 1.32% Rhipicephalus sanguineus. The examination of 510 tick salivary glands revealed that 51% of H. a. excavatum and 1.3% of H. a. asiaticum were infected with sporozoites of T. annulata.

Identification of tick vectors of ovine theileriosis in an endemic region of Iran.

This study was made to determine the population of ticks in infected sheep and attempting to identify the tick vectors of ovine theileriosis in an endemic area of Iran from 2000 to 2001. A total of 188 suspected cases of ovine theileriosis from 28 flocks were clinically examined and investigated for the presence of Theileria lestoquardi in appropriate blood smears and any tick species on body of sheep. In this study, 36.17% of sheep were infected to T. lestoquardi with a parasitemia of 0.01-15%. There was no significant differences between the rate of parasitemia in sheep and the frequency of infected ticks. We found that 61.1% of the animals harboured Hyalomma a. anatolicum, 33.42% Rhipicephalus sanguineus and 0.05% Hyalomma m. marginatum. The examination of 345 tick salivary glands showed that (15%) of salivary glands of H.a. anatolicum and (4%) of R. sanguineus contained Feulgen positive bodies. Seasonally, the prevalence of Theileria infection and H.a. anatolicum infestation in sheep reached the highest level in July (62.5%) and June (23.6%), while a decrease was observed in September (24.5%) and August (17.39%), respectively. The prevalence of Theileria infection in all age groups and between male and female sheep was statistically non-significant.

Experimental Tribulus terrestris poisoning in sheep: clinical, laboratory and pathological findings.

Eleven native sheep, 1-2 years old, of both sexes were randomly divided into two groups, 6 sheep being allocated to the experimental group and 5 serving as controls. The sheep in the experimental group were fed 80% Tribulus terrestris and 20% alfalfa hay and wheat straw, while the control sheep were given a mixture of 40% alfalfa hay and 60% wheat straw. Clinical signs of hepatogenous photosensitivity were observed from day 11, including reddening and crust formation on the muzzle, nose, ears and eyelids, depression, weight loss, icterus, conjunctivitis, and yellow discoloration of the urine. Laboratory findings on weekly samples indicated significant differences (p < 0.05) in white blood cell count, total plasma protein and fibrinogen, total and direct bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine concentrations, and aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities. There were no significant differences in the packed cell volume, in the neutrophil, lymphocyte or eosinophil counts, or in the serum calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium or chloride concentrations. At necropsy of the experimental animals, there were various degrees of generalized icterus and the livers were swollen and discolored by bile pigment. Histopathological examination revealed varying amounts of crystalloid material in the bile ducts and renal tubules, hepatocellular degeneration, biliary fibrosis and proliferation, renal tubular necrosis and focal necrosis of cardiac muscle.

An epidemiological study on ovine babesiosis in the Mashhad suburb area, province of Khorasan, Iran.

The prevalence of Babesia spp. infection was studied in sheep of the Mashhad area in Iran from 1998 to 2000. A total of 677 sheep originating from 115 flocks were clinically examined and investigated for the presence of Babesia spp. in appropriate blood smears and any tick species on the body of the animals. The study revealed that the infection rate for Babesia ovis and Babesia motasi were 167 (24.6%) and 4 (0.5%), respectively. Double (mixed) infections occurred in 21 (3%) sheep. Differences in infection rates were statistically non-significant between male and female sheep and between different age groups. Seasonally, the prevalence of Babesia spp. infection started to increase in April and reached highest values in August (56%), while a decrease was observed in September, reaching the lowest levels In February and March. The study demonstrated that 1.7% of sheep infected with B. ovis and 50% of sheep infected with B. motasi exhibited clinical signs. Sheep infected with B. motasi showed the highest levels of parasitemia. We found that 550 (73%) of the animals harbored Rhipicephalus sanguineus; 166 (21%) Hyalomma marginatum; 19 (2.5%) Dermacentor daghestanicus; 14 (1.8%) Hyalomma anatolicum; 6 (0.66%) Hyalomma asiaticum; and one (0.13%) Haemaphysalis punctata. The examination of 727 tick haemolymph samples and 52 tick egg smears showed that one sample (0.2%) of haemolymph of R. sanguineus, two (1.2%) haemolymphs of H. marginatum and two (2%) eggs of R. sanguineus harbored kinetes morphologically matching the criteria described for B. ovis.

Outbreak of osteodystrophia fibrosa in young goats.

Osteodystrophia fibrosa was diagnosed in young goats which received a dict of 60% wheat straw and 40% barley for 8 months. The ratio of calcium:phosphorus in the diet was 1:1.8. The clinical signs were bilateral and symmetrical enlargement of the face, swelling of the joints, and limb deformities. The laboratory findings showed a low level of serum calcium in all affected goats. Histopathological examination revealed marked fibrous deposition and osteoclasia in bones of the maxilla and mandible.

Experimental kerosene poisoning in goats.

Eighteen young native male and female goats were divided into 3 equal groups. Kerosene was given to Groups 1, 2 and 3 as single doses of 10, 20 or 40 ml/kg bw respectively. Clinical signs In-Group 1 were mild behavioral changes and in Group 2 were mild to moderate bloat, coughing and behavioral changes. None of the goats of Groups 1 and 2 died. Goats of Group 3 had severe signs of poisoning and died within 4 h to 11 d after dosing with clinical signs of severe bloat, frequent coughing, vomiting, and expelling of kerosene from the mouth and nose. Star-gazing, depression, recumbency and dyspnea also occurred. Postmortem changes in Group 3 were gangrenous pneumonia, pleuropneumonia, congestion in brain and kidney, perivascular and perineuronal edema in brain tissue, and renal nephrosis.

An atypical case of actinobacillosis in a cow.

An atypical case of actinobacillosis with involvement of the skin of the right hind limb and its lymphatics was diagnosed in a cow. The granulomatous lesions were observed as several masses along the lateral part of the right hind limb. The right precrural lymph node was enlarged more than 10 times its normal size. Histopathological examination of biopsy materials revealed actinobacillus granuloma. Smears of granular pus obtained from the precrural lymph node showed a small number of gram negative bacilli.