Evaluation of oxidative stress via total antioxidant status, sialic acid, malondialdehyde and RT-PCR findings in sheep affected with bluetongue.

INTRODUCTION: Bluetongue (BT) is a non-contagious infectious disease of ruminants. The disease agent bluetongue virus (BTV) is classified in the Reoviridae family Orbivirus. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine serum malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidative stres (TAS), total sialic acid (TSA), ceruloplasmin, triglyceride, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), cholesterol, creatinine, albumin, and total protein levels in sheep with and without bluetongue (BT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 13 Sakiz crossbreed sheep, aged 1-4 years and usually in the last stage of pregnancy, as the BT group and a control group consisting of 10 healthy sheep. All sheep were clinically examined before collecting blood samples. Serum ALT, AST, cholesterol, triglyceride, albumin, GGT, total protein, creatinine and TAS levels were measured using commercially available kits as per manufacturer's recommendations using a Biochemistry Auto Analyzer (Sinnowa D280, China). Serum lipid peroxidation was estimated through a previously described method in which MDA reacts with thiobarbituric acid (TBA) to form a coloured complex at a maximum absorbance of 535 nm. The TSA value was measured at 549 nm using the method described by Warren (1959): sialic acid was oxidised to formyl-pyruvic acid, which reacts with TBA to form a pink product. The ceruloplasmin concentration was measured according to Sunderman and Nomoto (1970): ceruloplasmin and p-phenylenediamine formed a coloured oxidation product that was proportional to the concentration of serum ceruloplasmin. Real time RT-PCR and conventional RT-PCR were performed as described by Shaw and others (2007). RESULTS: Biochemistry analysis of serum showed that in the BT group, TSA, MDA, triglyceride and ALT and AST were higher and that ceruloplasmin and TAS were lower than in the control group. Serum albumin, cholesterol, creatinine, total protein and GGT did not differ significantly between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Serum triglyceride, ceruloplasmin, TSA, MDA and TAS concentrations may prove beneficial to the diagnosis, prognosis and biochemical analysis of BT.

Evaluation of the hormones responsible for the gastrointestinal motility in cattle with displacement of the abomasum; ghrelin, motilin and gastrin.

This study provides the evidence of increased serum gastrointestinal motility hormone concentrations including ghrelin, motilin and gastrin in cattle with displacement of abomasum (DA). In this study, 38 cows with DA (21 left DA (LDA) and 17 right DA (RDA)) and 15 healthy controls were included. All cattle with DA were at the stage of postpartum one to eight weeks, and had clinical signs including anorexia, decreased milk yield and scanty, pasty faeces. Serum ghrelin, motilin and gastrin concentrations, and leptin concentration which is a functional antagonist of ghrelin, were determined by ELISA. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), Na, K, Cl, Ca and P concentrations were measured by spectrophotometer. In serum biochemical analysis, increases were seen on the serum ALT, AST and GGT activities; however, serum Na, K, Cl and P concentrations decreased in abomasal displacement compared with the control animals. The serum ghrelin, motilin and gastrin concentrations increased in the cattle with LDA and RDA, as compared with those in the healthy controls. On the other hand, serum leptin concentration decreased in the cattle with DA compared with the controls. Increases in the serum ghrelin, motilin and gastrin concentrations might be attributed to activation of gastrointestinal motility hormones to enhance of gastric emptying in impaired gastric motility and/or outlet occlusion in displaced abomasum.

Levels of antioxidant substances, acute phase response and lipid peroxidation in the left and right abomasum displacement in cows.

The aim of the present study was to assess metabolic changes occurring in Holstein cows with left or right abomasal displacement. Total sialic acid (TSA) values of the left abomasal displacement (LDA) group were elevated significantly (p < 0.0001) as compared to the controls. In the LDA group, serum ceruloplasmin (CPN) and aspartate transaminase (AST) levels were increased significantly (p < 0.0001) as well. Compared to the control group, serum glutathione (GSH) level was decreased significantly in both LDA and right abomasal displacement (RDA) groups (p < 0.0001). Among the clinical examination parameters, rumen contraction rates were decreased in both LDA and RDA groups significantly (p < 0.0001). These results suggest that inflammatory and oxidative parameters might have taken part in the pathogenesis of abomasal displacement. In this regard, anti-cytokine and anti-oxidant therapies developed in human medicine may also play a potential therapeutic role in the fatty liver and abomasal displacement in cattle.

Effects of sulforophane and curcumin on oxidative stress created by acute malathion toxicity in rats.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Organophosphate insecticides (OPIs) are widely used in agriculture and horticulture for controlling insects in crops, ornamentals, lawns, fruits, and vegetables. But, there have not yet any study about effects of sulforophane (SFN) and curcumin (CUR) on the oxidative stress created by acute toxic effects of malathion (MAL) as an OPI often causing human and animal poisoning. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of SFN and CUR on the oxidative stress created in the lung, liver, and kidney tissues of rats by acute MAL toxicity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-six mature Sprague Dawley rats weighing 200-250 g were used. The rats were randomly divided into six groups: unmedicated control, SFN, CUR, MAL control, MAL + SFN, and MAL + CUR. Tissue samples were analyzed for glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), and nitric oxide (NO) levels in the lung, liver, and kidney tissues. Biochemical parameters were measured colorimetrically by using a spectrophotometer. RESULTS: No statistically significantly difference was found when comparing the unmedicated control, SFN, and CUR groups. MAL significantly increased MDA levels in the liver and kidney tissues, but SFN and CUR these levels. MAL did significantly reduce the GSH levels, but SFN and CUR increased these levels by blocking the MAL effect in the liver tissues. Also, MAL significantly increased the NO levels, depending on the severity of the tissue damage, and SFN and CUR attenuated to NO levels and remained under the effect of MAL. CONCLUSIONS: SFN and CUR, which showed similar effects, could be used to protect against the oxidative stress caused by acute malathion intoxication.

Protective effect of L-carnitine on experimental lead toxicity in rats: a clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical study.

Female Wistar-albino rats were given lead acetate (PbAc) for 60 days to investigate the protective effects of L-carnitine (CA) clinically and histopathologically on PbAc-induced tissue damage. Blood samples were obtained from the jugular vein for hemoglobin (HB), hematocrit (HCT), red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), platelets (PLT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and creatinine. PbAc treatment caused a significant decrease in HB, HCT and RBC, a significant increase in WBC, AST, ALT and creatinine compared to controls. Although administration of CA did not reverse HB and HCT values, it reversed both the decrease in RBC and the increase in WBC, AST, ALT and creatinine. After the experimental period, all rats were weighed, then decapitated for pathological examination. Control rat liver, kidney and brain showed normal histological architecture. Lead-induced nephropathic kidneys; degenerative changes, inflammation and portal edema of the liver; and brain neuropil vacuolation, neuronal vacuolation, satellitosis and neuronophagia were observed in experimental groups. All changes were reduced in the PbAc group treated with CA (PbAc + CA). PbAc caused copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) expression in both the hepatocytes and tubular epithelium of the kidney. PbAc + CA exposure caused moderate Cu/Zn-SOD immunoreactivity. While in the brain sections of the PbAc group the degenerative neurons were stained intensely with anti-ubiquitin antibody, PbAc + CA rats showed moderate staining in neurons with anti-ubiquitin antibody. These results show that CA as a food additive reduced the severity of tissue damage caused by PbAc.