Oral administration of nucleotides in calves: Effects on oxidative status, immune response, and intestinal mucosa development.

The present work aimed to investigate the effects of nucleotide oral administration on oxidative stress biomarkers, immune responses, gut morphology, serum biochemical parameters, and growth performance in calves from birth to 25 d of life. A total of 40 male Holstein Friesian calves were randomly divided in 2 groups. All the calves were born and reared on the same commercial dairy farm. They were fed the same colostrum, milk replacer, and calf starter. Five grams/head of an additive were orally administered with a syringe directly in the mouth to calves of the nucleotide group (NG). The additive contained 74.12 g/100 g of nucleic acids from hydrolyzed yeast, and 75.38% was free nucleotide sodium salt. The other group represented the negative control (CG). At 25 d of life all of the calves were slaughtered. Calves supplemented with nucleotides had a higher final live weight and improved average daily gain, which was associated with better efficiency of nutrient use. Oral nucleotide administration did not affect IgG absorption efficiency; however, NG calves showed greater duodenum villi length and higher crypt depth compared with CG. Oral nucleotide administration increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase) and the antioxidant capacity [ferric reducing antioxidant power and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) scavenging activity] both in plasma and in liver. An enhanced ability of cells to counter reactive oxygen species- and reactive nitrogen species-mediated damage was also observed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from NG. The findings highlight the effectiveness of oral nucleotide administration, and potentially dietary supplementation of nucleotides, in boosting oxidative and immune status in newborn calves.

Chymase-positive Mast cells correlate with tumor angiogenesis: first report in pancreatic cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: Mast cells (MCs) are known to be involved in several physiological and pathological processes in humans and animals. Recently, their potential role in tumor development and angiogenesis has been investigated, arising interesting results to be potentially applied in clinics. Mast cells' granules contain a huge quantity of protease enzymes that, through different mechanisms, induce the formation of new microvessels, feeding tumor burden. Among them, tryptase and chymase are the most abundant enzymes: tryptase is well known for its multiple activities, on the contrary, the role of chymase in pancreatic cancer angiogenesis has not been investigated yet. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Our research aims to correlate to each other and to angiogenesis four different tissue parameters (MCs density positive to chymase, MCs area positive to chymase, microvascular density and endothelial area) together with the main clinical-pathological characteristics in 52 patients surgically resected for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, employing immunohistochemistry and image analysis system. RESULTS: All reported tissue parameters match to confirm the correlation between chymase enzyme and angiogenesis in pancreatic cancer. CONCLUSIONS: This evidence could become a starting point for a new potential therapeutic route exploiting chymase inhibitors as a novel anti-angiogenetic strategy in pancreatic cancer patients.

Expression of Langerin/CD207 in airways, lung and associated lymph nodes of a stranded striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba).

The airways and lungs of vertebrates are an entrance way for several microbial pathogens. Cetaceans present an upper and lower respiratory anatomy that allows the rapid flow of large air volumes, which may lead to high susceptibility to respiratory infections. Mortality and stranding rate of Cetaceans increased dramatically, so wide the knowledge about the immune system and specific antibodies identifying immune cells populations, is of fundamental importance to monitor and document cetacean health. The aim of this study was to identify the localization of dendritic cells marked by Langerin/CD207 in airways, lungs and associated lymph nodes, of the striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba. Samples of trachea, bronchi, lungs and lung-associated lymph nodes were obtained from a stranded adult male of Stenella coeruleoalba. Our results showed abundant lymphoid aggregates (LAs) in the lung of S. ceruleoalba. Langerhans-like dendritic cells were well distributed along the epithelium and interstitium of respiratory tract and in associated lymph nodes. The present study deepens the knowledge about the cetacean's immune system and report about the exploitability of a commercial antibody (Langerin/CD207) for cetacean species.

Sigma 2 receptor expression levels in blood and bladder from healthy and bladder cancer cattle.

The expression of sigma-2 receptor (S2R) was assayed in blood and bladder samples from healthy cattle and in blood and bladder of cattle with deltapapillomavirus-associated urothelial tumors. Samples of bladder from cattle with neoplasia had significantly higher S2R than samples of bladder from healthy cattle (95% CI 0.31-0.82, P < 0.05). In addition, significantly higher S2R was detected in the blood of cattle with bladder cancer than blood from healthy cattle (95% CI 0.22-0.41, P < 0.05). The results provide evidence that increased expression of SR2 in blood could be useful as circulating biomarker for bladder cancer in cattle. PGRMC1 protein levels were also found to be increased in blood and bladder from cattle with cancer and increased expression of PGRMC1 transcripts was detected by quantitative real time PCR in samples from cattle neoplasia. Furthermore, electron microscopy revealed phagophores and numerous autophagosomes, ultrastructural hallmark of autophagy.

A model of study for human cancer: Spontaneous occurring tumors in dogs. Biological features and translation for new anticancer therapies.

Murine cancer models have been extremely useful for analyzing the biology of pathways involved in cancer initiation, promotion, and progression. Interestingly, several murine cancer models also exhibit heterogeneity, genomic instability and an intact immune system. However, they do not adequately represent several features that define cancer in humans, including long periods of latency, the complex biology of cancer recurrence and metastasis and outcomes to novel therapies. Therefore, additional models that better investigate the human disease are needed. In the pet population, with special references to the dog, cancer is a spontaneous disease and dogs naturally develop cancers that share many characteristics with human malignancies. More than 40 years ago, optimization of bone marrow transplantation protocols was undertaken in dogs and recently novel targeted therapies such as liposomal muramyl tripeptide phosphatidylethanolamine and several tyrosine kinase inhibitors, namely masitinib (AB1010) and toceranib phosphate (SU11654), have been developed to treat dog tumors which have then been translated to human clinical trials. In this review article, we will analyze biological data from dog tumors and comparative features with human tumors, and new therapeutic approaches translated from dog to human cancer.

VEGF concentration from plasma-activated platelets rich correlates with microvascular density and grading in canine mast cell tumour spontaneous model.

Canine cutaneous mast cell tumour (CMCT) is a common cutaneous tumour in dog, with a higher incidence than in human. CMCT is classified in three subgroups, well and intermediately differentiated (G1 and G2), corresponding to a benign disease, and poorly differentiated (G3), corresponding to a malignant disease, which metastasize to lymph nodes, liver, spleen and bone marrow. In this study, we have evaluated serum (S), platelet-poor plasma (P-PP), plasma-activated platelet rich (P-APR) and cytosol vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentrations, microvascular density (MVD) and mast cell density (MCD) in a series of 86 CMCTs and we have correlated these parameters with each other, by means of ELISA detection of VEGF and immunohistochemistry. Results show that VEGF level from cytosol P-APR and MVD were significantly higher in G3 CMCTs as compared to G1 or G2 subgroups. Moreover, a significantly strong correlation among VEGF levels from P-PAR and cytosol, MVD and MCD was found in G3 subgroup. Because VEGF levels from P-APR well correlated with MVD and malignancy grade in CMCT, we suggest that VEGF might be secreted from MCs and it may be a suitable surrogate inter-species angiogenetic markers of tumour progression in CMCT. Finally, CMCT seems to be a useful model to study the role of MCs in tumour angiogenesis and inhibition of MCs degranulation or activation might be a new anti-angiogenic strategy worthy to further investigations.

Canine distemper and related diseases: report of a severe outbreak in a kennel.

An outbreak of canine distemper in a kennel of German shepherds in the province of Bari is reported. Six 42-day-old pups developed typical signs of canine distemper (fever, conjunctivitis, respiratory distress and enteritis) and died within 7-10 days. Neurological symptoms were observed only in one pup. Four additional pups, which had shown no sign of illness, were separated and vaccinated, but two of these developed a severe, fatal nervous form 15 days later. Post-mortem examination, carried out on two pups which died without neurological signs, showed pneumonia and enteritis, more severe in one of the two examined pups. Smears from the brain and the conjunctiva of both dogs tested positive for canine distemper virus (CDV) by an immunofluorescent assay, confirmed by the identification of viral RNA using RT-PCR. Bordetella bronchiseptica and a canine adenovirus strain, characterized as canine adenovirus type 2 by a differential PCR assay, were isolated from the lungs of the pup showing the most pronounced lesions. Furthermore, canine coronavirus was detected by PCR in the intestinal content of this pup, suggesting a multifactorial aetiology of the outbreak.

Detection and genetic characterization of canine distemper virus (CDV) from free-ranging red foxes in Italy.

Fragments of the genes encoding the haemoagglutinin (H) and the nucleocapsid protein (N) of a canine distemper (CDV)-like virus affecting a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) were sequenced and analysed. The CDV-like virus detected in the fox was found to be not dissimilar, in both the H and N gene, from other CDVs spreading in Italy, as well as all over the world, and phylogenetic analysis on the H protein-encoding gene allowed to include all the Italian CDVs in the H European genotype.