A Rapid and Inexpensive PCR Test for Mastitis Diagnosis Based on NGS Data.

Mastitis is a common mammary gland disease of dairy cattle caused by a wide range of organisms including bacteria, fungi and algae. Mastitis contributes to economic losses of dairy farms due to reduced yield and poor quality of milk. Since the correct identification of pathogens responsible for the development of mastitis is crucial to the success of treatment, it is necessary to develop a quick and accurate test to distinguish the main pathogens causing this disease. In this paper, we describe the development of a test based on the multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method allowing for the identification of Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, Streptococcus uberis and Staphylococcus aureus. When creating our test, we relied on the results from new generation sequencing (NGS) for accurate determination of species affiliation. The multiplex PCR test was verified on 100 strains including veterinary samples, ATCC and Polish Collection of Microorganisms (PCM) reference strains. The obtained results indicate that this test is accurate and displays high specificity. It may serve as a valuable molecular tool for the detection of major mastitis pathogens.

Britanin - a beacon of hope against gastrointestinal tumors?

Britanin is a bioactive sesquiterpene lactone known for its potent anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. It also exhibits significant anti-tumor activity, suppressing tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. The current body of research on Britanin includes thirty papers predominantly related to neoplasms, the majority of which are gastrointestinal tumors that have not been summarized before. To drive academic debate, the present paper reviews the available research on Britanin in gastrointestinal tumors. It also outlines novel research directions using data not directly concerned with the digestive system, but which could be adopted in future gastrointestinal research. Britanin was found to counteract liver, colorectal, pancreatic, and gastric tumors, by regulating proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, immune response, migration, and angiogenesis. As confirmed in pancreatic, gastric, and liver cancer, its most commonly noted molecular effects include nuclear factor kappa B and B-cell lymphoma 2 downregulation, as well as Bcl-2-associated X protein upregulation. Moreover, it has been found to induce the Akt kinase and Forkhead box O1 axis, activate the AMP-activated protein kinase pathway, elevate interleukin-2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ levels, reduce interleukin-10, as well as downregulate matrix metalloproteinase-9, Twist family bHLH transcription factor 1, and cyclooxygenase-2. It also inhibits Myc-HIF1α interaction and programmed death ligand 1 transcription by interrupting the Ras/ RAF/MEK/ERK pathway and mTOR/P70S6K/4EBP1 signaling. Future research should aim to unravel the link between Britanin and acetylcholinesterase, mast cells, osteolysis, and ischemia, as compelling data have been provided by studies outside the gastrointestinal context. Since the cytotoxicity of Britanin on noncancerous cells is significantly lower than that on tumor cells, while still being effective against the latter, further in-depth studies with the use of animal models are merited. The compound exhibits pleiotropic biological activity and offers considerable promise as an anti-cancer agent, which may address the current paucity of treatment options and high mortality rate among patients with gastrointestinal tumors.