Veterinaria México OA

Expression profile of interferon-stimulated gene 15 in leukocytes during early pregnancy in Capra hircus

Neha Purey — 2025-01-30

Interferon-stimulated gene 15 (ISG15) is induced by conceptus-derived interferon tau (IFNT) in the endometrium during early pregnancy in ruminants, including goats. The expression of ISG15 in extra-uterine tissues, such as peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs), suggests its potential as a novel pregnancy biomarker. The onset and length of the breeding season in goats are influenced by various factors such as breed, latitude, climate, photoperiod, etc. The Osmanabadi, an Indian goat breed, known for its early maturity, prolificacy, and good dressing percentage, was the focus of the current study. The present investigation was designed to study the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) profile of Caprine ISG15 (cpISG15) in PBLs using real-time reverse transcription PCR (qPCR) on days 0, 13, 17, 21, 25 and 30 post-service in this breed. Pregnancies were confirmed by measuring plasma progesterone (P4) concentration and conducting trans-abdominal ultrasound scanning. The study revealed that the expression of cpISG15 mRNA was 5 to 8-fold higher (P < 0.05) during early pregnancy on days 17, 21, and 25 compared to day 0. There was no significant difference in the expression of cpISG15 mRNA between days 0 and 30 post-service. Progesterone concentration was higher on days 17, 21, and 25 in pregnant does compared to day 0. The presence of fetal parts was observed by ultrasound between 45 and 90 d of pregnancy. It is concluded that the detection of elevated ISG15 expression in PBLs during the early stages of pregnancy may be used as a marker for pregnancy detection in does.

Evaluation of the anticoccidial efficacy of quinfamide alone and in combination with carbopol in rabbits at weaning

Ayari Enríquez — 2025-01-31

This study aimed to evaluate the anticoccidial activity of quinfamide in rabbits during the weaning period, which is considered a particularly vulnerable time for the clinical presentation of coccidiosis. Thirty-day-old New Zealand rabbits were included in this trial and were divided into the following groups: randomized control, non-randomized control, quinfamide (30 mg/kg) + carbopol; quinfamide (30 mg/kg); quinfamide (60 mg/kg) + carbopol and quinfamide (60 mg/kg). Treatments were administered orally by mixing the drugs with the rabbits’ standard feed. Weight, daily weight gain, feed intake, conversion, and oocyst shedding were recorded for 14 days. The groups treated with quinfamide and quinfamide (60 mg/kg) + carbopol showed a clear improvement in the evaluated parameters compared to the control groups, and there was an increase in the duration during which oocysts in feces could not be detected. The group treated with quinfamide (30 mg/kg) + carbopol also presented better results than the control groups. In contrast, the group treated with quinfamide (30 mg/kg) alone, did not show any differences compared to control groups. Based on these results, it can be considered that quinfamide may present a useful anticoccidial effect, similar to the one obtained with other anticoccidial drugs in rabbits, but only when pharmaceutically prepared with carbopol as quinfamide retentive polymer in the gastrointestinal tract.

Ameliorating effect of Cynara scolymus (artichoke) against thiamethoxam-induced hepatotoxicity in poultry

Amal Moktar — 2025-02-21

This study investigated the effects of thiamethoxam (TMX), a neonicotinoid insecticide, on liver health in chickens and examined whether artichoke extract (ART) could offer protection. Forty-eight healthy chicks were divided into four groups: a control group given saline, a TMX group given TMX, a TMX + ART group given both TMX and ART and a protective ART + TMX group given ART first, then TMX. The results showed that artichoke extract significantly improved blood parameters and reduced liver damage markers compared to the TMX group. It also decreased oxidative stress and boosted antioxidant defenses. Gene expression analysis revealed that ART downregulated inflammatory markers in the liver. Histological examination confirmed that artichoke extract helped restore normal liver structure. Overall, artichoke extract effectively mitigated TMX-induced liver damage by reducing oxidative stress and improving biochemical and antioxidant markers.

DNA vaccine targeting GnRH-receptor reduces testosterone and induces testicular atrophy in mice

Silvia Reyes-Maya — 2025-02-21

Reproductive control of invasive, feral, and domesticated animals is an urgent public health issue. Immunological vaccines are employed as an emerging strategy to target different components of the reproductive system, to achieve immunocastration. Successful use of immunogens against parts of the oocyte, spermatozoon, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), and luteinizing hormone receptor (LHr) has been reported. In this work, a recombinant DNA vaccine was prepared (P2GnRHrP30) by the fusion of the first extracellular domain of the canine GnRH receptor (GNRHr) gene to the P2 and P30 tetanus toxoid epitopes. This construction was cloned in the pCI-NEO mammalian expression vector and evaluated as an immunocontraception DNA vaccine in male mice. The developed vaccine was demonstrated to be safe, and capable of reducing serum testosterone levels and causing testicular atrophy. Our work indicates that the first extracellular domain of the GnRHr gene may act as an immune target for reproductive control and potentially be used as a non-surgical sterilization procedure in mammals.

A four-year serological survey of Leptospira spp. in stray dogs from northwest Mexico

Francisco Javier Monge-Navarro — 2025-02-21

The presence of stray dogs in a community represents a significant risk factor in the spread and maintenance of Leptospira by acting as pathogen reservoirs and potentially transmitting the bacteria to household dogs and the peri-domestic environment, increasing the risk of zoonotic transmission of the disease. Here, we utilized an indirect ELISA employing recombinant LipL32 protein to detect IgG antibodies to Leptospira in serum samples from stray dogs in Mexicali, Northwest Mexico. Serum samples (n = 331) from stray dogs were collected from 2017 to 2020 and tested with the ELISA-LipL32. The results showed an overall seroprevalence of 46.52 % (154/331) over the four years, 46.36 % (51/110) in 2017, 57.95 % (51/88) in 2018, 28.85 % (15/52) in 2019, and 45.68 % (37/81) in 2020. The high prevalence of serum antibodies to Leptospira among the stray dog population indicates that Mexicali provides optimal ecological conditions for maintaining and disseminating leptospire throughout the city, increasing the risk of infection to other domestic or companion animals and the human population. Further epidemiological research is necessary to identify the serovars in the region and propose strategies to control the stray dog population and the propagation of Leptospira in the Northwest region of Mexico.

Effect of lipopolysaccharide on body physiological responses

Shiba Yousefvand — 2025-01-31

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an important compound with pathogenic properties. LPS is considered a bacterial endotoxin, and the body induces widespread inflammation responses by stimulating the immune system through blood cells and synthesizing proinflammatory cytokines. After entering the circulation, these proinflammatory cytokines affect different body organs and induce systematic inflammation. Proinflammatory cytokines also enter the brain through the periventricular hypothalamus (PeVH) and by affecting microglia and astrocytes; they stimulate the brain's immune response. After the induction of systemic and central inflammation, the animal sickness behavior appears. In this review, we are going to investigate the peripheral and central effects of LPS-induced inflammation on different animal species.

Climate change: on the pathway of heat-induced reproductive disaster?

Hugo Oswaldo Toledo-Alvarado — 2025-01-30

Human-driven climate change generates extreme weather events, a well-known consequence of global warming. This leads to increased exposure of most living beings to higher temperatures, resulting in longer, more frequent, and more intense heat stress (HS) periods. This jeopardizes the welfare and survival of animals, negatively affecting the process that connects generations and ensures subsistence and natural selection: reproduction. This letter aims to draw attention to the impact of increasing HS on animal reproductive capacity and the potential alternatives to address this phenomenon.

With rising temperatures in most regions worldwide, heat stress will increase in many animals, including humans. This will occur even if we achieve the goal of limiting global temperature rise to no more than 1.5 °C by the year 2100, relative to pre-industrial levels, as set in the 2015 Paris Agreement⁽¹⁾. Roth⁽²⁾ indicates that HS, upon inducing cellular stress, triggers both indirect (e.g., systemic physiological alterations) and direct (e.g., perturbation of gametes, embryos, and reproductive tissues) negative effects on animal reproduction. In this context, the fertility of insects,⁽³⁾ aquatic organisms;^{(1, 3, 4)} amphibians,⁽⁵⁾ reptiles,⁽⁶⁾ birds,⁽⁷⁾ mammalian pets,⁽⁸⁾ cattle,^{(2, 9, 10)} wild mammals,⁽¹¹⁾ laboratory mammals,⁽¹²⁾ non-human primates,⁽¹³⁾ and humans⁽⁴⁾ is threatened by elevated temperatures. Consequently, given the unavoidable increase in HS, if this trend continues, potentially all animal groups are at risk of experiencing at least partial declines in reproductive capacity worldwide. This scenario will endanger the production of food and goods from animal sources, affect animal welfare, and potentially threaten the survival of animal populations, including humans.

To mitigate widespread animal reproductive failures due to excessive heating, or to prevent them, alongside the coordinated environment-oriented efforts by governments, private industry, scientists, and the general public to reduce global warming, modifications in the management of animals, or their gametes and embryos, are necessary. For instance, Hansen⁽⁹⁾ suggests the following alternatives to mitigate the negative effects of HS on reproduction in farm animals: diet pattern changes; active or passive cooling systems; genetic selection or transgenesis to achieve greater thermotolerance; in vivo supplementation of compounds that reduce cellular stress (e.g., orally, or by intramuscular/intravenous administration); and in vitro supplementation of gametes/embryos (for use in reproductive biotechnologies) to decrease cellular stress. These strategies aim to reduce heat-induced fertility alterations, both systemically and directly in reproductive structures.

Given the serious risk that global warming poses due to the impact of heat on physiology, we urgently need more studies on the overall context of animal reproduction under HS. In addition, we require a specific focus on the impact of HS on reproductive processes, considering factors such as regions, production systems, species, breeds/strains, and specific genetic backgrounds. Therefore, whether the heating that planet Earth experiences will lead to disastrous effects on animal reproductive capacity or a more controlled, perhaps partially reversible, decrease in such capacity, could be influenced by the measures we plan now. These include efforts from society, governments, and veterinary professionals. Time is running out: the situation calls for immediate action.