The current study aimed to evaluate aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) contamination in a total number of 240 samples collected during four consecutive seasons (from January to November 2022) from two western Iranian provinces (Ilam and Lorestan). AFM1 was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector after the toxin extraction with immunoaffinity columns. The results showed 100% of AFM1 contamination in all the surveyed matrices. Considering the seasonal variability, AFM1 mean values in milk, cheese, and yoghurt samples collected during the summer were significantly higher than those detected in samples from other seasons (p < 0.01), and the lowest concentrations were observed in samples collected during the winter. AFM1 levels in cheese samples appeared safe, but an alarming rate of 46.6% of milk samples and 100% of the yoghurt samples exceeded the maximum permissible limit set by the European Union (50 ng/kg). Moreover, while the deterministic risk assessment demonstrated no risk of developing liver cancer in adults through the consumption of these dairy products, it showed significant concerns for children consuming milk and yoghurt (hazard index above 1). Overall, the results of this research indicate the necessity of a periodical monitoring program for AFM1 in milk and other dairy products.
Purpose: This study was carried out to assess the prevalence of Trypanosoma evansi infection in naturally diseased Dromedary camels in Dammam, Eastern region of Saudi Arabia. The detection of Trypanosoma evansi was performed using the parasitological, serological, and molecular diagnosis and a comparison between such methods were analyzed. In addition, evaluation of therapeutic efficacy of selected antitrypanosomal drugs, cymelarsan and quinapyrmine (aquin-1.5), was trialed for treatment of diagnosed infected cases.
Methods: A total 350 randomly selected camels were evaluated using thin blood smear (TBS), RoTat1.2 PCR and CATT/T. evansi techniques.
Results: The total prevalence was 6.9%, 7.7%, and 32.8% by TBS, RoTat1.2 PCR and CATT/T. evansi techniques. respectively. Although PCR detect T. evansi in more samples than TBS, the agreement was good (K = 0.9). Among the CATT/T. evansi results, PCR detect T. evansi in 12 and 15 CATT positive and negative camels, respectively, with low agreement (Kappa = 0.1). The use of cymelarsan and quinapyramine sulfate in the treatment of naturally infected cases demonstrated a very efficient therapeutic response.
Conclusion: It was found that
Keywords: Trypanosoma evansi, RoTat 1.2VSG PCR, CATT/T. evansi, Cymelarsan
To investigate the role of NLRP3 inflammasome in muscular aging, we evaluated here the morphological and functional markers of sarcopenia in the NLRP3-knockout mice, as well as the beneficial effect of melatonin supplementation. The gastrocnemius muscles of young (3 months), early-aged (12 months), and old-aged (24 months) NLRP3-knockout female mice were examined. Moreover, locomotor activity and apoptosis were assessed. The results revealed early markers of sarcopenia at the age of 12 months, including reduction of lactate, ratio of muscle weight to body weight, muscle fibers number, and mitochondrial number. Increased interstitial tissues, apoptosis, and muscle fibers area, as well as mitochondrial damage were detected, with little muscular activity effects. In the old-aged, these alterations progressed with a reduction in locomotor activity, mitochondrial cristae destruction, nuclear fragmentation, tubular aggregates (TAs) formation, and increased frailty index. Oral melatonin supplementation preserved the normal muscular structure, muscle fibers number, and muscular activity in old age. Melatonin enhanced lactate production, recovered mitochondria, inhibited TAs formation, reduced apoptosis, and normalized frailty index. The fewer sarcopenic changes as well as the highly detectable prophylactic effects of melatonin treatment reported here in the muscle of NLRP3- knockout mice comparing with that previously detected in wild-type mice, confirming NLRP3 inflammasome implication in muscular aging and sarcopenia onset and progression.
This study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii in cows from Assiut Governorate, Egypt. A total of 268 blood samples were collected from cows (176 females and 92 males). The age of these animals ranged between 2 months and more than 3 years. Screened for C. burnetii using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A total of 15.67% (42/268) was serologically positive. The seropositivity was high in females (19.56%) than males (13.63%). The native breed was more infected (17.44%) than Fresian (13.33%) and mixed ones (11.76%). In cows, a higher seroprevalence was observed in the age group more than 1 to 2 years (22.38%). Dairut city recorded the highest seroprevalence rate (40.74%) of C. burnetii. C. burnetii seroprevalence was higher in hot season (20.10%) than cold season (5.95%). Cows free from ticks recorded higher seroprevalence (22.58%) than those infested with ticks (12%). Cows with fever and pneumonia recorded higher seroprevalence (14.29%) compared to animals with other signs. In conclusion, findings of this study revealed the wide spread of C. burnetii infection among cows at Assiut Governorate, Egypt.
Rabbits have been proposed as a model for the human meibomian gland (MG), a large specific sebaceous gland in the eyelid that consists of secretory acini arranged laterally and related to the central duct via short ductules, with the central duct continuing as an excretory duct to open at the free margin of the lid. First detected at embryonic day 18 as an aggregation of mesenchymal cells in the tarsal plate, it completes its development approximately 2 weeks postnatal when the separation of the eyelids is completed. The Transmission electron microscopy supports the meibocytes’ gradient maturation to the meibum’s synthesis. While the differentiating cells, their cytoplasm, are well packed with lipid droplets, the basal cells are characterized by a high nuclear to cytoplasm ratio. The androgen and estrogen receptor proteins are expressed in the basal cell and the meibocytes, and increase in age increases in the …
Identifying and locating stem cell populations in the limbus may lead to developing a cell-based strategy for treating the corneal injury. Therefore, this study was the first to design a follow-up on the microscopical and histomorphometric changes in the rabbit limbus and to localize and demonstrate the limbal stem cell niche during postnatal development. The paraffin sections from the eyes of different postnatal-developmental stages were stained and examined using light microscopy. Furthermore, sections were immunohistologically stained for the epithelial stem cell differentiation marker, cytokeratin-14. Moreover, semithin and ultrathin sections were applied for ultrastructural demonstration of the stem cell niche. This study revealed that the number and thickness of limbal epithelial layers increased with age, whereas the thickness of limbal stroma decreased. Additionally, the immunohistochemical data showed that …
In this research we have used different cytokines and progesterone to enhance the immunomodulatory capacity of placental-derived stem cells (PLSCs) prior to their encapsulation. We assessed the effect of microencapsulation of the cells without (control) or after 3-day treatment with interferon gamma (INFγ), interleukin10 (IL-10), or progesterone (P4). Treated PLSCs demonstrated strong immunosuppressive effects on phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs). INFγ treatment resulted in the strongest immune inhibition among the treated groups. The treatments enhanced soluble human leukocyte antigen (sHLAG) secretion compared to control. The IL-10-treated group showed the highest effect on HLAG secretion compared to other groups. Alginate encapsulation of PLSCs did not affect cell viability, or sHLAG secretion. Also, after treatment the encapsulated PLSCs inhibited PHA-activated PBMNCs in the same manner as unencapsulated cells. We studied two groups of encapsulated PLSCs, one without perm-selective poly-l-ornithine (PLO)-coating and the other with PLO-coating, and measured levels of sHLAG secreted. We found no difference in sHLAG secretion between both groups. In summary, our data show that immunomodulatory function of the PLSC is not affected by encapsulation. These findings provide good promise for potential use of encapsulated PLSCs for immunomodulation treatment of disease by stem cell therapy.
