Wound healing in immunocompromised dogs: A comparison between the healing effects of moist exposed burn ointment and honey.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Natural topical products have been used to enhance wound healing, especially in immunocompromised animals. The aims of this study were to evaluate and to compare the effects of moist exposed burn ointment (MEBO) and honey on the healing of full-thickness skin wounds in immunocompromised dogs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted using 12 adults, apparently healthy mongrel dogs. Immunosuppression was induced in six dogs by oral administration of prednisone (2 mg/kg) and azathioprine (2 mg/kg), once a day for 21 days. On each dog, a total of 9, 1.5 cm in diameter full-thickness skin circular wounds were created aseptically in the thoracolumbar area under general anesthesia using customized skin punch biopsy kit. In a random fashion, three wounds in each dog were treatment using MEBO (contains b-sitosterol, baicalin, and berberine as active ingredients in a base of beeswax and sesame oil), honey or no treatment (control), once per day for 21 days. Wounds were grossly evaluated once a day for signs of inflammation or infection. In addition, biopsy specimens and digital imaging data of each wound were obtained on days 7, 14, and 21 for histopathological evaluation of the healing process. RESULTS: Wounds in immunocompromised dogs appeared to heal significantly in a slower fashion than in non-immunocompromised counterparts. Digital analysis data showed that MEBO-treated wounds expressed better epithelialization area, faster contraction, and smaller wound area percentage when compared with honey-treated wounds. Histopathological analysis showed significantly higher angiogenesis scores in MEBO-treated wounds when compared with other treatments. CONCLUSION: Results of this study showed that MEBO resulted in significant enhancement of wound healing in both healthy and immunocompromised dogs. However, when compared to honey, the wound healing effect of MEBO was superior to that of honey.

Tumors of the reproductive tract of sheep and goats: A review of the current literature and a report of vaginal fibroma in an Awassi ewe.

AIMS: This study aimed to provide a summary of all online available literature of published clinical and histopathological data regarding tumors affecting the reproductive tract of female sheep and goats. In addition, a detailed description of the clinical history, clinical findings, and gross and histopathological findings of one case of vaginal fibroma in an adult Awassi sheep is provided for the first time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Internet search engines such as PubMed, ResearchGate, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were used to collect all published articles in refereed journals from 2000 to 2018 regarding tumors and tumor-like lesions involving the reproductive tract of ewes and does. RESULTS: There are six published papers in sheep and nine in goats reporting various malignant and non-malignant tumors involving different parts of the reproductive tract. The most commonly diagnosed tumors of the reproductive tract were leiomyoma (six cases), adenocarcinoma (six cases), leiomyosarcoma (three cases), adenoma (one case), squamous cell carcinoma (one case), and metastatic signet ring cell carcinoma (one case). The most common sites of tumor formation were the uterus (10 cases), vulva/vagina (five cases), ovaries (four cases), cervix (four cases), and Bartholin's gland (one case). All affected animals were aged females (older than 3 years of age). In both ewes and does, the most frequently reported clinical symptoms were chronic weight loss, pyometra, hydrometra, vaginal bleeding, abnormal vaginal discharges, straining, pollakisurie, ascites, and abdominal distension. CONCLUSIONS: Tumors of the reproductive organs in sheep and goats are not uncommon and should be considered in the differential diagnoses in cases with poor reproductive function.

(-)-Oleocanthal Combined with Lapatinib Treatment Synergized against HER-2 Positive Breast Cancer In Vitro and In Vivo.

Dysregulation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/human epidermal growth factor-2 (HER2) family is a hallmark of aggressive breast cancer. Small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors are among the most effective cancer targeted treatments. (-)-Oleocanthal (OC) is a naturally occurring phenolic secoiridoid lead from extra-virgin olive oil with documented anti-cancer activities via targeting mesenchymal epithelial transition factor (c-Met). Dysregulation of c-Met promotes aggressiveness to breast cancer-targeted therapies. Lapatinib (LP) is an FDA-approved dual EGFR/HER2 inhibitor for HER2-amplified breast cancer. HER2-Positive tumor cells can escape targeted therapies like LP effects by overexpressing c-Met. Combined OC-LP treatment is hypothesized to be mechanistically synergistic against HER2-overexpressing breast cancer. Combined sub-effective treatments of OC-LP resulted in synergistic anti-proliferative effects against the HER2-positive BT-474 and SK-BR-3 breast cancer cell lines, compared to OC or LP monotherapy. Antibody array and Western blot analysis showed that combined OC-LP treatment significantly inhibited EGFR, HER2, and c-Met receptor activation, as well as multiple downstream signaling proteins, compared to individual OC or LP treatment. OC-LP Combination significantly inhibited invasion and migration of breast cancer cells through reduced activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and paxillin. Combined treatment of OC-10 mg/kg with LP-12.5 mg/kg suppressed more than 90% of BT-474 tumor cells growth in a nude mouse xenograft model, compared to individual OC or LP treatment. Activated c-Met, EGFR, HER2, and protein kinase B (AKT) were significantly suppressed in combination-treated mice tumors, compared to OC or LP monotherapy. This study reveals the OC future potential as combination therapy to sensitize HER2-overexpressing breast cancers and significantly reduce required doses of targeted HER family therapeutics.

Mycoplasma bovis arthritis and pneumonia in calves in Jordan: An emerging disease.

AIM: Clinical, microbiological, molecular, and pathological assays were undertaken to characterize an outbreak of increasingly reported signs of unresponsive arthritis and pneumonia of Mycoplasma bovis infection in young calves in Jordan. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical history of the affected bovine herd was investigated for the presence of respiratory and/or joint problems. Two calves with such history were clinically examined and necropsied. Representative tissues were sent for microbiological, molecular, and pathological examinations for M. bovis infection. RESULTS: The outbreak started in a herd of 220 nursing calves, 2 months before the receiving of two calves for postmortem examination. Clinically, respiratory signs and infection of one or more joints dominated in the affected calves. The morbidity and case fatality rates were 27.27% and 61.7%, respectively. The left carpal joint was markedly swollen in both calves and exhibited necrofibrinous to granulomatous arthritis in varying degrees of severity. The anteroventral lung lobes in both calves were consistently affected and revealed multifocal to coalescing severe necrogranulomatous and fibrinopurulent bronchopneumonia. Microbiological and molecular findings confirmed the pathological examination. Furthermore, bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) was diagnosed in one calf by histopathology and polymerase chain reaction. CONCLUSION: This investigation reports the first outbreak of M. bovis infection in calves located in Jordan that could occur concurrently with BVD.

Detection and molecular characterization of bovine leukemia viruses from Jordan.

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is distributed worldwide. BLV has many effects on the health status and productivity of infected animals and is a potential risk for humans. In this study, we aimed to investigate the presence of and genotype bovine leukemia viruses on Jordanian dairy farms. Nested PCR coupled with RFLP and direct sequencing of a partial fragment of the env gene were carried out. Two BLV genotypes were found, genotypes 1 and 6. These genotypes were identified by nested PCR-RFLP of 444 bp of the env gene by restriction digestion with HaeIII, Bcl I and Pvu II. However, BLV-Jordan-10 seems to represent an entirely new genotype in our phylogenetic analysis. The nucleotide sequence identity between these two Jordanian BLV genotypes (1 and 6) was 96.2 %. The nucleotide sequence identity between Jordanian BLV genotype 1 and other reference BLV genotype 1 strains ranged from 99 % to 99.5 %. The nucleotide sequence similarity of the Jordanian BLV genotype 6 to other BLV genotypes ranged from 90 % to 96.7 %. A neutralizing motif and CD8(+) T-cell epitope were found in the env protein of both Jordanian isolates. In this study, we documented the presence of two BLV genotypes (1 and 6) on Jordanian dairy farms.