Comparative demography elucidates the longevity of parasitic and symbiotic relationships.

Parasitic and symbiotic relationships govern vast nutrient and energy flows, yet controversy surrounds their longevity. Enduring relationships may engender parallel phylogenies among hosts and parasites, but so may ephemeral relationships when parasites colonize related hosts. An understanding of whether symbiont and host populations have grown and contracted in concert would be useful when considering the temporal durability of these relationships. Here, we devised methods to compare demographic histories derived from genomic data. We compared the historical growth of the agent of severe human malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, and its mosquito vector, Anopheles gambiae, to human and primate histories, thereby discerning long-term parallels and anthropogenic population explosions. The growth history of Trichinella spiralis, a zoonotic parasite disseminated by swine, proved regionally specific, paralleling distinctive growth histories for wild boar in Asia and Europe. Parallel histories were inferred for an anemone and its algal symbiont (Exaiptasia pallida and Symbiodinium minutum). Concerted growth in potatoes and the agent of potato blight (Solanum tuberosum and Phytophthora infestans) did not commence until the age of potato domestication. Through these examples, we illustrate the utility of comparative historical demography as a new exploratory tool by which to interrogate the origins and durability of myriad ecological relationships. To facilitate future use of this approach, we introduce a tool called C-PSMC to align and evaluate the similarity of demographic history curves.

Dietary cinnamaldehyde enhances acquisition of specific antibodies following helminth infection in pigs.

Dietary phytonutrients such as cinnamaldehyde (CA) may contribute to immune function during pathogen infections, and CA has been reported to have positive effects on gut health when used as feed additive for livestock. Here, we investigated whether CA could enhance antibody production and specific immune responses during infection with an enteric pathogen. We examined the effect of dietary CA on plasma antibody levels in parasite-naïve pigs, and subsequently acquisition of humoral immune responses during infection with the parasitic nematode Ascaris suum. Parasite-naïve pigs fed diets supplemented with CA had higher levels of total IgA and IgG in plasma, and A. suum-infected pigs fed CA had higher levels of parasite-specific IgM and IgA in plasma 14days post-infection. Moreover, dietary CA increased expression of genes encoding the B-cell marker CD19, sodium/glucose co-transporter1 (SCA5L1) and glucose transporter 2 (SLC2A2) in the jejunal mucosa of A.suum-infected pigs. Dietary CA induced only limited changes in the composition of the prokaryotic gut microbiota of A. suum-infected pigs, and in vitro experiments showed that CA did not directly induce proliferation or increase secretion of IgG and IgA from lymphocytes. Our results demonstrate that dietary CA can significantly enhance acquisition of specific immune responses in pigs. The underlying mechanism remains obscure, but apparently does not derive simply from direct contact between CA and host lymphocytes and appears to be independent of the gut microbiota.

Anthelmintic activity of chicory (Cichorium intybus): in vitro effects on swine nematodes and relationship to sesquiterpene lactone composition.

Chicory is a perennial crop that has been investigated as a forage source for outdoor-reared ruminants and pigs, and has been reported to have anthelmintic properties. Here, we investigated in vitro anthelmintic effects of forage chicory-extracts against the highly prevalent swine parasites Ascaris suum and Oesophagostomum dentatum. Methanol extracts were prepared and purified from two different cultivars of chicory (Spadona and Puna II). Marked differences were observed between the anthelmintic activity of extracts from the two cultivars. Spadona extracts had potent activity against A. suum third (L3) and fourth (L4) - stage larvae, as well as O. dentatum L4 and adults, whereas Puna II extracts had less activity against A. suum and no activity towards O. dentatum L4. Transmission-electron microscopy of A. suum L4 exposed to Spadona extracts revealed only subtle changes, perhaps indicative of a specific anthelmintic effect rather than generalized toxicity. Ultra-high liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the purified extracts were rich in sesquiterpene lactones (SL), and that the SL profile differed significantly between cultivars. This is the first report of anthelmintic activity of forage chicory towards swine nematodes. Our results indicate a significant anthelmintic effect, which may possibly be related to SL composition.

Localized Th1-, Th2-, T regulatory cell-, and inflammation-associated hepatic and pulmonary immune responses in Ascaris suum-infected swine are increased by retinoic acid.

Pigs infected with Ascaris suum or controls were given 100 microg (low-dose) or 1,000 microg (high-dose) all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)/kg body weight in corn oil or corn oil alone per os on days after inoculation (DAI) -1, +1, and +3 with infective eggs. Treatment with ATRA increased interleukin 4 (IL4) and IL12p70 in plasma of infected pigs at 7 DAI and augmented bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) eosinophilia observed at 7 and 14 DAI. To explore potential molecular mechanisms underlying these observations, a quantitative real-time reverse transcription (RT)-PCR array was used to examine mRNA expression in tissue. Ascaris-infected pigs had increased levels of liver mRNA for T-helper-2 (Th2)-associated cytokines, mast cell markers, and T regulatory (Treg) cells, while infected pigs given ATRA had higher IL4, IL13, CCL11, CCL26, CCL17, CCL22, and TPSB1 expression. Gene expression for Th1-associated markers (IFNG, IL12B, and TBX21), the CXCR3 ligand (CXCL9), IL1B, and the putative Treg marker TNFRSF18 was also increased. Expression of IL4, IL13, IL1B, IL6, CCL11, and CCL26 was increased in the lungs of infected pigs treated with ATRA. To determine a putative cellular source of eosinophil chemoattractants, alveolar macrophages were treated with IL4 and/or ATRA in vitro. IL4 induced CCL11, CCL17, CCL22, and CCL26 mRNA, and ATRA increased the basal and IL4-stimulated expression of CCL17 and CCL22. Thus, ATRA augments a diverse Th1-, Th2-, Treg-, and inflammation-associated response in swine infected with A. suum, and the increased BAL eosinophilia may be related to enhanced induction of eosinophil chemokine activity by alveolar macrophages.

Sensibilidad a los antimicrobianos de cepas de Salmonella aisladas en granjas porcinas del estado Zulia / Antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella strains isolated from pig herds in Zulia state

El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar los patrones de resistencia a los antimicrobianos de diferentes cepas de Salmonella aisladas en granjas de cerdos del estado Zulia. Para este fin se evaluaron mediante la técnica de Bauer-Kirby, 126 cepas de Salmonella aisladas de heces de cerdos portadores asintomáticos. Las pruebas de sensibilidad antimicrobiana demostraron que los más altos niveles de resistencia fueron frente a la sulfamida (54 por ciento), tetraciclina (40 por ciento), ácido nalidíxico (29 por ciento) y ampicilina (23 por ciento). Sin embargo, sensibilidad superior al 95 por ciento fue encontrada frente a la ceftriaxona, gentamicina, apramicina y colistina. El treinta por ciento de las cepas mostraron multirresistencia (MR) a los antimicrobianos, siendo el patrón de resistencia ASuT (7,14 por ciento) el más frecuente. Los resultados obtenidos indican que la proporción de cepas de Salmonella de origen porcino con características de multirresistencia a los agentes antimicrobianos es medianamente elevada (30 por ciento) y esta multirresistencia puede afectar a cualquier serotipo. Desde ese punto de vista, la infección de las personas por cepas de Salmonella de origen porcino conlleva a un riesgo potencial de presentar dificultades en el tratamiento específico.

The aim of this study was to determine antimicrobial resintance paterns of different strains of Salmonella isolated in pig farms of the Zulia State. To achieve these goals 126 strain Salmonella were screened by Kirby-Bauer method, colleted from heces of pigs asymptomatic. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests showed that the highest level of resistance was against Sulphonamides (54%), Tetracycline (40%), Nalidixic acid (29%) and Amplicillin (23%). However, susceptibility superior to 95% was found to Ceftriaxone, Gentamycin, Apramycin and Colistin. Thrity percent of the strains showed multirresitance, being the patterns resistance ASuT (7.14%) the most frequent. The results indicate the proportion of strain of Salmonella of pig origin with characteristics of multiresistance to the antimicrobial agents is elevated (30%) and this multiresistance could affect to anyone serotype. From this point of view, the infection of the people by isolates of Salmonella from swine origin entails a potential risk to present difficulties in the specific treatment.

Epidemiology, symptoms and treatment of paragonimiasis in Sin Ho district, Lai Chau province, Vietnam.

Sin Ho is a district of the northern mountainous province of Lai Chau, Vietnam, where the people have the habit of eating undercooked crabs. A study on paragoniamiasis carried out from 1994 to 1995 with 1,642 persons in this endemic area, showed that the rate of eating raw-crab was 72.5%. Crab examination (Ranguna kimboiensis) showed an infection rate of Paragonimus metacercaria of 98.1%. With 624 stool samples examined by Kato technique, the infection rate of Paragonimus in humans was 6.4%. With 338 sputum samples examined by direct and centrifuge methods, the infection rate of Paragonimus was 7.4%. Most of the patients were children (63.2%). The infection rate of Paragonimus in dogs was 18.2 - 33.3%. Adult worms, collected from the dogs in the field and from the cats in laboratory, were identified as Paragonimus heterotremus. The main symptoms of Paragonimus patients were cough and hemoptysis (92%), discontinuously developed (96%), without fever (94%), chest pain (70%), pleural effusion (26%), neurogical symptoms (8%), eosinophilia (88.9%), nodular ring shadows in the lungs, as shown by chest X-ray examination and more in lower lobe, (76.2%). Paragonimiasis patients were treated by (a) Praziquantel 25 mg/kg/day x 3 days; the cure rate was 68.8%. (b) Praziquantel 50 mg/kg/day x 3 days; the cure rate was 75%.

Ascaris suum: ultrastructural effect of in vitro albendazole therapy.

The effect of albendazole therapy on adult Ascaris suum was examined using transmission electron microscopy. The drug induced prominent ultrastructural changes which included the presence of necrotic dense bodies, myelin whorls which appeared to represent various stages of lysosomal formation and autolysis, disruption and erosion of the microvilli. The effects were mainly confined to the central region of the intestinal epithelial cells.

[Usefulness of Thuridan in the control of fly larvae in animal houses]. / Przydatnosc preparatu Thuridan do zwalczania larw much w pomieszczeniach gospodarskich.

The studies were carried out in a pig farm and in a dairy cattle farm in South Poland. Thuridan was applied as 0.3% suspension in 3 replications in 7 days interval. The efficacy of Thuridan was established using fly--catchers which were hung on the same places--once before and three times after Thuridan was used. In the animal houses 86% less flies were found.