The determination of treatment effect of chitosan oligosaccharide in lambs with experimentally cryptosporidiosis.

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the efficacy of chitosan oligosaccharide administrations in different doses of experimental infected lambs with Cryptosporidium parvum. 32 male lambs were used in the study and the lambs were divided into 4 groups with 8 lambs in each group. Groups 1, 2 and 3, twice a day, were administered chitosan oligosaccharide at a dose of 100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg for 7 days, respectively, with milk replacer. In group 4, lambs with cryptosporidiosis were subjected to normal feeding as control without drug administration. Clinical examinations of lambs were made before treatment (day 0) and on days 1, 3, 5 and 7 after treatment and 5 ml of blood was collected from vena jugularis for blood analysis of all lambs. Weight changes of lambs were recorded at 0, 7, 14, and 21 days. Stool specimens were collected pre-treatment (day 0) and on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 and 21 post-treatment to determine oocyst excretion of lambs with cryptosporidiosis. Lambs with a mean oocyte counts >10 after stool examination were included to the treatment. Changes in clinical hematology, blood gases and biochemical parameters were observed during the course of treatment, but these changes were limited. Weight loss was observed at 7th day according to 0th day the lambs with experimental cryptosporidiosis but gradually weight increase was observed at 14th and 21st days and these changes were similar in all groups. Oocyst excretion decreased in all groups during treatment. According to 0th day, there was a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in oocyte excretions in the third day in group 1 and 2, and in day 5 in the group 3 and 4. Significant changes (p < 0.05) were observed in oocyst excretions on the third and fifth days among the groups. As a result, in lambs with experimental cryptosporidiosis, chitosan oligosaccharide improved in clinical signs and stool character shorter than the positive control group and the administration of chitosan oligosaccharide at doses of 100, 500 and 1000 mg/kg for 7 days significantly reduced oocyst excretion but not enough to remove cryptosporidiosis completely.

Genetic structure and variation of Van cats.

To determine the genetic structure and variation of Van cats and some other cats, seven enzyme loci were examined using horizontal starch gel electrophoresis. ME bands were observed for the first time in cats. For the enzyme loci CA ( 1 ), SOD, GPI, and GOT, neither the individual Van cats nor the specimens of other cat species exhibited any variation. These enzymes presented identical bands, all of which were homozygous. With respect to the PGD, ME, and ESD loci, however, genetic variation was observed in all of the cats. Hence, three of the seven gene-enzyme systems (43%) were polymorphic with two alleles, contributing to an estimate of average heterozygosity of 0.33-0.49 for the Van cats. PGD was the most discriminatory among the three polymorphic loci. The phylogenetic tree indicated that the Van, Persian, Turkish Angora, and Turkish Tekir cats are distinct from Siamese and Bombay cats.

Determination of adenosine deaminase activity in cattle naturally infected with Theileria annulata.

The purpose of this study was to determine serum ADA activity in cattle naturally infected with Theileria annulata. In this study, a total of 37 cross-bred cattle which 27 of it showing clinical signs of theileriosis constituted infected group and 10 healthy cattle as control group were used as animal materials. Infected group divided into three groups according to their PCV values. Cattle with PCV > or = 25 were put on group I (n = 9), those with PCV 13-24 were put on group II (n = 11) and those with PCV < or = 12 were put on group III (n = 7). Microscopical diagnosis of the disease was also made. Hematological parameters, serum enzyme activities (ADA, AST, ALT and ALP) were determined in all cattle. Hematological results revealed that significant progressive decreases in HGB, PLT, PBML counts and ratios from group I onwards to group III, whereas the WBC, PBPL counts and ratios showed an increase from group I onwards to group III. The serum ADA, AST, ALT and ALP activity increased significantly in all infected groups compared to control group. However, these parameters were also observed to decrease progressively from group I to group III. Furthermore, the highest increase in enzyme activities observed in the infected group I. But, these enzyme's activities started to decrease in infected group II and III in parallel with PBML and PLT counts. Eventhough, this decrease did not reach to the values obtained from control group. On the contrary, PBPL counts and ratios increased in infected group II and III in contrast to decrease in PCV. As a result, increased serum ADA activity in tropical theileriosis may reflect the involvement of the cellular immune responses.