Diagnostic effectiveness of stress biomarkers in cats with feline interstitial and bacterial cystitis.

BACKGROUND: Although bacterial cystitis (BC) and feline interstitial cystitis (FIC) are categorized under feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) due to their similar clinical manifestations, stress is an important factor for FIC. Therefore, the investigation of stress biomarkers might be important in the differentiation and elucidation of these conditions. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness of serum and urine cortisol, serotonin, and dopamine concentrations and their relationship with stress in cats with FIC and BC. METHODS: Twelve healthy cats (Control group) and 24 cats with FLUTD were used. The cats with FLUTD were divided into FIC and BC groups. RESULTS: Multimodal environmental modification (MEMO) scores were found to be higher in the FIC group than in the BC and Control groups (P < .001). Urine serotonin concentrations were higher in cats with FIC and BC compared with those in the Control group. Based on ROC analyses, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of urine serotonin and dopamine were found to be statistically significant in being able to differentially diagnose cats in the FIC group vs the Control group. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of serum dopamine were also found to be statistically significant for the differential diagnosis of FIC and BC. CONCLUSIONS: High urine serotonin concentrations were found in cats with FLUTD compared with healthy controls and interpreted as the presence of stress not only in cats with FIC but also in cats with BC. Also, based on the ROC-based diagnostic performance evaluation of these stress biomarkers, urine serotonin, and dopamine concentrations can be used to diagnose FIC, and serum dopamine concentrations can be used to differentiate FIC and BC in cats.

Comparative evaluation of selected serum and urine biomarkers in cats with interstitial and bacterial cystitis.

BACKGROUND: Although feline urine is increasingly submitted for bacterial culture and susceptibility testing in veterinary practice, bacterial cystitis (BC) is relatively uncommon compared with feline interstitial cystitis (FIC), which shares similar clinical manifestations. Therefore, an investigation of certain urothelial (glycosaminoglycan [GAG], tissue inhibition metalloproteinase-2 [TIMP-2]), cytokine (interleukin 12 [IL-12]), and neurotrophic factor (nerve growth factor [NGF]) markers may aid diagnosis. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness of selected serum/urine biomarkers in the diagnosis of cats with FIC and BC. METHODS: Twelve healthy cats (Control group) and 24 cats with feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) were used, and the cats with FLUTD were divided into FIC and BC groups. RESULTS: When comparing the three groups, serum GAG, IL-12, NGF, and TIMP-2 concentrations were highest in the FIC group; urine GAG, IL-12, NGF, and TIMP-2 concentrations were higher in the FIC and BC groups than those in the Control group. Serum NGF concentrations were higher in the FIC group than in all other groups. Also, serum GAG, IL-12, NGF, and TIMP-2 concentrations were found to be effective in the differential diagnosis of FIC vs BC. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that serum NGF is a candidate biomarker that could be used in the diagnosis and differentiation of FIC. Urine GAG, IL-12, NGF, and TIMP-2 concentrations might be helpful in determining urinary bladder inflammation and/or damage in cats with FIC and BC. ROC analyses revealed that serum and urine biomarkers were effective for diagnosing FIC and that serum biomarkers rather than urine biomarkers were effective for the differential diagnosis of FIC and feline BC.

A one-year descriptive epidemiology of zoonotic abortifacient pathogen bacteria in farm animals in Turkey.

This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of 10 suspicious pathogenic bacteria in 250 stomach contents of aborted calf, lamb, and goat foetuses in 2019. The 155 positive samples obtained from PCR consisted of 53 (58.88 %) bacteria from 90 lamb samples, 10 (43.47 %) bacteria from 23 goat samples, and 92 (67.15 %) bacteria from 137 calf samples. The five most common bacteria associated with abortions were Brucella melitensis, 52 (20.9 %); B. abortus, 13 (5.2 %); Leptospira spp., 34 (13.6 %); Campylobacter fetus, 52 (20.9 %); and Coxiella burnetii, 4 (1.6 %). The highest rate of B. melitensis (65.4 %), B. abortus (69.2 %), Leptospira spp. (67.6 %), and C. fetus (50 %) was detected in the aborted calf samples. The highest individual rate was that of C. fetus (5.2 %). The flock-herd rates of B. melitensis, B. abortus, Leptospira spp., C. fetus, and C. burnetii infections in the 29 farms studied were 34.48 %, 20.69 %, 62.06 %, 82.75 %, and 3.44 %, respectively, with a confidence level and interval of 95 %. The frequency of abortions caused by Leptospira spp. and Campylobacter fetus may be related to increasing in B. melitensis. The rates of aborted calf, lamb, and goat foetuses among the various sampling periods and regions were significantly (P < 0.01) different. In conclusion, precautions should be applied to reduce the spread of these bacterial agents in high-risk areas and to eliminate the risk of harbouring these zoonotic infections in humans. Therefore, these results must be taken into account in the development of control and protection strategies against abortions in animals.

Evaluation of Boron's Adjuvant Activity in Inactive Bacterin Vaccines Using the Mice Model.

Vaccination is the most effective, reliable, and economical way of preventing or reducing the effect of infectious diseases. When preparing inactive vaccines, a range of additives called adjuvants are necessary to enhance the magnitude of the immune response. Boron has a wide range of industrial and medical applications, and its positive effects on distinct functions have been described in plants, humans, and animals. However, no studies exist about the possible adjuvant activities of boron compounds in vaccines. Hence, in this study, the potential adjuvant effect of boric acid was explored and compared with common veterinary adjuvants in a mice model. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) used as vaccine antigen was isolated from dairy cows with bovine mastitis. Vaccines adjuvanted with boric acid, aluminum hydroxide, Montanide ISA 50 and ISA 206, and Montanide + boric acid combinations were prepared. The efficacy of vaccines was evaluated according to local reactions at the injection site, C-reactive protein, total Ig G, total Ig M, and anti-S. aureus antibody levels in mice. Boric acid reduced local inflammatory reactions induced by the Montanide adjuvants. Moreover, mice vaccinated with boric acid-adjuvanted vaccine had higher levels of anti-S. aureus antibody than those in the controls (P < 0.05) and were similar to the levels found in mice sensitized with aluminum hydroxide. Total Ig G and Ig M results were, however, unsuitable for the assessment of adjuvant activity for this study. In conclusion, this study revealed that boric acid has an adjuvant potential in inactive bacterin vaccines, but further target animal studies are needed.

Evaluation of the Antibacterial Effects of Single and Combined use of Different Irrigation Solutions Against Intracanal Enterococcus Faecalis.

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed the antibacterial activity of both separate and combined uses of 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), 2% chlorhexidine (CHX), 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), 3% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), MTAD, SmearClear (SC) and 13.8% chlorine dioxide (ClO2) irrigation solutions against Enterococcus faecalis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred eighty single rooted human premolars were randomly grouped into 26 test and 2 control (negative and positive) groups and were incubated for 24 h with E. faecalis, except for the negative control group. The tested solutions were as follow: NaOCl; CHX; ClO2; MTAD; SC; EDTA; H2O2; NaOCl + CHX; NaOCl + MTAD; SC + NaOCl; EDTA + NaOCl; H2O2 + NaOCl; ClO2 + CHX; CHX + MTAD; SC + CHX; EDTA + CHX; CHX + H2O2; ClO2 + MTAD; SC + ClO2; EDTA + ClO2; ClO2 + H2O2; SC+MTAD; EDTA+MTAD; MTAD + H2O2; SC + H2O2; and EDTA + H2O2. Optic density values were recorded at 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42 and 48 h and bacterial growth curve created for each solution. RESULTS: The CHX, MTAD and ClO2 showed a high potential for the elimination of E. faecalis, both alone and in all combinations. The EDTA, H2O2, H2O2+ EDTA, H2O2 + NaOCl and SC + NaOCl groups showed less antibacterial activity than the other groups. The SC + CHX group showed the best antibacterial effect against E. faecalis. CONCLUSION: The SC + CHX combination can be recommended as the most effective irrigation regimen against E. faecalis in persistent endodontic infections.

Evaluation of random amplified polymorphic DNA and multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analyses for Mycoplasma cynos.

Mycoplasma spp. can cause diseases of the respiratory system as well as urogenital infections, infertility, and anemia. The members of this genus have a low G + C content compared to other bacteria. Because primers used in the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique are only 10 bp long and have high GC content, this method can be inadequate for genotyping Mycoplasma spp. isolates. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) and two-primer RAPD (TP-RAPD) procedures for subtyping Mycoplasma cynos isolates. A total of 55 M. cynos isolates obtained from 162 bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples from shelter and pet dogs were used in this study. Seventy-four tandem repeat regions were detected in the M. cynos genome, and two of these loci were determined to be suitable and used for development of the MLVA scheme. The results of variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis and TP-RAPD-PCR were compared with RAPD-PCR. The discriminatory power of TP-RAPD-PCR (Hunter-Gaston diversity index [HGDI] = 0.84) was higher than those of RAPD-PCR (HGDI = 0.727), VNTR1 (HGDI = 0.8), and VNTR3 (HGDI = 0.757). We observed that the TP-RAPD-PCR and MLVA methods provide clearer data and are more successful in determining genetic diversity, in contrast to the RAPD-PCR method for this species.

Impact of bacterial translocation in calves with atresia coli.

OBJECTIVE: To identify whether enteric bacteria pass into the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs) and peritoneal cavity in calves with atresia coli and to evaluate whether the presence of bacterial translocation (BT) has an impact on the success of surgical treatment. DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. ANIMALS: Twenty-six client-owned calves. INTERVENTIONS: During laparotomy, swab samples were collected from the peritoneal cavity and MLNs using a sterile swab stick and were submitted for microbiological analysis. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Bacterial cultures of swab samples revealed that 65% (n = 17) of the calves experienced BT. Of these, 14 calves experienced BT to the MLNs, 9 to the peritoneal cavity, and 5 to both regions. Of the bacteria isolated from the MLNs, 72% (n = 10) were Escherichia coli. Of the samples isolated from the peritoneal fluid, 33% (n = 3) contained E. coli and 33% (n = 3) contained E. coli + coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS). In calves with BT that were discharged (n = 13) and without BT that were discharged (n = 7), the median survival was 30 days; these data were found to be similar in the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that BT is observed in the majority of atresia coli cases. E. coli is more common in BT, and translocation occurs primarily through the lymphatic route. These results suggest that the presence of BT is closely related to the success of the operation for correction of atresia coli.

Comparison of five methods for isolation of DNA from Mycoplasma cynos.

Extraction of DNA from Mycoplasma cultured on agar medium is difficult because the plasticity of these microorganisms enables agar penetration. This eventually causes cell loss during harvesting of colonies from the agar surface. Here, we used the GenElute™ gel extraction kit, which is usually used to purify polymerase chain reaction products, for extracting DNA from Mycoplasma. We compared the DNA extraction efficiency of the GenElute™ gel extraction kit from Mycoplasma cynos cultured in agar medium with four other DNA extraction methods. The results were evaluated based on the purity and amount of DNA obtained from one Mycoplasma colony. Eight strains of Mycoplasma cynos isolated from the broncho-alveolar lavage fluid of dogs were used. The GenElute™ gel extraction protocol was the most efficient among all the methods tested in this study as it yielded the highest amount and the purest quality of DNA (199.3±0.744ng/µl) from a single colony. Among the methods tested, the GenElute™ gel extraction method is the most rapid, sensitive, and simple method for DNA extraction from Mycoplasma. This procedure may also prove useful for extracting DNA from other Mycoplasma species.

Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Effects of Boron on Different Bacteria.

Boron (B) compounds are used in many fields ranging from medicine to industry. In this study, boric acid (BA) and disodium octaborate tetrahydrate (DOT) were evaluated for their antibacterial effects and antibiofilm capacities on selected strains of clinical and type cultures that are of veterinary concern (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Aeromonas hydrophila ATCC 19570, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Brucella melitensis Rev1 and field isolates of Vibrio anguillarum, Aeromonas hydrophila, Yersinia ruckeri, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Lactococcus garvieae, and Brucella abortus). Also, the inhibition of biofilm was monitored by scanning electron microscopy. The lowest MIC values of BA and DOT were measured, by broth method using microdilution, from Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, and were 0.385 and 0.644 mg/ml, respectively. Staphylococcus aureus was the most resistant to both BA and DOT. Using the microplate method, we observed that the strongest positivities for biofilm production were presented by Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 and also a clinical isolate of Lactococcus garviea. Lower values in the MIC scores for both B compounds were tested by measuring the inhibitory effect on biofilm production. We found that all the bacterial strains inhibited biofilm formation with the exception of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains for BA only and an isolate of Lactococcus garviea for DOT only. Such effects by BA and DOT are worth discussing in order to find novel approaches for different functions in medicine and industry using the bacteria tested.

The effectiveness of anti-R. equi hyperimmune plasma against R. equi challenge in thoroughbred Arabian foals of mares vaccinated with R. equi vaccine.

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a pregnant mare immunization of a Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) vaccine candidate containing a water-based nanoparticle mineral oil adjuvanted (Montanide IMS 3012) inactive bacterin and virulence-associated protein A (VapA), as well as the administration of anti-R. equi hyperimmune (HI) plasma against R. equi challenge in the mares' foals. The efficacy of passive immunizations (colostral passive immunity by mare vaccination and artificial passive immunity by HI plasma administration) was evaluated based on clinical signs, complete blood count, blood gas analysis, serological response (ELISA), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon gamma (IFN- γ ), total cell count of the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (BALF) samples, reisolation rate of R. equi from BALF samples (CFU/mL), lung samples (CFU/gr), and lesion scores of the organs and tissue according to pathological findings after necropsy in the foals. The vaccination of pregnant mares and HI plasma administration in the foals reduced the severity of R. equi pneumonia and lesion scores of the organs and tissue by 3.54-fold compared to the control foals. This study thus indicates that immunization of pregnant mares with R. equi vaccine candidate and administration of HI plasma in mares' foals effectively protect foals against R. equi challenge.