Exploring oxidative stress, immunological and metabolic biomarkers in dairy cows with postpartum pyometra.

Pyometra is a prevalent and severe infectious disease that affects the reproductive systems of cattle worldwide. This study's main goal was to investigate the biomarkers for oxidative stress (OS), adiponectin, leptin and neopterin (NPT) in cows suffering from postpartum pyometra. The study also aimed to determine which bacteria were most commonly implicated in the development of the disease. A total of 74 cows with pyometra were examined and compared to a control group of healthy cows (n = 20). In comparison to the healthy control and post-treatment groups, the pyometra group showed higher mean values of leptin, adiponectin and malondialdehyde (MDA). In contrast, the glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) mean values were lower in the pyometra group as compared to the post-treatment and control groups. NPT levels in the post-treatment groups were lower than those in cows with pyometra but comparable to the healthy control group (p > .05). When compared to the other biomarkers, NPT, leptin and adiponectin showed higher sensitivity and specificity in identifying pyometra cases (AUC ≥0.99). The predominant bacterial isolates from the ptomtra-affected cows consisted of Escherichia coli (N = 29; 39.2%), Arcanobacterium pyogenes (N = 27; 36.5%) and Fusobacterium necrophorum (N = 13; 17.6%). Mixed infection was determined in nine samples (12.2%). Conclusively, OS, adiponectin, leptin and NPT play crucial roles in comprehending the development of postpartum pyometra in cows and have the potential to serve as biomarkers for the disease.

Fluctuations of testosterone and cortisol levels in male dromedary camels in response to behavioral and management situations.

Background: Biostimulation is a management practice that improves the reproductive parameters, potentiates the desire, and improves the reproductive efficiency during the short breeding season in camels. Aim: This study aims to investigate the concurrent changes in hormonal profiles in response to management and behavioral situations on camel farms in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A total of 10 male and 50 female camels were used in this study. The hormonal profile of male camels was evaluated weekly starting from December to August. Results: The results show that both serum testosterone and cortisol levels increased (p < 0.01) from December to March compared to April to August. A strong negative correlation was observed between testosterone levels and temperature (r = -0.81, p < 0.05), and a similarly robust negative correlation was found between cortisol levels and temperature (r = -0.83, p < 0.05). The dominant rutting males showed higher levels of testosterone than the submissive males. Serum testosterone levels increased (p < 0.01) in males out of rutting after hearing the sounds of other couples before and during mating. Conclusion: Hearing sounds emitted during mating increases the testosterone output, and improves the libido of male camels during the nonrutting period. It is important to keep two individually housed males for mating purposes. One male joins the herd alone in winter (winter rutter), and the other joins in spring (spring rutter), this could keep the libido extended rutting and improve the reproductive performance in camel herds.

Immunological response of lame sheep to clinical interdigital dermatitis and footrot: Procalcitonin, acute phase proteins, and pro-inflammatory cytokines.

In many countries, sheep lameness is a cause of economic concern and a contributing factor to a declining economy. This study aimed to investigate changes in procalcitonin (PCT), acute phase proteins (APPs), and cytokines (CYTs) in response to interdigital dermatitis and footrot in sheep under field conditions, to emphasize their role in the disease pathogenesis, diagnosis, as well as monitoring treatment response. Fifty-three sheep with foot diseases (26 clinical cases with interdigital dermatitis and 27 clinical cases with footrot) and 20 clinically healthy naemi sheep were used in this study. Real time PCR for detection of Fusobacterium necrophorum (F. necrophorum) and Dichelobacter nodosus (D. nodosus) revealed that, all samples collected from lame sheep (N = 53) were positive for D. nodosus (100 %), whereas F. necrophorum was detected in 19 out of 53 samples (35.84 %). The virulent D. nodosus was detected in 48 lameness cases where non-virulent D. nodosus were identified in 5 cases (in concurrent with F. necrophorum). The mean serum levels of PCT, C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (HP), fibrinogen (Fg) and CYTs (IL1-ß, IL-1α, IFN-γ, IL-6 and TNF-α) in sheep with clinical interdigital dermatitis and footrot were remarkably higher than those detected in control healthy sheep. The serum levels of PCT, CRP, SAA, HP, Fg, and CYTs markers in lame sheep pre- and post-treatment were measured. A substantial decline was detected in serum levels of tested biomarkers of lame sheep after 14 days of treatment. The ROC curves were created. The AUC was assessed to evaluate the accuracy of each variable in distinguishing diseased and healthy sheep. Based on the ROC curves and AUCs; PCT, CRP, SAA, HP, and CYTs were highly diagnostic and predictive for the treatment response of sheep with clinical interdigital dermatitis and footrot. Moreover, all tested biomarkers had a noteworthy role in disease immuno-pathogenesis. Nevertheless, PCT and CRP are better than other tested APPs and CYTs as diagnostic markers for interdigital dermatitis and footrot. However, PCT only has the ability to differentiate sheep with different lameness score.

Research on acute phase proteins and inflammatory cytokines biomarkers in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) with clinical endometritis.

Uterine diseases are prevalent in camels and lead to economic losses because of decreased fertility. The aim of this study is to look into the expression patterns of acute-phase proteins (APPs) and inflammatory cytokines in dromedary camels with clinical endometritis (CE) to highlight their role in the immune pathogenesis of the disease. Moreover, to identify the use of these parameters as a complementary tool for CE screening as well as investigate the efficacy of ceftiofur antibiotic, APPs and inflammatory cytokines were estimated in camels with CE. Values of APPs (Hp, SAA, and Fg), pro-inflammatory (IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-1α, IL-1ß, and IL-6), and anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-10) were higher in camels with CE than in healthy controls (P < 0.05). The strongest correlations were observed between HP and IFN-γ (r = 0.73) and IL-1ß and IL-6 (r = 0.73), while the weakest correlations were observed between Fg and IFN-γ (r = 0.25). Corynebacterium pyogenes and Arcanobacterium pyogenes were the most common pathogens involved in the etiology of CE. All investigated biomarkers demonstrated a high degree of recognition between CE camel and healthy controls (AUC was > 0.90). A higher proportion of camels with CE that were treated with ceftiofur (90%, P < 0.0001) scored clinical cures after the first dose, while 10% required a second dose. In conclusion, CE causes increased APPs and inflammatory cytokine biomarkers, indicating a significant acute phase response in diseased camels with CE. These changes in biomarkers could be beneficial for understanding the immune pathogenesis of CE in dromedary camels, clinical practice, and basic clinical research.