Overlapping sperm damages from vitamin B or D deficiency in mice: Insights into the role of clinical supplementations.

In this study, the effect of 14 weeks of standard diet (controls) or folate and vitamin B12-free diet (VBD group) or vitamin D-free diet (VDD group) were assessed on mice testicular function, and sperm function. Vitamin D deprivation caused increased body weight with no effect from VBD confirming the calcium-independent role of vitamin D on body weight homeostasis. The two deprivations caused convergent damages including decreased testosterone, worsened Johnson scores, tubular differentiation index and spermatogenesis index, and serious worsening of sperm parameters and of sperm functional tests (DNA methylation, protamination, DNA damage and lipid peroxidation). From a metabolic point of view, the damage from both models converged on the one carbon cycle (methylations) and the transsulfuration pathway (GSH and antioxidant defences) and increased circulating homocysteine, although with different mechanisms: VBD appeared to hamper methylations due to lower ability to regenerate homocysteine to methionine whereas VDD appeared to interfere with homocysteine transsulfuration to cysteine and, thereafter, GSH. VDD also caused a huge paradox increase of vitamin B12, which was likely in a non-functional form and warrants further investigation. These findings strongly endorse the potential benefit of combined folate/B12 and vitamin D supplementation in infertile patients.

Prevalence of endo- and ecto-parasites of equines in Iran: A systematic review.

Equines are subject to infection with many parasites, which threaten their health. In the present study, we systematically reviewed existing literature on the prevalence of endo- and ectoparasites of equines in Iran. Major electronic databases, including PubMed, PubMed Central, Google Scholar, Science Direct and Scientific Information Database (SID), were searched (Last updated 11/05/2018) for relevant literature of parasites that have been identified from equines in Iran. Of the 1809 titles produced by bibliographic search, 38 were included in the review. Twenty-seven of the studies were on horses, six on donkeys, three on both horses and donkeys, and one study was on both horses and mules. Furthermore, 24 of the studies reported infections caused by protozoa, thirteen by helminths, two by ectoparasites, and one by both protozoa and helminths. The overall pooled prevalence of parasitic infection was 28.8% (95%CI: 22.9-35.7, I2  = 93.4%). Helminths were the most prevalent parasites 46.7% (95% CI: 24.1-70.7, I2  = 96.0%). Furthermore, donkeys were the most affected equine, with a prevalence of 70.7% (95% CI: 53.2-83.7, I2  = 92.5%). The protozoa frequently reported included nine species belonging to the genera: Neospora, Toxoplasma, Theileria, Babesia and Eimeria. Also, the helminths frequently reported included 21 species belonging to the genera: Strongylus, Dicrocoelium, Oxyuris, Habronema, Echinococcus, Dictyocaulus, Cyathostomum, Probstmayria, Anoplocephala, Setaria and Fasciola. Ticks were the only ectoparasites frequently reported. Parasitic fly species of the genera Gasterophilus were also reported. The study-level risk of bias was likely to be high because of differences in study design. Parasitic infections of equines in Iran are frequent and caused by a diversity of parasites, which threatens the health and well-being of these animals. Further research is needed in the area to identify the risk factors of infection for effective control of the parasites.

Molecular Detection of Equine Herpesvirus Types 1 and 4 Infection in Healthy Horses in Isfahan Central and Shahrekord Southwest Regions, Iran.

This study was undertaken to investigate molecularly the occurrence of EHV-1 and EHV-4 infection among equine population in regions, Iran. Blood samples from 53 and 37 randomly selected horses settled in Isfahan and Shahrekord, Iran, respectively, were collected. Detection of EHV-1 and EHV-4 genes in the blood samples was done using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Out of 53 and 37 samples from Isfahan and Shahrekord, 4 (18.18%) and 3 (8.10%) were positive for PCR of EHV-1, respectively. Nine (16.98%) and 6 (16.21%) were positive for PCR of EHV-4, while 6 (11.32%) and 3 (8.10%) were positive for PCR of both EHV-1 and EHV-4, in Isfahan and Shahrekord, respectively. Of the 7 blood samples positive for EHV-1, 4 (16.66%) and 3 (8.10%) were from horses >3 years old while 2 (18.18%) and 1 (16.66%) were from 2-3 years old horses, in Isfahan and Shahrekord, respectively. Out of the 7 and 3 samples positive for PCR of EHV-1 in Isfahan and Shahrekord, 4 (22.2%) and 1 (7.69%) were Standardbred, while 3 (14.28%) and 2 (13.33%) were Thoroughbreds, respectively. EHV-4 was detected in blood of 4 (22.22%) and 2 (15.83%) Standardbreds and from 4 (19.04%) and 4 (26.66%) Thoroughbred horses in Isfahan and Shahrekord, respectively. This study has shown that horses settled in Isfahan central and Shahrekord southwest regions, Iran, are infected by EHV-1 and EHV-4 and thus serve as potential reservoirs and disseminators of the viruses.