The prevalence of adhesion and biofilm genes in Staphylococcus aureus isolates from bovine mastitis: A comprehensive meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Mastitis poses significant challenges to the dairy industry, resulting in economic losses and increased veterinary expenses. Staphylococcus aureus is a common cause of bovine mastitis, relying on efficient adhesion and biofilm formation for infection. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to employ meta-analysis to investigate the occurrence of adhesion and biofilm genes in S. aureus associated with bovine mastitis, as documented in previous studies. METHODS: This meta-analysis was done according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, examined 22 eligible articles and revealed varying prevalence rates of adhesion and biofilm genes in S. aureus isolates from bovine mastitis. RESULTS: Among the genes, clfB showed the highest prevalence (p-estimate = 0.905), followed by fnbA (p-estimate = 0.689) and fnbB (p-estimate = 0.502). The icaA and icaD genes also showed a relatively high prevalence (p-estimate = 0.694 and 0.814, respectively). Conversely, the biofilm-associated proteins gene had the lowest prevalence (p-estimate = 0.043). Subgroup analyses based on mastitis types and publication years revealed no significant differences in gene prevalence. Insufficient data hindered the analysis of fib, sasG , eno and bbp genes. CONCLUSION: This study provides valuable insights for managing S. aureus-induced bovine mastitis. Additionally, larger-scale research, particularly on less-studied genes, is necessary to comprehend the molecular roles of adhesion and biofilm genes in S. aureus-induced bovine mastitis.

Genital stones: Radiological, histopathological, ultrastructural, and molecular analysis in rooster.

Epididymal lithiasis, characterized by the formation of stones in the epididymis, has been associated with a decline in fertility in roosters. This study aimed to investigate the reproductive performance, ultrastructural characteristics, and expression of aromatase cytochrome P450 (CYP19) and aquaporin 9 (AQP9) in aged broiler breeder roosters affected by epididymal lithiasis. X-ray analysis confirmed the presence of genital stones in both the epididymis and testicular tissue regions. While there was a significant decrease in sperm concentration in the affected roosters compared to non-affected roosters, no significant differences were observed in total and progressive sperm motility between the two groups. Furthermore, the affected roosters exhibited significant abnormalities in semen parameters, except for sperm concentration and morphology. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed the depletion and deciliation of ciliated cells in the distal efferent ductules of the epididymis in affected roosters. Additionally, the expression of CYP19 and AQP9 was found to be increased in the epididymal region of affected roosters. Notably, we report the presence of testicular stones for the first time in this study, in addition to epididymal stones. Considering the male reproductive tract lesions observed, we propose the term "genital stones" to describe these conditions. Moreover, our findings suggest that the overexpression of AQP9, which is associated with a high copy number of the CYP19 gene in the epididymal region of affected aged roosters, may contribute to the formation of genital stones by promoting increased reabsorption of fluids in the epididymis. The condensation of epididymal duct contents and reduction in the population of ciliated cells further impairs semen movement and can lead to the blockage of extra-testicular ducts, resulting in the low fertility syndrome observed in aged roosters.

A systematic review and meta-analysis revealed a high-level antibiotic resistance of bovine mastitis Staphylococcus aureus in Iran.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a frequent and major etiological agent of bacterial bovine mastitis, leading to high economic losses. This pathogen readily becomes resistant to many antibiotics, resulting in persistent noncurable intramammary infection (IMI) in animals and the development of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of S. aureus strains causing bovine mastitis in Iran according to published data from 2000 to 2021. As there is still a dearth of information on the AMR of S. aureus from Iranian bovine mastitis, the primary focus and subgroup analysis of the present study was performed on Iranian isolates. A systematic review was done according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Based on the initial search, 1006 article were identified. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria and removing duplications, 55 English articles and 13 Persian articles (a total of 68 articles) were finally analyzed. The highest overall prevalence of resistance was reported against penicillin G (p-estimate = 0.568 for all isolates, and p-estimate = 0.838 for Iranian isolates), followed by ampicillin (p-estimate = 0.554, and p-estimate = 0.670 for all isolates and Iranian isolates, respectively) and amoxicillin (p-estimate = 0.391, and p-estimate = 0.695 for all isolates and Iranian isolates, respectively). Besides, the lowest prevalence of resistant isolates was related to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (p-estimate = 0.108 and 0.118 for all isolates and Iranian isolates, respectively) and gentamycin (p-estimate = 0.163 and 0.190, for all isolates and Iranian isolates, respectively). Our analysis showed that the Iranian isolates were more resistant to all antibiotics than those of all isolates. This difference was significant in the case of penicillin G, ampicillin, and erythromycin at 5%. To the best of our knowledge, except for ampicillin, AMR has increased over time for all the studied antibiotics in Iranian isolates. This increased rate was significant for penicillin G, amoxicillin, and tetracycline (p < 0.1). No differences in AMR were detected regarding the mastitis types (clinical vs. subclinical mastitis) for almost evaluated antibiotics. In conclusion, the prevalence of AMR S. aureus isolated from IMI was high particularly for bovine mastitis used antibiotics like penicillin G and ampicillin. Additionally, according to the increasing rate of AMR S. aureus in recent years in Iran, control strategies should be reinforced to avoid the spread of this pathogen and drug resistance.

Relative expression of aromatase in the male goat reproductive organs during different seasons.

Aromatase, a member of the cytochrome P450 superfamily (encoded by CYP19), is the enzyme responsible for the aromatization of androgens into estrogens which is the last step of estrogen biosynthesis. It plays an important role in reproduction and sexual development. The aromatase expression in many tissues and organs of different species is shown in the last two decades' investigation. This study was conducted to determine the relative seasonal expression of aromatase mRNA in testis, epididymis, vas deferens, prostate and seminal vesicle of a male goat. The aromatase expression of 16 male goat reproductive organs, slaughtered in the different seasons (n = 4 each season), were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results showed that during the autumn, aromatase mRNA expression of the testis was found to be significantly higher (p < .05) as compared to the spring and summer seasons. Higher aromatase mRNA expression was also found in the epididymis and seminal vesicle organs during the autumn and summer seasons. Interestingly, prostate and vas deferens aromatase mRNA expression during the summer was higher than in other seasons. The aromatase mRNA level analysis revealed that aromatase is expressed in all the examined reproductive organs in which a strong expression signal was detected in the testis and epididymis tissues. This study shows the expression of the aromatase in the goat reproductive organs in the breeding season which resembles other mammals with continuous breeding.