Dilated cardiomyopathy is one of the important diseases in dogs and humans. The second most common cause of heart failure in dogs is idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (iDCM), which results in heart ...failure or sudden cardiac death due to arrhythmia. This study aimed to determine changes in the plasma metabolome of dogs with iDCM compared to healthy dogs. For that purpose, a multiplatform mass-spectrometry-based approach was used. In this study, we included two groups of dogs: 12 dogs with iDCM and 8 healthy dogs. A total of 272 metabolites were detected in the plasma samples of dogs by combining three approaches but four MS-based platforms (GC-MS, LC-MS (untargeted), LC-MS (targeted), and FIA-MS (targeted) methods). Our findings demonstrated changes in the canine plasma metabolome involved in the development of iDCM, including the different concentrations of amino acids, biogenic amines, acylcarnitines, triglycerides and diglycerides, sphingomyelins, and organic acids. The results of this study will enable the detection and monitoring of pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the development of iDCM in the future.
Herniation of the intervertebral disc (IVDH) is the most common cause of neurological and intervertebral disc degeneration-related diseases. Since the disc starts to degenerate before it can be ...observed by currently available diagnostic methods, there is an urgent need for novel diagnostic approaches. To identify molecular networks and pathways which may play important roles in intervertebral disc herniation, as well as to reveal the potential features which could be useful for monitoring disease progression and prognosis, multi-omics profiling, including high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics and tandem mass tag (TMT)-based proteomics was performed. Cerebrospinal fluid of nine dogs with IVDH and six healthy controls were used for the analyses, and an additional five IVDH samples were used for proteomic data validation. Furthermore, multi-omics data were integrated to decipher a complex interaction between individual omics layers, leading to an improved prediction model. Together with metabolic pathways related to amino acids and lipid metabolism and coagulation cascades, our integromics prediction model identified the key features in IVDH, namely the proteins follistatin Like 1 (FSTL1), secretogranin V (SCG5), nucleobindin 1 (NUCB1), calcitonin re-ceptor-stimulating peptide 2 precursor (CRSP2) and the metabolites N-acetyl-D-glucosamine and adenine, involved in neuropathic pain, myelination, and neurotransmission and inflammatory response, respectively. Their clinical application is to be further investigated. The utilization of a novel integrative interdisciplinary approach may provide new opportunities to apply innovative diagnostic and monitoring methods as well as improve treatment strategies and personalized care for patients with degenerative spinal disorders.
The bacterial species
is the most common causative agent of mastitis in cows in most countries with a dairy industry. The prevalence of infection caused by
ranges from 2% to more than 50%, and it ...causes 10-12% of all cases of clinical mastitis.
The objective was to analyze 237 strains of
isolated from the milk of cows with subclinical mastitis regarding the
,
and
genes and to perform
and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST).
Sequencing amplified gene sequences was conducted at Macrogen Europe. Ridom StaphType and BioNumerics software was used to analyze obtained sequences of
and seven housekeeping genes.
The
fragment was present in 204 (86.1%) of strains, while
and
gene were detected in 10 strains, and the
gene was not detected.
typing successfully analyzed 153 tested isolates (64.3%), confirming 53
types, four of which were new types. The most frequent
type was t2678 (14%). MLST typed 198 (83.5%) tested strains and defined 32 different allele profiles, of which three were new. The most frequent allele profile was ST133 (20.7%). Six groups (G) and 15 singletons were defined.
Taking the number of confirmed
types and sequence types (STs) into account, it can be concluded that the strains of
isolated from the milk of cows with subclinical mastitis form a heterogenous group. To check the possible zoonotic potential of isolates it would be necessary to test the persons and other livestock on the farms.
Retained placenta (RP), a quite common disorder in dairy cows, shows a high negative impact on their health status and milk production.
To investigate the difference in the serum proteome between the ...cows with RP and the physiologic puerperium (PP).
Analysis of serum samples from nine cows with RP and six with PP using high-resolution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry approach. The proteins differing in the relative abundance between the PP and RP groups were classified using the Protein Analysis Through Evolutionary Relationship tool. For the pathway enrichment analysis, the REACTOME tool, with the human genome as the background, was employed. The criterion for significance was the false discovery rate corrected P-value less than 0.05.
In total 651 proteins were identified with altered relative abundance of ten proteins. Among them, seven had higher, and three showed lower relative abundance in RP than in the PP group. The differently abundant proteins participated in 15 pathways: six related to hemostasis, three involved in lipoprotein metabolism, and the remaining ones associated with for instance redox homeostasis, post-translational modification, and scavenging. Finally, the validation of the proteomic results showed that haptoglobin and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein levels reliably differentiated between the RP and PP groups.
The pattern of serum proteome alterations in the cows with RP mirrored several interplaying mechanisms underlying the systematic response to the presence of RP, therefore representing a source to mine for predictive or prognostic biomarkers.
When choosing a voluntary blood donor (VBD), it is important to ensure the donor health, and at the same time to produce a quality and safe blood product. The donor selection process leads to donor ...rejection related to their current health condition. The aim of this study was to determine gender differences in VBDs, to examine the reasons for their rejection, and to determine the share of permanently and temporarily deferred VBD, especially due to low hemoglobin levels. The research was conducted in eastern Croatia in the 2014 to 2018 period. The study included 144,041 blood donations from a total of 80,418 VBDs, of which 83.3% of donations were from male VBDs and 16.7% from female VBDs. There were 11.46% of temporarily deferred and permanently rejected donors. Out of all temporarily deferred donors and possible reasons for deferral, the largest share of deferrals referred to a reduced hemoglobin level, which accounted for 54% in female VBD and 46% in male VBD. Female VBDs made up to one-third of total VBDs and account for one-sixth of total blood donations. Low hemoglobin was the most common reason for VBD deferral. Gender and age are related to blood hemoglobin levels in rejected and accepted donors. Female VBDs represent a potential reservoir for increasing the total number of VBDs.
The present study aimed to determinate the effect of external progesterone (P4) supplementation on luteolysis in cows under heat stress. Forty-eight (n=48) dairy cows in the period from ...July–September 2018 were part of and at day 35±3 postpartum scored for BSC, synchronized using PG-3-G + Ovsynch protocol and randomly allocated into two treatments: PRID group (n=27) treated with external P4 device between G1 and PGF
and CON group (n=21) left without treatment. Collection of blood samples to assess P4 concentrations was done at Pre-PG, at G1, at PGF
, at 72 h after PGF
(at timed artificial insemination TAI) and at d 21 after TAI. The pregnancy diagnosis was done at d 21 and d 30 after TAI by ultrasound. The average temperature-humidity index (THI) was 79.5±0.6. At G1, the P4 was significantly lower in the PRID group (1.84±0.99 ng/mL) in comparison to the CON group (2.97±1.82 ng/mL). In contrast, at PGF
, there was a tendency (p=0.09) of increased P4 concentration in PRID group compared with the CON group (4.26±1.68 and 3.74±2.39 ng/mL), respectively. At TAI, more PRID cows (p=0.0001) had a lower P4 (0.06±0.03 ng/mL), in comparison to CON (1.28±2.41 ng/mL). At d 21 and d 30 after TAI, more PRID cows were predicted and diagnosed pregnant (16/27 or 59.25% and 13/27 or 48.14%) compared with the CON group (11/21 or 52.38% and 8/21 or 38.08%) respectively, but without any significant differences. Supplementation of the P4 during the Ovsynch protocol increases the P4 before TAI and reduces the incomplete luteolysis in heat stressed dairy cows.
Mastitis in dairy cows is responsible for major economic losses on dairy farms worldwide as the most expensive and prevalent disease in dairy cattle. In spite of the fact that antibiotic therapy ...still remains the main treatment strategy for bovine mastitis, concerns about the shortcomings of this treatment approach are continuously raised. Hence, research on alternative treatments with increased effectiveness and reduced costs is needed. Therefore, we conducted a pharmacoeconomic analysis of conventional antibiotic vs. a proposed Phyto-Bomat treatment based on essential oils in bovine mastitis therapy. Treatments were compared from the farmer's perspective in the domain of costs (expressed in total, direct and indirect, cost differences) and effectiveness (expressed in daily milk yield differences). Economic calculations were based on data from a dairy farm in Serbia. The average cost of conventional antibiotic treatment was estimated at EUR 80.32 consisting of therapy costs, veterinary services and milk rejection costs at EUR 16.54, EUR 17.68 and EUR 46.10, respectively. The average cost of Phyto-Bomat treatment was estimated at EUR 76.34 with therapy costs of EUR 34.34, veterinary costs of EUR 32.00 and rejection of milk costs of only EUR 10.00. Therefore, Phyto-Bomat results in cost savings approximating EUR 4 per each mastitis episode with the highest cost reductions obtained in milk rejection costs. This estimation of Phyto-Bomat's economic benefits could be used as a starting point for the inclusion of this formulation as an alternative treatment approach with a focus on subclinical mastitis since it contributes to most of the financial losses.
Bovine mastitis, as a significant and prevalent health problem in dairy herds, is primarily attributed to bacterial infections. Yeasts, although considered relatively rare causative agents, have also ...been associated with mastitis in dairy cattle. Current mastitis treatment predominantly relies on antibiotics, with limited emphasis on antifungal treatment. However, mycotic mastitis is challenging to treat, since these fungi are often resistant to antibiotics and may even utilize them for energy. In the current research, the in vivo antimicrobial activity of the essential oil-based formulation (Phyto-Bomat), as a possible alternative mastitis treatment associated with yeasts, was studied. This study involved a total of 68 animals from two dairy farms with diagnosed mastitis, and three treatment groups were established: conventional antibiotic treatment, Phyto-Bomat treatment, and the combination of both. The findings suggest significant variations in the presence of Candida samples based on the treatment administered, and the most significant difference was noted in cows treated with the combination (Phyto-Bomat and antibiotics). Yet, it is important to note that the results reveal that, regardless of the treatment type, there are statistically significant differences in the presence of Candida samples across the examined time points. These results aim to provide valuable insights into the potential of EOs as an alternative therapy in bovine mastitis, specifically targeting yeasts. Such findings could offer new strategies in the mycotic mastitis control and reducing the occurrence of secondary infections following antibiotic treatment.
Antimicrobials have had an important impact on animal health and production performance. However, non-prudent antimicrobial use (AMU) in food producing animals is considered to contribute to the ...emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), with a potential impact on both animal and public health. Considering the global importance of AMR, and the threats and challenges posed by mastitis and mastitis therapy in livestock production, the main objective of this study was to quantify AMU on three dairy farms in Serbia and to examine whether there is an association between AMU and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance of mastitis-associated pathogens. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by the disk diffusion method using causative agents isolated from the milk samples of 247 dairy cows. AMU data were obtained for a one-year period (May 2021 to May 2022) based on antibiotic prescriptions listed in electronic databases kept by farm veterinarians. To estimate antimicrobial drug exposure at the farm level, the veterinary drug Defined Daily Dose was calculated by multiplying the total amount of antibiotic used on the farms during the study period by the quantity of antibiotic in the administered drug and number of original drug packages used. The results on the association between the use of common antibiotics in mastitis treatment and AMR of isolated mastitis-associated pathogens confirm a pattern that could raise awareness of the importance of this aspect of good veterinary and clinical practice to combat the global threat of AMR.
Mastitis is one of the most frequent diseases of dairy cows throughout the world, therefore it causes the greatest economic losses in dairy cattle industry. These losses are reflected through: ...reduced milk production, increased costs of medication and the other animal health services, reduced fertility, early culling of animals and the value of discarded milk. Mastitis is also important from the aspects of public health, milk processing and animal welfare. In the pathogenesis of mastitis the key role plays the innate immune response which is the first line of defence against the pathogen invasion of the udder. The innate immune response generates an inflammatory reaction which is the elementary response of an organism to the tissue trauma induced by any physical, chemical or biological causative agent, but primarily it is the protective mechanism of a vital significance which includes increased phagocytic activity, secretion of antimicrobial substances, fibrosis as well as the alterations in tissue structure of affected organ or body cavity. The release of a number of inflammatory mediators as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) is an important part of inflammatory response. In dairy cows, the metabolic challenge that occurred during the transition from dry period to early lactation may additionally increase the release of ROS which may contribute to development of oxidative stress and inflammatory response. Oxidative stress is defined as a shift in the balance from cellular oxidation-reduction reactions towards oxidation, i.e. to the state of excessive release of oxidants when their removal by antioxidants is impaired and even insufficient. During peripartum period antioxidantive status of dairy cows is seriously impaired and consequently both the oxidative stress and inflammatory response may present the predisposing factors to their higher susceptibility to intramammary infections (IMI) and mastitis. This association between oxidative stress and inflammation during IMI and mastitis indicates their role in the pathogenesis of mastitis. Thus, a better understanding of such a synergism could contribute to development of new approaches to prevention and therapy of IMI and mastitis.
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