• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.734-741
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• 2019

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the relationship between plasma and salivary cortisol concentrations in beef cattle that were subjected to handling prior to sampling. Methods: Twenty-one Nguni cows of three age categories; 5 to 7 yr (n = 7), 8 to 10 yr (n = 6), and 11 to 13 yr (n = 8) were handled for five consecutive weeks. In the pen, a human avoidance test was performed and cattle responses to restraint in the chute and crush were observed. In addition, rectal temperature readings were taken and, faecal samples were collected and analysed for glucocorticoid metabolites. Through the handling and restraint process, excretory and vocalisation behaviour, as a sign of stress were observed and recorded. Thereafter, six cows were randomly selected and subjected to an adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenge. Blood and saliva samples were extracted to determine cortisol concentrations. Results: Repeated handling affected (p<0.05) faecal glucocorticoid metabolites, rectal temperatures, avoidance distance, crush scores as well as urination and defaecation behaviour. Acclimation to handling was variable based on each respective parameter. Saliva cortisol concentrations increased and decreased significantly (p<0.001). A peak value of $136.78{\pm}15.869nmol/L$ was observed 30min after administration of ACTH, from a baseline value of $8.75{\pm}15.869nmol/L$. Plasma cortisol concentrations did not differ (p>0.05) across the time of sampling. A low and insignificant correlation (r = 0.0131, p>0.05) between plasma and saliva cortisol was therefore observed. Conclusion: We conclude that if beef cows are subjected to handling prior to sampling, a weak relationship exists between plasma and salivary cortisol levels.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.295-304
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• 2017

Opisthorchis viverrini infection induces chronic inflammation, and a minor proportion of infected individuals develop advanced periductal fibrosis (APF) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). Inflammatory cytokines and/or their gene polymorphisms may link to these biliary pathologies. We therefore investigated associations among cytokine gene polymorphisms and cytokine production in 510 Thai cases infected with O. viverrini who presented with APF+ or APF-, as established by abdominal ultrasonography as well as in patients diagnosed with CCA. Levels of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines were determined in culture supernatants after stimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with O. viverrini excretory-secretory (ES) products. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-$1{\beta}$, IL-6, IFN-${\gamma}$, LT-${\alpha}$, and TNF-${\alpha}$ were significantly increased in CCA patients compared with non-CCA (APF- and APF+) cases. Polymorphisms in genes encoding IL-$1{\beta}$-511C/T, IL-6-174G/C, IFN-${\gamma}$+874T/A, LT-${\alpha}$+252A/G, and TNF-${\alpha}$-308G/A were then investigated by using PCR-RFLP or allele specific-PCR (AS-PCR) analyses. In the CCA cases, LT-${\alpha}$+252A/G and TNF-${\alpha}$-308G/A heterozygous and homozygous variants showed significantly higher levels of these cytokines than the wild type. By contrast, levels of cytokines in wild type of IFN-${\gamma}$+874T/A were significantly higher than the variants in CCA cases. IFN-${\gamma}$+874T/A polymorphisms were associated with advanced periductal fibrosis, whereas IL-6-174G/C polymorphisms were associated with CCA. To our knowledge, these findings provide the first demonstration that O. viverrini infected individuals carrying several specific cytokine gene polymorphisms are susceptible to develop fibrosis and CCA.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.109-118
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• 1989

Production of circulating specific antibodies to the lung fluke (Paragenimus westermani) by its host is well known and used in various kinds of immunodiagnostic methods, However, it has not been well documented which compartments (or structures) of the lung fluke are most responsible for the production of specific antibodies. The present immunohistochemical study was undertaken to demonstrate the antigenicity of each body compartment of p. westermani such as suckers, tegument, spines, vitelline glands, intestine, reproductive organs(male and female), and eggs. Indiret immunoperoxidase(IP) stain technique was applied, using formalin-fked, paraffin- embedded lung tissues of P westermani-infected cats sectioned in 4 Um thickness as the antigen and cat antisera (11~20 weeks of infection) as the primary antibody. Peroxidase-conjugated goat anti-cat IgG was used as the secondary antibody and diaminobensidine(DAB) as the coloring agent. Strong yellow or yellowish brown staining was regarded positive. The primary and secondary antibody dilutions were made at 1 : 500~1 : 2, 000 and 1 : 200~1 : 500 respectively, and IP stain was repeated 10 times for each dilution. A consistent result obtained was that the intestinal epithelial border, intestinal content, vitelline glands, and eggs scattered around the worm capsule showed strong positive staining, while uterine eggs and some parenchymal portions showed weak positive reaction. On the other hand, the suckers, tegument, spines, subtegumental cells, cytoplasm of intestinal epithelial cells, male reproductive organs, and ovary revealed negative staining. The body compartments showing higher antigenicity were, in the decreasing order, the intestinal epithelial border, intestinal content, eggs in the worm capsule, vitelline glands, uterine eggs, and parenchymatous portions. The intestinal epithelial border and luminal contents revealed positive staining even at a few concentration of 1 : 4, 000 primary antibody(secondary ab., 1 : 200) whereas the parenchymatous portion showed positive reaction only at higher concentrations than 1'500 (secondary ab., 1 : 200). The results suggest that the specific antibody responses of the host to p. westermani occur most strongly upon the excretes from the intestinal epithelium of the worm and e99s Produced around the worm capsule,