Feline calicivirus (FCV) and feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) are the two primary causes of upper respiratory tract disease in cats. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the distribution of FCV and FHV-1 among the feline population of several counties in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. To this end, conjunctival and nasal swabs were collected from 302 cats from different locations, including households, breeding catteries, veterinary clinics, animal hospitals and experimental research facilities. The samples were collected between July 2006 to June 2009. The virus isolation was performed in CRFK cells and, subsequently, the identification was confirmed by PCR. FCV, FHV-1, or both were isolated from 55 cats from 28 different locations. FCV alone was isolated from 52.7% (29/55) of the animals that tested positively, FHV-1 alone was isolated from 38.2% (21/55) of the animals that tested positively, and co-infection were detected in 9.1% (5/55) of the animals that tested positively. Virus detection was more prevalent in cats that were less than 1 year old, among animals that shared a living space with other cats, and females. FCV and FHV-1 were isolated from vaccinated cats. In addition, both viruses were isolated from cats that showed no signs of disease. The results suggest that a carrier state is common for both viruses in the evaluated population. A search for other causes of respiratory disease in that population is necessary; and further studies relating to the molecular characterization of viruses and vaccine efficacy are also necessary.

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The contamination of consumer food and animal feed with toxigenic fungi has resulted in economic losses worldwide in animal industries. Mycotoxins are highly biologically reactive secondary metabolites and can inhibit protein synthesis and cell multiplication. Considering the cytotoxicity of mycotoxins, this experiment was performed to determine the in vitro influence of ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol and zearalenone on lipid peroxidation in lymphocytes of broiler chickens at different concentrations. This study has also evaluated whether the presence of these mycotoxins changes the acetylcholinesterase activity in lymphocytes, which is involved in the regulation of immune and inflammatory responses. Blood lymphocytes of broiler chickens were isolated through density gradient centrifugation and incubated with the respective mycotoxins at concentrations of 0.001, 0.01, 0.1 and 1 μg/mL. Lipid peroxidation, which was evaluated through the amount of malondialdehyde measured in a thiobarbituric acid-reactive species test, and the enzymatic activity were analyzed at 24, 48 and 72 h. Results of the lipid peroxidation evaluation showed an increasing cytotoxicity relation: ochratoxin A > deoxynivalenol > zearalenone. Conversely, cytotoxicity was valued as zearalenone > deoxynivalenol > ochratoxin A in relation to the acetylcholinesterase enzymatic activity. At a concentration of 1 μg/mL, ochratoxin A and deoxynivalenol induced the highest cellular oxidative stress levels and the highest enzymatic activity at the majority of time points. However, the same mycotoxins, except at 1 μg/mL concentration, induced a reduction of lymphocytic lipid peroxidation 72 h after incubation, suggesting the action of a compensatory mechanism in these cells.

The aim of the present work was to study the in-vitro cytotoxic effects of different concentrations of aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) on broiler lymphocytes. Lymphocyte-rich mononuclear cells were separated by Ficoll-Histopaque density and cultured in 96-wellplates containing the evaluated AFB 1 concentrations in 5% CO 2 atmosphere at 39°C. Thereafter, MTT, PicoGreen, and reactive oxygen species assays were performed. Cell viability decreased in the presence of 10 µg/mL AFB 1 at 48 h (p < 0.05) and of 10 and 20 µg/mL AFB 1 at 72 h (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001, respectively) when compared to the control (0 µg/mL). However, a dose-dependent increase in the cell-free DNA at 24 h was observed at 1, 10 and 20 µg/mL (p < 0.001). ROS formation significantly increased at 24 h at all concentrations (p < 0.001). The in-vitro results demonstrate that AFB 1 is cytotoxic and causes biomolecular oxidative damage in broiler lymphocytes.

The yeast Malassezia pachydermatis is part of the normal cutaneous microflora of most homoeothermic vertebrates. However, under certain conditions as high humidity, seborrheic skin, corticotherapy and immunodeficiency, it can become pathogenic and cause dermatopathies. The pathogenic role of the genus Malassezia seems to be related to physical, chemical and immunological disturbances and to the production of enzymes, including lipases, phospholipases and hydrolases. The Api-Zym ® system is a semi quantitative method designed for the study of 19 enzymatic activities of tissues, cell suspensions, biological fluids, microorganisms, soil and others. Herein, the use of the Api-Zym system in 30 M. pachydermatis isolates detected the presence of the phosphohydrolases: acid phosphatase and naphtol-AS-BI-phosphohydrolase among all isolates, independently of the clinical sign associated to the animal. The knowledge of the enzymatic profile of M. pachydermatis aims to contribute to the comprehension of the role of each enzyme in the pathogeny of this yeast.