Out of 150 small ruminants examined from villages near Pantnagar and organized farms, among them 144 animals were found positive for mixed parasitic infection, including Haemonchus sp, Paramphistomum sp, Trichuris sp. and Moniezia sp. Overall prevalence was found 96.00% in which animals from villages has more prevalence (96.15%) than organized farm (96.00%) but organized farms has more prevalence of Haemonchus sp (95.00%) than animals of villages (76.92%), overall Paramphistomum sp was found 36.00% while Trichuris sp and Moniezia sp revealed 14.00% and 12.00% prevalence, respectively.
Newcastle disease (ND) is prevalent among the domesticated and the wild birds and is caused by the avian paramyxovirus serotype-I (APMV-I). It is commonly known to affect chicken, pheasant, ostrich, pigeon and waterfowl. Depending on the virulence, the velogenic NDV strains cause severe respiratory and nervous disorders with a high mortality rate. The live and killed vaccines are available for the prevention of infection in the market, but the drug for the treatment is not available. Nitazoxanide (NTZ), a member of thiazolides, is an antiparasitic drug. In the present study, the effect of NTZ on the NDV replication was explored. The experiments were conducted in chicken fibroblast cells (DF-1), PBMC, embryonated chicken eggs, and two-week old chickens. The inhibition of the NDV was observed upon post-treatment of NTZ at a concentration of~12.5 μM. Cytokine profiling of the DF-1, PBMC, and chicken embryonic tissue treated with NTZ revealed significant upregulation in all the cytokines studied except for IL-1β in DF-1 cells. It is plausible that NTZ is involved in causing immunemodulatory effects in poultry. NTZ treatment in two weeks old chicken showed significant reduction in NDV replication in trachea, and lungs, respectively, at 72 h post-infection. Encouraging results from the present study warrants repurposing NTZ as a drug for the treatment of viral infection in poultry. It will also pave the way towards understanding of similar effect against other animal pathogens.
Indigenous bull breeds attain puberty late in life when compared to the breeds of <italic>Bos taurus</italic>. Cross breeding between <italic>Bos taurus</italic> and <italic>Bos indicus</italic> has decreased the age at puberty and increased the total semen production period of bulls. However, some of the drawbacks like impaired semen production, poor libido, and low freezability are common among the crossbred bulls in India. Leydig and Sertoli cells are the most important non–germinal cells of testes that are essential for sperm production. The development and differentiation of these testicular cells occurs during postnatal period in bull calves and are dependent on the transient rise in gonadotropins, insulin–like growth factor 1 (IGF–1), and other growth factors. Administration of gonadotropins or gonadotropin–releasing hormone (GnRH) before the transient rise initiates the multiplication of Leydig and Sertoli cells, and results in hastened onset of sexual maturity, increased testicular weight, sperm output, and number of germ cells. Supplementation of high–energy diet during the period of 2–6 months is essential as it increases the IGF–1 release that further acts to release GnRH and development of testicular non–germinal cells. This review highlights some of the developments made with respect to regulation of postnatal development of testes, early detection of fertility, and ways to augment the sperm production capacity.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.