Frontiers in Veterinary Science最新文献

{"title":"Variation in the early-life interdigital skin microbiota of lambs in a commercial sheep flock.","authors":"Katharine Lewis, Marisa Draycott, Laura Green, Rachel Clifton","doi":"10.3389/fvets.2026.1923848","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2026.1923848","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The factors shaping early-life microbial colonisation of the ovine interdigital skin, and their potential relevance to foot health and footrot susceptibility, remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated variation in the interdigital skin microbiota among lambs in different age-location groups.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Interdigital skin swabs were collected from all four feet of 25 lambs aged 0-15 days on a commercial farm. Bacterial community composition was characterised using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing, and quantitative PCR was used to estimate total bacterial load and detect <i>Dichelobacter nodosus</i>.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Community composition differed markedly among lamb age-location groups. Microbial communities were more tightly clustered in newborn lambs than in older lambs and total bacterial load was higher in lambs ≥ 1 day old. A consistent early-life core microbiome, dominated by <i>Staphylococcaceae</i> and <i>Corynebacteriaceae</i>, was detected across all groups, although dominant amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) differed among age-location groups. <i>D. nodosus</i> was not detected in any lambs; however, ASVs assigned to the genus <i>Porphyromonas</i> were detected in the interdigital skin microbiota at birth.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings demonstrate substantial variation in the early-life interdigital skin microbiota among lamb age-location groups, providing a baseline for future studies investigating microbial community development and ovine footrot.</p>","PeriodicalId":12772,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Veterinary Science","volume":"13 ","pages":"1923848"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13662760/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149192910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plant extracts as alternatives for chemical disinfectants in veterinary settings in seven sub-Saharan African countries.","authors":"Abass Elhadi, Alaa Ibrahim, Enass M Abdalla, Julius B Okuni, Victoria O Adetunji, Akinlabi Ogunleye, George Ademowo, Yimtubezinash Woldeamanuel, Yakhya Dieye, Michael Frímpong, Sheila Makiala-Mandanda, Annemarie Kaesbohrer, Damalie Nakanjako, Ahmed Abd El Wahed, Uwe Truyen, Kamal H Eltom","doi":"10.3389/fvets.2026.1895590","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2026.1895590","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Extracts of many medicinal plants possess antimicrobial activities and have been suggested in many studies as alternative antimicrobial agents to overcome the increasing antimicrobial-resistant bacteria worldwide. But the potential use of these medicinal plants in disinfection received little or no attention, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.</p><p><strong>Aim of the study: </strong>This review aimed at identifying from available literature candidate medicinal plants for use as alternatives for chemical disinfectants in resource-limited veterinary settings in seven African countries (Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, the Sudan and Uganda).</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Online search in PubMed was conducted for literature from Africa on medicinal plants with reported antimicrobial activity. Then, five medicinal plants were selected based on documented antimicrobial activity of the aqueous extract, the plant part used for extraction, presence in all countries of the study, affordability and availability of sufficient online literature.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The selected plant species were <i>Vachellia nilotica</i> (L.)<i>, Aloe vera</i> (L.), <i>Citrus ×aurantiifolia</i>, <i>Hibiscus sabdariffa</i> (L.) and <i>Moringa oleifera</i> (Lam). Available online literature on these medicinal plants shows activity of their crude aqueous extracts against many bacteria, fungi and viruses, but provides few information on the minimum inhibitory concertation (MIC) of the extracts.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The aqueous extracts of these medicinal plants can be prepared by simple techniques without sophisticated equipment. The long use of these medicinal plants in food or in ethnomedicine support their use as safe, accessible, sustainable and low-cost disinfectants in settings where chemical disinfectants are scarce, expensive, or supply-chain dependent. It should be emphasized that application conditions, concentrations and preparation methods require standardization and evaluation before practical use in disinfection.</p>","PeriodicalId":12772,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Veterinary Science","volume":"13 ","pages":"1895590"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663173/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149192949","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First report of novel single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genetic characteristics of the prion-like protein gene (<i>PRND</i>) in cynomolgus monkeys.","authors":"Chung-Bae Oh, Da-In Choi, Byung-Hoon Jeong","doi":"10.3389/fvets.2026.1946289","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fvets.2026.1946289","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are fatal neurodegenerative diseases caused by misfolded prion protein. The prion-like protein (Doppel), encoded by the prion-like protein gene (<i>PRND</i>), is linked to neurodegeneration and TSE susceptibility. While <i>PRND</i> polymorphisms have been studied in various species, their genetic features in non-human primates remain unexplored. Cynomolgus monkeys (<i>Macaca fascicularis</i>), which are genetically close to humans, are a valuable model to study the role of <i>PRND</i> polymorphisms in prion disease susceptibility. We performed polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify the monkey <i>PRND</i> gene and investigated genetic polymorphisms in cynomolgus monkeys (<i>n</i> = 121). Genotype, allele, and haplotype frequencies, as well as linkage disequilibrium (LD), were analyzed to assess the genetic architecture of the population using Haploview (v4.2). Monkey <i>PRND</i> amino acid sequences were compared with those of several species using ClustalW. The effects of non-synonymous SNPs and the structural analysis of monkey Doppel were evaluated using <i>in silico</i> tools. We identified 15 novel genetic polymorphisms in the monkey <i>PRND</i> gene, including 12 variants located within the open reading frame (ORF), one in the upstream region, and two in the downstream region. In addition, LD analysis revealed several strong LD relationships among <i>PRND</i> polymorphisms in monkeys. ClustalW analysis showed that humans and monkeys shared the same <i>PRND</i> sequence length and exhibited high sequence homology. <i>In silico</i> analyses demonstrated that the non-synonymous SNPs, c.61C>T (L21F) and c.370G>C (D124H), were predicted to have damaging effects. This is the first report on the genetic and structural features of <i>PRND</i> polymorphisms in monkeys, showing that several non-synonymous amino acid substitutions may affect the structural stability of monkey Doppel proteins.</p>","PeriodicalId":12772,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Veterinary Science","volume":"13 ","pages":"1946289"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13661434/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149181385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Polystyrene nanoplastics potentiate cadmium-induced pyroptosis and apoptosis in primary duck hepatocytes: differential responses to N-acetylcysteine.","authors":"Zhixuan Chen, Yan Chen, Zhili Yu, Qingqing Xu, Qihang Li, Yonggang Ma, Xishuai Tong, Haibo Jin, Wei Liu, Hongyan Zhao, Jianhong Gu, Yan Yuan, Jianchun Bian, Zongping Liu, Hui Zou","doi":"10.3389/fvets.2026.1946639","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fvets.2026.1946639","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Nanoplastics (NPs) can act as carriers for heavy metals, and co-exposure to NPs and co-pollutants may produce greater toxicity than single exposure. However, the combined toxicity of nanoplastics and heavy metals in poultry liver cells remains poorly understood.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Primary duck embryonic hepatocytes (PDEH) were used as an <i>in vitro</i> model. Cells were exposed to polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs, 80 nm, 10 μg/mL) and/or cadmium chloride (CdCl2, 4 μg/mL) for 12 h. Pyroptosis- and apoptosis-associated endpoints were assessed by brightfield microscopy, PI staining, SEM, flow cytometry, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting. The antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC, 5 μg/mL) was used to evaluate the responses of these pathways.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Co-exposure to PS-NPs and Cd potentiated cadmium-induced pyroptosis-associated morphological changes, including cell swelling, rounding, membrane blebbing, and surface pore formation. Mechanistically, co-exposure activated the NLRP3/Caspase-1/GSDMD signaling axis, as indicated by increased NLRP3, cleaved Caspase-1 (P20/P10), GSDMD-NT, and intracellular IL-1β maturation. Co-exposure also exacerbated apoptosis-associated changes, including an increased Bax/Bcl-2 ratio and a higher Annexin V-positive cell population. NAC effectively reversed the apoptosis-associated endpoints but did not significantly alter the selected pyroptosis-associated markers under the present <i>in vitro</i> exposure conditions.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings suggest that PS-NPs potentiate Cd-induced hepatotoxicity in primary duck hepatocytes, with concurrent activation of pyroptosis- and apoptosis-associated signaling. The differential responses to NAC indicate that antioxidant intervention may preferentially attenuate apoptosis-associated injury under the present <i>in vitro</i> exposure conditions, while pyroptosis-associated signaling may require alternative targeted interventions. These results provide new insights into the combined toxicity of nanoplastics and heavy metals in avian hepatocytes.</p>","PeriodicalId":12772,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Veterinary Science","volume":"13 ","pages":"1946639"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13661366/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149181400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fibrolytic capacity of the gut microbiome in captive African elephants (<i>Loxodonta africana</i>): a pilot study.","authors":"Barbara U Metzler-Zebeli, Folko Balfanz, Fritz Vollrath","doi":"10.3389/fvets.2026.1933152","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2026.1933152","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>African elephants (<i>Loxodonta africana</i>) depend on the fibrolytic capacity of their gut microbiome (GMB) to efficiently utilize fibrous plant material. However, knowledge is missing on the temporal stability and functional dynamics (especially fibrolytic capacity) of their GMB. Likewise, information on the associated volatile fatty acids (VFA) production in the elephant's hindgut is scarce. In this pilot study, we collected feces from five captive African elephants on two occasions separated by 12 months to explore the GMB composition and its changes over time. We characterized the GMB's fibrolytic potential based on total microbial numbers and metagenome composition, including carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZy), and fecal VFA, at individual and group level. Elephants received a roughage-based diet, which contained more carrots at the second than at the first sampling. Bacteria, specifically fibrolytic <i>Prevotella</i>, <i>Bacteroides</i>, <i>Ruminococcus</i> and <i>Fibrobacter</i> dominated the GMB, while archaea, fungi and protozoa were less present. <i>Treponema</i> was highly abundant, which might be an adaptation to maximize energy gain from cellulose-rich food. The elephants showed individual shifts in GMB composition from the first to second sampling. The shift in functional gene composition from the first to the second sampling was similar among elephants. It showed distinct clustering of CAZy families between fecal collections and discriminated features related to breakdown of carrot pectin for the second sampling. Sparse partial least squares-discriminant analysis identified (hemi-)cellulolytic genera within <i>Prevotellaceae</i> as discriminant taxa, which positively associated with CAZy families but negatively with VFA. At group level, fecal VFA concentrations were similar among elephants. However, opposite shifts from the first to the second sampling were detected among elephants at individual level. It may be speculated whether feeding decisions of three related females might explain the increase of VFA in their feces at the second compared to the first sampling, whereas VFA were lower in feces of the non-related female at the second sampling. We assert that this pilot study on GMB taxonomy and carbohydrate breakdown in captive African elephants may be helpful for feeding management at zoological gardens.</p>","PeriodicalId":12772,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Veterinary Science","volume":"13 ","pages":"1933152"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663176/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149192977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Case Report: Epitheliotropic cutaneous presentation of multicentric diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in a dog.","authors":"Gyu-Hyun Kim, Byung-Gee Ko, Se-Hoon Kim, Kyoung-Won Seo, Hwa-Young Youn, Min-Ok Ryu","doi":"10.3389/fvets.2026.1949754","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fvets.2026.1949754","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common histological subtype of canine multicentric lymphoma, whereas epitheliotropism is classically associated with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. A 9-year-old neutered male Chihuahua was diagnosed with stage IVb multicentric lymphoma and achieved complete remission with a UW-25 L-CHOP protocol. However, an upper lip mass, cytologically consistent with lymphoma, developed during remission. Electrochemotherapy was performed for local control and resulted in marked reduction of the lesion. The dog later developed recurrent peripheral lymphadenopathy and multiple progressive cutaneous masses despite various chemotherapy protocols and was euthanized at week 59 because of progressive clinical deterioration. Histopathology confirmed diffuse large cell lymphoma in the submandibular lymph node, whereas the cutaneous lesions showed neoplastic lymphoid infiltration with multifocal epidermal invasion, mimicking epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) confirmed diffuse CD20 expression in both sites, with CD3 labeling limited to scattered background lymphocytes. These findings supported the interpretation of secondary cutaneous involvement of DLBCL with a highly unusual epitheliotropic pattern and emphasize the importance of IHC for accurate immunophenotypic classification of cutaneous lymphoma lesions.</p>","PeriodicalId":12772,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Veterinary Science","volume":"13 ","pages":"1949754"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13661326/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149181135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative analysis of feeding probiotic and exogenous buffer on growth performance, nutrient utilization, blood biochemistry, rumen fermentation pattern and carcass characteristics of crossbred lambs reared under feedlot.","authors":"Qazi Shehriyar Sahib, Haidar Ali Ahmed, Ifla Aafaq, Javid Farooq, Tahir Nazir, Zubair Ahmad Akhoon","doi":"10.3389/fvets.2026.1964601","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fvets.2026.1964601","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Feedlot nutrition is formulated to maximize growth rate and feed efficiency for high-quality meat production; however, high-grain diets can disrupt rumen function and cause digestive disorders, the inclusion of non-nutritive feed additives helps counter these effects, thereby enhancing growth performance and overall feed efficiency.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The present study was carried out to delineate the effect of feeding <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> strain 1,026 as probiotic and sodium bicarbonate as exogenous buffer on performance of feedlot crossbred lambs. Fifteen crossbred lambs were selected and divided equally into three treatment groups <i>viz</i>., FT, FT-P and FT-SB. In FT group, animals were fed feedlot diet only; while in FT-P and FT-SB groups, <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> and sodium bicarbonate were offered as feed additives, respectively. A 74-days feeding trial was conducted, including 10-days metabolism trial at the end.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>No effect (<i>p</i> > 0.05) was observed in dry matter intake (DMI), body weight indices, feed conversion ratio (FCR), digestibility coefficients of nutrients and haemato-biochemical parameters. Rumen pH was significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.05) higher in FT-P group than FT group. Dressing percentage showed significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.05) higher values in FT-P group.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The present experiment validates that feeding of <i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i> had more beneficial effect than sodium bicarbonate feeding on the performance of feedlot lambs.</p>","PeriodicalId":12772,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Veterinary Science","volume":"13 ","pages":"1964601"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13661470/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149181284","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Case Report: Ventriculoperitoneal shunt for management of syringomyelia and Chiari-like malformation in a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.","authors":"Ana Fernandez Cid, Joana Tabanez, Carina Black, Clare Rusbridge","doi":"10.3389/fvets.2026.1946635","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2026.1946635","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A 1-year-old male Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (CKCS) was presented with spinal hyperesthesia, reluctance to exercise, and phantom scratching. MRI revealed a Chiari-like malformation (CM) with brachycephaly, cerebellar herniation, ventriculomegaly, and syringomyelia extending from the odontoid peg to L5, with a maximum transverse syrinx width of 7.0 mm at C2-C3. Medical management (meloxicam and gabapentin) failed to resolve clinical signs. Due to significantly increased lateral ventricles and concern for syrinx progression, a ventriculoperitoneal shunt was placed. Aside from transient post-operative pneumocephalus, the procedure was successful. The dog showed significant clinical improvement, and follow-up MRI demonstrated syrinx reduction and resolution of lateral ventricles. At 6 months post-op, the syrinx measured 2.3 mm. Eight months after the surgery, the dog experienced a brief episode of a suspected movement disorder like but recovered fully. The patient remains pain-free and neurologically normal. This case describes the clinical and imaging outcomes of ventriculoperitoneal shunting (VPS) in a dog with Chiari-like malformation, syringomyelia, and ventriculomegaly.</p>","PeriodicalId":12772,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Veterinary Science","volume":"13 ","pages":"1946635"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663022/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149192964","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Outbreak of porcine deltacoronavirus in pigs in central China, 2024.","authors":"Guoliang Chen, Haichao Wu, Lingfeng Li, Bo Wang, Juanjuan Min, Yonghuan Deng, Can Yin, Ping Zhou, Yushuang Zhou, Wen Sun, Taotao Yang, Bo Ma, Yuli Hu","doi":"10.3389/fvets.2026.1934473","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2026.1934473","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging enteropathogenic coronavirus responsible for acute diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration in piglets, thereby posing a substantial threat to the global swine industry. In December 2024, a severe diarrheal disease outbreak occurred on an intensive pig farm in Hubei Province, located in central China. Here, we describe the isolation and genomic characterization of a novel PDCoV strain, designated SP2403-2, obtained from the intestinal contents of an affected piglet. The virus was successfully propagated in cell culture and confirmed by immunofluorescence staining and transmission electron microscopy. The near-complete genome of SP2403-2, comprising 25,244 nucleotides, was sequenced. Comparative genomic analyses showed that SP2403-2 shares 97.0-99.2% nucleotide identity with reference PDCoV strains, with the highest similarity (99.2%) to the recently reported Chinese strain JSTZ2025. Phylogenetic analyses based on complete genome, ORF1ab, and S gene sequences demonstrated that SP2403-2 belongs to the Chinese lineage. Notably, alignment of the spike (S) protein of SP2403-2 with that of the vaccine strain CHN-HN-2014 revealed 25 amino acid substitutions. Structural mapping indicated that these mutations are predominantly located on the surface-exposed regions of critical domains within the S protein, potentially influencing antigenic epitopes and receptor-binding properties. Our findings demonstrate that SP2403-2 represents a contemporary Chinese-lineage PDCoV strain carrying substantial S protein variation relative to the vaccine strain, underscoring the imperative for ongoing surveillance of emerging PDCoV variants and re-evaluation of current vaccine efficacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":12772,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Veterinary Science","volume":"13 ","pages":"1934473"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13662751/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149192968","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of the hepatoprotective effect of a multi-component preparation containing phospholipids, selected amino acids, betaine, and milk thistle extract in dogs with asymptomatic elevation of liver parameters: a pilot study.","authors":"Renata Nieradka, Michał Jank, Sebastian Otto, Agnieszka Kurosad","doi":"10.3389/fvets.2026.1938591","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2026.1938591","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Liver diseases in dogs are often diagnosed at advanced stages due to the organ's high functional reserve. Early supportive therapy with hepatoprotective nutraceuticals may help slow disease progression in dogs with asymptomatic elevation of liver parameters.</p><p><strong>Aim: </strong>The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of a multi-component preparation containing phospholipids, selected amino acids, betaine, and milk thistle extract in client-owned dogs with asymptomatic elevation of liver parameters.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Seventeen dogs were included in the open-label study. The animals received Hepatiale Forte Advanced (Vet Expert) for 8 weeks at the manufacturer's recommended dose. Liver enzyme activities (ALT, AST, ALP, GGT), total bilirubin, serum bile acids, hematological parameters, and abdominal ultrasonography were assessed at baseline and after 8 weeks.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Supplementation resulted in statistically significant reductions in ALT (<i>p</i> = 0.004), AST (<i>p</i> = 0.004), ALP (<i>p</i> = 0.001), total bilirubin (<i>p</i> = 0.001) and serum bile acids (<i>p</i> = 0.007). A trend toward a decrease was observed for GGT (<i>p</i> = 0.052). Hematological parameters remained stable, and the preparation was well tolerated with no adverse effects reported. Ultrasonographic findings were mostly stable or improved (resolution of biliary sludge in some cases).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Eight-week supplementation with the multi-component hepatoprotective preparation was associated with significant improvement in liver biochemical parameters in dogs with asymptomatic elevation of liver parameters. The results support further research in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.</p>","PeriodicalId":12772,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Veterinary Science","volume":"13 ","pages":"1938591"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13663177/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149192915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}