Veterinary journalPub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-08-05DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106414
Cennet Nur Ünal, Murat Uzti̇mür
{"title":"Investigation of steroid hormones, stress biomarkers, and energy metabolism in hyperketonemic goats.","authors":"Cennet Nur Ünal, Murat Uzti̇mür","doi":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106414","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106414","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hyperketonemia is a metabolic disease that generally occurs in the advanced stages of pregnancy in goats and sheep, often in the last 6-week period. During this period, the adrenal glands and placenta secrete various hormones to regulate metabolism. Excessive or insufficient secretion of these hormones can pose a vital threat to metabolism. In the study, 30 Hair goats from various farms in Bingöl province were examined during the last six weeks of the prepartum period. Goats with pregnancy toxemia are included in the hyperketonemia group (n = 20) while healthy goats presenting serum beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) < 0.8 mmol/L are allocated to the control group (n = 10). Biochemical parameters and steroid hormones related to energy metabolism and liver functions were analyzed. In the hyperketonemic group, levels of 1,4-delta androstendione (p = 0.001), 11-deoxycortisol (p = 0.003), aldosterone (p = 0.035), cortisol (p = 0.019), and corticosterone (p = 0.031) were higher compared to the control group, while levels of 17-OH progesterone (p = 0.020), 17-OH pregnenolone (p = 0.022), estradiol (p = 0.025), and progesterone (p = 0.037) were found to be lower. BHBA (p = 0.001) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) (p = 0.001) concentrations were found to be higher in the hyperketonemic group compared to the control group. Glucose (p = 0.001), triglyceride (p = 0.003), and VLDL (p = 0.003) levels were found to be higher in the control group compared to the hyperketonemic group. The observed changes in the levels of steroid hormones including 1,4-delta androstenedione, 17-OH pregnenolone, 17-OH progesterone, 11-deoxycortisol, cortisol, corticosterone, aldosterone, estradiol, and progesterone indicated that hyperketonemia is a disorder that impacts both stress markers and the endocrine system in goats.</p>","PeriodicalId":23505,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary journal","volume":" ","pages":"106414"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144785396","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alba Ortín-Bustillo , Elena Goyena , Andrea Martínez-Martínez , José Joaquín Cerón Madrigal , Silvia Martínez-Subiela , María José López-Martínez , Edgar García Manzanilla , Asta Tvarijonaviciute , Antonio González-Bulnes , Alberto Muñoz-Prieto
{"title":"Changes in immunity- and stress- biomarkers in saliva following treatment of pigs with meningitis due to Streptococcus suis","authors":"Alba Ortín-Bustillo , Elena Goyena , Andrea Martínez-Martínez , José Joaquín Cerón Madrigal , Silvia Martínez-Subiela , María José López-Martínez , Edgar García Manzanilla , Asta Tvarijonaviciute , Antonio González-Bulnes , Alberto Muñoz-Prieto","doi":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106458","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106458","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this research was to evaluate the possible changes in a profile of biomarkers in saliva integrated by C-reactive protein (CRP), haptoglobin (Hp), adenosine deaminase (ADA), calprotectin (S100A8/A9), alpha-amylase (sAA) and total proteins (TP) in pigs with <em>Streptococcus suis (S. suis)</em> infection before and after treatment. Furthermore, a secondary aim was to provide data on the analytical validation of the two methods used in this report to quantify CRP and Hp in porcine saliva based on AlphaLISA technology. CRP and Hp assays were precise and accurate. When the response of pigs with <em>S. suis</em> infection to treatment was evaluated, significantly lower concentrations of salivary CRP and sAA were observed in the pigs that recovered from the disease and did not present signs of illness at 3 days post-treatment in comparison to the pre-treatment sampling (<em>p</em> < 0.05 and <em>p</em> < 0.01, respectively). At 7 days after treatment, all evaluated salivary biomarkers showed a decrease in the recovered group compared to non-recovered group after treatment. In conclusion, methods developed for CRP and Hp assays in this report showed adequate analytical validation results. Furthermore, saliva could be used for treatment monitoring of <em>S. suis</em> infection, being the effective response to the treatment associated with a decrease in the analytes measured in this report.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23505,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary journal","volume":"314 ","pages":"Article 106458"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145226095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Development of a competitive ELISA using monoclonal antibodies for detecting neutralizing antibodies against Peste-des-petits-ruminants virus.","authors":"Linjie Hu, Haoyue Xu, Xueliang Zhu, Hongjiao Peng, Ruixue Deng, Yuefeng Sun, Xuelian Meng","doi":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106395","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106395","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Peste-des-petits-ruminants (PPR) is an acute, contact infectious disease caused by peste-des-petits-ruminants virus (PPRV) infection. PPRV mainly infects goats, sheep and other small ruminants, posing a serious threat to the development of the livestock industry and the safety of wildlife. In this study, a competitive ELISA (c-ELISA) method for detecting neutralizing antibodies against PPRV was developed using the extracellular domain of haemagglutinin (tH) protein and a monoclonal antibody against tH protein. The results showed that the specificity and sensitivity of c-ELISA were 99.38% and 100%, respectively. The agreement rate of the c-ELISA and viral neutralization test (VNT) was 96.65%, suggesting that the c-ELISA could detect neutralizing antibody against PPRV and could be used for protective immunity evaluation.</p>","PeriodicalId":23505,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary journal","volume":" ","pages":"106395"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144776282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Veterinary journalPub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-08-05DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106415
Ahmed Abdelrahiem Sadek, Mahmoud Abdelhamid, Mahmoud Soliman, Mahmoud S Sabra, Mahmoud Abd-Elkareem, Kamal Hussein
{"title":"Evaluating the role of lyophilized hydatid cyst fluid in enhancing skin wound healing: In Vitro and In Vivo rat model studies.","authors":"Ahmed Abdelrahiem Sadek, Mahmoud Abdelhamid, Mahmoud Soliman, Mahmoud S Sabra, Mahmoud Abd-Elkareem, Kamal Hussein","doi":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106415","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106415","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Skin plays a vital role in maintaining various physiological functions, including barrier protection, temperature regulation, and sensory perception. Effective wound healing is crucial for restoring tissue integrity after injury, involving a complex interplay of cellular and molecular mechanisms. Hydatid cyst fluid (HCF), derived from Echinococcus granulosus, contains bioactive components that may enhance wound healing. This study evaluates the potential of lyophilized HCF to promote skin wound repair using an in vitro assay and an in vivo rat wound model. Lyophilized HCF was prepared from hydatid cyst fluid obtained from the lungs of infected camels and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Cytotoxicity was assessed using the MTT assay (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide) on endothelial and fibroblast cell lines. An in vivo full-thickness skin defect model was created in rats, and wounds were treated with either lyophilized HCF or saline (control). Wound closure rates were measured on days 7 and 21, and histological evaluations were conducted using standard techniques. GC-MS analysis revealed that lyophilized HCF contains bioactive compounds, including antimicrobial agents, fatty acids, and molecules that promote angiogenesis. In vitro MTT assay confirmed that lyophilized HCF exhibited no cytotoxicity and supported cell viability. In vivo results revealed significantly improved wound closure in the HCF-treated group compared to control groups. Specifically, in the control group, the wound closure was 23.52 % ± 4.23 on day 7 and 86.02 % ± 1.08 on day 21. In the lyophilized HCF group, the closure was significantly higher, with 48.99 % ± 6.12 on day 7 and 91.13 % ± 1.9 on day 21. Histological analysis revealed that the HCF-treated wounds exhibited significantly improved epithelialization (p = 0.0211 on day 7; p = 0.0003 on day 21), reduced inflammatory cell infiltration (p = 0.0277 on day 7; p = 0.0179 on day 21), enhanced collagen deposition (p = 0.0082 on day 7; p = 0.0127 on day 21), and increased angiogenesis (p = 0.0001 on day 7; p < 0.0001 on day 21), compared to the control group. In conclusion, lyophilized HCF promotes effective wound healing through its bioactive components, supporting cell proliferation, reducing inflammation, and enhancing collagen deposition and angiogenesis. These findings suggest that HCF could serve as a promising therapeutic agent for wound repair. Further studies are warranted to explore its clinical applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":23505,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary journal","volume":" ","pages":"106415"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144785395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Veterinary journalPub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-08-05DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106411
Zhen Wang, Yunying Liu, Geqi Yan, Xinyi Du, Fei Qi, Zhengxiang Shi, Chaoyuan Wang, Hao Li, Hao Wang, Shihua Pu
{"title":"Modeling feedback-driven behavioral adaptation in pigs under environmental pressure: a study of behavior modification.","authors":"Zhen Wang, Yunying Liu, Geqi Yan, Xinyi Du, Fei Qi, Zhengxiang Shi, Chaoyuan Wang, Hao Li, Hao Wang, Shihua Pu","doi":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106411","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106411","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In commercial pig farming, aggression and stress during herd mixing negatively affect animal welfare and productivity. This study developed an environmental pressure-feedback (EPF) model that applies metabolic and spatial pressure through brief feed withdrawal and crowding animals together in a limited space, combined with resource-based feedback, to modulate pig behavior and stress. EPF treatment significantly reduced fight frequency (95 % CI: -1.95 to -1.28) and skin lesions (P < 0.001), indicating lower aggression. Compared with controls, EPF-treated pigs showed significantly lower cortisol levels at 12 h (-69.80 ng/mL, P = 0.003) and 24 h (-58.15 ng/mL, P = 0.012) post-mixing. Chromogranin A decreased by 2.80 ng/mL (P = 0.035) and 4.34 ng/mL (P = 0.001) at these times. Glucose dropped significantly at 3 h (-2.48 mmol/L, P < 0.001), 24 h (-0.77 mmol/L, P = 0.017), and 7 days (-1.10 mmol/L, P < 0.001). Additionally, EPF-treated pigs had lower body temperature (P < 0.001) and heart rate (P < 0.05) at 3, 12, and 24 h. The reduction in these indicators demonstrates that the EPF model effectively alleviates stress load. This study reveals that the EPF model, by introducing moderate external pressure and utilizing a contrast effect to enhance feedback perception, prioritizes feeding motivation, suppresses aggressive behavior, and attenuates activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, thereby effectively mitigating stress responses.</p>","PeriodicalId":23505,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary journal","volume":" ","pages":"106411"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144790133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Veterinary journalPub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-08-05DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106412
Peter Michanek, Johan Bröjer, Inger Lilliehöök, Cathrine Fjordbakk, Malin Erkas, Minerva Löwgren, Mikael Hedeland, Jonas Bergquist, Carl Ekstrand
{"title":"Canagliflozin: Pharmacokinetics, tolerability and glucose/insulin effects of supratherapeutic doses in healthy horses.","authors":"Peter Michanek, Johan Bröjer, Inger Lilliehöök, Cathrine Fjordbakk, Malin Erkas, Minerva Löwgren, Mikael Hedeland, Jonas Bergquist, Carl Ekstrand","doi":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106412","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106412","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors like canagliflozin (CFZ) have shown promise in preventing hyperinsulinemia-associated laminitis in horses, but data on pharmacokinetics, tolerability, and controlled studies are limited. This randomized, open-label, placebo-controlled, crossover study evaluated these aspects of CFZ treatment in eight healthy Standardbred mares. Each horse received single supratherapeutic oral doses of CFZ (1.8 mg/kg or 3.6 mg/kg) and placebo, with a two-week washout between treatments. A graded glucose infusion (GGI) was administered post-treatment to evaluate glucose and insulin responses. Plasma CFZ, glucose, insulin, urinary glucose, serum biochemistry, and urinalysis samples were collected over 72 h post-treatment. For CFZ 1.8 mg/kg, median C<sub>max</sub> was 2623 ng/mL, T<sub>max</sub> 2.2 h, and T<sub>1/2Z</sub> 21.8 h; for 3.6 mg/kg, C<sub>max</sub> was 4975 ng/mL, T<sub>max</sub> 2.8 h, and T<sub>1/2Z</sub> 23.0 h. The pharmacokinetics of CFZ displayed dose-proportionality across the two tested doses. Insulin and glucose responses to a GGI, measured by the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), were similar between CFZ doses but significantly reduced compared to placebo (p < 0.001). Specifically, mean glucose AUC for CFZ treatments was approximately 14-15 % lower, and mean insulin AUC 22-29 % lower, than for placebo. For CFZ-treated horses, mean urinary glucose concentrations ranged from 277 to 347 mmol/L at 24, 48, and 72 h post-administration, with no significant differences between dose levels. No clinical signs of adverse effects were observed, although a significant increase in GLDH levels compared to placebo (p < 0.05) was observed with the CFZ 3.6 mg/kg dose.</p>","PeriodicalId":23505,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary journal","volume":" ","pages":"106412"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144785384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Veterinary journalPub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-08-05DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106410
Emily M Erdman, Alanna N Johnson, Colleen Elzinga, Chiara De Gennaro, Amy B Alexander, Nicole I Stacy, Ludovica Chiavaccini
{"title":"Feasibility, repeatability, and regional differences in thermal threshold and cold thermal latency testing in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps).","authors":"Emily M Erdman, Alanna N Johnson, Colleen Elzinga, Chiara De Gennaro, Amy B Alexander, Nicole I Stacy, Ludovica Chiavaccini","doi":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106410","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106410","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ventral thermal burns are frequent in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps), raising questions about reptile thermal nociception. This randomized, Latin-square experimental study compared thermal threshold (TT) and cold thermal latency (CTL) in six healthy, adult bearded dragons at three anatomical sites (inner thigh, dorsum, and ventrum). A 0.5 °C/s thermal ramp was applied to each anatomical location in triplicate, until a response (kicking/jumping, turning) was observed. Similarly, CTL was evaluated using a 0 °C probe applied at the same locations. Safety cut-offs of 55 °C for TT and 60 s for CTL were applied. The experiment was repeated four weeks later for test-retest reliability. Thermal threshold and CTL were compared among sites using extended Mantel-Haenszel statistics. Repeatability and test-retest reliability were assessed by coefficient of variation and Spearman's correlation coefficient. Median [interquartile range (Q1, Q3)] TT recorded 47.55 °C (40.33, 51.63 °C) at the inner thigh, 52.68 °C (49.57, 55 °C) at the ventrum, and 51.82 °C (51.03, 54.33 °C) at the dorsum. Thermal threshold was significantly higher at the ventrum than the thigh (P = 0.02). Median (Q1, Q3) CTL were 38.83 s (34.33, 41.67 s) at the inner thigh, 55.33 s (41.00, 60.00 s) at the ventrum, and 49.00 s (35.67, 51.00 s) at the dorsum, with significantly longer CTL at the ventrum (P < 0.01) and dorsum (P = 0.03) than the thigh. Thermal threshold demonstrated excellent repeatability but poor test-retest reliability, whereas CTL had low-to-moderate repeatability and good test-retest reliability.</p>","PeriodicalId":23505,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary journal","volume":" ","pages":"106410"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144790132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Veterinary journalPub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-08-07DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106413
Pedro J Vallejo-Mateo, María D Contreras-Aguilar, Dina Resetar Maslov, Ivana Rubić, Vladimir Mrljak, José J Cerón, Asta Tvarijonaviciute, Alberto Muñoz-Prieto, Lorena Franco-Martínez
{"title":"Saliva and serum profiling by high-throughput TMT-based proteomics for the investigation of metritis in dairy cows.","authors":"Pedro J Vallejo-Mateo, María D Contreras-Aguilar, Dina Resetar Maslov, Ivana Rubić, Vladimir Mrljak, José J Cerón, Asta Tvarijonaviciute, Alberto Muñoz-Prieto, Lorena Franco-Martínez","doi":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106413","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106413","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Metritis affects up to 20 % of dairy cows after giving birth, causing significant losses in terms of animal welfare and dairy farm profitability. The aim of the present transversal study is to evaluate the possible changes in salivary and serum proteomes in bovine metritis using a high-throughput quantitative proteomic analysis to potentially discover biomarkers of this disease. For this, proteomes of paired saliva and serum samples from cows with metritis (n = 5) and healthy controls (n = 5) were analyzed using Tandem Mass Tags (TMT). In addition, an independent set of n = 33 salivary samples was employed to further evaluate calprotectin in saliva as a candidate biomarker of metritis. TMT proteomic approach identified 326 proteins in saliva and 275 in serum (with 2 unique peptides and 1 % FDR), with 15 and 22, respectively, showing significant changes in the metritis group in comparison to controls. These proteins with different abundance between the two groups were related to different pathways including the immune system, inflammation, lipid metabolism and homeostasis, oxidative stress, DNA repair, cellular signaling, and structural and mucosal functions. One protein, calprotectin (S100A8-A9), was further validated in bovine saliva for the first time, showing higher levels in cows with metritis (median = 0.44, IQR = 0.41-0.50 mg/L) than in controls (median = 0.17, IQR = 0.10-0.26 mg/L), consistent with the increase in S100A8 found in the proteomic results. Overall, this study indicates that saliva and serum proteomes can reflect physiopathological changes caused during metritis, being a potential source of potential biomarkers of the disease. SIMPLE SUMMARY: This study identifies distinct protein profiles in the saliva and serum of healthy cows compared to cows with metritis using a gel-free proteomic approach. Significant changes in protein abundance were observed in 15 salivary and 22 serum proteins, involved in inflammation, lipid metabolism, and oxidative stress. Since S100A8 protein was found at higher levels in cows with metritis, calprotectin (S100A8-A9) was further validated in saliva in an independent sample cohort. These findings offer potential biomarkers for metritis in dairy cows and could contribute to understanding disease-related changes, impacting animal health management and milk production.</p>","PeriodicalId":23505,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary journal","volume":" ","pages":"106413"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144785397","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Comparison of the radial immunodiffusion test and a novel lateral flow device test for measuring immunoglobulin concentrations in calf blood","authors":"Alexandra Haggerty, Katharine S. Denholm","doi":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106456","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106456","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Failure of transfer of passive immunity (FTPI), characterized by low serum IgG concentrations (< 10 g/L) in dairy calves, is associated with high calfhood morbidity and mortality, as well as poor productive and reproductive outcomes in later life. Calves can be blood sampled to test for FTPI between 24 h and 7 days of life. Direct measurement of IgG in calf serum using the radial immunodiffusion (RID) reference test is time-consuming, costly and requires a laboratory setting. Recently a new ‘pen-side’ test called ‘ImmunIGY’ was brought to the UK market to ‘directly measure IgG in calf whole blood’ using an immunochromatography-based lateral flow device (LFD). The objective of the current study was to compare RID and ‘ImmunIGY’ measurements. Measurements were compared using Pearson correlation, McNemar chi-squared, Bland-Altman plots, Passing-Bablok regression and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves. Pearson correlation was low (r = 0.35). McNemar chi-squared statistics revealed no statistically significant differences between the two tests at both IgG cut points of 10 g/L (0.25 (<em>p</em> = 0.61)) and 15 g/L IgG (0.15 (<em>p</em> = 0.69). The Passing-Bablok regression intercept value was 10.76 (95 %CI=-1.10–20.19) showing that the systematic difference between the methods was not significantly different from zero and the slope value was 0.81 (95 %CI = 0.53–1.09) so the hypothesis that the slope is equal to 1 was not rejected.</div><div>Bland-Altman plots showed wide limits of agreement −29.99–24.04 g/L, with a mean difference of −2.98 g/L (SD=13.51, 95 %CI −5.31- −0.65), with evidence of constant error. ROC curves showed area under the curve for both 10 g/L and 15 g/L cut points of 0.73 and 0.68 respectively. Overall, the test specificity of the ‘ImmunIGY’ test was superior to the sensitivity of the test which would in practice lead to a low number of false positive tests, but a relatively high number of false negatives, suggesting its appropriate use as a screening tool rather than for individual animal diagnostics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23505,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary journal","volume":"314 ","pages":"Article 106456"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145213683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Toxoplasma gondii alters gut microbiota and systemic metabolism in cats: A multi-omics approach","authors":"Ji-Xin Zhao , Xue-Yao Wang , Xuancheng Zhang , Lu-Yao Tang , Shi-Chen Xie , Yi-Han Lv , Zhi Zheng , Ying-Qian Gao , Jing Jiang , Xiao-Xuan Zhang , He Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106455","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tvjl.2025.106455","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Toxoplasma gondii</em> (<em>T. gondii</em>) is an obligate intracellular parasite with a complex life cycle that culminates in cats—its only definitive host. While its immunological impact is well studied, how <em>T. gondii</em> shapes the feline gut microbiota and systemic metabolism remains largely unexplored. To investigate host–parasite–microbiome interactions, we performed a multi-omics study combining metagenomic sequencing and untargeted serum metabolomics in cats before and after <em>T. gondii</em> infection. Fecal samples were used to construct a comprehensive microbial gene catalog and assess functional shifts, while serum samples were analyzed via liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to capture systemic metabolic changes. Infection with <em>T. gondii</em>, particularly during its sexual replication phase, significantly disrupted gut microbial diversity, composition, and function. Functional annotation revealed downregulation of microbial genes involved in vitamin, cofactor, and energy metabolism, alongside upregulation of carbohydrate metabolism pathways. Concurrently, metabolomic profiling showed marked alterations in lipid profiles, amino acid pathways, and folate-mediated one-carbon metabolism. Integrated analysis uncovered strong correlations between specific microbial taxa—such as <em>Bifidobacterium adolescentis</em> and <em>Ligilactobacillus animalis</em>—and host metabolites, underscoring a tight link between microbial function and host metabolic responses to infection. To our knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively map the microbiome and metabolic landscape of <em>T. gondii</em> infection in the feline host. Our findings reveal profound parasite-induced shifts in microbial function and systemic metabolism, offering new insights into the molecular interplay between host, parasite, and microbiota. These insights may inform future strategies for therapeutic modulation of host responses in toxoplasmosis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23505,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary journal","volume":"314 ","pages":"Article 106455"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145182254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}