BMC Veterinary Research最新文献

{"title":"Complete genome sequence of Clostridium perfringens XZ-E1 isolated from yak feces in Xizang, China.","authors":"Dan Wu, Runbo Luo, Suizhong Cao, Sizhu Suolang","doi":"10.1186/s12917-026-05698-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12917-026-05698-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Clostridium perfringens is a zoonotic pathogen widely distributed in environmental reservoirs including soil, sewage, and animal intestines. In this study, the complete XZ-E1 genome was sequenced using the PacBio RS II platform. De novo assembly was performed using Hifiasm, followed by error correction using Pilon v1.22. Comparative genomic analysis between the XZ-E1 strain and the reference strain ATCC13124 revealed distinct virulence-associated features, including the presence of strain-specific genes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Sequence analysis indicated that the XZ-E1 strain comprised a single circular chromosome with 3,840,795 bp and six plasmids: pXZ-E1_1 (345,615 bp), pXZ-E1_2 (54,930 bp), pXZ-E1_3 (49,338 bp), pXZ-E1_4 (15,591 bp), pXZ-E1_5 (13,216 bp), and pXZ-E1_6 (12,962 bp). Genome annotation predicted 3,445 protein-coding sequences, 30 rRNA genes, and 95 tRNA genes, with 28.12% G + C (guanine + cytosine) content. The genome harbors multiple genes associated with pathogenesis and virulence factors, including genes related to antimicrobial resistance. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that XZ-E1 had a similar genome structure with strain 21-D-5.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The complete chromosomal and plasmid sequences of the XZ-E1 strain are presented in this study. XZ-E1 offers a valuable resource for identifying virulence genes involved in clostridial infections in the yak gut. The detection of antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence-associated factors enhances our understanding of the pathogenesis of C. perfringens strains. The detailed genomic information provided herein supports the development of novel vaccines specific to C. perfringens infection in yaks.</p>","PeriodicalId":9041,"journal":{"name":"BMC Veterinary Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13656665/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148454583","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":"The 579-bp structural variant in PIK3C3 regulates gene expression and modulates immune responses in Xiang pigs.","authors":"Xia Chen, Fenfang Qi, Xi Niu, Shihui Huang, Jiafu Wang, Xueqin Ran","doi":"10.1186/s12917-026-05681-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-026-05681-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Structural variants (SVs) are a type of mutations in animal genomes that have shown their role in the process of domestication. An insertion/ deletion of 579 bp SV in intron 21 of PIK3C3 gene in Xiang pigs was detected by genome resequencing method in our previous study. Phosphoinositide-3-kinase, class III (PIK3C3), is a critical regulator of autophagy, essential for cellular homeostasis, pathogen clearance, and immune modulation. The aim of this study was to investigate the polymorphism of intron 21 of the PIK3C3 gene of Xiang pigs and its effect on PIK3C3 expression. The polymorphism of SV PIK3C3-579 was determined by PCR. Three genotypes of this SV were detected in different breeds with uneven distribution among them. Two Short interspersed elements (SINEs) located in the SV region, opposite in the direction of PIK3C3 gene. RT-qPCR revealed that the SINE insertion significantly decreased PIK3C3 expression in the spleen of Xiang pigs and was associated with the production of the PIK3C3-circRNA. The fluorescent reporter assays confirmed that the SINE insertion significantly decreased the activity of the EGFP promoter. Additionally, The SINE deletion was associated with elevated levels of lymphocyte, monocyte, neutrophil, IFN-γ and IL-2. These data suggested that the SINE insertion could regulate the expression of PIK3C3 gene and the biogenesis of circular RNA, thereby modulating the immune response of Xiang pigs, which provides insights into the functional impact of structural variants on immune traits in this breed.</p>","PeriodicalId":9041,"journal":{"name":"BMC Veterinary Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148444233","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":"Prevalence, antimicrobial resistance, and risk factors of Salmonella in Cattle, environment, and workers at gombe township abattoir, Nigeria, with an assessment of workers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices.","authors":"Naason Boyi, Asinamai Athiliamai Bitrus, Benshak John Audu, Wison Bertu James","doi":"10.1186/s12917-026-05723-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12917-026-05723-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Abattoirs represent critical interfaces for zoonotic pathogen transmission, yet remain poorly characterized in many low-resource settings. This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance, and risk factors of Salmonella in cattle, environment, and workers at Gombe township abattoir, Nigeria, with an assessment of workers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices. A total of 366 samples were collected from slaughtered cattle (caecal and carcass swabs), abattoir environments (slaughter floors, effluents, water for carcass washing), processing equipment (knives, tables, washing basins), and abattoir workers (hand and clothing swabs). Salmonella isolation was performed using standard cultural and biochemical methods. Overall, 47 of 366 samples (12.8%) were positive for Salmonella spp., with significant variation across sampling points (χ²=17.72, df = 9, p = 0.047). Highest contamination was recorded in effluents (22.5%) and slaughter floor swabs (21.9%). Molecular confirmation of ten representative isolates by PCR amplification of the 16 S rRNA gene yielded the expected 1500 bp product; isolates were identified as presumptive Salmonella spp. on the basis of cultural and biochemical characteristics. Resistance was predominant against ampicillin (95.7%) and azithromycin (63.8%), while ciprofloxacin (93.6%) and ceftriaxone (95.7%) retained high efficacy. MDR was detected in 76.6% of isolates. Abattoir workers showed a bimodal knowledge profile (50% good, 50% poor) and predominantly positive general hygiene attitudes (80%) and poor practices (80%). The presence of standing wastewater (OR = 4.03; 95% CI: 3.05-6.17; p = 0.028) was associated with Salmonella detection. Gombe Township Abattoir constitutes a significant reservoir of multidrug-resistant Salmonella, underscoring the urgent need for integrated One Health interventions targeting hygiene, surveillance, and antimicrobial stewardship.</p>","PeriodicalId":9041,"journal":{"name":"BMC Veterinary Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13656499/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148454399","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":"Molecular epidemiological investigation of swine hepatitis e virus (sHEV) in Guangdong Province, China: prevalence, genotypic characteristics, and zoonotic risk.","authors":"Zhenwen He, Dingyu Liu, Qin Luo, Baoling Liu, Dongqi Chen, Hua Xiang, Xiaohu Wang, Gang Wang, Yuan Huang, Jing Chen, Rujian Cai","doi":"10.1186/s12917-026-05703-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12917-026-05703-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is a major zoonotic foodborne pathogen causing human acute hepatitis, with genotype 4 endemic in China and swine as its main reservoir. Guangdong has a large intensive swine industry, yet stratified molecular epidemiological data on swine HEV are lacking. This study explored the prevalence, risk factors and genetic traits of swine HEV in Guangdong to support zoonotic disease control.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 1280 pig fecal samples from farms and abattoirs were tested for HEV RNA via RT-nPCR targeting ORF2. All positive samples underwent Sanger sequencing, and partial isolates were amplified for near-full-length genomes. Phylogenetic trees were built using the maximum likelihood method with 1000 bootstraps. Samples were grouped by region, season and sampling site; subgroup detection rates were compared via χ² and Fisher's exact tests, and binary logistic regression identified independent risk factors (P < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overall HEV positive detection rate was 2.66% (34/1280, 95% CI: 1.85-3.69). Detection rates differed markedly by region (P < 0.001) and season (P < 0.05), with no discrepancy between farms and abattoirs (P > 0.05). Region and season were independent risk factors. All isolates were HEV genotype 4, dominated by subtype 4a plus minor 4b and 4d strains, with consistent genotyping results from ORF2 and full-length genomes. Wide genetic divergence existed among local strains, and amino acid mutations concentrated in the ORF1 hypervariable region.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Swine HEV prevalent in Guangdong Province mainly belongs to genotype 4 and exhibits obvious regional and seasonal distribution characteristics. Continuous and targeted surveillance in high-risk regions and peak epidemic seasons is recommended to reduce the zoonotic transmission risk of swine HEV and ensure public health safety.</p>","PeriodicalId":9041,"journal":{"name":"BMC Veterinary Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148454598","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":"Multifaceted effects of Salvia hispanica oil and Lactobacillus farciminis on quail physiology.","authors":"Özlem Durna, Kadir Önk, Gültekin Yildiz, Oğuz Merhan, Fatma Kübra Erbay Elibol, Mahir Murat Cengiz, Derya Kocamaz","doi":"10.1186/s12917-026-05731-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12917-026-05731-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>This study evaluated the effects of Lactobacillus farciminis and Salvia hispanica oil, alone or in combination, on growth performance, antioxidant status, cecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profiles, and bone biomechanical properties in Japanese quails. These natural antibiotic alternatives were selected because L. farciminis supports the intestinal barrier, while chia oil-rich in omega-3s and phenolic compounds-modulates antioxidant defense and mineral bioavailability.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 216 one-day-old Coturnix coturnix japonica chicks were randomly assigned to four groups: control, probiotic (Lactobacillus farciminis, 1 × 10⁹ CFU/kg), chia oil (Salvia hispanica oil, 0.2 g/kg), and combined treatment Birds were maintained under identical rearing conditions and fed a maize- and soybean-based basal diet with or without supplementation. The trial lasted 35 days; at the end of this period, blood samples were collected from the wing vein, and following slaughter, the hind leg bones (femur and tibia) were collected along with the carcass contents for laboratory analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>No significant effects were observed on growth performance parameters (BW, BWG, FI, FCR) or bone biomechanical properties of femur and tibia (length, width, UL, YL, DUL, DYL, stiffness) (p > 0.05). Similarly, MDA, total SCFAs, major SCFA fractions (acetate, propionate, valerate, isovalerate), and serum biochemical parameters (ceruloplasmin, albumin, total protein, globulin) were not significantly affected (p > 0.05). Antioxidant status showed selective modulation, with Lactobacillus farciminis increasing GSH levels (p < 0.001), while superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities were influenced by chia oil and interaction effects. In SCFA profiles, specific fractions were differentially affected. Notably, a significant probiotic × chia oil interaction was observed for SOD activity and butyrate levels.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The combined supplementation of Lactobacillus farciminis and Salvia hispanica oil influenced certain antioxidant and fermentation-related parameters, particularly SOD activity and butyrate concentration, although no corresponding improvements were observed in growth performance or bone characteristics.</p>","PeriodicalId":9041,"journal":{"name":"BMC Veterinary Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13628911/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148454590","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":"NF-κB/AP-1-mediated expression of the porcine cathelicidin proPMAP-37 suppresses inflammation by neutralizing LPS and inhibiting M1 macrophage polarization.","authors":"Qingqing Fu, Kunhong Xie, Bing Yu, Zhiqing Huang, Yuheng Luo, Ping Zheng, Xiangbing Mao, Jie Yu, Junqiu Luo, Hui Yan, Jun He","doi":"10.1186/s12917-026-05710-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12917-026-05710-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cathelicidins are short cationic peptides secreted in pro-peptide, characterized by a conserved N-terminal cathelin domain and a diverse C-terminal mature peptide. While the antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties of mature cathelicidins are well-characterized, whether their precursor forms (pro-forms) possess biological activity remains a subject of debate. Amid the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the mandate to reduce antibiotic use in livestock, cathelicidins represent promising alternatives for managing bacterial infection in agriculture. However, high production costs hamper their large-scale application. Therefore, elucidating the regulation of expression of porcine myeloid antimicrobial peptide 37 (PMAP-37), investigating the function of its pro-form (proPMAP-37), and developing a cost-effective production strategy are of significant importance for both basic immunology in porcine systems and agricultural applications.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study demonstrated that porcine myeloid antimicrobial peptide 37 (PMAP-37) exhibited widespread tissue distribution in disease-susceptible Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire (DLY) pigs, whereas its constitutive expression level was significantly higher in disease-resistant Tibetan pigs (TB). Furthermore, Escherichia coli K88 (E. coli K88) upregulated PMAP-37 expression in the intestine of DLY pigs. Mechanistic investigations revealed that the induction of PMAP-37 mediated by E. coli K88 depends on NF-κB and AP-1 transcription factors. Importantly, proPMAP-37 (the precursor of PMAP-37) was successfully expressed in a heterologous system and purified to homogeneity. Functional characterization demonstrated negligible hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells. Although no direct bactericidal effect was observed in vitro, proPMAP-37 functioned as an immunomodulator. It exhibited high affinity with Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and inhibited pro-inflammatory M1 macrophage polarization, thereby reducing the expression of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This comprehensive study provides novel insights into the immunological functions of porcine cathelicidins and promotes the industrial development of proPMAP-37 as a novel anti-inflammatory agent.</p>","PeriodicalId":9041,"journal":{"name":"BMC Veterinary Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13656640/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148454390","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":"Establishment of a blocking ELISA using a newly generated monoclonal antibody against Salmonella flagellin for detecting antibodies in infected chickens.","authors":"Zimin Huang, LiYan Cao, Jun Liu, Zhenjinjiang Ma, Xilong Kang, Xinan Jiao, Chuang Meng, Zhiming Pan","doi":"10.1186/s12917-026-05387-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12917-026-05387-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Salmonella is an important zoonotic pathogen that is widely distributed in every link between livestock and poultry production. Salmonella contamination not only affects the healthy development of the livestock industry but also poses a serious threat to public health, as it can infect humans through farming, processing, and consumption of meat and egg products. Therefore, establishing detection methods capable of simultaneously identifying different Salmonella serotypes is crucial.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study focused on using Salmonella flagellin as an immunogen to screen and prepare monoclonal antibodies, ultimately establishing a blocking ELISA (bELISA). In this study, flagellin from S. Enteritidis was extracted by acid lysis and used to immunize BALB/c mice. Cell fusion was performed following three immunizations, resulting in the generation of six hybridoma cell lines that stably secreted monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibody (MAb) of 1F6 exhibited excellent reactivity with Salmonella flagellin, demonstrating an affinity of 1.11 × 10¹⁰ M^-1. Specificity analysis indicated that MAb 1F6 reacted with all flagellated Salmonella species, but not with non-flagellated S. Pullorum or other bacterial species, confirming its strong specificity and suitability for this method. Subsequently, an array titration method was employed to determine the optimal coating concentration of the antigen for the bELISA, which was found to be 1 μg/ml, while the optimal concentration for the enzyme-labeled antibody was 534 ng/ml. Various experimental optimizations were conducted to identify the optimal detection conditions. The results demonstrated specific recognition of Salmonella and no cross-reactivity with other sera, when testing chicken sera infected with eleven different pathogenic microorganisms. Furthermore, this method was applied to 227 chicken serum samples, achieving a conformity rate of 97.35%. In addition, 205 serum samples from layer chickens at a certain farm were analyzed, and Salmonella was detected on day 90, with an overall positive rate of 4%, consistent with previous studies, indicating that our method can be used for Salmonella monitoring in production enterprises.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The bELISA method was developed by utilizing Salmonella flagellin as an antigen and exhibited excellent stability, strong specificity, and sensitivity, making it suitable for broad-spectrum screening of Salmonella in infected chicken.</p>","PeriodicalId":9041,"journal":{"name":"BMC Veterinary Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13651368/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148444276","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":"Survival patterns and prognostic factors associated with canine parvovirus infection in dogs presented at the KNUST Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana.","authors":"Emmanuel Darko Opoku, Raphael Deladem Folitse, Dorcas Oyueley Kodie, Jemima Dzigbordi Agbota, Amemor Esther, William Tasiame, Benjamin Obukowho Emikpe","doi":"10.1186/s12917-026-05732-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12917-026-05732-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Canine parvovirus (CPV) remains one of the most severe and life-threatening infectious diseases affecting dogs globally, with disproportionately high mortality in puppies. Although CPV has been extensively studied in terms of prevalence and clinical presentation, evidence on survival patterns and prognostic factors in low-and middle-income country veterinary settings remains limited.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cohort study was undertaken at a Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana. Diagnosis of CPV infection was based on clinical signs and confirmed by antigen detection using the CPV rapid immunoassay test kit. Only dogs that received treatment until recovery or death were included (n = 205). Data on factors influencing prognosis, including demographic, vaccination, clinical, and management variables, were collected. Time-to-recovery was analysed using cumulative incidence functions with Gray's test and Fine-Gray competing-risk regression. Mortality was evaluated using Cox proportional hazards regression. Hazard ratios (HRs) and subdistribution hazard ratios (SHRs) were reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Mortality was highest in treated puppies aged 13-24 weeks and ≤ 12 weeks at 31.5% and 26.9% respectively, with dogs aged > 24 weeks recording the least with 5.9%. Mortality rate decreased progressively with an increasing vaccination frequency, being lowest in dogs vaccinated thrice. Among CPV-positive dogs, local breeds demonstrated a higher recovery rate than foreign breeds (SHR 1.64, 95% CI: 1.07-2.51; p = 0.022). Higher body weight was associated with a lower hazard of death (HR 0.86, 95% CI: 0.77-0.97; p = 0.012), while CPV-positive dogs showed a longer time to recovery, with a more gradual recovery trajectory observed beyond Day 5.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study highlights the significant impact of CPV on survival outcomes among dogs in Ghana, particularly among younger and incompletely vaccinated populations. The findings demonstrate that certain demographic and clinical factors play critical roles in recovery and mortality outcomes. Notably, local breeds exhibited a higher rate of recovery compared to foreign breeds diagnosed with CPV. These findings emphasise the need for strengthened vaccination coverage, early case detection, and context-appropriate clinical management strategies to improve recovery and reduce CPV-related mortality.</p>","PeriodicalId":9041,"journal":{"name":"BMC Veterinary Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13651413/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148444240","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":"Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations are not reduced in Pomeranian dogs with Alopecia X: a case-control study.","authors":"Zahra Halajian, Javad Khoshnegah, Abbas Parham","doi":"10.1186/s12917-026-05724-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12917-026-05724-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Alopecia X (AX)-also referred to as hair cycle arrest or Alopecia X-like syndrome-is a non-inflammatory disorder common in Pomeranians, though it frequently affects other breeds such as Alaskan Malamutes, Chow Chows, Schipperkes, and Poodles. Historically known by various names including growth hormone-responsive alopecia, castration-responsive alopecia and congenital adrenal hyperplasia-like syndrome, this condition represents a complex follicular arrest of \"plush-coated\" breeds. The etiopathogenesis remains unclear, and reliable, minimally invasive diagnostic biomarkers are lacking. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is essential for hair follicle cycling, and systemic deficiency has been hypothesized to contribute to canine alopecia. This study aimed to determine if serum IGF-1 concentrations differ between Pomeranian dogs with AX and healthy controls, and to evaluate the effect of neuter status on IGF-1 levels.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirty client-owned Pomeranian dogs (11 AX, 19 healthy controls) were enrolled. Serum IGF-1 concentrations were measured via a human competitive ELISA kit validated in-house for canine samples. Data were non-normally distributed and analyzed via Mann-Whitney U tests. No significant difference in serum IGF-1 was detected between alopecic (median: 62.0 ng/mL; range: 7.31-151) and healthy dogs (median: 51.8 ng/mL; range: 7.43-209.76) (U = 74, p = 0.200). Neuter status was significantly imbalanced between groups (63.6% of cases neutered vs. 10.5% of controls, p = 0.002). While neutered dogs exhibited numerically higher mean IGF-1 values than intact dogs within the alopecic group, this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.412). No correlation was found between IGF-1 and age or body weight.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Serum IGF-1 concentrations are not reduced in Pomeranian dogs with Alopecia X compared to healthy controls. Routine measurement of serum IGF-1 is not recommended as a diagnostic test for AX. The role of gonadectomy in modulating the GH/IGF-1 axis in this breed requires further investigation with larger, balanced cohorts.</p>","PeriodicalId":9041,"journal":{"name":"BMC Veterinary Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13647621/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148435004","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":"Isolation and pathogenicity of a highly virulent recombinant GIIc subtype PEDV strain.","authors":"Jinpeng Fan, Yanling Liu, Wenqian Fu, Lu Chen, Yongtao Li, Zeng Wang, Dongliang Li, Pandeng Zhao, Wenjuan Du, Dan Rao, Ning Zhang, Changxu Song, Linyang Yu","doi":"10.1186/s12917-026-05714-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-026-05714-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV) is a highly contagious enteric coronavirus causing acute watery diarrhoea and high mortality in neonatal piglets, threatening the global swine industry. In recent years, GIIc subtype PEDV has spread rapidly across China via natural recombination and antigenic drift, undermining conventional vaccine efficacy. Here, we isolated and characterized a novel GIIc PEDV strain CHjx2025 from diarrheic piglets in Ji'an City, Jiangxi Province, China. Full-length genome sequencing and recombination analysis identified CHjx2025 as a natural intra-lineage recombinant of two GIIc strains (CH-JXJA-2017 as major parent and CH-SWM-RN-2025 as minor parent), with a recombination breakpoint at nucleotide 11,201 of ORF1a. Comparative analysis revealed 49 unique amino acid substitutions in the spike (S) protein core region relative to the classic vaccine strain CV777, including 10 in the core receptor-binding domain (COE) and 1 in the 2C10 neutralizing epitope. Structural modeling confirmed CHjx2025 retains a canonical homotrimeric type I fusion protein structure but exhibits distinct NTD and D0 domains versus CV777. In vitro, CHjx2025 showed strong replicative capacity, forming larger plaques and reaching 10^6.5TCID₅₀/mL in Vero cells at 24 hpi. Notably, in vivo challenge induced vomiting and anorexia in neonatal piglets as early as 12 hpi, with 100% mortality within 60 h, severe intestinal villous atrophy, and unprecedented multinucleated syncytia in intestinal epithelial cells. These findings highlight the evolving diversity and enhanced pathogenicity of GIIc PEDV via intra-subtype recombination and epitope mutations, underscoring the need for continuous surveillance and GIIc-specific vaccine development to control PED outbreaks.</p>","PeriodicalId":9041,"journal":{"name":"BMC Veterinary Research","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2026-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148435092","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}