scholarly journals Prevalence, hematological findings and genetic diversity ofBartonellaspp. in domestic cats from Valdivia, Southern Chile

Parasitology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 144 (6) ◽  
pp. 773-782 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANANDA MÜLLER ◽  
ROMINA WALKER ◽  
PEDRO BITTENCOURT ◽  
ROSANGELA ZACARIAS MACHADO ◽  
JYAN LUCAS BENEVENUTE ◽  
...  

SUMMARYThe present study determined the prevalence, hematological findings and genetic diversity ofBartonellaspp. in domestic cats from Valdivia, Southern Chile. A complete blood count andnuoGgene real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) forBartonellaspp. were performed in 370 blood samples from cats in Valdivia, Southern Chile.nuoGqPCR-positive samples were submitted to conventional PCR for thegltAgene and sequencing for species differentiation and phylogenetic analysis. Alignment ofgltAgene was used to calculate the nucleotide diversity, polymorphic level, number of variable sites and average number of nucleotide differences.BartonellaDNA prevalence in cats was 18·1% (67/370). Twenty-nine samples were sequenced with 62·0% (18/29) identified asBartonella henselae, 34·4% (10/29) asBartonella clarridgeiae, and 3·4% (1/29) asBartonella koehlerae. Bartonella-positive cats had low DNA bacterial loads and their hematological parameters varied minimally. EachBartonellaspecies from Chile clustered together and with otherBartonellaspp. described in cats worldwide.Bartonella henselaeandB. clarridgeiaeshowed a low number of variable sites, haplotypes and nucleotide diversity.Bartonella clarridgeiaeandB. koehleraeare reported for the first time in cats from Chile and South America, respectively.

2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-79
Author(s):  
Lisa Lehmann ◽  
Clara Stefen

This study addressed the question whether it is possible to clearly differentiate between wild and tabby domestic cats on the basis of hairs (guard hairs in particular). The colour banding pattern of individual hairs is studied in this context for the first time. Also, hair length and width, as well as parameters of the hair cuticle were checked for differences, as it is well known that wild cats have long hairs and a fine, silky fur. Several banding patterns were observed, some shared between both cat forms, but with different frequencies. But this is not enough for species differentiation and more specimens need to be studied to get a better idea of the variation in this trait. The cuticle pattern even in the same region of the hairs (medium and shield-free part of the hair shaft) varies considerably and statistically significant differences were found only for few measured parameters: hair length, hair width and scale perimeter. Nevertheless, even most of them are not sufficient to determine wild or domestic cats. However, as expected, the hairs of wild cats are statistically significantly longer than those of tabby domestic cats, and hairs longer than 50 mm can be clearly attributed to wild cats.


Acta Tropica ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 106037
Author(s):  
Maria Eduarda Chiaradia Furquim ◽  
Renan Bressianini do Amaral ◽  
Clara Morato Dias ◽  
Luiz Ricardo Gonçalves ◽  
Livia Perles ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1350
Author(s):  
Alex Mau ◽  
Ana Cláudia Calchi ◽  
Pedro Bittencourt ◽  
Maria Jose Navarrete-Talloni ◽  
Caroline Sauvé ◽  
...  

This study aimed to molecularly survey and evaluate the genetic diversity of Bartonella spp. in mongooses and their fleas from St. Kitts. Spleen (n = 54), blood (n = 71), and pooled flea samples, all identified as Ctenocephalides felis (n = 53), were submitted to TaqMan real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) targeting Bartonella-nuoG fragment (84 bp). Positive samples underwent further conventional PCR assays targeting five loci (gltA, rpoB, fstZ, nuoG, and ITS), subsequent sequencing, and phylogenetic and haplotype analyses. The overall occurrence of Bartonella spp. in mongooses and fleas was 51.2% (64/125 [95% CI (42.1–60.2%)]) and 62.3% (33/53) [95% CI (47.9–75.2%)]), respectively. From samples sequenced across the five loci, 50.8% (33/65) were identified as Bartonella henselae, 26.2% (17/65) were 96.74–99.01% similar by BLAST analysis to an unidentified Bartonella sp. previously reported in Japanese badgers (Meles anakuma), and 23.1% (15/65) were co-infected with both species. Nucleotide polymorphism analysis showed low diversity amongst haplotypes but did concur with phylogenetic analysis, placing the unidentified species in a separate clade from B. henselae by multiple mutational events. Our data confirms that mongooses and Ctenocephalides felis fleas collected from them are not only potential reservoirs for B. henselae but also a novel Bartonella sp. which we propose be called ‘Candidatus Bartonella kittensis’.


2004 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 423-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Marc Rolain ◽  
Caroline Locatelli ◽  
Luc Chabanne ◽  
Bernard Davoust ◽  
Didier Raoult

ABSTRACT The prevalence of Bartonella infection in a pet cat population from France was found to be 8.1% (8 of 99 cats). The intraerythrocytic location of Bartonella clarridgeiae is shown for the first time, and we show that immunofluorescence detection of the organism in erythrocytes correlates with the number of bacteria in blood.


HortScience ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 492f-493
Author(s):  
Roberto F. Vieira ◽  
James E. Simon ◽  
Peter Goldsbrough ◽  
Antonio Figueira

Essential oils extracted from basil (Ocimum spp.) by steam distillation are used to flavor foods, oral products, in fragrances, and in traditional medicines. The genus Ocimum contains around 30 species native to the tropics and subtropics, with some species naturalized and/or cultivated in temperate areas. Interand intraspecific hybridization have created significant confusion in the botanical systematics of this genus. Taxonomy of basil (O. basilicum) is also complicated by the existence of numerous varieties, cultivars, and chemotypes within the species that do not differ significantly in morphology. In this study we are using RAPD markers and volatile oil composition to characterize the genetic diversity among the most economically important Ocimum species. We hypothesize that the genetic similarity revealed by molecular markers will more accurately reflect the morphological and chemical differences in Ocimum than essential oil composition per se. Preliminary research using five Ocimum species, four undetermined species, and eight varieties of O. basilicum (a total of 19 accessions) generated 107 polymorphic fragments amplified with 19 primers. RAPDs are able to discriminate between Ocimum species, but show a high degree of similarity between O. basilicum varieties. The genetic distance between nine species and among 55 accessions within the species O. americanum, O. basilicum, O. campechianum, O. × citriodorum, O. gratissimum, O. kilimandscharium, O. minimum, O. selloi, and O. tenuiflorum will be analyzed by matrix of similarity and compared to the volatile oil profile. This research will for the first time apply molecular markers to characterize the genetic diversity of Ocimum associate with volatile oil constituent.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1105
Author(s):  
Fernanda Erpel ◽  
María Salomé Mariotti-Celis ◽  
Javier Parada ◽  
Franco Pedreschi ◽  
José Ricardo Pérez-Correa

Brown seaweed phlorotannins have shown the potential to promote several health benefits. Durvillaea incurvata and Lessonia spicata—species that are widely distributed in central and southern Chile—were investigated to obtain phlorotannin extracts with antioxidant and antihyperglycemic potential. The use of an environmentally friendly and food-grade glycerol-based pressurized hot liquid extraction (PHLE) process (15% v/v glycerol water) was assessed for the first time to obtain phlorotannins. Multiple effects were analyzed, including the effect of the species, harvesting area (Las Cruces and Niebla), and anatomical part (holdfast, stipe, and frond) on the extracts’ polyphenol content (TPC), antioxidant capacity (AC), and carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzyme—α-glucosidase and α-amylase—inhibitory activity. Contaminants, such as mannitol, heavy metals (As, Cd, Pb, Hg, and Sn), and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), were also determined. The anatomical part used demonstrated a significant impact on the extracts’ TPC and AC, with holdfasts showing the highest values (TPC: 95 ± 24 mg phloroglucinol equivalents/g dry extract; DPPH: 400 ± 140 μmol Trolox equivalents/g dry extract; ORAC: 560 ± 130 μmol TE/g dry extract). Accordingly, holdfast extracts presented the most potent α-glucosidase inhibition, with D. incurvata from Niebla showing an activity equivalent to fifteen times that of acarbose. Only one frond and stipe extract showed significant α-glucosidase inhibitory capacity. No α-amylase inhibition was found in any extract. Although no HMF was detected, potentially hazardous cadmium levels (over the French limit) and substantial mannitol concentrations—reaching up to 50% of the extract dry weight—were found in most seaweed samples and extracts. Therefore, further purification steps are suggested if food or pharmaceutical applications are intended for the seaweed PHLE extracts obtained in this study.


Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Abdullah D. Alanazi ◽  
Abdulaziz S. Alouffi ◽  
Mohamed S. Alyousif ◽  
Mohammad Y. Alshahrani ◽  
Hend H. A. M. Abdullah ◽  
...  

Dogs and cats play an important role as reservoirs of vector-borne pathogens, yet reports of canine and feline vector-borne diseases in Saudi Arabia are scarce. Blood samples were collected from 188 free-roaming dogs and cats in Asir (70 dogs and 44 cats) and Riyadh (74 dogs), Saudi Arabia. The presence of Anaplasma spp., Bartonella spp., hemotropic Mycoplasma spp., Babesia spp., and Hepatozoon spp. was detected using a multiplex tandem real-time PCR. PCR-positive samples were further examined with specific conventional and real-time PCR followed by sequencing. Dogs from Riyadh tested negative for all pathogens, while 46 out of 70 dogs (65.7%) and 17 out of 44 cats (38.6%) from Asir were positive for at least one pathogen. Positive dogs were infected with Anaplasma platys (57.1%), Babesia vogeli (30%), Mycoplasma haemocanis (15.7%), and Bartonella henselae (1.4%), and cats were infected with Mycoplasma haemofelis (13.6%), Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum (13.6%), B. henselae (9.2%), and A. platys (2.27%), all of which are reported for the first time in Saudi Arabia. Co-infection with A. platys and B. vogeli was detected in 17 dogs (24.28%), while coinfections were not detected in cats. These results suggest that effective control and public awareness strategies for minimizing infection in animals are necessary.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (14) ◽  
pp. 7307
Author(s):  
Ilya S. Zhukov ◽  
Larisa G. Kubarskaya ◽  
Inessa V. Karpova ◽  
Anastasia N. Vaganova ◽  
Marina N. Karpenko ◽  
...  

Trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) are a group of G protein-coupled receptors that are expressed in the olfactory epithelium, central nervous system, and periphery. TAAR family generally consists of nine types of receptors (TAAR1-9), which can detect biogenic amines. During the last 5 years, the TAAR5 receptor became one of the most intriguing receptors in this subfamily. Recent studies revealed that TAAR5 is involved not only in sensing socially relevant odors but also in the regulation of dopamine and serotonin transmission, emotional regulation, and adult neurogenesis by providing significant input from the olfactory system to the limbic brain areas. Such results indicate that future antagonistic TAAR5-based therapies may have high pharmacological potential in the field of neuropsychiatric disorders. TAAR5 is known to be expressed in leucocytes as well. To evaluate potential hematological side effects of such future treatments we analyzed several hematological parameters in mice lacking TAAR5. In these mutants, we observed minor but significant changes in the osmotic fragility test of erythrocytes and hematocrit levels. At the same time, analysis of other parameters including complete blood count and reticulocyte levels showed no significant alterations in TAAR5 knockout mice. Thus, TAAR5 gene knockout leads to minor negative changes in the erythropoiesis or eryptosis processes, and further research in that field is needed. The impact of TAAR5 deficiency on other hematological parameters seems minimal. Such negative, albeit minor, effects of TAAR5 deficiency should be taken into account during future TAAR5-based therapy development.


Blood ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 106 (4) ◽  
pp. 1215-1222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanja Mändle ◽  
Hermann Einsele ◽  
Martin Schaller ◽  
Diana Neumann ◽  
Wichard Vogel ◽  
...  

Abstract Although there is evidence that endothelial cells are important targets for human pathogenic Bartonella species, the primary niche of infection is unknown. Here we elucidated whether human CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) internalize B henselae and may serve as a potential niche of the pathogen. We showed that B henselae does not adhere to or invade human erythrocytes. In contrast, B henselae invades and persists in HPCs as shown by gentamicin protection assays, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), and electron microscopy (EM). Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis of glycophorin A expression revealed that erythroid differentiation of HPCs was unaffected following infection with B henselae. The number of intracellular B henselae continuously increased over a 13-day period. When HPCs were infected with B henselae immediately after isolation, intracellular bacteria were subsequently detectable in differentiated erythroid cells on day 9 and day 13 after infection, as shown by CLSM, EM, and FACS analysis. Our data provide, for the first time, evidence that a bacterial pathogen is able to infect and persist in differentiating HPCs, and suggest that HPCs might serve as a potential primary niche in Bartonella infections.


mBio ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mina C. Hosseinipour ◽  
Kristen M. Sweet ◽  
Jie Xiong ◽  
Dan Namarika ◽  
Albert Mwafongo ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTKaposi’s sarcoma (KS), caused by KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), is the most common cancer among HIV-infected patients in Malawi and in the United States today. In Malawi, KSHV is endemic. We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients with HIV infection and KS with no history of chemo- or antiretroviral therapy (ART). Seventy patients were enrolled. Eighty-one percent had T1 (advanced) KS. Median CD4 and HIV RNA levels were 181 cells/mm3and 138,641 copies/ml, respectively. We had complete information and suitable plasma and biopsy samples for 66 patients. For 59/66 (89%) patients, a detectable KSHV load was found in plasma (median, 2,291 copies/ml; interquartile range [IQR], 741 to 5,623). We utilized a novel KSHV real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) array with multiple primers per open reading frame to examine KSHV transcription. Seventeen samples exhibited only minimal levels of KSHV mRNAs, presumably due to the limited number of infected cells. For all other biopsy samples, the viral latency locus (LANA, vCyc, vFLIP, kaposin, and microRNAs [miRNAs]) was transcribed abundantly, as was K15 mRNA. We could identify two subtypes of treatment-naive KS: lesions that transcribed viral RNAs across the length of the viral genome and lesions that displayed only limited transcription restricted to the latency locus. This finding demonstrates for the first time the existence of multiple subtypes of KS lesions in HIV- and KS-treatment naive patients.IMPORTANCEKS is the leading cancer in people infected with HIV worldwide and is causally linked to KSHV infection. Using viral transcription profiling, we have demonstrated the existence of multiple subtypes of KS lesions for the first time in HIV- and KS-treatment-naive patients. A substantial number of lesions transcribe mRNAs which encode the viral kinases and hence could be targeted by the antiviral drugs ganciclovir or AZT in addition to chemotherapy.


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