Pathogenicity of human and porcine intestinal spirochetes in one-day-old specific-pathogen-free chicks: an animal model of intestinal spirochetosis.

ABSTRACT The purpose of the present study was to evaluate pigs as a large-animal model for female genital infection with two Chlamydia trachomatis human serovar E strains. Sixteen-week-old specific-pathogen-free female pigs (gilts) were intravaginally infected with the trachoma type E reference strain Bour or the urogenital serovar E strain 468. Several conclusions can be drawn from our findings on the pathogenicity of a primary C. trachomatis genital infection in gilts. First of all, we demonstrated that the serovar E strains Bour and 468 could ascend in the genital tract of gilts. The serovar E strains could replicate in the superficial columnar cervical epithelium and in the superficial epithelial layer of the uterus, which are known to be the specific target sites for a C. trachomatis genital infection in women. Second, inflammation and pathology occurred at the replication sites. Third, the organisms could trigger a humoral immune response, as demonstrated by the presence of immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgG, and IgA in both serum and genital secretion samples. Our findings imply that the pig model might be useful for studying the pathology, pathogenesis, and immune response to a C. trachomatis infection of the genital system.

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Systematic Pathogenesis and Replication of Avian Hepatitis E Virus in Specific-Pathogen-Free Adult Chickens

Journal of Virology ◽

10.1128/jvi.79.6.3429-3437.2005 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 79 (6) ◽

pp. 3429-3437 ◽

Cited By ~ 83

Author(s):

P. Billam ◽

F. F. Huang ◽

Z. F. Sun ◽

F. W. Pierson ◽

R. B. Duncan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Animal Model ◽

Hepatitis E Virus ◽

Hepatitis E ◽

Intermediate Lobe ◽

Liver Lesions ◽

Specific Pathogen Free ◽

Tissue Samples ◽

Virus Shedding ◽

Specific Pathogen ◽

Avian Hev

ABSTRACT Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an important human pathogen. Due to the lack of a cell culture system and a practical animal model for HEV, little is known about its pathogenesis and replication. The discovery of a strain of HEV in chickens, designated avian HEV, prompted us to evaluate chickens as a model for the study of HEV. Eighty-five 60-week-old specific-pathogen-free chickens were randomly divided into three groups. Group 1 chickens (n = 28) were each inoculated with 5 × 104.5 50% chicken infectious doses of avian HEV by the oronasal route, group 2 chickens (n = 29) were each inoculated with the same dose by the intravenous (i.v.) route, and group 3 chickens (n = 28) were not inoculated and were used as controls. Two chickens from each group were necropsied at 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 13, 16, 20, 24, 28, 35, and 42 days postinoculation (dpi), and the remaining chickens were necropsied at 56 dpi. Serum, fecal, and various tissue samples, including liver and spleen samples, were collected at each necropsy for pathological and virological testing. By 21 dpi, all oronasally and i.v. inoculated chickens had seroconverted. Fecal virus shedding was detected variably from 1 to 20 dpi for the i.v. group and from 10 to 56 dpi for the oronasal group. Avian HEV RNA was detected in serum, bile, and liver samples from both i.v. and oronasally inoculated chickens. Gross liver lesions, characterized by subcapsular hemorrhages or enlargement of the right intermediate lobe, were observed in 7 of 28 oronasally and 7 of 29 i.v. inoculated chickens. Microscopic liver lesions were mainly lymphocytic periphlebitis and phlebitis. The lesion scores were higher for oronasal (P = 0.0008) and i.v. (P = 0.0029) group birds than for control birds. Slight elevations of the plasma liver enzyme lactate dehydrogenase were observed in infected chickens. The results indicated that chickens are a useful model for studying HEV replication and pathogenesis. This is the first report of HEV transmission via its natural route in a homologous animal model.

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Laboratory Animal Research Centre (Larc) “A Specific Pathogen Free Rodent Facility” - Covid – 19 Pandemic Response Plan

University of the Future: Re-Imagining Research and Higher Education ◽

10.29117/quarfe.2020.0285 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Muralitharan Shanmugakonar ◽

Vijay Kanth Govindharajan ◽

Kavitha Varadharajan ◽

Hamda Al-Naemi

Keyword(s):

Laboratory Animal ◽

Animal Research ◽

Research Centre ◽

Functional Requirement ◽

Specific Pathogen Free ◽

Specific Pathogen ◽

Response Plan ◽

Pandemic Response ◽

Operational Plan

Laboratory Animal Research Centre (LARC) has developed an early emergency operational plan for COVID-19 pandemic situation. Biosafety and biosecurity measures were planned and implemented ahead of time to check the functional requirement to prevent the infection. Identified necessary support for IT, transport, procurement, finance, admin and research to make the operations remotely and successfully.

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Curcumin reduces enteric isoprostane 8-iso-PGF2α and prostaglandin GF2α in specific pathogen-free Leghorn chickens challenged with Eimeria maxima

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-90679-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Victor M. Petrone-Garcia ◽

Raquel Lopez-Arellano ◽

Gabriela Rodríguez Patiño ◽

Miriam Aide Castillo Rodríguez ◽

Daniel Hernandez-Patlan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Broiler Chickens ◽

Solid Phase ◽

Oxidation Products ◽

Specific Pathogen Free ◽

Post Challenge ◽

Eimeria Maxima ◽

Lipid Oxidation Products ◽

Challenge Control ◽

Specific Pathogen

AbstractThe purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate and determine the concentration of prostaglandin GF2α (PGF2α) and isoprostane 8‐iso‐PGF2α in plasma and intestine of specific pathogen-free (SPF) Leghorn chickens challenged with Eimeria maxima, with or without dietary supplementation of curcumin using solid‐phase microextraction and ultra‐performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Eighty 1-day-old male SPF chickens were randomly allocated to one of four groups with four replicates (n = 5 chickens/replicate). Groups consisted of: (1) Control (no challenge), (2) Curcumin (no challenge), (3) Eimeria maxima (challenge), and (4) Eimeria maxima (challenge) + curcumin. At day 28 of age, all chickens in the challenge groups were orally gavaged with 40,000 sporulated E. maxima oocysts. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed in the groups regardless of the treatment or challenge with E. maxima. Enteric levels of both isoprostane 8‐iso‐PGF2α and PGF2α at 7 days and 9 days post-challenge were significantly increased (P < 0.01) compared to the non-challenge control chickens. Interestingly, the enteric levels of both isoprostane 8‐iso‐PGF2α and PGF2α at 7 days post-challenge were significantly reduced in chickens fed curcumin, compared to control chickens challenge with E. maxima. At 9 days post-challenge, only levels of isoprostane 8‐iso‐PGF2α in the enteric samples were significantly reduced in chickens challenged with E. maxima supplemented with curcumin, compared with E. maxima challenge chickens. No differences of isoprostane 8‐iso‐PGF2α or PGF2α were observed in plasma at both days of evaluation. Similarly, no significant differences were observed between the challenge control or chickens challenge with E. maxima and supplemented with curcumin at both times of evaluation. The results of this pilot study suggests that the antioxidant anti-inflammatory properties of curcumin reduced the oxidative damage and subsequent intestinal mucosal over-production of lipid oxidation products. Further studies to confirm and extend these results in broiler chickens are required.

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