The consumption of horse meat has been epidemiologically linked to clinical toxoplasmosis in humans and neosporosis that may cause clinical illness in horses. Here we determined seroprevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908 and species of Neospora Dubey, Carpenter, Speer, Topper et Uggla, 1988 in horses from Italy. Blood samples were collected from 643 apparently healthy horses from 60 farms of 51 municipalities in southern Italy. The presence of antibodies against T. gondii and Neospora spp. were detected by indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT); a titre ≥ 50 was considered positive. The same sera were also tested for antibodies against Neospora spp. by a competitive-inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA); samples with ≥ 30% inhibition were considered positive. Antibodies against T. gondii and Neospora spp. were detected in 19 (3.0%) and 15 (2.3%) horses by IFAT, respectively, without statistical difference between gender, age and breeds (p-value ≥ 0.05). Antibodies against species of Neospora were detected in 70 (10.9%) horses by cELISA with statistical difference in gender (6.0-18.5%, p-value ≥ 0.05) and breeds (0-19.4%, p-value ≥ 0.05). Although T. gondii infection rates were low, the risk of human infection should not be dismissed, particularly in Italy where consumption of raw or undercooked horse meat has a long tradition., Eva Bártová, Tereza Machačová, Kamil Sedlák, Marie Budíková, Ugo Mariani, Vincenzo Veneziano., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) is an obligate intracellular, parasitic protozoan within the phylum Apicomplexa that causes toxoplasmosis in mammalian hosts (including humans) and birds. Since meat of wild boar, Sus scrofa (Linnaeus), has been demonstrated to be a potential source of human infection, a careful evaluation of the prevalence of infection with T. gondii in hunted animals is needed to protect public health. In the Var area in southeastern France, we performed a spatio-temporal survey in order to investigate the prevalence of IgG antibodies in wild boars shot by hunters in the Canjuers military camp during two subsequent hunting seasons. Of 841 wild boars screened, antibodies (IgG) to T. gondii (modified agglutination test, cut-off 1 : 6) were found in 141 (16.8%) muscle extract samples. A significant association (p < 0.001) was found between positivity and age, but not gender, and hunting districts. The results obtained indicate that consumption of raw or undercooked meat from wild boars carries an important risk of infection with T. gondii. Wild boars may be considered as a bioindicator of parasite circulation in this ecosystem., Cédric Roqueplo, Radu Blaga, Jean-Lou Marié, Isabelle Vallée, Bernard Davoust., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) is an obligatory intracellular protozoan parasite prevalent in animals and humans worldwide having medical and veterinary importance on account of causing abortion or congenital disease in intermediate hosts, including man. Since T. gondii has already been identified in the milk of goats, Capra aegagrus hircus (Linnaeus), the possibility of acquiring infection by ingesting unpasteurised goat milk should be taken into consideration. Thus, the aim of the present study was to determine the presence of T. gondii DNA in goat milk. First, 73 goats (females) from 36 farms located in Poland were examined serologically by direct agglutination test (DAT) to estimate the T. gondii serological status. Milk samples from 60 selected lactating females were examined for the presence of T. gondii DNA by Real time PCR and nested PCR (B1 gene). To estimate the clonal type of detected T. gondii, multiplex PCR was performed using 6 markers. In DAT, positive results were found in 70% of 73 goats. Among examined 60 milk samples, 65% were positive in Real time PCR and 43% in nested PCR. It is noteworthy that 11 samples positive in PCR were collected from seronegative goats. The multilocus PCR analysis mostly revealed the occurrence of genotype III, which is relatively rare in Europe. The recorded high prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma antibodies in tested goats (70%), associated with a high prevalence of T. gondii DNA in goat milk samples (65%), indicates a potential risk of the parasite transmission through goat milk ingestion., Jacek Sroka, Paweł Kusyk, Ewa Bilska-Zając, Jacek Karamon, Jacek Dutkiewicz, Angelina Wójcik-Fatla, Violetta Zając, Krzysztof Stojecki, Mirosław Różycki, Tomasz Cencek., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) is an ubiquitary monoamine acting as one of the neurotransmitters at synapses of nerve cells. Serotonin acts through several receptor types and subtypes. The profusion of 5-HT receptors should eventually allow a better understanding of the different and complex processes in which serotonin is involved. Its role is expected in the etiology of several diseases, including depre ssion, schizophreni a, anxiety and panic disorders, migraine, hypert ension, pulmonary hypertension, eating disorders, vomiting and irritable bowel syndromes. In the past 20 years, seven distinct families of 5-HT receptors have been identified and various subpo pulations have been described for several of them. Increasing number of 5-HT receptors has made it difficult to unravel the role of 5-HT receptor subpopulations due to the lack of suitable selective agents. The present review describes the different populations and nomenclature of recently discovered 5-HT receptors and their pharmacological relevance. and M. Pytliak ... [et al.].
Serum adipocyte fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) concentrations are linked to human obesity and other features of metabolic syndrome. Whether FABP associates with metabolic alterations in chronic malnutrition is unknown. In the present study, we measured fasting serum levels of FABP, leptin, soluble leptin receptor, adiponectin, resistin, C-reactive protein (CRP), insulin, glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides in 19 patients with a restrictive type of anorexia nervosa (AN) and in 16 healthy age-matched control women (C). Body mass index, serum leptin, and CRP concentrations were significantly lower, while serum adiponectin and soluble leptin receptor levels were significantly higher in AN relative to C group. Serum insulin, glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels did not differ between the groups studied. Serum FABP leve ls were unchanged in patients with AN and were not related to any of parameters studied. We conclude that, in contrast to patients with obesity where FAPB is a prominent marker of metabolic alterations, chronic malnutrition in AN does not significantly affect its serum levels., D. Haluzíková ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Hmyz sající krev svých hostitelů často přenáší i původce různých, více či méně závažných onemocnění, čímž představuje hrozbu, ale současně poskytuje dokonalou ukázku biologické adaptace a evolučního závodu s obranou hostitele i s triky přenášených patogenů. Článek stručně představuje vybrané zástupce krevsajícího hmyzu (např. blechy, vši, ovády, kloše, štěnice, komáry) z území České republiky i vyskytující se v různých částech světa, jejich způsob života a jimi přenášené původce onemocnění., Insects sucking the blood of their hosts often transmit the agents of various serious diseases, which pose a threat, but which at the same time provide a perfect example of biological adaptation and the endless evolutionary race against the host's defences with tricks involving transmitted pathogens. This article briefly presents some selected representatives from these blood-sucking insects (e.g. fleas, lice, horseflies, bedbugs, keds and mosquitoes) in the Czech Republic and occurring elsewhere in various parts of the world, their way of life and the aetiological agents which they transmit., and Jan Votýpka.
Článek přináší ukázku fotografií zástupců čeledi veverkovití (Sciuridae) v Severní Americe. Některé z těchto druhů lze při návštěvách národních parků i jiných míst v Kanadě a Spojených státech amerických pozorovat snadno a někdy i zblízka – představené fotografie vznikly na parkovištích a odpočívadlech, kde se tito hlodavci snaží získat od turistů „pamlsky“., A sample of photographs of representatives of the Sciuridae family in North America is selected. Some of these species can easily be observed on visits to national parks and other locations in Canada and the United States, sometimes from close up – the photos were taken at car parks and lay-bys, where these rodents attempt to obtain “goodies” from the tourists., and George O. Krizek.
Nocturnal pollinators such as moths have received less attention than diurnal insects. To elucidate whether nocturnal moths are important pollinators, we observed both the diurnal and nocturnal visitors to the flowers of Uncaria rhynchophylla (Rubiaceae) in a warm-temperate forest in central Japan. The diurnal visitors included various taxonomic groups (e.g., bees, hoverflies and butterflies). The nocturnal visitors were exclusively moths (Geometridae, Erebidae, Noctuidae and Crambidae). Pollen grains of U. rhynchophylla were attached to both diurnal and nocturnal visitors. Although diurnal flower visitors carried pollen grains of other plant species, nocturnal moths did not carry heterospecific pollen grains. These results suggest that nocturnal moths, as well as diurnal insects, are important pollinators of U. rhynchophylla., Daichi Funamoto, Shinji Sugiura., and Obsahuje bibliografii