Phaidra - University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
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Corrigendum to: "Nutrition in chronic inflammatory conditions: Bypassing the mucosal block for micronutrients"
No full textIn February 2024, we published a review article titled “Nutrition in chronic inflammatory conditions: Bypassing the mucosal block for micronutrients” in Allergy. 2024 (PMID: 38084827 ; doi: 10.1111/all.15972). Recently, an error was spotted in Figure 4A of this review, which was missed when the figures were re-designed in the Allergy format. We apologize for the oversight when checking the manuscript, which caused confusion to the readers. We sincerely apologize to the journal and readers of the journal. We have now corrected the Figure 4. In this corrigendum to the review article, we have included a revised Figure 4A to address the error in the review article
Isospora and Lankesterella Parasites (Eimeriidae, Apicomplexa) of Passeriform Birds in Europe: Infection Rates, Phylogeny, and Pathogenicity.
No full textWild birds are common hosts to numerous intracellular parasites such as single-celled eukaryotes of the family Eimeriidae (order Eucoccidiorida, phylum Apicomplexa). We investigated the infection rates, phylogeny, and pathogenicity of Isospora and Lankesterella parasites in wild and captive passerine birds. Blood and tissue samples of 815 wild and 15 deceased captive birds from Europe were tested using polymerase chain reaction and partial sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome b and cytochrome c oxidase I and the nuclear 18S rRNA gene. The infection rate for Lankesterella in wild birds was 10.7% compared to 5.8% for Isospora. Chromogenic in situ hybridization with probes targeting the parasites\u27 18S rRNA was employed to identify the parasites\u27 presence in multiple organs, and hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to visualize the parasite stages and assess associated lesions. Isospora parasites were mainly identified in the intestine, spleen, and liver. Extraintestinal tissue stages of Isospora were accompanied by predominantly lymphohistiocytic inflammation of varying severity. Lankesterella was most frequently detected in the spleen, lung, and brain; however, infected birds presented only a low parasite burden without associated pathological changes. These findings contribute to our understanding of Isospora and Lankesterella parasites in wild birds
Understanding seasonal telomere length dynamics in hibernating species
No full textOxidative stress is thought to be one of the main causes of ageing as it progressively damages cell components throughout life, eventually causing cellular failure and apoptosis. In many organisms, telomeres shorten throughout life under the effect of, amongst other factors, oxidative stress, and are therefore commonly used as marker of biological ageing. However, hibernators, which are regularly exposed to acute oxidative stress when rewarming from torpor, are unexpectedly long-lived. In this review, we explore the causes of oxidative stress associated with hibernation and its impact on telomere dynamics in different taxa, focussing on hibernating rodents. We then speculate on the adaptive mechanisms of hibernators to compensate for the effects of oxidative stress, which may explain their increased longevity. Because winter hibernation appears to be associated with high oxidative stress, hibernators, particularly rodents, may periodically invest in repair mechanisms and antioxidant defences, resulting in seasonal variations in telomere lengths. This research shows how species with a slow life-history strategy deal with
large changes in oxidative stress, unifying evolutionary and physiological theories of ageing. Because of the marked seasonal variation in telomere length, we also draw attention when using telomeres as markers for biological aging in seasonal heterotherms and possibly in other highly seasonal species
Literaturübersicht zum Thema Akupunkturmeridiane
No full textDiplomarbeit - Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien - 2024Das Ziel dieser Diplomarbeit war es, eine Literaturübersicht zum Thema Akupunkturmeridiane zu erstellen und darzulegen ob bis heute eine valide Theorie dazu bestätigt werden konnte. Dazu wurde eine systematische Literaturrecherche von Oktober 2021 bis einschließlich Dezember 2023 durchgeführt. Die gesammelten Studien wurden nach dem vereinfachten Bewertungssystem, wie es bei Maxwell und Santesso (2006) beschrieben wird, klassifiziert und anschließend in die vier großen Bereiche Theorien zu Nervenleitung, Zirkulation von Körperflüssigkeiten, Faszien- und Bindegewebsstruktur sowie biologischem Feld unterteilt und näher beschrieben. (1) Insgesamt wurden 41 Studien in die Arbeit mitaufgenommen. Es ging hervor, dass bis dato keine valide Theorie das Substrat beziehungsweise die Essenz der Meridiane beschreiben kann. Ein Grund dafür, ist unteranderem der niedrige Evidenzlevel der durchgeführten Forschungen sowie der eingeschränkte Zugang zu der entsprechenden Literatur. Es werden noch jahrelange Forschung nötig sein, um diese Thematik valide zu erforschen.Diplomarbeit - Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien - 2024Das Ziel dieser Diplomarbeit war es, eine Literaturübersicht zum Thema Akupunkturmeridiane zu erstellen und darzulegen ob bis heute eine valide Theorie dazu bestätigt werden konnte. Dazu wurde eine systematische Literaturrecherche von Oktober 2021 bis einschließlich Dezember 2023 durchgeführt. Die gesammelten Studien wurden nach dem vereinfachten Bewertungssystem, wie es bei Maxwell und Santesso (2006) beschrieben wird, klassifiziert und anschließend in die vier großen Bereiche Theorien zu Nervenleitung, Zirkulation von Körperflüssigkeiten, Faszien- und Bindegewebsstruktur sowie biologischem Feld unterteilt und näher beschrieben. (1) Insgesamt wurden 41 Studien in die Arbeit mitaufgenommen. Es ging hervor, dass bis dato keine valide Theorie das Substrat beziehungsweise die Essenz der Meridiane beschreiben kann. Ein Grund dafür, ist unteranderem der niedrige Evidenzlevel der durchgeführten Forschungen sowie der eingeschränkte Zugang zu der entsprechenden Literatur. Es werden noch jahrelange Forschung nötig sein, um diese Thematik valide zu erforschen.The aim of this thesis was to compile a literature review on the subject of acupuncture meridians and to present whether a valid theory could be confirmed to date. A systematic literature search was carried out from October 2021 up to December 2023. The collected studies were classified, according to the simplified evaluation system, described by Maxwell and Santesso (2006), and then subdivided into the four main areas „theories of nerve conduction, circulation of body fluids, fascia and connective tissue structure, and biological field“. (1) A total of 41 studies were included in the work. It turned out that so far no valid theory has been able to describe the substrate or the essence of meridians. One reason for this, is the low level of evidence of the researches and the limited access to the relevant literature. It will take years of research to validate this issue
Microbiome mapping in dairy industry reveals new species and genes for probiotic and bioprotective activities
No full textThe resident microbiome in food industries may impact on food quality and safety. In particular, microbes residing on surfaces in dairy industries may actively participate in cheese fermentation and ripening and contribute to the typical flavor and texture. In this work, we carried out an extensive microbiome mapping in 73 cheese-making industries producing different types of cheeses (fresh, medium and long ripened) and located in 4 European countries. We sequenced and analyzed metagenomes from cheese samples, raw materials and environmental swabs collected from both food contact and non-food contact surfaces, as well as operators\u27 hands and aprons. Dairy plants were shown to harbor a very complex microbiome, characterized by high prevalence of genes potentially involved in flavor development, probiotic activities, and resistance to gastro-intestinal transit, suggesting that these microbes may potentially be transferred to the human gut microbiome. More than 6100 high-quality Metagenome Assembled Genomes (MAGs) were reconstructed, including MAGs from several Lactic Acid Bacteria species and putative new species. Although microbial pathogens were not prevalent, we found several MAGs harboring genes related to antibiotic resistance, highlighting that dairy industry surfaces represent a potential hotspot for antimicrobial resistance (AR) spreading along the food chain. Finally, we identified facility-specific strains that can represent clear microbial signatures of different cheesemaking facilities, suggesting an interesting potential of microbiome tracking for the traceability of cheese origin
A One Health framework for exploring zoonotic interactions demonstrated through a case study
No full textThe eco-epidemiology of zoonoses is often oversimplified to host-pathogen interactions while findings derived from global datasets are rarely directly transferable to smaller-scale contexts. Through a systematic literature search, we compiled a dataset of naturally occurring zoonotic interactions in Austria, spanning 1975-2022. We introduce the concept of zoonotic web to describe the complex relationships between zoonotic agents, their hosts, vectors, food, and environmental sources. The zoonotic web was explored through network analysis. After controlling for research effort, we demonstrate that, within the projected unipartite source-source network of zoonotic agent sharing, the most influential zoonotic sources are human, cattle, chicken, and some meat products. Analysis of the One Health 3-cliques (triangular sets of nodes representing human, animal, and environment) confirms the increased probability of zoonotic spillover at human-cattle and human-food interfaces. We characterise six communities of zoonotic agent sharing, which assembly patterns are likely driven by highly connected infectious agents in the zoonotic web, proximity to human, and anthropogenic activities. Additionally, we report a frequency of emerging zoonotic diseases in Austria of one every six years. Here, we present a flexible network-based approach that offers insights into zoonotic transmission chains, facilitating the development of locally-relevant One Health strategies against zoonoses
Immunophenotype investigation in feline intestinal non-B-cell lymphoma
No full textLymphoma is the most common tumour of domestic cats, developing most frequently in the small intestine. Feline small intestinal lymphoma predominantly demonstrates a T-cell immunophenotype identified by standard immunopositivity for T cells with CD3 or immunopositivity for B cells with CD20. In contrast, a wide spectrum of immunohistochemical antibodies are applied in humans to diagnose the various specific lymphoma subtypes according to the WHO classification. Our aim was to augment our knowledge of immunophenotypes in feline non-B-cell lymphomas forming macroscopic masses in the intestinal tract. We evaluated the combined immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry findings from 15 cases. Neoplastic lymphoid cells were immunopositive for CD3 in 93% (14/15), granzyme B in 87% (13/15), CD5 in 20% (3/15), CD8 in 13% (2/15), CD4 in 7% (1/15) and CD56 in 7% (1/15) of cases. Cytotoxic granules indicating a cytotoxic origin of the neoplastic cells were identified by histopathology only in 13% (2/15) and by cytology in 47% (7/15) of the cases. Without immunohistochemical labelling of the cytotoxic protein granzyme B, the
cytotoxic status would have been missed in 46% (6/13) of the cytological and in 85% (11/13) of the histopathological slides. These findings suggest that more complex immunophenotyping may advance our understanding and help prognosticate small intestinal T-cell lymphoma in cats
Characterization of a Molecular Clone of Deformed Wing Virus B
No full textHoney bees (Apis mellifera) play a crucial role in agriculture through their pollination activities. However, they have faced significant health challenges over the past decades that can limit colony performance and even lead to collapse. A primary culprit is the parasitic mite Varroa destructor, known for transmitting harmful bee viruses. Among these viruses is deformed wing virus (DWV), which impacts bee pupae during their development, resulting in either pupal demise or in the emergence of crippled adult bees. In this study, we focused on DWV master variant B. DWV-B prevalence has risen sharply in recent decades and appears to be outcompeting variant A of DWV. We generated a molecular clone of a typical DWV-B strain to compare it with our established DWV-A clone, examining RNA replication, protein expression, and virulence. Initially, we analyzed the genome using RACE-PCR and RT-PCR techniques. Subsequently, we conducted full-genome RT-PCR and inserted the complete viral cDNA into a bacterial plasmid backbone. Phylogenetic comparisons with available full-length sequences were performed, followed by functional analyses using a live bee pupae model. Upon the transfection of in vitro-transcribed RNA, bee pupae exhibited symptoms of DWV infection, with detectable viral protein expression and stable RNA replication observed in subsequent virus passages. The DWV-B clone displayed a lower virulence compared to the DWV-A clone after the transfection of synthetic RNA, as evidenced by a reduced pupal mortality rate of only 20% compared to 80% in the case of DWV-A and a lack of malformations in 50% of the emerging bees. Comparable results were observed in experiments with low infection doses of the passaged virus clones. In these tests, 90% of bees infected with DWV-B showed no clinical symptoms, while 100% of pupae infected with DWV-A died. However, at high infection doses, both DWV-A and DWV-B caused mortality rates exceeding 90%. Taken together, we have generated an authentic virus clone of DWV-B and characterized it in animal experiments
Erythrocytes of the common carp are immune sentinels that sense pathogen molecular patterns, engulf particles and secrete pro-inflammatory cytokines against bacterial infection
No full textRed blood cells (RBCs), also known as erythrocytes, are underestimated in their role in the immune system. In mammals, erythrocytes undergo maturation that involves the loss of nuclei, resulting in limited transcription and protein synthesis capabilities. However, the nucleated nature of non-mammalian RBCs is challenging this conventional understanding of RBCs. Notably, in bony fishes, research indicates that RBCs are not only susceptible to pathogen attacks but express immune receptors and effector molecules. However, given the abundance of RBCs and their interaction with every physiological system, we postulate that they act in surveillance as sentinels, rapid responders, and messengers.We performed a series of in vitro experiments with Cyprinus carpio RBCs exposed to Aeromonas hydrophila, as well as in vivo laboratory infections using different concentrations of bacteria.qPCR revealed that RBCs express genes of several inflammatory cytokines. Using cyprinid-specific antibodies, we confirmed that RBCs secreted tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and interferon gamma (IFNγ). In contrast to these indirect immune mechanisms, we observed that RBCs produce reactive oxygen species and, through transmission electron and confocal microscopy, that RBCs can engulf particles. Finally, RBCs expressed and upregulated several putative toll-like receptors, including tlr4 and tlr9, in response to A. hydrophila infection in vivo.Overall, the RBC repertoire of pattern recognition receptors, their secretion of effector molecules, and their swift response make them immune sentinels capable of rapidly detecting and signaling the presence of foreign pathogens. By studying the interaction between a bacterium and erythrocytes, we provide novel insights into how the latter may contribute to overall innate and adaptive immune responses of teleost fishes