Concentration Of Hp Research Articles

Acute phase proteins response in hunting dogs

Haptoglobin (Hp), serum amyloid A (SAA), C-reactive protein (CRP), and white blood cells (WBC) were assessed in 20 dogs divided into 2 groups. The dogs of group A were not subjected to hunting exercise (control group), while the dogs of group B were subjected to hunting exercise for 3 hr (experimental group). Blood samples were collected from each animal before hunting (T0), immediately after 3 hr of hunting (T1), and after 1 hr of recovery (T2). The general linear model (GLM) repeated measures procedure showed a significant difference between the 2 groups (P < 0.0001) and a significant rise (P < 0.0001) in concentration of Hp, SAA, and CRP after hunting exercise, with a consequent decline during recovery period in group B. These parameters could be considered valid and easily obtainable biomarkers in relation to hunting stress in dogs. Additional studies will continue to elucidate the magnitude and the time of response of other acute phase proteins.

High-efficiency tooth bleaching using non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma with low concentration of hydrogen peroxide

Light-activated tooth bleaching with a high hydrogen peroxide (HP; H2O2) concentration has risks and the actual role of the light source is doubtful. The use of conventional light might result in an increase in the temperature and cause thermal damage to the health of the tooth tissue.Objective:This study investigated the efficacy of tooth bleaching using non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NAPP) with 15% carbamide peroxide (CP; CH6N2O3) including 5.4% HP, as compared with conventional light sources. Material and Methods:Forty human teeth were randomly divided into four groups: Group I (CP+NAPP), Group II (CP+plasma arc lamp; PAC), Group III (CP+diode laser), and Group IV (CP alone). Color changes (ΔE ) of the tooth and tooth surface temperatures were measured. Data were evaluated by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post-hoc Tukey's tests. Results:Group I showed the highest bleaching efficacy, with a ΔE value of 1.92-, 2.61 and 2.97-fold greater than those of Groups II, III and IV, respectively (P<0.05). The tooth surface temperature was maintained around 37ºC in Group I, but it reached 43ºC in Groups II and III. Conclusions:The NAPP has a greater capability for effective tooth bleaching than conventional light sources with a low concentration of HP without causing thermal damage. Tooth bleaching using NAPP can become a major technique for in-office bleaching in the near future.

Short communication: Acute phase proteins in Holstein cows diagnosed with uterine infection

The aim of this work was to monitor the pattern of serum acute phase proteins [paraoxonase (PON), haptoglobin (Hp) and albumin] during the peripartum period of normal healthy cows (n=16) compared to that in cows diagnosed with uterine infection (n=15). Albumin concentrations were lower at 21days before expected calving in cows subsequently diagnosed with uterine infection and predicted the occurrence of uterine infection with an accuracy of 79.3%. Cows diagnosed with uterine infection had a postpartum reduction in serum PON activity and the concentration of Hp increased at 7 DIM for multiparous uterine infected cows. In conclusion, cows diagnosed with uterine infection had reduced serum albumin concentration 21days before calving, lower PON activity at 7days after calving, and increased Hp in multiparous cows at 7 DIM compared to healthy cows.

C-reactive protein, haptoglobin, serum amyloid A and pig major acute phase protein response in pigs simultaneously infected with H1N1 swine influenza virus and Pasteurella multocida

BackgroundSwine influenza (SI) is an acute respiratory disease caused by swine influenza virus (SIV). Swine influenza is generally characterized by acute onset of fever and respiratory symptoms. The most frequent complications of influenza are secondary bacterial pneumonia. The objective of this work was to study the acute phase proteins (APP) responses after coinfection of piglets with H1N1 swine influenza virus (SwH1N1) and Pasteurella multocida (Pm) in order to identify whether the individual APP response correlate with disease severity and whether APP could be used as markers of the health status of coinfected pigs.ResultsIn all coinfected pigs clinical sings, including fever, coughing and dyspnea, were seen. Viral shedding was observed from 2 to 7 dpi. The mean level of antibodies against Pm dermonecrotoxin in infected piglets increase significantly from 7 dpi. Anti-SwH1N1 antibodies in the serum were detected from 7 dpi. The concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) increased significantly at 1 dpi as compared to control pigs, and remained significantly higher to 3 dpi. Level of serum amyloid A (SAA) was significantly higher from 2 to 3 dpi. Haptoglobin (Hp) was significantly elevated from 3 dpi to the end of study, while pig major acute phase protein (Pig-MAP) from 3 to 7 dpi. The concentrations of CRP, Hp and SAA significantly increased before specific antibodies were detected. Positive correlations were found between serum concentration of Hp and SAA and lung scores, and between clinical score and concentrations of Pig-MAP and SAA.ConclusionsThe results of current study confirmed that monitoring of APP may revealed ongoing infection, and in this way may be useful in selecting clinically healthy pigs (i.e. before integration into an uninfected herd). Present results corroborated our previous findings that SAA could be a potentially useful indicator in experimental infection studies (e.g. vaccine efficiency investigations) or as a marker for disease severity, because of correlation observed between its concentration in serum and disease severity (lung scores, clinical scores).

In vitro evaluation of halogen light-activated vs chemically activated in-office bleaching systems

Objectives. To compare the tooth whitening efficacy, temperature and HP concentration changes induced by halogen light-activated and chemically activated in-office bleaching systems. Materials and methods. Twenty-four extracted premolars were randomly divided into two groups (n = 12): Group BL (35% HP with halogen light activation) and Group OP (38% HP with chemical activation). Tooth color was measured by a spectrophotometer according to the CIE L*a*b* color space system. Temperatures of bleaching gels and pulp chambers during the bleaching process were monitored and recorded by a digital multimeter with K-type thermocouple. HP concentrations were tested before and after treatments by iodometry. ANOVA and paired t-test were used for statistical analyses at the significance of p < 0.05. Results. Tooth whitening resulted in the increase of ΔL* and ΔE and reduction of Δb*. Paired t-tests revealed groups BL had greater ΔE than group OP, however, there was no statistically significant difference in ΔE between them after 3 weeks post-treatment. Maximal temperature rise (ΔT) was found only in group BL, showing the increment of 2.55 and 2.02°C for bleaching gels and pulp chambers, respectively. HP concentrations were higher than baseline values for group OP (p < 0.001) rather than group BL. Conclusions. Halogen light and chemically activated in-office bleaching systems were both effective for tooth whitening, but halogen light activation could improve the immediate whitening effect. In contrast, chemical activation was a more conservative method due to the little temperature rise in pulp chambers.

The Haptoglobin-CD163-Heme Oxygenase-1 Pathway for Hemoglobin Scavenging

The haptoglobin- (Hp-) CD163-heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) pathway is an efficient captor-receptor-enzyme system to circumvent the hemoglobin (Hb)/heme-induced toxicity during physiological and pathological hemolyses. In this pathway, Hb tightly binds to Hp leading to CD163-mediated uptake of the complex in macrophages followed by lysosomal Hp-Hb breakdown and HO-1-catalyzed conversion of heme into the metabolites carbon monoxide (CO), biliverdin, and iron. The plasma concentration of Hp is a limiting factor as evident during accelerated hemolysis, where the Hp depletion may cause serious Hb-induced toxicity and put pressure on backup protecting systems such as the hemopexin-CD91-HO pathway. The Hp-CD163-HO-1 pathway proteins are regulated by the acute phase mediator interleukin-6 (IL-6), but other regulatory factors indicate that this upregulation is a counteracting anti-inflammatory response during inflammation. The heme metabolites including bilirubin converted from biliverdin have overall an anti-inflammatory effect and thus reinforce the anti-inflammatory efficacy of the Hp-CD163-HO-1 pathway. Future studies of animal models of inflammation should further define the importance of the pathway in the anti-inflammatory response.

Detection of haptoglobin in seminal plasma of Awassi rams and the relation with its level in serum and some semen parameters

The study was conducted to detect haptoglobin in seminal plasma (SP-Hp) of Awassi rams and the effect of the breeding season on its concentration, along with determining the correlation with its concentration in serum (S-Hp) and main semen variables. Pre-warmed artificial vagina was used to collect semen samples biweekly from five Awassi rams. Semen samples were evaluated for volume, concentration and sperm motility. Blood samples were collected 10–30min after semen collection. The concentration of serum and seminal plasma Hp was determined using ELISA. The mean±SESP-Hp concentrations ranged from 0.25±0.05 to 0.81±0.44μg/ml, whereas those of S-Hp-ranged from 0.99±0.29 to 2.99±0.18mg/ml. There was a significant (P<0.05) positive correlation (r=0.329) between SP-Hp and S-Hp concentrations. Both SP-Hp and S-Hp concentrations were significantly (P<0.05) higher in winter as compared with the other seasons. The concentrations of SP-Hp and S-Hp during the breeding season were significantly lower (P<0.01) than those of the out season period. SP-Hp concentration negatively correlated with semen volume and sperm concentration (r=−0.164 and −0.121), whereas sperm concentration positively correlated with individual sperm motility (r=0.100). No significant correlation was detected between SP-Hp and semen parameters. It can be concluded that, Hp is present in ram seminal plasma and its concentration was about 2000 folds lower than that of the serum, and Hp concentration was lower during the breeding season, but its concentration in seminal plasma has no significant correlation with semen parameters.

Poly(ester‐amine) hyperbranched polymer as toughening and co‐curing agent for epoxy/clay nanocomposites

AbstractThe marriage between hardness and flexibility of epoxy resins (improved toughness) is a desired feature, which broads their application in various industrial fields, especially for high impact resistance purposes. Accordingly, this work aims to improve toughness properties of epoxy resin (Epon‐828)/Ancamine (curing agent) system using amino‐terminated hyperbranched poly(ester‐amine) [Poly(PEODA‐NPA)] (HP) as toughening and/or co‐curing agent, in presence of organo‐modified Montmorillonite clay (OMMT) as a reinforcing filler. HP was synthesized via Michael addition reaction of poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEODA) to N‐methyl‐1,3‐propanediamine (NPA). Chemical structure and molecular weight of HP were elucidated using infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) techniques, respectively. Epoxy/OMMT nanocomposites toughened with HP (at different concentrations) showed remarkable improvement in their toughness without any adverse effect on the other physico‐mechanical properties. The optimum concentration of HP and OMMT was found to be 20 wt % and 1–3 wt% of the epoxy resin, respectively. The extent of exfoliation and dispersion of OMMT platelets within the epoxy cured films was assessed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements. In addition, thermal gravimetric analyses (TGA‐DTA) of epoxy/OMMT nanocomposites toughened with HP showed a slight increase in their decomposition temperature, particularly at low OMMT loading. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2013. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers

Haptoglobin baseline value in jennies and the effect of ovariectomy on its serum concentration

The study was conducted to determine the baseline concentration of serum haptoglobin (Hp) in jennies during the breeding and nonbreeding season and to evaluate the effects of ovariectomy on serum Hp concentrations in jennies. Eighteen adult jennies were divided in three groups: nine jennies (OVA) were ovariectomized using laparoscopic surgery, six jennies (LAP) were exploratory examined by laparoscopic surgery, and three jennies were used as a control group. Blood samples were collected from the animals at Day −6, −2, −1, 0, 1, 2, 5, 8, 15, 22, 29 and 36 of surgery. Serum samples were analyzed by an ELISA specifically developed for determining equine Hp. The mean weekly Hp concentration ranged between 149.76±7.55 and 178.94±6.67mg/L. The Hp concentrations of clinically healthy jennies revealed no significant variation among time, and there was no effect of reproductive season on Hp concentrations in jennies. Serum Hp concentration was elevated at the first day after operations in the OVA and LAP group. Five days after the operation, the Hp concentration reached the maximum in the LAP and OVA group (278.84±34.22 and 359.88±35.45mg/L, respectively) and decreased at Day 8 after the operations. On Day 22, 29 and 32 after the operations, the concentration of Hp in LAP and OVA animals was close to its concentration in the control group. In conclusion, Hp is not related to reproductive status of jennies and it can be used as an indicator for cell and tissue damage after surgical operations.

Evaluation of Serum Amyloid A and Haptoglobin in Dairy Cows Naturally Infected with Brucellosis

Brucellosis is one of the most important zoonotic diseases worldwide, which is responsible for a debilitating disease in humans and a chronic infection in domestic animals. The aim of this study was to determine serum changes of two major acute phase proteins (Serum Amyloid A (SAA) and Haptoglobin (Hp)) levels in dairy cows naturally infected with brucellosis. The study included 25 dairy cows with brucellosis and 25 healthy cows. It was found that mean SAA levels (μg/ml) were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in brucellosis cases (123.75 ± 12.64) as compared to values measured in the control group (32.92 ± 9.12). In addition, SAA levels measured in the positive cases correlated with the increase in antibody levels, both in 2-mercaptoethanol (2ME) and Wright tests. However, the analyses of the results between the evaluated groups did not show any significant differences in measured serum concentration of Hp (g/l) (P > 0.05). Our results suggested that some acute phase proteins are involved in the pathophysiology of brucellosis and are closely related to the inflammatory activation of the disease. In view of the present findings, it is suggested SAA may be used as an indicator for bovine brucellosis.

PREDICTORS OF ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE TO POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN

Background and Aims: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are a group of compounds, comprising two or more fused aromatic rings, that are formed as a result of incomplete combustion of organic matter. Sources of environmental contamination can be both industrial and nonindustrial, the most common sources being cigarette smoke, grilled and smoked food processes, coal-fired utilities, steel plants, coke-oven plants, graphite electrode manufacturing plants, vehicle exhaust, wood-burning ovens and fireplaces. The aim of the study was to characterize the PAH exposure level based on 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HP) in urine of Polish pregnant women. Methods: The study population consisted of 449 pregnant women who had been the subjects of the prospective Polish Mother and Child Cohort study performed in 8 regions of Poland. The women were interviewed three times during pregnancy (once in each trimester). 1–HP concentration in urine was chosen as the biomarker of exposure to PAH. The urine sample was analysed using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The active and passive smoking exposure was verified by saliva cotinine, analysed by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry/positive electrospray ionisation (LC-ESI+ MS/MS) and isotope dilution method. Results: 1-HP concentration in urine ranged from 0.02 to 10.2 •g/g creatinine with the geometric mean (GM) 0.4 •g/g creatinine. The significantly higher concentration of urinary 1-HP in pregnant women was observed for summer collection (GM ratio 1.1; p = 0.01), among smokers (GM ratio 1.7; p &lt; 0.001) and for the women living in big cities (GM ratio 1.3; p = 0.001). Conclusions: The significantly higher concentration of urinary 1-HP in pregnant women was observed for summer collection, among smokers and those living in big cities.

Kinetics of the response of four positive acute phase proteins in pigs experimentally infected with toxigenic Pasteurella multocida

In the present study, acute phase proteins (APP) responses in pigs after infection with toxigenic strain of Pasteurella multocida (Pm) were evaluated. Twelve piglets from a herd free from toxigenic Pm were used. Six of them were infected intranasally with Pm. CRP, Hp, SAA and Pig-MAP concentrations were measured using commercial ELISA tests. CRP and Hp were significantly induced from 2 days post inoculation (dpi). The concentration of Hp in inoculated pigs remained elevated until the end of the study. The concentrations of SAA and Pig-MAP increased significantly from 3dpi, and remained elevated to 5 or 7dpi, respectively. Strong correlations were observed between concentration of Hp or SAA and changes in the lungs. No correlations were found between levels of APP in serum and changes observed in the turbinates. On the basis of our investigation, we cannot state that evaluation of APP concentrations in serum may provide useful information about severity of atrophic rhinitis. However, the concentration of all investigated APP increased after inoculation. Thus, APP-measurements may reveal ongoing infection. Monitoring of APP concentrations in the pig herds may help to pinpoint infected animals even before clinical signs are present. If found, these “APP-high” animals may be chosen next for pathogen-specific diagnostics. Early diagnosis and therapy may prevent the infection from spreading in the herd. Moreover, monitoring of APP concentrations in serum may be useful for selecting clinically healthy pigs before integration into an uninfected herd. Future studies should focus on the possibility of distinguishing infected and non-infected pigs under field conditions.

The effect of liposomes’ surface electric potential on the uptake of hematoporphyrin

Hematoporphyrin is being used as a photosensitizer in photodynamic therapy of tumors, as well as of other clinical cases. Many classes of tetrapyrroles, including hematoporphyrin, are partitioning quite easily into the external cytoplasmic membrane as the mechanism of cellular uptake. Several chemical and physical parameters of the membrane were studied for their effect on the extent of porphyrins' partitioning. In this manuscript we report, for the first time, a quantitative analysis of the effect of the membrane's surface electric potential on the partitioning. We prepared liposomes, as membrane models, composed on zwitterionic DMPC lipid, as well as DMPC liposomes that contain a small, varying fraction of negatively charged DMPS and positively charged DOTAP. We found that indeed the surface potential had a very strong effect on the binding constant of HP, which is negatively charged at the physiological pH that was used. The trend in the apparent binding constant can be formulated and fitted with the Gouy-Chapman model of surface potential. We found that the average concentration of HP within the aqueous shell that has a thickness of the Debye layer around the liposome is determining the extent of binding in the law of mass action.

Inflammation-associated responses in piglets induced with post-weaning colibacillosis are influenced by dietary protein level

Forty piglets (average body weight = 5.32 kg) were used to investigate the effect of dietary crude protein (CP) content on immunological responses following a challenge with enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K88. Pigs, housed 4 per pen, were randomly allotted to 2 diets: 1) a high, 225 g/kg CP diet (HCP) or 2) a low, 176 g/kg CP diet (LCP) supplemented with crystalline amino acids. Pigs were orally challenged with 6 mL of an ETEC K88 suspension containing 10 10 cfu/mL on d 8 after weaning. Blood samples were collected from 10 pigs (1 pig/pen) on d 7 (at weaning), −24 h, 8 h, 72 h and 7 d after the challenge for determination of plasma urea N (PUN) and serum concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and haptoglobin (Hp). Tumor necrosis factor alpha, IL-1β and Hp were measured as indicators of inflammatory responses. The concentrations of serum TNF-α at 8 h, 72 h and 7 d after challenge were similar to the level observed at 24 h before challenge but higher ( P < 0.05) than the weaning level. Pigs fed the LCP diet had lower ( P = 0.032) concentrations of IL-1β (72 vs. 116 pg/mL) at 8 h post-challenge compared with those fed the HCP diet. Likewise, pigs fed the LCP diet tended to have lower ( P = 0.088) concentration of Hp (9 vs. 25 mg/dL) compared with those fed the HCP diet at 8 h post-challenge. Compared with the weaning concentration, PUN concentration at 72 h after ETEC challenge was higher ( P < 0.05) in pigs fed the HCP diet. The results indicate that the LCP diet supplemented with crystalline amino acids reduced inflammatory responses, as indicated by serum IL-1β, in piglets infected with ETEC K88.

Effect of pH and Hydroxylpropyl-b-Cyclodextrin on Solubility and Stability of Gliclazide

Purpose: Hydroxy propylated &#946 cyclodextrin (HP-&#946-CD) has been used to improve the aqueous solubility of a variety of pharmacological compounds. Through the complexation of HP-&#946-CD, it is possible to enhance the water solubility and hence the drug bioavailability after oral administration. The present study was undertaken to examine the effect of pH and concentration of HP-&#946-CD on the solubility of gliclazide as it shows pH dependent solubility and stability. Method: The equilibrium solubility of gliclazide in a series of solutions of varying pH (from 1.2 to 11) was determined and compared with the equilibrium solubility of gliclazide in the presence of 20% HP- &#946-CD at same pH values. Result: As the pH increases from 9.2 to 11 its solubility relatively constant (3.5 μg/ml ± 0.5). Addition of 20% HP-
-CD increased the solubility to about 9 times at pH 1.2 and 4; 15 times at pH 6.8; 40 times at pH 7.4; 58 times at pH 9.2 and 67 times at pH 11. It was observed that solubility of protonated form is more than neutral molecule. HP-&#946-CD resulted in increased solubility at all pH values. But inclusion of drug in the cavity of HP-&#946-CD might depend upon charged state of the molecule. Conclusion: The solubility of gliclazide can be increased either by the addition of HP-&#946-CD or by adding pH lowering agents. Keywords: pH, hydroxypropylated-&#946-cyclodextrin (HP-&#946-CD), gliclazide.

Acute phase protein concentrations in retired racing Greyhounds

Retired racing Greyhounds are popular as pets. Greyhounds have several differences in physiological values compared with other breeds, including lower serum alpha- and beta-globulin concentrations. We hypothesized that lower acute phase protein (APP) concentrations could contribute to lower alpha- and beta-globulin concentrations in this breed. The purpose of this study was to compare serum concentrations of several APPs in Greyhounds with those of other dog breeds. We measured the serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), haptoglobin (Hp), acid-soluble glycoprotein (ASG), ceruloplasmin (CP), and serum amyloid A (SAA) in 15 clinically healthy retired racing Greyhounds and 11 age- and gender-matched healthy nonGreyhound controls using previously validated methods. Results were compared by Student's t-tests. The concentration of Hp by both colorimetric and immunoturbidimetric methods was significantly lower in Greyhounds than in nonGreyhound dogs (P=.0009 and .019, respectively). The concentration of ASG was also significantly (P=.007) lower in Greyhounds, but CRP and CP concentrations were not significantly different between groups. SAA concentration was below the detection limit of the method in all dogs. The low serum concentrations of Hp and ASG should be taken into consideration when interpreting APP results in Greyhounds. Because both Hp and some ASG migrate in the alpha-globulin fraction, these results may explain the low alpha-globulin concentrations in Greyhounds.

Unique Assembly Structure Of Human Haptoglobin Phenotypes 1-1, 2-1, And 2-2 And A Predominant Hp1 Allele Hypothesis

Human plasma haptoglobin (Hp) is classified as three phenotypes, Hp 1-1, 2-1 and 2-2. They are attributed by Hp 1 and Hp 2 alleles with each producing a α1β and α2β polypeptide chain, respectively. Owing to the various content of -SH groups in each peptide, the heterogeneous and polymeric structural arrangement via the disulfide linkages is totally different among the phenotypes. The resulting molecular size of Hp 2-2 [(α2β)n] and 2-1 [(α1β)2 (α2β)n] is dramatically larger than that of 1-1 [(α1β)2]. In the present study, we observed that there were as many as 20 repeated units in Hp 2-2 as compared that only 10 repeats in Hp 2-1. We had reported that the concentration of Hp 1-1 is significantly and differentially higher than that of Hp 2-1 and 2-2 in normal human subjects. Based on our experimental and theoretical data, we hypothesized that the gene activity of Hp 1 is much more predominant than Hp 2 that is responsible for these differential concentrations as well as the unique assembly of Hp 2-1. Understanding the molecular arrangement in Hp polymers may provide insight into the underlying mechanism by which Hp phenotype is correlated with the development of inflammation-related diseases.

Detection of Hpdel in healthy individuals and cancer patients in Taiwan

We investigated the genotypic distribution of Hp(del) in healthy subjects and cancer patients in Taiwan. Blood samples were collected from 244 randomly selected healthy Taiwanese volunteers and 737 patients with various cancers. Samples were analyzed for the haptoglobin (Hp) gene, and the presence of the Hp(del) allele was determined from genomic DNA by an Hp(del)-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. The plasma concentration of Hp was also determined. The frequency of the Hp(del) allele was calculated to be 0.029, and was not different between the healthy subjects and patients with cancer. The prevalence of Hp deficiency caused by Hp(del) homozygosity was estimated to be approximately 0.85 in 1000. Fifty-seven subjects were reclassified from homozygous Hp(1) or Hp(2) to Hp(1)/Hp(del) or Hp(2)/Hp(del) genotypes. The Hp(del) allele is not associated with prevalence, severity or stage of any cancer. Congenital Hp deficiency caused by Hp(del) homozygosity is a condition present in Taiwan with a relatively high frequency. However, the Hp(del) variant does not play a role in cancer.

Determination of serum haptoglobin reference value in clinically healthy Iranian fat-tailed sheep.

Summary Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of 101 clinically healthy Iranian fat-tailed sheep according to their age ( 5 years) and sex. Serum haptoglobin (Hp) was measured based upon the preservation of the peroxidase activity of haemoglobin, which is directly proportional to the amount of Hp. The reference value for serum Hp of apparently healthy Iranian fat-tailed sheep was 0.05-0.18 g/l. Age and sex had no significant effect on the serum concentration of Hp in examined animals.

Acute phase response in two consecutive experimentally induced E. coli intramammary infections in dairy cows

BackgroundAcute phase proteins haptoglobin (Hp), serum amyloid A (SAA) and lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) have suggested to be suitable inflammatory markers for bovine mastitis. The aim of the study was to investigate acute phase markers along with clinical parameters in two consecutive intramammary challenges with Escherichia coli and to evaluate the possible carry-over effect when same animals are used in an experimental model.MethodsMastitis was induced with a dose of 1500 cfu of E. coli in one quarter of six cows and inoculation repeated in another quarter after an interval of 14 days. Concentrations of acute phase proteins haptoglobin (Hp), serum amyloid A (SAA) and lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) were determined in serum and milk.ResultsIn both challenges all cows became infected and developed clinical mastitis within 12 hours of inoculation. Clinical disease and acute phase response was generally milder in the second challenge. Concentrations of SAA in milk started to increase 12 hours after inoculation and peaked at 60 hours after the first challenge and at 44 hours after the second challenge. Concentrations of SAA in serum increased more slowly and peaked at the same times as in milk; concentrations in serum were about one third of those in milk. Hp started to increase in milk similarly and peaked at 36–44 hours. In serum, the concentration of Hp peaked at 60–68 hours and was twice as high as in milk. LBP concentrations in milk and serum started to increase after 12 hours and peaked at 36 hours, being higher in milk. The concentrations of acute phase proteins in serum and milk in the E. coli infection model were much higher than those recorded in experiments using Gram-positive pathogens, indicating the severe inflammation induced by E. coli.ConclusionAcute phase proteins would be useful parameters as mastitis indicators and to assess the severity of mastitis. If repeated experimental intramammary induction of the same animals with E. coli is used in cross-over studies, the interval between challenges should be longer than 2 weeks, due to the carry-over effect from the first infection.