To understand the infection status of main intestinal protozoa in BALB/c mice and pro-vide a basis for further control of intestinal protozoa infection.Five hundred and forty BALB/c mice provided by four domestic suppliers of BALB/c mice were detected for intestinal protozoa,in which 140 from supplier A,130 from supplier B,135 from supplier C,and 135 from supplier D,re-spectively.Fresh faecal samples were collected from each mouse separately to extract the genome and amplified by nested PCR based on primers for the 18S rRNA gene sequences of Pent-atrichomonas hominis(P.hominis)and Cryptosporidium tyzzeri(C.tyzzeri),and the 16S-like rRNA gene sequence of Tritrichomonas muris(T.muris)and sequenced.The results showed that the total intestinal protozoan infection rate was 7.1％(10/140)in 140 mice faecal samples provided by supplier A.Among them,the positivity rate of T.muris was 7.1％(10/140),C.tyzzeri was 2.1％(3/140),and P.hominis was 7.1％(10/140),the co-infection rate of two intestinal protozoa was 7.1％(10 mice:T.muris+P.hominis),and three intestinal protozoa was 2.1％(3 mice:T.muris+P.hominis+C.tyzzeri).The total intestinal protozoan infection rate in 135 mice faecal samples provided by supplier C was 7.4％,in which,7.4％(10/135)was positive for T.muris.There are no intestinal protozoa to be detected in 130 mice faecal samples from supplier B and 135 mice faecal samples from supplier D.The homology analysis showed that the homology of ampli-fied sequence of T.muris,P.hominis and C.tyzzeri was 98.52％,98.27％and 99.87％compared with published sequence of GenBank No:AY886846.1,GenBank No:AF156964.1 and GenBank No:KJ000486.1,which was clustered as an independent branch by phylogenetic analysis respec-tively.In conclusion,there are intestinal protozoan infection in BALB/c mice in some animal sup-pliers.The co-infections of more than 3 parasites such as T.muris,P.hominis and C.tyzzeri has been found.It will provide a basis for control of intestinal protozoa infection in BALB/c mice in the future.

To prepare a recombinant adeno-associated virus(rAAV9-ZsGreen1-EsASP)capable of expressing the aspartic protease protein of Eimeria stiedai(E.stiedai),and explore its in vitro ac-tivity.The EsASP gene was amplified by PCR,and recombinant adeno-associated viral vector pAAV-IRES-ZsGreen1 was combined with the EsASP gene using homologous recombination to construct the pAAV-ZsGreen1-EsASP expression plasmid;pAAV-ZsGreen1-EsASP expression plasmid,pHelper,and pAAV-RC9 plasmids were cotransfected into HEK-293T cells by liposomal transfection to package and produce recombinant adeno-associated virus rAAV9-ZsGreen1-EsASP capable of expressing EsASP protein.rAAV9-ZsGreen1-EsASP was purified using chloroform treatment-PEG/NaCl precipitation-chloroform extraction method,the purity of the virus was iden-tified by silver staining,the virus morphology was observed by TEM,and virus titer was detected by qRT-PCR;the purified recombinant virus was further infected into HEK-293T cells,and EsASP expression was detected by observing green fluorescent protein ZsGreen1 and Western blot method.The results indicated that double enzyme digestion and DNA sequencing confirmed that the EsASP gene had been successfully constructed into the pAAV-IRES-ZsGreen1 expression plas-mid.The expression of green fluorescent protein in HEK-293T cells suggested that co-transfection was successful.Western blot results of cell protein preparation showed that EsASP protein was successfully expressed;The purified recombinant viral capsid proteins show three distinct bands(VP1-3).The purified rAAV9-ZsGreen1-EsASP was uniform in size,around 20 nm,and had a titer higher than 1.0 × 1012 vg/mL;Green fluorescent protein expression was observed after infection of HEK-293T cells with the recombinant virus,and EsASP expression was detected by Western blot.The results suggest that rAAV9-ZsGreen1-EsASP with in vitro infectious activity was suc-cessfully obtained,providing a material basis for the development of a novel vaccine against Eimer-ia stiedai.

To understand the infection status of main intestinal protozoa in BALB/c mice and pro-vide a basis for further control of intestinal protozoa infection.Five hundred and forty BALB/c mice provided by four domestic suppliers of BALB/c mice were detected for intestinal protozoa,in which 140 from supplier A,130 from supplier B,135 from supplier C,and 135 from supplier D,re-spectively.Fresh faecal samples were collected from each mouse separately to extract the genome and amplified by nested PCR based on primers for the 18S rRNA gene sequences of Pent-atrichomonas hominis(P.hominis)and Cryptosporidium tyzzeri(C.tyzzeri),and the 16S-like rRNA gene sequence of Tritrichomonas muris(T.muris)and sequenced.The results showed that the total intestinal protozoan infection rate was 7.1％(10/140)in 140 mice faecal samples provided by supplier A.Among them,the positivity rate of T.muris was 7.1％(10/140),C.tyzzeri was 2.1％(3/140),and P.hominis was 7.1％(10/140),the co-infection rate of two intestinal protozoa was 7.1％(10 mice:T.muris+P.hominis),and three intestinal protozoa was 2.1％(3 mice:T.muris+P.hominis+C.tyzzeri).The total intestinal protozoan infection rate in 135 mice faecal samples provided by supplier C was 7.4％,in which,7.4％(10/135)was positive for T.muris.There are no intestinal protozoa to be detected in 130 mice faecal samples from supplier B and 135 mice faecal samples from supplier D.The homology analysis showed that the homology of ampli-fied sequence of T.muris,P.hominis and C.tyzzeri was 98.52％,98.27％and 99.87％compared with published sequence of GenBank No:AY886846.1,GenBank No:AF156964.1 and GenBank No:KJ000486.1,which was clustered as an independent branch by phylogenetic analysis respec-tively.In conclusion,there are intestinal protozoan infection in BALB/c mice in some animal sup-pliers.The co-infections of more than 3 parasites such as T.muris,P.hominis and C.tyzzeri has been found.It will provide a basis for control of intestinal protozoa infection in BALB/c mice in the future.

To prepare a recombinant adeno-associated virus(rAAV9-ZsGreen1-EsASP)capable of expressing the aspartic protease protein of Eimeria stiedai(E.stiedai),and explore its in vitro ac-tivity.The EsASP gene was amplified by PCR,and recombinant adeno-associated viral vector pAAV-IRES-ZsGreen1 was combined with the EsASP gene using homologous recombination to construct the pAAV-ZsGreen1-EsASP expression plasmid;pAAV-ZsGreen1-EsASP expression plasmid,pHelper,and pAAV-RC9 plasmids were cotransfected into HEK-293T cells by liposomal transfection to package and produce recombinant adeno-associated virus rAAV9-ZsGreen1-EsASP capable of expressing EsASP protein.rAAV9-ZsGreen1-EsASP was purified using chloroform treatment-PEG/NaCl precipitation-chloroform extraction method,the purity of the virus was iden-tified by silver staining,the virus morphology was observed by TEM,and virus titer was detected by qRT-PCR;the purified recombinant virus was further infected into HEK-293T cells,and EsASP expression was detected by observing green fluorescent protein ZsGreen1 and Western blot method.The results indicated that double enzyme digestion and DNA sequencing confirmed that the EsASP gene had been successfully constructed into the pAAV-IRES-ZsGreen1 expression plas-mid.The expression of green fluorescent protein in HEK-293T cells suggested that co-transfection was successful.Western blot results of cell protein preparation showed that EsASP protein was successfully expressed;The purified recombinant viral capsid proteins show three distinct bands(VP1-3).The purified rAAV9-ZsGreen1-EsASP was uniform in size,around 20 nm,and had a titer higher than 1.0 × 1012 vg/mL;Green fluorescent protein expression was observed after infection of HEK-293T cells with the recombinant virus,and EsASP expression was detected by Western blot.The results suggest that rAAV9-ZsGreen1-EsASP with in vitro infectious activity was suc-cessfully obtained,providing a material basis for the development of a novel vaccine against Eimer-ia stiedai.

Humans ; Mass Vaccination ; COVID-19 Vaccines/therapeutic use* ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; Immunity, Herd ; Vaccination

Leishmaniasis is a prevalent cause of death and animal morbidity in underdeveloped countries of endemic area. However, there is few vaccine and effective drugs. Antimicrobial peptides are involved in the innate immune response in many organisms and are being developed as novel drugs against parasitic infections. In the present study, we synthesized a 5-amino acid peptide REDLK, which mutated the C-terminus of Pseudomonas exotoxin, to identify its effect on the Leishmania tarentolae. Promastigotes were incubated with different concentration of REDLK peptide, and the viability of parasite was assessed using MTT and Trypan blue dye. Morphologic damage of Leishmania was analyzed by light and electron microscopy. Cellular apoptosis was observed using the annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis detection kit, mitochondrial membrane potential assay kit and flow cytometry. Our results showed that Leishmania tarentolae was susceptible to REDLK in a dose-dependent manner, disrupt the surface membrane integrity and caused parasite apoptosis. In our study, we demonstrated the leishmanicidal activity of an antimicrobial peptide REDLK from Pseudomonas aeruginosa against Leishmania tarentolae in vitro and present a foundation for further research of anti-leishmanial drugs.

Protozoan viruses may influence the function and pathogenicity of the protozoa. Trichomonas vaginalis is a parasitic protozoan that could contain a double stranded RNA (dsRNA) virus, T. vaginalis virus (TVV). However, there are few reports on the properties of the virus. To further determine variations in protein expression of T. vaginalis, we detected 2 strains of T. vaginalis; the virus-infected (V⁺) and uninfected (V⁻) isolates to examine differentially expressed proteins upon TVV infection. Using a stable isotope N-terminal labeling strategy (iTRAQ) on soluble fractions to analyze proteomes, we identified 293 proteins, of which 50 were altered in V⁺ compared with V⁻ isolates. The results showed that the expression of 29 proteins was increased, and 21 proteins decreased in V⁺ isolates. These differentially expressed proteins can be classified into 4 categories: ribosomal proteins, metabolic enzymes, heat shock proteins, and putative uncharacterized proteins. Quantitative PCR was used to detect 4 metabolic processes proteins: glycogen phosphorylase, malate dehydrogenase, triosephosphate isomerase, and glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, which were differentially expressed in V⁺ and V⁻ isolates. Our findings suggest that mRNA levels of these genes were consistent with protein expression levels. This study was the first which analyzed protein expression variations upon TVV infection. These observations will provide a basis for future studies concerning the possible roles of these proteins in host-parasite interactions.
Glucose-6-Phosphate Isomerase ; Glycogen Phosphorylase ; Heat-Shock Proteins ; Host-Parasite Interactions ; Malate Dehydrogenase ; Metabolism ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Proteome ; Reticuloendotheliosis virus ; Ribosomal Proteins ; RNA, Double-Stranded ; RNA, Messenger ; Trichomonas vaginalis* ; Trichomonas* ; Triose-Phosphate Isomerase ; Virulence

The present study was performed to investigate the seroprevalence and risk factors for Dirofilaria immitis infection in cats from Liaoning province, northeastern China. From October 2014 to September 2016, sera of 651 cats, including 364 domestic cats and 287 feral cats (332 females and 319 males) were assessed. They were tested for the presence of D. immitis antigen using SNAP Heartworm RT test kit. In this population, the average prevalence was 4.5%. Age and rearing conditions (feral or domestic) were found to be associated with the prevalence of D. immitis. The prevalence was significantly higher in feral cats compared with domestic cats (8.4% vs 1.4%, P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between males and females (4.7% vs 4.2%, P>0.05), but older cats (≥3 years old) showed a statistically higher prevalence compared with younger cats ( < 3 years old) in feral populations (16.8 vs 2.4%, P < 0.01), while the difference between the age groups was not statistically significant in domestic cats (2.4% vs 0.51%, P>0.05), all these results suggest that outdoor exposure time may be one of the most important factors for D. immitis prevalence in cats. Results reveal that D. immitis are prevalence in domestic and feral cats in northeastern China, which indicates that appropriate preventive measures should be taken to decrease the incidence of feline heartworm disease in Liaoning province, northeastern China.
Animals ; Cats* ; China* ; Dirofilaria immitis* ; Dirofilaria* ; Dirofilariasis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Seroepidemiologic Studies*

A novel recombinant Bacille Calmette-Guerin (rBCG) vaccine co-expressed Eimeria tenella rhomboid and cytokine chicken IL-2 (chIL-2) was constructed, and its efficacy against E. tenella challenge was observed. The rhomboid gene of E. tenella and chIL-2 gene were subcloned into integrative expression vector pMV361, producing vaccines rBCG pMV361-rho and pMV361-rho-IL2. Animal experiment via intranasal and subcutaneous route in chickens was carried out to evaluate the immune efficacy of the vaccines. The results indicated that these rBCG vaccines could obviously alleviate cacal lesions and oocyst output. Intranasal immunization with pMV361-rho and pMV361-rho-IL2 elicited better protective immunity against E. tenella than subcutaneous immunization. Splenocytes from chickens immunized with either rBCG pMV361-rho and pMV361-rho-IL2 had increased CD4+ and CD8+ cell production. Our data indicate recombinant BCG is able to impart partial protection against E. tenella challenge and co-expression of cytokine with antigen was an effective strategy to improve vaccine immunity.
Adjuvants, Immunologic/genetics/*metabolism ; Administration, Intranasal ; Animals ; Antigens, Protozoan/genetics/*immunology ; BCG Vaccine/administration & dosage/*genetics ; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology ; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes/immunology ; Chickens ; Coccidiosis/*prevention & control ; Disease Models, Animal ; Drug Carriers/administration & dosage ; Eimeria tenella/genetics/*immunology ; Genetic Vectors ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Interleukin-2/genetics/*metabolism ; Protozoan Vaccines/administration & dosage/genetics/*immunology ; Spleen/immunology ; Vaccines, Synthetic/administration & dosage/genetics/immunology

Objective To evaluate the effect of remifentanil preconditioning on hepatic ischemiarepeffusion (I/R) injury in rats with liver cirrhosis.Methods Healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats,weighing 160180 g,received 40％ tetrachloride carbon 3 ml/kg (in peanut oil) intragastrically twice a week for 8 weeks to induce liver cirrhosis.Thirty-five rats with liver cirrhosis were randomly divided into 5 groups (n =7 each) using a random number table:sham operation group (group S),group I/R,and preconditioning with different does of remifentanil groups (R1,R2 and R3 groups).Hepatic I/R injury was induced by clamping the branches of hepatic artery,portal vein and common bile duct in the left and median hepatic lobes for 30 min followed by 90 min reperfusion in anesthetized rats with liver cirrhosis.In R1,R2 and R3 groups,remifentanil was infused intravenously at 0.4,2.0 and 10.0 μg· kg-1· min-1 for 15 min,respectively,and the rats were exposed to ischemia for 30 min followed by 30 reperfusion starting from 10 min after infusion was stopped.At 90 min of reperfusion,blood samples were collected from the abdominal aorta for determination of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities.The rats were then sacrificed and livers were removed for determination of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity,malondialdehyde (MDA) content,and expression of activated caspase-3 (using immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis) and for detection of cell apoptosis in hepatic tissues.Apoptotic index was calculated.Results Compared with group S,the serum ALT and AST activities,MDA content and apoptotic index were significantly increased,SOD activity was decreased,and the expression of activated caspase-3 was up-regulated in I/R,R1,R2 and R3 groups.Compared with group I/R,no significant changes were found in the indexes mentioned above in group I/R,and the serum ALT and AST activities,MDA coment and apoptotic index were significantly decreased,SOD activity was increased,and the expression of activated caspase-3 was down-regulated in R2 and R3 groups.Conclusion Remifentanil preconditioning can reduce hepatic I/R injury in rats with liver cirrhosis,and the mechanism is related to inhibition of the lipid peroxidation and cell apoptosis.