Care, management, and use of ferrets in biomedical research

The ferret (Mustela putorius furo) is a small domesticated species of the family Mustelidae within the order Carnivora. The present article reviews and discusses the current state of knowledge about housing, care, breeding, and biomedical uses of ferrets. The management and breeding procedures of ferrets resemble those used for other carnivores. Understanding its behavior helps in the use of environmental enrichment and social housing, which promote behaviors typical of the species. Ferrets have been used in research since the beginning of the twentieth century. It is a suitable non-rodent model in biomedical research because of its hardy nature, social behavior, diet and other habits, small size, and thus the requirement of a relatively low amount of test compounds and early sexual maturity compared with dogs and non-human primates. Ferrets and humans have numerous similar anatomical, metabolic, and physiological characteristics, including the endocrine, respiratory, auditory, gastrointestinal, and immunological systems. It is one of the emerging animal models used in studies such as influenza and other infectious respiratory diseases, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, cardiac research, gastrointestinal disorders, neuroscience, and toxicological studies. Ferrets are vulnerable to many human pathogenic organisms, like severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), because air transmission of this virus between them has been observed in the laboratory. Ferrets draw the attention of the medical community compared to rodents because they occupy a distinct niche in biomedical studies, although they possess a small representation in laboratory research.

Potential Wound Healing Properties of a Polyherbal Formulation (Amrit oil) in an Experimental Model on Wistar Rats

Introduction and Aim: Wound healing is an integrated process of cellular and biochemical events in restoring the structural functionality of the damaged tissue caused due to wounds. In the present study, the wound healing potential of an ayurvedic polyherbal formulation, Amrit oil is tested on an experimental model of the excisional wound in Wistar rats and evaluated for its potent activity in wound repair. Materials and Methods: Wistar rats were randomly arranged into 4 groups with 6 in each. Excision wound was created on the dorsal side of the rats. Group-I was kept as a negative control, Group-II as reference control, treated with Betadine, Group-III received a tropical application of Amrit oil once in a day and Group- IV were subjected to tropical application of amrit oil twice or Bis in a day. The wound healing was assessed by percentage wound contraction, a period of epithelisation, histopathological analysis and expression of MMP- 2, MMP-8, KGF and HSP-90. Results: The effect produced by the ayurvedic polyherbal formulation (Amrit oil), in terms of percentage wound contraction, a period of epithelisation, biochemical gene expression (MMP2, MMP8, HSP90 and KGF) and histopathological analysis were comparable to that of standard drug betadine. This study reveals the healing potential of Amrit oil as compared to the positive control, betadine possibly due to the presence of the phytochemicals in a synergistic manner. Conclusion: This study revealed a tremendous healing potential of Amrit oil as compared to the positive control, betadine in a holistic manner, confirming the rationality of the traditional knowledge.      

Palliative Role of Aqueous Ginger Extract on N-Nitroso-N-Methylurea-Induced Gastric Cancer

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a spice and also an herbal medicine used worldwide for managing GI tract disturbances. However, its role in gastric cancer is sparingly known. This study ensures the standardization of gastric cancer by the induction of N-nitroso N-methyl Urea (MNU) and to determine the role of the aqueous extract of ginger (AGE) in MNU-induced gastric cancer in albino Wistar rats. Accordingly, the anticancer potential of AGE and its possible mode of action were assessed on rats exposed to MNU, by various biochemical and molecular assays. As evidenced by the extent of lipid peroxidation, gastrin levels and histopathological sections in MNU-induced cancerous lesions at 8 wk which was stabilized at 16 wk confirming the induction of gastric carcinoma by the chemical carcinogen. Further, results revealed that AGE alleviated the oxidative stress as evidenced by the stomach antioxidant enzymes (SOD, catalase, GPx, and GR), markers of oxidative stress (TRx, GRx) and Gastrin, a specific marker for gastric cancer and a decreased level of pro-inflammatory markers (NF-kB, TNF-α, IL-6, PGE2) which was further confirmed by histopathological analysis. AGE is responsible to mitigate oxidative stress and inflammation related to gastric cancer and could be used as a potential dietary intervention in gastric cancer therapy.

Cytological and immunocytological detection and differentiation of Marek's disease and lymphoid leucosis in poultry

Marek's disease (MD) and lymphoid leucosis (LL) are the major diseases causing lymphoid tumors in chickens accounting for high economical losses. Gross examination could not yield definite diagnosis owing to their similar presentation of lesions. Thus present work was aimed for diagnosis and differentiation of MD and LL by utilizing simple cytology and novel immunocytology techniques. Cytological examination was carried out on slides with tumor touch imprints stained by simple Giemsa staining. The diagnosis was mainly achieved based on morphology of cell population. In the present study, out of a total of 595 cases examined, 502 cases had pleomorphic lymphocytic cell population suggestive of MD and 53 cases had uniform lymphocytic/lymphoblast cell population suggestive of LL, while the rest 40 cases remained inconclusive. A definitive diagnosis was achieved after performing immunocytology using specific antibodies that revealed 518 cases had reactivity for Meq oncoprotein specific for MD and 77 cases showed immunoreactivity for IgM in transformed B-cells confirming LL. The technique of immunocytology which has been useful for detecting human viral pathogens and MD in poultry has been applied for the first time as a novel, simple, rapid and inexpensive technique that could be used as an alternate test to effectively detect and differentiate MD and LL in poultry.

Molecular detection and epidemiology of chicken infectious anaemia virus in India

Chicken infectious anemia (CIA) is an economically important disease affecting poultry, especially young chicks, characterized by poor weight gain, anemia, immunosuppression and production losses. Recent reports indicate that the virus is emerging and re-emerging worldwide.  Also, scarce reports regarding the molecular detection and epidemiology of virus from India are available. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the virus in the commercial poultry farms of the country employing polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Out of the suspected 424 field samples tested from 12 different states of the country during the last five years (2007-2012), 311 (73.3%) samples were found positive for CIAV-DNA indicating the wide prevalence of the virus in India. The age wise prevalence of the virus indicated high prevalence in young chicks of up to three weeks (80.3%) of age compared to 3-7 (66.6%) and 7-12 (25%) week age groups. Being an immunosuppressive emerging pathogen circulating among the poultry flocks of the country, suitable prevention and control measures need to be adopted timely. This is a first elaborative report on the molecular epidemiology of CIAV in poultry flocks of the country. Extensive epidemiological studies are suggested to know the magnitude of the virus affecting poultry industry of the country, and design and formulate effective disease prevention and control strategies to reduce economic losses being caused by emerging virus.

Fowl adenovirus (FAdV) in India: evidence for emerging role as primary respiratory pathogen in chickens

Adenoviruses have been isolated from both clinically healthy and diseased birds worldwide. The pathogenic role of most of the FAdVs is still questionable. They can quickly take on the role of opportunistic pathogens when additional factors, particularly concurrent infections, adversely affect the health of the avian host. Immnosuppressing agents especially chicken infectious anemia and infectious bursal disease viruses are known to enhance the pathogenicity of FAdVs upon coinfection. The aim of the present study was to screen for the involvement of FAdV in poultry flocks affected with respiratory disease complex by RT-PCR. The samples were also screened by RT-PCR/PCR for other respiratory pathogens. Thirty two commercial poultry flocks with the history of respiratory disease complex from various parts of India. FAdV nucleic acid could be detected in tissue samples of 13 out of 34 farms investigated. Out of 13 FAdV positive farms, FAdV and CIAV were alone detected in 4/13 (31%) whereas, in other farms more than two respiratory pathogens were detected together. CIAV was detected in all the farms (34/34) investigated. Eosinophilic intranuclear inclusion bodies were noticed in FAdV infected laryngeal and tracheal epithelium under light microscopy. The findings of the study assert that FAdV can play the role of primary respiratory pathogen in immunocompromised birds and also in the presence of other respiratory pathogens.