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Mo PM, Picard J, Gummow B. The conjunctival fungal microflora of horses in a North Queensland tropical environment and their in vitro susceptibilities to antifungal agents. Vet Res Commun 2023; 47:1641-1651. [PMID: 37022654 PMCID: PMC10485094 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-023-10119-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Fungi are ubiquitous in the environment and part of the commensal microflora on the conjunctiva of equine eyes. North Queensland, being tropical, presents an ideal environment for fungi growth. When the cornea is injured, fungi can invade the corneal stroma, resulting in keratomycosis. The objectives of this study were to determine the fungal species specific to the eyes of horses in the Townsville region; to investigate the potential risk factors associated with the presence of fungi; and to test their susceptibility to antifungals to create an empirical guide for treatment. The eyes of forty ophthalmologically normal horses from James Cook University were sampled throughout the summer months of December 2017, January 2018, and January and February 2020. Cultured fungi were identified morphologically, and their identity confirmed by comparing partial 18sRNA DNA sequences with the NCBI nucleotide database. Minimum inhibitory concentration testing of common antifungal medications was performed. Sixty-one out of eighty conjunctival samples grew fungi, and 21 different fungi genera were isolated. The most common genera were Aspergillus (18%, 26/141), Curvularia (14%,20/141), Rhodotorula (12%,17/141) and Penicillium (12%,17/141). No significant association was found between age or environmental factors and fungal culture status. Most fungi were highly susceptible to voriconazole and ketoconazole but resistant to fluconazole and amphotericin B. This adds to the body of evidence on which species of fungi are present as normal ocular microflora of horses living in tropical regions of Australia, and an avenue for treating them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phu Mo Mo
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Jacqueline Picard
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bruce Gummow
- College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Paim FC, Langel SN, Fischer DD, Kandasamy S, Shao L, Alhamo MA, Huang HC, Kumar A, Rajashekara G, Saif LJ, Vlasova AN. Effects of Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 and Ciprofloxacin on small intestinal epithelial cell mRNA expression in the neonatal piglet model of human rotavirus infection. Gut Pathog 2016; 8:66. [PMID: 27999620 PMCID: PMC5154029 DOI: 10.1186/s13099-016-0148-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/03/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
We evaluated the effects of the probiotic Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) and the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) on mRNA expression of intestinal epithelial cells (IEC) in gnotobiotic (Gn) piglets colonized with a defined commensal microflora (DMF) and inoculated with human rotavirus (HRV) that infects IECs. We analyzed mRNA levels of IEC genes for enteroendocrine cells [chromogranin A (CgA)], goblet cells [mucin 2 (MUC2)], transient amplifying progenitor cell [proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)], intestinal epithelial stem cell (SOX9) and enterocytes (villin). Cipro treatment enhanced HRV diarrhea and decreased the mRNA levels of MUC2 and villin but increased PCNA. These results suggest that Cipro alters the epithelial barrier, potentially decreasing the numbers of mature enterocytes (villin) and goblet cells secreting protective mucin (MUC2). These alterations may induce increased IEC proliferation (PCNA expression) to restore the integrity of the epithelial layer. Coincidental with decreased diarrhea severity in EcN treated groups, the expression of CgA and villin was increased, while SOX9 expression was decreased representing higher epithelial integrity indicative of inhibition of cellular proliferation. Thus, EcN protects the intestinal epithelium from damage by increasing the gene expression of enterocytes and enteroendocrine cells, maintaining the absorptive function and, consequently, decreasing the severity of diarrhea in HRV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francine C Paim
- Food Animal Health Research Program (FAHRP), The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Veterinary Preventive Medicine Department, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691 USA
| | - Stephanie N Langel
- Food Animal Health Research Program (FAHRP), The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Veterinary Preventive Medicine Department, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691 USA
| | - David D Fischer
- Food Animal Health Research Program (FAHRP), The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Veterinary Preventive Medicine Department, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691 USA
| | - Sukumar Kandasamy
- Food Animal Health Research Program (FAHRP), The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Veterinary Preventive Medicine Department, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691 USA
| | - Lulu Shao
- Food Animal Health Research Program (FAHRP), The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Veterinary Preventive Medicine Department, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691 USA ; Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
| | - Moyasar A Alhamo
- Food Animal Health Research Program (FAHRP), The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Veterinary Preventive Medicine Department, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691 USA
| | - Huang-Chi Huang
- Food Animal Health Research Program (FAHRP), The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Veterinary Preventive Medicine Department, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691 USA
| | - Anand Kumar
- Food Animal Health Research Program (FAHRP), The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Veterinary Preventive Medicine Department, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691 USA ; Genomics and Systems Biology, Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 USA
| | - Gireesh Rajashekara
- Food Animal Health Research Program (FAHRP), The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Veterinary Preventive Medicine Department, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691 USA
| | - Linda J Saif
- Food Animal Health Research Program (FAHRP), The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Veterinary Preventive Medicine Department, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691 USA
| | - Anastasia N Vlasova
- Food Animal Health Research Program (FAHRP), The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Veterinary Preventive Medicine Department, The Ohio State University, 1680 Madison Avenue, Wooster, OH 44691 USA
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