The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and histopathological effects of two different dosages of alcohol extract of Tarantula cubensis (Theranekron) on open wounds. A total of 24 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into Tarantula cubensis extract (TCE1, n=8) 1/10 diluted, TCE (TCE2, n=8), and (3) vehicle-control (0.2 ml of 96 % ethanol, n=8) groups. Experimental full-thickness 1 x 1cm wounds were created on dorsum skin. TCE or vehicle were given systemically by subcutaneous injections on postoperative days 1 and 4. Wound planimetry and procurement of biopsies was performed on days 4, 8, 12 and 16. The mean non-epithelialised wound area in the vehicle-control group was significantly larger than in the TCE1 group on days 4, 8, 12 and 16, and in the TCE2 group on days 8, 12 and 16 (p<0.05). The mean percentage of wound contraction was significantly higher in the TCE1 and TCE2 groups than in the vehicle control group on days 8, 12 and 16 (p<0.05). Histopathologically, wound healing was characterised by a significant decrease in the neutrophil counts and a significant increase in neovascularisation; neither were effected by TCE. Our results suggest that alcohol extract of Tarantula cubensis accelerates epithelialisation and, thus, has beneficial effects on open wound healing in rats.

Listeriosis is an important public health problem in the world. It can cause abortion, encephalitis, septicemia, conjunctivitis and mastitis in ruminants. The development of central nervous system lesions is not fully understood in encephalitic listeriosis. We performed a retrospective analysis of 15 sheep with encephalitic listeriosis. Hyperemia and opacification of the meninges were common necropsy findings. Lesions generally were localized in the caudal part of the brain including the pons, medulla oblongata, thalamus and cerebellum. Microabscesses usually were found in the caudal brain and cerebellum, while perivascular infiltrates were found most often in other parts of the brain. Evidence of Listeria monocytogenes was detected immunohistochemically in the medulla oblongata, pons, thalamus and cerebellum. Prominent reactions for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), S100 protein, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-1 (NMDAR1) and inducible co-stimulatory protein (ICOS) were detected in the caudal brain, which indicates that these proteins may play roles in the pathogenesis of encephalitic listeriosis.

This study describes the parasites and related pathologic observations in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). In total, 48 birds were examined and 41 sparrows were found to be infected with one or more endoparasites (85.4%). The most common parasites were liver trematodes identified as Brachydistomum microscelis and Brachydistomum gracupicae. In addition, coccidia and a cestode (Infula spp.) were observed. In one bird, one female Tetrameres sp. and one female Microtetrameres sp. were found in the proventriculus. No blood parasite was found after examination of the blood smears. No gross pathologic lesion was seen in the organs except for the proventriculus, gut, and liver. At histologic examination small necrotic areas and inflammatory reactions were seen in the liver and the gastrointestinal system related to the parasites. Incidentally, anthracosis was diagnosed in 23 and mild pneumonia in 12 of the lungs.

Methotrexate (MTX) is a folic acid antagonist that is commonly used in paediatric and adult oncology to treat a variety of malignancies. Internal organs, including the testis, are severely cytotoxic and genotoxic to MTX. Omega-3, as an antioxidant, has been shown to protect rat testis tissue from injury. The effect of fish oil (FO) on MTX-induced reproductive damage in rats was investigated in this work. The 28 animals were divided into four groups for this purpose (control, FO, MTX, and MTX-FO). On the third day, the MTX group received a single intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg MTX. Furthermore, in the FO and MTX-FO groups, FO was delivered through gavage once daily for 14 days. All animals euthanized under general anaesthesia on the 15th day. TBARS, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase levels were measured biochemically. The Cosentino grading system was utilized for histology. Germ cell thickness and caspase-3 activity were also evaluated. In addition, sperm motility rate, epididymal sperm count, aberrant sperm rate, and sperm vitality were measured to assess sperm quality. Some TBARS levels have increased, but GSH levels decreased significantly in the MTX group. FO reduced TBARS levels while considerably increasing GSH levels. All sperm quality measures were significantly lowered in the MTX group, while FO had a recovery effect. There were no notable variations in histopathology across groups except for germ cell thickness, which reduced considerably in the MTX group and recovered with FO treatment. As a result, FO has been shown to reduce testicular toxicity following MTX treatment in rats.