Enrofloxacin is a concentration‐dependent antimicrobial used in bacterial infections in poultry. During a few months of a turkey's life, pharmacokinetics of drugs undergoes substantial changes which may compromise their efficacy due to variability in internal exposure (measured by area under the concentration–time curve, AUC). The aim of this study was to describe the effects of age on the pharmacokinetics of a single intravenous (i.v.) and oral administration of enrofloxacin at a dose of 10 mg/kg to turkeys. It was found that during a 2.5‐month‐long period of growth from 1.4 to 14.6 kg, the AUC after i.v. administration increased almost threefold due to a significant decrease in the body clearance (from a mean of 0.76–0.28 L hr−1 kg−1). Over the same period, the mean elimination half‐life was prolonged from 2.65 to 7.03 hr. Oral administration resulted in a similar trend in pharmacokinetic parameters. For both routes, formation of the major metabolite, ciprofloxacin, was marginal. Protein binding was not age‐dependent and never exceeded 50%. Body clearance, volume of distribution and elimination half‐life were subjected to an allometric analysis and a novel, nonlinear dosage protocol has been proposed to improve the internal exposure to the drug in different age groups of turkeys.

No abstract

Whereas interspecies variation in pharmacokinetics is a commonly investigated issue, variations in drug kinetics within a species are less documented. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of age-related changes in haemodynamics on the pharmacokinetics of metronidazole (MTZ) and its hydroxy metabolite (MTZ-OH) in turkeys. MTZ was administered intravenously and orally at a dose of 25 mg/kg. Plasma drug and metabolite concentrations were assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography, and pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by noncompartmental analysis. Haemodynamic parameters (heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output) were assessed by echocardiography and extraction ratio for MTZ was calculated based on total body clearance (ClB ). Between the 5th and 15th week of age, ClB of MTZ decreased from 3.6 to 1.2 mL/min/kg causing a twofold increase in the mean residence time (MRT) and elimination half-life (T1/2el ). The MTZ-OH production decreased threefold and its MRT and T1/2el increased. Although heart rate significantly decreased with age, cardiac output increased. Extraction ratio was low in all age groups. It is concluded that significant age-dependent decrease in ClB of MTZ in turkeys resulted from decreased perfusion of the clearing organs and their reduced metabolic capacity. This phenomenon is probably species specific and may apply to other therapeutic agents.

Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii produces exopolysaccharide (EPS) composed of glucose, glucuronic acid, and galactose residues at a molar ratio 5:2:1. A majority of genes involved in the synthesis, modification, and export of exopolysaccharide are located in the chromosomal Pss-I region. In the present study, a ΔpssJ deletion mutant was constructed and shown to produce EPS lacking terminal galactose in the side chain of the octasaccharide subunit. The lack of galactose did not block EPS subunit translocation and polymerization. The in trans delivery of the pssJ gene restored the production of galactose-containing exopolysaccharide. The mutant was compromised in several physiological traits, e.g., motility and biofilm production. An impact of the pssJ mutation and changed EPS structure on the symbiotic performance was observed as improper signaling at the stage of molecular recognition, leading to formation of a significant number of non-infected empty nodules. Terminal galactosyltransferase PssJ was shown to display a structure typical for the GT-A class of glycosyltransferases and interact with other GTs and Wzx/Wzy system proteins. The latter, together with PssJ presence in soluble and membrane protein fractions indicated that the protein plays its role at the inner membrane interface and as a component of a larger complex.

Summary

Neutrophils are a type of granulocyte important in the "first line of defense" of the innate immune system. Upon activation, they facilitate the destruction of invading microorganisms by the production of superoxide radicals, as well as the release of the enzymatic contents of their lysozymes. These enzymes include specific serine proteases: cathepsin G, neutrophil elastase, proteinase 3, as well as the recently discovered neutrophil serine protease 4 (NSP4). Under normal conditions, the proteolytic activity of neutrophil proteases is tightly regulated by endogenous serpins; however, this mechanism can be subverted during tissue stress, thereby resulting in the uncontrolled activity of serine proteases, which induce chronic inflammation and subsequent pathology. Herein, we describe the development of low-molecular-weight activity-based probes that specifically target the active sites of neutrophil proteases.

Because the signal observed for the PSA-specific IgY antibodies by ELISA and the reactivity profile of the epitope-derived IgYs were comparable to those of mouse monoclonal IgG antibodies, avian antibodies may be a cost-effective alternative to mammalian antibodies for prostate cancer diagnostics.

Background: Despite common use of tylosin in turkeys, the pharmacokinetic (PK) data for this drug in turkeys is limited. Within a few months of growth, PK of drugs in turkeys undergoes changes that may decrease their efficacy due to variable internal exposure. Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of age on the PK of a single intravenous (i.v.) and oral administration of tylosin to turkeys at a dose of 10 and 50 mg/kg, respectively. Methods: Plasma drug concentrations were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. The PK parameters were assessed by means of noncompartmental approach and were subjected to allometric analysis. Results: During a 2.5-month-long period of growth from 1.4 to 14.7 kg, the median value for area under the concentration-time curve after i.v. administration increased from 2.61 to 7.15 mg × h/L and the body clearance decreased from a median of 3.81 to 1.42 L/h/kg. Over the same time, the median elimination half-life increased from 1.03 to 2.96 h. For the oral administration a similar trend was noted but the differences were less pronounced. Bioavailability was variable (5.76%-21.59%) and age-independent. For both routes, the plasma concentration of the major tylosin metabolite, tylosin D, was minimal. Protein binding was age-independent and did not exceed 50%. Allometric analysis indicated a relatively poor predictivity of clearance, volume of distribution and elimination half-life for tylosin in turkeys. Conclusions: Age has a significant impact on tylosin PK in turkeys and dosage adjustment may be needed, particularly in young individuals.