This study investigated effects of dietary supplementation with vitamin C, vitamin E on performance, biochemical parameters, and oxidative stress induced by copper toxicity in broilers. A total of 240, 1-day-old, broilers were assigned to eight groups with three replicates of 10 chicks each. The groups were fed on the following diets: control (basal diet), vitamin C (250 mg/kg diet), vitamin E (250 mg/kg diet), vitamin C + vitamin E (250 mg/kg + 250 mg/kg diet), and copper (300 mg/kg diet) alone or in combination with the corresponding vitamins. At the 6th week, the body weights of broilers were decreased in copper, copper + vitamin E, and copper + vitamin C + vitamin E groups compared to control. The feed conversion ratio was poor in copper group. Plasma aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase activities, iron, copper concentrations, and erythrocyte malondialdehyde were increased; plasma vitamin A and C concentrations and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase were decreased in copper group compared to control. Glutathione peroxidase, vitamin C, and iron levels were increased; aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and copper levels were decreased in copper + vitamin C group, while superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and vitamin E concentrations were increased; aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase were decreased in copper with vitamin E group compared to copper group. The vitamin C concentrations were increased; copper, uric acid, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and malondialdehyde were decreased in copper + vitamin C + vitamin E group compared to copper group. To conclude, copper caused oxidative stress in broilers. The combination of vitamin C and vitamin E addition might alleviate the harmful effects of copper as demonstrated by decreased lipid peroxidation and hepatic enzymes.

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Objective: The first aim of the present study was to determine the efficiency of A. absinthium extract on cats naturally infected with Toxocara cati. The second aim was to determine the efficiency of the extract on the embryonic development of T. cati eggs in vitro. Methods: Artemisia absinthium extract was orally administrated to cats at the doses of 300 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg body weight in Group 1 and 2, respectively. It was given only once a day and the treatment continued 7 consecutive days. The faeces of the cats were examined both macroscopically and microscopically by flotation procedure with saturated salt solution pre-, during and post-treatment period. The faecal analysis was maintained during 8 days after completing the extract administration. The alteration of faecal egg numbers was performed by using the McMaster technique. Results: The faecal egg numbers per gram were decreased gradually in cats in the trial groups. In the treatment period, the activities of ALT, AST, ALP, urea and creatinine were located within the physiological ranges in cats. In in vitro trials with A. absinthium extract, the embryonic development of T. cati eggs was identical in all groups (treatment and control). A. absinthium extract did not inhibit larval development in eggs in in vitro trials. Conclusion: This plant extract may be an alternative choice in the treatment of parasitic diseases in future. (Turkiye Parazitol Derg 2011; 35: 10-4

ÖZAmaç: Haemoproteus spp. güvercinlerde sıkça görülen kan parazitlerindendir. Bu parazitin varlığı Türkiye dahil dünyanın pek çok farklı coğrafi bölgelerindeki güvercinlerden bildirilmiştir. Kırıkkale yöresinde güvercin yetiştiriciliği hobi olarak yapılmaktadır. Bu güvercinlerde Haemoproteus spp.'nin yaygınlığına ilişkin bilgi bulunmamaktadır. Bu çalışmada Kırıkkale yöresinde hobi amaçlı yetiştirilen taklacı güvercinlerde Haemoproteus spp.'nin yaygınlığının belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Yöntemler: Bu çalışmada Şubat-Mart (2016) tarihleri arasında Kırıkkale'nin güvercin yetiştiriciliğinin yoğun olarak yapıldığı, iki farklı bölgesinde (Kırıkkale merkezi ve Yahşihan ilçesi) 173 taklacı güvercin incelenmiştir. Güvercinlerin kanat altı venasından heparinli mikrokapillar tüp aracılığıyla kan örnekleri alınmıştır. Alınan kan örneklerinden yayma froti hazırlanmış ve %5'lik Giemsa ile boyanmıştır. Güvercinlerde bulunan ektoparazitlerin ayrı kapaklı kutulara alınmıştır. Güvercinlere ait epidemiyolojik bilgiler (yaş ve cinsiyet) hayvan sahibi tarafından öğrenilmiş ve kayıt altına alınmıştır. Bulgular: İncelenen 173 güvercinin 23'ü (%13,2) Haemoproteus spp. ile enfekte bulunmuştur. Parazite 1 yaş ve üzeri güvercinlerde %73,9, 1 yaş altı güvercinlerde ise %26,1 oranında rastlanmıştır. Haemoproteus spp. dişilerde %56,6 (13/23), erkeklerde %43,4 (10/23) oranında gö-rülmüştür, enfeksiyon görülmesi bakımından cinsiyete bağlı bir farlılık tespit edilmemiştir (p= 0,821

BACKGROUND: Skin is the body's fi rst defence against direct exposure to variety of chemicals. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons such as 3-methylcholanthrene (3-MC) are common in polluted urban air and have a potential of producing harmful effects. Moreover, their late effects can occur months or years after exposure. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the long-term effects of 3-MC induced dermal toxicity on the expression of markers of apoptosis, pleiotropic cytokines, and oxidative stress and to determine the protective effect of cisplatin. METHODS: Groups were designed as control (group 1), 3-MC applied (group 2) and 3-MC+cisplatin applied mice (group 3). Cutaneous expressions of TGFβ, PDGFA, PDGFC, bFGF, PDGFRα, USP28, and Ki67 were evaluated with qPCR. Total oxidant (TOS), total antioxidant (TAS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) values were determined in liver and kidney tissues. RESULTS: The expression levels of TGFβ, PDGFRα, USP-28, Ki67, and PDGFA were decreased signifi cantly in MC applied groups. Renal TAS levels were signifi cantly lower in group-3. Liver and kidney OSI values were increased in both groups 2 and 3. CONCLUSION: The results indicated that low dose 3-MC caused oxidative stress and downregulated apoptotic and cytokine markers in the long term and cisplatin had no ameliorative effects on this degeneration processes (Tab.

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A sick ewe in late pregnancy presented with clinical incoordination lipping, amaurosis, head tilt gait and nervous symptoms such as circling movements. A smell of ketones on the breath was detected. The sick animal died during clinical examination and, together with three more dead animals belonging to the same flock, was submitted to the laboratory for necropsy. The uteri of all pregnant animals contained late-term twin fetuses. The most prominent lesion was extensive fatty infiltration of the liver. Massive lipidosis and lipid vacuoles were seen in sections of the livers. In three brains, there was prominent vacuolation in the white matter. Urine analysis revealed ketonuria in most of the suspected sheep from the same flock. Serum glucose, cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and blood urea nitrogen concentrations were lower (p£0.05) and serum triglycerides aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase activities were higher (p£0.05) in these sheep than in the controls. After a change of diet and treatment, with glucose and dexamethasone serum glucose levels significantly increased (p£0.001) and urine ketone bodies decreased but the other biocemical differences remained

The effects of clinoptilolite on milk copper (Cu), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and iron (Fe) concentrations, proinflammatory cytokine responses, oxidative stress status, whole blood cell counts and liver and kidney functions were investigated in dairy cows exhibiting no signs of any kind of toxicity. Clinoptilolite was added to the feed at a dose of 200 mg kg−1 body weight in the clinoptilolite-treated group (n = 14), but was not added to the feed in the control group (n = 7). In the milk samples (n = 21) collected before the experiment, the Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd and Fe values were 0.021 ± 0.020, 0.104 ± 0.01, 3.42 ± 0.32, <0.000, 0.56 ± 0.34 ppm, respectively. At the end of the experiment (30th day), among the elements measured in milk samples collected from the clinoptilolite-treated group, only the Pb value (0.076 ± 0.01) was lower than the 0-day value of the clinoptilolite-treated group (0.104 ± 0.01) and the 30th-day value of the control group (0.105 ± 0.01) was found to be statistically lower. Changes determined at the end of clinoptilolite application in serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), albumin, glucose, urea and urine creatinine/urine total protein (uCr/uTP) values, which were interpreted as the effect of lead exposure before the trial, were evaluated as the positive effect of clinoptilolite. It was concluded that the addition of clinoptilolite to the feed in dairy cows caused a significant decrease in the amount of Pb in milk, and positive changes in the parameters related to oxidative stress in serum and in parameters related to renal function.