Aborted sheep foetuses were collected during the lambing seasons of 2004 to 2006. B. melitensis was isolated from 25 (29.76%) of 84 lungs and stomach contents. Based on the biochemical tests and agglutination test with monospecific A and M antisera, the isolates were determined as B. melitensis biotype 3. The isolation of the B. melitensis from aborted sheep foetuses may show the importance of ...

Ovine placental lactogen, purified from term sheep cotyledons, has been found to have chemical and biologic properties similar to those of human placental lactogen, ovine growth hormone, and ovine prolactin. OPL stimulates lactation in vivo and in vitro and binds to prolactin and growth hormone membrane receptors. Its binding to growth hormone receptors is approximately 20 times greater than th...

A specific leptin RIA was developed to assess concentrations of leptin in ovine plasma, and was shown to be efficient with bovine and caprine plasma. A specific, high-affinity antibody was generated against recombinant ovine leptin which, when used in a competitive leptin RIA, provided valid estimates of linearity (r=+0.989-0.998), recovery (102%), repeatability (13%) and limit of sensitivity (...

The agent responsible for prion disease may exist in different forms, commonly referred to as strains, with each carrying the specific information that determines its own distinct biological properties, such as incubation period and lesion profile. Biological strain typing of ovine scrapie isolates by serial passage in conventional mice has shown some diversity in ovine prion strains. However, ...

Theileria species are common in tropical and subtropical regions and cause great economical losses inruminants. Two species, T. lestoquardi and T. ovis, are suspected to cause ovine theileriosis in Iran. Theepidemiological aspects of ovine theileriosis in Iran are poorly understood and further investigations bysensitive and precise techniques are required. In a previous study, a sensitive and s...