BACKGROUND Francisella tularensis is an intercellular bacterium often causing fatal disease when inhaled. Previous reports have underlined the role of cell-mediated immunity and IFNgamma in the host response to Francisella tularensis infection. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Here we provide evidence for the involvement of IL-17A in host defense to inhalational tularemia, using a mouse model o...

Elevated amount of the free radicals due to ionizing radiation causes deteriorating damage on immune system. Therefore, we made attempts to investigate the protective effect of vitamin E (vit-E), a biological antioxidant in BALB/c mice, so as to find an affordable prophylactic supplementation for individuals who are at risk. Several groups of mice were selected and exposed to sub-lethal g -irra...

Within EU approval policies, most dispersant ecotoxicity testing considers lethal concentrations for marine adult species, overlooking the embryotoxicological effects. Here we studied of two commercial formulations (dispersant A and B) on embryogenesis ascidian Ciona robusta. Embryotoxicity phenotypic alterations stated that B resulted more toxic than (EC50 value 44.30 160 μg mL−1, respectively...

Differentiation factor (D factor), also called leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), is a glycoprotein that has been increasingly recognized to possess a wide range of physiological activities. We examined the possibility that the administration of D factor may confer beneficial effects and enhance host resistance against lethal endotoxemia. A single intravenous dose of recombinant human D factor c...

Recent studies have shown efficacy of febantel (FBT) against Microsporidium seriolae in Seriola fish. ​This study evaluated the toxicity FBT quinqueradiata. ​Fish were gavage fed with feed containing various doses (50 to 1,000 mg/kg/day (d)) for 14 or 28 consecutive days and monitored growth survival. ​Major mortality started at 7 fish given 200 mg/kg/d FBT, while onset 50 100 groups was delaye...

Complex physiological traits, such as routine aerobic metabolic rate or exercise performance, are indicators of the functional integrity of fish that can reveal sub-lethal toxicological effects of aquatic pollutants. These traits have proved valuable in laboratory investigations of the sub-lethal effects of heavy metals, ammonia and various xenobiotics. It is not known, however, whether they ca...

We studied by the laboratory tests impact of most widespread pesticides (insecticide “Actor”, fungicide “Scooter”, herbicide “Titus-C”) in different concentrations (0,001–1000 mg/L) and water on main ecotoxicological indexes genetic vicaristic “western” “eastern” allospecies great ramshorn Planorbarius corneus s. lato. It was established, ranges toxic action these pollutants (mg/L) are followin...

The present paper deals with the effect of endosulfan on Ascorbic acid content in the alimentary canal of Heteropneustes fossilis. This fish exposed so sub lethal concentration of endosulfan for a period of one month. The results revealed that the ascorbic acid content of alimentary canal was decreased in intoxicated fishes.

UNLABELLED The amount of ultraviolet (UV) radiation reaching the earth's surface has increased due to depletion of the ozone layer. Several studies have reported that UV radiation reduces survival of fish larvae. However, indirect and sub-lethal impacts of UV radiation on fish behavior have been given little consideration. We observed the escape performance of larval cod (24 dph, SL: 7.6±0.2 mm...

IT is now well established that retinal degeneration can be produced in several species of laboratory animals by intravenous injection of sodium iodoacetate (Schubert and Bornschein, 1951; Noell, 1952; Berardinis, 1953; Karli, 1954; Rabinovitch, Mota, and Yoneda, 1954; Babel and Ziv, 1956). Thus, Noell (1952) described a destruction of the visual cells in rabbits, cats, and monkeys after repeat...