Since 2018, significant scientific results are published on the website of the Centre of Biosciences of the SAS.
Exposure to neonicotinoid insecticides induces embryotoxicity in mice and rabbits
Janka Babeľová, Zuzana Šefčíková, Štefan Čikoš, Alexandra Špirková, Veronika Kovaříková, Juraj Koppel, Dušan Fabian
Insecticides are defined as substances employed in the control of arthropods that are detrimental to crops or vectors of disease. Furthermore, they are employed in the prevention and treatment of ectoparasitic diseases in livestock and domestic animals. Neonicotinoids represent one of the most recently developed classes of insecticides. They act as agonists of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the insect central nervous system, and are characterised by low specificity for mammalian nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. The present study was undertaken to investigate the potential toxic effects of neonicotinoids (thiacloprid, acetamiprid, thiamethoxam and clothianidin) as well as the related commercial preparations Calypso 480SC (thiacloprid mixture), Mospilan 20SP (acetamiprid mixture) and Agita 10WG (thiamethoxam mixture) on the developmental abilities and quality of preimplantation embryos. In vitro assays were conducted to examine the effects of neonicotinoids on the development of mouse embryos. The two-cell stage embryos were cultured in the presence of varying concentrations of active ingredients or commercial neonicotinoid preparations. Stereomicroscopic examination revealed that neonicotinoids at the highest concentration (100 µM) significantly impaired embryo development (P < 0.001). The results of the fluorescence staining analysis indicated that the blastocysts obtained exhibited a reduction in the number of blastomeres and an elevated prevalence of dead cells. The quality of the blastocysts was found to be adversely affected at a concentration of 10 µM for both thiacloprid and acetamiprid. Of the products tested, only CALYPSO 480SC, which contains 10 µM thiacloprid, was observed to have a detrimental effect on embryo quality. Additionally, the rabbit experiment yielded evidence of a detrimental impact of thiacloprid. The in vivo test demonstrated that blastocysts obtained from female mice treated with thiacloprid exhibited a reduction in blastocyst number compared to the control group. Despite the declared low toxicity to mammalian cells and organs, the results of our study clearly demonstrated that neonicotinoids can adversely affect embryonic cells. The sensitivity of embryonic cells to neonicotinoids was found to decrease in the following order: thiacloprid > acetamiprid, thiomethoxam > clothianidin. Thiacloprid was observed to impair the development and quality of mouse and rabbit preimplantation embryos, and demonstrated embryotoxicity even at the acute reference dose.
BABEĽOVÁ, Janka – ŠEFČÍKOVÁ, Zuzana – ČIKOŠ, Štefan – ŠPIRKOVÁ, Alexandra – KOVAŘÍKOVÁ, Veronika – KOPPEL, Juraj – MAKAREVICH, A.V. – CHRENEK, P. – FABIAN, Dušan. Exposure to neonicotinoid insecticides induces embryotoxicity in mice and rabbits. In Toxicology, 2017, 392C, p. 71-80. (3.582 – IF2016). (2017 – Current Contents). ISSN 0300-483X, ADCA01).
Susceptibility of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. from different poultry species to enterocins
Jana Ščerbová, Andrea Lauková
VEGA 2/0004/14, VEGA 2/0006/17
Campylobacters are bacteria that pose a significant threat to the poultry farming industry, although they have been isolated from a range of other animals. The faecal-oral route facilitates the rapid dissemination of these bacteria within a farm environment. Poultry, in particular broiler chickens, but also other species, are food animals, that is to say, they are intended for direct consumption (in the case of broilers) or for the consumption of their products. Consequently, the principal objective for farmers is to maintain healthy breeding, which is a significant concern for consumers. A promising strategy to reduce the incidence of campylobacter or campylobacteriosis in poultry appears to be the application of probiotic bacteria and/or their bacteriocins. A total of 102 faecal samples from a variety of poultry species, including broiler chickens, laying hens, ostriches and ducks, were examined. Based on identification by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, 23 isolates were taxonomically assigned to the Campylobacter jejuni (19) and C. coli (4) species. Their identification was also confirmed by genotyping using primers and PCR. The identified strains were predominantly antibiotic resistant, yet demonstrated susceptibility to enterocins, that is, they were inhibited by at least one enterocin (enterocins produced by enterococci, characterised at our site) out of the nine used, with the exception of C. coli strains Kc1, SZ3 and C. jejuni 1/D. The most effective was the bipeptide enterocin A (P) (produced by E. faecium strain EK13=CCM7419), which demonstrated activity against up to 52% of the tested Campylobacter strains. Furthermore, as previously observed, the enterocin-producing M-Enterococcus faecium strain AL41 reduced the counts of Campylobacter spp. in chickens infected with C. jejuni strain CCM6191. Additionally, it was demonstrated that this strain could modulate TLR expression and modify the activation of MIF, IFN-beta, MD-2, and CD14 molecules in the cecal cells of chickens infected with C. jejuni strain CCM6191. These findings offer a promising foundation for future applications of enterocins or their production strains.
ŠČERBOVÁ, Jana – LAUKOVÁ, Andrea. Sensitivity to enterocins of Thermophilic Campylobacter spp. from different poultry species. In Foodborne pathogens and disease, 2016, vol. 13, no. 12, p. 668-673. (2.270 – IF2015). (2016 – Current Contents). ISSN 1535-3141.
Usefulness of rumen fluid from slaughtered cattle in the study of differences in methane emissions between different animal breeds
Jana Pisarčíková
METHAGENE
In the context of the international METHAGENE project, which is focused on the breeding of ruminants with a reduced environmental impact, experiments were conducted at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences (ETH Zurich, Switzerland) to assess the potential of rumen fluid from slaughtered cattle in elucidating the differences in methane emissions between different breeds of animals. The published results demonstrated discrepancies in methane production between dairy and beef cattle. The utilisation of rumen fluid is of interest in the investigation of the age-dependent variation in rumen methane production. The integration of data from abattoir, farm and animal diet databases is crucial for the practical implementation of the findings. Rumen fluid obtained from slaughtered animals may prove valuable in elucidating the differences in methane emissions from diverse breeds of cattle.
WANG, S. – PISARČÍKOVÁ, Jana – KREUZER, M. – SCHWARM, A. Utility of an in vitro test with rumen fluid from slaughtered cattle for capturing variation in methane emission potential between cattle types and with age. In Canadian Journal of Animal Science, 2017: . (0.827-IF2016). ISSN 0008-3984, ADCA23)