Effects of steam-flaked grains on foals' growth and faecal microbiota.

Background: There is little objective information concerning the effect of steam-flaked grains on foal's growth performance and faecal microbiota. To determine the effects of steam-flaked grains on foal's growth performance and faecal microbiota, faecal samples were collection from 18 foals which had been fed either corn, oat or barley diets over the 60 days of the experiment. Body weight and conformation measurements were collected.

[Enhancement of antibodies to protective domain of surface protective antigen A of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae by DNA immunization with plasmids expressing spaA-chimeras].

Aim: DNA vaccines expressing protective domain of surface protective antigen A(spaA)of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae have been relatively ineffective at generating high-titer, long-lasting, neutralizing antibodies in murine models.

Methods: This paper report using a DNA vaccine expressing a fusion of the spaA protein and various elements, such as a secretion leader sequence from the highly expressed human gene encoding alpha1-antitrypsin (AAT), a highly soluble and stably folded domain from the rat cartilage oligomerization matrix protein (COMP), and three copies of the complement component, C3d3, to enhance the titers of neutralizing spaA-specific antibody.

Results: Analysis of titers of the antibody raised in vaccinated mice at different time points indicated that immunizations with the DNA expressing pcDNA3-AAT-COMP-spaAN-3C3d((pcD-ACSC)) had higher titers than pcDNA3-spaA(N)(pcD-S) at weeks 4.