Anthropogenic interferences lead to gut microbiome dysbiosis in Asian elephants and may alter adaptation processes to surrounding environments.

Human activities interfere with wild animals and lead to the loss of many animal populations. Therefore, efforts have been made to understand how wildlife can rebound from anthropogenic disturbances. An essential mechanism to adapt to environmental and social changes is the fluctuations in the host gut microbiome.

First record and analysis of the COI gene of Cobboldia elephantis obtained from a captive Asian elephant from Myanmar.

The stomach bot fly species in Asian elephants has long been known as Cobboldia elephantis. However, there is no genetic information available for this species to date. Here, we report that a third-instar fly larva was excreted from a captive Asian elephant four months after export from an elephant camp in Myanmar to a zoological garden in Japan.

Avian interspecific differences in VKOR activity and inhibition: Insights from amino acid sequence and mRNA expression ratio of VKORC1 and VKORC1L1.

Worldwide use of anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) for rodents control has frequently led to secondary poisoning of non-target animals, especially raptors. In order to suggest some factors that may help considering the mechanism of the incidents, this study focused on the avian vitamin K 2, 3-epoxide reductase (VKOR) that is the target protein of ARs. We addressed the interspecific differences in VKOR activity and inhibition related to amino acid sequence and mRNA expression of VKORC1 and VKORC1-like1 (VKORC1L1).

Therapeutic effect of peripheral administration of an anti-prion protein antibody on mice infected with prions.

It is generally thought that effective treatments for prion diseases need to inhibit prion propagation, protect neuronal tissues and promote functional recovery of degenerated nerve tissues. In addition, such treatments should be effective even when given after clinical onset of the disease and administered via a peripheral route. In this study, the effect of peripheral administration of an anti-PrP antibody on disease progression in prion-infected mice was examined.

Effect of transplantation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells on mice infected with prions.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been reported to migrate to brain lesions in experimental models of ischemia, tumors, and neurodegenerative diseases and to ameliorate functional deficits. In this study, we attempted to evaluate the therapeutic potential of MSCs for treating prion diseases. Immortalized human MSCs (hMSCs) that express the LacZ gene were transplanted into the unilateral hippocampi or thalami of mice, and their distributions were monitored by the expression of beta-galactosidase.