goat

Cryptosporidium is a small coccidian parasite invaded and replicated within the epithelial cell lining of digestive, respiratory, and conjunctiva organs of vertebrates. Cryptosporidium is an intracellular and exocytoplasmic organism. It has been shown to be an important cause of enterocolitis and self-limited diarrhea in numbers of animals with defect in their immunity system. In this survey, we examined 419 fecal samples including sheep and goats population of Mahabad city, Iran. Forty nine samples of this examined animals (17 samples of sheep and goats are under 1 year old, 11 samples of sheep and goats between 1 and 2 years, 9 samples of sheep and goats between 2 and 3 years, 8 samples between 3 and 4 years old, and 4 samples of sheep and goats are over 4 years) are positive with a view of shedding of oocyst. There was significant statistical relationship between infection rate and sex P<0.05. There was significant statistical relationship between infection rate and age P<0.05. There was significant statistical relationship between infection rate and seasons of the year P<0.05 and there was no significant statistical relationship between sheep population and goat population in Mahabad city (P>0.05).

Sarcocystis is a mandatory intracellular parasitic protozoan that may cause digestive disorders in goats and huge financial losses in the livestock industry. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sarcocystis infection in slaughtered goats in Khoy slaughterhouse, Iran using microscopic method and compare it with macroscopic method. To this end, the carcasses of 202 slaughtered goats was examined ocularly and then microscopically for the presence of macrocysts. According to the results, 1.96% of the studied goats were found to be infected with macrocysts. In microscopic examination, 22.55% of the studied goats were found to be positive for infection. Data analysis showed a statistically significant difference between the rate of infection in different age groups and the rate of infection increased with age (P <0.05);while the rate of infection was gender independent and there was no significant difference between the rates of infection of different sexes (P> 0.05). Moreover, there was a statistically significant difference between the amount of infection in different muscles (p <0.05). The highest microcysts were observed in skeletal muscles with 84.78% and the lowest microcysts in heart muscles with 28.26%. This study showed that the microscopic method has a great advantage in determining the rate of sarcocyst infection compared to the ocular method. Therefore, it is necessary to be more careful in determining sarcocyst infections in carcasses of slaughtered goats.

Q fever is caused by Coxiella burnetii and is transmitted by more than 40 tick species. This study aimed to identify the tick species in goats of Meshkin-Shahr, Ardabil Province, Iran, and their role in the transmission of C. burnetii. A number of 365 goats were inspected for the infestation of hard ticks in a randomized sampling design, during a 1-year period from April 2013 to April 2014. A total number of 280 tick specimens were collected and identified and were then examined by molecular methods for the presence of C. burnetii infection. 40.8% of the infected animals had at least one species of tick. The goats which were studied were found to be infested by the following tick species: Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum (33.9%), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (22.1%), Rhipicephalus turanicus (17.1%), Hyalomma excavatum (11.1%), Rhipicephalus bursa (5%), Hyalomma detritum (3.9%), Hyalomma dromedarii (3.6%), Hyalomma asiaticum asiaticum (1.8%), and Hyalomma marginatum (1%). There were no significant differences between the infestation rate in different seasons, genders and ages of the animals which were studied (p=0.05). The molecular assay of 280 tick specimens revealed the presence of C. burnetii infection in 5 out of 40 pool samples (6-8 tick individuals of the same species in each pool), including H. anatolicum anatolicum (3 pools), H. excavatum (1 pool) and R. sanguineus (1 pool). The present study, therefore, reports the rate of C. burnetii infection transmitted by hard ticks in North-West of Iran for the first time. According to the zoonotic aspect of Q fever, further studies on the carriers as well as other hosts of the infection were found to be necessary.

The aim ofthis study was to investigate the differentiation of nephron and other structures of metanephric kidney in goat fetuses. The study was descriptive which was conducted in 2013 at the Islamic Azad University of Tabriz. The approximate age of the embryos was determined based on the formula presented by Gal et al (1994) in order to estimate the age of the goat fetus. Taking into account the age of the fetus, they were divided into 4 groups of 25 fetuses in each. The first, second, third, and fourth groups were on 38-60, 61-90, 91-120, and 121-150 days of pregnancy, respectively. The kidneys of the fetus were isolated following autopsy of the baby's abdominal cavity in order to examine the metanephros tissue differentiation. Isolated samples were placed in 10% buffered formalin solution. They were examined under the optical microscope after the preparing of tissue sections. Data analysis among the groups was conducted using ANOVA and Tukey's multiple comparison tests as well as SPSS 10 software. According to the results there was a significant difference between the four groups since 30-days old until birth in terms of the mean length (p

The aim of this study was to evaluate histometrical and stereological properties of the different tissue layers in male and female goats. To study the microscopic structure of the goat esophagus by stereological method، the eight healthy adult goats from both sexes were selected and the cervical region was dissected and esophagus removed. The obtained samples were fixed in 10% buffered formalin solution and then prepared tissue sections، stained with hematoxylin and eosin and studied using light microscopy. Results showed that there are significant variation in micrometry thicknesses of the submucosal and muscular layer at the cervical and thoracic regions (P<0. 05). The stereological results showed that mean volume of the esophageal muscular layer was significantly greater in male than female، but in other layers significant differences between both sexes was not observed (P>0. 05). Although morphometrical results showed that there are significant variations in different layers of the esophagus tissue، but stereological results showed no significant difference.

Previous studies demonstrated that dietary supplementation with appropriate polyunsaturated fatty acids can produce major increases in spermatogenesis and improvement in sperm quality. To investigate the correlation of serum lipids and lipoproteins with spermatogenic activity and histomorphometric structure of the testis, 10 male goats were divided into three equal groups included one, two and three years of age and blood samples were collected from the jugular vein. The serum concentrations of total cholesterol and triglyceride were measured by enzymatic method, serum levels of lipoproteins were determined by precipitation method. The serum levels of testosterone were measured by Radio Immuno Assay method. For histomorphometric study, the 5 μ sections were made and stained with Hematoxyline-Eosin. Data was statistically analyzed by the one way ANOVA and Pearson correlation tests (p≤0.05). Results showed that serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerids, VLDL-c and LDL-c had not significant differences between different ages. The serum levels of HDL-c, testosterone, as well as the area of spermatic tubules and testicular interstitium, diameter of seminiferous tubules, germinal epithelium height, number and diameters of the leydig cells; number of spermatid cells had significant increase from one year group to two years group but significant decrease from two years animals to three years group. The serum HDL-c values were significantly correlated with the number of leydig cells as well as testosterone serum levels. Also triglycerides values had correlated with germinal epithelium height. It can be concluded that increased serum levels of HDL-c and triglycerides have respectively a benefit and deleterious effects on the spermatogenic activity and histomorphometric structure of the testes in the male goats of Ilam province.

The aim of the present study was to compare quantitative distribution and histological characteristics of Paneth cells of small intestine in sheep and goats. Ten healthy adult sheep and 10 healthy adult goats (5 male and 5 female in both sexes) of the Lori Bakhtyari breed were selected from Shahrekord abattoir. Prepared tissue sections were analyzed at both light and electron microscopic levels. Paneth cells were distributed in the crypts of Liberkühn, theirs granules were larger and more numerous in deep and cells number showed an increase the proximal of the deudenum towards the distal part of the jujenum followed by a decrease from the proximal of the ileum towards its distal part. In all regions, Paneth cells were more numerous in goats than to sheep. In electron microscopic level, dense granules were found in the apical cytoplasm. Numerical density and surface microvilli of granules were greatest in the jejunum and lowest in duodenum and ileum. In all three regions of jejenum, area of cytoplasmic granules was significantly greater in sheep than in goats. The result showed that paneth cellular structure is almost similar between two species in light and electron microscope levels.