An extensive survey on helminth community of Caretta caretta from the neritic feeding grounds of Northwestern Adriatic sea.

The opportunistic diet of loggerhead sea turtles, Caretta caretta, their long life-span and migratory behavior contribute to shaping the diversity of the gastrointestinal helminthic community. Heteroxenous helminths are also sentinels of marine environmental health, reflecting any perturbation of the trophic chain and, indirectly, of abiotic components of the ecosystem. With the aim of studying the helminth community of a top predator such as the loggerhead sea turtle C.

Post Mortem Findings of Cetaceans Stranded Along the Campania Coast from 2016 to 2022.

The presence of cetaceans along the Campania coast has always been documented. Between 2016 and 2022, out of 65 cetaceans stranded along the Campania coast, 46 were studied for bacteriological, virological, parasitological, and histopathological investigations. The results highlighted that for 59% (n = 27) of the specimens, the cause of death was of natural origin, while for only 2% (n = 1) of animals, the origin of death was ascribed to anthropic causes.

Modeling the impacts of natural and human factors on the hatching success of the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta along the coasts of Italy.

Coastal biodiversity is globally threatened by climate change and human pressures, including habitat destruction, overfishing, eutrophication, and pollution, which alter natural coastal ecosystem processes. Caretta caretta, hereafter referred to as loggerhead sea turtle, is listed as "Vulnerable" at global level and "Least Concern" in the Mediterranean Sea by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This species is the only sea turtle nesting along Italian coasts, making it crucial to understand the factors affecting its reproductive success for effective conservation strategies.

Coinfection with Dolphin Morbillivirus (DMV) and Gammaherpesvirus in a Spinner Dolphin () Stranded in Sri Lanka.

Following the X-Press Pearl maritime disaster off the coast of Sri Lanka, a stranded spinner dolphin () was recovered, and the cause of death was investigated. Post-mortem examinations revealed evidence of by-catch, but a natural coinfection with dolphin morbillivirus (DMV) and gammaherpesvirus was detected by further analyses, marking the first documented case of a dual viral infection in this species within the region. Molecular diagnostics, including PCR and sequencing, were performed on tissue imprints collected on FTA cards, confirming the presence of DMV in the prescapular lymph node and gammaherpesvirus in the lesions in the oral cavity.

Amyloid-β and phosphorylated tau screening in bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) brains from Italy reveals distinct immunohistochemical patterns correlating with age and co-morbidity.

Cetacean brains are uniquely adapted to diving, but can be affected by diseases and exposure to toxins, triggering neurodegenerative processes that may cause stranding. Some species exhibit a significant post-reproductive lifespan (PRLS), increasing the likelihood of observing cumulative and age-related pathology. Immunohistochemistry against amyloid-β and hyperphosphorylated tau proteins is increasingly implemented to assess Alzheimer's Disease-like neuropathology in cetaceans, but comparisons between geographically distinct populations, animals of different age groups, sex, and with concomitant pathologies are lacking.

Network analysis to reveal the most commonly detected compounds in predator-prey pairs in freshwater and marine mammals and fish in Europe.

Marine and freshwater mammalian predators and fish samples, retrieved from environmental specimen banks (ESBs), natural history museum (NHMs) and other scientific collections, were analysed by LIFE APEX partners for a wide range of legacy and emerging contaminants (2545 in total). Network analysis was used to visualize the chemical occurrence data and reveal the predominant chemical mixtures for the freshwater and marine environments. For this purpose, a web tool was created to explore these chemical mixtures in predator-prey pairs.

Bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) immortalized fibroblasts on novel 3D in vitro collagen-free scaffolds.

Dolphins, as apex predators, can be considered relevant sentinels of the health of marine ecosystems. The creation of 3D cell models to assess in vitro cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interactions in environmental-mimicking conditions, is of considerable interest. However, to date the establishment of cetacean 3D culture systems has not yet been accomplished.

Age-related changes in the primary auditory cortex of newborn, adults and aging bottlenose dolphins () are located in the upper cortical layers.

Introduction: The auditory system of dolphins and whales allows them to dive in dark waters, hunt for prey well below the limit of solar light absorption, and to communicate with their conspecific. These complex behaviors require specific and sufficient functional circuitry in the neocortex, and vicarious learning capacities. Dolphins are also precocious animals that can hold their breath and swim within minutes after birth.

Comparison between Sampling Techniques for Virological Molecular Analyses: Dolphin Morbillivirus and Herpesvirus Detection from FTA Card and Frozen Tissue.

Stranded animals offer valuable information on marine mammal physiology and pathology; however, the decomposition state of the carcasses and lack of a rigorous cold chain for sample preservation can sometimes discourage diagnostic analyses based on nucleic acid detection. The present paper aims at evaluating the reliability of FTA card tissue imprints as an alternative matrix to frozen tissues for virological analyses based on biomolecular methods. Given the contribution of Cetacean morbillivirus (CeMV) to strandings and the increase of herpesvirus detection in cetaceans, these two pathogens were selected as representative of RNA and DNA viruses.

Isolation and Characterization of Cetacean Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles.

Cetaceans are of scientific interest because they are good candidates as environmental bioindicators. However, in vivo research is arduous and in vitro studies represent a rarely used valid alternative. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-bound structures playing roles in cell-to-cell communication.

Report on the brain of the monk seal (Monachus monachus, Hermann, 1779).

The Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus, Hermann, 1779) is an endangered species of pinniped endemic to few areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Extensive hunting and poaching over the last two centuries have rendered it a rare sight, scattered mainly in the Aegean Sea and the western coast of North Africa. In a rare event, a female monk seal calf stranded and died in southern Italy (Brindisi, Puglia).

Loggerhead Sea Turtle as Possible Source of Transmission for Zoonotic Listeriosis in the Marine Environment.

is an ubiquitous pathogen isolated from different host species including fish, crustaceans, and molluscs, but it is rarely a pathogenic microorganism to marine reptiles. In particular, only two cases of fatal disseminated listeriosis have been described in the loggerhead sea turtle (). In this study, we describe a lethal case of infection in a loggerhead sea turtle.

Environmental and pathological factors affecting the hatching success of the two northernmost loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nests.

In recent years, the report of loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) Mediterranean nesting range has expanded together with new records of nests becoming northward on the Italian coastline of the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic seas. These areas are characterized by intensive human activities, such as tourism, fishery, and marine traffic, all possibly involved in the influence of the use of coastal habitat by marine species. These anthropic threats, in addition to the natural ones and the changing environmental characteristics of the beach, may influence the growth of microorganisms causing hatching failures.

Multimodal Assessment of Bottlenose Dolphin Auditory Nuclei Using 7-Tesla MRI, Immunohistochemistry and Stereology.

The importance of assessing neurochemical processes in the cetacean brain as a tool for monitoring their cognitive health and to indirectly model human neurodegenerative conditions is increasingly evident, although available data are largely semiquantitative. High-resolution MRI for post-mortem brains and stereology allow for quantitative assessments of the cetacean brain. In this study, we scanned two brains of bottlenose dolphins in a 7-Tesla (7T) MR scanner and assessed the connectivity of the inferior colliculi and ventral cochlear nuclei using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).

The Odontocete Ear Canal-Associated Lymphoid Tissue (ECALT) and Lymph Nodes: Morphological and Pathological Description with Immuno-Phenotypic Characterisation.

A changing marine environment with emerging natural and anthropogenic stressors challenges the marine mammal immune system. The skin and adnexa form a first protective barrier in the immune response, although this is still relatively understudied in cetaceans. The cellular and tissue morphology of the nodular and diffuse lymphoid tissue are not fully charted and the physiological responses are not yet completely understood.

Assessment of Antimicrobial Effects on Broiler Gut Barrier Through Histopathology and Immunohistochemistry of Tight-Junction Proteins.

In recent years, antimicrobial (AM) use in poultry farming has been attracting attention worldwide mainly due to AM resistance spreading. The role of AM prophylaxis in the modulation of gut microbiota, as well as of gut health, is still not clearly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of different prophylaxis protocols in the modulation of the gut barrier in broilers by applying a histopathological approach.

Long-lasting effects of chronic exposure to chemical pollution on the hologenome of the Manila clam.

Chronic exposure to pollutants affects natural populations, creating specific molecular and biochemical signatures. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that chronic exposure to pollutants might have substantial effects on the Manila clam hologenome long after removal from contaminated sites. To reach this goal, a highly integrative approach was implemented, combining transcriptome, genetic and microbiota analyses with the evaluation of biochemical and histological profiles of the edible Manila clam , as it was transplanted for 6 months from the polluted area of Porto Marghera (PM) to the clean area of Chioggia (Venice lagoon, Italy).

Immunohistochemical Markers of Apoptotic and Hypoxic Damage Facilitate Evidence-Based Assessment in Pups with Neurological Disorders.

Seizures in puppies often present a diagnostic challenge in terms of identifying and treating the underlying cause. Dog breeds with mutations of the -gene are known to show adverse reactions to certain drugs, yet metabolic imbalance exacerbated by physiologically immature organs and other contributing pathologies require consideration before arriving at a diagnosis. This study analysed the brains of two male, 5-week-old Australian Shepherd siblings that died after displaying severe neurological symptoms upon administration of MilproVet to treat severe intestinal helminth infection.

Evaluation of per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in livers of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) found stranded along the northern Adriatic Sea.

Per-and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of chemicals used in a wide variety of commercial products and industrial applications. These chemicals are persistent, can accumulate in humans' and animals' tissues and in the environment, representing an increasing concern due to their moderate to highly toxicity. Their global distribution, persistence and toxicity led to an urgent need to investigate bioaccumulation also in marine species.