<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> The progressive growth and spread of tumour cells in the form of metastases requires an interaction of healthy host cells, such as endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and other cells of mesenchymal origin with immune cells taking part in innate and adaptive responses within the tumour lesion and entire body. The host cells interact with tumour cells to create a dynamic tumour microenvironment, in which healthy cells can both positively and negatively influence the growth and spread of the tumour. The balance of cellular homeostasis and the effect of substances they secrete on the tumour microenvironment determine whether the tumour has a tendency to grow or disappear, and whether the cells remain within the lesion or are capable of metastasis to other regions of the body. Intercellular interactions also determine the tumour’s susceptibility to radiation or other types of cancer treatment. They may also be a rational explanation for differences in treatment outcomes, in which some metastases regress and others progress in response to the same treatment method.</abstract>

Mechanisms of tumour escape from immune surveillance

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> Current knowledge about the function of the reproductive tract and appropriate use of hormonal drugs affords control of the oestrus cycle of cows. One of the hormonal protocols is OvSynch, which enables artificial insemination (AI) to be performed at the precise optimum time without control of the ovaries and uterus. Use of such protocols in reproductive management allows oestrus cycles to be synchronised and cows to be effectively inseminated without oestrous detection, which is time-consuming and difficult in farms with numerous cows. Therefore, OvSynch has become the first management tool for AI and is an alternative method to heat detection. Over the 20 years since its first implementation, OvSynch has been modified many times to improve its reproduction outcomes and widen its use. Besides its original use for heat synchronisation, it is also used in many ovarian disorders as a therapeutic method. This review article describes the possibilities which OvSynch provides, its current modifications, various applications, and the advantages and disadvantages of its use in practice.</abstract>

OvSynch protocol and its modifications in the reproduction management of dairy cattle herds – an update

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
 The article describes the recent data dealing with the fatty acid content in cow, goat, and sheep milk. A large body of evidence demonstrates that fatty acid profile in goat and sheep milk was similar to that of cow milk. Palmitic acid was the most abundant in milk. Goat milk had the highest C6:0, C8:0, and C10:0 content. Sheep milk was the richest source of conjugated linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid. Ewe’s milk had lower value of n-6/n-3 then goat and cow milk.
</abstract>

Fatty Acid Profile of Milk - A Review

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title> Introduction: The article presents a rapid and simple analytical procedure for determination of four tetracyclines (oxytetracycline, tetracycline, chlortetracycline, and doxycycline) in animal medicated feedingstuffs. Material and Methods: Two-gramme samples were extracted by a Na2EDTA-McIlvaine buffer (pH 4)/methanol mixtures (40/60, v/v). The determination was achieved by liquid chromatography using a Zorbax Eclipse XDB C18 analytical column with mass spectrometer detection (LC-MS). Results: Recoveries of the antibiotics from spiked feed samples ranged from 78.2% to 113.5%. The LOD and LOQ for tetracyclines in feeds ranged from 2.8 to 4.2 and from 4.3 to 5.7 mg/kg, respectively. Conclusion: The method was successfully validated and proved to be efficient, precise, and useful for quantification of tetracyclines in medicated feedingstuffs.</abstract>

Analytical procedure for the determination of tetracyclines in medicated feedingstuffs by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
In recent years, exercise on a water treadmill has come to have great relevance in rehabilitation and training centres for sport horses. Its use exploits certain physical properties of water, related to the fundamental principles of hydrodynamics, such as buoyancy, viscosity, hydrostatic pressure, and water temperature. These properties together with deliberate specification of the depth of the water and the velocity of the treadmill provide a combination of parameters that can be varied according to the purpose of the rehabilitation or training programme, the disease to rehabilitate, or the healing phase. In the current article, kinematic adaptations to exercise on a water treadmill and the direct application of such exercise to the rehabilitation of superficial and deep digital flexor tendon and accessory ligament injuries and back and joint diseases are described.
</abstract>

The use of the water treadmill for the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries in the sport horse

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
 The high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection was used for the study. The histamine was detected in 14.6% and 17.8% of the samples of fresh and smoked fish respectively. The highest concentrations of the compound were found in smoked herring and smoked sprat (17.7 mg/kg and 24.1 mg/kg respectively). Histamine concentration in fresh and smoked fish did not exceed the allowable limit, indicating that they are safe for consumers.
</abstract>

Determination of histamine in fresh and smoked fish commercially available in Poland

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Introduction</title>
When piglets are exposed to pathogens for a long period, the immune system organs, among them the spleen, play a major role in combating the stress caused by those pathogens. In the present study, the effect on splenocyte function was investigated in a model of weaned piglets in which stress was induced by multiple low doses of lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Material and Methods</title>
Forty-eight 28-day-old piglets were divided into two groups: the LPS group and the control group. During the experimental period of thirteen days, the LPS group was intraperitoneally injected with LPS (100 μg/kg) once per day, and the control group was injected with the same volume of 0.9% sterile saline. On the 1st, 5th, 9th and 13th days, the piglets’ spleens were collected for isolating splenocytes. The proliferation ability of splenocytes was evaluated by the cell-counting-kit 8 method. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell cycle stage and apoptosis, and the nitric oxide level of cell supernatant was also tested.
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Results</title>
In the experimental group, the proliferation ability of splenocytes was enhanced, the proportion of cells in the G0/G1 phase was smaller, and cells were promoted to the S and G2/M phases. Meanwhile, apoptosis was suppressed and nitric oxide release upregulated. The results were significantly different between the LPS group and the control group on the 5th and 9th days.
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Conclusion</title>
The difference between the results of one group and those of the other suggest that after the 5th LPS injection, multiple low doses of LPS activated splenocytes and restored the number of splenocytes, which maintained and possibly enhanced the regulation of the immune function of the spleen.
</sec>
</abstract>

Effect on the splenocyte function of weaned piglets induced by continuous lipopolysaccharide injections

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Introduction</title>
Radioactive caesium-137 occurring in the environment may be taken up by plants and animals and pose a trophic threat to humans. Game animals living in forest ecosystems are very good bioindicators of the level of environmental contamination by ionising radiation. The main species measurably exposed to caesium-137 are the wild boar (<italic>Sus scrofa</italic>), the roe deer (<italic>Capreolus capreolus</italic>), and the red deer (<italic>Cervus elaphus</italic>). The study determined the levels of Cs-137 in muscle samples of these game animals in 2015–2022.
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Material and Methods</title>
Using gamma radiation spectrometry, 858 samples of game animal muscle tissue were examined: 508 wild boar, 145 roe deer and 205 red deer samples.
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Results</title>
Concentrations of Cs-137 varied widely (from minimum detectable activity (MDA) values to over 4,000 Bq/kg). In 63.4% of cases, the obtained concentrations exceeded the MDA. The permissible limit (600 Bq/kg for food) was exceeded in nine wild boar muscle samples, whereas it was not even exceeded once in roe or red deer muscle. The average concentration in wild boar was three times higher than in roe and red deer and amounted to 42.84 Bq/kg. The highest concentration of Cs-137 in wild boar muscle was 4,195 ± 372.0 Bq/kg, in roe deer muscle it was 111.5 ± 12.50 Bq/kg, and in red deer muscle was 86.70 ± 3.470 Bq/kg.
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Conclusion</title>
The seven years’ data indicate that wild boar absorb the most caesium-137 among game animals. The concentrations of Cs-137 in the muscle of game animals in the years 2015-2022 were at a nearly constant level, a very slow diminution being noticeable over time in roe and red deer muscle.
</sec>
</abstract>

Caesium-137 in the muscles of game animals in 2015-2022 – levels and time trend

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Introduction</title>
Small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV) cause multisystemic, degenerative and chronic disease in sheep and goats. There are five genotypes (A, B, C, D and E), of which A and B are the most widespread. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the serotyping efficiency of the Eradikit SRLV Genotyping ELISA and the molecular typing efficiency of a newly developed nested real-time PCR targeting the long terminal repeat–<italic>gag</italic> (LTR-gag) region using samples from animals infected with subtypes of SRLV known to circulate in Poland.
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Material and Methods</title>
A total of 97 sera samples taken from 34 sheep and 63 goats were immunoassayed, and 86 DNA samples from 31 sheep and 55 goats were tested with the PCR. All ruminants were infected with known SRLV strains of the A1, A5, A12, A13, A16, A17, A18, A23, A24, A27, B1 and B2 subtypes.
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Results</title>
A total of 69 (80.2%, 95% confidence interval 71.6%–88.8%) out of 86 tested samples gave positive results in the PCR. In 17 out of the 86 (19.8%) samples, no proviral DNA of SRLV was detected. The differentiation between MVV (genotype A) and CAEV (genotype B) by PCR matched the predating phylogenetic analysis invariably. No cross-reactivity was observed. On the other hand, the proportion of samples genotyped the same by the older phylogenetic analysis and the Eradikit SRLV Genotyping ELISA was 42.3%. The test was unable to classify 40.2% of samples, and 17.5% of sera were incorrectly classified.
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Conclusion</title>
Our results showed that the Eradikit SRLV genotyping kit is not a reliable method for predicting SRLV genotype, while the nested real-time PCR based on the LTR-<italic>gag</italic> region did prove to be, at least for genotypes A and B.
</sec>
</abstract>

Comparison of serological and molecular methods for differentiation between genotype A and genotype B strains of small ruminant lentiviruses

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Introduction</title>
Feline panleukopenia is a contagious viral disease caused by the feline panleukopenia virus (FPV). A closely related pathogen is canine parvovirus (CPV), and amino acid substitutions in this virus allow it to acquire a feline host range. In feline hosts, the disease induced by CPV manifests with similar symptoms to those caused by FPV or milder ones, leading to its underdiagnosis. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of CPV type 2 (CPV-2) in cats with clinical symptoms of panleukopenia and to assess the use of commercial CPV antigen tests for the clinical diagnosis of FPV.
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Material and Methods</title>
Samples from 59 cats from central Slovakia were included in the study. Rectal swabs were collected and clinically tested for parvovirus infection using a commercial antigen test. Antigen-positive samples were confirmed by PCR targeting the viral <italic>VP2</italic> gene. The sequences of the PCR products were established with the Sanger method.
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Results</title>
Of 59 samples, 23 were revealed to be positive for parvovirus infection by both antigen and PCR test (38.9%). Analysis with the National Center for Biotechnology Information BLASTn application showed 99.78–100% pairwise identity with FPV. The mortality rate of parvovirus-infected cats included in this study was 8.69% (2/23).
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Conclusion</title>
Although feline disease with CPV-2 was not confirmed, the CPV antigen test was able to detect FPV infection.
</sec>
</abstract>

Investigation of canine parvovirus occurrence in cats with clinical signs of feline panleukopenia in Slovakia – pilot study

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Introduction</title>
Benzophenones (BPs) are used in various branches of industry as ultraviolet radiation filters, but they pollute the natural environment, penetrate living organisms, and disrupt endocrine balance. Knowledge of the exposure of domestic animals to these substances is extremely scant. The aim of the study was to investigate long-term exposure of companion dogs to BPs and relate this to environmental factors.
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Material and Methods</title>
Hair samples taken from 50 dogs and 50 bitches from under 2 to over 10 years old were analysed for BP content with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry.
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Results</title>
The results revealed that dogs are most often exposed to 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone (BP-3) and 4-dihydroxybenzophenone (BP-1). Concentration levels of BP-3 above the method quantification limit (MQL) were noted in 100% of the samples and fluctuated from 4.75 ng/g to 1,765 ng/g. In turn, concentration levels of BP-1 above the MQL were noted in 37% of the samples and ranged from &lt;0.50 ng/g to 666 ng/g. Various factors (such as the use of hygiene and care products and the dog’s diet) were found to affect BP concentration levels. Higher levels of BP-3 were observed in castrated/spayed animals and in animals that required veterinary intervention more often.
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Conclusion</title>
The results obtained show that the analysis of hair samples may be a useful matrix for biomonitoring BPs in dogs, and that these substances may be toxic to them.
</sec>
</abstract>

An evaluation of dogs’ exposure to benzophenones through hair sample analysis

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Introduction</title>
<italic>Curcuma longa</italic> is a well-known medicinal plant with various health benefits. This study was designed to evaluate the administration of Indonesian <italic>C. longa</italic> maceration for its effect on promoting growth and development of the ovary and uterus before mating in female albino rats.
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Material and Methods</title>
A total of 15 female Sprague Dawley rats in their dioestrous phase were assigned into three different groups: the Control group (mineral water); the Cur-Low group (mineral water with 1% <italic>C. longa</italic> maceration) and the Cur-High group (mineral water with 5% <italic>C. longa</italic> maceration). The treatments were given for 20 days. Serum concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone, oestradiol and progesterone were determined. After the sacrifice of the rats, ovary and uterine relative weight, uterine cornua diameter and length, uterine gland diameter (by histology), the number of primary, secondary, tertiary, and Graafian follicles, the number of corpora lutea and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in the ovary were measured. Uterine vascularisation was also evaluated.
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Results</title>
Administration of <italic>C. longa</italic> maceration significantly improved the relative weights of the uterus and ovary; uterine cornua diameter, length and vascularisation; uterine gland diameter; and expression of VEGF in the ovary. It also increased the number of tertiary follicles and corpora lutea, albeit not significantly. Follicle-stimulating hormone serum concentrations were lower in the administered rats.
</sec>
<sec>
<title style='display:none'>Conclusion</title>
Oestradiol and progesterone levels rose with <italic>C. longa</italic> maceration treatment. The maceration improved the reproductive organs of unmated rats and had potential to optimise the uterine environment for supporting pregnancy in order to produce high-quality offspring.
</sec>
</abstract>

Effect of <italic>Curcuma longa</italic> maceration treatment on ovarian follicular development, serum oestradiol, uterine growth and vascularisation in female albino rats

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
Since 2007, African swine fever (ASF) has posed a serious threat to the European swine industry. In Poland, the numbers of reported outbreaks in pigs and affected areas grow every year. In 2018, the disease was noted in Western Europe, in Belgium specifically, where several hundred infected wild boars have been detected so far. In 2018, the virus unexpectedly emerged in pig holdings in eastern China, northern Mongolia, Vietnam, and Cambodia, causing worldwide concern about its further spread. Since there is still no vaccine available, the only approach to control the disease is biosecurity. Identification of potential sources of the virus is extremely important in light of its phenomenal survivability. The review summarises the current knowledge about ASFV survivability and resistance to environmental conditions, and discusses the role of indirect contact in spreading the disease.
</abstract>

African swine fever virus – persistence in different environmental conditions and the possibility of its indirect transmission

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a large group of enveloped viruses with a single-strand RNA genome, which continuously circulate in mammals and birds and pose a threat to livestock, companion animals, and humans. CoVs harboured by avian species are classified to the genera gamma- and deltacoronaviruses. Within the gamma-CoVs the main representative is avian coronavirus, a taxonomic name which includes the highly contagious infectious bronchitis viruses (IBVs) in chickens and similar viruses infecting other domestic birds such as turkeys, guinea fowls, or quails. Additionally, IBVs have been detected in healthy wild birds, demonstrating that they may act as the vector between domestic and free-living birds. Moreover, CoVs other than IBVs, are identified in wild birds, which suggests that wild birds play a key role in the epidemiology of other gammaCoVs and deltaCoVs. Development of molecular techniques has significantly improved knowledge of the prevalence of CoVs in avian species. The methods adopted in monitoring studies of CoVs in different avian species are mainly based on detection of conservative regions within the viral replicase, nucleocapsid genes, and 3’UTR or 5’UTR. The purpose of this review is to summarise recent discoveries in the areas of epidemiology and diagnosis of CoVs in avian species and to understand the role of wild birds in the virus distribution.</abstract>

Coronaviruses in avian species – review with focus on epidemiology and diagnosis in wild birds

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a large, double-stranded DNA virus and the sole member of the <italic>Asfarviridae</italic> family. ASFV infects domestic pigs, wild boars, warthogs, and bush pigs, as well as soft ticks (<italic>Ornithodoros erraticus</italic>), which likely act as a vector. The major target is swine monocyte-macrophage cells. The virus can cause high fever, haemorrhagic lesions, cyanosis, anorexia, and even fatalities in domestic pigs. Currently, there is no vaccine and effective disease control strategies against its spread are culling infected pigs and maintaining high biosecurity standards. African swine fever (ASF) spread to Europe from Africa in the middle of the 20th century, and later also to South America and the Caribbean. Since then, ASF has spread more widely and thus is still a great challenge for swine breeding. The genome of ASFV ranges in length from about 170 to 193 kbp depending on the isolate and contains between 150 and 167 open reading frames (ORFs). The ASFV genome encodes 150 to 200 proteins, around 50 of them structural. The roles of virus structural proteins in viral infection have been described. These proteins, such as pp220, pp62, p72, p54, p30, and CD2v, serve as the major component of virus particles and have roles in attachment, entry, and replication. All studies on ASFV proteins lay a good foundation upon which to clarify the infection mechanism and develop vaccines and diagnosis methods. In this paper, the roles of ASFV structural proteins in viral infection are reviewed.</abstract>

Roles of African swine fever virus structural proteins in viral infection

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>Changes occurring in freshwater ecosystems seem to be fundamental in the development of all microorganisms, including those pathogenic to fish. This has been especially evident in recent years during which dynamic variations in bacterial fish pathology have been observed. Gram-negative bacteria commonly known to be pathogenic to fish, like <italic>Aeromonas</italic> spp., <italic>Flavobacterium</italic> spp., <italic>Pseudomonas</italic> spp., and <italic>Shewanella putrefaciens</italic> are replaced by other species, which until now have not been known to be virulent or even conditionally pathogenic to fish. Nowadays, among these other species <italic>Acinetobacter</italic> spp., <italic>Plesiomonas shigelloides</italic>, <italic>Sphingomonas paucimobilis</italic>, and <italic>Stenotrophomonas maltophilia</italic> are the most frequently isolated from fish exhibiting clinical signs of disease. Two Gram-positive bacteria have become pathogens of particular importance in fish pathology in Poland: <italic>Lactococcus garviae</italic> and <italic>Streptococcus iniae</italic>. In addition, infections caused by the Gram-positive bacterium <italic>Kocuria rhizophila</italic> have appeared in recent years. This bacterium has not been known until now to be pathogenic to fish. Therefore, this infection could be called an emergent disease.</abstract>

Contemporary threats of bacterial infections in freshwater fish

<abstract>
<title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>
In 2015 in the European Union member states listeriosis caused 270 deaths. Food is the route of transmission in 99% of all human infection cases. Several studies from different countries have shown that the presence of <italic>Listeria monocytogenes</italic> in food can be as high as 58.3%. One of the most important ways to protect food from these microorganisms is to prevent the spread of the bacteria at processing plants at different stages of food production chain. The ability of <italic>L</italic>. <italic>monocytogenes</italic> to survive in extreme conditions and to form biofilms on various surfaces is a significant challenge for food safety. Removal of these bacteria from niches in processing plants is difficult and requires the use of sanitisers and precise equipment cleaning. The presence of <italic>L</italic>. <italic>monocytogenes</italic> in processing environment at slaughterhouses, deli meat factories or in retail may be a reason of cross-contamination. Proper hygienic systems applied by workers in food preparing places and knowledge about different routes of spreading of these bacteria may effectively decrease the risk of food contamination. Standardised legal regulations and control of meat product manufacture should be a fundamental way to protect food from <italic>L</italic>. <italic>monocytogenes</italic> contamination.
</abstract>

Ready-to-eat meat products as a source of <italic>Listeria monocytogenes</italic>

<abstract><title style='display:none'>Abstract</title>The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the presence of biogenic amines, particularly histamine, in various food products, discuss the most important factors influencing their accumulation, and address potential toxicity and safe limits in food. Biogenic amines are natural components of animal and plant raw materials, where they are present at concentrations appearing non-harmful to human health. Their increased content in foods results from the activity of endogenous enzymes or from the microbial decarboxylation of amino acids during controlled or spontaneous fermentation, processing, storage, and distribution. General knowledge of biogenic amines, factors favouring their formation and their safe limits in food are useful in preventing exposure to their toxic effects on the human body. Based on this information, appropriate prophylaxis can be applied, which will consist primarily of maintenance of good hygiene standards of raw materials and products, employment of appropriate processing procedures and upkeep of sanitary food storage conditions.</abstract>

Histamine and other biogenic amines in food

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