皂甙QuilA及其单体成分的免疫佐剂作用

皂甙 Quil A及其单体成分是南美奎拉雅属皂树皮提取物。研究发现其能够与细胞膜上的胆固醇形成复合物 ,是抗原强有力的佐剂。机理包括 :诱导产生特异性 MHCI抗原限制性CTL ;诱导产生多种细胞因子 ,如 IL -1 0、IL -4、γ-IFN、IL -2、IL -8;提高动物机体对抗原的特异性抗体的水平 ,刺激产生 Ig G1、Ig G2 b和 Ig G2 a抗体亚类。皂甙发挥佐剂活性的特点是诱导一个平衡的 Th1 / Th2反应 ,T细胞依赖性和缺乏全身性作用。目前已在实验室应用于多种疫苗的研究 ,具有广阔的前景     

两种转移因子对调控犬淋巴细胞分泌IFN-γ的影响

细胞因子IFN-γ主要由活化的Thl细胞和NK细胞产生,它能促进巨噬细胞、B细胞等MHC-Ⅱ类分子表达上调,有利于机体T细胞识别抗原肽,提高机体对抗原的免疫应答效应,属于增强细胞免疫反应的细胞因子.     

Th1/Th2型免疫反应相关基因在巨噬细胞RAW264.7应对细粒棘球绦虫原头蚴刺激时的表达谱研究

本研究旨在解析巨噬细胞RAW264.7在应对细粒棘球绦虫原头蚴刺激时其Th1、Th2型免疫反应相关基因的差异表达规律,为进一步揭示巨噬细胞抗细粒棘球绦虫原头蚴免疫调控机制奠定理论基础。将细粒棘球绦虫原头蚴和巨噬细胞RAW264.7共培养6、24、72 h,收集RAW264.7细胞,提取总RNA,构建cDNA文库,利用RNA sequencing技术进行测序分析。结果表明,当细粒棘球绦虫原头蚴（PSC）与巨噬细胞RAW264.7共培养6、24、72 h后,和PBS对照组相比,PSC处理组分别有848、3 745和7 009个基因的表达出现显著差异变化,其中上调的基因分别为415、1 159和2 237个,下调的基因分别为433、2 586和4 772个。对Th1、Th2型免疫反应相关基因的差异表达分析结果显示,当巨噬细胞RAW264.7与细粒棘球绦虫原头蚴共培养6 h时,共有31个Th1、Th2型免疫反应相关基因的表达出现显著变化,其中15个基因出现显著上调,16个出现显著下调。当巨噬细胞RAW264.7与细粒棘球绦虫原头蚴共培养24 h时,共有111个Th1、Th2型免疫反应相关基因的表达出现显著变化,其中34个基因出现显著上调,78个出现显著下调。当巨噬细胞RAW264.7与细粒棘球绦虫原头蚴共培养72 h时,共有212个Th1、Th2型免疫反应相关基因的表达出现显著变化,其中50个基因出现显著上调,162个出现显著下调。这些差异表达的基因主要包括富亮氨酸重复序列蛋白LRRCs、G蛋白偶联受体GPCRs、C型凝集素受体CLRs、清道夫受体SRs等,同时还有一些模式识别受体PRR下游信号分子以及一些PRR下游效应分子。同时分析结果显示,当细粒棘球绦虫原头蚴与巨噬细胞RAW264.7共培养6、24 h时,其Th1型的免疫反应相关的细胞因子编码基因,诸如Tnfrsf1a、Ifnar1的Tnfrsf12a等,它们的表达显著上调;而72 h时,其Th2型免疫反应相关细胞因子编码基因,诸如IL4和IL6等,它们的表达显著上调。同时研究随机选取了部分差异表达的基因进行了qRT-PCR验证,结果表明其表达趋势与RNA-seq结果一致。本研究系统解析了巨噬细胞RAW264.7应对细粒棘球绦虫原头蚴刺激不同时间段其相关基因的差异表达谱特性,初步筛选了巨噬细胞RAW264.7应对细粒棘球绦虫原头蚴刺激固有免疫相关的基因,为进一步解析这些差异表达基因在巨噬细胞RAW264.7应对细粒棘球绦虫原头蚴刺激时发挥作用以及调控机制奠定了基础。     

猪带绦虫TS11抗原基因接种小鼠的免疫应答

本实验以猪带绦虫 TS11抗原基因的真核表达型质粒 VTS11肌肉免疫注射 BAL B/ c小鼠 ,四甲基偶氮唑蓝 (MTT)比色法检测小鼠脾淋巴细胞刀豆蛋白 A(Con A)刺激的增殖反应及 IL- 2的诱生活性 ;用 EL ISA方法检测免疫小鼠 Ig G总量和特异性抗体水平 ,常规法检测外周血免疫细胞数量的动态变化。结果显示 VTS11免疫小鼠血清的特异性抗体滴度和 Ig G含量显著高于空白对照组小鼠 ;免疫小鼠脾脏淋巴细胞 Con A刺激增殖反应和 IL - 2诱生活性均比对照组小鼠显著增强 ;VTS11免疫小鼠的淋巴细胞和巨噬细胞等免疫细胞的数量也显著超过对照组。这表明 VTS11免疫小鼠 ,可诱导其产生特异性的细胞和体液免疫反应 ,VTS11具有很强的免疫激活作用 ,可望成为预防猪囊虫病的一种新型疫苗。     

羊口疮病毒B2L、F1L基因融合真核表达质粒诱导小鼠的免疫应答及IL-2对其作用影响的研究

为评价羊口疮病毒(OrfV)B2L、F1L基因融合真核表达质粒pVAX1-B2L-F1L免疫小鼠诱导的体液和细胞免疫应答及IL-2对其免疫作用的影响。本研究将构建的pVAX1-B2L-F1L真核质粒转染MDBK细胞后,采用RT-PCR和间接免疫荧光试验(IFA)检测B2L-F1L融合基因在MDBK细胞中的表达;将pVAX1-B2L-F1L、pVAX1-B2L-F1L+pVAX1-IL-2、pVAX1空载体、生理盐水对照组KM系小鼠通过后腿肌肉注射的方式免疫,采用ELISA方法检测免疫小鼠血清中OrfV特异性抗体以及Th1型(IL-2、IFN-γ)、Th2型(IL-4、IL-6)细胞因子;MTT法检测小鼠脾淋巴细胞增殖反应。结果显示,pVAX1-B2L-F1L重组质粒能够在MDBK细胞中表达;pVAX1-B2L-F1L+pVAX1-IL-2联合免疫组小鼠血清抗体及IL-2和IFN-γ水平均显著高于pVAX1-B2L-F1L组;该联合免疫组小鼠血清IL-4、IL-6细胞因子水平与pVAX1-B2L-F1L组相比差异不显著(p>0.05);该联合免疫组小鼠的脾淋巴细胞增殖水平高于pVAX1-B2L-F1L组(p<0.05)。由此表明,pVAX1-B2L-F1L能够诱导小鼠产生OrfV特异性体液免疫和细胞免疫应答,联合pVAX1-IL-2诱导的免疫反应以细胞免疫应答为主,且能够促进Th1型细胞因子的分泌。本研究为OrfV基因工程疫苗的研制提供了参考依据。     

犬恶丝虫硫氧还蛋白过氧化物酶真核表达质粒的构建及初步免疫试验

为评价犬恶丝虫硫氧还蛋白过氧化物酶(TPx)真核表达质粒的免疫原性,本实验利用RT-PCR方法扩增TPx基因,将其克隆于真核表达载体pVAX1中构建重组质粒pVAX1-TPx,并对其进行体外表达鉴定及通过特异性抗体水平及相关的免疫因子的检测,评价其在体内诱导的免疫反应.实验结果表明,将pVAX1-TPx转染于Cos7细胞中能够正确表达TPx,其分子量约为28 ku,并被阳性血清所识别.将pVAX1-TPx免疫BALB/c小鼠并采用ELISA检测结果显示,重组质粒免疫组的外周血中抗体、Th2细胞分泌的IL4及IL13细胞因子水平均显著高于空质粒及空白对照组(p＜0.05);但Th1分泌的IFN-γ及IL2水平差异不显著.此外,淋巴细胞增殖试验结果也表明,pVAX1-TPx免疫组显著高于其他两个对照组(p＜0.05).实验数据表明pVAX1-TPx免疫可以有效诱导特异性的体液和细胞免疫.     

细粒棘球蚴14-3-3重组抗原诱导小鼠体液免疫应答的研究

为研究细粒棘球绦虫原头蚴(Eg)重组蛋白14-3-3(r Eg14-3-3)诱导小鼠的免疫反应以及其对小鼠的免疫保护力,本研究将r Eg14-3-3免疫ICR小鼠,在三免后4周,采用原头蚴攻击感染,并采用ELISA法对小鼠血清中Ig G及其亚型、Ig E抗体水平和IL-21细胞因子水平进行检测。结果表明:免疫组小鼠血清Ig G、Ig G1、Ig G2a水平显著高于对照组(p0.05),Ig E水平则无显著性差异。免疫组小鼠和对照组小鼠在免疫后和攻击感染后IL-21水平迅速升高并在较长时间内维持相对较高水平;而且免疫组保护效率为84.47%。本研究表明r Eg14-3-3能够诱导小鼠产生高水平的特异性体液免疫反应,并且Tfh细胞也参与体液免疫应答,表明该重组蛋白可以作为预防Eg的候选亚单位疫苗或重组疫苗的有效免疫抗原。     

猴头菇多糖协同ConA对小鼠脾细胞分泌Th1、Th2细胞因子及基因表达的影响

研究了猴头菇多糖协同ConA对小鼠体外脾淋巴细胞分泌Th1、Th2细胞因子的量及mRNA表达量的影响,旨在探讨其协同免疫调节机制。用ELISA法检测HEP协同ConA刺激脾淋巴细胞细胞上清液中Th1、Th2细胞因子的量;RT-PCR法检测Th1、Th2细胞因子和转录因子mRNA的表达。结果显示,HEP在25~400mg/L质量浓度范围内能显著协同ConA刺激T细胞亚群Th1细胞因子(IL-2、IFN-γ、TNF-α)和Th2细胞因子(IL-4、IL-6)的分泌及mRNA的表达(P0.05),并显著促进转录因子(T-bet、Gata-3)mRNA的表达(P0.05)。结果表明,HEP能协同ConA促进小鼠脾淋巴细胞Th1、Th2细胞因子的分泌及基因的表达,通过调节Th1/Th2平衡,发挥双重免疫调节作用。     

抗菌肽Sublancin增强小鼠获得性免疫的研究

本试验旨在研究抗菌肽Sublancin灌胃对卵清白蛋白(OVA)免疫小鼠获得性免疫反应的影响。试验选用6周龄雌性BALA/c小鼠60只,随机分为5个组,每组12只小鼠。空白对照组小鼠灌胃生理盐水,阳性对照组小鼠灌胃2.5 mg/kg体重的左旋咪唑溶液,抗菌肽Sublancin组小鼠灌胃0.5、1.0和2.0 mg/kg体重的抗菌肽Sublancin溶液。各组小鼠连续灌胃14 d。在灌胃结束24 h后用模式抗原OVA皮下注射对各组小鼠进行免疫,14 d后加强免疫1次,二次免疫7 d后采血和取脾脏,用间接酶联免疫吸附测定(ELISA)法对血清OVA特异性免疫球蛋白G(Ig G)及其亚类Ig G1、Ig G2a和细胞因子含量进行检测。结果表明:1)与空白对照组相比,0.5、1.0和2.0 mg/kg抗菌肽Sublancin组和阳性对照组小鼠血清OVA特异性Ig G含量均显著或极显著提高(P0.05或P0.01)。2)与空白对照组相比,1.0和2.0 mg/kg抗菌肽Sublancin组和阳性对照组小鼠血清OVA特异性Ig G1含量显著或极显著提高(P0.05或P0.01),1.0 mg/kg抗菌肽Sublancin和阳性对照组小鼠血清OVA特异性Ig G2a含量显著提高(P0.05),1.0 mg/kg抗菌肽Sublancin组和阳性对照组的小鼠脾脏淋巴细胞的刺激指数显著提高(P0.05)。3)与空白对照组相比,1.0 mg/kg抗菌肽Sublancin组和阳性对照组的小鼠脾脏淋巴细胞上清液中1型辅助性T细胞(Th1)细胞因子干扰素-γ(IFN-γ)和白细胞介素-2(IL-2)的含量均显著或极显著提高(P0.05或P0.01)。4)与空白对照组相比,0.5和1.0 mg/kg抗菌肽Sublancin组和阳性对照组的小鼠脾脏淋巴细胞上清液中2型辅助性T细胞(Th2)细胞因子白细胞介素-4(IL-4)和白细胞介素-10(IL-10)的含量均显著或极显提高(P0.05或P0.01)。5)0.5、1.0和2.0 mg/kg抗菌肽Sublancin组与阳性对照组之间的以上检测指标均没有显著差异(P0.05)。本试验结果表明,抗菌肽Sublancin可以诱导OVA免疫小鼠产生Th1和Th2混合型免疫反应,增强其体液免疫和细胞免疫功能。     

小鼠对猪囊虫抗原基因TS76的免疫应答

将猪囊虫抗原基因 TS76的真核表达型质粒 VTS76单独或与 p UC18联合肌肉免疫注射于 BAL B/ c小鼠 ,以MTT比色法检测小鼠脾淋巴细胞 Con A刺激的增殖反应及 IL - 2的诱生活性 ,EL ISA方法检测免疫小鼠 Ig G总量和特异性抗体水平 ,常规法检测外周血免疫细胞数量的动态变化。结果发现 ,VTS76免疫小鼠各项细胞和体液免疫应答反应指数均比空白对照组小鼠显著提高 ;联合免疫组小鼠的细胞免疫应答和体液免疫应答反应指数均比 VTS76小鼠提高。由此可见 ,以 VTS76免疫小鼠可诱导其特异性细胞和体液免疫反应 ,而 p UC18又明显提高了 VTS76免疫小鼠的免疫应答水平 ,具有显著的免疫增强作用     

白术、微米白术和白术多糖对断奶仔猪生长性能和肠道形态及微生态区系的影响

试验选用96头平均体重14.82 kg左右的杜×长×大断奶仔猪,随机分成4组,每组3栏,每栏8头(公母各半)。对照组饲喂基础日粮,试验1、2、3组分别添加1%80目白术、0.2%白术多糖和1%微米白术。试验期30 d。结果表明:在生长性能方面,与对照组相比,1%微米白术添加组可显著提高日增重(P0.05)、降低饲料增重比和腹泻率,而且效果优于1%80目白术组和0.2%白术多糖组,在肠道形态和肠道微生态区系方面,与对照组相比,日粮添加1%80目白术、0.2%白术多糖、1%微米白术均可不同程度的提高十二指肠和空肠的绒毛高度,加深十二指肠和空肠的隐窝深度,并且增加肠道微生态区系的多样性,其中以1%微米白术添加组的效果最佳。     

Feline intracranial neoplasia: retrospective review of 160 cases (1985-2001)

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of different tumor types within a large cohort of cats with intracranial neoplasia and to attempt to correlate signalment, tumor size and location, and survival time for each tumor. Medical records of 160 cats with confirmed intracranial neoplasia evaluated between 1985 and 2001 were reviewed. Parameters evaluated included age, sex, breed, FeLV/FIV status, clinical signs, duration of signs, number of tumors, tumor location(s), imaging results, treatment, survival times, and histopathologic diagnosis. Most of the cats were older (11.3 +/- 3.8 years). Primary tumors accounted for 70.6% of cases. Metastasis and direct extension of secondary tumors accounted for only 5.6 and 3.8% of cases, respectively. Twelve cats (7.5%) had 2 or more discrete tumors of the same type, whereas 16 cats (10.0%) had 2 different types of intracranial tumors. The most common tumor types were meningioma (n = 93, 58.1%), lymphoma (n = 23, 14.4%), pituitary tumors (n = 14, 8.8%), and gliomas (n = 12, 7.5%). The most common neurological signs were altered consciousness (n = 42, 26.2%), circling (n = 36, 22.5%), and seizures (n = 36, 22.5%). Cats without specific neurological signs were common (n = 34, 21.2%). The tumor was considered an incidental finding in 30 (18.8%) cats. In addition to expected relationships (eg, meninges and meningioma, pituitary and pituitary tumors), we found that lesion location was predictive of tumor type with diffuse cerebral or brainstem involvement predictive of lymphoma and third ventricle involvement predictive of meningioma.     

Prevalence and seasonal incidence of nematode parasites and fluke infections of sheep and goats in eastern Ethiopia

Sissay, M.M., Uggla, A. and Waller, P.J., XXXX. Prevalence and seasonal incidence of nematode parasites and fluke infections of sheep and goats in eastern Ethiopia. Tropical Animal Health and Production, XXXX. A 2-year abattoir survey was carried out to determine the prevalence, abundance and seasonal incidence of gastro-intestinal (GI) nematodes and trematodes (flukes) of sheep and goats in the semi-arid zone of eastern Ethiopia. During May 2003 to April 2005, viscera including liver, lungs and GI tracts were collected from 655 sheep and 632 goats slaughtered at 4 abattoirs located in the towns of Haramaya, Harar, Dire Dawa and Jijiga in eastern Ethiopia. All animals were raised in the farming areas located within the community boundaries for each town. Collected materials were transported within 24 h to the parasitology laboratory of Haramaya University for immediate processing. Thirteen species belonging to 9 genera of GI nematodes (Haemonchus contortus, Trichostrongylus axei, T. colubriformis, T. vitrinus, Nematodirus filicollis, N. spathiger, Oesophagostomum columbianum, O. venulosum, Strongyloides papillosus, Bunostomum trigonocephalum, Trichuris ovis, Cooperia curticei and Chabertia ovina), and 4 species belonging to 3 genera of trematodes (Fasciola hepatica, F. gigantica, Paramphistomum {Calicohoron} microbothrium and Dicrocoelium dendriticum) were recorded in both sheep and goats. All animals in this investigation were infected with multiple species to varying degrees. The mean burdens of adult nematodes were generally moderate in both sheep and goats and showed patterns of seasonal abundance that corresponded with the bi-modal annual rainfall pattern, with highest burdens around the middle of the rainy season. In both sheep and goats there were significant differences in the mean worm burdens and abundance of the different nematode species between the four geographic locations, with worm burdens in the Haramaya and Harar areas greater than those observed in the Dire Dawa and Jijiga locations. Similar seasonal variations were also observed in the prevalence of flukes. But there were no significant differences in the prevalence of each fluke species between the four locations. Overall, the results showed that Haemonchus, Trichostrongylus, Nematodirus, Oesophagostomum, Fasciola and Paramphistomum species were the most abundant helminth parasites of sheep and goats in eastern Ethiopia.     

Y‐chromosomal variation of local goat breeds of Turkey close to the domestication centre

Genetic variations in chromosome Y are enabling researchers to identify paternal lineages, which are informative for introgressions and migrations. In this study, the male‐specific region markers, sex‐determining region‐Y (SRY), amelogenin (AMELY) and zinc finger (ZFY) were analysed in seven Turkish native goat breeds, Angora, Kilis, Hair, Honaml?, Norduz, Gürcü and Abaza. A SNP in the ZFY gene defined a new haplotype Y2C. All domestic haplogroups originate from Capra aegagrus, while the finding of Y1A, Y1B, Y2A and Y2C in 32, 4, 126 and 2 Turkish domestic goats, respectively, appears to indicate a predomestic origin of the major haplotypes. The occurrence of four haplotypes in the Hair goat and, in contrast, a frequency of 96% of Y1A in the Kilis breed illustrate that Y‐chromosomal variants have a more breed‐dependent distribution than mitochondrial or autosomal DNA. This probably reflects male founder effects, but a role in adaptation cannot be excluded.     

The Prevalence and Intensity of Helminth and Coccidial Infections in Dairy Cattle in Central Kenya

A survey of gastrointestinal parasite infections of young (<6 months old), immature (6–12 months old) and adult (>12 months old) dairy cattle on 16 farms in Kiambu District, Kenya was conducted during a dry season (September 1991 to January 1992) and during a wet season (March to July 1992). The survey was based on monthly coproparasitological examination of cohorts and worm counts in tracer calves. The effects of age, sex, farm and season on the prevalence and intensity of helminth and coccidial infections were determined. Faecal egg and oocyst counts revealed that the overall prevalences were: strongyles (including trichostrongyles) (85.5%), liver flukes (Fasciola gigantica) (34.0%), coccidia (30.9%) and tapeworms (9.6%). Eight species of the protozoan Eimeria were identified, the most prevalent species being E. bovis and E. zuernii. The most prevalent nematode genera were Haemonchus, Cooperia, Oesophagostomum and Trichostrongylus. Season, farm and age of the animals had a significant (p<0.05) influence on the intensity of infection with strongyles, liver flukes and coccidia, whereas the sex of the animals had no significant (p>0.05) effect on the prevalence or intensity of infections. A higher intensity of infection with strongyles and coccidia was found in the wet season than in the dry season (p<0.05). The age-specific intensity was in the following order: for strongyles, immature animals of 6–12 months of age had the highest egg counts, followed by young calves and adults. Calves had significantly (p<0.05) higher oocyst counts than immatures or adults. Liver fluke egg counts did not differ significant (p>0.05) between immatures and adult cattle.     

A brief history of the prevention of infectious diseases by immunisations

Infectious diseases have always been a terrible scourge for humans. The appearance of these plagues, as they were called without distinction, was generally connected to various conditions: asters, climatic changes or religious reasons. The concept of contagious, and then infectious, diseases came slowly. Variolation, i.e. transmission of ‘virulent’ matter to induce a natural disease and the immunity against it, was brought from Constantinople to England by Lady Montague, in 1721. This ‘variolation’ technique was also often performed in veterinary medicine against diseases like sheep-pox or pleuropneumonia. As ‘vaccination’ is the term generally accepted for ‘immunisation’, variolation can be the word designating such a technique. The second period of the history of immunisation began, in 1880, with the studies of Pasteur and his collaborators. A great number of bacterial vaccines were developed: dead, live but attenuated or only parts of pathogens. The viruses were produced in animals, then in eggs and at last, in tissue cultures. Second generation vaccines appeared with genetic engineering: recombinant vaccines, vector vaccines, nucleic acids vaccines, and markers vaccines, among others. These novel technologies can permit the development of new ones and improve the quality of the vaccines already existing.     

Micronutrient Content of Certain Tropical Conventional and Unconventional Feed Resources of Southern India

The ash, silica and certain important micronutrients were estimated in conventional and unconventional feed and fodder resources available in Southern India. Commonly used dry roughages, such as paddy straw, ragi straw, maize kadbi/stalk, jowar kadbi/stalk, bajra stalk and wheat straw, were high in ash (9.9% +/- 0.77%) and silica (6.4% +/- 0.65%) and low in most of the other micronutrients, except iron, with paddy straw containing most silica (>9%). Cultivated non-leguminous (maize, jowar) and improved green crops (hybrid napier, guinea, green panic, NB-21, CO-1) were also high in ash (10.5% +/- 0.60% and 12.5% +/- 0.51%) but were moderate sources of P, Mg and Cu and good sources of Zn (98 +/- 13.8 ppm and 55 +/- 6.7 ppm). Leguminous green fodders (stylosanthus, lucerne, cow pea, soyabean) were excellent sources of Ca (1.9% +/- 0.16%), Mg (0.40% +/- 0.05%), Cu (30 +/- 5.2 ppm), Zn (121 +/- 14.7 ppm) and Fe (1234 +/- 166 ppm) and moderate sources of P. Mixed local grasses and weeds were high in silica (6.9% +/- 1.00%) but were good sources of Cu, Zn and Fe. Cereal grains (maize, wheat, rice, ragi) were low in ash (2.9% +/- 0.33%) and were relatively poor sources of Ca (0.22% +/- 0.03%), Mg (0.19% +/- 0.03%) and Cu (13 +/- 3.1 ppm). Pulses were low to medium sources of most minerals and good sources of Fe (1230 +/- 293 ppm). Oil seed cake/extractions (groundnut cake, cotton seed cake, soyabean meal, sunflower cake, safflower cake) and cereal by-products (rice polish, rice bran, wheat bran) were excellent sources of P (1.1% +/- 0.47% and 2.3% +/- 0.19%) and good sources of Zn (65 +/- 3.9 ppm and 66 +/- 10.7 ppm) and Fe (938 +/- 130 ppm and 662 +/- 126 ppm). Among the unconventional feeds screened, orange peel, sunflower heads, meat meal, rubber seed cake, spirulina algae and sea weeds contained plentiful Ca, Zn and Fe: tree leaves/top feeds (mulberry, erythrina, glyricidia, banana, subabul, groundnut haulms) were excellent sources of Ca (1.5% +/- 0.13%), Zn (120 +/- 22.9 ppm) and Fe (1033 +/- 133 ppm) but relatively poor sources of P. Soyabean husk, cocoa seed husk, rubber seed cake and meat meal were moderate to good sources of P (1.0% and 0.33%). The high Zn and Fe values of most feeds/fodders were probably due to soil contamination. This account of the micronutrient content of feed/fodder resources should help in strategic supplementation intended to alleviate local deficiencies.     

Bovine Mastitis in Selected Areas of Southern Ethiopia

A study on bovine mastitis, designed to determine the causal agents, prevalence of infection and impact of risk factors in three cattle breeds, was conducted in selected areas of southern Ethiopia. A total of 307 lactating and non-lactating cows, of which 162 were indigenous Zebu, 85 Jersey and 60 Holstein-Friesian, were examined by clinical examination and the California mastitis (CMT) test. Of these, 40.4% were positive by CMT and bacteriology for clinical or subclinical mastitis, with prevalence rates of 37.1% and 62.9%, respectively. Out of 1133 quarters examined, 212 (18.7%) were found to be infected, 83 (39.2%) clinically and 129 (60.8%) subclinically. The prevalence of mastitis was significantly higher in Holstein-Friesian than in indigenous Zebu, in non-lactating cows than in lactating cows, in the early lactation stage than in the mid-lactation stage, in cows with lesions and/or tick infestation on skin of udder and/or teats than in cows without this factor, and in the wet season than in the dry season. Mastitis increased with parity number (R = 0.9). Of 248 CMT and clinically positive udder quarter samples analysed microbiologically, 212 were culturally positive for known mastitis pathogens and 36 were negative. Of the 199 positive samples, Staphylococcus accounted for 39.2%, Streptococcus for 23.6%, coliforms for 14.1%, Micrococcus and Bacillus species for 8.0% each and Actinomyces or Arcanobacterium (Corynebacterium) for 7.0%. It was concluded that there was a high prevalence of clinical and subclinical mastitis, mainly caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae and Escherichia coli, in this study area.     

不同日粮氮水平对山羊氮代谢和微生物蛋白质合成的影响

本试验旨在探讨不同日粮氮水平对内蒙古白绒山羊氮代谢和微生物蛋白质合成(MCP)的影响,以达到提高氮利用率,减少环境污染和饲料资源的浪费。试验选用9只体况良好、体重为(43.83±2.95)kg,装有瘤胃瘘管的内蒙古白绒山羊,按体重随机分为3组,每组3只。日粮分为低氮7.5%、中氮10.5%、高氮13.5%3个氮水平。试验使用常规试验方法分析测定粪尿血液等生化指标,通过全收尿法和尿嘌呤衍生物法估测MCP。结果表明:随着氮水平增加,氨氮(NH3-N)浓度、氮摄入量、尿氮排出、尿中尿素氮(UUN)和MCP显著增加(P0.05),干物质采食量(DMI)显著降低(P0.01);沉积氮占总摄入氮的比例在中氮组最高,MCP在高氮组最高。综上所述,适当降低日粮氮水平可减少粪尿氮排放,提高反刍动物氮利用率。