Variations in parameters of liver function and plasma progesterone related to underfeeding and ketosis in a dairy herd

Twenty-eight Norwegian Red Cattle dairy cows were fed silage ad libitum and restricted amounts of concentrates. Blood samples were collected before morning feeding, once or twice weekly, from 2 weeks before to 12 weeks after calving. Parameters of liver function, carbohydrate status and fertility were recorded in order to assess their interrelationships. Eight cows were treated for clinical ketosis. Four of these had to be treated 2 or 3 times. Aspartate aminotransferase and bilirubin showed the highest within-animal coefficients of correlation with acetoacetate. Analysis of variance revealed a significant effect of carbohydrate status (indicated by plasma acetoacetate levels) on the levels of aspartate aminotransferase, glutamate dehydrogenase and sorbitol dehydrogenase, though only a small part of the total variation was explained by this factor. The estimated volume density of liver fat in the 4th week of lactation averaged 6.0 +/- 6.4% (+/- SD) ranging from 0.1-25.1%. Liver fat content at this stage of lactation was not significantly correlated with other indicators of liver function or carbohydrate status. Cows treated for clinical ketosis had significantly lower plasma progesterone values at the time of first ketosis treatment than untreated multiparous cows. The frequency of high progesterone values (greater than 3 ng/ml) being significantly lower in treated than in untreated cows during the period from 3-5 weeks post partum, though not at later stages. In conclusion, the results revealed a significant relationship between carbohydrate status and liver function, and also between clinical ketosis and luteal function.     

外源性谷氨酰胺和谷氨酸对早期断奶仔猪肠粘膜形态、结构和小肠吸收功能及骨骼肌中DNA、RNA浓度的影响

74头28日龄健康二元杂交断奶仔猪分成3组，用于研究外源性谷氨酰胺（glutamine,Gln)和谷氨酰（glutamate, Glu)对断奶仔猪小肠粘膜形态，结构和功能及骨骼肌中DNA，RNA合成的影响。结果表明：与对照组相比，添加1%谷氨酰胺或1%谷氨酸可防止断奶后1周内空肠绒毛萎缩，减少断奶后2周内空肠固有膜内未成熟细胞数；显著改善断奶后1周内小肠吸收功能，并促进肌肉中RNA合成。这些结果为利用Gln、Glu缓解仔猪断奶应激，改善生产性能提供了实验基础。     

D-Dimer Improves the Prognostic Value of Combined Clinical and Laboratory Data in Equine Gastrointestinal Colic

The discriminating ability of 15 parameters alone or in combinations, including results from analysis of plasma endotoxin, the Nycomed plasma D-Dimer test and phospholipase A₂, were analyzed to predict morbidity and mortality in equine gastrointestinal colic. Endotoxaemia was a characteristic feature of the colic horses. The problem of adequately predicting non-survivors among colic horses required several parameters to be included in the logistic model: if the “classical parameters”, (heart rate, respiratory rate, PCV, anion gap) were included in the model, addition of plasma D-dimer, phospholipase A₂, and Cl^- significantly improved the predictive value of the logistic model. Increasing heart rate and D-dimer together with decreasing chloride was a risk factor for nonsurvival. The sensitivity of this three-parameter logistic model to predict nonsurvival was 78% and specificity 77%. The Nycomed D-Dimer test is recommended as a horse-site test to predict disseminated intravascular coagulation and nonsurvival in equine colic.     

The potential use of plasma glutamate dehydrogenase activity for the evaluation of hepatic disease in the cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)

A reference interval for plasma glutamate dehydrogenase (GD) (E.C. 1.4.1.3) activity, of 0-8 IU/L, was established for the cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus). An automated modification of a commercial manual assay was used. This enzyme is considered liver specific in humans and numerous domestic animals, due to its organ distribution. A similar distribution was found in cockatiels in this study. Maximal enzyme activity was recovered from liver and kidney homogenate supernatants. Minimal activity was detected in skeletal muscle preparations. These results suggest a potential use for plasma GD activity in the evaluation of hepatocelluar injury/necrosis in cockatiels.     

Identification of regulated proteins by resveratrol in glutamate-induced cortical injury of newborn rats

Glutamate induces neuronal damage by generating oxidative stress and neurotoxicities. The neurological damage caused by glutamate is more severe during brain development in newborns than in adults. Resveratrol is naturally present in a variety of fruits and medicinal plants and exerts a neuroprotective effect against brain damage. The goal of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of resveratrol and to identify changed proteins in response to resveratrol treatment during glutamate-induced neonatal cortical damage. Sprague-Dawley rat pups (7 days old) were randomly divided into vehicle, resveratrol, glutamate, and glutamate and resveratrol groups. The animals were intraperitoneally injected with glutamate (10 mg/kg) and/or resveratrol (20 mg/kg) and their brain tissue was collected 4 hr after drug administration. Glutamate exposure caused severe histopathological changes, while resveratrol attenuated this damage. We identified regulated proteins by resveratrol in glutamate-induced cortical damaged tissue using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Among identified proteins, we focused on eukaryotic initiation factor 4A2, γ-enolase, protein phosphatase 2A subunit B, and isocitrate dehydrogenase. These proteins decreased in the glutamate-treated group, whereas the combination treatment of glutamate and resveratrol attenuated these protein reductions. These proteins are anti-oxidant proteins and anti-apoptotic proteins. These results suggest that glutamate induces brain cortical damage in newborns; resveratrol exerts a neuroprotective effect by controlling expression of various proteins with anti-oxidant and anti-apoptotic functions.     

早期断奶对仔猪空肠和回肠兴奋性氨基酸载体1表达的影响

本试验旨在研究仔猪出生后10~20 d,早期断奶仔猪小肠谷氨酸转运载体基因表达情况与哺乳仔猪的差异。试验分别从40头不同母猪的仔猪中各选出体重相近,10日龄的"杜×长×大"三元杂交仔猪1头,共40头仔猪,随机不配对分为2组,每组20头仔猪,对照组(哺乳组)为哺乳仔猪,随母猪喂养;试验组(断奶组)为断奶仔猪,隔离断奶饲养;试验期10 d。饲养结束,每组随机取12只仔猪,宰杀取空肠和回肠,测定谷氨酸转运载体兴奋性氨基酸转运载体1(EAAC1)蛋白质表达情况和游离氨基酸含量。结果显示,断奶显著降低了仔猪空肠和回肠EAAC1(57和73 ku)及其相关蛋白谷氨酸转运联合蛋白(GTRAP3-18)(50 ku)的蛋白质和mRNA表达量(P0.05)。断奶提高了仔猪空肠游离谷氨酸和总氨基酸含量,却降低了仔猪回肠游离谷氨酸和总氨基酸含量,差异显著(P0.05)。结果提示,早期断奶降低EAAC1和GTRAP3-18的蛋白质含量,这可能与早期断奶仔猪遭受营养谷氨酸缺乏导致的肠道氨基酸吸收转运障碍有关。     

谷氨酸铜对罗非鱼和草鱼生长性能血清生化指标和体组成的影响

为研究谷氨酸铜制剂对罗非鱼、草鱼的生长性能、血清生化指标和鱼体组成的影响，选用180尾罗非鱼、135尾草鱼，分别随机分为3个处理组，每组3个重复，每个重复20或15尾。在基础饲料中添加五水硫酸铜作为对照组（10 mg/kg），试验组添加谷氨酸铜（高、低剂量组分别为10、5 mg/kg，按铜离子计），饲养8周。结果表明：与对照组相比，谷氨酸铜高、低剂量组罗非鱼的增重率分别提高3.9%和5.8%，草鱼的增重率分别提高4.0%和5.9%；罗非鱼特定生长率分别提高1.9%和3.3%，草鱼分别提高2.5%和3.5%；罗非鱼和草鱼的平均饵料系数分别降低7.6%和3.7%。两种鱼的血清生化指标及体组成各试验组间均无显著差别（P＞0.05）。由此可见，日粮中添加适量谷氨酸铜可提高鱼体的生长性能，且效果优于五水硫酸铜。     

黄铁矿和谷氨酸对砷酸盐生菜毒性的调控研究

为探究含铁矿物和有机物添加对生菜砷酸盐毒性的调控作用,采用高分辨扫描电镜和X射线光电子能谱表征培养液中外源添加物与砷（As）之间的相互作用,采用高效液相色谱串联电感耦合等离子体质谱法测定不同处理组生菜中As的存在形态及累积变化状况,并综合考察了营养元素含量、超氧化物酶浓度和丙二醛含量等抗氧化系统和纤维素等指标的变化。结果表明：培养液中的As通过物理吸附或化学作用力结合在黄铁矿表面,添加谷氨酸促进了该过程的发生,从而抑制了As从植物根部向可食部的迁移。当生菜生长至第20~40天,相比黄铁矿单独处理,黄铁矿和谷氨酸组合处理使无机As浓度降低35.9%,总As浓度降低16.9%;与谷氨酸单独处理相比,无机As浓度降低4.0%,总As浓度降低21.8%。在植物叶片中,相比As （Ⅴ）单独处理组,黄铁矿和谷氨酸的添加使叶质量和叶绿素含量分别提高了20.8%~30.8%和17.1%~25.5%,通过增加叶片中超氧化物酶的合成限制活性氧在体内的积累,减少脂质过氧化反应。黄铁矿添加具有促进营养元素吸收的作用,而谷氨酸添加有利于缓解由As胁迫引起的植物氧化应激作用。相比黄铁矿单独处理,黄铁矿和谷氨酸组合处理更有利于植物对镁（Mg）、锰（Mn）、铜（Cu）和铁（Fe）元素的吸收,增强植物对As的抗逆性。同时,与谷氨酸或黄铁矿单独处理相比,二者组合处理提升了植物的品质,分别使维生素C含量提高了42.5%和69.3%,纤维素含量提高了21.2%和374.6%,蛋白质含量提高了71.4%和21.4%。研究表明,黄铁矿和谷氨酸组合处理能有效降低溶液中As的迁移和生菜叶片中As的积累,有利于植物体中活性氧的清除,并可提高植物对营养元素的吸收,促进品质改善。     

氮素不同形态配比对菠菜体内游离氨基酸含量和相关酶活性的影响

采用溶液培养试验,研究了氮素不同形态配比对菠菜茎叶中游离氨基酸含量及3种主要氮代谢酶活性的影响。结果表明:1)随着营养液中铵硝比(NH4+-N/NO3--N)的降低,菠菜茎叶中游离氨基酸的总量呈下降趋势。在全硝营养下(NH4+-N/NO3--N=0∶100)下,菠菜茎叶中游离氨基酸的总量只有全铵营养(NH4+-N/NO3--N=100∶0)的34.4%。2)在全铵营养下,菠菜茎叶中游离氨基酸的主要组分是谷氨酰胺、精氨酸和谷氨酸,三者占游离氨基酸总量的百分比依次为39.8%、20.2%和8.9%;在全硝营养下,菠菜茎叶中游离氨基酸以谷氨酸、天冬氨酸和丝氨酸为主,三者占游离氨基酸总量的百分比分别为30.3%1、8.6%和8.5%。3)提高营养液中硝态氮的比例,可以显着提高菠菜茎叶中硝酸还原酶(NR)的活性,同时降低了谷氨酸脱氢酶(GDH)的活性,谷氨酰胺合成酶(GS)活性则呈现先升后降的抛物线状变化规律。4)菠菜茎叶中NR活性与谷胺酰胺含量之间存在着显著负相关关系(r=-0.968)。     

家蚕谷氨酸转运蛋白基因克隆及序列分析

谷氨酸转运蛋白(EAAT)主要存在于神经、神经原及神经胶质细胞浆膜上,对胞外谷氨酸浓度进行调节,在维持细胞正常的生理状态、避免神经元过度兴奋方面起着重要的作用.利用鳞翅目粉纹夜蛾(Trichoplusia ni)和双翅目拟暗果蝇(Drosophila pseudoobscura)的谷氨酸转运蛋白序列为问询序列,在家蚕基因组数据库中进行同源检索,找到2个EAAT基因的同源基因(BmEAAT),并进行了克隆测序.两个BmEAAT基因均含8个外显子,编码蛋白均为膜蛋白,各有8个跨膜结构域.多物种的同源基因序列的系统发生分析结果表明:家蚕的两个EAAT拷贝至少在鳞翅目与双翅目分化前就已存在.基因芯片数据显示BmEAAT的两个拷贝在家蚕5龄3天的组织表达模式有明显差异,表明这两个基因的功能可能已经分化.