Reduced Phagocytotic Activity of Macrophages in the Bovine Retained Placenta

This study was carried out to investigate the distribution of immune cells in the bovine placenta during the postpartum period and to compare these cells between normal and retained placenta. Within 1 h after normal calving, biopsy samples of placentomes were collected from 10 cows. The occurrence of retention of fetal membranes was monitored for more than 8 h post-calving, and the samples obtained were divided into two groups: normally discharged and retained placenta (n = 5 each). Immunohistochemical procedures were utilized to detect macrophages and T lymphocytes. Numerous CD14-positive macrophages were found in the stroma of both normal placenta and retained placenta whereas only a few CD3-positive T lymphocytes were found in both cases. However, histochemical staining for acid phosphatase, a predominant lysozomal enzyme, revealed that almost all macrophages showed strong enzyme activity in the normally discharged placentas, whereas in retained placenta the activity of acid phosphatase was conspicuously decreased in intensity. These results indicate that there are functional differences in placental macrophages between normal and retained placenta.     

Distinguishing male sterile and fertile cytoplasms in indica rice (Oryza sativa L.) by OPA 12

The majority of off-type plants in indica hybrid rice were CMS and its maintainer lines.     

Haemolytic anaemia and exercise intolerance due to phosphofructokinase deficiency in related springer spaniels

Phosphofructokinase (PFK) deficiency is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder in dogs causing haemolytic crises and exertional myopathy. The clinical signs may be confused with those of recurrent immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia. The deficiency has been commonly observed in field trial (working) English springer spaniels (ESSPs), but also in the conformation line of ESSPs in the USA over the past two decades. This report documents the first family of ESSPs found with PFK deficiency in Europe. Two related adult ESSPs in Denmark had intermittent signs of pigmenturia after exercise (hunting) and had evidence of a regenerative haemolytic anaemia. Based upon DNA sequencing data, both dogs had the previously described nonsense point mutation in the muscle-type PFK gene (delta2228G-->A). Study of 17 related family members using a simple and accurate PFK-DNA test revealed one additional PFK-deficient dog (with minor exercise intolerance), nine carriers and seven normal (or 'clear') ESSPs. Recently, the authors have also identified PFK carriers and affected ESSPs in the UK. Screening for PFK deficiency is recommended for ESSPs with suspicious clinical signs and before using any for field trials or breeding in order to prevent the further spread of this hereditary disorder.     

霉菌毒素与免疫系统

某些霉菌毒素对肉鸡免疫系统的影响要比预想的更为严重。密苏里大学的一个研究小组通过在小鸡的饲料中添加不同水平的黄曲霉毒素 B1对此进行了研究。试验结果表明 ,在添加剂量为 2 0 0 μg/kg时 ,注射 E.Coli以及在饲料中添加黄曲霉毒素 B1组肝脏和脾脏中的细菌数比只注射 E.Coli组多。试验鸡在连续饲喂含黄曲霉毒素的饲料 4周后对新城疫灭活疫苗的应答较弱。和未添加组相比 ,添加组免疫细胞对毒素的应答较慢。小剂量添加时 ,没有发现免疫系统明显的损伤 ,由此表明 ,大剂量接触黄曲霉毒素可能会引起免疫系统明显的损伤霉菌毒素与免疫系统…     

Topographie des Collecteurs Lymphatiques Mammaires de la Chienne

The topography of the lymph drainage was examined by in vivo injections of india ink into the mammary parenchyma of 73 female dogs. Only one gland was injected at a time on each side. Only the cranial abdominal mammary gland had direct drainage to the axillary as well as to the superficial inguinal nodes. The principal routes of drainage differ for each gland. The glands on each side are completely independent as regards their lymph drainage. The cranial thoracic mammary glands on each side had their own collecting duct which led to the sternal lymph nodes. The results of this study suggest to develop a new model for the surgical extirpation of mammary tumors in the bitch.     

Use of a selective medium to study the dispersal of ascospores ofSclerotinia sclerotiorum

A selective medium (potato dextrose agar with pentachloronitrobenzene and streptomycin) was used to assess dispersal of ascospores ofSclerotinia sclerotiorum in the field. This medium inhibited development ofMucor spp. andRhizopus spp. without affecting the germinability ofS. sclerotiorum ascospores or the production of sclerotia. The number of viable ascospores started increasing in December, was maximal from January to February, and decreased sharply in March. Deposition of ascospores on plates was maximal (57%) between 10:00 and 13:00 hours. Seventy-seven to 90% of the ascospores were deposited within the first 100 m from the source of inoculum and the rest were transported farther.     

Relationship between mitogen receptors in peripheral blood lymphocytes and blastogenic responses to mitogen

The relationship between the optimum concentration of mitogen which induces lymphocyte blastogenic response and the receptor occupancy by mitogen was investigated. The receptor occupancies which induced maximal blastogenic activity in equine, bovine and canine peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) were 31.1 per cent, 26.5 per cent and 38.4 per cent with phytohaemagglutinin-P, and 48.2 per cent, 17.9 per cent and 24.5 per cent with concanavalin A, respectively. The data clearly show that each animal species had its own optimum concentration of mitogen for stimulation of PBL. Optimum concentration for blastogenesis and number of binding sites of each mitogen had a good correlation with each other for all three species.     

Detection of Taenia hydatigena copro-antigens by ELISA in dogs

A sandwich-ELISA was developed for the detection of soluble Taenia hydatigena antigens in fecal samples of dogs. Affinity-purified polyclonal catching antibodies and alkaline phosphatase-conjugated detecting antibodies were employed, which had been obtained from rabbits hyperimmunized with excretory/secretory antigens derived from in vitro maintained adult Taenia hydatigena. The assay allowed the detection of 800 ng T. hydatigena antigen g-1 of feces as a lower limit. Six helminth-free dogs were each infected with 10 T. hydatigena cysticerci isolated from Swiss sheep. After prepatent periods ranging from 57 to 71 days, the dogs started to excrete Taenia eggs and/or proglottids. The ELISA detected Taenia antigens in all six dogs during the prepatent period starting individually between Day 18 and 45 post-infection (p.i.). Anthelmintic treatment of three dogs at Day 95 p.i. resulted in elimination of the cestodes and within the 5 following days in the disappearance of Taenia antigens from feces. The specificity of the assay was evaluated by testing crude antigens derived from helminths or bacteria. Four Taenia species showed cross-reactivity at concentrations of 5 micrograms protein ml-1. Conversely, no cross-reactions occurred with various antigen batches derived from Echinococcus granulosus, E. multilocularis, Dipylidium caninum, Mesocestoides corti, Diphyllobothrium sp., Toxocara canis and bacterial antigens (Salmonella and Escherichia). Moreover, fecal samples from dogs naturally infected with T. canis (n: 13), hookworms (n: 2), Trichuris vulpis (n: 13) and of 10 dogs with mixed infections with these three nematode groups were tested, and results confirmed the high degree of specificity. The Taenia antigens detectable by this ELISA remained immunologically stable in native feces stored at +25 degrees, +4 degrees or at -20 degrees C for at least 5 days.     

Restriction fragment length polymorphism for the Yc subunit gene of rat liver glutathione S-transferase

An altered expression of the Yc subunit gene of rat glutathione S-transferase (GST) in the liver of the LEC rat, which is a mutant strain with spontaneous hereditary hepatitis associated with severe jaundice, has been reported. To provide further information concerning the structure of the Yc subunit gene, we carried out the Southern blot hybridization analysis of DNA samples from rats of eight different inbred strains including LEC with cDNA complementary to mRNA specific for the Yc subunit of rat liver GST as a probe. The hybridization patterns of the DNA samples from rats belonging to the different inbred strains showed interstrain variation in the length of restriction fragments with four restriction endonucleases. Since the DNA samples prepared from several rats of one inbred strain gave an identical hybridization pattern, the restriction fragment patterns for the Yc gene could be used as markers for genetic monitoring of inbred rat strains. Although the altered expression of Yc-Yc activity of GST has been observed in the liver of the LEC rat, the characteristic changes in the gene structure of the Yc subunit of LEC rat were not detected in the present hybridization analysis.