Seasonal changes in serum total thyroxine, free thyroxine, and canine thyroid-stimulating hormone in clinically healthy beagles in Hokkaido.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate seasonal influences on thyroid hormone levels of healthy outdoor dogs in Hokkaido. We surveyed serum basal total thyroxine (tT4), free thyroxine (fT4), and canine thyroid-stimulating hormone (cTSH) levels, and tT4 levels after administration of TSH for a year. Basal tT4 levels decreased in January, and increased in August and September. fT4 levels increased in January and November. No significant seasonal variation was found in cTSH. tT4 levels after administration of TSH in August and November increased. These results suggested that the thyroid gland may have been activated in November. We should take seasonal variation into consideration when thyroid function is tested.     

微量元素相对生物学利用率的研究方法

有机微量元素具有多种优点,本文阐述了有关外源微量元素生物学利用率,回顾了微量元素不同添加方法的研究成果并进行比较。1影响动物对微量元素吸收的因素微量元素的吸收水平直接影响动物机体对微量元素的利用。如果饲喂量超过机体的代谢量,微量元素的吸收下降;如果饲喂量不足,机体则会提高对微量元素的吸收,这就说明机体自我平衡作用可以调节营养素的吸收。日粮总体消化率及各营养素间的相互作用均会影响矿物质吸收,这种相互作用包括协同作用(如铁和维生素C)和拮抗作用(如钙和锌,铜和钼、硫)。动物种类、品种、年龄、性别等也会影响微量元…     

No effect of turkey herpesvirus infections on the outcome of avian pneumovirus infections in turkeys.

To determine whether turkey herpesvirus (HVT) impairs the aspecific and specific defense against an avian pneumovirus (APV) infection, specific-pathogen-free turkeys were inoculated at 7 days of age with HVT and 1, 5, or 7 wk later with APV. Clinical signs, APV replication, and development of antibodies against APV were evaluated. No differences were found between the birds that received both HVT and APV and those that received only APV.     

Trends in mortality ratios among cattle in US feedlots.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate trends in feedlot cattle mortality ratios over time, by primary body system affected, and by type of animal. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. ANIMALS: Approximately 21.8 million cattle entering 121 feedlots in the United States during 1994 through 1999. PROCEDURES: Yearly and monthly mortality ratios were calculated. Numbers of deaths were modeled by use of Poisson regression methods for repeated measures. Relative risks of death over time and by animal type were estimated. RESULTS: Averaged over time, the mortality ratio was 12.6 deaths/1,000 cattle entering the feedlots. The mortality ratio increased from 10.3 deaths/1,000 cattle in 1994 to 14.2 deaths/1,000 cattle in 1999, but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.09). Cattle entering the feedlots during 1999 had a significantly increased risk (relative risk, 1.46) of dying of respiratory tract disorders, compared with cattle that entered during 1994, and respiratory tract disorders accounted for 57.1% of all deaths. Dairy cattle had a significantly increased risk of death of any cause, compared with beef steers. Beef heifers had a significantly increased risk of dying of respiratory tract disorders, compared with beef steers. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that although overall yearly mortality ratio did not significantly increase during the study, the risk of death attributable to respiratory tract disorders was increased during most years, compared with risk of death during 1994. The increased rates of fatal respiratory tract disorders may also reflect increased rates of non-fatal respiratory tract disorders, which would be expected to have adverse production effects in surviving animals.     

(+)-Totarol from Chamaecyparis nootkatensis and activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The isolation of (+)-totarol as active compound against Mycobacterium tuberculosis is reported from Chamaecyparis nootkatensis outerbark.     

An evaluation of the Olsen test as a measure of plant-available phosphorus in grassland soils derived from basalt parent material

Abstract. Anecdotal and circumstantial evidence have suggested that the Olsen test underestimates plant-available phosphorus (P) in basaltic soils in Northern Ireland. Therefore, the ability of this test to predict plant-available P in basaltic (and non-basaltic) soils was investigated by regressing Olsen-P data against herbage P indices calculated from plant tissue test data using the diagnosis and recommendation integrated system. The average Olsen-P concentration for a range of fields situated on basaltic soils was considerably lower than the average Olsen-P concentration for a range of fields situated on non-basaltic soils, and yet mean sward P status, as given by the herbage P indices, was similar for both groups of fields. Herbage P indices were also much better correlated with Olsen-P measurements in non-basaltic soils than in basaltic soils. Furthermore, at low Olsen-P values (≶9mgPL⁻¹) some swards on basaltic soils were genuinely deficient in P, while others were sufficient or even in surplus for this nutrient. The results confirm that Olsen-P is inadequate as a predictor of plant-available P in basaltic soils. It is concluded that an alternative soil test is needed to provide a reliable assessment of plant-available P in basaltic soils, to prevent overuse of fertilizer and manure P and to minimize the amounts of P entering local watercourses.     

Identification of the porcine cytomegalovirus major capsid protein gene.

A major capsid protein (MCP) gene homologue of porcine cytomegalovirus (PCMV) was identified. Sequence analysis indicated that the PCMV MCP gene is 4,026 nucleotides in length encoding a protein of 1,341 amino acid residues. The predicted molecular weight of the PCMV MCP is 151,456 Da, equivalent to those of other herpesvirus MCP counterparts. Phylogenetic analysis using herpesviral MCP gene sequences confirmed that PCMV is a betaherpesvirus with higher homology with human herpesvirus-6 and -7 than human and mouse cytomegaloviruses. The serum of pig experimentally infected with PCMV did not react with bacterially expressed MCP, suggesting that the PCMV MCP may not be related to the humoral immune response in the course of PCMV infection. Also, we established polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocols using primers corresponding to MCP gene sequences for detection of PCMV infection. The PCR protocol would be effective for the diagnosis of slow-growing PCMV infection, for which traditional methods involving virus-isolation are not useful.     

Doxorubicin affects the cardiac muscarinic system in the rat.

During the study on the mechanism of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, we observed that a long incubation (4 hr) with doxorubicin reduced the maximal negative inotropic effects of a muscarinic receptor agonist, carbachol. The mechanism responsible for this doxorubicin-induced reduction of the efficacy of carbachol was examined in isolated guinea pig hearts. In isolated left atrial muscle preparations, 1 hr incubation with 100 microM doxorubicin caused a parallel right-ward shift of the concentration-response curves for carbachol, but a longer (4 hr) incubation with this agent (30, 100 or 200 microM), caused a significant reduction of the magnitude of the negative inotropic effect of carbachol in addition to the concentration-dependent parallel right-ward shift. The 4-hr incubation with these concentrations of doxorubicin also reduced the maximal negative inotropic effect of an adenosine A1 receptor agonist, R-phenylisopropyl adenosine (R-PIA), without affecting the potency of this agonist. Doxorubicin (1 to 100 microM) reduced [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) binding in a concentration dependent manner, but failed to alter [3HIR-PIA binding. The decrease in the magnitude of the maximal negative inotropic effect by doxorubicin was caused by changes in the muscarinic system at steps common to the transduction of muscarinic and adenosine A1 receptor mechanisms.