Fumonisin B1 Metabolism by Bovine Liver Microsomes

Only limited and contrasting information is available about the metabolic fate in cattle of fumonisin B₁, a mycotoxin produced by moulds of Fusarium. This study was carried out to evaluate the hepatic metabolism of fumonisin B₁ by bovine liver microsomes. No biodegradation or metabolization of the mycotoxin by liver microsomes was detectable after incubating fumonisin B₁ with bovine microsomes in the presence of a regenerating system for 1 h. No aminopolyol 1, aminopolyol 2 or aminopentol, metabolites of fumonisin B₁, were detected in any of the incubated samples. The tolerance of ruminants to fumonisin B₁ is apparently not dependent on its detoxification in the rumen.     

Metabolism of flupyrazofos in the isolated perfused rat liver

To investigate the hepatic metabolism of the new insecticide flupyrazofos [O,O-diethyl O-(1-phenyl-3-trifluoromethylpyrazol-5-yl) phosphorothioate], isolated rat liver was perfused with flupyrazofos under single-pass conditions. In outflow perfusate and bile, 1-phenyl-3-trifluoromethyl-5-hydroxyprazole (PTMHP), PTMHP-sulfate and PTMHP-glucuronide conjugates were identified as the metabolites of flupyrazofos. However, O,O-diethyl O-(1-phenyl-3-trifluoromethylpyrazol-5-yl) phosphate (flupyrazofos oxon) was not detected. A HPLC method with UV detection was used to investigate the hepatic disposition of flupyrazofos and its metabolite PTMHP. The concentrations of flupyrazofos, PTMHP and PTMHP conjugates in outflow perfusate reached steady-state levels within 20 min after commencing perfusion of 7.3 microM flupyrazofos. At steady state, the mean extraction ratio of flupyrazofos was 0.93 (+/- 0.01) and clearance was 26.1 (+/- 0.2) ml min-1 which nearly approached perfusate flow rate (28 ml min-1). PTMHP accounted for 55.7 (+/- 5.8)% of eliminated flupyrazofos and was recovered as unchanged PTMHP, PTMHP-sulfate and PTMHP-glucuronide in the bile as well as the outflow perfusate.     

CONTRAST-ENHANCED ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN NORMAL CANINE LIVER. EVALUATION OF IMAGING AND SAFETY PARAMETERS

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, a new imaging modality in veterinary medicine, can provide data on tissue perfusion. The objective of this study was to use the ultrasonographic contrast agent SonoVue to evaluate various transit time indices in the normal canine liver, to examine the effect of anesthesia on these parameters, and to evaluate the safety of this agent in dogs. The liver of 11 healthy dogs was studied by ultrasound during an intravenous bolus injection of SonoVue. Each dog underwent the examination twice, first with and later without the use of anesthesia. A time-intensity curve was generated from a selected region of interest within the liver from each scanning session. Ratios derived from peak enhancement, time to peak enhancement, up-slope and full-width half-maximum (FWHM) of the curve were calculated from the time-intensity curves, and are reported. There were no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) in peak enhancement, up-slope and FWHM between dogs that were anesthetized and dogs that were not. Time to peak enhancement, however, was significantly shorter when the dogs were anesthetized than when they were nonanesthetized (P < 0.05). There were no biologically significant changes in clinical laboratory findings. This study indicates that contrast-enhanced ultrasound using SonoVue gives reproducible liver perfusion data, and appears to be a safe and well-tolerated agent for use in dogs. When considering normal values, the use of anesthetic drugs has to be considered.     

Butylated hydroxyanisole promotes expression of neural specific genes in mouse fetal liver cells through extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathways

AIM: To study the mechanism of butylated hydroxyanisole-induced neural differentiation of fetal liver Sca-1+ cells in vitro. METHODS: Sca-1+ cells from 14.5-day-old mouse fetal liver were isolated with a magnetic cell sorting kit. Cultured cells pretreated with or without extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MEK1) inhibitor, PD98059, were induced by 200 μmol/L butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) for 24 hours, and then incubated in serum-free medium. Expression of genes in treated or untreated cells were assayed by Western blotting and RT-PCR. RESULTS: There was low level of neuronfilament-L (NF-L) and brain factor-1 (BF-1) in fetal liver Sca-1+ cells, but no neuronfilament-H (NF-H) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was observed. BHA significantly promoted the expression of neuron-specific NF-L, NF-H, BF-1, and TH in fetal liver Sca-1+ cells. NF-L, NF-H, BF-1 and TH increased by 6.32 fold, 2.73 fold, 3.37 fold and 2.68 fold, respectively (all P<0.01 vs untreated cells). However, the expression of BHA-induced genes were inhibited by ERK kinase inhibitor PD98059 (25 μmol/L). CONCLUSION: BHA induces neural differentiation of fetal liver cells through ERK.     

苹果斯氏刺瘿螨发生与危害调查

斯氏刺瘿螨是四川省苹果上新发现的一种危害苹果叶片的害螨，以雌成螨在苹果芽的芽腋两侧越冬，翌年苹果芽萌动时开始出蛰。全年以５月中旬至６月中旬发生数量最多。气候温暖、低湿、少雨发生重，相反则轻。在调查的８个品种中，叶片多茸毛的品种受害重。天敌主要为捕食螨     

葡萄保鲜中的硫伤害研究

离体葡萄果实接触二氧化硫气体,在发生伤害的情况下,可引起细胞汁液pH的降低和组织质膜差别透性的增加,这种变化在一定范围内与硫伤害程度相关。电导率在伤害出现前有一峰值,而pH值呈较缓的降低趋势。以电导率变化做为细胞功能恢复的参照指标,结果表明“无核白”葡萄比“沙力皮”葡萄有较强的伤害恢复能力。     

饲粮蛋白能量比值与产蛋鸡脂肪肝综合症发生率的关系研究

采用每千克含2.59、2.64、2.70及2.75兆卡的4个代谢能水平的配方,饲喂产蛋鸡,结果证明,日粮蛋白质与代谢能之间的比值大小,对鸡的生产性能和鸡脂肪肝综合症的发生率影响较大。试验1～4组蛋能比值依次为66.94、64.77、62.74及60.97,脂肪肝综合症的发生率相应为30％、 10％、 10％和0,其相关性极为显著(r=0.79);产蛋性能:第二组产蛋量最高(平均每羽16.49千克),第一组次之,第四组最低(15.36千克)。     

大豆主要食叶害虫为害当量系统与复合防治指标的研究

豆天蛾(Clanis bilineata Walker)、银纹夜蛾(Plusia agnata Standinger)、棉铃虫(He-liothis armigera Hubner)和豆灰蝶(Plebejus argus L.)对黄淮流域大豆生产影响较大,防治指标亟待改进。人工模拟剪叶建立了叶损失率与产量损失的函数方程。逐种测定日食量,求取了每种幼虫不同阶段的校正等量系数,建立了为害当量系统。在考虑多维因素的基础上,建立了大豆不同生育期的复合防治指标。田间调查表明,应用该指标能较好解决4种害虫在田间混合发生,虫龄参差不齐,难以确定防治指标的困难,具有较高实用性。     

The Effect of Lecithin Supplementation on the Biochemical Profile and Morphological Changes in the Liver of Rats Fed Different Animal Fats

Sixty-four Wistar rats were divided into 8 equal groups and kept for 36 days in individual boxes. Three of the groups were given full synthetic diets containing various animal fats: beef tallow, pork fat or fish oil. A control group was fed the diets without the fat. The other four groups were fed the same diets with lecithin supplementation. At the end of experiment, sections taken from the liver were stained with haematoxylin–eosin and Sudan III to indicate fat infiltration. Liver enzyme levels, total bilirubin, albumin and two products of lipd metabolism were measured in serum from all the animals. The addition of lecithin to the diets did not influence the level of enzymes in the serum except in rats fed the diet containing beef tallow. A relationship between the type of diet, lecithin supplementation and the total cholesterol concentration in serum was observed. The concentration of HDL-cholesterol was only influenced by lecithin supplementation and that of triglycerides by the type of fat in the diet. The addition of lecithin to the diet was associated with proliferation of Kupffer cells, and an increased number of binuclear cells. Fatty degeneration of hepatocytes was less pronounced in all groups following lecithin supplementation. Lecithin supplementation of the diet did not elicit any pathological lesions and may be considered as a hepatocyte protector. This favourable effect of lecithin was most marked in the group of rats fed the fish oil.