The effects of low doses of Senna occidentalis seeds on broiler chickens

The effects of 0.5%, 0.3% and 0.1% w/w concentrations of Senna occidentalis (So) seed mixed with commercial ration were studied in 18 groups of 32 broiler chicks each, from 1 day to 49 days of age. Three groups were fed one of the rations throughout their lives (TL). Three other groups were fed one of the rations from the 1st to the 28th day of life (starter phase, SP), and the final 3 groups were fed one of the rations from the 29th to 49th day (finisher phase, FP). Each experimental group was matched by a control group fed the same diet over the same period but without the inclusion of So. All the animals were killed at 49 days of age, and blood was collected from 10 birds in each group for biochemical studies (ALT, AST, GGT, LDH, UA). A complete necropsy was performed on 3 birds from each group. No significant differences in the biochemical parameters in the serum were found between the control and experimental chicks, but animals treated with 0.5% So in groups FP and TL, gained less weight and chicks that received 0.3% So or 0.5% So in the ration throughout life (TL) had a larger feed conversion ratio. Besides this, degenerative changes were found in the striated skeletal muscle in the chest, in the myocardium and in the liver in the animals that received the higher concentrations of So seeds.     

Preliminary Studies on the Concentration of Na+,K+-ATPase in Skeletal Muscle of Draught Cattle in Mozambique: Effect of Sex,Age and Training

The effect of training on the potential for work in draught cattle was assessed by measuring the Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase in the muscle cell membrane and the elevation in the concentration of K⁺ in plasma during exercise. Biopsies of the semitendinosus muscle and venous blood samples were taken from the cattle used for draught work in Mozambique. No differences were found in the plasma ion or Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase concentrations in samples taken from Nguni, Africander and Angoni breeds. There were no significant differences in plasma ions (Na⁺, K⁺ and Cl^–) or muscle Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase concentrations between the Angoni males and females, although the males showed an increase in Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase with age, while the females showed a decrease. The increase in males might be attributed to their higher level of activity in the herds than that of females. After a training period of 15 days, a significant increase in Na⁺,K⁺-ATPase concentration in semitendinosus muscle was found in Angoni cattle. In females, this was significant after 8 days of training (about 30%); in males after 15 days of training (about 16%). On day 15, there was a reduction in the elevation of plasma K⁺ during the 2 h of draught work, indicating an increased capacity of the Na⁺,K⁺ pumps to maintain the extracellular K⁺ concentration in working muscles and a possible delay in the moment of fatigue.     

鸡肝脏和肌肉组织中常山酮残留的ELISA检测

将常山酮进行人工改造,制备了半抗原常山酮琥珀酸衍生物（Hal-suc）.采用N-羟基琥珀酰亚胺活性酯法将半抗原与牛血清白蛋白（BSA）、卵清白蛋白（OVA）偶联,制备免疫原和包被原.动物免疫6次后采血制备抗血清,以间接ELISA法测定血清效价,测得抗血清的最佳工作浓度为1∶102 400.建立了常山酮在鸡肝脏和肌肉组织中检测的ELISA法,该方法在50、100、500 ng/g 的添加浓度水平下,在鸡肝脏和肌肉组织中测得的平均回收率范围分别为74.2%～96.8%和74.3%～90.0%,检测限分别为28和19 ng/g.     

缺氧与肉鸡肺动脉平滑肌细胞c-fos和 c-myc基因表达的关系

利用细胞培养、原位杂交、免疫组化、图像分析等技术研究缺氧与肉鸡肺动脉平滑肌细胞癌基因c-fos和c-myc表达的关系,进一步阐明缺氧与以肺动脉增殖重塑为特征的肉鸡腹水综合征的关系。结果显示,缺氧显著引起肺动脉平滑肌细胞内癌基因c-fos和c-mycmRNA的表达(c-fosmRNA:常氧组为144.6±20.2,缺氧组为198.1±32.8,P<0.01;c-mycmRNA:常氧组为125.4±18.8,缺氧组为167.1±22.4,P<0.01)。缺氧显著引起肺动脉平滑肌细胞内癌基因c-fos和c-myc蛋白的表达(c-fos蛋白:常氧组为150.9±33.2,缺氧组为225.9±37.0,P<0.01;c-myc蛋白:常氧组为162.1±28.5,缺氧组为228.8±33.4,P<0.01)。结果表明缺氧能够明显诱发肉鸡肺动脉平滑肌细胞内癌基因c-fos、c-myc的转录和表达,是启动肺动脉平滑肌细胞增殖的重要原因。本研究阐明缺氧是以肺动脉重塑为特征的肉鸡腹水综合征的主要诱因。     

Baclofen intoxication in a dog successfully treated with hemodialysis and hemoperfusion coupled with intensive supportive care

Objective: To describe a case of confirmed baclofen intoxication in a dog that was successfully treated with hemodialysis and hemoperfusion (HD/HP) and to report the serum baclofen kinetics. Case summary: A 2.5‐year‐old, 23 kg, spayed female Brittany Spaniel‐mix was treated after ingesting 21‐52 mg/kg of baclofen. The dog was comatose and was receiving manual ventilation at the time of presentation. Extracorporeal HD/HP was started 10 hours after admission. Within 3 hours of starting HD/HP the dog began initiating breaths and was extubated 18 hours after admission. Serial serum samples that were obtained during the first 24 hours of hospitalization were later analyzed for baclofen concentrations. The dog had elevated creatine phosphokinase and liver enzymes that correlated with an agitated recovery period. The dog had thrombocytopenia that resolved by 10 days after presentation. New or unique information provided: HD/HP shortened the baclofen serum elimination half‐life from 5 to 1.5 hours in the initial 2 hours of treatment. The intrinsic elimination rate constant (K_intr) for this dog was 0.138/hour and the total elimination rate constant (K_tot) during the first 2 hours of HD/HP treatment was 0.458/hour. In this dog, HD/HP was an effective method for rapidly decreasing serum baclofen concentration after an acute overdose.     

Research Progress of Epigenetics Modification in the Process of Skeletal Muscle Cell Proliferation and Differentiation

Skeletal muscle is the most abundant tissue and the main component of muscle in animals.The process of skeletal muscle cell's proliferation and differentiation is the basis of muscle development and it's directly affects the meat production performance of domestic animals.It has been found that epigenetic modification plays an important role in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of skeletal muscle cells.In this study,the effects of epigenetics on skeletal muscle in terms of the effects of DNA methylation on the proliferation and differentiation of skeletal muscle cells,the selection and expression of factors regulated by histone acetylation,the regulation of non-coding RNA,and the effects of chromosome remodeling.Research progress in the process of muscle cell proliferation and differentiation,briefly describes the effects of different modification methods and factors on the two processes of skeletal muscle proliferation and differentiation.At the same time,the methods and means used by predecessor in the study of skeletal muscle proliferation and differentiation were reviewed,and then the role of apparent regulatory factors in skeletal muscle growth was analyzed.The purpose was to further explain the important role of epigenetic modification in the proliferation and differentiation of skeletal muscle,enhanced the understanding of the regulation of skeletal muscle proliferation and differentiation,provided a reference path for integration with animal production,and also provided skeletal muscle.Molecular regulation of such as growth and development provided more reference materials.     

AA肉鸡腿肌重活体估测方法的探讨

以AA肉鸡商品代为试验材料,分析0、7、14、21、28、35、42日龄公、母鸡整体和腿肌的累积生长,建立腿肌重(y)与活重(x)之间的直线回归、幂回归、指数回归、对数回归及多项式回归方程,探讨腿肌重的活体估测方法。结果表明,AA肉鸡的腿肌在后期生长迅速,尤其是公鸡在35～42日龄时期表现突出;腿肌重(y)与活重(x)的幂回归、直线回归、多项式回归方程的拟合精度均在0.95左右,效果较好。     

Preliminary experiments on mechanical stretch-induced activation of skeletal muscle satellite cells in vivo

We have shown in vitro that mechanical stretch triggers activation of quiescent satellite cells of skeletal muscle to enter the cell cycle through an intracellular cascade of events including nitric oxide (NO) synthesis that results in the release of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) from its extracellular association and its subsequent presentation to signaling receptors. In order to explore the activation mechanism in vivo, stretch experiments were conducted in the living animal using our suspension model developed. This system used the weight of the hind portion of rats to stretch the inside muscles of the left hind limb suspended for a period of 0.5–2.0 h. At the end of the stretch period, the rats received an intraperitoneal injection of bromodeoxyuridine followed by immunocytochemistry for its incorporation as an index of satellite cell activation in vivo. Depending on the period of stretch, bromodeoxyuridine labeling was increased significantly over the contralateral unstretched leg or control muscle from untreated rats. A stretched muscle extract prepared from the 2 h stretched tissue by incubating it in PBS, showed the active form of HGF as revealed by immunoblotting and it could stimulate the activation of unstretched satellite cells. Also, administering NO synthase inhibitor L‐NAME prior to muscle stretch abolished the stretch activation of satellite cells. Therefore, the results from these experiments demonstrate that stretching muscle triggers NO synthesis and HGF release, which could activate satellite cells in vivo.