“荧光”蚕品种雌雄荧光色素的定性及相对量分析

用高效液相色谱分析和纸上色层分析法 ,对家蚕“荧光”品种雌雄幼虫和茧层的荧光色素进行了定性和相对量分析。结果表明 :构成雌雄茧层荧光色素的种类无显著差异 ,雌雄茧荧光色不同的原因是组成茧荧光色的各种荧光色素相对量不同 ;茧层中的一种Rf值为 0 77的黄荧光色素 ,在熟蚕丝腺中没有检出 ,说明营茧过程中有新的荧光物质形成或有较大的变化 ;5龄幼虫不同发育时期 ,雌雄各荧光色素的相对量不同 ,以荧光黄色素为例 ,雄性随日龄的增加其相对量不断增加 ,而雌性则以 5龄 96h为最高 ,其后逐渐下降 ;雌性幼虫肠壁组织中的Rf值为0 19和 0 5 9的两种明黄色荧光色素 ,雄性幼虫和雌性幼虫的其它组织中没有检出 ,说明雌雄幼虫在色素代谢上也存在差异     

Comparison of nuclear morphometric parameters in cytologic smears and histologic sections of spontaneous canine tumors

Background — Nuclear morphometry may provide useful diagnostic and prognostic information for neoplasms in animals. Most available data have been obtained from histologic sections. Nuclear morphometry of cytologic smears may provide important pre-operative information.
Objectives — The goal of this study was to compare nuclear morphometric parameters in cytologic smears and histologic sections from spontaneous canine tumors.
Methods — Mean nuclear area (MNA), mean nuclear perimeter (MNP), mean nuclear form factor (FF; nuclear perimeter²/4π nuclear area) and their respective SDs were assessed by image analysis of both hematoxylin and eosin-stained histologic sections and May-Grünwald-Giemsa-stained cytologic smears from the same case in 20 spontaneous canine tumors of different histogenesis. The above parameters were selected as being the best morphometric tools for measuring variation in shape and size in cells after neoplastic transformation. Data were compared by ANOVA with P<.01 considered significant.
Results — There was a significant difference between histologic and cytologic specimens for MNA, MNP, and their SDs. Only the differences between FF and the SD of FF were not statistically significant.
Conclusions — Only nuclear morphometric data related to nuclear shape and nuclear shape variability are comparable between histologic and cytologic specimens. Nuclear area and perimeter may be affected by the different fixation and smear preparation techniques used in histology and cytology.     

Flow cytometry: clinical applications in equine medicine

The use of flow cytometry in veterinary diagnostics is becoming a valuable clinical tool with a broad range of applications. Physical characteristics of cells can be determined by the flow cytometer laser and electronics through the measurement of changes in light scatter properties. Other components and functions of cells can be defined through the application of fluorochrome dyes that have an affinity for cellular components. Traditionally, common clinical applications are immunophenotyping of cells of the hematopoietic system with fluorescent-labeled antibodies raised against specific cell surface proteins. Other approaches have been used to elucidate changes in cell function and DNA content. This review is intended to provide the reader with the fundamental uses of flow cytometry. Examples of clinical applications in equine patients include immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (IMT), chronic inflammatory disease, and neoplasia.     

Accuracy of serum beta-hydroxybutyrate measurements for the diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis in 116 dogs

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of serum beta-hydroxybutyrate (beta-OHB) measurements for the diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in dogs. One hundred sixteen diabetic dogs were prospectively enrolled in the study: 18 insulin-treated (IT) diabetic dogs that had a positive urine ketone test and 88 untreated, newly diagnosed diabetic dogs. Venous blood gas tensions and pH, serum glucose and urea nitrogen (SUN), and electrolyte (Na+, Cl-, and K+) and urine acetoacetate (AA) concentrations were measured concurrently with serum beta-OHB concentrations. On the basis of laboratory findings, the patients were assigned to I of 3 groups: diabetic ketoacidosis (n = 43); diabetic ketosis (DK, n = 41); and nonketotic diabetes (NDK, n = 31). Serum beta-OHB concentrations differed significantly (P < .001) among the study groups. Although marked differences in beta-OHB concentrations were found, a considerable overlap exists between the distributions of dogs with DK and those with DKA. The overall accuracy of beta-OHB determination as a diagnostic test for DKA, determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, was 0.92. In the 1.9- to 4.8-mmol/L range, serum beta-OHB determination sensitivity varied from 100 to 35.7%, whereas specificity varied from 39 to 100%. The cutoff value of 3.8 mmol/L showed the best equilibrium between specificity (95%), sensitivity (72%), and likelihood ratio (14.8). We concluded that the quantitative measurement of serum beta-OHB may be a potential tool for diagnosing and monitoring ketosis and ketoacidosis in diabetic dogs.     

Genetic characterization of 2 novel feline caliciviruses isolated from cats with idiopathic lower urinary tract disease

Feline caliciviruses (FCVs) are potential etiologic agents in feline idiopathic lower urinary tract disease (I-LUTD). By means of a modified virus isolation method, we examined urine obtained from 28 male and female cats with nonobstructive I-LUTD, 12 male cats with obstructive I-LUTD, and 18 clinically healthy male and female cats. All cats had been routinely vaccinated for FCV. Two FCVs were isolated; I (FCV-U1) from a female cat with nonobstructive I-LUTD, and another (FCV-U2) from a male cat with obstructive I-LUTD. To determine the genetic relationship of FCV-U1 and FCV-U2 to other FCVs. capsid protein gene RNA was reverse transcribed into cDNA, amplified, and sequenced. Multiple amino acid sequence alignments and phylogenetic trees were constructed for the entire capsid protein, hypervariable region E, and the more conserved (nonhypervariable) regions A, B, D, and F. When compared to 23 other FCV isolates with known biotypes, the overall amino acid sequence identity of the capsid protein of FCV-U1 and FCV-U2 ranged from 83 to 96%; identity of hypervariable regions C and E ranged from 58 to 85%. Phylogenetically, FCV-U1 clearly separated from other FCV strains in phenograms based on nonhypervariable regions. In contrast, FCV-U2 consistently segregated with the Urbana strain in all phenograms. Clustering of isolates by geographic origin was most apparent in phenograms based on nonhypervariable regions. No clustering of isolates by biotype was apparent in any phenograms. Our results indicate that FCV-UI and FCV-U2 are genetically distinct from other known vaccine and field strains of FCV.     

Further contributions to the genetic aspect of congenital sensorineural deafness in Dalmatians

Sensorineural deafness is a common congenital disorder in Dalmatians and is genetically transmitted. Different modes of inheritance have been proposed and the objective of this study was to study these by segregation analyses using maximum likelihood procedures. Data from 33 complete Dalmatian families were collected and data from 56 single Dalmatians added. This resulted in a total of 575 dogs with 357 known phenotypes. All dogs were clinically evaluated and electrophysiologically tested with brainstem auditory evoked responses.The prevalence of deafness was 16.5% (9.4% unilaterally deaf, 7.1% bilaterally deaf). Females were 4.4% more affected than males but this difference was not significant. Within the same litter, different phenotypic expressions of deafness occurred, which suggested different expressions of the disease. In addition, two data sets were analysed: the first included normal, uni- and bilaterally deaf dogs, the second had normal and deaf Dalmatians. We found that a recessive allele at a single biallelic major locus fitted our data best, although an incomplete penetrance of the recessive homozygotes was observed.     

Mortality and recovery of runt white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) in a commercial farm in California, USA

We investigated the effect of raising runt white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) separately from dominant fish during the initial stages of grow-out in a commercial farm. Runt fish are poor-growers, have underdeveloped muscle mass, swim slowly and are more-frequently found at the top of the water column. The objective of the study was to describe the mortality and recovery rates (and their determinants) of white-sturgeon runts after separating them from dominant fish. Runt white sturgeon were stocked into twelve 2 m × 2 m rectangular tanks and graded periodically during a follow-up of 46–102 days. Overall mortality rates ranged from 0.3 to 7 dead fish per 1000 sturgeon-days at risk and overall recovery rates from 3.9 to 13.5 recovered fish per 1000 sturgeon-days at risk. Period-specific mortality and recovery rates increased over time. The period-specific mortality rates for all three periods were significantly higher for tanks of runts originating from grow-out tanks with high mortality (p-values: first period = 0.06; second period = 0.09; third period = 0.03), but were similar for tanks of runts of high- and low-mean initial weight. The period-specific recovery rates were significantly higher in runts originating from high-mortality grow-out tanks only for the third period (p = 0.05) but not the first and second periods (p-values = 0.33 and 0.25, respectively). Recovery rates were significantly higher in the higher-mean-weight runts tanks for the first and third period but not for the second (p-values: first period = 0.02; second period = 0.65; third period = 0.06). We concluded that the proportion of runts that recover during a 46–89 day period is substantial (16–58%); therefore, it might be worthwhile growing such fish separately in a fish farm for about three months. Financial analysis showed that this practice was profitable, if the value of white sturgeon fish for the farm exceeded $2.05 per kg.     

家蚕蛾黄翅的遗传分析与黄血基因的多效作用

在保存家蚕突变基因资源过程中调查发现：黄血蚕蛾翅在羽化之初呈鲜黄色,白血蚕均不然。通过与白血蚕（非黄翅）和黄血抑制基因（I）进行杂交试验,分析黄翅的遗传规律,结合普查家蚕突变系统蛾翅色性状,证明黄翅性状与幼虫黄脚一样,为黄血基因支配。进而记录了因黄血基因的多效作用在卵、幼虫、茧、成虫各阶段表现的形态特征。     

撒坝猪部分生长发育性状的典型相关分析

采用SAS统计分析系统对577头撒坝猪的3个体重性状和5个体尺性状进行了典型相关分析.结果表明,体重与体尺性状的第一、第二典型相关系数达到了显著水平(P＜0.01),分别为0.9532和0.3044,占总相关的99.97%.体重性状与体尺性状间的相关主要是由于4月龄体重、6月龄体重与6月龄胸围、6月龄腿围的相关引起的.在达到显著水平的两对典型变量中,体重性状的两个典型变量对6月龄体长、胸围和腿围的预测能力较强,体尺性状的两个典型变量对4月龄体重和6月龄体重的预测能力较强,在实际育种中,选择体尺性状可同时达到提高体重性状之目的.     

应用cDNA微阵列芯片技术筛选猪蛔虫性别差异表达基因的研究

采用cDNA微阵列芯片技术，从所构建的猪蛔虫雌、雄成虫cDNA消减文库分别挑取1044和1119个克隆，PCR扩增其插入片段，经纯化后点样于预先处理好的基片上（双点杂交），制备成cDNA微阵列芯片。将分别标记荧光素Cy3-dUTP和Cy5-dUTP的雌虫和雄虫cDNA探针，与制备好的cDNA芯片杂交（平行进行反标杂交试验）。根据每个点杂交后的Ratio值，筛选出双点杂交和正反标中都同时具有表达差异的基因克隆共1559个。将表达差异最明显的前831个克隆进行测序，获得720个有效序列，经生物信息学分析发现，雄虫特异表达的主要精于蛋白和雌虫特异表达的卵巢信息蛋白的基因序列多数与新杆属线虫存在同源性，有31个可能是新的ESTs。性别差异表达基因及其相关生物信息的获得为下一步研究基因功能奠定了基础。