Mobility of the forearm skeleton in the Asiatic black (Ursus thibetanus), brown (U. arctos) and polar (U. maritimus) bears

In several primates and carnivores, pronation/supination angles of the forearm skeleton were examined, and it is thought that a larger angle is useful to acquire dexterous behaviors in feeding and/or life style, including climbing. In this study, the pronation/supination angles in Asiatic black, brown and polar bears were nondestructively examined. These specimens were classified as adult or non-adult. Three or four carcasses of each group of Asiatic black and brown bears were used for CT analysis, whereas only one adult polar bear was used. The forearms were positioned within the gantry of a CT scanner in both maximally supinated and pronated states. Extracted cross-sectional CT images of two positions were superimposed by overlapping the outlines of each ulna. The centroids of the radii were detected, and then the centroid of each radius and the midpoint of a line which connects between both ends of the surface of each radius facing the ulna, were connected by lines to measure the angle of rotation as an index of pronation/supination. In adult brown and polar bears, the angles were smaller as compared with the other groups (Asiatic black and non-adult brown bears). Asiatic black and non-adult brown bears can climb trees, whereas adult brown bears and polar bears cannot. This suggests that the pronation/supination angle is related to arboreal activity in Ursidae.     

Bromocriptine inhibits salsolinol‐induced prolactin release in male goats

The secretion of prolactin (PRL) is under the dominant and tonic inhibitory control of dopamine (DA); however, we have recently found that salsolinol (SAL), an endogenous DA‐derived compound, strongly stimulated the release of PRL in ruminants. The aim of the present study was to clarify the inhibitory effect of DA on the SAL‐induced release of PRL in ruminants. The experiments were performed from late June to early July. Male goats were given a single intravenous (i.v.) injection of SAL (5 mg/kg body weight (BW)), a DA receptor antagonist (sulpiride, 0.1 mg/kg BW), or thyrotropin‐releasing hormone (TRH, 1 µg/kg BW) before and after treatment with a DA receptor agonist (bromocriptine), and the effect of DA on SAL‐induced PRL release was compared to that on sulpiride‐ or TRH‐induced release. Bromocriptine completely inhibited the SAL‐induced release of PRL (P < 0.05), and the area under the response curve (AUC) for a 120‐min period after the treatment with bromocriptine was 1/28 of that for before the treatment (P < 0.05). Bromocriptine also completely inhibited the sulpiride‐induced release (P < 0.05). The AUC post‐treatment was 1/17 that of pre‐treatment with bromocriptine (P < 0.05). Bromocriptine also inhibited the TRH‐induced release (P < 0.05), though not completely. The AUC post‐treatment was 1/3.8 that of pre‐treatment (P < 0.05). These results indicate that DA inhibits the SAL‐induced release of PRL in male goats, and suggest that SAL and DA are involved in regulating the secretion of PRL. They also suggest that in terms of the regulatory process for the secretion of PRL, SAL resembles sulpiride but differs from TRH.     

Characterization of a neutralizing monoclonal antibody against botulinum ADP-ribosyltransferase,C3 exoenzyme

A monoclonal antibody, named C302, was prepared and characterized against botulinum ADP-ribosyltransferase C3 exoenzyme that inactivates RhoA GTP-binding protein, resulting in the neurite outgrowth of human neuroblastoma GOTO cells. C302 bound not to the smaller fragments derived from the protease-treated C3 exoenzyme but to the intact C3 exoenzyme. It seems that the C302 epitope may depend on the three-dimensional structure of C3 exoenzyme molecule. C302 depressed the enzymatic and biological actions of C3 exoenzyme. The dose-dependent depression pattern of C302 on the enzyme activity was similar to that to the biological one. C302 turned the neurite-bearing shape of the C3 exoenzyme-treated GOTO cells into the intact shape. By using of C302 mAb and C3 exoenzyme, the research concerning GTP-binding proteins would be improved.     

Suppression of Fusarium wilt of spinach with hypovirulent binucleate <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhizoctonia</Emphasis>

 Four isolates of hypovirulent binucleate Rhizoctonia (HBNR) were evaluated for their ability to control Fusarium wilt of spinach (FWS) caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. spinaciae (FOS). Fourteen-day-old spinach seedlings grown in paper pots with HBNR-amended soil (1% w/w ground barley grain inoculum) were transferred to artificially pathogen-infested soil. Treatments with HBNR isolates significantly (P = 0.05) reduced disease and discoloration severity by 56%–100% and 52%–100%, respectively. The numbers of colony-forming units of FOS per gram fresh weight in petioles or roots were reduced significantly (P = 0.01) in the plants treated with HBNR. HBNR isolates were well reisolated from the roots inside paper pots where they were inoculated, whereas inconsistent colonization of HBNR was recorded from the roots outside paper pots where only pathogen was inoculated. Root extracts from HBNR-treated and pathogen-challenged plants significantly inhibited germination and germling length of FOS. The fresh weight of spinach leaves in the HBNR-treated plants increased significantly (P = 0.01), as much as 53%–63%, over the untreated and pathogen-challenged plants. This is the first report of biocontrol of FWS by HBNR. Received: July 18, 2002 / Accepted: October 22, 2002 Acknowledgments We are grateful to Dr. Komada for providing nonpathogenic Fusarium F13. The senior author (A.M.) thanks the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (Monbukagakusho) Japan, for financial assistance.     

Genetic analysis of shiga-toxigenic Escherichia coli isolates from cattle in a limited region

The ecology of shiga‐toxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC) is important in the animal production environment. We investigated fecal shedding of STEC in one town in Miyagi, Japan by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting shiga toxin gene 1 (stx₁), gene 2 (stx₂) and malB promoter gene, and analyzed the PCR products of stx₁ or stx₂ (54 samples) by direct sequencing. Three of 46 (6.5%) beef cattle in the University Farm of Tohoku University (Kawatabi Farm) and 11 of 70 (15.7%) calves in neighboring dairy farms carried STEC. Rate of detecting genes of stx₁, stx₂ and stx₁₊₂ was 3.4% (4/116), 8.6% (10/116) and 0.9% (1/116), respectively. Serotyping indicated that STEC contaminated farms at different times or through different routes. Isolates harbored no mutation among stx₁, but six (Kawatabi Farm) and 38 (neighboring farms) base substitutions among stx₂, respectively. The diversity of substitutions of stx₂ was observed among farms or even in a farm. Phylogenic analysis revealed that STEC detected in the area were classified into three clusters by the variety of stx₂. Sequence analysis of stx₂ will be one of the tools for clarifying the source of outbreaks and the route of contamination of STEC.     

Effect in sheep of dietary concentrate content on secretion of growth hormone, insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I after feeding

This study was designed to examine the effects of the proportion of concentrate in the diet on the secretion of growth hormone (GH), insulin and insulin‐like growth factor‐I (IGF‐I) secretion and the GH‐releasing hormone (GHRH)‐induced GH response in adult sheep fed once daily. Dietary treatments were roughage and concentrate at ratios of 100:0 (0% concentrate diet), 60:40 (40% concentrate diet), and 20:80 (80% concentrate diet) on a dry matter basis. Mean plasma concentrations of GH before daily feeding (10.00–14.00 hours) were 11.4 ± 0.4, 10.1 ± 0.5 and 7.5 ± 0.3 ng/mL on the 0, 40 and 80% concentrate diet treatments, respectively. A significant decrease in plasma GH concentration was observed after daily feeding of any of the dietary treatments and these decreased levels were maintained for 8 h (0%), 12 h (40%) and 12 h (80%), respectively (P < 0.05). Plasma IGF‐I concentrations were significantly decreased 8–12 h and 4–16 h after the end of feeding compared with the prefeeding level in the 40 and 80% concentrate diet treatments, respectively (P < 0.05). GHRH injection brought an abrupt increase in the plasma GH concentrations, reaching a peak 10 min after each injection, but, after the meal, the peak plasma GH values for animals fed 40% (P < 0.05) and 80% (P < 0.01) concentrate diet were lower than that for roughage fed animals. The concentrate content of a diet affects the anterior pituitary function of sheep resulting in reduced baseline concentrations of GH and prolonged GH reduction after feeding once daily.     

Control of adipogenesis in ruminants

Adipose tissue is an important organ that is involved in the peripheral regulation of body homeostasis, specifically, energy intake, storage and expenditure. Since fat metabolism is of the utmost importance in ruminants, the signals and mechanisms which regulate adiposity for fattening have been studied and characterized by many different approaches. Adipogenesis in the adipose tissues of ruminants is triggered and modulated by several factors/genes, some of which (conjugated linoleic acid, tumor necrosis factor‐α and adipogenin) have been examined with respect to adipogenesis in ruminants by numerous researchers, including those in our group. The purpose of this article was to describe recent advances and insights into the molecular regulating processes of preadipocyte, adipocyte and adipose tissues in ruminants.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ophiostoma</Emphasis> species associated with bark beetles infesting three <Emphasis Type="Italic">Abies</Emphasis> species in Nikko,Japan

Ophiostoma species were isolated from bark beetles and Abies mariesii, A. veitchii and A. homolepis attacked by the beetles in Nikko, Tochigi, central Honshu, Japan. One to two Ophiostoma species were frequently isolated from each species of bark beetle. Ophiostoma subalpinum was the most common associate of Cryphalus montanus. Ophiostoma sp. B as well as O. subalpinum was a common fungus associated with Polygraphus proximus. Ophiostoma europhioides was isolated from Dryocoetes hectographus and D. autographus as one of the common associates. Ophiostoma sp. J and Ophiostoma sp. S were frequently isolated from D. autographus and D. striatus, respectively. These fungi seem to have specific relationships with particular bark beetles. Ophiostoma sp. B, Ophiostoma sp. J and Ophiostoma sp. S have unique morphological characteristics and appear to be new species. Five trees of A. veitchii, approximately 43 years old, were inoculated with five Ophiostoma species to assess the relative virulence of the fungi. Ophiostoma subalpinum, Ophiostoma sp. B, and O. europhioides had relatively higher virulence than the other species studied.     

Effect of cyclosporin on distribution of methotrexate into the brain of rats

The effect of the antitumor drug, methotrexate (MTX), which is applied to brain tumors, is restricted by the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is composed of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and multidrug resistance associated protein (MRP). We, therefore, studied if a potent P-gp and MRP modulator, cyclosporin A (CysA), can modulate the MTX concentration in the rat brain. If it can, which route is more effective, intravenous or intrathecal? We intravenously or intrathecally administered MTX to rats with or without CysA. After 6 hr, brains and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were sampled, and their MTX concentrations were compared. Each MTX concentration was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection. CysA had no significant affect on the MTX concentration in the brain or CSF when MTX was intravenously injected. In contrast, when MTX was intrathecally administered, CysA had a larger effect on the MTX concentration in the brain than in the CSF. This indicates CysA potentiated the brain MTX concentration when MTX was intrathecally administered. It is suggested that CysA did not potentiate the distribution of MTX from blood into the brain, but instead potentiated the distribution of MTX from CSF into the brain. Since chemicals in CSF generally diffuse into the brain easily, CysA probably inhibited the excretion of MTX from the brain. This could be caused by inhibition of P-gp or MRP at the BBB. Therefore, CysA can be a useful tool to achieve an appropriate MTX concentration in brain.