Immunology of infective preterm delivery in the mare

Placentitis is reported to be the cause of 9.8–33.5% of abortions, stillbirths and perinatal losses in horses. Bacterial infections are responsible for 53% of placentitis cases with Streptococcus equi ssp. zooepidemicus being isolated in 28% of these cases. Clinically, mares may have a vaginal discharge, show udder development, lactate prenatally and deliver a premature or dead foal. Major aspects of the pathogenesis of infectious preterm delivery that may require more effective therapeutic targeting are myometrial contraction, immunological aspects of preterm delivery, and the effects of proinflammatory cytokine signalling on activation of the fetal hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. This article focuses on current knowledge of inflammatory signalling secondary to equine placentitis, and the interplay among inflammation, loss of myometrial quiescence and activation of the fetal hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis.     

Glucose homeostasis and the enteroinsular axis in the horse: A possible role in equine metabolic syndrome

One of the principal components of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is hyperinsulinaemia combined with insulin resistance. It has long been known that hyperinsulinaemia occurs after the development of insulin resistance. But it is also known that hyperinsulinaemia itself can induce insulin resistance and obesity and might play a key role in the development of metabolic syndrome. This review focuses on the physiology of glucose and insulin metabolism and the pathophysiological mechanisms in glucose homeostasis in the horse (compared with what is already known in humans) in order to gain insight into the pathophysiological principles underlying EMS. The review summarizes new insights on the oral uptake of glucose by the gut and the enteroinsular axis, the role of diet in incretin hormone and postprandial insulin responses, the handling of glucose by the liver, muscle and fat tissue, and the production and secretion of insulin by the pancreas under healthy and disrupted glucose homeostatic conditions in horses.     

Molecular cloning of the cDNA encoding the β subunit of thyrotropin and regulation of its gene expression by thyroid hormones in the goldfish, Carassius auratus

A cDNA encoding the subunit of thyrotropin (TSH) was isolated from a goldfish (Carassius auratus) pituitary gland cDNA library. By comparing the sequence with other teleost TSHs, a signal peptide of 19 amino acids and a mature hormone of 131 amino acids were predicted for goldfish TSH subunits. The resulting putative mature hormone of 131 amino acids had well-conserved cysteine positions and a putative N-linked glycosylation site; homology was 51–67% with TSHs from other teleosts, 38–43% with tetrapod TSHs, but only 27 and 29% with goldfish GTH-I and -II, respectively. We also examined the effects of thyroid hormones (TH) and thiourea (TU, an inhibitor of TH production) treatments on TSH and GTH subunit gene expressions in the goldfish pituitary gland. After thyroxine (T₄) treatment, circulating T₄ concentration increased and TSH mRNA level decreased. Supressing the amount of circulating T₄ and triiodothyronine (T₃) by TU treatment increased the TSH mRNA level. Moreover, T₄ replacement therapy (simultaneous treatment of both TU and T₄) caused a high level of circulating T₄ and a low level of circulating T₃, and a decrease in the TSH mRNA level. Thus, changing levels of circulating TH exert a negative feedback on the level of TSH subunit mRNA in goldfish in vivo. On the other hand, GTH subunit mRNA levels were not affected by changes in the levels of circulating TH.     

垂直轴风力机叶片动态失速数值模拟

利用数值计算方法研究了一种典型的大高径比垂直轴风力机叶片动态失速现象。在验证数值计算方法可靠的基础上,结合速度矢量图和涡量图,研究了8 m/s风速时风力机在不同尖速比下叶片动态失速现象以及风轮尺寸改变时风轮动态失速流场及其对风力机功率系数的影响规律。研究表明,尖速比过低,增大弦径比和叶片数均导致叶片动态失速和气流分离呈现加剧趋势,削弱风力机的气动性能。对用于城市风力发电的大高径比垂直轴风力机,应使其在最佳尖速比下运行,同时控制弦径比在0.2~0.4之间,叶片数为3或4,以获得较好的气动性能。     

5年生种植人参对成年大鼠糖脂代谢及下丘脑-垂体-甲状腺轴功能变化的影响

目的观察5年生种植人参食用对成年大鼠糖脂代谢及下丘脑-垂体-甲状腺轴功能变化的影响,探讨人参食用对机体内分泌系统功能的调节作用。方法正常成年Wistar大鼠随机分为10组,即:对照组,5年生种植人参原粉小、中、大剂量(0.25、0.5、1.0g生药/kg)组,5年生种植人参水提物小、中、大剂量(0.25、0.5、1.0g生药/kg)组,5年生种植人参醇提物小、中、大剂量(0.25、0.5、1.0g生药/kg)组,每组14只。各组大鼠连续灌胃给药3个月,观察糖脂代谢及下丘脑-垂体-甲状腺轴功能变化。结果与对照组比较,人参醇提物中、大剂量组可使正常成年大鼠血糖明显降低(P0.05或P0.01),人参原粉及人参醇提物中、大剂量组均可使正常成年大鼠TG明显降低(P0.05或P0.01),人参水提物中剂量组可使正常成年大鼠T4明显降低(P0.05),人参原粉、人参水提物及人参醇提物各剂量组对正常成年大鼠甲状腺脏器系数及血清中CHO、TSH、T3含量均无明显影响(P0.05)。结论人参醇提物对正常成年大鼠具有糖脂代谢调节作用;人参原粉及人参水提物对正常成年大鼠的糖脂代谢及下丘脑-垂体-甲状腺轴无明显影响。     

5年生种植人参对成年大鼠下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴的调节作用

目的观察5年生种植人参食用对成年大鼠下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴的影响,探讨人参食用对机体内分泌系统功能的调节作用。方法正常成年Wistar大鼠随机分为10组,即:对照组,5年生种植人参原粉小、中、大剂量(0.25、0.5、1.0g生药/kg)组,5年生种植人参水提物小、中、大剂量(0.25、0.5、1.0g生药/kg)组,5年生种植人参醇提物小、中、大剂量(0.25、0.5、1.0g生药/kg)组,每组14只。各组大鼠连续灌胃给药3个月,观察下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴的变化。结果与对照组比较,人参原粉中、大剂量组,人参水提物大剂量组和人参醇提物中、大剂量组均可使正常成年大鼠血清FSH的含量降低(P0.05或P0.01),人参原粉中剂量组可以使正常大鼠前列腺脏器系数升高(P0.05),人参原粉小、大剂量组可以使正常大鼠睾丸+附睾脏器系数升高(P0.05),人参原粉、人参水提物和人参醇提物各剂量组对正常成年雄性大鼠血清T、Cor.及海绵体组织中NO的含量,雌性大鼠血清E2、Cor.的含量,血清中LH的含量及阴茎、子宫和卵巢脏器系数均无明显影响(P0.05)。结论人参原粉、人参水提物和人参醇提物对正常成年大鼠下丘脑-垂体-性腺轴具有一定的调节作用。     

A New Method of Second-Order Analysis of Thin-wall Member

In this paper, based on the theory of the rotation of a cross section around a fixed axis, a new calculation method of second-order stress of space stability for thin wall member is applied. The example given in this paper shows that the conception of this new method of second order analysis is clear and the calculation procedure is concise.     

肠道损伤对草鱼胆固醇代谢通路基因表达的影响

[目的]有研究显示草鱼肠道健康与胆固醇代谢具有较为紧密的关系,本研究探讨草鱼肠道损伤对胆固醇合成代谢通路基因表达的影响.[方法]以池塘养殖条件下的草鱼为研究对象,在对肠道损伤进行外观形态、组织切片和血清指标评估的基础上,测定了草鱼血清中的甘油三酯(TG)、高密度脂蛋白(HDL)、低密度脂蛋白(LDL)、总胆汁酸(TBA)和总胆固醇(TC)含量,采用荧光定量PCR(qRT-PCR)方法,定量检测肠道和肝胰脏组织的胆固醇、胆汁酸生物合成酶和调节控制酶的基因表达水平的变化.[结果]肠道损伤的草鱼血清HDL、LDL、TC和TBA的含量显著下降(P<0.05),肝胰脏和肠道组织的胆固醇、胆汁酸合成酶相关基因表达水平极显著上调(P＜0.01),与此同时,负调控胆汁酸合成的法尼醇X受体FXR和调控胆固醇逆转运途经的血浆胆固醇酯转移蛋白CETP基因表达水平极显著下调(P＜0.01).[结论]草鱼肠道损伤后,胆固醇、胆汁酸的重吸收可能遭到破坏,刺激了肝胰脏和肠道的胆固醇、胆汁酸生物合成强度,从而维持胆固醇在机体内的代谢平衡.     

花生种子子叶和胚轴发育的差异性及活力的形成

发育中的花生种子子叶和胚轴在内源ＡＢＡ含量和贮藏蛋白合成等方面均有明显的差异性．子叶的发育与种子萌发能力形成有密切关系，胚轴的发育和种子活力的提高高度相关．子叶内存在ＡＢＡ的Ｃ４０途径，胚轴内存在Ｃ１５途径，随着种子的发育，胚轴ＡＢＡ含量迅速提高并可能向子叶转移，ＡＢＡ促进了贮藏蛋白质的合成．