Seasonal changes in serum total thyroxine, free thyroxine, and canine thyroid-stimulating hormone in clinically healthy beagles in Hokkaido.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate seasonal influences on thyroid hormone levels of healthy outdoor dogs in Hokkaido. We surveyed serum basal total thyroxine (tT4), free thyroxine (fT4), and canine thyroid-stimulating hormone (cTSH) levels, and tT4 levels after administration of TSH for a year. Basal tT4 levels decreased in January, and increased in August and September. fT4 levels increased in January and November. No significant seasonal variation was found in cTSH. tT4 levels after administration of TSH in August and November increased. These results suggested that the thyroid gland may have been activated in November. We should take seasonal variation into consideration when thyroid function is tested.     

Survey of tick infestation and tick-borne ehrlichial infection of dogs in Ishigaki Island, Japan.

Twelve (54.5%) of 22 free-roaming dogs in Ishigaki Island had tick infestation identified as Rhipicephalus sanguineus. There were 121 ticks recovered and consisted of 28 females, 58 males, 22 nymphs and 3 larvae. Infection of dogs possibly with canine ehrlichial pathogens was examined by both indirect immunofluorescence assay and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Two dogs of the 13 examined were sero-positive for the human granulocytic ehrlichia agent, and one of two dogs was PCR positive for Ehrlichia platys. This dog had platelet numbers slightly lower than normal value, however, no morulae were found within platelet on peripheral blood smear stained with Giemsa.     

Direct and Residual Contributions of Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation by Legumes to the Yield and Nitrogen Uptake of Maize (Zea mays L.) in the Nigerian Savannah

Field experiments were conducted to determine the direct and residual contributions of legumes to the yield and nitrogen (N) uptake of maize during the wet seasons of 1994 and 1995 at the University Farm, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria, located in the Northern Guinea savannah of Nigeria. Nodulating soybean, lablab, green gram and black gram contributed to the yield and N uptake of maize either intercropped with the legumes or grown after legumes as a sole crop. Direct transfer of N from the nodulating soybean, lablab, green gram and black gram to the intercropped maize was 24.9–28.1, 23.8–29.2, 19.7–22.1 and 18.4–18.6 kg N ha^–1, respectively. However, the transfer of residual N from these legumes to the succeeding maize crop was 18.4–20.0, 19.5–29.9, 12.0–13.7 and 9.3–10.3 kg N ha^–1, respectively. Four years of continuous lablab cropping resulted in yields and N uptake of the succeeding maize crop grown without fertilizer N that were comparable to the yields and N uptake of the succeeding maize crop supplied with 40–45 kg N ha^–1 and grown after 4 years of continuous sorghum cropping. It may therefore be concluded that nodulating soybean, lablab, green gram and black gram may be either intercropped or grown in rotation with cereals in order to economize the use of fertilizer N for maize production in the Nigerian savannah.     

Doxorubicin affects the cardiac muscarinic system in the rat.

During the study on the mechanism of doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity, we observed that a long incubation (4 hr) with doxorubicin reduced the maximal negative inotropic effects of a muscarinic receptor agonist, carbachol. The mechanism responsible for this doxorubicin-induced reduction of the efficacy of carbachol was examined in isolated guinea pig hearts. In isolated left atrial muscle preparations, 1 hr incubation with 100 microM doxorubicin caused a parallel right-ward shift of the concentration-response curves for carbachol, but a longer (4 hr) incubation with this agent (30, 100 or 200 microM), caused a significant reduction of the magnitude of the negative inotropic effect of carbachol in addition to the concentration-dependent parallel right-ward shift. The 4-hr incubation with these concentrations of doxorubicin also reduced the maximal negative inotropic effect of an adenosine A1 receptor agonist, R-phenylisopropyl adenosine (R-PIA), without affecting the potency of this agonist. Doxorubicin (1 to 100 microM) reduced [3H]quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) binding in a concentration dependent manner, but failed to alter [3HIR-PIA binding. The decrease in the magnitude of the maximal negative inotropic effect by doxorubicin was caused by changes in the muscarinic system at steps common to the transduction of muscarinic and adenosine A1 receptor mechanisms.     

Acupuncture for general veterinary practice.

Since the International Society of Veterinary Acupuncture (IVAS) was founded in 1974, acupuncture (AP) has received greater acceptance by veterinary professionals throughout the world. This article introduces some important animal diseases that respond well to AP therapy. These include resuscitation of small animals, treatment of anoestrous gilts and sows, bovine reproductive disease, canine vertebral problems and equine backpain, etc. Conventional medicine considers these to be difficult cases to treat. Veterinarians have become more aware of the benefits of AP especially for those diseases, thanks to the efforts of experienced practitioners and scientists, and the many published reports on veterinary AP that have introduced some good indications for AP therapy in veterinary practice. Possible mechanisms behind the effectiveness of AP are discussed. This article aims to introduce veterinarians to good indications for AP to initiate their interest in the practice of AP. Although this is a rapidly expanding field, a long march must begin with one step. We wish this article to be the shoes for such a march. For more information on veterinary AP, contact IVAS , P.O. Box 1478, Longmont, CO.. 80502, USA (http://www.ivas.org), or your national veterinary acupuncture society (http://www.komvet.at/ ivadkom/vapsocs.htm).     

水稻条纹病毒在玉米和水稻上流行差异分析

为了明确水稻条纹病毒(RSV)在水稻和玉米上发生程度差异明显的原因,从一个侧面了解RSV流行本质,2004年在洪泽进行田间试验。采用黄盘诱集、盘扑、盘刮、肉眼计数等方法比较武育粳3号和掖单13上灰飞虱侵入和消长动态,结果表明两者均只有一个成虫侵入高峰,单位面积迁入虫量前者是后者的3.6倍,单株平均虫量相近。Dot-ELISA法测定灰飞虱带毒率为40%,成虫迁移扩散高峰期22d内两者接毒量约为每天百株137头带毒虫。武育粳3号有二代若虫发生,掖单13则无。逐日调查发病进程,结果显示水稻发病率为60%,玉米为0。室内抗性鉴定,掖单13对RSV的抗性比武育粳3号高4个级别。综合以上结果,寄主品种抗性决定了RSV在水稻和玉米上流行状况,二代若虫重复侵染是RSV在水稻上重发的另一主要原因。     

磷对奶牛红细胞膜脂质的影响

对１５例临床上有明显低磷血症的奶牛血清磷、红细胞膜脂质成分进行了测定。结果表明，低磷血症奶牛血清磷、红细胞膜磷脂明显降低；红细胞膜胆固醇及膜胆固醇／磷脂摩尔比值（ｎｃｈ／ｎｐｌ）明显升高，与健康对照组牛相比差异极显著（Ｐ＜０．０１）；直线相关分析表明，血清磷与红细胞膜磷脂之间呈极显著正相关（ｒ＝０．９１７，ｙ＝１０．８５２ｘ＋３．１９６，Ｐ＜０．０１）；与红细胞膜胆固醇以及ｎｃｈ／ｎｐｌ之间分别呈显著负相关（ｒ＝－０．９４０，ｙ＝２．８５０ｘ－１．０７２，Ｐ＜０．０１；ｒ＝－０．９２０，ｙ＝１．９６８ｘ－１．４０１，Ｐ＜０．０１）。此外，红细胞膜微粘度与膜磷脂之间呈显著负相关（ｒ＝－０．９５４，ｙ＝１９．１２２ｘ－４．３８４，Ｐ＜０．０１），而与膜胆固醇以及ｎｃｈ／ｎｐｌ之间呈显著正相关（ｒ＝０．９８８，ｙ＝０．９２７ｘ＋０．９６４，Ｐ＜０．０１；ｒ＝０．９７８，ｙ＝－０．２９３ｘ＋１．１１３，Ｐ＜０．０１）。结果表明，磷是红细胞膜脂质成分改变的先决因素，而后者又是红细胞膜流动性及膜结构、功能发生变化并导致膜损伤的一个重要因素。     

沙黄松选择增益结构模式初步研究

采用沙黄松天然林自由授粉家系７年生树干材积的材料，分析了联合选择遗传增益结构模式。结果表明：亚群体间存在极显著差异，亚群体内家系间差异不显著；联合选择增益结构模式为亚群体间７２．４４％、亚群体内家系间３．５５％、单株间２４．０１％。     

Acid-induced autoagglutination found in chicken pathogenic Escherichia coli strain.

Chicken pathogenic Escherichia coli strains were found to autoagglutinate in a static culture of trypticase soy broth (TSB). One strain, designated PDI-386, was further studied for its autoagglutinating property. Acidity in the cultured medium caused by glucose degradation induced the autoagglutination. The bacterial cells grown in a glucose-free L-broth could be aggregated by adding acid, which suggests a potentiality of autoagglutination of the strain grown in the L-broth. The autoagglutinating parent (Agg) formed small colonies with irregular edges like rough colonies on the TS agar, whereas its non-autoagglutinating variant (Nag) formed larger smooth colonies with a perfectly round edge. The Nag colony was easily generated from the Agg colony on the TS agar. The autoagglutinating property was very unstable when the bacteria was passed in the TSB, but rather stable in the L-broth. Under electron microscope, the Agg were found to possess pili of more than 20 microns in length. However, the phenotypic expression of autoagglutination did not correlate with that of mannose-sensitive hemagglutination against guinea pig erythrocytes. Incubation of the Nag in the L-broth at room temperature for more than 10 days provoked the reversion of the autoagglutination. There was no difference between the Agg and the Nag in terms of surface hydrophobicity, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) patterns of membrane proteins and LPS, and plasmid profiles. The virulence of the Agg was higher than that of the Nag. The autoagglutination property is, however, so unstable that the pathogenicity of E. coli isolates from chickens should be carefully evaluated.