Relationship of glomerular filtration rate based on serum iodixanol clearance to IRIS staging in cats with chronic kidney disease

We examined the correlation between the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimated from an equation based on the serum iodixanol clearance technique and International Renal Interest Society (IRIS) stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats. The equation included the injection dose, sampling time, serum concentration and estimated volume of distribution (Vd) of the isotonic, nonionic, contrast medium iodixanol as a test tracer. The percent changes in the median basal GFR values calculated from the equation in CKD cats resembled those of IRIS stages 1–3. These data validate the association between the GFR derived from the simplified equation and IRIS stages based on the serum creatinine concentration in cats with CKD. They describe the GFR ranges determined using single-sample iodixanol clearance for healthy cats and cats with various IRIS stages of CKD.     

Intracerebroventricular administration of chicken glucagon‐like peptide‐2 potently suppresses food intake in chicks

Glucagon‐related peptides, such as glucagon‐like peptide (GLP)‐1, GLP‐2 and oxyntomodulin (OXM), are processed from an identical precursor proglucagon. In mammals, all of these peptides are suggested to be involved in the central regulation of food intake. We previously showed that intracerebroventricular administration of chicken OXM and GLP‐1 significantly suppressed food intake in chicks. Here, we show that central administration of chicken GLP‐2 potently suppresses food intake in chicks. Male 8‐day‐old chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus) were used in all experiments. Intracerebroventricular administration of chicken GLP‐2 significantly suppressed food intake in chicks. Plasma glucose concentration was significantly decreased by chicken GLP‐2, whereas plasma nonesterified fatty acid concentration was significantly increased. Intracerebroventricular administration of chicken GLP‐2 did not affect plasma corticosterone concentration. In addition, the anorexigenic effect of GLP‐2 was not reversed by the corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF) receptor antagonist α‐helical CRF, suggesting that CRF is not a downstream mediator of the anorexigenic pathway of GLP‐2 in chicks. Intracerebroventricular administration of an equimolar amount of GLP‐1 and GLP‐2, but not OXM, significantly suppressed food intake in both broiler and layer chicks. All our findings suggest that GLP‐2 functions as a potent anorexigenic peptide in the brain, as well as GLP‐1, in chicks.     

Changes in mineral concentrations in amberjack Seriola dumerili larvae during seed production: high concentrations of certain minerals in rotifers do not directly affect the mineral concentrations in larvae

This study examined the changes in mineral concentrations in amberjack Seriola dumerili larvae during seed production taking into consideration the mineral concentrations of rotifers in the larval rearing tanks (tank rotifers), since the concentrations of certain minerals in tank rotifers have been reported to be very high. In the present study, the concentrations of Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn and Mn in tank rotifers were generally higher than in freshly enriched rotifers. The extent of the increase in tank rotifers varied depending on the mineral, larval production facility and larval production trial. Concentrations of Ca in the larvae increased as they grew, those of P and Mn increased up to ca. 30 days post-hatching (DPH), those of Mg and Fe increased up to ca. 20 DPH and then decreased, and those of Zn continuously decreased through the seed production periods (to ca. 40 DPH). However, there were no clear relationships between the mineral concentrations of the tank rotifers and the larvae. These results indicate that high concentrations of minerals in tank rotifers are not directly reflected in amberjack larvae. This suggests that amberjack larvae maintain their mineral status by controlling the uptake and/or excretion of food minerals.     

Colorimetric assay for the quantification of serum iodixanol concentration and its application on estimation of glomerular filtration rate in cattle

A colorimetric assay used to quantify the non-ionic contrast medium iodixanol in sera was validated and compared with high-performance liquid chromatography. The application of this assay to estimate glomerular filtration rates (GFR) in cattle was examined. Serum iodixanol was de-iodinated by alkaline hydrolysis and the amount of released iodine was subsequently determined using a ceric arsenite method. There was a close correlation between the two methods using identical specimens. In clinically healthy cattle with different body weights, the reference value (166.3-178.8 mL/min/m(2)) based on body surface area was fairly stable as compared with that (2.13-3.63 mL/min/kg) based on body weight. Based on GFR data in healthy and renal-impaired cattle, when the GFR decreased to more than 60% of the reference value, serum urea nitrogen and creatinine concentrations increased. The colorimetric assay is a simple method for the estimation of GFR in cattle and requires no expensive equipment.     

日本ASO生态公园的构建研究

生态公园是现代城市园林发展的新趋势。该文以日本ASO生态公园为例,分析了现代生态公园与城市功能结构以及传统文化间的关系,推介了建立生态公园规划与管理体系、加强生态旅游示范区建设、提高对生态旅游资源价值的认识、充分发挥民众自主保护生态旅游环境等方面的实践经验。     

Osteological development and deformities in hatchery‐reared longtooth grouper (Epinephelus bruneus): Vertebral column,dorsal‐fin supports and caudal‐fin skeleton

Skeletal deformities are one of the serious problems in hatchery‐reared longtooth grouper (Epinephelus bruneus). In this study, seed production of longtooth grouper was carried out in four large hatchery‐grade tanks. Osteological development of the vertebral column, caudal‐fin skeleton and dorsal‐fin supports in larvae and juveniles was described. The vertebral ontogeny started at 4.8 mm total length (TL) with the formation of neural spines 2 and 3, and the vertebral centra began forming at 5.3 mm TL. By 16 mm TL, all vertebral bony elements were formed except for the dorsal ribs. The onsets of the ontogeny of the caudal‐fin skeleton and dorsal‐fin supports occurred at approximately 5.1 mm and 3.9 mm TL, respectively, and the completion of these bony elements occurred at approximately 20 mm TL. The incidence of deformity was examined; some type of deformity was observed in 57%–68% of the specimens. These deformities mainly occurred as three types: lordosis, around vertebrae 1–5; saddleback‐like syndrome, around vertebrae 7–11; and vertebrae fusion, around vertebrae 22–24. The incidence of prehaemal lordosis was significantly higher among individuals with an uninflated swim bladder than among those with an inflated swim bladder.     

Effects of dietary heme iron and exercise training on abdominal fat accumulation and lipid metabolism in high‐fat diet‐fed mice

Animal by‐products can be recycled and used as sources of essential nutrients. Water‐soluble heme iron (WSHI), a functional food additive for supplementing iron, is produced by processing animal blood. In this study, we investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of 3% WSHI and exercise training for 4 weeks on the accumulation of abdominal fat and lipid metabolism in mice fed high‐fat diet. Exercise‐trained mice had significantly less perirenal adipose tissue, whereas WSHI‐fed mice tended to have less epididymal adipose tissue. In addition, total weight of abdominal adipose tissues was significantly decreased in the Exercise + WSHI group. Dietary WSHI significantly increased the messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of lipoprotein lipase and hormone‐sensitive lipase. WSHI‐fed mice also tended to show increased mRNA levels of adipose triglyceride lipase in their epididymal adipose tissue. Dietary WSHI also significantly decreased the mRNA levels of fatty acid oxidation‐related enzymes in the liver, but did not influence levels in the Gastrocnemius muscle. Exercise training did not influence the mRNA levels of lipid metabolism‐related enzymes in the epididymal adipose tissue, liver or the Gastrocnemius muscle. These findings suggest that the accumulation of abdominal fat can be efficiently decreased by the combination of dietary WSHI and exercise training in mice fed high‐fat diet.