The effect of dietary vitamin A on the immunocompetence of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. were maintained on diets containing low (0.37 mg kg^–1 diet), normal (1.95 mg kg^–1 diet) and high (15 mg kg^–1 diet) levels of vitamin A fed at 1.5% body weight per day. After 4 months, liver vitamin A levels reflected dietary intake and growth rates of all three groups were similar. Kidney leucocyte migration and serum bactericidal activity were found to be significantly reduced in fish fed low levels of vitamin A. On the other hand, high levels of vitamin A in the diet were found to augment serum antiprotease activity relative to the levels found in the other dietary groups. However, phagocyte respiratory burst activity, bactericidal activity and eicosanoid production were unaffected by the dietary vitamin A regime, as were lymphocyte functions (lymphokine and antibody production) and both serum lysozyme and classical complement activity. That the overall immunomodulatory effect of vitamin A was small was reflected in the resistance to Aeromonas salmonicida. No significant differences were found between the different vitamin A intake groups despite a trend to decreased resistance in the low vitamin A diet group.     

益生菌健康功能的研究进展

益生菌是活的微生物,当摄入足够数量时,对宿主起有益健康的作用。益生菌的健康作用逐步被科学验证,包括调节肠道菌群、抑制有害细菌、消炎、抗过敏、提高机体免疫力等,但益生菌发挥健康作用的机理却尚未定论。目前,普遍认为益生菌发挥健康作用可能有3种途径:调节肠道微生态环境、调节机体免疫、改善定殖抗性。本文重点针对益生菌的特征、选择标准、健康作用机制进行了综述。     

高棉籽粕饲料中补充赖氨酸和铁对青鱼幼鱼生长、免疫力及组织中游离棉酚含量的影响

以初始平均体重为(7.01±0.05)g的青鱼为研究对象,配制5种等氮等能的试验饲料,以含40%豆粕的饲料作为豆粕对照饲料,含41%棉籽粕的饲料作为高棉籽粕饲料,并在高棉籽粕饲料中分别用0.342%的晶体赖氨酸(有效含量79%)、0.115%的七水硫酸亚铁以及0.342%的晶体赖氨酸+0.115%的七水硫酸亚铁等量替代面粉,以研究高棉籽粕饲料中补充赖氨酸和铁对青鱼幼鱼生长、免疫力及组织中游离棉酚含量的影响。每组设3个重复,每个重复30尾,试验期为8周。结果表明:与豆粕对照组相比,高棉籽粕组青鱼的特定生长率、血液红细胞数量以及血清补体4含量和总超氧化物歧化酶、溶菌酶活力均显著降低(P<0.05),血清谷草转氨酶和谷丙转氨酶活力显著升高(P<0.05),同时肝脏游离棉酚累积,但在高棉籽粕饲料中同时补充铁与赖氨酸可显著提高青鱼的特定生长率和血液红细胞数量(P<0.05),并与豆粕对照组差异不显著(P>0.05)。此外,高棉籽粕饲料中补充铁可显著提高青鱼血清补体4含量(P<0.05),补充赖氨酸或铁可显著提高血清溶菌酶活力(P<0.05)并显著降低血清谷草转氨酶和谷丙转氨酶活力(P<0.05),且单一补充铁时血清谷草转氨酶和谷丙转氨酶活力与豆粕对照组无显著差异(P>0.05)。高棉籽粕饲料中补充铁可显著降低肌肉和肝脏中游离棉酚含量(P<0.05),补充赖氨酸可显著升高血清中总超氧化物歧化酶活力(P<0.05)。由结果可知,高棉籽粕饲料中补充铁和赖氨酸能促进青鱼幼鱼的生长,提高机体免疫力,降低肌肉和肝脏中游离棉酚含量,同时补充铁和赖氨酸效果更明显。     

mVOCs在根际免疫中的研究进展及思考

由土传病原菌引起的作物病害频发制约着世界农业的可持续发展。以根际微生物群落这一生物屏障为核心的根际免疫在抵御土传病原菌入侵中发挥着至关重要的作用。除竞争营养、产生抗生物质等外,根际微生物还通过分泌易挥发性有机物（Microbial volatile organic compounds,mVOCs）与病原菌、其他土著微生物以及宿主植物互作,以更好地适应根际环境和发挥抑病功能。由于具有作用浓度低、可在水-土-气等多界面自由迁移和长距离传播等优势,mVOCs日益成为根际免疫领域机理研究和产品开发的热点。本文首先介绍mVOCs参与土壤抑菌性的发现过程,系统梳理抑制土传病原菌的mVOCs及分泌源——有益微生物。其次,从抑制土传病原菌生长和致病、调控微生物群落互作以及激发植物抗性3个方面阐述mVOCs提升根际免疫的作用机理。随后,总结mVOCs在防控土传病害中的应用现状,并分析影响mVOCs产生和作用效果的土壤生物和非生物因素。最后,提出与根际免疫相关的mVOCs研究思考,呼吁关注mVOCs在根际免疫领域的理论和实践价值。关键词：微生物易挥发性有机物;土传病害;根际免疫;微生物生态     

饲料中添加杜仲叶粉对青鱼生长和组织免疫相关基因表达的影响研究

在基础日粮中(对照组)分别添加2.5%、5.0%、7.5%的杜仲叶粉在湖泊养殖网箱饲养青鱼60 d后,分别测定各处理青鱼的尾增重、相对增重率、饲料系数、肥满度等生长指标,以β-actin为内参研究基因免疫球蛋白M(Ig M)、白介素-1β(IL1β)、主要组织相容性复合物(MHC I、MHC II)、肿瘤坏死α因子(TNFα)和补体C3六个免疫功能基因在青鱼肝、肾、肠和肌肉组织中的表达差异性,探讨饲料中添加不同剂量的杜仲叶粉对青鱼生长性能以及组织免疫相关基因表达的影响。结果表明:添加7.5%杜仲叶粉组的青鱼相对增重率提高29.26%(P0.01),饲料系数降低22.73%(P0.01),且显著增加肥满度(P0.05)。添加2.5%、5.0%杜仲叶粉也有提高尾增重、相对增重率、肥满度,降低饲料系数等作用,但效果不如7.5%添加量显著。Ig M、MHC I、MHC II、TNFα、IL1β以及补体C3基因肾中的各基因表达差异显著(P0.05);肝中IL1β、MHC II、TNFα和C3基因表达也有明显差异;肠和肌肉中的各基因表达量无显著差异(P0.05)。研究结果揭示了基础饲料中添加7.5%杜仲叶粉能显著促进青鱼鱼种的生长性能,并提高其免疫功能。     

Characterization of adaptive immune responses induced by a new genetically inactivated Salmonella Enteritidis vaccine

The superior conservation of antigenic determinants on the surface of genetically inactivated bacterial ghosts makes them attractive immunogenic inactivated vaccine candidates. The efficacy of Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) ghost vaccination was evaluated in chickens by characterizing the nature of the adaptive immune response. Chickens from the immunized group demonstrated significant increases in SE-specific plasma IgG, intestinal secretory IgA, and lymphocyte proliferative response. The populations of CD4, CD8, and TCR γδ T-cells in immunized chickens were significantly greater than in the controls. Increased levels of IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-10 were observed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with SE specific antigen. After virulent SE challenge, the immune system of immunized chickens was rapidly stimulated, as indicated by significantly increased population of CD4 and CD8 T-cells. Furthermore, the immunized group exhibited decreased challenge strain recovery of the internal organs compared to the non-immunized group. Together, these data indicate that the immunization induced humoral and cell-mediated immunity might be responsible for significant reduction of the virulent challenge strain load in the internal organs of immunized chickens.     

Optimal dose and timing in phytohaemagglutinin skin-testing of deer

AIM: To establish the optimal dose of the mitogen phytohaem- agglutinin (PHA) and the optimal time for measuring increased skin-fold thickness in red deer following intradermal injection, as an indicator of cell-mediated immune response.

METHODS: Three doses (10, 50 and 250 µg) of PHA were injected intradermally in the right side of the neck, and phosphate buffered saline (PBS) was injected at a fourth site as a control, in 20 captive Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) hinds. Skin-fold thicknesses were measured at 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84 and 96 h following injection.

RESULTS: The highest dose of PHA tested (250 µg) resulted in a clear and long-lasting cellular response; increases in skin-fold thickness between 48 and 84 h post-injection varied minimally and response correlated positively with liveweight. No correlations with liveweight and no clear increases in skin-fold thickness occurred at the lower doses of PHA or the PBS.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This technique could be applied with minimal training and without specialised equipment in deer, for immunological and ecological research.     

低聚木糖与地衣芽孢杆菌合生素对东台地方草鸡生长性能、免疫功能及空肠形态结构的影响

为研究低聚木糖与地衣芽孢杆菌合生素对东台地方草鸡生长性能、免疫功能及空肠形态结构的影响,将300只40日龄东台地方草鸡随机分为5组,每组4个重复,每个重复15只鸡。对照组饲喂基础日粮,Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ组为试验组,分别在基础日粮中添加0.015%低聚木糖、0.25%地衣芽孢杆菌、0.0075%低聚木糖+0.125%地衣芽孢杆菌、0.01125%低聚木糖+0.1875%地衣芽孢杆菌。结果表明：（1）Ⅰ、Ⅱ组只均采食量显著低于对照组（P＜0.05）,而Ⅲ、Ⅳ组只均采食量极显著低于对照组（P＜0.01）;Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ组平均日增重分别比对照组提高5.66%、4.37%、11.41%、11.84%（P＜0.05）;料重比则分别比对照组降低6.95%、6.28%、12.56%、12.78%（P＜0.05或P＜0.01）。（2）Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ组脾脏指数、法氏囊指数均高于对照组,其中Ⅰ组脾脏指数、Ⅱ组法氏囊指数分别比对照组高30.12%、25.52%,但差异均不显著（P＞0.05）。（3）Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ组空肠绒毛长度均高于对照组,其中Ⅳ组差异显著（P＜0.05）,4个试验组黏膜厚度均高于对照组,隐窝深度均浅于对照组,差异均不显著（P＞0.05）。可见低聚木糖与地衣芽孢杆菌以合生素形式添加到东台地方草鸡日粮中时可产生协同作用,作用效果以0.01125%低聚木糖+0.1875%地衣芽孢杆菌添加组最佳。     

Further cases of equine sex chromosome abnormalities

Sex chromosome abnormalities have been detected in a further five mares with clinical histories of small ovaries and absent or irregular oestrous cycles. Three mares had 63,XO karyotypes (X monosomy) and two were sex chromosome mosaics with karyotypes of 63,XO/64,XY and 63,XO/64,XX/64,XY respectively. A sex chromosome abnormality (X monosomy) has also been found in a filly where it was suspected because of her short stature.