Catheterization of the colic branch of the ileocolic vein in swine

A surgical procedure for repeated collection of blood from the colic branch of the ileocolic vein was established as an aid for nutritional studies on the colon in swine. With the animal in the dorsal position, a cannula was inserted from the ileal vein into the colic branch with a median incision at the lower part of the abdomen under a general anesthsia. Blood samples were collected intermittently every hour for 7 hours.     

A new method for counting of quail leukocytes by flow cytometry

An automatic counting method was developed for fish blood cells using a fluorescent dye, 3, 3-dihexyloxacarbocyanine (DiOC (6)(3)), that selectively stain lipid bilayers in living cells. In the present study, the DiOC(6)(3) method was applied to quail (Cotumix cotumix japonica) blood cells. After quail blood cells were stained with DiOC(6)(3), absolute counts and relative proportions of erythrocytes, granulocytes, monocytes, and lymphocytes plus thrombocytes in whole blood were obtained by means of flow cytometry (FC). The number of each cell types by the FC was in good agreement with those counted microscopically. This method will offer new possibilities for routine blood cell counting for avian medicine.     

Precipitation chemistry in Japan 1989–1993

Precipitation chemistry in Japan was discussed on a wet-only sample database obtained in a nationwide survey from April 1989 to March 1993. Wet-only samples were collected at 29 stations over Japan on a biweekly basis. Commonly determined chemical parameters were measured in laboratories. The volume-weighted annual mean pH at each site ranged from 4.50 to 5.83 with a mean of 4.76. Concentration ranges and means (parenthesized) on an equivalent basis for major ions were as follows: nss-SO₄ ^2–; 5.2–58.9 (38.6), NO₃ ^–; 1.8–25.0 (14.1), NH₄ ⁺; 0.55–29.8 (18.3), nss-Ca²⁺; 2.0–34.5(14.2), Na⁺; 6.4–275.3 (49.1), Cl^–; 13.7–322.4 (63.5) eq L^–1. Acid-base relationships for Phase-II records were quantitatively discussed in terms of three measures: pH, fractional acidity, and our proposed pA_i.     

Primary erythrocytosis in a Japanese black calf: a case report

An 8-month-old Japanese Black heifer with severe erythropoietic symptoms was subjected to clinical, histological and cytological examinations. During the 1 month clinical observation period, severe increases in RBC count, packed cell volume and haemoglobin concentration were observed. The plasma erythropoietin (Epo) concentration of the heifer (20.7 mIU/ml) was similar to that observed in normal control heifers. Blood gas examinations of the arterial and venous blood revealed low levels of partial pressure O(2) (PaO(2)), partial pressure CO(2) (PaCO(2)) and O(2) saturation (SaO(2)), while the blood pH was within the normal range. Gross lesions could not be detected. However, microscopic observation revealed severe proliferation of erythroblasts in the bone marrow and in the spleen without evidence of neoplastic changes. Based on these clinical and pathological examinations, we diagnosed the heifer as being the first case of primary erythrocytosis in Japanese Black cattle.     

Detection of Torque teno sus virus types 1 and 2 by nested polymerase chain reaction in sera of sows at parturition and of their newborn piglets immediately after birth without suckling colostrum and at 24 hr after suckling colostrum

This study was performed to clarify the sow-to-fetus transmission pathway of Torque teno sus virus (TTSuV) types 1 (TTSuV1) and 2 (TTSuV2). For this purpose, detection of TTSuV1 and TTSuV2 (TTSuVs) in sera of 6 sows (Sows 1-6) at parturition and in sera of their newborn piglets immediately after birth without suckling colostrum was performed by nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR). These sows were bred using semen that had tested negative for TTSuVs. In a TTSuV1- and TTSuV2-positive sow (Sow 1), TTSuV1 and TTSuV2 were detected in 4 and 5 of 12 newborn littermates, respectively. In a TTSuV1-positive sow (Sow 2), TTSuV1 was detected in 1 of 8 newborn littermates. In 4 TTSuV1- and TTSuV2-negative sows (Sows 3-6), TTSuV1 was detected in 6 out of the 25 newborn piglets of 3 sows (Sows 3-5), while TTSuVs were not detected in all 13 piglets of 1 sow (Sow 6). In addition, to investigate the possibility of a sow-to-piglet transmission pathway of TTSuV via colostrum, TTSuV1 and TTSuV2 in sera of 12 newborn piglets from Sows 1-3 were examined by nPCR. Immediately after birth without suckling colostrum, TTSuV1 and TTSuV2 were not detected in 10 and 8 of 12 newborn piglets, respectively; however, at 24 hr after suckling colostrum, TTSuV1 was detected in 6 piglets, while TTSuV2 was not detected in any piglets. These results confirmed the existence of a sow-to-fetus transmission pathway of TTSuV during normal pregnancy and suggested a possibility of sow-to-piglet transmission of TTSuV via colostrum.     

Potential role of frugivorous birds in the recovery process of forest vegetation after feral goat eradication in Mukojima Island, the Bonin Islands

Some introduced frugivorous birds disperse introduced plants and are thus a substitute for extinct native birds. Introduced birds have negative and/or infrequently positive effects on local ecosystems. It is important for management of the ecosystems to understand the relationships between native and introduced frugivorous and plant species. In this study, we elucidated these relationships in Mukojima Island, the Bonin Islands, where was anthropologically deforested and Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus and some plants were already introduced. We examined the habitat selection of frugivorous birds, actual dispersed seeds in bird feces, and the distribution of the potentially dispersed plant species. The Japanese White-eye and the native, Blue Rockthrush Monticola solitarius, were dominant on this island. The former mainly used the forest area and dispersed only small seeds and frequently introduced plant seeds. The latter mainly used the open area and dispersed both small and large seeds. Some small-seed plants occurred not only in the forest but also in the open area. Their seedlings were distributed farther from their adult trees than the large-seed species. These indicate that small-seed plants would be more spread than the large-seed plants because the two bird species disperse their seeds in different environments. This introduced bird species may be important in vegetation recovery, although it may contribute to the distribution of introduced plants on this island.     

Pathological characteristics of thyroid glands from Japanese Black Cattle living in the restricted area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

To study the effect of ionizing radiation on thyroid glands, 66 Japanese Black cattle residing in the restricted area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2013–2017 were pathologically examined. There were no clinical symptoms of thyroid disease in these cattle. Three cases of goiter and seven of atrophy were found in two among the four farms examined. Cases of goiter exhibited normal morphological structure without mass or nodule formation in thyroid glands. Cellular atypia or capsular invasion of the follicular epithelium was absent. The estimated integrated dose of external radiation in goiter cases ranged from maximum 797 mSv to minimum 24 mSv. All lobules in the seven atrophic thyroid glands were affected, but pathological findings, such as inflammatory cell infiltration or stromal fibrosis, were not observed. The estimated integrated dose of external radiation in atrophic thyroids ranged from maximum 589 mSv to minimum 8 mSv. Immunohistochemical analysis of anti‐nitroguanosine and the TUNEL method in goiter and atrophic thyroid glands did not reveal any positive findings. The present study indicates that there was no significant relationship between a radiation effect and pathological findings in any thyroid glands.     

Decreased blood cell counts were not observed in cattle living in the “difficult‐to‐return zone” of the Fukushima nuclear accident

White blood cells, especially lymphocytes, are susceptible to radiation exposure. In the present study, red blood cell, total white blood cell, and lymphocyte counts were repeatedly measured in cattle living on three farms located in the “difficult‐to‐return zone” of the Fukushima nuclear accident, and compared with two control groups from unaffected areas. Blood cell counts differed significantly between the two control groups, although almost all the values fell within the normal range. The blood cell counts of the cattle in the “difficult‐to‐return zone” varied across sampling times even on the same farms, being sometimes higher or lower than either of the two control groups. However, neither a statistically significant decrease in blood cell counts nor an increase in the rate of cattle with extremely low blood cell counts was observed overall. The estimated cumulative exposure dose for the cattle on the most contaminated farm was within a range of 500–1000 mSv, exceeding the threshold for the lymphopenia. Because of the low dose rate on these farms, potential radiation damages would have been repaired and have not accumulated enough to cause deterministic effects.     

Interference with cell-to-cell movement of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tomato mosaic virus</Emphasis> by transient overexpression of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arabidopsis thaliana</Emphasis> KELP homologs from different plant species

The KELP protein of Arabidopsis thaliana (AtKELP), which binds to the Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) movement protein in vitro, can interfere with cell-to-cell movement of the virus under transient overexpression conditions. In this study, we constructed expression plasmids encoding a fluorescent protein fused to AtKELP or to its homolog from Brassica, Nicotiana, Solanum, or Oryza species. When expressed transiently, all the AtKELP homologs inhibited the cell-to-cell movement of ToMV with different efficiencies. The results of domain swapping between two selected AtKELP homologs suggest the importance of combination between the N- and C-terminal half regions for high inhibitory function.