Effect of dietary addition of seaweed and licorice on the immune performance of pigs

In pig production, dietary additive antibiotics are usually used for growth stimulation and disease prevention, although there is public concern about the increased incidence of resistant antibiotics and food safety. It is possible that such antibiotics might be replaced by naturally derived products such as seaweed and licorice. In this study, we evaluated the effect of dietary addition of seaweed and licorice on enhancing the immune function in swine. The animals of each group (eight animals per group) were sensitized at day 42 and 49, and the immunoglobulin production and the expression of cytokines were detected by the ELISA and real‐time PCR. As the results, saliva IgA production of the seaweed‐treated group increased around five times compared to that of control (day 56). Delayed hypersensitivity reaction and IgG production of the seaweed‐treated group increased around 1.8–2.0 times. In addition, enhanced saliva IgA production was detected at day 50 (around two times) and day 51 (around five times) by the licorice treatment, and lower expression level of tumor necrosis factor‐α messenger RNA at day 51 (around 1/25) was observed in the licorice treatment. We conclude that the replacement of antibiotics by naturally derived dietary additives might be feasible for immune system enhancement.     

Analysis of the equine ovarian structure during the first twelve months of life by three-dimensional internal structure microscopy

A three-dimensional internal structure microscopy (3D-ISM) can clarify the anatomical arrangement of internal structures of equine ovaries. In this study, morphological changes of the equine ovary over the first 12 months of life were investigated by 3D-ISM in 59 fillies and by histological analysis in 2 fillies. The weight and volume of the paired ovaries initially decreased from 0 to 1 months to 2 to 3 months of age and then significantly increased at 8 to 12 months of age. The ovulation fossa was first observed around the 3rd month and became evident after the 6th month. The number of follicles with a diameter of ≥10 mm and the diameter of the largest follicle increased gradually after 6 months of age. On a volume basis, the medulla accounted for nearly 90% of the whole ovary at 0 to 1 months of age, but significantly decreased from 2 to 3 months of age. The volume of the cortex increased progressively after birth and reached approximately 60% of the total volume at 8 to 12 months of age. This significant development of the cortex coincided with the increased number and size of large follicles observed from 6 months of age. These results suggest that the development of the cortex plays a role in the maturation of the follicles and the equine ovary undergoes substantial morphological changes postnatally until puberty.     

Ammonia Emissions from Anaerobically-digested Slurry and Chemical Fertilizer Applied to Flooded Forage Rice

Ammonia fluxes from application of anaerobically-digested slurry (ADS) and chemical fertilizer (CF) to flooded forage rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Japan were measured using a dynamic flow-through chamber method in lysimeters. The CF was applied at a rate of 300 N ha^?1 (three times) as ammoniacal-N fertilizer, and the ADS was applied to the lysimeters at total rates equivalent to 75, 100 and 150 kg N ha^?1, by broadcasting uniformly into the floodwater at three or six times (equal splits) between 17th June and 17th November, 2005. The emission fluxes for the first 2 days after application were very high from ADS, the highest values being 679 compared with a maximum of 156 mg N m^?2 d^?1 from CF. Most (61–93%) of the ammonia loss occurred during the first 5 days after each application of fertilizer. The total N loss as ammonia from ADS (29.6–51.7%) was much higher than from CF (12.2%). The highest fluxes were observed in August (2005) when air temperature was highest. More ammonia was lost from the ADS applied at the early stages (i.e. root taking, tiller stages) than at later stages (i.e. elongation, fruiting stages) of rice growth.     

Nuclear Morphometric Analysis of Leydig Cells of Male Pubertal Rats Exposed In Utero to Di(n-butyl) Phthalate

We recently reported that prenatal rat exposure to di(n-butyl) phthalate (DBP) induced Leydig cell (LC) hyperplasia after nine weeks (wks) of age, yet the number of LCs was similar to that of the vehicle group until seven weeks. Nuclear pleomorphism of hyperplastic LCs is common and is considered to be continuous progressive degeneration. Thus, computer-assisted image cell nuclear analysis of LCs was performed on 5- and 7-wk-old Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats whose dams had been administered DBP (i.g.) at 100 mg/kg/day or vehicle (corn oil) on gestation day 12 to 21. The results of the 5-wk-old DBP group were similar to those of the vehicle group; LC nuclei of the 7-wk-old DBP group showed normal ploidy and similar amounts of DNA. However, the size, elongation and peripheral chromatin aggregation parameters were significantly higher, and the reticular chromatin distribution and isolated chromatin aggregation parameters were significantly lower compared with the vehicle group. The present study quantitatively demonstrated nuclear morphological alterations in rat LCs at 7 wks old (puberty) due to the prenatal DBP administration before apparent LC hyperplasia developed.     

Effect of sulfate on nitrate transport in volcanic ash soils sampled from the A and the B horizons

Intensive cultivation of crop fields using agricultural chemicals and fertilizers has led to changes in ecological systems, resulting in a high possibility of environmental pollution by contamination, or occasional reactions not only in the soil but also in the water and the atmosphere. Some substances are known to be very toxic to human beings at low concentrations. For example, nitrosamines are believed to be carcinogenic and mutagenic.     

Three‐Dimensional Study of the Terminal Portion in Sprague‐Dawley Rat Ejaculatory Ducts

In mammals, a pair of ejaculatory ducts exists in the urethra at the seminal colliculus. The detailed anatomical structures of the distal end of the ejaculatory ducts of Sprague‐Dawley rats were investigated by the computer‐assisted three‐dimensional reconstruction analysis using light‐microscopic serial sections. A three‐dimensional reconstruction revealed that in adult rats, the ejaculatory sinus pair consists of two parts: the cranial section – a compartment region composed of a fusion of the ampullary gland duct and the seminal vesicle duct, and the caudal section – a grooved region composed of a long slitlike ejaculatory ostium that extends into the urethra on both sides of the seminal colliculus. But the sphincter structure was not observed. The long axis of the compartment region was approximately 58 μm in length, and that of the groove region was approximately 495 μm. Although many epithelial glands ducts were distributed throughout the ejaculatory sinuses, the prostate and coagulation gland ducts did not open in these sinuses. The urethra was composed of transitional epithelium, while the ejaculatory sinuses were composed of single to stratified cuboidal epithelium. The ejaculatory ducts continued to the ejaculatory ostium in male adult Sprague‐Dawley rat were composed of the seminal vesicle ducts received the ampullary gland ducts.     

Stereolithographic biomodeling of equine ovary based on 3D serial digitizing device

The 3D internal structure microscopy (3D-ISM) was applied to the equine ovary, which possesses peculiar structural characteristics. Stereolithography was applied to make a life-sized model by means of data obtained from 3D-ISM. Images from serially sliced surfaces contributed to a successful 3D reconstruction of the equine ovary. Photopolymerized resin models of equine ovaries produced by stereolithography can clearly show the internal structure and spatial localizations in the ovary. The understanding of the spatial relationship between the ovulation fossa and follicles and/or corpora lutea in the equine ovary was a great benefit. The peculiar structure of the equine ovary could be thoroughly observed and understood through this model.