Decreased transport of orally administered protein into the blood circulation of developing juveniles of Japanese eel Anguilla japonica

ABSTRACT: To clarify the quantitative changes in the transport of orally intubated protein into the blood circulation as macromolecules in development, immunoglobulin Y (IgY) extracted from chicken eggs was administered orally to juvenile Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica . For the first experiment, which was performed before the commencement of artificial feeding, the oral delivery of 2.0 μg/0.1 g bodyweight of IgY resulted in a rapid increase in plasma IgY to a maximum of 2.30 μg/mL. However, the transport of IgY into the blood decreased significantly in the experiments that followed, which were performed after 12, 25 and 42 days. During this period, bodyweight increased approximately by a factor of eight, and rapid growth of the stomach was observed histologically. Possible contributions for the development of the alimentary canal to the diminishment of intestinal protein assimilation are discussed.     

Questionnaire-based study on consumer requirements for beef quality in Japan

A questionnaire study examining Japanese consumers’ requirements for beef quality was carried out in April 2002 in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. Answers from 532 participants were used for the statistical analysis. Twenty questions about sensory properties, appearance, safety and freshness, production area, price, and other properties were prepared. The answers were applied to principal component analysis. Five principal components were obtained and defined, and the principle component scores were used to classify participants. The panels were classified into four groups profiled as ‘specific quality orientated’, ‘Wagyu (Japanese beef) orientated’, ‘safety and freshness orientated’ and ‘overall high quality orientated’. In addition, gender and age characteristics were different among the groups. Sensory properties did not affect the classification of respondents.     

Contribution of insulin to the ascorbate recycling system in the chicken liver

The effect of insulin on the ascorbate recycling system in the chicken liver was examined. First, insulin was injected subcutaneously into the chicken, and liver glutathione‐dependent dehydroascorbate reductase (GSH‐DHAR) activity was determined. Insulin increased liver GSH‐DHAR activity, but did not affect plasma and liver ascorbate concentration. Dehydroascorbate increased plasma and liver ascorbate levels, and liver GSH‐DHAR activity. However, distinct changes in plasma insulin level were not observed by dehydroascorbate injection. In addition, reduction of external dehydroascorbate in cultured chicken hepatocytes could not be observed in an insulin‐deprived culture, although the cells reduced external dehydroascorbate in a serum‐free culture with insulin. We concluded that insulin affects the ascorbate recycling system as an essential factor in the chicken liver.     

Laboratory diagnosis of canine GM2-gangliosidosis using blood and cerebrospinal fluid.

In the present study, laboratory techniques were used to diagnose canine GM2-gangliosidosis using blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that can be collected noninvasively from living individuals. Lysosomal acid beta-hexosaminidase (Hex) was measured spectrofluorometrically using 4-methylumbelliferyl N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminide and 4-methylumbelliferyl 7-(6-sulfo-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranoside) as substrates. Main isoenzymes A and B of Hex in leukocytes were also analyzed using cellulose acetate membrane electrophoresis. GM2-ganglioside in CSF was detected and determined quantitatively by using thin-layer chromatography/enzyme-immunostaining method with anti-GM2-ganglioside antibody. In normal dogs, Hex activities could be determined in leukocytes, serum, and CSF and the total activities were markedly reduced in all the enzyme sources in a dog with Sandhoff disease. Electrophoresis of a leukocyte lysate from a normal dog showed that the Hex A and Hex B were not separated distinctively with formation of a broad band, whereas there were no bands in electrophoresis of a lysate from a dog with Sandhoff disease, showing a deficiency in the total enzyme activity. GM2-ganglioside could be detected and determined quantitatively in as little as 100 microl of canine CSE GM2-ganglioside in CSF in a dog with Sandhoff disease increased to 46 times the normal level. In conclusion, the methods in the present study are useful for diagnosis of canine GM2-gangliosidosis. These techniques enable definitive and early diagnosis of canine GM2-gangliosidosis even if tissues and organs cannot be obtained.     

The effect of depopulation and restocking on reproductive and growth performances on Japanese commercial swine farms

This study compared the reproductive and growth performances of pigs before and after depopulation and restocking after a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Japan. Data for the time period before and after depopulation and restocking were obtained from three farrow-to-finish farms. As a result of depopulation and restocking, hygiene levels were improved, and common infectious diseases, such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome and Aujeszky’s disease, remained undetected on the farms. Compared with before depopulation, reproductive and growth performances improved after depopulation; the number of total pigs born was higher, the postweaning mortality rate was lower, and the age at slaughter was lower (P<0.05). In summary, depopulation and restocking improved the reproductive and growth performances of pigs.     

Effects of oral orbifloxacin on fecal coliforms in healthy cats: a pilot study

The study objective was to determine the effect of oral orbifloxacin (ORB) on antimicrobial susceptibility and composition of fecal coliforms in cats. Nine cats were randomized to two groups administered a daily oral dose of 2.5 and 5.0 mg ORB/kg for 7 days and a control group (three cats per group). Coliforms were isolated from stool samples and were tested for susceptibilities to ORB and 5 other drugs. ORB concentration in feces was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The coliforms were undetectable after 2 days of ORB administration, and their number increased in most cats after termination of the administration. Furthermore, only isolates of Escherichia coli were detected in all cats before administration, and those of Citrobacter freundii were detected after termination of the administration. E. coli isolates exhibited high ORB susceptibility [Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), ≤0.125 µg/ml] or relatively low susceptibility (MIC, 1−2 µg/ml) with a single gyrA mutation. C. freundii isolates largely exhibited intermediate ORB susceptibility (MIC, 4 µg/ml), in addition to resistance to ampicillin and cefazolin, and harbored qnrB, but not a gyrA mutation. HPLC revealed that the peaks of mean concentration were 61.3 and 141.0 µg/g in groups receiving 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg, respectively. Our findings suggest that oral ORB may alter the total counts and composition of fecal coliform, but is unlikely to yield highly fluoroquinolone-resistant mutants of E. coli and C. freundii in cats, possibly because of the high drug concentration in feces.     

GM1 gangliosidosis in a Japanese domestic cat: a new variant identified in Hokkaido,Japan

A male Japanese domestic cat with retarded growth in Hokkaido, Japan, showed progressive motor dysfunction, such as ataxia starting at 3 months of age and tremors, visual disorder and seizure after 4 months of age. Finally, the cat died of neurological deterioration at 9 months of age. Approximately half of the peripheral blood lymphocytes had multiple abnormal vacuoles. Magnetic resonance imaging showed bisymmetrical hyperintensity in the white matter of the parietal and occipital lobes in the forebrain on T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images, and mild encephalatrophy of the olfactory bulbs and temporal lobes. The activity of lysosomal acid β-galactosidase in leukocytes was negligible, resulting in the biochemical diagnosis of GM1 gangliosidosis. Histologically, swollen neurons characterized by accumulation of pale, slightly granular cytoplasmic materials were observed throughout the central nervous system. Dysmyelination or demyelination and gemistocytic astrocytosis were observed in the white matter. Ultrastructually, membranous cytoplasmic bodies were detected in the lysosomes of neurons. However, genetic analysis did not identify the c.1448G>C mutation, which is the single known mutation of feline GM1 gangliosidosis, suggesting that the cat was affected with a new variant of the feline disease.     

Characterization of a novel nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-cytochrome b5 reductase mutation associated with canine hereditary methemoglobinemia

Hereditary methemoglobinemia associated with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-cytochrome b5 reductase (b5R) deficiency is a rare autosomal recessive disorder in animals. Recently, nonsynonymous b5R gene (CYB5R3) variants have been reported to be associated with canine and feline hereditary methemoglobinemia. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of canine and feline methemoglobinemia caused by these nonsynonymous variants have not yet been reported. Previously, we reported a Pomeranian dog family with hereditary methemoglobinemia, carrying CYB5R3 mutation of an A>C transition at codon 194 in exon 7, replacing an isoleucine residue with leucine (p.Ile194Leu). In this study, we investigated the enzymatic and structural properties of the soluble form of wild-type and Ile194Leu canine b5Rs to characterize the effects of this missense mutation. Our results showed that the kinetic properties of the mutant enzyme were not affected by this amino acid substitution. The secondary structure of the wild-type and Ile194Leu b5Rs detected by circular dichroism showed a similar pattern. However, the mutant enzyme exhibited decreased heat stability and increased susceptibility to trypsin hydrolysis. Moreover, the thermostability and unfolding measurements indicated that the mutant enzyme was more sensitive to temperature-dependent denaturation than the wild-type b5R. We concluded from these results that unstable mutant enzyme properties with normal enzymatic activity would be associated with hereditary methemoglobinemia in the Pomeranian dog family.     

Carrier rate of the c.235G>C mutation in the bovine isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase (IARS) gene of Japanese Black cows at Kagoshima prefecture, Japan,and analysis of the metabolic profiling and reproductive performance of heterozygous cows

Bovine isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase (IARS) disorder, a major cause of weak calf syndrome, is caused by a homozygous missense (c.235G>C) mutation in the bovine IARS gene of Japanese Black (JB) cattle, which was identified in 2013. However, the extent to which the carrier rate has changed at Kagoshima prefecture, Japan, and whether the carrier status is associated with any clinical or reproductive problems, have yet to be ascertained. In this study, using a real-time polymerase chain reaction-based genotyping assay, we determined the carrier rate in a regional JB cow population at Kagoshima prefecture. Comparative analyses were performed on the metabolic profile test (MPT) results and reproductive performance data obtained for heterozygous carrier and homozygous wild-type cows. In 2009 and 2018, DNA samples were collected from 130 and 462 clinically healthy JB cows, respectively, in Kagoshima prefecture. MPT results and reproductive performance data were evaluated for 62 cows, comprising four heterozygous carriers and 58 wild-type cows. Genotyping revealed that the carrier rate was 6.9% in 2009 and 1.5% in 2018, the difference of which was statistically significant (P<0.005). There were no statistically significant differences between the carrier and wild-type cows with respect to either MPT results or reproductive performance, indicating that the carrier cows have necessary IARS activity to maintain minimal health and reproductive potential.     

Comparison of intraoperative cardiorespiratory and behavioral responses to medetomidine combined with tramadol or butorphanol during standing laparoscopic ovariectomy in horses

The purpose of this study was to assess the cardiorespiratory and behavioral responses to the combination of medetomidine and tramadol (M-T) or butorphanol (M-B) in standing laparoscopic ovariectomy in horses. One ovary was removed under M-T and the contralateral ovary was removed under M-B with at least 4 weeks between operations at random. Horses were sedated using intravenous medetomidine (5 µg/kg) followed by tramadol (1 mg/kg) or butorphanol (10 µg/kg) after 5 min. Sedation was maintained through the repeated injection of medetomidine (1 µg/kg) and tramadol (0.4 mg/kg) or medetomidine (1 µg/kg) and butorphanol (4 µg/kg) every 15 min. Cardiorespiratory function and behavioral responses, including, sedation, ataxia, and analgesia, were assessed during the surgery. There were no significant differences in cardiorespiratory values and sedation and analgesia scores between M-T and M-B. Ataxia scores were significantly lower in M-T than in M-B. This result suggests that M-T could maintain smooth and stable standing surgery with minimal cardiorespiratory changes in horses.