Acute infection of encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus in Syrian hamsters.

One-month-old Syrian hamsters of the APA and Std: golden strains were inoculated intraperitoneally with 10(5) PFU/head of the D variant of encephalomyocarditis (EMC) virus and examined virologically and pathologically up to 7 days after inoculation. APA hamsters developed apparent hyperglycemia due to pancreatic islet cell damage while Std:golden hamsters did not. Hamsters of both strains showed clear histopathologic changes in the testis with prominent viral replication as well as in the brain, heart and exocrine pancreas. The susceptibility to EMC virus-infection was higher in males than in females and in APA than in Std: golden hamsters.     

Nitrogen fertilization affects yields and storage compound contents in seeds of field-grown soybeans cv Enrei (Glycine max. L) and its super-nodulating mutant En-b0-1 through changing N2 fixation activity of the plants

ABSTRACT

We compared the protein and oil contents, seed yields, and natural abundance of ¹⁵N (σ¹⁵N) of seeds from the plants of the cultivar Enrei, which has moderate nodulating ability (Enrei) with those of its two near-isogenic lines (NILs), a super-nodulating genotype of Enrei, i.e., En-b0-1, and a non-nodulating genotype of Enrei, i.e., En1282. Plants of these three genotypes were grown on four types of field plots with different types of urea coated slow-release nitrogen (N) fertilizers (CUSLNFs) which delivered N in different manners during plant growth . The seed yield of the En1282 plants was similar to that of the Enrei plants but much greater than that of the En-b0-1 plants when the plants were grown on the field to which a CUSLNF with a long lifespan was applied. The amounts of protein per seed were positively correlated with those of oil per seed in the case of En1282 plants irrespective of the field N conditions. The seed protein contents were proportional to the seed weight in both En1282 and Enrei plants. Such a relationship was not observed in the En-b0-1 plants, and the protein and oil contents in the seeds of En-b0-1 plants were negatively correlated with each other. These observations suggested that the N supply to maturing seeds was a key to the protein contents in the En1282 and Enrei plants and that the C supply to maturing seeds was a key to the protein contents in the En-b0-1 plants. The comparison of the σ¹⁵N values, protein contents, and seed yields of seeds from En1282 plants suggested that the Enrei plants assimilated considerable amounts of N from the soil during the late plant growth. We concluded that high N₂ fixation activity depressed the amounts of oil per seed and changed the protein and oil contents in soybean seeds.     

Preventive effects of CIDR-based protocols on premature ovulation before timed-AI in Ovsynch in cycling beef cows

Ovsynch is a program developed to synchronize ovulation for timed breeding. In this paper, the authors investigate whether controlled internal drug release (CIDR)-based protocols prevent premature ovulation before timed-artificial insemination (AI) when Ovsynch is started a few days before luteolysis in cycling beef cows. Nine beef cows at 16 days after oestrus were treated with (1) Ovsynch, i.e. gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) analogue on day 0, prostaglandin (PG) F(2alpha) analogue on day 7 and GnRH analogue on day 9 with timed-AI on day 10, (n=3); (2) Ovsynch+CIDR (Ovsynch protocol plus a CIDR for 7 days from day 0, n=3), or (3) oestradiol benzoate (OB)+CIDR+GnRH (OB on day 0 in lieu of the first GnRH treatment, followed by the Ovsynch+CIDR protocol, n=3). In the Ovsynch group (1) plasma progesterone concentrations fell below 0.5 ng/mL earlier (day 5) than in both CIDR-treated groups (2) and (3), where this occurred on day 8. Plasma oestradiol-17beta concentrations peaked on day 8 in the Ovsynch group and on day 9 in both CIDR-treated groups. The dominant follicle ovulated on day 10 in the Ovsynch group and on day 11 in both CIDR-treated groups. Thus, both CIDR-based protocols prevented premature ovulation before timed-AI in Ovsynch when the protocol was started a few days before luteolysis. This reflects the fact that progesterone levels remained high until the beef cattle were treated with PGF(2alpha).     

Assessment of rabbit spleen size using ultrasonography

Assessment of spleen size using the ultrasonography has become a standard practice in human. However, the assessment is not established method in experimental animals. To establish the index to assess the spleen size using ultrasonography, we measured the cross-section image of rabbit spleen during endotoxin shock. The image of the cross-section was appeared as triangle, and the height of the triangular image was defined as the spleen index. This spleen index showed strong correlation with the spleen weight. In conclusion, this method is suitable for observation of changes in rabbit spleen size and may reduce the number of rabbit in the longitudinal studies.     

Lesions in the central nervous system of DBA/2 mice infected with the D variant of encephalomyocarditis virus (EMC-D).

The central nervous system (CNS) of DBA/2 mice inoculated i.p. with the D variant of encephalomyocarditis virus (EMC-D) (10(3) PFU/head) was examined up to 28 days postinoculation (28 DPI). The virus titer of CNS reached a maximum level at 4 DPI, and infectious viruses became undetectable by 28 DPI. Histopathologically, degeneration of neurons with virus antigens was observed in St. pyramidale hippocampi, Nuc. amigdaloideus corticalis and St. granulosum cerebelli of the brain and in Cornu ventrale of the thoracic to lumbar spinal cord at 6 DPI. In addition, in the spinal cord, demyelination was found in Funiculus ventralis and Funiculus lateralis at 6 DPI and it progressed to form spongiosis at 10 DPI. In correspondence with these virological and histopathological findings, hind limb paralysis developed in some mice at 6 DPI, and its incidence increased markedly to about 60% at 10 DPI.     

Effect of liquid paraffin on antibody responses and local adverse reactions of bivalent oil adjuvanted vaccines containing newcastle disease virus and infectious bronchitis virus

Effects of liquid paraffin on antibody responses and local adverse reactions after intramuscular injection of oil adjuvanted vaccines containing Newcastle disease (ND) and infectious bronchitis (IB) virus were investigated in chickens. Each vaccine was prepared with a liquid paraffin such as Carnation, Crystol 52 and Lytol. These vaccines induced sustained antibody responses against ND and IB. Among local adverse reactions, Lytol induced granulomatous reactions and abscesses, but Carnation and Crystol 52 did not. The residual weight of liquid paraffin at the injection site decreased in the order Carnation, Crystol 52, Lytol. Crystol 52 was composed of relatively few short-chain hydrocarbons (i.e., n-C20H42). The vaccine with liquid paraffin mainly composed of n-C16H34-n-C20H42 was suggested to induce fewer adverse reactions.     

Parasitization by Cotesia plutellae enhances detoxifying enzyme activity in Plutella xylostella

Insecticidal tests using diazinon showed that the mortality of Plutella xylostella larvae parasitized by Cotesia plutellae was reduced by 4.6-fold compared to that of the nonparasitized hosts. The use of chemicals with synergistic effect to insecticides in toxicity assay helps to elucidate the kind of enzyme involved in lowering insect mortality. Synergism of diethyl maleate and piperonyl butoxide with diazinon resulted to 2.4- and 1.9-fold increase, respectively, in susceptibility of parasitized larvae compared to those of nonparasitized larvae. These results indicated the possibility that the decrease in susceptibility to diazinon was due to the elevated activities of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and cytochrome P450 monooxygenase (CYP), respectively. The GST activities in parasitized larvae were significantly higher than those of nonparasitized ones starting from three days post-parasitization until emergence of parasitoid larva. High GST activities during late parasitism could be attributed to both enzyme activities toward diazinon of parasitized P. xylostella larva itself and C. plutellae larva inside larval host. High GST activity one day after parasitization, although statistical significance was not detected, was caused by polydnavirus (PDV) and the venom of C. plutellae not by parasitoid larvae. Artificial injection of PDV plus venom demonstrated that the resulting increase in GST activity is similar to the increase brought by parasitization. High CYP activity after 3 days post-parasitization in parasitized larva was attributed mainly to the activity of parasitoid larva. Carboxylesterase activity in the parasitized host remained at a high level, while that in the nonparasitized host decreased slightly as pupation approaches. On the other hand, acetylcholinesterase activity also remained constant after parasitization until larval emergence, while that of the nonparasitized hosts decreased gradually as the host larvae approach pupation. These results were supported by inhibition tests using diazoxon in vitro.     

Rooting response of shoot cuttings from three peach growth habits

Current year shoot cuttings were collected in October and August from three growth habits of peach (Compact, Pillar, and Standard) and treated with one of four concentrations of indole butyric acid (0, 250, 1250, and 2500 mg L⁻¹ IBA). Rooting response was measured after 5 weeks in the greenhouse. Little or no rooting occurred with cuttings from any growth habit that was collected in October or in August when treated with 0 and 2500 mg L⁻¹ IBA. In August, the number of shoots that rooted was greater in cuttings from Pillar (79 and 45%) than Compact (13 and 3%) treated with 250 and 1250 mg L⁻¹ IBA, respectively. Cuttings from Standard trees had intermediate rooting of 56 and 6% at 250 and 1250 mg L⁻¹ IBA, respectively. Pillar trees consistently grew more roots with greater root length per cutting than the other growth habits. It is proposed that differences in rooting response among the growth habits may be associated with differences in endogenous auxin concentration that had been found in previous studies. Within peach and possibly other fruit trees, the capacity of shoot cuttings to develop adventitious roots can vary by cultivar and successful root induction with exogenous plant growth regulators may depend, in part, on endogenous hormone levels.