Impaired female fertility in tubulointerstitial antigen-like 1-deficient mice

Tubulointerstitial nephritis antigen-like 1 (Tinagl1, also known as adrenocortical zonation factor 1 [AZ-1] or lipocalin 7) is a matricellular protein. Previously, we demonstrated that Tinagl1 expression was restricted to extraembryonic regions during the postimplantation period and detected marked expression in mouse Reichert’s membranes. In uteri, Tinagl1 is markedly expressed in the decidual endometrium during the postimplantation period, suggesting that it plays a physical and physiological role in embryo development and/or decidualization of the uterine endometrium during pregnancy. In the present study, in order to determine the role of Tinagl1 during embryonic development and pregnancy, we generated Tinagl1-deficient mice. Although Tinagl1^–/– embryos were not lethal during development to term, homologous matings of Tinagl1^–/– females and Tinagl1^–/– males showed impaired fertility during pregnancy, including failure to carry pregnancy to term and perinatal lethality. To examine ovarian function, ovulation was induced with equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG); the number of ovulated oocytes did not differ between Tinagl1^–/– and Tinagl1^flox/flox. In vitro fertilization followed by embryo culture also demonstrated the normal developmental potential of Tinagl1-null embryos during the preimplantation period. Our results demonstrate that Tinagl1 deficiency affects female mice and results in subfertility phenotypes, and they suggest that although the potential of Tinagl1^–/– oocytes is normal, Tinagl1 is related to fertility in adult females but is not essential for either fertilization or preimplantation development in vitro.     

Phosphorus and aluminium solubility relationships in acidic lowbush blueberry barren soils in Maine

Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) is a native plant that is not cultivated, but managed in areas of sufficient plant density to provide commercial yields. A cropping systems study was initiated to compare how organic and three levels of conventional (low, medium and high input) management practices affected soil properties at 12 grower fields in the lowbush blueberry barrens of Maine. The fields under organic and low‐conventional treatments did not receive any fertilizer inputs. The high and medium conventional treatment fields received optimal and reduced diammonium phosphate inputs, respectively. Three measurements of soil P (modified‐Morgan soil test, oxalate extractable and total P) showed no significant effect of management treatment on the phosphorus status of the soils. This suggests that soil P may be leaching below the 0–10 cm rooting zone which was investigated in this study. Equilibrium chemical speciation of soil/water extracts showed that gibbsite was controlling the solubility of Al in these barren soils and that P was undersaturated with respect to amorphous Al(OH)₂PO₄. A laboratory one‐point P sorption study showed that dissolved organic matter derived from the organic pad sampled from the study sites did not inhibit the adsorption of the added P. This suggests that addition of carbon‐rich soil amendments such as compost may not increase P bioavailability of these acidic soils with high Al (oxy)hydroxide (gibbsite) mineral content.     

Synthesis,insecticidal activity and pyrethroidal mode of action of new tin ether derivatives

A novel range of trimethylstanniomethyl ethers of well known pyrethroid alcohols were synthesised, and their insecticidal activities and modes of action as insecticides were investigated. Among them, ethers from three types of alcohol (3-phenoxybenzyl, 4-fluoro-3-phenoxybenzyl and 6-phenoxy-2-pyridylmethyl) showed remarkable insecticidal activities against rice stem borers, houseflies and German cockroaches. According to electrophysiological studies on the abdominal nerve cords of German cockroaches, trimethylstanniomethyl 6-phenoxy-2-pyridylmethyl ether induced a rapid decline in spontaneous firing similar to that from tetramethrin. However, insecticidal trimethyltin chloride caused an entirely different response. These observations suggest that the present tin ether derivatives resemble pyrethroids, rather than the insecticidal tin compounds known so far.     

Telomere length and telomerase activity in canine mammary gland tumors

OBJECTIVE: To measure telomere length and telomerase activity in naturally occurring canine mammary gland tumors. SAMPLE POPULATION: 27 mammary gland tumor specimens obtained during resection or necropsy and 12 mammary gland tissue specimens obtained from healthy (control) dogs. PROCEDURE: Telomere length in tissue specimens was measured by use of restriction endonuclease digestion and Southern blot analysis. Telomerase activity was measured by use of a telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay. RESULTS: Telomere length in mammary gland tumors ranged from 11.0 to 21.6 kilobase pairs (kbp; mean +/- SEM, 14.5+/-0.5 kbp) but did not differ among tumor types. Telomeres in mammary gland tumors were slightly shorter than in normal tissue specimens, but telomere length could not be directly compared between groups, because mean age of dogs was significantly different between groups. Age was negatively correlated with telomere length in control dogs but was not significantly correlated with length in affected dogs. Telomerase activity was detected in 26 of 27 mammary gland tumors and in 4 of 12 normal tissue specimens. However, telomerase activity and telomere length were not correlated in tumor specimens. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Telomere length is maintained in canine mammary gland tumors regardless of the age of the affected dog. Measurement of telomere length may be a useful tool for monitoring the in vivo effects of telomerase inhibitors in dogs with tumors.     

Molecular cloning of canine thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) gene and its expression in various tissues

Thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) is known as a functional ligand for CC chemokine receptor 4 (CCR4), which is selectively expressed on Th2 lymphocytes and induces selective migration of the cells to allergic lesions. In this study, we cloned canine TARC cDNA from canine thymus by RT-PCR with rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) method. The canine TARC clone contained a full-length open reading frame encoding 99 amino acids and included four cysteine residues characteristic to CC chemokine family. The canine TARC cDNA showed 77.5%, 67.4%, and 68.5% amino acid sequence similarity with human, mouse and rat homologues, respectively. Expression of TARC mRNA was detected not only in thymus but also in spleen, lymph node, lung and heart of the various normal dog tissues examined. TARC cDNA clone obtained in this study will be useful for further investigation on allergic diseases in dogs.     

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia in a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia was diagnosed by postmortem examination of a one-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with four-week history of dyspnea. Cytologic and histologic examination of lung tissues revealed numerous P. carinii trophozoites and cysts, and P. carinii specific DNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction. The dog showed hypogammagloblinemia and extremely low levels of serum IgG. It was considered that P. carinii pneumonia in this case was associated with an immunodeficient condition which has already been reported in Miniature Dachshunds.     

Seasonal atopic dermatitis in dogs sensitive to a major allergen of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) pollen

Three dogs were examined because of episodes of recurrent pruritic dermatitis in the spring, the season of Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica, CJ) pollination in Japan. The dogs were shown to be sensitive to CJ pollen allergen using intradermal testing and antigen-specific IgE measurement. Fluorometric enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) showed increased concentrations of IgE specific to Cry j 1 and a negative result for Cry j 2 in the three dogs. The concentrations of IgE specific to Cry j 1 during the season of CJ pollination were higher than the concentrations found during the off-season in all the dogs, and the variation in the concentrations correlated with the variation in clinical signs. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells showed apparent proliferative responses to crude CJ pollen antigen and Cry j 1 during CJ pollination season. These findings indicated that Cry j 1 was the major allergen recognized by IgE and lymphocytes and resulted in the development of type I hypersensitivity to CJ pollen allergen in these atopic dogs.     

Determination of nucleotide sequence of SRY gene in sika deer (Cervus nippon)

The aim of the present study was to determine the whole nucleotide sequence of the open reading frame of the sex‐determining region Y (SRY‐ORF) in wild sika deer. The SRY gene of wild sika deer was obtained by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with DNA from blood samples. The whole nucleotide sequence of the SRY‐ORF in wild sika deer consisted of 687 bp and encoded 229 deduced amino acids. In comparison with the bovine SRY gene, the percentage of nucleotide sequence homology was 91.0% in the overall ORF, and those of the N‐terminal, high mobility group (HMG) box, and C‐terminal regions within ORF were 88.9%, 96.2% and 87.9%, respectively. The nucleotide sequences of sika deer SRY‐ORF characterized in the present study can be used for phylogenetic analysis or sexing in wild sika deer.