Variability of serum bile acid concentrations over time in dairy cattle, and effect of feed deprivation on the variability.

Twelve nonlactating dairy cows, free of signs of liver disease and with normal serum activities of liver-derived enzymes and normal liver biopsy tissue, were examined over a 72-hour period for serum total bile acid concentrations. The cattle were fed hay twice daily, and blood samples were obtained every hour for 24 hours, every other hour for 24 hours, then every hour for 24 hours. After 3 weeks, the study was repeated on 6 of the cattle, thus providing data for eighteen 72-hour periods. Serum bile acid concentration varied greatly over the 72 hours, with the range being from one third to 3 times the median. There were variations by as much as 60 mumol/L from 1 hour to the next. After another 3 weeks, 8 of the cattle were deprived of hay for 48 hours and then fed hay morning and afternoon of the third (last) day of the study. There was no significant reduction in bile acid concentration after withholding the hay, but the variability was reduced (P = 0.02) during the last 20 hours of the hay-deprivation period. In 3 ancillary studies, serum bile acid concentrations were examined over a 48-hour period in 2 cows in early lactation, 3 cows in midlactation, and two 6-month-old heifers. The cows were fed hay and grain twice daily, and the heifers were fed only hay twice daily. In comparison with values for the 12 nonlactating cows fed hay twice daily, mean serum bile acid concentration in the recently freshened cows was significantly (P < 0.002) higher (62.9 vs 22.0 mumol/L).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Comparison of Three Solvent Systems for Extraction of Chlorophyll a from Fish Pond Phytoplankton Communities

Chloroform-methanol (2:1 v/v), absolute methanol, and 90% acetone were evaluated for their effectiveness as extractants of chlorophyll a from samples of phytoplankton communities collected from catfish ponds. Chloroform-methanol consistently extracted more chlorophyll a than either 90% acetone or methanol. Precision for the methanol extraction was also unacceptably low, with an average coefficient of variation of 17%. Average coefficients of variation for the chloroform-methanol and 90% acetone extraction procedures were 6 and 5%, respectively. Filtered samples should be steeped in chloroform-methanol for at least 4 h to obtain maximum chlorophyll extraction, and the addition of MgCO₃ to the extractant as a buffer is not necessary.     

Dietary Lysine Requirement of Juvenile Red Drum Sciaenops ocellatus

The dietary lysine requirement of juvenile red drum Sciaenops ocellatus was reevaluated in two separate experiments. In the first experiment, lyophilized red drum muscle was combined with an L-form crystalline amino acid premix to yield diets containing approximately 35% protein on a dry-matter basis. Gradations (0.25%) of L-lysine HCl were added to the basal diet containing approximately 1.0% lysine. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of juvenile red drum initially weighing 6–7 g for 8 weeks. Based on growth and feed efficiency data, the lysine requirement (±SE) was determined to be 1.55% (±0.079%) of dry diet or 4.430% of dietary protein. In a second experiment, the lysine requirement of red drum was investigated with diets containing 35% intact protein from zein and red drum muscle. Each of the zein-based diets containing incremental levels of lysine was fed to triplicate groups of juvenile red drum initially weighing 1–2 g for 8 weeks. A crystalline amino acid test diet serving as a control in this experiment significantly outperformed the zein-based diets, and palatability of those diets was questionable due to an obvious change in feeding behavior of the fish. Due to the inferior performance of the fish fed the zein-based diets, the authors were not successful in determining a requirement with these diets. Thus, a lysine requirement of 1.55% of dry diet (4.43% of dietary protein) as determined in the first experiment is recommended for juvenile red drum.     

PST脂质体在猪血浆中稳定性的研究

本文旨在通过逆相蒸发法制备PST脂质体，通过测定酸价，丙二醛含量的变化，并做了猪血浆体外24h实验，验证了PST脂质体在血浆中能稳定存在，为PST脂质体的临床应用作初步的研究。     

Small mammal virology.

Most viral infections in small mammals are transient and rarely produce clinical signs. When clinical signs do appear, they are often of a multifactorial etiology such as respiratory infection with Sendai virus and the bacteria M. pulmonis in rodents. Diagnosis is generally made based on clinical signs, while therapy involves treatment for concurrent bacterial infections and supportive care. Small mammals may carry zoonotic viruses such as LCMV, but natural infections are uncommon. Viral diseases are rare (or largely unknown) for hedgehogs, chinchillas, and prairie dogs, while no known naturally occurring, clinically relevant viral diseases exist for gerbils and sugar gliders. This article is intended to aid the clinician in identifying viral infections in small mammals and to help determine the significance each virus has during clinical disease.     

The effects of agricultural fields and human settlements on the use of rivers by wildlife in the mid-Zambezi valley,Zimbabwe

After the eradication of the Tse-Tse fly in the Mid-Zambezi valley, human settlements and fields extended mainly along the main rivers. In order to investigate the consequences of this human development on wildlife diversity we monitored three rivers of the Mid-Zambezi valley in Zimbabwe: Angwa, Manyame and Kadzi. The rivers were divided in segments of 200 m which were checked for spoors in order to assess the number of species and the number of individuals that used the segments. Human settlements were also recorded. We used a GIS to define the spatial characteristics of the fields present along the rivers, and related them to the distribution and abundance of wild species spoors in the river beds and banks. Our results show that the number of species in one segment of the river decreased with the increasing size of the field area bordering the segment. For all the major ungulate species, the numbers of individuals recorded per segment decreased with increasing field area. A similar trend was observed for small and medium-sized carnivores, though they were in lower numbers when present. Our analyses thus confirm that the extension of human agriculture in wildlife areas has an impact on most wild species, but we also define some threshold value of field size above which there seem to be an acceleration of the decrease in wildlife density and diversity: 3.2 ha for medium and small herbivores and carnivores; only the elephant seem to tolerate larger field area with a threshold value of 32 ha.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

差异显示法研究不同锌源对组织基因表达的影响

选用Avine肉用仔鸡作为试验对象 ,饲喂硫酸锌和蛋氨酸锌 2种锌源。采用银染差异显示技术进行差异基因的初步筛选。结果成功回收扩增差异条带 2 6条 ;其中加锌组 (硫酸锌组和蛋氨酸锌组 ) 2 3条 ,3条为缺锌组所特有。在加锌组的 2 3条中 ,6条为蛋氨酸锌组所特有 ,1 3条为硫酸锌组所特有 ,其余 4条为 2组所共有。这些初步筛选得到的差异基因尚需进一步进行克隆、测序和杂交进行验证。     

昆虫抗菌肽生物学活性及其应用前景

昆虫抗菌肽是昆虫免疫后存在于血淋巴中的一类活性肽 ,具有广谱的抗菌、抗病毒、抑制肿瘤的生物活性 ,具有很高的应用潜力。本文主要介绍昆虫抗菌肽的类型、生理活性、基因的克隆与表达及在动物科学中的应用前景     

不同锌源对断奶小鼠生长及机体抗氧化能力的影响

选用断奶小鼠72只作为研究对象,随机分为3组(对照组,硫酸锌组和蛋氨酸锌组),每组设4个重复。测定体重、组织锌含量及相关生理生化指标,以研究硫酸锌、蛋氨酸锌2种不同锌供给形式对机体的生长效应及抗氧化能力的影响。结果表明,硫酸锌组和蛋氨酸锌组均能不同程度地提高小鼠体重,蛋氨酸锌组小鼠体重显著高于对照组与硫酸锌组(P<0.05)。饲粮中添加硫酸锌可提高小鼠肝脏和血清中的锌含量(P>0.05);蛋氨酸锌组小鼠肝脏和血清锌含量高于对照组(P<0.05)及硫酸锌组(P>0.05)。2种锌源均显著提高碱性磷酸酶(AKP)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSHPx)活性(P<0.05),不同锌源间无明显差异(P>0.05)。添加不同的锌源不同程度地提高总抗氧化能力(TAOC)、总SOD(TSOD)、铜锌超氧化物歧化酶(CuZnSOD)活性(P<0.05),蛋氨酸锌组TAOC、TSOD显著高于硫酸锌组(P<0.05)。添加锌显著降低NO含量(P<0.05),蛋氨酸锌效果显著强于硫酸锌(P<0.05);一氧化氮合酶(NOS)活性表现出与NO相反的趋势(P>0.05)。