Proportions of melanocyte stimulating hormone-immunoreactive cells in the adenohypophysis of Silky fowl and hyperpigmentation-free cockerels

Alpha‐melanocyte stimulating hormone (α‐MSH) is one of the main regulators for melanocytes, and the adenohypophysis is one of the major tissues for the synthesis of this hormone. The Silky fowl is a characteristic breed of chicken with hyperpigmentation throughout the body. The involvement of the adenohypophysis in the hyperpigmentation of this breed is not known. In the present study, the proportion of melanocyte stimulating hormone‐immunopositive cells (MSH cells) in the adenohypophysis was immunocytochemically compared between Silky, Red Cornish × New Hampshire (RN) crossbred and Japanese bantam cockerels at 15 weeks of age. After the body and gland were weighed, the adenohypophyseal cells were enzymatically dispersed and immunostained for α‐MSH, and the immunopositive MSH cells were counted. The weights of the body and adenohypophysis were heaviest in the RN crossbred, followed by the Silky and lightest in the bantam cockerels. In contrast, the ratio between adenohypophysis and bodyweight was much larger in the Silky and the bantam than in the RN crossbreed (P < 0.05). The population of MSH cells in the adenohypophysis was larger in the Silky (14.3%) than in the RN crossbreed (8.0%) and the bantam (8.1%) cockerels (P < 0.05). From these results, it was concluded that prepubertal Silky cockerel have numerous MSH cells in the adenohypophysis suggesting a relationship to hyperpigmentation.     

Plankton abundance and size structure in the northern North Pacific Ocean in early summer

Phyto- and zooplankton abundance and size structure were investigated in the northern North Pacific Ocean (37.0–49.5^oN along 180^o longitude) during June of 1987. The area between 41.5^oN and 47.5^oN was expected to be abundant in phytoplankton since both water column stability and nutrient availability were favourable for phytoplankton growth. Actual phytoplankton abundance was, however, low between 41.5^oN and 45.5^oN. In particular, abundance of net phytoplankton (>10μm) was low although picophytoplankton (<2 μm) was abundant between 41.5^oN and 43.5^oN. The zooplankton community between 41.5^oN and 45.5^oN was characterized by a large amount of net zooplankton and a small amount of microzooplankton. This situation may be best explained by top-down control; that is, net zooplankton grazing suppressed net phytoplankton and microzooplankton abundance. The diminished microzooplankton promoted the increase of picophytoplankton. Because planktivorous Pacific saury were abundant between 40.0^oN and 41.0^oN, it is further speculated that the low biomass of net zooplankton south of 41.0^oN resulted from feeding by Pacific saury. The reduced grazing pressure of net zooplankton may have enhanced the growth of net phytoplankton and microzooplankton in this region.     

Interannual variation in Neocalanus biomass in the Oyashio waters of the western North Pacific

We examined the interannual variation in Neocalanus copepod biomass in the Oyashio waters in spring and summer from 1972 to 1999. In the mid‐1970s, mesozooplankton biomass in spring was high; however, it decreased significantly in the late 1970s. The timing of the decrease in mesozooplankton biomass corresponded to the 1976/77 climatic regime shift. The biomass of N. flemingeri, which dominated the Neocalanus community, was roughly constant from 1980 to 1999. Although species‐level estimates of Neocalanus biomass were not available for the 1970s, a previous study reported that Neocalanus copepods were the predominant mesozooplankton in the Oyashio waters in spring during the 1970s. Neocalanus copepods dominated the mesozooplankton community throughout the 1970s, and their biomass decreased in the late 1970s. Springtime net community production, an index of new production, also decreased in the late 1970s. We suggest that the reduction in new production negatively affected Neocalanus food availability, resulting decreased copepod biomass. New production may have been limited by a combination of subsurface iron supplies, increased vertical density gradient, and reduced vertical water mixing in winter, which resulted in diminished iron entrainment in winter. In summer, mesozooplankton biomass significantly decreased and increased synchronously with the 1976/77 and 1988/89 climatic regime shifts. The biomass of N. plumchrus, which dominated the Neocalanus community, was low in the 1980s and increased in the early 1990s. The biomass of the second‐most dominant copepod, N. cristatus, also increased in the early 1990s. Neocalanus copepods were reported to be a dominant component of the mesozooplankton community in the 1970s; Neocalanus biomass was high in the mid‐1970s and decreased in the late 1970s. Japanese sardine (Sardinops melanostictus), an important predator of Neocalanus copepods, exhibited interannual variation in standing stock that was inversely related to mesozooplankton biomass. At their peak in 1984, sardines consumed 32–138% of the daily Neocalanus production during summer. Therefore, predation pressure on Neocalanus by Japanese sardine is likely to affect interannual variation in mesozooplankton biomass during the summer.     

Comparison of collagen content, distribution and architecture among the pectoralis, iliotibialis lateralis and puboischiofemoralis muscles with different myofiber composition in Silky cocks

The total amount of collagen, the relative distributions of types I and III collagens in perimysium and endomysium, and the collagen fiber architecture were compared among the pectoralis (PT), iliotibialis lateralis (ITL) and puboischiofemoralis (PIF) muscles in Silky cocks. All of the myofibers in the PT muscle were type IIB, the myofibers in the ITL muscle were divided into type IIA, 41.7% and IIB, 58.3%, and the PIF muscle was composed of type I, 24.6%; IIA, 64.6%; and transitional, 10.8%. The total amount of collagen differed significantly among the PT (2.92 mg/g), PIF (4.20 mg/g) and ITL (8.06 mg/g) material, where only the PIF was a whole muscle with epimysium. On the image analysis of the immunohistochemical preparations, the percentage area of perimysial collagen to the total area in each type differed significantly among the PIF, PT and ITL muscles, where it was 26.8, 50.0 and 74.4% for the type I collagen and 27.4, 32.9 and 61.7% for the type III collagen, respectively. In the scanning electron micrography of the perimysium in macerated preparations, thick bundles of collagen fibers were observed in the ITL muscle, thinner but broad platelets in the PT muscle, and a coarse tissue of thinner collagen fibers in the PIF muscle. However, the endomysial fabric of collagen fibrils was similar among the muscles. Small, transverse collagen fibers, which branched off from the thicker perimysia, occupied narrow interendomysial spaces and separated the primary myofiber fasciculi. The results indicate that the ITL muscle, localized in the distorted and overextended part of the leg and subject to strong external forces, had highly developed perimysial collagen fiber bundles, but the ITL endomysial collagen architecture was similar to that of the PT and PIF muscles.     

Effect of the strain combination of the donor and recipient on the production efficiency of W‐bearing sperm in mixed‐sex germline chimeric chickens

Effect of the strain combination of the donor and recipient on production efficiency of W‐bearing sperm in mixed‐sex chimeric testes was analyzed. The combinations of the donors and recipients were White Leghorn (WL) and Rhode Island Red (RIR), and vice versa. Generated mixed‐sex chimeras that had the male phenotype at sexual maturity were classified into four groups: (1) a female WL donor and a male RIR recipient; (2) a male WL donor and a female RIR recipient; (3) a female RIR donor and a male WL recipient; (4) a male RIR donor and a female WL recipient. The mean number of W‐bearing sperm detected by in situ hybridization among 10 000 sperm observed were 147, 165, 30 and 45 in groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The numbers in groups 1 and 2 were both significantly higher than those of groups 3 and 4 (P < 0.05). The combination of a WL donor and a RIR recipient produced W‐bearing sperm more efficiently than the reverse combination.     

Screening of 170 Peruvian plant species for allelopathic activity by using the Sandwich Method

Peru is one of the 20 botanically extremely diverse countries in the world, with >17 000 flowering plants, of which 30% are endemic. So far, no systematic research has been conducted on the screening of the allelopathic plants. In this study, the allelopathic activity of 170 species from 61 families of Peruvian plants that were collected from the three main regions of Peru – the Costa (Pacific coastline), the Sierra (Andean mountains), and the Selva (Amazonian rainforest) – was evaluated. The allelopathic activity was determined by the Sandwich Method, which can evaluate the activity of leaf leachates. The species that were found to be highly inhibitory in this screening, under the criterion of >90% inhibition of the radicle of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) seedlings, were Aristeguietia ballii and Diplostephium foliosissimum (Asteraceae) and Spondias mombin (Anacardiaceae). All of these species are native plants from Peru. This study gives a strong clue regarding the potential of isolating potent allelochemicals from these plants in the future.     

Characteristics of systemic infection and host responses in chickens experimentally infected with Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum biovar Gallinarum

Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum biovar Gallinarum (S. Gallinarum) is a host-specific pathogen causing systemic infection in poultry, which leads to significant economic losses due to high mortality. However, little is known about the dynamic process of systemic infection and pathogenic characteristics of S. Gallinarum in chickens. In the present study, we developed an oral infection model that reproduces the pathology of S. Gallinarum and clarified the host immune response of the infected chickens. Chickens at 20 days of age orally inoculated at a dose of 10⁸ colony forming unit (CFU) showed typical clinical signs of fowl typhoid and died between 6 and 10 days post infection. The inoculated S. Gallinarum rapidly disseminated to multple organs and the bacterial counts increased in the liver and spleen at 3 days post infection. Pathological changes associated wirh inflammation in the liver and spleen became apparent at 4 days post infection, and increased expression of interferon (IFN)-γ and interleuikin (IL)-12 in the liver and spleen did not observed until 3 days post infection. These results indicate that S. Gallinarum rapidly spread to entire body through intestine, and the low-level of inflammatory responses in the liver during the early stage of infection may contribute to rapid, systemic dissemination of the bacteria. Our infection model and findings will contribute to the better understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of S. Gallinarum, and provide new insights into the prevention and control of fowl typhoid.     

Comparative observations on the growth changes of the histochemical property and collagen architecture of the Musculus pectoralis from Silky, layer-type and meat-type cockerels

Growth‐related changes in the histochemical properties and collagen architecture of the Musculus pectoralis were compared among Silky, layer‐type and meat‐type cockerels. Histochemical and immunohistochemical methods were used and collagen architecture was studied using scanning electron microscopy. The total amount of collagen present was also measured. The diameter of type IIB myofibers was similar or rather larger in the layer‐type birds compared with the meat‐type. The collagen content was generally low for 5–10 weeks across the breeds and then increased in the other breeds except for Silky. In the perimysium, the collagen bundles gradually increased in size and the density of the fibrils also increased during growth. At 30 weeks of age, the layer‐type birds showed compact collagen bundles while the meat‐type had loose bundles. The endomysial collagen network appeared relatively denser in the meat‐type chicks compared to the others at week 1. At 30 weeks of age, compact and felt‐like structure of endomysium was shown by Silky and layer‐type chickens, while the meat‐type showed a relatively loose arrangement of tissue in the endomysial collagen. From these results, it appears that the meat‐type chicken can produce a large M. pectoralis with many, relatively thinner myofibers and a relatively undeveloped form of intramuscular collagen structure.