Distribution of Cytochrome P450-side Chain Cleavage in the Theca Interna Layers of Bovine Small Antral and Cystic Follicles

Cystic follicle is anovulatory follicular structure that is caused by an endocrine imbalance. The activity of cytochrome P450‐side chain cleavage (P450scc) is essential for the initiation of steroidogenesis in the follicle. The present study was designed to compare the frequency of cells containing P450scc between healthy and atretic small antral follicles, and among several types (I, II and III, classified based on the presence of granulosa layer) of cystic follicles. Paraffin sections of healthy (2–5 mm in diameter), atretic (2–5 mm) and cystic follicles (>25 mm) were immunohistochemically stained with rabbit polyclonal antibody to bovine P450scc. The P450scc‐positive cells were counted in four different regions of the follicles from the apical to the basal side. In small antral follicles and cystic follicles, P450scc‐positive cells were localized in the theca interna layers but not granulosa layers. The P450scc‐positive cell populations decreased in the late atretic follicles compared with the early and advanced atretic follicles at all the regions of follicle. Type III cystic follicles showed significantly lower frequencies of P450scc‐positive cells than those in the types I and II cystic follicles. These results suggest that in both small and cystic follicles in cows, total loss of granulosa cells may be associated with the reduction of frequency of P450scc‐positive cells in theca interna layer.     

牛腔前卵泡的简易机械分离方法

采用两种机械法分离牛腔前卵泡。方法一 (M -1) ,皮肤移植刀切割、剪碎、过滤镜下直接捡卵法。方法二 (M -2 ) ,皮质片剪碎、离心、悬浮、过滤镜下捡卵法。M -1平均每卵巢采卵数为 46 9个± 18 2个 ,M -2为 6 8 4个± 12 5个 ;处理时间M -1为 2 5 4min± 6 7min ,M -2为 46 3min± 16 8min ,两种方法采集腔前卵泡数量及处理时间均存在显著差异。平均每小时采集卵泡数分别为 99 5和 87 2个 ,M -1多于M -2。两种方法获得腔前卵泡大小分布规律也有明显差异 ,M -1采集腔前卵泡直径为 6 0～ 15 0 μm ,绝大部分是次级卵泡 ,而M -2获取腔前卵泡则偏小。总的看来 ,M -1处理时间短 ,回收效率高 ,方法简便 ,且分离卵泡直径较大 ,适于体外培养 ,是机械分离牛腔前卵泡的一种理想方法。     

Intra‐uterine Infection with Babesia bovis in a 2‐day‐old Calf

Infection with Babesia bovis was diagnosed in a 2‐day‐old female calf apparently transmitted in utero. The calf was born as the second calving to a cross‐bred beef cow permanently on pasture. Diagnosis was based upon identification of B. bovis in peripheral blood smears and clinical signs which included fever, jaundice, pale mucous membranes and convulsions. Anaemia, leucocytosis, thrombocytopenia and lymphocytosis were noted at the febrile acute stage of the disease. The blood smears revealed evidence of regeneration of toxic neutrophils with a left shift, severe spherocytosis and high degree of basophilic stippling. Elevated concentration of aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase were also noted, and were probably the result of haemolysis, dehydration and muscle damage because of recumbancy. Elevated total bilirubin concentration following haemolysis resulted in jaundice. The neurological symptoms observed were probably caused by sludging of parasitized erythrocytes in the brain capillaries. The calf recovered following treatment with diminazene aceturate and the recovery was followed up clinically, haematologically and biochemically.     

中国独占亚洲饲料市场鳌头

引言：中国饲料需求减缓．一方面源于三聚氰胺事件的影响，另一方面源于大多数国家遭受的经济危机所致。 中国的饲料产量在亚洲独占鳌头．但在2008年，中国饲料受三聚氰胺事件的影响非常大。在婴儿配方奶粉中检测出增加蛋白浓度的“三聚氰胺”而成为对饲料污染源追根究底的导火索．致使其乳业和蛋品业影响较大。     

加入欧盟后波兰饲料业发展回顾

肉价上涨、汇率良好、肉类消费和出口增长、配合饲料和畜禽生产投入不断增加、农业发生全新变化．这是中欧和东欧国家加入欧盟后出现的积极现象。总体来讲，处于该地区的波兰饲料添加剂工业仍处于发展阶段，潜力巨大。     

Muscarinic receptor subtypes in equine tracheal smooth muscle

Selective muscarinic receptor antagonists were used to identify muscarinic receptor subtypes in equine trachealis strips. The M₁ receptor antagonist pirenzepine (10^–7 mol/L to 3 × 10^–5 mol/L) and the M₃ receptor antagonist 4-diphenylacetoxy-N-methylpiperidine (4-DAMP, 10^–9 mol/L to 3 × 10^–7 mol/L³) dose dependently inhibited the contractile responses to electrical field stimulation (EFS) and exogenous acetylcholine (ACh). Schild plots yielded a pA₂ value for pirenzepine vs ACh of 6.75 ± 0.09, which is consistent with the affinity for M₂ or M₃ receptors, and a pA₂ value for 4-DAMP vs ACh of 8.47 ± 0.09, which is in agreement with the affinity for M₃ receptors. The M₂ receptor antagonist gallamine (10^–5 mol/L and 10^–4 mol/L) did not affect the response of trachealis to exogenous ACh and low-frequency EFS (0.1–2 Hz) but decreased the responses to high-frequency EFS (4–16 Hz). These results suggest that the muscarinic receptors mediating contractions induced by ACh in equine tracheal smooth muscle are of the M₃ subtype. The lack of an increase in the response to EFS following gallamine suggests that functional prejunctional inhibitory M₂ receptors are not present on the cholinergic nerves innervating equine tracheal smooth muscle.     

Epidemiological studies on the expectation of life for cats computed from animal cemetery records

Based on the Chiang's method, the life table for cats was constructed from the death data of 3936 cats. They died in the Kanto area and were buried in an animal cemetery in Tokyo from June 1981 through May 1982. This life table seems to be the first one for domestic pet cats. The expectation of life for cats was 4.2 years at age 0, 5.0 years at age 1, 5.4 years at age 4, 5.3 years at age 5, 3.5 years at age 10, and 2.2 years at age 15. The maximum age at death was 22 years. From age 0 to age 5, the probability of dying for cats was higher than that for dogs, but over 6 years of age it seemed that Gompertz's equation was applicable to this life table for cats. From these results, if the probability of dying for cats at early ages decreases, the fundamental pattern of dying curve for cats seems to be a similar figure of dogs. The life table was constructed for different breeds and localities. Comparing the expectation of life at age 1 (e1) of the two populations divided by breeds or localities, there was significant difference in the e1 among different localities but not among different breeds. These facts suggest the existence of some factors which may influence the life span of cats among different localities.     

散养成乳牛舍环境测定

以一栋散养成乳牛舍为对象，系统地测定了舍内外的气温、气湿、风速、辐射强度、黑体温度及屋顶热流量。结果表明：从６月１日—９月１０日，舍内旬均气温都在２３．４３℃以上，舍内１４：００气温旬均值都在２８℃以上，舍内旬均ＴＨＩ都超过７１．７１；屋顶热流量曲线的斜率很大、峰值出现于１４：００，并且与舍外黑体温度呈高度的正相关；舍内与舍外的黑体温度、辐射强度分别呈中等以上的正相关；冬季舍内寒冷，同时受舍外气流影响大。笔者认为，通过增加牛舍高度、先用高热阻屋面材料和冬季防风可望改进此类牛舍的环境。     

Effects of recombinant canine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on white blood cell production in clinically normal and neutropenic dogs.

Recombinant canine granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rcG-CSF) was administered to clinically normal dogs, cyclic-hematopoietic dogs, and dogs undergoing autologous bone marrow transplantation, to determine whether rcG-CSF could be used to stimulate WBC production and function in normal and neutropenic dogs. To the normal dogs, rcG-CSF was administered by SC injection at rates of 1 microgram/kg of body weight, q 12 h; 2 micrograms/kg, q 12 h; or 5 micrograms/kg, q 12 h. A significant dose-dependent increase in the WBC count resulted from the stimulation of bone marrow progenitor cells. The increased WBC count was characterized by mature neutrophilia and monocytosis. Neutrophil myeloperoxidase and phagocytic activity were normal in rcG-CSF-treated normal dogs, demonstrating the production of normal functional neutrophils in response to rcG-CSF treatment. Recombinant canine G-CSF prevented neutropenia and associated clinical signs but did not completely eliminate the cycling of neutrophils in cyclic-hematopoietic dogs when it was administered at rates of 1 microgram/kg, q 12 h, and 2.5 micrograms/kg, q 12 h. The time to bone marrow reconstitution was not decreased in dogs treated with rcG-CSF at a rate of 2.5 micrograms/kg, q 12 h, for 13 days following autologous bone marrow transplantation. On the basis of our findings, we suggest that treatment with rcG-CSF is an effective way to stimulate myelopoiesis in dogs, but that the dose of rcG-CSF required to stimulate WBC production will vary depending on the cause of neutropenia. Recombinant canine G-CSF should be useful in stimulating production and maintaining function of WBC for treatment of clinical diseases seen commonly in veterinary practice.