Direct effects of prolactin on adrenal steroid release in male Hatano high-avoidance (HAA) rats may be mediated through Janus kinase 2 (Jak2) activity

Prolactin (PRL) has been proposed to directly stimulate corticosterone release. However, the role of PRL on adrenocortical function in male HAA rats has not been fully clarified. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of PRL on the secretion of corticosterone and progesterone using an in vitro cell culture system in male rats. Administration of PRL (10(-7) and 10(-6) M) resulted in dose-dependent increases in corticosterone and progesterone release. Cotreatment with PRL produced an increase in the stimulatory effects of ACTH-induced corticosterone and progesterone secretion. However, the PRL-induced corticosterone and progesterone releases were significantly reduced by treatment with AG490, a specific Janus kinase 2 (Jak2) inhibitor. In addition, administration of AG490 blunted the significant inhibition of ACTH-induced corticosterone and progesterone secretion by PRL. These results demonstrated that PRL could act directly on the adrenal gland to drive corticosterone and progesterone secretion in male rats. Additionally, the results emphasize that PRL stimulation of adrenal steroid release may be mediated through Jak2 activity.     

Effects of diesel exhaust particles on the male reproductive system in strains of mice with different aryl hydrocarbon receptor responsiveness

Diesel exhaust particles (DEPs) contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) that bind to aryl hydrocarbon receptors (AhRs) and decrease sperm production. Since it is not clear if AhR mediates DEP toxicity, we investigated the effect of DEPs in four strains of mice that have different AhR responsiveness. We treated BALB/c, C57BL/6, ICR and DBA/2 mice with DEP suspensions and compared their toxicity in each strain. In both the vehicle- and DEP-treated groups, ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity, as an indirect index of AhR activity, was increased in the order of BALB/c > C57BL/6 > ICR > DBA/2. Only BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice had significantly lower daily sperm production (DSP) than vehicle-treated mice. All strains exhibited increased sperm abnormalities. In particular, the C57BL/6, ICR and DBA/2 mice exhibited significantly increased abnormalities. A significant correlation was found between EROD activity and DSP or incidence of morphologically abnormal sperm. These data suggest that DEP toxicity may affect the male reproductive system in an AhR-dependent manner.     

沙田柚黄龙病病原16S rDNA片段的克隆与序列分析

采集田间表现斑驳症状的沙田柚叶脉,用CTAB法提取总DNA。根据柑橘黄龙病病原16S rDNA的核苷酸序列设计引物P1/P2,进行PCR扩增,获得1条大小为1 167 bp的片段。酶切分析显示,该片段可被切成大小分别约为640 bp和520 bp的2个片段。扩增产物经纯化,与pM D 18-T V ector连接,转化大肠杆菌(E scherich ia coli)DH 5α,筛选克隆重组子。对PCR产物进行测序及序列分析,结果表明,与柑橘黄龙病病原亚洲种16S rDNA的同源性为99%,与非洲种的同源性为97%,与美洲种的同源性为96%。认为,沙田柚的斑驳症状是由黄龙病病原引致的,称之为沙田柚黄龙病。该沙田柚黄龙病病原属于柑橘黄龙病病原亚洲种(L iberobacter as iaticus)中的一个成员。系统进化树分析显示,沙田柚黄龙病病原与中国柑橘黄龙病病原亲缘关系最近,推测是直接来自中国柑橘黄龙病病原。     

白花败酱的家化栽培技术

采用不同栽植密度、不同施肥方式及不同的管理措施,对白花败酱的栽培技术进行研究.结果表明冬春时节搭建大棚有利于白花败酱的生长,提高产量.栽植密度以25株@m-2较适宜.施用复合肥能较大幅度地提高白花败酱产量.白花败酱生态适应性较强,适于人工栽培,露地栽种年产量达39.2t@hm-3.表4参8     

大麦植株干物质分配模型

为给建立大麦产量品质形成预测模型奠定基础,通过定量分析不同品种和氮肥处理大麦干物质分配和转移的变化过程,建立大麦植株干物质分配动态模型.模型采用Richards方程描述大麦干物质分配指数的动态变化,引入叶片潜在分配指数、茎鞘潜在分配指数、籽粒潜在分配指数3个品种遗传参数反映不同品种在器官间的干物质分配差异;采用两段Richards方程来描述大麦茎鞘在灌浆期前后的干物质分配动态,较好地解决了两段方程的衔接问题;运用氮素影响因子来校正不同氮素水平对大麦干物质分配的影响,引入潜在临界含氮量和潜在最小含氮量2个品种遗传参数来表达氮素对不同品种干物质分配影响的差异.利用不同品种、氮肥、播期和种植地域试验数据检验模型.结果表明,大麦干物质在叶片、茎鞘、穗和籽粒间分配模拟值与观测值的绝对预测误差为0.001～0.252 kg·m-4,RMSE为0.007～0.186 kg·m-2,精度良好.模型体现出较好的可靠性.     

小麦 Glu A1位点1亚基和Null亚基间品质效应的差异

为了解小麦Glu-A1位点1亚基和Null亚基间的品质效应差异,用郑麦9405/郑麦98//周麦16配制杂交组合,利用系谱法辅助生化标记连续多代选择后得到纯合的1亚基和Null亚基的近等基因系,并对近等基因系1亚基和Null亚基间的面筋特性和粉质特性进行了测定和分析.结果表明,对于面筋指数、形成时间、稳定时间和粉质质量指数,1亚基的贡献明显大于Null亚基,1亚基比Null亚基的面筋指数、形成时间、稳定时间和粉质质量指数分别提高9.79％、68.73％、25.89％和13.99％,成组数据的t测验显示差异达到极显著水平(P值分别为0.007、0.000、0.002和0.006),亚基效应为1亚基＞Null亚基;对于湿面筋含量、干面筋含量和吸水率,1亚基和Null亚基的贡献无明显差别,成组数据t检验显示差异不显著(0.978、0.654和0.206).     

Estrogen suppresses melatonin-enhanced hyperactivation of hamster spermatozoa

Hamster sperm hyperactivation is enhanced by progesterone, and this progesterone-enhanced hyperactivation is suppressed by 17β-estradiol (17βE₂) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Although it has been indicated that melatonin also enhances hyperactivation, it is unknown whether melatonin-enhanced hyperactivation is also suppressed by 17βE₂ and GABA. In the present study, melatonin-enhanced hyperactivation was significantly suppressed by 17βE₂ but not by GABA. Moreover, suppression of melatonin-enhanced hyperactivation by 17βE₂ occurred through non-genomic regulation via the estrogen receptor (ER). These results suggest that enhancement of hyperactivation is regulated by melatonin and 17βE₂ through non-genomic regulation.     

Effect of probiotic supplementation on growth performance,intestinal morphology,barrier integrity,and inflammatory response in broilers subjected to cyclic heat stress

This study investigated the protective effects of probiotic on heat stress‐induced intestinal injury and inflammatory response in broilers. A total of 180 male broilers were randomly allocated to three treatments with four replicates each from 22 to 42 days of age. The broilers were either raised under thermoneutral (TN) conditions (23 ± 1°C) or subjected to cyclic heat stress (28–35–28°C for 12 hr daily). The broilers kept at TN conditions were fed a basal diet, and those exposed to heat stress were fed basal diets supplemented with or without probiotic at a dose of 1.5 × 10⁸ cfu/kg. Compared with the TN group, heat stress decreased (p < .05) the growth performance, reduced (p < .05) villus height and villus height: crypt depth ratio in intestinal mucosa, increased (p < .05) serum levels of D‐lactic acid on day 28 and endotoxin, TNF‐α and IL‐6 on day 42, and decreased (p < .05) serum IL‐10 content on day 42. Dietary supplementation of probiotic reversed (p < .05) all these changes except for the growth performance in heat‐stressed broilers. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of probiotic could improve intestinal morphology and barrier function, alleviate inflammatory response, but exert no ameliorative effect on growth performance of broilers under cyclic heat stress.     

Secretion of inhibin in female Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) from hatch to sexual maturity

To clarify the cellular source and secretory pattern of inhibin in the Japanese quail during follicular development, the plasma concentrations of immunoreactive (ir) inhibin were measured from 1 to 7 weeks after hatching. Localization of the inhibin/activin alpha, beta A and beta B subunits was investigated by immunohistochemistry. To monitor development of the pituitary and ovarian functions, the plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) and progesterone concentrations were also measured. Ovarian weight increased gradually until 6 weeks of age and then abruptly increased at 7 weeks of age just at the onset of egg production. Plasma concentrations of LH increased significantly at 6 weeks of age. The plasma concentrations of ir-inhibin and progesterone and the pituitary contents of LH also increased significantly at 7 weeks of age. Immunohistochemically, the inhibin/activin alpha, beta A and beta B subunits were localized in the granulosa cells of all follicles during different stages of development from 1 to 7 weeks after hatching. The inhibin alpha, beta A and beta B subunits were also found in the interstitial cells but not theca cells of all follicles. These results demonstrated that the plasma concentrations of ir-inhibin of the female Japanese quails rose with ovarian development. The immunohistochemical results suggested that granulosa and interstitial cells are the major source of ovarian inhibins in female Japanese quails.     

Sequence of the domestic duck (Anas platyrhynchos) growth hormone-encoding gene and genetic variation in the promoter region

The duck growth hormone encoding gene and its promoter region were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A total of 5.25 kb were cloned and sequenced. Duck growth hormone (GH) consists of five exons and four introns and is structurally similar to mammalian and chicken GH gene. Although the distal region of duck GH promoter showed no similarity to chicken and turkey promoters, the proximal region of the promoter contained two putative Pit‐1 binding sequences, and showed similarity to chicken and turkey GH promoters. Genetic variation was detected at five positions of the promoter region. The results of this study indicate that the expression of duck GH is likely regulated in a similar manner to that of chicken GH via enhancer‐type cis‐acting elements and the presence of genetic variation in the duck GH gene may be applicable to marker‐assisted selection.