Changes in muscle fiber type and expression of mRNA of myosin heavy chain isoforms in porcine muscle during pre‐ and postnatal development

The purpose of this study is to elucidate developmental changes in muscle fiber type in the pig during pre‐ and postnatal development. For this purpose, we performed a histochemical analysis for myosin adenosine triphosphatase activity to assess muscle fiber type and determined abundances of messenger RNA (mRNA) of myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms. Samples of Longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle were taken from fetuses on day 90 of the fetal stage. Further, samples of LD, Rhomboideus and Biceps femoris (B. femoris) muscles were taken from pigs when they were 1, 12, 26, 45 or 75 days old. Expression of MHC 2b mRNA in the LD and the B. femoris muscles rapidly and considerably increased from the late fetal stage to the early postnatal stage and this increase was associated with the development of type 2b fibers at least in the LD muscle. As shown by the rapid and considerable changes in expression of MHC 2b mRNA, it seems that a certain plasticity of muscle fiber type still remains in this developmental stage.     

Development and introduction of detection dogs in surveying for scats of small Indian mongoose as invasive alien species

The small Indian mongoose was introduced to the island of Okinawa in 1910 to control rats and snakes, however, it poses a threat to many endemic species in the Yambaru forest region in Okinawa Island. An important concern in eradication is that, as much as possible, capture should be carried out without affecting native species. To protect endemic species in the Yambaru region of Okinawa Island, we trained and used detection dogs to search for mongoose scats that indicated that mongoose were present in the area. We confirmed the ability of the dogs to detect scats in positive and negative control tests in the Yambaru forest region after basic, obedience, and mongoose-scat-detection specific training. In 30 trials, the dogs found 60 of 65 scats samples. For the trained alert, the dogs carried out 59 trained alerts for the 60 scats found. In the positive and negative control tests, the dogs showed no reaction to 129 of 130 negative controls. We then surveyed the forest in the Yambaru region for mongoose scats using the detection dogs. In this study, the detection dogs found 79 scats in a survey of a 69.0-km area. We divided the survey area into 43 grids and calculated the rate of detection in each grid. The rate of detection of scats was higher in the southern part of the Yambaru region. These result showed that our mongoose scat detection dogs can be useful tools to assist in determining the presence of mongoose in the Yambaru region of Okinawa Island.     

Induction of apoptotic lesions in liver and lymphoid tissues and modulation of cytokine mRNA expression by acute exposure to deoxynivalenol in piglets

Six 1-month-old piglets were intravenously injected with deoxynivalenol (DON) at the concentration of 1 mg/kg body weight, with three pigs each necropsied at 6 and 24 h post-injection (PI) for investigation of hepatotoxicity and immunotoxicity with special attention to apoptotic changes and cytokine mRNA expression. Histopathological examination of the DON-injected pigs revealed systemic apoptosis of lymphocytes in lymphoid tissues and hepatocytes. Apoptosis of lymphocytes and hepatocytes was confirmed by the TdT-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method and immunohistochemical staining against single-stranded DNA and cleaved caspase-3. The number of TUNEL-positive cells in the thymus and Peyer''s patches of the ileum was increased at 24 h PI compared to 6 h PI, but the peak was at 6 h PI in the liver. The mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the spleen, thymus and mesenteric lymph nodes were determined by semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and elevated expression of IL-1β mRNA at 6 h PI and a decrease of IL-18 mRNA at 24 h PI were observed in the spleen. IL-1β and IL-6 mRNA expressions increased significantly at 6 h PI in the thymus, but TNF-α decreased at 6 h PI in the mesenteric lymph nodes. These results show the apoptosis of hepatocytes suggesting the hepatotoxic potential of DON, in addition to an immunotoxic effect on the modulation of proinflammatory cytokine genes in lymphoid organs with extensive apoptosis of lymphocytes induced by acute exposure to DON in pigs.     

不同栽培法和收割期对甘蔗单产及含糖量影响的分析

本研究利用1975～2008年33年间日本南大东岛甘蔗生产数据, 分析了甘蔗栽培方法[新苗种植(包括夏植和春植)、宿根]和收割时期对其产量、品质和经济性的影响.结果表明, 不同栽培法甘蔗多年平均产量依次为夏植>宿根>春植; 新植甘蔗的种植期越早产量越高; 宿根甘蔗产量与前茬甘蔗的收割期呈二次函数曲线关系, 前茬甘蔗收割过早或过迟均对宿根甘蔗生长不利; 宿根甘蔗产量随宿根次数增加呈下降趋势; 宿根甘蔗含糖量通常高于新植甘蔗, 且不同栽培法下3月下旬前收获的甘蔗含糖量随收割期后延而逐渐增加.在此基础上, 建立了依据栽培方法、收割时期预测甘蔗单产和含糖量的数学模型, 模型对我国甘蔗种植业具有理论和实际的参考价值.     

Highly metastatic ovarian yolk sac carcinoma in a rat

We investigated a highly metastatic ovarian yolk sac carcinoma in a 52-week-old female Crl:CD(SD) rat. Macroscopically, the present case had severe ascites, bilateral ovarian masses and numerous nodules in the abdominal and thoracic cavities. Histopathologically, these masses and nodules were generally composed of two types of cells mimicking a parietal and visceral yolk sac. The parietal cells were round to polygonal, contained eosinophilic droplets and were arranged in nests and cords in the eosinophilic matrix. Both the intracytoplasmic droplets and the matrix were stained positively with PAS. The visceral cells were cylindriform, and proliferated in papillary and tubular patterns and occasionally formed Shiller-Duval body-like structures. In the dissemination sites, the neoplastic cells proliferated on the surface of the various tissues and often infiltrated into deeper parts of the tissues. Immunohistochemically, both neoplastic cells were positive for α-fetoprotein and keratin, and the eosinophilic matrix was positive for laminin. Ultrastructurally, the parietal cells had dilated rough endoplasmic reticulums, which were filled with electron-lucent laminated structures. The visceral cells had poorly to moderately developed intracytoplasmic organelles and were interconnected with desmosomes. Taken together, the present tumor was diagnosed as yolk sac carcinoma arising from the ovary and was characterized by not only high metastasis but also invasive infiltration with biphasic proliferation of the parietal and visceral cells.     

Molecular changes associated with adaptation of equine influenza H3N8 virus in embryonated chicken eggs

Embryonated chicken eggs (ECEs) are routinely used to isolate equine influenza virus. Propagation of the virus in ECEs results in selection of variants. In the present study, we determined nucleotide sequences of entire coding regions of parent A/equine/Tottori/1/07 (H3N8) and its derivatives that have different passage histories in ECE. After 12 passages, nucleotide sequence analysis predicted 3 amino acid substitutions in hemagglutinin (HA; 2 in HA1 and 1 in HA2). The two amino acid substitutions in HA1 were located in the vicinity of the cell receptor-binding site. Three other amino acid substitutions were predicted in internal proteins, 1 in the M1, 1 in the NP and 1 in the PA. This is the first report showing mutations in the internal protein genes of equine influenza virus associated with adaptation to ECE.     

Anticancer activities of thelephantin O and vialinin A isolated from Thelephora aurantiotincta

Thelephora aurantiotincta is an edible mushroom belonging to the genus Thelephora; it grows in symbiosis with pine trees. Recently, phytochemical investigations have revealed that the genus Thelephora is an abundant source of p-terphenyl derivatives. However, their bioactivity has not yet been well characterized. In screening for natural materials with anticancer activity, a T. aurantiotincta ethanol extract (TAE) was found to decrease cell viability in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2). In this study, a new p-terphenyl derivative, thelephantin O, and a known compound, vialinin A, were isolated as the principal bioactive components of TAE. These compounds decreased cell viability in HepG2 and human colonic carcinoma cells (Caco2), but not in noncancerous human hepatocytes. This is the first report of the isolation from T. aurantiotincta of selective cytotoxic agents against cancer cells.     

Surgical closure of an atrial septal defect using cardiopulmonary bypass in a cat

Objective: To describe surgical repair of a large atrial septal defect (ASD) in a cat. Study Design: Clinical report. Animal: A 3‐year‐old, 3.3 kg, intact male Japanese domestic short‐haired cat. Methods: A 10.2‐mm‐diameter ASD detected by echocardiography was surgically corrected because pulmonary vascular resistance‐to‐systemic vascular resistance ratio (Q_p/Q_s) was 3.2. Using cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), open surgical repair was achieved with an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e‐PTFE) graft. The priming volume of the CPB circuit was minimized by cutting the CPB tubing, and partially replacing the priming fluid with whole cat blood. To prevent hemodilution associated with use of cardioprotective agents, surgery was performed on the beating heart. Results: At 1‐year echocardiographic evaluation, the repair was intact, and at 3 years, the cat was alive without need of medication. Conclusions: Large ASD in a cat can be repaired using e‐PTFE under CPB.