Technical note: Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the determination of florfenicol and thiamphenicol in swine feed

One polyclonal antibody against florfenicol and thiamphenicol was produced and a competitive ELISA was developed for the detection of florfenicol and thiamphenicol in swine feed. The ELISA gave a 50% inhibiting concentration of 1.02 ng/mL for florfenicol. For swine feed fortified with 0.05 to 3.0 mg/kg, the interassay recoveries of florfenicol and thiamphenicol ranged from 86.4 to 118.6%, whereas intraassay recoveries of both drug ranged from 90.1 to 126.5% with less than 15% CV. Results obtained from HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry indicated this ELISA procedure could be used as a convenient method for rapid screening of florfenicol and thiamphenicol in swine feed.     

桑蚕卵电晕人工孵化技术研究：V.电晕处理蚕种的农村饲育

通过１９９４～１９９６年电晕处理蚕种的农村饲养，得到以下几点认识，在保证卵面消毒和排除孵化不齐因素情况下，电晕蚕种与浸酸蚕种的产量质量无显著差异，专供农用的大板电晕仪存在放电不匀，孵经不齐和孵化率欠高的问题，有待改进，电晕处理蚕种还须进行卵消毒。     

Synergistic effects of Miconazole and Polymyxin B on microbial pathogens

The therapeutic value of antibiotics depends on the susceptibility of the infecting microorganism and the pharmacological profile of the drugs. To assess the value of an antibiotic combination of polymyxin B and miconazole this study examined the in vitro synergistic potential of the two drugs on Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and yeast. Antifungal and antibacterial activity was tested by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of broth macrodilution and urea broth microdilution, by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Synergism was calculated using the fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICi). With Staphylococcus intermedius as target we found up to an eightfold reduction of the individual MICs when both drugs were combined. However, the FICi was 0.63 suggesting no real interaction between the two drugs. With Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Malassezia pachydermatis as targets the antimicrobial drug combination reduced the MICs of polymyxin B and miconazole from fourfold to hundredfold resulting in FICi between 0.06 and 0.5 which defines a synergistic action. Thus, if polymyxin B and miconazole are combined their effect is greater than the sum of the effects observed with polymyxin B and miconazole independently, revealing bactericidal and fungicidal synergism. Our results indicate a strong therapeutic value for the combination of these antimicrobial agents against Gram-negative bacteria and yeast and a weaker value against Gram positive bacteria for clinical situations where these pathogens are involved.     

Multiple amino acid substitutions are involved in the adaptation of H9N2 avian influenza virus to mice

To explore adaptation of avian influenza virus to mice we previously performed serial lung-to-lung passages of the influenza A/Chicken/Jiangsu/7/2002 (H9N2) strain, resulting in the isolation of a variant influenza strain lethal for mice. We now report that virulence correlates with improved growth characteristics on mammalian cells and extended tissue tropism in vivo. Sequencing of the complete genomes of the wild-type and mouse-adapted viruses revealed 25 amino acid substitutions. Some were found to reiterate known substitutions in human and swine H9N2 influenza isolates. Functions affected include nuclear localization signals and sites of protein and RNA interaction, while others are known determinants of pathogenicity and host specificity such as the viral polymerase PB2 E627K substitution. These observations suggest that enhanced growth characteristics and modified cell tropism may contribute to increased virulence in mice. We conclude that multiple amino acid substitutions are likely to be involved in the adaptation of H9N2 avian influenza virus to mice.     

鸡的钙磷营养与科学利用

在现代养鸡生产中,钙磷饲料的科学利用是保证养鸡生产成功的关键问题之一,也是饲料生产企业非常关注的问题。如何根据鸡对钙磷营养需要的原理：在生产中科学地使用钙磷饲料应该引起重视。     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Streptococcus uberis</Emphasis>-specific T cells are present in mammary gland secretions of cows and can be activated to kill <Emphasis Type="Italic">S. uberis</Emphasis>

The presence, phenotype and function of Streptococcus uberis-specific T cells in the mammary gland secretion (MGS) and blood of cows exposed to S. uberis were assessed. MGS T cells in the udder were purified and incubated with autologous blood monocytes as antigen-presenting cells (APC). Most cows, irrespective of prior S. uberis infection status and lactation status, were shown to have S. uberis-specific T cells both in MGS and in the blood. When cells from a subgroup of cows were studied, it was found that the S. uberis-specific T cells produced high levels of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), but low levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10). A high percentage of responding T cells were of the CD8 ⁺ memory (CD45RO) subset. T cells from the MGS specific for S. uberis were propagated from animals during the drying off period and expanded in vitro using interleukin-2 (IL-2) and S. uberis antigens. This led to the accumulation of T cells of the CD8 ⁺ subset bearing memory cell markers (CD45A ⁻ , CD45RO ⁺ ), which released high levels of IFN-γ. Four of the five T cell lines derived from the MGS of three animals had substantial direct killing activity towards S. uberis in vitro. It is concluded that there is an emergence of S. uberis-specific bactericidal T cells in the MGS of cows after infection or environmental exposure to S. uberis. Vaccines aimed at activating and expanding this T cell population in the mammary glands of cattle may offer an avenue for the prevention of mastitis caused by S. uberis.     

Pharmacokinetics of oxytetracycline in hemolymph from the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis

Feng, Q., Wu, G. H., Liang, T. M., Ji, H. Y., Jiang, X. J., Gu, W., Wang, W. Pharmacokinetics of oxytetracycline in hemolymph from the Chinese mitten crab, Eriocheir sinensis. J. vet. Pharmacol. Therap. 34 , 51–57. The purpose of this study was to investigate the hemolymph kinetics and depuration time of oxytetracycline following intramuscular administration at doses of 2, 8 and 40 mg/kg body weight, respectively. The concentration of OTC in hemolymph was assayed using solid phase extraction and high performance liquid chromatography. The elimination half‐life of the terminal part of the elimination phase (t_1/2β) ranged from 87.9 to 114.3 h. The total body clearance (CL_b) was 0.0430 L/kg/h at the lower dose, 0.0123 L/kg/h at the medium dose and 0.0013 L/kg/h at the higher dose. The apparent volume of the central compartment (V_c) was found to be 1.383, 0.699 and 0.143 L/kg respectively. The depuration time for each dose was 13.6, 29.6 and 57.6 days, respectively. Results from the present study suggest that the 40 mg/kg dose might have the best therapeutic efficacy following intramuscular administration.     

牛乳脂共轭亚油酸的合成及其营养调控

共轭亚油酸(CLA)是存在于动物脂肪和乳脂中的天然活性成分。本文综述了牛乳脂CLA的来源、合成机制及其营养调控。     

Association of a missense mutation in the luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor gene （LHCGR） with superovulation traits in Chinese Holstein heifers

Background: Upon binding luteinizing hormone in the ovary, the luteinizing hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor (LHCGR) is necessary for follicular maturation and ovulation, as well as luteal function. We detected mutations in the LHCGR gene and evaluated their association with superovulation. Methods: Using polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) and DNA sequencing, we examined polymorphisms in LHCGR and the genotypes associated with superovulation traits in 127 Chinese Holstein heifers. Results: A G/T polymorphism (ss52050737) in exon 11 was significantly associated with the total number of ova and the number of transferable embryos. Conclusions: LHCGR may be a new predictor for superovulation in Chinese Holstein heifers.