Effects of adrenocorticotropic hormone challenge and age on hair cortisol concentrations in dairy cattle

Dairy cattle suffer stress from management and production; contemporary farming tries to improve animal welfare and reduce stress. Therefore, the assessment of long-term hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function using non-invasive techniques is useful. The aims in this study were: to measure cortisol concentration in cow and calves hair by radioimmunoassay (RIA), to test cortisol accumulation in bovine hair after adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) challenges, and determine the influence of hair color on cortisol concentrations. Fifteen Holstein heifers were allotted to 3 groups (n = 5 each): in control group (C), just the hair was sampled; in the saline solution group (SS), IV saline solution was administered on days 0, 7, and 14; and the ACTH group was challenged 3 times with ACTH (0.15 UI per kg of body weight) on days 0, 7, and 14. Serum samples from the SS and ACTH groups were obtained 0, 60 and 90 min post-injection. Serum cortisol concentration was greater 60 and 90 min after injection with ACTH. Hair was clipped on days 0, 14, 28, and 44. Hair cortisol was methanol extracted and measured by RIA. Hair cortisol was preserved for 11 mo. Hair cortisol concentrations in the ACTH group were greater than in the saline and control groups on days 14 and 28, but not on day 44. Concentrations were greater in calves than in cows and greater in white hair than in black hair. Cortisol accumulated in bovine hair after ACTH challenges, but the concentration was affected by both age and hair color. If hair color effects are taken into account, assessing cortisol concentration in hair is a potentially useful non-invasive method for assessing stress in cattle.     

The innate antiviral immune system of the cat: molecular tools for the measurement of its state of activation

The innate immune system plays a central role in host defence against viruses. While many studies portray mechanisms in early antiviral immune responses of humans and mice, much remains to be discovered about these mechanisms in the cat. With the objective of shedding light on early host-virus interactions in felids, we have developed 12 real-time TaqMan(?) qPCR systems for feline genes relevant to innate responses to viral infection, including those encoding for various IFNα and IFNω subtypes, IFNβ, intracellular antiviral factor Mx, NK cell stimulator IL-15 and effectors perforin and granzyme B, as well as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) 3 and 8. Using these newly developed assays and others previously described, we measured the relative expression of selected markers at early time points after viral infection in vitro and in vivo. Feline embryonic fibroblasts (FEA) inoculated with feline leukemia virus (FeLV) indicated peak levels of IFNα, IFNβ and Mx expression already 6h after infection. In contrast, Crandell-Rees feline kidney (CrFK) cells inoculated with feline herpes virus (FHV) responded to infection with high levels of IFNα and IFNβ only after 24h, and no induction of Mx could be detected. In feline PBMCs challenged in vitro with feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), maximal expression levels of IFNα, β and ω subtype genes as well as IL-15 and TLRs 3, 7 and 8 were measured between 12 and 24h after infection, whereas expression levels of proinflammatory cytokine gene IL-6 were consistently downregulated until 48h post inoculation. A marginal upregulation of granzyme B was also observed within 3h after infection. In an in vivo experiment, cats challenged with FIV exhibited a 2.4-fold increase in IFNα expression in blood 1 week post infection. We furthermore demonstrate the possibility of stimulating feline immune cells in vitro with various immune response modifiers (IRMs) already known for their immunostimulatory properties in mice and humans, namely Poly IC, Resiquimod (R-848) and dSLIM?, a synthetic oligonucleotide containing several unmethylated CpG motifs. Stimulation of feline PBMCs with dSLIM? and R-848 effectively enhanced expression of IFNα within 12h by factors of 6 and 12, respectively, and Poly IC induced an increase in Mx mRNA expression of 28-fold. Altogether, we describe new molecular tools and their successful use for the characterization of innate immune responses against viruses in the cat and provide evidence that feline cells can be stimulated by synthetic molecules to enhance their antiviral defence mechanisms.     

Evaluation of single and comparative intradermal tuberculin tests for tuberculosis eradication in caprine flocks in Castilla y León (Spain)

Goats can act as reservoirs for tuberculosis (TB) infection. The main etiological agents of TB in goats are Mycobacterium caprae and Mycobacterium bovis and they infect also a wide range of domestic and wild animals and humans. Control programmes based mainly on the application of single and comparative intradermal tuberculin (SIT and SCIT respectively) tests are being implemented in certain regions of Spain with a high density of caprine flocks as Castilla y León, including goats with epidemiological relationship with cattle. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of the intradermal tests in naturally TB-infected caprine flocks from this region. The study was performed using data from 17,450 goats in 54 different flocks that were classified as TB-infected in the control programmes executed in 2010 and 2011. Data from 1237 goats from 7 dairy flocks depopulated after the first intradermal testing were used to estimate the sensitivity (Se) using bacteriology as the gold-standard. Overall Se of the SIT test using the severe interpretation was 43.9% (CI 95%, 40.4–47.4) and decreased to 38.8% (CI 95%, 35.5–42.3) using the standard interpretation. Overall Se of the SCIT test ranged between 21.3% (CI 95%, 17.6–25.4) and 7% (CI 95%, 4.9–9.8) depending of the interpretation criteria. A significant weak positive correlation was found between age and skin fold thickness (Spearman’s test p < 0.05). Results from this study yielded, in general, low Se values probably due the systematic detection and slaughter of reactors as a consequence of the eradication programme in previous years or the presence of factors that may interfere in the diagnosis. Therefore, these results suggest the necessity of including ancillary diagnostic tools and/or strict interpretation criteria to maximize detection of positive animals in infected settings.     

如皋鸡常规肉品质遗传规律研究

试验对如皋鸡的肌肉品质进行测定,进一步了解其生长性能和遗传特性,为指导育种提供理论依据,丰富这一优良品种的基本素材.研究结果表明:各测定周龄体重公母间存在极显著差异;12周龄肌肉品质方面,除剪切力外,其余性状在性别间差异均不显著;遗传力结果显示,各性状之间遗传力有很大差异.     

Na_2CO_3胁迫下星星草幼苗叶片电解质外渗率与PSⅡ光能耗散的关系

用荧光动力学的方法探讨Na2CO3胁迫下星星草幼苗叶片电解质外渗率与PSⅡ光能耗散的关系。结果表明,随着星星草幼苗叶片电解质外渗率的增大,PSⅡ的最大光化学效率（Fv/Fm）和潜在光化学效率（Fv/Fo）呈逐渐减小的趋势。同时,当电解质外渗率小于0.2时,PSⅡ实际光化学效率（ΦPSⅡ）、电子传递速率（ETR）、光化学淬灭系数（qP）、光化学速率（PR）、捕光色素的光能被用于热耗散的相对份额（HD）、热耗散速率（HDR）都随着电解质外渗率的增大而增大;而当电解质外渗率超过0.2时,PSⅡ实际光化学效率（ΦPSⅡ）、电子传递速率（ETR）、光化学淬灭系数（qP）、光化学速率（PR）却随着电解质外渗率的增大而减小。另一方面,电解质外渗率在小于0.15时,非光化学淬灭系数（qNP）一直在增加,但是当电解质外渗率超过0.15时,qNP却减少。本试验结果说明当电解质外渗率在一定范围内,星星草通过增加热耗散以及增加捕光色素吸收的光能被用于热耗散的相对份额（HD）和热耗散速率（HDR）来改善PSⅡ的功能,由此引起的活性氧增加则由体内较高的保护酶来清除,若超过了一定阈值则抑制了PSⅡ的功能,或者说PSⅡ系统可能遭受了不可逆损伤。     

气相色谱-质谱法同时测定中药中24种农药残留

我国约有80％的中药材来自人工栽培,中药材受到农药污染的可能性较大。所以,加强中药中多农药残留量同时检测方法的研究很有必要。目前,2005年版《中国兽药典》（二部）中规定了有机氯类农药、有机磷类农药及拟除虫酯类农药残留量的测定方法为气相色谱法,     

Detection of foot-and-mouth disease virus infected cattle using infrared thermography

In this study, infrared thermography (IRT) was assessed as a means of detecting foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV)-infected cattle before and after the development of clinical signs. Preliminary IRT imaging demonstrated that foot temperatures increased in FMDV-infected animals. The maximum foot temperatures of healthy (n = 53), directly inoculated (DI) (n = 12), contact (CT) (n = 6), and vaccine trial (VT) (n = 21) cattle were measured over the course of FMD infection. A cut-off value was established at 34.4 °C (sensitivity = 61.1%, specificity = 87.7%) with the aim of detecting FMDV-infected animals both before and after clinical signs were observed. Seven of 12 (58%) DI and 3/6 (50%) CT animals showed maximum foot temperatures exceeding the 34.4 °C cut-off before the development of foot vesicles. In contrast, only 5/21 (24%) VT animals displayed pre-clinical foot temperatures above this cut-off possibly indicating partial vaccine protection of this group. These results show IRT as a promising screening technology to quickly identify potentially infected animals for confirmatory diagnostic testing during FMD outbreaks. Further evaluation of this technology is needed to determine the value of IRT in detecting animals with mild clinical signs or sub-clinical infections.     

鸡传染性支气管炎病毒(IBV)ZZ2004株核衣壳蛋白基因的克隆及原核表达

本研究旨在克隆并表达鸡传染性支气管炎病毒（IBV）的核衣壳蛋白（N）。根据IBV ZZ2004株的N基因设计1对引物,提取IBV ZZ2004株的RNA,利用RT-PCR技术扩增大小约1.23 kb的片段,将其插入克隆载体pGEM-T构建pGEM-T-N。将pGEM-T-N用EcoRⅠ和XhoⅠ进行双酶切,将酶切后的N基因片段克隆到表达载体pGEX-6P-1,转入大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）菌中,经IPTG诱导表达,进行SDS-PAGE电泳,结果显示外源基因获得了表达且为可溶性蛋白;Western blotting检测结果显示N蛋白可与相应的IBV ZZ2004阳性血清发生特异性反应,结果表明N蛋白有一定的生物活性。本研究为IBV诊断试剂盒及新型IBV重组亚单位疫苗研制奠定基础。     

Goat paratuberculosis in Chile: first isolation and confirmation of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection in a dairy goat.

In October 2004, 41 goats > 2 years old from a Saanen dairy goat herd located in Purranque County, 10th Region, Chile, were sampled and tested for paratuberculosis. While collecting samples it was observed that several goats were thin and emaciated. One goat was sufficiently debilitated to warrant humane euthanasia. This animal was brought to the Veterinary School at the Universidad Austral de Chile for necropsy. The goat selected for necropsy was a 12-year-old doe. The animal showed classical clinical signs of caprine paratuberculosis: emaciation despite willingness to eat, dry and rough hair coat, and no evidence of diarrhea. Gross pathology and histopathology of the necropsied goat were consistent with paucibacillary paratuberculosis. Bacteriology, serology, and PCR confirmed the diagnosis. This is the first published report of goat paratuberculosis in Chile confirming a case of caprine paucibacillary paratuberculosis.     

Influence of energy supplementation on dietary nitrogen utilization and milk production in cows fed foliage of Leucaena leucocephala

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The aim of the study was to assess the effect of four energy supplements (two highly fermentable; two starch-based carbohydrates) on blood urea nitrogen...