In vivo characterization of inflammatory biomarkers in swine and the impact of flunixin meglumine administration

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are a family of chemicals that function to reduce pain, fever, and inflammation, and they are commonly used in people and animals for this purpose. Currently there are no NSAIDs approved for the management of inflammation in swine due to a lack of validated animal models and suitable biomarkers to assess efficacy. A previous in vitro study examining biomarkers of inflammation identified fourteen genes that were significantly altered in response to Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation. In the present study, five of those fourteen genes were tested in vivo to determine if the same effects observed in vitro were also observed in vivo. Plasma levels of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), an essential mediator of fever and inflammation, were also determined. Two groups of swine were stimulated with LPS with the second group also treated with flunixin meglumine. Blood was collected at 0, 1, 3, 6, 8, 24, and 48h post LPS-stimulation. The RNA was extracted from the blood and quantitative real-time-PCR (qRT-PCR) was utilized to determine the expression patterns of CD1, CD4, serum amyloid A2 (SAA2), Caspase 1, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1). The LPS-stimulated animals demonstrated a statistically significant alteration in expression of SAA2 and CD1 at 3h post-stimulation. Flunixin meglumine treated animals' demonstrated reduced expression of CD1 in comparison to the LPS-stimulated swine at 24 and 48h post LPS-stimulation. Flunixin meglumine treated animals exhibited reduced expression of SAA2 at 48h post-stimulation compared to LPS-stimulated swine. Swine treated with LPS demonstrated statistically significant increases in plasma PGE(2) at 1h post-stimulation. Swine treated with flunixin meglumine had no increase in plasma PGE(2) levels at any time. These results demonstrate that PGE(2) production, along with two out of five genes (SAA2 and CD1) have the potential to serve as early biomarkers of inflammation as well as indicators of NSAID efficacy.     

母兔腹腔镜辅助微创卵巢子宫切除术

母兔卵巢子宫摘除术为异宠临床诊疗中常见的手术之一,本手术为使用腹腔镜辅助,配合电凝刀进行母兔卵巢子宫摘除微创手术。手术麻醉采用右美托咪定诱导麻醉,气管插管后给予异氟烷混合纯氧吸入麻醉进行维持麻醉。利用气腹仪充入CO2提供腹腔内可进行手术的操作空间,使用腹腔镜配合电凝刀在动物腹腔内电凝及切断双侧卵巢血管及韧带,并牵引卵巢子宫至体外结扎子宫颈。手术平均用时30 min,术后平均5 min恢复自主意识,手术创口为三个大约5 mm的切口,术后预后良好。     

富含乳脂肪球膜蛋白乳清粉中总磷脂的含量测定方法研究

建立富含乳脂肪球膜蛋白乳清粉中测定总磷脂的方法,采用甲醇-三氯甲烷提取,经过高温灼烧,用钼蓝比色法测定无机磷的含量,再乘以系数26.31折算成试样中总磷脂的含量,该法标曲线性关系良好(R2=0.9990),回收率＞90%,RSD<3%。该法简单,准确率高,可用于富含乳脂肪球膜蛋白中总磷脂的测定。     

利用SSR标记分析高粱属种质资源的遗传多样性

本研究利用15对SSR 引物对161 份高粱属种质资源进行了遗传多样性分析。结果显示,15对引物共扩增出118条谱带,其中88条具有多态性,多态性比率(P)为75.21%;多态性信息含量(PIC值)变幅为0.612~0.806,平均为0.699。161份高粱属材料遗传相似性系数为0.636~0.977,平均基因多样性指数(H)为0.696,Shannon信息指数(I)为1.393。UPGMA聚类分析显示, 161 份高粱属材料在遗传相似系数(GS)为0.682处可分为3组;129份高粱和苏丹草材料在相似系数为0.671处可分为2组。表明SSR标记可以作为高粱属种间以及种内遗传分化分析的有力工具,被分析的高粱属种质材料具有较高的遗传多样性。     

区域性饲料企业:生存,必须勤练内功——原料篇

<正>目前,中国饲料业虽然呈激烈竞争态势,但人均饲料占有量远远达不到欧美国家的水平,饲料入户率也比较低。同时,虽然一些一线品牌企业在业内声名赫赫,但却还没有一家企业     

天门冬多糖对猪脾淋巴细胞体外增殖的影响

试验旨在研究不同浓度的天门冬多糖(ASP),在ConA或LPS的协同刺激下对猪脾淋巴细胞体外增殖的影响。猪脾淋巴细胞体外培养体系中加入不同浓度的天门冬多糖使其终浓度为400、200、100、50、25、12.5μg/ml,在ConA(5μg/ml)或者LPS(10μg/ml)的协同刺激作用下,细胞培养24、48、72 h时,观察猪脾淋巴细胞增殖情况。结果表明,天门冬多糖及其协同ConA或LPS能显著或极显著的促进猪脾淋巴细胞体外增殖(P<0.05或P<0.01)。     

Density-Dependent Ecohydrological Effects of Piñon–Juniper Woody Canopy Cover on Soil Microclimate and Potential Soil Evaporation

Many rangeland processes are driven by microclimate and associated ecohydrological dynamics. Most rangelands occur in drylands where evapotranspiration normally dominates the water budget. In these water-limited environments plants can influence abiotic and biotic processes by modifying microclimate factors such as soil temperature and potential soil evaporation. Previous studies have assessed spatial variation in microclimate and associated ecohydrological attributes within an ecosystem (e.g., under vs. between woody canopies) or across ecosystems (e.g., with differing amounts of woody canopy cover), but generally lacking are assessments accounting systematically for both, particularly for evergreen woody plants. Building on recently quantified trends in near-ground solar radiation associated with a piñon–juniper gradient spanning 5% to 65% woody canopy cover, we evaluated trends in soil temperature and associated estimates of potential soil evaporation as a function of amount of woody canopy cover for sites overall and for associated canopy vs. intercanopy locations. Quantified soil temperature trends decreased linearly with increasing woody canopy cover for intercanopy as well as canopy patches, indicating the coalescing influence of individual canopies on their neighboring areas. Notably, intercanopy locations within high-density (65%) woody canopy cover could be as much as ～10°C cooler than intercanopy locations within low-density (5%) cover. Corresponding potential soil evaporation rates in intercanopies within high-density woody canopy cover was less than half that for intercanopies within low density. Our results highlight ecohydrological consequences of density-dependent shading by evergreen woody plants on soil temperature and potential soil evaporation and enable managers to rapidly estimate and compare approximate site microclimates after assessing amounts of woody canopy cover. Such predictions of microclimate have general utility for improving management of rangelands because they are a fundamental driver of many key processes, whether related to understory forage and herbaceous species or to wildlife habitat quality for game or nongame species.     

A double‐blind,placebo‐controlled,randomized study to evaluate the weight gain drug,mirtazapine transdermal ointment,in cats with unintended weight loss

Mirtazapine is classified as a weight gain drug in cats, and the purpose of this study was to evaluate its efficacy in cats experiencing unintended weight loss. This was a multi‐center, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, randomized clinical study in client‐owned cats ≥1 year of age, weighing ≥2 kg, with a documented loss (≥5%) in body weight. Cats were treated once daily with either 2 mg/cat mirtazapine transdermal ointment (n = 83) or placebo (n = 94) (Per Protocol population) applied to the inner surface of the pinna for 14 ± 3 days. Physical examination, body weight, complete blood count, serum chemistry, and urinalysis were performed prior to treatment and on Day 14. Changes in body weight between the mirtazapine and placebo groups were evaluated from Day 1 to Day 14 and compared using a two‐sample t test. The mean percent change in body weight was +3.9% (standard deviation ±5.4%) in the mirtazapine group and +0.4% (±3.3%) in the placebo group (p < 0.0001). The most common adverse event was mild erythema at the application site in 17.4% of placebo and 10.4% of mirtazapine‐treated cats. Application of mirtazapine transdermal ointment was well tolerated both topically and systemically and resulted in significant weight gain in cats experiencing unintended weight loss associated with various underlying diseases.     

复方术苦芩提取液对腹泻小鼠iIELs及十二指肠INF-γ、IL-4 mRNA转录的影响

旨在研究复方术苦芩提取液对腹泻小鼠小肠上皮内淋巴细胞（intestinal intraepithelial lymphocyte,iIELs）及十二指肠INF-γ、IL-4 mRNA转录的影响。将72只小鼠随机分为6个组,分别为空白组、感染组、阳性药物组（黄芪多糖口服液,浓度为1.2 mg·mL^-1）和药物Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组（复方术苦芩提取液,生药浓度分别为0.1、1和10 mg·mL^-1）。除空白组外,小鼠连续给药7 d[灌胃0.5 mL·（次·d）^-1]后腹腔注射5×10⁷ CFU大肠杆菌,并将感染组小鼠出现腹泻时设定为试验0 h。于试验6 h和4 d时各处死6只小鼠,制作小肠病理切片并计数iIELs数量,qRT-PCR分析十二指肠段INF-γ、IL-4 mRNA水平。结果显示：阳性药物组和药物Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组对腹泻小鼠的保护率分别为66.7%、50.0%、66.7%、75.0%。试验6 h时,与空白组相比,感染组小鼠iIELs数量增加,十二指肠INF-γ mRNA水平降低、IL-4 mRNA水平增高,差异均极显著（P<0.01）;与感染组相比,阳性药物组和药物Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组小鼠iIELs数量减少,阳性药物组和药物Ⅲ组小鼠十二指肠INF-γ mRNA水平增高、IL-4 mRNA水平降低。试验4 d时,与空白组相比,感染组小鼠十二指肠和回肠的iIELs数量增加,空肠iIELs数量减少,其十二指肠INF-γ、IL-4 mRNA水平增高,差异均极显著（P<0.01）;与感染组相比,阳性药物组和药物Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组小鼠十二指肠和回肠的iIELs数量（Ⅰ组十二指肠除外）均减少,空肠iIELs数量增加,阳性药物组和药物Ⅲ组十二指肠段INF-γ、IL-4 mRNA水平均降低。结果表明,复方术苦芩提取液通过调控小鼠小肠iIELs数量,平衡十二指肠INF-γ/IL-4 mRNA转录,达到对小鼠腹泻的保护作用。