Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus and Hymenoscyphus albidus: viridiol concentration and virulence do not correlate

Hymenoscyphus pseudoalbidus is the causal agent of ash dieback, a disease that is presently endangering Fraxinus spp. throughout most of Europe. The phytotoxin, viridiol, was previously isolated from culture extracts of H. pseudoalbidus and found to be toxic to leaves of F. excelsior. Thus, we were interested in learning to what extent viridiol is responsible for pathogenicity of H. pseudoalbidus and investigated this using twelve isolates of H. pseudoalbidus. We also included five isolates of the closely related avirulent species, Hymenoscyphus albidus, in our studies. Some, but not all, isolates of H. pseudoalbidus and H. albidus produced measurable quantities of viridiol in culture. Three tests were used to determine to what extent viridiol concentration correlates with virulence: culture extracts were tested for activity in leaf segment tests and for inhibition of germination of seedlings of Fraxinus excelsior; virulence of the isolates was tested following infection of axenically cultured ash seedlings. Activity of the culture extracts varied, as did virulence of the isolates following inoculation into seedlings. No correlations were found between viridiol concentration and activities of culture extracts in leaf segment tests or in the germination test, nor between viridiol concentration and disease symptoms when inoculated into seedlings. However, activities of culture extracts in leaf segment and in the germination test correlated, as did the results of each of these tests with virulence in the infection experiment. Apparently, as yet unidentified factors other than the concentration of viridiol play important roles in the virulence of H. pseudoalbidus.     

Pubertal development of male African catfish,Clarias gariepinus. In vitro steroidogenesis by testis and interrenal tissue and plasma levels of sexual steroids

In fish, sex steroids initiate and/or accelerate the maturation of the brain-pituitary-gonad axis. In order to obtain information on the steroid milieu during the pubertal development of male African catfish, we have monitored the conversion of [³H]-pregnenolone and [³H]-androstenedione by testis and [³H]-pregnenolone by interrenal tissue fragmentsin vitro. Pubertal development occurs between two and six months of age. Testicular development proceeds through four main stages that are characterised histologically by the presence of spermatogonia (stage I), spermatogonia and spermatocytes (stage II), spermatogonia, spermatocytes and spermatids (stage III), and all germ cells including spermatozoa (stage IV). 11β-Hydroxyandrostenedione and cortisol were the main products of testes and interrenal tissue, respectively, in all stages of the pubertal development; a change in the steroidogenic pattern was not observed during this period. The interrenal tissue displayed no significant conversion of [³H]-pregnenolone to 11-oxygenated androgens. Blood plasma was analyzed for the presence of five androgens; testosterone, 11β-hydroxytestosterone, 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione, androstenetrione, and 11-ketotestosterone. 11-Ketotestosterone was the quantitatively dominating androgen in the circulation at all stages of development, which was more pronounced in stages III and IV. The obvious differences between thein vitro andin vivo results, namely 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione being the main testicular productvs. 11-ketotestosterone dominating in the blood, may indicate that 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione is converted to 11-ketotestosterone at extratesticular sites.     

Sertoli cell proliferation and FSH signalling in African catfish, Clarias gariepinus

Sertoli cell proliferation occurs mainly during the phase of rapid spermatogonial proliferation, allowing the cyst-forming Sertoli cells to form an increasingly large space for housing the growing germ cell clone. There is no information in fish on the regulation of Sertoli cell proliferation; follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) stimulates Sertoli cell proliferation in mammals. Increasing or decreasing FSH and FSH receptor expression experimentally in male African catfish was associated with respective changes in Sertoli cell proliferation or testis growth, suggesting that also in fish, one role of FSH may be to regulate Sertoli cell numbers.     

Experimental udder infection with Escherichia coli. 2. Morphological changes of the epithelium in the area of the glands of the milk cistern and the large milk ducts

Optical light, transmission, and scanning electron microscopy were used in investigations of epithelia in the glandular region of the milk cistern and greater lactiferous ducts and yielded the following findings, four and six hours from infection: degeneration and necrosis of epithelial cells, intraepithelial foreign cell infiltration (neutrophilic granulocytes, lymphocytes, macrophages), intra-epithelial oedema and locally delimited epithelial loss. The lesions differed by intensity in various regions, so that a distinction could be made among five froms of epithelial alterations. The epithelial cells revealed their capability of absorbing pathogenic material and storing it in cytoplasmic vacuoles. This was considered to reflect active involvement of epithelium in antibacterial defence, and consequently, to reflect the role played by epithelium as a defence barrier in the milk cistern and greater lactiferous ducts.     

Interrelationships between methylmercury exposure and selenium supplementation in cockerels using selected laboratory diagnostic parameters and toxicological parameters of residues]

A feed loading experiment was applied in 2 phases to 45 young cocks over 12 weeks, using 1,2-N,N-bis(methylmercury)-p-toluolsulphamide-dressed wheat (50% of base ration). Investigations were conducted to study the effects of selenium supplementation (0,2 mg Se as sodium selenite/l drinking water) on biochemical and hematological parameters (calcium, phosphorus, total protein, albumin, creatinine, urea, activity of alkaline phosphatase, hematocrit, hemoglobin, leucocyte count) as well as on parameters relating to toxicological residues (selenium and mercury levels in liver, musculature and kidneys). Statistically secured differences were found to exist between the experimental groups with regard to selenium and mercury in the liver and mercury concentrations in kidneys. Possible interrelationships were discussed.     

Endogenous opioids

The discovery of the opioid receptors and their corresponding ligands, the opioid peptides, is of fundamental importance as regards our understanding of a variety of functional mechanisms in the central and peripheral nervous system. This review considers the distribution of the multiple opioid peptides within the organism as well as their tissue-specific enzymatic processing. These parameters differ considerably between species. The multiple opioid peptides are paralleled by multiple opioid receptors. These opioid systems affect a broad spectrum of functions, such as behaviour, pain perception, the cardiovascular system, respiration, appetite, gut motility and secretion, water- and electrolyte balance and the complex field of endocrine mechanisms. The task of future pharmacological research is to study these functions by means of more selective opioid agonists and antagonists. An awareness of our present knowledge and of probable findings to come suggests novel therapeutic possibilities in the field of veterinary science.