Immunocytochemical localization of lysozyme in intestinal eosinophilic granule cells (EGCs) of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.

The distribution of lysozyme in the intestine of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., was studied by light- and electron-microscopic immunocytochemistry. Eosinophilic granule cells (EGCs) in the subepithelial region of the lamina propria showed strong immunoreactivity to lysozyme, while epithelial cells were only occasionally stained. At the ultrastructural level, lysozyme was localized to secretary granules of EGCs, demonstrating features in common with the Paneth cell of the mammalian small intestine, previously shown to produce antibacterial substances such as lysozyme. Furthermore, EGCs stained positive with phloxine-tartrazine, a histochemical stain that is used for identification of Paneth cells. This study reveals that EGCs show close resemblance to mammalian intestinal Paneth cells, and thus, may be important for the intestinal defense system in salmonid fish.     

Single layer centrifugation of fresh dromedary camel semen improves sperm quality and in vitro fertilization capacity compared with simple sperm washing

Single layer centrifugation (SLC) through a colloid is a tool for selecting viable mammalian spermatozoa but has not been used previously for fresh dromedary camel sperm. Semen from six camels (2 ejaculates/male) was diluted 1:5 (v:v) or 1:10 (v:v) in a Tris–citrate–fructose buffer for mechanical liquefaction by gentle pipetting. Following liquefaction, semen was processed either by SLC or by centrifugation without a colloid (control). Total and progressive motilities, CASA kinematics, vitality and acrosome integrity (eosin–nigrosin) and plasma membrane integrity (Hypo‐osmotic swelling test; HOST), and fertilizing ability in a heterologous assay (zona‐free goat oocytes) were evaluated. Both total (p = .003) and progressive motilities (p = .003) were higher in SLC‐processed than in control semen samples, irrespective of dilution. Positive HOST values increased when using colloid in 1:5 (p = .001) and 1:10 dilution (p = .010). Colloid‐selected sperm had higher penetration rates than controls (p < .001 and p = .02 for 1:5 and 1:10 dilutions, respectively). However, only the SLC sperm at 1:5 dilution showed higher percentages of pronuclear formation (p = .02) than controls. Dilution effect was only significant for total motility before in vitro fertilization, with higher values for the 1:5 dilution (p = .033). The recovery rates of motile sperm between dilutions were similar (26.1% vs 35.4%; p = .226). In conclusion, SLC is a promising tool for selecting functional dromedary camel sperm and warrants more research.     

Evaluation of the Displacement Value as a Method to Detect Reduced Corn Wet-Milling Quality

A procedure based on the resistance and capacitance (RC) properties of corn to calculate a displacement value (DV) was evaluated for detection of corn that had reduced wet-milling quality. In 1991 and 1992, three hybrids were dried at air temperatures between ambient and 115°C in batch dryers. Additional samples, obtained from commercial elevators in 1992, had been dried with air temperatures ranging from 52 to 136°C. A baseline reference relationship was developed between log₁₀-resistance and capacitance with data from ambient-dried samples. A DV was defined as the horizontal distance along the capacitance axis from a sample RC data point to the baseline reference. RC properties of samples dried at air temperatures >50°C were compared to the baseline and the DV determined. Selected drying treatments were wet-milled by a laboratory-scale procedure to verify milling quality and correlation with DV. The effects attributed to hybrid and harvest moisture content on the RC properties of ambient-dried samples were small, allowing the baseline reference to be applied to a wide range of corn samples. In 1992, the baseline shifted upward from the 1991 baseline by 0.5 units on the log₁₀-resistance axis. DV increased significantly at drying air temperatures >50°C for batchdried samples. While DV correlated with drying temperature in batchdried samples (r = 0.66), it did not correlate with starch yield or recovery of commercial samples (r ≤0.10). Although the specific causes could not be determined, the shift in the baseline indicates the method would be difficult to implement on a practical scale. Although not indicated by DV, starch recovery decreased significantly for samples batch-dried at air temperatures ≥70°C. All samples dried at 115–136° had significantly lower starch recoveries.