Serum 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone and corticosterone concentrations in dogs with nonadrenal neoplasia and dogs with suspected hyperadrenocorticism

OBJECTIVE: To assess serum 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) and corticosterone concentrations in dogs with nonadrenal neoplasia and dogs being screened for hyperadrenocorticism. DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: 16 clinically normal dogs, 35 dogs with nonadrenal neoplasia, and 127 dogs with suspected hyperadrenocorticism. PROCEDURE: ACTH stimulation tests were performed in all dogs. Baseline serum cortisol and corticosterone concentrations were measured in the healthy dogs; baseline serum cortisol concentration and ACTH-stimulated cortisol, corticosterone, and 17OHP concentrations were measured in all dogs. Endogenous plasma ACTH concentration was also measured before administration of ACTH in dogs with neoplasia. RESULTS: In 35 dogs with neoplasia, 31.4% had high serum 17OHP concentration and 22.9% had high serum corticosterone concentration. Of the 127 dogs with suspected hyperadrenocorticism, 59 (46.5%) had high ACTH-stimulated cortisol concentrations; of those, 42 of 59 (71.2%) and 32 of 53 (60.4%) had high serum 17OHP and corticosterone concentrations, respectively. Of dogs with serum cortisol concentration within reference range after ACTH administration, 9 of 68 (13.2%) and 7 of 67 (10.4%) had high serum 17OHP and corticosterone concentrations, respectively. In the dogs with neoplasia and dogs suspected of having hyperadrenocorticism, post-ACTH serum hormone concentrations were significantly correlated. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Serum concentrations of 17OHP or corticosterone after administration of ACTH may be high in dogs with nonadrenal neoplasia and no evidence of hyperadrenocorticism. Changes in serum 17OHP or corticosterone concentrations after administration of ACTH are proportionate with changes in cortisol concentration.     

In vitro expression and inhibition of procoagulant activity produced by bovine alveolar macrophages and peripheral blood cells

Local and systemic activation of coagulation is frequently associated with bacterial sepsis. The coagulopathy is due, at least in part, to expression of tissue factor (TF) by monocytes and macrophages. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of procoagulant activity by bovine alveolar macrophages, leukocytes and platelets, and to determine the relative potency of three chemical inhibitors of TF expression (pentoxifylline, retinoic acid, and cyclosporin A). Bovine alveolar macrophages were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) derived from Pasteurella haemolytica or recombinant bovine tumour nervous factor (TNF) and dose- and time-dependent effects on TF expression were studied. LPS and TNF induced TF expression in alveolar macrophages and LPS treatment of whole blood induced TF expression in mononuclear cells. Neutrophils and platelets also expressed procoagulant activity, but this activity was not inhibited by anti-bovine TF monoclonal antibody. Pentoxifylline (40 mol/L), retinoic acid (0.01 mmol/L) and cyclosporin A (0.08 mol/L) inhibited TF expression when added concurrently with LPS or TNF, but not when added 4 h after stimulation. TF mRNA was not detected in unstimulated alveolar macrophages by Northern blot analysis. In contrast, exposure to LPS or TNF for 6 h induced marked expression of TF mRNA, which was inhibited by treatment with pentoxifylline, retinoic acid and cyclosporin A. Expression of TNF by alveolar macrophages stimulated with LPS was also inhibited by these compounds. Our results indicate that procoagulant activity expressed by alveolar macrophages and monocytes is associated with expression of TF, whereas procoagulant activity expressed by neutrophils and platelets is not. The concentrations of pentoxifylline and retinoic acid necessary for inhibition of TF expression in vitro may not be achievable in vivo owing to their toxic effects. However, the in vitro concentration of cyclosporin A that inhibited TF expression did not exceed the plasma concentration observed in humans, and therefore may be useful for inhibition of TF expression in vivo.Abbreviations BAL bronchoalveolar lavage - LPS lipopolysaccharide - cDNA cloned deoxyribonucleic acid - cAMP cyclic adenosine monophosphate - GAPDH glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase - mRNA messenger ribonucleic acid - TF tissue factor - TNF tumour necrosis factor - DPBS Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline     

Adherence of Bordetella bronchiseptica and Pasteurella multocida to porcine nasal and tracheal epithelial cells.

The ability of 19 different Bordetella bronchiseptica isolates and 25 Pasteurella multocida isolates to adhere in vitro to porcine nasal and tracheal epithelial cells was examined. It was found that B. bronchiseptica adhered well to upper respiratory tract cells. In contrast the number of P. multocida organisms which adhered was four to six times less than the number of B. bronchiseptica adherent organisms. This difference was statistically significant (p less than 0.0001). Both microorganisms adhered in greater numbers to nasal cells than to tracheal cells (p less than 0.005). The data indicated that B. bronchiseptica possesses a greater ability than P. multocida to attach to porcine upper respiratory tract cells.     

Pollution and Ecological Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Farmland Soils in Yanqi County,Xinjiang, Northwest China

A total of 50 farmland soil samples were collected from the Yanqi County, Xinjiang, China, and the concentrations of eight heavy metal elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) were determined by standard methods. The spatial distribution, pollution level and ecological risk status of heavy metals were analyzed based on GIS technology, the Geo-accumulation Index (Igeo), the Pollution Load Index (PLI) and the Potential Ecological Risk Index (RI). Results indicated that: (1) The average contents of Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn of farmland soils exceeded the background values of irrigation soils in Xinjiang by 1.5, 1.40, 1.33, 2.63, and 4.92 times, respectively. Cd showed a no-pollution level, Zn showed a partially moderate pollution level, Pb showed a slight pollution level, and Cr, Cu, As, Mn, and Ni showed no-pollution level, compared to the classification standard. The PLI values of heavy metal elements of farmland soils varied from 0.83 to 1.89, with an average value of 1.29, at the moderate pollution level. (2) The Individual Potential Ecological Risk Index for heavy metals in the study area was ranked in the order of: As > Ni > Cu > Cd > Pb > Cr> Zn. The RI values of heavy metals of farmland soils varied from 3.45 to 11.34, with an average value of 6.13, at the low ecological risk level. (3) Cu and Mn of farmland soils were mainly originated from the soil parent material and topography of the study area. As, Cd, Ni and Pb were mainly originated from human activities, and Cr and Zn may originated from both natural and anthropogenic factors in the study area.     

Nomenclature and genetic relationships of apples and pears from Terceira Island

Heritage apple (Malus domestica Borkh. hybrids) and pear (Pyrus communis L. hybrid) trees grow in villages throughout Terceira Island, Azores, Portugal. Some of these pears have different names but similar morphology. The objective of this study was to determine synonymy, homology, and phylogeny of apples and pears from Terceira and to examine potential relationships of the island pears with standard apples and pears of Portuguese or American descent. Nine apple microsatellite markers were used to determine genetic relationships. Distance- and parsimony-based cluster analysis grouped these genotypes into separate apple and pear clades. The Terceira apples were divided into two clades: the maçā and the reineta-reinette. Among the 17 heritage apple genotypes, seven unique accessions were identified and four groups of synonyms, or possibly clones, were detected including: ‘Reineta Agosto’ and ‘Reineta Verde’ from Altares; ‘Reineta Castanha’ and ‘Reineta Verde Miuda’; ‘Maçā Pêra,’ ‘Maçā Calhau’, ‘Pêro Branco’ from Salga and from Terra-Chā and ‘Maçā Marmelo’; and the five genotypes ‘Maçā Sao Joao’, ‘Malápio Rosa’, ‘Maçā Gaspar’, ‘Maçā Branca’ and ‘Maçā Pato’. In addition, two homonyms were detected. ‘Pêro Vermelho’ from Terra Chā was a separate genotype from a tree from Doze Ribeiras of the same name, but Pêro Branco from Terra Chā appears to be a clone that can be distinguished by an additional allele at CH1F07a from a tree with that name from Salga. One pair of apple clones, ‘Reineta Agosto’ and ‘Reineta Verde’ from Altares appear to be derived from an unreduced gamete of ‘Golden Delicious.’ Another apple genotype ‘Maçā Acida’ could be a sibling of the ‘Maçā Pêra’ clonal group. Other tested standard apples from the US genebank were unrelated to Terceira genotypes. Of the seven heritage pears, five unique genotypes and one pair of synonyms were detected. ‘Pêra Papo Pintassilgo’ from Raminho and ‘Pêra Vermelha’ from the nursery of Serviço de Desenvolvimento Agario da Terceira (SDAT) were synonyms. ‘Passans du Portugal’ was related to ‘Pêra Cabaca’ but other standard pears from the US genebank were unrelated to Terceira genotypes. Future studies will include additional apple and pear cultivars from other Islands of the Azores and continental Portugal, and wild Asian species to further explore genetic relationships.     

沼液酸化贮存技术研究进展

酸化贮存技术在降低沼液养分损失与气体减排方面具有优势,系统梳理沼液酸化贮存技术研究进展可为规范沼液贮存方式,协同降低养分损失与气体排放技术实施提供数据支撑。采用文献数据整理的方式,对酸化技术影响因素,酸化对沼液特性的影响效果与作用机理,酸化对多种气体减排效果的影响进行总结和分析。结果表明:1)酸化剂、酸化目标pH、贮存时间、方式、温度均会影响酸化贮存作用效果;2)酸化会通过降低沼液pH,改变缓冲物质之间的平衡,促进无机矿物质的溶解与有机物的降解,降低微生物活性与氨气(NH₃)排放量等方式影响沼液性质和降低养分损失;3)沼液酸化剂的科学选择、酸化技术参数的规范设定、酸化贮存过程的元素各化学形态转化机理以及酸化沼液产品的还田效果等有待深入研究。     

A seroepidemiologic survey of antibody to bluetongue virus in Alabama cattle

Bluetongue (BT) is an insect transmitted viral disease of sheep that often causes mild or inapparent disease but rarely causes severe disease in cattle. Until recently, bluetongue viral infection was believed to be more prevalent in the Western United States, as compared with other regions of the country. However, a national survey for bluetongue antibody and clinical evidence of the disease in the Southeastern United States prompted the present investigation that was designed to determine the serological prevalence of BT virus in Alabama cattle. Results of the study demonstrated that 16% of the samples collected from 1,500 cattle in 64 of the 67 counties were positive. The prevalence of positive cattle in the western part of the State was significantly higher (P less than .001) than the prevalence in the eastern half of the State. On a herd basis, 52% of all herds tested had positive animals. Results of this study suggest that bluetongue infection is more common in the Southeastern United States than previously suspected.     

Effects of dietary thiamin supplement on growth,body composition and intestinal enzyme activities of juvenile Jian carp (Cyprinus carpio var. Jian)

A total of 1050 juvenile Jian carp (Cyprinus carpio var. Jian) (8.20 ± 0.02 g) were fed diets containing seven graded levels of thiamin (0.25, 0.48, 0.79, 1.06, 1.37, 1.63 and 2.65 mg kg^?1) for 60 days to investigate the effects of thiamin on growth, body composition and digestive enzyme activities. Percent weight gain (PWG), feed intake and feed efficiency (FE) were the lowest in fish fed the basal diet (P < 0.05). Protein productive value and lipid productive value increased with increasing dietary thiamin levels up to 1.06 and 0.79 mg kg^?1 diet, respectively (P < 0.05). Body protein and lipid increased with increasing dietary thiamin levels (P < 0.05), while moisture and ash of fish carcasses decreased with the increase in dietary thiamin supplementation (P < 0.05). Intestinal folds height had a similar trend to PWG (P < 0.05). Activities of α‐amylase, lipase, trypsin, Na⁺, K⁺‐ATPase, alkaline phosphatase and gamma‐glutamyl transpeptidase in intestine were all affected by the dietary thiamin (P < 0.05). In conclusion, thiamin could improve growth and intestinal enzyme activities of juvenile Jian carp. The dietary thiamin requirement of juvenile Jian carp (8.0–60.2 g) based on PWG was 1.02 mg kg^?1 diet.     

Thoracoscopic treatment of bullous emphysema in 3 dogs

OBJECTIVE: To report thorascopic partial lobectomy for treatment of bullous emphysema in dogs. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. ANIMALS: Three dogs with spontaneous pneumothorax. METHODS: Thoracoscopy without pulmonary exclusion was used to identify bulla. The thorascope was introduced into the thorax lateral to the xyphoid process, and instrument portals were made at different levels along the thoracic wall between the third and tenth intercostal spaces. The thorascope was passed through the mediastinum to view the opposite pleural cavity. After identification of bullae, the affected lung was excised using an endoscopic stapler, and the incision line was checked for air leakage. Thoracic drains were used for air aspiration for 2 days after surgery. RESULTS: Bullae were confirmed histologically as emphysematous lesions. Lung inflation did not interfere with identification of bullae or with surgery. All dogs had full recovery without recurrence for 18 to 29 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Identification and ablation of bulla can be performed thoracoscopically without pulmonary exclusion in dogs. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Thoracoscopy offers several advantages compared with thoracotomy for treatment and diagnosis of idiopathic pneumothorax, including ease of identification of bullae and reduced postoperative pain and morbidity.