Norsalsolinol uptake into secretory vesicles via vesicular monoamine transporter and its secretion by membrane depolarization or purinoceptor stimulation in PC12 cells.

The intracellular dynamics of norsalsolinol, a neurotoxin candidate causing parkinsonism-like symptoms, in PC12 cells was studied. We found that dopamine and norsalsolinol are co-localized to secretory granule layer by sucrose density gradient in norsalsolinol-treated PC12 cells. The norsalsolinol was actively taken up into isolated secretory vesicle fraction from PC12 cells with a Km value of 41.5+/-6.8 microM. The uptake of 10 microM of norsalsolinol was sensitive to reserpine (1 microM), an inhibitor of vesicular dopamine transporter, and dopamine, an endogenous substrate, but insensitive to GBR-12909, an inhibitor of dopamine transporter on plasma membrane. In norsalsolinol-treated PC12 cells, exposure to high K+ or ATP resulted in simultaneous release of norsalsolinol and dopamine. Time course of a release of dopamine and that of norsalsolinol evoked by 50 mM KCl or 100 microM ATP corresponded to each other. These releases were dependent on the concentrations of secretagogues. These data suggest that norsalsolinol is taken up with dopamine into secretory vesicle via vesicular catecholamine transporter.     

The Effect of Exogenous Hormone Treatment on Spermiation in Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (Sauvage and Dabry)

For the evaluation of hormonal control of spermiation in fish, a method to quanify the spermiation response of mature Rhynchocypris oxycephalus (Sauvage and Dabry) to hormonal therapy is described. Spermatocrit was determined after 7 min centrifugation at 18,000 ± g and sperm density was estimated by a standard hemocytomer method. Sperm density can be predicted from spermatocrit since their relationship is linear as described by the regression equation, Y = 3.68X - 27.18 ( R ² = 0.82, N = 50). where Y is spermatocrit and × is sperm density. Milt production by mature R. oxycephalus was highest at 24 h after injection of 1,000 IU human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and 50 μg luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue (LHRHa) per kg body weight. Increased milt production coincided with low spermatocrit and sperm density levels. These results demonstrate that spermiation in mature R. oxycephalus can be reliably evaluated by a spermatocrit method and that HCG and LHRHa are effective in stimulating of spermiation in this species.     

Morphological study on the stomach of the lesser mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus) with special reference to the internal surface.

The stomach of the lesser mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus) was observed macroscopically. It consisted of only three compartments, rumen, reticulum and abomasum without omasum. The rumen was S-shaped with large ventral and caudoventral blind sacs and the reticulum was larger than the abomasum. Internally, the rumen was covered with numerous ruminal papillae even on the pillars and the ruminoreticular fold. These papillae were leaf- or tongue-like shaped and varied in size and density. The reticulum had honey-combed crests and the secondary crests were found rarely. The lips of the reticular groove were prominent and more developed in the aboral part than in the oral one. A sac-like transition zone, which had more prominent mucosal folds than had the floor of the reticular groove, was observed between the caudal end of the reticular groove and the abomasum. Mucosal folds of the abomasum were spiral, low but rather thick. These findings were discussed in view of comparison with other ruminants and of possible functional implications.     

Nitrogen retention and performance of brown laying hens on diets with different protein content and constant concentration of amino acids and energy.

1. The aim of this study was to determine the nitrogen balance and the performance of laying hens fed on diets with a protein content lower than the diets currently used in commercial practice but with adequate concentrations of lysine, sulphur amino acids, tryptophan and threonine. 2. Ninety-six Hy-Line Brown hens, 24 weeks old, were divided into 3 groups of 8 replicates and received, for 16 weeks, diets formulated to have 3 different protein concentrations: 170 (control), 150 and 130 g/kg CP and the same energy content. For each protein concentration, the contents of lysine, methionine, methionine+cystine, tryptophan and threonine were maintained at minimum requirement concentrations by supplying synthetic amino acids. 3. In the first half of the trial, egg production and egg weight were similar in all groups. From the 9th week onwards group 150 CP laid heavier eggs and had a slightly lower egg deposition and total mass. Food conversion ratio was best in the control group. 4. Nitrogen intake was related to the protein concentration of the diet, the food intake being almost the same in the 3 experimental groups. Faecal nitrogen content significantly and linearly decreased with reduction in dietary protein content and was about 50% of the intake. Considering the nitrogen faecal/intake ratio, the 150 CP group showed better nitrogen utilisation at each sampling time.     

Skeletal muscle characteristics in young trained and untrained standardbred trotters.

Muscle biopsies were taken from the middle gluteal muscle of 28 Standardbred trotters, 3-4 years of age. The 13 horses in Group T were trained consistently from 18 months of age, whereas the 15 horses in Group UT were not exposed to any systematic training before 3 years of age. Group T horses had a lower percentage of Type IIB fibres (31%) than did Group UT horses (39%). Citrate synthase (CS) activity, representing oxidative capacity, was higher in Group T (72 mmol kg-1 min-1) than in Group UT (47 mmol kg-1 min-1). Biopsies were taken from 4 horses in each group when they were foals and then annually until 3-4 years of age. Results from this study indicate that regular training of Standardbreds from 18 months of age resulted in increased CS activity and a decrease in the percentage of Type IIB fibres. This study shows that training, not growth, is the main factor that induces a high oxidative capacity and a high Type IIA/IIB fibre ratio in muscle of Standardbred trotters.     

An unusual tumor of the nictitating membrane gland of dogs-- a case report]

A tumor of the third eyelid gland was diagnosed in a 13 year old female Chihuahua. Histopathology of the excised tissue revealed an apocrine adnexoma with squamous metaplasia. The literature regarding prolapse and tumors of the third eyelid gland was reviewed. No case with similar morphology to this tumor was described to our knowledge.     

Ionized calcium concentration in horses with surgically managed gastrointestinal disease: 147 cases (1988-1990).

Packed cell volume, total plasma protein, serum sodium, potassium, and ionized Ca2+ concentrations, and blood pH were determined at the time of admission and following surgery in 147 horses with acute abdominal crisis. Horses were allotted to 3 categories on the basis of the surgical lesion: (1) nonstrangulating obstruction of the ascending or descending colon (category A, n = 76), (2) strangulating and nonstrangulating infarction of the cecum or ascending colon (category B, n = 37), and (3) strangulating and nonstrangulating infarction of the small intestine (category C, n = 25). Horses with low serum ionized Ca2+ concentration following surgery were given 23% calcium gluconate (100 to 300 ml) IV to effect, and ionized Ca2+ concentration was determined following treatment. The serum ionized Ca2+ concentrations of horses in categories A, B, and C before and after surgery were lower than our normal laboratory reference range. Prior to surgery, serum ionized Ca2+ concentration measured from horses in category B and C was lower than that in horses in category A. There was no difference in ionized Ca2+ concentration in serum samples obtained before surgery in horses from category B and C, and in serum samples obtained following surgery. There was a decrease in ionized Ca2+ concentration during surgery in horses in category A. There was no change between preoperative and postoperative ionized Ca2+ concentration in the samples obtained from horses in category B and C. After calcium gluconate administration, all horses with low serum ionized Ca2+ after surgery had concentrations within our normal range. Measurement of serum ionized Ca2+ in horses with an acute abdominal crisis is recommended.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Pathology of infectious diarrhea of infant rats (IDIR) induced by an antigenically distinct rotavirus

Suckling rats were inoculated with a group B rotavirus to determine the progression of the morphologic changes induced in the intestine by this virus. Several changes were observed by light microscopy 1 day after viral inoculation: shortening of small intestinal villi, villous epithelial necrosis, and villous epithelial syncytia. The lesions were most often present in the distal small intestine, although other small intestinal segments were affected to a lesser degree. By day 3 post-inoculation, epithelial necrosis, and syncytia were no longer present; however, the villous epithelium was disorganized and irregularly vacuolated, and intestinal crypt epithelium was hyperplastic. Alterations in villous height to crypt depth ratios were present in portions of the small intestine for the remainder of the 12-day study period. Epithelial syncytia appeared to form by the breakdown of the lateral interdigitating membranes of the absorptive villous epithelium. Viral particles, abundant in the syncytia, appeared to form from amorphous or reticular arrays of viral precursor material. Group B rotaviral antigens, as detected by indirect immunofluorescence, were present in large amounts in the small intestinal villous epithelium only on the first day after viral inoculation. These studies show that two important diagnostic features of group B rotaviral infections of rats, epithelial syncytia and viral antigen as determined by immunofluorescence, are present only on the first day of disease. These findings should be taken into consideration when attempting to diagnose disease induced by this agent.     

Correlation of DNA ploidy to tumor histologic grade, clinical variables, and survival in dogs with mast cell tumors.

By using flow cytometry, a retrospective analysis of the DNA content of 40 primary canine mast cell tumors and seven lymph nodes that contained metastatic mast cell tumor from 44 dogs of various breed, sex, and age was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples of the tumors and nodes. These samples were chosen according to the following criteria: samples contained sufficient well-preserved tumor tissue in the paraffin block for processing, sufficient patient history data were available, clean and homogeneous cell suspensions were obtained after processing, and interpretable DNA histograms were produced on analysis. The ploidy data obtained were compared with the histopathologic grade, the anatomical site of occurrence, the clinical stage of the tumors, and the survival of the dogs. Over 70% (29/40) of the mast cell tumors were diploid. Three metastatic mast cell tumors in lymph nodes had the same ploidy status as their corresponding primary tumors. In five dogs, mast cell tumors from multiple sites in each dog displayed similar ploidy status. Of 26 dogs evaluated for survival times, 69% (18/26) had diploid tumors and 31% (8/26) had aneuploid tumors. When numbers of diploid versus aneuploid tumors were compared, no significant difference was found between any two grades, clinical stages, or anatomic sites. A significant difference (P = 0.02) was found, however, between aneuploid and diploid tumors when comparing Stage I and non-Stage I disease. The Kaplan-Meier survival plot indicated a tendency towards an increased survival within the first year in dogs with diploid versus aneuploid tumors (P = 0.06).     

Dense Cultivation and Fertilization for Higher Yield of Thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.)

Thyme ( Thymus vulgaris L.) plants were spaced at 15, 30 or 45 cm distances in a clay-loamy soil. They received different levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, besides a constant level of potassium. The results showed, that the wider spacing promoted the growth and production of herb and oil per plant, however dense cultivation significantly increased the yields of herb and oil per unit area. In all cases, the applied fertilization treatments significantly increased the productivity per unit area. Dense cultivation accompanied with higher levels of fertilization proved to be very usefull. The essential oil content was not influenced by either the plant spacing or fertilization treatments applied in this study.