Physiological effects of arginine vasotocin and mesotocin in cockerels

1. The effects of continuous infusion of 0.1, 1.0 and 10.0 mU/min/kg body weight of arginine vasotocin (AVT) or mesotocin (MT) on cardiovascular and thermoregulatory responses, on plasma osmolality and ionic composition and on plasma concentrations of AVT, MT, prolactin and aldosterone, were investigated in conscious White Leghorn cockerels.

2. Neither of the peptides, at any dose, affected cardiovascular functions, plasma ions and osmolality. Infusion of MT at the rate of 10 mU/min/kg body weight increased respiratory rate. Both peptides at doses of 1 and 10 mU/min/kg reduced the temperatures of the comb and shank but had no effect on the skin and cloaca.

3. Doses of 0.1 and 1.0 mU MT/mu/kg reduced plasma aldosterone and at 10 mU/min/kg increased plasma AVT. At any given dose MT had no effect on plasma prolactin. AVT at 0.1 and 1.0 mU/min/kg of AVT reduced plasma MT. AVT at 1.0 mU/min/kg increased plasma prolactin and at 10 mU/min/kg reduced plasma aldosterone.

4. During saline infusion, plasma MT was positively correlated with plasma AVT and negatively correlated with respiratory rate and cloacal temperature. Plasma AVT showed a positive correlation with plasma MT and aldosterone and a negative correlation with respiratory rate and skin temperature.

5. During saline infusion, there was no significant correlation between cardiovascular functions, or plasma osmolality and ionic composition and plasma MT or AVT.

6. The present study suggests that interrelationships between circulating concentrations of AVT and MT do exist and that AVT affects     

Releases in israel ofAphelinus perpallidus,a recently introduced parasite of the pecan blackmargined aphid,Monellia caryella

Six shipments totaling 3452 mummies of the blackmargined aphid,Monellia caryella (Fitch), parasitized withAphelinus perpallidus Gahan, were obtained by air freight during the years 1982-1985 from Texas A&M Research Center, El Paso, Texas. About two-thirds of the mummies did not yield parasites. A colony ofA. perpallidus was established in the laboratory. Under laboratory conditions the percentage of emerged parasites was higher than that in the imported mummies, and the parasite had very limited impact on the aphid population. Field releases of the parasite were made but no establishment ofA. perpallidus was observed through the years.     

Infection process of Rhizoctonia solani on Solanum tuberosum and effects of granular nematicides

The infection process ofRhizoctonia solani AG-3 was studied on potato sprouts, cv. Bintje, in growth chamber trials at 15 °C. Initially hyphae ofR. solani grew predominantly in the longitudinal direction of the sprouts (runner hyphae). They tended to follow the junctions between epidermis cells as was observed by SEM. The hyphae formed side-branches mainly half-way of the subterranean parts of the sprouts. They branched several times with short swollen cells to form infection cushions. Lesions developed only underneath the infection cushions and were first observed five days after inoculation. The necrotic area was proportional to the area covered with infection cushions on the sprouts. Depth of the lesions could extend up to the vascular bundle. Sprouts were colonized only in healthy tissue in the epidermal layer underneath the infection cushion and in necrotic tissue. A few days after appearance of the lesions,R. solani formed brown, uninfective mycelium on and in the circumference of these lesions.Aldicarb did not influence any part of the infection process. Ethoprophos delayed the emergence of sprouts, but increased the number of sprouts per tuber. As soon as sprouts had emerged, growth was considerably promoted by ethoprophos. Ethoprophos delayed the appearance of lesions and reduced their size. Oxamyl showed the same effects to a smaller extent.As the size of lesions appears to be proportional to the size of the infection cushions, any agents that change the size of the infection cushions, such as pesticides or antagonists, may alter the severity of the disease.Samenvatting Het infectieproces vanRhizoctonia solani AG-3 werd bestudeerd op aardappelspruiten, cv. Bintje, in een klimaatcel bij 15C. Aanvankelijk groeide de schimmel met runnerhyfen voornamelijk in de lengterichting van de spruit. Via SEM kon waargenomen worden, dat de hyfen hierbij vooral over de begrenzingen van de epidermiscellen groeiden. Het mycelium vormde veel zijvertakkingen, bestaande uit iets gezwollen korte cellen, welke voornamelijk halverwege op het ondergrondse deel van de spruit gevormd werden. Een dichte massa van deze cellen vormde een infectiekussentje. Lesies, welke vanaf vijf dagen na inoculatie werden waargenomen, bevonden zich slechts onder spruitoppervlak bezet met infectiekussentjes. De lesiegrootte was recht evenredig met het spruitoppervlak dat bezet was met infectiekussentjes. De diepte van de lesies reikte tot aan de vaatbundels. De spruit werd alleen door de schimmel gekoloniseerd in gezond epidermisweefsel onder het infectiekussentje en in necrotisch weefsel. Enkele dagen na verschijning van lesies vormde R.solani bruin, niet infectieus, mycelium op en rondom de lesies.Aldicarb had geen effect op het infectieproces. Ethoprophos vertraagde de opkomst en verhoogde het aantal tot ontwikkeling gekomen spruiten per knol in gestoomd zand. Direct na opkomst had ethoprophos echter een sterk groeistimulerend effect. Ethoprophos vertraagde de lesievorming en reduceerde de lesiegrootte, vergeleken met onbehandelde planten. Oxamyl vertoonde deze effecten in geringere mate.Daar de lesiegrootte direct gecorreleerd blijkt met de grootte van het infectiekussentje, mag verwacht worden dat elke beïnvloeding van de ontwikkeling van het mycelium van R.solani, bijvoorbeeld door pesticiden of antagonisten, een verandering van de lesiegrootte ten gevolge heeft.