Genetic Engineering Approaches to Pig Production*

Modern biotechnology promises a number of new applications in animal breeding and production. Although conventional pig breeding has achieved a high level of efficiency and productivity numerous problems have been encountered with animal health and the loss of meat quality. Selection based on phenotypic performance data of individual animals does not take into account the importance of specific genes and their relevance within a complex regulatory system. In most cases it is therefore difficult to trace back the genetic origins of clinically important disorders. The application of genetic engineering techniques in pig production will facilitate diagnosis, improvement of productivity, and animal health by allowing direct genetic manipulation. Attention must be focussed on the physical and genetic analysis of the procine genome. The isolation and characterisation of genes, DNA-markers, polymorphic DNA-fragments, and their chromosomal assignment will be important prerequisites and tools for the elucidation of genetic disorders. Especially the detection of heterozygous carriers of recessive disorders and their elimination from the breeding stock will increase selection accuracy and decrease the generation intervals. But also the rapid and simple detection of infectious diseases, which is sometimes difficult if not impossible at present, will improve animal health and welfare. Although the production of transgenic animals either by DNA-microinjection into zygotes or the use of embryonal stem cells manipulated in vitro is less straightforward than DNA-based diagnosis it will play an important role in the direct manipulation of the porcine genome and genes. Breeding programmes including the use of transgenic livestock have already been developed. There is no doubt that genetic engineering has reached a degree of practical feasibility, allowing it to play an important role in pig breeding in particular and animal production in general.     

Viral respiratory disease of the horse.

The diagnosis of any viral respiratory disease relies on laboratory procedures to isolate the virus and demonstrate a significant rise in serum antibody titers. To isolate viruses from the upper respiratory tract, it is imperative that nasopharyngeal swabs are obtained from animals in the early acute stage of illness, i.e., during the pyrexic phase when the virus is replicating. Nasopharyngeal swabs must be placed in a virus transport medium and forwarded immediately to the laboratory at refrigerated temperature. Equine influenza, rhinopneumonitis, and equine viral arteritis are the three viral infections causing outbreaks of respiratory disease in North America. African horse sickness, although foreign to North America, could be introduced despite stringent horse importation regulations. Specific antiviral therapy is not available to treat viral respiratory disease in the horse. A variety of inactivated and modified live vaccines, however, are available to prevent clinical disease and the spread of infection caused by the common viral respiratory pathogens. A considerable amount of research is underway to enhance the potency and duration of immunity of the present vaccines against influenza and rhinopneumonitis. This research is directed at defining and characterizing the importance of specific glycoprotein antigens on the surface of the virus, which trigger the various host immune responses, and determining whether they are stimulatory or suppressive.     

In situ hybridization analysis of ovarian prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase mRNA throughout the periovulatory period of the ewe.

Cellular alterations in level of expression of mRNA encoding for prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase were quantified within ovarian tissues of sheep obtained before, during and after induction of the preovulatory surge of LH and ovulation with LHRH. This was accomplished by isotopic in situ hybridization using a selective cRNA probe to ovine prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase mRNA. A significant elevation in mRNA was detected within the theca interna of the preovulatory follicle at 8, 16 and 24 hr following administration of LHRH. Very close to the time of ovulation (ie., at 24 hr post-LHRH) a marked rise in mRNA was observed in association with epithelial cells covering the apical surface of the follicle. Ovarian cyclooxygenase metabolites of arachidonic acid produced during the ovulatory process in the ewe originate within the thecal layer and germinal epithelium of the follicle destined to ovulate.     

Trigger Points in 48 Dogs with Myofascial Pain Syndromes

Seven foci of pain (trigger points) were identified in the triceps brachii, infraspinatus, adductor-pectineus, peroneus longus, gluteus medius, ileocostorum lumborum, and quadriceps femoris muscles in 48 lame dogs. The dogs had been lame for 1 day to 150 weeks (mean, 24 weeks). Thirty-one dogs had been treated unsuccessfully with corticosteroids, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, or acupuncture. Palpating the trigger points induced severe pain. Treatment consisted of weekly stimulation of the trigger points by needling or injection of a local anesthetic. The mean treatment period was 2.8 weeks. Excellent results and complete recovery were observed in 34 dogs (60%).     

Importance of Some Biochemical Parameters in the Quality and Yield of Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)

Samples of rapeseed from three Italian growing environments (Bologna, Perugia and Palermo) were analysed for glucose content and dry weight of 1000 seeds every three or four days starting from the end of flowering until complete ripening. In addition, the content of oil, soluble and total proteins, glucosinolates and myrosinase activity was determined in samples of mature seeds. The cultivars used were jet Neuf and Lingot (type 0) and Tandem, Jade and Santana (type 00). From the results it emerged that the point of intersection of the two branches of the linear regression plots for different glucose-consumption kinetics found during seed filling, in addition to being strongly affected by the climate of the test environment, is correlated with quantitative and qualitative production, independently of the genotype.     

山羊脑灰质软化症和李氏杆菌病的区别及防治方法

山羊脑灰质软化症 (ＰＯＬＩＯＥＮ ＣＥＰＨＡＬＯＭＡＬＡＣＩＡ)和李氏杆菌病 (ＬＩＳ ＴＥＲＩＯＳＩＳ)是症状相似治疗方法截然不同的两种疾病。山羊饲养者和兽医工作者必须从两种疾病的细微差别中进行鉴别 ,以便正确治疗和处理病羊。多数情况下 ,这两种疾病出现在饲养条件比较好、但饲养方法不当的地方。特别是在快速育肥时。精饲料喂量过多 ,而含粗纤维的饲料喂量过少是诱发两种疾病的重要因素。突然更换饲料常常导致此病突然发作。脑灰质软化症 (通常又称为大脑皮层坏死症 )是缺乏硫胺 (即维生素Ｂ1)而造成的一种代谢性疾病。瘤胃环…