Low levels of haptoglobin and putative amino acid sequence in Taiwanese Lanyu miniature pigs

Porcine haptoglobin (Hp) is an acute phase protein. Its plasma level increases significantly during inflammation and infection. One of the main functions of Hp is to bind free hemoglobin (Hb) and inhibit its oxidative activity. In the present report, we studied the Hp phenotype of Taiwanese Lanyu miniature pigs (TLY minipigs; n=43) and found their Hp structure to be a homodimer (beta-alpha-alpha-beta) similar to human Hp 1-1. Interestingly, Western blot and high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis showed that 25% of the TLY minipigs possessed low or no plasma Hp level (<0.05 mg/ml). The Hp cDNA of these TLY minipigs was then cloned, and the translated amino acid sequence was analyzed. No sequences were found to be deficient; they showed a 99.7% identity with domestic pigs (NP_999165). The mean overall Hp level of the TLY minipigs (0.21 +/- 0.25 mg/ml; n=43) determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was markedly lower than that of domestic pigs (0.78 +/- 0.45 mg/ml; p<0.001), while 25% of the TLY minipigs had an Hp level that was extremely low (<0.05 mg/ml). In addition, the initial recovery rate (first 40 min) in the circulation of infused fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-Hb was significantly higher in the TLY minipigs with extremely low Hp levels than those with high levels. This data suggests that the low concentration of Hp-Hb complex is responsible for the higher recovery rate of Hb in the circulation. TLY minipigs have been used as an experimental model for cardiovascular diseases; whether they can be used as a model for inflammatory diseases, with Hp as a marker, remains a topic of interest. However, since the Hp level varies significantly among individual TLY minipigs, it is necessary to prescreen the Hp levels of the animals to minimize variation in the experimental baseline. The present study may provide a reference value for future use of the TLY minipig as an animal model for inflammation-associated diseases.     

硫酸新霉素可溶性粉在靶动物猪的安全性研究

为了客观评价硫酸新霉素可溶性粉对靶动物猪临床应用的安全性,将32头仔猪随机分为4组,每组8头,分别设1倍、3倍、5倍临床推荐剂量组和空白对照组,连续混饮硫酸新霉素可溶性粉15 d,通过检测各组受试猪的临床表现、血液常规指标、血清生化指标、尿液常规指标及病理学变化等评价其临床用药的安全性。结果:硫酸新霉素可溶性粉以5倍临床推荐剂量内应用于靶动物猪后,对其临床症状、体重、血常规、血生化及尿常规等指标没有显著影响,解剖学及病理组织学检查也未见任何病理变化,说明硫酸新霉素可溶性粉以1倍、3倍、5倍临床推荐剂量应用于靶动物猪是安全的。     

Cardiomyopathy in Dystrophin-Deficient Hypertrophic Feline Muscular Dystrophy

A colony of cats affected with hypertrophic feline muscular dystrophy was used to study the occurrence of cardiomyopathy associated with dystrophin deficiency. Affected male and female cats, obligate carrier females, and unaffected healthy littermates were followed from 12 weeks of age into adulthood. Thoracic radiography, 2-D echocardiography, and 2-D-derived M-mode echocardiography were performed at 3-month intervals until 12 months of age and regularly thereafter. From 9 months of age, all affected cats had larger hearts than normal and carrier animals. Left ventricular wall thickness in systole and in diastole and interventricular septal thickness in systole were greater in affected cats 12 months and older when compared with normal or heterozygous animals (P < .05). The myocardium of affected cats was diffusely hypoechoic and thickened. Multiple hyperechoic foci were in the myocardium and papillary musculature. Shortening fraction was normal in all cats. Changes seen in carrier females included enlargement and hyperechogenicity of the papillary musculature after the age of 2 years. Gross and light microscopic examination revealed left ventricular wall thickening with multiple foci of mineralization in 2 of 5 hearts from dystrophin-deficient cats. Although approximately 10% of the normal dystrophin amount was present in the skeletal muscle, dystrophin could not be detected in the myocardium. Early onset concentric myocardial hypertrophy was present in all adult cats. Lesions were mainly localized in the myocardium of the left ventricular free wall and interventricular septum, papillary musculature, and the endocardium. Clinical signs of heart failure developed only infrequently in cats with hypertrophic feline muscular dystrophy.     

Regulation of fibroblast growth factor 9 on the differentiation of goat intramuscular adipocytes

It has been found that fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGF-FGFR) signaling can regulate the expression of adipocyte differentiation genes. FGF9 is one of the members of FGFs that mainly binds receptors FGFR2 and FGFR3. FGF9 is highly expressed in the adipose tissue of humans and mice, but there are few reports on the role of FGF9 in goat intramuscular adipocyte differentiation. Therefore, this study explored the effect of FGF9 on adipocyte differentiation through cell culture, interference, and overexpression. The expression of receptors FGFR1–FGFR4 in adipocyte differentiation and their effects on differentiation were detected to screen receptor gene of FGF9. Finally, the interaction between FGF9 and the receptor was tested by cotransfection. Our results showed that FGF9 interacts with FGFR2 to inhibit goat intramuscular adipocyte differentiation by regulating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and preadipocyte factor 1 (Pref1), which is a data support for subsequent pathway research.     

家蚕有滞育多化性品种滞育卵复式冷藏继代法的研究

利用上年中秋制种的滞育卵经复式冷藏处理,到当年夏蚕期饲养,夏制种再经中秋蚕期饲养,进行了有滞育多化性品种的省力保种试验.夏蚕期其生命力较对照组低1.2%~1.9%,生种率上升16.0%,差异达显著程度.中秋蚕期生命力高1.0%,生种率低0.9%,完全恢复正常.重复试验,结果一致.有滞育多化性品种用滞育卵复式冷藏处理一年二次省力保种是可行的.     

羊的同期发情技术

论述了羊的同期发情技术原理、供受体同期发情处理方法、供受体发情时间以及发情检测方法,提出了羊的同期发情技术的应用范畴.     

奶牛杂交群体及其遗传评估的模拟研究

为验证在奶牛杂交群体中将品种组成和杂合度作为协变量的遗传评估理论,为奶牛杂交模式选择和杂交群体遗传评估等实际问题提供理论依据,结合我国奶业现状,本研究模拟了在低产荷斯坦牛群引入法系蒙贝利亚牛、德系西门塔尔牛进行杂交,采用随机交配和三品种轮回杂交模式、群体世代重叠17年的繁育过程.群体杂合度在第7年后趋于平衡,轮回杂交模式的群体杂合度高于随机交配.经过杂交,原中低产荷斯坦牛群体在产奶性能、生长性能方面都有进展,轮回杂交提高幅度相对略高.此外,利用品种效应和杂合度效应剖分杂种优势,采用单性状和多性状动物模型对模拟群体进行遗传评估,效果基本一致,都可以很好地用于杂交群体的遗传评估.结果表明,对荷斯坦牛中低产群体进行杂交,可实现生产性能和效益的提高,回归模型可用于多元群体的遗传评估.     

草原生态保护红线划定的基本思路与政策建议

草原保护事关我国生态及经济协调、可持续发展大局。划定草原生态保护红线是构筑我国生态安全屏障的基础,是加强我国民族团结和边疆稳定的前提,是确保我国畜牧业产业安全的保证,是实现牧区可持续发展的重要保障。草原生态保护红线与耕地保护红线一样,具有不可撼动的国家战略意义和重大历史意义。本文在分析我国草原保护现状及存在问题的基础上,提出了草原生态保护红线的内涵和意义,阐述了划定生态红线的基本思路,给出了实现草原可持续发展、划定草原生态保护红线的具体政策建议。