Importance of albumen content in whole-body protein synthesis of the chicken embryo during incubation.

The importance of egg albumen content in whole-body protein synthesis was investigated in developing chicken embryos by using lines genetically selected for high and low albumen contents and by removing albumen from eggs before incubation. 2. Whole-body protein synthesis was estimated by injecting L-[15N]-phenylalanine intravenously on day 12 of incubation. 3. Embryos from high albumen eggs had higher whole-body protein synthesis rates than those from low albumen eggs. 4. Whole-body protein synthesis was reduced by the removal of albumen from eggs before incubation. 5. It was concluded that albumen content per se was of crucial importance in regulating whole-body protein synthesis in chicken embryos during incubation.     

Evaluation of the Impacts of Marine Salts and Asian Dust on the Forested Yakushima Island Ecosystem, a World Natural Heritage Site in Japan

To elucidate the influence of airborne materials on the ecosystem of Japan??s Yakushima Island, we determined the elemental compositions and Sr and Nd isotope ratios in streamwater, soils, vegetation, and rocks. Streamwater had high Na and Cl contents, low Ca and HCO₃ contents, and Na/Cl and Mg/Cl ratios close to those of seawater, but it had low pH (5.4 to 7.1), a higher Ca/Cl ratio than seawater, and distinct ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios that depended on the bedrock type. The proportions of rain-derived cations in streamwater, estimated by assuming that Cl was derived from sea salt aerosols, averaged 81?% for Na, 83?% for Mg, 36?% for K, 32?% for Ca, and 33?% for Sr. The Sr value was comparable to the 28?% estimated by comparing Sr isotope ratios between rain and granite bedrock. The soils are depleted in Ca, Na, P, and Sr compared with the parent materials. At Yotsuse in the northwestern side, plants and the soil pool have ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios similar to that of rainwater with a high sea salt component. In contrast, the Sr and Nd isotope ratios of soil minerals in the A and B horizons approach those of silicate minerals in northern China??s loess soils. The soil Ca and P depletion results largely from chemical weathering of plagioclase and of small amounts of apatite and calcite in granitic rocks. This suggests that Yakushima??s ecosystem is affected by large amounts of acidic precipitation with a high sea salt component, which leaches Ca and its proxy (Sr) from bedrock into streams, and by Asian dust-derived apatite, which is an important source of P in base cation-depleted soils.     

Odontogenic cysts in three dogs: one odontogenic keratocyst and two dentigerous cysts

Odontogenic cysts, which showed cystic radiolucency in the jaw bone by radiographic examination and computed tomography, were enucleated by operation in 3 dogs. One dog had a odontogenic keratocyst in the incisive bone of the right maxilla and another 2 cases revealed dentigerous cysts in the mandible. These cyst walls were enucleated or transpired by semiconductor laser. Afterwards, osteogenesis was confirmed at the defective part of jaw bone by extirpation of the cyst in all cases, and no recurrence has been noted in any cases. Odontogenic cyst is a disease which should be treated by surgical extirpation or transpiration.     

Influence of the gut microflora on fasting heat production in chicks

1. The influence of the gut microflora on fasting heat production in chicks was investigated. 2. Single Comb White Leghorn chicks were fed on an adequate diet from 2 to 12 d of age and then fasted for 3 d. Fasting heat production was estimated from changes in body composition and energy content of droppings from days 1 to 3 of fasting. Measurements of body temperature and plasma thyroxine concentration were also made. 3. Body fat content was consistently higher in germ-free (GF) chicks than in conventional (CV) counterparts during the starvation period, whereas no difference was found in body protein content. The GF birds had a significantly higher body temperature than the CV controls with no change in plasma thyroxine concentration. 4. It was concluded that estimated fasting heat production of chicks was increased by the absence of the gut microflora.     

Different responses of protein synthesis to refeeding in various muscles of fasted chicks

1. The change in the rate of protein synthesis of different muscles, concentrations of plasma insulin, plasma insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and other plasma components were investigated after refeeding in fasted chicks. 5.2 g of the complete diet was refed. This was the maximum that could be force-fed with water. 2. The fractional synthesis rates (FSR) of breast (M. pectoralis major) and leg (M. gastrocnemius) muscles were measured after injection of L-[2, 6-(3)H]phenylalanine. Plasma insulin and IGF-I concentration were determined by radioimmunoassay. 3. In the breast muscle, FSR was significantly reduced by 2-d fasting. The FSR had recovered completely after 1 h of refeeding and was maintained until 6 h. The change in FSR after refeeding was associated with the change in ribosomal efficiency (K(RNA); absolute synthesis rate per unit RNA), while no change in ribosomal capacity (C(S); RNA: protein ratio) was observed. 4. In the leg muscle, FSR was decreased by 2-d fasting and increased gradually toward 6 h after refeeding but did not reach the level of the fed control. In contrast to the breast muscle, no significant changes in Cs and K(RNA) in the leg muscle were observed. 5. Plasma glucose concentration increased significantly at 1 h after refeeding but returned to the fasted level after 24 h. Plasma insulin concentration in chicks refed for 1 h was higher than in the fasted group. There was no significant change in plasma IGF-I concentration. 6. These results suggest that the FSR of breast muscle was more sensitive to refeeding than that of leg muscle which may be explained, in part, by differences in sensitivity to the change in circulating plasma insulin concentration after refeeding.     

Maturation property of fast-growing hardwood plantation species: A view of fiber length

The development of human civilization has caused many problems, among them increases in atmospheric CO₂ and shortage of fossil fuel resources. Fast-growing tree species can help solve these problems. Short rotations cause concern that fast-growing species contain a high proportion of juvenile wood, thus limiting their use. To use fast-growing species for timber, this concern must be addressed.     

Serum keratan sulphate as a cartilage metabolic marker in horses: the effect of exercise

Keratan sulphate (KS) concentration in sera from resting horses and horses training daily on a racetrack was measured by an inhibition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using anti-equine KS antibody 1/14/16H9. For the in-training horses, serum KS concentrations in 2-year-old-horses was significantly higher than 3- or 4-year-old-horses. A higher concentration of serum KS was found in the in-training group than in the long-term resting group in 2-year-old-horses. Serum KS concentration increased remarkably immediately after training in healthy horses, and at 1, 5, 9 and 24 h after training remained at similar levels to the pre-training concentration. The results suggest that serum KS concentration could represent the situation of joint loading, induced by daily racetrack training, affecting the metabolic activities in joint cartilage.     

Plasma atrial and brain natriuretic peptide levels in dogs with congestive heart failure.

Plasma concentrations of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were measured in 6 dogs with experimental mitral regurgitation (MR) and 19 canine patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic congestive heart failure (CHF). In dogs with experimental MR, ANP and BNP concentrations were significantly correlated with pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) (ANP; r=0.852, P=0.0004, BNP; r=0.832, P=0.0008). ANP level was shown to have a predominant effect on PCWP in comparison with BNP using multiple regression analysis. In canine patients with asymptomatic and symptomatic CHF, ANP and BNP concentrations were significantly different among the heart failure classes according to the New York Heart Association functional classification (ANP; P=0.0165, BNP; P=0.0005). In addition, ANP and BNP levels in dogs with decompensated heart failure (n=10) significantly increased in comparison with those in dogs with compensated heart failure (n=9). There was however no correlation between ANP and BNP levels in each heart failure class. In conclusion, plasma ANP and BNP levels may become predictors of PCWP and the severity of heart failure in dogs with MR, although further investigations on ANP and BNP levels in more clinical cases are required.     

Carbon-nitrogen interaction related to P,K, Ca,and Mg nutrients in field crops

Carbon (dry matter)-nitrogen relationship was expressed as DM_t = DM₀ × exp(CNI × N_t) in Gramineae crops (including root crops), and DM_t = DM₀ + CNF × N_t in Leguminosae crops, where DM_t is the amount of dry matter at various growth stages, N_t is the amount of nitrogen absorbed at various growth stages, DM₀ is the initial value, and CNI and CNI′ are coefficients. Thus, since the carbon-nitrogen relationship was different between Gramineae and Leguminosae crops, it is expected that the accumulation processes of other minerals such as phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), or magnesium (Mg) during growth would be different between Gramineae and Leguminosae crops if these nutrients are closely related to the carbon and nitrogen metabolism. As nitrogen is the most important nutrient for plant growth, the relationship between N_t and the amount of other minerals such as phosphorus (P_t), potassium (K_t), calcium (Ca_t), or magnesium (Mg_t) absorbed in plants at various growth stages was examined in field crops.

In Gramineae crops, the P_t-N_t, K_t-N_t, and Mg_t-N_t relationships during growth were described as follows:

where P₀ and Mg₀ are initial values, and PNI, KNI, K_max, and MgNI are coefficients. Since the P_t-N_t and K_t-N_t relationships changed according to the growing conditions, the values of PNI and KNI were statistically estimated from the data of various growth stages at each treatment. As PNI showed a linear regression with CNI, P_t and also K_t was expressed by the equation which included CNI. Thus both phosphorus and potassium accumulation were closely related to the carbon-nitrogen interaction. While the Mg_t-N_t relationship was less affected by various growing conditions, MgNI was estimated from the data including all treatments, indicating that Mg accumulation was regulated only by nitrogen nutrient. Ca_t was not related to N_t.

In Leguminosae crops, the P_t-N_t, K_t-N_t, and Mg_t-N_t relationships were described as follows:

where P_0, K₀, and Mg₀ are initial values, and PNI′ and KNI′ are coefficients. Since the P_t-N_t, K_t-N_t, and Mg_t-N_t relationships were less affected by various growing conditions as in the case of DM_t-N_t, the values of PNI′ and KNI′, and MgNI were estimated from the data including all treatments. Thus, P, K, and Mg accumulation was closely regulated by N nutrient. Ca_t was not related to N_t.

Consequently, in Gramineae crops, P and K accumulation was assumed to be related to the carbon-nitrogen interaction, while in Leguminosae crops, P and K accumulation was assumed to be related to only nitrogen nutrient, indicating that the role of P and K nutrients differed according to differences in the balance of the carbon-nitrogen metabolism. Since MgNI was estimated from the same form of Mg_t-N_t regression regardless of Gramineae and Leguminosae crops, Mg accumulation was assumed to be closely regulated by only nitrogen nutrient. Ca accumulation was neither related to N nutrient nor carbon-nitrogen interaction.