Salsolinol is present in the bovine posterior pituitary gland and stimulates the release of prolactin both in vivo and in vitro in ruminants

The aims of the present study were to determine whether salsolinol (SAL), a dopamine-related compound, is present in the bovine posterior pituitary (PP) gland, and to clarify the effect of SAL on the secretion of prolactin (PRL) in ruminants. SAL was detected in extract of bovine PP gland using high-pressure liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-EC). A single intravenous (i.v.) injection of SAL (5 and 10mg/kg body weight) significantly and dose-dependently stimulated the release of PRL in goats (P<0.05). Plasma PRL levels reached a peak 10min after the injection, then gradually returned to basal values in 60-80min. The PRL-releasing pattern was similar to that in response to sulpiride (a dopamine receptor antagonist). The intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of 1mg of SAL had no significant effect on the release of PRL in calves, however, 5mg significantly stimulated the release (P<0.05) with peak values reached 30-40min after the injection. Moreover, SAL significantly stimulated the release of PRL from cultured bovine anterior pituitary cells at doses of 10(-6) and 10(-5)M, compared to control cells (P<0.05). Taken together, our data clearly show that SAL is present in extract of the PP gland of ruminants, and has PRL-releasing activity both in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, this endogenous compound is a strong candidate for the factor having PRL-releasing activity that has been previously detected in extract of the bovine PP gland.     

Hypertension in bulls and steers anesthetized with guaifenesin-thiobarbiturate-halothane combination

Eight bulls and steers (research animals) and 18 bulls (surgical patients) were anesthetized with guaifenesin and thiopental or thiamylal and for 90 minutes with halothane. Arterial blood pressure and heart rate were recorded in all animals. Cardiac output, plasma glucose and lactate concentrations, PCV, plasma proteins and plasma thromboxane B2 values were determined before (control) and every 15 minutes during anesthesia in the research animals. Plasma catecholamine concentrations were measured in 3 of the research animals and 3 of the surgical patients. Arterial pressure, heart rate, and plasma thromboxane B2 and catecholamine concentrations were also measured immediately after the trachea was intubated. All animals, except one, were hypertensive during anesthesia. Heart rate during anesthesia was significantly increased, compared with control measurements, and cardiac output was decreased. Plasma glucose and lactate values significantly increased when the animals were restrained on their sides. Plasma glucose concentrations remained increased during anesthesia, but lactate decreased. Packed cell volume and plasma proteins were unchanged by the induction of anesthesia. Plasma norepinephrine concentration was unchanged during anesthesia, and epinephrine concentration was decreased. Endotracheal intubation caused a transient significant increase in arterial pressure, heart rate, and thromboxane B2 and a nonsignificant increase in norepinephrine.     

Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Normal Canine Larynx

The purpose of this study was to define the normal anatomic structures in the canine larynx with magnetic resonance images. TI-weighted images were taken in the sagittal and transverse planes. The MR images were obtained comparing MR images to dissection planes. Magnetic resonance imaging provides excellent anatomic detail of laryngeal structures. Therefore, it is of value for diagnostic imaging of some respiratory diseases in the dog.     

The Relationship Between Developmental Accumulation of Leaf Soluble Proteins and Vernalization Response of Wheat （Triticum aestivum L.em. Thell）

The relationship between vernalization requirement and quantitative and qualitative changes in total leaf soluble proteins were determined in one spring （cv. Kohdasht） and two winter （cvs. Sardari and Norstar） cultivars of wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） exposed to 4℃. Plants were sampled on days 2, 14, 21 and 35 of exposure to 4℃. The final leaf number （FLN） was determined throughout the vernalization periods （0, 7, 14, 24, and 35 d） at 4℃. The final leaf number decreased until days 24 and 35 in Sardari and Norstar eultivars, respectively, indicating the vernalization saturation at these times. No clear changes were detected in the final leaf number of Kohdash cultivar, verifying no vernalization requirement for this spring wheat cultivar. Comparing with control, clear cold-induced 2-fold increases in proteins quantity occurred after 48 h following the 4℃-treatment in the leaves of the both winter wheat cultivars but, such response was not detected in the spring cultivar. However, the electrophoretic protein patterns showed between-cultivar and between-temperature treatment differences. With increasing exposure time to 4℃, the winter cultivars tended to produce more HMW polypeptides than the spring cultivar. Similar proteins were induced in both Sardari and Norstar winter wheat cultivars, however, the long vernalization requirement in Norstar resulted in high level and longer duration of expression of cold-induced proteins compared to Sardari with a short vernalization requirement. These observations indicate that vernalization response regulates the expression of low temperature （LT） tolerance proteins and determines the duration of expression of LT- induced proteins.     

D-dimer concentrations in healthy dogs and dogs with disseminated intravascular coagulation

OBJECTIVE: To determine sensitivity and specificity of assays of D-dimer concentrations in dogs with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and healthy dogs and to compare these results with those of serum and plasma fibrin-fibrinogen degradation product (FDP) assays. ANIMALS: 20 dogs with DIC and 30 healthy dogs. PROCEDURE: Semi-quantitative and quantitative D-dimer concentrations were determined by use of latex-agglutination and immunoturbidometry, respectively. Fibrin-fibrinogen degradation products were measured by use of latex-agglutination. A reference range for the immunoturbidometric D-dimer concentration assay was established; sensitivity and specificity of the assay were determined at 2 cutoff concentrations (0.30 microg/ml and 0.39 microg/ml). RESULTS: Reference range for the immunoturbidometric D-dimer concentration assay was 0.08 to 0.39 microg/ml; median concentrations were significantly higher in dogs with DIC than in healthy dogs. Latex-agglutination D-dimer and serum and plasma FDP assays had similar sensitivity (85 to 100%) and specificity (90 to 100%); the immunoturbidometric assay had lower specificity (77%) at the 0.30 microg/ml cutoff and lower sensitivity (65%) at the 0.39 microg/ml cutoff. Sensitivity or specificity of the latex-agglutination D-dimer assay was not significantly improved when interpreted in series or parallel with FDP assays. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Measurement of D-dimer concentrations by latex-agglutination appears to be a sensitive and specific ancillary test for DIC in dogs. Specificity of D-dimer concentrations in dogs with systemic disease other than DIC has not been determined, therefore FDP and D-dimer assays should be performed concurrently as supportive tests for the diagnosis of DIC in dogs.     

Pattern and Composition of Secondary Succession Beneath Caribbean Pine Plantations of Southwest Sri Lanka

This study examined the vegetation growing beneath Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea) plantations established within previously abandoned tea lands adjacent to intact rain forest in southwest Sri Lanka. To examine the pattern and composition of secondary succession and factors affecting it, vegetation was sampled in different relative locations (interior and edge conditions) within plantations. Results demonstrated that more vegetation was found near the plantation edges than in the interior, and this pattern was prominent for both wind- and bird- dispersed species. The vegetation represented a mixture of species belonging to a range of successional guilds representing early (17 species, 42.4% in stem count) and late-successional species (52 species, 40.6%), although native long-lived canopy tree species were mostly absent. Bird-dispersed species dominated the flora (80 species, 86.7% in stem count). Abundance of an exotic shrub Clidemia hirta (Melastomataceae) showed a negative correlation with that of other species, indicating its impact on native flora. Underplanting of native canopy species may be effective in assisting secondary succession and control C. hirta in the plantations.     

Insect Pests and Mites

Abstract

Weeds are major components of agro-ecosystems and they affect the biology of pests and beneficial insects in several ways; provision of flowers, presence of neutral insects, modification of crop microclimate, production of chemical stimulus, alteration of colonisation background, etc. The more relevant beneficial crop–weed–insect interactions are discussed. The role of weeds in regulating pest populations is illustrated by studies on bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cropping systems, in which chemical interactions between Empoasca kraemeri Ross &; Moore and two grass weeds were identified. It is proposed to continue and develop this kind of research in order to incorporate weeds into pest control strategies.     

Citrus Black Rot is Caused by Phylogenetically Distinct Lineages of Alternaria alternata

ABSTRACT Phylogenetic analysis revealed that isolates of Alternaria alternata causing black rot of citrus were associated with six well-supported evolutionary lineages. Isolates recovered from brown spot lesions on Minneola tangelo, leaf spot lesions on rough lemon, and healthy citrus tissue and noncitrus hosts were related closely to isolates from black-rotted fruit. Phylogenies estimated independently from DNA sequence data from an endopolygalacturonase gene (endoPG) and two anonymous regions of the genome (OPA1-3 and OPA2-1) had similar topologies, and phylogenetic analysis was performed on the combined data set. In the combined phylogeny, isolates from diverse ecological niches on citrus and noncitrus hosts were distributed in eight clades. Isolates from all lineages, regardless of ecological or host association, caused black rot in fruit inoculation assays, demonstrating that small-spored Alternaria isolates associated with different ecological niches on citrus and other plant hosts are potential black rot pathogens. These data also indicated that the fungi associated with black-rotted fruit do not form a natural evolutionary group distinct from other Alternaria pathogens and saprophytes associated with citrus. The use of the name A. citri to describe fungi associated with citrus black rot is not justified and it is proposed that citrus black rot fungi be referred to as A. alternata.