Serum from dogs Infected with Babesia gibsoni inhibits maturation of reticulocytes and erythrocyte 5'-nucleotidase activity in vitro

Erythrocyte 5'-nucleotidase is thought to be involved in the maturation of erythrocytes. In the present study, in vitro incubation of canine erythrocytes demonstrated that significant inhibition of 5'-nucleotidase activity occurred in the presence of serum from dogs infected with Babesia gibsoni, when the enzyme was assayed with cytidine 5'-monophosphate (5'-CMP) and inosine 5'-monophosphate (5'-IMP) as substrates. The multiplication of B. gibsoni in in vitro culture also resulted in a significant decrease in the enzyme activity of erythrocytes in the culture. Furthermore, the infected serum and 5'-CMP retarded the maturation of canine reticulocytes in vitro. These results suggested that nucleotides such as 5'-CMP and 5'-IMP might accumulate in young erythrocytes and/or serum in dogs infected with B. gibsoni as a result of decreased activity of erythrocyte 5'-nucleotidase, resulting in the delayed maturation of reticulocytes.     

A Cucumber mosaic virus isolated from Momordica charantia L.

Momordica charantia L. plants systemically infected with Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) were found in Oita Prefecture. The virus isolated from the host plant was characterized by biological, serological, and molecular biological methods. The purified virus was used to mechanically inoculate the host and produced green mottle, green mosaic, and/or chlorotic spots in the noninoculated upper leaves of the host. The virus was identified as an isolate of CMV containing genomic RNA3 derived from subgroup IA by several lines of evidence based on electron microscopy, serological detection, host range, symptoms, and the entire nucleotide sequence of RNA3.     

The effects of cataract stage, lens-induced uveitis and cataract removal on ERG in dogs with cataract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of cataract stage, lens-induced uveitis and cataract removal on the electroretinogram (ERG) of dogs with cataract. ANIMALS STUDIED: Fifty-seven dogs diagnosed with unilateral or bilateral cataract whose ERG was recorded at Rakuno Gakuen University Teaching Animal Hospital from 2001 to 2004. PROCEDURES: Four responses were recorded during the ERG: rod ERG, standard combined ERG, single-flash cone ERG and 30-Hz flicker ERG. Cataracts were divided into four stages: incipient, immature, mature and hypermature, and with or without lens induced uveitis (LIU). Noncataractous eyes of dogs with unilateral cataract were used as the control. We compared ERG amplitude, implicit time, and the b- to a-wave amplitude ratio of cataractous vs. noncataractous eyes, preoperative vs. postoperative cataractous eyes, and cataractous eyes with and without LIU. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in ERG amplitude between incipient, immature and hypermature cataractous eyes, while in mature cataractous eyes decreased amplitude was confirmed in all responses compared with control eyes. However, no significant difference in b/a ratio was found at any stage of cataract. In postoperative eyes, increased amplitude was recorded in all responses compared to preoperative values. In eyes with LIU a decreased amplitude in the rod ERG and b-wave of standard combined ERG was recorded and, furthermore, a significant decline was confirmed in b/a ratio. CONCLUSION: ERG values were influenced by cataract stage and LIU. LIU was associated with a reduction in the b/a ratio.     

Analysis of the equine ovarian structure during the first twelve months of life by three-dimensional internal structure microscopy

A three-dimensional internal structure microscopy (3D-ISM) can clarify the anatomical arrangement of internal structures of equine ovaries. In this study, morphological changes of the equine ovary over the first 12 months of life were investigated by 3D-ISM in 59 fillies and by histological analysis in 2 fillies. The weight and volume of the paired ovaries initially decreased from 0 to 1 months to 2 to 3 months of age and then significantly increased at 8 to 12 months of age. The ovulation fossa was first observed around the 3rd month and became evident after the 6th month. The number of follicles with a diameter of ≥10 mm and the diameter of the largest follicle increased gradually after 6 months of age. On a volume basis, the medulla accounted for nearly 90% of the whole ovary at 0 to 1 months of age, but significantly decreased from 2 to 3 months of age. The volume of the cortex increased progressively after birth and reached approximately 60% of the total volume at 8 to 12 months of age. This significant development of the cortex coincided with the increased number and size of large follicles observed from 6 months of age. These results suggest that the development of the cortex plays a role in the maturation of the follicles and the equine ovary undergoes substantial morphological changes postnatally until puberty.     

New lactic acid bacterial strains from traditional Mongolian fermented milk products have altered adhesion to porcine gastric mucin depending on the carbon source

Attachment of lactic acid bacteria to the mucosal surface of the gastrointestinal tract is a major property of probiotics. Here, we examined the ability of 21 lactic acid bacterial strains isolated from traditional fermented milk products in Mongolia to adhere to porcine gastric mucin in vitro. Higher attachment was observed with Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus strains 6‐8 and 8‐1 than with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (positive control). Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris strain 7‐1 adhered to mucin as effectively as did strain GG. Heat inactivation decreased the adhesive ability of strains 6‐8 and 8‐1 but did not affect strain 7‐1. The adhesion of strains 6‐8, 7‐1 and 8‐1 was significantly inhibited when the cells were pretreated with periodate and trypsin, indicating that proteinaceous and carbohydrate‐like cell surface compounds are involved in the adhesion of these strains. The adhesion of strain 7‐1 was affected by the type of carbohydrate present in the growth medium, being higher with fructose than with lactose, galactose or xylose as the carbon source. The sugar content of 7‐1 cells grown on various carbohydrates was negatively correlated with its adhesive ability. We provide new probiotic candidate strains and new information regarding carbohydrate preference that influences lactic acid bacterial adhesion to mucin.     

Relationship between body temperature and ovarian cycle in Asian and African elephants

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether changes in body temperature are related to the ovarian cycle in elephants. Rectal, tongue or fecal temperature was measured for 2 Asian and 5 African elephants using an electric thermometer. Evaluation of ovarian cycles was based on the changes in serum or fecal progestin. The mean +/- SD values of the rectal, tongue, and fecal temperatures were 36.3 +/- 0.3 (2 Asian), 36.2 +/- 0.5 (1 African) and 36.5 +/- 0.3 C (4 African), respectively; the fecal temperature was the highest of the 3 temperatures (P<0.01). The longitudinal changes in body temperatures correlated with the ovarian cycle, with higher temperatures occurring during the luteal phase. The fecal temperatures of one acyclic African elephant did not change cyclically. These results suggest that measurement of body temperature can be used to easily evaluate the ovarian cyclicity of an individual animal, although it might not be able to determine the ovarian cycle length.     

Application of ICP sector field MS and principal component analysis for studying interdependences among 23 trace elements in Polish beers.

Twenty-three metallic elements, including almost all essential and toxic metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, silver, and thallium, have been quantified in 35 types of bottled and canned Polish beer by using double-focusing sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) with ultrasonic nebulization. The samples were digested using concentrated HNO3 in closed PTFE vessels and applying microwave energy under pressure. The means and medians of the concentrations of Rb, Mn, and Fe were on the order of 200 ng/mL; Cu, Zn, V, Cr, Sn, As, Pb, and Ni were detected at 1-5 ng/mL; Ag, Ga, Cd, Co, Cs, Hg, U, and Sb were found at < 1 ng/mL; and In, Tl, Bi, and Th were present at < 0.1 ng/mL. The concentrations of Hg, Cd, As, Pb, and Zn were 1-3 orders of magnitude lower than proposed tolerance limits. The interdependences among determined trace elements were examined using the principal component analysis (PCA) method. The PCA model explained 74% of the total variance. The metals tend to cluster together (As, Tl, Cs, Sn, Th, Bi, and Hg; Cd and Co; Cs and Cr; Fe and Zn; Mn and V).     

Effects of chloride and sulfate application on root growth of rice

In several studies, the beneficial effects of the application of chloride on root growth have been reported. However, the effect of chloride application on the morphology of roots has not been studied extensively. The effects of the use of chloride salts and sulfate salts on the growth of rice (Oryza sativa L.) until the 7-leaf stage were investigated in soil and water culture experiments. In the soil culture experiments, the root biomass in the chloride treatment showed a 58% increase compared with the sulfate treatment. Total root length, top root ratio (T / R ratio) and root length per primary root revealed the existence of root growth promotion by chloride. In the water culture experiments, root growth was also stimulated by chloride, as in the soil culture experiments. In order to analyze the effect of chloride application, the ion composition and pH of the soil solution or water culture solution were used to determine the amounts of ion species in the solution using the MINTEQA2 computer program, and the results were applied to estimate the osmotic pressure of these solutions. The osmotic pressure of chloride salts was obviously higher than that of sulfate salts based on van't Hoff's law of osmotic pressure and a positive correlation between the osmotic pressure and root length was obtained. The results suggest that the higher osmotic pressure induced by chloride would be involved in the root growth promotion of rice.