Sex and age differences in meat composition of Yeso sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) reared for a short period after capture in the wild

Yeso sika deer captured in winter around Lake Akan in Hokkaido were reared for 8–10 months at Tokyo University of Agriculture in Abashiri. Six 1‐year‐old females and males and six 2‐year‐old or older (adult) females and males were slaughtered and their carcasses were processed. The chemical composition, mineral contents and fatty acid composition of the loin were measured. No marked influence of gender or age was noted in the chemical composition of loin. In the mineral contents, significant differences were noted. The potassium and sulfur contents were lower and the sodium content was higher in adult deer meat (P < 0.05, respectively) and the potassium content was higher in male deer meat (P < 0.05). Arsenic, cadmium or lead were not detected. In the unsaturated fatty acid, a significant interaction was detected (P < 0.05), and it was high in 1‐year‐old female deer meat and low in 1‐year‐old male deer meat. Significant gender or age differences were noted only in the mineral contents in the loin of deer reared for a short period after capture.     

Flood effect on CH4 emission from the alas in Central Yakutia,East Siberia

During four years (2006–2009), methane (CH₄) emission was measured at different biomes (dry, wet grasslands, lake and lake vegetation) of mature thermokarst depression located at the most typical thermokarst terrain on the east bank of the Lena River, Central Yakutia, Russia (62°08′N, 130°30′E). To estimate total CH₄ emission from the whole thermokarst depression ecosystem, CH₄ emissions via plant bodies and ebullition were measured in addition to diffusive CH₄ flux measurement. The lake area increased twice from 20.4 ha in 2006 to 43.3 ha in 2007 and then did not change significantly in 2008 and 2009 (46.5 and 44.4 ha, respectively). Ebullition was considered to be a minor source for CH₄ emission from the lake in the studied thermokarst depression. CH₄ emissions from the lake water surface and via the plant body of lake vegetation (hygrophyte and hydrophyte vegetation) were the main sources of CH₄ and these increased by flooding both CH₄ emission rate and area. Using spatial changes of these biomes, the annual emission of CH₄ was calculated taking into account different sources of CH₄. Total CH₄ emission from the studied alas (63.7 ha) was 5.7, 5.2, 20.1 and 50.1 Mg carbon (C) in 2006–2009, respectively, and its difference during this period reached about 10 times. An extreme increase in CH₄ emission from the lake occurred in the second year of continuous flooding (2008), which might have been caused by the decomposition of flooded organic C. So, the lake water ecosystem is the main source of CH₄ in thermokarst depression controlled by the duration of flooding. Under future global climate change, thermokarst depressions in Central Yakutia have potential for lake expansion, causing significant increase in CH₄ emission in the studied region.     

Emergence and behaviors of acid-tolerant Janthinobacterium sp. that evolves N2O from deforested tropical peatland

Using a soilless culture system mimicking tropical acidic peat soils, which contained 3 mg of gellan gum and 0.5 mg NO₃^?-N per gram of medium, a greenhouse gas, N₂O emitting capability of microorganisms in acidic peat soil in the area of Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, was investigated. The soil sampling sites included a native swamp forest (NF), a burnt forest covered by ferns and shrubs (BF), three arable lands (A-1, A-2 and A-3) and a reclaimed grassland (GL) next to the arable lands. An acid-tolerant Janthinobacterium sp. strain A1-13 (Oxalobacteriaceae, β-proteobacteria) isolated from A-1 soil was characterized as one of the most prominent N₂O-emitting bacteria in this region. Physiological characteristics of the N₂O emitter in the soilless culture system, including responses to soil environments, substrate concentration, C-source concentration, pH, and temperature, suggest that the N₂O emitting Janthinobacterium sp. strain A1-13 is highly adapted to reclaimed open peatland and primarily responsible for massive N₂O emissions from the acidic peat soils. Regulation of N₂O emitters in the reclaimed peatland for agricultural use is therefore one of the most important issues in preventing the greenhouse gas emission from acidic peat soil farmlands.     

Effect of drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization loaded with cisplatin on normal dogs

Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) and transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) are standard treatments for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and particularly for unresectable tumors or liver metastases in humans. However, reports on TACE used in veterinary medicine are few. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE). We performed DEB-TACE in four clinically normal dogs and pharmacokinetically compared the results against hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) of cisplatin in two dogs. Drug-eluting beads (DEB) loaded with cisplatin were injected through a microcatheter for selective embolization of the left hepatic artery. After embolization, computed tomography (CT) images and histological examination findings were obtained during a 4-week observation period. Serum platinum concentrations were measured to evaluate cisplatin after each procedure. Biochemical analysis was performed during a 12-week observation period. Embolization was successful in all dogs, and there were no clinically apparent abnormalities. Embolization was confirmed up to 4 weeks after DEB-TACE in two of the four dogs and up to 1 week in the other two dogs using postoperative CT images. Cisplatin was not detected in peripheral veins in all dogs after DEB-TACE, but it was detected in trace amounts after HAI. DEB-TACE using cisplatin was safe and well tolerated by normal dogs. DEB-TACE may be useful in terms of determining systemic toxicity and drug concentration within tumors.     

Novel 3,3a,5,9b-tetrahydro-2H-furo[3,2-c][2] benzopyran derivatives: synthesis of chiral glycol benzyl ether herbicides

Novel tricyclic 3,3a,5,9b-tetrahydro-2H-furo[3,2-c][2]benzopyran (TFB) derivatives were synthesized, and their herbicidal activities were elucidated. They were synthesized from D-glucose as a natural chiral source. The formation of the TFB skeleton was achieved by a Friedel-Crafts type intramolecular cyclization of methyl 5-deoxy-2,3-O-dibenzyl-5-C-methyl-D-xylofranosides. The intramolecular cyclization was dependent upon the electronic effects of the substituents at the C-2 benzyloxy group of methyl xylofranosides. Some TFBs exhibited a remarkable herbicidal activity to annual paddy weeds, such as Echinochloa sp, without injury to the rice.     

Non-steroidal inhibitors of Drosophila melanogaster steroidogenic glutathione S-transferase Noppera-bo

Insect growth regulators (IGRs) can be developed by elucidating the molecular mechanisms of insect-specific biological events. Because insect molting, and metamorphosis are controlled by ecdysteroids, their biosynthetic pathways can serve as targets for IGR development. The glutathione S-transferase Noppera-bo (Nobo), which is conserved in dipteran and lepidopteran species, plays an essential role in ecdysteroid biosynthesis. Our previous study using 17β-estradiol as a molecular probe revealed that Asp113 of Drosophila melanogaster Nobo (DmNobo) is essential for its biological function. However, to develop IGRs with a greater Nobo inhibitory activity than 17β-estradiol, further structural information is warranted. Here, we report five novel non-steroidal DmNobo inhibitors. Analysis of crystal structures of complexes revealed that DmNobo binds these inhibitors in an Asp113-independent manner. Among amino acid residues at the substrate-recognition site, conformation of conserved Phe39 was dynamically altered upon inhibitor binding. Therefore, these inhibitors can serve as seed compounds for IGR development.     

Influence of orally administered bovine lactoferrin on lipid metabolism in lipopolysaccharide-injected preruminant calves

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of oral lactoferrin (LF) administration on lipid metabolism changes in calves given lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Twenty-one 4-day-old Holstein calves were divided into three groups, with each group receiving one of three oral doses of LF (0, 1, 3 g/day) for 10 consecutive days (day −10 to day −1). All calves were intravenously injected with LPS (50 ng/kg BW) on day 0, the day after LF treatment ended. Plasma triglyceride concentrations were lower ( P  < 0.05) in the LF-treated calves than in the control calves given 0 g/day of LF at 12 and 24 h after LPS injection. Plasma NEFA concentrations were elevated between 6 and 24 h after LPS treatment. At 12 h, the concentration of plasma NEFA was lower ( P  < 0.05) in the calves given LF 3 g/day than in the control calves. On day 0, plasma total cholesterol and phospholipid concentrations tended to be lower in the LF groups administered 1 and 3 g of LF/day than in the control group, but did not differ significantly among the groups. The plasma very-low-density and low-density lipoprotein concentrations were lower ( P  < 0.05) at 12, 24, and 72 h in the LF groups than in the control calves. The concentrations of plasma high-density lipoprotein tended to be lower in the LF groups than in the control group between day 0 and 96 h, though there were no significant group differences. The concentration of plasma interleukin-1β was lower ( P  < 0.05) in the calves fed LF 3 g/day than in the control calves at 2 and 12–48 h after LPS injection. These data suggest that LF inhibits LPS-induced alterations in lipid metabolism in preruminant calves.     

An epidemiological survey on pigs showing symptoms of infectious enteric diseases and dyspepsia in Japan

Diarrhea in pigs has the potential to have a serious economic impact on the swine industry. Previously, we suggested that the likely cause of the presence of non-infectious diarrhea in pigs characterized by lactate accumulation was dyspepsia. In this experiment, the prevalence of enteropathogens and hyper-lactate accumulation in feces of piglets in 4 distinct growth stages was examined. The feces were collected when veterinarian experts recognized abnormalities in sporadic outbreaks. Prevalence of enteropathogens in diarrheal feces was 100% in fattening pigs (FP), 75% in weaning pigs (WP), 50% in suckling pigs (SP), and 42% in growing pigs (GP). Prevalence of enteropathogens in loose feces was 53% in WP, 50% in SP, 40% in FP, and 28% in GP. Prevalence of hyper-lactate accumulation in diarrheal feces was 33% in GP, 33% in SP, 25% in WP, and 25% in FP. Prevalence of hyper-lactate accumulation in loose feces was 40% in GP, 0% in SP, 7% in WP, and 5% in FP. Accordingly, non-infectious dyspepsia is frequent in growing pigs. In this period, pigs are potentially exposed to needless antimicrobial therapeutic treatments in sporadic cases.