Expression of genes encoding inflammasome sensor subunits in the duodenal and colonic mucosae of dogs with chronic enteropathy

Inflammasomes play a pivotal role in gastrointestinal homeostasis and inflammation. However, it remains elusive whether the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor (NLR) family inflammasomes, such as NLR family pyrin domain-containing (NLRP) 3, NLRP6, and NLRP12, are involved in the pathogenesis of canine chronic enteropathy (CE), which includes antibiotic-responsive enteropathy (ARE), food-responsive enteropathy (FRE), immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy (IRE), and non-responsive enteropathy (NRE). Thus, we measured mRNA expression of NLRP3, NLRP6, and NLRP12 in the intestinal mucosa of 35 dogs with CE (ARE, four dogs; FRE, 11 dogs; IRE and NRE, 20 dogs) and seven healthy dogs. As per real-time PCR analysis, significant increases in mRNA expression of NLRP3 and NLRP12 were noted in the colonic but not in the duodenal mucosa of dogs with FRE compared to healthy dogs. These findings suggested that the NLRP3 and NLRP12 inflammasomes might contribute to the development of colitis in dogs with FRE.     

Changes in circulating adiponectin and metabolic hormone concentrations during periparturient and lactation periods in Holstein dairy cows

Although our previous report demonstrated that adiponectin and AdipoR1 gene expressions changed among different lactation stages in the bovine mammary gland, its in vivo kinetics remain unclear in ruminant animals. In this study, we investigated the changes in circulating concentrations of adiponectin, as well as other metabolic hormones and metabolites, (i) during the periparturient period and (ii) among different lactation stages, in Holstein dairy cows. In experiment 1, serum adiponectin concentrations increased after parturition. Serum insulin concentrations were lower in the postpartum than prepartum period, whereas serum growth hormone (GH) concentrations increased in the postpartum period. Serum nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) levels were increased during the postpartum period and were dependent on the parity. In experiment 2, there was no significant difference in plasma adiponectin concentrations among lactational stages. Plasma insulin concentrations tended to be lower in early lactation while plasma GH levels tended to be higher. Plasma NEFA concentrations were significantly lower in mid‐ and late‐lactation stages than non‐lactation stages. These findings indicate that elevation of serum adiponectin might be involved in energy metabolism just around parturition, and might exert its action through regulation of receptor expression levels in target tissues in each lactational stage in Holstein dairy cows.     

Effects of ruminal dosing of mechanical stimulating brush on digestibility and rumen fermentation status in Holstein steers fed low rice straw at different lengths

The objectives of the present study were to determine the effect of ruminal dosing of mechanical stimulating brush (Rumen faibu; RF) on digestibility and on rumen fermentation status in Holstein steers fed high concentrate and low rice straw. Eight steers (461 kg in average bodyweight) were used. Four steers were orally dosed three RF per head (RF‐dosing) and the other four were not dosed (non‐RF). All steers were fed enough concentrate and rice straw to gain 1.4 kg/day in bodyweight. Rice straw was cut 2 cm and 30 cm. The organic cell wall content of feeding diets was 17% in dry matter basis. Digestibility and nutritive value were not affected by RF dosing and length of rice straw. Ruminal pH was significantly lower in RF‐dosing group than in non‐RF group after feeding, and tended to be higher in long rice straw than in short rice straw throughout the day. There were no clear difference on total volatile fatty acid concentration and molar proportion of volatile fatty acid by RF dosing and length of rice straw throughout examined period. These present results suggest that digestibility and rumen fermentation status are not affected by RF dosing when organic cell wall content of feeding diets is approximately 17% in dry matter with rice straw over 2 cm.     

Effects of supplementary corn silage on the feed intake and milk production of time-restricted grazing dairy cows

The effects of supplementary corn silage (CS) of either 2 or 4 kg of dry matter (DM; S + 2 and S + 4, respectively) above the energy requirement for milk production and maintenance for grazing dairy cows (S) were determined. Time‐restricted grazing was used to compare the feed intake, milk production, and nitrogen and energy use of lactating cows. The experiment was carried out on two different pastures using a 3 × 3 Latin square design for each pasture. Cows were grazed for 5 h on a rotational grazing system and were fed concentrate (1 kg per 5 kg of milk yield). Herbage intake was measured using a weighing technique. To calculate the energy and nitrogen use, whole feces and urine were collected. There was no statistical effect of the pastures. Herbage intake decreased by the addition of CS (P = 0.02). The reduction of herbage DM intake per unit consumption of supplementary CS towards the S group were 0.80 and 0.45 kg for the S + 2 and S + 4 groups, respectively. The total DM intake for the S + 4 group was higher than that for the S and S + 2 groups (P = 0.02). Milk yield did not differ among treatments, even though the total DM intake for the S + 4 group was higher than that of the S and S + 2 groups. Nitrogen and energy use did not differ with the addition of CS.     

Successful use of prednisolone and radiation therapy in a dog with intracranial histiocytic sarcoma

The ideal treatment for intracranial histiocytic sarcoma (HS) remains unclear. Herein, we report a case of intracranial HS that was successfully treated using prednisolone and radiation therapy. The patient was a 9-year-old spayed female Pembroke Welsh Corgi that presented with epileptic seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a contrast-enhancing mass adjacent to the right piriform lobe. Prednisolone administration (1 mg/kg/day) decreased the lesion size. Additional palliative radiation therapy (total dose, 37 Gy) resulted in complete disappearance of the lesion. However, on day 164, the dog’s neurological signs deteriorated, and she was euthanized. Necropsy revealed an intracranial metastasis of HS via the cerebrospinal fluid without any extracranial metastasis. Nonetheless, combined prednisolone and radiation therapy might be effective in treating intracranial HS.     

Mass spectrometric detection of proopiomelanocortin (POMC)-related peptides following molecular cloning of POMC cDNA in bigeye tuna Thunnus obesus

Several pituitary hormones, including adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), melanotropin (MSH) and β-endorphin, are generated from a common precursor protein, proopiomelanocortin (POMC). In fish, in addition to steroidogenesis of ACTH and melanogenesis of MSH, immunomodulating activity has been found in some POMC-related peptides. To investigate the functions of these peptides in the homologous system, it is necessary to establish a convenient detection method for the peptides. The present study aimed to establish a method for the detection of POMC-related peptides in bigeye tuna Thunnus obesus using a small amount of tissue sample, but not requiring peptide purification. We first determined the nucleotide sequence of tuna POMC cDNA. The cDNA was composed of 1084 base pairs (excluding the poly A tail) that encoded POMC consisting of 222 amino acids. We then fractionated an acid-acetone extract of one pituitary by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and determined the molecular weight of each separated peptide by mass spectrometry. Consequently, we detected eight POMC-related peptides by comparing the values to the deduced amino acid sequence. Thus, the present study enabled the detection of POMC-related peptides from a small amount of tissue without the use of several purification steps.     

Improvement of application method of liquid fertilizer with irrigation water for uniform topdressing and change in nitrogen concentration of flooded water after application

(pp. 811–816)
The application method of liquid fertilizer with irrigation water was tested in large scale paddy fields using a newly developed fertilizer supplier which can make a supplying rate of liquid fertilizer constant. Uniformity of fertilization, change in the nitrogen concentration of flooded water and absorption of applied nitrogen by paddy rice were examined. High uniformity of fertilization was achieved with this method as compared with a conventional broadcast application of granular fertilizer, or an inflow fertilization of granule-like fertilizer with irrigation water.
When urea was applied as liquid fertilizer, the fertilizer-N disappeared quickly from ponding water under shallow conditions of ponding water depth. In the case of the same depth of ponding water, the rate of reduction was large under conditions of large permeability of water.
The nitrogen utilization rates of urea and ammonium sulfate labeled with ¹⁵N were not related to the depth of ponding water at the time of fertilization. When ammonium sulfate was supplied the nitrogen utilization rate was around 50% regardless of fertilization conditions however, the urea-N utilization rate fell to 40% or less at a permeability of ponding water of 0.8 cm day⁻¹ or less, while it increased to 50% equivalent to ammonium sulfate, at 0.8 cm day⁻¹ or more permeability.     

Age-related changes in contractions of chicken aorta and ischiadic artery

The characteristics of the contraction of vascular smooth muscle were examined in thoracic aorta and ischiadic artery of chickens aged 3, 6, 10 and 18 weeks. High K⁺ solution induced a sustained contraction in smooth muscle preparations of aorta and ischiadic artery in vitro . The contraction of the ischiadic artery became greater with age, whereas the contraction of the aortic preparation did not. In the ischiadic artery, the magnitude of the contraction divided by the weight of the muscle preparation was constant at all ages studied. However, those in the aortic preparation decreased with age. These results suggest that the changes in the contractile responses of vascular smooth muscle owing to the age of chickens vary widely according to the preparations of blood vessels, and that the functional smooth muscle cells in the thoracic aorta of chicken do not increase with age.