家蚕新品种春华×秋实的实验室和农村鉴定

家蚕新品种春华×秋实,经省级实验室联合鉴定,春期万蚕产茧量、万蚕茧层量、解舒丝长、解舒率比对照种菁松×皓月高7.6%、3.3%、11.6%、13.7%,净度高2.75分,出丝率略低,其余经济性状相仿.秋期饲养万蚕茧层量、解舒丝长、解舒率、出丝率比对照种秋丰×白玉提高6.9%、6.4%、16.3%、9.7%、4.1%,其他经济性状与对照相仿.两年农村生产鉴定结果,盒种产茧量比对照种高5.3%,产值高4.7%,50 kg桑产值高3.5%,茧丝长、解舒丝长、解舒率、干毛茧出丝率分别比对照种提高8.1%、13.0%、3.8%、2.9%.     

克氏原螯虾原肌球蛋白的纯化及过敏原性分析

以13份甲壳类动物过敏患者血清的Western—blotting分析,确定克氏原螯虾主要过敏原为36ku蛋白质．通过盐析、等电点沉淀及热处理等方法纯化该蛋白质,以兔抗拟穴青蟹原肌球蛋白（Tropo-myosin,TM）多克隆抗体的Western—blotting分析,确定该蛋白质为TM．同源性分析表明,克氏原螯虾TM与南美白对虾TM、拟穴青蟹的氨基酸序列相似性较高（〉90％）．酶切位点预测显示,它分别有49个胰蛋白酶和6个胰凝乳蛋白酶的酶切位点．模拟胃肠液消化实验结果显示,纯化TM不易被胃蛋白酶降解,易于被胰蛋白酶和胰凝乳蛋白酶降解,进一步的Western—blotting和抑制性ELISA分析结果显示,其消化产物仍具有一定的免疫活性．采用蒸煮处理可降低TM的消化稳定性及免疫活性,且蒸煮处理时间越长,效果越显著．说明。TM为克氏原螯虾主要过敏原．与其他甲壳娄动物TM的序列相似件较高．     

Blindness in dogs with pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism: relationship with glucose, cortisol and triglyceride concentration and with ophthalmic blood flow

Pituitary dependent hyperadrenocorticism (PDH) shows a high morbidity and blindness is one of its complications. Compression of the optic chiasm (OC) by the hypophysis adenoma is one of the causes. Another cause could be due to vascular and metabolic alterations of the PDH. Out of a total of 70 dogs with confirmed diagnosis of PDH, 12/70 showed blindness. In only 2/12 the OC was compromised. Electroretinography in dogs without the OC being compromised showed altered A and B wave patterns. Ophthalmological Doppler showed an alteration of the blood flow only in blind dogs without OC compression. Cortisol concentrations (Co), triglycerides (Tg) and glycaemia (G) were greater in 10 dogs with non-compressive blindness vs. dogs with conserved vision. Loss of vision correlated with the increase in these variables. Blindness in dogs with PDH would be related to changes in retinal blood flow, associated to higher Co, Tg and G concentrations.     

Dystocia and Fetotomy Associated with Cerebral Aplasia in a Greater One‐horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis)

The captive greater one‐horned rhinoceros population consists of 176 animals. Since 1971, a total of 226 calves were born into this captive population. However, 24% of the offspring born were either stillborn or did not survive the first 3 months. The causes for this high rate of stillbirth and neonate mortality have not yet been documented. Here, we report on the veterinary management of a dystocia and foetotomy resulting from a malpositioned greater one‐horned rhinoceros foetus. The dead foetus presented with a forelimb flexed at the shoulder joint, with all other joints extended. The foetus was dissected into five parts and extracted during two anaesthesias on two consecutive days. The dam recovered fully and came into oestrous 31 days after surgery. Post‐mortem and CT examination of the malformed foetal head revealed cranioschisis with cerebral aplasia and cerebellar hypoplasia. The cerebral aplasia presented here and in other recent cases suggests that neural tube defects and cranial malformations may be associated with more captive rhinoceros stillbirths than previously considered. Epidemiologic studies of these phenomena and possible nutritional deficiencies or hereditary defects are warranted.     

Administration of Thyroxine Affects the Morphometric Parameters and VEGF Expression in the Uterus and Placenta and the Uterine Vascularization but does Not Affect Reproductive Parameters in Gilts During Early Gestation

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of thyroxine administration on morphometric parameters, expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and vascularization in the uterus and placenta and reproductive parameters in gilts at 70 days of gestation. At 150 days of age, i.e., before first heat, 20 gilts were randomly divided into two experimental groups: treated (n = 10) and control (n = 10). The treated group received a daily dose of 400 μg of l ‐thyroxine (T₄) in their diet until slaughter and the control group received only typical meals. Before artificial insemination, blood was collected to determine plasma total T₄. The gilts were inseminated in the second oestrus and slaughtered at 70 days of gestation. The foetal thyroid follicular epithelium height, number, size and weight of foetuses; foetal myogenesis, corpora lutea number, embryonic mortality rate, uterine weight, placental weight and placental fluid volume were measured. Histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analysis of uterus and placenta were determined. The averages of all variables were compared by the Student’s t‐test. The gilts treated with thyroxine showed significant increase of plasma total T₄. At 70 days of gestation, the heights of the trophoblastic epithelium, endometrial epithelium and endometrial gland epithelium were significantly higher in the group treated with T₄. The expression of cytoplasmatic and nuclear VEGF in trophoblastic cells and the number of blood vessels per field in endometrial stroma were significantly higher in the gilts treated with T₄. No other significant differences between groups were obtained with respect to other parameters (p > 0.05). We conclude that oral administration of T₄ up to 70 days of pregnancy in gilts affects the morphometric parameters, the expression of placental VEGF and the uterine vascularization but does not affect reproductive parameters in gilts during early gestation.     

Biogenic Synthesis of Copper Nanoparticles Using Bacterial Strains Isolated from an Antarctic Consortium Associated to a Psychrophilic Marine Ciliate: Characterization and Potential Application as Antimicrobial Agents

In the last decade, metal nanoparticles (NPs) have gained significant interest in the field of biotechnology due to their unique physiochemical properties and potential uses in a wide range of applications. Metal NP synthesis using microorganisms has emerged as an eco-friendly, clean, and viable strategy alternative to chemical and physical approaches. Herein, an original and efficient route for the microbial synthesis of copper NPs using bacterial strains newly isolated from an Antarctic consortium is described. UV-visible spectra of the NPs showed a maximum absorbance in the range of 380–385 nm. Transmission electron microscopy analysis showed that these NPs are all monodispersed, spherical in nature, and well segregated without any agglomeration and with an average size of 30 nm. X-ray powder diffraction showed a polycrystalline nature and face centered cubic lattice and revealed characteristic diffraction peaks indicating the formation of CuONPs. Fourier-transform infrared spectra confirmed the presence of capping proteins on the NP surface that act as stabilizers. All CuONPs manifested antimicrobial activity against various types of Gram-negative; Gram-positive bacteria; and fungi pathogen microorganisms including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans. The cost-effective and eco-friendly biosynthesis of these CuONPs make them particularly attractive in several application from nanotechnology to biomedical science.     

Investigation of diabetes mellitus in Burmese cats as an inherited trait: a preliminary study

AIM: To investigate, in a pilot study, a possible genetic component to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) in Burmese cats in New Zealand by analysing pedigree data.

METHODS: Pedigrees were obtained for 305 Burmese cats living in New Zealand; diabetes was diagnosed in 19 of these due to presence of polyuria and polydipsia, persistent concentrations of glucose in plasma >16?mmol/L and glucosuria prior to insulin treatment. Pedigrees were also submitted for 16 cats with no clinical signs of T2D. The remaining 270 cats were unobserved relatives of these individuals. Inbreeding coefficients and heritability were calculated, and a single major locus model segregation analysis was conducted using pedigree analysis software.

RESULTS: Nineteen cats were diagnosed with T2D. Males (n = 14) and females (n = 5) were both affected, suggesting that the gene or genes causing diabetes are autosomal rather than sex-linked. Examination of the pedigree revealed few signs of fully penetrant dominant gene action: diabetes was ostensibly rarely seen in sequential generations and nearly always skipped at least one and often more generations; apparently unaffected offspring of apparently unaffected parents sometimes produced affected progeny. The mean relatedness of the affected animals within the core pedigree (16 diabetic cats) was 0.049, and mean inbreeding 0.033. Based on 100,000 permutations of the trait values, the expected relatedness of a random sample of 16 animals taken from the phenotyped animals would be 0.013 (SD 0.007) (permutation p = 0.0009). The observed inbreeding was also significant (permutation p= 0.02).

Heritability was estimated to be 9 (95% CI = 0–57)% assuming all animals with unknown status were unaffected. The best fitting genetic model was a major gene model with dominant expression with the risk allele frequency at 15% with 60% penetrance.

CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study the increased inbreeding in the cases, lack of likely sampling bias, the increased frequency of T2D in Burmese, and small number of breed founders are consistent with the involvement of a major locus in diabetes in Burmese cats with a significant risk allele prevalence. However, low case numbers meant this could not be unambiguously confirmed. A genome-wide association study may be useful for investigating the genetic cause of T2D.