Assessment of the measurement of canine and feline serum fibroblast growth factor-23 concentrations by automated chemiluminescence immunoassay

This study compared canine and feline fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-23 concentration measurements between automated chemiluminescence assay (CLEIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Seventy serum samples each from dogs and cats were evaluated. FGF-23 measurements by CLEIA significantly correlated with those of ELISA in both dogs and cats. The Bland–Altman test showed that FGF-23 between CLEIA and ELISA had fixed and proportional biases, respectively, in both dogs and cats. Measurements by CLEIA were lower than those of ELISA, especially in higher serum FGF-23 concentrations. This study showed that FGF-23 concentrations in dogs and cats can be evaluated by automated CLEIA. However, FGF-23 cannot be directly compared between CLEIA and ELISA.     

马尾松早期促进开花结实方法的研究

１９９７年在京山县太子山林场５年生马尾松无性系种子园内,用三种生长调节剂Ｃ．Ｃ．Ｃ．ＧＡ,ＢＡＰ分施用量、处理时期、处理次数三个因素进行叶面喷洒实验。结果表明ＢＡＰ有促进开花的作用。１９９８年在中心苗圃３年生嫁接苗实验区,利用１９９７年对促进开花结实有效果的ＢＡＰ进一步分时期、处理次数二因素进行了实验,结果表明ＢＡＰ对马尾松苗期开花也有明显的促进作用。两年的实验结果表明,ＢＡＰ能促进马尾松早期开花,这对缩短马尾松育种周期,加速新品种的开发具有非常现实的意义。     

Diagnostic utility of measuring serum amyloid A with a latex agglutination turbidimetric immunoassay in bovine mastitis: Comparison with haptoglobin and alpha 1 acid glycoprotein

This study established the precision and accuracy of a modified latex agglutination turbidimetric immunoassay (LATIA) reagent, and evaluated the ability of the measurement of serum amyloid A (SAA) compared to haptoglobin and α1-acid glycoprotein, which are acute phase proteins (APPs), for diagnosis of clinical mastitis. Concentrations of APPs in cows with mastitis were significantly higher than those in healthy cow. Only the plasma SAA concentration in cows with clinical mastitis (44.90 mg/l; n=15) was significantly higher than that in those with subclinical mastitis (10.70 mg/l; n=16), enabling their diagnosis in contrast to other APPs. Thus, the SAA assay using a LATIA reagent is useful in assessing mastitis severity due to its higher sensitivity and specificity than other APP assays.     

Accumulation of lipofuscin in broiler chicken with wooden breast

Lipofuscin is one of the indicators of oxidative stress. To elucidate the role of oxidative stress in the development of wooden breast, this study investigates lipofuscin accumulation in various parts of wooden breast muscles. Sampling was performed using 46-day-old broiler chickens housed at a commercial Japanese poultry slaughterhouse. Fourteen wooden breast fillets and 13 normal breast fillets were collected in the deboning line. The samples used to measure shear force, 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), and for histological analysis were taken from the six portions of breast muscle fillets. In muscles affected by wooden breast, vacuolated muscle fibers were observed, and connective tissues appearing like perimysium were expanded with fibrosis. TBARS value and accumulation of lipofuscin were significantly higher in the wooden breast than in the normal breasts. A lot of lipofuscin granules were localized in the cytoplasm of collapsed muscle fibers of the wooden breast. The cranial portion of the wooden breast showed the highest shear force. The cranial position had a large amount of connective tissue and lipofuscin granules. The results of the present study strongly suggest that high oxidative stress, especially with a significant accumulation of lipofuscin, is associated with the development of wooden breasts.     

Mechanical stretch-induced activation of skeletal muscle satellite cells is dependent on nitric oxide production in vitro

Mechanical stretch induces activation of cultured quiescent satellite cells and the activation response is owing to rapid release of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) from its extracellular association with satellite cells and its subsequent presentation to the c-met receptor. We provide new evidence that the stretch activation is dependent on nitric oxide (NO) production. Stretch activation could be abolished by the addition of N ^G-nitro- L -arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a competitive inhibitor of NO synthesis, but not by N ^G-nitro- D -arginine methyl ester hydrochloride, a less active enantiomer of L-NAME. Adding HGF to the L-NAME culture restored the activation response, indicating that L-NAME does not directly inhibit satellite cell activation, but acts upstream from the HGF release. In addition, immunoblots of satellite cell lysate revealed the presence of nitric oxide synthase. These experiments suggest that NO is involved in linking mechanical perturbation of satellite cells to chemical signaling responsible for HGF release from its sequestration in vitro .     

Detection of avian-like rotavirus A VP4 from a calf in Japan

A total of 568 normal feces from calves on a beef farm in Fukui Prefecture, Japan, in 2011–2012 were examined by RT-semi-nested PCR for rotavirus A (RVA) VP4 genes. Through partial sequencing and BLAST analyses of 84 VP4-positive specimens, we identified an avian-like RVA strain, N2342, which shares highest nucleotide identity (80.0%) with known avian-like bovine strain 993/83, in one specimen. Phylogenetic analysis also revealed a close genetic relationship between N2342 and avian RVAs, suggesting bird-to-cattle transmission. We observed frequent contact of wild birds with calves in the farm, suggesting that these birds were the source of the virus.     

Computed tomographic images of discospondylitis in a calf

A 2-month-old male Japanese Black calf was presented with a 30-day history of progressive ataxia. Antemortem examination using computed tomography (CT) revealed narrowing of the disc spaces due to destruction of intervertebral structures between the first and second thoracic vertebrae and between the second and third thoracic vertebrae. Osteolysis was evident as irregular hypoattenuating lesions within the opposing end plates of the first, second and third thoracic vertebrae. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was detected as the causative bacteria, and discospondylitis was diagnosed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first bovine case report describing the application of CT for the diagnosis of discospondylitis.