Evaluation of body condition and weight loss in dogs presented to a veterinary oncology service

Cancer cachexia is a well-recognized syndrome in human patients that is characterized by progressive involuntary weight loss. The prevalence of this syndrome in veterinary cancer patients is unknown. This study's objective was to investigate the occurrence of weight loss and cachexia, as characterized by body condition scoring, in dogs presented to a veterinary oncology service. Information collected on 100 dogs included signalment, diagnosis, weight at time of diagnosis, and, when available, weight from a time approximately 12 months before diagnosis. Body condition was assessed by using a 9-point system based on body silhouette and palpation of adipose tissue (4-5 = optimal, 1 = extreme cachexia, 9 = extreme obesity). Muscle wasting was scored based on palpation of skeletal muscle (3 = no wasting, 2 = mild, 1 = moderate, 0 = severe). Only 4% of the dogs exhibited cachexia as defined by a body condition score < or = 3, whereas 29% were classified as markedly overweight (> or = 7). Fifteen percent had evidence of clinically relevant muscle wasting (< or = 1). Body weight from a time before the diagnosis of cancer was available for 64 dogs. At the time of diagnosis, 31% had maintained or gained weight, 31% had lost up to 5%, 14% had lost between 5 and 10%, and 23% had lost >10% of body weight. Overall, the percentage of dogs with signs indicating a decline in nutritional status was less than what has been reported for human cancer patients. Future studies should investigate the extent to which weight loss occurs in canine patients on an appropriate plane of nutrition as well as to establish whether an association exists between poor nutritional status and outcome in canine cancer patients.     

Canine hemangiosarcoma treated with standard chemotherapy and minocycline

Standard treatments for canine hemangiosarcoma include surgery and chemotherapy with doxorubicin, but in spite of treatment most dogs with this disease die within 6 months of diagnosis. Tumor growth and metastasis are angiogenesis dependent. Antiangiogenic drugs such as minocycline may provide therapeutic benefits in cancer patients. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the efficacy of chemotherapy with doxorubicin and minocycline, an antiangiogenic agent, in dogs with hemangiosarcoma. Eighteen dogs with histologically confirmed hemangiosarcoma of any stage were treated with doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, and minocycline. Complete staging was performed before and during the treatment period to assess remission status and response to therapy. No statistically significant difference was found in survival between the dogs treated with chemotherapy and minocycline, and historical controls consisting of dogs that received chemotherapy alone. Postmortem examination revealed widespread metastasis, suggesting that minocycline is ineffective as a single antiangiogenic agent in canine hemangiosarcoma.     

浙江金华地区PCV2分子流行病学调查及遗传变异分析

猪圆环病毒2型(porcine circovirus type 2,PCV2)主要引起猪的多系统功能障碍性疾病,同时,还可侵害猪的免疫系统,造成猪免疫抑制,容易继发细菌及其他病毒感染,大大增加猪群的死亡率。为了解PCV2在浙江金华猪群中的分布与流行状况以及PCV2变异规律,对从浙江省金华猪场收集的3 433份血清进行PCR检测,结果显示,2012-2018年PCV2阳性率分别为10.16%,11.95%,8.50%,9.94%,6.19%,5.94%,8.28%,母猪阳性率最高为13.49%。本研究发现在2012年浙江金华地区PCV2优势毒株已经由PCV2b变为PCV2d,且全部为PCV2d-2。将得到的ORF2序列同已知的疫苗序列对比后,发现SH株与浙江金华目前PCV2主流毒株序列一致性最高,但抗原位点比较仍有5处差异,这可能会对疫苗效果产生影响,需要进一步验证。另外只有PCV2d在免疫显性诱饵表位上发生了突变,这可能是PCV2d成为主流的原因。     

玉米穗上节间距的QTL定位

玉米穗上节间长度是影响冠层结构的主要因素,分析其遗传特点对于改善玉米植株群体结构、提高光合效率具有重要意义。以豫82×沈137的229个F2单株为作图群体,构建了具有212个位点的SSR标记连锁图谱,图谱总长度为1 943.8 cM,平均间距8.76 cM,通过229个F2∶3家系穗上节间距的鉴定和QTL定位分析,共检测出与节间距有关的14个QTL,分布在第1、2、3、4、7、9染色体上,未检测到控制穗上5个节间距的共同QTL。穗上第3节间距的qThiIL3、第4节间距的qForIL3和第5节间距的qFifIL3标记区间相同,贡献率在8.89%～16.36%,可能为控制节间距的一个主效QTL。     

两种密度条件下玉米穗上节间距QTL分析

为研究高密度胁迫下穗上节间距的遗传机制,以豫82×沈137的重组近交系(RIL)群体为材料,构建一张包含有1 114个位点的SNP标记的遗传连锁图谱,图谱总长度为1 821.79 cM,标记平均间距为1.64 cM。利用复合区间作图法在60 000株/hm~2密度下共检测到11个、120 000株/hm~2密度下检测到12个穗上节间距的QTL,位于第6染色体上的QTLq For ILL6-2/qForILG6在两种密度下同时被检测到,表明该QTL均能稳定表达;位于第9染色体上的qThiILL9/qForILL9-1在60 000株/hm~2的密度下同时被检测到,解释穗上节间距遗传变异的8.67%和10.61%,在120 000株/hm~2密度下未被检测到,表明此QTL在低密度下特异表达调控穗上节间距3、4。在高密度下检测到qSixILG6和qSixILG10分别解释穗上节间距6遗传变异的16.97%和13.66%,说明该QTL在高密度环境下特异表达。     

浙江文成珍稀植物多脉铁木群落结构及物种多样性

以浙江省文成县石垟林场的多脉铁木Ostrya multinervis群落为对象,采用标准样地法研究了该群落植物种类、数量特征、物种多样性和群落的垂直和径阶结构。结果表明:该群落资源丰富,共有维管束植物60种（含变种）,隶属于40科52属,其中蕨类植物6科7属8种,裸子植物1科1属1种,被子植物33科44属51种。多脉铁木群落垂直结构明显,可分为乔木层、灌木层和草本层,其中乔木层优势树种为多脉铁木,灌木层优势种为披针叶茴香Illicium lanceolatum,草本层优势种为里白Diplopterygium glaucum。群落中的生活型以高位芽植物数量最多,占41.7%。群落中灌木层植物最为丰富,Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Simpson优势度指数和Pielou均匀度指数均大于草本层和乔木层。整个林分乔木层树种的树高分布相对均匀,径阶分布为逆J字型,多脉铁木单一树种的垂直和径阶结构均为近正态分布,多脉铁木群落具有较高的物种多样性和群落稳定性。幼苗个体缺乏是导致其濒危的重要原因之一。建议在目前封山育林保护基础上,加强多脉铁木高效繁育技术研究,并适当进行人工抚育,以保证其种群的正常更新。     

利用玉米RIL群体分析株型性状对两种密度的响应

以豫82×沈137衍生的一套F_(10)家系为材料,采用2个环境、2种密度、3个重复的田间试验设计,对玉米8个株型相关性状(叶夹角、叶长、叶宽、叶向值、叶基至最高点距离、穗上部各节间距离、株高、穗位高)进行表型鉴定。联合方差分析结果表明,叶夹角、穗上节间距、株高、穗位高4个性状基因型×密度间互作差异达显著水平,说明基因型与密度间互作是影响变异的主要因素,可将4个性状作为判断玉米株型耐密性指标。两种密度处理比较结果表明,随着密度的增加,4个性状平均值也随着增加。将两种密度条件下性状平均值比较,可将190个家系划分为密度敏感型、较敏感型、中间型和钝感型4种类型。     

丝光绿蝇幼虫血淋巴中抗菌物质的抑菌活性

观察丝光绿蝇(Lucilia sericata)三龄幼虫经针刺体壁诱导48 h后的血淋巴在不同pH琼脂平板上对溶壁微球菌(Micrococcus lysodeiktic us)和金黄色葡萄球菌(Staphylococcus aureus)的抑菌效果,以及经不同pH缓冲液处理后对溶壁微球菌的抑菌效果.结果表明,丝光绿蝇幼虫经针刺诱导后48 h的血淋巴在pH 6.0、6.5的琼脂平板上对金黄色葡萄球菌的抑菌环较大较清晰,随pH增加抑菌环直径减小.在piH 6.0时,对溶壁微球菌的抑菌环直径最大,随pH增加抑菌环直径减小.用pH 6.0的缓冲液稀释处理血淋巴时,对溶壁微球菌的抑菌环最大,用pH 9.0缓冲液稀释后对溶壁微球菌的抑菌环最小.说明丝光绿蝇幼虫经针刺体壁诱导产生的抗菌物质在酸性条件下比在碱性条件下具有更强的抑菌活性.