Pathogenicity of Bordetella bronchiseptica isolated from apparently healthy rabbits in guinea pig,rat, and mouse

Bordetella bronchiseptica (B. bronchiseptica) is associated with respiratory tract infections in laboratory animals. In our laboratory animal facility, B. bronchiseptica was isolated from 21 of 27 apparently healthy rabbits obtained from a breeding farm contaminated with B. bronchiseptica. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis showed that the flagellin genotype of isolates from the laboratory animal facility and breeding farm was type A, which is seen relatively frequently in rabbits in Europe. To examine its pathogenicity, guinea pigs, rats, and mice were inoculated intranasally with a representative strain isolated in the laboratory animal facility. Following inoculation of 10⁷ colony forming unit (cfu), severe inflammation was observed in the lungs of guinea pig and mice, although the inflammation was less severe in rats. The strain was recovered from the trachea and lungs of these species after inoculation with lower dose such as 10³ or 10⁴ cfu. These results suggest that the isolated strain causes respiratory tract infection in guinea pigs, rats, and mice, and that its pathogenicity higher in mice than in rats. This study extends our knowledge of interpreting the microbiologic status of laboratory animals, which will contribute to the development of reliable and reproducible animal experiments.     

Changes of serum 3-methylhistidine concentration and energy-associated metabolites in dairy cows with ketosis

The present study examined the Serum 3-methylhistidine concentrations and energy-associated variables of 5 healthy Holstein cows and 5 Holstein cows with ketosis. The serum total cholesterol and apolipoprotein B-100 concentrations and lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity of the ketotic cows were lower than those of the healthy cows 14 days before parturition. The serum non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentration on the day of parturition and 3-methylhistidine concentration 14 days after parturition were higher in the ketotic cows. The serum 3-methylhistidine concentration 14 days after parturition was negatively correlated with the serum LCAT activity 14 days before parturition and was positively correlated with the serum NEFA concentration on the day of parturition. Insufficiency of cholesterol metabolism and acceleration of body fat degradation occur before parturition in cows with ketosis, and these characteristics are correlated with acceleration of protein degradation after parturition.     

Cesium radioactivity in peripheral blood is linearly correlated to that in skeletal muscle: Analyses of cattle within the evacuation zone of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

The accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) released a large amount of radioactive substances into the environment. Furthermore, beef contaminated with radioactive cesium above the 500 Bq/kg safety standard was circulated in the food chain in 2011. Japanese consumers remain concerned about the safety of radioactively contaminated food. In our previous study, we detected a linear correlation between radioactive cesium (¹³⁷Cs) activity in blood and muscle around 500 to 2500 Bq/kg in cattle. However, it was unclear whether the correlation was maintained at a lower radioactivity close to the current safety standard of 100 Bq/kg. In this study, we evaluated 17 cattle in the FNPP evacuation zone that had a ¹³⁷Cs blood level less than 10 Bq/kg. The results showed a linear correlation between blood ¹³⁷Cs and muscle ¹³⁷Cs (Y = 28.0X, R² = 0.590) at low radioactivity concentration, indicating that cesium radioactivity in the muscle can be estimated from blood radioactivity. This technique would be useful in detecting high‐risk cattle before they enter the market, and will contribute to food safety.     

Irradiation history of Itokawa regolith material deduced from noble gases in the Hayabusa samples

Noble gas isotopes were measured in three rocky grains from asteroid Itokawa to elucidate a history of irradiation from cosmic rays and solar wind on its surface. Large amounts of solar helium (He), neon (Ne), and argon (Ar) trapped in various depths in the grains were observed, which can be explained by multiple implantations of solar wind particles into the grains, combined with preferential He loss caused by frictional wear of space-weathered rims on the grains. Short residence time of less than 8 million years was implied for the grains by an estimate on cosmic-ray-produced (21)Ne. Our results suggest that Itokawa is continuously losing its surface materials into space at a rate of tens of centimeters per million years. The lifetime of Itokawa should be much shorter than the age of our solar system.     

Profound Survival Program of Forests in Japan Islands a 40 Year Strategy for Environmental Conservation in Inland China

15 years ago an interim report for an intense environmental program was compiled concerning the location of the islands of Japan at the meteorological down stream of the East Asian Countries. Parts of sulfur dioxide and other air pollutants, those supposed to cause acid deposition are emitted from the eastern parts of the Asian continent, especially in China. The air pollutants flow down to the east to spread over these islands. This acid deposition is projected to cause damage to forest resources of Japan in the future by increasing air pollutants emanating from the continent. A long term project by a research group at Keio University commenced in 1985 to identify ways of preventing this damage to the forests. The group formed the JACK Air Surveillance Network in China and South Korea in order to collect the first precise air pollution data in this region, as well as to identify a reliable partner for the project. On the completion of the JACK project, a highly cooperative group was formed between the researchers of Keio University and those in Chengdu, Sichuan province of China and has effectively worked since 1991. The goal of the project is the formation of an Inland Environmental Information Center in inland China to be accomplished by 2005. To launch a 10 year project by the center, a nation wide campaign is planned to raise the awareness of the population, specifically the lower socio-economic group on the effect of environmental issues. It is suggested that this education campaign take effect in inland China no later than 2025 for the preservation of the forests on the Islands of Japan.     

Does sika deer overabundance exert cascading effects on the raccoon dog population?

Habitat structure in Oku-Nikko, Japan, has been substantially modified by the overabundance of sika deer (Cervus nippon). A deer-proof fence (15.0 km and 900 ha) was constructed in 2001 to conserve vegetation. Although the understory inside the fence is dominated by Sasa nipponica (hereafter, Sasa), an important forage plant for deer, that outside the fence is dominated by Aster ageratoides leiophyllus (hereafter, Aster), an unpalatable plant to deer, and, partly, by bare floor. In this study, we examined the effects of deer on ground-dwelling insects and earthworms, the primary food resources of raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides), and, thus, the bottom-up cascading effects of the herbivore on the omnivorous carnivore. Between July and September 2008, we examined the abundance of insects and earthworms by pitfall trapping and hand-sorting methods, respectively, both inside and outside the fence. The abundance of earthworms and insects (Scarabaeidae and Rhaphidophoridae) was higher on forest floors with Aster and/or bare floors outside the fence than on those with Sasa inside the fence. These results indicate that the increasing deer population in this area probably increased the number of these invertebrates outside the fence by modifying understory vegetation and/or depositing dung. Furthermore, the sighting rates of raccoon dogs obtained by spotlight counts were greater outside than inside the fence, suggesting that deer probably exert bottom-up cascading effects on raccoon dogs, at least during May to November, when the invertebrates are predominantly fed on by the omnivorous carnivore.     

The influence of topography on the stream N concentration in the Tanzawa Mountains, Southern Kanto District, Japan

The water chemistry of 51 headwater streams was studied in the Tanzawa Mountains, western fringe of Southern Kanto Plain, Japan. The relationships to soil N processes and catchment topography were also evaluated using a geographic information system with fine-scale map data. The average concentration of total dissolved N was 0.74 mg-N L⁻¹, of which 95% consisted of NO₃ ⁻-N. Stream N concentrations were not different among bedrock geologies and among vegetations of the catchments. Stream NO₃ ⁻-N marginally correlated to soil nitrification. Stream NO₃ ⁻-N also tended to be high in areas with steep and south-facing slopes. These results imply that N transport from Tanzawa forest ecosystems is related to hydrological and biological processes associated with catchment topography. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Effect of exposure to low salinity water on plasma ion regulation and survival rates in artificially wounded devil stinger <Emphasis Type="Italic">Inimicus japonicus</Emphasis>

We investigated the effect of exposure to low salinity water on plasma ion regulation and survival rates in artificially wounded devil stinger Inimicus japonicus. All fishes survived in 33% seawater (SW), while survival rate in 100% SW was 5.1% at 24 h. In 100% SW, plasma Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ca²⁺ concentrations significantly increased to 238?±?49.9, 9.6?±?2.4, 15.1?±?3.5 and 5.0?±?0.7 mmol/l at 6 h, respectively; the gill Na⁺/K⁺–ATPase (NKA) activity was almost stable, although only one fish survived to 24 h. In 33% SW, plasma Na⁺ and K⁺ concentrations remained at the same level, and plasma Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ concentrations gradually increased to 16.2?±?0.7 and 4.5?±?0.2 mmol/l until 24 h, respectively. The NKA activity significantly increased to 5.1?±?1.1 µmol ADP/mg protein per h at 6 h. A positive correlation was observed between the wound surface area against body weight and the plasma ion concentrations, although no difference was observed in the restoration rate of the wounded area between 100 and 33% SW. These results indicate that exposure of wounded fish to low salinity water improves survivability by favoring plasma ion regulation without influencing the restoration rate.