Effects of breed, diet and sex on the alkaline phosphatase activity in walls of the bovine rumen and abomasum

Alkaline phosphatase (APase) activity in tissue samples, with adherent bacteria, was measured from two sites in the rumen and from two sites in the abomasum of 57 yearling Angus and Hereford bulls and heifers fed a high or a low energy diet. In the rumen, APase activity was higher at the caudoventral blind sac than at the dorsal sac in animals of both breeds fed the high energy diet and in Angus bulls fed the low energy diet, but the reverse was observed in Hereford bulls fed the low-energy diet (P less than .01). In the abomasum, APase levels were higher for bulls than heifers (P less than .01) and higher at the fundic than at the pyloric region (P less than .01). Morphological studies also showed that rumen samples from animals fed a high energy diet exhibited a more widely distributed APase activity and an increase in the digestive recycling of epithelial cells that produced some "pitting" of the tissue. The higher APase activity of the epithelial tissue of animals fed the high energy diet may be explained by the greater rate of cell death and renewal indicated by the higher mitotic index reported by other researchers who have studied the cell cycle of the rumen epithelium in ruminants fed high and low energy diets.     

The fat content of milk from dairy cattle infected with bovine leukosis virus

Two groups of cows infected with the bovine leukosis virus (BLV) were kept on two different diets and the fat content of their milk was assayed. The results were compared with those obtained from two comparable groups of BLV-free cows. The cows in each group were of similar ages, those in the groups on the poorer diet being 1–4 months post partum, while those on the richer diet were 5–7 months post partum. The mean percentage of fat in the milk from uninfected cows on the poorer diet was 2.94 while that from the similar infected cattle was 3.06. Uninfected cows on the richer diet produced milk containing 3.39% fat, while those that were infected produced milk containing 3.30% fat. No statistical differences in milk fat production were observed between the BLV seropositive and seronegative cows.     

The distribution and chemical coding of neurons in the celiac-superior mesenteric ganglion complex supplying the normal and inflamed ileum in the pig

The present study investigated the chemical coding of neurons in the celiac-superior mesenteric ganglion complex supplying the normal (n=4) and inflamed (n=4) ileum (chemically-induced inflammation) in juvenile pigs using retrograde tracing combined with immunohistochemistry. Ileum-projecting neurons (IPN) were predominantly distributed in the left and right superior mesenteric pools of the ganglion. The majority of them were adrenergic (tyrosine hydroxylase-positive) and also contained neuropeptide Y, somatostatin or galanin. No clear-cut differences in the distribution and chemical coding of IPN were found between normal and inflamed pigs. However, in the inflamed group, the density of peptidergic, IPN-associated nerve fibres was higher than that found in the control group.     

Protein and lipid sources affect cholesterol concentrations of juvenile Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone)

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of protein and lipid sources on cholesterol, AA, and fatty acid content, and on biological performance of juvenile Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone). In Exp. 1, seven isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets were prepared using fish meal; soybean meal; casein; fish meal + soybean meal; fish meal + casein; soybean meal + casein; and fish meal + soybean meal + casein. In Exp. 2, seven isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets were prepared using fish oil; soy oil; poultry fat; fish oil + soy oil; fish oil + poultry fat; soy oil + poultry fat; and fish oil + soy oil + poultry fat. Nine shrimp (average BW 570 mg) were stocked per 60-L tank, with three tanks per diet in each experiment. Shrimp were fed to apparent satiation twice daily for 28 d. Protein sources affected shrimp cholesterol, feed consumption, feed efficiency, protein consumption, protein efficiency ratio, and crude body fat (P < or = 0.05), but not weight gain, survival, hepatosomatic index, body protein, ash, and AA composition. Body (without hepatopancreas) cholesterol concentrations were the highest in shrimp fed the diet containing fish meal (0.81%), lowest for those fed the casein diet (0.64%), and intermediate in the other dietary treatment groups (range 0.71 to 0.74%). Lipid source also affected shrimp body cholesterol, body fatty acid profiles, and fatty acid profiles in the hepatopancreas (P < or = 0.05), but not growth performance, body protein, fat, ash, and cholesterol concentrations in the hepatopancreas. Shrimp fed the fish oil diet had the highest body cholesterol (0.75%), whereas those fed the soy oil or poultry fat diets were lowest (0.66 and 0.65%, respectively). Results indicate that by replacing fish meal and fish oil with soybean meal and soy oil, shrimp growth performance is not affected, but body cholesterol concentration is reduced.     

Electroacupuncture-induced neural activation detected by use of manganese-enhanced functional magnetic resonance imaging in rabbits

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of acupuncture on neural activity detected by use of manganese-enhanced functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and elucidate the relationship between somatic acupoint stimulation and brain activation. ANIMALS: 40 New Zealand White rabbits. PROCEDURE: Manganese-enhanced fMRI was performed in anesthetized rabbits manipulated with electroacupuncture (EA) on Zusanli (ST-36) and Yanglingquan (GB-34) acupoints. Image acquisition was performed on a 1.5T superconductive clinical scanner with a circular polarized extremity coil. T1-weighted images were acquired sequentially as follows: baseline, after mannitol injection, after manganese infusion, and 5 and 20 minutes after initiation of EA. RESULTS: Changes in focal neural activity were detected by use of manganese-enhanced fMRI. Stimulation on Zusanli (ST-36) for 5 minutes resulted in activation of the hippocampus, whereas stimulation on Yanglingquan (GB-34) resulted in activation of the hypothalamus, insula, and motor cortex. Activation became less specific after 20 minutes of EA. Furthermore, stimulation on ipsilateral acupoints led to bilateral brain activation. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Each acupoint has a corresponding cerebral linkage, and stimulation on these points resulted in time-dependent neural activation. Understanding the linkage between peripheral acupoint stimulation and central neural pathways may provide a useful guide for clinical applications of acupuncture.     

诊断桑树黄化型萎缩病的新方法

本文探讨利用瑞氏染色法和旦尼氏染色法诊断桑树黄化型萎缩病的可能性。试验结果表明,用此方法,在病株枝条或主根的横切面上,韧皮部的病原寄生部位被染成兰色或青色,呈阳性反应,健株组织切片的韧皮部则不着色,呈阴性反应。可作为桑黄化型萎缩病病株的实验诊断手段。     

德菲尔法构建重大动物疫病预警指标体系

[目的 ]构建重大动物疫病暴发流行预警指标体系。[方法 ]以禽流感和口蹄疫为例,采用文献调研法和德菲尔专家咨询法中的专家会议法初拟重大动物疫病预警体系的框架和指标;应用德菲尔专家咨询法评价预警指标的重要性、可操作性;应用组合权重法比较各指标综合影响的大小,并将指标分类。[结果 ]筛选出禽流感和口蹄疫预警预报一级指标6项(易感动物、饲养管理和免疫情况等)以及二级指标14项(免疫效果、环境消毒、温度等),并将指标分为三类(关键指标、重要指标和一般指标)。[结论 ]初步构建了重大动物疫病暴发流行预警指标体系。     

新疆边境跨界动物疫病传入风险因素调查

新疆地域辽阔,周边国家动物疫情形势复杂,随时有传入外来动物疫病的危险。调查结果表明新疆接壤国家多且边境线长,地理环境复杂,动物及动物产品贸易频繁,野生动物种类繁多,虽然边界线隔离设施较好,但仍然存在跨界动物疫病传入的风险因素,需要有针对性地强化边境防控措施。     

The effect of increased ozone concentrations in the air on selected aspects of rat reproduction

Five-month-old male rates were exposed to 0.5 ppm ozone for 50 days, 5 hours a day. A week before the completion of ozone exposure, a biological test was performed to determine the fertilization rate and the survival rate of newborns in both ozone-exposed and control animals. After 50 days, the rats were sacrificed with an overdose of halotane, and testes were collected to assess the morphology and motility of spermatozoa. Neither the morphology of spermatozoa nor motility parameters determined by the CASA (computer-assisted sperm analysis) system showed statistically significant differences between ozone-exposed and control males. The number of successful matings and the survival rate of newborns per litter within one year postpartum were also similar in both groups. However, sperm concentration was by 17% lower in ozone-exposed rats, compared with the control animals.