Local pulmonary immune responses in domestic cats naturally infected with Cytauxzoon felis

Cytauxzoonosis is a hemoprotozoal disease of cats and wild felids in the South and Southeastern United States caused by Cytauxzoon felis. Although the causative agent has been recognized since the seventies, no study has examined the local immune response in affected organs, such as the lung, and compared them to the lungs of uninfected domestic cats. Previous studies have suggested that the histopathologic findings in the lungs of C. felis-infected cats are caused by the release of pro-inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines and increased production of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), by the infected macrophages. Our laboratory had previously found an upregulation of the adhesion molecule CD18, which can stimulate the release of these pro-inflammatory mediators. The objective of this study was to characterize local pulmonary immune responses in cats naturally infected with C. felis. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, iNOS, and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) II in 19 lungs from affected cats that died between 2005 and 2013. Results showed increased expression of all of these molecules when compared to lungs from uninfected, healthy cats. Furthermore, MHC II is expressed in the endothelium of C. felis naturally infected cats. These results support that there is a marked, local, pro-inflammatory immune response that can contribute to the pathogenesis of cytauxzoonosis in the lungs.     

Characterization of an intravenous lipopolysaccharide inflammation model in calves with respect to the acute-phase response

Our objective was to develop a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) inflammation model in calves to evaluate the acute-phase response with respect to the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and acute-phase proteins, fever development and sickness behaviour. Fourteen 4-week-old male Holstein Friesian calves were included and randomly assigned to a negative control group (n = 3) and an LPS-challenged group (n = 11). The latter received an intravenous bolus injection of 0.5 μg of LPS/kg body weight. Blood collection and clinical scoring were performed at 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5, 6, 8, 12, 18, 24, 28, 32, 48, 54 and 72 h post LPS administration (p.a.). In the LPS group, the following clinical signs were observed successively: tachypnoea (on average 18 min p.a.), decubitus (29 min p.a.), general depression (1.75 h p.a.), fever (5 h p.a.) and tachycardia (5 h p.a.). Subsequent to the recovery from respiratory distress, general depression was prominent, which deteriorated when fever increased. One animal did not survive LPS administration, whereas the other animals recovered on average within 6.1 h p.a. Moreover, the challenge significantly increased plasma concentrations of tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin 6, serum amyloid A and haptoglobin, with peaking levels at 1, 3.5, 24 and 18 h p.a., respectively. The present LPS model was practical and reproducible, caused obvious clinical signs related to endotoxemia and a marked change in the studied inflammatory mediators, making it a suitable model to study the immunomodulatory properties of drugs in future research.     

Cytogenetics and morphology of the pentaploid hybrid between Brassica napus and Orychophragmus violaceus and its progeny

A pentaploid hybrid plant (2n= 50, AACCO) between Brassica napus (AACC) and Orychophragmus violaceus (OO) showed matroclinous morphology and some patroclinous characters. Cloned progenies were mixoploid, consisting of various cells with 38–53 chromosomes, half of the cells with 50 chromosomes. The 50 chromosomes were mainly paired as 25 bivalents and segregated as 25:25 or 22:28; many other segregations were observed in some cells. Progenies produced by selfing had 38–47 chromosomes. Plants with 38 chromosomes were cytologically stable; in all other plants the chromosome number of individual cells varied between the genotype-specific maximum number and 38, indicating loss of chromosomes during mitosis. The mixoploid plants with 44 chromosomes mainly produced two kinds of mixoploid progenies with 44 and 41 chromosomes, respectively. All plants with 2n= 38 had the same morphology as the parental B. napus and were normal in fertility. These chromosome pairings and segregations in the pentaploid and its progeny support the hypothesis that O. violaceus is a natural polyploid species with a basic chromosome number of 3.     

诸葛菜与甘蓝型油菜的核质杂种形成机制

对甘蓝型油菜与诸葛菜的杂种的花粉母细胞的减数分裂的观察表明，染色体组分割现象在该杂种中广泛存在。对染色体组分割现象的分析表明，核质杂种的形成机制在于“染色体组分割现象”。同时还分析了“诸葛菜”核在不同质情况下的行为。     

Preliminary Studies on the Intergeneric Hybridization Between Brassica napus with OguCMS and Orychophragmus violaceus

In the cross between B. napus with OguCMS x Orychophragmus violaceus, pre-fertilizationcompatibility was observed. An intergeneric hybrid was successfully obtained by usingovary culture. The hybrid status was confirmed by cytology, morphology, fertility,isozyme and miosis analysis. The seed setting rate was 0.0072%. An amphidiploid of thehybrid was also produced by the use of chromosome-doubling method with 0.1% colchicinestreatment. Obtaining this hybrid and its amphidiploid has important theoretical andutilization value.     

微波辅助萃取诸葛菜中的总黄酮研究

采用微波辅助萃取乙醇浸提法从诸葛菜中提取黄酮类物质,对所提取的黄酮类物质进行验证,并用紫外分光光度法测定其含量。结果表明,诸葛菜中总黄酮含量为0.380 7 mg/ml,回收率为97.79%,其纯度和产率均较高。该方法采用全物理过程,无任何污染,是提取诸葛菜中黄酮类物质的有效途径。     

抗除草剂转基因油菜向杂草诸葛菜的潜在基因漂移

以抗除草剂草甘膦和草丁膦转基因油菜为父本 ,诸葛菜为母本 ,在人工授粉条件下研究抗性基因向诸葛菜的潜在基因漂移。采用荧光显微镜观察转基因油菜花粉在诸葛菜柱头上的萌发生长情况 ,并与诸葛菜自花授粉的情况进行比较。结果显示 2种转基因油菜花粉在诸葛菜柱头上的萌发生长情况类似。花粉粘合的数量比自交时显著减少 ,出现粘合延迟现象 ;花粉在柱头上不能正常萌发生长 ,有的呈现明显的畸形 ,花粉管不能穿过乳突细胞 ,更不能进入花柱和胚囊发生受精 ,这些结果表明两者的亲和性较差。授转基因油菜的花粉后诸葛菜不能结实也进一步证明了两者的亲和性较差。上述结果表明抗除草剂转基因油菜的抗性基因向诸葛菜漂移的可能性较小。     

土壤呼吸对生物炭添加的短期响应：发酵后处理和无机氮的影响

The biodegradability of chars derived from pyrolysis and hydrothermal carbonisation (HTC) was studied in short-term dynamic incubation experiments under controlled conditions. Carbon dioxide C (CO$_{2}$) emissions from soil-char mixtures in combination with solid digestate or mineral nitrogen (N) fertiliser were measured in dynamic chambers for 10 d.~Compared to the original material (maize straw), pyrolysis and HTC chars showed significantly lower CO$_{2}$ emissions and slower decay dynamics; and compared to the soil control, HTC char increased soil respiration to a significant extent, while pyrolysis char did not. The addition of mineral N resulted in a delayed respiration dynamics for HTC char, while the addition of digestate resulted in an increase in the respired CO$_{2}$ for pyrolysis char and a decrease for HTC char. For the first time, a peculiar two-stage decay kinetics was observed for HTC char, indicating a highly inhomogeneous substrate consisting at least of two C pools.     

重金属及盐碱对二月兰生长和生理生化的影响(英文)

[目的]研究重金属及盐碱对二月兰生长和生理生化的影响。[方法]以二月兰为材料,以不加Pb、Cd和盐碱为对照,研究在不同浓度的盐碱和重金属胁迫下(轻度、中度、重度、Pb、Pb+Cd、轻度+Pb、中度+Pb、重度+Pb、轻度+Pb+Cd、中度+Pb+Cd、重度+Pb+Cd),二月兰生长和生理生化特性。[结果]轻度盐碱胁迫处理对二月兰叶片和根系细胞膜透性影响很小,叶片和根系的MDA含量分别比对照下降25.6%、9.0%;500mg/LPb单一胁迫处理对二月兰叶片光合色素的合成具有一定的促进作用,叶片的叶绿素a、叶绿素b、类胡萝卜素含量分别比对照增加0.86%、0.69%、6.25%,但Pb+Cd复合胁迫处理对二月兰叶片光合色素的合成具有一定的破坏作用,其中类胡萝卜素对胁迫处理更敏感;盐碱胁迫和盐碱与Pb、Cd复合胁迫中,叶片和根系的POD活性、SOD活性、可溶性糖和Pro含量均呈现逐渐上升趋势,且根系中POD活性和SOD活性均显著高于叶片。[结论]二月兰能耐轻度盐碱及Pb(500mg/L)的复合胁迫。