D-Dimer Improves the Prognostic Value of Combined Clinical and Laboratory Data in Equine Gastrointestinal Colic

The discriminating ability of 15 parameters alone or in combinations, including results from analysis of plasma endotoxin, the Nycomed plasma D-Dimer test and phospholipase A₂, were analyzed to predict morbidity and mortality in equine gastrointestinal colic. Endotoxaemia was a characteristic feature of the colic horses. The problem of adequately predicting non-survivors among colic horses required several parameters to be included in the logistic model: if the “classical parameters”, (heart rate, respiratory rate, PCV, anion gap) were included in the model, addition of plasma D-dimer, phospholipase A₂, and Cl^- significantly improved the predictive value of the logistic model. Increasing heart rate and D-dimer together with decreasing chloride was a risk factor for nonsurvival. The sensitivity of this three-parameter logistic model to predict nonsurvival was 78% and specificity 77%. The Nycomed D-Dimer test is recommended as a horse-site test to predict disseminated intravascular coagulation and nonsurvival in equine colic.     

复合酶高活性酵母对岭南黄肉鸡生产性能的影响

300只岭南黄肉鸡随机分为2组(每组设3个重复,每个重复50只),对照组饲喂基础日粮,试验组在基础日粮中用3%活性酵母替代3%豆粕。饲养试验结果表明:0～49日龄,平均末重、平均日增重、成活率试验组分别比对照组提高8.74%(P<0.05)、8.91%(P<0.05)和5.00%(P<0.05),试验组料蛋比比对照组下降11.25%(P<0.05)。代谢试验表明:能量表观利用率和粗蛋白质表观利用率试验组比对照组分别提高4.05%(P<0.05)和6.84%(P<0.05)。     

Pathogenic mechanisms of caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus

Goats infected with caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus (CAEV) show chronic arthritis and cachexia, which are progressive in nature. The immunopathogenic mechanisms responsible for these progressive clinical symptoms have not been fully elucidated. Various haematological and immunological parameters were evaluated in experimentally-infected goats showing typical signs of CAEV-induced disease. Infected goats showed recurrent lymphocytosis that may be due to constant presentation of antigen by infected cells of a monocyte/macrophage lineage. The serum alkaline phosphatase and -glutamyl transferase concentrations were elevated in infected goats, a characteristic of hepatic and bone disorders. All other serum chemistry parameters were similar between infected and control goats. Importantly, the serum tumour necrosis factor- (TNF-) levels were higher in infected goats. The cachexia seen in infected goats may be at least partly due to altered metabolism as a result of prolonged elevation of serum TNF- levels. Depressed natural killer cell activity was observed in infected goats and may contribute towards the establishment of a persistent infection with CAEV.Abbreviations AIDS acquired immunodeficiency syndrome - CAEV caprine arthritis-encephalitis virus - GGT -glutamyl transferase - HBSS Hanks' balanced salt solution - HIV human immunodeficiency virus - NK natural killer - PBMC peripheral blood mononuclear cells - PCR polymerase chain reaction - SAP serum alkaline phosphatase - TNF tumour necrosis factor     

The evolution and application of enzymes in the animal feed industry: the role of data interpretation

ABSTRACT

1. Enzymes have been used commercially for nearly 40 years and save significant costs through sparing of expensive nutrients but the mechanism by which this is achieved is still debated.

2. The research focused on non-starch polysaccharidase (NSPase) enzymes is used as an example of where greater progress could have been made if the details of the work had been described more fully and the analysis of the data generated had been broader in scope and more critical.

3. Lack of standardisation of the details presented in the materials and methods has been identified as a significant barrier to meaningful retrospective analysis and thus limits advances in the understanding of the mode of action of these enzymes.

4. The identity of the enzyme employed and its activity is often lacking, and more importantly the purity is rarely disclosed. Contaminant activities which are neither listed nor assayed could play a significant role in the responses observed.

5. The dose optimum of most enzymes is often considerably higher than that employed in most studies. Thus studies claiming synergy between two ‘activities’ should ensure that the response is not related to each enzyme simply augmenting the dose of just one activity in the finished feed. This is a common problem, and coupled with the lack of factorial experiments to justify the presence of each enzyme in a multi-enzyme product, it is not surprising that there is still debate as to whether single or multi-enzymes are best suited poultry rations.

6. The three proposed mechanisms for NSPases (viscosity, cell wall and prebiotic) are discussed, and along with their strengths and weaknesses it is suggested that a re-evaluation of each is needed. Viscosity may have to be re-evaluated as being a function not only of the cereal being fed, but of the age of the animal as well. The cell wall theory as described is poorly modelled in vitro and hence the validity of these data is questioned. The prebiotic theory may need significant modification as it appears that the quantities of oligomers produced are insufficient to generate the additional volatile fatty acids (VFA)’s reported. It is likely that all three mechanisms play a role in the responses observed, but the prebiotic mechanism probably plays by far the most important part in low viscosity diets.

7. Future research would be improved if it considered all potential mechanisms when designing a trial. Significant failings are apparent as a result of adherence to tenets in explanation of the results. Most importantly, it should be emphasised that a hypothesis is there to be tested, not defended.     

蚯蚓纤溶酶基因番茄表达载体的构建

为研究蚯蚓纤溶酶的番茄表达,构建EFE基因的番茄表达载体pF和pEF,并导入农杆菌。采用PCR法在EFE基因DNA序列上添加了表达调控元件和酶切位点后,得到新EFE基因片段,将该片段与切去GUS基因的pBI121载体相连,以构建CaMV35S驱动的EFE组成型表达载体pF;用PCR克隆得到的E8启动子片段替换pF上的35S启动子,以构建番茄成熟果实特异性表达载体pEF;最后,采用三亲交配法用重组质粒转化根癌农杆菌EHA105;结果表明:经过酶切、PCR和测序鉴定,EFE基因、E8启动子序列已重组到表达载体上,植物表达载体构建正确,并且已经转化进农杆菌EHA105中。     

棉蚜对吡虫啉抗性的初步研究

用吡虫啉对棉蚜进行室内抗性筛选,用药处理25次后抗性是筛选前的20.03倍;2007年对田间棉蚜进行抗性调查,发现不同地区种群对吡虫啉的抗性差异显著,江苏南京种群最为敏感,河南安阳、山东泰安和北京地区棉蚜与之相比,抗性分别为2.21、7.63和9.53倍;抗、感品系解毒酶活力分析发现,抗性品系的谷胱甘肽S-转移酶活性增加很少(比活力1.12倍),但酯酶活力显著高于敏感品系(比活力1.71倍);增效试验结果表明,顺丁烯二酸二乙酯(DEM)在抗、感品系中对吡虫啉均没有明显的增效作用,而磷酸三苯酯(TPP)和增效醚(PBO)虽然在敏感品系中对吡虫啉的增效作用较小(SR 1.24和1.29),但在抗性品系中的增效作用显著增高(SR 2.13和1.74);此外还发现,吡虫啉处理可提高棉蚜群体的酯酶活力。由此认为,棉蚜至少具有对吡虫啉产生中等水平抗性的风险,其抗性可能是由于棉蚜的酯酶和P450单加氧酶的解毒能力提高所致。     

硅对盐胁迫下藜麦生长及抗氧化酶活性的影响

全球气候变暖降水减少加速了土壤盐渍化进程,对农业生产造成了严重影响,低浓度的盐分对藜麦发育没有明显影响,但盐含量较高的土壤则不利于藜麦的生长。前人研究表明,硅能帮助植物在盐胁迫条件下更好的生长。本实验以4种藜麦为研究材料,在300mmol.L_-1^{盐胁迫条件下设置硅浓度梯度(CK、0、0.5、1、1.5、2 mmol.L}_-1^{),研究硅对盐胁迫条件下藜麦幼苗的}生长影响及其生理机制,为提高藜麦耐盐性提供参考。结果表明：(1)与对照相比,盐胁迫条件下藜麦幼苗的芽长均明显降低,根长均显著增加;超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化物酶(POD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)等抗氧化酶活性有不同程度的增加;可溶性糖(SS)含量降低;超氧阴离子自由基(O_2^.-)产生速率丙二醛(MDA)含量增加。(2)随硅浓度的增加,藜麦幼苗的芽长、根长、SOD、POD、CAT、SS均表现为先增加后降低的趋势,O_2.-^{产生速率和MDA含量先降低后升高。(3)}适当浓度外源硅的添加提高了盐胁迫条件下藜麦幼苗的抗氧化酶活性和SS含量,降低O_2.-^{产生速率和MDA含量,促进了藜麦幼苗在盐胁迫条件下的生长,0.5～1mmol.L}_-1^{硅浓度效果最好。}     

温湿度调控对番茄灰霉病菌产生的细胞壁降解酶的影响

 番茄灰霉病菌在致病过程中能够产生4种细胞壁降解酶,以PMG酶活性最高,其次是β-葡萄糖苷酶和PG酶,Cx最少。灰霉病菌在不同温度下侵染番茄叶片时产生的致病酶活性不同,4种酶在20℃时表现了最高的活性,15℃次之,当温度达到25℃时,各种酶的活性都急剧下降,随着温度的再升高,酶活更低。随着湿度的增高,病菌产生的细胞壁降解酶的活性也增加,当相对湿度达到90%以上时,4种酶的活性也达到最高。温湿度对番茄灰霉病菌产生细胞壁降解酶的影响趋势,与其对发病的影响趋势是一致的。     

发酵豆粕替代鱼粉对大口黑鲈幼鱼生长、饲料利用和消化酶活力的影响

为研究发酵豆粕替代鱼粉对大口黑鲈生长、饲料效率、表观消化率和消化酶活力的影响,以枯草芽孢杆菌有氧发酵豆粕替代部分鱼粉配置5组等氮、等能的实验饲料。发酵豆粕的添加量为0%(FM组)、10%(FSM10组)、15%(FSM20组)、20%(FSM30组)、25%(FSM40组),分别替代0%、10%、20%、30%、40%的鱼粉。初始体质量(19.83±0.33) g的大口黑鲈,随机分成5组,每组3个重复,每个重复30尾鱼,每天饲喂2次(7:00和17:00),养殖75 d。结果显示：各组饲料系数无显著性差异,FSM20和FSM30组的均末重和特定生长率显著高于其他各组;各组蛋白质效率无显著性差异,FSM组的摄食量显著高于FM组,FSM40组的蛋白质沉积率和脂肪沉积率显著低于其他组;各组全鱼粗蛋白无显著性差异,在FSM20组出现最大值;FSM组的全鱼粗脂肪显著低于FM组;各组之间的蛋白质消化率和脂肪消化率无显著性差异,FSM30和FSM40的干物质表观消化率显著低于其他组;低于15%(FSM20组)替代,FSM组与FM组的蛋白酶、淀粉酶和脂肪酶活力无显著差异。     

Comparison of the Value of Pulsed-field Gel Electrophoresis,Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA and Amplified rDNA Restriction Analysis for Subtyping Taylorella equigenitalis

Eight strains of Taylorella equigenitalis were identified by a polymerase chain reaction using a primer pair specific to the 16S rDNA of T equigenitalis. These eight strains were chosen because they had previously been shown to represent eight distinct genotypes by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis after separate digestion of the genomic DNA with ApaI or NotI. The eight strains could be classified into six or seven types by random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis using different kinds of primers. Amplified rDNA restriction analysis after separate digestion with five restriction enzymes, including AluI and MboI, of the 1,500 bp fragments of rDNA amplified by polymerase chain reaction did not discriminate the genomic variations among the eight strains of T equigenitalis. Thus, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis was shown to discriminate these eight organisms better than random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis, while amplified rDNA restriction analysis was found to be unsuitable for subtyping T equigenitalis.