Effect of controlled alterations in maternal dietary retinol on foetal and neonatal retinol status and pregnancy outcome in pigs

The objective of this experiment was to examine the effects of feeding a vitamin A deficient diet (VAF) to pigs at different times on day 100 of foetal and days 0, 1 and 2 of neonatal development. Three treatments included a control (n = 12), VAF for 100 days before mating and during the first month of pregnancy (n = 13; VAF–control), and VAF during the oestrous cycle before mating and throughout pregnancy (n = 13; control–VAF). On day 100 of pregnancy, maternal liver and plasma retinol concentrations were reduced in both groups of gilts fed a vitamin A free diet compared to controls (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively). Day 100 foetal liver retinol concentrations were not affected by dietary treatment, whereas foetal plasma concentrations were higher in foetuses carried by gilts fed the VAF–control diet (P < 0.05). Piglets born to mothers fed the control–VAF, but not the VAF–control diet had consistently lower hepatic and plasma liver retinol concentrations (P < 0.05). Moderate reductions in maternal vitamin A at either stage of pregnancy did not affect pregnancy rate, litter size, progesterone secretion or the allometric relationships between foetal or neonatal organ and total body size. Reduced vitamin A during conception and early pregnancy, but not during later pregnancy, was associated with increased within-litter uniformity in birth weight (P < 0.05) and a tendency for fewer low birth weight piglets, but this needs to be confirmed in a greater number of sows. The mechanism underlying this effect is not known, but appears to not involve an alteration in progesterone production.     

Risk factors associated with porcine cysticercosis in selected districts of Eastern and Southern provinces of Zambia

To determine the risk factors associated with Taenia solium transmission in humans and pigs in the rural areas of Eastern and Southern provinces of Zambia, a questionnaire was administered in 788 households from 155 villages. Pigs were examined from 800 households. Tongue examination and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Ag-ELISA) for the detection of circulating antigens of T. solium cysticerci were used to measure infection in pigs. A snowballing technique was utilised to select households with pigs. Prevalence of households with pigs infected with T. solium on tongue examination by district ranged from 12.7% to 32.1% with Ag-ELISA having a range of 30.0-51.7%. Of the total number of households visited, 18.8% and 37.6% had at least one pig positive for porcine cysticercosis on tongue examination and Ag-ELISA, respectively. Risk factors associated with T. solium infection were lack of pork inspection at slaughter (96.7%), consumption of pork with cysts (20.1%), selling of pork infected with T. solium cysticerci (18.3%), free-range husbandry system (83.2%) and absence of latrines (58.0). Free-range husbandry system (OR=1.68; 95% CI=1.36-2.07) was a significant risk factor for porcine cysticercosis in the surveyed areas. The result that pigs were mostly kept on free-range and semi-intensive husbandry systems may have permitted them to have access to eating human faeces that could be contaminated with tapeworm eggs. This study has shown that T. solium infection poses a high public health risk in the study areas and urban areas as well. We recommend that a human survey be conducted to verify the human exposure to taeniasis and/or cysticercosis in Zambia.     

Phenotypic and genotypic traits of Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from pig carcasses

A total of 142 S. aureus strains isolated from pig carcasses from abattoirs A (n = 98) and B (n = 44) were characterized by phenotypic and genotypic traits. Phenotypically, 96% showed yellow-pigmented colonies, 63% β/δ hemolysis, 85% were egg yolk-positive and 99% were positive for clumping factor/protein A. Only 25% of the strains were resistant to the antimicrobials tested (abattoir A: 19%; abattoir B: 39%), especially to penicillin and ampicillin. None of the strains harbored the mecA gene, which is conserved in methicillin-resistant S. aureus. The biofilm associated genes icaA, icaD and bap were present in 100%, 100% and 0% of the strains. Genes for staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) were detected in 51% (abattoir A) and 14% of the strains (abattoir B). Among strains harboring SE genes (n = 56), 63%, 31%, 4% and 2% tested positive for seg/sei, seg, sei and sec, respectively. The amplification of the 3′ end of the coagulase gene (coa) yielded amplicons of 400, 436, 602, 682 or 776 bp. Coa restriction profile (CRP) analysis using HaeIII resulted in seven patterns (a–d, e1–e3). CRP (c) was detected most frequently at both abattoirs, whereas CRP (a) was restricted to abattoir A and CRP (e3) to abattoir B. In the slaughter process (abattoir B), (i) two CRPs (b and d) were only found before dehairing/singeing, and (ii) four CRPs (c, e1–e3) were identified throughout the process. The genotyping revealed a remarkable homogeneity in S. aureus strains from the two different abattoirs and the slaughter process stages. These results may be explained by the distribution of a limited number of S. aureus genotypes in the pig population. Moreover, as the predominant CRPs (c, e1–e3) persisted throughout the slaughter process in abattoir B, it may be hypothesized that these types are characterized by colonization advantages.     

Molecular cloning and expression analysis of pig CD81

CD81, also known as TAPA-1 (target of antiproliferative antibody 1), is a member of the tetraspanin family of proteins and a component of the B cell co-receptor complex. Several studies have shown that CD81 plays significant roles in a variety of immune responses, including activation of B cells and T cells. In this study, we cloned pig Cd81 cDNA using RT-PCR coupled with rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE)-PCR and determined the complete cDNA sequence of pig Cd81. Pig Cd81 cDNA contains an open reading frame (711 bp) encoding 236 amino acids. The identity of pig CD81 with those of human, cattle, rat, and mouse are 90.30%, 92.26%, 86.22%, and 86.22%, respectively. Alignment of the CD81 amino acid sequence with those of mammalian species showed that the large extracellular loop (LEL) is the most divergent, whereas other domains are largely conserved. Pig Cd81 mRNA was detected by RT-PCR in a broad range of tissues, including lymphoid tissues as well as nonlymphoid tissues, indicated variety of cellular functions of CD81 in most pig tissues. Flow cytometry analyses demonstrated that human CD81 antibody recognizes a pig CD81 on the cell surface. Further, immunohistochemistry analysis using human CD81 antibody on pig spleen was revealed that CD81 expression is widely diffused in spleen tissue. Future study will be focused on defining the functional role of CD81 during the course of pig infectious diseases.     

南昌白猪血清转铁蛋白血液结合素及淀粉酶的遗传多态性研究

应用改进的淀粉凝胶电泳法研究了培育品种南昌白猪进贤系、南昌系、安义系及其杂交亲本品种星子黑猪、大约克猪的转铁蛋白（Ｔｆ）、血液结合素（Ｈｐｘ）和淀粉酶（Ａｍ）３种血清蛋白的多态性,测定并分析了各自的基因型及基因频率的特点,结果表明：南昌白猪３个系的遗传结构与大约克猪甚为相似,而与星子黑猪的差异明显。     

FABPs作为猪肌内脂肪沉积候选基因的研究进展

对FABPs 作为猪肌内脂肪沉积候选基因的研究现状及前景作一综述。主要包括H-FABP和A-FABP基因的性质、变异以及与肌内脂肪含量的关系。     

猪红细胞抗原国际标准抗血清的制备研究

 利用俄罗斯及德国提供的抗猪红细胞抗原42种国际标准抗血清,检测了154头萍乡二头乌猪,68头汉普夏×萍乡杂交猪及43头万安花猪11个基因位点的抗原型及基因型,并利用凝集反应和溶血反应检测了萍乡二头乌猪84头母猪体内“自然抗体”的存在种类与效价,在此基础上,选定了33对供受体猪按计划进行同种免疫。先后共采集了33头受体猪近4000ml抗血清,通过吸附试验,制备了15个单价抗血清,其中5种已与国际标准统一,另外10种是否为中国猪所特有,需要进一步确定。     

猪卵泡液抑制素的分离及其生物活性和免疫活性研究

利用ＳｅｐｈａｄｅｘＧ－２００和ＳｅｐｈａｄｅｘＧ－１００二次层析分馏,以标准猪抑制素蛋白和抑制素α－亚单位作参照,结合紫外扫描,分离猪卵泡液抑制素,并测定各组分对ＨＣＧ诱导的小白鼠生殖器官发育及输卵管水肿抑制的影响和对补体溶血活性的抑制效果,证明可以分离得到生物活性和免疫活性较高的抑制素蛋白组分,其方法较简便,可用于猪卵泡液抑制素的一般制备。     

猪日瘦肉量的生化遗传标记筛选研究

 采用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳和分光光度计比色法分别测定了杜×长大66头杂种猪的5种同工酶多态性。(Est2,Hpx,Am1,Am2,Cp) 和6种酶活性(GPT,GOT,Akp,Acp,Amy,Cp),并对其与猪日瘦肉量的关系进行了线性模型分析、相关分析和回归分析。结果表明,5种同工酶位点均表现为多态性,但对日瘦肉量效应都不显着;6 种酶活性中,2 种酶活(Akp 和 GPT) 与日瘦肉量相关显着。     

南阳黑猪与栾川黑猪的种群遗传关系研究

利用10个微卫星位点对南阳黑猪和栾川黑猪的遗传关系进行研究。计算并统计了平均观察等位基因数、平均有效等位基因数、平均多态信息含量、平均期望杂合度、平均观察杂合度、遗传相似系数和遗传距离等遗传参数,并进行t检验分析。结果表明,10个微卫星位点在南阳黑猪46个个体中共检测到116个等位基因,平均每个位点有11.6个等位基因;在栾川黑猪30个个体中共检测到88个等位基因,平均每个位点8.8个。各遗传参数t检验分析结果显示:南阳黑猪与栾川黑猪间均有极显著性差异(P<0.01)。南阳黑猪和栾川黑猪群体间遗传相似系数为0.7317,遗传距离为0.3124。研究表明,南阳黑猪与栾川黑猪两群体间存在显著遗传分化,因而可能属于不同的黑猪品种。