Food intake and energy expenditure in growing cats with and without a predisposition to overweight

Overweight and obesity are multifactorial diseases caused by an imbalance in energy metabolism. An underlying genetic predisposition is often a factor in these conditions. In the cat breeding family of the Institute of Animal Nutrition at the Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, a segregating overweight phenotype with a genetic contribution was observed. From this breeding family, 26 kittens were followed from birth up to 8 months of age. During this time, food intake was measured using an automatic feeding station, and energy expenditure was investigated using indirect calorimetry at the ages of 4 and 6 months. Dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DEXA) was performed and blood glucose, leptin and insulin were measured at the ages of 4, 6 and 8 months. The kittens were also weighed daily for the first 2 weeks of life, every second day until weaning and once per week until 8 months of age. The body condition score (BCS) was evaluated monthly between 2 and 8 months of age. The main finding of this study is that a predisposition to overweight is connected to a higher food intake early in life, with no significant alterations in energy expenditure. The leptin blood levels were related to body fat percentage, and insulin sensitivity did not seem to be affected.     

Pathogen Analysis of Goat's Respiratory Diseases

To investigate the pathogens of goat's respiratory disease from a goat farm in Guangxi province, the epidemiological investigation, clinic observation, pathological examination, bacterium isolation and identification, biochemical test, PCR and animal experiment test were conducted.The preventive and control measures were taken on the basis of pathogen epidemiological characteristics and drug sensitive test results.The results showed that Mycoplasma, influenza virus and parasite were negative by isolation and culture or PCR, however, two strains of gram-negative bacteria named MS1 and MS2 were isolated from lung.MS1 was identified as Serratia marcescens by biochemical test and 16S rRNA sequencing, which shared 99% nucleotide homology with other Serratia marcescens in GenBank.And MS2 was identified as E.coil by the same methods that shared 99% nucleotide homology with other E.coli in GenBank.Animal experiment showed that two strains could cause death in mice.The drug sensitive tests showed two strains were highly sensitive to spectinomycin, amikacin, kanamicin and neomycin.Kanamycin and dexamethasone were used to treat the sick goats, and achieved good results.     

产蛋期蛋鸡不同类型玉米净能研究

本试验利用禽用开放式呼吸测热装置进行能量代谢试验,通过间接测热法结合替代法测定不同类型玉米在产蛋期蛋鸡饲粮中的表观代谢能和净能。选用34周龄产蛋期海兰褐蛋鸡180只,随机分为6组,每组30只。试验选用1种玉米-豆粕型基础饲粮和5种待测饲粮。待测饲粮由5种待测玉米(3种2018年10月收获的正常玉米和2种2016年收获储存3年的陈化玉米),分别以50%比例替代基础饲粮构成。试验鸡在舍内笼养,预试期7 d,正试期27 d,其中正试期分为3期,每期9 d(适应3 d、呼吸测热3 d、绝食测热3 d)。每期试验中,从每组中选择4只试验鸡,称重后分别放入呼吸测热装置的12个代谢室(每个代谢室2只),每2个代谢室对应1种饲粮,测定气体交换和排泄物总量,呼吸测热的同时进行消化代谢试验。结果表明:与基础饲粮相比,5种玉米待测饲粮的表观代谢能显著提高(P<0.05),3种正常玉米待测饲粮的净能显著高于基础饲粮和2种陈化玉米待测饲粮(P<0.05);2种陈化玉米的表观代谢能和净能显著低于3种正常玉米(P<0.05)。本试验中,3种正常玉米的表观代谢能分别为16.19、15.85、16.17 MJ/kg,2种陈化玉米的表观代谢能分别为15.12和15.06 MJ/kg;3种正常玉米的净能分别为12.39、12.57、12.25 MJ/kg,2种陈化玉米的净能分别为11.29和12.05 MJ/kg。     

Detection of Ureaplasma diversum in the upper airways of Australian feedlot cattle

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) exerts a major impact on the beef cattle industry nationally and worldwide, with a range of aetiological factors impacting its pathogenesis. Previous research has focussed on an increasing number of bacteria and viruses that have been shown to play a role in eliciting disease. Recently, additional agents have been emerging as potential contributors to BRD, including the opportunistic pathogen Ureaplasma diversum. To determine if U. diversum was present in Australian feedlot cattle and if that presence was linked to BRD, nasal swabs were collected from a cohort of 34 hospital pen animals and compared to 216 apparently healthy animals sampled contemporaneously at feedlot induction and again after 14 days on feed at an Australian feedlot. All samples were subjected to a de novo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay targeting U. diversum in combination with other BRD agents. U. diversum was detected at a low prevalence in cattle at induction (Day 0: 6.9%, Day 14: 9.7%), but in a significantly greater proportion of cattle sampled from the hospital pen (58.8%). When considering the presence of other BRD-associated agents, co-detection of U. diversum and Mycoplasma bovis was most common in hospital pen animals receiving treatment for BRD. These findings suggest that U. diversum may be an opportunistic pathogen involved in the aetiology of BRD in Australian feedlot cattle, in combination with other agents, with further studies are warranted to identify if a causal relationship exists.     

非班太尔对照品的定值研究

(目的)本文旨在联合使用质量平衡法与差示扫描量热法2种定值方法测定非班太尔对照品的含量。(方法)采用高效液相色谱法测定非班太尔的纯度,采用卡尔费休氏容量滴定法、炽灼残渣检查法、气相色谱法分别测定其水分、灰分和残留溶剂,由质量平衡法公式计算非班太尔对照品的含量;采用差示扫描量热法对非班太尔对照品含量加以佐证。(结果)质量平衡法和差示扫描量热法测定结果经科克伦判定互为等精度,取其算术平均值作为最终定值结果,即非班太尔对照品含量为99.66%。(结论)质量平衡法与差示扫描量热法对非班太尔对照品的定值结果基本一致,2种方法能够更好地保证非班太尔对照品赋值的准确性。     

Sequence and unique phylogeny of G genes of bovine respiratory syncytial viruses circulating in Japan

Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) is an etiologic agent of bovine respiratory disease. The rapid evolutionary rate of BRSV contributes to genetic and antigenic heterogeneity of field strains and causes occasional vaccine failure. We conducted molecular epidemiologic characterization of BRSV circulating in Japan to obtain genetic information for vaccine-based disease control. Phylogenetic analysis of G and F gene sequences revealed that all of the isolated Japanese BRSV strains clustered in the same genetic subgroup, which was distinct from the 9 known groups. We assigned the Japanese group to subgenotype X. The Japanese isolates formed 2 temporal clusters: isolates from 2003 to 2005 clustered in lineage A; isolates from 2017 to 2019 formed lineage B. The alignment of the deduced amino acid sequences of the G gene revealed that the central hydrophobic region responsible for viral antigenicity is conserved in all of the isolates; unique amino acid mutations were found mainly in mucin-like regions. Our results suggest that BRSV has evolved uniquely in Japan to form the new subgenotype X; the antigenic homogeneity of the viruses within this group is inferred.     

鸡呼吸道疾病鉴别诊断与防治

呼吸道疾病是目前威胁鸡养殖产业健康发展的一类重大动物疫病,呼吸道疾病的病原种类多种多样,且造成的临床症状大致相同,诊断难度较大,如果没有进行妥善有效的鉴别、诊断,易造成整体的治疗方案缺乏针对性,难以在短时间内控制病情,错过最佳的防控时期。鸡呼吸道疾病常常混合感染并发感染,2种以上的病原相互叠加表现的临床症状复杂,诊断难度更大。该文主要论述鸡呼吸道疾病的鉴别诊断和防治措施。     

Establishment of a Duplex Real-time RT-PCR Assay for the Differential Detection of Nipha Virus and Highly Pathogenic Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus

To establish a rapid,sensitive and specific assay for the differential detection of Nipah virus (NiV) and highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (HP-PRRSV),a duplex Real-time RT-PCR was developed with specific primers and probes targeting to the special sequences of NiV M gene and HP-PRRSV nsp2 gene by optimization of reaction conditions.The performance of the assay was linear ranging from 4.6×10¹ to 4.6×10⁷ copies/μL for RNA standard control of NiV M (NiV-M-RNA) and from 4.1×10¹ to 4.1×10⁸ copies/μL for RNA standard control of HP-PRRSV nsp2 (HP-PRRSV-nsp2-RNA),and detection limits of the assay was 46 copies for the NiV-M-RNA and 4.1 copies for the HP-PRRSV-nsp2-RNA,respectively.The coefficients of variation (CVs) of both inter-assay and intra-assay repeatability were less than 2.0%,showing good repeatability.The assay was able to specifically detect NiV and HP-PRRSV simultaneously without cross-reaction with classical swine fever virus (CSFV),porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV),swine influenza virus (SIV),porcine parvovirus (PPV),pseudorabies virus (PRV) and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2).Of the 236 samples from pigs for both NiV and HP-PRRSV detection by the established assay,all the samples were negative for NiV,8 samples were HP-PRRSV positive.In conclusion,this assay offers a useful approach for the differential detection of NiV and HP-PRRSV in clinical specimens from the pigs.