Intraocular melanoma in an alpaca

A case of primary intraocular melanoma in an alpaca is reported. This patient also presented with a mild normocytic, normochromic anemia and hypoproteinemia. These can be markers of an immunodeficiency syndrome associated with llamas. Although this patient did not appear to have clinical signs of this syndrome, its presence needed to be ruled out as animals affected with this syndrome are subject to recurrent severe debilitating diseases and death. To our knowledge, intraocular melanoma has not been previously reported in an alpaca.     

温室丝瓜泌蜜规律的初步研究

通过对温室丝瓜泌蜜规律的调查研究,结果表明,在7:00～15:00之间丝瓜花泌蜜高峰期是上午7:00～9:00,9:00达到高峰值,之后基本上不再泌蜜.泌蜜量与温度、湿度相关性很小,差异不显著.雄花花蜜浓度变化和湿度变化存在一定负相关,相关系数r=-0.749,差异达到显著水平(P＜0.05);雌花花蜜浓度和湿度亦呈现负相关,相关系数r=-0.884,差异达到极显著水平(P＜0.01).花蜜浓度的变化和温度存在一定正相关,但差异未达显著水平.花的直径大小对泌蜜量的影响迭极显著水平(P＜0.01).     

猪乳铁蛋白N叶(PLF-N)在毕赤酵母中的表达及抑菌活性鉴定

根据猪乳铁蛋白N叶(PLF-N)的蛋白序列和毕赤酵母(Pichia pastoris)密码子的偏嗜性,通过全基因合成法合成改造后的PLF-N基因片段,将其克隆到pGAPZα-A质粒中构建分泌型重组酵母表达载体 pGAPZα-A- PLF。pGAPZα-A- PLF 通过限制性内切酶Avr Ⅱ酶切线性化后,经电穿孔法转入毕赤酵母细胞SMD1168内。PCR检测结果发现,PLF-N基因与毕赤酵母染色体稳定结合,Zeocin抗性筛选,得到高拷贝转化子。在GAP启动子调控下,PLF-N重组蛋白获得分泌表达,其分子质量约为38 ku,上清表达量约为364 μg/mL。琼脂糖孔穴扩散法检测结果显示,该表达产物对革兰氏阴性菌和革兰氏阳性菌均具有较好的抑菌活性,且对大肠杆菌和金黄色葡萄球菌最小抑菌浓度(MIC)分别为12.5、25.0 μg/mL。     

Using a GnRH agonist to obtain an index of testosterone secretory capacity in the cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus) and sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)

Objective   Validation of a stimulation test for determining the steroidogenic capacity of the parrot testis. The major aim was to characterise testosterone secretion after injection of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa), then use the test to investigate seasonal reproduction in the male cockatiel.
Procedure   A synthetic GnRHa (buserelin; 8.0 µg of peptide/kg bodyweight) was injected IM into male cockatiels (n = 7) and sulphur-crested cockatoos (n = 3) and serial blood samples collected at 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min after administration. Once validated, the technique was subsequently used to examine seasonal changes (23 months) in the testosterone profile of a captive cockatiel population.
Results   Injection of buserelin resulted in a significant increase in the testosterone concentration of cockatiel plasma, with maximal concentrations occurring at approximately 60 (1.33 ± 0.08 ng/mL) to 90 min (1.22 ± 0.08 ng/mL) after injection. Although no clear pattern of seasonal variation in testosterone secretion was detected in cockatiel plasma, samples taken 60 and 90 min after administration showed a significant increase in all seasons. Injection of buserelin in the sulphur-crested cockatoo also resulted in increased testosterone secretion, with maximal concentrations obtained after 90 min.
Conclusion   Buserelin can be used to obtain a reliable index of the prevailing testosterone capacity of the cockatiel and cockatoo testis. With further studies, this test may be incorporated into clinical assessment of reproductive status.     

Leucine markedly regulates pancreatic exocrine secretion in goats

Four goats (30.1 ± 1.3 kg) with common bile duct re‐entrant catheter and duodenal catheter were used to evaluate the effects of duodenal leucine infusion on pancreatic exocrine secretion and plasma parameters with two 4 × 4 Latin square design experiments. In the long‐term infusion experiment, goats were fed twice daily [700 g/day, dry matter (DM) basis] at 8:00 and 18:00 hours and were duodenally infused with 0, 3, 6, 9 g/day leucine for 14 days. Pancreatic juice and jugular blood samples were collected over 1‐h intervals for 6 h daily from d 11 to 14 days to encompass a 24‐h day. In the short‐term experiment, goats were infused leucine for 10 h continuously at the same infusion rate with Experiment 1 after feed deprivation for 24 h repeated every 10 days. Pancreatic juice and blood samples were collected at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 h of infusion. The results showed that the long‐term leucine infusion did not affect pancreatic juice secretion, protein output, trypsin and lipase secretion and plasma insulin concentration, but linearly increased α‐amylase secretion. No changes in pancreatic protein and lipase secretion were observed in the short‐term infusion. Pancreatic juice and α‐amylase secretion responded quadratically, with the greatest values observed in the 3 and 6 g/day leucine respectively. Trypsin secretion linearly decreased, while plasma insulin concentration increased linearly with increased leucine infusion. The results demonstrated that duodenal leucine infusion dose and time dependently regulated pancreatic enzyme secretion not associated with the change in plasma insulin concentration.     

Aeromonas sobria, a causative agent of disease in farmed perch, Perca fluviatilis L

Significant numbers of perch, Perca fluviatilis, raised on a pilot fish farm in Switzerland presented focal skin lesions on the lateral sides and fin rot. Mortality rates reached levels of up to 1% of the total fish on the farm per day. Virtually pure cultures of Aeromonas sobria were isolated from the liver, kidney, spleen and skin lesions of affected fish. Aeromonas sobria isolated from the farmed perch had a haemolytic effect on sheep and trout erythrocytes, autoaggregated, was cytotoxic for cultured fish cells and possessed genes involved in type III protein secretion. Experimental infection of naive perch with a single colony isolate of A. sobria from an affected farm fish resulted in the development of clinical signs identical to those seen on the farm. The results indicate that A. sobria can act as a primary pathogen of perch.     

Calcium currents and exocytosis in single isolated pars intermedia cells from tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus)

The role of calcium influx through voltage-dependent calcium ion channels in the exocytotic response of single isolated pars intermedia cells from the teleost tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) was investigated by means of the whole-cell patch-clamp technique and high resolution electrical measurements. Calcium currents differed from barium currents in several ways: the peak I_Ca was smaller, the current-voltage relationship for calcium attained its maximum at +10 mV instead of 0 mV, and the inward calcium current inactivated more rapidly. Electron micrographs showed that pars intermedia cells possess dense, encored vesicles with an average diameter of 140 nm. Influx of calcium resulted in an increased cell membrane capacitance (C_m) after the depolarizing period, indicating a fast exocytotic response. Comparison with late recordings revealed the presence of a transient in C_m, presumably attributable to movement of ion channel gates. The average increase in C_m was 13.4 fF, suggesting the fusion of at least 23 vesicles with the plasma membrane during the depolarizing pulse. In contrast to calcium, barium did not support significant exocytosis. We conclude that calcium entry through voltage-dependent calcium channels rapidly leads to the exocytosis of secretory vesicles from tilapia pars intermedia cells.     

Secretion of Homoarginine into the Gut of Chickens

Angkanaporn, K., Ravindran, V., Mollah, Y. and Bryden, W.L., 1997. Secretion of homoarginine into the gut of chickens. Veterinary Research Communications, 21(3), 161-167A technique, based on the homoarginine present in guanidinated proteins, has been used to distinguish between endogenous secretions and exogenous dietary amino acids in the ileal digesta of monogastric animals. This technique assumes that the ingested homoarginine is not recycled into the small intestine after absorption, but this assumption is yet to be experimentally validated in chickens. The secretion of homoarginine into the gut of broilers that were intravenously infused with 20 and 40 mmol/L homoarginine solutions was assessed. The plasma concentrations of homoarginine increased with increasing concentrations of homoarginine infused. However, only negligible levels of homoarginine (7.0 to 45.2 µg/g dry matter) were found in the digesta. Less than 0.01% of the intravenously infused homoarginine was recovered in the intestinal digesta, indicating that the secretion of homoarginine into the gut of chickens was insignificant.     

肝脏极低密度脂蛋白合成和分泌的研究进展

肝脏中极低密度脂蛋白(very low-density lipoprotein,VLDL)的过量沉积是引起脂质代谢紊乱进而形成脂肪肝的主要原因.本文综述了VLDL组装过程的最新特点以及肝脏中VLDL合成和分泌的影响因素,包括与VLDL合成相关的载脂蛋白B- 100( apoB-100)的结构和功能、微粒体甘油三酯转运蛋...