G and P genotype profiles of rotavirus A field strains circulating in beef and dairy cattle herds in Brazil, 2006–2015

The aim of this retrospective study was to use RT-PCR and nucleotide sequencing analysis to determine the G (VP7 gene) and P (VP4 gene) genotypes of 155 Brazilian bovine rotavirus A (RVA) wild-type strains detected in diarrheic calves from all Brazilian geographical regions from 2006 to 2015. The RVA strains evaluated belonged to the G6, G10, P[5], and P[11] genotypes. The G6P[5] genotype was prevalent (65.5%; P < 0.05) in beef, and the G10P[11] (38.4%) and G6P[11] (30.8%) genotypes were more prevalent in dairy cattle herds. The Midwest was the region with the highest number of genotyped RVA strains, where the genotypes G6, P[5], and P[11] were identified. Genotype combination G6-IV/P[5]-IX, prevalent in beef herds, and G6-III/P[11]-III or G10-IV/P[11]-III, prevalent in dairy herds, were detected. In addition, for the first time in Brazil, we detected the P[5] and P[11] genotype RVA strains that belong to lineage II and VII, respectively.     

刺五加多糖的提取工艺研究

试验比较了水提和碱水提、分步醇沉和分级醇沉提取刺五加多糖的工艺差异。采用水提醇沉的方法提取、分离刺五加多糖,采用Segav法脱蛋白,苯酚-硫酸法测定总糖含量,柱前衍生化GC-MS法测单糖组成。结果显示,水提法的多糖得率较高,但是总糖含量较低;碱提法的多糖得率略低,但是总糖含量较高;分步醇沉操作繁琐,但是多糖得率和总糖含量最高。提取溶剂和醇沉浓度不同,单糖组成比例有所变化。木糖和半乳糖在刺五加多糖中比例高于阿拉伯糖和葡萄糖比例。综合考虑,用碱水提取刺五加多糖,采用分步醇沉的方法,可以得到较多和较高含量的多糖。     

Acute phase proteins and biomarkers of oxidative status in feline spontaneous malignant mammary tumours

Acute phase proteins (APP) and biomarkers of oxidative status change in human and canine mammary tumours, however, they have not been studied in feline mammary tumours. The aims of this study were to investigate the APP and antioxidant responses in feline malignant mammary tumours, to evaluate their relation with tumour features, and to assess their prognostic value. Serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp), albumin, butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), insulin‐like growth factor1 (IGF1), paraoxonase1 (PON1), total serum thiols (Thiol), glutathione peroxidase (GPox) and total antioxidant capacity determined by different assays, including trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity assessed by two different methodologies (TEAC1/2), ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), were determined in serum of 50 queens with spontaneous mammary carcinomas and of 12 healthy female cats. At diagnosis, diseased queens presented significantly higher SAA and Hp, and lower albumin, BChE, GPox, TEAC1, TEAC2 and CUPRAC than controls. Different tumour features influenced concentrations of APP and antioxidants. Increases in serum Hp, and decreases in albumin, Thiol and FRAP were significantly associated with neoplastic vascular emboli, metastasis in regional lymph nodes and/or in distant organs. Distant metastasis development during the course of the disease was associated with increases in SAA and TEAC1. At diagnosis, decreased albumin was associated with a longer survival, and BChE <1.15 μmoL/mL.minute was associated with a shorter survival time on multivariate analysis. Feline malignant mammary tumours are associated with an APP response and oxidative stress, and different tumour features influence the inflammatory response and the oxidative damage. Furthermore, some of these analytes proved to have prognostic value.     

Insights into pathological and molecular characterization of avipoxviruses circulating in Egypt

ABSTRACT

1. Avipoxvirus (APV) infections are one of many threats inflicting economic losses within the poultry industry, particularly in tropical and subtropical countries. A proper and comprehensive study for APVs is needed to increase the knowledge concerning the diversity and evolution of the virus.

2. For this purpose, 136 bird flocks of different species and breeding types were examined for APV infection between October 2016 and November 2017. One hundred and thirty samples had visible pocks on the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) which were designated as fowl pox-like viruses via amplification of 578 bp from the P4b gene and 1800 bp from the fpv140 locus.

4. A comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of fpv167 locus (P4b), fpv140 locus (fpv139 and fpv140) and fpv94 (DNA polymerase) revealed that all the analysed strains belong to fowl pox-like viruses (clade A; subclade A1 and A2). Based on the fpv140 locus full nucleotide sequence, three turkey originated strains were seen to be divergent from chicken originated sequences and branched into novel subclade A1.b.

5. Trees comparison, within the term of speculation of virus-host specificity, clearly highlighted a high order specific subgrouping among subclades in the case of the fpv140 locus (including fpv139 and fpv140). Hence, the fowl poxvirus, turkey poxvirus and pigeon poxvirus strains clustered into distinct host-specific subclades A1a, A1.b and A2, respectively, which could not be seen in the FWPV-P4b and DNA polymerase phylogeny.     

降水量及N添加对宁夏荒漠草原土壤C:N:P生态化学计量特征和植被群落组成的影响

为了解降水格局改变和大气氮(N)沉降增加背景下土壤碳(C)∶N∶磷(P)平衡关系的改变是否会影响到荒漠草原植被群落组成, 基于2017年在宁夏荒漠草原设立的降水量(降水量减少50%、降水量减少30%、自然降水量、降水量增加30%和降水量增加50%)、N添加(0和5 g·m^-2·yr^-1)及其交互作用的野外试验, 初步分析了土壤C∶N∶P生态化学计量特征和植物群落组成的变化趋势以及二者的关系。结果表明, 增加降水量降低了土壤有机C、全N和N∶P。N添加及其与降水量的交互作用对土壤C∶N∶P生态化学计量特征的影响较小; 适量增加降水量刺激了多数植物生长, 提高了群落多样性。过量增加降水量导致猪毛蒿种群生物量急增, 且N添加对降水量效应有促进作用, 从而降低了群落多样性; 土壤含水量、全N、有机C和N∶P与种群生物量关系较为密切, 土壤含水量、有机C、C∶P和C∶N与多样性指数存在较强的相关关系。以上结果意味着降水量会通过调控土壤水分有效性, 改变土壤与植物之间N和P的满足程度, 从而对植物生长策略和群落多样性产生影响; 短期N添加对土壤养分有效性影响较小。因此, 还需通过长期的原位试验, 对N添加及其与降水量交互作用下土壤C∶N∶P计量平衡与植物群落组成的关系进行深入探讨。     

加味当归四逆壳聚糖喷膜剂的研制

研制加味当归四逆壳聚糖喷膜剂,并且制定生产工艺和质量标准。试验采用水煎法提取处方药材;通过正交试验确定壳聚糖盐酸盐、PVPK-30以及乙醇成膜材料的最佳配比;按照药典相关规定,采用紫外分光光度法测定每瓶总黄酮的含量。成膜材料的最佳配比为壳聚糖盐酸盐1%,3%PVPK-30和40%乙醇。通过TLC鉴定样品含有阿魏酸和芍药苷成分。质量标准中性状为澄清有清凉气味的红棕色液体,总黄酮的含量1.83 mg/mL。以处方为219 mg/mL中药复方,1%的壳聚糖盐酸盐,3%的PVPK-30以及40%的乙醇制备出加味当归四逆壳聚糖喷膜剂,且制定质量标准中样品含有阿魏酸和芍药苷并且每瓶总黄酮含量满足1.83 mg/mL。     

Quantification of dietary calcium requirement of fingerling Heteropneustes fossilis based on growth,feed conversion efficiency,mineralization and serum alkaline phosphatase activity

Seven isonitrogenous (400 g/kg crude protein) and isocaloric (17.89 kJ/g gross energy) purified diets (casein‐gelatin based) with different concentrations of calcium (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 g/kg) supplemented with calcium lactate at the levels of 0, 5.4, 10.8, 16.3, 21.8, 27.27 and 32.73 g/kg were prepared and fed for 12 weeks to triplicate groups of Heteropneustes fossilis (7.46 ± 0.03 g) to determine the optimum dietary calcium requirement. Analysed values of calcium in the diets were 2.41, 3.82, 4.56, 5.99, 6.71, 7.40 and 8.19 g/kg, respectively. Absolute weight gain, specific growth rate, protein retention efficiency, protein gain and feed conversion ratio of fish fed diets with increasing levels of dietary calcium improved up to 5.99 g/kg and then levelled off. Whole‐body protein, moisture and ash contents improved up to 5.99 g/kg dietary calcium and stabilized thereafter. However, whole‐body fat exhibited reverse pattern and decreased with incremental levels of dietary calcium up to 5.99 g/kg. Whole‐body and vertebrae mineralization was also significantly affected (p < .05) by the increasing dietary calcium levels. Alkaline phosphatase activity improved significantly (p < .05) up to 6.71 g/kg, and no change was recorded beyond this level. Serum calcium and phosphorus concentrations were not influenced (p > .05) by dietary calcium levels. The Ca–P ratio remained static in the whole body, vertebrae and serum. Broken‐line regression analysis of data obtained on growth, mineralization and serum ALP activity against increasing levels of dietary calcium reflected the optimum calcium requirement between 5.77–6.81 g/kg diet.     

鸡血藤总黄酮对大肠杆菌败血症的治疗作用

为研究鸡血藤总黄酮对小鼠大肠杆菌败血症的治疗作用,本研究采用腹腔注射大肠杆菌菌液的方法建立小鼠大肠杆菌败血症模型,1 h后灌胃给予不同剂量鸡血藤总黄酮,12 h后观察小鼠临床表现并进行评分,然后剖杀小鼠,比较肝脏、胸腺和脾脏的外观、脏器指数和肝脏病理切片结果,检测各项血液常规指标,分析血清中谷草转氨酶(AST)、谷丙转氨酶(ALT)及乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)水平,测定血清中白细胞介素1β(IL-1β)、IL-2、IL-6、IL-10及肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF-α)等炎性细胞因子的水平。结果发现,腹腔注射大肠杆菌后引起小鼠被毛粗乱、精神沉郁、眼睛红肿、眼部分泌物增加且呼吸急促等症状,部分严重的小鼠出现抽搐、休克现象,肝脏、胸腺、脾脏出现萎缩、变小的现象,且脏器指数下降。肝脏病理切片可观察到肝索紊乱、肝窦增大、细胞边缘不清晰、部分区域炎性细胞浸润。血液中白细胞(WBC)、淋巴细胞(LYM)、血红蛋白(HGB)、红细胞(RBC)和血小板(PLT)等指标水平发生显著改变(P<0.05),且血清中ALT、AST、LDH及炎性细胞因子等水平显著升高(P<0.05)。而鸡血藤总黄酮和阿米卡星处理可改善上述临床表现,抑制相关指标的改变,使其趋于与对照组相似水平。以上结果表明,鸡血藤总黄酮可通过提高机体免疫水平及抑制炎性反应减轻大肠杆菌败血症引起的机体损伤。     

Silage and total mixed ration hygienic quality on commercial farms: implications for animal production

Implications of silage hygienic quality for animal production were investigated on forty‐five dairy farms in South West England. Samples of grass and maize silages and of total mixed rations (TMR) were obtained together with information on silage technology, herd size and animal production. Samples were analysed for mycotoxins, bacteria, yeasts, moulds and chemical composition. Thirteen mycotoxins were assayed, but none were detected in the samples of grass silage. However, mycotoxins were found in 0·9 of all maize and other silage samples, with deoxynivalenol and zearalenone predominating. There was no relationship between total mycotoxin concentration and mean lactation milk yield per cow. Enterobacteria counts tended to be higher in maize silage than in grass silage and higher still in TMR – a cause for concern. There were no relationships between mould counts and mycotoxin concentrations in silages, implying that mycotoxins may have been produced in the field pre‐ensiling.