Muscle reorganisation through local injection of stem cells in the diaphragm of mdx mice

Background

The diaphragm is the major respiratory muscle affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and is responsible for causing 80% of deaths. The use of mechanical forces that act on the body or intermittent pressure on the airways improves the quality of life of patients but does not prevent the progression of respiratory failure. Thus, diseases that require tissue repair, such as DMD, represent a group of pathologies that have great potential for cell therapy. The application of stem cells directly into the diaphragm instead of systemic application can reduce cell migration to other affected areas and increase the chances of muscle reorganisation. The mdx mouse is a suitable animal model for this research because its diaphragmatic phenotype is similar to human DMD. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the potential cell implantation in the diaphragm muscle after the xenotransplantation of stem cells.

Methods

A total of 9 mice, including 3 control BALB/Cmice, 3 5-month-old mdx mice without stem cell injections and 3 mdx mice injected with stem cells, were used. The animals injected with stem cells underwent laparoscopy so that stem cells from GFP-labelled rabbit olfactory epithelium could be locally injected into the diaphragm muscle. After 8 days, all animals were euthanised, and the diaphragm muscle was dissected and subjected to histological and immunohistochemical analyses.

Results

Both the fresh diaphragm tissue and immunohistochemical analyses showed immunopositive GFP labelling of some of the cells and immunonegativity of myoblast bundles. In the histological analysis, we observed a reduction in the inflammatory infiltrate as well as the presence of a few peripheral nuclei and myoblast bundles.

Conclusion

We were able to implant stem cells into the diaphragm via local injection, which promoted moderate muscle reorganisation. The presence of myoblast bundles cannot be attributed to stem cell incorporation because there was no immunopositive labelling in this structure. It is believed that the formation of the bundles may have been stimulated by cellular signalling mechanisms that have not yet been elucidated.     

青藏高原高山嵩草草甸植物多样性和土壤养分对放牧的响应机制

以青藏高原高山嵩草(Kobresia pygmaea)草甸为对象,研究不同放牧强度对草甸群落植物多样性、土壤化学性状及土壤有效态微量元素的影响,旨在为高山嵩草草甸生态系统保护和恢复提供科学依据.结果表明:随着放牧牦牛强度的增加,高山嵩草草甸群落的盖度、群落物种数、物种多样性、地上生物量均显著降低,重度放牧与对照间差异显著(P＜0.05),而适度放牧与对照间差异不显著;放牧对土壤化学性状的影响主要表现为,随着放牧强度增加,0～30 cm土层中有机质、速效氮、全磷和速效磷含量减少,而适度放牧全氮含量与对照间差异不显著.适度放牧下10～20 cm土层中全磷和速效磷含量显著增加,与对照和重度放牧相比差     

退化草地土壤生化活性研究

通过对三种不同退化程度的退化草地土壤生化活性进行测定和相关性分析，结果表明草地退化后其土壤生化活性受到不同程度的影响，表现为土壤生化活性随着退化程度增高而减小，但差异并非都达到统计学上的显著性，而土壤生化活性间的相关性则显著地与草地退化程度有关，说明退化草地土壤微生物间的协调作用受到显著影响，从而影响土壤氮素和碳素代谢途径。     

新疆北部绢蒿荒漠水源圈土壤养分的梯度变化

由于干旱缺水,新疆北部绢蒿（Seriphidium）荒漠形成以饮水点为中心的定居放牧,导致水源圈大量出现。2014年5月底,以新疆木垒县天山北坡绢蒿荒漠一个典型的牧场水源点为中心,采集了东南西北4个方向和6个采样距离（50 m,100 m,200 m,400 m,800 m和1200 m）的土样,分析了土壤含水率、电导率、pH值以及土壤有机碳、土壤全量和速效养分变化特征。结果表明,随着离水源点距离的增加,土壤含水量、全钾和速效钾没有明显变化,土壤电导率、pH值、土壤有机碳、全氮、全磷、速效氮和速效磷的含量随着离水源点距离的增加而增加,说明放牧扰动强度的增加降低了土壤有机碳和土壤养分含量。结果说明,在新疆北部涓蒿荒漠,过度放牧导致水源点附近土壤养分明显减少,甚至枯竭。     

含水量和添加剂对沙打旺青贮质量的影响

为了评价沙打旺原料的物料特性,探寻有效改善其青贮饲料发酵品质的措施。试验将原料分为新鲜和晾晒2组,分别设置清水对照(CK)、添加甲酸(6mL/kg)、添加蔗糖(2%)调制处理。室温下用袋贮方式贮藏360d。经分析表明,沙打旺青贮时,晾晒使水分从80%左右降至70%,极显著提高了青贮饲料的pH值(P<0.01),降低了乳酸和氨态氮含量(P<0.01)。与对照组相比,添加甲酸和蔗糖极显著降低了青贮饲料的pH值和氨态氮含量(P<0.01),显著提高了乳酸含量(P<0.05);蔗糖还明显提高了乙酸、丙酸及硝酸盐含量(P<0.05)。晾晒和添加剂对原料干物质含量及保存率无明显影响,但青贮使沙打旺中硝酸盐含量下降70%～77%,亚硝酸盐含量亦显著下降。     

豆科与禾本科绿肥饲草作物混播增肥及改土效果研究

采用四因素单形重心混料设计,对豆科与禾本科绿肥作物混播增肥改土效果及其混播技术进行研究,结果表明:箭筈豌豆、毛苕子、谷子混播为最佳混播方式,其用种量为箭筈豌豆75.0kg/hm2、毛苕子30kg/hm2、谷子20kg/hm2,在小麦扬花期撒播,鲜草产量可达36138kg/hm2,较单播箭筈豌豆、毛苕子、谷子分别增产34.6%、1.9%、156.3%;鲜根量可达3534kg/hm2,较单播箭筈豌豆、毛苕子、谷子分别增加81.4%、67.2%、28.9%。混播区较单播区土壤有机质含量增加0.148～0.43g/kg,全氮增加-0.04～0.11g/kg,碱解氮增加2.1mg/kg,速效磷增加1mg/kg,全磷基本保持平衡,土壤容重减轻0.01～0.02g/cm3,土壤孔隙度提高0.33%～0.66%。     

PERT网络模型在家禽规模养殖项目管理中的运用

本文针对农业科技专家大院草科鸡规模养殖项目运行和管理中存在的问题,就优化农业科技项目管理与提高项目运行的效用和功能,提出采用PERT网络模型管理农业科技项目的思路,并对项目管理过程、方法及注意事项等问题提出了建议。本文指出,运用科学的管理方法制定合理的项目运行计划,是进行科技项目组织管理、科学地配置资源和促进科研项目顺利完成的重要途径。     

Breeding objectives of Brangus cattle in Brazil

Our goal was to define a breeding objective for Brangus beef cattle in Brazil. Bioeconomic models were produced and used to estimate economic values (EVs). The scenarios simulated were typical full-cycle beef production systems that are used in tropical and subtropical regions. The breeding objective contained pregnancy rate (PR), warm carcass weight (WCW), mature cow weight (MCW), number of nematode eggs per gram of faeces (EPG) and tick count (TICK). Two models were used in series to estimate the EV. A deterministic model was used to simulate effects of PR, WCW and MCW on profitability with a constant parasite load. Subsequently, stochastic models were used to estimate economic values for TICK and EPG as consequences of their environmental effects on weight gains, mortality and health costs. The EV of PR, WCW, MCW, EPG and TICK, was US$1.59, US$2.11, −US$0.24, −US$5.35 and −US$20.88, respectively. Results indicate positive emphasis should be placed on PR (12.49%) and WCW (65.07%) with negative emphasis on MCW (13.92%), EPG (2.77%) and TICK (5.75%). In comparison with the indexes usually used, these results suggest a reformulation in the selection indexes of the beef production system in tropical and subtropical regions in order to obtain greater profitability.     

A model of lineage-1 and lineage-2 rinderpest virus transmission in pastoral areas of East Africa

The development of a stochastic, state-transition model of rinderpest transmission dynamics is described using parameter estimates obtained from both laboratory and participatory research. Using serological data, the basic reproduction numbers for lineage-1 rinderpest virus in southern Sudan and for lineage-2 rinderpest virus in Somali livestock were estimated as 4.4 and between 1.2 and 1.9, respectively. The model predictions for the inter-epidemic period in Sudan and Somalia (1.2 and 4.2 years, respectively) were in agreement with analysis of livestock-owner reports (1–2 years and 5 years, respectively).     

Interrelationship of soil moisture and temperature to sylvatic plague cycle among prairie dogs in the Western United States

Plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, is a flea-borne disease that is endemic in areas throughout the world due to its successful maintenance in a sylvatic cycle, mainly in areas with temperate climates. Burrowing rodents are thought to play a key role in the enzootic maintenance as well as epizootic outbreaks of plague. In the United States, prairie dogs (Cynomys), rodents (Muridae), and ground squirrels (Spermophilus) are susceptible to infection and are parasitized by fleas that transmit plague. In particular, prairie dogs can experience outbreaks that rapidly spread, which can lead to extirpation of colonies. A number of ecological parameters, including climate, are associated with these epizootics. In this study, we asked whether soil parameters, primarily moisture and temperature, are associated with outbreaks of plague in black-tailed prairie dogs and Gunnison's prairie dogs in the Western United States, and at what depth these associations were apparent. We collected publicly available county-level information on the occurrence of population declines or colony extirpation, while historical soil data was collected from SCAN and USCRN stations in counties and states where prairie dogs have been located. The analysis suggests that soil moisture at lower depths correlates with colony die-offs, in addition to temperature near the surface, with key differences within the landscape ecology that impact the occurrence of plague. Overall, the model suggests that the burrow environment may play a significant role in the epizootic spread of disease amongst black-tailed and Gunnison's prairie dogs.