Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum infection in Neotropical primates in the western Amazon,Brazil

The Brazilian Amazon is endemic for malaria and natural infections by Plasmodium spp. have been detected in Neotropical primates. Despite the diversity of primate species in the region, studies on infections by these agents are limited. The aim of the present study was to investigate the frequency of infection by Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum in free‐born primates that were kept in captivity, in the western Amazon, Brazil. Blood samples were collected from 98 Neotropical primates. Detection of P. vivax and P. falciparum DNA was performed using a semi‐nested PCR, and the amplified products were sequenced. Plasmodium spp. DNA was detected in 6.12% (6/98) of the primates. P. vivax, and P. falciparum DNA was detected in 2.04% (2/98) and 4.08% (4/98) of these mammals, respectively. Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis confirmed the results obtained from the semi‐nested PCR. The presence of infected non‐human primates (NHP) can be auxiliary in the maintenance of P. falciparum and P. vivax and may have implications for the malaria surveillance and control in the Brazilian Amazon. It is necessary to structure an efficient surveillance system for the aetiological agents of malaria that infect NHP and humans to reduce the risk of Plasmodium spp. introduction into new areas, to protect all susceptible species.     

Growth performance,biochemical, cytological and molecular aspects of rabbits exposed to lead toxicity

Heavy metals have enormous variety of deleterious effects on many organs in the body. This study demonstrated the toxic influences of lead on the growth, biochemical, cellular and molecular aspects of developing rabbits. Seventy‐five rabbits (New Zealand NZW) were divided into five equal groups as follows; control (C) and four treatment groups (T1‐4) orally administered lead acetate solution as follow T1: 20, T2: 30, T3: 50 and T4: 70 mg/kg body weight. Lead resulted in a significant decrease in live body weight, daily body weight gain and feed intake in T3 and T4 compared to those in other groups. Blood haematology measurements such as red blood cells, haematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular volume, platelet, white blood cells and lymphocytes were significantly influenced by the high level of lead. Oral administration of lead significantly reduced total proteins in the serum. It was observed that the high lead level led to significantly (p < 0.05) increased levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase enzymes, urea and creatinine. Four random amplified polymorphic DNA primers polymorphism were detected among the treatment groups. Total number of induced bands (loss or appearance) compared with control group were 4, 10, 10 and 14 bands using primers P1, P2, P3 and P4 respectively. Number of micronuclei showed a dose–response increase and the difference was highly significant especially between control compared with T3 and T4 groups. From our results, we can conclude that exposure of rabbits to lead acetate resulted in negative effects on the growth performance and altered the haematological and biochemical parameters, in addition to its adverse impact on cytological and molecular characterization of animals.     

基于病菌孢子捕捉和real-time PCR技术的田间空气中小麦白粉病菌孢子动态监测及病情估计模型研究

利用Burkard定容式孢子捕捉器结合real-time PCR定量技术,分别对种植高抗、中感和高感白粉病小麦品种的田间空气中白粉病菌分生孢子浓度进行监测,结果表明,real-time PCR定量与传统的显微观察计数两种方法测得的孢子浓度呈显著正相关(P≤0.01),且两种病菌孢子计数方法在同一抗性品种上监测到的孢子浓度动态相近。此外,两种方法测得的孢子浓度与各气象因子的相关性分析结果一致,空气中的白粉病菌孢子浓度主要与空气相对湿度显著正相关。在此基础上,利用两种方法测定的田间空气中白粉病菌孢子浓度分别建立了基于累积孢子浓度的田间病情估计模型。分析发现,基于两种孢子浓度测定方法建立的病情估计模型间无显著性差异,表明real-time PCR定量技术测定的孢子浓度在构建白粉病病情估计模型上具有一定可行性。该结果为real-time PCR定量技术与病菌孢子捕捉技术相结合用于小麦白粉病的监测和预测提供理论依据。     

REV感染肉种鸡后动态病理学观察与抗原分布及检测

用网状内皮组织增生病病毒(REV)人工接种1日龄肉种鸡,定期剖杀,通过病理组织学观察病变特征及肿瘤的发生发展;用免疫组化、PCR检测抗原与病毒在体内各器官的分布规律;超薄切片观察肿瘸细胞、病毒的形态.结果显示,肝脏、脾脏、胸腺、法氏囊较早出现明显的肿瘤增生灶,在这些器官内免疫组化阳性信号出现最早,且信号最强,在5周龄时,心肌、腺胃、肺、肾、骨髓等器官才开始出现阳性信号,但呈中度的阳性反应,9周龄后阳性信号开始减弱.肝脏、脾脏、胸腺、法氏囊、骨髓扩增出REV的LTR基因片段,超薄切片显示病毒多分布在胞浆内和细胞间隙内.研究发现病变明显的组织中,阳性反应较强,肿瘤细胞增生明显,即强阳性反应的组织器官易形成肿瘤转移灶及肿瘤结节,同时,抗原最早出现在这些器官说明其中可能存在REV的靶细胞.虽然阳性信号在腺胃出现较晚,但90%以上的腺胃肿大说明腺胃也是REV的主要侵害器官.     

猪胸膜肺炎放线杆菌、多杀性巴氏杆菌和副猪嗜血杆菌复合PCR检测方法的建立

目的建立可以同时检测猪胸膜肺炎放线杆菌、多杀性巴氏杆菌和副猪嗜血杆菌的快速而可靠的PCR检测方法。方法和结果根据胸膜肺炎放线杆菌的Apx-VIA基因序列、多杀性巴氏杆菌和副猪嗜血杆菌的16SrRNA基因序列设计5条引物。猪胸膜肺炎放线杆菌、多杀性巴氏杆菌和副猪嗜血杆菌模板的PCR扩增产物大小分别为342bp,485bp和1258bp。复合PCR对1～12型猪胸膜肺炎放线杆菌标准株,6株多杀性巴氏杆菌标准株,1～15型副猪嗜血杆菌以及25株经生化鉴定确认为上述三种细菌的分离株的基因组DNA作为模板进行检测,均获得预期大小的扩增产物。以猪放线杆菌、吲哚放线杆菌等14种常见细菌作为阴性对照进行PCR检测,结果仅有支气管败血波氏杆菌产生了可以和上述三个特异性条带明显区分的PCR产物。复合PCR针对胸膜肺炎放线杆菌、多杀性巴氏杆菌和副猪嗜血杆菌的敏感性分别为14pg、34pg和37pg。结论本研究建立的复合PCR特异性好,敏感性高,可以用于猪胸膜肺炎放线杆菌、多杀性巴氏杆菌和副猪嗜血杆菌的快速检测。     

PCR方法扩增种属特异性片段检测猪源成分

针对猪线粒体基因的保守序列,设计特异性引物,优化反应条件和反应参数,建立了食品和饲料中猪源性成分的PCR检测方法。该方法灵敏、特异,检测低限达0.01%。其推广使用,对于加强食品、饲料的质量控制和监督监管,具有参考价值。     

Nationwide surveillance of salmonella in the faeces of pigs in Japan

The prevalence of faecal carriage of salmonella in 5393 pigs reared on 218 pig farms located in 31 of 47 prefectures in Japan over the period July 2003 to June 2005 was investigated. We isolated 172 strains belonging to 20 serovars and one untypable Salmonella enterica from 169 pig faecal samples (3.1%) collected from 48 farms (22.0%). The most prevalent type of S. enterica was untypable O4,12:d:- which lacks phase 2 flagellar antigen, representing 29.1% (50/172) of all isolates. Of 26 S. enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates, 16 strains appeared to be definitive phage type 104 (DT104) by polymerase chain reaction.