利用肠道菌群的分布和DNA序列对鲤科鱼类系统演化关系的研究

用检测到的肠道微生物菌群的含量对鲤科鱼类的草鱼（Ctenopharyngodon idellus)和青鱼（Mylopharyngodon piceus)、鲢（Hypophthalmichthys molitrix)和鳙（Aristichthys nobilis)、鲤（Cyprinus carpiohaematopterus)和鲫（Carassius auratus)，团头鲂（Megalobrama amblycephala)和三角鲂（Megalopbrama terminalis）8个种进行系统演化分析。所获得的系统演化树中，每个亚科内的物种邻接为1个接点。在亚科间，雅罗鱼亚科与鳇亚科相邻领接1个共同接点。该接点与鲢亚科和鲤亚科连结为1个共同祖选接点。用线粒体基因中的cytb和ND4基因全序列分别构建5个亚科13和11个种的NJ树，这2个树在5个亚科之间的邻接拓扑结构上亦不相同。3种树可推出一个共同的结论是在所分析的亚科中鲤亚科为最原始的类群，而鲫是最原始的类型。     

Phenotypical parameters as a tool to evaluate the immunostimulatory effects of laminarin in Oncorhynchus mykiss

Laminarin is a β‐glucan from the brown algae Laminaria digitata (J.V. Lamour), which can activate innate immune responses. With the aim of developing a strategy to evaluate specific phenotypical parameters of the effects of laminarin in trout innate immunity, we (i) fed fish with laminarin‐supplemented diet (0.2 g kg^?1 day^?1) for 21 days and (ii) treated fish with a single dose of intraperitoneal injected laminarin (0.08 g kg^?1 fish). The evaluation of cellular and humoral immune parameters was established at phenotypic level by the phagocytic activity of headkidney macrophages and detection of inflammatory cytokines in head kidney and gill tissue by indirect ELISA. Results showed that both delivery methods of laminarin produce an increase in the phagocytic activity in head kidney macrophages and a significant increase in the production of TNFα and IL‐8 in gill tissue at day 21. Additionally, some of these parameters were significantly correlated (P < 0.025), which places them as new potential combined markers to detect activation of trout defense mechanisms by laminarin. These results highlight the importance of developing new protocols to quantitate immune parameters, in order to evaluate immunostimulants in fish farming.     

Fungicidal activity of beta-thujaplicin analogues

The fungicidal activity of analogues of beta-thujaplicin, a natural product responsible for the durability of heartwood of several cupressaceous trees, was investigated in vitro on the growth of different white and brown rot fungi involved in wood biodegradation, Coriolus versicolor, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Poria placenta and Gloephyllum trabeum. The study shows that 2-hydroxycyclohepta-2,4,6-trienone (tropolone), easily prepared according to a literature procedure, possesses interesting fungicidal activity when compared to beta-thujaplicin, azaconazole, tebuconazole and copper oxine, which suggests this compound should be examined further as a potential biocide for wood preservation.     

Interaction of benzimidazole-N-sulfonamides with the cytochrome b/c1 complex of Pythium aphanidermatum

Experiments with intact cells and submitochondrial fractions of Pythium aphanidermatum (Edson) Fitz. indicated an interference of benzimidazole-N-sulfonamides with the NADH- or succinate-driven electron transport system between cytochromes b and c. Comparison with Ustilago maydis (DC) Corda and Botrytis cinerea Pers. ex Fr. revealed that this effect is Oomycetes specific. The molecular interaction between benzimidazole-N-sulfonamides and the mitochondrial cytochrome b/c₁ complex from P. aphanidermatum has been investigated. Binding assays with [¹⁴C]52232 RP (dimefluazole) indicated a time- and dose-dependent labelling of two proteins. The molecular mass of one labelled protein and the competition of the binding with antimycin A suggest that benzimidazole-N-sulfonamides interact with the Q₁-centre of cytochrome b. Furthermore, experiments with doubly labelled [³H][¹⁴C]CGA 323103 revealed a possible irreversible inactivation of the b/c₁ complex leading to covalent linkage of the dimethylsulfonamoyl moiety to the target site.     

Morphologic evaluation of acute endometritis in mares with differing resistance to uterine infections

The study was designed to determine differences between normal mares and mares with endometrial pathology in the inflammatory response after bacterial challenge. Six normal mares (biopsy category I) and 4 mares with pathological endometrial changes (biopsy category II) were given an intrauterine infusion of β-hemolytic streptococci on the second day of estrus. All mares had a similar kind of inflammatory response after the bacterial inoculation as assessed by rectal and vaginal examinations. There were no significant differences in the amount of discharge, uterine tone, uterine size and cervical relaxation between the groups. Leukocytic response, as determined by endometrial smears and biopsies, was of the same magnitude in both groups. Two mares from the pathological group were not able to eliminate the infection, but had vaginal discharge and bacteriologically positive uterine swabs until the end of the experiment. It is concluded that the inability of some mares to clear uterine infections cannot be explained by a deficient inflammatory response.     

Serum-gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (gamma-GT) and aspartate-aminotransferase (AspAT) activities in adult cattle with chronic Fasciola hepatica infection

Sera from adult cattle with fluke-infected and normal livers were analyzed for γ-GT and AspAT activities. The analyses revealed no significant increases in either γ-GT or AspAT values of the animals with fascioliasis as compared with the non-infected animals. The advanced chronic stage of the infection characterized by hepatic fibrosis, limited injury of parenchyma and low fluke burdens may explain the lack of enzymatic increase.     

细胞色素P450s酶系催化除草剂代谢的研究进展

综述了细胞色素P450s酶系催化的单加氧反应机理,细胞色素P450s酶系在酰胺类、三氮苯类、磺酰脲类、脲类、苯氧羧酸类等除草剂的活性或降解代谢中的催化反应。讨论了研究细胞色素P450s酶系代谢作用在除草剂选择性、抗药性机理,抗除草剂作物的培育以及除草剂安全剂的解毒机理等方面的意义。     

Effect of thyroid hormone supplementation on survival of euthyroid dogs with congestive heart failure due to systolic myocardial dysfunction: a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Nineteen euthyroid dogs of 12 breeds with echocardiographic signs of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and radiographic and clinical signs of congestive heart failure (CHF) were evaluated in a randomised, double-blind, and placebo-controlled study. The dogs received either thyroxine or placebo as an adjunct to digoxin, furosemide and propranolol. The group assignment of individual dogs and serum concentrations of thyroid hormones remained unknown to owners and investigators during the entire study period. Dogs were evaluated clinically and with electrocardiography (ECG), thoracic radiography, echocardiography and measurement of total thyroxine (tT4) and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) before beginning of the trial, and then one week, 2 months, 6 months and yearly after initial examination, and, when applicable, at the time of euthanasia. End-point of the study was euthanasia (n = 17) due to severe congestive heart failure or sudden death (n = 2). Survival times ranged from 17 to 1030 days (median 187 days) in the placebo group, and from 18 to 1000 days (median 73 days) in the treatment group. There was no statistically significant difference in survival times between the treatment group and the placebo group (p = 0.46). Post mortem and histopathologic examinations revealed the attenuated wavy fiber type of DCM in 11 dogs, and myocardial infarcts, arteriosclerosis and chronic valvular disease in one dog. In conclusion, there was a wide range in survival times of dogs treated with digoxin, furosemide and propranolol. Adding thyroid hormones to the treatment did not significantly influence survival.     

Phylogeography and conservation of the populations of Zootoca vivipara carniolica

The lizard Zootoca vivipara has both oviparous and viviparous populations which belong to distinct clades. This study aims to elucidate the geographic distribution, phylogeography and conservation priority of the oviparous subspecies, Zootoca vivipara carniolica, that has recently been identified in Slovenia. We studied seven Slovenian populations, two northeastern Italian populations and five northwestern Italian populations. The seven cytochrome b haplotypes that we identified from the Slovenian and Italian oviparous populations form a monophyletic basal clade. The high homogeneity of the Slovenian and northeastern Italian populations (nucleotide diversity π=0.06%) is a striking contrast with the pattern observed in northwest Italy where each of the five populations studied presents a private haplotype (π=1.03%). The results obtained suggest that all the extant lineages of Z. v. carniolica have originated in an Italian refuge. The reproductive and phylogenetic distinctiveness of Z. v. carniolica clearly justifies conservation of its populations, especially in Italy where the highest genetic diversity and the most ancestral haplotype were observed.     

Interaction of dinotefuran and its analogues with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors of cockroach nerve cords

To investigate the action of dinotefuran (MTI-446, 1-methyl-2-nitro-3-(tetrahydro-3-furylmethyl)guanidine), a recently developed insecticide, on insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), we determined the potencies of the compound and 15 analogues in inhibiting the specific binding of [3H]epibatidine (EPI), a nAChR agonist, and [3H]alpha-bungarotoxin (alpha-BGT), a competitive nAChR antagonist, to the nerve cord membranes of American cockroaches (Periplaneta americana). Racemic dinotefuran inhibited [3H]EPI binding with an IC50 of 890 nM and [3H]alpha-BGT binding with an IC50 of 36.1 microM. Scatchard analysis indicated that the dinotefuran inhibition of [3H]EPI binding was a competitive one. Slight structural modification caused a drastic reduction in potency; only four analogues were found to be equipotent to or more potent than dinotefuran. Chloropyridinyl and chlorothiazolyl neonicotinoid insecticides displayed two or three orders of magnitude higher potency than dinotefuran. There was a good correlation between the IC50 values of tested compounds obtained with [3H]EPI and those obtained with [3H]alpha-BGT. A better correlation was observed between 3-h knockdown activities (KD50) against German cockroaches (Blattella germanica) and IC50 values obtained from [3H]EPI assays than between 24-h lethal activities (LD50) and IC50 values. While the results indicate that dinotefuran and its analogues interact with the ACh-binding site in cockroach nAChRs, it remains to be elucidated why they displayed lower potencies than those expected based on their insecticidal activities.