Observations on Haemoglobin Types in Three Breeds of Omani Goats

Haemoglobin (Hb) types were studied in three breeds of Omani goats, Batinah (n = 22), Jebel Akhdar (n = 27) and Dhofari (n = 85). Type A was the only adult Hb observed in adult Batinah and Jebel Akhdar goats. In contrast, only 34% of the Dhofari goats were homozygous for Hb A, while 66% were heterozygous for Hb A and Hb B. Dhofari goats with type AB could further be differentiated into those with approximately 67% type A and 33% type B and those with approximately 33% type A and 67% type B. None of the goats was homozygous for type B. Seventeen kids observed from birth exhibited different levels of fetal Hb, dependent upon whether they developed the adult phenotype AA or AB. Kids that became homozygous for type A were born with approximately 90% Hb F and 10% Hb A. In contrast, goats that developed the heterozygous AB phenotype were born with only 30–60% Hb F, the remaining Hb being types A and B. These findings are not in accordance with previous reports that kids are born without any adult Hb. Hb F was no longer detectable in any of the three breeds of goats at 49 days of age. There was no evidence of Hb C, the pre-adult form of Hb.     

论动物血液产品的安全性

喷雾干燥血浆蛋白粉和血球蛋白粉是两种来源于动物血液的优质动物蛋白质。本文通过分析生产工艺和研究欧盟对待血液产品的历史来说明动物血液制品的安全性主要受原料来源、加工工艺、管理水平3个方面影响。     

What determines the size of teleost erythrocytes? Correlations with oxygen transport and nuclear volume

An inverse relationship exists between erythrocyte size and the aerobic swimming ability of teleosts. A functional basis for this relationship is found in larger surface area to volume ratios and shorter diffusion distances allowing more rapid oxygen transfer as erythrocyte volume decreases. However, this apparently simple functional relationship is confounded by a more general direct relationship between cell size and nuclear volume. Nuclear DNA content, which is directly proportional to nuclear volume, is known to vary at least 11 fold among teleost species. Therefore a question arises as to the relative contributions of nuclear volume and the demands of the blood oxygen delivery system in determining erythrocyte volume.These relationships were investigated by regressing erythrocyte volume against nuclear volume and whole blood haemoglobin concentration (as an index of aerobic scope) for 52 species of teleost fish from 25 families. This analysis shows that erythrocyte volume is more highly correlated with oxygen delivery than with nuclear volume. However, much of the variation in erythrocyte volume is unexplained.     

棘豆中毒绵羊血清生化遗传标记的研究

采用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳法对１０５只有明显棘豆中毒症状绵羊的４种血清生化遗传标记的特征进行了研究,并与８９只健康绵羊做了比较,结果发现,中毒绵羊的ＨＢ＾Ｂ,ＥＳ Ａ、ＡＭＹ２＾Ａ和ＡＬＰ＾０等基因频率以及ＨＢ ＢＢ,ＥＳ＾Ａ,ＡＭＹ２Ａ和ＡＬＰ０表型频率较高,但与健康绵羊的相应值没有显著差异（Ｐ〉０．０５）;中毒绵羊的平均基因杂合度（０．３７２６）低于健康绵羊（０．３９５７）。     

Pyridoxine deficiency of grouper, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Epinephelus coioides</Emphasis>: physiological and biochemical alteration

Pyridoxine is essential for animals. The purpose of this study was to investigate the pyridoxine deficiency symptoms and the fit dose of pyridoxine to keep normal physiological function in grouper, Epinephelus coioides. Graded levels of pyridoxine (0, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 mg pyridoxine kg⁻¹ diet) were fed to grouper juveniles (14.83±0.31 g) for 8 weeks, and then some physiological and biochemical parameters were measured. Pyridoxine deficiency symptoms such as anorexia, poor survival, convulsion, helically swimming and hyperirritability were observed in fish fed the pyridoxine-deficient diet, and these fish also showed low whole blood haemoglobin level, liver glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities. Slight symptoms of pyridoxine deficiency also appeared among fish fed the diet with very low dose (1 mg pyridoxine kg⁻¹ diet) of pyridoxine in 6 weeks. Broken-line regression analysis showed that the optimal pyridoxine levels for these fish to keep normal survival, whole blood haemoglobin level, liver GPT and SOD activities were approximately 1.75, 1.87, 2.22 and 2.05 mg kg⁻¹, respectively.     

Non-linear release of Bohr protons with haemoglobin-oxygenation in the blood of two teleost fishes; carp (Cyprinus carpio) and tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum)

Some teleost fishes exhibit a non-linear release of H⁺ with haemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO₂) in whole blood that may be related to the Root effect and a low apparent cooperativity in oxygen binding. To further investigate this correlation, the relationship between red cell pH (pH_i) and SO₂ was evaluated in two teleost fishes, the carp (Cyprinus carpio) and tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum). Carp possess a relatively small Root effect within the physiological pH range, while that in tambaqui is relatively large. It was therefore hypothesized that both species would possess a non-linear release of H⁺ with SO₂ under in vivo conditions, but that the degree of non-linearity would be less pronounced in carp than in tambaqui. Red cell suspensions of tambaqui showed a marked non-linear relationship between pH_i and SO₂ at in vivo pH values (pH_e=7.66), where the majority of Bohr protons were released between 50 and 100% SO₂. In whole blood of carp, the relationship between pH_i and SO₂ was almost linear at normal resting extracellular pH values (pH_e=8.10) where Hills n ₅₀ (cooperativity) was 1.3. Under acidic conditions (pH_e=7.11), n ₅₀ decreased to 0.9 and the release of H⁺ with SO₂ became slightly non-linear. The reduction in pH in carp blood was associated with the onset of the Root effect, and the oxygen tension at half saturation (P₅₀) increased from 3.8 to 38.2 mmHg. The relationship between total CO₂ and SO₂ in carp whole blood changed from being almost linear at pH_e 8.1 to being non-linear at pH_e 7.1, consistent with the relationship between pH_i and SO₂. Thus, possession of a Root effect could be a prerequisite for a non-linear release of Bohr protons with oxygenation, but the expression in whole blood may depend upon a species-specific cooperativity threshold. The non-linear release of Bohr protons with oxygenation may be a general phenomenon in teleosts with important implications for gas transport and acid-base homeostasis.     

Red blood cell indices of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) in aquaculture

A direct non‐parametric method was used to calculate reference (physiological) haematology values for farmed 10–12‐month rainbow trout of the Kamloops strain (mean weight: 330±131 g) with respect to red blood cell counts (RBCc), haematocrit values (Hct), haemoglobin concentrations (Hb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentrations (MCHC). The fish in the selected reference group (n=798) were given dry pelleted diets that contained 37–47% crude protein, 7–18% crude fat and 108–300‐mg vitamin E, 1.08–5‐mg folic acid, 0.018–0.05‐mg vitamin B₁₂, 48–64.5‐mg iron, 4.5–8.4‐mg copper and 0.18–0.24‐mg selenium supplied per kg of diet. Ethoxyquin and butylhydroxytoluol were used to protect the fat component against oxidation. The fish were kept at a stocking density of 50kg per cubic metre in tanks provided with running freshwater (dissolved oxygen 8.4–11.5 mg L^?1, with O₂ saturation of 77–98%) at an ambient temperature of 0.2–16°C. Blood was sampled between September and November at a photoperiod of 9–13 h:11–15 h (light:dark). Reference ranges for the preceding haematological indices were as follows in immature females (males): RBCc, 0.77–1.42T L^?1 (T – tera, 10¹²) (0.98–1.55T L^?1); Hct, 0.304–0.502 (0.34–0.546); Hb, 54–93 g L^?1 (59–97 g L^?1); MCV, 282–469 fL (279–434 fL); MCH, 51–86 pg (47–78 pg); MCHC, 0.15–0.22 (0.15–0.2). In males, values for RBCc, Hct and Hb were significantly higher (P=0.01 and 0.0000 respectively) and those for MCV, MCH and MCHC were significantly lower (P=0.01 and 0.0002 respectively) than in immature females. Nutritional and environmental factors affecting erythropoiesis in trout and some correlations between haematological (RBCc, Hb, Hct) and biochemical indices of the blood plasma (total protein, cholesterol) are discussed.     

八眉猪血清运铁蛋白多态型及血红蛋白多态型的测定

用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳法分析72头八眉猪血清运铁蛋白和血红蛋白。结果发现运铁蛋白有T_f~(AA)、T_f~(BB)、T_f~(AB)和Tf~(CC)4种多态形,分别由一个位点上的3个等显性基因T_f~A、T_f~B和T_f~C支配。其基因频率分别占10.0、33.3、55.0和1.7％、T_f~A、T_f~B和T_f~C分别为37.5、60.8、和1.7％,而血红蛋白没有多态形。     

Iron acquisition mechanisms of Flavobacterium psychrophilum

Forty strains of Flavobacterium psychrophilum were tested for the production of siderophores using the universal Chrome Azurol S (CAS) assay. The majority of the strains (85%) were CAS positive (CAS+) and some (15%) were CAS negative (CAS-). The cryptic plasmid pCP1 was carried by all positive strains and was lacking from negative strains. While a weak catechol reaction was detectable in CAS+ culture supernatants, the CAS reaction was, to some extent, heat sensitive, questioning whether the positive reaction was caused only by siderophores. The ability to grow in vitro under iron-restricted conditions did not correlate with the CAS reactivity, as growth of both CAS+ and CAS- strains was similarly impaired under iron restriction induced by 2,2 dipyridyl. Suppressed growth under these conditions was restored by addition of FeCl3, haemoglobin and transferrin for both CAS+ and CAS- strains.     

Reliability of pulse oximetry at four different attachment sites in immobilized white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)

ObjectivesTo determine the reliability of peripheral oxygen haemoglobin saturation (SpO₂), measured by a Nonin PalmSAT 2500A pulse oximeter with 2000T transflectance probes at four attachment sites (third eyelid, cheek, rectum and tail), by comparing these measurements to arterial oxygen haemoglobin saturation (SaO₂), measured by an AVOXimeter 4000 co-oximeter reference method in immobilized white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum).Study designRandomized crossover study.AnimalsA convenience sample of eight wild-caught male white rhinoceros.MethodsWhite rhinoceros were immobilized with etorphine (0.0026 ± 0.0002 mg kg^–1, mean ± standard deviation) intramuscularly, after which the pinna was aseptically prepared for arterial blood sample collection, and four pulse oximeters with transflectance probes were fixed securely to their attachment sites (third eyelid, cheek, rectum and tail). At 30 minutes following recumbency resulting from etorphine administration, the animals were given either butorphanol (0.026 ± 0.0001 mg kg^–1) or an equivalent volume of saline intravenously. At 60 minutes following recumbency, insufflated oxygen (15 L minute^–1 flow rate) was provided intranasally. In total, the SpO₂ paired measurements from the third eyelid (n = 80), cheek (n = 67), rectum (n = 59) and tail (n = 76) were compared with near-simultaneous SaO₂ measurements using Bland-Altman to assess bias (accuracy), precision, and the area root mean squares (ARMS) method.ResultsCompared with SaO₂, SpO₂ measurements from the third eyelid were reliable (i.e., accurate and precise) above an SaO₂ range of 70% (bias = 1, precision = 3, ARMS = 3). However, SpO₂ measurements from the cheek, rectum and tail were unreliable (i.e., inaccurate or imprecise).Conclusions and clinical relevanceA Nonin PalmSAT pulse oximeter with a transflectance probe inserted into the space between the third eyelid and the sclera provided reliable SpO₂ measurements when SaO₂ was > 70%, in immobilized white rhinoceros.