Audiograms estimated from brainstem tone-evoked potentials in dogs from 10 days to 1.5 months of age

The objective of this study was to build audiograms from thresholds of brainstem tone-evoked potentials in dogs and to evaluate age-related change of the audiogram in puppies. Results were obtained from 9 Beagle puppies 10-47 days of age. Vertex to mastoid brainstem auditory-evoked potentials in response to 5.1-millisecond Hanning-gated sine waves with frequencies octave-spaced from 0.5 to 32 kHz were recorded. Three dogs were examined at 10, 13, 19, 25, and 45 days. Four other dogs were examined at 16 days. Data from 7 dogs between 42 and 47 days of age were pooled to obtain audiogram reference values in 1.5-month-old puppies. The best auditory threshold lowered from above 60 dB sound pressure level (SPL) to values close to 0 dB SPL between 13 and 25 days of age and then stabilized. The audible frequency range widened, including 32 kHz in all tested dogs from the 19th day. In the 7 1.5-month-old puppies, the mean auditory threshold decreased by 11 dB per octave from 0.5 to 2 kHz. The auditory threshold was lowest and held the same value from 2 to 8 kHz. The mean auditory threshold increased by 20 dB per octave from 8 to 32 kHz. Near threshold, click-evoked potentials test only a small part of the audible frequency range in dogs. Use of tone-evoked potentials may become a powerful tool in investigating dogs with possible partial hearing loss, including during the auditory system maturation period.     

Comparison of nuclear morphometric parameters in cytologic smears and histologic sections of spontaneous canine tumors

Background — Nuclear morphometry may provide useful diagnostic and prognostic information for neoplasms in animals. Most available data have been obtained from histologic sections. Nuclear morphometry of cytologic smears may provide important pre-operative information.
Objectives — The goal of this study was to compare nuclear morphometric parameters in cytologic smears and histologic sections from spontaneous canine tumors.
Methods — Mean nuclear area (MNA), mean nuclear perimeter (MNP), mean nuclear form factor (FF; nuclear perimeter²/4π nuclear area) and their respective SDs were assessed by image analysis of both hematoxylin and eosin-stained histologic sections and May-Grünwald-Giemsa-stained cytologic smears from the same case in 20 spontaneous canine tumors of different histogenesis. The above parameters were selected as being the best morphometric tools for measuring variation in shape and size in cells after neoplastic transformation. Data were compared by ANOVA with P<.01 considered significant.
Results — There was a significant difference between histologic and cytologic specimens for MNA, MNP, and their SDs. Only the differences between FF and the SD of FF were not statistically significant.
Conclusions — Only nuclear morphometric data related to nuclear shape and nuclear shape variability are comparable between histologic and cytologic specimens. Nuclear area and perimeter may be affected by the different fixation and smear preparation techniques used in histology and cytology.     

白牦牛卵母细胞的采集方法及卵巢贮存条件对其体外成熟的影响

探讨了白牦牛卵母细胞的采集方法以及卵巢保存温度和时间对其体外成熟的影响。结果表明:先抽吸卵泡,每卵巢平均可获可用卵母细胞4.7枚,再切割卵巢,可显著提高可用卵母细胞数9.8枚/卵巢。将屠宰白牦牛卵巢分别置于20~29℃和30~38℃的生理盐水中,6 h内收集卵母细胞,其成熟率、卵裂率分别为65.7%、41.3%和73.3%、45.7%,两者之间的差异均不显著,但均与<20℃组(16.0%、0)差异显著。在30~38℃下,白牦牛卵巢保存时间超过6 h,卵母细胞的成熟率和卵裂率显著下降,卵巢保存时间在2 h以内最好,最晚不超过6 h。     

水牛卵母细胞去核方法的比较

水牛卵母细胞体外成熟22h后，分别用盲吸法、点击法和纺锤体成像系统（Spindle—View System）去核。结果，三者的去核率分别为65．1％、81．8％和95．0％，差异极显著（P〈0．01）。以水牛胎儿成纤维细胞为供体，通过核移植构建的重构胚的融合率、分裂率和囊胚发育率，在上述3种方法之间均没有显著差异（P〉0．05）。认为点击法是一种较为简单、实用和有效的去核方法。     

SCINTIGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF THE STIFLE IN NORMAL HORSES AND HORSES WITH FORELIMB LAMENESS

We tested the hypotheses that mature horses without lameness have a repeatable radiopharmaceutical uptake pattern in the stifle, which is bilaterally symmetric; immature horses have a different radiopharmaceutical uptake pattern; and forelimb lameness alters the radiopharmaceutical uptake pattern in the stifle. The objectives of the study were to describe the normal radiopharmaceutical uptake patterns using region of interest (ROI) analysis; to compare uptake patterns between left and right stifles of the same horse and between mature and immature horses; to compare radiopharmaceutical uptake in mature normal horses with those with forelimb lameness. Lateral scintigraphic images of the stifle from 51 horses aged 2-16 years were evaluated using seven ROIs and a reference site (midfemur). After subtraction of a background count, ratios between the mean counts per pixel for each ROI to the reference site were calculated. There was a repeatable radiopharmaceutical uptake pattern in mature normal horses that was bilaterally symmetrical. The caudoproximal aspect of the tibia and the patella had the highest ratios. Radiopharmaceutical uptake patterns in horses with forelimb lameness were not significantly different. Immature normal horses had a different symmetric pattern, with greatest radiopharmaceutical uptake ratios in the caudoproximal aspect of the tibia and the tibial crest. It was concluded that there are symmetric, repeatable radiopharmaceutical uptake patterns in both immature and mature horses, which are not altered by forelimb lameness.     

哺乳动物的克隆技术——哺乳动物克隆的原理、方法、影响因素及存在的问题

哺乳动物细胞克隆是20世纪末生命科学领域最引人注目的高新技术,该技术对于优良种畜的复制、减少试验用动物数目、动物遗传多样性保存及濒危动物挽救、转基因动物培育等方面具有重要意义。近年来克隆技术发展迅速,多种哺乳动物相继克隆成功,但也存在克隆效率太低、克隆动物表型正常而实质异常的问题。作者阐述了动物克隆的基本原理、操作方法及其相关影响因素,提出了解决相关问题的关键。     

牛卵母细胞体外成熟培养研究进展

作为胚胎生物工程技术研究的基础之一的牛卵母细胞体外成熟培养技术自上世纪30年代起至今,许多科学研究人员在牛卵母细胞体外生长、发育领域做了大量工作,对牛卵母细胞培养条件进行了广泛而深入地研究,并取得了较大的进展,目前牛卵母细胞体外成熟培养技术体系已建立,但在卵母细胞成熟机理、成熟调控方面尚存在许多尚未阐明的问题和一些亟待解决的问题。本文从卵母细胞的来源、卵母细胞体外培养条件、培养液的完善及卵母细胞成熟判定方法等方面详尽介绍了当前牛卵母细胞体外培养技术的研究进展。     

猪卵母细胞去核方法的改进

对猪体细胞克隆技术中关键步骤之一的去核方法作了较深入的研究。结果表明，由本实验室改进的Willadsen去核法——二步挤压去核法，无论在去核操作成功率（73．9％）上还是在去核效率（81．2％）上都明显好于McGrath-Solter去核法（42．5％、67．4％，P〈0．05）；同时，本试验还发现，卵母细胞成熟培养36h后去核组去核效率（89．1％）显著地高于成熟培养44h后去核组（55．8％，P〈0．05），而核移植重构胚的发育率2个组间无显著差异。     

牛卵泡卵母细胞的体外成熟和冷冻保存

在简化牛卵母细胞体外成熟的基础上,观察了保护剂、平衡温度、预平衡方法、解冻方法以及冷冻方法对牛卵泡卵母细胞冷冻的影响。结果表明:在体外成熟培养液中添加26.2 mmol/L的NaHCO3和对屠宰场卵巢进行选择更能促进牛卵母细胞的体外成熟;无论是程序冷冻还是玻璃化冷冻,乙二醇(EG)与甘油(GLY)相比更能促进牛卵泡卵母细胞的冷冻效果;在程序冷冻中,冷冻液中添加0.1 mol/L蔗糖比添加0.3mol/L的蔗糖更能促进牛卵泡卵母细胞的冷冻;在玻璃化冷冻中,37℃和25℃的平衡温度比4℃更适合牛卵泡卵母细胞的冷冻;在10%、5%、1%的预平衡浓度之间,5%的预平衡浓度即可达到预平衡的效果;在解冻时,多步脱除保护剂更能保护冷冻的卵母细胞;比较了几种最小样本量(minimum size sample,MSS)玻璃化冷冻方法,解冻成熟培养后的成熟率,拉细毛细玻璃管冷冻法为(41.67±3.19)%,极显著高于未拉细毛细玻璃管冷冻法(glassmicropipette,GMP)的(30.19±1.93)%和固体表面冷冻法(solid surface vitrification,SSV)的(28.33±2.89)%(P<0.01)。     

附睾功能及其对精子成熟的影响

哺乳动物的附睾为精子的成熟提供了特殊的微环境，是精子成熟、保护、运输和贮存的部位，在生殖过程中起着重要作用。附睾上皮细胞的合成、分泌、转运等功能使精子发生了一系列结构、生化和功能的改变．从而使精子获得受精和运动能力。作者对附睾的形态结构、功能和对精子成熟影响研究现状等作简要综述。