Thyroid Hormone-disrupting Effects and the Amphibian Metamorphosis Assay

There are continued concerns about endocrine-disrupting chemical effects, and appropriate vertebrate models for assessment of risk are a high priority. Frog tadpoles are very sensitive to environmental substances because of their habitat and the complex processes of metamorphosis regulated by the endocrine system, mainly thyroid hormones. During metamorphosis, marked alteration in hormonal factors occurs, as well as dramatic structural and functional changes in larval tissues. There are a variety of mechanisms determining thyroid hormone balance or disruption directly or indirectly. Direct-acting agents can cause changes in thyroxine synthesis and/or secretion in thyroid through effects on peroxidases, thyroidal iodide uptake, deiodinase, and proteolysis. At the same time, indirect action may result from biochemical processes such as sulfation, deiodination and glucuronidation. Because their potential to disrupt thyroid hormones has been identified as an important consideration for the regulation of chemicals, the OECD and the EPA have each established guidelines that make use of larval African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) and frog metamorphosis for screening and testing of potential endocrine disrupters. The guidelines are based on evaluation of alteration in the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis. One of the primary endpoints is thyroid gland histopathology. Others are mortality, developmental stage, hind limb length, snout-vent length and wet body weight. Regarding histopathological features, the guidelines include core criteria and additional qualitative parameters along with grading. Taking into account the difficulties in evaluating amphibian thyroid glands, which change continuously throughout metamorphosis, histopathological examination has been shown to be a very sensitive approach.     

胆翘注射液急性和亚慢性毒性试验

旨在评价胆翘注射液的毒性,为临床安全用药提供理论依据。以昆明小鼠为研究对象,进行急性和亚慢性毒性试验。在急性毒性试验中,给予小鼠不同浓度的胆翘注射液来测定胆翘注射液的半数致死量和最大耐受量;在亚慢性毒性试验中,小鼠以(10、5、2.5g/kg)不同剂量连续腹腔注射给药28d,在给药第28天观察小鼠的临床体征、体重及饲料利用率、血常规、血液生化指标和病理组织学变化。结果显示,急性毒性试验各剂量组小鼠均无死亡,无法测出LD_(50),最大耐受量为20g/kg。亚慢性毒性试验中用药组小鼠的临床体征、体重及饲料利用率、血常规、血液生化指标与空白组小鼠相比,无显著差异(P0.05),组织病理学观察,实质器官无异常病变。表明胆翘注射液实际无毒,安全性好。     

奶水牛子宫内膜炎细菌的分离鉴定及药敏试验分析

本试验通过对南宁市周边奶水牛场的105头子宫内膜炎患牛进行调查、采样,并用常规方法对细菌进行分离、鉴定及药敏分析。共分离到细菌200株,其中分离率较高的是肠杆菌科细菌(87株/43.5%)、弧菌科细菌(46株/23%)、非发酵细菌(35株/17.5%),另外还分离到葡萄球菌、链球菌和真菌32株,占分离菌株的16%,并且多数呈混合感染。药敏试验分析结果显示,大多数致病菌对恩诺沙星、庆大霉素具有较高敏感性,而对青霉素和氨苄青霉素产生了强耐药性,对氨基糖苷类药物链霉素和卡那霉素也产生了不同程度的耐药性。     

一株鸡新城疫病毒的分离鉴定及其油乳剂灭活苗免疫效果评价

从河南某种鸡场发病鸡群中分离出1株毒株,经HA、HI和动物回归试验,确定分离的病毒为NDV,命名为HNYD株。经过测定,HNYD株鸡胚半数致死量（ELD50）为10^90/0．1mL;鸡胚最小致死量的平均致死时间（MDT）为53．8h;对1日龄SPF雏鸡脑内致病指数（ICPI）为1．86,提示HNYD株为强毒力株。血清交叉反应试验显示HNYD株和La Sota株存在一定的抗原性差异。用HNYD株油乳剂灭活苗对HNYD株和La Sota株的保护率分别为90％和100％,明显优于La Sota株油乳剂灭活苗,提示HNYD株制备的疫苗对流行毒株和经典毒株的攻击均能很好的保护。     

龙岩地区部分猪场弓形虫病的血清学调查

通过间接血凝(IHA)试验对采自龙岩地区12个猪场的2055份猪血清进行弓形虫病的抗体检测,结果表明猪弓形虫病在龙岩地区呈散发性流行。样品阳性率为5.99%,各猪场之间的抗体阳性率有一定差异,最高为16.22%,最低为0。在母猪群中随着胎次的增加,弓形虫病抗体阳性率也升高,由1～2胎的6.72%上升到5胎以上的12.18%;育肥猪群总体弓形虫病抗体阳性率较低,由哺乳仔猪的10.94%缓慢降至育肥猪的1.62%,呈现出随日龄增加弓形虫病抗体阳性率逐渐降低的趋势。     

肉鸡鸡白痢沙门菌的分离鉴定

2009年5月,北京郊区某肉鸡养殖户的2 000只7日龄雏鸡出现拉白色稀粪,肝脏有黄色结节等症状和病变的疾病。为探索该病病因及制定有效防治措施,对病鸡样品进行了细菌学检验。通过细菌分离、生化试验、PCR及16 S rRNA基因测序鉴定出1株鸡白痢沙门菌。该分离株感染试验鸡能复制出与其临床表现一致的病例并能引起死亡。表明鸡白痢沙门菌是危害北京郊区该养殖户肉鸡的病原。     

Selection of locations of knots for linear splines in random regression test‐day models

Using spline functions (segmented polynomials) in regression models requires the knowledge of the location of the knots. Knots are the points at which independent linear segments are connected. Optimal positions of knots for linear splines of different orders were determined in this study for different scenarios, using existing estimates of covariance functions and an optimization algorithm. The traits considered were test‐day milk, fat and protein yields, and somatic cell score (SCS) in the first three lactations of Canadian Holsteins. Two ranges of days in milk (from 5 to 305 and from 5 to 365) were taken into account. In addition, four different populations of Holstein cows, from Australia, Canada, Italy and New Zealand, were examined with respect to first lactation (305 days) milk only. The estimates of genetic and permanent environmental covariance functions were based on single‐ and multiple‐trait test‐day models, with Legendre polynomials of order 4 as random regressions. A differential evolution algorithm was applied to find the best location of knots for splines of orders 4 to 7 and the criterion for optimization was the goodness‐of‐fit of the spline covariance function. Results indicated that the optimal position of knots for linear splines differed between genetic and permanent environmental effects, as well as between traits and lactations. Different populations also exhibited different patterns of optimal knot locations. With linear splines, different positions of knots should therefore be used for different effects and traits in random regression test‐day models when analysing milk production traits.     

日粮中维生素E、硒水平对熟化过程中牛肉氧化稳定性的影响

研究了日粮维生素E、硒水平对熟化过程中牛肉氧化稳定性的影响。选择16头体重420～560kg的健康晋南牛阉牛,按体重分为4组,每组4头,试验期为2个月。试验采用2×2因子完全随机设计:维生素E的补饲水平为每头每天0和1000IU,硒的添加水平为0 10和0 40mg/kg。结果表明:与未补饲VE组相比,补饲1000IUVE可显著提高血浆和臀中肌α 生育酚含量(P<0 004),日粮中添加0 10和0 40mg/kg硒对组织α 生育酚含量影响差异不显著(P>0 05);日粮中添加0 40mg/kg硒组全血和臀中肌硒含量显著高于0 10mg/kg组(P<0 002);补饲1000IUVE和/日粮中添加0 40mg/kg硒可显著提高全血GPx(谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶)和熟化过程中臀中肌GPx酶活力(P<0 01),但对组织SOD(超氧化物歧化酶)酶活力影响差异不显著(P>0 05);补饲1000IUVE可显著抑制熟化过程中牛肉的脂质氧化(P<0 001),对牛肉的保水性能和颜色稳定性影响差异不显著(P>0 05);虽然提高日粮硒水平可明显增强熟化过程中牛肉GPx酶活力,但GPx酶活力的提高没有降低牛肉的TBARS值、滴水损失和METMB(高铁肌红蛋白)含量,该结果提示不同日粮硒水平对牛肉氧化稳定性没有显著影响。     

Has the optimum time for faecal nematode egg count reduction testing in sheep in New Zealand changed?

Abstract

AIM: To determine what, if any, changes have taken place in the optimum time, for undertaking faecal egg count reduction tests (FECRT) in sheep in New Zealand.

METHODS: A comparison was made between the numbers and types of nematode genera adequately represented for testing purposes (faecal nematode egg count (FEC) of >50 epg) in initial FECRT case submissions to a veterinary laboratory in New Zealand, during two 4-year periods, in 1992–1995 and 2006–2009.

RESULTS: Although there were some minor differences between them, the seasonal patterns of occurrence remained basically the same for all parasite genera in both datasets, with their individual peak periods of representation occurring during February to May in all instances. Not surprisingly, this period of maximum seasonal occurrence for each parasite genus also coincided with those months of the year when the greatest numbers of worm genera were adequately represented for faecal nematode egg count reduction (FECR) testing.

CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that the optimum time for conducting FECRT in sheep in New Zealand continues to be during the late summer-autumn months of February to May. However, they also reaffirmed that even during this optimal period there are still likely to be many occasions when relatively few nematode genera may be sufficiently well represented for satisfactory FECR testing. Accordingly, veterinary practitioners ought to be aware that, in order to obtain a complete picture of the resistance status of all worm genera on a particular property, such testing may need to be carried out on more than one occasion.