Maternal and direct genetic parameters for tail length,tail lesions,and growth traits in pigs

Tail length and tail lesions are the major triggers for tail biting in pigs. Against this background, 2 datasets were analyzed to estimate genetic parameters for tail characteristics and growth traits. Dataset 1 considered measurements for trait tail length (T-LEN) and for the growth traits birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW), postweaning weight (PWW), and average daily gain (ADG) from 9,348 piglets. Piglets were born in the period from 2015 to 2018 and kept on the university Gießen research station. Dataset 2 included 4,943 binary observations from 1,648 pigs from the birth years 2016 to 2019 for tail lesions (T-LES) as indicators for nail necrosis, tail abnormalities, or tail biting. T-LES were recorded at 30 ± 7 d after entry for rearing (T-Les-1), at 50 ± 7 d after entry for rearing (end of the rearing period, T-LES-2), and 130 ± 20 d after entry for rearing (end of fattening period, T-LES-3). Genetic statistical model evaluation for dataset 1 based on Akaike’s information criterion and likelihood ration tests suggested multiple-trait animal models considering covariances between direct and maternal genetic effects. The direct heritability for T-LEN was 0.42 (±0.03), indicating the potential for genetic selection on short tails. The maternal genetic heritability for T-LEN was 0.05 (±0.04), indicating the influence of uterine characteristics on morphological traits. The negative correlation between direct and maternal effects for T-LEN of –0.35 (±0.13), as well as the antagonistic relationships (i.e., positive direct genetic correlations in the range from 0.03 to 0.40) between T-LEN with the growth traits BW, WW, PWW, and ADG, complicate selection strategies and breeding goal definitions. The correlations between direct effects for T-LEN and maternal effects for breeding goal traits, and vice versa, were positive but associated with a quite large SE. The heritability for T-LES when considering the 3 repeated measurements was 0.23 (±0.04) from the linear (repeatability of 0.30) and 0.21 (±0.06; repeatability of 0.29) from the threshold model. The breeding value correlations between T-LES-3 with breeding values from the repeatability models were quite large (0.74 to 0.90), suggesting trait lesion recording at the end of the rearing period. To understand all genetic mechanisms in detail, ongoing studies are focusing on association analyses between T-LEN and T-LES, and the identification of tail biting from an actor’s perspective.     

RADIUM-226-INDUCED BONE LESIONS IN BEAGLES

In a colony of Beagles that had received intravenous injections of ²²⁶Ra was a subgroup of 42 dogs that had limbs amputated because of the development of painful bone lesions. Information was gained from sequential radiographic studies plus examination of tissue harvested from the amputated limbs. Bone lesions that had their inception in bizarre, progressively expansile resorption cavities in which the process of normal bone tissue replacement was defective were identified. Some of these lesions were the site of development of bone sarcomas. This radiation-induced disturbance in bone repair was termed radiation osteodystrophy. The pathologic sequence in these Beagles in which a defect in the remodeling process of cortical bone leads to the development of lesions of radiation osteodystrophy and bone sarcoma was felt to be unique and thought to be a specific effect of chronic irradiation by ²²⁶Ra.     

吉林省玉米灰斑病重要流行环节的初步研究Ⅱ.病斑产孢和孢子飞散

对玉米灰斑病在吉林省的重要流行环节——病斑产孢、孢子飞散进行了研究。结果表明:玉米灰斑病菌在吉林省能够顺利越冬。病斑在直射光下不能产孢,产孢在散射光下多于黑暗条件下。保湿时间越长,病斑产孢越多,保湿时间(t)与产孢量(y)关系的回归方程为y=exp[-14.59exp(-0.2t)]。病斑在20-30℃均可产孢,25℃最适合产孢,温度(x)与产孢量(y)关系的回归方程为y=sin(-1.685 7x 0.252 2x2-1.63×10-3x3)。病斑长度(x)与病斑产孢潜能(y)的关系曲线为单峰曲线,病斑长度在15-22 mm时产孢潜能较高。玉米施用氮、磷、钾肥可降低灰斑病病斑产孢。灰斑病菌孢子主要在夜间释放飞散。     

Outbreaks of Streptococcosis associated with Streptococcus iniae in Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) in China

Streptococcus iniae has emerged as an important fish pathogen over the past few decades causing high losses in aquaculture farms all over the world. At least 27 species of fish have been documented to be infected by S. iniae, including cultured and wild populations. In August and October 2013, a serious infectious disease characterized by body ulcer, internal organs haemorrhages and nodules showing on epicardium occurred on the Acipenser baerii farms in Ya'an country, China. Histological examination revealed a multisystemic, necrotising inflammatory response that was particularly marked in liver, kidney, heart and brain. Mass mortality (>40%) was observed in infected fish and two Gram‐positive cocci (Ab130920 and Ab131025) were obtained from kidneys and livers of diseased fish. Experimental infections with these two isolates resulted in marked symptoms in the sturgeons similar to those observed in natural outbreaks, and the LD₅₀ values of the two isolates were 5.1 × 10⁵ and 6.4 × 10⁵ cfu per fish respectively. The two microorganisms were identified as S. iniae through physiological and biochemical tests, 16S rRNA and lctO gene sequence analysis. Both two isolates showed a similar antibiotic susceptibility, which were sensitive to ampicillin, amoxicillin, cefazolin, amikacin, deoxycycline, florfenicol, azithromycin, ciprofloxacin, vancomycin and resistant to streptomycin, gentamicin, kanamycin, norfloxacin and sinomin (SMZ/TMP). Multiplex PCR assay for virulence genes showed both isolates possessed six main virulence genes: simA, scpI, pdi, pgm, cpsD and sagA genes. These results indicated that S. iniae could act as a pathogen of farmed A. baerii. This is the first report of S. iniae infection associated with mass mortality in A. baerii.     

梭子蟹酵母菌人工感染实验和组织病理学初步研究

近年,浙江省舟山市暂养梭子蟹(Portunus trituberculatus)连续暴发“乳化病”,发病蟹均分离到一种酵母菌。本实验以该株酵母菌通过肌肉注射方式,对三疣梭子蟹、红星棱子蟹、日本鲟3个品种的健康蟹进行了人工感染实验,以验证其致病性。结果发现,该菌株能感染试验蟹类,并出现与自然发病蟹类似的症状。从感染蟹的体液、肝胰腺、心脏等部位分离到了酵母菌,但未分离到细菌,也未发现寄生虫。酵母菌在病蟹的肝胰腺、鳃、心脏中大量侵袭,并引起这些组织发生以坏死为主的变质性病变,其病理特征主要表现为：细胞肿胀、变性、坏死,某些细胞的细胞核固缩、碎裂或崩解。初步确认该酵母菌是引发梭子蟹“乳化病”的病原。     

大豆异黄酮和皂甙对肝癌前病变大鼠血清标志酶及抗氧化活性的影响

采用改良Solt-Faber法建立大鼠肝癌前病变模型,以大豆异黄酮和皂甙饲喂大鼠42 d后,ELISA法测定血清肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α),分光光度法测定γ-谷酰胺转肽酶(γ-GT)、丙氨酸氨基转移酶(ALT)、门冬氨酸氨基转移酶(AST)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-PX)活性及丙二醛(MDA)和一氧化氮(NO)含量。结果表明:大豆异黄酮和皂甙降低肝癌前病变大鼠血清γ-GT、ALT、AST活性,升高血清SOD、CAT、GSH-PX活性和降低MDA以及NO水平,但对血清TNF-α水平没有显著影响。表明大豆异黄酮和皂甙具有明显的抗化学致癌作用,其作用机制可能与增高抗氧化活性有关。     

Changes in mineralised tissue at the site of origin of condylar fracture are present before athletic training in Thoroughbred horses

Abstract

AIM: To show that changes are present at the site of origin of metacarpal condylar fracture in young Thoroughbred horses before they enter race training.

METHOD: Bone slices, 2 mm thick, in three mediolateral planes through the centre of rotation of the metacarpo-phalangeal joint (MCPJ) of both distal third metacarpal bones (Mc3) of 12 Thoroughbred horses aged 17 months, were imaged using point-projection digital X-ray imaging (µXR).

RESULTS: In some horses, linear or ovoid radiolucency was found in articular calcified cartilage (ACC) and subchondral bone of the palmaro-distal aspect of the sagittal groove, exactly at the site of more advanced stages of condylar fatigue fracture. An incidental finding was ovoid radiolucency in the apex of the dorso-distal aspect of the sagittal ridge, with or without fragmentation or disturbance of the subchondral mineralised tissue line, resembling equine osteochondrosis.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The findings imply that the aetiology of condylar fatigue fracture in young Thoroughbred horses includes abnormality in development of the bone and joint that is present before athletic activity occurs.