Welfare implications of invasive piglet husbandry procedures,methods of alleviation and alternatives: a review

Abstract

Iron administration, teeth clipping, tail docking and castration are common invasive husbandry procedures performed on piglets on commercial farms, generally within the first week of life. These procedures are performed to prevent potential health and welfare problems of piglets and/or the sow, or, with respect to castration, to enhance meat quality. The objectives of this review were firstly, to provide the rationale and scientific evidence for performing these procedures, secondly, to describe the welfare implications of these procedures, and lastly, to describe mitigation strategies or alternatives that can be used to eliminate or reduce the pain caused by these procedures. Administering supplementary iron is necessary to prevent anaemia in piglets and the procedure has a low welfare impact. The stated benefits of teeth clipping to prevent udder lesions do not appear to outweigh the risk from injury and infection in piglets following the procedure. Tail docking reduces the prevalence of tail biting, but does not eliminate this behaviour and the practice of tail docking can cause acute pain. Castration is primarily performed to reduce the occurrence of boar taint, but alternatives are now available that negate the need to perform this procedure. Teeth clipping, tail docking and castration all cause behavioural and physiological changes indicative of acute pain and can have potentially long-term negative consequences such as causing abscesses, lesions and the formation of neuromas. Therefore effective pain mitigation strategies (e.g. analgesia, local or general anaesthesia) that markedly alleviate the pain caused by these procedures are necessary to improve the welfare of piglets. Alternatively, if management practices are available that eliminate the need for performing these procedures altogether, then they should be adopted.     

陕西关中地区肉牛产地同位素溯源技术初探

为应用牛组织中C、N同位素组成的区域分布和同位素指标溯源肉牛产地,本文利用同位素比率质谱仪(IRMS)对陕西关中不同区县来源的牛尾毛样品的1δ3C和1δ5N值进行检测,通过聚类分析,研究陕西关中地区肉牛组织中同位素组成的区域分布情况。结果表明,杨凌区、眉县牛尾毛样品聚为一类;乾县、永寿县样品聚为一类;麟游县样品聚为一类;扶风县、岐山县和凤翔县分类不十分明显,分散在上述3类中。说明陕西关中不同地区肉牛组织中同位素组成存在差异,利用它们可进行肉牛地域的小范围溯源。     

两种油脂对小鼠皮肤创伤修复作用研究

本研究旨在观察阿勒泰大尾羊尾脂油脂对损伤皮肤是否具有修复作用，并与牛油脂、市售商品做比较。研究选择40 只体重在31 ± 1 g 之间的昆明小鼠，雌雄各半，通过构建小鼠皮肤损伤模型，将小鼠分为4 组（羊尾油组、牛油组、市售商品组和空白组）进行试验观察。小鼠皮肤伤口愈合良好，雌鼠的创面愈合能力强于雄鼠，雌鼠伤口愈合速度：羊尾油组＞牛油组＞市售商品组＞空白对照组。雄鼠伤口愈合速度：羊尾油组＞市售商品组＞牛油组＞空白对照组。皮肤组织病理学结果显示，涂抹羊尾脂、牛油脂、市售商品与空白对照处皮肤相比，创伤修复组织中脂肪细胞、胶原纤维以及其他细胞的数量、排列分布均有差异。羊尾油和牛油均有修复皮肤创伤的作用，且羊尾油修复作用更强，羊尾油可通过促进胶原纤维的生成加速皮肤修复。     

牛磺鹅去氧胆酸对糖皮质激素受体的激活作用

旨在研究牛磺鹅去氧胆酸(taurochenodeoxycholic acid,TCDCA)对糖皮质激素受体(glucocorticoid receptor,GR)的活化作用,进而阐明TCDCA作用机制。采用分子对接模拟TCDCA与GR的结合情况,并通过构建含有GFP标签的GR真核表达质粒,经瞬时转染HEK-293T细胞,观察TCDCA对GR核移位的影响。结果表明TCDCA(1mmol/L)可与GR发生结合并激活GR,产生核移位,证明TCDCA抗炎免疫调节作用与其活化GR信号通路相关。     

Effect of water temperature on the feeding activity and the resultant mercury levels in the muscle of cultured bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis (Temminck and Schlegel)

Tuna muscle often contains high levels of mercury, and fish samples with mercury concentrations ten times higher than the specified safety standards have been reported. Here, we report on the relationship between water temperature and the concentration of mercury in the tail muscle tissue of cultured bluefin tuna Thunnus orientalis. The fish used in this study were cultured at Fisheries Laboratory of Kinki University (Amami Experimental Station, Kagoshima, Japan). One hundred fish weighing 26.2–89.4 kg were selected for analysis between February 2007 and January 2008. Water temperature during rearing ranged from 21 to 29 °C. The total mercury levels were measured using the reduction vaporizing atomic absorption method after acid digestion. Body weight increased approximately 1.5 times that observed in a previous study, despite feeding activity either being the same or less than that observed previously. The average mercury concentration in white muscle was 0.353 mg kg^?1, remaining almost constant and independent of body growth. Unlike previous studies, seasonality was not observed in this study. Based on these findings, water temperatures within a certain range were considered to stabilize feeding activity and increase feeding efficiency. Consequently, water temperature is considered to have a moderating effect on seasonal fluctuations in muscle mercury concentrations in cultured bluefin tuna.     

In Vitro Anti-Orthohantavirus Activity of the High-and Low-Molecular-Weight Fractions of Fucoidan from the Brown Alga Fucus evanescens

The Hantaan orthohantavirus (genovariant Amur–AMRV) is a rodent-borne zoonotic virus; it is the causative agent of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in humans. The currently limited therapeutic options require the development of effective anti-orthohantavirus drugs. The ability of native fucoidan from Fucus evanescens (FeF) and its enzymatically prepared high-molecular-weight (FeHMP) and low-molecular-weight (FeLMP) fractions to inhibit different stages of AMRV infection in Vero cells was studied. The structures of derivatives obtained were determined using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. We found that fucoidan and its derivatives exhibited significant antiviral activity by affecting the early stages of the AMRV lifecycle, notably virus attachment and penetration. The FeHMP and FeLMP fractions showed the highest anti-adsorption activity by inhibiting AMRV focus formation, with a selective index (SI) > 110; FeF had an SI of ~70. The FeLMP fraction showed a greater virucidal effect compared with FeF and the FeHMP fraction. It was shown by molecular docking that 2O-sulphated fucotetrasaccharide, a main component of the FeLMP fraction, is able to bind with the AMRV envelope glycoproteins Gn/Gc and with integrin β3 to prevent virus–cell interactions. The relatively small size of these sites of interactions explains the higher anti-AMRV activity of the FeLMP fraction.     

生化尾水胁迫下湿地植物生理特性变化

检测植物处理污水厂生化尾水的效果和分析植物生理生长特性,为西北干旱半干旱地区人工湿地污水处理系统合理配置土著湿地植物提供理论依据。在复合垂直流-水平流人工湿地中种植芦苇和香蒲,生活污水处理装置的二级生化出水胁迫,植物移栽成活后和收割之前分别检测植物的生理、生长指标和光合参数。结果表明,COD_(Cr)、NH~+_4-N、TN、TP的去除率,种植植物期间分别为79.32%、85.69%、82.17%、91.76%,植物收割后分别为71.34%、58.45%、60.49%、89.86%;芦苇最高株高达到380 cm,香蒲最高株高达到320 cm;地上部分生物量香蒲最高达到4.15kg,芦苇最高达到7.55 kg;香蒲的净光合速率(P_n)分别增加了6.35%、3.99%、22.39%,芦苇的净光合速率(P_n)则分别增加了42.20%、5.26%、8.96%。2种湿地植物在污水胁迫下表现出一定的防御能力,但是抗污能力存在一定的差异。     

The effects of naringenin and naringin on the glucose uptake and AMPK phosphorylation in high glucose treated HepG2 cells

BackgroundNaringin and its aglycone naringenin are citrus-derived flavonoids with several pharmacological effects. On the other hand, the mechanism for the anti-diabetic effects of naringenin and naringin are controversial and remain to be clarified further.ObjectiveThis study examined the relationship between glucose uptake and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) phosphorylation by naringenin and naringin in high glucose-treated HepG2 cells.MethodsGlucose uptake was measured using the 2-NBDG fluorescent D-glucose analog. The phosphorylation levels of AMPK and GSK3β (Glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta) were observed by Western blotting. Molecular docking analysis was performed to evaluate the binding affinity of naringenin and naringin to the γ-subunit of AMPK.ResultsThe treatment with naringenin and naringin stimulated glucose uptake regardless of insulin stimulation in high glucose-treated HepG2 cells. Both flavonoids increased glucose uptake by promoting the phosphorylation of AMPK at Thr172 and increased the phosphorylation of GSK3β. Molecular docking analysis showed that both naringenin and naringin bind to the γ-subunit of AMPK with high binding affinities. In particular, naringin showed higher binding affinity than the true modulator, AMP with all three CBS domains (CBS1, 3, and 4) in the γ-subunit of AMPK. Therefore, both naringenin and naringin could be positive modulators of AMPK activation, which enhance glucose uptake regardless of insulin stimulation in high glucose-treated HepG2 cells.ConclusionsThe increased phosphorylation of AMPK at Thr172 by naringenin and naringin might enhance glucose uptake regardless of insulin stimulation in high glucose treated HepG2 cells.     

Piperonyl butoxide-mediated inhibition of cytochrome P450-catalysed insecticide metabolism: a rational approach

The inhibitory effect of piperonyl butoxide (PBO) on cytochrome P450 was studied by theoretical methods. Binding conformations of PBO were obtained by the recently developed low-mode conformational search within the active site of cytochrome P450_cam. Increased activity of PBO relative to other methylendioxyphenyl inhibitors was rationalized by its decreased conformational mobility and the steric block created by its long side-chain in the substrate access channel of the enzyme. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry