Doppler sonography of uterine blood flow at mid‐oestrus during different degree of clinical endometritis in dairy cows

The present study was aimed at analysing the mid‐oestrous uterine blood flow parameters during varying degree of endometritis in dairy cows. Degree of clinical endometritis was adjudged on the basis of visual examination of uterine discharge collected from cows at mid‐oestrus, that is mild (slightly turbid; n = 13), moderate (turbid with pus flakes; n = 14) and severe (milky; n = 13). Pulsatility and resistance indices (PI and RI), time average mean velocity (TAMEAN), time average maximum velocity (TAMAX), diameter of the artery, volume of blood flow, Doppler pulse duration (DPD) and systolic upstroke/acceleration time (AT) were measured to study the spectral waveforms at mid‐oestrus. Significantly higher (p < .01) PI and RI were found in cows diagnosed with mild degree in comparison with cows diagnosed with moderate and severe degrees of clinical endometritis. There was significantly higher (p < .01) velocity (TAMEAN and TAMAX), volume of blood flow (BFV‐TAMEAN, BFV‐TAMAX) and DPD in both the middle uterine arteries during moderate and severe degrees of clinical endometritis as compared to mild endometritis. However, significantly higher (p < .01) AT was recorded in cows diagnosed with mild degree as compared to moderate and severe degrees of clinical endometritis. Pearson's correlation analysis has shown that RI was positively correlated with PI and AT in all the groups under study (mild degree, r = .72 and .49; moderate degree, r = .54 and .38; severe degree, r = .90 and .42; p < .05). However, there found significantly negative correlation (p < .05) with other parameters in all the cows irrespective of degree of inflammation. Therefore, it may be deducted that assessment of uterine inflammation can be done with a non‐invasive technique known as Doppler sonography which can be useful in adjudging the hemodynamic changes inside uterus and future fertility of dairy cows.     

吴润秋教授运用唐容川治血四法治疗血证病案举隅

治血四法出自唐容川《血证论》,其对血证的论述见解独到,提出的“止血、消瘀、宁血、补血”四法,堪称血证之治法大纲。吴润秋教授临床治疗血证专宗唐容川治血四法,并对唐容川治血四法关系进一步阐发,指导血证临床辨证及处方用药。     

The effects of an advanced uterine environment on embryonic survival in the mare

Reasons for performing the study: During embryo transfer (ET) the equine embryo can tolerate a wide degree of negative asynchrony but positive asynchrony of >2 days usually results in embryonic death. There is still confusion over whether this is due to the inability of the embryo to induce luteostasis or to an inappropriate uterine environment. Objectives: To assess embryo survival and development in an advanced uterine environment. Hypothesis: Embryo–uterine asynchrony, not the embryo's inability to induce luteostasis, is responsible for embryonic death in recipient mares with a >2 days chronologically advanced uterus. Methods: Experiment 1: Thirteen Day 7 embryos were transferred to the uteri of recipient mares with luteal prolongation, occasioned by manual crushing of their own conceptus, such that donor–recipient asynchrony was between +13 and +49 days. Experiment 2: Day 7 embryos were transferred to recipient mares carrying their own conceptus at Days 18 (n = 2), 15 (n = 2), 14 (n = 4), 12 (n = 4) or 11 (n = 4) of gestation. In addition, Day 8 embryos were transferred to 4 pregnant recipient mares on Day 11 of gestation. Results: No pregnancies resulted following transfer of Day 7 embryos to recipients in prolonged dioestrus with asynchronies between +13 and +49 days. However, the use of early pregnant mares as recipients resulted in 5/20 (25%) twin pregnancies, 4 of which came from the transfer of a Day 8 embryo to a Day 11 recipient. All transferred embryos showed retarded growth, with death occurring in 4/5 (80%). Conclusions and potential relevance: The results emphasise the importance of an appropriate uterine environment for embryo growth and the inability of equine embryos to survive transfer to a uterus >2 days advanced even when luteostasis is achieved. It is possible that in normal, non‐ET equine pregnancy, embryo–uterine asynchrony may account for some cases of embryonic death.     

A genomewide association study in divergently selected lines in rabbits reveals novel genomic regions associated with litter size traits

Uterine capacity (UC), defined as the total number of kits from unilaterally ovariectomized does at birth, has a high genetic correlation with litter size. The aim of our research was to identify genomic regions associated with litter size traits through a genomewide association study using rabbits from a divergent selection experiment for UC. A high-density SNP array (200K) was used to genotype 181 does from a control population, high and low UC lines. Traits included total number born (TNB), number born alive (NBA), number born dead, ovulation rate (OR), implanted embryos (IE) and embryo, foetal and prenatal survivals at second parity. We implemented the Bayes B method and the associations were tested by Bayes factors and the percentage of genomic variance (GV) explained by windows. Different genomic regions associated with TNB, NBA, IE and OR were found. These regions explained 7.36%, 1.27%, 15.87% and 3.95% of GV, respectively. Two consecutive windows on chromosome 17 were associated with TNB, NBA and IE. This genomic region accounted for 6.32% of GV of TNB. In this region, we found the BMP4, PTDGR, PTGER2, STYX and CDKN3 candidate genes which presented functional annotations linked to some reproductive processes. Our findings suggest that a genomic region on chromosome 17 has an important effect on litter size traits. However, further analyses are needed to validate this region in other maternal rabbit lines.     

SCINTIGRAPHIC MEASUREMENT OF UTERINE CLEARANCE IN MARES

Uterine clearance of technetium 99m-albumin colloid (^99mTc-μAA) was qualitatively and quantitatively measured in 5 reproductively normal mares and 5 mares susceptible to endometritis (infertile). The percentage of 370 MBq ^99mTc-μAA cleared from the uterine lumen within 2 hr of intrauterine infusion was measured in 10 mares on day 3 of estrus and 48 hr after ovulation. The procedure was repeated 3 times on day 3 of estrus in 6 mares to determine repeatability. Six mares were infused with 1110 MBq ^99mTc-μAA on day 3 of estrus to evaluate the effect of increasing the dose to reduce the imaging time. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean percentage of radiocolloid cleared from the uterus during day 3 of estrus or 48 hr after ovulation or in the percent cleared when the studies were repeated in individual mares. There was no statistically significant difference in uterine clearance between the 370 and 1110 MBq dose studies in each mare from 15 to 120 min. Reproductively normal mares cleared approximately 50% of the radiocolloid from the uterus by 120 min while susceptible mares cleared less than 15%.     

异叶败酱多糖的体内抗肿瘤活性研究

【目的】研究异叶败酱多糖抑制U14宫颈癌实体瘤小鼠肿瘤生长的作用机制。【方法】建立小鼠宫颈癌(U14)实体瘤模型,以灌胃生理盐水和皮下注射环磷酰胺(25mg/kg)分别作为阴性和阳性对照,观察异叶败酱多糖不同剂量(30,60,90mg/kg)灌胃给药14d后,对小鼠肿瘤生长抑制作用的影响;检测异叶败酱多糖对荷瘤小鼠血清乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)和碱性磷酸酶(AKP)活性的影响;用原位末端标记(TUNEL)法检测肿瘤细胞的凋亡情况;利用免疫组织化学法分析与细胞凋亡密切相关蛋白(突变型p53、Bcl-2、Bax)的表达情况。【结果】与阴性对照组相比,异叶败酱多糖中、高剂量组瘤质量显著下降,荷瘤小鼠血清LDH活性显著降低,Bax蛋白表达量显著升高,突变型p53和Bcl-2蛋白表达量显著下降(P0.05);异叶败酱多糖各组肿瘤组织的细胞凋亡数较阴性对照组均显著提高(P0.05),荷瘤小鼠血清AKP活性有所升高,但与阴性对照差异不显著(P0.05)。与阳性对照组相比,异叶败酱多糖中、高剂量组抗U14宫颈癌效果接近于临床化疗药环磷酰胺。【结论】异叶败酱多糖具有抑制实体瘤U14生长的作用,揭示该多糖可能通过调节细胞凋亡相关基因的表达,进而促进肿瘤细胞的凋亡而发挥其抗肿瘤作用。     

奶牛和绵羊子宫内膜细胞体外培养方法的研究

为了探讨适用于奶牛和绵羊子宫内膜细胞的培养方法,采用了组织培养法、常温消化法、先组培后消化法和先消化后组培法,并适时用倒置显微镜观察,探讨哪一种原代培养方法更适合获得奶牛和绵羊子宫内膜细胞。结果表明,组织培养的奶牛和绵羊子宫内膜细胞生长较快,细胞形态为梭形和铺路石样交织在一起;常温消化法没有成功获得奶牛子宫内膜细胞,但获得了绵羊子宫内膜细胞;而先组培后消化法获得了奶牛子宫内膜细胞,但无法传代、不能长久生长;而先消化后组培法获得的细胞与单一组培法获得的奶牛和绵羊子宫内膜细胞情况相似,细胞上出现很多组织残块,覆盖在细胞上面不利于细胞增殖。说明组织培养方法是简捷快速获得牛、绵羊子宫内膜细胞的方法,获得的子宫内膜细胞可以在体外至少传4代,这类细胞可以用于研究动物子宫内膜的功能和相关分子调控机制。     

尤昭玲教授诊治“子宫切口假腔”经验

尤昭玲教授认为子宫切口假腔形成的基本病因是剖宫产手术金刃损 伤,体质虚弱是次要病因;热瘀互结、虚实夹杂是子宫切口假腔的基本病机;临 床治疗以清补敛口,祛瘀调经为基本大法,并提出治疗该病"防重于治"的思想 尤昭玲教授认为子宫切口假腔形成的基本病因是剖宫产手术金刃损 伤,体质虚弱是次要病因;热瘀互结、虚实夹杂是子宫切口假腔的基本病机;临 床治疗以清补敛口,祛瘀调经为基本大法,并提出治疗该病"防重于治"的思想 。     

哺乳动物子宫内膜腺的发育与调控

哺乳动物的子宫内膜腺可合成和分泌或转运一些蛋白及相关物质 ,这些物质在胎儿存活、发育、妊娠识别信号的启动及胚胎着床等方面起重要的作用。子宫内膜腺的发育包括内膜上皮出芽形成内膜腺上皮、内膜腺上皮管穿过固有层及内膜腺上皮卷曲和分支等几个连续的过程。哺乳动物子宫内膜腺的形态发生受许多因素的调控 ,但确切的调控机理目前尚不完全清楚     

Effect of Sanguinarine on Active Capacity of Isolated Rat Uterine Smooth Muscle in vitro and Its Mechanism

The study was aimed to explore the effects of the sanguinarine on activity of isolated rat uterine smooth muscle in vitro. The effect of the sanguinarine on activity of the isolated myometrium of non-pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats eight weeks old was recorded by BL-420F four channels physiological recorder. Four antagonists, atropine sulfate, ranitidine hydrochloride, propranolol hydrochloride and diphenhydramine hydrochloride were used to study their mechanism, respectively. The results showed that sanguinarine and Yuan hu painkillers markedly inhibited the frequency, amplitude and activity of uterine contractions induced by oxytocin injection (P<0.05). The inhibitory effect of sanguinarine on uterine muscle contractions was blocked after using diphenhydramine hydrochloride (H₁-receptor antagonist) and ranitidine hydrochloride (H₂-receptor antagonist). However, after using atropine sulfate (M-receptor antagonist) and propranolol hydrochloride (β-receptor antagonist), sanguinarine also significantly inhibited the contractions of rat uterine smooth muscle (P<0.05). It was concluded that the effect of sanguinarine on activity of uterine smooth muscle in rats was mainly associated with H₁ receptor or H₂ receptor but not M receptor or β receptor.