Identification of bovine serum albumin as an IgE-reactive beef component in a dog with food hypersensitivity against beef

IgE-reactive beef components were examined by an immunoblot analysis using a serum from a dog with food hypersensitivity against beef. The immunoblot analysis revealed a distinct band at approximately 66 kDa and a faint band at approximately 50 kDa. The immunoblot analysis for serum IgE reactivity to bovine serum albumin (BSA) also revealed a positive band at 66 kDa. Serum IgE reactivity to the 66-kDa protein of beef was diminished by pre-incubating the serum sample with BSA. Furthermore, a positive reaction to BSA was detected in intradermal testing in the dog. These results clearly indicated that BSA was an IgE-reactive beef component in the dog with food hypersensitivity against beef.     

断奶后多系统衰竭综合征病猪中存在沙门氏菌和猪繁殖与呼吸系统综合征病毒共感染

调查了曾经暴发沙门氏菌病的四个猪场的14头病猪,发现在这些猪的肿胀淋巴结中出现带有淋巴细胞排空的肉芽肿性炎症。应用免疫标记和PCR方法在病变部位检测到猪圆环病毒2(PCV2)抗原和PCV2DNA。此外,在这些病猪的肺脏中检测出猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒(PRRSV),分离到猪霍乱沙门氏菌。在9头沙门氏菌感染猪中,有5头为沙门氏菌、PMWS与PRRSV并发感染,其数量(55.6%)远远高于沙门氏菌与PMWS感染猪(22.2%)或沙门氏菌与PRRSV感染猪(22.2%)。     

Identification of oyster-derived hypotensive peptide acting as angiotensin-I-converting enzyme inhibitor

Angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) plays a crucial role in the crisis of hypertension. Some peptides that originate from protease hydrolysates are known to suppress ACE activity in vitro and in vivo. Here, we investigated whether trypsin hydrolysate of oyster Crassostrea gigas showed hypotensive activity and ACE inhibition. The hydrolysate significantly suppressed systolic blood pressure and ACE activity in spontaneously hypertensive rats following a one-shot oral administration and a long-term feeding experiment lasting 9 weeks. Each hydrolysate from oyster tissue showed ACE inhibitory activity, indicating the hypotensive effect was due to synergism. One potent ACE inhibitory peptide, Asp-Leu-Thr-Asp-Tyr, was identified from the hydrolysate of the striate muscle, and the peptide exhibited hypotensive activity in vivo. Protease digestion analysis suggested that Asp-Tyr could be the real effector of this penta-peptide in vivo.     

Effects of Aeration, Alum Treatment, Liming, and Organic Matter Application on Phosphorus Exchange between Soil and Water in Aquaculture Ponds at Auburn, Alabama

Application of readily-oxidizable organic substrate to laboratory soil-water systems and fish ponds caused anaerobic conditions in bottom soil and water, and concentrations of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) increased. Aeration of ponds increased total phosphorus (TP) concentrations by suspending soil particles in the water, but SRP concentrations declined because of increased oxy- genation of bottom water and soil, Alum [Al₂(SO₄)₃·14H₂O] treatment of ponds reduced SRP and TP concentrations in ponds, but the low concentration of alum used, 20 mg/L, had little residual effect on phosphorus concentration. Application of agricultural limestone at 0.2 kg/m² to ponds with soil pH of 5.5 and Ca²⁺ concentration of 5 mg/L did not affect SRP and TP concentration. Unless pond soils were anaerobic at their surfaces, a condition not acceptable in thermally-unstratified fish ponds, soils released little phosphorus to the water. Strong adsorption of phosphorus by soils in intensive ponds with feeding is beneficial, because removal of phosphorus by aerobic soils is a control on excessive phytoplankton growth. In fertilized ponds, phosphorus must be applied at frequent intervals to replace phosphorus removed from the water by soils.     

Molecular and sensory studies on the umami taste of Japanese green tea

Aimed at defining the key drivers for the quality-determining umami taste of a high-grade powdered green tea, called mat-cha, a bioactivity-guided fractionation using solvent extraction, solvent precipitation, preparative chromatographic separations, and human psychophysical experiments was applied on freshly prepared mat-cha. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and one-/two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance studies on isolated fractions led to the identification of l-theanine, succinic acid, 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid (gallic acid), and (1R,2R,3R,5S)-5-carboxy-2,3,5-trihydroxycyclohexyl-3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate (theogallin) as umami-enhancing compounds in the green tea beverage, and it can be shown by sensory studies that these compounds are able to raise the umami intensity of sodium l-glutamate proportionally.     

Telomere length and telomerase activity in canine mammary gland tumors

OBJECTIVE: To measure telomere length and telomerase activity in naturally occurring canine mammary gland tumors. SAMPLE POPULATION: 27 mammary gland tumor specimens obtained during resection or necropsy and 12 mammary gland tissue specimens obtained from healthy (control) dogs. PROCEDURE: Telomere length in tissue specimens was measured by use of restriction endonuclease digestion and Southern blot analysis. Telomerase activity was measured by use of a telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay. RESULTS: Telomere length in mammary gland tumors ranged from 11.0 to 21.6 kilobase pairs (kbp; mean +/- SEM, 14.5+/-0.5 kbp) but did not differ among tumor types. Telomeres in mammary gland tumors were slightly shorter than in normal tissue specimens, but telomere length could not be directly compared between groups, because mean age of dogs was significantly different between groups. Age was negatively correlated with telomere length in control dogs but was not significantly correlated with length in affected dogs. Telomerase activity was detected in 26 of 27 mammary gland tumors and in 4 of 12 normal tissue specimens. However, telomerase activity and telomere length were not correlated in tumor specimens. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Telomere length is maintained in canine mammary gland tumors regardless of the age of the affected dog. Measurement of telomere length may be a useful tool for monitoring the in vivo effects of telomerase inhibitors in dogs with tumors.