EVALUATION OF SUPERFICIAL DIGITAL FLEXOR TENDINITIS IN RACING HORSES THROUGH GRAY SCALE HISTOGRAM ANALYSIS OF TENDON ULTRASONOGRAMS

Normal and diseased superficial digital flexor tendons at different stages of healing from seven Thoroughbred horses, aged 3–6 years, were evaluated by correlation of gray scale histogram analysis of tendon cross-sectional ultrasonograms with histopathologic examination. Normal tendon and tendons at different stages of healing, excluding acute tear stage, were characterized by normally distributed histogram patterns. The histogram mean value of normal tendons was higher than the corresponding values in diseased tendons at different stages of healing (p < 0.01). In addition, the histogram mean of acute lesions was lower than for early fibrosis or healed lesions (p < 0.01). The histogram mean increased as healing progressed. The results show that gray scale histogram analysis of tendon ultrasonogram can be used to distinguish between normal and abnormal superficial digital flexor tendon in racing horses.     

Mobilization of the active transposon mPing in interspecific hybrid rice between Oryza sativa and O. glaberrima

Miniature Ping (mPing) is the first active miniature inverted-repeat transposable element to be identified in rice, and its mobilization is activated by stress treatments. We have examined the mobilization of mPing in four NERICA (New Rice for Africa) lines and 13 interspecific lines. All 17 lines are inbred progenies derived from crosses between Oryza sativa variety WAB56-104 as the recurrent parent and the O. glaberrima variety CG14 as the donor parent. We found that 16 of the 17 lines studied inherited mPing together with its autonomous partner, Pong, from WAB56-104. Transposon display of mPing disclosed polymorphic banding patterns among these lines. Most importantly, seven of the lines displayed clear polymorphic banding patterns for mPing, indicating that mPing might have been mobilized in these lines. Locus-specific PCR analysis also confirmed the mobilization of mPing. These results signify that interspecific hybridization may activate the transposition of mPing. Based on these results, we discuss the potential use of the mPing system as an efficient tool for gene tagging in interspecific hybrid rice.     

Serum copper and ceruloplasmin activity at the early growing stage in foals.

Serum concentrations of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), calcium (Ca) and inorganic phosphorus (P), as well as antigenic ceruloplasmin (Cp) and oxidase activity as a functional index for copper metabolism, were measured in 10 foals (5 males and 5 females) and their dams. Samples were harvested from the foals within 1 wk after birth and monthly from 1 to 17 mo of age. Samples were collected from their dams in the perinatal period (monthly from 2 mo before delivery to 5 mo postpartum). Serum oxidase activity, antigenic Cp and Cu in foals were extremely low at 1 wk. Serum Cp had the lowest value of 17.0 +/- 8.0 (mean +/- SD) mg/dL within the 1st wk, then increased rapidly up to 43.7 +/- 5.8 mg/dL at 1 mo, and maintained this level until the 17th mo. Serum Zn in foals had the highest value of 73.2 +/- 13.1 micrograms/dL within 1 wk, then decreased to 38.3 +/- 5.9 micrograms/dL by 17 mo. Serum Mn, Ca and P in mares were almost stable and within established reference ranges for our laboratory in the perinatal period, and these values in foals were also in the normal range. Even on appropriate feeding, serum Cu, Cp and oxidase activity were quite low a few weeks after birth, while a higher proportion of Cp-binding copper was found in the foals. This might be caused by the limited synthesis of ceruloplasmin in this period. These data suggest that newborn foals are in a critical situation of marginal copper status in the early stage of growth.     

Wide genetic variation in phenolic compound content of seed coats among black soybean cultivars

Black soybeans have been used as a food source and also in traditional medicine because their seed coats contain natural phenolic compounds such as proanthocyanidin and anthocyanin. The objective of this research is to reveal the genetic variation in the phenolic compound contents (PCCs) of seed coats in 227 black soybean cultivars, most of which were Japanese landraces and cultivars. Total phenolics were extracted from seed coats using an acidic acetone reagent and the proanthocyanidin content, monomeric anthocyanin content, total flavonoids content, total phenolics content, and radical scavenging activity were measured. The cultivars showed wide genetic variation in PCCs. Each of the contents was highly correlated with one another, and was closely associated with radical scavenging activity. PCCs were also moderately associated by flowering date but not associated by seed weight. Cultivars with purple flowers had a tendency to produce higher PCCs compared with cultivars with white flowers, suggesting that the W1 locus for flower color can affect phenolic compound composition and content. Our results suggest that developing black soybean cultivars with high functional phenolic compounds activity is feasible.