Myofibrillar proteolysis in chick muscle cell cultures during heat stress

The effect of heat stress on protein oxidation and myofibrillar proteolysis in chick myotubes was investigated. Myotubes were incubated at 37 or 41°C for 6 and 24 h. Protein carbonyl content, as an index of protein oxidation, increased more at 41°C than at 37°C for 6 and 24 h incubations. N^τ‐methylhistidine release as an index of myofibrillar proteolysis also increased more at 41°C than at 37°C for 6 and 24 h incubations. Proteasome activity also increased more under those same conditions. Calpain and cathepsin D but not B + L activities showed a greater increase at 41°C than at 37°C for 24 but not the 6 h incubation. These results indicate that heat stress increases protein oxidation and proteasome activity, resulting in an increase in myofibrillar proteolysis for short‐term incubation and, for long‐term incubation, it increases calpain, proteasome and cathepsin D activities, finally accelerating myofibrillar proteolysis in chick myotubes.     

日粮类型对绵羊小肠内代谢性蛋白质的影响

以成年萨福克绵羊为试验对象,分别安装瘤胃瘘管、十二指肠近端T型瘘管和回肠远端T型瘘管,饲喂由鸭茅干草和配合饲料组成的不同瘤胃内可降解有机物/瘤胃内可降解粗蛋白质(OMR/CPR)比例的日粮,研究小肠可代谢性饲料蛋白质(MP)的变化规律.结果表明随着OMR/CPR的提高,小肠内微生物氮的消化量显著降低,而过瘤胃饲料蛋白质氮显著增加;表观MP量随着OMR/CPR的增加呈先增加后减少的变化趋势,表观MP量占CP、DCP摄取量分别为42.2%～59.6%、63.6%～87.8%.     

CHARACTERIZATION OF CANINE FOCAL LIVER LESIONS WITH CONTRAST-ENHANCED ULTRASOUND USING A NOVEL CONTRAST AGENT—SONAZOID

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound using Sonazoid, a novel contrast medium with a liver-specific Kupffer phase, was evaluated in canine focal liver lesions Twenty-five dogs with a liver mass were given intravenous Sonazoid, and the enhancement pattern in the arterial, portal, and parenchymal phase was characterized. An enhancement defect in the lesion in the parenchymal phase was observed in all malignant lesions, whereas only one of nine benign lesions had a filling defect. The diagnostic value of the presence of a filling defect for malignancy was statistically significant (100% sensitivity, 88.9% specificity, 94.1% positive predictive value, 100% negative predictive value), and was equal to that of hypoenhancement in the portal or delayed phase. The defect pattern (clear or irregular defect) was dependent ( P <0.05) on the types of malignancy (i.e., hepatocellular carcinoma and other types of malignancies). In the arterial phase, five of the six hepatocellular carcinomas had hypervascularity, whereas no other lesion was characterized by hypervascularity. In some dogs, additional lesions that could not be observed with conventional B-mode ultrasonography were detected in the parenchymal phase. The enhancement pattern of Sonazoid, especially in the parenchymal phase, has potential as a diagnostic tool for canine focal liver lesions.     

A scoring index for disease activity in canine inflammatory bowel disease

The clinical course of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in dogs is characterized by spontaneous exacerbations and remissions, which makes assessment of disease burden difficult. The objectives of this study were to develop a scoring system for evaluation of canine IBD activity and to validate this scoring method by correlating it to objective laboratory and histologic indices of intestinal inflammation. Fifty-eight dogs with IBD were evaluated prospectively and compared to 9 disease-free control dogs. Clinical disease activity was quantified by a simple scoring system, the canine IBD activity index (CIBDAI), and compared to serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), haptoglobin (HAP), alpha-acid glycoprotein (AGP), and serum amyloid A (SAA), as well as histology scores derived from endoscopic biopsy specimens. Forty-six dogs were available for a reevaluation of the CIBDAI, CRP HAP, and AGP, and 34 dogs had repeat analysis of SAA performed after medical therapy. Serum concentrations of CRP were significantly (P < .02) increased in dogs with CIBDAI scores > or = 5 (mild disease activity or greater) compared to controls. Among IBD dogs, the CIBDAI showed good correlation (r = 0.82, P < .0001) to both histology and HAP scores, but CRP also was a strong co-correlate of disease activity. The IBD dogs showed significantly (P < .0001) decreased CIBDAI and CRP values but significantly (P < .0001) increased HAP concentrations after medical therapy compared to pretreatment values. We conclude that the CIBDAI is a reliable measure of inflammatory activity in canine IBD and that CRP is suitable for laboratory evaluation of the effect of therapy in these patients.     

黑龙江省中部地区大豆主栽品种有效株行距解析

运用作物有效营养面积理论,对大豆主产区黑龙江省中部垄作主栽大豆品种的有效株行距进行了试验研究与理论解析.研究表明黑龙江省中部地区的大豆有效株行距为47.0～63.0 cm.据此阐明目前生产上广泛采用67～70 cm的垄作,已超过了大豆的有效株行距,造成了土壤资源的浪费.采用55 cm左右的垄距种植大豆,将会更有利于大豆群体产量的提高.该理论为目前黑龙江省北部地区栽培面积逐渐增大的大豆窄行垄栽培提供了有力的理论根据.     

大豆有效营养面积研究进展

2001～2004年,运用作物有效营养面积理论,对北方垄作区大豆垄幅的合理性问题进行了试验研究。研究表明大豆主产区黑龙江省中部、南部地区大豆有效营养面积为2210～4500 cm2,有效株行距为47.0～67.1 cm。其中中部地区的有效营养面积在2210～4025 cm2,即有效株行距为47.0～63.0 cm,南部地区的有效营养面积在3838～4500 cm2,即有效株行距为61.9～67.1 cm。南部地区品种有效营养面积较大,中部地区品种有效营养面积较小。据此阐明目前生产上广泛采用67～70 cm的垄作,已超过了大豆的有效株行距,造成了土壤资源等的浪费。尤其是中、北部垄作区采用55 cm左右的垄距种植大豆,将会更有利于大豆群体产量的提高。该理论为目前黑龙江省北部地区栽培面积逐渐增大的大豆窄行垄栽培提供了有力的理论根据。     

The effects of concentrations of lysine in media on differentiation of 3T3‐L1 preadipocytes

Intramuscular fat content is increased by feeding of low lysine diets in pigs. Reduction in dietary lysine intake results in low plasma lysine concentration and low cytosolic lysine concentration in skeletal muscles. From these observations, we hypothesized that low plasma lysine concentration in pigs fed on low lysine diets reduced supply of lysine from blood circulation to preadipocytes, and this limited supply of lysine might promote adipocyte differentiation in porcine muscles. In order to verify the hypothesis, we investigated the effects of low concentrations of lysine in culture medium on differentiation of 3T3‐L1 preadipocytes. Low concentration of lysine suppressed lipid accumulation and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and enzyme activity of fatty acid synthase. mRNA expressions of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα) were lower in cells cultured in low lysine medium. On the other hand, mRNA and protein expressions of C/EBPβ and C/EBPδ were not inhibited by low concentrations of lysine in culture medium. These results indicate that low lysine concentrations in culture medium inhibit differentiation of 3T3‐L1 preadipocytes through inhibiting the mRNA expressions of PPARγ and C/EBPα.     

The first report of the ante-mortem diagnosis of Ollulanus tricuspis infection in two dogs

Ollulanus tricuspis is a small nematode parasite of the stomach, and its infection has been reported worldwide in cats but only one report in dogs as post-mortem diagnosis. Two dogs, kept in the Tokyo area, were presented for chronic vomiting. Chronic gastritis was diagnosed histologically, and many nematodes were detected in endoscopically-biopsied gastric samples and in the mucus of vomitus in both dogs. The parasites were small (<1 mm), and their morphological characteristics were consistent with those previously reported for O. tricuspis. The symptoms in one dog completely disappeared after anthelmintic therapy. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing ante-mortem diagnosis of spontaneous gastric O. tricuspis infection in dogs in which infectivity and pathogenicity of the nematode are suggested.