Effects of music stimulus on behavior response,cortisol level,and horizontal immunity of growing pigs

An enriched environment is widely used to improve domestic animals’ welfare and promote their natural behaviors. Music can reduce abnormal behavior in humans, nonhuman primates, and rodents. However, little is known about the effects of music on pigs. This study aims to explore the effects of repeated music stimulation on the behavior, physiology, and immunity of growing pigs. A total of 72 hybrid piglets (Large White × Duroc × Minpig) were randomly divided into three groups, including music (Mozart K.448, 60 to 70 dB), noise (recorded mechanical noise, 80 to 85 dB), and control (natural background sound, <40 dB), and 6 h sound stimulation was given per day (1000 to 1600 hours) from 40 to 100 d of age. The behavioral activities of the pigs were observed during the music stimulation, and their serum cortisol, salivary cortisol, and serum immune indices were also measured. Compared with the control group, the music group and noise group increased activity but decreased lying of pigs (P < 0.05). A significant increase in tail-wagging, playing, and exploring behaviors of pigs was found in the music group (P < 0.05), and the noise significantly increased the aggressive behavior of the pigs (P < 0.05). Tail-wagging, playing, exploring, manipulating, and aggressive behaviors decreased over time. Short-term (8 d) music stimulus had a lower cortisol level than that of the noise and control groups (P < 0.05), whereas long-term (60 d) music stimulus increased immunoglobulin G (IgG), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels (P < 0.05) and decreased interleukin-4 (IL-4) level (P < 0.05). Long-term noise stimulus significantly reduced the level of IgG (P < 0.05) but did not affect the level of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ levels (P > 0.05). In conclusion, short-term music stimulus (8 d) reduced the stress response, whereas long-term music stimulus (60 d) enhanced the immune responses. In addition, the noise increased the aggressive behavior, and long-term noise reduced the immunity of the growing pigs.     

青海省祁连圆柏天然林单木生物量模型构建

利用祁连圆柏整株生物量与生长指标数据，为估算祁连圆柏林的生物量估算提供参考。通过野外调查，共获取了63株祁连圆柏天然林样木生物量与生长指标实测数据。用其中50株样木数据进行回归模拟，用其余的13株样木数据对模型可靠性进行检验，构建器官生物量与生长指标间的回归模型。结果表明，祁连圆柏单木水平下，树干生物量模型的R²_adj为0.96，均方根、模型有效性和残差系数分别为0.50、0.85和0.05；枝条生物量模型的R²_adj为0.897，均方根、模型有效性和残差系数分别为0.69、0.80和-0.66；叶生物量模型的R²_adj为0.61，均方根、模型有效性和残差系数分别为0.54、0.86和0.15；根生物量模型的R²_adj为0.93，均方根、模型有效性和残差系数分别为0.12、0.997 和-0.01。在调查数据范围内构建的模型较好地反映了祁连圆柏生物量与生长指标间的关系，形式简单、使用方便；与实测值相比，树干与叶生物量模拟值偏小，枝和根偏大。     

Comparison of flagellin and an oil-emulsion adjuvant in inactivated Newcastle disease vaccine in stimulation of immunogenic parameters

The present study was designed to investigate the potential application of native (N) and recombinant (truncated modified [tmFliC] and full-length [flFliC]) flagellin proteins along with inactivated Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Fifty six SPF chickens were immunized twice with PBS (control), inactivated NDV (Ag), inactivated NDV/flFliC (AgF), inactivated NDV/tmFliC (AgT), inactivated NDV/N (AgN), commercial vaccine containing Montanide (Vac) and Vac/N (VacN), with a two-week interval. Blood was collected weekly and spleens were harvested after chickens were sacrificed. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrotic factor-α (TNF-α) gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were analyzed by Real-Time PCR. Antibody response was assessed by haemagglutination inhibition (HI). Cellular activity was quantified by MTT assay. Results showed that the most IL-6 and TNF-α gene expression was observed in AgF group (P < 0.01). The lowest gene expression among vaccinated groups was observed in Ag group for IL-6 and Ag and Vac group for TNF-α. The highest HI titer was observed in Vac, VacN, AgF and AgT groups. The AgF group showed the highest cellular activity (P < 0.01). In conclusion, flagellin-adjuvanted groups showed a pro-inflammatory effect and acted similarly to or better than the Vac group. Hence, flagellin can be proposed as a potential adjuvant for ND vaccine.     

体细胞克隆荷斯坦奶牛出生后死亡犊牛内脏器官的组织病理学观察

为探究体细胞克隆荷斯坦奶牛出生后死亡的原因,对新生后死亡的克隆荷斯坦公牛和自然繁殖的荷斯坦公犊的主要组织器官进行比较。通过解剖和石蜡切片-HE(hematoxylin-eosin staining)染色技术,对主要的组织器官结构进行观察和分析。结果表明,新生后死亡的克隆荷斯坦公牛肺部结构清晰;肝脏的肝细胞明显肿大,出现脂肪轻度变性;肾小管上皮细胞出现变性;心肌的肌纤维间空隙增大;骨骼肌纤维间隙明显,空泡变性,这可能导致该克隆牛犊肌肉无力并功能不全;淋巴结皮髓质界限不分明,淋巴小结细胞较稀疏,生发中心不明显,淋巴窦细胞较少;脾脏内红细胞较少,这说明该克隆牛的造血功能可能不完善;胸腺的皮质部分和髓质部分界限不明显,嗜酸性胸腺小体不易辨认,可能发育不全。该克隆公牛免疫器官出现不同程度的发育不全现象较严重,这有可能是其出生后死亡率高的主要原因。     

动物细胞因子研究进展

细胞因子是免疫活性细胞和其它细胞分泌的具有多种生物活性的多肽或蛋白质 ,这些细胞因子是重要的信息传递物质 ,特别在免疫、炎症和造血系统等生物学反应过程中具有重要的作用。近几年 ,细胞因子的研究已成为生物学研究中最活跃的领域之一。新的细胞因子不断被发现 ,大量的细胞因子正在或将要应用于医学临床。细胞因子的研究带动了整个免疫学的发展。其应用展现出广阔的前景。文章简要介绍了动物细胞因子的作用及其应用前景 ,包括细胞因子与免疫抑制的关系、细胞因子在免疫增强剂和免疫治疗剂、构建新型基因工程苗以及细胞因子对于蛋白质、脂肪和葡萄糖代谢的调控作用等方面的主要研究进展     

茶多酚(TP)对家禽免疫功能的研究

选用14日龄健康的海佩科内用仔鸡48羽,随机分成试验(24羽)和对照(24羽)两组.试验组在饲粮中添加0.25％的茶多酚(TP),研究TP对鸡免疫功能的作用.试验结果表明,TP对自然感染法氏囊病鸡,有明显提高(p<0.05)鸡血液中红细胞C_(3b)受体和免疫复合物的含量及保护鸡脾脏正常的免疫功能,同时也发现TP对公母鸡法氏囊的重量有不同影响.本试验表明,TP具有提高家禽免疫功能的作用.     

胃肠道线虫的黏膜免疫

从机体抗胃肠道线虫的黏膜免疫、胃肠道黏膜的抗原加工与递呈、胃肠道黏膜抵御寄生虫的效应机制等几方面论述了胃肠道线虫的免疫机理和免疫学研究的进展，旨在进一步阐明用免疫介入方法防治胃肠道线虫的理论基础，以解决胃肠道线虫治疗过程中的药物残留以及寄生虫的抗药性问题。     

双黄杀毒退烧颗粒对畜禽免疫功能的影响

研究了纯中药复方抗病毒制剂--双黄杀毒退烧颗粒对成年兔、鸡的体液免疫及细胞免疫功能的影响.HI抗体检测、MTT实验、E-玫瑰花环形成试验和酯酶染色试验的结果表明,双黄杀毒退烧颗粒能显著增强家兔的体液免疫作用,明显提高家兔和鸡的细胞免疫功能,对家兔的免疫增强作用优于鸡.     

D-LysAsnProTyr四肽对肉仔鸡免疫及主要生产性能的影响

将体重、发育及健康状况接近的300羽7日龄肉仔鸡随机等分为5个处理，每个处理设3重复，每重复20羽。试鸡用D-LysAsnProTyr四肽＋3头份新城疫Ⅳ系疫苗生理盐水混合液滴鼻，剂量为50μl／只，D-LysAsnProTyr四肽水平为：0μg／只（对照组），15μg／只，20μg／只，25μg／只，30μg／只。测定新城疫抗体水平及淋巴细胞ANAE阳性百分率，计算全期平均日增重、采食量和料肉比。结果表明，D-LysAsnProTyr四肽在20～25μg／只鸡剂量对ND抗体有明显的提高作用，不改变抗体变化规律；显著提高肉仔鸡血液中淋巴细胞阳性百分率，10～42日龄20μg／只和25μg／只试验组分别比对照组提高2．03～9．47个百分点和2．36～9．22个百分点，淋巴细胞阳性百分率的增减变化规律与对照组相一致，说明适宜剂量D-LysAsnProTyr四肽可以显著提高肉仔鸡对ND的体液免疫和细胞免疫。20μg／只、25μg／只组试期末体重、平均日增重显著高于15μg／只、30μg／只组（P〈0．05）。与20μg／只、25μg／只组相比，对照组日增重、饲料转化率有降低趋势（P〉0．05）。各处理组对肉仔鸡日均采食量无显著影响（P〉0．05）。     

Identification of a Long Rice Spikelet Mutant

A spontaneously occurring rice (Oryza sativa L. ) mutant, characterized by homeotic conversion in glumes and stamens, was found in the progeny of a cross. The mutant showed long glumes and glumaceous lodicules and morphological transformation of stamens into pistils. Mutant florets consisted of 1 to 3 completely developed pistils, some pistilloid stamens with filaments, but tipped by bulged tissue and 0 to 3 stigmas. It seens that the mutant phenotype of the homeotic conversions in glumes and stamens is similar to that of the B loss-of-function mutants in Arabidopsis and Antirrhinum. The mutant is controlled by a single recessive gene as a segregation ratio of 3:1 (wild type to mutant plants) was observed in the F2 generation.