中国莱姆病螺旋体PD91重组外膜蛋白A的动物免疫效果分析

目的观察重组中国莱姆病螺旋体Borrelia garinii基因型外膜蛋白A(rOspA)的动物免疫效果。方法采用纯化的rOspA作抗原,以新西兰家兔、绵羊和犬为试验动物,分不同剂量组和对照组进行免疫,用间接免疫荧光法(IFA)检测其血清特异性抗体(IgG),并进行体外中和试验。结果用rOspA免疫新西兰家兔、绵羊和犬后,其血清抗体(IgG)效价较免疫前均显著升高,其几何平均滴度为1∶169,体外中和试验表明,每毫升兔抗rOspA血清可杀灭1.0×105个莱姆病螺旋体;绵羊和犬的抗rOspA血清杀菌能力因免疫剂量的不同而不同,每毫升绵羊和犬抗rOspA血清最高可杀灭1.0×106个莱姆病螺旋体。结论rOspA有较好的免疫原性,可作为中国莱姆病rOspA亚单位疫苗的一种有效成分。     

Factors influencing the utilization of cattle and chicken manure for soil fertility management by emergent farmers in the moist Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa

The study established the factors that influence the use of cattle andchicken manure for managing soil fertility by surveying a random sample of 224farm households in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Themajority (87%) of the respondents are farming on communal land with an averagefarm size of 2.9 ha. Sixty-three% of the farmers in the sampleusedmanure to manage soil fertility in their fields. Despite the fact that chickenmanure was available in large quanties in the area, 54% of manure usedwas from cattle while chicken manure was used by 39% of the sample.Manure was readily available to 73% of the respondent farmers and it wasobtained mostly from commercial and semi-commercial livestock production unitswithin the area. Most of the manure was applied on land planted to high valuecrops such as maize, potatoes and vegetables. The common method of applyingmanure was by a spreader. The major factors that positively influencedthe farmers' decision to use manure were availability of manure, herd size,farmers' experience in farming and the availability of extension services.Both land ownership and attendance of training did not seem to affect thefarmers' decision to use manure. Farm size was the factor that was foundtonegatively affect manure utilization. Other important considerations includedlabor and transport requirements for handling manure, lack of technicalinformation on the fertilizer value and management of manure, increased growthof weeds and bad smell. Some suggestions are made on strategies that couldimprove the efficiency of utilization of manure for soil fertility managementinthis agroecosystem.     

Enzymic hydrolysis of animal fats in organic solvents at temperatures below their melting points

Lipase fromCandida rugosa catalyzed the hydrolysis of inedible beef tallow and pork lard (edible and inedible) in the presence of organic solvents at temperatures below the melting point of the fat. Reactions were carried out at 50% substrate with 180 lipase units per gram of fat in a two-liter reactor. In the presence of isooctane (5-10%) beef tallow yielded 94% hydrolysis in 24 hr both at 37° and 31°C. Edible pork lard yielded 97% hydrolysis under these conditions and at temperatures as low as 25°C, while inedible lard gave hydrolysis intermediate between the other two fats.     

重组人干扰素α2a凝胶对单纯疱疹病毒感染的疗效

目的研究重组人干扰素α2a(rhIFNα2a)凝胶对动物体内单纯疱疹病毒(HSV)感染的疗效。方法建立HSV-1型豚鼠皮肤感染模型和HSV-2型小鼠阴道炎模型,考察rhIFNα2a凝胶抗HSV作用。将模型豚鼠与小鼠各自分为3个试验组,分别用3×105、2×105和1×105IU/g的rhIFNα2a凝胶治疗,并设平行对照(阿昔洛韦)与空白对照(未治疗)组。评价各组的疗效。结果与空白对照组比较,rhIFNα2a凝胶2×105和3×105IU/g剂量组可明显减少豚鼠皮肤组织中病毒含量,降低小鼠的死亡率,延长生存期。rhIFNα2a凝胶与阿昔洛韦的疗效差异无显著意义。结论rhIFNα2a凝胶具有抑制HSV-1致皮肤病变作用,可缩短病程,对HSV-2所致小鼠阴道炎有较好疗效。     

Detection of animal fats in butter by differential scanning calorimetry: A pilot study

Because of its high price, butter has always been the object of adulteration by addition of less expensive vegetable or animal fats. Although a number of methods have been proposed for the detection of butterfat adulteration, none has found widespread use. For this reason, a study was conduced to assess the use of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for detecting the presence of added animal fat, i.e., chicken fat, in butter. The results obtained show that DSC is an efficient method for characterizing pure animal fats as well as their mixtures. Furthermore, the accuracy with which data are obtained, in combination with the sensitivity of DSC to subtle changes in chemical composition of the sample, makes DSC an attractive possibility for development as a quality control procedure.     

不同预处理方法建立幽门螺杆菌感染动物模型的比较

目的 确定感染率高且稳定的幽门螺杆菌感染动物模型预处理方案。方法 取蒙古沙鼠200只,随机分为3个实验组及1个对照组。实验组沙鼠在断食、水12h后分别应用pH2盐酸、消炎痛+胃复安和50％乙醇3种不同方案进行预处理,对照组用生理盐水处理。此后继续断食、水12h,再灌喂Hp菌液（109cfu/ml）0.5ml/只。共3次,每次间隔12h。最后1次灌喂后2h给食、水。后每隔4周解剖一批动物,每组10只,进行分离培养、ELISA、PCR、快速尿素酶检测和病理切片检查。结果3组实验动物感染率不同,其中50％乙醇组沙鼠感染率相对较高,达到80％,其病理组织学变化与人体相应病变也极为相似。结论50％乙醇组沙鼠预处理方案感染效果最好,可作为Hp感染动物模型的预处理方法。     

Sizing up models of heart failure: Proteomics from flies to humans

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the western world. Heart failure is a heterogeneous and complex syndrome, arising from various etiologies, which result in cellular phenotypes that vary from patient to patient. The ability to utilize genetic manipulation and biochemical experimentation in animal models has made them indispensable in the study of this chronic condition. Similarly, proteomics has been helpful for elucidating complicated cellular and molecular phenotypes and has the potential to identify circulating biomarkers and drug targets for therapeutic intervention. In this review, the use of human samples and animal model systems (pig, dog, rat, mouse, zebrafish, and fruit fly) in cardiac research is discussed. Additionally, the protein sequence homology between these species and the extent of conservation at the level of the phospho-proteome in major kinase signaling cascades involved in heart failure are investigated.     

Silkworms’ feces-based activated carbons as cheap adsorbents for removal of cadmium and methylene blue from aqueous solutions

Activated carbon samples, ACs, were obtained from silkworms’ feces via chemical activation method. Many activating agents including the new ones KCl, CrCl₃ and TiCl₄ were compared. Acidic and basic oxidic groups in addition to aromatic tertiary and secondary amines have been detected on the surface of produced ACs. Furthermore, microporous solids furnishing high internal specific surface area, ranging between 1000 and 2000 m²/g, and total pore volume up to 0.85 cm³/g were obtained. TiCl₄ resulted in the solid possessing the highest area and pore volume. The obtained solids showed high efficiency in removing methylene blue and cadmium from their aqueous solutions. Adsorption capacity of sample AC/TiCl₄ is 461 mg/g of MB at pH = 10, and 62.6 mg/g of Cd²⁺ at pH = 8. The nature of the formed microporous texture and the prevailing surface oxidic groups are the main controlling parameters for the observed high efficiency toward both adsorbates.     

Contamination of animal feed and food from animal origin with mineral oil hydrocarbons

Oils and fats used for the production of animal feed can become contaminated with mineral oil material originating from gas oils (C₁₈-C₃₅) or synthetic oils (poly alpha olefins, C₂₅ to beyond C₄₅). An important cause is assumed to be the discharge of waste oils, such as motor oil and hydraulic oils. Mineral oil material was analysed by on-line LC-GC-FID directly in the fat or in a raw extract from animal feed or foodstuffs. In Switzerland in summer/autumn 1999 concentrations in oils and fats for feed production were often found to be between 100 and 1000mg/kg. In the feeds, the average concentration was around 100mg/kg with values ranging up to a maximum of 1000mg/kg; few samples were free of contamination. In animal body fat, the average concentration determined in summer 1999 was 25mg/kg, with a maximum of 150mg/kg, although in samples from December 1999, contamination was substantially lower. In the fat phase of eggs, the average concentration was 30mg/kg, with a maximum of 80mg/kg. Paraffin oil is used for feed production, which may account for part of the contamination problem (e.g. eggs).     

The use of acute phase proteins for monitoring animal health and welfare in the pig production chain: The validation of an immunochromatographic method for the detection of elevated levels of pig-MAP

The serum concentration of acute phase proteins (APPs) increases in the presence of disease or stress, which makes APPs notable parameters for the global assessment of animal health and welfare. A rapid, immunochromatographic test (ICT) for the detection of elevated levels of pig Major Acute-phase Protein (pig-MAP), one of the main APPs in pigs, was evaluated in more than 1400 pig serum samples obtained from commercial farms. The ICT showed a good performance with a relative sensitivity (Sn) and specificity (Sp) of 94 and 97%, respectively, for a threshold of 1.5 mg/mL (comparison with ELISA). Differences in the pig-MAP levels and the number of positive samples with the ICT were observed within the season of sampling, farms, and age groups at one farm, according to the presence of disease or lesions. The ICT was also evaluated in blood samples obtained at slaughter in association with the carcase inspection. The results from this study indicate that the ICT may be used for the evaluation of groups of pigs, after analysing one sub-sample of these pigs, and might be a useful tool in routine health and welfare monitoring programmes aimed to improve the quality of pig production.