白鱀豚肾上腺的研究

白鱀豚肾上腺重与体重的平均比值为0．25克／公斤,皮质体积与髓质体积的比值为6.59。白鱀豚肾上腺的组织结构与其它海豚相似,它有比较发达的球状带。讨论了白鱀豚肾上腺形态变化在年龄生长、授乳等生理过程和在自然环境、豢养环境生态适应上的意义。并报道了一例罕见的自鱀豚肾上腺先天性表皮样囊肿。     

白暨豚正常心电图的初步探讨

1980年以来,我们测定了白鱀豚(Lipotes vexillifer)“淇淇”和“珍珍”的心电图,并与人和其他海豚的心电图作了比较,从而确定了白鱀豚心电图常规导联的联接方法,并比较完整地描述了白鱀豚正常心电图的特征。研究发现,白鱀豚的心电图各波、段和间期的正常范围基本与人的相近,但T波的特征与人不同,人的T波与同导联的主波方向一致,而白鱀豚的T波却正好相反。P—R间期明显比人的延长。本研究将为白鱀豚心血管疾病的诊断提供重要依据。     

声驱网捕白鱀豚

为确保白鱀豚物种的繁衍,加快我国豚类生物学的研究步伐,为饲养在我所长达六年之久的“淇淇”寻找配偶,急需活捕白鱀豚。但是过去渔民偶然捕得的白鱀豚皆因钩伤严重,难以存活。1979年湖北省石首县渔民曾采用封堵江湾汊口的办法捕白鱀豚,由于不熟悉白鱀豚的生态习性,也未成功。       

白鱀豚某些血液生化指标的测定

关于海豚和几种淡水豚类的血液学和血液生化指标国外有过研究4-13。白鱀豚(Lipotes vexillifer)血液有形成份已有过报道2,3。本实验对白鱀豚血液生化指标进行了研究,以期建立白鱀豚血液正常生理生化指标,为白鱀豚的临床诊断,健康监测和保健措施提供血液学参数,并且为完善淡水豚类血液学比较研究提供基础资料。       

白鱀豚的肾脏

研究了4头雄性和9头雌性白鱀豚肾脏的结构和各项指标。白鱀豚肾脏是由许多小肾组成。肾脏和小肾的各项指标随着个体体长的增加而增加。与其他3种淡水豚相比,白鱀豚成体肾脏的小肾数比恒河豚多,比哑河豚少,而与拉河豚相近。白鱀豚幼体的肾脏和小肾的各项指标与恒河豚和亚河豚相近,但成体肾脏和小肾的各项指标比上述2种淡水豚大得多。并证实鲸类动物肾脏的小肾并生群在幼体即已存在,随着个体的长大,小肾化加剧,而并不是次级融合的结果。白鱀豚小肾的髓旁肌肉带的排列并无规律,它并不构成白豚鱀所特有的排列结构。       

白暨豚种群数量及资源保护

为了了解长江中白鱀豚的分布状况及种群数量,从1978年至1983年1月止,先后9次在长江中、下游(宜昌至南通)的干流进行了白鱀豚的生态考察,并到汉江和鄱阳湖、洞庭湖等水域查访有无白鱀豚活动的情况,依据考察所得资料,对长江白鱀豚群体的数量作了初步剖析。 通过考察,到1983年初为止,中游最上是在湖北枝城,约距长江口1,613公里的江段和下游最下是江苏太仓浏河口距长江口24公里的江段都有白鱀豚的活动。白鱀豚种群约156头,20个群体,分布在长江中、下游的17个江段里,在安庆一黑砂洲南水道约170公里及嘉鱼—王家渡水道约80公里的两个江段里生活着较多的个体。根据雌、雄自鱀豚体长与年龄关系式的速度变化曲线,白鱀豚的个体发育阶段可分为:幼龄期(胎儿—雄性4龄,雌性5龄),壮年期(雄性5龄—12龄,雌性6龄—13龄),成年期(雄性13龄,雌性14龄至20龄)和老年期(20龄以上雌雄个体)4个龄期。白鱀豚种群的年龄结构是一个基部较窄,顶部相对宽的锥体,显然是一个生产较差的种群。 近些年来,由于人类对江河的开发利用,使得白鱀豚种群的补充能力和再生产能力都遭到了一定程度的破坏。分析白鱀豚资源减少的主要原因是:(1)食物条件的变化;(2)有害渔具对白鱀豚的杀伤;(3)航运业务对白鱀豚的误伤;(4)群众缺乏保护珍贵动物的知识而     

白鱀豚的发声及其与环境适应的初步研究

本文报道了人工饲养条件下白鱀豚的发声、发声信号的类型和信号参数及其与环境适应的关系。随着生活环境或其他条件的改变,白鱀豚发生信号的类型,发声的多寡等发生有规律的变化。可根据这些规律判别白鱀豚对环境的适应程度,所处的状态及性周期的发生等等。为白鱀豚的人工饲养及种群保护等提供科学依据。并为其声呐系统的研究打下良好的基础。     

白鱀豚研究的概况

白鱀豚的记载最早见于西汉时(约公元前200年)的辞书《尔雅》:“鱀,是”。晋代的郭璞(公元276-324年)对其形态及习性作了记述。这表明古代人们对白鱀豚的形貌已有一定的认识。1958年,白鱀豚开始受到我国动物学界的注意。目前这种水生哺乳动物的数量迅速减少,已成为接近灭绝的物种。 1.分布和分类位置白鱀豚是中国的特有种。美国的米勒(Miller)在1918年描记白鱀豚时,认为它分布在洞庭湖及其附近的长江中。至1958年,周开亚等首次证实白鱀豚不仅生活在     

白鱀豚:水中传说

<正>"淇淇"死后,长江里再也没有人确认见过白鱀豚。它曾经陪伴了人类23年,却始终孑然一身。2002年7月14日上午8时许,在武汉东湖之滨的白鱀豚馆内,一头名为"淇淇"的白鱀豚永远沉睡。它是全世界唯一人工饲养成功的白鱀豚,从此之后,人们再也无缘见到它的身影。     

永远的“淇淇”

<正>1 978年,中国科学院水生生物研究所成立白鱀豚研究组,正式开始科学研究。同年,国务院颁布了《水资源繁殖保护条例》、《 关于严格保护珍贵稀有野生动物通令》,也将其列为重点保护对象。随着对白鱀豚"琪琪"的人工饲养成功,白鱀豚逐渐被科学家揭开了神秘的面纱,并且引起了国内外的高度关注。但人们并不知道,在这一过程中还有那些未曾饲养成功的白鱀豚,为科     

白鱀豚甲状腺及甲状旁腺的初步研究

本文是8头白鱀豚(Lipotes vexillifer)的甲状腺及甲状旁腺的初步研究结果。白鱀豚甲状腺的解剖学和组织学结构与其它海豚相似。其甲状腺滤泡呈圆形或椭圆形,滤泡胶质嗜酸性,滤泡平均直径为106.4微米,滤泡上皮平均高为9.4微米,滤泡旁细胞平均直径为11.0微米。甲状旁腺分布在甲状腺的腹侧面或前、后方,其上皮细胞被结缔组织分隔成团索状。文中并讨论了白鱀豚甲状腺的一些组织形态变化。       

豢养条件下白鱀豚雌雄个体的感情协调及其行为分

为独居6年的雄性白鱀豚“淇淇”成功地介绍了雌性白鱀豚“珍珍”。通过近两年的驯养,已使雌雄豚生活融洽。本文还对不同个体之间的行为关系作了仔细的观察和研究,特别对白鱀豚的性行为和人工饲养条件下繁殖的可行途径作了探讨。     

MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS OF RIVER DOLPHINS INFERRED FROM COMPLETE MITOCHONDRIAL CYTOCHROME-B GENE SEQUENCES

1,140 bp of the complete mitochondrial cytochrome- b gene sequences of baiji ( Lipotes vexillifer ), franciscana ( Pontoporia blainvillei ), and Ganges river dolphin ( Platanista gangetica gangetica ) were determined to address the systematic position and phylogeny of extant river dolphins with combination of homologous sequences of other cetaceans. The neighbor-joining (NJ), maximum parsimony (MP), and maximum likelihood (ML) phylogenetic analyses all identified the river dolphins into three lineages, i. e., Platanista, Lipotes , and Inia + Pontoporia . The Lipotes did not have sister relationship with either Platanista or Inia + Pontoporia , which strongly supported the referral of Lipotes to a separate family, i. e. , Lipotidae. There were very high sequence divergences between all river dolphin genera, suggesting a relatively longer period of separation time than those among other odontocete families.     

Tissue-type plasminogen activator in rat adrenal medulla

Summary Rat adrenal glands were stained immunocytochemically using antibodies against plasminogen activators of the tissue-type (t-PA) and urokinase-type (u-PA). A subpopulation of the cells in the adrenal medulla showed intense cytoplasmic t-PA immunoreactivity, while no u-PA immunoreactivity was detected in any adrenal cells. Fluorescence microscopy of adjacent sections demonstrated that the cells stained for t-PA contained noradrenalin. Analysis with a histochemical fibrin slide technique demonstrated a plasminogen-dependent fibrinolysis in the adrenal medulla. SDS-PAGE of adrenal gland extracts followed by zymography established the molecular weight of this plasminogen activator to be similar to that of rat t-PA. In addition SDS-PAGE followed by immunoblotting with anti-t-PA IgG of adrenal gland extracts revealed one band with an electrophoretic mobility indistinguishable from that found in the zymography. When tissue-sections and immunoblots were incubated with antibodies absorbed with highly purified t-PA no staining was found. In view of the previous finding of t-PA in growth hormone-containing cells of the pituitary gland, these findings substantiate that t-PA can be found in the intact normal organism outside endothelial cells, and further point to t-PA having a function in endocrine cells.     

Tissue-type plasminogen activator in rat adrenal medulla

Rat adrenal glands were stained immunocytochemically using antibodies against plasminogen activators of the tissue-type (t-PA) and urokinase-type (u-PA). A subpopulation of the cells in the adrenal medulla showed intense cytoplasmic t-PA immunoreactivity, while no u-PA immunoreactivity was detected in any adrenal cells. Fluorescence microscopy of adjacent sections demonstrated that the cells stained for t-PA contained noradrenaline. Analysis with a histochemical fibrin slide technique demonstrated a plasminogen-dependent fibrinolysis in the adrenal medulla. SDS-PAGE of adrenal gland extracts followed by zymography established the molecular weight of this plasminogen activator to be similar to that of rat t-PA. In addition SDS-PAGE followed by immunoblotting with anti-t-PA IgG of adrenal gland extracts revealed one band with an electrophoretic mobility indistinguishable from that found in the zymography. When tissue-sections and immunoblots were incubated with antibodies absorbed with highly purified t-PA no staining was found. In view of the previous finding of t-PA in growth hormone-containing cells of the pituitary gland, these findings substantiate that t-PA can be found in the intact normal organism outside endothelial cells, and further point to t-PA having a function in endocrine cells.     

Chronic stress and high sucrose intake cause distinctive morphometric effects in the adrenal glands of post-weaned rats

We investigated the effects of chronic stress combined with high sucrose intake on the morphology of the adrenal glands in young rats. Male Wistar rats were fed a standard chow diet and allocated into control (C; tap water), chronic restraint stress (St), 30% sucrose diet (S30) and 30% sucrose diet + chronic restraint stress (S30 + St) groups. St consisted of 1 h daily sessions, 5 days/week for 4 weeks. Chronic stress reduced the thickness of the zona glomerulosa (ZG) and zona fasciculata (ZF) in both right and left glands; the thickness of the zona reticularis (ZR) was increased in the right gland. Cell density was greater in the ZF and medulla of both right and left glands, whereas cell density increased in the ZR of only the left gland. The percentage of small cells was lower in the ZG, whereas more large cells were found in the left gland. A similar result was obtained for the ZF, ZR and medulla in both right and left glands. Chronic stress increased the area covered by blood vessels in the ZR of the right gland, but decreased the area in the ZR of the left gland. The area covered by blood vessels was reduced in the medulla of both right and left glands in rats subjected to chronic stress. Infiltration of immune cells was increased by chronic stress in all layers of the cortex of the left gland, but was reduced in the medulla of the right gland. A high sucrose diet reduced the thickness of the medulla in the left gland. Cell proliferation increased in the ZG of the right gland and the weight of the right adrenal gland increased. Reduced cell proliferation in the ZG of the left gland was associated with a reduction in the area covered by blood vessels. In addition, the area covered by blood vessels decreased in the medulla of both glands. Our findings demonstrate that exposure to chronic stress during early life causes morphometric changes in adrenal glands.     

Opioid peptides in adrenal gland

Enkephalin-like immunoreactive peptides have been observed in adrenal glands of all species studied with the highest contents found in dogs and cows, and the lowest in rats. These peptides are located both in gland cells and in afferent nerve terminals. Bovine adrenal glands contain opioid peptides in many molecular forms. The peptides include a group of low molecular weight forms (M.W. <1000) which are capable of binding to the opiate receptor, and a group of high molecular weight forms (M.W. >1000) which contain enkephalin within their peptide sequence, but are devoid of opioid activity unless treated with trypsin. The physiological role(s) of the adrenal enkephalin-like material is not clear at present. However, it has been observed that nicotine-stimulated release of catecholamine from isolated chromaffin cells can be reduced by opiate agonists, suggesting that enkephalin-like peptide in nerve terminals may act on chromaffin cells. Several lines of evidence suggest that enkephalin-like peptides in gland cells can be released into the bloodstream.     

淡水豚类分子系统发生的研究

测定了白暨豚和恒河豚细胞色素ｂ基因３０７ｂｐ的ＤＮＡ序列,并与其它鲸类的相应序列合并,分析了淡水豚类（恒河豚、印河豚、白暨豚、亚河豚和弗西豚）的系统学位置和系统发生。淡水豚类不同属间的序列差异已达到或超过了其它齿鲸类科间的差异水平,因此它们分别归属于不同的科,即恒河豚科、白暨豚科、亚河豚科和弗西豚科。系统发生分析支持淡水豚类和海豚类之间具有下述的关系：（恒河豚科（（白暨豚科（亚河豚科,弗西豚科））海豚总科））。即淡水豚的４个科中,恒河豚科是最早分化的一支,其次是白暨豚科,然后是亚河豚科和弗西豚科的分化。白暨豚科和亚河豚科＋弗西豚科组成海豚总科的姊妹群,并与海豚总科一同组成海豚下目。恒河豚与其它淡水豚类间无直接的亲缘关系。淡水豚类是并系的。把恒河豚类独立为恒河豚总科是合理的。初步认为有理由把白暨豚类也作为一个总科级的支系。恒河豚和印河豚间的序列差异极小,两者可能只是同一个种的２个亚种。     

Hypertrophy and altered activity of the adrenal cortex in Homer 1 knockout mice

Homer 1 gene products are involved in synaptic transmission and plasticity, and hence, distinct behavioral abnormalities, including anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, have been observed in Homer 1 knockout (KO) mice. Here we report that Homer 1 KO mice additionally exhibit a pronounced endocrine phenotype, displaying a profoundly increased adrenal gland weight and increased adrenal/body weight ratio. Histological examinations of Homer 1 deficient adrenal glands revealed an increased size of the adrenal cortex, especially the sizes of the zona fasciculata and zona glomerulosa. Moreover, the plasma corticosterone and aldosterone were higher in Homer 1 KO than wild-type (WT) mice while the plasma ACTH levels were not different between the genotypes. The in vivo ACTH test revealed that corticosterone and aldosterone plasma levels were higher in saline injected Homer 1 KO mice than in WT mice (saline injected mice served as controls for the respective groups of ACTH-injected animals), but the magnitude of steroid responses to ACTH was similar in both genotypes. In contrast, an in vitro experiment performed on isolated cells of adrenal cortex clearly showed increased production of both steroids in response to ACTH in Homer 1 KO cells, which is in line with an ~8-fold increase in the expression of ACTH receptor mRNA in the adrenal cortex of these mutants. These results, together with the detection of Homer 1 mRNA and protein in the adrenal cortex of WT mice, indicate that Homer 1 directly affects the steroidogenic function of the adrenal glands.