长爪沙鼠资源开发利用进展

长爪沙鼠是源于我国的＂多功能＂实验动物资源,在某些研究领域发挥重要作用。随着研究深入,越来越多的长爪沙鼠生物学特性将被发现,这些将使长爪沙鼠资源利用更加多元化。本文对长爪沙鼠的开发研究历程及在分类学、寄生虫学、脑缺血、脂质代谢、神经性疾病和肿瘤学等研究中的应用作简要概述。     

长爪沙鼠家庭内的攻击行为可调整其生理特征

长爪沙鼠家庭动态变化所导致的社群压力是一个很少被描述的现象。本研究测定了72只长爪沙鼠的一些生理参数,包括器官重(肝脏、肾脏和脾脏)和血液的生化指标(胆固醇、甘油三酯、葡萄糖和丙氨酸转氨酶)。此外,对家庭内攻击过程中动物的全血细胞数变化也进行了检测。以家庭为单位,所有动物被置于半圈养的实验室条件下,自由取食和饮水。家庭内被攻击的雄性个体的腹下腺显著减小(Mann-WhitneyU-TestU=48.0,P=0.04)。以绝对体重和去脂体重校正后,受到攻击个体的肝脏重量也显著高于未受攻击的个体(肝脏绝对重量Mann-WhitneyU-TestU=169,P=0.02;肝脏相对重量即占去脂体重的百分比U=166,P=0.02),但肾脏重量则显著低于未受攻击的个体(绝对肾脏重量Mann-WhitneyU-TestU=183.5,P=0.04;相对肾脏重量U=137,P=0.005)。被攻击个体的白细胞(U=11.0,P=0.02)和血小板(U=6.0,P=0.004)都显著增加。同时也发现分解作用产生的代谢物有所不同。被攻击的个体具有较高的胆固醇含量(U=13.5,P=0.005)和较低的丙氨酸转氨酶含量(U=13.0,P=0.006)。结果表明家庭内的攻击行为是直接针对那些地位较低的成员,导致其能量物质的释放增加,同时激活了免疫系统以应对由于攻击导致的身体损伤的增加。     

Z:ZCLA长爪沙鼠微卫星标记的遗传多态性研究

通过对9个微卫星座位的扩增,研究了Z：ZCLA长爪沙鼠的遗传多态性。结果表明,Z：ZCLA长爪沙鼠在其中1个位点上只有一个等位基因,在其它位点上均有2～4个等位基因,平均等位基因数2．6个。平均杂合度0．4684,平均多态信息量0．4166,平均有效等位基因数2．1756。全群基因纯合度从0．1111～0．5555,平均0．3389,提示目前本群遗传多样性水平处于中度多态。     

长爪沙鼠与黑线仓鼠的温度选择比较

本文使用自制的陆生动物温度选择仪,对长爪沙鼠和黑线仓鼠的温度选择进行了比较,结果表明,长爪沙鼠的选择温度(29.06±0.62℃)较黑线仓鼠(26.65±0.64℃)高。这种差异可能与两种鼠的栖息环境及昼夜节律的不同有关。     

脑缺血及复灌中胞浆50kD蛋白反磷酸化变化

目的和方法：采用蒙古沙土鼠双侧颈总动脉结扎（ＢＣＡＯ） 前脑缺血／复灌模型,通过放射性自显影,观察脑缺血及复灌时胞浆５０ ｋＤ等蛋白在有Ｃａ２ ＋／ＣａＭ 及无Ｃａ２ ＋／ＣａＭ 两种反应条件下反磷酸化（ｂａｃｋｐｈｏｓｐｈｏｒｙｌａｔｉｏｎ） 水平的变化。结果：缺血后,总蛋白激酶介导的５０ ｋＤ蛋白反磷酸化水平逐渐下降,其中,Ｃａ２＋／ＣａＭ 依赖性蛋白激酶介导的５０ ｋＤ蛋白反磷酸化水平逐渐下降,而Ｃａ２＋／ＣａＭ 非依赖性蛋白激酶介导的５０ ｋＤ 蛋白反磷酸化水平逐渐上升;复灌后,上述变化均逐渐有所恢复。结论：脑缺血时,５０ ｋＤ 蛋白在体磷酸化水平逐渐增强,蛋白激酶活性由Ｃａ２ ＋／ＣａＭ 依赖性向Ｃａ２ ＋／ＣａＭ 非依赖性转化,复灌后上述变化均有所恢复     

Brain free fatty acids, edema, and mortality in gerbils subjected to transient, bilateral ischemia, and effect of barbiturate anesthesia

Brain free fatty acids (FFAs) and brain water content were measured in gerbils subjected to transient, bilateral cerebral ischemia under brief halothane anesthesia (nontreated group) and pentobarbital anesthesia (treated group). Mortality in the two groups was also evaluated. In nontreated animals, both saturated and mono- and polyunsaturated FFAs increased approximately 12-fold in total at the end of a 30-min period of ischemia; during recirculation, the level of free arachidonic acid dropped rapidly, while other FFAs gradually decreased to their preischemic levels in 90 min. In treated animals, the levels of total FFAs were lower than the nontreated group during ischemia, but higher at 90 min of reflow, and the decrease in the rate of free arachidonic acid was slower in the early period of reflow. Water content increased progressively during ischemia and recirculation with no extravasation of serum protein, but the values were consistently lower in the treated group. None of the nontreated animals survived for 2 weeks; in contrast, survival was 37.5% in the treated group. It is suggested that barbiturate protection from transient cerebral ischemia may be mediated by the attenuation of both membrane phospholipid hydrolysis during ischemia and postischemic peroxidation of accumulated free arachidonic acid.     

Structure of the parathyroid glands,as revealed by different methods of fixation

Summary Stereology and semi-automatic image analysis were used with the aim of comparing the structure of parathyroid glands from untreated adult Mongolian gerbils fixed by immersion with those fixed by perfusion. Subclassification of the chief cells based upon the staining affinity or electron density of the cytoplasm was readily performed only in glands fixed by immersion, and so-called atrophic cells were observed only in these glands. The atrophic cells were often surrounded by light chief cells. In glands fixed by perfusion, light chief cells were only rarely encountered. A significant difference between glands fixed by immersion and those fixed by perfusion was found only with regard to the form of cells and nuclei, those fixed by perfusion being more spherical. When comparing individual cells within glands fixed by immersion, light chief cells were more spherical and had a significantly larger nuclear and cellular size, and a lower mitochondrial volume density than the intermediate/dark chief cells. Otherwise there were no significant differences in any of the parameters investigated. These data indicate that occurrence of socalled light chief cells and atrophic cells is a result of improper fixation. The results of this study do not favour the concept of a functional cycle with a simultaneous occurrence of active and inactive cells within parathyroid glands.     

Efferent projections from the lateral geniculate nucleus to the pineal complex of the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus)

Summary The intergeniculate leaflet of the lateral geniculate nucleus is considered to modulate circadian activity rhythms probably mediated by a direct neuronal connection to the suprachiasmatic nucleus. The present study in the gerbil demonstrates, by anterograde tracing with Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L), the existence of an additional neuronal projection from a subportion of the lateral geniculate nucleus, involving the intergeniculate leaflet, directly to the pineal gland. PHA-L-immunoreactive nerve fibers originating from perikarya at the injection site were located under the optic tract projecting towards the midsagittal plane. Delicate PHA-L-immunoreactive nerve fibers were observed in the posterior paraventricular thalamic nucleus, precommissural nucleus, olivary pretectal nucleus, anterior and posterior pretectal nuclei, and posterior commissure. Single fibers could be followed from the caudal part of the medial habenular nucleus and the pretectal area into the rostral part of the deep pineal gland. Other fibers continued through the posterior commissure into the contralateral hemisphere to terminate in the same structures as on the ipsilateral side. From the posterior commissure, small bundles of thick fibers entered the deep pineal gland where they arborized among the endocrine cells. A few nerve fibers were observed in the habenular commissure and the pineal stalk, but no fibers were identified in the superficial pineal. This direct geniculo-pineal connection suggests that the pineal gland is directly influenced by the optic system.