利用恒河婴猴模型对肠道病毒71型传播感染特征的生物学分析

本文在前期工作基础上,进一步对肠道病毒71型(EV71)从恒河婴猴的感染个体向其他未感染个体传播的可能性及相关生物学特性做了初步分析.通过喷雾形式经呼吸道感染1~2月龄恒河婴猴(A组);在观察临床症状同时,于感染后第7天,取该组动物粪便处理后,将上清液以喷雾形式经呼吸道感染新的婴猴个体(B组),随后对该次代感染个体进行...     

UU1、UU3和UU4致昆明小鼠下生殖道致病性的研究

目的:研究解脲脲原体(Ureaplasma Urealyticum,UU)的第1血清型(UU1)、第3血清型(UU3)和第4血清型(UU4)对昆明小鼠下生殖道的致病性。方法:将100只昆明小鼠随机分为5组:空白组、雌二醇组、UU1组、UU3组和UU4组,每组20只;空白组和雌二醇组为对照组,UU1组、UU3组和UU4组为实验组;雌二醇组和实验组雌二醇化后1周,将UU1、UU3和UU4分别接种至UU1、UU3和UU4组小鼠泌尿生殖道,将液体培养基接种至空白组和雌激素组。2周后检测各组小鼠泌尿生殖道的IL-8、SIgA、TNF-α并取小鼠子宫组织行病理检查。结果:实验组小鼠UU接种都获得成功。IL-8、SIgA、TNF-α检测结果显示:实验组和对照组比较有显著性差异;UU4组和UU1组及UU3组比较有显著性差异;空白组和雌二醇组比较无显著性差异;UU1组和UU3组比较无显著性差异。病理显示:UU1、UU3和UU4组昆明小鼠子宫组织有炎细胞浸润,UU4组小鼠宫颈病变更明显。对照组小鼠子宫未见明显改变。结论:UU1、UU3和UU4可能导致昆明小鼠下生殖道产生病理反应;UU4可能短期致病力更强。     

树鼩作为丙型肝炎动物模型的HCV受体研究进展

丙型肝炎病毒(hepatitis C virus,HCV)全球流行、危害严重,合适的小动物模型的缺乏严重阻碍了药物和疫苗的研发。该文介绍丙型肝炎危害与病毒复制特点,以HCV入胞受体为重点,通过比较现有丙型肝炎动物模型,从分子水平探讨树鼩作为丙型肝炎动物模型的可能性。     

A benthic predatory fish does not cause selection on armour traits in three‐spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus (Gasterosteiformes: Gasterosteidae)

Predation can promote divergence between prey populations and contribute to ecological speciation. In theory, predators can also constrain prey population divergence. In coastal British Columbia, Canada, Gasterosteus aculeatus (three‐spined stickleback) species pairs only occur in lakes with a single species of predatory fish: Oncorhynchus clarkii (the cutthroat trout). Similar lakes containing additional predatory fish species (Cottus asper, prickly sculpins; Oncorhynchus mykiss, rainbow trout) contain only single species of morphologically intermediate stickleback, suggesting that these predators prevent the coexistence of stickleback species pairs. We conducted a mesocosm experiment to investigate how prickly sculpins might constrain divergence, by quantifying their impact on survival and natural selection on antipredator (armour) traits in F₂ stickleback from a cross between ecologically divergent populations. We tested three hypotheses: (1) sculpin predation on sticklebacks reduces survival in a way that could result in their exclusion from certain niches; (2) sculpins compete with stickleback; (3) sculpins respond to prey vulnerabilities in similar ways to cutthroat trout, tending to constrain rather than to enhance divergence. We found that sculpins significantly reduce stickleback survival, that their presence per se does not reduce growth in stickleback, and that predation did not result in selection on any of the armour traits measured, or on gill raker length, which is an important trophic trait. These results tend to refute hypotheses (2) and (3), while supporting hypothesis (1). © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 104 , 877–885.     

Preference for structured environment in zebrafish (Danio rerio) and checker barbs (Puntius oligolepis)

Information about the welfare and husbandry of pet and laboratory fish is scarce although millions of fish are sold in pet shops and used in laboratory research every year. Inadequate housing conditions can cause behavioural problems also in fish since they are complex animals with sophisticated behaviour. In this study, we investigated the influence of environmental complexity on compartment preference and behaviour in zebrafish (Danio rerio) and checker barbs (Puntius oligolepis). For the preference test, large aquaria were divided by two semi-transparent walls of Plexiglas into an empty compartment, a structured compartment enriched with plants and clay pots, and a smaller compartment in-between, where food was provided. For observation, the empty and structured compartments were divided into six zones of similar size by defining three vertical layers and two horizontal areas (back vs. front area). Seven groups of six to nine zebrafish and seven groups of seven or eight checker barbs were observed on four days each (within a time period of ten days) to assess compartment use and activity, and to assess behavioural diversity and use of zones within compartments. Both zebrafish and checker barbs showed a significant preference for the structured compartment. Nevertheless, in neither species did behavioural diversity differ between the empty and structured compartment. Zebrafish used all zones in both compartments to the same extent. Checker barbs, however, used the structured compartment more evenly than the empty compartment, where they mainly used the lower and middle zones. These results suggest that zebrafish and checker barbs have a preference for complex environments. Furthermore, they indicate that the behavioural and ecological needs of fish may vary depending on species, and recommendations for husbandry should be specified at species level.     

Behavioural and physiological stress responses to handling in wild guanacos

Both ethology and physiology can provide insights about stress conditions in wild animals during handling. Lama guanicoe (guanaco) is the major large herbivore inhabiting arid zones in Argentina. Since 2005, the Payún Matrú Cooperative, a business established and run by native people, has captured and handled guanacos for shearing at Payunia Reserve, Mendoza Province, Argentina, to market the species’ fibre for clothing and other products. The aim of our study was to evaluate the behavioural and physiological stress responses to handling of wild guanacos during these shearing activities. We evaluated stress conditions in guanacos by monitoring the frequency of agonistic behaviour in the holding corrals, following capture, the rate of vocalisation and agonistic behaviour during handling, and by estimating cortisol levels in handled animals. Crowding increased agonistic behaviour; this appeared to be related to dominance conflicts between males in the corrals. Time of corralling increased rate of agonistic behaviour and vocalisations during handling. The rate of behavioural stress responses was negatively related to cortisol levels in males; which may be due to animal fatigue or because behavioural stress responses may help mitigate physiological stress responses. Incorporating our results into animal welfare practices could help reduce stress conditions in wild guanacos. Our results suggest that both behavioural and physiological responses are important measures of stress in handled animals, and that behavioural stress responses cannot be used as a simple surrogate for glucocorticoid levels.     

Rapid recovery of mammal fauna in the central Kimberley,northern Australia,following the removal of introduced herbivores

Australia has lost more native mammal species than any other country in the past two centuries, and this record of loss looks likely to worsen over the next few decades. Small‐ to medium‐sized mammals are declining in both distribution and density across large tracts of northern Australia's tropical savannas, including within protected areas. The most likely causes are a combination of changed fire patterns, the impacts of introduced herbivores and predation by feral cats. Here, in contrast to the prevailing trend across northern Australia, we report the recovery of native mammals in response to a large‐scale (>40 000 ha) destocking experiment carried out at Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary in the central Kimberley, north‐west Australia. Following the removal of introduced herbivores from 2004, the species richness and abundance of small native rodents and dasyurids increased significantly across all sampled habitats over the next 3 years. We discuss the implications of these results for guiding land management and applied research to help to reduce the impending risk of mammalian extinctions in northern Australia.     

Robustness of archaeal populations in anaerobic co-digestion of dairy and poultry wastes

The objective of this study is to investigate the responses of methanogen populations to poultry waste addition by comparing the archaeal microbial populations in continuous anaerobic digesters with or without the addition of poultry waste as a co-substrate. Poultry waste was characterized as an organic/nitrogen-rich substrate for anaerobic digestion. Supplementing dilute dairy waste with poultry waste for anaerobic co-digestion to increase organic loading rate by 50% resulted in improved biogas production. Elevated ammonia derived from poultry waste did not lead to process inhibition at the organic loadings tested, demonstrating the feasibility of the anaerobic co-digestion of dairy and poultry wastes for improved treatment efficiency. The stability of the anaerobic co-digestion process was linked to the robust archaeal microbial community, which remained mostly unchanged in community structure following increases in organic loading and ammonia levels. Surprisingly, Crenarchaeota archaeal populations, instead of the Euryarchaeota methanogens, dominated the archaeal communities in the anaerobic digesters. The ecological functions of these abundant non-methanogen archaeal populations in anaerobic digestion remain to be identified.     

光学分子影像技术及其在药物研发领域的应用

光学分子影像技术是一种发展迅速的生物医学影像技术,能够利用生物发光技术或荧光蛋白等,对生物体内特定的生物过程进行无创的定性或定量研究。应用该技术可以对药物进行筛选,选取具有潜在治疗效果的药物进行后续研究,而终止对可能无效药物的研究,同时可以评价药物对肿瘤的代谢、增殖、血管形成、凋亡和组织乏氧等方面的影响。本文主要介绍光学分子影像技术及其在药物研发,尤其是抗肿瘤药物研发领域的应用。     

In vitro fibrolytic potential of anaerobic rumen fungi from ruminants and non-ruminant herbivores

In the present study, anaerobic fungi were isolated from different ruminants and non-ruminants; i.e., cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats, wild bluebulls, elephants, deer, and zebras; and were identified as Anaeromyces, Orpinomyces, Caecomyces, Piromyces, and Neocallimastix sp., based on their morphological characteristics. These isolates possessed significant in vitro hydrolytic enzyme activities; however, an isolate of Caecomyces sp. from elephant was found to exhibit maximum activity, i.e., filter paper cellulase (Fpase; 21.4 mIU/ml), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMCase; 15.1 mIU/ml), cellobiase (37.4 mIU/ml), and xylanase (26.0 mIU/ml). Besides, this isolate also showed the significantly highest ability to digest plant cell-wall contents in vitro. The in vitro dry matter digestibility increased from 45.1 to 48.9% after 48 h of incubation, and the plant cell-wall contents, in terms of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber, decreased from 64.2 to 61.3% and from 31.3 to 29.6%, respectively. These results indicate that such fibrolytic ruminal fungal strains are prevalent in wild herbivores such as elephants, as well as in other ruminants and non-ruminants, and could be exploited as microbial feed additives for improved nutrition and productivity in domesticated ruminants.