Transcytosis in the epididymis studied by local arterial perfusion

Summary The transport of protein across the cells of the epididymal epithelium was studied using horseradish peroxidase. Transient vascular perfusion of the epididymis of the rat and golden hamster was achieved by pulsatile retrograde infusion into the testicular artery. Peroxidase was found in the interstitium and in the epithelium, located in vesicles, vacuoles and multivesicular bodies of principal, clear and apical cells. Similar findings were obtained in mice after systemic injection of the tracer. In the rat, discharge to the lumen was confirmed by the appearance of enzyme activity in luminal fluid from the caput epididymidis after local injection. The extent of transport amounted to no more than what has been considered leakage in physiological experiments, and the time-course of appearance complemented that found by electron microscopy. The level of transcytosis after pulsatile administration of peroxidase in vivo, as judged from the occurrence of tracer in the epithelium, was much less than that obtained during constant immersion in vitro. The protein was present in multivesicular bodies of principal cells and in vesicles of clear cells at short times after presentation in vitro, when it could not have arrived by endocytosis from the lumen. This suggests that routing of basal endocytic vesicles to the lysosomal apparatus occurs.     

Effects of growth hormone-releasing hormone on somatotrophs in anterior pituitary gland allografts in hypophysectomized,orchidectomized hamsters

Summary We investigated the influences of growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) on the percentage, size, and shape of somatotrophs in ectopic anterior pituitary tissue. Entire pituitary glands removed from 7-week-old male hamsters were placed beneath the renal capsules of 12-week-old hamsters that had been hypophysectomized and castrated 3 weeks previously. Beginning 6 days after each host had received a single allograft, each was injected subcutaneously twice daily with 4 g GHRH in 100 l of vehicle or 100 l of vehicle for 16 days. Six hosts in each group were killed by decapitation on day 17, 16 h after the last injection. Nine normal male hamsters were also decapitated and their pituitary glands were removed. Sections of anterior pituitary tissue were stained for GH and with hematoxylin. The percentage of anterior pituitary cells that stained for growth hormone was similar in the 3 groups. In contrast, somatotrophs in grafts had a smaller mean cross-sectional area than those observed in glands in situ. This effect was reversed by GHRH. Analysis of the shape of somatotrophs in both groups of grafts disclosed that they were less circular in cross-section than those in glands in situ. The results suggest that GHRH may not play a role in maintaining the percentage of somatotrophs among anterior pituitary cells, but that it does play a role in maintaining their size.     

Leishmania donovani: Acquired resistance to visceral leishmaniasis in the golden hamster

The ability to acquire resistance to visceral leishmaniasis was studied in the golden hamster. Hamsters were infected subcutaneously with Leishmania donovani and challenged 6 weeks later by an intracardial route of inoculation. Parasitization in previously infected and control hamsters after challenge was followed by spleen and liver impression smears. Hamsters receiving a previous subcutaneous infection showed significantly lower numbers of visceral parasites after challenge than control animals. Differences in parasitization between the two groups were detectable as early as 2 days after challenge. Promastigotes and both hamster or cotton rat infected spleen tissue were effective in inducing acquired resistance to infection. The golden hamster is discussed as a model for the study of immunity to kala-azar.     

Vocal communication in captive golden monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellanae)

The Sichuan golden snub-nosed monkey,Rhinopithecus roxellanae, is an endangered Colobine endemic to China. The behavior and biology of this species are little known, and it has rarely been kept in captivity outside China. Results from 42 hr of observations of a male-female golden monkey pair provide preliminary information on the vocal behavior of this species in captivity. Vocalizations by the animals often occurred within antiphonal sequences, which were primarily initiated by the female. Sequences were brief (2–3 calls), showed little or no temporal overlap, and were emitted primarily when the animals were distal from one another, suggesting that sequences may function as contact calls in nature. Some vocalizations appeared to be cryptic, i.e. unaccompanied by mouth or body movement, and these were observed more often than noncryptic calls in both animals. Vocal communication appears to be complex in this species, and remains poorly understood.     

A dense-cored filamentous body in Leydig cells of the golden hamster

Summary A unique cytoplasmic structure has been observed in Leydig cells of the golden hamster. It consists of a laminar core made up of electron dense material surrounded by a filamentous matrix of lower density, and is tentatively called a dense-cored filamentous body (DCFB). DCFBs vary in overall size and in configuration of the centrally disposed dense lamina. They are typically located in the vicinity of the centrosome and the Golgi complex. The body has no limiting membrane, and may be in contact with virtually every type of organelle. The DCFB is well developed in active Leydig cells, whereas it is small in the quiescent stage of the secretory cell. It is likely that the DCFB is a constant organelle in the hamster Leydig cell and may be involved in the physiological function of the Leydig cell, which remains to be specified.This work was supported in part by a grant from the National Science Council, the Republic of China (NSC-66B-0412-02-13)     

古田山国家级自然保护区白颈长尾雉的分布格局及其季节变化

为了解浙江省古田山国家级自然保护区内白颈长尾雉(Syrmaticus ellioti)的分布格局和季节变化, 2014年5月至2016年4月, 我们对其进行了为期2年的网格化监测。共有44个公里网格拍摄到白颈长尾雉, 独立探测数量为211次, 雌雄性比为1 : 1.64。白颈长尾雉主要分布在实验区和缓冲区, 其探测率在常绿落叶阔叶混交林、杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata)林、针阔叶混交林、人工油茶(Camellia oleifera)林和常绿阔叶林中依次递减, 主要分布在海拔600-800 m。冬、春两季, 白颈长尾雉活动强度和区域相对较小, 而夏、秋两季活动强度和区域相对增加, 其分布在海拔段(F_4,12 = 3.76, P < 0.05)和季节间(F_3,12 = 3.34, P < 0.05)都存在显著差异。对海拔和气候因子进行回归分析发现, 日平均气温和海拔对白颈长尾雉是否出现均有极显著影响(P < 0.01); 白颈长尾雉月探测率和探测到白颈长尾雉位点的海拔均与月平均气温呈极显著正相关(P < 0.001), 而与月平均降水量无显著线性关系(P > 0.05)。这表明白颈长尾雉的活动在很大程度上受海拔和气温影响, 随月平均气温的升高有向高海拔迁移的趋势。模型选择和多模型推断显示, 最优模型仅保留“100 m内水源”这一个变量, 次优模型是“100 m内水源 × 海拔”, 最优和次优模型的权重分别为0.18和0.14, “100 m内水源”和“海拔”是影响白颈长尾雉在保护区内分布的重要因子, 重要值分别为0.82和0.51。因此, 白颈长尾雉的分布并非仅由某一个或几个环境变量决定, 而是由多个环境变量共同决定。气温的变化和对不同海拔段的选择是导致白颈长尾雉形成不同季节分布格局的原因。     

雄性川金丝猴对雌性的受孕认知与等级识别

社会认知是群居动物适应复杂环境和社会生活能力的体现,致力于理解自身、他人与社会。认知有利于促进利益分配的优化,而行为认知策略则是关注的热点问题。但迄今为止,川金丝猴如何进行社会地位与受孕状态等基础认知尚不清楚。本研究通过投食招引,在个体识别和等级判定的基础上,以栖息于秦岭观音山自然保护区熊猫谷景区的一个半野生川金丝猴群为对象,采用瞬时扫描和焦点动物取样法,观察并收集了猴群中6个一雄多雌单元成年雌雄个体的空间位置、邀配、交配及产仔行为数据,结合食物密度梯度"同心圆"和受孕周期,推测雌性成功受孕的交配时间段,运用配对t-检验统计证实受孕前后雌性的交配实现率差异显著(t=4.527,P=0.001),表现为受孕前雌性邀配行为获取的雄性响应率明显高于受孕后;通过Spearman相关性检验发现,雌性受孕前的交配实现率(R=0.527,P=0.006)及受孕时间(R=0.556,P=0.049)与自身等级均显著正相关,即高等级雌性邀配行为的雄性响应率及与雄性生殖性交配的时间明显高于或早于低等级雌性。结果表明,雄性川金丝猴拥有认知单元内成年雌性受孕状况和等级地位的能力,这种认知能力影响着雄性的性行为方式。     

Ultrastructure and elemental composition of the eggshell of Reeve’s pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii)

The eggshell of Reeve's pheasant (Syrmaticus reevesii) collected from the Dongzhai National Nature Reserve in Henan Province,China was studied.By using scanning electron microscopy and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) spectrometry,the ultrastructure and elemental composition of the eggshell was determined.The study showed that the average thickness of the surface layer of crystals,the palisade and cone layer,and the eggshell membrane were 20.8,220.8 and 62.5 larn,respectively,accounting for 6.8%,72.6% and 20.6% of the total thickness of the eggshell.There were many vesicular holes in the palisade layer with an average diameter of 0.32±0.08 μm(n = 30).The function of these holes might be significant to air exchange.The shape of the eggshell pore on the surface layer of crystals is round or elliptical.The fracture surface of the pore is funnel-shaped.Some granules filled the upper part of the eggshell pores.The content of 21 elements in the eggshell of wild and captive Reeve's pheasants was compared and presented.It indicated that among the elements that made up the eggshell of the wild pheasant,the content of Ca,Mg,P and S was much higher,ω＞ 1 mg/g,with ω (Ca) being higher than 40% of the eggshell.The contents of Na,Si,Sr,K and A1 were ω = 0.1-1 mg/g,while Fe,Zn,Pb,Mn,Cu,V and Ti had lower concentrations (ω = 1-100 μg/g).The ω ofNi,Cr,Co,Se,Cd were lower than 1 μg/g.The elemental composition in the eggshell of the captive Reeve's pheasant kept in the Dongzhai National Natural Reserve was significantly different from that of the wild species,with a difference of over 20% on S,Cu,Fe,AI,Mn,Si,Sr,Se and Cr.The lower intake of Fe,Mn,Si and Sr on the one hand and the higher intake of S,Cu,Al and Cr on the other hand might be responsible for the low fertility of captive Reeve's pheasants in the Dongzhai National Nature Reserve.In order to ensure that the pheasants are receiving the proper amount of nutrition and to improve their breeding success,the amount of certain elements in the food should be adjusted.     

福寿螺的过冷却研究

福寿螺是IUCN认定的世界100种恶性外来入侵物种之一,在华南地区已对水稻生产造成严重危害。福寿螺属于热带软体动物,采用万用电表联接热敏电阻法研究了福寿螺在低温胁迫下的过冷却点,并探讨了不同个体福寿螺在过冷却发生后的死亡率和体内组织损伤。结果表明: 1)各种螺高的福寿螺冷却点均值为-6.96 ℃,范围在-6.21--7.32 ℃之间,恢复最高体温均值为-4.07 ℃,范围在-3.07--4.93 ℃之间,过冷却后维持时间均值为45.97 min,范围在18.60-75.34 min;2)福寿螺的过冷却点大小受螺高影响,螺高35 mm≤H<45 mm的福寿螺过冷却点显著高于5 mm≤H<15 mm、15 mm≤H<25 mm、25 mm≤H<35 mm体型的福寿螺,5-35 mm螺高的福寿螺过冷却点变化稳定;3)福寿螺在发生过冷却阶段的死亡率在23.33%-36.67%之间,不同体型的福寿螺之间没有显著性差异;4)过冷却后福寿螺死亡率随暴露时间的延长而提高,0到15 min内由20.9%提高到100%,过冷却后暴露时间对福寿螺死亡率影响较大;5)发生过冷却15 min后取出的福寿螺,染色后其外套膜有少量红色出现,而肾部和消化腺部未呈现明显红色,低温胁迫已经对福寿螺组织造成了显著损伤。本研究结果对于进一步探索福寿螺的生态适应性、扩散北界及福寿螺的越冬机制有一定参考价值。     

Winter foraging habitat selection of brown-eared pheasant (Crossoptilon mantchuricum) and the common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) in Huanglong Mountains, Shaanxi Province

The foraging habitat selections of brown-eared pheasant (Crossoptilon mantchuricum) and the common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) were studied in Huanglongshan Nature Reserve Shaanxi, China. Foraging habitat characteristics were measured on the basis of expected differences between species at 183 sites from November to December 2006 and January 2007. The results showed that both species selected foraging habitats with altitude (<1200 m), conifer forest, half sunny and half shady slope, sunny slope, density of trees (<5 individuals/100 m²), cover of shrub (>50%), visibility class (<10%) and distance to water source (<300 m). However, the brown-eared pheasant selected habitats with cover of trees (30–50%), middle or lower slope location, distance to edge of woods (<300 m) and human disturbance (<500 m), and the selection on density of shrub was not observed, compared to the selections on cover of trees (<30%), lower slope location, distance to edge of woods (<500 m) and human disturbance (<300 m), and density of shrub (>500 individuals/100 m²) for common pheasant. We also found that the common pheasant avoid predators by concealment whereas brown-eared pheasant evade predations by running away strategy.