Livestock vehicle accidents in Spain: causes, consequences, and effects on animal welfare

Livestock vehicle accidents are rare but involve significant economic, human, and nonhuman farm animal losses. This study obtained information on the characteristics of accidents, the animals involved, and injuries to humans from newspaper reports about livestock vehicle accidents in Spain from January 2000 to December 2008. Most accidents involved pig transport (57%), followed by bovine (30%), poultry (8%), and sheep (5%). Driver mortality was not high (6%), and most accidents (76%) involved only the livestock vehicle, which often was overturned (64%) on a straight road transect (51%). Multivariate analysis of the data suggests 2 types of accidents, depending on the species transported. In the first cluster, 95.3% of the cases involved pig transport with articulated vehicles (60.5%). In the second cluster, 94.4% of the accidents involved small vehicles used for cattle transport (44.4%). The results of this study indicate that the characteristics of livestock vehicle accidents vary according to species. One of the main causes of accidents appears to be driver fatigue, which may be due to several factors such as intense workdays, poorly designed route plans, or high levels of pressure from companies.     

Deaths of cyclists in London 1985-92: the hazards of road traffic.

OBJECTIVE--To determine the characteristics of cyclists and vehicles involved in fatal cycling accidents. DESIGN--Analysis of data routinely collected by police for each accident from January 1985 to December 1992 and held in a national master file (Stats 19) by the Department of Transport. SETTING--Greater London, which comprises inner London (12 boroughs and the City of London) and outer London (20 boroughs). SUBJECTS--178 cyclists who died (78 in inner London and 100 in outer London; age range 3-88). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Associations between characteristics of cyclists, type of vehicle involved, and place of accident. RESULTS--Motor vehicles were involved in 173 deaths. Heavy goods vehicles were involved in 75 deaths (30/100 (30%) in outer London and 45/78 (58%) in inner London); cars in 74 (54/100) (54%) in outer London and 20/78 (26%) in inner London); light goods vehicles in 12/178 (7%); and buses in 6/178 (3%). Thirty five of the people who died were children aged < or = 16. Female cyclists were especially at risk from heavy goods vehicles in inner London (22 deaths), while male cyclists were especially at risk from cars in outer London (50 deaths). DISCUSSION--Cyclists who died in urban areas are more likely to be adults than children. In inner London, in relation to their traffic volume, heavy goods vehicles are estimated to cause 30 times as many cyclists'' deaths as cars and five times as many as buses. Until the factors leading to this excess risk are understood, a ban on heavy goods vehicles in urban areas should be considered.     

应用Weitzman方法分析华中型猪品种的遗传多样性

本文根据华中型20个猪品种27个微卫星DNA标记的研究数据, 应用Weitzman方法, 即通过估计总体遗传多样性、期望多样性、品种对总体遗传多样性的贡献、边际遗传多样性、保种潜力等指标, 评估华中型20个猪品种的遗传多样性, 并通过构建品种间遗传多样性的最大似然树, 图示化展示20个品种间遗传多样性的相互关系。20个华中型猪品种的总体遗传多样性是11,707, 期望多样性占总的遗传多样性的66.96%, 金华猪、皖南花猪、嵊县花猪和乐平猪是对总体遗传多样性贡献最大的4个品种, 其贡献率分别是8.90%、7.46%、7.40%和7.04%, 保种潜力最大的4个品种分别是金华猪、嵊县花猪、杭猪和大花白猪。根据遗传多样性进行聚类分析, 大致可将华中型猪分为3类: 大围子猪、沙子岭猪、宁乡猪等分布于湖南、湖北的品种为一类; 南城猪、嵊县花猪与杭猪聚成另一类; 金华猪与皖南花猪单独聚成一类。研究结果可为我国华中型地方猪种遗传多样性的最大化保护和利用提供科学决策依据, 本文也对Weitzman方法在应用中的关键性问题进行了探讨。     

Food habits of the snow leopard Panthera uncia (Schreber, 1775) in Baltistan, Northern Pakistan

The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) inhabits the high, remote mountains of Pakistan from where very little information is available on prey use of this species. Our study describes the food habits of the snow leopard in the Himalayas and Karakoram mountain ranges in Baltistan, Pakistan. Ninety-five putrid snow leopard scats were collected from four sites in Baltistan. Of these, 49 scats were genetically confirmed to have originated from snow leopards. The consumed prey was identified on the basis of morphological characteristics of hairs recovered from the scats. It was found that most of the biomass consumed (70%) was due to domestic livestock viz. sheep (23%), goat (16%), cattle (10%), yak (7%), and cattle?Cyak hybrids (14%). Only 30% of the biomass was due to wild species, namely Siberian ibex (21%), markhor (7%), and birds (2%). Heavy predation on domestic livestock appeared to be the likely cause of conflict with the local inhabitants. Conservation initiatives should focus on mitigating this conflict by minimizing livestock losses.     

Feeding habits and niche partitioning in a predator guild composed of tigers, leopards and dholes in a temperate ecosystem in central Bhutan

We describe the food habits, niche overlap and prey preferences in a predator guild comprised of tigers Panthera tigris , leopards Panthera pardus and dholes Cuon alpinus in a mountainous region of central Bhutan. Scat analyses revealed that these predators consumed 11 different prey species including livestock and rodents, of which leopards consumed 11. The combined relative occurrence of the three species, sambar Cervus unicolor , muntjac Munticus muntjac and wild pig Sus scrofa , constituted 42.7, 33.7 and 71.1% of the tiger, leopard and dhole diets, respectively, while livestock comprised 44.5, 73.4 and 15.9% of the prey consumed, respectively. Regression equations from earlier feeding trials were used to estimate the relative biomass and the numbers of prey consumed. Results showed that sambar featured more frequently than did muntjac and wild pig in the diets of tiger, leopard and dhole and contributed more relative biomass than did muntjac and wild pig. Sambar, muntjac and wild pig together provided 36.9, 28 and 63.1% of the biomass consumed by tigers, leopards and dholes respectively. All else being equal, there was evidence that all three predators ate livestock less than might have been expected on the basis of the abundance and high biomass of this prey category in the area. There was a high dietary niche overlap between the predators (Pianka's overlap index of 0.58–0.92), with a greater overlap between the two felid species than between the felids and the canid. This study provides evidence of a substantial diet overlap among the three sympatric carnivores, and thus highlights the potential for high intra-guild competition among them, especially given the relatively low density of prey.     

Accidents involving off-road motor vehicles in a northern community.

The increasing number of accidents associated with off-road motor vehicles used for recreational purposes prompted this prospective study. During 1985 the records of victims of all motor vehicle accidents who were seen at the Hudson Bay Union Hospital, Hudson Bay, Sask., were studied; patients involved in on-road vehicle accidents were included for comparison. Emphasis was placed on age, vehicle type, mechanism of accident, injury severity and the use of safety features. Almost half of the victims of off-road vehicle accidents were under 16 years of age. The poor adherence to government legislation and manufacturer recommendations was evident in the number of people who did not wear helmets or use headlights.     

Injury patterns in cyclists attending an accident and emergency department: a comparison of helmet wearers and non-wearers.

OBJECTIVES--To study circumstances of bicycle accidents and nature of injuries sustained and to determine effect of safety helmets on pattern of injuries. DESIGN--Prospective study of patients with cycle related injuries. SETTING--Accident and emergency department of teaching hospital. SUBJECTS--1040 patients with complete data presenting to the department in one year with cycle related injuries, of whom 114 had worn cycle helmets when accident occurred. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Type of accident and nature and distribution of injuries among patients with and without safety helmets. RESULTS--There were no significant differences between the two groups with respect to type of accident or nature and distribution of injuries other than those to the head. Head injury was sustained by 4/114 (4%) of helmet wearers compared with 100/928 (11%) of non-wearers (P = 0.023). Significantly more children wore helmets (50/309 (16%)) than did adults (64/731 (9%)) (P < 0.001). The incidence of head injuries sustained in accidents involving motor vehicles (52/288 (18%)) was significantly higher than in those not involving motor vehicles (52/754 (7%)) (chi 2 = 28.9, P < 0.0001). Multiple logistic regression analysis of probability of sustaining a head injury showed that only two variables were significant: helmet use and involvement of a motor vehicle. Mutually adjusted odds ratios showed a risk factor of 2.95 (95% confidence interval 1.95 to 4.47, P < 0.0001) for accidents involving a motor vehicle and a protective factor of 3.25 (1.17 to 9.06, P = 0.024) for wearing a helmet. CONCLUSION--The findings suggest an increased risk of sustaining head injury in a bicycle accident when a motor vehicle is involved and confirm protective effect of helmet wearing for any bicycle accident.     

中国机动车总颗粒物排放时空演变特征及驱动因子

机动车尾气颗粒物排放已成为城市空气污染的主要来源,严重影响环境空气质量和人体健康。研究基于2011-2015年中国市级机动车总颗粒物（total particulate matter,TPM）排放量数据,运用空间分析方法从存量和增量角度探究中国机动车TPM排放的时空演变特征,进而利用地理探测器模型定量评价其主要驱动因素的影响强度。结果表明：中国机动车TPM排放量呈逐年降低趋势,省会和直辖市是中国机动车TPM排放量减少的主要贡献者。省会和直辖市的机动车TPM排放量和减排量最大,其各年均值均超全国市级年均值的2倍。中国机动车TPM排放量和减排量均呈东部沿海至西部内陆地区递减趋势,且呈"低排放,高增加;高排放、高减少"的空间分布特征。"低排放,高增加"区域主要集中在中西部地区,特别是西南各省市;"高排放、高减少"区域为以京津冀为核心的泛华北平原地区。机动车TPM排放量的空间集聚性下降,空间随机分布趋势加强,热点区破碎化的空间分布格局日趋显著。地理探测分析表明,机动车TPM排放量受机动车数量的驱动作用最强,其次是机动车的使用强度,受自然环境条件的驱动作用最弱。年平均气温和海拔等自然因素主要通过与人类活动的共同作用显著增强对机动车TPM排放量的解释力。探究机动车颗粒物排放的时空异质特征和驱动因素,对提高中国机动车尾气治理的精准性具有重大意义。     

Losses of mammals (Mammalia) and birds (Aves) on roads in the Slovak part of the Danube Basin

Mortality of mammals and birds due to traffic accidents was monitored in the Slovak part of the Danube Basin from September 2000 to December 2002. Monitored road length was 32 km. The route was inspected by vehicle or on foot 709 times (total of 22,677 km inspected). A total of 3,009 animal carcasses were found. Of these, 45.5% were mammals and 54.5% were birds. Mammals included hamsters (35.7% of killed mammals), mice (14%), brown hares (13.2%), hedgehogs (8.7%), voles (8.5%), Norway rats (6.1%), domestic cats (4.4%) red foxes (3%), polecats (1.9%), weasels (1.2%), and less than 1% other species. Of the bird carcasses, 42.4% were sparrows, 7.6% pheasants, 5.6% swallows, 5.4% long-eared owls, 4.6% martins, 4.4% collared turtle doves, 4.1% domestic pigeons, and 3.2% fieldfares. On average, 3.6 animal carcasses were found per 1 km of monitored route per month. Seasonal mortality differed both in absolute numbers and with respect to the number of species involved. Losses were highest in summer and lowest in winter. Losses in brown hares reached on average 15.5% (maximum 75%), in roe deer 18.8% (maximum 80%) and in pheasants 3.5% (maximum 22%) of the annual bag. Annual financial losses in the study area with regard to game species were 1.9 million Slovakian crowns. In the district of Galanta, to which the study area belongs, on average 21.4 traffic accidents with game occurred annually; most of these were caused by roe deer. Damage to property amounted to 880,000 Slovakian crowns per year.     

Unravelling the physical,technological and economic factors driving the intensification trajectories of livestock systems

Over the past 100 years, the French livestock sector has experienced significant intensification that has occurred in different ways across the country. Specifically, France has changed from a homogeneous state with most of the agricultural area covered by grasslands and a uniform distribution of animals, to a heterogeneous state characterised by an uneven distribution of grasslands, livestock numbers and livestock species. Studying the dynamics of this change is fundamental to the identification of drivers that shaped the various intensification trajectories and led to these different states, as well as to the prediction of future changes. Hence, the objective of this study was to characterise the trajectories undertaken by the French livestock sector to understand the intensification process and the role of socioeconomic, land use and production-related factors. A set of 10 indicators was employed to analyse the main changes between 1938 and 2010, using principal component analysis followed by a clustering of the 88 French departments. Between 1938 and 2010, significant increases in farm size, mechanisation, labour productivity and the stocking rates of monogastrics enabled the French livestock sector to double its production. The most important changes involved mechanisation (with the number of tractors per hectare (ha) rising from 0.0012 to 0.0053), labour productivity (improving from 8.6 to 35.9 ha/worker), livestock production (e.g. milk production increasing from 758 to 1856 l/ha of fodder area) and stocking rates (rising from 0.57 to 0.98 livestock units (LU) per ha). The increased heterogeneity apparent in the patterns of change throughout France’s departments was captured by clustering four trajectories. Two trajectories were formed by departments that experienced strong specialisation towards livestock production, with one type mainly orientated towards high-intensive dairy, poultry and pig landless production systems, and a second type orientated towards extensive beef grazing production systems. Another trajectory corresponded to departments that specialised in crop production with high labour productivity; mixed crop-livestock systems were still maintained at the margins of this group of departments. The fourth trajectory corresponded to the lowest livestock population and productivity levels. The increase in mechanisation during the period was important but uniform, with no significant differences between the trajectories. This typology of intensification trajectories will enable the targeting of specific areas in which the detrimental impacts of livestock intensification require mitigation and provide guidance for future livestock sector developments.     

Is Friday the 13th bad for your health?

OBJECTIVE--To examine the relation between health, behaviour, and superstition surrounding Friday 13th in the United Kingdom. DESIGN--Retrospective study of paired data comparing driving and shopping patterns and accidents. SUBJECTS--Drivers, shoppers, and residents. SETTING--South West Thames region. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Numbers of vehicles on motorways; numbers of shoppers in supermarkets; and hospital admissions due to accidents. RESULTS--There were consistently and significantly fewer vehicles on the southern section of the M25 on Friday the 13th compared with Friday the 6th. The numbers of shoppers were not significantly different on the two days. Admissions due to transport accidents were significantly increased on Friday 13th (total 65 v 45; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS--Friday 13th is unlucky for some. The risk of hospital admission as a result of a transport accident may be increased by as much as 52%. Staying at home is recommended.     

Trophic associations of a dung beetle assemblage (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in a woodland savanna of Botswana

Species richness and abundance of dung beetles were assessed across a range of bait types that acted as surrogates for the food resources available in Chobe National Park, Botswana. These bait types were comprised of the dung of pig (omnivore), cattle (ruminant herbivore dropping fine-fiberd pads), sheep (pellet-dropping ruminant herbivore), and elephant (monogastric, nonruminant herbivore producing coarse-fibered droppings), and chicken livers (carrion). Species richness was similar between traps baited with pig, cattle, and elephant dung but was relatively lower in those baited with sheep dung and carrion. In traps baited with pig dung, abundance was relatively greater than in all other bait types. A cluster analysis of species abundance distributions for the 30 most abundant species identified four different patterns of bait type association at a 60% level of similarity. All but 1 of the 15 species in cluster A were attracted primarily to the dung of omnivores and pad-dropping ruminant herbivores (pig and cattle). All seven species of cluster B were attracted primarily to coarse-fibered, nonruminant herbivore dung (elephant). All four species of cluster C were primarily carrion and pig dung associated, whereas all four species of cluster D were carrion specialists. In conclusion, the most abundant species were attracted to all bait types, but most species were largely specialized to different dung types or carrion, with dung attracting the majority of the fauna in terms of both species richness and abundance.     

Sleep related vehicle accidents.

OBJECTIVES--To assess the incidence, time of day, and driver morbidity associated with vehicle accidents where the most likely cause was the driver falling asleep at the wheel. DESIGN--Two surveys were undertaken, in southwest England and the midlands, by using police databases or on the spot interviews. SUBJECTS--Drivers involved in 679 sleep related vehicle accidents. RESULTS--Of all vehicle accidents to which the police were summoned, sleep related vehicle accidents comprised 16% on major roads in southwest England, and over 20% on midland motorways. During the 24 hour period there were three major peaks: at around 0200, 0600, and 1600. About half these drivers were men under 30 years; few such accidents involved women. CONCLUSIONS--Sleep related vehicle accidents are largely dependent on the time of day and account for a considerable proportion of vehicle accidents, especially those on motorways and other monotonous roads. As there are no norms for the United Kingdom on road use by age and sex for time of day with which to compare these data, we cannot determine what the hourly exposure v risk factors are for these subgroups. The findings are in close agreement with those from other countries.     

Interactions between propagule pressure and seed traits shape human-mediated seed dispersal along roads

Human-mediated dispersal along the road network is a crucial process in the population dynamics of roadside vegetation and during plant invasions. The potential for a species to be dispersed by vehicles is, however, difficult to quantify. The predictive power of categorical classification schemes of human-mediated dispersal is limited as many species that are usually attributed to particular primary dispersal vectors may become subject to very different secondary dispersal vectors owing to human activity. Analysing seed traits that promote seed transport by human dispersal vectors could overcome these limitations. However, the analysis has to account for the divergent chance of seed transport that results from different propagule pressures along the transport corridor.To reveal the effects of seed traits and their interplay with propagule pressure on the chance and magnitude of human-mediated dispersal by vehicles, we compared traits and regional frequencies of a set of species that were dispersed by vehicles to a control set not dispersed but present in the same study area. We then used the same traits for a comparison of intentionally and unintentionally introduced species with the flora of Berlin.Different traits influenced the chance of vehicle dispersal and its magnitude. While propagule pressure was most important for determining the magnitude of seed transport, small seed mass and size best predicted the absolute chance of species dispersal by vehicles. The dispersal of nonnative species was least dependent on propagule pressure.Seed traits that were important in vehicle dispersal were similarly reflected in unintentionally introduced species in the Berlin flora. Mean seed size of these species was lower compared to the entire Berlin flora, whereas it was higher for intentionally introduced species. This suggests that unintentional introduction of nonnative plant species pre-selects for seed traits that promote further spread by human-mediated adhesive dispersal.Probability and magnitude of adhesive seed transport by vehicles can be predicted by dispersal-related plant traits. However, the effect size of plant traits on dispersal strongly depends on regional propagule pressure. This highlights the need to analyse interactions between species traits and propagule pressure.     

西藏墨脱格当乡野生虎捕食家畜现状与保护建议

曾经在西藏东南的阔叶林中广泛分布的孟加拉虎,目前仅有一个小种群残留在墨脱县境内。2000年5－6月间,在大型家畜遭受野生虎捕食最严重的墨脱县格当乡展开调查,试图寻找减轻虎害的方法。结果表明：1994－1995年虎的捕食率达到最高,对牛和骡马的捕食率分别是17．9％和9．4％;但1996年后,捕食率分别降低到7．8％和1．8％,这可能与1996年当地曾捕杀过一头虎有关。1993－1999年间,全乡牛的数量下降了11％,但骡马数量上升了23％,这是因为当地为增加运输能力而从别处购得骡马。据反映,目前格当乡境内大约有4－5头虎。1997年和1999年,均见母虎和小虎同行,说明该种群尚有繁殖。在抽样的21户居民家中,1999年4月到2000年5月间,66．6％的人家有大型牲畜遭虎捕杀,共损失牛27头,马12匹,而自1993年以来,21户中共有18户（85．8％）,有牲畜被杀记录,共计损失117头。其中对牛的捕食率达19．7％,对马达11．9％,平均每户损失牛1．2头,骡马0．5匹。非法狩猎减少了虎的猎物如野猪、羚牛等的数量,是老虎转向家畜的主要原因之一。虎害已对格当乡群众的经济造成较大负面影响。但格当乡以及周边地区保护着中国最后的野生孟加拉虎种群,为确保虎的长期生存同时减少人－虎冲突,建议改变目前放牧方式,尽可能联合放牧、增加看护;改善放牧地条件,清除牧场周围蕨草丛;减少对羚牛等有蹄类的猎杀,以减少对老虎猎物种群的破坏;对部分家畜移入棚内试行圈养,既保护家畜,又提高乳制品产量和增加农家肥料;实行多种经营方法,建议养一些山羊和家禽;政府应该帮助安置好部分愿意外迁的居民,这样既满足这些居民的需要,同时也减轻对当地野生动物种群的压力。     

Grassland connectivity by motor vehicles and grazing livestock

In addition to habitat loss and fragmentation, agricultural change has led to a change in seed dispersal processes in the rural landscape through a loss of structural and functional connectivity. Here, human‐mediated dispersal vectors are prevalent, and we explored whether the loss of connectivity via free‐ranging livestock could be mitigated by the increase in roads and motor vehicles. We found that structurally, 39% of all valuable semi‐natural grassland habitats in southern Sweden are adjacent to public road verges, which in the rural landscape are often considered to be suitable habitat for grassland species. Additionally, by collecting mud attached to cars and farming machinery and manure from livestock (cattle, horse, sheep) grazing semi‐natural grassland pasture, we found that motor vehicles are also capable seed dispersers. A similar number of species were dispersed by both vectors, although the composition of samples was quite different. Motor vehicles dispersed more grassland specialists than invasive species, although in much lower abundances than did grazing livestock. Despite these differences, motor vehicles were found to be able to disperse species with the same kinds of dispersal traits as livestock. A high number of seeds, species and specialists in manure samples means that greater movement of livestock is desirable to increase functional grassland connectivity. However, effective management could improve the suitability of roadsides as grassland corridors and increase the availability of seeds for long‐distance human‐mediated dispersal via cars and tractors. Our results suggest that in many rural landscapes, connectivity by road networks could help mediate habitat loss and fragmentation of grasslands. However, such effects can be context dependent, and the connectivity provided by roads could have serious negative consequences in other regions.     

Steady-state balance model to calculate the indoor climate of livestock buildings, demonstrated for finishing pigs

The indoor climate of livestock buildings is of importance for the well-being and health of animals and their production performance (daily weight gain, milk yield etc). By using a steady-state model for the sensible and latent heat fluxes and the CO₂ and odour mass flows, the indoor climate of mechanically ventilated livestock buildings can be calculated. These equations depend on the livestock (number of animals and how they are kept), the insulation of the building and the characteristics of the ventilation system (ventilation rate). Since the model can only be applied to animal houses where the ventilation systems are mechanically controlled (this is the case for a majority of finishing pig units), the calculations were done for an example of a finishing pig unit with 1000 animal places. The model presented used 30 min values of the outdoor parameters temperature and humidity, collected over a 2-year period, as input. The projected environment inside the livestock building was compared with recommended values. The duration of condensation on the inside surfaces was also calculated. Received: 8 March 1999 / Revised: 1 November 1999 / Accepted: 4 November 1999     

A comparative study on the integration of exogenous DNA into mouse, rat, rabbit, and pig genomes.

Transgenic mammals, from small laboratory rodents to domestic animals, have been successfully produced to date, but their production efficiency within or across species has been variable. This is probably due to the differences in the type of injected DNA and/or technical procedures employed in each laboratory, as well as the reproductive characteristics of the species. Here we report the direct comparison of the efficiencies of producing transgenic mice, rats, rabbits and pigs by one technician using a fusion gene composed of the bovine alpha S1-casein promoter and human growth hormone (hGH) gene. Before the fusion gene was injected into the zygotes, high magnitude centrifugation to visualize the pronuclei was necessary for all of the pig zygotes and one-third of the rabbit zygotes, but not for mouse and rat zygotes. Post-injection survival of the mouse zygotes (67.1%) was lower than those of the rat, rabbit and pig zygotes (89.6 to 100%). The volume change of the pronucleus following DNA injection was the lowest in mice (50% increase), moderate in rabbits (148% increase), and the most prominent in rats (238% increase). The data from only 1 pig zygote indicated a 22% increase in the pronucleus volume by DNA injection. The PCR analyses of the tail DNA of new born offspring indicated that 0.8% (4/493), 4.8% (22/463), 0.8% (3/367) and 0.9% (2/221) of the injected eggs in mice, rats, rabbits and pigs, respectively, developed into transgenic offspring. Some of the founder animals in all four species expressed the transgene in the mammary gland which was confirmed in hGH mRNA by RT-PCR and/or hGH peptide in Witch's milk with ELISA. These results suggest that the maximum volume of DNA solution injectable into the pronucleus is a possible factor explaining the species differences in the production of transgenic animals.     

Nucleoside transport in heart: species differences in nitrobenzylthioinosine binding, adenosine accumulation, and drug-induced potentiation of adenosine action

The site-specific binding of the potent and selective nucleoside transport inhibitor, [3H]nitrobenzylthioinosine (NBMPR), to the nucleoside transport system of cardiac membranes of several species was investigated. The affinity of [3H]NBMPR for these sites ranged from 0.03 nM in rat to 0.78 nM in dog. The maximal binding capacity of cardiac membranes for [3H]NBMPR was also species dependent and was greatest in bovine and guinea pig heart (2551 and 1700 fmol/mg protein, respectively) and least in rat (195 fmol/mg protein). The affinities of recognized nucleoside transport inhibitors and benzodiazepines for these transport inhibitory sites in guinea pig and rat heart were estimated by studying the inhibition of the site-specific binding of [3H]NBMPR in competition experiments. These values were compared with their inhibitory effects on the transporter-dependent accumulation of [3H]adenosine in guinea pig and rat cardiac muscle segments and with their ability to potentiate the negative inotropic action of adenosine in electrically driven guinea pig and rat left atria. In guinea pig heart, the recognized nucleoside transport inhibitors and benzodiazepines had an order of affinity (dilazep greater than hydroxynitrobenzylthioguanosine greater than dipyridamole greater than hexobendine much greater than lidoflazine much greater than flunitrazepam greater than diazepam greater than lorazepam greater than flurazepam) for the NBMPR site which was similar to those for the inhibition of [3H]adenosine accumulation and for potentiation of adenosine action. In contrast, in rat heart, where the maximal binding capacity of [3H]NBMPR was lower (eightfold), the nucleoside transporter dependent accumulation of [3H]adenosine was also lower (sixfold) and the negative inotropic action of adenosine was not significantly potentiated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

猪I-FABP基因的分子克隆与组织特异性表达分析

小肠型脂肪酸结合蛋白对长链脂肪酸具有高度的亲和力,参与脂肪酸的吸收和细胞内转运。利用cDNA末端快速扩增（RACE）技术并结合同源克隆策略,克隆到了编码猪小肠型脂肪酸结合蛋白基因（I-FABP）的全长cDNA序列（GenBank接受号：AY960624）,并对系统发育关系等进行了生物信息学分析。猪I-FABP基因的cDNA序列全长614 bp,其中包括399bp的开放式读码框（ORF）,43bp的5’末端非编码区（5’URT）和172bp的3’末端非编码区（3’URT）,编码132个氨基酸残基蛋白,在氨基酸水半上与其他物种的I-FABP具有高度的同源性。以邻接法（Neigbor-Joining,NJ）所构建的系统发育关系表明,猪I-FABP与其他物种的,I-FABP属于同一类群,且与人的遗传距离最近。Northern杂交和半定量RT—PCR分析发现,猪I-FABP在猪体组织中出现约620bp大小的转录本,且在猪体组织中广泛存在,但在小肠组织中表达量最为丰富。