Morphological, physiological and behavioural evaluation of a ‘Mice in Space’ housing system

Environmental conditions likely affect physiology and behaviour of mice used for life sciences research on Earth or in Space. Here, we analysed the effects of cage confinement on the weightbearing musculoskeletal system, behaviour and stress of wild-type mice (C57BL/6JRj, 30 g b.wt., total n = 24) housed for 25 days in a prototypical ground-based and fully automated life support habitat device called “Mice in Space” (MIS). Compared with control housing (individually ventilated cages) the MIS mice revealed no significant changes in soleus muscle size and myofiber distribution (type I vs. II) and quality of bone (3-D microarchitecture and mineralisation of calvaria, spine and femur) determined by confocal and micro-computed tomography. Corticosterone metabolism measured non-invasively (faeces) monitored elevated adrenocortical activity at only start of the MIS cage confinement (day 1). Behavioural tests (i.e., grip strength, rotarod, L/D box, elevated plus-maze, open field, aggressiveness) performed subsequently revealed only minor changes in motor performance (MIS vs. controls). The MIS habitat will not, on its own, produce major effects that could confound interpretation of data induced by microgravity exposure during spaceflight. Our results may be even more helpful in developing multidisciplinary protocols with adequate scenarios addressing molecular to systems levels using mice of various genetic phenotypes in many laboratories. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Atheroma development in apolipoprotein E-null mice is not regulated by phosphorylation of p27(Kip1) on threonine 187

Excessive cellular proliferation is thought to contribute to neointimal lesion development during atherosclerosis and restenosis after angioplasty. Inhibition of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) activity by p27 inhibits mammalian cell growth. Mounting evidence indicates that p27 negatively regulates neointimal thickening in animal models of restenosis and atherosclerosis, and its expression in human neointimal lesions is consistent with such a protective role. Cell cycle progression is facilitated by cyclinE/CDK2-dependent phosphorylation of p27 on threonine 187 (T187) during late G1. The purpose of this study was to assess whether this phosphorylation event plays a role during atherosclerosis. To this end, we generated apolipoprotein E-null mice with both p27 alleles replaced by a mutated form non-phosphorylatable at T187 (apoE-/-p27T187A mice) and investigated the kinetics of atheroma development in these animals compared to apoE-/- controls with an intact p27 gene. Fat feeding resulted in comparable level of hypercholesterolemia in both groups of mice. Surprisingly, aortic p27 expression was not increased in fat-fed apoE-/-p27T187A mice compared with apoE-/- controls. Moreover, atheroma size, lesion cellularity, proliferation, and apoptotic rates were undistinguishable in both groups of fat-fed mice. Thus, in contrast to previous studies that highlight the importance of p27 phosphorylation at T187 on the control of p27 expression and function in different tissues and pathophysiological scenarios, our findings demonstrate that this phosphorylation event is not implicated in the control of aortic p27 expression and atheroma progression in hypercholesterolemic mice.     

农牧交错带土地沙化的本质及其形成研究

通过对陕北农牧交错带不同类型沙化土地土体构型、土壤质地、元素组成和理化性质的分析,研究了土地沙化的本质。结果表明：受风沙作用影响,土壤中细粒物质逐渐减少,颗粒组成变粗;表层消失,最终被流沙所取代,原土壤剖面被覆盖在沙层之下;土壤有机质及养分含量减少,保水保肥性能降低,生产力不断下降;现代土壤形成过程以侵蚀和风沙沉积为主,物质淋溶和化学风化微弱。研究区土地沙化可划分为：风沙侵蚀为主、风沙蚀积平衡、风沙沉积为主和土壤形成发育4个阶段;沙化土地的类型有：肥力衰退质地粗化、表层剥蚀、片沙覆盖、流动沙丘与固定沙丘等5种。     

Genetic relationship between Mongolian and Norwegian horses?

Human populations of Central Asian origin have contributed genetic material to northern European populations. It is likely that migrating humans carried livestock to ensure food and ease transportation. Thus, eastern genes could also have dispersed to northern European livestock populations. Using microsatellite data, we here report that the essentially different genetic distances DA and (deltamu)2 and their corresponding phylogenetic trees show close associations between the Mongolian native horse and northern European horse breeds. The genetic distances between the northern European breeds and Standardbred/Thoroughbred, representing a southern-derived source of horses, were notably larger. We suggest that contribution of genetic material from eastern horses to northern European populations is likely to have occurred.     

Analysis of deoxynivalenol and de-epoxy-deoxynivalenol in animal tissues by liquid chromatography after clean-up with an immunoaffinity column

Mycotoxin Research - A method for the determination of deoxynivalenol (DON) and its metabolite de-epoxy-deoxynivalenol (de-epoxy-DON) in blood serum, urine, faeces/digesta and bile fluid is...     

豚鼠腺性膀胱炎模型的建立及尿流动力学的检查

目的探讨豚鼠腺性膀胱炎动物模型的建立方法及尿流动力学检查方法。方法将28只雌性豚鼠分三组：正常对照组、生理盐水对照组和造模组。用膀胱内灌注大肠杆菌的方法制作腺性膀胱炎动物模型,7周后行尿流动力学检查及病理检测。结果尿流动力学检查发现造模组豚鼠储尿期逼尿肌不稳定发生率较正常对照组及生理盐水对照组显著增多（P〈0.001）;正常对照组无腺性膀胱炎病变,生理盐水对照组出现腺性膀胱炎1例,造模组出现7例,造模组与另外两组相比差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）,正常对照组与生理盐水对照组相比差异无统计学意义（P〉0.05）。结论膀胱内灌注大肠杆菌可导致腺性膀胱炎,这证实了细菌感染是腺性膀胱炎的病因之一,同时为临床上的抗感染治疗提供了理论依据。此方法可用于建立腺性膀胱炎的动物模型。同时确立了腺性膀胱炎动物模型尿流动力学检查方法。     

REHABILITATION AND RELEASE OF MARINE MAMMALS IN THE UNITED STATES: RISKS AND BENEFITS

Rehabilitation of stranded marine mammals elicits polarized attitudes: initially done alongside display collections, but release of rehabilitated animals has become more common. Justifications include animal welfare, management of beach use conflict, research, conservation, and public education. Rehabilitation cost and risks have been identified that vary in degree supported by data rather than perception. These include conflict with fisheries for resources, ignorance of recipient population ecology, poor understanding of long-term survival, support of the genetically not-so-fit, introduction of novel or antibiotic-resistant pathogens, harm to human health, and cost. Thus facilities must balance their welfare appeal against public education, habitat restoration, human impact reduction, and other conservation activities. Benefits to rehabilitating marine mammals are the opportunity to support the welfare of disabled animals and to publish good science and so advance our understanding of wild populations. In specific cases, the status of a population may make conservation the main reason for rehabilitation. These three reasons for rehabilitation lead to contrasting, and sometimes conflicting, management needs. We therefore outline a decision tree for rehabilitation managers using criteria for each management decision, based on welfare, logistics, conservation, research, and funding to define limits on the number of animals released to the wild.     

猪冠状动脉前降支结扎位点和左室功能的线性回归

目的探讨猪冠状动脉前降支(LAD)结扎百分位点和心梗体积、左室射血分数的关系,以期指导研究者能够根据急性心肌梗死模型的心功能要求选择合适的LAD结扎百分位点。方法将47只小型猪开胸结扎心脏LAD中远段约30%~75%的不同百分位点,分别于术前、术后1 h心脏超声检查左室射血分数(LVEF),术后3 d进行常规冠状动脉造影,4周处死测量前降支结扎位点和梗死体积,最后用简单直线回归模型分析LAD结扎百分位点和心梗体积、左室射血分数回归方程和相关系数。结果47例动物手术过程中死亡8只,剩余39只存活动物冠状动脉造影均显示LAD中远段结扎部位处完全闭塞,表明手术成功。LAD结扎百分位点和术后1 h LVEF、术后1 hLVEF下降值、梗死心肌体积均明显相关(相关系数r分别为0.87、0.78和0.90,P均<0.001),其回归方程分别为:术后LVEF(%)=65.88-0.55x结扎百分位点;术后LVEF下降值(%)=0.12 0.59x结扎百分位点;心肌梗死体积(%)=0.53x结扎百分位点-5.43。结论猪LAD结扎百分位点和术后左室功能、梗死心肌体积均存在显著的相关性,可根据实验目的和对心功能的要求选择合适的结扎百分位点。     

Ingestion without inactivation of bacteriophages by Tetrahymena

Tetrahymena has been shown to ingest and inactivate bacteriophages, such as T4, in co-incubation experiments. In this study, Tetrahymena thermophila failed to inactivate phages PhiX174 and MS2 in co-incubations, although PhiX174 were ingested by T. thermophila, as demonstrated by: (1) recovery at defecation in a pulse-chase experiment, (2) recovery from Tetrahymena by detergent lysis, and (3) transmission electron microscopy. We conclude, therefore, that the phages must be digestion-resistant. Internalized PhiX174 were further shown to be partially protected from lethal damage by ultraviolet (UV) C and UVB irradiation. Finally, ingested PhiX174 were shown to be rapidly transported through buffer in a horizontal swimming, race tube-like assay. The transport and protection of phages may confer evolutionary advantages that explain the acquisition of digestion-resistance by some phages.