Dog leukocyte antigen genotyping across class I and class II genes in beagle dogs as laboratory animals.

Dog leukocyte antigen (DLA) polymorphisms have been found to be associated with inter-individual variations in the risk, susceptibility, and severity of immune-related phenomena. While DLA class II genes have been extensively studied, less research has been performed on the polymorphisms of DLA class I genes, especially in beagle dogs commonly used as laboratory animals for safety evaluations in drug development. We genotyped four DLA class I genes and four DLA class II genes by locus-specific Sanger sequencing using 93 laboratory beagle dogs derived from two different strains: TOYO and Marshall. The results showed that, for DLA class I genes, 11, 4, 1, and 2 alleles, including a novel allele, were detected in DLA-88, DLA-12/88L, DLA-64, and DLA-79, while, for DLA class II genes, 1, 10, 6, and 7 alleles were detected in DLA-DRA, DLA-DRB1, DLA-DQA1, and DLA-DQB1, respectively. It was estimated that there were 14 DLA haplotypes, six of which had a frequency of ≥ 5%. Furthermore, when comparing the DLA diversity between TOYO and Marshall strains, the most common alleles and haplotypes differed between them. This is the first study to genotype all DLA loci and determine DLA haplotypes including all DLA class I and class II genes in dogs. Integrating information on the DLA diversity of laboratory beagle dogs should reinforce their benefit as an animal model for understanding various diseases associated with a specific DLA type.

Catechol O-methyltransferase homologs in Schizosaccharomyces pombe are response factors to alkaline and salt stress.

How cells of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe respond to alkaline stress is not well understood. Here, to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the alkaline stress response in S. pombe, we performed DNA microarray analysis. We found that a homolog of human catechol O-methyltransferase 2 (COMT2) is highly upregulated in S. pombe cells exposed to alkaline conditions. We designated the S. pombe homolog as cmt2+ and also identified its paralog, cmt1+, in the S. pombe genome. Reverse transcription PCR confirmed that both cmt1+ and cmt2+ are upregulated within 1 h of exposure to alkaline stress and downregulated within 30 min of returning to an acidic environment. Moreover, we verified that recombinant Cmt proteins exhibit catechol O-methyltransferase activity. To further characterize the expression of cmt1+ and cmt2+, we carried out an EGFP reporter assay using their promoter sequences, which showed that both genes respond not only to alkaline but also to salt stress. Collectively, our findings indicate that the cmt promoter might be an advantageous expression system for use in S. pombe under alkaline culture conditions.

Seasonal changes in serum progesterone levels in Thoroughbred racehorses in training.

The objective of the present study was to verify the seasonal luteal activity of racehorses in training in Japan from March to August. We allocated 102 horses into a luteal activity group and non-luteal activity group. The luteal activity group included horses with serum progesterone levels that were consistently >1 ng/ml and changed by ± 1 ng/ml. In contrast, the progesterone levels of the non-luteal activity group were consistently <1 ng/ml. In late spring (from May 1 to June 30) and summer (from July 1 to August 31), the percentage of horses in the luteal activity group was significantly higher than in early spring (from March 1 to April 30, P<0.01). These findings demonstrate clear seasonal variations in ovarian activity. The present study also suggest that training for a race may not affect ovarian activity in female racehorses.

Effect of Low-Dose Human Interferon-alpha on Shipping Fever of Thoroughbred Racehorses.

To assess the effect of human interferon-alpha (IFNα) on shipping fever of Thoroughbred racehorses subjected to long-distance transportation, an IFNα preparation was orally administered to 48 horses three times (once daily, 3 successive days) before transportation (IFNα group). In the control group (25 horses), maltose was administered in the same way. These treatments induced no abnormal findings in Thoroughbred racehorses before transportation. Immediately after transportation, significant increases in rectal temperature were observed in both treatment groups, whereas the rectal temperature of the IFNα group tended to be lower than that of the control group. Although WBC, Fbg, and SAA immediately after transportation were significantly increased due to transportation in both groups, the extent of the increases in the IFNα group was significantly smaller than in the control group. Long-distance transportation had a relatively profound impact on Thoroughbred racehorses, which was mitigated by IFNα treatment.

Numerical visualization of two-phase plume formation in a stratification flow environment.

Evolution of two-phase plumes driven by air bubble buoyancy in a stratification ambient in a rectangular tank is visualized numerically by means of two-phase flow theory and large-eddy simulation technology. With a focus on the discrete nature of the buoyant dispersed phase and the role of momentum exchange between two phases in plume formation, we investigated the phenomena of mass entraining-in and peeling-out for continuous phase plume, which may result from a complicated and intricate interplay with phase interaction and dynamic stability of the stratification ambient, respectively. Numerical simulations show that although mass entraining-in and peeling-out appear to be distinguished entirely in the vertical direction, they interact or couple locally within inner of the plume and present a discontinuity in nature. The numerically visualized three-dimensional density field also indicates the same plume characteristics.

Measurement of the density of CO(2) solution by Mach-Zehnder interferometry.

The density of CO(2) solution was measured by using Mach-Zehnder interferometry in the pressure range from 5.0 to 12.5 MPa, at temperatures from 273.25 to 284.15 K, and CO(2) mass fraction in solution up to 0.061. It was found that the density difference between the CO(2) solution and pure water at the same pressure and temperature is monotonically linear with the CO(2) mass fraction. The slope of this linear function, calculated by experimental data fitting, is 0.275.