Basal physiological parameters in domesticated tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri chinensis)

Establishing non-human primate models of human diseases is an efficient way to narrow the large gap between basic studies and translational medicine. Multifold advantages such as simplicity of breeding, low cost of feeding and facility of operating make the tree shrew an ideal non-human primate model proxy. Additional features like vulnerability to stress and spontaneous diabetic characteristics also indicate that the tree shrew could be a potential new animal model of human diseases. However, basal physiological indexes of tree shrew, especially those related to human disease, have not been systematically reported. Accordingly, we established important basal physiological indexes of domesticated tree shrews including several factors: (1) body weight, (2) core body temperature and rhythm, (3) diet metabolism, (4) locomotor rhythm, (5) electroencephalogram, (6) glycometabolism and (7) serum and urinary hormone level and urinary cortisol rhythm. We compared the physiological parameters of domesticated tree shrew with that of rats and macaques. Results showed that (a) the core body temperature of the tree shrew was 39.59±0.05 °C, which was higher than that of rats and macaques; (b) Compared with wild tree shrews, with two activity peaks, domesticated tree shrews had only one activity peak from 17:30 to 19:30; (c) Compared with rats, tree shrews had poor carbohydrate metabolism ability; and (d) Urinary cortisol rhythm indicated there were two peaks at 8:00 and 17:00 in domesticated tree shrews, which matched activity peaks in wild tree shrews. These results provided basal physiological indexes for domesticated tree shrews and laid an important foundation for diabetes and stress-related disease models established on tree shrews.

Basal physiological parameters in domesticated tree shrews(Tupaia belangeri chinensis)

Establishing non-human primate models of human diseases is an efficient way to narrow the large gap between basic studies and translational medicine.Multifold advantages such as simplicity of breeding,low cost of feeding and facility of operating make the tree shrew an ideal non-human primate model proxy.Additional features like vulnerability to stress and spontaneous diabetic characteristics also indicate that the tree shrew could be a potential new animal model of human diseases.However,basal physiological indexes of tree shrew,especially those related to human disease,have not been systematically reported.Accordingly,we established important basal physiological indexes of domesticated tree shrews including several factors:(1)body weight,(2)core body temperature and rhythm,(3)diet metabolism,(4)locomotor rhythm,(5)electroencephalogram,(6)glycometabolism and(7)serum and urinary hormone level and urinary cortisol rhythm.We compared the physiological parameters of domesticated tree shrew with that of rats and macaques.Results showed that(a)the core body temperature of the tree shrew was 39.59±0.05°C,which was higher than that of rats and macaques;(b)Compared with wild tree shrews,with two activity peaks,domesticated tree shrews had only one activity peak from 17:30 to 19:30;(c)Compared with rats,tree shrews had poor carbohydrate metabolism ability;and(d)Urinary cortisol rhythm indicated there were two peaks at 8:00 and 17:00 in domesticated tree shrews,which matched activity peaks in wild tree shrews.These results provided basal physiological indexes for domesticated tree shrews and laid an important foundation for diabetes and stress-related disease models established on tree shrews.

Nucleus accumbens-linked executive control networks mediating reversal learning in tree shrew brain

DEAR EDITOR,Cognitive flexibility is crucial for animal survival but is frequently impaired in neuropsychiatric disorders.Although many brain structures and functional networks are involved in cognitive flexibility,the neural mechanisms underlying cooperation among specific functional networks remain unclear from a global perspective.In this study,[^(18)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography(FDG-PET)was performed on 19 male tree shrews after four different visual discrimination tasks,including baseline,learning expert(LE),reversal naive(RN),and reversal expert(RE).

Avoidance of potentially harmful food cannot be socially transmitted between rats

The social transmission of food preferences （STFP） is a behavioural task of olfactory memory, in which an observer rat learns safe food odours from a demonstrator rat, and shows preference for this odour in a subsequent choice test. However, previous studies have failed to detect the transmission of information about food study, we tested how demonstrators＇ health affects the exchange of of potential danger and food aversion using STFP test. In this odour information and whether observers can learn danger information from an unhealthy demonstrator. As expected, the observer rat formed an odour preference after interacting with a demonstrator rat that had just eaten food containing a new odour, however, odour preference rather than aversion was also formed after interacting with a demonstrator rat injected with LiC1 （used to induce gastric malaise）. Furthermore, anaesthetized demonstrator rats and half-anaesthetized demonstrator rats, which showed obvious motor deficits suggesting an unhealthy state, also socially transmitted food preferences to observers. These results suggest that the social transmission of food preferences task is independent of a demonstrators＇ health, and that information about dangerous foods cannot be transmitted using this behavioural task.

Elemental mercury removal from coal gas by CeMnTi sorbents and their regeneration performance

Ce and Mn modified TiO_(2) sorbents(CeMnTi) were prepared by a co-precipitation method,and their ability to remove elemental mercury from coal gas in a fixed bed reactor was studied.Based on results of Brunauer-Emmett-Teller(BET),X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscope(SEM),and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) studies,the modification mechanisms of the CeMnTi sorbents are discussed.Mn doping improved the specific surface area and dispersion of cerium oxides on the sorbent surface,while Ce doping increased the proportion of Mn^(4+)in manganese oxides by a synergetic effect between manganese oxides and cerium oxides.The effects of the active component,temperature,and coal gas components on the mercury removal performance of the sorbents were investigated.The results showed that the CeMnTi sorbents exhibited high mercury removal efficiency.Ce_(0.2)Mn_(0.1)Ti adsorbed 91.55% elemental mercury from coal gas at 160℃.H2 S and O2 significantly improved the ability of sorbents to remove mercury.Part of the H2_(S) formed stable sulfates or sulfites through a series of oxidation reaction chains on the sorbent surface.HCl also improved the mercury removal performance,but reduced the promotion effect of H2_(S) for mercury removal when coexisting with H2_(S).CO and H2 had a minor inhibitory effect on mercury adsorption.The recycling performance of the sorbents was investigated by thermal regeneration.The thermal decomposition of the used sorbents indicated that mercury compounds were present mainly in the form of HgO and HgS,and higher temperature was beneficial for regeneration.The formation of sulfates and sulfites in the presence of H2_(S) led to a decrease in mercury removal efficiency.