Effects of Dietary Lysine on Growth Performance, Serum Concentrations of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF-I mRNA Expression in Growing Rabbits

The effects of dietary lysine on production performance,serum concentrations of metabolites,growth hormone （GH）,insulin-like growth factor-I （IGF-I） and IGF-I mRNA expression in growing rabbits were examined.One hundred weaned New Zealand rabbits were allocated to individual cages and randomly offered a diet containing 5.5 （L1）,6.5 （L2）,7.5 （L3）,8.5 （L4）,or 9.5 g （L5） lysine per kg diet.The results showed that the average daily gain （ADG） of the rabbits from L3,L4 or L5 was higher than those from L1 or L2 （P 〈 0.05）.The feed gain ratio （F/G） in the rabbits from L4 or L5 was lower than those from L1 or L2 （P 〈 0.05）.Dietary lysine did not affect serum concentrations of total protein （TP）,glucose,insulin （INS）,and growth hormone （GH） （P 〉 0.05）.The quadratic effects of lysine on the serum urea nitrogen （SUN） concentration was detected （P = 0.035）.Serum IGF-I concentrations had a trend to increase quadratically with the increasing dietary lysine （P = 0.07）.A significant correlation was found between serum IGF-I concentrations （x,ng mL-1） and ADG （y,g kg-1）： y = -0.017x2 ＋ 1.984x ＋ 20.87 （R2 = 0.8982,P = 0.003）.The relative abundance of hepatic and muscular IGF-I mRNA tended to increase with increasing dietary lysine levels （P = 0.053 and 0.082,respectively）.Providing the diets mainly consisted of corn,wheat bran and peanut vine,the most appropriate dietary lysine level for growing meat rabbits from weaning to 70 d old was found to be 8.5 g kg-1,and IGF-I may be an important factor controlling growth of weaned rabbits.

Effect of different levels of dietary fiber on intestinal development and caecum fermentation traits of weaning rabbits

A common problem in rabbit production is the occurrence of digestive disorders just after weaning, and fiber is well known to be bcncficiai for rabbit gastrointestinal health. In order to test the hypothesis that whether the good points of fiber increases with its dietary content, three isoenergetic and isonitrogenous diets and ninety mixed-sex New Zealand rabbits weaned 35-d-old were used. The results can be concluded as following： （1） Average daily feed intake （ADFI） tended to increase （i〉=0.058） while average daily gain （ADG） （p=0.001） and feed conversion ratio （FCR） （p〈0.001） deteriorated with increasing dietary ADF content. The highest morbidity was observed in the rabbits fed the highest dietary ADF concentration. （2）A decreasing coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility （CTTAD） of dry matter （DM） and crude protein （CP） was obtained with the increase of dietary fiber level （p〈0.001 and =0.003）. （3） A significant negative effect of treatments on sucrase and maltase activities in the jejunum was observed （p=0.001 and 0.003）. （4） The volatile fatty acid （VFA） concentration （p=0.011） and butyric acid （% total VFA） （P=0.001） dropped while the NH3-N concentration （P〈0.001）, pH （P=0.004） and acetic acid （% total VFA） （P〈0.001） increased with increasing dietary ADF. It was concluded that high fiber level was unfavorable to the rabbits in the first two weeks after weaning.

Ⅱ型糖尿病兔大脑皮质和海马神经元的神经丝蛋白表达(英文)

Objective:To investigate the morphological changes of the neuronal neurites in diabetic rabbit brain. Methods: Twenty- four New Zealand White rabbits were divided into 2 groups: control group and type Ⅱ diabetic group induced by high - carbohydrate and high- fat diet. The levels of blood sugar and insulin were detected at week 0(w0), w4, w8, w13, w18, w23 and w28. Brain tissue was stained by Nissl staining and immunolistochemistry with a specific antibody to neurofilament proteins. Result: In diabetic rabbits, the amount of large pyramidal neuron was significantly reduced, and neuronal neurites became swollen, whorled, disrupted and changed in caliber. In hippocampus CA1 region neurofilament staining was very weak. Conclusion: Neurotoxicity of chronic hyperglycemia might be relevant to vascular chronic complications, which affected the expression of NF and led to neurophysiological and structural changes in the brain of rabbits with type Ⅱ diabetes.

Production of Rabbit Polyclonal Antibody Using hAPOA1 Protein Expressed in Prokaryotic Cells

The open reading frame （ORF） of hAPOA1 was inserted into the prokaryotic expression vector pGEX-4T-1 to construct the recombinant plasmid pGEX- 4T-I-hAPOA1, which was then transformed into Escherichia coil strain BL21. The expression of target fusion protein was induced with isopropyl β-D-l-thiogalacto- pyranoside （IPTG）. The purified fusion protein in inclusion bodies was used to immunize New Zealand white rabbits to prepare hAPOA1 antiserum and the antibody titer was detected with indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ID-EL1SA）. ID-ELISA and Western Blot proved that rabbit polyclonal antibody with a high titer of 1 ： 40 000 was produced, which may bring considerable economic benefits.

Therapeutic efficiency of tissue-engineered human corneal endothelium transplants on rabbit primary corneal endotheliopathy

To evaluate the therapeutic efficiency of tissue-engineered human corneal endothelia (TE-HCEs) on rabbit primary corneal endotheliopathy (PCEP),TE-HCEs reconstructed with monoclonal human corneal endothelial cells (mcHCECs) and modified denuded amniotic membranes (mdAMs) were transplanted into PCEP models of New Zealand white rabbits using penetrating keratoplasty.The TE-HCEs were examined using diverse techniques including slit-lamp biomicroscopy observation and pachymeter and tonometer measurements in vivo,and fluorescent microscopy,alizarin red staining,paraffin sectioning,scanning and transmission electron microscopy observations in vitro.The corneas of transplanted eyes maintained transparency for as long as 200 d without obvious edema or immune rejection.The corneal thickness of transplanted eyes decreased gradually after transplanting,reaching almost the thickness of normal eyes after 156 d,while the TE-HCE non-transplanted eyes were turbid and showed obvious corneal edema.The polygonal corneal endothelial cells in the transplanted area originated from the TE-HCE transplant.An intact monolayer corneal endothelium had been reconstructed with the morphology,cell density and structure similar to those of normal rabbit corneal endothelium.In conclusion,the transplanted TE-HCE can reconstruct the integrality of corneal endothelium and restore corneal transparency and thickness in PCEP rabbits.The TE-HCE functions normally as an endothelial barrier and pump and promises to be an equivalent of HCE for clinical therapy of human PCEP.

Anti-glaucoma potential of Heliotropium indicum Linn in experimentally-induced glaucoma

Background:Heliotropium indicum is used as a traditional remedy for hypertension in Ghana.The aim of the study was to evaluate the anti-glaucoma potential of an aqueous whole plant extract of H.indicum to manage experimentally-induced glaucoma.Methods:The percentage change in intraocular pressure(IOP),after inducing acute glaucoma(15 mLkg^(−1) of 5%dextrose,i.v.),in New Zealand White rabbits pretreated with Heliotropium indicum aqueous extract(HIE)(30–300 mgkg^(−1)),acetazolamide(5 mgkg^(−1)),and normal saline(10 mLkg^(−1))per os were measured.IOPs were also monitored in chronic glaucoma in rabbits(induced by 1%prednisolone acetate drops,12 hourly for 21 days)after treatments with the same doses of HIE,acetazolamide,and normal saline for 2 weeks.The anti-oxidant property of the extract was assessed by assaying for glutathione levels in the aqueous humour.Glutamate concentration in the vitreous humour was also determined using ELISA technique.Histopathological assessment of the ciliary bodies was made.Results:The extract significantly reduced intraocular pressure(p≤0.05–0.001)in acute and chronic glaucoma,preserved glutathione levels and glutamate concentration(p≤0.01–0.001).Histological assessment of the ciliary body showed a decrease in inflammatory infiltration in the extract and acetazolamide-treated group compared with the normal saline-treated group.Conclusion:The aqueous whole plant extract of Heliotropium indicum has ocular hypotensive,anti-oxidant and possible neuro-protective effects,which therefore underscore its plausible utility as an anti-glaucoma drug with further investigation.