Comparative studies on ovary and serum hormone levels in silver and blue foxes and their hybrids.

The silver and blue fox appear closely related despite their belonging to different genera, and the male and female fox hybrids are completely sterile in mating inter se or back to either of the parental groups. In the present study, we compared ovarian morphology and serum hormone concentrations among silver foxes, blue foxes, HSBs (silver fox male × blue fox female hybrids) and HBSs (blue fox male × silver fox female hybrids) during the pre-breeding and the breeding period. We found that either the fertile blue and silver foxes or the infertile hybrid foxes showed typical characteristics of ovary, with primordial, primary, secondary, antral and Graafian follicles. The diameters and quantities of different follicle classes in fertile foxes were greater than that in hybrids during the two period, while the thickness of zona pellucida (ZP) represented an opposite trend (P < 0.05). The relative weight of bilateral ovaries in fertile foxes was greater than that in hybrids during the pre-breeding period, while mean serum FSH represented an opposite trend during the breeding period (P < 0.05). The mean serum estradiol in fertile foxes was greater than that in HBS foxes during the pre-breeding period, and greater than hybrids during the breeding period (P < 0.05). These findings indicated that in the infertile hybrid foxes, lower estradiol levels produced by lesser and smaller antral follicles, thicker ZP during the two period, higher FSH levels during the breeding period, could be the basis of interpretations in cases of female fox hybrid infertility.

Effect of anisodamine on sepsis-induced multiorgan dysfunction syndrome / 中华创伤杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of anisodamine on oxygen metabolism and organ function in dogs with sepsis.Methods Twenty beagles were divided into sepsis group (n =8) and anisodamine-treated group (n =12) according to the random number table.The sepsis model was established by cecal ligation and puncture.Changes in thrombomodulin (TM),arterial oxygen partial pressure (PaO2),oxgen uptake rate (ERO2) and lactate were mearsured before and 1,3,8 and 24 h after operation.Wet/dry ratio of lung tissues and incidence of multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS) were detected 24 h after operation.Results Level of TM was increased progressively after operation,which was significantly higher in sepsis group than in anisodamine-treated group at 3,8 and 24 h [(28.7±15.9) vs (19.5 ±10.6)ng/ml,(36.5±20.8) vs (21.9±12.8)ng/ml,(52.6±32.7)vs (31.3 ± 18.4)ng/ml respectively] (P ＜ 0.05).The PaO2 decreased slowly after operation,with the decrease more significant in sepsis group than in anisodamine-treated group at 24 h [(65.6 ± 14.5) vs (83.3 ± 16.3)mmHg] (P ＜0.05).The ERO2 had a rise-and-fall trend after operation,with the level lower in sepsis group than in anisodamine-treated group at 24 h [(16.7 ± 3.1) ％ vs (21.7 ± 2.9) ％] (P ＜ 0.05).Level of blood lactate increased gradually,with the level higher in sepsis group than in anisodamine-treated group at 24 h [(4.4 ± 1.2) vs (3.1 ± 0.8) mmol/L] (P ＜ 0.05).Wet/dry ratio of lung tissues in sepsis group was (510 ± 80) ％ versus (370 ± 50) ％ in anisodamine-treated group at 24 h (P ＜ 0.05).Incidence of MODS in sepsis group was 38％ versus 17％ in anisodamine-treated group at 24 h (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Anisodamine may ameliorate the injury to vascular endothelial cells and oxygen metabolism disorder after sepsis and hence contributes to the reduction of sepsis-induced MODS.