Mean Wet Weight Research Articles

Abstract 2680: Inhibition of activin-like kinases 4 and 5 attenuates cancer cachexia associated muscle wasting

Abstract Background: Cancer cachexia has a detrimental effect on patient survival. Cachectic patients experience reduced quality of life and have a decreased survival time. The underlying mechanism behind cancer cachexia is not yet fully understood. Recent experimental data suggests myostatin signaling may be a key contributor in the pathogenesis of cancer cachexia. Activin receptor IIB / activin-like kinase 4/5 heterodimer activation by myostatin leads to catabolic muscle degradation. SB-431542 is a potent inhibitor of activin-like kinases 4 and 5. We aimed to assess its potential in the treatment of cancer cachexia in an experimental rodent model. Methods: All experiments were approved by the local Animal Ethics Committee. 24 CD2F1 were inoculated subcutaneously with 0.5 x 106 colon-26 murine adenocarcinoma cells to induce cachexia. The mice were allocated randomly into one of four experimental groups: healthy control, tumor-bearing control, tumor-bearing vehicle treated and tumor-bearing SB-431542 treated. All mice were weighed daily. Tumor size was assessed every other day, starting day 9 post inoculation. Four-paw grip strength was determined weekly using a grip-strength meter. SB-431542 was reconstituted in DMSO 1 mg/mL. From day 5 post inoculation, allocated mice received 10 mg/kg SB-431542, or vehicle intraperitoneally until sacrifice on day 20. Results: All tumor-bearing mice had a reduction in body weight compared to controls, 21.1 ± 2.1 g versus 30.0 ± 1.3 g respectively (p < 0.0001). No differences in body weight were found between the tumor-bearing groups. Despite weight loss, SB-431542 treated animals had no reduction in grip strength. Grip strength directly after tumor inoculation was 200.9 ± 11.3 g, and on day 14 211.3 ± 20.4 g. Vehicle treated animals showed a reduction from 204.0 ± 19.1 g to 174.8 ± 13.7 g (p = 0.0158). Mean wet muscle weight of the m. tibialis anterior was significantly preserved in SB-431542 treated animals versus tumor-bearing vehicle treated animals (53.8 mg vs. 40.5 mg, p = 0.0171) as well as tumor-bearing untreated animals (53.8 mg vs. 34.7 mg, p = 0.0002). Conclusion: These findings suggest that inhibition of activin-like kinases 4 and 5 by SB-431542 attenuates cancer cachexia associated muscle loss and loss of muscle force in experimental cancer cachexia, and further emphasizes the role of myostatin/activin signaling. Citation Format: Stef Levolger, Ron W.F. de Bruin, Jan N.M. IJzermans. Inhibition of activin-like kinases 4 and 5 attenuates cancer cachexia associated muscle wasting. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2680. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2680

Effect of temperature on physiology and bioenergetics of adult Harris mud crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii (Gould, 1841) from the southern Baltic Sea

Abstract Rates of physiological processes and bioenergetics of the Harris mud crab Rhithropanopeus harrisii were determined during a 7-day experiment on adult males (mean wet weight 0.83 ± 0.16 g) exposed to temperatures of 15°C and 20°C (S = 7). The results show that the change in temperature by 5°C caused detectable changes in locomotor activity, food consumption and faeces production and significant (p < 0.05) changes in metabolic rates. Food assimilation efficiency and the ammonia excretion rate did not change significantly (p > 0.05). The energy expended on metabolic processes was similar at both temperatures (15°C and 20°C) and amounted to 17.7 ± 6.4% and 16.7 ± 4.3% of the assimilated energy, respectively. Similar values were obtained for net production efficiency K2 (P/A) at 15°C and 20°C, i.e. 80.4 ± 22.4% and 82.9 ± 9.7%, respectively. The amount of energy available for production was 2-fold higher at a temperature of 20°C than at 15°C and amounted to 103.69 ± 25.61 and 206.40 ± 20.76 J d−1g−1 wet wt, respectively. The results show that from the bioenergetic point of view, higher experimental temperature is more “profitable” for adult R. harrisii specimens because it provides better conditions for the growth and reproduction.

Effect of Bacillus baekryungensis YD13 supplemented in diets on growth performance and immune response of sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus)

The effect of a potential probiotic on the growth performance and immune response of sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) was investigated. Bacillus baekryungensis YD13 isolated from sea cucumber culturing ponds was added to sea cucumber basal feed as a probiotic in different doses (0, the control; 1×104 (YD134), 1×106 (YD136) and 1×108 (YD138) CFU g−1 of diet), and administered orally to A. japonicus (initial mean wet weight 5.44 g ± 0.17 g). The sea cucumbers were fed in 20 aquaria, 5 each treatment, for 60 d. At the end of growth trial, 20 sea cucumbers from each treatment were challenged with Vibrio splendidus. A. japonicus in YD134 and YD136 exhibited significantly better growth performance than control (P < 0.05). Five non-specific immune parameters including lysozyme, acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase, superoxide dismutase and catalase in coelomic fluid were measured to evaluate the immune response of A. japonicus to the probiotics. Results showed that all parameters were significantly improved when YD11 was supplemented in the dose of 1×106 CFU g−1 (P < 0.05). The cumulative incidence and mortality after the Vibrio splendidus challenge decreased significantly in sea cucumbers of YD136. Accordingly, 1×106 CFU g−1 of YD13 in diet was recommended for the growth promotion and immune enhancement of A. japonicus.

Re-eutrophication of Lake Erie: Correlations between tributary nutrient loads and phytoplankton biomass

Both abiotic and biotic explanations have been proposed to explain recent recurrent nuisance/harmful algal blooms in the western basin and central basin of Lake Erie. We used two long-term (>10years) datasets to test (1) whether Lake Erie total phytoplankton biomass and cyanobacterial biomass changed over time and (2) whether phytoplankton abundance was influenced by soluble reactive phosphorus or nitrate loading from agriculturally-dominated tributaries (Maumee and Sandusky rivers). We found that whereas total phytoplankton biomass decreased in Lake Erie's western basin from 1970 to 1987, it increased starting in the mid-1990s. Total phytoplankton and cyanobacterial seasonal (May–October) arithmetic mean wet-weight biomasses each significantly increased with increased water-year total soluble reactive phosphorus load from the Maumee River and the sum of soluble reactive phosphorus load from the Maumee and Sandusky rivers, but not for the Sandusky River alone during 1996–2006. During this same time period, neither total phytoplankton nor cyanobacterial biomass was correlated with nitrate load. Consequently, recently increased tributary soluble reactive phosphorus loads from the Maumee River likely contributed greatly to increased western basin and (central basin) cyanobacterial biomass and more frequent occurrence of harmful algal blooms. Managers thus must incorporate the form of and source location from which nutrients are delivered to lakes into their management plans, rather than solely considering total (both in terms of form and amount) nutrient load to the whole lake. Further, future studies need to address the relative contributions of not only external loads, but also sources of internal loading.

Improvement in autologous human fat transplant survival with SVF plus VEGF-PLA nano-sustained release microspheres.

Early neovascularization is important for autologous fat transplant survival. SVF cells are ideal seed cells. Both vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and SVF cells can promote neovascularization. However, the half-life (about 50 min) of VEGF is too short to sustain an adequate local concentration. We have investigated whether VEGF-polylactic acid (PLA) nano-sustained release microspheres plus SVF cells can improve neovascularization and survival of transplanted fat tissues. SVF cells were harvested and constructed VEGF-PLA nano-sustained release microspheres in vitro. Human fat tissues was mixed with SVF cells plus VEGF-PLA, SVF cells alone or Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium as the control. These three mixtures were injected into random sites in 18 nude mice. Two months later, the transplants were weighed and examined histologically; and capillaries were counted to quantify neovascularization. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and anti-VEGF stains were applied to reveal cell infiltration. The mean wet weight of fat in the SVF plus VEGF-PLA, SVF alone, and control transplants were 0.18 ± 0.013 g, 0.16 ± 0.015 g, and 0.071 ± 0.12 g, respectively; the differences between groups were statistically significant. More vessels were present in the SVF plus VEGF-PLA transplants than in the other two types. Transplants mixed with SVF cells also had an acceptable density of capillaries. Histological analysis revealed that both the SVF plus VEGF-PLA and SVF alone transplants, but not the control transplants, were composed of adipose tissue, and had less fat necrosis and less fibrosis than control specimens. SVF plus VEGF-PLA transplants had significantly greater capillary density and VEGF expression than the other two transplant groups. Thus transplanted fat tissue survival and quality can be enhanced by the addition of VEGF-PLA nano-sustained release microspheres plus SVF cells.

BIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF NEOMYSIS INTEGER (LEACH, 1815) FROM THE POMERANIAN BAY IN 2006 -2007

The aim of the study was to determine the biological characters typical of Neomysis integer, to investigate and update issues of its biology, ecology, and distribution in the southwestern Baltic Sea, and to compare biological properties of N. integer collected during eight study seasons in 2006–2007 in the region from Świnoujście to Darlowo. No link was established between N. integer size and sample collection site. The population attained sizes within the range of 2.64 to 18.84 mm. The size at which females achieved sexual maturity varied seasonally. A mean of 34 eggs was noted in the marsupium. The mean wet weight of N. integer was 0.011 g. Three generations were confirmed at most of the study sites .

Feeding habits of Kammal thryssa Thryssa kammalensis (Bleeker, 1849) in the coastal waters of Gadeok-do, Korea

The feeding habits of Thryssa kammalensis was studied using 430 specimens collected from October 2010 to September 2011 in the coastal waters of Gadeok-do, Korea. T. kammalensis in the coastal waters of Gadeok-do was carnivorous predator and planktonic feeder with a wide variety of prey items such as arrowworm, copepods, crab larvae, shrimp larvae, and fish eggs. In addition, T. kammalensis consumed mainly arrowworm, copepods, crab larvae, shrimp larvae, fish eggs, and the diet also included small quantities of cladocerans, amphipods, bivalve larvae, mysids, and euphausiids. On the other hand, the body length (BL) of T. kammalensis specimens ranged from 5.9 to 15.1 cm. Size-related variations in dietary composition of T. kammalensis were not significant that overlap indexes of each major food items that showed very high values in all size classes, representing more than 0.80. Arrowworms were the dominant prey item in all sizes, and copepods were the next most frequent prey item consumed in all size classes. Seasonal changes in dietary composition of T. kammalensis were significant. However, overlap indexes of each major food items in some season showed very high values of 0.80 (between spring and winter) and 0.85 (between summer and autumn). Copepods were most frequently eaten in the spring and winter. Moreover, arrowworm were the dominant prey item in summer and autumn. Mean numbers of prey per stomach (mN/ST) changed significantly with size groups (P < 0.05), but mean wet weight of preys per stomach (mW/ST) showed an opposite tendency (P > 0.05).

Assessment of concentrations and effects of organohalogen contaminants in a terrestrial passerine, the European starling

European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) are a valuable model species for the assessment of concentrations and effects of environmental contaminants in terrestrial birds. Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) are found in birds throughout the world, but relatively little is known of their concentrations or effects in free-living terrestrial passerines. We used a nest box population of European starlings to 1) measure the variation in egg concentrations of persistent organohalogen contaminants at an agricultural site, and 2) assess whether individual variation in PBDE concentrations in eggs was related to reproductive parameters, as well as maternal or nestling characteristics including body condition, thyroid hormones, oxidative stress, and hematocrit. As PBDEs were the main contaminant class of interest, we only assessed a subset of eggs for other organohalogen contaminants to establish background concentrations. Exposure to organohalogen contaminants was extremely variable over this relatively small study area. Geometric mean wet weight concentrations (range in brackets) of the major contaminants were 36.5 (12–174) ng/g ΣDDT (n=6 eggs) and 10.9 (2–307) ng/g ΣPBDEs (n=14). ΣPCBs at 3.58 (1.5–6.4) ng/g (n=6) were lower and less variable. There were low levels of other organochlorine (OC) pesticides such as dieldrin (2.02ng/g), chlordanes (1.11ng/g) and chlorobenzenes (0.23ng/g). The only form of DDT detected was p,p′-DDE. The congener profiles of PBDEs and PCBs reflect those of industrial mixtures (i.e. DE-71, Aroclors 1254, 1260 and 1262). For all of the contaminant classes, concentrations detected in eggs at our study site were below levels previously reported to cause effects. Due to small sample sizes, we did not assess the relationship between ΣPCBs or ΣOCs and adult or chick condition. We observed no correlative relationships between individual variation in PBDE concentrations in starling eggs and reproductive success, maternal condition, or nestling condition in the corresponding nests.

Suspended culture of the sea cucumberApostichopus japonicusbelow a Pacific oyster raft - potential for integrated multi-trophic aquaculture

To discuss the possibility of co-culturing Pacific oyster with the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus, a field experiment was conducted in an oyster farm. Apostichopus japonicus juveniles (mean wet weight, 0.08 g) were cultured below an oyster raft and at a control station for 216 days, and the wet weight and stable isotope ratios (d 13 C, d 15 N) were analysed together with settling organic matter (OM) collected using sediment traps. All sea cucumbers cultured below the raft survived (survival rate, 100%), while at the control station one individual disappeared (96%). During 216 days, the juveniles at the oyster and control stations grew to a mean weight of 5.5 and 2.6 g, attaining respective specific growth rates of 2.0% and 1.6% (paired t-test, P < 0.001). Settlement rates of carbon and nitrogen at the oyster station were ~5 times larger than those at the control station. The stable isotope analysis showed that settling OM at both stations originated from coastal phytoplankton and that phytoplankton represented the primary food source for A. japonicus. The rapid growth of A. japonicus at the oyster station was concluded to be due to the abundant supply of oyster biodeposits, which could be ingested by this species.

Persistent organic pollutants in marine biota of São Pedro and São Paulo Archipelago, Brazil

Remote islands, such as the São Pedro and São Paulo Archipelago (SPSPA), Brazil, are pristine areas. However, these locations are not exempt from the arrival of anthropogenic agents, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The present study aimed to determine the occurrence and distribution of POPs in the marine biota of the SPSPA. Sample extractions were performed using a microwave-assisted method. The predominant compounds were PCBs and DDTs, which respectively had mean wet weight concentrations of 62.23 and 9.23ngg−1 in the tropical two-wing flying fish (Exocoetus volitans), 78.66 and 6.81ngg−1 in the brown booby (Sula leucogaster) and 43.40 and 3.03ngg−1 in the red rock crab (Grapsus grapsus). Low levels of contaminants suggest a relative degree of isolation. Occurrence and distribution profiles of PCBs support long-range atmospheric transport as the main source of contamination and demonstrate the ubiquity of these pollutants in the marine environment.

Abstract 175: Prevention of mammary carcinogenesis and pulmonary metastasis by Ayurvedic medicine constituent withaferin A in a clinically-relevant transgenic mouse model.

Abstract Novel strategies for prevention of breast cancer are desirable mainly because many risk factors associated with this disease are not easily modifiable. In addition, currently available clinical options for prevention of breast cancer (eg, selective estrogen receptor modulators and aromatase inhibitors) are sub-optimal. Recent literature highlights merit of plants used in Ayurvedic medicine, which has been practiced for centuries in India for treatment of different disorders, for identification of novel cancer preventive agents. Withania somnifera (also known as Ashwagandha) is one such medicinal plant that is used to alleviate a variety of symptoms. In experimental models, the known pharmacological effects of Withania somnifera include cardioprotection from ischemia reperfusion injury, inhibition of experimental Parkinsonism, suppression of hepatic lipid peroxidation, antibacterial effects, and anticancer effects. Anticarcinogenic effect of Withania somnifera is ascribed to withanolides such as withaferin A (WA). We have shown previously that WA treatment inhibits growth of cultured and xenografted human breast cancer cells by causing apoptotic cell death. The present study extends these observations and determines efficacy of WA for prevention of breast cancer in a clinically-relevant transgenic mouse model (MMTV-neu). Incidence and burden of mammary cancer and pulmonary metastasis were scored in female MMTV-neu mice after 28 weeks of intraperitoneal administration (three times/week) with 0.1 mg WA (n = 32) or vehicle (n = 29). This mild-regimen of WA administration resulted in a statistically significant decrease in macroscopic (palpable) tumor size, microscopic tumor area, and incidence of pulmonary metastasis. For example, the mean wet weight of the palpable tumor was lower by 50% in WA-treated mice compared with control mice (P = 0.03). Likewise, the area of invasive mammary cancer was lower by 95.14% in WA-treated mice compared with control mice (P = 0.05). The WA-treated mice exhibited a 72.8% decrease in incidence of pulmonary metastasis compared with the control mice (P = 0.02). Immunohistochemistry revealed reduced expression of HER-2 in tumors from WA-treated mice compared with control. Furthermore, consistent with cellular observations, mammary cancer prevention by WA treatment was associated with increased apoptosis index, inhibition of complex III activity, and increased staining for 8-oxo-dG (an indicator of oxidative stress). In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that WA inhibits mammary carcinogenesis in a transgenic mouse model by causing apoptosis. This study was supported by the grant CA142604 awarded by the National Cancer Institute. Citation Format: Eun-Ryeong Hahm, Joomin Lee, Su-Hyeong Kim, Anuradha Sehrawat, Julie A. Arlotti, Sruti Sajjan Shiva, Rohit Bhargava, Shivendra V. Singh. Prevention of mammary carcinogenesis and pulmonary metastasis by Ayurvedic medicine constituent withaferin A in a clinically-relevant transgenic mouse model. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 175. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-175

875 TREATMENT WITH A CB2 AGONIST DECREASES SEVERITY OF ESTABLISHED CYSTITIS

You have accessJournal of UrologyInfections/Inflammation of the Genitourinary Tract: Interstitial Cystitis1 Apr 2013875 TREATMENT WITH A CB2 AGONIST DECREASES SEVERITY OF ESTABLISHED CYSTITIS Zunyi Wang, Peiqing Wang, and Dale Bjorling Zunyi WangZunyi Wang Madison, WI More articles by this author , Peiqing WangPeiqing Wang Madison, WI More articles by this author , and Dale BjorlingDale Bjorling Madison, WI More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2013.02.444AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Painful bladder syndrome is a chronic painful disorder characterized by frequency, urgency, and pain that is estimated to affect 2.7% to 6.5% of American women. The etiology and pathogenesis of painful bladder syndrome remain unknown, and effective treatments are lacking. Cannabinoids exert potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) is expressed in the bladder, particularly in urothelial cells, and bladder inflammation increases CB2 expression. We investigated whether treatment with the selective CB2 agonist GP1a ameliorates severity of cystitis and referred hyperalgesia after induction of cystitis by acrolein. METHODS Cystitis was induced by intravesical instillation of acrolein (0.5 mM, 200 μl) in female C57 mice. Mice were treated with GP1a (Tocris, 10 mg/kg, ip) or vehicle at 3, 24, and 30 hours after instillation of acrolein. Mice were tested for mechanical sensitivity of hind paws at 3, 24, and 48 hours, respectively. Mice were also placed on filter paper for measurement of urine spots at 24 hours. Mice were sacrificed at 48 hours, and bladders were collected, weighed, and processed for histological analysis. RESULTS Forty-eight hours after acrolein, bladders of all animals demonstrated histological evidence of inflammation, primarily characterized by submucosal edema. Mean wet bladder weight (mg/g body weight) was greater in vehicle-treated mice than that in CB2 agonist-treated animals, (2.82 ± 0.17 vs 1.92 ± 0.25, n=5, p < 0.05), and histology revealed that edema was more severe in the vehicle-treated mice. Basal mechanical sensitivity was virtually the same in vehicle- and GP1a-treated mice (2.9 ± 0.01 g). After acrolein, mechanical sensitivity threshold was 0.46 ± 0.13, 0.28 ± 0.03 and 0.54 ± 0.16 g in vehicle-treated group, and was 0.55 ± 0.1, 0.78 ± 0.09 and 1.17 ± 0.41 g in CB2 agonist-treated group at 3, 24 and 48 hours, respectively. The mechanical sensitivity was significantly less (p<0.05, n=5, at 24 and 48 hours) in vehicle-treated than CB2 agonist-treated mice. The number of small diameter urine spots was also significantly reduced; 24.8 ± 6.9 (vehicle-treated) vs 4 ± 3.3 (GP1a-treated), n=5, p < 0.05. CONCLUSIONS Treatment with a selective CB2 agonist after induction of cystitis reduced severity of acrolein-induced cystitis and inhibited bladder inflammation-induced increased peripheral sensitivity to mechanical stimuli. Our data indicate that the CB2 receptor is a potential therapeutic target for treatment of bladder inflammation and subsequent changes in pain perception. © 2013 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 189Issue 4SApril 2013Page: e361 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2013 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Zunyi Wang Madison, WI More articles by this author Peiqing Wang Madison, WI More articles by this author Dale Bjorling Madison, WI More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

The Effects of light intensity on growth and survival of cuttlefish (sepia officinalis) hatchlings and Juveniles

The effects of three light intensities (100, 350 and 1200 lux) on cuttlefish hatchling rearing performance was studied in black tanks. A total of 270 cuttlefish with a mean wet weight (MWW) of 0.089 ± 0.012 g were used in the experiment, which was undertaken during the first 50 days after hatching (hatchling stage plus the transition to the juvenile stage). According to results of the present study, light intensity is an important factor for growth and survival consistency in cuttlefish rearing. All three light intensity groups displayed exponential growth. The effect of days, light intensity and their interaction only displayed differences (P < 0.05) between light groups in terms of mean wet weight. The 100 lux light intensity promoted the best absolute values of total biomass and total mortality. We believe that the higher mortality observed in 1200 lux reared cuttlefish during the first 10 days after hatching (DAH) was due to light intensity and individual adaptation to light conditions. Therefore, the 100 lux light intensity, obtained with daylight spectrum bulbs, is recommended for cuttlefish rearing during the first 50 DAH. This light setup promotes higher growth and survival rates and lower energetic costs, which are key aspects to consider in a cuttlefish hatchery.

Standing crops and temporal-spatial distribution of &lt;i&gt;Corbicula fluminea&lt;/i&gt; (M&amp;#252;ller,1774) in Lake Datong,Hunan Province

大通湖是湖南省最大的养殖湖泊.随着河蚬经济价值的提升,大通湖河蚬Corbicula fluminea（Muller,1774）的开发强度逐年增加.为实现河蚬资源的合理开发,本研究在对大通湖河蚬形态特征、现存量及其时空分布调查分析基础上,重点探讨了养殖和软体动物捕捞对其资源的影响.结果显示,壳长大于6 mm河蚬的平均湿重（BW）、壳长（SL）、壳高（SH）和壳宽（SW）分别为1.41±0.03 g、14.82±0.09 mm、13.73±0.09 mm和9.72±0.06 mm,平均相对高度、圆度和凸度分别为0.930±0.001、0.660土0.001和0.710±0.001.河蚬壳长、壳高、壳宽与湿重的关系分别为：lg BW=-3.45＋3.00 lg SL、lgBW=-3.23＋2.891gSH、lgBW=-2.87＋2.971gSW,表明河蚬为等速生长.2010--2011年,大通湖河蚬平均密度和生物量均较2009年显著增加.2009年,河蚬主要分布于中北部的蜜蜂夹湖区域,2010年开始,几乎遍布整个大通湖,但整体上呈现由东北向西南逐渐递减的趋势,密度和生物量高值均出现在大通湖中部,蜜蜂夹湖、大西湖与尼古湖交界区域.推测养殖过程中物化产品投入的增加是导致大通湖河蚬现存量快速增加的主要原因之一,软体动物捕捞加速了河蚬分布区域的扩展.据此提出了大通湖河蚬合理开发和有效保护的建议.

Growth and food source of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus cultured below fish cages — Potential for integrated multi-trophic aquaculture

In order to examine the efficiency of co-culturing fish with the Japanese common sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus, field cultivation experiments were conducted in Gokasho Bay, central Japan. I cultured A. japonicus juveniles below a fish cage and at a control station for 238days, monitored the wet weight, and analyzed its stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ13C, δ15N) together with potential food sources, and found that (1) juveniles cultured below fish cages exhibited high survivorship (96%) and significantly higher specific growth rate (1.9%) than those at the control site (1.2%), and (2) the juveniles had significantly reduced δ13C values (mean±SD=−19.1±0.3‰ vs. −17.5±0.4‰ at the control station), suggesting the incorporation of C3 plant material in fish feed through fish feces and settling organic matter. All sea cucumbers which were further cultured for additional 307days below fish cages grew to the marketable size (range and mean wet weight=142–181g, 160g, n=9). In order to evaluate the effect of density on growth, 6 culture vessels, in which 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 juveniles of A. japonicus were stocked, were maintained below the fish cage over 118days. The results showed that the final mean weight of A. japonicus decreased from 6.68g to 0.94g as the density increased with a large variation of weight at the end of the experiment (coefficient of variation=52.1–62.2%), suggesting that there was competition between individuals for a limited food supply and there were intraspecific effects on the growth. This study shows the possibility of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture in which A. japonicus is cultured in the water column below fish cages, because the survival and growth of the sea cucumbers were enhanced due to the ability to avoid predator interactions and adverse environmental conditions as well as nutritional feed supply from the fish cage.

The use of different anaesthetics as welfare promoters during short-term human manipulation of European cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) juveniles

Anaesthetics are frequently used to prevent injuries, stress and to promote welfare while handling animals. The efficiency of five anaesthetics for short-term handling of the European cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) was tested in order to determine the best agent and its concentration. Ethanol (10.0, 20.0 and 30.0mL.L−1), clove oil (0.05, 0.15mL.L−1), hypothermia (8°C), magnesium chloride (hexahydrated; 20.0, 27.0g.L−1) and AQUI-S® (10.9μl.L−1) were the selected anaesthetics. This choice was preceded by a preliminary trial, with additional agents, where 2-phenoxyethanol (10, 15, 20, 30mL.L−1) and MS-222® (30, 40mg.L−1) were used. Due to the lack of reliable results from these two agents, they were discarded. Anaesthetic procedure was performed in 85 cuttlefish juveniles with a mean wet weight of 45.69±12.01g, on a 5L container, under hyper-oxygenated seawater (~200%), plus the dose of a given anaesthetic agent. After achieving induction, cuttlefish were handled for 180s, which consisted in a weighing procedure according to a developed CCMAR protocol. Recovery from anaesthesia was performed in a tank with flow-through hyper-oxygenated water. All these procedures were video recorded and used to, a posteriori, obtain the time frames of induction, handling and recovery, as well as for the behaviour analysis during each stage.For the analysis of results and taking into account the best welfare practice, we established the following time period criteria to determine the optimum anaesthetic dose: induction<600s; and recovery <900s. Data gathered was used to build a descriptive table of behaviour related stages based on all the anaesthetic agents, which was then also used to analyse the individual data.Despite the multitude of new anaesthetics developed for marine vertebrates, with this work we verified that MgCl2, at 27g.L−1, is still the anaesthetic agent to be used in short-term handling of cuttlefish. Relative to other agents used, MgCl2 proved superior in ease of application, price, availability, and its minimal distressing effect on individuals. However, it's of utmost importance to increase the knowledge regarding this species physiology related to the field of animal welfare. The development of tools for the identification of possible biomolecular indicators of stress in cuttlefish and the confirmation of similar physiology to vertebrates will allow a correct verification of stress induction and reduction, when using an anaesthetic agent and during the handling process.

Metabolic profile of porcine corneas after photodynamic cross‐linking treatment

Editor, Corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL), using ultraviolet A (UVA) irradiation and photosensitizer riboflavin was introduced in 2003 by Wollensak et al. as an efficient treatment of progressive keratoconus. It halts the progression of corneal ectasia and leads to a slight reduction of keratectasia in about 50% of patients with keratoconus (Wollensak et al. 2003a; Wollensak 2010). We recently examined the influence of standard CXL on the metabolic profile of porcine corneas using the metabonomic approach based on magic angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. 24 porcine eyes were retrieved from a local abattoir within 24 hrs post-mortem. 12 eyes were cross-linked, another 12 eyes served as controls with epithelial debridement only. After complete epithelial debridement, 0.2 ml of a 0.1% riboflavin/20% dextran solution was applied every 3 min for 10 min. The corneas were then irradiated with UVA (370 nm) for 30 min using a double UVA diode with a focusing distance of 1 cm and a UVA irradiance of 3 mW/cm2 (total dose, 5.4 J/cm²). During irradiation, riboflavin/dextran solution was applied every 3 min. After treatment, central corneal buttons with 10 mm diameter were trephined and frozen at −80°C. Rectangular 4 × 4 mm, central samples were cut from the corneas and immersed in D2O in a zirconium HR-MAS rotor. HR-MAS 1H NMR spectroscopy, assignment of the metabolites in spectra and data analysis were performed as described previously (Kryczka et al. 2011). Peak areas were quantified using absolute integrals and were normalized by the mean wet weight of the control (14.4 mg). The significance of differences between individual means was tested by the Student’s t-test for independent samples (statistica for Windows software version 7.1; StatSoft, Tulsa, OK, USA). Twenty metabolites were assigned in HR-MAS 1H NMR spectra (Fig. 1A). Levels of formate, glutathione (GSH) and leucine concentration in the cross-linked corneas were significantly lower than in the controls, by 70% (p = 0.021), 28% (p = 0.048) and 26% (p = 0.043), respectively (Fig. 1B). Representative HR-MAS 1H NMR spectrum of a porcine cornea (panel A) and changes in metabolic profiles of porcine corneas exposed to cross-linking photodynamic therapy (panel B). (A) The p.p.m. values are assigned using TSP as the reference substance at 0 p.p.m. (B) The results shown are the Means ± SD, IU-institutional units: HR-MAS 1H NMR peak integrals divided by cornea wet weight, see Ref. Kryczka et al. (2011); n = 12 for every group of samples; *p < 0.05 versus control. Ac, acetate; Ala, alanine; Arg, arginine; Chol, choline; Creat, creatine; Cr, creatinine; For, formate; Glut, glutamate; GSH, glutathione; His, histidine; hypo-Tau, hypotaurine; Ileu, isoleucine; Lac, lactate; Leu, leucine; Lys, lysine; P-chol, phosphocholine; Tau, taurine; Try, tryptophan; TSP, sodium-3′-trimethylsilyl-propionate-2,2,3,3-d4; Tyr, tyrosine; Val, valine. Our results suggest that glutathione, which is one of the main nonenzymatic intracellular corneal antioxidants (Lassen et al. 2008), contributes significantly to the antioxidant defence system in the cornea during CXL and is therefore partially depleted after CXL. Similarly, formate that can act as an OH radical scavenger (Shiraishi et al. 2000) was also reduced. The scavenging action of antioxidants (Lassen et al. 2008) might play an important role in balancing the beneficial biomechanical and possibly negative cytotoxic side effects of CXL. The riboflavin/UVA system is known to decrease concentrations of free histidine and tyrosine in collagen solutions. Kato et al. (1994) proposed di-tyrosine formation as a probable explanation of those changes. In our study, only a slight tendency towards the reduction of these amino acids was observed (Fig. 1B). The less significant changes could be due to the low concentration of these amino acids in the corneal tissues. In conclusion, the results of this study have demonstrated a moderate impact of CXL on the antioxidant system of porcine corneas in the early post-treatment phase. No major alarming changes were found in the metabolic profiles of cross-linked corneas supporting the clinical view of CXL being a safe procedure. Further research is needed to elucidate the influence of CXL on the various antioxidant systems of the cornea (e.g. superoxide diamutase, catalase) and the long-term effects of corneal cross-linking on the metabolic profile. Modulation of the cross-linking and wound healing response by adding antioxidant eye drops like vitamin C protecting endothelial cells against apoptosis (Wollensak et al. 2003b) especially in thin corneas might become possible and should also be explored in the future.

Temporal Dynamics of Circulating Persistent Organic Pollutants in a Fasting Seabird under Different Environmental Conditions

Temporal dynamics of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were examined in fasting common eider (Somateria mollissima) females in one subarctic (68° N; over 5 years) and one high arctic colony (78° N; 3 years). Blood concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-153; 1-dichloro-2,2-bis (p-chlorophenyl) ethylene (p,p'-DDE), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were measured twice each season in eider females (total n = 162) during incubation (at day 5 and day 20). The mean wet weight concentrations of PCB-153 were ~3-5 times higher in the subarctic colony, whereas p,p'-DDE and HCB concentrations tended to be higher in high arctic than in subarctic eiders late in the incubation period. All POPs increased during incubation fast, but the relative increase in mean concentration varied more among years in high arctic than in subarctic eiders. In the high arctic, both lipid-metabolism and the increase in circulating POP concentrations were highest in the year when the mean ambient temperature was lowest. Moreover, females with low body condition and high lipid metabolism (body mass loss) had stronger increase in circulating concentrations of p,p'-DDE and HCB; the effect size being within the same order of magnitude in the two colonies. Hence, since eiders at high latitudes metabolized relatively more lipids, they experienced higher exposure of p,p'-DDE and HCB over the incubation period than birds inhabiting the more benign subarctic region.

Early weaning of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis, L.) with frozen grass shrimp (Palaemonetes varians) from the first day after hatching

AbstractThe suitability of early weaning cuttlefish usingfrozen grass shrimp, and its effects on growth andmortality was determined in a 50-day experiment.Three food groups were used. One group (C) wasfed with live prey until 25th DAH and weanedwith frozen prey until the end of the experiment.In the other two groups, weaning started at thefifth DAH (W5) and first DAH (W1), also withfrozen diet. Significant differences were foundbetween C and the remaining treatments (P <0.05) for mean wet weight (MWW), instantaneousgrowth rate (IGR), biomass (B) and mortality atthe 25th and the 50th DAH. Despite the lowergrowth (~1/3 of the achieved with live food) andhigher mortality (3% obtained by C versus 23% inthe W1 and W5 groups), C cuttlefish presented asimilar weight gain tendency to W1 and W5groups after weaning. This is the first record ofearly acceptance (at the first DAH) of frozen foodby cuttlefish hatchlings. These differences could berelated with digestive enzymes of cuttlefish andprey, changes in nutritional composition andamount of captured prey, etc. Future researchshould also address the effects of this early wean-ing on cuttlefish life cycle.Keywords: cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis, grassshrimp, Palaemonetes varians, early weaning, fro-zen foodIntroductionThe European cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) is one ofthe most well-known cephalopods (Boletzky1983). During the last years, research on cuttle-fish has focused on its introduction as a new spe-cies for aquaculture. This is due to the biologicaland economical characteristics that this speciesdisplay, which have the potential for industrialculture. The most important are the short lifecycles and the fast growth rates which implylower production periods and associated costs. Onthe other hand, the inability to grow cephalopodson an inexpensive and storable prepared diet hasbeen identified as a bottleneck (Sykes, Domingues,Correia & Andrade 2006).Like in most finfish species, the first stage cul-ture of this species is known as the most problem-atic. This is due to the dependence on live feeds(Domingues, Sykes & Andrade 2001; Domingues,Bettencourt & Guerra 2006; Sykes, Domingues A Castro 1991; Lee, Forsy-the, DiMarco, DeRusha & Hanlon 1991; Castro,DiMarco, DeRusha & Lee 1993) demonstrated poorresults in growth, survival and promoted cannibal-ism [e.g. 67.5% and 22.5% survival rates for pel-lets and surimi respectively (Castro et al. 1993)].Domingues, Dimarco, Andrade and Lee (2005) con-firmed the possibility of rearing cuttlefish with pre-pared foods. Nevertheless, these authors reportedextremely low growth rates when compared with

Cyanobacteria and macroalgae from an arid environment mangrove on the east coast of the Baja California Peninsula

Abstract We describe the assemblage of cyanobacteria and macroalgae on Avicennia germinans pneumatophores, Rhizophora mangle aerial roots, and within the tidal channel of a mangrove located in a lagoon bordering the east coast of the Baja California Peninsula, from samples collected every 2 months from May 2005 to May 2006. A total of 68 species were found: 21 cyanobacteria, 1 Xanthophyta, 25 Chlorophyta, 1 Ochrophyta-Phaeophyceae, 19 Rhodophyta, and 1 Anthophyta. Species richness varied between habitats; pneumatophores supported 29 species of algae, aerial roots supported 20 species of algae, and the channel bottom supported 46 species. Taxa common to the three habitats were Lyngbya sp., Vaucheria sp., Boodleopsis pusilla, Rhizoclonium riparium, and Bostrychia radicans. Mean wet weight algal biomasses on aerial roots and in the channel were 494 g root-1and 12,924 g m-2, respectively. The dominant species on aerial roots and on the channel bottom were Caulerpa sertularioides, Gracilariopsis lemaneiformis, and Spyridia filamentosa. The channel bottom also had Vaucheria sp. and two cyanobacteria (Oscillatoria sp. and Lyngbya sp.). Morphotypes of two cyanobacteria (Heteroleibleinia sp. and Johanesbaptistia sp.) are recorded in this habitat for the first time.