Subtractive hybridization was used to isolate cDNAs highly expressed in stages IX-XI of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium in the rat. One of the cloned cDNAs was sequenced and shown to be homologous to a previously described cDNA encoding rat prohibitin. Northern blot analyses showed that 1.9- and 1.2-kb transcripts were present in Sertoli cells whereas 1.5-, 1.2-, and 0.7-kb transcripts were expressed in germ cells. Western blot analyses with anti-peptide antibody to prohibitin revealed only a single 30-kDa protein in testis. Immunocytochemistry demonstrated that prohibitin protein was expressed constitutively in adult Leydig cells and Sertoli cells at all stages. Immunoreactivity of prohibition was very low in preleptotene spermatocytes, very high in leptotene spermatocytes, and very low in zygotene spermatocytes. In pachytene spermatocytes, immunoreactivity was very high in stages VII-XI and was minimal during stages XII and XIV. No protein was detected in spermatogonia and spermatocytes undergoing mitotic and meiotic divisions, respectively. These studies show that the prohibitin gene is expressed differentially in testis. The expression pattern of the prohibitin gene in rat testis appears to correlate with a proposed antiproliferative role of prohibitin.

SUMMARY:We have developed a tissue dissociation procedure for the mouse m a m m a r y gland whereby it is possible to isolate the parenchyma as intact structural subcomponents essentially free of mesenchyme. Whole m a m m a r y fat pads are coarsely minced and subjected to a limited collagenase digestion, with mechanical dissociation for 90 min at 37 ° C. The parenchyma is released as a mixture of multicellular organoids and monodispersed cells. Use of a graded series of filters (400, 250, 150, 95, and 51 ~m pore size) allows the separation of parenchyma from nonparenchymal material, with a further enrichment of the former into ductal, ductal-lobular, and terminal end-bud or alveolar populations. Yield is variable and dependent upon the nature of the starting tissue~ e.g., mouse strain, age, and parity. These organoid fractions may be established separately in culture. This procedure allows for the study of the ductal and terminal regions of the mouse m a m m a r y gland in culture at the tissue level.

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The objectives of this study were to investigate variations in the milk composition and somatic cell count (SCC) from dairy cooperatives in Northern Thailand from January 2017 to December 2021. Milk composition among dairy cooperatives was also compared. The dataset included monthly milk composition (total solid (TS)%, fat%, protein%, lactose%, solid not fat (SNF)% and SCC) data from 15 dairy cooperatives, 2 private organizations, and their milk collection centers (1,800 records) collected in five provinces, including Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lampang, Lamphun, and Phrae. The seasons were cold season (November to February), hot season (March to June), and rainy season (July to October). The dataset was compared among dairy cooperatives using a general linear mixed model. To detect a correlation, spearman correlation coefficients were calculated between SCC and milk composition. Results showed that the season significantly affected milk composition. The hot season appeared as the most critical season for all the parameters examined, showing the significantly lowest values (P < 0.001) of TS (12.33±0.3%), fat (3.79±0.27%) and protein (3.02±0.07%) whereas, a significantly highest SCC was obtained in the rainy season (321.21±3.93 x 1,000 cell/ml). Milk collecting centers of dairy cooperatives located in many districts had significantly different milk composition and SCC values. Lactose is the milk component that undergoes the greatest variation in response to the increase in SCC. This study highlighted the variations influencing milk composition and provided information for stakeholders and their roles in the dairy sector at the farm, dairy cooperative, and provincial levels.

Background and Aim: Scrub typhus and murine typhus are globally distributed zoonoses caused by the intracellular Gram-negative bacteria Orientia tsutsugamushi and Rickettsia typhi, respectively. Numerous studies have been undertaken on rickettsial illnesses in humans and animals, including arthropod vectors, in Thailand. However, the reports on the seroprevalence of antibodies to O. tsutsugamushi and R. typhi in buffaloes is extremely rare. Thus, this study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of both rickettsial infections in water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in Phatthalung Province, southern Thailand. Materials and Methods: From February to March 2023, a total of 156 serum samples were collected from 156 water buffaloes on 29 farms in Phatthalung province. The sera were screened for antibodies against O. tsutsugamushi and R. typhi using an indirect immunofluorescence assay. Results: The seroprevalence of antibodies against O. tsutsugamushi and R. typhi in individual water buffaloes was 4.49% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.19%-8.97%) and 3.85% (95% CI: 1.77%-8.14%), respectively, whereas 31% (9/29) of the herds had buffaloes with antibodies. The number of buffaloes with scrub typhus infection and ectoparasite infestation was statistically significant (p < 0.05; odds ratio = 6.25 [95% CI: 1.19-33.33]). Intriguingly, the prevalence of scrub typhus antibodies in buffaloes that were not infested with ectoparasites was much higher than those that were. Conclusion: This is the first report of O. tsutsugamushi and R. typhi antibodies in water buffalo sera in Southern Thailand. Two serum samples showed a high antibody titer against O. tsutsugamushi. Seroprevalence mainly occurred in non-ectoparasite-infested buffaloes, especially for O. tsutsugamushi antibodies. At the herd level, one-third of the studied farms showed seroprevalence. Additional research on the occurrence of these pathogens in vectors and in other animal reservoirs is necessary. Keywords: indirect immunofluorescence assay, Orientia tsutsugamushi, Rickettsia typhi, seroprevalence, Thailand, water buffaloes.