Eighty-two feeder cattle and sixty-two fattening cattle were divided into two groups respectively according to their individual careers. One group consisted of the cattle reared in mountainous region (A group) and the other reared at sea level (S group). Physiological conditions of these two groups were studied comparatively by means of the examinations of ECG, blood, serum, urine and feces. Appearance of cardiac hypertrophy in ECG and the increase of packed cell volume, hemoglobin concentration, specific gravity, red cell count and viscosity of blood were recognized in A group at the final stage of rearing. In the fattening stage, no significant differences in the above mentioned measurements erythrocytes were observed between A and S groups. All cattle were infected with piroplasma, and 85% of cattle were infected with coccidium. However, abnormal patterns were not observed in several measurements of leucocytes, although these measurements fluctuated concerning with the above mentioned infectious processes. Physiological conditions of the fattening cattle at least were maintained within a healthy range of the beef cattle. Serum properties were fluctuated with the feeding conditions from the rearing to the fattening stages, especially from alterations of the total protein and the cholesterol concentration, it was presumed that A group had been adapted to the cold stress of the environment in mountainous region. From these results obtained here, it was presumed that the adaptation process of the beef cattle to the environment in mountainous region was the same as in mice exposed to the high altitude environment, and it was suggested that the cold environment in mountainous region played an important role on one side to the adaptation process and the torelance against the parasitic disease of the cattle was increased by the rearing in mountainous region.

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1. Relationship between the increase in Na and Cl concentration of a quarter milk, Qd(Na+Cl), which indicates the degree of abnormality in the composition of quarter milk and the changes in electric conductivity, hydrogen ion concentration and California Mastitis Test (CMT) score of the milk was studied using milk samples obtained through 48 morning milkings from 8 Holstein cows. The quarter milk showing the lowest Na+Cl value among the quarters in the same udder was considered to be the normal (Qn) and the differences (Qd) between Qn and other quarter milks (Qi) on Na+Cl value, Qd(Na+Cl)mEq/l, specific conductivity [Qd(κ)10-⁴mho] and hydrogen concentration (Qd[H⁺] nanomol/l) were accounted. Then, the regression equations between Qd(Na+Cl) and other quarter difference values were calculated. 2. A linear relationship was found between the quarter difference value of Na+Cl and that of the specific conductivity for the quarter milk (Fig. 2). The regression equation was as follows. y=(0.334±0.010)x-0.090, n=126 where, x is Qd(Na+Cl)mEq/l and y is Qd(κ)10-⁴mho. The correlation coefficient was 0.96. Almost the same relationship was found for the fore-milk samples. 3. A linear relationship was also found between the quarter difference value of Na+Cl and that of hydrogen ion concentration for the quarter milk (Fig. 3). The regression equation was as follows. y=-(3.089±0.096)x-2.66, n=126 where, x is Qd(Na+Cl)mEq/l and y is Qd[H⁺]nM/l. The correlation coefficient was -0.945. A similar relationship was also observed for the fore-milk samples. 4. The above findings showed that the degree of abnormality of a quarter milk indicated by the quarter difference of Na+Cl value can also be estimated by the measurement of the quarter difference of conductivity and that of hydrogen ion concentration of the quarter milks. From a survey of the quarter differences of Na+Cl value on the healthy cows, 7.2mEq/l of Qd(Na+Cl) was defined as a measure for detecting abnormal milks1). From above regression equations, therefore, it is possible to estimate the values corresponding to 7.2mEq/l of Qd(Na+Cl) on Qd(κ) and Qd[H⁺] (Table 3). Thus, the obtained values were 3×10-⁴ mho for Qd(κ), and 25nM/l for Qd[H⁺] respectively. If, then, the quarter difference of a milk is larger than these values, the quarter milk can be considered abnormal. 5. The CMT score of gel formation keeps step with the size of quarter difference of Na+Cl value (Table 2). Below 15mEq/l of Qd(Na+Cl), CMT scores of the quarter milks were mainly negative, sometimes trace or weak positive. Above 15mEq/l, the score was positive in the majority of the quarter milks, and above 20mEq/l, the greater part of milks showed distinct positive reaction. A similar relationship was also found for the fore-milk samples, although the distribution of CMT scores belonging to each Qd(Na+Cl) class was more dispersed than the quarter milk. 6. Overall changes in the composition in the abnormal quarter milk could be understood, if one postulates that a body fluid, presumably an exudate, inflows and mixes with milk in the quarter. On the basis of the common properties of exudate, it is inferable that the degree of change in the composition of abnormal milk will depend on the amount of inflow of such exudate into milk. On this hypothesis, a series of changes in the milk composition, that is the changes in Na, Cl, K, lactose and total protein concentration in the abnormal milk and the increase in the number of somatic cells indicated by the CMT score are connected to the same cause. 7. The present trend towards larger dairy herd would call for a new method for the automatic detection of abnormal milk by the electric means. Such methods will be based on the measurements of the separate quarter milks of the same udder in order to detect abnormal milks with high efficacy.

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Rumen ophryoscolecid ciliates were examined to know whether or not they ingest significant amounts of dissolved nutrients orally in association with engulfment of particulate substances such as potato starch and carbon powder which were known to be easily ingested orally by the ophryoscolecid ciliates. Concentration of non-protein nitrogen in the medium with or without particulate substances was compared after incubation of the protozoa to assess the degree of consumption of dissolved casein. Gas production from glucose during anaerobic incubation of the protozoa was the criterion for the oral ingestion of the fermentative solutes. The results showed that neither the addition of potato starch nor carbon particles enhanced the metabolism in question, suggesting that rumen ophryoscolecid ciliates did not ingest or failed to utilize glucose and casein given in dissolved form.

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Urinary and serum copper levels were determined with the Wistar rats fed low-copper diet. When young male rats were fed diet containing 0.87ppm copper, their serum copper, serum ceruloplasmin and urinary copper levels decreased sharply in the first seven days. When the rats of the same age and sex as above were fed diet containing 1.16ppm copper, their serum copper, serum ceruloplasmin and urinary copper levels were maintained constant. When adult female rats were fed diet containing 0.74ppm copper, their serum copper and ceruloplasmin levels began to decrease after the eleventh day. Male rats excreted more copper in urine than female rats, although the serum copper level was higher in the latter.

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Changes of ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) activities of the chicken kidney with age were investigated using normal (A) and high activity (B) lines of White Leghorn breed. Embryos of 18th day of incubation of both lines, chicks of 2 to 30 days of age in the line A, and chicks of up to 120 days of age in the line B, were subjected to investigation. In the control line A, 95% of the chicks showed a low level of OTC, less than 10 units, at 30 days of age. In the chicks of high activity group which consisted 25% of the line B, OTC level was already high from the embryonic life. Chicks of this group showed a characteristic change of the enzyme activity after hatch, being high at 2 and 7 days of age and falling thereafter through 120 days of age. In both lines OTC level in the female seemed to be slightly higher than that of the male.

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Changes in the secretion rate, calcium and inorganic phosphorus concentrations of the shell gland fluid during shell formation were determined in the hen which had a loop of thread in the shell gland and which continued to lay the soft-shelled eggs only (called treated hens). Determinations were also done in the normal laying hen as a control. The secretion rate of the shell gland fluid was lower in the treated hens than in the control. The calcium content in the shell gland fluid of the control was lowest at the first 5 hour stage of shell formation and increased during the active calcification stage. In the treated hens, calcium contents in the fluid were markedly different from those of the control at some stages of shell formation, the pattern of change, however, being similar to controls. Inorganic phosphorus level of the shell gland fluid in normal laying hens fluctuated significantly (P<0.05) during shell formation. The value was observed to be highest at the end of calcification and was lowest when active calcification was in progress. A remarkable phosphorus change in the fluid was also observed in the treated hens in relation to premature oviposition: the level of the fluid became higher just after the premature oviposition than that in the period during which the egg was staying in the shell gland. From these results, it is assumed that the presence of a loop of thread in the shell gland causes the low secretory activity of the shell gland and causes the abnormal composition of the shell gland fluid. The rapid increase of inorganic phosphorus content in the shell gland fluid in the hen with a shell gland irritant may be partly related to the inhibition of shell deposition, and to premature expulsion of the soft-shelled egg.

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