Milk samples from eight cynomolgus monkeys whose lactation period ranged 44-119 days were investigated for their gross chemical composition such as total solids, crude protein, lipids, lactose and ash. Nitrogen distribution, compositions of fatty acids, amino acids and triglycerides as well as major minerals were also determined. These analytical data were compared with those reported for man, simian and cow, and cynomolgus monkey milk was found to have close similarities to human milk.

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Localization ofMycoplasma pulmoniswas examined in mice infected by direct contact with previously infected mice. After contact with infected animals, the organisms were shown to become detectable first in the nasal and oral cavities and trachea on the next day, and then they were recovered from the middle ear and brain after 3 and 4 days, respectively. After 7 days of contact, isolation rates retained to be 100% in the nasal, oral and tracheal cavities, while 95% in the middle ear and brain, 25% in the lung and 200 in the vagina and uterus. The number of colonies was the most numerous from the nasal, uterine and vaginal cavities, followed by the trachea, middle ear, oral cavity, brain and lung in this order, except for a few mice having pneumonic lesions giving a large number of the organisms. The isolation rates with these organs were not changed even after 6 weeks of contact and organisms were never detected from the liver, spleen, kidney and heart. Mice from a naturally infected breeding colony showed similar finding to those sacrificed after 6 weeks of experimental contact.

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Preimplantation stage (16-celled and morula) rabbit embryos were successfully frozen to-196°C. The cooling rate (from a room temperature to 0°C), the presence of the mucin layer surrounding embryos, the ice-seeding treatment and the thawing procedure were examined to determine their effects on the survival of the frozen embryos of Japanese white, New Zealand white and Dutch-Belted rabbits. A high proportion (51%; 16-celled, 69%; morula) of Dutch-Belted rabbit embryos developedin vitro, when they were frozen to-196°C, applying the ice-seeding at-4°C in the presence of 12.5% DMSO, after being cooled to 0°C at the rate of 7-9°C/min, and were diluted by a stepwise addition of 4 different strength PBS on thawing. The highest rate ofin vitrodevelopment (81%; Japanese white, 75%; New Zealand white, 82%; Dutch Belted embryos) was obtained when the morula stage embryos were frozen to-196°C applying seeding at-4°C after being cooled to 0°C at the rate of 1°C/2.5 min and were diluted, on thawing, by stepwise addition of 6, 3 and l% DMSO solution and a culture medium. No great difference was found in the survival rate between the embryos covered with the mucin layer and those which had not the coat. All the embryos frozen without applying seeding treatment failed to develop in vitro after being thawed and diluted. Nine out of 27 does each of which received 6 reimplantations of the embryos frozen-thawed became pregnant and were found to be carrying 37 normal fetuses on the 12 th day of pregnancy.

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The effects of the population density on growth and life span of 21 to 26 months in SD-JCL-rats were investigated. The mean life spans of males and females were 23 and 24 months, respectively. The population density had no definite influence on increase in body weight of females, whereas a most accelerated growth of males was seen with 2 rats per cage. The total amounts of food intake of each animal throughout its life were about 15 and 11 kg for males and females, respectively, and those of water intake were about twice the food. No correlation was observed between the population density and the weights of the liver, kidney, heart and femur, though mals reared at 5 animals per cage had lightest adrenals among all the animals.

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In the course of inspection on the biochemical marker genes in inbred strains of mice maintained in our laboratory, a female mouse of the NZB strain was found to be heterozygous for the Es-1 locus. Namely, it was Es-1^a/Es-1^btype. After this finding, many heterozygous mice were found among her sisters and the descendants. However, these heterozygotes (Es-l^a/Es-1^b) showed no heterozygosity for other 11 characters, i. e., the 6 biochemical markers (Hbb, Trf, Es-2, Id-1, Mod-1, Gpd-1) and the 5 coat colour markers (A, B, C, D, and S) were idential as those previously described. It was, moreover, observed that they possessed the immunological characteristics typical of the NZB mice. Therefore, it could be concluded that the heterozygosity had been originated from a single mutation at the Es-1 locus, i. e., from Es-1^ato Es-1^bor vice versa. With regard to the alleles at the Es-1 locus, an investigation was carried out in two sub-strains of the NZB mice having different breeding history and the followings were clarified. One substrain imported from Karolinska Institute, Sweden, had been fixed with the Es-1^a allele and the other imported from England was found to be Es-1^b/Es-1^btype. The NZB mice which displayed the heterozygosity had been derieved from the Karolinska sub-strain. Importance of biochemical marker genes for inspection of proper maintenance of inbred strains has been discussed.

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Blood samples from rats, rabbits and beagles were subjected to simultaneous analyses for ten parameters using the RaBA-System and the results were compared with those obtained by the routine manual methods. Although the mean values measured by the two methods differ in several items, a significant correlation between the two methods in the majority of the determinations makes the use of the RaBA-System acceptable. The RaBA-System is thus considered to be applicable to evaluation of hemoglobin, total protein, glucose, BUN, total cholesterol, GOT, GPT, and alkaline phosphatase in blood samples from rats, rabbits and beagles. Plasma LDH and albumin, however, cannot be determined with accuracy by the system.

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In order to establish the normal baseline of blood values in rats using the RaBASystem, the following eight parameters were analyzed in 8-22-week-old Wistar-Imamichi rats of both sexes : hemoglobin, total protein, glucose, BUN, total cholesterol, GOT, GPT, and alkaline phosphatase. With the exception of glucose, all these parameters were significantly different depending upon ages. Significant sex differences were observed in the values of hemoglobin, total cholesterol, GOT, and alkaline phosphatase.

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Two tester strains of the rats for testing coat color genes wese established. The names, the origins and the genotypes of the rats were as follows: (1) abh (F4) Origin : selected from (BN/fMai × Kyo : Wistar) F₂. Genotype : C/C, a/a, b/b, h/h. (2) bad (F2) Origin: selected from (abh x Tester Moriyama) F₂. Genotype: C/C, a/a, b/b, h/h, D/d^*and C/C, a/a, b/b, h/h, d/d^*.

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The efficiency of the so-called econovent heat exchanging equipment located in the Institute of Laboratory Animal Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, was measured as follows: The air velocity was decreased to about 64% of that with the fresh air ducts, but a sufficient air volume was supplied maintaining an air change of 12 times per hour or more. The efficiency of the econovent showed a little difference depending upon air conditioning systems. The average efficiencies were 81%, 75% and 76% for temperature, absolute humidity and enthalpy, respectively. The energy required for the air conditioning in this facility in September 1975 and January 1976 estimated by enthalpy hour almost agreed with that estimated using a calorie meter or steam meter. It was assumed that a total of 63% and 60% energy were saved in the cooling and heating seasons, respectively, using the econovent.

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