Effects of pretreatment with selenate, as well as selenite, on the retention of ²⁰³Hg in male and laying Japdnese quail were investigated. Birds were killed 24 hOuTs after a single intravenous injection with ²⁰³Hg-mercuric nitrate. The radioelement increased in concentration in most of the tissues checked, especially in the blood corpuscle fraction and liver, in the birds had been treated with both selenium compounds than in the controls. On the other hand, the pretreatment decreased the concentration of ²⁰³Hg ill the kidney of both sexes of birds and ova of laying ones. In the brain uptake of ²⁰³Hg was little affected by the pretreatment which caused a reduction of fecal and urinary excretion of the radiomercury. The selenium-response patterns in the pretreated birds was not altered by the sex of birds and the type of selenium compound used. The results obtained in Japanese quail agreed well with those reported in mammals treated with selenite.

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A case of general cutaneous papillomatosis in Japanese serow, a wild animal naturally reserved by law (a special natural monument), was reported. Histological observation revealed fibrous proliferation with papillary extention in the dermis, acanthosis with marked vacuolation of epithelial cells and hyperkeratosis. Electron microscopy disclosed vacuolated cytoplasm with scanty tonofibriles in some of the epithelial cells proliferated in the spinosum layer, and virus-like particles in the nucleus of degenerated cells in the corneal layer through the middle spinosum layer. The particles were spherical and measured about 30nm in diameter, and occasionally arranged in a crystalline array. According to the findings obtained, they were possibly identical to a member of the papovavirus group. Discussion was made in comparison with papillomatosis in the other animal species reported previously. Besides, bundles of needle-like filamentous structures were detected in the nucleus in several spinosum layer cells. Lung worms, Protostrongylus Shiozawai (Ohbayashi et Ueno, 1974) were observed in pulmonary sections histologically.

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Bovine α-fetoprotein was isolated from bovine fetal serum by an immuno-chemical method. It was comfirmed that this protein was antigenically related to human α-fetoprotein. The levels of α-fetoprotein, albumin, transferrin, immunoglobulin and total proteins in the sera of developing bovine fetuses and calves were assayed by the single radial immuno-diffusion method. The maximum mean value of α-fetoprotein (6.14±0.61 mg/ml within a range of 5-8 mg/ml) was observed in the sera of 4-month fetuses. It decreased to 0.01-0.06 mg/ml at birth. The half-time of disappearance of α-fetoprotein after birth was estimated to be 2.52 days. Serum albumin, serum transferrin and total proteins increased successively with the development of fetuses. IgG was also detected from 4 (11%) of 36 fetal serum samples.

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High roughage diet (HRD) and high concentrate diet (HCD) were given to sheep to study their effects on the secretion rate of parotid saliva and on the sodium, potassium and phosphorus levels of parotid saliva and of blood. Parotid secretion rate was higher in HRD feeding than in HCD feeding, except in the early period of eating. The start of eating caused an abrupt increase in parotid secretion. Secretion rate was lower in 2-hour post-eating period than in the 2-hour pre-eating period in both types of feeding. The sodium level of parotid saliva was higher in HCD feeding than in HRD feeding, except in the early period of eating, though the daily intake of sodium was nearly the same in both types of feeding. Plasma sodium level was little influenced by the types of the diet, except in the post-eating period. The potassium level of parotid saliva was little influenced by the type of diet in the pre-eating period. It was higher in HRD feeding than in HCD feeding in the eating period. Plasma potassium level was influenced neither by the type of diet nor by eating. In response to the daily intake of phosphorus and the parotid secretion rate, the inorganic phosphorus level of parotid saliva and that of plasma were always higher in HCD feeding than in HRD feeding. The hay to concentrate ratio affected the parotid secretion rate and its sodium and phosphorus levels, but not always influenced potassium level of parotid saliva.

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The origin and insertion are described and illustrated for the muscles of the pelvic limb in the pigeon. The details are shown in Tables 1-2 and Figures 1-4.

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The effect of temperature on F-GOT reaction was analyzed kinetically by varying temperature within a range from 0 to 60°C. The results obtained are summarized as follows. 1. The rate of F-GOT-catalyzed reaction increased gradually with a rise in temperature within a range from 4 to 40°C. It passed through a maximum at 50°C and decreased rapidly, if not precipitously, at a temperature between 56 and 60°C. On the contrary, the addition of pyidoxal 5'-phosphate (PALP) to such heat-treated preparations increased or restored the activity in part. The molar concentration of PALP required for maximal activity was 1×10^-3M. An apparently maximal activation with PALP was also observed in preparations stabilized at a constant temperature of 20°C. 2. The GOT reaction in both directions met the condition of conventional first-order reactions. No special equilibrium, however, was recognized in an approach to equilibrium in the reaction in both directions. 8. The temperature coefficient Q₁₀ varied from 1 to 4 at a temperature between 0 and 50°C. It increased by approximately 1.3 times for a rise of every 10°C. 4. Reactions took place a little later than usual when carried out at a temperature below 20°C. The reaction velocity, however, was found to increase continuously with a rise in temperature within a range from 4 to 40°C. The Arrhenius equation was used to express the relationship between the temperature concerned and the average value of energy of activation. When calculated from the slope of the straight line in Arrhenius' graph, this energy was 9, 024.18 calories per mole. On the other hand, when calculated from the log Vmax-vs.-1/T point at 50°C, the energy of activation showed a tendency to proceed toward inferiority, deviated from presenting any linear correlation. From these results, it was concluded that F-GOT might be stable and retain full activity at 40°C.

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