氮肥对玉米籽粒发育的影响还未得到充分研究。microRNAs与mRNAs联合分析有助于加深我们对氮素调控玉米籽粒发育的理解。在本研究中，我们分析了不同施氮量（0 kg ha^-1、100 kg ha^-1，200 kg ha^-1和300 kg ha^-1）下玉米籽粒的形态、生理和转录组变化。结果表明，增加施氮显著增加了玉米籽粒的鲜重和干重，但施氮量超过200 kg ha^-1时，籽粒的鲜重和干重没有显著增加。总体来说，生长素、细胞分裂素和赤霉素的含量随着施氮量的增加而增加，而乙烯的含量降低。我们在激素合成和传导过程中获得了31个差异表达基因（DEGs），其中9个DEGs由14个差异表达microRNAs（DEMIs）调节，共形成26个表达对。本研究中候选的DEGs和DEMIs为不同施氮量下的玉米籽粒发育提供了有价值的见解。

3',5'-环磷酸腺苷（cAMP）是一种重要的代谢产物，特别在枣中高效积累。然而，cAMP在枣细胞中的功能尚未得到系统研究。因此，我们通过枣细胞悬浮系的建立、原生质体分离及荧光强度分析研究了cAMP与钙离子信号的关系。首先，外源cAMP处理可以促进枣的生长和内源cAMP的积累。通过对过表达腺苷酸环化酶（ZjAC）的转基因拟南芥转录组分析鉴定出60个与钙离子信号相关的差异表达基因（DEG），发现这些基因参与钙离子信号转导及细胞间/内的反应。另外，外源cAMP和钙离子促进剂A23187等药物处理可以诱导枣细胞中ZjAC的表达、cAMP的积累及钙离子向细胞质中的流入，而钙离子螯合剂EGTA或腺苷酸环化酶抑制剂bithionol处理抑制了这种增加。此外，外源cAMP处理可以激活钙离子通道及相关下游基因，如ZjCNGC2和ZjMAPK2、ZjMAPKK2、ZjMAPKK4。总之，该研究结果表明cAMP的合成依赖于钙离子信号内流，钙离子信号和cAMP之间的级联放大效应参与细胞内信号转导从而促进枣的生长发育。

甜瓜果肉硬度（Flesh firmness, FF）是农业生产者和消费者关注的一个复杂且重要的性状，但目前针对甜瓜果肉硬度性状的遗传机制尚不清楚。本研究以软果肉甜瓜“P5”和硬果肉甜瓜“P10”配置杂交组合，构建F₂分离群体，通过QTL-SLAF测序和分子标记连锁分析，共鉴定112,844个SLAF位点，使用5,919个SNP标记构建了总遗传距离为1356.49 cM的连锁图谱。结合两年田间表型分析显示，控制果实长度（Fruit Length, FL）和宽度（Fruit Diameter, FD）的QTLs位点位于同一区间，控制单果重（Single-Fruit Weight, SFW）性状的QTL位于两条不同的染色体上。对于果肉硬度检测到一个主要QTL位点ff2.1，位于甜瓜2号染色体0.17 Mb的候选区域。利用429个F₂单株，将ff2.1候选区间缩小到28.3 kb区域，包含3个候选基因。本研究不仅鉴定了一个控制甜瓜果肉硬度的QTLs位点，同时也为甜瓜基因功能基因的研究提供了理论基础。

芝麻（Sesamum indicum L.）是一种具有较高营养价值和收益的经济作物，种植在世界80多个国家。在世界范围内，芝麻籽不仅是一种重要的食用油料，而且富含其他作物所缺少的抗氧化木脂素类化合物芝麻素和芝麻林素等。随着芝麻素等成分越来越多的的药理、保健功能被发现和证实，国际芝麻需求不断增加。当前，培育高芝麻素或高木酯素品种已成为主要育种目标之一，总结芝麻素和芝麻林素研究进展，探讨研究热点和存在的问题，对促进广大研究人员协同开展相关研究具有重要意义。本文系统梳理总结了芝麻素和芝麻林素在芝麻品种资源中的含量变异、生物合成途径、关联分子标记、调控基因位点等方面研究进展，并对其在芝麻自身生长发育中潜在的功能作用和最新研究发现的药理作用进行了论述。此外，综述还提出并讨论了未来对于开展分子育种，选育高芝麻素或高木酯素新品种急需开展的一些研究任务。芝麻素和芝麻林素在芝麻应对外界胁迫，包括生物和非生物逆境方面都表现出积极作用。芝麻素和芝麻林素还具有多种药理作用，对人民健康有益，如抗氧化、抗癌、抗炎、抗增殖、抗高血压等作用。尽管已报道有40多种植物中存在芝麻素或木酯素，但因含量较低或分子结构差异，未能像在芝麻中获得重视。芝麻中芝麻素和芝麻林素含量变异范围较大，一般在0.05~12.17mg/g和0 ~10mg/g之间，但多数含量仍比较低。尽管芝麻素和芝麻林素的合成代谢途径已基本清楚，但对于其含量变异的调控基因位点研究仍旧不足，目前尚未有调控功能明确的基因被鉴定，高含量育种仍旧缺乏高效的生物技术手段。

杂交水稻为世界粮食的供应做出了重大贡献，而骨干亲本在杂交水稻品种选育中发挥着重要作用。为明确水稻骨干亲本蜀恢527（SH527，Oryza sativa）在育种过程中所利用的关键基因组区域，本研究对其进行了基于系谱的全基因组分析。利用高密度单核苷酸多态性（SNP）阵列对包括SH527、6个亲本品种及17个衍生恢复系在内的24个品种进行了扫描，分析了上游亲本对SH527基因组的独特贡献，确定了SH527及其衍生品种中保守的关键基因组区域。同时，利用多年的产量性状数据和SNP 芯片结果进行全基因组关联分析，发现了一些可能的已知或新的产量性状的关联位点。这项研究初步揭示了SH527育种的关键区域，将为后续育种提供参考。杂交水稻为世界粮食的供应做出了重大贡献，而骨干亲本在杂交水稻品种选育中发挥着重要作用。为明确水稻骨干亲本蜀恢527（SH527，Oryza sativa）在育种过程中所利用的关键基因组区域，本研究对其进行了基于系谱的全基因组分析。利用高密度单核苷酸多态性（SNP）阵列对包括SH527、6个亲本品种及17个衍生恢复系在内的24个品种进行了扫描，分析了上游亲本对SH527基因组的独特贡献，确定了SH527及其衍生品种中保守的关键基因组区域。同时，利用多年的产量性状数据和SNP 芯片结果进行全基因组关联分析，发现了一些可能的已知或新的产量性状的关联位点。这项研究初步揭示了SH527育种的关键区域，将为后续育种提供参考。

Received  12 December, 2017    Accepted  26 February, 2018

    Bovine mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus is difficult to treat because of increasing resistance against antibiotics, especially penicillin. β-Lactamase and biofilm are responsible for penicillin resistance of S. aureus. The aim of this study was to investigate the β-lactamase activity and biofilm formation capacity of 37 penicillin-resistant S. aureus strains (35 were blaZ positive and 2 were blaZ negative) from bovine mastitis in Gansu Province, China, as well as to measure the intercellular adhesion genes icaA and icaD of these strains. β-Lactamase Test Kit was used to determine the β-lactamase activity, biofilm formation was tested by semi-quantitative adherence assay method. Moreover, the presence of icaA and icaD were measured by PCR. A total of 32 penicillin-resistant S. aureus strains, including the two blaZ-negative strains, were identified as β-lactamase producers. All tested S. aureus isolates produced biofilm in the microtiter plate assay. Meanwhile, all these strains were PCR-positive for the ica locus, icaA and icaD. The study indicated high prevalence of β-lactamase activity, biofilm-forming capacity, and the ica genes among the penicillin-resistant S. aureus isolates, and implied that S. aureus resistant to penicillin was attributed to multiple mechanisms.

DNA methyltransferases (Dnmts) comprise a family of proteins which involved in the establishment and maintenance of DNA methylation patterns.  In pig, the molecular characterization and tissue expression profile of Dnmt gene family are not clear.  To solve this problem, reverse transcriptase PCR and rapid amplification of cDNA ends were used to clone the sequences of the porcine Dnmt2 and Dnmt3b genes.  Furthermore, the mRNA expression profiles of Dnmt1, Dnmt2, Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b genes from 54 adult tissues and 2 entire fetuses of Rongchang pig were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR).  As a result, the lengths of porcine Dnmt2 and Dnmt3b gene cDNAs were 1 227 and 2 559 bp with cytosine-C5 specific DNA methylase domain, respectively.  The four Dnmt genes were highly expressed in longissimus dorsi muscle (P<0.01).  Dnmt1 is highly expressed in heart (P<0.01) and Dnmt 2 shows its preference in liver and seminal vesicle tissue (P<0.01).  Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b are highly expressed in the two fetus stages (P<0.01).  All these results suggested that each gene has its specific expression profile, and deeper study is required to dig more details between the methylation level and Dnmt family mRNA expressions in different tissues.

    Programmed cell death (PCD) plays a critical role in the development of plant pigment glands, while H₂O₂, which is a kind of reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by the aerobic metabolism of cells, acts as an important signal in this process. Here, we investigated the temporal and spatial dynamics of accumulated H₂O₂ in pigment glands of Gossypium hirsutum L. with 3,3-diaminobenzidine (DAB) staining, 2’,7’-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH₂)-DA fluorescent labeling and CeCl₃ cytochemical localization techniques. The results showed that the pigment glands of G. hirsutum could generate H₂O₂, and the amount and localization of H₂O₂ varied at different developmental stages. At the early developmental stage, a small amount of HH₂O₂ accumulated in the vacuole membrane of pigment gland cells. At the intermediate stage, a large number of H₂O₂ appeared in the vacuole membrane, while cell walls started to accumulate a small amount of H₂O₂. When pigment gland cell degraded, H₂O₂ mainly accumulated on the chloroplast envelope membrane of inner sheath cells. With the degradation of the sheath cells, H₂O₂ was detected in cell wall and the membrane of secretory vesicles which contains the preliminary contents of pigment gland. With the pigment glands completely maturation, H₂O₂ would disappeared. The accumulation sites of H₂O₂ are consistent with the process of PCD of individual gland cells, which started from the degradation of intracellular membrane and ended with the degradation of cell walls. Thus H₂O₂ probably plays an important role in the development of pigment glands. In addition, the development of pigment glands and the generation of H₂O₂ are not associated with the light, and no H₂O₂ was detected in the secretions of pigment glands.

    Staphylococcus aureus is the most common etiological pathogen of bovine mastitis. The resistant strains make the disease difficult to cure. The aim of this study was to characterize the genetic nature of the antimicrobial resistance in S. aureus cultured from bovine mastitis in Northwest China in 2014. A total of 44 S. aureus were isolated for antimicrobial resistance and resistance-related genes. Antimicrobial resistance was determined by disc diffusion and the corresponding resistance genes were detected by PCR. Phenotype indicated that S. aureus isolates were resistant to penicillin (84.09%), erythromycin (20.45%), tetracycline (15.91%), gentamicin (9.09%), tobramycin (6.82%), kanamycin (6.82%) and methicillin (2.27%). 9.09% of the S. aureus isolates were classified as multidrug resistant. In addition, genotypes showed that the isolates were resistant to rifampicin (100%, rpoB), penicillin (95.45%, blaZ), tetracycline (22.73%, tetK, tetM, alone or in combination), erythromycin (22.73%, ermB or ermC), gentamicin/tobramycin/kanamycin (2.27%, aacA-aphD), methicillin (2.27%, mecA) and vancomycin (2.27%, vanA). Resistance to tetracycline was attributed to the genes tetK and tetM (r=0.558, P<0.001). This study noted high-level geno- and phenotypic antimicrobial resistance in S. aureus isolates from bovine mastitis cases in Northwest China.

    The nuclear-encoded light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding proteins (LHCPs) are specifically translocated from the stroma into the thylakoid membrane through the chloroplast signal recognition particle (cpSRP) pathway. The cpSRP is composed of a cpSRP43 protein and a cpSRP54 protein, and it forms a soluble transit complex with LHCP in the chloroplast stroma. Here, we identified the YGL9 gene that is predicted to encode the probable rice cpSRP43 protein from a rice yellow-green leaf mutant. A phylogenetic tree showed that an important conserved protein family, cpSRP43, is present in almost all green photosynthetic organisms such as higher plants and green algae. Sequence analysis showed that YGL9 comprises a chloroplast transit peptide, three chromodomains and four ankyrin repeats, and the chromodomains and ankyrin repeats are probably involved in protein-protein interactions. Subcellular localization showed that YGL9 is localized in the chloroplast. Expression pattern analysis indicated that YGL9 is mainly expressed in green leaf sheaths and leaves. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the expression levels of genes associated with pigment metabolism, chloroplast development and photosynthesis were distinctly affected in the ygl9 mutant. These results indicated that YGL9 is possibly involved in pigment metabolism, chloroplast development and photosynthesis in rice.

Rice panicles are composed of many branches with two types of extreme grains, the superior and the inferior. Traditionally, it has been well accepted that earlier flowers result in superior grains and late flowers generate inferior grains. However, these correlations have never been strictly examined in practice. In order to determine the accurate relationship between superior and inferior grains and the flowering order, we localized all the seeds in a panicle in four distinct rice species and systematically documented the rice flowering order, flower locations and the final grain weight for their relationships. Our results demonstrated that the grain weight is more heavily determined by the position of the seeds than by the flowering order. Despite earlier flowering has a positive correlation with the grain weight in general, grains from flowers blooming on the second day after anthesis generally gained the highest weight. This suggests earlier flowers may not result in superior grains. Therefore, we concluded that superior and inferior grains, commonly determined by grain weight, are not fully correlated with the flowering order in rice. Following the order of the grain weight, the superior grains are generally localized at the middle parts of the primary branches, whereas inferior grains were mainly on the last two secondary branches of the lower half part of the panicle. In addition, the weight of inferior grains were affected by spikelet thinning and spraying with exogenous plant growth regulators, indicating that physiological incompetence might be the major reason for the occurrence of the inferior grains.

A synthetic cry2A* gene encoding Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) δ-endotoxin that resistance to lepidopteran pest was transformed into japonica rice variety Jijing 88, which is the most widely cultivated variety in Jilin Province, Northeast China, by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. A total of 106 independent transformants overexpressing cry2A* gene driven by ubiquitin (Ubi) promoter was produced. Three single-copy homozygous transgenic lines were finally selected based on the results of PCR analysis, segregation ratio of Basta resistance, and Southern hybridization analyses. RT-PCR and enzyme linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA) revealed that cry2A* transcripts and protein were highly expressed in these lines. The high level of Cry2A* protein expression resulted in high resistance to rice striped stem borer as evidenced by insect feeding bioassays. Our results demonstrate that cry2A* transgenic japonica rice confers resistance to the rice striped stem borer in the laboratory conditions.

Soybean seed storage protein is one of the most important plant vegetable proteins, and β subunit is of great significance to enhance soybean protein quality and processing property. F2 segregated population and residual heterozygous lines (RHL) derived from the cross between Yangyandou (low level of β subunit) and Zhonghuang 13 (normal level of β subunit) were used for mapping of β subunit content. Our results showed that β subunit content was controlled by a single dominant locus, qBSC-1 (β subunit content), which was mapped to a region of 11.9 cM on chromosome 20 in F2 population of 85 individuals. This region was narrowed down to 2.5 cM between BARCSOYSSR_20_0997 and BARCSOYSSR_20_0910 in RHL with a larger population size of 246 individuals. There were 48 predicted genes within qBSC-1 region based on the reference genome (Glyma 1.0, Williams 82), including the two copies of β subunit coding gene CG4. An InDel marker developed from a thymine (TT) insertion in one copy of CG4 promoter region in Yangyandou cosegregrated with BARCSOYSSR_20_0975 within qBSC-1 region, suggesting that this InDel marker maybe useful for marker-assisted selection (MAS).

The objective of this 2-yr field trial, with a central composite rotatable design, was to assess and quantify the effects of separation of nitrogen fertilizer and water with alternating furrow irrigation (SNWAFI) practices on soil ammonia (NH3) emission during the summer maize (Zea mays L.) growing season. Ammonia volatilization after N sidedress and irrigation ranged from 4.8 to 17.0 kg N ha-1 and 6.2 to 20.6 kg N ha-1, respectively, in 2008 and 2009. The lower N input contributed to lower NH3 loss but lower yield, whereas the higher N input induced higher yield as well as higher NH3 loss. Ammonia intensity (NH3 volatilization per crop yield) after N sidedress and irrigation was 1.2-3.0 kg NH3-N t-1 yield in 2008 and 1.1-3.2 kg NH3-N t-1 yield in 2009. The predicted minimum NH3 intensity in 2008 was 1.6 kg NH3-N t-1 yield and was obtained with the combined application of 127 kg N ha-1 and 108 mm irrigation water. In 2009, the predicted minimum NH3 intensity was 1.3 kg NH3-N t-1 yield and was obtained with the combined application of 101 kg N ha-1 and 83 mm irrigation water. We conclude that SNWAFI practices with optimum rates of water and fertilizer can significantly reduce soil NH3 intensity and maintain yield. It was more beneficial for sustainable farming strategies to minimize the NH3 intensity rather than reduce absolute NH3 emissions alone.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics of cefquinome in plasma and milk samples of lactating Chinese Holstein following a single intramammary administration into one quarter at the dose of 75 mg. Residue depletion of cefquinome in milk administrated at one quarter following three consecutive infusions at the same dose were also carried out. Cefquinome concentrations in plasma and milk were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method. A non-compartmental analysis was used to obtain the pharmacokinetic parameters of cefquinome. Following the single treatment, cefquinome wasn’t detected in any of the plasma samples. The concentration of cefquinome in milk reached peaked values (Cmax) of (599.00±322.00) μg mL-1 at 2 h after administration (Tmax), elimination half-life (t1/2λz) was (4.63±0.26) h, area under the concentration-time curve (AUC0-∞) was (4 890.19±1 906.98) μg mL-1 h, and mean residence time (MRT) was (6.03±2.27) h. In residue depletion study, cefquinome concentrations in 5 out of 6 milk samples at 72 h were lower than the maximum residue limit fixed by the European regulatory agency (20 μg kg-1 for cefquinome) and cefquinome still could be detected in milk of treated quarters at 120 h post-treatment. The maximum concentration (Cmax) of cefquinome in milk from treated quarters was (486.50±262.92) μg mL-1 and arrived at 6 h after administration (Tmax), elimination half-life (t1/2λz) was (6.30±0.76) h, area under the concentration-time curve (AUC0-∞) was (44747.79±11434.43) μg mL-1 h, and mean residence time (MRT) was (10.09±1.40) h. This study showed that cefquinome has the feature of poor penetration into blood and was eliminated quickly from milk in lactating cows after intramammary administration.

Pharmacokinetics of cyadox (CYX) and its major metabolites in healthy swine was investigated in this paper. 1,4- Bisdesoxycyadox (BDCYX), cyadox-1-monoxide (CYX-1-O) and quinoxaline-2-carboxylic acid (QCA), three main metabolites of cyadox, were synthesized by College of Science, China Agricultural University. Cyadox (CYX) was administered to 8 healthy cross-bread swine intravenously (i.v.) and orally (p.o.) at a dosage of 1 mg kg-1 body weight and 40 mg kg-1 body weight respectively in a randomized crossover design test with 2-wk washout period. A sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) method was developed for the determination of cyadox and its major metabolites in plasma. CYX and its major metabolites BDCYX, and CYX-1-O can be detected after intravenous administration of cyadox while CYX and its metabolites BDCYX, CYX-1-O and QCA can be detected after oral administration of CYX. Plasma concentration vs. time profiles of CYX and its major metabolites were analyzed by non-compartmental pharmacokinetic method. Following i.v. administration, the areas under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC0- ) were (0.38±0.03) μg mL-1 h (CYX), (0.018±0.002) μg mL-1 h (BDCYX) and (0.17±0.02) μg mL-1 h (CYX-1-O), respectively. The terminal elimination half-lives (t1/2lz) were determined to be (0.93±0.07) h (CYX), (1.45±0.04) h (BDCYX), and (0.92±0.04) h (CYX-1-O), respectively. Steady-state distribution volume (Vss) of (2.14±0.11) L kg-1 and total body clearance (CL) of (2.84±0.19) L h-1 kg-1 were determined for CYX after i.v. dosing. The bioavailability (F) of CYX was 2.85% for oral administration. After single i.v. administration, peak plasma concentrations (Cmax) of (1.08±0.06) μg mL-1 (CYX), (0.0068± 0.0004) μg mL-1 (BDCYX) and (0.25±0.03) μg mL-1 (CYX-1-O) were observed at Tmax of 0.033 h (CYX), 1 h (BDCYX) and 0.033 h (CYX-1-O), respectively. The main pharmacokinetic parameters after p.o. administration were as follows: AUC0- were (0.42±0.04) μg mL-1 h (CYX), (1.38±0.14) μg mL-1 h (BDCYX), (0.59±0.02) μg mL-1 h (CYX-1-O) and (1.48±0.09) μg mL-1 h (QCA), respectively. t1/2lz were (4.77±0.33) h (CYX), (5.77±0.56) h (BDCYX), (4.12±0.28) h (CYX-1-O), and (8.51±0.39) h (QCA), respectively. After p.o. administration, Cmaxs of (0.033±0.002) μg mL-1 (CYX), (0.22±0.03) μg mL-1 (BDCYX), (0.089±0.005) μg mL-1 (CYX-1-O), and (0.17± 0.01) μg mL-1 (QCA) were observed at Tmax of (7.38±0.33) h (CYX), (7.25±0.31) h (BDCYX), (7.38±0.33) h (CYX-1-O), and (7.25±0.31) h (QCA), respectively. The results showed that CYX was slowly absorbed after oral administration and most of CYX was transformed to its metabolites in swine. The area under plasma concentration-time curve (AUC0- )of metabolites were higher than that of CYX after p.o. administration, and the elimination half-lives (t1/2lz) of QCA were longer than those of CYX, CYX-1-O, and BDCYX after oral administration.

In this study, nano-capsules of lansiumamide B (NCLB) was prepared by the microemulsion polymerization method to improve the nematicidal efficacy of lansiumamide B (LB). An optimal formulation was gained by orthogonal experiment design based on the encapsulation efficiency (En, %) value. The optimized NCLB were spherical and uniform under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The mean particle size, zeta potential and En were (38.50±0.64) nm, (-70.5±0.76) mV and (95.13±1.16)%, respectively. The release profile indicated that the accumulated release of LB in NCLB reached up to 82% within 96 h. Effects of NCLB against Bursaphelenehus xylophilus and J2 of Meloidogyne incognita were reported in this paper. The nematicidal activity of NCLB has been remarkably increased, with LC50 values of 2.1407 mg L-1 and 19.3608 mg L-1, respectively, at 24 h after treatment. The disease progression and the average number of root knots of Ipomoea aquatica were 1.50 and 7.25, respectively, in the treatment of NCLB, at concentration of 200 mg L-1, significantly lower than the treatment of LB and ethoprophos. Compared to control, the treatments of NCLB, LB and ethoprophos leaded the disease progression to drop 68.42, 36.84 and 26.32%, respectively, and caused the average number of root knots to fall 83.94, 78.03 and 63.66%. These results suggested that NCLB, as a novel nematicides formulation, performed more efficient and longer effective maintenance against plant parasitic nematodes.

The pharmacokinetics of quinocetone and its major metabolites in healthy swine was investigated in this paper.Quinocetone was administered to 8 healthy cross-bread swine intravenously and orally at a dosage of 4 and 40 mg kg-1body weight respectively in a randomized crossover design test with two-week washout period. A sensitive highperformanceliquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) method was developed for thedetermination of quinocetone and its metabolite 1-desoxyquinocetone in plasma. Plasma concentration versus timeprofiles of quinocetone and its metabolite 1-desoxyquinocetone were analyzed by non-compartmental analysis usingWinnonlin 5.2 software. Mean maximum concentrations (Cmax) for quinocetone was found to be (0.56±0.13) μg mL-1 at 2.92 h,after oral administration of quinocetone. Mean maximum concentrations (Cmax) for 1-desoxyquinocetone after intravenousor oral administration of quinocetone were (0.0095±0.0012) μg mL-1 at 0.083 h and (0.0067±0.0053) μg mL-1 at 3.08 h. Theapparent elimination half-lives (T1/2) for quinocetone and its metabolite 1-desoxyquinocetone were (2.24±0.24) and(5.23±0.56) h after intravenous administration of quinocetone and (2.91±0.29) and (11.85±2.89) h after oral administrationof quinocetone, respectively. Mean areas under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC0- ) for quinocetone and 1-desoxyquinocetone were (2.02±0.15) and (0.2±0.002) μg h mL-1 respectively after intravenous administration of quinocetone,and (3.5±0.79) and (0.053±0.03) μg h mL-1 after oral administration of quinocetone, respectively. Quinocetone was rapidlyabsorbed and metabolized in swine after oral and intravenous administration. The plasma concentration-time curve(AUC0- ) of 1-desoxyquinocetone were much smaller than those of quinocetone, while the elimination half-lives (T1/2) weremuch longer than those of quinocetone after intravenously (i.v.) or oral administration.