The start of a new journal is always an exciting event, and never more
so than when you are well acquainted with those responsible for its
initiation and launch; I have witnessed firsthand the commitment and
hard work required to make this journal happen. However, in this day
and age, there is a plethora of scientific journals and a seemingly
never-ending stream of electronic information made available to us.
Undoubtedly, some people will feel that another journal is as useful
as sending a kiss by messenger, but in this instance I have to disagree.
As the postilion d'amour, I am particularly honoured to be writing the
first guest editorial for a new online current awareness journal that
is guaranteed to warm the cockles of your scientific heart. And this
brings me to the topic of one of the reviews in this issue.
The heart is essential for the functioning of the body's organs and
tissues, such as skeletal muscle. At a molecular level, skeletal muscle
is also dependent on the action of the sodium-potassium pump, located
in the muscle cells' sarcolemma. Professor Maria Everts writes a comprehensive
review on the role of the sodium-potassium pump in skeletal muscle during
exercise in a number of domestic animal species. The review is, I believe,
the epitome of modern veterinary and zootechnical research combined.
Not only are the events associated with a specific physiological mechanism
in muscle tissue discussed at a molecular level, they are also placed
in the wider context of an animal's potential uses. For some animal
species, use by man includes the consumption of their post mortem muscle
tissue, as meat. Therefore, a muscle's post mortem physiology and the
influence of numerous complex interactions that determine its sensory
qualities, including taste, texture, colour and water holding capacity,
are important factors to the consumer. In addition, these animal studies
inform us of muscle behaviour before, during and after training. Not
only does this knowledge provide a model for the training of human athletes,
but it may also help in the early selection of athletic animals for
specific disciplines, such as young horses for show jumping or racing.
The other review, written by Professors Marian Horzinek and Hans Lutz,
describes a major clinical problem encountered in companion animals,
namely Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP). It is caused by the highly
elusive virus Feline coronavirus (FcoV), which belongs to the coronavirus
genus also found in man. Solving the diagnostic and therapeutic puzzles
associated with FIP, including the development of an effective vaccine,
would be a major scientific breakthrough with benefits felt beyond the
clinical veterinary environment. The study of viruses, such as FcoV,
may help us to develop new methods for determining the efficacy of immunological
protection and thereby lead us to a more rational and efficient way
of designing vaccines and anti-viral agents. Furthermore, it should
help to identify which factors (genetic or environmental) are responsible
for minor changes in viral DNA sequences that subsequently give rise
to dramatic changes in a virus' pathogenicity. Such knowledge and understanding
may provide new techniques that either prevent the start of a change
in DNA sequence or interrupt the series of events leading to change.
I truly believe that review papers such as this one will initiate important
discussions between scientists of different disciplinary origins and
consequently lead to new ideas and decisions in research.
The most rewarding message I will take away with me after reading these
reviews is the importance of overlap in science disciplines and its
contribution towards a high level of understanding in complex fields
of research. Many of the individual studies referred to in these reviews
have necessitated considerable interdisciplinary collaboration, which,
in my opinion, can only be a good thing. I am quite convinced that the
increase in collaborations witnessed in recent years between university
departments, institutes and small independent research groups, has lead
to a dramatic increase in the speed and quality of scientific output.
This scenario is taking place in many countries worldwide, including
The Netherlands.
As I and Professor Wensing wrote in a recent editorial, the advent of genomics
will only be of value when all disciplines work together [1]. This is equally
true for a topic such as homeostasis or a clinical problem such as FIP where
molecular biology is a multidisciplinary subject and should be used as a means
to an end. In these examples, molecular biology becomes a multidisciplinary
subject and should be used as a means to an end.
It is time I left you to browse further through this most enjoyable
and stimulating journal. Just before I go, however, I would like to
quote an old Asian proverb:
"A wise man makes his own decisions; an ignorant
man follows public opinion".
On this note, I wish "Veterinary Sciences Tomorrow" a permanent place
as an initiator of debate and a cross-pollinator of ideas that will
stimulate new and unexpected combinations in biomedical research.
Professor Eric Claassen
Director of Research and Deputy Director General,
Institute for Animal Science and Health (ID-Lelystad)
Lelystad
The Netherlands
Reference
Claassen, E. and Wensing, C.J. (1999) Fish and chips. Vet.
Quart. 21, 42-3.
© 2000 Veterinary Sciences Tomorrow