Comparison of luteinizing hormone and steroid hormone secretion during the peri- and post-ovulatory periods in Mangalica and Landrace gilts

The objective of this study was to determine plasma concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH), progesterone (P4) and estradiol-17beta (E2) in Mangalica gilts (M), a Hungarian native breed, and compare them with Landrace gilts (L) during the peri- and post-ovulatory periods. The estrous cycle of gilts was synchronised by Regumate feeding, and ovulation was induced with a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist. Blood sampling was carried out via indwelling jugular catheters three times a day and in 2-h intervals during a 16-h period after the GnRH application. The concentrations of LH, E2 and P4 were determined by immunoassays. Gilts of both breeds showed a typical gonadotropin and gonadal hormone secretion pattern. Preovulatory E2 peaks were observed on day 2 (M) and day 4 (L) after the last Regumate feeding. Highest E2 concentration was different between M and L breeds (46.5 +/- 5.7 vs. 26.0 +/- 6.8 pg/ml, P < 0.05). Maximum LH levels measured up to 6 h after GnRH were not different between M and L breeds (11.5 +/- 4.1 vs. 6.6 +/- 2.3 ng/ml). Both LH amounts during surge (41.1 +/- 15.9 vs. 27.5 +/- 6.1 ng/ml) and total over LH release (73.4 +/- 22.2 vs. 50.0 +/- 8.7 ng/ml) did not differ significantly between M and L breeds. P4 concentrations started to rise on day 6 after Regumate feeding and increased significantly from 0.6 +/- 0.3 and 0.7 +/- 0.4 ng/ml to maximal 14.0 +/- 2.4 and 11.3 +/- 2.1 ng/ml in M and L breeds, respectively. Mean P4 secretion was higher in M on days 10-15 (12.9 +/- 2.6 vs. 9.3 +/- 2.2 ng/ml; P<0.05). At the same time the number of corpora lutea was lower in M compared to L (10.3 +/-1.5 vs. 17.8 +/- 5.0, P<0.05). In our experiment, there was no evidence that differences in the secretion of analysed hormones during the peri- and post-ovulatory periods are a possible cause of usually lower fecundity in Mangalica gilts.     

Structure-activity relationships in a series of new antifungal nitroalcohol derivatives

The structure-antifungal activity correlations of 23 new nitroalcohol derivatives (1-substituted-2-nitropropane-1, 3-diols, their ethers and esters) were investigated using a generalised quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSAR) method, combining Golender and Rozenblit's logico-structural approach and the Free-Wilson and Hansch analyses. Based on results obtained from principal component analysis, the in-vitro activities against Helminthosporium sativum, the inhibition of germination and of growth could be assumed to be governed by a common mechanism. It is suggested that the antifungal activity of the compounds studied is determined mainly by the presence or absence of an aromatic ring (unsubstituted, or bearing a hydrophobic group that is small in bulk and electron-attracting) at position 1, of a (potential) double bond between carbon atoms 1 and 2, and of an acyloxy group at position 3. Among these factors, the double bond seems to be the most important, and the mechanism of the antifungal action is probably dependent on the reactivity of this bond towards thiol groups of endogenous substances.     

Effects of an intravenous endotoxin challenge on glucose and insulin dynamics in horses

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of endotoxin administered IV on glucose and insulin dynamics in horses. ANIMALS: 16 healthy adult mares. PROCEDURES: Each week of a 2-week randomized crossover study, each horse received an IV injection (duration, 30 minutes) of Escherichia coli O55:B5 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in 60 mL of sterile saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (20 ng/kg) or sterile saline solution alone (control treatment). Frequently sampled IV glucose tolerance test procedures were performed at 24 hours before (baseline) and 24 and 48 hours after injection; glucose and insulin dynamics were assessed via minimal model analysis. RESULTS: 13 of 16 horses had a clinical response to LPS, which was characterized by mild colic and leukopenia. Before treatment, mean +/- SD insulin sensitivity was 2.9 +/- 1.9 x 10(4) L x min(1) x mU(1); this significantly decreased to 0.9 +/- 0.9 x 10(4) L x min(1) x mU(1) 24 hours after treatment (69% reduction) and was 1.5 +/- 0.9 x 10(4) L x min(1) x mU(1) 48 hours after treatment. At baseline, mean +/- SD acute insulin response to glucose was 520 +/- 196 mU x min x L(1); this significantly increased to 938 +/- 620 mU x min x L(1) (80% increase) and 755 +/- 400 mU x min x L(1) (45% increase) at 24 and 48 hours after LPS treatment, respectively. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Compared with baseline values, insulin sensitivity was decreased for 24 hours after IV injection of LPS, and affected horses had a compensatory pancreatic response. These disturbances in glucose and insulin dynamics may contribute to development of laminitis in horses.     

Effect of DGAT1 and TG gene polymorphisms on intramuscular fat and on milk production traits in different cattle breeds in Hungary

The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of the thyroglobulin (TG) locus on beef quality traits in some beef cattle breeds and to investigate the effect of the DGAT1 locus on milk production traits in the Hungarian Holstein Friesian population. TG and DGAT1 genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. At the TG locus TT bulls showed the highest fat percentage values in the longissimus dorsi muscle (m. longissimus dorsi); the difference between CC and TT genotypes was significant. DGAT1 GC/GC cows had the highest milk, fat and protein yield values. Due to the relatively small number of GC/GC cows the difference proved to be significant only between AA/AA and AA/GC genotypes.     

Distribution and genetic relatedness of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) isolated from healthy slaughtered chickens in Hungary from 2001 to 2004

The presence of the vanA gene was determined in enterococci from healthy poultry, originating from the Hungarian resistance monitoring system between 2001 and 2004. Enterococci (n = 562) were collected from intestinal samples of slaughtered broiler chickens. The presence of van genes was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) strains carried only the vanA gene. Genus- and species-level identification of the vanA gene carrier strains was carried out by PCR using specific primers. In 2001, 25 out of the 289 isolated strains (8.6%) were vanA carriers (1 Enterococcus mundtii, 13 E. durans and 11 E.faecium). In 2002 (n = 87), 20 (23%) strains were vanA positive (11 E. durans and 9 E. faecium). In 2003 and 2004, none of the strains (n = 95 and 91, respectively) were positive for the most common van genes. In 2003, there was only one strain for which higher minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of vancomycin (4 mg/L) and teicoplanin (8 mg/L) were found. In 2004 there were three strains for which the MIC of vancomycin was 8 mg/L, and 2 strains and 1 strain with teicoplanin MICs of 4 mg/L and 8 mg/L, respectively. The potential similarity of these strains was studied by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The VRE strains were not closely related to one another. The annual data of vancomycin resistance indicate an association between the recovery of vancomycin-resistant enterococci and the use of avoparcin in animal feeds. This study indicates that with the reduced use of antibiotics in food animals, it is possible to decrease the rate of resistant bacteria. Although the use of avoparcin had been banned in 1998, the VRE strains disappeared only five years later.     

Prosthetic mesh repair of abdominal wall hernias in horses

Repair of hernias of the abdominal wall of horses is often augmented by inserting a prosthetic mesh. In this review, we describe the various characteristics of prosthetic meshes used for hernia repair and present 2 systems that are used by surgeons in the human medical field to classify techniques of prosthetic mesh herniorrhaphy. Both of these classification systems distinguish between onlay, inlay, sublay, and underlay placements of mesh, based on the location within the abdominal wall in which the prosthetic mesh is inserted. We separate the published techniques of prosthetic mesh herniorrhaphy of horses using this classification system, ascribing names to the techniques of herniorrhaphy where none existed, and report the success rates and complications associated with each technique. By introducing a classification system widely used in the human medical field and illustrating each technique in a figure, we hope to clarify inconsistent nomenclature associated with prosthetic mesh herniorrhaphy performed by veterinary surgeons.     

Metabolism of fatty acids in fish. II. Biosynthesis of fatty acids in relation to diet in the carp, Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus 1758

Carp, weighing 15–25 g, were maintained in the laboratory on a control diet, or on diets prepared from wheat or corn, and the incorporation of sodium (1?¹⁴C)-acetate into their liver total fatty acids as well as into liver triglycerides and phospholipids was followed. The control diet was characterized by a high concentration of total lipids and linolenic acid, and the other two feeds by a low concentration of total lipids including linolenic acid and high concentration of carbohydrates. The highest rate of fatty acid biosynthesis was observed in fish given the corn diet, and the lowest rate was found in the carp on the control diet. Levels of radioactivity became very high in triglycerides of corn-fed fish. The major products of fatty acid biosynthesis were palmitic and oleic acids, in the corn-fed fish, while in the control fish almost 50% of the total radioactivity was in the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The degree of labeling of oleic and palmitic acids appeared to depend on the level of linolenic acid in the diet. The results suggest that about 1% of linolenic acid in the diet is required to keep lipogenesis at a low level as well as to prevent hyperproduction of oleic acid. Linoleic acid seems to play a subordinate role in regulating lipogenesis in carp liver.     

Very-high-energy gamma rays from a distant quasar: how transparent is the universe?

The atmospheric Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope MAGIC, designed for a low-energy threshold, has detected very-high-energy gamma rays from a giant flare of the distant Quasi-Stellar Radio Source (in short: radio quasar) 3C 279, at a distance of more than 5 billion light-years (a redshift of 0.536). No quasar has been observed previously in very-high-energy gamma radiation, and this is also the most distant object detected emitting gamma rays above 50 gigaelectron volts. Because high-energy gamma rays may be stopped by interacting with the diffuse background light in the universe, the observations by MAGIC imply a low amount for such light, consistent with that known from galaxy counts.     

Measuring fluctuating asymmetry of the terrestrial isopod Trachelipus rathkii (Crustacea: Isopoda, Oniscidea)

Studies on fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in soil invertebrates, particularly in isopods, are almost absent so far. As a result, methodology of measuring FA in isopods is little known. However, the ecological importance of these animals in decomposition processes and the fact that FA in soil invertebrates might serve as an indicator of environmental stress, e.g. soil pollution, make the topic worth for investigation. Our results revealed that woodlice are potentially able to signal environmental stresses via FA. We compared six traits (length of three segments of antennae, two segments of the seventh legs and the number of ocelli) between two populations (Hungary: Hajós, Blaskovics-puszta) and genders of the species Trachelipus rathkii living under different environmental stresses (i.e. changing humidity). Asymmetry was significantly higher in the Hajós population, where the soil moisture has changed dramatically for the last years. Asymmetry was lower in Blaskovics-puszta, where the habitat has remained constant during the last centuries and the population had time to adapt to seasonally changing environments. Gender did not have an effect on FA. Traits differed significantly from each other, thus it is advisable to use several traits simultaneously to detect FA. FA was higher in the a1 segment of the antennal flagellae than in the ischium of the pereiopod and ocelli. We also studied the effect of regeneration of lost body parts on the FA values. Asymmetry in the treated groups was significantly higher than in the control ones. This calls the attention to the problem of outliers, which may be caused by physical harm and can lead to artificial results.