Uterine disorders diagnosed by ventrotomy in 47 rabbits

The type, ages of occurrence, primary complaints, clinical signs and mortality in forty-seven cases of uterine disorders diagnosed by ventrotomy in rabbits were analyzed retrospectively. Endometrial hyperplasia (29.8%) was most frequently observed, followed by uterine adenocarcinoma (21.3%). Tumorous lesions were seen in 46.8% of the cases. The age of occurrence ranged from two years and two months to seven years and six months, with a peak at four to five years of age. The most common primary complaint was bleeding (62.2%), followed by mammary gland abnormality (12.8%) and increased abdominal circumference (10.6%). Physical examinations revealed mammary gland disorders such as mammary cysts in 31.9% of the cases. Uterine disorders were detected by palpation in 15 out of 32 cases with a primary complaint of bleeding. Ultrasonography showed uterine disorders in 21 out of 24 cases, suggesting that ultrasonography could be useful in the diagnosis of uterine disorders. The outcome seemed to be influenced by physical status rather than malignancy of lesions. The mortality was higher in cases with symptoms such as anorexia, emaciation, severe anemia, and dehydration.     

Validation and application of real-time polymerase chain reaction assays for representative rumen bacteria

Real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for 11 representative rumen bacterial species were validated. The sensitivity was tested by using the serially diluted target 16S rDNA from respective bacterial species. The recovery of the target DNA and the assay reproducibility were determined using DNA from rumen fluid spiked with different quantities of the target. Minimum detection levels for the target were 10–100 copies in pure culture. The recovery of the added target ranged from 82.4 to 116.6%. The intra‐ and inter‐assay variations of each assay were <9.4 and <12.6%, respectively. Therefore, the real‐time PCR assays evaluated in the present study are considered to be sufficiently reliable for monitoring all 11 bacterial species in the rumen. The assays were then applied to the monitoring of the bacterial species attached to ruminally incubated rice straw. Among the monitored fibrolytic species, Fibrobacter succinogenes was found to be the most dominant, accounting for 2.61% of total bacteria after 24 h incubation. Selenomonas ruminantium and Streptococcus bovis, non‐fibrolytics, were detected on the rice straw at 8.96% and 1.16% of total bacteria, respectively. Such high levels of non‐fibrolytics on the plant fiber suggest a synergistic relationship between fibrolytics and non‐fibrolytics.     

Adrenocorticotropic hormone-induced secretion of cortisol in goats is inhibited by androgen

In a previous study, it was found that there are sex differences in goats with respect to the levels of cortisol secretion induced by transportation stress. We also found that treatment of castrated male goats with dihydrotestosterone (DHT) suppressed the increase in plasma cortisol concentration following transportation, but did not suppress the secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). This suggests that androgen might block ACTH ‐ induced cortisol secretion. In order to examine this hypothesis, the effects of androgen on ACTH‐induced cortisol secretion in goats were investigated. First, castrated male goats were treated with testosterone (T), DHT or cholesterol (cho) for 21–25 days. Cho was used as a control for T and DHT treatment. Then, plasma cortisol concentrations were compared among the hormonal treatments after ACTH injection. Subsequently, the distribution of androgen receptors in the caprine adrenal gland was investigated. There were no differences in the basal cortisol concentrations among the hormonal treatments. However, plasma cortisol concentrations after ACTH injection were significantly lower in T ‐ and DHT ‐ treated goats than in cho ‐ treated goats. Androgen receptors were present in 60% of the cells in the zonae fasciculata and reticularis of the adrenal cortex, the regions that secrete glucocorticoids. These results suggest that androgen may act directly on the adrenal cortex to suppress cortisol secretion induced by ACTH.     

Combined effects of clenbuterol and various concentrations of protein on performance of broiler chickens

1. The effects of the beta-adrenergic agonist, clenbuterol (1 mg/kg diet) on the growth and muscle composition in female broiler chickens (14 to 32 d of age) fed on diets containing various concentrations of protein (220, 240 or 260 g protein/kg) were examined. 2. Body weight gain over the 18 d period increased linearly with increasing protein intake. The rate of gain was significantly higher in clenbuterol-treated chickens than in control birds. 3. Dietary clenbuterol increased thigh muscle weight and protein concentration of breast and thigh muscle, regardless of dietary protein content. Protein/DNA ratio in thigh muscle was enhanced by clenbuterol feeding, and the magnitude of difference of the ratio was higher in chickens fed on the 240 and 260 g CP/kg diets than in those fed the 220 g CP/kg diet. 4. It was concluded that clenbuterol-treated chickens require increased dietary protein to maintain maximal growth, and that increased protein consumption is an important factor in improving growth in clenbuterolfed broilers.     

Genotypic and phenotypic characterization of lactic acid bacteria isolated from Italian ryegrass silage

Twenty-three lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from three cultivars (Akiaoba, Nagahahikari and Tachiwase) of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) silage were precisely characterized by a combination of phenotypic tests, genotypic 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing and rapid PCR-based analyses, focusing on their useful phenotypes for silage preparation as inoculants. We successfully identified both at the species and subspecies levels: phenotypically novel Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis, Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus coryniformis subsp. torquens, Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum, Lactobacillus sakei subsp. carnosus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum and Pediococcus parvulus. This is the first report to elucidate the presence of Lactobacillus coryniformis ssp. torquens and Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. dextranicum in Italian ryegrass silages. Physiological and biochemical tests revealed that phenotypic characteristics are different among the different strains of the same species and subspecies, and that the isolates show unique and diverse phenotypes related to fermentation factors, such as available carbohydrates, optimal growth pH and temperature. These results suggest that, for various well-preserved silage preparations, the isolates may be useful in producing novel inoculants corresponding to their optimally climatic and ecological niches.