Use of the colonizing preparation Amylastin in the stimulation of rumen-type digestion in young ruminants

In experiments with calves during the milk-nutrition period we tested the use of the colonisation preparation Amylastim, containing a bacterial strain of Streptococcus bovis AO 24/85, as a factor speeding up the development of the rumen microflora. We gave the preparation to the animals for a period of four weeks and studied its influence on the microflora adherent to the epithelium of the rumen wall. We ascertained a significant increase in the number of Streptococcus bovis germs (P less than 0.001) as well as of alpha-amylase activity (P less than 0.05). When giving the preparation Amylastim to calves in large-scale production conditions we ascertained a positive effect on the health condition, total losses being lower.     

Morphologic and cytochemical study of Sertoli cell nuclei in ruminants]

Nuclei and nucleoli were examined at an ultrastructural level in the testicular tissue of bulls and rams. In the two species there occurs a morphologically interesting so called multivesicular nuclear body; the interpretation of its function is not quite clear. The tissue was processed by a routine electron microscope technique and than a cytochemical demonstration of several types of proteins was used. Acidic argyrophilic proteins were demonstrated by a silver-staining technique, basic lysine-rich proteins by means of ethanolic PTA, and ribonucleoproteins (RNP) by the method of Bernhard's regressive preferential staining. Multivesicular nuclear bodies in bull Sertoli's cells are composed of a greater number of membrane bound vesicles with granules on the outer surface (Fig. 1). The results of cytochemistry reactions show that the granules contain acidic argyrophilic proteins (Fig. 3) and RNP (Fig. 7). The intervesicular material is an analogy of the dense fibrillar component of normal nucleoli of somatic cells. This component contains the three types of investigated proteins (Figs. 2, 3, 5, 7). In the nuclear bodies of ram Sertoli's cells the number of vesicles is much lower, the fibrillar component is prevailing, in form of clusters and striae of filamentous material around the vesicles. The cytochemistry reactions proved that this material contains acidic argyrophilic proteins (Fig. 4) and basic PTA positive (Fig. 6) proteins. The presence of acidic and basic regulatory proteins in the fibrillar component of multivesicular nuclear bodies indicates the active synthesis of RNA occurring in this material. It is therefore possible to consider this special type of nuclear bodies as a full equivalent of nucleoli of somatic cells as to the function.     

Relation of lactose levels in milk and indicators of mammary gland health in the first third of lactation]

A total of 662 bucket milk samples from cows of two breed groups were examined: red and white breed = Bohemian Pied cattle with different genetic proportions of Ayrshire and Red Holstein improvement breeds; black and white breed = Black and White Lowland breed and different degree of absorptive crossing with a genetic proportion of the Holstein breed. Samples of daily milk yields were taken in the first three months of lactation once a month within a year. A possibility of using lactose content as an auxiliary indicator for detection of the mammary gland secretion disorders in the initial lactation stage was evaluated. The average values of the different indicators and their variability are summarized in Tab. I showing also the significance in a statistical model of included effects. Lactose content (L) was 4.88 +/- 0.20%, chloride content (Cl-) 113.7 +/- 22.4 mg/100 ml, somatic cell (SC) count 474 +/- 805 thousand/ml, SC count log corresponds to the geometrical mean of 234 thousand/ml, titratable acidity (SH) 7.34 +/- 0.83 x 2.5 mmol/l, chloride-lactose ratio (ClL) 2.27 +/- 0.51, conductivity (gamma) 442.4 +/- 34.5 mS/m and mastitis test (MT-NK) 0.72 +/- 1.18. The efficiency of the used statistical model was highest for Cl- content (Tab. I, R2 = 0.41), and it was lowest for SC counts (R2 = 0.07), while it increased to the twofold value (R2 = 0.15) after logarithmic transformation of SC counts. The breed group exerted a significant effect on Cl-, SC, log SC, SH, ClL, gamma and MT-NK (Tab. I). The breed group of red and white cows (Tab. II) had higher component contents and better indicators of the udder health state (Cl-, SC, log SC, ClL, gamma and MT-NK). The month of lactation influenced significantly SC, log SC, SH and gamma (Tab. I). A decrease in SC counts with the accruing month of lactation was observed (Tab. II), the trend of gamma and SH was opposite. The effect of lactation number was found to be significant for L, SC, log SC, SH, ClL, gamma and MT-NK (Tab. I). A tendency of a gradual decrease with the lactation number was observed in these indicators: L, SH, proteins and solids-non-fat (Fig. 1), while Cl-, gamma and ClL showed an opposite tendency. The year season influenced significantly L, log SC, SH, ClL, gamma and MT-NK (Tab. I, Fig. 2).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

The effect of defaunation on fermentation in vitro]

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of defaunation on the fermentation of two different diets consisting of hay (100%) and hay+barley (80% + +20%) in a rumen pouch (RUSITEC). The survival and composition of protozoa were investigated in an in vitro system in control vessels where no defaunation was carried out. Defaunation decreased the production of total volatile fatty acids (P < < 0.01), acetate, butyrate (P < 0.001)--Tab. II; dry matter digestibility (P < 0.05) and detergent fibre digestibility: acid detergent fibre (ADF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), cellulose (P < 0.001), hemicellulose (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively) in our experiment (Tab. I). These parameters also decreased: production of CH4 (P < 0.001), CO2 (P < 0.01 for the barley diet), total production of gases (P < 0.001 for the barley diet), total utilization (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively) and recovery of H2 (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively), NH3-N in effluent (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively)--Tab. III; and production of ATP (P < 0.01)--Tab. IV, as a result of fermentation in our experiment. On the other hand, there was a significant increase in the following parameters: production of propionate (P < 0.001 for the barley diet)--Tab. II; microbial nitrogen/kg of organic matter fermented--OMF (P < 0.001), Tab. III; energy yield--E of volatile fatty acids (VFA), proportion of VFA energy with respect to fermented hexose energy--E1, proportion of energy in bacterial cells with respect to fermented hexose energy--E3 (P < 0.001) and the effectiveness of microbial proteosynthesis--YATP (P < 0.001), Tab. IV, as a result of defaunation. The total number of protozoa and the number of some species, especially the number of big entodinio-morphid protozoa, were markedly higher (p < 0.001) for the barley diet--Tab. V. The number of protozoa decreased rapidly within three days after the system initiation. Later on, the values were more or less steady.     

Ecotoxicologic relations on a large pig-fattening farm located in a lignite mining area and near and solid-fuel electical power plant]

Major contaminants identified in 1983-1984 on a pig fattening farm with an output of 60,000 pigs per annum, located in a lignite mining area and near a solid fuel power plant, were mercury, cadmium, lead, chromium and aflatoxin B1 (Tab. I, II, III, IV). Feed samples were collected from througs to assess the contamination load at feed uptake. Permissible concentrations of mercury, chromium, cadmium, aflatoxin B1, lead and atrazin in the feed were exceeded in 56, 50, 31, 19, 6 and 6% samples, respectively (Tab. I). Stable dust deposits, in which the contaminants concentrate, (Tab. I) proved to be a suitable material for assessing the type and level of environmental contamination. Permissible concentrations of mercury, cadmium and lead in porcine muscles were exceeded in 65, 51 and 24% samples, respectively (Tab. III). Corresponding values of mercury, cadmium, lead and aflatoxin B1 in the liver were 27, 27, 16 and 3%, respectively (Tab. III) and those of mercury, lead and chromium in kidneys 24, 22 and 5%, respectively (Tab. III). Rather surprisingly, elevated pancreatic concentrations of aflatoxin B1 were found (Tab. IV). Pigs fattened in the contaminated environment (i.e. fed contaminated feed mixtures, inspiring contaminated dust and absorbing percutaneously contaminants form dust deposits on the body surface) showed: 1) Impairment of the genetic apparatus (percentage of aberrant peripheral leucocytes elevated to 6.2%); 2) a certain degree of immunosuppression (concentrations of IgG, IgM and IgA reduced by 16.9, 45.1 and 45.0%, respectively); 3) higher feed consumption per 1 kg weight gain (4 kg) and lower average daily weight gain (0.57 kg); 4) increased incidence of health disorders (dermatitis in 25%, pancreatopathy in 13%, liver dystrophy in 8% and femoral fracture in 6% of the pigs). Unfortunately, the authors were not allowed to analyse ash and solid emissions from the power plant. Therefore the share of the emissions in the overall environmental contamination on the fattening farm could not be quantified. The personnel, working in the contaminated environment for a prolonged period, is endangered most of all by stable dust, being exposed to its mechanical, chemical, allergic and infectious effects (Tab. I). In addition to the chemical contaminants, 21 mould genera and species, six mite species and numerous saprophytic and some pathogenic bacteria were demonstrated in stable dust samples in our earlier experiments. Consumption of meat and organs from pigs fattened in a contaminated environment is associated with the risk of an increased uptake of various contaminants.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Ultrastructural study of the hypothalamic region after administration of aurothioglucose in mice]

Aurothioglucose dose of 1 mg g-1 1. w. was applied intraperitoneally to experimental female mice. After 24 hours the animals were decapitated and samples for ultrastructural examination were immediately taken from the region of the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus. The following findings were obtained from the study of 243 electronograms of 8 experimental animals: 1. dense round particles 0.034 to 0.016 mu in size, representing the gold of aurothioglucose; 2. parenchymatous dystrophy of the mitochondria; 3. peeling off of the individual layers of myelin sheath and the granularity of these layers corresponding to the disintegration of nerve fibres.     

Serum selenium levels in sheep from birth to 90 days of age]

The results of the study of the dynamics of selenium in the blood serum were compared in 31 piglets from birth to the age of 90 days. The analyzed selenium values in the blood serum immediately after birth (0.14--0.20 ppm) provide evidence of the intra-uterine placental passage of selenium. In the period of colostral and milk nutrition, the serum concentrations of selenium showed a statistically insignificant variation, followed by an abrupt drop of the level of the microelement in the weaning period (60th day). The individual values in this period ranged from 0.08 to 0.12 ppm. Towards the end of the study, the level of selenium in the blood serum of the piglets returned to its initial value; this indicates that although the critical period connected with weaning has a transient nature, it should be averted for preventing the occurrence of a selenium-deficit disease; this can be done by adding a supplement of 0.2% solution of sodium selenate or a combined preparation of selenium and vitamin E-Selevit.