Seismic stress effects on reproductive structures of tomato, potato, and marigold

Periodic seismic (shaking) stress influenced the growth of sexual and asexual reproductive structures of three cultivated species. It delayed anthesis of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. 'Patio' but not of Tagetes erecta L. 'Jubilee' or Solanum tuberosum L. 'Kennebec'. Shaken 'Jubilee' marigold plants produced the same number of flowers as undisturbed plants, but flowers of shaken plants were smaller. In contrast, seismic-stressed 'Patio' tomato produced fewer buds and flowers, but fruit set was enhanced relative to that of controls. Seismic stress also reduced tuber weight of 'Kennebec' potato, whereas tuber number was unaffected. The overall effect of seismic stress was to reduce the growth of reproductive structures and, in some cases, the number of reproductive structures that developed.     

Acute Insulin-induced Hypoglycaemia does not alter IGF-1 and LH Release in Cyclic Mares

Lactation in the mare is associated with changes in the release of metabolic as well as reproductive hormones. Plasma glucose concentration is constantly reduced in lactating compared with non-lactating mares. Several metabolic signals have been proposed to link nutrition and somatic metabolism with reproductive function. The following experiment was performed to study the effect of acute hypoglycaemia on the release of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in cyclic mares. Different doses of insulin (0.1 and 0.2 IU/kg body weight) were given to induce a decrease in plasma glucose concentration, as existent in lactating mares. All horses treated with insulin developed a hypoglycaemia over a time period of nearly 10 h. The IGF-1 and LH were analysed before and after insulin administration. At no point of time, a significant difference between the two insulin treatments and the control treatment was observed. Therefore, the hypoglycaemic horse is apparently able to provide the brain with sufficient glucose. Short-term hypoglycaemia does not affect the hypothalamo-pituitary-ovarian axis, and concentrations of IGF-1 and LH remained stable during insulin-induced hypoglycaemia. An acute change in plasma glucose concentration is thus not or at least not the only metabolic signal that links nutrition and somatic metabolism with reproductive function in the horse mare.     

Insulin-like growth factor I in growing thoroughbreds

The objective of this longitudinal study was to characterize growth and plasma insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) concentrations in pasture-raised thoroughbreds fed two sources of dietary energy. Mares and foals were randomly assigned to either a sugar and starch (SS) or fat and fibre (FF)-rich feed, and plasma IGF-I and growth were measured once a month from 1 to 16 months of age. These dependent variables were also compared with day length and ambient temperature. There was an association between plasma IGF-I concentration and average daily gain (ADG) (r = 0.32, p < 0.001). There were also clear seasonal patterns in both ADG and plasma IGF-I, with high values in June and May, and a low value in March. Plasma IGF-I and ADG were positively associated with day length and temperature. Plasma IGF-I was never higher (p > 0.10) in the FF group when compared with the SS group, and was higher in the SS group during a rapid growth phase in the spring of year 2 (p < 0.10). The results establish an association between ADG and IGF-I in the horse and indicate that environment and age may influence this relationship. In addition, plasma IGF-I is influenced by dietary energy source at particular times of year. This link has important implications in designing feeding management strategies that are aimed at addressing skeletal development.     

A survey on the use of rugs in Australian horses

The practice of horse rugging has important implications for horse welfare and performance, but in Australia, rugging practices have not been properly documented. The objective of this study was to obtain an understanding of Australian horse rugging practices. An online survey reviewed the management of 2659 Australian horses over 12 months. Of the reported horses a total of 84.8% were rugged, although most owners (69.5%) indicated that they were unsure whether horses needed to be rugged at all. Rugging was felt by 59.8% of owners to be a requirement for horses in competition. Riding and competition were significantly associated with the use of rugs. Nearly all respondents (89.0%) felt that ‘over-rugging’ was a concern. However, 4.8% of owners would use up to 4 rugs at any one time on their horse and 21.4% of horses were still rugged in temperatures above 20°C in Australia. Many Australian horse owners (42.8%) also believe that horses feel cold if they are not rugged. Anthropomorphism when it comes to rugging horses cannot be justified as the horse has a much wider thermoneutral zone (TNZ) than humans. Australian climate, owner opinions, equestrian discipline and whether a horse is used for riding influence Australian horse rugging practices. However, current practices are based on limited available research and are not necessarily to the benefit of the horse. The major limitation was that the survey likely attracted respondents who are interested in the topic creating a self-selection bias.     

Artificial Insemination of Gilts with 1.5 Billion Sperms Stored in Different Periods Associated with Different Pre-ovulatory Intervals

This study evaluated the reproductive performance of gilts inseminated at three intervals before ovulation (0-12, 13-23, 24-30 h) with sperm doses (SD) stored for 0-48 and 96-120 h. A total of 218 PIC Camborough 22 gilts were inseminated once with SD of 1.5 x 10(9) sperms. Pregnant gilts (n = 166) were slaughtered 30.8 +/- 3.7 days after artificial insemination. The number of corpora lutea (CL) and total embryos (TE) was counted. Pregnancy rates (PR) were analysed by chi-square test. TE and embryonic survival (ES), obtained as the ratio between viable embryos and CL, were analysed by GLM procedure (SAS) and mean values were compared by Tukey's test. Pregnancy rate was similar among artificial insemination-ovulation (AIOV) intervals when semen was stored for 0-48 h. However, the lowest PR was observed in the 24-30 h AIOV interval with storage time (ST) of 96-120 h (p < 0.05). There was a significant effect of the interaction between ST and AIOV (p < 0.05) on TE and ES variables. Total embryos and ES did not differ (p > 0.05) among AIOV intervals in ST of 0-48 h. However, gilts inseminated at 24-30 h AIOV interval with ST of 96-120 h showed a reduction of 6.7 embryos (p < 0.05) compared with gilts in the same interval inseminated with semen stored for 0-48 h. ES for the 24-30 h AIOV interval and ST of 96-120 h was lower than that observed in the other groups (p < 0.05).     

Use of an immortalized bovine mammary epithelial cell line (MAC-T) to measure the mitogenic activity of extracts from heifer mammary tissue: effects of nutrition and ovariectomy

The objectives of the experiment were (1) to determine whether MAC-T cells would accurately mimic the previously observed proliferative responses of primary mammary epithelial cells (MEC) to mammary tissue extracts from high and low-fed heifers and (2) to determine whether mammary tissue extracts from ovariectomized (OVX) heifers would have lower mitogenic activity than intact controls. Addition of mammary tissue extracts to cell culture media of MAC-T cells plated on plastic or collagen-coated plastic to a range of concentrations between 1 and 8% resulted in dose-dependent increases in cell proliferation. Furthermore, mammary tissue extracts from low-fed prepubertal heifers aged 9 months, stimulated significantly more proliferation of MAC-T cells, as measured by 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA than mammary tissue extracts from high-fed heifers (40.6 cpm x 10(3) per well versus 21.9+/-1.8 cpm x 10(3) per well). These observations suggested that MAC-T cells would be a suitable alternative to primary MECs for measuring the mitogenic activity of mammary tissue extracts. Conversely, no difference was observed in the mitogenic activity of mammary tissue extracts from OVX or control heifers. Possibly, MAC-T cells provide a good model for nutrition- but not ovarian-induced changes in mammary growth. Alternatively, that reduction of in vivo mammary development following OVX did not result in reduced mitogenic activity of the mammary tissue extracts emphasizes that heifer mammary development is the result of complex interactions between local growth factors and systemic hormones.     

Follicular Dynamics in Heifers during Pre-pubertal and Pubertal Period Kept under Two Levels of Dietary Energy Intake

The objective of this study was to characterize follicular dynamics in pre-pubertal, pubertal and post-pubertal periods, as well as the effect of high-energy intake on follicular development and age at puberty in heifers. Thirty-one Nelore (Bos indicus) heifers, 6 months old, were randomly assigned to receive two different diets: one of low (GI) and other of high dietary energy intake (GII). Animals were evaluated in relation to body weight gain by being weighed every 21 days. Heifers were evaluated every other day by real-time linear ultrasonography to characterize ovarian structures development from weaning to post-pubertal period. Blood samples were collected to determine plasmatic concentrations of progesterone by RIA method. The ovulation was determined when progesterone concentrations were >1 ng/mL in three consecutive samples, and by ultrasound images of corpus luteum; and oestrous behaviour in some animals. Age at puberty differed among heifers of GII (17.00 +/- 0.46 months) compared with heifers of GI (19.87 +/- 0.47 months; p < or = 0.05). Maximum size of the dominant follicles at pre-pubertal period was greater in GII heifers than in GI (10.52 +/- 0.33 and 9.76 +/- 0.15 mm, respectively; p < or = 0.05). As heifers approached first ovulation time, size of dominant follicle increased (11.75 +/- 0.37 mm for GI and 12.52 +/- 0.91 mm for GII; p < or = 0.05). Body weight at puberty was not different in both groups (302.33 +/- 27.31 kg for GI and 326.19 +/- 27.78 kg for GII heifers; p > 0.05). We conclude that animals receiving high dietary energy intake attained the puberty earlier and the development of follicles were different than in low dietary energy intake.     

Effect of suckling intensity on human growth hormone binding, biochemical composition and histological characteristics of ovine mammary glands

Suckling both, or only one contralateral mammary gland during 15 days postpartum was utilized to study lactogenic hormone binding to mammary microsomal membranes and quantitative mammary morphology in ewes. Binding of radiolabeled human growth hormone was specific for lactogenic hormones. Non-radiolabeled human growth hormone, ovine and bovine prolactin and human placental lactogen effectively competed with radiolabeled human growth hormone for binding sites but ovine and bovine growth hormone were completely ineffective. Specific binding of radiolabeled human growth hormone to 600 μg of membrane protein averaged 23 ± 3% in all lactating glands. Neither days postpartum nor treatment of contralateral mammary glands substantially altered hormone binding in lactating glands. Specific human growth hormone binding (6 ± 0.5%) in non-suckled glands (15 days postpartum both udder halves) was significantly lower (P<0.01) than in lactating tissue but only a moderate and variable reduction in specific binding was measured in membranes from glands non-suckled for 15 days but contralateral to a suckled gland (14 ± 4%). Specific binding was approximately doubled in assays with 600 compared with 300 μg of membrane protein and the pattern of binding among variously suckled glands was not changed by treatment of membranes with 4 M MgCl₂ prior to assay. Most secretory cells from all lactating glands had rounded, basally displaced nuclei, apical fat globules, secretory vesicles and abundant densely stained basal cytoplasm (ergastoplasm). Alveolar lumenal area was maximal (50% of tissue area) and stromal tissue area was minimal. After 15 days of non-suckling (both udder halves) mammary cells were engorged with lipid, ergastoplasm was reduced and nuclei were irregularly shaped and randomly displaced compared with lactating tissue. In addition, lumenal area was reduced and stromal tissue more evident. Lack of suckling for 5 days had little apparent effect on mammary cytology. Like lactogenic hormone binding, mammary tissue morphology was only moderately altered by 15 days of non-suckling when the remaining gland was suckled. RNA concentration was lowest (2.1 ± 0.3 mg/g) in mammary tissue from ewes in which neither gland was suckled for 15 days postpartum but non-suckling interval had no significant effect when contralateral glands were suckled. DNA concentration was not significantly influenced by suckling treatments. Relative lactogenic hormone binding closely corresponded to changes in cytological and biochemical indices of secretory cell function.     

Morphometric analysis of involuting bovine mammary tissue after 21 or 42 days on non-suckling

Mammary gland involution was morphologically evaluated 21 or 42 d after prevention of suckling of one udder half in 10 crossbred beef cows. Parenchymal tissue was taken from lower, middle and upper zones of each quarter from the teat to the ventral body wall. Udder halves, trimmed of extraparenchymal tissue, were weighed and used for DNA determination. DNA content was reduced 50 and 64% after 21 and 42 d of involution. However, the percentage of tissue occupied by epithelium was similar in suckled and nonsuckled glands. Well-differentiated cells, typical of suckled glands, were rarely observed in nonsuckled glands. Alveolar structure was evident in nonsuckled glands, but the number of cells per alveolar cross-section was reduced (30 vs 22). Unlike in suckled glands, there was a marked gradation in classification of epithelial cells across zones in involuting glands. For example, nearly 10% of the epithelium was well-differentiated in the tissue from the upper zone, whereas no well-differentiated cells were found in the lower zones. Regression of the mammary parenchyma does not occur uniformly through the udder, so use of single biopsy to study involution should be avoided. Presence of alveoli after 42 d indicates that redevelopment of the udder with subsequent lactations is less dramatic than suggested from study of other species.