B型超声波引导进行妊娠奶牛早期胎儿性别诊断

使用B超对75头妊娠44～108d的奶牛进行胎儿性别诊断,主要以形态学上脐带根部区域是否存在生殖结节为判定标准。除1头妊娠44日龄母牛因胎儿小和1头妊娠81日龄母牛子宫下垂没有取得诊断结果外,其余73头均取得了诊断和产犊结果。结果表明:总的1次诊断准确率为87.7%(64/73),诊断结果为雄性的准确率(97.0%)显著高于诊断结果为雌性的准确率(80.0%)(P≤0.05)。在首次性别诊断后10d,随机挑选10头进行2次诊断,其准确率为100%(10/10)。台式(6/8MHz线阵探头)和便携式(5MHz凸阵探头)B超进行诊断的准确率无差异(P>0.05),每头牛诊断平均需3min左右,但便携式B超使用更为简便。对诊断为雄性胎儿的6头奶牛进行了人工流产,均在流产10d后恢复到正常泌乳曲线,首次观察到发情的时间平均为流产后36.2d,平均配妊时间为流产后46.3d。研究表明,奶牛胎儿性别诊断的最佳时间窗口为妊娠61~80d,其诊断准确率较高(2次检查准确率为100%),人工流产后对奶牛的生产性能影响小。     

LAMP法鉴定奶牛早期胚胎性别的效果研究

本试验利用Lamp法对28枚鲜胚进行了性别鉴定，将其中13枚雌性胚和3枚雄性胚胎给受体牛移植，妊娠率达45．5％，性别鉴定的准确率为100％。说明Lamp法用于奶牛早期胚胎性别鉴定是切实可行的。     

奶牛胚胎性别控制技术的试验研究进展

应用LAMP法进行了613枚胚胎的性别鉴定结果，雌性胚胎302枚(49．3％)，雄性胚胎311枚(50．7％)，移植成功率平均为40．9％(122／298)，出生后代中与性别鉴定结果一致的121头，性别鉴定准确率为96．0％(121／126)。应用奶牛性腔胶囊后输精的14头供体母牛，共采集69枚可用胚胎，对其中64枚胚胎进行性别鉴定，确定雌性胚胎的比例为71．9％(46／64)，头均获4．9枚可用胚胎。应用奶牛性控液对3头供体母牛宫注后输精，共采集26枚可用胚胎，经性别鉴定后确定雌性胚胎比例为73．1％(19／26)，头均获可用胚胎8．7枚。应用分离X精子冷冻精液对12头供体母牛进行输精，对采集到的61枚胚胎进行性别鉴定后，确定雌性胚胎比例为100％(61／61)，头均获得可用胚胎5．5枚。11枚性控冷冻胚胎移植后，40d以上未返情率为63．6％(7／11)。用分离的X精子冷冻精液对供体母牛输精后，可获得与未分离冷冻精液输精后相接近的超排供体母牛采集胚胎的数量和质量。     

LAMP法鉴定奶牛早期胚胎性别的效果研究

本试验利用Lamp法对28枚鲜胚进行了性别鉴定,将其中13枚雌性胚和3枚雄性胚胎给受体牛移植,妊娠率达45.5%,性别鉴定的准确率为100%。说明Lamp法用于奶牛早期胚胎性别鉴定是切实可行的。     

家畜早期妊娠诊断的研究进展

本文从原理、方法、诊断时间和准确率等方面对家畜妊娠临床诊断法、实验室诊断法以及胎儿游离DNA检测法进行综述，总结了不同妊娠诊断方法的优缺点、发展趋势以及实际应用效果，为探索不同应用场景下适宜的家畜妊娠诊断方法提供参考。传统的临床诊断法具有快捷经济的优点，但准确率受人为操作影响较大；实验室诊断法提高了准确率，提早了检测时间，但存在成本高和检测标准不统一的局限性；胎儿游离DNA检测法可用于家畜胎儿性别鉴定，而非性别依赖性胎儿DNA特异性标志物仍需进一步探索。     

奶山羊妊娠早期的B超诊断

自从1976年Lindahl首次将B超用于绵羊妊娠诊断以来，国内外学者先后在该领域进行了广泛的探索。他们将B超诊断绵羊早期妊娠的日期提前到配种后18～19d．使B超诊断绵羊妊娠的准确率达到或接近100％，其中对单胎的诊断准确率达84％～97％，对多胎的诊断准确率达95％～100%。     

奶牛B超妊娠诊断应用研究

对126头奶牛在配种20～60d进行B超妊娠检查，结果显示20～22d、23～25d两个时间段的诊断准确率比较低，分别是47．62％、76．19％；在26～28d诊断准确率较高，为9048％，诊断怀孕准确率100％，诊断空怀准确率90．91％；29～31d、32～60d诊断准确率均为100％。因此得出中等性能B超早期妊娠诊断的最佳时间段为29～31d。在20～28dB超早期妊娠诊断效果青年牛要好于经产牛。同时，还对B超妊娠诊断的判断标准、注意事项以及B超误诊原因进行了分析讨论。     

异性双胎雌性犊牛不宜留用

在奶牛的双胎中，约有50％左右为异性双胎，由于生殖器官畸形，而丧失繁殖能力。经饲养证明，异性双胎所生的母犊长大后，绝大多数不能生育。原因是在胚胎发育时期，一般怀胎到30d左右尿膜囊就愈合，而形成共同的尿膜绒毛。随着尿膜绒毛的形成，绒毛膜的血管也连接在一起，使2个胎儿的血液变成共同流动的状态。胎儿的性别在同性时不发生问题，但在异性的时候，雄性胎儿生殖腺发育较早，雄性胎儿分泌的激素通过胎膜血管进入雌性胎儿体内，抑制了雌性胎儿卵巢皮质及生殖道的发育，使雌性胎儿介于雌雄之间，出现畸形。     

B超妊娠诊断技术在转基因山羊生产中的应用

用配有7．5MHz探头的超声扫描仪，以胎盘子叶作为主要的判断依据。对310只转基因胚胎移植的受体山羊进行早期妊娠诊断，对检出的怀孕母羊进行了相应的处理。结果表明；胚胎移植后60～65天试验母羊妊娠诊断阴性(B超判断未怀孕)的准确率为98．1％，妊娠诊断阳性准确率为100％。     

应用B超3.5 MHz探头体表监测拉布拉多犬妊娠

在B型超声二维成像的基础上，用频率3．5MHz电子凸阵扇型体表探头跟踪检测40条拉布拉多妊娠母犬，观察其胎儿发育规律，记录妊娠胚胎的各个胚外结构（孕囊等）、胚胎外形及胚内结构（胎心等）的首次检出时间。最早检测出孕囊、胎心搏动和胎盘的时间分别为18d、23d和31d，最早36d能测定完整骨骼系统，37d能识别大部分内脏器官。3．5MHz探头不能准确判断胎儿性别，判定胎儿数目困难。     

Transabdominal ultrasonographic determination of fetal gender in the horse during mid-gestation

Gender determination of the equine fetus using transabdominal ultrasonography was studied in 20 mares. One group of 10 research mares was scanned repeatedly every 2 weeks from 100 days gestation to parturition, while the second group of 10 client mares was subjected to echography once during mid-gestation. In males, the penis and/or prepuce was observed on 71 occasions from 102 days to 258 days gestation. On cross-sectional views, the male external genitalia had a round shape with parallel linear echogenic foci up to approximately 140 days gestation and then appeared triangular. Fetal testes were oval in shape in frontal view and had an homogeneous ultrasonographic appearance. Females were diagnosed on 23 occasions from 118 days to 227 days gestation based on the presence of the mammary glands and teats. Fetal ovaries appeared homogeneous with a characteristic circular echo from 100 days to 134 days gestation. Gender identifications (n = 98) based on the presence of the penis and/or prepuce in males and mammary glands and teats or fetal gonads in females were all correct, in agreement with the sex of the foals at birth. The optimal window of time was defined in both sexes as 100 to 220 days gestation. Thereafter, it was increasingly difficult to identify the anatomical structures cited above. Fetal sex was mainly determined using the transabdominal approach (87/98). However, the transrectal approach was useful in cases in which fetuses were either in posterior presentation or located very high in the mares abdomen. Good quality diagnostic scanners used typically in equine reproduction and equipped with a 5.0 MHz probe can be used for this procedure up to 160 days gestation, after which a 3.5 MHz transducer is often necessary due to increasing fetal size.     

Use of transrectal B-mode ultrasound imaging in bovine pregnancy diagnosis

A 3 MHz ultrasonic transducer was used to make pregnancy diagnoses in 320 milk and beef cows and heifers, on average 41 days after the last insemination. The ultrasound diagnostic findings were systematically confirmed by rectal palpation. Signs of pregnancy were detected as early as the 25th day after insemination. Discounting 16 doubtful results, the accuracy of positive diagnosis (94 per cent) was better than negative diagnosis (89.7 per cent). Ultrasound scanning could be used for the study of embryo mortality or for the determination of fetal age.     

Effect of Gestational Age and Fetal Position on the Possibility and Accuracy of Ultrasonographic Fetal Gender Determination in Dairy Cattle

The possibility and accuracy of transrectal ultrasonographic determination of foetal gender were studied by identifying and locating the genital tubercle, scrotum or mammary gland in 15 dairy cows at 49-168 days post-breeding. Ultrasound examinations were performed weekly. Each examination was made without references to the results of the examinations in the previous weeks. At each examination, an attempt was made to view the foetus in frontal, cross-sectional, and sagittal planes. The expected foetal gender was compared with that observed at birth. Gestational age affected significantly the possibility of foetal gender determination. The possibility of foetal gender determination increased from 26.7% at day 49 to 100% at day 56 of gestation. Between days 56 and 98, foetal gender determination was possible in all cases. Thereafter, the ability to determine foetal gender decreased with development of pregnancy and was impossible in all cases by days 161 and 168. The overall accuracy of foetal gender determination was 97.3%. Foetal gender determination between days 49 and 63 depended on the location of the genital tubercle in a frontal view of the foetus. By day 70, all foetal positions could be used for foetal gender determination. However, by progress of gestation, the usefulness of frontal view for sex determination decreased, while that of cross-sectional view increased. Accordingly, the best time for foetal gender determination in dairy cattle is between days 56 and 98 of pregnancy.     

Accuracy of Trans-abdominal Ultrasound Pregnancy Diagnosis in Sows using a Linear or Sector Probe

The assessment of an early and reliable pregnancy diagnosis in sows is very important for limiting the number of non-productive days in sow herds. The aim of the present study was to investigate the accuracy of trans-abdominal ultrasound detection for early pregnancy diagnosis in sows under field conditions. Particular attention was paid to the time when a reliable diagnosis can be made, and to possible differences between two commonly used types of scanners. In total, 202 sows from two herds were tested daily with scanners A (linear transducer of 5 MHz) and B (sector transducer of 3.5 MHz) from day 16 until 25 after insemination. Ninety-three percentage of the sows were pregnant 36 days after insemination. Using ultrasound, the first pregnancy could be detected already 18 days after insemination. The sensitivity, specificity and overall accuracy were higher than 95% from day 24 (scanner A) or day 23 (scanner B) post-insemination onwards. The positive predictive values from day 19 onwards were consistently higher than 95% with both types of scanners, whereas the negative predictive values were consistently low for both scanners during the entire period. The sensitivity of testing tended to be slightly lower in sows with a litter size of <10 total born piglets, compared to sows with 10 or more piglets. In conclusion, pregnancy diagnosis in sows using trans-abdominal ultrasound testing can be assessed quickly and reliably under field conditions from day 23 of gestation onwards. Predictive values of positive test results were high in these herds, whereas those of negative test results were low. This implies that sows with a negative test result early in pregnancy should be retested later.     

The use of ultrasonography for pregnancy diagnosis in the bitch

Twenty-three Greyhound bitches housed at 3 breeding kennels were examined for pregnancy via transabdominal palpation and ultrasonography. Pregnancy was timed from the calculated day of ovulation (day of ovulation = day when first pup was whelped--63), and from a single breeding date (day 0). Starting on day 10 after ovulation, 9 bitches were monitored every 3 days by ultrasonography only, to determine gestational vesicle sizes during gestation and the time when fetal movements and heartbeats could be first detected. The other 14 bitches were examined by ultrasonography and transabdominal palpation on the same day every week, starting on postovulation day 19, to compare the effectiveness of the 2 methods of pregnancy determination. Parturition was the final determinant of pregnancy status. The earliest correct diagnosis of pregnancy was at 18 days after ovulation, but fetal movements and heartbeat could not be identified until days 28 and 35, respectively. Estimation of fetal numbers by ultrasound or palpation was not reliable when there were more than four in the litter. Pregnancy and nonpregnancy were correctly determined by both methods in an increasingly greater number of bitches as gestation progressed, but ultrasonography was more accurate at all stages; on days 19 to 22, 26 to 30, 34 to 38, and greater than 40 after ovulation, correct diagnoses were made in 33%, 42%, 50%, and 75% of the bitches by palpation and in 42%, 67%, 75%, and 83% of the bitches by ultrasonography. The most common error was failure to detect pregnancy by palpation or ultrasonography in bitches with small litters and tense abdominal muscles.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Accuracy of early fetal sex determination by ultrasonic assessment in goats

The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of early fetal sex determination by ultrasonic assessment of the relative location of the genital tubercle (GT) in goats at different stages of pregnancy as well as by the identification of fetal external genitalia. Pregnant animals were divided into three experimental groups (EI: n=21, EII: n=28, EIII: n=33). In EI, fetuses (n=27) were transrectally monitored daily from days 40 to 60 of pregnancy with a linear transducer (6.0 and 8.0MHz). In EII, fetuses (n=40) were examined once between days 45 and 70 of pregnancy by transrectal ultrasonography. In EIII fetuses (n=52) between days 100 and 120 of pregnancy, were submitted to a single transabdominal ultrasonography using a convex transducer (5.0 and 7.5MHz). Regardless of fetal sex diagnosis, 15/15 (EI), 13/16 (EII) and 9/14 (EIII) of single pregnancies and 10/12 (EI), 20/24 (EII) and 21/38 (EIII) of twin pregnancies were correctly identified. The accuracy of sex identification among EI (92.6%), EII (82.5%) and EIII (57.7%) was not statistically different (P>0.05). Identification of the GT in male fetuses was possible from day 45 onward. Changes in the GT position were not observed between days 53 and 60 of pregnancy. Accuracy of fetal sexing under field conditions is high in goats when ultrasound imaging is properly timed during pregnancy and when it is performed with proper equipment by experienced operators.     

Transabdominal and transrectal ultrasonography of fetuses in Württemberg ewes: Correlation with gestational age

It is useful to determine the gestational age in sheep to provide essential information for effective flock management practices. The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy and practical aspects for using two ultrasound techniques, transabdominal and transrectal, in determining the gestational age in Württemberg ewes. Monitoring of embryo and fetus developmental stages during the ewes’ gestation was carried out with real time ultrasound using a transabdominal convex probe, frequency 3.5 MHz, and a transrectal linear probe, frequency 7.5 MHz. The size of the embryonic vesicle during the period from the 23rd to the 38th day of gestation can be used as a confirmational indicator of gestational age when the transrectal probe is used. The occipital nasal diameter correlated with the gestational age with both transabdominal (P < 0.05) and transrectal probes (P < 0.01) from the 46th to the 63rd day of gestation. The biparietal diameter of the fetal head measured by transabdominal probe during the period from the 46th to the 63rd day of gestation correlates with gestation age (P < 0.05). The diameter of the fetal eye orbit monitored by transrectal probe from the 46th to the 63rd day of gestation also correlated well with gestational age (P < 0.05).     

Comparison of transcutaneous ultrasound over the right flank with transrectal ultrasound for pregnancy diagnosis in the dairy cow

Objective   Evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of transrectal ultrasound and transcutaneous ultrasonography across the right flank between days 31 and 196 of pregnancy in the dairy cow.
Procedure   Pregnancy status and stage of gestation at date of pregnancy diagnosis by transcutaneous and transrectal ultrasonography were determined for 1570 dairy cattle. Sensitivity and specificity values and probabilities of a correct diagnosis for both techniques were determined and compared. Possible effects of gestational age, herd, method of transcutaneous ultrasound diagnosis, cow age, cow and bull breed, and calf sex on the determination of a correct diagnosis of pregnancy status were evaluated for both techniques.
Results   The overall sensitivity and probability of a correct diagnosis of pregnancy status from days 31 to 196 of gestation were significantly higher when using transrectal ultrasound relative to transcutaneous ultrasound over the right flank. However, the sensitivity of transcutaneous ultrasound changed over the course of pregnancy: it was low (7–8%) before day 84, increased to 89% between days 141 and 154, and was close to 100% thereafter. The specificity of both methods did not differ significantly. Herd and gestational age at date of pregnancy diagnosis were significantly associated with making a correct test result using transcutaneous ultrasound, although only the latter predictor was significantly associated with making a correct test result using transrectal ultrasound.
Conclusion   Transcutaneous ultrasound can not be recommended as an accurate method for early pregnancy diagnosis in the dairy cow, particularly on a whole-herd basis. However, if pregnancy testing is undertaken in mid to late gestation, this technique could provide an accurate and rapid alternative to transrectal ultrasound or manual palpation per rectum.     

PREGNANCY DIAGNOSIS WITH ULTRASOUND IN THE DOMESTIC CAT

Ultrasonographic examinations of seven pregnant cats with known breeding dates were made on successive days to establish the identifiable characteristics of pregnancy. Subsequent serial examinations were made to sonographically characterize normal feline prenatal development before 30 gestational days. An enlarged uterus, gestational sacs, and fetal poles were recognized as the features of early feline pregnancy and were first seen at 4, 11, and 15 days, respectively. Cardiac activity was detected earliest on gestational day 16, and recognizable feline fetal morphology appeared at day 26. Fetal membranes became apparent at as early as 21 days of gestation. Generalized fetal movements were first noted at day 28. Live and dead fetuses were compared in utero and marked differences were noted, with dead fetuses rapidly losing previously recognizable morphology. Determination of litter size in each cat could not be done accurately by ultrasound examination. It was concluded that the diagnosis and accurate dating of early pregnancy in the domestic feline may be accomplished with serial ultrasound evaluation.     

Noninvasive monitoring of fetal growth and development in the Siberian polecat (Mustela eversmanni).

The Siberian polecat (Mustela eversmanni) is the preferred species to assess procedures and establish normative values for application in the related and endangered black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes). This study was undertaken to physically, ultrasonographically, and radiographically evaluate fetal development in a spontaneously breeding captive Siberian polecat population. Ultrasonographically, fetal sac enlargement allowed presumptive pregnancy detection as early as 12 days of gestation, the fetal pole was the first definitive sign of pregnancy at about 18 days of gestation, when the fetal heart beat also appeared, and definitive pregnancy detection by ultrasound was essentially 100% accurate after 18 days. The estimation of fetal number by ultrasound was less reliable than by radiography, as it is in other litter-bearing species. Crown-rump growth, organ differentiation, and calcification patterns resembled those of domestic carnivores except that comparable developmental stages in polecats occurred at disproportionately later times, suggesting that young Siberian polecats are delivered in a less developed state. Careful palpation permitted detection of pregnancy after day 17 but with less certainty than with ultrasound. Radiographic evaluation was insensitive and of limited value for pregnancy detection until near term. Litter number and fetal detail were difficult to assess until ossification could be observed, 3-6 days before parturition.