Effects of heat stress on the redox status in the oviduct and early embryonic development in mice

This study examined the association between redox status in the oviduct and early embryonic death in heat-stressed mice. In Experiment 1, non-pregnant mice were heat-stressed at 35 C with 60% relative humidity for 12, 24, or 36 h, and the maternal redox status was verified by measuring the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radical scavenging activity (FRSA) in the oviduct, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the liver. In Experiment 2, zygotes were collected from mice heat-stressed for 12 h on the day of pregnancy, and their developmental abilities were assessed in vitro, along with the intensity of DNA damage at the 2-cell stage. The TBARS value and GSH-Px activity in the liver, and ROS level in the oviduct were significantly higher in heat-stressed mice, and this increase appeared to depend on the duration of the heat stress. Maternal heat stress significantly reduced the percentage of zygotes that developed to the morula and blastocyst and the total cell number in the blastocyst. In addition, DNA damage at the 2-cell stage was significantly higher in maternally heat-stressed embryos. These results suggest that heat stress induces systemic changes in redox status in the maternal body, and the resultant increase in oxidative stress in the oviduct is possibly involved in heat stress-induced early embryonic death .     

金属硫蛋白对热应激下体外培养奶牛淋巴细胞的影响

本研究的目的在于探讨外源性金属硫蛋白(MT)对热应激下体外培养奶牛淋巴细胞凋亡的影响。将屠宰获取的奶牛脾脏淋巴细胞随机分为4组,每组细胞培养液中MT的终浓度分别为0 μg/mL(对照组)、70 μg/mL(第Ⅰ组)、140 μg/mL(第Ⅱ组)、210 μg/mL(第Ⅲ组),同时置于细胞培养箱(37℃、5%CO₂)中培养20 h,之后同时置于43℃水浴锅中进行热应激处理1 h,再回细胞培养箱中培养3 h,然后利用形态学观察、RT-PCR等方法进行各项指标的检测。结果如下,1)通过形态学观察和AO/EB染色观察,表明添加MT可以有效缓解热应激对奶牛淋巴细胞的损伤,但缓解效果随MT浓度的增加而下降; 2)第Ⅰ~Ⅲ组的CAT活性、SOD活性和GSH-Px活性均高于对照组(P<0.01),MDA含量均低于对照组(P<0.01),表明MT能够有效改善淋巴细胞的抗氧化能力;3)试验Ⅰ~Ⅲ组的Bax基因相对表达量均显著低于对照组(P<0.01),但试验Ⅰ~Ⅲ组Bcl-2基因的表达量和p50基因的表达量均显著低于对照组(P<0.01),表明MT可以调节与细胞凋亡相关基因的表达。综上所述,添加MT可以降低奶牛淋巴细胞死亡率,改善奶牛淋巴细胞抗氧化性能,抑制奶牛淋巴细胞凋亡,以添加终浓度为70 μg/mL的MT效果最好。     

泌乳奶牛热应激研究进展

本文综述了热应激的发生机制及热应激对奶牛生理、生化过程和生产性能等方面的影响,并且提出奶牛热应激防治措施。     

Dairy cow reproduction under the influence of heat stress

Dairy farming is vulnerable to global warming and climate change. Improving and maintaining conception rates (CRs) have a paramount importance for the profitability of any dairy enterprise. There is an antagonistic relationship between fertility and milk yield, and intensive selection for milk yield has severely deteriorated reproductive efficiency. Irrespective of geography and husbandry, modern dairy cows experience heat stress (HS) effects leading to fertility declines, but it worsens in tropical climates. The threshold of HS experience among modern dairy cow has lowered, leading to decreased thermal comfort zone. Studies show that this threshold is lower for fertility than for lactation. HS abatement and robustness response to lactation yield lead to negative energy balance, and cow's reproductive requirements remain unfulfilled. The adverse effects of HS commence from developing oocyte throughout later stages and its fertilization competence; the oestrus cycle and oestrus behaviour; the embryo development and implantation; on uterine environment; and even extend towards foetal calf. Even cows can become acyclic under the influence of HS. These harmful effects of HS arise due to hyperthermia, oxidative stress and physiological modifications in the body of dairy cows. Proper assessment of HS and efficient cooling of dairy animals irrespective of their stage of life at farm is the immediate strategy to reduce fertility declines. Other long- and short-term mitigation strategies to reduce fertility declines during HS include feeding care, reducing disease and mastitis rates, using semen from cooled bulls, timed artificial inseminations (AI), allied hormonal interventions and use of embryo transfer technology. Ultimate long-term solution should be well-planned breeding for fertility improvement and HS tolerance.     

奶牛热应激及其调控措施

奶牛热应激是奶牛对不利于生理活动的高温环境产生的一种非特异性应答反应,其影响奶牛的生产性能和生理功能。本文综述了热应激对奶牛的影响及其调控措施。     

奶牛热应激的判定方法和防制对策

任何动物都有最适合生存的环境温度 ,这个温度范围称为中立温度区。奶牛的中立温度区在 5～ 2 1℃。在此范围内 ,奶牛不必动用额外的能量去维持正常的生理机能 ,有利于奶牛发挥最佳的生产性能。当环境温度超过中立温度区上限并对奶牛正常的生理活动和生产性能产生负面影响的时候 ,就产生热应激现象。奶牛热应激一直是影响我国奶牛养殖业的重要因素 ,特别是我国南方地区 ,在高温、高湿的夏季给生产带来的不利影响十分突出。笔者在多年生产实践中总结出奶牛热应激的判定方法和防制措施 ,现介绍如下 ,供广大养殖户参考。1　热应激对奶牛的危害(…     

减缓肉牛热应激最新研究进展

为了减少肉牛热应激对肉牛生产性能、生理生化指标、抗氧化能力、妊娠牛激素及免疫功能等方面产生的影响,笔者检索了国内外相关文献,从品种、中草药方剂和饲料添加剂、环境控制三方面归纳在肉牛抗应激能力的最新研究进展,为肉牛健康高效养殖提供参考。     

Effect of suppression of prolactin secretion on adipose lipogenesis in the postpartum beef cow

Effects of inhibiting prolactin secretion and of calf removal at 3 d postpartum on the lipogenic capacity of s.c. adipose tissue were investigated in postpartum beef cows. The rate of fatty acid synthesis (SYN) from [1-14C]acetate and the activity of fatty acid synthetase (FAS) were assessed on adipose tissue obtained by biopsy at 1, 2, 4, 8 and 10 wk postpartum. Administration of bromocriptine (BR; a drug that suppresses prolactin secretion in rats) between d 7 and 42 postpartum decreased average serum prolactin concentrations nearly 90%, but BR had no effect on lipogenic rates at any week compared to control (CO) cows. Rates of SYN (nmol acetate.min-1.g-1 tissue) increased linearly in CO and BR cows from a nadir of 3.1 at wk 1 to 19.3 by wk 8. Within CO and BR, cows with the greater energy intake relative to requirements for lactation (energy balance) had the faster rates of recovery of SYN. Cows whose calves were weaned early (3 d) showed rapid early increases in SYN, reaching an average maximum rate of 46.2 by wk 2. Activity of FAS generally followed a pattern similar to that of SYN for all groups. Results indicate that prolactin is not responsible for low rates of postpartum lipogenesis in s.c. adipose tissue and that energy intake influences the rate of recovery.     

奶牛热应激的检测方法及防治措施

奶牛热应激导致奶牛生产和繁殖性能下降、疾病的发生率增加,给奶牛饲养者造成严重的经济损失。在实际生产中建立了较为科学的检测方法,并通过日粮、饲养管理、添加抗应激药物和选育耐热品种等几个方面对奶牛热应激进行调控。     

缓解奶牛热应激添加剂

奶牛是一种怕热耐寒的动物,适合于气候凉爽地带饲养。每年夏季高温大气,我国南方大部分地区奶牛均会发生不同程度的热应激反应,严重影响奶牛生产性能和健康,因而受到奶牛业界的普遍关注和重视。许多研究发现,日粮中加入某些药物添加剂,可以缓解热应激对奶牛的不良影响。     

奶牛抗热应激预混料试验报告

将胎次、产奶量、泌乳天数相近的22头荷斯坦奶牛按分组配对的原则进行分组,每组11头,测定抗热应激预混料对奶牛的影响。试验结果表明:在整个试验期内,试验组与对照组奶牛产奶量的差值和乳脂率的差值与温度呈较强的正相关(R2=0.8805和0.7633),且差异显著(P<0.05);两组的乳蛋白率之差与温度变化无关(R2=0.0713)。在较炎热的9月份(22.3￣28.4℃),该种预混料可以显著缓解奶牛产奶量的下降(P<0.05),试验组奶牛平均每头每日比对照组多产奶1.39kg;也可以适当提高牛奶的乳脂率(P>0.05);对乳蛋白的影响不大(P>0.05)。     

Effect of dietary beta-carotene on the early embryonic development and uterine fluid composition of gilts

The role of beta-carotene in reproduction was investigated in gilts assigned to three dietary supplementations: VA (4000 IU vitamin A); VA + VA (4000 IU + 8300 IU); VA + BC (4000 IU + 100 mg beta-carotene) per kg diet for 14 weeks. Gilts were slaughtered at day 12 of gestation. In the VA + BC group, number of corpora lutea was lowest, but the number of embryos was greatest, resulting in a non-significant decreased prenatal mortality (p<0.07). The proportion of less developed spherical and tubular embryos compared with filamentous was greatest in the VA + BC group (p<0.01). No differences were observed for vitamin A and retinal binding protein (RBP) in the uterine fluid. When animals were grouped according to the development of blastocysts, vitamin A and RBP levels were higher in the VA + BC group with only filamentous embryos (p<0.01). This indicates that the supplementation of beta-carotene to gilts might affect embryonic losses possibly because of slower alterations in the uterine environment, resulting in a higher and less variable number of embryos, despite an apparently more heterogeneous development.     

Effect of trypsin in semen on in vivo fertilization and early embryonic development in superovulated heifers

The effect of trypsin on the fertilizing capacity of bull semen was investigated as part of the evaluation of the addition of trypsin to semen as a method for destroying or inactivating infectious agents. Parts of the ejaculates from four bulls were treated with 0.3% trypsin solution. Both the treated and untreated aliquots of semen were frozen, thawed and used for the artificial insemination of superovulated heifers. Two hundred and thirty ova and embryos were collected from 22 heifers on day 7 after oestrus (insemination). One hundred and ten out of 164 (67%) embryos and ova from 15 heifers inseminated with trypsin-treated semen were classified as of transferable quality compared to 46 out of 66 (70%) in the control group of 7 heifers (p>0.05). There was no difference in the proportion of fertilized ova or degenerated embryos resulting from the control or trypsin-treated samples of frozen-thawed semen, which is consistent with results obtained previously using fresh semen.     

卵母细胞质移植对兔原核胚体外发育的影响

卵母细胞胞质中存在着大量的母源性信息，正常受精卵的发育启动和早期卵裂主要由这些母源性信息所控制。为了评估卵胞质含量对早期胚胎发育的影响，以假显微注射兔原核胚为对照，采用显微注射技术将兔原核期胚胎去除或增加一定量的细胞质：试验一，增加5％和20％的细胞质；试验二，移入5％小鼠MⅡ期卵母细胞胞质。胚胎经显微操作后进行R1／R2序贯培养。结果显示，（1）增量5％组胚胎的2细胞胚（72．00％）、8细胞胚（60．00％）、桑椹胚（58．00％）和囊胚（54．00％）的发育率均显著（P〈0．05）高于增量20％组胚胎（分别为47．62％、35．71％、33．33％和30．95％），但与对照组之间无显著差异（P〉0．05）；囊胚细胞数在2个增量组和对照组3者之间也无显著差异（P〉0．05）。（2）将5％小鼠MⅡ期卵胞质移入兔原核胚后，各阶段胚胎发育率和囊胚细胞数与增量5％组、对照组相比均无显著差异；早期胚胎经PCR检测，在2细胞胚（5／5）、8细胞胚（5／5）和桑椹胚（5／5）均全部检测到了供体小鼠mtDNA的D—loop区3’端片段，而在囊胚却仅有1枚（1／5）能够检测到。结果表明，增加少量细胞质不会对兔原核胚的体外发育造成显著影响，但胚胎发育率随着细胞质体积的增加有下降趋势，而异种卵胞质对兔原核胚的发育没有明显影响，在囊胚期虽仍能检测到异种卵胞质中mtDNA的存在，但异种mtDNA会随胚胎发育而逐渐减少。     

Maxillary osteosarcoma in a beef suckler cow

ABSTRACT: A ten-year-old beef suckler cow was referred to the Scottish Centre for Production Animal Health & Food Safety of the University of Glasgow, because of facial swelling in the region of the right maxilla. The facial swelling was first noticed three months earlier and was caused by a slow growing oral mass which contained displaced, loosely embedded teeth. The radiographic, laboratory and clinicopathological findings are described. Necropsy, gross pathology and histological findings confirmed the mass as a maxillary osteosarcoma.     

Effect of level of beef cow milk production on pre- and postweaning calf growth

Three groups of beef cows that were similar in growth and mature size, but different in genetic potential for level of milk provided to their calves, were studied. A procedure for fitting grafted polynomials based on calf suckling data was used to estimate the total amount of milk produced by each cow during 205-d lactations. Estimated 205-d milk production of the high milk group exceeded that of the medium and low milk groups by 186 and 561 kg, respectively. Differences in milk production of the three groups tended to increase as dams got older. The pooled, within milk-group correlation between calf gain to 205 d and milk intake was .60. Calves suckling dams with low milk production relied earlier and to a greater extent on alternative food sources of lower nutritional value than milk. Calves suckling high milk-group dams had 16.9 kg greater 205-d weaning weight than those suckling low milk-group dams, solely because of differences in maternal environment. Calves from the high milk group maintained 63% of the advantage over those in the low milk group in 205-d weight through a fairly rapid postweaning growth period to slaughter.     

Effects of cow parity on voluntary hay intake and performance responses to early weaning of beef calves

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of early calf weaning from both primiparous and multiparous beef cows on hay intake and measures of performance. Over two consecutive years, 96 Brahman × British cows (48 cows/year) and their calves were stratified by parity and calving date and randomly assigned to one of two weaning treatments (n = 24 cows/weaning treatment; 12 primiparous and 12 multiparous). Weaning treatments consisted of normal-weaned (calf remaining with cow throughout the study) or early weaned (calves removed from cow at 86 ± 5 days of age). An estrus synchronization and fixed-timed artificial insemination protocol (CO-Synch + CIDR) was applied to all cows at 21 days after early weaning. Following fixed-timed artificial insemination, cows were put onto bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) pastures (3 pastures/treatment; 4 cows/pasture) for a 60-day period to evaluate voluntary hay intake. During this time, cows were provided free-choice access to grass hay (‘Florona’ stargrass; Cynodon nlemfuensis) and 2.3 kg per head daily of a urea-fortified molasses supplement. Hay intake was determined by subtracting the dried weight of residual hay from the amount offered over the 60-day evaluation period. Cow body weight and body condition score were measured on day 0 and 60. Immediately following the hay intake determination period, all cows were grouped by weaning treatment and exposed to mature Angus bulls for 21 days. Pregnancy determination to artificial insemination and natural service was determined by transrectal utrasonography on two occasions conducted 60 days after artificial insemination and again 40 days after bull removal. Multiparous cows had greater hay dry matter intake (P < 0.001), body weight (P < 0.001), and body condition score (P < 0.001) than primiparous cows throughout the study. Overall, early weaning resulted in greater than a 16% decrease (P < 0.01) in hay dry matter intake, irrespective of parity. Early-weaned cows had greater (P < 0.01) body weight and body condition score than normal-weaned cows on day 60, but not day 0. Pregnancy rate to artificial insemination was greater (P < 0.01) for multiparous compared to primiparous cows. There was a weaning treatment × parity interaction for overall pregnancy rate, whereas early-weaned primiparous, but not multiparous, cows had a greater (P < 0.05) overall pregnancy rate compared to their normal-weaned contemporaries. These data imply that early calf weaning (90 days of age) will increase body weight and body condition in both multiparous and primiparous cows; however, early-weaning provides a greater advantage to overall pregnancy rate when applied to primiparous versus multiparous cows.     

Induction of heat stress in beef cattle by feeding the ergots of Claviceps purpurea

Two groups of 4 Hereford steers were housed in a controlled environment room and exposed to simulated high summer temperatures. Both groups were fed a barley grain and hay diet ad libitum. The barley in one diet contained 0.5% w/w ergots of Claviceps purpurea. Within one week of feeding the ergot diet mean rectal temperature was significantly elevated (P less than 0.05) each afternoon (up to 41 degrees C) but returned to normal overnight. Elevated rectal temperature was accompanied by other signs of heat stress, reduced feed intake, body weight loss and depression or serum prolactin concentration. Symptoms disappeared within 1 week of ceasing to feed the ergot diet.