产前和产后香味剂印迹训练对仔猪断奶后采食偏好的影响及其机理

仔猪断奶后受到心理、营养、环境等多方面的刺激,导致应激反应,影响仔猪的采食量。固体饲粮代替母乳是最大的应激源,通过在母猪饲粮中添加香味剂对仔猪产前和产后进行香味剂印迹训练,使仔猪逐渐喜欢这种气味,降低其对添加相同香味剂饲粮的应激反应,并对有相同气味的饲粮有采食偏好,从而提高仔猪的采食量。本文对产前和产后香味剂印迹训练对仔猪断奶后采食偏好的影响及其机理进行综述,为养猪业相关试验研究提供理论依据。     

Tenogenic induction of equine mesenchymal stem cells by means of growth factors and low-level laser technology

Tendons regenerate poorly due to a dense extracellular matrix and low cellularity. Cellular therapies aim to improve tendon repair using mesenchymal stem cells and tenocytes; however, a current limitation is the low proliferative potential of tenocytes in cases of severe trauma. The purpose of this study was to develop a method useful in veterinary medicine to improve the differentiation of Peripheral Blood equine mesenchymal stem cells (PB-MSCs) into tenocytes. PB-MSCs were used to study the effects of the addition of some growth factors (GFs) as TGFβ3 (transforming growth factor), EGF2 (Epidermal growth factor), bFGF2 (Fibroblast growth factor) and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor) in presence or without Low Level Laser Technology (LLLT) on the mRNA expression levels of genes important in the tenogenic induction as Early Growth Response Protein-1 (EGR1), Tenascin (TNC) and Decorin (DCN). The singular addition of GFs did not show any influence on the mRNA expression of tenogenic genes whereas the specific combinations that arrested cell proliferation in favour of differentiation were the following: bFGF2 + TGFβ3 and bFGF2 + TGFβ3 + LLLT. Indeed, the supplement of bFGF2 and TGFβ3 significantly upregulated the expression of Early Growth Response Protein-1 and Decorin, while the use of LLLT induced a significant increase of Tenascin C levels. In conclusion, the present study might furnish significant suggestions for developing an efficient approach for tenocyte induction since the external administration of bFGF2 and TGFβ3, along with LLLT, influences the differentiation of PB-MSCs towards the tenogenic fate.     

Stress responses in adult cattle due to surgical dehorning using three different types of anaesthesia

Dehorning adult cattle is a surgical procedure causing distress of varying intensities that can be reflected in behavioural changes and alterations in plasma cortisol levels. Stress responses during the dehorning process were evaluated in 18 Red Pied cows. The cows were divided into 3 groups of six and kept in tie-stall housing. Those in the first group were dehorned under general anaesthesia (GA) induced by intravenous administration of xylazine and ketamine. The second group was dehorned under sedation and local anaesthesia (SLA) induced by intramuscular administration of xylazine and local anaesthesia with lidocaine. The third group was dehorned under local anaesthesia (LA) with lidocaine. Dehorning was performed with a foetotomy wire. Blood samples were taken 0.5 h before dehorning to determine cortisol levels, and, by means of a central venous catheter inserted into the jugular vein, during surgery at 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 h post-surgery. Concurrently, occurrence of stress behaviours was assessed. Cortisol levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The lowest mean peak levels of plasma cortisol (82.53 +/- 6.04 nmol l(-1)), the most rapid return of plasma cortisol levels to baseline values (1.92 +/- 1.11 h), and the lowest occurrence of stress behaviours (2.38 +/- 5.83%) were noted in the SLA group. The highest mean peak levels plasma cortisol (113.86 +/- 25.65 nmol l(-1)), the slowest return of plasma cortisol levels to baseline values (3.83 +/- 2.18 h) and the most frequent occurrence of stress behaviours (65.48 +/- 28.72%) were observed in the LA group. There were significant differences between the SLA and LA groups in peak plasma cortisol levels (p = 0.011) and in occurrence of stress behaviours (p = 0.003). Sedation induced by intramuscular administration of xylazine in conjunction with local anaesthesia with lidocaine is considered the most suitable method of anaesthesia when dehorning adult cattle. Local anaesthesia with lidocaine alone was least suitable.     

Loser cows in Danish dairy herds: definition, prevalence and consequences

During the last few years, many Danish dairy farmers have expressed increasing concerns regarding a group of cows, which we have chosen to term ‘loser cows’. Until now, a loser cow has not been described scientifically. We defined a loser cow on the basis of a clinical examination of the cow. A total of 15,151 clinical examinations were made on 6,451 individual cows from 39 randomly selected, large Danish dairy herds with loose-housing systems using a clinical protocol. Scores for the clinical signs lameness, body condition, hock lesions, other cutaneous lesions, vaginal discharge, condition of hair coat and general condition were converted into a loser cow score. Cows with a loser cow score of 8 or more were classified as loser cows. The overall prevalence of loser cows was 2.15%, 4.50% and 2.98% during the first, second and third round of herd visits, respectively.

The associations between the loser cow state and milk production, mortality, morbidity, culling and workload for the farmer were evaluated using data from herd visits and from the Danish Cattle Database and a number of different statistical techniques. It was concluded that the loser cow state has significant negative consequences for both the farmer and the cow. On average, loser cows yielded 0.61 to 2.24 kg energy corrected milk less per day than non-loser cows depending on parity. Hazard ratio for death or euthanasia was 5.69 for loser cows compared to non-loser cows. Incidence rate ratio for disease treatments was 0.69 for non-loser cows compared to loser cows. Loser cows were often culled in an ‘unfavourable’ way and generally caused extra workload for the farmer.

A simplified version of the loser cow score was evaluated and is recommended for future research and use in practice.     

Comparison of water status indicators for young peach trees

We measured a series of physiological and physical indicators and compared them to xylem sap flow, to identify the most sensitive and reliable plant water status indicator. In the growing season of 1998, 4-year-old peach trees (Prunus persica Batsch cv. 'Suncrest', grafted on 'GF 677' rootstock) were studied under two irrigation treatments, 25 l day^у and no irrigation, and during recovery. Trials were conducted near Pisa (Italy) in a peach orchard situated on a medium clay loam soil and equipped with a drip-irrigation system (four 4 l h^у drippers per tree). Measurements of leaf water potential (ƒ_W), stem water potential (ƒ_S), and leaf temperature (T_l) were taken over 5 days (from dawn to sunset) and analyzed in conjunction with climatic data, sap flow (SF), trunk diameter fluctuation (TDF) and soil water content (SWC). Physiological indicators showed substantial differences in sensitivity. The first indication of changes in water status was the decrease of stem radial growth. TDF and SF revealed significant differences between the two irrigation treatments even in the absence of differences in pre-dawn leaf water potential (pdƒ_W), up until now widely accepted as the benchmark of water status indicators. Irrigated trees showed a typical trend in SF rate during the day, while in non-irrigated plants the maximum peak of transpiration was anticipated. Measurements of water potential showed ƒ_S to be a better indicator of tree water status than ƒ_W. T_l was found to have poor sensitivity. In conclusion, we found the sensitivity of the indicators from the most to the least was: TDF >SF rate >SF cumulated = pdƒ_W=ƒ_S>mdƒ_W>T_l.