Rearing performance of farmed fallow deer (Dania dama)

The ability of fallow does to rear fawns to weaning age was examined in a group of 243 adult does of known age (Group 1) and 509 adult does of unknown age (Group 2). All does had between 1 and 8 opportunities to rear fawns. There was an increasing proportion of does that failed to rear a fawn to weaning age as the number of rearing opportunities increased, although most does (93.6%) only failed on one occasion. A small percentage of does in groups 1 and 2 failed repeatedly to rear fawns to weaning. At slaughter, the presumed causes of failure in chronic non-breeders included pyometron, cystic ovaries, cervical cysts, a vulval neoplasm and salpingitis. The overall rearing success of both groups of deer was 82.4% and there was no consistent pattern of rearing failure relating to parity or previous rearing history.     

Evaluation of the Karras Spermdensimeter in Relation to the Neubauer Counting Chamber for Sperm Concentration Measurement in Boar Semen

The correct measurement of spermatic concentration in boar semen is one of the basic tasks routinely performed at the Swine Artificial Insemination Center (CIAS). This article explains two experiments whose objectives were: Experiment 1: This trial had two objectives: (1) to evaluate the precision of the spermdensimeter (SPM) with relation to the Neubauer count chamber (CN) which is considered the standard technique in the field and (2) to correct the scale on the SPM table. Experiment 2: This trial also had two objectives: (1) to evaluate the time and repetitions required in the SPM and (2) to compare the SPM adjusted table produced in Expt 1 with the SPM standard table. The methods in Expt 1 were used to measure total spermatic concentration in 141 boar ejaculates. The average spermatic concentrations (10(6) spermatozoids/ml) and average dose number were 229.1 and 22.6 for CN, and 283.6 and 28.0 for SPM. These results indicate that the SPM has a tendency to overestimate spermatic concentration with relation to the CN. The SPM produced a smaller coefficient of variation and needed lesser examination time than the CN (p < 0.05). The SPM adjusted table created in Expt 1 produced similar results as the SPM and CN standard tables (2.96 billion live spermatozoids/dose vs 2.36 billion live spermatozoids/dose). Incorporation and evaluation of supplemental data from other CIAS regarding the use of the SPM adjusted table in the field entitled 'Adjusted Table for Karras Spermdensimeter LPS-FMVZ-USP' would be valuable to prove its efficiency.     

Use of protocatechuic acid as the sole antioxidant in the base medium for in vitro culture of ovine isolated secondary follicles

This study evaluated the effect of the protocatechuic acid (PCA) as the sole antioxidant in the base medium for in vitro culture of ovine secondary follicles. Secondary follicles (200‐230 μm) were isolated and cultured in α‐minimal essential medium supplemented with BSA, insulin, glutamine and hypoxanthine (α‐MEM: antioxidant‐free medium) or α‐MEM also added by transferrin, selenium and ascorbic acid (α‐MEM+: with antioxidant) or α‐MEM added by PCA (56.25; 112.5; 225; 450; or 900 μg/ml). Moreover, after culture, oocytes were matured and the chromatin configuration and DNA fragmentation were evaluated. After 12 days, the treatment containing 56.25 μg/ml PCA showed higher percentage of normal follicles than control medium or the other treatments (p < .05), except for 900 μg/ml PCA (p > .05). The antrum formation was significantly higher in treatments containing 56.25, 112.5 or 900 μg/ml PCA, compared to the α‐MEM and similar (p > .05) to the other treatments. The rates of fully grown oocytes (≥110 μm) were similar (p > .05) among all treatments containing PCA and α‐MEM+, and those were superior (p < .05) than α‐MEM, except for 450 μg/ml PCA (p > .05). GSH levels and mitochondrial activity were higher (p < .05) in α‐MEM+ than in α‐MEM and similar (p > .05) to all PCA treatments. The rates of meiotic resumption and DNA fragmentation were similar (p > .05) among α‐MEM+ and 56.25 μg/ml PCA. In conclusion, PCA at 56.25 μg/ml as the sole antioxidant added to the medium for ovine isolated secondary follicle culture maintains follicular survival, GSH and active mitochondria levels, meiotic developmental competence and DNA integrity of cultured oocytes.     

Ultrasonic shear wave velocities of MgSiO3 perovskite at 8 GPa and 800 K and lower mantle composition

Ultrasonic interferometric measurements of the shear elastic properties of MgSiO3 perovskite were conducted on three polycrystalline specimens at conditions up to pressures of 8 gigapascals and temperatures of 800 kelvin. The acoustic measurements produced the pressure (P) and temperature (T) derivatives of the shear modulus (G), namely ( partial differentialG/ partial differentialP)T = 1.8 +/- 0.4 and ( partial differentialG/ partial differentialT)P = -2.9 +/- 0.3 x 10(-2) gigapascals per kelvin. Combining these derivatives with the derivatives that were measured for the bulk modulus and thermal expansion of MgSiO3 perovskite provided data that suggest lower mantle compositions between pyrolite and C1 carbonaceous chondrite and a lower mantle potential temperature of 1500 +/- 200 kelvin.     

Natriuretic peptide system regulation in granulosa cells during follicle deviation and ovulation in cattle

Natriuretic peptides (NPs) are known to regulate reproductive events in polyovulatory species, but their function and regulation in monovulatory species remain to be fully characterized. Using a well‐established in vivo model, we found that bovine granulosa cells from follicles near the deviation stage express mRNA for the three NP receptors (NPR1, NPR2 and NPR3), but not for NP precursors (NPPA, NPPB and NPPC). The abundance of NPR3 mRNA was higher in dominant compared to subordinate follicles at the expected time of follicular deviation. After deviation, mRNA for all NP receptors was significantly more abundant in the dominant follicle. Intrafollicular inhibition of oestrogen receptors downregulated NPR1 mRNA in dominant follicles. In granulosa cells from preovulatory follicles, NPPC mRNA increased at 3 and 6 h after systemic GnRH treatment, but decreased at 12 and 24 h to similar levels observed in samples collected at 0 h. After GnRH treatment, NPR1 mRNA was upregulated at 24 h, NPR3 mRNA gradually decreased after 3 h, while NPR2 mRNA was not regulated. The mRNA expression of the enzyme FURIN increased at 24 h after GnRH treatment. These findings revealed that the expression of mRNA encoding important components of the NP system is regulated in bovine granulosa cells during follicular deviation and in response to GnRH treatment, which suggests a role of NP system in the modulation of these processes in monovulatory species.     

海刺猬和中间球海胆性腺的组织学和组织化学

对海刺猬Glyptocidaris crerularis和中间球海胆Stronylocentrotus intermedius性腺的组织学和组织化学进行了比较研究。结果表明,两者性腺结构均为滤泡型,滤泡由生殖细胞和营养细胞组成,随着生殖细胞的发育成熟,营养细胞中颗粒逐渐减少,当生殖细胞排放后,营养颗粒的数量逐渐增加,且中间球海胆的营养颗粒数量较海刺猬多。观察和分析了海刺猬和中间球海胆的雌、雄生殖细胞、营养颗粒、滤泡细胞的DNA、RNA、多糖、蛋白质和结合脂类的分布、数量及其变化,发现中间球海胆滤泡中营养颗粒的多糖和蛋白质含量比海刺猬高,其它指标两者都很相近。     

An Inter‐Subspecies Cloned Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Obtained by Transferring of Cryopreserved Embryos via Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer

The aim of this study was to explore the feasibility of cryopreservation of inter‐subspecies cloned embryos in buffalo. In our experiment, river buffalo ear fibroblast nucleus was fused into swamp buffalo oocyte cytoplasm. The blastocyst formation rate for nuclear transfer of freshly thawed cells was not different from those of growing cells, confluent or serum‐starved cells. A total of 122 cloned blastocysts derived from cryopreserved fibroblasts were cryopreserved and thawed, 37 were survived, the cryosurvival rate was 30.3%. The survived blastocysts were transferred into 15 recipient buffalos. Five of the recipients established pregnancy, but four of them aborted on day 53, 59, 145 and 179 of gestation respectively. One cross‐bred buffalo (Murrah × Swamp buffalo (2n = 49) received three embryos delivered a 40.5 kg female calf by natural delivery on day 320 of gestation. Up to now (13‐month old), the cloned calf has been growing well with no abnormity observed. These results demonstrated that cryopreservation of inter‐subspecies cloned embryos is feasible to produce buffalo offspring.