Which source and level of dietary sodium is appropriate for broiler chickens reared in a high‐altitude area?

This study investigated effect of increasing level of dietary sodium using sodium bicarbonate or sodium chloride on growth performance, mortality, characteristics of carcass, organs and tibia, calcium and phosphorus of serum in broilers reared in a high‐altitude area (1,700 m above sea level). A total of 588 Ross 308 male broiler chicks were used in seven treatments, six replicates per treatment of 14 birds per each from 1 to 38 d of age. Seven dietary treatments consisted of a basal diet (with 0.16% sodium and 0.23% chloride), top‐dressed for six diets to give three supplementary levels of sodium (0.07%, 0.14% and 0.21%) from sodium bicarbonate (respectively by 0.26%, 0.52% and 0.78%) or sodium chloride (respectively by 0.18%, 0.36% and 0.54%), resulting in seven diets with total sodium and chloride levels of 0.16% and 0.23%, 0.23% and 0.23%, 0.30% and 0.23%, 0.37% and 0.23%, 0.23% and 0.33%, 0.30% and 0.44%, 0.37% and 0.55% respectively. Increasing sodium level improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) linearly and quadratically. However, when FCR was calculated without adjusting for feed intake of mortalities, the enhanced sodium level did not improve this parameter. Increasing sodium level via sodium chloride enhanced ascites mortality, total mortality, relative weight of heart and right ventricle linearly. Increasing sodium level reduced serum calcium and enhanced serum phosphorus linearly; however, there was a linear tendency to increase tibia ash when sodium level was enhanced by sodium bicarbonate (p = 0.08) or sodium chloride (p = 0.07). Increasing sodium level via sodium bicarbonate tended (p = 0.08) to reduce tibia strength linearly. In conclusion, a diet with 0.16% sodium and 0.23% chloride is enough for broiler chicken reared in a high‐altitude area, and increasing dietary sodium level via sodium chloride has detrimental effect on survivability of broiler in such condition.     

Phytomass estimation using eMODIS NDVI and ground data in arid rangelands of Morocco

The assessment of rangeland productivity in semi-extensively grazed arid rangelands is a prerequisite for livestock management in relation to sustainable use of pastoral resources. The objective of this study was to assess rangeland productivity based on normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) images. Data on phytomass were measured on 61 field samples in arid rangelands of Morocco, covering various rangeland categories during autumn (November) and spring (April), i.e. when phytomass is at low and high levels, respectively, for two consecutive years (2008 and 2009). Dekadal EROS Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (eMODIS) NDVI data were linearly regressed to field measurements for these four periods. Results show that phytomass values were correlated with NDVI during spring, with R² and RMSE values of 0.82 and 0.3 t ha^?1, respectively. This study indicates there is a high potential for operational use of remotely sensed data to estimate rangeland phytomass of semi-extensively grazed rangelands.     

Comparative evaluation of different therapeutic protocols for contagious caprine pleuropneumonia in Himalayan Pashmina goats

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Therapeutic management of contagious caprine pleuroneumonia (CCPP) involves mostly the use of oxytetracycline followed by enrofloxacin and rarely tylosin. In...     

Streptomyces sp., a cause of fistulous withers in donkeys

Four of 10 donkeys, which showed lesions simulating fistulous withers, were examined clinically with the aim to cultivate and identify the causal agent. Aspiated purulent materials were subjected to bacteriological examination. The causal organisms were recovered in Tryptic Soya agar medium when incubated aerobically at 37 degrees C for up to 5 days. These organisms were found to be actinomycetes-like, Gam positive with stable branching filaments and to form heavy aerial hyphae on colony surface. The isolated organisms ere tentatively identified as Streptomyces sp. on the basis of morphological and cultural characteristics. The initial sequences analysis of the 16S rDNA gene conformed that one of the isolates (SD551) falls within the phylogenetic clade, which encompasses the genus Streptomyces. Studies are underway to further describe the disease and its causal agent. The report represents a good evidence to incriminate Streptomyces in the aetiology of the fistulous withers.     

Sex steroids in the seminal fluid and milt quality indices in the endangered Caspian brown trout,Salmo trutta caspius

In this study, the relationships between the seminal fluid sex steroids sperm quality parameters (i.e. sperm motility and sperm production were investigated in the endangered Caspian brown trout. According to results, the variation of sex steroid concentrations was comparatively high. The seminal fluid levels of 17α‐Hydroxyprogesterone (OHP) had positive correlation with percentage and duration of sperm motility. Similar correlation was found between the seminal fluid concentration of testosterone (T) and estradiol‐17β (E2) with sperm concentration. As well as, there was no significant correlation between progesterone (P) with sperm quality indices. The significant correlation of some steroids i.e. OHP, T and E2 and sperm quality parameters of Caspian brown trout confirms the key role of these steroids in acquisition of the potential of motility during final stage of the maturation.     

Anaesthetic efficacy of eugenol on iridescent shark,Pangasius hypophthalmus (Sauvage, 1878) in different size classes

Anaesthetic efficacy of eugenol was investigated on iridescent shark, Pangasius hypophthalmus. Fish (2, 5, 10 and 20 g) subjected to 20–200 mg L^?1 eugenol and behavioural response as well as induction and recovery times were recorded. Induction and recovery times were significantly affected by eugenol concentration as well as fish weight (P < 0.05). Generally, 27–300 s after exposure to 20–200 mg L^?1 eugenol, iridescent sharks reached stage 3 anaesthesia (suitable for general handling). Fish entered stage 4 anaesthesia (suitable for surgery and blood sampling) over 54–710 s exposure to such concentrations. Recovery time was 109–600 s in all weight classes as well as eugenol concentrations. Mortality (44–100%) was only observed in 2 g fish when subjected to 110–170 mg L^?1 eugenol. This study, for the first time, showed behavioural response of iridescent shark to anaesthesia as well as effectiveness of eugenol as anaesthetic in this important aquaculture‐ornamental species. According to the models obtained in this study, minimum eugenol concentrations to induce anaesthesia over less than 3 min were 53.8–81.5 mg L^?1 in 2–20 g fish. Likewise, maximum eugenol concentrations in which fish recovered over less than 5 min were 65.9–105.8 mg L^?1 in 2–20 g fish.     

Effects of the prebiotic mannan‐oligosaccharide on feed deprived zebrafish: Growth and reproduction

This study was designed to investigate whether the prebiotic mannan‐oligosaccharides (MOS) can reduce the deleterious impacts of feed deprivation on growth and reproduction in zebrafish. In the growth performance experiment, juvenile fish were distributed in the following four treatments: normal‐control (NC), starved‐control (SC), normal‐prebiotic (NP) and starved‐prebiotic (SP). After 8 weeks, NP and SC fish showed the highest and lowest growth patterns, respectively among treatments. Standard length, specific growth rate and feed conversion ratio did not differ significantly between NC and SP treatments. Autochthonous lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were significantly higher in NP and SP than the NC and SP treatments. Feed restriction resulted in significantly lower concentrations of thyroxine. In the reproductive performance experiment, additional juveniles were fed as in the growth experiment. Crossing in the final week of the experiment resulted in successful spawning in only NP fish, which showed mature sperm and oocytes in histological examinations. The number of spermatozoa was significantly lower in the fish that experienced feed restriction; however, the oocytes of SP females were at the same maturation level to that observed in NC females. Sex‐steroids changed after both starvation and MOS supplementation where NC and SP showed no differences in the levels of testosterone and female's 17β‐estradiol. These results indicate that MOS supplemented diet reduced some side effects of feed deprivation (final weight and length, SGR, FCR and levels of LAB and T3), and suggest that supplementation of the diet with MOS may ameliorate some of the negative effects of feed deprivation in zebrafish.     

A study of goldfish oocyte meiosisin vitro: effects of 2,4-dinitrophenol and adenosine-5-triphosphate

Germinal vesicle migration (GVM) and/or dissolution (GVD) were measured in goldfish oocytes, treated with 17α, 20β dihydroxyprogesterone (DHP) and other compounds considered to effect the cytoskeleton and oxidative phosphorylation,in vitro. Administration of DHP reinitiated meiotic maturation, increasing GVM and GVD in goldfish oocytes. Addition of 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) to the incubation medium significantly inhibited DHP-induced GVM and GVD. The DNP effect was found to be partially reversible after 24 h and could be reversed fully after a further delay of approximately 24h. Treatment of goldfish oocytes with demecolcine (DE; a colchicine derivative also known as colcemid) induces GVM to the micropyle without effecting GVD; while Cytochalasin-B which inhibits microfilament polymerization impairs both GVM and GVD. Administration of DNP, significantly inhibited DE-induced GVM, suggesting that GVM as well as GVD are dependent upon the process of oxidative phosphorylation. Addition of adenosine-5′ -triphosphate (ATP) at low concentrations (0.01–0.1 mM) did not effect DHP-induced or DNP-inhibited GVD in goldfish oocytes. The present results are consistent with the idea that migration of the oocyte nucleus during meiosis reinitiation has an energy requirement and involves participation by the cytoskeleton.     

Effects of prebiotic mannan oligosaccharide on the growth,survival, and anxiety-like behaviors of zebrafish (Danio rerio)

A study was designed to investigate the possible positive prebiotic effects of mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) on growth and reduction of anxiety behaviors in zebrafish (Danio rerio). The experimental diets were supplemented with 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 g MOS kg^?1 and were fed to juvenile fish (0.47 ± 0.017 g) in triplicates for six weeks. Significant differences were found in the final body weight, body weight intake, percent body weight intake, and specific growth rate among treatments. The regression analyses showed that the optimum MOS level was 4–4.1 g MOS kg^?1 diet. Fish fed 4 g MOS kg^?1 feed showed higher survival than the other treatments. Also, using the novel tank test, fish fed with 4 g MOS kg^?1 diet showed lower anxiety by swimming in the upper portion of the tank. The other behavior parameters remained unaffected by the prebiotic. The results indicated the beneficial effect of the prebiotic MOS on growth and partly on welfare of zebrafish juveniles.     

RNAi-mediated knockdown of INHBB increases apoptosis and inhibits steroidogenesis in mouse granulosa cells

Inhibins are members of the TGFβ superfamily and act as suppressors of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion from pituitary glands via a negative feedback mechanism to regulate folliculogenesis. In this study, the INHBB gene was knocked down by three RNAi-Ready pSIREN-RetroQ-ZsGreen vector- mediated recombinant plasmids to explore the effects of INHBB silencing on granulosa cell (GC) cell cycle, apoptosis and steroid production in vitro. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, flow cytometry and ELISA were performed to evaluate the role of INHBB in the mouse GC cell cycle, apoptosis and steroid production in vitro. The results showed that the relative mRNA and protein expression of INHBB in mouse GCs can be significantly reduced by RNAi with pshRNA-B1, pshRNA-B2 and pshRNA-B3 plasmids, with pshRNA-B3 having the best knockdown efficiency. Downregulation of the expression of INHBB significantly arrests cells in the G1 phase of the cell cycle and increases the apoptosis rate in GCs. This was further confirmed by downregulation of the protein expressions of Cyclin D1, Cyclin E and Bcl2, while the protein expression of Bax was upregulated. In addition, specific downregulation of INHBB markedly decreased the concentration of estradiol and progesterone, which was further validated by the decrease in the mRNA levels of CYP19A1and CYP11A1. These findings suggest that inhibin βB is important in the regulation of apoptosis and cell cycle progression in granulosa cells. Furthermore, the inhibin βB subunit has a role in the regulation of steroid hormone biosynthesis. Evidence is accumulating to support the concept that inhibin βB is physiologically essential for early folliculogenesis in the mouse.