Antinociceptive and selected physiological effects of morphine and xylazine on tiletamine‐zolazepam anesthesia in llamas

ObjectiveEvaluate antinociception, anesthesia, and recovery in llamas given tiletamine-zolazepam (TZ) with either morphine, xylazine, morphine and xylazine, or saline.Study designRandomized crossover experimental study.AnimalsSix healthy, adult intact male llamas.MethodsLlamas were given each of four treatments intramuscularly with a 1-week washout: TZ (2 mg kg^?1) combined with either morphine (0.5 mg kg^?1; M), xylazine (0.15 mg kg^?1; X), morphine (0.5 mg kg^?1) and xylazine (0.15mg kg^?1) (MX), or saline (C). Llamas breathed room air during the experiment. Characteristics of anesthesia, recovery, and selected cardiopulmonary variables were recorded. Antinociception was assessed by clamping a claw at 5-minute intervals. Data were analyzed using a mixed-model anova and Tukey-Kramer test, and are expressed as least squares mean ± SEM. Significance was set at p < 0.05.ResultsNo llama in the control group demonstrated antinociception. Antinociception was longest with treatment MX, followed by treatments X and M, respectively. Heart rates in llamas given treatments X and MX were significantly lower than with other treatments. The respiratory rate in llamas given treatment C was greater (p < 0.05) than for all other treatments, however, the respiratory rate was not significantly different among treatments X, M and MX. The PaO₂ for llamas given MX remained <60 mmHg throughout the 20 minute period of blood gas analysis. Mean arterial blood pressure in llamas in treatment MX was less than for treatments M or C.Conclusion and clinical relevanceThe combination of morphine (0.5 mg kg^?1) and xylazine (0.15 mg kg^?1) increased the duration of antinociception compared with xylazine alone, in TZ-anesthetized llamas. Treatments X, M and MX were associated with hypoxemia (PaO₂ < 60 mmHg).     

Dairy sheep production research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison,USA-a review

Commercial milking of sheep is a new agricultural industry in the United States starting approximately 30 yr ago. The industry is still small, but it is growing. The majority of the sheep milk is used in the production of specialty cheeses. The United States is the major importer of sheep milk cheeses with 50 to 60% of annual world exports coming to the United States during the past 20 yr. Therefore, there is considerable growth potential for the industry in the United States. The only dairy sheep research flock in North America is located at the Spooner Agricultural Research Station of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The research program started in 1993 and has been multifaceted; dealing with several areas important to commercial dairy sheep farmers. The East Friesian and Lacaune dairy breeds were compared and introduced to the industry through the research program. Both dairy breeds produced significantly more milk than traditional meat-wool breeds found in the U.S., but the two breeds differed in their production traits. East Friesian-cross ewes produced more lambs and slightly more milk than Lacaune-cross ewes whereas Lacaune-cross ewes produced milk with a higher percentage of fat and protein than East Friesian-cross ewes. Lactation physiology studies have shown that ewes with active corpora lutea have increased milk yields, oxytocin release during milking is required to obtain normal fat percentages in the milk, large udder cisterns of dairy ewes can allow for increased milking intervals, and short daylengths during late pregnancy results in increased milk yield. In the nutrition area, legume-grass pastures and forages with a higher percentage of legume will result in increased milk production. Grazing ewes respond to additional supplementation with increased milk yield, but it is important to match the supplement to the quality of the grazing. Ewes on high quality legume-grass pastures that are high in rumen degradable protein respond with increased milk production to supplements high in energy and/or     

Influence of dietary feathers on the fecal microbiota in captive Arctic fox: Do dietary hair or feathers play a role in the evolution of carnivorous mammals?

Hair and feathers are composed of keratin and are indigestible, inalimental and unpalatable for carnivores. However, carnivores often ingest hair and feathers during feeding or when grooming. We hypothesized that ingestion of hair and feathers changes species diversity and relative abundance of bacteria in the gut of carnivores. To test this hypothesis, we added disinfected poultry down feathers to the normal diet of captive Arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus). We then used fluorescently labeled terminal restriction fragments (T‐RFs) to examine changes in fecal bacterial diversity and abundance. The results showed that the number of bacterial species increased significantly after feather ingestion, but that total abundance was unchanged. This demonstrated that addition of disinfected feathers to the diet stimulated increased production among less abundant bacteria, resulting in a balancing of relative abundance of different bacterial species, or that some newly‐ingested microbial species would colonize the gut because a suitable microhabitat had become available. This implies that the overall production of bacterial metabolites would be made up of a greater range of substances after feather ingestion. On one hand, the host's immune response would be more diverse, increasing the capacity of the immune system to regulate gut microflora. On the other hand, the animal's physiological performance would also be affected. For wild animals, such altered physiological traits would be subjected to natural selection, and, hence, persistent geographic differences in the character of ingested feathers or fur would drive speciation.     

Dietary administration of an LHRH analogue induces spawning of spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus)

The effects of a single oral administration of des-Gly¹⁰-[D-Ala⁶]-luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (1–9)-ethylamide (LHRHa) in the diet (0.2–2.5 mg/kg body weight) on ovulation and spawning of spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) were examined. Oral administration of 1.0–2.5 mg LHRHa/kg to females in four separate experiments resulted in successful spawning 32–38 h later with mean fertilization and hatching success rates of 93.3% and 74.6%, respectively. A lower dose of LHRHa (0.2 mg/kg) was ineffective in two subsequent experiments. The data suggest that oral administration of 1 mg LHRHa/kg is a reliable method of inducing ovulation in spotted seatrout, resulting in predictable spawning within 38 h of feeding. This noninvasive treatment may be particularly useful for induced spawning of teleosts which are susceptible to handling stress.     

Interacting effects of diet and environmental temperature on biochemical parameters in the liver ofLeuciscus idus melanotus (Cyprinidae: Teleostei)

One year old golden ide (Leuciscus idus melanotus) were starved for 2 weeks at 20°C (time zero) and then they were fed either freeze-dried mosquito larvae (natural diet) or a commercial fish chow (artificial diet) at an ambient temperature of 14°C and 20°C, respectively. Growth parameters and biochemical data in the liver were measured at time zero and after 3 and 7 weeks of specific regimen. If compared to natural food, the artificial diet caused transient increase in anabolic activity of the liver, but prevented long-lasting hepatocyte proliferation (increase of total liver DNA). After 3 weeks on artificial diet, the body weight was significantly higher and the liver mass doubled compared to ide kept on the natural regimen; tissue DNA content indicated that the hepatocyte volume increased mainly by increased protein content and corresponding uptake of water; lipid and glycogen contents were increased by a factor of 3–6, and the RNADNA ratio was increased accordingly. The growth of the ide, as reflected by the condition factor and hepatosomatic index (HSI), was virtually stopped when the artificial regimen was maintained for 7 weeks, whereas on natural food the condition factor was increased and liver weight and DNA were doubled. Growth of the fish maintained at 14°C was significantly lower than that of fish maintained at 20°C, though the total liver DNA was still increased on the natural regimen during the experiment. Less lipid was stored by fish maintained at 14°C, whereas protein and glycogen deposits were enlarged, if compared to fish maintained at 20°C. The specific activity of cytochrome oxidase in liver mitochondria and of NADPH cytochrome c reductase in the microsomal fraction were found independent of diet and ambient temperature. Oxidative capacity of hepatocytes (mitochondrial protein/mg DNA) remained unchanged, and microsomal protein/cell appeared reduced in response to the artificial food. However, reduction of cell number on this diet resulted in less total mitochondrial and microsomal protein in the organ. Golden ide liver is found to be a sensitive experimental model to characterize the mutual influence of diet and temperature on fish; the results are discussed with regard to the usage of golden ide as test fish for water pollution.     

Status of aquatic and riparian biodiversity in artificial lake ecosystems with and without management for recreational fisheries: Implications for conservation

1. Humanity is facing a biodiversity crisis, with freshwater-associated biodiversity in a particularly dire state. Novel ecosystems created through human use of mineral resources, such as gravel pit lakes, can provide substitute habitats for the conservation of freshwater and riparian biodiversity. Many of these artificial ecosystems are subject to a high intensity of recreational use, however, which may limit their biodiversity potential.
2. The species richness of several taxa (plants, amphibians, dragonflies, damselflies, waterfowl, and songbirds) was assessed and a range of taxonomic biodiversity metrics were compared between gravel pit lakes managed for recreational fisheries (n = 16) and unmanaged reference lakes (n = 10), controlling for non-fishing-related environmental variation.
3. The average species richness of all the taxa examined was similar among lakes in both lake types and no substantial differences in species composition were found when examining the pooled species inventory. Similarly, there were no differences between lake types in the presence of rare species and in the Simpson diversity index across all of the taxa assessed.
4. Variation in species richness among lakes was correlated with woody habitat, lake morphology (surface area and steepness), and land use, but was not correlated with the presence of recreational fisheries. Thus, non-fishing-related environmental variables had stronger effects on local species presence than recreational fisheries management or the presence of recreational anglers.
5. Collectively, no evidence was found that anglers and recreational fisheries management constrain the development of aquatic and riparian biodiversity in gravel pit lakes in the study region; however, the conservation of species diversity in gravel pit lakes could benefit from an increasing reliance on habitat enhancement activities.

     

Phenotypic estimates and heritability values of Artemia franciscana

Artemia, in all stages of its life cycle, is suitable food for most diversified groups of aquatic animals. Although its size at different stages restricts its use as a food for some groups of fish, this problem can be overcome using selective breeding techniques. The formulation of any selective breeding programme calls for a proper understanding of the genetic architecture of the economically important traits of the population under study. Thus, heritability for certain important life history and reproductive traits was estimated in Artemia franciscana from the Great Salt Lake, Utah. In the present study, the sexwise heritability values for growth and reproduction traits were estimated using parent–offspring regression. The phenotypic parameters for the same traits are also recorded. The naupliar length was 487.0±2.0 and 490.6±1.8 μm for males and females, respectively, whereas the heritability values for naupliar length were 0.5851±0.2153 and 0.3766±0.1899 respectively. The length at 3 and 6 days of age were 1.87±0.03 and 4.10±0.08 mm, respectively, for males whereas 1.87±0.03 and 4.30±0.08 mm, respectively, for females. The heritability values for length at 3 and 6 days of age for males were 0.3272±0.3651 and 0.4965±0.2466, respectively, whereas the respective values for the females were 0.1167±0.3841 and 0.0222±0.2971. The estimates of length at first brood, pre‐reproductive period and number of offspring in first brood were 10.09±0.23 mm, 16.00±0.23 days and 53.57±1.37 days, respectively, whereas the heritability values for respective traits were 0.0403±0.1078, 0.3234±0.2874 and 0.3404±0.2202.     

Vertical movements of bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) associated with islands, buoys, and seamounts near the main Hawaiian Islands from archival tagging data

To learn more about the movement patterns of bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus), we deployed archival tags on 87 fish ranging in fork length from 50 to 154 cm. Thirteen fish were recaptured, from which 11 archival tags were returned, representing in aggregate 943 days‐at‐liberty. We successfully retrieved data from 10 tags, representing 474 days in aggregate. The largest fish recaptured was 44.5 kg [131 cm fork length (FL)] and the smallest 2.8 kg (52 cm). The deepest descent recorded was 817 m, the coldest temperature visited 4.7°C, and minimum oxygen level reached ～1 mL L^?1. Fish spent little time at depths where water temperatures were below 7°C and oxygen levels less than ～2 mL L^?1. Five fish were recaptured near the offshore weather buoy where they were tagged. Based on vertical movement patterns, it appeared that all stayed immediately associated with the buoy for up to 34 days. During this time they remained primarily in the uniform temperature surface layer (i.e. above 100 m). In contrast, fish not associated with a floating object showed the W‐shaped vertical movement patterns during the day characteristic of bigeye tuna (i.e. descending to ～300–500 m and then returning regularly to the surface layer). Four fish were tagged and subsequently recaptured near Cross Seamount up to 76 days later. These fish exhibited vertical movement patterns similar to, but less regular than, those of fish not associated with any structure. Bigeye tuna appear to follow the diel vertical movements of the deep sound scattering layer (SSL) organisms and thus to exploit them effectively as a prey resource. Average night‐time depth was correlated with lunar illumination, a behaviour which mimics movements of the SSL.