Morphological Examination of the Corpora Lutea from Pregnant Bitches Treated with Different Abortifacient Regimes

Different abortifacient regimes in dogs were analysed for their effect on the pregnancy corpora lutea (CL), namely, prostaglandin F2a analogue cloprostenol (CLO) combined with dopamine agonist cabergoline (CAB), or progesterone (P4) receptor antagonist aglepristone (AGL). Ovaries were collected after 6-10 days of treatment during first trimester. The CL of the control-group showed strong expression of relaxin (RLX), its receptor RXFP1 and enzymes of steroid biosynthesis (HSD) with high peripheral P4-levels. Whereas RXL, RXFP1 and HSD were lowest expressed in the CLO/CAB-group with a massive degeneration of CL and their blood vessels combined with low peripheral P4-level. The AGL-group showed less extensive CL degeneration and more intensive staining of the examined factors than CLO/CAB. In summary, all examined factors are associated with normal luteal function and are useful tools to stage luteolysis. Although both treatments have the same abortive action, their sequence of events on the CL is different.     

Retracted: Gonad histology and serum 11‐KT profile during the annual reproductive cycle in sterlet sturgeon adult males,Acipenser ruthenus

The aim of this study was to assess monthly testicular development in the cultured breeding stock of sterlet, Acipenser ruthenus, using histological and serum sex steroid changes. Testicular development in the adult male was examined monthly and showed four distinct phases including resting, pre‐spawning, spawning and post‐spawning. Also, seasonal changes of the testes were described according to its variations in gonadosomatic index (GSI) during different phases of testicular development. Using histology, we identified continuous spermatogenesis and asynchronous gonad development pattern in the testes of male sterlet, which shows that regulation of annual gonadal cycle is influenced by season. Results also showed variation in the GSI value and number of spermatogenic cells according to each season during annual cycle of gonad, as the highest value of GSI was recorded during spawning phase (spring; March‐May). Hormonal profiles of 11‐ketotestosterone (11‐KT) showed peak, which indicated a seasonal pattern of gonadal development. The 11‐KT concentration increased considerably during the spermatogenesis (pre‐spawning phase) and remained quite high throughout the pre‐spermiation period. In the final phase of testicular development (spawning phase), the 11‐KT markedly dropped. This study undertook an examination of complete reproductive development in cultured sterlet sturgeon to provide a valuable guide for the future sterlet studies, and allows comparison of reproductive development between sturgeon species.     

Interactions between different media and follicle‐stimulating hormone supplementation on in vitro culture of preantral follicles enclosed in ovarian tissue derived from collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu Linneaus, 1758)

The aim was to verify the effect of follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) supplementation to α‐MEM+ or TCM199+ media on the in vitro development of ovarian preantral follicles (PFs) derived from collared peccaries. Ovaries (n = 5 pairs) were collected and divided into fragments destined to control group (non‐cultured) or treatments that were cultured for 7 days. The PFs morphology, growth and activation were evaluated by classical histology. The immunohistochemistry markers Ag‐NOR and PCNA were used for nuclear proliferation analysis, and the picrosirius red labelling was used for ovarian extracellular matrix (ECM) evaluation. After 7‐day culture, only the TCM199+ treatment maintained the proportion of intact PFs similar to day 1 (63.2%), but no differences were found among treatments (p > .05). In addition, a significant increase in the growing follicles proportion was verified for all the treatments, indicating follicular activation (p > .05). By the Ag‐NOR analysis, only the TCM199+/FSH maintained the nuclear proliferation similar to the first day (p > .05). The picrosirius red staining revealed that the ECM remained intact in all the treatments (p > .05). We suggest the use of TCM199+ medium supplemented of FSH for the in vitro development of peccaries PFs under 7‐day culturing conditions.     

A Bayesian meta-analysis of the effects of administering an intra-vaginal (CIDR) device in combination with other hormones on the reproductive performance of cycling,anoestrous and inseminated cows

AIMS: To evaluate the effectiveness of treatment programmes that included controlled internal drug-releasing (CIDR) devices containing progesterone (P4) in improving synchrony of oe- strus, and conception and pregnancy rates in cycling, anoestrous and inseminated dairy cows, using meta-analysis. To describe the difference in response between cycling and anoestrous cows to CIDR-based synchrony programmes.

METHODS: Scientific papers written in the English language between 1989 and 2002 that investigated the effects of treat- ment programmes including CIDR devices on reproductive per- formance in dairy heifers or lactating dairy cows were identified using a computerised literature search. The criteria for inclusion incorporated evidence that treatment allocation was completely randomised; the population studied was lactating dairy cows; and that data were available on submission, conception and pregnancy rates and their associated measures of variability. Re- productive outcomes from 25 synchrony trials (total n= 11,058 cows) were analysed. Summary measures of the effect of treat- ment on reproductive outcome were assessed using fixed- and random-effects Bayesian meta-analysis models.

RESULTS: Treatment programmes including a CIDR device increased the risk of submission in cycling cows (predicted Bayesian RR=2.86, 95% credible interval 1.46–5.67). Compared with controls, synchrony programmes including CIDR devices in cycling dairy cows had no effect on the risk of conception to first service post-treatment (predicted Bayesian RR=1.00, 95% credible interval=0.80-1.24). Compared with controls, synchrony programmes including CIDR devices had no effect on the risk of pregnancy throughout the mating period (pre- dicted Bayesian RR=1.02, 95% credible interval=0.89-1.17). In anoestrous cows, CIDR treatment had no effect on the risk of conception to first service post-treatment and no effect on the risk of pregnancy throughout the mating period, compared with anoestrous, untreated controls (predicted Bayesian RR=0.91 and 0.97, respectively; 95% credible interval=0.68–1.26 and 0.59-1.60, respectively).

CONCLUSION: The results of this meta-analysis showed that synchrony programmes using CIDR devices combined with other hormones reliably enhanced submission rates in lactat- ing dairy cows. The relatively small number of trials with data suitable for analysis and the heterogeneity of results at the indi- vidual trial level limited our ability to confirm either a beneficial or deleterious effect of treatment on conception or pregnancy rates. Further randomised, controlled trials to evaluate the ef- fectiveness of this form of reproductive therapy in commercial dairy farms are needed.     

Chlamydia psittaci: a suspected cause of reproductive loss in three Victorian horses

Chlamydia psittaci was detected by PCR in the lung and equine foetal membranes of two aborted equine foetuses and one weak foal from two different studs in Victoria, Australia. The abortions occurred in September 2019 in two mares sharing a paddock northeast of Melbourne. The weak foal was born in October 2019 in a similar geographical region and died soon after birth despite receiving veterinary care. The detection of C. psittaci DNA in the lung and equine foetal membranes of the aborted or weak foals and the absence of any other factors that are commonly associated with abortion or neonatal death suggest that this pathogen may be the cause of the reproductive loss. The detection of C. psittaci in these cases is consistent with the recent detection of C. psittaci in association with equine abortion in New South Wales. These cases in Victoria show that C. psittaci, and the zoonotic risk it poses, should be considered in association with equine reproductive loss in other areas of Australia.     

Effects of increasing days of exposure to prepartum diets on the concentration of certain blood metabolites in dairy cows

Objective To evaluate the effect of the number of days exposure to a prepartum transition diet on mineral, energy and protein metabolism in dairy cows. Design A prospective cohort study. Procedures The prepartum transition diet consisted of ryegrass pasture, cereal hay, grain, grain by-product, protein meals, BioChlor®, rumen modifiers, minerals and vitamins and contained 13.9% crude protein, 10.0 MJ metabolisable energy/kg and a dietary cation anion difference of −35 meq/kg dry matter. Forty cows were bled bi-weekly from their introduction to the prepartum transition diet until day 35 of lactation. Blood samples were submitted for estimation of a range of metabolites. Cubic smoothed splines were fitted to scatterplots of metabolite concentration as a function of day relative to calving and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. Linear regression modelling determined the effect of days exposed, age, body condition score (BSC) and calving day on AUC. Results The prepartum AUC of blood phosphorus and beta-hydroxybutyrate increased and the AUC of blood calcium and cholesterol decreased with increasing days exposed to the diet. The postpartum AUC of beta-hydroxybutyrate and non-esterified fatty acids decreased with increasing days exposed but increased with days exposed × age and days exposed × BCS, respectively. The AUC of other metabolites did not vary significantly with number of days exposed. Conclusions Increasing exposure to the prepartum diet significantly altered the AUC of blood metabolites associated with mineral, energy and protein metabolism in ways consistent with improvements in production and reproduction previously reported and the result suggests links between energy, protein and skeletal metabolism.     

Development and evaluation of a rapid absorbed enzyme immunoassay test for the diagnosis of Johne''s disease in cattle

An absorbed enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test for Johne's disease in cattle was developed in which absorption of cross-reacting antibodies occurred as a rapid reaction in solution rather than overnight with whole organisms and a subsequent centrifugation step. Total test time was reduced to less than 2 h with a minimum of manipulations. The test was evaluated in cattle herds from Johne's disease-endemic and Johne's disease-free regions of Australia. Specificity was 99.8%. Calculations of sensitivity were affected by the history of the herd under test. However, the EIA detected in excess of 80% of animals before onset of clinical disease and 65% of faecal shedders were EIA positive on, or before, first detection of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis in their faeces. The test should aid epidemiological studies and be a useful tool in the management and control of Johne's disease.     

Suppression of ovarian progesterone production in dairy cows using an implant of GnRH-agonist (deslorelin) for the purpose of evaluating progesterone metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential of an implant of a GnRH-agonist (deslorelin) to create a progesterone free animal suitable for studying progesterone (P4) metabolism in intact cows by measuring blood P4 and faecal P4 metabolites. METHODS: Experiment 1: Eighteen non-lactating cycling Holstein-Friesian cows, 4 to 7 years old, were allocated to one of three groups to study plasma P4 concentrations preceding an intravaginal insert. These groups comprised: i) a deslorelin group (GnRH-agonist implanted); ii) a PGF group receiving two injections of prostaglandin (PGF2alpha) 12 days apart; and, iii) an ovariectomised (OVX) group. An intravaginal device (CIDR) was inserted into the vagina of each animal and left in place for 11 days. Plasma P4 concentrations were measured during the study period. Experiment 2: Twelve non-lactating cycling Holstein-Friesian cows, 4 to 7 years old, were allocated to two groups: i) a deslorelin group (GnRH-agonist implanted); and ii) an ovariectomised group. Plasma P4 and faecal P4 metabolites (20-oxo-pregnanes, 20alpha-OH and 20beta-OH) were monitored for a period of 5 weeks. RESULTS: Experiment 1: Average plasma P4 concentration did not differ between the three groups (1.28, 1.43 and 1.55 ng/mL for deslorelin, OVX and PGF cows, respectively, P = 0.8) during the period of supplementation. Experiment 2: There was no difference in plasma P4 (mean plasma P4 < 0.02 ng/mL, P = 0.9) and faecal P4 metabolites between deslorelin and OVX cows 2 weeks after the implantation (P = 0.7). CONCLUSIONS: These data showed that a GnRH-agonist (deslorelin) implant may be used as an alternative to ovariectomy to create a progesterone free animal suitable for studying the metabolism of administered P4.     

Effect of Relaxin on Fertility Parameters of Frozen–Thawed Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Sperm

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of relaxin on fertility parameters of buffalo frozen/thawed sperm. Sperm were incubated in the absence of capacitating agents (negative control), with a known capacitating agent such as heparin (positive control) and with 50 and 100 ng/ml relaxin for 2 and 4 h. Sperm viability, motility, capacitation and the effect of relaxin on the fertilizing ability after heterologous IVF were evaluated. Although viability was not affected, relaxin increased (p < 0.05) sperm motility compared to the negative and positive controls both after 2 h (60.0 ± 2.0, 60.0 ± 3.1, 68.3 ± 1.7 and 69.4 ± 2.7, respectively, in negative control, positive control, 50 and 100 ng/ml relaxin) and 4 h (55.0 ± 2.5, 53.3 ± 3.0, 62.2 ± 3.0 and 65.0 ± 3.2, respectively, in negative control, positive control, 50 and 100 ng/ml relaxin) incubation. When sperm were incubated with both 100 ng/ml relaxin and heparin, a decrease (p < 0.01) of pattern A, that is low capacitation level, was observed compared to the negative control both after 2 h (54.4, 34.3 and 36.4%, respectively, in negative control, positive control and 100 ng/ml relaxin) and 4 h (51.9, 35.0 and 34.3%, respectively, in negative control, positive control and 100 ng/ml relaxin). Moreover, an increase (p < 0.01) of pattern EA, that is high capacitation level, was recorded with 100 ng/ml relaxin and heparin compared to the negative control both after 2 h (44.1, 59.3 and 57.7%, respectively, in negative control, positive control and 100 ng/ml relaxin) and after 4 h (43.0, 54.4 and 56.0%, respectively, in negative control, positive control and 100 ng/ml relaxin). Finally, relaxin increased (p < 0.01) cleavage rate compared to the negative control (57.1 ± 4.4, 72.5 ± 6.0, 71.4 ± 5.5 and 73.6 ± 2.9, respectively, in negative control, positive control, 50 and 100 ng/ml relaxin). In conclusion, relaxin has a beneficial effect on motility, capacitation and fertilizing ability of frozen–thawed buffalo sperm.     

Epidemiological studies of pig diseases: 1. Use of French protocols for risk factor assessment to predict the health status of Australian herds

Objective To determine in Australian pig herds the accuracy of French protocols for risk factor assessment.
Procedure Data on health indicators and risk factors were collected for three syndromes, 'pre-weaning diarrhoea', 'post-weaning diarrhoea' and 'respiratory problems', using the French protocols. The protocols were used on 118 occasions in 32 Western Australian pig herds during 3 years (1988 to 1991).
Results There was a wide variation in pre-weaning performance, for example growth rate was 107 to 273 g/day (< 200 g/day in 33% of herds). Respiratory lesions at weaning were associated with poor pre-weaning performance. Post-weaning (21 days after weaning) growth rate was 114 to 408 g/day (< 250 g/day in 54% of herds). In the grower herds, 91% of herds had pneumonia, and growth rate was 439 to 625 g/day (< 550 g/day in 54% of herds). Pleurisy as well as pneumonia was associated with reduced growth rate. The risk factor most closely associated with respiratory health status was air volume per pig.
Conclusion Risk factors were most accurate at predicting the health status in post-weaning problems. A weaning weight of at least 7.9 kg and weaning age of 30 days optimised weaner performance. Stocking densities and shed designs providing at least 3 m³ air volume and 0.6 m² floor space per pig throughout the growing phase should be considered for an improved respiratory health status. Australian pig sheds often do not provide a satisfactory environment for optimum health. The technique of risk factor assessment as an aid to the maintenance of health in pig herds is applicable in Australia, but further research is necessary to determine the most important Australian risk factors.