Growth response to increasing doses of microencapsulated vitamin B12 and related changes in tissue vitamin B12 concentrations in cobalt-de cient lambs

AIM: To investigate growth responses of cobalt-deficient lambs to increasing doses of microencapsulated vitamin B₁₂, and to measure associated changes in serum and liver vitamin B₁₂ concentrations over 243 days.

METHODS: From a flock grazing pastures that had low cobalt (Co) levels (about 0.06 mg Co/kg dry matter), 4-6-week-old lambs (n=137) were assigned to four groups and received either no treatment or a subcutaneous injection of 3.0, 4.5 or 6.0 mg of microencapsulated vitamin B₁₂ on Day 1. At approximately monthly intervals, all lambs were weighed and blood samples were collected from a selection (n=10) of monitor animals, up to Day 243. Liver biopsies were also carried out on the monitor lambs (n=8) on Days 1, 124 and 215.

RESULTS: The vitamin B₁₂-treated lambs grew significantly faster (p<0.001) than untreated animals. Liveweights after 243 days were 28, 45, 45 and 47 kg for the untreated, 3.0, 4.5 and 6.0 mg vitamin B₁₂-treated lambs, respectively. Of the initial group of untreated lambs, 68% had to be removed before the end of the trial because of substantial weight loss, but none of the treated animals were similarly afflicted. Serum vitamin B₁₂ concentrations increased in all vitamin B₁₂-treated lambs, reaching a peak at Day 25, and those of the 4.5 and 6.0 mg vitamin B₁₂-treated lambs remained significantly higher (except at Day 124) than the untreated lambs to Day 187. However, at Day 124, but not Day 215, the liver vitamin B₁₂ concentrations of treated lambs were two to three times higher than those of controls.

CONCLUSIONS: The growth rates of Co-deficient lambs were markedly improved by injection of 3.0, 4.5 or 6.0 mg of microencapsulated vitamin B₁₂, and liveweights were maintained for at least 243 days. Serum vitamin B₁₂ concentrations were related to this growth response; concentrations of <220 pmol vitamin B₁₂/l were associated with a 95% probability that lambs were Co-deficient and would thus respond to Co/vitamin B₁₂ supplementation. Based on these data, the current New Zealand reference criteria for Co deficiency should be reviewed.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: An injection of 3 mg microencapsulated vitamin B₁₂2 given to lambs at tailing will treat Co deficiency and will increase and maintain liveweights in a flock for up to 8 months.     

Selective protein loss in lactating sows is associated with reduced litter growth and ovarian function

This study was designed to test the degree of protein loss that may be sustained by lactating sows before milk biosynthesis and ovarian function will be impaired. First-parity Camborough x Canabrid sows were allocated to receive isocaloric diets (61 +/- 2.0 MJ of ME/d) and one of three levels of protein intake in lactation: 1) 878 g of CP and 50 g of lysine/d (n = 8), 2) 647 g of CP and 35 g of lysine/d (n = 7), or 3) 491 g of CP and 24 g of lysine/d (n = 10). Every 5 d during a 23-d lactation, sow live weight, backfat depth, and litter weight were recorded, and a preprandial blood sample was collected. Milk samples were collected on d 10 and 20 of lactation. Sows were slaughtered on the day of weaning, and liver and ovarian variables were measured. Lower dietary protein intakes elicited progressively larger live weight losses during lactation (-13, -17, and -28 +/- 2.3 kg; P < 0.001), but similar and minimal backfat losses (-1.3 +/- 0.29 mm). Approximately 7, 9, and 16% of the calculated body protein mass at parturition was mobilized by d 23. Lactation performance did not differ among treatments until d 20, at which time approximately 5, 6, and 12% of the calculated protein mass at parturition had been lost. The milk protein concentration on d 20 of lactation reflected the amount of body protein lost, and was lowest (P < 0.05) in sows that lost the most protein. After d 20, piglet growth rate decreased (P < 0.05) in a manner related to the amount of body protein lost. At weaning, ovarian function was suppressed in sows that had mobilized the most body protein; they had fewer medium-sized follicles (> 4 mm; P < 0.05), their follicles contained less (P < 0.01) follicular fluid, and had lower estradiol (P < 0.05) and IGF-I (P < 0.10) contents. Culture media containing 10% pooled follicular fluid (vol/vol) from high-protein-loss sows were less able to support nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of oocytes in vitro, evidenced by more oocytes arrested at metaphase I (P < 0.05) and showing limited cumulus cell expansion (P < 0.06). Plasma insulin and IGF-I concentrations did not seem to be related to the observed differences in animal performance. Our data suggest that no decline in lactational performance or ovarian function when a sow loses approximately 9 to 12% of its parturition protein mass. However, progressively larger decreases in animal performance are associated with a loss of larger amounts of body protein mass at parturition.     

Myotonia associated with hyper-adrenocorticism in two dogs

Two dogs developed a disabling gait abnormality characterised by stiffness. The abnormality was consistent with a diagnosis of myotonia secondary to hyper-adrenocorticism. The first dog had iatrogenic hyperadrenocorticism, and its signs improved substantially after corticosteroid administration was gradually withdrawn. The second had pituitary-dependent hyperadrenocorticism, but myotonic signs progressed despite effective mitotane therapy. Procainamide administration reduced the myotonic stiffness in the second case.     

Differential Effects of Exogenous Progesterone Administration at Different Stages of the Luteal Phase on Endogenous Oestradiol Concentration in Cows

We have investigated the effects administering exogenous progesterone, via insertion of a controlled internal drug release (CIDR) for 4 days, from either day 5 or day 12 of the oestrous cycle on plasma oestradiol concentrations. In study 1, in which progesterone was administered from day 5, measurement of plasma oestradiol in daily samples revealed a significant (p < 0.001) decrease in peripheral oestradiol concentration. In contrast, in study 2, similar administration of progesterone from day 12 had no effect on plasma oestradiol concentration. In study 3, collection of hourly samples following progesterone treatment on day 5 revealed peak progesterone concentrations within 1 h of CIDR insertion and nadir oestradiol concentrations within 4 h. The results demonstrate that treatment with progesterone early in the luteal phase causes a rapid inhibition of oestradiol secretion, while later treatment does not. While improvements in pregnancy rate following progesterone treatment at this time have traditionally been attributed to increases in progesterone, the potential involvement of decreased oestradiol secretion has often been overlooked.     

Heat Stress Related Gene Expression in Gossypium hirsutum L.

Abiotic stress is a major limiting factor to crop productivity,and heat stress is one of the important elements for reduced crop production.Plants respond to heat stress at molecular and cellular levels as well as physiological level.Heat stress alters expression patterns of numerous genes in plants.At the molecular level,most of the information for heat stress response was obtained from model plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana,Medicago trancatula,and ,Oryza sativa,but little molecular research has focused on heat stress respones in cotton.     

Reproductive Parameters of Mangalarga Marchador Mares in a Commercial Embryo Transfer Programme

The objective of this study is to evaluate the reproductive efficiency in donors and recipient Mangalarga Marchador mares in commercial programmes of embryo transfer (ET) and the effects of some reproductive characteristics and ET methodology on conception rates in the recipient mares. A total of 1140 flushing procedures were performed and 830 embryos (72.8%) were recovered. There were no differences between the rates of embryonic recovery in the different breeding seasons (p > 0.05) and 92.8% of the recovered embryos were 8–9 days old. There was no difference in the embryonic recovery regarding the collection order from the first to the ninth embryo collection along the breeding season, as well as among mares inseminated during the foal heat or subsequent cycles (p > 0.05). Pregnancy rates observed in the total period of all reproductive seasons at 15, 30, 45 and 60 days of pregnancy were 73.4, 69.9, 66.7 and 64.5%, respectively. Differences in pregnancy rate and early embryonic loss rates were not observed between embryos transferred immediately after collection (66.8% and 13.5%) and embryos transported at room temperature for periods of <1 h (62.9% and 14.4%; p > 0.05). Pregnancy rates were higher when the interval between ovulations of donor and recipient mares remained between ?3 and ?2 days (p < 0.05), and the lowest rates were observed for intervals of ?6 days (p < 0.05) with intermediary values for intervals of ?1, 0 and +1 (p > 0.05). Embryonic loss rates, however, did not differ between intervals of ovulation’s synchronism between donor and recipient mares (p > 0.05). This flexibilization in the ovulatory synchronism between donor and recipient mares optimizes the use of recipient mares, thus reducing costs and facilitating management of horse breeding farms.