Genetic investigations on male and female fertility in cattle

More than one million inseminations from Red Danish (RDM), Black and White Danish (SDM) and Danish Jersey (DJ) bulls were analyzed to obtain heritability estimates on non-return rate (NR%). The results ranged from 0.010 ± 0.003 to 0.036 ± 0.009. Three NR% and three methods of calculation are used in the analyses.Investigations on 32,100 first calving intervals (CI) within the same breeds yielded heritability estimates of 0.096±0.014, 0.030±0.011 and 0.031±0.018 for RDM, SDM and DJ, respectively.The phenotypic correlations between the bulls' own (NR%) fertility and that of their daughters' (CI) were ?0.17, ?0.16 and 0.10 for RDM, SDM and DJ, the corresponding genetic correlations being ?0.30, ?0.35 and 0.20.It is suggested that in a possible breeding scheme for fertility, attention should concentrate on the female's side (progeny testing).     

Lactic acid bacteria for mink. Colonization and persistence of Enterococcus faecium Cernelle 68 in the digestive tract of mink.

A method was developed to follow a lactic acid bacterial strain, Enterococcus faecium Cernelle 68, with respect to adhesion, multiplication, colonization, and persistence in the digestive tract of mink. Also the spread of the strain in the cage was examined. When adding 5 x 10(9) c.f.u. of a rifampicin resistant mutant per kg feed, high viable counts were registered throughout the digestive tract, apart from the oesophagus. Counts were increasing in the aboral direction, suggesting some multiplication in the intestine. It was possible to detect the strain in the intestinal tract 4 days after discontinuation of administration. Neither culture nor scanning electron microscopy gave evidence to suggest that E. faecium Cernelle 68 adhered to the mucosa. The spread of the E. faecium strain was observed in the environment. Counts of E. coli, lactobacilli, staphylococci, and clostridia were low, and none of these bacteria were constant findings.     

Experimental infection with Mycobacterium avium, serotype 2, in pigs. 1. Intravenous inoculations

A porcine strain of Mycobacterium avium, Serotype 2, was used for intravenous inoculation of pigs in doses 5, 1, 10⁻¹, 10⁻² and 10⁻³ mg (1 mg = 78 × 10⁶ viable units), 2 pigs per dose.Dose 5 mg proved fatal for both of the inoculated pigs, which were killed in extremis 64 and 69 days, respectively, after inoculation. Dose 1 mg caused clinical disease in 1 of 2 pigs, but was not lethal. Post mortem, the clinically affected pigs showed a generalized granulomatous tuberculosis. The other pig given 1 mg and the pigs given smaller doses, showed no clinical signs, and lesions and presence of acid-fasts were mostly limited to the lymph nodes of the lung, liver and digestive tract.All the pigs showed delayed hypersensitivity to avian PPD tuberculin (1000 t.u.) and some of them cross-reacted with human PPD tuberculin (1000 t.u.). The clinically affected pigs gave a very weak response to tuberculin, the others a strong response.The smallest dose capable of establishing an infection and producing tuberculous lesions was not determined, but seems to be less than 10⁻³ mg (78000 viable organisms).     

Effect dietary corn starch intake on pancreatic amylase and intestinal maltase and pH in cattle

The pH optimum of pancreatic alpha-amylase from grain-fed steers was determined to be 6.9, while that of intestinal maltase was established at 5.8. Both assays were found to be linear up to 1 hr of incubation. The V max of pancreatic amylase was determined to be pancreatic amylase was determined to be 1.15 mg of maltose monohydrate produced/hr. Activities of pancreatic and intestinal maltase were not reduced (P greater than .05) during the interval from sample collection from the animal until analysis 4 hr later when tissues were kept on ice. Twenty-four yearling Holstein steers fed either alfalfa hay at a maintenance level of metabolizable energy (ME) intake or corn at one, two or three times the maintenance ME intake level were slaughtered after being fed 106 days. The pancreas was removed alone with sections of the intestine. Specific activity of pancreatic amylase for steers fed the high level of corn was 129% of that for steers fed the alfalfa diet (P greater than .05). Intestinal maltase activity was highest in the jejunum and decreased toward the ileum. Increasing dietary starch intake resulted in no response (P greater than .05) in maltase activity at 10, 30, 50, 70, or 90% of the small intestine length. The effect of dietary starch level on dieesta pH was dependent on sampling location within the small intestine. There were no dietary effects (P greater than .05) on digesta pH for the first 10% segment of intestine distal to the pylorus. However, in all subsequent sections, digesta pH was higher steers fed the alfalfa diet than for those fed the two higher levels of grain. A calculation for estimating th amount of pancreatic amylase needed to hydrolyze starch presented to small intestine is discussed.     

Prolactin, estradiol, and progesterone changes in paretic and nonparetic cows during the periparturient period

We studied the relationship of serum prolactin, estradiol-17 beta, and progesterone concentrations to plasma calcium, phosphorus, and free hydroxyproline concentrations, as well as to dry matter intake, in 14 aged dairy cows (mean of 4.5 parities), 7 of which became paretic, from 28 days before to 4 days after calving. Plasma calcium and phosphorus concentrations and dry matter intake decreased more at parturition in paretic cows than in nonparetic cows. Prolactin concentrations were not different between paretic and nonparetic cows, but were variable. Concentrations of estradiol were higher in paretic cows from 15 to 5 days before parturition, whereas hydroxyproline concentration was lower in paretic cows on days 10 through 3 before parturition. Progesterone concentration was lower in paretic cows and decreased earlier at parturition, compared with that in nonparetic cows. The findings suggested that high estradiol concentrations in late pregnancy inhibit bone resorption and predispose aged cows to parturient paresis. The earlier decrease in progesterone concentration at parturition and lower concentrations throughout late pregnancy might have contributed to the greater inappetence in paretic cows at parturition. The importance of prolactin in the pathogenesis of parturient paresis is not clear.     

Correlation between plasma alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone concentration and body mass index in healthy horses

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the correlation between plasma alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) concentration and body mass index (BMI) in healthy horses. ANIMALS: 82 healthy horses. PROCEDURE: Plasma alpha-MSH concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay. At the time blood samples were collected, body condition scores (BCS) were determined and measurements of girth circumference, body length, and height were obtained. Weight was estimated by use of the following formula: estimated weight (kg) = [girth (cm)2 x length (cm)]/11,877. Body mass index was calculated as estimated weight (kg)/height (m)2. RESULTS: A correlation was found between BMI and BCS (rs = 0.60 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.44 to 0.731). A weak correlation was found between plasma alpha-MSH concentration and BMI (rs = 0.25 [95% CI, 0.03 to 0.45]) and BCS (rs = 0.26 [95% CI, 0.04 to 0.46]). A correlation was found between plasma alpha-MSH concentration and BMI in horses > or = 10 years old (rs = 0.49 [95% CI, 0.20 to 0.69]) but not in horses < 10 years old (rs = -0.04). Horses in the upper quartile of BMI had significantly greater plasma alpha-MSH concentration (median, 9.1 pmol/L; range, 2.0 to 95.3 pmol/L) than horses in the lowest quartile of BMI (median, 70 pmol/L; range, 3.6 to 15.7 pmol/L). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: A correlation exists between plasma alpha-MSH concentration and BMI in horses. Further study is required to determine whether melanocortin receptor defects underlie this correlation or, alternately, whether plasma alpha-MSH concentration is simply a correlate of adiposity.     

Within-litter variation in muscle fiber characteristics, pig performance, and meat quality traits

The objective of this study was to examine the intralitter variation in postnatal growth performance, meat quality, and muscle fiber characteristics when littermates were categorized by carcass weight. Thirty-nine litters were weaned at 4 wk of age and had free access to feed from 2 wk of age until slaughter. They were slaughtered by litter at an average BW of 104 +/- 14 kg, and six pigs per litter were selected for analysis: the heaviest- (HW), middle- (MW), and lightest-weight (LW) pig of each sex. Categorizing littermates in LW, MW, and HW pigs at the same age reflected the differences in postnatal growth rate within a litter; thus ADG, muscle mass, and muscle deposition rate differed across pig weight groups (P < 0.001). Also, the total DNA content was different among pig weight groups (P < 0.001) and reflected differences in muscle growth rate. The difference in muscle growth rate between LW and MW pigs could be explained by a larger (P < 0.05) mean fiber area (MFA) in MW pigs, whereas the number of muscle fibers was similar. Growth rate differences between MW and HW pigs could in part be explained by a higher number (P < 0.01) of equal-sized muscle fibers in HW pigs. The difference in MFA was due to a higher estimated DNA and RNA content per muscle fiber in MW and HW compared with LW pigs (P < 0.05). Pigment content was higher in MW and HW compared with LW pigs (P < 0.01), but no other measured meat quality traits were significantly different across pig weight groups. These results indicate that both the number and the growth rate of muscle fibers contribute to intralitter variation in postnatal growth performance.     

No transmission of Potato spindle tuber viroid shown in experiments with thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis, Thrips tabaci), honey bees (Apis mellifera) and bumblebees (Bombus terrestris)

Experiments were carried out to investigate whether Potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd) can be transmitted intra- and inter-species from infected Solanum jasminoides to non-infected S. jasminoides and S. esculentum and from infected Brugmansia sp. to S. esculentum by Frankliniella occidentalis and Thrips tabaci by leaf sucking. The F. occidentalis experiments also included feeding on pollen prior to feeding on PSTVd-infected leaf. No thrips-mediated transmission of PSTVd was recorded. The possibility of PSTVd transmission by Apis mellifera and Bombus terrestris during their feeding/pollinating activities within ornamentals and from ornamentals to S. esculentum was included, and no bee-mediated transmission was recorded.     

A quantitative screening method to detect rater-introduced bias in clinical ratings

Background

We suggest a ‘screening test’ to examine large data files with clinical ratings for the occurrence of rater-introduced bias prior to using the data for quantitative analyses. The test is based on a statistical model in which a well-standardized interval-scale outcome (for example, milk yield) is related to clinical ratings (for example, body condition scores) obtained from multiple contexts (for example, dairy herds).

Findings

84,968 calvings from 279 herds, with subsequent body condition scores performed by 117 veterinarians within the first 21 days postpartum were analyzed with a multilevel random coefficient regression model. The model included an independent variable, where body condition score was centered within veterinarian. This is a so-called comparison effect to describe possible rater-introduced bias in the body condition scores. A highly significant comparison effect was found for second and older parities, indicating occurrence of possible rater-introduced bias in this large multi-herd data file.

Conclusions

A within-group centering technique (the comparison effect) appeared to be useful for discriminating between biased and unbiased clinical scores. In some cases, this test for bias should prevent further analysis of the data and divert the focus of study to the calibration of raters or alternative study designs.