Effect of increasing levels of undegradable intake protein on metabolic and endocrine factors in estrous cycling beef heifers

To determine the influence of three levels of undegradable intake protein (UIP) supplementation on metabolic and endocrine factors that influence reproduction, 23 yearling crossbred heifers (body condition score = 4.5 +/- 0.5; initial BW = 362 +/- 12 kg) were stratified by BW and assigned randomly to one of three supplements: 1) low UIP (1,135 g x heifer(-1) x d(-1); 30% CP, 115 g UIP, n = 7); 2) mid UIP (1,135 g x heifer(-1) x d(-1); 38% CP, 216 g UIP, n = 8); or 3) high UIP (1,135 g x heifer(-1) x d(-1); 46% CP, 321 g UIP, n = 8). Heifers were estrually synchronized before initiation of supplementation. Supplement was individually fed daily for 30 to 32 d, at which time heifers were slaughtered (d 12 to 14 of the estrous cycle) and tissues collected. Heifers were fed a basal diet of sudan grass hay (6.0% CP) ad libitum. On d 28 of supplementation (d 10 of the estrous cycle), no differences were observed (P > 0.10) in serum insulin or IGF-I among treatments. At slaughter (d 10 to 12 of the estrous cycle), treatments did not influence corpus luteum weight, cerebral spinal fluid leptin, or IGFBP; serum estradiol-17beta, progesterone, leptin, IGF-I, and IGFBP; or anterior pituitary content of IGFBP (P > 0.10). Follicular fluid IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-4 were greater in high-UIP heifers than low- or mid-UIP heifers on d 12 to 14 of the estrous cycle (P < 0.05). Basal serum LH concentrations and LH area under the curve (every 15 min for 240 min) did not differ (P > 0.10) following 28 d of supplementation (d 10 of the estrous cycle); however, basal serum FSH concentrations were greater (P = 0.06) in low- and mid- vs. high-UIP heifers (5.2 and 5.2 vs. 4.6 ng/mL, respectively), and FSH area under the curve was greater (P = 0.03) in low- vs. high-UIP heifers. At slaughter (d 12 to 14 of the estrous cycle), anterior pituitary LH and FSH content and steady-state mRNA encoding alpha, LHbeta, and GnRH receptor did not differ (P > 0.10) among treatments. However, FSHbeta mRNA was increased approximately twofold (P = 0.03) in mid vs. low UIP. In summary, low and mid levels of UIP supplements fed to estrous cycling beef heifers seemed to enhance pituitary expression and/or secretion of FSH relative to high levels of UIP. Moreover, high-UIP supplementation was associated with increased low-molecular-weight IGFBP compared with supplementation of low and mid levels of UIP. These data suggest that differing levels of UIP supplementation may alter pituitary and ovarian function, thereby influencing reproductive performance in beef heifers.     

Pesticide residues in food--acute dietary exposure

Consumer risk assessment is a crucial step in the regulatory approval of pesticide use on food crops. Recently, an additional hurdle has been added to the formal consumer risk assessment process with the introduction of short-term intake or exposure assessment and a comparable short-term toxicity reference, the acute reference dose. Exposure to residues during one meal or over one day is important for short-term or acute intake. Exposure in the short term can be substantially higher than average because the consumption of a food on a single occasion can be very large compared with typical long-term or mean consumption and the food may have a much larger residue than average. Furthermore, the residue level in a single unit of a fruit or vegetable may be higher by a factor (defined as the variability factor, which we have shown to be typically x3 for the 97.5th percentile unit) than the average residue in the lot. Available marketplace data and supervised residue trial data are examined in an investigation of the variability of residues in units of fruit and vegetables. A method is described for estimating the 97.5th percentile value from sets of unit residue data. Variability appears to be generally independent of the pesticide, the crop, crop unit size and the residue level. The deposition of pesticide on the individual unit during application is probably the most significant factor. The diets used in the calculations ideally come from individual and household surveys with enough consumers of each specific food to determine large portion sizes. The diets should distinguish the different forms of a food consumed, eg canned, frozen or fresh, because the residue levels associated with the different forms may be quite different. Dietary intakes may be calculated by a deterministic method or a probabilistic method. In the deterministic method the intake is estimated with the assumptions of large portion consumption of a 'high residue' food (high residue in the sense that the pesticide was used at the highest recommended label rate, the crop was harvested at the smallest interval after treatment and the residue in the edible portion was the highest found in any of the supervised trials in line with these use conditions). The deterministic calculation also includes a variability factor for those foods consumed as units (eg apples, carrots) to allow for the elevated residue in some single units which may not be seen in composited samples. In the probabilistic method the distribution of dietary consumption and the distribution of possible residues are combined in repeated probabilistic calculations to yield a distribution of possible residue intakes. Additional information such as percentage commodity treated and combination of residues from multiple commodities may be incorporated into probabilistic calculations. The IUPAC Advisory Committee on Crop Protection Chemistry has made 11 recommendations relating to acute dietary exposure.     

Effect of twinning on the feed intake, performance and health of dairy cows

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of bearing twins on the health and performance of dairy cows. Data from twin-bearing Holstein Friesian cows at the Langhill Dairy Research Centre between January 1990 and July 2002 were compared to single-bearing cows to determine if there was any significant difference in milk production, feed intakes, health and fertility. There were 122 twin births (from 104 different cows) in the Langhill herd, a rate of 4.7% during the study period.

The incidence of twinning was higher in high genetic merit cows (select genetic line cows) and increased with parity (r = 0.870, P < 0.01). Compared to a single-bearing cow, a twin pregnancy was associated with a shorter gestation period, an increased chance of a retained placenta after calving and a poorer body condition score post-calving. The post-calving condition score of twin-bearing cows was negatively correlated with the total weight of calves born (r = − 0.235, P < 0.05). Twin-calving cows also had significantly more dystocia, a higher chance of having a dead calf, an increased number of days from calving to their first observed heat and number of days from calving to their first service. Dystocia was positively correlated with the number of dead calves at birth (r = 0.309, P < 0.01) and with the total weight of calves born (r = 0.211, P < 0.05). Twin-bearing cows on a low-concentrate diet had an increased chance of having metritis and/or endometritis compared to single-bearing cows on the same diet. There was no significant difference in the reason for culling or the time at which cows were culled post-calving, however, twin-bearing cows on a low-concentrate diet were 3.2 times more likely to be culled than a single-bearing cow, with cows on a high-concentrate diet having equally high levels of culling. There were no significant differences between twin- and single-producing cows' mean daily feed intakes, daily milk yields, total milk yields and milk fat and protein compositions during early, mid and late lactation pre and postpartum on a low- or high-concentrate diet. The body condition and drying off period of twin pregnant cows should be managed to avoid post-calving health and performance problems.     

Field Experiences on Post-cervical Artificial Insemination in the Sow

The present study was performed in order to evaluate the effects of post-cervical artificial insemination (post-CAI) in eastern European continental climate with multiparous sows. The sows were randomly allocated into two groups, and were AI by using CAI with 3 x 10(9) spermatozoa per dose (group 1, n = 859) or by post-CAI, using pooled semen with 1 x 10(9) spermatozoa per dose (group 2, n = 924). Wean-to-oestrus intervals, duration of oestrus, day 24 pregnancy rates, farrowing rates, and total pigs born were evaluated. Wean-to-oestrus intervals (CAI 114.3 +/- 4.1 h; post-CAI 115.2 +/- 5.2 h), duration of oestrus (CAI 64.1 +/- 4.1 h; post-CAI 65.0 +/- 5.2 h), day 24 pregnancy rates (CAI 90.2 +/- 1.7%; post-CAI 89.3 +/- 1.8%) and farrowing rates (CAI 88.1 +/- 2.3%; post-CAI 87.8 +/- 2.9%) did not differ significantly between CAI and post-CAI inseminated sows. The total number of pigs born differed significantly (p < 0.01) between the groups (CAI 12.3 +/- 1.1; post-CAI 10.2 +/- 0.9).     

Microbiologic and pathologic findings in an epidemic of equine pericarditis.

During the spring and summer of 2001 and in association with the mare reproductive loss syndrome, 22 terminal and 12 clinical cases of equine pericarditis were diagnosed in central Kentucky. Actinobacillus species were the principal isolates from 8 of 10 nontreated, terminally affected and 3 of 10 clinically affected horses. Enterococcus faecalis and Streptococcus zooepidemicus were cultured from the remaining 2 nontreated terminal cases. No viruses were isolated in tissue culture. Nucleic acid of equine herpesvirus-2 was detected in pericardial and tracheal wash fluids of 3 and 1 individuals, respectively. Microscopic alterations in sections of heart and parietal pericardium were consistent with chronic fibrinous bacterial pericarditis. This report confirms a significant role of Actinobacillus species in equine pericarditis and describes an epidemic of this infrequently observed syndrome in the horse.