Single nucleotide polymorphism in avian uncoupling protein gene is associated with thermoregulation in chicks

Avian uncoupling protein (av-UCP) is a key protein for thermoregulation in poultry. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the av-UCP gene has been reported in chickens. The purpose of the current study was to clarify the association between this av-UCP gene mutation and thermoregulation in chickens. Wild and mutant type chicks for the av-UCP gene SNP (g. 1270 of the av-UCP gene exon 3 with C to T substitution and amino acid substitution) were exposed to high ambient temperature. Rectal temperature, radiation temperature on the body surface, and the expression of heat dissipation behavior (wing drooping and panting) during heat exposure were measured. In addition, oxygen consumption rate in the thermoneutral zone in wild and mutant type chicks was measured. Changes in wing temperature during heat exposure in wild-type chicks were lower than those in mutants. The latency of continuous wing drooping during heat exposure in wild-type chicks was shorter than in mutant chicks. It was also found that the SNP in the av-UCP gene caused reduced oxygen consumption. These results suggest that the av-UCP gene mutation affects thermoregulation, especially heat production, in chickens.     

保温型刚性护面渠道设计

在刚性面层下设置一道性能良好的保温层来防止基土冻结,可以从根本上解决冻胀破坏的问题。这种带保温层的刚性护面渠道称为保温型刚性护面渠道,根据热工原理,提出了保温型刚性护面渠道横断面设计在构造方面的要求,进一步推导出计算保温层厚度的有关公式,并给出算例,还指出了需要进一步研究和探讨的问题。     

Effect of Se and VE Supplement on Semen Quality,Antioxidant Enzyme Activities and Heat Shock Protein Expression of Goat in High Temperature Season

This experiment was conducted to study the effect of selenium and vitamin E supplement on semen quality, antioxidant enzyme activities and heat shock protein expression of goat in Hainan high temperature season.16 adult Hainan Black goat with good health and approximate weight were randomly divided into 4 groups, fed with basal diet(control group), basal diet+0.5 mg/kg Se(Se group), basal diet+100 mg/kg VE(VE group), and basal diet+0.5 mg/kg Se+100 mg/kg VE(Se+VE group), respectively.The experimental period was 93 d.Semen samples were collected in the last week of the experiment on two consecutive days.The semen quality, antioxidant enzyme activities and heat shock protein expression were analyzed.The results showed that compared with control group, the ejaculate volume was not significantly affected by Se or VE supplement(P>0.05).Sperm density and sperm motility were increased significantly by Se and VE supplement(P<0.05), and the abnormal rate was decreased extremely significantly(P<0.01).The goats fed with Se and VE also had higher activities of GSH-Px(P<0.01), SOD(P<0.05), CAT(P<0.05) and T-AOC(P<0.01), and lower MDA concentration in seminal plasma(P<0.05).The relative expression levels of HSP70 and HSP90 mRNA in supplement groups were decreased extremely significantly(P<0.01).However, there were some certain differences between the Se and VE supplement groups on semen quality and heat shock protein expression.In conclusion, the supplementation of Se and VE could help to improve goat semen quality by increasing the sperm density, sperm motility, the antioxidant enzyme activities, and decreasing the abnormal rate in hot season of Hainan.Finally, Se and VE supplement had good effects on relieving the environment heat stress.     

Assessment of interactions between glutamine and glucose on meat quality,AMPK, and glutamine concentrations in pectoralis major meat of broilers under acute heat stress

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of dietary glutamine and glucose on pectoralis major meat quality in broilers under acute heat stress. Three hundred 35-day-old male broilers (Arbor Acres) were randomly divided into 5 groups. Broilers in the positive control group were kept in a thermoneutral environment (23 ± 1°C, RH 45%–55%) and fed a basic diet, whereas the experimental (2 × 2) group was exposed to acute heat stress (34 ± 1°C, RH 65%–75%) for 12 h and fed the basic diet that contained glutamine (0 and 10 g/kg) and glucose (0 and 10 g/kg). Compared with the positive control group, acute heat stress without glutamine and glucose supplementation increased (P < 0.05) drip loss, L* values, and AMPK concentrations, but it decreased (P < 0.05) water-holding capacity, moisture, pH, a* values, b* values, and glutamine concentrations in pectoralis major meat of chickens. However, dietary glutamine (10 g/kg) increased (P < 0.05) water-holding capacity, moisture, pH, a* values, b* values, and glutamine concentrations, while it decreased (P < 0.05) drip loss, L* values, and AMPK concentrations in heat-stressed chicken pectoralis major meat. Dietary glucose (10 g/kg) increased (P < 0.05) water-holding capacity, moisture, pH, and a* and b* values, while it decreased (P < 0.05) L* values and AMPK concentrations of pectoralis major meat in chickens exposed to acute high temperature. There were significant interactions between glutamine and glucose in the water-holding capacity, pH values, AMPK, and glutamine levels of pectoralis major meat in the heat-stressed chickens. The above results suggest that the addition of glutamine and glucose in the diet is necessary for broilers during acute heat stress condition.     

Impact of heat stress,nutritional restriction and combined stresses (heat and nutritional) on growth and reproductive performance of Malpura rams under semi‐arid tropical environment

A study was conducted to assess the combined effect of heat stress and nutritional restriction on growth and reproductive performances in Malpura rams. Twenty‐eight adult Malpura rams (average body weight (BW) 66.0 kg) were used in this study. The rams were divided into four groups: CON (n = 7; control), HES (n = 7; heat stress), NUS (n = 7; nutritional stress) and COS (n = 7; combined stress). The study was conducted for a period of 2 months. CON and HES rams had ad libitum access to their feed while NUS and COS rams were under restricted feed (30% intake of CON rams) to induce nutritional stress. The HES and COS rams were kept in climatic chamber at 42 °C and 55% relative humidity for 6 h a day between 10 : 00 h and 16 : 00 h to induce heat stress. Body weight increased significantly (p < 0.05) in CON as compared to NUS and COS. When compared within groups, scrotal width morning, scrotal width afternoon, scrotal circumference morning and scrotal circumference afternoon were significantly (p < 0.05) larger in CON while smaller in COS rams. The higher testicular length was recorded both during morning (p < 0.05) and afternoon (p < 0.01) in COS rams while the lowest in NUS rams. The highest plasma testosterone concentration was recorded in CON and lowest in COS rams. Semen volume and mass motility also differed significantly (p < 0.05) between the groups. The highest semen volume and mass motility was recorded in CON and NUS while lowest in both HES and COS rams. It can be concluded from this study that when two stressors occur simultaneously, they may have severe impact on reproductive performance of rams.     

凝结芽孢杆菌对热应激肉鸡生长性能及肠道消化与吸收功能的影响

本试验旨在研究凝结芽孢杆菌对热应激肉鸡生长性能及肠道消化与吸收功能的影响。选择320只28日龄健康爱拔益加（AA）肉公鸡,随机分为5个组,每组8个重复,每个重复8只。常温对照组（TC组）肉鸡饲养于（22±1）℃的常温环境,饲喂基础饲粮;热应激组（HS组）肉鸡饲养于（34±1）℃的高温环境,饲喂基础饲粮;热应激试验组肉鸡饲养于（34±1）℃的高温环境,分别饲喂在基础饲粮中添加0.2×107(HS-BC0.2组)、1.0×107(HS-BC1.0组)、5.0×107CFU/g(HS-BC5.0组)凝结芽孢杆菌的试验饲粮。试验期14 d。结果表明：与TC组相比,HS组的末重、平均日增重（ADG）、平均日采食量（ADFI）,干物质和粗蛋白质表观代谢率,空肠食糜总淀粉酶和总蛋白酶酶活,空肠绒毛高度、绒毛高度/隐窝深度以及空肠钠/葡萄糖协同转运蛋白1(SGLT1)、基础氨基酸转运载体（r-BAT）、y+L氨基酸转运载体-1(y+LAT1) mRNA表达量均显著降低（P<0.05）,料重比（F/G）显著增加（P<0.05）。与HS组相比,HS-BC1.0和HS-BC5.0组的ADG、粗蛋...     

Fertility of Holstein cows and heifers submitted to timed artificial insemination and receiving one or two doses (12 h apart) of semen

The objective of this retrospective study was to assess the effect of receiving a single (n = 50,285) or double (n = 4392) artificial insemination (AI), 12 h apart, within a timed artificial insemination protocol on pregnancy per AI (P/AI) in nulliparous heifers (inseminated with either sex-sorted or conventional semen) and pluriparous Holstein cows in a commercial dairy herd. Also, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between temperature-humidity index (THI) and time of the first AI and fertility. Fertility of cows receiving two AI with normothermia (THI <68) was higher (p < .05) than cows receiving a single AI (42.9% vs. 36.4%). P/AI of cows receiving two AI with severe heat stress (THI >85) was higher (p < .05) than cows receiving a single AI (21.0% vs. 12.6%). Regardless of heat stress conditions, applying the first AI in the morning increased (p < .05) P/AI in cows with double AI than in cows whose first AI occurred in the afternoon (38.4 vs. 33.3%). With moderate heat stress, and sexed-sorted semen, P/AI to timed AI was higher (65.0 vs. 51.9%; p < .05) in heifers receiving double AI than those serviced once. It was concluded that double AI, 12 h apart, enhanced fertility at timed AI than herd mates with a single AI, particularly with heat stress at breeding.     

Experiment for Condensing Heat Transfer Performance in a New Type of Horizontal Three Dimensional Inner Microfin Tubes

A new type of three dimenstional inner microfin tube is devoloped. Under four different pressures and in the range of condensing mass velocities from 33 to 153 kg/m2 . s,and by the experimental study of the three kinds of tubes with different microfin parameters, the performances of the condensation heat transfer for R11 in the horizontal microfin tubes and obtained. The experiments show that the inner microfin tube is a hopeful and nighty effective condensing heat transfer enhancement tube.