Effect of regular walking exercise on glucose tolerance and insulin response to i.v. glucose infusion in growing beef steers

The purpose of the present paper was to investigate the effect of regular walking exercise on glucose tolerance and insulin response to i.v. glucose infusion in growing beef steers. Four crossbred beef steers walked on a treadmill during a 6 week exercise period (1.2 km/h, 1 h/day and 5 days/week). The changes in plasma glucose and insulin levels following glucose infusion were analyzed immediately prior to (bodyweight: 260.4 ± 24.2 kg) and after (295.7 ± 30.1 kg) the exercise period. The basal levels of plasma glucose (86.4 vs. 82.0 mg/dL, P = 0.040) and insulin (24.5 vs. 14.3 μU/mL, P = 0.016) were significantly lower after the exercise period. Further, the increase in the levels of plasma glucose (420.4 vs. 280.8 mg/dL, P < 0.001) and insulin (94.5 vs. 73.1 μU/mL, P = 0.028) following the glucose infusion decreased after the exercise period. The area under the curve of plasma glucose (108.8 vs. 62.9 mg/dL per min, P < 0.001) and insulin (53.6 vs. 29.7 μU/mL per min, P = 0.018) indicated more rapid clearance of exogenous glucose and less insulin secretion for glucose clearance after the exercise period. These results suggest that regular exercise improves glucose tolerance, with lower insulin response to glucose infusion in growing steers, as observed in rodents and humans.     

酒精发酵玉米饲粮对活体外瘤胃发酵和延边牛血液生理指标及屠宰性能的影响

通过活体外发酵试验 (试验 1)和育肥屠宰试验 (试验 2 )评价饲喂酒精发酵玉米饲粮对活体外瘤胃发酵和延边育肥牛血液生理指标及屠宰性能的影响。结果表明 ,与未发酵玉米饲粮 (CK1)相比 ,酒精发酵玉米饲粮(AFCD)干物质消化率 (DMD)没有差异 (P >0 5 ) ,但细胞壁消化率 (NDFD)提高了 9 7个百分点 (P <0 0 0 6 )。 72h产气量与理论最大产气量低于CK1(P >0 12 ) ,但产气速度高于CK1(P <0 0 6 ) ,且产气延滞期低于CK1(P <0 0 4 )。AFCD对瘤胃发酵 pH、NH3 N含量、各种挥发酸和乙酸与丙酸的摩尔比等指标无显著影响 (P >0 1)。酒精发酵饲料饲喂延边育肥牛的血液生理指标及屠宰性能结果表明 ,饲喂AFCD的延边育肥牛血液葡萄糖水平升高(P <0 0 1) ,但血清总清蛋白、总脂肪、血钙和血磷含量无显著变化 (P >0 0 6 ) ,屠宰率、净肉率和眼肌面积分别提高了 8 33% ,11 4 3%和 7 0 2 % (P <0 0 5 ) ,肌肉不饱和脂肪酸 (P <0 1)和脂肪含量 (P <0 0 1)有提高 ,但必需氨基酸和非必需氨基酸总量无显著变化 (P >0 1)。说明饲喂酒精发酵玉米饲粮可以改善延边牛肉质。     

肉牛早孕因子（EPF）的活性检测及分离纯化

【目的】检测怀孕肉牛早孕因子(Early pregnancy factor,EPF)的活性,并对其进行分离纯化,以期为EPF快速检测方法的建立提供依据。【方法】采集妊娠1~9个月的肉牛血样,并进行妊娠诊断,通过玫瑰花环抑制试验(Rosette inhibition test,RIT)检测其早孕因子的活性。对有活性的血样依次进行DEAE-52离子交换层析、ConASepharose 4B亲和层析和Heparin Sepharose Cl 6B亲和层析,分离纯化EPF,对纯化产物进行SDS-PAGE检测,并测定其等电点。【结果】怀孕牛和未怀孕牛血清的玫瑰花环抑制滴度差异显著(P<0.05)。玫瑰花环抑制试验显示,纯化出的EPF具有活性,其分子质量为53.6 ku,等电点为6.8。【结论】利用玫瑰花环抑制试验检测早孕因子活性,可以鉴定肉牛的妊娠状态;利用层析的方法可以分离出早孕因子的活性蛋白。     

Pathological characteristics of thyroid glands from Japanese Black Cattle living in the restricted area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

To study the effect of ionizing radiation on thyroid glands, 66 Japanese Black cattle residing in the restricted area of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in 2013–2017 were pathologically examined. There were no clinical symptoms of thyroid disease in these cattle. Three cases of goiter and seven of atrophy were found in two among the four farms examined. Cases of goiter exhibited normal morphological structure without mass or nodule formation in thyroid glands. Cellular atypia or capsular invasion of the follicular epithelium was absent. The estimated integrated dose of external radiation in goiter cases ranged from maximum 797 mSv to minimum 24 mSv. All lobules in the seven atrophic thyroid glands were affected, but pathological findings, such as inflammatory cell infiltration or stromal fibrosis, were not observed. The estimated integrated dose of external radiation in atrophic thyroids ranged from maximum 589 mSv to minimum 8 mSv. Immunohistochemical analysis of anti‐nitroguanosine and the TUNEL method in goiter and atrophic thyroid glands did not reveal any positive findings. The present study indicates that there was no significant relationship between a radiation effect and pathological findings in any thyroid glands.     

Nitric oxide impacts bovine sperm capacitation in a cGMP‐dependent and cGMP‐independent manner

We aimed to elucidate whether NO acts in in vitro sperm capacitation in bovine via cGMP/PKG1 pathway. For this, cryopreserved bovine sperm were capacitated in vitro with 20 µg/ml heparin (Control) plus treatments: 1 mM L‐arginine (L‐arg, NO precursor), 50 µM Rp‐8‐Bromo‐β‐phenyl‐1,N²‐ethenoguanosine‐3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphorothioate (Rp‐8‐Br‐cGMPS, selective inhibitor of the binding site for cGMP in PKG1), 1 mM 2‐Phenyl‐4,4,5,5‐tetramethylimidazoline‐1‐oxyl 3‐oxide (PTIO, NO scavenger), and the combinations of L‐arg + RP‐8‐Br‐cGMPS and L‐arg + PTIO. Sperm motility and vigour were determined by phase‐contrast microscopy, capacitation status by chlortetracycline staining, and the intracellular concentration of cGMP was measured by ELISA. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and means compared with SNK test at 5% probability. Motility and vigour were lower in sperm treated with PTIO when compared to Control and other treatments (p < .05). The L‐arg treatment showed the highest percentage of capacitated sperm when compared to the Control and other treatments (Rp‐8‐Br‐cGMPS, L‐arg + Rp‐8‐Br‐cGMPS and PTIO) (69.8 ± 3.4%, 51.2 ± 3.0, 51.1 ± 2.1, 51.2 ± 3.0 and 45.5 ± 2.7, respectively) (p < .05). The capacitation ratio (%) was lower in treatments with Rp‐8‐Br‐cGMPS, L‐arg + Rp‐8‐Br‐cGMPS and PTIO, respectively (p < .05). Lastly, cGMP concentration (pmol/ml) was lower in PTIO and L‐arg + PTIO (1.3 ± 0.3 and 1.6 ± 0.4) and was higher in Rp‐8‐Br‐cGMPS and L‐arg + Rp‐8‐Br‐cGMPS (3.7 ± 0.4 and 4.0 ± 0.5) treatments. We showed that during in vitro capacitation of cattle: (a) NO influences sperm motility and vigour; (b) NO is associated with cGMP synthesis through two independent pathways and (c) the cGMP/PKG1 pathway has a partial role in sperm capacitation and does not involve the L‐arg/NO.     

The T allele at the g.1471620G>T in the EDG1 gene associated with high marbling in Japanese Black cattle is at a low frequency in breeds not selected for marbling

Our previous study detected a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), g.1471620G > T , in the 5' flanking region of the endothelial differentiation sphingolipid G-protein-coupled receptor 1 ( EDG1 ) gene, which has been considered as a positional functional candidate for the gene responsible for marbling, and showed association of the g.1471620G > T SNP with marbling in Japanese Black beef cattle. In the present study, we investigated the allele frequency distribution of the g.1471620G > T SNP among the 5 cattle breeds, Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Short Horn, Holstein, and Brown Swiss breeds. The T allele at the g.1471620G > T SNP associated with high marbling was found at high frequency in Japanese Black breed that has been subjected to a strong selection for high marbling, while the allele was absent or at very low frequencies in the other breeds that have not been strongly selected for high marbling. Based on this finding, we hypothesized that the pressure of the strong selection for high marbling in Japanese Black breed has increased the frequency of the T allele at the g.1471620G > T SNP in the EDG1 .     

Hepatic encephalomyelopathy in a calf with congenital portosystemic shunt (CPSS)

A 4-month-old female Holstein Friesian calf was referred to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Berne, Switzerland for evaluation of ataxia, weakness, apathy and stunted growth. Clinical examination revealed generalized ataxia, propioceptive deficits, decreased menace response and sensibility. Postmortem examination did not reveal macroscopic changes of major organs. Histologically, the brain and the spinal cord lesions were characterized by polymicrocavitation, preferentially affecting the white matter fibers at the junction of grey and white matter and by the presence of Alzheimer type II cells. The liver revealed lesions consistent with a congenital portosystemic shunt, characterized by increased numbers of arteriolar profiles and hypoplasia to absence of portal veins. The pathological investigations along with the animal history and clinical signs indicated a hepatic encephalomyelopathy due to a congenital portosystemic shunt.     

中药复方对低温条件下锦江黄牛生产性能及血清抗氧化指标的影响

本试验选择5月龄,150 kg左右的锦江黄牛15头,分为低温对照组、中药添加剂1组和中药添加剂2组三个组别,每组5头,研究中药复方添加剂对冬季饲养锦江黄牛的抗冷应激作用。试验为期30 d。结果表明:与低温对照组相比,中药1组日增重明显升高,料重比显著下降,血清MDA含量下降59.26%(P<0.01);中药2组日增重和料重比与低温对照组差异不显著(P>0.05),血清MDA含量下降了81.48%(P<0.01);两个中药添加组肉牛的血清SOD活性与低温对照组均无显著差异(P>0.05)。以上结果表明,饲粮中添加中药复方1后可有效缓解冬季饲养的锦江黄牛冷应激反应,提高其血清抗氧化能力,改善生产性能,且其效果优于中药复方2。     

新疆褐牛细管冻精改良当地蒙古牛效果分析

用新疆褐牛细管冻精为父本,以新疆博尔塔拉州本地蒙古牛为母本进行杂交,即采用人工授精的方法获得杂交F1。褐蒙F1,初生重公犊比蒙古牛提高28．26％,母犊提高27．23％,断奶重公犊提高92．04％,母犊提高92．16％。同龄褐蒙F1屠宰率、净肉率比本地蒙古牛提高6．6％和8％。平均每头褐蒙F1牛可增肉70．3kg,按每千克牛肉25元计算,增效1758元。细管冻精配种可降低成本130元。