Expression of Proton-dependent Oligopeptide Transporters (POTs) in Calves' Tissues

This test was designed to study the expression of POTs (PepT1, PepT2, PHT1 and PHT2) mRNA in calves'tissues.Tissue-specific expression of the mRNA corresponding to peptide transporter protein in four 3-month-old Chinese Holstein calves was examined by relative quantitative RT-PCR analysis.The results showed that the expression of PepT1 mRNA in the rumen was extremely significantly higher than that in the heart and muscle (P<0.01);The expression of PepT2 mRNA in the liver and kidney was extremely significantly higher than that in the heart, spleen, thymus, muscle, rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum (P<0.01);The expression of PHT1 mRNA in the lung and spleen was extremely significantly higher than that in the heart and muscle (P<0.01);The expression of PHT2 mRNA in the lung and thymus was significantly higher than that in the heart, liver, kidney, spleen, muscle, rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum (P<0.05).The results indicated that PepT1, PepT2, PHT1 and PHT2 mRNA were respectively abundantly expressed in rumen, kidney and liver, spleen and lung, lung and thymus.     

不同断奶日龄对奶公犊生长性能和体尺指标的影响

30头新生荷斯坦奶公犊出生日期和体重相近,随机分成6组,对照组按常规饲喂鲜牛奶,60日龄断奶;各试验组分别于10、20、30、40和50日龄断奶,试验期为60d。结果表明:试验结束时,20日龄断奶组、30日龄断奶组的体重、平均日增重均显著高于对照组,40日龄断奶组、50日龄断奶组与对照组间无明显差异;各试验组犊牛与对照组在体长和体斜长上无显著差异。     

How do visual and auditory cues influence calf stress reactions at weaning?

We investigated the effects of visual and auditory information related to cow and calf stress responses at weaning. Three weaning conditions were established with physical separation only (PS), physical and visual separation (VS), and physical, visual and auditory separation (VAS). Stress responses such as vocalization and self‐grooming, and changes of three maintenance behaviors (lying, walking and grazing) were recorded for experimental cows and calves in the respective conditions. Comparison of the data revealed that the cow responses differed slightly among groups. However, the peak frequency of vocalization was higher in the PS calves than in those of either VS or VAS. Self‐grooming frequency was significantly different in calves and was high in the order of VAS, VS and PS calves. Furthermore, the percentage of time spent lying down was greater, and that of walking was less, in VAS calves than in either VS or PS calves. These results demonstrate that different information at weaning might strongly affect the stress responses of calves but not those of cows. Relative impacts of different types sensory information on stressors must be considered to plan animal‐friendly weaning.     

代乳粉对早期断奶犊牛体重和体尺的影响

试验选取体重相近的荷斯坦奶牛犊牛24头,分为试验组和对照组2组,每组12头。试验组犊牛出生5 d内饲喂初乳,之后饲喂代乳粉至42日龄断奶;对照组一直饲喂牛奶至42日龄。结果表明,试验组平均日增重836 g,对照组平均日增重679 g,试验组比对照组日增重提高23.12%;试验期间,试验组胸围、体高、体长分别比对照组提高2.90、1.01、1.56 cm,差异不显著;试验组与对照组的管围无明显差异。说明代乳粉代替牛乳可以达到良好的生产效果。     

牦牛犊牛全哺乳及育肥试验

根据月龄相近的原则选择60头牦牛犊牛进行全哺乳及育肥试验,研究全哺乳对牦牛犊牛生产发育的影响。结果表明,全哺乳不但能提高牦牛犊牛的体重,而且能提高养殖者的经济效益。     

犊牛功能性饲料添加剂的研制及其应用效果

研究2种功能性饲料添加剂对犊牛增重、血液生化指标和养分消化率的影响。选取健康状况良好、体重差异较小的中国西门塔尔杂交犊牛18头,将其分为3组,即对照组、试验1组和试验2组,每组6头牛。对照组牛被喂以牛场现行日粮,在牛场现行日粮中分别加20 g牛膝制剂和20 g BEM复配剂后,相应地饲喂试验1组和试验2组的牛。饲养试验期35 d。结果表明,试验2组(BEM复配剂组)犊牛增重显著地(P0.05)快于对照组;试验1组(牛膝制剂组)犊牛增重与对照组比较,有加快的趋势。试验1和2组犊牛血清中GPT活性、TG含量分别显著地(P0.05)和极显著地(P0.01)低于对照组;试验1和2组犊牛血清中TP、Ig G含量分别显著地(P0.05)和极显著地(P0.01)高于对照组。在犊牛日粮中添加BEM复配剂,可显著地(P0.05)或极显著地(P0.01)提高犊牛对无氮浸出物、粗纤维、粗蛋白质、粗脂肪、钙和磷的消化率。牛膝制剂和BEM复配剂都可作为肉用犊牛的功能性饲料添加剂,其中后者应用效果更好。     

Cloned calves derived from somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos cultured in chemically defined medium or modified synthetic oviduct fluid

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is considered to be a critical tool for propagating valuable animals. To determine the productivity calves resulting from embryos derived with different culture media, enucleated oocytes matured in vitro were reconstructed with fetal fibroblasts, fused, and activated. The cloned embryos were cultured in modified synthetic oviduct fluid (mSOF) or a chemically defined medium (CDM) and developmental competence was monitored. After 7 days of culturing, the blastocysts were transferred into the uterine horn of estrus-synchronized recipients. SCNT embryos that were cultured in mSOF or CDM developed to the blastocysts stages at similar rates (26.6% vs. 22.5%, respectively). A total of 67 preimplantational stage embryos were transferred into 34 recipients and six cloned calves were born by caesarean section, or assisted or natural delivery. Survival of transferred blastocysts to live cloned calves in the mSOF and the CDM was 18.5% (to recipients), 9.6% (to blastocysts) and 42.9% (to recipients), 20.0% (to blastocysts), respectively. DNA analysis showed that all cloned calves were genetically identical to the donor cells. These results demonstrate that SCNT embryos cultured in CDM showed higher viability as judged by survival of the calves that came to term compared to blastocysts derived from mSOF cultures.     

A study on neonatal calf diarrhea induced by rotavirus

This review summarizes the results of a study on rotaviruses isolated from calves affected by neonatal diarrhea.

The results indicated that rotavirus infection is widespread and supported the evidence for an etiologic role of these viruses in neonatal diarrhea. Differences in virulence among bovine rotaviruses appeared also to be confirmed.

Conventionally reared calves were fully susceptible to the experimental infection induced by rotaviruses originating from heterologous hosts, i.e. monkeys, pigs and rabbits.

When rotavirus strains of bovine, simian and rabbit origin were compared by cross neutralization tests, it was found the simian and porcine strains were indistinguishable and both appeared to relate antigenically to the bovine strain.

Finally, it was proven that feeding newborn calves with colostrum and first milk of their dams, previously vaccinated with an inactivated adjuvanted rotavirus vaccine, could prevent the neonatal diarrhea from occurring.     

The gastrointestinal mucosa in young milk-fed calves. A scanning electron and light microscopic investigation

Gastrointestinal segments from 4 healthy, 17-, 21-, 22- and 23-day-old calves fed on whole cow’s milk were examined. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the anterior duodenum had short villi varying in shape from leaf-shaped to nodular; the middle duodenum had broad, tongue-shaped villi and the anterior, middle, and parts of the posterior jejunum had slender, finger-shaped or leaf-shaped villi. The villi of the mucosa covering Peyer’s patches in the posterior jejunum were short and either conical or tongue-shaped; there were also small “pseudovilli” caused by bulges in the lymphoid tissue. Morphometry showed that the villi were longer in the anterior jejunum than in the duodenum and the posterior parts of the jejunum (P < 0.005). Morphologically fat absorption was most heavy in the anterior third of the small intestine. Moderate amounts of fat were also found in the epithelium of the posterior jejunum and of the abomasum. Large fat droplets were seen in apical duodenal enterocytes, in contrast to the small epithelial droplets in other areas with fat absorption. Nile blue staining indicated that the fat in the large droplets was esterified.