ACE inhibition in goats under fixed‐time artificial insemination protocol increases the pregnancy rate and twin births

To assess the effect of the angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition on the efficiency of the fixed‐time artificial insemination (TAI), 69 goats were divided randomly into two groups: enalapril (n = 35) and control (n = 34). In the experiment, all animals underwent the protocol of fixed‐time artificial insemination for 12 days. Enalapril group received enalapril maleate dissolved in saline (Enalapril, Lab Teuto Ltda) subcutaneously at the following doses: 0.2 mg/kg/day in D0‐D2; 0.3 mg/kg/day in D3‐D6 and 0.4 mg/kg/day in D7‐D11. The control group received the corresponding volume of 0.9% saline solution. We performed a single insemination 36 hr after sponge removal using frozen semen from two adult male goats with recognized fertility. The ultrasound pregnancy diagnosis was 30 days after the artificial insemination (AI). There was significant increase in pregnancy rates and twinning as well as a decrease in foetal loss in animals receiving enalapril (p < .01). The use of ACE inhibitors during the TAI protocol was shown to be a promising alternative to increase the efficiency of such reproductive biotechnology.     

铅锌尾矿中砷代谢功能基因的多样性

Microbial activities impact arsenic (As) transformation in mine tailings substantially,yet little is understood on the functional diversity of As metabolism genes.This study explored this issue using a metagenomic approach coupled by a local BLASTN procedure established in our recent studies.An assembled metagenome,recovered from hypersaline and sulfidic mine tailings,was screened for As metabolism genes aioA,arrA,arsC and arsM.This was done using a local BLASTN procedure against databases of the As metabolism genes built in this study.Putative As metabolism genes detected in the assembled metagenome included 11 arsM,20 arsC and 1 arrA full-length sequences.Together with the rRNA-based phylogenetic profiling results,a picture depicting microbial As cycling in the tailings to the genus level was obtained.It was found that most of the dominant genera in the tailings potentially harboured the genes for As reduction and/or methylation.In particular,a typical pyrite-eater present in the tailings,Thioalkalivibrio sp.,was found to harbour not only arsC and arsM,but also arrA.These results highlight the unexpected diversity of As metabolism genes in the tailings,especially considering the extremely low species diversity therein.The microbial As cycling picture established here has potential use for guiding the purposeful manipulation of As biogeochemistry in the tailings.     

Modelling the effect of weed-seed distribution in the soil profile on seedling emergence

Experiments to monitor weed seedling emergence from various soil depths were begun in 1989. Recently shed seeds were buried in either narrow bands at a range of depths in the soil or mixed evenly between the soil surface and each of these depths. Total emergence of Stellaria media (L.) Vill., Matricaria spp., Veronica persica Poiret, Veronica arvensis L. and Polygonum aviculare L., declined with increasing depth of burial. A similar pattern was observed for Chenopodium album L. with the exception of emergence from the surface layer. The reduction in emergence with increasing soil depth was greater for seeds in the narrow-banded treatments than for those in broad layers. A model was developed using the data from the narrow-banded treatments to predict emergence from distributions over broad layers. Predictions from the model closely agree with the data from the present broad-layer treatments and those from a similar experiment made in the 1960s. By including the effects of depth of seed burial on seedling emergence, this model could be combined with models that determine the effects of cultivation on seed distribution, and therefore improve precision of predictions of seedling emergence from the seedbank.     

Effects of organic and inorganic calcium compounds on soil-solution pH and aluminium concentration

The reactions of two organic (citrate and fulvate) and two inorganic (chloride and phosphogypsum) calcium compounds were studied during leaching of columns of unsaturated acidic soil. The potential of these compounds to decrease the aluminium concentration in the soil solution and remove exchangeable aluminium, and their effects on soil acidity are described. The calcium citrate solution increased the soil solution pH from 5 to a maximum value of 7 in the upper portion of the column. In contrast, the fulvate, calcium chloride and phosphogypsum solutions had little effect on soil-solution pH. Treatment with calcium citrate, or fulvate solution that contained 51 mm Na, removed most of the exchangeable aluminium from the column. The cation exchange sites in the upper portion of the column were saturated with calcium, and the cation exchange capacity of the soil was increased from 35 to c. 80 mmol_c kg^?1 in the calcium citrate treatment. Leachate from this treatment contained low (< 2 mm ) calcium concentrations and high aluminium concentrations. In contrast, the above changes were not shown by the calcium chloride and phosphogypsum treatments. In these treatments the calcium concentration in the leachate was equal to that in the inflowing solution, which indicated that calcium was transported through the entire column. These results suggest that calcium alone was ineffective in displacing aluminium from the cation exchange sites and a strong complexing agent such as citrate or fulvate is needed to mobilize the exchangeable aluminium.     

Thiamin deficiency in cats and dogs associated with feeding meat preserved with sulphur dioxide

Thiamin deficiency was diagnosed in cats and dogs being fed fresh minced meat, which contained sulphur dioxide as a preservative and less than 0.5 mg/kg thiamin. Thiamin in the meat and in added dietary ingredients, including a supplementary vitamin mixture, was destroyed by the sulphur dioxide.     

The Effects of Essential Fatty Acid Supplementation on Intradermal Test Reactivity in Atopic Dogs: a Preliminary Study

Abstract— Twenty-one perennially affected atopic dogs with previous intradermal test reactivity to two or more environmental allergens were retested while receiving either a combination of evening primrose oil and fish oil (EfaVet Regular, Efamol Vet) or a concentrated supplement containing gammalinolenic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid (HGF capsules). Significant differences in the mean number of positive reactions before and during therapy were not found. In addition, the mean histamine, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and housedust wheal diameters before and during therapy were not significantly different. However, the mean human dander wheal diameter was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) at the second test, and the mean Dermatophagoides farinae wheal diameter was significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in a group of seven dogs which had received long-term essential fatty acid supplementation with HGF capsules. These results indicate that essential fatty acid supplementation does not abrogate but may reduce intradermal test reactivity in atopic dogs. Résumé— Vingt et un chiens atopiques, présentant des symptômes non saisonniers, ayant eu des tests cutanés positifs à au moins un pneumallergène ont été testés alors qu'ils recevaient une association d'huile d'onagre et d'huile de poisson (Efa Vet Regular, Efamol Vet) ou un supplément concentré d'acides gammalinolénique et éicosapentaénoique (capsules HGF). Aucune différence significative dans le nombre moyen de réactions positives avant et après traitement n'a été observée. En outre les diamètres moyens des réactions à l'histamine. Dermatophagoïdes pteronyssinus et la poussère de maison avant et après traitement n'étaient pas significativement différents. Toutefois, le diamètre moyen des réactions aux squames humaines étaient significativement réduits (P < 0,05) lors du second test, et le diamètre moyen des réactions àDermatophagoïdes farinaeétait significativement réduit (P < 0,05) dans un groupe de sept chiens ayant reçu une supplémentation à long terme de capsules HGF. Ces résultate montrent qu'une supplementation en acides gras essentiel n'anihile pas les tests cutanés mais peu modérer la réactivité cutanée chez certains chiens atopiques. Resumen Veintiún perros atópicos de tipo estacional que presentaban reactividad positiva en la prueba de inyacciones intradérmicas con respecto a dos o más alergenos ambientales, fueron sometidos a una segunda prueba recibiendo simultáneamente una combinación de aceite de Evening Primrose y aceite de pescado (Efa Vet Regular, Efamol Vet) o un concentrado que contenía ácidos gammalinoleico y ecosapentanoico (HGF cápsulas). No se encontraron diferencias significativas en la media de las reacciones positivas antes y después de la medicación. Tampoco se encontraron diferencias significativas entre las medidas del diámetro de la roncha producida por la histamina, el Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus y el alergeno del polvo. Sin embargo, la media del diámetro producido por el alergeno de la caspa humana se vió considerablemente reducida en el segundo test (P < 0.05), así como la del Dermatophagoides farinae (P < 0.05) en un grupo de siete perros los cuales recibieron suplementación con ácidos grasos esenciales a largo plato con HGF cápsulas. Éstos resultados indican que el uso de ácidos grasos esenciales no produce supresión de las reacciones positivas del test intradérmico en perros atópicos, pero sí de las mismas.     

Necrotizing pulmonary arteritis in a dog with peritoneo-pericardial diaphragmatic hernia

A 4-month-old male, miniature Schnauzer had dyspnoea of 4 days duration, cyanosis, grade II/VI systolic murmur and jugular pulse. The presence of intestinal loops in the pericardial sac was detected by radiography. Repair of the peritoneo-pericardial diaphragmatic hernia did not improve the clinical condition of the puppy, which died on the day of surgery. Pulmonary arterial medial hypertrophy, necrotizing pulmonary arteritis, and right ventricular hypertrophy were diagnosed post mortem.     

Effect of Chemical or Electrical Activation of Bovine Oocytes on Blastocyst Development and Quality

Activation of in vitro‐matured (IVM) oocytes is essential for successful embryo production following nuclear transfer (NT) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). This study was designed to compare the rates of blastocyst production and embryo quality (as measured by numbers of viable cells) following parthenogenetic activation with electrical pulse or the use of two different calcium ionophores, A23187 (CA) or ionomycin (IO), with or without the addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA). IVM oocytes with a first polar body were randomly allocated to five treatment groups: CA (5 μm CA, 5 min; n = 88), CA + BSA (5 μm CA, 5 min; BSA, 5 min; n = 90), IO (5 μm IO, 5 min; n = 91), IO + BSA (5 μm IO, 5 min; BSA, 5 min; n = 86) and EL (two pulses of 1.5 kV/cm, 20 μs; n = 120). Blastocyst rates were higher (p < 0.05) for CA (54.4%), IO (51.4%) and EL (54.5%) than for IO + BSA (18.3%). Treatment CA + BSA (39.8%) did not differ from the others. There was no difference (p > 0.05) among treatments in total number of cells. However, the percentage of viable cells was reduced in CA (49.9%), CA + BSA (45.8%), IO (64.9%), IO + BSA (50.9%) compared with EL (82.7%). In summary, the addition of BSA to the IO treatment had an adverse effect on blastocyst production rates. Although there was no difference between electrical stimulation and chemical activation on blastocyst production rates, electrical activation resulted in blastocysts with a higher percentage of viable cells.