Effects of music stimulus on behavior response,cortisol level,and horizontal immunity of growing pigs

An enriched environment is widely used to improve domestic animals’ welfare and promote their natural behaviors. Music can reduce abnormal behavior in humans, nonhuman primates, and rodents. However, little is known about the effects of music on pigs. This study aims to explore the effects of repeated music stimulation on the behavior, physiology, and immunity of growing pigs. A total of 72 hybrid piglets (Large White × Duroc × Minpig) were randomly divided into three groups, including music (Mozart K.448, 60 to 70 dB), noise (recorded mechanical noise, 80 to 85 dB), and control (natural background sound, <40 dB), and 6 h sound stimulation was given per day (1000 to 1600 hours) from 40 to 100 d of age. The behavioral activities of the pigs were observed during the music stimulation, and their serum cortisol, salivary cortisol, and serum immune indices were also measured. Compared with the control group, the music group and noise group increased activity but decreased lying of pigs (P < 0.05). A significant increase in tail-wagging, playing, and exploring behaviors of pigs was found in the music group (P < 0.05), and the noise significantly increased the aggressive behavior of the pigs (P < 0.05). Tail-wagging, playing, exploring, manipulating, and aggressive behaviors decreased over time. Short-term (8 d) music stimulus had a lower cortisol level than that of the noise and control groups (P < 0.05), whereas long-term (60 d) music stimulus increased immunoglobulin G (IgG), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels (P < 0.05) and decreased interleukin-4 (IL-4) level (P < 0.05). Long-term noise stimulus significantly reduced the level of IgG (P < 0.05) but did not affect the level of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ levels (P > 0.05). In conclusion, short-term music stimulus (8 d) reduced the stress response, whereas long-term music stimulus (60 d) enhanced the immune responses. In addition, the noise increased the aggressive behavior, and long-term noise reduced the immunity of the growing pigs.     

规模化畜牧养殖对生态环境的破坏及防治

近年,畜牧养殖业蓬勃发展,过去的区域化散养已经基本不存在,养殖结构逐渐向集约化、一体化、规模化过渡,养殖规模也逐渐增大。养殖副产品肉、蛋、奶等极大满足了人们的生产生活,养殖中产生的尿液、粪污对生态环境造成极大影响。为促进规模化养殖实现绿色健康发展,该文分析规模化畜牧养殖对生态环境的破坏及防治措施。     

畜牧养殖污染现状及综合治理对策

畜牧养殖业污染问题是畜牧养殖生产过程中的常见问题,对于养殖业也有一定的影响,直接影响畜牧产品质量及动物疫病防治工作。该文针对畜牧养殖业污染现状进行分析研究,阐述畜牧养殖污染问题现状,并综合新疆地区的畜牧养殖业发展状态,提出畜牧养殖污染问题综合治理的有效对策。     

动物细胞因子研究进展

细胞因子是免疫活性细胞和其它细胞分泌的具有多种生物活性的多肽或蛋白质 ,这些细胞因子是重要的信息传递物质 ,特别在免疫、炎症和造血系统等生物学反应过程中具有重要的作用。近几年 ,细胞因子的研究已成为生物学研究中最活跃的领域之一。新的细胞因子不断被发现 ,大量的细胞因子正在或将要应用于医学临床。细胞因子的研究带动了整个免疫学的发展。其应用展现出广阔的前景。文章简要介绍了动物细胞因子的作用及其应用前景 ,包括细胞因子与免疫抑制的关系、细胞因子在免疫增强剂和免疫治疗剂、构建新型基因工程苗以及细胞因子对于蛋白质、脂肪和葡萄糖代谢的调控作用等方面的主要研究进展     

玛沁县畜牧业现状及可持续发展对策

通过对玛沁县畜牧业发展现状的分析，总结多年来的经验，提出了畜牧业可持续发展的策略。     

A releaser pheromone that attracts methyltestosterone- treated immature fish in the urine of ovulated female rainbow trout

SUMMARY: Behavioral experiments concerning a releaser pheromone in the urine of female rainbow trout were performed using immature fish administered orally with 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) during the non-spawning season. The urine was collected by catheter. The frequency of entries of test fish was recorded in each channel scented by test and control solutions in a Y-maze trough. The behavior of both MT-treated and control fish demonstrated that they could not discriminate the differences between distilled and environmental water as control solutions. There was also no difference between MT-treated and control fish when distilled and environmental water were introduced. The MT-treated immature fish were attracted to the channel scented by ovulated female urine. Neither coelomic fluid nor the immature female urine had any effect on the behavioral responses of MT-treated fish, while immature control fish had no preference for the urine of ovulated females. These results suggest in rainbow trout that ovulated female urine contains a releaser pheromone to attract mature males, and that androgens are involved in the sensory mechanisms detecting the releaser pheromone in fish.     

Genotype evaluation,muscle histopathology and ultrastructure in a Duchenne muscular dystrophy animal model

AIM: To evaluate the genotype , muscle histopathology and ultrastructure in dko mice. METHODS: Dystrophin/Utrophin-deficient double knockouts (dko) mice were obtained from university of Oxford, UK. Genotype of filial generation of heterozygote was evaluated by PCR-SSP. HE staining and fluorescent immunohistochemistry by SABC-Cy3 were used to detect striated muscle of dko mouse, and the muscle ultrastructure was observed by transmission electron microscope(TEM). RESULTS: In 112 filial generation mice, there were 28 mdx (25.0%), 26 dko (23.2%) and 58 heterozygote (51.8%), which coincided with the law of Mendelian inheritance. HE staining showed that the myocytes were not very uniform, there were phenomenon of round outline, centrally nucleated fibers, widening interspace, inflammatory cell infiltration and connective tissue proliferation in dko mice. There were no any immunofluorescent expression of dystrophin and utrophin in sarcolemma in dko mice. TEM showed sarcolemma breakage, separation and edema, and loose myofibril texture, inflammatory cell infiltration and connective tissue proliferation in dko mice. CONCLUSION: PCR-SSP is a very quick and accurate way for genotype evaluation of filial generation. The pathophysiology of dko mouse was very similar to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and dko mouse is an ideal animal model for study of DMD clinical therapy.     

镉毒性研究进展

本文综述了动物生产领域对镉的研究结果。这些内容包括 :(1)镉的化学特性 ;(2)镉在自然界的分布 ;(3)镉的生物学作用 ;(4)镉在动物体内的吸收和排泄 ;(5)镉对动物的危害 ;(6)镉与其它物质之间的关系 ;(7)镉的需要量、中毒量及饲料中镉的最大允许量。     

共轭亚油酸(CLA)对动物营养效应研究进展

本文对共轭亚油酸对动物的免疫作用、抗癌及防止动脉粥样硬化作用、抗氧化作用等进行了综述 ,重点论述了共轭亚油酸的营养再分配作用 ,并对有待继续研究的问题进行了探讨。