The combination of melatonin implants and prostaglandin F2 alpha improves lamb production in a late-autumn mating season

To determine the effect of the combination of melatonin implants and prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha on reproductive performance in the late breeding season (Dec at the northern hemisphere), 500 Lacaune ewes were divided into four groups. On day 0 (7 Nov), 150 ewes were treated with a melatonin (M) implant. From that group, 64 ewes (M + 1PGF group) were injected with 10-mg prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha 34 d after melatonin implantation (11 Dec). The remaining 86 ewes (M group) were treated with melatonin, only. Another group of 75 ewes (2PGF group) was treated with double injection of PGF2 alpha (9 days between the first and second application) (2 and 11 Dec), and 75 non-treated ewes (C group) were the control group. The remaining 200 ewes of the flock were not considered in the study. Rams (n = 23) were introduced on 11 Dec. The percentage of prolificacy, lambing and fecundity rates were calculated. Lambing rate did not differ among groups (M: 79%; M + 1PGF: 78%; 2PGF: 69%; C: 71%). The M + 1PGF group had a higher % of prolificacy than the 2PGF group (P < 0.10) and the C group (P = 0.06) (M: 1.65 +/- 0.07; M + 1PGF: 1.74 +/- 0.09; 2PGF: 1.54 +/- 0.08; C: 1.54 +/- 0.07 lambs/lambing) (P < 0.05), and a higher fecundity than the 2PGF group (P < 0.05) and the C group (P < 0.10) (M: 1.30 +/- 0.09; M + 1PGF: 1.36 +/- 0.11; 2PGF: 1.07 +/- 0.10; C: 1.08 +/- 0.09 lambs/ewe). Ewes implanted with melatonin had significantly higher prolificacy (1.69 +/- 0.06 lambs/lambing) (P < 0.05) and fecundity (1.33 +/- 0.07 lambs/ewe) (P = 0.01) than did ewes that did not receive melatonin (1.54 +/- 0.04 and 1.08 +/- 0.04, resp.). In conclusion, melatonin implants increased the number of lambs born per ewe in a late-autumn mating season, and the effect was greatest if it was given in combination with PGF2 alpha administration at ram introduction

Circadian, feeding, and locomotor activities of artificially reared lambs measured by actigraphy

Eight artificially reared lambs were used to study locomotory and feeding activities in the first three weeks of life by actigraphy. Lambs were fitted with a Bluetooth-enabled (BT) accelerometer and data were downloaded as activity counts at 1-min intervals (Vector Magnitude, VM). Sensors were programmed to act as beacons, and two sensors programmed as receivers were installed next to the rubber nipples of the milk feeder and recorded the serial numbers and labels of other nearby beacons through the BT signals. Mean (±SE) VM was 140 ± 3 counts/min, and time of day and week had significant (P < 0.001) effects. Overall activity did not differ significantly between sexes (males: 139 ± 5; females: 142 ± 5). The proportion of lambs that exhibited a 24-h circadian rhythm decreased with age (week 1 = 75%, week 2 = 63%, week 3 = 50%). Mean number of suckling sessions/day was 3.7 ± 0.2, the mean number of minutes suckling/day was 12.5 ± 0.9, and mean number of minutes/meal was 3.5 ± 0.2. Males dedicated more time/meal than females (males: 4.1 ± 0.4; females: 3.0 ± 0.2 min; P < 0.05). In conclusion, actigraphy is a useful tool for investigating the locomotor and feeding behaviour of artificially reared lambs, which detected a reduction in the circadian rhythmicity and the number of suckling sessions with age

A preliminary study of the effects of organic farming on oocyte quality in ewe lambs

This study tested whether feeding Rasa Aragonesa ewes certified organic feed, from 15 days before mating until lamb weaning, improved oocyte quality and in vitro maturation (IVM) and fertilization (IVF) performances of the offspring. In a second experiment, ovaries from ewe lambs that were bred on an organic farm and were of the same breed were compared with those from conventionally bred animals. The number (± standard error of the mean) of healthy oocytes per ewe lamb did not differ significantly between organic (12.2 ± 3.3) and conventionally (13.6 ± 4.0) fed ewes. Ovaries from ewe lambs born on an organic farm had significantly (P < 0.0001) more healthy oocytes per ewe lamb (39.6 ± 5.2) than did those born on a conventional farm (25.0 ± 4.2), and higher IVM (76.5% vs. 53.1%, P < 0.0001) and IVF (97.3 vs. 91%, P < 0.05) rates. In conclusion, this preliminary approach to the study of the effect of organic procedures on the sheep oocyte quality indicates that the total integration in the complete organic system improved the oocyte quality of ewe lambs, although organic feeding alone was insufficient to improve quality

Effects of melatonin implants on locomotor activity, body temperature, and growth of lambs fed a concentrate-based diet

Melatonin is involved in the regulation of circadian rhythms and is implicated in seasonal reproduction in sheep. In several physiological mechanisms, it acts as an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory molecule, regulating energy metabolism. This work investigated the effects of melatonin implants at 30 days of age on locomotor activity (LA), body temperature, and growth of fattening female and male lambs. Sixty lambs were divided into two groups: one of which received melatonin (MEL, 15 males, 16 females) and a control group (CTR, 16 males, 14 females). In the melatonin group, two 18 mg melatonin implants were placed at 30 days of age. Lambs were fattened for 6 weeks from weaning (45 days of age) to slaughter (85 days). The feed conversion rate (FCR) was calculated based on live weight and the amount of concentrate consumed. LA was measured weekly by actigraphy, and circadian rhythmicity was calculated. Rectal (Trec) and surface temperatures (Tsur) were recorded in the last week of fattening, and subcutaneous fat thickness (FT) over the longissimus dorsi muscle was measured by ultrasound scanning. Treatment did not affect FCR, although MEL female lambs consumed significantly (P < 0.001) less concentrate than CTR lambs. Treatment and sex had a significant (P < 0.05) interaction effect on FT; specifically, FT was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in female MEL lambs (3.22 ± 0.21 mm) than in female CTR lambs (2.57 ± 0.24 mm), but FT in males did not differ between MEL (2.77 ± 0.21) and CTR (2.94 ± 0.24 mm) lambs. Overall activity was significantly (P < 0.001) lower in the MEL lambs (72.22 ± 0.10 counts/min) than in the CTR lambs (78.89 ± 0.12 counts/min). MEL lambs had a significantly (P < 0.01) lower Trec (CTR: 39.00 ± 0.07; MEL: 38.68 ± 0.10) and Tsur for all body regions evaluated than the CTR lambs. In conclusion, treatment with exogenous melatonin at 30 days of age increased food efficiency in fattening female lambs, probably, because of the lower metabolism in treated lambs, which was reflected by the lower body temperature and LA exhibited by these animals. In addition, the study has demonstrated the effect of exogenous melatonin in the growth performances of post-weaning lambs, and that its effects depend on animal sex, which suggests that treatments that target females might be most appropriate in the fattening period

Performance evaluation of two slow-medium growing chicken strains maintained under organic production system during different seasons

A total of 160 1-day-old medium-growing male chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus) were raised for 120 days in a certified organic farming system. A total of two strains were studied (Coloryield, CY; RedBro, RB). Overall, two weather periods were considered based on the outdoor temperature, being S1 colder than S2. In total, 40 chicks per strain were assigned to each period (n = 80). Chickens were fed ad libitum with the same organic feeds. In the first month, chickens were kept indoors and, from day 30, they had access to the pasture. Slaughter live weight (LW), average daily gains, (ADG), the feed conversion ratio (FCR), and mortality rates did not differ between the two strains. LW was (p < 0.05) higher in the S1 and a trend (p = 0.084) was observed for ADG, which was higher in S1. No differences were found for feed intake, FCR, and mortality rates between weather periods. There were no differences for coefficient of variation (CV) between the strains studied, nevertheless, CV for LW in S2 was increased. Differences in the productive performance between these strains raised in organic production systems were slight. However, chickens raised in S1 had a better performance. It would be preferable to raise chickens in these weather conditions whenever possible. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Auditory, Olfactory and Tactile Contact is not an Obstacle for Studies Involving Hormonal Interrelationships

Thirty-two ewes were used to determine whether individual housing, allowing contact with neighbours, induces a stress response. Ewes were housed in individual pens designed to allow the ewes to see, hear, smell and touch adjacent animals, and were distributed into four groups (n=8/group): ewes with subcutaneous implants containing melatonin and oestradiol (M+E), melatonin (M), oestradiol (E) and non-implanted control ewes (C). Heart rate, stress indicators (plasma cortisol, glucose, lactate and creatine kinase (CK) concentrations) and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations were measured hourly and compared with the resting values (before and after pen housing). Heart rate increased significantly during the introduction into the pen (P&lt;0.001) in all groups, in comparison with the resting values. No significant differences between groups were observed for cortisol concentrations, with the exception of the M group, which showed the highest response (P&lt;0.001) when ewes were introduced into the pens. Lactate, CK and glucose changes in comparison with the resting values were similar between groups. LH concentrations during pen housing decreased significantly in all groups in comparison with resting values. In conclusion, individual confinement of sheep allowing visual, auditory, olfactory and tactile contact with their neighbouring animals was not an obstacle for investigating particular hormonal interrelationships with multiple sampling procedures. However further investigations are required to determine if this conclusion applies to other hormone systems in sheep

La colaboración empresa-universidad en el ámbito de las razas ovinas autóctonas españolas: el ejemplo de Melovine

Se describe la colaboración establecida desde los años 90 hasta la actualidad entre un laboratorio veterinario (CEVA Salud Animal) y una universidad española (Universidad de Zaragoza), con la hormona pineal melatonina como eje. Los objetivos fundamentales han sido la descripción de los mecanismos básicos de actuación de esta hormona sobre la estacionalidad reproductiva de la especie ovina y la realización de pruebas de campo en ganaderías comerciales españolas, en un buen número de razas autóctonas, con el fin de difundir los resultados obtenidos en condiciones reales de explotación. Este hecho ha involucrado a todos los eslabones del sector ovino español, desde el laboratorio, el ganadero, la cooperativa, el veterinario, las asociaciones de defensa sanitaria, las administraciones públicas, las asociaciones de razas, coordinados todos ellos por un departamento universitario. Se ha trabajado con las razas autóctonas Castellana, Churra, Latxa, Manchega, Merina, Ojalada, Ojinegra, Rasa Aragonesa, Ripollesa y Segureña, además de otras como la Assaf y Lacaune. Se han descrito protocolos de uso de los implantes de melatonina en ovejas adultas, corderas y moruecos, en distintos momentos fisiológicos y sistemas de explotación. Todos ellos han sido difundidos al sector ovino español a través de publicaciones científicas y técnicas y a través de congresos, ponencias y cursos destinados a veterinarios y ganaderos

Tibial Periosteum For The Surgical Perforation

Purpose: Report a successful case of scleral perforation repair, refractive to treatment with bank-scleral graft, using pretibial periosteum graft patch. Case Report: A patient who suffered a traumatic scleral perforation was treated unsuccessfully with bank-scleral patch graft. An autologous pretibial periosteal patch graft was then obtained and sutured to the scleral rupture with the osteogenic layer facing the sclera. The periosteum patch was covered by amniotic membrane and conjunctiva. Results: Early vascularization was observed in the first seven days postoperative. The autologous periosteal patch graft and conjunctiva remained stable over a follow-up period of 6 months. Conclusion: An autologous periosteal patch graft could be a good alternative after a non-successful bank-scleral patch repair of a scleral perforatio

METHANOGENESIS IN RABBIT CAECUM AS AFFECTED BY THE FERMENTATION PATTERN: IN VITRO AND IN VIVO MEASUREMENTS

[EN] Methane formation and caecal fermentation patterns were studied in vivo and in vitro in 16 white New Zealand rabbits (70-80 d and 2.27 ± 0.064 kg) allocated to four diets formulated to have a similar neutral detergent fibre (33.8±0.53%) and protein (17.7±0.33%) content, with two different fibre sources (alfalfa hay, AH or sugar beet pulp, SP) and starch (wheat or maize). Animals received the diet for 16 to 20 days before methane production was measured in vivo in a respiratory chamber. Animals were subsequently slaughtered at approximately 9:00 and caecal contents were sampled and used as inoculum for in vitro incubations to determine gas and methane production. Volatile fatty acid (VFA) and purine base (PB) concentrations were determined from both caecal content and incubation medium after 6 h. Total VFA concentration in caecal content decreased (P<0.05) in rabbits fed AH-maize diet compared with rabbits fed AH-wheat and SP-maize diets (37.7 vs. 59.6 mM), with those fed SP-wheat showing an intermediate value (53.0 mM). Fermentation pattern was affected when maize was the source of starch compared to wheat, with lower acetate (0.72 vs. 0.79; P<0.01) and higher butyrate (0.19 vs. 0.14; P<0.001) molar proportions. Fermentation in vivo vs. in vitro showed some differences (molar proportions of acetate, 0.76 vs. 0.73, P<0.001, and propionate, 0.069 vs. 0.091, P<0.001, in vivo and in vitro, respectively), probably due to differences in pH (6.0 vs. 6.7 in vivo and in vitro; P<0.001). Only 2 out of 16 rabbits produced a substantial volume of methane in vivo (on average, 12.6 ml/BW0.75/d or 0.56 mmol/BW0.75/d), showing a high inter-individual variability that hindered comparison of treatment differences. In contrast, methane was detected in vitro in all cases and volumes were more homogenous, a higher formation (P<0.05) being observed with maize compared to wheat. A similar effect was shown in total gas production. The low methane production and H2 recovery suggest the importance of H2 disposal mechanisms other than methanogenesis, such as reductive acetogenesis. PB concentration in caecal content and the incubation medium, as an index of microbial concentration, was highest when SP was added with maize (P<0.05).For the realisation of this work, A. Belenguer and L. Abecia received grants from the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science and the Basque Government, respectively. This work was financed by the Diputación General de Aragón through project DGA PM095/2006.Belenguer, A.; Fondevila, M.; Balcells, J.; Abecia, L.; Lachica, M.; Carro, M. (2011). METHANOGENESIS IN RABBIT CAECUM AS AFFECTED BY THE FERMENTATION PATTERN: IN VITRO AND IN VIVO MEASUREMENTS. World Rabbit Science. 19(2):75-83. doi:10.4995/wrs.2011.826SWORD758319

Utilidad de la enterotomografía en la hemorragia digestiva de origen oscuro

ResumenNuestro objetivo es describir la técnica y los hallazgos de la enterotomografía (ETC) en la hemorragia digestiva de origen oscuro (HDOO). Esta entidad constituye un sangrado digestivo que persiste o recurre sin una causa identificable tras la realización de una videoendoscopia digestiva alta (VEDA) y una colonoscopia convencional (CC). Se subclasifica en evidente (HDOO-E) u oculta (HDOO-O), según la presencia o ausencia de sangrado visible en la materia fecal. En el 40-70% de los casos el sitio de la hemorragia se encuentra en el intestino delgado. En los jóvenes prevalecen los tumores como etiología, mientras que en los de mayor edad predominan las angiodisplasias intestinales.La ETC consiste en la administración de contraste neutro de alta viscosidad por vía oral para lograr la correcta distensión de las asas del intestino delgado y/o el colon. El contraste endovenoso permite una correcta valoración y caracterización de las alteraciones con asiento en la mucosa y pared del intestino. La capacidad diagnóstica de la ETC es de aproximadamente el 40%.AbstractThe aim of this article is to describe the imaging technique and CT enterography (CTE) findings in obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB). This condition is defined as the gastrointestinal bleeding of unknown origin that persists or recurs after having performed an upper endoscopy (UE) and a conventional colonoscopy (CC). Considering the presence or absence of visible bleeding in the stool, OGIB is classified as evident (OGIB–E) or occult (OGIB–O). In 40-70% of cases the bleeding source is found in the small bowel. The most common cause in young patients is neoplastic, while they are angiodysplasias in older patients.The CTE consists of previously administering an oral neutral contrast material, which distends the small and large bowel. Intravenous contrast allows the correct visualization and interpretation of mucosal and parietal lesions. The CTE diagnostic yield is approximately 40%