Effect of Simulated Microgravity on Metabolite Concentrations in the Muscles and Liver of Developing Japanese Quail Chicks

Hypodynamy is the most frequently used ground-based model to study the negative consequences of microgravity on an animal organism. The objective of the current experiment was to examine the influence of hypodynamy on the growth and development of the breast muscle, thigh muscles and liver in female Japanese quail chicks from 3 to 56 d of age. Samples of muscles and liver were obtained at 1, 14, 28, 42 and 56 d; the variables studied were: weight (g), relative weight (%), dry matter (mg/g) and content of total proteins, total lipids and glycogen (mg/g). The actual weight of breast muscle, thigh muscles and liver gradually increased with age of quail in both groups. However, the experimental birds exposed to hypodynamy showed a reduction in growth relative to age-matched control. At the end of testing, the body weight of the hypodynamy group was significantly lesser than that of control (P P < 0.05). On the contrary, the differences in the content of total protein and glycogen in muscles and liver of both groups were not significant at the end of experiment. These results provide further evidence that, although hypodynamy affects the examined variables of selected skeletal muscles and liver, the female Japanese quail is able to develop under conditions of simulated weightlessness

Effect of Simulated Microgravity on Sexual Development of Male Japanese Quail

Hypodynamia can be used to simulate weightlessness in laboratory conditions. The objective of our study was to investigate the effects of chronic hypodynamia on the growth and development of the testes and cloacal gland, and plasma testosterone concentration in Japanese quail. The testis weight in males reared under hypodynamia was significantly lower compared to agematched control between 21 and 63 days of age (P P P P < 0.05), with the exception of day 56. These results provide further evidence that although hypodynamia negatively affects the examined variables, the male Japanese quail is able to develop normally under conditions of simulated weightlessness

Plasma biochemistry RIs and age effect in European Strigiformes

Blood biochemistry and hematology are essential in the laboratorydiagnosis of disease. In Strigiformes, little information regarding reference valuesand influence of different preanalytic factors is available, while age is known to havean effect on some biochemistry analytes, especially in early life characterized by arapid growth rate and increase in body mass