Altrenogest during early pregnancy modulates uterine glandular epithelium and endometrial growth factor expression at the time implantation in pigs

This study evaluated the effects of supplying altrenogest from day 6-12 of pregnancy on the endometrial glandular epithelium, corpora lutea (CL) morphology, and endometrial and CL gene expression. A total of 12 crossbred females (Landrace × Large White) were used. The females were assigned to 4 treatments according to a random design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with two categories (sow or gilt) and two treatments (non-treated and treated with altrenogest). On day 6 of pregnancy, animals were allocated to one of the following groups: non-treated (NT, n = 6; 3 sows and 3 gilts), and (T, n = 6; 3 sows and 3 gilts) treated daily with 20 mg of altrenogest, from day 6-12 of pregnancy. All animals were euthanized on day 13 of pregnancy. All CLs were individually weighed, and their volume were determined. The endometrial glandular density (GD), mean glandular area (MGA), and vascular density (VD) were determined by histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analyses. Endometrium samples were collected and analyzed by qRT-PCR to evaluate the abundance of transcripts for VEGF and IGF-I. Females in the T group had higher MGA (P < 0.05) compared to the NT group. There was no effect of treatment on GD or VD for both experimental groups. Sows in the T group had augmented expression of IGF-I (P < 0.05). Progestagen had no detrimental effect on CL morphology. In conclusion, altrenogest improves the uterine environment during the peri-implantation period in pigs without compromising corpora lutea development

Identification of bacterial pathogens causing metritis in pigs using culture and metagenomic analysis

As descargas vulvares e as infecções urogenitais, cujos sinais clínicos mais frequentes incluem a presença de secreção purulenta na região vulvar, falha reprodutiva, inapetência e má condição corporal das fêmeas, provocam graves prejuízos econômicos aos produtores de suínos. No entanto, os agentes etiológicos envolvidos, sua suscetibilidade a antimicrobianos, bem como a população bacteriana residente do trato reprodutivo de fêmeas suínas sadias são temas pouco estudados, impedindo uma avaliação crítica dos tratamentos atualmente empregados. Desse modo, os objetivos deste estudo foram isolar e identificar agentes presentes em descargas vulvares purulentas de porcas utilizando a cultura bacteriana tradicional, bem como caracterizar a microbiota vaginal de fêmeas com e sem descarga vulvar, pela metagenômica do gene 16S rRNA. Os isolados de Escherichia coli foram avaliados ainda quanto à presença de genes relacionados a infecções extraintestinais (ExPEC). A partir dos 310 animais estudados foi identificada uma ampla variedade de espécies bacterianas em fêmeas com descargas vulvares purulentas e em fêmeas saudáveis. Entre os principais agentes identificados estão E. coli, Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., Corynebacterium diphtheriae e Trueperella pyogenes. As estirpes de E. coli apresentaram diversos fatores de virulência associados à ExPEC, principalmente, as isoladas de fêmeas com descarga vulvar, e mais de 93% delas foram consideradas multirresistentes. A análise metagenômica revelou predominância de gêneros semelhantes aos identificados pelo MALDI-TOF MS, como Escherichia- Shigella, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, porém revelou outros agentes de potencial patogênico em maior abundância e associados nas fêmeas com descarga vulvar purulenta, como Bacteroides pyogenes, Streptococcus dysgalactiae e Trueperella pyogenes.Vulvar discharges and urogenital infections cause serious economic damage to pig producers, whose most frequent clinical signs include the presence of purulent secretion in the vulvar region, reproductive failure, lack of appetite and poor body condition of the sows. However, the etiological agents involved in these infections, the susceptibility of these agents to antimicrobials, as well as the bacterial population resident in the reproductive tract of swine females are poorly studied, which makes it difficult to critically evaluate the treatments currently employed. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to isolate and identify the agents present in purulent vulvar discharges of sows by traditional bacterial culture, as well as to characterize the vaginal microbiome of sows with and without purulent vulvar discharges, through the metagenomics of the 16SrRNA gene. In addition, Escherichia coli isolates were evaluated for the presence of genes related to extraintestinal infections (ExPEC). MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry made it possible to identify a wide variety of bacteria in the reproductive canal of swine females. Escherichia coli, Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp., Corynebacterium diphtheriae and Trueperella pyogenes are among the main isolated agents. Escherichia coli strains have several of the virulence factors associated with ExPEC, mainly in females with vulvar discharge, and more than 93% of them were considered multidrug resistant. The metagenomic analysis pointed out predominant genera similar to those indicated by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, such as Escherichia-Shigella, Streptococcus, and Staphylococcus, but also revealed other agents of pathogenic potential in higher abundance and associated in females with purulent vulvar discharge, such as Bacteroides pyogenes, Streptococcus dysgalactiae and Trueperella pyogenes

INFLUÊNCIA DA NUTRIÇÃO NA REPRODUÇÃO DAS MATRIZES SUÍNAS

In an attempt to increase the number of piglets weaned per sow per year, genetic improvement has made sows hyperprolific, leading to increased milk production, number of piglets born, reduced voluntary intake, greater deposition of muscle tissue and lower adipose tissue reserves. This reduced feed intake is a concern, especially in primiparous sows, since during lactation, they mobilize their body reserves to compensate for the reduced intake and meet the nutritional demand for milk production. Hyperprolific sows have higher nutritional requirements and therefore require a differentiated nutritional program in order to avoid severe reproductive and productive impairments. Several studies have been developed and new ones will still be necessary to adapt the nutritional demand in the different phases to the productive profile of the sows, in order to extend the reproductive life of sows.Na busca de se aumentar o número de leitões desmamados por porca ao ano, o melhoramento genético tornou as matrizes suínas hiperporlíficas , levando ao aumento na produção de leite, número de leitões nascidos, a redução no consumo voluntário, a maior deposição de tecido muscular e menores reservas de tecido adiposo. Esse reduzido consumo de ração é preocupante principalmente em primíparas , pois durante a lactação, mobilizam suas reservas corporais para compensar a ingestão reduzida e atender a demanda nutricional para a produção de leite. As matrizes hiperprolíficas apresentam exigências nutricionais mais elevadas e por isso necessitam de um programa nutricional diferenciado, de modo a evitar severos comprometimentos reprodutivos e produtivos . Diversos estudos vêm sendo desenvolvidos e novos ainda serão necessáiios para adequar a demanda nutricional nas diferentes fases ao perfil produtivo das fêmeas, a fim de prolongar a vida útil reprodutiva das matrizes suínas

Antimicrobial Resistance Profile of Staphylococcus hyicus Strains Isolated from Brazilian Swine Herds

Staphylococcus hyicus is the causative agent of porcine exudative epidermitis. This disorder affects animals in all producing countries and presents a widespread occurrence in Brazil. This study evaluated strains from a historical collection in order to detect the presence of exfoliative-toxin-encoding genes (SHETB, ExhA, ExhB, ExhC, ExhD), characterize the strains using PFGE, and determine their respective antimicrobial resistance profiles. The results obtained from the evaluation of 77 strains from 1982 to 1987 and 103 strains from 2012 reveal a significant change in resistance profiles between the two periods, especially regarding the antimicrobial classes of fluoroquinolones, amphenicols, lincosamides, and pleuromutilins. The levels of multidrug resistance observed in 2012 were significantly higher than those detected in the 1980s. It was not possible to correlate the resistance profiles and presence of genes encoding toxins with the groups obtained via PFGE. Only 10.5% of the strains were negative for exfoliative toxins, and different combinations of toxins genes were identified. The changes observed in the resistance pattern of this bacterial species over the 30-year period analyzed indicate that S. hyicus could be a useful indicator in resistance monitoring programs in swine production. In a country with animal protein production such as Brazil, the results of this study reinforce the need to establish consistent monitoring programs of antimicrobial resistance in animals, as already implemented in various countries of the world

Altrenogest Supplementation during Early Pregnancy Improves Reproductive Outcome in Pigs

Progesterone plays an important role in initial conceptus development and in a successful pregnancy, but results related to progesterone or its analogues (altrenogest) supplementation in early pregnancy of pigs are conflicting. The present study evaluated the effects of altrenogest supplementation in sows during days 6 and 12 of pregnancy on reproductive performance. On day 6 of pregnancy, 301 females were allocated at random to one of the following treatments: CON (Control: non-supplemented females, n = 163) or ALT (females daily supplemented with 20 mg of altrenogest, orally, from day 6 to 12 of pregnancy, n = 138). Ovulation was considered as occurred at 48 h after the first estrus detection to standardize the first day of pregnancy. The supplementation increased the number of total piglets born (ALT: 17.3 &plusmn; 0.4; CON: 16.6 &plusmn; 0.4), piglets born alive (ALT: 15.6 &plusmn; 0.4; CON: 14.8 &plusmn; 0.3), and placenta weight (ALT: 4.2 &plusmn; 0.1; CON: 3.8 &plusmn; 0.1) and decreased the stillbirth rate (ALT: 5.9 &plusmn; 0.6; CON: 7.6 &plusmn; 0.6) and the number of piglets born weighing less than 800 g (ALT: 6.6 &plusmn; 0.6; CON: 8.0 &plusmn; 0.6), without impairment on farrowing rate. These results demonstrated that altrenogest supplementation on swine females between days 6 and 12 of pregnancy may be used to improve reproductive performance

Estrus Synchronization of Replacement Gilts Using Estradiol Cipionate and PGF2&alpha; and Its Effects on Reproductive Outcomes

In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of using estrogen-induced prolonged luteal function followed by prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2&alpha;) treatment to synchronize estrus in gilts. On day12 of the estrus cycle (D0 = first day of standing estrus), 52 gilts were assigned at random to two experimental groups: non-treated gilts (CON, n = 22), serving as controls, and prolonged luteal function group (CYP, n = 30), receiving a single treatment with 10 mg of estradiol cypionate intramuscularly Starting on day 12, blood samples were collected for estradiol and progesterone assays. Estrus detection started on day 17. Gilts from the CON group were inseminated at the onset of natural estrus. On day 28 CYP gilts were treated with PGF2&alpha; to induce luteolysis and inseminated at the onset of estrus. Gilts were slaughtered 5 d after the last insemination. A single treatment with estradiol cypionate prolonged luteal function in 90% of treated gilts. The duration of the estrous cycle was longer (p &lt; 0.0001) for CYP gilts compared to CON gilts. CYP gilts showed synchronized estrus 3.96 &plusmn; 0.19 d after induction of luteolysis. The conception rate was similar (p = 0.10) for CON and CYP gilts. No difference was observed in the embryo recovery rate (p = 0.18) and total number of embryos per female (p = 0.06). The percentage of unfertilized oocytes, fragmented embryos and viable embryos was similar among females from CON and CYP groups (p &gt; 0.05). The treatment of gilts with a single application of 10 mg of estradiol cypionate on day 12 of the estrous cycle was effective in prolonging luteal function and treatment with PGF2&alpha; resulted in synchronized estrus. Additionally, the synchronization protocol had no deleterious effect on fertility and embryonic development

Causes of Sow Mortality and Risks to Post-Mortem Findings in a Brazilian Intensive Swine Production System

The present study was conducted to investigate the risk factors for post-mortem findings and causes of sow mortality. A post-mortem examination and microbiological investigation were conducted on 123 sows from a breeding herd with 15,000 dams. The mortality of spontaneous death in sows occurred mostly in the peripartum period (53%; p &lt; 0.05). The spontaneous deaths were associated with heart failures, hemorrhagic and perforating gastric ulcers, and liver torsion, while in the euthanized sows, the post-mortem findings were associated with locomotor disorders. A higher body condition score (BCS &ge; 3.5) increased (p &lt; 0.05) heart failure on the post-mortem examination. The excessive use of manual obstetric interventions increased sow deaths resulting from cervix/uterus ruptures and increased the odds of death (p &lt; 0.05) due to metritis. Sow mortality had a multifactorial etiology. Infections were polymicrobial. The main microbial agents identified from a septic lesion in locomotor, genitourinary, and respiratory systems were Trueperella pyogenes, Escherichia coli, and Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, respectively. In conclusion, sow mortality involved multiple risk factors and several bacterial agents. These results indicate that better management practices can reduce sow mortality in swine production and increase sow welfare