EFEITOS DE MÊS, ORDEM E ESTÁDIO DE LACTAÇÃO SOBRE OS HORMÔNIOS TIREOIDEANOS DE VACAS E NOVILHAS HOLANDESAS

The aim of the present research work was to investigate the effects of thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and 3,5,3’ triiodothyronine (T3), on the mechanisms of lactation ando f thermal regulation and anergy balance, in regard to the month, the order and lactation stage from 18 heifers and 30 cows of the Holstein breed. Blood samples were withdrawed monthly for the hormones assay by the method of immunoenzymatic fluorometry. The month of blood sampling displayed na influence on the T3 levels, disclosing the higher levels in July and the lowest ones in March. Results on seric concentration of T4 showed significant effect on the lactation order (P<0.05) with lower values in cows from 2nd and 3rd lactation and higher values (P<0.005) in heifers, with no apparent effect in regard to the T3 concentrations. Heifers and dry cows T4 serum levels were the highest in January and the lowest in May, while cows in the middle and final third lactation displayed the heigher serum levels of T4 in September and the lower in November and May, respectively. The lactation stage had no influence on the T3 serum levelsOs hormônios tireoideanos participam da lactação, atuam na regulação térmica e no balanço energético. Objetivou-se investigar os efeitos de mês, ordem e estádio de lactação sobre os valores séricos de tiroxina (T4) e 3, 5, 3’ triiodotironina (T3) em 30 vacas e 18 novilhas da raça Holandesa Preta e Branca. As dosagens hormonais, pelo método fluorométrico imunoenzimático, foram efetuadas a partir de amostras sangüíneas colhidas mensalmente durante 11 meses. O mês de coleta influenciou (P<0,05) os valores séricos de T3, que foram maiores em julho e menores em março. As concentrações séricas de T4 indicaram diferenças entre ordens de lactação, com valores menores (P<0,05) nas vacas de 2a e 3a lactação e maiores (P<0,05) nas novilhas, não se verificando efeito sobre as concentrações de T3. Para T4 o efeito estádio de lactação dependeu do mês de coleta, em que vacas secas apresentaram valores séricos de T4 maiores em janeiro e menores em maio, enquanto que vacas nos terços médio e final da lactação apresentaram valores maiores em setembro e menores em novembro e maio, respectivamente. O estádio de lactação não influenciou as concentrações de T3

Functional molecular mass of rat hepatic lipase in liver, adrenal gland and ovary is different

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is functionally active only as a dimer. It is also generally assumed that the highly homologous hepatic lipase functions as a dimer, but no clear evidence has been presented. A hepatic lipase-like activity, also indicated as L-type lipase, is present in adrenal and ovary tissues. This enzyme is thought to originate from the liver and to be identical to hepatic lipase. We determined the functional molecular mass of hepatic lipase in rat liver, adrenal gland and ovary by radiation inactivation, a method for determining the functional size of a protein without the need of prior purification. Samples were exposed to ionizing radiation at -135 degrees C. Hepatic lipase activity in liver homogenate showed a single exponential decay. The functional molecular mass was calculated to be 63 +/- 10 kDa. Hepatic lipase activity in adrenal homogenate was found to have a functional molecular mass of 117 +/- 16 kDa. The functional molecular masses of the lipases partially purified from rat liver perfusate, adrenal homogenate or ovarian homogenate showed the same pattern, a target mass for the liver enzyme of 56 +/- 6 kDa and a target mass of 117 +/- 14 kDa for the enzyme from adrenal gland or ovary. In Western blot analysis the mass of the structural units of hepatic lipase in liver was 57 kDa and in adrenal and ovary tissue 51 kDa. We conclude that the functional unit of hepatic lipase in the liver is a monomer. The enzyme in adrenal gland and ovary is different from the liver and the functional unit may be a dimer

Consumer perception of Brazilian traced beef

The objective of this study was to determine consumers understanding of beef traceability, identifying how consumers value this meat and traceability elements to be presented on retail shelves. The method used in this study was a survey through the internet applying the Sphinx software. The sample consisted of 417 consumers, mostly living in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Consumers are aware of certified beef, consider it important, but this is not a demand. As to traced beef, most consumers (62.4%) are in favor of mandatory traceability of beef cattle in Brazil, but 86.6% disagree with the destination of traced beef only to the foreign market. The majority of people are willing to pay more for traced beef and consider traceability a market opportunity, used as a differentiating tool

Efficient differentiation of Corynebacterium striatum, Corynebacterium amycolatum and Corynebacterium xerosis clinical isolates by multiplex PCR using novel species-specific primers

A multiplex-PCR (mPCR) assay was designed with species-specific primers which generate amplicons of 226 bp, 434 bp and 106 bp for differentiating the species C. striatum, C. amycolatum, and C. xerosis, respectively. mPCR results were 100% in agreement with identifications achieved by 16S rRNA and rpoB gene sequencing and by VITEK-MS.This work was supported by grants from FAPESB (JCB0031/2013) and CAPES (PROCAD 071/2013)

Evaluation of HBV-Like circulation in wild and farm animals from Brazil and Uruguay

The origin of the hepatitis B virus is a subject of wide deliberation among researchers. As a result, increasing academic interest has focused on the spread of the virus in different animal species. However, the sources of viral infection for many of these animals are unknown since transmission may occur from animal to animal, human to human, animal to human, and human to animal. The aim of this study was to evaluate hepadnavirus circulation in wild and farm animals (including animals raised under wild or free conditions) from different sites in Brazil and Uruguay using serological and molecular tools. A total of 487 domestic wild and farm animals were screened for hepatitis B virus (HBV) serological markers and tested via quantitative and qualitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect viral DNA. We report evidence of HBsAg (surface antigen of HBV) and total anti-HBc (HBV core antigen) markers as well as low-copy hepadnavirus DNA among domestic and wild animals. According to our results, which were confirmed by partial genome sequencing, as the proximity between humans and animals increases, the potential for pathogen dispersal also increases. A wider knowledge and understanding of reverse zoonoses should be sought for an effective One Health response

Kiloparsec-scale Imaging of the CO(1-0)-traced cold molecular gas reservoir in a z similar to 3.4 submillimeter galaxy

We present a high-resolution study of the cold molecular gas as traced by CO(1-0) in the unlensed z similar to 3.4 submillimeter galaxy SMM J13120+4242, using multiconfiguration observations with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA). The gas reservoir, imaged on 0 ''.39 (similar to 3 kpc) scales, is resolved into two components separated by similar to 11 kpc with a total extent of 16 +/- 3 kpc. Despite the large spatial extent of the reservoir, the observations show a CO(1-0) FWHM linewidth of only 267 +/- 64 km s(-1). We derive a revised line luminosity of LCO(1-0)' = (10 +/- 3) x 10(10) K km s(-1) pc(2) and a molecular gas mass of M-gas = (13 +/- 3)x 10(10) (alpha(CO)/1) M-circle dot. Despite the presence of a velocity gradient (consistent with previous resolved CO(6-5) imaging), the CO(1-0) imaging shows evidence for significant turbulent motions that are preventing the gas from fully settling into a disk. The system likely represents a merger in an advanced stage. Although the dynamical mass is highly uncertain, we use it to place an upper limit on the CO-to-H-2 mass conversion factor a alpha(CO) of 1.4. We revisit the SED fitting, finding that this galaxy lies on the very massive end of the main sequence at z = 3.4. Based on the low gas fraction, short gas depletion time, and evidence for a central AGN, we propose that SMM J13120 is in a rapid transitional phase between a merger-driven starburst and an unobscured quasar. The case of SMM J13120 highlights how mergers may drive important physical changes in galaxies without pushing them off the main sequence.Galaxie