[Effects of gestation on serum macrominerals and microminerals in Arabian horse]

Background: Minerals are essential materials in animal reproduction. The determination of these elements is valuable in relation to different conditions in Arabian horses

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of pregnancy on certain macro and micro minerals in Arabian horses

Methods: Blood samples were collected from one hundred apparently healthy mares from different regions of Ahvaz including 50 pregnant mares [light, medium, heavy] and 50 non-pregnant mares. Macro-minerals [calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium and potassium] and micro-minerals [copper, zinc and iron] were measured, using standard common laboratory methods. Methods of O-cresol phetalein, Molybdate reduction, Xylidil blue were used for measurement of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium respectively. Flame photometry was used for measurement of sodium and potassium. Amounts of copper, zinc and iron were measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy

Results: In order to analyze the results, all the data was statistically compared by SPSS-17.0 software. The study of serum calcium levels between the pregnant and non-pregnant mares showed that the differences were not significant. In this study there was significant differences between serum phosphorus levels between pregnant and non-pregnant mares [p<0.05]. The serum phosphorus levels during different stages of pregnancy was significantly different [p<0.05], and the level of serum phosphorus during pregnancy declined in total compared to non-pregnant mares. Serum magnesium did not show significant differences between two groups. Serum sodium levels, compared to the other two groups, did not show significant changes. Changes in serum potassium levels showed significant difference between two groups of pregnant and non-pregnant mares [p<0.05]. The level of potassium in pregnant mare's serum was less than non-pregnant, and the least level of this element was seen in medium pregnancy

Conclusions: Except phosphorus, potassium and zinc, other minerals did not affected different stages of pregnancy. Although the relationship between these changes and pregnancy can be the result of physiological processes, the other factors such as parity, age, nutrition, season, weather conditions and other factors should not be ignored in the evaluation

[ effects of age, sex, season and reproductive states on thyroid function of Arab horses in Khuzestan]

The thyroid gland, as one of the important endogenous glands of the body, controls the physiological function of other organs by secretion of T3 and T4. Alteration in thyroid hormone concentrations may influence the function of different organs and express various clinical symptoms. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of different environmental and physiological parameters on serum thyroid hormones [T4, T3, FT4 and FT3] concentrations of Arab horses in Khuzestan province. Blood samples were collected from 240 horses during four different seasons. The ELISA method was used for hormone assay. The results were analyzed using SAS software. The results indicate that the serum concentrations [Least square means +/- standard error of mean] of T4, T3, FT4 and FT3 were 45.1 +/- 1.4 [nmol/L], 1.5 +/- 0.03[nmol/L], 13.6 +/- 0.31[pmol/L] and 5.5 +/- 0.12 [pmol/L], respectively. The serum levels of the hormones were higher in winter [cold season] than summer [warm season]. There was no significant difference between female and male. Foals had higher serum levels of the hormones than other age groups [p<0.05]. The environmental and physiological conditions significantly influenced the serum concentration of hormones as in pregnant horses it was less than non-pregnant females

Feeding effect of cholesterol in the diet on sex hormones concentrations and the gonads' growth of yearling common carp [Cyprinus carpio]

There are some evidences that cholesterol can affect fish reproductive system. In this study the effect of high diet cholesterol on fish sex hormones and gonads weight was investigated. A randomized experiment was conducted on 90 immature common carp. The fishes were divided into three groups with three replicates each [control, 0.5% cholesterol diet, and 1% cholesterol diet]. After one-month feeding, progesterone, estrogen and testosterone were measured. The level of progesterone in control group, 0.5% cholesterol and 1% cholesterol diet were 1.83 +/- 0.42, 2.45 +/- 0.38 and 2.62 +/- 0.52 ng/ml, respectively. Also the level of estrogen in control group, 0.5% and 1% cholesterol diet were 3670.34 +/- 186.26, 3791.20 +/- 98.48, and 3836.78 +/- 81.74 pg/ml, respectively., while those of testosterone levels were 1.75 +/- 0.319, 2.09 +/- 0.425, and 2.25 +/- 0.321 ng/ml, respectively. The highest and the lowest body weight and gonad weight were observed in fish fed% 1 cholesterol and the control, respectively. The results showed positive effects of cholesterol on sexual hormones, the 0.5% cholesterol diet and the 1% cholesterol diet did not show any significant difference in the sexual hormones levels. The results indicated that the effect of cholesterol on the these sex hormones, gonad weight, body length and body weight was significant [p<0.01]. We can conclude that diets of 0.5% cholesterol can be used to increase the amount of sexual hormones in common carp

Comparison of PCR and bacterial culture methods for diagnosis of dairy cattle's subclinical mastitis caused by staphylococcus aureus

To compare PCR and bacterial culture methods for diagnosis of subclinical mastitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus, 100 milk samples from cattle with subclinical mastitis and 20 samples from healthy cattle were collected and tested. The samples were cultured on selective blood agar and bacteria were identified by standard methods. DNA extracted from samples was subjected to PCR reaction with species specific primers and PCR products were analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Based on the PCR results the prevalence of subclinical mastitis due to S. aureus was 25%. In the bacteriological culture of single milk sampling, S. aureus was isolated from the same samples being positive in PCR. A correlation of 100% was found between PCR and single milk sampling culture method by Mc Nemar test. All of the CMT negative samples were also negative in culture and PCR methods. The results of this study indicate that the PCR reaction is sensitive and specific for diagnosis of S. aureus in subclinical mastitis and can detect this pathogen in milk samples at species level in few hours