Índices de eficiência reprodutiva de búfalos da Amazônia Oriental do Brasil / Indices of reproductive efficiency of buffaloes of the Brazilian Eastern Amazon

Foram avaliados registros de manejo reprodutivo de búfalos das raças Jafarabadi, Murrah, Mediterrâneo, Carabao e Tipo Baio, bem como seus mestiços, no período de 1983 a 2005. Estudaram-se as características reprodutivas: idade à primeira cria (média de 1052,52±120,45 dias), intervalo de partos (média de 399,69±23,78 dias), eficiência reprodutiva (média de 91,09±1,89%), fertilidade real adaptada (média de 29,30±4,40 quilogramas de bezerro parido por ano), produtividade ao primeiro parto adaptada (média de 33,75±6,89 quilogramas) e produtividade acumulada adaptada (média de 22,86±6,55 quilogramas de bezerro parido por ano). Foram verificadas influências do ano de parto e o grau de sangue da fêmea sobre as características estudadas, o que indica que tais efeitos devem ser incluídos na avaliação genética e na seleção dos animais. Os índices produtivos utilizados mostraram-se de grande valia para a seleção, devendo ser mais estudadas suas interações relativas ao desempenho geral do rebanho.

We evaluated records of reproductive management Jaffarabadi buffalo breeds, Murrah, Mediterranean, Carabao and Baio types, and their crosses, in the period from 1983 to 2005. We studied the following reproductive characteristics: Age at first calving (mean 1052.52±120.45 days), calving interval (399.69±23.78 mean days), Reproductive Efficiency (average 91.09±1, 89%), Real Adapted Fertility (average 29.30±4.40kg calf calved each year), the First Labor Productivity Adapted (mean 33.75±6.89kg) and Accumulated Productivity Adapted (mean 22.86±6.55kg calf calved each year). Influences were observed in the year of delivery and degree of blood on the female traits, suggesting that such effects should be included in genetic evaluation and selection of animals. The production indices used were of great value for the selection, and should be well studied for their interactions with the overall performance of the herd.

Electrophysiological evidence for the presence of NR2C subunits of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors in rat neurons of the nucleus tractus solitarius

The nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) plays an important role in the control of autonomic reflex functions. Glutamate, acting on N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and non-NMDA ionotropic receptors, is the major neurotransmitter in this nucleus, and the relative contribution of each receptor to signal transmission is unclear. We have examined NMDA excitatory postsynaptic currents (NMDA-EPSCs) in the subpostremal NTS using the whole cell patch clamp technique on a transverse brainstem slice preparation. The NMDA-EPSCs were evoked by stimulation of the solitary tract over a range of membrane potentials. The NMDA-EPSCs, isolated pharmacologically, presented the characteristic outward rectification and were completely blocked by 50 æM DL-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid. The I-V relationship of the NMDA response shows that current, with a mean (± SEM) amplitude of -41.2 ± 5.5 pA, is present even at a holding potential of -60 mV, suggesting that the NMDA receptors are weakly blocked by extracellular Mg2+ at near resting membrane potentials. This weak block can also be inferred from the value of 0.67 ± 0.17 for parameter delta obtained from a fit of the Woodhull equation to the I-V relationship. The maximal inward current measured on the I-V relationship was at -38.7 ± 4.2 mV. The decay phase of the NMDA currents was fitted with one exponential function with a decay time constant of 239 ± 51 and 418 ± 80 ms at a holding potential of -60 and +50 mV, respectively, which became slower with depolarization (e-fold per 145 mV). The biophysical properties of the NMDA receptors observed in the present study suggest that these receptors in the NTS contain NR2C subunits and may contribute to the synaptic signal integration.