Retrospective surveillance of metabolic parameters affecting reproductive performance of Japanese Black breeding cows

This retrospective study was conducted to confirm the relationship between pre- and postpartum metabolic parameters and postpartum reproductive performance and to clarify seasonal characteristics of the metabolic parameters by using our metabolic profile test (MPT) database of Japanese Black breeding herds. In evaluation 1, MPT databases of blood samples from multiparous cows collected prepartum and postpartum were divided into two groups according to calving interval, and each MPT parameter was compared. In evaluation 2, the same MPT databases used in evaluation 1 were divided into two groups according to the sampling period. Significant differences were found in the prepartal total protein and postpartal gamma-glutamyltransferase in evaluation 1. In evaluation 2, significant differences were found in the prepartal and postpartal total protein, albumin/globulin ratio, and glucose. Clear seasonal differences in MPT results emphasized the usefulness of the MPT in breeding cattle herds fed home-pasture roughage and suggest that unsatisfactory reproductive performance during hot periods reflects inadequate nutritional content of the diet and possible reduced feed intake due to heat stress.

Suppressive effect of culture supernatant of erythrocytes and serum from dogs infected with Babesia gibsoni on the morphological maturation of canine reticulocytes in vitro

The present study evaluated the effects of infected culture supernatant of erythrocytes, fractionation of culture supernatant and serum from dogs infected with Babesia gibsoni (B. gibsoni) on the maturation of canine reticulocytes in vitro. The SDS-PAGE demonstrated that significantly broader bands were generated by both the infected culture supernatant of erythrocytes and the serum from dogs chronically infected with B. gibsoni. The culture supernatant of erythrocytes infected with B. gibsoni strongly suppressed the maturation of reticulocytes. Prior studies showed that chronically infected serum had inhibitory effects on both the maturation of reticulocytes and the canine pyrimidine 5'-nucleotidase subclass I and purine-specific 5'-nucleotidase activity. In addition, serum free infected culture supernatant of erythrocytes had an inhibitory effect on the morphological maturation of reticulocytes. These results suggest that infected serum and culture supernatant of erythrocytes might accumulate excess proteins and/or metabolites as a result of the inhibited maturation of reticulocytes and decreased activity of erythrocyte 5'-nucleotidase. Furthermore, the fractions observed at >150 kDa- and 150-70 kDa- in the infected culture supernatant and serum retarded the maturation of canine reticulocytes in vitro. The results obtained from the in vitro examinations, in the present study, suggested that B. gibsoni itself and/or its metabolites might release certain proteins in the infected culture supernatant and serum from infected dogs and as a result delay morphological maturation of canine reticulocytes.