Short-term heat shock proteins 70 and 90 mRNA expression profile and its relation to thermo-physiological parameters in goats exposed to heat stress.

To follow the inheritance potential for heat tolerance after a crossing program in goats, 24 kids from four groups of goat kids (6 kids in each) from Aradi (A) and Damascus (D), their crossbred first-generation F1 (½D½A) and second-generation F2 (¾D»A), were exposed to acute elevated environmental temperature in controlled climatic chambers. Rectal temperature (RT), respiratory rate (RR), heat tolerance coefficient (HTC), adaptability coefficient (AC), and mRNA expression of heat shock proteins 70 and 90 ((HSP70 and HASP90, respectively), using real-time PCR were estimated. Results showed that Aradi breed goats had the highest level of expression for heat shock proteins 70 and 90, followed by F1, F2, and Damascus (P ≤ 0.01). Crossbreeds and Damascus showed the highest RT, while Aradi breed showed the lowest value (P ≤ 0.01). Aradi and crossbreeds showed the highest RR, while Damascus showed the lowest RR (P ≤ 0.05). Aradi and F1 showed the highest HTC (P ≤ 0.05), while there was no significant difference between pure breeds and crossbreeds in AC. A significant positive phenotypic correlation (0.81) was observed between HSP70 and HSP90. In addition, RR showed moderate positive correlation with both HSP70 and HSP90. It could be concluded that Aradi breed had putative heat tolerance in comparison to its crossbred progeny from the Damascus breed. The crossbreeding may result in some loss of heat tolerance potential, but the crossbreeds still better adapted to high environmental temperature than the Damascus breed.

Coagulation profile and platelet parameters of the Arabian sand gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa marica): comparison with humans and camels.

During March 2009, we evaluated the hemostatic profile and platelet indices of 18 Arabian sand gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa marica) and compared the results with those from humans and camels (Camelus dromedarius). Gazelles and camels had shorter activated partial thromboplastin times, lower proconvertin and higher antihemophilic factor coagulation activity, and plasma fibrinogen levels than humans. Prothrombin time was longer in sand gazelles and shorter in camels than it was in humans. Plasma thromboplastin component, Stuart factor, and plasma thromboplastin antecedent were similar in gazelles, humans, and camels, whereas the platelet count of the sand gazelle was significantly higher than it was for camels and humans.