Comparação de métodos para avaliação de beta-hidroxibutirato em ovelhas / Comparison of methods for evaluation of beta-hydroxybutyrate in ewes

Atualmente o uso de sensores portáteis para mensuração de corpos cetônicos está padronizado e difundido na rotina clínica, contudo estudos em ovinos são escassos. Assim, a presente pesquisa objetivou avaliar a acurácia dos sensores portáteis de uso humano e de uso veterinário para a determinação de beta-hidroxibutirato (BHB) em ovelhas no final da gestação e no pós-parto recente. Foram utilizadas 37 amostras de sangue provenientes de nove ovelhas mestiças Corriedale. A determinação bioquímica de BHB no soro, considerada como o padrão-ouro, foi realizada utilizando-se metodologia enzimática colorimétrica. A média obtida na bioquímica sérica foi de 0,497mmol/L; no sensor de uso humano, a média foi igual a 0,537mmol/L, enquanto no sensor de uso veterinário foi de 0,751mmol/L. Foi verificada alta correlação entre o dosímetro de uso humano e o padrão-ouro (r=0,93, P<0,001). A média do aparelho de uso veterinário diferiu das demais (51%; P<0,05), superestimando os resultados em ovelhas. As medições obtidas no aparelho veterinário também apresentaram menor precisão e veracidade. Concluiu-se que o sensor portátil de uso humano é mais acurado e mais preciso no diagnóstico precoce de toxemia da gestação em ovelhas.

Currently the use of portable sensors for measuring ketone bodies is standardized and diffused in the clinical routine, however, studies in sheep are scarce. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the human portable sensor and the veterinary portable sensor for the determination of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in sheep at the end of gestation and postpartum. We used 37 samples of blood from nine crossbred Corriedale sheep. Biochemical determination of serum BHB, considered gold standard, was performed using colorimetric enzymatic methodology. The mean serum biochemistry was 0.497mmol/L, in the human sensor the mean was 0.537mmol/L, while in the veterinary sensor it was 0.751mmol/L. A high correlation was verified between the dosimeter for human use and the gold standard (r= 0.93, P< 0.001). The mean of the veterinary apparatus differed from the others, being 51% (P< 0,05), higher than the standard, that is, it was less accurate and had lower veracity, overestimating the results in sheep. It was concluded that the portable sensor for human use is more accurate and accurate in the early diagnosis of toxemia of pregnancy in sheep.

Infrared thermography as a noninvasive method to assess scrotal insulation on sperm production in beef bulls.

This study evaluated the thermoregulation and spermatogenic changes by scrotal temperature gradient using infrared thermography in testicular compromised bulls. Bulls were insulated (n = 6) for 72 hr and control animals (n = 3) remained without insulation during all the experimental period. Seminal evaluation was performed prior, at insult removal and once per week for 13 consecutive weeks. Mean temperature gradient in insulated animals was lower at the time of insulation removal compared to the week prior and after the insult (p < .05). Two weeks after insult, sperm motility was lower in insulated compared to control animals (p < .01) and spermatozoa total defects were higher in insulated compared to control animals (p < .05). Two and seven weeks after insult, the major defects were higher in insulated compared to control animals (p < .05). Scrotal temperature gradient showed a positive correlation with sperm mass motion (p < .01) and a negative correlation with ocular globe temperature (p < .01) in insulated animals. The infrared thermography can be used to evaluate ocular globe temperature in bulls; however, it is only effective to detect changes in scrotal temperature gradient at the insult removal.

BSP A1/A2-like proteins in ram seminal plasma.

The objective of this study was to assess the protein profile of ovine seminal plasma using 2D-PAGE and verify if BSP A1/A2 are present in ovine seminal plasma. Seminal plasma was collected from three mature rams and pooled to eliminate individual differences. Seminal plasma samples were submitted to 2D-PAGE using 12% acrylamide gels. The image analysis software identified 21 protein spots on the air-dried gel, with molecular weight ranging from 15 to 115 kDa and pI 3.2 to 8.7. The most prominent spots were those <30 kDa. The most intensely stained spots were: 3 (18-19 kDa, pI 4.8-5.0), 5 (17-18 kDa, pI 5.0-5.2), 7 (15-16 kDa, pI 6.2-6.4), and 23 (105-108 kDa, pI 6.8-7.0). Three of these spots (spots 3, 5 and 7, respectively) accounted for 41.1% of the relative intensity of the spots of the gels, based on the intensity of the Comassie blue staining. Western blot analysis indicated that spots 3 and 5 were similar to BSP A1/A2 (16.5, pI 4.7-5.0 and 16 kDa, pI 4.9-5.2) identified in Manjunath's studies [Manjunath P, Sairam MR. Purification and biochimical characterization of three major acid proteins (BSP A1, BSP A2 and BSP A3) from bovine seminal plasma. Biochem J 7 (1987) 685-92.], based on the specific reaction of the polyclonal antibody to those spots.

Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of bovine seminal plasma proteins and their relation with semen freezability.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the low weight (10-30 kDa) protein profile of bovine seminal plasma using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE) and to determine if any of these proteins was associated with semen freezability. Seminal plasma was collected from 16 bulls of high or low semen freezability. Twelve protein spots were identified from the 2D gel (15%); six of these were present in all samples. Of the 12 proteins found, three spots, present in all samples, 3 (15-16 kDa), 5 (16-17 kDa), and 7 (10-12 kDa) had nonsignificant variation among bulls, regardless of their freezability classification. Four proteins were more abundant (P<0.05) in seminal plasma samples collected from bulls with high semen freezability than in samples of bulls with low semen freezability: the spots 3 (15-16 kDa, pI 4.7-5.2), 7 (11-12 kDa, pI 4.8-4.9), 11 (13-14 kDa, pI 4.0-4.5), and 23 (20-22 kDa, pI 4.8-5.2). On the other hand, spot 25 (25-26 kDa, pI 6.0-6.5) was more abundant (P<0.05) on seminal plasma samples from bulls with low semen freezability. The N-terminus sequence of protein 7 was identical to the acidic seminal fluid protein (aSFP). Protein 23 (after trypsin digestion) had structural similarity to bovine clusterin. We concluded that there were differences in the seminal plasma protein profile from bulls with low and high semen freezability; aSFP, clusterin, proteins 3 and 11 may be used as semen freezability markers; and protein 25 was related to low semen freezability.

Biometria testicular em ovinos de raças de corte. I. Reprodutores racionados / Scrotal circumference in meat sheep. I. Concentrate suplemented rams

Foram obtidos dados de perímetro escrotal e peso corporal de 666 carneiros apresentados em exposiçöes feiras realizadas nos anos de 1985, 1986 e 1987, das raças Suffolk, Hampshire Down, Ile de France e Texel, com diferentes idades. Os resultados mostraram diferença no perímetro escrotal quanto à idade apenas na raça Hampshire Down. Para todas as raças observou-se correlaçäo significativa entre peso corporal e perímetro escrotal. Os baixos coeficientes de determinaçäo no entanto, näo recomendam o peso corporal como único estimador do perímetro escrotal