Management of Reproductive Diseases in Male Small Ruminants.

Reproductive tract diseases can be a significant cause of subfertility or infertility in male small ruminants. Affected males can usually be identified early by performing routine serologic screening and yearly breeding soundness examinations. Early diagnosis will either maximize treatment success or expedite culling decisions. Once clinical signs of diseases develop, prognosis for breeding ability declines. Veterinary practitioners should used ancillary diagnostic techniques, such as ultrasound examination and laboratory testing to acquire a diagnosis and determine prognosis of reproductive lesions. Some diseases (eg, brucellosis) should be ruled out immediately to cull affected animals and minimize transmission within the herd.

Low-Complexity System and Algorithm for an Emergency Ventilator Sensor and Alarm.

In response to anticipated shortages of ventilators caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations have designed low-cost emergency ventilators. Many of these devices are pressure-cycled pneumatic ventilators, which are easy to produce but often do not include the sensing or alarm features found on commercial ventilators. This work reports a low-cost, easy-to-produce electronic sensor and alarm system for pressure-cycled ventilators that estimates clinically useful metrics such as pressure and respiratory rate and sounds an alarm when the ventilator malfunctions. A low-complexity signal processing algorithm uses a pair of nonlinear recursive envelope trackers to monitor the signal from an electronic pressure sensor connected to the patient airway. The algorithm, inspired by those used in hearing aids, requires little memory and performs only a few calculations on each sample so that it can run on nearly any microcontroller.

Endocrine and metabolic profile of peripubertal Standardbred colts.

The objectives of this study were to determine the concentrations of reproductive and metabolic hormones during the peripubertal period and to assess their relationship with testicular development and body fat deposition. Blood samples were collected from 23 healthy Standardbred colts every four weeks for twelve months. Colts were weighed monthly, and percent of body fat and testicular volume estimated by ultrasound. Onset of puberty was determined as the month when testosterone was two standard deviations above the previous mean. Plasma FSH, LH, leptin, estradiol-17ß, androstenedione, IGF-1, insulin, inhibin-A, and inhibin-B were analyzed for a seven month peripubertal period. Spring born Standardbred colts underwent puberty at 13 months of age; onset of puberty coincided with exponential testicular growth but did not coincide with an increase in cutaneous body fat deposition or leptin (p > 0.05). Plasma inhibin-B concentrations were significantly increased in the postpubertal period (p < 0.05), but no increase was seen in inhibin-A, androstenedione, FSH, LH, or estradiol-17ß. In conclusion, the rise in testosterone and subsequent onset of puberty coincides with rapid testicular growth but is not correlated with an increase in gonadotropins, IGF-1, cutaneous body fat or leptin in the horse.

Variation in post-thaw sperm quality of white-tailed deer bucks (Odocoileus virginianus) during rut.

White-tailed deer farming is a growing industry in the United States, with breeding operations contributing significantly to the industry's economic impact. Artificial insemination with frozen semen allows for selection and dissemination of valuable genetics, yet surprisingly little is known regarding the best time throughout rut to perform semen cryopreservation. The objective of this study was to compare semen quality following cryopreservation of white-tailed deer bucks collected early in the breeding season (September, n = 6), at peak rut (December, n = 8), and late season (March, n = 7). We hypothesized that post-thaw semen quality would be enhanced at peak rut. Mature bucks were anesthetized with tiletamine-zolazepam and xylazine administered intramuscularly via projector. Semen was collected by electroejaculation and cryopreserved using Optixcell extender. Overall and progressive sperm motilities were assessed for each sample before and after cryopreservation using a computer-aided sperm analyzer. Flow cytometry was used for post-thaw assessment of sperm viability (SYBR-14/PI), acrosome integrity (FITC-PNA/PI), and DNA stability (acridine orange). Analysis of variance was applied to normalized data using a general linear mixed model with buck ID as a random variable, and a Tukey HSD test was performed as needed for post-hoc analysis. Pre-freeze overall and progressive sperm motilities were lowest in March, intermediate in September, and highest in December (p ≤ 0.04). Post-thaw overall and progressive motilities were lowest in September (p ≤ 0.02), but did not differ between December and March (p ≥ 0.12). The DNA Fragmentation Index was lowest in December, intermediate in September, and highest in March (p ≤ 0.05). The percentage of spermatozoa with intact plasma membrane was higher in December than September (p < 0.01), but the percentage of intact acrosomes per sperm with intact plasma membrane was highest in September (p = 0.03). This study confirms that post-thaw semen quality appears to be superior during peak rut (December) in bucks. Though semen collected early or late in rut may present acceptable motility, DNA stability is impaired, which could adversely affect fertility rates. This data suggests that semen cryopreservation during transitional periods should be avoided, though field studies evaluating the translation of these results into satisfactory pregnancy rates are warranted.

Physiological variations in reproductive and metabolic features of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) bucks throughout the rutting season.

White-tailed deer farming is a growing industry in the United States, yet there is still a need to improve breeding practices in captive cervids. The objective of this study was to compare reproductive and somatic characteristics of white-tailed bucks early in the breeding season (September), at peak rut (December), and late breeding season (March). We hypothesized that reproductive parameters would improve at the peak of the breeding season. Young, mature bucks (n = 7-11, ages 2-3 yr) were anesthetized via projector with tiletamine-zolazepam and xylazine. Semen was collected by electroejaculation and evaluated for sperm output, motility, and morphology. The bulbourethral, vesicular, and prostate glands were measured by transrectal ultrasound. Body condition score, thoracic circumference, rump fat thickness, scrotal circumference, and testicular measurements were also recorded. Serum testosterone, estradiol, and IGF-I concentrations were measured. Body condition score and rump fat thickness were highest in September, intermediate in December, and lowest in March (p < 0.01), whereas thoracic circumference was lowest in September (p = 0.02). In September, serum IGF-I was highest (p < 0.01) and estradiol was lowest (p ≤ 0.02). Serum testosterone levels were lowest in March and highest in December (p < 0.01). Testicular volume and scrotal circumference were highest in September, intermediate in December, and lowest in March (p < 0.01). Bulbourethral gland length was greatest in March (p ≤ 0.05), whereas prostate length was greatest in September (p ≤ 0.02). Vesicular gland length and width were highest in December, intermediate in September, and lowest in March (p ≤ 0.02). Both overall and progressive sperm motilities were lowest in March (p < 0.01), but did not differ between September and December (p ≥ 0.12). In December, bucks had the highest percentage of normal sperm and lowest percentage of primary sperm defects (p ≤ 0.01). Collectively, our results demonstrated variation in reproductive and metabolic characteristics of white-tailed deer bucks throughout the breeding season at 40°N. The physiological variations described here will be useful for veterinarians and researchers performing reproductive evaluations in white-tailed deer bucks.

Cryopreservation of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) semen using soybean-, liposome-, and egg yolk-based extenders.

The objectives of the present study were to compare the use of soybean-based (Andromed), liposome-based (Optixcell), and egg yolk-based (Ovine Red, Triladyl, and Biladyl) extenders for cryopreservation of white-tailed deer semen. In experiment 1, ejaculates obtained from six bucks were aliquoted into the following extenders: Andromed, Ovine Red, Triladyl, and Biladyl (containing 4%, 6%, or 8% of glycerol). In experiment 2, ejaculates obtained from eight bucks were divided amongst Andromed, Ovine Red, and Optixcell extenders. Total and progressive sperm motility were assessed for each sample before and after cryopreservation using a computer-automated semen analyzer. In experiment 2, flow cytometry was used for post-thaw assessment of sperm viability (SYBR-14/PI), acrosome integrity (FITC-PNA/PI), and chromatin stability (acridine orange). In experiment 1, both Andromed and Ovine Red extenders exhibited higher post-thaw total motility than Biladyl containing 4% or 6% of glycerol (p<0.05). Andromed also produced higher progressive motility than all other extenders (p<0.01) before and after cryopreservation with no differences amongst the other extenders (p≥0.11). In experiment 2, there were no differences in total and progressive motility between Andromed, Ovine Red, or Optixcell extenders (p≥0.39). Additionally, there were no differences in sperm viability (p=0.18), acrosome integrity in viable sperm (p≥0.10), or DNA fragmentation index (p=0.15). These results demonstrated that soybean (Andromed) and liposome-based (Optixcell) extenders are equally as effective at cryopreserving white-tailed semen as egg yolk-based Ovine Red extender, but are superior to egg yolk-based Biladyl or Triladyl extenders.

Azoospermia in an 8-month-old boar due to bilateral obstruction at the testis/epididymis interface.

An 8-month-old Yorkshire boar was presented for apparent azoospermia. Two semen collections also revealed azoospermia. Ultrasonographic examination of the gonads revealed bilateral caput epididymal dilatation and anechoic fluid within the tubules. Because a testicular biopsy revealed normal spermatogenesis, an outflow tract obstruction was suspected. Multiple sperm granulomas were found within the parenchyma of both testes at necropsy.

Hypothyroidism in an African forest buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus).

An adult female African forest buffalo (Syncerus caffer nanus) of unknown age was presented with signs of recurrent hoof overgrowth, persistent anestrous, obesity, dull hair coat, and decreased activity level. Complete blood counts and serum biochemistry values were unremarkable. Decreased concentrations of total triiodothyronine and total thyroxine were noted compared with values for normal domestic cattle and a healthy African forest buffalo. Treatment with oral levothyroxine increased blood concentrations of total triiodothyronine and total thyroxine, and subsequent improvement in clinical signs included weight loss, hair regrowth, and reproductive cycling.