Effect of prepartum dietary energy sources on productive and reproductive performance in Nili Ravi buffaloes.

Feeding of dietary energy sources has been extensively studied in dairy cows but not well described in dairy buffaloes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of prepartum dietary energy sources on productive and reproductive performance in Nili Ravi buffaloes (n = 21). The buffaloes were offered isocaloric (1.55 Mcal/kg DM NEL (net energy for lactation)) glucogenic (GD), lipogenic (LD), and mixed diet (MD) during 63 days prepartum and maintained (1.27 Mcal/kg DM NEL) at lactation diet (LCD) during 14 weeks postpartum. Effects of dietary energy sources and week on animals were analyzed with the mixed model. The DMI, BCS, and body weights remained similar during the pre- and postpartum periods. The prepartum diets did not affect birth weight, blood metabolites, milk yield, and composition. The GD tended to early uterine involution, more follicle numbers, and early follicle formation. The prepartum feeding of dietary energy source had a similar effect on first estrus expression, days open, conception rate, pregnancy rate, and calving interval. So, it could be concluded that prepartum feeding of an isocaloric dietary energy source had a similar effect on the performance of buffaloes.

Effect of cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrins on cryosurvival of dog spermatozoa.

Cryopreservation affects integrity of cholesterol and phospholipids in the plasma membrane of sperm leading to decreased fertility of frozen-thawed semen. Cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrins (CLC) have been shown to improve post-thaw semen quality in various species. The aim of this study was to investigate the optimal concentration of CLC for better post-thaw semen quality in dogs. Semen collection, through digital manipulation, was conducted once a week in four adult German shepherd dogs (n = 20 ejaculates; five ejaculates/dog). Semen samples with mass motility>3 (0: without movement; 5: fast progressive movement), motility >70% and concentration >200 × 106 /ml were pooled and processed in Tris-citrate extender containing 0, 1, 2 or 3 mg of CLC. The post-thaw quality was assessed on the basis of percentage motility, morphological abnormalities, live/dead ratio and plasma membrane, acrosome and DNA integrity, evaluated using anova and further analysed by Tukey's range test, if applicable. The addition of CLC showed an overall improvement in post-thaw semen quality. Among various treatment groups, and when compared to the control, the percentages of motile (55.5%), viable (65%), plasma membrane intact (56.7%), acrosome intact (49.2%) and DNA intact (98%) spermatozoa were significantly higher in 2 mg/ml CLC group (p < .05). It is concluded that incorporation of cholesterol in semen extender results in a beneficial increase in post-thaw semen quality in dogs.

Effect of blood handling conditions on progesterone assay results obtained by chemiluminescence in the bitch.

Assay of blood progesterone (P4) is commonly practiced to determine the time of ovulation, diagnose luteal insufficiency, and predict time of parturition in bitches. Because of practical constraints, most blood samples cannot be assayed on site immediately after collection. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of various sampling and storage conditions on concentrations of P4 as determined by chemiluminescence immunoassay. The blood of 5 Beagle bitches was collected from the jugular vein to study the effect of the type of collection tube (silicone, lithium heparin, EDTA), the storage time of unseparated or separated plasma (2 h to 14 d), and the number of freeze-thaw cycles (1-10) on P4. The effect of each factor was tested within one assay session. None of the factors significantly affected P4. Thus, P4 appears to remain relatively stable in canine blood samples exposed to various processing and storage conditions.

Safety of untreated autologous cranioplasty after extracorporeal storage at -26 degrees Celsius.

BACKGROUND: Given the improved survival of patients requiring decompressive craniectomies, the frequency of subsequent cranioplasties are on the rise. The most feared complication of autologous cranioplasty is infection and one method for reducing the rate of infection, is to store the bone flaps at subnormal temperatures. However, to date there is no defined temperature for flap storage and temperature ranges from - 18 to - 83°C have been described in literature. Considering our limited resources it has been the practice at our center to store bone flaps at - 26°C. In this study, we have retrospectively reviewed our practice and have audited this choice of temperature with respect to the frequency of infections. METHODS: A retrospective review was conducted for all cranioplasties performed at our center between January 2001 to March 2011, using autologous bone which was cryopreserved according to institutional protocol. During this period the operative and cryopreservation protocol remained the same. All patient records including charts, notes and laboratory findings were reviewed with a specific focus to identify infections. RESULTS: Of the 88 patients included in the study, only 3 (3.40%) patients were found to show signs of infection. Of these, two patients had superficial surgical site infections which resolved with oral antibiotics (Co-Amoxiclav 1 gm BD for 7 days). However the third patient developed deep surgical site infection requiring re-exploration and washout. All three patients had complete resolution of infection with preservation of autologous bone. CONCLUSION: Despite our method of keeping the bone flap in freezer at - 26°C we have reported an acceptable rate of infection and raised the notion whether there is a justification for sophisticated and costly equipment for bone flap preservation, especially in resource depleted setups.

Expression of nuclear and membrane progesterone receptors in the canine oviduct during the periovulatory period.

Important reproductive events take place in the canine oviduct in the presence of increasing concentrations of progesterone (P4). To investigate the potential effects of P4 on the canine oviduct, the expression of nuclear (PR) and membrane (PGRMC1 and 2, mPRα, ß and γ) P4 receptors was studied by quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Oviducts were collected from Beagle bitches after the onset of pro-oestrus and before the LH peak (Pre-LH), after the LH peak and before ovulation (Pre-ov) and on Days 1, 4 and 7 post-ovulation (n=6 bitches/stage). PR mRNA concentrations decreased from Pre-LH to Day 7 in the ampulla and isthmus, whereas both PGRMC1 and 2 mRNA levels increased over the same period. The main change in mPR expression was an increase in mPRß and γ mRNAs at Day 7 in the isthmus. Furthermore, PR proteins were expressed in the nuclei of luminal epithelial, stromal and muscular cells, whereas the expression of PGRMCs and mPRs was primarily cytoplasmic and localised in the luminal epithelium. The immunostaining for PR decreased at Day 4 in the stroma and muscle, whereas it remained strong in the epithelium from Pre-LH to Day 7. PGRMC1 staining was strong at Days 4 and 7 whereas PGRMC2 was highly expressed from Pre-ov to Day 7. The most intense immunostaining signals for all three mPRs were observed at Day 7. Our results strongly support the hypothesis that P4 is an important regulator of oviductal functions in the bitch through complementary classical and non-classical P4 pathways.

Immunolocalization of progesterone receptors in the canine oviduct around ovulation.

In the bitch, oocyte maturation, sperm storage, fertilization and early embryo development take place within the oviducts under high and increasing circulating progesterone concentrations. To investigate the potential effects of progesterone on the canine oviduct, nuclear progesterone receptors (PR) were localized. Oviducts were collected by ovariectomy from adult Beagle bitches during anestrus, after the onset of proestrus but prior to the Luteinizing Hormone (LH) peak (Pre-LH), after the LH peak but before ovulation (Pre-ov) and on Days 1, 4 and 7 after ovulation (n = 3 bitches per stage). The cellular distribution of PR was studied by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the ampulla, isthmus and tubal part of the utero-tubal junction (UTJ). Plasma progesterone and 17ß-oestradiol were assayed on the day of surgery. PR were specifically expressed in the nuclei of epithelial, stromal and muscular cells in the ampulla, isthmus and UTJ. The IHC scores did not vary from one oviductal region to another. However, the epithelium displayed higher scores than the stroma at anestrus, Pre-ov, Days 4 and 7, and also higher scores than muscle at Days 4 and 7 (p < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry scores in the stroma and muscle decreased at Days 4 and 7 compared with previous stages (p < 0.05). Furthermore, muscular IHC scores were positively correlated with circulating 17ß-oestradiol concentrations and negatively correlated with circulating progesterone concentrations (p < 0.05). In conclusion, PR were identified in the canine oviduct, with differences in expression between tissues and times around ovulation, suggesting that progesterone may regulate tubal functions and reproductive events in this species.

Folliculogenesis, ovulation and endocrine control of oocytes and embryos in the dog.

Reproductive physiology in dogs is quite unusual compared with that in other mammalian species. The peculiarities include the presence of numerous polyoocyte follicles, the ovulation of an immature oocyte (GV stage, non-fertilizable) and a peri-ovulatory period during which concentrations of circulating progesterone are particularly high. The aim of this review is to examine the unusual aspects of the reproductive physiology of dogs and how this relates to the clinical biology of this species.

Left coronary sinus of Valsalva aneurysm: an extremely rare malformation. A case report.

The authors describe a sixty-four-year-old man who underwent coronary angiography for angina pectoris and was found to have a left coronary sinus aneurysm--an extremely rare malformation.

Jellyfish-venom-induced deep venous thrombosis. A case report.

The authors describe a case of jellyfish sting that resulted in deep venous thrombosis of the leg and thigh of a thirty-five-year-old healthy man. The authors found no mention of this complication from jellyfish sting in the literature. Successful treatment measures are described.