[Changes in selected biochemical indicators in blood serum in anestrous gilts]. / Zmeny vybraných biochemických ukazatelu krevního séra u anestrických prasnicek.

The biochemical profile [levels of calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, chlorides and iron, the activities of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and the concentrations of total protein, albumin, cholesterol, urea, glucose, and vitamins A and E] was studied in the blood serum of 40 anoestrous and 40 control inseminated animals in a production herd with an increased occurrence of anoestrus in gilts. The anoestrous gilts showed significantly lower levels of albumin (P less than 0.01) and glucose (P less than 0.01) and ALP activity (P less than 0.05), and significantly higher concentrations of urea (P less than 0.01), vitamin A (P less than 0.01) and vitamin E (P less than 0.05) and ALT activity (P less than 0.05), as compared with the inseminated controls. An extended enzymatological examination consisting of the evaluation of the activities of ALP, AST, ALT and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GMT) was performed in another set of 22 anoestrous and 20 mated gilts. The anoestrous gilts showed a statistically significant increase in the activities of AST (P less than 0.01), GMT (P less than 0.01) and ALT (P less than 0.05) and an insignificant increase in the activity of ALP in comparison with the control animals. The comparison of the obtained values of the studied biochemical criteria with literary data indicated a lower concentration of magnesium and a higher ALP and ALT activities in the anoestrous and inseminated gilts in both groups under study. A high acidity of fat and a medium to high fungus infestation (Mucor sp., Aspergillus sp.) were found by chemical and mycological examination of the administered feed mixtures. The histological examination of the ovaries of anoestrous animals showed cystically degenerative changes, proliferations of fibrous elements, and partial atrophy of ovarial cortex. It has been inferred from the observations that mycotoxins may be involved in the increase in the occurrence of anoestrus, either by a direct effect on sexual organs or by impairing the function of liver which, secondarily contributes to the rise of ovarial dysfunctions.

[Preventive and therapeutic efficacy of the vaccine against trychophytosis in cattle]. / Preventivní a lécebná úcinnost vakcíny proti trichofytóze u skotu.

The effectiveness of vaccine against dermatomycosis, caused by Trichophyton verrucosum, was studied in young cattle in three herds. The vaccines of Czechoslovak and Soviet production had almost the same effectiveness in prevention. In healthy calves without clinical signs of trichophytosis vaccinated at an age of one to three months with a dose of 2.5 to 5.0 ml, applied intramuscularly, and revaccinated with due respect to the rules of hygiene in the calf-houses, an incidence of 0 to 13% in the three- to five-month period of study was observed. In the non-vaccinated control groups, the incidence under the same infection conditions and in the same period was 36.3 to 100.0%. At the early stage of vaccination--during the inoculation of the animals suspected of being infected--the incidence of the disease was 50.0 to 68.8% and mostly showed no difference from incidence observed in the nonvaccinated control cattle. The therapeutic effect of the vaccine and Mykolastanox F is characterized by the fact that zero prevalence was obtained in the animals ten weeks after vaccination. Animals treated locally with Mykolastanox F showed zero prevalence 12 weeks after the beginning of treatment.