Evaluation of a long-acting recombinant bovine FSH for multiple ovulation and embryo transfer in dromedary camels.

The present study was conducted to test a new super-agonist recombinant bovine FSH (rbFSH) to induce superovulation (SOV) in dromedary camels. In experiment I, a single IM injection of 40, 60, 80, 100, or 120 µg rbFSH was administered (4 donors per group) to determine the effective dose resulting in acceptable multiple ovulation and embryo yield. Administration of 40 µg was ineffective, while 100 and 120 µg were associated with increased numbers of developed follicles, corpora lutea, and recovered embryos compared to administration of 60 and 80 µg. In experiment II, donors were divided into treatment groups to compare rbFSH with two conventional protocols for SOV. Donors received a single dose of 2000 IU eCG in combination with 400 mg porcine follicle-stimulating hormone (pFSH; Folltropin-V®; Group 1, n = 29) or 500 µg of pFSH with 100 µg of pLH (Stimufol®; Group 2, n = 16). Group 3 (n = 19) received a single dose of 100 µg rbFSH. No difference was found in the size and number of follicles per donor. Response time, ovulation rate, and the number of corpora lutea and recovered embryos per donor were similar in all groups. The number of medium-sized and transparent embryos decreased while the number of small-sized and semi-transparent embryos increased in Group 3 (rbFSH) compared to the other two groups. The pregnancy rate of the recipients at 10 days post-ET, at two months of gestation, and the rate of early pregnancy loss (EPL) did not differ among the groups. In conclusion, a single IM administration of 100 µg rbFSH induces a successful superovulation in dromedary camels and has the advantage of reducing stress associated with multiple FSH administration of the conventional protocols.

Redefining physiological responses of moose (Alces alces) to warm environmental conditions.

We tested the concept that moose (Alces alces) begin to show signs of thermal stress at ambient air temperatures as low as 14 °C. We determined the response of Alaskan female moose to environmental conditions from May through September by measuring core body temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, rate of heat loss from exhaled air, skin temperature, and fecal and salivary glucocorticoids. Seasonal and daily patterns in moose body temperature did not passively follow the same patterns as environmental variables. We used large changes in body temperature (≥1.25 °C in 24hr) to indicate days of physiological tolerance to thermal stressors. Thermal tolerance correlated with high ambient air temperatures from the prior day and with seasonal peaks in solar radiation (June), ambient air temperature and vapor pressure (July). At midday (12:00hr), moose exhibited daily minima of body temperature, heart rate and skin temperature (difference between the ear artery and pinna) that coincided with daily maxima in respiration rate and the rate of heat lost through respiration. Salivary cortisol measured in moose during the morning was positively related to the change in air temperature during the hour prior to sample collection, while fecal glucocorticoid levels increased with increasing solar radiation during the prior day. Our results suggest that free-ranging moose do not have a static threshold of ambient air temperature at which they become heat stressed during the warm season. In early summer, body temperature of moose is influenced by the interaction of ambient temperature during the prior day with the seasonal peak of solar radiation. In late summer, moose body temperature is influenced by the interaction between ambient temperature and vapor pressure. Thermal tolerance of moose depends on the intensity and duration of daily weather parameters and the ability of the animal to use physiological and behavioral responses to dissipate heat loads.

Glucose Metabolism as a Pre-clinical Biomarker for the Golden Retriever Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

PURPOSE: Metabolic dysfunction in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is characterized by reduced glycolytic and oxidative enzymes, decreased and abnormal mitochondria, decreased ATP, and increased oxidative stress. We analyzed glucose metabolism as a potential disease biomarker in the genetically homologous golden retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) dog with molecular, biochemical, and in vivo imaging. PROCEDURES: Pelvic limb skeletal muscle and left ventricle tissue from the heart were analyzed by mRNA profiling, qPCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence microscopy for the primary glucose transporter (GLUT4). Physiologic glucose handling was measured by fasting glucose tolerance test (GTT), insulin levels, and skeletal and cardiac positron emission tomography/X-ray computed tomography (PET/CT) using the glucose analog 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose ([18F]FDG). RESULTS: MRNA profiles showed decreased GLUT4 in the cranial sartorius (CS), vastus lateralis (VL), and long digital extensor (LDE) of GRMD vs. normal dogs. QPCR confirmed GLUT4 downregulation but increased hexokinase-1. GLUT4 protein levels were not different in the CS, VL, or left ventricle but increased in the LDE of GRMD vs. normal. Microscopy revealed diffuse membrane expression of GLUT4 in GRMD skeletal but not cardiac muscle. GTT showed higher basal glucose and insulin in GRMD but rapid tissue glucose uptake at 5 min post-dextrose injection in GRMD vs. normal/carrier dogs. PET/ CT with [18F]FDG and simultaneous insulin stimulation showed a significant increase (p = 0.03) in mean standard uptake values (SUV) in GRMD skeletal muscle but not pelvic fat at 5 min post-[18F]FDG /insulin injection. Conversely, mean cardiac SUV was lower in GRMD than carrier/normal (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Altered glucose metabolism in skeletal and cardiac muscle of GRMD dogs can be monitored with molecular, biochemical, and in vivo imaging studies and potentially utilized as a biomarker for disease progression and therapeutic response.

The use of anti-Müllerian hormone as diagnostic for gonadectomy status in dogs.

In the veterinary practice, there is a need for a diagnostic tool to check the gonadal status in female dogs because it may be difficult to determine whether a female animal has been spayed or whether there are ovarian remnants. Although less prevalent, a similar situation pertains to male dogs. Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is an important regulator of gonadal function and is a specific gonadal product that can be determined in circulation. The objective of this study was to develop and test a canine blood AMH assay as a diagnostic tool to determine the presence of functional gonadal tissue in dogs. A prospective study with a training-validation set paradigm was used. A canine AMH assay was developed and serum and plasma AMH concentrations were determined in blood samples from 46 intact female dogs, 48 spayed females, 50 intact males, and 48 castrated males collected at two separate institutes. Using a training-validation set paradigm, it was found that using cutoff values of 1.1 ng/mL (female) and 5.5 ng/mL (male) AMH, the assay reported excellent specificity and sensitivity of 100% and 90% in female dogs, and good specificity and sensitivity of 100% and 76%, in male dogs, respectively. The sensitivity in male dogs could be further enhanced by including a serum testosterone determination. This newly developed canine AMH assay is a valuable diagnostic tool to determine gonadal status in veterinary medicine.