1,721,036 research outputs found
A leptin sandwich ELISA kit unusable for domestic animals
No full textAn instance of hormone assay method flaw is reported. In this journal Chronobiology International,
two papers appeared in which an ELISA method for human serum or plasma was utilized for blood
serum of horse and sheep, respectively. From our testing, it is resulted that such method does not
work at all for equine, sheep and other animal species. The use of commercial hormone assay kits
for heterologous species always needs a careful validation procedure. First, the same hormone
molecule by different species could not share enough homology to be regognized by and react
with antibodies utilized in the method. Furthermore, even with a full overlap of the molecules,
possible interferences by other components of the sample (matrix effect) have to be considered
Caratteristiche morfofunzionali dell'apparato digerente e comportamento al pascolo dei ruminanti domestici
No full textValidation of ELISA kits for determination of Inhibin-A and Estradiol-17-beta concentrations in Buffalo plasma
No full textDalla salvaguardia della biodiversità alla prevenzione degli incendi boschivi: zootecnia e benessere animale
No full textDifficulties in Making the Ethically Correct Choice in the Management of a Case of Proven Dangerousness of a Shelter Dog
No full textThe management of shelter dogs whose dangerousness to people has been verified is an aspect of considerable importance as it assesses animal welfare, public health, and the management of human and economic resources. In this paper, we briefly discuss the case of a large sized male dog that had bitten people several times and was declared to be at high risk of causing danger. Despite a behavioral rehabilitation program, the initial evidence of dangerousness remained unchanged, thus, there was no possibility of putting the dog up for adoption. This clinical case is an example of how conflicting it is for a behaviorist to choose ethically when considering euthanasia and animal welfare
From biodiversity safeguard to wood fire prevention: the anatomy applied to the animal well being
No full textAnatomical researches, supporting eco-vegetational investigation focussed on the
pastural ecosystem biodiversity maintainance, allowed the validation of BCS as representative
parameter of morphofunctional modifications which are strictly related to
ecological-productive variations of the grassland systems (Ceccarelli, It J Anat Embryol
114, 2009). A cause of wood fire primer is the presence of necromass in the wood/
pasture fringes characterized by a strong covering of Brachypodium rupestre (Br. r.), a
tall grass lowly palatable for ovine because of its silicate rich and high fibrousness
leaves. However, sheep closed in fences on Br. r. highly covered zone, exploit all forage
resources, preventing the fire primer. So, a sheep experimental group was taken
to graze for twenty days on Br. r. highly covered plot; during this period, the ruminal
mucosa keratinization degree and the body state modifications (BCS and body
weight) were monitored in order to determine the animal stay length without negatively
affect their well being. Data were then compared with those of sheep control
group grazing on a natural semi-mesophylic pasture. Experimental group showed
a body weight mean decrease of 1,79 kg and a marked BCS decrement (-1,10). In
control group BCS slightly decreased (-0,13) and body weight increased of 0,62 kg.
Keratinization degree changed more in experimental group (17,2%-31,7% in rumen
atrium, 20%-37,3% in rumen ventral sac) than in control one (17%-19,5% in rumen
atrium, 20,2%-22,1% in rumen ventral sac). Considering that the high keratinization
degree was quickly reached, while the most negative effects on BCS and body weight
occurred after twenty days of grazing on Br. r. pasture, it seems advisable for animals
to stay on this pasture not more than 10-15 days
Concentrazione ematica della malatonina in capre di razza Maltese e Siriana
No full textMelatonin blood levels in Maltese and Syrian goats. The melatonin blood concentration has been studied on 10 adult goats of two southern Italian breeds (5 Maltese and 5 Syrian), which are characterized by a weak reproductive seasonality, presenting a spring breeding period in addition to the main autumn season. The animals were kept under natural photoperiod, were bred in autumn and displayed regular deliveries and lactations. The plasma melatonin concentration was assayed by RIA on blood samples taken at 2 h interval for 24 h. Night samples were taken in dim red light. The sampling sessions were repeated at 2 months interval for one year. During the daylight period the hormone levels were very low (< 4 pg/ml), while during night time in each sampling session the concentrations arised in all the animals, with high individual variability (the individual mean night levels ± SE ranged from 6.41.9 to 109.162.4 pg/ml). Each animal maintained during the year higher or lower nocturnal melatonin levels in comparison to those of the other goats, and significant (P<0.05) differences in the night mean values between the animals have been found. The Syrian goats showed lower (P<0.05) mean night levels (20.052.30) than the Maltese ones (55.349.23 pg/ml), two goats with the higher mean values being Maltese. No significant seasonal differences in the mean melatonin nocturnal levels resulted from our data: the lowest mean night values were recorded in Aug, the highest in Oct. . It would be interesting to investigate if the significant individual variability in nocturnal melatonin plasma concentrations found in the present work might be someway linked to individual variability in the parameters of the reproductive seasonality
Progesterone plus PMSG priming in seasonally anovulatory lactating Sarda ewes exposed to the ram effect
No full textThe aim of this trial was to evaluate the effectiveness (fertility and lambing) of priming with a single injection of progesterone plus PMSG in anovulatory lactating Sarda ewes subjected to the ram effect (RE) in spring. Thirty ewes (P4 group) were i.m. injected with 30 mg progesterone and 500 IU PMSG 36 h before ram introduction (d 0). This treatment was compared to a 12-day treatment with fluorogestone acetate intravaginal sponges that was followed by injections of 350 IU PMSG upon sponge withdrawal (FGA group, n = 30). All ewes responded to RE, showing plasma progestrone concentrations > 1 ng/mL between d 6 and 12 (FGA) or 6 and 9 (P4). Eighty-nine percent of the P4 ewes conceived at first ovulation, and 11% conceived following a short estrus cycle. Lambings occurred on d 150.4±3.9, and the lambing rate was 100%. The fertility of the FGA ewes was 83% for the induced ovulation and was 7% for the second ovulation after a normal cycle. The FGA ewes lambed on d 149.8±4.4, and the lambing rate was 83%. Two abortions were recorded for the FGA ewes, which had higher prolificacy than the P4 group (2.2 ± 0.8 vs. 1.8 ± 0.4, respectively; P<0.05). Both fertility and the lambing rate were high in both groups, with a high degree of estrus synchronization, and there were no significant differences between the groups. We concluded that priming of lactating Sarda ewes in spring with P4+PMSG before RE is an effective and competitive method (cheaper and more practical than FGA+PMSG) of inducing fertile ovulations in these ewes.
Key words: Estrus induction, Fertility, Progesterone priming, Prolificacy, Sheep
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