SYNAPTONEMAL COMPLEX-ANALYSIS OF THE SEX BIVALENT IN GOATS

Synaptonemal complex (SC) analysis of XY pairing in the goat (Capra hircus; 2n = 60) was investigated by electron microscopy for the first time in this species. Synapsis of the X and Y chromosomes begins during the mid-late zygotene stage as the autosomes complete their pairing. Only a small portion of the total length of the Y is paired with the X chromosome at this time. By the early pachytene, almost 90% of the Y is paired with the X. All the observed stages of the sex bivalent pairing showed the structural difference between the differential and pairing regions. In the pairing region, a synaptonemal complex is formed, while in the differential region the chromosome axes remain free.

Hepatogenous photosensitization of ruminants by Brachiaria decumbens and Panicum dichotomiflorum in the absence of sporidesmin: Lithogenic saponins may be responsible

As part of a study of plants involved in crystal-associated hepatogenous photosensitization diseases, samples of Brachiaria decumbens and Panicum dichotomiflorum on which cattle and goats had recently been photosensitized were analyzed. The level of saponins associated with these photosensitization outbreaks were determined by GC-MS. Only low levels of Pithomyces chartarum spores were present on the B decumbens, and all isolates obtained failed to produce sporidesmin.

Concentrações séricas de progesterona e metabólitos lipídicos em cabras mestiças alimentadas com dietas hiperlipídicas durante o ciclo estral

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Evaluation of plasma membrane integrity of frozen-thawed goat spermatozoa with or without seminal plasma

The aim of the present work was to evaluate plasma membrane integrity, motility, vigor and morphology of fresh and frozen goat spermatozoa with or without seminal plasma. Semen samples were diluted in Tris solution, before and after thawing, with a combination of carboxifluorescein diacetate and propidium iodide. The results showed differences (P < 0.01) for motility and minor defects in the presence or absence of seminal plasma, for both fresh and frozen samples. Periods of collection had a significant effect on motility, probably due to changes in the photoperiod. Plasma membrane integrity was significantly reduced by the freezing process, whether seminal plasma was present or absent. In conclusion, removal of seminal plasma decreased motility and vigor rates in frozen samples. The photoperiod probably decreased the testosterone level, contributing negatively to the high percentage of sperm abnormalities, mainly damaged membranes. The use of fluorescent probes allowed a better estimation of the percentage of functional cells, instead of only estimating the percentage of motile cells or morphology defects. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Efeito de estratégia de suplementação com concentrado no desempenho de cabras mestiças Saanen, em dois sistemas de produção

The experiment was carried out to evaluate the performances of cross breed Saanen dairy goats submitted to two strategies of supplementation with concentrate 30% of daily requirements in net energy (NRC, 1981) supplied by concentrate, from third week until the end of lactation (ESC. 1) or 60% of requirements from the 3rd to the 13th week of lactation and 15% from 14th until the end of lactation (ESC.2); and evaluate the animal response to these strategies of supplementation with concentrate in a semi-confined or pasture systems. Thirty one animals were used in a completely randomized design. The system of production affected the total intake of concentrate and total milk production; at pasture system the values for these two variables were higher. The supplementation with concentrate affected the total intake of concentrate and total production of milk and the relation of milk/consumption of concentrate. The highest value for relation of milk/consumption of concentrate and the least for the total consumption of concentrate were obtained at ESC. 1. Body weight affected of the system of production, resulting in a higher value to the system of pasture. Weight and body condition had different responses to he supplementation with concentrate according to the system of production. The semi-confined system ESC.2 resulted in a higher value to the body condition; the body weight was no affected. At pasture system the highest values for weight and body condition were obtained in the supplementation with concentrate ESC. 1. Reproductive parameters did not affect supplementation with concentrate and system of production.

Soroprevalência de Toxoplasma gondii em rebanhos caprinos no Estado de São Paulo

Four hundred forty-two serum samples were collected from dairy goats in seven regions of São Paulo State. These were tested for Toxoplasma gondii antibodies using the indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. Sixty-four (14,5%) serologically positive animals were found from all these goat farms studied.

Aspectos físico-químicos e microbianos do queijo maturado por mofo obtido da coagulação mista com leite de cabra congelado e coalhada congelada

Milk goats are indicated as an economic alternative for small farmers and cheese making could improve their profits. Goat's milk has a seasonal production characteristic and shows periods of abundance and others of scarcity. The use of frozen milk or frozen curd to make cheese can be used to solve the problem. The aim of this work was to evaluate the preparation of cheese made from mixed curd and ripened by Penicillium candidum mould using slow frozen milk (in a domestic freezer) or fast frozen milk (by liquid nitrogen). The slow frozen curd and fast frozen curd without whey were used. It was observed that the cheese from the slow and fast frozen milk and from the slow and fast frozen curd did not differ from the control cheese for the yield, chemicophysical characteristics, chemical composition, extention ripened rate, depth ripened rate and microbiological aspects, even when it was expressed as a dry matter content of cheeses.

Biochemical and hematological study of goats envenomed with natural and 60Co-irradiated bothropic venom

Venoms from snakes of the Bothrops genus are proteolytic, coagulant, hemorrhagic and nephrotoxic, causing edema, necrosis, hemorrhage and intense pain at the bite site, besides systemic alterations. Many adjuvants have been added to the venom used in the sensitization of antiserum-producer animals to increase antigenic induction and reduce the envenomation pathological effects. Gamma radiation from 60Co has been used as an attenuating agent of the venoms toxic properties. The main objective was to study, comparatively, clinical and laboratory aspects of goats inoculated with bothropic (Bothrops jararaca) venom, natural and irradiated from a 60Co source. Twelve goats were divided into two groups of six animals: GINV, inoculated with 0.5mg/kg of natural venom; and GIIV, inoculated with 0.5mg/kg of irradiated venom. Blood samples were collected immediately before and one, two, seven, and thirty days after venom injection. Local lesions were daily evaluated. The following exams were carried out: blood tests; biochemical tests of urea, creatinine, creatine kinase (CK), aspartate amino-transferase (AST) and alanine amino-transferase (ALT); clotting time; platelets count; and total serum immunoglobulin measurement. In the conditions of the present experiment, irradiated venom was less aggressive and more immunogenic than natural venom.

Controle da artrite-encefalite caprina, em um capril comercial endemicamente contaminado

CAE is caused by a lentivirus. The animals are mainly infected when taking contaminated colostrums and/or milk. This study proposed a CAE control strategy without sacrificing contaminated mothers. Thirty-nine female kids, born to CAE seropositive mothers were isolated from their mothers at birth and fed heat-treated colostrums and pasteurized milk from seronegative goats up to two months of age. All kids were submitted to three-monthly serological tests from birth to 12 months; seropositives were segregated from the herd. The control group consisted of 12 kids born to seropositive mothers that remained with their mothers. Diagnosis was the same, but seropositve animals were not segregated. At the end of 12 months, 34 (87%) animals from the experimental group remained seronegative with 76% to 98% confidence limits; in control group animals, the accumulated negativity rate was 17%, with 0% and 38% confidence limits. These results show that the proposed plan is viable to assure disease control in contaminated herds and that without it contamination can pass to animals born to infected goats.

Efeito de um quelante de cálcio, um detergente e da lecitina de soja sobre a qualidade do sêmen caprino congelado-descongelado

The aim of this paper was verifying the effect of the Equex STM Paste and EDTA addition to a Tris-egg yolk extender, on the postthaw goat sperm viability. Nine semen samples of two adult goats were collected by artificial vagina and cryopreserved. It was also objective of this study, to evaluate the utilization of a soybean lecithin based commercial extender (Bioexcell® - IMV, L'Aigle, French) for the goat semen freezing. They were formed five experimental groups: TRIS; TRIS+EDTA; TRIS+EQUEX; TRIS+EDTA+EQUEX e Bioexcell. After evaluation, the semen was diluted in the five extenders and packed in 0.25mL straws with 100 million of motile spermatozoa. The samples were cooled at 0,46°C/min to 5°C, submitted at 75min of equilibration time and frozen in liquid nitrogen vapour. The thawing was accomplished in 37°C water bath for 50s. There were no differences (P>0,05) on the means of post-thaw total and progressive sperm motility among the groups TRIS, TRIS+EQUEX and TRIS+EQUEX+EDTA. The Bioexcell group obtained the least (P<0,05) percentage of post-thawing total and progressive sperm motility. After the thermotolerance test, it was observed the greatest (P<0,05) rates of total and progressive sperm motility in the Equex STM groups (TRIS+EQUEX and TRIS+EQUEX+EDTA). Thus, it can be affirmed that the Equex addition promotes better maintenance rates in the pos-thaw sperm viability, when compared with the extenders that did not contain it.

Perfil eletroforético das proteínas de fase aguda em caprinos experimentalmente infectados com Trypanosoma evansi

Considered as one of the main agents of the tripanossomiases, Trypanosoma evansi causes a disease generically know as surra, with wide geographic occurence. This work has the aim to study the electrophoretic profile of the acute phase proteins of goats, experimentally infected with T. evansi. Ten crossbread female goats, around 4 months of age, clinically healthy and serum negative for the presence of antibodies anti-T. evansi (IFAT) were used. The animals were divided in two groups: six were inoculated (G1) intravenously with 2,38 × 10 6 tripomastigotes of T. evansi and four were kept as noninfected controls. The blood for serum was collected daily until the 14 days after inoculation (DAI), weekly up to the 98 th DAI and every two weeks up to the 364 th DAI. The serum proteins were separacted by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDSPAGE). Twenty-one proteins were found in the serum of the goats, eight were nominally identified; phosphorylase, transferrin, albumin, antitrypsin, acid glicoprotein, haptoglobin, hemoglobin, and light chain immunoglobulin.

Isolation of toxoplasma gondii from goats from Brazil

Goats are economically important in many countries, and little is known of caprine toxoplasmosis in Brazil. Antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii were assayed in the sera of 143 goats from 3 Brazilian states, using modified agglutination test (MAT titer ≥1:25); 46 (32.2%) tested positive. Samples of brain, heart, diaphragm, and masseter of seropositive animals were pooled, digested in pepsin, and bioassayed in mice. Viable T. gondii specimens were isolated from tissue homogenates of 12 goats; the isolates were designated TgGtBr1-12. Ten of the 12 isolates killed 100 of infected mice, indicating that goats can harbor mouse-virulent T. gondii and, hence, can serve as a source of infection for humans. © 2009 American Society of Parasitologists.

Respostas termorreguladoras de cabras saanen e pardo alpina em ambiente tropical

Evaporation is the most effective way of thermolysis with high environmentmal heat load. This mechanism does not depend on the thermal gradient between the environment and animals. The aim of the present work was thermoregulatory responses, sweating rate (TS), rate frequency (FR) e rectal temperature (TR) of Saanen and Oberhasli goats under tropical environment conditions. The observed averages of responses were: TS= 142.91 ± 4.02 g.m-2h-1; FR= 73.23 ± 1.60 mov.min-1; TR= 39.28 ± 0.02oC.

Características do pelame de cabras saanen e pardo alpina criadas em ambiente tropical

The aim of the present work was to study the morphological characteristics of the hair coat, coat thickness (E), hair length (C), number of hair by unit area (N), hair angle to skin (A) and hair diameter (D) of Saanen and Oberhasli goats, measured under the conditions of tropical environment. The observed averages of these traits were: E= 6.04±0.08 mm; C= 33.17±0.24 mm; N= 191.50±4.67 hairs.cm-2; A= the 10.67±0.15 degrees; D= 0.203±0.0013 mm.