State of the art on animal embryonic chimeras

Embryonic chimerism is generally used in basic research and in vivo diagnosis of undifferentiated embryonic stem cells (ESC), mostly using mice embryos, although there have been reports in the literature on using rat, rabbit, sheep, chicken, primate, bovine, goat and pig embryos. Several techniques can currently be used to produce chimeric embryos, including microinjection, co-culture with ESC, fusion and aggregation. Although microinjection is the most commonly used method in mice, the mere aggregation of embryos with ESC may result in viable chimeras and be as efficient as microinjection. In mice, this chimerism technique has been shown to have the advantage of aggregating embryos in different stages of development with different ploidy, in addition to using ESC in the tetraploid complementation assay. Compared to other techniques for producing chimeras, the aggregation technique is a cheaper, faster and easier methodology to be performed. Moreover, aggregation can be simplified by chemically removing the zona pellucida with pronase or acidic Tyrode’s solution and be enhanced by using the Well of the Well culture system in combination with adhesion molecules, such as phytohemagglutinin. The most commonly used stages for chimerism by aggregation are those that precede the full compaction of the morula. In these stages, embryos have low-tension adherent junctions at the tangential point between two blastomeres. During the embryonic development of mice, the inner cell mass differentiates into epiblast and hypoblast. These layers will originate the fetal tissues and a portion of the extraembryonic tissues (yolk sac, allantois and amnion), whereas the trophectoderm (TE) gives rise to the chorion. A functional TE is essential for the complex molecular communications that occur between the embryo and the uterus. Embryos produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer, such as commercial cattle clones or endangered species, are subject to large fetal and neonatal losses. Hence embryo complementation with heterologous TE could be of assistance to decrease these losses and might as well assist development of high-value embryos in other approaches.

Multivariate analysis for animal selection in experimental research

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Evaluation of roof slope and exposure with different roofing materials in reduced models of animal production facilities in spring and summer

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Biomassa de Rubrivivax gelatinosus na criação de frangos de corte: desempenho animal e cor dos produtos

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Manejo pré-abate de ovelhas de descarte: perdas de peso corporal, qualidade da carne e comportamento animal

The aim of this study was to know the behavior of Santa Inês ewes in different physiological stages during the pre-slaughter management, as well as their body weight loss, blood hematocrit values and meat quality. 21 discard ewes were used, arranged into the following treatments: T1 = ewes which remained in lactation for 60 days with their respective lambs and slaughtered one day after weaning; T2 = ewes which remained in lactation for 60 days with their respective lambs and one more period of approximately 30 days without the lambs and afterwards slaughtered; and T3 = ewes which remained in confinement for 60 days and did not give birth during the year. The weight of ewes after transportation was lower for T1 in comparison with T2. Blood hematocrit values of ewes before and after transportation and after fast in the waiting pen were not different among the treatments, with mean value of 58.50%. We concluded that the quality of meat of discard ewes in different physiological stages is not altered by pre-slaughter management, when correctly performed (avoiding animal stress), concerning meat pH.

Manejo de serpentes em cativeiro: análise da infraesrutura, saúde animal e enfermidades virais e parasitárias

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Sao Paulo Animal Cancer Registry, the first in Latin America

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

The effect of simvastatin treatment on bone repair of femoral fracture in animal model

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Prediction of crude protein digestibility of animal by-product meals for dogs by the protein solubility in pepsin method

Animal by-product meals have large variability in crude protein (CP) content and digestibility. In vivo digestibility procedures are precise but laborious, and in vitro methods could be an alternative to evaluate and classify these ingredients. The present study reports prediction equations to estimate the CP digestibility of meat and bone meal (MBM) and poultry by-product meal (PM) using the protein solubility in pepsin method (PSP). Total tract CP digestibility of eight MBM and eight PM samples was determined in dogs by the substitution method. A basal diet was formulated for dog maintenance, and sixteen diets were produced by mixing 70 % of the basal diet and 30 % of each tested meal. Six dogs per diet were used to determine ingredient digestibility. In addition, PSP of the MBM and PM samples was determined using three pepsin concentrations: 0·02, 0·002 and 0·0002 %. The CP content of MBM and PM ranged from 39 to 46 % and 57 to 69 %, respectively, and their mean CP digestibility by dogs was 76 (2·4) and 85 (2·6) %, respectively. The pepsin concentration with higher Pearson correlation coefficients with the in vivo results were 0·0002 % for MBM (r 0·380; P = 0·008) and 0·02 % for PM (r 0·482; P = 0·005). The relationship between the in vivo and in vitro results was better explained by the following equations: CP digestibility of MBM = 61·7 + 0·2644 × PSP at 0·0002 % (P = 0·008; R (2) 0·126); and CP digestibility of PM = 54·1 + 0·3833 × PSP at 0·02 % (P = 0·005; R (2) 0·216). Although significant, the coefficients of determination were low, indicating that the models were weak and need to be used with caution.

Fatores associados a qualidade do leite, higiene animal e concentração bacteriana na cama de vacas leiteiras confinadas no sistema de compostagem

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FMVZ

Corrositex®, BCOP and HET-CAM as alternative methods to animal experimentation

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Conscientizar para o bem-estar animal: posse responsável

The community awareness on responsible ownership associated with public policies is key to the promotion of animal welfare. Most cities have a large population of dogs and cats wandering causing serious health problems and abuse. This project aimed to guide and inform the population aimed at animal welfare with the simple and direct approach to issues related to responsible ownership, management, nature conservation and zoonoses. The methodology developed to approach the project in two modules: the I and II, along public and private Elementary and High Schools in Araçatuba. Module I (Mod.I) is basedon the use of puppet theater and musicals, considering the target audience children 3-10 years and the second module (Mod 2) consists of presentations of lectures by undergraduate and graduate course of Veterinary Medicine FMVA UNESP campus Araçatuba, being the target audience of High School teenagers. Data collection proceeded by questionnaires, with questions regarding the care and practices to pets. The results revealed that there is a lack of information about animal welfare practice.

De um subproduto industrial para um produto destinado à alimentação animal: produção de biomassa bacteriana

A grande diversidade das atividades industriais ocasiona durante o processo produtivo a geração de resíduos sólidos, líquidos e gasosos, que podem poluir e/ou contaminar o solo, a água e o ar. Embora existam regulamentos para o descarte desses resíduos, a inobservância às regras, a ineficiência dos tratamentos despoluentes e a inoperância de órgãos fiscalizadores permitem que, ainda hoje, sejam lançados ao ambiente grandes cargas de poluentes. Isso se aplica às indústrias de alimentos de origem animal. Felizmente, a visão dos empresários do setor vem mudando, na medida em que a imagem de uma empresa que conta com produtos e processos ambientalmente responsáveis representa parte das estratégias competitivas atuais. O objetivo deste trabalho foi demonstrar como um efluente industrial pode ser transformado em matéria prima para a obtenção de um produto com valor comercial, utilizando tecnologias reconhecidas pela indústria e a atividade microbiana. O efluente foi obtido em indústria de abate e processamento de tilápias, apresentado (valores médios) pH = 9,4, DQO = 1.127 mg/L, óleos e graxas = 1.166 mg/L, nitrogênio total = 813 mg/L, coliformes a 30–35o C = 1,0x105 NMP/mL, coliformes a 45o C = 0,41 NMP/mL, bolores e leveduras = 4,6x103 UFC/mL e, ocasionalmente, contendo Salmonella sp e Aeromonas sp. Os tratamentos físicos aplicados ao efluente incluíram gradeamento, filtração (50µm) e pasteurização (65o C/30 min). O cultivo de Rubrivivax gelatinosus foi realizado sob anaerobiose em reatores de vidro durante 7 dias, em temperatura ambiente (30±5o C) e 2.000±500 lux. A recuperação da biomassa foi feita por filtração tangencial (0,2 µm; 1,5 bar), centrifugação (3.400 g/30 min; 5o C) e liofilização (-40o C) e a pulverização foi realizada manualmente. A produção de massa celular atingiu 0,18 g/L, com produtividade de 0,0634 g/L.dia. O processo promoveu redução de 52% na DQO, 48% em óleos e graxas e 22% no nitrogênio total, gerando um resíduo com pH 7,9, livre de bactérias patogênicas e, portanto, apto ao descarte. O produto obtido apresentou cor vermelho escuro (L = 22,42; C = 14,22; h = 25,48), 4,55% de umidade, 57,39% de proteína, 11,08% de extrato etéreo, 4,05% de matéria mineral, 3,03 mg/g de oxicarotenóides, 20,27 NMP/g de coliformes a 30–35o C, <1,0 NMP/g de coliformes a 45o C, 1,2x103 UFC/g de bolores e leveduras e ausência de microrganismos patogênicos. Essas características apontam para um potencial pigmentante e nutricional positivo no produto, que pode encontrar aplicação na produção animal, com segurança microbiológica. Dessa forma, fecha-se um ciclo autosustentável que pode ser adotado na própria fonte geradora do resíduo industrial, permitindo a reversão de gastos com tratamento despoluente em receitas advindas da comercialização de um novo produto.

Correlações entre padrões hematológicos, parasitológicos e desempenho animal de ovelhas suplementadas com gordura protegida

The development of populations of gastrointestinal parasites resistant to antihelmintics has led to seeks new alternatives its control. Stimulation of natural immunity by means of animal nutrition has shown promising results in controlling nematodes in sheep. The addition of protected fat sources, containing essential fatty acids, may be an alternative due to many effects, among them, regulation of immunity expression and regulation of the inflammatory response by immune effectors. The aim of this study was to estimate correlations between haematological and parasitological patterns, animal performance through weight and body condition, under the influence of protected fat in ewes. Fifty Santa Ines sheep, in the final third of pregnancy or postpartum, in paddocks of Panicum maximum, received, individually, 200 g per day of concentrate, isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets, with or without the addition of protected fat. In general, except for total leukocytes and eosinophils, almost all of Pearson correlation coefficients of other variables were significant. However, the protected fat, in the amount offered, had no antihelmintic effect.