Serum progesterone concentration and conception rate of beef cows supplemented with ground corn after a fixed-time artificial insemination protocol

Avaliaram-se os efeitos de diferentes níveis de ingestão de suplemento com milho moído finamente (MF) em vacas de corte, mantidas em pasto, após inseminação artificial em tempo fixo (IATF), sobre a concentração sérica de progesterona (P4) no dia 7, e sobre a concepção no dia 28 pós IATF. Trezentas e sessenta e quatro vacas Brangus, multíparas lactantes, tiveram as atividades folicular e luteal sincronizadas por tratamento com benzoato de estradiol (Estrogin; 2,0mg IM) e inserção de dispositivo intravaginal de P4 (CIDR) no dia -11, seguido por tratamento com PGF2 α (Lutalyse; 25mg IM) no dia - 4, retirada do CIDR e remoção temporária de bezerros no dia -2, e tratamento com GnRH (Fertagyl; 100 µ g IM), IATF e retorno dos bezerros no dia 0. No dia 0, as vacas foram aleatoriamente distribuídas para receber um dos quatro tratamentos: G1 -2kg/dia de MF do dia 0 ao dia 21; G2 -2kg/dia de MF do dia 0 ao dia 7, e 6kg/dia de MF do dia 8 ao dia 21; G3 -6kg/dia de MF do dia 0 ao dia 7, e 2kg/dia de MF do dia 8 ao dia 21; G4 -6kg/dia de MF do dia 0 ao dia 21. Amostras de sangue foram colhidas no dia 7, e o diagnóstico de gestação foi realizado por ultrassonografia no dia 28. As vacas suplementadas com 2kg/dia de MF apresentaram maior concentração sérica de P4 no dia 7 em relação às vacas suplementadas com 6kg/dia (1,58 vs. 1,28ng/mL; P<0,01, EPM=0,08). As vacas do G4 apresentaram maior taxa de concepção em relação às vacas do G1 (58,4 vs. 41,9%, respectivamente; P<0,05). O nível de consumo do suplemento energético após a IATF é negativamente associado às concentrações séricas de P4, porém positivamente associado à taxa de concepção em vacas de corte em pasto.

Effect of lidocaine on the minimum alveolar concentration of sevoflurane in dogs

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

Influence of experimental inflammatory response on hepatic hepcidin gene expression and plasma iron concentration in sheep

Hepcidin is a highly conserved disulfide-bonded peptide that plays a central role in iron homeostasis. During systemic inflammation, hepcidin up-regulation is responsible for hypoferremia. This study aimed to analyze the influence of the inflammatory process induced by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on the liver expression of hepcidin mRNA transcripts and plasma iron concentration of sheep. The expression levels of hepcidin transcripts were up-regulated after CFA or LPS. Hypoferremic response was observed at 12 h (15.46 +/- 6.05 mu mol/L) or 6 h (14.59 +/- 4.38 mu mol/L) and iron reached its lowest level at 96 h (3.08 +/- 1.18 mu mol/L) or 16 h (4.06 +/- 1.58 mu mol/L) after CFA administration or LPS infusion, respectively. This study demonstrated that the iron regulatory hormone hepcidin was up-regulated in sheep liver in response to systemic inflammation. These findings extend our knowledge on the relationship between the systemic inflammatory response, hepcidin and iron, and provide a starting point for additional studies on iron metabolism and the inflammatory process in sheep. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Validation of Fingernail Fluoride Concentration as a Predictor of Risk for Dental Fluorosis

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Comparison of three concentration methods for the recovery of canine intestinal parasites from stool samples

The aim of present study was to compare the efficiency of a commercial assay and two conventional methods for fecal concentration in detecting canine gastrointestinal parasites. Fecal samples from 254 dogs were processed by centrifugation-sedimentation (CS), centrifugation-flotation (CF) and a commercial assay for fecal concentration (TF-test (R)). The following parasites were detected: Ancylostoma (37.8%), Giardia (16.9%), Toxocara canis (8.7%), Trichuris vulpis (7.1%), Isospora (3.5%), and Sarcocystis (2.7%). The calculated analytical sensitivity indicated that CF was more accurate (P < 0.01) in detecting Ancylostoma, T. canis, T. vulpis and Giardia infections. However, CF showed significantly higher sensitivity only for Ancylostoma, compared to the other two methods. The kappa index value of diagnostic agreement between TF-test and CF was high for T. canis (83%) and moderate for Giardia (72%) and Ancylostoma (63%). The advantages and limitations of each method were assessed for individual diagnosis and epidemiological investigation. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of nitrogen source and sucrose concentration on inulinase production by Kluyveromyces marxianus in fed-batch fermentation

This work studied the influence of nitrogen source and sucrose concentration in the feeding medium for biomass and inulinase production by Kluyveromyces marxianus var. bulgaricus. The results show that the best nitrogen source was a combination of 5 g/L of yeast extract and 10 g/L of peptone. Both cellular growth and enzymatic activity increased with sucrose concentration in the feeding medium (from 200 to 500 g/L). When the sucrose concentration reached 600 g/L, both cellular growth and enzymatic activity decreased.

Toxicity effect of the acaricide fipronil in semi-engorged females of the tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806) (Acari: Ixodidae): Preliminary determination of the minimum lethal concentration and LC50

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

Effect of soccer training on the running speed and the blood lactate concentration at the lactate minimum test

Tegtbur et al. [23] devised a new method able to estimate the intensity at maximal lactate steady state termed lactate minimum test. According to Billat et al. [7], no studies have yet been published on the affect of training on highest blood lactate concentration that can be maintained over time without continual blood lactate accumulation. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to verify the effect of soccer training on the running speed and the blood lactate concentration (BLC) at the lactate minimum test (Lac(min)). Thirteen Brazilian male professional soccer players, all members of the same team playing at National level, volunteered for this study. Measurements were carried out before (pre) and after (post) eight weeks of soccer training. The Lac(min) test was adapted to the procedures reported by Tegtbur et al. [23]. The running speed at the Lac(min) test was taken when the gradient of the line was zero. Differences in running speed and blood lactate concentration at the Lac(min) test before (pre) and after (post) the training program were evaluated by Student's paired t-test. The training program increased the running speed at the Lac(min) test (14.94 +/- 0.21 vs. 15.44 +/- 0.42* km(.)h(-1)) and the blood lactate concentration (5.11 +/- 2.31 vs. 6.93 +/- 1.33* mmol(.)L(-1)). The enhance in the blood lactate concentration may be explained by an increase in the lactate/H+ transport capacity of human skeletal muscle verified by other authors.