Impaired protamination and sperm DNA damage in a Nellore bull with high percentages of morphological sperm defects in comparison to normospermic bulls

The routine semen evaluation assessing sperm concentration, motility and morphology, does not identify subtle defects in sperm chromatin architecture. Bulls appear to have stable chromatin, with low levels of DNA fragmentation. However, the nature of fragmentation and its impact on fertility remain unclear and there are no detailed reports characterizing the DNA organization and damage in this species. The intensive genetic selection, the use of artificial insemination and in vitro embryo production associated to the cryopreservation process can contribute to the chromatin damage and highlights the importance of sperm DNA integrity for the success of these technologies. Frozen-thawed semen samples from three ejaculates from a Nellore bull showed high levels of morphological sperm abnormalities (55.8±5.1%), and were selected for complementary tests. Damage of acrosomal (76.9±8.9%) and plasma membranes (75.7±9.3%) as well as sperm DNA strand breaks (13.8±9.5%) and protamination deficiency (3.7±0.6%) were significantly higher compared to the values measured in the semen of five Nellore bulls with normospermia (24.3±3.3%; 24.5±6.1%; 0.6±0.5%; 0.4±0.6% for acrosome, plasma membrane, DNA breaks and protamine deficiency, respectively) (P<0.05). Motility and percentage of spermatozoa with low mitochondrial potential showed no differences between groups. This study shows how routine semen analyses (in this case morphology) may point to the length and complexity of sperm cell damage emphasizing the importance of sperm function testing.

Sistema NPPC-NPR2 na espécie bovina: identificação em folículos antrais e modulação na concentração de nucleotídeos cíclicos e na expressão gênica de PDE3 em complexos cumulus-oócito

Pós-graduação em Biociências - FCLAS

Cryptococcus: isolamento ambiental e caracterização bioquimica

Pós-graduação em Ciência Animal - FMVA

Reator anaeróbio compartimentado para o tratamento de águas residuárias de suinocultura

Water and soil pollution caused by the waste from the swine production causes severe environmental impacts in producing areas. An efficient alternative to reduce these impacts can be the use of high-rate anaerobic reactors. In this work, it was evaluated the effect of the swine wastewater with total suspended solids concentrations around 6.000 mg.L-1 in the anaerobic baffled reactor with three compartments. The volume of the first compartment was 210 L and of the second and third ones of 160 L. The anaerobic baffled reactor was submitted at hydraulic detention times of 56, 28 and 18 hours and to organic load rates of 5.0 to 10.1 g total COD (L.d)(-1). The highest total COD removals, of 42 to 68%, and volumetric methane productions, of 0.261 to 0.454 L CH4 (L reactor d)(-1), occurred in the second compartment.

Relative bioavailability of iron from organic sources for weanling piglets

Some authors consider minerals from organic sources more bioavailable for pig nutrition in comparison with inorganic sources. To evaluate the relative iron bioavailability from the organic source iron carbo-amino-phospho-chelate (ICAPC) to weanling piglets, it was conducted an experiment with 126 commercial piglets, using iron sulfate monohydrate (S) as standard. The experiment had a randomized block design with seven treatments (diet without adding specific source of iron, diet with 50, 100 and 150 ppm iron from S and diet with 50, 100 and 150 ppm iron from ICAPC), six replications and three animals per experimental unit. Performance parameters (average daily gain - ADG, feed: gain ratio - F:G) and blood variables (hemoglobin - Hb, hematocrit - Ht, transferrin - TR, latent iron-binding capacity - LIBC, total iron-binding capacity - TIBC, serum iron - Fe and transferrin saturation index - TSI) were evaluated. At the end of the experiment a piglet from each experimental unit was slaughtered and its liver and spleen removed for assessment of iron concentration by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS). The evaluated sources of iron yielded similar results for the variables of interest, but the increase in iron intake was followed by a linear increase in ADG, Hb, Ht, Fe and TSI as well as a linear decrease in the values of F:G, TR, LIBC and TIBC. Iron bioavailabilities from both ICAPC and S sources are similar for weanling piglets.

Hiperparatireoidismo nutricional secundário em equinos e ruminantes: revisão de literatura

O hiperparatireoidismo nutricional secundário é um distúrbio metabólico que acomete principalmente equídeos, mas pode se manifestar em caprinos e suínos. A etiologia está relacionada a alterações nas concentrações séricas de cálcio e fósforo devido à ingestão desbalanceada na dieta, levando a hipersecreção do paratormônio e consequente hiperparatireoidismo, que se manifesta por osteodistrofia fibrosa. A apresentação clássica é o aumento de volume, em geral bilateral e simétrico, dos ossos do crânio, sendo que o diagnóstico baseia-se principalmente na presença desta alteração. Entretanto, outros ossos também podem ser acometidos. Testes bioquímicos podem contribuir para o diagnóstico ao revelarem concentrações séricas de cálcio ionizado abaixo dos valores de referência e teor sérico de fósforo orgânico acima do normal, além de aumento na atividade da enzima fosfatase alcalina. Exames radiográficos demonstram opacidade óssea diminuída. O tratamento consiste principalmente na correção do desequilíbrio cálcio:fósforo na dieta e a profilaxia é de extrema importância a fim de se evitar prejuízos econômicos.

A substituição do meio TCM pelo meio BARC, suplementado com SFB, BSA ou PVA, para maturação de oócitos bovinos in vitro, não incrementa a subsequente produção de blastocistos

This study was carried out to assess the influence of bovine embryo culture medium Beltsville Agriculture Research Center (BARC), supplemented with FCS, BSA or PVA, on the in vitro oocyte maturation, evidenced by cleavage rate and blastocysts production at different developmental stages. Three experiments were performed, as follows: exp.1: addition of FCS to BARC medium at concentrations of 0, 5 and 10%; exp. 2: addition of BSA to BARC medium at concentrations of 0, 4 and 8 mg/ml; exp. 3: addition of PVA to BARC medium at concentrations of 0, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/ml. TCM 199 supplemented with bicarbonate, pyruvate, gentamicin sulfate, FSH, LH and FCS was used as control group. Oocytes obtained from cow ovaries at slaughterhouse were selected in PBS, and then matured in BARC medium supplemented with FSH, LH and gentamicin sulfate, according to the experimental design. Percoll gradient was used for sperm selection and TALP medium for IVF. In vitro embryo culture was in SOF-m medium; a humidified atmosphere with 5% CO2, in air, at 38.7oC was used for all steps. The number of oocytes reaching blastocyst, expanded blastocyst, and hatched blastocyt stages was recorded, respectively at 72 and 168 h post-insemination. ANOVA and Bonferroni t test were used to determine differences among groups. Differences of P<0.05 were taken as significant. Higher percentage (P<0.05) of cleaved oocytes was observed in group TCM + FCS than for the other groups matured in BARC supplemented with FCS or BSA, regardless the concentration used. However, the cleavage rate was similar between groups BARC plus PVA with 1 mg/ml (85.7%) and TCM + FCS (90.8%). Significant difference was found among groups for the production of blastocysts, with the control group yielding a higher number of blastocysts (results ranging from 47.4 to 51.4%, in comparison with groups using BARC + FCS (4.1 to 19.7%), BSA (1.4 to 5.6%) and PVA (5.7 to 10.6%). In conclusion, BARC medium supplemented with different macromolecules did not promote a beneficial effect on in vitro oocyte maturation, resulting in lower rate of cleavage and blastocyst production when compared with TCM + FCS medium.

Potencial do cultivo in vitro e do xenotransplante na sobrevida e desenvolvimento de folículos ovarianos pré-antrais em matrizes de ruminantes domésticos em risco de morte: revisão de literatura

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Desempenho reprodutivo e diferenciação gonadal em piau-três-pintas, Leporinus friderici, Bloch 1794

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Tratamento de águas residuárias de suinocultura em reatores anaeróbios horizontais de alta taxa seguidos de filtro biológico percolador

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Impacto do estresse no bem-estar dos animais e na qualidade da carcaça e da carne

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

Fertilizantes e sistemas de irrigação: emissões de gases de efeito estufa no cultivo do milho

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Remodelamento estrutural do tecido parabronquial de pintinhos em resposta à hipóxia durante o desenvolvimento fetal

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Influence of the starting time of preslaughter feed withdrawal on welfare of pigs and pork quality

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Infecção experimental para avaliar a excreção do vírus da diarreia viral bovina por leitões desmamados e transmissão viral por via aerógena

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