Different expression of PGE synthase,PGF receptor,TNF, Fas and oxytocin in the bovine corpus luteum of the estrous cycle and pregnancy

Functional differences between the corpus luteum (CL) of pregnancy and CL of the cycle in cows were examined. Messenger RNA and protein levels of prostaglandin (PG) E synthase (PGES), PGF2α receptor (PGFR), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) and Fas were found to be higher in the CL of pregnancy than in CL of the cycle. Oxytocin (OT) mRNA and protein levels were lower in the CL of pregnancy. Messenger RNA levels of progesterone receptor (PR), luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR), PGE2 receptor (PGER), PGF synthase (PGFS), TNF receptor type I (TNFRI) and TNF receptor type II (TNFRII) did not differ between the cycle and pregnancy. PGE2 and PGF2α production by cultured bovine endometrial tissues was decreased by a supernatant derived from the homogenized CL of pregnancy but not by that of the CL of the cycle, suggesting that specific substances in the CL of pregnancy affect endometrial PG production in cows. Collectively, PGES, PGFR, TNF, Fas or OT may contribute to differences between the CL of pregnancy and CL of the estrous cycle in cows.     

The administration of Sheng Hua Tang immediately after delivery to reduce the incidence of retained placenta in Holstein dairy cows

Sheng Hua Tang, a classical herbal formula consisting of Radix Angelicae sinensis, Ligustici rhizoma, Semen persicae, Zingiberis rhizoma, and Radix glycyrrhizae, is known to be beneficial in alleviating postpartum diseases and facilitating a return to normal reproductive function. This study investigated whether the administration of Sheng Hua Tang within 2 to 4 hours after delivery was effective as a preventive treatment for reducing the risk of retained placenta in Holstein dairy cows. A total of 357 cows, each of which had delivered its calf spontaneously, were randomly allocated to one of two groups. In the treatment group, the cows (n = 175) received Sheng Hua Tang with an oral dose of 0.36 g crude herb per kg·body weight once daily for three consecutive days. The controls (n = 182) received no treatment. The placental retention proportion was 4.0% and 17.0% within 12 hours after delivery in the treated and control animals, respectively (P < 0.01). We found decreases in the calving-to-first-service interval (73.2 ± 25.1 vs. 81.9 ± 32.8 days; P < 0.01), calving-to-conception interval (93.4 ± 38.8 vs. 114.6 ± 42.9 days; P < 0.01), and service per conception (1.5 ± 0.8 vs. 1.9 ± 1.0 days; P < 0.01) in the treatment group compared with the control group. The first artificial insemination conception proportion was higher in the treatment group than in the control group (60.4% vs. 41.1%; P = 0.01). Moreover, the between-group difference in the proportion of cows that were pregnant within 180 days postpartum approached statistical significance (88.2% vs. 80.6%; P = 0.07). Sheng Hua Tang showed beneficial effects in reducing the incidence of retained placenta and improving subsequent reproductive performance in cows. This preventive treatment strategy would be effective in improving the management of puerperal health. The potential benefits of Sheng Hua Tang warrant further investigation to determine whether this preventive treatment strategy can be endorsed as a general preventive approach in postpartum cows.     

Investigating the response of soil and vegetable crops to poultry and cow manure using ground and satellite data

Based on the massive production of cow and poultry manures, farmers in Saudi Arabia are moving towards the application of organic fertilizers in their farms. Therefore, the present work was conducted to study the response of soil and selected vegetable crops to poultry and cow manures, using ground data and Landsat-8 and Hyperion images. The studied vegetable crops are cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and lettuce. A total of 100 t ha^?1 organic manures were applied as a pre-planting treatment. A 12.5 ha field in Tawdeehiya Farms, 200 km southeast of Riyadh, was earmarked for this study. The field was divided into sectors cultivated with the above-mentioned vegetable crops. Soil characteristics, including the soil pH, the electric conductivity (EC), the nitrogen (N), the phosphorus (P) and the potassium (K), were examined before the application of manures and 25 days after the transplanting process. Observations on crops chlorophyll content, number of leaves, the diameter of merchantable products and yield were also investigated. Furthermore, the relationship between the crop performance and yield was investigated through the satellite images generated vegetation indices (VIs). This study revealed the better performance of poultry manure compared to cow manure in terms of development and production parameters of the experimental crops. Dynamics of the chlorophyll content across the crop growth period revealed that all the tested crops responded significantly (R² = 0.69; P = 0.001) to the poultry manure treatments. Among the tested crops, the chlorophyll content, curd or head sizes and crop yields were quite better in poultry manure applied plots. The investigation of crop yield was significant with poultry manure (R² = 0.64; P = 0.001) than cow manure (R² = 0.57; P = 0.001) using the OSAVI and mNDVI, respectively.     

Development of a novel stall design for dairy cattle: Part II. The effect of minimal stall partitioning on lying behavior,rumination, stall cleanliness,and preference

Free-stalls for dairy cows promote cleanliness, provide cows with a defined space to lie down, and decrease labor and bedding required for maintenance. However, current stall features can restrict behavior and reduce stall use. The objective of this study was to assess the short-term effect of a novel free-stall design (flexible single-bar partition, no neck rail, increased slope) on stall cleanliness and the lying behavior, rumination, milk production, and preferences of dairy cows in comparison to standard free-stalls (metal loop partitions, neck rail). In the first experiment, 60 Holstein cows were randomly divided into two groups and switched between standard and novel stalls in a replicated crossover design with four 7-day periods. Lying behavior and rumination were recorded continuously. Milk yields were recorded 2x/day, and stall cleanliness scores were collected on the last four days of weeks 3 and 4. The second experiment was a 6-day preference test where 14 cows from experiment 1 were given free access to 16 standard and 16 novel stalls. Lying behavior was recorded continuously. On day 6, standing, perching, and intention, lying, and rising movements were recorded. In experiment 1, cows spent 12 min less time lying down (14.1 vs 14.3 ± 0.48 h/d), had one fewer lying bouts (8.8 vs 9.8 ± 0.23 bouts/d), and had longer lying bouts by 6 min (1.4 vs 1.5 ± 0.05 h/bout) in novel stalls. Rumination time (547.3 vs 548.9 ± 4.66 min/d) and milk yield (35.0 vs 35.2 ± 0.51 kg/d) did not differ between stall types. However, novel stalls were more than twice as soiled as standard stalls (32.8 vs 14.2 ± 1.38% of rear half soiled). In experiment 2, the cows most recently housed in the novel stalls showed a clear preference for lying down in those stalls, whereas cows most recently housed in standard stalls showed no preference. Intention and lying down movements were longer in standard stalls when other cows were present in diagonally opposite stalls, but were similar between stall types when not occupied. All cows preferred standing in novel stalls. Novel stalls may have improved stall use compared to standard free-stalls, and the design requires further development to address cleanliness concerns. Future work is required to provide comfortable stalls without sacrificing cleanliness.     

Photoperiodic alteration of postpartum reproductive function in suckled cows

Three experiments were conducted using a total of 41 cows to determine if photoperiod modulates the establishment of postpartum estrous cycles and conception. Cows calving in the autumn and winter were exposed to either 18 hr light/day (18L:6D) or natural photoperiods. In Exp. 1, cows receiving 18L:6D had shorter (P<0.025) intervals from calving to estrus (61 +/- 3.8 days) than cows not receiving supplemental light (154 +/- 23.9 days). The same was true for primiparous cows in Exp. 2 (76 +/- 5.5 days vs 153 +/- 38.0 days; P<0.06) but not for the multiparous cows in Exp. 2 (56 +/- 5.2 days vs 40 +/- 7.4 days) or for all cows in Exp. 3 (60 +/- 10.1 days vs 70 +/- 13.5 days). Because conception rate was higher for cows exposed to 18L:6D for the multiparous cows in Exp. 2 and all cows in Exp. 3, interval to conception was significantly shorter for animals exposed to 18L:6D in all experiments. Generally, interval from calving to uterine involution was also reduced by exposure to 18L:6D. No effects of photoperiod were observed on body weight changes, serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) or estradiol or on estradiol-induced release of gonadotropins. It was concluded that in certain situations day length can hasten estrus and conception in postpartum cows. The effect of photoperiod interacts with other conditions, one of which is parity. The endocrine basis for these effects are not known.     

Serum and milk progesterone in Syncro-Mate-B treated postpartum beef cows

Fifteen post-partum (61.5+/-6.1 days) cyclic beef cows (4.1+/-0.3 years old) were randomly assigned to receive the Syncro-Mate-B (SMB) treatment on day 0 (estrus), day 9 or day 18 of their cycle with implant removal nine days later. An additional five post-partum (41.7+/-5.6 days) beef cows (3.2+/-0.4 years old) not detected in estrus and without corpora lutea also received the SMB treatment. Blood samples (10ml) were obtained via venipuncture on the day of implantation and one, three, five, seven and nine days after implantation and ten days after the post-treatment estrus. Milk samples (25 ml) were obtained by hand stripping at the same periods. Nineteen of twenty cows were synchronized, i.e. estrus occurred within five days of implant removal. Progesterone concentrations in both serum and milk were similar and followed similar patterns for each group. The day-9 treated cows had greater serum and milk progesterone concentrations than the other groups of cows on days 1, 3, and 5 after implantation. In conclusion, cows treated with SMB had similar serum and milk progesterone concentrations, endogenous progesterone secretion was inhibited by SMB treatment and the inhibition was influenced by prior luteal function.     

Changes in the gene expression of adiponectin and adiponectin receptors (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2) in ovarian follicular cells of dairy cow at different stages of development

Adiponectin is one of the most important, recently discovered adipocytokines that acts at various levels to control male and female fertility through central effects on the hypothalamus-pituitary axis or through peripheral effects on the ovary, uterus, and embryo. We studied simultaneous changes in the gene expression pattern of adiponectin and adiponectin receptors 1 and 2 (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2) in granulosa and theca cells, cumulus-oocyte complex, and in corpus luteum in healthy bovine (Bos tarus) follicles at different stages of development. The expression levels of adiponectin, AdipoR1, and AdipoR2 mRNA were lower (P < 0.05) in granulosa and cumulus cells in comparison with that in theca cells and oocyte. In contrast with the oocyte, AdipoR1 in granulosa, theca, and luteal cells was expressed (P < 0.05) more than AdipoR2. Adiponectin expression increased (P < 0.05) in granulosa cells and in cumulus-oocyte complex during follicular development from small to large follicles. Opposite results were observed in theca cells. Expression of adiponectin was highest in the late stages of corpus luteum (CL) regression, whereas lower expression was recorded in active CL (P < 0.05). AdipoR1 and AdipoR2 expression increased during the terminal follicular growth in granulosa and theca cells (P < 0.05) and during the luteal phase progress in CL. There was positive correlation between adiponectin mRNA level in granulosa cells from large follicles and follicular fluid estradiol concentration (r = 0.48, P < 0.05) and negative correlation between adiponectin mRNA abundance in theca cells and follicular fluid progesterone concentration (r = -0.44, P < 0.05). In conclusion, we found that the physiologic status of the ovary has significant effects on the natural expression patterns of adiponectin and its receptors in follicular and luteal cells of bovine ovary.     

Ovulation and pregnancy outcomes in response to human chorionic gonadotropin before resynchronized ovulation in dairy cattle

We first determined a dose of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) sufficient to induce ovulation in lactating Holstein cows. Ovaries of 85 previously inseminated cows were mapped using transrectal ultrasonography 7 d before pregnancy diagnosis and assigned randomly to treatments of saline, 100 μg gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), or 500, 1000, 2000, or 3000 IU hCG. Appearance of new corpus luteum (CL) in response to ≥1000 IU hCG was similar to that for GnRH but greater (P < 0.001) than that for saline. Ovarian structures and serum progesterone then were monitored in 334 previously inseminated Holstein cows 0 and 7 d after treatment with GnRH, hCG (1000 IU), or saline. The incidence of ovulation was greater (P = 0.01) after GnRH than after saline in cows having pretreatment progesterone < 1 ng/mL, whereas in cows having progesterone ≥1 ng/mL, GnRH or hCG was more (P = 0.01) effective than saline, and hCG also differed from GnRH. Holstein cows of unknown pregnancy status in three herds were treated with either GnRH, hCG, or as controls to initiate an ovulation-resynchronization procedure 7 d before pregnancy diagnosis. In 1109 treated pregnant cows, pregnancy loss during 4 wk after treatment tended (P = 0.06) to be greater in those treated with hCG. Treated cows (n = 1343) diagnosed not pregnant were then given prostaglandin F_2α and inseminated and received GnRH 72 h later. A treatment by herd interaction (P = 0.06) resulted in more pregnancies after GnRH in two herds and after hCG in one herd compared with saline. We concluded that (1) ≥ 1000 IU hCG resulted in more CL than did treatment with saline, and the incidence of new CL after either GnRH or hCG depended on pretreatment progesterone status; (2) hCG tended to increase pregnancy loss in pregnant cows; and (3) pregnancies per artificial insemination after initiating resynchronization with either hCG or GnRH produced ambiguous results.     

Accuracy of pregnancy specific protein-B test for early pregnancy diagnosis in dairy cattle

The objective was to evaluate the accuracy of an ELISA for pregnancy specific protein B (PSP-B) for early pregnancy diagnosis in dairy cattle. Blood from lactating (>100 d postpartum) dairy cows (n = 738), was collected on Days 28, 30, and 35 (Day 0 = estrus), analyzed with an ELISA for PSP-B, and the cows designated as pregnant, probable, unlikely, or non-pregnant. Immediately after blood collection, transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) was done for pregnancy diagnosis, and the results used as a criterion standard test for comparison with PSP-B. At Day 28, 46.3% were diagnosed by TRUS as pregnant. The PSP-B sensitivity was 93.9% on Day 28 and similar on Days 30 and 35. The PSP-B specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy were all >94% on Day 28 and similar on Days 30 and 35. However, the accuracy was significantly less compared to TRUS (P < 0.01). The percentage of all samples from cows that were probably pregnant or unlikely to be pregnant was 5.6%. At Days 28, 30, and 35, percentages of uncertain samples were 8.5, 4.8, and 3.3%, respectively (P < 0.01), and Kappa values were 0.92, 0.92, and 0.95. False negative and false positive results were attributed to low concentrations of PSP-B in pregnant animals and to persistence of pregnant concentrations of PSP-B in females with pregnancy loss, respectively. In conclusion, PSP-B ELISA was a sensitive, specific, and accurate test for pregnancy diagnosis (relative to TRUS) at Days 28, 30, and 35 after breeding.     

基于胃肠道表现就诊的婴儿牛奶蛋白过敏症临床分析

目的:探讨以胃肠道表现为首发症状的婴儿牛奶蛋白过敏症(cow milk protein allergy,CMPA)的临床特点,以减少误诊。方法:选择2012年7月至2015年6月我院消化门诊就诊的448例诊断为婴儿牛奶蛋白过敏患儿,采用问卷调查法收集临床资料和应用COMi SS症状评分法进行症状量化评估。结果:448例患儿中男216例,女232例,以0~6个月发病年龄为主。不同胃肠道首发症状就诊中腹泻50%,便血29%,反流或呕吐9%,阵发性哭闹7%,便秘5%。治疗前COMi SS评分均值10.24±2.60分,饮食回避2~4周后评分均值为3.68±1.17分,均值差6分。调查既往诊疗中误诊病例296例,不同胃肠道首发症状患儿的误诊率为:腹泻组71%,便血组68%,阵发性哭闹组50%,反流或呕吐组40%,便秘组66%。既往误诊病例中抗生素使用率达62%。误诊病例中发生营养不良112例,非误诊病例中营养不良4例,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:胃肠型婴儿牛奶蛋白过敏主要症状为腹泻及便血。因症状缺乏特异性,临床实践中误诊发生率高。COMi SS症状评分法有助于临床医师对该病首发症状的识别和疗效观察。