Ribavirin-induced sperm shape abnormalities in Wistar rat.

Ribavirin (1-beta-D-ribofuranosyl-1,2,4, triazole-3 carboxamide) is a broad-spectrum antiviral drug. This study was aimed to investigate the mutagenicity of ribavirin on germ cells by employing sperm morphology assay. Male Wistar rats were treated with water, cyclophosphamide (CP) 40 mg/kg, and ribavirin 20, 100 and 200 mg/kg (i.p.) for 5 consecutive days at intervals of 24h. Following the last exposure, at 14, 28, 35, 42 and 70 days, the epididymal sperm smears were obtained and stained according to the standard procedure. One thousand sperms per animal were classified into normal and different abnormal types. Both CP and ribavirin-induced anomalies of head and tail of sperm except at 70 days. In CP groups, maximum incidence was observed at 28, 35 and 42 days. Ribavirin 20 mg/kg induced maximum incidence at 14 and 42 days, 100 mg/kg at 28 and 42 days and 200 mg/kg at 28-42 days. These results show that ribavirin is mutagenic to rat germ cells in a transient fashion.     

The interaction between lactose level and crude protein concentration on piglet post-weaning performance,nitrogen metabolism,selected faecal microbial populations and faecal volatile fatty acid concentrations

A performance study and a nitrogen balance study (2×3 factorial) were conducted to investigate the interaction between lactose level (215 and 125 g/kg) (lactofeed 70; 860 g whey permeate/kg, 140 g soya bean meal/kg, Volac International, UK) and crude protein (CP) concentration (160, 185 and 210 g/kg) on post-weaning piglet performance, nitrogen metabolism, faecal microbiology and faecal volatile fatty acid concentrations. In the performance trial, 252 piglets (7.6 kg; 33 days of age) were assigned to one of six dietary treatments following a 12-day period on a commercial creep diet (17 MJ/kg DE, 16 g lysine/kg). The experimental diets were fed for 28 days (days 12–40) and were formulated to have identical digestible energy (15 MJ/kg) and total lysine (14.5 g/kg) contents. In the N balance experiment, 24 boars (20 kg live weight) were offered the same diets as in the performance trial. Faecal samples were collected for selected microbial populations. There was an interaction (P<0.05) between lactose and CP concentration in daily gain (ADG) and daily feed intake (ADFI) (P<0.01) during the weaner period (days 12–40). At the high lactose level there was a linear increase in ADG and ADFI with increasing CP. However, at the low lactose level there was no increase in ADG or ADFI above the medium CP. Pigs offered 215 g lactose/kg had a higher dry matter (P<0.001), organic matter (P<0.001), energy (P<0.001), nitrogen (P<0.01) and neutral detergent fibre (P<0.05) coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility compared to pigs offered 125 g lactose/kg. There was an interaction between lactose and CP concentration for nitrogen intake (NI) (P<0.05), urine pH (P<0.05) and selected faecal microbial populations. At the high CP level, pigs offered diets containing 215 g lactose/kg had a higher NI and a lower urine pH than pigs offered 125 g lactose/kg (P<0.05). However, the inclusion of lactose had no significant effect on either NI or urine pH at the low or medium CP concentration. At the low lactose level there was a linear increase in faecal E. coli population and a linear decrease in faecal Lactobacilli population with increasing CP. However at high lactose levels CP concentration had no effect on either E. coli or Lactobacilli populations. Pigs offered 215 g lactose/kg had a significantly higher Bifidobacteria population compared to pigs offered 125 g lactose/kg. There was a linear decrease in Bifidobacteria population as CP increased. In conclusion, at the high lactose level there was a linear increase in ADG and ADFI with increasing CP concentrations. There was no increase in these parameters above 185 g CP/kg at the low lactose level.     

Quinestrol induces spermatogenic apoptosis in vivo via increasing pro-apoptotic proteins in adult male mice

The effects of quinestrol on spermatogenesis were investigated in adult male mice by daily intragastric administration of quinestrol with various doses of 5, 10, 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight for 10 days. The sperm counts declined while the number of abnormal spermatozoa went up in mice treated with quinestrol. The testicular weight and seminiferous tubular area gradually declined with increasing dosages of quinestrol to 50 and 100 mg/kg. Rarefied germ cells showed irregular distributions in the seminiferous tubules of mice treated with 50 and 100 mg/kg quinestrol. Apoptosis was highly pronounced in spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids and Leydig cells. Antioxidant enzyme activities – superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase – as well as total antioxidant capacity significantly reduced, while malondialdehyde contents increased. The number of germ cells expressing caspase-3, p53, Bax and FasL significantly increased whereas cells expressing Bcl-2 significantly decreased in groups treated with 50 and 100 mg/kg quinestrol compared with the control. The concentration of nitrogen monoxidum also increased significantly under these dosages. The results suggest that quinestrol stimulates oxidative stress to induce apoptosis in spermatogenic cells through the mitochondrial and death receptor pathways in adult male mice.     

Efficacy of marbofloxacin against respiratory infections of lambs

The trial was carried out in a sheep flock with mixed Mannheimia haemolytica/Mycoplasma spp. respiratory infection; 60 lambs were included therein and allocated as follows: lambs in group MH were subcutaneously injected with marbofloxacin (3.0 mg/kg bodyweight) on two occasions, once daily 2 days apart – lambs in group ML3 were given marbofloxacin (2.0 mg/kg) on three occasion, once daily for three consecutive days – lambs in group ML2 were given marbofloxacin (2.0 mg/kg) on two occasions, 2 days apart – lambs in group T were subcutaneously injected with tilmicosin (15 mg/kg) on two occasions, 4 days apart – lambs in group C were untreated controls. The lambs were monitored before and after treatment and the clinical findings were scored; they were euthanatised 42 days after treatment for pathological examination of the lungs. Groups were similar at the start of a field trial with respect to all parameters (general clinical condition, presence of nasal discharge, presence of ophthalmic discharge, results of lung auscultation) evaluated (P > 0.05). After treatment, no systemic or local adverse reactions were observed in any lamb. Forty-two days after treatment, the median general clinical assessment score of groups MH, ML3 and T was 0, that of group ML2 was 1 and that of group C lambs was 2 (P < 0.01). Treatment with marbofloxacin was associated with improved clinical scores; the results were similar for all evaluations 14 days after treatment and subsequently. Clinical cure rate 42 days after treatment was 100, 100, 42, 100 and 0% for group MH, ML3, ML2, T and C lambs, respectively (P < 0.01). After controlling for initial weight, treatment was found to have a significant effect on carcass weight (P < 0.01). Pairwise differences in lung lesion scores between any of the four treated groups and the untreated controls were significant (P < 0.02). It is concluded that marbofloxacin is effective against respiratory infections of lambs at a dose rate of 3.0 mg/kg bodyweight given on two occasions, once daily 2 days apart or at a dose rate of 2.0 mg/kg given on three occasions for three consecutive days.     

Metabolic profiling and enhanced production of phytosterols by elicitation with methyl jasmonate and silver nitrate in whole plant cultures of Lemna paucicostata

In this study, the effects of methyl jasmonate (MJ) and silver nitrate (SN) treatment on metabolic profiles and yields of phytosterols such as campesterol, stigmasterol, and β-sitosterol in whole plant cultures of Lemna paucicostata were investigated using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry coupled with multivariate statistical analysis. The MJ and SN treatments retarded the growth of L. paucicostata plants, while they enhanced the yields of three phytosterols, compared to control. Higher yields of phytosterols were attained at day 28 compared to day 42. Moreover, stigmasterol yield was the highest at 0.85 mg/g from day 28 plants grown under MJ + SN co-treated culture. Among the various metabolites, the levels of palmitic and stearic acids, which might participate in a defense mechanism, were higher in the MJ + SN condition than in control. To determine the optimal timing of MJ + SN addition, MJ + SN was added on days 21, 28, and 35 after inoculation. The total yield and productivity of phytosterol reached maximum levels when the MJ + SN was added at day 35. The highest productivity of stigmasterol (6.08 mg/L) was also achieved when MJ + SN was added on day 35.     

Comparative studies on dry matter intake,digestibility and nitrogen metabolism between Thai native (TN) and Anglo Nubian × TN bucks

Metabolic experiments were conducted for each Thai native (TN) and Anglo Nubian–TN 50% (AN × TN) bucks, 26.5–38 kg BW and 35–52 months of age, by assigning the following concentrate diets, which had four levels of CP concentrations, T1: 14%, T2: 21%, T3: 28% and T4: 35%, on a DM basis. The animals were fed the concentrates at a rate of 1% of their BW and had ad libitum access to Paspalum plicatulum hay. As the CP level increased, digestibility of CP, N excretion in urine and N retention increased (P < 0.01). No significant differences of DM digestibility among the CP levels of diet and between the breeds of bucks were observed. The AN × TN had higher DM intake than TN (P < 0.05, 40.9 g/(kg BW^0.75 day) versus 36.0 g/(kg BW^0.75 day)), thus N intake of AN × TN was higher than that of TN (P < 0.01, 0.99 g/(kg BW^0.75 day) versus 0.90 g/(kg BW^0.75 day)). Digestibility of CP and blood urea N concentrations of TN were higher than those of AN × TN (P < 0.05, 69.8% versus 64.0% and 32.2 mg/dl versus 26.7 mg/dl, respectively). The AN × TN tended to retain more N than TN in the higher CP feeding condition of T3 (0.19 g/(kg BW^0.75 day) versus 0.11 g/(kg BW^0.75 day)) and T4 (0.25 g/(kg BW^0.75 day) versus 0.17 g/(kg BW^0.75 day)). Digestibility of NDF and ADF, and TDN of TN were higher than those of AN × TN (P < 0.05, 61.1% versus 55.9%, 49.6% versus 43.5% and 65.8% versus 62.4%, respectively). The overall mean DE was 109 kcal/(kg BW^0.75 day), and no significant difference of DE among CP levels nor breeds of bucks was observed. Thai native was superior to AN × TN in digestibility of N and fiber fractions at the maintenance level of DE, which might have overcome inferiority of TN to AN × TN in amount of N and energy intake caused by the lower DMI. It is likely that TN goats are well adapted to fodder shortage condition due to their efficient utilization of nutrients.     

The effect of dietary crude protein level on intake,growth, protein retention and utilization of growing male Saanen kids

The effects of increasing dietary levels of crude protein on growth, feed intake, feed efficiency and composition of gain in male Saanen kids were studied. Four groups of four kids each initially weighing 12.1±0.18 kg and having a weight gain of 195±16 g/d were penned individually and fed for 73 to 124 days up to 25 kg of BW. They were fed chaffed wheat straw (45 g CP/kg DM) which had been molasses sprayed (10%) and pelleted concentrates containing 8.7, 11.7, 14.4 and 17.6% crude protein (CP) on DM basis, the ratio of straw to concentrate being 1:5. Kids were fed controlled to satiation in which case small amounts of the feeds were offered about five times a day as long as the kids wanted to eat. Retention of protein, fat and energy were calculated from their initial and final concentrations in the empty body homogenates of the slaughtered kids. With increasing CP level in the diet, feed intake increased from 448 to 608 g DM/d, weight gain from 94 to 181 g/d, retention of protein from 9.7 to 27.8 g/d, retention of fat from 9.6 to 19.1 g/d and feed efficiency improved from 4.79 to 3.39 kg DM/kg weight gain. Protein composition of gain increased from 103 to 154 g/kg BWG while fat (103–105 g/kg BWG) remained constant. Regression analyses showed that BWG can be optimized at 136 g CP/kg DM and protein retention at 180 g CP/kg DM, whereas, dietary nitrogen was utilized most efficiently at 120 g CP/kg DM. Extrapolated from the regression equations, maintenance N requirement of the kids at zero N-retention and at zero BWG were 0.38 and 0.16 g N/kg W^0.75, respectively. Recommended dietary CP concentrations and maintenance N requirements depend on the traits desired.     

Protein requirements of Texel crossbred lambs

A comparative slaughter trial was conducted to determine the protein requirements for maintenance and growth of feedlot Texel crossbred lambs. Thirty 11/16 Texel × 5/16 Ile de France crossbred noncastrated male lambs weaned at 42 days of age (16.2 ± 2.1 kg of shrunk body weight; SBW) were used. Five lambs were chosen randomly and slaughtered after 10 days of experimental management and diet adaptation (baseline group). Fifteen lambs were fed ad libitum and slaughtered at 25, 30 or 35 kg of SBW. The remaining 10 lambs were then assigned randomly to two levels of dry matter intake, either 70 or 55% of the ad libitum intake, and were slaughtered concomitantly with lambs slaughtered at 35 kg of SBW but given free choice access to feed. Total body N content and retention were determined. Additionally, six Texel × Ile de France crossbred lambs (30.4 ± 2.6 kg of SBW) housed in individual metabolic cages were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square digestibility trial to evaluate diet digestibility and microbial protein synthesis at the different levels of feed intake. The endogenous N loss was 243 ± 29 mg/kg^0.75 of SBW, corresponding to a net protein requirement for maintenance of 1.52 ± 0.18 g/kg^0.75 of SBW. The metabolizable protein (MP) requirement for maintenance was 2.31 g/kg^0.75 of SBW, and the efficiency of MP use for maintenance was 0.66. Fleece-free body protein content decreased from 163 to 155 g/kg of empty body weight (EBW) as EBW increased from 13 to 28 kg. However, when protein in fleece was considered the whole-body protein content remained nearly constant. Net protein requirements for body weight gain and wool growth of lambs at 15 and 35 kg of SBW, and an average daily gain of 250 g, were 28.7 and 27.3 g/day and 3.8 and 5.8 g/day, respectively. Estimated efficiencies of MP use for body weight gain (k_pg) and wool growth (k_pw) were, respectively, 0.71 and 0.46. Growth pattern of the wool has a high influence on protein requirements of lambs. Texel crossbred growing lambs used in our study showed protein requirements for growth lower than those reported by the most nutritional systems.     

Doxorubicin induced neuro- and cardiotoxicities in experimental rats: Protection against oxidative damage by Theobroma cacao Stem bark

80 rats, randomly selected, were divided into 3 treatment groups: pre-, co- and post-treatment; consisting of 6 sub-groups each (5 rats per sub-group): baseline, normal saline (2 mL), α-lipoic acid (20 mg/kg body weight), 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg or 800 mg/kg body weight Theobroma cacao stem bark aqueous extract (TCAE). All rats except for baseline group were intoxicated with 20 mg/kg body weight doxorubicin (DOX) intraperitoneally. The animals in pre- or post-treatment group received a single dose of DOX (20 mg/kg body weight) intraperitoneally 24 h before or after 7 days’ oral administration with TCAE respectively while those in co-treatment group were co-administered 2.86 mg/kg body weight of DOX with either normal saline, α- lipoic acid or TCAE orally for 7 days. Animals were sacrificed (pre- and post- treatment groups were sacrificed on the ninth day while the co-treatment group sacrificed on the 8th day). Brain and heart tissue samples were harvested for enzyme markers of toxicity, oxidative stress and histopathological examinations. DOX intoxication caused significant decrease in activities of LDH and ACP, and increase in γGT and ALP activities in brain tissues while causing a significant increase in LDH, ACP, γGT activities and decrease in ALP activity in the cardiac tissues. DOX intoxication caused a significant increase in concentrations of H₂O₂ generated, MDA and PC, XO, MPx and NOX activities with concomitant decrease in CAT, SOD, GPx and GST activities, and in concentrations of GSH, AsA and α-Toc in brain and cardiac tissues. Pre-, co- and post-treatment with TCAE at either 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg or 800 mg/kg body weight significantly reversed the oxidative damage to the organs induced by DOX-intoxication. The result affirmed that T. cacao stem bark aqueous extract protected against DOX induced oxidative damage in brain and cardiac tissues of experimental rats.     

Oxytocin inhibits pentylentetrazol-induced seizures in the rat

We aimed to reveal the anti-convulsant effects of oxytocin (OT) in pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizures in rats. Thirty rats were randomly divided into 5 equal groups. Using stereotaxy, we implanted electroencephologram (EEG) electrodes in the left nucleus of the posterior thalamus. After 2 days, the first and second groups were used as the control and PTZ (35 mg/kg) groups, respectively. We administered 40, 80 and 160 nmol/kg OT + 35 mg/kg PTZ to the rats, constituting the third, fourth, and fifth groups, respectively, for 5 days. At the end of 5 days, we recorded EEGs via bipolar EEG electrodes. After 12 h, all groups except the first received 70 mg/kg PTZ and we determined the dose–response ratio. Racine's Convulsion Scale was used to evaluate seizures. The spike–wave complex percentage in the EEG was determined as 0% for the first group, 38.6% ± 7.2 for the second group, 36.4% ± 5.6 for the third group, 4.3% ± 1.8 for the fifth group and 4.1% ± 1.1 for the fifth group. The fourth and fifth groups had significantly decreased spike–wave complex percentages compared to the second group (p < 0.0001). OT may prevent PTZ-induced epilepsy on an EEG. OT may also be considered for use in the treatment of epilepsy in the future.     

Histopathological and biological studies of the effect of cadmium on Rhinella arenarum gonads

This study was to determine the lethal dose 50 (LD₅₀) of CdCl₂ in adult Rhinella arenarum and analyzed the effect of two sublethal doses (0.5 and 5 mg/kg) of the xenobiotic in gonads. The 48 h LD₅₀ were 50.0 and 49.8 mg/kg for males and females respectively. Alterations in the ovary were evidenced by nuclear pleomorphism and cytoplasmic vacuolization of the oocytes at the early stages of development with the highest dose and an increase in the population of atretic oocytes. In the interstitial tissue we noticed congestion, edema and fibroblast proliferation. The nuclear maturation of the oocytes was affected by the xenobiotic in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In males, treatment with 5 mg/kg of cadmium (Cd) caused a decrease in the concentration, viability and straight progressive motility of sperm while there was an increase in immotile sperm. Testis histopathology revealed dilated seminiferous tubules, disappearance of cysts, tissue disorganization and leukocyte infiltration. Numerous germ cells showed hydropic tumefaction or signs of focal necrosis. The Cd content in animals intoxicated gonads with the highest sublethal dose was significantly higher than in the control. Results indicate that R. arenarum gonads are target for the xenobiotic, compromising the formation of gametes competent for fertilization, the effective CdCl₂ dose being 5 mg/kg.     

Effects of corn distillers dried grains with solubles and xylanase on growth performance and digestibility of diet components in broilers

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of corn distillers dried grains with solubles (cDDGS) and xylanase in corn-based diets on growth performance and digestibility of diet components in broiler chickens. The experiment was a 3×4 factorial design with diets containing 3 levels of cDDGS (0, 100 and 200 g/kg) and 4 levels of xylanase (0, 1200, 2400 and 3600 U/kg). The diets were fed to 720 Cobb 500 chicks for 42 days. Excreta was collected at 18–21 days to measure coefficients of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) and ileal digesta was collected at 42 days to measure coefficients of ileal apparent digestibility (CIAD). Dietary cDDGS caused poor (P<0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) of broilers from 1 to 21 and 22 to 42 days, but increased (P<0.05) feed intake (FI) at 1–21 days. Inclusion of xylanase increased (P<0.05) FI by 4–5% at 1–21 days, and did not affect (P≥0.05) FCR in either period. In the two growing periods, cDDGS decreased (P<0.05) the CTTAD of dry matter (DM), and the CIAD of DM and hemicelluloses, whereas xylanase increased (P<0.05) the digestibility of DM and hemicellulose by 5% and 20%, respectively. There were significant interactions (P<0.05) between cDDGS and xylanase for BWG and energy digestibility. In comparison with the 100 g/kg cDDGS diet, the inclusion of 200 g/kg cDDGS led to poorer (P<0.05) FCR at 22–42 days, and lower (P<0.05) CTTAD of DM at 18–21 days. There were no differences (P≥0.05) in most growth parameters between the doses of xylanase at 1200, 2400 and 3600 U/kg. Xylanase at 2400 U/kg increased (P<0.05) CTTAD of DM compared with the lower dose, but 3600 U/kg xylanase showed no further improvement (P≥0.05) on digestibility measurements. The results suggest that supplementing xylanase to diets containing cDDGS can improve growth performance and digestibility of diet components in broilers.     

Effect of dietary cobalt supplementation on plasma and rumen metabolites in Mehraban lambs

Two experiments were conducted to study the effects of different levels of dietary cobalt on performance, plasma and rumen metabolites and nutrient digestibility in Mehraban male lambs. Experiment 1: 28, 8–9-month-old lambs were randomly divided into four groups. Animals were fed a basal diet containing 0.088 mg Co/kg DM and were supplied with 0 (control), 0.25, 0.50, or 1.00 mg Co/kg DM as reagent grade CoSO₄·7H₂O. The experiment lasted for 70 days. Experiment 2: four lambs from each group in Experiment 1 were randomly allocated to the individual metabolic crates to measure the effects of dietary Co on nutrient digestibility. Final body weight, average daily gain and gain efficiency were higher (p < 0.05) in the group supplemented with 0.50 mg Co/kg DM compared to other groups. Plasma glucose and vitamin B₁₂ concentrations increased (p < 0.05) at all levels of Co supplementation on day 68 of the experiment and for vitamin B₁₂ were higher (p < 0.05) at 0.50 and 1.00 mg Co/kg DM compared to 0.25 mg Co/kg DM. There was no significant difference among treatments for TVFA and ruminal fluid pH. Digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein and neutral detergent fiber increased (p < 0.05) by Co supplementation, but did not differ among Co supplied treatments. The obtained results showed that lambs fed the control diet containing 0.088 mg Co/kg DM had a reduced appetite and gained less than the supplemented animals, suggesting that the level of 0.088 mg Co/kg DM was inadequate for normal growth of Mehraban male lambs, and a total level of 0.58 mg Co/kg DM might be optimum level for enhancing performance.     

In vivo genotoxicity evaluation of a plant based antiarthritic and anticancer therapeutic agent Boswelic acids in rodents

The genotoxic potential of anti-inflammatory/anti-arthritic and anticancer plant based drug molecule Boswelic acids (BA) was studied by in vivo system. Systematic literature survey revealed that studies on the genotoxicity of BA are not available. Although reports on genotoxicity of Boswellia serrata dry extract and modified 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswelic acid are available and these studies were conducted in in vitro systems. The earlier general toxicity study of BA has been conducted by us, revealed it to be non toxic. The genotoxicity was carried out in Wistar rats using different cytogenetic assay system-abnormalities viz. chromosomal aberrations; sperm morphology, micronuclei and comet assays. Six groups of animals, each comprised of five rats, were taken for each study. Group1-4 received BA at 125, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg p.o., respectively prepared as 2% gum acacia suspension, fifth group received a positive control cyclophosphamide (CP) 40 mg/kg p.o. or metronedazole (MTZ) 130 mg/kg p.o. or mercuric chloride (HgCl₂) 0.864 mg/kg p.o. (as per the experiment requirement) whereas the sixth group kept as vehicle control. The results on the bases of the data obtained revealed that BA is quite safe as it did not show any genotoxicity at any dose level up to 1000 mg/kg. The positive controls used in different experiments showed highly significant abnormal cytogenetic changes in comparison to the control group.     

Optimization of short-term storage of pikeperch semen: an applicable approach

Contamination of semen with urine and asynchronous maturation of males and females are main obstacles in artificial reproduction of pikeperch Sander lucioperca. The objective of this study was to overcome these obstacles using optimization of a procedure for short-term storage of pikeperch semen at 4 °C using two immobilizing media (IM): (a) IM1, 180 mM NaCl, 2.68 mM KCl, 1.36 mM CaCl₂ ⋅ 2H₂O and 2.38 mM NaHCO₃, 343 mOsm/kg; and (b) IM2, 200 mM NaCl, 2.68 mM KCl, 1.36 mM CaCl₂ ⋅ 2H₂O and 2.38 mM NaHCO₃, 381 mOsm/kg. Undiluted sperm was used as the control. At 6 h poststorage, there were no substantial changes in spermatozoa motility and velocity at 30 s postactivation in all groups. Over 48 h of storage, the highest spermatozoa motility and velocity were obtained in sperm diluted in IM2 compared to the other groups. IM2 could maintain a significantly higher ATP content of diluted sperm than IM1 and undiluted treatment for 2 days. Similarly, the highest values of eyeing and hatching rates were observed in sperm diluted in IM2 compared to sperm in the other studied groups. It can be concluded that the obtained result is a novel and applicable approach to maintain semen quality of pikeperch during short-term storage, suggesting IM2 as a promising medium for short-term storage. The present study also opens possibilities for ensuring a reliable source of semen as a convenient approach for increasing genetic diversity in hatcheries.     

The effect of feeding expeller-pressed canola meal on growth performance and diet nutrient digestibility in weaned pigs

The effects of feeding increasing levels of expeller-pressed (EP) canola meal in substitution for soybean meal as an energy and amino acid source were evaluated in 240 weaned pigs with an initial body weight of 7.3 ± 0.6 kg. Five pelleted wheat-based diets containing 0, 50, 100, 150 or 200 g EP canola meal/kg were formulated to contain 10.0 MJ net energy (NE)/kg and 1.18 g standardised ileal digestible (SID) lysine/MJ NE and were fed for 4 wk starting 1 wk after weaning at 19 days of age. Expeller-pressed canola meal was added at the expense of soybean meal and the diets were balanced for NE using canola oil and for amino acids using crystalline lysine, methionine, threonine and tryptophan. Increasing inclusion of EP canola meal linearly reduced (P<0.001) the apparent total tract digestibility of energy, dry matter and crude protein and the digestible energy content of diets. From 0 to 28 days on trial, increasing inclusion of EP canola meal did not affect body weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency. In conclusion, up to 200 g EP canola meal/kg can replace soybean meal in diets formulated to equal NE and SID amino acid content and fed to nursery pigs starting 1 wk after weaning without reducing growth performance.     

Urinary parameters predictive of cisplatin-induced acute renal injury in dogs

A 28-day study was conducted to evaluate changes in urinary cytokine/chemokine expression levels in dogs with renal injury due to administration of cisplatin. Animals (n = 17) were administered cisplatin at 0.75 mg/kg/day (i.v.) for five consecutive days. Urine/serum were collected at pre-dosing, 4 h post-dosing and on days 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28 and unscheduled terminations. Animals were euthanized when serum creatinine (sCr) levels measured at ⩾1.9 mg/dL, indicating significant loss of renal function (decreased glomerular filtration rate). Relevant clinical observations included lethargy and dehydration. Pre-study sCr levels ranged from 0.6 to 0.8 mg/dL; on days 1 through 4, sCr levels ranged from 0.5 and 1.1 mg/dL; and terminal sCr levels ranged from 0.6 and 6.6 mg/dL. Histologically, cisplatin-related renal changes were characterized as proximal tubule dilatation, vacuolization, degeneration, regeneration, and interstitial inflammation. Increased interleukin (IL)-2, IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GMCSF) and keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC) occurred on days 3 through 4. Increased IL-7 occurred on day 4. This study showed for the first time that inflammatory cytokines/chemokines in urine positively identified acute renal tubular injury in dogs at time points earlier than sCr, a traditional marker of nephrotoxicity.     

In vivo genotoxicity evaluation of a plant based antiarthritic and anticancer therapeutic agent Boswelic acids in rodents

The genotoxic potential of anti-inflammatory/anti-arthritic and anticancer plant based drug molecule Boswelic acids (BA) was studied by in vivo system. Systematic literature survey revealed that studies on the genotoxicity of BA are not available. Although reports on genotoxicity of Boswellia serrata dry extract and modified 3-O-acetyl-11-keto-β-boswelic acid are available and these studies were conducted in in vitro systems. The earlier general toxicity study of BA has been conducted by us, revealed it to be non toxic. The genotoxicity was carried out in Wistar rats using different cytogenetic assay system-abnormalities viz. chromosomal aberrations; sperm morphology, micronuclei and comet assays. Six groups of animals, each comprised of five rats, were taken for each study. Group1-4 received BA at 125, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg p.o., respectively prepared as 2% gum acacia suspension, fifth group received a positive control cyclophosphamide (CP) 40 mg/kg p.o. or metronedazole (MTZ) 130 mg/kg p.o. or mercuric chloride (HgCl₂) 0.864 mg/kg p.o. (as per the experiment requirement) whereas the sixth group kept as vehicle control. The results on the bases of the data obtained revealed that BA is quite safe as it did not show any genotoxicity at any dose level up to 1000 mg/kg. The positive controls used in different experiments showed highly significant abnormal cytogenetic changes in comparison to the control group.     

Seed and forage yield,and forage quality determinants of nine legume shrubs in a non-tropical dryland environment

The objective was to identify legume shrub species for development of agroforestry technologies based on seed and forage (leaves and twigs < 10 mm diameter) yield, and determinants of forage quality. Ten individual plants of Bituminaria bituminosa ‘Ecotypes 1’, B. bituminosa ‘Ecotypes 2’, Medicago citrina, and M. arborea from Spain; Colutea istria and Onobrychis aurantiaca from Syria; C. istria from Jordan; Chamaecytisus mollis from Morocco; and Coronilla glauca from France were randomly selected from plots established in a non-tropical dryland environment in northwest Syria in 2000. Five individual plants of each species were cut back to 0.5 m above ground in March 2004. Coppice regrowths were pruned in December 2004 and April 2005 to determine forage yield and proportion of forage in the total above ground biomass (PEFB). Forage samples were analyzed for concentrations of crude protein (CP), lignin(sa), acid detergent fibre (ADFom), neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom), in vitro organic matter (OM) digestibility (IVOMD), and in vitro 24 h gas production (IVGP24h). Matured seeds were hand harvested from the remaining five plants of each species to estimate seed yield. Forage (21–250 kg DM/ha) and seed (0–200 kg DM/ha) yields; PEFB (0.22–0.96); and concentrations of CP (85–115 g/kg DM), lignin(sa) (14–42 g/kg DM), ADFom (94–170 g/kg DM), aNDFom (122–217 g/kg DM), IVOMD (456–617 g/kg OM), and IVGP24h (27–42 ml 200 mg/DM) varied (P<0.05) among shrub species. The IVOMD and IVGP24h were positively correlated (r = 0.75, P<0.032), whereas IVOMD and IVGP24h were negatively correlated with ADFom, lignin(sa) and aNDFom. In terms of forage and seed yields and determinants of forage quality, C. istria from Jordan, M. arborea, B. bituminosa ‘Ecotype-2’, C. istria and O. aurantiaca have higher potential than C. mollis, C. glauca and B. Bituminosa ‘Ecotype-1’ for the development of agroforestry technologies in non-tropical dry areas.