Effect of eCG on the pregnancy rate of ewes transcervically inseminated with frozen-thawed semen outside the breeding season

An experiment was conducted to determine whether factors affecting pregnancy rate out-of-season are associated more with transcervical artificial insemination (T-AI) procedures or with the reproductive state of the ewe. Twenty Finncross ewes were treated with progesterone sponges, and at sponge removal (0 h) 10 ewes were treated with eCG. Blood samples were collected for LH and progesterone analyses, and follicular development was monitored using ultrasonography. Ewes were inseminated from 48 to 52 h with 200 million motile frozen-thawed spermatozoa. The incidence of estrus, LH surges and ovulation was greater (P < 0.01) and intervals to these responses were shorter (P < 0.01) in the eCG-treated ewes. The number of follicles > 5 mm was higher (P < 0.05) in eCG-treated than control ewes. Progesterone concentrations increased and remained elevated through Day 19 in 7 eCG-treated and in 1 control ewe, and these ewes were pregnant based upon ultrasonographic examination. The results demonstrate that the T-AI technique using frozen-thawed semen produces a relatively high (70%) pregnancy rate out-of-season. The pregnancy rate was found to reflect primarily the reproductive condition of the ewe.     

Molecular cloning and expression profiles of calreticulin gene from the diamondback moth,Plutella xylostella

Calreticulin (CRT) plays pivotal roles in Ca²⁺ homeostasis, molecular chaperoning, infection, inflammation and innate immunity. In an attempt to study the involvement of CRT in innate immunity, the full-length cDNA of calreticulin (PxCRT) was cloned from the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella. It consists of 1674 bp (excluding poly-A tail) with a longest open reading frame (ORF) of 1197 bp encoding 398 amino acids. In silico analysis of PxCRT ORF reveals that it has various repeat motifs and endoplasmic reticulum retention signal found in all the calreticulin proteins. As expected, high amino acid sequence identities were found from other CRTs identified from Bombyx mori (87%), Galleria mellonella (87%), Apis mellifera (74%), Anopheles gambiae (74%), Tribolium castaneum (73%), Culex quinquefasciatus (73%), Rhodnius prolixus (72%), Nasonia vitripennis (71%), Drosophila melanogaster (71%) and Haemaphysalis qinghaiensis (68%). During development, P. xylostella expressed PxCRT predominantly in the pupal stage. In addition, spatial expression pattern analysis indicates that PxCRT was highly expressed in the silk gland. PxCRT mRNA, furthermore, was strongly induced 3 to 6 h after laminarin treatment, suggesting that PxCRT appears to be involved in immune responses and also plays an important role in the silk gland.     

The effects of progesterone priming on reproductive performance of GnRH-PGF2alpha-treated anestrous goats

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of a 5-day progesterone priming prior to a GnRH-PGF2alpha treatment on reproductive performance of anestrous goats. Thirty-six Mountain Black goats were randomly assigned in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement and were administered intravaginally on day -12, either with 300 mg progesterone inserts (CGPE and CGP) or with 0 mg progesterone (GPE and GP) for 5 days. On day -6, the goats were injected with 100 microg GnRH, followed 6 days later by 15 mg PGF2alpha (day 0), the time at which the goats in the CGPE and GPE groups were administered 300 IU eCG injections and those in CGP and GP groups were administered the control solution. The goats were exposed to four fertile bucks at 0 h and were checked for breeding marks at 6-h intervals for 72 h. Blood samples were collected from all goats for progesterone analysis. Progesterone concentrations increased only in CGPE and CGP during the period of device insertion but remained low in GPE and GP groups (P < 0.001). Progesterone levels at the time of GnRH injection on day -6 were basal (0.2 +/- 0.04 ng.mL-1) among the groups and began to increase starting on day -2. Day 0 progesterone concentrations differed (P < 0.05) among groups and were significantly influenced by CIDR-G (P < 0.001). A similar proportion of goats expressed estrus and intervals to detected estrus were shorter (P < 0.05) in the CGPE and GPE groups than in GP with no difference between the CGPE, CGP and GPE or between CGP and GP groups. The number of goats ovulating based upon elevated progesterone levels on day 0 was significantly greater (P = 0.002) in CGPE (9/9) and CGP (9/9) than GPE (6/9) and GP (5/9) groups and was significantly influenced by CIDR-G (P = 0.03). All pregnant goats had elevated progesterone concentration on day 0 and none of the goats with basal progesterone levels became pregnant. Pregnancy and kidding rates, twinning percentage and the number of kids born per goat exposed were greater (P < 0.05) among goats treated with progesterone and eCG. In conclusion, progesterone priming and eCG are essential for producing higher rates of pregnancy and kidding in GnRH-PGF2alpha-treated anestrous goats.     

Characterization of male reproductive anatomy of the endangered Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx)

Reproductive tracts of four male Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) from Shaumari Nature Reserve in Jordan were examined to characterize their reproductive anatomy. Animals were allocated into two groups based on their age: Group 1 (n = 2, males were 12 and 14 mo old) and Group 2 (n = 2, males were 7 and 9 yrs old). Observations regarding the morphology, position and orientation of different reproductive organs were made. The external and internal genital organs of male oryx were similar to other domestic ruminant species with minor differences.     

Antidepressants Cause Bradycardia and Heart Block in GD 13 Rat Embryos In Vitro

This study investigated the effects of a range of antidepressant drugs on the heart of gestation day 13 rat embryos in vitro. The general hypothesis was that the drugs would adversely affect the function of the embryonic heart since they all have some cardiac ion channel blocking activity in addition to their main pharmacological effect on neurotransmitters. The results showed that all the tested drugs caused bradycardia in a generally concentration‐dependent manner. At higher concentrations most of the drugs caused some degree of heart block consistent with sodium channel blockade and some drugs also showed negative inotropy associated with blockade of the L‐type calcium channel. One drug, trazodone, caused arrhythmia consistent with blockade of the hERG (human ether‐a‐go‐go related gene) potassium channel. In general the effects on the embryonic rat heart were only seen at “free drug” concentrations much greater than those likely to occur in pregnant women taking antidepressant medication. The least margin of safety was seen with the tricyclic antidepressants and the serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor trazodone.     

Recovery of soil streptomycetes from arid habitats in Jordan and their potential to inhibit multi-drug resistant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas aeruginosa</Emphasis> pathogens

A total of 161 different Streptomyces isolates were recovered from 5 soil samples representing the driest habitats of Jordan. These were then characterized and assessed for their antagonistic activity against four clinical multi-drug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa test pathogens. Results indicated that only 3 strains out of 139 and 6 out of 22 isolated at 27°C and 45°C, respectively, were active against at least three strains of pathogenic Pseudomonas. However, three Streptomyces strains (J_2b, J₄, and J₁₂) that were isolated at 45°C inhibited all of the tested pathogens with an inhibition zone ranging between 5 and 16 mm in diameter. Data obtained from comparing the inhibition activity of these unique Streptomyces strains toward multi-resistant Pseudomonas pathogens with standard used antibiotics revealed that these isolates produce possible different inhibitory bioactive compounds other than the standard antibiotics.