Effect of the racial group and body condition score at calving on production performance and metabolic profile of buffaloes during the transition period.

This study evaluated the body condition score (BCS) at calving and breed (B) effects on milk composition, yield, performance, physiological parameters, hemogram, blood metabolites, and urinary metabolites in the transition and early lactation periods of Mediterranean (MED) and Murrah (MUR) buffaloes. Twenty MED and fifteen MUR buffaloes were distributed into four experimental treatments, in a completely randomized design, considering their racial groups and BCS (LBCS = low; HBCS = high): LBCS MED (N = 9); HBCS MED (N = 11); LBCS MUR (N = 8); HBCS MUR (N = 7). Animals were monitored during the last 21 days of gestation and first 56 days postpartum and kept under the same management and feeding conditions. During data collection, milk composition, yield, performance, physiological parameters, hemogram, blood metabolites, and urinary metabolites were evaluated. Higher milk production and fat-corrected milk were observed in MED than MUR buffaloes. Breed effects were observed on body weight, rectal temperature, glucose, urea, calcium (Ca) concentrations, and BCS effects on total protein, albumin, urea, and Ca. There were BCS effects on hematocrit, neutrophils, eosinophils, and interactions between B × BCS for lymphocytes and platelets. There were breed effects on urinary concentrations of chlorine, uric acid, and interactions between weight (W) × B on chlorine and urea. The MED buffaloes can be considered the most prepared to undergo physiological changes, including the BCS value at calving, indicating higher physiological health. Besides, this study demonstrates more considerable preparation for the calving, regardless of the body condition score at calving.

Estruturas fetais e suas correlações com a predição do dia antes do parto em raças de cães miniaturas / Fetal structures and their correlations with a prediction of the parturition date in the miniature canine breeds

Avaliou-se a correlação entre estruturas fetais e extrafetais com a predição do dia antes do parto (DAP) em raças de cães miniaturas. Para isso, realizou-se um experimento, utilizando-se 12 cadelas, com peso corporal entre 3,0kg e 5,0kg, sendo seis da raça Chihuahua, duas da raça Shih-Tzu, duas da raça Spitz Alemão e duas da raça Yorkshire. Foram mensurados, por meio da ultrassonografia, diâmetro biparietal (DBP), diâmetro torácico (DTX), diâmetro abdominal (DAB), comprimento craniocaudal (CCC), diâmetro da cavidade coriônica interna (DCI) e espessura da placenta (EP), a partir do 15º dia após a última monta. Foram estudadas as correlações simples e a significância dos coeficientes de regressão linear simples e o coeficiente de determinação (R), com nível de significância estabelecido em P<0,05. Entre os parâmetros avaliados, DBP, DTX, DAB e CCC foram os mais correlacionados com tempo gestacional, podendo ser utilizados para prever dia antes do parto em cadelas de raças miniaturas.(AU)

The correlation between fetal and extra-fetal structures with the pre-delivery prediction (DAP) in miniature dog breeds was evaluated. For this, an experiment was carried out using 12 bitches, with body weight between 3.0kg and 5.0kg, being 6 Chihuahua, 2 Shih-Tzu, 2 German Spitz and 2 Yorkshire breed. The Biparietal Diameter (BD), Thoracic Diameter (TD), Abdominal Diameter (AD), Crown-rump length (CRL), Internal Chorionic Cavity Diameter (ICD) and Placenta Thickness (PT) were measured by ultrasonography from the 15th day after the last mating. The simple correlations and significance of simple linear regression coefficients and the coefficient of determination (R) were studied, with a significance level of P<0.05. BD, T, AD and CRL were the most correlated with gestational time, and can be used to predict day before delivery in miniature breed bitches.(AU)

Utilização da lipoproteína de baixa densidade, em diferentes concentrações, em meio diluidor para criopreservação do sêmen ovino / Use of low density lipoprotein in different concentrations in diluent medium for cryopreservation of ovine semen

A utilização da gema de ovo dificulta a padronização de meios diluidores e apresenta riscos biológicos. Assim, este estudo avaliou diferentes concentrações da lipoproteína de baixa densidade (LDL), em substituição à gema de ovo, para a confecção de diluentes para criopreservação espermática em ovinos. Foram utilizados um diluidor controle (CTR= 20% de gema de ovo) e cinco tratamentos, substituindo-se a gema pelas diferentes proporções de LDL (T1=6%; T2=8%; T3=12%; T4=16%; T5=20%), todos à base de TRIS-glicerol. Para o estudo, utilizaram-se dois ejaculados, de seis reprodutores da raça Santa Inês. Sessenta dias após a criopreservação, as amostras foram descongeladas e avaliadas subjetivamente quanto à motilidade total (MT, %) e progressiva (MP, %), ao vigor (1-5) e à integridade funcional (choque hisposmótico com água destilada, %) e estrutural (corante supravital eosina, %) das membranas espermáticas. As avaliações de vigor e funcionalidade de membrana não diferiram (P>0,05) entre os grupos. Entretanto, os grupos T4 (P<0,01) e T5 (P<0,05) foram superiores ao CTR para os parâmetros MT, MP e integridade estrutural de membrana, o que confirma que as LDLs podem ser alternativas eficientes para substituição da gema de ovo em diluidores para criopreservação de sêmen ovino.(AU)

The use of egg yolk makes it difficult to standardize extenders and presents biological hazards. Thus, this study evaluated different concentrations of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) to replace yolk extenders for production of sperm for cryopreservation in ovine. A control extender was used (CTR= 20% yolk) and five treatments, replacing the yolk by different ratios of LDL (T1= 6%; T2= 8%, T3= 12%; T4= 16%; T5= 20%) all based on TRIS-glycerol. For the study, two ejaculates from six Santa Ines breeding were used. Sixty days after cryopreservation, the samples were thawed and evaluated for total motility (MT, %) and progressive motility (MP, %), vigor (1-5) and the functional integrity (hyposmotic shock with distilled water, %) and structural (supravital dye eosin, %) of the sperm membranes. The evaluations of strength and membrane functionality didn't differ (P> 0.05) between groups. However, T4 (P< 0.01) and T5 (P< 0.05) groups were superior to the CTR for the MT, MP, and membrane structural integrity parameters, which confirms that LDLs can be efficient alternatives for yolk replacement in extenders for cryopreservation of ovine semen.(AU)