Genetic analysis of haematological and plasma biochemical parameters in the Spanish purebred horse exercised on a treadmill.

The novel aim of this study was to describe the reference values of different haematological and biochemical parameters in the Spanish purebred horse (Andalusian, SPB) in each of the stages of a programmed exercise on a treadmill system, and to establish heritability and genetic correlations for these haematological and biochemical parameters. For this, 94 young SPB male horses (4.22 ± 2.27 years old) were used. An increasing intensity exercise test at 4, 5, 6 and 7 m/s was carried out on a treadmill (6% inclination). Total red blood cells, total white blood cells, neutrophils and lymphocytes counts; haematocrit, haemoglobin, lactate, uric acid, creatinine and total plasma proteins concentrations and aspartate transaminase, lactate dehydrogenase, creatine-quinase activities were determined. To conclude: (i) the reference values for each parameter were determined for each of the exercise test stages (ii) all the parameters analysed manifested a medium-high heritability and a high repeatability. These results will, in the near future, determine the measuring guidelines for improving the SPB horse's athletic ability on an objective treadmill system and for selecting these animals in response to those parameters.

Utility of the discriminant analysis to categorize untrained Spanish Pure Bred horses on the basis of biochemical and muscle variables before and after a standardized exercise test.

We hypothesized that the information obtained from a discriminant analysis could be used to objectively discriminate horses untrained from early ages, in agreement with certain physiological characteristics. In the biopsies of 24 Spanish Pure Bred horses (1.5-3 years old) before and after a standardized exercise test (SET; 4-7 m/s with a change of velocity of 1m/s every 2 min) muscle enzymes, substrate and metabolites were determined. Also, diverse plasma and blood parameters were considered. Three pre-exercise groups (A1: six horses; A2: seven horses and A3: eleven horses) and two post-exercise groups (B1: sixteen horses; B2: eight horses) were defined from a correspondence analysis. Forward stepwise discriminant analysis selected 11 variables which differentiated the groups between each other both pre- and post-exercise. The results of the present study suggested the utility of a discriminant analysis to categorize horses in agreement with certain physiological variables. It could be used for establishing different types of training in each group by expert trainers.

Nonspecific immune response of peripheral blood neutrophils in two horse breeds (Anglo-Arabian and Spanish-Arabian): response to exercise.

The aim of the present paper was: (1) to find out if there were any differences in the nonspecific immunological pattern of peripheral blood neutrophil between two breeds of horses (AA and SA); (2) to evaluate the effects of an exercise in the aerobic-anaerobic threshold. This has been observed in a group of 11 untrained horses (6 SA and 5 AA) of 2.5 years old. No statistically significant differences were found in the different stages of immune response between the rest and immediately after physical exercise to two breeds. However, the chemotaxis was significant higher at rest in the AA than SA breed. A positive correlation was found at rest between the phagocytic and oxidative metabolism activity for AA breed and a negative correlation too between the adherence and chemotaxis with phagocytic capacity, immediately after exercise test, for the same breed.

Sexing in vitro produced bovine embryos, at different stages of development, using rat H-Y antiserum.

The male-specific H-Y antigen is present on mammalian cell membranes and has been identified by various methods, including antiserum cytotoxicity. The objective of the present study was to determine the sex of in vitro produced (IVP) bovine embryos, at varying stages of development, by culturing in the presence of rat monoclonal H-Y antibodies. Embryos derived from IVM/IVF were classified according to the interval after IVF (48, 96 or 120 h) as Category 1, 2 or 3 if they had 4 to 8, <32, and >32 cells, respectively. Embryos of each category were cultured for 24h in TCM-199 supplemented with bovine oviductal epithelial cells, fetal calf serum (FCS), and antibiotics (Control group), to which the following had been added: guinea pig serum (GPS; C' group); H-Y antiserum (HY group); or GPS and H-Y antiserum (C' + HY group). After culture, embryos were designated as "affected" when development was arrested or one or more blastomeres was degenerate; embryos lacking these changes were designated "unaffected." The sex of each embryo was subsequently determined by chromosome analysis. After 48h of IVF (Category 1), within each of the four treatments, the proportion of unaffected embryos was higher than the proportion of unaffected embryos (81% versus 19%, P < 0.05). Similarly, the Control, C' and HY groups of Categories 2 and 3 embryos had different proportions of unaffected versus affected embryos (75% versus 25%, P < 0.05). In all these groups, the male:female ratio did not significantly differ from 1:1. In contrast, in the C' + HY group of Categories 2 and 3 embryos, the ratio of unaffected versus affected embryos was 41% versus 59% (P < 0.05) and the male:female ratio differed (P < 0.05) from the expected 1:1 ratio (approximately 0.3:1 and 4.5:1 for unaffected versus affected, respectively). In conclusion, when bovine embryos were cultured in the presence of rat monoclonal H-Y antibodies and compliment, alterations occurred in embryos that were beyond the 8-cell stage; we inferred that the antibodies cross-reacted with H-Y antigens.

[The tobacco habit among fishermen of the Barbate coast (Cádiz)]. / El hábito del tabaco en los pescadores de bajura de Barbate (Cádiz).

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, in scientific spheres, it is unquestionable that tobacco damages health. We study the introduction of tobacco habit among inshore fishermen of Barbate (Cádiz), for we consider that this is a highly receptive population to tobacco use because of hard work and its low socio-cultural level. METHODS: A transversal descriptive study is carried out in order to determine the prevalence of tobacco use in this population. With this purpose, a questionnaire of 26 variables (epidemiological, sociodemographic and related to tobacco use) has been elaborated; 207 fishermen, equal to 10.35% of the whole inshore fishing fleet of Barbate, have been surveyed. RESULTS: The mean age of the sample is 39.9 years, with distribution per age groups from 16 to 65 years. The result of the survey carried out is an smoker percentage of 81.15% among the fishermen of the inshore fishing fleet of Barbate. CONCLUSIONS: It is obvious that this population has an important deeply rooted tobacco habit. Anyway, our results are similar to those obtained by other Spanish authors when they study tobacco habit in fishermen.