Encapsulated nitrate and cashew nut shell liquid on blood and rumen constituents, methane emission, and growth performance of lambs.

Nitrate can be a source of NPN for microbial growth at the same time that it reduces ruminal methane production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of 2 encapsulated nitrate products used as urea replacers on blood and rumen constituents, methane emission, and growth performance of lambs. Eighteen Santa Inês male lambs (27 ± 4.9 kg) were individually allotted to indoor pens and assigned to a randomized complete block design with 6 blocks and 3 dietary treatments: control (CTL) = 1.5% urea, ENP = 4.51% encapsulated nitrate product (60.83% NO3(-) in the product DM), and ENP+CNSL = 4.51% ENP containing cashew nut shell liquid (60.83% NO3(-) and 2.96% cashew nut shell liquid [CNSL] in the product DM). Diets were isonitrogenous with 60:40 concentrate:forage (Tifton 85 hay) ratio. The experiment lasted for 92 d and consisted of 28 d for adaptation (a weekly 33% stepwise replacement of CTL concentrate by nitrate-containing concentrates) and 64 d for data collection. The ENP and ENP+CNSL showed greater (P < 0.05) red blood cell counts than CTL. Blood methemoglobin (MetHb) did not differ (P > 0.05) among treatments, with mean values within normal range and remaining below 1.1% of total hemoglobin. There was an increase (P < 0.05) in total short-chain fatty acids concentration at 3 h postfeeding for ENP, with an additional increase (P < 0.05) observed for ENP+CNSL. No treatment effects (P > 0.05) were observed on acetate to propionate ratio. Methane production (L/kg DMI) was reduced (P < 0.05) with nitrate inclusion, recording 28.6, 19.1, and 19.5 L/kg DMI for CTL, ENP, and ENP+CNSL, respectively. Addition of CNSL did not result (P > 0.05) in further reduction of methane production when compared with ENP. Final BW, DMI, ADG, and feed efficiency were similar (P > 0.05) among treatments. Values for DMI were 1.11, 1.03, and 1.04 kg/d and for ADG were 174, 154, and 158 g for CTL, ENP, and ENP+CNSL, respectively. In conclusion, encapsulated nitrate products showed no risks of toxicity based on MetHb formation. The products persistently reduced methane production without affecting performance. Inclusion of cashew nut shell liquid in the product formulation had no additional benefits on methane mitigation.

Genetic variability in local Brazilian horse lines using microsatellite markers.

Genetic variability at 11 microsatellite markers was analyzed in five naturalized/local Brazilian horse breeds or genetic groups. Blood samples were collected from 328 animals of the breeds Campeira (Santa Catarina State), Lavradeira (Roraima State), Pantaneira (Pantanal Mato-Grossense), Mangalarga Marchador (Minas Gerais State), as well as the genetic group Baixadeiro (Maranhão State), and the exotic breeds English Thoroughbred and Arab. We found significant genetic variability within evaluated microsatellite loci, with observed heterozygosis varying between 0.426 and 0.768 and polymorphism information content values of 0.751 to 0.914. All breeds showed high inbreeding coefficients and were not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The smallest genetic distance was seen between the Pantaneira and Arab breeds. The principal component analyzes and Bayesian approach demonstrated that the exotic breeds have had a significant influence on the genetic formation of the local breeds, with introgression of English Throroughbred in Pantaneira and Lavradeira, as well as genetic proximity between the Arab, Pantaneira and Mangalarga Marchador populations. This study shows the need to conserve traits acquired by naturalized horse breeds over centuries of natural selection in Brazil due to the genetic uniqueness of each group, suggesting a reduced gene flow between them. These results reinforce the need to include these herds in animal genetic resource conservation programs to maximize the genetic variability and conserve useful allele combinations.

Performance and ruminal protozoa in lambs with chromium supplementation.

The effects of chromium picolinate (CrPic) oral supplementation on the performance and ruminal protozoa population in sheep was investigated. Twenty-four male lambs were treated with four different levels of CrPic: placebo, 0.250, 0.375 and 0.500mg of chromium/animal/day during 84 days. The base ration was Panicum maximum cv Massai hay and concentrate. Feed intake was measured three times a week. Lambs were weighed every 2 weeks. Ruminal content was sampled five times during the trial to quantify ruminal protozoa. No difference (p>0.05) between treatments was recorded for any parameter measured: initial and final mean body weight, dry matter intake, daily gain and total body weight gain. There was a negative linear relationship between Cr supplementation and protozoa count (p=0.0013) with no additional decrease when CrPic supplemental levels were higher than 0.375mg/day. Therefore, Cr supplementation must be carried out carefully and more studies need to address stressed animals or possible toxic effects of Cr in the animal itself or to the ruminal protozoa population.

Comparative functional study of 2 psychiatric pathologies by means of brainspect TC99 HMPO: major depression and borderline personality disorder / Estudio funcional comparativo de dos patologías psiquiátricas mediante spect cerebral TC 99 M HMPAO: depresión mayor y trastorno de personalidad

En el D.S.M.-IV, sistema clasificatorio de la Asociación Psiquiátrica Americana (1), que es el marco más usado en la investigación y comunicación en psiquiatría, se destaca que el Desorden Depresivo afecta entre el 5 por ciento y 9 por ciento de las mujeres y al 2 por ciento y 3 por ciento de los hombres, en tanto que el trastorno límite de la personalidad, corresponde al 2 por ciento de la población general. Ambos cuadros patológicos comparten las dimensiones de regulación del afecto y control de impulsos (2). La aproximación dimensional de los cuadros permite acercarse a los aspectos más biológicos de estas dos entidades. En éstas patologías se observan alteraciones importantes en al menos tres sistemas de neurotransmisión comunes como ser el sistema colinérgico, el noradrenérgico y el serotoninérgico (3), con rasgos conductuales. En esta investigación se efectúa una intracomparación, de un grupo de pacientes con Depresión Mayor y de Personalidad Límite, en condiciones basales versus condiciones de estimulación con test de Wisconsin, y una intercomparación entre los resultados en ambas patologías. En este trabajo se cuantifica los flujos cerebrales medidos con SPECT Tc 99 m HMPAO señalando el compromiso en zonas de la corteza cerebral que son parte de tres circuitos cerebrales segregados (4) como son el circuito órbito frontal, el cingulado anterior y el circuito dorsolateral prefrontal con sus aferencias y eferencias (5). En el análisis de los resultados se advierte un compromiso compartido en estructuras ligadas a la motivación, donde destaca el cingulado anterior, siendo mayor la hipofuncionalidad ante las exigencias del test de Wisconsin en los pacientes límites (P<0.00005 a derecha y 0.0003 a izquierda) que en los depresivos (P<0.002 a derecha y 0.003 a izquierda). Lo mismo ocurre con el área 32 de Brodmann (parte del sistema límbico), y el área 25 señalada por Damasio (6) como el área de la anhedonia donde el compromiso existe en ambas patologías. En forma exclusiva existe en los pacientes límites un compromiso significativo del área dorsolateral prefrontal o área ejecutiva frente a la exigencia del test de Wisconsin. Por otra parte en los pacientes depresivos se detectó una hipoperfusión mayor al 50 por ciento en el área órbito frontal relacionada a las emociones y a este cuadro (7) tanto en condiciones basales como de estimulación