Assessing the Elastic Components of the Aortic Media in Goats (Capra hircus) / Evaluación de los Componentes Elásticos de la Aorta en Cabras (Capra hircus)

SUMMARY: Samples were collected from five goats (Capra hircus) from the ascending aorta, aortic arch, descending thoracic aorta, and descending abdominal aorta. These samples were histologically processed to reveal elastic structures in their media. The mean number of elastic lamellae discovered was 91.5 in the mean ascending aorta, 78.5 in the mean aortic arch, 66 in the mean descending thoracic aorta, and 31.7 in the mean descending abdominal aorta. Because they all have a large number of elastic laminae on average, they all fall into the elastic artery category, but not all are typical elastic arteries. Thus, the ascending aorta, the aortic arch, and the descending thoracic aorta contain, on average, in addition to elastic tissue, polymorphous muscle islands, which distinguishes them from typical elastic arteries, which is why we call them particular elastic arteries. The descending abdominal aorta contains no such islands so that it can be classified as a typical elastic artery. The goat aortic segment is the only one comparable in structure to the elastic arteries of humans, which is why we suggest that it is the only one suitable for studying aortic disease in humans.

Se recogieron muestras de cinco cabras (Capra hircus) de la aorta ascendente, el arco aórtico, la aorta torácica descendente y la aorta abdominal descendente. Estas muestras se procesaron histológicamente para revelar estructuras elásticas en sus capas. El número medio de laminillas elásticas descubiertas fue de 91,5 en la aorta ascendente, 78,5 en el arco aórtico, 66 en la aorta torácica descendente y 31,7 en la aorta abdominal descendente. Debido a que todas tienen en promedio una gran cantidad de láminas elásticas, caen en la categoría de arterias elásticas, pero no todas son arterias elásticas típicas. Así, la aorta ascendente, el arco aórtico y la aorta torácica descendente contienen, en promedio, además de tejido elástico, islas de músculos polimorfos, lo que las distingue de las arterias elásticas típicas, por lo que las llamamos arterias elásticas particulares. La aorta abdominal descendente no contiene tales islas, por lo que puede clasificarse como una arteria elástica típica. El segmento aórtico de cabra es el único comparable en estructura a las arterias elásticas de los humanos, por lo que sugerimos que es el único adecuado para estudiar la enfermedad aórtica en humanos.

Histogenesis of the Gubernaculum During Testis Descent in the Goat Fetus (Capra marghoz) / Histogénesis del Gubernaculum Durante el Descenso Testicular en el Feto de Cabra (Capra marghoz)

SUMMARY: Testicular descent is a complex process that only occurs in mammals. The role of the gubernaculum during testicular descent has been explained mainly by its capacity for dilatation and contraction. This study tried to investigate the changes in the structure of the fibers and cells of the gubernaculum in different age levels of testicular descent in goat fetuses. Embryo samples were collected and grouped in such a way that 60 male goat fetuses were obtained from 100 pregnant does (Capra marghoz). The samples were classified based on the average length (CRL) of the used embryos into 6 age groups. Tissues of the gubernaculum were stained using Masson's Trichrome method to observe collagen fibers under light microscopy. In the present study, growth and orientation of collagen fibers of gubernaculum were observed from the age of 51 days in a manner that the arrangement and order of fibroblasts and collagens to be associated with the onset of testicular migration order and collagen fibers until the end of the third month. Further, changes in the cell arrays and strings were observed after the age of 111 days in such a way that near the birth date, the gubernaculum converted into atrophy tissue. It can be said that from the beginning of the period of testicular descent until its completion, the tissue of the gubernaculum undergoes cellular changes, such as deformation and increase and secretion in connective fibers.

El descenso testicular es un proceso complejo que solo ocurre en los mamíferos. El papel del gubernaculum durante este proceso se ha explicado principalmente por su capacidad de dilatarse y contraerse. En este trabajo, se investigaron los cambios en la estructura de las fibras y células del gubernaculum en diferentes etapas del descenso testicular y edades en fetos de cabra. Se recolectaron muestras de embriones, agrupándose de manera que se obtuvieron 60 fetos de macho cabrío a partir de 100 hembras preñadas (Capra marghoz). Las muestras se clasificaron según la longitud media (CRL) de los embriones utilizados, dividiéndose en seis grupos de edad. Los tejidos del gubernaculum se tiñeron utilizando la técnica de Tricrómico de Masson para observar las fibras de colágeno bajo microscopía óptica. En el presente estudio, se observó el crecimiento y la orientación de las fibras colágenas del gubernaculum a partir de los 51 días de edad. La disposición y el orden de los fibroblastos y colágeno se asociaron con el inicio de la migración testicular, observándose las fibras colágenas hasta el final del tercer mes. Además, se detectaron cambios en las matrices y cadenas de células después de los 111 días de edad. Cerca de la fecha de nacimiento, el gubernaculum se convirtió en tejido atrofiado. En conclusión, desde el inicio hasta la finalización del período de descenso testicular, el tejido del gubernaculum sufre cambios celulares, como deformación y aumento de secreción en las fibras conectivas.

Seasonal quality of milk from Creole grazing goats, stabled Saanen and French-Alpine goats / Calidad estacional de leche de cabras Criollas en pastoreo vs cabras estabuladas Saanen y Alpina-Francesa / Qualidade sazonal do leite de cabras Crioulas em pastagem vs cabras estábuladas Saanen e Franco-alpina

Abstract Background: Goat milk production has been increasing in northern Mexico; however, there is little information available about its quality. Objective: To compare goat milk quality during three seasons among creole goats in a traditional grazing system and stabled Saanen and French-Alpine goats. Methods: An experiment was performed in a completely randomized nested design with seasonality factor (fixed effects) with three levels (rain, transition, and drought) and breed factor (fixed effect with three levels (Creole, Saanen and French-Alpine)) nested within the season-of-the-year factor. Fifteen goats were randomly selected: five Creole in the extensive grazing system, five stabled Saanen, and five stabled French-Alpine. The factors assessed in milk were fat content, non-fat solids, protein, lactose, salts, density, freezing point, conductivity, and pH (using a Lactoscan® device). Results: With respect to season for all the breeds: fat, non-fat solids, protein, lactose, and salt contents were higher (p≤0.05) for goats sampled in the rainy season, followed by drought and transition seasons, respectively. The variables related to milk quality by breed and season showed that milk fat content of creole goats was greater (p≤0.05) in the drought season; salt and non-fat content (p≤0.05) in the three seasons of the year; density and protein increased (p≤0.05) in the transition and rainy seasons, while lactose was greater (p≤0.05) in drought and rainy seasons; protein was greater (p≤0.05) in transition and rainy seasons; and the freezing point was lower (p≤0.05) in the transition season. Regarding conductivity, French-Alpine milk was greater (p≤0.05) in the drought season. Conclusion: Season of the year significantly affects milk quality, with increased quality during the rainy season in creole grazing goats.

Resumen Antecedentes: La producción de leche de cabra se ha venido incrementando en el norte de México,; sin embargo, existe poca información sobre su calidad. Objetivo: Comparar la calidad de la leche de cabra durante tres épocas del año para cabras criollas en pastoreo y cabras puras de dos razas diferentes bajo estabulación. Métodos: El experimento se realizó mediante un diseño anidado completamente aleatorizado, con el factor época del año (efecto fijo) con tres niveles (lluvia, transición y sequia) y el factor raza (efecto fijo) con tres niveles (Criolla, Saanen y Alpino-Francesa) anidado dentro del factor época del año. En el sistema de pastoreo extensivo se eligieron al azar cinco cabras de raza Criolla, en el sistema estabulado se eligieron al azar cinco cabras de la raza Saanen y cinco de la raza Alpino-Francesa. La variables medidas fueron: contenido de grasa, sólidos no grasos, proteína, lactosa, sales, densidad, punto de congelación, conductividad y pH (utilizando el dispositivo Lactoscan®). Resultados: Respecto a la temporada del año para las tres razas se encontró que los contenidos en leche de grasa, sólidos no grasos, proteína, lactosa y sales fueron mayores (p≤0,05) en la época de lluvias, seguido por la leche muestreada en sequía y transición. Las variables por raza y temporada del año arrojaron que la grasa fue mayor (p≤0,05) en cabras criollas en sequía, solidos no grasos fue mayor (p≤0,05) en las tres temporadas del año en cabras criollas, la densidad aumentó (p≤0,05) en cabras criollas en transición y lluvia. La proteína fue mayor (p≤0,05) en cabras criollas en transición y lluvia, mientras que la lactosa fue mayor (p≤0,05) en cabras criollas en sequía y lluvia. El menor punto de congelación (p≤0,05) se presentó en cabras criollas en transición, la conductividad fue mayor (p≤0,05) en cabras Alpina-Francesa en sequía y la concentración de sales fue mayor (p ≤0,05) en cabras criollas durante las tres temporadas. Conclusión: Existe un marcado efecto de la temporada sobre la calidad de la leche, siendo la epoca de lluvias cuando se presenta mejor calidad en cabras criollas en pastoreo.

Resumo Antecedentes: No norte do México a produção de leite de cabra aumentou; no entanto, a qualidade do leite é desconhecida. Objetivo: Comparar a qualidade do leite de cabra durante três estações do ano com cabras crioulas em sistema de pastoreio tradicional e cabras Saanen e franco-alpinas em estábulos. Métodos: O experimento foi realizado através de um delineamento completamente casualizado com o fator de sazonalidade (efeitos fixos) com três níveis (chuva, transição e seca) e fator de raça (efeito fixo com três níveis (crioulo, Saanen e franco-alpino) aninhados dentro do fator estação do ano quinze cabras foram selecionadas aleatoriamente, cinco no sistema de pastejo extensivo, cinco Saanen e cinco Franco-Alpino no sistema estábulo. Os fatores avaliados no leite foram teor de gordura, sólidos desengordurados, proteína, lactose, sais, densidade, ponto de congelamento, condutividade e pH pelo aparelho Lactoscan®. Resultados: Em relação às estações do ano, nas três raças, mostrou que os teores de gordura, sólidos desengordurados, proteínas, lactose e sal foram maiores (p≤0,05) nas cabras cujo leite foi amostrado na ocasião um de chuvas seguido por aquele amostrado nas estações de seca e transição, respectivamente. As variáveis relacionadas à qualidade do leite de cabra por raça e ano, mostraram que nas cabras crioulas o teor de gordura foi maior (p≤0,05) na estação seca; teor de sal e gordura (p≤0,05) nas três estações do ano; a densidade aumentou significativamente e o teor de proteína foi maior (p≤0,05) nas estações de transição e chuvas, enquanto o valor de lactose foi maior (p≤0,05) nas estações seca e chuvosa; o teor de proteína foi maior (p≤0,05) nas estações de transição e chuvas; e o ponto de congelamento foi menor (p≤0,05) na estação de transição. Em relação à condutividade, o leite de cabra franco-alpino apresentou valor significativamente superior (p≤0,05) na seca. Conclusão: A qualidade do leite tem um efeito significativo por estação, sendo que a estação chuvosa aumentou a qualidade do leite em cabras crioulas em pastejo.

Determinants of small-scale goat production in Mushowani, Zimbabwe

Background: Goats are of economic importance to livelihoods of many rural communities in Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, very few farmers are into goat production. Therefore, this study was carried out in order to establish the factors that are affecting goat production in Mushowani, Zimbabwe.Methods: A household survey, using a structured questionnaire was administered in October 2022. The Spearman correlation coefficients were used to test the associations between number of goats against farm size, gender, age, marital status, education, household size, formal training, diseases, income and extension services.Results: Of the 52 respondents surveyed, 59.6% were males and more than half (51.9%) of the farmers attended secondary school, followed by tertiary education (36.6%). Most of the farmers (69.2%) had a herd size of less than 20. The main source of income in the area was the selling of crops. The majority (77%) of the farmers indicated that they planned to increase their goat herd. Goat production in Mushowani is constrained by diseases, feed, water, theft, heat stress, market, transport, veterinary services, insufficient funds, lack of extension services and lack of commercial breeds. Results showed that farm size, age of the farmer, education and extension visits were associated with herd size. Age, education and extension visits were significant at 5%, while farm size was significant at 1%.Conclusions: The results of this study are anticipated to give an insight to the government, policy makers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that focus on improving goat production in rural communities.

Molecular prevalence of Anaplasma marginale in ruminants and Rhipicephalus ticks in northern Pakistan

@#Anaplasma marginale is the most prevalent tick-borne haemoparasite of cattle and causes huge economic losses to the dairy industry worldwide. This study aimed to determine the occurrence of A. marginale infection in blood and tick samples collected from livestock animals in the districts located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Pakistan. A total of 184 blood and 370 tick samples were included in this study. It has never been reported that sheep, goats, and cattle in Tank, Ghulam Khan, Birmil and Miran Shah areas were infected with A. marginale. All samples of blood and ticks were collected through random sampling from March 2021 to January 2022 from cattle, sheep and goats and screened through PCR for anaplasmosis by using primer pairs of Anaplasma spp. Three hundred and seventy ticks were collected from infested hosts (120/184, 64.21%). Among the four morphologically identified tick species, the highest occurrence was recorded for Rhipicephalus sanguineus (n=138, 37.29%), followed by Rhipicephalus microplus (n=131, 35.4%), Rhipicephalus annulatus (n=40, 10.81%), Hyalomma anatolicum (n=31, 8.37%), and Hyalomma marginatum (n=30, 8.1%). The occurrence of female tick was highest (n=160, 43.24%), followed by nymphs (n=140, 37.38%) and males ticks (n=70, 18.9%). Among these ticks, A. marginale was detected in female ticks of R. microplus, and R. sanguineus. Molecular identification of A. marginale was confirmed in 120 out of 184 blood samples and 6 out of 74 tick samples. Overall, occurrence of A. marginale in blood and tick samples was found to be 65.21% and 8.1% respectively. Species-wise occurrence in blood samples of goats were 71.11% followed by sheep 68.31% and cattle 50%. Specie-wise occurrence of A. marginale in tick samples of cattle were 12.5% followed by goats 6.89%. The obtained sequence showed similarity with A. marginale reported from Kenya and USA. We report the first PCR based detection of A. marginale infection in blood samples and in R. sanguineus ticks of goats simultaneously.

Cloning, identification and functional analysis of the goat transcription factor c-fos / 生物工程学报

C-fos is a transcription factor that plays an important role in cell proliferation, differentiation and tumor formation. The aim of this study was to clone the goat c-fos gene, clarify its biological characteristics, and further reveal its regulatory role in the differentiation of goat subcutaneous adipocytes. We cloned the c-fos gene from subcutaneous adipose tissue of Jianzhou big-eared goats by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and analyzed its biological characteristics. Using real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), we detected the expression of c-fos gene in the heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney, subcutaneous fat, longissimus dorsi and subcutaneous adipocytes of goat upon induced differentiation for 0 h to 120 h. The goat overexpression vector pEGFP-c-fos was constructed and transfected into the subcutaneous preadipocytes for induced differentiation. The morphological changes of lipid droplet accumulation were observed by oil red O staining and bodipy staining. Furthermore, qPCR was used to test the relative mRNA level of the c-fos overexpression on adipogenic differentiation marker genes. The results showed that the cloned goat c-fos gene was 1 477 bp in length, in which the coding sequence was 1 143 bp, encoding a protein of 380 amino acids. Protein structure analysis showed that goat FOS protein has a basic leucine zipper structure, and subcellular localization prediction suggested that it was mainly distributed in the nucleus. The relative expression level of c-fos was higher in the subcutaneous adipose tissue of goats (P < 0.05), and the expression level of c-fos was significantly increased upon induced differentiation of subcutaneous preadipocyte for 48 h (P < 0.01). Overexpression of c-fos significantly inhibited the lipid droplets formation in goat subcutaneous adipocytes, significantly decreased the relative expression levels of the AP2 and C/EBPβ lipogenic marker genes (P < 0.01). Moreover, AP2 and C/EBPβ promoter are predicted to have multiple binding sites. In conclusion, the results indicated that c-fos gene was a negative regulatory factor of subcutaneous adipocyte differentiation in goats, and it might regulate the expression of AP2 and C/EBPβ gene expression.

Cloning and expression profile of ZFP36L1 gene in goat / 生物工程学报

The purpose of this study was to clone and characterize the ZFP36L1 (zinc finger protein 36-like 1) gene, clarify its expression characteristics, and elucidate its expression patterns in different tissues of goats. Samples of 15 tissues from Jianzhou big-eared goats, including heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney were collected. Goat ZFP36L1 gene was amplified by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), then the gene and protein sequence were analyzed by online tools. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to detect the expression level of ZFP36L1 in intramuscular preadipocytes in different tissues and adipocytes of goat at different differentiation stages. The results showed that the length of ZFR36L1 gene was 1 224 bp, and the coding sequence (CDS) region was 1 017 bp, encoding 338 amino acids, which was a non-secretory unstable protein mainly located in nucleus and cytoplasm. Tissue expression profile showed that ZFP36L1 gene was expressed in all selected tissues. In visceral tissues, the small intestine showed the highest expression level (P < 0.01). In muscle tissue, the highest expression level was presented in longissimus dorsi muscle (P < 0.01), whereas the expression level in subcutaneous adipose tissue was significantly higher than that in other tissues (P < 0.01). The results of induced differentiation showed that the expression of this gene was up-regulated during adipogenic differentiation of intramuscular precursor adipocytes (P < 0.01). These data may help to clarify the biological function of the ZFP36L1 gene in goat.

Gene cloning and sequence analysis of the RPL29 gene and its effect on lipogenesis in goat intramuscular adipocytes / 生物工程学报

The aim of this study was to clone the goat RPL29 gene and analyze its effect on lipogenesis in intramuscular adipocytes. Using Jianzhou big-eared goats as the object, the goat RPL29 gene was cloned by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the gene structure and expressed protein sequence were analyzed by bioinformatics, and the mRNA expression levels of RPL29 in various tissues and different differentiation stages of intramuscular adipocytes of goats were detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The RPL29 overexpression vector pEGFP-N1-RPL29 constructed by gene recombination was used to transfect into goat intramuscular preadipocytes and induce differentiation. Subsequently, the effect of overexpression of RPL29 on fat droplet accumulation was revealed morphologically by oil red O and Bodipy staining, and changes in the expression levels of genes related to lipid metabolism were detected by qRT-PCR. The results showed that the length of the goat RPL29 was 507 bp, including a coding sequence (CDS) region of 471 bp which encodes 156 amino acid residues. It is a positively charged and stable hydrophilic protein mainly distributed in the nucleus of cells. Tissue expression profiling showed that the expression level of this gene was much higher in subcutaneous adipose tissue and inter-abdominal adipose tissue of goats than in other tissues (P < 0.05). The temporal expression profile showed that the gene was expressed at the highest level at 84 h of differentiation in goat intramuscular adipocytes, which was highly significantly higher than that in the undifferentiated period (P < 0.01). Overexpression of RPL29 promoted lipid accumulation in intramuscular adipocytes, and the optical density values of oil red O staining were significantly increased (P < 0.05). In addition, overexpression of RPL29 was followed by a highly significant increase in ATGL and ACC gene expression (P < 0.01) and a significant increase in FASN gene expression (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the goat RPL29 may promote intra-muscular adipocyte deposition in goats by up-regulating FASN, ACC and ATGL.

Establishment of Preeclampsia Model in Goat and Evaluation on Maternal Biological Characteristics / 实验动物与比较医学

ObjectiveEstablish an animal model of preeclampsia in goats, collect data on various physiological indicators and maternal biological characteristics of the disease model to compare with clinical feature of the disease in humans, provide reference for the prevention and treatment of preeclampsia in humans.Methods Twenty-three goats bred in Chongming district were divided into three groups: Control group, no surgical procedure was performed on animals of this group; sham group, ewes in this group underwent the sham operation on the 100±5th day of gestation, and only the uterine artery was exposed and dissociated; surgical group, a silver vascular clamp was clipped on one side of the uterine body artery of the ewe to narrow the inner diameter of the artery at the same gestation period (100±5) days. Heart rate and hindlimb blood pressure were continuously monitored in control and surgical ewes from 100 to 140 d of gestation, and blood flow data within the lateral branches of the uterine arteries of ewes in the sham group were collected using a hemodynamometer in combination with a hemodynamic probe and an animal physiological signal collector, as well as changes in blood flow within the uterine arteries in the lateral branches of the uterine arteries of the surgical group before and after placement of vascular clips in the surgical ewes. At the expected date of delivery, jugular vein blood was taken from ewes for routine blood test, creatinine, urea nitrogen, and blood ion analysis; urine was also collected from ewes in each group for analysis of urinary protein and urinary creatinine. All experimental groups were subjected to cesarean section on the 140±5th day of gestation in ewes, and then liver, kidney, uterus and placenta tissues were taken from ewes in each group and stained with HE for pathological observation. Results After 15 minutes of preeclampsia modeling surgery, blood flow volume remained stable in the vessel stenosis segment and the volume differential was relatively reduced in comparison to the control group and sham group (P＜0.05，P＜0.01). Compared with the control group, the ewes in the surgical group showed prenatal changes such as increased serum osmolality, decreased hemoglobin, increased blood glucose and urea nitrogen values, as well as increased levels of calcium, sodium, and chloride ions (all P<0.05) and proteinuria, with urinary creatinine and urinary protein-creatinine ratios were significantly higher than those in the control group and sham group (all P<0.05). The elastic lamina of the uterine body arteries on the operated side of the animals in the surgical group was thicker than that on the opposite side, but the structure was loose. The placenta on the operated side showed pathological changes such as cell interstitial swelling and inflammatory cell infiltration. The above physiological index characteristics were more consistent with the clinical features of human preeclampsia disease.Conclusion In this experiment, we successfully constructed a goat preeclampsia model and obtained data on relevant physiological indexes of this model, which further verified the correlation between preeclampsia disease and uterine artery lesions.

Design and validation of a surgical guide for the retrieval of foreign body instruments in jaw / 解剖学报

Objective To design and validate a novel surgical guide for retrieval of foreign body in jaw. Methods Firstly, a surgical guide based on cone beam computed tomography and trephine technique was designed to remove broken dental instrument fragments. Its feasibility and accuracy were assessed by removing broken dental instrument in goat mandible, and then it was successfully applied in clinical cases. The linear and angular discrepancies between actual and planned columnar bone with imaginary fragment was analyzed. The euclidean distance was measured at the hex and apex of the columnar bone and the angle of axis deviation was also calculated. We obtained seven parameters (cdh, cda, hdh, hda, vdh, vda, and ad) to describe deviations. Results Mean central deviation at the hex and apex was (0.51 ± 0.14) mm and (0.62 ± 0.19) mm, respectively. Accompanying mean values were as follow: horizontal deviation at the hex was (0.48 ± 0.16) mm, horizontal deviation at the apex was (0.52 ± 0.22) mm, vertical deviation at the hex was (0.17 ± 0.09) mm, vertical deviation at the apex was (0.29 ± 0.13) mm, and angular deviation of (5.38 ± 3.43) degrees. In a clinical case, the guide successfully located and removed the fracture file. Conclusion This study reveals that this kind novel surgical guide could aid to locate and remove the foreign body in jaw.

miR-23b-3p regulates the differentiation of goat intramuscular preadipocytes by targeting the PDE4B gene / 生物工程学报

This study aimed to explore the effect of miR-23b-3p on the differentiation of goat intramuscular preadipocytes, and to confirm whether miR-23b-3p plays its roles via targeting the PDE4B gene. Based on the pre-transcriptome sequencing data obtained previously, the miR-23b-3p, which was differentially expressed in goat intramuscular adipocytes before and after differentiation, was used as an entry point. real-time quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to detect the expression pattern of miR-23b-3p during the differentiation of goat intramuscular preadipocytes. The effects of miR-23b-3p on adipose differentiation and adipose differentiation marker genes were determined at the morphological and molecular levels. The downstream target genes of miR-23b-3p were determined using bioinformatics prediction as well as dual luciferase reporter assay to clarify the targeting relationship between miR-23b-3p and the predicted target genes. The results indicated that overexpression of miR-23b-3p reduced lipid droplet accumulation in goat intramuscular adipocytes, significantly down-regulated the expression levels of adipogenic marker genes AP2, C/EBPα, FASN, and LPL (P < 0.01). In addition, the expressions of C/EBPβ, DGAT2, GLUT4 and PPARγ were significantly downregulated (P < 0.05). After interfering with the expression of miR-23b-3p, lipid droplet accumulation was increased in goat intramuscular adipocytes. The expression levels of ACC, ATGL, AP2, DGAT2, GLUT4, FASN and SREBP1 were extremely significantly up-regulated (P < 0.01), and the expression levels of C/EBPβ, LPL and PPARγ were significantly up-regulated (P < 0.05). It was predicted that PDE4B might be a target gene of miR-23b-3p. The mRNA expression level of PDE4B was significantly decreased after overexpression of miR-23b-3p (P < 0.01), and the interference with miR-23b-3p significantly increased the mRNA level of PDE4B (P < 0.05). The dual luciferase reporter assay indicated that miR-23b-3p had a targeting relationship with PDE4B gene. MiR-23b-3p regulates the differentiation of goat intramuscular preadipocytes by targeting the PDE4B gene.

BLOC1S1 promotes proliferation of goat spermatogonial stem cells / 生物工程学报

With the rapid development of gene editing technology, the study of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) holds great significance in understanding spermatogenesis and its regulatory mechanism, developing transgenic animals, gene therapy, infertility treatment and protecting rare species. Biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles complex 1 subunit 1 (BLOC1S1) is believed to have anti-brucella potential. Exploring the impack of BLOC1S1 on goat SSCs not only helps investigate the ability of BLOC1S1 to promote SSCs proliferation, but also provides a cytological basis for disease-resistant breeding research. In this study, a BLOC1S1 overexpression vector was constructed by homologous recombination. The BLOC1S1 overexpression cell line of goat spermatogonial stem cells was successfully constructed by lentivirus packaging, transfection and puromycin screening. The overexpression efficiency of BLOC1S1 was found to be 18 times higher using real time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Furthermore, the results from cell growth curve analysis, flow cytometry for cell cycle detection, and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining showed that BLOC1S1 significantly increased the proliferation activity of goat SSCs. The results of RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting analyses revealed up-regulation of proliferation-related genes (PCNA, CDK2, CCND1), and EIF2S3Y, a key gene regulating the proliferation of spermatogonial stem cells. These findings strongly suggest that the proliferative ability of goat SSCs can be enhanced through the EIF2S3Y/ERK pathway. In summary, this study successfully created a goat spermatogonial stem cell BLOC1S1 overexpression cell line, which exhibited improved proliferation ability. This research laid the groundwork for exploring the regulatory role of BLOC1S1 in goat spermatogonia and provided a cell platform for further study into the biological function of BLOC1S1. These findings also establish a foundation for breeding BLOC1S1 overexpressing goats.

True Hermaphroditism in a Goat – A case report

A four-month-old prepubertal female goat was presented to RVP IVRI Bareilly, with the history of an abnormal growth in the vulva. On clinical examination the growth was found as prominent clitoris, and two peanut sized soft structures were palpable at the subcutaneous in inguinal region. Transabdominal B mode real time ultrasound of inguinal region revealed testis like morphology and presence of uterus and ovaries structures subcutaneously. The case was subsequently diagnosed as hermaphrodism.

Identify the Phenotypic Indicators for Prognostic of Hypothetical Litter Size of Black Bengal Goat

The present investigation recorded that the average litter size was 2.03 per doe and the prolificacy rate being 202.92%. The result indicates that the litter size proportion for single, twin and triplet were 28.3%, 40.4% and 31.3% respectively. The present study revealed substantial phenotypic variations among the goats bearing single, twin and triplet foetus. Based on stepwise discriminant function to find out month wise phenotypic descriptors, some important linear traits namely Punch girth (PG), Body Weight (BW), Rump Length (RL), Croup Height (CrH), Clearance of Sternum (CS), Distance between Tuber coxae (DTC), Distance between Trochanter major (DTM), Head-Rump Length (HRL), Body Length (BL), Curved Head-Rump Length (HRCL), Heart girth (HG, Pelvic Triangle (PLVT) and Wither Height (WH); were identified to be significant in discriminating the foetal numbers between groups. Out of these, HRL measurement might be considered as one of the best indicator for higher Litter Size (LZ) during the second, third, fourth, fifth parity. Other best suitable phenotypic descriptors like BL, CS, PG, PLVT and BW could be used to predict probable kidding size.

Reproductive Traits for Identifying Prolific Black Bengal Goat (Capra hircus bengalensis)

The present investigation recorded that the average litter size was 2.03 per doe and the prolificacy rate being 202.92%. The result indicates that the litter size proportion for single, twin and triplet were 28.3%, 40.4% and 31.3% respectively. There was a tendency of increasing body weight with higher litter size and such variation was highly significant (P<0.01). The result revealed that the overall mean age of first estrus was 209.08±2.06 days. Maximum age of first conception was 226.18±5.39 days when the animal gave single birth and the minimum AC was 216.65±4.9 days when it produced triplet indicating that failure of conception was more in single bearing does. Service period were recorded to very significantly (P<0.01) among different litter bearing groups, the highest value was observed in triplet producing does (80.88±4.68 days). This is an important finding to understand that, less Age of Puberty (AP), Age at 1stConception (AC), Days Open (DO) & Kidding Interval (KI) has prominent benefit for multiple foetuses and thus achieving economic benefit.

Incidence of Genital Organ Abnormalities in Female Genitalia of Marwari Goats

The present study was conducted to record various gross genital abnormalities of female genital organs in Marwari goats. A total of 115 genital organs were collected from municipal and local abattoir of Bikaner city, randomly. Slaughtered genital organs were segregated in 3 groups viz. healthy non pregnant, pregnant and abnormal groups based on their visual observations. The incidences of various gross genital abnormalities were recorded. Out of total 115 genitalia collected, 80 were found to be grossly normal (69.56%).The percentage of pregnancy wastage was 11.30% (13 out of 115). Over all 22 (19.13%) genitalia had abnormalities. The common genital abnormalities found were uterine infections (18), ovarian cyst (3) and parovarian cyst (1), respectively. All these genital disorders are causes a big damage to reproductive health of goat and if they are not diagnosed or treated early then they cause infertility.

Caracterização dos sistemas de criação de caprinos e ovinos da Ilha de São Luís no estado do Maranhão, Brasil / Characterization of goat and sheep breeding systems at São Luis Island in the state of Maranhão, Brazil

Objetivou-se descrever o perfil dos sistemas de criação de caprinos e ovinos da Ilha de São Luís no estado do Maranhão. Para isso, realizou-se um estudo descritivo, exploratório e quali-quantitativo com 80 produtores rurais selecionados pela técnica Snowball, no período de fevereiro a abril de 2021. Em relação ao perfil do produtor rural, verificou-se predominância do gênero masculino (93,8%), apresentando faixa etária entre 25 a 60 anos (86,2%). A maioria dos produtores apresentavam ensino médio completo (23,8%) ou ensino superior completo (23,8%) e 88,8% dos produtores não estavam vinculados a organizações coletivas, associações, cooperativas ou sindicatos. Nas propriedades rurais o sistema de criação predominante era o semi-extensivo (73,8%) com presença de apriscos (76,2%) e as criações eram consorciadas com caprinos e ovinos (58,8%). A principal causa de morte nos animais verificada foi a verminose (58,8%). Conclui-se que se faz necessário o estabelecimento de medidas de estímulo às criações na Ilha de São Luís por meio de políticas públicas voltadas aos produtores locais, requerendo, sobretudo, assistência técnica, orientações zootécnicas, educação sanitária e acesso ao crédito, para, assim, deixar de ser apenas uma atividade de subsistência e passar a gerar maiores rendas para as famílias produtoras.

The objective of this research was to describe the profile of the goat and sheep rearing systems on the Island of São Luís in the state of Maranhão. For this, a descriptive, exploratory and qualitative-quantitative study was carried out with 80 rural producers selected by the Snowball technique, from February to April 2021. Regarding the profile of the rural producer, there was a predominance of males (93.8%), aging between 25 and 60 years (86.2%). Most producers had completed high school (23.8%) or higher education (23.8%) and 88.8% were not members of collective organizations, associations, cooperatives or unions. In rural properties, the predominant rearing system was semi-extensive (73.8%) with the presence of sheepfolds (76.2%) and mutual goats and sheep farming (58.8%). The main cause of death of animals was warm infections (58.8%). In conclusion, it is necessary to establish measures to support sheep and goat farming on the Island of São Luís through public policies focused on local producers, which require, above all, technical assistance, zootechnical guidelines, health education and access to credit in order to the farms stop being just a subsistence activity and start generating higher incomes for producing families.

Effect of poly-D-lysine on proliferation and senescence of caprine spermatogonial stem cells in vitro

Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) have the unique ability of both self-renewing and to produce progeny that undergoes differentiation to spermatozoa. As SSCs exist in very low numbers, therefore efficient in vitro expansion of SSCs is important prior to their clinical applications. In this study, we tried to improve the functionality of putative SSCs (pSSCs) during culture using poly-D-lysine (PDL) coating. For this, plates were coated with 0.01% PDL with different coating time interim treatments (5, 30 and 60 min) while control remained uncoated. The adequate amount of pSSCs of the goat was isolated and enriched using two-step enzymatic digestion and differential plating methods. Further, the functionality of pSSCs was evaluated by cell growth analysis, cell proliferation, senescence, and the presence of pluripotency (alkaline phosphatase, OCT-4) and SSC related (PGP-9.5) markers. The number and size of pSSCs colonies in 0.01% PDL coating groups were significantly (P <0.05) higher than in the control group. Similarly, pSSCs on uncoated plates expressed significantly (P <0.05) higher

Sugarcane bagasse or elephant grass hay in diets for goats: Performance, feeding behavior and carcass characteristics

Background: Novel feeding strategies should be developed to produce high-quality meat in current goat production systems. Objective: To evaluate the effects of castration and the association of spineless cactus with sugarcane bagasse or elephant grass hay on nutrient intake, digestibility, performance, feeding behavior and carcass traits of feedlot kids. Methods: A total of 24 male kids (12 castrated and 12 intact), with an average initial weight of 18.5 ± 3.8 kg were allotted to a completely randomized 2 x 2 factorial design (sugar cane bagasse or elephant grass hay; intact or castrated), and confined for 70 days. Results: Nutrient intake and animal performance were similar between treatments. Sugarcane bagasse increased, when compared to elephant grass hay, the digestibility of dry matter (66.12 vs 62.88; p=0.005), crude protein (74.26 vs 70.95; p=0.029) and non-fibrous carbohydrates (91.94 vs 83.07; p<0.001). The forage source affected the time spent resting, ruminating and total chewing time, but there was no effect of diet on feeding and rumination efficiencies. Elephant grass hay increased, when compared to sugarcane bagasse, hot carcass weight (9.87 vs 10.79; p=0.025) and hot carcass yield (43.81 vs 46.87; p=0.013). Intact kids produced heavier hot carcasses when compared with castrated kids (10.80 vs 9.86; p=0.014). Conclusion: Feeding intact or castrated kids with sugar cane bagasse or elephant grass hay do not affect nutrient intake and performance. Feedlot goats have improved carcass traits if kept intact and fed elephant grass hay.

Antecedentes: Se requiere desarrollar nuevas estrategias de alimentación para producir carne de alta calidad en los sistemas actuales de producción de cabras. Objetivo: Evaluar el efecto de la castración y asociación de palma forrajera con bagazo de caña de azúcar o heno de pasto elefante sobre la ingesta de nutrientes, digestibilidad, rendimiento, comportamiento de alimentación y caracteristicas de la canal de cabritos de engorde. Métodos: Un total de 24 cabritos (12 castrados y 12 intactos) con peso inicial promedio de 18,5 ± 3,8 kg fueron asignados a un diseño factorial 2 x 2 completamente al azar (bagazo de caña de azucar o heno de pasto elefante; castrados o intactos) y confinados durante 70 días. Resultados: La ingesta de nutrientes y el rendimiento animal fueron similares entre tratamientos. El bagazo de caña de azúcar aumentó, en comparación con el heno de pasto elefante, la digestibilidad de la materia seca (66,12 vs 62,88; p=0,005), de la proteína cruda (74,26 vs 70,95; p=0,029) y de los carbohidratos no fibrosos (91,94 vs 83,07; p<0,001). La fuente de forraje afectó el tiempo de descanso, de rumia, y el tiempo total de masticación, pero no hubo efecto de la dieta sobre la eficiencia alimentacia y de la rumia. El heno de pasto elefante aumentó, en comparación con el bagazo, el peso de la canal caliente (9,87 vs 10,79; p=0,025) y el rendimiento de la canal caliente (43,81 vs 46,87; p=0,013). Los animales intactos produjeron canales calientes más pesadas en comparación con los castrados (10,80 vs 9,86; p=0,014). Conclusión: La alimentación de cabritos enteros o castrados con bagazo de caña de azúcar o heno de pasto elefante no afecta la ingesta de nutrientes y el rendimiento. Los cabritos tienen mejores características de canal si se alimentan con heno de pasto elefante y se dejan enteros.

Antecedentes: Novas estratégias de alimentação devem ser desenvolvidas para produção de carne de qualidade nos atuais sistemas de produção de caprinos. Objetivo: Avaliar o efeito da castração e da associação da palma forrageira com o bagaço de cana de açúcar ou feno de capim elefante no consumo de nutrientes, digestibilidade, desempenho, comportamento ingestivo e características de carcaça de cabritos confinados. Métodos: Um total de 24 caprinos (12 castrados e 12 não castrados), com peso inicial médio de 18,5 ± 3,8 kg, distribuídos em um delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, em arranjo fatorial 2 x 2 (bagaço de cana de açúcar ou feno de capim elefante; inteiros ou castrados), confinados durante 70 dias. Resultados: O consumo de nutrientes e o desempenho dos animais foram semelhante entre os tratamentos. O bagaço de cana elevou, quando comparado com o feno, a digestibilidade da matéria seca (66,12 vs 62,88; p=0,005), proteína (74,26 vs 70,95; p=0,029) e carboidratos não fibrosos (91,94 vs 83,07; p<0,001). As fontes de fibra afetaram os tempos de ócio, ruminação e mastigação total, mas não houve efeito para as eficiências de alimentação e ruminação. O feno de capim elefante aumentou, quando comparado com o bagaço, o peso de caracaça quente (9,87 vs 10,79; p=0,025) e o rendimento de carcaça quente (43,81 vs 46,87; p=0,013). Os animais inteiros produziram carcaças quentes mais pesadas em comparação aos castrados (10,80 vs 9,86; p=0,014). Conclusão: Alimentar caprinos inteiros ou castrados com bagaço de cana ou feno de capim-elefante não interfere no consumo de nutrientes e desempenho. Caprinos confinados terão as características de carcaça melhoradas se mantidos intactos e alimentados com feno de capim elefante.

Effect of Systemic Administration of Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor on Rate of Fracture Healing of Bone Defect in Goats as Animal Model

@#Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) serves as an important cytokine in haematopoiesis; released at both physiological and pathological conditions by a range of cells. We hypothesized that the systemic administration of G-CSF would produce an accelerated fracture-healing rate in non-union bone defects; thus, potentially leading to useful clinical applications. Ten male adult Katjang goats, weighing about 15-26 kilograms were randomly chosen and a tibial bone defect was induced in each animal. The defect was maintained by internal fixation with a titanium plate and reinforced by an external fiberglass cast. Post-operative radiographs were performed twice weekly and radiographic assessments were performed by evaluating the bridging and union measurements through a validated method. In the treatment group, the time for bridging and union exhibited statistically significant differences when compared with a control group. The outcomes of the present study establishing a notion that administration of G-CSF besides inducing haematopoiesis, promotes healing of fractures and non-union bone defects as well.