Home-care treatment of swimmer syndrome in a miniature schnauzer dog.

A 50-day-old, female miniature schnauzer dog was presented for astasia, dorsoventral flattening of the thorax, hypoplasia of hind-limb muscles, stiffness of hind-limb joints, paddling leg motion, and panting. The dog was diagnosed with swimmers syndrome. The dog recovered completely following 40 days of home-care treatment that involved environmental and nutritional management along with intensive physiotherapy.

Traitement à domicile du syndrome du chiot nageur chez un Schnauzer miniature. Une chienne Schnauzer miniature âgée de 50 jours est présentée pour de l'astasie, un aplatissement dorsiventral du thorax, l'hypoplasie des muscles des pattes arrières, une rigidité des articulations des pattes arrières, un mouvement de pédalage des pattes et des halètements. La chienne a été diagnostiquée avec le syndrome du chiot nageur. La chienne s'est complètement rétablie après 40 jours de traitements à domicile qui ont inclus une gestion de l'environnement et de la nutrition avec une physiothérapie intensive.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

A case of perosomus elumbis in a Holstein calf.

Perosomus elumbis is an occasionally found congenital anomaly of unknown etiology and is characterized by partial or complete agenesis of lumbar, sacral and coccygeal vertebrae and ankylosis of the hindlimbs. A 2-day-old female Holstein calf presented nearly normal forelimbs but flexure and ankylosis of the hindlimbs. The vertebrae and pelvic malformations and agenesis were radiographed and then necropsied. Mild ankylosis of the hindlimbs, absence of cauda equina, left scoliosis in state of fusion of T11 and T12 and complete fusion of L4 and L5, narrowed pelvic canal and misshapen ilium were confirmed. However, abnormal development or agenesis was not observed in the urogenital and intestinal system in this calf.

Laparoscopy vs. laparotomy for embryo transfer to produce transgenic goats (Capra hircus).

This study was performed to produce transgenic Korean native goat (Capra hircus) by laparoscopic embryo transfer (ET) to overcome the limitations of ET performed by laparotomy. Transgenic embryos were produced by DNA pronuclear microinjection of in vivo zygotes. The recipient goats were synchronized for estrus by using an introvaginal progesterone devices as a controlled internal drug-releasing insert (CIDR) for 13 days and injection of 400 IU PMSG 48 h before removal of the insert. Embryos were transferred on day 3 and 4 after removal of the insert. Recipient goats were deprived of feed for 48 h, then suspended in a laparotomy cradle at an angle of 45 degrees . After obtaining a sufficient pneumoperitoneum, the laparoscope and forceps were inserted abdominally through 5 mm trocar sleeves. Examination of the ovaries and uterus was performed and then 213 embryos were transferred into the oviducts via the infundibula of 76 recipient goats. To compare pregnancy rates, ET was also performed by laparotomy in 82 recipient goats. The pregnancies in the recipient goats were diagnosed by ultrasound on day 30 after embryo transfer. The pregnancy rate with laparoscopic ET was significantly higher than with ET performed by laparotomy (46.1% vs. 28.6%, p < 0.05). In addition, the pregnancy rates were compared between ovulated and non-ovulated ovaries of the recipient goats in the laparoscopic ET group. No significant difference was observed between the pregnancy rates of ovulated and non-ovulated ovaries (41.3% vs. 33.3%, p < 0.05) suggesting that ET may also be possible in non-ovulated recipients through artificial rupture of Graafian follicles. These results suggest that laparoscopic ET is a highly efficient method for the transfer of goat embryos.

Harlequin ichthyosis in a HanWoo calf.

Ichthyosis (fish scale disease) is a rare hereditary disease and characterized by excessive cutaneous scale formation. A male HanWoo calf born by natural service was found with fissures and thickened, scaly, cutaneous plates covering over 90% of its body. Histopathological feature was excess compact orthokeratotic hyperkeratosis involving surface of the epidermis and follicular epithelia. The calf had small malformed ears, ectropion, eclabium and an abnormal nose. Gross and histopathologic findings in calf were consistent with those of harlequin ichthyosis, and it was the first observed harlequin ichthyosis in HanWoo cattle.

Effect of protein supplementation in potassium simplex optimization medium on preimplantation development of bovine non-transgenic and transgenic cloned embryos.

The present study evaluated the effect of protein supplementation in potassium simplex optimization medium (KSOM) on bovine preimplantation embryo development. The in vitro fertilized (IVF) (Experiment 1), non-transgenic (Experiment 2) and transgenic cloned embryos (Experiment 3) were cultured for 192 h in KSOM supplemented with 0.8% BSA (KSOM-BSA), 10% FBS (KSOM-FBS) or 0.01% PVA (KSOM-PVA). Transfected cumulus cells with an expression plasmid for human alpha1-antitrypsin gene and a green fluorescent protein (GFP) marker were used to produce transgenic cloned embryos. Modified synthetic oviductal fluid (mSOF) supplemented with 0.8% BSA (mSOF-BSA) was used as a control medium. In Experiment 1, cleavage rate was significantly (P < 0.05) lower (69.1%) in IVF embryos cultured in KSOM-FBS than in KSOM-BSA (80.3%). The rate of hatching/hatched blastocyst formation was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in embryos cultured in KSOM-PVA than in KSOM-FBS (2.2% versus 10.8%). Blastocysts cultured in KSOM-FBS contained significantly (P < 0.06) higher numbers of inner cell mass cells (50.4 +/- 20.2) than those cultured in mSOF-BSA (36.9 +/- 19.2). In Experiment 2, the rate of blastocyst formation was significantly (P < 0.05) lower (20.5%) in embryos cultured in KSOM-PVA than in other culture media (33.3-38.5%). The rate of hatching/hatched blastocysts was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in KSOM-PVA (13.9%) and KSOM-FBS (17.1%) than in KSOM-BSA (30.8%) and mSOF-BSA (33.9%). The numbers of total and trophectoderm cells (104.6 +/- 32.2 and 71.7 +/- 25.5, respectively) were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in blastocysts cultured in KSOM-PVA than in KSOM-BSA (125.7 +/- 39.7 and 91.7 +/- 36.2, respectively). In Experiment 3, no significant differences in embryo development, GFP expression and blastocyst cell numbers were observed among the culture groups. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that KSOM and mSOF supplemented with BSA were equally effective in supporting development of bovine non-transgenic and transgenic cloned embryos. Moreover, different developmental competence in response to protein supplementation of KSOM was observed between bovine non-transgenic and transgenic cloned embryos.

Preimplantational embryo development and incidence of blastomere apoptosis in bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos reconstructed with long-term cultured donor cells.

This study was performed to investigate whether types and/or age of donor cells affect preimplantational embryo development and the incidence of apoptosis in bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos. Bovine fetal or adult ear fibroblasts were isolated, cultured in vitro and categorized into fresh or long-term cultured cells in terms of population doublings (PD): in fetal fibroblasts, <16 being considered fresh and >50 being long-term cultured; in adult ear fibroblasts, <16 being considered fresh and >30 being long-term cultured. Bovine oocytes from slaughterhouse ovaries were matured in TCM-199, enucleated and reconstructed by SCNT. The reconstructed oocytes were fused, chemically activated, and cultured in modified synthetic oviduct fluid (mSOF) at 39 degrees C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO(2) air for 7 days. The early development of SCNT embryos was monitored under a microscope and the quality of blastocysts was assessed by differential counting of inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) cells and by apoptosis detection in blastomeres using a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated d-UTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay. As results, types and/or age of donor cells did not affect the rate of blastocyst formation and the number of ICM and TE cells. However, a significant increase in apoptotic blastomeres was observed in SCNT embryos reconstructed with long-term cultured fetal or adult ear fibroblasts compared to those in SCNT embryos derived from fresh fetal or adult ear fibroblasts. In conclusion, these results indicated that the long-term culture of donor cells caused increased the incidence of apoptosis in bovine SCNT embryos but did not affect the developmental competence and the cell number of blastocysts.