Rotating frame for the in-situ fixation of large animals.

The frame for the in-situ fixation of large animals can be rotated around its longtitudinal axis. Thereby the fixing procedure is improved and the anatomical preparation is easier.

[Postnatal skeletal and body weight in beagles]. / Das postnatale Wachstum des Skeletts und der Körpermasse beim Beagle.

Growth of beagles is described on the basis of body weight and 14 bone measures. Eighteen male and 19 female dogs were investigated at 14 different ages from birth to the 13th month of life. Characteristics of the growth curves were evaluated using the modified Janoschek growth curve. For the classification into dwarfish, low, normal, big and gigantic growth, the growth curves are presented with percentiles. The arithmetic means and standard deviations for both sexes are presented in tables. Additionally, the degrees of maturity at birth (relative proportion of final weight or bone measure), the point of inflection for the growth curve, the times to grow to 50 and 95% of the final measures, and the asymptotic measures are also presented in tables. Sex differences in growth for the body weight and bone measures are discussed. Growth differences between large and small dog breeds are considered. The conclusion is drawn that the feeding of dogs has to be adapted to the growth course.

[Growth of the cloacal bursa (bursa of Fabricius) and spleen in ducks]. / Wachstum von Bursa Cloacalis (Fabricii) und Milz bei Enten.

The growth in weight of both the bursa of Fabricius and the spleen was investigated in different stocks of ducks between hatching and 154 days of age. The data were analysed by fitting the Janoschek growth curve and the allometric formula. Both organs showed rapid growth to their maximum dimensions and early points of inflection. The regression of the cloacal bursa started at about 12 weeks of age in Pekins and Mallards. In the Muscovy, the involution begins beyond the period of investigation. Allometrically, a biphasic relationship was found. Starting with positive allometry, the allometric exponent decreased to negative or isometric (Muscovies) values within the second week of age. If the organ weights are compared on the basis of these allometric relationships, Pekins had bursa weights that were about 30% higher than those in Mallards. For the spleen, there was no difference between wild and domesticated ducks.

Growth of the digestive organs in ducks with considerations on their growth in birds in general.

1. Growth of the oesophagus, proventriculus, gizzard, intestine, liver and pancreas weight was investigated in Mallards, White Pekins, Muscovies and a Muscovy x White Pekin cross. The birds varied in age between hatching and 154 d. The data were analysed by fitting both the Janoschek growth curve and the allometric formula. 2. The growth rate of all organs, except the oesophagus, peaked earlier (30 d for Muscovies and 14 d for the other breeds) than body weight and they grew faster to any given percentage of their final weight. In contrast, oesophagus weight showed growth curve characteristics similar to body weight. 3. Oesophagus weight showed simple, slightly negative allometry. The remaining organs followed complex allometry that can approximately be described by 2 allometric stages. The 1st phase was isometric to positive allometric. The 2nd showed marked negative allometry. 4. These growth patterns are assumed to be generally present in birds.

Muscle growth in wild and domestic ducks.

1. Increases in weight of the M. pectoralis, M. iliotibialis lateralis and M. flexor cruris lateralis were measured in mallards, White Pekins, Muscovies and a Muscovy x White Pekin cross from hatching to 154 days of age. Growth with respect to age was analysed using the Janoschek growth curve. 2. The M. pectoralis was less developed at hatching than both leg muscles. Furthermore, it showed a slower growth to its final weight and a later age at maximum growth than both leg muscles. 3. Pekins exhibited a faster Pectoralis and Iliotibialis lateralis muscle growth than mallards and Muscovies. The latter attained greater weights than Pekins at later ages owing to a higher asymptote. The cross showed the fastest muscle growth. 4. With respect to body weight, the Pectoralis is characterised by isometry followed by strongly positive allometry. This multiphasic allometry implies that relative muscle weights should not be used and the value of the allometric exponent strongly depends on both the beginning and duration of the period of investigation. Leg muscles showed isometric to slightly negative, simple allometry.

Posthatching myofiber development in the M. pectoralis of White Pekin Ducks.

BACKGROUND: A posthatching transformation of fast-twitch oxidative-glycolytic (FTO) to fast-twitch glycolytic (FTG) fibers in the breast muscle in domestic chickens and turkeys is well documented. There is, however, no information on the situation in Anseriformes having a M. pectoralis with a mixed fiber composition in adults. Differences in the growth of the different fiber types were reported for some muscles in ducks as well as in other birds. They are examined in the main flight muscle using growth curve analysis, until now mostly applied to the analysis of overall growth. METHODS: Biopsies were taken longitudinally from the M. pectoralis, Pars thoracica, of 40 White Pekin Ducks at 11 different ages from hatching through day 146. The samples were processed for a combination of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide tetrazolium reductase and myosin adenosine triphosphatase after acid preincubation at pH 4.1. Mean fiber diameter was determined for the different fiber types in relation to age. The Janoschek growth curve was fitted to these values. RESULTS: FTG fibers were first detected at 20 days of age. Thereafter, the fiber composition hardly changed. When distinguishable by enzyme histochemistry, FTG fibers were already larger in diameter than FTO. There were only gradual differences in the growth pattern. FTG fibers, however, showed much higher absolute, percentage, and relative growth rates. The radial growth of myofibers is slow when compared to other one-dimensional measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Fiber transformation seems to take place within a short age period. However, further studies are necessary to discriminate effects resulting from sample depth. FTG fibers are presumably recruited from those FTO fibers that show higher growth rates. Growth curve analysis, more frequently used in gross morphological studies, provides an analytical tool for evaluating growth processes of cells and tissues as well. Fiber size differences are mainly due to a higher growth rate in FTG fibers, whereas the growth patterns show only minor differences.

Bone growth in ducks through mathematical models with special reference to the Janoschek growth curve.

The Janoschek growth curve was reviewed and a reparameterized form was presented which includes 4 biologically interpretable parameters: the weight at hatching/birth (W0), asymptotic (adult) weight (A), the time to grow to half of the final weight (t50) and a shape parameter (p) adjusting the degree of maturity when growth rate peaks. The model obtained was compared to the Richards, Bertalanffy, Gompertz and Logistic growth curve using bone weight data in White Pekin ducks. The Janoschek yielded least residual sums of squares for humerus mass and the Richards model for femur mass with only minor differences between both equations. All 3-parameter models failed to give reasonable estimations of the weight at hatching; in some cases further growth curve characteristics were unrealistic. The femur showed a higher degree of maturity at hatching, an earlier growth rate peak and its development preceded that of the humerus. This differential growth is an evolutionary feature first seen in birds.

[Quantitative changes in the capillary supply of selected muscles of turkeys, ducks, rats and swine during postnatal development]. / Quantitative Veränderungen in der Kapillarisierung ausgewählter Muskeln von Pute, Ente, Ratte und Schwein während der postnatalen Entwicklung.

The capillary and muscle fibre density, the ratio of capillaries to fibres and the mean diffusion distance were determined in histological cross sections of the M. pectoralis of turkeys and ducks, the M. semitendinosus of rats and the M. longissimus of pigs between hatching or birth and maturity. The data were analyzed by fitting the Janoschek growth curve. The capillary and fibre density decrease asymptomatically, the diffusion distance increases. The M. longissimus of the adult pig is provided with the lowest capillary density resulting in the greatest diffusion distance. The highest capillarity was found in the M. pectoralis of ducks.

Heart and body growth in ducks.

Growth of body and heart weight in drakes was measured to 154 days of age in Mallards, 2 lines of White Pekins (Anas platyrhynchos), Muscovys (Cairina moschata), and a Muscovy x White Pekin cross. Allometric heart growth was slightly negative in the Mallard and its domestic forms (allometric exponent 0.895 < b < 0.943) whereas no significant difference from isometry was detected in Muscovy ducks and its cross. The relation between heart and body weight, using all stocks combined, yielded an exponent b = 0.937, being significantly smaller than 1. Coefficients of determination were high varying between 0.981 and 0.992. Breaks, i.e. changes of the slope during the postnatal development, could not be detected in any of the stocks. Using the modified Janoschek growth curve, both heart and body weight showed a similar growth pattern with respect to time. The degree of maturity at hatching and at the point of inflection (ui) was similar within stocks for both weights. This was also true for the age at maximum growth. The similarity between heart and whole body growth patterns, which is not found in most of the other internal organs, implies strong functional constraints. The ui values varied between 32 and 50% which should be taken into account when choosing an appropriate model. Differences among the various types of ducks resulting from their origin or domestication are discussed.

[The content of iron, copper and zinc in 12 tissues of female swine in 11 age groups from birth to a body weight of 200 to 265 kg]. / Der Gehalt an Eisen, Kupfer und Zink in 12 Geweben bei weiblichen Schweinen in 11 Altersgruppen von der Geburt bis zu einer Körpermasse von 200 bis 265 kg.

In female pigs in the age of one day (body mass: 1.89 +/- 0.20 kg) to that of on the average 1123 days (b. m: 200 to 265 kg) in 11 age-groups the weight of 12 different tissues as well as their content in Fe, Cu and Zn were analysed. The age dependent changes of the content are described and discussed.

[The fresh weight and the concentration of DNA, RNA and protein in different tissues of swine of different ages]. / Die Frischmasse sowie die Konzentration an DNA, RNA und Protein in verschiedenen Geweben von Schweinen unterschiedlichen Alters.

Female pigs aged between one day (body weight 1.39 +/- 0.20 kg) and 1123 days (b. w. 233 +/- 32 kg) were allotted to 10 groups of various age and analyses of the concentration of DNA, RNA and protein in 9 different tissues were performed. The wet weight: DNA-, the protein: DNA- and the RNA: DNA-ratio were determined. With the exception of the liver the content in DNA, RNA and protein increased to the age of 1123 days. The highest fresh weight: DNA ratio of 2041 was reached on the 1123rd day in the M.longissimus; the smallest (111) existed at this time in the spleen. In the liver the highest content in fresh weight, in DNA and RNA was found on the 180th day. The smallest increases in the content of DNA and RNA in the mentioned period were in the brain, the highest in the spleen, the liver and the M.longissimus dorsi. The values can be used as a basis for studies on the influence of feeding and of diseases (infections) on growth.

[The growth of the skeleton, body mass and muscle fiber diameter of the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) from hatching to the 224th day]. / Zum Wachstum von Skelett, Körpermasse und Muskelfaserdurchmesser der Pute (Meleagris gallopavo) vom Schlupf bis zum 224. Lebenstag.

Growth of body mass, femur, tibiotarsus, and tarsometatarsus length as well as the diameter of muscle fibers in the M. pectoralis were measured in (Large White) female turkeys between birth and day 224. Growth-specific approximations were established with the Janoschek function as modified by Sager (1978) and with the Logistic function. While the Janoschek function fairly described the growth of the turkey, the Logistic function throughout gave beginning values that were too high and theoretical end values that were too low. Of the five growth parameters that were measured, the diameter of the muscle fibers showed its maximal rate of growth first on day 21. The following decrease in growth rate took the following sequence: length of tarsometatarsus, femur, and tibiotarsus, diameter of muscle fibers, body mass. 99% of growth had occurred in the tarsometatarsus length on day 109, femur length on day 117, tibiotarsus length on day 138, diameter of muscle fibers on day 166, and the body mass on day 231. A comparison of this growth with that of other domestic fowl showed close relationships between the way turkeys and chickens grow.

[The capillarization of the M. pectoralis of the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) from hatching to the 280th day of life]. / Die Kapillarisierung des M. pectoralis der Pute (Meleagris gallopavo) vom Schlupf bis zum 280. Lebenstag.

The capillarization of the M. pectoralis was examined in the turkey as it changed with age. Examined was the density of the muscles fibers (per mm2), the density of the capillaries (per mm2) and the quotient muscle fibers/capillaries. In accordance with the sequence of the original data four functions of organismic growth (slightly altered) were utilized for the approximation of the data for descending amounts: Pütter/Bertalanffy (1920, 1934); Richards (1959); Janoschek enlarged after Sager (1980) and Richards enlarged after Sager (1980). The approximations were made via nonlinear regressions, whereby the sum of the error amounts and the sums of the error squares served as criteria of quality. The results including the deduced initial and end amounts are combined in tables which also contain the parameter of the way the computations were conducted.

[Pathological myophosphorylase reaction in malignant hyperthermia]. / Pathologische Myophosphorylasereaktion bei der malignen Hyperthermie.

In malignant hyperthermia, myophosphorylase reaction shows characteristic changes that take place within minutes: (1) a generally strongly weakened reaction; (2) numerous negatively reacting fibres; (3) frequently, fibre sections that show spotty and/or striatal weak or negative reactions and fibre sections with strong striatal reactions with relatively narrow sarcomere spacings (a "sign of hypercontraction"). Obviously, the morphological findings that show characteristic "striated fibres" are typical of the malignant hyperthermia syndrome! It is important to note that the muscular fibres showing such changes are, as a rule, inconspicuous when using other stains and reactions. These pathological myophosphorylase reactions were observed in five deceased patients (one independently of anaesthesia after an extended walk) and in 19 pigs (18 times after halothane testing and once in an experimental animal with clinical evidence of the presence of malignant hyperthermia). These reactions were not noted in pigs with negative halothane reactivity or prior to halothane testing. They were also not seen in a large number of very different healthy and diseased control and reference cases from our biopsy and autopsy material. Myophosphorylase reaction enables convincing demonstration of malignant hyperthermia, past or present. Hence, it is possible to elucidate puzzling deaths or verify apparently clear death occurring during or subsequent to anaesthesia or simply following stress ("human stress syndrome"). Many of these deaths doubtlessly escape the attention of clinicians using the usual morphological examination methods. However, the reaction cannot be used to identify potential victims.

[Development of fiber type composition and fiber diameter in the longissimus muscle of the domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus)]. / Zur Entwicklung von Fasertypenkomposition und Faserdurchmesser im M. longissimus des Hausschweines (Sus scrofa domesticus).

The development of fiber types composition and fiber diameter in porcine longissimus muscle from birth to the age of 5 years was examined by means of cross-sectional study. The fiber types were classified in the following manner: FTG = fast-twitch-glycolytic, FTO = fast-twitch-oxidative and STO = slow-twitch-oxidative. The percentage on the oxidative fibers decrease from 60.8% on the 1st d to 39.1% on the 100th d of life. On the 1800th d only 26.5% oxidative fibers are present. The average diameters of fiber types increase during the whole examination period, especially to the 100th d of life. The initial gradation of fiber diameter FTG = 63 micron, FTO = 62 micron, STO = 56 micron converts during growth into STO = 112 micron, FTO = 108 micron, FTG = 104 micron. A common representation of muscle fiber diameter growth curve and rump length growth curve demonstrates different growth modes of muscle and skeleton.