Identification of Pentatrichomonas hominis in preputial washes of bulls in Brazil.

The parabasalid Pentatrichomonas hominis is generally considered to represent a symbiotic component of the gastrointestinal microbiota in a wide variety of vertebrate hosts including humans. Nevertheless, a limited number of studies have raised the possibility that it may act as a pathogen of humans, dogs, and pigs and that some human infections may have a zoonotic origin. Data from North America revealed an association between P. hominis and the bovine urogenital tract, principally in bulls and rarely in cows. The importance of this observation is linked to possible interference in the accurate diagnosis of the economically important venereal pathogen Tritrichomonas foetus. The current study employed culture-based and molecular methods to examine the preputial cavities of four breeding bulls, raised in open pasture in southeastern Brazil, for the presence of trichomonads. Motile protozoa were isolated from three of the bulls and were definitively identified as P. hominis based on nucleotide sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplicons derived from the ribosomal RNA operon (ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2) of the parasite. The potential implications of these findings for bovine and human health are discussed.

Principal component and cluster analyses of production and fertility traits in Red Sindhi dairy cattle breed in Brazil.

The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship among functional traits (age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI), reproductive efficiency (RE), total milk yield (TMY), and lactation period (LP)) in Red Sindhi breed through multivariate techniques. For this goal, performance data provided by the Brazilian Association of Zebu Breeders related to 560 Red Sindhi dairy cattle from 28 different herds in Brazil, born in the period from 1987 to 2011, were used. Principal component analysis with correlation matrix was used to find the relationship among AFC, CI, RE, TMY, and LP. It was found that for all functional traits, first 3 principal components explained more than 90% of the total variation. Clustering analysis was performed based on Tocher method, and results showed physiological relationships among functional traits. By cluster analysis, twelve different groups were generated from the pool of Sindhi herds analyzed, with a great homogeneity among females for the traits evaluated and only few females generating separate groups. Four hundred and twenty-nine females were clustered in one group, representing 76.60% of the genotypes. Total milk yield (TMY) showed 71.92% of the total variation, and age at first calving (AFC) contributed with 23.06% of the variation, being the two most important traits for the variability of the data set. In conclusion, the multivariate procedures were effective in generating the correlations among the functional traits, showing that CI is correlated with RE and all these functional traits are related with total milk yield.

Comparison of estradiol benzoate and cypionate in Girolando cows submitted to a timed artificial insemination / Comparação do benzoato e do cipionato de estradiol em vacas Girolando submetidas à Inseminação Artificial em Tempo Fixo

The various studies on the manipulation of the estrous cycle culminated in the development of estrous and ovulation synchronization protocols, to the point of defining an optimum moment for artificial insemination. The induction of ovulation is a primordial part for the determination of the moment of the TAI, so to study which hormones and how they behave allows a better understanding of this physiological process and, to manipulate it efficiently. The aim of the present study was to compare the use of estradiol benzoate (EB) and cypionate (ECP) as ovulation inducer in Girolando cows submitted to Timed Artificial Insemination (TAI). Ovulations of 108 Girolando cows were synchronized and the initial day of treatment, recorded as D0, which was when the animals received an intravaginal device containing 1g of progestogen and an intramuscular application (im) of 2mg of EB. After 8 days (D8), the device was removed and 500µg of cloprostenol (im) was administered to all females. Then, the animals were randomly divided into two treatments: BG Group (n = 52) and CG Group (n = 56). The CG animals received 1mg of ECP (im) as the ovulation inducer at the time of device removal, while BG Group cows received 1mg of EB (im) 24 h later (D9). TAI occurred at D10. After device removal, ultrasound evaluations were performed every 12 h up to ovulation. The following reproductive parameters were evaluated: interval from intravaginal device removal to ovulation - IDO (hours); interval from ovulation to TAI-IOT (hours); diameter of the largest follicle at intravaginal device removal (mm); maximum diameter of the DF (mm) at D10; the dominant follicle growth rate (mm/day); synchronization rate - SR (%); ovulation rate - OR (%) and PR - pregnancy rate (%). Only the ovulation rate presented a statistical difference (p<0.05). In conclusion, despite the ovulation rate difference, both estradiol esters administered were effective and presented similar pregnancy rates in Girolando cows submitted to TAI.

Os diversos estudos sobre manipulação do ciclo estral culminaram com o desenvolvimento de protocolos de sincronização do estro e da ovulação, a ponto de se definir um momento ótimo para a inseminação artificial. A indução da ovulação é parte primordial para a determinação do momento da IATF. Dessa forma, estudar quais hormônios e como eles se comportam permite compreender melhor esse processo fisiológico e, ainda, manipulá-lo de forma eficiente. O objetivo do presente estudo foi comparar o uso de benzoato de estradiol (BE) e cipionato (ECP) em vacas Girolando submetidas à inseminação artificial em tempo fixo (IATF). As ovulações de 108 vacas Girolando foram sincronizadas e no início do tratamento, D0, os animais receberam um dispositivo intravaginal contendo 1g de progestágeno e uma aplicação intramuscular (im) de 2mg de BE. No D8, o dispositivo foi removido e 500µg de cloprostenol (im) foram administrados a todas as fêmeas. Depois disso, os animais foram divididos aleatoriamente em dois tratamentos: Grupo GB (n = 52) e Grupo GC (n = 56). Os animais do Grupo GC receberam 1mg de ECP (im) como indutor de ovulação no momento da retirada do dispositivo, enquanto as vacas do Grupo GB receberam 1mg de BE (im) 24 horas depois (D9). IATF ocorreu em D10. Após a remoção do dispositivo, as avaliações ultrassonográficas foram realizadas a cada 12 horas até a ovulação. Os parâmetros reprodutivos avaliados foram: intervalo entre a retirada do dispositivo intravaginal de P4 e a ovulação- IRD (horas); intervalo entre a ovulação e a IATF- IOI (horas); diâmetro do maior folículo na retirada do dispositivo intravaginal de P4 (mm); taxa de crescimento do FD-TCFD (mm/dia); taxa de sincronização - TS (%); taxa de ovulação- TO (%) e taxa de concepção - TC (%). Apenas a taxa de ovulação apresentou diferença estatística (p<0.05). Em conclusão, apesar da diferença na taxa de ovulação, ambos os ésteres de estradiol administrados foram eficazes e apresentaram taxas de prenhez semelhantes em vacas Girolando submetidas a IATF.

Influência do manejo na fisiologia reprodutiva do macho bovino / Influence of management on the reproductive physiology of male bovine / Influencia del manejo en la fisiología reproductiva del bovino macho

O conhecimento da fisiologia do desenvolvimento testicular e ponderal, a precocidade sexual, a capacidade de produção e qualidade espermática, além dos fatores que potencialmente interferem nestes processos, são importantes para predizer a capacidade reprodutiva dos touros. Entre esses fatores, existem alguns que podem influenciar negativamente na fisiologia reprodutiva do touro, e, dessa forma, reduzir a fertilidade desses animais e causar esterilidade, tais como os fatores diretamente relacionados ao manejo e a nutrição. Dessa forma, torna-se de fundamental importância o conhecimento da fisiologia do desenvolvimento testicular e ponderal, e de como alguns fatores, como o manejo e o clima, podem interferir nestes processos. Portanto, o objetivo desta revisão é demonstrar como alguns fatores do ambiente, tais como o manejo e o clima, podem influenciar nessas características, com vistas à produção animal.(AU)

Knowledge of the physiology and weight of the testicular development, sexual precocity, ability and quality of sperm production, and the factors that potentially interfere with these processes are important for predicting the reproductive capacity of bulls. Among these factors, there are some that can negatively influence their reproductive physiology, and thus reduce their fertility, causing sterility, such as factors directly related to the management and nutrition. Thus, it is of fundamental importance to study the physiology of testicular development and weight, and how certain factors, such as management and climate, can interfere with these processes. Therefore, the aim of this review is to show how some environmental factors, such as management and climate, can influence these characteristics, aiming to animal production.(AU)

El conocimiento de la fisiología del desarrollo testicular y ponderal, la precocidad sexual, la capacidad de producción y la calidad del esperma, además de los factores que potencialmente interfieren en estos procesos, son importantes para predecir la capacidad reproductiva de los toros. Entre estos factores, hay algunos que pueden influir negativamente en la fisiología reproductiva del toro, y por lo tanto reducir la fertilidad de esos animales y causar esterilidad, tales como los factores directamente relacionados al manejo y la nutrición. Por lo tanto, es de fundamental importancia el conocimiento de la fisiología del desarrollo testicular y ponderal, y cómo ciertos factores, como el manejo y el clima, pueden interferir en estos procesos. Así, el objetivo de esta revisión es demostrar cómo algunos factores ambientales, tales como manejo y el clima, pueden influenciar en esas características, con miras a la producción animal.(AU)