[Changes of the femoral bone microstructure in the reindeer during the fetal period of ontogenesis].

The diaphysis of the femoral bone was studied morphometrically in 30 reindeer fetuses aged 2-7.5 months. The formation of the diaphyseal cavity of the femoral bone took place from 3 till 7.5 months, rapidly progressing during all the fetal period. The thickness of the periosteum in the epiphysis and the diaphysis of the bone increased from 2 to 6 months inclusive, whereupon it decreased by the time of birth. The cartilaginous tissue in the epiphyses was present from 2 till 7.5 months; its growth was registered up to 3 months in a proximal epiphysis, while it continued till 4 months in a distal epiphysis. Later on, the thinning of the cartilage was noted till the birth. The thickness of spongy substance of bone epiphyses increased with the fetal age. The osteons in the diaphysis of the femoral bone were formed in 2-month-old fetus, their numbers were found to increase with age. The compact substance of the diaphysis of the femoral bone increased in thickness till 5 months, whereupon the process of thinning of tissue till the time of birth, was noted.

Ultrasonography in early pregnancy diagnosis and measurements of fetal size in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus).

Transrectal or transabdominal examinations of 13 pluriparous reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) by ultrasonography from the start of mating until week 20 of gestation were conducted to find out when pregnancy could first be detected and to describe fetal development in early pregnancy. The examinations (n=35 per animal) were performed with a 5 MHz linear transducer from 7th October until 1st January and with a 3 MHz sector transducer from that time until 24th February. Time of pregnancy diagnosis by ultrasonography, the first fetal heartbeat and measurements of crown-rump length, chest width and chest depth were recorded during the examinations. Pregnancy was diagnosed by transrectal ultrasonography between the weeks 3 and 7 of gestation. The accuracy of the pregnancy diagnosis, defined as the proportion of females correctly detected to be pregnant, was 15% at week 3, 46% at week 4, 77% at week 5, and 92% at week 6 of gestation. Fetal heartbeat was first detected between the weeks 5 and 8 of gestation. The first measurements of crown-rump length were made on week 3 of gestation, of chest width on week 4 and of chest depth on week 5 of gestation. Chest width and depth were detectable until the end of the study at week 20 of gestation. Transrectal ultrasonography is an efficient tool in early pregnancy diagnosis of reindeer. The fetal growth curves obtained by ultrasonography resembled those obtained in previous morphological studies.

Localization, cellular morphology and respiratory capacity of "brown" adipose tissue in newborn reindeer.

1. The localization and cellular morphology of adipose tissue was studied by light, fluorescence and electron microscopy in reindeer between 2 weeks pre partum and 4.5 months post partum during calving, and the subsequent growth period. The respiratory capacity of the adipose tissue was examined in terms of morphometric mitochondrial volume and cytochrome-c oxidase or succinate dehydrogenase activity. 2. Adipose tissue was located at specific anatomical sites in the newborn reindeer (from 0 to 2 days of age). The perirenal-abdominal depot was the largest location (32%) followed by the inter(pre)scapular (18%) and sternal (12%) depots. Internal depot dominated over external or peripheral depots (66-34%). The locations of adipose tissue were largely similar in foetal, newborn and young reindeer. 3. The adipose tissue of the newborn reindeer had all the typical cell morphological characteristics of brown adipose tissue: abundant mitochondria, multilocular fat, high vascularization and a dense spot-like sympathetic innervation between the adipocytes. In the young reindeer, however, it resembled white adipose tissue, being almost totally unilocular with few mitochondria. 4. There was a significant correlation between morphometric mitochondrial volume and cytochrome-c oxidase activity (r = 0.848) in the adipose tissue. Mitochondrial volume, cytochrome-c oxidase and succinate dehydrogenase activity were highest after birth and decreased to almost an undetectable level during the first month. A parallel decrease occurred in the amount of brown adipose tissue from birth (1-2%) to the age of about one month (0.3%). 5. It is concluded that the distinct cell morphological features and high respiratory capacity of the adipose tissue indicate the presence of brown adipose tissue at specific anatomical locations in newborn reindeer. A marked progression towards the characteristics of white adipose tissue then takes place at the same locations during the first month. The results suggest the fundamental significance of brown adipose tissue for non-shivering thermogenesis in newborn reindeer.

[Nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio and shape of erythroid cells of the reindeer embryo]. / Iaderno-tsitoplazmaticheskoe otnoshenie i forma éritroidnykh kletok u émbrionov severnogo olenia.

With the beginning of normoblastic erythropoiesis the nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio (NCR) in the erythroid cells increases. From the chromatophilic erythroblasts with NCR from 1.0 and more erythrocytes possessing the concavo-concave form are produced as a result of the nucleus elimination.