Reproduction in male Japanese quail exposed to microwave radiation during embryogeny.

Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) embryos were exposed continuously to 2.45 GHz CW microwave radiation during the first 12 days of embryogenesis. The incident power density was 5 mW/cm2, and the specific absorption rate (SAR) was 4.03 mW/g. At 23 weeks of age an assessment of the reproductive capacity of the males was performed. Spermatozoal numbers and motility in semen samples which were collected manually were reduced significantly (P less than or equal to 0.01). However, spermatozoal viability and gross morphological characteristics in the exposed birds were not consistently different from the controls. Relative testicular weights were not altered significantly in the exposed males. Percentage of fertile eggs was significantly reduced when exposed males were mated to sham control females. The percentage of fertile eggs obtained from mating exposed males with sham control females was 72.5%, while the percentage of fertile eggs from mating of sham control males with sham control females was 80.4%. These data indicate that reproductive capacity in male Japanese quail is reduced when the birds are exposed to 2.45 GHz CW microwave radiation during embryogenesis.

Some effects of exposure of the Japanese quail embryo to 2.45-GHz microwave radiation.

Exposure of quail eggs 4 hr per day during the first 5 incubation days at 2450 MHz and in an exposure field of 30 mW/cm-2 and at an absorbed power of 14 mW/g does not cause any great change in body weight, observed gross malformations, rbc, wbc, hematocrit, hemoglobin, or differential wbc percentages. If small differences exist in these parameters due to microwave exposure, they are obscured by the large variability between individual quail. This variability is believed to partially result from changing blood values in the developing young quail, and the 2-day spread in ages at the time of sacrifice could account for some of the variability. The overall hatch percentages for the exposed and control eggs were approximately equal. A slight significant decrease (11%) in hemoglobin was noted in the birds irradiated on Day 2. Additional verification, however, is needed, because the observed change is less than the normal range of values observed in young quail. These data do suggest, however, that exposure of developing Japanese quail embryo to microwave radiation of the frequency and power density level used in this study does not preclude normal systemic development, hematologic differentiation, or the general hardiness of the hatched quail.

Adaptation in families with a member requiring mechanical ventilation at home.

Current health care trends indicate that ventilator-dependent patients increasingly will be discharged to home after shorter hospitalizations. The purpose of this study was to determine how care givers adapt to having ventilator-dependent adults at home. Twenty families were interviewed in their homes by using an eight-question semistructured interview guide. The Roy model was used as a framework to analyze these data. Two instruments, the Family Coping Scale (F-COPES) and the Family APGAR, were administered to measure family coping and function. Patients, aged 18 to 74 years, required 24-hour (n = 9), 12- to 15-hour (n = 5), or 8- to 12-hour (n = 6) home ventilatory support and had neuromuscular or trauma-related diagnoses. Months receiving ventilation ranged from 2 to 312. Care givers, aged 20 to 74 years, were all relatives. Six care givers reported using support services outside their extended family. F-COPES scores fell within national norms whether the patient required 24-hour or less ventilation. Family APGAR results revealed satisfaction with overall family function although scores decreased over time. Interview data indicated that essential knowledge and skills are taught but additional information is desired. Both positive and negative responses to care giving were identified, with the majority of responses being concerned with role mastery, self-concept, and dependency issues. Positive themes in the interviews reflected confidence in ventilator care, satisfaction with the decision to care for their family member at home, and improved quality of life. Negative themes in the interviews reflected the burden of care giving, the dependence of the patient on the care giver, resentment, and hopelessness.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Plasma growth hormone and prolactin response to FK 33-824, a synthetic opioid agonist, in broiler chickens.

A synthetic opioid agonist, FK 33-824 ([D-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Met-(O)5-ol]- enkephalin), was administered intramuscularly at levels of 0, 1, 25, or 625 micrograms/kg of body weight to 4-wk-old Arbor Acres x Arbor Acres broiler cockerels. All levels of FK 33-824 caused the birds to be sedated, with the highest dose causing deep sedation over the 240-min test period. A significant time by treatment interaction was seen for plasma growth hormone (GH). At 30 min after treatment, a significant increase in GH occurred, but this transitory increase returned to control levels at 60 min. A secondary GH peak was observed in the 240-min samples from cockerels given the 625 micrograms/kg dose. Significant treatment and time effects and a time by treatment interaction were seen in the plasma prolactin (PRL) response to FK 33-824. Prolactin was increased at 30 and 60 min after treatment with 1 microgram/kg, whereas higher doses seemed to suppress PRL concentrations. Over the 240-min experimental period, PRL concentrations tended to increase in all treatments except in the treatment with the lowest FK 33-824 dose, but the largest transitory increase was observed at 240 min in the birds given the 625 micrograms/kg dose. These results suggest that FK 33-824 affected GH and PRL secretion in chickens in a manner different from other opioid agonists. This difference was probably due to the ability of FK 33-824 to bind to multiple opiate receptors, with the highest affinity for mu receptors and lesser affinity for delta receptors, whereas other opioids have high affinity for delta receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Intermittent light and growth performance of male turkeys from 2 to 22 weeks of age.

Growth performance of tom turkeys under intermittent lighting was examined. Light treatments were given from 2 to 22 weeks of age and consisted of a control group maintained on 23L:1D and three intermittent lighting regimens: IL:3D repeated 6 times daily, .25L:.75D repeated 24 times daily, and 3L:11D:3L:7D repeated daily. Body weight, feed consumption, feed conversion, mortality, and leg abnormalities were recorded. Body weights of control toms at 18 and 22 weeks of age were significantly smaller than those of each of the intermittent light treatment groups. Weight differences ranged from .7 to 1.3 kg. Body weights among the three intermittent light treatments were similar. Although feed conversions at all five measurement periods were numerically better in all of the intermittent light treatment groups than the control group, differences were not significantly different at and beyond 14 weeks of age. Likewise, no significant differences in mortality or leg disorders occurred among the light treatment groups during the study. The results of this study indicate that tom market turkeys can have a better growth performance, along with a savings in electricity used for lighting, when raised under intermittent lighting rather than under a single, continuous photoperiod of 23 hr/day.

Adrenal function in chickens experiencing mercury toxicity.

Dietary mercury when administered to young chickens via the drinking water depressed growth, increased the rate of mortality and inhibited the normal maturation of the adrenal glands. Additionally, deficiencies of cholesterol and corticosterone were demonstrated in the adrenals. The exogenous administration of 0.5 or 1.5 mg. of corticosterone/100 gm. of body weight alleviated, in part, the toxic effects of mercury as evidenced by a rapid increase in body weight.

Toxicity of dietary lead in Japanese quail.

The toxicity of dietary lead in Japanese quail was investigated. The data indicated that dietary lead, in the form of lead acetate, was toxic to young quail at the level of 500 p.p.m. and this toxicity was evidenced by an inhibition of normal growth and by anemia. The anemic state in the lead toxic quail was more readily detected by reduced blood hemoglobin concentrations than by packed cell volumes. In addition, the data suggested that lead interfered with normal sexual development in the males. Lead at levels as high as 1000 p.p.m. did not prevent normal primary antibody responses to sheep erythrocytes.

Grouping in Japanese quail 2. Suppression of humoral immunity.

Four-week-old Japanese quail were placed in either stable (isolate) or unstable (resident-visitor) groupings in this study. The visitor quail were transferred daily to cages containing unfamiliar residents, and the isolate quail were handled daily. The immune responsiveness to sheep red blood cells (SRBC), as indicated by production of hemagglutinins of the visitors and residents, was significantly less than that of the isolates, and the visitors were found to have less antibody than the residents. In subsequent experiments adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) was used to compare its effect on immune responsiveness to that caused by grouping. The ACTH caused a suppression in humoral immune response, but only 8 IU ACTH/100 g body weight consistently suppressed antibody levels, indicating that the quail immune system is moderately resistant to this hormone. At the end of the experimental periods the bursa of Fabricius, spleen, and adrenal glands were removed. The relative weights of the organs suggested that grouping and ACTH did not induce the classical symptoms of physiological stress. However, stress was not eliminated as a possible cause of the immunosuppressive effects of grouping and ACTH found in this study, because there was significant body weight loss in unstable groupings and in ACTH-treated birds.

Egg production in four generations of paired Japanese quail.

Four generations of Japanese quail were hatched in succession starting with the progeny of an Athens Randombred quail colony. In each generation quail were maintained in cages as male-female pairs. The photoperiod was 16 hr of light per day with feed and water available ad libitum. From 6 to 20 weeks of age mortality, egg production, fertility, hatchability, and progeny livability were improved over previously published reports of reproduction in colony cages. Mortality decreased while age at 50% hen-day production, total number of eggs produced, and hatchability increased from the 1st to the 4th generation. This information may be of interest to researchers and commercial producers of Japanese quail.

3'-Oxolutein, a metabolite of lutein in chickens.

3'-Oxolutein (3-hydroxy-3'-oxo-beta,epsilon-carotene) was isolated using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) from the tissues and egg yolks of chicken fed a diet high in lutein and free of detectable 3'-oxolutein. It was identified by HPLC retention time, absorption spectrum identical to lutein and its esters, disappearance under alkaline conditions without giving rise to lutein, formation of an alkali labile palmitate, formation of a 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone, and reduction to lutein from which the dipalmitate was prepared. In each instance the isolated compound behaved identically with authentic 3'-oxolutein prepared by nickel peroxide oxidation of lutein. The order of ratios of lutein to 3'-oxolutein in the various tissues from laboratory and field birds was, in general, intestinal contents greater than intestinal mucosa greater than serum greater than liver approximately toe web approximately egg yolk greater than bile. This order was consistent with the hypothesis that lutein was oxidized to 3'-oxolutein in the liver, which, at least in part, was excreted via the bile into the intestinal lumen where it was diluted with dietary lutein. The remainder of the 3'-oxolutein formed in the liver presumably went into the serum where it was transported to depot sites. The ratio of lutein to 3'-oxolutein in the toe webs of broilers varied with their diet and pigmentation status. Amounts of 3'-oxolutein were found in quail and turkey egg yolks. This previously unreported lutein oxidative capability of liver extends the previously known metabolic acylation and deacylation reactions in poultry.

Abnormal feathering of chicks caused by scirpenol mycotoxins differing in degree of acetylation.

Graded levels of the Fusarium mycotoxins, scirpentriol (STO), 15-monoacetoxyscirpenol (15-MAS), 4,15-diacetoxyscirpenol (4,15-DAS), and 3,4,15-triacetoxyscirpenol (TAS), were fed to chicks until 3 wk of age. The primary wing feathers, which were scored visually on a scale of 1 to 5 using a newly created scoring scheme, were altered in a dose-related fashion by 15-MAS [minimum effective dose (MED) = .5 microgram/g diet], 4,15-DAS (MED = 2 micrograms/g), and STO (MED = 4 micrograms/g) but not by TAS (MED greater than 8 micrograms/g). The minimum growth inhibitory doses were 2 micrograms/g for STO, 15-MAS, and 4,15-DAS and 8 micrograms/g for TAS. The main alteration of the feathers was a frayed and missing web on the medial side of the distal half of the feather. The shafts of the feathers tended to have an accentuated medial curve. These results imply that the feather alterations associated with corn and feed infested with Fusarium spp. might be caused by trichothecene mycotoxins such as the scirpenols.

Influence of a propionic acid feed additive on performance of turkey poults with experimentally induced poult enteritis and mortality syndrome.

Poult enteritis and mortality syndrome (PEMS) has multiple etiological agents associated with its occurrence, including two viruses and at least three Escherichia coli isolates. Myco Curb (MC) contains organic acids and is used as a feed additive to inhibit growth of many bacteria and toxin-producing molds but not viruses. Studies evaluating the influence of MC on BW, feed conversion, and mortality indicate that turkey poults tolerate MC at 1.25% but not 2.50%, but higher MC content in feed provides greater suppression of growth of bacterial isolates commonly associated with PEMS. In two PEMS experiments, 1.25% MC was blended into poult starter feed and was maintained in the feed for the duration of the 3-wk experiments. In these experiments, 1-d-old commercial poults were placed into battery brooders and were given turkey starter feed and water ad libitum. At 6 d posthatch, PEMS-designated poults were given a 1-mL oral gavage of a 10% suspension of feces from PEMS-infected poults. BW depression due to PEMS was not alleviated by MC, although there was less variation in mean BW of the MC-fed poults, and there was a highly significant reduction in mortality (68% in PEMS-exposed with MC vs. 32.5% in PEMS-exposed without MC). The reduction in mortality in the MC-fed poults was attributed to decreased bacterial content of the gut and to maintenance of packed cell volume and hemoglobin content. It was concluded that MC might be a potential nutritional intervention during PEMS.

Atypical Escherichia coli strains and their association with poult enteritis and mortality syndrome.

To date, no definitive etiology has been described for Poult Enteritis and Mortality Syndrome (PEMS). However, two atypical Escherichia coli colony types are isolated consistently from moribund and dead poults afflicted with PEMS. To test the infectivity of these E. coli strains, poults were placed into floor pens in three isolation treatment rooms: 1) CONTROL: no bacterial challenge, 2) E. coli colony Types 1 or 2 posthatch oral challenge: 10(8) cfu/per poult at 1 d, and 3) E. coli colony Types 1 or 2 posthatch oral challenge: 10(8) cfu/per poult at 6 d. Daily intramuscular injections of cyclophosphamide (100 micrograms per poult) from 1 to 5 d posthatch were given to half of the poults in each treatment. Atypical E. coli challenge caused BW depression, and cyclophosphamide treatment exacerbated the response. All E. coli-challenged poults developed diarrhea similar to PEMS. Mortality was increased by both atypical E. coli colony types, but at 21 d E. coli colony Type 2 caused greater mortality than colony Type 1. With cyclophosphamide treatment, mortality was exacerbated with both colony types, but colony Type 2 at 1 d caused the greatest mortality. Ultrastructural damage to ileum epithelium cell microvilli and subcellular organelles indicated that part of the BW depression could be attributed to malabsorption of nutrients. It was concluded that the atypical E. coli colony Types 1 and 2 play a significant role in the PEMS disease.

Hypothermia, hypoglycemia, and hypothyrosis associated with poult enteritis and mortality syndrome.

A metabolic dysfunction contributes to the poor performance and mortality associated with Poult Enteritis and Mortality Syndrome (PEMS). Within 2 d after contact-exposed poults were removed from the presence of PEMS-infected poults and returned to their respective treatment rooms to infect experimental poults, the experimental poults began to huddle together and show signs of the disease. When separated from the huddle, body temperatures of exposure poults were depressed significantly. Body temperatures decreased progressively through 8 d after exposure with a maximum depression of 2 C and returned to a normal level at 18 d after PEMS exposure. Similar decreasing patterns in serum glucose, inorganic phosphorus, triiodothyronine, and thyroxine were observed, with maximum decreases in these serum constituents being found between 8 and 13 d after PEMS exposure. There were significant correlations among decreasing body temperatures, decreasing serum constituents, and mortality in the PEMS-exposed poults. Daily mortality rates associated with PEMS began at 6 d and peaked at 9 d after PEMS exposure. Mortality rates decreased from 9 to 15 d after experimental PEMS exposure. Depressions in serum constituents, body temperature, and increased mortality rates did not coincide with decreased feed intake associated with PEMS. Therefore, it was concluded that the agent(s) causing PEMS may have a direct effect on energy metabolism in afflicted poults.

Effect of litter moisture and brooding temperature on body weights of turkey poults experiencing poult enteritis and mortality syndrome.

Studies were conducted to determine the influence of the interactions among litter moisture (high [HiM]> or =40% vs low [LoM]< or =20%), brooding temperature (high [HiB] = 38 C vs normal [NrB] = 34 C), and development of poult enteritis and mortality syndrome (PEMS) as indicated by body weights, relative weights of lymphoid organs, and mortality in Control [C] vs Infected [I] groups. There was a significant interaction between litter moisture and brooding temperature that had a significant influence on BW. The brooding temperature main effect was not significant, but there was a significant litter moisture effect on BW. Body weights were suppressed by PEMS infection, but infected poults brooded at HiB on LoM had significantly greater BW than those brooded at NrB and HiB on HiM. Main effects showed that there were significant litter moisture- and brooding temperature-mediated responses for BW. Relative weights of lymphoid organs revealed significant disease main effects but no effect due to brooding temperature and litter moisture. There was a significant effect of disease and brooding temperature with regard to mortality. The results from this study suggest that litter moisture influences productivity and mortality associated with PEMS, but brooding temperature has the greatest influence on PEMS-associated mortality. Therefore, higher brooding temperature for turkey poults being placed into a facility where they may be at risk for PEMS exposure is recommended.

Principles of ex ovo competitive exclusion and in ovo administration of Lactobacillus reuteri.

The data that have been presented indicate that the in ovo use of competitive exclusion (CE) agents is feasible for both chickens and turkeys. However, there are many pitfalls that await the use of in ovo application of CE agents, including the use of nonspecies-specific intestinal microbes and the use of harmful proteolytic, gas-producing and toxin-producing intestinal microbes. Of the potential CE agents that have posthatch application, only Lactobacillus reuteri has been shown to be safe and effective in terms of not affecting hatchability and in having a prolonged effect in the hatched chick or poult. Lactobacillus reuteri administration in ovo increases its rate of intestinal colonization and decreases the colonization of Salmonella and Escherichia coli in both chicks and poults. Additionally, mortality due to in-hatcher exposure to E. coli or Salmonella is reduced with in ovo L. reuteri. Use of antibiotics in ovo may preclude the use of co-administered CE agents, but Gentamicin and L. reuteri are a compatible mixture when administered in ovo in separate compartments. Nevertheless, the intestinal morphology can be affected by both the CE agent and by antibiotics. Lactobacillus reuteri both in ovo and ex ovo will increase villus height and crypt depth, and Gentamicin in ovo causes a shortening and blunting of the villus. Both Gentamicin and L. reuteri in ovo suppress potentially pathogenic enteric microbes, but with diminished antibiotic effects shortening and blunting of the intestinal villi does not correct itself. Goblet cell numbers increase significantly on the ileum villus of chicks treated with Gentamicin in ovo, and this is presumably due to the increase in potentially pathogenic bacteria in the intestinal tract. Diminishing antibiotic effects posthatch would then negatively affect the absorption of nutrients and reduce growth at least in a transitory manner. Thus, L reuteri administration in ovo singly or in combination with Gentamicin followed by L reuteri via drinking water or feed appears to have potential to control many enteric pathogens in poultry. Additional work in the use of in ovo CE cultures is mandated because there is a world-wide movement to reduce antibiotic use in poultry due to increased microbial resistance to antibiotics. Use of naturally occurring intestinal bacterial cultures, either in mixed culture or as single well-defined cultures, has potential for immediate use in the poultry industry.

Leukopenia in neonatal Japanese quail.

Japanese quail were sacrificed at one or two days after hatching. several hematological parameters were measured. A leukopenia occurred in the two-day-old quail. Concomitantly the circulating numbers of lymphocytes were reduced in the older quail. It appears that this functional leukopenia is attributable to reduced numbers of lymphocytes and may represent an heretofore undefined physiological adaptive mechanism which occurs during the early neonatal period.

The effect of light intensity on the growth performance of male turkeys.

The growth performance of tom turkeys maintained in closed and open confinement housing was examined. Treatments were initiated on the day of hatching and consisted of constant light intensity of 1, 11, 110, or 220 lx in an enclosed house or sunlight supplemented with 11 or 220 lx at night in an open-sided house; all treatments received a total of 23 hr of light each day (23L:1D). Body weight, feed conversion, mortality, leg abnormalities, and final testes weight were recorded. Growth performance at marker age was not significantly different among treatments except for a heavier 18-week body weight in the open-confinement group given sunlight only (DL) and, in the closed confinement, a better feed conversion in the 11 lx treatment (C11) than the 1 lx treatment (C1) at 22 weeks of age. There was no apparent relationship between light intensity level and leg abnormalities but 22-week testes weight increased as light intensity increased. It was concluded that within closed confinement a constant light intensity of 1 lx resulted in an inferior growth performance, whereas 11 lx was sufficient to allow a growth performance similar to that obtained with 110 or 220 lx. In open confinement, supplemental artificial light at night of 11 or 220 lx did not result in an improved growth performance from birds on natural daylengths.

The effect of light intensity on turkey poult eye morphology.

In each of two studies the influence of light intensity on the eye morphology of poults was examined. The light intensity treatments were started on the day of hatching and consisted of 1.1, 11, 110, or 220 lx from incandescent bulbs for 23 hr each day. Eye weight, anterior-posterior diameter, and transverse diameter were significantly increased only in the 1.1 lx treatment of both tests. Under the conditions of this test it was concluded that eye morphology of poults can be changed by low light intensity of 1.1 lx but not 11, 110, or 220 lx.

Relationship between duration and intensity of environmental light on the growth performance of male turkeys.

In each of two trials a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments was used to evaluate the growth response of tom turkeys to environmental light. The main experimental light treatment factors were: daylength [23 h light (L):1 h dark (D) vs. 8 h L:16 h D] and light intensity (10.8 lx vs. 108 lx). There were 100 toms in each treatment; all birds were in closed confinement floor pens exposed to artificial light only. Data were collected for growth performance evaluations at 2 to 4-wk intervals to 22 wk of age. No significant daylength x intensity interactions occurred in the study. No consistent effect of daylength or light intensity on body weight occurred. Light intensity had no significant effect on feed conversion but 23 h L:1 h D significantly (P less than or equal to .01) improved feed conversion from that in the 8 h L:16 h D treatment at 18 and 22 wk of age. This occurred in both trials. Neither the daylength nor the light intensity treatment effects differed with regard to livability or to incidence of leg disorders. Testicular development at 22 wk of age of birds in the two intensity treatments was similar but testes were significantly (P less than .01) larger in the 23 h L:1 h D treatment than the 8 h L:16 h D treatment. Percentage of breast yield was not influenced significantly by the daylength or intensity treatments but the amount of abdominal fat was significantly greater in the 8 h L:16 h D group than the 23 h L:1 h D group. From the results of this study it seems clear that daylength can have an important impact on the growth performance of tom turkeys whereas variations in light intensity ranging from 10.8 to 108 lx generally resulted in negligible differences in response.