Male and female cats have different regional body compositions and energy requirements for weight loss and weight maintenance     

Ricardo Souza Vasconcellos  Karina Nogueira Venturelli Gonalves  Naida Cristina Borges  Francisco Jos Albuquerque de Paula  Júlio Carlos Canola  Mrcia de Oliveira Sampaio Gomes  Tnia Zia Miltenburg  Aulus Cavalieri Carciofi 《Journal of animal physiology and animal nutrition》2019,103(5):1546-1555

Body composition and energy requirements are different between males and females in several species, and both interfere with weight loss. The aim of this study was to compare the total and regional body composition and energy requirements in obese male (n = 8) and female (n = 8) cats, during weight loss and weight maintenance over 17 subsequent weeks after regimen. The total and regional (thoracic and pelvic limbs, and trunk) body composition was assessed by dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA). Females exhibited a higher fat mass (FM) than males (p < 0.05), and the trunk was the site with greater fat accumulation regardless of gender. A 23.0 ± 2.8% reduction in body weight was followed by a 50.3 ± 9.4% and a 37.0 ± 8.9% reduction in fat in the trunk region in males and females respectively. Lean mass (LM) mobilization was also increased in the trunk (p < 0.05), and the loss of LM was associated with a reduction in bone mass. The energy intake to achieve the same rate of weight loss was 12.9 ± 3.4% higher in males (p < 0.05). The cats exhibited a gradual increase in energy requirements to maintain their body weight after weight loss (p < 0.05). It was concluded that obese cats mainly accumulate fat in the trunk. The reduction in lean mass after the regimen also occurred in the trunk, with no modifications in the skeletal muscle mass of the limbs. Neutered male cats have higher energy requirements than neutered females, and gender should be considered during obesity management in cats.  相似文献   

Feto‐maternal heart rate ratio in pregnant bitches: effect of gestational age and maternal size          下载免费PDF全文

S Alonge  M Mauri  M Faustini  GC Luvoni 《Reproduction in domestic animals》2016,51(5):688-692

Few information is available on parameters that can be used to objectively assess the foetal health during canine pregnancy. To identify a reliable parameter for the evaluation of foetal well‐being, the effect of pre‐gestational maternal bodyweight and gestational age on foetal heart rate (FHR) and on feto‐maternal heart rate ratio (FHR/MHR) was investigated. Seventeen client‐owned pregnant bitches of different pre‐gestational maternal bodyweight were examined by serial echo colour Doppler. Only data from 11 uncomplicated pregnancies were included in the statistical analysis. The relationship between FHR, and FHR/MHR, and independent variables was analysed by polynomial regression (p ≤ .05). The FHR and the FHR/MHR significantly fitted a multiple quadratic regression for all independent variables. They both increased from 35 to 20 days before parturition and then a decreasing pattern followed. Higher values of both parameters were observed in bitches of lowest and highest bodyweight. Patterns of FHR and FHR/MHR were similar, but the ratio better describes the effect of the independent variables on the data. Thus, the highest significance of FHR/MHR compared to FHR alone encourages the application of this ratio to evaluate foetal well‐being. The equation derived by the regression analysis of FHR/MHR could be applied in clinical practice to obtain its expected values in healthy pregnancies.  相似文献   

Smooth Muscle Cells of the Bovine Cervical Stroma may have a Secretory, rather than a Contractile Function during Parturition     

E van Engelen  VNA Breeveld-Dwarkasing  ME Everts  GC van der Weyden  MAM Taverne  VPMG Rutten 《Reproduction in domestic animals》2009,44(2):303-311

The bovine cervix contains a large amount of smooth muscle cells distributed over an outer muscular layer and within a stromal layer. The stromal layer exhibits no electromyographic (EMG) activity at parturition. This leads to the question whether the stromal smooth muscle cells of the bovine cervix are prepared to contract with parturition, or whether they have another function. To this end, cervical biopsies were repeatedly taken from 10 pregnant cows at day-185 and -275 of gestation, at spontaneous, uncomplicated calving and at 30 days after calving. The smooth muscle bundles of the stroma were immunohistochemically analysed (n = 5) with regard to their integrity and cellular density, and the degree of staining for connexin-43, smooth muscle actin α (SMA), desmin and vimentin. Additionally, the mRNA expression for connexin-43, SMA, desmin and vimentin was determined with RT-PCR (n = 5). The smooth muscle tissue was arranged in bundles, also at parturition. However, the cellular density of these bundles and the SMA mRNA expression were decreased at parturition. Additionally, the SMA staining and connexin-43 expression and staining remained constant during pregnancy and at parturition. This might indicate that stromal smooth muscle cells are not prepared to contract with parturition, in contrast to the myometrial smooth muscle cells. The smooth muscle cells, stained for SMA, also expressed vimentin, and the proportion of co-expression was increased at day-275 of pregnancy. This suggests that the stromal smooth muscle cells predominantly have a secretory function in cows.  相似文献   

Cervical Ripening and Parturition in Cows are Driven by a Cascade of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines     

E van Engelen  MW de Groot  VNA Breeveld-Dwarkasing  ME Everts  GC van der Weyden  MAM Taverne  VPMG Rutten 《Reproduction in domestic animals》2009,44(5):834-841

The final stages of cervical ripening and parturition resemble an inflammatory process. Although the role of cytokines in both spontaneous and experimentally induced parturitions has been described in several small laboratory animals and humans, the involvement of pro‐inflammatory and regulatory cytokines in physiologic parturition in cows has not been determined. In this study, the cytokine expression profiles were assessed in bovine cervical tissue at several stages of pregnancy and at parturition. Serial biopsy samples of the cervix were obtained from 10 cows on day 185 and day 275 of pregnancy (which was on average 5.4 days before parturition) and at parturition. Messenger RNA expression levels of interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐8, IL‐10 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)α were determined using real‐time polymerase chain reaction and the number of neutrophils and eosinophils was estimated by Luna and Sirius Red staining. At parturition, IL‐8 expression had increased 430‐fold (p < 0.001) when compared with that of the day 185 of pregnancy, large numbers of neutrophils had invaded the cervix while eosinophils remained scarce, IL‐1β had increased eightfold (p < 0.05) and IL‐6 had not changed significantly. Additionally, IL‐10 was increased by 10‐fold (p < 0.001) and TNFα decreased by 57% (p < 0.05) when compared with that of the day 185 of pregnancy. The large increase in expression of IL‐8, enabling the influx of neutrophils, is indicative of its important role in the final stage of cervical ripening and at parturition. As previous studies have shown that neutrophils excrete matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), this might contribute to softening of the cervix. In contrast, the only slightly increased levels of IL‐1, steady concentrations of IL‐6 and decreased TNFα, the potential consequences of increased IL‐10 expression, indicate that final cervical of cows in ripening at term parturition is an inflammatory process influenced by regulatory cytokines.  相似文献   

Ovariectomy by left flank approach in prepubertal Nelore (Bos indicus) heifers          下载免费PDF全文

Juliana R. Peiró  Geison M. Nogueira  Guilherme P. Nogueira  Silvia H.V. Perri  Daniel Cardoso 《Canadian journal of veterinary research》2009,73(3):237-240

The main objective of this study was to evaluate a recumbent left flank approach to bilateral ovariectomy in prepubertal heifers and to develop an optimal surgical technique for this procedure. Both ovaries were removed from 6 Nelore heifers by left flank approach without any complications, except in 1 heifer, which was believed to have had only 1 ovary based on ultrasound and exploration during surgery, but was later found to have a remaining functional ovary. Ovariectomy via left flank approach in recumbent prepubertal heifers is feasible and technically easy. This procedure does not involve special instrumentation and, despite the invasive approach, it allows optimal visualization of the ovaries and uterus.  相似文献   

Post-Partum Involution of the Canine Uterus – Gross Anatomical and Histological Features     

DC Orfanou  HN Ververidis  A Pourlis  IA Fragkou  AN Kokoli  CM Boscos  IA Taitzoglou  A Tzora  CM Nerou  L Athanasiou  GC Fthenakis 《Reproduction in domestic animals》2009,44(S2):152-155

We aimed to study the normal puerperium in the bitch. Ovariohysterectomy was performed in nine bitches, each at a different day after normal whelping; their genital tract was subject to gross anatomical examination, as well as to histological examination and electron microscopy scanning. Corpora albicans were evenly distributed in the left and right ovaries and placental sites were evenly distributed among left and right uterine horns. Placental sites were initially of dark green to grey colour, later becoming dark brown; their length and height progressively decreased. Height of the myometrium and diameter of the uterine glands progressively decreased. Trophoblast-like cells were consistently observed at the placental sites and on the surface of the interplacental areas, at all time points where hysterectomy had been performed. It is suggested that involution of the canine genital tract can last up to 3 months and is slow. Continuous (up to D84 post-partum) presence of prominent placental sites should be considered a normal feature of canine uterine post-partum involution.  相似文献   

Environmental risk assessment of a metal-contaminated area in the Tropics. Tier I: screening phase     

Júlia C. Niemeyer  Matilde Moreira-Santos  Marco Antonio Nogueira  Gabriel Machado Carvalho  Rui Ribeiro  Eduardo Mendes Da Silva  José Paulo Sousa 《Journal of Soils and Sediments》2010,10(8):1557-1571

Purpose  

The present study presents data on the screening phase (tier 1) of a site-specific ecological risk assessment in a former smelter area heavily contaminated with metals (Santo Amaro, Bahia, Brazil). Joining information from three lines of evidence (LoE), chemical, ecotoxicological, and ecological, integrated risk values were calculated to rank sites within the area and identify those that may need further investigation in tier 2.  相似文献   

Ocurrence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Philophthalmus gralli</Emphasis> (Trematoda: Philophthalmidae) in farmed ostriches in Brazil     

Guilherme Gomes Verocai  Lauro Nogueira Lopes  Leonardo Burlini  Thaís Ribeiro Correia  Clarissa Pimentel de Souza  Katherina Coumendouros 《Tropical animal health and production》2009,41(7):1241-1242

This paper reports the occurrence of parasitism by the Oriental eye-fluke, Philophthalmus gralli in ostriches reared in a commercial flock from the State of Minas Gerais State, Southeastern Brazil. The two affected birds presented lacrimation, inflammatory reaction and loss of body condition. After physical examination the birds revealed, 17 and 15 trematodes each, only in the right eyes. The economic impact of this parasite on Brazilian ostrich industry is still undetermined, requiring further studies.  相似文献   

In-soil potassium sensor system     

Lemos SG  Nogueira AR  Torre-Neto A  Parra A  Artigas J  Alonso J 《Journal of agricultural and food chemistry》2004,52(19):5810-5815

A potentiometric sensor system based on potassium ion-selective electrodes was developed for agricultural purposes. Sensors were built using PVC ion-selective membranes over an inner solid contact prepared with graphite-epoxy composites. A copper plate was used as a reference electrode. A two-stage electronic circuit composed of current and voltage amplifiers was designed to interface the sensors to a distributed data acquisition system. Three ion-selective sensors and three off-the-shelf temperature sensors and their associated circuits were mounted in a PVC tube to set up a soil probe. The electronic controls were placed in an airtight box fixed at the upper part of the probe. The system was evaluated in the field, where the sensors presented sensibility within the range of 69-71 mV dec(-)(1). Extracts of soil samples were analyzed by a current flame photometry approach, and the results, compared with the probe measurements, showed a linear relationship (r (2) = 0.992 and 0.995, respectively, to 5 and 20 cm depths), which implies viability and instrumentation reliability for agricultural applications.  相似文献   

Growth and nutritional disorders of coffee cultivated in nutrient solutions with suppressed macronutrients     

Rilner Alves Flores  Bernardo Melo Montes Nogueira Borges  Hilário Júnior Almeida  Renato De Mello Prado 《Journal of plant nutrition》2016,39(11):1578-1588

The objective was to evaluate the effect of omitting macronutrients in the nutrients solution on growth characteristics and nutritional status of coffee. The treatments were complete nutrients solutions and solutions with nutrient omission: N (nitrogen), P (phosphorus), K (potassium), Ca (calcium), Mg (magnesium) and S (sulfur). The experiment was carried out under greenhouse conditions with 3 replicates in a completely random design. Plant height, number of leaves per plant, stem diameter, relative chlorophyll index, photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration, carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration, dry matter, content levels of macronutrients in plant aerial part and root system, and nutritional disorders were evaluated. Macronutrients suppression affected nutrients concentration in many plant parts, inducing the appearance of symptoms characteristic of each nutrient. The most limiting nutrients for coffee plants development were nitrogen and calcium, reflected in the lower dry matter accumulation and nitrogen the most required.  相似文献