scholarly journals Characterisation of the Behavioural Effects of a Thoracic Squeeze in Healthy Newborn Piglets

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2465
Author(s):  
Sophia E. Holdsworth ◽  
Nikki J. Kells ◽  
Kirsty L. Chidgey ◽  
Emilie Vallée ◽  
Neil Ward ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Initial Study ◽  
Behavioural Response ◽  
Neonatal Piglets ◽  
Newborn Piglets ◽  
Behavioural State ◽  
Healthy Newborn ◽  
Behavioural Effects ◽  
Eye Closure

A thoracic squeeze has been observed to cause both healthy and low vigour neonatal foals to enter a ‘less-responsive state’, characterised by loss of posture, eye closure and cessation of movement, from which they rapidly recover to express normal healthy behaviours when the squeeze is released. To date, there have been no systematic studies characterising the responses of healthy neonates of other mammalian species to a thoracic squeeze. We describe the responses of healthy newborn piglets (n = 17) to a standardised application of the thoracic squeeze and evaluate the effect of the method of squeeze application on the response. Neonatal piglets were squeezed around the chest with either a soft fabric rope as has been used in foals (n = 8) or a novel purpose-made inflation cuff (n = 9). Both methods were effective at inducing a less-responsive behavioural state in all piglets, with neural reflexes reduced or absent in over half of them. The inflation cuff appeared to induce the less-responsive state faster than the rope, and more piglets squeezed with the cuff remained in this state for the full 10-min squeeze. These findings suggest that the behavioural response of foals to thoracic squeezing can be generalised to neonates of other precocial mammalian species. This initial study provides a foundation for further research using the inflation cuff to explore mechanisms underlying the thoracic squeeze and ways in which it may be applied whilst performing husbandry procedures.

scholarly journals Maternal dietary betaine supplementation modifies hepatic expression of cholesterol metabolic genes via epigenetic mechanisms in newborn piglets

2014 ◽  
Vol 112 (9) ◽  
pp. 1459-1468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Demin Cai ◽  
Yimin Jia ◽  
Jingyu Lu ◽  
Mengjie Yuan ◽  
Shiyan Sui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mrna Level ◽  
Cholesterol Content ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽  
Hepatic Cholesterol ◽  
Hepatic Expression ◽  
Neonatal Piglets ◽  
Protein Levels ◽  
Newborn Piglets ◽  
Metabolic Genes ◽  
Betaine Supplementation

To elucidate the effects of maternal dietary betaine supplementation on hepatic expression of cholesterol metabolic genes in newborn piglets and the involved epigenetic mechanisms, we fed gestational sows with control or betaine-supplemented diets (3 g/kg) throughout pregnancy. Neonatal piglets born to betaine-supplemented sows had higher serum methionine concentration and hepatic content of betaine, which was associated with significantly up-regulated hepatic expression of glycine N-methyltransferase. Prenatal betaine exposure increased hepatic cholesterol content and modified the hepatic expression of cholesterol metabolic genes in neonatal piglets. Sterol regulatory element-binding protein 2 was down-regulated at both mRNA and protein levels, while 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase (HMGCR) was down-regulated at the mRNA level, but up-regulated at the protein level, in betaine-exposed piglets. The transcriptional repression of HMGCR was associated with CpG island hypermethylation and higher repressive histone mark H3K27me3 (histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation) on the promoter, whereas increased HMGCR protein content was associated with significantly decreased expression of miR-497. Furthermore, LDL receptor was significantly down-regulated at both mRNA and protein levels in the liver of betaine-exposed piglets, which was associated with promoter CpG hypermethylation. In addition, the expression of cholesterol-27α-hydroxylase (CYP27α1) was up-regulated at both mRNA and protein levels, while the expression of cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase (CYP7α1) was increased at the mRNA level, but unchanged at the protein level associated with increased expression of miR-181. These results indicate that maternal betaine supplementation increases hepatic cholesterol content in neonatal piglets through epigenetic regulations of cholesterol metabolic genes, which involve alterations in DNA and histone methylation and in the expression of microRNA targeting these genes.

scholarly journals Porcine neonates failing vitality score: physio-metabolic profile and latency to the first teat contact

2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (No. 11) ◽  
pp. 499-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.E. Trujillo-Ortega ◽  
D. Mota-Rojas ◽  
JuárezO ◽  
D. Villanueva-García ◽  
P. Roldan-Santiago ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Body Temperature ◽  
Umbilical Cord ◽  
Perinatal Asphyxia ◽  
High Birth Weight ◽  
Neonatal Piglets ◽  
Newborn Piglets ◽  
Vitality Test ◽  
Group 2 ◽  
Blood Glucose Concentrations

The objective of this study was to compare the metabolic and electrolytic profile as well as the morphological appearance of the umbilical cord and newly born piglets&rsquo; weight that failed the vitality test scale compared to those who passed. Newborn piglets were divided into three groups according to the vitality with a modified Apgar score at birth: Group 1, failing with a score &lt; 5 (G<sub>1</sub>: n = 218), Group 2 had a score of 6 to 7 (G<sub>2</sub>: n = 439) and Group 3 had scores &gt; 8 (G<sub>3</sub>: n = 464). Results showed significant differences among groups (P &lt; 0.05) in the physio-metabolic pH, PCO<sub>2</sub>, PO<sub>2</sub>, Na<sup>+</sup>, Ca<sup>2+</sup>, glucose, lactate and bicarbonate values. Regarding weight, temperature and latency to connect the maternal teat, there were also significant differences (P &lt; 0.05) among groups; it took 23.38 min for G<sub>3</sub> while neonatal piglets from G<sub>1</sub> took 30 min longer (P &lt; 0.05) to make the first teat contact. The neonates from the latter group had a higher percentage (75.68%) of broken umbilical cords, with higher birth weight (+200 g, P &lt; 0.05), showed higher than normal blood glucose concentrations, and had lower body temperature at birth (&ndash;0.7&deg;C, P &lt; 0.05) and PO<sub>2</sub> in comparison with the other groups of neonates that passed the vitality score. A novel point of this study is the profile characterization of piglets that failed and passed the vitality score; we expect that the data provided may be applicable as reference values of metabolic and electrolyte blood profiles in newborn piglets according to their vitality. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that low vitality newborn piglets had clearly undergone through perinatal asphyxia. Potential indicators increasing this condition are: high birth weight, low body temperature, vitality score &le; 5, and the presence of the broken umbilical cord at birth.

Effects of tanshinone IIA, a major component of Salvia miltiorrhiza, on platelet aggregation in healthy newborn piglets

2011 ◽  
Vol 137 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiang-Qin Liu ◽  
Tze-Fun Lee ◽  
Margaret Miedzyblocki ◽  
Godfrey C.F. Chan ◽  
David L. Bigam ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Platelet Aggregation ◽  
Salvia Miltiorrhiza ◽  
Tanshinone Iia ◽  
Newborn Piglets ◽  
Healthy Newborn

scholarly journals Passive Transfer of Maternal Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae-Specific Cellular Immunity to Piglets

2008 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 540-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meggan Bandrick ◽  
Maria Pieters ◽  
Carlos Pijoan ◽  
Thomas W. Molitor
Keyword(s):  
Cellular Immunity ◽  
Mycoplasma Hyopneumoniae ◽  
Delayed Type Hypersensitivity ◽  
Functional Abilities ◽  
Blood Lymphocytes ◽  
Neonatal Piglets ◽  
Cellular Immune Responses ◽  
Newborn Piglets ◽  
Cellular Immune

ABSTRACT Immunity in the neonatal animal is primarily maternally derived, either by lymphocytes that pass into the newborn across the placenta or following colostrum ingestion. However, the effect of this passively transferred cellular maternal immunity on the newborn's immune repertoire is not clearly understood. Various studies have shown that colostral lymphocytes are activated and possess functional abilities; however, no studies have shown the transfer of colostral antigen-specific T-cell-specific responses in a newborn. In this study we examined the transfer of vaccine-induced Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae cellular immunity from immune dams to newborn piglets. Newborn piglets from vaccinated and nonvaccinated dams were assessed in two ways for cellular immune responses specific to M. hyopneumoniae: (i) delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) testing and (ii) in vitro lymphocyte proliferation, assayed on piglet blood lymphocytes and sow colostral lymphocytes. DTH responses to M. hyopneumoniae were detected only for offspring of vaccinated sows, whereas DTH responses to the nonspecific mitogen phytohemagglutinin were seen for all piglets. M. hyopneumoniae-specific proliferation was seen for colostral lymphocytes from vaccinated sows and for blood lymphocytes from neonatal piglets of vaccinated dams but not for blood lymphocytes from piglets of nonvaccinated sows. Functional antigen-specific T cells were transferred to offspring from vaccinated sows and participated in the neonatal immune response upon stimulation. These data have implications for defining disease intervention strategies.

scholarly journals Virological Sampling of Inaccessible Wildlife with Drones

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jemma L. Geoghegan ◽  
Vanessa Pirotta ◽  
Erin Harvey ◽  
Alastair Smith ◽  
Jan P. Buchmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virus Disease ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Initial Study ◽  
Exhaled Breath ◽  
Virus Species ◽  
Disease Emergence ◽  
Aerial Vehicle ◽  
Novel Virus ◽  
Winter Annual ◽  
First Time

There is growing interest in characterizing the viromes of diverse mammalian species, particularly in the context of disease emergence. However, little is known about virome diversity in aquatic mammals, in part due to difficulties in sampling. We characterized the virome of the exhaled breath (or blow) of the Eastern Australian humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae). To achieve an unbiased survey of virome diversity a meta-transcriptomic analysis was performed on 19 pooled whale blow samples collected via a purpose-built Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV, or drone) approximately 3km off the coast of Sydney, Australia during the 2017 winter annual northward migration from Antarctica to northern Australia. To our knowledge, this is the first time that UAVs have been used to sample viruses. Despite the relatively small number of animals surveyed in this initial study, we identified six novel virus species from five viral families. This work demonstrates the potential of UAVs in studies of virus disease, diversity, and evolution.

scholarly journals SPIN - Species by Proteome INvestigation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.L. Rüther ◽  
I.M. Husic ◽  
P. Bangsgaard ◽  
K. Murphy Gregersen ◽  
P. Pantmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Iron Age ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Biological Tissues ◽  
Initial Study ◽  
Species Determination ◽  
Food Authentication ◽  
Data Independent Acquisition ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Indispensable Tool

AbstractGenetic species determination has become an indispensable tool in forensics, archaeology, ecology, and food authentication. The available methods are either suited for detecting a single taxon across many samples or for screening a wide range of species across a few samples. Here, we introduce “Species by Proteome INvestigation” (SPIN), a proteomics workflow capable of querying over 150 mammalian species in 7.2 minutes of mass spectrometry (MS) analysis. Streamlined and automated sample preparation by protein aggregation capture, high-speed chromatography and data-independent acquisition, and a confident species inference algorithm facilitate processing hundreds of samples per day. We demonstrate the correct classification of known references, reproducible species identification in degraded Iron-Age material from Scandinavia, and test the limits of our methods with Middle and Upper Palaeolithic bones from Southern European sites with late Neanderthal occupation. While this initial study is focused on modern and archaeological mammalian bone, SPIN will be open and expandable with other biological tissues and taxa.

scholarly journals Hippocampal theta oscillations are modulated by behaviour in the ferret but persist during both locomotion and immobility

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soraya L.S. Dunn ◽  
Stephen M. Town ◽  
Jennifer K. Bizley ◽  
Daniel Bendor
Keyword(s):  
Species Differences ◽  
Spatial Navigation ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Theta Oscillations ◽  
Field Potentials ◽  
Behavioural State ◽  
Hippocampal Activity ◽  
Hippocampal Theta

Theta oscillations are a hallmark of hippocampal activity across mammalian species and play a critical role in many hippocampal models of memory and spatial navigation. To attempt to reconcile the cross-species differences observed in the presence and properties of theta, we recorded hippocampal local field potentials in rats and ferrets during a localisation task designed to vary locomotion and sensory attention. Here we show that theta oscillations occur during locomotion in both the ferret and rat, however during periods of immobility, theta oscillations persisted in the ferret, contrasting starkly with the switch to large irregular activity (LIA) in the rat. Theta during immobility in the ferret was identified as Type 2 theta due to its sensitivity to atropine and was modulated by behavioural state, with the strongest theta observed during reward epochs. These results demonstrate that even under similar behavioural conditions, there is a variable relationship between theta and behavioural state across different species.

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