Reproductive and Economic Evaluation of Sexual Stimulation in Anestrus Period at a Farm Experiencing Neonatal Lamb Losses

Lamb deaths occurring in the neonatal phase, which covers the first four weeks after birth, cause serious economic losses for farms. This study was carried out on 140 Akkaraman-Kangal sheep that lost their lambs due to pneumonia and enteritis in the neonatal phase during the anestrus period. In the study, an intravaginal sponge containing progesterone was applied to the animals in Group 1 (n:70) on day 0, and 7 days after the application, the vaginal sponges were removed, and 263 µg PGF2α and 500 IU eCG (PMSG) hormone were applied. After removing the intravaginal sponge, rams were introduced for 7 days (between the days 8th and 14th ). Without any manipulations to the animals in Group 2, the ram effect was utilized by performing simultaneous ram introduction with Group 1. To determine the reproductive response, the economic implications between the groups were compared by considering the reproductive parameters such as oestrous rate, pregnancy rate, multiple pregnancy rate, embryonic death rate, number of births, number of offspring, and fertility. The study group created a positive economic difference compared to the control group while analyzing the statistical differences in terms of each reproductive parameter between the study and control groups. When lamb losses are experienced in farms that build their profitability on lamb production, it was concluded that pregnancy should be achieved by sexual stimulation without waiting for the breeding season.

Antioxidant capacity, reproductive response and glucose concentration and insulin of ewes supplemented prior to insemination with orange residue

ABSTRACT The objective was to evaluate the antioxidant capacity, glucose and insulin concentration and reproductive performance of ewes supplemented with orange residue prior to insemination. Fifty-five multiparous ewes were divided into two corrals, and 15 unbred ewes were kept individually to measure feed consumption. Two integral diets were administered; T0: control treatment and T1: with 20% of dry matter of orange residue. Ten days after the start of supplementation, the ewes were synchronized. Supplementation was finalized prior to artificial insemination, then, a blood sample was taken to measure the antioxidant capacity and glucose and insulin concentration. An analysis of variance was made to evaluate the effect of treatment on the antioxidant capacity, glucose and insulin; and to analyze the response to estrus, percentage of gestation and prolificity a ji squared test was performed. Of 9 antioxidant compounds found in the orange residue, hesperidin (7.44%), chlorogenic acid (0.50%) and protocatechuic acid had the highest concentration. Feed intake, estrus response, percentage of gestation, antioxidant capacity, and glucose and insulin concentration were not affected by the treatment. It is concluded that inclusion of 20% of orange residue in the diet prior to insemination in ewes is possible.

The timing of spring warming shapes reproductive effort in a warm-water fish: the role of mismatches between hepatic and gonadal processes

Spring-spawning fishes native to northern environments rely on both increasing temperature and lengthening photoperiod to cue reproduction and may thus be particularly sensitive to rapid warming earlier in the year while day lengths remain short. We investigated the reproductive response of pumpkinseed sunfish Lepomis gibbosus to spring warming commencing at a range of day lengths (9 – 15 hours), corresponding to various calendar days (January 10 – May 22). In both the laboratory and field, both male and female fish that experienced early warming while day lengths were <11 hours: 1) failed to initiate reproductive preparation in the liver before gonad development began, and 2) had reduced reproductive allocation. Analysis of published data on temperate fishes suggested that liver development prior to gonad development is widespread across warm-, cool-, and cold-water thermal guilds, though the precise phenology of liver relative to gonad development appears to vary widely among species. Together, our results point toward dampened reproductive preparation as a novel mechanism mediating reduced reproductive output in both warm- and cool-water fish following earlier spring warming.

Efecto de la nutrición focalizada ultra corta con vainas de leguminosas tropicales en la respuesta reproductiva de ovejas de pelo o lana / Effect of ultra-short focused nutrition with tropical legume pods on the reproductive response of sheep with hair or wool

El uso de biotecnologías reproductivas, permiten mejorar la productividad de los ovinos, esto combinado con nutrición focalizada de corta duración con fuentes energéticas o proteicas pueden generar sinergia en los resultados. En las regiones tropicales, el uso de vaina de leguminosas representa una alternativa nutricional en rumiantes. Por lo que, el objetivo de esta investigación fue conocer el efecto de las vainas de dos leguminosas tropicales; Leucaena leucocephala y Guazuma ulmifolia, bajo la hipótesis de que su uso mejora la repuesta reproductiva en ovejas de pelo o lana. El experimento se realizó en el Colegio de Posgraduados, Montecillo, Texcoco, México. Se utilizaron 48 ovejas de pelo y 27 de lana, en libre pastoreo, distribuidas en 4 tratamientos, el T1 y T3 se les ofreció 350 gr de vainas de leguminosas por seis días antes del servicio, todas las ovejas se sincronizaron con progestágeno y prostaglandinas, Las variables no paramétricas se analizaron con el método de curvas de sobrevivencia Log-Rank, utilizando el procedimiento Life Test (SAS, 2011); y la comparación de medias se realizó por el método de Bonferroni (SAS, 2011). El porcentaje de celos no mostro diferencia (P0.05), mientras que horas al celo, porcentaje de gestación y prolificidad mostró diferencia (P0.05) entre tratamientos, en favor de T1 y T3. Se concluye que el uso de vainas de leguminosas en nutrición focalizada ultracorta mejora la respuesta reproductiva de ovejas.

Cold shock induces a terminal investment reproductive response in C. elegans

Challenges from environmental stressors have a profound impact on many life-history traits of an organism, including reproductive strategy. Examples across multiple taxa have demonstrated that maternal reproductive investment resulting from stress can improve offspring survival; a form of matricidal provisioning when death appears imminent is known as terminal investment. Here we report a reproductive response in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans upon exposure to acute cold shock at 2°C, whereby vitellogenic lipid movement from the soma to the germline appears to be massively upregulated at the expense of parental survival. This response is dependent on functional TAX-2;TAX-4 cGMP-gated channels that are part of canonical thermosensory mechanisms in worms and can be prevented in the presence of activated SKN-1/Nrf2, the master stress regulator. Increased maternal provisioning promotes improved embryonic cold shock survival, which is notably suppressed in animals with impaired vitellogenesis. These findings suggest that cold shock in C. elegans triggers terminal investment to promote progeny fitness at the expense of parental survival and may serve as a tractable model for future studies of stress-induced progeny plasticity.

Mating-Induced Trade-Offs upon Egg Production versus Fertilization and Offspring’s Survival in a Sawfly with Facultative Parthenogenesis

Investigation of mating-induced trade-offs between reproduction and survival is conducive to provide evolutionary insights into reproductive strategies and aging. Here, we used RNAseq and bioinformatics to reveal mating-induced changes of genes and pathways related to reproduction and survival in female Cephalcia chuxiongica, a pine defoliator with facultative parthenogenesis and long larval dormancy. Results showed that mating induced substantial downregulation on genes and pathways associated to immunity, stress response, and longevity. However, mating induced divergent reproductive response, with downregulation on genes and pathways related to egg production while upregulation on genes and pathways related to egg fertilization. Considering the nature of limited resources in adults, low fecundity, and egg protection behavior in C. chuxiongica, we suggest that mating triggers trade-offs between reproduction and survival in this insect and females of this species may have evolved specific strategies to adapt to the environmental and hosts’ conditions, e.g., restrict whole fecundity to ensure higher fertilization and offspring’s survival. Moreover, mating induced significant responses on genes and pathways that play important roles in vertebrate reproduction while their function in insects are unclear, such as the progesterone-mediated oocyte maturation pathway; the significant regulation after mating suggests that their function may be evolutionarily conserved in animal kingdom.

Resposta reprodutiva na apresentação de zelagem, fertilidade e prolificidade em ovelhas pelibues, sincronizadas com FGA, P4, PMSG e efeito masculino / Reproductive response on the presentation of zeal, fertility and prolificity in pelibuey sheep, synchronized with FGA, P4, PMSG and male effect

A aplicação do efeito macho (E.M.) como substituto do PMSG em ovelhas tratadas com esponjas vaginais FGA, com o objetivo de induzir e sincronizar o calor das ovelhas sem aumentar excessivamente a prolificidade, reduzindo assim o custo do tratamento. Para tanto, foram utilizadas 60 ovelhas da raça pelibuey, divididas aleatoriamente em três grupos: grupo 1 (Controle): o protocolo foi o clássico, utilizando uma esponja APG vaginal em dose normal (40 mg, Cronogest®, Intervet) durante 11 dias. PMSG (500 IU.IM.) foi injetado 2 dias antes (dia 9) da remoção da esponja. O grupo foi mantido isolado dos machos até o dia do acasalamento dirigido. Grupo 2: apenas ½ esponja FGA (20mg. Cronogest®, Intervet) sem PMSG foi usada. No dia 5 foi injetada progesterona (25mg, IM em solução oleosa) e no dia 8 o "efeito masculino" foi causado. Grupo 3: Com apenas ½ esponja FGA (20mg, Cronogest®, Intervet) também injetando progesterona (25mg, IM em solução oleosa no dia da inserção da esponja) sem PMSG, por 6 dias. Três dias antes (dia 3) da remoção da esponja, o "efeito masculino" foi obtido. Os ovinos dos grupos G1, G2 e G3 não mantinham contato com os machos há 30 dias. Um macho foi usado para detecção de cio e mais dois para acasalamento. O grupo controle foi superior apenas no tempo de apresentação do calor em relação ao G2 e G3 com diferença estatística (p 0,05). Para as variáveis de fertilidade e prolificidade, não houve diferenças significativas (p 0,05) entre os três grupos. Esses resultados demonstram as grandes possibilidades de utilização do efeito macho ao invés do PMSG para sincronização de calor em ovinos.

Pregnancy rate in ewes injected with zinc oxide during an estrus synchronization protocol

Objective: To measure the effect of zin injection, during an estrus synchronization protocol, on pregnancy rate in sheep from the “Valle de Mexicali”.Design/methodology/approach: The experimental units were 157 ewes, which wereallocated in five farms (UP): UP1 (n=19), UP2 (n=27) UP3 (n=20) UP4 (n=71) and UP5(n=21). In each farm, the ewes were randomly assigned to one of three treatments:control, z-100 and z-200. The ewes from control groups were subcutaneously injectedwith 4 mL of olive oil as placebo. The ewes from groups z-100 and z-200 weresubcutaneously injected with 100 and 200 mg of zinc oxide. The response variableswere the preovulatory diameter of the largest follicle and pregnancy rate.Results: The differences between experimental groups on diameter of the largestpreovulatory follicle and pregnancy rates were not significant different (p&gt;0.05). Limitations of the study/implications: The ewe’s reproductive response to zincinjection might be affected by the animal mineral status, it is recommended to carry onsupplementation with base on mineral blood concentrations.Conclusion: The subcutaneous injection with 100 or 200 mg of zinc oxide did not affectthe size of the largest preovulatory follicle and pregnancy rate in ewes.

Reproductive Toxicity of 3,4-dichloroaniline (3,4-DCA) on Javanese Medaka (Oryziasjavanicus, Bleeker 1854)

Compound 3,4-dichloroaniline (3,4-DCA) is a metabolite of several urea herbicides and intermediate chemical of several industrial products. Moreover, 3,4-DCA has been frequently detected in aquatic ecosystems around the world. This aniline is more toxic than the parent chemicals, and it affects non-target organisms. This study evaluated a 21-day reproductive response of an emerging aquatic vertebrate model, Javanese medaka (Oryzias javanicus), exposed to 3,4-DCA. Fecundity and gonads histopathology were observed. The spawning rate and fertilisation reduced significantly in the highest exposed-group (250 µg/L). Gonadosomatic index (GSI) was significantly low in females exposed to 250 µg/L. No substantial structural alteration of male gonads. However, oocyte development and ovarian cell structure were disrupted in 250 µg/L exposed females. The gonadal developmental was not affected in the males; however, a significant reduction in the developmental of female gonads was observed at 250 µg/L. These results show that 3,4-DCA interfere with the reproduction of Javanese medaka through fecundity and alteration of gonadal tissues.

Does Habitat Diversity Modify the Dietary and Reproductive Response to Prey Fluctuations in a Generalist Raptor Predator, the Eurasian Buzzard Buteo buteo?

Predators can modify their diet and demography in response to changes in food availability and habitat quality. I tested the prediction that some species can change their predation pattern, between specialist type and generalist type, depending on the complexity of habitat structure. It was hypothesized that their dietary response is stronger in diversified habitats than in simplified ones, but the opposite tendency occurs in the case of reproductive response. The nestling diet and breeding success of the Eurasian Buzzard Buteo buteo, the abundance of its main prey (the common vole Microtus arvalis), and that of the most important alternative prey group (passerines) were estimated over ten years in two types of agricultural habitat in western Poland, i.e., in the diversified habitat of small fields and the simplified habitat of large fields. The vole abundance was higher in large fields, but the abundance of passerines was greater in small fields. The frequency of voles in the Eurasian Buzzard nestling diet was higher in large fields than in small fields and increased with the abundance of this prey in crop fields. However, no difference in the relationship between the vole frequency in the diet of Eurasian Buzzards and the abundance of voles was found between the two habitat types. The breeding success of Eurasian Buzzards was dependent on the vole abundance, but this relationship did not differ between the two field types. It seems that the pattern of dietary and reproductive response of Eurasian Buzzards depends on the actual availability of individual prey species, which can be modified by habitat quality, rather than on relative prey abundance.