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PubMed1976

Effect of dieldrin and calcium on the performance of adult Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica).

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of dieldrin and calcium on reproductive performance of quail. At 25% egg production the quail received diets containing 0,10 or 25 p.p.m. of dieldrin for 6, 28-day periods in experiment 1 and 0, 5, or 25 p.p.m. of dieldrin for 4, 28-day periods in experiment 2. Pesticide treatments were employed with diets containing 0.5% and 3.0% calcium. The results show that egg shell thickness, cracked eggs, egg production, feed consumption, egg weights, fertility, hatchability and body weights were not affected by dieldrin treatments. However, egg shell thickness, cracked eggs, egg production and hatchability were adversely affected by the lower calcium level. Female body weights were consistently heavier for the low calcium diet. Mortality increased in the presence of 10 and especially 25 p.p.m. of dieldrin. Livability of chicks from hens receiving rations with 10 and 25 p.p.m. of dieldrin was significantly lower than those fed no dieldrin. In summary, dieldrin was without effect on egg shell quality or other reproductive factors but did exert a detrimental effect on adult mortality and livability of progeny.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Artificial hormonal replacement cycles have no advantage over hyperstimulated cycles in a gamete intrafallopian transfer oocyte donation program.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if the previously reported increased implantation rates in hormonally replaced egg donation cycles relative to hyperstimulated IVF-ET cycles apply when GIFT is used. The increased implantation rates in the recipients have been attributed to the absence of the negative effects of hyperstimulation on endometrial receptivity. DESIGN: A prospective comparison of implantation rates in hyperstimulated and hormonally replaced cycles when GIFT was used in both the egg donors and their corresponding recipients. PATIENTS: Excess mature oocytes from 35 women undergoing GIFT after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) were transferred into the fallopian tubes of 35 hormonally replaced women. RESULTS: The male partners of all donors and recipients had normal semen parameters. The two groups did not differ significantly in the mean age, duration of infertility, and quality of eggs transferred. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean number of oocytes transferred per cycle between the donors and the recipients. The mean implantation rate per mature oocyte transferred was significantly higher in the donors (19.3%) than in the recipients (6.6%). CONCLUSION: Our results with GIFT show higher implantation rates in hyperstimulated cycles than in hormonally replaced cycles. These results differ from those reported in IVF-ET that suggest an adverse effect of COH on implantation rates.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Effect of DDE, DDT and calcium on the performance of adult Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica).

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of DDE, DDT and calcium on performance of quail. The quail received diets containing 0 or 100 p.p.m. of DDE for eight 28-day periods in Exp. 1 and 0, 100 or 300 p.p.m. of DDE or 100 p.p.m of DDT for six periods in Exp. 2. Diets containing either 0.5 or 3% calcium were used with each pesticide level. No differences in egg shell thickness, cracked eggs, egg production, feed consumption, egg weights, female body weights, fertility or hatchability were obtained from DDE or DDT up to 100 p.p.m. Three hundred p.p.m. of DDE did result in a decrease in female body weights and in fertility on the low calcium diet. Egg shell thickness, cracked eggs, egg production and hatchability were affected by the lower calcium level. Male body weights were adversely affected from 100 p.p.m. or more of DDE. Mortality increased as the level of DDE increased for females, while no effect was observed with DDT. Males appeared more sensitive to 100 p.p.m. of DDE in Exp. 1 and 300 p.p.m of DDE and 100 p.p.m. of DDT in Exp. 2. Livability and growth of chicks from hens receiving rations containing DDE AND DDT were unaffected by maternal treatment. In summary, DDE and DDT were without effect on egg shell quality or most other reproductive factors, but DDE at 300 p.p.m. did exert a detrimental effect on adult body weights, fertility and mortality.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Artificial diets for rearing the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata.

Colorado potato beetles have been reared successfully through 12 generations on artificial diets containing either 2.5% potato leaf powder or 2.5% lettuce leaf powder/0.75% potato leaf powder. For all but one of the treatment groups, the mean duration of each of the four larval stages was between 0.8 and 1.5 days longer than the durations exhibited by control beetles that had been fed on potato leaves. Maximum weights of prepupae, newly emerged adults and day 5-9 adults were approximately 78, 80 and 82%, respectively, of the weights for comparable stages of control beetles. Mean percent mortality for 1(st) instars was two to six times higher for artificial diet-fed CPBs than for leaf-fed beetles. However, since pupal mortality was four times higher for control beetles than for beetles reared on artificial diet, mean percent total mortality (newly hatched through the 9 day old adult) was equivalent for leaf-fed beetles and for later generations of potato and Lettuce+Potato diet-fed CPBs. Hemolymph ecdysteroid levels and fluctuations in mature 4th instar larvae and prepupae were similar in controls and experimental groups. Number of hatchlings produced per adult pair per day (fertility) was approximately eight times greater in control beetles than in later generations of artificial diet-fed beetles, primarily because fewer egg masses were laid per day, percent hatch was lower and cannibalism of eggs was higher in these latter groups. Interestingly, the mean percent hatch, although only 68% of the control value, was 1.5 times greater for beetles reared on diet containing lettuce-leaf powder, and a small percentage of potato leaf powder, than on diet containing only potato leaf powder. Percent hatch was equal for beetles fed on diet containing only lettuce-leaf powder and those fed on potato leaves. Finally, it is noteworthy that the quality of eggs, as judged by the ability of the wasp parasitoid, Edovum puttleri, to parasitize and develop in the eggs, was similar for eggs produced by control beetles and for those produced by beetles fed on potato and Lettuce+Potato diets. The diets and rearing system described here will be useful for providing beetles on a year-round basis for experiments designed to evaluate the effects of potential insect control agents, to investigate the mechanism(s) by which insects become resistant to control agents and for other applied and fundamental studies related to the control of this serious pest. The use of lettuce leaf powder in place of most of the potato leaf powder is especially advantageous because of the much reduced cost and greater availability of lettuce as compared to potato leaves.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1985

Phosphorus phase feeding and uterine and isthmus mucosal enzymes and minerals in relation to soft-shelled and shell-less egg production.

The relationships among phosphorus phase feeding, egg shell quality, and the activities and concentrations of several enzymes and minerals in the uterine and isthmus mucosae of hens at the time of oviposition were investigated. During the first 8 months of production (Phase 1), layer diets contained .3, .5, or .7% available phosphorus. Between 9 and 12 months of production (Phase 2), dietary available phosphorus was either increased or decreased by .2% phosphorus, or was left unchanged. No significant differences due to Phase 1 diets were demonstrated for hard-shelled (HS), soft-shelled (SS), or shell-less (SL) egg production, livability, egg weight, or specific gravity. Phase 2 diets had no significant effect on SS or SL egg production, livability, or egg specific gravity; however, decreasing dietary phosphorus reduced egg weight. Levels as high as .9% had no effect on specific gravity or HS egg production, while .1% dietary phosphorus was detrimental to HS egg production and feed consumption. No significant differences due to dietary available phosphorus or egg type (SS vs. HS) were demonstrated for uterine or isthmus mucosal enzyme activities or mineral contents, with one exception. Higher inorganic phosphorus concentrations were found in the uterus of HS egg layers when compared to levels in the uterus of SS egg layers and the isthmus of HS and SS egg layers. Acid phosphatase and carbonic anhydrase activities, and total calcium levels were significantly higher in the isthmus than the uterus, while alkaline phosphatase and pyrophosphatase activities, and inorganic phosphorus levels were significantly higher in the uterus than the isthmus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMed1998

Gordon Memorial Lecture. A holistic view of poultry science from a reductionist perspective.

1. The success of the poultry industry has been dependent upon development of a precise understanding of poultry biology. 2. The advent of tools and probes that reveal the molecular and cellular organisation of complex physiological systems should be embraced by the poultry industry to gain insights into recurring problems such as egg shell quality and ascites. 3. The ability to modify the genome of chickens provides an opportunity to breed chickens with unprecedented precision. 4. The judicious use of time and resources will require a working knowledge of molecular and cellular biology and the poultry industry. There is an urgent need for educational facilities that provide both perspectives.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Phosphorus requirements of laying hens fed on wheat-based diets.

1. Three experiments were carried out to determine the phosphorus (P) requirements of laying hens aged 34 to 58 weeks (experiment 1), 59 to 70 weeks (experiment 2) and 22 to 50 weeks (experiment 3) given diets containing wheat, sorghum and soyabean meals as the main ingredients. Dietary total P (Pt) varied between 3.2 and 7.3 g/kg (experiment 1), 3.2 and 4.6 g/kg (experiment 2) and 3.0 and 6.6 g/kg (experiment 3). Hens were housed at either 18 degrees or 30 degrees C (experiments 1 and 2) and uncontrolled temperature (experiment 3), and in experiment 2 diets were fed without or with a phytase supplement of 500 units/g. 2. Dietary Pt had no significant effect on production measures in any experiment. Increases in dietary Pt adversely influenced egg shell quality although uterine calcium (Ca), ATPase and carbonic anhydrase activities were unaffected. 3. A 3-d-feeding trial in experiment 1 gave maximum Pt retentions of 228 mg/d at 18 degrees C and 204 mg/d at 30 degrees C. These were obtained with diets containing, respectively, 4.6 and 6.0 g Pt/kg. 4. Plasma inorganic P (Pi) increased consistently with increases in dietary Pt at all temperatures but plasma total Ca, and tibia Ca and P, were unaffected. 5. The inclusion of the phytase supplement in diets containing 3.2 and 4.6 g Pt/kg had an adverse effect on egg production at both temperatures in experiment 2. 6. A dietary Pt concentration of 3.2 g/kg, providing a calculated 1.2 g available P (Pav)/kg, with a dietary phytase activity of less than 200 units/kg, satisfied the P requirements of the hens used in these studies. However, the data from experiment 3 suggest that the Pt requirement of some flocks fed on wheat-based diets may be lower than 3.2 g/kg.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed2005

Japanese quail selected for high plasma corticosterone response deposit high levels of corticosterone in their eggs.

Poor habitat quality or body condition often correlates with high responsiveness of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis rather than with elevated baseline levels of glucocorticoids. We hypothesized that, for egg-laying vertebrates, high responsiveness of the HPA axis would correspond to high concentrations of corticosterone in yolk. We tested the prediction that Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) selected for high plasma corticosterone response to brief immobilization (HS quail) would lay eggs with higher yolk corticosterone concentrations than birds selected for low response (LS quail). Quail from both lines were left undisturbed, outside of the stressors associated with daily management, before a first round of egg collection. In a second experiment, quail of both lines were experimentally stressed during the week before egg collection. In both cases we found quail from the HS line to lay eggs with significantly higher yolk corticosterone concentrations than quail of the LS line. After exposure to added experimental stressors, the line difference was more pronounced (increasing from 62% to 96%). There was no line difference in concentrations of yolk testosterone. Our results suggest that (1) genetic differences underly differences in the transfer of maternal corticosterone to yolk and (2) females may be able to control deposition of corticosterone into yolk through a mechanism independent of baseline corticosterone titers.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Influence of dietary ingredients on calcium utilization in the laying hen.

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the benefit of calcium supplementation with or without other dietary ingredients on egg shell quality. A total of 250 Hyline hens, 44 weeks of age, were randomly divided among five treatments (Experiment 1). The dietary treatments were as follows: Treatment 1, controls (C) were fed a 3.5% calcium diet ad libitum; Treatment 2, hens were fed a .08% calcium diet (LC); Treatment 3, hens were intubated with limestone following 24-hr consumption of .08% calcium diet (LCI); Treatment 4, feed removed for 24 hr (NF); Treatment 5, feed removed for 24 hr and hens then intubated with limestone (NFI). All diets were restored to the control calcium level after 48 hr. Experiment 2 was identical to Experiment 1 except Dekalb XL hens, 50 weeks of age, were used. Eggs were collected daily for 5 days for egg specific gravity, egg weight, and shell weight determinations. Forty hens were sacrificed in Experiment 2 at 48 hr into the experiment to measure calcium distribution in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and feces. Results indicated that hens fed the LCI treatment produced eggs with significantly higher specific gravity and heavier shells than hens given limestone with an empty GI tract. The calcium analysis of the GI tract revealed that much of the calcium supplement did not move beyond the gizzard in hens fed the NFI treatment. It was concluded that hens not only needed other nutrients for maximum utilization of dietary and skeletal calcium, but other nutrients or dry matter may also be needed to facilitate the passage of calcium from the gizzard.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1976

Effect of citrinin, a mycotoxin produced by Penicillium citrinum, on laying hens and young broiler chicks.

Citrinin fed to mature laying hens at levels of 0, 50, and 250 mug/g. of diet for three weeks had no effect on body weight, feed consumption, egg production, egg weight or egg shell quality. A moderate diarrhea occurring about three days after feeding 250 mug. citrinin/g. of diet was observed. However, the diarrhea subsided once the birds were returned to a normal diet. Young broiler chicks were fed a diet containing either 0, 62.5, 125, 250, or 500 mug. citrinin/g. of diet from hatching to three weeks of age. Body weight was decreased by the 500 mug/g. level whereas all levels of citrinin resulted in enlarged kidneys and an improvement in feed conversion when compared to control values. There was also a slight dose-related increase in liver size. The 250 and 500 mug./g. levels resulted in a dose-related increase in water consumption accompanied by an acute diarrhea. Dietary citrinin had no effect on serum protein, glucose, cholesterol, uric acid, calcium, potassium and sodium concentrations or packed cell volume.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed2000

Vegetable proteins: are they nutritionally equivalent to animal protein.

On the basis of the rate of animal growth, proteins have been traditionally classed as high quality, such as egg and milk protein, or low quality such as gluten. In general, vegetable proteins are of low quality but soy protein is an exception. The paper by Capristo et al. in this issue of the journal has shown that enteral formulations consisting of soy protein are as effective nutritionally as enteral formulations containing milk protein.

Dietary Proteins↗
PubMed2006

Energetics of parental care in six syntopic centrarchid fishes.

We studied parental behavior in six syntopically breeding species of centrarchid fishes to determine whether energetic costs could contribute to our understanding of the diversity of parental care. We used a combination of underwater videography, radio telemetry and direct observation to examine how the cost of parental care varied with both its duration and intensity. Duration of parental care, activity patterns, and energetic costs varied widely among species. Overall, the duration of care increased with parental size between species. When energetic costs were adjusted for species-specific differences in the duration of parental care, the cost of parental care also increased with mean size of the species. Species with extended parental care exhibited stage-specific patterns of activity and energy expenditure consistent with parental investment theory, whereas fish with short duration parental care tended to maintain high levels of activity throughout the entire period of parental care. The only apparent exception (a species with brief parental care but stage-specific behavior) was a species with multiple breeding bouts, and thus effectively having protracted parental care. These data suggest that some species with short duration parental care can afford not to adjust parental investment over stages of offspring development. Using our empirical data on parental care duration and costs, we reevaluated the relationship between egg size and quality of parental care. Variation in egg size explained almost all of the observed variation in total energetic cost of parental care, and to a lesser degree, duration-the larger the eggs, the more costly the parental care. This research highlights the value of incorporating energetic information into the study of parental care behavior and testing of ecological theory.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Superovulation and recovery of zygotes from Nubian and Alpine dairy goats.

Thirty-five purebred dairy goats (18 Alpines and 17 Nubians) were subjected to a superovulating hormone program consisting of an 11-d 6alpha-methyl-17alpha-acetoxy-progesterone; (MAP; 60 mg) intravaginal sponge treatment; 125 ug i.m. injections of the prostaglandin F(2alpha) analogue cloprostenol on d 1 and 9 of vaginal sponge treatment; and a 3-d, twice-a-day injection of 2.5 mg of pituitary follicle stimulating hormone (FSH-P) i.m. starting at day 9. Vaginal sponges were pulled the morning of day 11 at the time of the fifth FSH-P injection. Of 40 initiated superovulatory cycles, 33 does (10 Alpines and 23 Nubians) responded with an average of 17.7 (range 1 to 29) ovulations. There was no significant difference between the breeds with respect to corpora lutea (CLs) plus follicles ovarian response. A significantly greater (P< 0.05) number of Nubian does were in estrus and mated by 36 h after MAP sponge removal. All does that responded to treatment had done so within 72 h of sponge removal. Of the seven (17.5%) does that showed no estrous response to hormone treatment, six were Alpines (P < 0.01). Six goats (two Alpines and four Nubians) were subjected to a second hormone treatment cycle after a 45-d rest. Five of six does responded to a second hormone treatment cycle with four of five responding with a lower total ovarian response. The interval from sponge removal to mating did not affect the stage or quality of eggs harvested. Rather, the interval from mating to surgical flushing determined the stage of egg development. All animals examined from 24 to 32 h after initial mating had not ovulated. By 50 h, 20 of 22 does had ovulated. A total of 242 ovulated eggs (63%) was harvested, of which 199 (82%) were fertilized. Day 7 flushings yielded 36 eggs (67%), of which 28 (78%) were fertilized. This rate of superovulation, fertilization, and embryo recovery lends credibility to this technique in its ultimate objective of rapidly increasing the number of offspring from superior animals.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1989

Time of ovulation in the South Australian Merino ewe following synchronization of estrus. 2. Efficacy of GnRH treatment and its relevance to insemination programs utilizing frozen-thawed semen.

In a study of the time of ovulation following synchronization of estrus in the ewe, the effect of time of treatment with GnRH (24 vs 36 h after pessary removal) and dosage (6.25 to 100 ug per ewe) were examined. All treatments synchronized the time of ovulation irrespective of when untreated ewes commenced to ovulate. As part of an evaluation of GnRH treatment in artificial insemination programs, an assessment was made of the quality of eggs obtained from control ewes and ewes treated with GnRH at either 24 or 36 h after pessary removal. Treatment at 24 h increased the number of retarded embryos (P < 0.01) and unfertilized ova (P < 0.01) collected per ewe, reduced the number of embryos collected per ewe (P < 0.01), and reduced (P < 0.05) the percentage of pregnant ewes compared with other groups. However, there were no differences between control ewes and ewes treated with GnRH at 36 h. GnRH treatment at 36 h was consequently examined as a means of improving conception rates following the intrauterine insemination of frozen-thawed semen. Insemination of GnRH-treated ewes 8 to 12 h before the median time of ovulation resulted in a nonsignificant increase (range 5.7 to 7.3%) in the percentage of ewes of mature age which became pregnant. Insemination 0 to 4 h before the median time of ovulation resulted in a nonsignificant decrease in the percentage of pregnant ewes. GnRH treatment did not influence the number of fetuses per ewe. Reasons for the failure of this treatment to significantly improve ewe fertility are discussed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2005

Strong expression of steroid sulfatase in human cumulus cells in patients with endometriosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the localization and expression of steroid sulfatase (STS) in cumulus cells obtained from subjects with and without endometriosis. DESIGN: Case-control study. SETTING: In vitro fertilization program at the Showa University School of Medicine. PATIENT(S): Cumulus cells (142 samples) were obtained from 49 patients for whom IVF was indicated. Some of these samples were taken from cases complicated by endometriosis (35 samples), polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS; 16 samples), or latent hyperprolactinemia (16 samples). INTERVENTION(S): Immunohistochemical staining for STS. Measurement of STS mRNA expression by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Expression of STS mRNA and localization of STS. RESULT(S): Steroid sulfatase was localized in the cytoplasm of the cumulus cells, and expression of STS mRNA was observed. The expression level of STS mRNA from patients with endometriosis was significantly higher (11.8-fold) than that of patients without endometriosis. CONCLUSION(S): These results suggest a local steroidal regulation mechanism in cumulus cells. Although the physiological role of STS in cumulus cells remains unclear, STS may be involved in the quality of eggs in patients with endometriosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Luteal phase serum estradiol and progesterone in in vitro fertilization.

One hundred seventy-five cycles in patients with irreparable tubal disease were stimulated by human menopausal gonadotropin/human chorionic gonadotropin for the purpose of in vitro fertilization. The pregnancy rate was found to be related to the height and pattern of serum estradiol (E2) response in the follicular phase. The mean serum E2 and progesterone (P) during the luteal phase showed no statistically significant difference between the pregnant and nonpregnant patients in the series except after luteal day 11. The mean serum E2 in most of the luteal phase days was highest in the high responders followed by the normal and the low responders. However, the mean P values were similar for the high and normal responders but higher than the low responders on cycle days 18, 20, and 22. The mean serum E2 and P in the luteal phase showed no statistically significant difference among the three most common patterns. This was also true for the pregnant and nonpregnant values in each category of height and pattern of response. We concluded that the success and failure of in vitro fertilization was probably less related to the peripheral E2 and P in the luteal phase than to the number and quality of eggs.

Chorionic Gonadotropin↗
PubMed2001

Determinants of cell and positional fate in ascidian embryos.

Ascidians have played a major role in studies to understand the function of cytoplasmic determinants in animal development. Special qualities, including eggs with colored cytoplasmic regions, an invariant cleavage pattern and cell lineage, embryos with low cell numbers, larvae with typical chordate features and only six different tissues, rapid development, and a small genome, combine to make these animals a unique system for studying cytoplasmic determinants. There is evidence for determinants that specify the cleavage pattern; the differentiation of epidermal, endodermal, and muscle cells; and cell movements associated with gastrulation. The muscle determinants appear to be modified in concert with tail and muscle regression in species that have evolved an anural, or tailless, larva. Several lines of evidence suggest that determinants may be localized maternal mRNAs, which encode transcription factors or signal transduction components responsible for initiating differential gene activity. Different approaches and strategies are being used to isolate and characterize the function of these localized maternal mRNAs.

Animals↗