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PubMed1983

Motility pattern and lung respiration of embryonic chicks under the influence of L-thyroxine and thiourea.

Pressure changes in the air cell and at the egg shell have been used to monitor respiratory and somatic movements of embryonic chicks. During the prehatching period a phase of reduced activity is observed. Pulmonary respiration is initiated during this phase. Exogenous L-thyroxine exerts an accelerating effect on the hatching process and on the onset of the phase of reduced motility and of lung respiration. In thiourea-treated embryos the opposite effects on the hatching process and on the motility and respiration pattern are registered. When, however, the egg shell above the air cell was sealed with glue, times of hatching and of the beginning of lung respiration were similar to those of controls, although pipping the egg shell occurred earlier than normal. It is suggested that the effects of L-thyroxine and thiourea on the hatching process are caused by a premature or delayed onset, respectively, of pulmonary respiration.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Immersion heat treatments for inactivation of Salmonella enteritidis with intact eggs.

The effects of water-bath immersion heat treatments on the inactivation of Salmonella enteritidis within intact shell eggs were evaluated. Six pooled strains of Salm. enteritidis (ca 3 x 10(8) cfu, inoculated near the centre of the yolk) were completely inactivated within 50-57.5 min at a bath temperature of 58 degrees C and within 65-75 min at 57 degrees C (an 8.4 to 8.5-D process per egg). Following the initial 24 to 35-min come-up period, semilogarithmic survivor curves obtained at 58 and 57 degrees C yielded apparent decimal reduction times (D-values) of 4.5 and 6.0 min, respectively. Haugh unit values increased during heating, while yolk index and albumen pH values were unaffected. Albumen clarity and functionality were affected by the thermal treatments; therefore, extended whip times would be required for meringue preparation using immersion-heated egg whites. Immersion-heated shell eggs could provide Salmonella-free ingredients for the preparation of a variety of minimally-cooked foods of interest to consumers and foodservice operators.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Human bilharzial ureters: IV. Ultrastructural interaction between multinucleate giant cells and the parasite eggs.

The ultrastructural interaction between multinucleate giant cells (MGCs) and the Schistosoma haematobium eggs is described at the transmission electron microscopy (TEM) level, in granulomas of the lower ureteral segments of Saudi patients. The MGCs were found only within the parasite empty egg-shells which were embedded in the ureter submucosa and muscularis. For the first time, two morphologically different types of MGCs were recognized: the moderate to electron-dense type I contained two types of 8-12 nuclei and cytoplasm poor in cell organelles which appeared non-functional. Type 1 MGCs were considered to be "old" and non-active cells. The electron-lucent to moderately dense type II MGCs contained 3-4 nuclei of one type, and cytoplasm rich in cell organelles. According to the performance of their organelles, type II MGCs were considered to be "young" and highly active cells. The human type II MGCs did not form the cytoplasmic membranous labyrinths previously described for the free moving MGCs obtained from experimental mice, and were suggested to be involved in the cell motility. As in murine MGCs, type II cells were incorporated in exocytic and endocytic activities aimed the degradation of the inner soft layer of the egg-shell. This study shows that individual macrophages were responsible for eliminating the outer and possibly the middle hard layers of the egg-shell.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Monitoring urban heavy metal pollution using the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus).

The House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is one of the most successful birds in the urban environment, and has a global distribution. The present study aims to provide baseline data about metals in sparrows from urban environments in the West Bank and to investigate the possibility of using the House Sparrow to monitor metal pollution in urban environments. Concentrations of Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn were measured in different tissues and organs of male and female juvenile (1-4 weeks old) and adult House Sparrows from the West Bank. Tissues and organs had the following order of metal richness: liver > stomach > bone > lung, feathers > muscles > egg contents, brain > heart > egg shell. Significant correlation coefficients were observed for the concentrations of Cu, Pb, and Zn in the egg shell and for the egg contents. Male and female Sparrows showed no significant differences in their metal concentrations. Adult Sparrows collected from rural areas were found to have significantly less Cu, Pb, and Zn (but not Cd) concentrations than those from urban environments. In order to investigate metal accumulation with age, metal concentrations were plotted against age stage (egg, 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-week-old juveniles and adults). Significant relationships were observed between age stage and Cu, Pb, and Zn concentrations. The results provide some evidence for the potential of the House Sparrow as a biomonitor for urban heavy metal pollution. However, further issues regarding metal physiological regulation and the correlations between metals in the environment and those in tissues of the House Sparrows have to be addressed before recommending this bird as a biomonitor for urban metal pollution.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Effect of age and physiological status on sperm storage 24 hours after artificial insemination in broiler breeder hens.

1. Uterovaginal junction (UVJ) tissues were collected 24 h after artificial insemination (AI) from 85- and 125-week-old broiler breeder hens in three physiological states: laying hard shell eggs (HS), laying shell-less eggs (SL) and non-laying (NL). This was confirmed by egg production records and visual appraisal of the oviduct at the time of necropsy. 2. Three longitudinal sections of each UVJ were evaluated microscopically and sperm host glands (SHG) were scored in 5 categories: glandular morphology evident but not lumen present, basophilic stained epithelium and no spermatoza present, glands that contained one to five spermatozoa; glands that contained 6 to 20 spermatozoa and glands that contained more than 20 spermatozoa. 3. Laying hens (HS and SL) at 85 weeks of age had significantly more sperm host glands (SHG) containing spermatozoa than NL hens. At 125 weeks of age HS and SL hens had significantly more unscorable glands. 4. The only category that showed no difference between age and physiological status group was the empty category. No significant differences were observed for any gland category in 82- and 125-week-old NL hens. 5. A greater proportion of the 85-week-old group of HS and SL hens had more SHG containing spermatozoa and fewer unscorable glands that the 125-week-old birds. The only category that showed any difference within the SL group was the low category.

Age Factors↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Effect of ultrasound on the membrane potential and embryonic development of sea urchin eggs].

Eggs of sea urchin Strongylocentrotus intermedius were exposed to continuous wave ultrasonic energy at a frequency of 2 MHz for 3 min. Ultrasonic treatment results in the appearance of monstrous embryos that die at the latest stages of their development. The number of dead embryos sharply grows with the increase in the spatial average intensity from 0.4 W/cm2 up to 1.6 W/cm2, when it comprises 100%. Dramatic decrease from 99% to 17% in the absolute value of transmembrane potential for both fertilized and unfertilized eggs was observed after ultrasonic treatment. These results seem to be caused by the action of stable cavitation. The given estimations show that for ultrasonic intensities more than 0.2 W/cm2 and providing the presence of gaseous bubbles in the vicinity of eggs shell the value of shear stress in an egg shell becomes great enough to cause the cytoplasmic gel fragmentation.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Chinese soft-shelled turtle egg powder lowers serum cholesterol, increases faecal neutral steroids and bile acid excretion, and up-regulates liver cytochrome P450 mRNA level in rats.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Chinese soft-shelled turtle whole egg powder (TE) on cholesterol metabolism in Sprague-Dawley rats to determine whether it has a cholesterol-lowering effect. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a high-fat diet supplemented with TE (0, 0.75, 1.50 or 3.00 g/kg body weight) administrated by gavage for 24 weeks. Serum total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) and faecal total bile acids levels were determined by enzymatic methods. Faecal steroid concentrations were measured by GC. Means and standard deviations were calculated where appropriate for values, and the data were tested by one-way ANOVA. After 24 weeks of feeding a high-fat diet with TE supplementation, serum TC and LDL-C levels, liver cholesterol and liver lipid levels were reduced in rats. TE supplementation did not affect the faecal output, but significantly increased steroid concentrations in faeces, indicating increased steroids excretion. The faecal bile acid excretion was also increased as evidence by elevated mRNA level of liver cytochrome P450, family 7, subfamily A, polypeptide 1. Our results demonstrated that the TE does have a cholesterol-lowering effect by increasing the excretion of total bile acids and neutral steroids.

Animals↗

PubMed1977

Reproductivity of Japanese quail fed mercuric chloride in the absence of vitamin D.

Mercuric chloride (HgCl2) was tested at 16 p.p.m. Hg for vitamin D sparing activity by presenting it dietarily in the presence and absence of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-HCC) to Japanese quail (Coturnix c. japonica) for 25 days. No gross signs characteristic of mercury poisoning were observed, but some predictable effects of vitamin D deficiency on avian reproduction were manifested within 10 days. Rate of lay, egg shell thickness, and hatchability of fertile eggs decreased markedly for birds on vitamin D-deficient diets. Shell-less eggs were laid by these birds after 20 days and laying stopped entirely on the 23rd day. Laying resumed within 5 days after diets were refortified with 25-HCC. There was no detectable interaction between HgCl2 and vitamin D.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Teratogenic activity of Arasan fed to broiler breeder hens.

Tetramethylthiuramdisulfide (TMTD), the active ingredient in Arasan, fed to broiler breeder hens at 10, 20, or 40 ppm depressed egg production, reduced hatchability, and resulted in soft-shelled eggs. The progeny of these hens had anomalies manifested by bilaternal medial deviation of the toes, exophthalmia, and shortened femurs. Broiler breeder hens that consumed a ration containing 80 ppm of TMTD produced only soft-shelled eggs.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗

PubMed1983

The bacterial flora of candling-reject and dead-in-shell turkey eggs.

The incidence of bacterial contamination in turkey eggs which were rejected at candling or were "dead in shell" was about 4%. This incidence was lower than that previously found in chicken eggs. Analysis of the bacterial flora indicated that the proportion of Enterobacteriaceae was higher and the proportion of Micrococcus spp. lower in turkey eggs.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

A study on eggshell pigmentation: biliverdin in blue-shelled chickens.

Biliverdin is an important pigment in the eggshell of chickens and other avian species. Determination of the biosynthesis site for biliverdin is essential for understanding the biochemical process and genetic basis of eggshell pigmentation. Either blood or the shell gland could be the biosynthesis site of eggshell biliverdin. A segregation population with full-sib sisters genotyped Oo and oo, which laid blue-shelled eggs and light brown eggs, respectively, was constructed in a native Chinese chicken breed. Ultraviolet spectrophotometry and HPLC were used to determine the biliverdin concentration in eggshells, blood, bile, excreta, and shell gland of both groups of chickens. Biliverdin content was significantly different between egg shells of blue-shelled and brown-shelled chickens (P < 0.01). Blood and bile were tested 3 to 4 h before oviposition, and excreta was tested randomly. Results showed no significant difference in biliverdin concentration in blood, bile, and excreta between the 2 groups. In the shell gland, the biliverdin contents for the blue-shelled and brown-shelled chickens were 8.25 +/- 2.55 and 1.29 +/- 0.12 nmol/g, respectively, which showed a significant difference (P < 0.01). Our results demonstrated that blood is not the biosynthesis site of the shell biliverdin. Biliverdin is most likely synthesized in the shell gland and then deposited onto the eggshell of chickens.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Outbreaks of egg-drop syndrome-1976 in Japan and its etiological agent.

A condition similar to egg-drop syndrome-1976 (EDS-76) occurred in 14 broiler breeding flocks in 2 farms in Japan from December 1978 to January 1980, and it was diagnosed as EDS-76 by serologic and virological investigations. Egg production fell suddenly when the hens were 30 to 55 weeks of age, and the depression lasted 3 to 7 weeks. Production fell 6 to 25%. Depressed egg production was accompanied by the laying of shell-less, soft-shelled, and thin-shelled eggs associated with loss of egg-shell pigment. Eleven isolates of hemagglutinating adenovirus were isolated from cloacal swabs (10 isolates) and a uterus (1 isolate) of hens in one farm. One isolate, cloned and named JPA-1, had the same antigenicity in serologic tests and the same biological and physicochemical properties as the BC14 strain of EDS-76 virus.

Adenoviridae Infections↗

PubMed1997

A problem with characteristics of the thin albumen in laying hens.

Industry observations indicate that a proportion of shell eggs exhibit an uncharacteristic spreading of the thin albumen when they are broken-out for fast-food preparation. Because the height and characteristics of the thick albumen are unaffected, the eggs are classified as Grade A. Preliminary observations discounted effects of egg storage or contaminated feed. Two experiments were conducted with Leghorn hens over a full laying cycle, and involved different levels of protein (14, 16, 18, or 20%) and associated amino acids, or different degrees of acid-base balance (150, 200, 250, or 300 mEq/kg). In each trial, treatments were represented by eight replicate groups of four adjacently and individually caged birds. Diet treatment had some effects on conventional production parameters, although there were no major effects on the area of the thin albumen produced when eggs were broken out. In Experiment 1, birds fed the highest level of protein produced eggs with the smallest thin albumen area; however, there was considerable bird to bird variation with thin albumen area varying from 69 to 122 cm2. Ten birds with compact (x 69 cm2) and 10 birds with spreading thin albumen (x 112 cm2) were inseminated with semen from a single, unrelated rooster. Offspring from these hens had significantly (P < 0.01) different thin albumen characteristics corresponding to those of their dams. Offspring producing eggs with the spreading thin albumen had the thickest eggshells as assessed by deformation measurement (P < 0.05). It is proposed that the excessively large spreading thin albumen area is caused by eggs spending more time in the shell gland.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗

PubMed2000

A modified method of shell windowing for producing somatic or germline chimeras in fertilized chicken eggs.

Stage X chick blastoderms following oviposition were accessed via a small window in the egg. Windowing, however, substantially reduces the hatchability of eggs containing early embryos. For example, only 32 of 389 (8.2%) eggs hatched after standard windowing with or without irradiation or injection. Ex ovo culture systems can overcome this problem but are labor intensive. A modification of a standard windowing technique has yielded an average hatch rate of 32% for 892 windowed eggs independent of incubator type, gamma-irradiation, or injection of the embryo. This was a fourfold increase over a standard windowing method. Similar hatch rates were observed using fertile eggs from five chicken lines [Barred Plymouth Rock (BR), Athens-Canadian (AC), Line 0, SPAFAS, and commercial White Leghorns (WL)]. The modification involves covering the egg shell membrane with PBS after grinding away the shell and before piercing the membrane. The window is then sealed by overlaying with fresh shell membrane and cementing it in place once it has dried. The method has been used successfully for the production of somatic and germline chimeras because donor BR blastodermal cells injected into Stage X, gamma-irradiated recipient embryos from WL or AC yielded a hatch of 33.7%, of which 42.3% were feather chimeras. Two of 11 cockerels tested were germline mosaics bearing at least 1% BR sperm. The modified windowing technique may be broadly applicable in emerging technologies in avian transgenesis and development.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Morphological characteristics of the shell of the ova of Capillariidae (Nematoda, Capillariidae)].

Peculiarities of the surface architectonics of the egg shell in 18 species of capillariids (Nematoda, Capillariidae) were studied. Capillariids were found in mammals of 5 orders: Insectivora, Chiroptera, Muridae, Carnivora and Arctiodactyla. A correlation between the structure of the external surface of egg shell of these nematodes on one hand, and localization in the organism of the definitive host and its biology on the other, was established. On the basis of these characters capillariids of the genera Capillaria, Eucoleus, Calodium, Liniscus, Thominx and Scrjabinocapillaria were arranged into 6 groups: 1 - the genus Capillaria (luman of the stomach and gut), 2 - the genus Eucoleus (mucous membrane of oesophagus and stomach), 3 - the genus Calodium (parenchima of the liver), 4 - the genus Liniscus (urinary bladder), 5 - the genus Thominx (lungs), 6 - the genera Thominx and Scrjabinocapillaria (lumen of the stomach). The classification suggested makes more precise and supplements the known systems of nematodes of the fam. Capillariidae.

Animals↗

PubMed1979

Effects of different short-term dietary phosphorus levels on egg specific gravity and blood phosphorus of hens.

In the first 2 experiments, laying hens were fed a diet containing .30% phosphorus for a preliminary period of 3 days. At the beginning of the experimental period, hens were fed .30, .75, or 1.40% phosphorus with 3.50% calcium. Another group of hens was fed .75% phosphorus and 1.40% calcium. Specific gravity of the eggs and blood serum inorganic phosphorus were determined and compared with those from control hens continuously fed a diet containing .75% phosphorus and 3.50% calcium. Both high phosphorus and/or low calcium decreased the specific gravity of eggs and increased the serum phosphorus level. In experiment 2, hens were fed different levels of phosphorus at different times of the day. Birds receiving 1.40% phosphorus between 0700 and 0930 hr and .30% phosphorus between 0930 and 2000 hr (Treatment 2) laid eggs with higher specific gravity than hens fed .30% phosphorus between 0700 and 0930 hr and 1.40% phosphorus between 0930 and 2000 hr (Treatment 3). there was no further improvement in egg shell quality over that from hens fed .75% phosphorus for both time periods (0700 to 2000 hr). In both experiments it was apparent that the dietary phosphorus level affected egg shell quality.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

[Medical and biological assessment of a new mineral food supplement].

Egg shell was used for mineral enrichment of ration for animals. Such ration exerts favourable influence on lipid, protein, and mineral metabolism, has hemostimulating and hypoallergic effects. Egg shell was recommended as a source of calcium for enrichment of different foodstuffs.

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗

PubMed2004

Egg consumption patterns and Salmonella risk in Finland.

To estimate the consumer risk of contracting Salmonella infection via shell eggs and to evaluate the effect of possible preventative measures, quantitative microbiological risk assessment is being developed in Finland. As a part of the risk assessment, a survey of 918 respondents was conducted to study how households purchase, store, handle, and use eggs. In addition, suitability of the Internet as a survey method was compared with a postal survey. Shell eggs were usually purchased once every 2 weeks (41% of all the respondents). Ninety-one percent of the respondents bought eggs in groceries and 93% stored eggs at chilled temperatures. The majority of the respondents (80%) only had eggs in their home for which the best-before date had not expired. Only 34% of the respondents said that they always washed their hands after breaking eggs. Consumption of well-cooked eggs accounted for 84%, consumption of soft-boiled eggs for 12%, and consumption of raw eggs for 4% of the total amount of eggs consumed. The elderly used eggs more frequently than the whole population, but the consumption of raw egg dishes decreased with age. The Internet survey was a rapid method for transmitting information, but its response rate was low (9%), and it did not appear to be a suitable tool for data collection in a general population. The results indicate that although the majority of the respondents had safe egg-handling practices, a substantial minority of the consumers had risk-prone behavior.

Adult↗