Australian journal of biological sciences最新文献

{"title":"Influence of nutrition on ovulation rate in the ewe.","authors":"J F Smith","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The effect of nutrition on ovulation rate in the ewe is reviewed with particular reference to the role of protein and energy and the time of effect during the cycle. Ovulation rate is increased by both protein and energy. In the case of protein this was shown to be accompanied by increased plasma levels of FSH and androstenedione at about the time of luteolysis, while levels of LH were unaffected. Increased hepatic oxidative enzyme activity is proposed as a mechanism by which nutrient intake may influence ovulation rate.</p>","PeriodicalId":8573,"journal":{"name":"Australian journal of biological sciences","volume":"41 1","pages":"27-36"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1988-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"14283862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Potential for fecundin to influence the reproductive performance of merino ewes in Western Australia.","authors":"K P Croker,&nbsp;R I Cox,&nbsp;M A Johns,&nbsp;T J Johnson,&nbsp;D Roberts,&nbsp;M Salerian,&nbsp;F Sunderman","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Four experiments were conducted at different locations in Western Australia to evaluate the effectiveness of immunizing young (maiden, 1 1/2 year old) and adult Merino ewes with Fecundin to improve their reproductive performances. The ovulation rates of immunized maiden ewes was increased (0.06-0.30) above that of untreated ewes in both experiments 1 and 2. However, there were no significant improvements in the marking percentages for the immunized ewes with the differences between the untreated and immunized ewes ranging from -16.4 to 5.8%. In comparison with untreated ewes immunization 6 and 2 weeks before the start of joining depressed ewe fertility by 26.1% whereas immunization 8 and 4 weeks before the start of joining did not significantly affect fertility. The availability of oat grain ad libitum prior to parturition and during early lactation did not improve the survival of lambs born to immunized ewes. In experiments 3 and 4 immunization of adult Merino ewes increased their ovulation rates (0.41-0.63) above untreated controls and tended to increase the proportion of pregnant ewes which had multiple pregnancies (from -2.3 to 34.2%). The responses at the end of lambing were variable (from -19.8 to 37.5% lambs marked) with high lamb mortalities occurring in some experiments. There was no adverse effect on the reproductive performances following consecutive annual immunizations over 3 years and the absence of treatment for 1 year did not prevent a response in the following year.</p>","PeriodicalId":8573,"journal":{"name":"Australian journal of biological sciences","volume":"41 1","pages":"47-55"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1988-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"14397531","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cellularity of organs in mature rams of different breeds.","authors":"W F Colebrook,&nbsp;J L Black,&nbsp;G H Brown,&nbsp;J B Donnelly","doi":"10.1071/bi9880201","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/bi9880201","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The relative importance of cell number and cell size in determining the mass of 16 organs and tissues in mature rams of six different breeds was studied through estimation of organ deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) content. The mean fleece-free empty body weight (FFEBW) ranged from 54.6 +/- 0.3 kg for Camden Park Merinos to 76.7 +/- 1.6 kg for Strong Wool Merinos. For all organs, mass increased with FFEBW, but the relationship was significant across all sheep for only eight organs (blood, kidney, liver, abomasum, vastus lateralis muscle, skin, perirenal fat and triceps muscle). There were significant differences between breeds in the mass of 11 organs. With four (heart, rumen reticulum, small intestine and testicular fat) this difference was independent of breed differences in FFEBW, whereas with another four (kidney, abomasum, vastus lateralis muscle and skin), it was closely related to FFEBW. Breed differences in the mass of the remaining three organs (blood, liver and perirenal fat) were partly related to FFEBW and partly breed specific. Blood mass increased with FFEBW across all animals, but, within a breed, it declined as FFEBW increased. The increase in the mass of perirenal fat with FFEBW was significantly greater within a breed than between breeds. Cell number increased significantly with the mass of all organs except blood and brain. There were between-breed differences in the number of cells in seven organs (liver, heart, rumen reticulum, abomasum, small intestine, vastus lateralis muscle and skin), which, except for heart, were attributable to between-breed differences in organ mass. With heart, the increase in cell number with organ mass within a breed was greater than across all breeds. Cell size was significantly related to organ mass only with vastus lateralis muscle, spleen, perirenal fat and liver. The relationship for vastus lateralis muscle and spleen was negative, indicating that cells were smaller in larger organs. There were differences between breeds in cell size for heart, vastus lateralis and triceps muscles. These differences for heart and triceps muscle were breed specific, whereas for vastus lateralis muscle it was attributed to breed differences in organ weight. There was a 30-fold range in mean cell size across organs, with adipose tissue having the largest cells, muscle tissue intermediate and visceral tissues the smallest. In general, organ mass is positively related to FFEBW. Cell number, not cell size, is largely responsible for differences in organ mass between mature sheep of different breeds.</p>","PeriodicalId":8573,"journal":{"name":"Australian journal of biological sciences","volume":"41 2","pages":"201-14"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1988-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"14398723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Potential for fecundin to influence the reproductive performance of merino ewes in Western Australia.","authors":"K. Croker, R. Cox, M. Johns, T. Johnson, D. Roberts, M. Salerian, F. Sunderman","doi":"10.1071/BI9880047","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/BI9880047","url":null,"abstract":"Four experiments were conducted at different locations in Western Australia to evaluate the effectiveness of immunizing young (maiden, 1 1/2 year old) and adult Merino ewes with Fecundin to improve their reproductive performances. The ovulation rates of immunized maiden ewes was increased (0.06-0.30) above that of untreated ewes in both experiments 1 and 2. However, there were no significant improvements in the marking percentages for the immunized ewes with the differences between the untreated and immunized ewes ranging from -16.4 to 5.8%. In comparison with untreated ewes immunization 6 and 2 weeks before the start of joining depressed ewe fertility by 26.1% whereas immunization 8 and 4 weeks before the start of joining did not significantly affect fertility. The availability of oat grain ad libitum prior to parturition and during early lactation did not improve the survival of lambs born to immunized ewes. In experiments 3 and 4 immunization of adult Merino ewes increased their ovulation rates (0.41-0.63) above untreated controls and tended to increase the proportion of pregnant ewes which had multiple pregnancies (from -2.3 to 34.2%). The responses at the end of lambing were variable (from -19.8 to 37.5% lambs marked) with high lamb mortalities occurring in some experiments. There was no adverse effect on the reproductive performances following consecutive annual immunizations over 3 years and the absence of treatment for 1 year did not prevent a response in the following year.","PeriodicalId":8573,"journal":{"name":"Australian journal of biological sciences","volume":"70 1","pages":"47-55"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1988-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77234322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nitrogenase activity in the queensland fruit fly, dacus tryoni","authors":"K. Murphy, Ic Mac Rae, D. Teakle","doi":"10.1071/BI9880447","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/BI9880447","url":null,"abstract":"When 5-day-old laboratory-raised Queensland fruit flies (Dacus tryoni) were fed a dinitrogen-fixing bacterial strain of Klebsiella oxytoca isolated from the crop of a wild fly, acetylene reduction (nitrogenase) activity associated with the flies was detected after 2 to 3 days and persisted for at least 22 days. Flies not fed the dinitrogen-fixing strain were negative for acetylene reduction until 21 days after emergence. Presumably such dinitrogen-fixing bacteria are able to supply some Queensland fruit flies with a small part of their nitrogen requirements, but its importance is unknown.","PeriodicalId":8573,"journal":{"name":"Australian journal of biological sciences","volume":"56 1","pages":"447-452"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1988-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89667485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Current topics in artificial insemination of sheep.","authors":"G. Evans","doi":"10.1071/BI9880103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/BI9880103","url":null,"abstract":"There have been developments in several aspects of artificial insemination (AI) in recent years, some of which have been directly responsible for proliferation of AI in the sheep-breeding industries of several countries. The most notable advances have probably been associated with the development of intrauterine insemination by laparoscopy. There is potential for refinement of some of the related techniques, particularly in the area of control of ovulation and definition of appropriate times and optimum doses of spermatozoa for insemination. It is unlikely that laparoscopic AI will be developed sufficiently that it will become readily affordable, and therefore widely practised, by commercial producers. Unfortunately, there has been little progress in the past few years in improvement of the methods of cryopreservation of ram semen. There is considerable potential for AI to have a significant impact on the genetic improvement of sheep, though this has yet to be evaluated in practice. However, if the full potential of AI in sheep is to be realized, it will likely only happen when methods of freezing semen are improved sufficiently that cervical or even vaginal insemination can be widely used with frozen-thawed semen, or when practicable methods of deep cervical or intrauterine insemination through the cervix are developed.","PeriodicalId":8573,"journal":{"name":"Australian journal of biological sciences","volume":"38 1","pages":"103-16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1988-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78147291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A radioimmunoassay for fluorogestone acetate (FGA) and its application to the measurement of plasma FGA and progesterone in ewes treated with FGA-impregnated intravaginal sponges.","authors":"O. Gaston-Parry, K. Heasman, J. Nemorin, T. J. Robinson","doi":"10.1071/BI9880057","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/BI9880057","url":null,"abstract":"Simultaneous concentrations of endogenous progesterone and exogenous FGA have been measured in ewes treated with FGA-impregnated intravaginal sponges at several times relative to the expected time of release of LH. First, a direct double antibody radioimmunoassay (RIA) for FGA, with good precision, sensitivity and reproducibility, was developed and validated. An oxime derivative was prepared and then conjugated to human serum albumen at the 3-position to produce the antigen. Antibodies raised in New Zealand White rabbits showed little cross-reactivity with related steroids. FGA was estimated in extracted and unextracted plasma; results were indistinguishable. Second, sponges impregnated with 40 mg FGA were inserted into 20 anoestrous crossbred ewes for 12 days; 500 i.u. pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) was injected at withdrawal. Similar sponges were reintroduced into four ewes at each of the intervals 1, 3, 5, and 7 days later; three ewes served as controls. Plasma concentrations of progesterone and FGA were estimated by RIA daily during treatment and at intervals of 2 h for 12 h and at 18 and 24 h after withdrawal. The plasma profiles of FGA during the two successive periods of insertion were remarkably similar. A concentration of 3.0 ng/ml (s.e.m. +/- 0.22) was attained on day 1, falling to 1.5 ng/ml (+/- 0.15) by day 4. Thereafter, the concentration was maintained at 1.1 ng/ml (+/- 0.08). Plasma progesterone concentrations were at basal levels of less than 0.2 ng/ml during the first (acyclic) period of sponge insertion. During the second (cyclic) period there was a marked difference related to the time of sponge insertion. Insertion on day 1 (before LH release) resulted in complete inhibition of luteal activity; insertion on day 3, 5 or 7 was followed by apparently normal luteal function. There was no evidence of any feedback mechanism of exogenous progestagen on endogenous progesterone and no interaction. It is concluded that a 12-day treatment is needed in cyclic ewes for full synchronization and that sponges impregnated with 40 mg FGA will maintain an effective plasma concentration of greater than 1 ng/ml to the end of this period.","PeriodicalId":8573,"journal":{"name":"Australian journal of biological sciences","volume":"19 1","pages":"57-67"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1988-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84049674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Release of Cuticle from Wool by Agitation in Solutions of Detergents","authors":"K. Ley, W. Crewther, G. Flanagan, L. N. Jones, R. Marshall","doi":"10.1071/BI9880163","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/BI9880163","url":null,"abstract":"Scanning and transmission electron microscopy were used to study the progressive disruption of Merino wool during the vigorous agitation of the fibres in aqueous 10J0 (w Iv) solutions of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS). In contrast to the general disruption observed when wool was vigorously agitated in formic acid, the cuticle was slowly stripped from the fibre with virtually no release of cortical material unless prolonged periods of agitation were used. A similar type of disruption took place in aqueous 10J0 (w Iv) solutions of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CETAB) and Triton X-lOO. After the agitation in 10J0 (w/v) SDS solution, the released cuticle fragments and the remaining fibres were examined. Only a minority of the cell portions constituting the cuticle fragments had been cleaved within the endocuticle. Often, the fragments included portions from more than one cuticle cell, with the cell junctions still intact. An understanding of the disruptive process was facilitated by the frequent observation, on residual fibres, of low ridges on exposed underlying cuticle cells. These low ridges corresponded with the distal edges of the originally overlying cuticle cells. Amino-acid analysis and scanning electron microscopy performed on preparations of cuticle obtained in solutions of the above detergents and in formic acid indicated close similarities between all of the cuticle preparations.","PeriodicalId":8573,"journal":{"name":"Australian journal of biological sciences","volume":"9 1","pages":"163-176"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1988-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84727383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of short-term and long-term lithium treatment on uptake and retention of iodine-131 in rat thyroid.","authors":"D Dhawan,&nbsp;R R Sharma,&nbsp;R Sharma,&nbsp;R J Dash","doi":"10.1071/bi9880387","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/bi9880387","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>No significant change occurred in the uptake by the thyroid of male Wistar rats of a standard dose of carrier-free 131I administered intraperitoneally and its retention by the thyroid, as measured by biological and effective half-life, after feeding these rats a powdered pelleted diet containing lithium carbonate (1.1 g per kg of diet) for 7 days. However, continuing this diet for 10 days inhibited thyroid uptake and increased the retention of 131I. Uptake remained suppressed for up to 4 months after lithium treatment and continuing this treatment for 6 months did not result in any significant change in 131I uptake by the thyroid. Lithium treatment for 10 days increased the biological and effective half-life of 131I in the thyroid and this increase continued for the 6 months treatment period. The dose of 131I delivered to the thyroid was significantly lower after 10 days and 1 month of lithium treatment but there was no change in this dose after 2 and 4 months of treatment. However, there was a significant increase after 6 months.</p>","PeriodicalId":8573,"journal":{"name":"Australian journal of biological sciences","volume":"41 3","pages":"387-92"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1988-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"14283378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The occurrence of antibody to bluetongue virus in New South Wales. I. Statewide surveys of cattle and sheep.","authors":"R W Burton,&nbsp;I R Littlejohns","doi":"10.1071/bi9880563","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1071/bi9880563","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Two State-wide surveys were carried out in 1978 to detect bluetongue (BLU) virus antibody in cattle and sheep sera in New South Wales (NSW). The first survey showed that BLU group antibody in cattle 18-24 months old was confined to the coastal regions (east of the Great Dividing Range) and the Hunter Valley. However, in the second survey, of cattle more than 5 years old, reactors were much more widely distributed over the north-eastern third of the State and into the western division with prevalences up to 85% in some areas. In contrast, very few reactors were detected in sheep in either survey (less than 1% of the sheep sera tested). In a retrospective study of stored cattle sera, BLU group reactors were detected in the north-east of the State in each year examined since 1968, the earliest year in which samples were available from that region. Areas to the south and west were free of antibody from 1966 until the summer of 1973, but subsequently reactors were common. Examination of selected area for type-specific antibody indicated that infection of cattle with two of the three Australian BLU serotypes which were known at the time, BLU-1 and BLU-21, had occurred in NSW. No antibody to BLU-20, the original Australian isolate, was detected. A close association was observed between strong group antibody reactions and type-specific neutralizing activity against BLU-1 and BLU-21. Both were largely confined to that area of the State in which a high (75% or more) prevalence of group antibody was recognised in the older animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)</p>","PeriodicalId":8573,"journal":{"name":"Australian journal of biological sciences","volume":"41 4","pages":"563-70"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1988-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"13994345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}