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The complex polysaccharides of Aloe have been reported to improve immunity and oxidative status either in vitro or in vivo studies. Further, β-carotene has been shown to influence immune function and health in the cow. In this study, the effects of VigoorsanTM, a commercial supplement containing Aloe arborescence and β-carotene, on biochemical profile and oxidative/inflammatory status, were evaluatedin pregnant buffalo cows. VigoorsanTM was supplied (50 g/day/head) to pluriparae buffalo cows for 30 days before delivery. A significant increase of BAP and OXY and a decrease of d-ROMs (P

Le piastrine rappresentano gli elementi cellulari fondamentali per il processo di regolazione dell’emostasi. La loro interazione con l’endotelio vasale riveste un ruolo fondamentale sia nella fisiologia che nella fisiopatologia della coagulazione. fisiologicamente, infatti, le piastrine hanno la capacità di aderire alla parete del vaso solo dopo attivazione da parte dell’endotelio vasale. In condizioni patologiche, come quelle causate dalla rottura di una placca aterosclerotica, le piastrine aderiscono all’endotelio, si attivano e reclutano numerose altre piastrine per la formazione del tappo piastrinico. In medicina veterinaria, diversamente dalla medicina umana, la conoscenza dei meccanismi fisiologici specifici alla base di tali processi è piuttosto scarsa. Le piastrine subiscono fenomeni di attivazione, fra i quali è possibile menzionare, lo shape change, l’attivazione del recettore per il fibrinogeno che causa l’aggregazione delle piastrine, il rilascio del contenuto dei granuli e la produzione di trombossano A2 (Gachet C. et al., 1996, Mills D.C.B., 1996). Tali fenomeni sono mediati da modificazioni del calcio intracellulare che origina dal rilascio di calcio dagli store intracellulari e dall’entrata di calcio dal mezzo extracellulare (Rink T.J. et al., 1985, Rink T.J. et al., 1990). D’altro canto però, sono note numerose patologie nel cane, tra cui forme di Leishmaniosi eo Ehrlichiosi, che comportano seria compromissione della funzione coagulativa (Harrus S. et al., 1996; Weiss D.J. et al., 1995). La leishmaniosi, in particolare, è una zoonosi largamente diffusa nelle zone costiere del Mediterraneo caratterizzata da una alterazione della coagulazione spesso asintomatica che si inserisce in un quadro sintomatologico estremamente vario. In precedenti ricerche abbiamo mostrato che, in corso di leishmaniosi, si verifica un danno piastrinico di entità variabile che, peraltro, non trova completa risoluzione con le terapie normalmente utilizzate in corso di tale patologia. I meccanismi attraverso i quali l’aggregazione piastrinica risulta alterata in corso di leishmaniosi non sono ancora chiari. Per tale motivo, l’obiettivo di questo studio è stato quello di valutare le variazioni di calcio nelle piastrine di cani sani ed affetti da leishmaniosi allo scopo di raggiungere una migliore comprensione dei meccanismi responsabili di alterazioni dell’emostasi in corso di tale patologia.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of passive transfer status, determined by measuring serum IgG concentration 24 hours after parturition, on growth performance in buffalo calves fed milk replacer or allowed to nurse the dam during the first month of life. Experiment consisted of 24 healthy buffalo calves from birth to 30 days old. Significant quadratic associations were detected between serum IgG concentration 24 hours after birth and day-30 weight (P < 0.05; R-2 = 0.62) and between serum IgG concentration 24 hours after birth and the mean daily gain from birth to day 30 (P < 0.01; R-2 = 0.74) in buffalo calves allowed to nurse the dam. No significant association was detected between serum IgG concentration 24 hours after birth and measures of growth performance in buffalo calves fed milk replacer. Results indicated that passive transfer status, determined as serum IgG concentration 24 hours after birth, was a significant source of variation in growth performance when buffalo calves nursed the dam. Maximizing passive transfer of immunity by allowing buffalo calves to nurse the dam increased the growth performance during the first month of life.

Calcium sensing receptor (CaSR) and Na+K+ATPase pump expression in gut tracts from newborn buffaloes after colostrum ingestion were evaluated in order to clarify the mechanisms by which gut undergoes to fast and important functional changes during the first period of life.

Basing on the hypothesis that the lower purine derivatives excretion detected in buffaloes respect to bovines may be due to a lower lyses of rumen bacteria, the lysozyme activity in the abomasums of the two species was studied. Six buffalo and six dairy cows fed a standard diet (NDF 43% DM; CP12% DM) for three month before slaughtering were included in the trial. Samples from three areas of abomasum mucosa (fundus, pylorus and cardias) were dissected, washed and stored at -20°C. After 24 h, the samples were homogenised, centrifuged and the supernatants were analysed by using lyophilized Micrococcns luteus and lyophilized lysozyme from egg. The transmittance of the suspensions was analysed by spectrophotometer, repeating the reading each minute for 10 minutes. Lysozyme activity unity was estimated as 1% of transmittance increase/min. No differences were detected between the species. The lysozyme activity was affected by the site of sampling: close to 600 unit/g of mucosa in the samples from fundus, 235 u/g in pylorum and only 7.0 u/g in cardias. In conclusion, the differences in purine excretion between buffalo and bovine should not be ascribed to abomasum lysozyme activity.

Nitric oxide (NO) production and the presence of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the mammary gland of water buffaloes (n=34) was investigated. A local production of NO in the mammary gland during lactation was hypothesized by the presence of high amounts of nitrite plus nitrate (NO 2 - + NO 3 -) in colostrum and milk. The iNOS was the main isoform and was detected in the alveoli epithelial cells. The highest quantities of both NO 2 - + NO 3 - and NOS was detected at the first day of lactation, suggesting an increase of NO production during the synthesis of colostrum. The results suggest that NO is involved in the development of mammary gland and a local NO-generating system may be activated at the onset of lactation.

The aim of this investigation was to evaluate the suitability of flow cytometry for studying platelet function and aggregation in dogs. To that purpose, the platelet antigen P-selectin (CD62P) expression was monitored by flow cytometry and platelet aggregation by a turbidimetric method during an activation process induced by increased adenosine-5’-diphosphate (ADP) doses (2.5, 7.5 and 10 μM). Platelet aggregation was ADP dose-dependent and the flow cytometry analysis revealed a significantly increase of platelet membrane P selectin expression according to time and to ADP doses reaching a threshold around 180-300 seconds for the 2 higher ADP doses (7.5 and 10 μM). In parallel, activated and micro-aggregated platelet populations were enhanced as revealed by morphological criteria. Consequently, the flow cytometry analysis allows detection of the early stages of platelet aggregation in dogs.

A nutritional supplement (Ecotrofin™, by Vetoquinol Italia S.r.l) recommended in ruminants feeding to strengthen the physiological condition and improve digestive performance was tested in 20 pluriparae grazing goats divided in two groups (control and treated) to assess its possible effects on milk yield and quality and to assess eventual adverse effects. Animals from both groups also received 400g/day of corn meal, and the treated group was supplemented with 20g/head/day of the nutritional supplement. At the doses suggested by the manufacturer, despite a transient increase after 30days of supplementation, Ecotrofin™ did not show significant effects on milk yield and, although some changes were found in the fatty acids profile, no significant improvement of MUFA and PUFA, as well as of omega-6:omega-3 ratio and CLA content were seen. Therefore, in our experimental conditions the supplementation of diet with Ecotrofin™ did not appear useful to improve goat's performance. A significant effect on kidney health markers (27 vs. 22.5 for urea and 0.83 vs. 0.76 for creatinine, p&nbsp

Objective—To evaluate the effect of passive transfer status (determined from measurements of serum IgG concentration at 24 hours after parturition [sIgG-24]) on preweaning growth performance in dairy goat kids. Design—Prospective observational study. Animals—20 healthy nursing dairy doe kids in a natural nonintensive breeding environment. Procedures—For each kid, sIgG-24 was measured. Body weight was measured at birth and at the time of weaning 30 days (ie, 29 to 31 days) after birth; average daily gain from birth to day 30 and weight at day 30 were used as measures of preweaning growth performance. Regression analysis was used to evaluate associations between sIgG-24 and measures of preweaning growth performance. Results—Mean ± SD sIgG-24 was 31.7 ± 10.3 mg/mL. Mean body weights at birth and weaning were 4.105 ± 0.981 kg (9.031 ± 2.158 lb) and 9.310 ± 2.554 kg (20.482 ± 5.619 lb), respectively; average daily gain was 0.174 ± 0.072 kg/d (0.383 ± 0.158 lb/d). No significant association was detected between sIgG-24 and birth weight. However, sIgG-24 was significantly associated with average daily gain (R2 = 0.48) and weight at day 30 (R2 = 0.56). Each increase in sIgG-24 of 1 mg/mL was associated with an increase in average daily gain of 0.005 kg/d (0.011 lb/d) and an increase in weight at day 30 of 0.185 kg (0.407 lb). Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Results indicated that passive transfer status (determined as sIgG-24) was a significant source of variation in preweaning growth performance in dairy doe kids reared in this nonintensive breeding environment.

SummaryThe reproductive performances of livestock play an essential role in the economic management of the farm. The improvement of semen quantity and quality through the use of food supplements that lack substances which are forbidden in animal feeding, or that may have detrimental effects, is an important goal. Maca (Lepidium meyenii) is a plant that has been used for centuries in the Andes for nutrition and fertility enhancement in humans and animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of food supplementation of stallions with maca during the breeding season on spermatozoa parameters such as DNA fragmentation and shape, which are two predictive indexes of spermatozoa functionality. For this purpose, ejaculate volume, semen gel-free volume, sperm concentration and motility, total sperm count, sperm DNA fragmentation and sperm head parameters (length, width, perimeter, area, shape factor, roughness) were measured in four stallions. Maca food supplementation in stallions during breeding reduced the percentage of spermatozoa with fragmented DNA, increased significantly sperm concentration and exerted an elongation of the spermatozoa head, a condition that is believed to improve spermatozoa functionality, suggesting that food supplementation of maca could be useful in horse breeding during the breeding season.