Veterinary Medicine Commons^™

Effects Of Dietary Change On Viral-Bacterial Interactions In The Rumen Of Cattle, Christopher L. Anderson, Melissa L. Jolly, Adam L. Shreck Shreck, Galen E. Erickson, Terry J. Klopfenstein, Samodha C. Fernando

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

This ongoing study investigates the impact of diet and bacteriophage activity on the structuring of rumen microbial community composition and diversity. Fistulated cattle were acclimated to a given diet for 21 days before samples were collected and subsequently enriched for viral particles with tangential flow filtration. Taxonomic identification, abundance, and functional attributes were assigned to both bacterial and viral communities. Principle coordinate analysis of the bacterial communities revealed significant clustering based on diet. While diet drives the structuring of rumen bacterial communities, bacteriophages may maintain high, constant bacterial diversity.

Effect Of Micro-Aid® Supplementation On Nitrogen Losses From Manure, Andrea K. Watson, Galen E. Erickson, Terry J. Klopfenstein Klopfenstein, Mike J. Rincker

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

A 2x2 factorial designed experiment was used to study the effects of Micro-Aid and time on OM and N losses from manure, in a simulated feedlot pen setting. Manure was collected from cattle on a common diet, except for the addition of 1 g Micro-Aid /steer daily. Losses of OM were greater at 60 d than 30 d, and greater for control than Micro-Aid. Nitrogen losses at d 30 were similar between treatments but control pans had greater N losses at d 60. Feeding Micro-Aid to cattle may inhibit N volatilization from manure, enhancing the fertilizer value of manure.

The Effects Of Diet And Cooler Aging On Consumer Panel Scores For Beef, Kimberly A. Varnold, Chris R. Calkins, Rhonda K. Miller Miller, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Crossbred steers (n = 64) grazed warm- or cool-season grasses, without or with energy supplementation of wet distillers grains with solubles (WDGS), and were finished on a corn-based diet with or without 35% WDGS. Finishing cattle on WDGS, especially after beingsupplemented with WDGS, caused declinesin flavor desirability scores of L. dorsi steaks. Conversely, grass type was more influential in B. femoris steaks with warm-season grasses generating lower consumer panel scores. Scores were not different from each other when supplementation was provided. It is recommended that producers provide WDGS supplementation and finish on an all-corn diet in order to create the …

The Effects Of Diet On The Biochemical Constituents Of Beef, Kimberly A. Varnold, Chris R. Calkins, Brandon L. Nuttelman Nuttelman, Lasika S. Senaratne-Lenagala, Justine J. Stevenson, Michelle E. Semler, Michael D. Chao, Tommi F. Jones, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Crossbred steers (n = 64) were grazed on warm- or cool-season grasses, without or with energy supplementation of wet distillers grains with solubles (WDGS), and were finished on a corn-based diet with or without 35% WDGS. Grass-type was the major contributor in determining the biochemical composition of L. dorsi steaks, with warm-season grasses causing increased concentrations of moisture and zinc and decreased concentrations of magnesium. Aging 28 days instead of 7 days increased pH and caused an increased concentration of carbohydrates, and non-heme and heme iron in B. femoris steaks. Diet, especially grass type, during grazing, can alter the end …

Grass Type, Grazing Supplementation, And Finishing Diets Affect Beef Fatty Acids, Kimberly A. Varnold, Chris R. Calkins, Brandon L. Nuttelman Nuttelman, Lasika S. Senaratne-Lenagala, Tommi F. Jones, Timothy P. Carr, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Crossbred steers (n = 64) were grazed on warm- or cool-season grasses, without or with energy supplementation of wet distillers grains with solubles (WDGS), and were finished on a corn-based diet with or without 35% WDGS. Grass type was the major contributor in determining the fatty acid profile, especially in the neutral lipid layer. Warm-season grasses decreased concentrations of most fatty acids compared to cool-season grasses. The provision of WDGS as an energy supplement while grazing dissipated any differences caused by grass type.

Vein Steak Differences In Strip Loins Of Heifers Due To Mutation Of The Myostatin Gene, Michelle E. Semler, Chris R. Calkins, Galen E. Erickson Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Strip loins from heifers with variations of the myostatin gene; 19 homozygous dominant (Angus), 20 heterozygous dominant (Angus x Piedmontese), and 20 homozygous recessive (Piedmontese) were studied. Strip loins were cut into 1-inch thick steaks and total number of steaks and number of steaks with Gluteusmedius (often called vein steaks) were recorded. Strip loins from heterozygous dominant heifershad a greater number of non-vein steaks and decreased percentage of vein steaks compared to homozygous dominant and homozygous recessive samples. Differences in percentage of vein steaks were inconsistent and showed no meaningful pattern.

Effect Of Feeding Distillers Grains And Supplementing With Dietary Antioxidants On Ground Beef Color During Retail Display, Brandy D. Cleveland, Chad G. Bower, Amy L. Redfield Redfield, Gary A. Sullivan

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Ground beef patties from cattle fed corn-based diets with no wet distillers grains (control), wet distillers grains (WDGS), WDGS + 1000 IU/head/day vitamin E, WDGS + 150 ppm/head/day, Ethoxyquin/TBHQ (Agrado Plus, Novus International, St. Louis, Mo.), or WDGS + 500 IU/head/day vitamin E + 150 ppm/head/day Ethoxyquin/TBHQ during the finishing phase were compared to analyze color stability during retail display. As display time increased, patties from all dietary treatments had greater discoloration and became darker, less red, and more yellow. Therefore, beef patties discolored during retail display, but the rate and degree of discoloration were unaffected by diet or antioxidant …

Effect Of Distillers Grains Plus Solubles Supplementation On Grazing Cattle Performance, Tyler L. Hasenauer, Terry J. Klopfenstein, James C. Macdonald Donald, Cody J. Schneider, Dirk B. Burken

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Yearlings rotationally grazing smooth bromegrass were individually supplemented modified distillers grains plus solubles (MDGS) at .05, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8% BW. Gain increased quadratically as MDGS level increased. Maximal ADG (2.95 lb/d) was predicted when supplementing level of 0.48% of BW. Economic analysis compared 0, 2, and 5 lb (DM) MDGS supplementation. When cattle ownership was retained through the feeding period, MDGS supplementation was profitable. Supplementation at 2 lb (DM) was more profitable than 5 lb (DM) when MDGS is above $265.63/ton (DM) or 85% the price of $7.50 /bu corn.

Effects Of Grazing On Nebraska Sandhills Meadow Forage Nutrient Content, Jared V. Judy, Jacki A. Musgrave, L. Aaron Stalker Stalker, Karla H. Jenkins, Terry J. Klopfenstein

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Nebraska Sandhills subirrigated meadow pastures were utilized to measure the effects of grazing on forage nutrient content in summer pastures. Pre-grazed pastures had greater protein and in vitro dry matter digestibility levelsand lower neutral detergent fiber levels compared with post-grazed pastures early in the grazing season. By late July, post-grazed vs. pre-grazed pastures did not differ in in vitro dry matter digestibility and neutral detergent fiber levels. Observed results indicate the greatest differences in nutrient content between post-grazed and pre-grazed pastures occur early in the grazing season.

North American Lyme Borreliae: New Distributions And An Insight Into Borrelia Bissettii Infection, Immune Response And Transmission In A Murine Model, Brian Francis Leydet Jr

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Lyme borreliosis is an emergent threat to human health. It is estimated that 300,000 cases of Lyme disease are diagnosed annually in the United States. In recent years, non-traditional areas are starting to report more and more cases. While much research has gone into the tick and bacteria responsible for the disease, frequently new Borrelia species are being described and implicated in human illness. These species often go unstudied, and their threat to human health is not known. In the hopes of closing knowledge gaps on Lyme borreliosis in the US, we surveyed a non-endemic state, Louisiana, for Lyme Borrelia …

Light Stimulates The Mouse Adrenal Through A Retinohypothalamic Pathway Independent Of An Effect On The Clock In The Suprachiasmatic Nucleus, Silke Kiessling, Patricia J. Sollars, Gary E. Pickard

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The brain’s master circadian pacemaker resides within the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). SCN clock neurons are entrained to the day/night cycle via the retinohypothalamic tract and the SCN provides temporal information to the central nervous system and to peripheral organs that function as secondary oscillators. The SCN clock-cell network is thought to be the hypothalamic link between the retina and descending autonomic circuits to peripheral organs such as the adrenal gland, thereby entraining those organs to the day/night cycle. However, there are at least three different routes or mechanisms by which retinal signals transmitted to the hypothalamus may be conveyed …

Dens Agenesis And Cervical Vertebral Malformation In A Labrador Retriever Puppy, Elisa Salas, Henry E. Cerny, Seth P. Harris

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

Cervical vertebral malformations can cause acute or progressive pain, paralysis, and potentially death. Herein we present a case report of dens agenesis; cervical vertebral malformations of C1, C2, C6, and C7; subluxation of C1 and C2 and C4 and C5; and associated degenerative myelopathy in a 5-month-old female Labrador Retriever puppy. We additionally review current knowledge regarding pathogenesis and treatment.

Effects Of Infectious Bursal Disease (Ibd) On Shank Length And Diameter, Body Weight And Mortality In Broiler Breeder At Rearing Period, Ahmad Salahi, Mozhdeh Moosanezhad Khabisi, Ali Anissian

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Shank length is used as a tool for the determination of fertility, body weight, estimates of frame size, and the monitoring of growth and development of pullets. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of infectious bursal disease (IBD) on shank length, diameter, body weight, shank length and body weight growth curves, and mortality rate in males and females in the rearing period in broiler breeder flocks. In this study, 2 broiler breeder flocks (Ross 308 flocks) and 800 breeder chicks (both females and males) were selected for shank length and diameter assessments. All the management, nutrition, and …

Growth Traits And Survival Rates Of Akkaraman Lambs In Breeder Flocks In Konya Province, Ahmet Hamdi̇ Aktaş, Beki̇r Ankarali, İbrahi̇m Halici, Uğur Demi̇rci̇, Ali̇ Ati̇k, Ercan Yaylaci

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This trial was carried out to determine the growth traits and survival rates of Akkaraman (‘White Karaman’ in Turkish, WK) lambs in breeder flocks in Konya Province. In this study, the effects of birth year, lamb’s sex, birth type, dam’s age, and farm on the birth weight (BW), weaning weight (WW) at day 75, live weight (LW) at day 120, and average daily weight gain (ADWG) of lambs were investigated. Survival rates of lambs up to weaning were determined based on years. Data were collected from 19,207 lambs born between the years of 2007 and 2010 in 2 different villages …

Ultrasonographic Evaluation Of Massive Abdominal Wall Swellings In Cattle And Buffaloes, Ashwani Kumar, Jitender Mohindroo, Vandana Sangwan, Shashi Kant Mahajan, Kiranjeet Singh, Arun Anand, Narinder Singh Saini

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Eight cows and 7 buffaloes with massive abdominal wall swellings were examined. The aim of the ultrasonographic study was to learn the contents of the abdominal wall swellings. They were divided into 4 groups: Group I (prepubic tendon rupture or hernia), Group II (fibrino-cystic swelling), Group III (abscess), and Group IV (inflammatory swelling). Palpation of the swelling in semidorsal recumbency, needle aspiration, or surgery was used to confirm the diagnosis. In animals of Groups I, II, and III, in the ultrasound, the muscles appeared to separate from the skin at the margin of swelling, thus creating a gap. In this …

Study On The Relationship Between Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms Of The Coccidiosis-Resistance Candidate Zyxin Gene Exon 1 And Carcass Traits In The Jinghai Yellow Chicken, Guojun Dai, Dahui Sun, Mingming Sun, Yuxin Lin, Xiang Wang, Genxi Zhang, Kaizhou Xie, Miaomiao Shi, Olajide Olowofeso, Jinyu Wang

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Previous research revealed that several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of zyxin were significantly associated with coccidiosis-resistance parameters. In this research, the Jinghai yellow chicken was chosen to detect the SNPs of zyxin gene exon 1 by PCR-SSCP and DNA sequencing techniques, and was also used to analyze the effect of zyxin SNPs on carcass traits. A single mutation was found with 3 genotypes, designated as AA, AB, and BB. The results showed that BB was significantly different from AA and AB in terms of abdominal fat weight and slaughter rate for cockerel (P < 0.05), while there was no significant difference between AA and AB (P > 0.05). The heart weight, breast muscle rate, …

The Effects Of Dietary Glutamine Supplementation On Growth Performance And Intestinal Morphology Of Broiler Chickens Reared Under Hot Conditions, Farhad Jazideh, Parviz Farhoomand, Mohsen Daneshyar, Gholamreza Najafi

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Dietary supplementation effects of 0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, and 1% glutamine were investigated on the performance and development of the gastrointestinal tract in broilers reared under hot conditions. No significant differences were observed between the treatments for feed intake and feed conversion ratio during the starter period, grower period, or entire experiment (P > 0.05). During the grower period, only 0.5% glutamine-fed birds had higher body weight gain than others (P < 0.05). For the entire period, body weight gain of 0.5% glutamine-fed birds was greater than that of 0.00% and 0.25% glutamine-fed ones (P < 0.05). Furthermore, 0.5% glutamine-fed birds showed longer villus height than other birds (P < 0.05). In the jejunum, both 0.5% and 1% glutamine consumption caused longer villus height as compared to 0.00% and 0.25% glutamine (P < 0.05). Villus height of 0.25% glutamine-fed birds was higher than that of 0.00% glutamine-fed ones (P < 0.05). None of the ileum morphological parameters were affected by glutamine supplementation (P > 0.05). In conclusion, supplementation of 0.5% glutamine improved the intestinal morphology and body weight gain of broilers under heat stress. Higher dietary glutamine (1%) increased the villus height in the jejunum …

The Effects Of Royal Jelly On Performance And Fatty Acid Profiles Of Different Tissues In Quail (Coturnix Coturnix Japonica) Reared Under High Stocking Density, İsmai̇l Seven, Ülkü Gülci̇han Şi̇mşek, Zehra Gökçe, Pinar Tatli Seven, Aslihan Arslan, Ökkeş Yilmaz

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

To study the effects of royal jelly (RJ) on performance and fatty acid profiles, 168 unsexed 8-day-old quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were assigned to 4 treatment groups. Groups were arranged as follows: control (LSD; 160 cm2/quail and no supplementation), high stocking density (HSD; 80 cm2/quail and no supplementation), HSD-RJ 250 [80 cm2/quail and 250 mg/kg body weight (BW) RJ given orally], and HSD-RJ 500 (80 cm2/quail and 500 mg/kg BW RJ given orally). Body weight gain decreased significantly in the HSD group at day 42 (P < 0.01). Feed intake (FI) and feed conversion rate (FCR) were also significantly affected in the HSD group (P < 0.01). FI and FCR were improved by both doses of RJ. Both RJ doses increased total polyunsaturated fatty acid ratios in the breast, kidney (P < 0.001), leg, and liver (P < 0.05). Total saturated fatty acid ratios in leg (P < 0.01) and kidney (P < 0.05) tissues increased in the HSD group but decreased in the livers of HSD-RJ 250 group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, RJ supplementation improved performance parameters and unsaturated fatty acid ratios in the examined quail tissues.

Detection Of Sensitive And Mutant Ruminal Bacteria Isolates From Sheep, Cattle, And Buffalo Using 14 Therapeutic Antibiotics, Abdelfattah Zeidan Mohamed Salem, Roberto Montes De Oca Jimenez, Maria Andrea Cerrillo-Soto, Ahmed Eid Kholif, Mohamed Zidan Mohamed Salem, Mona Mohamed Mohamed Yasseen Elghandour

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

In the present study, sensitive and mutant colonies of some ruminal bacterial species isolated from sheep, cattle, and buffalo were detected. We counted and considered \"mutant colonies\" the bacterial colonies grown in the clear inhibition zone in the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion susceptibility test. Detected mutant colonies were higher in buffalo than in cattle and sheep. Duricef and metronidazole caused no mutations in any species. The others formed mutant colonies, where roxithromycin = polymyxin = chloramphenicol = gentamicin < erythromycin < vancomycin < piperacillin = cefotaxime < streptomycin < cefoperazone < ciprofloxacin < amikacin. Sheep had the highest number of sensitive isolates, and the number of sensitive isolates was dramatically lower in cattle and buffalo. There were no sensitive isolates with the antibiotic metronidazole, and there was a low number of sensitive isolates with duricef. The other antibiotics had more sensitive isolates (gentamicin = ciprofloxacin = amikacin > streptomycin = piperacillin > erythromycin > vancomycin = cefoperazone = cefotaxime > roxithromycin > polymyxin > chloramphenicol). The number of sensitive isolates of the different ruminant species for …

The Treatment Of Congenitally Developed Fused Vulva Labia In A Brown-Swiss Heifer, Oktay Yilmaz, Ebubeki̇r Yazici, Mehmet Uçar, Muhammed Kürşad Bi̇rdane

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

A case of congenitally developed fused labia in a 13-month-old Brown-Swiss heifer, an uncommon entity, is described. On gross appearance of vulva, it was observed that there were only 2 small openings in the dorsal and ventral vulvar commissures. Ultrasonography of the genital tract revealed the presence of left and right ovaries, uterine horns, and cervix uteri. The abnormality of the vulva was surgically corrected. The heifer was synchronized and artificially inseminated postsurgically. During delivery, no complication was observed and a healthy male calf was born. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report describing both the surgical treatment …

The Relationship Between Seropositivity And Tissue Cysts In Sheep Naturally Infected With Toxoplasma Gondii, Kader Yildiz, Oğuz Kul, Sami̇ Gökpinar, Hasan Tarik Atmaca, Yilmaz Emre Gençay, Aycan Nuri̇ye Gazyağci, Cahi̇t Babür, İsmayi̇l Safa Gürcan

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Skeletal muscles (tongue, masseter, leg, intercostal, and diaphragmatic muscles) and brain samples of 100 sheep at slaughter were analysed for the presence of T. gondii tissue cysts along with serum IgG titres. Two methods of isolation by percoll gradient centrifugation and tissue microarray (TMA) technique with immunoperoxidase staining were used. Seropositivity was detected in 88% (88/100) of sheep sera analysed by indirect fluorescent antibody test. Tissue cysts were observed in 46 (52.3%, 46/88) and 15 (17%, 15/88) of the seropositive sheep with the isolation technique and TMA and immunoperoxidase staining, respectively. The diameters of the tissue cysts were 25–58 × …

Serological Survey Of Equid Herpesvirus 3 Infection In Turkish Horses, Veysel Soydal Ataseven, Firat Doğan, Seval Bi̇lge Dağalp, Mehmet Tolga Tan, Köksal Altinbay, Cafer Tayyar Ateş

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

Sera from 1133 Turkish horses were obtained and tested for equid herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3) antibodies using a sero-neutralisation test. The sample consisted of 420 privately owned working horses from 2 regions of Turkey, 428 brood horses from private stud farms and breeding stations, and 285 racehorses from private stud farms. Neutralising antibodies against EHV-3 were found in 287 (25.3%) of the 1133 analysed sera. The highest seroprevalence for EHV-3 was detected in the brood horses (51.2%), followed by the racehorses (10.2%), and the working horses (9.3%). The seroprevalence rates tended to be higher in female horses than in male horses …

Nmr-Based Metabolomic Evaluation In Dairy Cows With Displaced Abomasum, Abdullah Başoğlu, Nuri̇ Başpinar, Alparslan Coşkun

Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences

This study is the first to evaluate nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics in cows with displaced abomasum (DA), which is an internationally recognized problem in dairy cows. Some biochemical parameters have been used for monitoring DA. However, to date, few data have been available on the blood metabolomic profile of dairy cows. Forty Holstein multiparous cows with DA (30 left, 10 right) and 10 clinically healthy Holstein multiparous cows were the subjects of the study. All the animals had similar dry matter intake. An NMR-based metabolomics approach and hematological and biochemical analyses were performed. Some changes in biochemical parameters were …

Injectable Versus Inhalational Anesthesia In Veterinary Medicine, Samantha D. Christ

Natural Sciences Student Research Presentations

Is the better, safer choice in small animal surgery injectible or inhalational anesthsesia? This poster outlines the advantages and disadvantages of the two, with a focus on two widely-used anesthetics, Ketamine and Isoflurane. This project is from the Natural Science Poster Session at Parkland College

Handling Cattle Through High Heat Humidity Indexes, Rob Eirich

Nebraska Beef Quality Assurance Program

As cattlemen enter the summer months, they need to understand and deal with heat and humidity. Consider incorporating the following practices into management plans to help reduce additional stress.

Novel Gammaherpesvirus Functions 1 Encoded By Bovine Herpesvirus (Bovine Lymphotropic Virus), J. Jia, G. Delhon, E. R. Tulman, D. G. Diel, Fernando A. Osorio, X. Wen, G. F. Kutish, D. L. Rock

School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences: Faculty Publications

The genus Macavirus of the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae includes viruses that infect lymphoid cells of domestic and wild ruminants and swine, causing asymptomatic latent infections in reservoir hosts. Here, we describe the genome of bovine herpesvirus 6 (BoHV-6), a

macavirus ubiquitous in healthy cattle populations. The BoHV-6 genome exhibited architecture conserved in macaviruses, including a repetitive H-DNA region and unique, 141 kilobase pair L

DNA region predicted to encode 77 genes. BoHV-6 encoded in variable genomic regions a novel complement of genes relative to other characterized macaviruses, likely contributing to distinctive aspects of BoHV-6 infection biology and host range. Most notably, …

The Roles Of Orthopaedic Pathology And Genetic Determinants In Equine Cervical Stenotic Myelopathy, Jennifer Gail Janes

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Cervical stenotic myelopathy (CSM) is an important musculoskeletal and neurologic disease of the horse. Clinical disease occurs due to malformations of the vertebrae in the neck causing stenosis of the cervical vertebral canal and subsequent spinal cord compression. The disease is multifactorial in nature, therefore a clearer understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of CSM will allow for improved management and therapeutic practices. This thesis examines issues of equine CSM diagnosis, skeletal tissue pathology, and inherited genetic determinants utilizing advances in biomedical imaging technologies and equine genomics. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data provided a more complete assessment of the cervical …

Modulation Of Type-I Interferon Mediated Immune Response: A Novel Innate Immune Evasion Strategy Of Equine Herpesvirus 1, Sanjay Sarkar

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) is one of the major viral pathogens causing respiratory disease, abortion, perinatal mortality and neurologic disease among horses resulting in significant economic losses to the equine industry. The virus can also remain latent in the horses and recrudesce at any time. Type-I interferons (IFNs) act as a first line of defense against many viral infections.

In this study we investigated the type-I IFN response against the neuropathogenic T953 strain of EHV-1 in equine endothelial cells (EECs). The results showed that after a transient induction of IFN-β mRNA as well as protein at an early time (3h) post …

Evaluation Of The Susceptibility And Humoral Immune Response Of Foals To Rhodococcus Equi Infection, Macarena G. Sanz

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

While Rhodococcus equi (R. equi) remains the most common cause of subacute or chronic granulomatous bronchopneumonia in foals, development of a relevant model to study this bacterium has proven difficult. As a result, the reasons for the underlying foal’s susceptibility to this disease are not well understood. Furthermore, data regarding the immune response of foals to R. equi infection remains controversial. We hypothesized that foals are susceptible to R. equi early in life and that this susceptibility decreases with age. Also, we hypothesized that specific subclasses of IgG antibodies to the virulence-associated protein of R. equi, VapA, …

Anti-Müllerian Hormone In Stallions And Mares: Physiological Variations, Clinical Applications, And Molecular Aspects, Anthony N.J. Claes

Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is a homodimeric glycoprotein that is best known for its role in regression of the Müllerian duct in the male fetus. Accumulating evidence indicates that AMH also has an important role during different physiological processes after birth. In contrast to other species, relatively little is known about AMH in the horse. In chapter one, developmental and seasonal changes in serum AMH concentrations in male horses were determined, and the use of AMH for determination of retained cryptorchid testes was established. In chapter two, the interrelationship between plasma AMH concentrations, antral follicle counts (AFC), and age in mares …