Calogero Stelletta

Seminal plasma: an essential attribute to spermatozoa.

The biochemical composition of seminal plasma (SP) is very complex and variable among species. Advances in reproductive technologies reveal SP as a nutritive-protective medium for sperm cells suspended in it, and some SP components are very important for sperm metabolism, as well as sperm function, survival, and transport in the female reproductive tract. Biochemistry of SP is a relatively modern but rapidly expanding field of research, particularly concerning the biological significance of the various biochemical constituents of SP. However, identification of active factors in SP and mechanisms by which they act are not sufficiently understood in different species. Especially in camelids, the origin, composition, and function of the viscous component of SP remain a mystery, and only some biochemical and morphological characteristics of SP have been described. In this review, we focus on the current understanding of physiological and biochemical properties of SP in ruminants and camelids.

Clinical use of deslorelin for the control of reproduction in the bitch.

This study was conducted to evaluate clinical efficacy of deslorelin for inhibiting reproduction in the bitch. Ten adult healthy bitches or bitches with mammary neoplasia for which owners were requesting suppression of cyclicity without performing gonadectomy were administered a 4.7- or a 9.4-mg deslorelin implant subcutaneously. The first implant of deslorelin was administered in anoestrus (n = 5) or in dioestrus (n = 5). Treatment was repeated every 5 months for as long as necessary based on the clinical situation of the dog and owners desires. Some of the bitches implanted in anoestrus came in heat within 4-15 days after treatment, while none of the bitches implanted in dioestrus showed heat during treatment. Suppression of reproductive cyclicity was successfully achieved in 6/10 bitches for 1-4 years. No behavioural and local/general side-effects were observed in any of the treated bitches. The 4.7-mg deslorelin implant may work well for suppression of cyclicity provided that it is administered in dioestrus and at intervals of 4.5 months. A 9.4-mg implant may be more suitable for this use although its efficacy may also be shorter than 12 months. Owner compliance is an important limiting factor.

The use of thermography on the slaughter-line for the assessment of pork and raw ham quality

The left and right hams of forty heavy pig carcasses were thermographed to evaluate whether surface temperature differences were related to meat and ham quality. Thermal imaging analysis showed no differences in average surface temperature among classes of pH or of L* colour co-ordinate nor among classes of ham defects such as veining and red skin. However, hams with a lower fat cover displayed a significantly warmer average temperature surface. Infrared thermography seems to be a practical and non-invasive method to detect hams with a fat cover below the minimum requested to be submitted to the dry-curing process.

Blood gas analyses, ruminal and blood pH, urine and faecal pH in dairy cows during subacute ruminal acidosis

The aim of this study was to investigate the variations of some physiological parameters in dairy cows during subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA), a common important disorder of dairy cows that occurs in early lactation. pH changes in ruminal fluid collected by rumenocentesis were measured at ten farms stationed in different zones in the north of Italy. Additionally, the following parameters were measured: blood pH, faecal pH, urine pH, partial pressure of carbon dioxide oxygen, partial pressure of oxygen, bicarbonate level, base excess of extracellular fluid and oxygen content. Herds were divided into two groups according to their average ruminal pH: group A included farms with average ruminal pH > 5.8 (normal) and group B farms with average ruminal pH < 5.8 (acidosis). Unpaired Student’s t test was used to reveal statistical significances between the two groups. Ruminal pH changes due to pathogenesis can be diagnostic for SARA.

Good quality sheep embryos produced by superovulation treatment without the use of progesterone devices

Multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) is a very important tool for the genetic improvement and preservation of endangered livestock. However, the success of a MOET programme highly depends on the number of transferable embryos in response to a superovulation treatment. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare the number and quality of embryos produced during natural oestrus under porcine FSH treatment without the use of progesterone devices to more traditional protocols. Forty Sarda sheep were divided into 2 groups: without sponges (WS) (n = 20) and with sponges (S) containing 40mg FGA for 12 d (n = 20) (control group); 350 I.U. of porcine FSH per sheep was administered in eight decreasing doses twice daily starting four days after estrus was detected (Day 0) in group WS and 48 h before sponge removal in group S. A single i.m. dose of 125 μg of cloprostenol was administered on Day 6 after estrus in group WS to induce luteolysis. Sheep were naturally mated 24 h after cloprostenol injection or sponge removal. Seven days after mating, an inguinal laparotomy was performed and the number of corpora lutea (CL) recorded. Embryos were recovered surgically by flushing each uterine horn. A total of 38 fresh and 22 vitrified embryos were transferred in pairs into 3 groups of recipients seven days after estrus detection: fresh embryos from group S (S-F) (n = 9), fresh embryos from group WS (WS-F) (n = 10) and vitrified embryos from group WS (WS-V) (n = 11). Data on the number of corpora lutea (CL), recovered ova and embryos (OER), and quality 1-2 and 3 embryos (EQ(1-2), EQ(3)) per ewe were analyzed by ANOVA. Recovery (RR), fertility (FR) and quality 1-2 embryo (Q(1-2)R) rates per treatment were analyzed by a Chi Square analysis. A Chi Square analysis was also applied to pregnancy rate (PR), lambing rate (LR) and twinning rate (TR) of fresh and vitrified embryos in order to analyze embryo transfer results. Among all superovulation variables analysed, results show statistically significant differences in mean number of CL/ ewe (9.3 ± 3.9 vs 7 ± 3.2), RR (67% vs 80 %) and FR (100% vs 80%) (P < 0.05) between WS and S groups respectively. There were no significant differences in PR (78%, 70% and 82%), LR (67%, 60% and 59%) and TR (71%, 71% and 44.4%) among S-F, WS-F and WS-V groups respectively. In conclusion, it is possible to produce a good number of transferable embryos during natural oestrus avoiding the use of sponges.

Clinical Use of Testicular Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology in Oligozoospermic and Azoospermic Dogs

Clinical investigation of canine testicular function is complicated by the difficulty in the evaluation of seminiferous tubules. Until recently, testicular biopsy was the only diagnostic option for dogs with persistent oligo/azoospermia. In human andrology, testicular fine needle aspiration (TFNA) is currently considered a useful method in the evaluation of azoospermia and severe oligozoospermia, and has long replaced classical biopsy to evaluate spermatogenesis. In order to verify its diagnostic efficacy for the clinical approach to canine oligo- or azoospermia, TFNA was performed in seven adult (two oligozoospermic and five azoospermic) dogs. After sedation, a fine (21-23 gauge) butterfly needle connected to a 50-ml syringe was inserted into each testicle; strong suction was applied and the aspirated fluid squirted on a glass slide, smeared out, air-dried and stained with a modified May-Grunwald-Giemsa. Under light microscopy, Sertoli cells (all those found in each investigated field) and spermatogenic cells (n = 100) were counted on each smear in order to differentiate spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes, secondary spermatocytes, early spermatids, late spermatids and spermatozoa, and calculate their relative percentages. Cytological analysis showed the following testicular pictures: normal spermatogenesis (compatible with obstruction of the seminal ducts), hypospermatogenesis, maturative disturbances and Sertoli cell-only syndrome. Two dogs with an obstructive lesion were treated with corticosteroids; one of them recovered and sired two litters of puppies.

Semen quality and onset of sterility following administration of a 4.7-mg deslorelin implant in adult male dogs.

The purpose of this study was to define (i) the interval between treatment and sterility, and (ii) semen quality in male dogs administered a 4.7-mg deslorelin implant. Six healthy, adult dogs of various breeds and body weights were implanted with deslorelin (Suprelorin, Virbac) and followed every 2 weeks with semen and blood collections. Semen quality remained stable or even improved during the first month following treatment and then showed a progressive decline until the end of the study, except for sperm morphology, which was unaffected by the treatment. Complete sterility was achieved on post-treatment days 70, 84, 60, 23, 51 and 40 for dogs 1 to 6, respectively. The 4.7 mg deslorelin implant caused a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in serum testosterone as well as sperm motility. Our results (i) confirm the efficacy of deslorelin in causing reversible sterility in male dogs, (ii) confirm and provide details about endocrine and seminal parameters involved in this process and (iii) contribute to define the interval between treatment and achievement of complete sterility. Practitioners should be aware that such interval may be longer than 2 months in some cases, and that fertility may actually be increased during the first 2-4 weeks post-treatment.

Thermographic Applications in Veterinary Medicine

Veterinary infrared thermography is a term indicating in vivo digitally imaging an animal with an infrared camera using computer interpretation of thermal maps. Various trials were performed with different species (horse, pig and cows)1,2,3,4,5 to assess the validity of thermographic instrument. Infrared thermographic systems are capable of seeing energy emitted by most objects at a temperature above -35°C. Therefore colour or visible light does not interfere with the possible images seen by thermographic system. The maximum heat emitter is considered a black body which have an emissivity of 1 because it adsorbs all radiated heat. The emission factor of skin is approximately 0.93-0.98 depending on coat quantity and length. Heat is the primary sign of inflammation process and different disease processes affect the microcirculation of the skin. Therefore variations of the skin temperature become interesting indicator of such conditions that can range from specific vascular alterations to referred conditions also physiologically. Since skin temperature may be used in order to estimate tissue integrity because it reflects the underlying circulation and tissue metabolism.

Short-term adaptive response in strongly versus weakly lateralized dairy ewes

Abstract The effects of lambs separation and manual milking, which are stressors usually associated with the productive cycle of dairy sheep farm, were investigated by comparing short-term (24 h) adaptive responses in strongly versus weakly lateralized dairy ewes. Functional lateralization was scored with a series of behavioural tests (direction of free turning, direction of obstacle turning, preferential leg use in front of an obstacle) followed by a daily period of hormonal, biochemical and clinical parameters assayed on two groups of 6 strongly (SLS) and two groups of 6 weakly (WLS) lateralized ewes divided for lamb presence or separation. Differences were observed for several parameters as a function of the degree of lateralization score and stressors application. The results suggest that behavioural lateralization parameters should be taken into consideration as a crucial variable to understand stress responses and their modulation in relation to animal welfare.

Preliminary study on metabolic profile of pregnant and non‐pregnant ewes with high or low degree of behavioral lateralization

To evaluate the metabolic profile of pregnant and non-pregnant ewes with high or low degree of behavioral lateralization, we used 57 clinically healthy Sardinian ewes. They were divided into three groups: Group A (nonpregnant ewes), Group B (pregnant ewes with one fetus) and Group C (pregnant ewes with twin fetuses). Using behavioral tests, in all groups lateralization was established and ewes were distinguished into ewes with high and low level of lateralization. Every 30 days for 4 months (at 35, 76, 103 and 145 days of gestation), blood samples were collected and total cholesterol, triglycerides, nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), glucose, insulin, creatinine, urea, uric acid, total protein, total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), γ-glutamine transferase (γ-GT), β-hydroxybutyrate (β-OHB), chloride (Cl), potassium (K), sodium (Na) and calcium (Ca) were assessed. The repeated measures multifactor analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed statistical differences of time, pregnancy and degree of lateralization on some studied parameters. These results confirm that pregnancy represents a very important metabolic moment and show the effect of the degree of behavioral lateralization on the assessment of metabolic parameters in non-pregnant and pregnant ewes. Further studies are necessary to value the influence of these factors on other parameters such as hematological parameters and hormones.