No abstract

Due to the peculiarities of the reproductive cycle of the female dog, which makes it difficult to accurately ascertain the date of conception, it may be challenging to precisely estimate the gestational age in bitches. Using fetal measurements obtained by ultrasound, it is possible to estimate the gestational age in dogs; however, due to the differences in size of the various breeds, such estimates may have a significant standard deviation, which represents less accuracy when specifying the date of birth. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pregnant female Chihuahuas, establishing relations between the fetal dimensions measured by ultrasound and the remaining time until delivery. Using 13 pregnant female Chihuahuas, weekly ultrasound assessments and measurements were performed, of the inner chorionic cavity, cranial-caudal length, biparietal diameter, abdominal diameter and thoracic diameter. Such parameters were retroactively correlated to the date of delivery, and linear regressions were established between the gestational measurements and remaining days until delivery. The fetal measurement presenting the highest correlation (r = 0.99; P<0.0001) and reliability (R 2 = 0.98, P<0.0001) with the probable date of delivery was the biparietal diameter, a measurement that can be easily and safely obtained and, when applying a specific formula (Y =-15.46X1 + 38.72), can accurately predict the date of delivery in Chihuahua female dogs.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of delivering reduced doses of hormones via the Bai Hui acupoint in estrus synchronization in goats. A total of 40 goats received intravaginal sponges with medroxyprogesterone acetate for 7 days. The goats were then randomly distributed into 5 treatment: T1 - application of 132.5 ?g of cloprostenol and 300 IU of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG), both by intramuscular injection (IM); T2 - application of 39.75 ?g cloprostenol at the Bai Hui acupoint, and 300 IU of eCG by IM; T3 - application of 132.5 ?g of cloprostenol by IM, and 90 IU of eCG at the Bai Hui acupoint; T4 - application of 39.75?g of cloprostenol and 90 UI of eCG, both in Bai Hui and T5 acupuncture: application of 39.75?g of cloprostenol and 90 UI of eCG, both applied in false acupoint. The goats were subjected to an estrus synchronization protocol and monitored for estrus detection, coverage and evaluation of reproductive parameters to detect entry into estrus. The data were subjected to normality tests, followed by appropriate statistical analyses of each variable. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the percentage of animals in estrus (95.00 ± 11.18%), interval between sponge removal and beginning of estrus (49.72 ± 8.93 h), interval between sponge removal and end of estrus (76.84 ± 11.98 h), duration of estrus (27.08 ± 8.68 h), size of the largest follicle (6.82 ± 0.44 mm), interval between sponge removal and ovulation (78.28 ± 10.82 h), time from ovarian onset to estrus (28.52 ± 5.44 h), follicular growth rate (0.86 ± 0.29 mm/day), number of ovulations (1.32 ± 0.23), plasma progesterone concentration at 7 days after ovulation (10.28 ± 1.65 ng.mL-1), and gestation rate at 30 days after the beginning of estrus (75 ± 12.5%). However, the cost of the synchronization protocol per animal was 43.42% lower in treatments 4 and 5 (30% of the doses) than in treatment 1 (100% of the dose). Ovulation and estrus were efficiently synchronized with the use of 39.75 ?g of sodium cloprostenol and 90 UI of eCG, applied at the Bai Hui acupoint or at a false acupoint.

SUMMARY The objective of this study was to verify the accuracy of sexing and fetal number estimation in small ruminants by ultrasonographic examination. Fifty fetuses from 36 sheep and 23 fetuses from 11 goats were evaluated. In the case of sheep, twenty-four, ten, and two pregnancy were single, double, and triple, respectively. Regarding the goats, three, five, two, and one simple pregnancy were single, double, triple, and quadruple, respectively. The evaluations were performed on days 55 and 65 of gestation, by means of transrectal ultrasonographic examination, using a dual-frequency linear transducer, (6.0 and 8.0 MHz). Fetal sex was diagnosed by the location of the genital tubercle or visualization of external genitalia. The accuracy of fetal sexing was evaluated using the Chi-square test (X2) considering a 5% significance level. The gestational period interfered in the accuracy of fetal sexing in both species (P <0.05). Obtained results showed 30% and 82.61% accuracy on day 55 of gestation, and 90% and 95.83% on day 65 for goats and sheep, respectively. The fetal sex and the type of pregnancy did not interfere in the sexing accuracy in both species during the evaluated periods (P> 0.05). Thus, B-mode ultrasonography is an efficient method to perform an early diagnosis of fetal sex and to determine the number of fetuses in the studied small ruminants on day 65 of gestation. In addition, the accuracy of fetal sexing is not influenced by the type of pregnancy or fetal sex.

No abstract

Twenty semen samples from ten rams of the Santa Inês breed were cryopreserved with the goal of verifying the effect of trehalose addition (100mOsmol) (group 1 -TRIS+TRE) to a Tris-egg yolk-glycerol extender (group 2 -TRIS), associated or not to the calcium chelator EDTA (group 3 -TRIS+TRE+EDTA), on the post-thaw sperm viability. After evaluation, the diluted semen samples were cooled at 5C and frozen in liquid nitrogen steam. After thawing, the kinetic sperm parameters were analyzed by a computer analyses system (CASA). The sperm viability was observed by using the multiple sperm parameter staining with propidium iodide (PMI, plasmatic membrane integrity), JC-1 (MMP, mitochondrial membrane potential) and FITC-PSA (ACI, acrosomal integrity). The statistical analysis was performed using the SAS software, applying the MEANS procedure for descriptive analysis and the GLM procedure with the Student-Newman-Keuls test (SNK) for comparison of sperm parameters among different groups (with P<0.05). The percentage of total and progressive motility post-thaw were the greatest (P<0.05) for the TRIS group in relation to trehalose ones. The PMI, MMP, and ACI rates (%) did not present differences (P>0.05) among the groups. It can be concluded that the trehalose addition to the TRIS extender, associated or not to EDTA, had detrimental effect on cryosurvival ram sperm. Trehalose and a calcium chelator for ram semen cryopreservation

This study evaluated the efficiency application of low dose of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) using Hou Hai acupoint for fixed-term artificial insemination (FTAI) in beef cows. Seventy cows received intravaginal devices with progesterone, and 3 mg of estradiol benzoate on day zero (D0) of FTAI. On D9, the devices were removed, and 150 ?g of prostaglandin F2? was applied; the animals were then randomly distributed to three treatment groups: T1 (n = 23), 300 IU of eCG intramuscularly (IM); T2 (n = 23), 90 IU of eCG at acupoint Hou Hai; and T3 (n = 25), 90 IU of eCG at false acupoint IM. On D10, the animals received 1 mg of gonadotropin-releasing hormone IM, and FTAI was performed, 52 h after the devices were removed. The quantitative variables with normal distribution were assessed using analysis of variance at 5% probability. For variables that did not show normal distribution, Kruskal-Wallis test at 5% probability was used. No significant difference was noted among the groups (P > 0.05) for the interval between device withdrawal at ovulation (58.2 ± 12.2 h), diameter of the largest follicle on D9 (9.9 ± 2.2 mm), diameters of the ovulatory follicle (12.2 ± 3.0 mm) and the second largest follicle (6.7 ± 2.1 mm), follicular growth rate (0.8 ± 0.3 mm/d), ovulation rate (82%), corpus luteum size (2.32 ± 0.35 cm2), and pregnancy rate (58.67%). The protocol cost per animal was US$ 10.67 (T1) and US$ 8.50 (T2 and T3). The use of 90 IU of eCG applied at Hou Hai acupoint or at false acupoint caused satisfactory synchronization of estrus in beef cows. In addition, this procedure was cost-effective.

RESUMO Avaliou-se a correlação entre estruturas fetais e extrafetais com a predição do dia antes do parto (DAP) em raças de cães miniaturas. Para isso, realizou-se um experimento, utilizando-se 12 cadelas, com peso corporal entre 3,0kg e 5,0kg, sendo seis da raça Chihuahua, duas da raça Shih-Tzu, duas da raça Spitz Alemão e duas da raça Yorkshire. Foram mensurados, por meio da ultrassonografia, diâmetro biparietal (DBP), diâmetro torácico (DTX), diâmetro abdominal (DAB), comprimento craniocaudal (CCC), diâmetro da cavidade coriônica interna (DCI) e espessura da placenta (EP), a partir do 15º dia após a última monta. Foram estudadas as correlações simples e a significância dos coeficientes de regressão linear simples e o coeficiente de determinação (R), com nível de significância estabelecido em P<0,05. Entre os parâmetros avaliados, DBP, DTX, DAB e CCC foram os mais correlacionados com tempo gestacional, podendo ser utilizados para prever dia antes do parto em cadelas de raças miniaturas.