Browsing by Subject "Sows"
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Item Effect of confinement on development of the reproductive system and age at puberty in gilts(Texas Tech University, 1972-12) Blackwood, Rodney B.Not availableItem Factors Affecting Reproductive Efficiency in Gilts and Sows(Texas Tech University, 1983-12) Komkov, AndreaNot Available.Item Factors influencing age of puberty in confinement reared gilts(Texas Tech University, 1978-05) Savage, Jackie SueA greater number of gilts exposed to a boar in confinement exhibited estrus in confinement (P<.01) and the total number of gilts exhibiting estrus was greater for those gilts exposed to a boar during confinement (P<.05). No significant reduction in age at puberty was found with boar exposure. Boar exposure had no apparent effect on ovulation rate. No significant differences in adjusted urine cortisol concentrations were found between treatments or among trials. Gilts exhibiting estrus during the study were found to have (P<.05) lower urinary cortisol concentrations in confinement than gilts which did not exhibit estrus at any time during the study.Item Nutritional and Regulatory Roles for Branched-Chain Amino Acids in Milk Production by Lactating Sows(2015-01-26) Rezaei, RezaBoth feeding and cell culture studies were conducted to test the hypothesis that branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) can enhance milk synthesis by porcine mammary epithelial cells (PMEC). In the first in vivo feeding trial, ten multiparous lactating sows were fed corn-soybean meal-based diets supplemented with 0%, 1.535%, or 3.07% BCAA for 29 d. The number of piglets was standardized to 9 per sow. On d 3,15 and 29 of lactation, body weights of sows and their piglets, as well as milk consumption of piglets were determined. Blood samples were obtained from sows and piglets at 2 and 1 h after feeding, respectively. The second feeding experiment was conducted with dietary supplements containing 0%, 1% or 2% monosodium glutamate (MSG). Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA. In both feeding trials, plasma concentrations of aspartate, glutamine, citrulline, arginine, and BCAA were higher, compared to the control. Dietary supplementation with 1.535% and 3.07% BCAA increased: 1) concentrations of free and protein-bound glutamate plus glutamine in milk; 2) milk intake of piglets by 14% and 21%; and 3) daily weight gains of piglets by 19% and 28%. Dietary supplementation with 1% and 2% MSG increased: 1) concentrations of free and protein-bound glutamate plus glutamine in milk; 2) milk intake of piglets by 14% and 25%; and 3) daily weight gains of piglets by 23% and 44%. These results indicated that dietary supplementation with up to 3.07% BCAA or 2% MSG was safe and enhanced lactation in sows. To elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the effects of BCAA on milk production, PMEC were cultured in customized medium containing 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1 or 2 mM L- leucine, L-isoleucine, or L-valine, or a mixture of those three BCAA. Elevating extracellular concentrations of BCAA from 0.1 to 2 mM increased the phosphorylation of proteins in the mechanistic target of rapamycin pathway, the rate of protein synthesis and cell proliferation, while decreasing the abundance of proteasome and ubiquitinated protein, and the rate of protein degradation in PMEC. The findings not only advance understanding of nutritional regulation of lactation but also provide a new strategy to improve milk production by livestock, women, and other mammals.Item The effect of ketamine on stereotypic behavior in pregnant crated sows(2011-08) Trumpower, Elizabeth; McGlone, John J.; Bernal, Ximena E.; Brooks, Tiffanie A.Stereotypic behaviors expressed by captive animals are assumed to be abnormal and are believed to be a symptom of inadequate welfare. Common stereotypies of pregnant sows housed in gestation crates include the oral/nasal/facial (ONF) behaviors of rooting, bar-biting, and vacuum chewing. One hypothesis to explain these behaviors is that crated sows experience poor mental welfare and that ONF stereotypies are a symptom of the depressive condition. The drug ketamine has recently been shown to have rapid and sustained antidepressant effects in humans and animal models of depression. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of an antidepressant treatment in pregnant crated sows. The experiment was a completely randomized design, with two treatment groups and two levels of basal stereotypic behavior performance (high vs. low). Each animal was injected with 0.5 mg/kg body weight of ketamine or saline as control, the antidepressant dose commonly repeated in the literature. Results showed no difference (P > 0.050) in total ONF stereotypic behavior by treatment, although the duration (min/day) of rooting behavior increased (P = 0.020) in the ketamine-treated sows with basally high levels of ONF behavior. Piglets from these sows also weighed less (P = 0.025) at weaning than piglets from all other sows. In all, these results do not conclusively suggest that ONF stereotypic behavior performance by crated sows is a symptom of depression, however further research is needed to fully understand the increase in rooting behavior and decrease in piglet weaning weight observed in high stereotyping sows after ketamine treatment.Item The isolation and identification of connexin in the porcine ovary(Texas Tech University, 1996-05) Zaunbrecher, Gretchen MGap Junctions (GJ) are aggregates of intercellular channels responsible for the exchange of cytosolic materials (¡Ü.l kD) between adjoining cells. These channels are comprised of connexin (Cx) proteins. Several studies have suggested that the presence of channels between granulosa cells and the oocyte is needed for maintenance of meiotic arrest in growing follicles and for release of this arrest after the gonadotropin surge. Gap junction function in rat and Xenopus ovaries has drawn the most attention. Other studies have also dealt with mouse, bovine, and Atlantic Croaker (fish) ovaries. The purpose of this study was to isolate and characterize Cx present in the cycling porcine ovary through RT-PCR, sequencing, and Northern blot hybridization. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) based on mixed primers was used to amplify Cx cDNA fragments isolated from ovaries of cyclic gilts containing corpora lutea. One major fragment and one minor fragment were amplified, cloned, and sequenced. Sequence analysis showed that the major fragment had 94.2% amino acid identity with mouse Cx43, while the minor fragment showed 72% amino acid identity with human Cx26. The latter may be Cx26 or a novel protein. (Full cDNA sequencing is needed to make this determination.) In either case, this is the first report of a Cx26-like mRNA in the mammalian ovary. Ovaries and corpora lutea were removed from prepubertal and cycling gilts and used for mRNA isolation. Northern blotting for Cx43 showed detectable levels in ovaries containing small (<3mm), small-medium (<3 to 5mm), and small-large (<3 to >5mm) follicles and also in the corpora lutea. However, Northern blotting for the Cx26- like mRNA failed to show a positive signal, indicating the presence of low amounts of this Cx in the ovaries.Item Value of furazolidone for sows at farrowing(Texas Tech University, 1973-08) Friend, Mary FullerNot available