• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• 제32권2호
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• pp.117-121
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• 2008

Our previous study showed that transgenic (TG) pigs harboring human EPO (hEPO) gene have been shown to have reproductive disorders, including low pregnancy rates, irregular estrus cycle and low little size. To investigate these reasons, we assessed estrus behavior (standing response) and plasma $17{\beta}$-estradiol ($E_2$) level, which partly reflect reproductive function, during the estrus cycles after synchronization and superovulation by hormone treatments. Then, we analysed blood composition and expression of hEPO gene in TG pigs. Pigs were injected with PG600. After 10 days, pigs were fed with Regumate porcine for 6 days. Blood samples were collected from jugular vein. Analysis of blood composition and $E_2$ level were measured by Hemavet 950 and $E_2$ ELISA kit, respectively. And, the expression of hEPO gene in reproductive organs was quantitated by real-time RT-PCR. The percentage of estrus behavior in TG was significantly decreased. Hematocrit (HCT), hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and red blood cell (RBC) number were significantly higher in TG than wild type (WT). On the other hand, high expression of hEPO gene in TG was observed in the mammary gland as well as in the uterus. Moreover, plasma $E_2$ level was significantly higher in TG than WT. These results suggest that nonspecific expression of hEPO gene in the other organs of TG may affect blood composition and plasma $E_2$ level, thereby causing reproductive disorders.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제25권11호
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• pp.1540-1545
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• 2012

Steroidogenesis requires coordination of the anabolic and catabolic pathways of lipid metabolism, but the profile of proteins associated with progesterone synthesis in cyclic and pregnant corpus luteum (CL) is not well-known in cattle. In Experiment 1, plasma progesterone level was monitored in cyclic cows (n = 5) and pregnant cows (n = 6; until d-90). A significant decline in the plasma progesterone level occurred at d-19 of cyclic cows. Progesterone level in abbatoir-derived luteal tissues was also determined at d 1 to 5, 6 to 13 and 14 to 20 of cyclic cows, and d-60 and -90 of pregnant cows (n = 5 each). Progesterone level in d-60 CL was not different from those in d 6 to 13 CL and d-90 CL, although the difference between d 6 to 13 and d-90 was significant. In Experiment 2, protein expression pattern in CL at d-90 (n = 4) was compared with that in CL of cyclic cows at d 6 to 13 (n = 5). Significant changes in the level of protein expression were detected in 32 protein spots by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE), and 23 of them were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Six proteins were found only in pregnant CL, while the other 17 proteins were found only in cyclic CL. Among the above 6 proteins, vimentin which is involved in the regulation of post-implantation development was included. Thus, the protein expression pattern in CL was disorientated from cyclic luteal phase to mid pregnancy, and alterations in specific CL protein expression may contribute to the maintenance of pregnancy in Korean native cows.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제14권6호
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• pp.855-857
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• 2001

The aim of this study was to assess the associations of some potential risk factors and occurrence of calf mortality in large-scale dairy farms. Njoro area of the Rift valley, Kenya was selected due to its potential of large-scale dairy farms, since the time of the Europeans settlers. The study was retrospective and focused on the calves dying from January 1996 through October 1998. Sample of studied population consisted of 105 calves extracted from the farm records. Data was collected using a questionnaire and were grouped into farm-level and animal-level factors. Calf mortality was 15.6% and important risk factors for calf mortality were sex of calf, season of birth, pneumonia disease, age of dam when calf was born and house type for calves. Female calve born during colder wet seasons and born to dams of 2-4.5 years of age were equally at higher risk. Calves raised in movable pens compared to those raised in permanent pens were at higher risk of mortality from pneumonia. Animal level factors were major causes of calf mortality in commercial farms used in this study and therefore details study is needed in these factors in controlling the calf mortality rates.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제26권9호
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• pp.1329-1338
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• 2013

In this study, we investigated the relationship between welfare standards in sheep farms and farmers' perceptions of factors affecting animal welfare. We developed a scale of 34 items to measure farmers' perceptions of animal welfare. We examined the relationships among variables in farmers' characteristics, our observations, and farmers' expressed perceptions through a t test, variance analysis and correlation analysis. Results of the research suggested that higher welfare standards for sheep exist on farms run by farmers who have a higher perception level of animal welfare. These farmers believed that personnel and shelter conditions were more effective than veterinary inspection, feeding and other factors in terms of animal welfare. In addition, we detected a significant relationship between the farmers' perceptions and their gender, educational level, whether they enjoyed their work, or whether they applied the custom of religious sacrifice. Our results showed that emotional and cognitive factors related to farmers' perceptions may offer opportunities for progress in the domain of animal welfare.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.103-112
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• 1994

This study was a sequential experiment consisting if feeding trial and in vitro culture studies. Feeding was conducted by $2{\times}2{\times}2$ factorial design with two cimaterol levels (0, 0.25 mg/kg), two energy levels (3,200, 2,900 ME kcal/kg) and two sexes. In starting period (0-21 days) broilers were fed diets containing two energy level without dietary supplementation of cimaterol. During finishing period (21-42 days) cimaterol groups were fed cimaterol supplemented diets. In vitro cultures were carried out to study the cellular metabolism of protein and fat in liver and adipose tissues prepared from chicks used in feeding trials. Body weight gain was significantly improved by the administration of cimaterol to experimental diets by 2.4% (p < 0.05). Feed intake was reduced by cimaterol administration at the high energy level, but this trend was reversed at low energy level. Feed efficiency was improved by cimaterol administration and at high energy level the difference (5.7%) was significant(p < 0.05). The administration of cimaterol had no effects on percentage of abdominal fat content, giblet and neck. There was little difference in carcass yield between control and cimaterol treated group. The administration of cimaterol had no effects on nutrient metabolizability or carcass composition. The results of in vitro studies with liver tissues showed that cimaterol increased the lipolytic activities (p < 0.05) and decreased lipogenic activities (p < 0.05). In in vitro studies with acinar cell of liver tissues. cimaterol increased the amount of retained protein and decreased secreted protein at high energy level. but the trend was opposite at low energy level.

• 농업과학연구
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• 제48권4호
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• pp.975-985
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• 2021

The sufficient amount of protein supply is crucial for improving the growth performance of growing beef cattle. In addition, due to the improvement in the genetic potential of the carcass weight of Hanwoo steers, dietary protein requirements may be increased during the rapid growth period. Accordingly, the dietary crude protein (CP) level in growing Hanwoo steers has been increasing in the field. However, little scientific evidence is available in relation to this. Therefore, this study was conducted to test whether a higher dietary CP level than convention would improve the growth performance and body metabolism in growing Hanwoo steers. Fifty growing Hanwoo steers were randomly divided into two groups and fed either a commercial diet (CON) or a higher CP (HCP) concentrate mix, provided with a similar level of dietary energy. Tall fescue hay was provided ad libitum. The dietary CP level did not affect growth performance and blood metabolite. Nitrogen intake, predicted nitrogen excretion, and retained nitrogen were higher in the HCP group than in the CON group (p < 0.01). Although there was no difference in the nitrogen utilization efficiency, the growth efficiency per retained nitrogen decreased in the HCP group (p = 0.02). A higher dietary CP level may increase nitrogen retention in growing Hanwoo steers without improving growth performance, which leads to reduced growth efficiency per retained nitrogen. Furthermore, considering the high price of feed protein and increased nitrogen excretion to the environment, a further increase in the protein level may not be sustainable.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제31권6호
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• pp.873-880
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• 2018

Objective: The objective of this experiment was to compare the effects of adding 130 mg/kg Cu from either copper sulfate (CS) or tribasic copper chloride (TBCC) on growth performance, mineral deposition in tissues, and the excretion in feces of pigs as well as changes in the mineral contents in tissues and feces when the supplemental Cu level was decreased from 130 mg/kg to 10 mg/kg. Methods: A total of 72 pigs ($32.6{\pm}1.2kg$) were randomly assigned to a CS diet or a TBCC diet with 6 pens per treatment. The trial lasted 102 d and included 3 phases (phase 1, 1 to 30 d; phase 2, 31 to 81 d; and phase 3, 82 to 102 d). The supplemental levels of Cu in the 2 treatments were 130 mg/kg in phase 1 and 2 and 10 mg/kg in phase 3. Results: The results showed that pigs fed the CS diet tended to have higher average daily gain than pigs fed the TBCC diet during d 1 to 81 (p<0.10). Compared with CS, TBCC increased the activities of aspartate transaminase (AST), ceruloplasmin, and superoxide dismutase in serum on d 30 (p<0.05). The TBCC decreased the Cu level in the liver on d 81 (p<0.05) and increased the Mn level in the liver on d 102 (p<0.05). The concentration of Cu in feces sharply decreased when the supplemental Cu level in diet changed from 130 mg/kg to 10 mg/kg in both diets (p<0.05). Conclusion: The result suggested that TBCC and CS had no significant difference on growth performance but TBCC had higher activities of AST and antioxidant enzymes and lower liver Cu than CS when pigs fed diets with 130 mg Cu /kg diet.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제17권8호
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• pp.1162-1167
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• 2004

The present study was designed to define whether dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) could affect antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S transferase (GST), and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of lipid peroxidation, in the small intestine and liver from broiler chickens. A total of twenty-four 3 wk-old male broiler chickens were assigned to three dietary treatments (1.5% corn oil, 0.75% corn oil plus 0.75% CLA, and 1.5% CLA, isocalorically), and fed a grower-finisher diet from 22 to 35 days. In the small intestinal mucosae, the specific activities of SOD, GSH-Px, CAT, and GST, and the level of MDA were not substantially influenced by dietary CLA. In the liver, the specific activities of SOD, GSH-Px, and GST, and the level of MDA were also unaffected by dietary CLA at the level of either 0.75% or 1.5% compared with corn oil at the level of 1.5%. However, the broiler chickens fed the diet containing 1.5% CLA resulted in a significant increase in peroxisomal CAT activity and a marked decrease in total lipid and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) from liver tissues compared with those fed the diet containing 1.5% corn oil. In conclusion, ability of CLA to increase hepatic CAT activity suggest that dietary CLA may affect, at least in part, antioxidant defense system as well as lipid metabolism in the liver of broiler chickens.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 1997

This experiment was conducted with total 960 brown layers, consisted of 8 treatment to investigate the effects of dietary chromium as chromium picolinate on egg production, egg quality, nutrient utilizability, serum traits and mortality in brown layers. Layers were fed diets with two levels of dietary protein (14% and 16%) and supplemented with 0, 200, 400, 800 ppb/kg of chromium as chromium picolinate, respectively. The highest egg production, egg weight and egg mass were found in 800 ppb chromium picolinate supplementation group with high protein level (16%) (p < 0.05). Although there was no significant difference, layers receiving 400 ppb of chromium picolinate with high protein (16%) represented the lowest broken eggs. The utilization of energy, dry matter and crude protein of 400 ppb chromium picolinate group with low protein level (14%) were significantly higher than those of control or other chromium picolinate group (p < 0.05). 400 ppb chromium picolinate with low protein level (14%) showed the lowest serum glucose concentration. But serum glucose concentrations in all treatments showed no significant differences. Present date revealed that the lowest serum cholesterol concentration of layers was found at 400 ppb chromium picolinate group with high protein level (16%) (p < 0.05). Crude protein content in yolk was significantly higher in eggs of layers received 800 ppb chromium picolinate and the lowest in eggs from layers received 400 ppb chromium picolinate among chromium picolinate levels (p < 0.05). Mortality was remarkably decreased by chromium picolinate supplementation and the lowest mortality value was found in layres receiving 800 ppb chromium picolinate with high protein level.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제28권4호
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• pp.584-591
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• 2015

This study characterized the fecal bacterial community structure and inter-individual variation in 30-week-old Duroc pigs, which are known for their excellent meat quality. Pyrosequencing of the V1-V3 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA genes generated 108,254 valid reads and 508 operational taxonomic units at a 95% identity cut-off (genus level). Bacterial diversity and species richness as measured by the Shannon diversity index were significantly greater than those reported previously using denaturation gradient gel electrophoresis; thus, this study provides substantial information related to both known bacteria and the untapped portion of unclassified bacteria in the population. The bacterial composition of Duroc pig fecal samples was investigated at the phylum, class, family, and genus levels. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes predominated at the phylum level, while Clostridia and Bacteroidia were most abundant at the class level. This study also detected prominent inter-individual variation starting at the family level. Among the core microbiome, which was observed at the genus level, Prevotella was consistently dominant, as well as a bacterial phylotype related to Oscillibacter valericigenes, a valerate producer. This study found high bacterial diversity and compositional variation among individuals of the same breed line, as well as high abundance of unclassified bacterial phylotypes that may have important functions in the growth performance of Duroc pigs.