Effects of heat stress on reproductive efficiency in Holstein dairy cattle in the North African arid region

2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (9) ◽  
pp. 1250-1257
Author(s):  
Hanane Djelailia ◽  
Rachid Bouraoui ◽  
Bayrem Jemmali ◽  
Taha Najar
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Arid Region ◽  
Reproductive Efficiency ◽  
North African ◽  
The North

TALL FESCUE TOXICITY: AN INVESTIGATION OF IDIOPATHIC BOVINE HYPERTHERMIA (IBH) IN THE NORTH AUCKLAND PENINSULA.

1986 ◽  
pp. 183-186
Author(s):  
M.P. Kearns
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Tall Fescue ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Farm Management ◽  
Dairy Herds ◽  
Jersey Cattle ◽  
The North ◽  
Almost All

A survey was made of 64 dairy herds, grazing pastures containing naturalised tall fescue in the North Auckland peninsula, to demonstrate an assooation of endophyte fungus in tall fescue with IBH. Of these, 40 farms had cattle with IBH and 24 had no IBH. Endophyte fungus was identtfied in tall fescue samples from all survey farms. Acremonium coenophiolum was demonstrated in samples from almost all farms and a high proportion of these also showed a Phiafophora-like endophyte. No correlation could be shown between the presence of endophyte or any farm management practices such as topdressing etc and IBH. Breed susceptibility was observed in Friesian breeds whilst Jersey cattle were less susceptible. IBH first appeared in November and December with a peak m January. Most affected herds had a hlstory of IBH for many years. Keywords: Dairy cattle, tall fescue toxicity, endophyte fungus, idiopathic bovine hyperthermia, IBH. heat-stress, hyperthermia.

Skeletochronology and mark–recapture assessments of growth in the North African agamid lizard (Agama impalearis)

1999 ◽  
Vol 249 (4) ◽  
pp. 455-461
Author(s):  
El Hassan El Mouden ◽  
Mohammed Znari ◽  
Richard P. Brown
Keyword(s):  
North African ◽  
Mark Recapture ◽  
Agamid Lizard ◽  
The North

scholarly journals Defatted Hydroethanolic Extract of Ammodaucus leucotrichus Cosson and Durieu Seeds: Antidiabetic and Anti-Inflammatory Activities

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (24) ◽  
pp. 9147
Author(s):  
Imane Es-Safi ◽  
Hamza Mechchate ◽  
Amal Amaghnouje ◽  
Anna Calarco ◽  
Smahane Boukhira ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wistar Rats ◽  
Fasting Blood Glucose ◽  
Diabetic Mice ◽  
North African ◽  
Glucose Levels ◽  
The North ◽  
Blood Glucose Levels ◽  
Anti Inflammatory ◽  
Hydroethanolic Extract ◽  
Inflammatory Effect

The seeds of Ammodaucus leucotrichus Cosson and Durieu have been used in the North African Sahara as a traditional medicine to treat diabetes. The present study investigates the antidiabetic, antihyperglycemic, and anti-inflammatory properties of the defatted hydroethanolic extract of Ammodaucus leucotrichus (DHEAM). The antidiabetic and the antihyperglycemic studies were assessed on alloxan-induced diabetic with orally administered doses of DHEAM (100 and 200 mg/kg). At the same time, its anti-inflammatory propriety was evaluated by measuring edema development in the Wistar rats paw induced with carrageenan. Treatment of diabetic mice with DHEAM for four weeks managed their high fasting blood glucose levels, improved their overall health, and also revealed an excellent antihyperglycemic activity. Following the anti-inflammatory results, DHEAM exhibited a perfect activity. HPLC results revealed the presence of seven molecules (chlorogenic acid, 3-p-coumaroylquinic acid, gallic acid, ferulic acid, myricetin, quercetin, luteolin). This work indicates that the DHEAM has an important antidiabetic, antihyperglycemic, and anti-inflammatory effect that can be well established as a phytomedicine to treat diabetes.

scholarly journals Genotype-by-environment interaction in Holstein heifer fertility traits using single-step genomic reaction norm models

BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Shi ◽  
Luiz Fernando Brito ◽  
Aoxing Liu ◽  
Hanpeng Luo ◽  
Ziwei Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Stress ◽  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Candidate Genes ◽  
Heat Tolerance ◽  
Reaction Norm ◽  
Single Step ◽  
Conception Rate ◽  
Critical Periods ◽  
Genotype By Environment ◽  
Fertility Traits

Abstract Background The effect of heat stress on livestock production is a worldwide issue. Animal performance is influenced by exposure to harsh environmental conditions potentially causing genotype-by-environment interactions (G × E), especially in highproducing animals. In this context, the main objectives of this study were to (1) detect the time periods in which heifer fertility traits are more sensitive to the exposure to high environmental temperature and/or humidity, (2) investigate G × E due to heat stress in heifer fertility traits, and, (3) identify genomic regions associated with heifer fertility and heat tolerance in Holstein cattle. Results Phenotypic records for three heifer fertility traits (i.e., age at first calving, interval from first to last service, and conception rate at the first service) were collected, from 2005 to 2018, for 56,998 Holstein heifers raised in 15 herds in the Beijing area (China). By integrating environmental data, including hourly air temperature and relative humidity, the critical periods in which the heifers are more sensitive to heat stress were located in more than 30 days before the first service for age at first calving and interval from first to last service, or 10 days before and less than 60 days after the first service for conception rate. Using reaction norm models, significant G × E was detected for all three traits regarding both environmental gradients, proportion of days exceeding heat threshold, and minimum temperature-humidity index. Through single-step genome-wide association studies, PLAG1, AMHR2, SP1, KRT8, KRT18, MLH1, and EOMES were suggested as candidate genes for heifer fertility. The genes HCRTR1, AGRP, PC, and GUCY1B1 are strong candidates for association with heat tolerance. Conclusions The critical periods in which the reproductive performance of heifers is more sensitive to heat stress are trait-dependent. Thus, detailed analysis should be conducted to determine this particular period for other fertility traits. The considerable magnitude of G × E and sire re-ranking indicates the necessity to consider G × E in dairy cattle breeding schemes. This will enable selection of more heat-tolerant animals with high reproductive efficiency under harsh climatic conditions. Lastly, the candidate genes identified to be linked with response to heat stress provide a better understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms of heat tolerance in dairy cattle.

scholarly journals Identification and Characterization of the Most Common Genetic Variant Responsible for Acephalic Spermatozoa Syndrome in Men Originating from North Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 2187
Author(s):  
Caroline Cazin ◽  
Yasmine Boumerdassi ◽  
Guillaume Martinez ◽  
Selima Fourati Ben Mustapha ◽  
Marjorie Whitfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Transmission Electron Microscopy ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Posterior Part ◽  
North African ◽  
The North ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
Variant Filtering ◽  
North African Population ◽  
Sperm Nuclei

Acephalic spermatozoa syndrome (ASS) is a rare but extremely severe type of teratozoospermia, defined by the presence of a majority of headless flagella and a minority of tail-less sperm heads in the ejaculate. Like the other severe monomorphic teratozoospermias, ASS has a strong genetic basis and is most often caused by bi-allelic variants in SUN5 (Sad1 and UNC84 domain-containing 5). Using whole exome sequencing (WES), we investigated a cohort of nine infertile subjects displaying ASS. These subjects were recruited in three centers located in France and Tunisia, but all originated from North Africa. Sperm from subjects carrying candidate genetic variants were subjected to immunofluorescence analysis and transmission electron microscopy. Moreover, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed on sperm nuclei to assess their chromosomal content. Variant filtering permitted us to identify the same SUN5 homozygous frameshift variant (c.211+1_211+2dup) in 7/9 individuals (78%). SUN5 encodes a protein localized on the posterior part of the nuclear envelope that is necessary for the attachment of the tail to the sperm head. Immunofluorescence assays performed on sperm cells from three mutated subjects revealed a total absence of SUN5, thus demonstrating the deleterious impact of the identified variant on protein expression. Transmission electron microscopy showed a conserved flagellar structure and a slightly decondensed chromatin. FISH did not highlight a higher rate of chromosome aneuploidy in spermatozoa from SUN5 patients compared to controls, indicating that intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) can be proposed for patients carrying the c.211+1_211+2dup variant. These results suggest that the identified SUN5 variant is the main cause of ASS in the North African population. Consequently, a simple and inexpensive genotyping of the 211+1_211+2dup variant could be beneficial for affected men of North African origin before resorting to more exhaustive genetic analyses.

scholarly journals PSVII-6 Effects of heat stress on proteolysis in dairy cattle skeletal muscle

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 168-168
Author(s):  
Melissa S Roths ◽  
Megan A Abeyta ◽  
Tori Rudolph ◽  
Brittany Wilson ◽  
Matthew B Hudson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Electric Heating ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Urea Nitrogen ◽  
Plasma Urea ◽  
E3 Ligases ◽  
Acclimation Period ◽  
Milk Urea

Abstract Heat stress (HS) occurs when internal body temperatures are elevated above a thermoneutral zone in response to extreme environmental temperatures. In the U.S. dairy industry, HS results in economic loss due to decreased feed intake, milk quality, and milk yield. Previous work has demonstrated increased plasma urea nitrogen in heat stressed dairy cattle which is thought to originate from increased skeletal muscle proteolysis, however this has not been empirically established. The objective of this investigation was to determine the extent to which HS promotes proteolysis in skeletal muscle of dairy cattle. We hypothesized HS would increase activation of the calpain and proteasome systems in skeletal muscle. To test this hypothesis, following a 3-d acclimation period in individual box stalls, all lactating dairy cows were held under thermoneutral (TN) conditions for 4-d for collection of baseline measures and then exposed to TN or HS conditions for 7-d followed by a biopsy of semitendinosus (n=8/group). To induce HS, cattle were fitted with electric heating blankets, which they wore for the duration of the heating period. This approach increased rectal temperature 1.1°C (P< 0.05), respiratory rate by 33 bpm (P< 0.05), plasma urea nitrogen by 19% (P=0.08) and milk urea nitrogen by 26% (P< 0.05), and decreased dry matter intake by 32% (P< 0.05) and milk production by 26% (P< 0.05) confirming HS. Contrary to our expectations, we discovered that calpain I and II abundance and activation, and calpain activity were similar between groups. Likewise, protein expression of E3 ligases, MafBx and Murf1, were similar between groups as was total ubiquitinated proteins and proteasome activity. Collectively, and counter to our hypothesis, these results suggest skeletal muscle proteolysis is not increased following 7-d of HS. These data question the presumed dogma that increased blood urea nitrogen is due to elevated proteolysis in skeletal muscle.

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