Molecular Mechanisms Associated with the Development of the Metritis Complex in Dairy Cattle.

The metritis complex (MC), a group of post-partum uterine diseases, is associated with increased treatment costs and reduced milk yield and fertility. The goal of this study was to identify genetic variants, genes, or genomic regions that modulate MC disease. A genome-wide association study was performed using a single-locus mixed linear model of 1967 genotypes (624,460 SNPs) and metritis complex records.

Dietary fat composition shapes bile acid metabolism and severity of liver injury in a pig model of pediatric NAFLD.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary fatty acid (FA) composition on bile acid (BA) metabolism in a pig model of NAFLD, by using a multiomics approach combined with histology and serum biochemistry. Thirty 20-day-old Iberian pigs pair-housed in pens were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 3 hypercaloric diets for 10 wk: ) lard-enriched (LAR; = 5 pens), ) olive oil-enriched (OLI; = 5), and ) coconut oil-enriched (COC; = 5). Animals were euthanized on after blood sampling, and liver, colon, and distal ileum (DI) were collected for histology, metabolomics, and transcriptomics.

Compensating for a stressful pregnancy? Glucocorticoid treatment during gravidity reduces metabolic rate in female fence lizards post-parturition.

Reproduction is a critical part of an animal's life history, but one which incurs significant costs to survival and future reproductive potential. These physiological consequences are likely to be influenced by context - for example, if an individual is subject to environmental stressors, physiological and behavioral changes associated with reproduction may be altered. Glucocorticoids, hormones produced as part of the physiological response to stressors, may alter how reproduction affects female physiology and behavior, and therefore the outcomes of reproductive trade-offs.

Managing Reproduction Emergencies in the Field: Part 2: Parturient and Periparturient Conditions.

Selected conditions affecting broodmares are discussed, including arterial rupture, dystocia, foal support with ex utero intrapartum treatment, uterine prolapse, postpartum colic, the metritis/sepsis/systemic inflammatory response syndrome complex, and retained fetal membranes. Postpartum colic beyond third-stage labor contractions should prompt comprehensive evaluation for direct injuries to the reproductive tract or indirect injury of the intestinal tract. Mares with perforation or rupture of the uterus are typically recognized 1 to 3 days after foaling, with depression, fever, and leukopenia; laminitis and progression to founder can be fulminant.

Managing Reproduction Emergencies in the Field: Part 1: Injuries in Stallions; Injury of the External Portion of the Reproductive Tract and Gestational Conditions in the Mare.

Selected emergency conditions of male and female reproductive tracts in horses are described, including injuries affecting the external genitalia of male horses and emergent conditions arising during gestation in mares. Conditions affecting male horses are discussed in the context of breeding stallions, but kicks or other mechanisms of trauma in the groin can also affect geldings. Priapism, paraphimosis, trauma to the scrotum and testicles, and penile injury are discussed.