كارايي ضعيف توليد مثلي در گاوهاي شيري همچنان يك نگراني عمده براي صنعت دام شيري در سراسر جهان است. در چند دهه‌ي اخير، انتخاب ژنتيكي براي توليد شير با كاهش كارايي توليد مثلي همراه بوده است. تلاش‌هاي تحقيقي زيادي به منظور ابداع فناوري‌هايي جهت القاءِ تخمك‌گذاري همزمان براي تلقيح در زمان معين (TAI) در گاوهاي گوشتي و شيري انجام شده است. پروتكل Ovsynch، كه شامل دو تجويز هورمون آزادكننده­ي گنادوتروپين (GnRH) به فاصله­ي 9 روز، تجويز پروستاگلاندين F_2? (PGF_2?) هفت روز پس از GnRH اول، و انجام تلقيح 18-16 ساعت پس از تجويز GnRH دوم (GnRH2) است، برنامه­هاي توليد مثلي را مؤثرتر ساخته است. با اين حال، نرخ ضعيف تخمك­گذاري در پاسخ به GnRH2 ممكن است منجر به نرخ­هاي آبستني پايين شود. پژوهش­هاي زيادي جهت بهبود نرخ تخمك­گذاري با جايگزين كردن GnRH2 از جمله با گنادوتروپين كوريونيك انساني (hCG) كه مؤثرتر از GnRH در تحريك تخمك‌گذاري در گاوهاي شيري است انجام شده است. با اين حال گزارش شده است كه اين جايگزيني نرخ‌هاي تخمك‌گذاري و آبستني را افزايش نداد، بنابراين hCG يك جايگزين مناسب براي GnRH2 نيست. ما فرض كرديم كه درصد گاوهايي كه در پاسخ به GnRH2 تخمك­گذاري مي­كنند با تجويز همزمان hCG افزايش مي­يابد. بنابراين در مطالعه­ي حاضر اثر تجويز همزمان hCG و GnRH2 در مقايسه با تجويز جداگانه­ي هر يك از آنها بر عملكرد توليد مثلي گاوهاي هلشتاين شيرده مورد بررسي قرار گرفت. در اين مطالعه 62 رأس گاو بين زايش­هاي دوم و پنجم كه در روزهاي 5 ± 50 پس از زايش خود بودند به­طور تصادفي به سه گروه GPG (Ovsynch)، GPH (مانند گروه GPG ولي تجويز hCG به­جاي GnRH2) و GPG-H (مانند گروه GPG ولي تجويز hCG همزمان با GnRH2) تقسيم و 18-16 ساعت بعد از آخرين تزريق تلقيح (TAI) شدند. دام­ها در روزهاي 1- (TAI = D 0) و 7 جهت تعيين نرخ تخمك­گذاري و در روزهاي 30 و 55 جهت تعيين نرخ­هاي گيرايي و آبستني به روش سونوگرافي معاينه شدند. نمونه­هاي خون از وريد وداج دام­ها در روزهاي صفر و 12 جهت سنجش غلظت­هاي پروژسترون خون اخذ گرديد.

برنامه¬ي آوسينك، شامل دو تجويز هورمون آزادكننده¬ي گنادوتروپين (GnRH) به فاصله-ي 9 روز و تجويز پروستاگلاندين F2? (PGF2?) هفت روز بعد از تجويز GnRH نخست (GnRH1) و انجام تلقيح (TAI) 16-18 ساعت پس از تجويز GnRH2، برنامه¬هاي توليد مثلي را مؤثرتر ساخته است. با اين حال، عدم تخمك¬گذاري در پاسخ به GnRH1 ممكن است منجر به نرخ¬هاي آبستني پايين بخاطر تخمك¬گذاري غير همزمان پس از تجويز GnRH2 شود. پژوهش¬ها نشان داده¬اند كه گنادوتروپين كوريونيك انساني (hCG) مؤثرتر از GnRH در تحريك تخمك‌گذاري در گاوهاي شيري است. با اين حال گزارش شده است كه آغاز كردن پروتكل Ovsynch با hCG نرخ‌هاي تخمك‌گذاري و آبستني را در گاوهاي شيري شيرده افزايش نداد. بنابراين، hCG يك جايگزين مناسب براي GnRH1 نيست. ما فرض كرديم كه درصد گاوهايي كه در پاسخ به GnRH1 تخمك¬گذاري مي-كنند با تجويز همزمان hCG افزايش مي¬يابد. بنابراين در اين مطالعه اثر تجويز همزمان hCG و GnRH1 در مقايسه با تجويز جداگانه¬ي هر يك از آنها بر عملكرد توليد مثلي گاوهاي هلشتاين شيرده مورد بررسي قرار مي¬گيرد. در اين مطالعه 60 رأس گاو بين زايش¬هاي دوم و پنجم كه در روزهاي 3 ± 50 پس از زايش قرار دارند به¬طور تصادفي در گروه¬هاي Ovsynch، hCG (مانند گروه Ovsynch ولي تجويز hCG به¬جاي GnRH1) و GnRH1 + hCG تقسيم و 18-16 ساعت بعد از آخرين تزريق مورد تلقيح قرار گرفتند. گاوها در روزهاي 10-، 3-، 1-، صفر و 1 (TAI = day 0) جهت تعيين نرخ تخمك¬گذاري و در روزهاي 2 ± 30 جهت تعيين نرخ آبستني به روش سونوگرافي معاينه شدند. همچنين جهت سنجش غلظت¬هاي پروژسترون، از وريد وداج همه¬ي دام¬ها نمونه¬هاي خون در روزهاي 10-، 3-، 0، و 12 مطالعه اخذ گرديد. نتايج مطالعه‌ي حاضر نشان داد كه تجويز hCG همراه با GnRH نخست برنامه¬ي آوسينك در گاوهاي شيري شيرده موجب افزايش معني¬دار نرخ¬هاي تخمك¬گذاري اول و دوم، ميانگين قطر فوليكول غالب موج جديد فوليكولي در روز 1- و نرخ آبستني در گاوهاي شيري شيرده نمي¬شود. يكي از محدوديت¬هاي مطالعه¬ي حاضر، تعداد پايين دام¬ها در گروه¬هاي مورد مطالعه بود. بنابراين مطالعات بيشتري با استفاده از تعداد بزرگتري از گاوها مي¬تواند نتايج دقيق¬تري را فراهم نمايد.

لغات كليدي: آوسينك، تلقيح در زمان معين، گاو شيري، نرخ آبستني،   نرخ تخمك‌گذاري، هورمون گنادوتروپين كوريونيك انساني

  

This study aims to incorporate Chrysanthemum indicum petals’ extract (CIE) into the carboxymethyl cellulose nanofibers by the electrospinning technique and design corn starch- chitosan (CS-CH) aerogels enriched with encapsulated CIE 6% and montmorillonite (MMT, 0.5%) by freeze-drying process to track the freshness of rainbow trout fillets using corresponding pH-sensitive aerogels during 6 days of storage at chilled conditions. The thickness, water solubility, moisture content, and water vapor sorption capacity of developed CS-CH aerogels were 0.38 -0.39 cm, 5.49% - 59.80%, 0.10% - 0.17%, and 0.24% - 4.12%, respectively. The color of pH-sensitive CS-CH + CIE 6% and CS-CH + CIE 6% + MMT 0.5% aerogels was red, purplish-red,blue, peacock blue, and brown at pH 1-4, 5-6, 7, 8, and 9-10, respectively. After 4 days of refrigerated storage of the rainbow trout fillets, the initial white color of the CS-CH + CIE 6% and CS-CH + CIE 6% + MMT 0.5% aerogels rapidly turned blue, while the total viable count, psychrotrophic bacterial count, total volatile basic nitrogen, and pH of the samples reached 7.34  log CFU/g, 5.89 log CFU/g, 25.59 mg N/100 g, and 7.12, respectively, indicating that the samples spoiled and is no longer acceptable for human utilization.

Keywords: pH-sensitive label, electrospinning, freshness monitoring  

The objectives of the present experiment were to fabricate aerogels based on gelatin-sodium alginate (GL-SA) containing cellulose nanofibers (CNF, 1.5%) and encapsulated Echinacea angustifolia extract (EAE, 5.5%) and investigate their potential utilization of fabricated intelligent aerogels to track the silver carp fillet freshness over a 6-day period at refrigerated conditions. The GL-SA + EAE 5.5% and GL-SA + EAE 5.5% + CNF 1.5% aerogels presented distinguishable color changes at pH 1-2, 3-6, 7, 8, and 9-10, which were pink, red, dark violet, green, and yellow-brown, respectively, and were highly sensitive to volatile ammonia. The developed aerogels exhibited appropriate thermal stability and physical properties, including water solubility (14.15%-55.23%), moisture content (0.12%-0.28%), and water vapor sorption capacity (0.17%-0.81%). The colorimetric GL-SA + EAE 5.5% and GL-SA + EAE 5.5% + CNF 1.5% aerogels indicated different colors (white ? dark violet) to represent the spoilage of silver carp fillets as the pH (6.63 ? 7.12), total volatile basic nitrogen (7.49 mg N/100 g ? 25.89 mg N/100g), total viable count (3.34 log CFU/g ? 7.10 log CFU/g), and psychrotrophic bacterial count (3.01 log CFU/g ? 6.16 log CFU/g) of the packaged fish changed.

Spermatogonial stem cells are reproductive stem cells that serve as the basis of spermatogenesis to maintain fertility. However, it is important to be able to preserve these cells for a long time and prevent possible damage during the freezing process. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of investigating the protective effects of selenium-containing medium on stem cell freezing. For this purpose; Goat testicle samples were prepared by referring to Bistun Slaughterhouse in Kermanshah. Then the samples were sent to the laboratory and the testicular parenchyma tissue was removed and the stem cells were isolated by mechanical and enzymatic method. Then the treatment was added to four control groups, selenium with a dose of 0.5, 1 and 2 mg/ml along with the freezing solution was added to the cell fluid. Then they are incubated in DMEM medium containing 1% fetal calf serum for 72 hours at 38°C and after separating the suspended spermatogonial cells, the percentage of cell viability is evaluated. In order to freeze SSCs, the basic freezing medium with selenium dose of 0.5, 1 and 2 mg/ml is used and the cells are kept at 4°C for 2 hours and then at -80°C for 24 hours and finally to The nitrogen tank was transferred. In order to measure different levels of antioxidants (including SOD, CAT, MDA, GPx and TAC), all the tested groups were tested and analyzed after thawing and finally the obtained data were statistically analyzed. The findings obtained in the present study indicated that the administration of selenium caused a significant increase in the percentage of survival after the freezing process (p<0.05). By examining antioxidant levels, it was found that selenium with its antioxidant properties affects all antioxidant indices and causes a decrease in the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) (p<0.05), an increase in superoxide dismutase (SOD). ), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (p<0.05) and the best effectiveness was related to the dose of 1 mg/ml. Therefore, in order to protect and increase the quality of spermatogonial stem cells during the freezing process, the use of selenium can be beneficial and the use of selenium supplements is recommended.

  

Background: Pain is one of the most common clinical symptoms. Clinical treatment of pain is still a big problem. Therefore, it is necessary for researchers to look for treatments with fewer side effects. Plants have high biological importance and some of them can show antinociceptive activities. Esculin is one of the important derivatives of Fraxinus rhynchophylla plant bark. The purpose of this study is to investigate the antinociceptive effects of esculin and the possible mechanisms involved in it in adult male mice.

Methods: In this study, mice were divided into 5 groups, which include the control group, 3 groups receiving esculin (with doses of 10, 20 and 40 mg/kg) and the indomethacin group (5 mg/kg). Pain induction was done using writhing test. To check the analgesic activity, 30 minutes after the injection of the above compounds in the respective groups, 0.6% acetic acid (10 mg/kg) was injected and the behavior of the mice was observed for 30 minutes to count the number of writhes. took Then, the most effective dose of esculin (40 mg/kg) was selected to investigate the involved mechanisms. In order to investigate the possible role of the systems involved in analgesia caused by esculin, pretreatment with naloxone (opioidergic receptors antagonist, 2 mg/kg), atropine (cholinergic receptors antagonist, 1 mg/kg), chlorpheniramine (H1 histaminergic receptors antagonist, 20 mg/kg), cimetidine (H2 histaminergic receptors antagonist, 12.5 mg/kg), flumazenil (GABAergic receptors antagonist, 5 mg/kg), cyproheptadine (serotonergic receptors antagonist, 4 mg/kg) and yohimbine (adrenergic receptors antagonist, 2 mg/kg) were administered 15 minutes before the injection of esculin. Then, 15 minutes after the injection of esculin, acetic acid was injected and the number of writhes was calculated for 30 minutes. All injections were done intraperitoneally.

Results: The results showed that esculin has a dose-dependent antinociceptive effect in pain induced by the writhing test (0/05>P(. Also, in the groups pretreated with naloxone, atropine, flumazenil and yohimbine, the antinociceptive effects decreased significantly (0/05>P(.

Abstract

  

Background: Cancer is one of four most life threatening diseases in human. Chemotherapy is one of the common routes of cancer treatment. One of the mechanism of action of cisplatin is induction of Oxidative stress, cell damage and as a result of these, initiation of apoptosis process in cells. Whereas cisplatin acts non-selectively, in addition to tumoral cells, it has some bad effects on normal cells too. Syringic acid is a phenolic compound having kinds of therapeutic properties like antioxidant effects. With due attention to past studies, protective effect of syringic acid on oxidative strees induced by cisplatin in some tissues like liver, kidney and ovary were proven. This study is conducted with the aim of investigation of protective effect of syringic acid on cisplatin induced testicular damage in adult male rats.

  

Material and methods: thirty five male Wistar rats were divided to five groups of seven. 1- Group of receiving saline 2-Group of receiving saline and Cisplatin 3-Group of receiving Vitamin C with a dose of 150 mg/kg and Cisplatin 4-Group of receiving Syringic acid with a dose of 50 mg/kg 5-Group of receiving Syringic acid with a dose of 100 mg/kg. Duration of study was 14 days and animals were administered daily with Syringic acid and Vitamin C orally and also given Cisplatin with a dose of 7 mg/kg in day 8 as a single dose intraperitoneally. At the end of treatment course, animals after weight measurement, were euthanized. After getting blood sample and harvesting testicles, weight and size of each testis was recorded. Amount of MDA, SOD and TAC in testis tissue, testosterone concentration in blood serum was measured and histopathological section of testis tissue with H&E staining was done. Datas were analysed with reversed variance (ANOVA) and Tuckey pursuance test.

  

Results: SOD and TAC levels of group receiving Cisplatin were meaningfully lower than control group (P<0.05). Increase in amount of these parameters in groups receiving Vitamin C and Syringic acid with doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg in relation with Cisplatin group was evaluated (P<0.05). In Cisplatin group, MDA levels were meaningfully greater than control group (P<0.05). Decrease of this factor in groups receiving Vitamin C and Syringic acid with doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg in relation with Cisplatin group was recorded (P<0.05). In addition, testosterone levels of Cisplatin group was meaningfully lower than control group (P<0.05). Significant increase in testosterone levels in Vitamin C and Syringic acid with doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg versus with Cisplatin group was observed (P<0.05). With administration of Cisplatin, size and weight of testicles were decreased in relation to control group considerably (P<0.05). Although administration of Vitamin C and Syringic acid with doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg could increase theses parameters meaningfully (P<0.05). In addition, based on histopathological investigation in different groups, administration of Vitamin C and Syringic acid wth a dose of 50 mg/kg improved seminiferous tubules health, number and accumulation of leydig cells in relation with Cisplatin group, but improvement of these factors in testicular tissue in a group which received Syringic acid with a dose of 100 mg/kg was significantly greater than other groups in relation to Cisplatin receiving group.

  

Conclusion: Syringic acid probably has protective effects against testicular damage caused by cisplatin administration.

  

Keywords: Syringic acid, Cisplatin, Testis, Rat, Antioxidant, Chemotherapy

  

  ermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) are mature stem cells that have the ability to self-renew, differentiate and transfer genetics to the next generation. Due to the importance of these cells, recent medical and biological studies have focused on the process of their isolation, purification, diagnosis, cultivation and maintenance. For long-term preservation of cell stocks, freezing is the method of choice. Although freezing makes it possible to preserve cell reserves, it causes oxidative stress in cells.Curcumin is the effective substance of the yellow juba plant, which prevents the production of free radicals and damage to cells with its antioxidant properties. In order to preserve the reserves of spermatogonial cells, it is necessary to improve the freezing environment. The aim of the work is to investigate the effect of curcumin on the survival and quality of frozen testicular stem cells after thawing in order to improve the freezing environment in goats.

  

  

The effects of co-administration of Doxorubicin and green synthesized ZnO    on the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells; in vitro and in silico assessment

Abstract

The chemotherapy drug Doxorubicin (DOXO) can inflict substantial bone damage on cancer patients. While the mechanisms behind DOXO-induced osteoporosis remain incompletely elucidated, evidence suggests that DOXO may hinder the osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) through the Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 (BMP-2)/Drosophila mothers against decapentaplegics (SMAD) signaling pathway. Notably, Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnO   ) have proven effective in promoting bone formation, mineralization, and osteoblastic cell proliferation. Recently, green-synthesized ZnO    exhibit immense potential for various biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability.

This study investigates the effects of co-administration of DOXO and green synthesized the ZnO    from hydroalcoholic extract of Cercis siliquastrum (C.S) on the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs; in vitro and in silico assessments. ZnO    were synthesized from hydroalcoholic extract of C.S and characterized both qualitatively and quantitatively. To determine their effect on osteogenic differentiation, BMSCs were cultured in media with and without ZnO    (10 µg/ml) and DOXO (10 nmol) for 14 days. The transcription of genes involved in osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs was analyzed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The impact of ZnO    on osteoblast function and bone formation was assessed by ALP enzyme and intracellular calcium deposition assays. To investigate the ability of the ZnO    to target BMPRs, an in silico molecular docking simulation was conducted using the descriptive-analytical method. AutoDock 4.2.6 software was employed to examine the binding interaction between the ZnO    and the active site of BMPRs.

The BMSCs groups treated with the ZnO    significantly increased the expression of osteogenic differentiation-related genes (BMP-2, runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), ALP and collagen type IA (COL1A). and intracellular calcium deposition. Also the most negative binding energy level (?G bind = -3.14 and -2.32 kcal/mol) demonstrated a propensity for binding to the active sites of both the type II receptor (BMPRII) and type I receptor (BMPRIa), Respectively.

Our research sheds valuable light on the mechanism underlying the osteogenic differentiation-inducing effects of a combined treatment of DOXO and the ZnO   , both in vitro and in silico. This finding could potentially pave the way for exploring novel strategies to prevent chemotherapy-induced osteoporosis.

Key words:

Doxorubicin, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, zinc oxide nanoparticles, Cercis siliquastrum, molecular docking, BMP2 signaling pathway

The use of ?-tocopherol in the freezing environment prevents lipoperoxidation and damage by ROS (reactive oxygen species). However, the effects of these antioxidants in goat sperm have not been studied. In order to prepare goat testicular spermatogonial stem cells, the testicles of immature goats slaughtered in Biston industrial slaughterhouse were used. Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) were isolated from the testis. The percentage of life of spermatogonial stem cells before and after freezing was evaluated. The samples were divided into three control groups, treatment 1 (100 mM alpha-copherol plus basic medium) and treatment 2 (200 mM alpha-copherol plus basic medium). Catalase tests, superoxide dismutase (SOD) test, total antioxidant capacity index (TAC), glutathione peroxidase and lipid peroxidation index (malondialdehyde test results) were measured. Using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's supplementary test (Duncan Test), the effects of different concentrations of alpha-copherol were investigated, and values of P<0.05 were considered as significant level. The results of our study showed that supplementing sperm with alpha-tocopherol does not have a toxic effect on the life of sperms, on the other hand, it increases the amount of antioxidants catalase (P<0.05), superoxide dismutase (P<0.05) and total antioxidant capacity (P> 0.05) compared to frozen sperm without alpha-tocopherol supplementation. However, the addition of alpha-tocopherol increases the oxidant of glutathione peroxidase compared to frozen sperm without the addition of alpha-tocopherol, although this relationship was not significant (P>0.05), but no increase was observed compared to malondialdehyde. Rather, it caused this oxidant significantly compared to the control group (P<0.05).   In general, adding alpha-tocopherol to the freezing medium optimizes goat sperm freezing. The use of this antioxidant can help preserve sperm physiology and fertilization capacity during cryopreservation and is an essential biotechnological tool for genetic

improvement and conservation of small ruminant species of interest.  

  Osteoarthritis is one of the most common skeletal problems that affects millions of people around the world and makes life difficult for these people. There are many methods for inducing osteoarthritis in various researches, which are divided into two general categories: mechanical and chemical. Mechanical method includes surgical methods. including a variety of surgical models, including partial or complete meniscectomy, medial meniscus destabilization, meniscal tear, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or posterior cruciate ligament amputation, medial and/or external collateral ligament amputation, cartilage defect, and osteotomy is Among the mechanical methods, cutting the anterior cruciate ligament is one of the common methods for causing osteoarthritis. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are non-hematopoietic progenitor cells that can differentiate into different tissues such as cartilage, osteocyte and fat cells. Together, stem cells secrete nutritional, vascular, and immunosuppressive factors that have a paracrine effect on tissue resident cells (TRC). Mesenchymal stem cells are usually obtained from bone marrow, but with today's knowledge, these cells can be isolated from different tissues such as skeletal muscle, synovial membrane, and fat tissue. It has recently been found that extracting stem cells from adipose tissue is more suitable due to less invasiveness and risk. In adult animals, adipose tissue accumulates mostly in the area of the arm, thigh, subcutaneous part of the abdomen, omentum, and fat around internal organs such as kidney and liver. The amount of body fat depends on the physical condition (obesity/thinness) of the animal or human, but the amount of omentum has a fixed value. Also, the access to omentum tissue is easier than other tissues and it is more efficient than subcutaneous fat tissue. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of mesenchymal cells extracted from the omentum in the treatment of experimental osteoarthritis in a rabbit animal model. For this purpose, 22 pieces of adult male rabbits, with an average weight of 1300 ± 200 grams, will be used, and in all rabbits, after anesthesia, the anterior cruciate ligament of the left knee will be cut. After 12 weeks, two pieces of rabbit will be humanely euthanized and osteoarthritis will be confirmed using radiology and microCT. Other rabbits are divided into 4 groups of 5. The first group is the control group, which does not receive any treatment. The second group will be treated with omentum mesenchymal cells, the third group will be treated with hyaluronic acid, and the fourth group will be combined treatment with mesenchymal cells and hyaluronic acid. 8 weeks after treatment, all animals will be humanely euthanized and subjected to microCT and pathology studies. It is expected that by comparing the treatments that have been carried out, it will provide a suitable treatment method for osteoarthritis.

The objective of this study was to investigate thepattern of changes in vaginal epithelial cells and serum progesterone andestrogen concentrations during the estrous cycle and early pregnancy inmultiparous Synjabi ewes. The ewes (n=20) 45 to 60 days in milk weresynchronized by intramuscular administration of GnRH (day 0)-PGF2? + hCG (day7) and insertion of a controlled internal drug release device (CIDR) (days0-7). At day 7, the ewes were introduced to four fertile rams and observed forestrus behavior. On exhibiting estrus signs, the ewes (n=14) were allocatedrandomly to the study groups: 1) Pregnant (n=9): the ewes were allowed to bemated, then isolated and housed in a separate location. 2) Non-pregnant (n=5):the ewes were not allowed to be mated and isolated from the rams immediatelyafter being detected in estrus. From the first day of exhibiting estrus signs(day 0) until day 20, mucosal samples were collected daily from the anteriorvagina of all ewes using a cytobrush and three smears were prepared from eachsample. The smears were stained using Giemsa staining and studied under lightmicroscopy (Objective: x40) to count cell types. The percentage of each cell typewas calculated as the number of the corresponding cell type counted within 10microscopic fields divided by the total number of all cell types. Blood sampleswere collected via puncture of the jugular veins of all animals intonon-heparinized plastic tubes every other day beginning at day 0 andtransmitted to the laboratory within one hour to determine changes in serumconcentrations of progesterone and estrogen during the first 20 days afterestrus detection. The serum was obtained after centrifugation (3000x g, 15minutes), and stored at -20 ^?C until hormonal assay using ELISA.Pregnancy diagnosis in the Pregnant group was performed 35 days post-mating bytransrectal ultrasound and the pregnant ewes (n=5) served as the Pregnantgroup, while those that were non-pregnant, were excluded from the study. Theresults showed difference in the percentage of vaginal epithelial cells amongvarious stages of estrus cycle and early pregnancy. In estrus and metestrus, nosignificant differences were observed in the percentage of each cell typebetween both groups. In these stages, the greatest and the least percentages ofthe cells were those of the superficial and parabasal cells,respectively. In diestrus, neutrophils and the keratinized cells were greatestin the Pregnant and Non-pregnant ewes, respectively. In this stage, thepercentage of superficial cells showed a remarkable reduction in both thePregnant and Non-pregnant groups. The number of intermediate cells reduced inthe Non-pregnant group but at the same time, they were constant in the Pregnantgroup. The parabasal cells were the least cell population in both groups. Inthe last 4 days of sampling, neutrophils were the greatestcells in the Pregnant group, whereas thesuperficial cells were greatest in the Non-pregnant group. At this stage,neutrophils showed a considerable reduction in the Non-pregnant group, but thenumber of parabasal and intermediate cells were significantly increased. At day0, serum progesterone concentrations were <1 ng/ml in both groups. Then itgradually increased to reach   its maximumconcentration. Maximum progesterone concentrations were maintained in thePregnant group until day 20, but in the Non-pregnant group they started to decrease from day 16 and reached <1ng/ml on days 18 to 20. The highest levels of estrogen were observed on day 0in both groups, then reached <2 pg/ml and remained at this level until theend of the period, whereas in the Non-pregnant group, estrogen concentrationsagain returned to the maximum values on day 18. In conclusion, the results ofthe present study showed that vaginal cytology can be used as a useful tool inassessing hormonal and physiological characteristics of the reproductive systemof ewes and thus provides a more accurate understanding of the physiology ofthe estrus cycle and early pregnancy in ewes, which can be used to improve

reproductive management.  

Poor reproductive efficiency in dairy cows continues to be a major concern for the dairy industry worldwide. In the last few decades, genetic selection for milk production has been associated with decreased reproductive efficiency. The modern high-producing dairy cow partitions a greater proportion of available nutrients toward milk production at the expenses of body reserves and reproduction. On the other hand, incorrect detection of estrus is related to the loss of profit due to extended calving intervals, milk loss, and related veterinary costs. Considerable research efforts have focused on developing technologies to induce synchronized ovulation for timed artificial insemination (TAI) in beef and dairy cattle. The objective of the present study was to improve ovulation rate (OR), conception rate (CR) and pregnancy rate (PR) in lactating Holstein dairy cows by replacing the second gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH2) in Ovsynch and Co-synch protocols with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Forty nine cows that had performed their first calving about 60 days ago were registered in the following groups after being confirmed to be healthy clinically: 1) The Ovsynch group (OVS; n=12): GnRH, 7 days, PGF2?, 56 hours, GnRH, 16-18 hours TAI; 2) The Co-synch group (COS; n=12): GnRH, 7 days, PGF2?, 72 hours, GnRH + TAI; 3) The Ovsynch + hCG (OVS-hCG; n=12): As OVS except that the GnRH2 was replaced with a dose of hCG (1500 i.u., i.m.); 4) The Co-synch + hCG (COS-hCG; n=13): As COS except that the GnRH2 was replaced with a dose of hCG (1500 i.u., i.m.). Ovaries of all animals were scanned ultrasonographically on days 9, 10 and 11 after beginning of the protocols (day 0, the beginning day of the protocols) to record ovulation. Ovulation was defined as the disappearance (from one scanning session to the next) of a previously identified follicle greater than or equal to 8 mm in diameter. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed by transrectal ultrasonography on days 30 ± 1 and 42 ± 1 after TAI for determining CR an PR, respectively. The results of the current study showed that the highiest OR, CR, and PR were achieved in OVS, OVS, and OVS, and the lowest OR, CR, and PR in COS, OVS-hCG, and COS-hCG, respectively, but the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). In conclusion, the results of the present study demonstrated that replacing GnRH2 with hCG in Ovsynch and Co-synch protocols did not improve OR, CR, or PR (P=0.08). Conducting the experiment in a larger scale may reveal more clear results.

  

Fear-Related Behaviors and Diffrent Types of fear Evoking Stimule in Household Domestic Dog(Canis familaris) of

بررسي سميت حاد و تحت مزمن عصاره ي هيدرو الكلي اندام هوايي گياه غازياقي (falcaria vulgaris) درموش صحرايي نژاد ويستار: رويكرد توكسيكوپاتولوژيك