Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Luboš Novotný Author-Workplace-Name: Czech-Moravian Breeders' Corporation, Hradištko, Czech Republic Author-Name: Jan Frelich Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czech Republic Author-Name: Jan Beran Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czech Republic Author-Name: Ludmila Zavadilová Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Title: Genetic relationship between type traits, number of lactations initiated, and lifetime milk performance in Czech Fleckvieh cattle Abstract: Genetic relationship was analyzed between type traits and longevity measures in dual-purpose cattle. Data from 91 486 Czech Fleckvieh cows first calved between 2003 and 2009 were used. Longevity was defined as the actual number of lactations initiated per cow and also as functional longevity, which incorporated an adjustment to account for variation in voluntary culling based upon milk production. Lifetime performance was defined as cumulative milk production through the 6th parity. All cows were scored for conformation traits during their first lactation. Genetic correlations between these traits and longevity measures were estimated by bivariate analysis using the DMU variance component program package. Type trait heritabilities ranged from 0.30 to 0.59, while heritabilities for longevity and functional longevity were 0.06 and 0.05, respectively. Heritability of lifetime performance was 0.08. Genetic correlations between type traits and longevity measures ranged from low to intermediate values. Genetic correlations of the measured body size traits to the real and functional longevity ranged from -0.06 to -0.29, for udder traits from -0.02 to 0.33, and for foot and leg traits from -0.03 to 0.17. Genetic correlations between the measured body size traits and lifetime performance ranged from -0.03 to -0.30, for udder traits from 0.05 to 0.47, for foot and leg traits from -0.07 to 0.15. Genetic correlations of composite trait scores for frame, muscularity, feet and legs, and udder with longevity traits ranged from -0.20 to 0.41 and for lifetime performance -0.14 to 0.51. The highest genetic correlations between a type trait and functional longevity were for composite udder score (0.25), feet and legs (0.26), and udder depth (0.33), suggesting that these traits could serve as indicators of functional longevity. We conclude that selection based upon easily and inexpensively measured type traits could improve functional longevity of cows as well as lifetime milk production. Keywords: dairy cows, longevity, lifetime performance, conformation traits, genetic correlation Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 501-510 Volume: 62 Issue: 12 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/60/2017-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/60/2017-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201712-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:62:y:2017:i:12:id:60-2017-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Ewa Jastrzębska Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Horse Breeding and Riding, Faculty of Animal Bioengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland Author-Name: Ewa Wadas Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Horse Breeding and Riding, Faculty of Animal Bioengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland Author-Name: Tomasz Daszkiewicz Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Commodity Science and Processing Raw Materials of Animal Origin, Faculty of Animal Bioengineering, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland Author-Name: Renata Pietrzak-Fiećko Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Commodities and Food Analysis, Faculty of Food Science, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland Title: Nutritional value and health-promoting properties of mare's milk - a review Abstract: Recent interest in mare's milk is associated with the fact that it contains a wide variety of valuable nutrients with health-promoting properties. Among milks of many mammal species, it is the mare's milk that is highly appreciated for similarity to human milk in terms of chemical composition allowing its use as a substitute for mother's milk in infant feeding. It can also be used in feeding people with various health conditions. The global market offers still more food products and cosmetics containing mare's milk. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the nutritional value and health-promoting properties of mare's milk. Keywords: chemical composition, breed, lactation, fatty acids Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 511-518 Volume: 62 Issue: 12 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/61/2016-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/61/2016-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201712-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:62:y:2017:i:12:id:61-2016-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Youwei Li Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Genome Engineered Animal Models for Human Diseases, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, P.R. China Author-Name: Mingju Sun Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, P.R. China Author-Name: Jiang Zhu Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, P.R. China Author-Name: Guangzhong Jiao Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, P.R. China Author-Name: Juan Lin Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, P.R. China Author-Name: Haibo Dong Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, P.R. China Author-Name: Jinghe Tan Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, P.R. China Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, P.R. China Author-Name: Jiabo Zhou Author-Workplace-Name: Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, P.R. China Title: Species difference in the expression of Fas and Fas ligand in mature mammalian spermatozoa Abstract: Although it has been proposed that the Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) may protect ejaculated spermatozoa against apoptosis induced by lipoperoxidative damage and against lymphocytes present in the female genital tract, studies reported conflicting results on the presence of Fas receptors in ejaculated human spermatozoa. Furthermore, the expression of Fas/FasL on mature spermatozoa has not been observed in several important mammals. Using seven species, we observed the possibility for species difference in Fas/FasL expression on mature spermatozoa by both immunofluorescence microscopy and western blot analysis. Whereas intensive signals of Fas immunolabelling were detected in sperm head and middle piece and weak signals observed in the tail in 86-100% of the mouse, rat, bull, ram, and buck spermatozoa, only weak signals were detected on the whole body of 27% boar spermatozoa and in the head of 21% human spermatozoa. The pattern of FasL localization was identical to that of Fas in spermatozoa from human, mouse, rat, ram, and buck, but boar and bull spermatozoa showed weak and intensive FasL signals, respectively, only in the head. Western blotting further confirmed the Fas and FasL expression in mouse, rat, bull, ram, and buck, but not in human and boar spermatozoa. Taken together, the results revealed a marked species difference in Fas/FasL expression and an extensive co-expression of Fas and FasL among mature mammalian spermatozoa, suggesting that whereas spermatozoa from most species may be protected by Fas/FasL, those from human and boar may not use the Fas system for protection. Keywords: sperm, Fas antigen, FasL, apoptosis, mammals Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 519-526 Volume: 62 Issue: 12 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/18/2017-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/18/2017-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201712-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:62:y:2017:i:12:id:18-2017-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Małgorzata Paulina Majewska Author-Workplace-Name: The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jablonna, Poland Author-Name: Renata Miltko Author-Workplace-Name: The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jablonna, Poland Author-Name: Grzegorz Bełżecki Author-Workplace-Name: The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jablonna, Poland Author-Name: Jacek Skomiał Author-Workplace-Name: The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jablonna, Poland Author-Name: Barbara Kowalik Title: Supplementation of rapeseed and linseed oils to sheep rations: effects on ruminal fermentation characteristics and protozoal populations Abstract: The study was performed on six sheep fitted with a cannula in the rumen and re-entrant cannula in the duodenum; divided into three groups, two sheep in each. The animals were fed meadow hay and the concentrate alone or the same diet supplemented with rapeseed or linseed oils at a dose of 5% of the basal diet. Ruminal degradation of protein and acid detergent fibre were lower when sheep were fed rapeseed compared to linseed oil (P < 0.05). The addition of oils to diets caused increased ruminal degradation of fat (P < 0.01). The density of protozoa in the rumen at 2 or 4 h after feeding was lower than before feeding in each experimental group. The inclusion of rapeseed oil in the diet decreased the total number of ciliates and Entodinium spp. compared with control and animals fed linseed oil (P < 0.01). Before feeding, the concentration of Diplodinium and Ophryoscolex spp. were lower in sheep fed rapeseed oil compared to control (P < 0.05), and the number of Dasytricha species decreased 2 h after feeding linseed oil compared to animals fed rapeseed oil (P < 0.05). Each of the oil supplements decreased the bacterial mass in the rumen compared with control (P < 0.01). The addition of rapeseed oil to the diet decreased total volatile fatty acid and acetate concentrations in the rumen in comparison to control and sheep receiving linseed oil (P < 0.01). In both diets, the estimated emission of methane and carbon dioxide (P < 0.01) increased 2 and 4 h after feeding compared to that at 0 h. The oleic acid more strongly reduced protozoa and digestive processes in the rumen than linolenic acid. Nevertheless, the quantity of oils added was still too low to induce detectable changes in methane formation in the rumen. Keywords: ruminant, vegetable oils, fermentation pattern, protozoa, ruminal degradability Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 527-538 Volume: 62 Issue: 12 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/9/2017-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/9/2017-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201712-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:62:y:2017:i:12:id:9-2017-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Lu Jin Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, P.R. China Author-Name: Sumei Yan Author-Name: Binlin Shi Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, P.R. China Author-Name: Huiyu Shi Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, P.R. China Author-Name: Xiaoyu Guo Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, P.R. China Author-Name: Junliang Li Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, P.R. China Title: Retinoic acid attenuates oxidative injury in bovine mammary epithelial cells induced by hydrogen peroxide Abstract: The objective of this study was to explore how retinoic acid (RA) attenuates oxidative injury induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMEC). Subconfluence BMEC were randomly divided into four groups with six replicates: the control group (incubated in serum-free medium without RA or H2O2 for 30 h), H2O2 group (pre-incubated for 24 h without RA, then for another 6 h with 600 μM H2O2), RA group (incubated with 1 mg/ml RA for 30 h without H2O2), and RA + H2O2 group (RA prevention group, pre-incubated with 1 mg/ml RA for 24 h and then for another 6 h with 600 mM H2O2). The results showed that the H2O2 treatment significantly decreased several measured traits, including the cell viability, glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and thioredoxin reductase (TRXR) activities, selenoprotein P (SELP) content, catalase and superoxide dismutase activities, total antioxidant capacity, and GPX1, TRXR1, and SELP gene expression, as well as GPX1 and TRXR1 protein expression. H2O2 treatment also increased the malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species contents and induced a marked increase of several measured traits, including the arachidonic acid (ARA) concentration, cytosolic phospholipase A2 and 5-lipoxygenase gene expression and activity, and 15-hydroxy twenty-four arachidonic acid and hydroxy peroxide tetracosenic arachidonic acid contents. RA pre-treatment prevented corresponding increases in parameters related to ARA metabolism and increased the activity of TRXR. Moreover, RA pre-treatment attenuated the phosphorylation levels of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and c-Jun N-terminal kinase and effectively decreased the ARA content. These results suggest that RA protected BMEC from oxidative stress by elevating TRXR activity, which inhibited the MAPK signaling pathway and led to a decreased concentration of ARA. Keywords: vitamin A, thioredoxin reductase, oxidative injury, arachidonic acid, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 539-548 Volume: 62 Issue: 12 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/42/2016-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/42/2016-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201712-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:62:y:2017:i:12:id:42-2016-CJAS