Fulltext search in archive

The objective of this work was the morphologic analysis of apoptosis of neutrophilic granulocytes (hereinafter referred to as neutrophils) in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in comparison with morphological features distinguishable by light microscopy. This study was performed on 12 bovine virgin mammary glands washed with physiological buffered solution (PBS) prior to the induction of cell influx by PBS. Twenty-four hours after influx induction the cell suspension was obtained by the lavage of mammary glands with PBS. The particular lavages were cytologicaly and bacteriologicaly examined. all bacteriological examinations were negative. Mononuclear phagocytes (MoP), lymphocytes and neutrophils were distinguished in the cell suspension of the lavages by means of light microscopy. The neutrophils predominated in differential cell count. Neutrophil population showed some signs of structural features typical for the process of apoptosis that were distinguished in haemocytometer and light microscopy on stained microscopical smears. The process of apoptosis consisted of three structurally different stages: karyopyknosis, zeiosis and the stage of apoptotic bodies. These stages of neutrophil apoptosis were distinguished also by SEM. Karyopyknotic neutrophils assumed spherical shape while they lost all of their superficial pseudopodia. Neutrophils in zeiosis stage showed prominent surface protumberances, bubble-shaped vesicles causing a bizarre deformation of the cells. After the membrane vesicles had split off, they began to form spherical formations (apoptotic bodies). On the basis of neutrophils. specific structural properties it could easily distinguish all the three stages of neutrophil apoptosis by means of SEM technique as well as other morphological methods.

The aim of this paper was to register the domestic animals appearing in the iconography of Christian saints and to explain their association. The source of knowledge was literature dealing with hagiographies of saints, sacral iconography and liturgy along with visiting churches, monasteries and museums throughout Croatia. After research in sacral literature and works of art lasting several years, it was observed that the following domestic animals appear as accompanying about seventy Christian saints: bees, bull, camel, cow, dog, donkey, goose, dove, horse, lamb, pig, sheep, steer. Reasons and explanations of their association are most often in practical relations (the animal serves and helps the man). However, in the animal, the most varied symbolic, especially ethical and morality messages are personified very often. Especially interesting are saints honoured as patrons of particular animals and of professionals occupied with animals. In human medicine, they are most frequently protectors from zoonoses, too. In some cases, animals are attributed to saints because of the linguistic association resulting from similarity of the names of animals and saints. In the same way, domestic animals are present in sacral art as a part of ambient decoration, too. In addition, it can also be interesting from the historical and ethnic veterinary point of view. Presented examples show how, by interdisciplinary approach to sacral art and tradition, we can come to other numerous findings surpassing mere religious messages. In this case, these are contributions to the history of veterinary medicine in the widest sense.

Several ways are recommended how to avoid iodine deficiency in food of many countries' population. In addition to the common use of salt fortified with KI, KJO₃ can also be used in bakery products. It is also a strong oxidizer improving rheological properties of dough. In this paper the effect of KJO₃ on rheological properties of wheat dough and baked products was studied using farinograph and extensograph data and the baking test. The effect of KJO₃ was tested in combination with a commercial complex improver. Loaf volume was increased by the addition of 2 or 3 ppm of iodate to flour. The dose of iodine improving bread volume showed satisfactory correspondence to 50% of recommended daily intake that is allowed for bakery products by the Czech law.

Effects of sodium humate (HuNa), containing 61.9% of humic acids in dry matter, on utilisation and retention of dietary iodine were investigated in balance experiments carried out in pigs. A control group was fed a commercial diet containing 0.1 mg of iodine per kg. The daily intake of iodine was 129.2 µg per animal or 4.08 µg per kg live weight. The recommended intake of dietary iodine is 0.25 to 0.30 mg per kg at 88% dry matter. The experimental group (HuNa) was fed the same diet supplemented with 3% of sodium humate which contained 0.5 mg of iodine per kg at 90.04% dry matter. The supplementation increased the daily intake to 141.4 µg per animal, or 4.45 µg per kg live weight. The supplementation of HuNa increased significantly the amount of iodine excreted in faeces (53.2 ± 11.0 vs. 43.0 ± 6.47 µg per animal per day; P < 0.05) and nonsignificantly the urinary iodine excretion (31.8 ± 8.93 vs. 29.0 ± 11.3 µg per animal per day). Differences between the HuNa and the control groups in blood serum iodine concentrations (18.8 vs. 18.1 µg per litre) and urinary iodine concentrations (32.5 vs. 34.4 µg per litre) were nonsignificant. It is evident from the concentrations that the pigs suffered from a serious iodine deficiency. Compared with controls, the HuNa group showed significantly higher triiodothyronine concentration (P < 0.05) and nonsignificantly lower thyroxine and iodine concentrations in blood serum. Dietary iodine utilisation was lower in the HuNa than in the control group (62.3 vs. 66.6%). The results show that utilisation of dietary iodine was limited and that sodium humate (humic acids) reduced iodine utilisation and retention and affected also other parameters indicating their goitrogenic effects.

The changes in microbiological and chemical parameters during the fermentation and ripening of sheep cheese were observed. The cheese was produced from raw sheep's milk at different temperatures on the sheep farm. The following parameters were determined: total plate count, coliform count, Staphylococcus aureus count, pH value, titrimetric acidity, and the amount of lactic acid. As our results indicate, the fermentation at temperatures of between 18-22°C reduces the number of undesirable micro-organisms due to the presence of lactic acid being produced by lactic-acid bacteria. During the fermentation at lower temperatures (below 18°C) the amount of lactic acid is insufficient, and the undesirable microorganisms can survive.

Distribution of leukocyte types present in virgin bovine mammary glands was analysed in dot plots obtained by flow cytometry (FACS) of samples collected from 10 non-pregnant heifers after induction of leukocyte influx. Changes of percentage of leukocyte types during development and resolution of induced influx in comparison with blood leukocyte pattern allow identification of these cell types on FACS dot plot. The positions of mammary gland granulocyte and lymphocyte regions were identical with those of the corresponding peripheral blood cells. Two basic morphologically distinct types occupying separate regions in dot plots were observed in the population of mononuclear phagocytes (MoP): non-vacuolised monocyte-like macrophages (MoMAC) and vacuolised macrophages (MAC). Influx resolution was characterised by a marked shift of the MoMAC region towards that of MAC recognisable in dot plots by a separate region of intermediate MoP forms. The study provides a pattern of dynamics of percentages of mammary gland leukocyte types during influx development and resolution as imaged by FACS.

Two monoclonal antibodies (MAb) to the outer structural protein E2 (spike peplomeric protein) and two MAb to the inner capsid protein N of bovine coronavirus (BCV) were prepared and identified by Western blotting to be used for increasing the specificity and sensitivity of BCV detection. The MAb were checked by the haemagglutination inhibition test and immunoperoxidase tests and no cross reactivity with rotavirus was demonstrated by the immunoperoxidase test and ELISA. A mixture of all the four MAb at predetermined optimum concentrations was first used in sandwich ELISA and then, in combination with an anti‑coronavirus polyclonal antibody, for the development of a simple and rapid immunochromatographic test (ICT). The results of which can be read visually within 10 min. The inclusion of MAb into ELISA and ICT allows the detection of both intact and incomplete BCV virions. ELISA and ICT were used in the examination of a set of 74 faecal samples collected from calves suffering from diarrhoea. ELISA, used as the golden standard verified by electron microscopy, detected BCV in 15 samples (20.3%) and ICT in 16 samples. Three of the ICT‑positive samples were negative by ELISA. On the other hand, two of the 58 ICT‑negative samples were positive by ELISA. Sensitivity and specificity of ICT were 94.9% and 86.7%, respectively

: During the 18-year period (1974-1991), the lymphocytic thyroiditis with the finding of serum autoantibodies against thyroglobulin was diagnosed in 180 Beagle dogs (92 males and 88 females). In 107 of them (56 males and 51 females), hyperplasia of parafollicular cells was concurrently encountered. In further 11 cases (3 males and 8 females), solid cellular structures were found in the thyroid parenchyma, in 4 females combined with unilocular or multilocular lymphoepithelial cysts. Grimelius stain revealed the presence of parafollicular cells even at the periphery of cellular nests. Using the lectin histochemistry with Maackia amurensis agglutinin (MAA),Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA) and Tritrichomonas mobilensis lectin (TML), the presence of sialylated molecules was demonstrated in the cell membranes and perinuclear cytoplasmic regions of parafollicular cells that formed hyperplastic nodules or were interspersed in "solid cell nests".

The content of ferulic acid in sugar beet pulp was determined by reverse phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and UV/VIS-spectroscopy. The acid extracts of pectin carrying feruloyl groups were prepared for analysis. To release ferulic acid from pectin the hydrolysis in alkaline medium (pH = 12.5) was performed. Both non-hydrolysed and hydrolysed extracts were measured by UV/VIS-spectroscopy after pH adjustment to the value of 10. The absorbance maximum was observed at 372 nm (ester of ferulic acid) for non-hydrolysed extracts and at 345 nm (sodium ferulate) for hydrolysed extracts. The HPLC estimation of ferulic acid was made in hydrolysed extracts only. The content of ferulic acid in sugar beet pulp was in the range of 0.3-0.9% (m/m). The data obtained by application of the particular methods to one set of samples were statistically compared. The results of all methods were in good agreement with each other\

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of vitamin E and selenium administration on glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity and selected parameters of cellular immunity (metabolic activity, phagocytic activity, lymphocyte blastogenic response). Nine pregnant sheep with body weight of 42 to 66 kg were divided into two groups. Before lambing, the first group (n = 5) was given subcutaneously 5 mg vitamin E and 0.4 mg selenium per kg body weight while the second group (n = 4) was given no treatment and served as control. Blood samples from all sheep were collected before the treatment, 14 days after lambing and 30 days after lambing. Whole blood GSH-Px activities were significantly higher in the vitamin E and selenium treated sheep than in the control in the samples taken 14 days after lambing and 30 days after lambing (P < 0.01; P < 0.001, respectively). The evaluation of immunological parameters showed declines in immunological parameters measured on days 14 and 30 after lambing. The administered preparation led to significant effects (P < 0.001; P < 0.05) on phagocytic activity index of leukocytes and phagocytic activity index of neutrophils, respectively.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) and chromium (chromium picolinate, Cr Pic) on egg production, some egg characteristics, and digestibility of nutrients in laying hens (Hy-Line) reared under a low ambient temperature (6.2°C). Two hundred and ten laying hens (32 week-old) were divided into seven groups, 30 hens per group. The treatment groups were designed in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement using two levels of vitamin C (125 and 250 mg/kg of diet) and three levels of chromium picolinate (200, 400, or 800 µg/kg of diet), and control group was fed basal diet. The highest values of performance were obtained if 250 mg/kg vitamin C was supplemented with either 400 or 800 µg Cr per kg of diet. An interaction between vitamin C and chromium for egg production (P = 0.05) and feed efficiency (P = 0.02) was detected. Similarly, egg weight, specific gravity, egg shell thickness, egg shell weight and Haugh unit improved with diet containing 250 mg vitamin C and either 400 or 800 µg Cr per kg of diet (P £ 0.05). Digestibility of dry matter (DM), ash, organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), and ether extract (EE) were higher with higher dietary vitamin C (P £ 0.05) and also with higher Cr (P £ 0.05). There were no interactions between vitamin C and chromium detected for any parameters measured for egg quality in terms of egg weight, specific gravidity, egg shell thickness, egg shell weight and Haugh unit and digestibility of nutrients (P ³ 0.28). Data obtained in the present study shows that a combination of 250 mg vitamin C and 400 µg chromium per kg of diet gave the best results in laying hens reared under a low ambient temperature and a conclusion is suggested that such a diet can be considered as a protective management practice in poultry to alleviate, at least in part, the depressive effect of cold stress on poultry performance.

The storage of lipid foods is mostly affected by the oxidation of lipid fraction. Dry foods are particularly sensitive because lipids are not protected by hydrated proteins against oxidation. A method suitable for testing dry foods was studied in model mixtures of rapeseed oil with albumin or cellulose. Oxipres apparatus was used, where the course of oxidation is monitored by changes of oxygen pressure. The end of induction period was more evident than in bulk oils as the contact of lipids with oxygen is better. The induction period was longer in mixtures of edible oil with albumin than in mixtures with cellulose. The induction period moderately decreased with increasing oxygen pressure, while the effect of sample weight was nearly negligible. The induction period length was a semilogarithmic function of reaction temperature. Variation coefficients and differences between the duplicates showed good reproducibility; they were lower in mixtures with albumin than in mixtures with cellulose, but both were of the same order as the respective values in bulk oils. At 120°C and 0.5 MPa oxygen, the induction periods could be usually measured within a working day.

Environmental samples (n = 254) were collected at regular intervals from 1994 to 1999 on three swine farms in the area of the district town Hodonín, Czech Republic. The samples of feed mixtures (n = 85), barn dust sediments (n = 44), and muscular (n = 42), hepatic (n = 41), and renal (n = 42) tissues of feeder pigs were analysed for the concentrations of mercury, cadmium and lead. The concentrations of mercury showed decreasing tendencies in animal tissue samples (1994-1996). Compared with the mean for the Czech Republic, the concentration of mercury was markedly higher in liver and kidney samples (0.064 mg/kg and 0.114 mg/kg, respectively) collected in 1998, the concentration of cadmium was moderately higher in feed, muscle, liver, and kidney samples collected in 1996-1998. Statutory limits were exceeded in two liver and two kidney samples and one feed sample only. The concentration of lead in muscle, kidney, and feed samples (1994-1996) and barn dust samples (1996-1998) showed also a decreasing tendency. However, the limit was exceeded in 16 muscle samples (0.11 to 0.23 mg/kg) collected in 1994-1999 and two kidney samples collected in 1996 (0.74 mg/kg) and 1999 (0.77 mg/kg). Heavy metals present in dust sediments apparently did not contribute significantly to their content in animal tissue. While the health risk resulting from the contents of mercury and cadmium can be classified as moderate, the contents of lead must be regarded as markedly more dangerous.

The goal of this work was to verify the spice adulteration by the microscopic analysis. The samples of black powdered pepper and its meat product that did not have the expected spice and aromatic properties were controlled. The results of sensory and chemical investigation corresponded with microscopic findings. The suspected sample of spice and meat product with spice contained pronounced coloured parts that were not present in the usual structure of powdered pepper.

In August 1999 there were netted and ringed passerines in the Naděje fishpond system in Třeboň area. 14 individuals of blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) of both sexes and various age were caught. All individuals of this species had expressive pathological changes on feet. Histological investigations proved bird-pox (variola avium). No symptoms of this disease were found in other caught 11 species.

The bionomics of Acarus siro was studied at 18 and 20°C and 70 and 80% R.H. on wheat germs, linseed, rapeseed and sunflowers to obtain data for optimisation of biological control of stored product mites on oilseeds. Wheat germs were used as a control substrate as they were considered optimal for development of A. siro. The development of eggs and larvae was longer than that of protonymphs and tritonymphs. Wheat germs appeared to be a better substrate for the development of mites than oilseeds. Generally, the life span of females as well as the oviposition period was shortest on wheat germs while longest on sunflower; also, at the higher temperature the female life span was shorter. The maximum number of eggs laid by a single female (356) was recorded on wheat germs at 20°C and 80% R.H. The development was significantly shorter at 20°C than at 18°C regardless of humidity. There were no significant differences between the effects of the tested oilseeds.

The bread-making quality of forty commercial winter wheat samples, grown in the western region of the CzechRepublic, and their flours (white flours with ash content of about 0.5%) prepared in a commercial mill was studied. Standard analytical methods (ash and protein content, wet gluten), amylolytic activity measurement (falling number), rheological investigation (alveograph, gluten index), sedimentation test and laboratory baking test were used for characterization of wheats and flours. In addition NIR method was used to calculate ash, wet gluten, sedimentation value and protein content. Statistically significant correlations were found practically between all tested quality parameters of wheat and corresponding flour samples. However, the strongest correlation (r = 0.69-0.70) significant at 0.01 level exists between specific bread volume and protein and wet gluten content, determined both by standard or by NIR methods.

The astringent taste is important for the sensory quality of beverages. Perception thresholds of two important astringent compounds - tannic acid and (+)-catechin were determined using two procedures. The concentration-intensity dependence was linear at low concentrations and up to medium intensities of the astringent taste if unstructured graphical scales were used, but the saturation threshold was soon attained in the case of tannic acid. Recording the results on printed forms gave similar results as using a touch-sensitive monitor. The optimum tasting was achieved at swallowing after degustation of 5 s. The duration of degustation increased the intensity. The astringent flavour was suppressed by sugar, but was not significantly influenced by ethanol, citric acid or quinine hydrochloride. Astringent substances were accurately perceived and rated in wine, tea infusion and orange drink, but the increase of astringency was smaller than in model solutions. The astringent taste was easily distinguished from the bitter taste.

A programme for evaluating the strict morphological analysis of sperm was developed. The programme was verified by conducting 552 morphological analyses of bull, stallion, boar and human ejaculates. The method was evaluated by comparing the results obtained by routinely used morphological examinations with the results received by the automatic method SASMO. The following advantages of the programme were demonstrated: it is possible to obtain information on the proportion of normal and pathological spermatozoa, to determine the frequency of the respective characteristics analysed, to express detected alterations per pathological spermatozoon (teratosperm index), to express frequency of respective alterations per total number of spermatozoa examined, to display alterations according to their frequency and differentiate between developmental and acquired alterations. It was proved that using the detailed morphological evaluation of sperm by the survival test, it is possible to get statistically significant information on the prediction of sperm survival. The programme represents an important aid for making the morphological evaluation of sperm quality more objective both in veterinary and human medicine and in all insemination stations and assisted reproduction centres.

In the Slovak Republic during the years 1996-2000, total 30 278 blood samples from sheep and 4 756 from goats were examined serologically by the method of a complement fixation. The IgG antibodies against Chlamydia psittaci in sheep and goats according to individual years were as follows: 1996 - 6.37% sheep/3.94% goats, 1997 - 9.25%/10.02%, 1998 - 9.57%/2.96%, 1999 - 7.91%/3.69%, 2000 - 10.99%/6.08%, respectively. In most clinically healthy animals, the low levels of IgG antibodies in dilution of 1 : 16 to 1 : 32 were detected. In sheep during the years of 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000 the high levels of IgG antibodies 1 : 256 to 1 : 1 024 were caught unambiguously testify to the chlamydial abortion in sheep. In goats, the high titres were caught in 1997 and 2000 - 1 : 256 to 1 : 512, also confirm the chlamydial aetiology of the infectious process.

Total content and composition of essential oils in caraway seed (Carum carvi L.) from a selection of caraway varieties grown in different production areas were determined after supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and steam distillation. Different procedures of sample pretreatment (homogenization) and methods of isolation were compared from the point of view of efficiency, reproducibility and accuracy. The effect of storage period was also examined.