Melatonin-improved buffalo semen quality during nonbreeding season under tropical condition

The role of melatonin in protecting spermatozoa from different kinds of injury has been widely reported. The present study aimed to test whether treatment of buffalo bulls with melatonin could ameliorate sperm function during nonbreeding season under tropical condition. Ten Murrah buffalo bulls were randomly allocated into control and treated groups of equal numbers of bulls to study the effect of melatonin on semen characteristics, seminal plasma constituents, blood plasma hormonal levels, and antioxidant enzyme activities during nonbreeding season. Treated bulls were implanted with melatonin (18 mg/50 kg of body weight) for a period of 2 mo. During this period, semen was collected twice a week, and blood samples were collected weekly to determine plasma concentration of melatonin and LH and activities of antioxidant enzymes. During nonbreeding season, melatonin implantation improved semen characteristics by increasing (P < 0.05) percentages of sperm with forward motility, viability, total motile sperm, and rapid motility, average path, curvilinear, and straight-line velocity and amplitude of lateral head displacement and decreasing (P < 0.05) percentages of abnormal sperm and linearity index as compared to the control group. Furthermore, melatonin implantation increased (P < 0.05) seminal plasma concentrations of total protein, albumin, and cholesterol and decreased (P < 0.05) seminal plasma aspartate aminotransferase activity. In addition, melatonin-implanted bulls exhibited an increase (P < 0.05) in red blood cells superoxide dismutase activity compared to untreated bulls. In conclusion, melatonin implantation successfully improved semen quality of buffalo bulls during nonbreeding season under tropical condition.

Genotype of MTNR1A gene regulates the conception rate following melatonin treatment in water buffalo

Buffaloes have tendency to show seasonal reproduction and remain in anestrus due to limited ovarian activity during summer. The seasonal reproductive behavior is ascribed the effect of melatonin related to photoperiod. Treating animals with melatonin could be a possible strategy to overcome the problem. The role of MTNR1A gene has not been fully explained in the buffalo. Therefore, we conducted a study on 114 buffalo heifers to detect the polymorphic site in MTNR1A gene and further treated them with melatonin implants to investigate the role of most frequent genotype following melatonin treatment on pregnancy. The present investigation is the first to investigate the association between melatonin treated different MTNR1A genotype buffalo and pregnancy. We confirmed SNP at position 72 in 812 bp fragment exon II of MTNR1A gene. RFLP of PCR products with Hpa I enzyme resulted in three genotypes: TT (812bp), CT (812, 743, 69bp) and CC (743, 69bp). Next, buffaloes of each genotype (TT, CC, CT; n = 28 for each) were treated with melatonin implants to compare the conception rate with their corresponding untreated control (n = 10 for each genotype). Melatonin concentrations were higher (P < 0.05) for the treatment groups of all genotypes compared to their respective untreated control from day 1-28. The pregnancy rate was significantly associated with the MTNR1A genotype. The conception rate was higher (P < 0.05) for TT genotype than for the other genotypes of buffaloes treated with melatonin. Furthermore, buffaloes of TT genotype treated with melatonin started exhibiting estrus activity soon from second week of melatonin treatment (14.1 ± 2.1; range: 10-17 days) and were found to be 7.8 times more likely to become pregnant compared to other genotypes following melatonin treatment. In conclusion, TT genotype of MTNR1A gene is more sensitive to melatonin treatment that favours pregnancy in buffaloes during summer.

Influence of Noise on Blood Coagulation

A study conducted in rats exposed to a continuous noise of 110 decibels over a period of 3 weeks revealed development of significantly prolonged bleeding time, higher plasma fibrinogen content, and progressively shorter activated partial thromboplastin time in test animals. These changes suggest a coagulopathy induced by noise stress.

Sodium Acetate Buffer

Sodium acetate buffer, 0.12 M, pH 7.4 as a diluent in the low temperature technique of dilute clot lysis time, is more effective in accelerating the velocity of lysis than phosphate buffer of similar pH and molarity. A uniform shape of the clot is maintained throughout the digestion in sodium acetate buffer and the end point of lysis is characteristically marked by an abrupt and sharply defined disintegration. Sodium acetate buffer can be employed advantageously in this technique not only to improve the observation but also to shorten the lysis times.

Mental handicap and the new long stay

For almost 20 years planning for the mentally ill and mentally handicapped has focused on a shift of care from hospital to community, the advantages and difficulties of this process generating much discussion and interest. The hospital population of the mentally handicapped is currently at the forefront of this change, planning impetus now being propelled by alterations in funding with budgets being transferred from NHS to local and social services. One consequence is the closure, or planned closure, of large mental handicap hospitals situated at the periphery of urban centres, with residents being moved to small group homes and hostels within the towns and cities the hospitals once served. The change should prove beneficial for a majority of residents although the process continues to generate debate.

Psychiatric admission services for people with learning disability

As the care of people with learning disability has shifted from large Victorian hospitals to the community, provision for in-patient psychiatric treatment has, in many districts, also moved. Purpose built district or supra-district admission services represent the most common model. An alternative is the use of existing general psychiatric beds. In this article we describe the first 18 months of the Hillingdon district service where this latter model has been adopted.

Health Issues in Ethnic Minorities: Awareness and Action

A key issue in health provision is the approach to health inequalities. In the UK, black and ethnic minority populations are disadvantaged in this respect. We obtained annual/public health reports from 13 health authorities (HAs) and 22 primary care trusts/groups (PCT/Gs) serving conurbations with large black and ethnic minority populations, and examined them for mention of special health issues for these groups and the action being taken. 22 of the 35 reports referred to such issues but only 17 referred to special initiatives; the most frequently mentioned were diabetes and coronary heart disease. We recommend that HAs and PCT/Gs serving large black and ethnic minority populations state specifically in their annual reports their awareness of health-equality issues and the action being taken to address them.

Ovsynch Plus protocol improves ovarian response in anovular Murrah buffaloes in low-breeding season

The objective of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of ovarian response and pregnancy rate in anovular buffaloes following Ovsynch and Ovsynch Plus protocols. Buffaloes (n = 55) were divided into two groups: Ovsynch group (n = 26): GnRH (10 μg, GnRH1) on Day 0, PGF₂ α (25 mg) on Day 7, GnRH (10 μg, GnRH2) on Day 9; Ovsynch Plus group (n = 29): 500 IU equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) 72 hr (day -3) prior to Ovsynch protocol, followed by fixed timed artificial insemination (FTAI) 6 and 24 hr after GnRH2 injection in bot groups. Transrectal ultrasonography was performed daily, that is, from day 0 and -3 in Ovsynch and Ovsynch Plus group, respectively for ovarian response and pregnancy diagnosis at day 30 post-insemination. In Ovsynch Plus group, administration of eCG prior to GnRH1 increased (p < .001) the diameter (mm) of dominant follicle (DF) from 10.15 ± 0.26 to 12.23 ± 0.34 within 72 hr of treatment resulting higher ovulatory response to GnRH1. Ovulation after GnRH1 was higher (p < .01) in Ovsynch Plus group (96.6%) than Ovsynch group (61.5%). However, ovulation rate to GnRH2 was similar (p > .05) between groups (Ovsynch group: 76.9% vs. Ovsynch Plus group: 70.0%). Mean DF diameter (mm) that ovulated to both GnRHs was higher (p < .01) than non-ovulated counterparts in both groups (Ovsynch group: 10.80 ± 0.27 vs. 8.47 ± 0.53; Ovsynch Plus group: 11.99 ± 0.24 vs. 9.5 ± 0.63). Pregnancy was established in buffaloes which responded to both GnRHs, irrespective of groups, being higher (p = .52) in Ovsynch Plus group (34.5%) than Ovsynch group (23.1%), though non-significant. In summary, this study showed that eCG inclusion prior to Ovsynch regimen improves ovulatory response in anovular buffaloes during low-breeding season.