Egg binding in a cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus)

A 6-year-old cockatiel was diagnosed with egg binding based on clinical signs, physical examination findings, radiographs, and lack of oviposition. Medical management failed to induce oviposition, and surgical salpingotomy was used to remove the egg from the oviduct. Sterile egg yolk peritonitis was diagnosed based on histology. Postoperative management with leuprolide acetate and husbandary changes successfully prevented egg production for at least 2.5 months after the event.

[Evaluation of long-time resorption surgical sutures in tubal anastomoses with use of microsurgical techniques. An experimental study]

In the paper there have been evaluated synthetic absorbable surgical sutures--MAXON, of long time of their resorption in an organism. The valuation concerned their usefulness to carrying out the operations of oviducts with use of microsurgical technique. It consisted in determination of biocompatibility degree of analyzed sutures within tubal tissues and also their technical utility to this kind of procedures. The valuation of the surgical sutures was performed on the ground of experimental studies with use of laboratory animals--New Zealand white female rabbits, in which "end to end" microsurgical tubal anastomoses were made, with use of analyzed sutures. In further stage, pathomorphological investigations of the animals were performed (in various time after the operation), during which there were conducted microscopic observations of histologic slides derived from tubal anastomoses regions. The purpose of the work was trying to appoint the most adequate suture material for carrying out the operations of oviducts with use of microsurgical technique. It was also an assistance for an operator to take a decission of choice of the proper surgical sutures for surgical treatment of female mechanical infertility and other kind of microsurgical operations which are performed in gynaecology. Generally good technical utility in microsurgical practice of surgical sutures MAXON--absorbable of long period of their resorption in tissues was stated. They cause the formation of only single peritoneal adhesions, mainly in the regions of tubal anastomoses previously made and produce relatively small tubal tissue reaction, which testifies to high biocompatibility of the sutures, as the implantation material. The analyzed surgical sutures characterize themselves of very good usefulness to microsurgical operations of oviducts and they seem to be the most adventageous for performing this type of operations. They give a greater certainty of formation of durable accretion of tubal wall in the place of created anastomosis, with simultaneous complete elimination of the implantation material from the organism.

The effect of ovarian steroid deficiency on regeneration of oviductal mucosa following reconstructive surgery

In patients with distal tubal occlusion a microsurgical oviductal reconstruction is, apart from the in vitro fertilization, the only treatment option. Unfortunately, the results of reconstructive surgery are often unsatisfactory. The effects of sex steroids on the regeneration process after reconstructive surgery have not been well investigated. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of decreased concentrations of ovarian sex steroids (castration) on regeneration of the oviduct mucosa after the reconstructive surgery of distally occluded oviducts. The study was performed on 32 female rabbits that underwent unilateral oviduct ligature and resection of fimbriae. The occlusion lasted six (group I) or twelve weeks (group II). After this time the animals were re-operated, and allocated into 4 groups: castration with reconstructive surgery (IA, IIA), reconstructive surgery only (IB, IIB). After next six or twelve weeks the fallopian tubes were examined under light, scanning and transmission electron microscopes. An immunohistochemical reaction for Ki-67 proliferative antigen was also performed. Ovarian steroid levels were evaluated by radioimmunoassays. The castrated animals had significantly lower levels of estradiol, progesterone and 17-hydroxyprogesterone than the control groups. Long lasting tubal occlusion caused pronounced histological changes of tubal mucous membrane (group II). In the rabbits with preserved ovaries and twelve-week long oviductal occlusion (group IIB), the regeneration of the distal end and restoration of fimbria were not complete twelve weeks after microsurgical reconstruction. In castrated animals with long-lasting occlusion (group IIA) the destructive changes, found in the mucosa of tubal ampullas of occluded oviducts before reconstruction, were still present and even intensified twelve weeks following reconstructive surgery. The castration hampered proliferation of the mucosa cells, thus no fimbriae were restored. Low levels of ovarian steroids were found to have adverse effect on fallopian tube regeneration following reconstructive surgery. The effect was noted even in cases with minor preoperative fallopian tube damage. Therefore, the treatment of concomitant endometriosis or uterine fibroids with GnRH analogues should not be recommended simultaneously with microsurgical tubal reconstruction.

Effective generation of transgenic pigs and mice by linker based sperm-mediated gene transfer

BACKGROUND

Transgenic animals have become valuable tools for both research and applied purposes. The current method of gene transfer, microinjection, which is widely used in transgenic mouse production, has only had limited success in producing transgenic animals of larger or higher species. Here, we report a linker based sperm-mediated gene transfer method (LB-SMGT) that greatly improves the production efficiency of large transgenic animals.

RESULTS

The linker protein, a monoclonal antibody (mAb C), is reactive to a surface antigen on sperm of all tested species including pig, mouse, chicken, cow, goat, sheep, and human. mAb C is a basic protein that binds to DNA through ionic interaction allowing exogenous DNA to be linked specifically to sperm. After fertilization of the egg, the DNA is shown to be successfully integrated into the genome of viable pig and mouse offspring with germ-line transfer to the F1 generation at a highly efficient rate: 37.5% of pigs and 33% of mice. The integration is demonstrated again by FISH analysis and F2 transmission in pigs. Furthermore, expression of the transgene is demonstrated in 61% (35/57) of transgenic pigs (F0 generation).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggests that LB-SMGT could be used to generate transgenic animals efficiently in many different species.

Function of bilateral oviducts in double oviduct hens following surgery

A double oviduct line of Rhode Island Red chickens has been maintained as a closed flock at the Wisconsin Experiment Station since 1970. Sixty-four percent of the stock reared during the 3-yr study period had complete left and right oviducts. Experiments were designed to determine whether the right oviduct of double oviduct hens was functional. Two surgical procedures were chosen in which either a piece of the left ovary was transplanted to the right side, or the abdominal-midline tunica serosa was opened and the left ovary was pulled to the right side. In one experiment the left oviduct was also made nonfunctional. Laparotomized hens served as controls. Insemination with semen from dominant barred males as a genetic marker, followed by physical examination, confirmed right oviduct function. Hens that formed the egg in the normal left oviduct laid significantly more eggs of much greater weight and had higher percentage fertility than hens with functional right oviducts.

[Dysfunction of the oviducts and salpingectomy in a boa (C. constrictor). Description of a case]

When a boa was producing lumps of proteinaceous material during labour, and administration of calcium and oxytocin failed to be effective, and lumps continued to be palpable, it was decided to perform (partial) salpingectomy. Premedication consisted in administration of metomidate, anaesthesia being produced by halothane, oxygen and nitrous oxide given by intubation with a cuffed tube. The incision was made in the median line; the fat corpuscles were separated along the abdominal veins to gain access to the coelomic cavity; those portions of the two oviducts which showed changes were resected. The abdominal wall was sutured using intradermal sutures. Dressing of the wound.

Egg-oviduct interaction initiates reproductive behavior

The experiments reported in this paper provide evidence that eggs must pass through the oviducts in order for receptivity to occur after ovulation in the female frog, Rana pipiens. In one experiment, oviductectomized frogs remained unreceptive after ovulation was induced by administration of exogenous pituitary glands, while sham-operates became receptive within 48 hr. Another experiment had four groups of subjects: ovariectomized females, females with oviducts ligated at the ostial end, females with openings in the uteri that prevented eggs from accumulating there, and sham-operated females. Only the last two groups, groups in which eggs could pass through the oviducts, became receptive. In these experiments, receptivity was indicated by absence of the release call during manual clasping of the trunk. Earlier experiments have shown that eggs have to pass through the oviducts in order to become fertilizable. Thus, the passage of eggs through the oviducts provides a mechanism which links the onset of reproductive behavior to the availability of fertilizable gametes.

Birth of calves after in vitro fertilisation using laparoscopy and rabbit oviduct incubation of zygotes

The infertility of many cows could be treated by in vitro fertilisation. In the present study laparoscopy was utilised to recover the in vivo matured oocytes from the ovary of a standing donor. After the capacitation of fresh semen with high ionic strength medium and in vitro fertilisation, a rabbit oviduct was employed as an incubator for four to five days, in order to obtain sufficiently aged embryos to be transferred to the uterus of a recipient. Using surgical or non-surgical transfer six calves were obtained.

Ova transport and fertility after resection of the oviductal isthmus in pigs

The effect upon the reproduction of total resection of the oviductal isthmus, including the uterotubal and ampullary-isthmus junctions followed by end-to-end ampullo-cornual anastomosis was studied in pigs. Normal cycling gifts of proved fertility were submitted to bilateral isthmus deletion (Group I). Other gilts were submitted only to unilateral isthmic resection, while their contralateral medial isthmus was transversally cut and reanastomosed (Group II). A significantly lower nidation index was obtained after bilateral isthmic resection. The gilts in Group I which did not become pregnant and those in Group II were successfully mated during forthcoming standing oestruses, and were in association to that slaughtered on days 3, 4, or 5 of the cycle, and the characteristics and location of ova were determined. Spermatozoa fertilized the ova, and those cleaved normally in the isthmic-resected tube as well as in the sham-operated oviducts. The isthmic-resected oviduct, however, did not transport cleaved ova into the uterus at the time expected as normal. The findings suggest that the fertilized pig ova cannot reach the uterus at the normal expected time in case of total absence of the isthmic part of the oviduct, resulting in impaired fertility.

Surgical intervention to relieve dystocia in a python

The surgical procedure adopted to remove non-riable eggs from the oviduct of a python, Python anchitae, is described. Recovery was satisfactory, although it was not possible to establish whether reproduction was impaired. Reasons for the type of anaesthesia used and the choice of incision made are given.

Comparison of two techniques of suturing in microsurgical anastomosis of the rabbit oviduct

Microsurgical reconstruction of the rabbit oviduct was undertaken utilizing either through-and-through sutures including the mucosa, or sutures penetrating the serosa and myosalpinx but not the mucosa. Patency and pregnancy rates did not seem to vary with the suturing technique. However, scanning electron microscopic observation revealed abnormal mucosal fold patterns at 3 weeks after surgery. Fibrinous exudates over the surface of the intraluminal sutures increased with time until the entire surface was thickly veiled by 9 weeks. The observation also revealed regeneration of epithelial cells along the suture. These cells included many abnormal forms such as giant cells and misshapen cells. The majority of these were nonciliated. In theory, the intraluminal suture could form a nidus for epithelial hyperplasia which might cause future tubal obstruction. However, the patency and pregnancy rates obtained with through-and-through suturing were similar to those obtained when the endosalpinx was excluded, both in this study and in previous studies from these laboratories.

Relationship between the electrical activity of the oviduct and the uterus of the rabbit in vivo

The electrical activity of the whole genital tract of the rabbit was recorded by means of chronically implanted electrodes after section of the uterotubal junction on one side. When the junction was intact, the activity of the isthmus and that of the proximal uterine horn occurred almost simultaneously, but uterine activity decreased after the junction was cut. During the preovulatory phase and also after administration of HCG, synchronos activity due to adrenergic drugs, smoke or oxytocin persisted on both sides of the uterotubal junction. Hypersensitivity of the isthmus and the proximal segment of the uterine horn was recorded on the cut side after ovariectomy. The concept of a local control mechanism in the region of the uterotubal junction with a positive control of the uterus by the oviduct is suggested.

Vein size in intact and hysterectomized mice during the estrous cycle and pregnancy

The diameters of the ovarian, uterine, and femoral veins and the inferior vena cava were measured during stages of the estrous cycle in intact and hysterectomized mice and at intervals during pregnancy in mice with embryos in both uterine horns or in only the left horn. At metestrus I vein sizes were the least and were not significantly different in intact and hysterectomized mice. Ovarian and uterine veins showed the same or increased diameters at other stages of the cycle; veins enlarged progressively during pregnancy in intact mice. Non-gravid uterine horns showed little size increase as compared to gravid horns. Increases in vein diameter appeared to be correlated with local production of reproductive hormones. Evidence for transuterine migration of embryos was observed in 21 of 53 mice in which one uterine tube had been ligated or one ovary had been removed.

Fertility after surgical insemination with frozen boar semen

Seventy-six sows and gilts exhibiting natural oestrus were surgically inseminated with semen initially diluted with yolk-tris-EDTA-glycerol diluent and frozen by the pellet method. The inseminations covered three experiments in which volume of inseminate, motile spermatozoa per dose and time of insemination in relation either to the onset of oestrus or to ovulation were examined.

Uterine autotransplantation to the abdominal wall in the guinea-pig

A method for autotransplantation of the uterus of the guinea-pig to the abdominal wall is described. Complete uterine autotransplantation by this method caused extended oestrous cycles (mean 24·67 days). Similar transplantation but without disconnexion of the cervical end of the uterus gave rise to cycles of similar length (mean 24·75 days) but transplantation without disconnexion of the tubal ends allowed the occurrence of normal cycles (mean 16·20 days). The site of metabolism of the uterine luteolytic factor is discussed.