Search results for "sheep"
showing 10 items of 279 documents
Optimizing the use of spineless cactus in the finishing diet of lambs: physicochemical properties and sensory characteristics of meat.
2019
BACKGROUND The use of spineless cactus in finishing diets for lambs improves the carcass quality. However, data about its influence on meat traits is very scarce. The effects of spineless cactus inclusion in the finishing diet of lambs at four levels (0, 150, 300 and 450 g kg-1 of dry matter, DM) in replacement of Tifton hay on the physicochemical and sensory properties of meat were studied. RESULTS The spineless cactus modified the chemical composition increasing the protein (P < 0.001) and the fat (P < 0.01) contents of meat, presenting the greatest values in lambs fed diets with 150 and 300 g kg-1 (DM) replacing levels, respectively. However, the spineless cactus did not influence the gr…
Evidence for cryptic glacial refugia from North American mountain sheep mitochondrial DNA
2006
The separation of populations by ice sheets into large refugia can account for much of the genetic diversity found in present day populations. The evolutionary implications of small glacial refugia have not been as thoroughly explored. To examine refugial origins of North American mountain sheep Ovis spp., we analyzed a 604 bp portion of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region from 223 O. dalli and O. canadensis. Major refugia were identified in eastern Beringia and southern North America, and we found evidence for two smaller refugia situated between the Laurentide and Cordilleran glaciers. Our results are the first to demonstrate support for survival of any organism in the latter two…
alpha GalNAc is essential for recognition of Exo-1 epithelial antigen by mouse monoclonal antibody Pa-G-14.
1993
Mouse monoclonal antibody Pa-G-14 detects Exo-1, an antigen whose expression is regulated in the processes of epithelial-cell differentiation and transformation. The epitope recognized by Pa-G-14 is present both in glycosphingolipids and in mucin glycoproteins. To characterize the specificity of Pa-G-14, immuno-thin-layer chromatography, biochemical, and enzymatic treatment of glycosphingolipid extracts from human pancreas were used. The antibody bound to all blood-group-A substances; alpha GalNAc, but not fucose, was essential for reactivity. In ELISA, Pa-G-14 also reacted with ovine and bovine submaxillary mucins but not with porcine submaxillary mucin. Binding to ovine submaxillary mucin…
Genome-wide diversity of Pagliarola sheep residual population and its conservation implication
2021
Local breeds represent an underestimated resource in terms not only of their important cultural and economical role in marginal areas, but also because they often own a potential genetic pool well adapted to extreme conditions. This fact is of increasing interest, especially when considering climate global challenges where peculiar and uncommon traits could be advantageous. In this study, we genotyped 24 individuals belonging to the small residual Pagliarola sheep population using the OvineSNP50K array, in order to compare its genomic architecture with other 21 Italian local breeds. Moreover, we performed the fixation index (FST) outlier analysis to identify genes most differentiated betwee…
Cardiac output following fetoscopic coagulation of major placental vessels in fetal sheep.
2008
Objectives To measure changes in cardiac output (CO) after partial cord occlusion in fetal sheep in order to investigate pathophysiological fetal adaptation mechanisms in a simulated acute placental insufficiency model under standardized conditions, with the aim of finding relevant methods for monitoring human fetuses during stress situations. Methods We used minimally invasive, percutaneous endoscopic techniques to close umbilical vessels in mid-gestational fetal sheep. Placental blood flow was reduced by preferentially closing first arterial and then the concomitant venous umbilical vessels within a short time interval. The investigations were carried out on 11 pregnant ewes at a median g…
External stenting with a new polyester mesh reduces neointimal hyperplasia of vein grafts in a sheep model.
2007
Objective External stents placed around vein grafts have demonstrated effectiveness in reducing neointimal hyperplasia by preventing distension of the thin-walled vein grafts when exposed to arterial pressure. However, the ideal stent material has yet to be defined. The following study investigates the short- and long-term effects of an innovative polyester mesh stent designed with optimized adaptation of circumferential compliance. Methods Following in vitro definition of the ideal macro-porous polyester stent material, a total of 12 sheep underwent implantation of bilateral carotid artery vein graft bypasses. In six sheep, the short-term outcome (four weeks of implantation) was investigat…
Biological responses to individualized small titanium implants for the treatment of focal full-thickness knee cartilage defects in a sheep model.
2019
Abstract Background The present study aimed to evaluate the functional, radiological and histological outcome of a customized focal implant for the treatment of focal full-thickness cartilage defects in sheep. Methods The study used magnetic resonance imaging data as the basis for construction of the titanium implant using a three-dimensional printing technique. This was then placed on the medial condyle of the knee joint in eight sheep and left in place in vivo over a period of six months. Following euthanasia, the local biological response was analyzed using micro-computed tomography, light microscopy and histological evaluation (International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) score). The v…
Implantation of a polycaprolactone scaffold with subchondral bone anchoring ameliorates nodules formation and other tissue alterations
2015
Purpose: Articular cartilage has limited repair capacity. Two different implant devices for articular cartilage regeneration were tested in vivo in a sheep model to evaluate the effect of subchondral bone anchoring for tissue repair. Methods: The implants were placed with press-fit technique in a cartilage defect after microfracture surgery in the femoral condyle of the knee joint of the sheep and histologic and mechanical evaluation was done 4.5 months later. The first group consisted of a biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold with double porosity. The second test group consisted of a PCL scaffold attached to a poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) pin anchored to the subchondral bone. Result…
Sphingomyelin inhibition of Ciona intestinalis (Tunicata) cytotoxic hemocytes assayed against sheep erythrocytes
1995
Hemocytes from the ascidian, Ciona intestinalis, are capable of lysing erythrocytes in vitro following cell membrane contact. With the aim of examining the mechanism of cytotoxicity, we performed inhibition experiments with lipid components of erythrocyte membranes. Cholesterol is not an inhibitor, whereas, among the phospholipids tested, (sphingomyelin, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylethanolamine) sphingomyelin inhibits the hemolytic activity of hemocytes. However, thin layer chromatography showed that sphingomyelinase activity was not contained in the chloroform-methanol extracts from hemocyte debris. The inhibition capacity of the components ceramide and phosphorylc…
Purification and characterization of a pore-forming protein from the marine sponge Tethya lyncurium
1992
A pore-forming protein was detected and purified for the first time from a marine sponge (Tethya lyncurium). The purified protein has a polypeptide molecular mass of 21 kDa and a pI of 6.4. Tethya pore-forming protein (also called Tethya hemolysin) rapidly lysed erythrocytes from a variety of organisms. After binding to target membranes, the hemolysin resisted elution with EDTA, salt or solutions of low ionic strength and hence resembled an integral membrane protein. Erythrocytes could be protected from hemolysis induced by Tethya hemolysin by addition of 30 mM dextran 4 (4-6 kDa; equivalent hydrodynamic diffusion radius, 1.75-2.3 nm) to the extracellular medium, but not by addition of unch…