University of Veterinary Science

About: University of Veterinary Science is a education organization based out in Pyinmana, Myanmar. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Feed conversion ratio. The organization has 597 authors who have published 650 publications receiving 14262 citations.

Prevalence of equine herpesvirus 2 (EHV-2) in equine ocular disease

Abstract: Equine gammaherpesvirus 2 (EHV-2) has been linked to keratitis and keratoconjunctivitis but has also been isolated in horses showing no signs of disease. The aim of the current study was to assess the importance of EHV-2 infection in the aetiopathogenesis of ocular disease, where the applied treatment failed. Seventy-eight horses with nonhealing ocular disease were examined at the Equine Clinic of the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic, between the years 2009 and 2016. In total, 96 conjunctival swabs were taken and, starting from 2014, peripheral blood leukocytes (PBLs) were also examined in 42 patients. Positive EHV-2 results were detected in 53 ocular swab samples (54.64%) and in 22 PBL samples (51.16%). The horses were divided into three groups according to age, up to 3 years, from 3 to 15 years and older than 15 years. Depending on the clinical presentation, horses were also divided into nonulcerative or ulcerative keratitis, keratouveitis, keratoconjunctivitis, and corneal degeneration groups. The group of young horses had a significantly higher ocular swab positivity compared to the middle group (P = 0.01). Increased bilateral ocular occurrence with decreasing age was observed, although it was not significant (P = 0.04). Significant correlation was confirmed between PBL samples and ocular swabs (P = 0.01). This correlation was even higher in cases of bilateral infection. No significant differences were detected when comparing the groups according to the clinical presentation. This study describes the prevalence of EHV-2 in different age group horses with non-healing keratopathies.

Demonstration of keratinizing effect of n-butyrate on day-old chicken crop epithelium.

Abstract: Summary Sodium salts of lactate, propionate, butyrate and NaCl (control) were added to the normal diet of five-day-old chickens at 15 mM/l final concentration. After two weeks the relative thickness of the stratum corneum of the chicken crop increased significantly (p < 0.001) only in the group given n-butyrate. 3H-thymidine incorporation into the DNA of crop epithelial cells decreased to 21.9% of the control value. From the present results it is concluded that the stimulating effect of butyrate on keratinization is not restricted to ruminal epithelium. Zusammenfassung Nachweis eines Keratinisierungseffekts von n-Butyrat auf das Kropfepithel von Eintagskuken Natriumlaktat, -propionat, -butyrat und NaCl (Kontrolle) wurde der normalen Diat von 5 Tage alten Kuken bis zu einer Endkonzentration von 15 mM/l hinzugefugt. Innerhalb von 2 Wochen nahm die relative Dicke des Stratum corneum der Kropfschleimhaut einzig in der Gruppe mit n-Butyrat signifikant zu (p < 0,001). Die 3H-Thymidin-Inkorporation in die DNA der Kropfepithelzellen sank auf 21,9% des Ausgangswertes. Aus den vorliegenden Untersuchungen wird gefolgert, das die Stimulierung der Keratinisierung von Epithelzellen durch Butyrat sich nicht auf das Pansenepithel beschrankt. Resume Mise en evidence d'un effet de keratinisation du n-butyrate sur l'epithelium du gesier des poussins d'un jour Du lactate de sodium, du propionate de sodium, du butyrate de sodium et du NaCl (controle) a ete rajoute au regime normal de poussins âges de 5 jours jusqu'a une concentration finale de 15 mM/l. L'epaisseur relative de Stratum corneum de la muqueuse du gesier n'augmenta durant 2 semaines de facon significative (p < 0,001) que dans le groupe n-butyrate. L'incorporation de 3H-thymidine dans l'ADN des cellules epitheliales du gesier diminua a 21,9% de la valeur de sortie. Ces recherches ont montre que la stimulation de keratinisation des cellules epitheliales par du butyrate ne se limite pas a l'epithelium de la panse. Resumen La demostracion de un efecto de queratinizacion de n-butirato sobre el epitelio del buche en pollitos de un dia de edad A la dieta normal de pollitos de 5 dias de edad se anadio lactato sodico, propionato sodico, butirato sodico y ClNa (testigos) hasta alcanzar una concentracion final de 15 mM/l. En el plazo de 2 semanas no aumentaba significantemente (p < 0,001) el espesor relativo del estrato corneo de la mucosa del buche nada mas que en el grupo con n-butirato. La incorporacion de 3H-timidina en el ADN de las celulas epiteliales del buche le hizo disminuir hasta el 21,9% de su valor inicial. De los resultados presentes se infiere que el efecto estimulante del butirato sobre la queratinizacion no se limita al epitelio ruminal.

In vitro fermentation of conventional diets commonly fed to dairy cows in Central Myanmar

Abstract: This study consisted of two experiments conducted to evaluate the effective net gas, fermentation kinetics (experiment 1), methane gas concentration, partitioning factor (PF) for microbial protein synthesis and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) (experiment 2) of conventional diets commonly fed to dairy cows in Central Myanmar. The conventional diets from four areas [diet from Sin Tel area (Diet-ST), diet from Myay Ngu area (Diet-MN), diet from Ta Pel area (Diet-TP) and diet from Amarapura area (Diet-AM)] were used as experimental diets in this study. In most of conventional diets, rice straw, sorghum stover and natural grass were used as roughage source and cotton seed cake and broken rice were used as concentrate. However in some diets, sesame residue and butter bean residue were used as roughage source instead of sorghum stover and natural grass. The roughage to concentrate ratio and crude protein (CP) content of conventional diets ranged from 53:47 to 72:28 and 11.46 to 17.96%, respectively. In experiment 1, the effective net gas volume of Diet-TP was lower (p<0.05) than Diet-ST and Diet-AM and generally, the fermentation kinetics (a, b, c and a+b) of Diet-TP were also lower than those of other diets. In the experiment 2, the lower value (p<0.05) of short chain fatty acid (SCFA) was found in Diet-MN and Diet-TP while the higher values (p<0.05) of metabolizable energy (ME) and organic matter digestibility (OMD) were observed Diet-AM and Diet-TP. Although methane gas concentration of Diet-TP was higher (p<0.05) than those of other diets, the greater values of IVDMD and PF were observed in Diet-TP. According to these findings, it was perceived that all conventional diets have different nutritional qualities which are useful for production and health of dairy cows; however the Diet-TP possessed the highest nutritional qualities among the conventional diets.

Demographic and reproductive associations with nematode infection in a long-lived mammal

Abstract: Infection by macroparasites, such as nematodes, varies within vertebrate host systems; elevated infection is commonly observed in juveniles and males, and, for females, with different reproductive states. However, while such patterns are widely recognized in short-lived model systems, how they apply to long-lived hosts is comparatively understudied. Here, we investigated how infection varies with host age, sex, and female reproduction in a semi-captive population of individually marked Asian elephants Elephas maximus. We carried out 1,977 faecal egg counts (FECs) across five years to estimate nematode loads for 324 hosts. Infection patterns followed an established age-infection curve, whereby calves (5 years) exhibited the highest FECs and adults (45 years) the lowest. However, males and females had similar FECs across their long lifespan, despite distinct differences in life-history strategy and clear sexual dimorphism. Additionally, although mothers invest two years in pregnancy and a further three to five years into lactation, nematode load did not vary with four different measures of female reproduction. Our results provide a much-needed insight into the host-parasite dynamics of a long-lived host; determining host-specific associations with infection in such systems is important for broadening our knowledge of parasite ecology and provides practical applications for wildlife medicine and management.