Animal Research International

2097 – 2106

Authors: HATAMI, Homeira, BABRI, Shirin and MIRZAEI, Fariba

It seems antioxidant and sex hormones can protect multiple sclerosis (MS) rats against spatial memory reduction. Since sex hormones and oxidative stress are effective in the process of multiple sclerosis (MS), as well as cognitive functions, the study evaluates the effects of intrahippocampal injection of vitamin C and progesterone, alone or in combination on spatial memory in multiple sclerosis. Sixty-three (63) male Wistar rats were divided into nine groups (n = 7): control, (saline), sesame oil, lesion (ethidium bromide (EB)), vitamin C (1, 5 mg/kg), progesterone (0.1, 1 μg/μl) and combination therapy. In combination therapy, animals were treated with vitamin C (5 mg/kg) + progesterone (0.01 mg/kg). Animals in experimental groups received different treatments for 7 days. Characteristics of learning and spatial memory were assessed using Morris Water Maze (MWM). The results showed that intrahippocampal injection of ethidium bromide destroys MWM significantly (p<0.05). Vitamin C (5 mg/kg), progesterone (0.1 mg/kg) and vitamin C (5 mg/kg) + progesterone (0.1 mg/kg) significantly decreased latency time and travelled distance (P<0.05) in MS or lesion rats. In comparison with the control group, the lesion group decreased and progesterone 0.1 mg/kg + vitamin C 5 mg/kg increased the time and distance in the target quadrant after the platform was removed. In comparison with the lesion group, vitamin C (1 and 5 mg/kg), progesterone (0.1 and 1 mg/kg) and vitamin C + progesterone effective doses increased the time and distance in the target quadrant after the platform was removed. The results showed that multiple sclerosis rats had a decreased travelled distance and time spent in the target quadrant to find the hidden platform in an MWM task. Vitamin C and progesterone alone improved spatial memory in comparison to the lesion group. Effective doses of vitamin C + effective dose of progesterone had more improving effect on memory.

2114 – 2119

Authors: OKORIE-KANU, Christian Onwuchokwe, SOLOMON, Abasiofon Udo and NWAGBARA, Ngozi Dike

This study investigated the artifactual changes in the haematological values of Clarias gariepinus blood stored at room (32oC) and refrigerator (4oC) temperatures. Blood samples were collected from 12 healthy fish weighing between 0.8 and 1kg. Samples were divided into two parts immediately after collection and baseline haematological values were determined. Haematological determinations were thereafter carried out at 6 hourly intervals up to the 36th hour and then at the 48th hour. Results showed a significant reduction (p<0.05) in PCV and RBC values at the 48th hour from the baseline value at room temperature and no significant variation (p>0.05) at the refrigerator temperature. There were significant increases (p<0.05) in the MCV and MCHC values from the baseline values at the 48th hour and MCH value at 36th hour at room temperature while no significant variations (p>0.05) were observed at refrigerator temperature. There were significant reductions (p<0.05) in the WBC count at the 36th and 48th hours when compared with the baseline value at both room and refrigerator temperatures while HBC values did not vary significantly (p>0.05) in both temperatures all through the duration of the study. Reliable RBC count can be obtained up to the 12th hour; WBC and MCH up to the 30th hour; PCV, MCV and MCHC up to the 36th hour and HBC up to the 48th hour at room temperature while at refrigerator temperature, reliable values can be obtained up to the 48th hour in all the parameters determined except WBC count that can be obtained up to the 30th hour of storage.

2130 – 2135

Authors: INGWEYE, Julius Naligwu and EFFIONG, Okokon Okon

Carcass and economic indices of rabbits fed dietary ripe Gmelina fruit (RGFP) pulp were assessed. Sixty rabbits, aged six weeks (New Zealand White x Chinchilla cross) of mixed sexes (25 males and 35 females) were shared into five groups of 12 animals each and balanced on sex and initial weight and randomly allotted to the five experimental diets. Maize, the only energy source of diet I was replaced with 25, 50, 75 and 100% RGFP in diets II, III, IV and V, respectively in the 16 weeks trial. Carcass characteristics were determined pre-chill. Completely Randomized Design, one-way analysis of variance was used and significant (p<0.05) means were separated using least significant difference. The cost of feed (N/kg), cost of feed consumed (N/animal), cost of feed per weight gain (N/kg weight gain), final weight, fasted weight, percentage weight loss, dressed weight and dressing percentage ranged from 55.07 – 28.21, 407.07 – 213.55 and 307.68 – 207.34, 1900 – 1605g, 1884.90 – 1589.78g, 15.23 – 15.09%, 1206.42 – 1017.46g and 64.01 – 63.97%, respectively. As a percentage of the dressed carcass, the shoulder, loin, rack, thigh, head, tail, belly fat, lung, kidney, liver and heart weights (g) ranged from 33.53 – 33.47, 8.97 – 8.74, 6.28 – 6.18, 35.29 – 35.16, 5.20 – 5.13, 3.29 – 3.19, 3.30 – 2.89, 0.32 – 0.30, 1.50 – 1.47, 2.80 – 2.77 and 0.18 – 0.15, respectively. Diet I had the highest cost of feed, cost of feed consumed, cost of feed per kilogramme weight gain, pre-slaughter weight and percentage belly fat, while diet V had the least values of the above parameters except for percentage belly fat and dressed weight. Also, the values for these indices decreased as dietary RGFP increased. Though undesirable, the meat of control rabbits was the fattiest. Dietary inclusion of RGFP did not affect percentage weight loss, shoulder, loin, thigh, head, tail, lung, kidney, liver, heart and dressing percentage. For optimal returns on investment, RGFP may not replace above 75% of maize in rabbit diets.

2143 – 2149

Authors: MOHAMMADZADEH, S., KARIMIAN, H., KHOSRAVINA, H. and SHAHBAZI, F.

Mechanical vibrations are congenital to any system of transportation. In the poultry industry, the higher or lower intensity of this agent during the transportation of eggs and chickens can increase the production losses and decrease the efficiency of the system as a whole. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of mechanical vibration (MV) generated by mechanized equipment on eggs, chickens mortality and levels of some blood biochemicals (triglyceride, glucose, cholesterol, calcium, phosphorus, urea) were analyzed in one-day-old chickens. The data showed that the glucose and urea concentrations in the blood of one-day-old chicks and their mortality increased with increasing vibration levels but calcium, cholesterol and triglyceride levels decreased. Levels of vibration seemed not to affect all of the parameters. Mechanical vibrations may be responsible for the incidence of cracks, in addition to promoting the agitation of internal constituents (yolk and albumen), which could potentially compromise the quality of birth and hatchlings. The mechanical vibration is related to stress, discomfort and depreciation of the welfare of the birds, changed in glucose and corticosteroids levels and thus affect other factors as well as the quality of the meat.