16 t h International Congress on Animal <strong>Reproduction</strong> 158 Poster Abstracts P395 The effect of <strong>in</strong>tra-mammary <strong>in</strong>fection on 205-day adjusted weight of calves <strong>in</strong> a Brahman herd Gonzalez-Castro, F 1 *, Scaramelli, A 2 , Cor<strong>de</strong>ro, F 2 , Tirado, MA 3 , Diaz, T 4 , Clerc, K 3 1Departamento Medico Quirurgico, <strong>Facultad</strong> <strong>de</strong> <strong>Ciencias</strong> Veter<strong>in</strong>arias, UCV, Venezuela; 2 Patologia, <strong>Facultad</strong> <strong>de</strong> <strong>Ciencias</strong> Veter<strong>in</strong>arias, UCV, Venezuela; 3Medico Quirurgico, <strong>Facultad</strong> <strong>de</strong> <strong>Ciencias</strong> Veter<strong>in</strong>arias, UCV, Venezuela; 4Instituto De Reproduccion Animal, acultad <strong>de</strong> <strong>Ciencias</strong> Veter<strong>in</strong>arias, UCV, Venezuela In or<strong>de</strong>r to evaluate the effect of <strong>in</strong>tra-mammary <strong>in</strong>fection (IMI) on 205-day adjusted weight of calves (P205d) <strong>in</strong> a Brahman herd, 104 Brahman cows with >1 calv<strong>in</strong>g were used. Calv<strong>in</strong>g season spreads from February 15th to June 15th. Restricted suckl<strong>in</strong>g, from day 30 postpartum, allowed 2 hours calf-cow contact <strong>in</strong> the morn<strong>in</strong>g and was ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed until cow was diagnosed pregnant. Bacteriological analyses were performed to <strong>in</strong>dividual quarter samples dur<strong>in</strong>g early lactation (EL; 30±7 d post-partum; n=104) and at wean<strong>in</strong>g (W; 210 d post-partum; n=66). Milk samples and their duplicates were collected aseptically <strong>in</strong> sterile vials, and stored on ice for transportation to the laboratory for bacteriological analysis, 6-8 h after sampl<strong>in</strong>g. Staphylococcus sp. were i<strong>de</strong>ntified us<strong>in</strong>g growth <strong>in</strong> blood agar (GBA) and salt manitol agar, Gram sta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g (GS), catalase test (CT), OF glucose test, coagulase test (CT). Streptococcus sp. were i<strong>de</strong>ntified us<strong>in</strong>g GBA, GS, CT, hypurate hydrolysis, aescul<strong>in</strong> hydrolysis, growth <strong>in</strong> the presence of bile, tolerance to 6.5% NaCl and CAMP test. Gram + bacilli were i<strong>de</strong>ntified by GBA, GC, growth <strong>in</strong> Tween 80 and <strong>in</strong> the presence of 9.5% NaCl. Frequency distribution was used to <strong>de</strong>term<strong>in</strong>e the IMI prevalence <strong>in</strong> cows and quarters. ANOVA was used to study the effect of IMI on P205d, and only EL data was consi<strong>de</strong>red. The prevalence of IMI <strong>in</strong> cows dur<strong>in</strong>g EL and W were: Coagulase negative Staphylococcus sp. different from S. epi<strong>de</strong>rmidis (CNS)= 19,2% (20/104) and 15,4% (10/65); Corynebacterium sp.= 7,7% (8/104) and 4,6% (3/65); C. bovis= 3,8% (4/104) and 3,1% (2/65); S. uberis= 3,8% (4/104) and 4,6% (3/65); S. agalactiae= 1% (1/104) and 1,5% (1/65); S. hyicus= 1% (1/104) and 1,5% (1/65); S. <strong>in</strong>termedius= 1% (1/104) and 0,0% (0/65); mixed <strong>in</strong>fections= 4% (4/104) and 3% (2/65), respectively. The prevalence of IMI <strong>in</strong> quarters dur<strong>in</strong>g EL and at W were: CNS= 10,2% (40/392) and 7,2% (18/249); Corynebacterium sp.= 4,8% (19/392) and 3,6% (9/249); C. bovis= 2,6% (10/392) and 4,4% (11/249); S. uberis= 2,0% (8/392) and 1,2% (3/249); S. agalactiae= 0,3% (1/392) and 1,6% (4/249); S. <strong>in</strong>termedius= 0,5% (2/392) and 0,0% (0/249); S. hyicus= 0,0% (0/392) and 0,4% (1/249); mixed <strong>in</strong>fections= 1,1% (4/392) and 0,8% (2/249), respectively. IMI had no significant effect on P205d. P205d of calves from non-<strong>in</strong>fected cows was 167.23±3 kg (n=52) and from <strong>in</strong>fected cows 163.05±3 kg (n=37). In conclusion, even though a significant effect of IMI on P205d was not found, numeric differences were observed, and non <strong>in</strong>fected cows weaned slightly heavier calves than <strong>in</strong>fected cows. P396 The effect of umbilical cord clamp<strong>in</strong>g on acid-base balance of piglets at term Jonker, FH 1 *, Van Dijk, J 2 , Van Loon, TPAM 3 , Taverne, MAM 1 1Farm animal Health, Faculty of Veter<strong>in</strong>ary Medic<strong>in</strong>e, Utrecht University, the Netherlands, Netherlands; 2 Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Toxicology, Faculty of Veter<strong>in</strong>ary Medic<strong>in</strong>e, Utrecht University, Netherlands; 3 Equ<strong>in</strong>e Sciences, Faculty of Veter<strong>in</strong>ary Medic<strong>in</strong>e, Utrecht University, Netherlands Umbilical cord clamp<strong>in</strong>g (UCC) was used to mimic the evolvement of birth asphyxia, like observed <strong>in</strong> natural farrow<strong>in</strong>gs. A laparatomy was conducted <strong>in</strong> 4 sows (on day 112 or 113) un<strong>de</strong>r general anaesthesia. Successive fetal compartments were exteriorised and each fetus was placed, with an <strong>in</strong>tact umbilical cord and its head covered by a plastic bag, un<strong>de</strong>r a heat<strong>in</strong>g lamp. Piglets were alternately subjected either to 5-8 m<strong>in</strong> of UCC (n=23) or served as controls (n=24) dur<strong>in</strong>g a similar wait<strong>in</strong>g period (WP). After cutt<strong>in</strong>g of the cord, 21 control and 21 clamped piglets had to be supported by manual ventilation with room air to establish <strong>in</strong><strong>de</strong>pen<strong>de</strong>nt respiration (IR). In 4 control and 7 clamped piglets no IR occurred and these piglets were classified as non-surviv<strong>in</strong>g (NSV). Mean birth weight and duration of UCC or WP of NSV piglets did not differ significantly from surviv<strong>in</strong>g (SV) piglets. Before UCC / WP, acid-base balance values and heart rates (HR) of piglets did not differ with<strong>in</strong> and between litters throughout the 5 h of surgery (mean 291± 44 m<strong>in</strong>). UCC resulted <strong>in</strong> an <strong>in</strong>itial fetal bradycardia, with a consecutive gradual <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> HR, followed by a second <strong>de</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> HR at which moment UCC was stopped. HR <strong>in</strong> control piglets rema<strong>in</strong>ed constant dur<strong>in</strong>g the WP. Mean body weight (BW) and duration of UCC / WP did not differ between SV control piglets (n=20; BW: 1336± 417 g; WP: 7.0± 1.9 m<strong>in</strong>) and SV clamped piglets (n=16; BW: 1392± 403 g; UCC: 7.0± 1.1 m<strong>in</strong>). Only a mild, mixed respiratory-metabolic acidosis <strong>in</strong> umbilical artery blood was measured at 10 m<strong>in</strong> after cutt<strong>in</strong>g of the cord <strong>in</strong> SV UCC piglets, with lower pH (7.22; range 7.10-7.32) and BE (2 mmol/L; -3 to 7) and higher pCO2 (9.8 kPa; 7.0 – 12.2) and lactate values (6.5 mmol/L; 5.4 – 8.9) compared to SV control piglets (pH: 7.31, range 7.17 – 7.38; BE: 5 mmol/L, range -6 to 10; pCO2: 8.5 kPa, range 6.8 – 12.2; lactate: 4.0 mmol/L, range 3.0 – 5.6), <strong>in</strong><strong>de</strong>pen<strong>de</strong>ntly of spontaneous breath<strong>in</strong>g, manual ventilation and BW. This study <strong>de</strong>monstrates that loss of umbilical cord function alone is not responsible for severe asphyxia dur<strong>in</strong>g birth. The response to UCC was rather variable with respect to onset of the second HR <strong>de</strong>crease and the <strong>de</strong>gree of acidosis. The latter was not as severe as reported by Herp<strong>in</strong> et al. <strong>in</strong> 1996 (pH < 7.00; pCO2 >11.8 kPa; lactate >7.2 mmol/L ) for highly asphyxiated, vag<strong>in</strong>ally <strong>de</strong>livered piglets. P397 Biochemical profile of the amniotic fluid at the <strong>de</strong>livery moment of the Nelore calves conceived by <strong>in</strong> vitro production and embryo transfer Moya, CF 1 *; Piagent<strong>in</strong>i, M 1 ; Prestes, NC 1 ; Lucidi, CA 2 ; Takahira, RK 2 1Department of Animal <strong>Reproduction</strong> and Veter<strong>in</strong>ary Radiology, São Paulo State University - FMVZ/UNESP, Brazil; 2 Department of Veter<strong>in</strong>ary Cl<strong>in</strong>ics, São Paulo State University - FMVZ/UNESP, Brazil The purpose of the present study was to quantify biochemical constituents of the amniotic fluid of the Nelore calves conceived by <strong>in</strong> vitro production and embryo transfer at the <strong>de</strong>livery moment. Forty cows divi<strong>de</strong>d <strong>in</strong> 2 groups were used <strong>in</strong> this experiment: 01- Twenty cows pregnant with Nelore calves obta<strong>in</strong>ed by <strong>in</strong> vitro production after follicular aspiration; 02 - Twenty cows pregnant with Nelore calves obta<strong>in</strong>ed by superovulation of embryo donors. The animals were fed on pasture with m<strong>in</strong>eral salt, supplement of corn silage and ration <strong>in</strong> the rural area <strong>in</strong> Avaré, São Paulo, Brazil. Near to the labor, the cows were transferred to a maternal paddock, permitt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>de</strong>livery observation. Dur<strong>in</strong>g the expulsion phase the amnion was punctured and 15mL of fluid were collected, kept <strong>in</strong> a plastic tube and stored <strong>in</strong> a freezer. The evaluation of the biochemical parameters were ma<strong>de</strong> through commercial kits. Total prote<strong>in</strong>, glucose, chlori<strong>de</strong> and urea were <strong>de</strong>term<strong>in</strong>ed by colorimetric spectrophotometry. Creat<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>e and gama glutamyltransferase (GGT) were <strong>de</strong>term<strong>in</strong>ed by k<strong>in</strong>etic spectrophotometry. Potassium and sodium were <strong>de</strong>term<strong>in</strong>ed by flame photometry. Statistics <strong>in</strong>clu<strong>de</strong>d analysis of variance and Tukey test consi<strong>de</strong>r<strong>in</strong>g 5% as the level of significance. The mean values and their standard error for the biochemical parameters obta<strong>in</strong>ed from the amniotic fluid <strong>in</strong> the Group 01 were: 0.45±0.46 g/dL for total prote<strong>in</strong>, 4.4±6.1 mg/dL for glucose, 8.0±5.3 mg/dL for creat<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>, 40.3±16.5 mg/dL for urea, 17.2±14.6 UI/L for GGT, 63.7±31.5 b mmol/L for chlori<strong>de</strong>, 94.8±33.6 mmol/L for sodium and 8.3±7.1 a mmol/L for potassium. The mean values and their standard error for the biochemical parameters obta<strong>in</strong>ed from the amniotic fluid <strong>in</strong> the Group 02 were: 0.36±0.57 g/dL for total prote<strong>in</strong>, 6.7±7.7 mg/dL for glucose, 5.9±4.9 mg/dL for creat<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>a, 38.3±20.5 mg/dL for urea, 22.6±13.0 UI/L for GGT, 88.8±23.8 a mmol/L for chlori<strong>de</strong>, 77.7±33.4 mmol/L for sodium and 3.9±1.8 b mmol/L for potassium (p
16 t h International Congress on Animal <strong>Reproduction</strong> Poster Abstracts 159 P398 Study of pituitary-adrenal axis <strong>in</strong> the trotter newborn foal Sgorb<strong>in</strong>i, M 1 ; Paci, V 2 *; Maccheroni, M 3 ; Luchetti, E 1 ; Rota, A 1 ; Marmor<strong>in</strong>i, P 4 ; Corazza, M 1 1Dipartimento Cl<strong>in</strong>ica Veter<strong>in</strong>aria, via Livornese lato monte, 56010 San Piero a Grado (PI), Italy; 2 DVM, Florence, Italy; 3 Laboratorio Dosaggi Endocr<strong>in</strong>ologici, Azienda Ospedaliera Pisana, via Bonanno Pisano, 56100 Pisa, Italy; 4 DVM, Pisa, Italy Introduction A rise <strong>in</strong> foetal plasma cortisol concentration has been <strong>de</strong>tected <strong>in</strong> many species at a time when the maturational changes are occurr<strong>in</strong>g. A dist<strong>in</strong>ction between post natal cortisol levels <strong>in</strong> mature and immature foals is present. The aim of the present work is to study the trend of the plasmatic concentration of ACTH and cortisol <strong>in</strong> trotter foals dur<strong>in</strong>g the first 48h of life. Materials and methods Fifty trotter foals different <strong>in</strong> sex and born <strong>in</strong> the same farm dur<strong>in</strong>g breed<strong>in</strong>g seasons 2006 were <strong>in</strong>clu<strong>de</strong>d <strong>in</strong> this study. Inclusion criteria: 1) 320-340 gestation days; 2) assisted <strong>de</strong>liveries; 3) mares vacc<strong>in</strong>ation for <strong>in</strong>fluenza and EHV-1 and treatment for GI parasites; 4) Apgar ≥7; 5) IgG concentration at 24h ≥800 mg/dl (SNAP ® Foal IgG, IDEXX, USA); 6) immediate suction reflex and stand<strong>in</strong>g the head, sternal recumbency with<strong>in</strong> 3 m<strong>in</strong>, quadrupedal position with<strong>in</strong> 160 m<strong>in</strong>, first suckl<strong>in</strong>g with<strong>in</strong> 180 m<strong>in</strong>; 7) normal physical exam<strong>in</strong>ation dur<strong>in</strong>g the first week of life. Blood samples were collected with<strong>in</strong> 6h from birth (T1), at 24 (T2) and 48h (T3) of life <strong>in</strong> EDTA and hepar<strong>in</strong>ised tubes. Samples were immediately centrifuged and plasma was stored at -20°C. Both ACTH and cortisol were analysed by chemolum<strong>in</strong>escence (Immunolite 2005 Analyzer, DPC, USA). X±SD were calculated both for ACTH and cortisol. Correlation has been calculated for both the hormones <strong>in</strong> relation with sampl<strong>in</strong>g times. Anova test has been applied both for ACTH and cortisol vs different sampl<strong>in</strong>g times and the differences were consi<strong>de</strong>red statistically significant for p