Search Results (13)

Off-season breeding is a method of encouraging animals through manual intervention to reproduce during the non-breeding season. The egg-laying period of the Zhedong white goose usually starts from September and ends in April of the following year. During the summer months from May to August, with long daylight hours and high temperatures, the white geese rest and do not lay eggs. This study explored the effects of off-season breeding on egg production performance, serum biochemical indicators, and hormone secretion in Zhedong white goose. The experiment was divided into normal breeding and off-seasonal breeding. The results suggested that the peak laying period lasted 3 months, and egg production was 15.62% higher than that in the control group in the off-season breeding group. The off-season breeding group had a 4.13% higher egg fertilization rate in November (laying period) than the control group, and the hatching rate of hatched eggs and fertilized eggs in the peak laying period was 2.77% and 2.3% higher, respectively, than the control group. The experimental group showed significantly higher serum P, ALB (albumin), TG (triglyceride), and TC (total cholesterol) levels; serum AST (glutamic oxalacetic transaminase) activity; and CREA (creatinine) and BUN (blood urea nitrogen) levels than the control group at different time points. The serum LH (luteinizing hormone), FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), P4 (progesterone), and E2 (estradiol) levels were significantly higher in the off-season breeding group than in the control group. The serum T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (Tetraiodothyronine) levels were significantly higher in the off-season breeding group than in the control group at different points in the breeding cycle. The control group showed a significantly higher gene expression of GnRH (gonadotropin releasing hormone) in the hypothalamus; GnRH, FSH, and LH in the pituitary; and GnRH in the ovary and significantly lower gene expression of VIP (vasoactine intestinal peptide) and PRL (prolactin) in the pituitary than the off-season breeding group. Thus, the off-season breeding of Zhedong white geese may prolong the peak laying period and improve egg production performance, thus enhancing the economic benefits of goose breeding. Full article

Short beak and dwarfism syndrome (SBDS), characterised by growth retardation and short beak, is a contagious disease of ducks, caused by goose parvovirus (GPV). This study aimed to compare morphology and biochemistry data obtained from 4-week-old Pekin ducks naturally infected with parvovirus causing SBDS in healthy Pekin ducks of the same age. Materials and Methods: Forty Pekin ducks (twenty infected GPV and twenty clinically healthy controls) were examined. Measurement of the beak and metatarsus and histopathological examination were conducted, and blood morphological and biochemical analyses were performed for each individual. Results: Statistically significant increases in the SBDS group were observed in white blood cells (WBCs), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and albumin levels, while decreases were noted in non-organic phosphorus, potassium, and amylase levels. ALP in the control group was 465.70 ± 161.49, while in the SBDS group it was 353.68 ± 79.97 (p ˂ 0.006). 1,2-o-dilauryl-rac-glycero-3-glutaric acid-(6′-methylresorufin) ester (DGGR) lipase marker offered a refined gauge for pancreatic function, with established reference values for the healthy control group set at 14.95 ± 4.27 U/L. Conclusions: This study sheds light on the unique impact of GPV on the skeletal system of Pekin ducks, revealing significant insights into the mechanisms of SBDS without osteitis. Additionally, this work offers groundbreaking insights into the morphological and biochemical alterations in the blood during SBDS, establishing normative haematological and biochemical indices for Pekin ducks. It also introduces the DGGR lipase marker as a refined marker for pancreatic function for the healthy control group set at 14.95 ± 4.27 U/L. It highlights the role of ALP in ensuring proper bone growth and the need for ongoing research on its activity in the context of viral infections. Full article

The analysis of the genetic diversity and historical dynamics of endemic endangered goose breeds structure has attracted great interest. Although various aspects of the goose breed structure have been elucidated, there is still insufficient research on the genetic basis of endemic endangered Chinese goose breeds. In this study, we collected blood samples from Lingxiang White (LX), Yan (YE), Yangjiang (YJ), Wuzong (WZ), Xupu (XP), and Baizi (BZ) geese (Anser cygnoides) and used Sanger sequencing to determine the partial sequence of the cytochrome b (CYTB) gene in a total of 180 geese. A total of 117 polymorphic sites were detected in the 707 bp sequence of the mtDNA CYTB gene after shearing and correction, accounting for approximately 16.55% of the entire sequence. The AT content (51.03%) of the processed sequence was slightly higher than the GC content (48.97%), indicating a preference for purine bases. The YJ, YE, and WZ breeds had the highest population genetic diversity, with a haplotype diversity greater than 0.9 (Hd > 0.9) and average population nucleotide difference of 8.01 (K > 8.01). A total of 81 haplotypes were detected and divided into six major branches. Among the six goose breeds, there were frequent genetic exchanges among LX, YJ, YE, and WZ geese (Nm > 15.00). We analyzed the distribution of base-mismatch differences in goose breeds and tested their historical dynamics for neutrality in Tajima’s D and Fu’s Fs. For YJ and WZ geese, Tajima’s D > 0, but the difference was not significant (p > 0.05). The actual values for the two breeds exhibited multimodal Poisson distributions. The population patterns of the WZ and YJ geese are purportedly relatively stable, and the breeds have not experienced population expansions or bottleneck effects, which is consistent with the neutrality test results. This study provides new insights into the diverse genetic origins and historical dynamics that sustain endemic endangered goose breeds. Full article

Background: Orthoflavivirus ilheusense (ILHV) is a member of the Flaviviridae family. It was first isolated in 1944 from pools of Aedes serratus and Psorophora ferox mosquitoes; however, it has also been detected in species of the genus Culex, such as Cx. portesi and Cx. coronator. The objective of this study was to examine the vector competence of Cx. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes to ILHV infection and the subsequent transmission of the virus through their saliva during feeding on blood. Methods: F1 generation females of Cx. quinquefasciatus (Ananindeua/PA) were orally infected with goose blood infected with strain BeH7445, and body, head and saliva samples were analyzed at 7, 14, and 21 dpi using the techniques of virus isolation in cells and indirect immunofluorescence. Results: The presence of ILHV was not detected in the body and head samples of Cx. quinquefasciatus females at any of the three dpi’s analyzed, indicating that the lineage of mosquitoes analyzed was resistant to ILHV. Conclusions: According to the results obtained in this study, the species Cx. quinquefasciatus proved resistant to ILHV, regardless of the virus titers to which it was exposed, which suggests the possibility that this species does not act as a vector in the ILHV transmission cycle. Full article

Changes in the nutritional status of animals significantly affect their health and production performance. However, it is unclear whether insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 2 (IGFBP2) mediates these effects. This study aimed to investigate the impact of changes in nutritional and energy statuses on hepatic IGFBP2 expression and the mechanism through which IGFBP2 plays a mediating role. Therefore, the expression of IGFBP2 was first determined in the livers of fasting/refeeding and overfeeding geese. The data showed that overfeeding inhibited IGFBP2 expression in the liver compared with the control (normal feeding) group, whereas the expression of IGFBP2 in the liver was induced by fasting. Interestingly, the data indicated that insulin inhibited the expression of IGFBP2 in goose primary hepatocytes, suggesting that the changes in IGFBP2 expression in the liver in the abovementioned models may be partially attributed to the blood insulin levels. Furthermore, transcriptome sequencing analysis showed that the overexpression of IGFBP2 in geese primary hepatocytes significantly altered the expression of 337 genes (including 111 up-regulated and 226 down-regulated genes), and these differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in cytokine–cytokine receptor, immune, and lipid metabolism-related pathways. We selected the most significant pathway, the cytokine–cytokine receptor pathway, and found that the relationship between the expression of these genes and IGFBP2 in goose liver was in line with the findings from the IGFBP2 overexpression assay, i.e., the decreased expression of IGFBP2 was accompanied by the increased expression of LOC106041919, CCL20, LOC106042256, LOC106041041, and IL22RA1 in the overfed versus normally fed geese, and the increased expression of IGFBP2 was accompanied by the decreased expression of these genes in fasting versus normally fed geese, and refeeding prevented or attenuated the effects of fasting. The association between the expression of these genes and IGFBP2 was verified by IGFBP2-siRNA treatment of goose primary hepatocytes, in which IGFBP2 expression was induced by low serum concentrations. In conclusion, this study suggests that IGFBP2 mediates the biological effects induced by changes in nutritional or energy levels, mainly through the cytokine−cytokine receptor pathway. Full article

The goose is an economically important poultry species and was one of the first to be domesticated. However, studies on population genetic structures and domestication in goose are very limited. Here, we performed whole genome resequencing of geese from two wild ancestral populations, five Chinese domestic breeds, and four European domestic breeds. We found that Chinese domestic geese except Yili geese originated from a common ancestor and exhibited strong geographical distribution patterns and trait differentiation patterns, while the origin of European domestic geese was more complex, with two modern breeds having Chinese admixture. In both Chinese and European domestic geese, the identified selection signatures during domestication primarily involved the nervous system, immunity, and metabolism. Interestingly, genes related to vision, skeleton, and blood-O2 transport were also found to be under selection, indicating genetic adaptation to the captive environment. A forehead knob characterized by thickened skin and protruding bone is a unique trait of Chinese domestic geese. Interestingly, our population differentiation analysis followed by an extended genotype analysis in an additional population suggested that two intronic SNPs in EXT1, an osteochondroma-related gene, may plausibly be sites responsible for knob. Moreover, CSMD1 and LHCGR genes were found to be significantly associated with broodiness in Chinese domestic geese and European domestic geese, respectively. Our results have important implications for understanding the population structure and domestication of geese, and the selection signatures and variants identified in this study might be useful in genetic breeding for forehead knob and reproduction traits. Full article

Goose astrovirus (GAstV) is an important pathogen causing visceral gout and high mortality in goslings, which has broken out and spread across China. In 2021, a disease characterized by urate deposition on the visceral surface and 30% mortality occurred in commercial adult Landaise geese in Zhejiang Province, China. A systematic study identified an infecting astrovirus, designated ZJCX, that was efficiently isolated from a diseased goose with a chicken hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (LMH). In contrast to other GAstVs originating from goslings, ZJCX caused cytopathogenic effects in LMH cells, and the crystalline arrangement of viral particles was observed through transmission electron microscopy. Indeed, phylogenetic analysis and nucleotide homology comparison revealed that ZJCX isolate belongs to the genotype II cluster of GAstVs and displays 97.8–98.4% identity with other GAstV II strains. However, several specific mutations occurred in the polyprotein and capsid protein regions. Moreover, a pathogenicity assessment of ZJCX with a gosling model was conducted, and typical visceral gout was reproduced and led to 18% mortality. The viral loads of ZJCX in the blood, kidney, and liver were detected with specific primers after inoculation, which demonstrated that the kidney and liver presented viral loads peaking at seven days post-inoculation (dpi). Biochemical parameter examination showed that AST, ALT, γ-GT, UA, and BUN levels were significantly increased by GAstV, whereas body weight was reduced. Overall, this study indicated that the GAstV isolate could infect adult geese, and the results regarding the viral loads and biochemical parameters induced by ZJCX provide insight into GAstV pathogenicity. Full article

This study was designed to isolate an anti-inflammatory activity oligopeptide from goose blood (GBP) for ameliorating LPS-mediated inflammation response and oxidative stress in RAW264.7 macrophages. In this study, GBP was isolated by tangential flow ultrafiltration system (TFUS) combined with size exclusion chromatography (SEC), ion exchange chromatography (IEC), and reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RP-LC), and then identified by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The experiment results indicated that the amino acid sequence of oligopeptide with the best anti-inflammatory activity was IIe-Val-Tyr-Pro-Trp-Thr-Gln-Arg (IVYPWTQR), which had a molecular weight of 1062.5720 Da, and was derived from haemoglobin subunit beta OS in goose blood. In addition, IVYPWTQR was confirmed to have satisfactory stability and maintained high anti-inflammatory activity in a simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The mechanism by which the IVYPWTQR protected against LPS-mediated inflammation response was attributed to downregulating the TLR4/NF-kB/iNOS pathway. Moreover, IVYPWTQR ameliorated oxidative stress damage in inflammatory state was attributed to activating antioxidant defence system, which was regulated by Keap-1/NRF2/HO-1 signalling pathway for decreasing the accumulation of reactive oxide species (ROS). In summary, these results indicated GBP could serve as a potential functional factor for prevention and improvement of inflammation mediated by LPS and provided an affordable dietary intervention strategy to prevent inflammation. Full article

Nutrition is an essential factor for human health. Earlier research has suggested that Arctic residents are vulnerable to environmental toxic exposures through traditional foods. Although Russia is the largest Arctic country, the evidence on the topic from the Russian part of the Arctic is scarce. We studied associations between blood concentrations of essential and non-essential elements and traditional food consumption in 297 adults from seven rural settlements in the Nenets Autonomous Area, Northwest Russia. Blood arsenic concentration was positively associated with consumption of rainbow smelt, pink salmon, Arctic char and navaga fish. Frequent consumption of northern pike was associated with increased concentration of blood mercury. Blood mercury and arsenic concentrations were significantly associated with blood selenium. We also observed positive associations between blood lead levels and the frequency of goose consumption. Moreover, subjects who reported to be hunters had higher blood levels of lead, suggesting contamination of goose meat with fragments of shotgun shells. Blood cobalt and manganese concentrations were inversely associated with serum ferritin levels. Positive associations between blood levels of manganese and lead were observed. Moreover, blood lead concentrations were significantly associated with cadmium, mercury, copper, and zinc. Our results corroborate earlier findings on the traditional foods as source of non-essential elements for the Arctic residents. Observed correlations between the levels of lead and other elements warrant further research and may have potential implications for the studies on the associations between essential elements and health outcomes. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate embryonic development; analyze the glucose, triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4) concentrations in the blood of embryos and goslings; and assess the structure and temperature (EST) of the eggshell. The eggs that were analyzed were from four laying seasons of White Kołuda^® geese at three periods (90 eggs × 4 groups × 3 periods). The different embryo proportions, fetal membranes in the egg, and sizes of internal organs indicate a different growth rate and degree of embryo development depending on the laying age and laying period. The goose age influenced the hormone concentrations in the embryos’ blood on the 28th day of incubation, which supports a relationship between the females’ age and development. The eggshell thickness and density change depending on the laying age and the laying period. A decrease in eggshell thickness in the eggs up to the third season was found after the 16th day of incubation (simultaneously, the density showed an increasing trend). A lower EST distinguished the eggs from the oldest geese in the first half of the hatch. The formation of the chorioallantois membrane was associated with an increase in EST in the oldest geese. Full article

Hematological reference samples for external quality assessment (EQA) in hematology are essential for many laboratories in Vietnam, however, the prices are high along with short storing time. This study attempted to establish an optimal formula for the manufacture of hematological reference samples for hematological EQA programs. Human red blood cells (RBCs) were mixed with goose RBCs (pseudo-leucocytes) and goat RBCs (pseudo-platelets) as alternatives for white blood cells (WBCs) and platelets (PLTs), respectively, in different formulas of storage media. The optimal formula was obtained using response surface methodology–central composite design (RSM-CCD). Three main factors affecting the concentrations of RBCs were determined by Plackett–Burmann matrix. The optimal concentrations determined by RSM-CCD were 46% serum, 0.44 g/L neomycin sulfate, and 2.5% glycerol. The model predicted that the maximum number of human RBCs was 4.1 × 10¹² cells/L, pseudo-leucocytes was 6.4 × 10⁹ cells/L, and pseudo-platelets was 188 × 10⁹ cells/L. The practical concentrations of RBCs, pseudo-leucocytes, and pseudo-platelets were 4.21 × 10¹² cells/L, 6.4 × 10⁹ cells/L, and 187 × 10⁹ cells/L, respectively, which showed 98.93% similarity with theoretical data. This result could be a premise for further study to improve manufacturing of hematological reference samples for hematology EQA programs. Full article

A 6-year-old female goose (Branta hutchinsii) from a group of ornamental exotic geese was found dead due to severe respiratory failure, followed by emission of haemorrhagic sputum and blood clots from the beak and nostrils, and then collapse. At necropsy, the cause of death was attributed to a total of 76 helminth parasites found in the trachea and lungs, then identified as Cyathostoma bronchialis. The flock was initially treated by feed with flubendazole (1200 g/1000 kg/feed) for 7 consecutive days but, at the reappearance of the respiratory symptoms 10 days after, the animals were given fenbendazole by drinking water (300 mg/L) for 7 consecutive days, but at the reappearance of the respiratory symptoms 10 days after, the animals were given fenbendazole via drinking water (300 mg/L) for 7 consecutive days. Despite these treatments, the respiratory symptoms continued to relapse 10–15 days after the end of drug administration. In the literature, there are no data regarding drugs for the treatment of C. bronchialis infestations in geese, and the use of these drugs in exotic birds occurs as “off-label” use. This case study provides information on C. bronchialis life cycle, which is still poorly studied and poorly documented today. In particular, the case provides useful suggestions for evaluating an appropriate protocol for the treatment of C. bronchialis in geese. Full article

This study investigated the effect of replacing dietary corn with broken rice (BR) on goose growth performance, body size and bare skin color. In total, 240 28-day-old healthy male Yangzhou goslings with similar body weight (BW) were randomly divided into five groups, with six replicates per group and eight geese per replicate. The control group was fed with a corn-soybean meal. The BR₂₅, BR₅₀, BR₇₅ and BR₁₀₀ groups had 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of corn replaced with BR, respectively (corresponding to 15.95%, 31.88%, 47.63% and 62.92% of BR in the feed, respectively), each with constant metabolizable energy (ME) to crude protein (CP) ratio (ME/CP). At 28, 42, 56 and 70 d, BW and feed intake for each pen were measured. Blood was collected, and body size and bare skin color were evaluated at 70 d. The results showed that different BR replacement proportions had no effect on BW at 42, 56 or 70 d or on average daily feed intake (ADFI) or average daily gain (ADG) from 28 to 42 d (p > 0.05) but BR₅₀ and BR₇₅ decreased the feed/gain ratio (F/G) from 28 to 42 d (p < 0.05). From 42 to 56 d, BR₇₅ and BR₁₀₀ geese had a lower ADFI than the control geese (p < 0.05), and BR₇₅ and BR₁₀₀ geese had a lower F/G than the BR₂₅ geese (p < 0.05). Group BR₅₀, BR₇₅ and BR₁₀₀ geese had a lower ADFI from 56 to 70 d than the control geese (p < 0.05). From 28 to 70 d, BR₅₀, BR₇₅ and BR₁₀₀ groups had a lower ADFI (p < 0.05). Interestingly, the control and BR₂₅ groups had a higher flipper score than the BR₅₀, BR₇₅ and BR₁₀₀ groups (p < 0.05), and the control group had a higher flipper score than the BR₂₅ group (p < 0.05). All BR groups reduced the bill scoring (p < 0.05). Different BR replacement proportions did not negatively affect serum biochemical variable at 70 d (p > 0.05). Overall, under these conditions, BR can totally replace corn in goose diets, and we recommend 75% replacement of corn with BR from 28 to 70 d. Full article