World Rabbit Science - Vol. 20 (2)-2012
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- Effect of the primary cooling rate on the motility and fertility of frozen-thawed rabbit spermatozoa
- Buck effect on rabbit oestrous: vulva colour, vaginal lumen cells and ovarian follicle populations
- Fertility potential of rabbit bucks fed maize-based diets containing graded levels of fumonisin B1
- Effect of environmental enrichment and group size on behaviour and live weight in growing rabbits
- Effect of handling in pre-weaning rabbits
- Effect of lighting programme and nursing method on the production and nursing behaviour of rabbit does
- Reliability of non-invasive tissue sampling methods for DNA extraction in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
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Item type: Artículo , Access status: Abierto , Reliability of non-invasive tissue sampling methods for DNA extraction in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)(Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València, 2012-06-30) Ben Larbi, Manel; Tircazes, A.; Feve, K.; Tudela, F.; Bolet, G.[EN] Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) can be extracted from different tissue sources. The most common is blood, but in some situations it can be easier to take a biopsy. In some cases when it is difficult to capture animals, especially in wild populations, faeces and hairs can be considered as a source of DNA. This paper presents a pilot study conducted to compare the applicability of invasive and non-invasive sampling methods for extracting DNA for use in genetic studies of rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). The study included 24 rabbits from the INRA 1001 strain. Blood, hair, ear biopsies and faeces were collected and used as DNA sources. Our aim was to verify the quantity of DNA obtained from different tissues using two or three types of extraction. DNA was obtained for all tissue types and all extraction methods. DNA extraction was shown to be optimal with the LGC (Laboratory of Cellular Genetics) blood extraction method. With regard to non-invasive methods, DNA extraction for hair using the LGC protocol and QIAamp¿ DNA mini kit gave very low quantities of DNA that could not be used for PCR reactions. The Chelex extraction protocol gave good results for PCR but could not be quantified. DNA extracted from faeces is a viable source of DNA for determining individual genotypes. The use of such non-invasive samples as a source of genetic material is a recent and very promising technique, especially for the study of endangered species, but these techniques are still too unreliable and costly to altogether replace invasive techniques when the latter are possible.Item type: Artículo , Access status: Abierto , Fertility potential of rabbit bucks fed maize-based diets containing graded levels of fumonisin B1(Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València, 2012-06-30) Idahor, Kingsley; Egbunike, Gabriel[EN] Fumonisin B1-contaminated maize-based diets have been reported to be mycotoxic in animal species, yet more validated data and biomarkers are needed. In this study, Fumonisin B1 (FB1) infected yellow-maize was used to formulate Diets 1, 2 and 3, containing 1,700, 1,800 and 1,900µg FB1/kg diet, respectively. Sixty sexually matured bucks and does were used, but only the bucks were fed the FB1-contaminated diets for eight weeks. At the end of the feeding trial, the treated bucks were mated to the dry does that were fed FB1-free yellow maize-based diet. Effects on testis and live weight, feed utilisation, conception rate, embryo development and spermatozoa production per gram testis were monitored. Results indicated significant depression (P<0.05) in feed intake, from 546.77±12.09g/week in Diet 1 with the lowest FB1 concentration, to 509.84±21.98g/week in Diet 3 with the highest FB1 concentration in the diets. Weight gain was drastically reduced (P<0.05) from 34.13±9.32g/week in Diet 1 to 20.38±22.13g/week in Diet 3. Meanwhile, some of the untreated does were pregnant in all the treatments, indicating that FB1 concentration at 2.0mg/kg diet may not be spermaticidal and there were no abnormalities in the embryos. It was observed that the paired testis weight value in Diet 1 (3.06±0.31) was not significantly different (P>0.05) from that of Diet 3 (2.94±0.23). The testicular elements were distorted by the dietary FB1, but did not follow a definite pattern. Spermatozoa production per gram testis values (31.1 - 37.3 x 106) recorded were much higher than 24 x 106 for a healthy rabbit buck. Consequently, FB1 concentration < 2.0mg/kg diet may not affect the fertility potentials of bucks orally dosed for a relatively short period. This observation further elucidates earlier discoveries that FB1 is not a reproductive toxicant. Hence, the United States Food and Drug Administration proposed a guideline of 2.0mg total fumonisins/kg diet, to be adopted with strict adherence to safeguard healthy living.Item type: Artículo , Access status: Abierto , Effect of the primary cooling rate on the motility and fertility of frozen-thawed rabbit spermatozoa(Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València, 2012-06-30) Maeda, Tatsuhiro; Liu, Enqi; Nishijima, Kazutoshi; Tanaka, M.; Yamaguchi, Shinji; Morimoto, Masatoshi; Watanabe, Teruo; Fan, Jianglin; Kitajima, Shuji; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science[EN] In the present study, we examined the effect of primary cooling rates on the motility and fertility of frozen-thawed rabbit spermatozoa. Rabbit semen diluted with an egg-yolk acetamide extender was cooled from room temperature to 5°C at four different rates (-0.1, -0.2, -0.4, -0.8°C/min) as a primary cooling step, then semen was frozen in liquid nitrogen vapour. After thawing, sperm cooled at -0.1°C/min showed the highest motility (40.7 ± 7.3%); there were no significant differences between the motilities of the -0.1, -0.2, and -0.4°C/min groups. The motility of frozen-thawed sperm cooled at -0.8°C/min (29.2 ± 6.8%) was significantly lower than that of sperm cooled at -0.1 and -0.2°C/min. The viability (-0.1°C/min, 38.1 ± 4.0%; -0.8°C/min, 24.3 ± 7.3%) of frozen-thawed sperm was closely related to its motility (-0.1°C/min, 36.7 ± 7.2%; -0.8°C/min, 22.3 ± 4.7%). Quality of post-thaw motile sperm cooled at different rates was estimated by comparing the fertilisation ability of the -0.1 and -0.8°C/min groups following artificial insemination. There were no significant differences in pregnancy rates and mean litter sizes. These data suggest that cooling rabbit semen at rates ranging from -0.1 to -0.8°C/min affects the viability but not the fertilisation capacity of motile spermatozoa after thawing.Item type: Artículo , Access status: Abierto , Effect of lighting programme and nursing method on the production and nursing behaviour of rabbit does(Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València, 2012-06-30) Gerencsér, Zsolt; Matics, Zsolt; Nagy, István; Radnai, I.; Szendrõ, Éva; Szendrõ, Zsolt[EN] The purpose of the experiment was to analyse how the production and nursing behaviour of rabbit does are influenced by different lighting programmes and nursing methods. Rabbit does (n=119) were housed in two rooms. The lighting schedules were a continuous 16L:8D (16L, n=55) or an interrupted 8L:4D:8L:4D (8+8L, n=64). In both rooms, half of the does nursed their kits freely (FS, n=53), while for the other half the suckling method was changed to controlled nursing 3 days prior to the artificial insemination (AI) at day 11 (FS-CS, n=66). Lighting schedule had no significant effect on any productive trait. 76% of the 16L does nursed their kits during the dark period; however, in the 8+8L group, 50% of the nursing events occurred in the dark, 50% during the light periods, respectively. Thus the intermittent lighting disturbed the nursing behaviour of the does. The nursing method significantly affected several traits. AI/parturition, body weight of the does at kindling, number of kits born alive, litter weight at day 21, and suckling mortality were 1.38 and 1.24 (P<0.05), 4.51 and 4.37 kg (P<0.01), 7.95 and 8.46 (P<0.05), 3.06 and 2.92 kg (P<0.05), and 5.3 and 7.3% (P<0.05) in the FS and FS-CS groups, respectively. Compared to the FS group, the advantage of the FS-CS group (P<0.001) was 16.2, 18.4, 9.3 and, 6.3% for total number of kits born, number of kits born alive, number of kits at day 21, and total kits¿ weight at day 21 per AI, respectively. Due to the change in the nursing method, the frequency of multiple nursing increased. The length of the nursing period of the FS-CS group was significantly exceeded by that of the FS does. Based on these results, changing the nursing method can be used as an adequate biostimulation method.Item type: Artículo , Access status: Abierto , Effect of handling in pre-weaning rabbits(Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València, 2012-06-30) Zucca, Daniela; Redaelli, Veronica; Marelli, S.P.; Bonazza, Vittorio; Heinzl, Eugenio; Verga, Marina; Luzi, Fabio; Ministero dell'Istruzione dell'Università e della Ricerca, Italia[EN] The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of regular daily handling on weight gain and on the fear reaction towards a new environment and human beings in domestic kits (Tonic Immobility test: TI, Emergence test: ET). Two groups in the same environment and fed the same diet were analysed: handled group and control (17 litters, 9 kits/litter per group). No differences in weight gain were recorded. During ET at 33 days of age, handled kits took less time to enter the arena than control group kits. TI duration was shorter in handled kits, which required more inductions than the control group. It was found that minimal human contact imposed before nursing reduced the fear of humans in rabbit kits. Our handling method requires minimal contact and can be used to reduce fear and improve welfare in rabbits. Moreover, the short length of the handling procedure allows stockpersons to produce tamer rabbits, reducing stress levels.Item type: Artículo , Access status: Abierto , Buck effect on rabbit oestrous: vulva colour, vaginal lumen cells and ovarian follicle populations(Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València, 2012-06-30) Ola, Idowu; Oyegbade, Moses[EN] The aim of this study was to determine the response to combinations of male stimuli in the oestrous doe in terms of changes in vulva colour, exfoliated cells in the vaginal lumen and the ovarian histology. Twelve oestrous heterogeneous rabbits does (6 multiparous and 6 nulliparous) were allotted equally to 3 experimental treatments: VIC ¿ Male exposure with visual contact; NVC - Male exposure without visual contact and; NOC - Females completely isolated and not allowed any contact with the male. The does were placed under these treatments for 30 consecutive days during which vulvar colour was checked and vaginal smears were taken daily for each animal. All animals were sacrificed on the thirtieth day and their ovaries processed for histological examination following H & E staining. Does with NVC and VIC exposure displayed either red or pink vulva in 95 and 90% of cases, respectively, the remaining cases being rose coloured but never a whitish vulva (P<0.05), whereas does with NOC exposure displayed rose vulva on 80% of the days checked and another 11.7% cases with white vulvae but never a reddish vulva (P<0.05). The proportions of superficial, intermediate and parabasal epithelial cells in the vagina smears showed that superficial cells usually contribute less than 16% of the total and are also less abundant (P<0.05) irrespective of the doe¿s exposure type or vulva colour, except in male-isolated does with purple vulva. All categories of follicles were seen on ovarian sections from NVC and VIC does, but corpora lutea were also present on the sections from VIC does, whereas only follicles below 0.5 mm diameter were seen on the sections from NOC does. In conclusion, these results suggest that the rabbit does require some form of stimulus from the male to remain sexually attractive. Moreover, ovulation appeared to have been induced in the does with visual contact with the male, probably in conjunction with auditory and olfactory, but without tactile or mating contacts.Item type: Artículo , Access status: Abierto , Effect of environmental enrichment and group size on behaviour and live weight in growing rabbits(Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València, 2012-06-30) Zucca, Daniela; Marelli, S.P.; Redaelli, Veronica; Heinzl, Eugenio; Cardile, Heidi; Ricci, Cristian; Verga, Marina; Luzi, Fabio[EN] The aim of this research was to study the effects of group size and environmental enrichment on behaviour and growth of 108 hybrid growing rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). We compared the behaviour (time budget and reactions to specific behavioural tests: "tonic immobility" and "emergence test") and live weight of growing rabbits housed in cages with a different number of rabbits per cage (2, 3 and 4; same density:14 rabbits/m2). Half of the cages were enriched with a wooden stick (Robinia Pseudoacacia, length: 20 cm ¿ diameter: 6 cm, cylindrical) hanging from the ceiling of the cage. The stick and number of animals per cage had no effect on weight gain or on behavioural tests responses. Interaction with the stick was significantly higher at the beginning of the growing period. Principal component analysis performed on the data for the whole period showed significant differences according to the treatments: increasing the number of rabbits per cage and introducing a wooden stick seemed to affect locomotor activity frequency and social interactions. Rabbits housed 3 and 4 per cage showed less lying behaviour and higher locomotor activity and sitting. The larger functional space allowance enabled rabbits to perform more natural behaviours compared to smaller cages (2 rabbits/cage). Environmental enrichment seems to be related to higher allogrooming behaviour frequency, which could indicate a social behaviour related to pheromonal olfactory stimulation and mutual recognition.