The SLICK haplotype (http://omia.angis.org.au/OMIA001372/9913/) in cattle confers animals with a short and sleek hair coat. Originally identified in Senepol cattle, the gene has been introduced into Holsteins. The objectives of the current study were to determine (1) whether lactating Holsteins with the slick hair phenotype have superior ability for thermoregulation compared with wild-type cows or relatives not inheriting the SLICK haplotype, and (2) whether seasonal depression in milk yield would be reduced in SLICK cows. In experiment 1, diurnal variation in vaginal temperature in the summer was monitored for cows housed in a freestall barn with fans and sprinklers. Vaginal temperatures were lower in slick-haired cows than in relatives and wild-type cows. In experiment 2, acute responses to heat stress were monitored after cows were moved to a dry lot in which the only heat abatement was shade cloth. The increases in rectal temperature and respiration rate caused by heat stress during the day were lower for slick cows than for relatives or wild-type cows. Moreover, sweating rate was higher for slick cows than for cows of the other 2 types. In experiment 3, effects of season of calving (summer vs. winter) on milk yield and composition were determined. Compared with milk yield of cows calving in winter, milk yield during the first 90 d in milk was lower for cows calving in the summer. However, this reduction was less pronounced for slick cows than for wild-type cows. In conclusion, Holsteins with slick hair have superior thermoregulatory ability compared with non-slick animals and experience a less drastic depression in milk yield during the summer.

The present review addresses summer anoestrus in buffaloes. The condition is a major impediment in the improvement of reproductive as well as productive efficiency in buffalo. Factors affecting summer anoestrus include environment, nutrition and management. The environmental factors especially longer day length and increased temperature with high humidity pre-dispose to the condition when the nutritive status of buffaloes is poor. Buffaloes with summer anoestrus fail to exhibit oestrus as a result of aberration in the endocrine profile leading to ovarian inactivity. Increased day length with high environmental temperature causes hyper-prolactinaemia, suppressing the secretion of gonadotrophins, which leads to an alteration in ovarian steroidogenesis. Heat stress produced during summer also affects folliculogenesis, follicular fluid microenvironment and oocyte quality. A large number of hormonal regimens have been used with varying degree of efficacy in terms of oestrus induction and conception rate. A combined strategy of improvement in environment, nutrition and management is pre-requisite for hormonal manipulation in order to improve productivity in summer anoestrus buffaloes. A brief description of summer anoestrus with special reference to factors responsible, endocrinology, deleterious effects on reproductive system and possible remedial measures is presented in this review.

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SummaryWe have performed a retrospective analysis of the peri-operative course of 218 consecutive patients who underwent routine coronary artery bypass graft surgery in this institution. All patients received a standardised general anaesthetic using target-controlled infusions of alfentanil and propofol. One hundred patients also received thoracic epidural anaesthesia with bupivacaine and clonidine, started before surgery and continued for 5 days after surgery. The remaining 118 patients received target-controlled infusion of alfentanil for analgesia for the first 24 h after surgery, followed by intravenous patient-controlled morphine analgesia for a further 48 h. Using computerised patient medical records, we analysed the frequency of respiratory, neurological, renal, gastrointestinal, haematological and cardiovascular complications in these two groups. New arrhythmias requiring treatment occurred in 18% of the thoracic epidural anaesthesia group of patients compared with 32% of the general anaesthesia group (p 0.02). There was also a trend towards a reduced incidence of respiratory complications in the thoracic epidural anaesthesia group. The time to tracheal extubation was decreased in the epidural group, with the tracheas of 21% of the patients being extubated immediately after surgery compared with 2% in the general anaesthesia group (p < 0.001). There were no serious neurological problems resulting from the use of thoracic epidural analgesia.Keywords Anaesthetic techniques, regional; epidural, thoracic. Surgery ; coronary artery bypass grafts. Complications ; postoperative. ...................................................................................... Correspondence to: Dr N. B. Scott Accepted: 2 March 1997 In recent years there has been a growing interest in the use of thoracic epidural anaesthesia for coronary artery bypass surgery. Its potential advantages include excellent analgesia [1], improved pulmonary function [2], early tracheal extubation [2, 3] and cardiac protection as a result of sympathetic blockade [4]. Thoracic epidural anaesthesia decreases the stress response to sternotomy and cardiopulmonary bypass. Increased sympathetic activity may lead to an increase in arterial pressure, tachycardia and an imbalance between the myocardial oxygen demand and supply, with increased myocardial oxygen extraction and the possibility of ischaemic episodes. Moore et al. showed that plasma concentrations of adrenaline and noradrenaline did not increase in the first 24 h after cardiac surgery in patients receiving thoracic epidural anaesthesia compared with a conventional anaesthetic technique [5]. Other studies have shown that haemodynamic stability was maintained during and after surgery using thoracic epidural anaesthesia [6][7][8][9].Thoracic epidural anaesthesia has been shown to decrease pain and improve the endocardial to epicardial blood flow ratio, thereby decreasing the number of ischaemic episodes [10][11][12]. Thoracic epidural anaesthesia has also been shown to decrease infarct ...

The aim of this study was to document the expression and localization of VEGF system comprising of VEGF isoforms (VEGF 120, VEGF 164 and VEGF 188) and their receptors (VEGFR1 and VEGFR2) in buffalo corpus luteum (CL) obtained from different stages of the oestrous cycle. Real-time RT-PCR (qPCR), Western blot and immunohistochemistry were applied to investigate mRNA expression, protein expression and localization of examined factors. In general, all the components of VEGF system (the VEGF isoforms and their receptors) were found in the water buffalo CL during the oestrous cycle. The mRNA as well as protein expression of VEGF system was highest during the early and mid-luteal phase, which later steadily decreased (p < 0.05) after day 10 to reach the lowest level in regressed CL. As demonstrated by immunohistochemistry, VEGF protein was localized predominantly in luteal cells; however, VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 were localized in luteal cells as well as in endothelial cells. In conclusion, the dynamics of expression and localization of VEGF system in buffalo corpora lutea during the luteal phase were demonstrated in this study, indicating the possible role of VEGF system in the regulation of luteal angiogenesis and proliferation of luteal as well as endothelial cells through their non-angiogenic function.