Inhibin activity was investigated using chicken granulosa cell culture medium. Chicken granulosa cells were collected individually from the largest follicle (F1 follicle) and the third largest follicle (F3 follicle) of the ovary, dispersed using enzyme and incubated in a suspension method or cultured in a monolayer method in vitro. Culture medium was assessed for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) inhibiting (inhibin) activity using the rat anterior pituitary cell culture method. The FSH secretion from cultured rat pituitary cells was suppressed by experimental increasing of the amounts of granulosa cell culture medium in a dose-dependent manner, though luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion was not affected in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibin activity of the granulosa cell culture medium derived from F1 follicles was higher than that from F3 follicles. These results suggest that chicken granulosa cells secrete inhibin-like substance(s) and that the F1 follicle may secrete a larger amount of inhibin than the F3 follicle.

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Solanum glaucophyllum (SG) contains 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) glycosides. We investigated the effect of SG on hypocalcemia in cows. Serum levels of 1,25-(OH)2D3, total calcium and phosphorus dose-relatedly increased after feeding with SG, while serum magnesium and chloride levels fell (P < 0.05). We also performed an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) infusion to induce artificial hypocalcemia. Cows that had been fed 4.0 mg/kg body weight of SG daily for 2 weeks had a higher serum concentration of total calcium at the end of EDTA infusion than those not fed SG (P < 0.05). In a field trial, multiparous cows were assigned to one of four groups: (1) no SG, (2) 1.3 g or (3) 2.6 g of SG daily from 14 days before the estimated calving day until 3 days after calving, or (4) a single feed of 35.75 g SG at 3 days before the estimated calving day. The concentrations of serum total calcium after the calving in each treatment group were (1) 7.4, (2) 7.9, (3) 8.0 and (4) 8.9 mg/dL and higher for (4) than for (1) (P < 0.05). The data suggests that feeding a high dose of SG before the calving may maintain higher concentrations of serum calcium after the calving.