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Background and Aim:Calfhood disease is an important problem in dairy farming that could cause significant effects on heifer survival and productivity and has economic and welfare effects. Total protein concentration in the blood serum could be one of the predictors of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in newborn calves. The number of active nucleolus organizers could be used to assess the viability of the protein synthesis system in cells and tissues. We aimed for a comparative assessment of the dynamics of the main indicators of protein metabolism and nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) activity in the lymphocytes of healthy calves (Group I) and calves with BRD (Group II) during the 1st month after birthMaterials and Methods:This study included 30 calves of the red-motley Holstein breed. Venous blood samples were taken from all calves on the 1st, 7th, 14th, and 28th days after birth. Quantitative analysis of total protein (Serum total protein [STP]), immune globulin (Serum immune globulin [SIg]), urea, and creatinine in serum and transcriptionally active chromosome NORs in the interphase nuclei of lymphocytes was conducted using receiver operating characteristic analysis and factor analysis.Results:In Group I, the STP levels decreased during the 1st month of life, and in Group II, the STP levels were variable. The STP levels in both groups remained within the reference intervals. During the first 2 weeks after birth, the calves’ SIg fluctuated within the statistical error limits and did not significantly differ between the groups. On the 28th day, SIg increased in both the groups (by 42.8% for Group I and 33.7% for Group II). The creatinine concentration showed a decrease but did not go beyond the range of reference values. Urea concentration in Group I markedly decreased and remained below the reference values; it did not change in Group II over the entire observation period. The number of NORs in 1-day-old calves did not significantly differ between the groups and amounted to 2.43 in Group I and 2.59 in Group II. A significant increase in the number of active NORs was found in calves in both groups at the ages of 14 and 28 days. Early BRD predictors (at 1-14 days) could not be identified among the studied indicators. The urea and creatinine concentrations and the NOR activity on day 28 after birth could be late BRD predictors. Protein metabolism in the newborn calves’ organisms is regulated by three types of factors: Maintenance of a constant protein concentration in the plasma, protein decomposition, and de novo synthesis.Conclusion:There were no observed significant differences in the protein metabolism values and dynamics of indicators between healthy calves and calves with developed BRD. Alterations in the studied characteristics are the result, but not the cause of BRD. The increase in active NORs under BRD could be a favorable forecasting indicator. Protection against foreign protein and genetic material is a more important task for the organism than ensuring growth processes during the neonatal period.

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The Chernobyl accident was one of the largest man made environmental disasters and had significant consequences for people, animal and plants, particularly on land contaminated by radionuclides. Common oak (Quercus robur L.) is the main forest species on land contaminated by Chernobyl fallout areas in the Voronezh region. Therefore it is very important to know how irradiation of oak trees will affect the quality of oak progeny in future consequently. Cytogenetic characteristics such as mitotic activity, level and spectrum of mitotic disturbances, frequency of the cells with persistent nucleoli in the stages of metaphase, anaphase, telophase and multinuclei in interphase cells were investigated in progeny of common oak (Quercus robur L.) trees subjected to different degrees of radioactive contamination. In progeny growing under the influence of this radioactive contamination we observed variability of such cytogenetic characteristics as mitotic activity. However, the variability of this trait was also connected to fluctuations in the weather. The duration of mitotic stages (which may be connected with disturbance of spindle division formation and absence of cytotomy) also varied. An increase in chromosomal bridges among other types of mitotic abnormalities may be considered a result of increases in the meristematic cells repair activities. Activity of some dormant nucleolus organizer regions was also observed. The level of pathological mitoses increased in particular years and was decreased in others. Thus irradiation induces instability of cytogenetic characteristics in oak progeny that produces a type of "wave kinetics" in the mutation rate. This makes them more sensitive to environmental conditions. Therefore we do not recommend to use the oak seeds collected from irradiated areas for reforestation because undesirable genetic changes may have occurred in them.

Аннотация. Проведено исследование цитогенетического полиморфизма семенного потомства рододендрона Ледебура (Rhododendron ledebourii Pojark.) в условиях Центрального Черноземья. По совокупности цитогенетических показателей проростки разделены на группы, различающиеся по степени стабильности генетического материала (слабомутабильная, мутабильная и промежуточные). Дана цитогенетическая характеристика каждой выделенной группы. У семенного потомства мутабильной группы выявлено снижение митотической активности (6,7 ± 0,2 %); возрастание числа клеток на стадии профазы митоза (55,3 ± 2,3 %); увеличение уровня патологий митоза (4,0 ± 0,6 %), указывающее на высокую цитогенетическую нестабильность; повышение уровня клеток с остаточными ядрышками (13,4 ± 1,4 %) и площади поверхности одиночных ядрышек (79,4 ± 1,8 %), что связано с изменением биосинтетических процессов у проростков данной группы. Слабомутабильная группа проростков характеризуется повышенной митотической активностью (9,1 ± 0,2 %) и низкими значениями цитогенетических нарушений (1,2 ± 0,2 %). В промежуточных группах отмечаются разнонаправленные тенденции изменения цитогенетических показателей: две из них сходны с мутабильной, две другие-со слабомутабильной группой. Сходные с мутабильной промежуточные группы характеризуются более низким (по сравнению с мутабильной группой) уровнем патологий митоза и клеток с остаточными ядрышками, более высокой площадью поверхности одиночных ядрышек и большим числом ядрышек активного типа. Промежуточные группы, близкие по своим цитогенетическим характеристикам к слабомутабильной, имеют по сравнению с ней более низкий митотический индекс, большую площадь поверхности одиночных ядрышек, в данных группах возможна задержка клеток на стадии профазы митоза и возрастание числа метафаз-анафаз с остаточными ядрышками. Сравнение результатов эксперимента с ранее полученными данными для других древесных растений показало, что в мутабильных группах проростков увеличивается уровень патологий митоза и расширяется их спектр с преобладанием нарушений, связанных с фрагментацией хромосом. Слабомутабильная группа характеризуется минимальными значениями патологий митоза с большим числом мостов в спектре нарушений (71,3 %).