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Background and Aim: The colostrum is essential for a kid’s survival and development. The metabolomic profiles of mammary secretion in goats are limited. This study investigated the metabolomic profiles of mammary secretion in purebred Black Bengal goats and their relationships with litter size and parity number. Materials and Methods: 500 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance was used to analyze the metabolomic profiles of 43 colostrum and milk samples collected on delivery day and day 7 after parturition, respectively. Results: Fifty-one metabolites were distinguished between colostrum and milk based on heatmap visualization and hierarchical cluster analysis. In colostrum, most compounds were present in significantly greater amounts than in milk. Milk of goats with multiple litter sizes had higher levels of lactose while fat, protein, total solids, solid not fat, and most of the metabolites were lower. The parity number of dams shows no difference in the composition of all components between primiparous and multiparous goats. Conclusion: The components in colostrum were significantly more concentrated than those in milk. The multiple litter sizes in dams led to a significant impact on the composition of lactose and other milk metabolites.

Background and Aim: The impact of maternal hormone concentration on kid growth performance in relation to insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and leptin is minimal. This study examined IGF-1 and leptin levels at varying ages and gestation periods for their correlation with Black Bengal goat kids’ growth during the preweaning phase. Materials and Methods: Blood samples were collected from 43 dams with different reproductive cycles and 28 prepubertal goats to measure serum concentrations of IGF-1 and leptin. Among dams, both hormones were investigated in different age ranges (4 years old) and reproductive cycles (non-pregnancy, early gestation (1–50 days), mid-gestation (51–100 days), late gestation (101–135 days), and the last 15 days before delivery). After delivery, 65 kids from 34 dams were weighted weekly for 8 weeks to calculate average daily weight gain (ADG) at 0–4 weeks (ADG0–4 W) and 4–8 weeks (ADG4–8 W) and growth performance, including weight (W), height (H), length (L), chest girth (C) measured at birth (W0, H0, L0, and C0) and at 10 weeks of age (W10, H10, L10, and C10) were related to hormone serum concentrations in their dams at different gestation periods including the last 15 days before delivery. Results: Dams had higher mean serum IGF-1 (p < 0.001) and leptin (p < 0.05) than prepubertal goats. Dams at late gestation had higher IGF-1 concentrations than those at early and mid-gestation and during the last 15 days before delivery. However, it was consistent with non-pregnant goats. The kid’s growth performance correlated positively with IGF-1 concentration, which was collected in the last 15 days before delivery. Multivariate analysis showed that ADG0–4 W was higher in kids born from dams with high IGF-1 than those with low IGF-1 measured during the last 15 days of delivery, whereas leptin tended to have a similar effect. Conclusion: Serum IGF-1 and leptin concentrations of dams measured during the last 15 days before delivery were associated with kid’s growth during the preweaning period.

Background and Aim: Hypercalciuria is an important predisposing factor commonly found in humans and dogs with calcium oxalate (CaOx) urolithiasis. Calcium oxalate crystals can induce an inflammatory reaction that subsequently produces several proteins that have an inhibitory or stimulatory effect on stone formation. This study aimed to evaluate the differences in urinary proteomic profiles between hypercalciuric CaOx stone dogs and hypercalciuric stone-free dogs (CaOx stone and control groups, respectively). Materials and Methods: Seven dogs with hypercalciuric CaOx urolithiasis and breed-, sex-, and aged-matched controls with hypercalciuria were included in the study. Serum and urine samples were obtained from all dogs to analyze electrolytes. Urinary proteomic profiles were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Student's t-test was used to compare the differences between groups. Results: Forty-nine urinary proteins were identified in the stone-free and CaOx stone groups, whereas 19 and 6 proteins were unique in the CaOx stone and stone-free groups, respectively. The urinary thrombomodulin level was significantly higher in the CaOx stone group (relative ratio = 1.8, p < 0.01) than in the stone-free group. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that urinary proteomic profiles may be used as a candidate biomarker for urinary tract injury in CaOx urolithiasis in dogs.

The single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the growth hormone (GH) gene could be related to growth traits, particularly in farm animals. This study aimed to identify the SNPs of the GH gene (A781G and A1575G) in Black Bengal (BB) goats in Thailand. Seventy-seven BB goats of both sexes were recruited, and their genotypes were identified. Preweaning growth at birth (weight, W0; height, H0; length, L0; and chest girth, C0) and at 10 weeks postpartum (W10, H10, L10, and C10), including average daily gain (ADG) at 0–4 weeks (ADG0–4W), 4–8 weeks (ADG4–8W), and 8–12 weeks (ADG8–12W), was compared among the different genotypes in goats born from twin litter-size dams. The results showed one genotype, CC, for A1575G and three genotypes, AA, AB, and BB, for A781G. The AA gene had significantly higher W10 than AB (p < 0.05) and BB (p < 0.05). The AA had significantly higher L10 than AB (p < 0.05), while C10 was only higher in male goats (p < 0.01). The ADG4–8W of the AA genotype was significantly higher than the BB genotype (p < 0.01). We came to the conclusion that A781G is associated with growth traits during the preweaning period, while the AA genotype showed better performance than the other genotypes.

Abstract Background Polymorphisms of the vitamin D receptor (VDR) are associated with calcium oxalate (CaOx) nephrolithiasis in humans. Objectives To investigate the association between VDR polymorphisms and susceptibility to CaOx urolithiasis in dogs. Animals Thirty‐five dogs with CaOx urolithiasis were compared with 40 stone‐free dogs. Methods This was a case‐control study. Two VDR gene polymorphisms (rs851998024 and rs852900542) were detected by specific TaqMan real‐time polymerase chain reaction assay, and their relationship with serum 1,25‐dihydroxyvitamin D, serum and urinary electrolyte concentrations was evaluated. Results The distribution of the rs852900542 polymorphism was significantly different between the case and the control dogs (x2 = 6.369, P = .04). Dogs with a CC or CT genotype had an increased risk of CaOx stones than those with the TT genotype (odds ratio = 3.82, 95% confidence interval 1.04‐13.98). The CaOx dogs with the TT genotype had a significantly lower urinary calcium‐to‐creatinine ratio than the CT+CC genotypes. 1,25‐(OH)2D concentrations did not differ between the cases and the controls (308.7 ± 217.4 vs 286.7 ± 185.1 pg/mL, P = .45). Conclusions and Clinical Importance This finding suggests that vitamin D metabolism might play a role in CaOx stone formation in dogs.