Czech Journal of Animal Science, 2017 (vol. 62), issue 10
Digestive enzyme system of larvae of different freshwater teleosts and its differentiation during the initial phase of exogenous feedingOriginal Paper
Franz Lahnsteiner
Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2017, 62(10):403-416 | DOI: 10.17221/25/2016-CJAS 
Activities of digestive enzymes and main histological characteristics of the intestine were investigated in larvae of three salmonid species (Coregonus maraena, C. atterensis, Thymallus thymallus), of burbot (Lota lota), and pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) at the onset of exogenous feeding (0 day degrees (°d)) and at 250°d thereafter. At the onset of exogenous feeding the activities of proteolytic, lipolytic, and carbohydrate splitting enzymes were detected in the intestines of all species. The enzymatic activities showed significant species specific differences indicating specializations in functionality...
Influence of sulfur on the fermentation characteristics of corn distiller's dried grains with solubles in in vitro cultureOriginal Paper
Liwen He, Hao Wu, Wanbao Chen, Qingxiang Meng, Zhenming Zhou
Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2017, 62(10):417-425 | DOI: 10.17221/85/2016-CJAS
The effects of sulfur on the fermentation characteristics of corn distiller's dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in in vitro culture were investigated. Samples (DDGS) were analyzed for nutrient values and then two independent in vitro experiments were conducted to study the effects of various sulfur sources (Na2S, Na2S2O4, Na2SO3, and Na2SO4) and different sulfur levels (0.346, 0.692, and 1.038%) on the fermentation characteristics of DDGS. Based on sampling and chemical composition analysis, there existed a great variation in the concentrations...
Identification of optimal reference genes for examination of gene expression in different tissues of fetal yaksOriginal Paper
Mingna Li, Xiaoyun Wu, Xian Guo, Pengjia Bao, Xuezhi Ding, Min Chu, Chunnian Liang, Ping Yan
Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2017, 62(10):426-434 | DOI: 10.17221/75/2016-CJAS
Reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) is widely used to study the relative abundance of mRNA transcripts because of its sensitivity and reliable quantification. However, the reliability of the interpretation of expression data is influenced by several complex factors, including RNA quality, transcription activity, and PCR efficiency, among others. To avoid experimental errors arising from potential variation, the selection of appropriate reference genes to normalize gene expression is essential. In this study, 10 commonly used reference genes - ACTB, B2M, HPRT1, GAPDH, 18SrRNA, 28SrRNA,...
Effects of zearalenone, α-zearalenol, and genistein on boar sperm motility in vitroOriginal Paper
Adéla Krejcárková, Petra Folková, Ondřej Šimoník, Martina Šašková, Romana Krejčířová, Ondřej Drábek, Radko Rajmon
Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2017, 62(10):435-445 | DOI: 10.17221/19/2017-CJAS
Genistein (GEN) and zearalenone (ZEA), environmental oestrogens commonly present in feedstuff for pigs, are known for their effects on reproductive functions. The aim was to verify the in vitro effects of 0.5-20 µM concentrations of GEN, ZEA and its metabolite α-zearalenol (α-ZOL) on pig sperm motility. A dose-dependent increase of the immotile sperm amount against fast and medium-fast sperm clusters was observed with all three oestrogens from the lowest concentrations tested. Individual CASA (computer-assisted sperm analysis) parameters of motile sperms seemed to be less sensitive indicators. This should be considered especially...
Effects of heat stress on somatostatin and some related immune factors in the small intestine of Wenchang chicksOriginal Paper
Zhong Chen, Ying-Ya Jiang, Yong-Wei Zhou, Chen Liang, Li-Jin Xie
Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2017, 62(10):446-455 | DOI: 10.17221/69/2016-CJAS
To investigate the effects of heat stress (HS) on developmental changes in immune functions of chick intestinal mucosa, one-day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned into control check (CK) and heat-stressed (HS) groups and raised under indoor temperature. The chicks in HS group were subjected to HS at 40 ± 0.5°C from 12:00 to14:00 h every day. Intestinal mucosa samples were collected weekly during 6 weeks, and the effects of HS on somatostatin and its related immune factors were examined using immunohistochemical, physiological, and biochemical methods. The results showed that HS obviously increased the amount and integral optical density...