A method was developed for percutaneous ultrasound-guided cholecystocentesis in cattle. The procedure was performed on the right side in the 9th, 10th, or 11th intercostal space of 30 cows. Of the 30 cows, 20 were slaughtered 24 hours after cholecystocentesis and the remaining 10 cows were slaughtered after a 10-day observation period. Changes in the peritoneum and gallbladder wall, observed at slaughter, were minimal. During the 10-day observation period, general behavior, attitude, and appetite of the 10 cows were normal. A transient, slight increase in rectal temperature was observed in 6 cows at 4, 5, or 8 days after cholecystocentesis. Total and differential WBC counts and total protein and fibrinogen concentrations, determined daily, were all within normal ranges. Bile samples from 20 cows were examined microscopically and biochemically. Fasciola hepatica and Dicrocoelium dendriticum eggs were observed in bile from 7 and 12 cows, respectively. Fecal examination revealed F hepatica eggs in 4 cows; D dendriticum eggs were not identified in any of the fecal samples. In 1 cow, F hepatica eggs were observed in the feces, but not in the bile. Bile acids concentration in bile varied from 12.5 to 68.5 mmol/L (mean +/- SD, 45.3 +/- 3.05 mmol/l) and in serum from 3.8 to 281.0 micromol/l (41.6 +/- 17.24 micromol/L). Negative correlation was obtained between bile acids concentration in bile and that in serum (r = - 0.60, P < 0.01). It was concluded that percutaneous ultrasound-guided cholecystocentesis in cows is a safe procedure and that microscopic and biochemical examinations of obtained bile can be useful diagnostic aids.

This study was carried out to develop a newly designed ovum pick-up(OPU) instrument for ultrasound-guided transvaginal follicular aspiration in cows. This new instrument consists of out- & inner-layer stainless pipes and a grip with a trigger(hand ) switch. Some gauge types of disposable needles and tubes can be attached to this inner pipe. With this instrument, while grasping an avary with one hand the other hand can handle in apiration and vacuum on/off with the least assitant's help. with this instrument the mean recovery rate of bovine follicular oocytes was 45.2%. In recovered oocytes, usable oocytes(Grade I & II) were 30.4% and this rate meant 1.4 oocytes per ovary. For 30 days after initial aspiration with this instrument, some adverse effects such as adhesion, hemorrhage, hematoma and other mass formation in/with ovaries were also examined by rectal examination, ultrasonographic and endoscopic images. Adhesion was found in one ovary 1 week after aspiration, and hemorrhagic lesion was found 1-2 days and petechia were found 3-5 days after aspiration and there was no remarkable adverse effects. It was found that this instrument could be applicable and safe for ovum pick-up in cows.

USGB with biopsy gun using free hand technique was found to be an easy, safe and accurate technique for obtaining sufficient and good quality tissue for histopathological diagnosis in cases of hepatic, renal, prostatic, splenic affections and abdominal masses in dogs. Similarly USG-FNABwith 20-22 G needles attached with 5-10ml disposable syringe using free hand technique was found to be an easy, safe, economical, accurate and reliable technique for obtaining sufficientand good quality samples for cytological diagnosis in cases of splenic and prostatic affections and abdominal masses in dogs.

Examination of 816 soil samples from different parts of Puducherry city viz. public places, residential areas, some school play grounds revealed overall 2.21% contamination of soil with the ova of Toxocara. Besides Toxocara, ova of non-hookworm strongyles(0.74%), Ancylostoma (1.23%), Trichuris (0.74%), Taenia (0.12%) and Moniezia (0.86%) were also recorded. A few ascarid eggs, mites and their eggs, and larvae of free-living nematodes were also commonly encountered in the soil.

This study ws carried out to determine the effects of supplementation of the maturation media with insulin on in vitro maturation and fertilization of bovine oocytes. In Experiment 1, cumulus-intact bovine oocytes were cultured in a maturation medium (TCM-199 containing 10% fetal calf serum, 0.02 U/ml follicular stimulating hormone and 1 mu-g/ml estradiol-17beta) with or without insulin supplementation (10 mu-g/ml). The maturation and fertilization rates of oocytes and subsequent embryonic development to the blastocyst stage were not affected by the treatment with insulin in the presence of serum and the hormones during the maturation period. In Experiment 2, to avoid the effects of serum and the hormones, a serum- and hormone-free maturation medium (TCM-199 containing 1 mg/ml polyvinyl alcohol) was used. In the absence of serum and hormones during the maturation period, the maturation rate was not affected by treatment with insulin, but the fertilization rate was improved. In Experiment 3, when denuded oocytes were inseminated together with cumulus cells cultured in serum- and hormone-free maturation medium supplemented with insulin, the fertilization rate was increased. These results demonstrate that the addition of insulin to the serum- and hormone-free maturation medium improves the fertilization rate of bovine oocytes in vitro, and suggest that insulin may stimulate the secretion of sperm capacitating agent(s) from cumulus cells

Although mammals produce either sperm or eggs depending on their sex, newborn MRL/MpJ male mice contain oocytes within their testes. In our previous study, the testicular oocyte appears as early as day 0 afterbirth and has morphological characteristics as an oocyte such as zona pellucida and follicular epithelial cells. Based on the observation of F1 between MRL/MpJ and C57BL/6, one of the genes causing the appearance of testicular oocyte exists on the Y chromosome. In the present study, we found testicular oocytes within newborn AKR mice. We have also analyzed the Sry genes from several inbred mouse strains and identified a shortened glutamine repeat near the C-terminal region that is unique to MRL and AKR. These results suggest that polymorphism of glutamine repeat within SRY correlates with the appearance of testicular oocyte and this phenotype is derived from AKR, one of the original strains of MRL mice.