The vomeronasal organ (VNO) plays an important role in reproduction and social activities in ruminants including goats. A morphological study on the structure of VNO and its epithelial cells was carried out in Korean black goats. Grossly, the VNO of Korean goats opens into mouth through incisive ducts. Microscopically, the epithelium of VNO consisted of medial sensory epithelium and lateral non-sensory epithelium. Several blood vessels and nerve bundles were observed in the lamina propria encased by vomeronasal cartilage. Immunohistochemical staining showed that protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 was immunostained in the receptor cells of the sensory epithelium and in some cells of the non-sensory epithelium. Galectin-3 was mainly observed in the supporting cells of sensory and non-sensory epithelium. Lectins including wheat germ agglutinin, Ulex europaeus agglutinin, Bandeiraea simplicifolia lectin Isolectin B4, Dolichos biflorus agglutinin and soybean agglutinin used in this study were bound in VNO sensory, non-sensory epithelia as well as in the lamina propria with varying intensity. Collectively, this is a first descriptive morphological study of VNO of Korean black goat with special reference to lectin histochemistry.

Fifteen dry dentate and complete mandible samples from the White Rasquera goat breed were studied for symmetry. Thirty-one landmarks were digitally located on the images of the lateral and medial aspects of each hemimandible. Distances between these landmarks allowed the evaluation of the whole hemimandible and also the neural mandible. In the studied samples, the mandible was rather symmetrical, especially in the medial neural part, and in general, there was no side dominance. Only the diastema differed significantly between the sides, and this was related to the rostral part (incisive arch). The incisive region was the least symmetrical region of the caprine mandible, indicating a modular structure more conservative for the neural part. If unsigned asymmetry is interpreted as a measure of developmental stability, then the studied breed presented a marked ability to develop in good fitness despite the harsh environment. The measurements presented here can also be used as a reference for researchers designing experimental studies, especially on mandibular catch-up growth, and as an aid for zooarchaeologists comparing results from dead animals with those from living goat populations.

There have been a number of studies of gonadotropes secretin LH and FSH in the adenohypophysis, but the pattern of hormone storage and secretion of these cells still remains a controversial matter. In this study, we examined whether gonadotropes contained both of LH and FSH, and if so, how these hormones were distributed within the secretory granules. Hypophyseal sections of Korean native goat were simultaneously immunostained for LH and FSH antisera by protein A-gold technique. It was found that most gonadotropes contained both FSH and LH, but hormone storages in the secretory granules were some different among cells. Three types of gonadotropes were identified by the shape and size of the secretory granules and their hormone storage patterns. One type(I) of gonadotropes contained oval secretory granules, which immunoreactivity for FSH and LH were very weak. The size of secretory granules ranged from 160 to 310nm in diameter. Most granules contained both FSH and LH, but some contained only one of them. In another type(II)of gonadotropes, the immunreactivity and hormone storage patterns of the secretory granules were similar to those of type I cells. However, the secretory granules were round in shape and larger in size than those of type I. The other gonadotropes(type III) were distinctly distinguished by plenty of hormones in their secretory granules which were densely packed with numerous immunolabelled gold particles. These data are some inconsistent with other results that have been obtained in other ruminants like as cattle and sheep.

The localization of substance P(SP), calcitonin gene-related peptide(CGRP) and three calcium binding proteins, calbindin D-28k(CB), calretinin(CR) and parvalbumin(PA) was immunohistochemically examined in the myenteric and submucous plexuses of Korean native goat duodenum. In the neurons of myenteric and submucous plexuses of duodenum, immunoreactivities of SP, CGRP and CB were confirmed in both nerve cell bodies and fibers. In contrast, CR immunoreactivity was found only in nerve fibers of myenteric plexuses, while PA immunoreactivity was found only in nerve cell bodies of submucoun plexuses. In the inner circular muscle layer, dense SP-like immunoreactive fibers were prominent but only a few CGRP-like immunoreactivities were observed. Most of SP-and CGRP-like immunoreactive neurons of both plexuses colocalized with CB. This result showed that SP and CGRP may have a important role for the movement of small intestine. The colocalizations of CB with SP or CGRP in myenteric and submucous plexuses suggest that CB may serve neuromodulatory role for SP-and CGRP-immunoreactecd neurons on the movement of intestinal wall.

Brucellosis is the most important bacterial disease of livestock in Bangladesh. The present study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence of brucellosis in goat and sheep in Mymensingh and Bogra districts of Bangladesh using slow agglutination test and Rose Bengal test as screening test and indirect enzyme linked immunosorbent assay as confirmatory test. Questionnaire based data on age, gender, area, client's complaint, number of animals in herds, disease history, reproductive problems such as abnormal uterine discharge, abortion or previous abortion in sheep and goat and their reproductive diseases were recorded. A total of 200 sera samples were collected from 80 sheep and 120 goats. The prevalence of brucellosis in goat was 2.50% and 1.25% in sheep. Positive reactors were only detected in female of both goat and sheep. In this study, there existed a significant association among abortion and the prevalence of brucellosis (p less than 0.01). The prevalence of brucellosis in sheep and goat in Bangladesh is not negligible, and it is therefore worth considering the adoption of preventive measures.

In total, 1,142 serum samples were collected from 223 goat flocks rising in five different regions of Korea. These samples were screened for the presence of border disease virus (BDV) antibodies using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Of the 1,142 samples, we found 47 bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) positive cases (4.1%). These positive serum samples were also examined further by using the virus neutralization test against BDV. In addition, samples were tested for both BVDV and classical swine fever virus (CSFV). All of the samples that were seropositive for BDV also demonstrated positive antibody titers against BVDV and CSFV. Due to their common antigenicity, we also determined further the prevalence and carried out virus neutralization test against three pestiviruses: 314 of the goat samples were screened using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction with primer pairs specific to common pestivirus genome regions. Overall, 1.6% (5/314) of the samples tested was positive for pestivirus. Based on the nucleotide sequence data and the phylogenetic analysis, three isolates were characterized as BVDV type 1 and two isolates as BVDV type 2. However, none of the isolates could be classified as BDV. These results indicate that BVDV-1 and BVDV-2 are the pestivirus strains circulating among Korean goat populations.

The development of uterus in fetuses on 60, 90 and 120 days of gastation and neonates of Korean native goats was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The results were summarized as follows; 1. in the 60-day-old fetuses, the short microvilli were sporadically observed on the luminal surface of the endometrium. 2. In the 90-day-old fetuses, the mucosal folds, polygonal microridges, numerous microvilli, flower-like-buds, and domeshpaed or crateriform area were also observed on the luminal surface of endometrium. 3. In the 120-day-old fetuse, the primordial caruncles(nodules) of the endometrium were developed conspicuously and long microvilli were developed densely. 4. In the neonates, thecaruncles and microvilli of the endometrium were more developed than those of 120-day-old fetuses.

Hemal nodes and hemolymph nodes are lymphoid organs that share morphologic and functional characteristics of lymph nodes and spleens. The aim of the present study was to obtain new informations on the distinct morphological structures of hemal nodes and hemolymph nodes according to ages, andto get the basic data for their functions in Korean native goats. Goats were divided into 5 groups, consisting of 3 animals aged 1, 3, 6, 10 and 12 months, respectively. Ultrastructural features of the organs were observed by transmission and scanning electron microscopes. The sinuses of hemal nodes and hemolymph nodes were lined by enodthelial-like reticular cells which had euchromatin-rich nuclei and many cytoplasmic processes, surrounding collagen fibrils. Macrophages containing phagocytosed erythrocytes were often noted in the diffuse lymphatic tissues of hemal nodes and hemolymph nodes. Some mast cells were in contact with the plasma cells near the blood vessel. Hemal nodes and hemolymph nodes had venous sinusal-like vessels which were different from the deep sinus. The lymph vessels with valves were observed in the capsule of the hemolymph node. There were no ultrastructural differences of the organs in the age different groups of the animals. These results suggest that hemal nodes and hemolymph nodes may take part in hemopoiesis, blood filtration and immune reaction in Korean native goats.

The morphological studies on the cecal development in the 60-, 90-, and 120-day-old fetuses and the newborns of Korean native goats were investigated by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The results were summarized as follows; Scanning electron microscopic studies: 1. In the 60-day-old fetuses, fold-like shpaes protrusion oon the cecal mucosa surface appeared. In the 90-day-old fetuses, the cecal villi appeared to be columnar shpaes. In the 120-day-old fetuses, the cecal villi showed variou tongue-like or columnar shpaes. In the newborns, only the rudimental trace of the villi and the intestinal glands were observed. 2. In the 60-day-old fetuses, the cecal epithelia were simple columnar in some areas and stratified columnar in others, and the epithelial cells contained nuclei, nucleoli, ER, mitochondria, Golgi complexes, zonula occuludens, desmosomes, digitiform intercellular junctions, and large masses of the glycogen granules. 3. In the 90-day-old fetuses, the cecal epithelia were simple columnar in some area and stratified columnar in other. The microvilli of the cecal epithelia became much larger and longer than those in the 60-day-old fetuses, and intercellular junctions were developed, and increased numbers of ER, mitochondria, Golgi complexes were observed and the goblet cells contained a lot of the secretory granules. 4. In the 120-day-old fetuses, the cecal epithelia were only columnar in all areas. Microvilli and cytoplasmic organelles were well developed and the irregular annular nuclei were observed. 5. In the newborns, the cecal epithelia were covered with extensive microvilli, and the goblet cells with secretory granules were protruded into lumen. And some goblet cells secreted the secretory granules into the lumen.

We investigated the cytogenetic characteristics of Korean native goat(Capra hircus). Chromosome slides were prepared from peripheral blood cell cultures. GTG, GBG, RBG and CBG-banding techniques were employed on those slides. The high resolution karyotype of Korean native goat could be made with the incorporation of BrdU. Korean native goat has 60 chromosomes composed of 58 autosomes and XY or XX sex chromosomes. All of autosomes of Korean native goat were acrocentric chromosomes. X chromosome was submetacentric and Y chromosome was metacentric. The GTG, GBG and RBG-band patterns of Korean native goat were similar to those of other goats. CBG-band regions were distince at the proximal portion of the long arms of all autosomes in Korean native goats. According to our investigation, there was no significant difference in chromosomal band patterns between Korean native goat and other goats. It might be necessary ot use molecular genetic markers for clarifying the genetical characteristics of Korean native goat whose biological characteristics are not clearly defined.