We compared weights and hematological profiles of adult (greater than 3-yr-old) female black bears (Ursus americanus) during hibernation (after 8 January). We handled 28 bears one to four times (total of 47) over 4 yr of varying mast and berry production. Mean weight of lactating bears was greater (P less than 0.0001) than that of non-lactating females. White blood cells (P less than 0.05) and ...

1. Amino acid metabolism was studied in control virgin rats, lactating rats and virgin rats protein-pair-fed with the lactating rats (high-protein virgin rats). 2. Urinary excretion of nitrogen and urea was higher in lactating than in control virgin rats, and in high-protein virgin rats it was higher than in lactating rats. 3. The activities of urea-cycle enzymes (units/g) were higher in high-p...

Species may become obligate cooperative breeders when parents are unable to raise their offspring unassisted. We measured the daily energy expenditure of mothers, helpers and offspring during peak lactation in cooperatively breeding meerkats Suricata suricatta using the doubly labelled water technique. Lactating mothers expended more energy per day than allo-lactating subordinate females, non-l...

a field study was conducted around pb slag contaminated sites in ibadan, nigeria to assess theintake of trace metals by cows reared around the contaminated sites as indication of heavy metals contamination.levels of pb, cd, cu and zn in blood, milk and faeces were determined in 20 cows exposed to the sites and 20reference cows from uncontaminated areas. chemical analysis of pasture grasses and ...

Data of 42 balance measurements from dry and lactating Holstein cows and blood and urine samples from 24 Japanese Black cows were collected to evaluate the potential for predicting urinary nitrogen (N) excretion from plasma urea nitrogen (PUN). Similar positive correlations were obtained between N intake and apparent N absorption in dry and lactating cows. The regression equations of N intake o...

Lactating adenomas are rare benign tumors of breast, frequently associated with pregn lactation. They are common in the third trimester of pregnancy during second and third decade. They present similarly as other benign lesions of breast and differentiation from them preoperatively is difficult both clinically and radiologically. I epithelium leading to formation of a we remains the definitive ...

Lactating female rats without their pups exhibit lower HPA responsiveness to stress than nonlactating females. However, responsiveness to stress is similar when lactating females are tested with their pups and the stressor involves a potential threat to the offspring. This study constitutes the first comparison of stress responsiveness in lactating and nonlactating female nonhuman primates. Sub...

A number of reproductive parameters are altered in lactating dairy cows including: twinning rate, expression of estrus, conception rate, pregnancy loss, and incidence of anovulation. We hypothesized that the high feed consumption associated with lactation has fundamentally altered reproductive physiology due to increased metabolism of steroids. We evaluated liver blood flow and steroid metaboli...

The physiology of mood regulation in the postpartum is poorly understood despite the fact that postpartum depression (PPD) is a common pathology. Serotonergic mechanisms and their dysfunction are widely presumed to be involved, which has led us to investigate whether lactation induces changes in central or peripheral serotonin (5-HT) systems and related affective behaviors. Brain sections from ...