• Animal Bioscience
• /
• v.34 no.9
• /
• pp.1544-1551
• /
• 2021

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality and hair follicle development of growing Rex rabbits as affected by different environmental enrichment materials. Methods: A total of one hundred and twenty Rex rabbits were randomly assigned to four groups; reared in conventional cages (not enriched) and in enriched cages with either willow stick (WS), rubber duck, or a can containing beans (CB), for 44 days. Results: The average daily gain of the CB group was the highest and had a significant difference from that of the other groups (p<0.05). The spleen and cecum weight of the CB group was greater than those of the WS and control groups (p<0.05). The redness (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage a^*) of the meat sample of the control group was lower than those of the enriched cage groups (p<0.05). Moreover, the hue value of the CB group was significantly lower than that of the other groups (p<0.05). The tenderest meat belonged to the CB group. In addition, more secondary (p<0.05) and primary follicles were found in the CB group than in the control group. Conclusion: Environmental enrichment increased the average daily gain and improved some carcass traits, meat quality, and hair follicle density. Among the three environmental enrichment materials, CB could be recommended for rabbit husbandry.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.477-484
• /
• 2019

Objective: We aimed to observe hair follicle (HF) development in the dorsal skin and elucidate the expression patterns of genes and proteins related to skin and HF development in Rex rabbits from birth to 8 weeks of age. Methods: Whole-skin samples were obtained from the backs of Rex rabbits at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks of age, the morphological development of primary and secondary HFs was observed, and the gene transcript levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), epidermal growth factor (EGF), bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), transforming growth factor ${\beta}-1$, 2, and 3 ($TGF{\beta}-1$, $TGF{\beta}-2$, and $TGF{\beta}-3$) were examined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Additionally, Wnt family member 10b (Wnt10b) and ${\beta}$-Catenin gene and protein expression were examined by quantitative real-time PCR and western blot, respectively. Results: The results showed significant changes in the differentiation of primary and secondary HFs in Rex rabbits during their first 8 weeks of life. The IGF-I, EGF, $TGF{\beta}-2$, and $TGF{\beta}-3$ transcript levels in the rabbits were significantly lower at 2 weeks of age than at birth and gradually increased thereafter, while the BMP2 and $TGF{\beta}-1$ transcript levels at 2 weeks of age were significantly higher than those at birth and gradually decreased thereafter. ${\beta}$-Catenin gene expression was also significantly affected by age, while the Wnt10b transcript level was not. However, the Wnt10b and ${\beta}$-catenin protein expression levels were the lowest at 2 and 4 weeks of age. Conclusion: Our data showed that a series of changes in HFs in dorsal skin occurred during the first 8 weeks. Many genes, such as IGF-I, EGF, BMP2, $TGF{\beta}-1$, $TGF{\beta}-2$, $TGF{\beta}-3$, and ${\beta}$-Catenin, participated in this process, and the related proteins Wnt10b and ${\beta}$-Catenin in skin were also affected by age.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
• /
• v.40 no.1
• /
• pp.75-78
• /
• 2017

This report describes a case of pinnal fungal dermatitis caused by Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii in a Rex rabbit diagnosed by clinical signs, macro- and microscopic examination, molecular and phylogenetic analyses. This is the first description of natural A. vanbreuseghemii infection in rabbits in South Korea.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.29 no.12
• /
• pp.1748-1755
• /
• 2016

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of niacin supplementation on hepatic lipid metabolism in rabbits. Rex Rabbits (90 d, n = 32) were allocated to two equal treatment groups: Fed basal diet (control) or fed basal diet with additional 200 mg/kg niacin supplementation (niacin). The results show that niacin significantly increased the levels of plasma adiponectin, hepatic apoprotein B and hepatic leptin receptors mRNA (p<0.05), but significantly decreased the hepatic fatty acid synthase activity and adiponectin receptor 2, insulin receptor and acetyl-CoA carboxylase mRNA levels (p<0.05). Plasma insulin had a decreasing tendency in the niacin treatment group compared with control (p = 0.067). Plasma very low density lipoproteins, leptin levels and the hepatic adiponectin receptor 1 and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 genes expression were not significantly altered with niacin addition to the diet (p>0.05). However, niacin treatment significantly inhibited the hepatocytes lipid accumulation compared with the control group (p<0.05). In conclusion, niacin treatment can decrease hepatic fatty acids synthesis, but does not alter fatty acids oxidation and triacylglycerol export. And this whole process attenuates lipid accumulation in liver. Besides, the hormones of insulin, leptin and adiponectin are associated with the regulation of niacin in hepatic lipid metabolism in rabbits.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.409-421
• /
• 1987

For the epidemiological studies of the respiratory infection from 1,918 heads of adult rabbits from January 1980 to December 1985 at an integrated farm, the causative agents were. Isolated samples 92 from of lungs and nasal discharges, and identified by serological and non-serololgical tests, the loss rates by the infection were also investigatyed, and the antimicrobial sensitivities of the isolates were determined. The results obtained were as fellows : 1. The loss rate by respiratory infection was 11.9% among 1,819 heads which raised and 41.7% among 518 heads which lost by diseases, and the rate increased annually. 2. The loss rate of rabbits in Spring (45.0%), Summer (45.5%) and Winter (53.5%) showed significantly higher (P < 0.01) than that in Autumn(29.1%). 3. The loss rate of Rex (56.3%) showed significantly higher (P<0.05) than New Zealand White (40.7%) and Californian (42.0% ). 4. P. multocida.(37.9%), B. brouchiseptica (16.0%), E. coli (10.6%) and so forth were isolated from 92 samples of lungs and nasal discharges. 5. Sixty fours trains of P. multocida were typed by serological or non-serological tests and their all serotypes were A type (62 strains) except 2 strains of untypable. 6. In antimicrobial sensitivity test for 64 isolates of P. multocida, all the strains tested were highly sensitive to chloramphenicol(95.3%), colistin (95.3%), gentamicin (92.2%), kanamycin (90.6%), neomycin (82.8%) and tetracycline (81.3%), but exhibited low sensitivity to streptomycin (26.6%), and all strains were resistant to lincomycin. 7 Twenty seven isolates of B. brouchiseptica showed higher sensitivity to cephalothin (100%), erythromycin (100% ), gentamicin (100%). trimethoprim+sulfamethoxazole (100%), chloramphenicol(88.9%), kanamycin(88.9%), neomycin (88.9%) and colistin (85.2%), but lower sensitivity to nitrofurantoin (18.5%), penicillin(18.5%). streptomycin(18.5%) and ampicillin (14.8%), and all strains were resistant to lincomycin.