Papers by Ikechukwu Igbokwe
A B S T R A C T Experimental intraocular (conjunctival) infection of exotic cockerels with a new ... more A B S T R A C T Experimental intraocular (conjunctival) infection of exotic cockerels with a new field strain of viscerotropic velogenic Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) was conducted to explore the concurrence of some pathological changes with humoral immune responses. After the NDV infection of 4-week-old cockerels, pathologic changes and antibody responses were observed. The clinical signs observed after the artificial inoculation included inappetence, depression, diarrhea, dyspnea, wing and leg paralysis, torticollis and weight loss. Morbidity due to the NDV was 100%, but mortality was 80% by day 18-21 post-infection. Early hyperthermia followed by terminal hypothermia, decreased packed cell volume (PCV), and 231.4 folds peak-antibody response were observed. Necrotic and/or inflammatory lesions were present in the proventriculus, intestine, liver, spleen, kidney and brain. Neurologic and digestive tract perturbations occurred in 10% and 85% of cases, respectively. The disease consistently caused stunted growth, decreased PCV, and necro-inflammatroy lesions concurrent with antibody response, suggesting probable involvement of immune-mediated mechanisms and cell membrane desialylation by viral neuraminidase in the pathogenesis.
The effect of clinical mastitis (unilateral, n = 10 and bilateral, n = 90) on the morphometry of ... more The effect of clinical mastitis (unilateral, n = 10 and bilateral, n = 90) on the morphometry of mammary glands of Sahel goats was evaluated in comparison with those of apparently normal glands (n = 20). The mammary glands were examined at slaughter and glandular measurements such as; glandular weight (GW), glandular mid circumference (GMC), glandular longitudinal length (GLL) and glandular teat lengths (GTL) were measured using a measuring tape. Tissue samples of the mammary gland were collected, preserved in 10% buffered formalin, processed, embedded, sectioned and stained with H&E and observed under light microscopy at various magnifications for presence of pathological lesions. The mean GW was significantly higher (p<0.05) in normal glands relative to the unilateral and bilateral mastitis. Mean GLL was significantly higher (p<0.05) in unilateral and bilateral mastitis than in normal glands. The mean GMC was not significantly different in all groups while, GTL was significantly higher (p<0.05) in normal mammary glands compared to the unilateral and bilateral mastitic goats.
Serum ketone and total protein concentrations of 966 cattle slaughtered at the metropolitan abatt... more Serum ketone and total protein concentrations of 966 cattle slaughtered at the metropolitan abattoir, Maiduguri, Niger a, were estimated dur ng the dry and rainy months of the year. None of the sera had a titrable ketone concentration. Serum total protein (STP) concentration of <60.0 g/L, considered as hypoproteinaemia, was more frequent in the dry than rainy period. The prevalence rates of hypoproteinaemia in the dry and rainy periods were 91.1 and 1 7 percents respectively The mean STP concentration for all the cattle was 59.9 ± 28 9 g/L. Thus, the poor quality o herbage in the dry season may be responsible for undernutrition among the cattle population, reflected by hypoproteinaemia withou ketosis.
Testicular sizes of animals are important for identification of those with adequate sperm product... more Testicular sizes of animals are important for identification of those with adequate sperm production. The aim of this study was to define the testicular and related size estimates that would be associated with optimal cauda epididymal sperm counts (ESC) in Sahel goats based on postmortem evaluations. A stratified quota sample population of 125 male goats inclusive of all testicular sizes was taken at a slaughterhouse in Maiduguri, Nigeria. The bucks were aged 18–30 months and weighed 17.04 ± 2.99 (12–25) kg. Body, testicular, and epididymal weights of each goat with other related size measurements were estimated. ESC was determined from homogenized tissue using a manual cytometer. At the cut-off ESC of >1.1 × 109 sperm heads, 66 (52.80%) of the goats had optimal ESC which was associated with testicular weight of 59.90 ± 16.10 (31.40–86.20) g, gonadosomatic index of 3.51 ± 0.69 (2.00–4.50) g/kg, and scrotal circumference of 19.07 ± 1.29 (17.00–21.80) cm. The size variables of the scrotum and testis correlated with one another and with the ESC. These findings provide data that may be used to anticipate adequate antemortem sperm reserve based on testicular size during preliminary selection of sires for breeding from a sexually mature Sahel buck population.
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Papers by Ikechukwu Igbokwe