Cadaveric Prosection Versus Dissection in Veterinary Gross Anatomy: Evaluating Student Time Expenditure, Performance, and Knowledge Retention; Non-Cyclicity at Expected Pubertal Onset in Beef Heifers Is Associated With Decreased Inflammatory Tone in Male Offspring; Deficient Myoblast Proliferation in Juvenile Iugr-Born Lambs Is Improved by Daily Clenbuterol Administration

Our first study determined if studying prosected cadavers is comparable to cadaveric dissection as a learning tool for veterinary gross anatomy. Student data were collected across two semesters each of three courses (n=51). Prosection students spent 12% less time in lab and similar time studying compared to dissection students. Of 9 unit exams, overall scores were higher (P\u3c0.05) for prosection students on 4 exams and did not differ on 4 others. Scores were higher (P\u3c0.05) for prosection students on 8 of 11 retention measures. Student perceptions regarding prosected cadavers were primarily positive. Therefore, we conclude that the study of prosected cadavers was effective for acquiring and retaining gross anatomy knowledge and was more time-efficient than dissection. Our second study determined the effect of maternal hyperandrogenism-associated (i.e., High A4) pubertal conditions in beef heifers on metabolic and inflammatory markers in male offspring. Dams were classified in groups by pubertal onset pattern: 1) Typical, 2) Non-Cycling (presumed High A4), and 3) Start-Stop. Analysis of plasma from 3-month old calves (n=35/group) showed that TNFα, blood urea nitrogen, total cholesterol, and HDL-C were lower (P\u3c0.05), IL-6 tended to be lower (P\u3c0.1), and insulin was higher (P\u3c0.05) in calves of Non-Cycling dams. We conclude that presumed High A4 and other conditions of Non-Cycling dams disrupts these regulators of metabolic homeostasis in male offspring. Our third study determined if daily-injected clenbuterol, a β2 adrenergic agonist, would affect myoblast proliferation in juvenile lambs with maternal heat stress-induced IUGR (n=10) compared to untreated IUGR-born lambs (n=10) and controls (n=11). Immunohistochemistry for pax7 and PCNA revealed that myoblast proliferation was reduced (P\u3c0.0.5) in biceps femoris and longissimus dorsi muscles of IUGR-born lambs but recovered by clenbuterol. Therefore, β2 adrenergic agonists may help improve deficient skeletal muscle growth in IUGR-born offspring