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Roth, T. L., Howard, J. G., Donoghue, A. M., Swanson, W. F., & Wildt, D. E. (1994). Function and culture requirements of snow leopard (Panthera uncia) spermatozoa in vitro. J Reprod Fertil, 101(3), 563–569.
Abstract: Electroejaculates from eight snow leopards were used to determine how the motility of spermatozoa was influenced by (i) type of media (Ham's F10, PBS, human tubal fluid or RPMI-1640); (ii) holding temperature (23 degrees C versus 37 degrees C); (iii) washing of spermatozoa and (iv) a sperm metabolic enhancer, pentoxifylline. The duration of sperm motility was assessed by evaluating samples in each treatment every hour for 6 h and a sperm motility index (a value combining percentage sperm motility and rate of forward progression) calculated. Spermatozoa from the Ham's F10, PBS and PBS plus pentoxifylline treatments were also co-incubated with zona-intact, domestic cat eggs that were fixed and evaluated for spermatozoa bound to the zona pellucida, penetrating the outer and inner layers of the zona pellucida and within the perivitelline space. During the 6 h co-incubation, the sperm motility index in PBS with pentoxifylline was greater (P < 0.05) than in PBS alone which, in turn, was greater (P < 0.05) than in the other three test media. Washing the spermatozoa enhanced (P < 0.05) motility in both PBS and PBS plus pentoxifylline relative to unwashed samples, but there was no effect (P > 0.05) of holding temperature. Pentoxifylline supplementation enhanced (P < 0.05) the proportion of cat eggs with bound, but not penetrated, snow leopard spermatozoa in the inner layer of the zona pellucida, and there were no spermatozoa in the perivitelline space.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Roth, T. L., Armstrong, D. L., Barrie, M. T., & Wildt, D. E. (1997). Seasonal effects on ovarian responsiveness to exogenous gonadotrophins and successful artificial insemination in the snow leopard (Uncia uncia). Reprod Fertil Dev, 9(3), 285–295.
Abstract: Ovaries of the seasonally-breeding snow leopard (Uncia uncia) were examined to determine whether they were responsive to exogenous gonadotrophins throughout the year. The potential of laparoscopic artificial insemination (AI) also was assessed for producing offspring. During the non-breeding, pre-breeding, breeding and post-breeding seasons, females (n = 20) were treated with a standardized, dual- hormone regimen given intramuscularly (600 I.U. of equine chorionic gonadotrophin followed 80-84 h later with 300 I.U. of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG)). Laparoscopy was performed 45-50 h after administration of hCG, and all ovarian structures were described. Females with fresh corpora lutea (CL) were inseminated, and anovulatory females were subjected to follicular aspiration to examine oocyte quality. Snow leopards responded to exogenous gonadotrophins throughout the year. Mean number of total ovarian structures (distinct follicles mature in appearance plus CL) did not differ (P > or = 0.05) with season, but the proportion of CL: total ovarian structures was greater (P < 0.01) for the breeding season compared with all other seasons. The proportion of females ovulating was greater (P < 0.05) during the breeding and post-breeding seasons than during the pre-breeding and non- breeding seasons respectively. No Grade-1 quality oocytes were recovered from follicles of anovulatory females. Serum concentrations of oestradiol-17 beta appeared elevated in all females, and neither oestradiol-17 beta concentrations nor progesterone concentrations differed (P > or = 0.05) among seasons. Of 15 females artificially inseminated, the only one that was inseminated in the non-breeding season became pregnant and delivered a single cub. This is the first successful pregnancy resulting from AI in this endangered species.
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Schmidt, A. M., Hess, D. L., Schmidt, M. J., & Lewis, C. R. (1993). Serum concentrations of oestradiol and progesterone and frequency of sexual behaviour during the normal oestrous cycle in the snow leopard (Panthera uncia). J Reprod Fertil, 98(1), 91–95.
Abstract: Serum oestradiol and progesterone concentrations were measured at weekly intervals for six months, and correlated with daily behavioural observations in two adult female snow leopards (Panthera uncia). Three oestradiol peaks (> 21 pg ml-1; interval 3.6 weeks) were identified in a snow leopardess housed alone (two more were probably missed because of the weekly sampling schedule), and three oestradiol peaks were identified in a snow leopardess housed with a male as a breeding pair (interval 6 weeks). Daily frequencies of feline reproductive behaviour averaged 1.77 observations per observation period during weeks of high oestradiol and 0.62 during weeks of low oestradiol. Progesterone concentrations did not rise above baseline values (< 2 ng ml-1) in the isolated animal, but 6 weeks of high progesterone concentrations (4.9- 38.8 ng ml-1) was recorded in the paired snow leopardess following mating. No offspring were produced. Snow leopards were observed daily for an additional 4.5 years. Sexual behaviour peaks could be clearly identified from December through April, and average daily sexual behaviour scores were higher during these months than during the rest of the year. Intervals between sexual behaviour peaks for the isolated snow leopardess averaged 3.03 weeks. The sexual behaviour of the paired snow leopards decreased for 8-9 weeks following mating when no offspring were produced, and decreased for 13 weeks in one year when a single cub was born.
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Schmidt, R. E., Eisenbrandt, D. L., & Hubbard, G. B. (1984). Tyzzer's disease in snow leopards. J Comp Pathol, 94(1), 165–167.
Abstract: Tyzzer's disease was diagnosed histologically in 2 litters of newborn snow leopard kittens. The gross and histological lesions were similar to those reported in domestic cats and other animals. No signs of illness was noted in either of the snow leopard dams.
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Sundberg, J. P., Van Ranst, M., Montali, R., Homer, B. L., Miller, W. H., Rowland, P. H., et al. (2000). Feline papillomas and papillomaviruses. Vet Pathol, 37(1), 1–10.
Abstract: Papillomaviruses (PVs) are highly species- and site-specific pathogens of stratified squamous epithelium. Although PV infections in the various Felidae are rarely reported, we identified productive infections in six cat species. PV-induced proliferative skin or mucous membrane lesions were confirmed by immunohistochemical screening for papillomavirus-specific capsid antigens. Seven monoclonal antibodies, each of which reacts with an immunodominant antigenic determinant of the bovine papillomavirus L1 gene product, revealed that feline PV capsid epitopes were conserved to various degrees. This battery of monoclonal antibodies established differential expression patterns among cutaneous and oral PVs of snow leopards and domestic cats, suggesting that they represent distinct viruses. Clinically, the lesions in all species and anatomic sites were locally extensive and frequently multiple. Histologically, the areas of epidermal hyperplasia were flat with a similarity to benign tumors induced by cutaneotropic, carcinogenic PVs in immunosuppressed human patients. Limited restriction endonuclease analyses of viral genomic DNA confirmed the variability among three viral genomes recovered from available frozen tissue. Because most previous PV isolates have been species specific, these studies suggest that at least eight different cat papillomaviruses infect the oral cavity (tentative designations: Asian lion, Panthera leo, P1PV; snow leopard, Panthera uncia, PuPV-1; bobcat, Felis rufus, FrPV; Florida panther, Felis concolor, FcPV; clouded leopard, Neofelis nebulosa, NnPV; and domestic cat, Felis domesticus, FdPV-2) or skin (domestic cat, F. domesticus, FdPV-1; and snow leopard, P. uncia, PuPV-2).
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Trepanier, L. A., Cribb, A. E., Spielberg, S. P., & Ray, K. (1998). Deficiency of cytosolic arylamine N-acetylation in the domestic cat and wild felids caused by the presence of a single NAT1-like gene. Pharmacogenetics, 8(2), 169–179.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the molecular basis for a relative deficiency in the cat of cytosolic arylamine N- acetyltransferase (NAT), an enzyme family that is important in the metabolism of xenobiotics and that normally consists of at least two related enzymes, NAT1 and NAT2. N-acetyltransferase in feline liver showed high affinity (mean Km = 2.1 microM) for p-aminobenzoic acid, an NAT1 selective substrate in humans and rabbits, but showed a very poor affinity (mean Km > 10 mM) for sulfamethazine, an NAT2 selective substrate in humans and rabbits. Immunoreactive N-acetyltransferase was detected in feline liver, bladder and colon using an NAT1-specific antipeptide antibody, but was not detected in any tissues using an NAT2- specific antibody. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA demonstrated a single band in domestic cats using each of six restriction digests; single bands were also found on Southern blot analysis of six wild felids. The deduced amino acid sequence of the central portion of feline N-acetyltransferase, obtained by polymerase chain reaction amplification in both domestic cats and seven wild felids (lion, tiger, lynx, snow leopard, bobcat, Asian leopard cat and cheetah), contained three residues, Phe125, Arg127, and Tyr129, which determine NAT1-like substrate specificity in humans. These results support the conclusion that cytosolic arylamine N-acetylation activity is low in the cat because of the presence of a single N-acetyltransferase that has substrate specificity, immunogenicity and sequence characteristics similar to human NAT1, and that the unusual presence of only a single N- acetyltransferase gene appears to be a family wide trait shared by other felids.
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White, S. D., Stannard, A. A., Ihrke, P. J., & Rosser, E. J. (1981). Therapy of demodicosis in snow leopard challenged. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 178(9), 877–878.
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Yanfa, L., & Huanwen, L. (1986). A preliminary study on the rearing and breeding of ounce. Acta Theriologica Sinica, 6(2), 93–99.
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Turner, L. (1980). Oklahoma City Zoo-Twenty Nine Snow Leopards. Int.Ped Book of Snow Leopards, 2, 96–111.
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Kuznetsnov, G. U., & Matyushkin, E. N. (1980). The snow leopard hunts. Int.Ped.Book of Snow Leopards, 11, 44–48.
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