Search Results (12)

Determining the gene expression and serum profile of the indicators linked to clinical endometritis susceptibility in Egyptian buffalo cows was the aim of this investigation. The buffalo cows that were enrolled were divided into two groups: forty infected buffalo cows with clinical endometritis and forty seemingly healthy buffalo cows that served as the control group. For the purposes of gene expression and biochemical analysis, ten milliliters of blood was obtained via jugular venipuncture from each buffalo cow. TLR4, IL-8, IL-17, NFKB, SLCA11A1, NCF4, Keap1, HMOX1, OXSR1, ST1P1, and SERP1 were manifestly expressed at much higher levels in the buffaloes with endometritis. On the other hand, the genes that encode SOD, CAT, NDUFS6, Nrf2, and PRDX2 were down-regulated. There was a significant (p < 0.05) elevation of the serum levels of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), beta hydroxy butyric acid (BHBA), triglycerides (TGs), globulin, creatinine, and cortisol, along with a reduction in the serum levels of glucose, cholesterol, total protein albumin, urea, estrogen (E2), progesterone (P4), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), thyroxine (T4), prostaglandin F2 α (PGF2α), calcium, iron, and selenium, in the endometritis group in comparison with the control. However, no significant change was observed in the values of phosphorus, magnesium, copper, or zinc in either group. Within the selective breeding of naturally resistant animals, the variation in the genes under study and the changes in the serum profiles of the indicators under investigation may serve as a reference guide for reducing endometritis in Egyptian buffalo cows. Full article

The intestinal microbiota and its metabolites are essential for the health and growth development of animals. Current research indicates that sex has a certain impact on the structure and function of the intestinal microbiota, but there are few reports on sex differences in intestinal microbiota metabolites, including those of castrated male animals. This study aimed to explore the impact of sex on the intestinal microbial metabolites of Hainan special wild boars (10 entire male pigs, 10 female pigs, and 10 castrated male pigs, denoted EM, FE, and CM, respectively) by employing non-targeted metabolomics and gas chromatography. A total of 1086 metabolites were detected, with the greatest number of differential metabolites observed between EM and FE (54 differential metabolites, including 18 upregulated and 36 downregulated metabolites), the fewest between CM and FE (7 differential metabolites, including 1 upregulated and 6 downregulated metabolites), and an intermediate number between CM and EM (47 differential metabolites, including 35 upregulated and 12 downregulated metabolites). Differential metabolites were involved in more pathways between EM and FE and between CM and EM, including amino acid metabolism and digestive system pathways, whereas differential metabolites were involved in the fewest pathways between CM and FE. Correlation analysis showed Ruminococcaceae UCG-009, uncultured_bacterium_o_SAR324_cladeMarine_group_B, and Candidatus Saccharimonas contributed to the production of metabolites such as trehalose, docosatrienoic acid, D(−)-beta-hydroxy butyric acid, and acetyl-DL-leucine. The levels of acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid, valeric acid, and isovaleric acid were significantly higher in EM than in FE, with CM falling between the two. Streptococcus, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group showed a significant positive correlation with the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), while [Eubacterium]_coprostanoligenes_group, uncultured_bacterium_f_p–251–o5 and Ruminococcaceae_UCG–005 showed a significant negative correlation with the generation of SCFAs. This study provides foundational data and significant insights into precision feeding strategies for Hainan special wild boars of different sexes, as well as the study of sex differences in intestinal microbial metabolites in animals. Full article

Hot climate is one of the major factors affecting the dairy industry. Heat stress could be responsible for decreased feed intake and consequently leads to alterations in energy metabolism, particularly during late pregnancy and early lactation. This study aimed to assess the effects of summer heat on adipose tissue activities during the periparturient period in Simmental cows. Two groups of cows were involved: heat-stressed cows (n = 12) that calved from June to August and thermoneutral cows (n = 12) that calved from October to December. Blood samples were taken from each cow during the periparturient period: 21 and 7 days before calving and 8, 16, 24, 32, and 40 days after calving. Glucose, beta-hydroxy butyrate (BHB), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), leptin (LP), and adiponectin (ADP) were measured in serum samples by commercial kits. Thermoneutral cows expressed higher degrees of lipomobilization syndrome than heat-stressed cows, indicated by significantly higher serum NEFA and BHB concentrations in the early lactation. Leptin levels were significantly decreased, while adiponectin was increased in heat-stressed cows compared to thermoneutral ones. The results indicated that heat-stressed cows during the periparturient period mobilized less fat from adipose tissue to reduce the heat generation by fatty acid oxidation. Full article

Mixed cultures represent better alternatives to ferment organic waste and dark fermentation products in anerobic conditions because the microbial associations contribute to electron transfer mechanisms and combine metabolic possibilities. The understanding of the microbial interactions in natural and synthetic consortia and the strategies to improve the performance of the processes by bioaugmentation provide insight into the physiology and ecology of the mixed cultures used for biotechnological purposes. Here, synthetic microbial communities were built from three hydrogen (bioH₂) and poly-hydroxy-alkanoates (PHA) producers, Clostridium pasteurianum, Rhodopseudomonas palustris and Syntrophomonas wolfei, and a photoheterotrophic mixed consortium C4, and their performance was evaluated during photofermentation. Higher hydrogen volumetric production rates (H₂VPR) were determined with the consortia (28–40 mL/Lh) as compared with individual strains (20–27 mL/Lh). The designed consortia reached the highest bioH₂ and PHA productions of 44.3 mmol and 50.46% and produced both metabolites simultaneously using dark fermentation effluents composed of a mixture of lactic, butyric, acetic, and propionic acids. When the mixed culture C4 was bioaugmented with S. wolfei, the bioH₂ and PHA production reached 32 mmol and 50%, respectively. Overall, the consumption of organic acids was above 50%, which accounted up to 55% of total chemical oxygen demand (COD) removed. Increased bioH₂ was observed in the condition when S. wolfei was added as the bioaugmentation agent, reaching up to 562 mL of H₂ produced per gram of COD. The enhanced production of bioH₂ and PHA can be explained by the metabolic interaction between the three selected strains, which likely include thermodynamic equilibrium, the assimilation of organic acids via beta-oxidation, and the production of bioH₂ using a proton driving force derived from reduced menaquinone or via electron bifurcation. Full article

Background and Objectives: The prevalence of cachexia has increased across all of the cancer types and accounts for up to 20% of cancer-related deaths. This paper is a systematic review of nutritional interventions aiming to improve cachexia outcomes in cancer, focusing on weight gain. Materials and Methods: A search in Medline and Elsevier databases for articles up until the 23 January 2022, was conducted. Results: Out of 5732 screened records, 26 publications were included in the final analysis. Four randomized clinical trials showed a significant body weight (BW) increase in patients treated with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), β-hydroxy-beta-methyl butyrate (β-HMB), arginine, and glutamine or marine phospholipids (MPL). An upward BW trend was observed in patients treated with L-carnitine, an Ethanwell/Ethanzyme (EE) regimen enriched with ω-3 fatty acids, micronutrients, probiotics, fish oil, a leucine-rich supplement, or total parental nutrition (TPN) with a high dose of a branched-chain amino acid (BCAA). Conclusions: Although clinical trials relating to large numbers of nutritional supplements present promising data, many trials provided negative results. Further studies investigating the underlying mechanisms of action of these nutritional supplements in cancer cachexia are needed. Early screening for cancer cachexia risk and nutritional intervention in cancer patients before aggravating weight loss may stabilize their weight, preventing cachexia syndrome. According to the GRADE methodology, no positive recommendation for these nutritional supplements may be expressed. Full article

Mild endurance exercise has been shown to compensate for declined muscle quality and may positively affect the brain under conditions of energy restriction. Whether this involves brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation in relation to central and peripheral tissue levels of associated factors such as beta hydroxy butyrate (BHB), branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) and thyroid hormone (T3) has not been studied. Thus, a subset of male Wistar rats housed at thermoneutrality that were fed or fasted was submitted to 30-min-mild treadmill exercise bouts (five in total, twice daily, 15 m/min, 0° inclination) over a period of 66 h. Prefrontal cortex and gastrocnemius muscle BHB, BCAA, and thyroid hormone were measured by LC-MS/MS analysis and were related to BDNF and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling. In gastrocnemius muscle, mild endurance exercise during fasting maintained the fasting-induced elevated BHB levels and BDNF-CREB activity and unlocked the downstream Akt-mTORC1 pathway associated with increased tissue BCAA. Consequently, deiodinase 3 mRNA levels decreased whereas increased phosphorylation of the mTORC2 target FOXO1 was associated with increased deiodinase 2 mRNA levels, accounting for the increased T3 tissue levels. These events were related to increased expression of CREB and T3 target genes beneficial for muscle quality previously observed in this condition. In rat L6 myoblasts, BHB directly induced BDNF transcription and maturation. Mild endurance exercise during fasting did not increase prefrontal cortex BHB levels nor was BDNF activated, whereas increased leucine levels were associated with Akt-independent increased phosphorylation of the mTORC1 target P70S6K. The associated increased T3 levels modulated the expression of known T3-target genes involved in brain tissue maintenance. Our observation that mild endurance exercise modulates BDNF, mTOR and T3 during fasting provides molecular clues to explain the observed beneficial effects of mild endurance exercise in settings of energy restriction. Full article

The present study is aimed to explore the effects of different dietary beta-hydroxy-beta-methyl butyrate (HMB) levels (0, 0.05%, 0.10%, or 0.15%) on liver lipid metabolism on Wenshi broiler chickens. Results showed that HMB reduced the liver weight as well as liver concentrations of triacylglycerol (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) (quadratically, p < 0.05), and the lowest values were observed in the 0.10% HMB group. Meanwhile, HMB supplementation significantly altered the expression levels of key genes related to lipid metabolism in the liver of broiler chickens (p < 0.05). Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that HMB supplementation could greatly change the richness, diversity, and composition of the broiler gut microbiota, and the Bacteroidetes relative abundance at the phylum level and the Alistipes relative abundance at the genus level were affected (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis further suggested a strong association between Bacteroidetes relative abundance and lipid metabolism-related parameters (p < 0.05). Together, these data suggest that 0.10% HMB supplementation could inhibit hepatic fat deposition via regulating gut microbiota in broilers. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary beta-hydroxy beta-methyl butyrate (HMB) supplementation on muscular lipid metabolism in Bama Xiang mini-pigs. Thirty-two piglets (8.58 ± 0.40 kg, barrow) were selected and fed a basal diet supplemented either with 0 (control), 0.13%, 0.64%, or 1.28% HMB for 60 days. Throughout the experiments, they had free access to clean drinking water and diets. Data of this study were analyzed by one-way ANOVA using the SAS 8.2 software package, followed by a Tukey’s studentized range test to explore treatment effects. The results showed that compared to the control, 0.13% HMB decreased the intramuscular fat (IMF) content and increased polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in Longissimus thoracis muscle (LTM), and increased the n3 PUFAs in soleus muscles (SM, p < 0.05). Moreover, HMB supplementation led to alterations in the mRNA expression of genes related to lipid metabolism. Serum metabolome profiling showed that in both LTM and SM of Bama Xiang mini-pigs, N-Methyl-l-glutamate was positively correlated with SFA and nummularine A was negatively correlated with C18:3n3 PUFA (p < 0.05). Therefore, N-Methyl-l-glutamate and nummularine A might be potential biomarkers of the HMB-supplemented group. These results suggested that dietary HMB supplementation could decrease the IMF content and increase n3 PUFAs as well as regulate the related metabolites (N-Methyl-l-glutamate and nummularine A) in the serum of pigs. Full article

Beta-hydroxy-beta-methyl butyrate (HMB) is a unique product of leucine catabolism with positive effects on protein balance. We have examined the effects of HMB (200 mg/kg/day via osmotic pump for 7 days) on rats with diabetes induced by streptozotocin (STZ, 100 mg/kg intraperitoneally). STZ induced severe diabetes associated with muscle wasting, decreased ATP in the liver, and increased α-ketoglutarate in muscles. In plasma, liver, and muscles increased branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs; valine, isoleucine, and leucine) and decreased serine. The decreases in mass and protein content of muscles and increases in BCAA concentration were more pronounced in extensor digitorum longus (fast-twitch muscle) than in soleus muscle (slow-twitch muscle). HMB infusion to STZ-treated animals increased glycemia and serine in the liver, decreased BCAAs in plasma and muscles, and decreased ATP in the liver and muscles. The effects of HMB on the weight and protein content of tissues were nonsignificant. We concluded that fast-twitch muscles are more sensitive to STZ than slow-twitch muscles and that HMB administration to STZ-treated rats has dual effects. Adjustments of BCAA concentrations in plasma and muscles and serine in the liver can be considered beneficial, whereas the increased glycemia and decreased ATP concentrations in the liver and muscles are detrimental. Full article

Background: Ageing is associated with changes of physical and physiological parameters, but there is evidence that regular physical activity could minimize these effects. Additionally, the older population presents a great risk of suboptimal nutrition. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to review the evidence of nutritional strategies and endurance exercises in the older population. Methods: A systematic review was performed based on the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) statement. The search was carried out in three different databases: PubMed, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus. Results: Eight studies were included in the present review. The use of caffeine and beta-alanine supplementation with proteins have been found to be beneficial in both sexes. In older women, a balanced diet, an increase in protein, supplementation with beta hydroxy methyl butyrate, and supplementation with sodium bicarbonate have been favorable. However, no benefit has been seen in older men with sodium bicarbonate or ubiquinone supplementation. Nevertheless, the use of supplements should be prescribed according to individual characteristics and physical activity. Conclusions: Caffeine and high protein supplement with beta-alanine may provide positive effects in the older population. In addition, in older women, bicarbonate supplementation and beta-hydroxyethyl butyrate (HMB), lysine, and arginine supplementation have shown positive effects on exercise performance. Full article

Left displaced abomasum (LDA) is a severe metabolic disease of cattle with a strong negative impact on production efficiency of dairy farms. Metabolic and inflammatory alterations associated with this disease have been reported in earlier studies, conducted mostly in large dairy farms. This research aimed to: (1) evaluate metabolic and inflammatory responses in dairy cows affected by LDA in small-scaled dairy farms; and (2) establish an Animals 2015, 5 1022 association between lactation number and milk production with the outcome of metabolic variables. The cows with LDA had lower serum calcium (Ca), but greater concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and beta-hydroxy-butyrate (BHBA), in particular when lactation number was >2. Cows with LDA showed elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase, glutamate dehydrogenase, and serum amyloid A (SAA), regardless of lactation number. In addition, this study revealed strong associations between milk yield and the alteration of metabolic profile but not with inflammation in the sick cows. Results indicate metabolic alterations, liver damage, and inflammation in LDA cows kept under small-scale farm conditions. Furthermore, the data suggest exacerbation of metabolic profile and Ca metabolism but not of inflammation and liver health with increasing lactation number and milk yield in cows affected by LDA. Full article

Transport of young (‘bobby’) calves for slaughter is a contentious welfare issue for some sectors of the Australian community. Factors of age, stocking density and flooring need further research to develop appropriate welfare standards for transport of bobby calves. The objective of this study was to identify the space allowance requirements for transport of bobby calves and to understand factors such as age and flooring that minimise risks to calf welfare during transport. Animals aged 3-, 5- and 10-day old were transported for 12 h in a custom-made cattle truck fitted with 9 pens, with movable mesh divisions. Each pen contained 4 calves, with space allowances of 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5 m² per calf and flooring of solid metal, mesh or straw bedding. A total of 432 male dairy calves were transported in 12 trips during the 2-year study. Behavioural measurements included lying during transport, and lying and drinking for 12 h after transport during recovery. Blood samples were taken prior to transport, immediately after transport and 12 h after transport. Blood samples were analysed for metabolic state (glucose, beta-hydroxy-butyrate (BOHB)), hydration (packed cell volume (PCV)) and exhaustion/bruising (creatine kinase (CK) activity). It was found that several measures were affected by age, which indicates that the physiology and in particular lying behaviour of 3-day old calves is fundamentally different from that of older calves. It is unclear how this affects their ability to cope with the stressors of transport. Space affected the posture changes and CK activity during and after transport and it is concluded that space allowance should be at least 0.3 m² per calf for calves of average size, while CK activity suggested that providing more space to 0.5 m² per calf may provide even greater benefits. Straw bedding is of clear benefit to calves during transport, to the extent that it may even reduce some of the negative effects of reduced space on lying behaviour. Full article