Gascon Pig

The present chapter aims to present history and current status of Gascon pig breed, one of the local pig breeds investigated in the project TREASURE. This French autochthonous breed of pigs, which almost disappeared, now enjoys a new boom. The quality of its product is recognized by the consumers and by official quality labels (Protected Designation of Origin). Exterior phenotypic characteristics of the breed, geographical location, production system and main products are described. Reproductive performance data available in the literature and estimated from the LIGERAL database (herdbook) are presented. Literature data on production traits are also summarized for growth (early, middle, late and overall growth), feed intake, body composition and carcass traits. Meat quality traits (pH, colour, intramuscular fat content and composition) and fat tissue characteristics (fatty acid profile) are also described. Studies on Gascon pig breed are scarce and variability between studies, especially regarding productive traits, can be explained by differences in production systems, feeding regimes and feed composition according to studies. Nevertheless, the current review gives updated insights into the reproduction, production and quality traits of this local pig breed

Basque Pig

Local pig breeds are adapted to the specific local environment and fed with various locally available feedstuffs. Besides their genetic merit for agro-biodiversity, they represent the basis for sustainable local pork chains. The present chapter aims to present history and current status of the Basque pig breed, its exterior phenotypic characteristics, geographical location, production system and main products. This French autochthonous breed of pigs, which almost disappeared few decades ago, seems now consolidated, thanks to a chain organization and recognised high-quality products (Protected Designation of Origin). Reproductive performance data reviewed from the literature and estimated from the LIGERAL database (herdbook) are presented. Available data on production traits including growth (early, middle, late and overall growth), feed intake, body composition and carcass traits are also summarized. Meat quality traits (pH, colour, intramuscular fat content and fatty acid composition) and back fat tissue characteristics (fatty acid profile) are also described. Studies on the Basque pig breed are scarce. Different production systems, feeding regimes and feed composition used among studies can explain differences observed between studies, especially for productive traits. However, the current review gives insight into the reproduction, production and carcass and meat quality traits of this local pig breed

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells drive lymphangiogenesis.

It is now well accepted that multipotent Bone-Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BM-MSC) contribute to cancer progression through several mechanisms including angiogenesis. However, their involvement during the lymphangiogenic process is poorly described. Using BM-MSC isolated from mice of two different backgrounds, we demonstrate a paracrine lymphangiogenic action of BM-MSC both in vivo and in vitro. Co-injection of BM-MSC and tumor cells in mice increased the in vivo tumor growth and intratumoral lymphatic vessel density. In addition, BM-MSC or their conditioned medium stimulated the recruitment of lymphatic vessels in vivo in an ear sponge assay, and ex vivo in the lymphatic ring assay (LRA). In vitro, MSC conditioned medium also increased the proliferation rate and the migration of both primary lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC) and an immortalized lymphatic endothelial cell line. Mechanistically, these pro-lymphangiogenic effects relied on the secretion of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)-A by BM-MSC that activates VEGF Receptor (VEGFR)-2 pathway on LEC. Indeed, the trapping of VEGF-A in MSC conditioned medium by soluble VEGF Receptors (sVEGFR)-1, -2 or the inhibition of VEGFR-2 activity by a specific inhibitor (ZM 323881) both decreased LEC proliferation, migration and the phosphorylation of their main downstream target ERK1/2. This study provides direct unprecedented evidence for a paracrine lymphangiogenic action of BM-MSC via the production of VEGF-A which acts on LEC VEGFR-2

Digging deeper into lymphatic vessel formation in vitro and in vivo

Background Abnormal lymphatic vessel formation (lymphangiogenesis) is associated with different pathologies such as cancer, lymphedema, psoriasis and graft rejection. Lymphatic vasculature displays distinctive features than blood vasculature, and mechanisms underlying the formation of new lymphatic vessels during physiological and pathological processes are still poorly documented. Most studies on lymphatic vessel formation are focused on organism development rather than lymphangiogenic events occurring in adults. We have here studied lymphatic vessel formation in two in vivo models of pathological lymphangiogenesis (corneal assay and lymphangioma). These data have been confronted to those generated in the recently set up in vitro model of lymphatic ring assay. Ultrastructural analyses through Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) were performed to investigate tube morphogenesis, an important differentiating process observed during endothelial cell organization into capillary structures

Etude consommateurs sur les produits traditionnels de porcs de race locale : attentes et évaluation hédonique

Assessing consumers’ acceptability of traditional pork products (TPP) from local breeds is part of evaluating the sustainability of local chains. Expectations and hedonic perception of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Noir de Bigorre (NB) dry-cured ham produced from the pure Gascon breed were assessed. The study was conducted in Toulouse (France), as an expanding market for TPP, with 124 consumers who regularly purchased TPP (quota sampling method). Three products were used: “NB-PDO dry-cured ham 24-month curing – local pig breed in extensive system” (NB24), “NB-PDO dry-cured ham 36-month curing – local pig breed in extensive system” (NB36) as an innovative TPP to enhance sensory quality, and “Iberian ham – 50% Iberian pig” (IB) as a competing product. Following the expectation disconfirmation theory, the sensory test included three phases: blind (tasting without information), expected (product description only) and actual liking (tasting with information), using a 9-point scale from 1 (extremely dislike) to 9 (extremely like). Data were analysed using a mixed linear model including the effects of product, phase, interaction between product and phase, consumer session as random, and considering repeated measures within consumer. The blind hedonic test showed no differences (P>0.05) among products, which all had high blind liking scores (6.7-6.8). Product description strongly influenced expected liking (P<0.001), with a higher score for NB36 than NB24 (7.8 vs 7.2, respectively, P<0.05) and the lowest score for IB (5.2). The informed hedonic test showed higher actual liking scores for NB36 and NB24, which were similar, than for IB (7.4 and 7.2 vs 5.9, respectively, P<0.001). Both NB hams had higher actual liking than blind liking scores (P<0.05), denoting a positive effect of information on acceptability. Actual liking was similar to expected liking for NB24, indicating fulfilment of hedonic expectations. In contrast, actual liking was lower than blind liking for IB (P<0.05). This study will be supplemented by a study of consumer preferences and willingness to pay.Postprint (published version

Etude consommateurs sur les produits traditionnels de porcs de race locale : attentes et évaluation hédonique

Assessing consumers’ acceptability of traditional pork products (TPP) from local breeds is part of evaluating the sustainability of local chains. Expectations and hedonic perception of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Noir de Bigorre (NB) dry-cured ham produced from the pure Gascon breed were assessed. The study was conducted in Toulouse (France), as an expanding market for TPP, with 124 consumers who regularly purchased TPP (quota sampling method). Three products were used: “NB-PDO dry-cured ham 24-month curing – local pig breed in extensive system” (NB24), “NB-PDO dry-cured ham 36-month curing – local pig breed in extensive system” (NB36) as an innovative TPP to enhance sensory quality, and “Iberian ham – 50% Iberian pig” (IB) as a competing product. Following the expectation disconfirmation theory, the sensory test included three phases: blind (tasting without information), expected (product description only) and actual liking (tasting with information), using a 9-point scale from 1 (extremely dislike) to 9 (extremely like). Data were analysed using a mixed linear model including the effects of product, phase, interaction between product and phase, consumer session as random, and considering repeated measures within consumer. The blind hedonic test showed no differences (P>0.05) among products, which all had high blind liking scores (6.7-6.8). Product description strongly influenced expected liking (P<0.001), with a higher score for NB36 than NB24 (7.8 vs 7.2, respectively, P<0.05) and the lowest score for IB (5.2). The informed hedonic test showed higher actual liking scores for NB36 and NB24, which were similar, than for IB (7.4 and 7.2 vs 5.9, respectively, P<0.001). Both NB hams had higher actual liking than blind liking scores (P<0.05), denoting a positive effect of information on acceptability. Actual liking was similar to expected liking for NB24, indicating fulfilment of hedonic expectations. In contrast, actual liking was lower than blind liking for IB (P<0.05). This study will be supplemented by a study of consumer preferences and willingness to pay.Postprint (published version

Consumers' expectations and liking of traditional and innovative pork products from European autochthonous pig breeds

The aim of the study was to ascertain the acceptability of Traditional (T) and Innovative (IT) pork products by European consumers considering also the influence of the sensory properties. The tests were performed in Barcelona, Bologna, Toulouse and Zagreb, with products from autochthonous pig breeds Porc Negre Mallorquí (patties), Cinta Senese (dry-fermented sausages), Gascon-Noir de Bigorre (dry-cured hams) and Turopolje (dry-cured hams), respectively. The methodological approach relied on the expectancy-disconfirmation model and the assimilation theory (blind, expected and informed tests). All consumers had a similar behaviour: higher expectations of T and IT differentiating them significantly from the remaining products, except in Barcelona test, because consumers in this city were not acquainted with the production system. Innovation in T products focusing on healthy and process innovation highlighted the need to provide information about the breed and the production system, but we can conclude that the sensory quality had a significant role on the preferences of consumers.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Epstein-Barr Virus genome deletions in Epstein-Barr Virus-positive T/NK cell lymphoproliferative diseases

The main target cells for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and persistence are B lymphocytes, although T and NK cells can also become infected. In this paper, we characterize the EBV present in 21 pediatric and adult patients who were treated in France for a range of diseases that involve infection of T or NK cells. Of these 21 cases, 5 pediatric patients (21%) and 11 adult patients (52%) were of Caucasian origin. In about 30% of the cases, some of the EBV genomes contain a large deletion. The deletions are different in every patient but tend to cluster near the BART region of the viral genome. Detailed investigation of a family in which several members have persistent T or NK cell infection by EBV indicates that the virus genome deletions arise or are selected independently in each individual patient. Genome sequence polymorphisms in the EBV in these T or NK cell diseases reflect the geographic origin of the patient and not a distinct type of EBV (the 21 cases studied included examples of both type 1 and type 2 EBV infection). Using virus produced from type 1 or type 2 EBV genomes cloned in bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) vectors, we demonstrate infection of T cells in cord blood from healthy donors. Our results are consistent with transient infection of some T cells being part of normal asymptomatic infection by EBV in young children. IMPORTANCE EBV contributes to several types of human cancer. Some cancers and nonmalignant lymphoproliferative diseases involving T or NK cells contain EBV. These diseases are relatively frequent in Japan and China and have been shown sometimes to have deletions in the EBV genome in the disease cells. We identify further examples of deletions within the EBV genome associated with T or NK cell diseases, and we provide evidence that the virus genomes with these deletions are most likely selected in the individual cases, rather than being transmitted between people during infection. We demonstrate EBV infection of cord blood T cells by highly characterized, cloned EBV genomes and suggest that transient infection of T cells may be part of normal asymptomatic infection by EBV in young children

Intestinal BMP-9 locally upregulates FGF19 and is down-regulated in obese patients with diabetes

believed to be mainly produced in the liver. The serum levels of BMP-9 were reported to be reduced in newly diagnosed diabetic patients and BMP-9 overexpression ameliorated steatosis in the high fat diet-induced obesity mouse model. Furthermore, injection of BMP-9 in mice enhanced expression of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)21. However, whether BMP-9 also regulates the expression of the related FGF19 is not clear. Because both FGF21 and 19 were described to protect the liver from steatosis, we have further investigated the role of BMP-9 in this context. We first analyzed BMP-9 levels in the serum of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats (a model of type I diabetes) and confirmed that BMP-9 serum levels decrease during diabetes. Microarray analyses of RNA samples from hepatic and intestinal tissue from BMP-9 KO- and wild-type mice (C57/Bl6 background) pointed to basal expression of BMP-9 in both organs and revealed a down-regulation of hepatic Fgf21 and intestinal Fgf19 in the KO mice. Next, we analyzed BMP-9 levels in a cohort of obese patients with or without diabetes. Serum BMP-9 levels did not correlate with diabetes, but hepatic BMP-9 mRNA expression negatively correlated with steatosis in those patients that did not yet develop diabetes. Likewise, hepatic BMP-9 expression also negatively correlated with serum LPS levels. In situ hybridization analyses confirmed intestinal BMP-9 expression. Intestinal (but not hepatic) BMP-9 mRNA levels were decreased with diabetes and positively correlated with intestinal E-Cadherin expression. In vitro studies using organoids demonstrated that BMP-9 directly induces FGF19 in gut but not hepatocyte organoids, whereas no evidence of a direct induction of hepatic FGF21 by BMP-9 was found. Consistent with the in vitro data, a correlation between intestinal BMP-9 and FGF19 mRNA expression was seen in the patients’ samples. In summary, our data confirm that BMP-9 is involved in diabetes development in humans and in the control of the FGF-axis. More importantly, our data imply that not only hepatic but also intestinal BMP-9 associates with diabetes and steatosis development and controls FGF19 expression. The data support the conclusion that increased levels of BMP-9 would most likely be beneficial under pre-steatotic conditions, making supplementation of BMP-9 an interesting new approach for future therapies aiming at prevention of the development of a metabolic syndrome and liver steatosis