Changes in oxidative stress in response to different levels of energy restriction in obese ponies

The present study evaluated the effect of different levels of energy restriction on metabolic parameters in obese ponies. Relative weight changes, markers of lipid metabolism, and oxidant/antioxidant balance were monitored. Eighteen obese (body condition score≥7/9) Shetland ponies were studied over a 23.5 week trial, divided into 3 periods. First a 4 week adaptation period in which each animal was fed 100% of their maintenance energy requirements needed to maintain stable obese body weight (MERob). Then a 16.5 weeks weight loss period in which ponies were assigned to receive either 100% (control group, CONTROL), 80% (slow weight loss group, SLOW) or 60% (rapid weight loss group, RAPID) of their MERob. During the 3 week end phase period all animals were again fed 100% of their MERob. Relative weight loss was higher in RAPID (P<0.001) compared to SLOW. No linear relationship was found as a doubling in caloric restriction was accompanied with a tripling in weight loss. Relative weight gain afterwards in the end phase period was higher in RAPID (P<0.001) compared to SLOW and CONTROL. During the weight loss period, triacylglycerol and non-esterified fatty acids levels were highest in RAPID, as were α-tocopherol and ferric reducing ability of plasma. After 8 weeks of weight loss, advanced oxidation protein products were higher in RAPID compared to SLOW and CONTROL (P<0.001). In conclusion, the level of energy restriction influences the extent of changes in oxidant/antioxidant balance. Practically, more severe energy restriction regimens may be associated with a greater regain of weight post restriction

Effect of anti-interleukin drugs in patients with COVID-19 and signs of cytokine release syndrome (COV-AID): a factorial, randomised, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Infections with SARS-CoV-2 continue to cause significant morbidity and mortality. Interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-6 blockade have been proposed as therapeutic strategies in COVID-19, but study outcomes have been conflicting. We sought to study whether blockade of the IL-6 or IL-1 pathway shortened the time to clinical improvement in patients with COVID-19, hypoxic respiratory failure, and signs of systemic cytokine release syndrome. METHODS: We did a prospective, multicentre, open-label, randomised, controlled trial, in hospitalised patients with COVID-19, hypoxia, and signs of a cytokine release syndrome across 16 hospitals in Belgium. Eligible patients had a proven diagnosis of COVID-19 with symptoms between 6 and 16 days, a ratio of the partial pressure of oxygen to the fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO(2):FiO(2)) of less than 350 mm Hg on room air or less than 280 mm Hg on supplemental oxygen, and signs of a cytokine release syndrome in their serum (either a single ferritin measurement of more than 2000 μg/L and immediately requiring high flow oxygen or mechanical ventilation, or a ferritin concentration of more than 1000 μg/L, which had been increasing over the previous 24 h, or lymphopenia below 800/mL with two of the following criteria: an increasing ferritin concentration of more than 700 μg/L, an increasing lactate dehydrogenase concentration of more than 300 international units per L, an increasing C-reactive protein concentration of more than 70 mg/L, or an increasing D-dimers concentration of more than 1000 ng/mL). The COV-AID trial has a 2 × 2 factorial design to evaluate IL-1 blockade versus no IL-1 blockade and IL-6 blockade versus no IL-6 blockade. Patients were randomly assigned by means of permuted block randomisation with varying block size and stratification by centre. In a first randomisation, patients were assigned to receive subcutaneous anakinra once daily (100 mg) for 28 days or until discharge, or to receive no IL-1 blockade (1:2). In a second randomisation step, patients were allocated to receive a single dose of siltuximab (11 mg/kg) intravenously, or a single dose of tocilizumab (8 mg/kg) intravenously, or to receive no IL-6 blockade (1:1:1). The primary outcome was the time to clinical improvement, defined as time from randomisation to an increase of at least two points on a 6-category ordinal scale or to discharge from hospital alive. The primary and supportive efficacy endpoints were assessed in the intention-to-treat population. Safety was assessed in the safety population. This study is registered online with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04330638) and EudraCT (2020-001500-41) and is complete. FINDINGS: Between April 4, and Dec 6, 2020, 342 patients were randomly assigned to IL-1 blockade (n=112) or no IL-1 blockade (n=230) and simultaneously randomly assigned to IL-6 blockade (n=227; 114 for tocilizumab and 113 for siltuximab) or no IL-6 blockade (n=115). Most patients were male (265 [77%] of 342), median age was 65 years (IQR 54-73), and median Systematic Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score at randomisation was 3 (2-4). All 342 patients were included in the primary intention-to-treat analysis. The estimated median time to clinical improvement was 12 days (95% CI 10-16) in the IL-1 blockade group versus 12 days (10-15) in the no IL-1 blockade group (hazard ratio [HR] 0·94 [95% CI 0·73-1·21]). For the IL-6 blockade group, the estimated median time to clinical improvement was 11 days (95% CI 10-16) versus 12 days (11-16) in the no IL-6 blockade group (HR 1·00 [0·78-1·29]). 55 patients died during the study, but no evidence for differences in mortality between treatment groups was found. The incidence of serious adverse events and serious infections was similar across study groups. INTERPRETATION: Drugs targeting IL-1 or IL-6 did not shorten the time to clinical improvement in this sample of patients with COVID-19, hypoxic respiratory failure, low SOFA score, and low baseline mortality risk. FUNDING: Belgian Health Care Knowledge Center and VIB Grand Challenges program

Adipose tissue and lipid metabolism

© 2015, 2000 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Adipose tissue is the most variable carcass component and has traditionally been considered a rather inert storage tissue for energy in the form of lipids. Most of the fat in chickens is located in adipose depots, which are all late maturing. At the cellular level, preadipocyte differentiation and proliferation are under the control of multiple hormones and transcription factors. The growth of fat tissue is initially due to hyperplasia followed by hypertrophy of the mature adipocytes. The amount of fat deposited is controlled by numerous hormones and depends on genetic and nutritional factors.Dietary fat is transported as portomicrons to the liver, which is also the primary site of the de novo lipogenesis. The newly formed very-low-density lipoproteins (VLDLs) are distributed by the blood to the rest of the body. Lipoprotein lipase is a key enzyme in the further processing of these lipoproteins at the level of various tissues, in particular the lipoprotein metabolism in laying hens. All egg yolk lipids are synthesized mainly by the liver and transported to the ovary in special yolk-targeted VLDL (VLDLy) with an unusual apoprotein (apo) composition (only apoB and apoVLDLII).Recent research has, however, revealed that adipose tissue must now be regarded as a dynamic tissue, which secretes a considerable number of adipokines and hence plays a role in a multitude of bodily processes.status: publishe

Endocrine Control of Postnatal Growth in Poultry

This paper provides an overview on the role of several endocrine factors in the regulation of the somatic growth (skeletal muscle and bone development) and body composition in meat-type poultry. The hormones of both the somatotrophic axis (GH and IGFs) and the thyrotrophic (T4, T3) axis are a prerequisite for normal growth and development. Posthatch hormone therapy does however not stimulate growth but rather to the contrary. In ovo treatment with somatotrophic hormones seems to elicit positive responses in postnatal growth and adiposity. Androgens are anabolic and their plasma levels are positively correlated with growth rate, whereas estrogens are clearly lipogenic. The androgen : estrogen activity ratio may certainly not be underestimated in growth and adiposity regulation, even in juvenile poultry. Leptin has appetite-reducing properties in chickens and hepatic leptin expression is controlled by several hormones. Finally, feed restriction as well as diet composition is used as models to illustrate how endocrine factors interact with the intermediary metabolism in a deterministic and mechanistic way

Overlap tussen slaapapneu en COPD

status: publishe