Performance, carcass and ruminal fermentation characteristics of heifers fed concentrates differing in energy level and cereal type (corn vs. wheat)

A total of 144 beef heifers (218 ± 26.4 kg body weight) were housed in 24 pens (6 animals each) and used in a 168-day feedlot study to evaluate the influence of cereal type and energy level on performance, carcass quality and ruminal fermentation. Four concentrates were formulated according to a 2×2 factorial arrangement of treatments, with two energy levels (1,452 vs. 1,700 kcal net energy/kg) and two main cereals (wheat vs. corn). Concentrate and straw were offered ad libitum. Concentrate intake and body weight were recorded on days 42, 84, 126 and 168. Ruminal fluid was obtained by ruminocentesis from 3 heifers per pen on days 1, 84 and 168; and carcass weight, classification and yield, were determined in the same animals. Heifers fed high-energy diets had lower intake (6.97 vs. 7.29 kg fresh matter/d; p=0.011), and lower concentrate to gain ratio (5.15 vs. 5.66 kg/kg; p=0.002) than those fed low energy concentrates, and tended (p=0.069) to be heavier along the time. Neither carcass yield and classification, nor ruminal pH, volatile fatty acids nor NH3-N concentrations were affected (p>0.050) by energy level. Total volatile fatty acids concentration tended (p=0.070) to be greater in heifers fed corn-based than wheat-based concentrates. No energy level x cereal type interactions were observed. These results indicate that high energy concentrates decreased feed intake and feed conversion but had minor effects on carcass performance. Cereal type had no effects on performance and ruminal fermentation and no interactions between cereal type and energy were detected

Prolonged oral cannabinoid administration prevents neuroinflammation, lowers β-amyloid levels and improves cognitive performance in Tg APP 2576 mice

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain shows an ongoing inflammatory condition and non-steroidal antiinflammatories diminish the risk of suffering the neurologic disease. Cannabinoids are neuroprotective and antiinflammatory agents with therapeutic potential. Methods: We have studied the effects of prolonged oral administration of transgenic amyloid precursor protein (APP) mice with two pharmacologically different cannabinoids (WIN 55,212-2 and JWH-133, 0.2 mg/kg/day in the drinking water during 4 months) on inflammatory and cognitive parameters, and on 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose (18FDG) uptake by positron emission tomography (PET). Results: Novel object recognition was significantly reduced in 11 month old Tg APP mice and 4 month administration of JWH was able to normalize this cognitive deficit, although WIN was ineffective. Wild type mice cognitive performance was unaltered by cannabinoid administration. Tg APP mice showed decreased 18FDG uptake in hippocampus and cortical regions, which was counteracted by oral JWH treatment. Hippocampal GFAP immunoreactivity and cortical protein expression was unaffected by genotype or treatment. In contrast, the density of Iba1 positive microglia was increased in Tg APP mice, and normalized following JWH chronic treatment. Both cannabinoids were effective at reducing the enhancement of COX-2 protein levels and TNF-a mRNA expression found in the AD model. Increased cortical b-amyloid (Ab) levels were significantly reduced in the mouse model by both cannabinoids. Noteworthy both cannabinoids enhanced Ab transport across choroid plexus cells in vitro. Conclusions: In summary we have shown that chronically administered cannabinoid showed marked beneficial effects concomitant with inflammation reduction and increased Ab clearanceThis work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology (SAF 2005-02845 to M.L.C). A.M.M-M. was recipient a fellowship from the Ministry of Education and Scienc

Genetic landscape of 6089 inherited retinal dystrophies affected cases in Spain and their therapeutic and extended epidemiological implications

Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs), defined by dysfunction or progressive loss of photoreceptors, are disorders characterized by elevated heterogeneity, both at the clinical and genetic levels. Our main goal was to address the genetic landscape of IRD in the largest cohort of Spanish patients reported to date. A retrospective hospital-based cross-sectional study was carried out on 6089 IRD affected individuals (from 4403 unrelated families), referred for genetic testing from all the Spanish autonomous communities. Clinical, demographic and familiar data were collected from each patient, including family pedigree, age of appearance of visual symptoms, presence of any systemic findings and geographical origin. Genetic studies were performed to the 3951 families with available DNA using different molecular techniques. Overall, 53.2% (2100/3951) of the studied families were genetically characterized, and 1549 different likely causative variants in 142 genes were identified. The most common phenotype encountered is retinitis pigmentosa (RP) (55.6% of families, 2447/4403). The most recurrently mutated genes were PRPH2, ABCA4 and RS1 in autosomal dominant (AD), autosomal recessive (AR) and X-linked (XL) NON-RP cases, respectively; RHO, USH2A and RPGR in AD, AR and XL for non-syndromic RP; and USH2A and MYO7A in syndromic IRD. Pathogenic variants c.3386G > T (p.Arg1129Leu) in ABCA4 and c.2276G > T (p.Cys759Phe) in USH2A were the most frequent variants identified. Our study provides the general landscape for IRD in Spain, reporting the largest cohort ever presented. Our results have important implications for genetic diagnosis, counselling and new therapeutic strategies to both the Spanish population and other related populations.This work was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) of the Spanish Ministry of Health (FIS; PI16/00425 and PI19/00321), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER, 06/07/0036), IIS-FJD BioBank (PT13/0010/0012), Comunidad de Madrid (CAM, RAREGenomics Project, B2017/BMD-3721), European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), the Organización Nacional de Ciegos Españoles (ONCE), Fundación Ramón Areces, Fundación Conchita Rábago and the University Chair UAM-IIS-FJD of Genomic Medicine. Irene Perea-Romero is supported by a PhD fellowship from the predoctoral Program from ISCIII (FI17/00192). Ionut F. Iancu is supported by a grant from the Comunidad de Madrid (CAM, PEJ-2017-AI/BMD7256). Marta del Pozo-Valero is supported by a PhD grant from the Fundación Conchita Rábago. Berta Almoguera is supported by a Juan Rodes program from ISCIII (JR17/00020). Pablo Minguez is supported by a Miguel Servet program from ISCIII (CP16/00116). Marta Corton is supported by a Miguel Servet program from ISCIII (CPII17/00006). The funders played no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, manuscript preparation and/or publication decisions

Halomonas radicis sp. nov., isolated from Arthrocnemum macrostachyum growing in the Odiel marshes(Spain) and emended descriptions of Halomonas xinjiangensis and Halomonas zinciduran

21 páginas, 2 tablas, 1 figuraStrain EAR18T was isolated as an endophyte from the roots of a halophyte plant, Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, growing in the Odiel marshes (Huelva, Spain). Strain EAR18T was Gram staining-negative, motile, non-spore forming, and aerobic rods. It optimally grew on TSA medium supplemented with 2.5 % NaCl (w/v), at pH 7 and 30 ºC for 48 h. It tolerated NaCl from 0 % to 25 % (w/v). It presented Q9 as the major quinone and C19:0 cyclo ω8c, Summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c and/or C18:1 ω6c), and C16:0 as the predominant fatty acids. The polar lipids profile consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, and four unindentified phospholipids. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain EAR18T formed a well-supported clade with species Halomonas zincidurans B6T and Halomonas xinjiangensis TRM 0175T (similarities of 98.3 % and 96.1 % respectively). Furthermore, dDDH resulted in values of 20.4 % with H. xinjiangensis TRM 0175T and 35.50 % with H. incidurans B6T, and ANIb/ANIm results in values of 73.8 %/84.2 % with H. xinjiangensis TRM 0175T and 86.8 %/89.4 % with H. zincidurans B6T. Based on phylogeny and differential phenotypic properties showed when compared with the closest related species, strain EAR18T is suggested to represent a new species in the genus Halomonas, for which the name Halomonas radicis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is EAR18T (=CECT 9077T=LMG 29859T). The whole genome was sequenced, and it has a total length of 4.6 Mbp and a G+C content of 64.9 mol%.This work has been possible thanks to Junta de Andalucía (P11-RNM-7274MO project) and INIA (RTA 2012-0006-C03-03 project).Peer reviewe

Effects of forage type on diversity in bacterial pellets isolated from liquid and solid phases of the rumen content in sheep and goats.

Two sheep and two goats, fitted with a ruminal cannula, received two diets composed of 30% concentrate and 70% of either alfalfa hay (AL) or grass hay (GR) as forage in a two-period crossover design. Solid and liquid phases of the rumen were sampled from each animal immediately before feeding and 4 h post-feeding. Pellets containing solid associated bacteria (SAB) and liquid associated bacteria (LAB) were isolated from the corresponding ruminal phase and composited by time to obtain 2 pellets per animal (one SAB and one LAB) before DNA extraction. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of 16S ribosomal DNA was used to analyze bacterial diversity. A total of 78 and 77 bands were detected in the DGGE gel from sheep and goats samples, respectively. There were 18 bands only found in the pellets from sheep fed AL-fed sheep and 7 found exclusively in samples from sheep fed the GR diet. In goats, 21 bands were found only in animals fed the AL diet and 17 were found exclusively in GR-fed ones. In all animals, feeding AL diet tended (P < 0.10) to promote greater NB and SI in LAB and SAB pellets compared with the GR diet. The dendrogram generated by the cluster analysis showed that in both animal species all samples can be included in two major clusters. The four SAB pellets within each animal species clustered together and the four LAB pellets grouped in a different cluster. Moreover, SAB and LAB clusters contained two clear subclusters according to forage type. Results show that in all animals bacterial diversity was more markedly affected by the ruminal phase (solid vs. liquid) than by the type of forage in the diet

Effect of application rate of a fibrolytic enzyme product on in vitro ruminal fermentation of three low-quality substrates

1 página.-- Trabajo presentado al Joint Meeting of the ADSA-PSA-AMPA-CSAS-ASAS (Phoenix, Arizona, Estados Unidos, del 15 al 19 de Julio, 2012).The effects of a fibrolytic enzyme product (Dyadic Xylanase PLUS, Dyadic Inc. USA) on the in vitro ruminal fermentation of 3 low-quality forages (rice straw, corn stover and grass hay) were investigated using batch cultures of mixed ruminal microorganisms. Five different treatments were tested: 0X (control), 0.5X, 1X, 4X and 10X (where 1X was the manufacturer recommended dose, 20 mg/g DM). Enzymes were applied directly onto the forages 24 h before incubation with buffered ruminal fluid at 39°C for 9 h. Four incubation runs were performed on different days. Gas production was measured at 3, 6, 9 h, and the main fermentation parameters were determined at the end of the incubation. Five concentrations of enzyme, 3 substrates, and the interaction of enzyme x substrate were included in the model as fixed effects, whereas incubation day was considered as a random effect. There were enzyme x substrate interactions for all the parameters measured, indicating different effects on each feed. All doses of enzyme product increased (P < 0.05) gas production after 3, 6 and 9 h of incubation for corn stover and grass hay, whereas only 10X increased (P < 0.05) gas production at 3 and 6 h for rice straw, compared with the control. All doses stimulated (P < 0.05) gas production after 9 h of incubation for the 3 substrates. Dry matter disappearance increased (P < 0.05) with doses 4X and 10X for the 3 substrates. Doses 0.5X, 1X and 4X decreased (P < 0.05) NH3 concentrations for the 3 substrates, but 10X had no effect (P > 0.05). Enzyme treatment increased (P < 0.05) total VFA production to 116, 120, 131 and 177% of control values for 0.5X, 1X, 4X and 10X, respectively, for grass hay, to 147, 173, 190 and 268% of control values for corn stover, and 125, 149, 160 and 282% of control values for rice straw. Acetate:propionate ratio decreased (P < 0.05) in grass hay and maize stover treated with any dose of the enzyme product, but in the case of rice straw, 0.5X, 1X and 4X doses increased (P < 0.05) this ratio and 10X decreased (P < 0.05) it, compared with the control. The results indicate that the pre-treatment of these low-quality forages with a wide range of doses of the fibrolytic enzyme has a positive effect on ruminal fermentation and the enzyme product is a good candidate to improve their digestibility.Peer reviewe

Leptin gene therapy attenuates neuronal damages evoked by amyloid-β and rescues memory deficits in APP/PS1 mice

There is growing evidence that leptin is able to ameliorate Alzheimer's disease (AD)-like pathologies, including brain amyloid-β (Aβ) burden. In order to improve the therapeutic potential for AD, we generated a lentivirus vector expressing leptin protein in a self-inactivating HIV-1 vector (HIV-leptin), and delivered this by intra-cerebroventricular administration to APP/PS1 transgenic model of AD. Three months after intra-cerebroventricular administration of HIV-leptin, brain Aβ accumulation was reduced. By electron microscopy, we found that APP/PS1 mice exhibited deficits in synaptic density, which were partially rescued by HIV-leptin treatment. Synaptic deficits in APP/PS1 mice correlated with an enhancement of caspase-3 expression, and a reduction in synaptophysin levels in synaptosome preparations. Notably, HIV-leptin therapy reverted these dysfunctions. Moreover, leptin modulated neurite outgrowth in primary neuronal cultures, and rescued them from Aβ 42-induced toxicity. All the above changes suggest that leptin may affect multiple aspects of the synaptic status, and correlate with behavioral improvements. Our data suggest that leptin gene delivery has a therapeutic potential for Aβ-targeted treatment of mouse model of AD. © 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited.Peer Reviewe

The melatonin analog IQM316 may induce adult hippocampal neurogenesis and preserve recognition memories in mice

Neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus is a unique process in neurobiology that requires functional integration of newly generated neurons, which may disrupt existing hippocampal network connections and consequently loss of established memories. As neurodegenerative diseases characterized by abnormal neurogenesis and memory dysfunctions are increasing, the identification of new anti-aging drugs is required. In adult mice, we found that melatonin, a well-established neurogenic hormone, and the melatonin analog 2-(2-(5-methoxy-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl)-5-methyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole (IQM316) were able to induce hippocampal neurogenesis, measured by neuronal nuclei (NeuN) and 5-bromo-2¿-deoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling. More importantly, only IQM316 administration was able to induce hippocampal neurogenesis while preserving previously acquired memories, assessed with object recognition tests. In vitro studies with embryonic neural stem cells replicated the finding that both melatonin and IQM316 induce direct differentiation of neural precursors without altering their proliferative activity. Furthermore, IQM316 induces differentiation through a mechanism that is not dependent of melatonergic receptors (MTRs), since the MTR antagonist luzindole could not block the IQM316-induced effects. We also found that IQM316 and melatonin modulate mitochondrial DNA copy number and oxidative phosphorylation proteins, while maintaining mitochondrial function as measured by respiratory assays and enzymatic activity. These results uncover a novel pharmacological agent that may be capable of inducing adult hippocampal neurogenesis at a healthy and sustainable rate that preserves recognition memories.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article: This study was supported by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (FIS2015/ 00780), FEDER, and CIBERNED and awarded to E. Carro. M. I. Rodríguez-Franco gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO, Grants SAF2015-64948-R and SAF2012-31035, partially financed by FEDER funds) and CSIC (Grant PIE-201580E109). M.F.R. thanks the JAE-Predoctoral Contract (Grant JAE-Pre-2009-106) cofinanced by the CSIC and the European Social Fund. D. Acuña-Castroviejo also acknowledges grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain (RD12/0043/0005, PI13-981) and from the Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía, Spain (P07-CTS-03135).Peer Reviewe