Production performance, nutrient digestibility, and milk composition of dairy ewes supplemented with crushed sunflower seeds and sunflower seed silage in corn silage-based diets

This study determined production performance, nutrient digestibility, and milk composition of dairy ewes supplemented with crushed sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus) and sunflower seed silage in corn silage-based diets. Six ewes were grouped in a double 3 × 3 Latin square design with three periods of 21 days. All treatments were based on ad libitum corn silage. Control diet was based on alfalfa hay (333 g/kg DM), sorghum grain (253 g/kg DM), triticale grain (200 g/kg DM), soybean meal (167 g /kg DM), and vitamin and mineral premix (47 g/kg DM). Sunflower seeds (SF) and sunflower seed silage (SFS) treatments consisted of alfalfa hay (333 g/kg DM), sorghum grain (267 g/kg DM), triticale grain (100 g/kg DM), soybean meal (167 g /kg DM), SF or SFS (87 g/kg DM) and vitamin and mineral premix (47 g/kg DM). Compared to control, SF and SFS increased intake and digestibility of fiber components, such as neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF). Body weight, nitrogen balance, milk yield, milk fat yield, milk protein yield, lactose yield and milk urea N were similar between treatments. Overall, results demonstrated that crushed sunflower seeds and ensiled seeds do not change significantly productive parameters of dairy sheep

Characterization of cytomegalovirus lung infection in non-HIV infected children

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a prevalent pathogen in the immunocompromised host and invasive pneumonia is a feared complication of the virus in this population. In this pediatric case series we characterized CMV lung infection in 15 non-HIV infected children (median age 3 years; IQR 0.2–4.9 years), using current molecular and imaging diagnostic modalities, in combination with respiratory signs and symptoms. The most prominent clinical and laboratory findings included cough (100%), hypoxemia (100%), diffuse adventitious breath sounds (100%) and increased respiratory effort (93%). All patients had abnormal lung images characterized by ground glass opacity/consolidation in 80% of cases. CMV was detected in the lung either by CMV PCR in bronchoalveolar lavage (82% detection rate) or histology/immunohistochemistry in lung biopsy (100% detection rate). CMV caused respiratory failure in 47% of children infected and the overall mortality rate was 13.3%. Conclusion: CMV pneumonia is a potential lethal disease in non-HIV infected children that requires a high-index of suspicion. Common clinical and radiological patterns such as hypoxemia, diffuse adventitious lung sounds and ground-glass pulmonary opacities may allow early identification of CMV lung infection in the pediatric population, which may lead to prompt initiation of antiviral therapy and better clinical outcomes

Effect of tannins from tropical plants on methane production from ruminants: A systematic review

Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas generated during the feed fermentation processes in the rumen. However, numerous studies have been conducted to determine the capacity of plant secondary metabolites to enhance ruminal fermentation and decrease CH4 production, especially those plants rich in tannins. This review conducted a descriptive analysis and meta-analysis of the use of tannin-rich plants in tropical regions to mitigate CH4 production from livestock. The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of tannins supplementation in tropical plants on CH4 production in ruminants using a meta-analytic approach and the effect on microbial population. Sources of heterogeneity were explored using a meta-regression analysis. Final database was integrated by a total of 14 trials. The ‘meta’ package in R statistical software was used to conduct the meta-analyses. The covariates defined a priori in the current meta-regression were inclusion level, species (sheep, beef cattle, dairy cattle, and cross-bred heifers) and plant. Results showed that supplementation with tropical plants with tannin contents have the greatest effects on CH4 mitigation. A negative relationship was observed between the level of inclusion and CH4 emission (−0.09), which means that the effect of CH4 mitigation is increasing as the level of tannin inclusion is higher. Therefore, less CH4 production will be obtained when supplementing tropical plants in the diet with a high dose of tannins

Assessment of the toll-like receptor 4 Asp299Gly, Thr399Ile and interleukin-8 -251 polymorphisms in the risk for the development of distal gastric cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The intensity of the inflammation induced by <it>Helicobacter pylori </it>colonization is associated with the development of distal gastric cancer (GC). The host response to <it>H</it>. <it>pylori </it>has been related to genetic polymorphisms that influence both innate and adaptive immune responses.</p> <p>Our aim was to investigate whether the presence of the <it>TLR4 Asp299Gly</it>, <it>TLR4 Thr399Ile </it>and <it>IL-8-251 </it>A/T polymorphisms had any influence in the development of distal GC in a Mexican population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We studied 337 patients that were divided in two groups: 78 patients with histologically confirmed distal GC and 259 non-cancer controls. The presence of <it>H. pylori </it>in the control population was defined by positive results of at least two of four diagnostic tests: serology, histology, rapid urease test and culture. Human DNA was purified and genotyped for <it>TLR4 Asp299Gly </it>polymorphism by pyrosequencing, for <it>TLR4 Thr399Ile </it>by PCR-RFLP and for <it>IL8-251 </it>by the amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS)-PCR.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The non-cancer control group was found to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium at the polymorphic loci studied (chi-square _H-W= 0.58 for <it>IL8-251</it>, 0.42 for <it>TLR4 Asp299Gly </it>and 0.17 for <it>TLR4 Thr399Ile</it>). The frequencies of mutated alleles (homozygous plus heterozygous) were compared between cases and controls. We found no significant difference for <it>TLR4- Asp299Gly </it>[the 7.7% of distal GC patients and 7.7 % non-cancer controls (p = 0.82)] and for <it>TLR4 Thr399Ile </it>[the 1.3% of GC patients and the 5% of the control population (p = 0.2)]. In contrast, for <it>IL-8-251 </it>A/T, 80.77% of the GC patients and 66.4% in the control group age and gender matched had at least one copy of mutated allele (OR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.1–4.2) (p = 0.023).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study showed that the <it>IL8-251*A </it>allele could be related to the development of distal gastric cancer in this Mexican population.</p

Perinatal asphyxia: CNS development and deficits with delayed onset

Perinatal asphyxia constitutes a prototype of obstetric complications occurring when pulmonary oxygenation is delayed or interrupted. The primary insult relates to the duration of the period lacking oxygenation, leading to death if not re-established. Re-oxygenation leads to a secondary insult, related to a cascade of biochemical events required for restoring proper function. Perinatal asphyxia interferes with neonatal development, resulting in long-term deficits associated to mental and neurological diseases with delayed clinical onset, by mechanisms not yet clarified. In the experimental scenario, the effects observed long after perinatal asphyxia have been explained by over expression of sentinel proteins, such as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1), competing for NAD+ during re-oxygenation, leading to the idea that sentinel protein inhibition constitutes a suitable therapeutic strategy. Asphyxia induces transcriptional activation of proinflammatory factors, in tandem with PARP-1 overactivation, and pharmacologically induced PARP-1 inhibition also down-regulates the expression of proinflammatory cytokines. Nicotinamide has been proposed as a suitable PARP-1 inhibitor. Its effect has been studied in an experimental model of global hypoxia in rats. In that model, the insult is induced by immersing rat foetuses into a water bath for various periods of time. Following asphyxia, the pups are delivered, treated, and nursed by surrogate dams, pending further experiments. Nicotinamide rapidly distributes into the brain following systemic administration, reaching steady state concentrations sufficient to inhibit PARP-1 activity for several hours, preventing several of the long-term consequences of perinatal asphyxia, supporting the idea that it constitutes a lead for exploring compounds with similar or better pharmacological profiles

Effectiveness and safety of obeticholic acid in a Southern European multicenter cohort of patients with primary biliary cholangitis and suboptimal response to ursodeoxycholic acid

Background Obeticholic acid (OCA) was recently approved as the only on-label alternative for patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) with intolerance or suboptimal response to ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). However, few data are available outside clinical trials. Aim To assess the effectiveness and safety of OCA in a real-world cohort of patients with non-effective UDCA therapy. Methods Open-label, prospective, real-world, multicentre study, enrolling consecutive patients who did not meet Paris II criteria, from 18 institutions in Spain and Portugal. Effectiveness was assessed by the changes in GLOBE and UK-PBC scores from baseline. POISE and Paris II criteria were evaluated after 12 months of OCA . Liver fibrosis was evaluated by FIB-4 and AST to platelet ratio index (APRI). Results One hundred and twenty patients were eligible, median time since PBC diagnosis 9.3 (4.0-13.8) years, 21.7% had cirrhosis, and 26.7% received had previous or concomitant treatment with fibrates. Seventy-eight patients completed at least 1 year of OCA. The Globe-PBC score decreased to 0.17 (95% CI 0.05 to 0.28; P = 0.005) and the UK-PBC score decreased to 0.81 (95% CI -0.19 to 1.80; P = 0.11). There was a significant decrease in alkaline phosphatase of 81.3 U/L (95% CI 42.5 to 120; P < 0.001), ALT 22.1 U/L (95% CI 10.4 to 33.8; P < 0.001) and bilirubin 0.12 mg/dL (95% CI 0 to 0.24; P = 0.044). FIB-4 and APRI remained stable. According to the POISE criteria, 29.5% (23 out of 78) achieved response. The adverse events rate was 35%; 11.67% discontinued (8.3% due to pruritus). Conclusions This study supports data from phase III trials with significant improvement of PBC-Globe continuous prognostic marker score among OCA-treated patients with good tolerability

Heterologous murine and bovine IVF using bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) spermatozoa

Assisted reproductive technologies are of great importance for increasing the genetic diversity in captive animals. The use of bovine or murine oocytes in heterologous IVF provides advantages compared to homologous IVF in nondomestic animals, such as the accessibility to oocytes and the availability of well-developed in vitro maturation systems. The aim of this study was to determine the heterologous IVF parameters using cryopreserved dolphin spermatozoa and zona-intact bovine or murine oocytes and to examine the nuclear chromatin status of the dolphin spermatozoa. All the processes involved in the fertilization including embryo cleavage were observed by confocal microscopy and hybrid embryo formation was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction. Heterologous bovine IVF showed no polyspermy, lower percentages of pronuclear formation, and a lower cleavage rate compared to homologous IVF group (34.8% vs. 89.3%). Heterologous murine IVF showed a lower cleavage rate than homologous IVF (9.6% vs. 77.1%). With respect to dolphin sperm chromatin, it was more stable, i.e. more resistant to EDTA-SDS decondensation than the bovine sperm chromatin. This study revealed the stability of the dolphin sperm chromatin and the ability of the dolphin spermatozoa to penetrate zona-intact bovine and murine oocytes, leading to hybrid embryo formation

Comparación ultrasonográfica transvaginal y transrectal de la dinámica folicular en ondas sucesivas de llamas (Lama glama)

The ovarian follicular dynamics monitored by transrectal (TR) and transvaginal (TV) routes in successive waves was studied in 10 llamas older than 4 years, multiparous, without calves at foot, body condition of 3.0, during a period of 90 days in the reproductive season. The Sonostar SS8® ultrasound equipment was used with a linear transducer for transrectal examination and endocavitary microconvex transducer for transvaginal examination, both with a frequency of 6.5 MHz. The inter-wave interval was 20 ± 4.4 and 22.5 ± 5.3 via TR and VT, respectively; the number of follicles per cohort was 5.21 ± 0.92 and 6.38 ± 1.26 for TR and TV, respectively (p=0.0011); the maximum diameter of follicles was 12.49 ± 3.57 mm for TR and 13.56 ± 3.91 mm for TV; the growth rate was 0.70 ± 0.35 and 0.67 ± 0.32 mm/day for TR and TV, respectively. The regression equation for the ratio of the maximum follicular diameter and duration of follicular wave via TR was y=0.89766x+6.5554 (R²=0.423) and for the TV route y=0.8466x+10.184 (R²=0.479). The duration of the follicular phases was similar between both techniques except for the dominance phase (10.2±3.19 days for TR and 8.67±2.46 for TV, p=0.0418). The relationship between the follicular diameter and the number of follicles detected showed a low negative correlation (R²=-0.0827 for TV and R²=-0.0876 for TR). In conclusion, the transvaginal endocavitary transducer makes it possible to determine with greater precision the characteristics of llama follicular dynamics in their recruitment, dominance and regression phases with overlapping of follicular waves as an important characteristic.La dinámica folicular ovárica monitoreada por vía transrectal (TR) y transvaginal (TV) en ondas sucesivas en llamas fue estudiada en 10 llamas con más de 4 años, multíparas, sin cría, estado corporal de 3.0, durante un periodo de 90 días en la época reproductiva. Se utilizó el ecógrafo Sonostar SS8® con un transductor lineal para el examen transrectal y transductor microconvexo endocavitario para el examen transvaginal, ambos con frecuencia de 6.5 MHz. El intervalo inter-onda fue de 20±4.4 y 22.5±5.3 por vía TR y TV, respectivamente; el número de folículos por cohorte fue 5.21±0.92 y 6.38±1.26 para TR y TV, respectivamente (p=0.0011); el diámetro máximo de folículos fue 12.49±3.57 mm para TR y 13.56±3.91 mm para TV; la tasa de crecimiento fue de 0.70±0.35 y 0.67±0.32 mm/día para TR y TV, respectivamente. La ecuación de regresión para relación del diámetro máximo folicular y duración de onda folicular vía TR fue de y=0.89766x+6.5554 (R²=0.423) y para la vía TV de y=0.8466x+10.184 (R²=0.479). La duración de las fases foliculares fue similar entre ambas técnicas con excepción de la fase de dominancia (10.2±3.19 días para TR y 8.67±2.46 para TV, p=0.0418). La relación entre el diámetro folicular y número de folículos detectados presentó una correlación negativa baja (R²=-0.0827 para TV y R²=-0.0876 para TR). En conclusión, el transductor endocavitario transvaginal permite determinar con mayor precisión las características de dinámica folicular en llamas en sus fases de reclutamiento, dominancia y regresión con sobreposición de ondas foliculares como característica importante.The ovarian follicular dynamics monitored by transrectal (TR) and transvaginal (TV) routes in successive waves was studied in 10 llamas older than 4 years, multiparous, without calves at foot, body condition of 3.0, during a period of 90 days in the reproductive season. The Sonostar SS8® ultrasound equipment was used with a linear transducer for transrectal examination and endocavitary microconvex transducer for transvaginal examination, both with a frequency of 6.5 MHz. The inter-wave interval was 20 ± 4.4 and 22.5 ± 5.3 via TR and VT, respectively; the number of follicles per cohort was 5.21 ± 0.92 and 6.38 ± 1.26 for TR and TV, respectively (p=0.0011); the maximum diameter of follicles was 12.49 ± 3.57 mm for TR and 13.56 ± 3.91 mm for TV; the growth rate was 0.70 ± 0.35 and 0.67 ± 0.32 mm/day for TR and TV, respectively. The regression equation for the ratio of the maximum follicular diameter and duration of follicular wave via TR was y=0.89766x+6.5554 (R²=0.423) and for the TV route y=0.8466x+10.184 (R²=0.479). The duration of the follicular phases was similar between both techniques except for the dominance phase (10.2±3.19 days for TR and 8.67±2.46 for TV, p=0.0418). The relationship between the follicular diameter and the number of follicles detected showed a low negative correlation (R²=-0.0827 for TV and R²=-0.0876 for TR). In conclusion, the transvaginal endocavitary transducer makes it possible to determine with greater precision the characteristics of llama follicular dynamics in their recruitment, dominance and regression phases with overlapping of follicular waves as an important characteristic