Subacute ruminal acidosis affects fermentation and endotoxin concentration in the rumen and relative expression of the CD14/TLR4/MD2 genes involved in lipopolysaccharide systemic immune response in dairy cows

The first objective of this study was to investigate the effects of subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) on fermentation, ruminal free lipopolysaccharides (LPS), and expression of the cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and myeloid differentiation protein 2 (MD2) complex in white blood cells involved in the systemic immune response in dairy cows. The second objective was a study of whether increased expression of the LPS receptor complex led to increases in the concentrations of plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and serum Ca. Three hundred five dairy cows located in 13 Polish high-yielding dairy commercial farms were selected according to their days in milk (40-150 d; average = 75), 305-d milk yield (10,070-12,041 kg; average = 10,940), and number of lactations (primiparous, n = 139 and multiparous, n = 166). Next, the herds were segregated into 3 groups based on the percentages of cows with an assigned value of ruminal fluid pH: SARA-positive, SARA-risk, and SARA-negative herds. Moreover, 305 selected dairy cows were divided according to the classification based on ruminal fluid pH into 3 groups as healthy (pH > 5.81), risk (pH 5.8-5.6) and acidotic cows (pH < 5.6). Rumen fluid samples were collected via rumenocentesis. In the AC group, we recorded higher concentrations of ruminal free LPS [4.57 Log(10) endotoxin units (EU)/mL; 42,206 EU/mL] compared with the healthy group (4.48 Log(10) EU/mL; 34,179 EU/mL). Similarly, the concentration of ruminal free LPS was higher in SARA-positive herds (4.60 Log(10) EU/mL; 43,000 EU/mL) compared with SARA-negative herds (4.47 Log(10) EU/mL; 32,225 EU/mL). The relative mRNA abundance of genes associated with the function of LPS receptors, such as CD14, TLR4, and MD2, in white blood cells differed between all experimental groups on both cow and herd levels. In the acidotic group, we recorded higher concentrations of HDL (78.16 vs. 68.32 mg/dL) and serum amyloid A (10.80 vs. 9.16 mu g/mL) and lower concentrations of Ca (8.26 vs. 10.16 mg/dL) and haptoglobin (470.19 vs. 516.85 ng/mL) compared with the healthy group. Similar results were obtained in the SARA herd status analysis, but the concentration of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein differed statistically. Moreover, the pH of ruminal fluid was negatively correlated with relative mRNA abundance of genes such as CD14, TLR4, MD2, and concentrations of serum HDL and serum amyloid A, although positively correlated with serum Ca. The results indicated that decreases in ruminal fluid pH increased the release of free LPS into the rumen and stimulated the expression of the LPS receptor complex and immune response. Moreover, an increase in the expression of the LPS receptor led to higher concentrations of plasma HDL and lower serum Ca, which may be a protective mechanism against endotoxemia. However, the biological significance of these results needs to be investigated further in larger field trials

In ovo injection of prebiotics and synbiotics affects the digestive potency of the pancreas in growing chickens

Abstract The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of 2 prebiotics and 2 synbiotics on the digestive potency of pancreas in 1-, 3-, 7-, 14-, 21-, and 34-day-old cockerels. Prebiotics (inulin and Bi2 tos) and synbiotics (inulin + Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and Bi2 tos + Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris) were injected in ovo into the air cell on the 12th d embryonic development. Their application increased the activity of amylase, lipase, and trypsin in the pancreas. The most pronounced changes were observed at the end of the investigated rearing period (d 34). The strongest stimulative effects on amylase were shown by both synbiotics, on lipase synbiotic Bi2 tos + Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, and on trypsin all the used prebiotics and synbiotics. Simultaneously, neither the absolute nor the relative mass of the pancreas in comparison to control group were changed. Also, the injected in ovo compounds did not cause a deterioration in the posthatching condition of the chicken liver, as determined by measurement of the activity of marker enzymes in the blood (alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase). Treatment with the prebiotics and synbiotics did not change the feed conversion ratio but Bi2 tos (galacto-oligosaccharide) and inulin (fructan) + Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis significantly increased final BW

Maternal protein and folic acid intake during gestation does not program leptin transcription or serum concentration in rat progeny

Maternal nutrition during gestation influences the development of the fetus, thereby determining its phenotype, including nutrient metabolism, appetite, and feeding behavior. The control of appetite is a very complex process and can be modulated by orexigenic and anorexigenic mediators such as leptin, which is involved in the regulation of energy homeostasis by controlling food intake and energy expenditure. Leptin transcription and secretion are regulated by numerous factors, nutrition being one of them. The present study was designed to test whether maternal nutrition can permanently affect leptin gene transcription and leptin serum concentration in rat progeny. Moreover, we analyzed whether leptin expression and secretion in response to high-fat postweaning feeding depends on the maternal diet during gestation. Pregnant rats were fed either a normal protein, normal folic acid diet (the AIN-93 diet); a protein-restricted, normal folic acid diet; a protein-restricted, folic acid-supplemented diet; or a normal protein, folic acid-supplemented diet. After weaning, the progeny was fed either the AIN-93 diet or a high-fat diet. Neither maternal nutrition nor the postweaning diet significantly affected Lep transcription. High-fat feeding after weaning was associated with higher serum leptin concentration, but the reaction of an organism to the fat content of the diet was not determined by maternal nutrition during gestation. There was no correlation between Lep mRNA level and serum leptin concentration. Global DNA methylation in adipose tissue was about 30% higher in rats fed postnatally the high-fat diet (P < 0.01). Our study showed that the protein and folic acid content in the maternal diet had no significant programming effect on Lep transcription and serum leptin concentration in the rats

Protein and folic acid content in the maternal diet determine lipid metabolism and response to high-fat feeding in rat progeny in an age-dependent manner

Maternal diet during gestation can exert a long-term effect on the progeny’s health by programming their developmental scheme and metabolism. The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of maternal diet on lipid metabolism in 10- and 16-week-old rats. Pregnant dams were fed one of four diets: a normal protein and normal folic acid diet (NP-NF), a protein-restricted and normal folic acid diet (PR-NF), a protein-restricted and folic-acid-supplemented diet (PR-FS), or a normal protein and folic-acid-supplemented diet (NP-FS). We also tested whether prenatal nutrition determines the reaction of an organism to a postweaning high-fat diet. Blood biochemistry and biometrical parameters were evaluated. The expression patterns of PPARα, PPARγ, and LXRα in the liver and adipose tissue were examined by real-time PCR. In the 10-week-old, rats folic acid supplementation of the maternal diet was associated with reduced circulating glucose and total cholesterol concentrations (P < 0.01 and P < 0.001, respectively). Neither prenatal diets nor postnatal feeding affected blood insulin concentrations. In the 16-week-old rats, body weight, abdominal fat mass and central adiposity were reduced in the progeny of the folic acid–supplemented dams (P < 0.01, P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively). Maternal protein restriction had no effect on biometry or blood biochemical parameters. Folic acid supplementation of the maternal diet was associated with reduced expression of PPARα, PPARγ, and LXRα in the liver (P < 0.001). Reduced protein content in the maternal diet was associated with increased PPARα mRNA level in the liver (P < 0.001) and reduced LXRα in adipose tissue (P < 0.01). PPARα and PPARγ transcription in the liver, as well as LXRα transcription in adipose tissue, was also dependent on interaction effects between prenatal and postnatal diet compositions. PPARγ transcription in the liver was correlated with the abdominal fat mass, body weight, and calorie intake, while PPARγ transcription in adipose tissue was correlated with reduced body weight and calorie intake. Total serum cholesterol concentration was correlated with LXRα transcription in the liver. Folic acid supplementation of the maternal diet may have favorable effects for lipid metabolism in the progeny, but these effects are modified by the postnatal diet and age. Furthermore, the expression of LXRα, PPARα, and PPARγ in the liver and adipose tissue largely depends on the protein and folic acid content in the maternal diet during gestation. However, the altered transcription profile of these key regulators of lipid metabolism does not straightforwardly explain the observed phenotype

Obestatin as a key regulator of metabolism and cardiovascular function with emerging therapeutic potential for diabetes

Obestatin is a 23‐amino acid C‐terminally amidated gastrointestinal peptide derived from preproghrelin and which forms an α helix. Although obestatin has a short biological half‐life and is rapidly degraded, it is proposed to exert wide‐ranging pathophysiological actions. Whilst the precise nature of many of its effects is unclear, accumulating evidence supports positive actions on both metabolism and cardiovascular function. For example, obestatin has been reported to inhibit food and water intake, body weight gain and gastrointestinal motility and also to mediate promotion of cell survival and prevention of apoptosis. Obestatin‐induced increases in beta cell mass, enhanced adipogenesis and improved lipid metabolism have been noted along with up‐regulation of genes associated with beta cell regeneration, insulin production and adipogenesis. Furthermore, human circulating obestatin levels generally demonstrate an inverse association with obesity and diabetes, whilst the peptide has been shown to confer protective metabolic effects in experimental diabetes, suggesting that it may hold therapeutic potential in this setting. Obestatin also appears to be involved in blood pressure regulation and to exert beneficial effects on endothelial function, with experimental studies indicating that it may also promote cardioprotective actions against, for example, ischaemia–reperfusion injury. This review will present a critical appraisal of the expanding obestatin research area and discuss the emerging therapeutic potential of this peptide for both metabolic and cardiovascular complications of diabetes

Expert consensus document: The International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics (ISAPP) consensus statement on the definition and scope of prebiotics

In December 2016, a panel of experts in microbiology, nutrition and clinical research was convened by the International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics to review the definition and scope of prebiotics. Consistent with the original embodiment of prebiotics, but aware of the latest scientific and clinical developments, the panel updated the definition of a prebiotic: a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit. This definition expands the concept of prebiotics to possibly include non-carbohydrate substances, applications to body sites other than the gastrointestinal tract, and diverse categories other than food. The requirement for selective microbiota-mediated mechanisms was retained. Beneficial health effects must be documented for a substance to be considered a prebiotic. The consensus definition applies also to prebiotics for use by animals, in which microbiota-focused strategies to maintain health and prevent disease is as relevant as for humans. Ultimately, the goal of this Consensus Statement is to engender appropriate use of the term ‘prebiotic’ by relevant stakeholders so that consistency and clarity can be achieved in research reports, product marketing and regulatory oversight of the category. To this end, we have reviewed several aspects of prebiotic science including its development, health benefits and legislation

May rye bread enriched with green tea extract be useful in the prevention of obesity in rats?

We examined the hypothesis that rye bread enriched with green tea extract (GTE) (at two different doses) can prevent obesity as a component of a hypercaloric diet by decreasing the absorption of energy providing nutrients and regulating lipid metabolism-related hormones, in comparison with normal caloric diet used in the Wistar rats. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups: group ND received a normal caloric diet, group HRB received a hypercaloric diet with control rye bread, groups HRB0.8% and HRB1.1% received a hypercaloric diet with rye bread enriched with 0.8% and 1.1% GTE, respectively. Higher food intake in the ND group compared with the other groups of rats was noted; however, there was no statistical difference in the energy intake among any of the groups. Consumption of the hypercaloric diet increased the body weight of the rats (in comparison with ND), but rats from HRB1.1% group showed a tendency towards smaller gains in body weight (∼4.0%) when compared to the HRB group. The addition of 1.1% GTE to rye bread resulted in an increase in the energy content of faeces, compared to both HRB and ND groups. No differences were observed in plasma leptin concentrations between the four groups. The insulin level in rats fed a hypercaloric diet was higher in comparison to rats from the ND group. The consumption of rye bread enriched with 1.1% GTE may increase faeces energy excretion, but without significantly suppressing body weight gain, visceral fat accumulation, or changing biochemical parameters related to lipid metabolism

Effects of different starch sources on metabolic profile, production and fertility parameters in dairy cows

The objective of the study was to determine the effect of replacing triticale (high rumen degradable starch) with maize grain (low rumen degradable starch) during the transition period and the first 120 days of lactation on metabolic and hormonal profile indices, milk production and fertility performance in cows. Forty-eight Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were divided into 4 groups: TT (2.5 kg triticale grain/cow per day supplemented from 14 days prepartum to day 120 postpartum), TM (2.5 kg triticale grain/cow per day supplemented from day 14 before parturition to calving, and then 2.5 kg maize grain to 120 days of lactation), MT (2.5 kg maize grain/cow per day supplemented from day 14 before parturition to calving, and then 2.5 kg triticale grain to 120 days of lactation), MM (2.5 kg maize grain/cow per day supplemented from 14 days prepartum to day 120 postpartum). Blood samples were collected 3 weeks and 1 week before calving and on days 14, 56 and 70 of lactation, and they were analyzed in terms of concentrations of glucose, insulin, leptin, insulin-like growth factor I, nonesterified fatty acids, triglycerides, cholesterol, blood urea nitrogen and activities of aspartate aminotransferase and gamma glutamyl transpeptidase. Milk samples were collected twice a day at weekly intervals and analyzed for fat, protein and lactose. Milk yield and individual dry mater intake were recorded at weekly intervals. Body condition was estimated 3 weeks before calving, on parturition day and on days 14, 56 and 120 of lactation. Replacing triticale grain with maize grain in the transition period and during lactation positively affected fertility of lactating cows. An increased first service conception rate and shortening of the days open period was observed in MM and TM groups in comparison to those found in group MT (P ≤ 0.05). The lowest number of services per conception was recorded in groups MM and TM (P ≤ 0.05). Although the impact of milk production and the most of the blood indices were not significantly affected by this treatment, the results of the study suggest that maize grain in the transition period and lactation might be a more effective energy source for dairy cows than triticale grain