Effects of rearing density on growth, digestive conditions, welfare indicators and gut bacterial community of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, L. 1758) fed different fishmeal and fish oil dietary levels

In Mediterranean aquaculture, significant advances have been made towards a reduction of marine-derived ingredients in aquafeed formulation, as well as in defining the effect on how environmental factors such as rearing density interact with fish health. Little research, however, has examined the interaction between rearing density and dietary composition on main key performance indicators, physiological processes and gut bacterial community. A study was undertaken, therefore to assess growth response, digestive enzyme activity, humoral immunity on skin mucus, plasma biochemistry and gut microbiota of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, L. 1758) reared at high (HD, 36–44 kg m−3) and low (LD, 12–15 kg m−3) final stocking densities and fed high (FM30/FO15, 30% fishmeal FM, 15% fish oil, FO) and low (FM10/FO3; 10% FM and 3% FO) FM and FO levels. Isonitrogenous and isolipidic extruded diets were fed to triplicate fish groups (initial weight: 96.2 g) to overfeeding over 98 days. The densities tested had no major effects on overall growth and feed efficiency of sea bream reared at high or low FM and FO dietary level. However, HD seems to reduce feed intake compared to LD mainly in fish fed FM30/FO15. Results of digestive enzyme activity indicated a comparable digestive efficiency among rearing densities and within each dietary treatment even if intestinal brush border enzymes appeared to be more influenced by stocking density compared to gastric and pancreatic enzymes. Plasma parameters related to nutritional and physiological conditions were not affected by rearing densities under both nutritional conditions a similar observation was also achieved through the study of lysozyme, protease, antiprotease and total protein determination in skin mucus, however; in this case lysozyme was slightly reduced at HD. For the first time on this species, the effect of rearing density on gut bacterial community was studied. Different response in relation to dietary treatment under HD and LD were detected. Low FM-FO diet maintained steady the biodiversity of the gut bacterial community between LD and HD conditions while fish fed high FM-FO level showed a reduced biodiversity at HD. According to the results, it seems feasible to rear gilthead sea bream at the on-growing phase at a density up to 36–44 kg m−3 with low or high FM-FO diet without negatively affecting growth, feed efficiency, welfare condition and gut bacterial community.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Effects of calcium carbonate inclusion in low fishmeal diets on growth, gastrointestinal pH, digestive enzyme activity and gut bacterial community of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) juveniles

Fishmeal (FM) possesses one of the highest buffering capacities in comparison to most alternative vegetable aquafeed ingredients and its decreasing content in current formulations might affect the ideal gastrointestinal environment for digestive enzyme action and gut bacterial community of carnivorous fish species. A study was undertaken, therefore, to assess growth response, gastrointestinal pH, digestive enzyme activity and gut bacterial community of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) juveniles fed low FM diets (10% FM) with or without a feed buffering additive, calcium carbonate (FM10 + B and FM10, respectively) in comparison to a standard FM diet (20% FM, FM20). Three isonitrogenous and isolipidic extruded diets were fed to triplicate fish groups of 80 individuals (initial weight: 23 g) to overfeeding over 64 days. No significant differences due to low FM dietary levels were observed in final body weight, specific growth rate, feed intake, feed and protein efficiency. Low FM diet did not affect gastrointestinal pH in the stomach, anterior intestine, mid-intestine and hindgut at 0, 4, 8 and 12 hours post meal (hpm) while the inclusion of calcium carbonate in low FM diet seems to slightly increase the pH in the hindgut at 12 hpm. The absence of significant differences of pepsin, chymotrypsin, amylase and lipase activity suggests a comparable digestive efficiency among treatments although trypsin activity was slightly reduced in low FM diets after 4 hpm. Decreasing FM content seems to exert an effect on the overall gut bacterial community analysed by next-generation sequencing even if no significant effects on specific bacterial component were detected. The gut bacterial community in all the treatments was particularly rich in lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus spp. which may provide important beneficial functions for the host and be associated with a healthy intestinal epithelium. According to the results, increasing the feed buffering capacity does not seem to improve digestive conditions while it is feasible to include 10% FM dietary level in practical formulation for European sea bass juveniles without negatively affecting growth, feed efficiency and digestive luminal conditions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Next-generation sequencing characterization of the gut bacterial community of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, L.) fed low fishmeal based diets with increasing soybean meal levels

The present study was carried out to evaluate growth, gut histology and gut bacterial community of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) fed with increasing dietary soybean meal (SBM) levels in a low fishmeal (FM) based diet, in comparison with a control diet. Five isoproteic and isolipidic experimental diets were formulated to contain increasing levels of SBM (0, 100, 200, and 300 g kg 121 named S0, S10, S20 and S30, respectively) with 150 g kg 121 of FM, and one control diet (C) without SBM and containing 350 g kg 121 of FM. Sixty sea bream (initial body weight 75.9 \ub1 1.9 g, n = 900) per tank were reared in a recirculation system at 23.0 \ub1 1.0 \ub0C and fed to satiation. The trial was run in triplicate and lasted 100 days. At the end of the trial fish fed the S30 diet showed a higher (P 64 0.05) specific growth rate (SGR) compared to S0 (SGR, 1.17 \ub1 0.03, 1.20 \ub1 0.01, 1.22 \ub1 0.01, 1.25 \ub1 0.01 and 1.21 \ub1 0.04 for S0, S10, S20, S30 and C, respectively), and a higher feed intake (FI) compared to S0, S10 and S20. Sea bream fed the C diet had a higher (P 64 0.05) FI compared to S0 (FI, 1.40 \ub1 0.01, 1.45 \ub1 0.01, 1.44 \ub1 0.03, 1.51 \ub1 0.03 and 1.46 \ub1 0.02 for S0, S10, S20, S30 and C, respectively). No significant differences in feed conversion rate, protein efficiency ratio, gross protein efficiency and gross lipid efficiency among the treatments were detected. No specific histopathological changes indicative of soy-induced enteritis were observed in the intestine of any fish examined. Gut bacterial community of the distal intestine content was analyzed by Next-Generation Sequencing. At the phylum level, the gut bacterial community was dominated by Firmicutes (relative abundance 71%), while the most represented family was Lactobacillaceae (26%). Even if no significant differences (P 64 0.05) in the gut bacterial community \u3b1 and \u3b2-diversity according to the different diets were detected, Cyanobacteria and Lactobacillaceae progressively increased from diet C to diet S30. In conclusion results of growth, nutrient utilization, gut histology and gut bacterial community indicate that SBM can be successfully incorporated up to a level of 300 g kg 121 with the inclusion of 150 g kg 121 of FM, without any deleterious effects on growth, protein utilization and gut health during the on-growing of sea bream

INCB84344-201: Ponatinib and steroids in frontline therapy for unfit patients with Ph+ acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors have improved survival for patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, prognosis for old or unfit patients remains poor. In the INCB84344-201 (formerly GIMEMA LAL 1811) prospective, multicenter, phase 2 trial, we tested the efficacy and safety of ponatinib plus prednisone in newly diagnosed patients with Ph+ ALL 6560 years, or unfit for intensive chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. Forty-four patients received oral ponatinib 45 mg/d for 48 weeks (core phase), with prednisone tapered to 60 mg/m2/d from days-14-29. Prophylactic intrathecal chemotherapy was administered monthly. Median age was 66.5 years (range, 26-85). The primary endpoint (complete hematologic response [CHR] at 24 weeks) was reached in 38/44 patients (86.4%); complete molecular response (CMR) in 18/44 patients (40.9%) at 24 weeks. 61.4% of patients completed the core phase. As of 24 April 2020, median event-free survival was 14.31 months (95% CI 9.30-22.31). Median overall survival and duration of CHR were not reached; median duration of CMR was 11.6 months. Most common treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were rash (36.4%), asthenia (22.7%), alanine transaminase increase (15.9%), erythema (15.9%), and \u3b3-glutamyltransferase increase (15.9%). Cardiac and vascular TEAEs occurred in 29.5% (grade 653, 18.2%) and 27.3% (grade 653, 15.9%), respectively. Dose reductions, interruptions, and discontinuations due to TEAEs occurred in 43.2%, 43.2%, and 27.3% of patients, respectively; 5 patients had fatal TEAEs. Ponatinib and prednisone showed efficacy in unfit patients with Ph+ ALL; however, a lower ponatinib dose may be more appropriate in this population. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01641107

Euripide, Le Baccanti

Introduzione, traduzione e commento delle Baccanti di Euripid

Bacterial topography of the upper and lower respiratory tract in pigs

Abstract Background Understanding the complex structures and interactions of the bacterial communities inhabiting the upper (URT) and lower (LRT) respiratory tract of pigs is at an early stage. The objective of this study was to characterize the bacterial topography of three URT (nostrils, choana, and tonsils) and LRT (proximal trachea, left caudal lobe and secondary bronchi) sites in pigs. Thirty-six post-mortem samples from six pigs were analysed by 16S rRNA gene quantification and sequencing, and the microbiota in nostrils and trachea was additionally profiled by shotgun sequencing. Results The bacterial composition obtained by the two methods was congruent, although metagenomics recovered only a fraction of the diversity (32 metagenome-assembled genomes) due to the high proportion (85–98%) of host DNA. The highest abundance of 16S rRNA copies was observed in nostrils, followed by tonsils, trachea, bronchi, choana and lung. Bacterial richness and diversity were lower in the LRT compared to the URT. Overall, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were identified as predominant taxa in all sample types. Glasserella (15.7%), Streptococcus (14.6%) and Clostridium (10.1%) were the most abundant genera but differences in microbiota composition were observed between the two tracts as well as between sampling sites within the same tract. Clear-cut differences were observed between nasal and tonsillar microbiomes (R-values 0.85–0.93), whereas bacterial communities inhabiting trachea and lung were similar (R-values 0.10–0.17). Moraxella and Streptococcus were more common in bronchial mucosal scraping than in lavage, probably because of mucosal adherence. The bacterial microbiota of the choana was less diverse than that of the nostrils and similar to the tracheal microbiota (R-value 0.24), suggesting that the posterior nasal cavity serves as the primary source of bacteria for the LRT. Conclusion We provide new knowledge on microbiota composition and species abundance in distinct ecological niches of the pig respiratory tract. Our results shed light on the distribution of opportunistic bacterial pathogens across the respiratory tract and support the hypothesis that bacteria present in the lungs originate from the posterior nasal cavity. Due to the high abundance of host DNA, high-resolution profiling of the pig respiratory microbiota by shotgun sequencing requires methods for host DNA depletion

Effects of low fishmeal diets on growth and gastro-intestinal luminal and digestive conditions of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) juveniles

Feed ingredients are known to possess different buffer capacities which might influence pH ranges along the digestive tract. Fishmeal (FM) have one of the highest buffer capacities among raw materials and its decreasing content in aquafeed formulations might affect the ideal gastrointestinal environment for digestive enzyme action. In addition data on gastric and intestinal pH in carnivorous marine fish species under different feeding regimes are scarce. A study was undertaken, therefore, to assess growth response, gastric and intestinal pH of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) fed diets with low fishmeal levels added with or without buffering agents in comparison to a standard fishmeal diet. Three isonitrogenous (45% protein) and isolipidic (16% lipid) extruded diets containing 10% FM with or without buffering agent (FM10b, FM10, respectively) and one control diet containing 20% FM (FM20) were fed to triplicate fish groups of 80 individuals (initial weight: 23 g) to overfeeding over 64 days. At the end of the trial there were no significant differences between diets for final body weight, feed intake and feed conversion rate even if specific growth rate was slightly higher in FM10 compared to FM10b. Hepatosomatic index was higher in FM20 compared to FM10 while no significant differences were observed in the viscerosomatic index. pH was measured in the stomach and along the intestinal tracts (anterior, middle, posterior) of three fish per tank at 0, 4, 8 and 12 hours post prandial and correlated to the different diets. At the same time enzymatic activity of digestive enzymes and gut microbiota by next generation sequencing were also analysed. In conclusion, low FM diet (FM10) led to equal growth and feed utilization in comparison to standard FM level (FM20) and the inclusion of buffering feed agent did not seem to promote the overall growth performance.Trabajo presentado en el 18th International Symposium on Fish Nutrition and Feeding (ISFNF. 40 years of research in fish nutrition), celebrado en Las Palmas de Gran Canaria del 3 al 7 de junio de 2018.N

Effects of rearing density on growth, digestive conditions, welfare indicators and gut bacterial community of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, L. 1758) fed different fishmeal and fish oil dietary levels.

In Mediterranean aquaculture, significant advances have been made towards a reduction of marine-derived ingredients in aquafeed formulation, as well as in defining the effect on how environmental factors such as rearing density interact with fish health. Little research, however, has examined the interaction between rearing density and dietary composition on main key performance indicators, physiological processes and gut bacterial community. A study was undertaken, therefore to assess growth response, digestive enzyme activity, humoral immunity on skin mucus, plasma biochemistry and gut microbiota of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, L. 1758) reared at high (HD, 36-44 kg m 123) and low (LD, 12-15 kg m 123) final stocking densities and fed high (FM30/FO15, 30% fishmeal FM, 15% fish oil, FO) and low (FM10/FO3; 10% FM and 3% FO) FM and FO levels. Isonitrogenous and isolipidic extruded diets were fed to triplicate fish groups (initial weight: 96.2 g) to overfeeding over 98 days. The densities tested had no major effects on overall growth and feed efficiency of sea bream reared at high or low FM and FO dietary level. However, HD seems to reduce feed intake compared to LD mainly in fish fed FM30/FO15. Results of digestive enzyme activity indicated a comparable digestive efficiency among rearing densities and within each dietary treatment even if intestinal brush border enzymes appeared to be more influenced by stocking density compared to gastric and pancreatic enzymes. Plasma parameters related to nutritional and physiological conditions were not affected by rearing densities under both nutritional conditions a similar observation was also achieved through the study of lysozyme, protease, antiprotease and total protein determination in skin mucus, however; in this case lysozyme was slightly reduced at HD. For the first time on this species, the effect of rearing density on gut bacterial community was studied. Different response in relation to dietary treatment under HD and LD were detected. Low FM-FO diet maintained steady the biodiversity of the gut bacterial community between LD and HD conditions while fish fed high FM-FO level showed a reduced biodiversity at HD. According to the results, it seems feasible to rear gilthead sea bream at the on-growing phase at a density up to 36-44 kg m 123 with low or high FM-FO diet without negatively affecting growth, feed efficiency, welfare condition and gut bacterial community

Interaction between dietary composition and seasonal temperature changes in gilthead sea bream Sparus aurata: effects on growth, fat deposition, plasma biochemistry, digestive enzyme activity and gut bacterial community

Trabajo presentado en Aquaculture Europe 19 (Our future, growing from water), celebrado en Berlín del 7 al 10 de octubre de 2019.The optimization of feeding strategy in relation to the environmental condition needs further investigation in order to maximise performance, fish health and fish quality of Mediterranean farmed species. Environmental temperature during seasonal changes may affects fish metabolism, digestive enzymes activity and gut bacterial community which may exert an effect on performance and tissue composition (Couto et al., 2012; Guerreiro et al., 2016). Data relating interaction between different dietary protein and energy ratio and water temperature changes on digestion condition, gut bacterial community and fat deposition of gilthead seabream fed current aquafeed formulations are scarce. For this reason, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of two dietary protein and dietary energy ratio (DP/DE) during temperature changes on growth, feed efficienc , fat deposition, plasma biochemistry, digestive enzyme activity and gut bacterial community of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata).This research was supported by ERC (European Research Council) in MedAID project (Mediterranean Aquaculture Integrated Development), Call H2020-SFS-2016-2017 (Sustainable Food Security – Resilient and resource-efficient value chains), Grant Agreement n. 727315.Peer reviewe