Palmitic acid in chicken granulosa cell death-lipotoxic mechanisms mediate reproductive inefficacy of breeder hens

In vivo and in vitro approaches were used to elucidate mechanisms of palmitate-induced cytotoxicity of follicle granulosa cells in fuel-overloaded broiler hens. In contrast to their energy-restricted counterparts, broiler breeder hens fed ad libitum for 2 wk had dyslipidemia, atresia within hierarchical ovarian follicles, and a 34% reduction in egg production (P 0.05). Based on vital staining of freshly isolated granulosa cells with annexin V/propidium iodide, there were increases in apoptosis consistent with suppressed Akt activation (P 0.05). Supplementing primary granulosa cell cultures with 0.5 mM palmitate for 48 or 96 h increased apoptosis (P 0.05). Palmitate-induced cell death was accompanied by increased acyl-CoA oxidase, carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1, serine palmitoyl transferase, and sphingomyelinase transcripts and increased concentrations of proinflammatory interleukin-1 (P 0.05). Triacsin-C inhibition of fatty acyl-CoA synthesis blunted interleukin-1 production and rescued granulosa cultures from palmitate-induced cell death. That there was partial to complete prevention of cell death with addition of the free radical scavenger pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, the sphingomyelinase inhibitor imipramine, or the de novo ceramide synthesis inhibitor fumonisin B1, supported the notion that palmitate-induced granulosa cell cytotoxicity operated through a palmitate-derived metabolite. Palmitoyl-CoA may be channeled into -oxidation and/or into bioactive metabolites that increase free radical generation, an inflammatory response, and ceramide production. In conclusion, palmitate-derived metabolites activated apoptotic machinery in avian granulosa cells, which caused ovarian follicular atresia and reduced egg production in fuel-overloaded broiler breeder hens

Herpes zoster infection associated with acute coronary syndrome: a population-based retrospective cohort study

[[abstract]]BACKGROUND: Vasculopathy in varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection and a proposed association between herpes virus infection and atherosclerosis suggest a possible link between VZV infection and vascular thrombosis. OBJECTIVES: To determine the risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) associated with herpes zoster infection. METHODS: We used the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to identify 57,958 patients newly diagnosed with herpes zoster between 1999 and 2010; 231,832 patients without herpes zoster were examined as the control group. Both cohorts were followed up until the end of 2010 to measure the incidence of ACS. Cox proportional-hazards regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to measure the hazard ratios (HR) and the cumulative incidences of ACS, respectively. RESULTS: The incidence of ACS was 1·24-fold higher in the herpes zoster group than in the control group [36·8 vs. 29·6 per 10,000 person-years, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·16-1·33]. After adjusting for age, sex and comorbidities, the HR of ACS for the herpes zoster group compared with the control group was 1·15 (95% CI 1·07-1·24). Analysis by the time lag (≤ 3 months, ≤ 1 year, > 1 year) showed that the incidence of ACS remained significantly higher in the herpes zoster group than in the control group, with an adjusted HR of 1·10 (95% CI 1·02-1·19) after the 1-year follow-up period. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the risk of ACS was significantly higher in the herpes zoster group than in the control group (P < 0·001). CONCLUSION: Herpes zoster infection is associated with an increased risk of ACS. © 2013 British Association of Dermatologists

An Optimal Inventory Policy for Items Having Constant Demand and Constant Deterioration Rate with Trade Credit

In most of the classical inventory models the demand is considered as constant. In this paper the model has been framed to study the items whose demand and deterioration both are constant. The authors developed a model to determine an optimal order quantity by using calculus technique of maxima and minima. Thus, it helps a retailer to decide its optimal ordering quantity under the constraints of constant deterioration rate and constant pattern of demand