Effects of sodium nitrite treatment on the fermentation quality of red clover-grass silage harvested at two dry matter concentrations and inoculated with clostridia

Legumes are particularly susceptible to clostridial fermentation when ensiled because of their high buffering capacity and water-soluble carbohydrate contents. The aim of the study was to investigate if a sodium nitrite treatment (900 g t(-1) herbage in fresh matter [FM]) impairs butyric acid fermentation of red clover-timothy-meadow fescue silage compared with formic acid-treated (4 l t(-1) FM) and untreated silage. The sward was harvested after wilting at low dry matter (DM) (LDM, 194 g kg(-1)) and high DM (HDM, 314 g kg(-1)) concentrations and half of the herbage batches were inoculated with Clostridium tyrobutyricum spores before additive treatments. No butyric acid fermentation was observed in HDM silages probably because of the relatively high DM and nitrate contents of the herbage mixture. In LDM silage butyric acid was detected only in formic acid-treated silage, and the number of clostridia copies was higher in formic acid-treated than in sodium nitrite treated silage. Sodium nitrite treatment was superior to FA treatment in suppressing clostridial fermentation in the LDM silages.Peer reviewe

Identification of copy number variations and candidate genes for reproduction traits in Finnish pig populations

Animal breeding programs can be improved by genetic markers associated with production and reproduction traits. Reproduction traits are important for economic success of pig production and therefore development of genetic tools for selection is of high interest to pig breeding. In this study our objective was to identify genomic regions as-sociated with fertility traits in two Finnish pig breeds using large scale SNP genotyping and genome wide association analysis and characterization of copy number variations (CNV). Since CNVs are structural variations of the genome they potentially have a large effect on gene expression and protein function. We analyzed 1265 genotyped boars for nine different reproduction traits and identified 46 CNV regions encompassing 13 genes. 11 of the CNV regions were shared between the breeds, 20 were unique to the Finnish Yorkshire and 15 to the Finnish Landrace. The ge-nome wide association (GWAS) analysis identified zero to five reproduction associated genomic regions per trait. Furthermore, we identified 23 genomic regions with 20 candidate genes associated with fertility traits using GWAS analysis. The identified CNV regions were compared against GWAS regions to detect candidate regions with an ef-fect on reproduction traits. This study reports candidate genes and genomic regions within two Finnish pig breeds for reproduction traits, which can be utilized in breeding programs.Peer reviewe

Prepartal overfeeding alters the lipidomic profiles in the liver and the adipose tissue of transition dairy cows

Introduction Physiological adaptations in the energy metabolism of dairy cows during the periparturient period are partly mediated by insulin resistance (IR), which may subsequently induce metabolic disorders postpartum. The molecular mechanisms underlying IR in dairy cows are largely unknown. Objective This study aimed to find a novel insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying IR in dairy cows during the periparturient period by analyzing the effects of prepartal overfeeding on the lipidomic profiles in the liver and adipose tissue (AT). Methods Sixteen cows were allocated to controlled-energy and high-energy feeding groups. Lipidomic profiling was conducted on liver and adipose tissue samples collected at 8 days prior to the predicted parturition, and 1 day (only AT) and 9 days after the actual parturition. Results Five ceramides (Cers) were identified to be significantly increased by prepartal overfeeding in AT in the analysis of the variance between groups within time points. Principal component-linear discriminant analysis showed that lipidomic profiles between the feeding groups were mainly characterized by phosphatidylcholines (PC), phosphatidylethanolamines (PE), lysophophosphatidylcholines (LysoPC), and lysophosphatidylethanolamines (LysoPE) in the liver, and by Cer, PE, and phosphatidylinositols (PI) in AT. Lipid class levels indicated that prepartal overfeeding elevated the concentration of PE, PI, LysoPC, LysoPE, and sphingomyelin in the liver, and increased the concentration of Cer in AT during the periparturient period. Conclusion Prepartal overfeeding significantly altered the concentrations of various sphingolipids, phospholipids, and lysophospholipids in the liver and AT of dairy cows during the periparturient period.Peer reviewe

Impact of hexamine addition to a nitrite-based additive on fermentation quality, Clostridia and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in a white lupin-wheat silage

BACKGROUND Nitrite and hexamine are used as silage additives because of their adverse effects on Clostridia and Clostridia spores. The effect of sodium nitrite and sodium nitrite/hexamine mixtures on silage quality was investigated. A white lupin-wheat mixture was treated with sodium nitrite (NaHe0) (900 g t(-1) forage), or mixtures of sodium nitrite (900 g t(-1)) and hexamine. The application rate of hexamine was 300 g t(-1) (NaHe300) or 600 g t(-1) (NaHe600). Additional treatments were the untreated control (Con), and formic acid (FA) applied at a rate of 4 L t(-1) (1000 g kg(-1)). RESULTS Additives improved silage quality noticeably only by reducing silage ammonia content compared with the control. The addition of hexamine to a sodium nitrite solution did not improve silage quality compared with the solution containing sodium nitrite alone. The increasing addition of hexamine resulted in linearly rising pH values (P <0.001) and decreasing amounts of lactic acid (P <0.01). Sodium nitrite based additives were more effective than formic acid in preventing butyric acid formation. Additives did not restrict the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae compared to the control. CONCLUSION The addition of hexamine did not improve silage quality compared with a solution of sodium nitrite. (c) 2018 Society of Chemical IndustryPeer reviewe

Prepartal high-energy feeding with grass silage-based diets does not disturb the hepatic adaptation of dairy cows during the periparturient period

The liver of dairy cow naturally undergoes metabolic adaptation during the periparturient period in response to the increasing demand for nutrients. The hepatic adaptation is affected by prepartal energy intake level and is potentially associated with inflammatory responses. lb study the changes in the liver function during the periparturient period, 16 cows (body condition score = 3.7 +/- 0.3, mean +/- standard deviation; parity = second through fourth) were allocated to a grass silage-based controlled-energy diet (104 MJ/d) or a high-energy diet (135 MJ/d) during the last 6 wk before the predicted parturition. Liver samples were collected by biopsy at 8 d before the predicted parturition (-8 d) and at 1 and 9 d after the actual parturition (1 and 9 d). The lipidomic profile of liver samples collected at -8 and 9 d was analyzed using ultra performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based lipidomics. Liver samples from all the time points were subjected to microarray analysis and the subsequent pathway analysis with Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software (Ingenuity Systems, Mountain View, CA). Prepartal energy intake level affected hepatic gene expression and lipidomic profiles prepartum, whereas little or no effect was observed postpartum. At. 8 d, hepatic lipogenesis was promoted by prepartal high-energy feeding through the activation of X receptor/retinoid X receptor pathway and through increased transcription of thyroid hormone-responsive (THRSP). Hepatic inflammatory and acute phase responses at -8 d were suppressed (z-score = -2.236) by prepartal high-energy feeding through the increase in the mRNA abundance of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS9) and the decrease in the mRNA abundance of interleukin 1 (IL1), nuclear factor kappa B 1 (NFKB1), apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1), serum amyloid A3 (SAA3), haptoglobin (HP), lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP), and inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chain 3 (ITIH3). Moreover, prepartal high-energy feeding elevated hepatic concentrations of C18- (7%), C20- (17%), C21(26%), C23-sphingomyelins (26%), and total saturated sphingomyelin (21%). In addition, cows in both groups displayed increased lipogenesis at the gene expression level after parturition and alterations in the concentration of various sphingolipids between the first and last samplings. In conclusion, prepartal high-energy feeding promoted lipogenesis and suppressed inflammatory and acute phase responses in the liver before parturition, whereas only minor effects were observed after parturition.Peer reviewe

Dietary supplement of conjugated linoleic acids or polyunsaturated fatty acids suppressed the mobilization of body fat reserves in dairy cows at early lactation through different pathways

To investigate the metabolic (.11, !I:2.es in the adipose tissue (AT) of dairy cows under milk fat depression (MFD), 30 cows were randomly allocated to a control diet, a conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)-supplemented diet, or a high-starch diet supplemented with a mixture of sunflower and fish oil (2:1; as HSO diet) from 1 to 112 d in milk. Performance of animals, milk yield, milk composition, energy balance, and blood metabolites were measured during lactation. Quantitative PCR analyses were conducted on the AT samples collected at wk 3 and 15 of lactation. The CLA and HSO diets considerably depressed milk fat yield and milk fat content at both wk 3 and 15 in the absence of significant changes in milk protein and lactose contents. In addition, the HSO diet lowered milk yield at wk 15 and decreased dry matter intake of cows from wk 3 to 15. Compared with the control, both CLA and HSO groups showed reduced body weight loss, improved energy balance, and decreased plasma concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids and beta-hydroxybutyrate at early lactation. The gene expression analyses reflected suppressed lipolysis in AT of the CLA and HSO groups compared with the control at wk 3, as suggested by the downregulation of hormone-sensitive lipase and fatty acid binding protein 4 and the upregulation of perilipin 2. In addition, the HSO diet promoted lipogenesis in AT at wk 15 through the upregulation of 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase 2, mitochondria' glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase, perilipin 2, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma. The CLA diet likely regulated insulin sensitivity in AT as it upregulated the transcription of various genes involved in insulin signaling, inflammatory responses, and ceramide metabolism, including protein kinase B2, nuclear factor kappa B1, toll-like receptor 4, caveolin 1, serine palmitoyltransferase long chain base subunit 1, and N-acylsphingosine amidohydrolase 1. In contrast, the HSO diet resulted in little or no change in the pathways relevant to insulin sensitivity. In conclusion, the CLA and HSO diets induced a shift in energy partitioning toward AT instead of mammary gland during lactation through the regulation of different pathways.Peer reviewe

Quantitative trait loci for energy balance traits in an advanced intercross line derived from mice divergently selected for heat loss

Obesity in human populations, currently a serious health concern, is considered to be the consequence of an energy imbalance in which more energy in calories is consumed than is expended. We used interval mapping techniques to investigate the genetic basis of a number of energy balance traits in an F11 advanced intercross population of mice created from an original intercross of lines selected for increased and decreased heat loss. We uncovered a total of 137 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for these traits at 41 unique sites on 18 of the 20 chromosomes in the mouse genome, with X-linked QTLs being most prevalent. Two QTLs were found for the selection target of heat loss, one on distal chromosome 1 and another on proximal chromosome 2. The number of QTLs affecting the various traits generally was consistent with previous estimates of heritabilities in the same population, with the most found for two bone mineral traits and the least for feed intake and several body composition traits. QTLs were generally additive in their effects, and some, especially those affecting the body weight traits, were sex-specific. Pleiotropy was extensive within trait groups (body weights, adiposity and organ weight traits, bone traits) and especially between body composition traits adjusted and not adjusted for body weight at sacrifice. Nine QTLs were found for one or more of the adiposity traits, five of which appeared to be unique. The confidence intervals among all QTLs averaged 13.3 Mb, much smaller than usually observed in an F2 cross, and in some cases this allowed us to make reasonable inferences about candidate genes underlying these QTLs. This study combined QTL mapping with genetic parameter analysis in a large segregating population, and has advanced our understanding of the genetic architecture of complex traits related to obesity.Peer reviewe

Relationships among Body Condition, Insulin Resistance and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue Gene Expression during the Grazing Season in Mares

Obesity and insulin resistance have been shown to be risk factors for laminitis in horses. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of changes in body condition during the grazing season on insulin resistance and the expression of genes associated with obesity and insulin resistance in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). Sixteen Finnhorse mares were grazing either on cultivated high-yielding pasture (CG) or semi-natural grassland (NG) from the end of May to the beginning of September. Body measurements, intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT), and neck and tailhead SAT gene expressions were measured in May and September. At the end of grazing, CG had higher median body condition score (7 vs. 5.4, interquartile range 0.25 vs. 0.43; P=0.05) and body weight (618 kg vs. 572 kg +/- 10.21 (mean +/- SEM); P=0.02), and larger waist circumference (P=0.03) than NG. Neck fat thickness was not different between treatments. However, tailhead fat thickness was smaller in CG compared to NG in May (P=0.04), but this difference disappeared in September. Greater basal and peak insulin concentrations, and faster glucose clearance rate (P=0.03) during IVGTT were observed in CG compared to NG in September. A greater decrease in plasma non-esterified fatty acids during IVGTT (PPeer reviewe

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