Branched‐chain amino acid ratios in low‐protein diets regulate the free amino acid profile and the expression of hepatic fatty acid metabolism‐related genes in growing pigs

Liver metabolism is affected by nutrients. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of low‐protein diets (17% crude protein, CP) supplemented with branched‐chain amino acids (BCAAs), including leucine (Leu), isoleucine (Ile) and valine (Val), on hepatic amino acid profile and lipid metabolism in growing pigs. The ratio of Leu : Ile : Val in all groups was 1 : 0.51 : 0.63 (20% crude protein, CP), 1 : 1 : 1 (17% CP), 1 : 0.75 : 0.75 (17% CP), 1 : 0.51 : 0.63 (17% CP) and 1 : 0.25 : 0.25 (17% CP) respectively. Results revealed that compared to the positive control group (1 : 0.51 : 0.63, 20% CP), the low‐protein diets significantly augmented the concentrations of most essential amino acids and non‐essential amino acids (p < .05), with the greatest values observed in the 1 : 0.25 : 0.25 group. Moreover, relative to the control, the low‐protein diets with the Leu : Ile : Val ratio ranging from 1 : 0.75 : 0.75 to 1 : 0.25 : 0.25 markedly downregulated the mRNA abundance of acetyl‐CoA carboxylase (ACC), lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and fatty acid‐binding protein 4 (FABP‐4) (p < .05), and upregulated the mRNA expression of hormone‐sensitive lipase (HSL), peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐g coactivator‐1α (PGC‐1α), uncoupling protein 3 (UCP3) and liver carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (L‐CPT‐1) (p < .05). Therefore, our data suggest that protein‐restricted diets supplemented with optimal BCAA ratio, that is, 1 : 0.75 : 0.75–1 : 0.25 : 0.25, induce a shift from fatty acid synthesis to fatty acid oxidation in the liver of growing pigs. These effects may be associated with increased mitochondrial biogenesis.     

Effects of concentrate‐to‐forage ratios and 2‐methylbutyrate supplementation on ruminal fermentation,bacteria abundance and urinary excretion of purine derivatives in Chinese Simmental steers

This study evaluated the effects of dietary concentrate levels and 2‐methylbutyrate (2MB ) supplementation on performance, ruminal fermentation, bacteria abundance, microbial enzyme activity and urinary excretion of purine derivatives (PD ) in steers. Eight ruminally cannulated Simmental steers (12 months of age; 389 ± 3.7 kg of body weight) were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Moderate‐concentrate (400 g/kg diet [MC ]) or high‐concentrate (600 g/kg diet [HC ]) diets were fed with or without 2MB (0 g/day [2MB ?] or 15.0 g/day [2MB +]). Dry matter intake and average daily gain increased, but feed conversion ratio decreased with the HC diet or 2MB supplementation. Ruminal pH decreased, but total volatile fatty acid increased with the HC diet or 2MB supplementation. Molar proportion of acetate and acetate‐to‐propionate ratio decreased with the HC diet, but increased with 2MB supplementation. Propionate molar proportion and ruminal NH ₃‐N content increased with the HC diet, but decreased with 2MB supplementation. Neutral detergent fibre degradability decreased with the HC diet, but increased with 2MB supplementation. Crude protein degradability increased with the HC diet or 2MB supplementation. Abundance of Ruminococcus albus , Ruminococcus flavefaciens , Fibrobacter succinogenes and Bufyrivibrio fibrisolvens as well as activities of carboxymethyl cellulase, cellobiase, xylanase and pectinase decreased with the HC diet, but increased with 2MB supplementation. However, abundance of Prevotella ruminicola and Ruminobacter amylophilus as well as activities of α‐amylase and protease increased with the HC diet or 2MB supplementation. Total PD excretion also increased with the HC diet or 2MB supplementation. The results suggested that growth performance, ruminal fermentation, CP degradability and total PD excretion increased with increasing dietary concentrate level from 40% to 60% or 2MB supplementation. The observed diet × 2MB interaction indicated that supplementation of 2MB was more efficacious for improving growth performance, ruminal fermentation and total PD excretion with promoted ruminal bacteria abundance and enzyme activity in the MC diet than in the HC diet.     

β‐hydroxy‐β‐methyl butyrate promotes leucine metabolism and improves muscle fibre composition in growing pigs

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of excess leucine (Leu) vs. its metabolites α‐ketoisocaproate (KIC) and β‐hydroxy‐β‐methyl butyrate (HMB) on Leu metabolism, muscle fibre composition and muscle growth in growing pigs. Thirty‐two pigs with a similar initial weight (9.55 ± 0.19 kg) were fed 1 of 4 diets for 45 days: basal diet, basal diet + 1.25% L‐Leu, basal diet + 1.25% KIC‐Ca, basal diet + 0.62% HMB‐Ca. Results indicated that relative to the basal diet and HMB groups, Leu and KIC groups exhibited increased Leu concentrations and decreased concentrations of isoleucine, valine and EAAs in selected muscle (p < 0.05) and had lower mRNA levels of MyHC I and higher expression of MyHC IIx/IIb (p < 0.05), and there was no significant difference between the basal and HMB‐supplemented groups. Moreover, the mRNA expression levels of AMPKα and UCP3 were higher but the myostatin mRNA levels were lower in the soleus muscle of the HMB group than those from other groups (p < 0.05). These findings demonstrated that doubling dietary Leu content exerted growth‐depressing effects in growing pigs; dietary KIC supplementation induced muscular branched‐chain amino acid imbalance and promoted muscle toward a more glycolytic phenotype; while dietary HMB supplementation promoted the generation of more oxidative muscle types and increased muscle growth specially in oxidative skeletal muscle, and these effects of HMB might be associated with the AMPKα‐Sirt1‐PGC‐1α axis and mitochondrial biogenesis.     

Effect of bovine seminal plasma on bovine endometrial epithelial cells in culture

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of seminal plasma (SP) from bulls of known fertility on bovine endometrial epithelial cells (bEEC) in culture. The bEEC from passage 5, approximately 5.0–13 × 10⁵ cells per flask, were challenged with SP from bulls of high or low fertility (n = 3 and 2, respectively) or PBS (control), at 1% (75 μl) or 4% (300 μl) and were incubated for 72 hr (n = 13 per challenge). Total cell number and viability of bEEC after challenge with 1% SP from either high‐ or low‐fertility bulls (75H or 75L, respectively) did not differ from controls. In contrast, challenge with 4% of SP from high‐ or low‐fertility bulls (300H or 300L) negatively affected bEEC cell number and viability. Challenge with 300 L had a greater adverse effect than 300H. These results suggest that the negative effect of bovine SP on bEEC is both dose‐dependent and fertility‐dependent.     

三江源区高寒草原土壤湿度变化特征及与气候因子的关系

利用青海省三江源区兴海县牧业气象站1999-2016年高寒草原土壤湿度、牧草生育期资料,分析了高寒草原土壤湿度的年、季变化特征以及牧草生长季不同生育期土壤湿度的变化特征及与气候因子的关系。结果表明:高寒草原0-10、10-20、20-30、30-40和40-50 cm土壤湿度均随年际延长呈增加趋势,春季除40-50 cm土层外,其他各层土壤湿度均随年际延长呈显著增加趋势(P<0.05)。高寒草原牧草生长季的土壤相对湿度随年际延长呈显著上升趋势(P<0.05),且与生长季降水量之间呈极显著正相关关系(P<0.01)。随着气候变化,牧草抽穗、开花、成熟和枯黄期的土壤相对湿度随年际延长呈显著增加趋势(P<0.05)。牧草抽穗期、枯黄和全生育期的土壤湿度与气温呈显著负相关关系(P<0.05)。高寒草原牧草生长季土壤湿度的增加有利于草地植被生长。     

不同栽培模式下青贮玉米的农艺性状

为探究不同的栽培模式对青贮玉米(Zea mays)农艺性状及产量形成的影响,选用新饲玉19号在(30+60)、(10+66)、(17+50)、(60+60)、(76+76)、(40+60)和(30+90)cm 7种行距栽培模式下对比研究。结果表明,(60+60)cm的栽培模式中青贮玉米株高、穗位高等农艺性状以及单株叶面积、倒四叶SPAD值和单株干鲜重均高于其他栽培模式,随着栽培行距的增加,青贮玉米冠层中下部透光率有所增加,(60+60)cm等行距栽培下青贮玉米冠层结构布局合理,生物量显著高于其他栽培模式(P=0.003)。不同的栽培模式中,随着行距的增加玉米农艺性状表现良好,(60+60)cm等行距栽培时有利于青贮玉米产量的形成。     

放牧对武功山草甸土壤微生物生物量及酶活性的影响

以武功山山地草甸为研究对象,通过分析不同放牧强度对土壤微生物生物量碳氮以及酶活性的影响,旨在为退化草甸修复提供理论依据。结果表明:1)不同土壤微生物生物量碳氮含量表现为0-20cm土层20-40cm土层,除20-40cm土层轻牧和中牧的土壤微生物生物量氮无显著差异外(P0.05),随放牧强度增加,土壤微生物生物量碳氮含量均显著降低(P0.05);2)可溶性碳氮含量在0-20和20-40cm土层间无显著差异(P0.05),均表现为在0-20cm土层轻牧显著大于中牧和重牧(P0.05);3)碱解氮和易氧化碳含量表现为在不同土层,轻牧和中牧含量均显著高于重牧(P0.05);4)土壤β-葡萄糖甘酶、β-N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖甘酶和脲酶活性表现为在不同土层下,轻度和中牧均显著高于重牧(P0.05);5)相关性分析表明,不同放牧强度土壤β-葡萄糖甘酶、β-N-乙酰氨基葡萄糖甘酶和脲酶活性与微生物生物量碳氮均呈显著性正相关(P0.05)或极显著正相关(P0.01)。     

Impact of cold-season grazing and supplementary feeding on rumen metabolic parameters and micro-organisms in the ewes of Gansu Alpine Fine Wool Sheep北大核心CSCD

An experiment was conducted to scientifically identify the appropriate feed for Gansu Alpine Fine Wool ewes in order to change the animals' breeding mode, which currently can only be mated at the age of 2.5 years due to insufficient nutritional supply. The experiment selected 48 12-month-old ewes and randomly divided them into group a (Diet 1), group b (Diet 2), group c (Diet 3), and a control group with no supplementary feeding. The feed test was run for 90 days. The rumen pH of groups a and b were very significantly higher (P<0.01) or group c significantly lower (P<0.05) than control group. The rumen ammonia nitrogen, protein nitrogen and total nitrogen of groups a, b and c were all higher than control group (P<0.01). The total volatile fatty acids of group a and b were all higher than the control group (P<0.01), group b significantly higher than group c (P<0.05). The molar ratio of acetic acid and propionic acid in group a was very significantly higher than control group (P<0.01), group b and c were significantly higher than control group (P<0.05). The molar ratio of butyric acid in group a was very significantly higher than group c (P<0.01). The ratio of acetic acid and propionic acid in group b was significantly lower than control group (P<0.05). The number of several rumen fiber-degrading bacteria and protozoa in groups a, b and c were very significantly (P<0.01) or significantly (P<0.05) higher than the control. In conclusion, this study shows that supplementary feeding can positively affect the rumen metabolic parameters and the number of several rumen microorganisms in Gansu Alpine Fine Wool ewes. In general, the effects of Diet 1 were the strongest, while Diet 2 also produced notable improvements. © 2018, Editorial Office of Acta Prataculturae Sinica. All rights reserved.