Effects of butafosfan with or without cyanocobalamin on the metabolism of early lactating cows with subclinical ketosis

Fifty‐one dairy cows with subclinical ketosis were used to investigate the effects of butafosfan alone or in combination with cyanocobalamin on metabolism. Treatments included i.v. injection of 10 ml/100 kg of body weight with butafosfan (BUT) or combined cyanocobalamin with butafosfan (BUTCO) at a similar concentration as in Catosal^®. Control cows (CON) received a 0.9% saline solution. Cows were injected on days 1–3 at 22.3 ± 0.7 days post‐partum. Milk production and composition were not affected by the treatments. In plasma, CON cows had a significantly higher plasma NEFA concentration (0.59 ± 0.03 mm ) across the study period than BUTCO cows (p < 0.05; 0.42 ± 0.03 mm ), whereas the plasma NEFA concentration of BUT was intermediate (0.52 ± 0.03 mm ) but not significantly different from CON. Both BUTCO and BUT cows had lower (p < 0.05) plasma BHBA concentrations (1.02 ± 0.06 mm and 1.21 ± 0.06 mm , respectively) across the study period than CON (1.34 ± 0.06 mm ). Plasma glucose was not different between treatments, but plasma glucagon concentrations were consistently high in BUT compared to BUTCO and CON. Lowest post‐treatment glucagon levels were observed in BUTCO. Hepatic mRNA abundance of liver X receptor α, a nuclear receptor protein involved in lipid metabolism, was higher in BUTCO compared to BUT and CON (p < 0.05) on day 7. Furthermore, on day 7, the mRNA abundance of beta‐hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase 2 was higher in BUTCO compared to BUT and CON (p < 0.01). In conclusion, injections of combined cyanocobalamin with butafosfan post‐partum in early lactation ketotic dairy cows act on lipid metabolism with effects on plasma metabolites, most likely mediated via modified activity of key factors in the liver. Results indicate that the application of butafosfan only in combination with cyanocobalamin exhibits the expected positive effects on metabolism.     

Evidence that oxidative stress is higher in replacement gilts than in multiparous sows

The recent success obtained in term of increasing the litter size of sows has not correlated with a reduction of replacement rate. There is thus an increased economic demand for gilts with optimal reproductive potential and longevity. Unfortunately, replacement gilts are known to be more susceptible to diseases and less productive than multiparous sows. Interestingly, reproductive performance, resistance to diseases and longevity could all be largely affected by oxidative stress. To investigate whether oxidative stress conditions could account for the poor longevity of gilts, three distinct groups of conventional Yorkshire × Landrace sows were formed based on their similar age and parity (gilts, second parity sows as well as fourth to fifth parity sows). All animals were slaughtered during the post‐ovulatory period, and blood as well as tissue samples were collected. Biomarkers of oxidative damage to proteins (carbonyls) and DNA (8‐OHdG) were analysed in samples. Specific mRNA expression of major antioxidants such as glutathione peroxidases 1, 3 and 4 (GPx1, GPx3, GPx4) as well as superoxide dismutases 1 and 2 (Sod1, Sod2) were monitored in liver and kidney samples by quantitative RT‐PCR. Specific enzymatic activities of both GPx and SOD were measured by spectrophotometric assays. The plasma concentration of protein carbonyls was significantly different between the three groups with the highest concentration being observed in gilts (p ≤ 0.001). The mRNA expression levels of GPx1 and GPx4 were also significantly increased in the liver of gilts when compared to multiparous sows (p ≤ 0.05). SOD2 enzymatic activity was found to be higher in the liver of gilts than multiparous sows (p ≤ 0.05). Taken together, these results indicate that replacement gilts sustain significantly higher oxidative conditions than multiparous sows. Current findings may contribute to the design of nutritional regimens that will increase the productivity of gilts by counteracting oxidative stress.     

Transient hyperammonemia due to urea cycle enzyme deficiency in Irish wolfhounds

BACKGROUND: Irish Wolfhounds frequently have a congenital portosystemic shunt, but a considerable proportion of the 6- to 8-wk-old pups has hyperammonemia in the absence of portosystemic shunting. This hyperammonemia causes no signs and is transient, normalizing at the age of 3-4 months. HYPOTHESIS: Transient hyperammonemia has a metabolic basis in Irish Wolfhounds. ANIMALS: Two related (same sire) litters of Irish Wolfhounds (17 pups) and their parents were studied. METHODS: Integrity of the portal circulation was examined by ultrasonography and scintigraphy. Absence of parenchymal liver disease was verified by liver biopsy. Amino acid profiles were measured in 4 pups and repeated in 2 of these pups when ammonia concentrations had normalized. The amino acid profiles were compared with those of healthy Irish Wolfhound pups. RESULTS: Fasting venous ammonia concentrations were high (113-622 microg/dL, 65-345 micromol/L) in all pups, whereas bile acids were within reference range in all but 1. The ammonia and bile acid concentrations from all parents were within reference range. Portosystemic shunting was excluded in all but 1 pup. Liver biopsy excluded significant lesions in all 10 pups examined. Hypercitrullinemia was found and persisted even when ammonia had normalized, at the expense of an increase in glutamine and asparagine. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Citrulline concentrations are controlled by the urea cycle enzymes argininosuccinase and argininosuccinate synthetase, and a defect in either of these enzymes may be responsible for the transient hyperammonemia in Irish Wolfhounds. Resolution of the hyperammonemia is associated with increased activity of alternative metabolic pathways forming glutamine and asparagine. Confirmation requires measurement of enzyme activities in liver tissue.     

氮素营养水平对小麦后移栽棉氮代谢的影响

对不同氮素营养水平下的小麦后移栽棉叶片硝酸还原酶活性、棉株含氮量及叶片氨基酸含量等进行了测定。结果表明，除８月１９日外，叶片硝酸还原酶活性与施氮量呈极显著正相关（ｒ＝０．９６９３～０．９８８１）；地上部各器官的含氮率和绝对含氮量均随施氮量的增加而提高，且不同器官间呈同步增减的趋势，因而氮素分配比例的变化不大；提高氮素营养水平可显著增加小麦后移栽棉的叶片氨基酸总量和游离氨的含量（ｒ＝０．５３１６和０．５６０５），在１７种氨基酸中，谷氨酸、脯氨酸等７种氨基酸的含量与施氮量呈显著的正相关（ｒ＝０．５２５６～０．６０７４）。虽然施氮量越高，棉株的氮素代谢越旺盛，但小麦后移栽棉的适宜施氮量约为２０５ｋｇ／ｈｍ２。     

棉花不同品种叶片和纤维中蔗糖磷酸合成酶活性变化 及其与糖含量的关系

利用山农棕02、丰抗6号、中棉45 3个品种在大田栽培的条件下，研究了叶片和纤维中蔗糖磷酸合成酶活性的变化及与糖含量的关系。结果表明，在3个品种的叶片和纤维中，蔗糖磷酸合成酶活性均出现双峰，在开花当天最高，花后18d次之，整体呈下降趋势；与此同时可溶性总糖和蔗糖的含量变化以及光合速率的变化也成相似的变化。3个品种中，丰抗6号蔗糖磷酸合成酶活性和含糖量最高，中棉45次之，山农棕02最低。3个品种的相应观测指标之间均呈极显著差异。     

干旱对棉花叶片碳水化合物代谢的影响

以3个不同铃重的棉花基因型为材料,研究了土壤干旱对棉叶碳水化合物代谢的影响.结果表明,干旱胁迫使主茎叶片与不同部位内围果枝叶片可溶性糖含量均有不同程度的增加,而淀粉的积累受到明显抑制.虽然干旱条件下不同基因型棉叶的可溶性糖与淀粉含量的变化趋势一致, 但小铃基因型开花 (7月5日)后的主茎叶可溶性糖含量较中、大铃基因型变化小,淀粉含量则低于大铃基因型.上部内围果枝叶淀粉含量在棉铃发育过程中波动明显大于中、下部果枝,而小铃品种相对稳定.研究结果加深了对干旱胁迫下棉叶碳水化合物时空变化特征的认识.     

新陈代谢GM(1,1)模型在兵团农机总动力预测中的应用

借助灰色系统理论,利用兵团农机总动力的历史数据,建立并对比分析了GM(1,1)模型和新陈代谢GM(1,1),对兵团农业机械总动力进行预测,为以后兵团农业机械化的发展提供一定的参考。     

Effect of dietary betaine levels on growth performance and hepatic intermediary metabolism of GIFT strain of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus reared in freshwater

An 8‐week feeding experiment was conducted to determine the effect of dietary betaine levels on the growth performance and hepatic intermediary metabolism of genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT) strain of Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (mean initial body weight: 78.3 ± 1.3 g, means ± SD). Six practical diets were formulated with the incorporation of betaine at the levels of 0 (control), 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 g kg⁻¹. Survival showed no significant differences among the treatments (P > 0.05). The highest and lowest weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR) were observed for fish fed the diets containing 5 and 0 g kg⁻¹ (control) betaine, respectively. Feed intake showed similar trend with WG and SGR. In contrast, feed conversion ratio was the lowest when dietary betaine level was 5 g kg⁻¹. In general, dietary betaine supplementation showed no significant effect on hepatic composition of tilapia. Condition factor and viscerosomatic index tended to increase with increasing dietary betaine levels from 0 to 5 g kg⁻¹ and then decline when dietary betaine levels further increased from 5 to 25 g kg⁻¹. In contrast, hepatosomatic index declined with increasing dietary betaine levels (P < 0.05). Dietary betaine levels significantly influenced several hepatic enzymatic activities, including succinate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, malic dehydrogenase, lipoprotein lipase and hepatic lipase, suggesting that dietary betaine addition had significant effects on nutrient metabolism in the liver. Based on the second‐order polynomial regression analysis of WG, 12.5 g kg⁻¹ of dietary betaine level seemed optimal for genetically improved farmed tilapia strain of O. niloticus.     

肉鸭常见维生素营养代谢病研究进展

维生素是维持肉鸭正常代谢及保持高的生产性能所必需的一类营养物质。在肉鸭养殖过程中,维生素的缺乏或过量都会造成机体产生营养代谢病。文章就肉鸭养殖过程中常见的维生素营养代谢病进行分析,并提出相应的防治措施,从而保障肉鸭的健康养殖。