Selenogenome and AMPK signal insight into the protective effect of dietary selenium on chronic heat stress-induced hepatic metabolic disorder in growing pigsOA

Background: Chronic heat stress(CHS) disrupts hepatic metabolic homeostasis and jeopardizes product quality of pigs. Selenium(Se) may regulate the metabolic state through affect selenoprotein. Thus, we investigate the protective effect of dietary hydroxy-4-methylselenobutanoic acid(HMSeBA) on CHS induced hepatic metabolic disorder in growing pigs, and the corresponding response of selenoprotein.Methods: Forty crossbreed growing pigs were randomly assigned to five groups: control group raised in ...     

Hepatic steatosis is associated with dysregulated cholesterol metabolism and altered protein acetylation dynamics in chickensOA

Background Hepatic steatosis is a prevalent manifestation of fatty liver, that has detrimental effect on the health and productivity of laying hens, resulting in economic losses to the poultry industry. Here, we aimed to systematically investigate the genetic regulatory mechanisms of hepatic steatosis in laying hens.Methods Ninety individuals with the most prominent characteristics were selected from 686 laying hens according to the accumulation of lipid droplets in the liver, and were graded in...     

Ginkgo biloba extract alleviates fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome in laying hens via reshaping gut microbiotaOA

Background Ginkgo biloba extract(GBE) is evidenced to be effective in the prevention and alleviation of metabolic disorders, including obesity, diabetes and fatty liver disease. However, the role of GBE in alleviating fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome(FLHS) in laying hens and the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Here, we investigated the effects of GBE on relieving FLHS with an emphasis on the modulatory role of GBE in chicken gut microbiota.Results The results showed that GBE treat...     

Fibroblast growth factor 21 in dairy cows:current knowledge and potential relevanceOA

Fibroblast growth factor 21(FGF21) has been identified as an important regulator of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, which plays an important role for metabolic regulation, particularly under conditions of energy deprivation or stress conditions. Dairy cows are subjected to a negative energy balance and various kinds of stress particularly during the periparturient phase and during early lactation. It has been shown that the plasma concentration of FGF21 in dairy cows is dramatically increased...     

Characteristics of glucose and lipid metabolism and the interaction between gut microbiota and colonic mucosal immunity in pigs during cold exposureOA

Background Cold regions have long autumn and winter seasons and low ambient temperatures. When pigs are unable to adjust to the cold, oxidative damage and inflammation may develop. However, the differences between cold and non-cold adaptation regarding glucose and lipid metabolism, gut microbiota and colonic mucosal immunological features in pigs are unknown. This study revealed the glucose and lipid metabolic responses and the dual role of gut microbiota in pigs during cold and non-cold adaptat...     

Inhibiting nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2-mediated autophagy in bovine mammary epithelial cells induces oxidative stress in response to exogenous fatty acidsOA

Background: In early lactation, bovine mammary epithelial cells undergo serious metabolic challenges and oxidative stress both of which could be alleviated by activation of autophagy. Nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2(NFE2L2), a master regulator of cellular redox homeostasis, plays an important role in the regulation of autophagy and oxidative stress. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the role of NFE2L2-mediated autophagy on oxidative stress of bovine mammary epithel...     

Nutritional strategies to alleviate oxidative stress in sows

The performance of high-yielding sows is directly related to the productivity of pig farming. Fetal development mainly occurs during the last month of pregnancy, and the aggressive metabolic burden of sows during this stage eventually leads to systemic oxidative stress. When affected by oxidative stress,sows exhibit adverse symptoms such as reduced feed intake, hindered fetal development, and even abortion. In addition, milk synthesis during the lactation period causes a severe metabolic burden....     

Dietary L-arginine supplementation reduces lipid accretion by regulating fatty acid metabolism in Nile tilapia(Oreochromis niloticus)

Background: Excessive white fat accumulation in humans and other animals is associated with the development of multiple metabolic diseases. It is unknown whether dietary L-arginine supplementation reduces lipid deposition in high fat diet-fed Nile tilapia(Oreochromis niloticus).Results: In the present study, we found that dietary supplementation with 1% or 2% arginine decreased the deposition and concentration of fats in the liver;the concentrations of triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein in the serum;and the diameter of adipocytes in intraperitoneal adipose tissue. Compared with the un-supplementation control group, the hepatic activities of alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase, and lactate dehydrogenase, and hepatic concentration of malondialdehyde were reduced but these for catalase and superoxide dismutase were enhanced by dietary supplementation with 2% arginine. Arginine supplementation reduced the total amounts of monounsaturated fatty acids, while increasing the total amounts of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in the liver. These effects of arginine were associated with reductions in mRNA levels for genes related to lipogenesis(sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1, acetyl-CoA carboxylase α, stearoyl-CoA desaturase, and fatty acid synthase) but increases in mRNA levels for genes involved in fatty acid β-oxidation(carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1α and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α). In addition, hepatic mRNA levels for Δ4 fatty acyl desaturase 2 and elongase 5 of very long-chain fatty acids were enhanced by arginine supplementation.Conclusion: These results revealed that dietary L-arginine supplementation to tilapia reduced high fat diet-induced fat deposition and fatty acid composition in the liver by regulating the expression of genes for lipid metabolism.     

Paternal Zn-deficiency abolishes metabolic effects in offspring induced by diet type

Accumulating evidence implicates that offspring are susceptible to paternal alterations in numerous fetal disorders,such as growth and metabolic defects.However,less study has been conducted to define the relationship between paternal zinc deficiency(ZnD)and energy metabolism of offspring.In the present study,we used a paternal ZnD exposure(Zn at 0.3 mg/g)model to test energy metabolism of male and female offspring with the intervention of diet type(high-fat diet and low-fat diet).Our results demonstrated that paternal ZnD decreased body weight(BW)gain per week(P<0.01)and ME intake per week(P<0.05)at 11 weeks in male offspring with high-fat diet intervention but not in female offspring.Further,anabolism and catabolism of hepatic energy products also exhibited alterations.ZnD attenuated liver glucose but increased lipids content accompanied with elevated adiponectin and reduction in leptin level in serum,which exhibited lipid metabolic disturbance and smaller ratio of liver weight to BW in male but not female offspring.The qRT-PCR and liver energy metabolites analysis revealed that paternal ZnD mainly induced reduction in glucose tolerance and lowered glucose uptaking ability in male offspring and thereby alleviated glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle(TCA)cycle,which displayed a male gender-dependency.Therefore,we propose that paternal ZnD abolishes metabolic effects in male offspring induced by diet type intervention.Our findings reveal a novel link between paternal Zn-D and offspring energy metabolism.     

Reduced-particle size wheat bran and endoxylanase supplementation in broiler feed affect arabinoxylan hydrolysis and fermentation with broiler age differently

Since the caecal microbiota of young broilers are not yet able to ferment the dietary fibre(DF) fraction of the feed to a large extent, increasing the accessibility of DF substrates along the gastrointestinal tract is crucial to benefit from the health stimulating metabolic end-products(e.g. butyric acid) generated upon microbial DF fermentation. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the potential of reduced-particle size wheat bran(RPS-WB) and endoxylanases as feed additives to stimula...     

Determination of reference intervals for metabolic profile of Hanwoo cows at early,middle and late gestation periods

Background: Metabolic profile was initially designed as a presymptomatic diagnostic aid based on statistical analyses of blood metabolites to provide an early warning of certain types of metabolic disorder. However, there is little metabolic profile data available about Korean Hanwoo cows. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the reference intervals of metabolic profile for Korean Hanwoo cows.Methods: Healthy animals(2,205) were selected and divided into early(day 1 to 95), middle(day 96 to 190) and late(day 191 to 285) period according to their gestating period. Metabolic profile including total protein(TP), albumin(Alb), urea(UREA), glucose(Glu), total cholesterol(T-Cho), long-chain fatty acid(LCFA), aspartate aminotransferase(AST),gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase(GGT), creatinine(Crea), calcium(Ca), inorganic phosphorous(i P) and magnesium(Mg)were analyzed using a TBA-40 FR automatic biochemical analyzer. The data of Korean Hanwoo cows were then compared to those of the Japanese Wagyu cows.Results: Most of the data of the Korean Hanwoo cows were relatively higher than those of Japanese Wagyu cows, with the exception of Glu and GGT. This may indicate that the nutritional level of feed for the Korean Hanwoo cows was higher than that of the Japanese Wagyu cows because of the different feeding system. In particular, relatively higher levels of UREA and LCFA were observed in the Korean Hanwoo cows, and this may also contribute to the low reproduction efficiency.Conclusions: These findings may provide some theoretical basis for understanding the reproductive and feeding situation of Korean Hanwoo cows.     

Dietary betaine activates hepatic VTGⅡ expression in laying hens associated with hypomethylation of GR gene promoter and enhanced GR expression

Background: Vitellogenin(VTG) is a precursor of egg yolk proteins synthesized within the liver of oviparous vertebrates. Betaine is an important methyl donor that is reported to improve egg production of laying hens with an unclear mechanism. In the present study, we fed betaine-supplemented diet(0.5%) to laying hens for 4 wk and investigated its effect on VTGII expression in the liver.Results: Betaine did not affect chicken weight, but significantly(P 0.05) increased egg laying rate accompanied with a significant(P 0.05) increase in hepatic concentration and plasma level of VTGI. Plasma estrogen level did not change,but the hepatic expression of estrogen receptor α(ERα) mR NA was significantly(P 0.05) up-regulated. Betaine did not affect the protein content of ERα, but significantly(P 0.05) increased hepatic expression of glucocorticoid receptor(GR)at both mR NA and protein levels. Also, ERα/GR interaction tended to be enhanced in the liver nuclear lysates of betainesupplemented hens as determined by co-immunoprecipitation. Furthermore, dietary betaine supplementation significantly increased(P 0.05) the hepatic expression of methyl-transfer enzymes, such as BHMT, GNMT, and DNMT1,which was associated with higher SAM/SAH ratio and hypomethylation of GR promoter regions.Conclusions: Betaine activates hepatic VTGII expression in association with modified DNA methylation of GR gene promoter, GR expression and ERα/GR interaction. Activation of hepatic VTGII expression may contribute, at least partly, to improved egg production in betaine-supplemented hens.     

Gut health benefit and application of postbiotics in animal productionOA

Gut homeostasis is of importance to host health and imbalance of the gut usually leads to disorders or diseases for both human and animal. Postbiotics have been applied in manipulating of gut health, and utilization of postbiotics threads new lights into the host health. Compared with the application of probiotics, the characteristics such as stability and safety of postbiotics make it a potential alternative to probiotics. Studies have reported the beneficial effects of components derived from ...     

In ovo leptin administration affects hepatic lipid metabolism and microRNA expression in newly hatched broiler chickens

Background: A leptin-like immunoreactive substance has been found in chicken eggs and has been implicated in serving as a maternal signal to program offspring growth and metabolism. In the present study, we investigated the effects of in ovo leptin administration on hatch weight, serum and hepatic concentrations of metabolites and hormones, as well as on the expression of genes involved in hepatic lipid metabolism and the predicted microRNAs (miRNAs) targeting the affected genes. To this end we injected fertile eggs with either 0.5 μg of recombinant murine leptin or vehicle (PBS) before incubation. Results: Prenatally leptin-exposed chicks showed lower hatch weight, but higher liver weight relative to the body weight, compared to the control group. In ovo leptin treatment increased the hepatic content and serum concentration of leptin in newly hatched chickens. The hepatic contents of triglycerides (TG) and total cholesterol (Tch) were decreased, whereas the serum levels of TG, Tch and apolipoprotein B (ApoB) were increased. The hepatic mRNA expression of sterol regulator element binding protein 1 (SREBP-1c), SREBP-2, hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) and cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase 1 (CYP7A1) was significantly up-regulated, as was the protein content of both SREBP-1c and SREBP-2 in hepatic nuclear extracts of leptin-treated chickens. Moreover, out of 12 miRNAs targeting SREBP-1c and/or HMGCR, five were significantly up-regulated in liver of leptin-treated chicks, including gga-miR-200b and gga-miR-429, which target both SREBP-1c and HMGCR. Conclusions: These results suggest that leptin in ovo decreases hatch weight, and modifies hepatic leptin secretion and lipid metabolism in newly hatched broiler chickens, possibly via microRNA-mediated gene regulation.     

Effects of omega-3 supplementation on components of the endocannabinoid system and metabolic and inflammatory responses in adipose and liver of peripartum dairy cowsOA

Background: Dietary supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the activation of the endocannabinoid system(ECS) by decreasing the availability of arachidonic acid, thus lowering endocannabinoids(e CBs) levels. The ECS is a modulator of energy metabolism, stress response and inflammation in mammals, yet there is little information on the roles of the ECS in transition dairy cows. During the periparturient period, the adipose tissue and liver are the main metabolic organs that participate ...     

Effects of TNF receptor blockade on in vitro cell survival and response to negative energy balance in dairy cattle

Background: Associative data and some controlled studies suggest that the inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor(TNF) α can induce fatty liver in dairy cattle. However, research demonstrating that TNFα is a necessary component in the etiology of bovine fatty liver is lacking. The aim of this work was to evaluate whether blocking TNFα signaling with a synthetic cyclic peptide(TNF receptor loop peptide; TRLP) would improve liver metabolic function and reduce triglyceride accumulation during feed restriction.Results: Capability of TRLP to inhibit TNFα signaling was confirmed on primary bovine hepatocytes treated with recombinant bovine TNFα and 4 doses of TRLP(0, 1, 10, 50 μmol/L) over 24 h. Next, 4 lactating Holstein cows(parity 1.4 ± 0.5, 433 ± 131 d in milk) in an incomplete Latin rectangle design(3 × 2) were subcutaneously administered with different TRLP doses(0, 1.5, 3.0 mg/kg BW) every 4 h for 24 h, followed by an intravenous injection of TNFα(5 μg/kg BW). Before and for 2 h after TNFα injection, TRLP decreased plasma non-esterified fatty acid(NEFA)concentration(P ≤ 0.05), suggesting an altered metabolic response to inflammation. Finally, 10 non-pregnant, nonlactating Holstein cows(3.9 ± 1.1 yr of age) were randomly assigned to treatments: control(carrier: 57% DMSO in PBS)or TRLP(1.75 mg TRLP/kg BW per day). Treatments were administrated every 4 h for 7 d by subcutaneous injection to feed-restricted cows fed 30% of maintenance energy requirements. Daily blood samples were analyzed for glucose,insulin, β-hydroxybutyrate, NEFA, and haptoglobin concentrations, with no treatment effects detected. On d 7, cows completed a glucose tolerance test(GTT) by i.v. administration of a dextrose bolus(300 mg glucose/kg BW). Glucose,insulin, and NEFA responses failed to demonstrate any significant effect of treatment during the GTT. However, plasma and liver analyses were not indicative of dramatic lipolysis or hepatic lipidosis, suggesting that the feed restriction protocol failed to induce the metabolic state of interest. Injection site inflammation, assessed by a scorer blinded to treatment, was enhanced by TRLP compared to control.Conclusions: Although the TRLP inhibited bovine TNFα signaling and altered responses to i.v. administration of TNFα,repeated use over 7 d caused apparent local allergic responses and it failed to alter metabolism during a feed restriction-induced negative energy balance. Although responses to feed restriction seemed atypical in this study, side effects of TRLP argue against its future use as a tool for investigating the role of inflammation in metabolic impacts of negative energy balance.     

A review of the resistome within the digestive tract of livestockOA

Antimicrobials have been widely used to prevent and treat infectious diseases and promote growth in food-production animals. However, the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance poses a huge threat to public and animal health, especial y in less developed countries where food-producing animals often intermingle with humans. To limit the spread of antimicrobial resistance from food-production animals to humans and the environment, it is essential to have a comprehensive knowledge of the role of th...     

Fibroblast growth factor 21 in dairy cows:current knowledge and potential relevance

Fibroblast growth factor 21(FGF21)has been identified as an important regulator of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism,which plays an important role for metabolic regulation,particularly under conditions of energy deprivation or stress conditions.Dairy cows are subjected to a negative energy balance and various kinds of stress particularly during the periparturient phase and during early lactation.It has been shown that the plasma concentration of FGF21 in dairy cows is dramatically increased at parturition and remains high during the first weeks of lactation.This finding suggests that FGF21 might exert similar functions in dairy cows than in other species,such as mice or humans.However,the role of FGF21 in dairy cows has been less investigated so far.Following a brief summary of the previous findings about the function of FGF21 in humans and mice,the present review aims to present the current state of knowledge about the role of FGF21 in dairy cows.The first part of the review deals with the tissue localization of FGF21 and with conditions leading to an upregulation of FGF21 expression in the liver of dairy cows.In the second part,the influence of nutrition on FGF21 expression and the role of FGF21 for metabolic diseases in dairy cows is addressed.In the third part,findings of exogenous FGF21 application on metabolism in dairy cows are reported.Finally,the potential relevance of FGF21 in dairy cows is discussed.It is concluded that FGF21 might be of great importance for metabolic adaptation to negative energy balance and stress conditions in dairy cows.However,further studies are needed for a better understanding of the functions of FGF21 in dairy cows.     

The uniqueness and superiority of energy utilization in yaks compared with cattle in the highlands:A review

Yaks living on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau for a long time have evolved a series of mechanisms to adapt to the unique geographical environment and climate characteristics of the plateau. Compared with other ruminants, yaks have higher energy utilization and metabolic efficiency. This paper presents possible mechanisms responsible for the efficient energy utilization, absorption and metabolism resulting from the unique evolutionary process of yaks. It is hoped that the information discussed in th...     

Stage-specific nutritional management and developmental programming to optimize meat productionOA

Over the past few decades,genetic selection and refined nutritional management have extensively been used to increase the growth rate and lean meat production of livestock.However,the rapid growth rates of modern breeds are often accompanied by a reduction in intramuscular fat deposition and increased occurrences of muscle abnormalities,impairing meat quality and processing functionality.Early stages of animal development set the longterm growth trajectory of offspring.However,due to the seasona...