绵羊骨骼肌生长发育调控基因研究进展

骨骼肌发育是一个复杂的过程,其中包括肌细胞的形成与增殖、肌管和肌纤维的形成及最后的成熟过程。骨骼肌生长发育直接影响到绵羊的生产性能。随着测序技术的发展,更多人尝试从基因层面来阐述骨骼肌发育过程中系统的调控网络,挖掘与肉品质、产肉性能等重要功能性状相关的分子标记。肌细胞增强因子2(MEF2)是控制肌肉基因表达的保守且功能显著的转录因子,在调节肌肉生成、神经发育与分化等方面起作用。成肌细胞决定因子(myogenic differentiation,MyoD)基因家族调控肌细胞分化和骨骼肌系统的发育成熟。为了更深入地认识与绵羊骨骼肌生长发育相关的调控基因的功能,作者从骨骼肌的结构特点入手,重点介绍MEF2与MyoD基因家族的结构与功能,以及非编码RNA对骨骼肌中基因表达的调控作用。     

绵羊骨骼肌生长发育调控基因研究进展

骨骼肌发育是一个复杂的过程,其中包括肌细胞的形成与增殖、肌管和肌纤维的形成及最后的成熟过程。骨骼肌生长发育直接影响到绵羊的生产性能。随着测序技术的发展,更多人尝试从基因层面来阐述骨骼肌发育过程中系统的调控网络,挖掘与肉品质、产肉性能等重要功能性状相关的分子标记。肌细胞增强因子2(MEF2)是控制肌肉基因表达的保守且功能显著的转录因子,在调节肌肉生成、神经发育与分化等方面起作用。成肌细胞决定因子(myogenic differentiation,MyoD)基因家族调控肌细胞分化和骨骼肌系统的发育成熟。为了更深入地认识与绵羊骨骼肌生长发育相关的调控基因的功能,作者从骨骼肌的结构特点入手,重点介绍MEF2与MyoD基因家族的结构与功能,以及非编码RNA对骨骼肌中基因表达的调控作用。     

非编码RNA与骨骼肌发育研究进展

骨骼肌作为脊椎动物机体的重要组织,其胚胎期发育起始于生皮肌节的肌源性祖细胞增殖、分化成的成肌细胞,进一步发育形成肌管,最终形成肌纤维。整个发育过程受到复杂严密的调控,任何调控异常都可能影响骨骼肌正常的发育过程。近年来研究表明,除了生肌调控因子、肌细胞增强因子、配对盒因子外,非编码RNA包括微小RNA（microRNA,miRNA）、长链非编码RNA（long noncoding RNA,lncRNA）和环形RNA（circular RNA,circRNA）都可作为重要的调节因子广泛参与调控骨骼肌发育过程。其中miRNA主要作用于靶mRNA,通过诱发靶mRNA的去稳定性和/或抑制翻译,在转录后水平调控相关基因表达;lncRNA长度较长,具有高级结构,可以在转录前和转录后水平,通过多种作用方式调控相关基因表达;circRNA主要作为miRNA "海绵",竞争性结合miRNA,进而参与骨骼肌发育调控网络。作者将从骨骼肌发育、miRNA作用机制、miRNA与骨骼肌发育、lncRNA作用机制、lncRNA与骨骼肌发育、circRNA作用机制、circRNA与骨骼肌发育7个方面进行综述,以期为研究非编码RNA调控骨骼肌发育提供参考。     

非编码RNA对猪骨骼肌发育的影响

骨骼肌发育与猪肉产量和品质密切相关，且受到各种因素的影响。近年来，非编码RNA （non-coding RNA，ncRNA）对骨骼肌发育的影响已成为新的研究热点之一。ncRNA主要包括微小RNA （microRNA，miRNA）、长链非编码RNA （long non-coding RNA，lncRNA）和环状RNA （circular RNA，circRNA），是一类不具有编码蛋白功能的RNA，最初被认为只是在转录或转录后水平调控基因的表达，但随着研究的深入，越来越多的ncRNA被证实参与骨骼肌细胞增殖、分化与凋亡等生物过程，其中miRNA可通过与靶基因互补序列结合发挥功能；lncRNA与circRNA主要作为分子海绵竞争性结合miRNA，解除其对靶基因的抑制作用。作者主要从ncRNA介绍及miRNA、lncRNA和circRNA对猪骨骼肌发育的影响等进行综述，并就ncRNA对猪骨骼肌生长发育的研究进行了展望。     

miRNAs对骨骼肌调控的研究进展

microRNAs（miRNAs）是生物体内自然存在的一类长度约为22 nt的小分子非编码RNA，能够通过与靶基因mRNA 3'UTR不完全互补配对，降解靶基因mRNA或抑制其翻译，在转录后水平调控基因的表达，进而广泛参与调控机体生长、发育、疾病等多个生物学过程。骨骼肌约占人体体重的40%，是动物体维持正常生长发育必不可少的组成部分。miRNAs通过靶向骨骼肌发育、再生与疾病过程的关键因子，进而发挥调控作用。作为骨骼肌疾病的重要调控因子，miRNAs已成为肌肉相关疾病的检测标志物和靶向诊疗药物。近年来，随着对miRNAs研究的深入，有关miRNAs对骨骼肌调控的研究已成为生命科学领域的研究热点。作者综述了miRNAs参与调控骨骼肌细胞增殖、分化、再生与疾病等方面的研究进展，旨在为治疗肌肉疾病及提高畜禽肉品质提供理论依据。     

miRNAs对骨骼肌调控的研究进展

microRNAs(miRNAs)是生物体内自然存在的一类长度约为22nt的小分子非编码RNA,能够通过与靶基因mRNA 3′UTR不完全互补配对,降解靶基因mRNA或抑制其翻译,在转录后水平调控基因的表达,进而广泛参与调控机体生长、发育、疾病等多个生物学过程。骨骼肌约占人体体重的40%,是动物体维持正常生长发育必不可少的组成部分。miRNAs通过靶向骨骼肌发育、再生与疾病过程的关键因子,进而发挥调控作用。作为骨骼肌疾病的重要调控因子,miRNAs已成为肌肉相关疾病的检测标志物和靶向诊疗药物。近年来,随着对miRNAs研究的深入,有关miRNAs对骨骼肌调控的研究已成为生命科学领域的研究热点。作者综述了miRNAs参与调控骨骼肌细胞增殖、分化、再生与疾病等方面的研究进展,旨在为治疗肌肉疾病及提高畜禽肉品质提供理论依据。     

长链非编码RNA调控牛科反刍动物相关经济性状的研究进展

长链非编码RNA (long non-coding RNA,lncRNA)是一种长度>200 nt、自身不具有编码能力的真核生物转录本，主要通过转录水平、转录后水平和表观遗传学调控基因的表达，在动植物基因组中普遍存在。lncRNA是一种在动植物生长发育、细胞分化及疾病发生中起着关键作用的调控分子。相较于医疗领域的研究，lncRNA在牛科反刍动物中的研究尚处于起步阶段，特别是调控牛科反刍动物相关经济性状的研究鲜见报道。近年来，高通量测序与微阵列技术的迅速发展，为lncRNA的鉴定提供了更为高效快速的方法。笔者对lncRNA的研究发现、特征分类、转录后水平调控作用机制以及其在牛科反刍动物的肌肉生长、毛囊发育和泌乳性状等方面的研究进行综述，旨在为进一步研究lncRNA在牛科反刍动物生长发育中的调控机制提供理论参考。     

骨骼肌生长发育过程及调控研究现状

骨骼肌是哺乳动物最大的组织,其功能或再生特性的丧失会导致生长发育不良及肌肉骨骼疾病。骨骼肌有600多块单独的肌肉,起支撑和运动的作用。骨骼肌可以被机体自主控制,这也是其不同于平滑肌和心肌的一个特点。农业动物的骨骼肌是肉产品的主要来源,为人类提供优质的动物蛋白和营养物质。影响生长发育的因素众多,肌肉的生长和发育决定着肉的产量和品质,是农业动物生产中极其重要的经济性状。骨骼肌的生长、发育调控涉及众多基因及其相关通路的激活或沉默,是一个极其复杂的多层次调控网络。作者综述了骨骼肌的结构、组成和生长发育过程,介绍了包括生长因子和细胞因子等在内的多种调节因子对肌肉发育的调控作用,并结合现有研究结果预测到未来发展方向将是重要候选基因的体外和体内试验验证,最终转化到实际生产应用中,为骨骼肌生长发育的分子调控机制研究和肌肉遗传疾病的治疗提供理论基础和参考依据。     

成肌分化抗原相关长链非编码RNA对肌生成过程作用的研究进展

骨骼肌的分化发育是一个由多种功能性因子参与协同作用的复杂过程,其中成肌分化抗原(MyoD)是较早已经确定的骨骼肌特异转录因子,对肌肉发育有着重要的作用。长链非编码RNA(LncRNA)是具有多种生物学功能但不能编码蛋白质的RNA。近年来,很多研究表明LncRNA在肌肉发育过程中具有重要的调控作用。文章就目前与MyoD共同参与肌细胞增殖、分化、再生过程的相关LncRNA及其相关作用机制进行总结综述,以期为进一步阐明与MyoD相关的LncRNA调控肌肉发育的作用机制提供理论参考。     

动物成肌分化及非编码RNA调控研究进展

肌细胞分化密切关系到肉用动物的肌肉产量,也与人类的一系列疾病(如肌肉萎缩、心脏病等)密切相关。胚胎成肌分化期决定了肌纤维数量,是动物骨骼肌发育的关键时期。动物成肌分化及骨骼肌发育严格受各种细胞信号分子和转录因子调控,其中microRNA(miRNA)和lncRNA发挥着重要作用。本文从动物胚胎成肌分化及调控途径、卫星细胞的分化及调控、非编码RNA对肌肉形成的调控等方面进行综述,并展望了畜禽动物骨骼肌生长发育分子调控机制的研究方向,为提高畜禽肌肉产量与质量提供一定的分子理论参考。     

Low‐density lipoproteins and milk serum proteins improve the quality of stallion sperm after vitrification in straws

Lipids and proteins can be used for sperm vitrification to preserve the integrity of sperm membranes or to increase the viscosity of the medium. This study evaluated the effect of low‐density lipoproteins (LDL) and milk serum proteins (Pronexcell) for stallion sperm vitrification. Hippex extender (Barex Biochemical Products, The Netherlands), plus 1% of bovine serum albumin and 100 mM of trehalose, was used as control for sperm vitrification. In experiment 1, different concentrations of LDL (L1 = 0.25, L2 = 0.5, L3 = 1%) and in experiment 2 of Pronexcell (P1 = 1, P2 = 5, P3 = 10%) were added to control extender. Vitrification was performed in 0.25‐ml straws directly plunged into liquid nitrogen. Total motility (TM, %) and progressive motility (PM, %) were analysed by CASA, and plasma membrane (IMS, %) and acrosome membrane integrity (AIS, %) were assessed under epifluorescence microscopy. Post‐warmed sperm parameters were compared between treatments by ANOVA. Results were expressed as mean ± SEM. In both experiments, the minimum concentration of LDL and Pronexcell obtained significantly higher values (p < 0.01) than the control extender for TM (L1 = 52.95 ± 4.4; P1 = 58.99 ± 4.6; C = 30.88 ± 3.0), PM (L1 = 36.79 ± 5.5; P1 = 47.25 ± 4.3; C = 19.20 ± 2.4), IMS (L1 = 68.88 ± 3.6; P1 = 47.25 ± 4.3; C = 52.81 ± 2.6) and AIS (L1 = 45.88 ± 3.6; P1 = 47.25 ± 4.3; C = 26.00 ± 2.1). No differences in sperm parameters were found among different concentrations of LDL or Pronexcell. In conclusion, the addition of 0.25% LDL and 1% Pronexcell to the vitrification extender is recommended to improve the quality of stallion sperm after vitrification.     

A meta-analysis on effects of supplementing low-quality roughages with foliages from browses and tree fodders on intake and growth in sheep

A meta-analysis of data obtained from previous studies was conducted to understand the responses of foliage supplementation on intakes of basal DM (BDMI) and total DM (TDMI), and daily gain (ADG). Thirty-four published studies containing 223 treatments and 1127 sheep met criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Major predictive variables considered were percentages of foliages in diet (SD), CP in foliages (PS), NDF in foliages (FS), NDF in forages (FB), CP in basal roughages (PB), CP in diet (PD) and foliage CP intake (SPI). TDMI (g/d) increased quadratically (P < 0.001) with increasing PS, FS, SPI (R² = 0.66), PB, SD (R² = 0.58) and PD (R² = 0.73). The maximal response of TDMI were 778 g/d at 42% of SD, 894 g/d at 19.8% PD, 893 g/d at 148 g/d SPI and 749 g/d at 26.4% PS (P < 0.001; R² = 0.58, 0.73, 0.66, and 0.37, respectively). BDMI increased quadratically with increasing SD, PD and PB, but decreased quadratically (P < 0.001) with increasing PS (P < 0.001; R² = 0.07). The breakpoint of BDMI was 570 g/d at 6.58% of PD in the diet (P < 0.001, R² = 0.28). Overall, BDMI responded at very low level of SD in the diet, peaking at 7.6% SD with BDMI of 572 g/d (P < 0.001, R² = 0.72). However, when PB was less than 3%, the maximal BDMI was 489 g/d at foliage levels of 25.7%. When PB was between 3 and 6%, maximal BDMI was at 13% of foliage in the diet and the basal forage intake of 597 g/d; whereas, BDMI decreased linearly with SD when PB was greater than 6%. BDMI (g/d) decreased quadratically when foliage CP percentages were lesser than 10%, but increased quadratically with PS when foliage CP percentages were greater than 10%. ADG responded positively and quadratically to PS, SPI, SD, PD and TDMI (g/d) and the relationships were moderate to high. However, ADG (g/d) decreased linearly with increasing FS (P < 0.001, R² = 0.35). The maximal ADG was 42 g/d at 43% of SD, 41 g/d at 9.4% PD, 42 g/d at 53 g/d SPI, 35 g/d at 25% PS and 46 g/d at TDMI of 889 g/d (P < 0.001; R² = 0.74, 0.84, 0.74, 0.29 and 0.74, respectively). It is concluded that the interactions of quality and quantity of foliage supplements and quality of basal forages affect intakes of basal and total DM, and growth in sheep.     

Comparison of the sedative effects of intranasal or intramuscular dexmedetomidine at low doses in healthy dogs: a randomized clinical trial

ObjectiveTo compare the sedative effects of dexmedetomidine administered either intranasally or intramuscularly to healthy dogs.Study designProspective, randomized, blinded, clinical trial.AnimalsA group of 16 client-owned healthy dogs.MethodsDogs were randomly allocated to one of two groups that were administered dexmedetomidine 5 μg kg^–1 via either the intranasal route (IN_Dex), through a mucosal atomization device in one nostril, or the intramuscular route (IM_Dex), into the epaxial muscles. Ease of intranasal administration, sedation score, onset of sedation, cardiopulmonary variables, mechanical nociceptive thresholds (MNTs) and response to venous catheterization were recorded at 0 (baseline), 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 minutes, following drug administration. Data were compared with the one-way anova, Mann-Whitney U test, and chi-square test, where appropriate.ResultsGroups were not different for age, sex, weight, body condition score or temperament. Sedation scores, MNTs and response to intravenous catheter placement were not different when dexmedetomidine was administered by either route (p = 0.691; p = 0.630 and p = 0.435, respectively). Onset of sedation was not different between groups IN_Dex and IM_Dex reaching a score of 4.2 ± 0.9 and 5.5 ± 1.2 at 9 ± 5 and 8 ± 4 minutes, respectively (p = 0.467). The highest sedation score was achieved at 30 and 35 minutes and sedation scores were 9.7 ± 2.0 and 9.5 ± 2.3 in groups IN_Dex and IM_Dex, respectively (p = 0.799). Respiratory rate was higher in group IN_Dex (p = 0.014), while there were no differences between routes in heart rate (p = 0.275), systolic (p = 0.957), diastolic (p = 0.837) or mean arterial pressure (p = 0.921).Conclusions and clinical relevanceIntranasal administration of dexmedetomidine at 5 μg kg^–1 provides effective sedation in healthy dogs.     

Comparison on the physico‐chemical and nutritional qualities of normal and abnormal colored fresh chicken liver

This study evaluated the differences of physico‐chemical and nutritional qualities between abnormal colored chicken livers (ANCCLs) and normal colored chicken livers (NCCLs) and the safety of the both livers. Compared with NCCLs, ANCCLs were lower in protein, water contents (P < 0.01), pH and pigment contents (P < 0.05). NCCLs contained higher polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and saturated fatty acids (SFA) (P < 0.05). The PUFA/SFA ratio of NCCLs was 0.453, higher (P < 0.05) than that of ANCCLs. The contents of alanine, valine, tyrosine, lysine and histidine in NCCLs were higher (P < 0.05) than in ANCCLs. The contents of K, Na, P, Cu, Fe and Se of NCCLs were higher (P < 0.05), but the Ca content was lower (P < 0.05). The content of the heavy metals (As, Hg, Pb and Cd) of the two types of livers complied with food safety requirements. Although NCCLs had higher nutritional value than ANCCLs, both livers were acceptable for human consumption.     

Methane emissions and δ13C composition from beef steers consuming increasing proportions of sericea lespedeza hay on bermudagrass hay diets

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of different proportions of ‘Au Grazer’ sericea lespedeza [SL, Lespedeza cuneata (Dum. Cours.) G. Don], a legume rich in condensed tannins (CT), on nutrient intake and digestibility, and to estimate methane (CH₄) emissions and ¹³C isotopic composition (δ¹³C_CH4) from beef steers consuming a forage-based diet. Twenty-five Angus-crossbred steers were distributed in a randomized complete block design (344 ± 48 kg initial BW), and randomly assigned to one of five treatments: 0SL, 25SL, 50SL, 75SL, and 100SL, diets containing 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of SL hay, respectively, mixed with ‘Tifton-85’ bermudagrass hay (Cynodon spp.). The study was carried out for two experimental periods of 21-d each. The statistical model included the fixed effect of treatment and random effects of block, experimental period, and their interaction. Apparent total tract digestibility of crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber was linearly decreased (P < 0.001) by the inclusion of SL. No effects were observed for total CH₄ emissions per day, nor for CH₄ relative to organic matter intake or digestible organic matter with the inclusion of SL. However, emission of CH₄ in relation to intake of CT was affected by treatment (P < 0.001). A linear (P < 0.001) decrease and a quadratic effect (P < 0.001) were observed for δ¹³C of diets and gas, respectively, in which diets and enteric CH₄ with greater inclusion of SL were more depleted in ¹³C. Moreover, the difference in δ¹³C between diets and gas (Δδ¹³C) had a linear decrease (P = 0.001) with the inclusion of SL. The model developed to predict the C₃ proportions in the enteric CH₄ fitted to predicted values (P < 0.0001). Therefore, greater proportions of SL resulted in lesser CH₄ emission when CT intake was considered and the isotopic composition from enteric CH₄ was able to predict the contribution of SL in the emissions.     

Net requirements of calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, and potassium for growth of Nellore × Red Angus bulls, steers, and heifers

A comparative slaughter trial was conducted to assess the net requirements for gain of Ca, P, Na, K and Mg of bulls, steers and heifers of Nellore and Red Angus crossbreds. Twenty seven F1 Nellore and Red Angus crossbred calves (9 steers, 9 bulls, and 9 heifers), averaging 274 kg BW, were used. At the beginning of the trial, three animals from each gender were slaughtered to determine the initial body composition. The remaining 18 animals (3 animals of each gender) were randomly assigned to two treatments: fed 0.75 or 1.5% of BW of concentrate. The diets were based on corn silage and were isonitrogenous (2% N, DM). After three growing periods of 28 d, all animals were slaughtered. The cleaned gastrointestinal tract, organs, carcass, head, hide, tail, feet, and tissues were weighed to determine the empty BW (EBW). These parts were ground separately and subsampled for chemical analyses. The log of the contents of each mineral in the empty body was regressed on the log of the EBW to estimate the net requirement for each mineral per kg of empty body gain (EBG). There were no differences (P > 0.05) in the net requirements for growth of all macrominerals among genders. The equations of the pooled data of the net requirements for growth (g/kg EBG) were: 332.6 × EBW ^− 0.6367 for Ca, 112.1 × EBW ^− 0.5615 for P, 10.85 × EBW ^− 0.3992 for Na, 4.01 × EBW ^− 0.153 for K, and 3.589 × EBW ^− 0.462 for Mg. Our findings indicated that retained Ca and retained P were poorly related to the retained protein.     

Effect of food on the pharmacokinetics of oral cefuroxime axetil in dogs

Cefuroxime axetil pharmacokinetic profile was investigated in 12 Beagle dogs after single intravenous and oral administration of tablets or suspension at a dose of 20 mg/kg, under both fasting and fed conditions. A three-period, three-treatment crossover study (IV, PO under fasting and fed condition) was applied. Blood samples were withdrawn at predetermined times over a 12-hr period. Cefuroxime plasma concentrations were determined by HPLC. Data were analyzed by compartmental analysis. No statistically significant differences were observed between formulations and feeding conditions on PK parameters. Independently of the feeding condition, absorption of cefuroxime axetil after tablet administration was low and erratic. The drug has been quantified in plasma in 3 out of 6 and 5 out of 6 dogs in the fasted and fed groups. For this formulation, the bioavailability (F), peak plasma concentration (C_max), and area under the concentration–time curve (AUC) of cefuroxime axetil were significantly enhanced (p < .05) by the concomitant ingestion of food (32.97 ± 13.47–14.08 ± 7.79%, 6.30 ± 2.62–2.74 ± 0.66 µg/ml, and 15.75 ± 3.98–7.82 ± 2.76 µg.hr/ml for F, C_max, and AUC in fed and fasted dogs, respectively), while for cefuroxime axetil suspension, feeding conditions affected only the rate of absorption, as reflected by the significantly shorter absorption half-life (T_½(a)) and time to peak concentration (T_max) (0.55 ± 0.27–1.15 ± 0.19 hr and 1.21 ± 0.22–1.70 ± 0.30 for T_½(a) and T_max in fed and fasted dogs, respectively). For cefuroxime axetil tablets, T > MIC (≤1 µg/ml) was <2 hr in fasted and ≈4 hr in fed animals, and for cefuroxime axetil suspension, T > MIC (≤1 µg/ml) was ≈5 hr and for T >MIC (≤4 µg/ml) was ≈2.5 hr for fasted and fed dogs, respectively. Cefuroxime axetil as a suspension formulation seems to be a better option than tablets. However, its short permanence in plasma could reduce its clinical usefulness in dogs.     

Tilmicosin enteric granules and premix to pigs: Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and comparative pharmacokinetics

The purpose of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetics and relative bioavailability of tilmicosin enteric granules and premix after oral administration at a dose of 40 mg/kg in pigs. Three kinds of different respiratory pathogens were selected for determination of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) to tilmicosin. Eight healthy pigs were assigned to a two‐period, randomized crossover design. A modified rapid, sensitive HPLC method was used for determining the concentrations of tilmicosin in plasma. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by using WinNonlin 5.2 software. The MIC₉₀ of tilmicosin against Haemophilus parasuis, Actinbacillus pleuropneumoniae, and Pasteurella multocida were all 8 μg/ml. These results indicated that these common pig respiratory bacteria are sensitive to tilmicosin. The main parameters of time to reach maximum plasma concentration (T_max), elimination half‐life (t_1/2β), mean residence time (MRT), and apparent volume of distribution (V_F) were 2.03 ± 0.37 hr, 29.31 ± 5.56 hr, 25.22 ± 2.57 hr, 4.06 ± 1.04 L/kg, and 3.05 ± 0.08 hr, 17.06 ± 1.77 hr, 15.55 ± 1.37 hr, 2.95 ± 0.62 L/kg after the orally administrated tilmicosin enteric granules and premix. The relative bioavailability of tilmicosin enteric granules to premix was 114.97 ± 7.19%, according to the AUC_0‐t values. These results demonstrated that tilmicosin enteric granules produced faster tilmicosin absorption, slower elimination, larger tissue distribution, and higher bioavailability compared to the tilmicosin premix. The present study results manifest that tilmicosin enteric granules can be used as a therapeutic alternative to premix in clinical treatment.     

High‐level exogenous trans10, cis12 conjugated linoleic acid plays an anti‐lipogenesis role in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Primary bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs) were treated by 0, 37.5, 75, 112.5, 150 μmol/L trans10, cis12 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) to evaluate the effects of different level trans10, cis12 CLA on lipogenesis in BMEC. Addition of 75–150 μmol/L trans10, cis12 CLA reduced significantly the triacylglycerol (TAG) content (P < 0.05), but did not have inhibiting action on cell proliferation (P > 0.05). Treatment with 150 μmol/L trans10, cis12 CLA for 48 h resulted in a 17.1% reduction (P < 0.0001) of medium chain fatty acids (MCFA, C14 < C < C16), a 26.5% reduction (P < 0.0001) of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) and a corresponding reduction of the mRNA abundance of acetyl coenzyme A (acetylCoA) carboxylase (ACC) (P = 0.046), fatty acid synthase (FAS) (P = 0.017) and stearoylCoA desaturase1 (SCD1) (P = 0.002). Another finding was that trans10, cis12 CLA elevated expression of diacylglycerol acyltransferase2 (DGAT2) (P = 0.020) and long chain acylCoA synthetases (ACSL) (P = 0.032). In conclusion, higher trans10, cis12 CLA, not low trans10, cis12 CLA, inhibited milk fat synthesis and changed fatty acid composition by regulating the expression of FAS, ACC, SCD1, DGAT2 and ACSL.     

In Vitro Evaluation of the Effects of Selected Plants on the Growth of the Mycelial Form of Histoplasma capsulatum Variety farciminosum in Ethiopia

Epizootic lymphangitis is prevalent in equines in Ethiopia, causing remarkable economic and welfare impacts but often neglected. Lack of effective treatment contributed to its continued occurrence, and hence, search for an effective treatment should be considered a priority area to minimize its impacts. Previous ethnobotanical studies have reported that Curcuma longa, Phytolacca dodecandra, and Datura stramonium were used to treat cutaneous fungal infections and reduce their incidence. The treatment effects of these plants against epizootic lymphangitis should be studied. The in vitro growth inhibitory effects of methanol extracts of the root of C. longa, berry of P. dodecandra, and leaf of D. stramonium were evaluated. Histoplasma capsulatum var farciminosum was isolated from clinical cases of epizootic lymphangitis in carthorses in central Ethiopia. The nested polymerase chain reaction was used to confirm the identity of the isolates. Serial twofold dilutions of the extract of berries of P. dodecandra and leaves of D. stramonium were done in sterile water, whereas dilution of the extract of roots of C. longa was done in dimethylsulphoxide. The effects of the plants on the growth of Histoplasma capsulatum var farciminosum were assessed by agar dilution assay. Culture media with no antifungal agent and media containing ketoconazole served as negative and positive control, respectively. The methanol extract of C. longa showed inhibitory effects at concentrations ranging from 0.07 to 5 mg/mL. Similarly, the methanol extract of P. dodecandra showed growth inhibitory effects at concentrations ranging from 0.156 to 5 mg/mL. That is, the growth inhibitory concentration of C. longa was 0.07 mg/mL, whereas that of P. dodecandra was 0.156 mg/mL. In contrast, D. stramonium showed no inhibitory effect. This preliminary observation showed that methanol extracts of C. longa and P. dodecandra showed inhibitory effects on the growth of Histoplasma capsulatum var farciminosum requiring further repeated in vitro evaluation so as to generate adequate evidence, which would justify in vivo trials.