Chronic heat stress induces renal fib osis and mitochondrial dysfunction in laying hensOA

Background Heat stress in laying hens negatively affects egg production and shell quality by disrupting the homeo-stasis of plasma calcium and phosphorus levels. Although the kidney plays an important role in calcium and phos-phorus homeostasis, evidence regarding the effect of heat stress on renal injury in laying hens is yet to be elucidated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of chronic heat stress on renal damage in hens during laying periods.Methods A total of 16 w...     

The dual antimicrobial and immunomodulatory roles of host defense peptides and their applications in animal productionOA

Host defense peptides(HDPs) are small molecules with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities against infectious bacteria,viruses,and fungi.Increasing evidence suggests that HDPs can also indirectly protect hosts by modulating their immune responses.Due to these dual roles,HDPs have been considered one of the most promising antibiotic substitutes to improve growth performance,intestinal health,and immunity in farm animals.This review describes the antimicrobial and immunomodulatory roles of host ...     

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.     

The influences of SE infection on layers’ production performance,egg quality and blood biochemical indicators

Background： Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis （SE）, as a major cause of foodborn illness, infects humans mainly through the egg. However, the symptom of laying hens usually is not typical and hard to diagnosis. In the present study, it is studied that the influences of SE infection on layers＇ performance, egg quality and blood biochemical indicators. It will help us to improve the strategy to control SE infection in commercial layers. One hundred layers at 20 wk of age were divided into 2 groups, 60 hens for experiment and others for control. The experiment group was fed with the dosage of 108 CFU SE per hen. The specific PCR was used to detect the deposition of SE. On the 8 d after SE infection, 10 hens from the control group and 30 hens from the experimenta group were slaughtered to detect the SE colonization. The production performance, egg quality and blood biochemical indices were also analyzed. Results： The results showed that the colonization rate of SE was highest in caecum contents （55.17%） and lowest in vagina （17.24%）. For the eggs the detection rate of SE was highest on the eggshell （80.00%） and lowest in yolk （18.81%）. SE infection had no significant influence on production performance and egg qualities （P 〉 0.05）. The difference of laying rate between the experimental and control groups was less than 0.30%, and both were approximately equal to 82.00%. The blood analysis showed that the aspartic aminotransferase （AST） and alanine aminotransferase （ALT） of experimental group was significantly higher than those of control group （P 〈 0.05）. For experimental and control groups AST values were 236.22 U/I and 211.84 U/I respectively, and ALT values were 32.19 U/I and 24.55 U/I. All of coefficients were less than 20%. The colonization of SE in organs increases the enzyme activities of AST and ALT in blood. Conclusions： SE in feed could invade the oviduct and infect the forming eggs. It significantly increased the concentration of ALT and AST in blood. Ho     

Effect of dietary defatted diatom biomass on egg production and quality of laying hens

Background： This study was to determine if feeding laying hens with defatted diatom microalgal biomass （DFA） from biofuel production affected their egg production and health status. Methods： Five replicates of 5 individually caged ISA Babcock White leghorn hens were fed 4 diets, including a corn-soybean meal control diet, a diet containing 7.5% DFA substituting for soybean meal, and diets containing 7.5% or 15% DFA substituting for corn and soybean meal. Body weights, feed intake, feed conversion ratio （FCR）, rate of egg production, egg size, egg mass, and several characteristics of eggs were determined at 4 and 8 wk. Venous blood was sampled at 4 and 8 wk for measurement of 5 biomarkers of health. Results： The15% DFA diet decreased （P 〈 0.05） feed intake, egg production, and plasma uric acid concentrations as compared with the control diet, but increased （P 〈 0.05） egg albumen weight and height compared with the 7.5% DFA diets. The two levels of DFA produced dose-dependent （P 〈 0.05） changes in three color measures of egg yolk, without affecting four hen plasma biochemical indicators of health. Conclusions： Feeding laying hens with 7.5% DFA in the corn-soybean meal diet for 8 wk had no adverse effect on their health, egg production, or egg quality, but 15% inclusion reduced feed intake, egg production, and efficiency of feed utilization.     

Dietary oregano essential oil supplementation improves intestinal functions and alters gut microbiota in latephase laying hensOA

Background: Dietary essential oil(EO) supplementation can exert favorable effects on gut health in broilers. However,it is unknown whether EO could improve intestinal functions, consequently beneficial for egg performance and quality in late-phase laying hens. This study was aimed to investigate the potential effects of EO on production performance,egg quality, intestinal health and ileal microbiota of hens in the late phase of production. A total of 288 60-week-old Hy-line Brown laying hens wer...     

Effect of dietary nonphytate phosphorus on laying performance and small intestinal epithelial phosphate transporter expression in Dwarf pink-shell laying hens

This study examined the effects of various levels of dietary nonphytate phosphorus on laying performance and the expression patterns of phosphorus metabolism related genes in Dwarf pink-shell Jaying hens. A total of 405 28-week-old Dwarf pink-shell laying hens were fed the same corn-soybean basal meals but containing 0.20%, 0.25%, 0.30%, 0.35% or 0.40% nonphytate phosphorus. The results showed that feed intake, egg production, and average egg weights were quadratically correlated with dietary nonphytate phosphorus content （P 〈 0.05）, and the highest egg production, feed intake and average egg weights were achieved when dietary nonphytate phosphorus was at 0.3% （P 〈 0.05）. mRNA expression of intestinal sodium phosphorus co-transporter linearly decreased when dietary nonphytate phosphorus increased, mRNA and protein expression of intestinal calbindin and vitamin D receptor correlated quadratically with dietary nonphytate phosphorus, and the highest expression was found when dietary available phosphorus was at 0.2,5% to 0.3%. In conclusion, the ideal phosphorus requirement for Dwarf pink-shell layer hens is estimated to be 0.3% in a corn-soybean diet. With this level of phosphorus supplementation, calbindin and vitamin D receptor reached their highest expression.     

Effects of dietary phosphorous supplementation on laying performance,egg quality,bone health and immune responses of laying hens challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide

Background: Phosphorus is an essential nutrient to maintain poultry health and performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary phosphorus levels on egg production, egg quality, bone health, immune responses of laying hens challenged with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide.Methods: Three hundred laying hens at 28 wk were randomly divided into 2 dietary treatments with 10 replicates of 15 birds. The wheat-soybean based diets contained either 0.12% or 0.4% non-phytate phosphorus(NPP). At 32 wk of age, all the birds of each dietary treatment were injected into the abdomen with 1.5 mg/kg body weight(BW) of either LPS or saline once a day at 24-h intervals for continuous 9 d. The performance of laying hens was evaluated for 9 d. The eggs after the fifth injection were collected to value the egg quality. Three hours after the first injection, blood was collected to measure serum metabolite and immune response associated parameters.Three hours after the fifth injection, the hens were euthanized to obtain tibia, cecal tonsils and jejunum.Results: Compared with saline-injected hens, LPS-injected hens had lower feed intake and egg production(P 0.05).Eggshell thickness, strength, albumin height and Haugh unit were significantly increased in LPS-injected hens compared with saline-injected hens(P 0.05). Furthermore, laying hens challenged with LPS had lower villious height/crypt depth ration than those received saline. Serum calcium, phosphorus and SOD activities significantly decreased in the LPS-injected hens compared with the control(P 0.05). LPS up-regulated expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-10 in cecum, and serum concentration of MDA, IL-1β and IL-6(P 0.05), whereas 0.40% dietary non-phytate phosphorus supplementation significantly increased(P 0.05) villi height/crypt depth ratio, decreased(P 0.05) serum MDA and IFN-γ concentration compared with the 0.12% non-phytate phosphorus group.Conclusion: In summary, this study demonstrates that 0.40% dietary non-phytate phosphorus supplementation significantly increased calcium and phosphorus levels of eggshell, increased villi height/crypt depth ratio, decreased serum MDA and IFN-γ concentration compared with the 0.12% non-phytate phosphorus groups. The results indicate that high level of dietary non-phytate phosphorus exerts a potential effect in alleviating systemic inflammation of LPSchallenged laying hens.     

Profiling of miRNAs in porcine Sertoli cells

Background: Sertoli cells(SCs) create a specialized environment to support and dictate spermatogenesis.MicroRNAs(miRNAs), a kind of ~ 22 nt small noncoding RNAs, have been reported to be highly abundant in mouse SCs and play critical roles in spermatogenesis. However, the miRNAs of porcine SCs remain largely unknown.Methods: We isolated porcine SCs and conducted small RNA sequencing. By comparing miRNAs in germ cells, we systematically analyzed the miRNA expression pattern of porcine SCs. We screened the highly enriched SC miRNAs and predicted their functions by Gene Ontology analysis. The dual luciferase assay was used to elucidate the regulation of tumor necrosis factor receptor(TNFR)-associated factor 3(TRAF3) by ssc-miR-149.Results: The analysis showed that 18 miRNAs were highly expressed in SCs and 15 miRNAs were highly expressed in germ cells. These miRNAs were predicted to mediate SC and germ cell functions. In addition, ssc-miR-149 played critical roles in SCs by targeting TRAF3.Conclusion: Our findings provide novel insights into the miRNA expression pattern and their regulatory roles of porcine SCs.     

FDI in China:Policies and Economic effects

The rapid growth of the world population since 1950 and the contribution matching the GDP and the income per capita has been seen in the increase competition for FDI of the past few years. Therefore, it is well-known that FDI can contribute to economic development not only by being a source of foreign capital, but also by providing employment, opportunities, increasing competition, and most importantly transferring skills and knowledge done by spillover effects.However, these positive effects are not automatic for host countries in the long run and depend largely on the policies taking in place. Having a closer look at the People′s Republic of China(PRC) and by examining how the policies in place have attracted FDI and looking to the contributions that foreign direct invest can make to the recipient country,showing the effects in industries that are economic pushers such as the mining industry can give us the general idea. Hence, FDI has contributed positively to Chinese economic development; there are challenges in order that the People′s Republic China can effectively continue benefitting from it at a larger extent.     

Chicken gga-miR-1306-5p targets Tollip and plays an important role in host response against Salmonella enteritidis infection

Background: Increasing evidence indicates that micro RNAs(mi RNAs) are involved in inflammatory response and immune regulation following pathogen invasion. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the roles played by Gallus gallus micro RNA-1306-5 p(gga-mi R-1306-5 p) in host responses against potential invasion by Salmonella enteritidis(SE) in chickens and the underlying mechanisms.Results: In present study, the expression levels of gga-mi R-1306-5 p were determined in both tissues and HD11 cells. The results showed that gga-mi R-1306-5 p was significantly increased following SE infection or lipopolysaccharide(LPS) stimulation. The dual luciferase reporter assay further validated that gga-mi R-1306-5 p targeted the Toll-interacting protein(Tollip), and thereby participated in the regulation of immune response against SE or LPS stimulation through binding with the 3′-untranslated region(3'UTR) of Tollip. Additionally, the expression of Tollip was significantly blocked by over-expressed gga-mi R-1306-5 p. The underlying mechanisms by which ggami R-1306-5 p modulated the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines were also investigated. Molecular biological assays demonstrated that overexpression of gga-mi R-1306-5 p promoted the production of pro-inflammatory mediators, including NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β, which produced effects similar to those of Tollip knockdown.Conclusions: Taken together, gga-mi R-1306-5 p induced by SE or LPS, regulates the immune response by inhibiting Tollip, which activates the production of inflammatory cytokines. This study has provided the first direct evidence that gga-mi R-1306-5 p targets Tollip, and is involved in the host response against SE.     

Geographic variation in sexual selection and implications for speciation in the Barn Swallow

Barn Swallows(Hirundo rustica), a group of passerine birds comprised of six closely related subspecies, are well known throughout their nearly worldwide distribution, in part because of their close association with human settlements.A tractable species for both individual-based and population-level studies, Barn Swallows are a prominent model system in evolutionary, ecological, and behavioral research. Here we review work on sexual selection and population divergence in this species complex, focusing on comparative studies among populations and subspecies.We summarize variation in the targets of mate choice and in the information conveyed by sexually selected traits, and conclude that the benefits advertised by different traits may vary geographically. Finally, we consider the role of sexual selection as a driver of population divergence in this widespread and phenotypically variable species complex.     

Tissue expression and developmental regulation of chicken cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides

Cathelicidins are a major family of antimicrobial peptides present in vertebrate animals with potent microbicidal and immunomodulatory activities. Four cathelicidins, namely fowlicidins 1 to 3 and cathelicidin B1, have been identified in chickens. As a first step to understand their role in early innate host defense of chickens, we examined the tissue and developmental expression patterns of all four cathelicidins. Real-time PCR revealed an abundant expression of four cathelicidins throughout the gastrointestinal, respiratory, and urogenital tracts as well as in all primary and secondary immune organs of chickens. Fowlicidins 1 to 3 exhibited a similar tissue expression pattern with the highest expression in the bone marrow and lung, while cathelicidin B1 was synthesized most abundantly in the bursa of Fabricius. Additionally, a tissue-specific regulatory pattern was evident for all four cathelicidins during the first 28 days after hatching. The expression of fowlicidins 1 to 3 showed an age-dependent increase both in the cecal tonsil and lung, whereas all four cathelicidins were peaked in the bursa on day 4 after hatching, with a gradual decline by day 28. An abrupt augmentation in the expression of fowlicidins 1 to 3 was also observed in the cecum on day 28, while the highest expression of cathelicidin B1 was seen in both the lung and cecal tonsil on day 14. Collectively, the presence of cathelicidins in a broad range of tissues and their largely enhanced expression during development are suggestive of their potential important role in early host defense and disease resistance of chickens.     

The advertising strategies

We will try to demonstrate, through the display of the various advertising creation strategies and their evolution, how the advertising communication passed from of a vision or a strategy focused on the product, to a vision focused on the brand. The first advertising strategy that was applied by advertising agencies is the"Unique Selling Proposition";it focused only on the product advantages and its philosophy dominated the advertising world, throughout its various evolutions, till the nineties but this is without counting the introduction of the new advertising strategies that brought a more brand oriented philosophy to the ground.     

Intestinal microbiota and its interaction to intestinal health in nursery pigs

The intestinal microbiota has gained increased attention from researchers within the swine industry due to its role in promoting intestinal maturation,immune system modulation,and consequently the enhancement of the health and growth performance of the host.This review aimed to provide updated scientific information on the interaction among intestinal microbiota,dietary components,and intestinal health of pigs.The small intestine is a key site to evaluate the interaction of the microbiota,diet,and host because it is the main site for digestion and absorption of nutrients and plays an important role within the immune system.The diet and its associated components such as feed additives are the main factors affecting the microbial composition and is central in stimulating a beneficial population of microbiota.The microbiotaehost interaction modulates the immune system,and,concurrently,the immune system helps to modulate the microbiota composition.The direct interaction between the microbiota and the host is an indication that the mucosa-associated microbiota can be more effective in evaluating its effect on health parameters.It was demonstrated that the mucosa-associated microbiota should be evaluated when analyzing the interaction among diets,microbiota,and health.In addition,supplementation of feed additives aimed to promote the intestinal health of pigs should consider their roles in the modulation of mucosa-associated microbiota as biomarkers to predict the response of growth performance to dietary interventions.     

Alternatives to antibiotics as growth promoters for use in swine production:a review

In the past two decades, an intensive amount of research has been focused on the development of alternatives to antibiotics to maintain swine health and performance. The most widely researched alternatives include probiotics, prebiotics, acidiflers, plant extracts and neutraceuticals such as copper and zinc. Since these additives have been more than adequately covered in previous reviews, the focus of this review will be on less traditional alternatives. The potential of antimicrobial peptides, clay minerals, egg yolk antibodies, essential oils, eucalyptus oil-medium chain fatty acids, rare earth elements and recombinant enzymes are discussed. Based on a thorough review of the literature, it is evident that a long and growing list of compounds exist which have been tested for their ability to replace antibiotics as feed additives in diets fed to swine. Unfortunately, the vast majority of these compounds produce inconsistent results and rarely equal antibiotics in their effectiveness. Therefore, it would appear that research is still needed in this area and that the perfect alternative to antibiotics does not yet exist.     

GMOs in animal agriculture: time to consider both costs and benefits in regulatory evaluations

In 2012, genetically engineered （GE） crops were grown by 17.3 million farmers on over 170 million hectares. Over 70% of harvested GE biomass is fed to food producing animals, making them the major consumers of GE crops for the past 15 plus years. Prior to commercialization, GE crops go through an extensive regulatory evaluation. Over one hundred regulatory submissions have shown compositional equivalence, and comparable levels of safety, between GE crops and their conventional counterparts. One component of regulatory compliance is whole GE food/feed animal feeding studies. Both regulatory studies and independent peer-reviewed studies have shown that GE crops can be safely used in animal feed, and rDNA fragments have never been detected in products （e.g. milk, meat, eggs） derived from animals that consumed GE feed. Despite the fact that the scientific weight of evidence from these hundreds of studies have not revealed unique risks associated with GE feed, some groups are calling for more animal feeding studies, including long-term rodent studies and studies in target livestock species for the approval of GE crops. It is an opportune time to review the results of such studies as have been done to date to evaluate the value of the additional information obtained. Requiring long-term and target animal feeding studies would sharply increase regulatory compliance costs and prolong the regulatory process associated with the commercialization of GE crops. Such costs may impede the development of feed crops with enhanced nutritional characteristics and durability, particularly in the local varieties in small and poor developing countries. More generally it is time for regulatory evaluations to more explicitly consider both the reasonable and unique risks and benefits associated with the use of both GE plants and animals in agricultural systems, and weigh them against those associated with existing systems, and those of regulatory inaction. This would represent a shift away from a GE evaluation process that currently focuses only on risk assessment and identifying ever diminishing marginal hazards, to a regulatory approach that more objectively evaluates and communicates the likely impact of approving a new GE plant or animal on agricultural production systems.     

Methionine deficiency and its hydroxy analogue influence chicken intestinal 3-dimensional organoid development

Methionine and its hydroxy analogue(MHA)have been shown to benefit mouse intestinal regeneration.The intestinal organoid is a good model that directly reflects the impact of certain nutrients or chemicals on intestinal development.Here,we aimed to establish a chicken intestinal organoid culture method first and then use the model to explore the influence of methionine deficiency and MHA on intestinal organoid development.The results showed that 125-mm cell strainer exhibited the highest efficiency for chicken embryo crypt harvesting.We found that transforming growth factor-b inhibitor(A8301)supplementation promoted enterocyte differentiation at the expense of the proliferation of intestinal stem cells(ISC).The mitogen-activated protein kinase p38 inhibitor(SB202190)promoted intestinal organoid formation and enterocyte differentiation but suppressed the differentiation of enteroendocrine cells,goblet cells and Paneth cells.However,the suppression of enteroendocrine cell and Paneth cell differentiation by SB202190 was alleviated at the presence of A8301.The glycogen synthase kinase 3 inhibitor(CHIR99021),valproic acid(VPA)alone and their combination promoted chicken intestinal organoid formation and enterocyte differentiation at the expense of the expression of Paneth cells and goblet cells.Chicken serum significantly improved organoid formation,especially in the presence of A8301,SB202190,CHIR99021,and VPA,but inhibited the differentiation of Paneth cells and enteroendocrine cells.Chicken serum at a concentration of 0.25%meets the requirement of chicken intestinal organoid development,and the beneficial effect of chicken serum on chicken intestinal organoid culture could not be replaced by fetal bovine serum and insulin-like growth factor-1.Moreover,commercial mouse organoid culture medium supplemented with A8301,SB202190,CHIR99021,VPA,and chicken serum promotes chicken organoid budding.Based on the chicken intestinal organoid model,we found that methionine deficiency mimicked by cycloleucine suppressed organoid formation and organoid size,and this effect was reinforced with increased cycloleucine concentrations.Methionine hydroxy analogue promoted regeneration of ISC but decreased cell differentiation compared with the results obtained with L-methionine.In conclusion,our results provide a potentially excellent guideline for chicken intestinal organoid culture and insights into methionine function in crypt development.