Cytotoxicity and metabolic stress induced by deoxynivalenol in the porcine intestinal IPEC-J2 cell line

The digestive tract is a target for the Fusarium toxin deoxynivalenol (DON), a major cereal grain contaminant of animal and public health concern. Toxic effects of DON range from diarrhoea, vomiting and gastrointestinal inflammation to necrosis of several tissues. Following ingestion of contaminated food or feed, intestinal epithelial cells are exposed to a high concentration of ingested DON, potentially affecting intestinal functions. Pigs are considered to be the species most sensitive to DON toxicity. However, only few studies directly evaluated DON effects on porcine intestinal epithelial cells. Therefore, we used the porcine intestinal cell line (IPEC-J2) to assess short-term effects of DON on functional characteristics of the intestinal epithelial cells. The cytotoxic effect of DON on IPEC-J2 cells was evaluated by measuring the count of living cells and the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) released in the culture media at a DON concentration range from 0, 0.5, 2.5 and 10 μm. We demonstrated that DON at concentrations of 2.5 and 10 μm decreased significantly (p < 0.001) the cell count in a dose-dependent manner. At a concentration of 10 μm, DON caused cell damage, including rounding of cells, autolysis and cell loss from the monolayer. The mycotoxin, DON, increased LDH release into the culture medium compared with the control value. The alterations of LDH showed a good agreement with the decrease in cell count. Deoxynivalenol decreased the l-lactate concentration in the fluid supernatant of IPEC-J2 cells at 2.5 μm (p < 0.05) with a maximal effect at 10 μm of DON. To determine whether the altered lactate production may be linked to alterations of energy balance, we measured cellular ATP levels in IPEC-J2 cells. A significant decrease in ATP levels was seen at 48 h in a dose-dependent manner. It could be demonstrated that DON has a distinct cytotoxic effect on IPEC-J2 cells.     

Dietary Echinacea purpurea administration enhanced egg laying performance,serum lipid profile,antioxidant status and semen quality in duck breeders during summer season

This work investigated the outcomes of dietary administration of Echinacea purpurea (EP) powder to breeder ducks on productive and reproductive performance during summer season. Sudani ducks (320 birds) of 32-weeks-old (240 females and 80 males) were randomly allocated into four collections (body weight; 1850 ± 15.2 g for females and 2960.0 ± 40.5 g for males). The primary collection consumed the basal diet without supplementation and was deliberated as control. The other three collections were fed the basal diet supplemented with 2.5, 5.00 and 7.5 g EP/kg diet, correspondingly. Egg number and mass, laying rate, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly changed by dietary EP levels. Drakes fed EP-supplemented diets had higher ejaculate volume, sperms concentration and live sperms (%) as well as lower dead sperms (%) than the control group. Eggs laid by ducks fed diet supplemented with 2.5 g/kg had the greatest fertility and hatchability percentages, followed by those fed 5.0 g EP/kg. Ducks fed different EP diets had higher values of haemoglobin, RBCs, WBCs and lymphocytes, lower values of heterophils percentage and lower H/L ratio than the control. All serum constituents were significantly changed by dietary EP supplementation, except of total protein and Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) enzyme. Conclusively, dietary EP supplementation at 2.5 g/kg had beneficial effects on productive and reproductive performance as well as lipid profile and antioxidant status and economically valued in breeder ducks under summer conditions.     

Desaturation of myristoyl-CoA to myristoleoyl-CoA by hen liver microsomal delta(9)-desaturase

The desaturation of myristoyl-CoA to myristoleoyl-CoA was measured in microsomal preparations of hen liver. The desaturation was maximal at pH 7.4. The enzymatic activity was linear with time up to 10 min and proportional to microsomal protein concentrations. The initial velocity was linear with substrate concentrations between 13 and up to 200 microM. A decrease in desaturation activity was observed at substrate concentrations greater than 266 microM. There was an absolute requirement for reduced pyridine nucleotide (NADH), while a maximum activity was observed at a myristoyl-CoA:NADH mole ratio of 1. Competitive inhibition studies of myristoyl-CoA desaturation suggest that the inhibitors, stearyl and oleyl-CoA, were more effective than palmitoyl-CoA. Free CoA did not inhibit the delta(9)-desaturase system. The desaturation of myristoyl-CoA was stimulated by bovine serum albumin and reduced by cytoplasmic proteins. The effect of cytoplasmic proteins on the enzymatic reaction was completely abolished by trypsin digestion and boiling for 30 min. On the basis of these data, it was concluded that 9,10-desaturation of acyl-CoA derivatives containing 14-18 carbon fatty acyl chains is catalyzed by the same enzyme.     

The stability of iron chelates in calcareous soils

The stability of Fe-EDTA and Fe-CDTA was investigated in order to evaluate their effectiveness under calcareous soil conditions. To accomplish this evaluation the reaction rate of fixation, K, the adsorption coefficient, K_d, and the retardation factor, S, of the iron chelate were determined through column experiments at pH 7.8 and two ionic strengths, I, of CaCl₂. The results indicated that iron in Fe-EDTA was more fixed than in Fe-CDTA. The fixation increased by increasing the ionic strength. Also it increased linearly with increasing CaCO₃ content of the soil. The values of retardation factor, S, showed that this parameter depended more on the surface area of the soil than on I or CaCO₃ content. The product KS depends on CaCO₃ content, surface area of the soil, ionic strength and chelating agent used. It can be taken as an index for the efficiency of the iron chelate under different conditions. Fe-EDTA was more adsorbed than Fe-CDTA, the adsorption increased with increasing ionic strength and surface area of the soil.     

Evidence for Widespread 26Al in the Solar Nebula and Constraints for Nebula Time Scales

A search was made for 26Mg (26Mg*) from the decay of 26Al (half-life = 0.73 million years) in Al-rich objects from unequilibrated ordinary chondrites. Two Ca-Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) and two Al-rich chondrules (not CAIs) were found that contained 26Al when they formed. Internal isochrons for the CAIs yielded an initial 26Al/27Al ratio [(26Al/27Al)0] of 5 x 10(-5), indistinguishable from most CAIs in carbonaceous chondrites. This result shows that CAIs with this level of 26Al are present throughout the classes of chondrites and strengthens the notion that 26Al was widespread in the early solar system. The two Al-rich chondrules have lower 26Mg*, corresponding to a (26Al/27Al)0 ratio of approximately 9 x 10(-6). Five other Al-rich chondrules contain no resolvable 26Mg*. If chondrules and CAIs formed from an isotopically homogeneous reservoir, then the chondrules with 26Al must have formed or been last altered approximately2 million years after CAIs formed; the 26Mg*-free chondrules formed >1 to 3 million years later still. Because 26Mg*-containing and 26Mg*-free chondrules are both found in Chainpur, which was not heated to more than approximately400°C, it follows that parent body metamorphism cannot explain the absence of 26Mg* in some of these chondrules. Rather, its absence indicates that the lifetime of the solar nebula over which CAIs and chondrules formed extended over approximately5 million years.     

Growth Hormone Receptors in the Porcine Testis During Prepuberty

Supplementation of exogenous growth hormone (GH) during prepuberty advances onset of spermatogenesis in boars, but the mechanism of action is unknown. The present study is an investigation of the presence and characteristics of testicular growth hormone receptors (GHR). A total of 36 boars were castrated, three boars every 10 days, between the ages of 10 and 120 days. Testicular membrane preparations of 10, 20, 30, 50, 70, 100 and 120‐day‐old boars were used to determine ¹²⁵I‐bGH binding and Scatchard analysis. Liver from a 60‐kg barrow was used for comparison. Specific ¹²⁵I‐bGH binding to testicular membrane preparations occurred in all age groups with the exception of 20‐day‐old boars at levels of 30–40% of liver binding. At 30 days of age the unlabelled bGH at 1.1 ng/tube achieved half maximal inhibition (ID₅₀). Results of Scatchard analysis indicated a single class of binding sites. Binding affinity was 2.89 × 10⁹m with a binding capacity of 12 fmole/mg membrane protein. The results from this study suggest that GH may act directly on the cells of the prepubertal boar testis.     

DIE AUFNAHME VON ADSORBIERTEM MONOLINURON IM BODEN DURCH SENFPFLANZEN

Zusammenfassung. Um den Einfluß verschiedener Bodenmischungen auf die Aufnahme von adsorbiertem [¹⁴C]-markíertem Monolinuron zu verfolgen, wurden jeweils 30, 45, 60, 73 und 90 g Monolinuron-behandelter Boden (0,42-0,53 μg Monolinuron/g Boden) mit unbehandeltem auf 100 g aufgefüllt und damit 15.4–67.1 μg adsorbiertes Monolinuron eingesetzt. Die Aufnahme durch Senipflanzen wurde in Neubauerversuchen während 24 Tagen verfolgt. In 3 Anbauperioden wurden 1.17–9.74 μg aufgenommen. Der überwiegende Teil blieb jedoch an den Boden adsorbiert. Bei einer Bilanzerstellung konnten 99% der zu Versuchsbeginn eingesetzten Monolinuronmenge wieder gefunden werden, Durch den Sorptionsprozeß wurde Monolinuron chemisch nicht vcerändert. Ebenso kann das Ausgangsmolekül in der Pflanze nachgewiesen werden. Die nachweisbare Monolinuronmenge in der Pflanzensubstariz wird umso geringer, je weiter die Aufnahmeintensität zurürkgeht. Über eine Isotopen-Austauschreaktion wurde versucht, das pflanzenverfügbare Monolinuron zu messen.
The uptake of adsorbed monolinuron in the soil by mustard plants