Overweight and the feline gut microbiome – a pilot study

Compared with lean humans, the gut microbiota is altered in the obese. Whether these changes are due to an obesogenic diet, and whether the microbiota contributes to adiposity is currently discussed. In the cat population, where obesity is also prevalent, gut microbiome changes associated with obesity have not been studied. Consequently, the aim of this study was to compare the gut microbiota of lean cats, with that of overweight and obese cats. Seventy‐seven rescue‐shelter cats housed for ≥3 consecutive days were included in the study. Faecal samples were obtained by rectal swab and, when available, by a paired litter box sample. Body condition was assessed using a 9‐point scoring system. DNA was extracted, and the 16S rRNA gene was amplified with a high‐throughput quantitative real‐time PCR chip. Overweight and obese cats had a significantly different gut microbiota compared to lean cats (p < 0.05), but this finding could not be linked to differences in specific bacterial groups. The rectal samples obtained higher DNA concentration than litter box samples (p < 0.0001). In conclusion, overweight and obese cats seem to have an altered gut microbiome as compared to lean cats.     

Prediction of incipient pasture‐associated laminitis from hyperinsulinaemia,hyperleptinaemia and generalised and localised obesity in a cohort of ponies

Reasons for performing study: The ability to predict ponies at increased risk of laminitic episodes, when exposed to nutrient dense pasture, would facilitate management to avoid disease. Objectives: To identify variables and clinically useful cut‐off values with reproducible diagnostic accuracy for the prediction of ponies that subsequently developed laminitis when exposed to nutrient dense pasture. Methods: A cohort of predominantly Welsh and Dartmoor ponies from a closed herd was evaluated in March 2006 (n = 74) and March 2007 (n = 57). Ponies were categorised as never laminitic or previously laminitic according to reported laminitic history and as clinically laminitic (CL) if laminitis was observed within 3 months following evaluation. Body condition score (BCS), cresty neck score (CNS), girth and neck circumferences (NC), withers height, blood pressure and hoof surface temperature, and plasma insulin, glucose, triglyceride, leptin, cortisol, ACTH, uric acid and TNF‐α concentrations were measured. Analysis of sensitivity, specificity and receiver operating characteristic curves was used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy for a variable to predict CL ponies. Results: Variables with diagnostic accuracy for the prediction of CL ponies included insulin, leptin, BCS, CNS, and NC:height ratio. Specific cut‐off values of insulin (>32 mu/l), leptin (>7.3 ng/ml), BCS (≥7), CNS (≥4) and NC:height ratio (>0.71) had reproducible diagnostic accuracy for the prediction of laminitis. Combining tests did not result in higher diagnostic accuracy than individual tests of insulin or leptin during either evaluation. Conclusions: Tests of insulin and leptin concentrations and measures of generalised (BCS) and localised (CNS or NC:height ratio) obesity were beneficial in the prediction of laminitic episodes. Potential relevance: These results highlight the importance of monitoring and reducing insulin concentration, and generalised and regional obesity in ponies to reduce risk of laminitis.     

抵抗素诱导肥胖机体胰岛素抵抗的炎症机制

抵抗素是一种脂肪因子,被证明与胰岛素抵抗密切相关,但其作用机制尚不明确。近年研究表明抵抗素参与了肥胖有关的炎症进程,对胰岛素敏感组织(脂肪、肝脏)炎症状态起到重要调控作用。肥胖诱导的慢性低度炎症是导致机体胰岛素抵抗的重要因素,抵抗素通过对炎症的调控参与肥胖机体胰岛素抵抗的发生。本文主要从组织及分子层面探讨抵抗素诱导胰岛素抵抗的炎症机制,为进一步了解抵抗素在肥胖相关疾病病理机制中的作用提供一些思路。     

RADIOGRAPHIC AND ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC MEASUREMENT OF THE HEART IN OBESE CATS

A prospective study was undertaken to reconcile radiographic cardiomegaly and normal echocardiography in obese cats and to test a radiographic technique for better distinguishing between pericardial fat and the heart. Ten obese, but otherwise normal cats and 10 non-obese normal cats were used. A body condition scoring system was used to objectively group obese and non-obese normal cats. Two-dimensional echocardiograms were made to verify that all cats had a normal heart. Thoracic radiographs then were made using standard and altered exposure techniques. The hearts were measured on these radiographs using the metric and a vertebral scale system. Obese cats consistently had excessive fat around the heart especially if they also had a large amount of falciform fat. Altering exposure technique by increasing mAs and decreasing kVp sometimes enhanced the radiographic contrast between fat and myocardium. Enhanced radiographic contrast accentuated the double silhouette identifying the true cardiac silhouette within the fat expanded silhouette. Pericardial fat usually was distinguished more readily in lateral than in VD radiographs. In two cats, pericardial fat had a characteristic prominent square corner to the right cranial margin of the cardiac silhouette in VD radiographs. Obesity caused increased width and depth of the thoracic cage. 2D echocardiograms revealed normal cardiac dimensions in both groups of cats and increased precordial distance in the obese group.     

生长激素与奥曲肽对肥胖小鼠SOCS转录表达的影响

【目的】探讨在肥胖状态下,生长激素和奥曲肽对信号转导抑制因子(SOCS)转录表达的影响,为进一步探索生长激素通路参与肥胖形成的可能机制提供理论和实验依据。【方法】利用高脂日粮诱导小鼠肥胖模型,用外源性生长激素和生长抑素类似物奥曲肽处理肥胖小鼠,记录体质量变化,观察皮下脂肪、附睾脂肪和肾周脂肪的沉积情况,检测血清中甘油三酯(TG)、总胆固醇(TC)、高密度脂蛋白(HDL-C)和低密度脂蛋白(LDL-C)含量,同时利用RT-PCR法分析与生长激素密切相关的信号转导抑制因子1,2,3(SOCS1,SOCS2和SOCS3)mRNA的表达。【结果】外源性生长激素处理并不能减少肥胖小鼠脂肪沉积,反而增加了体脂含量(P<0.01),血清中TG、TC、HDL-C和LDL-C含量无显著变化,而SOCS1、SOCS2和SOCS3 mRNA水平显著增加(P<0.01);奥曲肽处理减少了体脂含量(P<0.01),血清中TG、TC和HDL-C含量显著减少(分别为P<0.05,P<0.05和P<0.01),SOCS1和SOCS3 mR-NA表达水平显著减少(P<0.01),但SOCS2却显著增加(P<0.01)。【结论】在肥胖状态下,生长激素并不能减少体脂沉积,但生长抑素类似物奥曲肽却能够减少体脂含量;SOCS1和SOCS3可能参与此作用机制,而SOCS2对于生长激素信号通路变化更敏感。     

黑枸杞花青素对C57BL/6小鼠白色脂肪棕色化干预作用研究

目的：观察黑枸杞花青素干预对C57BL/6小鼠白色脂肪棕色化的影响。方法：将21只C57BL/6小鼠随机分为3组,分别为室温组(23℃),冷刺激组(4℃),花青素组(23℃+PC,40mg/kg),冷刺激组小鼠每天早上10：00相应温度干预6 h,室温组与冷刺激组灌胃0.4ml生理盐水,花青素组灌胃0.4ml花青素,连续干预 8 周。试验结束后,通过观察研究前后各组小鼠体重、摄食量、血脂四项的变化以及采用形态学方法观察脂肪细胞形态的变化,蛋白免疫印迹法(Western blot)测定iWAT中 UCP-1、PGC-1α、FABP4和Leptin等因子蛋白水平的变化,结果：花青素可抑制小鼠体重的升高,降低摄食量,减少腹股沟脂肪的重量,花青素亦可降低T-CHO、TG、LDL-C、HDL-C,通过HE染色发现,白色脂肪具有棕色脂肪的特征,脂滴减小,细胞核不在边缘化;扫描电镜显示脂肪组织出现圆形或椭圆形,形状大小不一;western blot检测发现UCP-1、PGC-1α蛋白表达明显增加,FABP4、Leptin蛋白表达显著减小。结论：花青素可显著降低小鼠白色脂肪的堆积,增加产热,诱导白色脂肪棕色化的产生。     

小鼠营养性肥胖模型的建立

[目的]建立与人类肥胖最为接近的高脂饲料所致单纯性肥胖模型,为肥胖理论研究奠定基础。[方法]选用ICR和KM 2个品系的小鼠,雌雄各半,按体重随机分为高脂饲料试验组和普通饲料对照组,测定小鼠体重L、ee’s指数、脂肪湿重、同视野脂肪细胞数量及血液指标。[结果]ICR雌性小鼠各项指标与对照组相比均有统计学差异(P<0.01或P<0.05)。[结论]不同品系的小鼠对高脂饲料的要求不同,相同品系不同性别的小鼠也需要不同的高脂饲料诱导营养性肥胖模型。     

大豆异黄酮干预肥胖大鼠肝氧化应激及炎症反应

本研究旨在探究不同剂量大豆异黄酮(soy isoflavones,SIF)干预肥胖大鼠后肝的氧化应激及炎症反应情况。准备80只SD大鼠,普通饲料喂养16只SD大鼠做空白对照;高脂饲料喂养64只SD大鼠9周建立肥胖大鼠模型,将64只模型大鼠随机分成4组,每组16只,大豆异黄酮(0、150、300、450 mg·kg^-1)灌喂,每周定期测量体重,连续干预4周。取肝脏组织,苏木素-伊红(Hematoxylin-Eosin,HE)染色观察肝脏组织形态学结构;检测肝脏组织中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)活性;荧光定量PCR方法检测肝脏组织中促炎因子白细胞介素-6(IL-6)、白细胞介素-1β(IL-1β)和肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)的表达。组织病理学发现,肥胖大鼠出现典型的肝细胞脂肪变性伴肝组织炎性损伤,肝SOD、CAT和GSH-Px水平降低,IL-6、IL-1β和TNF-α mRNA表达水平升高。大豆异黄酮干预后,各剂量组肝组织病理损伤得到改善,抗氧化因子活性显著提高并呈剂量效应,促炎因子表达水平显著下调。大豆异黄酮可逆转肥胖致肝组织病理损伤和提高肝脏抗氧化活性,下调肥胖相关促炎因子基因的表达,上述结果可为大豆异黄酮的应用开发提供参考。     

福利养猪成功防控非洲猪瘟的试验与分析

采用福利养猪模式,给猪提供更好的营养、环境和戏耍等方面的优质条件,提高猪的抗病力,对预防非洲猪瘟和开展生猪复养的猪场进行效果分析。结果表明,提高生猪福利,在没有疫情的猪场可以成功预防非洲猪瘟;在复养猪场可以进行平稳生产。福利养猪可以有效防控非洲猪瘟。     

Impact of DHA on Metabolic Diseases from Womb to Tomb

Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs) are important mediators in improving and maintaining human health over the total lifespan. One topic we especially focus on in this review is omega-3 LC-PUFA docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Adequate DHA levels are essential during neurodevelopment and, in addition, beneficial in cognitive processes throughout life. We review the impact of DHA on societal relevant metabolic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM). All of these are risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia in later life. DHA supplementation is associated with a reduced incidence of both stroke and atherosclerosis, lower bodyweight and decreased T2DM prevalence. These findings are discussed in the light of different stages in the human life cycle: childhood, adolescence, adulthood and in later life. From this review, it can be concluded that DHA supplementation is able to inhibit pathologies like obesity and cardiovascular disease. DHA could be a dietary protector against these metabolic diseases during a person’s entire lifespan. However, supplementation of DHA in combination with other dietary factors is also effective. The efficacy of DHA depends on its dose as well as on the duration of supplementation, sex, and age.