Effect of chlorogenic acid on intestinal inflammation,antioxidant status,and microbial community of young hens challenged with acute heat stress

Heat stress in poultry is deleterious to productive performance. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) exerts antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplemental CGA on the intestinal health and cecal microbiota composition of young hens challenged with acute heat stress. 100-day-old Hy-line brown pullets were randomly divided into four groups. The control group (C) and heat stress group (HS) received a basal diet. HS + CGA₃₀₀ group and HS + CGA₆₀₀ group received a basal diet supplemented with 300- and 600-mg/kg CGA, respectively, for 2 weeks before heat stress exposure. Pullets of HS, HS + CGA₃₀₀, and HS + CGA₆₀₀ group were exposed to 38°C for 4 h while the control group was maintained at 25°C. In this study, dietary CGA supplementation had effect on mitigate the decreased T-AOC and T-SOD activities and the increasing of IL-1β and TNFα induced by acute heat stress. Dietary supplementation with 600 mg/kg CGA had better effect on increasing the relative abundance of beneficial bacterial genera, such as Rikenellaceae RC9_gut_group, Ruminococcaceae UCG-005, and Christensenellaceae R-7_group, and deceasing bacteria genera involved in inflammation, such as Sutterella species. Therefore, CGA can ameliorate acute heat stress damage through suppressing inflammation and improved antioxidant capacity and cecal microbiota composition.     

Application of Airway Pressure Therapy in Veterinary Critical Care: Part I: Respiratory Mechanics and Hypoxemia

Over the past several decades, recognition of acute respiratory failure as the cause of death in patients suffering from various clinical conditions has prompted aggressiv investigation into the area of respiratory physiology and supportive respiratory care. With the evolution of emergency medicine and critical care services in both human and veterinary medicine, many patients previously considered unsalvageable due to the severity of their underlying disease are now being resuscitated and successfully supported, creating a new population of critically ill patients. Where only a decade ago these patients would have succumbed to their underlying disease, they now survive long enough to manifest the complications of shock and tissue injury in the form of acute respiratory failure. Investigation into the pathophysiology and treatment of this acute respiratory distress syndrom (ARDS) has facilitated increased clinical application of respiratory theerapy and machanical ventilation.¹ The purpose of this paper is to provide a basic review of respiratory mechanics and the pathophysiology of hypoxemia as they relate to airway pressure therapy in veterinary patients and to review the use of airway pressure therapy in veterinary patients This paper is divided into two parts; part I reviews respiratory mechanics and hypoxemia as they apply to respiratory therapy, while part II deals specifically with airway pressure therapy andits use in clinical cases.     

D-Dimer Improves the Prognostic Value of Combined Clinical and Laboratory Data in Equine Gastrointestinal Colic

The discriminating ability of 15 parameters alone or in combinations, including results from analysis of plasma endotoxin, the Nycomed plasma D-Dimer test and phospholipase A₂, were analyzed to predict morbidity and mortality in equine gastrointestinal colic. Endotoxaemia was a characteristic feature of the colic horses. The problem of adequately predicting non-survivors among colic horses required several parameters to be included in the logistic model: if the “classical parameters”, (heart rate, respiratory rate, PCV, anion gap) were included in the model, addition of plasma D-dimer, phospholipase A₂, and Cl^- significantly improved the predictive value of the logistic model. Increasing heart rate and D-dimer together with decreasing chloride was a risk factor for nonsurvival. The sensitivity of this three-parameter logistic model to predict nonsurvival was 78% and specificity 77%. The Nycomed D-Dimer test is recommended as a horse-site test to predict disseminated intravascular coagulation and nonsurvival in equine colic.     

Role of p38MAPK in production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in Kupffer cells from severe acute pancreatitis rats

AIM:To investigate the role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) signaling pathway in the Kupffer cells (KCs) production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-1β(IL-1β), in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) rats.METHODS:Sprague-Dwaley rats were randomized into three groups:①sham operation rats, ②SAP rats, ③SAP rats given the p38 MAPK inhibitor CNI-1493(10 mg/kg, iv). The SAP model was induced by the bili-pancreatic duct infusion with 5% sterile soduim taurocholate solution. Rats from each group were killed at 12 h after sham operation or SAP and Kupffer cells (KCs) were isolated. The mRNA expressions of TNF-α and IL-1β (by quantitative real-time RT-PCR) and p38 MAPK activity (by Western blot analysis) in KCs were examined. The levels of TNF-α and IL-1β in plasma were determined by ELISA.RESULTS:There was a significant acvitation of p38 MAPK in KCs harvested from SAP rats than those from sham operation rats. SAP also promoted the mRNA expressions of TNF-α and IL-1β in KCs and the plasma levels of TNF-α and IL-1β. These events were significantly inhibited by treatment with CNI-1493.CONCLUSIONS:p38 MAPK activation is one important aspect of the signaling events that may mediate the KCs production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α and IL-1β, in SAP rats. The inhibition of the p38 MAPK may be a potential target in the prevention and treatment of SAP.     

C-reactive protein concentrations in canine acute pancreatitis

Objective: To determine if C‐reactive protein (CRP) concentration is elevated in spontaneously occurring canine acute pancreatitis (AP), and to measure changes in CRP during the course of hospitalization. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine Foster Hospital for Small Animals. Animals: Sixteen client‐owned dogs with AP and 16 healthy controls. Interventions: Blood samples were obtained from the AP group on the day of diagnosis (Day 1), and on Days 3 and 5, unless the dog died or was discharged from the hospital. Blood was obtained from the control dogs once. Measurements and main results: Serum CRP was measured using a commercial immunoassay for each dog with AP and for healthy controls. Day 1 CRP concentrations were significantly higher in the AP group (56.1±12.7 μg/mL) compared with controls (2.8±1.3 μg/mL; P<0.001). For the 7 dogs that had samples collected on all 3 days, the mean CRP concentrations decreased significantly (P=0.043) over the 5 days of measurement. Of the 16 dogs with AP, 14 were discharged from the hospital and 2 were euthanized. Conclusions: Serum CRP concentrations were elevated in this group of 16 dogs with spontaneously occurring AP. In the 7 dogs that had measurements on all 3 days, the mean CRP concentration decreased from the day of diagnosis to the measurement made 5 days later.     

内毒素介导动物急性肾功能衰竭机理的试验研究

为了阐明内毒素介导急性肾功能衰竭的机理,观察了内毒素性肾功能衰竭家兔血液凝固性变化和肾脏的病理形态学变化。与对照组家兔比较,模型组家兔血小板计数和血浆纤维蛋白原含量极显著降低(P<0 01),出血时间、凝血时间、凝血酶原时间和白陶土部分凝血活酶生成时间显著或极显著延长(P<0 05,P<0 01)。另一方面,内毒素注射在全部模型组家兔导致了弥漫性血管内凝血,71.4%的肾小球中发现了微血栓,肾小球纤维素密度指数达60 6%。此外,96.2%的肾小管上皮细胞变性坏死,84.1%的肾小管中有管型形成。对照组家兔均未发现这些病理变化。上述试验结果揭示,内毒素引发了弥漫性血管内凝血,而肾小球毛细血管内广泛形成的微血栓阻断了肾小球毛细血管血流,从而导致肾小球滤过率降低,这是内毒素介导急性肾功能衰竭的首要机理。此外,肾小管上皮细胞的变性、坏死可损害其重吸收和分泌功能,管型形成可阻塞肾小管管腔并增大肾球囊内的压力,这些也都是在内毒素介导急性肾功能衰竭发生发展过程中起重要作用的因素。     

Effects of continuous low dose infusion of lipopolysaccharide on inflammatory responses,milk production and milk quality in dairy cows

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of continuous low dose infusion of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on inflammatory responses and milk production and quality in lactating dairy cows. Eight Holstein cows were assigned to two treatments in a cross‐over experimental design. Cows were infused intravenously either with saline solution or with saline solution containing LPS from Escherichia coli O111:B4 at a dose of 0.01 μg LPS/kg body weight for approximately 6 hr each day during a seven‐day trial. The clinical symptoms and milk production performance were observed. Milk samples were analysed for conventional components, fatty acids and amino acids. And jugular vein and mammary vein plasma samples were analysed for concentrations of cytokines and acute phase proteins. LPS infusion decreased feed intake and milk yield. An increase in body temperature was observed after LPS infusion. LPS infusion also increased plasma concentrations of interleukin‐1β, serum amyloid A, LPS‐binding protein, C‐reactive protein and haptoglobin. LPS infusion decreased the contents of some fatty acids, such as C17:1, C18:0, C18:1n9 (trans) and C18:2n6 (trans), and most amino acids except for methionine, threonine, histidine, cysteine, tyrosine and proline in the milk. The results indicated that a continued low dose infusion of LPS can induce an inflammatory response, decrease milk production and reduce milk quality.     

Investigation of Clinical Medicine for Treating Cows Endometritis in Baotou Area

In 4 dairy farms located in Baotou area, clinical medicine investigation and drug resistance of pathogenic bacteria were conducted, and then curative effects of different treatment methods were analyzed.Epidemic materials were collected from diary cows infected by endometritis, from which pathogenic bacteria were isolated using conventional microbiology technologies.Broth microdilution method was used to detect the sensitivity and resistance of pathogenic bacteria to antibiotics commonly used in clinic.On this basis, the sensitive drugs were used to treat mastitis or endometritis, the clinical curative effect of traditional treatment group was compared with that of therapeutic test group.The result of traditional treatment group showed 13 antibiotics were used to treat 160 cases of endometritis, florfenicol was most effective, penicillin was most ineffective.The results of therapeutic test group showed that Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus were the main pathogenic bacteria of endometritis, which were sensitive to gentamicin and cefalotin, etc.The results of statistical analysis showed that the curative effect of therapeutic test group was extremely significantly different from that of traditional treatment group(P<0.01).Sensitive drugs screened by drug sensitive test could be used to target therapy, and obtain satisfied curative effect.Moreover, this approach could avoid antibiotic abuse.     

Study on Liver-protective Effect of Chinese Herbal Compound Probiotics on Acute Liver Injury Layers

This experiment was conducted to investigate the liver-protective effect of Chinese herbal compound probiotics (CHCP) on acute liver injury layers.One hundred and eight 1 day old hens were divided into 4 groups with 3 replicates in each group and 9 layers per replicate in trial 1.The layers in model groups Ⅰ to Ⅲ were gavaged with 10% (V/V) soybean oil solution of carbon tetrachloride (SCCl₄) according to 1,2 and 4 mL/(kg·BW) at 14,28 and 35 d,respectively.The layers in control group were gavaged with 2 mL/(kg·BW) soybean oil.In trial 2,sixty 1 d layers were divided into 5 groups:Control group (soybean oil),model control group(SCCl₄)and low-dose,middle-dose and high-dose CHCP group (SCCl₄+1‰ CHCP,SCCl₄+2‰ CHCP and SCCl₄+4‰ CHCP respectively).CHCP were used by drinking water since 7 days.SCCl₄ were gavaged according to 2 mL/(kg·BW) at 14 and 28 d.The results showed as follows:The model of layers liver damage could be built by intragastric administration of 2 mL/(kg·BW) 10%(V/V) SCCl₄ at 14,28 d respectively,with the signs of hepatic steatosis,severe vacuolar degeneration,nuclear condensation and necrosis.Compared to the model control group,the serum AST levels in low,medium and high dose CHCP groups were decreased by 4.35% (P > 0.05),7.57% (P > 0.05) and 9.79% (P < 0.05),the serum ALT levels in medium and high dose CHCP groups were decreased by 34.92% (P < 0.01),36.51% (P < 0.01),the serum total bilirubin content in medium and high dose CHCP groups were decreased by 25.49% (P < 0.01),27.45% (P < 0.01).The liver cell congestion was reduced to varying degrees in different dose CHCP groups,and the liver cell had no vacuoles,arranged in neat rows,abundant cytoplasm and uniform in different dose CHCP groups.In conclusion,2‰,4‰ CHCP could reduce hepatocyte necrosis,decrease the serum activities of ALT,AST and total bilirubin levels,and had protective effect on hepatic injury induced by SCCl₄.