Category Archives: RESEARCH ARTICLE

Early detection of disease onset through changes in appearance of pre‐weaning calves

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Abstract

The onset of diseases in pre-weaning calves can lead to changes in their appearance, which can aid early disease detection. This study measured the changes in appearance that led to disease onset in 66 pre-weaning Holstein calves. The appearance scores of the calves were recorded for 7 days before the onset of digestive or respiratory diseases. Appearance features (ear position, head position, topline curve, hair coat length, hair coat gloss, eye opening, and sunken eyes) were recorded using video camera images and scored from 0 (healthy) to 2 (poor). Among the calves with respiratory diseases, the proportion of calves with a score of 0 for ear position decreased linearly over time (p = 0.0437). Among the calves with digestive diseases, the proportion of calves with a score of 2 for hair coat length increased linearly over time (p = 0.0197). Among the calves with both respiratory and digestive diseases, the proportion of calves with scores of 1 for the topline curve and 2 for eye opening increased linearly over time (p = 0.0191). Therefore, early signs of disease manifest as different appearance features depending on the type of disease before its onset.

Angiotensin II type 2 receptor as a novel activator of brown adipose tissue in obesity

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Angiotensin II type 2 receptor as a novel activator of brown adipose tissue in obesity

Angiotensin II type 2 receptor as a noval activator of brown adipose tissue in obesity.


Abstract

The angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R) exerts vasorelaxant, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. In obesity, its activation counterbalances the adverse cardiovascular effects of angiotensin II mediated by the AT1R. Preliminary results indicate that it also promotes brown adipocyte differentiation in vitro. Our hypothesis is that AT2R activation could increase BAT mass and activity in obesity. Five-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were fed a standard or a high-fat (HF) diet for 6 weeks. Half of the animals were treated with compound 21 (C21), a selective AT2R agonist, (1 mg/kg/day) in the drinking water. Electron transport chain (ETC), oxidative phosphorylation, and UCP1 proteins were measured in the interscapular BAT (iBAT) and thoracic perivascular adipose tissue (tPVAT) as well as inflammatory and oxidative parameters. Differentiation and oxygen consumption rate (OCR) in the presence of C21 was tested in brown preadipocytes. In vitro, C21-differentiated brown adipocytes showed an AT2R-dependent increase of differentiation markers (Ucp1, Cidea, Pparg) and increased basal and H+ leak-linked OCR. In vivo, HF-C21 mice showed increased iBAT mass compared to HF animals. Both their iBAT and tPVAT showed higher protein levels of the ETC protein complexes and UCP1, together with a reduction of inflammatory and oxidative markers. The activation of the AT2R increases BAT mass, mitochondrial activity, and reduces markers of tissue inflammation and oxidative stress in obesity. Therefore, insulin reduction and better vascular responses are achieved. Thus, the activation of the protective arm of the renin–angiotensin system arises as a promising tool in the treatment of obesity.

The crosstalk between PTEN‐induced kinase 1‐mediated mitophagy and the inflammasome in the pathogenesis of alopecia areata

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Abstract

Alopecia areata (AA) is a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease that causes chronic, relapsing hair loss; however, its precise pathogenesis remains to be elucidated. Recent studies have provided compelling evidence of crosstalk between inflammasomes and mitophagy—a process that contributes to the removal of damaged mitochondria. Our previous studies showed that the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is important for eliciting and progressing inflammation in AA. In this study, we detected mitochondrial DNA damage in AA-affected scalp tissues and IFNγ and poly(I:C) treated outer root sheath (ORS) cells. In addition, IFNγ and poly(I:C) treatment increased mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in ORS cells. Moreover, we showed that mitophagy induction alleviates IFNγ and poly(I:C)-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation in ORS cells. Lastly, PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1) knockdown increased NLRP3 inflammasome activation, indicating that PINK1-mediated mitophagy plays a critical role in NLRP3 inflammasome activation in ORS cells. This study supports previous studies showing that oxidative stress disrupts immune privilege status and promotes autoimmunity in AA. The results emphasize the significance of crosstalk between mitophagy and inflammasomes in the pathogenesis of AA. Finally, mitophagy factors regulating mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibiting inflammasome activation could be novel therapeutic targets for AA.

Effect of intramuscular fat content on the sensory characteristics and dynamic flavor attributes of Japanese black cattle beef

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Abstract

The intramuscular fat (IMF) in beef affects its flavor intensity and attributes, which have a significant impact on palatability. We conducted a sensory evaluation by descriptive analysis, Temporal Check-All-That-Apply, and a chemical analysis of 40 ribeye steaks from Japanese Black cattle to determine the relationship among IMF% and sensory characteristics including dynamic flavor attributes. The increased IMF% of Japanese Black cattle beef had intensified sweet and grilled/roasted flavors and reduced off-flavor, whereas excessive IMF% resulted in a decrease in water-soluble precursors of volatile and taste compounds including free amino acid and reducing sugars and weakened the flavor intensities. Beef with IMF% of approximately 40% exhibited strong and long-lasting sweet and grilled/roasted flavors represented by butter- and roasted nut-like, respectively, and a low perception of off-flavors represented by gamey, bloody, and grassy. These flavor attributes may be responsible for its high flavor intensity and overall evaluation score, whereas an IMF% of >55% lowered these scores. The excessive IMF% of beef may induce the less palatable sensory characteristics.

Changes in piglet and litter characteristics across parities in two highly prolific sow hybrids in an outdoor organic herd

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Abstract

High piglet mortality constitutes a welfare challenge in organic pig production. Litter characteristics were investigated from parities 1–5 of two hyper-prolific hybrids with different selection traits in an organic commercial herd (DanBred vs. Topigs Norsvin [TN70]). TN70 sows had more functional teats than DanBred sows, and their offspring had higher birth weights. Several interactions between hybrid and parity were found. The total born increased with higher parity and was more pronounced for DanBred sows. Litter weight at weaning was higher in parities 1–4 for TN70 compared with DanBred, and within DanBred parities 4 and 5 had higher litter weight at weaning than parity 1. The survival rate was higher for TN70 in parities 1 and 2 compared with DanBred, and for both hybrids, the survival rate was higher in parities 1 and 2 compared with parities 4 and 5. The number of weaned piglets was stable across parities 1–4 but lower in parity 5 for both hybrids. Thus, despite a lower number of total born piglets in TN70, TN70 sows weaned the same number of piglets as DanBred, with a lower mortality rate and a heavier litter at weaning.

Ethanolamine plasmalogens derived from whale brain stimulate both follicle‐stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone secretion by bovine gonadotrophs

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Abstract

Ethanolamine plasmalogens (EPls) are the only known ligands of a novel receptor, G protein-coupled receptor 61, and bovine brain EPls stimulate follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) but not luteinizing hormone (LH), secreted by bovine gonadotrophs. We hypothesized that the brain EPls of whales (Balaenoptera edeni), another Cetartiodactyla with at least twice the lifespan of bovines, could stimulate FSH secretion by gonadotrophs. To test this hypothesis, bovine gonadotrophs (from approximately 2-year-old Japanese Black heifers) were cultured for 3.5 days and treated with increasing concentrations of brain EP1s from whales (approximately 22 years old). FSH and LH secretion was stimulated by all tested concentrations of whale EPls (p < 0.05). To clarify the important differences between bovine and whale EPls, we utilized two-dimensional liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, which revealed 35 peaks. Among them, we observed significant differences between 12 EPl molecular species. Additionally, we identified differentially expressed genes for enzymes involved in EPl synthesis or degradation in the hypothalamus of young heifers and old cows (approximately 10 years old) as compared to whales (approximately 28 years old) via deep sequencing of the transcriptome. We conclude that whale brains contain unique EPls that stimulate both FSH and LH secretion by bovine gonadotrophs.

The capacity of ante‐mortem inspection of pigs at the abattoir to predict post‐mortem findings and associated financial implications: A study at batch level

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Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the associations between severe ear, tail, and skin lesions, hernias, bursitis, and rectal prolapses and meat inspection finding in slaughter pigs, including carcass weight and financial implications associated with carcass condemnations at batch level. Data were collected from 13,296 pigs from 116 batches from a single abattoir. Spearman's correlation coefficients were calculated to analyze the degree of association between the prevalence of welfare issues and condemnation findings. The association between batch-level results of carcass weight, batch size, and the prevalence of welfare issues was analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. The prevalence of tail lesions was significantly associated with both entire (r = 0.224; p = 0.0432) and partial (r = 0.276; p = 0.0120) carcass condemnation. Batches with pigs affected by more than one welfare issue were 9.9 kg lighter than those without welfare issues (p < 0.05), which was equivalent to a potential loss of €11.28 per pig. Our findings indicate that ante-mortem inspection could be useful to predict post-mortem findings at batch level and that welfare issues in pigs represent a financial loss to producers, as they are paid on a per kg basis and have tight margins.

The effects of rumen protected methionine supplementation on the performance of primiparous dairy cows using the Presynch‐Ovsynch protocol

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of rumen-protected methionine (RPM) supplementation on the reproductive and productive performance of primiparous dairy cows fed two levels of protein. The Presynch-Ovsynch protocol was used to synchronize 36 lactating Holstein cows that were assigned randomly to one of six dietary treatments: (1) 14% CP and without RPM diet (14CP-0RPM; n = 6), (2) 14% CP and 15 g/head/day RPM (14CP-15RPM; n = 6), (3) 14% CP and 25 g/head/day RPM (14CP-25RPM; n = 6), (4) 16% CP and without RPM diet (16CP-0RPM; n = 6), (5) 16% CP and 15 g/head/day RPM (16CP-15RPM; n = 6), and (6) 16% CP and 25 g/head/day RPM (16CP-25RPM; n = 6). Independent of CP levels, feeding RPM had reduced the calving interval (P < 0.01). Feeding RPM increased (P < 0.01) overall plasma progesterone (P4). Feeding 16CP-15RPM increased (P < 0.01) overall plasma P4. Feeding 16% CP increased (P < 0.01) 4% fat corrected milk, energy corrected milk, milk fat and protein yield, and milk casein. Moreover, feeding the 25RPM has increased (P < 0.01) 4% fat corrected milk, energy corrected milk, milk fat, and protein yield. Compared with other treatments, feeding 16CP-25RPM or 16CP-15RPM enhanced (P < 0.01) milk yield and milk fat yield. In conclusion, feeding 16% CP with RPM boosted the productivity and reduced the calving interval in primiparous lactating dairy cows.

Physicochemical properties and structural changes of chicken breast meat subjected to radio frequency tempering combined with conventional thawing treatments

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Abstract

Being able to thaw frozen meat in a reasonable time without impairing quality is crucial for industry and households. Radio frequency (RF) techniques have been used to defrost frozen foods. The influences of RF (50 kW, 27.12 MHz) tempering combined with water immersion (WI, 20°C) thawing (RFWI) or air convection (AC, 20°C) thawing (RFAC) on the physicochemical and structural changes of chicken breast meat were investigated, and the results were compared with those of the fresh meat (FM) and the meat samples subjected to WI and AC only. The thawing processes were terminated when the core temperatures of the samples reached 4°C. The results indicated that AC was the most time-consuming technique, whereas RFWI required the least amount of time. The moisture losses, contents of the thiobarbituric acid–reactive substance, total volatile basic nitrogen, and total viable counts of the meat subjected to AC were higher. Relatively less changes in water-holding capacity, coloration, oxidation, microstructure, protein solubility, and high sensorial acceptance were observed for RFWI and RFAC. This study demonstrated that the meat thawed using RFWI and RFAC was of satisfactory quality. Therefore, the RF techniques can be effective alternatives to the time-consuming conventional thawing methods and benefit the meat industry.

Interactions between fitness components across the life cycle constrain competitor coexistence

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Interactions between fitness components across the life cycle constrain competitor coexistence

Multiple mechanisms can act simultaneously across the life cycle to generate stabilizing effects among a set of ecologically similar species. Yet, the relative contribution of different mechanisms towards species coexistence remains largely unknown. The authors quantify how different mechanisms, combine across the life cycle to shape the potential for local species coexistence.


Abstract

Numerous mechanisms can promote competitor coexistence. Yet, these mechanisms are often considered in isolation from one another. Consequently, whether multiple mechanisms shaping coexistence combine to promote or constrain species coexistence remains an open question. Here, we aim to understand how multiple mechanisms interact within and between life stages to determine frequency-dependent population growth, which has a key role stabilizing local competitor coexistence. We conducted field experiments in three lakes manipulating relative frequencies of two Enallagma damselfly species to evaluate demographic contributions of three mechanisms affecting different fitness components across the life cycle: the effect of resource competition on individual growth rate, predation shaping mortality rates, and mating harassment determining fecundity. We then used a demographic model that incorporates carry-over effects between life stages to decompose the relative effect of each fitness component generating frequency-dependent population growth. This decomposition showed that fitness components combined to increase population growth rates for one species when rare, but they combined to decrease population growth rates for the other species when rare, leading to predicted exclusion in most lakes. Because interactions between fitness components within and between life stages vary among populations, these results show that local coexistence is population specific. Moreover, we show that multiple mechanisms do not necessarily increase competitor coexistence, as they can also combine to yield exclusion. Identifying coexistence mechanisms in other systems will require greater focus on determining contributions of different fitness components across the life cycle shaping competitor coexistence in a way that captures the potential for population-level variation.