Effects of Chromium Yeast Supplementation on Serum hsp60 and hsp70, mRNA Expression in Heat-Stressed Lambs

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report (Previous Reviewer 1)

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The presentation of the results should be improved in the form of a factorial. As the results are not clear, it is difficult to review the discussion. 

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

We are thankful for the suggestions and comments provided by Reviewer 1. Please see the attached letter with all point-by-point responses

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report (New Reviewer)

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This is an interesting manuscript aimed to study the effects of Cr-yeast supplementation on stress biomarkers in lambs exposed to different environmental conditions. All sections are clear and descriptive; however, I suggest proving more information about the THI and the molecular technologies used in the study. Also, some minor suggestions in Discussion, Conclusions and References sections should help to improve the manuscript.

• Abstract:

Lines 29-30: The objective does not match the one described at the end of the Introduction section.

• Introduction:

Line 48: Numerical references should appear inside square brackets. Please correct this throughout the manuscript.

• Materials and Methods:

Line 98: Please include the reference of the THI formula.

Line 106: I suggest describing the scale used to categorize the THI, to clarify that the THI observed in the TN group does not cause heat stress conditions.

Line 130: Please briefly describe the technique for RNA extraction or include a bibliographic reference where this technique is described.

Line 131: Please briefly describe the technique for measuring the concentration and quality of RNA or include a bibliographic reference where this technique is described.

Line 136: Please briefly describe the technique for qPCR or include a bibliographic reference where this technique is described.

Line 149: I suggest removing the blank horizontal lines to shorten the table.

Line 163: I suggest to replace the sentence “Data from 2x4 factorial design were used to assess…” by “Data were analyzed using a 2x4 factorial design to asses…”.

Line 166: Please describe the four dosage levels.

Line 167: Please describe what the components of the formula mean.

• Discussion:

I suggest removing results from this section, as they were described before.

It should be useful mentioning briefly in the first paragraph how the main results of the study helped to accomplish the objective or test the scientific hypothesis.

I also suggest mentioning at the end if there were some limitations of the study to meet the objective or test the scientific hypothesis.

• Conclusions:

I suggest describe clearly, at the beginning of this section, whether the results obtained were sufficient to meet the objective of the study.

I also suggest including some recommendations for a further studies.

• References:

Please correct all references following guidelines described in the “Instructions for Authors”.

Author Response

We are thankful for the suggestions and comments provided by Reviewer 2. Please see the attached letter with all point-by-point responses

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report (New Reviewer)

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Effects of chromium yeast supplementation on serum hsp60 and hsp70, mRNA expression in heat stressed lambs 

Abstract: Revise to include more results, add P value.

L33: 1 year old and weighing 20 ± 2.9 kg, this is too low weight at 1 year.

Provide more details about housing, pens, individual or group feeding, etc.

Introduction: excessive use of references. Why do you need to put 5 references for one idea.

L203-104: "The HS condition was induced using flame-based heaters, activated three times daily, and achieving an average temperature of 38 ± 1 °C and a THI of 86.40". If this is a real problem, why you didn't use natural method for heat stress. 

L116: provide some details about blood sampling method, serum or plasma, handling of samples

L119-120: Provide more details about Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry, methods used, model, etc.

 L163: what was the experimental design? Regression and contrast will give better picture about the analysis, since you have doses of Cr. Also, you need to provide the significant interaction if any. 

Revise the conclusion, which level of chromium was the best. 

 

 

 

Author Response

We are thankful for the suggestions and comments provided by Reviewer 3. Please see the attached letter with all point-by-point responses

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report (Previous Reviewer 1)

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors revise the text and enhance the original.  

I think the subject is interesting and important. 

I would like to see the glucose figure more detailed. 

Reviewer 3 Report (New Reviewer)

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Effects of chromium yeast supplementation on serum hsp60 and hsp70, mRNA expression in heat-stressed lambs. Revised

No further comments

This manuscript is a resubmission of an earlier submission. The following is a list of the peer review reports and author responses from that submission.

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

All comments were made in the article document.

Introduction:

 

You still need to write why you chose these doses of chromium. You were too focused on the analysis and forgot to talk about the objective of the work, which is the doses of chromium.

 

In my opinion, the description of the materials and methods needs to be improved:

- animal nutrition: chemical composition of the food, form of administration of chromium, how many days of chromium, why this dose of chromium.

 

Very speculative discussion, based on hormones and other parameters that were not measured in this work.

 

SERIOUS POINT: no data from the animal was presented showing that it was under heat stress.

There is no description of the statistical analysis

 

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Abstract

Uniform the use of abbreviations after their first use: HS or hs, TN or tn? Furthermore, after the first use, utilize it constantly through the manuscript (eg. line 55: heat stress is used instead using HS or hs).

Line 32: I wonder whether before the use of the abbreviation hsp, this abbreviation should be explained. Also in this case, choose the abbreviation, HSP, Hsp or hsp and uniform its use through the manuscript. 

Line 35: Change "... dry matter Intake), the study ran ..." with "... dry matter intake). The study ran ..." 

Lines 36-38: Rewrite the sentence "An increase ... of transcripts." Its meaning is not clear.

Lines 39-41: The aim of the study should be anticipated. The sentence could be moved to be the second sentence of the Abstract. 

Introduction

Lines 48-50: Rewrite the first sentence to improve clarity.

Lines 50-52: Decline of feed intake is part of the thermoregulatory process. Please, modify the sentence to make clear that reduction of feed intake is not a consequence of thermoregulation impairment.

Line 75: "As well as ..." what?

Line 78: Cancel "and" before "... the quantification ...".

Materials and Methods

20 (line 33) or 30 (line 92) kg body weight? 

I realized that the study lacks the statistical analysis of data.

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Acceptable