Search Results (6)

The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of DL-methionine (DL-Met) 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butanoic acid (HMTBa), or S-(5′-Adenosyl)-L-methionine chloride (SAM), using feeding trial and central administration, on live performance, plasma metabolites, and the expression of feeding-related hypothalamic neuropeptides in broilers raised to a market age (35 d). Final average body weight (BW) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) from the feeding trial exceeded the performance measurements published by the primary breeder. At d35, the MTBHa group had better BW and lower feed intake, which resulted in a better FCR than the DL-Met group at 87 TSAA to lysine. At the molecular levels, the expression of hypothalamic neuropeptide (NPY) and monocarboxylate transporter (MCT) 2 did not differ between all treated groups; however, the mRNA abundances of hypothalamic MCT1 and orexin (ORX) were significantly upregulated in DL-Met- treated groups compared to the control. The ICV administration of SAM significantly reduced feed intake at all tested periods (from 30 to 180 min post injection) compared to the aCSF-treated group (control). The central administration of HMTBa increased feed intake, which reached a significant level only 60 min post administration, compared to the control group. ICV administration of DL-Met slightly increased feed intake compared to the control group, but the difference was not statistically discernable. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the hypothalamic expression of NPY, cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript, MCT1, and MCT2 was significantly upregulated in the ICV-HMTBa group compared to the aCSF birds. The hypothalamic expression of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPKα1), D-amino acid oxidase, and hydroxyacid oxidase was significantly upregulated in DL-Met compared to the control group. The mRNA abundances of ORX were significantly increased in the hypothalamus of both DL-Met and HMTBa groups compared to the aCSF birds; however, mTOR gene expression was significantly downregulated in the SAM compared to the control group. Taken together, these data show, for the first time, that DL-Met and HMTBa have a common downstream (ORX) pathway, but also a differential central pathway, typically NPY-MCT for HMTBa and mTOR-AMPK for methionine. Full article

The third segment of the axillary artery (TSAA) is the main vascular supply to the muscles of the upper limb. Numerous studies have reported atypical branching patterns of the TSAA, which can complicate operative interventions involving structures supplied by this segment of the artery. Our current study evaluated a previously undescribed branching pattern in the TSAA, in which the subscapular artery gave rise to an unusual posterior humeral circumflex artery, and a second subscapular artery. In addition, a third variant was found in the origin of the thoracodorsal artery: two collateral horizontal arteries supplying the deep medial surface of the latissimus dorsi muscle. Vascular anatomical variants may affect the classical upper limb interventions requiring modification of the traditional surgical approaches. This case report aims to evaluate these variants from a clinical perspective regarding the management of upper limb trauma, axillary, breast, and muscle flap surgery. Full article

This study aimed to investigate the effect of increasing the standardized ileal digestible (SID) total sulfur amino acid to lysine (TSAA:Lys) on the growth performance of nursery pigs raised with or without antibiotics (AGP) and to determine the optimal SID TSAA:Lys in nursery pigs raised without AGP. In Exp. 1, 924 nursery pigs (7.9 ± 1.3 kg), blocked by initial BW and sex, were randomly allotted to one of six treatments, with seven pens per treatment and twenty-two pigs per pen. The treatments were arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial design, with two AGP levels (0 or 50 mg/kg Carbodox) and three levels of SID TSAA:Lys (51.0, 58.5 or 66.0%). In Exp. 2, 990 weaned piglets (5.1 ± 0.9 kg), blocked by initial BW and sex, were randomly allotted to one of five dietary treatments (SID TSAA:Lys at 51, 58, 65, 72 or 79%) in the absence of AGP, with nine pens per treatment and twenty-two pigs per pen. Competing heteroskedastic models including broken-line linear (BLL), broken-line quadratic (BLQ), and quadratic polynomial (QP) were fitted for the growth performance data to estimate the optimal TSAA:Lys. In Exp. 1, AGP supplementation increased (p < 0.05) ADG and ADFI during the 21 d period. Increasing SID TSAA:Lys in the diets with AGP did not affect growth performance; however, increasing SID TSAA:Lys in the diets without AGP resulted in a linear increase (p < 0.05) in ADG and G:F. In Exp. 2, the best-fitting models for ADG and G:F from d 0 to 21 post-weaning were BLL, which yielded the optimal SID TSAA:Lys of 62% and 72%, respectively. The best-fitting models for ADG and G:F from d 21 to 42 post-weaning were BLL, which yielded the optimal SID TSAA:Lys of 59% and 58%, respectively. In conclusion, SID TSAA to Lys requirements under an antibiotic-free feeding regime during the first 21 d post-weaning were 62% and 72% in terms of ADG and G:F, respectively, whereas an SID TSAA:Lys of approximately 58% was required to maximize ADG and G:F for the late nursery phase. Full article

This study aimed to evaluate the changes in the activity of total salivary alpha-amylase (TsAA) and both the non-glycosylated and glycosylated salivary alpha-amylase proteoforms (NGsAA and GsAA, respectively) in physical and psychological stress models, estimated using a simple and easily set-up method. The method used was a spectrophotometric assay with 2-chloro-4-nitrophenyl-α-D-maltotriose (CNPG3) as a substrate, incubated with Concanavalin A (ConA) to remove most of the glycosylated protein from the sample. This method allowed the measurement of TsAA and estimation of NGsAA and GsAA activities with imprecision lower than 10%. When this method was applied to two different stress models, differences in the responses of the proteoforms were observed, with the NGsAA activity showing changes of higher magnitude after stress induction than the GsAA activity, and the highest correlation with the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory Scale in the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). In conclusion, the activity of the two main sAA proteoforms can be easily estimated in saliva, and their measurement can provide additional information on TsAA activity in physical or psychological stress situations. Full article

The responses of broiler chickens to dietary protein reduction were investigated in the presence of glycine and cysteine inclusion at the marginal deficiency of sulfur-containing amino acids. A total of 432 broiler chickens were allotted to six dietary treatments; SP1 is standard protein diet with 100% total sulfur amino acids (TSAA), SP2 is standard protein diet with 85% TSAA, RP is reduced protein diet without glycine and cysteine supplementation, RPC is reduced protein diet with cysteine supplementation at 0.1%, and RPG is reduced protein diet with 1% glycine supplementation, while RPGC is reduced protein diet with 0.1% cysteine and 1% glycine supplementation. In this study, 4.5% protein is reduced in diets—thus, 17.5% CP (crude protein) for starter phase and 15.5% CP for the grower phase. Reduced protein diets contained 85% TSAA. Broiler chickens fed standard protein diet SP2 had superior bodyweight (BW) (p ≤ 0.05) in the starter and grower phase, average daily gain (ADG) (p ≤ 0.05) in the starter and entire feeding period, average daily feed intake (ADFI) (p ≤ 0.05) in the starter phase, and better feed conversion ratio (FCR) (p ≤ 0.05) in the starter, grower and entire feeding period; however, RPGC showed higher ADG (p ≤ 0.05) in the grower phase, and ADFI (p ≤ 0.05) in the grower and entire feeding period. RPC and RPG diet improved BW (p ≤ 0.05), ADG (p ≤ 0.05), ADFI (p ≤ 0.05), and better FCR (p ≤ 0.05) in starter, grower, entire feeding period compared to RP. The RPGC group had higher BW (p ≤ 0.05), ADG (p ≤ 0.05), ADFI (p ≤ 0.05) and better FCR (p ≤ 0.05) compared to the RPC group. Blood biochemical parameters showed that Broiler chickens fed on the SP2 diet had higher levels of total protein (TP) (p ≤ 0.05), albumin (ALB) (p ≤ 0.05), creatinine (CRE) (p ≤ 0.05), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (p ≤ 0.05) and, lower level of uric acid (UA) (p ≤ 0.05), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (p ≤ 0.05), glucose (GLU) (p ≤ 0.05), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (p ≤ 0.05) in the starter phase; however, higher level of TP (p ≤ 0.05), GLU (p ≤ 0.05), CRE (p ≤ 0.05), and AST (p ≤ 0.05), and lower level of ALB (p ≤ 0.05), UA (p ≤ 0.05), and ALT (p ≤ 0.05) in the grower phase; RPGC had higher level of TP (p ≤ 0.05), UA (p ≤ 0.05), GLU (p ≤ 0.05), ALT (p ≤ 0.05) and AST (p ≤ 0.05), and lower level of ALB (p ≤ 0.05), BUN (p ≤ 0.05), and CRE (p ≤ 0.05) in the starter phase; however, in grower phase, RPGC had higher level of TP (p ≤ 0.05), and ALB (p ≤ 0.05), and lower level of UA (p ≤ 0.05), CRE (p ≤ 0.05), ALT (p ≤ 0.05), and AST (p ≤ 0.05). Free amino acids profile showed that broiler fed on standard protein diet SP2 had reduced the methionine (p ≤ 0.05) concentration; RPC increased the concentrations of taurine (p ≤ 0.05), phosphoethanolamine (p ≤ 0.05), threonine (p ≤ 0.05), valine (p ≤ 0.05), isoleucine (p ≤ 0.05), phenylalanine (p ≤ 0.05), ornithine (p ≤ 0.05), and lysine (p ≤ 0.05) and reduced the citrulline (p ≤ 0.05) concentration; RPG increased the concentration of glutamate (p ≤ 0.05), glycine (p ≤ 0.05), cysteine (p ≤ 0.05), and arginine (p ≤ 0.05), and decreased the concentration of tyrosine (p ≤ 0.05); and RPGC increased the concentration of serine (p ≤ 0.05) and reduced the concentration of hydroxyproline (p ≤ 0.05). Serum metabolites analysis showed that reduced protein downregulated the 54 metabolites; however, glycine fortification up-regulated the Benzamide, Pro-Ser, N-Carbamylglutamate, D-gluconate, and Gamma-Glutamylcysteine. Carcass quality showed that SP2 decreased the abdominal fat percentage (p ≤ 0.05). Nitrogen digestibility was higher by the diet RP (p ≤ 0.05). This study demonstrated that protein content could be reduced up to 4.5% with 1% glycine and 0.1% cysteine fortification in diet, which has the potential to inhibit the adverse effect of reduced protein and attain the standard growth performance. Full article

The present study was performed to investigate the effect of dietary levels of protein, total sulfur amino acids (TSAA), methionine and cystine (M + C) and their interaction on the performance, carcass characteristics, blood components and meat quality of Egyptian geese. A total number of 144 geese at twelve weeks of age were randomly divided into 9 groups (16 birds/each group), each group of birds was sub-divided into 4 replicates, each of 4 birds. There was a significant increase in the bodyweight of geese due to protein and M + C levels (p < 0.01). The studied levels of M + C affected significantly on weight gain of growing geese at the early period of 12–18 wk of age. Feed intake was increased with high dietary levels of CP % or M + C (p < 0.05). There was a significant (p < 0.01) increase in percentages of carcass, liver, dressing, breast and wing with high dietary protein level as compared to a moderate or low level. A high level of dietary protein led to increase in concentrations of total protein and albumin, while total lipids, cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were decreased with increasing level of protein (p < 0.01). Fat percentage of breast muscle was significantly (p < 0.01) decreased with increasing M + C levels. Protein % of breast muscle was increased with increasing protein levels. Finally, it can be concluded that the consumption of diets with high levels of protein or M + C can improve the bodyweight, feed conversion ratio, carcass and meat composition of Egyptian geese during the rearing period (12–24 wk of age). Full article