Oregano essential oil improves piglet health and performance through maternal feeding and is associated with changes in the gut microbiota.

BACKGROUND: With a growing demand for safe and sustainable alternatives to antimicrobials, functional feed ingredients such as plant essential oils have been evaluated for their potential to improve gut health. Amongst these, oregano essential oil (OEO) with the main active compounds carvacrol and thymol has been reported to have antimicrobial and antioxidative properties resulting in improved intestinal barrier function and growth in pigs and poultry. However, its impact on the gut microbiota still remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of an oregano essential oil phytobiotic on sow and piglet performance and faecal microbiota. RESULTS: Piglets from OEO supplemented sows were significantly heavier at one week of age and showed a trend for improved average daily weight gain from birth to weaning. Post-weaning, maternally supplemented piglets were numerically heavier at 10 weeks post-weaning and at slaughter with a reduced variability in bodyweight. Health records showed that piglets in the OEO supplemented litters had significantly reduced incidence of therapeutic treatment and reduced mortality. In both sows and piglets, the structure and composition of the faecal microbiota varied considerably over time. Sows supplemented with OEO during lactation showed an increase in the relative abundance of Lactobacillaceae family. In addition, there was an increase in the relative abundance of families known to be important in fibre digestion (Fibrobacteriaceae and Akkermansiaceae). Analysis of piglet microbiota at two weeks and four weeks of age revealed a relative decrease in Enterobacteriaceae while butyrate producers (Lachnospiraceae family) were increased at both timepoints. CONCLUSION: We hypothesise that the effects observed from this study were exerted through modulation of the gut microbial communities in the sow and her offspring through maternal microbial transfer. Understanding the link between the gut microbiota and dietary factors represents a keystone to improving health and performance for sustainable pig production. Reducing antimicrobial usage can help to reduce the risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) which is a global focus for animal production.

Amino acid digestibility of larval meal (Musca domestica) for broiler chickens.

Work was undertaken to investigate the potential use of housefly (Musca domestica) larvae reared on broiler manure as a source of nutrition for poultry production in the United Kingdom. Nutritional analysis showed that larvae have a high (>45% dry wt.) protein content and a favorable amino acid profile that is rich in key amino acids, such as lysine and methionine. A broiler digestibility trial was carried out to determine the apparent ileal digestibility coefficients (AIDC) and true ileal digestibility coefficients (TIDC) of amino acids (AA) from insect larval meal (ILM) from M. domestica and fishmeal (FM) in broiler chickens. This was calculated using multiple linear regression technique based upon 3 inclusions of each protein source in a semisynthetic diet. One-hundred-forty-four day-old male (Ross 308) broilers were fed from hatch on a commercial starter diet for 20 days. Experimental diets were fed from d 21 to 28, and feed intakes were measured daily. On d 28, the trial was terminated, ileal digesta were collected for the determination of AIDC and TIDC of AA, and inflammatory responses (gizzard erosion and eye discharge) were measured. No significant differences were observed in digestibilities between protein sources for any AA. Furthermore, ILM feeding did not induce gizzard erosion or eye discharge at any inclusion. These results provide strong evidence to suggest that ILM of the common housefly can provide a successful alternative protein source to FM in broiler diets.

Epidemiology of blindness attributable to diabetes in Scotland: change over 20 years in a defined population.

AIMS: To establish the incidence and prevalence of blindness attributable to diabetes in a defined population in Scotland during the period 2000-2009, and to compare these figures with published data from the previous decade in the same population. METHODS: All blind registrations during 2000-2009 in Fife, Scotland, UK were examined and included if diabetic retinopathy/maculopathy was the main cause of blindness. The annual incidence and point prevalence on 31 December 2009 of registered blindness attributable to diabetes were calculated in both the total population and the population with diabetes. These data were compared with figures for the period 1990-1999, using a two-tailed t-test, and subjected to Poisson regression analysis. RESULTS: In the population with diabetes, the mean incidence of blindness attributable to diabetes was 42.7 (sd 24.2, 95% CI 25- 60) per 100 000 per year for 2000-2009, compared with 64.3 for 1990-1999 (P = 0.062). The relative risk of developing blindness per year was 0.894 (95% CI 0.811- 0.988, P = 0.028) for 2000- 2009. The point prevalence on 31 December 2009 was 167 per 100 000 in the population with diabetes, vs 210 on 31 December 1999. CONCLUSION: Compared with the previous decade, the prevalence of blindness attributable to diabetes has decreased in the population with diabetes, with a trend towards a decrease in its incidence. This may be a consequence of an increased denominator population, resulting from better recording of diabetes and changes to the diagnostic criteria. Over the decade 2000-2009, the incidence of blindness attributable to diabetes fell by a mean of 10.6% per year in the population with diabetes.

MR arthrography of traumatic anterior shoulder lesions showed modest reproducibility and accuracy when evaluated under clinical circumstances.

INTRODUCTION: We examined the reproducibility and accuracy of high-field MRA in traumatic anterior shoulder instability under conditions resembling clinical practice and assessed the influence of observer experience. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two radiologists with different experience levels evaluated 61 MRAs. Assessment was independent, blinded and non-sequential. For 40 MRAs, surgical reports were available to assess diagnosis accuracy and influence of observer experience. The assessed lesions were cuff lesions, Hill-Sachs lesions, bony and classic Bankart lesions, greater humeral tuberosity fractures, SLAP lesions and joint capsule lesions. Reproducibility was quantified using kappa coefficients. Accuracy was evaluated with sensitivity and specificity rates, positive and negative predictive values. Differences in the percentage of correctly diagnosed MRAs between the radiologists were tested using McNemar's test for paired proportions. RESULTS: Inter-observer k-values ranged from 0.03 for joint capsule lesions to 0.45 for humeral head lesions. The overall kappa was 0.21 (95% CI; 0.12-0.30). We also observed markedly lower sensitivity and specificity rates than those reported in the literature for most lesions. The more experienced radiologist correctly diagnosed 78.9% of all lesions compared to 65.4% for the less experienced radiologist (P < 0.001; McNemar's test). CONCLUSION: MRA-interpretations of traumatic anterior shoulder instability should be regarded with caution in clinical practice. The experience level of radiologists can affect reproducibility and accuracy.

Differentiation between portal-systemic encephalopathy and neurodegenerative disorders in patients with Wilson disease: H-1 MR spectroscopy.

PURPOSE: To investigate the extent to which neurodegeneration and metabolic changes caused by portosystemic shunting occur in Wilson disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-two adult patients with biochemically proved Wilson disease underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, hydrogen-1 MR spectroscopy, neurologic and psychometric testing, and ultrasound evaluation of the liver. In addition, 13 age-matched adult control subjects underwent MR imaging and H-1 MR spectroscopy. For MR spectroscopy, the authors used a single-voxel technique with a repetition time of 2,000 msec and an echo time of 31 msec. The volume of interest included the right and left globi pallidus, which are the most common sites of lesions in Wilson disease. RESULTS: N-acetylaspartate-creatine and choline-creatine ratios were decreased in patients with Wilson disease versus control subjects (P < .001 for N-acetylaspartate-creatine ratio, P < .05 for choline-creatine ratio). Also, patients with Wilson disease and portosystemic shunting had lower myo-inositol-creatine ratios than did patients with Wilson disease and no portosystemic shunting (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Reductions in N-acetylaspartate indicate neuronal loss consistent with the neurodegenerative pattern associated with Wilson disease. In addition, H-1 MR spectroscopy shows metabolic abnormality in the brain, as decreased myoinositol, caused by portosystemic shunting.

Wilson disease: findings at MR imaging and CT of the brain with clinical correlation.

PURPOSE: To describe the spectrum of brain abnormalities in Wilson disease (hepatolenticular degeneration) as depicted at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and computed tomography (CT) and to relate these findings to neurologic and hepatologic abnormalities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty patients with Wilson disease participated in the cross-sectional study: Patients underwent cerebral MR imaging (n = 49), CT (n = 44), abdominal duplex ultrasound (US) (n = 46), and neurologic examination (n = 50) within a week. Relative risk and the Fisher exact test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Supratentorial and infratentorial abnormalities in the gray and white matter were found in the pyramidal and extrapyramidal system. In Wilson disease, an abnormal striatum depicted on MR images correlated with pseudoparkinsonian signs, an abnormal dentatothalamic tract correlated with cerebellar signs, and an abnormal pontocerebellar tract correlated with pseudoparkinsonian signs. The presence of portosystemic shunt was strongly associated with abnormality of the globus pallidus. CONCLUSION: MR imaging findings were of some use in the clinical treatment of patients with Wilson disease.

Cranial MR in Wilson disease: abnormal white matter in extrapyramidal and pyramidal tracts.

PURPOSE: To describe abnormal white matter in the brain on MR in Wilson disease and to compare with anatomic location of white matter tracts. METHODS: Forty-six patients with Wilson disease were examined. Axial T1-weighted inversion-recovery, axial T2-weighted spin-echo, and coronal T2*-weighted gradient-echo MR images were performed. Imaging studies were compared with clinical data. RESULTS: Seventeen patients showed abnormalities in the region coinciding with the following white matter tracts: corticospinal tract (24%, n = 11), dentatorubrothalamic tract (24%, n = 11), and pontocerebellar tract (17%, n = 8). CONCLUSION: Abnormal extrapyramidal and pyramidal white matter tracts are part of the neuroimaging spectrum of Wilson disease. No significant correlation was found with neurologic groups and individual white matter tracts affected.

31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the liver: correlation with standardized serum, clinical, and histological changes in diffuse liver disease.

The goal of this study was to analyze the possibilities of 31P MR spectroscopy to detect abnormal hepatic histological changes in patients with diffuse liver disease. 31P MR spectroscopy was performed, on a 1.5 T whole-body spectrometer using an image guided localization technique (ISIS), on 38 patients with various diffuse liver diseases, who all underwent histological and serum analysis, and 22 healthy volunteers. Phosphomonoester expressed as a fraction of total phosphorus (PME/P) showed a correlation with abnormal serum aspartate transaminase (AST), histological intralobular degeneration/focal necrosis, portal inflammation, and piecemeal necrosis. We found a lower correlation for PME/P with fibrosis. It was not possible to differentiate between fibrosis and cirrhosis. In summary, 31P MR spectroscopy is a technique to detect intralobular degeneration, inflammation and necrosis and to a less extent fibrosis. No diagnostic value was found with respect to steatosis and cholangitis. Furthermore, 31P MR spectroscopy is a poor method for classifying patients into diagnostic categories.

Prevalence of resistance of N. gonorrhoeae to penicillin and three other antibiotics in a rural area in Kenya.

Of 90 isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in a rural area in Kenya, 44 (48.9%) produced beta-lactamase (penicillinase). Testing for susceptibility of 35 penicillinase producing N. gonorrhoeae (PPNG) strains to four antibiotics yielded the following results: 16 (45.7%) showed a decreased susceptibility to tetracycline; six (17.1%) showed resistance, probably plasmid mediated; 10 (28.6%) had intermediate susceptibility to gentamicin; one (2.9%) was resistant; and two (5.7%) isolates were resistant to cefotaxime. 16 (57.1%) of 28 non PPNG strains showed a decreased susceptibility to penicillin; 10 (35.7%) were resistant. Nine (32.1%) of 28 non-PPNG isolates showed intermediate susceptibility to tetracycline; one (3.6%) was resistant. Eight of non PPNG isolates (28.6%) showed decreased susceptibility to gentamicin. These results imply that penicillin and tetracycline should be abandoned as primary therapy. For the time being, thiamphenicol and spectinomycin seem to be good alternatives. The observation of cefotaxime resistance in N. gonorrhoeae in a rural area implies a warning concerning future possibilities for use of third generation cephalosporins.