Detecting ß-Casein Variation in Bovine Milk.

In bovine species, ß-casein (ß-CN) is characterized by genetic polymorphism. The two most common protein variants are ß-CN A² (the original one) and A¹, differing from A² for one amino acid substitution (Pro67 to His67). Several bioactive peptides affecting milk nutritional properties can originate from ß-CN. Among them, ß-casomorphin-7 (BCM7) ranging from amino acid 60 to 66 can be released more easily from ß-CN variants carrying His67 (A¹ type) instead of Pro67 (A² type). Nowadays, "A2 milk" is produced in different countries claiming its potential benefits in human health. The aim of this study was to further develop and apply an isoelectric focusing electrophoresis (IEF) method to bulk and individual milk samples in order to improve its use for ß-CN studies. We succeeded in identifying A2 milk samples correctly and quantifying the percentage of A², A¹, and B variants in bulk samples not derived from A2 milk as well as in individual milk samples. The method allows us to quantify the relative proportion of ß-CN variants in whole milk without eliminating whey protein by acid or enzymatic precipitation of caseins. The aim of this study was also to study the different behavior of ß-CN and ß-lactoglobulin (ß-LG) in the presence of trichloroacetic acid (TCA). The higher sensitivity of ß-CN to TCA allows quantifying ß-CN variants after TCA fixation because ß-LG is not visible. Monitoring ß-CN variation in cattle breeds is important in order to maintain a certain balance between Pro67 and His67 in dairy products. Overall, the debate between A1 and A2 milk needs further investigation.

Environment, dysbiosis, immunity and sex-specific susceptibility: a translational hypothesis for regressive autism pathogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Autism is an increasing neurodevelopmental disease that appears by 3 years of age, has genetic and/or environmental etiology, and often shows comorbid situations, such as gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Autism has also a striking sex-bias, not fully genetically explainable. OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to explain how and in which predisposing conditions some compounds can impair neurodevelopment, why this occurs in the first years of age, and, primarily, why more in males than females. METHODS: We reviewed articles regarding the genetic and environmental etiology of autism and toxins effects on animal models selected from PubMed and databases about autism and toxicology. DISCUSSION: Our hypothesis proposes that in the first year of life, the decreasing of maternal immune protection and child immune-system immaturity create an immune vulnerability to infection diseases that, especially if treated with antibiotics, could facilitate dysbiosis and GI disorders. This condition triggers a vicious circle between immune system impairment and increasing dysbiosis that leads to leaky gut and neurochemical compounds and/or neurotoxic xenobiotics production and absorption. This alteration affects the 'gut-brain axis' communication that connects gut with central nervous system via immune system. Thus, metabolic pathways impaired in autistic children can be affected by genetic alterations or by environment-xenobiotics interference. In addition, in animal models many xenobiotics exert their neurotoxicity in a sex-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS: We integrate fragmented and multi-disciplinary information in a unique hypothesis and first disclose a possible environmental origin for the imbalance of male:female distribution of autism, reinforcing the idea that exogenous factors are related to the recent rise of this disease.

Variation of vitamin D in cow's milk and interaction with ß-lactoglobulin.

Vitamin D is the collective name for a group of closely related lipids, whose main biological function is to maintain serum calcium and phosphorus concentrations within the normal range by enhancing the efficiency of the small intestine to absorb these minerals from the diet. We used a commercially available ELISA method for the determination of vitamin D in bovine milk. Individual milk samples from two different Italian Friesian herds were analysed. The enzyme immunoassay method used was confirmed as a useful tool to measure the vitamin D in the milk as it greatly reduces the time required to perform the conventional HPLC analysis. An interesting variation was found among individual animals that may be associated with management factors and specific genetic effects. A relationship was highlighted between vitamin D and the genetic polymorphism of ß-lactoglobulin, the main bovine whey protein which is involved in the transport of small hydrophobic molecules such as retinol and vitamin D. The relatively high content of vitamin D in most milk samples suggests an opportunity to improve the natural content of vitamin D in milk either by acting on the herd management or selecting individuals genetically predisposed to produce milk with a higher vitamin D content.

Implementation of a socio-ecological system navigation approach to human development in sub-saharan african communities.

This paper presents a framework for the development of socio-ecological systems towards enhanced sustainability. Emphasis is given to the dynamic properties of complex, adaptive social-ecological systems, their structure and to the fundamental role of agriculture. The tangible components that meet the needs of specific projects executed in Kenya and Ethiopia encompass project objectives, innovation, facilitation, continuous recording and analyses of monitoring data, that allow adaptive management and system navigation. Two case studies deal with system navigation through the mitigation of key constraints; they aim to improve human health thanks to anopheline malaria vectors control in Nyabondo (Kenya), and to improve cattle health through tsetse control and antitrypanosomal drug administration to cattle in Luke (Ethiopia). The second case deals with a socio-ecological navigation system to enhance sustainability, establishing a periurban diversified enterprise in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and developing a rural sustainable social-ecological system in Luke (Ethiopia). The project procedures are briefly described here and their outcomes are analysed in relation to the stated objectives. The methodology for human and cattle disease vector control were easier to implement than the navigation of social-ecological systems towards sustainability enhancement. The achievements considerably differed between key constraints removal and sustainability enhancement projects. Some recommendations are made to rationalise human and cattle health improvement efforts and to smoothen the road towards enhanced sustainability: i) technology system implementation should be carried out through an innovation system; ii) transparent monitoring information should be continuously acquired and evaluated for assessing the state of the system in relation to stated objectives for (a) improving the insight into the systems behaviour and (b) rationalizing decision support; iii) the different views of all stakeholders should be reconciled in a pragmatic approach to social-ecological system management. Significance for public healthRecently, there is a growing interest in studying the link between human, animal and environmental health. The connection between these different dimensions is particularly important for developing countries in which people face the challenge of escaping vicious cycle of high diseases prevalence, food insecurity driven by absolute poverty and population growth, and natural capital as a poverty trap. The design and implementation of such efforts, aiming at human health improvement and poverty alleviation, should be framed into adaptive social-ecological system management perspectives. In this paper, we present few case studies dealing with human health improvement through anopheline malaria vectors control in Kenya, cattle health improvement through tsetse vectored nagana control, antitrypanosomal drug administration to cattle in Ethiopia and with the development of rural sustainable communities in Ethiopia. Some recommendations are given to rationalise human and cattle health improvement efforts and to smoothen the road towards enhanced sustainability.

Livestock biodiversity: from genes to animal products through safeguard actions.

The 'livestock' term refers to animals domesticated for producing commodities for man such as food, fiber and draught. Livestock biodiversity is integral to our culture, history, environment, and economy. Thousands of livestock breeds have evolved over time to suit particular environments and farming systems. Conservation of these genetic resources relies on demographic characterization and correct breeding schemes. In addition, molecular genetic studies allow to identify and monitor the genetic diversity within and across breeds and to reconstruct their evolution history. The conservation of livestock variability is also a crucial element in order to preserve and valorise specific nutritional and nutraceutical properties of animal products. Efficient ex situ and in situ conservation strategies are obligatory tools in order to implement an appropriate action for the conservation of livestock biodiversity. The main issues concerning different species are summarised, with particular reference to'the livestock biodiversity still existing. Some examples of ex situ conservation strategies developed in Italy are presented, and the different actions in defense of Animal Genetic Resources (AnGR) developed within the European Community are illustrated.

Whey proteins as source of dipeptidyl dipeptidase IV (dipeptidyl peptidase-4) inhibitors.

Preclinical and clinical studies suggest that whey proteins can reduce postprandial glucose levels and stimulate insulin release in healthy subjects and in subjects with type 2 diabetes by reducing dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) activity in the proximal bowel and hence increasing intact incretin levels. Our aim was to identify DPP-4 inhibitors among short peptides occurring in hydrolysates of ß-lactoglobulin, the major whey protein found in the milk of ruminants. We proved that the bioactive peptide Ile-Pro-Ala can be regarded as a moderate DPP-4 inhibitor.

Localization and quantitative expression of the calcium-sensing receptor protein in human oocytes.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) protein in human oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) and metaphase I (MI) and II (MII) stages. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Academic basic research laboratory and hospital-based fertility center. PATIENT(S): Immature and supernumerary mature oocytes (n = 118) excluded from intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment. INTERVENTION(S): Immunofluorescence and Western blot with a primary antibody against human CaSR. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) together with quantitative image analysis used to measure the fluorescence intensity variations in oocytes at GV, MI, and MII stages. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The CaSR expression pattern as evaluated by immunostaining in denuded oocytes and cumulus cells, CLSM, and three-dimensional image reconstructions; quantitative analysis at the equatorial plane of the oocyte. RESULT(S): We identified CaSR in human oocytes and cumulus cells. The fluorescence intensity within the oocyte varied with the developmental stage, with the greatest increase at the MI stage. CONCLUSION(S): The present study demonstrates for the first time the expression and localization of CaSR protein in human oocytes. Increased CaSR protein expression in the MI stage suggests that it may be involved in the regulation of human oocyte development and maturation.

Fecal immunoglobulin A antibodies in dogs infected or vaccinated with canine coronavirus.

Fecal secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies in dogs infected or vaccinated with canine coronavirus (CCV) were evaluated by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The study was carried out with 32 fecal samples collected just before inoculation and at 28 days postinoculation. Five groups were studied: naturally infected dogs, experimentally infected dogs, dogs inoculated with a modified live (ML) CCV vaccine by the intramuscular route, dogs inoculated with an ML CCV vaccine by the oronasal route, and dogs given an inactivated CCV vaccine. Both the naturally and the experimentally infected dogs developed high levels of fecal IgAs. Interestingly, dogs inoculated with the ML CCV vaccine by the oronasal route developed levels of fecal IgA that were higher than those observed in the dogs inoculated with the same CCV vaccine by the intramuscular route or those observed in dogs inoculated with the inactivated vaccine. A relationship between the level of fecal IgAs to CCV and the degree of protection against CCV infection was observed.