Effect of alfalfa supplementary change dietary non-fibrous carbohydrate (NFC) to neutral detergent fiber (NDF) ratio on rumen fermentation and microbial function in Gansu alpine fine wool sheep (Ovis aries).

Bodyweight loss and rumen microbial dysfunction of grazing sheep was a challenge for the sheep production industry during cold season, which were considered to correlated with under-roughage-feeding. Alfalfa is a good roughage supplementary for ruminants, which can improve grazing sheep bodyweight-loss and rumen microbial dysfunction during grass-withering period. This study evaluated the effects of alfalfa hay supplementary change dietary non-fibrous carbohydrate/neutral detergent fiber (NFC/NDF) ratios on rumen fermentation and microbial function of Gansu alpine fine wool sheep during extreme cold season. 120 ewes (3-4 yrs) with an average body weight of 28.71 ± 1.22 kg were allocated randomly into three treatments, and fed NFC/NDF of 1.92 (H group), 1.11 (M group), and 0.68 (L group), respectively. This study was conducted for 107 d, including 7 d of adaption to the diets. The rumen fermentation parameters and microbial characteristics were measured after the end of feeding trials. The results showed that the concentrations of sheep body weight, nitrogen components (Total-N, Soluble protein-N and Ammonia-N), blood biochemical indices (LDH, BUN and CHO) and ruminal volatile fatty acids (TVFA and propionate) significantly increased with an increase in the proportion of NFC/NDF ratios (p < .05), and the acetate and acetate/propionat ratio presented a contrary decreasing trend (p < .05). A total of 1018 OTUs were obtained with 97% consistency. Ruminococcus, Ruminococcaceae and Prevotella were observed as the predominant phyla in ruminal fluid microbiota. Higher NFC/NDF ratios with Alfalfa supplementary increased the richness and diversity of ruminal fluid microbiota, and decreased ruminal fluid microbiota beta-diversity. Using clusters of orthologous groups (COG), the ruminal fluid microbiota of alfalfa supplementary feeding showed low immune pathway and high carbohydrate metabolism pathway. In summary, the study suggested that there was an increasing tendency in dietary NFC/NDF ratio of 1.92 in body weight, ruminal fermentation, microbial community composition and fermentation characteristics through developing alfalfa supplementary system.

Correlation of serum ferritin levels with neurological function-related indices and cognitive dysfunction in patients with cerebral hemorrhage.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to explore the correlation of serum ferritin (FS) levels with neurological function-related indices, such as neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100ß protein levels, and cognitive dysfunction in patients with cerebral hemorrhage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with acute non-traumatic cerebral hemorrhage (cerebrovascular disease (VD), n = 128) and healthy controls (CON, n = 128) were included. FS, NSE, and S100ß levels were measured using ELISA. Cognitive functions were evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the ability of SE, NSE, and serum S100ß to predict the diagnosis of cognitive dysfunction in patients with cerebral hemorrhage. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess the risk factors of cognitive impairment in patients with cerebral hemorrhage. RESULTS: Cognitive impairment in patients with VD was closely related to the increased levels of SE, NSE, and S100ß. There was a strong correlation between MoCA and MMSE scores and the levels of FS, NSE, and S100ß. The independent risk factors leading to cognitive impairment in cerebral hemorrhage mainly include family history of cerebrovascular disease, body mass index, hypertension, smoking frequency, and elevated levels of low-density lipoproteins, NSE, FS, and S100ß. CONCLUSION: NSE, FS, and S100ß can be used as important markers for the diagnosis of cognitive impairment in patients with cerebral hemorrhage.

Auxin-regulated OsRGP1 and OsSuS are involved in gravitropic bending of rice shoot bases.

Gravitropic bending of horizontally-oriented rice shoots results from the differential elongation of cells in the upper and lower halves of the shoot bases. In this study, genes encoding a reversibly glycosylated polypeptide (OsRGP1) and a sucrose synthase (OsSuS) related to sugar metabolism were identified by suppressive subtractive hybridization (SSH) as being differentially expressed in gravibending lower and upper halves of rice shoot bases. RT-PCR was used to monitor OsRGP1 and OsSuS gene expression. The two genes were differentially induced in lower and upper halves of the shoot bases during gravitropism and their expression was regulated by auxin. Gene promoter sequence analysis demonstrated the existence of elements related to auxin. Treatment with the auxin transport inhibitor TIBA inhibited the asymmetric expression of OsRGP1 and OsSuS. In addition, an increase in hexose sugars was detected in the lower half of the shoot bases during gravitropism. Our data suggest that asymmetric redistribution of auxin following gravistimulation results in differentially localized OsRGP1 and OsSuS expression. While asymmetric expression of OsSuS may result in a disproportionate distribution of hexose, asymmetric expression of OsRGP1 could induce cell wall polysaccharide synthesis in the lower half of shoot bases. Therefore hexose and cell wall polysaccharide accumulation in the lower half of rice shoot bases might contribute to cell expansion and subsequent gravitropic bending.

The role of water channel proteins and nitric oxide signaling in rice seed germination.

Previous studies have demonstrated the possible role of several aquaporins in seed germination. But systematic investigation of the role of aquaporin family members in this process is lacking. Here, the developmental regulation of plasma membrane intrinsic protein (PIP) expression throughout germination and post-germination processes in rice embryos was analyzed. The expression patterns of the PIPs suggest these aquaporins play different roles in seed germination and seedling growth. Partial silencing of the water channel genes, OsPIP1;1 and OsPIP1;3, reduced seed germination while over-expression of OsPIP1;3 promoted seed germination under water-stress conditions. Moreover, spatial expression analysis indicates that OsPIP1;3 is expressed predominantly in embryo during seed germination. Our data also revealed that the nitric oxide (NO) donors, sodium nitroprusside (SNP) and S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), promoted seed germination; furthermore, the NO scavenger, 2-(4-carboxyphenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide, inhibited germination and reduced the stimulative effects of SNP and GSNO on rice germination. Exogenous NO stimulated the transcription of OsPIP1;1, OsPIP1;2, OsPIP1;3 and OsPIP2;8 in germinating seeds. These results suggest that water channels play an important role in seed germination, acting, at least partly, in response to the NO signaling pathway.