Influence of a temporary restriction of dietary protein in prepubertal ewe lambs on first lactation milk traits and response to a mammary gland inflammatory challenge.

This study evaluated the influence of a temporary nutritional protein restriction (NPR) performed, under commercial conditions, in prepubertal female lambs on first lactation milk production traits and the inflammatory response triggered by an inflammatory challenge of the. From 40 Assaf female lambs, we defined a control group (Cn = 20), which received a standard diet for replacement lambs and the NPR group (n = 20), which received the same diet but without soybean meal between 3 and 5 months of age. About 150 days after lambing, 24 of these ewes (13 NPR, 11C) were subjected to an intramammary infusion of E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Our dynamic study identified indicator traits of local (SCC) and systemic (rectal Ta, IL-6, CXCL8, IL-10, IL-36RA, VEGF-A) response to the LPS challenge. The NPR did not show significant effects on milk production traits and did not affect the SCC and rectal Ta after the LPS challenge. However, the NPR had a significant influence on 8 of the 14 plasma biomarkers analysed, in all the cases with higher relative values in the C group. The effects observed on VEGF-A (involved in vasculogenesis during mammary gland development and vascular permeability) and IL-10 (a regulatory cytokine classically known by its anti-inflammatory action) are the most remarkable to explain the differences found between groups. Whereas further studies should be undertaken to confirm these results, our findings are of interest considering the current concern about the future world's demand for protein and the need for animal production systems to evolve toward sustainability.

Elucidating fish oil-induced milk fat depression in dairy sheep: Milk somatic cell transcriptome analysis.

In this study, RNA sequencing was used to obtain a comprehensive profile of the transcriptomic changes occurring in the mammary gland of lactating sheep suffering from fish oil-induced milk fat depression (FO-MFD). The milk somatic cell transcriptome analysis of four control and four FO-MFD ewes generated an average of 42 million paired-end reads per sample. In both conditions, less than 220 genes constitute approximately 89% of the total counts. These genes, which are considered as core genes, were mainly involved in cytoplasmic ribosomal proteins and electron transport chain pathways. In total, 117 genes were upregulated, and 96 genes were downregulated in FO-MFD samples. Functional analysis of the latter indicated a downregulation of genes involved in the SREBP signaling pathway (e.g., ACACA, ACSL, and ACSS) and Gene Ontology terms related to lipid metabolism and lipid biosynthetic processes. Integrated interpretation of upregulated genes indicated enrichment in genes encoding plasma membrane proteins and proteins regulating protein kinase activity. Overall, our results indicate that FO-MFD is associated with the downregulation of key genes involved in the mammary lipogenesis process. In addition, the results also suggest that this syndrome may be related to upregulation of other genes implicated in signal transduction and codification of transcription factors.

Granting wishes of seriously ill children: Effects on parents' well-being.

We investigated whether a positive intervention (i.e. granting a wish) in children with a chronic illness could promote positive psychological responses in their parents. Hospitalized children were randomly assigned to either the wish group or to a waiting-list control group. Mothers and fathers' responses (N = 86 and 38, respectively) were studied. Parents from the wish group showed higher levels of positive emotions and beliefs in a benevolent world than the control group. Mothers from the wish group reported higher benefit finding, gratitude, and love than those in the control group. Given that the child's illness inevitably affects their parents, it is important to promote studies that include parents' well-being dimensions.

Positive interventions in seriously-ill children: Effects on well-being after granting a wish.

We examined whether a positive intervention (i.e. granting a wish) could promote positive psychological and physical changes (e.g. reduced nausea and pain) in seriously-ill children. Children and their parent were randomly assigned to a wish group (completed measures 2-3 days before the wish and 3 weeks later) or to a waiting-list control group (with an equivalent time-lag and receiving the wish after the assessment). Wish intervention significantly increased levels of positive emotions, satisfaction with life, personal strengths, and reduced rates of nausea compared with the control group. Mothers in the wish group also perceived positive changes in children's benefit finding and quality of life.

Percepción de beneficios y bienestar en niños con enfermedades amenazantes para la vida: Un estudio integrador / Benefit finding and well-being in children with life threatening illnesses: An integrative study

Objective. We examined whether benefit finding (BF) in children with a life-threatening illness (such as cancer or organ transplantation) would be related to a wide range of positive and negative measures of psychological functioning and some medical variables. Methods. A sample of children with a life threatening illness (N=67, ages 7-18 years) completed the Benefit Finding Scale for Children (BFSC) and other positive and negative measures of psychological functioning. Results. Children exposed to a moderate severity of their disease had the strongest levels of BF. While BF was positively associated with different dimensions of well-being, it was generally not related to distress with some exceptions in the health-related quality of life domain. Conclusion. Our results showed that BF reflects a positive outcome in its own right and not just a mere reduction of distress. Yet, there are some health-related domains of quality of life that should be considered in therapeutic intervention to facilitate BF.

Objetivo. Examinamos en qué medida la percepción de beneficios o benefit finding (BF) en niños con una enfermedad amenazante para la vida (como el cáncer o el trasplante de órganos) estaría relacionado con un rango de medidas positivas y negativas de funcionamiento psicológico así como con algunas variables médicas. Método. Una muestra de niños con una enfermedad amenazante para la vida (N=67, edad entre 7 y 18 años) completaron la Escala de Percepción de Beneficios para Niños (Benefit Finding Scale for Children, BFSC) y otras medidas positivas y negativas de funcionamiento psicológico. Resultados. Los niños expuestos a una enfermedad de gravedad moderada mostraron niveles más altos de BF. BF se asoció positivamente a diferentes dimensiones de bienestar. Sin embargo, no se encontró relación con medidas de malestar, a excepción de algunos dominios de calidad de vida relacionados con la enfermedad. Conclusión. Estos resultados mostraron que el BF refleja un resultado positivo en sí mismo y no una mera reducción de malestar. A pesar de eso, deben considerarse algunos dominios de calidad de vida relacionados con la salud a la hora de realizar intervenciones terapéuticas para facilitar la percepción de beneficios.

Evaluating the in vitro metabolism of docosahexaenoic acid in sheep rumen fluid.

Rumen metabolism (e.g., biohydrogenation) of dietary unsaturated fatty acids (FA) is one of the main reasons why ruminant fats tend to be highly saturated and contain many isomerized FA intermediates. The process by which long-chain (20- to 24-carbon FA) polyunsaturated FA (LC-PUFA) are metabolized by rumen bacteria is not as well understood as that of linoleic or linolenic acids. In order to better understand the fate of LC-PUFA in the rumen several concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were evaluated in in vitro batch incubations ranging from 100 to 1,500 µg per 6 mL of incubation volume using rumen fluid from sheep and incubated for 0, 1, 2, 3, and 6 h. From the results, it was shown that DHA was extensively metabolized at low (100 to 300 µg/6 mL incubation volume), but not at high level of inclusion (800 µg). At 300 µg of DHA most of the depleted DHA was recovered as LC-DHA metabolites within the first 6 h of incubation, and at the lowest levels (100 µg of incubation volume) further metabolism is apparent at 6 h. Using SP-2560 GC columns several LC-DHA metabolites were shown to elute after 24:0 and just past DHA, a region generally free of interfering FA. The present in vitro study would appear to be a useful method to evaluate the production of DHA metabolites in combination with its depletion.

Effect of diet supplementation with sunflower oil on milk production, fatty acid profile and ruminal fermentation in lactating dairy ewes.

The aim of this research was to enhance the nutritional quality of ewe milk fat by increasing potentially healthy fatty acids (FA) through diet supplementation with unprotected oil rich in linoleic acid, and without detrimental effects on animal performance. Twenty-four ewes were assigned to two high concentrate diets, control or supplemented with 6% sunflower oil (SO), for 4 weeks. No differences between treatments were found in milk production and dry matter intake. Although the SO diet increased milk fat percentage and tended to reduce milk protein concentration, it did not affect milk fat, protein or total solid yield. Most of the modifications in milk FA composition were addressed toward a potentially healthier profile: a decrease in C12:0 to C16:0 and a remarkable increase in the contents of cis-9 trans-11 C18:2 (from 0.94 to 3.60 g/100 g total FA) and trans-11 C18:1 (from 2.23 to 8.61 g/100 g total FA). Furthermore, the levels reached were maintained throughout the period monitored. However, the SO diet increased other trans C18:1 isomer percentages, too. The lack of differences between treatments in the in vitro ruminal fermentation parameters, studied with batch cultures of rumen microorganisms, would indicate no negative effects on ruminal fermentation.