Supplementing sow diets with palm oil during late gestation and lactation: effects on milk production, sow hormonal profiles and growth and development of her offspring.

The supplementing of sow diets with lipids during pregnancy and lactation has been shown to reduce sow condition loss and improve piglet performance. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of supplemental palm oil (PO) on sow performance, plasma metabolites and hormones, milk profiles and pre-weaning piglet development. A commercial sow ration (C) or an experimental diet supplemented with 10% extra energy in the form of PO, were provided from day 90 of gestation until weaning (24 to 28 days postpartum) in two groups of eight multiparous sows. Gestation length of PO sows increased by 1 day (P<0.05). Maternal BW changes were similar throughout the trial, but loss of backfat during lactation was reduced in PO animals (C: -3.6±0.8 mm; PO: -0.1±0.8 mm; P<0.01). Milk fat was increased by PO supplementation (C day 3: 8.0±0.3% fat; PO day 3: 9.1±0.3% fat; C day 7: 7.8±0.5% fat; PO day 7: 9.9±0.5% fat; P<0.05) and hence milk energy yield of PO sows was also elevated (P<0.05). The proportion of saturated fatty acids was greater in colostrum from PO sows (C: 29.19±0.31 g/100 g of fat; PO: 30.77±0.36 g/100 g of fat; P<0.01). Blood samples taken on 105 days of gestation, within 24 h of farrowing, day 7 of lactation and at weaning (28±3 days post-farrowing) showed there were no differences in plasma concentrations of triacylglycerol, non-esterified fatty acids, insulin or IGF-1 throughout the trial. However, circulating plasma concentrations of both glucose and leptin were elevated during lactation in PO sows (P<0.05 and P<0.005, respectively) and thyroxine was greater at weaning in PO sows (P<0.05). Piglet weight and body composition were similar at birth, as were piglet growth rates throughout the pre-weaning period. A period of 7 days after birth, C piglets contained more body fat, as indicated by their lower fat-free mass per kg (C: 66.4±0.8 arbitrary units/kg; PO: 69.7±0.8 arbitrary unit/kg; P<0.01), but by day 14 of life this situation was reversed (C: 65.8±0.6 arbitrary units/kg; PO: 63.6±0.6 arbitrary units/kg; P<0.05). Following weaning, PO sows exhibited an increased ratio of male to female offspring at their subsequent farrowing (C: 1.0±0.3; PO: 2.2±0.2; P<0.05). We conclude that supplementation of sow diets with PO during late gestation and lactation appears to increase sow milk fat content and hence energy supply to piglets. Furthermore, elevated glucose concentrations in the sow during lactation may be suggestive of impaired glucose homoeostasis.

Spinal cord injury causes chronic liver pathology in rats.

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) causes major disruption to peripheral organ innervation and regulation. Relatively little work has investigated these post-SCI systemic changes, however, despite considerable evidence that multiple organ system dysfunction contributes to chronic impairments in health. Because metabolic dysfunction is common after SCI and the liver is a pivotal site for metabolic homeostasis, we sought to determine if liver pathology occurs as a result of SCI in a rat spinal contusion model. Histologic evidence showed excess lipid accumulation in the liver for at least 21 days post-injury after cervical or midthoracic SCI. Lipidomic analysis revealed an acute increase in hepatic ceramides as well as chronically elevated lactosylceramide. Post-SCI hepatic changes also included increased proinflammatory gene expression, including interleukin (IL)-1α, IL-1ß, chemokine ligand-2, and tumor necrosis factor-α mRNA. These were coincident with increased CD68+ macrophages in the liver through 21 days post-injury. Serum alanine transaminase, used clinically to detect liver damage, was significantly increased at 21 days post-injury, suggesting that early metabolic and inflammatory damage preceded overt liver pathology. Surprisingly, liver inflammation was even detected after lumbar SCI. Collectively, these results suggest that SCI produces chronic liver injury with symptoms strikingly similar to those of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (fatty liver disease). These clinically significant hepatic changes after SCI are known to contribute to systemic inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome, all of which are more prevalent in persons with SCI. Targeting acute and prolonged hepatic pathology may improve recovery and reduce long-term complications after SCI.

Growth and development of offspring following supplementation of sow diets with oil during early to mid gestation.

The role of dietary fat during early pregnancy in sows has not yet been fully established. The aim of the study was to determine the consequences of altering the fatty acid profile of sow diets during the first half of gestation; oils of different fatty acid composition were chosen as energy supplements to provide diets with different fatty acid profiles. A group of 48 multiparous sows were used to evaluate the effects of supplemental feeding during the first 60 days of gestation (term ≈ 115 days). Sows were allocated (eight per treatment) to either 3 kg/day of commercial sow pellets (control; C) or an experimental diet consisting of 3 kg/day of commercial sow pellets supplemented with 10% extra energy in the form of excess pellets (E), palm oil (P), olive oil (O), sunflower oil (S) or fish oil (F). Differential effects were observed with respect to the fatty acid profile of the diet during the first half of gestation. P sows gave birth to the largest litters. Both P and O supplementation of the maternal diet resulted in heavier piglets at birth, after correction for differences in litter size. P piglets possessed the most fat at birth and remained fatter throughout the pre-weaning period; in contrast, the offspring of O sows contained the least fat throughout life (0 to 140 days of age). The offspring of F sows exhibited improved growth performance during the neonatal period. In conclusion, altering the fatty acid profile of sow diets during the first half of gestation has long-term consequences for the growth and development of their offspring.

Growth and development of offspring following supplementation of sow diets with oil during mid to late gestation.

This study aimed to determine the consequences of altering the fatty acid profile of sow diets during mid-to-late gestation; oils of different fatty acid composition were chosen as energy supplements to provide diets with different fatty acid profiles. Forty-eight multiparous sows were used to evaluate the effects of fat supplementation from day 60 of gestation until parturition. Sows were allocated to either 3 kg/day of commercial sow pellets (control; C) or an experimental diet consisting of 3 kg/day of commercial sow pellets supplemented with 10% extra energy in the form of excess pellets (E), palm oil (P), olive oil (O), sunflower oil (S) or fish oil (F). From days 0 to 60 of gestation, all sows were given 3 kg/day of sow pellets as for the C group. The E diet resulted in the heaviest piglets at birth whereas the offspring of O and S sows were the lightest at birth. The offspring of S sows remained lighter throughout the pre-weaning period, and were also the leanest by 14 days of age. In contrast, pigs born to S sows possessed more fat by the time they reached commercial end point (≈140 days of age). In conclusion, altering the fatty acid profile of the sow diet during the second half of gestation has long-term consequences for the development of their offspring.

Medial arterial calcification and diabetic neuropathy.

X-ray examinations of the feet, knees, and hands were performed on 20 diabetics with severe neuropathy and 20 diabetics with no evidence of neuropathy but with a similar mean age and duration of diabetes. All were under 53 years old with no clinical evidence of peripheral vascular disease. Medial arterial calcification was much more common and extensive in the patients with neuropathy, occurring in the feet in 15 and in the hands in eight compared with in four (p less than 0.001) and none (p less than 0.001) of the controls respectively. Although there was some correlation between calcification and both proteinuria (p less than 0.05) and proliferative retinopathy (p less than 0.02), the association between calcification and neuropathy (p less than 0.001) was much stronger. Neuropathy, with sympathetic denervation of the smooth muscle of the tunica media, may be important in the aetiology of medial arterial calcification.

Effect of surface shear stress on the attachment of Pseudomonas fluorescens to stainless steel under defined flow conditions.

The application of the radial-flow growth chamber to the study of the initial stages of bacterial adhesion to surfaces under flowing conditions is reported. The adhesive properties of the bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens (NCIB 9046) to stainless steel (type AISI 316) were found to be highly dependent on surface shear stress and the time and concentration of cells used in the incubation procedure. Maximum levels of adhesion occurred in zones of lowest surface shear stress, particularly less than 6-8 Nm(-2). Adhesion was still noticeable at shear stresses even up to 130 Nm(-2). Significant detachment of cells from a monolayer attached under static conditions was found to occur at surface shear stresses in excess of 10-12 Nm(-2).

Newer techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of proximal bile duct carcinoma--an analysis of 41 consecutive patients.

The clinical course of 41 consecutive patients with primary bile duct carcinoma at or near the liver hilum was analysed to determine whether the outcome was improved by newer techniques of diagnosis and treatment. The age range was wide, with one third under 50 years. The only aetiological factor identified was long-standing ulcerative colitis (present in 9.8 per cent of patients). In one third of patients initial symptoms were misleading. The tumour had been missed in 11 (61 per cent) of 18 patients undergoing an exploratory laparotomy at other hospitals, despite operative cholangiography. None had pre-operative percutaneous cholangiography which was shown to be the best investigatory technique, giving the correct diagnosis in all cases in whom it was performed. Greyscale ultrasonography was useful and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography less so. Median survival in those treated by surgical T- or U-tube drainage (21 patients) or bypass (three) was nine months from diagnosis, as opposed to three months in the 36.5 per cent of patients in whom biliary drainage was not obtained. Radiotherapy, including insertion of a radioactive iridium wire through the tumour via a T- or U-tube, or percutaneously, was performed in nine patients and improved the duration of survival compared with tube drainage alone. The new percutaneous techniques offer a useful alternative to surgery for palliative drainage and radiotherapy.

The natural history of arthritis in idiopathic haemochromatosis: progression of the clinical and radiological features over ten years.

The natural history of arthritis associated with idiopathic haemochromatosis was studied in 18 male patients over a 10 year period. Chondracalcinosis was present radiologically in at least on joint in seven patients initially and developed later in 13, with the articular cartilages of the wrists and knees affected most frequently. During the period of observation seven patients developed chondrocalcinosis in the wrists, seven in the knees, three in the hips, one in the symphysis pubis and two in the spine. In no patient did the chondrocalcinosis decrease or disappear. The development and progression of chondrocalcinosis was not affected by treatment of iron overload by venesection. The presence of chondrocalcinosis in at least one joint was not related to the age of the patient at the initial or follow-up examination or to the amount of iron removed by venesection (p greater than 0.05, Wilcoxon rank sum test). Arthritis (loss of joint space, cysts, destruction of articular surfaces) usually with associated symptoms and signs affected the hands in eight patients initially and developed later in 13. Arthritis of large joints was uncommon and none of the patients in the present series developed destructive arthritis of hips or knees. This contrast with the finding in a retrospective survey of 93 patients with idiopathic haemochromatosis seen since 1967 at King's College Hospital in which seven patients had destructive arthritis affecting the hips.

Oral-contraceptive-associated liver tumours: occurrence of malignancy and difficulties in diagnosis.

Seven of ten women with oral-contraceptive-associated liver tumours were found to have hepatocellular carcinoma. The diagnosis was often delayed, although hepatomegaly was always present on examination, and liver-function tests and erythrocyte sedimentation-rates were abnormal in most cases. Other investigations, including routine technetium liver scans and biopsy, were sometimes misleading. There were important differences in alpha-fetoprotein concentration, vascularity on angiography, and survival between liver tumours in pill users and non-users.

PIP: A physician's personal series of 10 women treated from 1970-1979 for oral contraceptive-associated liver tumors is presented. Of the 10 women treated, 7 had hepatocellular carcinoma and 3 had benign adenomas. Symptomatology is described. Problems with diagnosis of liver dysfunctions included misleading biopsies and liver scans. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was raised in all but 1 woman, and it was above 70 mm/h in 7. Changes in liver function tests were consistent with an intrahepatic tumor, with a striking increase in alkaline phosphatase in 9 (1170 IU/ml), and with only a slight rise in serum aspartate transaminase (mean 55 IU/ml). None of the patients had alpha fetoprotein levels above the upper limit of normal, and all patients were negative for hepatitis B surface antigen and antibody and anticore antibody. The carcinoma characteristics were similar in 7 patients (irregular trabecular arrangement with basophilic and dysplastic cells with nuclear pleomorphism and increased mitotic figures). When these oral contraceptive users were compared with 7 women diagnosed with hepatocellular tumors who had never used oral contraceptives, several striking differences were found. None of the poll users with carcinoma had raised alpha fetoproteins, whereas 4/7 nonpill users did. By arteriography, tumors in nonusers were much less vascular and less well defined. Survival rates also differed, with a 50% survival time of 1-8 years in nonusers compared with 4-8 years in pill users. The striking feature of this series is the delay in reaching a diagnosis in most of the 10 cases treated.

Obstructive jaundice and portal vein calcification.

Two patients with extrahepatic portal vein obstruction are described in whom calcification within the thrombus was identified during investigation for obstructive jaundice. Evidence from percutaneous cholangiography in one, and endoscopic cannulation of the common bile duct in the other, supported the view that the common bile duct was being partially compressed by the calcified cavernoma.

Mesentericocaval "jump" graft in management of portal hypertension: experience with 24 cases.

A series of 24 patients with cirrhosis have undergone mesentericocaval shunt operations for the relief of portal hypertension. Overall the results have been satisfactory. Four of the five patients treated as an emergency and 17 of the 19 who had the operation two to six weeks after haemorrhage had been controlled left hospital alive and well. Separation of the patients into three categories according to the findings of clinical and biochemical tests, however, showed that subsequent survival was satisfactory for patients in categories A and B but that all four patients in category C had died within one year after surgery. Assessment at three months showed that in three patients moderate hepatic encephalopathy had developed.Evidence that the shunt remains patent was shown by a low incidence of repeated gastrointestinal haemorrhage and a marked diminution in variceal size in 18 of the 19 cases examined serially. Radiographic techniques for confirming shunt patency were compared and cannulation of the graft via the femoral vein was found to provide a reliable and rapid means of assessment.

Primary malignant tumors of the heart.

Because of their rarity, primary malignant tumors of the heart continue to evade clinical preoperative diagnosis. In five cases of malignant heart tumor that were reviewed from the diagnostic point of view, the clinical symptoms and radiographic abnormalities were found to be similar to those produced by more common heart diseases. The diagnosis of malignant cardiac tumor should be considered in a patient with heart disease who has (1) an unusual cardiomediastinal silhouette, (2) an atypical cardiac calcification, and (3) clinical or radiographic cardipulmonary findings which do not conform to the expected behavior of the common forms of heart disease.

Brain adenosine 5'-triphosphate-creatine phosphotransferase.

1. The purification of creatine kinase (ATP-creatine phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.3.2) from ox brain by a method that is quicker, simpler and gives much higher yields than other published procedures is described. 2. Stoicheiometric inhibition studies with iodoacetate showed that the enzyme, like that from muscle, has two reactive thiol groups that are essential for enzyme activity. 3. The amino acid sequence around the essential thiol groups was determined and found to be virtually identical with that in creatine kinases from rabbit and ox muscle, and very similar to that found in arginine kinase; the evolutionary significance of this is discussed. 4. The identification of DNS-amino acids on thin layers of silica gel was found to have, in many cases, distinct advantages over that on polyamide layers.