Effects of dietary lysine levels on the concentrations of selected nutrient metabolites in blood plasma of late-stage finishing pigs.

Lysine is the first-limiting amino acid (AA) in typical swine diets and plays very important roles in promoting growth performance of pigs. This research was conducted to study the effects of dietary lysine on blood plasma concentrations of protein, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolites of pigs. Eighteen crossbred finishing pigs (nine barrows and nine gilts; initial BW 92.3 ± 6.9 kg) were individually penned in an environment controlled barn. Pigs were assigned to three dietary treatments according to a randomized complete block design with gender as block and pig as experimental unit (6 pigs/treatment). Three corn and soybean meal-based diets were formulated to contain total lysine at 0.43%, 0.71%, and 0.98% (as-fed basis) for Diets I (lysine deficient), II (lysine adequate), and III (lysine excess) respectively. After 4 weeks on trial, jugular vein blood was collected and plasma was separated. The plasma concentrations of total protein, albumin, urea nitrogen (UN), triglyceride, total cholesterol, and glucose were determined using an ACE Clinical Chemistry System (Alfa Wassermann, Inc., West Caldwell, NJ, USA). Data were analysed using the GLM Procedure with PDIFF (adjust = T) option of SAS. No differences (p > 0.10) were found between barrows and gilts for any of the metabolites measured. While there were no differences (p > 0.10) between pigs fed Diets II and III in plasma concentrations of UN, albumin, and total cholesterol, the concentration of albumin in these pigs was higher (p < .05) than that of pigs fed Diet I, and the concentrations of UN and total cholesterol in these pigs were lower (p < .05) than that of pigs fed Diet I. There were no differences (p > 0.10) among the three dietary treatments in plasma concentrations of total protein, triglycerides, and glucose. These findings indicated that the plasma metabolite profile can be affected by changing dietary lysine content only. Thorough understanding how the plasma metabolite profile is alternated by dietary lysine will facilitate nutrient management for more sustainable swine production.

Mineral induction by immobilized polyanionic proteins.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the mineral induction capacity in vitro of polyanionic proteins covalently bound to a surface. Rat dentin gamma-carboxyglutamate-containing protein of the osteocalcin type (Gla-protein), proteoglycan (PG), and phosphoprotein (PP-H), as well as phosvitin (PhV) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), were covalently linked to agarose beads. There were incubated at 37 degrees C in solutions with a Ca/P molar ratio of 1.67, [Ca][P] molar products in the range 1.0-1.8 mM2, and an ionic strength of 0.165. The incubations were performed at constant pH and composition conditions; no spontaneous precipitation occurred under these conditions. Mineral formation, as monitored by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), was induced by all immobilized polyanions, including enzymatically dephosphorylated PP-H and PhV. No mineral was induced by BSA. The mineral inductive capacity of immobilized polyanionic proteins, as judged by the SEM after identical incubations, was found to differ between the different ligands. The mineral induced by PP-H and PG was shown by X-ray diffraction to be apatitic. It was concluded that, although polyanionic proteins in solution may inhibit mineral induction and growth, very minute quantities of such molecules, when immobilized on a surface, induce mineral at physiological concentrations of calcium and phosphate ions. The data presented may be taken to suggest that PP-H and PG, and perhaps other polyanions, may possibly be responsible for mineral nucleation in dentin and bone. The results, however, also point to the rather limited specificity in this type of reaction.

The Ca, Pi, F, and proline content of developing bovine enamel under GBHA-stained and unstained bands.

The surface enamel of fetal bovine teeth was stained with GBHA to indicate the position of bands of smooth-ended and ruffle-ended ameloblasts relative to the developing enamel. The boundaries of the bands were scored, under a dissecting microscope, and the bulk enamel under each band was collected. The enamel samples were assayed for Ca, Pi, F, and proline. The amount of Ca and Pi in the enamel increased in successive bands and seemed unrelated to the overlying ameloblast cell type. The loss of proline seemed unrelated to cell type. The fluoride content of enamel increased by approximately 50% in the first stained band immediately adjacent to the secretory zone. The F level returned to secretory values in the succeeding unstained band. Thus, only changes in the F level of developing enamel appeared to be related to GBHA staining patterns.

The effects of chronic high fluoride levels on forming enamel in the rat.

Sixty-gramme rats were given either 0, 75, 100 or 150 parts/10(6) fluoride in their drinking water. After five weeks, the fluoride, the phosphorus and the protein contents of the enamel were compared in control and experimental animals at three stages of enamel development. The mineral content was reduced in pigmented enamel from animals given 75 parts/10(6) or more fluoride in their drinking water. The fluoride content was elevated in all stages of fluorosed enamel development. At the lowest fluoride level (75 parts/10(6], a larger proline content was found in the proteins of the maturing, fluorosed enamel but there was no increase in the protein content. In animals given 100 parts/10(6) fluoride in their drinking water, the proline content of the protein was greater in maturing, fluorosed enamel, and the total protein content of the post-secretory enamel (maturing and pigmented) was greater than in the controls. These observations indicate that, with increasing levels of fluoride in drinking water, there was an initial delay in the loss of the amelogenin proteins followed by a decreased removal of total protein from the enamel. These results indicate that fluoride interfered with the normal post-secretory, pre-eruptive development of enamel.