[The efficacy and safety of domestic magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermotherapy in the treatment of recurrent high-grade glioma].

Sixteen patients with recurrent high-grade glioma who were treated by domestic magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermotherapy (MRgLITT) in the Neurosurgery Department of Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University from 1st January 2021 to 31st December 2021 were prospectively included, with 11 males and 5 females, and aged 27-74 (50±16) years. The duration of surgery, the rate of ablation after surgery, and perioperative complications were assessed. The patients were followed up every 3 months to assess survival and progression. A total of 5 WHO grade Ⅲ patients and 11 WHO grade Ⅳ patients were included. The operation time was 144 (109, 176) min, 28 targeted lesions were detected, and the ablation rate [M (Q1, Q3)] was 91.0% (87.4%, 93.3%). After surgery, 2 patients (2/16) had decreased limb muscle strength, and no perioperative death or other serious complications occurred. The median time to a complete response was 12 (5, 14) months in WHO Grade Ⅲ patients, and one died 12 months after surgery, while the median time to a complete response was 3 (1, 8) months in 11 WHO Grade Ⅳ patients, with a total of 8 deaths at the last follow-up. Therefore, domestic MRgLITT has certain efficacy and safety in the treatment of recurrent high-grade glioma, providing a new option for patients with recurrent glioma.

Effects of red cabbage extract rich in anthocyanins on rumen fermentation, rumen bacterial community, nutrient digestion, and plasma indices in beef bulls.

Dietary anthocyanins (ATH) have probiotic and antioxidant functions in humans. They may also have beneficial impacts on rumen microorganisms and subsequently nutrient digestion in cattle. The experiment aimed to study the effects of dietary red cabbage extract (RCE) rich in ATH on rumen fermentation, rumen bacterial community, and nutrient digestibility in beef bulls. Eight Simmental beef bulls and two RCE levels (0 and 120 g/d) were allocated in a replicated 2 × 2 crossover design. Each experimental period included 15 days for adaptation and subsequent 5 days for sampling. The results showed that dietary addition of RCE increased the ruminal concentration of total volatile fatty acids and the molar proportion of propionate, decreased the acetate to propionate ratio, and tended to decrease the molar proportion of acetate, but it did not affect the ruminal pH and the concentrations of ammonia N, microbial CP, monophenols, polyphenols, and total phenolics. ATH was undetectable in the ruminal fluid of beef bulls in both groups. RCE did not affect the alpha diversity of rumen bacterial community, and the relative abundances of major rumen bacteria at the phylum level, but it increased the relative abundances of Ruminobacter and Anaerovibrio and tended to increase the relative abundances of Oribacterium and Monoglobus at the genus level. RCE tended to increase the plasma concentrations of globulin and total protein, but it did not affect the plasma albumin, urea, triglyceride, glucose, and antioxidant activities. Dietary addition of RCE did not affect the apparent nutrient digestibility. In conclusion, the ATH in RCE was highly hydrolysable in rumen fluid. Dietary addition of RCE increased the ruminal concentration of total volatile fatty acids, decreased the acetate to propionate ratio, and slightly modified the rumen bacterial community, but it did not affect the nutrient digestibility and the plasma antioxidants in beef bulls.

[Safety and short-term efficacy of domestic magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermotherapy in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy].

Objective: To investigate the safety and short-term efficacy of domestic magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermotherapy (MRgLITT) in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy. Methods: Patients with drug-resistant epilepsy treated with a domestic MRgLITT system in the Department of Neurosurgery, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University from October 2020 to April 2021 were prospectively enrolled. The damage volume ratio was assessed immediately after surgery, and perioperative complications were recorded and followed up. The clinical safety and short-term efficacy were evaluated using the Engel classification. Results: A total of 22 patients were included, including 12 males and 10 females, aged from 3 to 45 years old [(24±13) years]. There were 5 cases of medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE), 3 cases of hypothalamic hamartoma (HH), 7 cases of focal cortical dysplasia (FCD), and 7 cases of other types, respectively. The mean operation time and blood loss was (173±49) min and (3.7±1.6) ml. The postoperative length of hospital stay was (5.5±1.8) days, and the average damage volume ratio was 92.6%. Among them, only 2 patients (FCD of the parietal lobe) showed transient contralateral limb weakness, without any serious complications such as symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and cerebral infarction. The follow-up time was 14 to 168 days. There were 13 Engel class Ⅰ cases (59.1%), 2 Engel class Ⅱ cases (9.1%), 2 Engel class Ⅲ cases (9.1%) and 5 Engel class Ⅳ cases (22.7%), respectively. Short-term incident-free rates were MTLE 5/5and FCD4/7, respectively. Conclusion: Domestic MRgLITT system is stable, reliable and safe in the treatment of drug-refractory epilepsy, and has better short-term efficacy in MTLE and FCD patients.

Acupuncture for menopausal symptoms in Chinese women: a systematic review.

Menopause-related symptoms are common problems of middle-aged women that can seriously affect their quality of life. Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) for climacteric symptoms is the first choice recommended by the International Menopause Society and likewise by other societies and institutions covering this field. However, non-hormonal therapies can be an alternative effective option, especially for women who are not suitable for MHT. Acupuncture is one of the most important methods. With deepening experience of the use of traditional Chinese acupuncture and moxibustion in the improvement of menopause symptoms, more clinical evidence has been obtained to support the effectiveness and safety of this treatment concept that is very often used in China. This review summarizes the evidence for effective treatment of climacteric complaints by acupuncture in recent years, shares the clinical experience of the authors of this review, all of whom head or work in units with daily large numbers of outpatients, and includes, in particular, results from studies performed in the Department of Acupuncture--Moxibustion of Tsinghua University Chuiyangliu Hospital, Beijing, China. In addition, there is a summary about the safety of acupuncture treatment in traditional Chinese medicine.

[Updates and interpretations of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines (2019 6th version) on gastrointestinal stromal tumor].

The diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is getting more and more standardized. In the last two decades, due to the elucidation of molecular mechanism of tumorigenesis, as well as the effectiveness of tyrosine kinase inhibitors, GIST has become well-known as one of the most classical models of targeted therapy on solid tumors in the precision medicine era. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) issued the latest version of clinical practice guideline on soft tissue sarcoma in February 2020. Compared with previous versions, the new version of the guideline highlighted the treatment recommendations of avapritinib, which further promoted the precise targeted treatment of GIST.

Adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas or mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether adjuvant chemotherapy is associated with improved survival in patients with resectable gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas (G-NECs) or mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas (G-MANECs). METHODS: The study included patients with G-NECs or G-MANECs who underwent surgery in one of 21 centres in China between 2004 and 2016. Propensity score matching analysis was used to reduce selection bias, and overall survival (OS) in different treatment groups was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: In total, 804 patients with resectable G-NECs or G-MANECs were included, of whom 490 (60·9 per cent) received adjuvant chemotherapy. After propensity score matching, OS in the chemotherapy group was similar to that in the no-chemotherapy group. Among patients with G-NECs, survival in the fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy group and the non-5-FU-based chemotherapy group was similar to that in the no-chemotherapy group. Similarly, etoposide plus cisplatin or irinotecan plus cisplatin was not associated with better OS in patients with G-NECs. Among patients with G-MANECs, OS in the non-5-FU-based chemotherapy group was worse than that in the no-chemotherapy group. Patients with G-MANECs did not have better OS when platinum-based chemotherapy was used. CONCLUSION: There was no survival benefit in patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy for G-NECs or G-MANECs.

ANTECEDENTES: El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar si la quimioterapia adyuvante mejoraba la supervivencia en pacientes con carcinomas gástricos resecables neuroendocrinos (gastric neuroendocrine carcinomas, G-NECs) y carcinomas adenoneuroendocrinos mixtos (mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinomas, G-MANECs). MÉTODOS: Se incluyeron pacientes con G-NECs y G-MANECs tratados quirúrgicamente en 21 centros en China entre 2004 y 2016. Se utilizó un análisis de emparejamiento por puntaje de propensión para reducir el sesgo de selección y el método de Kaplan-Meier para estimar la supervivencia global (overall survival, OS) de los pacientes en los diferentes grupos de tratamiento. RESULTADOS: En total, se incluyeron en el estudio 804 pacientes con G-NECs y G-MANECs resecables y 490 pacientes (60,9%) recibieron quimioterapia adyuvante. Después del emparejamiento por puntaje de propensión, la OS del grupo con quimioterapia fue similar a la del grupo sin quimioterapia. En los pacientes con G-NECs, la supervivencia en los grupos con quimioterapia basada en 5-FU (fluorouracilo) y de quimioterapia sin 5-FU fue similar a la del grupo sin quimioterapia. Asimismo, la combinación de etopósido y cisplatino o de irinotecán y cisplatino no se asoció con una mejor OS en pacientes con G-NECs. En pacientes con G-MANECs, la OS del grupo con quimioterapia sin 5-FU fue peor que la del grupo sin quimioterapia. Los pacientes con G-MANECs no presentaron una mejor OS cuando se administró quimioterapia basada en platinos. CONCLUSIÓN: La administración de quimioterapia adyuvante en pacientes con G-NECs y G-MANECs no mejoró la supervivencia.

Inhibition of autophagy by 3-MA promotes hypoxia-induced apoptosis in human colorectal cancer cells.

OBJECTIVE: Cell autophagy reduces the sensitivity of cancer cells to therapeutic reagents in various types of human cancer. Therefore, the aim of our study was to use human colorectal cancer HCT116 cells to explore whether inhibition of autophagy by 3-Methyladenine (3-MA, an autophagy inhibitor) is able to enhance hypoxia-induced apoptosis in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HCT116 cells were treated with 3-MA, hypoxia, or 3-MA plus hypoxia, and the autophagy, apoptosis and proliferation of the HCT116 cells were investigated. Western blot analysis was used to detect autophagy specificity protein microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3) expression. Effects on apoptosis were evaluated by using flow cytometry (JC-1 staining to measure mitochondrial membrane potential) and annexin V-propidium iodide (PI) staining. RESULTS: The results showed that the treatment of HCT116 cells in vitro with hypoxia alone increased autophagy as well as apoptosis, whereas combination treatment with 3-MA and hypoxia markedly inhibited hypoxia-induced autophagy, but increased hypoxia-induced cell apoptosis. CONCLUSIONS: Autophagy might play a role as a self-defense mechanism in hypoxia-treated colon cancer cells, and its inhibition could be a promising strategy for the adjuvant chemotherapy of colon cancer.

Aggregates of octenylsuccinate oat ß-glucan as novel capsules to stabilize curcumin over food processing, storage and digestive fluids and to enhance its bioavailability.

Self-aggregates of octenylsuccinate oat ß-glucan (AOSG) have been verified as nanocapsules to load curcumin, a representative of hydrophobic phytochemicals. This study primarily investigated the stability of curcumin-loaded AOSGs over food processing, storage and digestive fluids. Curcumin in AOSGs showed better stability over storage and thermal treatment than its free form. Curcumin loaded in AOSGs stored at 4 °C in the dark exhibited higher stability than that at higher temperatures or exposed to light. Approximately 18% of curcumin was lost after five freeze-thaw cycles. Curcumin in AOSG was more stable than its free form in mimetic intestinal fluids, attesting to the effective protection of AOSG for curcumin over digestive environments. When curcumin-loaded AOSG travelled across mimetic gastric and intestinal fluids, curcumin was tightly accommodated in the capsule, while it rapidly escaped as the capsule reached the colon. Interestingly, the curcumin loaded in AOSG generated higher values of Cmax and area under the curve than did its free counterpart. These observations showed that AOSG is a powerful vehicle for stabilizing hydrophobic phytochemicals in food processing and storage, facilitating their colon-targeted delivery and enhancing their bioavailability.

Association between advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and vascular calcification in uremic patients.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between serum advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and vascular calcification in uremic patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The general data of included subjects were collected, and the serum AOPP, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), creatinine (Cre), Urea, calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterin (LDL-C), hemoglobin (Hb) and albumin (ALB) were detected. Coronary artery computed tomography (CT) scan was performed and the coronary arterial calcification score (CACS) was calculated; the whole abdomen CT scan was performed and abdominal aortic calcification index (AACI) was calculated. SPSS l9.0 software was used for data analysis. RESULTS: The coronary artery CT and detection of serum indexes showed that AOPP in positive coronary arterial calcification group was significantly increased compared with that in negative coronary arterial calcification group (59.14 ± 14.57 vs. 37.59 ± 5.31) µmol/L. The whole abdomen CT and detection of serum indexes showed that AOPP in positive abdominal aortic calcification group was significantly increased compared with that in negative abdominal aortic calcification group (60.32 ± 15.43 vs. 39.57 ± 6.25) µmol/L. AOPP in severe calcification group was significantly higher than negative group (70.72 ± 18.18 vs. 39.57 ± 6.25) µmol/L. There were no significant differences in AOPP between hypertension and non-hypertension groups, diabetic nephropathy and non-diabetic nephropathy groups. Correlation analysis showed that AOPP of uremic patients had a significantly positive correlation with logl0[CACS+1] and had a significantly positive correlation with inferior AACI. CONCLUSIONS: AOPP in positive coronary arterial calcification group and positive abdominal aortic calcification group was higher than that in negative group and AOPP in severe calcification group was significantly higher than that in negative group. AOPP of uremic patients has a significantly positive correlation with CACS and AACI.

Effects of dietary supplementation of resveratrol on performance, egg quality, yolk cholesterol and antioxidant enzyme activity of laying hens.

1. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of resveratrol on laying performance, egg quality, egg yolk cholesterol and antioxidant enzyme activities of laying hens. 2. A total of 360 Beijing PINK-1 laying hens (60 weeks old) were randomly distributed among five dietary treatments, each of which included 6 replicates of 12 hens. Dietary treatments were basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 g/kg diet resveratrol. The study lasted for 9 weeks including 1 week of adaptation and 8 weeks of the main experimental period. 3. The results indicated that dietary resveratrol significantly improved feed conversion ratios during 5-8 weeks and 1-8 weeks of the trial. Increasing dietary concentrations of the resveratrol linearly improved Haugh unit and albumen height of eggs. 4. The content of total cholesterol (TC), total triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) in serum and cholesterol in yolk was significantly decreased by dietary resveratrol, and there were significant linear correlations between these indexes and resveratrol supplemental levels. 5. Dietary resveratrol supplementation significantly improved serum Glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) enzyme activity and decreased serum malondialdehyde (MDA) content in groups with 2.0 and 4.0 g/kg resveratrol as compared to the control, respectively. However, supplementation of resveratrol did not affect the activity of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD). 6. It is concluded that resveratrol supplementation has a positive effect on performance, lipid-related traits and antioxidant activity of laying hens.

Effects of dietary supplementing tannic acid in the ration of beef cattle on rumen fermentation, methane emission, microbial flora and nutrient digestibility.

Four adult Simmental male cattle (376 ± 9.0 kg initial BW), fitted with permanent rumen cannulas, were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design to investigate the effects of dietary supplementing tannic acid (TA) on rumen fermentation, methane (CH4 ) production, rumen microbes, nutrient digestibility and plasma biochemical parameters. Four levels of TA, that is 0, 6.5, 13.0 or 26.0 g/kg dry matter (DM), were added to the basal ration (composed of corn silage and concentrate mixture) as experimental treatments respectively. Each experimental period consisted of a 12-day adaptation phase followed by a 3-day sampling phase. The results showed that supplementing TA at 26.0 g/kg DM decreased the relative abundance of protozoa, methanogens and Ruminococcus albus to the total ruminal bacterial 16S rDNA in beef cattle (p < 0.05). The results also showed that supplementing TA at 6.5, 13.0 or 26.0 g/kg DM decreased (p < 0.01) the CH4 production (l/kg DM intake) by 11.1%, 14.7% and 33.6% respectively. Supplementing TA at 13.0 or 26.0 g/kg DM decreased the ratio of acetate to propionate and ammonia nitrogen (NH3 -N) (p < 0.05) and tended to decrease the total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration of rumen fluid (p = 0.07). Supplementing TA at 26.0 g/kg DM decreased DM and organic matter (OM) digestibility (p < 0.05), supplementing TA at 6.5, 13.0 or 26.0 g/kg DM decreased (p < 0.01) crude protein (CP) digestibility by 5.0%, 8.6% and 15.7%, respectively, and supplementing TA at 6.5, 13.0 or 26.0 g/kg DM increased (p < 0.05) the plasma total antioxidant capability. It was concluded that supplementing TA in the ration of beef cattle decreased the CH4 production and digestibility of CP of beef cattle. Supplementing TA could be an effective option to mitigate CH4 emission form cattle, further research is necessary to study the effects of TA on the performance of cattle.

Maternal obesity during pregnancy is negatively associated with maternal and neonatal iron status.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Obesity among pregnant women may adversely affect both maternal iron status throughout pregnancy and placental transfer of iron. The objective of this study was to determine the association of maternal body mass index (BMI) with (1) maternal iron status and inflammation in mid and late pregnancy, (2) the change in maternal iron status throughout pregnancy and (3) neonatal iron status. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We examined longitudinal data from 1613 participants in a pregnancy iron supplementation trial in rural China. Women with uncomplicated singleton pregnancies were enrolled in the early second trimester of pregnancy and followed through parturition. Maternal blood samples obtained at enrollment and in the third trimester and cord blood samples were analyzed for a range of hematological and iron biomarkers. RESULTS: There was a negative association between maternal BMI and iron status at enrollment (transferrin receptor (sTfR): r=0.20, P<0.001; body iron (BI): r=-0.05; P=0.03). This association was markedly stronger among obese women. Maternal BMI was positively associated with maternal inflammation (C-reactive protein: r=0.33, P<0.001). In multiple linear regression models, maternal BMI was negatively associated with neonatal iron status (cord serum ferritin: -0.01, P=0.008; BI: -0.06, P=0.006) and associated with a lower decrease in iron status throughout pregnancy (sTfR: -4.6, P<0.001; BI: 1.1, P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal obesity during pregnancy may adversely affect both maternal and neonatal iron status, potentially through inflammatory pathways.

Role of vitamin D in regulating the neural stem cells of mouse model with multiple sclerosis.

OBJECTIVE: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that results with a damaged myelin sheath as a result, there is an impairment of nerve impulse conduction. The medication for MS is able to delay its progression, but complete recovery is impossible. Recent studies with neural stem cells have promising results in treating as well as to recover the damaged nerves, but research on in vivo model system is limited in this aspect. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Here we are able to successfully establish an MS mice model by injecting with myelin basic protein and we studied the neural stem cell response in supplement with vitamin D. RESULTS: Through histology we provide strong evidence that the MS pathogenesis is reverted on response to vitamin D. We also identified through immunohistochemistry and western blotting that the vitamin D has the ability to trigger neural stem cells, and thereby it assist in recovery from MS. Further, their roles in preventing as well as delaying the MS development are also proven. The role of vitamin D has also cross checked with the help of tunnel assay. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our results conclude that the lesion associated apoptotic signals are reduced on administrated with vitamin D. The present data help to design a new therapeutic intervention to cure MS.

Influence of dietary nicotinic acid supplementation on lipid metabolism and related gene expression in two distinct broiler breeds of female chickens.

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of supplemental dietary nicotinic acid (NA) on lipid metabolism and hepatic expression of related genes in female chickens of two distinct broiler strains [Arbor Acres (AA) and Beijing-You (BJY)]. The treatments were arranged in a 2 × 4 factorial in a completely randomized design. Day-old females (n = 384) were allocated to four treatments with six cages per treatment and fed diets (basal contained approximately 25 mg NA/kg) supplemented with 0, 30, 60 and 120 mg NA/kg. A sample of 72 birds from each breed was slaughtered and sampled at their different market times (8 week for AA and 16 week for BJY). Arbor Acres broilers had thickness of subcutaneous fat plus the skin (SFS), and plasma concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) and lower percentage of abdominal fat (PAF), plasma concentrations of TG, NEFA and adiponectin than the BJY line. The hepatic transcription of apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I), apolipoproteinB (ApoB), and adiponectin was significantly higher in AA broilers than in BJY broilers. In both breeds, BW, PAF, SFS, NEFA and TG were increased with increasing supplementation from 0 to 60 mg NA/kg, but then decreased slightly with 120 mg added NA/kg. With increasing supplementation, hepatic expression and plasma concentrations of adiponectin decreased from 0 to 60 mg added NA/kg and then increased with 120 mg added NA/kg. The expression of ApoA-I and ApoB mRNA showed linear response to dietary supplementation with NA. These findings indicate that: (i) supplementation of NA influenced the lipid metabolism and related gene expression; (ii) when supplemented with 120 mg NA/kg, some pharmacologic actions on lipid metabolism appeared; and (iii) changes in BW and fat deposition appeared to be associated with hepatic expression of adiponectin.

Ginsenoside Rd attenuates mitochondrial dysfunction and sequential apoptosis after transient focal ischemia.

We previously found that ginsenoside Rd (Rd), one of the major active ingredients in Panax ginseng, protects neuronal cells from hydrogen peroxide and oxygen-glucose deprivation, an in vitro model of cerebral ischemia. In this study, we examined the protective effects of Rd in an animal model of focal cerebral ischemia. Rats administered with Rd or vehicle were subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Rd (50 mg/kg) significantly reduced the infarct volume by 52.8%. This reduction of injury volume was associated with an improvement in neurological function and was sustained for at least 2 weeks after the induction of ischemia. To evaluate the underlying mechanisms of Rd against stroke, brain tissues were assayed for mitochondrial enzyme activities, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), energy metabolites, and apoptosis. Rd markedly protected mitochondria as indicated by preserved respiratory chain complex activities and aconitase activity, lowered mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide production, and hyperpolarized MMP. Microdialysis results illustrated that Rd significantly decreased the accumulation of lactate, the end product of anaerobic glycolysis, and increased pyruvate, the end product of aerobic glycolysis, hence inducing a lower lactate/pyruvate ratio. Additionally, in vitro studies further exhibited that Rd protected isolated mitochondria from calcium-induced damage by attenuating mitochondrial swelling, preserving MMP and decreasing ROS production. Moreover, Rd treatment reduced mitochondrial release of cytochrome c (CytoC) and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), thereby minimizing mitochondria-mediated apoptosis following ischemia. In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that Rd exerts neuroprotective effects in transient focal ischemia, which may involve an integrated process of the mitochondrial protection, energy restoration and inhibition of apoptosis.

Effects of dietary vitamin E on immunological stress of layers and their offspring.

In the present study, two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of vitamin E (VE) supplementation of a commercial layer diet on the laying performance and immunological stress responses of hens and their offspring. In experiment 1, responses to increased dietary VE levels were evaluated on 180 White Leghorn layers between 20 and 35 weeks of age. There were three levels of VE in the diets (0, 40 and 100 IU/kg) and five replicates per treatment, each containing 12 hens. Results showed that the high level of VE supplementation (100 IU/kg) had a beneficial effect on feed intake and feed efficiency of hens (p < 0.05), compared with the VE-deficient or low-level group. In experiment 2, 540 female progeny from the VE-treated hens in experiment 1 were used. The experimental design consisted of three levels of VE supplementation (the same as their mothers') × 3 vaccinating routines, the first vaccination being administered on day 5, 8 or 11. All vaccines and the subsequent vaccinating intervals were identical. In the interim of the experiment, each bird was injected celiacly with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The results showed that antibody titres against Newcastle disease virus (NDV) or avian influenza virus (AIV) and the plasma concentration of interleukin (IL)-1 were increased by the high level of VE supplementation. There were significant effects of the day of initial immunization with infection bursal disease on the NDV and AIV antibody titre, H/L ratio and plasma concentration of corticosterone and IL-1 before and after injecting LPS, suggesting the occurrence of immunological stress. There was also significant interaction between VE and vaccination routine on the immune functions of experimental birds. Considered together with the results of experiment 1, VEs biological function appeared to be dose-dependent, especially with regard to its positive effect on the immune responses of young chickens.

Effect of dietary supplemental nicotinic acid on growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality in three genotypes of chicken.

The effects of dietary supplemental nicotinic acid (NA) on growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality were investigated in three genotypes of chicken. Fast-growing AA (Arbor Acres) broilers were compared with two genotypes of a slow-growing local breed, Beijing-You, that had undergone selection for and against intramuscular fat content respectively (BJY+IMF and BJY-IMF). The treatments were arranged 3×4 factorial completely randomized design. Day-old females (n=624) were allocated to four treatments with six replicates per treatment and fed diets (basal contained ~25 mg NA/kg) supplemented with 0, 30, 60 and 120 mg NA/kg. A sample of 72 birds from each genotype was slaughtered at market time (8 weeks of age for AA and 16 weeks of age for BJY). The breast muscles of AA broilers were darker, had less redness and yellowness, lower drip loss and higher shear force as compared to the BJY genotypes (p<0.01). The highest drip loss and the lowest shear force among the three genotypes were apparent in BJY+IMF (p<0.01). Increasing supplementation from 0 to 60 mg NA/kg tended to increase average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake, width of intermuscular fat band, thickness of subcutaneous fat (including skin) and percentage of abdominal fat but, for most variables, values decreased slightly with 120 mg NA/kg. Increasing supplementation to 60 mg NA/kg decreased (quadratic, p<0.001) drip loss, but it increased at 120 mg NA/kg. The present results indicate that (i) the AA broilers fed corn-soybean meal based-diets require approximately 60 mg NA/kg to maximize ADG and meat product yield and decrease the drip loss of breast muscle; (ii) the addition of 30 mg NA/kg meets the requirement of BJY genotypes; and (iii) there seems to be no beneficial effect of NA supplementation on chicken meat quality except for limiting the drip loss.

Involvement of microglial cells in infrasonic noise-induced stress via upregulated expression of corticotrophin releasing hormone type 1 receptor.

Infrasound is a kind of environmental noise and threatens the public health as a nonspecific biological stressor. Upregulated expression of corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) and its receptor CRH-R1 in the neurons of hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) was reported to be responsible for infrasonic noise-induced stress and injuries. Recent studies revealed that CRH-R1 is expressed in activated microglial cells, lending support to the hypothesis that microglial cells may be also responsible for infrasonic noise-induced stress. In this work, we exposed Sprague-Dawley rats and in vitro cultured microglial cells to infrasound with a main frequency of 16 Hz and a sound pressure level of 130 dB for 2 h, and examined the changes in the expression of CRH-R1 at different time points after infrasound exposure by immunohistochemistry and semi-quantitative RT-PCR. We found that infrasound exposure resulted in a significant activation of microglia cells and upregulated their expression of CRH-R1 in the PVN in vivo. Upregulated expression of CRH-R1 can be blocked by antalarmin, a selective CRH-R1 antagonist. Our in vitro data further revealed that in the absence of neurons, infrasound can directly induce microglial activation and upregulate their CRH-R1 expression. These findings suggest that in addition to the PVN neurons, microglial cells are the effector cells for infrasound as well, and involve in the infrasound-induced stress through upregulated expression of CRH-R1.

Effect of dietary omega6/omega3 on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality and fatty acid profiles of Beijing-you chicken.

The effects of varying the omega6 to omega3 fatty acid ratio (omega6/omega3) of diets on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality and fatty acid composition of breast muscle were investigated in Beijing-you chickens grown to 92 days. A total of 360 one-day-old female BJY chickens were fed diets containing 0%, 0.12%, 0.42%, 1.00% or 1.97% linseed oil replacing equal weights of maize oil to make dietary omega6/omega3 to be approximately 30:1, 20:1, 10:1, 5:1 and 2.5:1. Subcutaneous fat thickness and intramuscular fat content increased significantly in birds fed up to 10:1 omega6/omega3. a* values (redness of meat, dimension of the CIELAB-system) progressively increased as the diets contained increasing omega3 content, up to the 10:1 omega6/omega3.The changes in b* (yellowness of meat, dimensions of the CIELAB-system) were also significant but the pattern was almost the reverse of changes in a*. Shear force increased significantly as dietary omega6/omega3 was reduced from 30:1 to 5:1. Decreasing the dietary omega6/omega3 clearly decreased the content in breast muscle of C20:1 and C22:1, but increased that of C24:1. C20:4, C20:5 and C22:5, increased significantly by decreasing the dietary omega6/omega3, and the birds fed the 10:1 diet had higher contents of C22:6 than other treatments. This study has clearly demonstrated that decreasing the dietary omega6/omega3, increases the deposition of desirable omega3 and omega6 long chain PUFA in the edible tissue, thereby achieving nutritionally enriched meat.

Influence of dietary vitamin E supplementation on meat quality traits and gene expression related to lipid metabolism in the Beijing-you chicken.

1. The effects of dietary vitamin E (DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) on carcase and meat quality, oxidative stability, fatty acid composition of muscle lipids, and gene expression related to lipid metabolism were studied in Beijing-you chickens. 2. A total of 360 female birds were distributed among 6 treatments, containing 6 replicates, each of 10 birds. The feed for each treatment was supplemented with vitamin E (0, 10, 50, 100, 150, or 200 mg/kg feed). At 120 d, 30 birds from each treatment were slaughtered to examine the effect of dietary vitamin E supplementation on evaluated traits. 3. The results showed that supplemental vitamin E in diet significantly increased alpha-tocopherol contents of breast and thigh muscles, reduced the drip loss and improved tenderness but did not influence carcase yield, meat colour or pH value 24 h after slaughter. 4. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) values decreased with increase in dietary vitamin E, and the addition of 100 mg/kg or more vitamin E had a beneficial effect on oxidative stability as indicated by TBARS values during storage up to 7 d. 5. Dietary vitamin E supplementation significantly altered fatty acid composition of breast muscle. Supplementing with 200 mg/kg vitamin E led to lower saturated fatty acids and greater polyunsaturated fatty acids proportions in breast muscle than control and 10 mg/kg vitamin E treatments. 6. Vitamin E supplementation significantly inhibited expression of the cytosolic phospholipase A(2) gene (cPLA(2)) in breast muscle, while enhancing that of the peroxisome proliterator-activated receptor beta (PPAP-beta) and heart fatty acid binding protein genes (H-FABP). The results indicate that dietary supplementation with vitamin E increased lipid stability in muscle and improved meat quality and fatty acid composition, probably by its influence on the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism.