Effect of anhydrous betaine and hydrochloride betaine on growth performance, meat quality, postmortem glycolysis, and antioxidant capacity of broilers.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of anhydrous betaine and hydrochloride betaine on growth performance, meat quality, relaxometry, postmortem glycolysis, and antioxidant capacity of partridge shank broiler chickens. A total of 400 one-day-old male broilers were randomly divided into 5 treatments and fed basal diets supplemented with 0 (control), 500 (L-AB) or 1,000 (H-AB) mg/kg anhydrous betaine, and 642.23 (L-HB) or 1,284.46 (H-HB) mg/kg hydrochloride betaine, respectively. Compared with the control group, anhydrous betaine supplementation significantly increased (P < 0.05) average daily gain and decreased (P < 0.05) drip loss24h in breast and thigh muscles of broilers. The H-AB group further increased (P < 0.05) breast muscle yield, pH24h, immobile water proportion (P21), the contents of crude protein and glutathione (GSH), the activities of creatine kinase (CK) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), the mRNA expressions of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), protein kinase AMP-activated non-catalytic subunit gamma 3 (PRKAG3), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) in breast muscle, and a*45min, GLUT4 mRNA expression in thigh muscle, and decreased (P < 0.05) drip loss48h, free water proportion (P22), the contents of lactate and malondialdehyde (MDA) in breast muscle. Moreover, the H-HB group significantly increased (P < 0.05) pH24h, P21 proportion, the activities of CK, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), and GPX, the content of GSH, the mRNA levels of Nrf2, HO-1, GPX, and γ-glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (γ-GCLc) in breast muscle, and the activity and mRNA expression of GPX in thigh muscle, and decreased (P < 0.05) drip loss24h, P22 proportion in breast muscle, and MDA content in breast and thigh muscles. In conclusion, anhydrous betaine showed better effects than hydrochloride betaine in improving growth performance and breast muscle yield of broilers. Moreover, anhydrous betaine (1,000 mg/kg) or equimolar hydrochloride betaine supplementation could improve meat quality by decreasing drip loss, free water proportion, and lactate content, and enhancing muscle antioxidant capacity.

[Effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid on store-operated calcium channels in coronary artery smooth muscle cells derived from diabetic rat].

Objective: To investigate the impact of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) on function and expression of store-operated calcium channels (SOCC) in coronary artery smooth muscle cells (SMC) derived from diabetic rat. Methods: A total of 180 healthy male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into normal group (N, n=45), placebo-treated diabetic group (D, n=45), lose dose n-3 PUFA treated diabetic group (DL, n=45) and high dose n-3 PUFAs treated diabetic group (DH, n=45). Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat animal model was established by two consecutive intraperitoneal injections. After modeling, rats in group DL and DH were treated with 10 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1) and 50 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1) n-3 PUFAs respectively per gavage for eight weeks. After eight weeks, rat coronary artery SMC was isolated by enzyme digestion. Changes of cytosolic calcium concentration in coronary artery SMC were examined by calcium fluorescence imaging technique, coronary artery tension was detected by myograph system, and protein expressions of SOCC on coronary artery SMC were measured by Western blot. Results: SOCC induced ΔF340/F380 of group N, D, DL and DH were 0.425±0.023, 0.838±0.037, 0.342±0.052 and 0.364±0.045 respectively, which was significantly lower in group N, DL, DH than in group D (P<0.05). SOCC induced changes of tensions were 0.94±0.09, 1.95±0.18, 1.35±0.24 and 1.01±0.18 in the group N, D, DL and DH, respectively, which was significantly lower in group N and DH than in group D (P<0.05). Protein expressions of STIM1, Orai1 and TRPC1 were significantly higher in diabetic rat coronary SMC than in group N (P<0.05). STIM1 protein expressions were significantly lower in group DL and DH than in group D, and Orai1 and TRPC1 protein expressions were similar among group. Conclusions: Coronary artery tension, cytosolic calcium concentration and protein expressions of SOCC are higher in diabetic rat coronary artery SMC when compared with normal rats. n-3 PUFA intervention could downregulate the protein expression of SOCC, reduce cytosolic calcium concentration and coronary artery tension, and is protective to the diabetic injury in coronary artery.

[Pharmacognostical identification of antelope horn(Cornu Saigae Tataricae) and its adulterants].

OBJECTIVE: To provide appropriate information and scientific basis for identifying antelope horn (Saiga tatarica) contained in traditional Chinese patent medicines, and formulate relevant quality criteria through experiments. METHOD: Conducting comparative identification of macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of antelope horn(Saige tatarica) and its adulterants (Procapra gutturosa, Pantholops hodgsoni, Ovis ammon and Capra hircus) and giving a comparative table and an indented key to the main characteristics. RESULT AND CONCLUSION: There are remarkable differences between the authentic product and adulterants in both macroscopic and microscopic characteristics.

The identification of NP25: a novel protein that is differentially expressed by neuronal subpopulations.

A novel gene encoding a 25-kDa neuronal-specific protein, here named 'NP25', has been isolated as a cDNA clone from rat brain. The sequence of the NP25 cDNA reveals a single open reading frame that encodes a primary translation product of 206 amino acids. A search of the protein sequence databank indicates that NP25 is significantly homologous with three recently discovered muscle proteins: SM22 alpha, mp20 and calponin. The gene is specifically and ubiquitously expressed in the rat brain and has conserved sequences among chicken, rat, mouse and human. Rat brain NP25 was identified by Western blot using an antiserum elicited against trpE-NP25 fusion protein. On pH gradient electrophoresis, NP25 was separated into at least two isoforms with similar molecular weights. Immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization demonstrated that NP25 was differentially expressed by neuronal subpopulations of the rat central nervous system. The highest concentration of NP25 protein was localized in central amygdaloid nuclei and glomeruli in the granule layer of cerebellum. The wide and differential distribution of NP25 in the brain suggests that it may play a particular important role in the function of specific neuronal systems.