Subcutaneous lysophosphatidylcholine administration promotes a febrile and immune response in Holstein heifer calves.

Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) is immunomodulatory in nonruminants; however, the actions of LPC on immunity in cattle are undefined. Our objective was to study the effects of LPC administration on measures of immunity, liver health, and growth in calves. Healthy Holstein heifer calves (n = 46; age 7 ± 3 d) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments (n = 10 to 11 calves/treatment): a milk replacer diet unsupplemented with lecithin in the absence (CON) or presence of subcutaneously (s.c.) administered mixed (mLPC; 69% LPC-16:0, 25% LPC-18:0, 6% other) or pure LPC (pLPC; 99% LPC-18:0), or a milk replacer diet supplemented with 3% lecithin enriched in lysophospholipids containing LPC in the absence of s.c.-administered LPC (LYSO) for 5 wk. Calves received 5 s.c. injections of vehicle (10 mL of phosphate-buffered saline containing 20 mg of bovine serum albumin/mL; CON and LYSO) or vehicle containing mLPC or pLPC to provide 10 mg of total LPC per kilogram of BW per injection every 12 h during wk 2 of life. Calves were fed a milk replacer containing 27% crude protein and 24% fat at 1.75% of BW per day (dry matter basis) until wk 6 of life (start of weaning). Starter grain and water were provided ad libitum. Body measurements were recorded weekly, and clinical observations were recorded daily. Blood samples were collected weekly before morning feeding and at 0, 5, and 10 h, relative to the final s.c. injection of vehicle or LPC. Data were analyzed using a mixed model, with repeated measures including fixed effects of treatment, time, and their interaction. Dunnett's test was used to compare treatments to CON. Peak rectal temperatures were higher in mLPC or pLPC, relative to CON. Plasma LPC concentrations were greater in mLPC and LYSO calves 5 h and 10 h after the final injection, relative to CON. Calves receiving mLPC and pLPC also had higher circulating serum amyloid A concentrations, relative to CON. Calves receiving mLPC had greater serum aspartate aminotransferase, γ-glutamyltransferase, and glutamate dehydrogenase concentrations, relative to CON. Calves provided mLPC experienced lower average daily gain (ADG) after weaning, relative to CON. The LYSO treatment did not modify rectal temperatures, ADG, or measures of liver health, relative to CON. We conclude that LPC administered as s.c. injections induced an acute febrile response, modified measures of liver and immune function, and impaired growth in calves.

Replacing ground corn with soyhulls plus palmitic acid in low metabolizable protein diets with or without rumen-protected amino acids: Effects on production and nutrient utilization in dairy cows.

We previously observed that diets with reduced starch concentration decreased yields of milk and milk protein in dairy cows fed low metabolizable protein diets. Supplementation of reduced-starch diets with a lipid source may attenuate or eliminate production losses. Our objective was to investigate the effects of partially replacing ground corn with soyhulls plus a palmitic acid-enriched supplement on dry matter (DM) intake, milk yield and composition, plasma AA concentration, and N and energy utilization in cows fed low metabolizable protein diets (mean = -68 g/d balance) with or without rumen-protected Met, Lys, and His (RP-MLH). Sixteen multiparous Holstein cows averaging (mean ± standard deviation) 112 ± 28 d in milk, 724 ± 44 kg of body weight, and 46 ± 5 kg/d of milk in the beginning of the study were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Each period lasted 21 d, consisting of 14 d for diet adaptation and 7 d for data and sample collection. Diets were fed as follows: (1) high starch (HS), (2) HS plus RP-MLH (HS+AA), (3) reduced starch plus a palmitic acid-enriched supplement (RSPA), and (4) RSPA plus RP-MLH (RSPA+AA). The HS diet contained (DM basis) 26% ground corn and 7% soyhulls, and the RSPA diet had 10% ground corn, 22% soyhulls, and 1.5% palmitic acid. The HS diet averaged (DM basis) 32.6% starch and 4% ether extract, while starch and ether extract concentrations of the RSPA diet were 21.7 and 5.9%, respectively. All 4 diets had (DM basis) 40% corn silage, 5% mixed-mostly grass haylage, 5% grass hay, and 50% concentrate. Diets did not affect DM intake and milk yield. Contrarily, feeding RSPA and RSPA+AA increased yields of energy-corrected milk (47.0 vs. 44.8 kg/d) and milk fat (1.65 vs. 1.50 kg/d) compared with HS and HS+AA. Milk fat concentration tended to decrease when RP-MLH was supplemented to HS, but no change was seen when added to RS (starch level × RP-MLH interaction). Milk and plasma urea N increased, and milk N efficiency decreased in cows fed RSPA and RSPA+AA versus HS and HS+AA. Apparent total-tract digestibilites of crude protein and neutral detergent fiber, as well as urinary urea N and total N excretion, were greater in cows offered RSPA and RSPA+AA than HS and HS+AA. Plasma Met and His concentrations increased with supplemental RP-MLH. Intake of gross energy and digestible energy and the output of urinary and milk energy were all greater with feeding RSPA and RSPA+AA versus HS and HS+AA. In summary, partially replacing ground corn with soyhulls plus palmitic acid in diets supplemented or not with RP-MLH increased milk fat yield and fiber digestibility and maintained DM intake and milk yield, but with decreased milk N efficiency and elevated urinary N excretion.

Effects of acupuncture and pelvic floor muscle training on bladder dysfunction after spinal cord injury: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to systematically review and quantify the association between acupuncture and pelvic floor muscle exercise and bladder dysfunction rehabilitation in individuals with spinal nerve injury. METHODS: A meta-analysis was conducted using an evidence-based nursing analysis method based on clinical evidence. China National Knowledge Infrastructure, PubMed, VIP database, Wan Fang database, Cochrane Library, and other databases were searched by computer from January 1, 2000 to January 1, 2021. The literature was searched for clinical randomized controlled trials on acupuncture stimulation, pelvic floor muscle function training, and bladder function recovery training after spinal cord nerve injury. Two reviewers independently used The Cochrane Collaboration recommended randomized controlled trial risk of bias assessment tool to evaluate the quality of the literature. Then, the meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: A total of 20 studies were included, with a total sample size of 1468 cases, including 734 patients in the control group and 734 patients in the experimental group. The results of our meta-analysis showed that acupuncture treatment [OR = 3.98, 95% CI (2.77, 5.72), Z = 7.49, P < .001] and pelvic floor muscle treatment [OR = 7.63, 95% CI (4.47, 13.04), Z = 7.45, P < .001] was statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture and pelvic floor muscle exercise are effective intervention and treatment methods, which have obvious effects on rehabilitation treatment of bladder dysfunction after spinal nerve injury.

Toxicological evaluation of brominated vegetable oil in Sprague Dawley rats.

Brominated vegetable oil (BVO) has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on an interim basis as a food additive. Past studies have raised concerns about potential toxicities from consuming BVO. To investigate further these toxicities, we conducted a 90-day dietary exposure study in Sprague Dawley rats and analyzed tissue distribution of the main metabolites. Six-week-old male and female rats were fed diets containing 0 (control), 0.002%, 0.02%, 0.1%, or 0.5% BVO by weight. Statistically significant increases were observed in the serum bromide in the high-dose group of both sexes and in the incidence of thyroid follicular cell hypertrophy in the two highest dose groups of males and the high-dose group of females. An increase in serum TSH was observed in the high-dose group for both sexes, as well as a decrease in serum T4 in the high-dose males. A clear dose-response was observed in di- and tetra-bromostearic acid levels in the heart, liver, and inguinal fat. These data expand upon previous observations in rats and pigs that oral exposure to BVO is associated with increased tissue levels of inorganic and organic bromine, and that the thyroid is a potential target organ of toxicity.

Dietary starch level and rumen-protected methionine, lysine, and histidine: Effects on milk yield, nitrogen, and energy utilization in dairy cows fed diets low in metabolizable protein.

Our objective was to investigate the interactions between starch level and rumen-protected Met, Lys, His (RP-MLH) on milk yield, plasma AA concentration, and nutrient utilization in dairy cows fed low metabolizable protein diets (mean = -119 g/d of metabolizable protein balance). Sixteen multiparous Holstein cows (138 ± 46 d in milk, 46 ± 6 kg/d in milk) were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Each period lasted 21 d with 14 d for diet adaptation and 7 d for data and sample collection. Dietary starch level varied by replacing (dry matter basis) pelleted beet pulp and soyhulls with ground corn resulting in the following treatments: (1) 20% pelleted beet pulp and 10% soyhulls (reduced starch = RS), (2) RS plus RP-MLH (RS+AA), (3) 30% ground corn (high starch = HS), and (4) HS plus RP-MLH (HS+AA). Dietary starch concentrations averaged 12.3 and 34.4% for RS and HS basal diets, respectively. Diets were supplemented with RP-MLH products to supply digestible Met, Lys, and His. Compared with RS and RS+AA diets, HS and HS+AA diets increased yields of milk (37.9 vs. 40.1 kg/d) and milk protein (1.07 vs. 1.16 kg/d) and decreased dry matter intake (25.9 vs. 25.2 kg/d), milk urea N (12.6 vs. 11.0 mg/dL), and plasma urea N (13.3 vs. 11.6 mg/dL). Milk N efficiency was greater in cows fed the HS and HS+AA than RS and RS+AA diets (28.9 vs. 25%), and RP-MLH supplementation improved milk true protein concentration. Starch level × RP-MLH interactions were observed for plasma concentrations of Arg and Lys, with RP-MLH being more effective to increase plasma Arg (+16%) and Lys (+23%) when supplemented to the RS than the HS basal diet. Replacing pelleted beet pulp and soyhulls with ground corn lowered the plasma concentrations of all essential AA except Met and Thr. In addition, the plasma concentrations of His and Met increased with RP-MLH. The apparent total-tract digestibilities of neutral and acid detergent fiber were lower, and those of starch and ether extract greater in cows offered the HS and HS+AA diets than RS and RS+AA diets. Urinary excretion of urea N decreased by replacing pelleted beet pulp and soyhulls with ground corn. Enteric CH4 production, CH4 yield, and CH4 intensity all decreased in the HS and HS+AA versus RS and RS+AA diets. Diets did not affect the intakes of gross energy, metabolizable energy, and net energy of lactation. In contrast, digestible energy intake increased with feeding the RS and RS+AA diets, whereas CH4 energy decreased in cows fed the HS and HS+AA diets. Supplementation with RP-MLH had no effect on energy utilization variables. Overall, the lack of interactions between dietary starch level and RP-MLH supplementation on most variables measured herein showed that the effects of starch intake and RP-MLH were independent or additive.

Incremental amounts of rumen-protected histidine increase plasma and muscle histidine concentrations and milk protein yield in dairy cows fed a metabolizable protein-deficient diet.

The dairy industry can benefit from low crude protein (CP) diets due to reduced N excretion, but shortages of Met, Lys, and His may limit milk protein synthesis. We studied the effect of incremental amounts of rumen-protected (RP)-His on plasma and muscle AA profile, nutrient utilization, and yields of milk and milk true protein in dairy cows. Eight multiparous Holstein cows (130 ± 30 d in milk) were randomly assigned to treatment sequences in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with 28-d experimental periods. Treatments included a basal diet composed (dry matter basis) of 50% corn silage, 15% haylage, and 35% concentrate supplemented with 0, 82, 164, and 246 g/d of RP-His and 11 g/d of RP-Met. Milk, plasma, and muscle samples were collected weekly or every other week during all 4 periods, whereas spot urine and fecal grab samples were taken only in wk 4 of each period. Data were analyzed individually by week using linear, quadratic, and cubic orthogonal polynomials and repeated measures. Plasma His increased linearly with RP-His during wk 1 (30.3 to 57.2 µM) to wk 4 (33.2 to 63.1 µM). Plasma carnosine increased linearly with supplemental RP-His except in wk 2. No treatment effect was observed for plasma 3-methylhistidine except a quadratic effect in wk 3. Inclusion of RP-His showed linear effects on muscle His in wk 2 (20.1 to 32.5 µM) and 4 (20.3 to 35.5 µM). Whereas muscle anserine and carnosine concentrations were not affected by treatments in wk 4, anserine responded quadratically and carnosine showed a trend for a quadratic response to RP-His in wk 2. During wk 4, treatments did not affect urinary excretion of total purine derivatives, as well as dry matter intake and milk concentrations of fat and true protein. In contrast, milk yield tended to increase linearly (31.2 to 32.7 kg/d) and milk true protein yield responded linearly (0.93 to 0.98 kg/d) and tended to increase quadratically to RP-His supplementation in wk 4. Also, milk urea-N (11.7 to 12.9 mg/dL) and urinary excretion of urea-N (23.7 to 27.0% of N intake) increased linearly with feeding RP-His in wk 4. Overall, RP-His was effective to enhance plasma and muscle concentrations of His and milk protein synthesis. Elevated milk urea-N and urinary excretion of urea-N suggest that plasma His may have exceeded the requirement with excess N converted to urea in the liver. Future research is needed to determine the bioavailability of RP-His supplements to improve the accuracy of diet formulation for AA.

Methyl donor supplementation suppresses the progression of liver lipid accumulation while modifying the plasma triacylglycerol lipidome in periparturient Holstein dairy cows.

Co-supplementation of methyl donors may lower hepatic lipid content in transition cows. To define the ability of methyl donor supplementation (MDS) to reduce hepatic lipid content and modify the plasma lipidome, 30 multiparous Holstein cows (2.04 ± 0.69 lactations; 689 ± 58 kg of body weight; 3.48 ± 0.10 units of body condition score) were fed a ration with or without rumen-protected methyl donors (22 g/d of Met, 10 g/d of choline chloride, 3 g/d of betaine, 96 mg/d of riboflavin, and 1.4 mg/d of vitamin B12) from d -28 before expected calving through d 14 postpartum. Cows were randomly enrolled based on predefined selection criteria (body condition score and parity). Base diets without MDS were formulated for gestation (15.4% crude protein with a predicted Lys-to-Met ratio of 3.25; 1.44 Mcal of net energy for lactation/kg of dry matter) and lactation (16.6% crude protein with a predicted Lys-to-Met ratio of 3.36; 1.64 Mcal of net energy for lactation/kg of dry matter). Blood sampling occurred from d -28 relative to expected calving through d 14 postpartum. Liver tissue was biopsied at d -28 relative to expected calving and on d 5 and 14 postpartum. In addition to routine analyses, serum AA concentrations on d 10 and 12 were quantified using mass spectrometry. Plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) and cholesteryl esters (CE) were qualitatively measured using time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Data were analyzed using a mixed model with repeated measures. Dry matter intake and milk yield were not modified by MDS. The transition from d -28 relative to expected parturition to d 14 postpartum was characterized by increased plasma fatty acid (0.15 to 0.71 mmol/L) and ß-hydroxybutyrate (0.34 to 0.43 mmol/L) levels and liver lipid content (3.91 to 9.16%). Methyl donor supplementation increased the serum Met level by 26% and decreased the serum Lys-to-Met ratio by 21% on d 10 and 12, respectively. Moreover, the increase in hepatic lipid content from d 5 through 14 postpartum was suppressed with MDS relative to control (3.57 vs. -0.29%). Dietary MDS modified the TAG and CE lipidome. For example, MDS increased plasma TAG 46:3 (carbon number:double bond) by 116% relative to control cows on d 5 postpartum. Moreover, MDS tended to increase plasma CE 34:6. In contrast, MDS lowered plasma TAG 54:8 by 39% relative to control cows on d 5 postpartum. We concluded that in the absence of gains in dry matter intake and milk and milk protein yields, dietary MDS slows the progression of hepatic lipid accumulation and modifies the plasma TAG lipidome in transition cows.

Identifying Corticothalamic Network Epicenters in Patients with Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Corticothalamic networks are considered core pathologic substrates for idiopathic generalized epilepsy; however, the predominant epileptogenic epicenters within these networks are still largely unknown. The current study aims to identify these epicenters by resting-state functional connectivity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To identify epicenters within the corticothalamic networks in idiopathic generalized epilepsy, we retrospectively studied a large cohort of patients with this condition (n = 97) along with healthy controls (n = 123) by resting-state functional MR imaging. The thalamus was functionally divided into subregions corresponding to distinct cortical lobes for 5 parallel corticothalamic networks. The functional connectivity between each voxel in the cortical lobe and the corresponding thalamic subregion was calculated, and functional connectivity strength was used to evaluate the interconnectivity of voxels in the cortex and thalamus. RESULTS: The projection of 5 cortical lobes to the thalamus is consistent with previous histologic findings in humans. Compared with controls, patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy showed increased functional connectivity strength in 4 corticothalamic networks: 1) the supplementary motor area, pulvinar, and ventral anterior nucleus in the prefrontal-thalamic network; 2) the premotor cortex and ventrolateral nucleus in motor/premotor-thalamic networks; 3) the visual cortex, posterior default mode regions, and pulvinar in parietal/occipital-thalamic networks; and 4) the middle temporal gyrus in the temporal-thalamic network. CONCLUSIONS: Several key nodes were distinguished in 4 corticothalamic networks. The identification of these epicenters refines the corticothalamic network theory and provides insight into the pathophysiology of idiopathic generalized epilepsy.

[Study on pharmacokinetic characteristics of tetramethylpyrazine and hemodynamics of heart blood stasis in dogs].

"Blood stasis syndrome pharmacokinetics" means the pathophysiological state of blood stasis syndrome affectes significantly the pharmacokinetic parameters. In order to provide scientific evidence for the new hypothesis, the authors studied the hemodynamic changes induced by quantitative coronary artery stenosis and pharmacokinetics of tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) in dog model with heart blood stasis (HBS) and in normal dog (for control) simultaneously. Compared with healthy dog, serum TMP concentration, drug concentration time, area under curve (AUC) and t1/2 beta in HBS dog were increased significantly (P < 0.01). The mechanism might be related with the abnormal changes in hemodynamics (indude decrease in cardiac output, left ventricular systolic pressure and coronary blood flow, etc.) caused by coronary artery stenosis.

Effects of tetramethylpyrazine phosphate and sodium ferulate alone or in combination on hemodynamics in anesthetized dog.

Hemodynamic actions of intravenous (iv) administration of tetramethylpyrazine phosphate (TMPP) and sodium ferulate (SF) alone or in combination were studied in anesthetized dogs. When given alone, TMPP increased left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), peak positive first derivative of left ventricular pressure (+LVdp/dt), coronary blood flow (CBF) and heart rate (HR) while decreasing mean aortic pressure (mAoP). SF alone did not produce any significant hemodynamic changes. When the two were administered in combination, SF antagonized dose-dependently the hemodynamic actions of TMPP. Results of this study did not support the efficacy of combined treatment of Ligusticum wallichi and Angelica root, which contain TMPP and SF respectively.

Effects of Panax ginseng root on the vertical and horizontal motor activities and on brain monoamine-related substances in mice.

Effects of the Panax ginseng root (PGR) on spontaneous motor activity (vertical and horizontal motor activities), and on monoamine-related substances (tyrosine, DA, DOPAC, 3-MT, HVA, NE, MHPG, tryptophan, 5-HT, and 5-HIAA) in discrete brain areas (cerebral cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, corpus striatum, limbic lobe, midbrain, cerebellum, and medulla oblongata) of ddY male mice (weighing 18-22 g) were examined using an infrared photo-cell counter and HPLC with electrochemical detection. PGR (100 mg/kg) was orally administered, twice a day, for 2 successive weeks (2W-group) or 7 successive weeks (7W-group). Vertical and horizontal motor activities increased significantly in the 7W-group but not in the 2W-group when compared to those of the control group. As to brain monoamine-related substances, the metabolism of DA and NE in the cerebral cortex and of 5-HT in the corpus striatum and cerebellum in the 2W-group were facilitated, while metabolism of DA in the corpus striatum and of 5-HT in the hypothalamus and midbrain were inhibited. In the 7W-group, except for a facilitated metabolism of 5-HT in the cerebellum, metabolism of DA, NE and 5-HT in all discrete brain areas were inhibited. These results show that PGR exerts an influence on the CNS.

[Studies on the chemical constituents of Schizonepeta mulifida (L.) Briq].

Four acidic constituents have been isolated from the spikes of Schizonepeta mulifida. They were identified as docosanoic acid, tetracosanic acid, succinic acid and deoxyoleanolic acid by physico-chemical constants and spectroscopic analysis. They were isolated for the first time from Schizonepeta.