Effects of alkaline mineral complex supplementation on production performance, serum variables, and liver transcriptome in calves.

Calf diarrhea causes huge economic losses to livestock due to its high incidence and mortality rates. Alkaline mineral complex water is an alkaline solution containing silicon, sodium, potassium, zinc, and germanium, and has biological benefits and therapeutic effects. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of alkaline mineral complex water supplementation on the health of calves and to investigate the effect of Alkaline mineral complex water supplementation on neonatal calf serum variables and the liver transcriptome. Sixty Holstein calves (age 1.88 ± 0.85 days, weight 36.63 ± 3.34 kg) were selected and randomly divided into two groups: the T group (treatment group with alkaline mineral complex water supplemented during the experiment) and C group (control group without alkaline mineral complex water supplementation). Alkaline mineral complex water supplementation significantly increased the body weight for calves aged 60 d and average daily gain during the experimental period (1-60 d). In addition, Alkaline mineral complex water supplementation could significantly decrease the diarrhea rate for calves aged 16-30 d, enhance the T-AOC, IgG, IGF-1, and IGFBP-2 in concentrations. The results of KEGG enrichment analysis in transcriptomics indicate that Alkaline mineral complex water supplementation inhibited the target IL-1B gene of the NF-kappa B signaling pathway of liver. Alkaline mineral complex water supplementation decreased calf diarrhea and improved partial immune function, anti-inflammatory activity, antioxidant capacity, and health of calves. Alkaline mineral complex is a candidate to replace medicated feed additives. Alkaline mineral complex waterAlkaline mineral complex waterAlkaline mineral complex waterAlkaline mineral complex waterAlkaline mineral complex waterAlkaline mineral complex waterAlkaline mineral complex water.

Effect of Supplementing Different Levels of L-Glutamine on Holstein Calves during Weaning.

Weaning stress affects the health and performance of calves. L-glutamine (L-Gln) is commonly used as a functional antioxidant and energy supplement in the body. However, dietary L-Gln supplementation improving weaning stress of calves is unclear. Thus, we aimed to explore the effects of L-Gln (provided by rumen-protected L-Gln) on calves during weaning. Seventy-five Holstein calves (54.0 ± 2.68 kg; 42 ± 2.1 d of age) were assigned to five groups: no supplementation and L-Gln with 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% dry matter daily intake (DMI) supplementation groups, respectively. The experiment lasted for 28 days (42-70 d of age of calves), and the calves were weaned at 15 d of experiment. DMI and body weekly weight of all calves were recorded. Blood samples of nine healthy calves with similar body weight were collected from each group at 0, 7, 14, 16, 18, 21, and 28 d of experiment for detecting serum L-Gln, glucose, insulin, urea nitrogen, D-lactate, cortisol, haptoglobin, interleukin-8, immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgA, IgM, total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and malondialdehyde. At the end of the experiment, six healthy calves with similar body weight from each group were selected for slaughter and morphological analysis of small intestine tissue. The results showed that the L-Gln supplementation in the diets improved the negative effects of sudden weaning in calves. Furthermore, compared to the higher-level L-Gln supple-mentation (3 and 4% of DMI) groups, the dietary lower-level L-Gln supplementation (1 and 2% of DMI) had higher average daily gain, glutathione peroxidase and IgG concentration, and villus height/crypt depth of the duodenum and jejunum, as well as lower cortisol, haptoglobin, and interleukin-8 concentration of weaned calves. These results provided effective reference for relieving the negative effects of calves during weaning.

The crucial role of lysine in the hepatic metabolism of growing Holstein dairy heifers as revealed by LC-MS-based untargeted metabolomics.

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of supplementing rumen-protected Lys based on a Lys-deficient diet on liver metabolism in growing Holstein heifers. The experiment was conducted for 3 months with 36 Holstein heifers (initial body weight: 200 ± 9.0 kg; 7-month-old). Heifers were randomly assigned to 2 diets based on corn, soybean meal, alfalfa hay, and wheat bran: control, Lys-deficient diet (LD; 0.66% Lys in diet), and Lys-adequate diet (LA; 1.00% Lys in diet). The results showed no difference in growth performance between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). However, there was a clear trend of increasing feed conversion rate with Lys supplementation (0.05 < P < 0.01). The serum urea nitrogen concentration was significantly decreased, and the aspartate aminotransferase-to-alanine aminotransferase ratio was significantly decreased by Lys supplementation (P < 0.05). Moreover, growing heifers fed a Lys-adequate diet had lower levels of urine nitrogen excretion and higher levels of the biological value of nitrogen (P < 0.05). Metabolomic analysis revealed that 5 types of phosphatidylcholine and 3 types of ceramide were significantly increased and enriched in sphingolipid metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism (P < 0.05). His, Leu, and Asp levels were significantly decreased in the liver following Lys supplementation (P < 0.05). In conclusion, Lys supplementation may promote the synthesis of body tissue proteins, as evidenced by significantly decreased amino acids in the liver and urine N excretion, it also improves hepatic lipid metabolism by providing lipoprotein precursors.

Effects of dietary rumen-protected Lys levels on rumen fermentation and bacterial community composition in Holstein heifers.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of partial reducing rumen-protected Lys (RPLys) on rumen fermentation and microbial composition in heifers. Three ruminal fistulated Holstein Friesian bulls were used to determine the effective degradability of RPLys using an in situ method at incubation times of 0, 2, 6, 12, 16, 24, 36, and 48 h. Thereafter, 36 Holstein heifers at 90 days of age were assigned to one of two dietary treatments: a theoretically balanced amino acid diet (PC group; 1.21% Lys, 0.4% Met) or a 30% Lys-reduced diet (PCLys group, 0.85% Lys, 0.4% Met). Rumen fluid samples from five heifers in each group were extracted using esophageal tubing on day 90 to determine pH, microprotein, ammonia, volatile fatty acids, and microbial communities. Results showed that the effective ruminal degradability was 25.76%. Furthermore, differences in rumen fermentation parameters and alpha diversity of the microbiota between the two groups were not significant, but beta diversity was significant. Based upon relative abundance analysis, short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria, including Sharpea, Syntrophococcus, [Ruminococcus]_gauvreauii_group, Acetitomaculum, and [Eubacterium]_nadotum_group belonging to Firmicutes, were significantly decreased in the PCLys group. Spearman's analysis revealed a positive correlation between the butyrate molar proportion and the relative abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria such as [Eubacterium]_nadotum_group, Coprococcus_1, Ruminococcaceae_UCG_013, Pseudoramibacter, and Lachnospiraceae_UCG_010. Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States analysis further validated that RPLys deduction influenced energy metabolism. Together, our findings highlight the role of RPLys or Lys in butyrate-producing bacteria. However, the number of bacteria affected by Lys was very limited and insufficient to alter rumen fermentation. Key Points • Reducing 30% Lys via rumen-protected Lys did not affect rumen fermentation parameters and alpha diversity of microbiota of Holstein heifers. It meant that the ruminal fermentation pattern was not changed. • Reducing 30% Lys via rumen-protected lysine significantly decreased relative abundance of short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria belonging to Firmicutes. • Functions of microorganisms were changed by reducing 30% Lys via rumen-protected Lys, especially amino acid metabolism. It may affect the amino acid composition of microprotein.

The Limiting Sequence and Appropriate Amino Acid Ratio of Lysine, Methionine, and Threonine for Seven- to Nine-Month-Old Holstein Heifers Fed Corn-Soybean M-Based Diet.

An "Amino acid (AA) partial deletion method" was used in this experiment to study the limiting sequences and appropriate ratio of lysine (Lys), methionine (Met), and threonine (Thr) in the diets of 7- to 9-month-old Holstein heifers. The experiment was conducted for three months with 72 Holstein heifers (age = 22 ± 0.5 weeks old; BW = 200 ± 9.0 kg; mean ± standard deviation). Following an initial two weeks adaptation period, heifers were allocated to one of four treatments: a theoretically balanced amino acid diet (positive control [PC]; 1.00% Lys, 0.33% Met, and 0.72% Thr), a 30% Lys deleted diet (partially deleted Lys [PD-Lys]; 0.66% Lys, 0.33% Met, and 0.72% Thr), a 30% Met deleted diet (partially deleted Met, [PD-Met]; 1.00% Lys, 0.22% Met, and 0.72% Thr), and a 30% Thr deleted diet (partially deleted Thr [PD-Thr]; 1.00% Lys, 0.33% Met, and 0.45% Thr). Experimental animals were fed a corn-soybean meal-based concentrate and alfalfa hay. In addition, the animals were provided with supplemental Lys, Met, and Thr (ruminal bypass). The results found no differences in the growth performance and nitrogen retention between PD-Thr treatment and PC treatment (p > 0.05). The average daily gain (p = 0.0013) and feed conversion efficiency (p = 0.0057) of eight- to ninr-month-old heifers were lower in both PD-Lys and PD-Met treatment than those in PC treatment. According to growth performance, Lys was the first limiting AA, followed by Met and Thr. Moreover, nine-month-old Holstein heifers in PD-Lys treatment and PD-Met treatment had higher levels of serum urea nitrogen (p = 0.0021), urea nitrogen (p = 0.0011) and total excreted N (p = 0.0324) than those in PC treatment, which showed that nitrogen retention significantly decreased (p = 0.0048) as dietary Lys and Met levels decreased. The limiting sequence based on nitrogen retention was the same as that based on growth performance. The appropriate ratio of Lys, Met, and Thr in the diet based on nitrogen retention was 100:32:57. In summary, the limiting sequence and appropriate amino acid ratio of Lys, Met, and Thr for seven- to nine-month-old Holstein heifers fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet were Lys > Met > Thr and 100:32:57, respectively.

Injection therapies for lateral epicondylalgia: a systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: There are many injection therapies for lateral epicondylalgia but there has been no previous comprehensive comparison, based on the Bayesian method. METHODS: The MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) databases were searched for appropriate literature. The outcome measurement was the pain score. Direct comparisons were performed using the pairwise meta-analysis, and network meta-analysis, based on a Bayesian model, was used to calculate the results of all of the potentially possible comparisons and rank probabilities. A sensitivity analysis was performed by excluding low-quality studies. The inconsistency of the model was assessed by means of the node-splitting method. Metaregression was used to assess the relationship between the sample size and the treatment effect. RESULTS: All of the injection treatments showed a trend towards better effects than placebo. Additionally, the peppering technique did not add additional benefits when combined with other treatments. No significant changes were observed by excluding low-quality studies in the sensitivity analysis. No significant inconsistencies were found according to the inconsistency analysis, and metaregression revealed that the sample size was not associated with the treatment effects. CONCLUSIONS: Some commonly used injection therapies can be considered treatment candidates for lateral epicondylalgia, such as botulinum toxin, platelet-rich plasma and autologous blood injection, but corticosteroid is not recommended. Hyaluronate injection and prolotherapy might be more effective, but their superiority must be confirmed by more research. The peppering technique is not helpful in injection therapies.