Orychophragmus violaceus and/or chicory forage affects performance, egg quality, sensory evaluation and antioxidative properties in native laying hens.

Orychophragmus violaceus (OV) and chicory (Cichorium intybus L., CC) can be used as fresh or dry forage for animals. To determine whether OV and/or CC have beneficial effects on performance and egg quality, a total of 1212 28-wk-old Beijing You Chicken (BYC) laying hens with similar performance were randomly allocated to 4 groups with 3 replicate pens per group, and 101 birds per pen. The birds were fed a basal diet (control), the basal diet + OV (3.507 kg/d/pen), the basal diet + CC (2.525 kg/d/pen), and the basal diet + OV + CC (OVC, 1.7535 kg/d/pen OV + 1.2625 kg/d/pen CC) for 3 wks after one wk of adaptation. The results showed that egg-laying rate was not affected by OV, CC and OVC (p > 0.05), but weekly average egg mass was significantly increased by OV and CC (p < 0.05). The feed egg ratio in the CC group (2.82) was significantly lower than that in the other three groups (p < 0.05). The eggshell thickness (EST), albumen height (AH) and Haugh unit (HU) were decreased by OV and CC (p < 0.05); while yolk color (YC) was increased in the CC and OVC groups (p < 0.05). Egg grade was decreased by OV (p < 0.05). Sensory evaluation showed that there was a trend for increased YC in OV, CC and OVC (p = 0.089). Serum total protein was significantly lower in OV group than those in the control and CC group (p < 0.05); serum albumin content was significantly decreased in OV, CC and OVC groups (p = 0.006). Serum glutathione peroxidase activity in CC and OVC groups was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the present study suggests that CC had a better effect on the performance of the native laying hens than OV. The OV and CC affected egg quality, while YC was increased in CC and OVC groups. The OVC improved YC and serum antioxidative properties of native laying hens without affecting the performance.

Effects of early weaning on intestinal morphology, digestive enzyme activity, antioxidant status, and cytokine status in domestic pigeon squabs (Columba livia).

The aim of this study was to explore the effects of early weaning on growth performance, intestinal morphology, digestive enzyme activity, antioxidant status, and cytokine status in domestic pigeon squabs (Columba livia). The conclusion is based on body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG), length index and weight index of small intestine, small intestinal morphology, activity of digestive enzymes in duodenum content, the concentrations of jejunal antioxidant status and cytokines. A completely randomized design with 2 treatments, the control group (CON) and early weaning (EW) group, was utilized. Eight squabs per treatment were sampled at the age of 25 d. The results showed that early weaning reduced BW (P < 0.05), ADG (P < 0.05), ileac length index (P < 0.05), and weight index (P < 0.01). Compared with the CON group, small intestinal morphology was altered in the EW group. Ileac crypt depth (CD) increased significantly (P < 0.01). The villus area was decreased in the duodenum (P < 0.05), jejunum (P < 0.01), and ileum (P < 0.05). The ileac ratio of villus height to crypt depth (VCR) in the EW group was lower than the ileac ratio of villus height to VCR in the CON group (P < 0.01). The activity of trypsin (P < 0.05), sucrase (P < 0.01) and aminopeptidase-N (APN) (P < 0.01) in the duodenum was reduced. Jejunal malondialdehyde (MDA) (P < 0.01) was increased and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) (P < 0.01) was reduced significantly. Early weaning decreased the concentrations of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) (P < 0.01), interleukin-4 (IL-4) (P < 0.05) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) (P < 0.01) but induced significant upregulation of interleukin-2 (IL-2) (P < 0.05). In conclusion, our results suggested that early weaning did harm the BW and ADG, intestinal length index and weight index, intestinal morphology, activity of digestive enzymes, and antioxidant and cytokine status.

[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.

In vitro estrogenic activity of formononetin by two bioassay systems.

AIM: To study the estrogenic activity of formononetin in vitro. METHODS: We have established a highly sensitive bioassay system by placing estrogen-responsive elements upstream of the luciferase reporter gene, and used this assay to determine the estrogenic activity of formononetin. Cell growth was measured by the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthioazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay and MG-63 cell function was studied by measuring alkaline phosphatase activity. RESULTS: Formononetin activated expression of the estrogen-responsive reporter gene in human breast cell line MCF-7 in a concentration-dependent manner (0.5-500 microM), and this activation was inhibited by estrogen antagonist (ICI 182780 at 100 nM). Furthermore, it induced the proliferation of MCF-7 breast cancer cells and MG-63 osteosarcoma cells, and it also increased the alkaline phosphatase activity in MG-63 cells. CONCLUSION: Formononetin is a phytoestrogen that exhibits variable degrees of estrogen receptor agonism in different test systems.