High dietary biotin levels affect the footpad and hock health of broiler chickens reared at different stocking densities and litter conditions.

Responses to stocking density (SD), dietary biotin concentration and litter condition were evaluated on 2016 Ross 308 male broilers in the fattening period (day 22-day 42). The birds were placed in 48 pens with either dry or wet litter to simulate the final stocking density of 30 kg (12 broilers/m2 ; normal stocking density, NSD) and 40 kg (16 broilers/m2 ; high stocking density, HSD) of body weight (BW)/m2 floor space. A corn-soybean meal-based diet was supplemented with biotin to provide a normal (NB; 155 µg/kg) or high (HB, 1521 µg/kg) level of dietary biotin. There were six repetitions per treatment. The inappropriate moisture content of litter associated with HSD was avoided (p < 0.05) by good management (SD difference: dry litter, 6.65% vs. wet litter, 13.23%; 42 days), which made it advantageous (p < 0.01) for footpad (SD difference: dry litter, 0.118 vs. wet litter, 0.312; weekly average value) and hock health (SD difference: dry litter, 0.090 vs. wet litter, 0.303; weekly average value) of HSD birds, but not (p > 0.05) for growth and processing yield. In HSD, the biotin effect (gains, FCR) was significantly higher (p < 0.01) than in NSD. The similar response of HSD birds to supplemental biotin was observed (p < 0.05) for lesion scores of footpad and hock in particularly finishing chickens, and a significant interaction (p < 0.01) among stocking density, biotin supplementation and litter condition existed from 35 to 42 days of age. Taken together, increasing dietary biotin improves the performance and well-being of broiler chickens stocked at high densities in litter-independent and litter-dependent manners respectively.

Berberis aristata Ameliorates Adjuvant-Induced Arthritis by Inhibition of NF-κB and Activating Nuclear Factor-E2-related Factor 2/hem Oxygenase (HO)-1 Signaling Pathway.

The present study was carried out to investigate the anti-arthritic activity of Berberis aristata hydroalcoholic extract (BAHE) in formaldehyde-induced arthritis and adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) model. Arthritis was induced by administration of either formaldehyde (2% v/v) or CFA into the subplantar surface of the hind paw of the animal. In formaldehyde-induced arthritis and AIA, treatment of BAHE at doses 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg orally significantly decreased joint inflammation as evidenced by decrease in joint diameter and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration in histopathological examination. BAHE treatment demonstrated dose-dependent improvement in the redox status of synovium (decrease in GSH, MDA, and NO levels and increase in SOD and CAT activities). The beneficial effect of BAHE was substantiated with decreased expression of inflammatory markers such as IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-R1, and VEGF by immunohistochemistry analysis in AIA model. BAHE increased HO-1/Nrf-2 and suppressed NF-κB mRNA and protein expression in adjuvant immunized joint. Additionally, BAHE abrogated degrading enzymes, as there was decreased protein expression of MMP-3 and -9 in AIA. In conclusion, we demonstrated the anti-arthritic activity of Berberis aristata hydroalcoholic extract via the mechanism of inhibition of NF-κB and activation of Nrf-2/HO-1.

Hydrodynamic delivery of chitosan-folate-DNA nanoparticles in rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis.

50 kDa chitosan was conjugated with folate, a specific tissue-targeting ligand. Nanoparticles such as chitosan-DNA and folate-chitosan-DNA were prepared by coacervation process. The hydrodynamic intravenous injection of nanoparticles was performed in the right posterior paw in normal and arthritic rats. Our results demonstrated that the fluorescence intensity of DsRed detected was 5 to 12 times more in the right soleus muscle and in the right gastro muscle than other tissue sections. ß-galactosidase gene expression with X-gal substrate and folate-chitosan-plasmid nanoparticles showed best coloration in the soleus muscle. Treated arthritic animals also showed a significant decrease in paw swelling and IL-1ß and PGE2 concentration in serum compared to untreated rats. This study demonstrated that a nonviral gene therapeutic approach using hydrodynamic delivery could help transfect more efficiently folate-chitosan-DNA nanoparticles in vitro/in vivo and could decrease inflammation in arthritic rats.

Low frequency and low intensity pulsed electromagnetic field exerts its antiinflammatory effect through restoration of plasma membrane calcium ATPase activity.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting 1% of the population worldwide. Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) has a number of well-documented physiological effects on cells and tissues including antiinflammatory effect. This study aims to explore the antiinflammatory effect of PEMF and its possible mechanism of action in amelioration of adjuvant induced arthritis (AIA). Arthritis was induced by a single intradermal injection of heat killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis at a concentration of 500 microg in 0.1 ml of paraffin oil into the right hind paw of rats. The arthritic animals showed a biphasic response regarding changes in the paw edema volume. During the chronic phase of the disease, arthritic animals showed an elevated level of lipid peroxides and depletion of antioxidant enzymes with significant radiological and histological changes. Besides, plasma membrane Ca(2+) ATPase (PMCA) activity was inhibited while intracellular Ca(2+) level as well as prostaglandin E(2) levels was noticed to be elevated in blood lymphocytes of arthritic rats. Exposure of arthritic rats to PEMF at 5 Hzx4 microT x 90 min, produced significant antiexudative effect resulting in the restoration of the altered parameters. The antiinflammatory effect could be partially mediated through the stabilizing action of PEMF on membranes as reflected by the restoration of PMCA and intracellular Ca(2+) levels in blood lymphocytes subsequently inhibiting PGE(2) biosynthesis. The results of this study indicated that PEMF could be developed as a potential therapy for RA in human beings.

Amelioration of type II collagen induced arthritis in rats by treatment with sodium diethyldithiocarbamate.

OBJECTIVE: Sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (Ditiocarb, DDTC), which is used in the treatment of heavy metal poisoning, effectively inhibits NF-kappaB activation and cytokine secretion in vitro. To investigate the antiinflammatory and immunosuppressive potency of DDTC, we examined its influence on the course of collagen induced arthritis in rats. METHODS: Arthritis was induced in female DA rats by injection of rat collagen type II emulsified in incomplete Freund's adjuvant into the tail base. After onset of arthritis, the animals received DDTC or vehicle by intraperitoneal injections or subcutaneous infusion using osmotic pumps. Disulfiram, which is cleaved into DDTC within the gastrointestinal tract, was administered orally via gastric gavage. The course of arthritis was followed by clinical scoring and measurement of joint swelling. RESULTS: Collagen induced arthritis was significantly ameliorated by intraperitoneal injection (2 x 300 mg/kg/day) and subcutaneous infusion (120 mg/kg/day) of DDTC and by enteral administration of disulfiram (200 and 300 mg/kg/day). CONCLUSION: Dithiocarbamates may provide an effective new approach for the treatment of arthritis and other inflammatory diseases.

Rickets in a litter of racing greyhounds.

Rickets was diagnosed in six 14-week-old racing greyhound littermates presented with musculoskeletal disease. Physical findings included listlessness, profound muscle weakness, lameness, lateral bowing of the antebrachii and focal hard swellings proximal to the tarsi and carpi. Radiological findings included generalised osteopenia, axial and radial thickening of growth plates, and "cupping' of the adjacent metaphyses; the distal ulnar growth plates were most severely and consistently affected. The diagnosis was confirmed by demonstrating subnormal concentrations of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol in serum samples collected at admission. The pups' diet consisted of an inexpensive generic kibble formulated for adult dogs, porridge, milk, pasta, minced beef, vegetables and a small quantity of calcium carbonate powder. The pups were successfully treated by feeding a nutritionally complete, vitamin D-containing ration formulated for growing pups. Bilateral growth retardation of distal ulnar physes occurred as a sequel in one pup.

Relationships between the bone pathologies, ash and mineral content of long bones in 35-day-old broiler chickens.

Histological examinations and estimations of the contents of ash, phosphorus and calcium were used to investigate the femora and tibiotarsi from lame and normal 35-day-old broilers from Holland, Northern Ireland and Scotland. The prevalence of different pathologies varied with the source of the broilers and there were correlations between histological and bone ash values. The most common condition causing lameness was bacterial infection within the physis and cartilaginous epiphysis (bacterial chondronecrosis) of the proximal tibiotarsus, and there was a possible link between rickets attributable to a relative phosphorus deficiency and this condition. There were wide variations between birds in the cortical bone quality as assessed histologically and by estimates of the bone ash content and phosphorus to calcium ratios. Theses variations may be related to different probabilities of bone fracture.

Hydrogenated oil decreases tissue concentrations of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and may contribute to dyschondroplasia in broilers.

1. In a factorial design of dietary treatments, male Ross broilers were given diets containing soyabean oil, hydrogenated soyabean oil (as a source of trans-fatty acids) or feed fat with either 0 or 300 micrograms of added D-biotin/kg. 2. Growth to 28 d was not influenced by the dietary treatments. 3. Length of tibiotarsal bones was reduced (P less than 0.05) and severity of leg bone cartilage lesions, characteristic of dyschondroplasia, was highest (P less than 0.05) in broilers fed on diets containing hydrogenated soyabean oil. 4. Feeding hydrogenated soyabean oil lowered (P less than 0.05) the concentrations of C20:4n6 and the ratios of C20:4n6/C18:2n6 in liver and growth plate cartilage. 5. Growth plate cartilage from birds affected with dyschondroplasia contained lower proportions of prostaglandin precursor fatty acids compared with normal growth plate. 6. It is speculated that an inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis brought about by the presence of trans-fatty acids might contribute to the occurrence of lesions similar to dyschondroplasia.

Arthritogenic effects of Mycoplasma arthritidis T cell mitogen in rats.

The intraarticular injection of Mycoplasma arthritidis T cell mitogen (MAM) produced significant joint swelling with inflammation in DA rats. Histologic examination of the joint initially showed edema below the synovial surface layer with light polymorphonuclear and focal lymphoid cell infiltration. Widespread but incomplete shedding of the surface layer of the synovial membrane and hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the subsynovium with fibroblasts and macrophages were observed subsequently. The hyperplastic process began to resolve by Day 5 and almost completely disappeared by Day 7 with healing of the surface layer, leaving virtually no trace of the preceding acute episode. Arthritis in animals with previous adjuvant induced arthritis was not exacerbated by the intraarticular injection of MAM.