Coated zinc oxide improves intestinal immunity function and regulates microbiota composition in weaned piglets.

The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that low concentrations of coated ZnO, as a substitute for a high concentration of ZnO (2250 mg Zn/kg), could improve intestinal immunity function and regulate microbiota composition, thus alleviating the incidence of diarrhoea in weaned piglets. A total of eighty-four cross-bred piglets, weaned at an age of 28 (SEM 1) d, were allocated randomly, on the basis of average initial body weight (7·72 (SEM 0·65) kg), to seven treatment groups as follows: a 250 mg Zn (ZnO)/kg group (low Zn; LZ) and a 2250 mg Zn (ZnO)/kg group (high Zn; HZ) that were offered diets containing ZnO at 250 and 2250 mg Zn/kg, respectively; and five experimental groups in which coated ZnO was added at 250, 380, 570, 760 and 1140 mg Zn/kg basal diet, respectively. The trial lasted 2 weeks. The results indicated that, compared with LZ treatment, supplementation with coated ZnO at 380 or 570 mg Zn/kg reduced (P< 0·05) diarrhoea index, increased (P< 0·05) duodenal villus height and the ratio of villus height:crypt depth, up-regulated (P< 0·05) the gene expression of insulin-like growth factor 1, zonula occludens protein-1, occludin, IL-10 and transforming growth factor ß1, and elevated (P< 0·05) secretory IgA concentration in the jejunal mucosa. Microbiota richness and the Shannon diversity index were also decreased (P< 0·05). Furthermore, piglets in the group fed coated ZnO at 380 or 570 mg Zn/kg did not differ from those in the HZ-fed group in relation to the aforementioned parameters. Collectively, a low concentration of coated ZnO (380 or 570 mg Zn/kg) can alleviate the incidence of diarrhoea by promoting intestinal development, protecting the intestinal mucosal barrier from damage, stimulating the mucosal immune system and regulating the microbiota composition.

Uncovering the strategies of green development in a Chinese province driven by reallocating the emission caps of multiple pollutants among industries.

This study aims to address the question of reallocating emissions caps on CO2 and four common pollutants (COD, NH3-N, SO2, and NOx) among all the industries to facilitate regional green development. We developed a model by considering emissions caps, economic growth, inter-sector linkage, and the smoothness of industrial structure change comprehensively. The model is applied to the Zhejiang Province, a typical Chinese coastal area that has high level of industrialization but severe environmental issues. By integrating multi-criteria decision analysis, input-output table, and scenario analysis, the model uncovers key sectors with relatively high sensitivity to the reallocation of emission caps, and reasonable solutions for emission caps reallocation among all industries are proposed. The results also indicate the spillover of pollutant emissions will be a crucial issue for some industries. The uncertainty in the model is quantified using a Monte Carlo simulation and the results indicate that industrial re-structuring, economic targets, and emission intensity were the most decisive factors to fulfill the emission caps control in the Zhejiang Province. The sensitivity analysis results implied that the key sectors which need to be significantly adjusted on emissions quotas remain the same in most cases. Finally, the policy implications of the study are explored.

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomic studies on urine and serum biochemical profiles after chronic cysteamine supplementation in rats.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of chronic cysteamine (CS) supplementation on rat metabolism. Rats received biweekly intragastric administration of either CS-HCl at 250 mg/kg body weight or saline (control) for 4 weeks. The 24 h urine and blood serum samples after the last CS treatment were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics, specifically high-resolution (1)H NMR metabolic profiling combined with multivariate statistics. Metabolic effects of CS include decreased serum acetate, trimethylamine-N-oxide, and urine hippurate, together with increased urine dimethylamine, indicating modulation of intestinal microbial metabolism of the rats. A decrease in urine succinate, citric acid, and serum acetoacetate, together with an increase in serum lactate, was also observed, which suggests that CS supplementation results in perturbation of energy metabolism in rats.

Chromium improves protein deposition through regulating the mRNA levels of IGF-1, IGF-1R, and Ub in rat skeletal muscle cells.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of three different chromium forms--chromic chloride (CrCl3), chromium picolinate (CrPic), and a newly synthesized complex of chromium chelated with small peptides (CrSP)--on protein metabolism in vitro. In cultured skeletal muscle cells, CrSP was able to increase the basal and insulin-stimulated levels of protein deposition in skeletal muscles cells. CrCl3 and CrPic augmented insulin-stimulated protein synthesis. At the molecular level, insulin significantly increased the mRNA levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor. These impacts could be enhanced by the addition of chromium, especially CrSP. The mRNA levels of ubiquitin were significantly reduced when cells were cultured with chromium or/and insulin. Assuming that the mRNA level increase or decrease results in increased or decreased levels of these proteins, chromium would improve protein anabolism and reduce protein catabolism and then prove protein deposition in rat skeletal muscle cells.

Chromium improves glucose uptake and metabolism through upregulating the mRNA levels of IR, GLUT4, GS, and UCP3 in skeletal muscle cells.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of three different chromium forms as chromic chloride (CrCl), chromium picolinate (CrPic), and a newly synthesized complex of chromium chelated with small peptides (CrSP) on glucose uptake and metabolism in vitro. In cultured skeletal muscle cells, chromium augmented insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and metabolism as assessed by a reduced glucose concentration of culture medium. At the molecular level, insulin significantly increased the mRNA levels of insulin receptor (IR), glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4), glycogen synthase (GS), and uncoupling protein-3 (UCP3), and these impacts can be enhanced by the addition of chromium, especially in the form of CrSP. Collectively, results of this study demonstrate that chromium improves glucose uptake and metabolism through upregulating the mRNA levels of IR, GLUT4, GS, and UCP3 in skeletal muscle cells, and CrSP has higher efficacy on glucose uptake and metabolism compared to the forms of CrCl and CrPic.

Effects of dietary supplementation with cysteamine on growth hormone receptor and insulin-like growth factor system in finishing pigs.

The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that chronic cysteamine (CS) supplementation may affect serum insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I concentrations and growth hormone (GH) receptor (GHR), IGF-I, IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR), IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-3, and insulin receptor (IR) mRNA levels in different tissues of finishing pigs. A total of 24 finishing pigs (60.05 +/- 1.24 kg; 12 gilts and 12 barrows) were assigned randomly to one of the three dietary groups, with four pens/group (per pen: one gilt, one barrow). The pigs were fed a basal diet containing 0 (control), 70, or 140 mg/kg cysteamine feed additive (containing 28% cysteamine hydrochloride) for 47 days. The results indicated that CS supplementation (70 mg/kg) increased the average daily gain (ADG) and serum IGF-I level, upregulated mRNA levels of GHR and IGF-I (liver, stomach, muscle), IGF-IR (stomach, duodenum, muscle), and IGFBP-3 (liver) but downregulated IGFBP-3 (stomach, duodenum, muscle). CS supplementation (70 mg/kg) did not affect mRNA levels of GHR and IGF-I (duodenum), IGF-IR (liver), and IR (liver, stomach, duodenum, muscle). CS supplementation (140 mg/kg) downregulated GHR (duodenum), IGF-I, and IGF-IR mRNA (liver, stomach, duodenum, muscle) but upregulated IGFBP-3 and IR mRNA (liver, stomach, duodenum, muscle) and did not affect ADG and serum IGF-I concentration. Collectively, the results suggest that dietary CS supplementation modulates the growth rate, serum IGF-I concentrations, and the gene expression of GHR, IGF-I, IGF-IR, IGFBP-3, and IR in a dose-dependent manner. CS supplementation has tissue-specific regulation of GHR, IGF-I, IGF-IR, and IGFBP-3 mRNA levels. Moreover, the results also imply the possible physiologic role of the GH-IGF axis in mediating the dietary CS supplementation-supported growth of finishing pigs.