Effects of Iron Oxide Nanoparticle Supplementation on the Growth Performance, Serum Metabolites, Meat Quality, and Jejunal Basal Morphology in Broilers.

The current research aimed to evaluate the supplemental effects of iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) on production performance, viscera development, blood metabolites, redox status, meat quality, and jejunal histology in broilers. A total of 300 day-old broilers were randomly divided into six groups with five replicates per group. Birds were fed on a corn soybean-based diet supplemented with 0, 20, 40, 60, or 80 mg/kg IONPs or 80 mg/kg of FeSO4 for 35 days. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was improved in birds supplemented with 60 mg/kg IONPs. The pH24h was lower in birds supplemented with 40 mg/kg IONPs compared to that of the bulk group. Pectoral muscle fascicle diameter and fiber density were significantly increased in 20 mg/kg IONP-supplemented birds compared to those of the bulk group, respectively. The muscle fiber diameter was higher in 40 mg/kg IONP-supplemented birds compared with the bulk group. The jejunal villus height, crypt depth, and villus surface area were significantly increased with 60 mg/kg IONP supplementation, whereas villus width was decreased in birds supplemented with 40 mg/kg IONPs. The villus-height-to-crypt-depth ratio was lower in IONP-supplemented birds compared to the bulk group. IONP supplementation improved the FCR, jejunal, and pectoral muscle morphology without affecting the carcass characteristics and redox status of broilers.

Effect of Selenium Nanoparticles and Mannan Oligosaccharide Supplementation on Growth Performance, Stress Indicators, and Intestinal Microarchitecture of Broilers Reared under High Stocking Density.

The current study investigated the potential of selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS) supplementation in ameliorating high stocking density (HSD) stress in broilers. A total of 392 day-old male chicks were divided into seven groups with eight replicates (n = 7): NSD [basal diet (BD) + normal stocking density: 10 bird/m2], HSD [BD + high stocking density: 16 bird/m2], Se−HSD [BD + Selenium (Se) 0.15 mg/kg], MOS−HSD (BD + MOS 5 gm/kg), Se−MOS−HSD (BD + Se 0.15 mg/kg and MOS 5 gm/kg), SeNPs−HSD (BD + SeNPs 0.15 mg/kg) and SeNPs−MOS−HSD (BD + SeNPs 0.15 mg/kg and MOS-5 gm/kg). HSD stress decreased (p < 0.05) weekly body weight and body weight gain and increased (p < 0.05) FCR compared to the NSD group. Supplementation with SeNPs and the SeNPs−MOS combination improved (p < 0.05) the weekly body weight and FCR in HSD-stressed broilers during the 5th and 6th weeks. On day 21, HSD stress decreased (p < 0.05) duodenal villus height (VH) and villus surface area (VSA) and increased (p < 0.05) serum corticosterone and cholesterol compared to the NSD group. Supplementation with the SeNPs−MOS combination increased (p < 0.05) duodenal VH and VH:CD, and jejunal total goblet cell (TGC) density and decreased (p < 0.05) serum corticosterone and cholesterol and ileal intra-epithelial lymphocyte (IEL) density in HSD-stressed broilers. On day 42, HSD stress decreased (p < 0.05) duodenal and jejunal VH, VSA, VH:CD, PCNA positive cell density and TGC density, Ileal VSA and TGC density, and increased (p < 0.05) serum cholesterol and ileal IEL density compared to the NSD group. Supplementation with the SeNPs−MOS combination increased (p < 0.05) spleen and bursa absolute weights, duodenal VH, VSA, VH:CD, PCNA positive cell density and jejunal VH, VH:CD, and decreased (p < 0.05) serum cholesterol and ileal IEL density in HSD-stressed broilers. Our findings signify that HSD is stressful for broilers particularly during the finishing phase. Supplementation with the SeNPs−MOS combination mitigated HSD stress by partially improving the gut microarchitecture, gut barrier function and performance indicators.

Effectiveness of Mild to Moderate Hypothermic Cardiopulmonary Bypass on Early Clinical Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative hypothermia is an integral part of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), and a precise degree of hypothermia may improve the early clinical outcomes of cardiac surgery. Presently, there is no agreement on an accurate, advantageous temperature range for routine use in CPB. To address this issue, we conducted a retrospective observational study to compare the effects of different hypothermic temperature ranges on primary (inotropic support, blood loss, and platelet count) and secondary (ventilation support and in-hospital stay) outcomes in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. METHODS: Data were retrieved from the medical database of the Cardiovascular Surgery Department, King Edward Medical University, Lahore-Pakistan (a tertiary care hospital), dating from February 2015 to December 2017. Patients were divided into mild (34 °C to 36 °C), intermediate (31 °C to 33 °C), or moderate (28 °C to 30 °C) hypothermic groups. RESULTS: Out of 275 patients, 245 (89.09%) fit the inclusion criteria. The cohort with mild hypothermic CPB temperatures presented better clinical outcomes in terms of requiring less inotropic support, less blood loss, fewer blood transfusions, improved platelet counts, shorter in-hospital stays, and required less ventilation support, when compared with other hypothermic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Mild hypothermic CPB (34 °C to 36 °C) may produce better clinical outcomes for cardiac surgery and improve the quality of health of cardiac patients.

Assessment of Cytotoxic, Genotoxic, and Oxidative Stress of Dibutyl Phthalate on Cultured Bovine Peripheral Lymphocytes.

Recently, there have been numerous reports showing that phthalates have negative human health impacts and may cause several diseases such as asthma, breast cancer, obesity, type II diabetes, and male infertility. Animals are also exposed to phthalates through the environment and can cause adverse health effects on them. Several studies have been found on the cytogenetic effects of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) on different organisms but no documented evidence has been found on the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) on bovine cultured lymphocytes. MTT assay was performed on different series of DBP concentrations (10 µM, 20 µM, 30 µM, 50 µM, 70 µM, 100 µM). A concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability was observed by the DBP. The LD50, LD50/2, and 2∗LD50 were found to be 50 µM, 30 µM, and 80 µM on bovine lymphocytes, respectively. Then, these concentrations of DBP were utilized to perform comet, micronucleus assays, and oxidative stress. A concentration-dependent increase in DNA damage, oxidative stress, and micronuclei formation was observed in lymphocytes by the DBP as compared to the control group. Highest genotoxic effects were observed at a concentration of 2∗LD50. Similarly, total oxidative stress was found higher, and antioxidative stress was lower in concentration-dependent manner by the DBP. The current study revealed a significant cytotoxic, genotoxic, and oxidative stress of DBP on cultured bovine lymphocytes.

Effects of L-valine in layer diets containing 0.72% isoleucine.

In a previous study with LSL-LITE layers (-23 to 30-week-old), isoleucine at 0.72% and 0.84% produced values for FCR at 1.45 and 1.44, respectively and shared significance with 0.78% isoleucine (1.49). Considering that FCR is an important standard in the poultry industry due to the cost for adding feed ingredients such as synthetic amino acids and the low FCR of 1.45, 0.72% isoleucine was chosen for further study with LSL-LITE layers (n = 490 at 33- to 40-week-old) to determine effects on production and egg quality. The study included 7 diets (2730 Kcal kg metabolizable energy and constant isoleucine at 0.72%) containing varying quantities of valine [0.72 (Control), 0.75, 0.78, 0.81, 0.84, 0.87 or 0.90%] x 7 replicates x 10 hens/replicate. Significance at P ≤ 0.05 and P < 0.10 was determined. Level and week were significant for feed intake, egg production, and FCR; the interaction of level x week (L*W) was significant for feed intake and FCR. An isoleucine:valine of 1.233 corresponding to 0.72% isoleucine and 0.87% valine produced the lowest FCR of 1.30 (a 2.26% decrease compared to the Control at 1.33 ± 0.04). All measurements for external egg quality, except shape index and eggshell thickness, were significant for level. Week was significant for all parameters except shell thickness; L*W was significant for external quality measurements except shape index and shell thickness. Level, week, and L*W were significant for internal egg quality measurements. Serum protein and H1 titer were significant for level. Various production, egg quality, and biochemical measurements were significantly different from the control (0.72% isoleucine and 0.72% valine) at 0.81 to 0.87% valine. Findings of this study will aid researchers and commercial producers in narrowing the range of isoleucine, valine, and leucine needed for effects on particular parameters. Knowledge gained from this and others studies will eventually lead to an understanding of synergistic and antagonistic effects of branched chain amino acids in feed for various genetic types of layers throughout their productive lifetime.

Effects of Subacute Exposure of Dibutyl Phthalate on the Homeostatic Model Assessment, Thyroid Function, and Redox Status in Rats.

Dibutyl phthalate is an endocrine disruptor used in a wide range of industrial and agriculture applications. The present study focuses on elucidating the effect of subacute exposure (4-weeks) of DBP on insulin and its sensitivity indexes, oxidative status, thyroid function, energy metabolites, serum biochemistry, and anthropometry in rats. A total of 64 rats were divided into 4 treatment groups as mg DBP/Kg body weight per day: (a) 0 mg/Kg (control), (b) 10 mg/Kg (DBP-10), (c) 50 mg/Kg (DBP-50), and (d) 100 mg/Kg (DBP-100). The rats in each treatment (n = 16) were further divided into male (n = 8) and female (n = 8) rats for studying treatment and gender interactions. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) was performed on the 21st day. Anthropometry, nutritional determinants, fasting plasma glucose, fasting plasma insulin, homeostatic model assessment (HOMA), thyroid hormones, energy metabolites, and oxidative status were studied during the experimental period. Two-way ANOVA was used to analyze the data (p < 0.05). Tukey's posthoc test was used for pair-wise comparisons. DBP increased body weight gain and feed efficiency in an inverted nonmonotonic U-shaped fashion. Hyperglycemia and increased blood glucose area under the curve were observed in DBP-100 at 120 minutes in IPGTT. The HOMA also showed a linear monotonic contrast. Thyroxin decreased significantly in the DBP-100 rats, whereas malondialdehyde, nonesterified fatty acids, and beta hydroxyl butyrate were increased with the DBP treatments. In conclusion, DBP could be attributed to the development of hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in rats. Further investigations into the lipid peroxidation pathways can improve our understanding of the mechanisms involved in metabolic disruption.

Carbonic anhydrase influences asymmetric sodium and acetate transport across omasum of sheep.

OBJECTIVE: Omasum is an important site for the absorption of short chain fatty acids. The major route for the transport of acetate is via sodium hydrogen exchanger (NHE). However, a discrepancy in the symmetry of sodium and acetate transport has been previously reported, the mechanism of which is unclear. In this study, we investigated the possible role of carbonic anhydrase (CA) for this asymmetry. METHODS: Omasal tissues were isolated from healthy sheep (N = 3) and divided into four groups; pH 7.4 and 6.4 alone and in combination with Ethoxzolamide. Electrophysiological measurements were made using Ussing chamber and the electrical measurements were made using computer controlled voltage clamp apparatus. Effect(s) of CA inhibitor on acetate and sodium transport flux rate of Na22 and 14C-acetate was measured in three different flux time periods. Data were presented as mean±standard deviation and level of significance was ascertained at p≤0.05. RESULTS: Mucosal to serosal flux of Na (JmsNa) was greater than mucosal to serosal flux of acetate (JmsAc) when the pH was decreased from 7.4 to 6.4. However, the addition of CA inhibitor almost completely abolished this discrepancy (JmsNa ≈ JmsAc). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study suggest that the additional protons required to drive the NHE were provided by the CA enzyme in the isolated omasal epithelium. The findings of this study also suggest that the functions of CA may be exploited for better absorption in omasum.

Effects of Chromium-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles on the Intestinal Electrophysiological Indices and Glucose Transporters in Broilers.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of chromium-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (Cr-CNPs) on the electrophysiological indices, gene expression of glucose transporters, and tissue glycogen in broilers. A total of 200 one-day-old broilers were randomly divided into five groups, with each having five replicates (n = 8). Group A was fed a corn-soybean meal diet, while the diets of groups B, C, D, and E were supplemented with 200, 400, 800, and 1200 µg/kg of Cr as Cr-CNPs, respectively. On day 35, the jejunum was collected for electrophysiological study, gene expression of glucose transporters, and tissues glycogen determination. The basal short-circuit current and tissue conductance before the addition of glucose was the same in all groups. Following the addition of glucose, the change in short-circuit current decreased (p < 0.05) in the jejunal tissues of birds supplemented with 400 and 1200 µg Cr-CNPs compared with the control group. Gene expression of SGLT-1 and GLUT-2 remained unaffected with supplementation. The serum glucose and liver glycogen concentration decreased (p < 0.05) linearly with supplementation, while no effect was observed on muscle glycogen. In conclusion, Cr-CNPs supplementation decreases the glucose absorption and liver glycogen content, without affecting the gene expression of glucose transporters.

Correlation between Testicular Hemodynamic and Semen Quality Indices in Clinical Varicocele Patients in Pakistan.

Varicocele, a vascular event, is associated with infertility due to testicular damage that causes abnormal spermatogenesis in males. The goal of this study is to ascertain the diagnostic significance of scrotal color Doppler ultrasonography (CDUS) by measuring peak systolic value (PSV) and resistive index (RI) of the arteries supplying blood to the testis and their association with semen quality attributes. Sixty prospective patients (age: 20-50 years) undergoing microsurgical varicocelectomy at a teaching hospital were included in the study. Semen parameters and CDUS were recorded and testicular blood flow was determined as PSV and RI of subcapsular artery and intraparenchymal artery of the testes. Nonparametric statistics was applied to test the correlation/association of the semen quality with the PSV, RI, and other variables. Results revealed a significant negative correlation (r = -0.28; p < 0.05) between progressive motility of spermatozoa and resistive index of the intraparenchymal arterial blood flow. Furthermore, it was noticed that the progressive motility of spermatozoa was tended to be negatively correlated (r = -0.236) with resistive index of subcapsular arterial blood flow. In conclusion, this study has revealed that progressive motility of sperms has correlation with the intraparenchymal blood flow of testes. The progressive motility of sperms could be correlated with RI of testicular blood flow. The apparent lack of association between diameter of varicocele vein and semen quality signifies the need of investigating some other factors that may be involved in pathogenicity of varicocele. The diagnostic value of CDUS may be carefully interpreted and clinically correlated in assessment of severity of varicocele.

Erratum to: Sub-chronic exposure to low concentration of dibutyl phthalate affects anthropometric parameters and markers of obesity in rats.

The correct name of the 1st and corresponding Author is Khalid Abdul Majeed.

Sub-chronic exposure to low concentration of dibutyl phthalate affects anthropometric parameters and markers of obesity in rats.

Dibutyl phthalate is an important phthalate ester extensively used in various products like plastics, adhesives, inks, pharmaceuticals, lacquers, varnishes, paper coatings, safety glasses, and cosmetics. The exposure of DBP to "one's health" is therefore inevitable. The present study focuses on elucidating the effect of low doses of DBP on anthropometric parameters and markers of obesity in rats in a 13-week study. A total of 48 rats were divided into three treatment groups as mg DBP/kg body weight per day: (a) 0 mg/kg (control), (b) 10 mg/kg (DBP-10), and (c) 50 mg/kg (DBP-50). The rats in each treatment (n = 16) were further equally divided into male and female rats for studying treatment and gender interaction. Anthropometric parameters, nutritional determinants, and markers of obesity in rats were studied. Two-way ANOVA was used to analyze the data (p < 0.05). Tukey's post hoc test was used for pairwise comparisons. DBP increased body weight gain, feed efficiency, abdominal to thoracic circumference ratio, and body mass index in rats. Serum cholesterol and alkaline phosphatase concentrations decreased with DBP treatment. Serum albumin, glucose, creatinine, and alanine transaminase increased with DBP treatments. Serum lactate dehydrogenase increased in DBP-10 but was not affected by DBP-50. Further low-dose investigations are needed to assess non-monotonic dose responses.