Shape Analysis as an Additional Tool in Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) Management: A New Approach Based on the Relationship between Mandible Shape and Trophic Resources.

The analysis of body shape variability has always been a central element in biology. More recently, geometric morphometry has developed as a new field in shape analysis, with the aim to study body morphological variations and the identification of their causes. In wildlife management, geometric morphometry could be a useful tool to compare the anatomical structures of an organism and quantify its geometric information in order to relate them to environmental factors, thus identifying the causes and effects of the variation and acting management and/or conservation plans. The aim of our study is to evaluate the relationship between roe deer mandible shape and trophic resources available during autumn and winter. We applied a geometric morphometry approach consisting of a Relative Warp analysis of landmark data in 26 roe deer fawn mandibles. Each sample was assigned to an age category and to an environmental category based on the territory carrying capacity. The mandible shape of samples under 8 months of age is likely influenced by the availability of trophic resources. Our findings suggest that the mandible shape is a reliable instrument to assess resource availability. Geometric morphometry could thus represent an additional tool for roe deer management.

Eosinophilic esophagitis in children: doubts and future perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory disorder and represents the leading cause of food impaction. The pathogenesis of EoE is the result of an interplay between genetic, environmental and host immune system factors. New therapeutic approaches for EoE have been proposed. In this manuscript we review the current evidence regarding EoE management in pediatric age, with a particular focus on new findings related to the efficacy and safety of monoclonal antibodies. MAIN BODY: Conventional therapies have failed in treating some patients with EoE, which then requires aggressive procedures such as esophageal dilatation. The most effective available medical therapy for EoE is swallowed topic corticosteroids (fluticasone propionate and budesonide), which have two main drawbacks: they are related to well-known adverse effects (especially in the paediatric population), and there are not enough long-term data to confirm that they are able to reverse the remodelling process of the esophageal mucosa, which is the major cause of EoE symptoms (including dysphagia, abdominal pain, nausea, obstruction, perforation and vomiting). The monoclonal antibodies appear to be an interesting therapeutic approach. However, the studies conducted until now have shown substantial histological improvement not coupled with significant clinical improvements and no significant relationship between a decreasing number of eosinophils and clinical symptoms, highlighting the importance in the pathogenesis of EoE of cells such as T-helper cells, mast cells, B cells, epithelial cells and natural killer cells. CONCLUSIONS: Monoclonal antibodies targeting a signal involved in the pathogenesis of EoE may not break the complex self-propagating inflammatory activation responsible for perpetuation of the inflammatory response and the development of symptoms and complications. We speculate that combined biological therapies targeting more than one molecule or cell may provide better results, with conventional therapies potentially enhancing the effects of antibodies. However, further studies should aim to find the best therapeutic approach to target the cells involved in the remodelling process and to reverse the histological changes in this complex clinical condition.

Gut dysbiosis and paediatric Crohn's disease.

OBJECTIVES: The main objective of this manuscript is to discuss our present knowledge of the relationships between dysbiosis and paediatric Crohn's disease (CD). The therapeutic role of the methods currently used to re-establish normal gut microbiota composition is also analysed. METHODS: PubMed was used to search for all of the studies published from January 2008 to June 2018 using the key words: "Crohn's disease" and "gut dysbiosis" or "microbiota" or "microbioma" or "probiotic" and "children" or "paediatric". More than 100 articles were found, but only those published in English or providing evidence-based data were included in the evaluation. RESULTS: Gut microbiota are primary actors in CD's pathogenesis. The new techniques developed in metagenomics allow us to reveal new details of microbiota composition in healthy subjects and CD patients, and to elucidate the link between microbiota and numerous pathologies, such as obesity, allergies and type 1 diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSION: Discoveries on the role of gut microbiota could potentially disclose new therapeutic options for CD treatment and improve the existing therapies. Further studies are needed to facilitate the diagnosis and tailor the therapy of a pathology that is an increasing burden on public health.

Is It Time to Use Probiotics to Prevent or Treat Obesity?

In recent years, attention has been given to the role potentially played by gut microbiota in the development of obesity. Several studies have shown that in individuals with obesity, the gut microbiota composition can be significantly different from that of lean individuals, that faecal bacteria can exert a fundamental role in modulating energy metabolism, and that modifications of gut microbiota composition can be associated with increases or reductions of body weight and body mass index. Based on this evidence, manipulation of the gut microbiota with probiotics has been considered a possible method to prevent and treat obesity. However, despite a great amount of data, the use of probiotics to prevent and treat obesity and related problems remains debated. Studies have found that the probiotic effect on body weight and metabolism is strain specific and that only some of the species included in the Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium genera are effective, whereas the use of other strains can be deleterious. However, the dosage, duration of administration, and long-term effects of probiotics administration to prevent overweight and obesity are not known. Further studies are needed before probiotics can be rationally prescribed for the prevention or treatment of obesity. Control of the diet and environmental and life-style factors that favour obesity development remain the best solution to problems related to weight gain.

Assessment of Lactose-Free Diet on the Phalangeal Bone Mineral Status in Italian Adolescents Affected by Adult-Type Hypolactasia.

Adult-type hypolactasia (ATH) is a clinical syndrome of primary lactase deficiency. A lactose-free diet is advisable to avoid the symptoms linked to the condition, but this potentially creates problems for optimal bone mineralization due to reduced calcium intake. To evaluate the effect of the lactose-free diet on the bone mineral status (BMS), we compared the phalangeal BMS of adolescents with ATH to that of peers on a normal diet. Also, we analyzed the correlations between BMS and dietary behavior, physical exercise, and calcium and vitamin D intake. A total of 102 cases and 102 healthy controls filled out a diet record and underwent phalangeal Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS). No difference in BMS was observed. The time spent on lactose-free diet (4.8 ± 3.1 years) was inversely correlated to the BMS. More than 98% of cases consumed lactose-free milk, but calcium and vitamin D intake were significantly lower. Calcium intake was correlated to physical exercise but not to BMS. Our results suggest that a lactose-free diet does not affect the phalangeal BMS of adolescents with primary lactase deficiency when their diet includes lactose-free cow’s milk. However, there is still a significantly lower calcium intake than in the population reference. The inverse correlation observed between the BMS and the time spent on a lactose-free diet suggests that a long-term follow-up is advisable.

The Management of Paediatric Functional Abdominal Pain Disorders: Latest Evidence.

Recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) is one of the most common health complaints in both children and adults. Although RAP is considered a functional disorder rather than an organic disease, affected children and their families can still experience anxiety and concerns that can interfere with school, sports, and regular daily activities and lead to frequent attendances at pediatric emergency departments or pediatric gastroenterology clinics. Our review shows experts do not agree on a universally proven management that will work on every child presenting with functional abdominal pain (FAP). Treatment strategies include both non-pharmacological and pharmacological options. Non-pharmacological treatments are usually very well accepted by both children and their parents and are free from medication side effects. Nevertheless, they may be as effective as the pharmacological interventions; therefore, according to many experts and based on the majority of current evidence, a non-pharmacological approach should be the first intervention attempt in children with RAP. In particular, the importance of the bio-psychosocial approach is highlighted, as a majority of children will improve with counselling and reassurance that no serious organic pathologies are suspected, especially when the physician establishes a trustful relationship with both the child and their family. Placebo and pharmacological interventions could be attempted when the bio-psychosocial approach is not applicable or not efficacious. In some difficult cases, finding an effective treatment for FAP can be a challenge, and a number of strategies may need to be tried before symptoms are controlled. In these cases, a multidisciplinary team, comprising a pediatric gastroenterologist, dietician, psychologist, and psychotherapist, is likely to be successful.

Gut dysbiosis and irritable bowel syndrome: The potential role of probiotics.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the role of gut dysbiosis in the development of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the impact of probiotics as a potential therapeutic measure. METHODS: PubMed was used to search for all of the studies published over the last 15 years using the key words: "irritable bowel syndrome" and "gut dysbiosis" or "probiotic". More than 800 articles were found, but only those published in English or providing evidence-based data were included in the evaluation. RESULTS: IBS is a common disease for which no resolutive therapy is presently available. In recent years, strong evidence of a possible relationship between modifications of the gut microbiota composition and development of IBS has been collected. Moreover, the evidence showed that attempts to treat acute infectious and post-antibiotic gastroenteritis with some probiotics were significantly effective in a great number of patients, leading many experts to suggest the use of probiotics to address all of the clinical problems associated with IBS. CONCLUSION: The available data are promising, but presently, a precise definition of which probiotic or which mixture of probiotics is effective cannot be made. Moreover, the dose and duration of treatment has not been established. Finally, we do not know whether probiotic treatment should be different according to the type of IBS. Further studies are needed before probiotics can be considered a reliable treatment for IBS.

Keratinisation degree of rumen epithelium and body condition score in sheep grazing on Brachypodium rupestre.

This article describes the result of a study focusing on the keratinisation degree of rumen mucosa and changes in the body condition of sheep that had grazed for 20 days in a pasture densely covered with Brachypodium rupestre. Grazing in this type of pasture can reduce the probability of fires in a Mediterranean mountain setting. However, foraging in areas with a prevalence of Brachypodium rupestre can affect animals' well being. In this respect, it is essential to determine the length of time during which the animals can remain in this environment before their welfare is compromised by this type of pasture. Ewes grazing on a semi-mesophilic pasture were included as a control. On days 1, 10, and 20, five ewes from each group were sacrificed to evaluate the variations of the epithelial keratinization degree of the rumen atrium and ventral sac. Body weight (BW) and body condition score (BCS) were assessed in ten ewes per group. The control animals showed little variation in the keratinisation degree of rumen mucosa without any detrimental effects on the BCS and BW. The experimental animals showed a significant increase in the epithelial keratinisation degree within 10 days and a decrease of BCS and BW within 20 days. The data collected suggest that animals should not remain for longer than 10-12 days on pasture highly covered with Brachypodium rupestre.

Comparison between two different methods for evaluating rumen papillae measures related to different diets.

Although the Geographical Information System (GIS), which integrates computerized drawing computer assisted design (CAD) and relational databases (data base management system (DBMS)), is best known for applications in geographical and planning cartography, it can also use many kinds of information concerning the territory. A multidisciplinary project was initiated since 5 years a multidisciplinary study was initiated to use GIS to integrate environmental and ecological data with findings on animal health, ethology, and anatomy. This study is chiefly aimed at comparing two different methods for measuring the absorptive surface of rumen papillae. To this scope, 21 female sheep (Ovis aries) on different alimentary regimes (e.g., milk and forage mixed diet, early herbaceous diet, dry hay diet, and fresh hay diet at the maximum of pasture flowering and at the maximum of pasture dryness) were used; after slaughtering, 20 papillae were randomly removed from each sample collected from four indicator regions of rumen wall, placed near a metric reference and digitally photographed. The images were developed with the ArcGIS™ software to calculate the area of rumen papillae by means of GIS and to measure their mid-level width and length to calculate the papillae area as previously performed with a different method. Spatial measurements were analyzed using univariate and multivariate methods. This work demonstrates that the GIS methodology can be efficiently used for measuring the absorptive surface of rumen papillae. In addition, GIS demonstrated to be a rapid, precise, and objective tool when compared with previously used method.