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Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2023The development of the four stomachs of yak is closely related to its health and performance, however the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we...
The development of the four stomachs of yak is closely related to its health and performance, however the underlying molecular mechanisms are largely unknown. Here, we systematically analyzed mRNAs of four stomachs in five growth time points [0 day, 20 days, 60 days, 15 months and 3 years (adult)] of yaks. Overall, the expression patterns of DEmRNAs were unique at 0 d, similar at 20 d and 60 d, and similar at 15 m and adult in four stomachs. The expression pattern in abomasum was markedly different from that in rumen, reticulum and omasum. Short Time-series Expression Miner (STEM) analysis demonstrated that multi-model spectra are drastically enriched over time in four stomachs. All the identified mRNAs in rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum were classified into 6, 4, 7, and 5 cluster profiles, respectively. Modules 9, 38, and 41 were the most significant three colored modules. By weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), a total of 5,486 genes were categorized into 10 modules. , , , and were the hub genes of the turquoise module, and , , , , and were the hub genes of the blue module. Furthermore, functional KEGG enrichment analysis suggested that the turquoise module was involved in gastric acid secretion, sphingolipid metabolism, ether lipid metabolism, etc., and the blue module was enriched in pancreatic secretion, pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, and starch and sucrose metabolism, etc. Our study aims to lay a molecular basis for the study of the physiological functions of rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum in yaks. It can further elucidate the important roles of these mRNAs in regulation of growth, development and metabolism in yaks, and to provide a theoretical basis for age-appropriate weaning and supplementary feeding in yaks.
PubMed: 37808112
DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1204706 -
Journal of Dairy Science Jun 2018Promotion of microbial butyrate production in the reticulorumen is a widely used method for enhancing forestomach development in calves. Additional acceleration of... (Review)
Review
Promotion of microbial butyrate production in the reticulorumen is a widely used method for enhancing forestomach development in calves. Additional acceleration of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development, both the forestomach and lower parts of the GIT (e.g., abomasum, intestine, and also pancreas), can be obtained by dietary butyrate supplementation. For this purpose, different sources (e.g., butyrate salts or butyrins), forms (e.g., protected or unprotected), methods (e.g., in liquid feed or solid feed), and periods (e.g., before or after weaning) of butyrate administration can be used. The aim of this paper was to summarize the knowledge in the field of butyrate supplementation in feeds for newborn calves in practical situations, and to suggest directions of future studies. It has been repeatedly shown that supplementation of unprotected salts of butyrate (primarily sodium salt) in milk replacer (MR) stimulates the rumen, small intestine, and pancreas development in calves, with a supplementation level equating to 0.3% of dry matter being sufficient to exert the desired effect on both GIT development and growth performance. On the other hand, the effect of unprotected butyrins and protected forms of butyrate supplementation in MR has not been extensively investigated, and few studies have documented the effect of butyrate addition into whole milk (WM), with those available focusing mainly on the growth performance of animals. Protected butyrate supplementation at a low level (0.3% of protected product in DM) in solid feed was shown to have a potential to enhance GIT development and performance of calves fed MR during the preweaning period. Justification of this form of butyrate supplementation in solid feed when calves are fed WM or after weaning needs to be documented. After weaning, inclusion of unprotected butyrate salts in solid feed was shown to increase solid feed intake, but the effect on GIT development and function has not been determined in detail, and optimal levels of supplementation are also difficult to recommend based on available reports. Future studies should focus on comparing different sources (e.g., salts vs. esters), forms (e.g., protected vs. unprotected), and doses of supplemental butyrate in liquid feeds and solid feeds and their effect not only on the development of rumen, abomasum, and small intestine but also the omasum and large intestine. Furthermore, the most effective source, form, and dose of supplemental butyrate in solid feed depending on the liquid feed program (e.g., MR or WM), stage of rearing (e.g., pre- or postweaning), and solid composition (e.g., lack or presence of forage in the diet) need to be determined.
Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; Butyric Acid; Cattle; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Gastrointestinal Tract
PubMed: 29525310
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2017-14086 -
Journal of Dairy Science Jun 2018Many early studies laid the foundation for our understanding of the mechanics of chewing, the physiological role of chewing for the cow, and how chewing behavior is... (Review)
Review
Many early studies laid the foundation for our understanding of the mechanics of chewing, the physiological role of chewing for the cow, and how chewing behavior is affected by dietary characteristics. However, the dairy cow has changed significantly over the past decades, as have the types of diets fed and the production systems used. The plethora of literature published in recent years provides new insights on eating and ruminating activity of dairy cows. Lactating dairy cows spend about 4.5 h/d eating (range: 2.4-8.5 h/d) and 7 h/d ruminating (range: 2.5-10.5 h/d), with a maximum total chewing time of 16 h/d. Chewing time is affected by many factors, most importantly whether access to feed is restricted, intake of neutral detergent fiber from forages, and mean particle size of the diet. Feed restriction and long particles (≥19 mm) have a greater effect on eating time, whereas intake of forage neutral detergent fiber and medium particles (4-19 mm) affects rumination time. It is well entrenched in the literature that promoting chewing increases salivary secretion of dairy cows, which helps reduce the risk of acidosis. However, the net effect of a change in chewing time on rumen buffing is likely rather small; therefore, acidosis prevention strategies need to be broad. Damage to plant tissues during mastication creates sites that provide access to fungi, adhesion of bacteria, and formation of biofilms that progressively degrade carbohydrates. Rumination and eating are the main ways in which feed is reduced in particle size. Contractions of the rumen increase during eating and ruminating activity and help move small particles to the escapable pool and into the omasum. Use of recently developed low-cost sensors that monitor chewing activity of dairy cows in commercial facilities can provide information that is helpful in management decisions, especially when combined with other criteria. Although accuracy and precision can be somewhat variable depending on sensor and conditions of use, relative changes in cow behavior, such as a marked decrease in rumination time of a cow or sustained low rumination time compared with a contemporary group of cows, can be used to help detect estrus, parturition, and some illnesses. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the dietary, animal, and management factors that affect eating and ruminating behavior in dairy cows and presents an overview of the physiological importance of chewing with emphasis on recent developments and practical implications for feeding and managing the modern housed dairy cow.
Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; Cattle; Digestion; Eating; Female; Lactation; Rumen
PubMed: 29627250
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2017-13706 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Mar 2022The gastrointestinal microbiota greatly affects the health status and production performance of bovines. Presently, many studies have used high-throughput sequencing...
The gastrointestinal microbiota greatly affects the health status and production performance of bovines. Presently, many studies have used high-throughput sequencing methods to investigate the gastrointestinal microbiome in bovines. However, the microbiome profile of crossbred cattle across the whole gastrointestinal tract (GIT) has not been thoroughly reported. In this study, the digesta at ten regions (including the rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon, and rectum) of the GIT were collected in three Simmental × Holstein crossbred heifers aged 17 months, and microbial DNA was extracted and amplified for sequencing of the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene. Functional orthologs of the microbiota genome were predicted and analyzed. We found that samples were categorized into three groups (the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine) by principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) based on Bray-Curtis dissimilarity in both the bacterial composition and functional profile. Samples from small intestine had the lowest alpha diversity of bacteria composition and highest alpha diversity of the functional composition. Three groups of GIT regions were characterized by several microbiome features. The stomach was characterized by and at the phylum level, and KEGG pathways related to the metabolism of cofactors and vitamins, glycan biosynthesis, and metabolism were enriched in the stomach. The small intestine was characterized by and at the phylum level, and KEGG pathways related to xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism were enriched in the small intestine. The large intestine featured , , and at the family level, and KEGG pathways, including steroid hormone biosynthesis, linoleic acid metabolism, and cysteine and methionine metabolism were enriched in the large intestine. The results of the current study revealed the spatial heterogeneity of microbiota across the GIT in Simmental × Holstein crossbreeds and identified microbial biomarkers of different regions. The results can provide useful information for the study of the gastrointestinal microbiome in bovines.
PubMed: 35405815
DOI: 10.3390/ani12070825 -
PloS One 2022Despite the growing interest in the ruminants' gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microbiomes' ability to degrade plant materials by animal husbandry and industrial sectors,...
Despite the growing interest in the ruminants' gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microbiomes' ability to degrade plant materials by animal husbandry and industrial sectors, only a few studies addressed browsing ruminants. The present work describes the taxonomic and functional profile of the bacterial and archaeal communities from five different gastrointestinal sections (rumen, omasum-abomasum, jejunum, cecum and colon) of browsing Capra hircus, by metabarcoding using 16S rRNA genes hypervariable regions. The bacterial communities across the GITs are mainly composed of Bacillota and Bacteroidota. Prevotella was the leading bacterial group found in the stomachs, Romboutsia in the jejuna, and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, Bacteroides, UCG-010_ge, UCG-005, and Alistipes in large intestines. The archaeal communities in the stomachs and jejuna revealed to be mainly composed of Methanobrevibacter, while in the large intestines its dominance is shared with Methanocorpusculum. Across the GITs, the main metabolic functions were related to carbohydrate, amino acid, and energy metabolisms. Significant differences in the composition and potential biological functions of the bacterial communities were observed among stomachs, jejuna and large intestines. In contrast, significant differences were observed among stomachs and jejuna verse large intestines for archaeal communities. Overall different regions of the GIT are occupied by different microbial communities performing distinct biological functions. A high variety of glycoside hydrolases (GHs) indispensable for degrading plant cell wall materials were predicted to be present in all the GIT sections.
Topics: Amino Acids; Animals; Archaea; Bacteria; Bacteroidetes; Carbohydrates; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Glycoside Hydrolases; Goats; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Rumen
PubMed: 36251671
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276262 -
Journal of Applied Genetics Aug 2015The digestive systems of mammals harbor a complex gut microbiome, comprising bacteria and other microorganisms that confer metabolic and immunological benefits to the...
The digestive systems of mammals harbor a complex gut microbiome, comprising bacteria and other microorganisms that confer metabolic and immunological benefits to the host. Ruminants that digest plant-based foods have a four-compartment stomach consisting of the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. The microorganisms in the stomach are essential for providing the host with critical nutrients. However, the majority of these microorganisms are unknown species. The microbiome of the stomach is diverse, and the majority of these organisms cannot be cultured. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) combined with bioinformatic analysis tools have allowed the dissection of the composition of the microbiome in samples collected from a specific environment. In this study, for the first time, the bacterial composition in two compartments, the reticulum and the omasum, of bovine were analyzed using a metagenomic approach and compared to the bacterial composition of the rumen. These data will assist in understanding the biology of ruminants and benefit the agricultural industry. The diversity and composition of the bacterial community in samples collected from the rumen, reticulum, and omasum of bovines in the Changchun Region of Northeast China were analyzed by sequencing the V3 region of the 16S rRNA gene using a barcoded Illumina paired-end sequencing technique, and the primary composition of the microbiome in the rumen, reticulum, and omasum of the bovines was determined. These microbiomes contained 17 phyla and 107 genera in all three samples. Five phyla, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Spirochaetes, and Lentisphaerae, were the most abundant taxonomic groups. Additionally, the different stomach compartments harbored different compositions of the microorganisms.
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Cattle; DNA, Bacterial; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Metagenome; Metagenomics; Omasum; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Reticulum; Rumen; Sequence Analysis, DNA
PubMed: 25604266
DOI: 10.1007/s13353-014-0258-1 -
Research (Washington, D.C.) 2023Newborn ruminants are considered functionally monogastric animals. The poor understanding of cellular differences between newborn and mature ruminants prevents the...
Newborn ruminants are considered functionally monogastric animals. The poor understanding of cellular differences between newborn and mature ruminants prevents the improvement of health and performance of domestic ruminants. Here, we performed the single-cell RNA sequencing on the rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon, rectum, liver, salivary gland, and mammary gland from newborn and adult cattle. A comprehensive single-cell transcriptomic atlas covering 235,941 high-quality single cells and 78 cell types was deciphered. A Cattle Cell Landscape database (http://cattlecelllandscape.zju.edu.cn) was established to elaborately display the data and facilitate effective annotation of cattle cell types and subtypes for the broad research community. By measuring stemness states of epithelial cells in each tissue type, we revealed that the epithelial cells from newborn forestomach (rumen, reticulum, and omasum) were more transcriptionally indistinct and stochastic compared with the adult stage, which was in contrast to those of abomasum and intestinal tissues. The rapid forestomach development during the early life of calves was driven by epithelial progenitor-like cells with high DNA repair activities and methylation. Moreover, in the forestomach tissues of newborn calves, the genus was involved in regulating the transcriptional plasticity of the epithelial progenitor-like cells by DNA methylation regulation. A novel cell type, the cell, was found to be newborn-specific. It apparently plays a crucial role in stemness maintenance of its own and cholangiocytes in the hepatic microenvironment. Our results reveal that the age- and microbiota-dependent cell stemness plasticity drives the postnatal functional maturity of ruminants.
PubMed: 37040481
DOI: 10.34133/research.0025 -
Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic... Mar 2021We diagnosed epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma of the forestomachs in 2 aged, half-sibling, zoo-managed bontebok (). One bontebok also had mesenteric lymph node and...
We diagnosed epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma of the forestomachs in 2 aged, half-sibling, zoo-managed bontebok (). One bontebok also had mesenteric lymph node and cutaneous involvement. Both animals had a history of chronic abdominal distension and diminished body condition that resulted in euthanasia. At autopsy, both animals had marked ruminal distension with diffusely blunted ruminal papillae and reticular crests. In case 1, there was an increased amount and particle length of the ruminoreticular fibrous material with scant fluid, and a 2-cm diameter focus of cutaneous crusting adjacent to a mammary teat. In case 2, the rumen and reticulum were fluid-distended with decreased fibrous material. Histologically in case 1, the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and skin had intraepithelial nests and sheets of neoplastic small lymphocytes; in case 2, the rumen and reticulum had a similar neoplastic cell population. Immunohistochemically, neoplastic lymphocytes were immunoreactive for CD3 and negative for CD20, confirming the diagnosis of epitheliotropic T-cell lymphoma.
Topics: Animals; Antelopes; Female; Lymphoma, T-Cell; Male; Skin Neoplasms; Stomach Neoplasms
PubMed: 33371794
DOI: 10.1177/1040638720984115 -
Animal Nutrition (Zhongguo Xu Mu Shou... Dec 2021The unique structure of the stomach, including the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum, indicates the differences between the ruminant and monogastric animals in the... (Review)
Review
The unique structure of the stomach, including the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum, indicates the differences between the ruminant and monogastric animals in the digestion of nutrients. This difference is reflected in the majority of dietary nutrients that may be fermented in the rumen. Significant proteins and a certain amount of starch can flow to the small intestine apart from rumen. The initial phase of small intestinal digestion requires pancreatic digestive enzymes. In theory, the enzymatic digestion and utilization efficiency of starch in the small intestine are considerably higher than that in the rumen, but the starch digestibility in the small intestine is quite low in ruminants. Therefore, improving the digestion of nutrients, especially starch in the small intestine is more urgent for high-yield ruminants. Although the pancreas plays a central role in nutrient digestion, the progress of research investigating pancreatic exocrine regulation in the ruminant is slow due to some factors, such as the complex structure of the pancreas, the selection of experimental model and duration, and internal (hormones or ages) and external (diet) influences. The present review is based on the research findings of pancreatic exocrine regulation of dairy animals and expounded from the physiological structure of the ruminant pancreas, the factors affecting the digestion and exocrine processing of carbohydrates, and the regulatory mechanism governing this process. The review aims to better understand the characteristics of enzymatic digestion, thereby advancing pancreatic exocrine research and improving the digestion and utilization of nutrients in ruminants. Additionally, this review provides the theoretical basis for improving nutrient utilization efficiency, reducing wastage of feed resources, and promoting the efficient development of the dairy industry.
PubMed: 34754956
DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2021.09.004 -
Veterinary Medicine International 2021Various plant species such as have developed defensive measures, namely, spines, thorns, and other sharp pointed structures to protect themselves from herbivores and...
Various plant species such as have developed defensive measures, namely, spines, thorns, and other sharp pointed structures to protect themselves from herbivores and other animals feeding on them. has invaded the northern part of Laikipia County, Kenya, and its fruits are protected by small spines called glochids. This study determined the pathology in goats feeding on this plant in Laikipia County. Eighteen goats that had eaten the plant and six others that were raised in a ranch without were purchased for the study. All study animals were clinically examined for lesions and euthanized for necropsy examination. Clinically, goats affected by had poor body condition, wounds on various body parts, and diarrhea. Variable numbers of spines occurred externally on the skin throughout the body and elicited pain, swelling, and ulcerative wounds on affected parts. Internal lesions were observed in subcutaneous tissues (100%), together with stomatitis, cheilitis, gingivitis, glossitis, abomasitis (100%), rumen, reticulum, omasum thinning and loss of papillae (72.2%), esophagitis, and duodenitis (5.6%). Carcasses had gelatinous fat and muscular atrophy. Other gross lesions were generalized viscera atrophy, edema, subcutaneous emphysema, lymphadenopathy, abscesses, ascites, hydrothorax, and hydropericardium. The abomasum wall and its mucosal folds were swollen with edema, haemorrhages, and scattered foci of abscesses. Histopathology confirmed the main lesions in all affected goats were foreign-body granulomas which were located in all organs with gross lesions. Goats from -free ranches had no spines or lesions. The pathological effects caused by resulted in emaciated goats due to pain, inability to masticate and assimilate food, and stress, resulting in poor carcass and organs quality and possible condemnation and death. This could affect the socioeconomics and livelihoods of communities in the study area, and therefore, the spread of this plant needs to be controlled.
PubMed: 33623658
DOI: 10.1155/2021/8831996