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Scientific Reports Jun 2024Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer among men in the United States and the leading cause of cancer-related death. The Solute Carrier Family 14 Member 1...
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common cancer among men in the United States and the leading cause of cancer-related death. The Solute Carrier Family 14 Member 1 (SLC14A1) is a member of urea transporters which are important for the regulation of urine concentration. However, the physiological significance of SLC14A1 in PCa still remains unclear. In the present study, via bioinformatics analysis and experiments, we found that expression of SLC14A1 is significantly decreased in PCa progression, which could be attributed to hypermethylation on SLC14A1 promoter region. Moreover, its low expression and hypermethylation on SLC14A1 promoter are closely related to the poor prognosis of PCa patients. On the other hand, overexpression of SLC14A1 inhibited cell proliferation and metastasis while its overexpression also suppressed CDK1/CCNB1 pathway and mTOR/MMP-9 signaling pathway. Additionally, SLC14A1 expression is enriched in prostate basal-type cells. In summary, our study indicates that its low expression level and promoter hypermethylation of SLC14A1 may represent novel indicators for PCa progression and prognosis, and SLC14A1 could inhibit the progression of PCa.
Topics: Humans; Male; Prostatic Neoplasms; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Disease Progression; Signal Transduction; Cell Line, Tumor; CDC2 Protein Kinase; DNA Methylation; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Cell Proliferation; Down-Regulation; Prognosis; Cell Movement
PubMed: 38942821
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66020-1 -
Journal of Dairy Science Jul 2024The objective was to evaluate the effects of separate offering of feed ingredients (SF) and frequency of concentrate feeding versus offering a TMR, on lactational...
Separate offering of forages and concentrates to lactating dairy cows: Effects on lactational performance, enteric methane emission, and efficiency of nutrient utilization.
The objective was to evaluate the effects of separate offering of feed ingredients (SF) and frequency of concentrate feeding versus offering a TMR, on lactational performance, ruminal fermentation, enteric CH emissions, nutrient digestibility, N use efficiency, milk fatty acid profile, and blood variables in mid-lactation dairy cows. Twenty-four Holstein cows (12 primi- and 12 multiparous) averaging (±SD) 141 ± 35 DIM and 43 ± 6 kg/d of milk yield (MY) at the beginning of the study were used in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design experiment with 3 periods of 28 d each, composed of 7 d for adaptation to the diets, 11 d for estimation of net energy and metabolizable protein requirements, and 10 d for data and samples collection. Cows were grouped based on parity, DIM, and MY into 4 Latin squares. Treatment allocation was balanced for carryover effects, and cows within square were assigned to (1) basal diet fed ad libitum as TMR; (2) basal diet fed as SF with forages fed ad libitum and concentrates fed 3×/d (SF×3); or (3) basal diet fed as SF with forages fed ad libitum and concentrates fed 6×/d (SF×6). Compared with TMR, SF decreased total DMI by 1.2 kg/d. Treatments did not affect MY, milk components, or ECM yield, except for a decrease in milk fat concentration and an increase in milk urea N by SF×3, compared with TMR. Feed efficiency (kg of MY/kg of DMI) was increased by 7% in SF, compared with TMR. Ruminal molar proportion of acetate and acetate-to-propionate ratio were decreased, whereas molar proportion of propionate was increased by SF×3, compared with TMR and SF×6. There was a 9% decrease in daily CH production by SF, compared with TMR. Enteric CH yield (per kg of DMI) was not affected by treatments in the current study. Methane intensity per kilogram of MY tended to be decreased by 10% in SF, compared with TMR. The sums of odd- and branched-chain, odd-chain, and anteiso milk fatty acids tended to be or were increased by SF, compared with TMR. Intake of nutrients tended to be or were decreased by SF, compared with TMR. The digestibility of amylase-treated NDF tended to be decreased and ADF digestibility was decreased by 3% in SF, compared with TMR. Urinary and fecal N excretions were not affected by treatments. As a percentage of total N intake, separate offering of feed ingredients increased milk N secretion, indicating an increased N use efficiency by SF, compared with TMR. Blood total fatty acid concentration was decreased by SF relative to TMR. Compared with both TMR and SF×6, SF×3 increased blood urea N concentration. Overall, feed and N use efficiencies were increased by separate offering of feed ingredients, and increasing the frequency of concentrate feeding promoted ruminal fermentation effects similar to those obtained by feeding a TMR.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Lactation; Female; Milk; Diet; Methane; Animal Feed; Digestion; Nutrients; Rumen; Fermentation
PubMed: 38942562
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-24261 -
Journal of Dairy Science Jul 2024This study investigated the effects of feeding an amylase-enabled corn silage (ACS) on the performance and enteric gas emissions in lactating dairy cows. Following a...
This study investigated the effects of feeding an amylase-enabled corn silage (ACS) on the performance and enteric gas emissions in lactating dairy cows. Following a 2-wk covariate period, 48 mid-lactation Holstein cows were assigned to 1 of 3 treatments in a 10-wk randomized complete block design experiment. Treatments were diets containing the same proportion of corn silage (40% of dietary DM) as follows: (1) a conventional hybrid corn silage control (CON), (2) ACS replacing the control silage (ADR), and (3) the ADR diet replacing soybean hulls with ground corn grain to achieve the same dietary starch concentration as CON (ASR). Control corn silage and ACS were harvested on the same day and contained 40.3% and 37.1% DM and (% of DM): 37.2% and 41.0% NDF and 37.1% and 30.0% starch, respectively. Enteric gas emissions were measured using the GreenFeed system. Two cows were culled due to health-related issues during the covariate period. Ruminal fluid was collected from 24 cows (8 per treatment) using the orogastric ruminal sampling technique. When compared with CON, cows fed ADR had increased DMI during experimental wk 3, 4, and 9, but treatment did not affect milk or ECM milk yields (39.0 kg/d on average; SEM = 0.89). Compared with CON, feed efficiency (per unit of milk, but not ECM) tended to be lower for ADR, whereas milk true protein concentration (a tendency) and yield were lower for ASR. Milk urea N was decreased by both ADR and ASR diets relative to CON. Compared with CON, daily CH emission and emission intensity were increased by ADR but not ASR. Total protozoal count tended to be increased by both diets formulated with ACS when compared with control corn silage. Total-tract digestibility of dietary NDF was greater for ASR, and that of ADF was greater for both ADR and ASR versus CON. The molar proportion of acetate (a tendency) and acetate-to-propionate ratio were increased by ADR, but not ASR, when compared with CON. Replacement of CON with ACS (having lower starch concentration) in the diet of dairy cows increased DMI during the initial weeks of the experiment, maintained ECM, tended to decrease feed efficiency, and increased enteric CH emissions, likely due to increased intake of digestible fiber, compared with CON.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Female; Starch; Lactation; Zea mays; Silage; Rumen; Diet; Milk; Fermentation; Amylases; Animal Feed; Gases
PubMed: 38942561
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23957 -
Journal of Dairy Science Jul 2024Methane, both enteric and from manure management, is the most important greenhouse gas from ruminant livestock, and its mitigation can deliver substantial decreases in... (Review)
Review
Methane, both enteric and from manure management, is the most important greenhouse gas from ruminant livestock, and its mitigation can deliver substantial decreases in the carbon footprint of animal products and potentially contribute to climate change mitigation. Although choices may be limited, certain feeding-related practices can substantially decrease livestock enteric CH emission. These practices can be generally classified into 2 categories: diet manipulation and feed additives. Within the first category, selection of forages and increasing forage digestibility are likely to decrease enteric CH emission, but the size of the effect, relative to current forage practices in the United States dairy industry, is likely to be minimal to moderate. An opportunity also exists to decrease enteric CH emissions by increasing dietary starch concentration, but interventions have to be weighed against potential decreases in milk fat yield and farm profitability. A similar conclusion can be made about dietary lipids and oilseeds, which are proven to decrease CH emission but can also have a negative effect on rumen fermentation, feed intake, and milk production and composition. Sufficient and robust scientific evidence indicates that some feed additives, specifically the CH inhibitor 3-nitrooxypropanol, can substantially reduce CH emissions from dairy and beef cattle. However, the long-term effects and external factors affecting the efficacy of the inhibitor need to be further studied. The practicality of mass-application of other mitigation practices with proven short-term efficacy (i.e., macroalgae) is currently unknown. One area that needs more research is how nutritional mitigation practices (both diet manipulation and feed additives) interact with each other and whether there is synergism among feed additives with different mode of action. Further, effects of diet on manure composition and greenhouse gas emissions during storage (e.g., emission trade-offs) have not been adequately studied. Overall, if currently available mitigation practices prove to deliver consistent results and novel, potent, and safe strategies are discovered and are practical, nutrition alone can deliver up to 60% reduction in enteric CH emissions from dairy farms in the United States.
Topics: Methane; Animals; Animal Feed; Diet; Cattle; Milk; Dairying
PubMed: 38942560
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-24440 -
The Science of the Total Environment Jun 2024Micropollutant removal from effluent of conventional wastewater treatment has recently become one of the most discussed topics in the design and operation of wastewater...
Vertical-flow constructed wetlands as a sustainable on-site greywater treatment process for the decrease of micropollutant concentration in urban wastewater and integration to households' water services.
Micropollutant removal from effluent of conventional wastewater treatment has recently become one of the most discussed topics in the design and operation of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). This is due to the need to add a post-treatment step to the conventional processes to comply with stricter quality standards for effluents as outlined in the revised Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD). The adoption of on-site or decentralized greywater (GW) treatment in sustainable buildings using vertical-flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) is a promising direction. It represents an interesting alternative for the removal of micropollutants at the source of pollution, such as personal care products (PCPs) and some pharmaceuticals which are mainly present in this wastewater fraction. Additionally, the treated greywater could be used in households' water services which do not require potable water quality, thus saving drinking water. In this context, this work compares the results of micropollutant removal from projects using VFCWs as a polishing step of WWTPs effluent, as a centralized solution, to the results from a decentralized GW treatment. The results show that VFCWs can remove the investigated micropollutants (Diclofenac and DEET) with an efficiency of >90 %, in both centralized and decentralized treatments. The admixture biochar from plant residues and from cellulose-toilet paper proved to be a promising substitute for the mineral zeolite when mixed with sand to remove PCPs from GW and, therefore, a circular economy concept can be applied to this technology.
PubMed: 38942317
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174310 -
Environmental Pollution (Barking, Essex... Jun 2024Emerging pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals and microplastics have become a pressing concern due to their widespread presence and potential impacts on ecological...
Emerging pollutants, such as pharmaceuticals and microplastics have become a pressing concern due to their widespread presence and potential impacts on ecological systems. To assess the ecosystem-level effects of these pollutants within a multi-stressor context, we simulated real-world conditions by exposing a near-natural multi-trophic aquatic food web to a gradient of environmentally relevant concentrations of fluoxetine and microplastics in large mesocosms over a period of more than three months. We measured the biomass and abundance of different trophic groups, as well as ecological functions such as nutrient availability and decomposition rate. To explore the mechanisms underlying potential community and ecosystem-level effects, we also performed behavioral assays focusing on locomotion parameters as a response variable in three species: Daphnia magna (zooplankton prey), Chaoborus flavicans larvae (invertebrate pelagic predator of zooplankton) and Asellus aquaticus (benthic macroinvertebrate), using water from the mesocosms. Our mesocosm results demonstrate that presence of microplastics governs the response in phytoplankton biomass, with a weak non-monotonic dose-response relationship due to the interaction between microplastics and fluoxetine. However, exposure to fluoxetine evoked a strong non-monotonic dose-response in zooplankton abundance and microbial decomposition rate of plant material. In the behavioral assays, the locomotion of zooplankton prey D. magna showed a similar non-monotonic response primarily induced by fluoxetine. Its predator C. flavicans, however, showed a significant non-monotonic response governed by both microplastics and fluoxetine. The behavior of the decomposer A. aquaticus significantly decreased at higher fluoxetine concentrations, potentially leading to reduced decomposition rates near the sediment. Our study demonstrates that effects observed upon short-term exposure result in more pronounced ecosystem-level effects following chronic exposure.
PubMed: 38942279
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124439 -
Journal of Thermal Biology Jun 2024Phenotypic links are the potential for "carryover" of effects of experience during one life history stage into performance and selection at subsequent stages. They...
Phenotypic links are the potential for "carryover" of effects of experience during one life history stage into performance and selection at subsequent stages. They reflect plastic responses to the environment experienced during an early phase on the phenotype of subsequent phases. We are studying these effects by following individuals of the shrimp Palaemon serratus from the embryonic (eggs carried by females) through the larval phase (pelagic) to the juvenile phase (benthic). In experiment 1, we investigated the effects of larval prey concentration (10, 4 and 2 Artemia/mL) and larval incubation temperature (16 and 22 °C) on larval performance (metamorphosis rate, developmental duration and growth) and then on juvenile performance (survival and Specific Growth Rate, SGR, at 18 and 24 °C in 14 days). In experiment 2, we investigated the effects of embryonic incubation temperature (larval biomass and lipid content of newly hatched larvae from embryos incubated at 12 and 18 °C) and larval prey concentration on larval performance and then on juvenile performance. In both experiments, the larvae plastically increased their development time in response to the reduction in temperature and prey concentration, whereas their survival decreased with temperature and prey concentration. The quantity of lipids available at hatching decreased with decreasing embryonic incubation temperature, which reduced the larval performance, particularly with a low concentration of prey. Survival at 14 days post-metamorphosis was significantly reduced when the embryos were incubated at 12 °C compared with those incubated at 18 °C, regardless of the subsequent larval incubation conditions, revealing phenotypic links between overconsumption of embryonic yolk reserves and post-metamorphic fitness. Overall, juveniles had a better SGR at 24 than at 18 °C, and even better when incubated under stressful embryo-larval conditions (temperature and prey concentration). This study highlighted phenotypic links between developmental stages and over developmental periods of several months.
PubMed: 38941824
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103892 -
Poultry Science Jun 2024Periplaneta americana residue is a byproduct of using Periplaneta americana in pharmaceutical research and development for extracting active ingredients. Three hundred...
Periplaneta americana residue is a byproduct of using Periplaneta americana in pharmaceutical research and development for extracting active ingredients. Three hundred Three-yellow chickens were selected for the experiment and randomly divided into 6 groups (5 replications per group, 10 chickens per replicate): the control group (group A) was fed a basal ration, and the experimental groups (groups B, C, D, E, and F) were fed experimental diets in which P. americana residue replaced puffed soybean meal at proportions of 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%, respectively, for a period of 42 d. The aim was to assess the impact of different levels of P. americana residue on the growth, survival, intestinal morphology, digestive enzyme activity, intestinal flora, and intestinal transcriptional responses of Three-yellow chickens. The results indicated that the increase in P. americana residue levels had a linear and quadratic impact on the average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR), respectively. The ADG was notably greater in the 40% group than in the 100% group, while the FCR was significantly lower in the 20% and 40% groups than in the 100% group (P < 0.05). Protease, lipase, and amylase activities exhibited a quadratic increase with increasing concentrations of P. americana residue (P < 0.05). Protease and lipase activities were notably greater in the 20% and 40% groups than in the 0% group (control group), amylase activity was significantly greater in the 40% group than in the 0% group (control group) (P < 0.05). Duodenal crypt depth (CD) decreased quadratically with increasing P. americana residue (P < 0.05). The duodenal villus height/crypt depth ratio (V/C) was significantly lower in the 100% group than in the 60% group (P < 0.05). The intestinal villus height (VH) increased quadratically with increasing levels of P. americana residue. The VH in the 60% group was significantly greater than that in the 0% (control group), 20, 80, and 100% groups (P < 0.05). The Chao and Ace indices demonstrated linear and quadratic increases with increasing levels of P. americana residue, while the Pd index showed a quadratic increase with increasing levels of P. americana residue (P < 0.05). The relative abundance profile of Lactobacillus exhibited a linear and quadratic decrease with increasing levels of P. americana residue, with the 100% group showing a significantly lower abundance than the 0% (control group) and 40% groups (P < 0.05). The transcriptome results showed that P. americana residue could enhance the digestive system by promoting vitamin, fat, carbohydrate digestion and absorption, cholesterol metabolism, etc. In conclusion, P. americana residue can replace puffed soybean meal without negatively affecting the growth performance of three-yellow chickens. The low and medium groups had positive effects on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, intestinal morphology, intestinal flora, and substance digestion and absorption of three-yellow chickens. The recommended replacement of P. americana residue for puffed soybean meal in the diets of three-yellow chickens ranged from 20% to 60%.
PubMed: 38941789
DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103967 -
Poultry Science Jun 2024The main goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of nutraceuticals vs. in-feed antibiotics on performance, blood lipids, antioxidant capacity, cecal microbiota,...
Nutraceuticals vs. antibiotic growth promoters: differential impacts on performance, meat quality, blood lipids, cecal microbiota, and organ histomorphology of broiler chicken.
The main goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of nutraceuticals vs. in-feed antibiotics on performance, blood lipids, antioxidant capacity, cecal microbiota, and organ histomorphology of broiler chickens. A total of 320 one-day-old male broiler chickens were distributed into 5 treatment groups with 8 replicates each. The control group was fed on a basal diet without any additives (NC); the antibiotic group was fed on a basal diet supplemented with 100 mg kg-1 avilamycin (PC); the algal group was fed on a basal diet supplemented with a mixture of Spirulina platensis and Chlorella vulgaris (1.5 g + 1.5 g/kg feed) (SP+CV); the essential oil group was fed with a basal diet containing 300 mg/kg feed rosemary oil (REO); and the probiotics group (a mixture of 1 × 10 CFU/g Bacillus licheniformis, 1 × 10 CFU/g Enterococcus facieum, 1 × 10 CFU/g Lactobacillus acidophilus, and 2 × 10 CFU /g Saccharomyces cerevisiae) was fed with a basal diet supplemented with 0.05% probiotics (PRO). The experiment lasted for 35 d. A beneficial effect of SP+CV and PRO (P < 0.01) was noticed on final body weight, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and breast yield. The dietary supplementation with SP+CV, REO, and PRO increased (P < 0.001) broilers' cecal lactic acid bacteria count compared to the control. Lower cecal Clostridium perfringens and Coliform counts (P < 0.001) were noticed in chickens fed the PC and supplemental diets. Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration was decreased, while glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase, and catalase enzymes were increased in the breast and thigh meat (P < 0.001) of broiler chickens fed SP+CV, REO, and PRO diets. Dietary SP+CV, REO, and PRO supplementation decreased (P < 0.001) serum total lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, and MDA, but increased serum high-density lipoprotein and GPx compared to PC and NC. No pathological lesions were noticed in the liver, kidney, or breast muscle among broilers. The SP+CV, REO, and PRO groups had greater (P < 0.001) intestinal villi height and crypt depth while lower goblet cell densities (P < 0.01) than the control. The present findings suggest that PRO and SP+CV, followed by REO could be suitable alternatives to in-feed antibiotics for enhancing the performance, health, and meat quality of broiler chickens.
PubMed: 38941788
DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103971 -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety Jun 2024Chromium (Cr) exposure is associated with various respiratory system diseases, but there are limited studies investigating its impact on lung function in young adults....
Chromium (Cr) exposure is associated with various respiratory system diseases, but there are limited studies investigating its impact on lung function in young adults. The Cr exposure-related metabolomic changes are not well elucidated. This study recruited 608 students from a university in Shandong Province, China in 2019. We used cohort design fitted with linear mixed-effects models to assess the association between blood Cr concentration and lung function. In addition, we performed metabolomic and lipidomic analyses of baseline serum samples (N = 582) using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Two-step statistical analysis (analysis of variance and mixed-linear effect model) was used to evaluate the effect of blood Cr exposure on metabolites. We found that blood Cr was associated with decreased lung function in young adults. Each 2-fold increase in blood Cr concentrations was significantly associated with decreased FEV and FVC by 35.26 mL (95 % CI: -60.75, -9.78) and 38.56 mL (95 % CI: -66.60, -10.51), respectively. In the metabolomics analysis, blood Cr exposure was significantly associated with 14 key metabolites. The changed metabolites were mainly enriched in six pathways including lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and cofactor vitamin metabolism. Blood Cr may affect lung function through oxidative stress and inflammation related pathways.
PubMed: 38941662
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116594