Endotoxin-induced alterations of adipose tissue function:a pathway to bovine metabolic stress

During the periparturient period, dairy cows exhibit negative energy balance due to limited appetite and increased energy requirements for lactogenesis. The delicate equilibrium between energy availability and expenditure puts cows in a state of metabolic stress characterized by excessive lipolysis in white adipose tissues(AT), increased production of reactive oxygen species, and immune cell dysfunction. Metabolic stress, especially in AT, increases the risk for metabolic and inflammatory diseases. Around parturition, cows are also susceptible to endotoxemia. Bacterial-derived toxins cause endotoxemia by promoting inflammatory processes and immune cell infiltration in different organs and systems while impacting metabolic function by altering lipolysis, mitochondrial activity, and insulin sensitivity. In dairy cows, endotoxins enter the bloodstream after overcoming the defense mechanisms of the epithelial barriers, particularly during common periparturient conditions such as mastitis, metritis, and pneumonia, or after abrupt changes in the gut microbiome. In the bovine AT, endotoxins induce a pro-inflammatory response and stimulate lipolysis in AT, leading to the release of free fatty acids into the bloodstream. When excessive and protracted, endotoxin-induced lipolysis can impair adipocyte's insulin signaling pathways and lipid synthesis. Endotoxin exposure can also induce oxidative stress in AT through the production of reactive oxygen species by inflammatory cells and other cellular components. This review provides insights into endotoxins' impact on AT function, highlighting the gaps in our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying AT dysfunction, its connection with periparturient cows' disease risk, and the need to develop effective interventions to prevent and treat endotoxemia-related inflammatory conditions in dairy cattle.

Pharmacokinetic Characterization of Xylazine in Goats with Simultaneous Anesthesia Studies

The aim was to study the pharmacokinetics of xylazine as a stable anesthetic in goats.In this study,goats were injected with xylazine at the rate of 0.3 mL·kg-1 intramusculally,and blood samples were collected at 1,3,5,10,20,30,45,60,90,120,180,and 240 min after administration,respectively.Xylazine was extracted by liquid-liquid extraction and separation method,and blood concentration was determined by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).The pharmacokinetic characteristics of xylazine in healthy goats were analyzed by pharmacokinetic software.The results showed that the chromatographic peak time of xylazine chromatography was 9-11 min.The specificity of the method was good.The linear correlation coefficient R2 of the standard curve was 0.9982 when the concentration of xylazine was in the range of 10-1×1000 ng.The pharmacokinetic model of xylazine in goats was a one-chamber model with first-order rate absorption,distribution half-life t1/2Ka was(0.49±0.041)min,elimination half-life t1/2Ke was(23.3±2.5)min,and the peak time(Tp)of the highest concentration was(2.8±0.2)min.The total drug clearance CL/F was(0.00016±0.000016)mg·kg-1·min-1(ng·mL-1),and the minimum effective blood concentration was 56.6 ng·mL-1,which was consistent with the clinical anesthetic effect.The results showed that xylazine had the characteristics of rapid absorption,wide distribution,short peak time,slow clearance rate,and long anesthetic time in goats,which could be used as the basic drug for the development of goat complex anesthetic preparation.

SwiveLock Bone Anchor Stabilization of the Cranial Cruciate Ligament Deficient Stifle in Dogs: Clinical Outcome

A number of surgical procedures have been reported for the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) deficient stifle in dogs. The objectives of this study were to report long-term outcomes in dogs with CCL deficient stifles stabilized with a knotless SwiveLock bone anchor preloaded with FiberTape and to report associated complications. Medical records were reviewed to identify dogs with unilateral CCL deficient stifles treated with the SwiveLock system (n = 41) between June 2008 and January 2012. Dogs were divided into three groups according to body weight to assess differences between owner assessed functional outcomes. Complications were recorded and a validated owner questionnaire was used to evaluate long-term outcomes at least 6 months postoperatively. Owner assessment prior to and after treatment with the SwiveLock system was statistically significant for each of the categories of the validated owner questionnaire. There was no significant difference among the weight groups for any of the preoperative and postoperative treatment owner questions. Complications requiring surgical revision occurred in three (7.3%) dogs. Two had surgical site infections and one had a subsequent meniscal tear. The authors concluded that the SwiveLock system placed at near isometric sites is an effective surgical option for the treatment of dogs with CCL deficient stifles.

Reversal of maternal obesity attenuates hypoxia and improves placental development in the preeclamptic-like BPH/5 mouse model

Background:Women with obesity have higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes,including preeclampsia(PE).Late-gestational hypertension,aberrant fetoplacental development,and fetal growth restriction(FGR),hallmarks of PE,are observed spontaneously in BPH/5 mice.Similar to obese preeclamptic women,BPH/5 mice have higher visceral white adipose tissue(WAT)and circulating leptin.We hypothesized that attenuation of maternal obesity and serum leptin in pregnant BPH/5 mice will improve fetoplacental development by decreasing hypoxia markers and leptin expression at the maternal-fetal interface.Methods:To test this hypothesis,BPH/5 mice were fed ad libitum(lib)and pair-fed(PF)to C57 ad lib controls beginning at embryonic day(e)0.5.Hypoxia-related genes,hypoxia inducible factor(Hif)1α,stem cell factor(Scf),heme oxygenase-1(Ho-1),leptin(Lep),and leptin receptor(LepR)were assessed in e7.5 implantation sites.Results:BPH/5 ad lib had 1.5 to 2-fold increase in Hif1α,Scf,and Ho-1 mRNA and a greater than 3-fold increase in leptin mRNA vs.C57 that was attenuated with PF.Exogenous leptin promoted Hif1αand Ho-1 mRNA expression in e7.5 decidua in vitro.While hypoxic conditions in vitro did not change decidual leptin mRNA.Furthermore,BPH/5 PF mice demonstrated improved fetal and placental outcomes later in gestation,with greater placental vascular area by e18.5 and attenuation of FGR.Conclusion:In conclusion,pair-feeding BPH/5 mice beginning at conception may improve placental vasculature formation via decreased leptin and hypoxia-associated markers in this model.Future investigations are needed to better determine the effect of hypoxia and leptin on pregnancy outcomes in obese pregnant women.

Effects of omega-3 supplementation on components of the endocannabinoid system and metabolic and inflammatory responses in adipose and liver of peripartum dairy cows

Background:Dietary supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the activation of the endocannabinoid system(ECS)by decreasing the availability of arachidonic acid,thus lowering endocannabinoids(e CBs)levels.The ECS is a modulator of energy metabolism,stress response and inflammation in mammals,yet there is little information on the roles of the ECS in transition dairy cows.During the periparturient period,the adipose tissue and liver are the main metabolic organs that participate in the adaptations of dairy cows to onset of lactation;however,exceeded adipose tissue lipolysis and accumulation of lipids in the liver have adverse effects on cows'physiology.Here we aimed to examine whether omega-3 supplementation during the transition period will modulate ECS activation and affect metabolic and inflammatory indices in postpartum dairy cows,by supplementing twenty-eight transition Holstein dairy cows with either saturated fat(CTL)or encapsulated flaxseed oil(FLX).Components of the ECS,metabolic and inflammatory markers were measured in blood,liver,and subcutaneous adipose tissue.Results:FLX supplementation reduced feed intake by 8.1%(P<0.01)and reduced plasma levels of arachidonic acid(by 44.2%;P=0.02)and anandamide(by 49.7%;P=0.03)postpartum compared to CTL.The m RNA transcription levels of the cannabinoid receptor 1(CNR1/CB1)tended to be lower(2.5 folds)in white blood cells of FLX than in CTL(P=0.10),and protein abundance of ECS enzyme monoacylglycerol lipase was higher in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of FLX than in CTL(P=0.04).In adipose tissue,palmitoylethanolamide levels were lower in FLX than in CTL(by 61.5%;P=0.02),relative m RNA transcription of lipogenic genes were higher,and the protein abundance of cannabinoid receptor 2(P=0.08)and monoacylglycerol lipase(P=0.10)tended to be higher in FLX compared to CTL.Hepatic 2-arachidonoylglycerol tended to be higher(by 73.1%;P=0.07),and interlukin-6 m RNA transcription level was 1.5 folds lower in liver of FLX than in CTL(P=0.03).Conclusions:Nutritional supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids seems to partly modulate ECS activation,which could be related to lower feed intake.The altered ECS components in blood,adipose tissue and liver are associated with moderate modulations in lipid metabolism in the adipose and inflammation in liver of peripartum dairy cows.

Adipose tissue lipolysis and remodeling during the transition period of dairy cows

Elevated concentrations of plasma fatty acids in transition dairy cows are significantly associated with increased disease susceptibility and poor lactation performance. The main source of plasma fatty acids throughout the transition period is lipolysis from adipose tissue depots. During this time, plasma fatty acids serve as a source of calories mitigating the negative energy balance prompted by copious milk synthesis and limited dry matter intake.Past research has demonstrated that lipolysis in the adipose organ is a complex process that includes not only the activation of lipolytic pathways in response to neural, hormonal, or paracrine stimuli, but also important changes in the structure and cellular distribution of the tissue in a process known as adipose tissue remodeling. This process involves an inflammatory response with immune cell migration, proliferation of the cellular components of the stromal vascular fraction, and changes in the extracellular matrix. This review summarizes current knowledge on lipolysis in dairy cattle, expands on the new field of adipose tissue remodeling, and discusses how these biological processes affect transition cow health and productivity.

Early phase of acute pancreatitis: Assessment and management

Acute pancreatitis(AP) is a potentially life-threatening disease with a wide spectrum of severity. The overall mortality of AP is approximately 5%. According to the revised Atlanta classification system, AP can be classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Severe AP often takes a clinical course with two phases, an early and a late phase, which should both be considered separately. In this review article, we first discuss general aspects of AP, including incidence, pathophysiology, etiology, and grading of severity, then focus on the assessment of patients with suspected AP, including diagnosis and risk stratification, followed by the management of AP during the early phase, with special emphasis on fluid therapy, pain management, nutrition, and antibiotic prophylaxis.

Oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction in a normal colon epithelial cell line

AIM To determine how a normal human colon cell line reacts to microbial challenge as a way to study oxidative stress-induced responses associated with inflammatory bowel disease.METHODS Normal human colon epithelial cells(ATCC?CRL.1790?)were stimulated with either heat killed E.coli or heat killed murine cecal contents(HKC)and examined for several relevant biomarkers associated with inflammation and oxidative stress including cytokine production,mitochondrial autophagy and oxidant status.TNFα,IL-1βand IL-8 protein concentrations were measured within the supernatants.Fluorescent microscopy was performed to quantify the production of reactive oxygen species(ROS)using an oxidation responsive fluorogenic probe.Mitochondrial morphology and mitochondrial membrane potential was assessed by dual staining using COXIV antibody and a dye concentrating in active mitochondria.Mitochondrial ROS scavenger was used to determine the source of ROS in stimulated cells.Autophagy was detected by staining for the presence of autophagic vesicles.Positive controls for autophagy and ROS/RNS experiments were treated with rapamycin and chloroquine.Mitochondrial morphology,ROS production and autophagy microscopy experiments were analyzed using a custom acquisition and analysis microscopy software(Image J).RESULTS Exposing CRL.1790 cells to microbial challenge stimulated cells to produce several relevant biomarkers associated with inflammation and oxidative stress.Heat killed cecal contents treatment induced a 10-12fold increase in IL-8 production by CRL.1790 cells compared to unstimulated controls at 6 and 12 h(P<0.001).Heat killed E.coli stimulation resulted in a4-5 fold increase in IL-8 compared to the unstimulated control cells at each time point(P<0.001).Both heat killed E.coli and HKC stimulated robust ROS production at 6(P<0.001),and 12 h(P<0.01).Mitochondrial morphologic abnormalities were detected at 6 and12 h based on reduced mitochondrial circularity and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential,P<0.01.Microbial stimulation also induced significant autophagy at 6 and 12 h,P<0.01.Lastly,blocking mitochondrial ROS generation using mitochondrial specific ROS scavenger reversed microbial challenge induced mitochondrial morphologic abnormalities and autophagy.CONCLUSION The findings from this study suggest that CRL.1790cells may be a useful alternative to other colon cancer cell lines in studying the mechanisms of oxidative stress events associated with intestinal inflammatory disorders.

Development of genome engineering technologies in cattle: from random to specific

The production of transgenic farm animals(e.g., cattle) via genome engineering for the gain or loss of gene functions is an important undertaking. In the initial stages of genome engineering, DNA micro-injection into one-cell stage embryos(zygotes) followed by embryo transfer into a recipient was performed because of the ease of the procedure.However, as this approach resulted in severe mosaicism and has a low efficiency, it is not typically employed in the cattle as priority, unlike in mice. To overcome the above issue with micro-injection in cattle, somatic cell nuclear transfer(SCNT) was introduced and successfully used to produce cloned livestock. The application of SCNT for the production of transgenic livestock represents a significant advancement, but its development speed is relatively slow because of abnormal reprogramming and low gene targeting efficiency. Recent genome editing technologies(e.g.,ZFN, TALEN, and CRISPR-Cas9) have been rapidly adapted for applications in cattle and great results have been achieved in several fields such as disease models and bioreactors. In the future, genome engineering technologies wil accelerate our understanding of genetic traits in bovine and wil be readily adapted for bio-medical applications in cattle.

In-vitro antimicrobial activity screening of some ethnoveterinary medicinal plants traditionally used against mastitis,wound and gastrointestinal tract complication in Tigray Region,Ethiopia

Objective:To screen the antibacterial activity of nine ethnoveterinary plants traditionally used for the treatment of mastitis,wound and gastrointestinal complications.Methods:Hydroalcoholic exctracts of medicinal plants namely,Achyranthes aspera(A.aspera) L.(Family Asparagaceae),Ficus caria(F.caria)(Family Moraceae).Malvi parviflora(M.parviflora)(Family Malvaceae),Vernonia species(V.species) docal name Alakit.Family Asteraceae),Solatium hastifolium(S.hastifolium)(Family Solanaceae),Calpurinia aurea(C.aurea)(Ait) Benth(Family Fabaceae),Nicotiana tabacum(N.tabacum) L.(Family Solanaceae),Ziziphus spina-christi(Z.spina-christi)(Family Rhamnaceae).Croton macroslachys(C.macrostachys)(Family Fuphorhiaceae).were screened against clinical bacterial isolates of veterinary importance from October 2007 to April2009.The antibacterial activity was tested using disc diffusion at two concentrations(200 mg/mL and 100 mg/mL) and broth dilution methods using 70%methanol macerated leal extracts.Results:With the exception ol S.hastifolium all plant extracts exhibited antibacterial activity.Among the medicinal plants tested C.aurea.C.macrostachyus,A.aspera,N.tabacum and vcrnonia species(Alakit) showed the most promising antimicrobial properties.Conclusions:It can be concluded that many of the tested plants have antibacterial activity and supports the traditional usage of the plants for mastitis,wound and gastrointestinal complications treatment.Further studies into their toxicity and phytochemistry is advocated.

Impact of the source and serial passaging of goat mesenchymal stem cells on osteogenic differentiation potential:implications for bone tissue engineering

Background： Adult mesenchymal stem cells （MSCs） can be conveniently sampled from bone marrow, peripheral blood, muscle, adipose and connective tissue, harvested from various species, including, rodents, dogs, cats, horses, sheep, goats and human beings. The MSCs isolated from adult tissues vary in their morphological and functional properties. These variations are further complicated when cells are expanded by passaging in culture. These differences and changes in MSCs must be considered prior to their application in the clinic or in a basic research study. Goats are commonly used as animal models for bone tissue engineering to test the potential of stem cells for bone regeneration. As a result, goat MSCs isolated from bone marrow or adipose tissue should be evaluated using in vitro assays, prior to their application in a tissue engineering project. Results： In this study, we compared the stem cell properties of MSCs isolated from goat bone marrow and adipose tissue. We used quantitative and qualitative assays with a focus on osteogenesis, including, colony forming unit, rate of cell proliferation, tri-lineage differentiation and expression profiling of key signal transduction proteins to compare MSCs from low and high passages. Primary cultures generated from each source displayed the stem cell characteristics, with variations in their osteogenic potentials. Most importantly, low passaged bone marrow MSCs displayed a significantly higher and superior osteogenic potential, and hence, will be the preferred choice for bone tissue engineering in future in vivo experiments. In the bone marrow MSCs, this process is potentially mediated by the p38 MAPK pathway. On the other hand, osteogenic differentiation in the adipose tissue MSCs may involve the p44/42 MAPK pathway. Conclusions： Based on these data, we can conclude that bone marrow and fat-derived MSCs undergo osteogenesis via two distinct signaling pathways. Even though the bone marrow MSCs are the preferred source for bone tissue engineering, the adipose tissue MSCs are an attractive alternative source and undergo osteo-differentiation differently from the bone marrow MSCs and hence, might require a cell-based enhancer/inducer to improve their osteogenic regenerative capacity.

Food safety knowledge and practices of abattoir and butchery shops and the microbial profile of meat in Mekelle City,Ethiopia

Objective:To assess the food safety knowledge and practices in meat handling,and to determine microbial load and pathogenic organisms in meat at Mekelle city.Methods:A descriptive survey design was used to answer questions concerning the current status of food hygiene and sanitation practiced in the abattoir and butcher shops.Workers from the abattoir and butcher shops were interviewed through a structured questionnaire to assess their food safety knowledge.Bacterial load was assessed by serial dilution method and the major bacterial pathogens were isolated by using standard procedures.Results:15.1%of the abattoir workers had no health certificate and there was no hot water,sterilizer and cooling facility in the abattoir.11.3%of the butchers didn’t use protective clothes.There was a food safety knowledge gap within the abattoir and butcher shop workers.The mean values of bacterial load of abattoir meat,butcher shops and street meat sale was found to be 1.1×10~5,5.6×10~5and 4.3×10~6 cfu/g,respectively.The major bacterial pathogens isolated were Escherichia coli,Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus.Conclusions:The study revealed that there is a reasonable gap on food safely knowledge by abattoir and butcher shop workers.The microbial profile was also higher compared to standards set by World Health Organization.Due attention should be given by the government to improve the food safety knowledge and the quality standard of meat sold in the city.

Bone marrow mononuclear cells for joint therapy: The role of macrophages in inflammation resolution and tissue repair

Osteoarthritis(OA)is the most prevalent joint disease causing major disability and medical expenditures.Synovitis is a central feature of OA and is primarily driven by macrophages.Synovial macrophages not only drive inflammation but also its resolution,through a coordinated,simultaneous expression of pro-and anti-inflammatory mechanisms that are essential to counteract damage and recover homeostasis.Current OA therapies are largely based on anti-inflammatory principles and therefore block pro-inflammatory mechanisms such as prostaglandin E2 and Nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathways.However,such mechanisms are also innately required for mounting a pro-resolving response,and their blockage often results in chronic low-grade inflammation.Following minor injury,macrophages shield the damaged area and drive tissue repair.If the damage is more extensive,macrophages incite inflammation recruiting more macrophages from the bone marrow to maximize tissue repair and ultimately resolve inflammation.However,sustained damage and inflammation often overwhelms pro-resolving mechanisms of synovial macrophages leading to the chronic inflammation and related tissue degeneration observed in OA.Recently,experimental and clinical studies have shown that joint injection with autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells replenishes inflamed joints with macrophage and hematopoietic progenitors,enhancing mechanisms of inflammation resolution,providing remarkable and long-lasting effects.Besides creating an ideal environment for resolution with high concentrations of interleukin-10 and anabolic growth factors,macrophage progenitors also have a direct role in tissue repair.Macrophages constitute a large part of the early granulation tissue,and further transdifferentiate from myeloid into a mesenchymal phenotype.These cells,characterized as fibrocytes,are essential for repairing osteochondral defects.Ongoing“omics”studies focused on identifying key drivers of macrophagemediated resolution of joint inflammation and those required for efficient osteochondral repair,have the potential to uncover ways for developing engineered macrophages or off-the-shelf pro-resolving therapies that can benefit patients suffering from many types of arthropaties,not only OA.

Recent Possibilities for the Diagnosis and Pharmacological Control of Pregnancy Loss in Dairy Cow

One of the most recent techniques for the diagnosis of EP （early pregnancy） in cattle on the farm is B-mode ultrasonography. Under field conditions, acceptable results may be achieved with ultrasonography from days 25 to 30 post-AI. The reliability of the test greatly depends on the frequency of the transducer used, the skill of the examiner, the criterion used for a positive PD （pregnancy diagnosis） and the position of the uterus in the pelvic inlet. Pregnancy protein assays （PAG, PSPB） may provide an alternative method to ultrasonography for determining EP or LEM/EFM （late embryonic/early foetal mortality） in the cow. Although early pregnancy factor is the earliest specific indicator for fertilization, its detection is entirely dependend on the use of the RIT （rosette inhibition test）, therefore its use in the field needs further inventions. Preventive pharmaceutical treatments with hCG （human chorionic gonadotropin）, GnRH （gonadotropin realising hormone）, PRID （progesterone-releasing intravaginal device） or CIDR （controlled internal drug release） inserts at different time periods at or post-AI may have some benefit in decreasing PL （pregnancy loss）, however further examinations are warranted to determine how and when these treatments may influence PL in the field.

Neuroprotection of N-benzylcinnamide on scopolamine-induced cholinergic dysfunction in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells

Alzheimer＇s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease, affects learning and memory resulting from cholinergic dysfunction. Scopolamine has been employed to induce Alzheimer＇s disease-like pathology in vivo and in vitro through alteration of cholinergic system. N-benzylcinnamide （PT-3）, purified from Piper submultinerve, has been shown to exhibit neuroprotective properties against amyloid-β-induced neuronal toxicity in rat cortical primary cell culture and to improve spatial learning and memory of aged rats through alleviating oxidative stress. We proposed a hypothesis that PT3 has a neuroprotective effect against scopolamine-induced cholinergic dysfunction. PT-3 （125-200 nM） pretreatment was performed in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line following scopolamine induction. PT-3 （125-200 nM） inhibited scopolamine （2 mM）-induced generation of reactive oxygen species, cellular apoptosis, upregutation of ace- tylcholinesterase activity, downregulation of choline acetyltransferase level, and activation of p38 and JNK signalling pathways. These findings revealed the underlying mechanisms of scopolamine-induced Alzheimer＇s disease-like cellular dysfunctions, which provide evidence for developing drugs for the treatment of this de- bilitating disease.

A proposed modulatory role of the endocannabinoid system on adipose tissue metabolism and appetite in periparturient dairy cows

To sustain the nutrient demands of rapid fetal growth,parturition,and milk synthesis,periparturient dairy cows mobilize adipose tissue fatty acid stores through lipolysis.This process induces an inflammatory response within AT that is resolved as lactation progresses;however,excessive and protracted lipolysis compounds the risk for metabolic and inflammatory diseases.The suppression of lipolytic action and inflammation,along with amplification of adipogenesis and lipogenesis,serve as prospective therapeutic targets for improving the health of periparturient dairy cows.Generally,the activation of cannabinoid receptors by endocannabinoids enhances adipogenesis and lipogenesis,suppresses lipolysis,and increases appetite in mammals.These biological effects of activating the endocannabinoid system open the possibility of harnessing the endocannabinoid system through nutritional intervention in dairy herds as a potential tool to improve dairy cows’health,although much is still to be revealed in this context.This review summarizes the current knowledge surrounding the components of the endocannabinoid system,elaborates on the metabolic effects of its activation,and explores the potential to modulate its activity in periparturient dairy cows.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase activity helps identify a subpopulation of murine adipose-derived stem cells with enhanced adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation potential

AIMTo identify and characterize functionally distinct subpopulation of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs). METHODSADSCs cultured from mouse subcutaneous adipose tissue were sorted fluorescence-activated cell sorter based on aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity, a widely used stem cell marker. Differentiation potentials were analyzed by utilizing immunocytofluorescece and its quantitative analysis. RESULTSApproximately 15% of bulk ADSCs showed high ALDH activity in flow cytometric analysis. Although significant difference was not seen in proliferation capacity, the adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation capacity was higher in ALDHHi subpopulations than in ALDHLo. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that ribosome-related gene sets were enriched in the ALDHHi subpopulation. CONCLUSIONHigh ALDH activity is a useful marker for identifying functionally different subpopulations in murine ADSCs. Additionally, we suggested the importance of ribosome for differentiation of ADSCs by gene set enrichment analysis.

Evaluation of cytotoxic and inflammatory properties of clove oil microemulsion in mice

Clove oil is the essential oil of Syzygium aromaticum Merr.and L.M.It is widely used in pharmaceutical applications because of its biological potential including anesthetic,analgesic,antiinflammatory,antibacterial and antioxidant properties[1].The pharmacological efficacy is hindered by the high hydrophobicity of the essential oil;therefore,a thermodynamically stable microemulsion is an alternative attractive preparation for overcoming this problem[2].However,high surfactant concentration used in microemulsion may cause toxicity and other disadvantage to the formulation.This study aimed to investigate the immunotoxic effects of clove oil microemulsion in mice.

Reproduction and beyond,kisspeptin in ruminants

Kisspeptin （Kp） is synthesized in the arcuate nucleus and preoptic area of the hypothalamus and is a regulator of gonadotropin releasing hormone in the hypothalamus. In addition, Kp may regulate additional functions such as increased neuropeptide Y gene expression and reduced proopiomelanocortin （POMC） gene expression in sheep. Other studies have found a role for Kp to release growth hormone （GH）, prolactin and luteinizing hormone （LH） from cattle, rat and monkey pituitary cells. Intravenous injection of Kp stimulated release LH, GH, prolactin and follicle stimulating hormone in some experiments in cattle and sheep, but other studies have failed to find an effect of peripheral injection of Kp on GH release. Recent studies indicate that Kp can stimulate GH release after intracerebroventricular injection in sheep at doses that do not release GH after intravenous injection. These studies suggest that Kp may have a role in regulation of both reproduction and metabolism in sheep. Since GH plays a role in luteal development, it is tempting to speculate that the ability of Kp to release GH and LH is related to normal control of reproduction.

Effect of Kisspeptin on Regulation of Growth Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone in Lactating Dairy Cows

Kisspeptin （KP） , a neuroendocrine regulator of reproduction,is hypothesized to be an integrator of metabolism and hormones critical to the regulation of reproduction. Lactation is associated with enhanced growth hormone （GH） responsiveness and reduced fertility. Our study was designed to determine the effects of lactation on KP-stimulated GH and luteinizing hormone （LH） secretion. Five non-lactating and five lactating dairy cows were used in the study. Experiments were conducted with lactating cows at weeks 1,5 and 11 after parturition. The experimental treatments （saline and KP [100 and 400 pmol / kg body weight]） were given intravenously and blood was collected and plasma was stored until later assay to determine concentrations of GH,LH,progesterone and nonesterified fatty acids. We found that neither dose of KP stimulated an increase in GH secretion. The low dose ofKP increased （P 〈0. 05） LH concentrations only in lactating cows. The higher dose of KP elicited an increase in circulating LH concentrations in both lactating and non-lactating cows. The lower dose of KP increased （P 〈 0. 05） the area under the curve for LH only in cows during week 5 of lactation,and the area under the curve of LH following the highest dose of KP was greater （P 〈 0. 05） in cows during week 5 of lactation than that for the other groups of cows. In summary,lactation status and stage of lactation did not change the sensitivity of the GH system to KP. However,an effect of stage of lactation on KP-stimulated LH secretion was detected in the dairy cows. Study of the KP system during lactation in dairy cows may provide critical insights into the mechanisms for lactation-associated changes in the reproductive axis.