Effects of different feeding levels during three short periods of gestation on gilt and litter performance, nutrient digestibility, and energy homeostasis in gilts

The present study investigated the effects of different feeding levels during 3 short periods of gestation on gilt and litter performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy and nutrients, and energy homeostasis in gilts. A total of 18 gilts were allotted to 1 of 3 dietary treatments using a completely randomized design. All gilts were fed 1 common corn-soybean meal-based diet with the amount of 1.0 × maintenance energy intake (100 × BW (BW) kcal ME/d) throughout gestation except 3 periods of 7 d when dietary treatments were imposed on d 27, d 55, and d 83 of gestation. During the 3 short periods, gilts were fed 1 of 3 different feeding levels: 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 × maintenance energy level (0.5M, 1.0M, and 2.0M, respectively). Results showed that gilts on 2.0M feeding level had higher ( < 0.05) weight gain from d 27 to 109 of gestation (37.05 vs. 15.34 kg) and greater ( < 0.05) BW change, average daily gain, and gain to feed ratio during gestation periods 1 (d 27-34) and 3 (d 83-90) when compared with gilts on 0.5M feeding level. No differences ( > 0.10) in litter performance were observed among the 3 feeding levels. Additionally, the slopes of BW change in response to feeding levels in period 1 were 4.32 kg/0.5M change from 0.5M to 1.0M feeding level and 3.72 kg/0.5M change from 1.0M to 2.0M feeding level, respectively. There were quadratic ( < 0.05) effects of feeding levels on ATTD of dry matter and gross energy during periods 1 and 2 (d 55-62). Furthermore, fasting plasma concentrations of acyl ghrelin and nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) in period 1 were greater ( < 0.01) in gilts on 0.5M feeding level than those on 2.0M feeding level. In conclusion, increasing feeding levels during 3 short periods increased primiparous sow performance during these short periods but did not affect litter performance. ATTD of energy and nutrients, and BW change efficiency were maximized for gilts on 1.0 M feeding level. The data also indicated that sows on the lowest feeding level were exposed to negative energy balance as evidenced by the higher plasma acyl ghrelin and NEFA concentrations.

[Influence of occupational aluminum exposure on cognitive function and glutamate receptor protein expression in workers]

Objective: To investigate the influence of occupational aluminum exposure on cognitive function and glutamate receptor protein expression in peripheral blood lymphocytes in workers and the possibility of glutamate receptor being used as a biomarker for cognitive impairment in aluminum workers. Methods: From October to December, 2014, cluster sampling was performed to select 121 workers in aluminum electrolysis workshop as exposure group and 231 workers in thermoelectric workshop and logistics department as control group. Mini-Mental State Examination, clock drawing test, digit span test (DST) , verbal fluency test (VFT) , and Fuld Object-Memory (FOM) Evaluation were used to analyze cognitive function. Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry was used to measure plasma aluminum level as an exposure indicator. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the content of glutamate receptor proteins in peripheral blood lymphocytes, including the subunits of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor NR1, NR2A, and NR2B and metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGluR1) . The correlation between cognitive function indices and the content of glutamate receptor proteins was analyzed. Results: There was no significant difference in plasma aluminum level between the control group and the exposure group (132.52±80.40 μg/L vs 182.88±72.32 μg/L, P>0.05) . According to the plasma aluminum level, the study subjects were divided into control group and low-, medium-, and high-level plasma aluminum groups, and there were significant differences in plasma aluminum level between these groups (all P<0.01) . The high-level plasma aluminum group had a significantly lower memory ability score than the control group and the low- and medium-level plasma aluminum groups (all P<0.05) . The high-level plasma aluminum group had lower DST and digital span forward (DSF) scores than the control group and the low-and medium-level plasma aluminum groups. The low-, medium-, and high-level plasma aluminum groups had lower digital span backward (DSB) scores than the control group. The medium-and high-level plasma aluminum groups had lower VFT scores than the control group and the low-level plasma aluminum group. The high-level plasma aluminum group had significantly lower expression of NR1 and NR2A proteins than the control group and the low-and medium-level plasma aluminum groups, and the medium- and high-level plasma aluminum groups had significantly higher expression of mGluR1 protein than the control group and the low-level plasma aluminum group (all P<0.05) . The expression of NR1 and NR2A proteins was negatively correlated with plasma aluminum level (r=-0.475 and -0.692, both P<0.05) , andthe expression of mGluR1 protein was positively correlated with plasma aluminum level (r=0.756, P<0.05) . The expression of NR1 protein was positively correlated with DSF, DSB, DST, and VFT scores (r(s)=0.213, 0.249, 0.271, and 0.228, all P<0.05) , and the expression of NR2A protein was positively correlated with VFT score (r(s)=0.206, P<0.05) . Conclusion: Occupational aluminum exposure may affect workers' memory function, and the expression of NR1 and NR2A in peripheral blood lymphocytes is correlated with cognitive function indices and can be used as biomarkers for cognitive impairment in aluminum workers.

[Association between H3K4me3/BDNF and the cognitive function of workers occupationally exposed to aluminum]

Objective: To investigate the influence of occupational aluminum exposure on cognitive function and its relationship with tri-methyl histone H3 lysine residues 4 points (H3K4me3) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Methods: By cluster random sampling method, a total of 235 cases of male workers selected from a Shanxi aluminum factory were recruited in the study in September 2015. Used the occupational epidemiological investigation questionnaire, which included Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) , Clock Drawing Test (CDT) , Digit Span Test (DST, including forward test DSFT and backward test DSBT) , Fuild Object Memory Evaluation (FOME) and Verbal Fluency Test (VFT) , to collect workers' basic information and assess their cognitive function score. Detected the concentration of aluminum in plasma by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Workers were divided into three groups by the 25 percentile and 75 percentile of the aluminum content, such as low, middle and high aluminum concentration groups. The concentrations of H3K4me3 in lymphocyte and BDNF in plasma were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The levels of aluminum in plasma was 134.36 (100.14, 178.96) μg/L. The scores of MMSE, DSFT, DSBT, DST of high aluminum concentration group were lower than low aluminum group (27.98±1.25 vs 28.83±1.54, 9.19±2.00 vs 10.64±2.87, 6.08±1.63 vs 7.19±3.07, 15.27±3.11 vs 17.81±4.72, all P<0.05) , the scores of CDT, FOME, VFT among three groups had no statistical significance (all P>0.05) . The expression levels of H3K4me3 and BDNF of high aluminum concentration group were lower than the low group [ (18.45±9.81) ng/μg Pro vs (23.76±9.89) ng/μg Pro, (26.07±10.18) ng/ml vs (31.66±9.24) ng/ml, all P<0.05]. Multiple correlation analysis showed that aluminum concentration were negatively correlated toH3K4me3, BDNF, MMSE, DSFT, DST, respectively (r(s)=-0.307、-0.214、-0.252、-0.197, -0.181, all P<0.01) . Conclusion: Exposure to occupational aluminum for a long time may change cognitive function, which go along with the decreasing of H3K4me3 level in lymphocyte and BDNF protein expression in plasma.

Metabolic targeting of oncogene MYC by selective activation of the proton-coupled monocarboxylate family of transporters

Deregulation of the MYC oncogene produces Myc protein that regulates multiple aspects of cancer cell metabolism, contributing to the acquisition of building blocks essential for cancer cell growth and proliferation. Therefore, disabling Myc function represents an attractive therapeutic option for cancer treatment. However, pharmacological strategies capable of directly targeting Myc remain elusive. Here, we identified that 3-bromopyruvate (3-BrPA), a drug candidate that primarily inhibits glycolysis, preferentially induced massive cell death in human cancer cells overexpressing the MYC oncogene, in vitro and in vivo, without appreciable effects on those exhibiting low MYC levels. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of glutamine metabolism synergistically potentiated the synthetic lethal targeting of MYC by 3-BrPA due in part to the metabolic disturbance caused by this combination. Mechanistically, we identified that the proton-coupled monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) and MCT2, which enable efficient 3-BrPA uptake by cancer cells, were selectively activated by Myc. Two regulatory mechanisms were involved: first, Myc directly activated MCT1 and MCT2 transcription by binding to specific recognition sites of both genes; second, Myc transcriptionally repressed miR29a and miR29c, resulting in enhanced expression of their target protein MCT1. Of note, expressions of MCT1 and MCT2 were each significantly elevated in MYCN-amplified neuroblastomas and C-MYC-overexpressing lymphomas than in tumors without MYC overexpression, correlating with poor prognosis and unfavorable patient survival. These results identify a novel mechanism by which Myc sensitizes cells to metabolic inhibitors and validate 3-BrPA as potential Myc-selective cancer therapeutics.

Consequences of additional use of contrast-enhanced (18)F-FDG PET/CT in target volume delineation and dose distribution for pancreatic cancer

OBJECTIVE

To compare the differences between contrast-enhanced (CE) fluorine-18 fludeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT and CECT in target volume delineation and radiotherapy (RT) dose distribution, and to evaluate the sparing of organs at risk (OARs) in the treatment plan of locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC).

METHODS

21 consecutive patients with LAPC with histologically or cytologically confirmed adenocarcinoma underwent both non-CECT and (18)F-FDG scans; 11 of whom also underwent CECT scans. Intensity-modulated RT plans (prescribed dose, 54 Gy) were constructed to cover the corresponding gross tumour volume (GTV). The differences among GTVCT, GTVPET, GTVPET-CT and OARs in these different image sets as well as the uniformity of target dose were analysed.

RESULTS

The mean non-CE GTVCT, GTVPET and GTVPET-CT were 76.9 ± 47.8, 47.0 ± 40.2 and 44.5 ± 34.7 cm(3) (mean ± standard deviation), respectively. The non-CE GTVPET-CT was significantly smaller than the non-CE GTVCT (p < 0.001). The CE GTVPET-CT was significantly smaller than the CE GTVCT (p = 0.033). For both the non-CE GTVCT and the CE GTVCT, the intestine V40 (the percentage of the intestine volume irradiated by 40 Gy), intestine V50, intestine Dmax (the mean maximum dose), cord Dmax, left kidney V30, right kidney V30, left kidney Dmean (the mean dose), right kidney Dmean and liver V30 were 5.90%, 2.52%, 5500 cGy, 2194 cGy, 3.40%, 0.68%, 747 cGy, 550 cGy and 5.37%, respectively. There are significant differences between the non-CE CT and the non-CE PET-CT in intestine Dmax (p = 0.023) and right kidney Dmean (p = 0.029).

CONCLUSION

Co-registration of (18)F-FDG PET with CECT may improve the accuracy of GTV delineation in LAPC and might reduce the adverse effect of irradiation.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE

Individual adaptation of RT based on functional CE (18)F-FDG PET/CT imaging is possible and highly promising in LAPC.

Variability in lipid profile among patients presented with acute myocardial infarction, unstable angina and stable angina pectoris

OBJECTIVE

Despite the amply evidence and guidelines in treating coronary artery disease (CAD) with lipid-lowering therapy, physicians still have concerns in treating acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients who have the low serum lipid level. We explored the adequacy of lipid-lowering therapy in treating AMI patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Over 3000 CAD lipid profile data were collected, their data were divided into 3 groups (AMI; stable angina pectoris (SAP) and unstable angina pectoris (UAP) group) based their clinical characteristics. Statistical analyses were performed to compare their baseline lipid levels and clinical feature.

RESULTS

The total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) level in AMI patients were the lowest, followed by UAP patient group and SAP patient group. There were significant differences in white blood count (WBC) and ejection fraction (EF) between 3 groups. A good correlation was confirmed between EF% and the lipid parameters of TC, LDL-c, HDL-c, non-HDL-c. WBC did not correlate with the lipid except HDL-c. AMI is an acute inflammatory reaction that is accompanied with the change of lipid level.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the level of TC, LDL-c and HDL-c are lower in AMI, but it is related with acute inflammatory reaction during the rupture of atherosclerotic plaques. Lipid-lowering therapy should not be delayed in treating AMI patients with lower lipid level.

Primary esophageal adenosquamous carcinoma: a retrospective analysis of 24 cases

Primary adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC) of the esophagus is a rare kind of malignancy characterized by mixed glandular and squamous differentiation as well as a propensity for aggressive clinical behavior. Data on the evaluation of the clinicopathological features and the prognosis of patients suffering from this malignancy are few because of the rarity of this disease. We conducted a retrospective review of 24 patients with primary esophageal ASC among 6546 esophageal cancer patients who underwent transthoracic esophagectomy in our hospital. The clinicopathological presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic factors of the patients were respectively investigated. The Kaplan-Meier method and the log rank test were used to calculate and compare overall survival (OS). The Cox proportional hazards model was employed to identify independent prognostic factors. There were 18 males and 6 females with a median age of 60 years (range: 40-78 years). The clinical symptoms, macroscopic type, as well as the radiological and endoscopic features of esophageal ASC were similar to those of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Sixteen (88.9%) of the 18 cases who underwent preoperative esophagoscopic biopsy were misdiagnosed as adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma. The overall median follow-up period was 36 months, and the median survival time was 32 months. The 1, 3, 5-year OS rates were 75.0%, 48.5%, and 19.4%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that gender (P=0.047), lymph node metastasis (P=0.007), and TNM stage (P=0.037) were important factors associated with OS of the 22 patients who underwent radical resection. Multivariate analysis showed that the pathological N stage was the only independent prognostic factor (P=0.031, hazard ratio [HR], 5.369, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.167-24.700). These results suggest that esophageal ASC is an uncommon disease prone to be misdiagnosed by endoscopic biopsy. Surgical resection is the primary treatment, but the prognosis of ASC is usually poorer than conventional squamous cell carcinoma. Lymph node metastasis is an independent prognostic factor after radical resection.

Clinical significance of phospholipase A2 group IIA (PLA2G2A) expression in primary resected esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

AIM

The aim of this study was to clarify the clinico-pathological outcome and prognostic significance of phospholipase A2 group IIA (PLA2G2A) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Immunohistochemical staining for PLA2G2A was performed on surgical specimens obtained from 132 patients with ESCC, and 43 from matched adjacent non-malignant sites. Differences in PLA2G2A expression and clinical characteristics were compared by χ2 test. Correlations between prognostic outcomes and with PLA2G2A expression were investigated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and the Cox proportional hazards model.

RESULTS

Immunoreactivity of PLA2G2A was observed in 32% (42 of 132) of ESCC tissues compared with negative staining in matched adjacent non-malignant sites. In addition, PLA2G2A expression inversely correlated with pathological classification (p < 0.05 for T, N, and M classifications) and clinical staging (p = 0.03). Furthermore, patients with positive PLA2G2A had prolonged overall survival (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Reduced PLA2G2A expression may be a risk factor for advanced clinicopathological classification and poor patient survival. These findings suggest that PLA2G2A may serve as a useful marker for the prognostic evaluation of ESCC patients.