Embryo survival, but not first-parity litter size, is increased when gilts are fed diets supplemented with omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil

The response in reproductive performance when pigs are fed diets supplemented with fats high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) has not been widely studied. Improved fertility has been reported in sows and other species fed diets with added fish oil, a rich source of omega-3 PUFA, but results are inconsistent. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of the duration and the level of supplementation of omega-3 PUFA from fish oil on the reproductive performance of gilts. In Experiment 1, 570 Large White and Landrace purebred gilts were fed ad libitum either an unsupplemented diet containing tallow (Control) or a diet containing 3 g fish oil/kg (Omega-3) as a partial replacement for tallow from 24 weeks (Omega-3 for 6 weeks) or 27 weeks of age (Omega-3 for 3 weeks) before mating. Liveweight and backfat gain between 24 weeks of age and mating were recorded. Gilts were then fed an unsupplemented diet during gestation and farrowing rate and first litter size were recorded. In Experiment 2, 356 Large White × Landrace F1 cross gilts were fed ad libitum diets containing either 0, 3 or 10 g fish oil/kg of diet as a partial replacement of tallow from 24 weeks of age and continued after mating at 2.2 kg/day until slaughter at 25 days of gestation. Pregnancy rate, ovulation and embryo survival were recorded. Data were analysed by general linear model ANOVA and Chi-square methods. In Experiment 1, there was no increase in farrowing rate or litter size born in gilts fed the omega-3-supplemented diet for either 3 or 6 weeks before mating compared with Control gilts. In Experiment 2, supplementation with omega-3 PUFA from 24 weeks of age through to mating and continued during early gestation did not increase ovulation rate but there was a trend (P < 0.10) for an increase in embryo survival measured at Day 25 of gestation in gilts fed diets containing fish oil. Embryo survival was higher in gilts fed diets containing 3 g fish oil/kg of diet than in those fed the Control diet (P < 0.05). Increasing the supplementation level to 10 g fish oil/kg did not increase embryo survival further. In both experiments, supplementation of omega-3 as fish oil did not affect the onset of oestrous, gilt removal and weight and backfat gain. In conclusion, supplementation of omega-3 PUFA before mating did not improve farrowing rate or litter size in gilts. It may be necessary to continue feeding diets with low concentrations of fish oil during early gestation to maximise the reproductive response to elevated omega-3 PUFA.

A novel fasting blood test for insulin resistance and prediabetes

BACKGROUND

Insulin resistance (IR) can precede the dysglycemic states of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by a number of years and is an early marker of risk for metabolic and cardiovascular disease. There is an unmet need for a simple method to measure IR that can be used for routine screening, prospective study, risk assessment, and therapeutic monitoring. We have reported several metabolites whose fasting plasma levels correlated with insulin sensitivity. These metabolites were used in the development of a novel test for IR and prediabetes.

METHODS

Data from the Relationship between Insulin Sensitivity and Cardiovascular Disease Study were used in an iterative process of algorithm development to define the best combination of metabolites for predicting the M value derived from the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp, the gold standard measure of IR. Subjects were divided into a training set and a test set for algorithm development and validation. The resulting calculated M score, M(Q), was utilized to predict IR and the risk of progressing from normal glucose tolerance to impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) over a 3 year period.

RESULTS

M(Q) correlated with actual M values, with an r value of 0.66. In addition, the test detects IR and predicts 3 year IGT progression with areas under the curve of 0.79 and 0.70, respectively, outperforming other simple measures such as fasting insulin, fasting glucose, homeostatic model assessment of IR, or body mass index.

CONCLUSIONS

The result, Quantose(TM), is a simple test for IR based on a single fasting blood sample and may have value as an early indicator of risk for the development of prediabetes and T2DM.

Induction of apoptosis by retinoids in human cervical-carcinoma cell-lines

Retinoids can inhibit the growth and modulate the differentiation of a variety of tumor cell types in vitro and in vivo. All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide (4HPR) are currently being evaluated in clinical trials for their potential use in cancer chemoprevention and therapy. We compared the effects of these retinoids on 10 human cervical carcinoma cell lines. Four of the 10 cell lines showed dramatic morphological changes and the other 5 exhibited decreased cell density after treatment with 10 mu M 4HPR, whereas few changes were induced by 10 mu M ATRA. Cell rounding and detachment were also observed in four of the cell lines. An analysis of DNA from both detached and attached cells after retinoid treatment has demonstrated the formation of a DNA ladder after electrophoresis in agarose gels, which indicated that some of the cell lines had undergone apoptosis. Induction of DNA fragmentation by 4HPR but not by other retinoids (ATRA, 13-cis-RA, and 9-cis-RA) was further evidenced as early as 24 h after treatment by a quantitative assay based on the degradation of [H-3]-thymidine-labeled DNA. Ln addition, morphological changes of nuclei associated with apoptosis such as chromatin condensation were observed by propidium iodide staining of the nuclei after 4HPR treatment. These results demonstrate that 4HPR causes apoptosis in several cervical carcinoma cell lines and that it is more potent in this effect than ATRA or other RA isomers.

Defining Value in Cancer Care: AVBCC 2012 Steering Committee Report

Approximately 200 oncologists, payers, employers, managed care executives, pharmacy benefit managers, and other healthcare stakeholders convened in Houston, TX, on March 28-31, 2012, for the Second Annual Conference of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care (AVBCC). The mission of the conference was to align the various perspectives around the growing need of defining value in cancer care and developing strategies to enhance patient outcomes. The AVBCC conference presented a forum for the various viewpoints from all the stakeholders across the cancer care continuum, featuring more than 20 sessions and symposia led by nearly 30 oncology leaders. The discussions focused on current trends and challenges in optimizing value in oncology by reducing or controlling cost while improving care quality and patient outcomes, introducing emerging approaches to management and tools that providers and payers are using to enhance cancer care collaboratively. The AVBCC Second Annual Conference was opened by a Steering Committee discussion of 11 panel members who attempted to define value in cancer care and articulated action steps that can help to implement value into cancer care delivery. The following summary represents highlights from the Steering Committee discussion, which was moderated by Gene Beed, MD, and Gary M. Owens, MD.

Structural insight into the unique properties of adeno-associated virus serotype 9

Adeno-associated virus serotype 9 (AAV9) has enhanced capsid-associated tropism for cardiac muscle and the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier compared to other AAV serotypes. To help identify the structural features facilitating these properties, we have used cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) and three-dimensional image reconstruction (cryo-reconstruction) and X-ray crystallography to determine the structure of the AAV9 capsid at 9.7- and 2.8-Å resolutions, respectively. The AAV9 capsid exhibits the surface topology conserved in all AAVs: depressions at each icosahedral two-fold symmetry axis and surrounding each five-fold axis, three separate protrusions surrounding each three-fold axis, and a channel at each five-fold axis. The AAV9 viral protein (VP) has a conserved core structure, consisting of an eight-stranded, β-barrel motif and the αA helix, which are present in all parvovirus structures. The AAV9 VP differs in nine variable surface regions (VR-I to -IX) compared to AAV4, but at only three (VR-I, VR-II, and VR-IV) compared to AAV2 and AAV8. VR-I differences modify the raised region of the capsid surface between the two-fold and five-fold depressions. The VR-IV difference produces smaller three-fold protrusions in AAV9 that are less "pointed" than AAV2 and AAV8. Significantly, residues in the AAV9 VRs have been identified as important determinants of cellular tropism and transduction and dictate its antigenic diversity from AAV2. Hence, the AAV9 VRs likely confer the unique infection phenotypes of this serotype.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy using gold-coated horizontally aligned carbon nanotubes

Gold-coated horizontally aligned carbon nanotube (Au-HA-CNT) substrates were fabricated for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The Au-HA-CNT substrates, which are granular in nature, are easy-to-prepare with large SERS-active area. Enhancement factors (EFs) of ∼10(7) were achieved using the Au-HA-CNTs as substrates for rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules. Maximum enhancement was found when the polarization direction (E-field) of the incident laser beam was parallel to the aligned direction of the HA-CNTs. Simulations using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method were carried out for the granular Au-HA-CNT samples. Enhancement mechanisms and determination of EFs were analyzed. Biological samples, including (13)C- and deuterium (D)-labeled fatty acids and Coccomyxa sp. c-169 microalgae cells, were also measured using this SERS substrate. The limits of detection (LODs) of D- and (13)C-labeled fatty acids on the SERS substrate were measured to be around 10 nM and 20 nM, respectively. Significantly enhanced Raman signals from the microalgae cells were acquired using the SERS substrate.

Abstract 5165: Fatty acid diversification in prostate cancer progression

Two clinically significant indices of prostate cancer progression are the dedifferentiation of the gland (as measured by histopathology and graded by Gleason scoring, GS) and extension beyond the prostatic capsule (extracapsular extension, ECE). In order to better understand the underlying biology of prostate cancer progression, we undertook the metabolomic characterization of prostatectomy tissues and correlated our metabolite findings with these post-surgical endpoints. Briefly, frozen tissues from 298 prostatectomy cases were characterized by frozen sections and then disaggregated and the biochemical constituents were extracted into cold methanol as previously reported. These extracts were analyzed in three parallel workflows: gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The resulting data sets were compared against an in-house chemical reference library of over 2500 authentic standards. Three hundred and fifty-six metabolites were identified across all biochemical classes (amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleotides, cofactors and xenobiotics (primarily dietary and pharmaceutical compounds)). The steady state abundance profiles of numerous long chain fatty acids increased with Gleason pattern progression. The products of α-oxidation of long chain fatty acids (long chain α-hydroxy fatty acids (2-hydroxypalmitate and 2-hydroxystearate) and odd chain length fatty acids (such as C19:0) increased in tissue samples in conjunction with the amount of Gleason pattern 4 tissue that was present in the tumor. Branched chain fatty acids such as isopalmitate and polyunsaturated C22 species (22:2n6 and 22:3n3) increased in abundance from Gleason 7 to 8. In addition to these changes with Gleason pattern progression, extracapsular extension was found to have biochemical correlates in fatty acid metabolism. Specifically, the monounsaturated fatty acids (14:1n5, 16:1n7, 17:1n7, 18:1n9 and 19:1n9) were all found to increase in abundance in prostate tissue samples where capsular integrity was compromised compared to those tissues where the tumor was confined to the gland. These data demonstrate that during the progression of human prostate cancer, there is tremendous fatty acid diversification. Taken together with other data demonstrating phospholipid turnover and membrane remodeling in prostate cancer, these data suggest that prostate cancer cells can dramatically alter membrane composition. The reliance of many prostate cancers on these fatty acid diversification pathways can be appreciated by the demonstration of chemotherapeutic activities of inhibitors of both fatty acid synthase and stearoyl-coA dehydrogenase. In addition to target validation, metabolomic profiling may also provide insight into therapeutic selection for and monitoring of the prostate cancer patient.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5165. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-5165

Diet-induced paternal obesity in the absence of diabetes diminishes the reproductive health of two subsequent generations of mice

BACKGROUND

Obesity and related conditions, notably subfertility, are increasingly prevalent. Paternal influences are known to influence offspring health outcome, but the impact of paternal obesity and subfertility on the reproductive health of subsequent generations has been overlooked.

METHODS

A high-fat diet (HFD) was used to induce obesity but not diabetes in male C57Bl6 mice, which were subsequently mated to normal-weight females. First-generation offspring were raised on a control diet and their gametes were investigated for signs of subfertility. Second-generation offspring were generated from both first generation sexes and their gametes were similarly assessed.

RESULTS

We demonstrate a HFD-induced paternal initiation of subfertility in both male and female offspring of two generations of mice. Furthermore, we have shown that diminished reproductive and gamete functions are transmitted through the first generation paternal line to both sexes of the second generation and via the first generation maternal line to second-generation males. Our previous findings that founder male obesity alters the epigenome of sperm, could provide a basis for the developmental programming of subfertility in subsequent generations.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first observation of paternal transmission of diminished reproductive health to future generations and could have significant implications for the transgenerational amplification of subfertility observed worldwide in humans.

Sow litter size is increased in the subsequent parity when lactating sows are fed diets containing n-3 fatty acids from fish oil

Supplementing diets with n-3 fatty acids from fish oil has been shown to improve reproductive performance in dairy cattle and sheep, but there is little published literature on its effects in sows. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reproductive performance of sows fed fish oil as a source of n-3 PUFA prefarrowing and during lactation. From d 107.7 ± 0.1 of pregnancy, 328 sows ranging in parity from 0 to 7 (parity 1.95 ± 0.09, mean ± SE) were fed either a diet containing tallow (control) or an isocaloric diet containing 3 g of fish oil/kg of diet (n-3). Diets were formulated to contain the same amount of DE (13.9 MJ/kg), crude fat (54 g/kg), and CP (174 g/kg). Sows were fed their treatment diet at 3 kg daily for 8 d before farrowing and continued on treatment diets ad libitum until weaning at 18.7 ± 0.1 d of lactation. After weaning, all sows were fed a gestation diet without fish oil until their subsequent farrowing. There was no effect (P > 0.310) of feeding n-3 diets prefarrowing on piglet birth weight, preweaning growth rate, piglet weaning weight, or sow feed intake. However, n-3 sows had a larger subsequent litter size (10.7 ± 0.3 vs. 9.7 ± 0.3 total born; 10.2 ± 0.3 vs. 9.3 ± 0.3 born live; P < 0.05). In conclusion, this is the first study to demonstrate that feeding sows a diet containing n-3 PUFA from fish oil fed before farrowing and during lactation increased litter size in the subsequent parity independent of energy intake.

Three dominant-negative mutations in factor XI-deficient patients

Factor XI (FXI) deficiency results from genetic defects of the F11 gene and is generally considered to be inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. However, the homodimeric structure of FXI allows, in some cases, the dominant-negative transmission of the disease. The aim of this study was to characterize novel missense mutations in three unrelated patients and verify the dominant-negative effects of these mutations on the secretion of wild-type FXI protein by expression studies. The F11 gene was PCR amplified, from genomic DNA extracted from peripheral blood, and sequenced on an ABI 3100 Genetic Analyzer. Human wild-type FXI and FXI mutants were expressed in BHK570 cells using Lipofectamin transfection reagents. Conditioned media and cell lysates were collected for the measurement of luciferase activity, FXI antigen and Western blot analysis. DNA sequencing revealed three novel missense F11 mutations; c.127G>A in exon 3 (Ala43Thr), c.723C>G in exon 7 (Phe241Leu) and c.1207G>A in exon 11 (Val403Met). In vitro expression studies showed that the mutation Ala43Thr, Phe241Leu or Val403Met remarkably decreased the extracellular secretion of mutant FXI, rather than reducing synthesis of the mutant proteins. Cotransfection of wild-type FXI with mutant FXI constructs indicated that the mutation Ala43Thr, Phe241Leu or Val403Met reduced the secretion of wild-type FXI by 75.9%, 68.6% or 71.4%, respectively. Our study suggests that dominant-negative mutations in FXI-deficient patients of non-Ashkenazi Jewish origin may be more prevalent than thought, resulting from FXI's unique dimeric structure.

Developing a New Material for MEMS: Amorphous Diamond

Amorphous diamond is a new material for surface-micromachined microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) that offers promise for reducing wear and stiction of MEMS components. The material is an amorphous mixture of 4-fold and 3-fold coordinated carbon with mechanical properties close to that of crystalline diamond. A unique form of structural relaxation permits the residual stress in the material to be reduced from an as-deposited value of 8 GPa compressive down to zero stress or even to slightly tensile values. Irreversible plastic deformation, achieved by heat treating elastically strained structures, is also possible in this material. Several types of amorphous diamond MEMS devices have been fabricated, including electrostatically-actuated comb drives, micro-tensile test structures, and cantilever beams. Measurements using these structures indicate the material has an elastic modulus close to 800 GPa, fracture toughness of 8 MPa.m½, an advancing H2O contact angle of 84° to 94°, and a surface roughness of 0.1 to 0.9 nm R.M.S. on Si and SiO2, respectively.

Stabilization of fibrin clots by activated prothrombin complex concentrate and tranexamic acid in FVIII inhibitor plasma

Defective hemostasis in haemophilia patients with FVIII inhibitors results in a dramatic decrease in thrombin generation forming unstable fibrin clots that are susceptible to fibrinolyisis. In this study we tested whether the combination of plasma derived activated prothrombin complex concentrate (pd-aPCC) with tranexamic acid (TXA) may improve fibrin clot stability in FVIII inhibitor plasma. A microplate assay for clot lysis time was used to assess clot stability in FVIII inhibitor plasma. The effect of pd-aPCC on clot stability was first tested using the commercial FVIII inhibitor plasma. TXA (5 ~ 10 mg mL⁻¹) increased clot lysis time, but pd-aPCC (0.25 ~ 1.0 U mL⁻¹) had no effect on it. The combination of pd-aPCC and TXA significantly increased clot lysis time compared with TXA alone. The effect appeared to be limited to fibrin clot resistance to fibrinolysis, as TXA was found to have no effect on thrombin generation induced by pd-aPCC. The effect of pd-aPCC and TXA on clot stability was then tested and verified in plasma samples from ten patients with severe haemophilia A and inhibitors. The combination of TXA (10 mg mL⁻¹) and pd-aPCC (0.5 U mL⁻¹) significantly increased clot lysis time compared to TXA alone. Our results suggest that the combination of pd-aPCC with TXA improves clot stability in FVIII inhibitor plasma without additional increases in thrombin generation.

Tensile Properties of Amorphous Diamond Films

Amorphous diamond is a new material for surface micromachined microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and sensors. Its strength and modulus was tested in uniaxial tension by pulling laterally on a specially designed sample with a flat tipped diamond in a nanoindenter. Several sample designs were attempted. Of those, only the single layer specimen with a 1 by 2 μm gage cross section and a fixed end rigidly attached to the substrate was successful. Tensile load was calculated by resolving the measured lateral and normal forces into the applied tensile force and frictional losses. Displacement was corrected for machine compliance using the differential stiffness method. Post-mortem examination of the samples was performed to document the failure mode. The load-displacement data from those samples that failed in the gage section was converted to stress-strain curves using carefully measured gage cross section dimensions. Mean fracture strength was found to be 8.5 ± 1.4 GPa and the modulus was 831 ± 94 GPa. Tensile results are compared to hardness and modulus measurements made using a nanoindenter.

Tensile Properties of Amorphous Diamond Films

Amorphous diamond is a new material for surface micromachined microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and sensors. Its strength and modulus was tested in uniaxial tension by pulling laterally on a specially designed sample with a flat tipped diamond in a nanoindenter. Several sample designs were attempted. Of those, only the single layer specimen with a 1 by 2 μm gage cross section and a fixed end rigidly attached to the substrate was successful. Tensile load was calculated by resolving the measured lateral and normal forces into the applied tensile force and frictional losses. Displacement was corrected for machine compliance using the differential stiffness method. Post-mortem examination of the samples was performed to document the failure mode. The load-displacement data from those samples that failed in the gage section was converted to stress-strain curves using carefully measured gage cross section dimensions. Mean fracture strength was found to be 8.5 ± 1.4 GPa and the modulus was 831 ± 94 GPa. Tensile results are compared to hardness and modulus measurements made using a nanoindenter