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Naumova EI, Chistova TY, Zharova GK, Kam M, Khokhlova IS, Krasnov BR, Clauss M, Degen AA. Particle size reduction along the digestive tract of fat sand rats (Psammomys obesus) fed four chenopods. J Comp Physiol B 2021; 191:831-841. [PMID: 33738527 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-021-01357-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
It is generally accepted that microbial digestion contributes little to digesta particle size reduction in herbivores, and that faecal particle size reflects mainly chewing efficiency, and may vary with diet. Nevertheless, a decrease in mean particle size (MPS) along the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) has been reported, especially in hindgut fermenters. However, to what degree the very fine particle fraction (non-food origin, especially microbes) affects MPS is unclear. Fat sand rats (Psammomys obesus, diurnal herbivores, n = 23, 175 ± sd 24 g) consumed one of four chenopods (natural dietary items in the wild) for 30 days. Digestibility was related negatively to dietary fibre content. We determined digesta MPS in the forestomach, glandular stomach, small intestine, caecum, colon and faeces by wet sieving, including (MPSfines) or excluding (MPSnofines) particles < 0.25 mm. The proportions of fines were higher and of MPSfines were correspondingly lower in GIT sections that harbour microbes (forestomach, hindgut), whereas MPSnofines did not differ between forestomach and glandular stomach. However, MPSnofines decreased along the GIT, indicating MPS reduction due to digestive (enzymatic and microbial) processes. The four different diets led to different MPS, but the magnitude of MPS reduction in the GIT was not correlated with dietary fibre fractions or dry matter digestibility. These results indicate that within a species, MPS cannot be used as a proxy for diet quality or digestibility, and raise the hypothesis that MPS reduction along the GIT may be more pronounced in smaller than in larger mammalian terrestrial herbivores, possibly due to the fine initial particles produced by chewing in small species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena I Naumova
- Laboratory of Ecology, Physiology and Functional Morphology, Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii pr. 33, Moscow, 119071, Russia
| | - Tatyana Y Chistova
- Laboratory of Ecology, Physiology and Functional Morphology, Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii pr. 33, Moscow, 119071, Russia
| | - Galina K Zharova
- Laboratory of Ecology, Physiology and Functional Morphology, Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskii pr. 33, Moscow, 119071, Russia
| | - Michael Kam
- Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department for Dryland Agriculture, The French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Irina S Khokhlova
- Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department for Dryland Agriculture, The French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Boris R Krasnov
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer, Israel
| | - Marcus Clauss
- Clinic for Zoo Animals, Exotic Pets and Wildlife, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 260, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - A Allan Degen
- Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department for Dryland Agriculture, The French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, 84105, Beer Sheva, Israel.
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Bouderba S, Sanchez-Martin C, Villanueva GR, Detaille D, Koceïr EA. Beneficial effects of silibinin against the progression of metabolic syndrome, increased oxidative stress, and liver steatosis in Psammomys obesus, a relevant animal model of human obesity and diabetes. J Diabetes 2014; 6:184-92. [PMID: 23953934 DOI: 10.1111/1753-0407.12083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2013] [Revised: 08/06/2013] [Accepted: 08/13/2013] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insulin resistance and oxidative stress are major pathogenic mechanisms leading to chronic liver diseases in diabetic subjects. The gerbil Psammomys obesus is a unique model of nutritional diabetes resembling the disease in humans. This study investigated whether the natural ingredient silibinin, known as hepatoprotective, could decrease oxidative stress and reduce liver damage in obese gerbils. METHODS Control animals were fed their vegetable-based low caloric diet while two other rat groups ingested a high calorie diet for 14 weeks. Silibinin, or its vehicle, was administrated by gastric intubation (100 mg/kg per day) from the 7th week of treatment, which corresponds to an established insulin resistance state. At the end of the experiments, the hepatic biochemical profile, markers of oxidative stress in either plasma or liver tissue, and histological alterations were examined. RESULTS Diabetic P. obesus displayed many metabolic disturbances (hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia), which were aggravated for the last 8 weeks. These events were coupled with greater oxidative stress (decline in glutathione, rise in lipoperoxidation). In addition, glutathione peroxidase activity was reduced while the level of superoxide dismutase was elevated. Interestingly, treatment with silibinin alleviated most of the metabolic defects, especially high triglyceride levels, reduced insulin resistance and largely restored antioxidant status. Also, Masson's trichrome staining revealed distinct steatosis, yet silibinin partially reversed this manifestation. CONCLUSION Silibinin affords substantial protection against the progression of insulin resistance in Type 2 diabetes mellitus for P. obesus by hampering the oxidative process and improving hepatic metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saida Bouderba
- Laboratory of Bioenergetics and Intermediary Metabolism, Department of Biological Sciences and Physiology, University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumédiene (USTHB), Algiers, Algeria
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Barak O, Kronfeld-Schor N. Activity Rhythms and Masking Response in the Diurnal Fat Sand Rat Under Laboratory Conditions. Chronobiol Int 2013; 30:1123-34. [DOI: 10.3109/07420528.2013.805337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Bilu C, Kronfeld-Schor N. Effects of circadian phase and melatonin injection on anxiety-like behavior in nocturnal and diurnal rodents. Chronobiol Int 2013; 30:828-36. [PMID: 23750894 DOI: 10.3109/07420528.2013.773439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Animals show daily rhythms in most bodily functions, resulting from the integration of information from an endogenous circadian clock and external stimuli. These rhythms are adaptive and are expected to be related to activity patterns, i.e., to be opposite in diurnal and nocturnal species. Melatonin is secreted during the night in all mammalian species, regardless of their activity patterns. Consequently, in diurnal species the nocturnal secretion of melatonin is concurrent with the resting phase, whereas in nocturnal species it is related to an increase in activity. In this research, we examined in three diurnal and three nocturnal rodent species whether a daily rhythm in anxiety-like behavior exists; whether it differs between nocturnal and diurnal species; and how melatonin affects anxiety-like behavior in species with different activity patterns. Anxiety-like behavior levels were analyzed using the elevated plus-maze. We found a daily rhythm in anxiety-like behavior and a significant response to daytime melatonin administration in all three nocturnal species, which showed significantly lower levels of anxiety during the dark phase, and after melatonin administration. The diurnal species showed either an inverse pattern to that of the nocturnal species in anxiety-like behavior rhythm and in response to daytime melatonin injection, or no rhythm and, accordingly, no response to melatonin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmel Bilu
- Department of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
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Hartman G. Are elevated δ
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N values in herbivores in hot and arid environments caused by diet or animal physiology? Funct Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2010.01782.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Dawson PA, Russell CS, Lee S, McLeay SC, van Dongen JM, Cowley DM, Clarke LA, Markovich D. Urolithiasis and hepatotoxicity are linked to the anion transporter Sat1 in mice. J Clin Invest 2010; 120:706-12. [PMID: 20160351 DOI: 10.1172/jci31474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2009] [Accepted: 01/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Urolithiasis, a condition in which stones are present in the urinary system, including the kidneys and bladder, is a poorly understood yet common disorder worldwide that leads to significant health care costs, morbidity, and work loss. Acetaminophen-induced liver damage is a major cause of death in patients with acute liver failure. Kidney and urinary stones and liver toxicity are disturbances linked to alterations in oxalate and sulfate homeostasis, respectively. The sulfate anion transporter-1 (Sat1; also known as Slc26a1) mediates epithelial transport of oxalate and sulfate, and its localization in the kidney, liver, and intestine suggests that it may play a role in oxalate and sulfate homeostasis. To determine the physiological roles of Sat1, we created Sat1-/- mice by gene disruption. These mice exhibited hyperoxaluria with hyperoxalemia, nephrocalcinosis, and calcium oxalate stones in their renal tubules and bladder. Sat1-/- mice also displayed hypersulfaturia, hyposulfatemia, and enhanced acetaminophen-induced liver toxicity. These data suggest that Sat1 regulates both oxalate and sulfate homeostasis and may be critical to the development of calcium oxalate urolithiasis and hepatotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Dawson
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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Oxalate balance in fat sand rats feeding on high and low calcium diets. J Comp Physiol B 2008; 178:617-22. [DOI: 10.1007/s00360-008-0252-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2007] [Revised: 01/01/2008] [Accepted: 01/03/2008] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Palgi N, Taleisnik H, Pinshow B. Elimination of oxalate by fat sand rats (Psammomys obesus): wild and laboratory-bred animals compared. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2007; 149:197-202. [PMID: 18187353 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2007.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2007] [Revised: 11/23/2007] [Accepted: 11/26/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Wild fat sand rats (Psammomys obesus) can feed exclusively on plants containing much oxalate, but little calcium; oxalate intake may exceed 300 mg/d, while calcium intake is approximately 30 mg/day. By contrast, for generations, laboratory bred P. obesus have been fed a low-oxalate (<100 mg/day), high-calcium (approximately 150 mg/day) rodent chow. We compared oxalate intake and excretion between wild and laboratory-bred animals, both fed the natural high-oxalate diet, to determine whether these different dietary histories are reflected in the animal's ability to eliminate dietary oxalate. Since both wild and laboratory-bred P. obesus harbor intestinal oxalate-degrading bacteria, we predicted that their oxalate intake and excretion would be similar. Indeed, we found no significant differences in oxalate intake or excretion between the groups fed either saltbush or alfalfa (p>0.05). However, due to the differences in dietary calcium intake between the two diets, in both groups only part (23-25%) of the ingested oxalate was excreted when the animals were fed the oxalate-rich saltbush, yet most (87-90%) was excreted when feeding on calcium-rich alfalfa. Thus, even after generations of feeding on a commercial low-oxalate diet, fat sand rats maintain intestinal oxalate-degrading bacteria that appear to increase in number and activity when presented with their natural diet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niv Palgi
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653, 84105 Beer Sheva, Israel.
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Jiang Z, Asplin JR, Evan AP, Rajendran VM, Velazquez H, Nottoli TP, Binder HJ, Aronson PS. Calcium oxalate urolithiasis in mice lacking anion transporter Slc26a6. Nat Genet 2006; 38:474-8. [PMID: 16532010 DOI: 10.1038/ng1762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 235] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2006] [Accepted: 02/10/2006] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Urolithiasis is one of the most common urologic diseases in industrialized societies. Calcium oxalate is the predominant component in 70-80% of kidney stones, and small changes in urinary oxalate concentration affect the risk of stone formation. SLC26A6 is an anion exchanger expressed on the apical membrane in many epithelial tissues, including kidney and intestine. Among its transport activities, SLC26A6 mediates Cl(-)-oxalate exchange. Here we show that mutant mice lacking Slc26a6 develop a high incidence of calcium oxalate urolithiasis. Slc26a6-null mice have significant hyperoxaluria and elevation in plasma oxalate concentration that is greatly attenuated by dietary oxalate restriction. In vitro flux studies indicated that mice lacking Slc26a6 have a defect in intestinal oxalate secretion resulting in enhanced net absorption of oxalate. We conclude that the anion exchanger SLC26A6 has a major constitutive role in limiting net intestinal absorption of oxalate, thereby preventing hyperoxaluria and calcium oxalate urolithiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhirong Jiang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
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Weir TL, Bais HP, Stull VJ, Callaway RM, Thelen GC, Ridenour WM, Bhamidi S, Stermitz FR, Vivanco JM. Oxalate contributes to the resistance of Gaillardia grandiflora and Lupinus sericeus to a phytotoxin produced by Centaurea maculosa. PLANTA 2006; 223:785-95. [PMID: 16395587 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-005-0192-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2005] [Accepted: 11/16/2005] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Centaurea maculosa Lam. is a noxious weed in western North America that produces a phytotoxin, (+/-)-catechin, which is thought to contribute to its invasiveness. Areas invaded by C. maculosa often result in monocultures of the weed, however; in some areas, North American natives stand their ground against C. maculosa and show varying degrees of resistance to its phytotoxin. Two of these resistant native species, Lupinus sericeus Pursh and Gaillardia grandiflora Van Houtte, were found to secrete increased amounts of oxalate in response to catechin exposure. Mechanistically, we found that oxalate works exogenously by blocking generation of reactive oxygen species in susceptible plants and reducing oxidative damage generated in response to catechin. Furthermore, field experiments show that L. sericeus indirectly facilitates native grasses in grasslands invaded by C. maculosa, and this facilitation can be correlated with the presence of oxalate in soil. Addition of exogenous oxalate to native grasses and Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh grown in vitro alleviated the phytotoxic effects of catechin, supporting the field experiments and suggesting that root-secreted oxalate may also act as a chemical facilitator for plant species that do not secrete the compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany L Weir
- Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Graduate Program in Cell and Molecular Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, 80523, USA
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