Morphological adaptation of sheep's rumen epithelium to high-grain diet entails alteration in the expression of genes involved in cell cycle regulation, cell proliferation and apoptosis

Changes in Rumen Epithelial Morphology and Transcriptome, Rumen Metabolome, and Blood Biochemical Parameters in Lactating Dairy Cows with Subacute Rumen Acidosis Following Rumen Content Transplantation

Interventions targeting the gut microbiota, such as fecal microbiota transplantation, prove effective in repairing the intestinal barrier and facilitating the recovery of its function and metabolism. However, the regulatory mechanisms governing the remodeling of rumen epithelial morphology and function, rumen metabolism, and host metabolism in cows of subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) remain poorly understood. Here, we explored the changes in rumen epithelial morphology and transcriptome, rumen metabolome, and blood biochemical parameters in SARA cows following rumen content transplantation (RCT). The entire experiment consisted of 2 periods: the SARA induction period and the RCT period. During the SARA induction period, 12 ruminally cannulated lactating Holstein cows were randomly allocated into 2 groups, fed either a conventional diet [CON; n = 4; 40% concentrate, dry matter (DM) basis] or a high-grain diet (HG; n = 8; 60% concentrate, DM basis). Following the SARA induction period, the RCT period started. The HG cows were randomly assigned to 2 groups: the donor-recipient (DR) group and the self-recipient (SR) group. Rumen contents were entirely removed from both groups before RCT. For the DR group, cows were administered 70% rumen content from the CON cows, paired based on comparable body weight; for the SR group, each cow received 70% self-derived rumen content. The results revealed no significant differences in the thicknesses of the stratum corneum, granulosum, and spinosum/basale layers, as well as the total depth of the epithelium between the SR and DR groups. All these measurements exhibited a decreasing trend and fluctuations over time after the transfer. Notably, these fluctuations tended to stabilize at 13 or 16 d after RCT in the SR group, whereas they tended to stabilize after 8 or 13 d of transfer for the DR group. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that a total of 277 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the 2 groups. Enrichment analysis showed that the DEGs were significantly enriched in 11 Gene Ontology biological processes and 14 KEGG pathways. The DEGs corresponding to almost any of these 11 biological process terms and 14 pathways showed mixed up- or downregulation following RCT. Metabolomics analysis indicated that a total of 33 differential metabolites were detected between the SR and DR groups, mainly enriched in 5 key metabolic pathways, including plant polysaccharides and starch degradation, lipid metabolism, amino sugar and nucleotide metabolism, purine metabolism, and Krebs cycle. Among them, the levels of differential metabolites associated with the degradation of plant polysaccharides and starches, metabolism of amino sugars and nucleotides, and purine metabolism pathways were significantly elevated in the DR cows. The results of blood biochemical parameters showed that the triglyceride concentration of the DR cows was increased than that of the SR cows, comparable to the level observed in the CON cows during the SARA induction period. Generally, our findings indicated that RCT facilitated the recovery of rumen epithelial morphological structure but did not promote its function recovery. Moreover, RCT enhanced rumen plant polysaccharide and starch degradation, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, as well as purine metabolism. Additionally, it further promoted the recovery of plasma metabolites related to lipid metabolism.

Exploring the effects of Hippo signaling pathway on rumen epithelial proliferation

BACKGROUND

The current understanding to the mechanism of rumen development is limited. We hypothesized that the Hippo signaling pathway controlled the proliferation of rumen epithelium (RE) during postnatal development. In the present study, we firstly tested the changes of the Hippo signaling pathway in the RE during an early growing period from d5 to d25, and then we expanded the time range to the whole preweaning period (d10-38) and one week post weaning (d45). An in vitro experiment was also carried out to verify the function of Hippo signaling pathway during RE cell proliferation.

RESULTS

In the RE of lambs from d5 to d25, the expression of baculoviral IAP repeat containing (BIRC3/5) was increased, while the expressions of large tumor suppressor kinase 2 (LATS2), TEA domain transcription factor 3 (TEAD3), axin 1 (AXIN1), and MYC proto-oncogene (MYC) were decreased with rumen growth. From d10 to d38, the RE expressions of BIRC3/5 were increased, while the expressions of LATS2 and MYC were decreased, which were similar with the changes in RE from d5 to d25. From d38 to d45, different changes were observed, with the expressions of LATS1/2, MOB kinase activator 1B (MOB1B), and TEAD1 increased, while the expressions of MST1 and BIRC5 decreased. Correlation analysis showed that during the preweaning period, the RE expressions of BIRC3/5 were positively correlated with rumen development variables, while LAST2 was negatively correlated with rumen development variables. The in vitro experiment validated the changes of LATS2 and BIRC3/5 in the proliferating RE cells, which supported their roles in RE proliferation during preweaning period.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the LATS2-YAP1-BIRC3/5 axis participates in the RE cell proliferation and promotes rumen growth during the preweaning period.

Dynamic changes of rumen microbiota and serum metabolome revealed increases in meat quality and growth performances of sheep fed bio-fermented rice straw

BACKGROUND

Providing high-quality roughage is crucial for improvement of ruminant production because it is an essential component of their feed. Our previous study showed that feeding bio-fermented rice straw (BF) improved the feed intake and weight gain of sheep. However, it remains unclear why feeding BF to sheep increased their feed intake and weight gain. Therefore, the purposes of this research were to investigate how the rumen microbiota and serum metabolome are dynamically changing after feeding BF, as well as how their changes influence the feed intake, digestibility, nutrient transport, meat quality and growth performances of sheep. Twelve growing Hu sheep were allocated into 3 groups: alfalfa hay fed group (AH: positive control), rice straw fed group (RS: negative control) and BF fed group (BF: treatment). Samples of rumen content, blood, rumen epithelium, muscle, feed offered and refusals were collected for the subsequent analysis.

RESULTS

Feeding BF changed the microbial community and rumen fermentation, particularly increasing (P < 0.05) relative abundance of Prevotella and propionate production, and decreasing (P < 0.05) enteric methane yield. The histomorphology (height, width, area and thickness) of rumen papillae and gene expression for carbohydrate transport (MCT1), tight junction (claudin-1, claudin-4), and cell proliferation (CDK4, Cyclin A2, Cyclin E1) were improved (P < 0.05) in sheep fed BF. Additionally, serum metabolome was also dynamically changed, which led to up-regulating (P < 0.05) the primary bile acid biosynthesis and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acid in sheep fed BF. As a result, the higher (P < 0.05) feed intake, digestibility, growth rate, feed efficiency, meat quality and mono-unsaturated fatty acid concentration in muscle, and the lower (P < 0.05) feed cost per kg of live weight were achieved by feeding BF.

CONCLUSIONS

Feeding BF improved the growth performances and meat quality of sheep and reduced their feed cost. Therefore, bio-fermentation of rice straw could be an innovative way for improving ruminant production with minimizing production costs.

Ensiled diet improved the growth performance of Tibetan sheep by regulating the rumen microbial community and rumen epithelial morphology

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of ensiled agricultural byproducts from Qinghai-Tibet plateau on growth performance, rumen microbiota, ruminal epithelium morphology, and nutrient transport-related gene expression in Tibetan sheep. Fourteen male Tibetan sheep were randomly assigned to one of two diets: an untreated diet (without silage inoculum, CON, n = 7) or an ensiled diet (with silage inoculum, ESD, n = 7). The total experimental period lasted for 84 d, including early 14 d as adaption period and remaining 70 d for data collection. The ESD increased average daily gain (P = 0.046), dry matter intake (P < 0.001), ammonia nitrogen (P = 0.045), microbial crude protein (P = 0.034), and total volatile fatty acids concentration (P < 0.001), and decreased ruminal pH value (P = 0.014). The proportion of propionate (P = 0.006) and the copy numbers of bacteria (P = 0.01) and protozoa (P = 0.002) were higher, while the proportion of acetate (P = 0.028) was lower in the sheep fed ESD compared to CON. Pyrosequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene revealed that ESD increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Ruminococcus, Lachnospiraceae_AC2044_group, Lachnospiraceae_XPB1014_group, and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group in the rumen (P < 0.05), while decreased the relative abundance of Bacteroidota, Prevotellaceae_UCG-003, and Veillonellaceae_UCG-001 (P < 0.05). Analyses with PICRUSt2 and STAMP indicated that the propionate metabolism pathway was enriched in the sheep fed ESD (P = 0.026). The ESD increased the rumen papillae height (P = 0.012), density (P = 0.036), and surface area (P = 0.001), and improved the thickness of the total epithelia (P = 0.018), stratum corneum (P = 0.040), stratum granulosum (P = 0.042), and stratum spinosum and basale (P = 0.004). The relative mRNA expression of cyclin-dependent Kinase 2, CyclinA2, CyclinD2, zonula occludens-1, Occludin, monocarboxylate transporter isoform 1 (MCT1), MCT4, sodium/potassium pump, and sodium/hydrogen antiporter 3 were higher in the rumen epithelial of sheep fed ESD than CON (P < 0.05). Conversely, the relative mRNA expressions of Caspase 3 and B-cell lymphoma-2 were lower in the sheep fed ESD than CON (P < 0.05). In conclusion, compared with an untreated diet, feeding an ensiled diet altered the rumen microbial community, enhanced nutrient transport through rumen epithelium, and improved the growth performance of Tibetan sheep.

The Use of Additives to Prevent Urolithiasis in Lambs Fed Diets with a High Proportion of Concentrate

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of different additives in preventing urolithiasis in lambs fed a diet rich in concentrate and their impact on performance and blood and urinary parameters. Thirty-two noncastrated male lambs, crossbred Dorper × Santa Inês, with initial body weights (BWs) of 23 ± 0.1 kg and ages of 50 ± 5 days, were kept in individual pens and fed a diet composed of 6% Cynodon ssp. hay and 94% concentrate and subjected to four treatments: CON without inclusion of additives, addition of ACL 5 g/kg of dry matter (DM), addition of CCL 6.3 g/kg of DM, and addition of BZA 5 g/kg of DM. There was no effect of treatment or interaction with time on blood parameters (p > 0.050), and performance characteristics, morphometry of ruminal papillae, and scores of cecum and rumen lesions were not affected by the addition of additives to the diet (p > 0.050). Greater urinary acidification was observed in animals from CCL and ACL treatments (p = 0.033). Calcium chloride acidified the urinary pH and can be used instead of ammonium chloride at a concentration of 0.63% based on DM, when this is the objective.

Physical, Metabolic, and Microbial Rumen Development in Goat Kids: A Review on the Challenges and Strategies of Early Weaning

The digestive system of newborn ruminant functions is similar to monogastric animals, and therefore milk flows into the abomasum instead of rumen for digestion. The rumen undergoes tremendous changes over time in terms of structure, function, and microbiome. These changes contribute to the smooth transition from the dependence on liquid diets to solid diets. Goat kids are usually separated at early ages from their dams in commercial intensive systems. The separation from dams minimizes the transfer of microbiota from dams to newborns. In this review, understanding how weaning times and methodologies could affect the normal development and growth of newborn goats may facilitate the development of new feeding strategies to control stress in further studies.

Orange molasses as a new energy ingredient for feedlot lambs in Brazil

The objectives of this experiment were to evaluate the effects of increasing levels of orange molasses in replacement of flint corn grain in high-concentrate diets on dry matter intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG), and feed efficiency (FE) of feedlot lambs. Thirty male lambs without defined racial pattern (30.3 ± 5.3 kg of initial BW; mean ± SD) were used in a randomized complete block design with 10 blocks and 3 treatments. The treatments were defined by partial replacement of flint corn by orange molasses in the diet with 90% of concentrate and 10% of Cynodon spp. hay, as follows: 0OM-control diet without orange molasses; 20OM-20% of orange molasses replacing flint corn; and 40OM-40% of orange molasses replacing flint corn (DM basis). The experiment lasted 72 days divided into 3 subperiods, with 1 subperiod of 16 days and 2 subperiods of 28 days. Animals were weighed after a 16-h fast on days 1, 16, 44, and 72 of the experimental periods to determine the ADG and FE. The DMI, ADG, and FE showed an interaction between treatments and experimental periods. The DMI in the first period decreased linearly (P < 0.01); in the third period, there was no effect of treatments (P > 0.05) on DMI. The ADG decreased linearly (P < 0.01) in the first period as the orange molasses increased. Otherwise, in the third period, ADG increased linearly (P = 0.05) as flint corn was replacement by orange molasses. The FE showed an interaction between treatment and period (P = 0.09). The first period had a decreased linear effect; in the third period, there was a trend (P = 0.07) of increased linear effect. There was no difference between the diets regarding the final BW of the lambs. In conclusion, the orange molasses can replace up to 40% of flint corn in diets for feedlot lambs without affecting final BW. However, it is important to consider the adaptation time proved to be very important for better use of orange molasses as a source of energy in diets for lambs.

Wildlife feeding activities induce papillae proliferation in the rumen of fallow deer

Wildlife feeding activities are growing as a trend in recent years, with wild ruminants (e.g. deer in urban parks) receiving an increasingly unnatural diet as a result of public attention. The effects of diet on the gastrointestinal tract of ruminants have been established in the context of animal agriculture, with highly modified diets driving morphological changes in the rumen papillae. However, these dietary effects have not been widely explored in wild ruminants that are exposed to recreational feeding. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of human-wildlife feeding interactions on the rumen papillae of a wild population of fallow deer in Phoenix Park, Dublin. The length, width, and density of the ventral rumen papillae were compared across a variety of feeding behaviours, ranging from deer that consistently accept food from humans to deer that rarely, if ever, accept food from humans. The surface enlargement factor (SEF) was also calculated as a measure of overall absorptive surface in the rumen and was similarly compared. Statistical analysis revealed that consistent acceptors of food had significantly higher papillae density than those that do not accept food. Increased papillae density in deer receiving high amounts of human food suggests a shift in the internal rumen environment. A lack of significant change in the SEF suggests that a cellular change may be occurring. This artificial rumen state requires further attention to elucidate the full extent of these feeding impacts on the gastrointestinal integrity of these wild deer. Moreover, this is a call for research into other human-wildlife feeding interactions that occur in human-dominated landscapes, beyond the deer of Phoenix Park.

Effects of Heat Stress on the Ruminal Epithelial Barrier of Dairy Cows Revealed by Micromorphological Observation and Transcriptomic Analysis

Heat stress (HS) alters the rumen fermentation of dairy cows thereby affecting the metabolism of rumen papillae and thus the epithelial barrier function. The aim of the present study was to investigate if HS damages the barrier function of ruminal epithelia. Eight multiparous Holstein dairy cows with rumen cannula were randomly equally allocated to two replicates (n = 4), with each replicate being subjected to heat stress or thermal neutrality and pair-feeding in four environmental chambers. Micromorphological observation showed HS aggravated the shedding of the corneum and destroyed the physical barrier of the ruminal epithelium to a certain extent. Transcriptomics analysis of the rumen papillae revealed pathways associated with DNA replication and repair and amino acid metabolism were perturbated, the biological processes including sister chromatid segregation, etc. were up-regulated by HS, while the MAPK and NF-kB cell signaling pathways were downregulated. However, no heat stress-specific change in the expression of tight junction protein or TLR4 signaling was found, suggesting that HS negatively affected the physical barrier of the ruminal epithelium to some extent but did not break the ruminal epithelium. Heat stress invoked mechanisms to maintain the integrity of the rumen epithelial barrier by upregulating the expression of heat shock protein and repairments in rumen papillae. The increase in amino acid metabolism in rumen papillae might affect the nutrient utilization of the whole body. The findings of this study may inform future research to better understand how heat stress affects the physiology and productivity of lactating cows and the development of mitigation strategies.

Multi-omics Analysis Revealed Coordinated Responses of Rumen Microbiome and Epithelium to High-Grain-Induced Subacute Rumen Acidosis in Lactating Dairy Cows

Subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) is a major metabolic disease in lactating dairy cows caused by the excessive intake of high-concentrate diets. Here, we investigated the synergistic responses of rumen bacteria and epithelium to high-grain (HG)-induced SARA. Eight ruminally cannulated lactating Holstein cows were randomly assigned to 2 groups for a 3-week experiment and fed either a conventional (CON) diet or an HG diet. The results showed that the HG-feeding cows had a thickened rumen epithelial papilla with edge injury and a decreased plasma β-hydroxybutyrate concentration. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing results demonstrated that HG feeding caused changes in rumen bacterial structure and composition, which further altered rumen fermentation and metabolism. Cooccurrence network analysis revealed that the distribution of the diet-sensitive bacteria responded to the treatment (CON or HG) and that all diet-sensitive amplicon sequence variants showed low to medium degrees of cooccurrence. Metabolomics analysis indicated that the endothelial permeability-increasing factor prostaglandin E1 and the polyamine synthesis by-product 5′-methylthioadenosine were enriched under HG feeding. Transcriptome analysis suggested that cholesterol biosynthesis genes were upregulated in the rumen epithelium of HG cows. The gene expression changes, coupled with more substrate being available (total volatile fatty acids), may have caused an enrichment of intracellular cholesterol and its metabolites. All of these variations could coordinately stimulate cell proliferation, increase membrane permeability, and trigger epithelial inflammation, which eventually disrupts rumen homeostasis and negatively affects cow health.

IMPORTANCE Dairy cows are economically important livestock animals that supply milk for humans. The cow’s rumen is a complex and symbiotic ecosystem composed of diverse microorganisms, which has evolved to digest high-fiber diets. In modern dairy production, SARA is a common health problem due to overfeeding of high-concentrate diets for an ever-increasing milk yield. Although extensive studies have been conducted on SARA, it remains unclear how HG feeding affects rumen cross talk homeostasis. Here, we identified structural and taxonomic fluctuation for the rumen bacterial community, an enrichment of certain detrimental metabolites in rumen fluid, and a general upregulation of cholesterol biosynthesis genes in the rumen epithelium of HG-feeding cows by multi-omics analysis. Based on these results, we propose a speculation to explain cellular events of coordinated rumen bacterial and epithelial adaptation to HG diets. Our work provides new insights into the exploitation of molecular regulation strategies to treat and prevent SARA.

Can roughage: concentrate ratio affect the action of red propolis extract on sheep metabolism?

The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether the addition of red propolis extract (RPE), in different roughage: concentrate (R:C) ratios, influences the intake, digestibility, ruminal parameters, and serum biochemistry of sheep. We used eight Santa Inês sheep with an average body weight of 29.45 ± 1.58 kg, housed in metabolism cages for 60 days, and distributed in two simultaneous Latin square designs in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme. The factors consisted of two R:C ratios (70:30 and 30:70) with or without the addition of 15 mL/day of RPE. No interactions were found (P > 0.05) between R:C ratios and with or without RPE. Sheep fed 30:70 ratio showed higher (P < 0.05) intake and dry matter (DM) digestibility and non-fibrous carbohydrates and lower (P < 0.05) intake and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility. The addition of RPE did not influence (P > 0.05) the intake or nutrients digestibility, but the sheep that received RPE had a higher (P < 0.05) ruminal pH and longer (P < 0.05) time of rumination (min/kg DM) compared to the group without propolis. The ruminal ammonia concentration was higher for sheep fed 70:30 ratio, but the concentrations of total protein and albumin did not differ between R:C ratios. The addition of 15 mL of RPE does not influence the intake, digestibility, ingestive behavior, and rumen ammonical nitrogen of sheep. There is no association between the R:C ratio and the addition of 15 mL/day of RPE for sheep.

Thiamine ameliorates metabolic disorders induced by a long-term high-concentrate diet and promotes rumen epithelial development in goats

Data indicate that dietary thiamine supplementation can partly alleviate rumen epithelium inflammation and barrier function in goats fed a high-concentrate diet. The current work aimed to explore whether thiamine promotes rumen epithelium development by regulating carbohydrate metabolism during a long period of feeding high levels of concentrate. For the experiment, 24 female Boer goats (35.62 ± 2.4 kg of body weight) in parity 1 or 2 were allocated to 3 groups (8 goats per replicate) receiving a low-concentrate diet (concentrate:forage 30:70), a high-concentrate diet (HC; concentrate:forage 70:30), or a high-concentrate diet (concentrate:forage 70:30) supplemented with 200 mg of thiamine/kg of dry matter intake (HCT; concentrate:forage 70:30). On the last day of 12 wk, rumen fluid and blood samples were collected to measure ruminal parameters, endotoxin lipopolysaccharide, and blood inflammatory cytokines. Goats were slaughtered to collect ruminal tissue to determine differential metabolites, enzyme activities, and gene expression. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis revealed that the HCT group had significantly increased concentrations of d-glucose 6-phosphate, d-fructose 6-phosphate, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate, thiamine pyrophosphate, oxaloacetate, acetyl-CoA, succinyl-CoA, sedoheptulose 7-phosphate, ribose 5-phosphate, and NADPH compared with the HC group. The pyruvate dehydrogenase, α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, and transketolase enzyme activities in the rumen epithelium of the HCT group were higher than those in the HC group. The plasma total antioxidant capacity values for the HCT group were greater than those for the HC group. The rumen epithelium ATP content in the HCT group was higher than that in the HC group. Compared with the HCT group, the HC group had a lower mRNA abundance of CCND1, CCNA2, CDK2, CDK4, CDK6, BCL2, PI3K, and AKT1. Taken together, the results suggest that dietary thiamine supplementation could ameliorate disorders in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and the pentose phosphate pathway induced by a long-term high-concentrate diet and could promote rumen epithelial growth.

P4HA2 promotes cell proliferation and migration in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a primary malignant tumor characterized by high infiltration and angiogenesis in the brain parenchyma. Glioma stem cells (GSCs), a heterogeneous GBM cell type with the potential for self-renewal and differentiation to tumor cells, are responsible for the high malignancy of GBM. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the roles of significantly differentially expressed genes between GSCs and GBM cells in GBM progression. The gene profiles GSE74304 and GSE124145, containing 10 GSC samples and 12 GBM samples in total, were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The overlapping differentially expressed genes were identified with GEO2R tools and Venn software online. Subsequently, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis was performed on the 41 upregulated and 142 downregulated differentially expressed genes in GSCs compared with in GBM cells via the DAVID website. Protein-protein interaction and module analyses in Cytoscape with the STRING database revealed 21 hub genes that were downregulated in GSCs compared with in GBM cells. Survival analysis conducted via the GEPIA2 website revealed that low expression levels of the hub genes prolyl 4-hydroxylase subunit α2 (P4HA2), TGF-β induced, integrin subunit α3 and thrombospondin 1 were associated with significantly prolonged survival time in patients with GBM. Further experiments were performed focusing on P4HA2. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was used to detect P4HA2 gene expression. In agreement with the bioinformatics analysis, P4HA2 expression was higher in U87 cells than in GSCs. Cell Counting Kit-8, EdU incorporation, cell cycle analysis, wound healing and Transwell assays demonstrated that the cell proliferation and migration increased after P4HA2 overexpression and decreased after P4HA2-knockdown. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that low P4HA2 expression in GSCs promoted GBM cell proliferation and migration, suggesting that P4HA2 may act as a switch in the transition from GSCs to GBM cells.

Supranutritional selenium level minimizes high concentrate diet-induced epithelial injury by alleviating oxidative stress and apoptosis in colon of goat

Background

High concentrate (HC) diet-induced oxidative stress causes gut epithelial damages associated with apoptosis. Selenium (Se) being an integral component of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) plays an important role in antioxidant defense system. Therefore, increasing dietary Se level would alleviate HC diet-induced injuries in gut mucosa. The present study investigated eighteen cross-bred goats, randomly divided into three groups (n = 6/group) fed either low concentrate (LC, roughage: concentrate ratio 65:35), high concentrate (HC, 35:65) or HC plus Se (HC-SY) diets for 10 weeks. Se was supplemented at the dose rate of 0.5 mg Se kg^− 1 diet in the form of selenium yeast. The background Se level in HC and LC diets were 0.15 and 0.035 mg.kg^− 1 diet, respectively. The Se at the dose of 0.115 mg.kg^− 1 diet was added in LC diet to make its concentration equivalent to HC diet and with the supplementation of 0.5 mg Se kg^− 1, the goats in group HC-SY received total Se by 0.65 mg.kg^− 1 diet.

Results

The molar concentrations of individual and total short chain fatty acids (TSCFA) significantly increased (P < 0.05) with simultaneous decrease in pH of colonic fluid in goats of HC and HC-SY groups compared with LC goats. HC diet induced loss of epithelial integrity, inflammation and loss of goblet cells in colonic mucosa associated with higher lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentrations in colonic fluid whereas, the addition of SY in HC diet alleviated such damaging changes. Compared with LC, the HC diet elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) level with concurrent decrease in GSH-Px and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, while SY supplementation attenuated these changes and improved antioxidant status in colonic epithelium. Moreover, epithelial injury and oxidative stress in colon of HC goats were associated with increased apoptosis as evidenced by downregulation of bcl2 and upregulation of bax, caspases 3 and 8 mRNA expressions compared with LC goats. On contrary, addition of SY in HC (HC-SY) diet alleviated these changes by modulating expression of apoptotic genes in colonic epithelium.

Conclusions

Our data suggest that supranutritional level of Se attenuates HC diet-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis and thereby minimizes the epithelial injury in colon of goats.

Upregulation of miRNA-154-5p prevents the tumorigenesis of osteosarcoma

BACKGROUND

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary malignant bone sarcoma in human worldwide. It has been shown that the level of microRNA-154-5p (miR-154-5p) was downregulated in human OS tissues. However, the mechanisms by which miR-154-5p regulates the proliferation, apoptosis and invasion in OS remain unclear. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the role of miR-154-5p during the tumorigenesis of OS.

METHODS

The level of miR-154-5p in human OS tissues was detected by RT-qPCR. In addition, the effects of miR-154-5p on apoptosis and invasion of OS cells were assessed by flow cytometry and transwell assays, respectively. Meanwhile, the dual luciferase reporter system assay was performed to explore the interaction of miR-154-5p and E2F5.

RESULTS

The level of miR-154-5p was downregulated in OS tissues. Overexpression of miR-154-5p significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of MG63 cells. In addition, upregulation of miR-154-5p obviously induced apoptosis in MG63 cells via upregulation of Bax and cleaved caspase 3, and downregulation of Bcl-2. Moreover, luciferase reporter assay identified that E2F5 was the binding target of miR-154-5p. Meanwhile, overexpression of miR-154-5p induced cell cycle arrest in MG63 cells via inhibiting the expressions of E2F5, Cyclin E1 and CDK2. Furthermore, in vivo assays indicated that overexpression of miR-154-5p notably inhibited the tumor growth in an OS xenograft model.

CONCLUSION

These results indicated that miR-154-5p may function as a potential tumor suppressor in OS. Therefore, miR-154-5p might be a novel therapeutic option for the treatment of OS.

Effects of Incremental Urea Supplementation on Rumen Fermentation, Nutrient Digestion, Plasma Metabolites, and Growth Performance in Fattening Lambs

Simple Summary

Soybean meal is a major protein ingredient in ruminant diets. However, the swine and poultry industries are also competitors for soybean meal as their primary protein ingredient. Thus, soybean meal is expensive, and actually the most expensive gradient of ruminant diets. In this context, urea is used as a low-cost nitrogen source to replace up to 75% of the soybean meal typically fed to fattening lambs. Urea at 10 g could substitute 130 g soybean meal per kg feed dry matter without adverse effects on digestion, metabolism, or growth in fattening lambs when fed a high concentrate diet.

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of partially substituting soybean meal (SBM) with incremental amount of urea on rumen fermentation, nutrient digestion, plasma metabolites, and growth performance in fattening lambs. Seventy fattening male lambs were sorted into two blocks according to body weight (BW) and assigned to one of five dietary treatments in a randomized block design: SBM at 170 g/kg dry matter (DM) or reduced SBM (40 g/kg DM) plus 0, 10, 20, or 30 g urea/kg DM. Compared with the lambs receiving the SBM diet, the lambs fed the reduced SBM diet plus urea had higher (p < 0.01) concentrations of ruminal ammonia, and the ruminal concentration of ammonia also increased linearly (p < 0.01) with the increasing urea supplementation. Linear and quadratic effects (p < 0.01) on the crude protein (CP) intake and digestibility were observed with the increasing urea addition to the diet. The concentrations of plasma ammonia and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) increased (linear, p < 0.01; quadratic, p < 0.01) with the increasing urea supplementation. The final BW, DM intake (DMI), average daily gain (ADG), and gain efficiency were similar (p ≥ 0.42) between the SBM group and the urea-supplemented groups. However, the DMI and ADG increased quadratically (p ≤ 0.03) with the increasing urea addition to the diet, with the 10 g urea/kg DM diet resulting in the highest DMI and ADG. The results of this study demonstrated that 10 g urea could substitute 130 g soybean meal per kg feed DM without any adverse effect on growth performance or health in fattening lambs when fed a high concentrate diet.

Jersey steer ruminal papillae histology and nutrigenomics with diet changes

The transition from a high forage to a high concentrate diet is an important milestone for beef cattle moving from a stocker system to the feedlot. However, little is known about how this transition affects the rumen epithelial gene expression. This study assessed the effects of the transition from a high forage to a high concentrate diet as well as the transition from a high concentrate to a high forage diet on a variety of genes as well as ruminal papillae morphology in rumen fistulated Jersey steers. Jersey steers (n = 5) were fed either a high forage diet (80% forage and 20% grain) and transitioned to a high concentrate diet (20% forage and 80% grain) or a high concentrate diet (40% forage and 60% grain) and transitioned to a high forage diet (100% forage). Papillae from the rumen were collected for histology and RT‐qPCR analysis. Body weight had a tendency for significant difference (p = .08). Histological analysis did not show changes in papillae length or width in steers transitioning from a high forage to a high concentrate diet or vice versa (p > .05). Genes related to cell membrane structure (CLDN1, CLDN4, DSG1), fatty acid metabolism (CPT1A, ACADSB), glycolysis (PFKL), ketogenesis (HMGCL, HMGCS2, ACAT1), lactate/pyruvate (LDHA), oxidative stress (NQO1), tissue growth (AKT3, EGFR, EREG, IGFBP5, IRS1) and the urea cycle (SLC14A1) were considered in this study. Overall, genes related to fatty acid metabolism (ACADSB) and growth and development (AKT3 and IGFBP5) had a tendency for a treatment × day on trial interaction effect. These profiles may be indicators of rumen epithelial adaptations in response to changes in diet. In conclusion, these results indicate that changes in the composition of the diet can alter the expression of genes with specific functions in rumen epithelial metabolism.

Effects of starter feeding on caecal mucosal bacterial composition and expression of genes involved in immune and tight junctions in pre-weaned twin lambs

The objective of this study was to explore the effects of starter feeding on caecal mucosal bacterial composition and the expression of genes involved in immune and tight junctions in pre-weaned lambs. Six pairs of new-born twin lambs were selected. From 10 days of age, one lamb of each pair received ewe's milk only (M group, n = 6), while the other one was fed ewe's milk plus starter feed (M + S group, n = 6). At 56 days of age, the lambs were sacrificed, and then cecum digesta was collected to measure pH values and concentrations of volatile fatty acid (VFA), and caecal mucosa were collected to determine the changes in bacterial communities and the mRNA expression of cytokines, toll-like receptors (TLRs) and tight junction proteins. The results showed the body weight and average daily gain were not significantly different between both groups. Starter feeding significantly (P < 0.05) increased the concentrations of propionate and butyrate; the proportions of acetate, propionate and butyrate to total concentrations of VFA; and decreased the ratio of acetate to propionate in caecal contents. Principal coordinate analysis showed that samples from the M + S group could be distinguished from those from the M group; starter feeding also increased the diversity of caecal mucosal bacteria. At the genus level, starter feeding significantly (FDR < 0.05) increased the relative abundance of Alistipes, Parabacteroides, Parasutterella and Butyricimonas, and caused a decreasing trend (FDR < 0.10) in the relative abundance of Campylobacter and Helicobacter. The real-time PCR results showed that starter feeding significantly (FDR < 0.05) decreased the relative mRNA expression level of IL-12, TNF-α and TLR4 and increased the relative mRNA expression level of claudin-4. These results indicate that starter feeding altered caecal mucosal bacterial communities and decreased the expression of inflammatory factors, which may be beneficial in alleviating the weaning stress of lambs.