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Benedetto A, Šťastný K, Giaccio N, Marturella M, Biasibetti E, Arigoni M, Calogero R, Gili M, Pezzolato M, Tošnerová K, Hodkovicová N, Faldyna M, Puleio R, Bozzo G, Bozzetta E. RNAseq Analysis of Livers from Pigs Treated with Testosterone and Nandrolone Esters: Selection and Field Validation of Transcriptional Biomarkers. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3495. [PMID: 38003113 PMCID: PMC10668810 DOI: 10.3390/ani13223495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AASs) as growth promoters in farm animals is banned in the European Union, representing both an illicit practice and a risk for consumer health. However, these compounds are still illegally administered, often in the form of synthetic esters. This work aimed to characterize significant coding RNA perturbations related to the illicit administration of testosterone and nandrolone esters in fattening pigs. A total of 27 clinically healthy 90-day-old pigs were randomly assigned to test and control groups. Nine animals were treated with testosterone esters (Sustanon®) and other nine with nandrolone esters (Myodine®). At the end of the trial, liver samples were collected and analyzed using RNAseq, allowing the identification of 491 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The transcriptional signature was further characterized by a smaller sub-cluster of 143 DEGs, from which a selection of 16 genes was made. The qPCR analysis confirmed that the identified cluster could still give good discrimination between untreated gilt and barrows compared to the relative testosterone-treated counterparts. A conclusive field survey on 67 liver samples collected from pigs of different breeds and weight categories confirmed, in agreement with testosterone residue profiles, the specificity of selected transcriptional biomarkers, showing their potential applications for screening purposes when AAS treatment is suspected, allowing to focus further investigations of competent authorities and confirmatory analysis where needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Benedetto
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Turin, Italy; (N.G.); (M.M.); (E.B.); (M.G.); (M.P.); (E.B.)
| | - Kamil Šťastný
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Preventive Medicine, Veterinary Research Institute, 621 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (K.Š.); (K.T.); (N.H.); (M.F.)
| | - Nunzia Giaccio
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Turin, Italy; (N.G.); (M.M.); (E.B.); (M.G.); (M.P.); (E.B.)
| | - Marianna Marturella
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Turin, Italy; (N.G.); (M.M.); (E.B.); (M.G.); (M.P.); (E.B.)
| | - Elena Biasibetti
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Turin, Italy; (N.G.); (M.M.); (E.B.); (M.G.); (M.P.); (E.B.)
| | - Maddalena Arigoni
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Salute, Core-Lab di Bioinformatica e Genomica, Università degli Studi di Torino, 10124 Turin, Italy; (M.A.); (R.C.)
| | - Raffaele Calogero
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Salute, Core-Lab di Bioinformatica e Genomica, Università degli Studi di Torino, 10124 Turin, Italy; (M.A.); (R.C.)
| | - Marilena Gili
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Turin, Italy; (N.G.); (M.M.); (E.B.); (M.G.); (M.P.); (E.B.)
| | - Marzia Pezzolato
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Turin, Italy; (N.G.); (M.M.); (E.B.); (M.G.); (M.P.); (E.B.)
| | - Kristína Tošnerová
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Preventive Medicine, Veterinary Research Institute, 621 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (K.Š.); (K.T.); (N.H.); (M.F.)
| | - Nikola Hodkovicová
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Preventive Medicine, Veterinary Research Institute, 621 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (K.Š.); (K.T.); (N.H.); (M.F.)
| | - Martin Faldyna
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Preventive Medicine, Veterinary Research Institute, 621 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (K.Š.); (K.T.); (N.H.); (M.F.)
| | - Roberto Puleio
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sicilia, 90129 Palermo, Italy;
| | - Giancarlo Bozzo
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Bari Aldo Moro, 70121 Bari, Italy;
| | - Elena Bozzetta
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d’Aosta, 10154 Turin, Italy; (N.G.); (M.M.); (E.B.); (M.G.); (M.P.); (E.B.)
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The Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of Ethanol-Fixed Tissues to Detect Illicit Treatments with Glucocorticoids in Bulls. Foods 2022; 11:foods11193001. [PMID: 36230078 PMCID: PMC9563602 DOI: 10.3390/foods11193001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to set up indirect, rapid methods involving near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy analysis, to detect illicit treatments with glucocorticoids in bull. The ethanol fixation method (EtOH) was applied to 7 different tissues obtained from 20 Friesian bulls, 12 of which were experimentally administered with dexamethasone as part of a growth-promoting protocol for 60 days and slaughtered 26 days after the end of the treatment. A perfect discrimination was obtained for the 7 sampled tissues, considering a full UV-Vis-NIR range (350 ÷ 2500 nm), for both false positive and negative animals. The validated true positive and negative errors were zero for the longissimus thoracis muscle, 10% for the skin-dermis, 15% for the fat, 25% for the thymus gland and the semitendinosus muscle, 30% for the sternomandibularis muscle and 35% for the skin-hair. A multiple test on the most accessible tissues, that is, the thymus gland, the sternomandibularis muscle and fat, can be used as an alternative to provide indications about animals that have been subjected to illicit treatments. In the short space of three days from the slaughter, NIR spectroscopy of ETOH fixed tissues, would allow at least cost the detection of a probable illicit which could eventually be reported to health authorities for specific investigation in the frame of official controls.
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