Effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae hydrolysate on growth performance, immunity function, and intestinal health in broilers

The current study was performed to explore the effects of dietary supplementation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae hydrolysate (SCH) on growth performance, immune function, and intestinal health in broiler chicken. A total of 300 Ross 308 male broilers (1-day-old) were randomly assigned to 2 dietary treatments including a basal diet (control group), and a basal diet supplemented with SCH feed additive (500 mg/kg in starter and grower phase, and 250 mg/kg in finisher phase). Each treatment had 6 replicates with 25 birds each. The results showed that the addition of SCH promoted growth during d 15 to 28 (P < 0.05). Although the addition of SCH had no significant effect on the intestinal relative indexes, it significantly increased the jejunum villus height (VH) and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth (VCR) of jejunum, and decreased the crypt depth (CD) of ileum (P < 0.05). Furthermore, SCH addition significantly downregulated the mRNA expression of immunomodulatory genes (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6), and upregulated the tight junction genes (ZO-1 and Claudin-1) (P < 0.05). High throughput sequencing analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA revealed that dietary SCH supplementation altered cecum microbiota. Alpha diversity analysis showed that a higher bacterial richness in cecum of broilers fed with SCH. The composition of cecum microbiota regulated by SCH addition was characterized by an increased abundance of Firmicutes and a reduced abundance of Bacteroidetes. At the genus level, dietary SCH resulted in a decrease of Bacteroides and an increase of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) -producing bacteria including Lactobacillus and Faecalibacterium. Taken together, dietary SCH supplementation can stimulate the growth of broilers by regulating the intestinal immunity and barrier function, and improving the intestinal morphology, which may be related to the enhancement of bacterial diversity and the changes of intestinal microbial composition.

[Recurrent vaginitis]

Vaginitis is one of the most frequent infections of the female genital system and, in the United States, represents the main reason for gynecological consultation. Candida albicans, Trichomonas vaginalis and Gardnerella vaginalis are responsible for 90% of cases of vaginal phlogosis. It has been calculated that a percentage varying between 5% and 40% of the female population will suffer, at least once in their lifetime, from an episode of vaginal candidosis. The re-appearance of symptoms after suspension of the antimycotic therapy still represents an unsolved and obscure problem from the etiopathogenetic point of view. The incidence of recurrences in women suffering from various forms of vaginal candidosis, according to the Authors, is between 5% and 25%. Considering the uncertainties existing regarding the clinical and etiopathogenetic definition of recurrent vaginitis we carried out a perspective study, at the General Out-patient Department of the II Obstetrical and Gynecological Clinic of "La Sapienza" Rome University in collaboration with the Bacteriological Laboratory of the III Medical Clinic of "La Sapienza" Rome University, on a group of 60 women suffering from recurrent vaginitis. We included in the study in the period 1 October 1987 - 30 September 1988 60 women reporting to the General Out-Patient Department of the II Obstetrical and Gynecological Clinic of the "La Sapienza" Rome University. These patients complained about the appearance of a leukorrhea or a leukoxanthorrhea in combination with at least one of the following symptoms: burning sensation; itch; dyspareunia; dysuria; recurring cystitis. All the women reported in their case histories having suffered from at least three episodes of recurrent vaginal candidosis in the previous twelve months. Diagnosis had been established on the basis of fresh microscopic examination with determination of the vaginal pH on the occasion of the first episode only; whereas clinical examination only was undertaken on the occasion of the subsequent ones. In 30% of patients (or 18 cases) the diagnosis of the subsequent episodes was "telephonic". In all cases, at each episode, a local therapy with antimycotic drugs had been prescribed. Following the introduction of a sterile speculum sterile swabs were used to remove 2 samples of the fluid present at the level of the posterior vaginal fornix. The first swab was placed in a test-tube containing 2 ml of prereduced transport broth (brain-heart infusion broth oxoid) for the successive aerobe and anaerobe cultures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Disposition of a new steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, deflazacort, in rat, dog and man

The physiological disposition of a new steroid anti-inflammatory agent, deflazacort, was examined in rat, dog and man following 5 mg/kg doses to the animals, and 50 mg to humans. The administered radiocarbon [2'-14C]-deflazacort), is rapidly and extensively absorbed into the general circulation in rat and man, whereas the bioavailability in the dog is low. The terminal plasma half-life for radioactivity elimination was, on the average, 11, 15 and 28 hr in rats, dogs and man, respectively. Urinary excretion was the predominant route of 14C elimination in the rat (-54% of the dose) and in man (-68% of the dose), whereas in the dog the majority of the dose was eliminated via the feces (82%). Tissue distribution studies in the rat did not show target organs, with the exception of the blood cells. Studies of binding to plasma proteins of the 21-desacetyl deflazacort, demonstrate in all the species a rather low level of binding of non-saturable type.