Effect of stage of lactation and dietary starch content on endocrine-metabolic status, blood amino acid concentrations, milk yield, and composition in Holstein dairy cows

Milk yield and composition are modified by level and chemical characteristics of dietary energy and protein. Those factors determine nutrient availability from a given diet, and once absorbed, they interact with the endocrine system and together determine availability of metabolites to the mammary gland. Four multiparous dairy cows in early lactation and subsequently in late lactation were fed 2 diets for 28 d in a changeover design that provided, within the same stage of lactation, similar amounts of rumen fermentable feed with either high (HS) or low starch (LS). All diets had similar dietary crude protein (15.5% dry matter) and rumen-undegradable protein (∼40% of crude protein) content. Profiles of AA were calculated to be similar to that of casein. On d 28, [1-¹³C] Leu was infused into one jugular vein with blood samples taken at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 h, and cows milked at 0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 h from start of infusion. Isotopic enrichments of plasma Leu, keto-isocaproic acid, and milk casein were determined for calculation of Leu kinetics. Data were subjected to ANOVA using the MIXED procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc.), with time as repeated factor and cow as the random effect. Dry matter intake within each stage of lactation was similar between groups. Feeding LS resulted in lower blood glucose and greater ratio of bovine somatotropin to insulin. This response was associated with greater blood concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate, which might have contributed to greater milk fat content in LS-fed cows. Except for His, average concentrations of all AA in blood were higher in late than early lactation. Diet did not alter average plasma concentrations of AA. However, for most of the essential AA (particularly branched-chain), the HS diet led to a marked decrease in concentrations after the forage meal, resulting in significant differences between dietary groups in early lactation. In early-lactating cows fed HS, a greater reduction in plasma concentrations at 8 h relative to pre-feeding values (time zero) was observed for Met, Lys, and His, resulting in decreases of 27.9%, 33.6%, and 38.5%, respectively. A higher bovine somatotropin/insulin ratio in early lactation and in cows fed LS could possibly have led to greater breakdown and, consequently, higher AA flux from peripheral tissues. In LS-fed cows, higher mobilization of body fat and protein was confirmed by the greater body weight loss in both stages of lactation. Higher irreversible loss of [1-¹³C] Leu in early lactation suggested lower protein retention in peripheral tissues during early compared with late lactation. Milk yield, protein output, and composition were similar between groups at both stages of lactation, whereas milk coagulation was faster (lower curd firming rate) and with higher curd firmness in response to feeding HS in late lactation. Overall, data indicated that rate of carbohydrate fermentability in the rumen can modify the availability of metabolites to the mammary gland and consequently modify milk protein coagulation.

Term Domain Distribution Analysis: a Data Mining Tool for Text Databases

In this paper, we give a case history illustrating the real-world application of a useful technique for data mining of text databases. The technique, which we call Term Domain Distribution Analysis (TDDA), consists of keeping track of term frequencies for specific finite domains and announcing significant differences from standard frequency distributions over these domains as a hypothesis. TDDA is part of a larger framework, the Digital Filter Model, for data mining of text documents. In the case study presented, the domain of terms was the pair {right, left}, over which we expected a uniform distribution. In analyzing term frequencies in a thoracic lung cancer database, the TDDA technique led to the surprising discovery that primary thoracic lung cancer tumors appear in the right lung more often than the left lung, with a ratio of 3:2. Treating the text discovery as a hypothesis, we verified this relationship against the medical literature in which primary lung tumor sites were reported, using a standard χ2 statistic. We subsequently developed a working theoretical model of lung cancer that may explain the discovery. This discovery and our model may change how oncologists view the mechanisms of primary lung tumor location.

Effect of Surface Morphology and Magnetic Impurities on the Electronic Structure in Cobalt-Doped BaFe2As2 Superconductors

Combined scanning tunneling microscopy, spectroscopy, and local barrier height (LBH) studies show that low-temperature-cleaved optimally doped Ba(Fe_1-xCo_x)₂As₂ crystals with x = 0.06, with T_c = 22 K, have complicated morphologies. Although the cleavage surface and hence the morphologies are variable, the superconducting gap maps show the same gap widths and nanometer size inhomogeneities irrelevant to the morphology. Based on the spectroscopy and LBH maps, the bright patches and dark stripes in the morphologies are identified as Ba- and As-dominated surface terminations, respectively. Magnetic impurities, possibly due to Co or Fe atoms, are believed to create local in-gap state and, in addition, suppress the superconducting coherence peaks. This study will clarify the confusion on the cleavage surface terminations of the Fe-based superconductors and its relation with the electronic structures.

Chromium Underlayer Effects in Longitudinal Magnetic Recording

For media used in longitudinal recording, an epitaxial relationship is observed between the Cr and Co-alloy layers, and generally a strong Cr <100> texture is desirable for c-axis in-plane orientation of the Co alloy. In this study, Cr underlayer thickness, temperature and Cr deposition pressure were varied while keeping the magnetic layer (CoPtCr) deposition process constant. Films were deposited on circumferentially textured NiP, polished NiP and chemically elched NiP substrates as well as Si wafers in order to study the effects of surface finish on the crystallographic orientation of the Cr underlayer. The uniformity of the magnetic properties and in-plane anisotropy (orientation ratio) of the disks were measured using Kerr magnetrometry. The in-plane anisotropy was found to be related to the Cr deposition conditions and the surface texture of the NiP. Signal to noise ratio results and a possible mechanism for the origin of the in-plane anisotropy are discussed.

Challenges in phenotype definition in the whole-genome era: multivariate models of memory and intelligence

Refining phenotypes for the study of neuropsychiatric disorders is of paramount importance in neuroscience. Poor phenotype definition provides the greatest obstacle for making progress in disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and autism. Using freely available informatics tools developed by the Consortium for Neuropsychiatric Phenomics (CNP), we provide a framework for defining and refining latent constructs used in neuroscience research and then apply this strategy to review known genetic contributions to memory and intelligence in healthy individuals. This approach can help us begin to build multi-level phenotype models that express the interactions between constructs necessary to understand complex neuropsychiatric diseases. These results are available online through the http://www.phenowiki.org database. Further work needs to be done in order to provide consensus-building applications for the broadly defined constructs used in neuroscience research.

The effect of abomasal infusion of casein on acetate, palmitate and glucose kinetics in cows during early lactation

1. Four mature Friesian cows were used in a Latin square design experiment to measure the effects of abomasal casein infusion on milk production and the kinetics of glucose, acetate and palmitate in jugular venous blood.

2. The basal ration contained 110 g crude protein/kg dry matter and was offered at the rate of 4 kg hay, 3 kg alkali-treated straw cubes plus 9 kg concentrates/d. Treatments were infusion of casein into the abomasum at the rate of 0, 240 or 460 g/d. The experiment started 1 week post partum. Experimental periods lasted 21 d.

3. [6-3H]glucose, [9, 10-3H]palmitate and [U-14C]acetate were continuously infused into one jugular vein for measurements of whole-body flux rates.

4. The yield of milk protein was increased significantly (P < 0.05) by the first increment of casein infusion, with no further increases.

5. Casein infusion had no effect on blood concentrations of glucose, acetate, palmitate or growth hormone. Mean flux rate of glucose increased with each increment of casein. The effect at 460 g/d was higher (P < 0.1) than with no infusion. Flux rates of palmitate and acetate were increased (P< 0.1) by the first increment of casein. The proportion of blood bicarbonate derived from acetate increased (P < 0.05) with the first increment of casein.

6. Protein status of cows early in lactation influences the dynamics of glucose and fatty acid metabolism.

Absorption and Digestive Tract Metabolism of 2-Hydroxy-4-Methylthiobutanoic Acid in Lambs

Anabolic availability of the hydroxyl methionine analog, 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutanoic acid (HMTBA), given as oral doses to lambs, was quantified both directly as appearance in the portal vein and as synthesis to Met by digestive tract tissues. Eight lambs, prepared with vascular catheters in the mesenteric and portal veins plus the aorta, received twice daily for 7 d either 0.46 g or 2 g of HMTBA. On d 7, [1-13C]HMTBA was supplied as 1 oral dose while [methyl-2H3]Met was infused into the jugular vein. Peak absorption as HMTBA occurred 70 to 90 min after the oral dose. All digestive tract tissues converted HMTBA to Met, equivalent to 24% of the Met provided by the diet for the larger HMTBA dose. Overall, total availability of HMBTA averaged 17.9% of the dose (range 10.6 to 27.9%), with 12.5% (range 7 to 22%) as absorbed HMBTA and the remainder as Met synthesized by digestive tract tissues. Release of 13CO2 into the portal vein accounted for another 23% of the dose. In all digestive tract tissues, the d-isomer was present in a smaller proportion than in the dose. In terms of whole-body kinetics, HMTBA loss from the plasma followed first-order kinetics, with a mean biological half-life of 76 min. Using this value, a simple model was devised to estimate HMTBA absorption based on peripheral plasma samples. When compared with direct measures of absorption, the model gave a slope of 0.81 (R2 = 0.68) and offers a practical means to test HMTBA availability to animals.

Absorption of 2-Hydroxy-4-Methylthiobutyrate and Conversion to Methionine in Lambs

Absorption and metabolism of the Met hydroxy analog 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyrate (HMTBA) was examined using stable isotopes. In the first trial, Dl[1-13C]HMTBA was infused for 6 h (7.4 micromol/min) into the abomasum, and [2H3]Met was infused into the mesenteric vein, of 4 lambs prepared with vascular catheters across the splanchnic bed. Daily, lambs were offered 35 g of a mixed forage-concentrate feed/kg. Recovery of HMTBA at the portal vein was 87%, and of this, 63% bypassed the liver. In contrast, hepatic extraction of Met equaled or exceeded net absorption. Only small quantities of Met synthesized from HMTBA were exported from either the digestive tract or liver, but there was substantial and significant input from posthepatic tissues. In a second experiment, 3 of the lambs were killed following 4-h infusions of DL[1-13C]HMTBA and [2H3]Met with enrichments monitored in 15 tissues. Only kidney showed [1-13C]Met enrichment higher than plasma, which suggests that it must be a primary source of plasma Met derived from HMTBA. Based on comparison of plasma and intracellular [1-13C]:[2H3]Met enrichments, all tissues synthesized Met from HMTBA but to significantly different extents. The lowest values were for muscle, skin, brain, and lung; intermediate conversions occurred in rumen, omasum, abomasum, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and cecum; and the greatest synthesis, equivalent to 22 to 24% of Met entry into cells, was observed for liver and kidney. Therefore, although liver and kidney both converted HMTBA to Met, it was retained by the former and exported by the latter. Under these experimental conditions, synthesis of Met from HMTBA completely eliminated use of dietary Met.

Hepatic Metabolism of 2-Hydroxy-4-Methylthiobutyrate in Growing Lambs

This study was undertaken to determine how, and where, 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyrate (HMTBA) can augment Met metabolism in lambs. Four lambs (initial body weight of 50 kg, SE = 2, and 6 mo of age) prepared with catheters in the mesenteric, portal, hepatic, and jugular veins plus the aorta, were fed at 1.5x maintenance on a grass hay, barley, fish meal, molasses/pre-mix (5:3:1:1, as fed) diet, supplied as hourly meals. Lambs were infused for 10 h with [methyl-2H3]Met (0.11 mmol/h) in a jugular vein and p-aminohippurate into the mesenteric vein. From 1 h onwards, successive 3-h infusions of saline (control), 0.55 mg/min (3.67 micromol/min), and 4.44 mg/min (29.6 micromol/min) of HMTBA were also infused into the mesenteric vein. Plasma, sampled continuously, was collected every 20 min during the last 60 min of each infusion. All infused HMTBA was recovered at the portal vein with 25% extracted subsequently by the liver. Portal appearance of total Cys and Met was unaltered by HMTBA infusion, but net splanchnic appearance of Cys increased (0.04, 0.08, 0.23 mmol/h, SEM = 0.05), whereas Met decreased (0.14, -0.01, -0.21 mmol/h, SED = 0.05). Despite this, arterial Met increased (27.0, 30.7, 51.5 microM, SEM = 2.1) as did Met irreversible loss rate (27.6, 28.7, 40.1 micromol/h, SEM = 0.51), equivalent to 40% of the HMTBA reentering the plasma after conversion to Met. These data indicate that, in ruminants, HMTBA is probably converted to Met within peripheral tissues; that is, where the metabolic need for Met exists.

Probiotics shown to change bacterial community structure in the avian gastrointestinal tract

Culturing and molecular techniques were used to monitor changes in the bacterial flora of the avian gastrointestinal (GI) tract following introduction of genetically modified (GM) and unmodified probiotics. Community hybridization of amplified 16S ribosomal DNA demonstrated that the bacterial flora of the GI tract changed significantly in response to the probiotic treatments. The changes were not detected by culturing. Although both GM and non-GM strains of Enterococcus faecium NCIMB 11508 changed the bacterial flora of the chicken GI tract, they did so differently. Probing the community DNA with an Enterococcus faecalis-specific probe showed that the relative amount of E. faecalis in the total eubacterial population increased in the presence of the non-GM strain and decreased in the presence of the GM probiotic compared with the results obtained with an untreated control group.

Gene transfer in the gastrointestinal tract

The maximum in vivo transfer rate of plasmid pAMbeta1 in the gut was 0.03 transconjugant per recipient cell, and this rate could be simulated in vitro only by forced filter mating. Transfer was not detected in liquid culture matings. Our findings demonstrate that in vitro methods, such as forced filter mating and liquid mating, underestimate the in vivo rates of gene transfer.

Term domain distribution analysis: a data mining tool for text databases

In this paper, we give a case history illustrating the real-world application of a useful technique for data mining of text databases. The technique, which we call Term Domain Distribution Analysis (TDDA), consists of keeping track of term frequencies for specific finite domains and announcing significant differences from standard frequency distributions over these domains as a hypothesis. TDDA is part of a larger framework, the Digital Filter Model, for data mining of text documents. In the case study presented, the domain of terms was the pair {right, left}, over which we expected a uniform distribution. In analyzing term frequencies in a thoracic lung cancer database, the TDDA technique led to the surprising discovery that primary thoracic lung cancer tumors appear in the right lung more often than the left lung, with a ratio of 3:2. Treating the text discovery as a hypothesis, we verified this relationship against the medical literature in which primary lung tumor sites were reported, using a standard chi 2 statistic. We subsequently developed a working theoretical model of lung cancer that may explain the discovery. This discovery and our model may change how oncologists view the mechanisms of primary lung tumor location.

The metabolic fate of the amido-N group of glutamine in the tissues of the gastrointestinal tract in 24 h-fasted sheep

Whole-body and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) metabolism of [5-(15)N]glutamine were monitored in lambs (33 kg live weight) fasted for 24 h. Animals were previously prepared with vascular catheters across the mesenteric-(MDV) and portal-drained viscera (PDV) to permit quantification of mass and isotopic transfers of metabolites by arterio-venous difference. Continuous infusions of [5-(15)N]glutamine into the jugular vein were conducted for 10 h and integrated blood samples withdrawn over 75 min intervals for the last 5 h of infusion. The lambs were then killed and portions from various tissues of the digestive tract and other body organs removed for determination of 15N enrichment in RNA, DNA and protein (the latter obtained by difference using total acid-precipitable N). Whole-body glutamine flux was 108 mumol/min of which 23 and 47% could be attributed to MDV and PDV metabolism (P < 0.001) respectively. There was a small net production of glutamine across the MDV. GIT blood-flows and NH3 production were partitioned 3:2 between MDV and non-MDV components. Less than 5% of the NH3 produced was derived from the amido-N of glutamine, while across the small intestine (MDV) 26% of the glutamine flux was converted to NH3, compared with 18% for non-MDV transfers. The 15N enrichments in protein were of the order jejunum > duodenum > ileum with mucosal cells more labelled than serosal (P < 0.001). Lesser enrichments were observed for other GIT tissues (abomasum > caecum > rumen) while liver and lymph were comparable with the abomasum; kidney, spleen and muscle were lower still (P < 0.05). Enrichments of RNA were similar to that of protein and followed the same pattern, except for higher relative values for liver, spleen and lymphoid tissue. The lowest enrichments were observed for DNA, but again the pattern order was similar except for increased label in lymph, caecum and the spleen. For the MDV there was reasonable agreement between 15N-disappearance as glutamine and appearance in NH3 (24%), protein (81%), RNA (3.6%) and DNA (2.1%). For the total PDV there was a shortfall (-12%), however, which may be due to losses in lumen components. These results show the importance of the GIT as a contributor to total glutamine plasma flux, but indicate a lesser reliance on glutamine metabolism by the digestive tract of the ruminant compared with observations from non-ruminants.

Glucose and [13C]leucine metabolism by the portal-drained viscera of sheep fed on dried grass with acute intravenous and intraduodenal infusions of glucose

The effect of exogenous glucose supply by either intrajugular (IJG) or intraduodenal (IDG) infusion at 2.0 mg glucose/kg body weight per min was investigated in four wether sheep (average weight 44 (SD 4) kg) chronically catheterized in the carotid artery and portal veins. Sheep were fed on a dried grass pellet diet hourly using continuous belt feeders. Whole-body glucose irreversible loss (IL) rate, measured with [6-3H]glucose, was increased by 0.5 and 0.8 of exogenous supply for IJG and IDG infusions respectively. Portal glucose utilization, measured by isotope dilution across the portal-drained viscera, was unaffected by additional glucose regardless of the route of glucose supply (P = 0.76 for control v. glucose infusions) and was a constant proportion of glucose IL (0.28) for all treatments. Portal plasma flow was higher during IDG infusions compared with IJG infusions (1.65 v. 1.44 litres/min, P = 0.055). Circulating total free amino acid concentrations fell during glucose infusions (2146, 1808 and 1683 mumol/l for control, IJG and IDG treatments respectively, P = 0.067 for treatment effect) but net portal absorption was not affected by increased glucose supply. Recovery in the portal vein of [1-13C]leucine infused into the duodenum averaged 0.65 and was not affected by increasing glucose supply to the gut tissues. The results show that glucose utilization by gut tissues is responsive to changes in both vascular and luminal glucose supply. The effects of changing gut tissue use of glucose and increased whole body glucose IL on metabolism of nutrients is discussed.

Effect of intraruminal propionic acid infusion on metabolism of mesenteric- and portal-drained viscera in growing steers fed a forage diet: II. Ammonia, urea, amino acids, and peptides

This experiment investigated the effect of intraruminal infusion of propionic acid on the net flux of nitrogenous compounds across the mesenteric- (MDV) and portal-(PDV) drained viscera of seven Friesian steers, average BW 127 kg (SEM 4.6), fed a grass-pellet diet. Each received by random allocation 0 (control), .5, or 1.0 mol of propionic acid/d for 7 d. Blood flow in mesenteric and portal veins was determined by downstream dilution of p-aminohippuric acid in order to determine net appearance rates across the gastrointestinal tissues. Net urea and ammonia flux was unaffected by propionic acid supply. Circulating plasma free amino acid concentrations were increased (P < .05) by propionic acid infusion (2,235, 2,428, and 2,427, error mean square [EMS] 44,370 microM, for control, .5, and 1.0 mol of propionic acid/d, respectively). Net amino acid flux rates were increased at the highest rate of propionic acid infusion across MDV and PDV (4.66, 3.69, and 6.11, EMS 2.98 mol/d for MDV [P < .05] and 2.98, 2.45, and 3.73, EMS 1.69 mol/d for PDV [P < .10] for control, .5, and 1.0 mol of propionic acid/d respectively). Positive venous-arterio concentration differences for peptide-bound amino acids (PBAA) across the MDV and PDV indicated net appearance across the gastrointestinal tissues, but this was not affected by propionic acid infusion. The data show that amino acid flux across postruminal tissues can be influenced by ruminal propionic acid supply and that this does not affect PBAA appearance.

Effect of intravenous glucose infusion on metabolism of portal-drained viscera in sheep fed a cereal/straw-based diet

This experiment investigated the effect of intrajugular infusion of glucose on whole-body glucose metabolism and the absorption of nutrients by the portal-drained viscera of four Suffolk-cross sheep, average BW 46 +/- 7 kg, fed a cereal/straw-based pelleted diet. Each sheep received by random allocation 0 (control), 1.0, or 2.0 mg of glucose.kg BW-1.min-1 for 8 h infused into the jugular vein. Glucose irreversible loss rate, measured by simultaneous infusion of 6-[3H]-glucose, increased approximately stoichiometrically during glucose infusion (.51, .75, and 1.09 error mean square [EMS] .032 mmol/min for control, 1.0, and 2.0 mg of glucose infused.kg BW-1.min-1, respectively). Utilization of glucose increased in portal tissues (P = .089) as a result of glucose infusion (.17, .18, and .33 EMS .008 mmol/min) and was a constant proportion of glucose irreversible loss (.28). Portal blood flow was not affected by glucose infusion (overall mean 1.13 L/min EMS .034). Net portal absorption of acetate increased during glucose infusion although ruminal VFA concentrations were not affected. In contrast, net free amino acid absorption by portal-drained tissues was reduced during glucose infusion (291, 115, and 4 EMS 33,816 mumol/min, P = .054). These results show that metabolism of nutrients across the gut wall is influenced by glucose availability to gastrointestinal tissues and affects the pattern of nutrients available to the liver and peripheral tissues.

Effect of intraruminal propionic acid infusion on metabolism of mesenteric- and portal-drained viscera in growing steers fed a forage diet: I. Volatile fatty acids, glucose, and lactate

This experiment investigated the effect of intraruminal infusion of propionic acid on ruminal VFA metabolism and the absorption of nutrients by the mesenteric- and portal-drained viscera of seven Friesian steers, average BW 127 kg, fed a dried grass-pellet diet. Each received by random allocation 0 (control), .5, or 1.0 mol of propionic acid/d for 7 d. Ruminal acetate and propionate irreversible loss rates and carbon exchange between VFA and CO2 were measured during continuous intraruminal infusions of 2-14C-acetic acid and 2-14C-propionic acid. Ruminal acetate irreversible loss rate was not affected by propionic acid infusion (overall mean 8.09, error mean square [EMS] 2.68 mol/d), whereas propionate irreversible loss increased incrementally with PA supply (3.22 vs 4.16, EMS .61 mol/d, for control and 1.0 mol of propionic acid/d, respectively, P = .09). Glucose irreversible loss rate was increased at the highest level of PA infusion (2.84, 2.83, and 3.22, EMS .06 mol/d, for control, .5, and 1.0 mol of propionic acid/d, respectively; P = .02 for control vs .5 + 1.0), although the proportion of glucose irreversible loss derived from propionate remained constant (.6). Net absorption into venous blood showed that propionate was extensively metabolized in the rumen wall and that the tissues of the small intestine utilized acetate. Utilization of glucose was reduced in portal tissues as a result of intraruminal infusion, and the data were used to derive a model of glucose and lactate interrelationships in gut tissues.

Glucose and L-lactate metabolism in pregnant and in lactating ewes fed barley- or ground maize-based diets

The contribution of glucose absorbed from the small intestine to whole-body glucose metabolism was examined in ewes during late pregnancy and early lactation, using diets based on ground barley or ground maize. Glucose and L-lactate turnover in the whole body and the mesenteric-drained viscera were investigated in these ewes using isotope dilution techniques. The net absorption of glucose by the mesenteric-drained viscera and whole-body glucose turnover were unaffected by diet or reproductive status. Arterial and mesenteric venous blood glucose concentrations, arterial and mesenteric venous L-lactate concentrations and whole-body lactate turnover were all significantly higher in lactation than in pregnancy. The whole-body rates of lactate conversion to glucose and to other products were significantly higher in lactation than in pregnancy. Using a two-pool model of whole-body glucose and lactate metabolism, a relatively high percentage of glucose was converted to lactate (64-84%), accounting for 60-80% of whole-body lactate turnover. A model of glucose and lactate metabolism by the mesenteric-drained viscera was constructed. Both the calculated endogenous glucose production and the visceral conversion of glucose to lactate were greater in lactation than in pregnancy when barley was fed. Calculated total glucose absorption was relatively constant, contributing between 26 and 59% of whole-body glucose turnover. Diet had little effect on glucose and lactate metabolism in either the mesenteric-drained viscera or the whole-body of breeding ewes.

The effect of forage and forage-concentrate diets on rumen fermentation and metabolism of nutrients by the mesenteric- and portal-drained viscera in growing steers

Growing Friesian steers chronically catheterized in the anterior mesenteric and portal veins were used to study the influence of feeding with either a forage or forage-concentrate diet on nutrient utilization by mucosal tissue. When animals were consuming the forage-concentrate diet the molar proportion of propionate in rumen fluid was significantly increased, although production rate as measured by isotope dilution was not altered. Net rates of absorption of VFA into portal blood when compared with rumen production rates underlined the extent to which metabolism within mucosal tissue modifies the propionate supply to the liver. Net glucose utilization by splanchnic tissue was shown to be significantly lower on the forage-concentrate diet. There were no effects of diet on whole-body glucose turnover or on the proportion of glucose derived from propionate. Animals fed on the forage-concentrate diet had significantly lower concentrations of circulating essential amino acids, due mainly to a reduction in branched-chain amino acid levels. There was net absorption of all amino acids by animals on both diets except for glutamate, glutamine and taurine in forage-fed animals.

Purine metabolite concentrations in portal and peripheral blood of steers, sheep and rats

1. The concentration of purine derivatives in portal and peripheral blood of steers, sheep and rats was measured by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. 2. Nucleotides, nucleosides (apart from inosine), adenine and guanine were not found in the plasma samples. Allantoin, uric acid, hypoxanthine and xanthine accounted for virtually all purine metabolites in plasma samples. 3. Non-oxidized derivatives (hypoxanthine and xanthine) were consistently detected in sheep but not in steer or rat plasma samples showing a differential availability of reutilizable purine derivatives between species.

Simultaneous determination of allantoin and oxypurines in biological fluids by high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method is described for the separation and quantification of allantoin and oxypurines in plasma and urine samples. Urine was analyzed directly and plasma after acid deproteinisation with perchloric acid. Separation and quantification of purine derivatives was achieved using two Spherisorb ODS-5 column (250 mm x 4.6 mm I.D.) connected in series together with a NH4H2PO4-NH4H2PO4-acetonitrile (80:20) gradient and monitoring the effluent at 205 nm. The average recoveries of standard compounds added to urine and plasma samples were 96 and 97%, respectively, using allopurinol as internal standard. The within-day variability was less than 7% and the day-to-day coefficient of variation less than 11% indicating a good precision of the method.

Isolation and characterization of circulating low molecular weight peptides in steer, sheep and rat portal and peripheral blood

1. Low mol. wt peptides in plasma were isolated by reverse-phase HPLC from steer and sheep carotid arterial and rat heart blood and portal blood from all three species. 2. Elution profiles for peptide fractions were similar but the concentration of peptide-bound amino acids (PBAA) in fractions corresponding to different mol. wt peptides was not constant across species. 3. PBAA contributed between 65 and 78% to the plasma amino acid pool in steer and sheep but only 52% in the rat (P less than 0.05). 4. The percentage of many individual amino acids present in either free amino acid (FAA) or PBAA pools was different for ruminant compared with rat plasma but it was similar for steer and sheep apart from branch-chain amino acids (P less than 0.05).

The influence of inclusion of either an antibiotic or a probiotic in the diet on the development of digestive enzyme activity in the pig

The aim of the present experiment was to determine the influence of either probiotic or antibiotic inclusion in the diets of pigs from birth on the development of enzyme activity in the small intestine. Pigs were fed on creep feed and grower diets containing either a probiotic, an antibiotic or no added growth promoter. At 7, 17, 42 and 80 d of age pigs from each treatment group were sampled to investigate the development of carbohydrase and peptidase activity in the mucosa at five sites along the small intestine. Inclusion of either the probiotic or antibiotic had a significant effect on the development of sucrase (sucrose alpha-D-glucohydrolase; EC 3.2.1.48), lactase (beta-D-galactoside galactohydrolase; EC 3.2.1.23) and tripeptidase (EC 3.4.11.4) activities before weaning but had no effect on depeptidase (EC 3.14.13.11) activity. The study of the distribution of enzyme activity along the small intestine showed significant differences between the proximal and distal sections associated with weaning.

Manipulation of the functional activity of the gut by dietary and other means (antibiotics/probiotics) in ruminants

The mucosa of the gut is some of the most metabolically active tissue in the body. This paper discusses the methodology used to assess enterocyte cell metabolism and nutrient uptake in the reticulorumen and small intestine of ruminant species. Metabolism of volatile fatty acids and glucose by this tissue may limit the availability of essential nutrients to peripheral tissues, and the extent to which this may vary between concentrate-based and forage-based diets is discussed. Factors that affect the development and expression of metabolite uptake by the enterocyte are considered in addition to the influence that manipulation of the microbial flora of the gut by the use of antibiotic growth promoters or probiotics may have upon this process. Data are presented to show that the use of antibiotic compounds in ruminant feeds can influence the rate of cell turnover in the small intestine and the rate of glucose uptake by isolated brush border vesicles.

Effect of protein intake on gastrin secretion in ruminants

Plasma gastrin concentrations were measured in portal and peripheral circulations in sheep and in cows in response to feeding diets of varying protein content. Mean plasma gastrin concentrations did not increase in response to feeding at either sampling site in contrast with the known response in non-ruminants. Plasma gastrin levels were similar when feeding diets of varying protein content to both sheep and cows and also when comparing portal and peripheral concentrations in sheep. Basal jugular venous gastrin concentrations in the cow at 40.5 +/- 4.13 pg gastrin 17/ml were lower than values measured in sheep portal blood at 67.6 +/- 12.70. The latter, however, was comparable with known values for humans.

Retroviral activation of a novel gene encoding a zinc finger protein in IL-3-dependent myeloid leukemia cell lines

Normal hematopoietic stem cells proliferate and differentiate in the presence of growth factors such as interleukin-3 (IL-3). Transformation can alter their growth factor requirements, the ability of the cells to differentiate, or both. To identify genes that are capable of transforming hematopoietic cells, IL-3-dependent cell lines, isolated from retrovirus induced myeloid leukemias, were examined for viral insertions in proto-oncogenes and in common sites of viral integration. Five of 37 cell lines contained proviruses in a common viral integration site termed the ecotropic virus integration 1 site (Evi-1). The integrations were correlated with the activation of transcription from the locus. Sequencing of cDNA clones and genomic clones demonstrated that the integrations had occurred near or in 5' noncoding exons of a novel gene. The sequence of the cDNA clones predicts that the gene product is a 120 kd protein that contains two domains with seven and three repeats of a DNA binding consensus sequence (zinc finger) initially described in the Xenopus transcription factor III A (TFIIIA). This represents the first demonstration of the retroviral activation of a gene encoding a zinc finger protein and the first implication for a member of this gene family in the transformation of hematopoietic cells.

Amino acid neurotransmitter levels in gliomas and their relationship to the incidence of epilepsy

The cause of epilepsy due to gliomas is not known. Explanations that is due to mass effect, infiltration and site of the tumour appear insufficient. We have investigated the possibility that epilepsy due to gliomas is caused by interference with normal GABA and glutamate uptake and metabolism in the surrounding cortex. Analysis of human glioma biopsy specimens for the amino acid neurotransmitters and glutamine has shown that gliomas associated with epilepsy have a higher concentration of glutamine. This may be of importance since an elevated concentration of glutamine has been shown to be associated with the onset and severity of cobalt-induced epilepsy.

Expression of the delta-crystallin genes in the embryonic chicken lens

The amounts of lens mRNA derived from the delta 1- and delta 2-crystallin genes of the chicken were determined by primer extension experiments using gene-specific synthetic oligonucleotides. The primer extended products were sequenced to establish the identity of the resulting cDNAs. The results indicated that most of the delta-crystallin mRNA in the 14-day-old embryonic lens contained transcripts derived from the delta 1 gene. Importantly, however, about 1-2% of the extended products were derived from delta 2 mRNA. Although not quantitative, the primer extension experiments suggested that the delta 1/delta 2 mRNA ratio may differ in the lens fiber cells during development between 6 days of embryogenesis and 3 weeks after hatching. These data provide the first demonstration for the presence of delta 2-crystallin mRNA in the chicken lens and raise the possibility that the two linked, extremely similar delta-crystallin genes are differentially regulated during development.

Mammary blood flow and cardiac output during initiated involution of the mammary gland in the rabbit

1. Cardiac output and its distribution to the mammary gland, kidneys, heart, liver and gastrointestinal tract were measured in conscious rabbits at day 1, day 3 and day 6 after removal of the young at day 0. 2. There was no change in cardiac output, proportion of cardiac output delivered to the mammary gland or mammary blood flow 24 hr after the last suckling period. After a further 48 hr there was a significant reduction in the cardiac output, proportion of the cardiac output and blood flow to the mammary gland compared to the values measured in lactating animals. 3. There was no significant difference in blood flow to the other organs although there were changes in the proportion of the cardiac output delivered to the heart, kidney and liver during this period. 4. The change in uptake of glucose, acetate, non-esterified fatty acids and triacylglycerols by the mammary gland are discussed in relation to the reabsorption of milk components.

The purification and characterization of subunits alpha, beta, and gamma from the rabbit reticulocyte eukaryotic initiation factor 2

Eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF-2) contains three nonidentical subunits, alpha, beta, and gamma. The simultaneous purification of all three subunits was achieved by reverse-phase HPLC using a 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid-acetonitrile binary solvent system. The order of the eluted subunits, beta, alpha, and gamma, was determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. After hydrolysis in 6 N HCl, picomole level amino acid composition analysis was achieved by the ninhydrin reaction on a Beckman 6300 system. Using second-derivative spectroscopic analysis, Trp was detected in all three subunits. All three subunits were subjected to amino-terminal sequence analysis. The amino-terminal of eIF-2 alpha from amino acid positions 1 to 23 inclusive was determined. The order of eight amino acids from the amino-terminal of eIF-2 gamma was also determined. This characterization and partial determination of the primary sequence of these subunits permit the utilization of molecular biology techniques in order to elucidate the complete primary structure. Additionally, the partial amino acid sequence data permitted the designation of synthetic gene probes as well as the identification of eIF-2 alpha and gamma cDNA and/or genomic clones.

Acetate metabolism by tissues of the rabbit

Acetyl CoA synthetase (E.C.6.2.1.1) and acetyl CoA hydrolase (E.C.3.1.2.1) activities were assayed in sub-cellular fractions of rabbit liver, heart and kidney homogenates. The intracellular location of acetyl CoA hydrolase was predominantly mitochondrial in all tissues, whereas that for acetyl CoA synthetase varied between the tissues studied. The relationship between location of enzyme activity and metabolism of acetate in different tissues is discussed.

Ammonia-nitrogen turnover in the rabbit caecum and exchange with plasma urea-N

Continuous infusion and single-shot administration of 15NH4Cl into the caecum of the conscious rabbit was used to measure caecal ammonia flux. Continuous infusion of 15NH4Cl and sampling from both the caecal ammonia and blood urea pools indicated that 0.27 of plasma urea-nitrogen was derived from caecal ammonia-N. Values from intravenous [15N]urea and intracaecal 15NH4Cl infusions were used to produce two models of the movement of N between these two metabolic pools. Further analysis of the results suggested an alternative model involving a third pool associated with the caecal mucosa and values for this model are also presented.

Nitrogen metabolism by the microbial flora of the rabbit caecum

The dense microbial flora of the rabbit caecum consisted chiefly of bacteria (10(11)/g) with small numbers of yeast cells (10(6)/g). Using strictly anaerobic technique, 23% of the direct microscopic cell count was cultivated and 55% of the cultivatable bacteria utilized ammonia as the sole source of nitrogen. Ureolytic bacteria were isolated from the caecal lumen and mucosa and were identified as Bacteroides vulgatus, Clostridium clostridiiforme, Bacillus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. Ammonia assimilation by the bacterial flora of the caecum was by incorporation into alpha-oxoglutarate catalysed by NADPH-linked glutamate dehydrogenase.

Urea turnover and transfer to the digestive tract in the rabbit

14C and 15N isotopes of urea were infused intravenously into rabbits for 6-8 h in order to measure urea synthesis and the extent of degradation in the digestive tract. The results indicate that 0.62 of the urea flux was excreted in the urine and that re-incorporation of urea-N following hydrolysis in the gut represented 0.3 of the urea synthesis rate. Sampling of metabolites from the caecum by dialysis provided an opportunity to assess the contribution of urea-N to the caecal ammonia pool. This contribution is calculated to be 0.25 of caecal ammonia turnover. Infusion of a urease (EC 3.5.1.5) inhibitor during a continuous infusion of [14C]urea into the caecum permitted the measurement of urea turnover within the caecum. Results obtained for urea entry into the caecum are contrasted with the measured urea degradation rate in the gut.

Amino acid sequences of helospectins, new members of the glucagon superfamily, found in Gila monster venom

The amino acid sequences of two closely related peptides from Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum) venom are reported. Helospectin I is a 38-residue peptide, His-Ser-Asp-Ala-Thr-Phe-Thr-Ala-Glu-Tyr-Ser-Lys-Leu-Leu-Ala-Lys-Leu-Ala- Leu-Gln - Lys-Tyr-Leu-Glu-Ser-Ile-Leu-Gly-Ser-Ser-Thr-Ser-Pro-Arg-Pro-Pro-Ser-Ser, and helospectin II is a 37-residue peptide identical to helospectin I except that it lacks serine 38. Helospectins are pancreatic secretagogues with structures and bioactivities similar to vasoactive intestinal peptide and other members of the glucagon superfamily. The relative significance of helospectin-I and helospectin-II is presently unknown. Comparison of the 28 residues of vasoactive intestinal peptide with residues 1-28 of helospectin shows that identical amino acids occur in 15 positions. Since members of the glucagon superfamily have similar structures but different biological actions, it is possible that helospectin is more closely related to a mammalian peptide awaiting discovery.

Species identification and biotyping of staphylococci by the API staph-ident system

The API Staph-Ident system, a commercially available biochemical and chromogenic substrate micromethod, was evaluated as a means for identifying the species and determining the biotypes of human strains of staphylococci routinely encountered in a clinical microbiology laboratory. The species identity of 152 of 188 (80.9%) unique clinical isolates of staphylococci was correctly predicted by this method after 5 h of incubation according to the recommendations of the manufacturer. When results were determined after 24 h of incubation, the overall accuracy of this procedure was 90.4%. The API Staph-Ident system was not an adequate procedure for assessing strain biotypes since the patterns of biochemical reactivity observed with 53 of 54 (98.2%) unique isolates of Staphylococcus aureus were identical. Similarly, 58 of 62 (93.6%) different strains of S. epidermidis yielded the same biochemical profile.

The effect of initiated involution on enzyme activity and substrate uptake by the mammary gland of the lactating rabbit

1. Arteriovenous difference studies across the lactating rabbit mammary gland for glucose, acetate, triacylglycerol and non-esterified fatty acids during initiated involution are reported. 2. A significant reduction in substrate utilisation is paralleled by a decrease in the activities of fatty acid synthetase, acetyl CoA synthetase, citrate synthase and glutamate dehydrogenase in biopsy samples taken from the gland. 3. Results from the analysis of lipid fractions within the gland during this period are discussed in relation to lipid resorption.

Prolactin receptors in the lactating rabbit mammary gland during initiated involution

The binding of prolactin to receptors in the mammary gland, liver and kidney was studied during initiated involution in the rabbit. The decline in prolactin receptor numbers at the mammary gland was significant after 10 days of involution although affinity for the hormone remained constant. There were no changes in either receptor number or affinity in the liver and kidney tissue. There was no significant differences in plasma prolactin levels in arterial and venous blood samples taken across the mammary gland.

Characterization of somatostatin receptors in the rat adrenal glomerulosa zone

Specific receptors for somatostatin have been identified and characterized in the rat adrenal glomerulosa zone in vivo and in vitro by binding studies with [125I]iodo-Tyr-somatostatin. In adult rats, the injection of [125I]iodo-Tyr-somatostatin was followed by rapid uptake of the labeled peptide in several tissues. The highest uptake was in the adrenal capsule, with a tissue to blood ratio of 4.5, followed by kidney, anterior pituitary, and liver with tissue to blood ratios of 2.0, 1.8, and 1.4, respectively. In vitro binding studies with adrenal capsular particles were performed at 16 C in the presence of bacitracin and thimerosal to reduce tracer degradation. Under these conditions, binding of [125I]iodo-Tyr-somatostatin to capsular membrane-rich fractions reached a steady state within 30-40 min and remained at a plateau for 120 min. Dissociation of bound somatostatin from its adrenal receptors was also rapid, with an initial half-time of 5 min. Equilibrium binding of somatostatin to adrenal capsular particles was saturable and of high affinity, with an association constant (Ka) of 1.5 x 10(10) M-1. The receptor-binding activities of several somatostatin analogs were consistent with their potencies as inhibitors of angiotensin II-stimulated aldosterone production in adrenal capsular cells and with their known biological activities upon GH release. These findings demonstrate that high affinity receptors with structural and biological specificities for somatostatin are present in the adrenal glomerulosa zone. Such receptors serve as the regulatory sites through which somatostatin inhibits the action of angiotensin II upon aldosterone production in the adrenal glomerulosa cell.

Neisseria sicca osteomyelitis

Neisseria sicca was identified as the cause of vertebral osteomyelitis in a male patient who had previously suffered a nonpenetrating, traumatic back injury. The identifying characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns are presented for this rare human pathogen, which heretofore has not been reported as a cause of infection localized to bone.

Pituitary somatostatin receptors. Characterization by binding with a nondegradable peptide analogue

Somatostatin receptors in the rat pituitary gland were characterized by binding analysis with a radioiodinated high affinity somatostatin analogue, 125I-Tyr1[D-Trp8]somatostatin. Receptor binding of this derivative reached equilibrium at 30 min and was maintained at a plateau for at least 60 min. Two L-Trp8- labeled somatostatin analogues. 125I-Tyr1- and [125I-Tyr11]somatostatin, displayed less stable and lower specific uptake and higher nonspecific binding. In contrast to the rapid degradation of the L-Trp8 ligands during binding assay, 125I-Tyr1]D-Trp8]somatostatin retained more than 80% of its binding activity after 90 min of incubation with pituitary particles. Pituitary particles bound 125I-Tyr1]D-Tyr8]somatostatin with high affinity (Ka = 8.6 +/- 1.2 X 10(9) M-1) and capacity of 54.4 +/- 2.6 fmol/mg. These binding sites showed specificity for the native peptide and its active analogues, and other peptide hormones, including angiotensin II, thyrotropin-releasing hormone, vasopressin, oxytocin, substance P, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone, did not inhibit tracer binding. A good correlation was observed between the binding affinities of several somatostatin analogues and their potencies as inhibitors of growth hormone release in rat pituitary cells. These findings emphasize the physiological importance of the pituitary somatostatin receptor in mediating the inhibitory action of the peptide on growth hormone release. The use of Tyr1[d-Trp8]somatostatin as a labeled ligand permits accurate determinations of the binding affinity and concentration of receptors for somatostatin in the normal pituitary gland and provides a basis for further studies of somatostatin receptor regulation and receptor-mediated cellular effects of the tetradecapeptide.

Further study of the conformation of nuclease-(1-126) in relation to intrinsic enzymatic activity

Nuclease-(1-126), although containing 89% of the amino acid sequence which folds to the ordered structure of nuclease A, is disordered and highly flexible (Taniuchi, H., and Anfinsen, C. B. (1969) J. Biol. Chem. 243, 4778-4786). On the other hand, Sachs et al. (Sachs, D. H., Schechter, A. N., Eastlake, A., and Anfinsen, C. B. (1974) Nature 251, 242-244) have demonstrated intrinsic enzymatic activity for nuclease-(1-126). To attempt to learn whether or not the active population of nuclease-(1-126) has the native conformation, we have examined nuclease-(1-126) with respect to enzymatic kinetics with and without the competitive inhibitor deoxythymidine 3',5'-diphosphate (pdTp), effect of temperature on enzymatic activity, binding of pdTp in the presence of Ca2+ and intrinsic viscosity, Stokes radius, CD, and response to trypsin action in the presence and absence of pdTp and Ca2+. The results indicate that the conformation of nuclease-(1-126) bound with pdTp in the presence of Ca2+ is partially constrained but still highly flexible below 30 degrees C, outside the range of thermal transition exhibited by the ordered elements of nuclease-(1-126). Thus, formation or stabilization of active site of nuclease-(1-126) by binding with ligands is not associated with cooperative folding of the entire polypeptide chain. Considering that nuclease-(1-126) does not bind to nuclease-(127-149) but does to nuclease-(111-149), the results are consistent with the idea that the specific cooperative interactions, providing extra stabilizing energy required for maintaining the polypeptide chain in the ordered state of nuclease A, may be disrupted for nuclease-(1-126) primarily due to cleavage of the peptide bond between residues 126 and 127. Then, it may be thought that binding with ligands does not compensate for this disruption.