Effects of dietary rumen-protected choline supplementation on colostrum yields, quality, and choline metabolites from dairy cattle

Colostrum is a critical nutrient source that provides passive immunity to dairy calves. Choline is a trimethylated molecule that is frequently supplemented in the diet to periparturient dairy cows to support postpartum health and performance. Whereas choline and its metabolites have been characterized in milk, the effects of dietary rumen-protected choline (RPC) supplementation on choline metabolites in colostrum from dairy cattle have yet to be explored. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to assess the effects of dietary supplementation and dose of RPC on colostrum yields, quality, and choline metabolites. Parous Holstein cows were blocked by calving month and randomly assigned within block to receive 45 g/d (20.4 g/d of choline ions) of RPC (CHOL45, n = 22), 30 g/d (13.6 g/d of choline ions) of RPC (CHOL30, n = 20), or no RPC (control, n = 19) starting 24 d before expected calving. The effects of dietary supplementation and dose of RPC were assessed on colostrum yields, component yields, somatic cell score (SCS), quality (as assessed by Brix), and choline metabolites. Data were analyzed using a linear mixed model with the fixed effects of treatment, parity, and the 2-way interaction and the random effect of block. Regardless of dose, dietary RPC supplementation increased colostrum yields and protein yields. No effects of dietary RPC supplementation were found on colostrum component percentages, SCS, or colostrum quality. For choline metabolites, treatment interacted with parity for phosphocholine where colostrum from second-parity CHOL45 and CHOL30 cows had greater concentrations of phosphocholine than colostrum from second-parity control cows, but no treatment effect was seen in the colostrum from 3+ parity cows. Dietary choline supplementation, regardless of dose, increased trimethylamine N-oxide concentrations. Dietary choline supplementation did not affect the concentrations of choline, betaine, glycerophosphocholine, sphingomyelin, phosphatidylcholine, or total choline in colostrum. In conclusion, dietary choline supplementation increased phosphocholine concentrations in colostrum from second-parity cows, enhanced trimethylamine N-oxide concentrations, and increased colostrum yields without affecting colostrum quality.

MTHFR deficiency or reduced intake of folate or choline in pregnant mice results in impaired short-term memory and increased apoptosis in the hippocampus of wild-type offspring

Genetic or nutritional disturbances in one-carbon metabolism, with associated hyperhomocysteinemia, can result in complex disorders including pregnancy complications and neuropsychiatric diseases. In earlier work, we showed that mice with a complete deficiency of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), a critical enzyme in folate and homocysteine metabolism, had cognitive impairment with disturbances in choline metabolism. Maternal demands for folate and choline are increased during pregnancy and deficiencies of these nutrients result in several negative outcomes including increased resorption and delayed development. The goal of this study was to investigate the behavioral and neurobiological impact of a maternal genetic deficiency in MTHFR or maternal nutritional deficiency of folate or choline during pregnancy on 3-week-old Mthfr(+/+) offspring. Mthfr(+/+) and Mthfr(+/-) females were placed on control diets (CD); and Mthfr(+/+) females were placed on folate-deficient diets (FD) or choline-deficient diets (ChDD) throughout pregnancy and lactation until their offspring were 3weeks of age. Short-term memory was assessed in offspring, and hippocampal tissue was evaluated for morphological changes, apoptosis, proliferation and choline metabolism. Maternal MTHFR deficiency resulted in short-term memory impairment in offspring. These dams had elevated levels of plasma homocysteine when compared with wild-type dams. There were no differences in plasma homocysteine in offspring. Increased apoptosis and proliferation was observed in the hippocampus of offspring from Mthfr(+/-) mothers. In the maternal FD and ChDD study, offspring also showed short-term memory impairment with increased apoptosis in the hippocampus; increased neurogenesis was observed in ChDD offspring. Choline acetyltransferase protein was increased in the offspring hippocampus of both dietary groups and betaine was decreased in the hippocampus of FD offspring. Our results reveal short-term memory deficits in the offspring of dams with MTHFR deficiency or dietary deficiencies of critical methyl donors. We suggest that deficiencies in maternal one-carbon metabolism during pregnancy can contribute to hippocampal dysfunction in offspring through apoptosis or altered choline metabolism.

Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) response in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis due to polymorphisms in the CRH gene

OBJECTIVES

To further evaluate the impact of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) promoter polymorphisms on the stress response in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients an insulin hypoglycaemia test (IHT) was performed studying the dynamics of CRH production.

METHODS

Polymorphisms of the human CRH promoter were determined in controls and cortisol naive patients with early RA. Serum glucose and plasma CRH were measured at baseline and up to 120 min following induction of hypoglycemia.

RESULTS

During IHT RA patients bearing the A2B2 allele exhibited an earlier CRH response compared to A1B1 positive patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Stress-induced response of CRH is differentially modulated by CRH promoter polymorphisms in RA patients.

Low-dose corticosteroids and disease modifying drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Low-dose glucocorticoids (GCs) exhibit a differential effect on continuation of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs), and the degree of adverse effects (AE) associated with DMARDs. Therefore, GCs address important problems in DMARD use in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), i.e. cumulative toxicity and frequent AE. Low-dose GCs often are recommended to achieve a better symptomatic control or as 'bridge therapy' before the onset of action of DMARDs. RA patients with GC co-medication had better radiographic outcomes but experienced more GC-related AE. Further long-term studies are needed to focus on timing of administration, duration and identification of risk factors for developing AE to establish the optimal use of GCs in the treatment of RA.

Betaine feeding prevents the blood alcohol cycle in rats fed alcohol continuously for 1 month using the rat intragastric tube feeding model

BACKGROUND

Blood alcohol levels (BAL) cycle up and down over a 7-8 day period when ethanol is fed continuously for one month in the intragastric tube feeding rat model (ITFRM) of alcoholic liver disease. The cycling phenomenon is due to an alternating increase and decrease in the metabolic rate. Recently, we found that S-adenosyl-methionine (SAMe) fed with alcohol prevented the BAL cycle.

METHOD

Using the ITFRM we fed rats betaine (2 g/kg/day) with ethanol for 1 month and recorded the daily 24 h urine ethanol level (UAL) to measure the BAL cycle. UAL is equivalent to BAL because of the constant ethanol infusion. Liver histology, steatosis and BAL were measured terminally after 1 month of treatment. Microarray analysis was done on the mRNA extracted from the liver to determine the effects of betaine and alcohol on changes in gene expression.

RESULTS

Betaine fed with ethanol completely prevented the BAL cycle similar to SAMe. Betaine also significantly reduced the BAL compared to ethanol fed rats without betaine. This was also observed when SAMe was fed with ethanol. The mechanism involved in both cases is that SAMe is required for the conversion of epinephrine from norepinephrine by phenylethanolamine methyltransferase (PNMT). Epinephrine is 5 to 10 fold more potent than norepinephrine in increasing the metabolic rate. The increase in the metabolic rate generates NAD, permitting ADH to increase the oxidation of alcohol. NAD is the rate limiting factor in oxidation of alcohol by alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). This explains how SAMe and betaine prevented the cycle. Microarray analysis showed that betaine feeding prevented the up regulation of a large number of genes including TLR2/4, Il-1b, Jax3, Sirt3, Fas, Ifngr1, Tgfgr2, Tnfrsf21, Lbp and Stat 3 which could explain how betaine prevented fatty liver.

CONCLUSION

Betaine feeding lowers the BAL and prevents the BAL cycle by increasing the metabolic rate. This increases the rate of ethanol elimination by generating NAD.

Association between beta2 adrenergic receptor polymorphisms and rheumatoid arthritis in conjunction with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1 shared epitope

OBJECTIVE

In the present work, the frequency of inherited polymorphisms of the beta2 adrenergic receptor (beta2AR) gene and their association with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) as well as human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1 alleles was examined.

METHODS

An allele-specific polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the common variants of the beta2AR at positions 16, 27 and 164 in patients with RA (n=310) and ethnically matched healthy controls (n=305) from Germany. HLA-DRB1 genotyping was performed by oligonucleotide hybridisation of enzymatically amplified DNA allowing low-resolution HLA-DRB1 genotyping comprising specificities DRB1*01 to DRB1*17.

RESULTS

Arginine (Arg) at codon 16 was present in 278 patients with RA (89.7%) compared to 202 controls (66.2%; odds ratio (OR) 4.43, 95% CI 2.81 to 7.02, p<0.001). Homozygosity for Arg16 was found in 107 patients with RA (34.5%) compared to 14 controls (4.6%; OR 10.9, CI 5.9 to 20.5, p<0.001). Stratifying patients for their HLA-DR status revealed that homozygosity for Arg16 exhibited the greatest risk for RA in combination with HLA-DRB1*04 (OR 17.1, 95% CI 1.71 to 414.4, p=0.004). Interestingly, patients with the Arg16 allele have a younger mean (SD) age at disease onset compared to patients without Arg16 (46.1 (2.0) vs 53.1 (2.7) respectively, p<0.05). Furthermore, 93.3% patients with homozygosity for Arg16 were positive for anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies vs 75% patients with homozygosity for Gly16 (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

There was a highly significant distortion between patients with RA and controls in the distribution of beta2AR polymorphisms at codon 16, contributing (together with the HLA-DR alleles) to the genetic background of RA.

A review on cancer--psychospiritual status interactions

With the advances in the knowledge of neuroimmunomodulation, a new era of investigations about the chemical basis of the state of mind has been initiated. Both emotions and states of spiritual consciousness may influence immune functions and cancer growth. Stress, anxiety and depressive states are associated with immunosuppression and enhanced frequency of tumors. On the other hand, the states of sexual pleasure and spiritual joy enhance the immune efficacy, by counteracting tumor onset and dissemination. The biochemistry of pleasure and immunostimulation is mainly mediated by pineal indoles and cannabinergic substances, whereas that of stress, anxiety and depression is associated with enhanced production of adrenal steroids, opioids and catecholamines. The sexual repression would allow a progressive immunosuppression through a profound damage in the biochemistry of pleasure. Therefore, a better definition of psychospiritual status-associated neuroimmunochemistry could allow us to improve the immune dysfunction by acting on the same neuroendocrine secretions which are involved in mediating the psychic influence on the immunity, including that against cancer.