Crude protein (CP) in diets is essential for maintaining animal health and production performance. However, the protein requirements of Wanxi white geese during the laying period are not well understood. In this study, 120 one-year-old Wanxi white geese were selected and divided into three groups based on similar body weights, namely 14% CP, 15% CP, and 16% CP, with each group consisting of 40 animals. The feed was administered for 120 days. Compared with the 14% CP group, the 15% CP group showed a significant increase in the number of courtships and matings, a reduction in nesting frequency, an enhancement in the egg fertility, and an improvement in the nutritional components, and specific gravity of eggs. Additionally, the 16% CP group promoted the secretion of serum E2, LH, P4, and GnRH while inhibiting the secretion of LEP, compared with the 14% CP group. Taken together, it can be seen that a diet containing 15% CP can enhance the reproductive performance, egg fertility, and egg quality of Wanxi white geese. This study is the first to analyze the effects of different dietary CP levels on the reproductive performance and egg specific gravity of Wanxi white geese during the laying period, providing a theoretical basis for formulating feeding standards for this breed.

Improving feed efficiency in Tianchang Sanhuang chickens is essential for reducing production costs and environmental burden. The objective of this study was to integrate transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to identify key regulatory genes, metabolites, and pathways associated with residual feed intake (RFI) and feed efficiency. In this study, 650 Tianchang Sanhuang laying hens with similar body weights at 36 weeks of age were evaluated for daily feed intake (DFI), RFI, and feed conversion ratio (FCR). The chickens were classified by RFI (mean ± 0.5 SD) into high-RFI (HRFI, n = 165) and low-RFI (LRFI, n = 158) groups. Phenotypes, serum biochemistry, antioxidant indices, and intestinal traits were compared in subsets (n = 8 per group). Duodenal transcriptomes (RNA-seq) and serum metabolomes (LC-MS/MS) were profiled in independent subsets (n = 4 per group). Compared with HRFI, LRFI hens showed lower RFI, FCR, and DFI (P < 0.01), with no differences in expected feed intake (EFI), metabolic body weight (MBW), daily egg mass (DEM), or average daily gain (ADG) (P > 0.05). The LRFI group showed increased breast muscle redness (a)* (P < 0.05), higher leg muscle drip loss (P < 0.01), and significantly lower levels of triglycerides (TG), cholesterol (CHO), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and malondialdehyde (MDA) (P < 0.05). The intestinal morphology and molecular analyses revealed enhanced nutrient absorption and intestinal barrier function in the LRFI group. Transcriptomic analysis identified 237 differentially expressed genes (P < 0.05, |log2FC| ≥ 1) enriched in pathways related to digestion, energy metabolism, and appetite regulation. Metabolomic analysis detected 101 differentially expressed metabolites (VIP ≥ 1, |log2FC| ≥ 1), indicating that RFI is closely associated with protein and lipid metabolism. Integrated analysis identified candidate biomarkers for low RFI individuals selection, including genes such as ACSM5, AHSG, CTRB1, PLA2G1B, AMY2A, CPA1, CCKAR and metabolites including taurine, uridine, L-phenylalanine, D-glucose 6-phosphate and 5‑hydroxy-L-tryptophan. Overall, LRFI hens maintain production while achieving lower intake, potentially via reduced inflammation/oxidative stress and enhanced digestion, barrier integrity, appetite, and energy metabolism, offering targets for marker-assisted improvement of feed efficiency in local breeds.

Bee pollen is rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds, exhibiting properties such as antioxidant effects, immune enhancement, and promotion of growth and development. However, there are limited studies on the use of bee pollen in goose breeding. This study aimed to investigate the effects of rape bee pollen (RBP) and camellia bee pollen (CBP) on production performance, intestinal morphology, digestive enzyme activity, antioxidant and immune indices, and gut microbiota in Wanxi white goose. In this study, 180 30-day-old Wanxi white goose with similar body weight were randomly divided into three groups with three replicates containing 20 goose each replicate. The control group was fed a basal diet, RBP group received the basal diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg RBP, and CBP group received the basal diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg CBP. The experiment lasted for 60 days, with sampling conducted at 60 and 90 days of age. The results revealed that RBP could significantly increase the full eviscerated rate of Wanxi white goose. Additionally, RBP and CBP significantly improved the structure of small intestine tissue, enhanced antioxidant capacity and digestive enzyme activity, and regulated the cecal microbial community structure of Wanxi white goose, with RBP demonstrating superior effects compared to CBP. Taken together, RBP and CBP significantly improved serum biochemical indices, intestinal function and the composition of intestinal flora in Wanxi white goose, with RBP demonstrating superior effects compared to CBP.

Rotavirus (RV) is a significant contributor to diarrhea in both young children and animals, especially in piglets, resulting in considerable economic impacts on the global pig industry. Isoleucine (Ile), a branched-chain amino acid, is crucial for regulating nutrient metabolism and has been found to help mitigate diarrhea. This study aimed to assess the impact of isoleucine supplementation in feed on colonic barrier function, colonic microbiota, and metabolism in RV-infected weanling piglets. A total of thirty-two weaned piglets, aged 21 days, were randomly assigned to two dietary groups (each further divided into two subgroups, with eight replicates in each subgroup), receiving diets with either 0% or 1% isoleucine for a duration of 14 days. One group from each treatment was then challenged with RV, and the experimental period lasted for 19 days. The results showed that dietary Ile significantly increased the secretion of IL-4, IL-10, and sIgA in the colon of RV-infected weanling piglets (p < 0.05). In addition, Ile supplementation notably increased the expression of tight junction proteins, including Claudin-3, Occludin, and ZO-1 (p < 0.01), as well as the mucin protein MUC-1 in the colon of RV-infected weanling piglets (p < 0.05). Gut microbiota analysis revealed that dietary Ile increased the relative abundance of Prevotella and decreased the relative abundance of Rikenellaceae in the colons of RV-infected weanling piglets. Compared with the RV+CON, metabolic pathways in the RV+ILE group were significantly enriched in vitamin digestion and absorption, steroid biosynthesis, purine metabolism, pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, cutin, suberine, and wax biosynthesis, as well as fatty acid biosynthesis, and unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis. In conclusion, dietary Ile supplementation can improve immunity, colonic barrier function, colonic microbiota, and colonic metabolism of RV-infected weaned piglets. These findings provide valuable insights into the role of isoleucine in the prevention and control of RV.

Tectonic features on the Moon can reflect the state of stress during the formation of the structure, and sinuous rilles can provide further insight into the tectonic-thermal evolution of the Moon. Manual visual interpretation is the primary method for extracting these linear structures due to their complex morphology. However, extracting these features from the vast amount of lunar remote sensing data requires significant time and effort from researchers, especially for small-scale tectonic features, such as wrinkle ridges, lobate scarps, and high-relief ridges. In order to enhance the efficiency of linear structure detection, this paper conducts research on the automatic detection method of linear structures using sinuous rilles as an example case. In this paper, a multimodal semantic segmentation method, “Sinuous Rille Network (SR-Net)”, for detecting sinuous rilles is proposed based on DeepLabv3+. This method combines advanced techniques such as ECA-ResNet and dynamic feature fusion. Compared to other networks, such as PSPNet, ResUNet, and DeepLabv3+, SR-Net demonstrates superior precision (95.20%) and recall (92.18%) on the multimodal sinuous rille test set. The trained SR-Net was applied in detecting lunar sinuous rilles within the range of 60°S to 60°N latitude. A new catalogue of sinuous rilles was generated based on the results of the detection process. The methodology proposed in this paper is not confined to the detection of sinuous rilles; with further improvements, it can be extended to the detection of other linear structures.

The experiment aimed to investigate the effects of plant polysaccharides combined with boric acid on digestive function, immune function and harmful gas and heavy metal contents in the faeces of fatteners. For this study, 90 healthy crossbred fatteners were selected and randomly divided into five groups: the control group was fed with a basal diet (Con); experimental group I was fed with basal diet + 40 mg/kg boric acid (BA); experimental group II was fed with basal diet + 40 mg/kg boric acid + 400 mg/kg Astragalus polysaccharides (BA+APS); experimental group III was fed with basal diet + 40 mg/kg boric acid + 200 mg/kg Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (BA+GLP); and experimental group IV was fed with basal diet + 40 mg/kg boric acid + 500 mg/kg Echinacea polysaccharides (BA+EPS). Compared with Con, the average daily gain (ADG), the trypsin activities in the duodenum and jejunum, the IL-2 levels in the spleen, the T-AOC activities and GSH-Px contents in the lymph node of fattening were increased in the BA group (p < 0.05), but malondialdehyde content in the lymph and spleen, and the contents of NH3, H2S, Hg, Cu, Fe and Zn in the feces and urine were decreased (p < 0.05). Compared with the BA, the ADG, gain-to-feed ratio (G/F), the trypsin and maltase activities in the duodenum and jejunum were increased in the BA+APS (p < 0.05), and the T-SOD activities in the spleen and T-AOC activities in the lymph node were also increased (p < 0.05), but the H2S level was decreased in the feces and urine (p < 0.05). Compared with the BA, the ADG, G/F and the trypsin and maltase activities in the duodenum were increased in the BA+GLP and BA+EPS (p < 0.05), the activities of maltase and lipase in the duodenum of fatteners in the BA+GLP and the activities of trypsin, maltase and lipase in the BA+EPS were increased (p < 0.05). Gathering everything together, our findings reveal that the combined addition of boric acid and plant polysaccharides in the diet of fatteners synergistically improved their growth performance and immune status. That may be achieved by regulating the activity of intestinal digestive enzymes, improving the antioxidant function and then promoting the digestion and absorption of nutrients. Furthermore, the above results reduce the emission of harmful gases and heavy metals in feces and urine.

为探究不同日龄皖西白鹅血液指标、免疫器官组织形态和抗氧化指标的变化,本实验随机选择 30 日龄健康皖西白鹅饲养,分别在 60、90 日龄和 105 日龄翅下静脉采血,60、90 日龄时处死并取胸腺、脾脏、法氏囊和肝脏用于指标测定.结果显示:在血常规指标中,白细胞数、红细胞数随日龄增加而升高,其中 90日龄皖西白鹅的红细胞分布宽度标准差指标较 60、105 日龄显著升高.与 60 日龄相比,90、105 日龄皖西白鹅的血液生化指标水平显著升高.无机磷、间接胆红素、谷丙转氨酶、碱性磷酸酶、天门冬氨酸基转移酶、血清乳酸脱氢酶、总蛋白、甘油三酯水平随日龄增加而降低,钙和球蛋白水平则随日龄增加而显著升高.与60 日龄皖西白鹅相比,90 日龄皖西白鹅法氏囊小结平均个数、法氏囊小结平均面积显著下降,脾脏重量显著增加,脾小结平均面积显著降低.抗氧化指标中,60 日龄皖西白鹅法氏囊GSH显著高于 90 日龄.在 60～105日龄阶段,通过血液生理生化指标变化情况说明 90 日龄皖西白鹅生长发育已趋于成熟;90 日龄时中枢免疫器官胸腺仍继续发育,而法氏囊结构上呈现退化趋势,外周免疫器官脾脏从 60 日龄至 90 日龄持续发育,60日龄时肝脏在结构上成熟.综上,90 日龄时皖西白鹅免疫器官发育基本成熟,血液生理生化水平趋于稳定.

目的:探究产蛋期和就巢期皖西白鹅的卵巢组织结构差异,以及就巢时内分泌调控机制.方法:分别选取产蛋期和就巢期皖西白鹅各16只为研究对象,通过分析不同时期鹅卵巢组织结构变化、血清生化指标和激素水平,对比分析各指标的差异.结果:产蛋期皖西白鹅卵巢体积大,卵泡发育更加活跃,生长卵泡较多,卵泡光滑且圆润,各级卵泡的颗粒层和膜层逐渐增厚.就巢期的卵巢缺乏优势卵泡,原始卵泡和闭锁卵泡较多,卵泡凹陷明显.就巢期皖西白鹅血清中总胆固醇和白蛋白含量显著低于产蛋期(P<0.05),甘油三酯含量极显著低于产蛋期(P<0.01);就巢期血清中促卵泡素、雌二醇和促黄体生成素含量显著低于产蛋期(P<0.05).结论:皖西白鹅就巢期间,卵巢内卵泡闭锁明显,机体对营养物质动员降低.皖西白鹅就巢行为受多种生殖激素影响.

本实验旨在探究不同生长阶段皖西白鹅的盲肠组织形态及微生物菌群多样性.选取 180 只 30 日龄皖西白鹅,饲喂玉米-豆粕型基础日粮,实验期 60 d,分别在 60 日龄和 90 日龄采集鹅盲肠肠段和盲肠内容物,进行HE染色分析盲肠组织形态,利用 16S rDNA测序技术研究盲肠内容物微生物多样性差异.结果显示:随着年龄增长,90日龄盲肠肌层厚度高于60日龄(P<0.05),绒毛高度/隐窝深度比值低于60日龄(P<0.01);90日龄Shanoon指数显著高于60日龄;门水平核心菌群在60日龄和90日龄中均为拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)和变形菌门(Proteobacteria);属水平核心菌群在 60 d和 90 d中最高的 3 个属依次为拟杆菌属(Bacteroides)、未知明瘤胃菌属(Unspecified_Ruminococcaceae)和颤螺旋菌属(Oscillospira);60 日龄盲肠富集 3 个门的微生物菌群,为厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)、放线菌门(Actinomycetales)和变形菌门(Proteobacteria),90日龄盲肠富集4个门的微生物菌群,为厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)、变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、梭杆菌门(Usobacteria)和疣微菌门(Verrucomicrobia);60 日龄和 90 日龄均显著富集缬氨酸、亮氨酸和异亮氨酸生物合成(Valine,Leucine And Isoleucine Biosynthesis)等 9 个代谢活动的信号通路.结果表明,随着日龄增长,皖西白鹅在养分利用能力和免疫屏障功能上逐渐增强,其盲肠优势菌群的物种丰度不断增加和多样性趋于稳定,在一定程度上刺激并促进盲肠组织结构在健康状态下的动态变化.

The Huai pig is a well-known indigenous pig breed in China. The main advantages of Huai pigs over Western commercial pig breeds include a high intramuscular fat (IMF) content and good meat quality. There are significant differences in the meat quality traits of the same muscle part or different muscle parts of the same variety. To investigate the potential genetic mechanism underlying the meat quality differences in different pig breeds or muscle groups, longissimus dorsi (LD), psoas major (PM), and biceps femoris (BF) muscle tissues were collected from two pig breeds (Huai and Duroc). There were significant differences in meat quality traits and amino acid content. We assessed the muscle transcriptomic profiles using high-throughput RNA sequencing. The IMF content in the LD, PM, and BF muscles of Huai pigs was significantly higher than that in Duroc pigs (p < 0.05). Similarly, the content of flavor amino acids in the three muscle groups was significantly higher in Huai pigs than that in Duroc pigs (p < 0.05). We identified 175, 110, and 86 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the LD, PM, and BF muscles of the Huai and Duroc pigs, respectively. The DEGs of the different pig breeds and muscle regions were significantly enriched in the biological processes and signaling pathways related to muscle fiber type, IMF deposition, lipid metabolism, PPAR signaling, cAMP signaling, amino acid metabolism, and ECM-receptor interaction. Our findings might help improve pork yield by using the obtained DEGs for marker-assisted selection and providing a theoretical reference for evaluating and improving pork quality.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS:Amino acids (AAs) not only constitute milk protein but also stimulate milk synthesis through the activation of mTORC1 signaling, but which amino acids that have the greatest impact on milk fat and protein synthesis is still very limited. In this study, we aimed to identify the most critical AAs involved in the regulation of milk synthesis and clarify how these AAs regulate milk synthesis through the G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) signaling pathway.METHODS:In this study, a mouse mammary epithelial cell line (HC11) and porcine mammary epithelial cells (PMECs) were selected as study subjects. After treatment with different AAs, the amount of milk protein and milk fat synthesis were detected. Activation of mTORC1 and GPCRs signaling induced by AAs was also investigated.RESULTS:In this study, we demonstrate that essential amino acids (EAAs) are crucial to promote lactation by increasing the expression of genes and proteins related to milk synthesis, such as ACACA, FABP4, DGAT1, SREBP1, α-casein, β-casein, and WAP in HC11 cells and PMECs. In addition to activating mTORC1, EAAs uniquely regulate the expression of calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) among all amino-acid-responsive GPCRs, which indicates a potential link between CaSR and the mTORC1 pathway in mammary gland epithelial cells. Compared with other EAAs, leucine and arginine had the greatest capacity to trigger GPCRs (p-ERK) and mTORC1 (p-S6K1) signaling in HC11 cells. In addition, CaSR and its downstream G proteins Gi, Gq, and Gβγ are involved in the regulation of leucine- and arginine-induced milk synthesis and mTORC1 activation. Taken together, our data suggest that leucine and arginine can efficiently trigger milk synthesis through the CaSR/Gi/mTORC1 and CaSR/Gq/mTORC1 pathways.CONCLUSION:We found that the G-protein-coupled receptor CaSR is an important amino acid sensor in mammary epithelial cells. Leucine and arginine promote milk synthesis partially through the CaSR/Gi/mTORC1 and CaSR/Gq/mTORC1 signaling systems in mammary gland epithelial cells. Although this mechanism needs further verification, it is foreseeable that this mechanism may provide new insights into the regulation of milk synthesis.

Background Although subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is related to abnormalities in left ventricular diastolic function, the use of levothyroxine as a regular treatment remains debatable. This meta-analysis aimed to determine whether thyroid hormone replacement therapy affects cardiac diastolic function in patients with SCH as measured by echocardiography. Methods This meta-analysis included a search of the EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases from their inception to May 18, 2023, for studies analyzing cardiac morphology and functional changes in patients with SCH before and after thyroid hormone replacement. The outcome measures were cardiac morphology and diastolic and overall cardiac function, as assessed using ultrasound parameters (including ventricular wall thickness, chamber size, mitral wave flow, tissue Doppler, and speckle tracking). The quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. The standard mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using fixed- or random-effects models. Results Seventeen studies met the inclusion criteria. A total of 568 patients participated and completed the follow-up. All studies specifically stated that serum thyrotropin levels returned to normal by the end of the study period. Compared with baseline levels, no significant morphological changes were observed in the heart. In terms of diastolic function, we discovered that the ratios of E-velocity to A-velocity (E/A) had greatly improved after thyroid hormone replacement therapy, whereas the ratios of the mitral inflow E wave to the tissue Doppler e’ wave (E/e’) had not. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) increased significantly after treatment with levothyroxine. Conclusion In adult patients with SCH, thyroid hormone supplementation can partially but not completely improve parameters of diastolic function during the observation period. This meta-analysis was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 statement, an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews (11) and was registered with INPLASY (INPLASY202320083). Systematic review registration https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2023-2-0083 .

The proper supplementation of boron, an essential trace element, can enhance animal immune function. We utilized the method of TMT peptide labeling in conjunction with LC-MS/MS quantitative proteomics for the purpose of examining the effects of boric acid on a rat model and analyzing proteins from the duodenum. In total, 5594 proteins were obtained from the 0, 10, and 320 mg/L boron treatment groups. Two hundred eighty-four proteins that exhibit differential expression were detected. Among the comparison, groups of 0 vs. 10 mg/L, 0 vs. 320 mg/L, and 10 vs. 320 mg/L of boron, 110, 32, and 179 proteins, respectively, demonstrated differential expression. The results revealed that these differential expression proteins (DEPs) mainly clustered into two profiles. GO annotations suggested that most of the DEPs played a role in the immune system process, in which 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase-like, myxovirus resistance 1, myxovirus resistance 2, dynein cytoplasmic 1 intermediate chain 1, and coiled-coil domain containing 88B showed differential expression. The DEPs had demonstrated an augmentation in the signaling pathways, which primarily include phagosome, antigen processing, and presentation, as well as cell adhesion molecules (CAMs). Our study found that immune responses in the duodenum were enhanced by lower doses of boron and that this effect is likely mediated by changes in protein expression patterns in related signaling pathways. It offers an in-depth understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms that lead to immune modulation in rats subjected to dietary boron treatment.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of boron on porcine mammary epithelial cells (PMECs) survival, cell cycle, and milk fat synthesis. PMECs from boron-treated groups were exposed to 0–80 mmol/L boric acid concentrations. Cell counting kit-8 and flow cytometry assays were performed to assess cell survival and the cell cycle, respectively. Triacylglycerol (TAG) levels in PMECs and culture medium were determined by a triacylglycerol kit while PMECs lipid droplet aggregation was investigated via oil red staining. Milk fat synthesis–associated mRNA levels were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) while its protein expressions were determined by Western blot. Low (0.2, 0.3, 0.4 mmol/L) and high (> 10 mmol/L) boron concentrations significantly promoted and inhibited cell viabilities, respectively. Boron (0.3 mmol/L) markedly elevated the abundance of G2/M phase cells. Ten mmol/L boron significantly increased the abundances of G0/G1 and S phase cells, but markedly suppressed G2/M phase cell abundance. At 0.3 mmol/L, boron significantly enhanced ERK phosphorylation while at 0.4, 0.8, 1, and 10 mmol/L, it markedly decreased lipid droplet diameters. Boron (10 mmol/L) significantly suppressed ACACA and SREBP1 protein expressions. The FASN protein levels were markedly suppressed by 0.4, 0.8, 1, and 10 mmol/L boron. Both 1 and 10 mmol/L markedly decreased FASN and SREBP1 mRNA expressions. Ten mmol/L boron significantly decreased PPARα mRNA levels. Low concentrations of boron promoted cell viability, while high concentrations inhibited PMECS viabilities and reduced lipid droplet diameters, which shows the implications of boron in pregnancy and lactation.

With the establishment and improvement of the digital moon and the rapid development of high-tech computer and image vision, lunar scientific research based on a large number of remote sensing image data is further deepening. In order to meet the needs of dynamic simulation since the formation and evolution of the moon and the scene experience of human lunar survival and production, the construction of the metamoon has become a crucial task in lunar scientific research. In this paper, based on the digital moon, combined with the characteristics and development advantages of the metamoon, the technologies of digital twin and extended reality were used to have analyzed the needs and objectives of the three metamoon development stages of the digital twin, virtual native, and virtual and real fusion, and to have designed the creation principles, operation rules, organizational structure, and service mode of the metamoon. For the highly recognized evolution model of each stage of the moon and future survival and production activities, the system framework of the metamoon has been constructed, and a new perspective for lunar scientific research has been provided.

Intramuscular fat (IMF) is a key index to measure the tenderness and flavor of pork. Wannanhua pig, a famous indigenous pig breed in Anhui Province, is renowned for its high lipid deposition and high genetic divergence, making it an ideal model for investigating the lipid position trait mechanisms in pigs. However, the regulatory mechanisms of lipid deposition and development in pigs remain unclear. Furthermore, the temporal differences in gene regulation are based on muscle growth and IMF deposition. The purpose of this study was to study the expression changes of longissimus dorsi (LD) at different growth stages of WH pigs at the molecular level, to screen the candidate genes and signaling pathways related to IMF during development by transcriptome sequencing technology, and to explore the transcriptional regulation mechanism of IMF deposition-related genes at different development stages. In total, 616, 485, and 1487 genes were differentially expressed between LD60 and LD120, LD120 and LD240, and LD60 and LD240, respectively. Numerous differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with lipid metabolism and muscle development were identified, and most of them were involved in IMF deposition and were significantly up-regulated in LD120 and LD240 compared to LD60. STEM (Short Time-series Expression Miner) analysis indicated significant variations in the mRNA expression across distinct muscle development stages. The differential expression of 12 selected DEGs was confirmed by RT-qPCR. The results of this study contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanism of IMF deposition and provide a new way to accelerate the genetic improvement of pork quality.

As a crucial receptor of BHBA and niacin, GPR109A is largely expressed in the mammary gland. However, the role of GPR109A in milk synthesis and its underlying mechanism is still largely unknown. In this study, we first investigated the effect of GPR109A agonists (niacin/BHBA) on milk fat and milk protein synthesis in a mouse mammary epithelial cell line (HC11) and PMECs (porcine mammary epithelial cells). The results showed that both niacin and BHBA promote milk fat and milk protein synthesis with the activation of mTORC1 signaling. Importantly, knockdown GPR109A attenuated the niacin-induced increase of milk fat and protein synthesis and the niacin-induced activation of mTORC1 signaling. Furthermore, we found that GPR109A downstream G protein-Gαi and -Gβγ participated in the regulation of milk synthesis and the activation of mTORC1 signaling. Consistent with the finding in vitro, dietary supplementation with niacin increases milk fat and protein synthesis in mice with the activation of GPR109A-mTORC1 signaling. Collectively, GPR109A agonists promote the synthesis of milk fat and milk protein through the GPR109A/Gi/mTORC1 signaling pathway.

The purpose of this experiment was to study the effects of threonine and isoleucine on slaughter performance,organ indexes and intestinal morphological structure,digestive enzymes activities,antioxidant and immune indexes of Wanxi white geese. A total of 180 thirty-day-old Wanxi white geese with similar body weight were randomly divided into 3 groups with 3 replicates per group and 20 geese per replicate. The control group was fed a basal diet,the threonine group was fed the basal diet supplemented with 2.0 g/kg L-threonine,and the isoleucine group was fed the basal diet supplemented with 2.5 g/kg L-isoleucine. The experiment lasted for 60 days. The results showed as follows:1)there were no significant differences in slaughter performance and organ indexes at 90 days of age among all groups（P＞0.05）. 2)The villus height and crypt depth in duodenum and jejunum at 60 days of age of isoleucine group were significantly higher than those of the control group（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）,and the crypt depth in duodenum,jejunum and ileum at 60 days of age and villus height in duodenum and ileum at 90 days of age of threonine group were significantly higher than those of the control group（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. 3)The duodenal trypsin activity at 60 and 90 days of age of threonine group and isoleucine group was significantly higher than that of the control group（P＜0.01）,and the duodenal maltase activity at 60 and 90 days of age and activities of amylase and lactase in jejunum at 90 days of age of threonine group were significantly higher than those of the control group（P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. 4)The jejunal total antioxidant capacity at 60 days of age of isoleucine group was significantly higher than that of control group and threonine group（P＜0.05）. The jejunal malondialdehyde（MDA）content at 60 days of age of threonine group was significantly lower than that of control group and isoleucine group（P＜0.01）,and the ileal MDA content at 90 days of age of isoleucine group was significantly lower than that of the control group（P＜0.05）. 5)The contents of immunoglobulin A,interleukin-4 and interferon-γin jejunum at 90 days of age of isoleucine group were significantly lower than those of control group and threonine group（P＜0.05）,the contents of immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M in jejunum of threonine group were significantly higher than those of control group and isoleucine group（P＜0.01）,the jejunal tumor necrosis factor-αcontent of isoleucine group and threonine group was significantly lower than that of the control group（P＜0.01）. In conclusion,isoleucine and threonine have no significant effect on the slaughter performance and organ growth of Wanxi white geese in the growth period,but isoleucine and threonine improve the intestinal tissue structure and antioxidant function,as well as the intestinal immune function of Wanxi white geese during 30 to 60 days of age and 61 to 90 days of age,respectively.[Chinese Journal of Animal Nutrition,2023,35（4）:2336-2348]

本试验旨在研究苏氨酸和异亮氨酸对皖西白鹅生长性能、盲肠组织形态、细胞因子和微生物区系的影响.选取30日龄皖西白鹅180只,随机分为3组,每组3个重复,每个重复20只.对照组饲喂基础饲粮,苏氨酸组在基础饲粮中添加2.0 g/kg的苏氨酸,异亮氨酸组在基础饲粮中添加2.5 g/kg的异亮氨酸.试验期60 d.结果表明:1)苏氨酸组和异亮氨酸组61～90日龄料重比(F/G)极显著低于对照组(P<0.01).2)60日龄时,异亮氨酸组盲肠绒毛高度和隐窝深度显著或极显著高于对照组(P<0.05或P<0.01).90日龄时,苏氨酸组盲肠隐窝深度显著高于对照组(P>0.05),苏氨酸组和异亮氨酸组盲肠绒毛高度/隐窝深度显著低于对照组(P<0.05).3)90日龄时,苏氨酸组和异亮氨酸组盲肠肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)含量显著低于对照组(P<0.05),苏氨酸组盲肠干扰素-γ(IFN-γ)和白细胞介素-4(IL-4)含量显著高于对照组(P<0.05).4)90日龄时,异亮氨酸组盲肠软壁菌门(Tenericutes)相对丰度极显著高于对照组(P<0.01),苏氨酸组盲肠颤螺旋菌属(Oscillospira)、消化球菌属(Peptococcus)和S24_7科未分类菌属(unspecified_S24_7)相对丰度显著高于对照组(P<0.05).由此可见,饲粮中添加2.0 g/kg苏氨酸或2.5 g/kg异亮氨酸均可一定程度提高皖西白鹅生长性能,异亮氨酸对60日龄盲肠组织结构的影响较大,苏氨酸对90日龄盲肠组织结构的影响较大.饲粮中添加2.5 g/kg异亮氨酸增加了皖西白鹅盲肠软壁菌门相对丰度,饲粮中添加2.0 g/kg苏氨酸增加了皖西白鹅盲肠颤螺旋菌属、消化球菌属和S24_7科未分类菌属相对丰度.

Artemisia annua L., which is known for its antimalarial compound artemisinin, has commonly been used for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial functions. Enzymatically treating Artemisia annua L. can improve its bioavailability. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary enzymatically treated Artemisia annua L. (EA) supplementation in late gestation and lactation diets on sow performance, serum hormone, inflammatory cytokines, and immunoglobulin level of heat-stressed sows. A total of 135 multiparous sows (Large White × Landrace) on day 85 of gestation were selected and randomly distributed into 3 groups with 45 replicates per group. The control group was reared under standard conditions (temperature: 27.12 ± 0.18°C, THI (temperature-humidity index): 70.90 ± 0.80) and fed with basal diet. The heat stress (HS) and HS + EA groups were raised in heat-stressed conditions (temperature: 30.11 ± 0.16°C, THI: 72.70 ± 0.60) and fed with basal diets supplemented with 0 or 1.0 g/kg EA, respectively. This trial lasted for 50 consecutive days until day 21 of lactation. Compared with the control group, HS increased the concentrations of serum endotoxin and heat shock protein 70 (HSP-70), and inflammatory cytokines in serum, colostrum, and 14 day milk of sows. Meanwhile, the EA supplementation decreased levels of serum endotoxin, HSP-70, and inflammatory cytokines in both sows and offspring and increased serum triiodothyronine (T3) level and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of sows. In addition, EA significantly improved average daily gain (ADG) and altered intestinal morphology with an increased villus height in the duodenum and ileum of piglets. Collectively, EA supplementation at 1.0 g/kg in late gestation and lactation diets alleviated the adverse effects of HS, which were reflected by enhancing ADFI and decreasing endotoxin as well as inflammatory cytokine levels in the serum and colostrum of heat-stressed sows, while promoting ADG and gut development of their offspring.