Changes of Androstenone Concentrations in Saliva of Boars with Age

With the increasing age of boars, the possibility of androstenone (5α-androst-16-en-3-one (AND), 5α-androst-16-en-3α-ol (α-AND), and 5α-androst-16-en-3β-ol (β-AND)) occurrence increases as well. The aim of this study was to evaluate concentrations of androstenone compounds in the saliva of boars concerning the age of animals. In total, 72 boars were evaluated (24 boars per replication). The effect of age (three different ages—152, 163, and 172 days) was observed, and (Landrace × Large White) × Pietrain genotypes were used. Chemical analysis of saliva samples was conducted by multidimensional gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (MDGC/MS). Salivary α-AND increased with age (p < 0.05), and positive correlations were found between age and submaxillary salivary gland weight (p < 0.05), age, and salivary AND concentration (p < 0.05), body weight and submaxillary salivary gland weight (p < 0.05), submaxillary salivary gland weight and salivary β-AND concentration (p < 0.05), as well as submaxillary salivary gland weight and total salivary 5α-androstenone (AND total) concentration (p < 0.001). Nowadays, animal welfare is becoming a more and more discussed topic, and pig breeding is not an exception. Specifically, the castration ban is a current issue, so it is very important to know as much as possible about compounds responsible for boar taint. Androstenone’s appearance in boars’ saliva could be one of the most important precursors for future early detection of boar taint.

Human dental pulp stem cells attenuate streptozotocin-induced parotid gland injury in rats

Objective Diabetes mellitus causes deterioration in the body, including serious damage of the oral cavity related to salivary gland dysfunction, characterised by hyposalivation and xerostomia. Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) represent a promising therapy source, due to the easy, minimally invasive surgical access to these cells and their high proliferative capacity. It was previously reported that the trophic support mediated by these cells can rescue the functional and structural alterations of damaged salivary glands. However, potential differentiation and paracrine effects of hDPSCs in diabetic-induced parotid gland damage have not been investigated. Our study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of intravenous transplantation of hDPSCs on parotid gland injury in a rat model of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetes. Methods Thirty Sprague–Dawley male rats were randomly categorised into three groups: control, diabetic (STZ), and transplanted (STZ + hDPSCs). The hDPSCs or the vehicles were injected into the rats’ tail veins, 7 days after STZ injection. Fasting blood glucose levels were monitored weekly. A glucose tolerance test was performed, and the parotid gland weight, salivary flow rate, oxidative stress indices, parotid gland histology, and caspase-3, vascular endothelial growth factor, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, neuronal nitric oxide synthase, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and tetrahydrobiopterin biosynthetic enzyme expression levels in parotid tissues were assessed 28 days post-transplantation. Results Transplantation of hDPSCs decreased blood glucose, improved parotid gland weight and salivary flow rate, and reduced oxidative stress. The cells migrated to the STZ-injured parotid gland and differentiated into acinar, ductal, and myoepithelial cells. Moreover, hDPSCs downregulated the expression of caspase-3 and upregulated the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and proliferating cell nuclear antigen, likely exerting pro-angiogenic and anti-apoptotic effects and promoting endogenous regeneration. In addition, the transplanted cells enhanced the parotid nitric oxide-tetrahydrobiopterin pathway. Conclusions Our results showed that hDPSCs migrated to and survived within the STZ-injured parotid gland, where functional and morphological damage was prevented due to the restoration of normal glucose levels, differentiation into parotid cell populations, and stimulation of paracrine-mediated regeneration. Thus, hDPSCs may have potential in the treatment of diabetes-induced parotid gland injury.

PSI-13 Effects of maternal nutrient restriction and melatonin supplementation on fetal mammary gland vascularity

The objective was to determine fetal mammary gland vascularity following dietary melatonin supplementation in late pregnant nutrient restricted Brangus heifers carrying female fetuses from two different seasons (spring calving, n = 12; fall calving, n = 13). Heifers were assigned one of four nutritional treatments at day 160 of gestation; adequate fed (ADQ-CON; 100% NRC; n = 6), nutrient restricted (RES-CON; 60% NRC; n = 6), adequate fed with 20 mg of melatonin (ADQ-MEL; n = 6), and nutrient restricted with 20 mg of melatonin (RES-MEL; n = 7). Fetal mammary glands were collected at day 240 of gestation following Cesarean delivery. Mammary gland vascularity was determined via immunofluorescence staining and analyzed via ANOVA. In spring calving heifers, maternal body weight was decreased (P = 0.002) in RES (528±11 kg) vs ADQ (601±11 kg) fed. Fetal body weight, fetal mammary gland weight, and mammary gland vascularity were not different (P &gt; 0.15) among treatments. In fall calving heifers, a nutrition by treatment interaction (P = 0.048) was observed for maternal body weight, which was increased in ADQ-MEL versus all groups. Fetal body weight and fetal mammary gland weight were not different (P &gt; 0.45) among groups. In fall calving, fetal mammary gland capillary number and average size were not different (P &gt; 0.40) among groups. However, a nutrition by treatment interaction was observed for capillary area (P = 0.05), which was increased in RES-MEL versus ADQ-MEL. In addition, a nutrition by treatment interaction was observed for capillary perimeter (P = 0.001), which was increased in RES-MEL versus all groups. Overall, maternal nutrient restriction and melatonin supplementation did not impact fetal mammary gland vascularity in spring calving heifers; however, melatonin supplementation during nutrient restriction in fall calving heifers may increase fetal mammary gland vascularity. In conclusion, seasonal differences and natural melatonin production may influence melatonin-induced changes in fetal development.

Evaluation of Prenatal Transportation Stress on the Number of Pituitary Corticotrophs in Mature Brahman Cows

Prenatal transportation stress (PNS) results in calves that are more temperamental and have greater circulating concentrations of cortisol compared to control calves. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate whether PNS alters the number of pituitary corticotrophs in mature Brahman cows. We hypothesized that the increased circulating cortisol concentrations previously characterized in this bovine model is associated with developmental changes in the anterior pituitary leading to an increased number of corticotrophs. Pregnant Brahman cows (n = 48) were transported in trailers for 2-hour periods at 60±5, 80±5, 100±5, 120±5, and 140±5 days of gestation. Non-transported pregnant cows (n = 48) were designated as the Control group. Control and PNS offspring heifers were managed together under the same environmental conditions. At approximately 5 yr of age, randomly selected non-pregnant cows (Control, n = 8; PNS, n = 6) were humanely harvested and the whole pituitaries were collected. Pituitaries were weighed, fixed in paraformaldehyde, serially dehydrated with graded ethanol, embedded in paraffin blocks, and cut into 5-μm sections. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect cells expressing adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) as a marker for corticotrophs. Three comparable sections from the midsagittal plane from each animal were processed using an ovine ACTH-specific antibody (Dr. A.F. Parlow, NIDDK). Five fields of view were analyzed per section (15 fields per animal). Anterior pituitary gland weight did not differ (P &gt; 0.10) between groups (Control = 2.11 ± 0.12 g; PNS = 2.10 ± 0.15 g). The mean number of ACTH-positive cells between control (531±56 cells/section) and PNS cows (477±49 cells/section) also did not differ (P &gt; 0.10). In conclusion, the number of pituitary corticotrophs in mature Brahman cows was not affected by prenatal transportation stress and is likely not a mechanism mediating the increased circulating cortisol concentrations seen in this bovine model of fetal programming.

Can Surgeons Use Parathyroid Hormone Levels as Predictive Value in Parathyroid Adenomas?

Aim: Previous studies using different methods for PTH measurement have found a mild to moderate correlation between iPTH and gland weight. The aim of this study was to describe the relationship between parathyroid hormone and parathyroid adenoma volume, in patients with parathyroid adenomas as predictive value. Material and Methods: The multicenteric study was prepared by retrospectively collecting data from 244 patients with parathyroid adenoma who underwent parathyroidectomy and followed up between 2010 and 2020. Results: Two hundred forty and four (female/male = 203/41) patients with a mean age of 51.41 [min-max: 17 to 88] years. The mean iPTH concentrations preoperatively were 584.27 ng/L [min-max: 18.9 to 5011ng/L]. The mean diameter of adenoma of patients was 2,865 mm3 [min-max: 0.119 to 42.3 mm3]. After parathyroidectomy, PTH values were reevaluated and found as 47.2 ng/L [min-max: 0.2 to 903 ng/L]. In the patients with large parathyroid adenoma volume, preoperative PTH hormone values were statistically significantly higher (p=0.001). Conclusion: Our current study found a positive association between baseline iPTH levels and adenoma weight. These results suggest that serum iPTH level may be useful in predicting parathyroid adenoma volume.

Neck complaints before and after uncomplicated thyroidectomy: prevalence, postoperative outcome and relationships with thyroid weight and reflux like symptoms

Purpose The surgical thyroid disease includes upper aerodigestive complaints with not homogenous prevalence and specific features. The purpose was to analyze before and after total thyroidectomy (TT) the prevalence and severity of voice, swallowing, respiratory, and reflux airway symptoms in relation with thyroid weight. Methods A total of 98 consenting patients undergoing TT were enrolled. Preoperatively, 1 and 3 months after TT, patients underwent videolaryngoscopy, subjective evaluation of voice (VIS), swallowing (SIS and EAT-10), respiratory (mMRC), and reflux symptoms (RSI, Gerd-Q). The scores were analyzed based on thyroid weight (<25 gr, 26–50 gr, 51–75 gr, >75 gr) and post-operative score gain was calculated from the score before TT and the follow-up examination. Results In total, 40/98 selected cases of uncomplicated TT completed the postoperative evaluation. Endoscopic signs suggestive of reflux disease were observed in 1/40 (2.5%) and 0/19 cases before and after TT respectively. The prevalence of cases with abnormal reflux symptom index decreased significantly after surgery (8/40 vs 1/40) (p < 0.05), similarly occurred for the Gerd-Q (4/40 vs 1/40) (p < 0.05). Three months after TT the voice, swallowing and respiratory scores were significantly lower than the preoperative ones (p < 0.05). The SIS correlated positively with EAT-10 and RSI. After 3 months the postoperative score gain of voice, swallowing, respiratory, and reflux symptoms (Gerd-Q) was statistically higher (p < 0.05) in the cases with heaviest gland. Conclusions The surgical thyroid disease is associated to mild aerodigestive preoperative compressive symptoms, that include respiratory abnormalities and reflux like symptoms, regardless of the gland weight. In absence of endoscopic signs of airway reflux the presence of reflux symptoms suggests an overlapping with thyroid neck complaints. The patients undergoing uncomplicated TT had improvement in compressive symptoms and the greatest improvement is seen in larger goiters.

Neonatal Immune Activation May Provoke Long-term Depressive Attributes

Background: Studies have shown the relationship between neuroinflammation and depressive- like parameters. However, research still has not been carried out to evaluate neuroinflammation in the neonatal period and psychiatric disorders in adulthood. Objective: To verify the association between neonatal immune activation and depressive-like parameters in adulthood using an animal model. Methods: Two days old C57BL/6 animals were exposed to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) or phosphate- buffered saline (PBS). When the animals were 46 days old, they received PBS or Imipramine at 14 days. At 60 days, the consumption of sucrose; immobility time; adrenal gland and the hippocampus weight; levels of plasma corticosterone and hippocampal Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) were evaluated. Results: It was observed that the animals exposed to LPS in the neonatal period and evaluated in adulthood decreased the consumption of sucrose and had reducted hippocampus weight. Also, the exposed animals presented an increase of immobility time, adrenal gland weight and plasma levels of corticosteroids. The use of imipramine did not only modify the decreased hippocampal weight. On the other hand, there were no alterations in the BDNF levels in the hippocampus with or without the use of imipramine. Conclusion: These results suggest that neonatal immune activation may be associated with depressive- like parameters in adulthood. It is believed that endotoxemia may trigger physiological and behavioral alterations, increasing vulnerability for the development of depression in adulthood.

355 Growth performance, organ weights, thyroid hormone levels, and hindgut pH of nursery pigs fed diets containing cold-pressed canola cake without or with resistant starch

An experiment was conducted to determine effects of reducing cecal and colonic pH through dietary inclusion of high-amylose cornstarch (HA-starch) on growth performance, organ weights, and blood parameters of nursery pigs fed cold-pressed canola cake (CPCC). A total of 240 pigs (initial BW = 7.1 kg) were housed in 40 pens (6 pigs/pen) and fed 4 diets (10 pens/diet) in a randomized complete block design for 28 d. Four diets were a basal diet with CPCC at 0 or 40%, and with HA-starch at 0 or 40% in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Diets were fed in 2 phases of 14 d each. At the termination of the experiment, one pig per pen was euthanized for determining organ weights, blood parameters, and hindgut pH of pigs. Dietary CPCC reduced (P &lt; 0.05) overall average daily gain (ADG) by 15%; increased (P &lt; 0.05) liver and thyroid gland weights relative to BW by 27 and 64%, respectively; and reduced (P &lt; 0.05) serum tetraiodothyronine (T4) level from 30.3 to 17.8 ng/mL. Dietary HA-starch reduced (P &lt; 0.05) overall ADG, thyroid gland weight relative to BW, cecal and colonic pH; but increased (P &lt; 0.05) colon weight and tended to increase (P = 0.062) serum T4 level. Dietary CPCC and HA-starch interacted (P = 0.024) on the thyroid gland weight relative to BW such that dietary CPCC increased (P &lt; 0.05) thyroid gland weight of pigs fed HA-starch-free diet (120 vs. 197 mg/kg of BW), but not of pigs fed HA-starch-containing diet (104 vs. 130 mg/kg of BW). In conclusion, dietary CPCC reduced growth performance, increased metabolic activities of liver and interfered with thyroid gland functions of nursery pigs. However, the negative effects of dietary CPCC on thyroid gland functions of pigs were alleviated by dietary HA-starch.

Endothelial Cell-Specific Transcriptome Reveals Signature of Chronic Stress Related to Worse Outcome After Mild Transient Brain Ischemia in Mice

Vascular mechanisms underlying the adverse effects that depression and stress-related mental disorders have on stroke outcome are only partially understood. Identifying the transcriptomic signature of chronic stress in endothelium harvested from the ischemic brain is an important step towards elucidating the biological processes involved. Here, we subjected male 129S6/SvEv mice to a 28-day model of chronic stress. The ischemic lesion was quantified after 30 min filamentous middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) and 48 h reperfusion by T2-weighted MRI. RNA sequencing was used to profile transcriptomic changes in cerebrovascular endothelial cells (ECs) from the infarct. Mice subjected to the stress procedure displayed reduced weight gain, increased adrenal gland weight, and increased hypothalamic FKBP5 mRNA and protein expression. Chronic stress conferred increased lesion volume upon MCAo. Stress-exposed mice showed a higher number of differentially expressed genes between ECs isolated from the ipsilateral and contralateral hemisphere than control mice. The genes in question are enriched for roles in biological processes closely linked to endothelial proliferation and neoangiogenesis. MicroRNA-34a was associated with nine of the top 10 biological process Gene Ontology terms selectively enriched in ECs from stressed mice. Moreover, expression of mature miR-34a-5p and miR-34a-3p in ischemic brain tissue was positively related to infarct size and negatively related to sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) mRNA transcription. In conclusion, this study represents the first EC-specific transcriptomic analysis of chronic stress in brain ischemia. The stress signature uncovered relates to worse stroke outcome and is directly relevant to endothelial mechanisms in the pathogenesis of stroke.