Journal of animal science最新文献

{"title":"Technical Note: Optimizing and Validating an RP-HPLC Method to Determine Lactoferrin in Porcine Colostrum and Milk","authors":"Katharina Metzger, Ulrike Gimsa, Winfried Otten","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf068","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf068","url":null,"abstract":"This Technical Note provides a detailed description of a sample preparation procedure, along with the validation of a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method for quantitatively determining lactoferrin (LF) in porcine colostrum and milk. The analysis of native milk samples is a challenging process due to the complex composition of the sample. Raw milk is an emulsion and colloid of fat globules in a water-based liquid containing dissolved carbohydrates and protein aggregates with minerals. This paper aims to optimize a method for preparing porcine colostrum and milk samples, which involves a new combination of homogenization, centrifugation, dilution, and filtration techniques for the subsequent analysis of LF via RP-HPLC. A validation process was implemented to ensure the reliability and repeatability of this analytical approach. The results showed that the quantification of LF content in porcine colostrum (1684.58 ± 466.68 µg/mL; n = 10) and milk (849.75 ± 85.82 µg/mL; n = 10) is feasible with successful validation. In addition, the improved sensitivity due to the novel combination of these preparation steps is shown by low limits of detection and quantification of 0.21 µg/mL each. The advantage of this optimized methodology is that the sample preparation can be carried out relatively simply and using standard laboratory equipment, thus enabling the accurate determination of LF in porcine colostrum and milk samples.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143570474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Late gestation maternal overnutrition alters gene expression and histomorphology in neonatal foal testes","authors":"Alex M Trauner, Sarah R McCoski, M Carey Satterfield, Amanda N Bradbery","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf060","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf060","url":null,"abstract":"Reproductive health of male offspring following perturbations in maternal nutrition is not well described in the horse; therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effects of maternal overnutrition on neonatal foal testicular development. Sixteen Quarter Horse mares were used in a completely randomized design and stratified by expected foaling date, body weight, and body condition score into one of two dietary treatments beginning on gestational day 235: control (CON; n = 8) fed to meet nutrient requirements and overfed (HIGH; n = 8) fed 40% above CON. At 5 h postpartum, foals were euthanized, and testes from male foals were harvested, weighed, and stored for analyses. Samples were numerically coded in a blinded fashion and processed randomly to eliminate bias. Histomorphometric evaluations were performed following a hematoxylin & eosin stain and evaluated using ImageJ. All data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure in SAS v9.4. Horse within treatment serves as a random effect, with a main effect of treatment. For RNA sequencing, differential gene expression analysis used DESeq2 1.20.0 R package to compare gene expression levels between CON and HIGH, and P-values were adjusted using the Benjamini-Hochberg correction. The threshold for significance was set at P ≤ 0.05 with trends toward significance at 0.05 < P ≤ 0.10, with sequencing data using adjusted P-values. Stringency was set to include differentially expressed genes with an unadjusted P-value < 0.05 for pathway enrichment analysis. Testes from HIGH foals (n = 4) were 61% heavier than testes from CON foals (n = 4; P < 0.01). There was no difference in individual seminiferous tubule area (P = 0.76) or Sertoli cell number within tubule (P = 0.57); however, testes from HIGH foals had 2.3 times fewer tubules per 10× magnification field than CON foals (P = 0.01). Further, tubules represented a lesser percentage of image area relative to interstitial tissue in testes from HIGH foals (P = 0.05). RNA sequencing revealed 56 differentially expressed genes between HIGH and CON testes (P-adjusted < 0.05). Differentially expressed genes represented biological processes related to steroidogenesis, cell regulation, and energy metabolism. Thus, late gestation maternal overnutrition alters fetal testicular development with potential long-term implications to reproductive function.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143546450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Use of Biotics in Animals: Impact on Nutrition, Health, and Food Production","authors":"Kelly S Swanson, Karin Allenspach, Gregory Amos, Thomas A Auchtung, Shalome A Bassett, Charlotte R Bjørnvad, Nadia Everaert, Susana M Martín-Orúe, Steven C Ricke, Elizabeth P Ryan, George C Fahey","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf061","url":null,"abstract":"Probiotics, prebiotics, and other biotic substances are not only effective ways to promote a healthy gastrointestinal tract, an effective immune system, and the overall health of humans, but also in agricultural and companion animals. Because key differences exist in regard to gastrointestinal tract anatomy and physiology, dietary management and feeding strategy, and disease susceptibility, however, biotic types and amounts often differ according to host species and life stage. Despite these differences, the literature demonstrates the value of biotics in agricultural and companion animal species. While high variability in responsiveness and efficacy has been reported, biotic substances may be effectively used to improve digestion, reduce morbidity, and increase growth rate and/or efficiency in agricultural animals and promote gastrointestinal health and immune response in companion animals. As the oversight of antibiotic use intensifies, population density of animals and humans increases, and production strategies of agricultural animals are more heavily scrutinized, the importance of biotics and other health promotors will continue to increase in the future. To date, the effects of animal biotic use has focused primarily on the farm, home, or veterinary clinic. In the future, their impact must be viewed on a larger scale. As global “One Health” approaches seek to reduce antimicrobial use and resistance and there are increasing demands for sustainable and safe food production, biotics will continue to be an important part of the solution. As knowledge of gastrointestinal microbiomes grows and the biotic field develops, more targeted and effective strategies for health promotion in these species is expected. At the 2023 International Scientific Association for Probiotics and Prebiotics meeting, experts were invited to participate in a discussion group focused on ‘The Use of Probiotics and Prebiotics in Agricultural and Companion Animals’. This review reports the outcomes of that discussion, including the documented use of probiotics, prebiotics, and other biotic substances to promote health or treat disease in agricultural and companion animals, provide implications of animal biotic use on human health, and provide perspective on how scientific advances may impact the development and improvement of biotics in the future.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"53 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143546456","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Fecal Metabolomic Signature of a Plant-Based (Vegan) Diet Compared to an Animal-Based Diet in Healthy Adult Client-Owned Dogs","authors":"Brooklynn D Liversidge, Sarah A S Dodd, Jennifer L Adolphe, Diego E Gomez, Shauna L Blois, Adronie Verbrugghe","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf054","url":null,"abstract":"Despite the rising popularity of plant-based (vegan) diets for dogs, the metabolic effects of plant-based diets in dogs have not been thoroughly investigated. Evaluating the impact of a vegan diet on the fecal metabolome in dogs could offer valuable insight into the effects on gastro-intestinal and overall health. This study evaluated the fecal metabolic signature of an experimental extruded vegan diet (PLANT) compared to a commercial extruded animal-based diet (MEAT) in healthy adult dogs. Sixty-one client-owned healthy adult dogs completed a randomized, double-blinded longitudinal study consisting of a 4-week acclimation period, where all dogs received the MEAT diet, followed by a 12-week experimental period where they either continued with the MEAT diet or switched to the PLANT diet. Fecal collections occurred at baseline (after 4-week acclimation) and exit (after the experimental period). Fecal metabolites were quantified using 1H NMR spectroscopy. Multiple mixed model gamma linear regression was used to evaluate the association of metabolite concentration against age, sex, and body weight (BW), along with an interaction between diet and time. Sixty-six metabolites were quantified. Only 2/66 metabolites differed between groups at baseline and within the MEAT diet group over time. In contrast, 46/66 metabolites differed in concentrations over time in response to feeding the PLANT diet. At the exit time-point, dogs fed the PLANT diet had increased metabolites related to carbohydrate fermentation, such as acetic (p<0.01) and propanoic (p<0.01) acid and increases in sugar metabolites when compared to the MEAT group. These findings indicate that the fecal metabolic signature of dogs fed a plant-based diet is distinct from dogs fed an animal-based diet, even if both diets have a similar nutrient profile and are processed similarly.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"131 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143546457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of Heat Stress and Fescue Toxicosis on the Pulmonary Arterial Pressure of Beef Heifers.","authors":"E B Rajo-Gomez, C L Pickworth, A R Weaver, D M Foster, D H Poole","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf059","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Peripheral vasoconstriction is a major consequence of fescue toxicosis (FT). However, it remains unclear if major blood vessels, such as the pulmonary artery, are impacted by this disease. This study aimed to evaluate changes in pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) and different physiological parameters in replacement beef heifers consuming an endophyte-infected (EI) ration. Purebred Angus heifers (216.3 ± 6.1 kg; 9-11 mo. of age; n = 36) were randomly separated and fed either an endophyte-infected (EI) or endophyte-free (EF) total mixed ration (TMR) for 49 days. On day 1, iButton temperature data loggers were inserted intravaginally to record temperature every 20 minutes throughout the entire study. The cattle comfort index (CCI) was used to assess comfort and define exposure to heat stress as thermoneutral, mild heat stress (MILD-HS), or moderate heat stress (MOD-HS). PAP was measured every 20 days to assess its response to ergot alkaloid and heat stress exposure. Weekly measurements were recorded to monitor growth and physiological responses of both treatment groups. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS with repeated measures. Both groups were exposed to MILD- and MOD-HS on several occasions. An interaction between PAP results and heat stress exposure was identified, as both groups reported increased PAP values as CCI values decreased. The EF heifers ended the study with greater weight (BW; P < 0.05), ADG (P < 0.01), body condition score (BCS; P < 0.01), and lower hair shedding score (HSS; P < 0.01) than EI heifers. In contrast, EI heifers maintained greater vaginal temperatures (VT) throughout the study (P < 0.01). Additionally, EI heifers reported lower caudal artery diameters (CAD; P < 0.01) than the EF heifers, but no differences were observed in caudal vein diameters (CVD; P > 0.05). Lastly, no differences were observed in the packed cell volume (PCV) and prolactin (PRL) concentrations (P > 0.05). While the EI group displayed classical symptoms of FT, including caudal artery vasoconstriction, the PAP results indicate that ergot alkaloid consumption does not induce vasoconstriction on the pulmonary artery, but rather reflect that PAP may be altered by the exposure to heat stress. Additional research should be conducted in regions where changes in PAP are of interest to fully understand the effects of heat stress exposure on the cardiopulmonary system of cattle. Moreover, future investigations in EI fescue-dominant environments should focus on developing strategies to mitigate the negative consequences of FT and heat stress, in order to enhance animal welfare, productivity and profitability in the beef industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143556951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predictive ability of a commercial mixed-breed genomic test for feedlot performance and carcass traits of beef × Holstein steers.","authors":"Bailey L Basiel, Tara L Felix, Chad D Dechow","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf053","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Genomic tests are marketed as a method to appraise cattle value prior to feedlot entry. We aimed to evaluate the use of a commercial, multi-breed genomic test to predict terminal production characteristics of beef × Holstein steers. Phenotypes of feedlot performance and carcass characteristics were evaluated in beef × Holstein steers (n = 259) sired by 8 beef breeds. Steers were genotyped with Igenity Beef (Neogen Corporation, Lansing, MI), which ranks cattle for individual traits and by selection indexes on a scale of 1 to 10. Trait rankings were converted to molecular breeding values (MBV) derived from genotype. Expected progeny differences (EPD) of each steer's sire were accessed from their respective breed associations. US Meat Animal Research Center across-breed adjustments for beef cattle were applied to growth and carcass sire EPD for all cattle except the 11 Wagyu-sired steers (n = 248 steers with sire EPD). Breed-adjusted sire EPD and MBV of traits were correlated with associated phenotypes of beef × Holstein steers and phenotypes were regressed on sire EPD and MBV. Sire EPD and MBV of yearling weight (YW) and hot carcass weight (HCW) were positively associated with initial and final feedlot body weight, respectively. The MBV of average daily gain (ADG) was not associated with phenotypic ADG, though greater derived sire EPD of ADG was associated with greater ADG and dry matter intake (DMI). The MBV of residual feed intake (RFI) was associated with DMI (P = 0.02) but not RFI or gain to feed ratio. Each kg of RFI predicted by MBV resulted in 0.31 kg greater ADG (P < 0.01), suggesting that MBV of RFI in beef × Holstein steers are not independent of rate of gain. For each kg of HCW predicted by MBV and sire EPD carcasses were 0.52 and 0.80 kg heavier (P < 0.01). Neither sire EPD nor MBV of ribeye area and backfat thickness were related to the corresponding phenotypes of beef × Holstein carcasses (P > 0.05). Both MBV and sire EPD of marbling score were strong predictors of marbling score and intramuscular fat content (P < 0.05). Tenderness MBV accurately predicted tenderness of the longissimus muscle of beef × Holstein progeny (P < 0.01). Igenity Beef Terminal Index ranking was associated with greater feedlot profitability (P = 0.03), but marbling MBV and sire EPD were more strongly associated with feedlot net profit (P < 0.01). Breed-adjusted sire EPD performed similarly to Igenity Beef MBV in predicting growth performance, carcass characteristics, and net profit of beef × Holstein steers.</p>","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143491548","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Residual Feed Intake and Reproductive-related Parameters in Yearling Brangus Bulls.","authors":"Mauro Venturini, Joao de Agostini Losano, Daniella Heredia, Maria Camila López Duarte, Jose Infante, Federico Podversich, Maura McGraw, Muhammad Sohail Siddique, Jillian Guertin, Brette Poliakiwski, Damon J Smith, Ky Pohler, Nicolas DiLorenzo, Bradford W Daigneault, Angela Gonella Diaza","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf055","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Residual feed intake (RFI) is a widely employed metric to estimate feed efficiency, which compares actual feed intake to expected feed intake. Enhancing feed efficiency while maintaining reproductive performance is critical to maximizing the profitability of beef production systems. Published data exhibit conflicting results concerning the impact of RFI on reproductive parameters. Our objective was to evaluate the relationship between RFI and reproductive parameters in young Brangus bulls. Sixty bulls were randomly selected at the beginning of a 56-day feed efficiency test. At the start, scrotal circumference (SC) was measured, blood samples were taken for testosterone concentration analysis, and semen samples were collected by electroejaculation. Fresh semen was visually evaluated for motility, morphology, and plasma membrane integrity. Sperm kinematics and concentration were objectively determined via computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA-IVOS II System). At the end of the test, bulls were classified as feed efficient (low RFI: LRFI) or feed inefficient (high RFI: HRFI) and grouped based on RFI divergence. Two models were constructed to analyze data: one using all bulls (Halves, n = 58) and one using the 25% extremes of the population (Tails, n = 30). Data were compared using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Using the halves model, only major defects (P < 0.04) and total defects (P = 0.014) were significantly affected by RFI group, with LRFI bulls showing a lower proportion of abnormal sperm cells. In the tails model, only SC (P = 0.01) was significantly affected by RFI, with LRFI bulls having a larger SC compared to HRFI bulls. The RFI group did not affect CASA-derived traits in either model. In conclusion, most fertility-related measurements were not affected by RFI status in young Brangus bulls. These results suggest that selection for feed efficiency in young bulls can be achieved without negatively impacting seminal characteristics associated with fertility.</p>","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143482940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Breed-specific heterosis for growth and carcass traits in 18 U.S. cattle breeds","authors":"Bailey N Engle, R Mark Thallman, Warren M Snelling, Tommy L Wheeler, Steven D Shackelford, D Andy King, Larry A Kuehn","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf048","url":null,"abstract":"Heterosis, or hybrid vigor, is traditionally defined as the advantage of crossbred progeny relative to the average performance of their purebred parents. This advantage is due to increased heterozygosity in these crosses, which increases phenotypic expression in traits influenced by non-additive gene action. These heterosis effects may vary depending on the breed of animals in the original cross; however, breed-specific estimates are difficult to obtain because of a lack of contemporary comparisons among crossbred and purebred cattle. The Germplasm Evaluation Program at the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center was designed to evaluate 18 of the most highly utilized beef breeds in the United States and enable contemporary comparisons among purebreds and their crosses. Therefore, the primary objective of this study was to quantify the differences in breed-specific heterosis for growth and carcass traits in these 18 U.S. beef breeds. Specific traits analyzed were direct and maternal birth weight, direct and maternal 205d adjusted weaning weight, 365d postweaning gain, marbling score, ribeye area, backfat thickness, and carcass weight. Specific heterosis effects were estimated using two different models: 1) a biological-group heterosis model where heterosis was estimated for crosses between British, Continental, and Brahman as breed groups, and 2) an average breed heterosis model where heterosis was estimated as the regression on average predicted breed heterozygosity arising from mating each of the 18 breeds to a randomly chosen animal in the population. Each model also included a random breed-specific cross effect for each pair of breeds. Biological-group heterosis, or the expected deviations from a purebred mean between all crosses of British-, Brahman-, and Continental-groups, was found for all traits (P &amp;lt; 0.0001), except marbling. The greatest increases in calf performance were estimated for crosses containing Brahman, especially for growth traits and maternal ability. Average breed-specific heterosis was also significant (P &amp;lt; 0.05) under the second model again for all traits except marbling and maternal birth weight. Again, the greatest increase in calf performance across a majority of traits was found to be the result of crosses with Brahman. These estimates may be used by breeders to make more informed crossbreeding decisions, and to tailor their choice of breeds to their specific production environment and breeding objectives.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"128 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143473561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Xylo-oligosaccharides enhance intestinal and thymic immunity by modulating pyroptosis, gut microbiota and Th17/Treg immune response in LPS-challenged piglets","authors":"Weixiao Sun, Guangmang Liu, Fei Shen, De Wu, Yan Lin, Ruinan Zhang, Lianqiang Che, Bin Feng, Yong Zhuo, Shengyu Xu, Lun Hua, Zhengfeng Fang, Xuemei Jiang, Jan Li, Jing Wang","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf050","url":null,"abstract":"Xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) have been shown to improve the immune system of weaned piglets, but the molecular mechanism of their action remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of XOS on intestinal and thymic immune function in weaned piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and elucidate the underlying mechanism. In a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, consisting of diet treatment (basal diet vs 0.02% XOS diet) and immunological challenge [saline vs LPS], 24 piglets were randomly divided into four groups (n = 6): CON group, basal diet + saline; LPS group, basal diet + LPS; XOS group, 0.02% XOS diet + saline; XOS_LPS group, 0.02% XOS diet + LPS. Piglets were fed either the basal or XOS diet for 21 days, followed by intraperitoneal injections of normal saline or LPS on the 22nd day. Ileum, thymus and colon samples were collected 4 hours after the intraperitoneal saline or LPS injection. The piglets fed XOS diet had higher average daily feed intake and average daily weight gain (P &amp;lt; 0.05). The XOS diet increased ileal villus height and decreased crypt depth. XOS also enhanced ileal and thymic antioxidant enzyme activities, anti-inflammatory cytokine expression, and decreased malondialdehyde levels and mRNA abundance of proinflammatory cytokines in piglets (P &amp;lt; 0.05). The XOS diet also downregulated ileal and thymic NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 and gasdermin-D gene and protein expression associated with pyroptosis (P &amp;lt; 0.05). Moreover, The XOS diet increased the mRNA abundance of forkhead box P3, signal transducer and activator of transcription 5, and transforming growth factor beta 1 while decreasing signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 and retinoid-related orphan receptor-gammat mRNA abundance (P &amp;lt; 0.05). The XOS diet enhanced forkhead box P3 protein expression and reduced retinoid-related orphan receptor-gammat protein expression following the LPS challenge (P &amp;lt; 0.05). At the same time, The XOS diet affected the gut microbiota and increased levels of short-chain fatty acids (P &amp;lt; 0.05). In conclusion, XOS may modulate ileal and thymic immune function in weaned piglets following a 4-hour LPS challenge by affecting gut microbiota, pyroptosis and Th17/Treg immune responses.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143473559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improving genetic gain in postpartum cows: A modified ovarian superstimulation protocol for ovum pick-up-in vitro embryo production during the voluntary waiting period","authors":"Jinbang Xiao, Manyuan Tian, Haojie Yuan, Hongyu Ren, Heiqiang Li, Chengyun Xie, Cong Huang, Bingke Wang, Yongsheng Wang, Yaping Jin, Peifeng Lin","doi":"10.1093/jas/skaf049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skaf049","url":null,"abstract":"Ovarian superstimulation-ovum pick-up (OPU) technology facilitates the rapid propagation of animals with excellent genetic potential, substantially shortening the interval between generations. Research regarding OPU implementation during the voluntary waiting period (VWP), a phase with potential for maximizing genetic gains in high-yield herds, is limited. We aimed to optimize the dosage and frequency of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) injections in postpartum cows to develop an ovarian superstimulation protocol during the VWP for OPU-IVF and assess its effect on milk production and reproductive performance. Cows with more than three parities and within the top 10% of 305-day milk yield were selected as OPU donors. Donor cows were eligible for ovarian superstimulation starting at 40 days in milk (DIM) if they had completed uterine involution and showed no signs of intrauterine infection. Two superstimulation protocols were compared: three injections of 167 IU FSH (FSH-3 group) and five injections of 100 IU FSH (FSH-5 group). Donor cows underwent OPU between DIM 40–75, followed by a 10–15-day waiting period before artificial insemination (AI). A total of 95 cows (113 OPU sessions) were assigned to the FSH-5 group and 116 cows (135 OPU sessions) to the FSH-3 group. Milk yield data during this period and subsequent reproduction records of these donor cows were compared with those of non-donor cows. The results showed that the FSH-3 group achieved better results, including more 2–6-mm follicles and 6–10-mm follicles, a greater total follicle count, and greater recovery of cumulus-oocyte complexes (p&amp;lt;0.05). Additionally, the FSH-3 group produced more greater-grade oocytes, resulting in better production of blastocysts (p&amp;lt;0.05). Although the application of superstimulation-OPU to donor cows during the VWP delayed the DIM of the first AI (p&amp;lt;0.05), it significantly increased the pregnancy rate (p&amp;lt;0.05) and did not affect the subsequent reproductive performance of the parity. Milk yield temporarily declined on the day of OPU, but it gradually recovered. In summary, the FSH-3 protocol generated an average of more than four embryos per cow during the VWP without compromising reproductive performance, including service and pregnancy rates. These results suggest that the FSH-3 protocol is an effective strategy for obtaining embryos from high-yield cows during the VWP, enhancing genetic gain and accelerating breeding programs with minimal effect on future fertility.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"1 2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143443455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}