Journal of animal science最新文献

{"title":"47. Effects of Mild Nutritional Restrictions During Mid-gestation on Neonatal Calf Performance and Placental Function in Extended-grazed Beef Cows.","authors":"Gayathri Dhanushka Diddeniya Diddeniyage, Nilusha Malmuthuge, Juan Hernandez-Medrano","doi":"10.1093/jas/skag272.097","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skag272.097","url":null,"abstract":"Extended grazing (EG) is a cost-effective and sustainable winter-feeding strategy for the management of pregnant beef cows. In spring calving herds, EG often overlaps with mid-gestation, exposing cows to mild protein restrictions, potentially affecting placental development and fetal growth. This study investigated whether protein supplementation during EG enhances placental morphology and health, and how these changes relate to calf vigor, birth weight, and growth. Angus cows (n = 32) were assigned to two groups during a simulated EG to either receive an individual protein supplement (S; n = 16) or remain unsupplemented (NS; n = 16). Treatments were applied during mid-gestation (86.0 ± 3.5 to 176.0 ± 3.5 days of gestation), during which S and NS cows were provided either 100% or 80% of their crude protein (CP) requirements, respectively. During early (<86 days) and late (>176 days) gestation, all cows were managed on pasture under similar conditions. Cows were sampled from the start of supplementation until calving to measure serum bovine pregnancy-associated glycoprotein (bPAG) concentrations as an indicator of placental health, and placental cotyledon tissues were collected at calving for histological assessment of vascularization and collagen distribution within the cotyledon tissue. Additionally, calf birth weight, vigor, and weaning weight were recorded. Repeated measures data were analyzed using a generalized linear mixed model approach, while variables measured at a single time point were analyzed using either Student's t-tests or Wilcoxon rank sum tests in R. Mild protein restriction (20% CP decrease) during mid-gestation did not affect calf birth weight, vigor, weaning weight, ADG, or maternal serum bPAG concentrations during gestation (p > 0.05). However, cotyledon vascular area density (NS: 14.01 ± 1.88% vs. S: 9.60 ± 1.16%; p = 0.04) and collagen distributed area fraction (NS: 24.78 ± 3.99% vs. S: 13.35 ± 2.62%; p = 0.01) were significantly higher in NS than S. These findings suggest a compensatory increase in placental vascularization along with an increase in extracellular connective tissue surrounding blood vessels, under protein-restricted conditions. Overall, mild protein restriction during mid-gestation did not affect calf outcomes, possibly due to compensatory placental adaptations. Because these mild restrictions do not produce immediate effects that producers can detect in calves, it remains important to determine whether these compensatory mechanisms occur at the expense of long-term calf health. Therefore, ongoing investigations will evaluate the effects of mild nutrient restrictions during EG on calf immune priming.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149077609","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":"PS11-16. Maternal Bovine Appeasing Substance Administration at Castration Reduces Stress, Pain-related Behavior, and Respiratory Disease in Feedlot Bulls.","authors":"Guilherme F Monteiro, Reinaldo F Cooke, Martin Zinicola","doi":"10.1093/jas/skag272.436","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skag272.436","url":null,"abstract":"This experiment evaluated behavioral, physiological, and health responses of feedlot-adapted bulls administered the maternal bovine appeasing substance (mBAS; Ferappease®, FERA Diagnostics and Biologicals; College Station, TX) at the time of castration. Angus-influenced (n = 182; 239 ± 3 kg) bulls were purchased from 3 sources with no previous health and management history, and transported to the research center on d -40. Bulls were assigned to initial processing and revaccination on d -36 and -12, respectively. Bulls were ranked by body weight (BW) recorded on d -12, source, and assigned to 1 of 26 pens (n = 7 bulls/pen, 13 pens/treatment) on d 0. Pens were assigned to receive bulls administered 10-mL of mBAS or no treatment (CON) immediately prior band-castration (d 0). The mBAS was applied topically to the nuchal skin area (5 mL) and above the muzzle (5 mL), and reapplied to respective steers on d 14. Final BW was recorded on d 42, whereas feed intake and signs of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) were recorded daily. Hair samples from the tail-switch were collected on d 0 and 14. Subjective pain-related behaviors were evaluated daily from d 0 to 13 using 3-point scoring system (0 = no pain, 1 = moderate pain, 2 = severe pain). Bulls were also fitted with an ear tag (CowManager®, Agis Automatisering BV, Harmelen, The Netherlands) to record behavioral responses. No treatment effects were detected (P ≥ 0.41) for BW gain, feed intake, and gain:feed, whereas mBAS cattle tended to have greater (P = 0.08) final BW. Hair cortisol concentrations did not differ (P = 0.66) between treatments on d 0, but were less (P = 0.02) in mBAS cattle on d 14 (treatment × day; P = 0.04). Incidence of BRD signs and mean pain score were less (P ≤ 0.05) for mBAS cattle. Cattle administered mBAS spent less time (P ≤ 0.03) being not active on wks 1 to 4, spent more time (P ≤ 0.03) being highly active during wks 1 and 2, and spent more time (P = 0.03) ruminating on wk 3 (treatment × day; P ≤ 0.04). Liveweight gain from d 0 to 42 tended (P = 0.09) to be greater for mBAS pens, and final liveweight was greater (P = 0.05) in mBAS pens. Pens that received mBAS had greater (P = 0.05) final value and tended (P = 0.08) to have greater profit. Administering mBAS to feedlot-adapted bulls at the time of castration attenuated chronic stress, reduced behavioral expression of pain, decreased the incidence of BRD signs, and improved pen-based productivity during a 42-d post-procedural period.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"66 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149078017","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":"PS7-25. Egg Production of Lohmann Brown Hens with Split and Conventional Feeding Programs.","authors":"Elvia Lopez Perez, Cielo Angel Lopez, Tomasa Perez Perez, Jose Luis Zaragoza Ramírez, Silvia Carrillo Dominguez","doi":"10.1093/jas/skag272.529","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skag272.529","url":null,"abstract":"The aim was to evaluate egg production, albumen height and folk color egg quality of Lohmann Brown hens fed with conventional and split feeding programs: confinement and grazing systems: conventional feed with light time grazing, conventional feed on completed confinement, split feeding with light time grazing, and split feeding on completed confinement. A total of 100 birds aged 22 weeks were randomly distributed into four feeding models with three replicates of 8 or 9 hens. This work was carried out over a period of nine weeks, with hens of same genetics constitution, and biological age. Hens were fed with a standard feed formulated to meet the minimum nutrient requirement for Lohmann Brown-Classic line. The split diet was formulated adjusting the amount of calcium, phosphorus, and protein levels based on daily requirements, increasing amount of calcium at the feeding afternoon, due to its key role in eggshell formation. This feeding strategy was implemented for permanent confinement and daytime grazing group of hens with nighttime shelter in a pen. Data for laying egg production and egg quality were statistically analyzed using a model for completely randomized design, analysis of variance Tukey’s means procedure at p < 0.05. At the beginning of the laying period non-uniform egg production was observed for all models of raising hens, but as laying period progressed egg production increased. At 26 weeks of hen age, egg production stabilized between 90.48 and 97.62% of total egg production (conventional vs split feeding models; p < 0.05) until reached 30 weeks of age. This revealed similar egg laying potential of Lohmann Brown when they had access to alfalfa pasture which seems to stimulate a higher percentage of laying comparing to hens raised on floor-based pen. Eggs laid by hens fed the split feeding model (floor and grazing) had similar albumen height (9,72 mm, 9.64 mm, respectively, p > 0.05) while those laid by hens on the conventional feeding model plus grazing pasture had a lower albumen height (8.94 mm, p < 0.05). This could be evidence that split feeding systems could improve thick of albumen. The yolks of eggs laid by 30-week-old Lohmann Brown hens fed in total confinement feeding system had the less intense yolk color than grazing alfalfa pasture system. This result confirms that eggs laid by pasture-raised hens could have more intense yolk color due to the natural pigments contained in alfalfa (Medicago sativa), purslane (Portulaca oleracea) and mallow (Malva sylvestris) plants growing in the pasture grazed. Similar finding was reported by Chavarría et al. (2021) when backyard hens grazed on diverse native vegetation stand. It is concluded that split feeding system when hens grazed alfalfa pasture, optimizes productivity without affecting negatively egg quality.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149077577","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":"PS8-14. Evaluation of an Automated Head Chamber System for Measuring Gas Flux in Confined Steers.","authors":"Leonardo Gomes Sitorski, Irene Reis, Eduardo M Paula, Juan J Vargas, Sara E Place","doi":"10.1093/jas/skag272.563","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skag272.563","url":null,"abstract":"In recent years, the use of the automated head chamber system (AHCS) has become recurrent when evaluating gas flux in ruminants. However, there is limited information regarding the determination of gas flux among AHCS units, when cattle are not exposed to all units simultaneously. The objective of this experiment was to define the effect of AHCS units on the gas flux determination of steers under confined conditions. A total of six mature Angus steers (1056 ± 72 kg of initial body weight) were used to validate the gas flux during three 14-day periods. Steers were located in a different pen during each period. Each pen contained five intake monitoring system units (SmartFeed, C-Lock, Rapid City, SD) and one AHCS (GreenFeed, C-Lock, Rapid City, SD) unit. Steers were fed ad libitum a high-forage diet of corn silage, wheat straw, dry distillers' grains, and minerals and vitamins (45, 40, 10, and 5% on a dry matter basis, respectively). Steers were allowed to visit the AHCS unit every 2 hours (up to 12 visits per day) and consume up to 6 drops of alfalfa pellet (approximately 35 g/drop) with 30-second spacing between drops. Individual intake and gas flux were analyzed with a complete randomized design with repeated measures using the MIXED Procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC). The model included the fixed effect of the AHCS unit and the random effect of the steer. Significance was determined at P ≤ 0.05. Individual dry matter intake was not different (P = 0.18) among AHCS units, averaging 14.7 ± 0.7 kg/d. The production of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) was not different (P = 0.30 and 0.48, respectively) among AHCS units. Also, the consumption of oxygen (O2) did not differ (P = 0.11) among AHCS units. The AHCS units explained 10, 17, and 28% of the variation of CH4, CO2, and O2, respectively. Gas flux determination was not different among AHCS units, suggesting consistency in gas flux determination. In this experiment, AHCS and the evaluation period are confounded by design to evaluate animals not simultaneously exposed to the same AHCS units. Thus, further work is required to evaluate animals simultaneously exposed to different AHCS units.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"151 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149077895","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":"PS4-11. Influence of Arginine Supplementation on Follicular Activation and Energy Metabolites in Serum and Histotroph.","authors":"Aria R Christianson, Clayton D Bedke, Taylor N Andrews, Joyce Anne Cooper, Kristie L Gallacher, Katylyn J Richardson, Shad H Cox, Richard L Dunlap, Adam Summers, Eric J Scholljegerdes","doi":"10.1093/jas/skag272.415","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skag272.415","url":null,"abstract":"Primiparous cows experience decreased conception rates during their second breeding season as they partition available energy to lactation and growth over reproduction. Arginine is an amino acid that is semi-essential during reproduction due to its biological activity in the uterus and influence on follicular activation via the mTOR pathway. Thus, arginine supplementation may influence metabolic and reproductive physiology during early gestation in beef cattle by altering uterine environment and increasing follicular activation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of arginine supplementation on antral follicle count (AFC) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and glucose in serum and histotroph of primiparous beef cows. Thirty-one primiparous Angus x Hereford cows grazing native rangelands were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: 1) cattle supplemented 180 mg/kg body weight arginine + dried distiller's grains with solubles (DDGS) at 0.0067% of body weight (ARG; n = 16), or 2) cattle supplemented DDGS at 0.0104% of body weight (CON; n = 15). Supplements were formulated to be isonitrogenous and to meet or exceed nutrient requirements for growth and lactation. Cows were on trial for a total of 48 d and received supplement three times per week for the first 30 d. On d 20 of supplementation, cattle underwent estrus synchronization using the 7-d CO-Synch+CIDR protocol followed by fixed time artificial insemination on d 30. After the supplementation period, uteri were flushed for collection of histotroph on d 42 and 47, corresponding to d 12 and 17 of gestation, respectively. Blood samples were collected on d 0, 30, 42, and 47, and histotroph and serum were analyzed for NEFA and glucose concentrations. Antral follicle counts were conducted on d 0 and 48 for pre- and post-treatment comparisons. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED in SAS (v9.4). The model included fixed effects of treatment, day, and treatment ´day, with repeated measures used for analysis of AFC and serum metabolites. Treatment did not influence serum NEFA concentrations (P = 0.49), but serum NEFA were increased on d 30 and 42 relative to d 0 and 47 (P = 0.02). Serum glucose concentrations were not influenced by treatment, day, or treatment ´ day (P ≥ 0.69). For histotroph, there was no difference in NEFA for any of the effects analyzed (P ≥ 0.47). However, glucose concentrations in histotroph were significantly affected by day (P < 0.001), being greater on d 17 than on d 12 of gestation with no effect of treatment (P = 0.33). Antral follicle counts were not affected by treatment, day, or treatment × day interaction (P ≥ 0.81). In conclusion, arginine supplementation during the pre-breeding period did not alter circulating or uterine metabolites or AFC in primiparous beef cows.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149077906","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":"PS4-17. Evaluating Expression Patterns of Uterine ISG15 Post-embryo Transfer in Beef Heifers.","authors":"Jillian Harnois, Dallas R Soffa, Kyle J Hickman, Rebecca K Poole","doi":"10.1093/jas/skag272.416","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skag272.416","url":null,"abstract":"Early pregnancy detection in cattle is crucial to reduce the time between calving and conception and improve farm profitability. Interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) can be used as an early diagnostic marker for pregnancy establishment. Previous work has reported the expression of interferon stimulated gene 15kDa (ISG15) within the bovine uterine endometrium. However, expression of ISG15 between regions of the uterine endometrium have not been fully analyzed in cattle. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare expression patterns of ISG15 between caruncular and intercaruncular endometrial tissues post-embryo transfer in beef heifers. Crossbred beef heifers (n = 18) received in vitro produced embryos on day 8 post-estrus following a 7-day Co-Synch estrus synchronization protocol. Blood was collected via coccygeal venipuncture on day 26 and centrifuged at 2,500 x g and 4 °C for 15 minutes. Resulting plasma was collected and stored at -20 °C for progesterone (P4) analysis. Heifers were then necropsied and ovariohysterectomized. Caruncular (C) and intercaruncular (IC) endometrial tissues were collected from the ipsilateral uterine horn, individually snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen, and stored at -80 °C for subsequent RTqPCR with the target gene of ISG15. Cross-sections of both the ipsilateral and contralateral (relative to the corpus luteum) uterine horns were collected and fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde prior to paraffin embedding and sectioning. Immunofluorescence analyses were performed to colocalize ISG15 with epithelial-cadherin (E-Cad). Relative gene expression for each tissue was analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey's HSD for pairwise comparisons, respectively, in JMP Pro 19.0. Data correlations of mean relative mRNA expression of ISG15 by circulating concentrations of P4 were analyzed using Spearman's correlations in PROC CORR in SAS 9.4. There was no difference in mean relative mRNA expression of ISG15 between C (1.43 ± 0.43) and IC (1.98 ± 0.43; P = 0.37). Additionally, there was no significant correlation between mean relative mRNA expression of ISG15 within both C and IC and circulating concentrations of P4 on day 26 (r=-0.22; P = 0.24). There were no conceptuses present upon necropsy. However, immunofluorescence analyses localized ISG15 within the apical perinuclear space of uterine glandular epithelium in both the stratum spongiosum and stratum compactum of the ipsilateral horn. Additionally, ISG15 localized within the tunica media of blood vessels in the ipsilateral horn. There was no immunostaining of ISG15 within the contralateral uterine horns. These results suggest that the expression of ISG15 within C and IC tissues may be indicative of an immune response given the absence of a conceptus upon necropsy. Alternatively, residual influence from the transferred embryo may have elicited the expression of ISG15 within the ipsilateral glandular epithelium. Further analysis of uterine ISG15 expression following embryo transfer sho","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"138 Pt A 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149077910","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":"ASAS-NANP SYMPOSIUM: MATHEMATICAL MODELING IN ANIMAL NUTRITION: Model Transfer and Application in Livestock Production Systems","authors":"Hector M Menendez, Jordan Adams, Karun Kaniyamattam, Luis O Tedeschi","doi":"10.1093/jas/skag308","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skag308","url":null,"abstract":"Mathematical models have long supported nutrition management in livestock systems, progressing from early National Research Council empirical tables to complex mechanistic frameworks such as the Ruminant Nutrition System. What is less documented is how models are operationalized in commercial practice, particularly as data streams from precision livestock technologies, remote sensing, and other Internet of Things technologies are increasingly hybridized into existing modeling frameworks. A prevailing assumption is that greater sensing, automation, or algorithmic complexity will naturally translate into better decisions; however, adoption and impact in commercial systems remain uneven. To examine how models are actually used under real-world constraints, we conducted a literature review and semi-structured interviews (n = 11) with livestock producers, technology developers, consultants, and value-chain actors working at the interface of biology, data, models, and farm decision-making. Six cross-cutting themes emerged: 1) model augmentation of systems, 2) model predictive control (MPC), 3) human centered adoption, 4) technology fit, 5) data bottlenecks, and 6) data enlightened value chain (Figure 1). Collectively, these insights re-center nutrition as the integrating discipline for productivity, welfare, and sustainability, and emphasize MPC and open, interoperable data pipelines as prerequisites for moving beyond pilots toward durable adoption. Interviewees consistently emphasized that meaningful impact depends on aligning biological realism, software engineering, and value-chain incentives so that models support actionable decisions under commercial constraints, rather than pursuing automation for its own sake.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"60 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149078016","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":"227. A Diet Supplemented with Antioxidants and A Prebiotic Showed Renal Protective Benefits in Aging Cats.","authors":"Erin Bryan, Carolyn Cupp","doi":"10.1093/jas/skag272.074","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skag272.074","url":null,"abstract":"Aging is a major risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats, characterized by progressive changes in renal biomarkers, hematologic indices, and body composition. The objective of this retrospective study was to evaluate whether a dietary nutrient blend containing antioxidants, fatty acids, and chicory root, could mitigate age-associated changes in markers related to renal health in aging cats. A portion of this study has been previously published (Cupp et al., 2007; Cupp et al., 2008). Ninety healthy mixed-breed cats aged 7–17 yr were housed individually and fed one of three nutritionally complete diets for the remainder of life: a control diet (CON), control plus antioxidants (vitamin E and β carotene; AOX), or control plus antioxidants, chicory root, and linoleic fatty acid (AOX+). Cats were blocked by age, sex, and body condition score and randomly assigned to treatment. Blood chemistry, complete blood count, body weight, body condition score, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry outcomes were collected longitudinally. Data were analyzed using linear or quadratic longitudinal models to account for age and attrition, with significance declared at P ≤ 0.05 and trends at 0.05 < P ≤ 0.10. Serum phosphorus increased over time for all treatment groups, although cats fed diet 3 had lower phosphorus over time compared to controls (P ≤ 0.10). Serum creatinine increased over time in CON cats only, while AOX+ cats had ultimately decreased over time. Creatinine tended to increase at a slower rate over time in AOX+ cats compared to CON (P ≤ 0.10). AOX+ cats had a slower rate of increase over time for BUN (P < 0.05), and ultimately had lower BUN than CON (P < 0.05). Both red blood cell count and hemoglobin decreased over time in all treatment groups. However, AOX+ cats had a significantly decreased rate of decline compared to CON (P < 0.05), ultimately resulting in significantly higher red blood cell count and hemoglobin in AOX+ cats compared to CON (P < 0.05). CON cats had a significant decline in hematocrit over time (P < 0.05) while AOX+ had no change in hematocrit over time (P > 0.10), resulting in higher hematocrit values compared to CON (P < 0.05). Body weight loss over time occurred in all groups; however, AOX+ cats experienced a reduced rate of weight loss compared with controls (P ≤ 0.05). These biomarkers and outcomes are commonly associated with renal function and the onset or progression of CKD in cats. In conclusion, long-term feeding of a diet containing antioxidants, fatty acids, and chicory root mitigated multiple age-associated directional biomarker changes linked to declining renal health. These findings support the use of this nutrient blend to help maintain markers of healthy kidney function in aging cats.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149077610","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":"327. Effects of 5-hydroxytryptophan Supplementation and Ergot Alkaloids on Hypothalamic Transcriptomics, Serotonin Bioavailability, and Feed Intake in Beef Cattle.","authors":"MaryKate H Byrd, David L Harmon, Ronald J Trotta","doi":"10.1093/jas/skag272.279","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skag272.279","url":null,"abstract":"Previous research has demonstrated that ergot alkaloids (EA) decrease circulating serotonin, and 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) supplementation increases circulating serotonin. It remains unclear if changes in serotonin bioavailability and/or feed intake are associated with alterations in hypothalamic function. The objective was to evaluate the effects of EA and 5-HTP supplementation on serotonin bioavailability, feed intake, and the transcriptomic profile of the hypothalamus in beef cattle. AnguśHolstein steers [n = 24; body weight (BW)=427±101 kg] were ruminally-dosed with non-toxic or toxic endophyte-infected tall fescue seed to provide 0 or 15 mg ergovaline/kg of BW. Additionally, steers were ruminally dosed with 0 or 3 mg 5-HTP/kg of BW. Therefore, the four treatments were: control, 5-HTP, EA, EA + 5-HTP. Steers were housed indoors in individual pens, exposed to cyclical temperatures mimicking summer conditions (21 °C–32 °C), and limit-fed alfalfa cubes to supply 1.5 times the net energy required for maintenance. Feed intake and feeding behavior were measured daily. Blood samples were collected in 7-d intervals and analyzed for serotonin concentration using high-performance liquid chromatography. On day 16, the hypothalamus was collected for RNA sequencing after slaughter. There were four unique serotonergic phenotypes (P = 0.05): 5-HTP increased serum serotonin relative to control; EA decreased serum serotonin relative to control, and the combination (EA + 5-HTP) decreased serum serotonin compared to all other treatments. Ergot alkaloid consumption decreased dry matter intake (P = 0.04), meal duration (P = 0.03), and meal size (P < 0.01). 5-hydroxytryptophan supplementation did not influence (P > 0.05) meal duration, meal size, or dry matter intake versus no 5-HTP supplementation. 5-hydroxytryptophan, EA, or their combination (EA + 5-HTP) downregulated (P < 0.01) genes associated with the serotonergic synapse. 5-hydroxytryptophan, EA, or their combination (EA + 5HTP) downregulated (3.5-fold, 5.5-fold, 3.9-fold, respectively; P < 0.01) mRNA expression of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2), the rate-limiting enzyme catalyzing the conversion of 5-HTP to serotonin in the hypothalamus. 5-hydroxytryptophan, EA, and their combination (EA + 5-HTP) downregulated (3.3-fold, 3.8-fold, and 4.9-fold, respectively; P < 0.01) mRNA expression of the serotonin reuptake transporter (SLC6A4). 5-hydroxytryptophan, EA, or their combination (EA + 5-HTP) downregulated (3.2-fold, 3.3-fold, 5-fold, respectively; P < 0.01) mRNA expression of FEV, a transcription factor essential for differentiation, growth, and development of hypothalamic serotonergic neurons. Ergot alkaloids and 5-HTP downregulated (P < 0.01) mRNA expression of serotonergic receptors, including HTR1A and HTR1B. Ergot alkaloids downregulated (P < 0.01) several transcripts (NPY, CCK, GLP1R, and GHSR) associated with neuroactive ligand-receptor interac","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149077612","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":"PS7-24. Dietary Supplementation of a Synergistic Blend of Phytogenic and Probiotics Improved Feed Conversion Ratio and Lesion of Coccidia Challenged Broiler Chickens.","authors":"Yating Zhao, Shuhan Sun, Youngmin Park, Supatirada Wongchanla, Simone Chang, Yongzhu Yuan, Kelly Zhao Zhao, Hsinhung John Hsu, Chungnan Chen, Yanhong Liu","doi":"10.1093/jas/skag272.524","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skag272.524","url":null,"abstract":"The objective of the study was to evaluate dietary supplementation of a synergistic blend of phytogenic and probiotics on performance, lesion score, and fecal oocyst counts in broilers chickens challenged with coccidiosis. A total of 240 two-day-old Ross 708 broiler chickens (54.80 ± 2.22 g body weight (BW)) were group-housed (5 chickens/pen; 12 pens/treatment) in battery brooders and randomly assigned to one of four treatments: negative control (NC), positive control (PC), supplementation of 0.10% or 0.15% of the syngergistic blend. The blend contained approximately 1 × 109 CFU/g Bacillus subtilis and 0.50% of tannin. All birds had ad libitum access to water and experimental diets throughout the experimental period. Following eight-day adaptation period, all chickens except that in NC were orally inoculated inoculated with unattenuated E. acervulina, E. maxima, and E. tenella (ADVENT®, Huvepharma Inc) in the feed. At day 5 and 10 post inoculation (PI), weight gain and feed intake were recorded, and feces were collected for oocyst enumeration. In addition, one chicken per pen on d 5 and 10 PI was sacrificed for lesion score assessment. All data were analyzed by the PROC MIXED of SAS. Orthogonal polynomial contrasts were used to evaluate the linear and quadratic effects of the synergistic blend on the dependent variables. The mortality rates were 4.17% in control groups, and 1.67% and 3.33% in low or high synergistic blend groups throughout the experiment. Compared with NC, birds in the PC had lower (P < 0.01) BW on d 5 and 10 PI, reduced (P < 0.01) average daily gain from d 0 to 5 and d 5 to 10 PI, decreased (P = 0.068) average daily feed intake from d 5 to 10 PI, and increased (P < 0.01) feed efficiency from d 0 to 5 and 5 to 10 PI. Supplementation of the synergistic blend increased (linearly, P < 0.01) feed efficiency during the post inoculation periods. Chickens in coccidiosis challenge had greater fecal oocyst shedding on d 5 PI than d 10 PI. Supplementation of 0.10% of synergistic blend reduced the shedding of Emeria although no statistical differences were observed across challenge groups. Consistently, birds in 0.10% synergistic blend had lower (P < 0.10) lesion scores in the duodenum, jejunum, and cecum during the peak of coccidiosis (on d 5 PI). In conclusion, supplementation with the synergistic blend improved feed conversion ratio and reduced lesion scores and oocyst shedding in birds infected with Eimeria strains, with the 0.10% inclusion rate demonstrating greater efficacy.","PeriodicalId":14895,"journal":{"name":"Journal of animal science","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149077572","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}