Animals最新文献

{"title":"Optimization of Genomic Breeding Value Estimation Model for Abdominal Fat Traits Based on Machine Learning.","authors":"Hengcong Chen, Dachang Dou, Min Lu, Xintong Liu, Cheng Chang, Fuyang Zhang, Shengwei Yang, Zhiping Cao, Peng Luan, Yumao Li, Hui Zhang","doi":"10.3390/ani15192843","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15192843","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Abdominal fat is a key indicator of chicken meat quality. Excessive deposition not only reduces meat quality but also decreases feed conversion efficiency, making the breeding of low-abdominal-fat strains economically important. Genomic selection (GS) uses information from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) and high-throughput sequencing data. It estimates genomic breeding values (GEBVs) from genotypes, which enables early and precise selection. Given that abdominal fat is a polygenic trait controlled by numerous small-effect loci, this study combined population genetic analyses with machine learning (ML)-based feature selection. Relevant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were first identified using a combined GWAS and linkage disequilibrium (LD) approach, followed by a two-stage feature selection process-Lasso for dimensionality reduction and recursive feature elimination (RFE) for refinement-to generate the model input set. We evaluated multiple machine learning models for predicting genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs). The results showed that linear models and certain nonlinear models achieved higher accuracy and were well suited as base learners for ensemble methods. Building on these findings, we developed a Dynamic Adaptive Weighted Stacking Ensemble Learning Framework (DAWSELF), which applies dynamic weighting and voting to heterogeneous base learners and integrates them layer by layer, with Ridge serving as the meta-learner. In three independent validation populations, DAWSELF consistently outperformed individual models and conventional stacking frameworks in prediction accuracy. This work establishes an efficient GEBV prediction framework for complex traits such as chicken abdominal fat and provides a reusable SNP feature selection strategy, offering practical value for enhancing the precision of poultry breeding and improving product quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12523389/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145298431","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ipriflavone Inhibits Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Infection via RIG-I/IRF3-Mediated Interferon Signaling.","authors":"Yafei Chang, Zhaopeng Li, Kanglei Pei, Mengqi Wang, Xiaobo Chang","doi":"10.3390/ani15192840","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15192840","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) remains one of the most important pathogens, resulting in huge economic losses to the global pig industry. Ipriflavone is an isoflavone derivative involved in various biological processes, showing anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. However, the role of ipriflavone in antiviral immune response to PRRSV is unknown. In this study, we discovered that ipriflavone could significantly inhibit PRRSV replication. Moreover, ipriflavone inhibited PRRSV replication regardless of whether ipriflavone was added pre-, co-, or post-PRRSV infection, and ipriflavone mainly inhibited virus replication and assembly stages. Importantly, ipriflavone had the capacity to upregulate the expression levels of IFN-β and ISG56. Additionally, ipriflavone promoted the expression of RIG-I and MAVS, and induced phosphorylation of IRF3 and STAT1, while reducing PRRSV replication. Collectively, ipriflavone could enhance the RIG-I/IRF3 signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting PRRSV replication. These findings will provide an important theoretical basis for the development of therapeutic agents against PRRSV infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12523238/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145298226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mechanistic Insights into the Physiological and Meat Quality Responses of Broiler Chickens Fed Incremental Turmeric Rhizome Meal.","authors":"Uchenna Nonyelum Okonkwo, Christiaan Jacobus Smit, Chidozie Freedom Egbu","doi":"10.3390/ani15192849","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15192849","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Natural products, such as turmeric rhizome meal (TRM), may hold the key to a sustainable solution to antimicrobial resistance rise and antibiotic prohibition in food-producing animals. This study evaluated the effects of dietary TRM at 0 (CON), 0.3 (TRM3), 0.6 (TRM6), and 0.9 g/kg (TRM9) on growth, nutrient digestibility, immunity, gut function, nutrient transport biomarkers, microbiome, and meat quality in 280 one-day-old male Ross 308 chicks over a 42-day feeding trial. Birds fed TRM indicated higher body weight gain and lower feed conversion ratio (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The TRM groups promoted higher (<i>p</i> = 0.001) serum immunoglobulin Y, immunoglobulin M, and interleukin-10 compared to the CON. Birds fed CON had higher interleukin-2 (<i>p</i> = 0.025), interleukin-6 (<i>p</i> = 0.027), and TNF-α (<i>p</i> = 0.008) levels compared to the TRM groups. Lactobacillus counts in jejunal villi and crypts were higher in the TRM groups than in the CON (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Dietary TRM increased electrogenic glucose and lysine transport, accompanied by up-regulation of claudin-5, zonula occludens 1, and mucin-2 expression (<i>p</i> < 0.05). In breast muscle, TRM fortification reduced malondialdehyde levels (<i>p</i> < 0.05) while increasing long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Thus, TRM is a potent, residue-free phytobiotic alternative to conventional antibiotic growth promoters in poultry systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12524245/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145298254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dietary Soy Isoflavone Alleviates Oxidized Fish Oil-Induced Growth Inhibition and Hepatic Injury in Rice Field Eel (<i>Monopterus albus</i>): Involvement of Antioxidant Capacity, Digestive Function, Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress, and Inflammation.","authors":"Quan Li, Huahong Wei, Tao Zhou, Kai Xie, Yi Hu, Junzhi Zhang","doi":"10.3390/ani15192839","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15192839","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the potential of dietary soy isoflavones (SIF) to counteract growth inhibition, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and inflammation induced by oxidized fish oil in <i>Monopterus albus</i> (initial body weight: 26.0 g). The fish were reared in outdoor pond-based net cages (2.0 m × 1.5 m × 1.5 m; 3 cages per treatment, 50 fish per cage) and fed five isonitrogenous and isolipidic experimental diets: a control diet (CON) containing 2.2% fresh fish oil, and oxidized fish oil diets (2.2% oxidized oil) supplemented with 0 (SIF0), 25 (SIF25), 50 (SIF50), or 100 (SIF100) mg/kg SIF. The fish were fed to satiation daily at 4:00 pm at a rate of 3-5% of initial body weight. Compared with the CON group, the SIF0 group showed significantly reduced growth performance, with a final weight gain rate of 84.13%, and decreased intestinal digestive enzyme activity. Hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities declined to 1.78 U/mgprot and 4.13 U/mgprot, respectively, while serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) levels increased to 24.95 U/L and 37.56 U/L. The SIF0 diet also up-regulated the expression of hepatic endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes (<i>perk</i>, <i>ire1</i>, <i>atf6</i>) and pro-inflammatory genes (<i>tnfα</i>, <i>il-1β</i>). Dietary SIF supplementation alleviated these adverse effects, with the most pronounced improvements observed at 50 mg/kg SIF based on overall performance. These results demonstrate that SIF can serve as a functional feed additive to mitigate oxidative stress and related metabolic disorders in <i>M. albus</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12523837/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145298095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From Infection to Infertility: Diagnostic, Therapeutic, and Molecular Perspectives on Postpartum Metritis and Endometritis in Dairy Cows.","authors":"Ramanathan Kasimanickam, Priunka Bhowmik, John Kastelic, Joao Ferreira, Vanmathy Kasimanickam","doi":"10.3390/ani15192841","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15192841","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Postpartum uterine diseases such as metritis and endometritis impair reproductive performance and cause substantial economic losses in dairy cows worldwide. The multifactorial etiology, involving polymicrobial infections and complex host immune responses, poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Traditional treatments rely on antibiotics, e.g., cephalosporins like ceftiofur and cephapirin, with broad-spectrum efficacy. However, emerging antimicrobial resistance, biofilm formation by pathogens such as <i>Trueperella pyogenes</i>, <i>Fusobacterium necrophorum</i>, and <i>Escherichia coli</i>, and bacterial virulence factors have reduced effectiveness of conventional therapies. Advances in systems biology, particularly proteomics, metabolomics, and microRNA (miRNA) profiling, have provided unprecedented insights into the molecular mechanisms underpinning uterine disease pathophysiology. Proteomic analyses reveal dynamic changes in inflammatory proteins and immune pathways, whereas metabolomics highlight shifts in energy metabolism and bacterial-host interactions. Furthermore, miRNAs have critical roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation affecting immune modulation, inflammation, and tissue repair, and also in modulating neutrophil function and inflammatory signaling. Uterine inflammation not only disrupts local tissue homeostasis but also compromises early embryo development by altering endometrial receptivity, cytokine milieu, and oocyte quality. Integration of multi-omics approaches, combined with improved diagnostics and adjunct therapies-including micronutrient supplementation and immunomodulators-offers promising avenues for enhancing disease management and fertility in dairy herds. This review synthesizes current knowledge on proteomics, metabolomics, and miRNAs in postpartum uterine diseases and highlights future directions for research and clinical applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12523507/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145298395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating Habitat Prediction and Risk Assessment to Prioritize Conservation Areas for the Long-Tailed Goral (<i>Naemorhedus caudatus</i>).","authors":"Soyeon Park, Minkyung Kim, Sangdon Lee","doi":"10.3390/ani15192848","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15192848","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Human activities have accelerated the extinction of species, driving biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. Establishing protected areas (PAs) that encompass habitats of endangered species is essential for achieving biodiversity conservation and ecosystem protection goals. This study aimed to identify and prioritize critical conservation areas for the endangered long-tailed goral (<i>Naemorhedus caudatus</i>) in five regions of Gangwon and Gyeongbuk Provinces, South Korea. The MaxEnt model was applied to predict the potential habitat of the species, considering key environmental factors such as topographic, distance-related, vegetation, and land cover variables. The InVEST Habitat Risk Assessment (HRA) model was used to quantitatively assess cumulative risks within the habitat from the impacts of forest development and anthropogenic pressures. Subsequently, the Zonation software was employed for spatial prioritization by integrating the outputs of the models, and core conservation areas (CCAs) with high ecological value were identified through overlap analysis with 1st-grade areas from the Ecological and Nature Map (ENM). Results indicated that suitable habitats for the long-tailed goral were mainly located in forested regions, and areas subjected to multiple stressors faced elevated habitat risk. High-priority areas (HPAs) were primarily forested zones with high habitat suitability. The overlap analysis emphasized the need to implement conservation measures targeting CCAs while also managing additional HPAs outside CCAs, which are not designated as ENM. This study provides a methodological framework and baseline data to support systematic conservation planning for the long-tailed goral, offering practical guidance for future research and policy development.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12524273/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145298135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of Tributyrin on Antioxidant Capacity, Immune Function, and Liver Macrophage Polarization in Weaned Piglets Under LPS Challenge.","authors":"Meng Yuan, Shuai Ning, Dongming Yu, Fei Long, Weite Li, Jun Qi, Yaxu Liang, Changming Hong, Yingzhang Tang, Chunxue Liu, Gaiqin Wang, Bencheng Wu, Xiang Zhong","doi":"10.3390/ani15192842","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15192842","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Under intensive farming systems and the global ban on antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs), early-weaned piglets exhibit incomplete physiological development, increasing their susceptibility to stress-related liver dysfunction and growth performance impairments. This study first investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with 0.2% tributyrin on the growth performance of 21-day-old weaned piglets over a 28-day period. Subsequently, on the final day, we examined its influence on antioxidant capacity, immune responses, and liver macrophage polarization using a 2 × 2 factorial challenge model, with the factors being diet (basal or tributyrin-supplemented) and immunological challenge (saline or lipopolysaccharide). The experimental results indicated that tributyrin had a significant enhancement on the average daily gain (ADG) of weaned piglets within the 0-14-day period (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Under lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge, tributyrin significantly increased the levels of catalase (CAT) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) while reducing the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in both serum and liver. Additionally, it significantly increased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-pX) activity in the serum and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in the liver, and also decreased the serum level of interleukin-1β (IL-1β). Tributyrin downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression while upregulating anti-inflammatory cytokine expression (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Furthermore, tributyrin significantly inhibited the expression of M1 macrophage polarization markers while enhancing those of M2 polarization (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Additionally, tributyrin suppressed SIRT1/NF-κB signaling pathway activation and promoted JAK2/STAT6 signaling pathway activation (<i>p</i> < 0.05). These findings exhibit that tributyrin alters the polarization of liver macrophages by regulating the SIRT1/NF-κB and JAK2/STAT6 signaling pathways, enhances antioxidant and immune functions, reduces LPS-induced liver inflammatory damage, and improves the growth performance of weaned piglets.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12523467/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145298229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant <i>Escherichia coli</i> Harbouring the CS31A Virulence Factor in Neonatal Calf Diarrhoea in Central France.","authors":"Clémence Provost, Hadjila Yanes, Guillaume Mosnier, Tiago Lima, Gabriela Jorge da Silva, Ana Rita Pedro, Maria José Saavedra, Eduarda Silveira","doi":"10.3390/ani15192844","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15192844","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Escherichia coli</i> is a significant cause of Neonatal Calf Diarrhoea (NCD). Its extensive antigenic diversity, coupled with the ability to acquire antimicrobial resistance determinants, hampers treatment effectiveness and compromises the control measures. This study investigated the link between the presence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) <i>E. coli</i> and virulence factors (VFs) in NCD from central France (Departments of Cantal, Haute-Loire, Loire, and Puy-de-Dôme), between 2016 and 2022. <i>E. coli</i> was identified at TERANA Laboratories, France, using API 20E (BioMérieux^®) and MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry. Virulence factors, namely adhesins, were assessed with the slide agglutination method, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted across various antimicrobial classes. Out of 2367 <i>E. coli</i> strains isolated from cases of NCD, a high percentage were resistant to aminopenicillins (88.8%), aminoglycosides (89.1%), tetracyclines (79.7%), quinolones (48.4%), and sulphonamides (42.4%). More than half (58.6%) carried VFs, and 84.9% exhibited MDR profile, of which 61.34% (1233/2010) also harboured VFs. The adhesin CS31A-producing <i>E. coli</i> was the most prevalent, followed by the fimbrial adhesins F5 and F17 (60.8%, 20.0%, and 8.3%, respectively), all of which were associated with a high prevalence of MDR strains (79.1-93.9%). The highest occurrence of MDR profiles was observed in <i>E. coli</i> strains carrying CS31A and in those lacking VFs, both groups showing co-resistance to aminopenicillins, aminoglycosides, and tetracyclines or sulphonamides. The calf production sector may act as a reservoir for MDR <i>E. coli</i> strains, regardless of the presence of VFs, posing a major threat to public health and safety.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12523274/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145298208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reproductive Toxicity Assessment of Four Portuguese Plant Hydrolates: Effects on Oocyte Maturation and Sperm Viability.","authors":"Sandra Duarte-da-Fonseca Dias, Luís Pinto-de-Andrade, Joana Rolo, Carlos Gaspar, Patrícia Gomes-Ruivo, Ana Sofia Oliveira, Sandra Saraiva Ferreira, Rita Palmeira-de-Oliveira, José Martinez-de-Oliveira, José Carlos Gonçalves, Fernanda Delgado, Ana Palmeira-de-Oliveira","doi":"10.3390/ani15192838","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15192838","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Extracts of aromatic medicinal plants have been extensively studied regarding their numerous bioactivities. However, despite being highly used by humans, studies on the safety of these extracts for animal use are scarce. In this study, we aim to contribute to the determination of the safety profile of plant extracts by focusing on the reproductive toxicity of hydrolates (a by-product of essential oils production) of four endogenous Portuguese plants-<i>Cistus ladanifer</i>, <i>Cupressus lusitanica</i>, <i>Helychrisium italicum</i>, and <i>Thymbra capitata</i>-by studying their effects on bovine oocytes and spermatozoa. To achieve our aims, we determined the oocyte maturation and viability rate in the bovine in vitro maturation test (bIVM) and the bovine sperm viability using the eosin-nigrosin test, in the presence of five concentrations of each hydrolate at half-log intervals (% <i>v/v</i> of culture media). We found that hydrolates did not affect oocyte maturation or viability (maximum concentration tested: 0.2%, <i>v</i>/<i>v</i>). Regarding the sperm viability test, we found that <i>T. capitata</i> and <i>C. ladanifer</i> hydrolates impaired sperm viability (<i>p</i> < 0.05) (maximum concentration tested: 0.2%, <i>v</i>/<i>v</i>), in comparison with the negative control. In summary, we found that <i>H. italicum</i> and <i>C. lusitanica</i> hydrolates were safe regarding oocyte maturation, oocyte viability, and sperm viability, being candidates to be included in bovine husbandry as feeding additives.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12523543/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145298197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Heat Stress and Betaine Affect Lipolysis in Pig Adipose Tissue Explants.","authors":"Zaira Pardo, Manuel Lachica, Rosa Nieto, Isabel Seiquer, Ignacio Fernández-Fígares","doi":"10.3390/ani15192845","DOIUrl":"10.3390/ani15192845","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Heat stress (HS) is an environmental variable challenging pig production worldwide. It may alter carcass composition by increasing fat deposition but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Betaine is a metabolic modifier able to decrease carcass fat in pigs, but the effects of betaine on lipolysis under high temperatures are not known. Our goal was to determine a potential effect of betaine on lipolysis in the fat tissue of Iberian pigs under thermoneutral (TN) or HS conditions. Eight pigs (89 kg BW) were used to obtain explants from dorsal subcutaneous adipose tissue. Explants were cultivated under TN (37 °C) or HS conditions (41.5 °C) for 1.5 h to study direct effects of HS on acute lipolysis. Treatments included control and betaine addition (200 µM). Indirect effects of HS were examined using the culture medium amended with 1 μM isoproterenol ±10 nM insulin in the presence or absence of betaine and HS. Media glycerol was measured at the end of the incubations as a proxy of lipolysis. HS decreased basal lipolysis (-47%; <i>p</i> < 0.001) but increased isoproterenol-stimulated (a β-agonist) lipolysis (+31%; <i>p</i> < 0.01). Betaine increased non-stimulated lipolysis both under TN and HS conditions (73%; <i>p</i> < 0.001). As expected, isoproterenol augmented lipolysis both in TN (2714%; <i>p</i> < 0.001) and HS (3589%; <i>p</i> < 0.001) conditions. The addition of insulin to lipolysis-stimulated explants analogously diminished glycerol release in TN (-39%; <i>p</i> < 0.001) and HS (-50%; <i>p</i> < 0.001) conditions. In conclusion, HS reduced non-stimulated lipolysis in Iberian pigs in line with increased adipose tissue accretion, while betaine partly increased lipolysis, counteracting the effects of HS. Betaine supplementation could be a strategy to counteract HS-induced fattening in pigs.</p>","PeriodicalId":7955,"journal":{"name":"Animals","volume":"15 19","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12523895/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145298076","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}