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In reproductive hens, a feed restriction is an usual practice to improve metabolic and reproductive disorders. However, it acts a stressor on the animal. In mammals, grape seed extracts (GSE) reduces oxidative stress. However, their effect on endocrine and tissue response need to be deepened in reproductive hens. Here, we evaluated the effects of time and level of GSE dietary supplementation on growth performance, viability, oxidative stress and metabolic parameters in plasma and metabolic tissues in reproductive hens and their offsprings. We designed an in vivo trial using 4 groups of feed restricted hens: A (control), B and C (supplemented with 0.5% and 1% of the total diet composition in GSE since week 4, respectively) and D (supplemented with 1% of GSE since the hatch). In hens from hatch to week 40, GSE supplementation did not affect food intake and fattening whatever the time and dose of supplementation. Body weight was significantly reduced in D group as compared to control. In all hen groups, GSE supplementation decreased plasma oxidative stress index associated to a decrease in the mRNA expression of the NOX4 and 5 oxidant genes in liver and muscle and an increase in SOD mRNA expression. This was also associated to decreased plasma chemerin and increased plasma adiponectin and visfatin levels. Interestingly, maternal GSE supplementation increased the live body weight and viability of chicks at hatching and 10 days of age. This was associated to a decrease in plasma and liver oxidative stress parameters. Taken together, GSE maternal dietary supplementation reduces plasma and tissue oxidative stress associated to modulation of adipokines without affecting fattening in reproductive hens. A 1% GSE maternal dietary supplementation increased offspring viability and reduced oxidative stress suggesting a beneficial transgenerational effect and a potential use to improve the quality of the progeny in reproductive hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Steroidome analysis allowed quantifying 28 steroids in gilts saliva. • Steroids concentrations in gilts saliva varied from immature to pubertal stage. • We identified steroids that could be biomarkers of the receptivity to boar effect. • We contributed to the development of non-hormonal tools for estrous synchronization. • Non-invasive saliva sampling is in agreement with improvement of animal welfare. Estrus synchronization is necessary for management of gilt reproduction in pig farms. It is usually achieved by using synthetic progestagens, but there is increasing demand for non-hormonal alternative tools with the prospect of sustainability of livestock production. Moreover, in organic farms, synthetic hormones are not allowed. Before reaching puberty, gilts exhibit a "waiting period" during which external stimulations, such as boar exposure, could trigger and synchronize the first ovulation. However, practical non-invasive tools for detection of the "waiting period" in pig farms are lacking. During this period, estrone levels in urine are high, but urine sampling is difficult in group-housed females. Our objective was to identify among steroids potential biomarkers of this "waiting period" through saliva monitoring from immature to pubertal gilts using gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry. Starting between 144 and 147 days of age, six Large White gilts were submitted to ultrasound puberty diagnosis 3 times a week until first ovulation. Urine and saliva samples were collected to analyze weekly estrone and steroidome respectively, until puberty. Urinary estrone concentration significantly increased 2 weeks before first ovulation occurring between 182 and 192 days of age. The period with increasing estrone levels was considered as the "waiting period". Steroidome analysis allowed identifying and quantifying 28 steroids in 500 µl of gilts saliva. Significant decrease of dehydroepiandrosterone and significant increase of 5α-dihydroprogesterone and 17β-estradiol were detected 2 weeks before puberty, suggesting that these steroids could be potential biomarkers of the "waiting period". These results show that painless sampling of saliva could be a non-invasive welfare-friendly tool for the identification of the physiological hormonal status of the gilts and possibly the optimal time for application of the boar effect, a solution to synchronize puberty without exogenous hormones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to determine the body composition of parental broilers during growth from hatching to adulthood (32 wk of age), we evaluated the kinetics of fattening, growth rate, reproduction parameters, and body composition of the animals by using non-invasive tools such as medical imaging (ultrasound and CT scan) and blood sample analysis. The use of CT scanner allowed us to monitor the development of the body composition (fatness, bone, muscle, ovary, and testis growth) of these same animals. These analyses were accompanied by biochemical blood analyses such as steroids, metabolites, and some adipokines concentration. Difference in the body composition between males and females appeared at 16 wk of age. From 20 wk of age, shortly before the onset of lay, the females had 1.6-fold more adipose tissues than males (P < 0.001) and 8-fold more elevated plasma triglycerides levels. In addition, females, from 16 wk of age, presented a weakened bone quality in comparison to males (P < 0.001). The ratio of the tibia volume/tibia length was 33.2% lower in female compared to male chicken at 32 wk of age (P < 0.001). However, the pectoral muscle had the same volume in both sexes. The production of steroids by gonad started at 16 wk of age for both sexes, and the testis and ovary development could be measured by imaging tools at 24 wk. The follicle development was correlated to the ovarian fat tissue (r = 0.80) and fatness. In conclusion, the use of CT scanner and ultrasound system has allowed investigate the body composition of live animals and actual parental breeds with to the aim of using them for genetic selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Human corneal allografting is an established procedure to cure corneal blindness. However, a shortage of human donor corneas as well as compounding economic, cultural, and organizational reasons in many countries limit its widespread use. Artificial corneas as well as porcine corneal xenografts have been considered as possible alternatives. To date, all preclinical studies using de-cellularized pig corneas have shown encouraging graft survival results; however, relatively few studies have been conducted in pig to non-human primate ( NHP) models, and particularly using genetically engineered donors. Methods In this study, we assessed the potential benefit of using either hCTLA4-Ig transgenic or α1,3-Galactosyl Transferase (GT) Knock-Out (KO) plus transgenic hCD39/ hCD55/ hCD59/fucosyl-transferase pig lines in an anterior lamellar keratoplasty pig to NHP model. Results Corneas from transgenic animals expressing hCTLA4-Ig under the transcriptional control of a neuron-specific enolase promoter showed transgene expression in corneal keratocytes of the stroma and expression was maintained after transplantation. Although a first acute rejection episode occurred in all animals during the second week post-keratoplasty, the median final rejection time was 70 days in the hCTLA4-Ig group vs. 21 days in the wild-type (WT) control group. In contrast, no benefit for corneal xenograft survival from the GTKO/transgenic pig line was found. At rejection, cell infiltration in hCTLA4Ig transgenic grafts was mainly composed of macrophages with fewer CD3+ CD4+ and CD79+ cells than in other types of grafts. Anti-donor xenoantibodies increased dramatically between days 9 and 14 post-surgery in all animals. Conclusions Local expression of the hCTLA4-Ig transgene dampens rejection of xenogeneic corneal grafts in this pig-to-NHP lamellar keratoplasty model. The hCTLA4-Ig transgene seems to target T-cell responses without impacting humoral responses, the control of which would presumably require additional peripheral immunosuppression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Intracerebral xenotransplantation of porcine fetal neuroblasts (pNB) is considered as an alternative to human neuroblasts for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. However, pNB are systematically rejected, even in an immunoprivileged site such as the brain. Within this context, neural stem/precursor cells (NSPC), which were suggested as exhibiting low immunogenicity, appeared as a useful source of xenogeneic cells. To determine the advantage of using porcine NSPC (pNSPC) in xenotransplantation, pNB and pNSPC were grafted into the striatum of rats without immunosuppression. At day 63, all the pNB were rejected while 40% of the rats transplanted with pNSPC exhibited large and healthy grafts with numerous pNF70-positive cells. The absence of inflammation at day 63 and the occasional presence of T cells in pNSPC grafts evoked a weak host immune response which might be partly due to the immunosuppressive properties of the transplanted cells. T cell proliferation assays confirmed such a hypothesis by revealing an inhibitory effect of pNSPC on T cells through a soluble factor. In addition to their immunosuppressive effect, in contrast to pNB, very few pNSPC differentiated into tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons but the cells triggered an intense innervation of the striatum by rat dopaminergic fibers coming from the substantia nigra. Further experiments will be required to optimize the use of pNSPC in regenerative medicine but here we show that their immunomodulatory and trophic activities might be of great interest for restorative strategies. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Interaction between repair, disease, & inflammation." [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• LEP, RARRES2 and RETN protein levels in plasma and WAT are higher in MS than LW sows. • ADIPOQ and ITLN1 protein levels in plasma and WAT are lower in MS than LW sows. • Plasma LEP and RARRES2 are positively associated with the BFT in MS and LW sows. • Plasma LEP and RARRES2 are negatively associated with the puberty age in MS and LW. • Plasma ADIPOQ is negatively linked to BFT and positively to the puberty age in MS and LW. In pig, backfat deposition is strongly related to the growth and reproductive performance. However, the molecular regulatory mechanisms of adipose tissue are not clearly understood. Adipose tissue is now recognized as an important endocrine organ that secretes a variety of factors including adipokines. However, the regulation of expression pattern of these adipokines in both plasma and visceral white adipose tissue (WAT) in lean and fat pig is unclear. In the present study, we used two representative porcine breeds (Large White, LW; Meishan, MS) with contrasting backfat thickness and sexual maturity age. Using specific ELISA assays, we determined the plasma profile of eight adipokines, leptin, adiponectin, visfatin, apelin, chemerin, resistin, omentin and vaspin in LW and MS sows. By RT-qPCR and western-blot we also investigated the mRNA and protein levels of these adipokines and their cognate receptors (LEPR, ADIPOR1, ADIPOR2, CMKLR1, CCRL2, GPR1, APLNR, TLR4, ROR1, CAP1 and HSPA5) in the peri renal WAT, respectively. At both plasma and peri renal WAT level, we found that the amounts of leptin, chemerin, resistin and vaspin were higher whereas those of adiponectin and omentin were lower in MS than LW sows. Plasma and adipose tissue visfatin and apelin levels were not different between the two breeds. Moreover, we noted that the variations of peri renal WAT adipokines observed between MS and LW were similar at the protein and mRNA level except for chemerin and apelin suggesting post-transcriptional modifications for these two adipokines. Finally, among the eight adipokines studied, we showed that only the plasma concentrations of leptin and chemerin were positively and those of adiponectin, negatively associated with the thickness of fat and opposite correlation was found for the onset of puberty in both LW and MS animals. Taken together, these results support a potential involvement of adipokines in WAT regulation and its link with the onset of the puberty in sows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]