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ABSTRACT: In the study, 336 broiler chickens were selected to explore dietary effects of different β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) levels (0 (control), 0.05, 0.10, and 0.15%) on the compositions of fatty acids and free amino acids, and lipid metabolism in the different muscles of broilers. In the breast muscle, dietary HMB supplementation hardly affected the free amino acid composition (P > 0.05). Compared to the control group, dietary 0.10 and 0.15% HMB supplementation decreased the content of C18:1n9c and thus the monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), and dietary 0.15% HMB supplementation increased the sum of saturated fatty acids (SFA) (P < 0.05). Moreover, compared to the control group, dietary 0.05 and 0.10% HMB increased the mRNA expression of proliferator activated receptor-γ and the activity of fatty acid synthase (FAS), and dietary 0.10% HMB increased the acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity (P < 0.05). In the leg muscle, dietary 0.10 and 0.15% HMB increased the MUFA content and decreased the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content, the PUFA to SFA ratio, the mRNA expression of sterol regulatory element binding proteins-1c, and the activities of acyl-CoA oxidase 1 and acetyl-CoA synthetase (P < 0.05). Moreover, dietary 0.10% HMB decreased the activities of hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase 1 and FAS in comparison to the control group (P < 0.05). Dietary 0.05% HMB decreased the contents of essential amino acids and nonessential amino acids (NEAA), and dietary 0.15% HMB decreased the NEAA content (P < 0.05). In summary, dietary 0.10% HMB supplementation had superior efficiency on lipogenesis in the breast muscle of broilers. However, dietary HMB supplementation, especially at the level of 0.05 and 0.15%, decreased meat nutritional values and the lipogenesis in leg muscles.

This study aims to compare the meat quality of Shaziling and Yorkshire pigs and to find the potential indicator in serum for superior meat quality. Six Shaziling and Yorkshire pigs at 30, 60, 90, 150, 210, and 300 d of age were selected to examine carcass traits, meat quality, and serum metabolome. The results showed that the body weight, carcass length, and loin eye area of Shaziling pigs at 150, 210, and 300 d of age were significantly lower than those of Yorkshire pigs (P

Glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in blood and tissues, and the most important nutrient except for glucose in cancer cells. Over the past years, most studies have focused on the role of Gln metabolism in supporting energy metabolism rather than maintaining oxidative homeostasis. In fact, Gln is an important factor in maintaining oxidative homeostasis of cancer cells, especially in “Glutamine addicted” cancer cells. Here, this paper will review the recent scientific literature about the link between Gln metabolism and oxidative homeostasis, with an emphasis on the potential role of Gln metabolism in different cancers. Given that oxidative homeostasis is of critical importance in cancer, understanding the impacts of a Gln metabolism on oxidative homeostasis, gaining great insights into underlying molecular mechanisms, and developing effective therapeutic strategies are of great importance.

The objective of the study is to evaluate and compare the effects of betaine or glycine on carcass trait, meat quality and lipid metabolism of finishing Huan Jiang mini-pigs. Betaine called trimethylglycine is a methyl derivative of glycine, but few researches were conducted to compare the impact of dietary betaine and glycine on pigs. One hundred and forty-four Huan Jiang mini-pigs (body weight = 10.55 ± 0.15 kg; 70 d) were randomly divided to 3 treatment groups (basal diet, glycine or betaine). Results indicated that dietary betaine increased the average daily gain (ADG) and final weight (P

This study aimed to explore the effects of the incremental injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on liver histopathology, inflammation, oxidative status, and mitochondrial function in piglets. Forty healthy Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire castrated boars (21 ± 2 days old, weight 6.84 ± 0.11 kg) were randomly assigned to five groups (n = 8) and then slaughtered on days 0 (group 0, without LPS injection), 1 (group 1), 5 (group 5), 9 (group 9), and 15 (group 15) of LPS injection, respectively. The results showed that, compared to the piglets without LPS injection, LPS injection caused liver injury in the early phase, as manifested by the increased activities of serum liver injury-related parameters (aspartate amino transferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, cholinesterase, and total bile acid) on day 1, and impaired liver morphology (disordered hepatic cell cord arrangement, dissolved and vacuolized hepatocytes, karyopycnosis, and inflammatory cell infiltration and congestion) on days 1 and 5. Meanwhile, LPS injection caused liver inflammation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction on days 1 and 5, as reflected by the upregulated mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB; increased MPO and MDA content; and impaired mitochondrial morphology. However, these parameters were ameliorated in the later phase (days 9~15). Taken together, our data indicate that the incremental injection of the LPS-induced liver injury of piglets could be self-repaired.

To analyse the effects of dietary beta-hydroxy-beta-methyl butyrate (HMB) on meat quality, 32 Bama Xiang mini-pigs was selected and fed 1 of 4 diets for 60 days: HMB deficient group (0%, control), low, moderate, and high levels of HMB group (0.13%, 0.64%, 1.28%, respectively). We found quadratic effects for backfat thickness and lean percentage (P

Deoxynivalenol (DON) reduces growth performance and damage intestinal function, and resveratrol (RES) has positive effects on growth performance and intestinal function. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective mechanism of RES in vitro and vivo challenged with DON. The results showed that dietary supplementation with DON significantly increase the mRNA expression levels of mitophagy- related genes, and protein level for PINK1, Parkin, Beclin-1, Lamp, Atg5, Map1lc, Bnip3, Fundc1, Bcl2l1 and SQSTMS1 (P < 0.05), while supplementation with both RES and DON decreased those indexes in the ileum. Besides DON significantly decreased protein level for Pyruvate Dehydrogenase, Cytochrome c, MFN1, OPA1, and PHB1 (P < 0.05), while supplementation with both RES and DON increased protein level for PHB1, SDHA, and VDAC in the ileum. Moreover, in vitro, we found that DON significantly decreased mitochondrial respiration (P < 0.05), while RES + DON increased the rate of spare respiratory capacity. Also, DON significantly decreased total NAD and ATP (P < 0.05), while RES + DON increased the total NAD and ATP. These results indicate that RES may ameliorates the intestinal damage challenged with deoxynivalenol through mitophagy in weaning piglets.

Iron is a trace element necessary for cell growth, development, and cellular homeostasis, but insufficient or excessive level of iron is toxic. Intracellularly, sufficient amounts of iron are required for mitochondria (the center of iron utilization) to maintain their normal physiologic function. Iron deficiency impairs mitochondrial metabolism and respiratory activity, while mitochondrial iron overload promotes ROS production during mitochondrial electron transport, thus promoting potential disease development. This review provides an overview of iron homeostasis, mitochondrial iron metabolism, and how mitochondrial iron imbalances-induced mitochondrial dysfunction contribute to diseases.

This paper studies the lateral control problem for intelligent vehicles based on the concept of shared control. Considering the participation of drivers in the control loop, a shared control-based lateral controller is designed, which consists of two differed controllers: one is an LQR-based autonomous driving controller and the other is a driver’s intention-based fuzzy controller. For the vehicle dynamic model with two-degrees of freedom, an autonomous driving controller based on LQR and a driver’s intention-based fuzzy controller are designed. Then, the lateral controller based on shared control is constructed, which integrates the aforementioned two controllers. Finally, the co-simulation by MATLAB/Simulink and Carsim is presented. Furthermore, simulation results show that the designed lateral controller can track the desired path with better performance than the LQR-based autonomous driving controller.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced chronic immune stress on intestinal morphology and function, immune system, oxidative status, and mitochondrial function in piglets. Fifty healthy Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire piglets (21 ± 2 days old, barrow, 6.98 ± 0.14 kg body weight) were selected and randomly allotted to five groups, which were slaughtered at 0 (0 group), 1, 5, 9, and 15 d of LPS injection. The results showed that compared with the piglets without LPS injection, LPS injection significantly impaired the intestinal morphology and permeability at 1, 5, and 9 d, as manifested by the increased serum lactic acid and decreased ratio of villus height to crypt depth (p < 0.05). Moreover, intestinal inflammation and oxidative and mitochondrial injury were caused at 1 d, as manifested by upregulated IL-6 mRNA expression, increased malondialdehyde content, and impaired mitochondrial morphology (p < 0.05). However, these parameters were restored to levels identical to 0 group at 9~15 d, accompanied by significantly increased antioxidant capacity, enhanced protein expression of CD3+ and CD68+, and upregulated mRNA abundance of genes related to mitochondrial biogenesis and functions (p < 0.05). Collectively, these results suggest that the intestinal injury of piglets caused by chronic immune stress could be self-repaired.

Obesity is a matter of concern to the public. Abundant evidence has been accumulated that nutritional intervention is a promising strategy to address this health issue. The objective of this study is to investigate alterations in the lipid metabolism in white adipose tissues and the gut microbiota of Shaziling pigs challenged by long-term protein restriction. Results showed that compared with the control group, reducing the protein level by 20% (−20%) increased the mRNA abundance of FABP4 in white adipose tissues (p < 0.05). This occurred in conjunction with increases in PPARγ protein expression. Conversely, the protein expression of C/EBPα was reduced in the −20% group (p < 0.05). Moreover, the −20% group had increased/decreased phosphorylation of AMPKα/mTOR, respectively (p < 0.05). As for the colonic gut microbiota, a 20% reduction in the protein level led to increased Lachnospiraceae XPB1014 group abundance at the genus level (p < 0.01). Collectively, these results indicated that a 20% protein reduction could modulate lipid metabolism and alter the colonic microbiota of Shaziling pigs, an approach which might be translated into a treatment for obesity.

Here, we used Bama Xiang mini-pigs to explore the effects of different dietary β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) levels (0, 0.13, 0.64 or 1.28%) on lipid metabolism of adipose tissue. Results showed that HMB decreased the fat percentage of pigs (linearly, P < 0.05), and the lowest value was observed in the 0.13% HMB group. Moreover, the colonic acetic acid concentration and the relative Bacteroidetes abundance were increased in response to HMB supplementation (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis identified a positive correlation between the relative Bacteroidetes abundance and acetic acid production, and a negative correlation between fat percentage and the relative Bacteroidetes abundance or acetic acid production. HMB also upregulated the phosphorylation (p) of AMPKα, Sirt1, and FoxO1, and downregulated the p-mTOR expression. Collectively, these findings indicate that reduced fat percentage in Bama Xiang mini-pigs could be induced by HMB supplementation and the mechanism might be associated with the Bacteroidetes-acetic acid-AMPKα axis.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of leucine (Leu) and its metabolites (α-ketoisocaproate (KIC) and β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB)) on muscle protein metabolism in growing pigs fed low-protein diets. 32 pigs (Large White × Landrace, 9.55 ± 0.19 kg) were divided into four groups (basal diet, L-Leu, KIC-Ca, HMB-Ca). Results showed that compared to the control, dietary supplementation of KIC and excess Leu significantly decreased the weight of soleus muscle (SM, P 0.05). In conclusion, HMB, but not KIC or excess Leu, might act as a nutrient signal to stimulate positive protein balance especially in muscles of oxidative fiber-types of growing pigs fed low-protein diets, and these effects might be associated with the Akt signaling.

This study aimed to explore the effects of beta-hydroxy-beta-methyl butyrate (HMB) on serum metabolic profiles and meat quality of muscles in Wenshi broiler chickens. Birds were fed a basal diet with an additional 0, 0.05, 0.10, or 0.15% HMB, respectively. Results showed that dietary HMB quadratically increased the average daily gain (P = 0.058) and decreased feed:gain (P < 0.05) mainly in the starter phase. At 51 days of age, birds receiving 0.10% HMB diet exhibited less abdominal fat and more breast yield than the control (P < 0.05). Moreover, dietary HMB quadratically decreased the L∗ value and drip loss in selected muscles (P < 0.05) and increased the a∗ value in breast muscle (P < 0.05). Serum metabolome profiling showed that the most differentially abundant metabolites are lipids and lipid-like molecules, including phosphatidylcholines. It was concluded that HMB improved growth performance and meat quality of muscle in broilers.

This paper addresses the cooperative output tracking control problem for a class of leader-following linear heterogeneous networked multi-agent systems subject to random network delays and packet dropouts in the feedback and forward channels of each agent. A state observer is established at the plant side of each agent, and an event-triggering transmission mechanism is introduced to decide which state estimate is transmitted to the corresponding controller so as to save the network resources of the feedback channel. To further compensate for the negative effects of those random communication constraints and the event trigger, a cooperative predictive control scheme with proportional and integral actions is proposed. Then, a necessary and sufficient condition is derived for the stability of the resulting closed-loop system. Finally, simulation results are given to show the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

The present study is aimed to explore the effects of different dietary beta-hydroxy-beta-methyl butyrate (HMB) levels (0, 0.05%, 0.10%, or 0.15%) on liver lipid metabolism on Wenshi broiler chickens. Results showed that HMB reduced the liver weight as well as liver concentrations of triacylglycerol (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) (quadratically, p < 0.05), and the lowest values were observed in the 0.10% HMB group. Meanwhile, HMB supplementation significantly altered the expression levels of key genes related to lipid metabolism in the liver of broiler chickens (p < 0.05). Furthermore, 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that HMB supplementation could greatly change the richness, diversity, and composition of the broiler gut microbiota, and the Bacteroidetes relative abundance at the phylum level and the Alistipes relative abundance at the genus level were affected (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis further suggested a strong association between Bacteroidetes relative abundance and lipid metabolism-related parameters (p < 0.05). Together, these data suggest that 0.10% HMB supplementation could inhibit hepatic fat deposition via regulating gut microbiota in broilers.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary beta-hydroxy beta-methyl butyrate (HMB) supplementation on muscular lipid metabolism in Bama Xiang mini-pigs. Thirty-two piglets (8.58 ± 0.40 kg, barrow) were selected and fed a basal diet supplemented either with 0 (control), 0.13%, 0.64%, or 1.28% HMB for 60 days. Throughout the experiments, they had free access to clean drinking water and diets. Data of this study were analyzed by one-way ANOVA using the SAS 8.2 software package, followed by a Tukey’s studentized range test to explore treatment effects. The results showed that compared to the control, 0.13% HMB decreased the intramuscular fat (IMF) content and increased polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in Longissimus thoracis muscle (LTM), and increased the n3 PUFAs in soleus muscles (SM, p < 0.05). Moreover, HMB supplementation led to alterations in the mRNA expression of genes related to lipid metabolism. Serum metabolome profiling showed that in both LTM and SM of Bama Xiang mini-pigs, N-Methyl-l-glutamate was positively correlated with SFA and nummularine A was negatively correlated with C18:3n3 PUFA (p < 0.05). Therefore, N-Methyl-l-glutamate and nummularine A might be potential biomarkers of the HMB-supplemented group. These results suggested that dietary HMB supplementation could decrease the IMF content and increase n3 PUFAs as well as regulate the related metabolites (N-Methyl-l-glutamate and nummularine A) in the serum of pigs.

Here, we investigated the roles and mechanisms of flavonoids from mulberry leaves (FML) on lipid metabolism in high fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. ICR mice were fed either a control diet (Con) or HFD with or without FML (240 mg/kg/day) by oral gavage for six weeks. FML administration improved lipid accumulation, alleviated liver steatosis and the whitening of brown adipose tissue, and improved gut microbiota composition in HFD-fed mice. Microbiota transplantation from FML-treated mice alleviated HFD-induced lipid metabolic disorders. Moreover, FML administration restored the production of acetic acid in HFD-fed mice. Correlation analysis identified a significant correlation between the relative abundances of Bacteroidetes and the production of acetic acid, and between the production of acetic acid and the weight of selected adipose tissues. Overall, our results demonstrated that in HFD-fed mice, the lipid metabolism improvement induced by FML administration might be mediated by gut microbiota, especially Bacteroidetes-triggered acetic acid production.

In recent years, chronic overnutrition, such as consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD), has been increasingly viewed as a significant modifiable risk factor for diseases such as diabetes and certain types of cancer. However, the mechanisms by which HFDs exert adverse effects on human health remains poorly understood. Here, this paper will review the recent scientific literature about HFD-induced inflammation and subsequent development of diseases and cancer, with an emphasis on mechanisms involved. Given the expanding global epidemic of excessive HFD intake, understanding the impacts of a HFD on these medical conditions, gaining great insights into possible underlying mechanisms, and developing effective therapeutic strategies are of great importance.