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We estimated genetic parameters of oxygen consumption (OC), OC per metabolic body weight (OCMBW), and body weight at three through eight weeks of age in divergently selected mice populations, with an animal model considering maternal genetic, common litter environmental, and cytoplasmic inheritance effects. Cytoplasmic inheritance was considered based on maternal lineage information. For OC, estimated direct heritability was moderate (0.32) and estimated maternal heritability and proportion of the variance of cytoplasmic inheritance effects to the phenotypic variance were very low (both Ndufa12, Sdhc, Atp10b, etc.),Prr16encoding Largen protein,Cry1encoding a key component of the circadian core oscillator, and so on. The results could contribute to elucidate the genetic mechanism of OC, an indicator for maintenance energy requirement and therefore feed efficiency.

Background The Tokyo Guidelines 2018 recommend early laparoscopic cholecystectomy (Lap-C) for patients with acute cholecystitis (AC). We evaluated the validity of endoscopic transpapillary gallbladder drainage (ETGBD) as a bridging therapy prior to elective Lap-C. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort analysis using data from our hospital records from 2018 to 2021. In total, 71 ETGBD procedures were performed in 61 patients with AC. Results The technical success rate was 85.9%. Patients in the failure group had more complicated branching of the cystic duct. The length of time until feeding was started, length of time until the white blood cell count normalized, and length of hospital stay were significantly shorter in the success group. The median waiting period for surgery was 39 days in the ETGBD success group. The median operating time, amount of bleeding, and length of postoperative hospital stay were 134 min, 83.2 g, and 4 days, respectively. In patients who underwent Lap-C, the waiting period for surgery and the operating time were similar between the ETGBD success and failure groups. However, the temporary discharge period after drainage and the length of postoperative hospital stay were significantly longer in the ETGBD failure group. Patients who did not undergo Lap-C tended to have a higher American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification and Charlson comorbidity index score. ConclusionsETGBD has equivalent efficacy prior to elective Lap-C despite some challenges that lower its success rate. Perioperative ETGBD can improve patients’ quality of life by eliminating the need for a drainage tube.

Identification of a quantitative trait locus (QTL) related to a chronic respiratory disease such as Mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine (MPS) and immune-related traits is important for the genetic improvement of disease resistance in pigs. The objective of this study was to detect a novel QTL for a total of 22 production, respiratory disease, and immune-related traits in Landrace pigs. A total of 874 Landrace purebred pigs, which were selected based on MPS resistance, were genotyped using the Illumina PorcineSNP60 BeadChip. We performed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based and haplotype-based genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to detect a novel QTL and to evaluate the possibility of a pleiotropic QTL for these traits. SNP-based GWAS detected a total of six significant regions in backfat thickness, ratio of granular leucocytes to lymphatic cells, plasma concentration of cortisol at different ages, and complement alternative pathway activity in serum. The significant region detected by haplotype-based GWAS was overlapped across the region detected by SNP-based GWAS. Most of these detected QTL regions were novel regions with some candidate genes located in them. With regard to a pleiotropic QTL among traits, only three of these detected QTL regions overlapped among traits, and many detected regions independently affected the traits.

Tyrosinase catalyzes the rate-limiting step in melanin synthesis. Melanin is synthesized from l-tyrosin in the melanosomes, where tyrosinase and other melanogenic factors are recruited via the vesicle transport system. Genetic and biochemical approaches have revealed a correlation between impairments in the vesicle transport system and albinism. However, the specificity of the individual transport systems for the corresponding melanogenic factors has not been well elucidated yet. Here, we report that the thioxothiazolidin derivative, 4-OST (4-[(5E)-5-[(4-fluorophenyl)methylidene]-4-oxo-2-sulfanylidene-1,3-thiazolidin-3-yl]-4-azatricyclo [5.2.1.02 ,6]dec-8-ene-3,5-dione: CAS RN. 477766-87-3) strongly inhibited melanogenesis in mouse melanoma B16F10 cells. 4-OST reduces tyrosinase protein levels without affecting its messenger RNA levels or enzymatic activity. Although a reduction in tyrosinase protein level was observed in the presence of a protein synthesis inhibitor, the reduction may be coupled with protein synthesis. Similarly, GIF-2202 (a derivative of 4-OST) lowers tyrosinase protein levels without affecting the levels of another melanogenic enzyme, tyrosinase-related protein 1 (TYRP1) level. The reduction in tyrosinase protein level is associated with an increase in the levels of the lysosomal proteinase cathepsin S. Chloroquine, a lysosome inhibitor, restored the tyrosinase protein level downregulated by GIF-2202, although no effects of other inhibitors (against proteasome, autophagy, or exocytosis) were observed. In addition, GIF-2202 segregated the immunofluorescence signals of tyrosinase from those of TYRP1. Chloroquine treatment resulted in co-localization of tyrosinase and cathepsin S signals near the perinuclear region, suggesting that 4-OST and GIF-2202 may alter the destination of the tyrosinase vesicle from the melanosome to the lysosome. 4-OST and GIF-2202 can be new tools for studying the tyrosinase-specific vesicle transport system.

In this study, we examined genetic parameters for feed efficiency, growth, and carcass traits in Japanese Shorthorn cattle, based on 714 performance tests and 15,790 field carcass records. Feed efficiency traits, including residual feed intake (RFI) and residual body weight gain (RG), were calculated. Single-trait and two-trait animal models were used to estimate heritability and genetic correlations. Heritability estimates for feed efficiency traits were found to be low to moderate (ranging from 0.03 to 0.36); notably, heritability was moderate for RG and low for RFI. Estimates for genetic correlations between feed efficiency traits and average daily gain (DG) were favorably moderate to high (absolute values of 0.43-0.85), and those with daily feed intake were low (absolute values of 0.00-0.32). We also estimated a high genetic correlation between RG and DG. The backfat thickness (BF) of bull calves showed favorable or no genetic correlation estimates with feed efficiency and growth traits, whereas RG and BF showed favorable or no genetic correlation estimates with carcass traits. Our findings indicate that genetic improvements in both feed utilization ability and carcass traits could be achieved by utilizing RG and BF in Japanese Shorthorn cattle.

Background/aim Pancreatic cancer, which exhibits resistance to cytotoxic and molecular targeted drugs, has an extremely poor prognosis. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is constitutively activated in many pancreatic cancer cases. Although the NF-κB inhibitor dehydroxymethylepoxyquinomicin (DHMEQ) has exhibited anti-cancer effects in pancreatic cancer models, its poor solubility limits its use to intraperitoneal administration. Materials and methods Poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine-co-n-butyl methacrylate) (PMB) forms stable polymer aggregates with DHMEQ. The stability of DHMEQ aggregated with PMB in the human blood was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) ex vivo. Anti-pancreatic cancer effects in AsPC-1 and MIA PaCa-2 pancreatic cancer cells were evaluated by cell growth inhibition assay in vitro and tumor growth inhibition assay in vivo. Results DHMEQ aggregated with PMB (PMB-DHMEQ) remained detectable after 60 min of incubation in the human blood, whereas DHMEQ aggregated with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-DHMEQ) was barely detectable. PMB-DHMEQ significantly inhibited AsPC-1 and MIA PaCa-2 cell growth in vitro compared to CMC-DHMEQ. Intravenous administration of PMB-DHMEQ reduced the tumor volume and liver metastasis compared to untreated or CMC-DHMEQ-treated mice. Conclusion Aggregation with PMB improved the solubility of DHMEQ, and effectively inhibited pancreatic cancer cell growth both in vitro and in vivo.

We have previously generated Large White pigs with high immune competence using a selection strategy based on phagocytic activity (PA), capacity of alternative complement pathway, and antibody response after vaccination against swine erysipelas. In this study, to identify the genetic changes caused by the immune selection pressure, we compared gene expression and polymorphisms in the promoter region between pigs subjected to the immune selection (immune-selected pigs) and those that were not (non-selected pigs). After lipid A stimulation, using a microarray analysis, 37 genes related to immune function and transcription factor activity showed a greater than three-fold difference in expression between macrophages derived from immune-selected and non-selected pigs. We further performed a polymorphic analysis of the promoter region of the differentially expressed genes, and elucidated the predominant promoter-types in the immune-selected and non-selected pigs, respectively, in the genes encoding ribonuclease L (RNASEL), sterile α motif and histidine-aspartate domain containing deoxynucleoside triphosphate triphosphohydrolase 1, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, and tripartite motif containing 21. Analysis of the association between these promoter genotypes and the immune phenotypes revealed that the immune-selected promoter-type in RNASEL was associated with increased PA and was inherited recessively. Considering that RNASEL has been reported to be involved in antimicrobial immune response of mice, it may be possible to enhance the PA of macrophages and improve disease resistance in pig populations using RNASEL promoter-type as a DNA marker for selection.

The aims of the present study were to identify the differences between two mouse lines (high (H)- and low (L)-oxygen consumption) in terms of mitochondrial respiratory activity when GMP (glutamate, malate, and pyruvate) and succinic acid are used as substrates and to examine the relationship between mitochondrial respiration activity and feed efficiency in both lines. The average daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and residual feed intake (RFI) were significantly higher in the H than the L line. The correlation between FCR and RFI was significant (r = 0.60, p < 0.05). RFI was effective as an indicator of feed efficiency. When succinic acid was used as a substrate, mitochondrial respiration states 2-4, ACR, and proton leak were significantly higher in the H than the L line. When GMP was used as a substrate, respiration states 3 and 4 in the H line were significantly higher than those in the L line, and there were significant positive correlations between FCR and RFI and mitochondrial respiration states 2-4. The results indicated that selection for high or low OC changed the basal metabolic rates estimated from liver mitochondrial respiration activity and feed efficiency.

Background: The genetic improvement of disease resistance in pig has been well-received. Identification of a quantitative trait locus (QTL) related to a chronic respiratory disease such as Mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine (MPS) and immune-related traits is important for understanding the genomic background of disease resistance and to apply marker-assisted selection. The objective of this study was to understand the influence of genomic factors on respiratory disease and immune-related traits in MPS-selected pigs.Results: A total of 874 Landrace purebred pigs, which were selected based on MPS resistance, were genotyped using the Illumina PorcineSNP60 BeadChip, and were then used for genomic analyses. First, we performed genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to detect a novel QTL for a total of 22 performance, respiratory disease, and immune-related traits using additive and nonadditive genetic effects. Second, we evaluated the changes in allele frequency due to selection for MPS resistance and compared the putative selected regions with the detected QTL. GWAS detected a total of 11 genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with an additive effect in five traits and a total of three significant SNPs with a nonadditive effect in three traits. Most of these detected QTL regions were novel regions with some candidate genes located in them. With regard to a pleiotropic region among traits, only five of these detected QTL regions overlapped among traits. Changes in allele frequencies at the many putative selected regions were spread across the whole genome and overlapped with the detected QTL. Some of these selected regions were the ones that contained the detected QTL for MPS score and other traits.Conclusion: These results suggest that a closed-line breeding population is a useful target population to refine and confirm QTL regions by integrating the results of GWAS and allele frequency changes. The study provides new insights into the genomic factors that affect respiratory disease and immune-related traits in pigs.

The Japanese Shorthorn is a Japanese Wagyu breed maintained at a small population size. We assessed the degree of inbreeding and genetic diversity among Japanese Shorthorn cattle using pedigree analysis. We analyzed the pedigree records of registered Japanese Shorthorn born between 1980 and 2018, after evaluating the pedigree completeness. The average of the actual inbreeding coefficients increased at the same rates annually from approximately 1.5% in 1980 to 4.2% in 2018 and was higher than the expected inbreeding coefficients over time. The effective population size based on the individual coancestry rate largely decreased from 127.8 in 1980 to 82.6 in 1999, and then remained almost constant at approximately 90. Three effective numbers of ancestors decreased over time until 1995, then remained almost constant. In particular, the effective number of founder genomes (Nge ) decreased from 43.8 in 1980 to 11.9 in 2018. The index of genetic diversity based on Nge decreased from 0.99 in 1980 to 0.96 in 2018 due to genetic drift in non-founder generations. Changes in inbreeding and genetic diversity parameters were similar between Japanese Shorthorn and other Japanese Wagyu breeds, but the magnitude of the changes was lower in the Japanese Shorthorn.

Patient: Female, 74-year-old Final Diagnosis: Biloma Symptoms: Epigastralgia • fever • nausea Medication: — Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Surgery Objective: Rare co-existance of disease or pathology Background: Spontaneous biloma is a rare non-traumatic disease in which an extrahepatic or intrahepatic bile duct perforates spontaneously with no discernable cause. We present the details of a patient with spontaneous biloma resulting from intrahepatic bile duct perforation with concurrent intrahepatic cholelithiasis and cholangiocarcinoma. Case Report: A 74-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with symptoms of abrupt epigastralgia, nausea, and fever. Physical examination revealed epigastric tenderness, guarding, and rebound tenderness. Laboratory test results were normal, except for elevated leukocytes, and C-reactive protein, total bilirubin, and blood urea nitrogen concentrations. Carcinoembryonic antigen and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 concentrations were also elevated. Abdominal computed tomography revealed perihepatic fluid and ascites, with common bile duct dilatation and localized cholangiectasia of B2 with areas of slight high density, which indicated an intraabdominal abscess and intrahepatic cholelithiasis. Spontaneous intrahepatic bile duct perforation was subsequently diagnosed by cholangiography via endoscopic nasobiliary drainage. Left hepatic lobectomy was performed to treat the intrahepatic cholelithiasis and spontaneous biloma. Intraoperatively, a perforation was identified at the edge of the lateral segment of the left triangular ligament, through which bile had been leaking. Histopathology revealed intraductal cholangiocellular carcinoma with intrahepatic cholangiolithiasis. The patient’s postoperative course was excellent, and she was discharged on postoperative day 16. However, cancer dissemination to the peritoneum was identified 8 months after surgery. Conclusions: Treatment for patients with intrahepatic cholelithiasis should involve aggressive surgery because of the associated carcinogenicity. This approach reduces the risk of dissemination secondary to intrahepatic bile duct perforation.

BackgroundThe evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of nonoperative management is growing. However, the best treatment strategy for acute complicated appendicitis remains controversial. We aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of treatment strategies for complicated appendicitis patients. This study sought to determine the most cost-effective strategy from the health care-payer’s perspective.MethodsThe primary outcome was an incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) using nonoperative management with or without interval laparoscopic appendectomy (ILA) as the intervention compared with operative management with emergency laparoscopic appendectomy (ELA) alone as the control. Model variables were abstracted from a literature review, and from data obtained from the hospital records of Tochigi Medical Center. Cost-effectiveness was evaluated using an ICER. We constructed a Markov model to compare treatment strategies for complicated appendicitis in otherwise-healthy adults, over a time horizon of a single year. Uncertainty surrounding model parameters was assessed via one-way- and probabilistic-sensitivity analyses. Threshold analysis was performed using the willingness-to-pay threshold set at the World Health Organization’s criterion of $107,690.ResultsThree meta-analysis were included in our analysis. Operative management cost $6075 per patient. Nonoperative management with interval laparoscopic appendectomy (ILA) cost $984 more than operative management and produced only 0.005 more QALYs, resulting in an ICER of $182,587. Nonoperative management without ILA cost $235 more than operative management, and also yielded only 0.005 additional QALYs resulting in an ICER of $45,123 per QALY. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis with 1000 draws resulted in average ICER of $172,992 in nonoperative management with ILA and $462,843 in Nonoperative management without ILA. The threshold analysis demonstrated that regardless of willingness-to-pay, nonoperative management without ILA would not be most cost-effective strategy.ConclusionsNonoperative management with ILA and Nonoperative management without ILA were not cost-effective strategies compared with operative management to treat complicated appendicitis. Based on our findings, operative management remains the standard of care and nonoperative management would be reconsidered as a treatment option in complicated appendicitis from economic perspective.

Background Although surgery is the definitive curative treatment for biliary tract cancer (BTC), outcomes after surgery alone have not been satisfactory. Adjuvant therapy with S-1 may improve survival in patients with BTC. This study examined the safety and efficacy of 1 year adjuvant S-1 therapy for BTC in a multi-institutional trial. Methods The inclusion criteria were as follows: histologically proven BTC, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status 0 or 1, R0 or R1 surgery performed, cancer classified as Stage IB to III. Within 10 weeks post-surgery, a 42-day cycle of treatment with S-1 (80 mg/m2/day orally twice daily on days 1–28 of each cycle) was initiated and continued up to 1 year post surgery. The primary endpoint was adjuvant therapy completion rate. The secondary endpoints were toxicities, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS). Results Forty-six patients met the inclusion criteria of whom 19 had extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, 10 had gallbladder carcinoma, 9 had ampullary carcinoma, and 8 had intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Overall, 25 patients completed adjuvant chemotherapy, with a 54.3% completion rate while the completion rate without recurrence during the 1 year administration was 62.5%. Seven patients (15%) experienced adverse events (grade 3/4). The median number of courses administered was 7.5. Thirteen patients needed dose reduction or temporary therapy withdrawal. OS and DFS rates at 1/2 years were 91.2/80.0% and 84.3/77.2%, respectively. Among patients who were administered more than 3 courses of S-1, only one patient discontinued because of adverse events. Conclusions One-year administration of adjuvant S-1 therapy for resected BTC was feasible and may be a promising treatment for those with resected BTC. Now, a randomized trial to determine the optimal duration of S-1 is ongoing. Trial registration UMIN-CTR, UMIN000009029. Registered 5 October 2012-Retrospectively registered, https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000009347

Background: Although evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of nonoperative management is growing, the best treatment strategy for acute complicated appendicitis remains controversial. In this study, we performed a cost-effectiveness analysis of operative management with emergency laparoscopic appendectomy (ELA) alone as the first-line therapy in complicated appendicitis patients in a municipal hospital in Japan.Methods: We constructed a Markov model to compare treatment strategies for complicated appendicitis with emergency laparoscopic appendectomy in otherwise-healthy adults. Health outcomes were measured in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) gained, and cost-effectiveness was evaluated using an incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER). Model variables were abstracted from a literature review, and from data from the hospital records of Tochigi Medical Center. Uncertainty surrounding model parameters was assessed via one-way- and probabilistic-sensitivity analyses. Threshold analysis was performed using the willingness-to-pay threshold set at the World Health Organization's criterion of ¥12 million.Results: Operative management cost ¥677,570 per patient. Nonoperative management without interval laparoscopic appendectomy (ILA) cost ¥109,257 more than operative management and produced only 0.005 more QALYs. Nonoperative management without ILA cost ¥26,049 more than operative management, and also yielded only 0.005 additional QALYs. The ICER for both nonoperative managements were > ¥12 million/QALY in the probabilistic sensitivity analysis.Conclusions : Nonoperative management with ILA and Nonoperative management without ILA were not cost-effective strategies compared with operative management to treat complicated appendicitis. Operative management remains the standard of care, but nonoperative management deserves serious consideration as a treatment option in complicated appendicitis.

Mycoplasma pneumonia of swine (MPS) is caused by Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M.hp) and is a common chronic respiratory disease of pigs. Recently, a genetically selected variant of the Landrace pig (Miyagino L2) has a lower incidence of pulmonary MPS lesions. We investigated the pathological and immunological characteristics of MPS resistance in these pigs (n = 24) by comparing with the normal landrace pig (control: n = 24). The pathological MPS lung lesion score in MPS-selected landrace pigs was significantly lower than in the control. The gene expression of interleukin (IL)-12p40, which acts as a chemoattractant and a component of the bioactive cytokines IL-12 and IL-23, was significantly higher at the hilar lymph nodes, lung, and spleen in MPS-selected landrace pigs than in control landrace pigs, and these were negatively correlated with the macroscopic MPS lung lesion score. In summary, we demonstrate that resistance against MPS in Miyagino L2 pigs is associated with IL-12p40 up-regulation, in comparison with normal landrace pigs without the MPS vaccine. In addition, a comparative study of macroscopic MPS lung lesions and IL-12p40 gene expression in lung and hilar lymph nodes may lead to beneficial selection traits for the genetic selection for MPS resistance in pigs.

The aim of this study was to evaluate butyrate supplementation of antibiotic-free milk replacer and starter on growth performance in male Holstein calves. Twenty-nine calves were divided into two groups. Group C (n = 13) was fed antibiotic-free milk replacer without supplementation, and Group B (n = 16) was fed antibiotic-free milk replacer supplemented with butyrate (1.6 % DM of Gustor BP70® ). Starter in Group B contained 0.3 % DM of Gustor BP70® . The intake of milk replacer was lower in group B than in C (p = 0.07 for the treatment x week interaction). Body weight (BW) and heart girth (HG) in group B was higher than in C during the experimental period (p = 0.07 and 0.01 for the treatment × week interaction, respectively). The duration of the weaning period in group B was shorter than in group C (p = 0.02). β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) was higher in group B than in C (p = 0.04). Insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentrations tended to be higher in group B than in C (p = 0.07 for treatment × week interaction). Our results show that butyrate supplementation in antibiotic-free milk replacer and starter exerted positive effects on growth performance in suckling calves.

A simulation analysis and real phenotype analysis were performed to evaluate the impact of three different relationship matrices on heritability estimation and prediction accuracy in a closed-line breeding of Duroc pigs. The numerator relationship matrix (NRM), single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based genomic relationship matrix (GRM) (GS ), and haplotype-based GRM (GH ) were applied in this study. We used PorcineSNP60 genotype array data (38 114 SNPs) of 831 Duroc pigs with four selection traits. In both heritability estimation and prediction accuracy, the accuracy depended on the number of animals with records. For heritability estimation, a large difference in the results among three relationship matrices was not shown, but the trend of the estimated heritabilities between GRMs, that is GS

“Tendon gel” secreted from a parent tendon is regenerated for tendon repair by applying tension. However, the details of the tensile stimulus have not been clarified. This study aimed to evaluate an appropriate tensile stimulus mode and the optimal timing of applying tension to promote tendon gel regeneration. Tendon gel was prepared using a film model method in mice and was preserved in vivo for 3, 5, and 10 days. Unlike tendon gel on day 3 or day 5, a fibrous structure developed in the tendon gel on day 10 when tension was applied. Infrared spectroscopy revealed that characteristic peaks appearing for the tendon gel on days 3 and 5 disappeared on day 10. Disappearance of the peaks indicated maturity of the tendon gel, and it showed the optimal timing for tension application to the tendon gel. The effect of tensile load on tendon gel preserved for 10 days was investigated using a tensile test, a creep test, or a cycle test. In the tensile test, tendon gel was elongated into a thin cord of collagen fibers with an increase in stress, and the maximum diameter of the collagen fiber was approximately 50 times larger than that in the normal Achilles tendon of mice. The results suggest that the diameter of the oriented collagen fiber is controllable by adjusting the applied load and the time in mature tendon gel.

The aim of the present study was to detect quantitative trait loci affecting fatty acid composition in back fat and intramuscular fat in a Duroc pig population comprising seventh-generation pedigrees using genome-wide association studies (GWAS). In total, 305 animals were genotyped using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) array and five selected SNPs from regions containing known candidate genes related to fatty acid synthesis or metabolism. In total, 24 genome-wide significant SNP regions were detected in 12 traits, and 76 genome-wide suggestive SNP regions were detected in 33 traits. The Sus scrofa chromosome (SSC) 7 at 10.3 Mb was significantly associated with C17:0 in intramuscular fat, while the SSC9 at 13.6 Mb was significantly associated with C14:0 in intramuscular fat. The SSC12 at 1.0 Mb was significantly associated with C14:0 in back fat and the SSC14 at 121.0 Mb was significantly associated with C18:0 in intramuscular fat. These regions not only replicated previously reported loci containing some candidate genes involved in fatty acid composition (fatty acid synthase and stearoyl-CoA desaturase) but also included several additional related loci.

We usually performed percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage (PTGBD) for moderate and severe acute cholecystitis (AC) prior to cholecystectomy. But, the validity of preoperative drainage for AC is still controversial. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PTGBD for moderate and severe AC, based on the Tokyo Guidelines 2018. Total of 146 AC patients from 2012 to 2017 were enrolled. Patients were classified in the grade of severity according to TG18, compared with PTGBD and non-PTGBD group. We retrospectively reviewed clinical backgrounds and laboratory data at admission. We evaluated surgical performances as the primary outcomes and recovery periods based on guidelines. A total of 61 cases were moderate, and 18 cases were severe AC, and PTGBD were performed in 34 cases. For moderate AC, age, DM rate and ASA in PTGBD group were significantly higher than those in non-PTGBD group. Also, serum albumin and hemoglobin at admission were significantly lower in the PTGBD group. However, surgical outcomes were almost the same. For severe AC patients, laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed safely in all of pre-operating drainage cases, while almost all of non-PTGBD cases underwent open laparotomy and needed transfusion for massive bleeding. Preoperative PTGBD is a useful and safe procedure for AC patients with comorbidities, especially in severe AC cases. Treatment flowchart in TG18 can be feasible to make accurate prediction for surgically high-risk patients in AC.

Emerging threats of antimicrobial resistance necessitate the exploration of effective alternatives for healthy livestock growth strategies. &lsquo, Immunosynbiotics&rsquo, a combination of immunoregulatory probiotics and prebiotics with synergistic effects when used together in feed, would be one of the most promising candidates. Lactobacilli are normal residents of the gastrointestinal tract of pigs, and many of them are able to exert beneficial immunoregulatory properties. On the other hand, wakame (Undaria pinnafida), an edible seaweed, has the potential to be used as an immunoregulatory prebiotic when added to livestock feed. Therefore, in order to develop a novel immunosynbiotic, we isolated and characterized immunoregulatory lactobacilli with the ability to utilize wakame. Following a month-long in vivo wakame feeding trial in 8-week-old Landrace pigs (n = 6), sections of intestinal mucous membrane were processed for bacteriological culture and followed by identification of pure colonies by 16S rRNA sequence. Each isolate was characterized in vitro in terms of their ability to assimilate to the wakame and to differentially modulate the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interferon beta (IFN-&beta, ) in the porcine intestinal epithelial (PIE) cells triggered by Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 and TLR-3 activation, respectively. We demonstrated that feeding wakame to pigs significantly increased the lactobacilli population in the small intestine. We established a wakame-component adjusted culture media that allowed the isolation and characterization of a total of 128 Lactobacilli salivarius colonies from the gut of wakame-fed pigs. Interestingly, several L. salivarius isolates showed both high wakame assimilation ability and immunomodulatory capacities. Among the wakame assimilating isolates, L. salivarius FFIG71 showed a significantly higher capacity to upregulate the IL-6 expression, and L. salivarius FFIG131 showed significantly higher capacity to upregulate the IFN-&beta, expression, these could be used as immunobiotic strains in combination with wakame for the development of novel immunologically active feeds for pigs.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementation of Wakame seaweed stalks on the immunity and intestinal microflora of pigs. Three separate experiments were performed: Relatively young (start at 20-30 kg; Experiments 1 and 2) and fattening period (70 kg; Experiment 3). All pigs (including the control group) were fed the same commercial feed, free from antibiotic additives, but in the feed for the treatment groups, 1% seaweed powder was added. There were no group differences observed in daily weight gain and feed intake in Experiments 1 and 2 between groups; however, daily weight gain was significantly higher in the treatment group compared to the control group in Experiment 3. The percentage of peripheral blood natural killer cells of the treatment group was significantly higher than that of the control group in all experiments. Although addition of seaweed changed the gene expression of cytokine and toll-like receptors of the small intestinal Peyer's patches slightly, seaweed seems to alter intestinal microflora preferentially, for instance, there was an increase in Lactobacillus and a decrease of Escherichia coli observed. These results suggest that Wakame seaweed can be used as supplement for pig feed to improve the gut health and immunity of pigs.

Maintenance energy requirements (MER) of mice selected for high (H) or low (L) oxygen consumption (OC) were compared. Forty-four mice from H and L OC lines were weaned at 3 weeks and divided into four experimental groups: group A were sacrificed at 4 weeks; group B were fed ad libitum, and groups C and D were fed 2.8 and 2.4 g/day, respectively, from 4 to 8 weeks of age. Groups B-D were sacrificed at 8 weeks. Chemical components were estimated for all groups. MER was estimated using a model that partitioned metabolizable energy intake into that used for maintenance, and protein and fat deposition. The feed conversion ratio for the B group was significantly higher in the H than in the L line. Feed intake for metabolic energy content per metabolic body size was significantly also higher in the H line, whereas accumulated energy content per metabolic body size was significantly higher in the L line. MER of the H line was greater than that of the L line (P

By selective breeding for five generations, a Landrace line has been recently established to improve resistance to mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine (MPS), daily gain (DG), back fat thickness (BF), and plasma cortisol concentrations (COR). To clarify the involvement of swine leukocyte antigen (SLA) polymorphisms in the selection process, we investigated possible associations of 11 SLA-class II haplotypes with selected traits or immune parameters. Pigs with the low-resolution SLA haplotype Lr-0.23 or Lr-0.13, which increased in frequency with the passage of generations, had less severe pathological lesions of MPS, increased leukocyte phagocytic activity, and higher white blood cell counts. In contrast, Lr-0.12 and Lr-0.2, which decreased in subsequent generations, were weakly associated with more severe pathological lesions of MPS. Therefore, in the studied Landrace line, the Lr-0.23 and Lr-0.13 haplotypes are potentially useful genetic markers for selecting and breeding animals with less severe pathological lesions of MPS.

To clarify the genetic influence of mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine (MPS) lesion-selected Landrace (La) on MPS resistance and immune characteristics in three-way crossbred pigs (LaWaDa), the LaWaDa pigs were compared with the non-selected crossbred (LbWbDb) and purebred (La) pigs. The MPS lesion score in the three lines was as follows: La line < LaWaDa line < LbWbDb line, with significant differences among the lines. The proportions of myeloid cells and T cells were lower and higher, respectively, in the LaWaDa pigs compared with those in the other two lines. Messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, transforming growth factor-β, and interferon-γ in peripheral blood was significantly increased after vaccination in the La and LaWaDa lines. IL-4 mRNA expression in the LaWaDa line was intermediate to the La and LbWbDb lines. Furthermore, principal component analysis for immune traits and MPS lesions was executed to clarify the characteristics of each pig line. These findings suggest that the immune responses in the three pig lines are genetically distinct and that MPS resistance and some immunity characteristics from the La line were transmitted to the three-way crossbred pigs.

The objective of this study was to test for association of candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with sow prolificacy reproductive traits, such as litter size, ovulation rate and lifetime performance, in gilts of a Large White pig population. Preliminary research on 25 animals selected from the high- and low-performance groups of 347 animals with case-control studies indicated that seven genes were associated with total number of piglets born (TNB). Six of the seven genes were associated with reproductive traits, including TNB, number of piglets born alive (NBA) and average weight of piglet weaning (AWW). A MBL2 SNP was significantly associated with TNB and NBA in first parity. A CFB SNP was associated with TNB in first parity. An ACE SNP was associated with TNB in first and second parities. An EGF polymorphism was associated with TNB, NBA and AWW in second parity. A KCNC2 polymorphism was significantly associated with TNB and NBA in second parity. A SLC22A5 SNP was associated with TNB and NBA in second parity. Six candidate SNPs were associated with TNB; the only exception was a PRKAG3 polymorphism. A candidate gene approach enables some of these polymorphisms to be used in genetic improvement programs based on marker-assisted selection.