1.Effects of sodium butyrate supplementation on reproductive performance and colostrum composition in gilts.
He B1, Wang M1, Guo H1, Jia Y1, Yang X1, Zhao R1. Animal. 2016 Apr 4:1-6. [Epub ahead of print]
Nutrients are essential for the health and survival of human beings and animals. Also, they play a major role in enhancing reproductive efficiency. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of sodium butyrate (SB) on reproductive performance and colostrum composition in gilts. A total of 40 Large White×Landrace replacement gilts (at the age of 160 to 175 days) were fed either a standard diet (control group, n=20) or standard diet top dressed with encapsulated SB at the level of 500 mg/kg (SB group, n=20) from 1 month before mating to 7 days after farrowing. The rate of gilts regular return to estrus after insemination was lower in SB group than the control group. The total number of piglets born (P=0.179) and the litter weight at birth (P=0.063) did not differ between the two treatment groups. However, the mean BW at day 7 tended to be greater in SB group (P=0.051) and average daily gain of piglets was greater (P=0.011) compared with control group.
2.Effects of different dl-selenomethionine and sodium selenite levels on growth performance, immune functions and serum thyroid hormones concentrations in broilers.
Wang Y1, Wang H1, Zhan X1,2. J Anim Physiol Anim Nutr (Berl). 2015 Nov 26. doi: 10.1111/jpn.12396. [Epub ahead of print]
This trial was conducted in a 2 × 3 + 1 factorial arrangement based on a completely randomized design to evaluate the effects of different dl-selenomethionine (dl-Se-Met) and sodium selenite (SS) levels on growth performance, immune functions and serum thyroid hormones concentrations in broilers. A total of 840 Ross 308 broilers (7 days old) were allocated by body weight to seven treatments (three replicates of 40 birds each treatment) including (1) basal diet (containing 0.04 mg of selenium (Se)/kg; control) without supplementary Se; (2, 3 and 4) basal diet + 0.05, 0.15 or 0.25 mg/kg Se as SS; (5, 6 and 7) basal diet + 0.05, 0.15 or 0.25 mg/kg Se as dl-Se-Met. The experiment lasted 42 days. The results revealed that dietary Se supplementation improved (p < 0.05) average daily gain, feed efficiency, immune organ index, serum immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin M (IgM) and triiodothyronine (T3 ) concentrations and decreased (p < 0.
3.[Association of serum free triiodothyronine with long-term outcome in heart failure patients receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy].
Mi J1, Liu Z, Yang S, Hua W, Chen K, Ding L, Zhang S. Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2015 Dec 19;95(48):3903-7. doi: 10.3760/cma.j.issn.0376-2491.2015.48.006.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the prognostic role of free triiodothyronine (FT3) on all-cause mortality and heart failure (HF) hospitalization in patients receiving cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).
4.Antioxidant Potential of Spirulina platensis Mitigates Oxidative Stress and Reprotoxicity Induced by Sodium Arsenite in Male Rats.
Bashandy SA1, El Awdan SA1, Ebaid H2, Alhazza IM3. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2016;2016:7174351. doi: 10.1155/2016/7174351. Epub 2016 Jan 13.
The present study aimed to examine the protective role of Spirulina platensis (S. platensis) against arsenic-induced testicular oxidative damage in rats. Arsenic (in the form of NaAsO2 at a dose of 6.3 mg/kg body weight for 8 weeks) caused a significant accumulation of arsenic in testicular tissues as well as a decrease in the levels of testicular superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione, and zinc. Moreover, it significantly decreased plasma testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4) levels and reduced sperm motility and sperm count. Arsenic (AS) led to a significant increase in testicular malondialdehyde (MDA), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), nitric oxide (NO), and sperm abnormalities. S. platensis at a dose of 300 mg/kg was found to attenuate As-induced oxidative stress, testicular damage, and sperm abnormalities by its potent antioxidant activity. S. platensis may represent a potential therapeutic option to protect the testicular tissue from arsenic intoxication.
