Effects of extrusion and microbial phytase on the apparent and standardized total tract digestibility of phosphorus in hemp hulls fed to growing pigs

An experiment was carried out to determine the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and the standardized total tract digestibility (STTD) of P and the effects of extrusion and microbial phytase on ATTD and STTD of P in hemp hulls (HH). Thirty-six pigs (30.3 ± 2.7 kg) were randomly allotted to 1 of 6 experimental diets in a complete randomized design with 6 replicates per diet. A corn-soybean meal (SBM)-based basal diet was formulated. Two additional diets were formulated by replacing 40% of corn and SBM (on a 100% of total diet basis) with HH or extruded HH (EHH). The test ingredients, corn, and SBM were the only sources of P in the diets. Three additional diets were also prepared by supplementing 500 unit/kg of microbial phytase to the initial 3 diets (the corn-SBM basal diet and diets containing test ingredients). Pigs were fed experimental diets at 3 times the maintenance energy requirement (197 kcal ME/kg BW0.60). Results indicated that fecal P concentration and daily P output were reduced (P < 0.05) from pigs fed diets with dietary phytase compared with pigs fed diets without dietary phytase. The ATTD and STTD of P in experimental diets were not different. However, the ATTD and STTD of P in experimental diets supplemented with dietary phytase were increased (P < 0.05) compared with the diets without phytase. The ATTD and STTD of P in HH were 18.8% and 22.0%, respectively, whereas respective values for EHH were 22.5% and 26.3%. Extrusion had no effects on ATTD and STTD of P in HH. However, the ATTD and STTD of P in HH and EHH increased (P < 0.05) when dietary phytase was added to the diets. The concentration of Ca in feces and daily Ca output were reduced (P < 0.05) as a result of phytase supplementation. Addition of dietary phytase increased (P < 0.05) the ATTD of Ca in all experimental diets. In conclusion, the ATTD and STTD of P in HH fed to growing pigs were 18.8% and 22.0%, respectively. Respective values for EHH were 22.5% and 26.3%. Extrusion did not affect the ATTD and STTD of P in HH. However, the addition of microbial phytase to experimental diets increased the ATTD and STTD of P in diets and test ingredients and decreased fecal P output from pigs fed experimental diets. There was no interaction between extrusion and dietary phytase supplementation.

Post-operative corticosteroid irrigation for chronic rhinosinusitis after endoscopic sinus surgery: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Recently, topical steroid therapy delivery using high-volume sinonasal irrigations has been used more frequently, following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS), to improve drug delivery into the paranasal sinuses.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study was to perform a systematic review with meta-analysis of the efficacy of steroid nasal irrigation on post-operative management of Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) following ESS.

METHODS

Five databases (PubMed, SCOPUS, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane database) from inception to March 2017 were independently reviewed by two researchers. Studies that scored CRS endoscopic findings and CRS-related quality of life (QOL) post-operatively before and after steroid nasal irrigation and that compared the effects of steroid nasal irrigation (treatment groups) with saline alone irrigation (control group) were included in the analysis.

RESULTS

Twelve studies (n = 360) met inclusion criteria. Steroid nasal irrigation significantly reduced the endoscopic score compared with pre-treatment values and also improved QOL. Adverse effects following steroid nasal irrigation such as increased intraocular pressure (IOP) and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis disturbance were not significant. However, compared with saline alone irrigation, the additional effects of steroid irrigation were not significant in the view of the endoscopic score and disease-specific QOL.

CONCLUSION

Although steroid nasal irrigation would not induce adverse effects related to systemic steroid absorption, the beneficial effects of additional steroids in saline irrigation were ambiguous in regard to endoscopic score and CRS-related QOL improvement compared with saline alone irrigation. However, further clinical trials with robust research methodologies should be conducted to confirm the results of this study.

Effects of a multi-strain Bacillus spp. direct-fed microbial and a protease enzyme on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood characteristics, fecal microbiota, and noxious gas emissions of grower pigs fed corn-soybean-meal-based diets-A meta-analysis

Three studies involving 352 grower pigs were conducted to determine the effects of dietary supplementation with multistrain spp. direct-fed microbial (DFM) and protease, alone or in combination, on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood characteristics, fecal microbiota, and noxious gas emissions, and to use a meta-analysis to increase the reliability of the findings. Treatments ( = 4) were set up as a 2 × 2 factorial design with 2 levels of protease (0 and 5.000/6.000 units/kilogram of feed [U/KG]) and 2 levels of DFM (0 and 1.5 × 10 colony forming units/gram of feed [CFU/G]), plus a protease + DFM combination. Pigs were housed in groups of 3 or 4/pen with 8 replicate pens/treatment. Experimental diets were fed for 42 d and feed intake and BW were measured weekly. Fecal samples were collected at d 42 and analyzed to determine apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD). Fecal counts of and coliforms, and noxious gas emissions were measured. Blood samples were taken by anterior vena cava puncture to measure blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine. Data from the 3 studies were pooled and analyzed as a 2 × 2 factorial using the Fit Model platform of JMP 11 (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC). Means separation was determined using Tukey's honest significant difference test. The main effect of protease and DFM increased: BW at 42 d, overall ADG, and overall G:F compared to the control ( < 0.04). There were no interactions between protease and DFM ( > 0.05); however, the protease + DFM combination was the only treatment to improve ADG and G:F in all phases compared to the control. The main effect of protease increased ATTD of DM, nitrogen (N), and ADF ( < 0.04). The main effect of DFM increased ATTD of DM, N, GE, DE, ADF, and fat ( < 0.02). There was a trend for an interaction between protease and DFM for ATTD of GE and DE ( < 0.08) because the protease + DFM combination increased energy digestibility more than the additive effects of the protease and DFM alone. The main effects of protease and DFM decreased fecal ammonia emissions ( < 0.01), but the protease + DFM combination was the only treatment to decrease ammonia emissions compared to the control. In conclusion, the main effects of protease and DFM improved growth performance and nutrient digestibility compared to the control, but there was a greater additive effect of the protease + DFM combination on energy and N digestibility.

MicroRNA-30a-5p (miR-30a) regulates cell motility and EMT by directly targeting oncogenic TM4SF1 in colorectal cancer

PURPOSE

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer death worldwide, and many oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes are involved in CRC. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that can negatively regulate gene expression. Previous studies have revealed that miRNAs regulate the development and progression of many cancers. In this study, we investigated the role of microRNA-30a-5p (miR-30a) in CRC and its unknown mechanisms.

METHODS

qRT-PCR was used to detect miR-30a and TM4SF1 mRNA expression in CRC specimens and cell lines. CRC cell migration and invasion were assessed after transfection with miR-30a or TM4SF1 using wound healing and trans-well migration and invasion assays. Transmembrane-4-L-six-family protein (TM4SF1) was validated as a target of miR-30a in CRC through luciferase reporter assay and bioinformatics algorithms. Moreover, two EMT regulators, E-cadherin and VEGF, were also identified using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

We found that miR-30a was down-regulated in CRC tumor tissues and cell lines, and miR-30a was inversely associated with advanced stage and lymph node metastatic status compared with normal tissues. miR-30a decreased migration and invasion in CRC cell lines, and miR-30a overexpression not only down-regulated TM4SF1 mRNA and protein expression, but also inhibited the expression of VEGF and enhanced expression of E-cadherin. We also showed that TM4SF1 was up-regulated in CRC tumor specimens compared with adjacent normal tissues, and TM4SF1 expression was significantly associated with advanced stage and lymph node status compared with adjacent normal tissues.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that miR-30a is an important regulator of TM4SF1, VEGF, and E-cadherin for CRC lymph node metastasis, a potential new therapeutic target in CRC.

Effects of space allocations and energy levels on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in growing and finishing pigs

Two experiments were conducted to investigate effects of different space allocations and different dietary metabolizable energy (ME) levels on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in growing and finishing pigs. In experiment 1, a total of 84 growing pigs [(Yorkshire × Landrace) × Duroc] with an initial body weight (BW) of 27.10 ± 1.60 kg were used in a 5-week trial. Pigs were blocked based on initial BW into a 2 × 2 factorial design with the following factors: (i) 0.60 or 0.80 m² /pig space allocations; and (ii) 3,400 or 3,550 kcal/kg ME of diets. In experiment 2, a total of 84 finishing pigs with an initial BW of 67.43 ± 1.97 kg were used in a 10-week trial. Pigs were allotted based on initial BW into a 2 × 2 factorial design with the following factors: (i) 0.81 or 1.08 m² /pig space allocations; and (ii) 3,300 or 3,450 kcal/kg ME of diet. In experiment 1, high ME diet improved gain-to-feed ratio (G:F) in pigs with low space allocation but not in pigs in high space allocation (p < .05). Additionally, high ME diet increased apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nitrogen in low space allocation but decreased ATTD of nitrogen in high space allocation (p < .05). In experiment 2, high ME diet improved average daily gain (ADG) and G:F in early-finishing pigs with low space allocation but not in pigs with high space allocation (p < .05). In conclusion, the provision of high ME diets was not enough to overcome the reduction in growth performance due to low space allocation but can improve feed efficiency in growing pigs and daily gain and feed efficiency early-finishing pigs.