Subacute combined degeneration (SCD) is a rare cause of demyelination of the dorsal and lateral columns of the spinal cord, and is a neurogenic complication due to vitamin B(12) deficiency, that we observe with unusual frequency. Improvement in myelopathy with normalization of the abnormalities in the MRI may occur if ...

Multiple sclerosis incidence is clearly inversely related to sun exposure. This observation led to the idea that vitamin D might be responsible for this relationship. Providing super-physiologic doses of the hormonal form of vitamin D, 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3), suppresses an animal model of multiple sclerosis, i.e. experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) but ...

Aims:  To increase rumen output of γ-linolenic acid (GLA) we used two cereal-derived substrates, ground barley (GB) and rye bran (RB), enriched with fungal GLA as components of feed rations. We examined their effects on rumen fermentation patterns, lipid metabolism and the ciliated protozoan population in an artificial rumen. Methods ...

Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) is a severe neurovisceral lysosomal storage disorder caused by defects in NPC1 or NPC2 proteins. Although numerous studies support the primacy of cholesterol storage, neurons of double-mutant mice lacking both NPC1 and an enzyme required for synthesis of all complex gangliosides (β1,4GalNAc transferase) have been ...

Traditional hand-pounded rice has been replaced today with highly polished white rice in the Asian Indian diets. The study aimed to evaluate the nutritional as well as the sensory differences between the brown (0% polish) and the rice milled to different degrees of polish (2.3, 4.4 and 8.0%). Bapatla and ...

Background:  Previous laboratory research on alcohol absorption has found that substitution of artificially sweetened alcohol mixers for sucrose-based mixers has a marked effect on the rate of gastric emptying, resulting in elevated blood alcohol concentrations. Studies conducted in natural drinking settings, such as bars, have indicated that caffeine ingestion while ...

The objective was to quantify the retention of digesta and evaluate the degradation of phytate or inositol hexakisphosphate (InsP(6)) and lower inositol phosphates (InsP(5), InsP(4), InsP(3), and InsP(2)) in the stomach at different times after feeding pigs a fermented liquid diet with microbial phytase or a non-fermented diet with or ...

Background  Four dogs presented with clinical signs of severe hepatic disease after consuming a commercial camel meat diet. Methods  Laboratory investigation revealed evidence of severe liver disease, including markedly increased serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity and total bilirubin concentration, and prolonged clotting times. Results  Two dogs deteriorated despite supportive therapy ...

An association between gallbladder mucoceles and hypercortisolism (HC) was recently described in dogs. Because the formation of a mucocele from clear bile without the transitional formation of microprecipitates appears unlikely, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of iatrogenic HC on sludge formation and changes in the ...

Dietary-free L-glutamate (Glu) in the stomach interacts with specific Glu receptors (T1R1/T1R3 and mGluR1-8) expressed on surface epithelial and gastric gland cells. Furthermore, luminal Glu activates the vagal afferents in the stomach through the paracrine cascade including nitric oxide and serotonin (5-HT). To elucidate the role of dietary Glu in ...

Vitamin D is emerging as a probably important environmental risk factor in multiple sclerosis, affecting both susceptibility and disease progression. It is not known to what extent this effect is due to a modulation of peripheral lymphocyte function, or to intrathecal effects of vitamin D. We investigated the effect of ...

Interpreting key ecological parameters, such as diet, of extinct organisms without the benefit of direct observation or explicit fossil evidence poses a formidable challenge for paleobiological studies. To date, dietary categorizations of extinct taxa are largely generated by means of modern analogs; however, for many species the method is subject ...

The microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) takes part in the mobilization and secretion of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins from enterocytes and hepatocytes. In this study, we investigated the effects of diethyl-2-({3-dimethylcarbamoyl-4-[(4'-trifluoromethylbiphenyl-2-carbonyl) amino] phenyl}acetyloxymethyl)-2-phenylmalonate (JTT-130), a novel intestine-specific MTP inhibitor, on food intake, gastric emptying, and gut peptides using Sprague-Dawley rats fed 3.1% ...

Twenty male crossbred Texel lambs were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design experiment to assess the effect of dietary addition of nitrate (2.6% of dry matter) and sulfate (2.6% of dry matter) on enteric methane emissions, rumen volatile fatty acid concentrations, rumen microbial composition, and the occurrence of ...

A meta-analysis of studies using the flux/compartmental pool method with indigestible neutral detergent fiber (iNDF) as internal marker was conducted to study the effect of extrinsic characteristics and forage type on particle passage rate (k(p)) in cattle. Further, the k(p) prediction equations in the National Research Council (NRC) and the ...

To investigate the effect of the forage source and feed particle size (FPS) in ruminant rations on the composition of the ruminal Firmicutes community in vitro. Three diets, varying in maize silage to grass silage ratio and FPS, were incubated in a rumen simulation system. Microbial samples were taken from ...

The purpose of this study was to examine the stability and host specificity of a cow's ruminal bacterial community following massive challenge with ruminal microflora from another cow. In each of 2 experiments, 1 pair of cows was selected on the basis of differences in ruminal bacterial community composition (BCC), ...

To investigate the effect of diet on the survival of Salmonella in the bovine abomasum. Five fistulated cows were randomly assigned to one of five diets denoted as: (i) 100% grass, (ii) grass + 5·3 kg DM concentrate, (iii) 100% grass silage, (iv) 100% hay and (v) maize/grass silage plus concentrates. Rumen fluid ...

The species composition, distribution, and biodiversity of the bacterial communities in the rumen of cows fed alfalfa or triticale were investigated using 16S rRNA gene clone library analyses. The rumen bacterial community was fractionated and analyzed as three separate fractions: populations in the planktonic, loosely attached to rumen digesta particles, ...

Holstein rumen-cannulated cows [n=7; initial body weight (BW) 640.56±71.43 kg] were fed a corn silage basal diet with 1 of 3 concentrates (C=control; P10=10% pigeon peas; P20=20% pigeon peas). Cows were randomly assigned to treatments in a replicated 3×3 Latin square and individually fed using Calan gates. Each experimental period ...

Dried distillers' grain with solubles (DDGS) is a by-product of ethanol production, and its use as cattle feed has increased as a result of the expansion of the fuel ethanol industry. However, the inclusion of corn DDGS into feedlot diets may increase the shedding of Escherichia coli O157:H7. This study ...

Feeding highly fermentable diets to ruminants is one strategy to increase energy intake. The increase in short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production and reduced ruminal pH associated with highly fermentable diets imposes a challenge to the metabolism and the regulation of intracellular pH homeostasis of ruminal epithelia. The ruminal epithelia respond ...

Sixteen ruminally cannulated, English-crossbred heifers (378 ± 28.4 kg) grazing small-grain pasture (SGP) were used in a completely randomized design to evaluate effects of supplementing different amounts of corn dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS; 0, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6% of BW; as-fed basis) on forage intake, digestibility, and rumen ...

Eighty continental crossbred beef heifers (414.9 ± 37.9 kg of BW), 16 of which were ruminally cannulated, were used in a 52-d experiment with a generalized randomized block design, to assess if self-selection of dietary ingredients modulates ruminal pH and improves rumen function of feedlot finishing cattle. Treatments were total ...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of physically effective NDF (peNDF) in goat diets containing alfalfa hay as the sole forage source on feed intake, chewing activity, ruminal fermentation, and nutrient digestibility. Four rumen-fistulated goats were fed different proportions of chopped and ground alfalfa hay in ...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the fermentation dynamics of 2 commonly fed corn (co)products in their intact and defatted forms, using the in vitro gas production (IVGP) technique, and to investigate the shifts of the predominant rumen bacterial populations using the 16S rDNA bacterial tag-encoded FLX amplicon ...

Phosphorus (P) excretion in manure is a concern for dairy and beef producers. Excess P released into surface water runoff can lead to eutrophication and algal blooms in streams and lakes. One approach to reducing P excretion is to reduce dietary P. Data regarding P release from feedstuffs is limited ...

The effects of substituting corn with glycerol on DNA concentration of selected ruminal bacteria were investigated using continuous fermenters. Four continuous culture fermenters were used in a 4 × 4 Latin Square design with four 10 days consecutive periods. Treatment diets (60:40 forage to concentrate) were fed at 45 g/day dry matter (DM) in ...

Variability of phosphorus (P) availability among forage species and plant maturity is largely ignored when formulating ruminant diets. To determine if variability in P availability changes with forage species and/or maturity, ruminal in situ and total (ruminal + post-ruminal) dry matter (DM) and phosphorus disappearance (PD) from alfalfa (ALF; Medicago sativa) and ...

High-grain adaptation programs are widely used with feedlot cattle to balance enhanced growth performance against the risk of acidosis. This adaptation to a high-grain diet from a high-forage diet is known to change the rumen microbial population structure and help establish a stable microbial population within the rumen. Therefore, to ...

Tannins (hydrolysable and condensed tannin) are polyphenolic polymers of relatively high molecular weight with the capacity to form complexes mainly with proteins due to the presence of a large number of phenolic hydroxyl groups. They are widely distributed in nutritionally important forage trees, shrubs and legumes, cereals and grains, which ...

Dietary cation-anion difference [DCAD=Na+K-Cl in mEq/kg of dry matter (DM)] increases DM intake (DMI) in cows fed diets containing rapidly degraded starch. Increased DMI of diets containing rapidly degraded starch could potentially exacerbate subacute acidosis. The objective of this study was to determine metabolic effects of increasing DCAD in low ...

Effects of physical changes in consistency of ruminal contents on intraruminal equilibration and net portal fluxes of volatile fatty acids (VFA) in dairy cows were studied. Four Danish Holstein cows (121+/-17 d in milk, 591+/-24 kg of body weight, mean+/-SD) surgically fitted with a ruminal cannula and permanent indwelling catheters ...

Dried distillers' grains with solubles (DDGS) are becoming increasingly available and popular as an alternative livestock feed. This study used continuous and batch culture techniques to compare the in vitro fermentation characteristics of diets containing corn-, triticale- or wheat-based DDGS at 200 g kg(-1) diet dry matter (DM) against a ...

At present there is little quantitative information on the identity and composition of bacterial populations in the rumen microbial community. Quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization using newly designed oligonucleotide probes was applied to identify the microbial populations in liquid and solid fractions of rumen digesta from cows fed barley silage ...

In order to improve the digestibility and nutrient availability in rumen, wheat straw was subjected to solid state fermentation (SSF) with white-rot fungi (i.e. Pleurotus ostreatus and Trametes versicolor) and the fermented biomass (called myco-straw) was evaluated for biochemical, enzymatic and nutritional parameters. The fungal treatment after 30 days led to ...

Dietary components and changes cause shifts in the gastrointestinal microbial ecology that can play a role in animal health and productivity. However, most information about the microbial populations in the gut of livestock species has not been quantitative. In the present study, we utilized a new molecular method, bacterial tag-encoded ...

More accurate and sensitive visualisation of faecal contamination in the abattoir would significantly reduce the risk posed by harbouring pathogenic micro-organisms. We carried out a preliminary investigation of the range of fluorophores found naturally in faeces from typical ruminant diets. Sixteen ewes were offered either: i) fresh forage (FF), ii) ...

A study was conducted to compare the nutrient utilization, growth, and rumen enzyme profile of mithun (Bos frontalis) and Tho-tho cattle (Bos indicus) reared in the same feeding and managemental conditions. For the purpose, male mithun (n = 8) and male Tho-tho cattle (n = 8) of 1.5 years age, selected from the farm of ...

The effects of dietary alkyl polyglycoside [APG, a nonionic surfactant (NIS), derived from a reaction of corn starch glucose and a natural fatty alcohol] inclusion on digestion of nutrients and ruminal fermentation in goats were examined in a 4 × 4 Latin square design using 4 ruminally and duodenally cannulated ...

The influence of rumen microbial structure and functions on host physiology remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the interaction between the ruminal microflora and the host by correlating bacterial diversity with fermentation measurements and feed efficiency traits, including dry matter intake, feed conversion ratio, average daily gain, and ...

Cattle are often fed high concentrate (HC) diets to increase productivity, although HC diets cause changes in ruminal environment such as pH reduction. Despite those well-documented changes in cattle fed HC diets, there is currently a paucity of data describing the molecular events regulating the ruminal environment. Our objective was ...

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a pathogenic, gram-negative bacterium that causes diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and can lead to fatal hemolytic uremic syndrome in humans. We examined the persistence of E. coli O157:H7 lineages I and II in feces held at 4, 12, and 25 degrees C, from animals fed either grain ...

The experiment investigated the effects of the dietary inclusion of 200 g of the natural zeolite, clinoptilolite on the blood serum concentrations of aluminium (Al) and inorganic phosphorus (P) as well as on the ruminal pH and the ruminal concentrations of Al and P and of certain volatile fatty acids. Sixteen ...

The effects of chromium picolinate (CrPic) oral supplementation on the performance and ruminal protozoa population in sheep was investigated. Twenty-four male lambs were treated with four different levels of CrPic: placebo, 0.250, 0.375 and 0.500mg of chromium/animal/day during 84days. The base ration was Panicum maximum cv Massai hay and concentrate. ...

This study examined the effects of primary growth (PG) and regrowth (RG) timothy-meadow fescue silages harvested at 2 stages of growth on feed intake, cell wall digestion and ruminal passage kinetics in lactating dairy cows. Four dairy cows equipped with rumen cannulas were used in a study designed as a ...

Mixed model analysis of data from 32 studies (122 diets) was used to evaluate the precision and accuracy of the omasal sampling technique for quantifying ruminal-N metabolism and to assess the relationships between nonammonia-N flow at the omasal canal and milk protein yield. Data were derived from experiments in cattle ...

The objectives of the present research were to conduct a survey to investigate the health history and feeding practices of giraffe in captivity in North America and to obtain samples of hay, concentrate, browse, urine, and serum to compare across zoos, possible factors relating to the development of urolithiasis. Forty-one ...

A data set from 32 studies (122 diets) was used to evaluate the accuracy and precision of the omasal sampling technique by investigating the relationships between ruminal and total digestion of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), between intake and apparent and true ruminal digestion of organic matter (OM), and between omasal ...

Rumen microbial biohydrogenation of dietary unsaturated fatty acids has a major effect on the process of developing healthier dairy products. This study aimed to investigate in vivo the effect of diet supplementation with sunflower (SO) and fish (FO) oils on the rumen bacterial community in dairy sheep. First, 32 lactating ...