Energy and Arginine Density in the Diets of Arbor Acre Hens from 40 to 50 Weeks of Age: Effects on Development and Lipid Metabolism of Embryos.

The effects of maternal dietary energy and arginine level on embryonic development and serum lipid metabolism were investigated in this study. A 2 × 3 factorial experiment was conducted with six treatments represented by 10 replicates of eight Arbor Acre broiler breeder hens each. Diets fed from 40 to 50 weeks of age were formulated to contain two digestible arginine levels (9.6 g/kg and 14.5 g/kg) and three metabolic energy levels (10.08 MJ ME/kg, 11.88 MJ ME/kg, and 13.68 MJ ME/kg). Artificial insemination was used, and eggs collected from 50 weeks of hens' age were hatched. Embryonic growth, biochemical and endocrine indexes of embryonic serum and allantoic fluid were measured on different embryonic days (E). The results were as follows: Egg weight (E0, E11, E13) and embryonic weight (E12, E15) in the high-energy group (13.68 MJ ME/kg) were significantly decreased (p < 0.01), as were embryonic breast rate (E13, E15, E21), thigh rate (E13-E21) and liver rate (E15-E21). The reciprocal effects of arginine and energy were significant on breast rate (E11, E13, E17), thigh rate (E19, E21) and liver rate (E11, E19) of the embryo (p < 0.05). CHO (E13-E19), high-density lipoprotein (E13, E15, E21), low-density lipoprotein (E15, E19, E21), and blood glucose (E13) levels in embryonic serum decreased with the increase in maternal dietary energy level (p < 0.05), but triglyceride levels (E19, E21) showed the opposite result (p < 0.05). The levels of cholesterol and blood glucose in embryonic serum at E11 and urea nitrogen in allantoic fluid at E11-E15 were significantly decreased in the 14.5 g/kg arginine group (p < 0.01). With the increase in maternal dietary energy and arginine levels, embryonic serum nitric oxide synthases levels (E11, E15, E19) increased significantly (p < 0.01). The reciprocal effect of arginine and energy in maternal diets was significant on the embryonic serum high-density lipoprotein level at E21 (p < 0.05). Embryonic serum insulin levels at E13 were significantly elevated in the high-energy group (13.68 MJ ME/kg). The reciprocal effect of arginine and energy was significant on the embryonic serum growth hormone level (p < 0.01). Embryonic serum growth hormone levels were significantly reduced in the 14.5 g/kg arginine and 13.68 MJ/kg metabolic energy group (p < 0.01). In conclusion, maternal restricted feeding improved embryonic development and regulated lipid metabolism-related indices in embryonic serum. Maternal dietary addition of digestible arginine had a significant effect on lipid metabolism indices in embryos. There was a maternal effect of maternal dietary energy and arginine levels on embryo growth and development. The deposition of maternal nutrients affects the development of embryos.

Selective imaging of cancer cells with a pH-activatable lysosome-targeting fluorescent probe.

Fluorescence imaging with tumor-specific fluorescent probe has emerged as a tool to aid surgeons in the identification and removal of tumor tissue. We report here a new lysosome-targeting fluorescent probe (NBOH) with BODIPY fluorephore to distinguish tumor tissue out of normal tissue based on different pH environment. The probe exhibited remarkable pH-dependent fluorescence behavior in a wide pH range from 3.0 to 11.0, especially a sensitive pH-dependent fluorescence change at pH range between 3.5 and 5.5, corresponding well to the acidic microenvironment of tumor cells, in aqueous solution. The response time of NBOH was extremely short and the photostability was proved to be good. Toxicity test and fluorescence cell imaging together with a sub-cellular localization study were carried out revealing its low biotoxicity and good cell membrane permeability. And NBOH was successfully applied to the imaging of tumor tissue in tumor-bearing mice suggesting potential application to surgery as a tumor-specific probe.

Effects of dietary L-arginine on laying performance and antioxidant capacity of broiler breeder hens, eggs, and offspring during the late laying period.

The effects of maternal L-arginine supplementation on laying performance and the antioxidant capacity of broiler breeder hens, egg yolk, and their one-day-old offspring were investigated. In a 9 wk experiment, 210 60-week-old Arbor Acres healthy female broiler breeders were randomly divided into 5 treatments with 6 replicates of 7 females and fed a corn and soybean meal diet with 5 arginine levels (0.96%, 1.16%, 1.36%, 1.56%, and 1.76% digestible arginine). Laying performance and anti-oxidant capacity of broiler breeder hens, eggs, and offspring were evaluated. Digestible arginine level in the broiler breeder diet had a significant effect on the laying rate (linear and quadratic effect, P<0.0001). The highest laying rate was obtained when the diet with 1.36% digestible arginine was fed. There was a significant effect of digestible arginine level in the broiler breeder diet on the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) levels and methane dicarboxylic aldehyde (MDA) concentration in the broiler breeder serum, egg yolk and serum, and liver and breast of one-day-old offspring (linear and quadratic effect, P<0.05). The T-AOC level was highest and the MDA concentration lowest in all tissues when a diet with 1.36% digestible arginine was fed. No difference in glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activity in the broiler breeder serum was observed. There were significant effects of digestible arginine level in the broiler breeder diet on the GSH-PX activity of the egg yolk (linear effect, P<0.01; quadratic effect, P<0.05) and serum, liver, and breast of one-day-old offspring (linear and quadratic effect, P≤0.01). The GSH-PX activity in all tissues measured in this experiment was highest when the dietary digestible arginine was 1.36%. These results indicate that the diet with 1.36% digestible arginine (1,972 mg/d) is optimal to satisfy the nutritional needs of a female broiler breeder during the late laying period.