Dual effects of gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone on testicular development in prepubertal Minxinan Black rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) is a neurohormone that not only suppresses reproduction at the brain level but also regulates steroidogenesis and gametogenesis at the gonad level. However, its function in gonadal physiology has received little attention in rabbits. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of GnIH on testicular development and function in prepubertal Minxinan Black rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). In the present study, we investigated the serum reproductive hormone concentration, testicular parameters, morphology of seminiferous tubules, apoptosis of testicular cells, and expression of reproductive-related genes in male prepubertal Minxinan Black rabbits intraperitoneally administered with 0, 0.5, 5, or 50 µg quail GnIH-related peptides (qGnIH) for 10 days. Compared with the vehicle, administration with 5 µg of qGnIH downregulated the serum testosterone concentration and mRNA levels of spermatogenic genes (PCNA, FSHR, INHßA, HSF1, and AR) and upregulated the apoptosis rate of testicular cells; administration with 50 µg of qGnIH decreased the serum testosterone concentration and hypothalamic GnIH gene mRNA level and increased the serum LH concentration, pituitary LHß gene mRNA level, testicular weight, gonadosomatic index (GSI), and spermatogenic cell layer thickness. It is concluded that GnIH could exert dual actions on testicular development depending on the male prepubertal rabbits receiving different intraperitoneal doses.

Effects of feeding methods on growth and slaughter performance, blood biochemical indices, and intestinal morphology in Minxinan black rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Feed restriction after weaning is a common strategy used in commercial rabbit farms to improve feed efficiency, promote health, and reduce mortality. However, few studies have investigated the feed restrictions of Minxinan black rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Thus, the effects of feed restriction on growth and slaughter performance, intestinal morphology, and blood biochemical indices of Minxinan black rabbits were evaluated in this study. Rabbits in group A (control group) had ad libitum intake, while those in feed restriction groups (groups B, C, and D) were restricted to 80% of the average daily feed intake (ADFI) of group A the day before. The rabbits in group B were fed once per day at 8:00 am. Rabbits in groups C and D were fed twice per day at 8:00 am (50%) and 4:00 pm (50%) and 8:00 am (30%) and 4:00 pm (70%), respectively. The experimental period lasted for 8 weeks. Compared to that in group A, the diarrhea rate of group C was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and the ADFI, feed conversion ratio, abdominal fat weight, abdominal fat rate, total protein, albumin, globulin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), low-density lipoprotein, and intestinal crypt depth of all feed restriction groups were significantly reduced (P < 0.01). Feed conversion ratio in group D was significantly better than that in groups B and C (P < 0.05). The efficiency index (EI) of groups C and D was higher than that of groups A and B (P < 0.01). Triglyceride levels in groups C and D were significantly lower than those in group A. The villus length to crypt depth of the duodenum and jejunum in group D was significantly higher than that in group A (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the following parameters can be improved by feed restriction: feed conversion ratio, diarrhea rate, abdominal fat rate, serum ALT, lipid indices and intestinal health of Minxinan black rabbits, and the EI of the farm. Feeding twice per day, 30% at 8:00 am and 70% at 4:00 pm, had the best comprehensive effects.

MicroRNA-181b Serves as a Circulating Biomarker and Regulates Inflammation in Heart Failure.

Heart failure (HF) is the typical terminal stage of cardiac diseases involving inflammatory states. The function of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the progress of HF remains poorly understood. In this study, real-time PCR results showed a decreased expression of miRNA-181b (miR-181b) in HF patients compared with healthy individuals. Besides, miR-181b expressions were negatively correlated with hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels in the serum of HF patients. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that miR-181b was a diagnostic predictor of HF, and the area under the curve was 0.970 (DCM-induced HF group) and 0.962 (ICM-induced HF group). Strikingly, in HF rats induced by isoproterenol (ISO), the expression of miR-181b of heart tissue was suppressed before tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) increase, as revealed by western blot and real-time PCR. Besides, the overexpression of miR-181b also decreased the expression of TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced neonatal cardiomyocytes. In conclusion, our results revealed that miR-181b might be a potential biomarker for HF and provided a novel target for anti-inflammatory therapy.

Silage preparation and fermentation quality of kudzu, sugarcane top and their mixture treated with lactic acid bacteria, molasses and cellulase.

We studied silage fermentation of kudzu (KZ), sugarcane top (ST) and their mixtures treated with additives to be able to effectively use available local feed resources. The silages were prepared using KZ, ST, KZ 90% + ST 10%, KZ 80% + ST 20%, KZ 70% + ST 30% and KZ 60% + ST 40%, based on fresh matter (FM). These silages were treated with 108  colony-forming units/g epiphytic lactic acid bacteria (LAB), 5% molasses and 0.02% cellulase of FM. The KZ contained higher crude protein (CP; 14.52%) content and lower levels of neutral detergent fiber (NDF; 62.15%) than those of ST (6.84% CP and 64.93% NDF) based on dry matter (DM). The KZ 60% + ST 40% silage fermented well with a higher (P < 0.05) lactic acid content and lower (P < 0.05) pH than those of the other mixed silages. Silages treated with molasses had lower (P < 0.05) ammonia-N, NDF, acid detergent fiber, and hemi-cellulose contents as well as pH, but higher (P < 0.05) DM, water-soluble carbohydrate, and lactic acid contents, than those of the control, LAB and cellulase treatments. The results confirmed that KZ 60% + ST 40% was the best mixing ratio to prepare silage, and molasses improved silage fermentation and fiber degradation.