Chronic kidney disease after 5/6 nephrectomy disturbs the intestinal microbiota and alters intestinal motility.

Organ-organ crosstalk is involved in homeostasis. Gastrointestinal symptoms are common in patients with renal failure. The aim of this study was to elucidate the relationship between gastrointestinal motility and gastrointestinal symptoms in chronic kidney disease. We performed studies in C57BL/6 mice with chronic kidney disease after 5/6 nephrectomy. Gastrointestinal motility was evaluated by assessing the ex vivo responses of ileum and distal colon strips to electrical field stimulation. Feces were collected from mice, and the composition of the gut microbiota was analyzed using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. Mice with chronic kidney disease after 5/6 nephrectomy showed a decreased amount of stool, and this constipation was correlated with a suppressed contraction response in ileum motility and decreased relaxation response in distal colon motility. Spermine, one of the uremic toxins, inhibited the contraction response in ileum motility, but four types of uremic toxins showed no effect on the relaxation response in distal colon motility. The 5/6 nephrectomy procedure disturbed the balance of the gut microbiota in the mice. The motility dysregulation and constipation were resolved by antibiotic treatments. The expression levels of interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor-α, and iNOS in 5/6 nephrectomy mice were increased in the distal colon but not in the ileum. In addition, macrophage infiltration in 5/6 nephrectomy mice was increased in the distal colon but not in the ileum. We found that 5/6 nephrectomy altered gastrointestinal motility and caused constipation by changing the gut microbiota and causing colonic inflammation. These findings indicate that renal failure was remarkably associated with gastrointestinal dysregulation.

Reemergence of Ibaraki disease in southern Japan in 2013.

In Japan in 2013, two cattle in the northwestern part of Kagoshima Prefecture developed fever and swallowing difficulty and were suspected of having Ibaraki disease. The epizootic hemorrhagic virus (EHDV) genome was detected from diseased and asymptomatic cattle by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). High neutralization antibody titers to Ibaraki virus (IBAV) ranging from 1:128 to 1:1,024 were observed in the RT-PCR-positive cattle, and the virus was isolated in one of the IBAV-positive farms. A pairwise alignment and phylogenetic analysis based on the major outer coat protein VP2 encoded in segment 2 revealed a close relationship between the isolated viruses and previous IBAV isolates. The phylogeny of VP2 also suggested that an IBAV variant isolated in 1997 was distinct from IBAV and sorted into a heterogeneous serotype, EHDV serotype 7. The findings revealed the reemergence of Ibaraki disease in Japan after a 26-year absence. Interestingly, the co-circulation of EHDV serotype 1 with IBAV was observed in the affected region, suggesting the potential reassortment between two heterogeneous serotypes in the field. Sentinel surveillance in Kagoshima Prefecture indicated that the incursion of IBAV occurred in October 2013 and that its spread was limited within the small area. Inadequate environmental temperatures for vector transmission in late autumn might have limited the virus spread to a wider region. The reemergence of Ibaraki disease showed us the importance of continuous vaccination to prevent economic losses.

Meat and milk compositions of bovine clones.

The technology is now available for commercial cloning of farm animals for food production, but is the food safe for consumers? Here, we provide data on >100 parameters that compare the composition of meat and milk from beef and dairy cattle derived from cloning to those of genetic- and breed-matched control animals from conventional reproduction. The cloned animals and the comparators were managed under the same conditions and received the same diet. The composition of the meat and milk from the clones were largely not statistically different from those of matched comparators, and all parameters examined were within the normal industry standards or previously reported values. The data generated from our match-controlled experiments provide science-based information desired by regulatory agencies to address public concerns about the safety of meat and milk from somatic animal clones.