Goat as the ideal climate-resilient animal model in tropical environment: revisiting advantages over other livestock species.

In the agriculture sector, livestock are considered extremely resilient to climate change and are tipped to play a significant role in ensuring food security to meet the increased demands of growing human population by 2050. Compared to other domestic species, goats are considered the ideal animal model for climate change due to its high thermal and drought resilience, ability to survive on limited pastures, and high disease resistance. This review is therefore a revisit to the advantages of rearing goats over other livestock species under current and future trends of changes in climate, particularly to cope with recurrent multiple stressors such as heat load, and lack of water and feed. In summary, goats, also called as poor man's cow, are preferred by the small-scale landless farmers due to their low input and assured higher output system, as they require low initial investment, with minimum specialized facilities and labors. Furthermore, they perceive goats as better resilient animal to cope with multiple stressors such as heat load, and water and feed scarcity, and possess better skills to cope with bush, when compared with sheep and cattle. The unique capacity for employing behavioral plasticity and morphological features of goats gives them clear advantage over sheep and cattle, when coping with seasonal biotopes, and experiences of water and feed shortage. When facing with low-quality feed, they also are superior to cattle and sheep to digest dry matter and to recycle nitrogen. Additionally, goats have superior ability to desiccate feces and concentrate urine, when compared with sheep and cattle. These advantages make goat the go-to species for efficiently countering the adversities associated with climate change and to optimize appropriate economic return through sustained production. Therefore, goats are tipped to be the future animals with extreme potential to counter the projected alarming climate change impacts and expected to play a significant role in ensuring food security to meet the demands of the growing human population by the end of this century.

Heat stress and poultry production: impact and amelioration.

Globally, the poultry industry is gaining significant importance among the agricultural and its allied sectors. However, heat stress was found to negatively affect the poultry production particularly in the tropical regions. This review is therefore an attempt to generate information pertaining to the impacts of heat stress on poultry production and its amelioration. Heat stress reduces the growth, reproductive performance, and egg production in poultry birds. The reduction in productive potential of poultry birds on exposure to heat stress may be attributed to the deviation of energy resources from production to adaptation pathway. There are different approaches pertaining to relieving the adverse impacts of heat stress on poultry production. These approaches can be broadly categorized under genetic, management, and nutritional strategies. These approaches may reduce the negative effects of heat stress and enhance the productive performance of poultry birds. The management strategies include appropriate shelter design, providing shade, using sprinklers, implementing cooling devices, and using fans and ventilation systems. The recommended floor space for mature birds weighing 1.7 kg is 0.06 m2/bird while it is 0.13 m2/bird for the birds weighing 3.5 kg with 27.8 kg/m2 bird density in either case. The nutritional interventions comprise ration balancing and providing essential micronutrients to improve the productive and reproductive performance in poultry birds. Fat, antioxidants, yeast, and electrolyte supplementations are some of the most commonly used nutritional strategies to ensure optimum production in the poultry industry. Furthermore, providing adequate water supply and disease surveillance measures may help to ensure optimum meat and egg production in the birds. The advanced biotechnological tools may aid to identify suitable genetic markers in poultry birds which might help in developing new strains of higher thermo-tolerance by designing suitable breeding program involving marker-assisted selection. These strategies may help to optimize and sustain poultry production in the changing climate scenario.

Ovarian expression, polymorphism identification and association of SIRT3 gene with reproduction traits in goats.

The NAD+-dependent protein deacetylase, Sirtuin3 (SIRT3), plays a role in fertility by preventing the activation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). A novel study was conducted on caprine SIRT3, to study its ovarian expression, explore the sequence variability in exon 7 and analyze its association with prolificacy in two native goat breeds of Kerala, Malabari and Attappady Black. The mRNA isolated from ovaries of six Malabari and Attappady Black goats were subjected to quantitative PCR (qPCR) using GAPDH and ß-actin as reference genes. Genomic DNA was isolated from 185 goats (99 Malabari and 86 Attappady Black) and subjected to PCR-SSCP to identify polymorphism in exon 7 of SIRT3 and association with litter size was analyzed. The ovarian expression of caprine SIRT3 was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.01) in Malabari than low prolific Attappady Black. PCR-SSCP analysis revealed, exon 7 of SIRT3 was polymorphic with three genotypes namely, AA, AB and BB with a novel SNP, g.154C > T in the 3'UTR. A significant association (p ≤ 0.05) was noticed between the genotypes of SIRT3 and litter size. The results obtained from this study highlight the role of SIRT3 in reproduction and hence SIRT3 may be considered as a potential candidate gene for genetic improvement in goats.

Analysis of carcass traits and quantitative expression patterns of different meat quality governing genes during heat stress exposure in indigenous goats.

A study was conducted to assess the impact of heat stress on various carcass traits, meat quality variables and gene expression patterns which governs meat quality in indigenous female Kodi Aadu breed. The study was conducted for 45 days in climate chamber with 12 animals randomly allocated into two groups of six animals each, KC (n = 6; Female; Control), KHS (n = 6; Female; heat stress). Majority of the major carcass traits and meat quality variables remained intact between KC and KHS groups. The myostatin (MSTN), calpain 1 (CAPN1) and Diacylglycerol Acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) mRNA expression patterns were significantly (P < 0.01) lower in KHS group as compared to KC group. However, the calpain 2 (CAPN2), calpastatin (CAST) and Crytallin alpha (CRYA) mRNA expression patterns were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in KHS group. Thus, the study established that the major carcass traits and meat quality variables remained intact after heat stress exposure in female Kodi Aadu goats. Further, MSTN, HSP27, CRYA and HSP90 genes were identified as biomarkers for reflecting meat quality during heat stress exposure in female Kodi Aadu breed.

Sirtuin3 (SIRT3) gene molecular characterization and SNP detection in prolific and low prolific goat breeds.

Sirtuin3 (SIRT3) is a member of the Sirtuin family of NAD+-dependent deacetylase. They have evolved as a vital protein in preventing the activation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in oocytes. A novel study on caprine SIRT3 was conducted, to characterize caprine SIRT3, to detect potential polymorphisms in SIRT3 and to analyze their association with litter size in the two indigenous goat breeds of India viz., the prolific Malabari and low prolific Attappady Black goats. A 1070 bp mRNA sequence of SIRT3 cDNA comprised of an ORF of 1002 bp encoding 333 amino acids, having 96% identity with bovine SIRT3. The genomic DNAs from the goats (n = 222) were subjected to PCR and single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) of exon 5 fragment (213 bp) of caprine SIRT3. On analysis, two genotypes viz., DD and DE were observed with frequencies of 0.63 and 0.37 respectively. Further sequencing of the PCR products of the respective genotypes revealed a novel synonymous SNP (MF176159:c.691C > T). Genotypes of this fragment had a significant influence on number of kids born (P < 0.05) with DD genotype being superior to DE genotype. These results highlight the role of SIRT3 in reproduction traits and the detected novel SNP would aid in the Marker Assisted Selection programmes and thus SIRT3 can considered as a potential candidate gene for reproduction traits in goats.

Enterotachogram analysis to distinguish irritable bowel syndrome from Crohn's disease.

Crohn's disease is often initially misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome. The goal of this research was to determine if computerized auscultation (fasting enterotachogram analysis) could have a role in distinguishing between these diagnoses. Patients with irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, and a control group were enrolled in the study. The fasting sound-to-sound interval, standard deviation of the interval, sounds per minute, and percentage time involved with bowel sounds was determined by computerized enterotachogram analysis. The mean sound-to-sound interval for the Crohn's group (1232 msecs) and the controls (1706 msecs) was significantly higher than the irritable bowel group (511 msecs, P < 0.0001). We conclude that Crohn's is not characterized by a shortened interval. The high negative predictive value of the fasting enterotachogram for irritable bowel syndrome suggests that an interval greater than 740 msecs should trigger a search for an alternative diagnosis to irritable bowel. Crohn's disease should be included in that differential.

Computerized auscultation applied to irritable bowel syndrome.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of a computerized auscultation method for providing an objective, quantitative measure characteristic of irritable bowel syndrome. Bowel sounds from irritable bowel patients and normal controls were digitized using an electronic stethoscope. Computerized analysis indicated that the character of the bowel sounds did not differ significantly between groups. However, the fasting sound-to-sound interval was significantly different between groups (1931 +/- 365 msec for normals and 452 +/- 35 msec for the irritable bowel group; P = 0.0001). Using the sound-to-sound interval as a test for irritable bowel syndrome, the cutoff value of 640 msec resulted in a sensitivity of 89%, and a specificity of 100%. We conclude that computerized analysis of bowel sounds has the potential to be a noninvasive, quantitative, and objective test providing positive criteria in the diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome.

A controlled study of ranitidine for the prevention of recurrent hemorrhage from duodenal ulcer.

BACKGROUND: Hemorrhage is the most common complication of duodenal ulcer disease, but there is little information about the effectiveness and safety of long-term maintenance therapy with histamine H2-receptor blockers. METHODS: We conducted a double-blind study in patients with endoscopically documented hemorrhage from duodenal ulcers. Patients were randomly assigned to maintenance therapy with ranitidine (150 mg at night) or placebo and were followed for up to three years. Endoscopy was performed at base line (to document that the ulcers had healed), at exit from the study, and when a patient had persistent ulcer symptoms unrelieved by antacids or had gastrointestinal bleeding. Symptomatic relapses without bleeding were treated with ranitidine; if the ulcer healed within eight weeks, the patient resumed taking the assigned study medication. RESULTS: The two groups were similar at entry, which usually occurred about three months after the index hemorrhage. After a mean follow-up of 61 weeks, 3 of the 32 patients treated with ranitidine had recurrent hemorrhage, as compared with 12 of the 33 given placebo (P < 0.05). Half the episodes of recurrent bleeding were asymptomatic. One patient in the ranitidine group withdrew from the study because of asymptomatic thrombocytopenia during the first month. CONCLUSIONS: For patients whose duodenal ulcers heal after severe hemorrhage, long-term maintenance therapy with ranitidine is safe and reduces the risk of recurrent bleeding.

A single blind randomized endoscopic study comparing the effects of diflunisal and naproxen in patients with osteoarthritis.

A single blind randomized endoscopic study comparing the effects of diflunisal and naproxen on the gastric and duodenal mucosa of 34 patients with osteoarthritis was performed over a 2-week period. At the dosages utilized in the study, diflunisal produced significantly less gastric injury than naproxen, as assessed by mean gastric injury scores (p = 0.0002). Sixty-five percent of the diflunisal treated group had no evidence of gastric mucosal injury compared with 13% in the naproxen group. Moreover, treatment with diflunisal resulted in a significantly lower incidence of severe gastric injury than naproxen (p less than 0.01).

Esophageal varix hemorrhage and sclerotherapy--animal studies.

Although endoscopic sclerosis for control of variceal hemorrhage is an old technique, many questions remain about the technique, its applications, and outcomes after use. This report summarizes recent data from animal studies that relate to clinical questions concerning esophageal varix hemorrhage and sclerotherapy. A reproducible canine model of portal hypertension and esophageal varices is described. Three different studies with this model are summarized and discussed including: comparison of methods for endoscopic control of active variceal hemorrhage, comparison of sclerosing agents using canine venous collaterals and efficacy and safety of sclerosing agents in endoscopic sclerotherapy. In our opinion, these data should assist clinicians who are evaluating or planning clinical sclerotherapy trials.

Comparison of different methods for endoscopic hemostasis of bleeding canine esophageal varices.

Despite advances in the therapy of acute esophageal variceal hemorrhage, morbidity and mortality remain high. Continued severe variceal hemorrhage remains a major clinical problem in poor risk patients who cannot tolerate emergency surgery for hemostasis. Several endoscopic hemostatic methods might be effective for variceal hemostasis, but they have not been systematically evaluated. Using a reproducible canine model of esophageal varices, several hemostatic modalities were tested and compared to determine which were most effective in stopping variceal bleeding. Methods tested were endoscopic sclerotherapy, organ laser, neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser, monopolar electro-coagulation, bipolar electrocoagulation, ferromagnetic tamponade, and endoscopic heater probe. Both neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser and endoscopic sclerotherapy provided reliable hemostasis in acutely bleeding canine varices. Large heater probe controlled bleeding 50% of the time, and all the other methods stopped bleeding in less than half the trials. Rebleeding after balloon inflation proximal to the coagulated bleeding site did not occur with neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser or endoscopic sclerotherapy-treated varices but did occur with the other methods. The principal differences between neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser and endoscopic sclerotherapy were the ease of application of neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser, the higher frequency of esophageal ulcers or erosions with neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser, and the lack of variceal obliteration with neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser.