Effects of supplementing a CP-reduced diet with rumen-protected methionine on Fleckvieh bull fattening.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementing a CP-reduced diet with rumen-protected methionine on growth performance of Fleckvieh bulls. A total of 69 bulls (367 ±â€¯25 kg BW) were assigned to three feeding groups (n = 23 per group). The control (CON) diet contained 13.7% CP and 2.11 g methionine/kg diet (both DM basis) and was set as positive control. The diet reduced in CP (nitrogen) (RED) diet as negative control and the experimental RED + rumen-protected methionine (MET) diet were characterised by deficient CP concentrations (both 9.04% CP). The RED + MET diet differed from the RED diet in methionine concentration (2.54 g/kg DM vs. 1.56 g/kg DM, respectively) due to supplementation of rumen-protected methionine. Rumen-protected lysine was added to both RED and RED + MET at 2.7 g/kg DM to ensure a sufficient lysine supply relative to total and metabolisable protein intake. Metabolisable energy (ME) and nutrient composition were similar for CON, RED, and RED + MET. Bulls were fed for 105 days (d) on average. Individual feed intake was recorded daily; individual BW was recorded at the beginning of the experiment, once per month, and directly before slaughter. At slaughter, blood samples were collected and carcass traits were assessed. Reduction in dietary CP concentration reduced feed intake, and in combination with lower dietary CP concentration, daily intake of CP for RED and RED + MET was lower compared with CON (P < 0.01). Daily ME intake was reduced in RED and RED + MET compared with CON (P < 0.01). Consequently growth performance and carcass weights were reduced (both P < 0.01) in both RED and RED + MET compared with CON. Supplemental rumen-protected methionine was reflected in increased serum methionine concentration in RED + MET (P < 0.05) as compared to RED but it did not affect growth performance, carcass traits and serum amino acid (AA) concentrations, except for lysine which was reduced (P < 0.01) compared to CON and RED. In conclusion, bulls fed RED or RED + MET diets were exposed to a ruminal CP deficit and subsequently a deficit of prececal digestible protein, but methionine did not appear to be the first-limiting essential AA for growth under the respective experimental conditions.

[Expression of galectin-3 in thyroid gland and follicular cell tumors of the thyroid. A critical study of its possible role in preoperative differential diagnosis]. / Untersuchungen zur Expression von Galectin-3 im Schilddrüsengewebe und in Follikelzelltumoren der Schilddrüse. Kritische Bewertung einer möglichen präoperativen differenzialdiagnostischen Nutzung.

Galectin-3 belongs to a group of endogenous lectins with an affinity to glycoconjugates containing beta-galactoside residues. It has been detected in numerous tissues and studied in connection with tumor growth, dedifferentiation, and metastasis. Only few studies have dealt with galectin-3 detection in tumors of the thyroid gland and with its possible role for differential diagnosis. We studied 118 cases of thyroid gland tumors with a monoclonal antibody against galectin-3; we compared the preparations by a semiquantitative score to determine differences in expression. Normal thyroid gland tissue, goiter tissue, and tissue with functional enhancement were largely negative for galectin-3. Adenomas with a typical cytological pattern were predominantly negative, but a focal positive reaction in single cells and cell groups or follicles was possible. Almost all papillary carcinomas showed a distinct galectin-3 expression. While findings in follicular carcinomas and oxyphilic adenomas and carcinomas were very uneven, with both positive and negative tumors, the galectin-3 reaction can be helpful in recognizing follicular variants of the papillary carcinoma. Investigation of the biological significance of tumors should always be cautious and consider known histological criteria for malignancy.

Defective post-transcriptional processing of MUC2 mucin in ulcerative colitis and in Crohn's disease increases detectability of the MUC2 protein core.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) and, to a lesser extent, Crohn's disease (CD) are associated with a reduction of the protective mucus layer in the large intestine; the role of this alteration in the pathogenesis of either disease is, however, not clear. To learn more about the molecular mechanism of the alteration of the mucus layer, the expression of the main intestinal mucin, MUC2, was investigated in relation to inflammation and dysplasia. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded biopsies from 70 patients with UC and 16 patients with CD, and 13 biopsies from normal colonic mucosa, were used for detection of MUC2 mRNA by in situ hybridization with the SMUC41 probe, and MUC2 protein by immunohistochemistry with the antibody CCP58. The steady-state concentration of MUC2 mRNA was not affected by UC or CD. By contrast, the amount of the detectable MUC2 protein, assessed as the immunoreactive score (IRS), was significantly (p<0. 0001) increased in UC (IRS=8.0+/-3.8) and CD (8.0+/-3.7), compared with the normal colonic mucosa (IRS=2.0+/-1.5). This alteration occurred in the inactive phase of inflammation and persisted in the active phase of the disease. It was also observed during bacterial or protozoal inflammation (n=7). The IRS values did not correlate with the grade of inflammation or dysplasia. Simultaneous histochemistry with high iron diamine and immunohistochemistry indicated that the increase of detectable MUC2 is concomitant with low mucin sulphation in the same cells. These data indicate that the strong MUC2 protein staining in colonic mucosa of patients with UC or CD is due to a long-term alteration of the post-transcriptional modification of the MUC2 molecule, leading to its better detectability by the anti-MUC2 antibody CCP58. This alteration, induced by the inflammatory process, may affect the gel thickness and may contribute to a protracted autoimmune response.

[Nevus cell aggregates in axillary lymph nodes in simultaneous mucinous breast carcinoma]. / Nävuszellaggregate in axillaren Lymphknoten bei gleichzeitig vorliegendem muzinösen Mammakarzinom.

Nevus cell aggregates in lymph nodes are uncommon. This benign phenomenon may be difficult to differentiate from metastatic neoplasia. We report the case of a 56-year-old patient who underwent breast biopsy, followed by radical mastectomy including lymphadenectomy. Histological examination revealed solid cell aggregates as foreign tissue in the capsule of 1 of 11 identified lymph nodes devoid of any keratin immunoreaction. Strong immunohistological staining for the S-100 protein confirmed the diagnosis of nevus cell aggregates.

Comparative lectinhistochemical studies on paraffin- and glycol methacrylate-embedded CNS tissue specimens from AIDS autopsies. Mistletoe lectin I (ML I) as cell-marker.

Brain tissue and spinal cord tissue from 12 patients who had died of AIDS was fixed in neutral formalin; then after the embedment of some of it in paraffin and some of it in glycol methacrylate, it was analyzed lectinhistochemically with mistletoe lectin I (ML I). Mistletoe lectin (ML I) is a reliable marker for microglia cells and macrophages and for special cell forms (polynuclear giant cells, so-called pericytes) belonging to this cell system. In both the embedding procedures used, the representation of the cells is very clear and subtly differentiated so that the preparations are very well suited to the study of AIDS-associated tissue damage in the CNS. Whereas the immunological macrophage markers (CD 68 markers) KPI, PG-M1 produce good results on paraffin-embedded material but are completely useless on material embedded in glycol methacrylate, the cells of the monocyte-macrophage system can be represented very well and reliably after being embedded in glycol methacrylate with mistletoe lectin I (ML I).

Hyaline globules reacting positively with zidovudine antibody in brain and spinal cord of AIDS patients.

Histology of the central nervous system in nine AIDS showed extracellular hyaline globules in the white matter of the brain and the spinal cord. In immunohistochemical studies with a battery of antibodies, the only positive reaction of these globules was with an antibody to zidovudine. High-performance liquid chromatography showed the presence of a zidovudine isomer in eluates of brain tissue from these patients.