Comparison of physiologically functional compounds in Sika deer Cervus nippon meats obtained from different regions in Japan.

In Japan, the promotion of effective use of many wild deer as food resource has been conducted. However, they are not necessarily utilized effectively. Thus, we focused physiologically functional compounds to find characteristics of Sika deer meats (commercially available) obtained from different regions such as Hokkaido, Wakayama, Tokushima, and Miyazaki prefectures in Japan, making it a valuable resource for future studies and applications. The amount of carnosine, anserine, and balenine in muscle of deer from Wakayama prefecture was significantly lower than that in muscle of deer from other prefectures. The differences of amount of imidazole dipeptides in different prefectures seems to be caused by feed, rearing environment, and breed. The amount of carnitine in deer meat from Hokkaido was significantly lower than that in muscle of deer from other prefectures, while the amount of acetyl-carnitine in deer meat from Miyazaki prefectures was significantly higher than that from other prefectures. The amounts of glutamine, ornithine, and 3-methylhistidine in muscles of deer from Wakayama prefectures were significantly higher than those in muscle of deer from other prefectures. These results might be caused by differences in feeding habits, habitat, the muscle types, and subspecies of deer obtained from four regions in Japan.

Hydrogen peroxide in breast milk is crucial for gut microbiota formation and myelin development in neonatal mice.

Early life environment influences mammalian brain development, a growing area of research within the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease framework, necessitating a deeper understanding of early life factors on children's brain development. This study introduces a mouse model, LAO1 knockout mice, to investigate the relationship between breast milk, the gut microbiome, and brain development. The results reveal that breast milk's reactive oxygen species (ROS) are vital in shaping the neonatal gut microbiota. Decreased hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels in milk disrupt the gut microbiome and lead to abnormal metabolite production, including D-glucaric acid. This metabolite inhibits hippocampal myelin formation during infancy, potentially contributing to behavioral abnormalities observed in adulthood. These findings suggest that H2O2 in breast milk is crucial for normal gut microbiota formation and brain development, with implications for understanding and potentially treating neurodevelopmental disorders in humans.

Influence of repeated mastitis on the milk production and metabolic status in the subsequent lactation period of dairy cattle.

Recurrent mastitis poses a common challenge on dairy farms. While the impact of repeated mastitis within the same lactation has been investigated, the difference from one lactation to the next, particularly concerning the change of milk and blood metabolites, remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the difference in milk yield, milk composition, and metabolic status in the subsequent lactation between healthy and repeated mastitis in the previous lactation. The study population comprised 50 cows chosen from 400 cows, with 25 having no history of mastitis and 25 experiencing mastitis more than three times during the last lactation. Following dry-off and calving, all cows initiated a new lactation, during which no mastitis was diagnosed until the sample collection period. In the group exposed to repeated mastitis, a significant decrease in milk fat levels was observed in the subsequent lactation, while no change was observed in milk somatic cell count (SCC). Milk collected from cows that had experienced repeated mastitis in the previous lactation exhibited significant increases in the levels of free amino acids, namely valine, proline, and alanine. However, no difference in plasma levels of these amino acids was noted. These results indicate that individuals exposed to repeated mastitis have persistent milk quality changes even after dry-off. Biomarker analysis suggested that the milk valine and proline showed a moderate biomarker potential on Kappa coefficients to characterize cows that have experienced repeated mastitis. Furthermore, the results of biomarker combinations for valine and proline provided the highest specificity (100 %), positive likelihood ratio (infinity), and substantial biomarker potential on kappa coefficients (0.68). These findings significantly enhance our understanding of the pathobiology and etiology of recurrent mastitis and provide a biomarker to characterize cows that have experienced repeated mastitis in the past.

Xanthine-induced deficits in hippocampal behavior and abnormal expression of hemoglobin genes.

The prevalence of mental disorders such as depression and anxiety is high and often comorbid with other diseases. Chronic stress is a common risk factor for these disorders, but the mechanisms behind their development are not yet fully understood. Metabolomics has revealed a close association between purine and pyrimidine metabolism and depression and anxiety, with increased levels of serum xanthine observed in both humans and mice. Xanthine is known as purine metabolism, and this compound shows several biological activities, but the impact of xanthine on our brain function is still unclear. The hippocampus, which plays a crucial role in memory and learning, is also implicated in the pathophysiology of depression and anxiety. Here, we investigated the effects of xanthine intraperitoneal administration on spatial memory and anxiety-like behavior in mice. The findings indicated that xanthine administration induced a deficit of hippocampus-dependent spatial memory and a tendency to anxiety-like behavior in mice. RNA-seq analysis showed that xanthine administration upregulated hemoglobin (Hb) genes involved in oxygen transport in the hippocampus. The upregulated Hb genes occurred in the neuronal cells, and in vitro experiments revealed that both Hba-a1 derived from mice and HBA2 derived from humans were upregulated by xanthine treatment. These observations suggest that the xanthine-induced Hb in the hippocampus could be related to spatial memory deficit and anxiety. This study sheds light on the direct effects of xanthine on the brain and its potential role in the development of depression and anxiety symptoms caused by chronic stress.