Genotoxicity and cytotoxicity evaluation of probiotic Saccharomyces cerevisiae RC016: a 60-day subchronic oral toxicity study in rats.

AIMS: To acquire data on the safety-in-use of the probiotic Saccharomyces cerevisiae RC016 and test its ability to reduce genotoxicity caused by dietary aflatoxins (AFs). METHODS AND RESULTS: The probiotic was orally administered to Wistar rats. Six groups (n = 6) were arranged: feed and probiotic controls, two levels of AFs-contaminated feed and two treatments including both the probiotic and the toxin. Genotoxiciy and cytotoxicity were evaluated with the bone marrow micronuclei assay and the comet assay and internal organs were macroscopically and microscopically examined. The tested S. cerevisiae strain did not cause genotoxicity or cytotoxicity in vivo, and it was able to attenuate AFs-caused genotoxicity. Saccharomyces cerevisiae RC016 did not cause any impairment on the rats' health and it showed no negative impact on the weight gain. Moreover, RC016 improved zootechnical parameters in AFs-treated animals. The beneficial effects were likely to be caused by adsorption of AFs to the yeast cell wall in the intestine and the consequent reduction in the toxin's bioavailability. CONCLUSIONS: The dietary administration of RC016 does not induce genotoxicity or cytotoxicity to rats. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Incorporation of RC016 in the formulation of feed additives increases animal productivity. Similar effects may even occur in human food applications.

Food deprivation modifies corticosterone-dependent behavioural shifts in the common lizard.

Stressful events typically induce glucocorticoid production that suppresses unnecessary physiological and behavioural functions. The glucocorticoid production also temporally activates alternative behavioural and physiological pathways. These responses are generally adaptive changes to avoid the negative effects of stressors. However, under low food availability, these behavioural and physiological modifications might lead to energetic costs. We therefore predict that these responses should not be activated when there are energetic constraints (e.g., low food availability). We experimentally tested whether food deprivation modifies corticosterone-induced behavioural and physiological responses in captive male common lizards. We measured corticosterone-induced responses in terms of body mass, metabolic rate, activity level and basking behaviour. We found that corticosterone-induced various behavioural and physiological responses which were dependent on food availability. Well-fed lizards treated with corticosterone were active earlier, and increased their basking behaviour. These behavioural modifications did not occur in food-deprived lizards. This inactivation of stress-related behavioural changes probably allows the lizard to save energy.

Efeito do consumo de óleo de linhaça e de vitamina E no desempenho e nas características de carcaças de frangos de corte / Effect of linseed oil and vitamin E consumption on poultry performance and carcass traits

Foi avaliado o efeito da utilização de óleo de linhaça na ração, em substituição ao óleo de soja em diferentes proporções, e de vitamina E, até o nível de 400mg/kg de ração, sobre o desempenho e a composição de carcaça de frangos de corte. O desempenho produtivo foi avaliado com base em pesagens das aves e da ração aos 21 e 49 dias de idade. No 49º dia, as aves foram abatidas, e os rendimentos de carcaça e dos principais cortes comerciais e a porcentagem de vísceras e de gordura abdominal foram avaliados. A composição da fração oleosa da ração, de forma geral, não interferiu nos parâmetros de desempenho avaliados (P>0,05). Os machos consumiram mais ração e ganharam mais peso que as fêmeas (P<0,01). As fêmeas apresentaram, em geral, pior conversão alimentar, associada à maior deposição de gordura abdominal. Os machos apresentaram maior porcentagem de coxa com sobrecoxa em relação ao peso da carcaça eviscerada, e as fêmeas apresentaram maior porcentagem de peito. A porcentagem de asas e vísceras não diferiu entre os sexos.

The effect of the utilization of linseed oil at different concentrations in poultry feed instead of soy oil and the effect of vitamin E administration up to 400mg/kg feed on performance and carcass traits of broilers was investigated. Productive parameters were determined by weighting birds and rations at 21 and 49 days of experiment. Broilers were slaughtered on the 49th day of the experiment for the evaluation of yields of carcass and main cuts, percentages of viscera and abdominal fat. The oil composition of rations did not influence the performance of the broilers (P>0.05). Male broilers had higher feed consumption and weight gain (P<0.05). Female broilers showed worse feed conversion and higher deposition of abdominal fat (P<0.05). Male broilers also had higher percentages of legs and forelegs in relation the weight of the eviscerated carcass while females showed higher breast percentage (P<0.05). Percentages of wings and viscera did not differ between genders (P>0.05).

Pain-patient Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) subgroups: evaluation of long-term treatment outcome.

Six hundred thirty-five chronic pain patients completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) prior to participation in a multidisciplinary inpatient pain treatment program. Three male and four female MMPI subgroups were identified by means of cluster analyses for each of two samples. Pretreatment and long-term follow-up differences were then examined among the MMPI subgroups. Results indicated that the subgroups identified in the present study closely resembled each other and those previously reported in the literature. However, at long-term follow-up only a few outcome differences were identified among male subgroups, while no differences were found among female subgroups. Possible explanations for no differential treatment outcomes among the MMPI subgroups are discussed.

Duplication of the short arm of chromosome 9. Analysis of five cases.

Five females with duplication of the short arm of one chromosome 9 are reported, one tetrasomic and four trisomic for 9p. The tetrasomy is due to an isochromosome 9p while the trisomies are due in one case to an intrachromosomal duplication present in lymphocytes but not in fibroblasts, two are secondary to translocations with chromosomes 22 and 13 respectively, and one is a mosaic with a cell line with an additional deleted chromosome 9 present in lymphocytes and fibroblasts. This analysis indicates that duplications 9p may result in impairment of ovarian function. The phenotypic differences between trisomy and tetrasomy 9p are discussed.

Preferential maternal derivation in inv dup(15): analysis of eight new cases.

Eight patients are reported with a de novo extra inverted duplicated chromosome 15. The abnormal chromosome was considered to be the same in all cases, but its precise delineation remained uncertain and was defined as either 15pter leads to 15q12::15q12 leads to 15pter or 15pter leads to 15q11::15q13 leads to 15pter. Analysis with various techniques of the satellite regions of the bisatellited chromosomes demonstrated maternal derivation in six and paternal derivation in one of the seven families. A non-sister chromatid exchange between the two homologous chromosomes 15 is considered a likely origin of the inv dup(15) in the cases with maternal derivation; in the only case of paternal derivation, however, the abnormal chromosome originated from one single chromosome 15. The clinical findings confirm that patients with inv dup(15) have mental and developmental retardation and are frequently affected by seizures, while severe physical malformations are absent.

Ring chromosome and latent centromeres.

A ring 12 chromosome was found in a male child with minor phenotypic alterations. No obvious loss of chromosome material was detected. Since there is no other case of a ring 12 in the literature, it was not possible to determine whether the phenotype was due to (invisible) terminal deletions or to karyotypic variation. In lymphocyte cultures 9% of the cells had either no or two rings, but the patient's RBC had normal activities of the enzymes lactate dehydrogenase B and peptidase B, whose loci are located on the proximal portions of 12p and 12q, respectively. Dicentric rings were found in 37 cells, and all had two active centromeres, in contrast with the relatively frequent finding of latent centromeres in translocated dicentric autosomes. Two latent centromeres were found in one tricentric "rod-shaped" open ring 12, probably derived from a tetracentric ring. It is postulated that latent centromeres are rare in ring chromosomes because, if consistent suppression of centromeres in excess of one took place at each duplication, rings with four, eight, or more centromeres would be formed rather frequently, which is not the case.