1,721,017 research outputs found
Comparison between 800K and 54K in Genome Wide Association Studies for production and morphologic traits in Italian Holstein
No full textGenetic and phenotypic characterization of the Maremmano horse stud in Castelporziano
No full textThe Maremmano is an indigenous Italian horse
probably descending from the native breed of the Etruscans
(800 BC) bred in Maremma areal that spans from Southern
Tuscany to Northern Latium. The Maremmano breed rep-
resents an important cultural resource in Italy as in the past
was used as the symbiotic counterpart of the re-known
‘‘Butteri’’ (the Italian cowboys). After a period of oblivion,
in the early eighties, the breeders decided to find an asso-
ciation and to refresh the procedures of selection with the
institution of a Performance test for stallions and mares. In
this context one of the main studs is the one held in the
Presidential Estate of Castelporziano that represents one of
the most important stocks of Maremmano. We character-
ized both via genetic evaluation and molecular analysis at
certain loci this important stud and compared these values
with the entire population, revealing that Castelporziano’s
stud has one of the most interesting stock together with
higher genetic evaluations
Extracellular Vesicles from Animal Milk: Great Potentialities and Critical Issues
No full textOther than representing the main source of nutrition for newborn mammals, milk delivers a sophisticated signaling system from mother to child that promotes postnatal health. The bioactive components transferred through the milk intake are important for the development of the newborn immune system and include oligosaccharides, lactoferrin, lysozyme, α-La, and immunoglobulins. In the last 15 years, a pivotal role in this mother-to-child exchange has been attributed to extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs are micro- and nanosized structures enclosed in a phospholipidic double-layer membrane that are produced by all cell types and released in the extracellular environment, reaching both close and distant cells. EVs mediate the intercellular cross-talk from the producing to the receiving cell through the transfer of molecules contained within them such as proteins, antigens, lipids, metabolites, RNAs, and DNA fragments. The complex cargo can induce a wide range of functional modulations in the recipient cell (i.e., anti-inflammatory, immunomodulating, angiogenetic, and pro-regenerative modulations) depending on the type of producing cells and the stimuli that these cells receive. EVs can be recovered from every biological fluid, including blood, urine, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, saliva, bile, and milk, which is one of the most promising scalable vesicle sources. This review aimed to present the state-of-the-art of animal-milk-derived EV (mEV) studies due to the exponential growth of this field. A focus on the beneficial potentialities for human health and the issues of studying vesicles from milk, particularly for the analytical methodologies applied, is reported
Mitochondrial DNA variation in the Maremmano horse breed: new genetic insights of an ancient Etruscan connection
No full text
Differential Effects of Dietary Oregano Essential Oil on the Inflammation Related Gene Expression in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells From Outdoor and Indoor Reared Pigs
Full text linkIntensive farming systems represent a stressful environment for pigs and negatively influence neuroendocrine functions, behavior, and performance. Outdoor farming is an alternative option, which is thought to imply several beneficial effects for the animal. Dietary essential oils are known to be an innovative strategy to improve pig health and performance, and oregano essential oil (ORE) possesses beneficial effects due to its antimicrobial, anti-fungal, and antioxidant properties. We tested the effect of dietary ORE on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in 36 growing pigs, either reared under indoor or outdoor conditions. Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) assay was used to evaluate the effect of diet (control vs. ORE) and the time of sampling (T1-120 days vs. T2-190 days) on the expression of inflammatory and immune-related genes (TNF, IL1beta, IL8, IL18, IL10, IL1RN, STAT3, HSP90, ICAM-1, and NFKB1). Under outdoor condition, the majority of transcripts were upregulated (p < 0.05), assuming a general inflammatory status (TNF, HSP90, NFKB1, IL1beta, and STAT3). However, an interaction between diet and the farming system was observed: HSP90, NFKB1, and STAT3 were downregulated (p < 0.05) in the outdoor reared pigs when fed the ORE diet. Our study showed that bioactive compounds of ORE exert their activity, especially when the animals are exposed to stressful stimuli. Dietary ORE can be an acceptable strategy to help pigs tolerate the stress related to the harsh, outdoor, rearing conditions
Gene expression and ontological analyses reveal a key role of LINEs in endurance horse race-induced stress conditions.
No full textMicroarray analysis after strenuous exercise in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of endurance horses
No full textIt is known that moderate physical activity may have beneficial effects on health, whereas strenuous effort induces a state resembling inflammation. The molecular mechanisms underlying the cellular response to exercise remain unclear, although it is clear that the immune system plays a key role. It has been hypothesized that the physio-pathological condition that develops in athletes subjected to heavy training is caused by derangement of cellular immune regulation. The purpose of the present study was to obtain information on endurance horse gene transcription under strenuous conditions and to identify candidate genes causing immune system derangement. We performed a wide gene expression scan, using microarray technology, on peripheral blood mononuclear cells of ten horses chosen from high-level participants in national and international endurance races. The use of three different timepoints revealed changes in gene expression when post-effort samples (T1, taken immediately after the race; and T2, taken 24 h after the race) were compared with basal sample (T0, at rest). Statistical analysis showed no differences in gene expression between T0 and T2 samples, indicating complete restoration of homeostasis by 24 h after racing, whereas T1 showed strong modulation of expression, affecting 132 genes (97 upregulated, 35 downregulated). Ingenuity pathway analysis revealed that the main mechanisms and biofunctions involved were significantly associated with immunological and inflammatory responses. Real-time PCR was performed on 26 gene products to validate the array data
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