Previously we showed that, for optimum growth, micronutrient levels should be supplemented above current National Research Council (2011) recommendations for Atlantic salmon when they are fed diets ...formulated with low levels of marine ingredients. In the present study, the impact of graded levels (100, 200, 400%) of a micronutrient package (NP) on vertebral deformities and bone gene expression were determined in diploid and triploid salmon parr fed low marine diets. The prevalence of radiologically detectable spinal deformities decreased with increasing micronutrient supplementation in both ploidy. On average, triploids had a higher incidence of spinal deformity than diploids within a given diet. Micronutrient supplementation particularly reduced prevalence of fusion deformities in diploids and compression and reduced spacing deformities in triploids. Prevalence of affected vertebrae within each spinal region (cranial, caudal, tail and tail fin) varied significantly between diet and ploidy, and there was interaction. Prevalence of deformities was greatest in the caudal region of triploids and the impact of graded micronutrient supplementation in reducing deformities also greatest in triploids. Diet affected vertebral morphology with length:height (L:H) ratio generally increasing with level of micronutrient supplementation in both ploidy with no difference between ploidy. Increased dietary micronutrients level in diploid salmon increased the vertebral expression of several bone biomarker genes including bone morphogenetic protein 2 (bmp2), osteocalcin (ostcn), alkaline phosphatase (alp), matrix metallopeptidase 13 (mmp13), osteopontin (opn) and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (igf1r). In contrast, although some genes showed similar trends in triploids, vertebral gene expression was not significantly affected by dietary micronutrients level. The study confirmed earlier indications that dietary micronutrient levels should be increased in salmon fed diets with low marine ingredients and that there are differences in nutritional requirements between ploidies.
•The use of plant ingredients affects the level of micronutrients in salmon feeds.•Increased micronutrient supplementation reduced the prevalence of spinal deformity.•Triploid salmon showed higher prevalence of malformation.•In diploids, the expression of bone genes was affected by micronutrient levels.•Micronutrients should be supplemented when feeding salmon low marine diets.
Abstract Characterization of neurochemical and behavioral responses to ethanol in phenotypically distinct mouse strains can provide insight into the mechanisms of ethanol stimulant actions. Increases ...in striatal dopamine (DA) levels have often been linked to ethanol-induced hyperactivity. We examined the functional status of the DA system and behavioral responsiveness to ethanol, cocaine, and a DA-receptor agonist in an N -ethyl- N -nitrosourea-mutagenized mouse strain, 22-TNJ, generated by the Integrative Neuroscience Initiative on Alcoholism Consortium. The 22-TNJ mouse strain exhibited greater locomotor responses to 2.25 g/kg ethanol and 10 mg/kg cocaine, compared with control mice. In vivo microdialysis showed low-baseline DA levels and a larger DA increase with both 2.25 g/kg ethanol and 10 mg/kg cocaine. In in vitro voltammetry studies, the 22-TNJ mice displayed increased Vmax rates for DA uptake, possibly contributing to the low-baseline DA levels found with microdialysis. Finally, 22-TNJ mice showed enhanced in vitro autoreceptor sensitivity to the D2/D3 agonist, quinpirole, and greater locomotor responses to both autoreceptor-selective and postsynaptic receptor-selective doses of apomorphine compared with controls. Taken together, these results indicate that the dopaminergic system of the 22-TNJ mouse is low functioning compared with control, with consequent receptor supersensitivity, such that mutant animals exhibit enhanced behavioral responses to DA-activating drugs, such as ethanol. Thus, the 22-TNJ mouse represents a model for a relatively hypodopaminergic system, and could provide important insights into the mechanisms of hyper-responsiveness to ethanol's stimulant actions.
With the goal of discovering genes that contribute to late-onset neurological and ocular disorders and also genes that extend the healthy life span in mammals, we are phenotyping mice carrying new ...mutations induced by the chemical N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU). The phenotyping plan includes basic behavioral, neurohistological, and vision testing in sibling cohorts of mice aged to 18 months, and then evaluation for markers of growth trajectory and stress response in these same cohorts aged up to 28 months. Statistical outliers are identified by comparison to test results of similar aged cohorts, and potential mutants are recovered for re-aging to confirm heritability of the phenotype.
Research Findings: The growing body of literature demonstrating the importance of quality interactions with caregivers to infant development coupled with the increasing number of infants spending ...time in classroom settings highlights the need for a measure of interpersonal relationships between infants and caregivers. This article introduces a new measure of quality in infant classrooms based on the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) framework. This measure focuses on teacher-infant interactions with the goal of understanding how these proximal process features can be assessed in this environment. Results from a small pilot study of 30 infant classrooms indicated that the CLASS-Infant demonstrated adequate variability as well as expected convergent and divergent validity with the most commonly used infant child care quality measure. The dimensions of the measure composed a single construct of classroom quality based on teacher-infant interactions. Practice or Policy: Implications of using this measure as an assessment of center-based infant classroom quality and improving professional development are discussed.
PDF
