Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) is responsible for non-shivering thermogenesis in brown/beige adipocytes in humans and rodents. Previously, we showed unexpected expression of UCP1 in bovine skeletal ...muscles. Here we evaluated Ucp1 mRNA levels in the muscle tissue of Japanese Black steers. Expression of Ucp1 was higher in 30-month-old cattle than in 26-month-old cattle. Levels of myosin heavy chain (Myh)1, an MYH predominantly expressed in fast-twitch muscles, were also significantly higher in cattle aged 30 months. A similar tendency was observed in the expression of other Myhs that are highly expressed in fast-twitch muscles, Myh2 and Myh4. Ucp1 expression was positively correlated with expression of Myh1, Myh2, and Myh4. Our results indicate the possibility of Ucp1 expression in fast-twitch muscle fibers.
Abstract
Brown/beige adipocytes dissipate energy as heat. We previously showed that brown/beige adipocytes are present in white adipose tissue (WAT) of fattening cattle. The present study examined ...the effect of vitamin A restriction on mRNA expression of brown/beige adipocyte-related genes. In Japan, fattening cattle are conventionally fed a vitamin A-restricted diet to improve beef marbling. Twelve Japanese Black steers aged 10 mo were fed control feed (n = 6) or vitamin A-restricted feed (n = 6) for 20 mo. Subcutaneous WAT (scWAT) and mesenteric WAT (mesWAT) were collected, and mRNA expression levels of molecules related to the function of brown/beige adipocytes (Ucp1, Cidea, Dio2, Cox7a, and Cox8b) as well as transcriptional regulators related to brown/beige adipogenesis (Zfp516, Nfia, Prdm16, and Pgc-1α) were evaluated. The vitamin A restriction significantly increased or tended to increase expression levels of Cidea and Pgc-1α in scWAT, and Cidea, Dio2, and Nfia in mesWAT. Previous studies revealed that the bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) pathway was responsible for commitment of mesenchymal stem cells to brown/beige adipocyte-lineage cells. The vitamin A restriction increased expression of Bmp7 and some Bmp receptors in WAT. The interrelationship between gene expression levels indicated that expression levels of Nfia, Prdm16, and Pgc-1α were closely related to those of genes related to the function of brown/beige adipocytes in scWAT. Also, expression levels of Nfia, Prdm16, and Pgc-1α were highly correlated with those of Alk3 in scWAT. In summary, the present results suggest that the vitamin A restriction increases the number or activity of brown/beige adipocytes through regulatory expression of transcriptional regulators to induce brown/beige adipogenesis, especially in scWAT of fattening cattle, which may be governed by the Bmp pathway.
This study was conducted to clarify the relationships among immunoglobulin (Ig)M, IgG, IgA, β‐carotene, vitamin A and α‐tocopherol contents in colostrum of 24 Japanese Black multiparous cows in order ...to evaluate the role of IgM on colostral IgG and IgA production. Compared with colostral IgG, colostral IgM and IgA were very low but varied widely. There was positive correlation between colostral IgM and IgG, but colostral IgM was not related with colostral IgA. There was no relationship between colostral IgM and age of cows, although colostral IgG was increased with aging. There were positive correlations among colostral β‐carotene, vitamin A and α‐tocopherol and these vitamins were positively correlated with colostral IgM and IgG. These results indicate that fat‐soluble vitamins may affect colostral IgG and IgM in cows and colostral IgG increases with the increase of colostral IgM.
Data from 19 Japanese Black multiparous cows were collected to clarify the relationships among immunoglobulin (Ig) G, IgA, β‐carotene, vitamin A and α‐tocopherol contents in colostrum of cows in ...order to evaluate the role of fat‐soluble vitamins on colostral IgG and IgA production. Mean colostral IgG was 141 mg/mL, ranging from 65 to 208 mg/mL, whereas mean colostral IgA was 8.7 mg/mL, ranging from 1.0 to 34.6 mg/mL. Colostral IgG increased with aging in multiparous cows. There were positive correlations between colostral IgG and colostral vitamin A or colostral α‐tocopherol in cows, and the higher adjusted R² was obtained in the prediction model of colostral IgG from age and colostral vitamin A. Colostral vitamin A was positively correlated with colostral β‐carotene or colostral α‐tocopherol in cows, but there were no relationships between colostral IgA and colostral IgG or colostral fat‐soluble vitamins. These results indicate that fat‐soluble vitamin contents in colostrum of cows may change in similar patterns and high colostral vitamin A is related with high colostral IgG.
Brown/beige adipocytes dissipate energy as heat. We previously showed that brown/beige adipocytes are present in white adipose tissue (WAT) of fattening cattle. The present study examined the effect ...of vitamin A restriction on mRNA expression of brown/beige adipocyte-related genes. In Japan, fattening cattle are conventionally fed a vitamin A-restricted diet to improve beef marbling. Twelve Japanese Black steers aged 10 mo were fed control feed (n = 6) or vitamin A-restricted feed (n = 6) for 20 mo. Subcutaneous WAT (scWAT) and mesenteric WAT (mesWAT) were collected, and mRNA expression levels of molecules related to the function of brown/ beige adipocytes (Ucp1, Cidea, Dio2, Cox7a, and Cox8b) as well as transcriptional regulators related to brown/beige adipogenesis (Zfp516, Nfia, Prdm16, and Pgc-1...) were evaluated. The vitamin A restriction significantly increased or tended to increase expression levels of Cidea and Pgc-1... in scWAT, and Cidea, Dio2, and Nfia in mesWAT. Previous studies revealed that the bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp) pathway was responsible for commitment of mesenchymal stem cells to brown/beige adipocyte-lineage cells. The vitamin A restriction increased expression of Bmp7 and some Bmp receptors in WAT. The interrelationship between gene expression levels indicated that expression levels of Nfia, Prdm16, and Pgc-1... were closely related to those of genes related to the function of brown/beige adipocytes in scWAT. Also, expression levels of Nfia, Prdm16, and Pgc- 1... were highly correlated with those of Alk3 in scWAT. In summary, the present results suggest that the vitamin A restriction increases the number or activity of brown/beige adipocytes through regulatory expression of transcriptional regulators to induce brown/beige adipogenesis, especially in scWAT of fattening cattle, which may be governed by the Bmp pathway.
Abstract
Data from 19
J
apanese Black multiparous cows were collected to clarify the relationships among immunoglobulin (
Ig
)
G
,
IgA
, β‐carotene, vitamin
A
and α‐tocopherol contents in colostrum ...of cows in order to evaluate the role of fat‐soluble vitamins on colostral
IgG
and
IgA
production. Mean colostral
IgG
was 141 mg/mL, ranging from 65 to 208 mg/mL, whereas mean colostral
IgA
was 8.7 mg/mL, ranging from 1.0 to 34.6 mg/mL. Colostral
IgG
increased with aging in multiparous cows. There were positive correlations between colostral
IgG
and colostral vitamin
A
or colostral α‐tocopherol in cows, and the higher adjusted
R
2
was obtained in the prediction model of colostral
IgG
from age and colostral vitamin
A
. Colostral vitamin
A
was positively correlated with colostral β‐carotene or colostral α‐tocopherol in cows, but there were no relationships between colostral
IgA
and colostral
IgG
or colostral fat‐soluble vitamins. These results indicate that fat‐soluble vitamin contents in colostrum of cows may change in similar patterns and high colostral vitamin
A
is related with high colostral
IgG
.
The heartbeats of farm animals have been mainly measured by electrocardiography (ECG) for several purposes, such as the estimation of energy expenditure and the evaluation of autonomic nervous system ...balance in heart rate variability analysis. However, the measurement of ECG requires to maintain conductivity at which electrodes are fixed. In addition, the measurement of ECG is prone to noise signals due to animal movement. Alternatively, in human studies, microvibration on the body surface called ballistocardiography (BCG) has recently been studied as a proxy for heartbeat method. The objective of the present study was to develop a BCG measurement as a new method for measuring heartbeat of cattle. By using high sensitivity piezo film contact microphone sensors, we conducted two experiments. The experiment to search appropriate positions for BCG measurement indicated that the most appropriate position was around center of the right side just below the wither of test animals. The experiment for developing a noise cancellation method suggested that an effective method for removing noise signals may be to place microphone sub-sensors in addition to a main sensor at the appropriate position and derive the difference in signal magnitudes between the sensors.