Ferritin is the main intracellular storage of iron. Animal studies show that female liver and kidney express more ferritin and accumulate more iron than male. However, no study so far has ...investigated sex and age differences in light (FtL) and heavy (FtH) ferritin chain expression. To address this, we relied on specific antibodies and immunochemical methods to analyse the expression of both ferritin chains in the liver and kidney of 3-month and 2-year-old male and female Wistar rats. To see how sex hormones may affect expression we also studied adult animals gonadectomised at the age of 10 weeks. FtL and FtH were more expressed in both organs of female rats, while gonadectomy increased the expression in males and decreased it in females, which suggests that it is stimulated by female and inhibited by male steroid hormones. Normal kidney ferritin distribution and change with aging warrant more attention in studies of (patho) physiological and toxicological processes.
Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are widely used in biomedicine due to their strong antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral activities. Concerns about their possible negative impacts on human and ...environmental health directed many researchers towards the assessment of the safety and toxicity of AgNPs in both in vitro and in vivo settings. A growing body of scientific information confirms that the biodistribution of AgNPs and their toxic effects vary depending on the particle size, coating, and dose as well as on the route of administration and duration of exposure. This study aimed to clarify the sex-related differences in the outcomes of oral 28 days repeated dose exposure to AgNPs.
Wistar rats of both sexes were gavaged daily using low doses (0.1 and 1 mg Ag/kg b.w.) of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-coated small-sized (10 nm) AgNPs. After exposure, blood and organs of all rats were analysed through biodistribution and accumulation of Ag, whereas the state of the liver and kidneys was evaluated by the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), expression of metallothionein (Mt) genes and levels of Mt proteins.
In all animals, changes in oxidative stress markers and blood parameters were observed indicating the toxicity of AgNPs applied orally even at low doses. Sex-related differences were noticed in all assessed parameters. While female rats eliminated AgNPs from the liver and kidneys more efficiently than males when treated with low doses, the opposite was observed for animals treated with higher doses of AgNPs. Female Wistar rats exposed to 1 mg PVP-coated AgNPs/kg b.w. accumulated two to three times more silver in the blood, liver, kidney and hearth than males, while the accumulation in most organs of digestive tract was more than ten times higher compared to males. Oxidative stress responses in the organs of males, except the liver of males treated with high doses, were less intense than in the organs of females. However, both Mt genes and Mt protein expression were significantly reduced after treatment in the liver and kidneys of males, while they remained unchanged in females.
Observed toxicity effects of AgNPs in Wistar rats revealed sex-related differences in response to an oral 28 days repeated exposure.
The aim of this study was to present the performance and some biochemical parameters in the blood of hens fed feed mixtures with different levels of lutein. The study involved a total of 291 Tetra SL ...hybrid laying hens, divided into 3 groups (O0 with 0 mg/kg lutein added, O200 with 200 mg/kg lutein added and O400 with 400 mg/kg lutein added), and lasted for 5 weeks. The O0 group included 93 hens, whereas experimental groups 98 and 100 hens, respectively. The highest egg production and the best feed consumption per egg were recorded in O400 group with a total of 3367 pieces of eggs produced and 128.60 g of feed consumed. The best laying intensity (96.68%) and number of eggs per laying hen (34.19) as well as the highest feed consumption per day (129.01 g), was recorded in O200 group. Lutein added to feed mixtures for laying hens did not significantly affect the values of biochemical parameters in blood (P>0.05). An increase in total cholesterol (CHOL) and HDL cholesterol content as well as the decrease of total protein (PROT) and albumin (ALB) content in the experimental groups can be observed. The content of glucose (GUK) and urea was similar between the experimental groups, while the highest content of triglycerides (TGC) was recorded in O200 group. It can be concluded that different levels of lutein added to the feed mixtures for laying hens did not have negative effect on the performance and blood biochemical parameters of laying hens.
The aim of this study was to determine the influence of dietary supplementation with propolis and bee pollen on the intestinal morphology and absorptive surface areas of chickens. Two hundred day-old ...Ross 308 chickens (100 male and 100 female) were equally allocated into five groups. Throughout the whole study, the control group of chickens was fed with a basal diet, while the experimental groups of chickens were fed with the same diet supplemented with propolis and bee pollen: P1 = 0.25 g of propolis/kg + 20 g of bee pollen/kg; P2 = 0.5 g of propolis/kg; P3 = 1.0 g of propolis/kg; P4 = 20 g of bee pollen/kg. The duodenal villi of chickens from all experimental groups were significantly higher and wider (
< 0.001), while their duodenal villi crypts were significantly deeper (
< 0.001) in comparison with these parameters in chickens from the control group. The villus height to crypt depth ratio, as well as the absorptive surface areas of broiler chickens, were significantly increased (
< 0.001) in experimental groups of chickens in comparison with the control group. These findings suggest that dietary supplementation with propolis and bee pollen has a beneficial effect on broilers chickens' intestinal morphophysiology.
Metallothioneins are peculiar cysteine rich, heat resistant, small cellular plasma proteins expressed through almost all life forms. The currently established biological functions of metallothioneins ...are the homeostasis of essential metals and protection against toxic transitional metals (TM) alongside defence from oxidative stress by direct scavenging of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS). In mammals, among the four main evolutionary conserved forms, only the ubiquitously expressed metallothionein 1 and 2 (here abbreviated as MT) are inducible by TM, oxidative stress, glucocorticoids and starvation among various other stimuli. However, more than sixty years after being discovered, metallothioneins still bear unresolved issues about their possible physiological function and regulation. The biological function of MTs has still not been associated with the
-demonstrated capacity of MT interaction with cellular molecules glutathione (GSH) or adenosine triphosphate (ATP), or with the possibility of direct iron-MT binding in the reducing intracellular environment of some organelles, e.g. lysosomes. Iron as the most abundant cellular TM is also one of the main physiological sources of ROS. Moreover, iron exhibits strain, sex and age differences that reflected ROS generation and MT induction in (patho)physiology and toxicology studies. A recent study showed that iron sex differences follows expression of both ferritin and MT leading to wide implications from essential TM interconnectivity to aging. This review places emphasis on biochemically proven but physiologically ignored interactions of MT with iron to stimulate advanced research for establishing a wide frame of the biological roles of MTs important for health and longevity.
Across the world, as well as in Croatia, there is a continuous increase in the consumption of chicken meat, and attempts are being made in modern poultry production to improve its quality as much as ...possible by using various natural additives. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of dietary supplementation with propolis and bee pollen on the quality of chicken meat. In order to determine this effect, the carcass body weight of slaughtered chickens and carcass yield were determined, as well as the average pH1 and pH2 of chicken breast muscle, drip loss values, and skin color and chicken breast muscle color expressed as values of L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness). The study was conducted on 200 Ross 308 chickens, divided into five groups. Throughout the study, the control group of chickens was fed with a basal diet, while the experimental groups of chickens were fed with the basal diet supplemented with propolis and bee pollen, each supplement given separately or in combination in specific proportions. At the end of the experiment (42nd day), 10 chickens from each group were slaughtered for the analyses mentioned above. The carcass yield values were significantly higher (P = 0.038) and the drip loss values were significantly lower (P = 0.003) in the experimental groups in comparison to the control group. In addition, there was a statistically significant difference in b* skin color (P = 0.017) and b* chicken breast muscle color (P<0.001) between the groups of chickens. The study showed that dietary supplementation with propolis and bee pollen has a significant positive effect on the quality of chicken meat.
This experimental study aimed to determine how propolis and bee pollen (each supplement separately or in combination in a certain proportion), as additives to broiler feed, affect performance, ...mortality and the values of the selected haematological blood parameters in chickens. This experimental study was conducted on 200 Ross 308 chickens of equally distributed sex, which were randomly divided into five groups. Throughout the whole study, the control group of chickens was fed ordinary feed mixture, while the feed mixture that was fed to the experimental groups of chickens contained propolis and/or bee pollen. The average values of body weight of chickens were significantly higher on the 1st (P=0.001), 2nd-5th (P<0.001) and 6th (P=0.002) weeks of fattening in the experimental groups of chickens in comparison to the control group; the average values of weight gain of chickens were significantly higher on the 1st (P<0.001), 2nd (P=0.002), 3rd (P<0.001), 4th (P=0.029) and 5th (P=0.009) weeks. Lower mortality was recorded in all the experimental groups in comparison to the control group of chickens (P=0.031). Higher values of MCV (P=0.009) and haematocrit (P=0.015) and lower values of the leukocyte count (P=0.029) and of the relative ratio of Mo (P<0.001) were recorded in the experimental groups of chickens in comparison to the control group on the 21st day of fattening. Higher values of the relative ratio of heterophils (P<0.001) and lower values of the relative ratios of lymphocytes (P<0.001) and monocytes (P=0.027) were recorded in the experimental groups of chickens in comparison to the control group on the 42nd day of fattening. The results of this study showed that supplementation with propolis and/or bee pollen improved the general health condition of the chickens and positively affected the performance and the values of the selected haematological blood parameters in the chickens.Key words: natural feeding additives; chickens; health; blood; chicken feeding VPLIV CVETNEGA PRAHU IN PROPOLISA NA RAST, SMRTNOST IN NEKATERE HEMATOLOŠKE KAZALNIKE PRI PIŠČANCIH BROJLERJIHNamen raziskave je bil ugotoviti, kako cvetni prah ali propolis posamezno ali v kombinaciji vplivata na prirast, smrtnost in nekatere hematološke kazalnike pri piščancih brojlerjih. V raziskavo je bilo vključenih 200 piščancev brojlerjev pasme ross308. Piščanci so bili razdeljeni naključno v pet poskusnih skupin, v katerih sta bila enakomerno zastopana oba spola. Kontrolna skupina piščancev je ves čas raziskave prejemala navadno hrano za brojlerje, medtem ko so 4 poskusne skupine prejemale hrano z dodatkom cvetnega prahu in sicer skupina 1 (P1) 0,25 g propolisa in 20 g cvetnega prahu/kg hrane, skupina 2 (P2) 0,5 g propolisa/kg hrane, skupina 3 (P3) 1 g propolisa/kg hrane in skupina 4 (P4) 20 g cvetnega prahu/kg hrane. Telesna teža piščancev je bila statistično značilno višja 1. (p < 0,001), 2. (p < 0,001) in 5. (p < 0,01) teden raziskave v vseh poskusnih skupinah v primerjavi s kontrolno skupino. Podobno je bil tudi povprečen dnevni prirast pri piščancih iz poskusnih skupin statistično značilno višji 1. (p < 0,001), 2. (p < 0,01), 3. (p < 0,001), 4. (p < 0,05) in 5. (p < 0,01) teden raziskave. Tudi smrtnost je bila statistično značilno nižja v vseh poskusnih skupinah v primerjavi s kontrolno skupino (p < 0,05). Piščanci iz poskusnih skupin so imeli 21. dan poskusa v povprečju višje vrednosti MCV (p < 0,01) in hematokrita (p < 0,05) ter nižje povprečno število levkocitov (p < 0,05) in relativno razmerje MO (p < 0,001). Na 42. dan poskusa smo ugotovili višje vrednosti razmerja med heterofilci (p < 0,001) ter nižje relativne vrednosti limfocitov (p < 0,001) in monocitov (p < 0,05) pri piščancih iz poskusnih skupin v primerjavi s piščanci iz kontrolne skupine. Rezultati raziskave kažejo, da dodajanje propolisa ali cvetnega prahu izboljša splošno zdravstveno stanje piščancev brojlerjev ter posledično izboljša njihov prirast ter zviša telesno maso, zato bi se ju lahko uporabljalo kot dodatka k hrani za piščance brojlerje.Ključne besede: piščanci; prirast; zdravstveno stanje; propolis; cvetni prah
General anesthesia in pinnipeds is considered to involve a prolonged recovery and is associated with serious risks caused by the activation of the dive reflex during anesthesia. Therefore, regional ...anesthesia may provide a potential solution to alleviate the associated risks of general anesthesia. The ventral branches of the lumbosacral nerves are involved in innervation of the lateral abdomen, pelvic musculature and the pelvic limb. The aim of this study was to investigate anatomical considerations for the appropriate injection site for administration of local anesthetics for a sciatic nerve (n. ischiadicus) block. In order to describe the nerves responsible for innervation of the pelvic limb, caudal portions of previously necropsied 10 California sea lions (Zalophus californianus) and 4 Northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) were dissected. The femorotibial joint was used as an orientation point in order to reach the sciatic nerve in both the California sea lions and the Northern elephant seals. It was shown that the sciatic nerve can be reached by positioning the needle in the center of an imaginary triangle between the femorotibial joint, the dorsal midline and the basis of the tail in California sea lions, and in Northern elephant seals by positioning the needle in the center of the line joining the femorotibial joint and the dorsal midline. Although previously not investigated or considered in practical pinniped medicine, these anatomical landmarks can provide useful guidelines for the potential development of regional anesthesia and analgesia techniques for surgical procedures involving the hind limbs, as an alternative to general anesthesia. Key words: sciatic nerve; pinniped; regional anesthesia
One of the major problems in intensive breeding of chickens is liver damage. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of dietary supplementation with propolis and bee pollen on ...liver pathology in broiler chickens. The study was conducted on 200 Ross 308 chickens equally distributed by sex that were divided into five groups. Throughout the whole study, the control group of chickens was fed with a basal diet, while the experimental groups of chickens were fed with the same diet further supplemented with propolis and bee pollen, each supplement given separately or in combination in a certain proportion. The study showed that the clusters of lymphocytes in the hepatocytes, the vacuolar degeneration and necrosis of the liver parenchyma, the bile ductule hyperplasia, and the various forms of pathological changes in the liver arteries and veins were more frequent in liver tissue samples of the control group compared to liver tissue samples of all the experimental groups (
< 0.001). The study further showed that all the previously mentioned histopathological lesions of liver tissue were always more extensive in the liver tissue samples of the control group than in the liver tissue samples of all the experimental groups (
< 0.001). The supplementation of broiler chickens with propolis and/or bee pollen has a strong protective effect on liver pathology in broiler chickens.
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