Assessment of ecosystem services provided by livestock agroecosystems in the tropics: a case study of tropical island environment of Guadeloupe.

The present study aims to assess (1) the ecosystem services (ES) provided by LFS and (2) the differential ES between local (Creole) and exotic breeds from pig, cattle and goat. The ES are defined as the benefits that humans derive from LFS. They were summarized in 12 ES indicators that cover services related to provisioning, ecological and socio-cultural aspects and territorial vitality.

Characterization of chlordecone distribution and elimination in ewes during daily exposure and depuration.

To reduce the exposure of the French West Indies population to the pollutant chlordecone (CLD), the contamination of consumed products must be reduced. One of the strategies to secure safe animal products is related to the depuration of contaminated animals. In order to set up this strategy in situ, characterizing CLD distribution and elimination appears to be essential.

Dynamic transcriptomic changes of goat abomasal mucosa in response to Haemonchus contortus infection.

Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections are one of the major constraints for grazing sheep and goat production worldwide. Genetic selection for resistant animals is a promising control strategy. Whole-transcriptome analysis via RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) provides knowledge of the mechanisms responsible for complex traits such as resistance to GIN infections.

Modeling chlordecone toxicokinetics data in growing pigs using a nonlinear mixed-effects approach.

The use of chlordecone (CLD), a chlorinated polycyclic pesticide used in the French West Indies banana fields between 1972 and 1993, resulted in a long-term pollution of agricultural areas. It has been observed that this persistent organic pollutant (POP) can transfer from contaminated soils to food chain. Indeed, CLD is considered almost fully absorbed after involuntary ingestion of contaminated soil by outdoor reared animals.

Liver precursor cells increase hepatic fibrosis induced by chronic carbon tetrachloride intoxication in rats.

Hepatic fibrosis, the major complication of virtually all types of chronic liver damage, usually begins in portal areas, and its severity has been correlated to liver progenitor cells (LPC) expansion from periportal areas, even if the primary targets of injury are intralobular hepatocytes. The aim of this study was to determine the potential fibrogenic role of LPC, using a new experimental model in which rat liver fibrosis was induced by chronic carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)) administration for 6 weeks, in combination with chronic acetylaminofluorene treatment (AAF), which promotes activation of LPC compartment. Treatment with CCl(4) alone caused a significant increase in serum transaminase activity as well as liver fibrosis initiating around central veins and leading to formation of incomplete centro-central septa with sparse fibrogenic cells expressing α-smooth muscle actin (αSMA).

Gas6 deficiency prevents liver inflammation, steatohepatitis, and fibrosis in mice.

The Gas6/Axl pathway has been increasingly implicated in regeneration and tissue repair and, recently, in the control of innate immunity. In liver, we have demonstrated that Gas6 and its receptor Axl are expressed in macrophages, progenitor cells, and myofibroblasts and that Gas6 deficiency reduced inflammation and myofibroblast activation, causing delayed liver repair in response to acute injury. All these data suggest a role of Gas6/Axl signaling in pathogenesis of chronic liver diseases.