The Long-Term Impact of Polysaccharide-Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles on Inflammatory-Stressed Mice.

Since iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are expected to be important tools in medical care, patients with inflammatory diseases will be increasingly exposed to IONPs in the future. Here, we assessed the short- and long-term impact of polysaccharide (PS)-coated IONPs on mice with persistent systemic inflammation. To this end, PS-IONPs were synthetized by a core-shell method.

Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Carrying 5-Fluorouracil in Combination with Magnetic Hyperthermia Induce Thrombogenic Collagen Fibers, Cellular Stress, and Immune Responses in Heterotopic Human Colon Cancer in Mice.

In this study we looked for the main protein pathway regulators which were responsible for the therapeutic impact on colon cancers when combining magnetic hyperthermia with the chemotherapeutic agent 5-fluorouracil (5FU). To this end, chitosan-coated magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) functionalized with 5FU were intratumorally injected into subcutaneous human colon cancer xenografts (HT-29) in mice and exposed to an alternating magnetic field. A decreased tumor growth was found particularly for the combined thermo-chemotherapy vs.

Deep-tissue localization of magnetic field hyperthermia using pulse sequencing.

Objective: Deep-tissue localization of thermal doses is a long-standing challenge in magnetic field hyperthermia (MFH), and remains a limitation of the clinical application of MFH to date. Here, we show that pulse sequencing of MFH leads to a more persistent inhibition of tumor growth and less systemic impact than continuous MFH, even when delivering the same thermal dose.

Methods: We used an orthotopic murine model of pancreatic PANC-1 cancer, which was designed with a view to the forthcoming 'NoCanTher' clinical study, and featured MFH alongside systemic chemotherapy (SyC: gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel).

Effect of Matrix-Modulating Enzymes on The Cellular Uptake of Magnetic Nanoparticles and on Magnetic Hyperthermia Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer Models In Vivo.

Magnetic hyperthermia can cause localized thermal eradication of several solid cancers. However, a localized and homogenous deposition of high concentrations of magnetic nanomaterials into the tumor stroma and tumor cells is mostly required. Poorly responsive cancers such as the pancreatic adenocarcinomas are hallmarked by a rigid stroma and poor perfusion to therapeutics and nanomaterials.

The Treatment of Heterotopic Human Colon Xenograft Tumors in Mice with 5-Fluorouracil Attached to Magnetic Nanoparticles in Combination with Magnetic Hyperthermia Is More Efficient than Either Therapy Alone.

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have shown promising features to be utilized in combinatorial magnetic hyperthermia and chemotherapy. Here, we assessed if a thermo-chemotherapeutic approach consisting of the intratumoral application of functionalized chitosan-coated MNPs (CS-MNPs) with 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and magnetic hyperthermia prospectively improves the treatment of colorectal cancer. With utilization of a human colorectal cancer (HT29) heterotopic tumor model in mice, we showed that the thermo-chemotherapeutic treatment is more efficient in inactivating colon cancer than either tumor treatments alone (i.

Genetic analysis of ventricular arrhythmia in young German Shepherd Dogs.

Background: Ventricular arrhythmias (VA) and sudden death are inherited in German Shepherd Dogs (GSDs).

Objectives: To estimate the genetic parameters (heritabilities and correlations) of 3 traits of VA (single premature ventricular complexes (PVCs), 2 consecutive PVCs (couplets), and 3 or more consecutive PVCs-ventricular tachycardia [VT]).

Animals: Three hundred and ninety-eight GSDs.

DNA-based paternity analysis and genetic evaluation in a large, commercial cattle ranch setting.

Deoxyribonucleic acid-based tests were used to assign paternity to 625 calves from a multiple-sire breeding pasture. There was a large variability in calf output and a large proportion of young bulls that did not sire any offspring. Five of 27 herd sires produced over 50% of the calves, whereas 10 sires produced no progeny and 9 of these were yearling bulls.

Genetic evaluation of beef carcass data using different endpoint adjustments.

Carcass data from 6,795 Simmental-sired animals born from 1992 to 2001 were used to determine whether adjustment to a constant age, back-fat, HCW, or marbling score would result in differences in heritability of the carcass traits and, correspondingly, if EPD calculated using those variance components and adjustments would result in sire reranking. The endpoints were age (EPA), backfat (EPF), HCW (EPC), or marbling (EPM). The traits analyzed were 12th-rib backfat (FAT), HCW, marbling (MRB), LM area (LMA), and percentage retail cuts (PRC).

Validation of commercial DNA tests for quantitative beef quality traits.

Associations between 3 commercially available genetic marker panels (GeneSTAR Quality Grade, GeneSTAR Tenderness, and Igenity Tender-GENE) and quantitative beef traits were validated by the US National Beef Cattle Evaluation Consortium. Validation was interpreted to be the independent confirmation of the associations between genetic tests and phenotypes, as claimed by the commercial genotyping companies. Validation of the quality grade test (GeneSTAR Quality Grade) was carried out on 400 Charolais x Angus crossbred cattle, and validation of the tenderness tests (GeneSTAR Tenderness and Igenity Tender-GENE) was carried out on over 1,000 Bos taurus and Bos indicus cattle.

Bayesian reanalysis of a quantitative trait locus accounting for multiple environments by scaling in broilers.

A Bayesian method was developed to handle QTL analyses of multiple experimental data of outbred populations with heterogeneity of variance between sexes for all random effects. The method employed a scaled reduced animal model with random polygenic and QTL allelic effects. A parsimonious model specification was applied by choosing assumptions regarding the covariance structure to limit the number of parameters to estimate.

Analysis of allele fidelity, polymorphic information content, and density of microsatellites in a genome-wide screening for hip dysplasia in a crossbreed pedigree.

Recent advances in genomics resources and tools are facilitating quantitative trait locus mapping. We developed a crossbreed pedigree for mapping quantitative trait loci for hip dysplasia in dogs by crossing dysplastic Labrador Retrievers and normal Greyhounds. We show that one advantage to using a crossbreed pedigree is the increased marker informativeness in the backcross/F2 population relative to the founder populations.

Quantitative trait loci for hip dysplasia in a cross-breed canine pedigree.

Canine hip dysplasia is a common developmental inherited trait characterized by hip laxity, subluxation or incongruity of the femoral head and acetabulum in affected hips. The inheritance pattern is complex and the mutations contributing to trait expression are unknown. In the study reported here, 240 microsatellite markers distributed in 38 autosomes and the X chromosome were genotyped on 152 dogs from three generations of a crossbred pedigree based on trait-free Greyhound and dysplastic Labrador Retriever founders.

Association of markers in the bovine CAPN1 gene with meat tenderness in large crossbred populations that sample influential industry sires.

Two previously identified single-nucleotide polymorphism markers located within the micromolar calcium-activated neutral protease gene (CAPN1) were evaluated for their association with variation in meat tenderness using one commercial sample of Simmental x Angus crossbred calves and one multibreed, crossbred research herd. The commercial sample included 362 animals sired by 23 registered Simmental bulls bred to unregistered Angus cows and represented current industry animals in which to test the predictive merit of the markers. The second sample was a research herd including 564 steers from the Germplasm Evaluation Cycle VII population at the U.

Evaluation of Simmental carcass EPD estimated using live and carcass data.

This study was conducted to compare carcass EPD predicted using yearling live animal data and/or progeny carcass data, and to quantify the association between the carcass phenotype of progeny and the sire EPD. The live data model (L) included scan weight, ultrasound fat thickness, longissimus muscle area, and percentage of intramuscular fat from yearling (369 d of age) Simmental bulls and heifers. The carcass data model (C) included hot carcass weight, fat thickness, longissimus muscle area, and marbling score from Simmental-sired steers and cull heifers (453 d of age).

Genetic parameters for carcass traits and their live animal indicators in Simmental cattle.

The objective of this study was to estimate parameters required for genetic evaluation of Simmental carcass merit using carcass and live animal data. Carcass weight, fat thickness, longissimus muscle area, and marbling score were available from 5,750 steers and 1,504 heifers sired by Simmental bulls. Additionally, yearling ultrasound measurements of fat thickness, longissimus muscle area, and estimated percentage of intramuscular fat were available on Simmental bulls (n = 3,409) and heifers (n = 1,503).

An autoregressive repeatability animal model for test-day records in multiple lactations.

Test-day (TD) models are becoming a standard for genetic evaluation of production traits in dairy cattle. Various approaches to model covariances between TD records include random regression, autoregressive repeatability, orthogonal polynomials, and models based on character processing. The applicability of these models is mainly associated with the number of parameters to estimate, incorporation of multiple lactations, and the accuracy of correlations generated by the cow's repeated expression of milking performance (TD yields) within and across lactations.

Quantitative genetics of traits associated with hip dysplasia in a canine pedigree constructed by mating dysplastic Labrador Retrievers with unaffected Greyhounds.

Objective: To determine the genetic influence on expression of traits associated with canine hip dysplasia.

Animals: 193 dogs from an experimental canine pedigree.

Procedure: An experimental canine pedigree was developed for linkage analysis of hip dysplasia by mating dysplastic Labrador Retrievers with nondysplastic Greyhounds.

Paratuberculosis in dairy cattle: variation of the antibody response in offspring attributable to the dam.

The objective of this study was to examine transmission of paratuberculosis in dairy cattle attributable to the dam. Milk samples were collected from 8131 cows in 110 Danish dairy herds. The level of antibodies to Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis was determined by use of an ELISA.

Scaling to account for heterogeneous variances in a Bayesian analysis of broiler quantitative trait loci.

A Bayesian method for QTL analysis that is capable of accounting for heterogeneity of variance between sexes, is introduced. The Bayesian method uses a parsimonious model that includes scaling parameters for polygenic and QTL allelic effects per sex. Furthermore, the method employs a reduced animal model to increase computational efficiency.

Genetic analysis of Holstein cattle populations in Brazil and the United States.

Genetic relationships between Brazilian and US Holstein cattle populations were studied using first-lactation records of 305-d mature equivalent (ME) yields of milk and fat of daughters of 705 sires in Brazil and 701 sires in the United States, 358 of which had progeny in both countries. Components of(co)variance and genetic parameters were estimated from all data and from within herd-year standard deviation for milk (HYSD) data files using bivariate and multivariate sire models and DFREML procedures distinguishing the two countries. Sire (residual) variances from all data for milk yield were 51 to 59% (58 to 101%) as large in Brazil as those obtained from half-sisters in the average US herd.

Markov chain Monte Carlo for mapping a quantitative trait locus in outbred populations.

A Bayesian approach is presented for mapping a quantitative trait locus (QTL) using the 'Fernando and Grossman' multivariate Normal approximation to QTL inheritance. For this model, a Bayesian implementation that includes QTL position is problematic because standard Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms do not mix, i.e.

Application of an autoregressive process to estimate genetic parameters and breeding values for daily milk yield in a tropical herd of Lucerna cattle and in United States Holstein herds.

The objectives of this study were to estimate from test day records the genetic and environmental (co)variance components, correlations, and breeding values to increase genetic gain in milk yield of Lucerna and US Holstein cattle. The effects of repeated observations (within cow) were explained by first-order autoregressive processes within and across lactations using an animal model. Estimates of variance components and correlation coefficients between test days were obtained using derivative-free REML methodology.

Effects of left displaced abomasum on test day milk yields of Holstein cows.

A linear model was used to estimate the effects of left displaced abomasum on 57,383 test day milk yields collected between January 1, 1992 and December 31, 1993 in New York State from 12,572 Holstein cows in parity < or = 6. Twenty-five index categories were created to differentiate among milk collected between calving and up to 60 d after diagnosis of left displaced abomasum, milk collected > 60 d after diagnosis of left displaced abomasum, milk collected before or after diagnosis of cows with any diseases other than left displaced abomasum, and milk collected from cows that remained healthy for the entire lactation. For each parity, the statistical model included fixed effects (management, age at calving, length of dry period, previous 305-d milk yield, stage of lactation, year and season of sampling date, disease index, and DHIA SCS at milk sampling) and random effects (permanent and temporary environments) on test day milk yields.

Effects of clinical ketosis on test day milk yields in Finnish Ayrshire cattle.

A linear model for repeated measurements was used to estimate the effects of clinical ketosis on 722,198 test day milk yields collected from September 1, 1985 to January 31, 1988 on 60,851 Finnish Ayrshire cows of parity < 7. An index was created to differentiate among milk collected within 17 d following diagnosis of ketosis, milk collected before or > 17 d after diagnosis, and milk collected on nonketotic cows. For each parity separately, the statistical model included fixed effects (ketosis, calving season, year and season of milk sampling, and stage of lactation) and random effects (herd and permanent and temporary environments) on test day milk yields.