Effect of fructo-oligosaccharides on growth performance and meat quality in broilers.

This study investigated the fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) on growth performance and meat quality in broilers. Total 160 Xianghuang broilers aged 2 months were randomly assigned into 2 groups, CON (control), FOS (supplemented 0.5% fructo-oligosaccharides in diet).

Maternal high-protein diet modulates hepatic growth axis in weaning piglets by reprogramming the IGFBP-3 gene.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of maternal high dietary protein intake on the hepatic growth axis in offspring.

Methods: Fourteen primiparous purebred Meishan sows were fed either a standard-protein (SP, n = 7) diet or a high-protein (HP, 150% of SP, n = 7) diet during pregnancy. Offspring (one male and one female per group, n = 14) on day 70 of the embryonic stage and on days 1, 35 and 180 after birth were selected, weighed and killed.

[The effect of RhoA/Rho kinase signal pathway on TGF-beta1-induced phenotypic differentiation of human dermal fibroblasts].

Objective: To examine the effect of RhoA/Rho kinase signal pathway on TGF-beta1-induced phenotypic differentiation of human dermal fibroblasts.

Methods: The 4th generation of primary cultured human dermal fibroblasts were stimulated with TGF-beta1, (10 ng/ml). The expression of alpha-SMA was detected after treatment with TGF-beta1, for 0, 3, 6, and 24 h.