Comparison of diagnostic methods for uterine health in dairy cattle on different days postpartum.

Background: Uterine health status is a key factor for dairy management.

Methods: The uteri of 28 Holstein cows were assessed weekly by three different methods: ultrasonography (UT), Metricheck device (MT) and cytobrush (CYT), during two weeks to seven weeks postpartum.

Results: The percentage of cows with an MT-positive, UT-positive and CYT-positive result decreased dramatically at three weeks, four weeks and five weeks postpartum, respectively.

Staphylococcus aureus Isolated from Skin from Atopic-Dermatitis Patients Produces Staphylococcal Enterotoxin Y, Which Predominantly Induces T-Cell Receptor Vα-Specific Expansion of T Cells.

While investigating the virulence traits of adhering to the skin of atopic-dermatitis (AD) patients, we identified a novel open reading frame (ORF) with structural similarity to a superantigen from genome sequence data of an isolate from AD skin. Concurrently, the same ORF was identified in a bovine isolate of and designated SElY (H. K.

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) Produced by Mutant Toxic Shock Syndrome Toxin 1 Vaccine-Induced Memory T Cells Downregulates IL-17 Production and Abrogates the Protective Effect against Staphylococcus aureus Infection.

Development of long-term memory is crucial for vaccine-induced adaptive immunity against infectious diseases such as infection. Toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 (TSST-1), one of the superantigens produced by , is a possible vaccine candidate against infectious diseases caused by this pathogen. We previously reported that vaccination with less toxic mutant TSST-1 (mTSST-1) induced T helper 17 (Th17) cells and elicited interleukin-17A (IL-17A)-mediated protection against infection 1 week after vaccination.

Absent in melanoma 2 inflammasome is required for host defence against infection.

, a leading cause of invasive pneumococcal disease, is responsible for high mortality and morbidity worldwide. A previous study showed that the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) and absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasomes are essential for caspase-1 activation and IL-1β production in the host response to infection. The function of NLRP3 in host innate immunity to was studied and .

Chronic retinoic acid treatment induces differentiation and changes in the metabolite levels of brown (pre)adipocytes.

Dietary vitamin A status affects energy metabolism. The present study explored the effect of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on the expression levels of molecules and metabolites of brown adipocytes. Chronic ATRA treatment was initiated during the early stage (days 0-8) or late stage (days 8-12) of adipogenesis.

Histamine release from intestinal mast cells induced by staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) evokes vomiting reflex in common marmoset.

Staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) produced by Staphylococcus aureus are known as causative agents of emetic food poisoning. We previously demonstrated that SEA binds with submucosal mast cells and evokes mast cell degranulation in a small emetic house musk shrew model. Notably, primates have been recognized as the standard model for emetic assays and analysis of SE emetic activity.

Efficacy of New Polylactic Acid Nonwoven Fabric as a Hemostatic Agent in a Rat Liver Resection Model.

Background: During minimally invasive surgery, efficient and nontoxic hemostats are important for difficult to access bleeding areas. Polylactic acid is an ecofriendly hemostatic agent and we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a polylactic acid nonwoven fabric (PLAF) developed by Toray Industries, Inc, on liver hemostasis in a preclinical study.

Materials And Methods: PLAF consists of both 1-µm diameter fibers and 100-µm diameter beaded fibers.

Hepcidin and IL-1β.

Hepcidin expression is determined through transcriptional regulation by systemic iron status. However, acute or chronic inflammation also increases the expression of hepcidin, which is associated with the dysregulation of iron metabolism in pathological conditions. Interleukin (IL)-6 has been suggested to be a principal molecule to confer inflammation-related hepcidin transcription, which is mediated via signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)-binding site on the hepcidin promoter.

Identification and expression of the medaka inhibin βE subunit.

Activin E, a member of the TGF-β super family, is a protein dimer of mature inhibin βE subunits. Recently, it is reported that hepatic activin E may act as a hepatokine that alter whole body energy/glucose metabolism in human. However, orthologues of the activin E gene have yet to be identified in lower vertebrates, including fish.

Role of estradiol and testosterone in Ucp1 expression in brown/beige adipocytes.

Activity of brown/beige adipocytes is higher in women than in men. The expression level of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) is largely consistent with the thermogenic activity in brown/beige adipocytes. The present study examined the direct effects of sex hormones on Ucp1 expression in brown adipocytes and beige adipocytes, which were differentiated from HB2 brown preadipocytes and 3T3-L1 white preadipocytes, respectively; treatment with estradiol or testosterone was used during the early (days 0-8) or late stage (days 8-12) of brown adipogenesis and beige adipogenesis.

Activin E Controls Energy Homeostasis in Both Brown and White Adipose Tissues as a Hepatokine.

Brown adipocyte activation or beige adipocyte emergence in white adipose tissue (WAT) increases energy expenditure, leading to a reduction in body fat mass and improved glucose metabolism. We found that activin E functions as a hepatokine that enhances thermogenesis in response to cold exposure through beige adipocyte emergence in inguinal WAT (ingWAT). Hepatic activin E overexpression activated thermogenesis through Ucp1 upregulation in ingWAT and other adipose tissues including interscapular brown adipose tissue and mesenteric WAT.

Metabolic changes in adipose tissues in response to β -adrenergic receptor activation in mice.

Brown and beige adipocytes dissipate energy as heat. Thus, the activation of brown adipocytes and the emergence of beige adipocytes in white adipose tissue (WAT) are suggested to be useful for preventing and treating obesity. Although β -adrenergic receptor activation is known to stimulate lipolysis and activation of brown and beige adipocytes, fat depot-dependent changes in metabolite concentrations are not fully elucidated.

Differential Distribution of Salmonella Serovars and Campylobacter spp. Isolates in Free-Living Crows and Broiler Chickens in Aomori, Japan.

Salmonella and Campylobacter cause foodborne enteritis mainly via the consumption of raw/undercooked contaminated poultry meat and products. Broiler flocks are primarily colonized with these bacteria; however, the underlying etiology remains unclear. The present study was conducted in order to obtain further information on the prevalence and genotypic distribution of Salmonella and Campylobacter in free-living crows and broiler flocks in a region for 2 years, thereby facilitating estimations of the potential risk of transmission of C.

Supra-pharmacological concentration of capsaicin stimulates brown adipogenesis through induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress.

We previously showed that brown (pre)adipocytes express Trpv1, a capsaicin receptor, and that capsaicin stimulates differentiation of brown preadipocytes in the late stages of brown adipogenesis. The present study revealed that treatment with 100 μM capsaicin stimulates brown adipogenesis by inducing endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Treatment with capsaicin (100 μM) during brown adipogenesis enhanced lipid accumulation and the expression of Ucp1, a gene selectively expressed in brown adipocytes.

In vivo evidence for possible up-regulating roles of lysophosphatidic acid around fertilization in rats.

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) produced by autotaxin (ATX) is recognized as a multi-functional mediator in mammalian reproduction. This study focused on possible effect(s) of LPA on ovulated cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) around fertilization in rats in vivo. Immunohistochemistry revealed the cell-type-dependent localization of candidates of synthetic enzymes, ATX and two phospholipases A isofroms, and LPA receptors LPA in ovulated COCs and in oviductal epithelium.

A guard-killer phage cocktail effectively lyses the host and inhibits the development of phage-resistant strains of Escherichia coli.

In recent years, after the emergence of a large number of multidrug-resistant bacteria, phages and phage-associated products for the prevention and control of bacterial disease have revealed prominent advantages as compared with antibiotics. However, bacteria are susceptible to becoming phage-resistant, thus severely limiting the application of phage therapy. In this study, Escherichia coli cells were incubated with lytic bacteriophages to obtain mutants that were resistant to the lytic phages.

Food poisoning outbreak in Tokyo, Japan caused by Staphylococcus argenteus.

Staphylococcus argenteus is a novel species subdivided from Staphylococcus aureus. Whether this species can cause food poisoning outbreaks is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the enterotoxigenic activities of two food poisoning isolates suspected to be S.

The N-terminal and central domain of colicin A enables phage lysin to lyse Escherichia coli extracellularly.

Multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli has seriously threatened antibiotic resources and international public health. Bacteriophage lysin preparations have been widely considered as valid agents for solving multidrug resistances. Many lysins have been derived to treat diseases caused by Gram-positive bacteria, but only a few lysin preparations have been found that successively treat diseases caused by Gram-negative bacteria.

Possible role of PPARγ in the negative regulation of ovulatory cascade and luteal development in rats.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), a member of a nuclear receptor family, has been shown to be implicated in various reproductive processes. Here, we evaluated possible roles of PPARγ in ovulation and luteal development in a gonadotropins-primed immature rat model. Immunoreactive PPARγ was expressed in granulosa cells of eCG-stimulated mature follicles, and its expression level decreased following ovulatory hCG stimulus.

Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) transcriptionally activates hepcidin by inducing CCAAT enhancer-binding protein δ (C/EBPδ) expression in hepatocytes.

Hepcidin is a liver-derived hormone that negatively regulates serum iron levels and is mainly regulated at the transcriptional level. Previous studies have clarified that in addition to hepatic iron levels, inflammation also efficiently increases hepatic hepcidin expression. The principle regions responsible for efficient transcription are bone morphogenetic protein-responsive elements (BMP-REs) 1 and 2 as well as the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3-binding site (STAT-BS).

Advanced treatment technique for swine wastewater using two agents: Thermally polymerized amorphous silica and hydrated lime for color and phosphorus removal and sulfur for nitrogen removal.

The efficacy of advanced treatment of swine wastewater using thermally polymerized, modified amorphous silica and hydrated lime (M-CSH-lime) for color and phosphorus removal and sulfur for nitrogen removal was examined with a demonstration-scale treatment plant. The color removal rate was approximately 78% at M-CSH-lime addition rates of > 0.055 wt/v%.