Residual feed intake (RFI) is a measure of feed efficiency. Pigs with low RFI have reduced feed costs without compromising their growth. For marker-assisted selection, it is helpful to identify genes or genetic markers associated with RFI in animals with improved feed efficiency at an early age. Using Illumina's PorcineSNP60 BeadChip, we performed a pilot genome-wide association study of 217 Junmu No. 1 white male pigs phenotyped for RFI. Two-step and one-step methods were used separately to identify associated SNPs. Both methods obtained similar results. Twelve SNPs were identified as significantly associated with RFI at a Bonferroni adjusted P-level < 9.7 × 10 , and 204 were found to have suggestive (moderately significant) association with RFI at P < 5 × 10 . NMBR, KCTD16, ASGR1, PRKCQ, PITRM1, TIAM1 and RND3 were identified as candidate genes for RFI.
Calf spleen extractive injection (CSEI), extracted from the spleen of healthy cows (within 24 h of birth), is a small peptides enriched extraction while the ratio between peptide and ribose is 76 AE 15.2 mg/lg. CSEI is usually used as an ancillary agent to assist cancer patients with immune dysfunction. The present study aims to evaluate the immunomodulatory activity of CSEI in cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced mice model of immunosuppression and its underlying mechanisms. During the experiment, thymosin ɑ1 (0.16 mg/kg) was served as the positive control drug. In CTX-induced immunosuppressed mice, CSEI significantly increased bodyweights and spleen indexes, and upgraded the natural killer activity together with lymphocytes proliferation. CSEI regulated the production of IgG and IgA, and the levels of IL-2, 6, 10, 12 and IFN-ɑ, c and TNF-ɑ in serum of CTX-induced immunosuppressed mice. Furthermore, CSEI markedly downregulated nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-jB) expression which was controlled by IKKb. Taken together, CSEI effectively improved immune function in CTX-induced immunosuppression related to NF-jB signalling pathway via regulating the production of immunoglobulins, interleukins and some inflammatory factors.
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