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Effects of injecting phlorizin subcutaneously and/or feeding propionate on metabolism of glucose, propionate and CO2 were determined for four steers used in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. Isotope dilution techniques were used to determine a four-pool kinetic solution for the flux of carbon among plasma glucose, rumen propionate, blood CO2 and rumen CO2. Injecting 1 g of phlorizin twice daily for 19 d resulted in 7.1 mol glucose C/d being excreted in urine. The basal glucose production of 13.4 mol C/d was increased to 17.9 mol C/d with phlorizin. There was no change in glucose oxidation or propionate production. The percentage of plasma glucose derived from propionate was unaffected by phlorizin, but 54 +/- 0.4% of total propionate was converted to plasma glucose during phlorizin treatment versus 40 +/- 0.6% during the basal treatment. When propionate was fed (18.3 mol C/d) glucose production increased to 21.2 mol C/d from the basal value of 13.4 mol C/d, and propionate oxidation to CO2 increased to 14.9 mol C/d from the basal value of 4.1 mol C/d. Glucose derived from propionate was 43 +/- 5% for the basal treatment and 67 +/- 3% during propionate feeding. The percentage of propionate converted to plasma glucose and blood and rumen CO2 was not affected by feeding propionate. An increased need for glucose, because of glucose excretion during phlorizin treatment, caused an increased utilization of propionate for gluconeogenesis, but an increased availability of propionate caused an increase in glucose production without affecting the relative distribution of carbon from propionate.

To determine the effect of forage moisture content on intake and digestion kinetics in sheep, a metabolism trial was conducted using 16 mature wethers (44 kg BW) in a completely randomized design. Forage was harvested at two maturities in early spring from a naturalized pasture composed of temperate grass and legume species. Herbage was harvested at either 8 (early) or 16 cm (late) in height and fed after freezing (high-moisture) or as a dried hay. Intakes of DM (grams/[kilogram BW.75.day]), NDF, ADF, and CP (grams/day) (P< .05) and coefficients for DM, NDF, and ADF digestibilities were greater (P < .01) for hay than for high-moisture forage. Mean particulate retention times (MRT) were shorter (P < .05) for high-moisture forage (23.3 h) than for hay (30.7 h) diets. Early-harvested forages had shorter (P < .05) MRT values (23.9 h) than late-cut forages (30.1 h). Fractional passage rates of 1-mm nylon particles of specific gravity (SG) .90, 1.14, and 1.32 through the alimentary tract were influenced by moisture content of the forage (P < .10) and were faster for frozen forages and increased (P < .01) with an increase in SG. Nitrogen retention was greater (P < .01) for the hay than for the high-moisture forage. In situ DM digestion rates, determined using four ruminally fistulated wethers, showed no differences (P = .67) among forages. The results of this study indicate that differences in digestibilities between hays and high-moisture forages are most likely due to differences in digesta passage rates.

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Tomato juice inoculated with Cladosporium sp. or Penicillium sp. developed pH gradients with the upper portions near the mold mats having pH values near neutrality and the lower portions remaining more acid. Clostridium botulinum spores in these moldy tomato juices germinated, grew out, and produced toxin.

Eleven Landrace pigs (six boars and five gilts, 50 kg) representing lines selected for three generations for maximum weight at 200 d of age were compared to eight pigs (four boars and four gilts, 50 kg) representing contemporary randomly selected Landrace controls to determine the effect of selection for growth on the metabolic clearance rate (MCR) and plasma concentrations of porcine growth hormone (GH). To estimate MCR of GH, the disappearance of a bolus of porcine GH was monitored over 120 min following its i.v. injection. Blood samples also were collected every 15 min over a 6-h period before injecting GH to determine baseline and overall mean GH concentrations, mean peak amplitude and number of GH secretory episodes. Boars exhibited greater overall mean GH concentrations (4.80 vs 3.11 ng/ml; P less than .05) and had greater maximum GH concentrations associated with secretory episodes (16.11 vs 10.80 ng/ml; P less than .05) than did gilts. There were no differences between boars and pigs exhibited greater baseline GH concentrations (2.04 vs 1.25 ng/ml; P less than .01) than did those from the unselected Landrace line. Selected and control pigs exhibited similar (P greater than .15) overall mean concentrations of GH, frequency of secretory episodes, amplitude of GH peaks and MCR. These data demonstrate that pigs selected for heavier weight at 200 d of age had greater basal plasma GH concentrations than did unselected control pigs.

The presence of cardiovascular comorbidities is frequently associated with poor outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). No clear role has been defined for cardiac biomarkers in acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD). The aim of this systematic review was to examine the prognostic value of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and troponins in patients with AECOPD. Two independent authors searched the PubMed and Cochrane Library to collect clinical trials, observational studies and meta-analyses studying the prognostic value of cardiac biomarkers in AECOPD. The reference lists of all the included studies were also reviewed. A total of 14 studies were included in the review, of which 10 measured troponins, 7 measured BNP or NT-proBNP, and 3 measured both. Of the studies that used mortality in AECOPD as an end point, some but not all found that elevated BNP and/or troponins were associated with increased mortality. Of the studies that used left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in AECOPD as an end point, all found a significant association between elevated BNP and troponins in the diagnosis of LV dysfunction. In summary, it appears that there may be a link between an elevated level of BNP or NT-proBNP and increased cardiovascular mortality in AECOPD, although the data currently available are not conclusive. The inconsistencies in biomarkers measured, time points of measurements and the variability in outcome measured preclude more robust analysis.