Biomedical subjects

Edward J DePeters

Publications and source records attributed to Edward J DePeters.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Mice raised on milk transgenically enriched with n-3 PUFA have increased brain docosahexaenoic acid.

The brain contains high levels of the long-chain n-3 FA DHA (22:6n-3), mainly in the gray matter and synaptosomes. Adequate intake of DHA is crucial for optimal nervous system function, particularly in infants. Supplementation of infant formulas with DHA at levels similar to human breast milk is recommended for biochemical and functional benefits to neonates. We generated transgenic mice that produce elevated levels of n-3 PUFA in their milk by expressing the Caenorhabditis elegans n-3 FA desaturase under the control of a lactation-induced goat beta-casein promoter. To examine the postnatal effects of consuming the n-3-enriched milk, we compared the growth and brain and plasma FA composition of mouse pups raised on milk from transgenic dams with those observed for pups raised on milk from nontransgenic dams. A significant decrease in arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4n-6) and concomitant increases in n-3 PUFA were observed in the phospholipid fraction of transgenic mouse milk. The n-6:n-3 FA ratios were 4.7 and 34.5 for the transgenic and control milk phospholipid fractions, respectively. DHA and DPA (22:5n-6) comprised 15.1% and 2.8% of brain FA from weanling mice nursed on transgenic dams, as compared with 6.9% and 9.2% for weanling mice nursed on control dams, respectively. This transgenic mouse model offers a unique approach to disassociate the effects and fetal programming resulting from a high n-6:n-3 FA ratio gestational environment from the postnatal nutritional effects of providing milk with differing n-6:n-3 FA ratios.

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗

PubMed2004

Evaluation of rumen transfaunation after surgical correction of left-sided displacement of the abomasum in cows.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate rumen transfaunation after surgical correction of left-sided displacement of the abomasum (LDA) in cows. DESIGN: Prospective clinical trial. ANIMALS: 20 multiparous cows with LDA. PROCEDURES: Cows with LDA were treated surgically (day 0). On days 0 (immediately after surgery) and 1, 10 cows each received 10 L of rumen fluid (transfaunated group) or 10 L of water (control group) via a stomach tube. Postoperative dietary dry-matter intake and milk yield of each cow were recorded daily for 5 days, beginning immediately after surgery. Blood and rumen fluid samples were collected prior to surgery and on days 1, 3, and 5 after surgery. Serum nonesterified fatty acid and beta-hydroxybutyrate concentrations were measured. Volatile fatty acid and ammonia concentrations and pH of rumen fluid were determined. Urine specimens were collected and tested for ketones at 8 AM and 4 PM. Cows with ketonuria were treated with 50% dextrose solution administered i.v. at the time ketonuria was first detected. Cows with ketonuria were treated twice daily until ketonuria resolved. RESULTS: All cows survived and completed their lactation. Daily and cumulative dry-matter intake and milk yield of cows in the transfaunated group were significantly greater than those of cows in the control group. Cows in the transfaunated group had significantly lower serum concentrations of beta-hydroxybutyrate and significantly lower acetate-to-propionate ratios in rumen fluid on day 1 after surgery, compared with cows in the control group. Cows that received transfaunate required a significantly lower total volume of dextrose administered i.v. than control cows. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Benefits of rumen transfaunation of cows after surgical correction of LDA included a lesser degree of ketonuria, greater feed intake, and higher milk yield, compared with nontransfaunated cows.

3-Hydroxybutyric Acid↗

PubMed2003

Development and testing of a high-density cDNA microarray resource for cattle.

A cDNA microarray resource has been developed with the goal of providing integrated functional genomics resources for cattle. The National Bovine Functional Genomics Consortium's (NBFGC) expressed sequence tag (EST) collection was established in 2001 to develop resources for functional genomics research. The NBFGC EST collection and microarray contains 18,263 unique transcripts, derived from many different tissue types and various physiologically important states within these tissues. The NBFGC microarray has been tested for false-positive rates using self-self hybridizations and was shown to yield robust results in test microarray experiments. A web-accessible database has been established to provide pertinent data related to NBFGC clones, including sequence data, BLAST results, and ontology information. The NBFGC microarray represents the largest cDNA microarray for a livestock species prepared to date and should prove to be a valuable tool in studying genome-wide gene expression in cattle.

Animals↗