Cocktails of Mycotoxins,Phytoestrogens, and Other Secondary Metabolites in Diets of Dairy Cows in Austria: Inferences from Diet Composition and Geo-Climatic Factors

Dairy production is a pivotal economic sector of Austrian and European agriculture. Dietary toxins and endocrine disruptors of natural origin such as mycotoxins and phytoestrogens can affect animal health, reproduction, and productivity. This study characterized the profile of a wide spectrum of fungal, plant, and unspecific secondary metabolites, including regulated, emerging, and modified mycotoxins, phytoestrogens, and cyanogenic glucosides, in complete diets of lactating cows from 100 Austrian dairy farms. To achieve this, a validated multi-metabolite liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization–tandem mass spectrometric (LC/ESI–MS/MS) method was employed, detecting 155 of >800 tested metabolites. Additionally, the most influential dietary and geo-climatic factors related to the dietary mycotoxin contamination of Austrian dairy cattle were recognized. We evidenced that the diets of Austrian dairy cows presented ubiquitous contamination with mixtures of mycotoxins and phytoestrogens. Metabolites derived from Fusarium spp. presented the highest concentrations, were the most recurrent, and had the highest diversity among the detected fungal compounds. Zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, and fumonisin B1 were the most frequently occurring mycotoxins considered in the EU legislation, with detection frequencies >70%. Among the investigated dietary factors, inclusion of maize silage (MS) and straw in the diets was the most influential factor in contamination with Fusarium-derived and other fungal toxins and metabolites, and temperature was the most influential among the geo-climatic factors.     

Hypoalgesia induced by antidepressants in mice: a case for opioids and serotonin

The tail flick assay was used to evaluate pain perception in mice treated acutely with either of the two classical antidepressant drugs (AD) imipramine or amitriptyline, or the atypical antidepressant iprindole. A sustained hypoalgesic effect, sensitive to the opiate antagonist naloxone, was detected for the AD used in this study. Administration of the aminopeptidase inhibitor bestatin or the enkephalinase blocker thiorphan made subeffective doses of AD hypoalgesic. This synergistic effect was reversed by naloxone. The antinociceptive action of the AD wore off in mice rendered tolerant to morphine by subcutaneous implantation of a pellet of the opiate. Subchronic treatment with p-chlorophenylalanine did not alter the effect of AD on pain perception, but in animals whose serotonin (5-HT) receptors were blocked by methysergide AD did not produce any change in pain threshold. It was concluded on the basis of these findings that short-chain opioids and 5-HT appear to have a role in the hypoalgesic effect of either classical or atypical AD.     

Expression of concentrative nucleoside transporters SLC28 (CNT1, CNT2, and CNT3) along the rat nephron: effect of diabetes

BACKGROUND: The renal reabsorption of natural nucleosides and a variety of nucleoside-derived drugs relies on the function of the apically located, Na(+)-dependent, concentrative nucleoside transporters CNT1, CNT2, and CNT3 (SLC28A1, SLC28A2, and SLC28A3). The aims of this study were to determine the segmental localization of the three SLC28 family members and to establish whether streptozotocin-induced diabetes alters their expression. METHODS: SLC28 expression was measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) on microdissected sections of rat nephrons. Diabetes was induced by streptozotocin treatment and the biochemical profiles of control, diabetic, and insulin-treated rats were established. The effect of diabetes on SLC28 expression was assessed in those segments that significantly express SLC28 genes. RESULTS: CNT1-3 mRNAs were expressed in the proximal tubule and glomerulus. In addition, CNT2 and CNT3 mRNAs were expressed in the outer medullary and cortical collecting duct, respectively. Diabetes reduced expression of the three CNTs in almost all nephron segments, and this effect was not prevented by an insulin treatment that normalized all blood and urine parameters. Diabetes increased CNT1 and CNT3 expression in the glomerulus and insulin treatment decreased it. CONCLUSION: The relative distribution of SLC28 gene expression suggests a role for the proximal tubule in renal nucleoside clearance and an accessory role for CNT2 and CNT3, in adenosine-mediated regulation of collecting duct functions. Diabetes probably may impair nucleoside clearance independently of insulin.     

XPS Study on Calcining Mixtures of Brucite with Titania

In this work, we studied the phases in a Mg-Ti-O system using a 1:1 formulation of MgO:TiO₂, mixing synthetic brucite of Mexican origin with TiO₂ microparticles of high purity, with a heat treatment at 1100 °C for 1 h. Due to its valence electrons, TiO₂ can contribute to the sintering process to improve density in MgO products. The raw materials and formulation by XPS and X-RD techniques were characterized. The results demonstrate the presence of different oxidation states in titania and the formation of different oxides in the Mg-Ti-O system when mixed and calcined at 1100 °C; additionally, we estimated the formation of vacancies in the crystal lattice during the transformation from hexagonal brucite to magnesia with a cubic structure centered on the faces. Its thermal behavior is indicated by the MgO-TiO₂ phase diagram.     

Influence of Lifestyle Factors on Quantitative Heel Ultrasound Measurements in Middle-Aged and Elderly Men

We examined the distribution of quantitative heel ultrasound (QUS) parameters in population samples of European men and looked at the influence of lifestyle factors on the occurrence of these parameters. Men aged between 40 and 79 years were recruited from eight European centers and invited to attend for an interviewer-assisted questionnaire, assessment of physical performance, and quantitative ultrasound (QUS) of the calcaneus (Hologic; Sahara). The relationships between QUS parameters and lifestyle variables were assessed using linear regression with adjustments for age, center, and weight. Three thousand two hundred fifty-eight men, mean age 60.0 years, were included in the analysis. A higher PASE score (upper vs. lower tertile) was associated with a higher BUA (β coefficient = 2.44 dB/Mhz), SOS (β = 6.83 m/s), and QUI (β = 3.87). Compared to those who were inactive, those who walked or cycled more than an hour per day had a higher BUA (β = 3.71 dB/Mhz), SOS (β = 6.97 m/s), and QUI (β = 4.50). A longer time to walk 50 ft was linked with a lower BUA (β = ?0.62 dB/Mhz), SOS (β = ?1.06 m/s), and QUI (β = ?0.69). Smoking was associated with a reduction in BUA, SOS, and QUI. There was a U-shaped association with frequency of alcohol consumption. Modification of lifestyle, including increasing physical activity and stopping smoking, may help optimize bone strength and reduce the risk of fracture in middle-aged and elderly European men.