Explore the vast range of titles available.

A 59-year-old woman presented with flushing attacks accompanied by tachycardia and hypotension, which lasted approximately 30 to 60 minutes, underwent 18 years ago a gastrointestinal tumor resection. The histologic examination revealed a poorly differentiated mixed neuroendocrine/adenocarcinoma located in the caecum with regional metastases. Postoperatively, the patient received combined chemotherapy of 5-fluorouracil with interferon for six months and since has remained asymptomatic. Her examination revealed positivity for chromogranin A (CgA) and a-Fetoprotein (aFP) (580 ng/24 h, normal range 27–94, and 10 IU/mL, normal range 0–6, respectively). Urinary 5-hydroxy indole acetic acid excretion was remarkably high (41.8 mg/24 h, normal range 2–10 mg/24 h). An abdominal Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan revealed multiple focal loci in the liver whose histological examination revealed a carcinoid tumor confirmed by an Octreoscan. Additional uptake was noted on the right shoulder and the right sternum-clavicle joint confirmed by Tc-99m MDP scan. The patient received somatostatin analogue therapy followed by long-acting release octreotide analogue therapy (30 mg/month) showing a partial improvement of relevant biomarkers. Two years later, carcinoid syndrome symptoms reappeared and due to the tumors expression of somatostatin receptors the patient received peptide receptor radionuclide therapy with 177Lu-DOTATATE that resulted in both clinical and biochemical improvements.

Studies analyzing the composition of gut microbiota are quite common at present, mainly due to the rapid development of DNA sequencing technologies within the last decade. This is valid also for chickens and their gut microbiota. However, chickens represent a specific model for host–microbiota interactions since contact between parents and offspring has been completely interrupted in domesticated chickens. Nearly all studies describe microbiota of chicks from hatcheries and these chickens are considered as references and controls. In reality, such chickens represent an extreme experimental group since control chicks should be, by nature, hatched in nests in contact with the parent hen. Not properly realising this fact and utilising only 16S rRNA sequencing results means that many conclusions are of questionable biological relevance. The specifics of chicken-related gut microbiota are therefore stressed in this review together with current knowledge of the biological role of selected microbiota members. These microbiota members are then evaluated for their intended use as a form of next-generation probiotics.

Majority of poultry producers have been concerned about the microbial colonization of chicken guts, which usually result in competition for nutrient and poor health. As a way to combat this, antibiotics are used, however, this has led to antibiotic resistance and the presence of antibiotic residues in poultry products. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to ascertain the effect of radish root juice on the microbiota in the caecum of broiler chickens while also monitoring their growth response. This study was a 2 by 3 factorial layout. There were six treatment groups of forty day-old broiler chicks each, consisting of two dosages of radish juice (10 mL L-1 or 15mL L-1 of the birds’ drinking water) and three frequencies of administration (0, 2 and 3 times weekly). The zero frequencies (no juice) were the control groups given Enrofloxacin as antibiotic (1 mL in 4 L of drinking). At the starter and finisher phase, birds were given commercial diets. The growth performance was evaluated at both phases, while the microbial load for each group was determined at the finisher phase. The contents of the birds' caeca were taken for microbial analysis at 42nd day of the experiment. Frequency and nature of microorganism were obtained. Microbial count of broilers administered radish juice ranged from 7.84 x 107 – 1.75 x 107 cfu mL-1 while those administered antibiotics had 8.75 x 107 – 8.56 x107 cfu mL-1. Microorganisms isolated include: Klebsiella Pneumoniae (27%), Morganella morganii (24%), Bacillus subtilis (22%), Providencia rettgerii (5%), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (5%), Staphylococcus aureus (4%), Citrobacter fruendii (4%), Proteus mirabilis (2%), Micrococcus luteus (2%), Escherichia coli (2%), Providencia stuartii (2%). There was no statistical difference (P>0.05) among all the growth parameters in both the radish groups and the antibiotic groups, at the starter and finisher phase. This study suggests radish root juice as an effective antimicrobial agent in reducing microbial load of the gut of broilers which consequently can lead to increased productivity and feed – to – meat conversion ratio.

The effects of supplementing different dietary selenium (Se) sources on intestinal histomorphology, caecal bacterial proliferation, and caecum short-chain fatty acid in layer chickens were studied. A total of 120 of 54-week-old Lohman Brown Classic laying hens were subjected to four dietary treatments: control group with no Se supplementation (T1), 0.3 mg/kg of sodium selenite (T2), 0.3 mg/kg of selenium yeast (T3), and 0.3 mg/kg of bacterial Se (Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, ADS18) (T4). All treatments were also supplemented with 250 mg/kg of vitamin E. Results showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher villus height in different small intestine parts in hens fed with diets containing organic Se sources (T3 and T4), as compared to inorganic sources (T2) and control (T1). A greater crypt depth was observed for the T1 group, as compared to T3 and T4 groups. The total bacterial populations of Bifidobacteria spp. and Lactobacilli spp. were significantly increased (p < 0.05), and tEscherichia coli population was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in T3 and T4 groups. No effect on the total caecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs) content was observed. However, there was a significant increase (21.5%) of the butyric acid content in T4 group. In conclusion, organic Se supplementation, particularly bacterial organic Se, enhances intestinal histomorphology, increases the beneficial caecal bacterial proliferation, and increases butyric acid content.

Unravelling the mechanisms of how antibiotics influence growth performance through changes in gut microbiota can lead to the identification of highly productive microbiota in animal production. Here we investigated the effect of zinc bacitracin and avilamycin on growth performance and caecal microbiota in chickens and analysed associations between individual bacteria and growth performance. Two trials were undertaken; each used 96 individually caged 15-day-old Cobb broilers. Trial 1 had a control group ( n =  48) and a zinc bacitracin (50 ppm) treatment group ( n =  48). Trial 2 had a control group ( n =  48) and an avilamycin (15 ppm) treatment group ( n =  48). Chicken growth performance was evaluated over a 10-day period, and caecal microbiota was characterised by sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons. Avilamycin produced no effect on growth performance and exhibited little significant disturbance of the microbiota structure. However, zinc bacitracin reduced the feed conversion ratio (FCR) in treated birds, changed the composition and increased the diversity of their caecal microbiota by reducing dominant species. Avilamycin only produced minor reductions in the abundance of two microbial taxa, whereas zinc bacitracin produced relatively large shifts in a number of taxa, primarily Lactobacillus species. Also, a number of phylotypes closely related to lactobacilli species were positively or negatively correlated with FCR values, suggesting contrasting effects of Lactobacillus spp. on chicken growth performance. By harnessing such bacteria, it may be possible to develop high-productivity strategies in poultry that rely on the use of probiotics and less on in-feed antibiotics.

Abstract In order to survive and replicate, Salmonella has evolved mechanisms to gain access to intestinal epithelial cells of the crypt. However, the impact of Salmonella Typhimurium on stem cells and progenitors, which are responsible for the ability of the intestinal epithelium to renew and protect itself, remains unclear. Given that intestinal organoids growth is sustained by stem cells and progenitors activity, we have used this model to document the effects of Salmonella Typhimurium infection on epithelial proliferation and differentiation, and compared it to an in vivo model of Salmonella infection in mice. Among gut segments, the caecum was preferentially targeted by Salmonella . Analysis of infected crypts and organoids demonstrated increased length and size, respectively. mRNA transcription profiles of infected crypts and organoids pointed to upregulated EGFR-dependent signals, associated with a decrease in secretory cell lineage differentiation. To conclude, we show that organoids are suited to mimic the impact of Salmonella on stem cells and progenitors cells, carrying a great potential to drastically reduce the use of animals for scientific studies on that topic. In both models, the EGFR pathway, crucial to stem cells and progenitors proliferation and differentiation, is dysregulated by Salmonella, suggesting that repeated infections might have consequences on crypt integrity and further oncogenesis.

Complex gut microbiota increases chickens’ resistance to enteric pathogens. However, the principles of this phenomenon are not understood in detail. One of the possibilities for how to decipher the role of gut microbiota in chickens’ resistance to enteric pathogens is to systematically characterise the gene expression of individual gut microbiota members colonising the chicken caecum. To reach this aim, newly hatched chicks were inoculated with bacterial species whose whole genomic sequence was known. Total protein purified from the chicken caecum was analysed by mass spectrometry, and the obtained spectra were searched against strain-specific protein databases generated from known genomic sequences. Campylobacter jejuni, Phascolarctobacterium sp. and Sutterella massiliensis did not utilise carbohydrates when colonising the chicken caecum. On the other hand, Bacteroides, Mediterranea, Marseilla, Megamonas, Megasphaera, Bifidobacterium, Blautia, Escherichia coli and Succinatimonas fermented carbohydrates. C. jejuni was the only motile bacterium, and Bacteroides mediterraneensis expressed the type VI secretion system. Classification of in vivo expression is key for understanding the role of individual species in complex microbial populations colonising the intestinal tract. Knowledge of the expression of motility, the type VI secretion system, and preference for carbohydrate or amino acid fermentation is important for the selection of bacteria for defined competitive exclusion products.

In mammals, the period of weaning represents the change from milk consumption to a solid, species-specific diet. This is associated with adaptations of the gastrointestinal tract, including the digestive enzymes. This study aimed to investigate the amylase activity in pancreas tissue and small intestinal content before, at and after weaning in C57BL/6J mice, in addition to determining blood glucose levels, body weight, organ weights and the length of the small intestine and colon. In total, 59 mice were sacrificed at the ages of 12 d, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10 weeks, to obtain these parameters. Weaning had been set to take place at 21 d. Age groups were statistically compared with one-way analyses of variances ( α  = 0.05). Body weight followed a non-linear function of age. Relative liver weight increased abruptly from 3 to 4 weeks of age, while relative spleen weight decreased from 4 to 8 weeks of age. Relative pancreas weight increased significantly until 6 weeks of age. Pancreatic amylase activity significantly increased from 3 to 4 weeks of age, corresponding to increasing intake of solid diet at weaning. Amylase activity in small intestinal content did not follow this pattern, possibly because of a non-representative nature of the samples. Further studies are warranted to test for the effect of weaning age, diet and genetic background on amylase activity in mice.

The study examined the potential use of high-protein wheat (AW) as an alternative to soybean meal (SBM)-based diet for poultry. One-day-old broiler chickens were divided into 4 groups: control (C), fed a standard mixture, and three experimental groups (W50, W75 and W100) in which 50, 75 and 100%, respectively, of SBM was replaced by AW. Performance and caecal parameters (body weight, caecal morphometry, short-chain fatty acids – SCFAs) of the birds were measured at days 14, 21, 35 and 42 of age. Selected groups of microorganisms in the ileum and caecum were assessed quantitatively. Microbial metabolites (SCFAs and methane) were analysed in vitro, using caecal inocula collected from another group of control chickens, incubated with substrates containing SBM and AW in the proportions corresponding to those in the feeding protocols. The W100 chickens had a distinctly lower body weight than control animals. The development of caecal parameters was also slower, though physiologically correct, in this group. The microbial colonization of the caeca (especially by lactic acid bacteria) and changes in their activity took a longer time in chickens receiving the highest dose of AW. The W50 group was most similar to the control group with respect to performance and caecal parameters, as well as microbial metabolites. However, in the in vitro experiment, no major differences in the SCFA profile or methanogenesis were observed. Based on the obtained results, it can be recommended to replace 50% of soybean meal with high-protein wheat in the diet of broiler chickens, preferably from day 21 of age.

The mosquito larval midgut is responsible for acquiring and storing most of the nutrients that will sustain the events of metamorphosis and the insect’s adult life. Despite its importance, the basic biology of this larval organ is poorly understood. To help fill this gap, we carried out a comparative morphophysiological investigation of three larval midgut regions (gastric caeca, anterior midgut, and posterior midgut) of phylogenetically distant mosquitoes: Anopheles gambiae ( Anopheles albimanus was occasionally used as an alternate), Aedes aegypti , and Toxorhynchites theobaldi . Larvae of Toxorhynchites mosquitoes are predacious , in contrast to the other two species, that are detritivorous. In this work, we show that the larval gut of the three species shares basic histological characteristics, but differ in other aspects. The lipid and carbohydrate metabolism of the An. gambiae larval midgut is different compared with that of Ae. aegypti and Tx. theobaldi . The gastric caecum is the most variable region, with differences probably related to the chemical composition of the diet. The peritrophic matrix is morphologically similar in the three species, and processes involved in the post-embryonic development of the organ, such as cell differentiation and proliferation, were also similar. FMRF-positive enteroendocrine cells are grouped in the posterior midgut of Tx. theobaldi , but individualized in An. gambiae and Ae. aegypti . We hypothesize that Tx. theobaldi larval predation is an ancestral condition in mosquito evolution.