Merino ewes (n 108) joined to a single sire were allocated into three flocks, with ewes in one flock being chemically defaunated in the second month of gestation. Single lambs born to defaunated ewes (BF lambs) were heavier at birth and at weaning than lambs born to faunated ewes (F lambs). After weaning, all BF and F lambs were individually housed then half of the F lambs were chemically defaunated (DF lambs). In trial 1, BF, DF and F lambs were offered a concentrate-based diet containing either 14 or 19 % protein for a 10-week period. Wool growth rate of BF lambs was 10 % higher than that of DF or F lambs and was increased 9 % by the high-protein diet. While there was no main effect of protozoa treatment on enteric methane production, there was an interaction between protozoa treatment and diet for methane production. BF and DF lambs produced more methane than F lambs when fed the low-protein diet but when fed the high-protein diet, emissions were less than (BF lambs) or not different from (DF lambs) emissions from F lambs. In trial 2, lambs were offered 800 g roughage per d and, again, methane production was not affected by the presence of protozoa in the rumen. The data indicate that while lambs without rumen protozoa have greater protein availability than do faunated ruminants, there is no main effect of rumen protozoa on enteric methane production by lambs fed either a concentrate or roughage diet.

Glycaemic responses to the dextrin NUTRIOSE®6 (Dex) and the MALTISORB® maltitol (Mal) have been studied previously but their effects on vigilance and cognitive performances are still not known. The present study assesses dose-related glycaemic responses following Dex administration and the hypothesis that Dex and Mal could modulate the glycaemic response, improve vigilance under stress conditions and improve cognitive performances in rats. The glycaemic responses following Dex and corn syrup GLUCIDEX®IT 21 (CoS) solutions at 0·3, 0·5 and 1·0 g/kg body weight administered by oral administration (experiment 1) and glycaemic responses to three cereal bars (standard (CoS), Dex or Dex/Mal bar) (experiment 2) were evaluated. Rats having eaten cereal bars were submitted to vigilance and aversive light stimulus avoidance conditioning tests to assess their vigilance and cognitive performances. The first experiment showed that the glycaemic response to both products is dose-related and that CoS induced a glycaemic response three times higher than the Dex response. The second experiment showed the same glycaemic response for the three cereal bar-treated rats. Yet, an increase in the vigilance of Dex/Mal-treated rats as well as a better discrimination between two levers in the cognitive test for Dex- and Dex/Mal-treated rats were noticed. These results suggest that the glycaemic response is not the only factor to be considered in predicting the efficiency of a food ingredient on vigilance and cognitive performances: these behaviours are improved after Dex- and Mal-prepared cereal bar ingestion whereas the glycaemic response does not differ from the CoS-prepared bar.

The aim of the present study was to determine whether the addition of soluble fibre in the diet affected protein metabolism in the intestinal tissues, some visceral organs and in skeletal muscle. A diet supplemented with pectin (80 g/kg) was fed to young growing rats and the effect on organ mass and protein metabolism in liver, spleen, small and large intestines and gastrocnemius muscle was monitored and compared with the control group. Protein synthesis rates were determined by measuring [13C]valine incorporation in tissue protein. In the pectin-fed rats compared with the controls, DM intake and body weight gain were reduced (9 and 20 %, respectively) as well as gastrocnemius muscle, liver and spleen weights (6, 14 and 11 %, respectively), but the intestinal tissues were increased (64 %). In the intestinal tissues all protein metabolism parameters (protein and RNA content, protein synthesis rate and translational efficiency) were increased in the pectin group. In liver the translational efficiency was also increased, whereas its protein and RNA contents were reduced in the pectin group. In gastrocnemius muscle, protein content, fractional and absolute protein synthesis rates and translational efficiency were lower in the pectin group. The stimulation of protein turnover in intestines and liver by soluble fibre such as pectins could be one of the factors that explain the decrease in muscle turnover and whole-body growth rate.

The effect of feed protein type on body composition and growth has been examined. Evidence exists that whey protein concentrate is effective at limiting body fat expansion. The presence of caseinomacropeptide, a mixture of glycosylated and non-glycosylated carbohydrate residues, in particular glycomacropeptide (GMP) in whey protein concentrate may be important for this effect. The influence of whey protein isolate (WPI) and GMP on weight gain and body composition was examined by feeding Wistar rats ad libitum for 7 weeks with five semi-purified American Institute of Nutrition-based diets differing in protein type: (1) casein; (2) barbequed beef; (3) control WPI (no GMP); (4) WPI+GMP at 100 g/kg; (5) WPI+GMP at 200 g/kg. Body composition was assessed, and plasma samples were assayed for TAG, insulin and glucose. Body-weight gain was lower ( − 21 %) on the control WPI diet relative to casein, with a non-significant influence associated with GMP inclusion ( − 30 %), the effect being equivalent at both levels of GMP addition. Renal and carcass fat mass were reduced in the highest GMP diet when compared with WPI (P < 0·05). Plasma insulin was lowered by GMP at the highest addition compared with WPI alone ( − 53 %; P < 0·01). Plasma TAG in the WPI+GMP (200 g/kg) group were lower ( − 27 %; P < 0·05) than the casein and beef groups. In conclusion, GMP appears to have a significant additional influence when combined with WPI on fat accumulation. WPI alone appears to have the predominant influence accounting for 70 % of the overall effect on body-weight gain. Mechanisms for this effect have not been identified but food intake was not responsible.

Epidemiological studies suggest that dietary PUFA may influence breast cancer progression. n-3 PUFA are generally known to exert antitumour effects, whereas reports relative to n-6 PUFA anti-carcinogen effects are controversial. Arachidonic acid (AA; 20 : 4n − 6) and its metabolites have been shown to inhibit the growth of human breast cancer cell lines, even if the downstream mechanisms by which AA may influence carcinogenesis remain unresolved. We explored the molecular basis for AA influence on proliferation, signal transduction and apoptosis in two human breast cancer cell lines, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231. In both cell lines AA inhibited cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, even if MDA-MB-231 was somewhat more growth-inhibited than MCF-7. AA decreased extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 phosphorylation level, and positively modulated PPARγ and PPARα expression, with only a slight effect against PPARβ/δ. In addition, AA increased Bak (an apoptosis-regulating protein) expression and reduced procaspase-3 and -9 levels only in MDA-MB-231 cells, thus indicating that the growth inhibitory effect can be correlated with apoptosis induction. In both cell lines the use of a specific antagonist made it possible to establish a relationship between AA growth inhibitory effect and PPARα involvement. AA decreases cell proliferation most likely by inducing apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells, while in the MCF-7 cell line the growth inhibitory activity can be attributed to the inhibition of the signal transduction pathway involved in cell proliferation. In both cases, the results here presented suggest PPARα as a possible contributor to the growth inhibitory effect of AA.

We examined the in vitro and in vivo effects of a probiotic, Escherichia coli strain M-17 (EC-M17), on NF-κB signalling, cytokine secretion and efficacy in dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced murine colitis. NF-κB signalling was assessed using an NF-κB luciferase reporter cell line that was stimulated with TNF-α (100 ng/ml). p65 Nuclear binding and cytokine secretion (TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6) were evaluated using a RAW 264·7 macrophage cell line that was exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 5 μg/ml). Mice were administered vehicle, EC-M17, metronidazole, or EC-M17 plus metronidazole for 13 d. During the final 6 d, mice also received 2 % DSS. Parameters evaluated included disease activity index (DAI), histology, myeloperoxidase and NF-κB p65. EC-M17 dose dependently inhibited TNF-α-induced NF-κB signalling. At 5 × 109 colony-forming units/ml, EC-M17 inhibited NF-κB by >95 %. LPS-induced nuclear p65 binding was significantly inhibited (78 %; P < 0·05) in RAW 264·7 macrophages at 1 × 108 colony-forming units/ml. EC-M17 also inhibited (by >90 %) the LPS-induced secretion of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6. In mice with DSS-induced colitis, EC-M17, metronidazole, and EC-M17 plus metronidazole significantly reduced DAI and colonic histology scores. Both EC-M17 and metronidazole reduced colonic IL-12, IL-6, IL-1β and interferon-γ. The combination of EC-M17 plus metronidazole resulted in more substantial cytokine reductions than were found with either treatment alone, and combination therapy significantly (P < 0·05 in both cases) reduced IL-1β compared with EC-M17 and colonic histology scores compared with metronidazole. Alone, and in combination with metronidazole, EC-M17 improved murine colitis, probably due to an inhibitory effect on NF-κB signalling.

Aqueous extracts or juice from unripened fruit of Momordica charantia (bitter melon) has traditionally been used in the treatment of diabetes and its complications. Insulin resistance is characterized by significant down-regulation of hepatic insulin signalling as documented by attenuated phosphorylation of insulin receptor (IR), IR substrates 1 and 2, phosphoinositide-3 kinase, protein kinase B, and over-expression of phosphotyrosine phosphatase 1B. We recently demonstrated that bitter melon juice (BMJ) is a potent inhibitor of apoB secretion and TAG synthesis and secretion in human hepatoma cells, HepG2, that may be involved in plasma lipid- and VLDL-lowering effects observed in animal studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of BMJ on plasma apoB levels and hepatic insulin signalling cascade in mice fed high-fat diet (HFD). Female C57BL/6 mice (4–6 weeks old) were randomized into three groups receiving regular rodent chow, HFD and HFD+BMJ. The data indicate that BMJ not only improves glucose and insulin tolerance but also lowers plasma apoB-100 and apoB-48 in HFD-fed mice as well as modulates the phosphorylation status of IR and its downstream signalling molecules. Investigating the biochemical and molecular mechanisms involved in amelioration of diabetic dyslipidaemia by BMJ may lead to identification of new molecular targets for dietary/alternative therapies.

Aspirin causes gastroduodenal ulcers and complications. Food bioactive compounds could exert beneficial effects in the gastrointestinal tract. We evaluated whether apple polyphenol extract (APE) reduced aspirin-induced injury to the rat gastric mucosa. Rats were treated with APE (10− 4 m catechin equivalent) before oral aspirin (200 mg/kg). Cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2), transforming growth factor-α (TGFα) and heparin-binding epidermal-growth-factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF) mRNA and protein expression were assessed by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively; malondialdehyde (MDA) was determined by HPLC; gastric secretion was evaluated in pylorus-ligated rats. APE decreased acute and chronic aspirin injury both macroscopically and microscopically (approximately 50 % decrease in lesion score; P < 0·05). Aspirin up-regulated mRNA and protein expression of COX-2 and HB-EGF, but not of TGFα; APE reduced aspirin-induced mRNA and protein over-expression of COX-2 and HB-EGF; aspirin significantly increased gastric MDA and this effect was counteracted by APE pre-treatment. APE did not significantly affect gastric acid secretion. In conclusion, APE reduces aspirin-induced gastric injury independently of acid inhibition. We speculate that APE might be of therapeutic use in the prophylaxis of aspirin-related gastropathy.

The sap of Acer mono has been called ‘bone-benefit-water’ in Korea because of its mineral and sugar content. In particular, the calcium concentration of the sap of A. mono is 37·5 times higher than commercial spring water. In the current study, we examined whether A. mono sap could improve or prevent osteoporosis-like symptoms in a mouse model. Male mice (3 weeks old) were fed a low-calcium diet supplemented with 25, 50 or 100 % A. mono sap, commercial spring water or a high calcium-containing solution as a beverage for 7 weeks. There were no differences in weekly weight gain and food intake among all the groups. Mice that were given a low-calcium diet supplemented with commercial spring water developed osteoporosis-like symptoms. To assess the effect of sap on osteoporosis-like symptoms, we examined serum calcium concentration, and femur density and length, and carried out a histological examination. Serum calcium levels were significantly lower in mice that received a low-calcium diet supplemented with commercial spring water (the negative control group), and in the 25 % sap group compared to mice fed a normal diet, but were normal in the 50 and 100 % sap and high-calcium solution groups. Femur density and length were significantly reduced in the negative control and 25 % sap groups. These results indicate that a 50 % sap solution can mitigate osteoporosis-like symptoms induced by a low-calcium diet. We also examined the regulation of expression of calcium-processing genes in the duodenum and kidney. Duodenal TRPV6 and renal calbindin-D9k were up-regulated dose-dependently by sap, and the levels of these factors were higher than those attained in the spring water-treated control. The results demonstrate that the sap of A. mono ameliorates the low bone density induced by a low-calcium diet, most likely by increasing calcium ion absorption.

Numerous studies have indicated that increased vulnerability to oxidative stress may be the main factor involved in functional declines during normal and pathological ageing, and that antioxidant agents, such as polyphenols, may improve or prevent these deficits. We examined whether 1-year administration of a cocoa polyphenolic extract (Acticoa powder), orally delivered at the dose of 24 mg/kg per d between 15 and 27 months of age, affects the onset of age-related cognitive deficits, urinary free dopamine levels and lifespan in old Wistar-Unilever rats. Acticoa powder improved cognitive performances in light extinction and water maze paradigms, increased lifespan and preserved high urinary free dopamine levels. These results suggest that Acticoa powder may be beneficial in retarding age-related brain impairments, including cognitive deficits in normal ageing and perhaps neurodegenerative diseases. Further studies are required to elucidate the mechanisms of cocoa polyphenols in neuroprotection and to explore their effects in man.

Recent studies support beneficial effects of polyphenols in various chronic inflammatory diseases, for example, the inflammatory bowel diseases. Inhibition of NF-κB activation by polyphenols could explain part of their anti-inflammatory properties, but few data are available on the intestine. The purpose of the present study was thus to investigate the effects of some polyphenols on NF-κB activation using human intestinal Caco-2 cells. Effects of standard polyphenols (50 μmol/l) were studied on different cellular events associated with NF-κB activation: (i) NF-κB activity using cells transiently transfected with a NF-κB–luciferase construct and stimulated by inflammatory agents (IL-1β, TNF-α or lipopolysaccharides (LPS)); (ii) phosphorylation of the inhibitor of κB (IκB-α) analysed by Western blot; (iii) secretion of IL-8 quantified by ELISA assay. Results showed that chrysin and ellagic acid inhibited NF-κB activity, whereas genistein and resveratrol increased it. These effects were independent of the nature of the inducer, indicating that polyphenols may modulate NF-κB activation by acting on a common event to the cytokine- and LPS-mediated cascades. Chrysin strongly reduced (2·5-fold) IL-1β-induced IκB-α phosphorylation, whereas ellagic acid increased it (1·7-fold). Ellagic acid, genistein and epigallocatechin gallate reduced (4- to 8-fold) IL-1β-induced IL-8 secretion, while resveratrol promoted (1·7-fold) the secretion. Chrysin also diminished IL-8 secretion by 1·6-fold (but P>0·05). The data indicate that polyphenols can modulate the NF-κB activation pathway in the intestine. Chrysin could block NF-κB activation via the inhibition of IκB-α phosphorylation. The other molecular targets of the active polyphenols are still to be identified.

The aim of this study was to examine the responses of uric acid, antioxidant defences and pro-oxidant variables after a high-fat meal. Twenty-five healthy persons without criteria for the metabolic syndrome, underwent a high-fat meal with Supracal® (60 g fat). Measurements were made at baseline and 3 h after the meal of TAG, uric acid, HDL-cholesterol, total proteins and oxidative stress. Following the high-fat meal, we detected a significant increase in pro-oxidative variables and a decrease in antioxidative variables. The uric acid concentrations were significantly lower after the high-fat meal and the reduction correlated significantly with the oxidative stress variables. The inverse relation between reduced uric acid and increased carbonylated proteins remained in multiple regression analysis. We conclude that uric acid is a powerful antioxidant and its reduction following a high-fat meal may be related with its acute antioxidative action.

This study evaluated whether arginine (Arg) supplementation could attenuate gut injury induced by Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge through an anti-inflammatory role in weaned pigs. Pigs were allotted to four treatments including: (1) non-challenged control; (2) LPS-challenged control; (3) LPS+0·5 % Arg; (4) LPS+1·0 % Arg. On day 16, pigs were injected with LPS or sterile saline. At 6 h post-injection, pigs were killed for evaluation of small intestinal morphology and intestinal gene expression. Within 48 h of challenge, 0·5 % Arg alleviated the weight loss induced by LPS challenge (P = 0·025). In all three intestinal segments, 0·5 or 1·0 % Arg mitigated intestinal morphology impairment (e.g. lower villus height and higher crypt depth) induced by LPS challenge (P < 0·05), and alleviated the decrease of crypt cell proliferation and the increase of villus cell apoptosis after LPS challenge (P < 0·01). The 0·5 % Arg prevented the elevation of jejunal IL-6 mRNA abundance (P = 0·082), and jejunal (P = 0·030) and ileal (P = 0·039) TNF-α mRNA abundance induced by LPS challenge. The 1·0 % Arg alleviated the elevation of jejunal IL-6 mRNA abundance (P = 0·053) and jejunal TNF-α mRNA abundance (P = 0·003) induced by LPS challenge. The 0·5 % Arg increased PPARγ mRNA abundance in all three intestinal segments (P < 0·10), and 1·0 % Arg increased duodenal PPARγ mRNA abundance (P = 0·094). These results indicate that Arg supplementation has beneficial effects in alleviating gut mucosal injury induced by LPS challenge. Additionally, it is possible that the protective effects of Arg on the intestine are associated with decreasing the expression of intestinal pro-inflammatory cytokines through activating PPARγ expression.

The objective of the present study was to characterise some important antioxidant enzymes and their relationships with retinoids and lipid peroxidation during rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) early development. Eggs were incubated at 7°C until the swim-up stage whereupon fry were fed two semi-purified diets with 0 % (CO) and 8 % (OX) oxidised lipid respectively for 2 months at 17°C. The activities and gene expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) were determined as well as the levels of retinoids, F2-isoprostanes and lipid-soluble fluorescent products (LSFP) at various developmental stages. Only SOD had a detectable activity in embryos which increased during development and was linked with an increase of mitochondrial (SOD2) and cytosolic (SOD1) gene expression. SOD1 and SOD2 mRNA were more abundant in fry fed OX than in fry fed CO. CAT activity and gene expression also increased during development and were higher in fry fed OX compared with fry fed CO. Activity of Se-dependent GPX (Se-GPX) increased during development. The gene expression of cytosolic Se-GPX (GPX1) increased from hatching to 2-month-fed fry. Both phospholipid-hydroperoxide GPX and GPX1 genes were more expressed in fry fed OX than in fry fed CO. Retinoids decreased during development and, by 2 months, were lowered in fry fed OX compared with those fed CO. The levels of LSFP were higher in fry fed OX compared with fry fed CO. The present study demonstrates that antioxidant defence systems are active all through the development of rainbow trout and modulated by feeding oxidised lipid.

Three experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of dietary glycine (Gly) supplementation on inflammatory responses in broiler chicks fed a basal diet using maize and soyabean meal as the primary ingredients. Inflammation-related processes following lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection were examined by analysing plasma concentrations of nitrate plus nitrite (NOx) and ceruloplasmin (Cer) in experiments 1 and 2, or expression of several genes in the spleen and liver including IL-1β and -6, TNF-like ligand (TL)1A, inducible NO synthase, interferon (IFN)-γ and toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 were examined in experiment 3. Growth performance was also determined following immunological stimulation by both LPS and Sephadex injection in experiment 2. In experiment 1, birds fed a diet supplemented with Gly at 10 or 20 g/kg showed lower responses in plasma NOx and Cer than birds fed the diet supplemented with Gly at 0 or 40 g/kg. In experiment 2, a similar effect of Gly supplementation at 10 g/kg on plasma NOx and Cer was observed when chicks were fed either an isonitrogenous diet with Gly or glutamic acid (Glu). Gly-supplemented diet-fed birds showed better growth performance than Glu-supplemented diet-fed birds. The splenic expression of inflammatory response-related genes in birds fed a diet supplemented with Gly at 10 g/kg diet was lower than that of birds fed the basal diet in experiment 3. These results suggest that dietary Gly supplementation modulates the inflammatory response partly through changes in the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6, IFN-γ and TL1A.

We have previously demonstrated that maternal protein restriction during pregnancy leads to raised blood pressure and endothelial dysfunction in the offspring (F1). Here we show that these characteristics are transmitted to the F2 offspring through the maternal line, in the absence of any additional challenges to the F1. Female Wistar rats were fed either a control (18 % casein) or protein-restricted diet (PR; 9 % casein) throughout pregnancy. Female F1 offspring, maintained on standard chow postpartum, were mated with breeding males to produce F2 progeny. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) in male F2 offspring was assessed by tail-cuff plethysmography at age 100 d and vascular function of small mesenteric arteries by wire myography at age 80 and 200 d. SBP was raised in PR F2 offspring compared with controls (control 122·1 (sem 2·3) mmHg, n 7; PR 134·7 (sem 3·2) mmHg, n 6; P < 0·01) and endothelial function, assessed by vasodilatation to acetylcholine, was impaired at both age 80 d (% maximal response: control 89·7 (sem 2·6), n 14; PR 72·7 (sem 4·4), n 15; P < 0·01) and 200 d (effective concentration equal to 50 % of maximum (pEC50): control 7·67 (sem 0·10), n 10; PR 7·33 (sem 0·07), n 8; P < 0·05). The present study demonstrates that both raised blood pressure and endothelial dysfunction are passed via the maternal line to grand-offspring in the absence of any additional dietary challenges to their F1 mothers. Risk factors for chronic disease may therefore be heritable by non-genomic processes.

A wide range of factors can be attributed to the syndrome of fatty liver observed in some cultured fish species. The objective of the study was therefore to quantify different hepatocyte ultrastructural features as potentially influenced by twelve nutritional and husbandry factors, in order to discriminate the most influent factors in Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis), a typical carnivorous temperate fish species. Twenty-four groups of juveniles (initial weight 57·6 (sd 14·4) g) were intensively reared for 116 d and fed sixteen different isoproteic diets. The distribution of the experimental treatments was based on a multivariate fractional factorial design (L24 212) with either high (+1) or low ( − 1) level of each of the following factors: diet (lipid and protein sources, lipid content, astaxanthin enrichment), feeding level, daily and weekly distribution frequency, fish density, initial weight heterogeneity, temperature, photoperiod, and light spectrum. Liver lipid droplets, glycogen, mitochondria and rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER) were semi-quantified and analysed by a soft imaging system using transmission electronic microscopy photographs. Important variability of hepatocyte ultrastructural features was observed. The present study confirms that the rearing temperature, through its influences in the general metabolic activity, seems to be the main factor modifying mainly lipid droplet accumulation and RER development. However, factors that could be pooled under the designation of factors leading to food accessibility and lipid and protein quality intensify or compensate the effect of temperature.

Moderate ethanol drinking (ED) and n-3 fatty acids have both been associated with low cardiac mortality. However, there are few data evaluating the interactions of ED with n-3. We recently reported that moderate ED results in increased n-3 in cardiac patients. The main aim of the present study was, through a well-controlled experimental model, to confirm that chronic ED actually results in increased n-3. Secondary aims were to examine the effects of chronic ED on cardiac mitochondria, cardiac function and experimental myocardial infarction. We studied the fatty acid profiles of plasma, cell membranes and cardiac mitochondria phospholipids in a rat model of chronic ED. In plasma and cell membranes, ED actually resulted in higher n-3 (P = 0·005). In mitochondria phospholipids of ED rats, n-3 were also increased (P < 0·05) but quite modestly. Cardiac mitochondrial function and left ventricular function were not significantly different in ED and control rats, while infarct size after 30 min ischaemia and reperfusion was smaller (P < 0·0001) in ED rats. This is the first animal study confirming interaction of alcohol drinking with n-3. We found no harmful effect of chronic ED on the heart in that model but a significant cardioprotection. Further studies are warranted to investigate the mechanisms by which moderate ED alters the metabolism of n-3 and whether n-3 are the mediators of the ED-induced cardioprotection.

Very little evidence exists concerning the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on body fat reduction induced by energy restriction. Moreover, although an effect of trans-10, cis-12-CLA on lipolysis has been suggested, it has not been consistently shown. The aims of the present study were to determine whether trans-10, cis-12-CLA increases the reduction of body fat induced by energy restriction, and to analyse its effect on lipolysis and adipose tissue lipase expression (hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) and adipose tissue TAG lipase (ATGL)). Male Syrian Golden hamsters were fed a high-fat diet during 7 weeks in order to make them fatter. Then they were submitted to a mild energy restriction (25 %) without or with supplementation of 0·5 % trans-10, cis-12-CLA for 3 weeks. Basal glycerol release and lipolysis stimulated by several drugs acting at different levels of the lipolytic cascade were measured in epididymal adipose tissue. The expression of HSL and ATGL was assessed by real-time RT-PCR. No differences were found in adipose tissues size between the experimental groups. Medium adipocyte size and total number of adipocytes were similar in both experimental groups. Animals fed the CLA-enriched diet showed similar lipolytic rates as well as HSL and ATGL expressions to the controls. In conclusion, trans-10, cis-12-CLA does not promote adipose tissue lipid mobilisation nor does it heighten body fat reduction induced by energy restriction. Consequently, this CLA isomer does not seem to be a useful tool to be included in body weight-loss strategies followed in obesity treatment.

There is a need to further our understanding of the role that the equine hindgut ecosystem plays in digestive processes and diseases. The aim of the present study was to utilise the real-time PCR technique to determine the abundance of candidate cellulolytic (Ruminococcus flavefaciens; Fibrobacter succinogenes) and non-cellulolytic (Streptococcus bovis) bacteria in lumen contents from the caecum, ventral and dorsal colon, and rectum of healthy horses (n 14). Total DNA was extracted from frozen and lyophilised lumen contents, and PCR primers and Taqman® probes were designed based on 16S rDNA sequences for specific detection of candidate bacterial species. Overall, in frozen and lyophilised digesta, there were significantly (P < 0·01) fewer candidate bacteria in the caecum than the dorsal colon and rectum. In frozen digesta, candidate bacteria levels were similar between the ventral colon, dorsal colon and rectum, but in lyophilised digesta there were significantly (P < 0·05) higher levels of bacteria in the dorsal colon and rectum. Frozen digesta contained disparate levels of candidate bacteria such that R. flavefaciens > F. succinogenes > S. bovis (P < 0·05), while in lyophilised digesta R. flavefaciens was present in significantly (P < 0·05) greater amounts than F. succinogenes and S. bovis. R. flavefaciens and F. succinogenes were abundant at significantly (P < 0·05) greater levels in lyophilised digesta v. frozen digesta, with no difference in S. bovis levels. These data indicate that for these bacteria at least, faeces are a suitable model for studying the bacterial ecosystem within the equine colon. The present study also indicates that the preservation method of digesta affects levels of bacteria detected.