Activity of alkaline phosphatase in male lamb blood serum in relation to age and growth rate

Purpose: to assess the correlation of serum alkaline phosphatase with the live weight and growth rate of male lambs during the milk and post-milk growing periods.Materials and methods. The study of indicators of serum alkaline phosphatase activity in 74 male lambs aged one and five months was carried out in connection with the intensity of growth and the peculiarities of metabolism. All the male lambs were born at the same time and were raised for up to six months under similar feeding and maintenance conditions. To study the dynamics of changes in the live weight of young animals, individual weighing was carried out monthly with an accuracy of 0.1 kg. Based on the results of weighing, the absolute, relative, and average daily live weight gains were calculated and the animals were divided into three groups. The analysis of the serum for the content of the studied parameters was performed by photometry with the help of the corresponding sets of reagents of the company «VitalDiagnostics SPb».Results. During the observation period, the average increase in live weight of male lambs was 21,14 kg, or 136,75 g per day. At one month of age, the activity of alkaline phosphatase was 188,61±9.50 U/l, and at five months — 100,01±3,58, or 47% (P<0,001) lower. It was found that the activity of the enzyme during the suckling period was positively associated with live weight and growth intensity (r=0,35 and 0,49), and after weaning from mothers — negatively (r = -0,46 and -0,46, respectively). The activity of alkaline phosphatase was consistently increased in monthly male lamb when they moved from a group with lower productivity to a larger one — 160,5 — 191,4 — 214,9, and in five-month-olds, on the contrary, decreased — 121,0 — 98,1 — 80,2 E/l. At the age of one month, the increase in growth intensity was accompanied by an increase in the blood serum of male lamb values of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, glucose, calcium and phosphorus, and a decrease in urea and cholesterol levels. At the age of five months, both the list of links and their vector changed. In the serum of fast-growing animals, the de Ritis coefficient and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase were higher, but the activity of lactate dehydrogenase and creatine phosphokinase was lower.Conclusion. The presence of a correlation between alkaline phosphatase and growth makes it possible to use alkaline phosphatase in zootechnical practice and breeding work as an additional criterion for the growth potential of male lambs up to six months in the early stages of ontogenesis. However, the change in the nature of the relationship from plus to minus implies a differentiated approach in the use of this indicator, taking into account the age of the male lambs.

Regular consumption of “Nkui”, a Cameroonian traditional dish, may protect against cardiovascular and bone disorders in an estrogen deficiency condition

Objectives There is a growing body of evidence indicating the potential of culinary herbs and spices to decrease the incidence of several chronic diseases or conditions. Because of this, the WHO recommends their regular consumption. In the Cameroonian culinary practices, “Nkui” is a famous dish made from a mixture of 10 spices. In our previous study, the ethanolic extract of this mixture exhibited promising estrogenic properties. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate its protective effects on some menopause-related cardiovascular and bone disorders. Methods For this purpose, a post-menopause-like model (ovariectomized rats) has been used. Animals were orally treated with the “Nkui” extract for 60 days. The investigation focused on the oxidative stress status, endothelial function (NO bioavailability), lipid profile, and bone mass, biochemical (calcium and inorganic phosphorus contents, serum alkaline phosphatase activity) and histomorphological features. Results The extract regulated lipid metabolism in a way to prevent accumulation of abdominal fat, gain in body weight and increased atherogenic indexes induced by ovariectomy. It prevented menopause-related low levels of nitric oxide and oxidative stress damage by increasing superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, while reducing glutathione and malondialdehyde levels in the heart and aorta. Moreover, it prevented ovariectomy-induced bone mass loss, bone marrow disparities and the disorganization of the trabecular network. It also increased femur calcium and inorganic phosphorus contents. Conclusions These results suggest that a regular consumption of “Nkui” may have health benefits on cardiovascular system and osteoporosis, major health issues associated with menopause.

Perinatal severe hypophosphatasia: a case report

ObjectivesHypophosphatasia is a rare, inherited metabolic disorder characterized by low serum alkaline phosphatase activity. It is caused by mutations in the ALPL gene, which encodes tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP) [1], [2], [3]. The degree of skeletal malformation varies, but the severe form carries a very poor prognosis.Case presentationThis study reports a male neonate diagnosed with infantile hypophosphatasia (HPP). Genetic analysis showed two heterozygous missense variants at nucleotides c.977G>T (protein Gly326Val) and c.862+4A>G (IVS8+4A>G) (protein NA). The two mutations originated separately from the parents, consistent with autosomal recessive infantile HPP. The pathogenic variant was ALPL exon-9-heterozygous, and the other allele was ALPL IVS8-heterozygous, a variant of uncertain significance.ConclusionsThis case of infantile HPP was caused by two heterozygous mutations. One of those is a novel genetic mutation needed for further study. Genetic consultation is recommended for future offspring of affected parents.

Effect of the Source of Zinc on the Tissue Accumulation of Zinc and Jejunal Mucosal Zinc Transporter Expression in Holstein Dairy Calves

Zinc is considered to be an anti-diarrheal agent, and it may therefore reduce the incidence of diarrhea in young calves. In the present study, we aimed to compare the effect of zinc source on growth performance, the incidence of diarrhea, tissue zinc accumulation, the expression of zinc transporters, and the serum concentrations of zinc-dependent proteins in neonatal Holstein dairy calves. Eighteen male newborn Holstein dairy calves were fed milk and starter diet supplemented with or without 80 mg zinc/d in the form of Zn-Met or ZnO for 14 days, and were then euthanized. Zn-Met supplementation improved average daily gain and feed efficiency, and reduced the incidence of diarrhea, compared with control calves (p < 0.05). It also increased the serum and hepatic zinc concentrations and the mRNA expression of the ZIP4 transporter in the jejunal mucosa of the calves (p < 0.05). In addition, the serum alkaline phosphatase activity and metallothionein concentration were higher in Zn-Met-treated calves than in control calves (p < 0.05). ZnO supplementation had similar effects, but these did not reach significance. Thus, Zn-Met supplementation is an effective means of increasing tissue zinc accumulation and jejunal zinc absorption, and can be used as an anti-diarrheal strategy in neonatal calves.

Benign transient hyperphosphatasemia in children

Introduction/Objective. Benign transient hyperphosphatasemia (BTH) is a pathogenetic insufficiently clear clinical entity that is mostly seen in infants and young children. The objective of this paper is to present our experience regarding the age of occurrence, the conditions of the discovery, and the length of duration of BTH in children. Methods. The study was realized on a sample of 18 children, nine boys and nine girls, aged 10?42 (21.06 ? 9.35) months with BTH. The diagnosis of BTH is based on the absence of bone and hepatobiliary diseases, and its spontaneous disappearance over the course of several months. Results. One patient was in the first year, 13 in the second, three in the third, and one in the fourth. Isolated high activity of serum alkaline phosphatase, which was 2.04?21.9 (8.05 ? 5.31) times above the upper reference value for the corresponding age, in 14 cases it was found during the acute diarrhea, and in four with acute rhinopharyngitis, of which in two complicated with otitis media. The cause of diarrhea in six cases was rotavirus, in two Campylobacter, and in one adenovirus, and otitis media in one case was caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, while in others, etiologic factors of infection were not identified. Spontaneous normalization of serum alkaline phosphatase activity was recorded between one and three months after the onset. Conclusion. BTH is a harmless biochemical disorder that spontaneously subsides within three months after initial observation. It is found randomly as a routine laboratory finding most often within the treatment of acute gastrointestinal and respiratory infections.

Late diagnosis of hypophosphatasia in a case with Unverricht-Lundborg disease

A significant increase in the activity of serum alkaline phosphatase is commonly reported in patients on long-term antiepileptic treatment or after any uncomplicated fracture. We report a case of a 35-year-old male patient on five different anticonvulsant medications for treatment of the rare autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder, Unverricht-Lundborg disease. He presented with bilateral metatarsal fractures: however, his serum alkaline phosphatase activity remained below the lower limit of reference interval. Biochemical laboratory investigations revealed a longstanding low serum alkaline phosphatase and raised plasma pyridoxal-5′-phosphate concentration. Sequencing of genomic DNA revealed that he is heterozygous for a mutation in the ALPL gene, which is consistent with the diagnosis of hypophosphatasia.