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Massimo Bionaz
Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97330, USA

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Journal article
Published: 21 August 2021 in Genes
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The inclusion of fat in livestock diets represents a valuable and cost-effective way to increase the animal’s caloric intake. Beyond their caloric value, fatty acids can be understood in terms of their bioactivity, via the modulation of the ligand-dependent nuclear peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR). Isotypes of PPAR regulate important metabolic processes in both monogastric and ruminant animals, including the metabolism of fatty acids (FA), the production of milk fat, and the immune response; however, information on the modulation of bovine PPAR by fatty acids is limited. The objective of this study was to expand our understanding on modulation of bovine PPAR by FA, both when used individually and in combination, in an immortalized cell culture model of bovine liver. Of the 10 FA included in the study, the greatest activation of the PPAR reporter was detected with saturated FA C12:0, C16:0, and C18:0, as well as phytanic acid, and the unsaturated FA C16:1 and C18:1. When supplemented in mixtures of 2 FA, the most effective combination was C12:0 + C16:0, while in mixtures of 3 FA, the greatest activation was caused by combinations of C12:0 with C16:0 and either C18:0, C16:1, or C18:1. Some mixtures display a synergistic effect that leads to PPAR activation greater than the sum of their parts, which may be explained by structural dynamics within the PPAR ligand-binding pocket. Our results provide fundamental information for the development of tailored dietary plans that focus on the use of FA mixtures for nutrigenomic purposes.

ACS Style

Sebastiano Busato; Massimo Bionaz. When Two plus Two Is More than Four: Evidence for a Synergistic Effect of Fatty Acids on Peroxisome Proliferator—Activated Receptor Activity in a Bovine Hepatic Model. Genes 2021, 12, 1283 .

AMA Style

Sebastiano Busato, Massimo Bionaz. When Two plus Two Is More than Four: Evidence for a Synergistic Effect of Fatty Acids on Peroxisome Proliferator—Activated Receptor Activity in a Bovine Hepatic Model. Genes. 2021; 12 (8):1283.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sebastiano Busato; Massimo Bionaz. 2021. "When Two plus Two Is More than Four: Evidence for a Synergistic Effect of Fatty Acids on Peroxisome Proliferator—Activated Receptor Activity in a Bovine Hepatic Model." Genes 12, no. 8: 1283.

Preprint content
Published: 20 July 2021
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ACS Style

Massimo Bionaz; Serkan Ates; Ruth Muchiri; Richard B. van Breemen. Hepatic Cannabinoids Residuals and Bilirubinemia Are Highly Affected by Feeding Spent Hemp Biomass and Withdrawal Period in Lambs. 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Massimo Bionaz, Serkan Ates, Ruth Muchiri, Richard B. van Breemen. Hepatic Cannabinoids Residuals and Bilirubinemia Are Highly Affected by Feeding Spent Hemp Biomass and Withdrawal Period in Lambs. . 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Massimo Bionaz; Serkan Ates; Ruth Muchiri; Richard B. van Breemen. 2021. "Hepatic Cannabinoids Residuals and Bilirubinemia Are Highly Affected by Feeding Spent Hemp Biomass and Withdrawal Period in Lambs." , no. : 1.

Preprint content
Published: 19 July 2021
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ACS Style

Massimo Bionaz; Serkan Ates. Feeding Spent Hemp Biomass to Finishing Lambs: Effects on Blood Parameters Related to Health and Metabolism. 2021, 1 .

AMA Style

Massimo Bionaz, Serkan Ates. Feeding Spent Hemp Biomass to Finishing Lambs: Effects on Blood Parameters Related to Health and Metabolism. . 2021; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Massimo Bionaz; Serkan Ates. 2021. "Feeding Spent Hemp Biomass to Finishing Lambs: Effects on Blood Parameters Related to Health and Metabolism." , no. : 1.

Original research article
Published: 21 June 2021 in Frontiers in Animal Science
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Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) plays a key role in the response to oxidative stress. Diets containing known NRF2 modulators could be used to minimize oxidative stress in dairy cows. Currently, studies evaluating the activity of NRF2 in bovine have used the classical in vitro approach using synthetic media, which is very different than in vivo conditions. Furthermore, studies carried out in vivo cannot capture the short-term and dynamic response of NRF2. Thus, there is a need to develop new approaches to study NRF2 modulation. The aim of the present study was to establish an in vitro–in vivo hybrid system to investigate activation of NRF2 in bovine cells that can serve as an intermediate model with results closer to what is expected in vivo. To accomplish the aim, we used a combination of a gene reporter assay in immortalized bovine mammary cells, synthetic NRF2 modulators, and blood serum from periparturient cows. Synthetic agonist tert-butylhydroquinone and sulforaphane confirmed to be effective activators of bovine NRF2 with acute and large effect at 30 and 5 μM, respectively, with null response after the above doses due to cytotoxicity. When the agonists were added to blood serum the response was more linear with maximum activation of NRF2 at 100 and 30 μM, respectively, and the cytotoxicity was prevented. High concentration of albumin in blood serum plays an important role in such an effect. Brusatol (100 nM) was observed to be an effective NRF2 inhibitor while also displaying general protein synthesis inhibition and cytotoxicity when added to synthetic media. A consistent inhibition of NRF2 was observed when brusatol was added to the blood serum but the cytotoxicity was reduced. The synthetic inhibitor ML385 had no effect on modulation of bovine NRF2. Hydrogen peroxide activates NRF2 in bovine mammary cells starting from 100 μM; however, strong cytotoxicity was detected starting at 250 μM when cells were cultivated in the synthetic media, while blood serum prevented cytotoxicity. Overall, our data indicated that the use of synthetic media can be misleading in the study of NRF2 in bovine and the use of blood serum appears necessary.

ACS Style

Hunter R. Ford; Sebastiano Busato; Massimo Bionaz. In vitro–In vivo Hybrid Approach for Studying Modulation of NRF2 in Immortalized Bovine Mammary Cells. Frontiers in Animal Science 2021, 2, 1 .

AMA Style

Hunter R. Ford, Sebastiano Busato, Massimo Bionaz. In vitro–In vivo Hybrid Approach for Studying Modulation of NRF2 in Immortalized Bovine Mammary Cells. Frontiers in Animal Science. 2021; 2 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hunter R. Ford; Sebastiano Busato; Massimo Bionaz. 2021. "In vitro–In vivo Hybrid Approach for Studying Modulation of NRF2 in Immortalized Bovine Mammary Cells." Frontiers in Animal Science 2, no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 01 January 2021 in Journal of Dairy Science
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The objective of this study was to compare the transcription of gene markers for gastrointestinal (GI) epithelial cells, including fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP2) and cytokeratin 8 (KRT8), and tight junction complex genes (TJP1, CLDN1, CLDN4) in fecal RNA against several GI tract tissue sections in dairy calves. Eight healthy Jersey calves were euthanized at 5 wk of age, and postmortem samples were collected from rumen, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, large intestine, cecum, and feces for total RNA isolation. Tissues and fecal samples were immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen until RNA isolation. A real-time quantitative PCR analysis was performed using a single standard curve composited of equal amounts of all samples, including cDNA from fecal and GI tract tissues. The mRNA expression of the tight junctions TJP1, CLDN1, and CLDN4 was greater in fecal RNA compared with lower GI tract tissues (i.e., duodenum, jejunum, ileum, large intestine, and cecum). Similar to fecal RNA, rumen tissue had greater expression of tight junctions CLDN1 and CLDN4 than lower GI tract tissues. Similarly, rumen tissue had greater expression of TPJ1 than all lower GI tract tissues except duodenum. The expression of TJP1 and CLDN4 was greater in fecal RNA than in rumen tissue; in contrast, CLDN1 mRNA expression was greater in rumen tissue than in the fecal RNA. The expression of FABP2 was greater in duodenum in comparison to all tissue except ileum. The mRNA expression of FABP2 in fecal samples was similar to jejunum and ileum. The expression of KRT8 in fecal samples was similar to duodenum, large intestine, and cecum. The fecal RNA had a greater expression of KRT8 in comparison to jejunum and ileum. The rumen tissue had the lowest mRNA expression of KRT8. The expression levels of FABP2, KRT8, and tight junction genes observed in fecal transcripts suggest that a considerable amount of RNA derived from GI tract epithelial cells can be detected in fecal RNA, which is in agreement with previous data in neonatal dairy calves and other biological models including humans, rodents, and primates. The greater expression of tight junctions in fecal RNA in comparison to sections of the low GI remains to be understood, and due to the importance of tight junctions in GI physiology, further clarification of this effect is warranted. The similarities in mRNA expression of FABP2 and KRT8 between fecal RNA and intestinal sections add up to the accumulating evidence that fecal RNA can be used to investigate molecular alterations in the GI tract of neonatal dairy calves. Further research in this area should include high-throughput transcriptomic analysis via RNA-seq to uncover novel molecular markers for specific sections of the GI tract of neonates.

ACS Style

F. Rosa; S. Busato; F.C. Avaroma; R. Mohan; N. Carpinelli; M. Bionaz; J.S. Osorio. Short communication: Molecular markers for epithelial cells across gastrointestinal tissues and fecal RNA in preweaning dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science 2021, 104, 1175 -1182.

AMA Style

F. Rosa, S. Busato, F.C. Avaroma, R. Mohan, N. Carpinelli, M. Bionaz, J.S. Osorio. Short communication: Molecular markers for epithelial cells across gastrointestinal tissues and fecal RNA in preweaning dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science. 2021; 104 (1):1175-1182.

Chicago/Turabian Style

F. Rosa; S. Busato; F.C. Avaroma; R. Mohan; N. Carpinelli; M. Bionaz; J.S. Osorio. 2021. "Short communication: Molecular markers for epithelial cells across gastrointestinal tissues and fecal RNA in preweaning dairy calves." Journal of Dairy Science 104, no. 1: 1175-1182.

Preprint content
Published: 24 November 2020
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Background: the peripartum is the most critical period in dairy cows with high incidence of diseases due to immune dysfunctions, often paired with systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. Selenium is a trace mineral that plays an important role in anti-oxidative function and immune response. We hypothesize that supplementing dairy cows with a relatively small amount of Se-biofortified hay during the last 40 days of pregnancy and early lactation improves performance, metabolism, oxidative status, and immune response.Methods: ten Jersey and 8 Holstein pregnant dairy heifers were divided into two groups and supplemented with 1 kg/100 kg BW of Se-biofortified (Sel; n=9; 3.2 ppm Se) or non-biofortified (Ctr; n=9; 0.4 ppm Se) alfalfa hay from 40 days prior- to 2 weeks post-partum. Heifers were monitored daily for feed intake, activity, and milk yield, and weekly for BW and BCS. Milk samples were assessed for components and fatty acid profile. Blood samples were collected regularly to assess metabolic, oxidative, and inflammatory biomarkers, and to evaluate leukocytes phagocytosis and differential through flow cytometry.Results: supplementation of Se biofortified hay did not affect feed intake, milk yield, BW, BCS, milk components, and any of the parameters measured on leukocytes but increased the hematocrit. Animal receiving Se biofortified hay had larger concentration of plasma albumin and a tendency for larger blood urea, indicating a possible better liver status, especially post-partum. None of the parameters measured in plasma related to the oxidative status were affected, except the concentration of advanced oxidation protein products that was greater in Sel vs. Ctr. The concentration of advanced oxidation protein products was negatively correlated with parameters related to inflammation but positively associated to plasma albumin suggesting a possible improved anti-oxidative function of circulating albumin by Se-biofortified hay supplementation.Conclusions: feeding Se-biofortified hay during pregnancy in dairy heifers had little effect on metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative status parameters with no effect on performance or immune response. Supplementation with Se-biofortified hay increased plasma level of albumin, possibly as consequence of improved liver function, promoting the antioxidant role of albumin as indicated by increased AOPP.

ACS Style

Shana Jaaf; Matteo Mezzetti; Erminio Trevisi; Gita Cherian; Massimo Bionaz. Selenium Biofortified Alfalfa Hay Supplemented to Dairy Heifers During the Peripartum Affects the Antioxidant Function of Albumin but Has Little Impact on Metabolic and Immune Function. 2020, 1 .

AMA Style

Shana Jaaf, Matteo Mezzetti, Erminio Trevisi, Gita Cherian, Massimo Bionaz. Selenium Biofortified Alfalfa Hay Supplemented to Dairy Heifers During the Peripartum Affects the Antioxidant Function of Albumin but Has Little Impact on Metabolic and Immune Function. . 2020; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Shana Jaaf; Matteo Mezzetti; Erminio Trevisi; Gita Cherian; Massimo Bionaz. 2020. "Selenium Biofortified Alfalfa Hay Supplemented to Dairy Heifers During the Peripartum Affects the Antioxidant Function of Albumin but Has Little Impact on Metabolic and Immune Function." , no. : 1.

Review
Published: 16 November 2020 in Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology
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High producing dairy cows generally receive in the diet up to 5–6% of fat. This is a relatively low amount of fat in the diet compared to diets in monogastrics; however, dietary fat is important for dairy cows as demonstrated by the benefits of supplementing cows with various fatty acids (FA). Several FA are highly bioactive, especially by affecting the transcriptome; thus, they have nutrigenomic effects. In the present review, we provide an up-to-date understanding of the utilization of FA by dairy cows including the main processes affecting FA in the rumen, molecular aspects of the absorption of FA by the gut, synthesis, secretion, and utilization of chylomicrons; uptake and metabolism of FA by peripheral tissues, with a main emphasis on the liver, and main transcription factors regulated by FA. Most of the advances in FA utilization by rumen microorganisms and intestinal absorption of FA in dairy cows were made before the end of the last century with little information generated afterwards. However, large advances on the molecular aspects of intestinal absorption and cellular uptake of FA were made on monogastric species in the last 20 years. We provide a model of FA utilization in dairy cows by using information generated in monogastrics and enriching it with data produced in dairy cows. We also reviewed the latest studies on the effects of dietary FA on milk yield, milk fatty acid composition, reproduction, and health in dairy cows. The reviewed data revealed a complex picture with the FA being active in each step of the way, starting from influencing rumen microbiota, regulating intestinal absorption, and affecting cellular uptake and utilization by peripheral tissues, making prediction onin vivonutrigenomic effects of FA challenging.

ACS Style

Massimo Bionaz; Einar Vargas-Bello-Pérez; Sebastiano Busato. Advances in fatty acids nutrition in dairy cows: from gut to cells and effects on performance. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology 2020, 11, 1 -36.

AMA Style

Massimo Bionaz, Einar Vargas-Bello-Pérez, Sebastiano Busato. Advances in fatty acids nutrition in dairy cows: from gut to cells and effects on performance. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology. 2020; 11 (1):1-36.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Massimo Bionaz; Einar Vargas-Bello-Pérez; Sebastiano Busato. 2020. "Advances in fatty acids nutrition in dairy cows: from gut to cells and effects on performance." Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology 11, no. 1: 1-36.

Papers
Published: 13 November 2020 in Italian Journal of Animal Science
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Milk consumption has long been associated with better bone development in children, contrary to sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB); however, stronger evidence are needed. Therefore, this study aimed to use a pig model for growing children to evaluate the effect of milk vs. SBB consumption on the developing skeleton. For this, we used 24 pre-pubertal pigs (12 in Experiment 1, 8 males and 4 females, and 12 in Experiment 2, all males) randomly split into two groups to receive up to 750 mL of whole milk supplementation or an isocaloric maltodextrin solution (as SSB) for 13 or 11 weeks. Ultrasonography was used throughout the trial to record in vivo bone growth. The pigs were euthanised, and bones of the appendicular skeleton and the mandible were collected and measured with Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry (DEXA). A three-point bending test was used for biomechanical testing. After fracture, the cortical bone thickness was measured at three regions of the femur. Of the DEXA measurements taken, only the bone mineral density of the mandible was lower in pigs receiving milk vs. SSB. Compared to SSB, pigs consuming milk had also a larger occlusal surface thickness indicating lower teeth grinding, suggesting a calming effect of the milk. There was no difference in any biomechanical tests. In femur, the medial cortical was thicker in the SSB group, while the lateral cortical was thicker in the group receiving milk. Overall, there appears to be no effect of short-term milk supplementation on bone growth, mineral density and strength.

ACS Style

Brandon Batty; Michelle Kutzler; Scott Campbell; Russell Turner; Massimo Bionaz. Effect of milk vs. sugar-sweetened beverage supplementation on bone development in pre-pubertal pigs as model for children. Italian Journal of Animal Science 2020, 19, 1329 -1340.

AMA Style

Brandon Batty, Michelle Kutzler, Scott Campbell, Russell Turner, Massimo Bionaz. Effect of milk vs. sugar-sweetened beverage supplementation on bone development in pre-pubertal pigs as model for children. Italian Journal of Animal Science. 2020; 19 (1):1329-1340.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Brandon Batty; Michelle Kutzler; Scott Campbell; Russell Turner; Massimo Bionaz. 2020. "Effect of milk vs. sugar-sweetened beverage supplementation on bone development in pre-pubertal pigs as model for children." Italian Journal of Animal Science 19, no. 1: 1329-1340.

Journal article
Published: 18 August 2020 in Journal of Animal Science
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A large body of work has been conducted to elucidate the link between the loss of viability, sensitivity to pro-inflammatory mediators and the impairment of antimicrobial functions affecting the innate immune cells, the occurrence of uncontrolled inflammations, and the sudden alteration of the metabolism during the transition from pregnancy to lactation in high-producing dairy cows. Despite this massive effort, a clear link is still missing. The intent of this review is to summarize our current knowledge on the subject and attempt to propose a link. In the first part of this review we provide an overview of the physiological adaptation during the transition...

ACS Style

Matteo Mezzetti; Massimo Bionaz; Erminio Trevisi. Interaction between inflammation and metabolism in periparturient dairy cows. Journal of Animal Science 2020, 98, S155 -S174.

AMA Style

Matteo Mezzetti, Massimo Bionaz, Erminio Trevisi. Interaction between inflammation and metabolism in periparturient dairy cows. Journal of Animal Science. 2020; 98 (Supplement):S155-S174.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Matteo Mezzetti; Massimo Bionaz; Erminio Trevisi. 2020. "Interaction between inflammation and metabolism in periparturient dairy cows." Journal of Animal Science 98, no. Supplement: S155-S174.

Journal article
Published: 11 August 2020 in Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology
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Background In dairy cows circulating non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) increase early post-partum while liver and other tissues undergo adaptation to greater lipid metabolism, mainly regulated by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR). PPAR are activated by fatty acids (FA), but it remains to be demonstrated that circulating NEFA or dietary FA activate bovine PPAR. We hypothesized that circulating NEFA and dietary FA activate PPAR in dairy cows. Methods The dose-response activation of PPAR by NEFA or dietary FA was assessed using HP300e digital dispenser and luciferase reporter in several bovine cell types. Cells were treated with blood plasma isolated from Jersey cows before and after parturition, NEFA isolated from the blood plasma, FA released from lipoproteins using milk lipoprotein lipase (LPL), and palmitic acid (C16:0). Effect on each PPAR isotype was assessed using specific synthetic inhibitors. Results NEFA isolated from blood serum activate PPAR linearly up to ~ 4-fold at 400 μmol/L in MAC-T cells but had cytotoxic effect. Addition of albumin to the culture media decreases cytotoxic effects of NEFA but also PPAR activation by ~ 2-fold. Treating cells with serum from peripartum cows reveals that much of the PPAR activation can be explained by the amount of NEFA in the serum (R2 = 0.91) and that the response to serum NEFA follows a quadratic tendency, with peak activation around 1.4 mmol/L. Analysis of PPAR activation by serum in MAC-T, BFH-12 and BPAEC cells revealed that most of the activation is explained by the activity of PPARδ and PPARγ, but not PPARα. Palmitic acid activated PPAR when added in culture media or blood serum but the activation was limited to PPARδ and PPARα and the response was nil in serum from post-partum cows. The addition of LPL to the serum increased > 1.5-fold PPAR activation. Conclusion Our results support dose-dependent activation of PPAR by circulating NEFA in bovine, specifically δ and γ isotypes. Data also support the possibility of increasing PPAR activation by dietary FA; however, this nutrigenomics approach maybe only effective in pre-partum but not post-partum cows.

ACS Style

Sebastiano Busato; Massimo Bionaz. The interplay between non-esterified fatty acids and bovine peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors: results of an in vitro hybrid approach. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology 2020, 11, 1 -13.

AMA Style

Sebastiano Busato, Massimo Bionaz. The interplay between non-esterified fatty acids and bovine peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors: results of an in vitro hybrid approach. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology. 2020; 11 (1):1-13.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sebastiano Busato; Massimo Bionaz. 2020. "The interplay between non-esterified fatty acids and bovine peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors: results of an in vitro hybrid approach." Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology 11, no. 1: 1-13.

Journal article
Published: 30 July 2020 in Animals
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Increasing pasture diversity and spatially separated sowing arrangements can potentially increase the dry matter intake of high-quality forages leading to improved animal production. This study investigated the effects of simple (two-species) and diverse (six-species) pastures planted either in mixed or spatially separated adjacent pasture strips on performance, N partitioning, and methane emission of dairy cows. Thirty-six mid-lactation Jersey cows grazed either (1) simple mixed, (2) simple spatially separated, (3) diverse mixed, or (4) diverse spatially separated pastures planted in a complete randomized block design with three replicates. Compared to simple pasture, diverse pasture had lower CP content but higher condensed tannins and total phenolic compounds with an overall positive effect on yield of milk solids, nitrogen utilization, including a reduction of N output from urine, and methane yields per dry matter eaten. The spatial separation increased legume and CP content in simple pasture but decreased NDF in both diverse and simple pastures. In conclusion, increasing diversity using pasture species with higher nutritive value and secondary compounds can help improving the production while decreasing the environmental effect of dairy farming, while spatial separation had a minor effect on feed intake and yield, possibly due to overall high-quality pastures in early spring.

ACS Style

Lorena Carmona-Flores; Massimo Bionaz; Troy Downing; Muhammet Sahin; Long Cheng; Serkan Ates. Milk Production, N Partitioning, and Methane Emissions in Dairy Cows Grazing Mixed or Spatially Separated Simple and Diverse Pastures. Animals 2020, 10, 1301 .

AMA Style

Lorena Carmona-Flores, Massimo Bionaz, Troy Downing, Muhammet Sahin, Long Cheng, Serkan Ates. Milk Production, N Partitioning, and Methane Emissions in Dairy Cows Grazing Mixed or Spatially Separated Simple and Diverse Pastures. Animals. 2020; 10 (8):1301.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lorena Carmona-Flores; Massimo Bionaz; Troy Downing; Muhammet Sahin; Long Cheng; Serkan Ates. 2020. "Milk Production, N Partitioning, and Methane Emissions in Dairy Cows Grazing Mixed or Spatially Separated Simple and Diverse Pastures." Animals 10, no. 8: 1301.

Journal article
Published: 30 July 2020 in Journal of Dairy Research
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Animal welfare is an essential component of dairy production and several systems exist to evaluate the welfare of dairy cows. Here, we review and compare three well-known systems that operate at farm level from around the world (FARM, Welfare Quality®, and The Code of Welfare) and discuss their advantages and limitations. Despite having some commonalities, the programs evaluate different elements. We also briefly review an emerging system (Integrated Diagnostic Welfare System) that might address some of the shortcomings of the existing systems, especially the possibility of automating the evaluation of animal well-being and identifying any cause of poor welfare. None of the aforementioned systems has been fully validated for their ability to assess animal welfare using independent measurements. The future holds increased attention around the well-being of dairy cows and increased use of sensing technologies. There is an urgent need for dairy welfare evaluation systems that are scientifically validated, holistic, and that can take advantage of the use of sensing technologies to continuously monitor animal welfare.

ACS Style

Angela Krueger; Jenifer Cruickshank; Erminio Trevisi; Massimo Bionaz. Systems for evaluation of welfare on dairy farms. Journal of Dairy Research 2020, 87, 13 -19.

AMA Style

Angela Krueger, Jenifer Cruickshank, Erminio Trevisi, Massimo Bionaz. Systems for evaluation of welfare on dairy farms. Journal of Dairy Research. 2020; 87 (S1):13-19.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Angela Krueger; Jenifer Cruickshank; Erminio Trevisi; Massimo Bionaz. 2020. "Systems for evaluation of welfare on dairy farms." Journal of Dairy Research 87, no. S1: 13-19.

Journal article
Published: 14 July 2020 in Animals
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The objective of the present study was to evaluate the overall adaptations of liver and mammary tissue to a corn stover (CS) compared to a mixed forage (MF) diet in mid-lactation primiparous dairy cows. Twenty-four primiparous lactating Holstein cows were randomly allocated to 2 groups receiving either an alfalfa forage diet (MF, F:C = 60:40) with Chinese wildrye, alfalfa hay and corn silage as forage source or a corn stover forage diet (CS, F:C = 40:60). A subgroup of cows (n = 5/diet) was used for analysis of liver and mammary transcriptome using a 4 × 44K Bovine Agilent microarray chip. The results of functional annotation analysis showed that in liver CS vs. MF inhibited pathways related to lipid metabolism while induced the activity of the potassium channel. In mammary tissue, fatty acid metabolism was activated in CS vs. MF. In conclusion, the analysis of genes affected by CS vs. MF indicated mammary gland responding to lower level of linoleate from the diet (lower in CS vs. MF) by activating the associated biosynthesis metabolic pathway while the liver adaptively activated potassium transport to compensate for a lower K ingestion.

ACS Style

Shengtao Gao; Zheng Zhou; Jiaqi Wang; Juan Loor; Massimo Bionaz; Lu Ma; Dengpan Bu. Diet Composition Affects Liver and Mammary Tissue Transcriptome in Primiparous Holstein Dairy Cows. Animals 2020, 10, 1191 .

AMA Style

Shengtao Gao, Zheng Zhou, Jiaqi Wang, Juan Loor, Massimo Bionaz, Lu Ma, Dengpan Bu. Diet Composition Affects Liver and Mammary Tissue Transcriptome in Primiparous Holstein Dairy Cows. Animals. 2020; 10 (7):1191.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Shengtao Gao; Zheng Zhou; Jiaqi Wang; Juan Loor; Massimo Bionaz; Lu Ma; Dengpan Bu. 2020. "Diet Composition Affects Liver and Mammary Tissue Transcriptome in Primiparous Holstein Dairy Cows." Animals 10, no. 7: 1191.

Journal article
Published: 25 May 2020 in Animals
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The anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-inflammatory effects exerted by Aloe on monogastric mammals suggest it as a potential strategy to address the tremendous metabolic alterations that affect dairy cows during their transition to calving. A group of 20 multiparous Italian Holstein dairy cows were housed in freestalls and allocated into two homogeneous groups to receive either 200 g/d of water (CTR) or 200 g/day of Aloe arborescens Mill. whole plant homogenate through a rumen tube (AAM) between −14 and 14 days from calving (DFC). From −14 to 35 DFC, the BCS, and milk yield were measured, and blood samples were collected to assess the hematochemical profile. Data underwent ANOVA testing using a mixed model for repeated measurements, including the treatment and time and their interactions as fixed effects. Compared to CTR cows, AAM cows had a less pronounced BCS loss in early lactation (p < 0.01), indicating less mobilization of body reserves. Compared to CTR cows, AAM cows had a lower plasma concentration of nonesterified fatty acids and beta hydroxybutyrate (p < 0.01 and = 0.01 respectively) that, paired with the lower butterfat content and fat/protein ratio in their milk (p = 0.03 and < 0.01 respectively), indicates that Aloe reduced the mobilization of body fats. AAM cows had a reduced concentration of myeloperoxidase in plasma and a lower SCC in milk compared to CTR cows (p = 0.02 for both), indicating an anti-inflammatory effect of Aloe. Furthermore, AAM cows had a lower plasma concentration of ceruloplasmin (p < 0.05) and higher plasma concentration of cholesterol, retinol, and paraoxonase compared to CTR cows (p < 0.01, < 0.01 and < 0.05 respectively), indicating Aloe was effective in mitigating the acute phase response in early lactation. Finally, AAM cows had lower plasma creatinine concentrations around calving (p < 0.05), a lower concentration of plasma bilirubin, and a higher concentration of plasma tocopherol compared to CTR cows (p = 0.01 for both). These data suggest Aloe has anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-inflammatory effects on transition dairy cows that could have ameliorated liver and kidney function disruption and increased the availability of body antioxidants in early lactation.

ACS Style

Matteo Mezzetti; Andrea Minuti; Massimo Bionaz; Fiorenzo Piccioli-Cappelli; Erminio Trevisi. Effects of Aloe arborescens Whole Plant Homogenate on Lipid Metabolism, Inflammatory Conditions and Liver Function of Dairy Cows during the Transition Period. Animals 2020, 10, 917 .

AMA Style

Matteo Mezzetti, Andrea Minuti, Massimo Bionaz, Fiorenzo Piccioli-Cappelli, Erminio Trevisi. Effects of Aloe arborescens Whole Plant Homogenate on Lipid Metabolism, Inflammatory Conditions and Liver Function of Dairy Cows during the Transition Period. Animals. 2020; 10 (5):917.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Matteo Mezzetti; Andrea Minuti; Massimo Bionaz; Fiorenzo Piccioli-Cappelli; Erminio Trevisi. 2020. "Effects of Aloe arborescens Whole Plant Homogenate on Lipid Metabolism, Inflammatory Conditions and Liver Function of Dairy Cows during the Transition Period." Animals 10, no. 5: 917.

Journal article
Published: 16 April 2020 in Journal of Dairy Research
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The hypothesis of the study was that feeding a relatively low amount of Se biofortified alfalfa hay during the dry period and early lactation would improve selenium status and glutathione peroxidase activity in dairy cows and their calves. Ten Jersey and 8 Holstein primiparous dairy cows were supplemented with Se biofortified (TRT; n = 9) or non-biofortified (CTR; n = 9) alfalfa hay at a rate of 1 kg/100 kg of BW mixed with the TMR from 40 d prior parturition to 2 weeks post-partum. Se concentration in whole blood, liver, milk, and colostrum, the transfer of Se to calves, and the glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity were assessed. TRT had 2-fold larger (P < 0.05) Se in blood v. CTR that resulted in larger Se in liver and colostrum but not milk and larger GPx activity in plasma and erythrocytes but not in milk. Compared to CTR, calves from TRT had larger Se in blood but only a numerical (P = 0.09) larger GPx activity in plasma. A positive correlation was detected between Se in the blood and GPx activity in erythrocytes and plasma in cows. Our results demonstrated that feeding pregnant primiparous dairy cows with a relatively low amount of Se-biofortified alfalfa hay is an effective way to increase Se in the blood and liver, leading to greater antioxidant activity via GPx. The same treatment was effective in improving Se concentration in calves but had a modest effect on their GPx activity. Feeding Se biofortified hay increased Se concentration in colostrum but not in milk.

ACS Style

Shana Jaaf; Brandon Batty; Angela Krueger; Charles T. Estill; Massimo Bionaz. Selenium biofortified alfalfa hay fed in low quantities improves selenium status and glutathione peroxidase activity in transition dairy cows and their calves. Journal of Dairy Research 2020, 87, 184 -190.

AMA Style

Shana Jaaf, Brandon Batty, Angela Krueger, Charles T. Estill, Massimo Bionaz. Selenium biofortified alfalfa hay fed in low quantities improves selenium status and glutathione peroxidase activity in transition dairy cows and their calves. Journal of Dairy Research. 2020; 87 (2):184-190.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Shana Jaaf; Brandon Batty; Angela Krueger; Charles T. Estill; Massimo Bionaz. 2020. "Selenium biofortified alfalfa hay fed in low quantities improves selenium status and glutathione peroxidase activity in transition dairy cows and their calves." Journal of Dairy Research 87, no. 2: 184-190.

Journal article
Published: 03 January 2020 in Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology
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Background The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of energy overfeeding during the dry period on adipose tissue transcriptome profiles during the periparturient period in dairy cows. Methods Fourteen primiparous Holstein cows from a larger cohort receiving a higher-energy diet (1.62 Mcal of net energy for lactation/kg of dry matter; 15% crude protein) for ad libitum intake to supply 150% (OVR) or 100% (CTR) of energy requirements from dry off until parturition were used. After calving, all cows received the same lactation diet. Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) biopsies were collected at − 14, 1, and 14 d from parturition (d) and used for transcriptome profiling using a bovine oligonucleotide microarray. Data mining of differentially expressed genes (DEG) between treatments and due to sampling time was performed using the Dynamic Impact Approach (DIA) and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). Results There was a strong effect of over-feeding energy on DEG with 2434 (False discovery rate-corrected P < 0.05) between OVR and CTR at − 14 d, and only 340 and 538 at 1 and 14 d. The most-impacted and activated pathways in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database that were highlighted by DIA analysis at − 14 d in OVR vs. CTR included 9 associated with carbohydrate metabolism, with ‘Pyruvate metabolism’, ‘Glycolysis/gluconeogenesis’, and ‘Pentose phosphate pathway’ among the most-activated. Not surprisingly, OVR led to marked activation of lipid metabolism (e.g. ‘Fatty acid biosynthesis’ and ‘Glycerolipid metabolism’). Unexpected metabolic pathways that were activated at − 14 d in OVR included several related to metabolism of amino acids (e.g. branched chain) and of cofactors and vitamins (thiamin). Among endocrine and immune system pathways, at − 14 d OVR led to marked activation of ‘PPAR signalling’ and ‘Antigen processing and presentation’. Among key pathways affected over time in OVR, a number were related to translation (e.g. mTOR signaling), endocrine/immune signaling (CXCR4 and IGF1), and lipid metabolism (oxidative phosphorylation) with greater activation in OVR vs. CTR specifically at − 14 d. Although statistical differences for several pathways in OVR vs. CTR nearly disappeared at 1 and 14 vs. − 14 d, despite the well-known catabolic state of adipose depots after calving, the bioinformatics analyses suggested important roles for a number of signaling mechanisms at − 14 vs. 14 than 1 vs. -14 d. This was particularly evident in cows fed to meet predicted energy requirements during the dry period (CTR). Conclusions Data underscored a strong activation by overfeeding energy of anabolic processes in the SAT exclusively prepartum. The study confirmed that higher-energy diets prepartum drive a transcriptional cascade of events orchestrated in part by the activation of PPARγ that regulate preadipocyte differentiation and lipid storage in SAT. Novel aspects of SAT biology to energy overfeeding or change in physiologic state also were uncovered, including the role of amino acid metabolism, mTOR signaling, and the immune system.

ACS Style

Andrea Minuti; Massimo Bionaz; Vincenzo Lopreiato; Nicole A. Janovick; Sandra L. Rodriguez-Zas; James K. Drackley; Juan J. Loor. Prepartum dietary energy intake alters adipose tissue transcriptome profiles during the periparturient period in Holstein dairy cows. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology 2020, 11, 1 -14.

AMA Style

Andrea Minuti, Massimo Bionaz, Vincenzo Lopreiato, Nicole A. Janovick, Sandra L. Rodriguez-Zas, James K. Drackley, Juan J. Loor. Prepartum dietary energy intake alters adipose tissue transcriptome profiles during the periparturient period in Holstein dairy cows. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology. 2020; 11 (1):1-14.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Andrea Minuti; Massimo Bionaz; Vincenzo Lopreiato; Nicole A. Janovick; Sandra L. Rodriguez-Zas; James K. Drackley; Juan J. Loor. 2020. "Prepartum dietary energy intake alters adipose tissue transcriptome profiles during the periparturient period in Holstein dairy cows." Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology 11, no. 1: 1-14.

Journal article
Published: 26 December 2019 in Animals
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The objective of this study was to determine the effect of long-term supplementation of unsaturated oil on lipid metabolism and transcription of genes involved in lipid metabolism in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) of mid-lactating dairy cows. The objective was achieved by supplementing dairy cows with soybean oil (SO; high in linoleic acid) or fish oil (FO; high in EPA and DHA) for 63 days (nine weeks). Cows were fed a control diet with no added lipid, or diets containing SO or FO (n = 5 cows/group). At the onset of the experiment (day 0) and on days 21, 42, and 63 of supplementation, blood and SAT samples were collected from each animal. Oil supplementation increased cholesterol and NEFA in plasma, with a greater effect of SO compared to FO. Concentration of BUN was lower in SO compared to control and FO at the end of the trial. Transcription of few genes was affected by dietary lipids: FABP4 had lowest expression in FO followed by SO and control. ACACA and FASN had higher expression in FO. Transcription of SCAP was higher but expression of INSIG1 was lower in SO. Overall, results revealed that compared to control, SO and FO had lipogenic effect in SAT.

ACS Style

Einar Vargas-Bello-Pérez; Massimo Bionaz; Macarena Garrido-Sartore; Nathaly Cancino-Padilla; María Sol Morales; Jaime Romero; Heidi Leskinen; Philip C. Garnsworthy; Juan J. Loor. Effect of Soybean Oil and Fish Oil on Lipid-Related Transcripts in Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue of Dairy Cows. Animals 2019, 10, 54 .

AMA Style

Einar Vargas-Bello-Pérez, Massimo Bionaz, Macarena Garrido-Sartore, Nathaly Cancino-Padilla, María Sol Morales, Jaime Romero, Heidi Leskinen, Philip C. Garnsworthy, Juan J. Loor. Effect of Soybean Oil and Fish Oil on Lipid-Related Transcripts in Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue of Dairy Cows. Animals. 2019; 10 (1):54.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Einar Vargas-Bello-Pérez; Massimo Bionaz; Macarena Garrido-Sartore; Nathaly Cancino-Padilla; María Sol Morales; Jaime Romero; Heidi Leskinen; Philip C. Garnsworthy; Juan J. Loor. 2019. "Effect of Soybean Oil and Fish Oil on Lipid-Related Transcripts in Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue of Dairy Cows." Animals 10, no. 1: 54.

Preprint content
Published: 19 December 2019
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BackgroundComputational biologists investigate gene expression time-series data using estimation, clustering, alignment, and enrichment methods to make biological sense of the data and provide compelling visualization. While there is an abundance of microarray and RNA-seq data available, interpreting the data while capturing the dynamism of a time-course experiment remains a difficult challenge. Advancements in RNA-seq technologies have allowed us to collect extensive profiles of diverse developmental processes but also requires additional methods for analysis and data integration to capture the increased dynamism. An approach that can both capture the dynamism and direction of change in a time-course experiment in a holistic manner and simultaneously identify which biological pathways are significantly altered is necessary for the interpretation of systems biology data. In addition, there is a need for a method to evaluate the viability of model organisms across different treatments and conditions. By comparing effects of a specific treatment (e.g., a drug) on the target pathway between multiple species and determining pathways with a similar response to biological cues between organisms, we can determine the best animal model for that treatment for future studies.MethodsHere, we present Dynamic Impact Approach with Normalization (DIA-norm), a dynamic pathway analysis tool for the analysis of time-course data without unsupervised dimensionality reduction. We analyzed five datasets of mesenchymal stem cells retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus data repository (3 human, 1 mouse cell line, 1 pig) which were differentiated in vitro towards adipogenesis. In the first step, DIA-norm calculated an impact and flux score for each biological term using p-value and fold change. In the second step, these scores were normalized and interpolated using cubic spline. Cross-correlation was then performed between all the data sets with r≥0.6 as a benchmark for high correlation as r = 0.7 is the limit of experimental reproducibility.ResultsDIA-norm predicted that the pig was a better model for humans than a mouse for the study of adipogenesis. The pig model had a higher number of correlating pathways with humans (64.5 to 30.5) and higher average correlation (r = 0.51 vs r = 0.46) as compared to mouse model vs human. While not a definitive conclusion, the results are in accordance with prior phylogenetic and disease studies in which pigs are a good model for studying humans, specifically regarding obesity. In addition, DIA-norm identified a larger number of biologically important pathways (approximately 2x number of pathways) versus a comparable enrichment analysis tool, DAVID. DIA-norm also identified some possible pathways of interests for adipogenesis, namely, nitrogen metabolism (r = 0.86), where there is little to no existing literature.ConclusionDIA-norm captured 80+% of biological important pathways and achieved high pathway correlation between species for the vast majority of important adipogenesis pathways. DIA-norm can be used for both time-series pathway analysis and the determination of a model organism. Our findings indicate that DIA-norm can be used to study the effect of any treatment, including drugs, on specific pathways between multiple species to determine the best animal model for that treatment for future studies. The reliability of DIA-norm to provide biological insights compared to enrichment approach tools has been demonstrated in the selected transcriptomic studies by identifying a higher number of total and biologically relevant pathways. DIA-norm’s final advantage was its easily interpretable graphical outputs that aid in visualizing dynamic changes in expression.

ACS Style

Austin D Nguyen; Massimo Bionaz. Analysis of model organism viability through an interspecies pathway comparison pipeline using the dynamic impact approach. 2019, 1 .

AMA Style

Austin D Nguyen, Massimo Bionaz. Analysis of model organism viability through an interspecies pathway comparison pipeline using the dynamic impact approach. . 2019; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Austin D Nguyen; Massimo Bionaz. 2019. "Analysis of model organism viability through an interspecies pathway comparison pipeline using the dynamic impact approach." , no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 01 October 2019 in Journal of Dairy Science
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Subclinical ketosis (SCK) may impair white blood cell (WBC) function and thus contribute to the risk of disease postpartum. This preliminary study investigated changes occurring in the immune system before disease onset to elucidate their role in the occurrence of SCK. A group of 13 Holstein dairy cows were housed in tie-stalls and retrospectively divided into 2 groups based on their levels of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) measured in plasma between calving day and 35 d from calving (DFC). Levels of BHB 1.4 mmol/L were found in 6 cows at ≥1 of 6 time points considered (cows with SCK, KET group). From -48 to 35 DFC, body condition score, body weight, dry matter intake, rumination time, and milk yield were measured, and blood samples were collected regularly to assess the hematochemical profile and test the WBC function by ex vivo challenge assays. Data were submitted for ANOVA testing using a mixed model for repeated measurements that included health status and time and their interactions as fixed effects. Compared with CTR cows, KET cows had more pronounced activation of the immune system (higher plasma concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines, myeloperoxidase, and oxidant species, and greater IFN-γ responses to Mycobacterium avium), higher blood concentrations of γ-glutamyl transferase, and lower plasma concentrations of minerals before calving. Higher levels of nonesterified fatty acids, BHB, and glucose were detected in KET cows than in CTR cows during the dry period. The effect observed during the dry period was associated with a reduced dry matter intake, reduced plasma glucose, and increased fat mobilization (further increases in nonesterified fatty acids and BHB) during early lactation. A reduced milk yield was also detected in KET cows compared with CTR. The KET cows had an accentuated acute-phase response after calving (with greater concentrations of positive acute-phase proteins and lower concentrations of retinol than CTR cows) and impaired liver function (higher blood concentrations of glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase and bilirubin). The WBC of the KET cows, compared with CTR cows, had a reduced response to an ex vivo stimulation assay, with lower production of proinflammatory cytokines and greater production of lactate. These alterations in the WBC could have been driven by the combined actions of metabolites related to the mobilization of lipids and the occurrence of a transient unresponsive state against stimulation aimed at preventing excessive inflammation. The associations identified here in a small number of cows in one herd should be investigated in larger studies.

ACS Style

M. Mezzetti; A. Minuti; Fiorenzo Piccioli Cappelli; M. Amadori; M. Bionaz; E. Trevisi. The role of altered immune function during the dry period in promoting the development of subclinical ketosis in early lactation. Journal of Dairy Science 2019, 102, 9241 -9258.

AMA Style

M. Mezzetti, A. Minuti, Fiorenzo Piccioli Cappelli, M. Amadori, M. Bionaz, E. Trevisi. The role of altered immune function during the dry period in promoting the development of subclinical ketosis in early lactation. Journal of Dairy Science. 2019; 102 (10):9241-9258.

Chicago/Turabian Style

M. Mezzetti; A. Minuti; Fiorenzo Piccioli Cappelli; M. Amadori; M. Bionaz; E. Trevisi. 2019. "The role of altered immune function during the dry period in promoting the development of subclinical ketosis in early lactation." Journal of Dairy Science 102, no. 10: 9241-9258.

Journal article
Published: 15 September 2019 in Veterinary Sciences
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The objective of this study was to characterize the long-term transcriptomic effects of lipogenic genes in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) of dairy cows supplemented with unsaturated (olive oil; OO) and saturated (hydrogenated vegetable oil; HVO) lipids. Cows were fed a control diet with no added lipid, or diets containing OO or HVO (n = 5 cows/group) for 63 days. SAT was obtained from the tail-head area at the onset of the study and after 21, 42, and 63 days of supplementation. Treatments had minor effects on expression of measured genes. Both fat supplements reduced expression of PPARG, HVO decreased transcription of the desaturase FADS2 and lipid droplet formation PLIN2, and OO increased transcription of FABP3. Both lipid treatments decreased expression of the transcription regulator SREBF1 and its chaperone (SCAP) during the first 21 days of treatment. Our data indicated that long-term feeding of OO and HVO have a relatively mild effect on expression of lipogenic genes in SAT of mid-lactating cows.

ACS Style

Einar Vargas-Bello-Pérez; Massimo Bionaz; Pietro Sciarresi-Arechabala; Nathaly Cancino-Padilla; María Sol Morales; Jaime Romero; Heidi Leskinen; Philip C. Garnsworthy; Juan J. Loor. Long-Term Effects of Dietary Olive Oil and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil on Expression of Lipogenic Genes in Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue of Dairy Cows. Veterinary Sciences 2019, 6, 74 .

AMA Style

Einar Vargas-Bello-Pérez, Massimo Bionaz, Pietro Sciarresi-Arechabala, Nathaly Cancino-Padilla, María Sol Morales, Jaime Romero, Heidi Leskinen, Philip C. Garnsworthy, Juan J. Loor. Long-Term Effects of Dietary Olive Oil and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil on Expression of Lipogenic Genes in Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue of Dairy Cows. Veterinary Sciences. 2019; 6 (3):74.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Einar Vargas-Bello-Pérez; Massimo Bionaz; Pietro Sciarresi-Arechabala; Nathaly Cancino-Padilla; María Sol Morales; Jaime Romero; Heidi Leskinen; Philip C. Garnsworthy; Juan J. Loor. 2019. "Long-Term Effects of Dietary Olive Oil and Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil on Expression of Lipogenic Genes in Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue of Dairy Cows." Veterinary Sciences 6, no. 3: 74.