This study investigated the effect of Bacillus subtilis DSM 29784 (Ba) and enzymes (xylanase and β-glucanases; Enz), alone or in combination (BE) as antibiotic replacements, on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, immune response, and intestinal barrier of broiler chickens. In total, 1200 1-d-old broilers were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments, each with six replicate pens of 40 birds for 63 d as follows: A) basal diet (control), supplemented with B) 1×109 colony-forming units (cfu)/kg Ba, C) 300 mg/kg Enz, D) 1×109 cfu/kg Ba and 300 mg/kg Enz, and E) 250 mg/kg enramycin (ER). Ba, Enz, and BE, similar to ER, decreased the feed conversion rate, maintained intestinal integrity with a higher villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, and increased the numbers of goblet cells. The BE group exhibited higher expression of claudin-1 and Mucin-2 than the other four groups. BE supplementation significantly increased the α-diversity and β-diversity of the intestinal microbiota and markedly enhanced lipase activity in the duodenal mucosa. Serum endotoxin was significantly decreased in the BE group. Compared to those in the control group, increased superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities were observed in the jejunal mucosa of Ba and BE groups, respectively. In conclusion, the results suggested that dietary treatment with Ba, Enz, or BE has beneficial effects on growth performance and anti-oxidative capacity, and BE had better effects than Ba or Enz alone on digestive enzyme activity and the intestinal microbiota. Ba or Enz could be used as an alternative to antibiotics for broiler chickens.

There is no information regarding the influence of heat stress ( HS ) on host metabolic profile. In this study, we investigated the effects of different environmental temperatures on oxidative status, hormone levels, HS indicators, and plasma metabolites in broilers. A total of 1,680 yellow-feather broilers (28 D old) were randomly allotted to 4 groups with 6 replicates. The broilers (29–57 D old) were maintained in thermostatic rooms (20°C, 25°C, 28°C, and 30°C) for 28 consecutive days. The results showed that the plasma cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone levels and creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities gradually increased when the temperature increased from 20°C to 30°C. However, the insulin-like growth factor-І level decreased gradually. Furthermore, heat shock protein 70 expression significantly increased in the liver and breast muscle ( P < 0.01). As the temperature increased, the total anti-oxidant capacity in the plasma and liver gradually decreased, whereas the malondialdehyde level increased. The activity of plasma glutathione peroxidase and total superoxide dismutase in the liver showed a similar increasing trend ( P < 0.01). In addition, 15 metabolites were identified at higher ( P < 0.05) levels, whereas 2 metabolites were identified at lower ( P < 0.05) levels in the 30°C treatment group than those in the 25°C treatment group. Most of these potentially diagnostic biomarkers are involved in carbohydrate, amino acid, lipid, or gut microbiome-derived metabolism, indicating that HS affected the metabolic pathways in broilers. Six candidate metabolites (tartronic acid, l-bethreine, tartaric acid, allose, glutaric acid, and neohesperidin) were selected as biomarkers, as they showed high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in diagnosing broilers under HS ( P < 0.01). In conclusion, in the final stage of growth, we identified 6 plasma differential metabolites as potential biomarkers of HS-induced metabolic disorders in yellow-feathered broilers. This work offers new insights into the metabolic alterations of broilers exposed to HS and provides a new perspective for further study.

A cerebral P3 potential (passive P3) in response to a single tone shares similar morphology to the classical P3 elicited in the active “oddball” paradigm, but reflects passive attention. As patients with schizotypal, antisocial, and borderline personality disorders show reduced amplitude and prolonged latency of classical P3, it is reasonable to expect that these patients might show an abnormal passive P3. We tested whether the single tone elicited event-related potentials (ERPs) in 205 patients with personality disorders and in 30 healthy volunteers. Their Axis I symptoms of depression and anxiety were measured by Zung's Self-rating Depression Scale and Self-rating Anxiety Scale (1965, 1971). Both schizoid and paranoid groups showed significantly reduced P3 amplitude. In addition, the schizoid group showed significantly shortened N1 latency and enhanced N2 amplitude. Most patient groups except schizoids scored higher on the Depression or Anxiety scales, or both, but the ERP findings were not correlated with the Axis I symptoms in any given group alone. The abnormal negative components implied a higher vigilance or cortical arousal level in the schizoid patients, while the reduced P3 amplitude indicated a poorer passive attention in both schizoid and paranoid patients.

(1) Background: Under practical conditions, newly hatched chicks were usually withheld feed and water for 48 to 72 h. It was shown that early feeding after hatch promoted gastrointestinal development of broiler chicks. However, the mechanism of early feeding affecting intestinal development in chicks needs further research. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of first feed administration on intestinal morphology, barrier function, and plasma hormones in broilers during the initial 168 h posthatch. (2) Methods: A total of 720 one-day-old chicks (newborn chick, Lingnan Yellow) were placed 2 h after hatch and randomly assigned to three treatments: Group A (feed immediately after placement), Group B (fasting for 24 h after placement), and Group C (fasting for 48 h after placement). The trial lasted for 168 h and water ad libitum all the time. Sampling was performed at 0, 24, 48, 72, 120, and 168 h. (3) Results: Higher (p < 0.05) absolute weight and relative weight of the small intestine were observed in Group A. Moreover, the villus height, crypt depth, and ratio of the jejunum and ileum were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in Groups A and B than those in Group C. Microvilli of the duodenum were closely packed in Group A but sparse and disorganized in Groups B and C. The expression levels of mRNA and protein of tight junction genes (occludin and claudin-1) were upregulated (p < 0.05) in Group A. The levels of gastrin and insulin in plasma were decreased (p < 0.05) significantly in the Groups B and C. However, chicks in Groups B and C had higher (p < 0.05) plasma glucagon levels at 24 and 48 h after placement. (4) Conclusions: These results suggested that early feeding posthatch had a positive effect on small intestinal growth increasing weight and improving intestinal morphology and barrier function.