The experiment was conducted to study the effects of different selenium (Se) sources on productive performance, serum and milk Se concentrations, and antioxidant status of sows. A total of 12 sows (Landrace×Yorkshire) with same pregnancy were randomly divided into two groups; each group was replicated six times. These two groups received the same basal gestation and lactation diets containing 0.042 mg Se/kg, supplemented with 0.3 mg Se/kg sodium selenite or selenomethionine (i.e., seneno-DL: -methylseleno), respectively. The feeding trial lasted for 60 days, with 32 and 28 days for gestation and lactation period, respectively. Compared with sodium selenite, maternal selenomethionine intake significantly increased (P < 0.05) the weaning litter weight and average weight of piglet. The Se concentration in the serum, colostrum, and milk of sows were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the selenomethionine-treated group. The antioxidant status was greatly improved in sows of selenomethionine-treated group and was illuminated by the increased total antioxidant capability (T-AOC; P < 0.05) and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA; P < 0.01) level in the serum of sows, increased T-AOC (P < 0.05), glutathione (GSH) peroxidase (P < 0.05), superoxide dismutase (P < 0.05) and GSH (P < 0.05), and MDA (P < 0.05) level in the colostrum and milk of sows. These results suggested that maternal selenomethionine intake improved Se concentration and antioxidant status of sows, thus maintain maternal health and increase productive performance after Se was transferred to its offspring.

Long-term high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obesity is associated with many comorbidities such as cognitive impairment and anxiety, which are increasing public health burdens that have gained prevalence in the adolescent. Although low-dose...

The relationship between low-dose alcohol consumption and lipid metabolism has been extensively studied during the last few decades. It has been reported that low-dose alcohol consumption upregulates the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), a vital nuclear transcription factor involved in glucose and lipid metabolism. However, the possible molecular mechanism remains unclear. In the present study, the obese mouse model was established by HFD feeding for 12 weeks, and then alcohol was administered for 4 weeks. The results showed that low-dose alcohol consumption ameliorated HFD-induced glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in mice and decreased markedly the serum lipoprotein profiles levels and the size of lipid droplets that accumulated in the liver. Furthermore, low-dose alcohol consumption upregulated PPARγ and its target genes in obese mice and augmented the expression of relative proteins in store-operated Ca2+ channels (SOCs). Both ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA), a Ca2+ chelator, and 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB), a blocker of SOCs, abolished the alcohol-induced PPARγ upregulation. In conclusion, these results suggested that low-dose alcohol consumption could improve lipid metabolism through SOC-induced PPARγ expression in obese mice.