Evidence indicates that the metabolic turnover of food-derived reactive orally absorbed advanced glycation end products (AGEs) or glycotoxins (GTs) is delayed, possibly contributing to the tissue damage induced by endogenous AGEs, especially in patients with diabetes and kidney disease. The aim of this study was to explore whether pharmacologic inhibition of dietary AGE bioreactivity by aminoguanidine (AG) can improve turnover and renal excretion of these substances. Normal Sprague-Dawley rats were fed single-labeled [14C]AGE-ovalbumin, double-labeled [14C-125I]AGE-ovalbumin, or control 125I-labeled ovalbumin diet plus free [14C]glucose, with or without AG (0.2% in water). [14C]AGE- and 125I-labeled peptide-associated radioactivity (RA) were compared with AGE immunoreactivity (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) in tissues, serum, and 72-h urine samples. The effect of AG on dietary AGE bioreactivity was assessed by monitoring the inhibition of covalent complex formation between fibronectin (FN) peptide fragments and serum components, after a meal of labeled dietary AGE with or without AG. The radiolabeled AGE diet produced serum absorption and urinary excretion peaks kinetically distinct from those of free [14C]glucose or [125I]ovalbumin. Some 26% of the orally absorbed AGE-ovalbumin was excreted in the urine, whereas after AG treatment, urinary excre-tion of dietary AGEs increased markedly (to>50% of absorbed). More than 60% of tissue-bound RA was found covalently deposited in kidneys and liver, whereas after treatment with AG, tissue AGE deposits were reduced to <15% of the amount found in untreated AGE-fed controls. Sera enriched for dietary GTs formed covalently linked complexes with FN, a process completely inhibitable by AG cotreatment. Amelioration of dietary GT bioreactivity by AG improves renal elimination and prevents tissue deposition of food GTs. This may afford a novel and potentially protective use of AG against excessive tissue AGE toxicity in diabetic patients with renal disease.

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We constructed a pig F2 resource population by crossing a Meishan sow and a Duroc boar to locate economically important trait loci. The F2 generation was composed of 865 animals (450 males and 415 females) from four F1 males and 24 F1 females and was genotyped for 180 informative microsatellite markers spanning 2,263.6 cM of the whole pig genome. Results of the genome scan showed evidence for significant quantitative trait loci (<1% genomewise error rate) affecting weight at 30 d and average daily gain on Sus scrofa chromosome (SSC) 6, carcass yield on SSC 7, backfat thickness on SSC 7 and SSC X, vertebra number on SSC 1 and SSC 7, loin muscle area on SSC 1 and SSC 7, moisture on SSC 13, intramuscular fat content on SSC 7, and testicular weight on SSC 3 and SSC X. Moreover, 5% genomewise significant QTL were found for birth weight on SSC 7, average daily gain on SSC 4, carcass length on SSC 6, SSC 7, and SSC X and lightness (L value) on SSC 3. We identified 38 QTL for 28 traits at the 5% genomewise level. Of the 38 QTL, 24 QTL for 17 traits were significant at the 1% genomewise level. Analysis of marker genotypes supported the breed of origin results and provided further evidence that a suggestive QTL for circumference of cannon bone also was segregating within the Meishan parent. We identified genomic regions related with growth and meat quality traits. Fine mapping will be required for their application in introgression programs and gene cloning.

We completed phylogenetic analysis of the major non-coding region of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 159 animals of eight Euro-American and six East Asian domesticated pig breeds and 164 Japanese and five European wild boars. A total of 62 mtDNA haplotypes were detected. Alignment of these regions revealed nucleotide variations (including gaps) at 73 positions, including 58 sites with transition nucleotide substitutions, and two transversion substitutions. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequences could not organize domestic pig breeds into discrete clusters. In addition, many of the haplotypes found in members of diverged clustering groups were found primarily in Euro-American pig breeds, indicating extensive introgression of Asian domestic pigs into European breeds. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis allocated the DNA sequences of non-coding regions into two different groups, and the deepest branchpoint of this porcine phylogeny corresponded to 86 000-136 000 years before present. This time of divergence would predate the historical period when the pig is thought to have been domesticated from the wild boar.

The qualities of beef cuts were compared with near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy readings using reflectance, transmittance and a fiber optic probe. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to select the optimum wavelengths for estimating beef properties. High multiple correlation coefficients (R) were obtained for Warner-Bratzler shear value (R=0.798-0.826), protein (R=0.822-0.904), moisture (R = 0.895-0.941), fat (R = 0.890-0.965) and energy content (R=0.899-0.961) with each reflectance, transmittance and using the fiber optic probe. Total pigment content also highly correlated with optical densities using transmittance (R=0.946) and the fiber optic probe (R=0.893). NIR with a fiber optic probe is a useful tool for determining physical and chemical characteristics of beef.The objective of our work was to evaluate NIR spectroscopy using reflectance, transmittance and fiber optic modes as a means of determining physical and chemical characteristics of beef important to consumers. MATERIALS & METHODS MaterialsMuscles from eleven Japanese black steers were used in this study. The range of age at slaughter was 22.5-32.4 mo and the range of body weights was 505-681 kg. The following 6 muscles were dissected from the left side of carcasses 48 hr postmortem: semitendinosus, semimembranosus, psoas major, latissimus dorsi, the anterior portion of the longissimus dorsi, supraspinatus. The sample was cut from the center or thickest portion of each muscle and stored for 24 hr at 1°C for subsequent analyses.