GHR

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the genetic variation of milk fat CLA, together with the variation of CLA precursors, including the individual PUFA that are potentially involved in the metabolic pathway of CLA. The allelic substitution effect, upon these FA, was estimated for a number of polymorphisms, that are located within 9 candidate genes known to influence milk FA partitioning. Sheep milk was chosen because it contains higher total fat percentage, and higher CLA levels per gram fat, than milk of other ruminants. Milk FAME analyses were performed on individual milk samples of sheep from three different breeds. Our results reflect the association of three genes (alpha-1-antichymotrypsin; diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase homolog-2; and zona pellucida glycoprotein-2) with the values of both linolenic FA and CLA; of three more genes (insulin-like growth factor I; lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase and propionyl coenzyme A carboxylase, beta polypeptide) with the variability of linolenic FA; and of one gene, the fatty acid synthetase with the variability of CLA and stearic FA. The current study might contribute to the understanding of the metabolic pathway of PUFA in sheep milk, providing suggestions to modify milk fat composition through selection.

This study aims to examine the antidepressant-like action of Ghrelin (Ghr), a hormone synthesized predominantly by gastrointestinal endocrine cells and released during periods of negative energy balance, in two behavioral models: tail suspension test (TST), a predictive model of antidepressant activity, and the olfactory bulbectomy (OB), an established animal model of depression. The reduction in the immobility time in the TST was the parameter used to assess antidepressant-like effect of Ghr. The depressive-like behavior in olfactory bulbectomized mice was inferred through the increase in the immobility time in the TST and the hyperlocomotor activity in the open-field test. Ghr produced antidepressant-like effect in TST (0.3 nmol/μl, i.c.v.), and reversed OB-induced depressive-like behavior. In conclusion, these results provide clear evidence that an acute administration of ghrelin produce antidepressant-like effect in the TST and OB.

Allelic variation in the structural or regulatory sequences of growth hormone and its receptor genes might directly or indirectly affect milk traits. This possibility prompted us to investigate the eventual relationships of restriction fragment length polymorphisms at the locus of bovine growth hormone (using TagI and MspI restriction enzymes) and its receptor (using TaqI restriction enzyme) to PTA of milk production traits of bulls. Ninety-one Italian Holstein-Friesian bulls were used in this experiment, and data were analyzed with a fixed linear model. The restriction fragment length polymorphisms at the growth hormone locus did not affect the milk traits studied. Six restriction enzyme TaqI bands of 7.1, 6.2, 5.7, 5.4, 4.2, and 3.3 kb with nine patterns were observed after hybridization by a cDNA probe containing the coding sequences for the intracellular C-terminal part of the receptor. The effect of this polymorphism on PTA for milk protein percentage was highly significant and...

Allelic variation in the structural or regulatory sequences of growth hormone and its receptor genes might directly or indirectly affect milk traits. This possibility prompted us to investigate the eventual relationships of restriction fragment length polymorphisms at the locus of bovine growth hormone (using TagI and MspI restriction enzymes) and its receptor (using TaqI restriction enzyme) to PTA of milk production traits of bulls. Ninety-one Italian Holstein-Friesian bulls were used in this experiment, and data were analyzed with a fixed linear model. The restriction fragment length polymorphisms at the growth hormone locus did not affect the milk traits studied. Six restriction enzyme TaqI bands of 7.1, 6.2, 5.7, 5.4, 4.2, and 3.3 kb with nine patterns were observed after hybridization by a cDNA probe containing the coding sequences for the intracellular C-terminal part of the receptor. The effect of this polymorphism on PTA for milk protein percentage was highly significant and...