Consumers’ sensory acceptability of pork from immunocastrated male pigs

Boar taint is the off-odour or off flavour of cooked pork. Currently, the most common method of controlling boar taint is surgical castration. However, immunocastration has been used in some parts of the world as an alternative to surgical castration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensory acceptability of meat from immunocastrated pigs (IM) compared with meat from females (FE), surgically castrated (CM) and entire males (EM). Twenty animals of each type were evaluated by 201 consumers in 20 sessions. Longissimus thoracis muscle of the different animals was cooked in an oven at 180 °C for 10 min. Consumers scored the odour and the flavour of the meat in a 9-point category scale without an intermediate level. There were no significant differences in consumer’s evaluation of meat from IM, CM, and FE. In contrast, EM meat presented a higher percentage of dissatisfied scores and was significantly (P & 0.05) less accepted than meat from CM, IM and FE. Consumers’ acceptability of EM meat was always lower, independently of its androstenone levels. However meat with low levels of androstenone was more accepted that meat with medium or high levels of this substance. It can be concluded that immunocastration produced pork that was accepted by the consumers, and was indistinguishable from pork from CM or FE.

Resultados de diversas alternativas a la castración quirúrgica de cerdos

El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el efecto de la castración quirúrgica (MC), la inmunocastración (MI), la producción de hembras (HE) y machos enteros (ME) sobre la productividad, el comportamiento y el bienestar animal. La castración quirúrgica se realizó a los siete días de edad y la inmunocastración mediante la administración a los 77 y 146 días de edad de un producto compuesto por una forma modifi cada del GnRF conjugado a una proteína capaz de inducir la formación de anticuerpos frente al GnRF. Durante el engorde, se evaluó el consumo individual, peso, espesor de grasa y lomo de 120 cerdos (36 ME, 36 MI, 24 MC y 24 hembras HE). Asimismo, se registró el comportamiento de los animales durante dos días consecutivos en las semanas 9, 11, 20, 21, 23 y 25. Los MI presentaron un crecimiento e ingestión diarias superior a los ME y un mejor índice de conversión que los MC. El espesor de lomo de los MI fue superior al de los MC, pero inferior al de los ME. La actividad se vio reducida en los MI en comparación con los ME, especialmente después de la segunda administración. Estos resultados sugieren que la inmunocastración es una alternativa a la castración quirúrgica. Result of differet alternatives to surgical castration of pigs The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of surgical castration (MC), immunocastration (MI), keeping females (HE) and entire males (ME) on performance, behaviour and welfare. The surgical castration was carried out at 7 days of age, and the immunocastration through the administration at 77 and 146 days of age of a modifi ed form of GnRF conjugated to protein to induce the formation of antibodies against GnRF. Individual consumption, weight and fat and loin depth of 120 pigs (36 ME, 36 MI, 24MC and 24 HE) was measured. Moreover, behaviour was recorded during two consecutive days in weeks 9, 11, 20, 21, 23 and 25. MI presented a higher growth and feed intake compared to ME and a better conversion ratio than MC. Loin depth was higher for MI than for MC, but lower than for ME. Activity was reduced in MI compared to ME, especially after the second administration. These results suggest that immunocastration is an alternative to surgical castration.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition mediates docetaxel resistance and high risk of relapse in prostate cancer

Molecular characterization of radical prostatectomy specimens after systemic therapy may identify a gene expression profile for resistance to therapy. This study assessed tumor cells from patients with prostate cancer participating in a phase II neoadjuvant docetaxel and androgen deprivation trial to identify mediators of resistance. Transcriptional level of 93 genes from a docetaxel-resistant prostate cancer cell lines microarray study was analyzed by TaqMan low-density arrays in tumors from patients with high-risk localized prostate cancer (36 surgically treated, 28 with neoadjuvant docetaxel þ androgen deprivation). Gene expression was compared between groups and correlated with clinical outcome. VIM, AR and RELA were validated by immunohistochemistry. CD44 and ZEB1 expression was tested by immunofluorescence in cells and tumor samples. Parental and docetaxel-resistant castration-resistant prostate cancer cell lines were tested for epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers before and after docetaxel exposure. Reversion of EMT phenotype was investigated as a docetaxel resistance reversion strategy. Expression of 63 (67.7%) genes differed between groups (P < 0.05), including genes related to androgen receptor, NF-k B transcription factor, and EMT. Increased expression of EMT markers correlated with radiologic relapse. Docetaxel-resistant cells had increased EMT and stem-like cell markers expression. ZEB1 siRNA transfection reverted docetaxel resistance and reduced CD44 expression in DU-145R and PC-3R. Before docetaxel exposure, a selected CD44 þ subpopulation of PC-3 cells exhibited EMT phenotype and intrinsic docetaxel resistance; ZEB1/CD44 þ subpopulations were found in tumor cell lines and primary tumors; this correlated with aggressive clinical behavior. This study identifies genes potentially related to chemotherapy resistance and supports evi-dence of the EMT role in docetaxel resistance and adverse clinical behavior in early prostate cancer.

Comparison of fatty acid profiles of edible meat, adipose tissues and muscles between cocks and capons

The effect of caponisation on fat composition by parts (wing, breast, thigh, and drumstick) and tissues (skin, subcutaneous adipose tissue, intermuscular adipose tissue and muscle) was examined in the present study and fatty acid profiles of abdominal fat and edible meat by parts and tissue components were determined. The sample was made up of twenty-eight castrated and twenty male Penedesenca Negra chicks reared under free-range conditions and slaughtered at 28 wk of age; the birds were castrated at four or eight weeks. Caponisation significantly increased (P < 0.01) the chemical fat content in all parts (16.31% to 37.98% in breast; 21.98% to 34.13% in wing; 21.09% to 49.57% in thigh; 14.33% to 24.82% in drumstick) and led to minor modifications in fat haracteristics, particularly in the thigh and the drumstick, where the unsaturated vs. saturated fatty acid ratio increased from 1.31 to 1.76 ( P < 0.01) and from 1.48 to 2.07 (P < 0.01), respectively. Delaying the age of castration from 4 to 8 weeks increased this ratio by 0.35 in the edible meat. Even though the profile of the abdominal fat is less saturated in capons, all changes occurring on fat quality after caponisation indicate that increased fatness after castration does not imply worse fat nutritional properties.

Comparison of carcass composition by parts and tissues between cocks and capons

The effect of caponisation on carcass composition by parts and tissues was examined. Twenty-eight castrated and twenty male Penedesenca Negra chicks reared under free-range conditions were slaughtered at 28 weeks of age. The birds were castrated at 4 or 8 weeks. The left sides of the carcasses were quartered (wing, breast, thigh and drumstick), and the parts dissected into the tissue components (skin, subcutaneous fat, intermuscular fat, muscle, bone and tendons). Capons showed more abdominal, intermuscular and subcutaneous fat than the cocks, both at the same slaughter age and at the same weight. The breast and thigh were heavier in the capons than in the cocks. However, the whole muscle mass in the breast was increased by caponisation. This favourable effect was achieved at the expense of decreasing the carcass yield. The age of castration up to 8 weeks did not affect the carcass composition of the parts and tissues.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition mediates docetaxel resistance and high risk of relapse in prostate cancer

Molecular characterization of radical prostatectomy specimens after systemic therapy may identify a gene expression profile for resistance to therapy. This study assessed tumor cells from patients with prostate cancer participating in a phase II neoadjuvant docetaxel and androgen deprivation trial to identify mediators of resistance. Transcriptional level of 93 genes from a docetaxel-resistant prostate cancer cell lines microarray study was analyzed by TaqMan low-density arrays in tumors from patients with high-risk localized prostate cancer (36 surgically treated, 28 with neoadjuvant docetaxel þ androgen deprivation). Gene expression was compared between groups and correlated with clinical outcome. VIM, AR and RELA were validated by immunohistochemistry. CD44 and ZEB1 expression was tested by immunofluorescence in cells and tumor samples. Parental and docetaxel-resistant castration-resistant prostate cancer cell lines were tested for epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers before and after docetaxel exposure. Reversion of EMT phenotype was investigated as a docetaxel resistance reversion strategy. Expression of 63 (67.7%) genes differed between groups (P < 0.05), including genes related to androgen receptor, NF-k B transcription factor, and EMT. Increased expression of EMT markers correlated with radiologic relapse. Docetaxel-resistant cells had increased EMT and stem-like cell markers expression. ZEB1 siRNA transfection reverted docetaxel resistance and reduced CD44 expression in DU-145R and PC-3R. Before docetaxel exposure, a selected CD44 þ subpopulation of PC-3 cells exhibited EMT phenotype and intrinsic docetaxel resistance; ZEB1/CD44 þ subpopulations were found in tumor cell lines and primary tumors; this correlated with aggressive clinical behavior. This study identifies genes potentially related to chemotherapy resistance and supports evi-dence of the EMT role in docetaxel resistance and adverse clinical behavior in early prostate cancer.