Fresh from the Field, June 28, 2018

Long-Term Estrogen Therapy Changes Microbial Activity in the Gut

Researchers at the University of Illinois (U. of I.) have discovered that long-term therapy with estrogen and bazedoxifene alters the microbial composition and activity in the gut of mice, affecting how estrogen is metabolized. The findings of this study, suggest that changing the chemistry in the gut could improve the efficacy and long-term safety of estrogen supplements for postmenopausal women and breast cancer patients.

“Our findings indicate that clinicians might be able to manipulate the gut biome through probiotics to change the half-life and properties of estrogens so that long-term users obtain the therapeutic benefits of estrogen-replacement therapy without increasing their risks of reproductive cancers,” said Madak-Erdogan, also the director of the Women’s Health, Hormones and Nutrition Lab at the U. of I.

NIFA supports this research through Hatch Act Funding.

Read the full article at Illinois News Bureau. NARA photo.

Virginia Tech Professor and 4-H Youth Team Establish Community and 4-H Center in Senegal

After years of fundraising and collaboration, the Virginia 4-H program and partners, established a 4-H center in Santamba, Senegal, an inland village in the southern region, just above the Gambia. The center, designed to benefit the entire community, will become a place for youth and adults to develop leadership skills and move forward together.

NIFA is the home of National 4-H Headquarters. 

Read the full story at Virginia Tech News. VA Tech photo.

Zinc Plays Vital Role in Human and Animal Fertility

Researchers at the University of Missouri (MU) have found that zinc plays a key role in promoting fertility in males, a discovery that has implications for improved in vitro fertilization and artificial insemination in livestock, and for human infertility diagnostics and therapies.

“Zinc is linked directly with fertility, and giving males zinc supplements—whether pigs or humans—improves fertility,” according to Peter Sutovsky, a professor of animal science at MU.

“Infertility is a costly issue for both humans and animals,” said doctoral student Karl Kerns “This study gives us tools to approach the problem more efficiently by demonstrating the importance of zinc—both as a mediator of fertility and as an indicator we can use to identify issues with sperm. If we could add just one more pig to every litter that would increase the income of U.S. pork farmers by $130 million per year.”

NIFA supports this research through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. 

Watch the video at MU News Bureau. USDA photo.