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Chitosan nanoparticles (CNP), widely applied as oral drug/gene/vaccine carrier, were found to have anti‐inflammatory properties. In this study, the effects of CNP on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced intestinal damage in weaned piglets and the related mechanisms were investigated. Twenty‐four weaned piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire, 21 ± 2 day of age, initial mass: 8.58 ± 0.59 kg) were randomly assigned into four groups: control, LPS, CNP and CNP + LPS. The control and LPS groups were fed a corn–soybean meal‐based control diet, whereas the CNP and CNP + LPS groups were fed a control diet supplemented with 400 mg/kg CNP. After 28 days of feeding, piglets in LPS and CNP + LPS groups were injected with LPS (100 μg/kg); meanwhile, the piglets in control and CNP groups were injected with sterile saline. After 4 h from the LPS challenge, pigs were sacrificed to collect the intestinal samples for analysis. The results showed that CNP could attenuate the intestinal damages and inflammatory response stimulated by LPS treatment. LPS induced dramatically higher levels of CD177+ neutrophils invasion in jejunum mucosa (p < 0.01), which accompanied by increased secretion of marks of inflammation (p < 0.01) compared with the control, whereas CNP administration obviously inhibited LPS‐induced CD177+ neutrophils invasion (p < 0.01) and secretion of marks of inflammation, such as interleukin‐8 (p < 0.05), intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (p < 0.05) secretion in jejunum mucosa compared with LPS group. Moreover, CNP was shown to inhibit IκB‐α degradation in cytoplasm, which resulted in reduced nuclear translocation of NF‐κB p65 in LPS‐challenged piglets. These findings suggest that CNP attenuates intestinal damage and inflammatory responses in LPS‐challenged weaned piglets by impairing the NF‐κB signalling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a pregnancy-specific carbohydrate intolerance Which can cause a large number of perinatal and postpartum complications. The members of Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily play key roles in the homeostasis of pancreatic β-cell and may involve in the development of GDM. This study aimed to explore the association between the polymorphisms of TGF-β1, TGF-β3 and the risk to GDM in Chinese women.Methods: This study included 919 GDM patients (464 with preeclampsia and 455 without preeclampsia) and 1177 healthy pregnant women. TaqMan allelic discrimination real-Time PCR was used to genotype the TGF-β1 (rs4803455) and TGF-β3 (rs2284792 and rs3917201), The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) was evaluated by chi-square test.Results: An increased frequency of TGF-β3 rs2284792 AA and AG genotype carriers was founded in GDM patients (AA vs. AG + GG: χ2 = 6.314, P = 0.012, OR = 1.270, 95%CI 1.054-1.530; AG vs. GG + AA: χ2 = 8.545, P = 0.003, OR = 0.773, 95%CI 0.650-0.919). But there were no significant differences in the distribution of TGF-β1 rs4803455 and TGF-β3 rs3917201 between GDM and healthy women. In addition, no significant differences were found in allele and genotype frequencies among GDM patients with preeclampsia (PE).Conclusions: The AA and AG genotype of TGF-β3 rs2284792 polymorphism may be significantly associated with increased risk of GDM in Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of dietary supplementation with chitosan nanoparticles (CNP) on growth performance, immune status, gut microbiota and immune responses after lipopolysaccharide challenge in weaned pigs. A total of 144 piglets were assigned to four groups receiving different dietary treatments, including basal diets supplemented with 0, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg CNP fed for 28 days. Each treatment group included six pens (six piglets per pen). The increase in supplemental CNP concentration improved the average daily gain (ADG) and decreased the feed and gain (F/G) and diarrhoea rate (p <.05). However, significant differences in the average daily feed intake (ADFI) among different CNP concentrations were not observed. CNP also increased plasma immunoglobulin (Ig)A and IgG, and C3 and C4 concentrations in piglets in a dose‐dependent manner on day 28, whereas IgM concentration was not affected by CNP. A total of 24 piglets in the control diet and control diet with 400 mg/kg CNP supplementation groups were randomly selected for the experiment of immunological stress. Half of the pigs in each group (n = 6) were injected i.p. with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at a concentration of 100 μg/kg. The other pigs in each group were injected with sterile saline solution at the same volume. Plasma concentrations of cortisol, prostaglandin E2 (PEG2), interleukin (IL)‐6, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α and IL‐1β dramatically increased after LPS challenge. However, CNP inhibited the increase in cortisol, PEG2, IL‐6 and IL‐1β levels in plasma, whereas TNF‐α level slightly increased. Moreover, the effects of CNP on the gut microbiota were also evaluated. Our results showed that dietary supplementation with CNP modified the composition of colonic microbiota, where it increased the amounts of some presumably beneficial intestinal bacteria and suppressed the growth of potential bacterial pathogens. These findings suggested CNP supplementation improved the growth performance and immune status, alleviated immunological stress and regulated intestinal ecology in weaned piglets. Based on these beneficial effects, CNP could be applied as a functional feed additives supplemented in piglets diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

VP28 is the most abundant membrane protein of WSSV, and the recombinant protein VP28 (VP26 or VP24) was constructed for the immune protection experiment in this study. Crayfish were immunized by intramuscular injection of recombinant protein V28 (VP26 or VP24) at a dose of 2 μg/g. The survival rate of crayfish immunized by VP28 showed a higher value than by VP26 or VP24 after WSSV challenge. Compared with the WSSV-positive control group, the VP28-immunized group could inhibit the replication of WSSV in crayfish, increasing the survival rate of crayfish to 66.67% after WSSV infection. The results of gene expression showed that VP28 treatment could enhance the expression of immune genes, mainly JAK and STAT genes. VP28 treatment also enhanced total hemocyte counts and enzyme activities including PO, SOD, and CAT in crayfish. VP28 treatment reduced the apoptosis of hemocytes in crayfish, as well as after WSSV infection. In conclusion, VP28 treatment can enhance the innate immunity of crayfish and has a significant effect on resistance to WSSV, and can be used as a preventive tool. • The survival rate of crayfish immunized by VP28 showed a higher value than by VP26 or VP24 after WSSV challenge. • VP28 treatment also enhanced total hemocyte counts and enzyme activities including PO, SOD, and CAT in crayfish. • VP28 treatment reduced the apoptosis of hemocytes in crayfish, as well as after WSSV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) plays a regulatory role in inflammatory diseases. However, the exact role of VCAM-1 in diabetic retinopathy (DR) remains unclear, and there is a lack of meta-analyses. The role of VCAM-1 in DR was screened by database searching. A random effects model was used, and the estimated mean difference was evaluated. Twenty articles were included. The level of VCAM-1 increased significantly in the DR group compared with the control group (SMD: 0.67, 95 % CI: 0.34–1.01, P < 0.0001). VCAM-1 levels correlated with sample size and DR type, method and severity based on subgroup analysis. A high level of VCAM-1 is present in DR patients and is related to the severity of DR. Therefore, VCAM-1 is a potential detection biomarker for DR. • This study demonstrated the relationship between VCAM-1 and Diabetic Retinopathy. • VCAM-1 is associated with the stage of DR. • The level of VCAM-1 was higher in DR vs. healthy controls, and it could be used as a biomarker for DR diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chitosan nanoparticles (CNP), an extensively oral-administered drug carrier, was investigated for the anti-inflammatory effects on LPS-inflamed Caco-2 cells and the relate mechanisms. CNP could alleviate the decrease of transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) induced by LPS in Caco-2 monolayer, and significantly inhibit LPS-induced production of TNF-α, MIF, IL-8 and MCP-1 in a dose-dependent manner. PCR array assay revealed that CNP down-regulated the mRNA expression levels of TLR4 in LPS-inflamed Caco-2 cells. CNP was further showed to reduce cytoplasmic IκB-α degradation and nuclear NF-κB p65 levels in LPS-inflamed Caco-2 cells. These results suggested that CNP suppressed LPS-induced inflammatory response by decreasing permeability of intestinal epithelial monolayer and secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokine in Caco-2 cells, which were partially mediated by NF-κB signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Janus kinase (JAK), a nonreceptor tyrosine kinase, is the JAK-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway. In this study, RNA interference technology was used to knockdown the expression of JAK to explore the immune function of JAK in Scylla paramamosain. JAK expression was relatively high in the intestine and relatively low in the heart and hemocytes of S. paramamosain. JAK was highly expressed in all examined tissues of S. paramamosain after infection with white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) or Vibrio alginolyticus. The expression levels of Astakine , STAT , CAP , TLR , proPO , and CTL were downregulated, while MCM7 , Myosin and Relish expression was upregulated in hemocytes at 24 h after injection of JAK -dsRNA. Astakine expression was significantly downregulated within 72 h after injection of JAK -dsRNA. The total hemocyte count and hemocyte proliferation were significantly decreased after treatment with Astakine -dsRNA or JAK -dsRNA. The results showed that JAK may promote hemocyte proliferation, probably by regulating Astakine expression. The activities of phenoloxidase, superoxide dismutase, and lysozyme were decreased significantly, while production of reactive oxygen species was increased significantly in hemocytes after treatment with JAK -dsRNA. After JAK knockdown, the phagocytosis rate of WSSV or V. alginolyticus in hemocytes was increased. After WSSV challenge, the WSSV copy number in the JAK -dsRNA-treated group was higher than that in the WSSV group. After V. alginolyticus challenge, the apoptosis rate of hemocytes in the JAK -dsRNA group was higher than that in the V. alginolyticus group. The mortality rate of WSSV or V. alginolyticus -infected crabs after JAK knockdown was higher than that of the infection group. These results suggest that JAK can regulate the expression of some immune-related genes, such as Astakine, to influence the innate immune response of S. paramamosain against pathogens (WSSV or V. alginolyticus), mostly by regulating enzyme activities, hemocyte phagocytosis and apoptosis. • Total hemocyte counts and hemocyte proliferation were regulated by JAK. • Astakine expression was regulated by JAK in crabs. • JAK is involved in the immune response of S. paramamosain to pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste oyster shells (WOS) have the potential to serve as a construction material, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional fine aggregates in the production of WOS concrete. This can play a critical role in reducing environmental issues resulting from the overexploitation of river sand and the haphazard disposal of WOS. Although existing research has predominantly focused on understanding the static mechanical characteristics of concrete when WOS is employed, the dynamic mechanical properties have still received less attention. To understand the impact of WOS as a substitute for fine aggregates on the dynamic mechanical properties of concrete, a series of tests employing Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) were carried out. The findings demonstrate that the peak stress and elastic modulus increase as the WOS substitution ratio (Sr) increases from 0 to 20% but exhibit an exponential decline as Sr increases from 20 to 100%. This response can be explained by the joint effects of the pore-filling effect caused by WOS sand and the increasing air content caused by WOS sand. As Sr increases from 0 to 20%, the pore-filling mechanism becomes predominant as the water absorption rate decreases slightly from 4.31 to 3.83%. However, for Sr increasing from 20 to 100%, the negative influence of the air content becomes the primary contributing factor, where the water absorption rate increases from 3.83 to 14.68%. Furthermore, under the same impact pressure, the concrete with Sr = 20% absorbed the most energy, providing the best dynamic mechanical performance. These findings highlight the potential use of WOS in concrete for improving its dynamic characteristics, promoting both sustainable construction and enhancing the material properties in impact-resistant structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: With the ban on antibiotics being added to feed as growth promoters, numerous probiotics have been developed as an alternative to antibiotics that are added to rations. Although a considerable number of studies have shown that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) has positive effects on intestinal health, more evidence is needed to establish whether L. plantarum plays an efficient role in replacing antibiotics as a growth promoter in broiler nutrition. Therefore, the present work evaluated the effects of L. plantarum on growth performance, selected antioxidant capacity, and immune function indices in the serum, the microbiota, and some short-chain fatty acids in the cecum of broilers and compared them with those of antibiotic growth promoters. This research study aimed to investigate the effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) on growth performance, oxidation resistance, immunity, and cecal microbiota in broilers. This work classed three hundred and sixty 1-day-old male broilers into three groups randomly, including a control group (CON, basal diet) and antibiotic (ANT, 75 mg kg−1 chlortetracycline added into basal diet) and probiotic groups (LP, 5 × 108 CFU kg−1Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HJLP-1 contained within basal diet). Animals were then fed for 42 days, and each group comprised eight replicates with 15 broilers. Compared with CON, L. plantarum supplementation significantly improved the average daily weight gain (AWDG) (p < 0.05) while reducing the feed–gain ratio over the entire supplemental period (p < 0.05). Birds fed L. plantarum had markedly lower serum ammonia and xanthine oxidase levels (p < 0.05) than those in the ANT and CON groups. Significant improvements (p < 0.05) in superoxide dismutase, catalase, and serum IgM and IgY contents in broilers fed L. plantarum were also observed when compared with those in the CON and ANT groups. Both L. plantarum and antibiotics decreased pro-inflammatory factor IL-1β levels significantly (p < 0.05), while only L. plantarum promoted anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 levels in the serum (p < 0.05) compared with CON. L. plantarum (p < 0.05) increased acetic acid and butyric acid concentrations in cecal contents when compared to those in CON and ANT. Among the differences revealed via 16S rRNA analysis, L. plantarum markedly improved the community richness of the cecal microbiota. At the genus level, the butyric acid-producing bacteria Ruminococcus and Lachnospiraceae were found in higher relative abundance in samples of L. plantarum-treated birds. In conclusion, dietary L. plantarum supplementation promoted the growth and health of broilers, likely by inducing a shift in broiler gut microbiota toward short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria. Therefore, L. plantarum has potential as an alternative to antibiotics in poultry breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the effects of dietary plant polysaccharides on growth performance, immune status and intestinal health in broilers. We randomly divided 960 one‐day‐old Arbor Acres broiler chicks into four groups. The control (CON) group was fed a basal diet, and the remaining groups were fed a basal diet supplemented with 1000 mg kg−1Ginseng polysaccharide (GPS), Astragalus polysaccharide (APS), or Salvia miltiorrhiza polysaccharide (SMP) for 42 days. RESULTS: Dietary supplementation with SMP significantly increased body weight (BW) at 21 and 42 days of age, average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) during the starter and whole experimental period, decreased the concentrations of interleukin‐1 beta (IL‐1β), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) and malondialdehyde (MDA), increased the levels of interleukin‐4 (IL‐4) and interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) and catalase (CAT) activity in the serum (P < 0.05). GPS, APS, and SMP supplementation increased serum levels of immunoglobulins, activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px), total superoxide dismutase (T‐SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (T‐AOC), and cecal concentrations of acetic acid and propionic acid of broilers (P < 0.05). Furthermore, high‐throughput sequencing results showed that the relative abundance of Firmicutes was decreased while the relative abundance of Bacteroidota, Alistipes, and Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group were increased (P < 0.05) in the GPS, APS, and SMP groups compared with the CON group. CONCLUSION: Dietary GPS, APS, and SMP supplementation could improve growth performance, enhance immune function by increasing serum immunoglobulin and regulating cytokines, improve antioxidant function by increasing serum antioxidant enzyme activity, increase volatile fatty acid levels and improve the microbial composition in the cecum of broilers. Dietary SMP supplementation had the optimal effect in this study. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The long-term overuse of zinc oxide by swine farms effectively alleviated the post-weaning diarrhea and improved the growth performance of piglets, whereas it also led to severe heavy metal residues and zinc emission pollution. Hence, finding traceable, safe, efficient and low-cost alternatives for zinc oxide is of great importance nowadays. In this study, sodium alginate-coated nano zinc oxide, a new type of zinc resource, was used and proved to be a potential alternative to traditional doses of zinc oxide, which showed beneficial effects on the growth performance, diarrhea rate, immune and antioxidant functions, zinc accumulation and excretion, short chain fatty acid concentration and the fecal microbial structure of weaned piglets. Our study laid a good foundation for the application of the novel coated nano zinc oxide in animals in the future. High dose of zinc oxide (ZnO) could improve growth performance and alleviate disease status, whereas it caused serious environmental pollution and bacterial resistance. This study was to investigate whether low doses of sodium alginate-coated nano zinc oxide (saZnO), a new type of zinc resource, could serve as a potential alternative to pharmacological doses of traditional ZnO in weaned piglets. A total of 144 crossbred piglets were randomly allocated into three groups, including a basal diet without the addition of Zn (CON), a basal diet with 1600 mg Zn/kg from traditional ZnO (ZnO), and a basal diet with 500 mg Zn/kg from saZnO (saZnO). The experiment lasted for 28 days. The results showed that supplementing with ZnO and saZnO for 14 and 28 days significantly improved body weight (BW) and average daily gain (ADG) (p < 0.01) and markedly reduced the feed intake-to-gain ratio (F/G) (p < 0.05) and diarrhea rate. In addition, dietary ZnO and saZnO significantly increased the activities of the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (p < 0.01). Supplementing with saZnO also promoted the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), IgM and copper- and zinc-containing superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD) in serum (p < 0.05), whereas a ZnO addition decreased the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.05), indicating the beneficial effect of Zn on antioxidant and immune functions. Piglets fed the ZnO diet showed higher serum Zn accumulations than those fed the CON and saZnO diets at d 28 (p < 0.01), and supplementing with ZnO and saZnO markedly contributed to Zn excretion in feces, especially in the ZnO diet (p < 0.01). Additionally, piglets fed the saZnO diet had greater valeric acid concentrations (p < 0.05) in their feces, while other short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were not affected by different treatments (p > 0.05). Microbial alpha diversity was reduced in the saZnO group compared with the CON group (p < 0.05), while an obvious separation of microbial composition, the marker of beta diversity, was shown among the three groups (p < 0.05). At the genus level, six genera, including Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Terrisporobacter, f_Muribaculaceae, Subdoligranulum and Intestinibacter, were pronouncedly increased in the ZnO and saZnO groups (p < 0.05); another nine species were dramatically downregulated, such as f_Lachnospiraceae, f_Prevotellaceae, f_Butyricicoccaceae and f_Ruminococcaceae (p < 0.05). Finally, a functional analysis indicated that altered microbes significantly changed the "Metabolism" pathway (p < 0.05). These findings suggested that saZnO could act as a feasible substitute for ZnO to reduce Zn emission and enhance growth performance, antioxidant and immune functions, and to adjust the structure of gut microbiota in piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper presents an active control method for reducing the lateral vibration transmission in a shaft-hull coupled system of submerged vehicles under the excitation of propeller forces. In this method, a 6-DOF (degree of freedom) active stern support and the local velocity feedback control strategy are employed to suppress vibration transmission from the shaft to the hull. The dynamic model of the shaft-hull system embedded with the active stern support is established with the FRF (frequency response function)-based synthesis method and the FEM/BEM (finite element method/boundary element method). The six-channel local velocity feedback control strategy is employed to suppress vibrations of the strut-hull interface. Numerical results indicate that a noticeable attenuation of vibration and sound radiation can be achieved by the active stern support. In addition, the combination control at the stern support and the thrust bearing is able to obtain better attenuation at some critical frequencies. Suppression of the mean square velocity and radiated sound power of the hull surface are observed. Highlights • A novel active control method is proposed to suppress the lateral vibration transmission of the shaft-hull system. • A FRFSM/FEM/BEM method is adopted to analyze vibration characteristics under control. • A numerical implementation of the dynamic model validates the control performance. • A significant attenuation is obtained through the active stern support. • A combination control is able to achieve better attenuations of vibration and sound radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For preventing the fragile optical communication devices from malfunction caused by the low-frequency seismic excitation, a novel three-dimensional hybrid isolation platform is proposed in this paper. To isolate the horizontal and vertical vibrations simultaneously, the platform is designed as a combination of a rolling isolation system and four three-parameter isolators with active damping. By deriving the governing equations of the three-parameter isolators and the profile of the concave rolling surface, the dynamic model of the whole platform is constructed. Numerical results indicate that the isolation platform has an effective suppression of the horizontal and vertical vibrations. To verify the isolation performance of the hybrid isolation platform, an experiment is conducted in the targeting frequency range. Compared to the amplification factor of 6.2 dB of the three-parameter isolator, the test results exhibit that the hybrid isolation shows no amplification effect in the vertical direction, and the root mean square value of acceleration responses can be decreased by more than 65% in the frequency range of 0–32 Hz. In the horizontal direction, the reduction of the root mean square value of acceleration responses is up to 85% in the same frequency range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously found that Lactobacillus plantarum (LP)‐derived postbiotics protected animals against Salmonella infection, but the molecular mechanism remains obscure. This study clarified the mechanisms from the perspective of autophagy. Intestinal porcine epithelial cells (IPEC‐J2) were pretreated with LP‐derived postbiotics (the culture supernatant, LPC; or heat‐killed bacteria, LPB), and then challenged with Salmonella enterica Typhimurium (ST). Results showed that LP postbiotics markedly triggered autophagy under ST infection, as indicated by the increased LC3 and Beclin1 and the decreased p62 levels. Meanwhile, LP postbiotics (particularly LPC) exhibited a strong capacity of inhibiting ST adhesion, invasion and replication. Pretreatment with the autophagy inhibitor 3‐methyladenine (3‐MA) led to a significant decrease of autophagy and the aggravated infection, indicating the importance of autophagy in LP postbiotics‐mediated Salmonella elimination. LP postbiotics (especially LPB) significantly suppressed ST‐induced inflammation by modulating inflammatory cytokines (the increased interleukin (IL)‐4 and IL‐10, and decreased tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF), IL‐1β, IL‐6 and IL‐18). Furthermore, LP postbiotics inhibited NOD‐like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome activation, as evidenced by the decreased levels of NLRP3, Caspase‐1 and apoptosis‐associated speck‐like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain (ASC). Deficits in autophagy resulted in an increase of inflammatory response and inflammasome activation. Finally, we found that both LPC and LPB triggered AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling pathway to induce autophagy, and this was further confirmed by AMPK RNA interference. The intracellular infection and NLRP3 inflammasome were aggravated after AMPK knockdown. In summary, LP postbiotics trigger AMPK‐mediated autophagy to suppress Salmonella intracellular infection and NLRP3 inflammasome in IPEC‐J2 cells. Our findings highlight the effectiveness of postbiotics, and provide a new strategy for preventing Salmonella infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: It has been proved that glyceryl monolaurate is a safe and green additive in food and feed. The purpose of this experiment was to study the potential application value of glyceryl monolaurate in the diet of laying hens in the late laying period. Our results indicate that the dietary supplementation of glyceryl monolaurate could significantly improve laying performance and egg quality, reducing inflammation, promoting immune function and intestinal barrier function as well as regulating the intestinal flora of laying hens. The principal purpose of this research was to study the effects of glycerol monolaurate (GML) on the production performance; egg quality; health state of the oviduct, ovary and ileum; and gut microbiota of laying hens in the later stage. The laying hens were randomly assigned to two groups: a control group and an experiment group, for which 1000 mg/kg of GML was added to a control diet. The results showed that GML increased the laying rate, average egg weight, albumen height, yolk color and Haugh unit and decreased the feed conversion ratio and defective eggs (p < 0.05). GML increased the intestinal villi height and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth (p < 0.05). Moreover, GML improved the contents of cytokines in the oviduct, ovary and ileum mucosa; ameliorated the expression of TLR2, TLR4, MyD88, IL-4, IL-1β and TNF-α; and increased the expression of Occludin and Muc-2 in the ileal mucosa. The supplementation of GML increased the volatile fatty acids in the cecal contents, such as acetic acid and propionic acid, and up-regulated Bacteroides (p < 0.01) and Alistipes (p < 0.05) richness in the cecal contents. In summary, GML improved production performance, egg quality and immunity; ameliorated the health status of the oviduct, ovary and ileum; enhanced the intestinal barrier function; improved the content of intestinal volatile fatty acids; and regulated the abundance of cecal flora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preeclampsia (PE) is one of the main causes of maternal death worldwide, but our understanding of the molecular characteristics of disease progression is limited. In this meta-analysis, we aimed to assess the value of peripheral blood microRNAs (miRNAs) as diagnostic and predictive markers of PE. We screened PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases; searched articles about "miRNAs and PE" up to November 30, 2020; and conducted biological information and subgroup analysis. We used QUADAS-2 (quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies-2) to evaluate the included articles by two independent reviewers, calculated the combined diagnostic and predictive indicators using the random effects model, explored the sources of potential heterogeneity through subgroup analysis, and evaluated publication bias using Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test using Stata 14.0 and Review Manager 5.3 software. Forty-three miRNAs from 15 studies, including 2042 healthy controls and 2685 PE patients, had a pooled sensitivity of 0.86 (95% CI: 0.81–0.90), specificity of 0.89 (95% CI: 0.85–0.92), and an AUC of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.91–0.96). Moreover, before 20 weeks of gestation, the combined sensitivity was 0.86 (95% CI: 0.75–0.92), and the specificity was 0.90 (95% CI: 0.83–0.95), which indicated that some of the circulating miRNAs had changed significantly before the clinical symptoms appeared in PE patients. Circulating miRNAs have high diagnostic and predictive accuracy and may be used as non-invasive biomarkers for the diagnosis and prediction of PE. However, a large sample prospective study is still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This research was performed to determine the positive effects of GP on growth and intestinal function in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenged broilers. Results show that LPS challenge enhanced the weight loss rate, decreased the immunity and antioxidant capability, increased the intestinal permeability in broilers. When compared with LPS group, broilers fed with GP exhibited improved weight loss rate and jejunum villus height, enhanced ileum antioxidant function, and ameliorated intestinal barrier function. The LPS-challenged broilers in GP group had higher immunity than that of broilers in antibiotics group. In conclusion, GP supplementation could act as a natural alternative to antibiotic additive to alleviate the LPS-induced weight loss rate, inflammatory responses, and oxidative stress in broilers by improving the immunity and intestinal function. Garlic powder (GP) has the outstanding antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, anti-parasitic and antioxidant characteristics because of its various contained bioactive components, such as alliin, allicin, and polysaccharide, etc. It has been widely used as a native medicine and shown to prevent a variety of diseases. This research was performed to determine the positive effects of GP on growth and intestinal function in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenged broilers. A total of 480 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers of similar initial body weight were randomly divided into four groups with 8 replicates per treatment and 15 chicks each replicate. LPS challenge enhanced the weight loss rate, decreased the immunity and antioxidant capability, increased the intestinal permeability in broilers. When compared with LPS group, broilers fed with GP exhibited improved weight loss rate and jejunum villus height, enhanced ileum antioxidant function, and ameliorated intestinal barrier function. The LPS-challenged broilers in GP group had higher immunity than that of broilers in antibiotics group. GP supplementation could act as a natural alternative to antibiotic additive to alleviate the LPS-induced weight loss rate, inflammatory responses, and oxidative stress in broilers by improving the immunity and intestinal function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this study was to explore the transport properties of chitosan nanoparticles and molecules in Caco-2 cells. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled chitosan (f-CS) was synthesized and prepared into nanoparticles (f-CNP). The f-CNP exhibit a mean size of 58.04nm and a mean charge with +41.63mV. Cytotoxicities of the f-CNP and the f-CS against Caco-2 cells were disregarded in the transport study. The transport was observed under fluorescence microscope. The f-CNP could be transported into Caco-2 cells across the cell membrane, and showed concentration-dependent and saturable intracellular fluorescence signal at 37°C. Meanwhile, the energy-dependence of the trans-membrane transport of f-CNP was not observed at 4°C. The f-CS was mainly accumulated in the cell peripheral and showed a concentration-dependent intercellular fluorescence signal. Thus, formulation of chitosan into nanoparticles significantly improved its trans-membrane transport in Caco-2 cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Although a number of theories have been suggested, including roles for oxidative stress, an abnormal maternal‐fetal interface, and genetic and environmental factors, the etiopathology of pre‐eclampsia (PE) remains unclear. Maternal immune tolerance is important for maintaining pregnancy, and researchers have increasingly focused on the critical roles of cytokines in the pathogenesis of PE in recent years. The assessment of candidate genetic polymorphisms in PE could partially elucidate the mechanisms of susceptibility to disease, and contribute to seeking for new diagnosis and treatment methods of PE. PE can lead to severe complications, and even the death of both mother and fetus. Although the complex pathology is not yet clear, some evidence suggested that the occurrence of PE is related to inflammatory factors. We reviewed the current understandings of roles of cytokines in PE, and provided an extensive overview of the role of single nucleotide chain polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes potentially underlying the pathophysiology of PE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Viral proteins and DNA genome from ruptured WSSV can infect host like intact virions. • DNase I can destroy the viral proteins in the solution of ruptured virus. • DNA-binding protein can protect the viral DNA genome from DNase I degradation. Proteins and nucleic acids from ultrasonically ruptured white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) can infect crayfish and cause death as effectively as intact WSSV virions. In this study, ultrasound was used to rupture the virus and the resulting suspension was filtered through a 50 nm membrane. Analysis by PCR and SDS-PAGE showed that both viral genes (VP19, VP26, VP28 and DNA polymerase) and proteins (VP15, VP19, VP26 and VP28) were present in the filtered solution. Electron microscopy showed that there were no intact virions in the filtered solution. When crayfish were injected with the filtered solution or with intact WSSV, the mortality in each group was 100 %. The same result was seen when crayfish were challenged orally with the filtered solution and intact WSSV. The filtered solution of ultrasonically ruptured virus, which contains viral proteins and residual DNA genome, can thus infect the host as effectively as intact virions. When the solution of viral proteins and residual DNA genome was digested with DNase I and then injected into crayfish, the survival rate was 100 %. We also found that, although viral proteins (except VP15) in the solution of ruptured virus were destroyed by treatment with DNase I, DNase I did not destroy the structural proteins of intact virions. A remaining viral protein in the DNase I-treated solution protects the DNA genome from degradation and we concluded that this protein is VP15, which is a DNA-binding protein. Our study highlights the extreme danger in producing vaccines from proteins obtained by ultrasonic rupture of viruses sincethe viral DNA genome is difficult to degrade and, if present, will lead to viral infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyosis (ARCI) is a rare genetically heterogeneous cutaneous disease predominantly characterized by erythroderma, generalized abnormal scaling of the whole body and a collodion membrane at birth. Numerous causative genes have been demonstrated to be responsible for ARCI including PNPLA1 which can cause ARCI type 10. The objectives of this study are to describe clinical features of three ARCI patients from two Chinese unrelated families and to identify the underlying causative mutations. Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral venous blood obtained from the two Chinese ARCI families in Shandong province. Subsequently, targeted regions sequencing (TRS) followed by Sanger sequencing was conducted to identify and validate the likely pathogenic mutations of the ARCI families. Results: Genetic analyses revealed four novel PNPLA1 variants that are predicted to be probably to lead to ARCI in three patients of two families. Patient 1 in one family was in compound heterozygous status for c.604delC/p.Arg202Glyfs*27 and c.820dupC/p.Arg274Profs*15, whereas c.738_742delinsCCCACAGATCCTGC/ p.Gly247_Tyr248delinsProGlnIleLeuHis, and c.816dupC/p.Arg274Profs*15 were found in patient 2 and 3 of the other family. In addition, these variants cosegregate in the two pedigrees and are all within highly conserved regions of the PNPLA1 protein, which indicate that the four mutations are likely pathogenic. Conclusion: Our findings not only broaden the mutational spectrum of PNPLA1, but also contribute to establishing genotype–phenotype correlations for different forms of ARCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a common multi-systemic disease, and the effect of cytokines on PE is not clear. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the circulating levels of interferon gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin (IL)-1, IL-17 and IL-22 in patients with PE.Study Design: Relevant studies were identified after a preliminary investigation of studies published up to May 2019 using PubMed and Embase. In this study, all 27 included articles underwent quality rating, with a total of 495 patients with PE and 557 controls. Among them, eight papers and 932 subjects contributed to the meta-analysis of IFN-γ, and six papers and 343 subjects contributed to the meta-analysis of IL-17. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the retrieved papers were screened and evaluated independently. Relevant data for IFN-γ and IL-17 were extracted for meta-analysis and subgroup analysis, and the stability of the results was evaluated by sensitivity analysis. At the same time, a systematic evaluation was carried out for IL-1 and IL-22 with a small number of included papers.Results: Several papers included in the systematic review showed that the circulating levels of IL-22 were higher in patients with severe PE than in controls, while IL-1 levels did not differ significantly between the two groups. The meta-analysis showed that patients with PE had higher circulating levels of IFN-γ than controls [standardized mean difference (SMD) 1.45, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.56-2.34]. There was no evidence of a difference in the circulating levels of IL-17 between patients with PE and controls (SMD 0.53, 95 %CI -0.43 to 1.48).Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggested that changes in circulating levels of IFN-γ might be associated with PE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mutations in CD40 ligand gene (CD40L) affecting immunoglobulin class-switch recombination and somatic hypermutation can result in X-Linked Hyper IgM Syndrome (HIGM1, XHIGM), a kind of rare serious primary immunodeficiency disease (PID) characterized by the deficiency of IgG, IgA and IgE and normal or increased serum concentrations of IgM. The objective of this study is to explain genotype-phenotype correlation and highlight the mutation responsible for a Chinese male patient with XHIGM. Methods: Whole exome sequencing (WES) and Sanger sequencing validation were performed to identify and validate the likely pathogenic mutation in the XHIGM family. Results: The results of the sequencing revealed that a new causative mutation in CD40L (c.714delT in exon 5, p.F238Lfs*4) which leads to the change in amino acids (translation terminates at the third position after the frameshift mutation) appeared in the proband. As his mother in the family was carrier with this heterozygous mutation, the hemizygous mutation in this patient came from his mother indicating that genetic mode of XHIGM is X-linked recessive inheritance. Conclusion: This study broadens our knowledge of the mutation in CD40L and lays a solid foundation for prenatal diagnosis and genetic counseling for the XHIGM family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Clostridium butyricum and Enterococcus faecalis on growth performance, immune function, inflammation-related pathways, and microflora community in weaned piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). One hundred and eighty 28-d-old weaned piglets were randomly divided into 3 treatments groups: piglets fed with a basal diet (Con), piglets fed with a basal diet containing 6 × 109 CFU C. butyricum·kg−1 (CB), and piglets fed with a basal diet containing 2 × 1010 CFU E. faecali·kg−1 (EF). At the end of trial, 1 pig was randomly selected from for each pen (6 pigs per treatment group) and these 18 piglets were orally challenged with LPS 25 μg·kg−1 body weight. The result showed that piglets fed C. butyricum and E. faecalis had greater final BW compared with the control piglets (P < 0.05). The C. butyricum and E. faecalis fed piglets had lower levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), IL-1β, tumor inflammatory factor-α (TNF-α), and had greater level of serum interferon-γ (IFN-γ) than control piglets at 1.5 and 3 h after injection with LPS (P < 0.05). Furthermore, piglets in the C. butyricum or E. faecalis treatment groups had a greater ratio of jejunal villus height to crypt depth (V/C) compared with control piglets after challenge with LPS for 3 h (P < 0.05). Compared with the control treatment, the CB and EF treatments significantly decreased the expression of inflammation-related pathway factors (TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB) after challenge with LPS for 3 h (P < 0.05). High-throughput sequencing revealed that C. butyricum and E. faecalis modulated bacterial diversity in the colon. The species richness and alpha diversity (Shannon) of bacterial samples in CB or EF piglets challenged with LPS were higher than those in LPS-challenged control piglets. Furthermore, the relative abundance of Bacteroidales-Rikenellanceae in the CB group was higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05), whereas EF piglets had a higher relative abundance of Lactobacillus amylovorus and Lactobacillus gasseri (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with C. butyricum or E. faecalis promoted growth performance, improved immunity, relieved intestinal villus damage and inflammation, and optimized the intestinal flora in LPS-challenged weaned piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to assess the effects of a mixture of essential oils and organic acids on the growth performance, immune system, major fecal volatile fatty acids (VFAs), and microflora community in the weaned piglets. We also evaluated the antibacterial activity of the essential oil mixture on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Three hundred weaned piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) were randomly divided into the following 3 treatment groups: basal diet (C), basal diet supplemented with the mixture of essential oils and organic acids (T1), and basal diet supplemented with antibiotics (T2). The mixture of essential oils and organic acids comprised of cinnamaldehyde (15%), thymol (5%), citric acid (10%), sorbic acid (10%), malic acid (6.5%), and fumaric acid (13.5%). In vitro studies showed that the mixture of essential oils extremely damaged the cell structure of pathogenic bacteria by deforming the membranes and disorganizing the intracellular components. In vivo studies revealed that diet supplementation with a mixture of essential oils and organic acids improved the final body weight and ADG of piglets (P < 0.05), increased the concentration of serum complement 4 (P < 0.05), and enhanced the fecal level of isovaleric acid (P < 0.05) compared with controls on day 28. Result of high-throughput sequencing revealed that: 1) a total of 1,177 and 1,162 observed taxonomic units (OTUs) were shared between all treatment groups on day 14 and 28, respectively; 2) the T1 exhibited higher (P < 0.05) beta diversity (unweighted UniFrac distance) than control and antibiotics treatment on day 28; 3) the samples in principle component analysis plot and tree of relative abundance were separated from each other based on dietary treatments and age; 4) Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the most 2 dominate phyla; Lactobacillus and Streptococcus were the 2 top species among the recognized microbiota; 5) T1 had higher (P < 0.05) relative abundance of Lactobacillus mucosae than control and antibiotics treatment on day 28. To conclude, the mixture of cinnamaldehyde and citric acids damaged the structure of pathogens in vitro; the mixture of essential oils and organic acids improved the growth performance, increased the fecal concentration of isovaleric acid, and modulated the microflora community in weaned piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Twin and family analyses have revealed a genetic contribution to Tourette syndrome (TS) and post-mortem studies have raised the intriguing possibility of a reduction in cholinergic interneuronsin TS patients. Methods: We selected five tag SNPs (rs100824791, rs12264845, rs1880676, rs3793790 and rs3793798) of choline acetyltransferase (CHAT) from the Han Chinese population Hapmap database. Genotyping was conducted on 401 TS nuclear family trios and 405 control subjects. Transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) and haplotype relative risk (HRR) analyses were used to analyse the family-based study and a case-control study was also used to assess the genetic susceptibility to TS. Results: The results revealed a significant over-transmission of rs3793790 (TDT, χ2 = 9.121, P = 0.003; HRR, χ2 = 6.579, P = 0.01), while case-control analysis found no differences between the two groups (genotype, χ2 = 0.436, P = 0.804; allele, χ2 = 0.149, P = 0.700). Also, rs3793798 also indicated a positive association associated with TS (TDT, χ2 = 5.025, P = 0.028; HRR, χ2 = 0.250, P = 0.617). However, the other three SNPs investigated were found not to be associated with TS in both in the family-based and case-control studies. Conclusions: Our association analysis demonstrates that CHAT may contribute to TS susceptibility in the Han Chinese population. This gives strong support to the involvement of cholinergic interneurons in the aetiology of TS and reveals a potential therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The abnormal expression of certain transcription factors ( NKX2.1 , FOXE1 , NKX2.5 , and PAX8 ) and thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) genes has been associated with athyreosis, which is a form of thyroid dysgenesis (TD). We aimed to identify candidate gene mutations in CH patients with athyreosis and to establish the genotype-phenotype correlations in a Chinese population. Methods The exons and flanking sequences of NKX2.1 , FOXE1 , NKX2.5 , PAX8 , and TSHR were screened by next-generation sequencing and further confirmed by direct Sanger sequencing. The mutation frequencies were calculated and compared against databases. The relationship between genotype and phenotype was also determined. Results Seven variants were detected in TSHR —p.P52T, p.G132R, p.M164K, p.R450H, p.C700E, p.A522V, and p.R528S. The p. G132R, p. M164K and p. R528S variants were first identified in public databases. Five variants (p.G44D, p.G360V, p.R401Q, p.L418I, and p.E453Q) were found in NKX2.1 and one variant (p.P243T) was detected in FOXE1 . In addition, one variant (p.N291I) was found in NKX2.5 and two variants (p.A355V and c.-26G > A) were detected in PAX8 . Conclusions Our study indicated that TSHR mutations have phenotypic variability and has further expanded the mutation spectrum of TSHR . We also revealed that the rate of NKX2.1 , FOXE1 , NKX2.5 , and PAX8 mutations were low in patients with CH and athyreosis, in contrast to the higher rate of TSHR mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bamboo leaf flavonoids (BLF) are the mainly bioactive constituents of bamboo leaves and have caused considerable attention for antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, and anti-aging activities. This research evaluated dietary (commercial pellet feed form) addition of Phyllostachys BLF effects on growth, non-specific immunity, antioxidant function, and intestinal microflora of Chinese mitten crabs. A total of 216 crabs were randomly sorted into 18 tanks with 6 replicates for each group and 12 crabs per replicate. Crabs were fed with a basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 500, and 1000 mg/kg BLF, respectively. Results shown that crabs fed diet supplemented with 1000 mg/kg BLF improved the growth performance, enhanced serum phenoloxidase (PO), lysozyme, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels, increased hepatopancreas T-AOC and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) levels, upregulated hepatopancreas Tube and Dif mRNA expression levels compared with the crabs in the control (P < 0.05). The inclusion of 500 mg/kg BLF only increased the serum lysozyme content (P < 0.05). Dietary 500 or 1000 mg/kg BLF addition increased serum T-SOD and catalase activities, enhanced hepatopancreas GPx activity, reduced the serum malondialdehyde content, upregulated the mRNA expression levels of hepatopancreas GPx , toll-like receptors 1 , myeloid differentiation factor 88 , lysozyme , and prophenoloxidase of crabs (P < 0.05). Crabs in 1000 mg/kg BLF addition group had higher PO activity than that crabs in the 500 mg/kg BLF addition group (P < 0.05). The separated principal co-ordinates analysis revealed that the three groups had different microbiota composition. Both 500 and 1000 mg/kg BLF addition decreased the shannon and chao1 indexes, reduced the abundance of phyla Bacteroidota, enhanced the abundance of phyla Firmicutes and genus Candidatus_Bacilloplasma in intestine microbiota of Chinese mitten crabs (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary BLF inclusion improved the growth performance and intestinal microflora, enhanced the non-specific immunity and antioxidant function, activated the Toll/NF-κB pathway in Chinese mitten crabs. • The first report of improving effects of bamboo leaf flavonoids (BLF) in crustacean. • BLF increased the growth and non-specific immunity of Chinese mitten crabs. • BLF enhanced the antioxidant capability in Chinese mitten crabs. • BLF improved antimicrobial peptides expression by regulating Toll/NF-κB pathway. • BLF ameliorates the intestinal microflora of Chinese mitten crabs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]