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Fatigue, a most commonly sub-health condition, may cause people more susceptible to many diseases. Cordycepin, a principal active ingredient from Cordyceps militaris, exerts various pharmacological activities including anti-diabetes, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and antioxidant effects. However, the anti-fatigue effect of cordycepin and specific mechanism remained unclear. This study aimed to investigate the beneficial effect of cordycepin on physical fatigue and elucidate the potential mechanism. 20 mg/kg, 40 mg/kg of cordycepin and 500 mg/kg taurine were respectively treated to mice for 28 days before weight-loaded swimming test. The results revealed that cordycepin significantly prolonged the weight-loaded swimming time of mice. Meanwhile, cordycepin decreased the levels of lactic acid, blood uric nitrogen, and malondialdehyde, and increased the contents of superoxide dismutase, glutathione, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, hepatic glycogen, muscle glycogen and ATP. The metabolomic study by GC-MS showed that eight biomarkers were found in livers, including L-lactic acid, L-asparagine, 3-phosphoglyceric acid, inosine, D-galactose, L-tyrosine, glyceric acid and L-threonine. There were seven biomarkers in gastrocnemius, including D-ribose-5-phosphate, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, palmitic acid, oxaloacetic acid and citric acid. The results of metabolomics indicated that cordycepin might relieve fatigue by regulating energy metabolism and pentose phosphate pathway. Furthermore, we found cordycepin significantly enhanced the protein levels of TIGAR, SIRT1, PGC-1α, NRF1 and TFAM in gastrocnemius of weight-loaded swimming mice. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that cordycepin possessed an anti-fatigue effect via activating TIGAR/SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway. Our study indicated that cordycepin may be a potentially efficient candidate for fatigue.

Interleukin-24 (IL-24) has specific inhibitory effects on the proliferation of various tumor cells with almost no toxicity to normal cells. The antitumor activity of recombinant human IL-24 protein produced in mammalian cells is much higher than that of bacteria, but its expression level is extremely low. Sodium butyrate (NaBu) was utilized as a media additive to increase protein expression in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The site-specific integrated engineered cells FCHO/IL-24 were treated with NaBu under different culture conditions (10% and 0.5% serum adherent culture, 0.5% serum suspension culture). First, 3 days of 1 mmol/L NaBu treatment significantly increased rhIL-24 expression level in FCHO/IL-24 cells by 119.94 ± 1.5% (**p p p p p p p

Self-assembled nanotechnology is a promising strategy for improving the effective utilization of pesticides due to its distinct advantages. Herein, an amide-bonded prodrug conjugate based on pyrimethanil (PYR) and butyric acid (BA) was successfully synthesized by the nucleophilic substitution reaction and subsequently self-assembled into spherical nanoparticles (PB NPs) with an average size of 85 nm through the solvent exchange method without using any toxic adjuvant. The results showed that PB NPs based on PYR and BA had a synergistic antimicrobial activity against

Biobutanol produced in acetone-butanol-ethanol fermentation at batch mode cannot compete with chemically derived butanol because of the low reactor productivity. Continuous fermentation can dramatically enhance productivity and lower capital and operating costs but are rarely used in industrial fermentation because of increased risks in culture degeneration, cell washout, and contamination. In this study, cells of the asporogenous Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC55025 were immobilized in a single-pass fibrous-bed bioreactor (FBB) for continuous production of butanol from glucose and butyrate at various dilution rates. Butyric acid in the feed medium helped maintaining cells in the solventogenic phase for stable continuous butanol production. At the dilution rate of 1.88 h , butanol was produced at 9.55 g/L with a yield of 0.24 g/g and productivity of 16.8 g/L∙h, which was the highest ever achieved for biobutanol fermentation and an 80-fold improvement over the conventional ABE fermentation. The extremely high productivity was attributed to the high density of viable cells (~100 g/L at >70% viability) immobilized in the fibrous matrix, which also enabled the cells to better tolerate butanol and butyric acid. The FBB was stable for continuous operation for an extended period of over one month.

COVID-19 infection may present with gastrointestinal lesions in up to 25% of patients. One of the target organs of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is the intestine. The pathogenesis of intestinal damage in a new coronavirus infection remains unclear and requires further in-depth study. Possible mechanisms include a direct cytotoxic effect of the virus, a persistent reduction in butyrate-producing bacteria, side effects of drugs, Clostridioides difficile infection, microvascular thrombosis, and the immune-mediated inflammatory reactions in the intestine. The most common symptom of intestinal damage during coronavirus infection, both in the acute phase and in the post-COVID period, is diarrhea. The impact of many aggressive factors on the intestines can form both long-term functional disorders and be the cause of the onset of organic diseases. Treatment should be aimed at possible causes of intestinal damage (Clostridioides difficile), as well as reducing inflammation, restoring intestinal permeability, cytoprotection of mucosal cells, replenishing butyric acid deficiency. When choosing a therapy for intestinal disorders, preference should be given to drugs with a pleiotropic effect in order to influence various possible pathogenetic mechanisms.Инфекция COVID-19 может проявляться поражением органов желудочно-кишечного тракта у 25% пациентов. Одним из органов-мишеней вируса SARS-CoV-2 является кишечник. Патогенез повреждения кишечника при новой коронавирусной инфекции остается неясным и требует дальнейшего глубокого изучения. Возможными механизмами являются прямое цитотоксическое действие вируса, стойкое снижение бутиратпродуцирующих бактерий, побочные эффекты лекарственных препаратов, развитие инфекции Clostridioides difficile, микроваскулярный тромбоз и развитие иммуноопосредованных воспалительных реакций в кишечнике. Наиболее частым симптомом поражения кишечника при коронавирусной инфекции как в острой фазе, так и в постковидный период является диарея. Воздействие множества агрессивных факторов на кишечник может как формировать длительные функциональные расстройства, так и являться причиной дебюта органических заболеваний. Лечение должно быть направлено на возможные причины поражения кишечника (Clostridioides difficile), а также уменьшение воспаления, восстановление кишечной проницаемости, цитопротекцию клеток слизистой оболочки, восполнение дефицита масляной кислоты. При выборе терапии нарушений кишечника следует отдавать предпочтение препаратам с плейотропным действием с целью воздействия на различные возможные патогенетические механизмы.

Mastitis, an inflammation of the mammary gland, is a complex disease that affects the health of dairy cows worldwide. Sodium butyrate (SB) is a short-chain fatty acid that has recently been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic potential in various cells types, although its role in bovine mammary epithelial cells (bMECs) has not been comprehensively reported. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the protective effect of sodium butyrate on Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mastitis model in vitro and to elucidate the possible underlying molecular mechanisms. The in vitro mastitis model was designed to investigate the regulatory effect of SB on LPS-induced inflammatory conditions in bMECs, with particular emphasis on oxidative stress, inflammatory response, apoptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction. The results showed that SB co-treatment markedly prevented LPS-induced death of bMECs in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, SB attenuated LPS-induced oxidative stress (OS) (Increased Intracellular ROS, MDA, and decreased SOD, GSH-Px and CAT activity), thereby reduced inflammation (increased expression of IL-6, IL-Iβ, and TNF-α), and apoptosis (Increased the expression of caspases and Bax and decreased Bcl-2) via inhibiting NF-kB and caspase/bax signaling pathways. Furthermore, the protective effect of SB was also associated with the activation of endogenous antioxidant system (Nrf2, Keap1, NQO-1 and HO-1). Nrf2 silencing significantly abolished the protective effect of SB on bMECs. In conclusion, our findings suggest that SB has a significant protective effect on LPS-induced OS, inflammatory responses and apoptosis by activating Nrf2 and inhibiting NF-kB and ROS-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction. These results propose that SB may be an important regulator of OS and its subsequent inflammatory responses, and thus could be used as a therapeutic agent for bovine mastitis.

Background In different animal models, a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, sodium butyrate (NaBu) reduced inflammation, oxidative stress and fibrosis which were involved in the pathogenesis of erectile dysfunction (ED), but whether NaBu could improve ED in an experimental animal model of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) was not known. Objective To investigate the preventive effect of NaBu on ED in a partial bladder outlet obstruction (PBOO) rat model. Materials and methods PBOO was induced by partial urethral obstruction. NaBu (20 mg/kg/day) was administered orally to rats for 6 weeks after creation of PBOO. In vivo erectile responses, in vitro relaxation and contraction responses in cavernosal tissue were measured. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot were performed to determine the gene and protein expression. Inflammation, fibrosis, and localization of proteins were evaluated using histological techniques. HDAC activity and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha levels were measured in penile tissues. Results NaBu improved decreased intracavernosal pressure/mean arterial pressure, nitrergic and endothelium-dependent relaxation responses, and contractile responses to phenylephrine and electrical field stimulation in the PBOO group without affecting increased bladder weight. Increased endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) gene levels in PBOO group were ameliorated by NaBu treatment. The administration of NaBu to PBOO rats significantly increased neuronal NOS (nNOS) and decreased TGF-beta 1 protein expression. The nuclear/cytosolic ratio of NF-kappa B demonstrated a decrease in PBOO and all treatment groups compared to control. A significant increase in the nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) after PBOO was reduced by the treatment. Both eNOS and inducible NOS (iNOS) protein expression, together with TNF-alpha levels did not differ in the penile tissue of all groups. In histological analysis, increased TGF-beta 1 protein expression and fibrosis, as well as decreased nNOS protein in PBOO, were reversed by the treatment. NaBu did not normalize moderate inflammation in obstructed rats. An increase in the HDAC activity in PBOO was significantly suppressed by NaBu. Discussion Inhibition of the HDAC activity by NaBu in penile tissue could ameliorate fibrosis-associated changes induced by PBOO. Conclusion NaBu promotes recovery of erectile function, and also significantly prevents penile fibrosis and normalizes TGF-beta 1 and nNOS protein expression in a rat model of PBOO. The HDAC pathway may present a promising target to prevent ED in patients with BPH.

Aims Our study aimed to evaluate the effects of different dosages of sodium butyrate and niacin on the growth performance, faecal Vitamin B and microbiota in weaned piglets. Methods and Results Seventy-two weaned piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire, age of 21 days) were randomly assigned to one of six treatments (12 pigs/treatment); the control (CT) group was administered a basal diet. The groups in which concentration ratios of sodium butyrate to niacin were 100: 1, 100: 2, 100: 4, 100: 8 and 100: 16 (BN1, BN2, BN4, BN8 and BN16) were administered a basal diet supplemented with 2000 mg kg−1 sodium butyrate and 20, 40, 80, 160 or 320 mg·kg−1 niacin. After 14-day treatment, the samples were collected. The results showed that feed conversion rate (FCR) was reduced and average daily gain (ADG) was increased in BN2 (p < 0.05). The diarrhoea index of pigs decreased with the low supplement. Additionally, compared with the CT group, other groups significantly increased (p < 0.05) the abundance of Firmicutes (BN4, phylum), Lactobacillaceae (BN8, family), Megasphaera (BN8, genus) and Lactobacillus (BN8, genus). Furthermore, the sodium butyrate and niacin supplementation influence Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, pyridoxine, niacin, nicotinamide and Vitamin B12 (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis of the association of micro-organisms with Vitamin B indicated that changes of Vitamin B metabolism have a potential correlation with alterations of faecal microbiota in weaned piglets. Conclusions The results indicated that adding sodium butyrate and niacin in the diet could promote the performance and improve the faecal microbiota and Vitamin B metabolism in weaned piglets. Significance and Impact of the Study Our study might provide clues to the research of correlations between faecal bacteria and faecal Vitamin B, and these findings will contribute to the direction of future research in weaned piglets.

Microbiome dysbiosis resulting in altered metabolite profiles may be associated with certain diseases, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which are characterized by active intestinal inflammation. Several studies have indicated the beneficial anti-inflammatory effect of metabolites from gut microbiota, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and/or D-amino acids in IBD therapy, through orally administered dietary supplements. In the present study, the potential gut protective effects of d-methionine (D-Met) and/or butyric acid (BA) have been investigated in an IBD mouse model. We have also built an IBD mouse model, which was cost-effectively induced with low molecular weight DSS and kappa-carrageenan. Our findings revealed that D-Met and/or BA supplementation resulted in the attenuation of the disease condition as well as the suppression of several inflammation-related gene expressions in the IBD mouse model. The data shown here may suggest a promising therapeutic potential for improving symptoms of gut inflammation with an impact on IBD therapy. However, molecular metabolisms need to be further explored.

(1) Background: Microbial conversion of gaseous molecules, such as CO2, CO and H2, to valuable compounds, has come to the forefront since the beginning of the 21st century due to increasing environmental concerns and the necessity to develop alternative technologies that contribute to a fast transition to a more sustainable era. Research efforts so far have focused on C1–C2 molecules, i.e., ethanol and methane, while interest in molecules with higher carbon atoms has also started to emerge. Research efforts have already started to pay off, and industrial installments on ethanol production from steel-mill off-gases as well as methane production from the CO2 generated in biogas plants are a reality. (2) Methodology: The present study addresses C4–C6 acids and butanol as target molecules and responds to how the inherent metabolic potential of mixed microbial consortia could be revealed and exploited based on the application of different enrichment methods (3) Results and Conclusions: In most of the enrichment series, the yield of C4–C6 acids was enhanced with supplementation of acetic acid and ethanol together with the gas substrates, resulting in a maximum of 43 and 68% (e-mol basis) for butyric and caproic acid, respectively. Butanol formation was also enhanced, to a lesser degree though and up to 9% (e-mol basis). Furthermore, the microbial community exhibited significant shifts depending on the enrichment conditions applied, implying that a more profound microbial analysis on the species level taxonomy combined with the development of minimal co-cultures could set the basis for discovering new microbial co-cultures and/or co-culturing schemes.

Stem cell-based therapy is considered an attractive tool to overcome the burden of liver diseases. However, efficient hepatic differentiation is still a big challenge for the research community. In this study, we explored a novel method for differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into hepatic-like cells using 3D culture conditions and histone deacetylase inhibitor, sodium butyrate (NaBu). MSCs were characterized by the presence of cell surface markers via immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry, and by their potential for osteogenic, adipogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation. MSCs were treated with 1mM NaBu in 2D and 3D environments for 21 days. The hepatic differentiation was confirmed by qPCR and immunostaining. According to qPCR data, the 3D culture of NaBu-treated MSCs has shown significant upregulation of hepatic gene, CK-18 (P0.01), and hepatic proteins, AFP (P0.01) and ALB (P0.01). In addition, immunocytochemistry analysis showed significant increase (P0.05) in the acetylation of histones (H3 and H4) in NaBu-pretreated cells. It can be concluded from the study that NaBu-treated MSCs in 3D culture conditions can induce hepatic differentiation without the use of additional cytokines and growth factors. The method shown in this study represents an improved protocol for hepatic differentiation and could contribute to improvement in future cell-based therapeutics.

Caveola membrane structures harbor mechanosensitive chloride channels (MCCs; including chloride channel 2, chloride channel 3, and SWELL1, also known as LRRC8A) that form a swelling-activated chloride current (I(Cl,swell)) and play an important role in cell volume regulation and mechanoelectrical signal transduction. However, the role of the muscle-specific caveolar scaffolding protein caveolin-3 (Cav3) in regulation of MCC expression, activity, and contribution to membrane integrity in response to mechanical stress remains unclear. Here we showed that Cav3-transfected (Cav3-positive) HEK293 cells were significantly resistant to extreme (

In higher eukaryotes, cell-cycle transitions are regulated by different cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) and Cdk inhibitors (CKIs). CKIs include two groups, the Ink4 (p16INK4a, p15INK4b, p18INK4c, and p19INK4d) and the Cip/Kip (p21Cip1, p27Kip1, and p57Kip2) families. The hyperactivity of histone deacetylases (HDACs) is associated with cancer induction. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) such as sodium butyrate (NaBT) can inhibit HDAC activity resulting in apoptosis induction. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of sodium butyrate on p16INK4a, p14ARF, p15INK4b, class I HDACs (HDACs 1, 2, 3), and class II HDACs (HDACs 4, 5, 6), cell growth inhibition, and apoptosis induction in pancreatic cancer AsPC-1 and colon cancer HCT-116 cell lines. In fact, we want to know whether sodium butyrate can reactivate Ink4 and Cip/Kip families by HDACs inhibition.The AsPC-1 and HCT-116 cells were treated with sodium butyrate at different periods. Then, the MTT assay, cell apoptosis assay, and qRT-PCR were done to determine viability, apoptosis, and the relative expression level of the genes respectively.The sodium butyrate increased p16INK4a, p14ARF, and p15INK4b and decreased class I and II HDACs significantly. Besides, HCT-116 cell was more sensitive to sodium butyrate in comparison to AsPC-1 cell.The sodium butyrate can reactivate the p16INK4a, p14ARF, and p15INK4b through inhibition of HDACs in AsPC-1 and HCT-116 cell lines.

1. The ultimate aim of this research was to find an inexpensive biochemical method for the production of Normal Butyric Acid from Blackstrap. 2. A native organism was found and isolated in pure culture which proved admirably adapted to this purpose. 3. Difficulties experienced by previous investigators were obviated in the course of the above described work. 4. The process is simple, inexpensive, and merits further efforts towards its industrial application and commercial exploitation. 5. The main end product of fermentation (Normal Butyric Acid) is obtained in nearly theoretical yield, and of a splendid degree of purity: 99 percent or better. 6. It is the writer's intention to apply for patent rights protection for his discovery and process.

The aim was to investigate the effect of lotus seed resistant starch (LRS) on lactic acid (LA) conversion to butyric acid (BA) fermented by rat fecal microbiota to construct an acetyl CoA pathway. According to growth curves, the microbiota compositions at 10 and 36 h were further analyzed. The microbiota in the LRS group had higher richness and diversity compared to glucose (GLU) and high amylose maize starch (HAMS). Moreover, LRS and isotope LA promoted the growth of

We investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with sodium butyrate (NaB) on the lipid levels, gene expression, and proteins related to lipid metabolism in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) rat models fed a high-sucrose diet for 3 weeks. Supplementation with 1% and 3% NaB reduced high-sucrose-induced hepatic triacylglycerol levels and expression of genes and proteins related to fatty acid synthesis, such as fatty acid synthase and malic enzyme, in a dose-dependent manner. NaB supplementation did not affect hepatic cholesterol levels or expression of genes related to β-oxidation. NaB may prevent high-sucrose-induced NAFLD by repressing the fatty acid synthesis pathway.

Previous studies have found that probiotic supplements could comfort mental behavioral disorders. This study investigated the effects of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum DMDL 9010 (LP9010) intake on the depression-like behavior induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) and its possible mechanism. Male C57BL/6N mice were fed with DSS to establish the model of ulcerative colitis. LP9010 intake reduced DSS-induced inflammatory response, and repaired intestinal barrier damage, as well as lightened depression-like behavior. LP9010 supplementation also inhibited neuroinflammation by up-regulating the levels of neurotransmitters especially 5-HT, NE, DA, and 5-HIAA. Moreover, intake of LP9010 reorganized the gut microbiome by increasing the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, and decreasing the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia. Furthermore, treatment with LP9010 also increased the levels of short-chain fatty acids such as butyric acid and propionic acid. In conclusion, LP9010 intake was a promising probiotic intervention strategy for the prevention of colitis-induced behavioral disorders through the microbiota-gut-brain axis.

The study was performed to ascertain the mechanism of sodium butyrate (NaB) mediating the proliferative and invasive properties of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cells. The cell proliferative, migrating, and invasive potentials were detected by CCK-8, colony formation, EdU, and Transwell assays. The expression of proliferation- and invasion-related proteins, HDAC1, and HSPB7 in OSCC cells were evaluated by western blot. Immunofluorescence was also performed to evaluate the HDAC1 expression. The enrichment of histone deacetylase HDAC1 in the promoter region of HSPB7 was assessed by the ChIP assay. In vivo growth of OSCC cells was measured by tumorigenesis in nude mice (n=18). The t-test was employed for comparisons of data between the two groups. One-way ANOVA was utilized for comparisons of data among multiple groups, and repeated-measures ANOVA for comparisons of data at different time points among groups, followed by Bonferroni post-hoc test. The data showed that HDAC1 expression was highly upregulated in OSCC cells compared to human normal oral keratinocytes (HNOKs) (p0.0001), and NaB diminished the HDAC1 expression in OSCC cells. NaB restricted OSCC cell proliferative, migrating, and invasive capabilities by downregulating HDAC1. HSPB7 expression was downregulated in OSCC cells versus HNOKs (p0.0001). HDAC1 inversely orchestrated the HSPB7 expression in OSCC cells through histone deacetylation modification, and NaB augmented the HSPB7 expression by inhibiting HDAC1. Moreover, NaB inhibited OSCC cell growth in vivo by elevating HSPB7 levels through the HDAC1 repression. In conclusion, NaB restrained cell proliferation and invasion in OSCC cells via HSPB7 upregulation by decreasing the HDAC1 expression.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by the gut microbiota have been well demonstrated to improve metabolic homeostasis. However, the role of SCFAs in islet function remains controversial. In the present study, none of the sodium acetate, sodium propionate, and sodium butyrate (SB) displayed acute impacts on insulin secretion from rat islets, whereas long-term incubation of the three SCFAs significantly potentiated pancreatic β cell function. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) revealed an unusual transcriptome change in SB-treated rat islets, with the downregulation of insulin secretion pathway and β cell identity genes, including Pdx1, MafA, NeuroD1, Gck, and Slc2a2. But these β cell identity genes were not governed by the pan-HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A. Overlapping analysis of H3K27Ac ChIP-seq and RNA-seq showed that the inhibitory effect of SB on the expression of multiple β cell identity genes was independent of H3K27Ac. SB treatment increased basal oxygen consumption rate (OCR), but attenuated glucose-stimulated OCR in rat islets, without altering the expressions of genes involved in glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle. SB reduced the expression of Kcnj11 (encoding KATP channel) and elevated basal intracellular calcium concentration. On the other hand, SB elicited insulin gene expression in rat islets through increasing H3K18bu occupation in its promoter, without stimulating CREB phosphorylation. These findings indicate that SB potentiates islet function as a lipid molecule at the expense of compromised expression of islet β cell identity genes.

Bacterial endotoxin invasion reduces intestinal barrier functions, such as intestinal bacterial translocation and enteric infection. In this study, we investigated whether sodium butyrate (NaB) alleviates lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation by reducing intestinal damage and regulating the microflora. Rats were divided into four groups for the intraperitoneal injection of LPSs and intragastric gavage with NaB: Con, LPS, LPS + NaB, and NaB. The results showed that NaB alleviated intestinal villus injury and inflammatory infiltration caused by LPS. NaB supplementation decreased the mRNA levels of toll-like receptor (TLR)-4, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), and the trend was most pronounced in the jejunum. The morphology of the intestinal nucleus and mitochondria was further observed by transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that NaB supplementation alleviated LPS-induced nuclear atrophy, apoptosis, mitochondrial damage, and rupture. Moreover, NaB improved the LPS-induced inflammatory response by regulating the intestinal barrier. Furthermore, 16S rRNA sequencing showed that the LPS increased the abundance of the harmful bacterium

Butyrate produced by gut microbiota affected hepatic glucose metabolism via the gut–liver axis.

A hernia of the abdominal wall is an opening of the muscles in the abdominal wall, which is frequently treated via the application of a surgical mesh. The purpose of this research is to study how human adipose-derived stem cells (hADSCs) interact with Phasix™ Mesh, a commercially available mesh for hernia repair. Studying how cells derived from the abdominal region behave with Phasix™ Mesh is crucial to improve the state of the art of current surgery and achieve effective tissue restoration.hADSCs were seeded onto Phasix™ Mesh, a fully resorbable surgical mesh of poly (4-hydroxybutyric acid) (P4HB). Cell viability was assessed through MTT assay, and cell growth and adhesion were evaluated via multiple imaging techniques and gene imaging profiling.Results confirm that the nets support cells proliferation, extracellular matrix production and increasing of angiogenetic factor.Butyric acid-based nets are promising scaffolds for abdominal wall reconstruction.

Dietary fiber consumption has been linked with improved cardiometabolic health, however, human studies have reported large interindividual variations in the observed benefits. We tested whether the effects of dietary fiber on atherosclerosis are influenced by the gut microbiome. We colonized germ-free ApoE-/- mice with fecal samples from three human donors (DonA, DonB, and DonC) and fed them diets supplemented with either a mix of 5 fermentable fibers (FF) or non-fermentable cellulose control (CC) diet. We found that DonA-colonized mice had reduced atherosclerosis burden with FF feeding compared to their CC-fed counterparts, whereas the type of fiber did not affect atherosclerosis in mice colonized with microbiota from the other donors. Microbial shifts associated with FF feeding in DonA mice were characterized by higher relative abundances of butyrate-producing taxa, higher butyrate levels, and enrichment of genes involved in synthesis of B vitamins. Our results suggest that atheroprotection in response to FF is not universal and is influenced by the gut microbiome. Published version This work was partly supported by grants from NIH HL144651 (F.E.R.), HL148577 (F.E.R.), and EB030340 (F.E.R.). This work was also supported by a grant from a Transatlantic Networks of Excellence Award from the Leducq Foundation (17CVD01). ERH was supported in part by the Metabolism and Nutrition Training Program NIH T32 (DK007665) and by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Food Research Institute (Robert H. and Carol L. Deibel Distinguished Graduate Fellowship in Probiotic Research). T.-W.L.C. was supported by the National Institutes of Health, under Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award T32 HL007936 from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to the University of Wisconsin–Madison Cardiovascular Research Center.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of different levels of tannic acid (TA) on growth performance, diarrhea rate, nutrient digestibility and intestinal health in weaned piglets. A total of 180 weaned piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire, 24 d of age, initial average BW = 7.77 ± 0.17 kg) were allotted to 5 groups (6 pigs/pen and 6 replicates/group) in a randomized complete block design according to their gender and body weight. Piglets were fed a basal diet, or the basal diet supplemented with 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2% or 0.4% TA for 28 d. The supplementary levels of TA in the diets were obtained by adding tannalbin containing 51% TA and 40.17% protein. The results showed that, compared with the CON group, dietary TA did not affect ADFI, ADG or F:G, and linearly reduced (P

Changes in intestinal flora affect the health and cause metabolic diseases of the host. The extent to which the impact of different changes in intestinal flora would have on the metabolism of an individual has not been reported. This study aims to investigate the effect of different changes in intestinal flora on the metabolism of Sprague–Dawley (SD) normal rats’ individuals. Forty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (8 rats per group), which were treated with normal saline, probiotics, nonpathogenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, gentamicin, and magnesium sulfate, respectively. After 7 days, the ileum of each group of rats was collected and real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze the composition of intestinal flora. And gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to analyze plasma metabolic profile. The results revealed that the decrease in alanine content in the probiotics group was statistically significant, while the alanine content in the nonpathogenic Escherichia group increased significantly. Alanine, leucine, isoleucine, and serine decreased significantly in the Salmonella group. Proline and butyric acid decreased significantly in the gentamicin group. The principal component analysis showed significant differences in the Salmonella group compared with other test groups. Overall, the most significant metabolic changes were observed in SD rats in the Salmonella group, while a great similarity was observed in the probiotics, Escherichia group, and gentamicin groups compared with the normal group. Changes in intestinal flora had a certain impact on the metabolism in SD rats, especially on amino acid levels.

Clinical trials have demonstrated the health benefits of intermittent fasting (IF). However, the potential mechanism of IF in alleviating dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis is not fully understood. The present study was mainly designed to explore the dynamic changes in the gut microbiota and metabolome after short-term (2 weeks) or long-term (20 weeks) IF and therefore clarify the potential mechanisms by which IF ameliorates DSS-induced colitis in a murine model. Thirty-two C57BL/6 male mice were equally divided into four groups and underwent IF intervention for 2 weeks (SIF group, n = 8), 20 weeks (LIF group, n = 8), or were allowed free access to food for 2 weeks (SAL group, n = 8) or 20 weeks (LAL group, n = 8). The thirty-two C57BL/6 male mice were accepted for the diet intervention of 2 weeks of IF or fed ad libitum. Colitis was induced by drinking 2% DSS for 7 days. Our findings showed that short-term IF prominently elevates the abundance of Bacteroides, Muibaculum and Akkermansia (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively), and decreased the abundance of Ruminiclostridium (p < 0.05). Long-term IF, however, decreased the abundance of Akkermansia and obviously increased the abundance of Lactobacillus (p < 0.05, p < 0.001, respectively). Metabolites mainly associated with nucleoside, carbohydrate, amino acid, bile acid, fatty acid, polyol, steroid and amine metabolism were identified in the faeces using untargeted GC/MS. In particular, inosine was extremely enriched after short-term IF and long-term IF (p < 0.01, p < 0.01, respectively); butyrate, 2-methyl butyric acid and valeric acid were significantly decreased after short-term IF (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.01, respectively); and 2-methyl butyric acid was significantly increased after long-term IF (p < 0.001). The abundance of lithocholic acid (LCA), one of the secondary bile acids, increased significantly after short-term and long-term IF based on UPLC–MS/MS (p < 0.001, p < 0.5, respectively). Of note, IF markedly mitigated DSS-induced acute colitis symptoms and down-regulated pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1α, IL-6, keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC) and G-CSF levels in the serum (p < 0.01, p < 0.001, p < 0.05, p < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, a correlation analysis indicated that the disease activity index (DAI) score and serum levels of IL-1α, IL-6, KC, and G-CSF were negatively correlated with the relative abundance of Akkermansia and the faecal metabolites LCA and inosine. This study confirmed that IF altered microbiota and reprogramed metabolism, which was a promising development in the attempt to prevent DSS-induced colitis. Moreover, our findings provide new insights regarding the correlations among the mucosal barrier dysfunction, metabolome, and microbiome.

In animal studies, HDAC inhibitors such as butyrate have been reported to reduce plasma cholesterol, while conferring protection from diabetes, but studies on the underlying mechanisms are lacking. This study compares the influence of butyrate and other HDAC inhibitors to that of statins on cholesterol metabolism in multiple cell lines, but primarily in HepG2 hepatic cells due to the importance of the liver in cholesterol metabolism. Sodium butyrate reduced HepG2 cholesterol content, as did sodium valproate and the potent HDAC inhibitor trichostatin A, suggesting HDAC inhibition as the exacting mechanism. In contrast to statins, which increase SREBP-2 regulated processes, HDAC inhibition downregulated SREBP-2 targets such as HMGCR and the LDL receptor. Moreover, in contrast to statin treatment, butyrate did not increase cholesterol uptake by HepG2 cells, consistent with its failure to increase LDL receptor expression. Sodium butyrate also reduced ABCA1 and SRB1 protein expression in HepG2 cells, but these effects were not consistent across all cell types. Overall, the underlying mechanism of cell cholesterol lowering by sodium butyrate and HDAC inhibition is consistent with impaired SREBP-2 signalling, and calls into question the possible use of butyrate for lowering of serum LDL cholesterol in humans.

This study aims to clarify the effect of Jingfang Mixture on the treatment of chronic urticarial and its mechanism, and investigate the regulatory effect of chronic urticaria on the metabolic disorder of endogenous metabolites in the blood. The mice were randomly divided into normal group, model group, and Jingfang Mixture group, and modeling and administration continued for 21 d. The changes in endogenous small molecules in rat serum were determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-Q Exactive-Orbitrap-mass spectrometry(UHPLC-ESI-QE-Orbitrap-MS) metabolomics technology. The change trend of endogenous metabolites in rat serum was analyzed to find potential biomarkers. The results showed that Jingfang Mixture regulate 16 biomarkers, mainly including taurine, glutamate, succinic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and arachidonic acid. Metabolic pathway analysis was carried out by MetaboAnalyst, and Plt;0.01 was taken as the potential key metabolic pathway. Ten metabolic pathways were closely related to the treatment of chronic urticarial by Jingfang Mixture, mainly involved in the glutamate metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, tricarboxylic acid cycle, unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, alanine, aspartic acid, and glutamate metabolism, and butyric acid metabolism. Glutamate metabolism and butyric acid metabolism involved more metabolic pathways than others. Therefore, it was speculated that Jingfang Mixture had a balanced regulating effect on the related metabolic pathways which caused the serum disorder in the rats with urticaria, and tended to regulate the metabolic differential to the normal level in the rats with urticaria. This paper provides references for studying the mechanism of Jingfang Mixture from the perspective of endogenous metabolites and metabolic pathways in vivo. At the same time, the endogenous substances explored in this paper can be used as important biomarkers for the prevention of urticaria.

Energy metabolism disorder is a widespread feature that exists in the early clinical stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Astrocyte is the most numerous and the largest glial cell in the brain. By transporting energetic fuels such as lactate and ketones to neurons, astrocytes play a pivotal role in maintaining the cerebral energy homeostasis. Sodium butyrate (NaB), a type of short-chain fatty acid; its anti-inflammatory effect; and inhibition on histone deacetylases have been widely studied. Spatial memory and cognitive ability of mice were assessed by using behavioral tests. Western blotting and ELISA kits were used to detect related protein levels and other biochemical markers, respectively. To prove the therapeutic effect of NaB on AD cognitive impairment and provide possible research ideas for mechanism exploration. Administration of NaB could improve the cognitive impairments induced by Aβ25–35 in mice. Furthermore, NaB could promote the differentiation of astrocytes towards A2-neuron-protective subtype, astroglial mitochondrial function, and lactate shuttle between astrocytes and neurons. These findings reveal the effect of sodium butyrate on astrocytes, which may improve the pathological status of AD and provide experimental basis for sodium butyrate treatment of AD.

Abstract In a Green Biorefinery, grass silage can be a source for lactic acid, proteins, amino acids and fibres. Processing residues can be used for anaerobic digestion and methane production. But by changing the ensiling conditions, butyric acid fermentation can be achieved. That makes grass silage also a potential substrate for a combined butyric acid and methane production. The objective of this study was to determine the potential of butyric acid production at different ensiling conditions applied to grass and measuring the methane yield potential of solid residues after a separation step. The highest butyric acid concentration in the produced press juice was 20.1 ± 4.5 g kg−1 and was achieved by carbonated lime addition and a reduced dry matter content after 90 days at mesophilic storage conditions. This resulted in a theoretical butyric acid yield of 332 kg ha−1 a−1. For the fibrous leftover press cake, a theoretical methane production potential of 2778 m3CH4 ha−1 a−1 was reached. The results show that theoretically a combined production of butyric acid and methane can be realised in a Green Biorefinery concept. Graphic Abstract

BACKGROUND The consumption of dietary Maillard reaction products (MRPs) might lead to positive or negative effects on health. The digestibility of half-fin anchovy hydrolysates/glucose MRPs (HAHp(9.0)-G MRPs) was therefore determined. The intestinal microbiota modulation of HAHp(9.0)-G MRPs in mice was also evaluated after administration for 14 days (1 g kg-1 •bodyweight). RESULTS Different levels of digestibility of MRPs of fructosamine and advanced glycation products of Ne -carboxymethyllysine were detected in HAHp(9.0)-G MRPs during simulated gastrointestinal digestion. An increased relative proportion of soluble fluorescent melanoidins (SFMs) was observed during gastric digestion as compared to that in the original HAHp(9.0)-G MRPs, followed by decreases in SFMs in intestinal digestion. After feeding with HAHp(9.0)-G MRPs for 14 days, increased goblet cells were observed in the ileum regions of female and male mice. High-throughput 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing of fecal samples revealed that HAHp(9.0)-G MRPs administration increased the density of the phylum Bacteriodetes and reduced the density of the phylum Firmicutes in male mice. By comparison, a relatively higher density of members of the phylum Saccharibacteria was observed in female mice. A consistent increase in the abundance of Bacteroidales_S24-7_group_norank was found in female and male groups fed with HAHp(9.0)-G MRPs. Female and male mice treated with HAHp(9.0)-G MRPs also showed higher levels of propionic and butyric acids in feces than their corresponding controls. CONCLUSION Half-fin anchovy hydrolysates/glucose MRPs can be partly hydrolyzed in the simulated gastrointestinal digestion system. Treatment with HAHp(9.0)-G MRPs induced sex-related differences in bacterial abundance and diversity in mice; however, the up-regulation of anti-inflammatory activity was predicted in both female and male mice. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS), inulin, and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) are widely recognized prebiotics that profoundly affect the intestinal microbiota, including stimulation of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, and are reported to elicit several health benefits. The combination of dietary FOS and inulin with calcium phosphate was reported to stimulate commensal Lactobacillus populations and protect the host against pathogenic Enterobacteriaceae, but little is known about the effects of GOS in diets with a different level of calcium phosphate. Methods We investigated the microbiome changes elicited by dietary supplementation with GOS or inulin using diets with high (100 mmol/kg) and low (30 mmol/kg) calcium phosphate levels in adult Wistar rats. Rats were acclimatized to the respective experimental diets for 14 days, after which fecal material was collected, DNA was extracted from fecal material, and the V3‑V4 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene was amplified with PCR, followed by microbial composition analysis. In tandem, the organic acid profiles of the fecal material were analyzed. Results Feeding rats non-supplemented (no prebiotic-added) diets revealed that diets rich in calcium phosphate favored members of the Firmicutes and increased fecal lactic, succinic, acetic, propionic, and butyric acid levels. In contrast, relatively low dietary calcium phosphate levels promoted the abundance of mucin degrading genera like Akkermansia and Bacteroides, and resulted in increased fecal propionic acid levels and modest increases in lactic and butyric acid levels. Irrespective of the calcium phosphate levels, supplementation with GOS or inulin strongly stimulated Bifidobacterium, while only high calcium phosphate diets increased the endogenous Faecalibaculum populations. Conclusions Despite the prebiotic’s substantial difference in chemical structure, sugar composition, oligomer size, and the microbial degradation pathway involved in their utilization, inulin and GOS modulated the gut microbiota very similarly, in a manner that strongly depended on the dietary calcium phosphate level. Therefore, our study implies that the collection of detailed diet information including micronutrient balance is necessary to correctly assess diet-driven microbiota analysis.

Objective. To determine the role of sodium butyrate in intestinal inflammation via regulation of high-mobility group box-1 (HMGB1), we analyzed the potential mechanism in necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in a neonatal mouse model. Methods. A NEC model was created with hypoxia and cold exposure and artificial overfeeding. C57BL/6 neonatal mice were randomized into three groups: the control, untreated NEC, and sodium butyrate (150 mM)-pretreated NEC groups. Pathological variations in ileocecal intestinal tissue were observed by HE staining and scored in a double-blind manner. The mRNA expression levels of HMGB1, Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), and inflammatory cytokines in intestinal tissues were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. The protein levels of HMGB1 and associated cytokines in intestinal tissues were evaluated using ELISA. The relative protein expression levels of TLR4 and NF-κB in intestinal tissues were quantified by western blot. Results. Sodium butyrate administration improved the body weight and survival rate of NEC mice; relieved intestinal pathological injury; reduced the intestinal expression of HMGB1, TLR4, NF-κB, interleukin- (IL-) 1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α; and increased the intestinal expression of IL-10 ( P < 0.05 ). Treatment with butyrate decreased the proportion of opportunistic Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 and Enterococcus and increased the proportion of beneficial Firmicutes and Lactobacillus in the NEC model. Conclusions. Sodium butyrate intervention relieves intestinal inflammation and partially corrects the disrupted intestinal flora in mice with NEC.

Background Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that results in the specific destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanism of exopolysaccharide from Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides XG5 (XG5 EPS) against type 1 diabetes. Results Long-term drench of XG5 EPS delayed the onset of autoimmune diabetes and had fewer islets with high-grade infiltration (an insulitis score of 3 or 4) than untreated NOD mice. Oral administration of 50 mg kg-1 d-1 XG5 EPS increased the insulin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) levels of serum, stimulated GLP-1 secretion and upregulated gcg mRNA expression of colon in NOD mice. Moreover, oral administration of 50 mg kg-1 d-1 XG5 EPS significantly increased total short-chain fatty acids levels in the colon contents, especially those of acetic acid and butyric acid. In NCI-H716 cells, 500 and 1000 μmol L-1 sodium butyrate promoted the secretion of GLP-1 and upregulated the mRNA expression of gcg and PC3, while XG5 EPS and sodium acetate did not stimulate the GLP-1 secretion. Therefore, long-term drench of XG5 EPS delayed the onset of autoimmune diabetes, which may be directly correlated with the increase of butyrate in the colon of NOD mice. Conclusion Long-term drench of 50 mg kg-1 d-1 XG5 EPS promoted the expression and secretion of GLP-1 by increasing the production of butyric acid, thereby delaying T1D onset in NOD mice. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Overexpression of estrogen receptors (ERs) is one of the important characteristics of most breast cancers. We aim to develop a new type of ER-specific radioiodine-labeled estrogen derivative ([131I]IPBA-EE), which was modified with an albumin-specific ligand 4-(p-iodophenyl) butyric acid (IPBA) to improve the metabolic stability and enhance the ER-targeting ability of estrogen. [131I]IPBA-EE can effectively bind to albumin in vitro, and its dissociation constant (Kd = 0.31 μM) is similar to IPBA (Kd = 0.30 μM). The uptake of [131I]IPBA-EE in ER-positive MCF-7 cells (41.81 ± 3.41%) was significantly higher than that in ER-negative MDA-MB-231 cells (8.78 ± 2.37%, ***P < 0.0005) and could be significantly blocked (3.92 ± 0.35%, ***P < 0.0005). The uptakes of [131I]IPBA-EE in rat uterus and ovaries were 5.66 ± 0.34% ID/g and 5.71 ± 2.77% ID/g, respectively, at 1 h p.i., and these uptakes could be blocked by estradiol (uterus: 2.81 ± 0.41% ID/g, *P < 0.05; ovarian: 3.02 ± 0.08% ID/g, *P < 0.05). SPECT/CT imaging showed that ER-positive MCF-7 tumor uptake of [131I]IPBA-EE reached to 6.07 ± 0.20% ID/g at 7 h p.i., which was significantly higher than that of ER-negative MDA-MB-231 tumor (0.87 ± 0.08% ID/g, **P < 0.005) and could be blocked obviously with fulvestrant (1.65 ± 1.56% ID/g, *P < 0.05). In conclusion, a novel radioiodinated estradiol derivative, [131I]IPBA-EE with albumin-binding property and good metabolic stability, was developed to image the ER in breast cancer. This promising ER-targeted probe has the potential to warrant further preclinical investigations.

Present study was aimed to evaluate the anticoccidial activity of butyric acid by both in vitro and in vivo methods. In vitro trial was conducted by sporulation inhibition assay to examine the influence of butyric acid on sporulation and damage of coccidian oocysts. Administration of various concentrations of butyric acid induced sporulation inhibition and also damaged coccidian oocysts in dose dependent manner. For in vivo trials, 72 (day-old) broiler chicks were randomly divided into 6 groups i.e., A, B, C, D, E and F having equal chicks in each group (n=12). After one week of acclimatization, three doses of butyric acid 1.2%, 1% and 0.8% were given to group A, B and C, respectively while group D was named as positive control (infected medicated), group E was named as negative control (infected and non-medicated) and group F served as normal control (non-infected) group. On the same day, all treated groups were orally infected with 50.000 sporulated oocysts of Eimeria tenella. Results revealed that administration of butyric acid induced positive effect on chicken’s performance such as weight gain, FCR and anticoccidial parameters like lesion and oocysts score, oocyst per gram. Butyric acid also improved hematological values and serum chemistry of broiler chicken.

Open culture fermentation (OCF) is a promising technology for converting different organic waste into carboxylic acids (CAs) and alcohols in the context of biorefinery. This study investigated OCF to enhance the production of CAs and alcohols from three different monosaccharides: glucose, xylose, galactose and a mixture of two sugars: glucose with galactose. In addition, more complex substrates, such as maize silage and strawberry wastewater were used as well. The investigated variables included following operational parameters: substrate type, pH, retention time and sugar loading. Promising results were obtained for complex substrates. The highest CAs yield was noticed for raw maize silage at pH 8 and RT 1 day. For monosaccharides the most efficient process was the co-fermentation (glucose/galactose) (substrate loading 4 g L−1). CAs composition varied with the changing pH and type of sugar and substrate: in neutral conditions, acetic acid; in acidic conditions, acetic and butyric acids; and in alkaline conditions butyric acid were dominant, respectively. Statistical inference showed optimal conditions for the production of defined compounds from a specific monosaccharide, which could be helpful for designing experiments aiming at particular CA.

The present investigation aimed to standardize efficient plant regeneration protocol through in vitro culture by using nodal segment for mass multiplication of Lawsonia inermis an economically important medicinal plant species. Mass multiplication of shoots induced on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different growth regulators like auxins and cytokinins separately and in different combinations. The medium fortified with 6-Benzylaminopurine ( BAP) 1.0 mg/l + kinetin (KN) 1.5mg/l explained best compared to all other combinations. In vitro raised plantlets were excised and transferred in half strength MS medium supplemented with different growth regulators like Indole Butyric acid ( IBA) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA ) (0.5-3.0 mg/l) in an experiment that gave rise to rooting. The half strength of MS medium additive with IBA in separate and in different combinations with NAA concentrations (0.5-3.0 mg/l) supported root development. The best response of rooting was obtained on half MS medium fortified with 1.0 mg/l IBA. The regenerated plantlets were successfully transplanted to pots. Regenerants were transferred to the field conditions and recorded the survival rate.. Among all the carbon sources and gelling agents used, sucrose (3%) in combination with 0.8 per cent agar-agar has proved significantly better. Multiple shoots formation with longer shoots were achieved on medium with 1.0mg/l BAP and 1.5mg/l Kn. Thus, it is possible to develop a large number of plants of L. inermis through shoot bud regeneration which can cater for the need of pharmaceutical as well as other industries.

The study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary sodium butyrate (NaBT) supplementation on the gut health of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) fed with a high soybean meal diet. Three isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were formulated: a high fishmeal group (Control); a high soybean meal group (SBM), in which the 30% fishmeal protein in the Control diet was replaced by soy protein; and an NaBT group, in which 0.2% NaBT was added to the SBM diet. Each diet was fed to triplicate tanks (20 fish in each tank). After 8 weeks of feeding trial, the distal intestine and intestinal digesta of the fish in each treatment were sampled. The results showed that fishmeal replacement and NaBT supplementation did not affect fish growth performance. Dietary 0.2% NaBT supplementation improved intestinal morphology, increasing the villus width and villus height and reducing the width of lamina propria. The distal intestine of fish in the control and NaBT groups demonstrated lower activities of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and a lower malondialdehyde (MDA) content, compared with the fish in the SBM group. Moreover, the addition of 0.2% NaBT in the feed significantly decreased the expression of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin 1β (IL-1β) compared to the SBM diet. PCoA and UPGMA analyses based on weighted UniFrac distances demonstrated that intestinal microbial communities in the NaBT group were closer to those in the control group than to those in the SBM group. In addition, dietary 0.2% NaBT supplementation significantly increased the abundance of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes and decreased the abundance of Tenericutes at the phylum level. Furthermore, the abundance of Bacteroides, Lachnospiraceae_unclassified, and Lachnospiraceae_uncultured was significantly increased, while that of Mycoplasma was significantly decreased in fish intestine at NaBT group at the genus level. In conclusion, dietary NaBT supplementation had beneficial roles in protecting the gut health of largemouth bass from the impairments caused by soybean meal.

Aims Pre-eclampsia (PE) affects pregnant patients worldwide, but there is no effective treatment for this condition. We aimed to explore the effect of sodium butyrate (NaB) on PE. Methods and results In this study, Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride was used to induce PE in pregnant rats. We found that NaB significantly decreased the levels of blood pressure, 24-h protein urine and inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6 and TGF-β), increased the foetal and placental weights and intestinal barrier markers (ZO-1, claudin-5 and occludin) expression. In addition, NaB intervention reduced the levels of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 and soluble endoglin and increased placental growth factor level. Meanwhile, after NaB treatment, the Treg/Th17 ratio of immune cells in the spleen and small intestine of pregnant rats decreased, while the level of pregnancy-related diamine oxidase increased. Notably, the PE rat treatment with NaB improved gut microbiota compositions, especially for the abundances of Firmicutes and Bacteroides, and significantly increased butyric acid and pentanoic acid levels, which might help to alleviate PE in pregnant rats. Conclusion In the PE rat model, exogenous NaB improved intestinal barrier function and reduced adverse outcomes, which might be associated with the gut microbiota and its production of SCFA metabolites. Significance and impact of the study NaB might alleviate the adverse outcomes of PE by regulating gut microbiota and its metabolite SCFA, which revealed that NaB might be a potential regulator of gut microbiota and a therapeutic substance for PE.

В статье рассматриваются вопросы, связанные с кишечной микрофлорой и короткоцепочечными жирными кислотами у больных с синдромом раздраженного кишечника. Установлено, что концентрация уксусной, пропионовой, масляной кислот в кале выше у больных с синдромом раздраженного кишечника с диареей по сравнению с больными без диарейного синдрома. У 83,3–88,9 % больных с различными формами синдрома раздраженного кишечника наблюдаются дисбиотические изменения; у пациентов с диарейной формой чаще отмечается пониженное содержание бифидобактерий и, особенно, лактобактерий. Отмечается определенная взаимозависимость между концентрацией короткоцепочечных жирных кислот и содержанием бифидобактерий, лактобактерий, кандидозной и условно-патогенной флоры.

225Ac-based radiotheranostics targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) has induced impressive responses in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. To enhance the therapeutic effects of radioligands labeled with 225Ac (half-life: 10 days), a radioligand that shows longer tumor retention would be useful. Here, we designed and synthesized a straight-chain PSMA-targeting radioligand, PSMA-DA1, which includes an (iodophenyl)butyric acid derivative as an albumin binder (ALB). We performed preclinical evaluations of PSMA-DA1 as a tool for PSMA-targeting radiotheranostics using 111In, 90Y, and 225Ac. [111In]In-PSMA-DA1 demonstrated significantly greater tumor uptake and retention than a corresponding non-ALB-conjugated compound. In mice, single-photon emission computed tomography performed with [111In]In-PSMA-DA1 produced clear tumor images, and the administration of [90Y]Y-PSMA-DA1 or [225Ac]Ac-PSMA-DA1 inhibited tumor growth. [225Ac]Ac-PSMA-DA1 had antitumor effects in mice at a lower radioactivity level than [225Ac]Ac-PSMA-617, which has been reported to be clinically useful. These results indicate that PSMA-DA1 may be a useful PSMA-targeting radiotheranostic agent.

Detailed information on response of saffron, one of the most economical medicinal plants, to high levels of saline (NaCl) water irrigation is not available. In this study, effect of spraying Gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), salicylic acid (SA) and vermicompost extract (VCE) on root structure, corm and flower production, K+ and Na+ allocation, physiological and photosynthesis aspects along with antioxidant enzymes activity of saffron were evaluated under saline water irrigation. The treatments consisted of adding four salinity doses to irrigation water (0, 5, 10 and 15 dS m−1 of NaCl) as main plot and four exogenous foliar applications (control, distilled water; GABA, 10 mM; SA, 1.5 mM and VCE, 5%) as subplot. The results illustrated that increasing root density; generating larger and heavier corms; and promoting Na+ exclusion and K+ accumulation were the main tolerance mechanisms which help saffron produce a satisfactory economical yield under salt stress conditions. All the foliar application treatments, especially VCE, could nullify the detrimental impacts of salinity. VCE remedied the nutrient deficiency caused by reducing soil osmotic potential and improved aerial K+/Na+ ratio in salinity conditions. Triggering antioxidant defense system was the most notable mechanism of GABA and SA that led to alleviation of adverse effect of salt stress. In conclusion, the results demonstrated that saffron can be introduced as a salt-tolerance crop and exogenous foliar application of VCE, GABA and SA are suggested for minimizing negative effects of salinity on saffron.

Background Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) is an important warm-season turfgrass species with well-developed stolons, which lay the foundation for the fast propagation of bermudagrass plants through asexual clonal growth. However, the growth and development of bermudagrass stolons are still poorly understood at the molecular level. Results In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the acetylation and succinylation modifications of proteins in fast-growing stolons of the bermudagrass cultivar Yangjiang. A total of 4657 lysine acetylation sites on 1914 proteins and 226 lysine succinylation sites on 128 proteins were successfully identified using liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry, respectively. Furthermore, 78 proteins and 81 lysine sites were found to be both acetylated and succinylated. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that acetylated proteins regulate diverse reactions of carbohydrate metabolism and protein turnover, whereas succinylated proteins mainly regulate the citrate cycle. These results partly explained the different growth disturbances of bermudagrass stolons under treatment with sodium butyrate and sodium malonate, which interfere with protein acetylation and succinylation, respectively. Moreover, 140 acetylated proteins and 42 succinylated proteins were further characterized having similarly modified orthologs in other grass species. Site-specific mutations combined with enzymatic activity assays indicated that the conserved acetylation of catalase and succinylation of malate dehydrogenase both inhibited their activities, further implying important regulatory roles of the two modifications. Conclusion In summary, our study implied that lysine acetylation and succinylation of proteins possibly play important regulatory roles in the fast growth of bermudagrass stolons. The results not only provide new insights into clonal growth of bermudagrass but also offer a rich resource for functional analyses of protein lysine acetylation and succinylation in plants.

We conceptualized and numerically investigated a photonic crystal fiber (PCF)-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor for rapid detection and quantification of novel coronavirus. The plasmonic gold-based optical sensor permits three different ways to quantify the virus concentrations inside patient’s body based on different ligand-analyte conjugate pairs. This photonic biosensor demonstrates viable detections of SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding-domain (RBD), mutated viral single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) and human monoclonal antibody immunoglobulin G (IgG). A marquise-shaped core is introduced to facilitate efficient light-tailoring. Analytes are dissolved in sterile phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and surfaced on the plasmonic metal layer for realizing detection. The 1-pyrene butyric acid n-hydroxy-succinimide ester is numerically used to immobilize the analytes on the sensing interface. Using the finite element method (FEM), the proposed sensor is studied critically and optimized for the refractive index (RI) range from 1.3348-1.3576, since the target analytes RIs fluctuate within this range depending on the severity of the viral infection. The polarization-dependent sensor exhibits dominant sensing attributes for x-polarized mode, where it shows the average wavelength sensitivities of 2,009 nm/RIU, 2,745 nm/RIU and 1,984 nm/RIU for analytes: spike RBD, extracted coronavirus RNA and antibody IgG, respectively. The corresponding median amplitude sensitivities are 135 RIU-1, 196 RIU-1 and 140 RIU-1, respectively. The maximum sensor resolution and figure of merit are found 2.53 × 10−5 RIU and 101 RIU-1, respectively for viral RNA detection. Also, a significant limit of detection (LOD) of 6.42 × 10−9 RIU2/nm is obtained. Considering modern bioassays, the proposed compact photonic sensor will be well-suited for rapid point-of-care COVID testing.

Young type 2 diabetes (T2D) affects 15% of the population, with a noted increase in cases, and T2D-related male infertility has become a serious issue in recent years. The current study aimed to explore the improvements of alginate oligosaccharide (AOS)-modified gut microbiota on semen quality in T2D. The T2D was established in young mice of 5 weeks of age with a blood glucose level of 21.2 ± 2.2 mmol/L, while blood glucose was 8.7 ± 1.1 mM in control animals. We discovered that fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) of AOS-improved microbiota (A10-FMT) significantly decreased blood glucose, while FMT of gut microbiota from control animals (Con-FMT) did not. Sperm concentration and motility were decreased in T2D to 10% to 20% of those in the control group, while A10-FMT brought about a recovery of around 5- to 10-fold. A10-FMT significantly increased small intestinal

The ability to regulate the gut environment has resulted in remarkable great breakthroughs in the treatment of several diseases. Several studies have found that the regulation of the gut environment might provide relief from the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia. However, the correlation between the gut microenvironment and the colon and prostate glands is still unknown. We found that ulcerative colitis (UC) induced an increase in prostate volumes that could be reversed by sodium butyrate (NaB) and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). The mechanism by which UC induced changes in the prostate gland was examined via RNA-Seq. The results show that the expression level of GPER was significantly lower in the prostate gland of UC mices than in normal mices. The expression of GPER could be increased via treatment with NaB or FMT. We found that prostate tissues exhibited higher butryic acid levels after they were treated with NaB or FMT. In experiments conducted in vitro, NaB or the fecal filtrate (FF) from healthy mice up-regulated of the expression of GPER, inhibited cell growth, and induced apoptosis in BPH-1 cells. These changes could be alleviated by treatment with the G15 or in GPER-silenced cells.

As centenarians provide a paradigm of healthy aging, investigating the comprehensive metabolic profiles of healthy centenarians is of utmost importance for the pursuit of health and longevity. However, relevant reports, especially studies considering the dietary influence on metabolism, are still limited, mostly lacking the guidance of a model of healthy aging. Therefore, exploring the signatures of the integrative metabolic profiles of the healthy centenarians from a famous longevous region, Bama County, China, should be an effective way. The global metabolome in urine and the short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the feces of 30 healthy centenarians and 31 elderly people aged 60–70 from the longevous region were analyzed by non-targeted metabolomics combined with metabolic target analysis. The results showed that the characteristic metabolites related to longevity were mostly summarized into phosphatidylserine, lyso-phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, bile acids, and amino acids (p < 0.05). Six metabolic pathways were found significant relevant to longevity. Furthermore, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, and total SCFA were significantly increased in the centenarian group (p < 0.05) and were also positively associated with the dietary fiber intake (p < 0.01). It was age-accompanied and diet-associated remodeling of phospholipid, amino acid, and SCFA metabolism that expressed the unique metabolic signatures related to exceptional longevity. This metabolic remodeling is suggestive of cognitive benefits, better antioxidant capacity, the attenuation of local inflammation, and health-span-promoting processes, which play a critical and positive role in shaping healthy aging.

A total of 896 1-day-old straight-run (Ross-308) broilers were used to investigate the interactive effects of protein source (PS), diet structure (DS) and butyric acid (BA) on live performance and carcass characteristics, gut development and its morphology and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of protein and amino acids (AA). Eight experimental diets comprising 8 replicates with 14 birds each were tested in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with complete randomized design by two levels of BA (0 and 0.1%), two forms of DS (whole vs. ground wheat) and two PS, i.e., soybean meal and canola meal (SBM vs. CM). Throughout the entire experimental period (0 to 35 d), broilers fed SBM-based diets exhibited better (p < 0.05) growth performance (feed intake (FI), body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR)), carcass parameters (p < 0.05), gut health (p < 0.05), and nutrient digestibility (p < 0.05) than CM-fed broilers. Dietary whole wheat (WW) positively affected FI (p = 0.001), BWG (p = 0.004) and FCR (p = 0.035) during the overall experimental period. Broilers fed WW had 6, 5, 8, 11 and 10% lower empty relative weights of crop, proventriculus, jejunum, ileum and colon and 25 and 15% heavier gizzard and pancreas, respectively, with longer villus height (p < 0.001), reduced crypt depth (p = 0.031) and longer villus height-to-crypt depth ratio (p < 0.001) than those fed ground-wheat-based diets. Broilers fed WW had greater (p < 0.05) AID of CP and most of the AA. Butyric acid supplementation resulted in improved (p < 0.05) growth performance and digestibility of threonine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, serine and aspartate. The broilers consuming SBM had 28% lower abdominal fat than those fed CM-based diets. In conclusion, harmful consequences of a less digestible PS can partially be compensated by the inclusion of WW, and supplementation of BA further reduces these detrimental effects.