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Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), which is caused by PRRS virus (PRRSV), is one of the most globally devastating swine diseases. It is essential to develop new strategy to control PRRS via an understanding of mechanisms that PRRSV utilizes to interfere with the host's innate immunity. In this study, we deeply sequenced and analyzed long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and mRNA expression profiles of the porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) after PRRSV infection. 126 lncRNAs and 753 mRNAs were differentially expressed between PRRSV-infected and control PAMs. The co-expressed genes of down-regulated lncRNAs were significantly enriched within NF-kappa B and toll-like receptor signaling pathways. Co-expression network analysis indicated that part of the dysregulated lncRNAs associated with the interferon-induced genes. These dysregulated lncRNAs may play an important role in the host's innate immune responses to PRRSV infection. However, further research is required to characterize the function of these lncRNAs.

Although allele expression imbalance has been recognized in many species, and strongly linked to diseases, no whole transcriptome allele imbalance has been detected in pigs during pathogen infections. The pathogen Streptococcus suis 2 (SS2) causes serious zoonotic disease. Different pig breeds show differential susceptibility/resistance to pathogen infection, but the biological insight is little known. Here we analyzed allele-specific expression (ASE) using the spleen transcriptome of four pigs belonging to two phenotypically different breeds after SS2 infection. The comparative analysis of allele specific SNPs between control and infected animals revealed 882 and 1096 statistically significant differentially expressed allele SNPs (criteria: ratio ≧ 2 or ≦ 0.5) in Landrace and Enshi black pig, respectively. Twenty nine allelically imbalanced SNPs were further verified by Sanger sequencing, and later six SNPs were quantified by pyrosequencing assay. The pyrosequencing results are in agreement with the RNA-seq results, except two SNPs. Looking at the role of ASE in predisposition to diseases, the discovery of causative variants by ASE analysis might help the pig industry in long term to design breeding programs for improving SS2 resistance.

To observe the effects of calcium dobesilate on the expression of glomerular tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP1), collagen IV, and ultrastructure of glomerular basement membrane in diabetic rats, rats model of diabetes was established by unilateral nephrectomy and intraperitoneal injection of 1% STZ (55 mg/kg), and rats were administered calcium dobesilate 100 mg/ kg (DD group) or distilled water (DM group) respectively. 12 weeks later, the changes in the renal ultrastructure and creatinine clearance rate (Ccr) were examined in each group. The expression of glomerular TIMP1 and collagen IV were studied by immunohistochemical staining. Our results showed that after 12 weeks, the Ccr in DD group increased and was significantly higher than that in DM group. Electron microscopy showed that thickness of glomerular capillary basement membrane (GBM) in Group DD was less than that of DM group. No hyperplasia of collagen fibers was found, and the distance between the holes of endothelial cells in DD group was not as even as that in the normal group, but more even than that of DM group, and podocyte processes was still in order. Immunohistochemical staining of glomeruli showed that expression of TIMP1 and collagen IV in DD group were significantly less than those of DM group DM. It is concluded that calcium dobesilate can improve diabetic nephropathy by inhibiting the over- accumulation of collagen IV and calcium dobesilate may also contribute to diabetes by inhibiting the expression of TIMP1.

We have developed a novel laboratory rodent model to detect competitive, non-competitive and no-hurdle foraging behaviors as seen in natural environment. However, it is not clear which brain region is important for the food foraging activity. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of lesions in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) on the rat food foraging behavior with the established model. In contrast to the sham lesion group (saline microinjection into the ACC), bilateral complete ACC chemical lesions (kainic acid microinjection into the ACC) significantly decreased the amount of foraged food in the competitive food foraging tests, non-competitive or no-hurdle foraging test. Moreover, the deficit of the food foraging activity was more prominent in the competitive food foraging test than in the non-competitive food and no-hurdle foraging test after ACC lesions. No alterations after ACC lesions were found in other behaviors including elevated plus-maze test (EPM), forced swimming test (FST), open field test (OFT), sucrose preference test and exploratory behavior. These findings suggest that the ACC mediate the food foraging-related behaviors. Refereed/Peer-reviewed