Search

This research evaluated the effects of copper (Cu) on intestinal antioxidant capacity and apical junctional complex (AJC) in juvenile grass carp. A total of 1080 healthy juvenile grass carp (11.16 ± 0.01 g) were fed six diets including different dosages of Cu, namely 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 mg/kg (Cu citrate [CuCit] as Cu source) and 3 mg/kg (CuSO4·5H2O as Cu source). The trial lasted for 9 weeks. The findings revealed that dietary optimal Cu supplementation (2.2 to 4.1 mg/kg) promoted intestinal growth, including intestinal length, intestinal length index, intestinal weight, and intestinal somatic index (P 0.05). On the other hand, optimal Cu increased intestinal tight junction (TJ) proteins (except for claudin 15b) and adherens junction (AJ) proteins (E-cadherin, α-catenin, β-catenin, nectin and afadin) mRNA levels (P

In nature, aflatoxins, especially aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), are the common mycotoxins, which cause serious health problems for humans and animals. This paper aimed to study the effects of AFB1 on flesh flavor and muscle development of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) and its mechanism. There were 1440 individual fish in total, with 6 treatments and each treatment replicated 3 times. The 6 treatments were fed a control diet with different doses of AFB1 (0.04, 29.48, 58.66, 85.94, 110.43 and 146.92 μg/kg diet) for 60 d. AFB1 increased myofiber diameter, as well as decreased myofiber density of grass carp muscle (P

Muscle is the main edible part of bony fish. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of phenylalanine (Phe) on muscle quality, amino acid composition, fatty acid composition, glucose metabolism, and protein deposition in adult grass carp. The diets at 2.30, 4.63, 7.51, 10.97, 13.53, and 17.07 g/kg Phe levels were fed for 9 weeks. The results manifested that Phe (10.97–13.53 g/kg) increased the pH of the fillets and decreased muscle cooking loss and lactic acid content; Phe (7.51–17.07 g/kg) improved the composition of the fillets in terms of flavor (free) amino acids, bound amino acids (especially EAA), and fatty acids (especially EPA and DHA); Phe (7.51–13.53 g/kg) increased muscle glycogen content (possibly related to the AMPK signaling pathway) and muscle protein deposition (possibly related to IGF-1/4EBP1/TOR and AKT/FOXOs signaling pathways). In conclusion, a diet with appropriate Phe levels could improve fillet quality.

According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) has been recognized as a major contaminant in food and animal feed and which is a common mycotoxin with high toxicity. Previous research has found that AFB1 inhibited zebrafish muscle development. However, the potential mechanism of AFB1 on fish muscle development is unknown, so it is necessary to conduct further investigation. In the present research, the primary myoblast of grass carp was used as a model, we treated myoblasts with AFB1 for 24 h. Our results found that 5 μM AFB1 significantly inhibited cell proliferation and migration (P < 0.05), and 10 μM AFB1 promoted lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release (P < 0.05). Reactive oxygen species (ROS), protein carbonyl (PC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were increased in 15, 5 and 10 μM AFB1 (P < 0.05), respectively. Catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activities were decreased in 10, 10 and 15 μM AFB1 (P < 0.05), respectively. Furthermore, 15 μM AFB1 induced oxidative damage by Nrf2 pathway, also induced apoptosis in primary myoblast of grass carp. Meanwhile, 15 μM AFB1 decreased MyoD gene and protein expression (P < 0.05). Importantly, 15 μM AFB1 decreased the protein expression of collagen Ⅰ and fibronectin (P < 0.05), and increased the protein levels of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) (P < 0.05). As a result, our findings suggested that AFB1 damaged the cell morphology, induced oxidative damage and apoptosis, degraded ECM components, in turn inhibiting myoblast development by activating the p38MAPK/urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA)/matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs)/extracellular matrix (ECM) signaling pathway.

Copper (Cu) is a trace element, essential for fish growth. In the current study, in addition to growth performance, we first explored the effects of Cu on collagen synthesis and myofiber growth and development in juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). A total of 1080 fish (11.16 ± 0.01 g) were randomly divided into 6 treatments (3 replicates per treatment) to receive five doses of organic Cu, which were Cu citrate (CuCit) at 0.99 (basal diet), 2.19, 4.06, 6.15, and 8.07 mg/kg, and one dose of inorganic Cu (CuSO4·5H2O at 3.15 mg/kg), for 9 weeks. The results showed appropriate Cu level (4.06 mg/kg) enhanced growth performance, improved nutritional Cu status, and downregulated Cu-transporting ATPase 1 mRNA levels in the hepatopancreas, intestine, and muscle of juvenile grass carp. Meanwhile, collagen content in fish muscle was increased after Cu intake, which was probably due to the following pathways: (1) activating CTGF/TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway to regulate collagen transcription; (2) upregulating of La ribonucleoprotein domain family 6 (LARP6) mRNA levels to regulate translation initiation; (3) increasing proline hydroxylase, lysine hydroxylase, and lysine oxidase activities to regulate posttranslational modifications. In addition, optimal Cu group increased myofiber diameters and the frequency of myofibers with diameter >50 μm, which might be associated with upregulation of cyclin B, cyclin D, cyclin E, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, myogenic determining factor (MyoD), myogenic factor 5, myogenin (MyoG), myogenic regulatory factor 4 and myosin heavy chain (MyHC) and downregulation of myostatin mRNA levels, increasing protein levels of MyoD, MyoG and MyHC in fish muscle. Finally, based on percentage weight gain (PWG), serum ceruloplasmin (Cp) activity and collagen content in fish muscle, Cu requirements were determined as 4.74, 4.37 and 4.62 mg/kg diet (CuCit as Cu source) of juvenile grass carp, respectively. Based on PWG and Cp activity, compared to CuSO4·5H2O, the efficacy of CuCit were 131.80% and 115.38%, respectively. Our findings provide new insights into Cu supplementation to promote muscle growth in fish, and help improve the overall productivity of aquaculture.

Vitamin D3 (VD3), an essential nutrient for animals, has been demonstrated to stimulate the uptake of certain amino acids. However, the role of VD3 in the intestine, the primary site for digestion and absorption of nutrients, remains poorly characterized. Here, the grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) was studied to assess the influence of different doses of VD3 (15.2, 364.3, 782.5, 1,167.9, 1,573.8, and 1,980.1 IU/kg) on growth performance, intestinal morphology, digestive absorption, amino acid transport, and potential signaling molecule levels in a feeding experiment. As a result, dietary VD3 improved growth performance, intestinal structure, and digestive and brush border enzyme activities. Additionally, most intestinal free amino acids and their transporters were upregulated after VD3 intake, except for Ala, Lys, Asp, Leu, solute carrier (SLC) 7A7, SLC1A5, and SLC1A3 mRNA in different segments, Leu and SLC6A14 mRNA in the proximal intestine, and SLC7A5 mRNA in the mid and distal intestine. In the crucial target of rapamycin (TOR) signal pathway of amino acid transport, the gene and protein expression of TOR, S6 kinase 1, and activating transcription factor 4 were elevated, whereas 4E-binding protein 1 was decreased, further suggesting an advanced amino acid absorption capacity in the fish due to VD3 supplementation. Based on percentage weight gain, feed efficiency, and trypsin activity, the VD3 requirements of on-growing grass carp were estimated to be 968.33, 1,005.00, and 1,166.67 IU/kg, respectively. Our findings provide novel recommendations for VD3 supplementation to promote digestion and absorption capacities of fish, contributing to the overall productivity of aquaculture.

We studied the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on the amount of nutrients, flavour substances, and healthcare fatty acids, the physicochemical properties, and the potential molecular mechanisms in the muscles of sub-adult grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Fish were fed graded levels of CLA (0.0, 3.1, 6.4, 9.6, 12.7, and 15.9 g/kg diets) for 60 days. Protein, glutamic acid, alanine, inosine monophosphate (IMP), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n-3), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3), and total CLA contents (p

In recent years, mannose oligosaccharide (MOS) as a functional additive is widely used in aquaculture, to enhance fish immunity. An evaluation of the effect of dietary MOS supplementation on the immune barrier function and related signaling molecules mechanism of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) was undertaken in the present study. Six diets with graded amounts of MOS supplementation (0, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 mg/kg) were fed to 540 grass carp over 60 days. To examine the immune response and potential mechanisms of MOS supplementation on the intestine, a challenge test was conducted using injections of Aeromonas hydrophila for 14 days. Results of the study on the optimal supplementation with MOS were found as follows (1) MOS enhances immunity partly related to increasing antibacterial substances content and antimicrobial peptides expression; (2) MOS attenuates inflammatory response partly related to regulating the dynamic balance of intestinal inflammatory cytokines; (3) MOS regulates immune barrier function may partly be related to modulating TLRs/MyD88/NFκB and TOR/S6K1/4EBP signalling pathways. Finally, the current study concluded that MOS supplementation could improve fish intestinal immune barrier function under Aeromonas hydrophila infected conditions.

In this study, we have investigated the influence of vitamin A on gill barrier function of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) infected with Flavobacterium columnare. The fish were fed different concentrations of vitamin A diets for 10 weeks and then infected with F. columnare by immersion. We observed that optimal vitamin A significantly prevented gill rot morbidity in fish infected with F. columnare. Further investigations revealed that vitamin A boosted the gill immunity by increasing the contents of complements (C3 and C4), activities of acid phosphatase (ACP) and lysozyme, mRNAs of β-defensin-1, liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2A and 2B (LEAP-2A and LEAP-2B), hepcidin, and anti-inflammatory cytokines like transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), TGF-β2, interleukin-10 (IL-10), and IL-11. It also enhanced the levels of various related signaling molecules including inhibitor protein κBα (IκBα), target of rapamycin (TOR), and ribosome protein S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) but downregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and interferon γ2 (IFN-γ2) and related signaling molecules including nuclear factor κB p65 (NF-κB p65) (rather than NF-κB p52), IκB kinase β (IKKβ), IKKγ (rather than IKKα), eIF4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1), and 4E-BP2 mRNA levels in fish gills. In addition, dietary vitamin A markedly lowered the concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and protein carbonyl (PC), increased both the activities and mRNAs of copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu/ZnSOD), MnSOD, glutathione transferases (GSTs), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GR) associated with upregulation of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) mRNAs and downregulation of Kelch-like-ECH-associated protein (Keap1a) and Keap1b mRNAs. Moreover, vitamin A decreased the mRNAs of different apoptotic mediators [caspases 8, 9, 3 (rather than 7)] associated with downregulation of signaling molecule p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK) mRNAs in fish gills. Besides, vitamin A promoted tight junction (TJ) complex mRNAs [including claudin-b, -c, -3, -7, -12, occludin, and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1)] that have been linked to the downregulation of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) signaling. Taken together, the current study demonstrated for the first time that vitamin A markedly enhanced gill health associated with immune modulation and physical barrier protection. Based on protecting fish against gill rot morbidity, ACP activity, and against lipid peroxidation, optimum vitamin A concentrations in on-growing grass carp (262–997 g) were found to be 1,991, 2,188, and 2,934 IU/kg diet, respectively.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of dietary Mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) supplementation on skin barrier function and the mechanism of on-growing grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Five hundred forty grass carp were fed for 60 days from the growing stage with six different levels of MOS diets (0, 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1,000 mg kg-1). At the end of the growth trial, the 14-day Aeromonas hydrophila challenge experiment has proceeded. The obtained data indicate that MOS could (1) decline skin lesion morbidity after being challenged by the pathogenic bacteria; (2) maintain physical barrier function via improving antioxidant ability, inhibiting excessive apoptosis, and strengthening the tight junction between the epithelial cell and the related signaling pathway (Nrf2/Keap1, p38MAPK, and MLCK); and (3) regulate immune barrier function by modulating the production of antimicrobial compound and expression of involved cytokines and the related signaling pathway (TOR and NFκB). Finally, we concluded that MOS supplementation reinforced the disease resistance and protected the fish skin barrier function from Aeromonas hydrophila infection.

Mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) are a type of functional oligosaccharide which have received increased attention because of their beneficial effects on fish intestinal health. However, intestinal structural integrity is a necessary prerequisite for intestinal health. This study focused on exploring the protective effects of dietary MOS supplementation on the grass carp’s (Ctenopharyngodon idella) intestinal structural integrity (including tight junction (TJ) and adherent junction (AJ)) and its related signalling molecule mechanism. A total of 540 grass carp (215.85 ± 0.30 g) were fed six diets containing graded levels of dietary MOS supplementation (0, 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 mg/kg) for 60 days. Subsequently, a challenge test was conducted by injection of Aeromonas hydrophila for 14 days. We used ELISA, spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscope, immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR and Western blotting to determine the effect of dietary MOS supplementation on intestinal structural integrity and antioxidant capacity. The results revealed that dietary MOS supplementation protected the microvillus of the intestine; reduced serum diamine oxidase and d-lactate levels (p < 0.05); enhanced intestinal total antioxidant capacity (p < 0.01); up-regulated most intestinal TJ and AJ mRNA levels; and decreased GTP-RhoA protein levels (p < 0.01). In addition, we also found several interesting results suggesting that MOS supplementation has no effects on ZO-2 and Claudin-15b. Overall, these findings suggested that dietary MOS supplementation could protect intestinal ultrastructure, reduce intestinal mucosal permeability and maintain intestinal structural integrity via inhibiting MLCK and RhoA/ROCK signalling pathways.

Shikonin is a naphthoquinone compound. Various reports proved that shikonin not only has anticancer and antibacterial effects, but also can play a certain role in promoting wound healing. However, whether shikonin can reduce oxidative stress degree in endothelial cells of vascular and reconstruct the lining of damaged vessels is unknown. Therefore, we used a variety of biological techniques to study the function of shikonin in protecting endothelial cells at the animal and cellular levels. Our study showed that oxidative stress was significantly enriched in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Thus, shikonin can effectively resist ER stress and inhibit inflammation and apoptosis of endothelial cells. More importantly, we also found that shikonin can inhibit stress by regulating janus kinase2-signal transducers and activators of transcription3 (JAK2/STAT3) pathways, thereby protecting endothelial cells from H2O2 -induced damage. In addition, the application of shikonin to skin wounds in mice can also promote the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) proteins in vascular endothelial cells; hence promoting the reconstruction of wounded blood vessels and providing a proper blood supply, thus accelerating wound healing. In conclusion, our research findings provide the groundwork for future clinical treatments of skin wounds and related research [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Deterioration of flesh quality has bad effects on consumer satisfaction. Therefore, effects of safe mannanoligosaccharides (MOS) on flesh quality of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) muscle were studied. A total of 540 healthy fish (215.85 ± 0.30 g) were randomly divided into six groups and fed six separate diets with graded levels of MOS (0, 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 mg kg-1) for 60 days. This study aimed at investigating the benefits of dietary MOS on flesh quality (fatty acids, amino acids and physicochemical properties) and the protection mechanism regarding antioxidant status. RESULTS: Optimal MOS could improve tenderness (27.4%), pH (5.5%) while decreasing cooking loss (16.6%) to enhance flesh quality. Meanwhile, optimal MOS improved flavor inosine 50-monophosphate (IMP) of 11.8%, sweetness and umami-associated amino acid, healthy unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) of 14.9% and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) especially C20:5n-3 (15.8%) and C22:6n-3 (38.3%). Furthermore, the mechanism that MOS affected pH, tenderness and cooking loss could be partly explained by the reduced lactate, cathepsin and oxidation, respectively. The enhanced flesh quality was also associated with enhanced antioxidant ability concerning improving antioxidant enzymes activities and the corresponding transcriptional levels, which were regulated through NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling. Based on pH24h, cooking loss, shear force and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, C22:6n-3), optimal MOS levels for grass carp were estimated to be 442.75, 539.53, 594.73 and 539.53 mg kg-1, respectively. CONCLUSION: Dietary MOS is a promising alternative strategy to improve flesh quality of fish muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-induction hypotension (PIH) is a common and potentially serious complication of general anesthesia. This meta-analysis (Prospero registration number: CRD42024566321) aimed to evaluate the predictive efficacy of the perfusion index (PI) for PIH in patients undergoing general anesthesia. A comprehensive literature search was performed using multiple electronic databases (Google Scholar, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and MEDLINE). Studies involving adult patients undergoing general anesthesia, with the PI measured before anesthesia induction and reporting PIH incidence, were included. The primary outcome was the diagnostic accuracy of the PI in predicting the probability of PIH. The secondary outcome was the pooled PIH incidence. Eight studies with 678 patients were included. The pooled incidence of PIH was 44.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 29.9%–60.8%). The combined sensitivity and specificity of the PI for predicting PIH were 0.84 (95% CI: 0.65–0.94) and 0.82 (95% CI: 0.70–0.90), respectively. The summary receiver operating characteristic (sROC) analysis revealed an area under curve of 0.89 (95% CI: 0.86–0.92). The Deek’s funnel plot asymmetry test indicated no significant publication bias. The PI demonstrates high predictive efficacy for PIH in patients undergoing general anesthesia, indicating that it can be a valuable tool for identifying those at risk of PIH.

BackgroundThis meta-analysis aimed to synthesize current evidence on the association between the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and long-term outcomes in patients undergoing hemodialysis.MethodsElectronic databases were systematically searched for relevant studies that investigated the association between GNRI and long-term outcomes in hemodialysis patients until November 2023. The primary outcome was the association between the GNRI (i.e., low versus high) and overall mortality risk, while the secondary outcome was the relationship between the GNRI and cardiovascular mortality risk.ResultsThirty cohort studies involving 55,864 patients were included. A low GNRI was found to be significantly associated with increased overall mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.42, 95% confidence interval [CIs]: 2.10–2.79, p

Objectives. To determine the pericapsular nerve group (PENG) block’s postoperative analgesic efficacy and safety compared to the suprainguinal fascia iliaca (SFI) block in patients undergoing primary hip arthroplasty using the same injectate volume. Material and Methods. Between January 2021 and March 2022, American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status (ASA-PS) classification I–III patients scheduled for hip arthroplasty were included in this study. After standard monitoring and subarachnoid anesthesia, an ultrasound-guided PENG or SFI block with 20 ml of 0.25% levobupivacaine was performed for postoperative analgesia. All patients were assessed with a numerical rating scale (NRS) at presurgery, upon arrival at the postanesthesia care unit (PACU), and in the postoperative period at 2, 4, 12, and 24 hours. The need for analgesic rescue and adverse effects was also assessed. Results. A total of 130 patients were included in the study (62 PENG block and 68 SFI block). Both blocks were equally effective in managing postoperative pain without any statistically significant differences except at 12 h (p=0.023), where the deviation found was not clinically relevant. The median total morphine consumption was 0 mg [0–2] in the PENG block group and 0 mg [0–2] in the SFI block group. A more significant motor block was found in the first 6 hours in the SFI block group (p=0.001). There was no significant difference in the ease of performing PENG (79%) or SFI (85%) blocks. No major complications were recorded in both groups, and patient satisfaction was high (83.9% for the PENG block group vs. 91.2% for the SFI block group). Discussion. Both blocks have been demonstrated to be effective for postoperative analgesia in hip arthroplasty and should be integrated as a multimodal analgesic strategy. The lesser degree of motor block recorded in the first hours with the PENG block makes it the most suitable option for early recovery. Both techniques were easy and safe to perform.

Abstract The GABA(B) receptor agonist baclofen is known to suppress the rate of spontaneous swallowing but not pharyngeal muscle contraction. The extent to which baclofen may alter volitional swallowing is not currently known. We investigated the effects of baclofen in healthy subjects, hypothesizing that baclofen exposure would alter volume‐regulation and/or piecemeal deglutition behaviors during volitional swallowing attempts. Pharyngeal high‐resolution manometry impedance (P‐HRM‐I) protocol was used to assess swallowing function of 22 healthy adult volunteers (median 29 years) who were investigated on two occasions, receiving 40 mg baclofen (oral) 1 h before study, or placebo (randomized). Standard swallow function variables recommended by the pharyngeal HRM Working Group were derived for 5 ml, 10 ml, and 20 ml volumes of thin and extremely thick liquid challenges. Multiple swallow behaviors, comprising two swallows

Background: Our prior open trial showed the feasibility of a smartphone-based support system coupled with a Bluetooth breathalyzer (SoberDiary) in assisting recovery for patients with alcohol dependence (AD). In this 24-week follow-up study, we further explored the efficacy of supplementing SoberDiary to treatment as usual (TAU) over 12 weeks of intervention and whether the efficacy persisted in the post-intervention 12 weeks. Methods: 51 patients who met the DSM-IV criteria of AD were randomly assigned to the technological intervention group (TI group, receiving technology intervention of SoberDiary plus TAU, n = 25) or those receiving only TAU (TAU group, n = 26). After 12 weeks of intervention (Phase I), all participants were followed for another post-intervention 12 weeks (Phase II). We collected the drinking variables and psychological assessment data every 4 weeks (i.e., weeks 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24). In addition, the cumulative abstinence days and retention rates were recorded. We used mixed-model analysis to compare the difference in outcomes between groups. Results: In Phase I or Phase II, we did not find differences in drinking variables, alcohol craving, depression, or anxiety severity between the two groups. However, the TI group showed greater self-efficacy for drinking refusal in Phase II than the TAU group. Conclusions: Although our system (SoberDiary) did not demonstrate benefits in drinking or emotional outcomes, we found the system holds promise to enhance self-efficacy on drinking refusal. Whether the benefit in promoting self-efficacy persists longer than 24 weeks requires further investigation.