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Abstract Recent studies have reported the role of the M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (M3R), a member of the G‐protein coupled receptor superfamily, encoded by the CHRM3 gene, in cardiac function and the regulation of blood pressure (BP). The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of CHRM3 genetic variants with salt sensitivity, longitudinal BP changes, and the development of hypertension in a Chinese population. We conducted a chronic dietary salt intervention experiment in a previously established Chinese cohort to analyze salt sensitivity of BP. Additionally, a 14‐year follow‐up was conducted on all participants in the cohort to evaluate the associations of CHRM3 polymorphisms with longitudinal BP changes, as well as the incidence of hypertension. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs10802811 within the CHRM3 gene displayed significant associations with low salt‐induced changes in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and mean arterial pressure (MAP), while rs373288072, rs114677844, and rs663148 exhibited significant associations with SBP and MAP responses to a high‐salt diet. Furthermore, the SNP rs58359377 was associated with changes in SBP and pulse pressure (PP) over the course of 14 years. Additionally, the 14‐year follow‐up revealed a significant association between the rs619288 polymorphism and an increased risk of hypertension (OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.06‐2.87, p = .029). This study provides evidence that CHRM3 may have a role in salt sensitivity, BP progression, and the development of hypertension.

To explore the effects of dietary histidine on growth, non-specific immune and ovarian development of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), crayfish (5.98 ± 0.11 g) were fed six isoproteic and isoenergetic diets with histidine levels (3.90 (control), 5.67, 8.42, 10.57, 12.32, and 15.02 g/kg) for eight weeks. The results showed that nearly all tested indicators demonstrated significant linear or quadratic trends with the variation of histidine levels. Weight gain rate (WGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein efficiency rate (PER), protein deposition rate (PDR), and essential amino acid deposition rates obtained the optimal values when the dietary histidine level was 8.42 g/kg or 10.57 g/kg. Compared to the control group, the 8.42 g/kg group exhibited enhanced nonspecific immunity and antioxidant properties, and the 10.57 g/kg group demonstrated significant increase in the frequency of B cells in the hepatopancreas, the length and width of intestinal villi and the activities of protease and lipase. Additionally, the 10.57 g/kg group showed elevated ecdysterone hormone, gonadal index (GI), cAMP content and the relative abundance of beneficial intestinal microbiota. The mRNA expressions of MIH, ECR, RXR, chitinase, PKA, fox L2, Vg, cdc2, and cyclin B genes were also significantly modulated by dietary histidine levels. Overall, dietary histidine improved the intestinal health and regulated the immune function to enhance protein utilization and promote growth performance of red swamp crayfish. In addition, dietary histidine improved the synthesis of yolk substance, promoted the development of ovarian cells, and then improved the ovarian index of female crayfish. Based on the quadratic curve regression model analysis of the relationship between WGR, SGR, PDR, PER, FCR, GI and dietary histidine level, the optimal histidine level was 9.36–10.91 g/kg (dry matter), corresponding to 26.63–31.04 g/kg of dietary protein in red swamp crayfish.

The red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) is the largest freshwater shrimp cultured in China. Protein is a critical factor affecting red swamp crayfish growth performance and feed cost. Too high or too low protein levels in feed negatively affect crustaceans. However, the results of the optimal dietary protein content of red swamp crayfish identified in different studies vary considerably. There are mainly two types of feed for red swamp crayfish on the market: extruded and pellet feed. There have been few reports on the impact of processing technique on red swamp crayfish. Many studies have shown that the growth-promoting effects of extruded and pellet feed on diverse aquatic animals differ considerably. Moreover, there have been few studies on the impact of different protein levels and processing techniques on the growth of aquatic species. This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary protein levels and processing techniques on the growth performance, digestibility, and antioxidant capacity of red swamp crayfish. The two-factor experiment (4×2) with four different protein levels (28%, 30%, 32%, and 36%) and two processing techniques (expanded feed [EF] and pellet feed [PF]) was conducted for 13 weeks as a feeding trial, aiming to provide theoretical support for optimizing the feed formula and processing technique of red swamp crayfish. The results showed that the protein levels and processing technique significantly influenced the weight gain rate (WGR) and hepatosomatic index of red swamp crayfish (P

To explore the effects of dietary threonine on growth and ovarian development of red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), crayfish (5.48 ± 0.19 g) were fed six isoproteic and isoenergetic diets with varying levels of threonine (7.16 g/kg (control), 9.19, 12.74, 16.44, 20.83, and 23.78 g/kg) for 8 weeks. The results showed that weight gain rate, feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency rate, protein deposition rate, and essential amino acid deposition rates obtained the optimal values when the dietary threonine level was 12.74 or 16.44 g/kg. Compared to the control group, the 12.74 g/kg group exhibited enhanced nonspecific immunity and antioxidant properties. The 16.44 g/kg group demonstrated a significant increase in the frequency of B cells and R cells in the hepatopancreas, the length and width of intestinal villi, and the activities of protease and lipase. It also showed elevated ecdysterone hormone, gonadal index (GI), cAMP content, and the relative abundance of beneficial intestinal microflora. Compared to the control group, the mRNA expression of mTOR, S6K1, 4EBP1, EcR, RXR, chitinase, PKA, Vg, cdc2, and cyclin B was significantly upregulated, and the mRNA expression of MIH was significantly downregulated in the 16.44 g/kg group. Overall, optimal dietary threonine could improve intestinal health, regulate immune function, and enhance protein utilization, molting, and growth performance of red swamp crayfish. Additionally, it improved the synthesis of yolk substance and facilitated the development of ovarian cells of female crayfish. The optimal threonine level was 14.87–16.94 g/kg (dry matter), corresponding to 42.51–48.42 g/kg of dietary protein in red swamp crayfish.

The excessive substitution of fish meal (FM) by Clostridium autoethanogenum protein (CAP) could reduce the growth performance and disrupt the intestinal structural integrity of Micropterus salmoides. In order to solve this problem, an eight-week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary enzymatically treated Artemisia annua L. (EA) in low FM diet containing high-CAP on growth, antioxidation capacity, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism and intestinal microbiota of M. salmoides. Six isonitrogenous and isolipid experimental diets were produced containing 0 g/kg, 0.25 g/kg, 0.5 g/kg, 1.0 g/kg, 2.0 g/kg and 4.0 g/kg of dietary EA, which were named EA0, EA0.25, EA0.5, EA1.0, EA2.0 and EA4.0, respectively. After the feeding trial, the weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) were significantly increased in EA0.25, EA0.5 and EA 1.0 groups compared to EA0 group. The digestive enzyme activities in stomach and intestine, and the villus width and muscular layer thickness of the intestine were increased by dietary EA. Dietary EA improved the antioxidation capacity and serum lipid level of M. salmoides. The expression levels of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1-c (srebp1-c), acetyl-coa carboxylase alpha (accα), fatty acid synthase (fan), 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coa reductase (hmgcr) and accβ were significantly upregulated by 4.0 g/kg of dietary EA. The mRNA level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (pparα) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (cpt-1) were upregulated by 4.0 g/kg and 0.5 g/kg of dietary EA, respectively. Besides, the glucose content in serum was decreased by EA. The expressions of forkhead box o1 (foxo1), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (pepck), fructose bisphosphatase (fbp), glucokinase (gk) and pyruvate kinase (pk) were significantly improved by 4.0 g/kg of dietary EA, and the level of phosphofructokinase (pfk) was upregulated by 0.5 g/kg of dietary EA. The addition of 0.5 g/kg of dietary EA could optimize beneficial Cetobacterium and reduce harmful Mycoplasmataceae abundances in intestine of M. salmoides. In summary, the appropriate amount of dietary EA could be added to the high-CAP diet to improve the growth performance, antioxidation, lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, liver and intestinal health of M. salmoides. This study will provide scientific guidance for replacing FM with non-food proteins.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of dietary tributyrin (TB) in the low fish meal (high-Clostridium autoethanogenum protein, CAP) diet on the growth, antioxidation, lipid metabolism and intestinal microbiota of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). For eight weeks, largemouth bass (15.05 ± 0.58 g) were fed on eight isonitrogenous and isolipid diets with graded levels of dietary TB (0 g/kg, 0.2 g/kg, 0.4 g/kg, 0.8 g/kg, 1.6 g/kg, 3.2 g/kg, 4.0 g/kg and 8.0 g/kg). The findings showed that the weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) were increased by 1.6 g/kg of dietary TB. The protein efficiency and deposition ratios were linearly affected by dietary TB. The broken-line model based on the WGR revealed that 1.617 g/kg of dietary TB was sufficient for optimal growth. The digestive enzyme activities and villus length of the intestine were increased by dietary TB (1.6 g/kg). Total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were significantly improved, and the malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonyl (PC) contents were significantly decreased after dietary TB. The expressions of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (nrf2) and kelch like ech associated protein 1 (keap1) in the liver and intestine were significantly increased and decreased by 1.6 g/kg of dietary TB, respectively. The mRNA levels of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (cuznsod), cat, heme oxygenase-1 (ho-1) and glutathione peroxidase (gpx) were significantly upregulated. Dietary TB could significantly affect the total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) content in the serum. The aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities were the lowest at 1.6 g/kg of TB group. Besides, the hepatocyte vacuolation and nuclear translocation were alleviated after supplementation of 0.2‰− 3.0‰ of dietary TB. The total cholesterol (T-CHO), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) were significantly increased by dietary TB. The triglycerides (TG) content was decreased by dietary TB. The mRNA levels of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1-c (srebp1-c), acetyl-coa carboxylase alpha (accα), fatty acid synthase (fasn) and accβ in the liver were significantly downregulated, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (pparα) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (cpt-1) were upregulated by 1.6 g/kg of dietary TB. Dietary TB had effects on the intestine microbes of largemouth bass. The Cetobacterium was present in the highest percentage and increased from 41% (0 g/kg TB) to 59% (1.6 g/kg TB). The Mycoplasmataceae was the second most predominant genus and decreased from 90% in the 0 g/kg of TB group to 10% in the 1.6 g/kg of TB group. In summary, the dietary TB could be supplemented in the CAP-based diet for better growth and antioxidation, lipid metabolism and intestinal microbiota of largemouth bass.

To investigate the dietary cholesterol requirements of large red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), crayfish (initial body weight: 13.49 ± 0.22 g) were hand-fed six diets containing 2.47 (C0), 4.27 (C1), 6.80 (C2), 8.77 (C3), 11.74 (C4), and 14.24 (C5) g/kg cholesterol. After 8 weeks of feeding, the maximum weight gain rate and specific growth rate occurred in group C4. The lowest feed conversion ratio was observed in group C3. Total flesh percentage increased significantly by 15.33% in group C2 compared to group C0. The increase in dietary cholesterol resulted in significant quadratic trends in concentrations of crude protein and lipid in muscle and whole body; cholesterol and free fatty acid in hemolymph, hepatopancreas, and muscle; activities of lipase and amylase in hepatopancreas and intestine; and total antioxidant capacity and catalase activity in hepatopancreas. Group C3 experienced a noteworthy increase in hemolymph glucose and total protein content compared to group C0. Additionally, malondialdehyde content and superoxide dismutase activity in hepatopancreas displayed significant linear and quadratic trends. The optimal dietary cholesterol level for large P. clarkii is between 7.42 and 10.93 g/kg, as revealed by the quadratic regression analysis.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of tea tree essential oil (TTO) supplementation in low fish meal diet on growth, lipid metabolism, anti-oxidant capacity and immunity of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Five low fish meal (175 g kg−1) diets with grade levels of TTO (0, 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 g kg−1) were formulated to feed largemouth bass (initial weight: 15.06 ± 0.05 g) for 56 days. The results indicated that supplementation of dietary 1 g kg−1 TTO could significantly improve the weight gain rate, specific growth rate and protein deposition ratio, and decrease the feed conversion rate. The activities of gastric lipase and intestinal trypsin were enhanced by dietary TTO. The width of the intestinal villus was significantly elevated with dietary TTO level. In lipid metabolism parameters, the whole-body crude lipid content was increased and the liver crude lipid content was decreased in TTO treatment groups. The expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase beta was downregulated, and the mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha and carnitine palmitoyl-transferase 1 were upregulated in the liver by the addition of TTO. The contents of total cholesterol, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol significantly decreased, and the content of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol significantly increased in serum by dietary TTO. In anti-oxidative parameters, catalase activities in the liver and superoxide dismutase activities in the liver, intestine and serum were elevated with dietary TTO level. Malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl contents in the liver, intestine and serum showed the opposite trend. The nf-e2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathways in the liver and intestine were triggered by dietary TTO supplementation. In the immune indices, the contents of total protein and albumin were improved, and the contents of glucose, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine transaminase were declined in TTO treatment groups. However, hepatocyte swelling and nuclear migration were found in the liver sections of all groups. After Aeromonas hydrophila administration, the toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) signaling pathway was activated in the head-kidney, liver and intestine, and the expression levels of interleukin 10 and transforming growth factor beta 1 were increased in the head-kidney, spleen, liver and intestine by dietary TTO. In conclusion, dietary TTO in low fish meal diet could improve growth, anti-oxidant capacity and immunity, and reduce lipid deposition in the liver and serum of largemouth bass. The optimal level of TTO in low fish meal diet of largemouth bass ranged from 1.33 to 1.34 g kg−1.

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of dietary paeonol levels on growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, antioxidant enzyme activities and transcriptional expression of antioxidant- and immune-related genes in Genetic Improvement of Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) juveniles. Six diets supplemented with 0, 60, 120, 240, 480 and 960 mg kg−1 paeonol were formulated, and each diet was randomly assigned to three replicate groups of 25 fish with an average initial weight of 23.10 ± 0.90 g for 53 days. Our results showed that weight gain (WG) increased first and then decreased with the increase of dietary paeonol levels. Serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP), albumin (ALB) and total protein (TP) were significantly increased as the increasing dietary paeonol levels. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) contents, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) activities displayed a trend of decreasing or significantly decreasing in the paeonol-added groups. Supplemental paeonol in diets significantly elevated the activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and Lysozymes (LYZ) in both serum and liver, while decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) values. Furthermore, the levels of dietary paeonol had significant effects on the mRNA expression of antioxidant genes (including CAT, GPx, Maf, HMOX1) and immune genes (including irak1, IL-8, CC1, LYZ). These data suggested that dietary paeonol could improve the growth performance and some serum biochemical indices of GIFT, enhanced the antioxidant enzyme activities, and induced the expression of antioxidant- and immune-related genes. Analysis based on broken-line regression, 90.55 mg kg−1 paeonol would be suitable for tilapia juveniles.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of Antarctic krill Euphausia superba meal replacing dietary fish meal on the growth performance, immunity and muscle quality of white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (initial body weight: 4.080 ± 0.143 g, mean±SD). The replacement levels were designed as 0%, 5%, 15%, 30%, 45%, 60%, 75% and 100%, respectively. After a 52-day feeding trial, results showed that the specific growth rate (P = 0.129) and feed intake (P = 0.217) of shrimp were not significantly affected. Feed conversion ratio (FCR, P = 0.000), protein efficiency ratio (PER, P = 0.000) and protein retention (PR, P = 0.000) were significantly affected with a quadratic positive trend for FCR, a linear and quadratic negative trend for PER and a quadratic negative trend for PR. The total haemocyte count (P = 0.307), respiratory burst (P = 0.168), activities of superoxide dismutase (P = 0.221) and glutathione reductase (P = 0.170) in serum were not significantly affected. While, malondialdehyde content (P = 0.000), acid phosphatase (P = 0.000) and alkaline phosphatase activity (P = 0.000) in serum were significantly decreased both in linear and quadratic trend. The carotenoid content in exoskeleton (P = 0.019) and pH in muscle (P = 0.000) were linearly increased. With the increasing replacement levels, n-3 PUFA content (P = 0.001) in muscle significantly decreased and n-6 PUFA (P = 0.000) increased. The ratio of essential amino acid to total amino acid (P = 0.000) and the inosinic acid content in muscle (P = 0.002) were significantly increased with the dietary replacement levels in a linear trend. In conclusion, Antarctic krill meal can totally replace dietary fish meal without negative impact on the growth of L. vannamei. From the perspective of feed utilization, after the quadratic regression analysis of FCR, PER and PR, the appropriate replacement level of dietary fish meal by krill meal for L. vannamei was 52.78%, 68.50% and 47.41%, respectively (i.e., dietary krill meal level was 13.27%, 17.22%, and 11.92%, respectively).

Moving target detection in optical remote sensing is important for satellite surveillance and space target monitoring. Here, a new moving point target detection framework under a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) that uses an end-to-end network (1D-ResNet) to learn the distribution features of transient disturbances in the temporal profile (TP) formed by a target passing through a pixel is proposed. First, we converted the detection of the point target in the image into the detection of transient disturbance in the TP and established mathematical models of different TP types. Then, according to the established mathematical models of TP, we generated the simulation TP dataset to train the 1D-ResNet. In 1D-ResNet, the structure of CBR-1D (Conv1D, BatchNormalization, ReLU) was designed to extract the features of transient disturbance. As the transient disturbance is very weak, we used several skip connections to prevent the loss of features in the deep layers. After the backbone, two LBR (Linear, BatchNormalization, ReLU) modules were used for further feature extraction to classify TP and identify the locations of transient disturbances. A multitask weighted loss function to ensure training convergence was proposed. Sufficient experiments showed that this method effectively detects moving point targets with a low SNR and has the highest detection rate and the lowest false alarm rate compared to other benchmark methods. Our method also has the best detection efficiency.

Detailed knowledge of the characteristics of COVID-19 patients helps with public health planning. Here, the authors use routinely-collected data from seven databases in three countries to describe the characteristics of >30,000 patients admitted with COVID-19 and compare them with those admitted for influenza in previous years.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of fish meal replacement with Clostridium autoethanogenum protein (CAP) on growth performance, haemato-biochemistry, digestive capacity, antioxidant index, and histopathological examination of liver and intestine in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). Seven experimental diets were formulated with CAP replacement of 0% (CAP0), 15% (CAP15), 27% (CAP27), 39% (CAP39), 51% (CAP51), 63% (CAP63) and 75% (CAP75) fish meal, respectively. Results showed that replacement of fish meal by CAP did not affect SR, FBW, WGR, SGR and CF. While the fish fed diets containing CAP displayed a higher PER and a lower FCR than the control group (P 0.05). Additionally, The ADC of dry matter and protein were improved by addition of CAP (P 0.05). The lipase and amylase activities were not dramatically altered in stomach (P > 0.05), but were significantly increased in intestine with dietary substitution level up to 39% (P

ObjectivesTrichinella spiralis is a zoonotic parasite with a complex parasitic life cycle and exposed to animals or humans by infectious meat. To control transmissions of T. spiralis through the food chain to humans, sensitive and selective multihost sera-diagnosis is urgent needed for monitoring T. spiralis exposure.MethodsA competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) for T. spiralis infection diagnosis in multihost sera was developed based on recombinant cystatin-like protein (rCLP-cELISA) as well as monoclonal antibodies. The sensitivity and accuracy of the rCLP-cELISA were quantified using swine (n = 1316), mice (n = 189) and human (n = 157) serum samples. T. spiralis-antibody targeting test ability of the rCLP-cELISA in swine (n = 22) and human (n = 36), instead of other parasites or viruses antibodies, was evaluated.ResultsThe rCLP-cELISA showed high agreement with commercial ELISA kits in field swine sera assessed by Cohen's kappa value (κ = 0.7963). And it showed 100% specificity in human trichinellosis detection with sensitivity of 96.49%, no cross-reaction with other parasite or virus infections, and high positive detection rate of 87.5% in low-dose infected swine. Besides, the rCLP-cELISA exhibited potential in the detection of T. spiralis, T. nelsoni and Trichinella T8 infections.ConclusionsThe rCLP-cELISA can be used for T. spiralis-associated antibody test in multihost sera.

In mammals, forkhead box O3 (foxo3) plays important roles in liver immune system. The foxo3 can regulate cell cycle, DNA repair, hypoxia, apoptosis and so on. However, as such an important transcription factor, few studies on foxo3 in fish have been reported. The present study characterized the foxo3 in turbot (Scophthalmus maximus L.). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) incubated in vitro (hepatocytes) and injected in vivo (turbot liver) were used to construct inflammatory models. The foxo3 was interfered and overexpressed to investigate its functions in liver inflammation. The open reading frame (ORF) of foxo3 was 1998 bp (base pair), encoding 665 amino acids. Sequence analysis showed that foxo3 of turbot was highly homologous to other fishes. Tissue distribution analysis revealed that the highest expression of foxo3 was in muscle. Immunofluorescence result showed that foxo3 was expressed in cytoplasm and nucleus. Knockdown of foxo3 significantly increased mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (tnf-α), interleukin-1β (il-1β), interleukin-6 (il-6), myeloid-differentiation factor 88 (myd88), cd83, toll-like receptor 2 (tlr-2) and protein level of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) in sifoxo3 + LPS (siRNA of foxo3+ LPS) group compared with NC + LPS (negative control + LPS) group in turbot hepatocytes. Overexpressed foxo3 significantly decreased mRNA levels of tnf-α, il-6, nuclear transcription factor-kappa B (nf-κb), cd83, tlr-2 and the protein level of JNK in vitro. In vivo analysis, foxo3 knockdown significantly increased levels of GOT in serum after LPS injection compared with NC+LPS group. Overexpressed foxo3 significantly decreased levels of GPT and GOT in pcDNA3.1-foxo3+LPS group compared with pcDNA3.1+LPS group in vivo. Foxo3 knockdown significantly increased mRNA levels of tnf-α, il-1β, il-6, nf-κb, myd88 and protein level of JNK in vivo in sifoxo3+LPS group compared with NC+LPS group in turbot liver. Overexpressed foxo3 significantly decreased mRNA levels of il-1β, il-6, myd88, cd83, jnk and protein level of JNK in pcDNA3.1-foxo3+LPS group compared with pcDNA3.1+LPS group in turbot liver. The results indicated that foxo3 might modulate LPS-activated hepatic inflammation in turbot by decreasing the proinflammatory cytokines, the levels of GOT and GPT as well as activating JNK/caspase-3 and tlr-2/myd88/nf-κb pathways. Taken together, these findings indicated that FoxO3 may play important roles in liver immune responses to LPS in turbot and the research of FoxO3 in liver immunity enriches the studies on immune regulation, and provides theoretical basis and molecular targets for solving liver inflammation and liver injury in fish.

Dabry’s sturgeon (Acipenser dabryanus), mainly distributed in the upper Yangtze River, is considered as a rare and endangered species in China. To date, its innate immune system remains largely undetermined. In the present study, we identified an interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) gene with a 6-exon/5-intron structure from Dabry’s sturgeon. The predicted protein sequence has a typical IL-1 family signature, containing 12 β-strands and no signal peptide. Although the predicted amino acid sequence encoded by the IL-1β gene had low sequence identity and similarity to other fish IL-1βs, the Dabry's sturgeon IL-1 β protein clustered together with proteins from other fish IL-1β type II group homologous proteins. The different expression levels of the IL-1β gene in various embryonic developmental stages implied that IL-1β might be subject to maternal transmission and mediate embryonic development. Tissue distribution analysis revealed that the IL-1β was ubiquitously expressed (especially in the skin and gill), suggesting that the IL-1β could play a vital role in the first immune barrier under normal conditions. Transcriptional analysis indicated that the IL-1β gene transcription levels in spleen leukocytes following polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation were 3-fold and 12-fold higher than those in the control, respectively. The different IL-1β gene responses to poly I:C and LPS suggested differences in defense mechanisms against viruses and bacteria in Dabry’s sturgeon.

The H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) is currently widespread worldwide, posing a severe threat to the poultry industry and public health. Reassortment is an important way for influenza viruses to adapt to a new host. In 2007, the PB2 gene of H9N2 AIV in China was reassorted, and the DK1-like lineage replaced the F/98-like lineage, forming a dominant genotype of G57. This genotype and its reassortants (such as H7N9, H10N8 and H5N6) showed higher mammalian adaptation, and caused increased human infections. However, the adaptive mechanisms of the DK1-like lineage PB2 gene remain unclear. Here, we confirmed that the PB2 lineage of the H9N2 AIV currently prevalent in China still belongs to the DK1-like lineage and, compared with the previously predominant F/98-like lineage, the DK1-like lineage PB2 gene significantly enhances H9N2 AIV to mammalian adaptation. Through transcriptomic analysis and qRT–PCR and western blot experiments, we identified a host factor, sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1), that is closely related to viral replication. SphK1 inhibits the replication of DK1-like PB2 gene H9N2 AIV, but the ability of SphK1 protein to bind DK1-like PB2 protein is weaker than that of F/98-like PB2 protein, which may contribute to H9N2 AIV containing the DK1-like PB2 gene to escape the inhibitory effect of host factor SphK1 for efficient infection. This study broadens our understanding of the adaptive evolution of H9N2 AIV and highlights the necessity to pay close attention to the AIV that contains the adaptive PB2 protein in animals and humans.

A 12-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacement of dietary fish oil by rapeseed oil on the growth, anti-oxidative capacity and inflammatory responses of large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea (initial body weight: 36.02 ± 0.58 g). The control diet was designed to contain 6.5% of fish oil, and named as FO. Based on it, the fish oil was 50% and 100% replaced by rapeseed oil to make the other two diets (FR and RO, respectively). Results showed that the specific growth rate was significantly reduced, and the crude lipid contents in muscle and liver were significantly increased in the RO group. The total anti-oxidative capacity and expressions of superoxide dismutase 1 and 2, glutathion peroxidase and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 in liver of fish fed RO were significantly lower. Dietary rapeseed oil significantly decreased expressions of arginase I and interleukin 10, and increased expressions of TNFα, interleukin 1β, toll-like receptor 22 and myeloid differentiation factor 88 in liver. In conclusion, high dietary rapeseed oil could suppress growth performance and liver anti-oxidative capacity, and induce inflammation of large yellow croaker. Keywords: Large yellow croaker, Fish oil, Rapeseed oil, Lipid deposition, Anti-oxidation, Inflammation

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small proteins with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities, and could kill a variety of pathogens. In this study, 50 mg/kg (G1 group), 100 mg/kg (G2), and 200 mg/kg (G3) of AMPs were added to the basal diet (0 mg/kg AMPs, G0 group) of the largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). After feeding for 60 days, the growth performance, muscle composition, the activities of antioxidase immune-related enzymes and digestive enzymes, and intestinal morphology of M. salmoides were measured. The results showed that the final weight, weight gain rate, and specific growth rate were significantly higher in the G3 group than in the control group (G0) (p < 0.05). The crude protein of muscle in G3 group was significantly higher than in G0 group (p

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to study the effect of long-term low-salinity stress on the growth performance, and expression of osmolarity and metabolism-related genes (Na+-K+-ATPase α-subunit and in gills, trypsin and chymotypsin in hepatopancreas) in white shrimp (L. vannamei). Four groups of the white shrimp (mean initial weight, 0.31 ± 0.02 g) were cultivated at salinity of 2, 10, 20 and 30 psu for 8-week. All treatments were conducted in triplicate of 40 each. The results indicated that shrimps reared at salinity 20 psu and 30 psu were significantly higher in final weight, weight gain and specific growth ratio than the other treatments (p

Ferroptosis is characterized as a novel form of regulated cell death, which is initiated by the lethal accumulation of lipid peroxidation catalyzed by cellular labile free iron. This iron driven cell death sharply differs from other well characterized forms of regulated cell death at morphological, genetic and biochemical levels. Increasing research has elaborated a high relevance between dysregulated ferroptosis and the pathogenesis of degenerative diseases and organs injury in human patients. Additionally, targeted induction of ferroptosis is considered as a potentially therapeutic design for the clinical intervention of other therapy-resistant cancers. It is well understood that mitochondria, the cellular powerhouse, determine several types of regulated cell death. Recently, compromised mitochondrial morphology and functionalities have been primarily formulated in ferroptosis. Several mitochondria associated proteins and metabolic processes have been elaborated to fine-tune ferroptotic program. Herein, we critically review the recent advances in this booming field, with focus on summarizing the multifaceted mitochondrial regulation of ferroptosis and providing a perspective on the potential biochemical basis. Finally, we are attempting to shed light on an integrative view on the possibility of mitochondria- and ferroptosis-targeting therapeutics as novel treatment designs for the intervention of ferroptosis related diseases.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are important organisms in food production. Indeed, LAB autolysis is very critical in dairy processing. For example, it influences the development of cheese flavor by releasing intracellular enzymes, and controls cell growth in yogurts and probiotic products. Two component systems (TCS) constitute essential environmental sensors and effectors of signal transduction in most bacteria. In the present work, mutants of one TCS (LBUL_RS00115/LBUL_RS00110) were generated to assess the relationship between TCS and cell autolysis. The mutants displayed decreased autolysis in comparison with wild type; meanwhile, complementation reversed this effect. The interaction between LBUL_RS00115 and LBUL_RS00110 was confirmed by yeast two-hybrid analysis. These observations suggested that the TCS (LBUL_RS00115/LBUL_RS00110) was involved in autolysis in Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus.

INTRODUCTION:Persons living with AIDS are highly vulnerable to foodborne enteric infections with the potential for substantial morbidity and mortality. Educational materials about foodborne enteric infections intended for this immunocompromised population have not been assessed for their efficacy in improving knowledge or encouraging behavior change. METHODS/RESULTS:AIDS patients in four healthcare facilities in Chicago, New Orleans, and Puerto Rico were recruited using fliers and word of mouth to healthcare providers. Those who contacted research staff were interviewed to determine food safety knowledge gaps and risky behaviors. A food safety educational comic book that targeted knowledge gaps was created, piloted, and provided to these patients who were instructed to read it and return at least 2 weeks later for a follow-up interview. The overall food safety score was determined by the number of the 26 knowledge/belief/behavior questions from the survey answered correctly. Among 150 patients who participated in both the baseline and follow-up questionnaire, the intervention resulted in a substantial increase in the food safety score (baseline 59%, post-intervention 81%, p

Although the incidence of breast cancer in the United States is higher in Caucasian women compared with African American women, African-American patients have more aggressive disease as characterized by a higher percentage of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs), high-grade tumors, and a higher mortality rate. PKCα is a biomarker associated with endocrine resistance and poor prognosis and ERβ is emerging as a protective biomarker. Immunohistochemical analysis of ERβ and PKCα expression was performed on 198 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded primary infiltrating ductal carcinomas from 105 African-American and 93 Caucasian patients. PKCα is positively correlated with TNBC in patients of both races and with high tumor grade in African-American patients. Patients with TNBC express less nuclear ERβ compared with all other subtypes. We find no difference in frequency or intensity of PKCα or ERβ expression between African-American and Caucasian patients. PKCα and ERβ are discussed as potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of patients with TNBC.