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Heat stress (HS) poses a great challenge to the poultry industry by inducing oxidative damage to the liver, endangering the health and production of broilers. As an important type of seaweed polyphenols, phlorotannin has been shown to have antioxidant properties. The present study evaluated the protective effects of dietary phlorotannin on HS-induced liver injury in broilers based on oxidative damage parameters. A total of 108 twenty-one days old male Arbor Acres plus (AA+) broilers were randomly divided into three groups: TN group (thermoneutral, 24 ± 1 °C, fed with basal diet), HS group (HS, 33 ± 1 °C for 8 h/day, fed with basal diet), and HS + phlorotannin group (HS + 600 mg/kg phlorotannin). Each group has six replicate cages with six birds per cage. The feeding experiment lasted 21 days. At the termination of the feeding experiment (42 days old), samples were collected for analysis of morphological and biochemical features. The results showed that HS decreased the liver index, serum albumin (ALB) content, hepatic antioxidant enzymes activities of catalase (CAT), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) (p < 0.05), while increasing the hepatic histopathology score, apoptosis rate, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content (p < 0.05) in 42-day-old broilers. Compared with the HS group, dietary phlorotannin improved the activities of antioxidant enzymes (GST and GSH-Px) but decreased the histopathology score and apoptosis rate in the liver (p < 0.05). Moreover, HS down-regulated hepatic mRNA expression of CAT1, NQO1, HO-1, and SLC7A11 (p < 0.05), while up-regulated hepatic mRNA expression of Keap1, MafG, IκBα, NF-κB P65, IFN-γ, TFR1, ACSL4, Bax, and Caspase-9 (p < 0.05). Compared with HS group, dietary phlorotannin up-regulated hepatic mRNA expression of Nrf2, CAT1, MafF, GSTT1, NQO1, HO-1, GCLC, GPX1, TNF-α, Fpn1, and SLC7A11 (p < 0.05), while down-regulated hepatic mRNA expression of IκBα, Bax, Caspase-9, and TFR1 (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 600 mg/kg phlorotannin could alleviate HS-induced liver injury via regulating oxidative status, apoptosis, and ferroptosis in broilers; these roles of phlorotannin might be associated with the regulation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermo-responsiveness and self-assembly behaviors of poly(sodium-p-styrene sulfonate)-block-poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PSSS50-b-PNIPAM300) in pure water and binary solvents (i.e., water/methanol and water/acetone) were investigated by 1H NMR, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It was found that the PNIPAM chains had a lower lowest critical solution temperature (LCST) in the water/methanol and water/acetone binary solvents than in water. Temperature-induced collapse of PNIPAM in water/acetone binary solvent was evidently weaker compared to the collapses in pure water and water/methanol binary solvent. The DLS and TEM results demonstrated that the self-assembly process and morphology of PSSS50-b-PNIPAM300 in aqueous solution could be fine-tuned with the addition of small molecule solvent.

Background Association between electrocardiography (ECG) features and right ventricular anatomy and physiology has been established. This study is aimed to identify the value of 12-lead ECG in evaluating prognosis of patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). Method 194 patients with newly diagnosed IPAH were included in this study. Correlations between electrocardiography variables and hemodynamics were assessed. Univariate and multivariable cox regression analysis were performed to identify ECG variables for predicting all-cause mortality in IPAH. Results Partial correlation analysis showed that P wave amplitude in lead II correlated with the mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP, r = 0.349, p [less than or equal to] 0.001) and cardiac index (CI, r = -0.224, p = 0.002); R wave amplitude in V1 correlated with mPAP (r = 0.359, p [less than or equal to] 0.001); S wave amplitude in V6 correlated with mPAP (r = 0.259, p = 0.030) and CI (r = -0.220, p = 0.003). P wave amplitude in lead II (HR 1.555, p = 0.033) and R wave amplitude in lead aVR (HR 5.058, p < 0.001) were the independent predictors of all-cause mortality. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed patients with a p [greater than or equal to] 0.25 mv in lead II, and R [greater than or equal to] 0.4 mv in lead aVR had lower 3-year survival (55 vs. 91%, p < 0.001). Conclusion Specific lead-12 ECG features could reflect right ventricular overload hemodynamics, and are useful to evaluate prognosis of patients with IPAH., Author(s): Xiao-Ling Cheng [sup.1] , Jian-Guo He [sup.1] , Zhi-Hong Liu [sup.1] , Qing Gu [sup.1] , Xin-Hai Ni [sup.1] , Zhi-Hui Zhao [sup.1] , Qin Luo [sup.1] , Chang-Ming [...]

Purpose This study aimed to identify the relationship between pulmonary vascular capacitance (PVC) and vasoreactivity in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), and the value of PVC in predicting long-term response to CCB treatment. Methods Pulmonary vasodilator testing with inhaling iloprost was performed in 308 newly diagnosed IPAH patients. Acute vasodilator-responsive patients accepted CCBs treatment. Patients who benefit from long-term CCB were defined as those being in World Health Organization (WHO) functional class II or I after at least 1 year on CCB monotherapy. Results PVC had significant correlations with WHO function class, 6-min walk distance, mean pulmonary arterial pressure, and pulmonary vascular resistance (r = -0.363, p < 0.001; r = 0.333, p < 0.001; r = -0.514, p < 0.001; r = -0.739, p < 0.001). Thirty-five acute vasodilator-responsive IPAH patients (11.4 %) displayed less severe disease and a higher baseline PVC (1.5 ± 0.6 vs. 1.1 ± 0.7 ml/mmHg, p = 0.003). During acute vasodilator testing, PVC increased significantly by mean of 79 ± 48 % and reached to a higher absolute value of 2.6 ± 1.5 ml/mmHg compared with non-responsive patients (1.4 ± 1.5 ml/mmHg, p < 0.001). Furthermore, PVC increased more during acute vasodilator testing in the 24 patients who benefit from long-term CCB treatment (1.4 ± 1.3 vs. 0.5 ± 0.4 ml/mmHg, p = 0.004). The OR of increased PVC during vasodilator testing for predicting patients with long-term response to CCB was 1.24 (95 % CI 1.02-1.50, p = 0.031) as assessed by multivariable logistic regression analysis. Conclusions PVC was higher in acute vasodilator-responsive IPAH patients and may be a predictor of long-term response to CCBs therapy., Author(s): Xiao-Ling Cheng[sup.1] , Jian-Guo He[sup.1] , Zhi-Hong Liu[sup.1] , Qing Gu[sup.1] , Xin-Hai Ni[sup.1] , Zhi-Hui Zhao[sup.1] , Qin Luo[sup.1] , Chang-Ming Xiong[sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) State Key Laboratory [...]