Puerarin alleviated oxidative stress and ferroptosis during renal fibrosis induced by ischemia/reperfusion injury via TLR4/Nox4 pathway in rats

Purpose: To investigate the role of puerarin on renal fibrosis and the underlying mechanism in renal ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) model. Methods: Rats were intraperitoneally injected with puerarin (50 or 100 mg/kg) per day for one week before renal I/R. The level of renal collagen deposition and interstitial fibrosis were observed by hematoxylin and eosin and Sirius Red staining, and the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) was examined by immunohistochemical staining. The ferroptosis related factors and TLR4/Nox4-pathway-associated proteins were detected by Western blotting. Results: Puerarin was observed to alleviate renal collagen deposition, interstitial fibrosis and the α-SMA expression induced by I/R. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and glutathione (GSH) level were decreased in I/R and hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R), whereas malondialdehyde (MDA) and Fe2+ level increased. However, puerarin reversed SOD, MDA, GSH and Fe2+ level changes induced by I/R and H/R. Besides, Western blot indicated that puerarin inhibited the expression of ferroptosis related factors in a dose-dependent manner, which further demonstrated that puerarin had the effect to attenuate ferroptosis. Moreover, the increased expression of TLR/Nox4-pathway-associated proteins were observed in I/R and H/R group, but puerarin alleviated the elevated TLR/Nox4 expression. Conclusions: Our results suggested that puerarin inhibited oxidative stress and ferroptosis induced by I/R and, thus, delayed the progression of renal fibrosis, providing a new target for the treatment of renal fibrosis.

Distribution of serotypes, antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes among Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from bovine in China

Background: Bovine mastitis, a global disease that is responsible for large economic losses each year due to lower milkyield and reduced milk quality. In some countries, especially in China, Streptococcus agalactiae has become one of themost frequently detected pathogen. Antibiotic treatment and vaccine immunization are important strategies for the controlof infectious diseases. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate distribution of bovine mastitis pathogensand antimicrobial resistance of S. agalactiae, and contribute to the treatment of bovine mastitis.Materials, Methods & Results: Clinical mastitis samples (n= 1,122) were collected from 27 dairy farms located in 15different provinces of China during 2012-2018. The pathogens were identified by 16S rDNA method. Antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed by disc diffusion method. Molecular characteristics was distinguished based on PCR. The resultsshowed that the main pathogens were Streptococcus agalactiae (n= 324, 26.2%), Escherichia coli (n= 287, 23.2%), andStaphylococcus aureus (n= 131, 10.6%). The serotypes of Streptococcus agalactiae were serotype II (53.6%), Ia (44 %)and VII (1.2%), respectively. Streptococcus agalactiae were resistant to kanamycin (93.8%), gentamicin (49.4%), vancomycin (49.4%), tetracycline (35.8%), clindamycin (34.6%) and erythromycin (32.1%). The main resistance genes wereermA (53.1%) and ermB (85.2%). Resistance to erythromycin was attributed to the genes ermA (P < 0.05) and resistanceto tetracycline was attributed to the genes tetK, tetM, tetO (P < 0.01). The virulence genes scpB (81.4%), cyl (100%), glnA(76.6%), cfb (98.8%), hylB (98.8%), scaA (69.1%) were detected in almost all isolates.Discussion: In the present study, Streptococcus agalactiae, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were the pathogens isolated most frequently from clinical mastitis. In the case of S. agalactiae, we performed capsular serotyping ofisolates...

Distribution of serotypes, antimicrobial resistance and virulence genes among Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from bovine in China

Background: Bovine mastitis, a global disease that is responsible for large economic losses each year due to lower milkyield and reduced milk quality. In some countries, especially in China, Streptococcus agalactiae has become one of themost frequently detected pathogen. Antibiotic treatment and vaccine immunization are important strategies for the controlof infectious diseases. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate distribution of bovine mastitis pathogensand antimicrobial resistance of S. agalactiae, and contribute to the treatment of bovine mastitis.Materials, Methods & Results: Clinical mastitis samples (n= 1,122) were collected from 27 dairy farms located in 15different provinces of China during 2012-2018. The pathogens were identified by 16S rDNA method. Antimicrobial susceptibility was assessed by disc diffusion method. Molecular characteristics was distinguished based on PCR. The resultsshowed that the main pathogens were Streptococcus agalactiae (n= 324, 26.2%), Escherichia coli (n= 287, 23.2%), andStaphylococcus aureus (n= 131, 10.6%). The serotypes of Streptococcus agalactiae were serotype II (53.6%), Ia (44 %)and VII (1.2%), respectively. Streptococcus agalactiae were resistant to kanamycin (93.8%), gentamicin (49.4%), vancomycin (49.4%), tetracycline (35.8%), clindamycin (34.6%) and erythromycin (32.1%). The main resistance genes wereermA (53.1%) and ermB (85.2%). Resistance to erythromycin was attributed to the genes ermA (P < 0.05) and resistanceto tetracycline was attributed to the genes tetK, tetM, tetO (P < 0.01). The virulence genes scpB (81.4%), cyl (100%), glnA(76.6%), cfb (98.8%), hylB (98.8%), scaA (69.1%) were detected in almost all isolates.Discussion: In the present study, Streptococcus agalactiae, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were the pathogens isolated most frequently from clinical mastitis. In the case of S. agalactiae, we performed capsular serotyping ofisolates...(AU)