Inhibition of mitochondrial citrate shuttle alleviates metabolic syndromes induced by high-fat diet.

The mitochondrial citrate shuttle, which relies on the solute carrier family 25 member 1 (SLC25A1), plays a pivotal role in transporting citrate from the mitochondria to the cytoplasm. This shuttle supports glycolysis, lipid biosynthesis, and protein acetylation. Previous research has primarily focused on SLC25A1 in pathological models, particularly high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. However, the impact of SLC25A1 inhibition on nutrient metabolism under HFD remains unclear. To address this gap, we used zebrafish (Danio rerio) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) to evaluate the effects of inhibiting Slc25a1. In zebrafish, we administered Slc25a1-specific inhibitors (CTPI-2) for 4 wk, whereas Nile tilapia received intraperitoneal injections of dsRNA to knock down slc25a1b for 7 days. Inhibition of the mitochondrial citrate shuttle effectively protected zebrafish from HFD-induced obesity, hepatic steatosis, and insulin resistance. Of note, glucose tolerance was unaffected. Inhibition of Slc25a1 altered hepatic protein acetylation patterns, with decreased cytoplasmic acetylation and increased mitochondrial acetylation. Under HFD conditions, Slc25a1 inhibition promoted fatty acid oxidation and reduced hepatic triglyceride (TAG) accumulation by deacetylating carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a (Cpt1a). In addition, Slc25a1 inhibition triggered acetylation-induced inactivation of Pdhe1α, leading to a reduction in glucose oxidative catabolism. This was accompanied by enhanced glucose uptake and storage in zebrafish livers. Furthermore, Slc25a1 inhibition under HFD conditions activated the SIRT1/PGC1α pathway, promoting mitochondrial proliferation and enhancing oxidative phosphorylation for energy production. Our findings provide new insights into the role of nonhistone protein acetylation via the mitochondrial citrate shuttle in the development of hepatic lipid deposition and hyperglycemia caused by HFD.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The mitochondrial citrate shuttle is a crucial physiological process for maintaining metabolic homeostasis. In the present study, we found that inhibition of mitochondrial citrate shuttle (Slc25a1) could alleviate metabolic syndromes induced by high-fat diet (HFD) through remodeling hepatic protein acetylation modification. Briefly, Slc25a1 inhibition reduces hepatic triglyceride deposition by deacetylating Cpt1a and reduces glucose oxidative catabolism by acetylating Pdhe1α. Our study provides new insights into the treatment of diet-induced metabolic syndromes.

Inhibition of mitochondrial fatty acid ß-oxidation activates mTORC1 pathway and protein synthesis via Gcn5-dependent acetylation of Raptor in zebrafish.

Pharmacological inhibition of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAO) has been clinically used to alleviate certain metabolic diseases by remodeling cellular metabolism. However, mitochondrial FAO inhibition also leads to mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activation-related protein synthesis and tissue hypertrophy, but the mechanism remains unclear. Here, by using a mitochondrial FAO inhibitor (mildronate or etomoxir) or knocking out carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1, we revealed that mitochondrial FAO inhibition activated the mTORC1 pathway through general control nondepressible 5-dependent Raptor acetylation. Mitochondrial FAO inhibition significantly promoted glucose catabolism and increased intracellular acetyl-CoA levels. In response to the increased intracellular acetyl-CoA, acetyltransferase general control nondepressible 5 activated mTORC1 by catalyzing Raptor acetylation through direct interaction. Further investigation also screened Raptor deacetylase histone deacetylase class II and identified histone deacetylase 7 as a potential regulator of Raptor. These results provide a possible mechanistic explanation for the mTORC1 activation after mitochondrial FAO inhibition and also bring light to reveal the roles of nutrient metabolic remodeling in regulating protein acetylation by affecting acetyl-CoA production.

Fish gut-derived probiotic Pediococcus pentosaceus alleviates gossypol-induced intestinal inflammation by inhibiting NLRC3/NF-κB/IL-1ß signal pathway in Nile tilapia.

Cottonseed meal (CSM) and cottonseed protein concentrate (CPC) serve as protein alternatives to fish meal and soybean meal in the feed industry. However, the presence of gossypol residue in CSM and CPC can potentially trigger severe intestinal inflammation, thereby restricting the widespread utilization of these two protein sources. Probiotics are widely used to prevent or alleviate intestinal inflammation, but their efficacy in protecting fish against gossypol-induced enteritis remains uncertain. Here, the protective effect of Pediococcus pentosaceus, a strain isolated from the gut of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), was evaluated. Three diets, control diet (CON), gossypol diet (GOS) and GOS supplemented with P. pentosaceus YC diet (GP), were used to feed Nile tilapia for 10 weeks. After the feeding trial, P. pentosaceus YC reduced the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the proximal intestine (PI) and distal intestine (DI). Following a 7-day exposure to Aeromonas hydrophila, the addition of P. pentosaceus YC was found to increase the survival rate of the fish. P. pentosaceus YC significantly inhibited the oxidative stress caused by gossypol, which was evidenced by lower reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA), as well as higher activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in PI and DI. Addition of P. pentosaceus YC significantly inhibited enteritis, with the lower expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines (il-1ß, il-6, il-8) and higher expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines tgf-ß. RNA-seq analysis indicated that P. pentosaceus YC supplementation significantly inhibited nlrc3 and promoted nf-κb expression in PI and DI, and the siRNA interference experiment in vivo demonstrated that intestinal inflammation was mediated by NLRC3/NF-κB/IL-1ß signaling pathway. Fecal bacteria transplantation experiment demonstrated that gut microbiota mediated the protective effect of P. pentosaceus YC. These findings offer valuable insights into the application of P. pentosaceus YC for alleviating gossypol-induced intestinal inflammation in fish.

Pparα activation stimulates autophagic flux through lipid catabolism-independent route.

Autophagy is a cellular process that involves the fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes to degrade damaged proteins or organelles. Triglycerides are hydrolyzed by autophagy, releasing fatty acids for energy through mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAO). Inhibited mitochondrial FAO induces autophagy, establishing a crosstalk between lipid catabolism and autophagy. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), a transcription factor, stimulates lipid catabolism genes, including fatty acid transport and mitochondrial FAO, while also inducing autophagy through transcriptional regulation of transcription factor EB (TFEB). Therefore, the study explores whether PPARα regulates autophagy through TFEB transcriptional control or mitochondrial FAO. In aquaculture, addressing liver lipid accumulation in fish is crucial. Investigating the link between lipid catabolism and autophagy is significant for devising lipid-lowering strategies and maintaining fish health. The present study investigated the impact of dietary fenofibrate and L-carnitine on autophagy by activating Pparα and enhancing FAO in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), respectively. The dietary fenofibrate and L-carnitine reduced liver lipid content and enhanced ATP production, particularly fenofibrate. FAO enhancement by L-carnitine showed no changes in autophagic protein levels and autophagic flux. Moreover, fenofibrate-activated Pparα promoted the expression and nuclear translocation of Tfeb, upregulating autophagic initiation and lysosomal biogenesis genes. Pparα activation exhibited an increasing trend of LC3II protein at the basal autophagy and cumulative p62 protein trends after autophagy inhibition in zebrafish liver cells. These data show that Pparα activation-induced autophagic flux should be independent of lipid catabolism.

Long-Read Genome Sequencing Provides Molecular Insights into Scavenging and Societal Complexity in Spotted Hyena Crocuta crocuta.

The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) is a large and unique terrestrial carnivore. It is a particularly fascinating species due to its distinct phenotypic traits, especially its complex social structure and scavenging lifestyle, with associated high dietary exposure to microbial pathogens. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms related to these phenotypes remain elusive. Here, we sequenced and assembled a high-quality long-read genome of the spotted hyena, with a contig N50 length of ∼13.75 Mb. Based on comparative genomics, immunoglobulin family members (e.g., IGKV4-1) showed significant adaptive duplications in the spotted hyena and striped hyena. Furthermore, immune-related genes (e.g., CD8A, LAG3, and TLR3) experienced species-specific positive selection in the spotted hyena lineage. These results suggest that immune tolerance between the spotted hyena and closely related striped hyena has undergone adaptive divergence to cope with prolonged dietary exposure to microbial pathogens from scavenging. Furthermore, we provided the potential genetic insights underlying social complexity, hinting at social behavior and cognition. Specifically, the RECNE-associated genes (e.g., UGP2 and ACTR2) in the spotted hyena genome are involved in regulation of social communication. Taken together, our genomic analyses provide molecular insights into the scavenging lifestyle and societal complexity of spotted hyenas.

Atorvastatin remodels lipid distribution between liver and adipose tissues through blocking lipoprotein efflux in fish.

The regulation of cholesterol metabolism in fish is still unclear. Statins play important roles in promoting cholesterol metabolism development in mammals. However, studies on the role of statins in cholesterol metabolism in fish are currently limited. The present study evaluated the effects of statins on cholesterol metabolism in fish. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) were fed on control diets supplemented with three atorvastatin levels (0, 12, and 24 mg/kg diet, ATV0, ATV12, and ATV24, respectively) for 4 wk. Intriguingly, the results showed that both atorvastatin treatments increased hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride contents mainly through inhibiting bile acid synthesis and efflux, and compensatorily enhancing cholesterol synthesis in fish liver (P < 0.05). Moreover, atorvastatin treatment significantly inhibited hepatic very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) assembly and thus decreased serum VLDL content (P < 0.05). However, fish treated with atorvastatin significantly reduced cholesterol and triglycerides contents in adipose tissue (P < 0.05). Further molecular analysis showed that atorvastatin treatment promoted cholesterol synthesis and lipogenesis pathways, but inhibited lipid catabolism and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake in the adipose tissue of fish (P < 0.05). In general, atorvastatin induced the remodeling of lipid distribution between liver and adipose tissues through blocking VLDL efflux from the liver to adipose tissue of fish. Our results provide a novel regulatory pattern of cholesterol metabolism response caused by atorvastatin in fish, which is distinct from mammals: cholesterol inhibition by atorvastatin activates hepatic cholesterol synthesis and inhibits its efflux to maintain cholesterol homeostasis, consequently reduces cholesterol storage in fish adipose tissue.

The dysfunction of hormone-sensitive lipase induces lipid deposition and reprogramming of nutrient metabolism in fish.

Hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) is one of the rate-determining enzymes in the hydrolysis of TAG, playing a crucial role in lipid metabolism. However, the role of HSL-mediated lipolysis in systemic nutrient homoeostasis has not been intensively understood. Therefore, we used CRISPR/Cas9 technique and Hsl inhibitor (HSL-IN-1) to establish hsla-deficient (hsla-/-) and Hsl-inhibited zebrafish models, respectively. As a result, the hsla-/- zebrafish showed retarded growth and reduced oxygen consumption rate, accompanied with higher mRNA expression of the genes related to inflammation and apoptosis in liver and muscle. Furthermore, hsla-/- and HSL-IN-1-treated zebrafish both exhibited severe fat deposition, whereas their expressions of the genes related to lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation were markedly reduced. The TLC results also showed that the dysfunction of Hsl changed the whole-body lipid profile, including increasing the content of TG and decreasing the proportion of phospholipids. In addition, the systemic metabolic pattern was remodelled in hsla-/- and HSL-IN-1-treated zebrafish. The dysfunction of Hsl lowered the glycogen content in liver and muscle and enhanced the utilisation of glucose plus the expressions of glucose transporter and glycolysis genes. Besides, the whole-body protein content had significantly decreased in the hsla-/- and HSL-IN-1-treated zebrafish, accompanied with the lower activation of the mTOR pathway and enhanced protein and amino acid catabolism. Taken together, Hsl plays an essential role in energy homoeostasis, and its dysfunction would cause the disturbance of lipid catabolism but enhanced breakdown of glycogen and protein for energy compensation.

PDK inhibition promotes glucose utilization, reduces hepatic lipid deposition, and improves oxidative stress in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) by increasing pyruvate oxidative phosphorylation.

In omnivorous fish, the pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases (PDKs)-pyruvate dehydrogenase E1α subunit (PDHE1α) axis is essential in the regulation of carbohydrate oxidative catabolism. Among the existing research, the role of the PDKs-PDHE1α axis in carnivorous fish with poor glucose utilization is unclear. In the present study, we determined the effects of PDK inhibition on the liver glycolipid metabolism of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). DCA is a PDK-specific inhibitor that inhibits PDK by binding the allosteric sites. A total of 160 juvenile largemouth bass were randomly divided into two groups, with four replicates of 20 fish each, fed a control diet and a control diet supplemented with dichloroacetate (DCA) for 8 weeks. The present results showed that DCA supplementation significantly decreased the hepatosomatic index, triglycerides in liver and serum, and total liver lipids of largemouth bass compared with the control group. In addition, compared with the control group, DCA treatment significantly down-regulated gene expression associated with lipogenesis. Furthermore, DCA supplementation significantly decreased the mRNA expression of pdk3a and increased PDHE1α activity. In addition, DCA supplementation improved glucose oxidative catabolism and pyruvate oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in the liver, as evidenced by low pyruvate content in the liver and up-regulated expressions of glycolysis-related and TCA cycle/OXPHOS-related genes. Moreover, DCA consumption decreased hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) content, enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and increased transforming growth factor beta (tgf-ß), glutathione S-transferase (gst), and superoxide dismutase 1 (sod1) gene expression compared with the control diet. This study demonstrated that inhibition of PDKs by DCA promoted glucose utilization, reduced hepatic lipid deposition, and improved oxidative stress in largemouth bass by increasing pyruvate OXPHOS. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the underlying mechanism of the PDKs-PDHE1α axis in glucose metabolism and improve the utilization of dietary carbohydrates in farmed carnivorous fish.

Modulating the organic photovoltaic properties of non-fullerene acceptors by molecular modification based on Y6: a theoretical study.

Developing non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) by modifying the backbone, side chains and end groups is the most important strategy to improve the power conversion efficiency of organic solar cells (OSCs). Among numerous developed NFAs, Y6 and its derivatives are famous NFAs in the OSC field due to their good performance. Herein, in order to understand the mechanism of tuning the photovoltaic performance by modifying the Y6's center backbone, π-spacer and side-chains, we selected the PM6:Y6 OSC as a reference and systematically studied PM6:AQx-2, PM6:Y6-T, PM6:Y6-2T, PM6:Y6-O, PM6:Y6-1O and PM6:Y6-2O OSC systems based on extensive quantum chemistry calculations. The results indicate that introducing quinoxaline to substitute thiadiazole in the backbone induces a blue-shift of absorption spectra, reduces the charge transfer (CT) distance (Δd) and average electrostatic potential (ESP), and increases the singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔEST), CT excitation energy and the number of CT states in low-lying excitations. Inserting thienyl and dithiophenyl as π spacers generates a red-shift of absorption spectra, enlarges Δd and average ESP, and reduces ΔEST and the number of CT states. Introducing furo[3,2-b]furan for substituting one thieno[3,2-b]thiophene unit in the Y6's backbone causes a red-shift of absorption spectra and increases ΔEST, Δd and average ESP as well as CT excitation energy. Introducing alkoxyl as a side chain results in a blue-shift of absorption spectra, and increases ΔEST, Δd, average ESP, CT excitation energy and the number of CT states. The rate constants calculated using Marcus theory suggest that all the molecular modifications of Y6 reduce the exciton dissociation and charge recombination rates at the heterojunction interface, while introducing furo[3,2-b]furan and alkoxyl enlarges CT rates.

KUP9 maintains root meristem activity by regulating K+ and auxin homeostasis in response to low K.

Potassium (K) is essential for plant growth and development. Here, we show that the KUP/HAK/KT K+ transporter KUP9 controls primary root growth in Arabidopsis thaliana. Under low-K+ conditions, kup9 mutants displayed a short-root phenotype that resulted from reduced numbers of root cells. KUP9 was highly expressed in roots and specifically expressed in quiescent center (QC) cells in root tips. The QC acts to maintain root meristem activity, and low-K+ conditions induced QC cell division in kup9 mutants, resulting in impaired root meristem activity. The short-root phenotype and enhanced QC cell division in kup9 mutants could be rescued by exogenous auxin treatment or by specifically increasing auxin levels in QC cells, suggesting that KUP9 affects auxin homeostasis in QC cells. Further studies showed that KUP9 mainly localized to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), where it mediated K+ and auxin efflux from the ER lumen to the cytoplasm in QC cells under low-K+ conditions. These results demonstrate that KUP9 maintains Arabidopsis root meristem activity and root growth by regulating K+ and auxin homeostasis in response to low-K+ stress.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ameliorates high-carbohydrate diet-induced metabolic phenotypes by restoration of intestinal acetate-producing bacteria in Nile Tilapia.

Poor utilisation efficiency of carbohydrate always leads to metabolic phenotypes in fish. The intestinal microbiota plays an important role in carbohydrate degradation. Whether the intestinal bacteria could alleviate high-carbohydrate diet (HCD)-induced metabolic phenotypes in fish remains unknown. Here, a strain affiliated to Bacillus amyloliquefaciens was isolated from the intestine of Nile tilapia. A basal diet (CON), HCD or HCD supplemented with B. amy SS1 (HCB) was used to feed fish for 10 weeks. The beneficial effects of B. amy SS1 on weight gain and protein accumulation were observed. Fasting glucose and lipid deposition were decreased in the HCB group compared with the HCD group. High-throughput sequencing showed that the abundance of acetate-producing bacteria was increased in the HCB group relative to the HCD group. Gas chromatographic analysis indicated that the concentration of intestinal acetate was increased dramatically in the HCB group compared with that in the HCD group. Glucagon-like peptide-1 was also increased in the intestine and serum of the HCB group. Thus, fish were fed with HCD, HCD supplemented with sodium acetate at 900 mg/kg (HLA), 1800 mg/kg (HMA) or 3600 mg/kg (HHA) diet for 8 weeks, and the HMA and HHA groups mirrored the effects of B. amy SS1. This study revealed that B. amy SS1 could alleviate the metabolic phenotypes caused by HCD by enriching acetate-producing bacteria in fish intestines. Regulating the intestinal microbiota and their metabolites might represent a powerful strategy for fish nutrition modulation and health maintenance in future.

Effects of dietary mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) supplementation on metabolism, inflammatory response and gut microbiota of juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed with high carbohydrate diet.

High-carbohydrate diet could achieve cost-sparing effect in aquafeed, but it may cause adverse effects on the growth condition or health status of fish. In order to reduce the adverse effects caused by high carbohydrate diet, mannan oligosaccharides (MOS), a commonly used prebiotics, was used as the feed additive to feed juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) (1.19 ± 0.01g) for ten weeks. Three treatments including CON (35% carbohydrate diet), HC (45% carbohydrate diet) and HM (45% carbohydrate supplemented diet with 5 g/kg MOS) were involved. The results showed that MOS supplementation increased the weight gain and body length of juvenile Nile tilapia compared with the HC group. Addition of MOS decreased serum glucose and liver glycogen by increasing enzymes activity related to glycolysis. Furthermore, supplementation of MOS decreased the high carbohydrate diet induced triglycerides accumulation in liver by reducing the expression level of genes related to TG synthesis. Dietary MOS also down-regulated the gene expression level of inflammation factors in liver. Intestinal bacterial composition analyses showed that supplementation of MOS in high carbohydrate diet altered the gut microbial composition and enriched pathways related to the glucose metabolism based on KEGG analyses. In general, our results demonstrated that MOS supplementation in high carbohydrate diet could regulate glucose and lipid homeostasis which may be related to the alteration of gut microbiota. These findings shed light on the application of prebiotics to increase the growth performance, alleviate the metabolic disorders and regulate inflammatory response in aquaculture.

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens protects Nile tilapia against Aeromonas hydrophila infection and alleviates liver inflammation induced by high-carbohydrate diet.

Carbohydrates are widely distributed in nature as an important nutritional substance and energy source. However, the utilization efficiency of carbohydrates is very poor in fish. Over consumption of carbohydrates will cause excessive inflammatory response and result in lower pathogen resistance in fish. Probiotics have been widely used to prevent inflammation, but the underlying mechanism still needs more exploration. In this study, three diets, including a control diet (CD), a high-carbohydrate diet (HD) and the HD supplemented with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SS1 (HDB) were used to feed Nile tilapia for 10 weeks. At the end of the feeding trial, fish were challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila (A. hydrophila) for 7 days. The data showed that the addition of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens SS1 (B. amyloliquefaciens SS1) significantly increased the survival rate and enhanced the respiratory burst activity of head kidney leukocytes in Nile tilapia. B. amyloliquefaciens SS1 treatment significantly elevated the anti-oxidative capability, which was evidenced by higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and higher content of reduced glutathione (GSH) in the serum. Administration with B. amyloliquefaciens SS1 effectively suppressed inflammatory response in the liver by inhibiting nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB)/interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß) inflammatory signaling pathway. In vitro analysis suggested that intestinal bacteria derived-acetate has the antioxidant capability, which may account for the alleviation of inflammation. Overall, this study demonstrated that dietary supplementation with B. amyloliquefaciens SS1 protected Nile Tilapia against A. hydrophila infection and suppressed liver inflammation by enhancing antioxidant capability.

Baicalein ameliorates ulcerative colitis by improving intestinal epithelial barrier via AhR/IL-22 pathway in ILC3s.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract, which is closely related to gut barrier dysfunction. Emerging evidence shows that interleukin-22 (IL-22) derived from group 3 innate lymphoid cells (ILC3s) confers benefits on intestinal barrier, and IL-22 expression is controlled by aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Previous studies show that baicalein protects the colon from inflammatory damage. In this study we elucidated the molecular mechanisms underlying the protective effect of baicalein on intestinal barrier function in colitis mice. Mice were administered baicalein (10, 20, 40 mg·kg-1·d-1, i.g.) for 10 days; the mice freely drank 3% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) on D1-D7 to induce colitis. We showed that baicalein administration simultaneously ameliorated gut inflammation, decreased intestinal permeability, restored tight junctions of colons possibly via promoting AhR/IL-22 pathway. Co-administration of AhR antagonist CH223191 (10 mg/kg, i.p.) partially blocked the therapeutic effects of baicalein in colitis mice, whereas AhR agonist FICZ (1 µg, i.p.) ameliorated symptoms and gut barrier function in colitis mice. In a murine lymphocyte line MNK-3, baicalein (5-20 µM) dose-dependently increased the expression of AhR downstream target protein CYP1A1, and enhanced IL-22 production through facilitating AhR nuclear translocation, these effects were greatly diminished in shAhR-MNK3 cells, suggesting that baicalein induced IL-22 production in AhR-dependent manner. To further clarify that, we constructed an in vitro system consisting of MNK-3 and Caco-2 cells, in which MNK-3 cell supernatant treated with baicalein could decrease FITC-dextran permeability and promoted the expression of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occluding in Caco-2 cells. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that baicalein ameliorates colitis by improving intestinal epithelial barrier via AhR/IL-22 pathway in ILC3s, thus providing a potential therapy for UC.

Transcriptome analysis of immune-related genes in Sesarmops sinensis hepatopancreas in reaction to peptidoglycan challenge.

Sesarmops sinensis is a dominant omnivorous crab species, which plays an important ecological function in salt marsh ecosystems. To better understand its immune system and immune related genes under pathogen infection, the transcriptome was analyzed by comparing the data of S. sinensis hepatopancreas stimulated by PBS and PGN. A set of assembly and annotation identified 39,039 unigenes with an average length of 1105 bp, obtaining 1300 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in all, which included 466 remarkably up-regulated unigenes and 834 remarkably down-regulated unigenes. In addition, based on mensurable real time-polymerase chain reaction and high-throughput sequencing, several immune responsive genes were found to be markedly up-regulated under PGN stimulation. In conclusion, in addition to enriching the existing transcriptome data of S. sinensis, this study also clarified the immune response of S. sinensis to PGN stimulation, which will help us to further understand the crustacean's immune system.

The Amomum tsao-ko Essential Oils Inhibited Inflammation and Apoptosis through p38/JNK MAPK Signaling Pathway and Alleviated Gentamicin-Induced Acute Kidney Injury.

The clinical application of gentamicin may lead to acute kidney injury (AKI), and the nephrotoxicity of gentamicin is related to the pathological mechanism of several oxidative and inflammatory cytokines. Plant-derived essential oils have good anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This study aimed to clarify the protective effect of Amomum tsao-ko essential oils (AOs) on gentamicin-induced AKI in rats and its possible mechanism. The rat AKI model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of gentamicin. After 14 days of oral AO treatment, the renal function and pathological changes of the kidney tissues were evaluated, and the level of kidney tissue oxidative stress was detected. The content of inflammatory cytokines was measured by ELISA. The expression of ERK1/2, JNK1/2, p38, NF-κB, caspase-3, and Bax/Bcl-2 proteins were estimated by Western blot analysis. The results showed that taking AO reduced the contents of serum urea and creatinine in AKI rats and improve the pathological changes and oxidative stress of the kidney tissue in rats. At the same time, AO reduced inflammation and apoptosis during AKI by regulating the MAPK pathway. The data show that AO has a protective effect on the kidneys and may be a potential drug for treating kidney injury.

The Adaptive Characteristics of Cholesterol and Bile Acid Metabolism in Nile Tilapia Fed a High-Fat Diet.

Since high-fat diet (HFD) intake elevates liver cholesterol and enhanced cholesterol-bile acid flux alleviates its lipid deposition, we assumed that the promoted cholesterol-bile acid flux is an adaptive metabolism in fish when fed an HFD. The present study investigated the characteristic of cholesterol and fatty acid metabolism in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) after feeding an HFD (13% lipid level) for four and eight weeks. Visually healthy Nile tilapia fingerlings (average weight 3.50 ± 0.05 g) were randomly distributed into four treatments (4-week control diet or HFD and 8-week control diet or HFD). The liver lipid deposition and health statue, cholesterol/bile acid, and fatty acid metabolism were analyzed in fish after short-term and long-term HFD intake. The results showed that 4-week HFD feeding did not change serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transferase (AST) enzyme activities, along with comparable liver malondialdehyde (MDA) content. But higher serum ALT and AST enzyme activities and liver MDA content were observed in fish fed 8-week HFD. Intriguingly, remarkably accumulated total cholesterol (mainly cholesterol ester, CE) was observed in the liver of fish fed 4-week HFD, along with slightly elevated free fatty acids (FFAs) and comparable TG contents. Further molecular analysis in the liver showed that obvious accumulation of CE and total bile acids (TBAs) in fish fed 4-week HFD was mainly attributed to the enhancement of cholesterol synthesis, esterification, and bile acid synthesis. Furthermore, the increased protein expressions of acyl-CoA oxidase 1/2 (Acox1 and Acox2), which serve as peroxisomal fatty acid ß-oxidation (FAO) rate-limiting enzymes and play key roles in the transformation of cholesterol into bile acids, were found in fish after 4-week HFD intake. Notably, 8-week HFD intake remarkably elevated FFA content (about 1.7-fold increase), and unaltered TBAs were found in fish liver, accompanied by suppressed Acox2 protein level and cholesterol/bile acid synthesis. Therefore, the robust cholesterol-bile acid flux serves as an adaptive metabolism in Nile tilapia when fed a short-term HFD and is possibly via stimulating peroxisomal FAO. This finding enlightens our understanding on the adaptive characteristics of cholesterol metabolism in fish fed an HFD and provides a new possible treatment strategy against metabolic disease induced by HFD in aquatic animals.

Mildronate triggers growth suppression and lipid accumulation in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) through disturbing lipid metabolism.

Many metabolic diseases in fish are often associated with lowered mitochondrial fatty acid ß-oxidation (FAO). However, the physiological role of mitochondrial FAO in lipid metabolism has not been verified in many carnivorous fish species, for example in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmonids). In the present study, a specific mitochondrial FAO inhibitor, mildronate (MD), was used to investigate the effects of impaired mitochondrial FAO on growth performance, health status, and lipid metabolism of largemouth bass. The results showed that the dietary MD treatment significantly suppressed growth performance and caused heavy lipid accumulation, especially neutral lipid, in the liver. The MD-treated fish exhibited lower monounsaturated fatty acid and higher long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in the muscle. The MD treatment downregulated the gene expressions in lipolysis and lipogenesis, as well as the expressions of the genes and some key proteins in FAO without enhancing peroxisomal FAO. Additionally, the MD-treated fish had lower serum aspartate aminotransferase activity and lower pro-inflammation- and apoptosis-related genes in the liver. Taken together, MD treatment markedly induced lipid accumulation via depressing lipid catabolism. Our findings reveal the pivotal roles of mitochondrial FAO in maintaining health and lipid homeostasis in largemouth bass and could be hopeful in understanding metabolic diseases in farmed carnivorous fish.

Influence of dietary sodium taurocholate on the growth performance and liver health of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

Bile acids (BAs) are a class of cholesterol-derived amphipathic molecules approved as new animal feed additives. However, the functional researches mainly focused on BAs mixture, and the influence of the individual BA on fishes was still limited. In the present study, Nile tilapia were fed basal diet with three levels of sodium taurocholate at 0 mg/kg (CON), 300 mg/kg (TCAL), and 600 mg/kg (TCAH) for 8 weeks. The results indicated that addition of sodium taurocholate did not significantly influence the growth performance. Instead, TCAH group had higher cholesterol accumulation with liver fibrosis. In TCAH group, the level of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (nrf2) signaling-associated oxidative stress factors significantly increased in the liver. Additionally, fish in TCAH group had the highest expression level of genes encoding endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and inflammatory cytokines in the liver. In conclusion, 300 mg/kg of sodium taurocholate did not significantly influence the growth performance of fish, while 600 mg/kg of sodium taurocholate markedly induced cholesterol accumulation and liver injury, suggesting that the application of taurocholic acid in aquafeed should be re-evaluated.

Inulin alleviates adverse metabolic syndrome and regulates intestinal microbiota composition in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed with high-carbohydrate diet.

A high-carbohydrate diet could achieve a protein-sparing effect, but it may cause negative impacts on the growth condition of fish due to their poor utilisation ability of carbohydrate. How to reduce the adverse effects caused by a high-carbohydrate diet is important for the development of aquaculture. In the present study, we aimed to identify whether inulin could attenuate the metabolic syndrome caused by a high-carbohydrate diet in fish. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) (1·19 (sd 0·01) g) were supplied with 35 % carbohydrate (CON), 45 % carbohydrate (HC) and 45 % carbohydrate + 5 g/kg inulin (HCI) diets for 10 weeks. The results showed that addition of inulin improved the survival rate when fish were challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila, indicating that inulin had an immunostimulatory effect. Compared with the HC group, the HCI group had lower lipid accumulation in liver and the gene expression analyses indicated that addition of inulin down-regulated genes related to lipogenesis and up-regulated genes relevant to ß-oxidation significantly (P < 0·05). Higher liver glycogen and glucose tolerance were found in the HCI group compared with the HC group (P < 0·05). These results indicated that inulin could alleviate the metabolic syndrome induced by a high-carbohydrate diet. Furthermore, addition of inulin to a high-carbohydrate diet changed the intestinal bacterial composition and significantly increased the concentration of acetic acid and propionic acid in fish gut which have the potential to increase pathogen resistance and regulate metabolic characteristics in fish. Collectively, our results demonstrated a possible causal role for the gut microbiome in metabolic improvements induced by inulin in fish.