Effects of selenium enrichment on fermentation characteristics, selenium content and microbial community of alfalfa silage.

BACKGROUND: Selenium is essential for livestock and human health. The traditional way of adding selenium to livestock diets has limitations, and there is a growing trend to provide livestock with a safe and efficient source of selenium through selenium-enriched pasture. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effects of selenium enrichment on fermentation characteristics, selenium content, selenium morphology, microbial community and in vitro digestion of silage alfalfa by using unenriched (CK) and selenium-enriched (Se) alfalfa as raw material for silage. RESULTS: In this study, selenium enrichment significantly increased crude protein, soluble carbohydrate, total selenium, and organic selenium contents of alfalfa silage fresh and post-silage samples, and it significantly decreased neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber contents (p < 0.05). Selenium enrichment altered the form of selenium in plants, mainly in the form of SeMet and SeMeCys, which were significantly higher than that of CK (p < 0.05). Selenium enrichment could significantly increase the lactic acid content, reduce the pH value, change the diversity of bacterial community, promote the growth of beneficial bacteria such as Lactiplantibacillus and inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria such as Pantoea, so as to improve the fermentation quality of silage. The in vitro digestibility of dry matter (IVDMD), in vitro digestibility of acid detergent fibers (IVADFD) and in vitro digestibility of acid detergent fibers (IVNDFD) of silage after selenium enrichment were significantly higher than those of CK (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study showed that the presence of selenium could regulate the structure of the alfalfa silage bacterial community and improve alfalfa silage fermentation quality. Selenium enrichment measures can change the morphology of selenium in alfalfa silage products, thus promoting the conversion of organic selenium.

Case report: A novel PTCH1 frameshift mutation leading to nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome.

A patient presenting with several basal cell carcinomas, pigmented nevi, and developmental defects was diagnosed with nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome. Gene panel sequencing and Sanger sequencing were used to identify a novel heterozygous frameshift mutation, c.1312dupA:p.Ser438Lysfs, in exon 9 of PTCH1. I-Tasser and PyMol analyses indicated that the mutated protein patched homolog 1 (PTCH1) lacked 12 transmembrane domains and the intracellular and extracellular rings of ECD2 compared with the wild-type protein, resulting in a remarkably different structure from that of the wild-type protein. This case extends our knowledge of the mutation spectrum of NBCCS.

[Expression and clinical significance of BTG-1 in 78 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma].

PURPOSE: To investigate the expression and clinical significance of B cell translocation gene 1 (BTG1) in oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC). METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the expression of BTG1 protein in 78 cases of OSCC tissues, 78 adjacent tissues, 20 normal oral mucosa tissues, and 80 cervical lymph nodes. Western blot and real-time quantitative PCR were used to detect BTG1 protein and mRNA expression levels in 78 OSCC tissues and adjacent tissues. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, Log rank test and Cox regression analysis were performed with SPSS 21.0 software package. RESULTS: The expression level of BTG1 in OSCC and cervical positive lymph nodes was significantly lower than that in normal tissues and negative lymph nodes adjacent to the cancer, and the expression of BTG1 in poorly differentiated OSCC was significantly lower than that in highly differentiated OSCC (P<0.05); Survival analysis showed the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival time(OS) of BTG1 low-expression group were significantly lower than those of high-expression group (P<0.05). Cox regression analysis showed that the degree of tumor differentiation, cervical lymph node metastasis, and BTG1 expression all affected patients' prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: BTG1 is lowerly expressed in OSCC, with expression related to TNM stage and differentiation of OSCC but no relation with gender, age, and tumor location, including that BTG1 may be involved in the occurrence, development and prognosis of OSCC.