Effects of compound probiotics on intestinal barrier function and caecum microbiota composition of broilers.

Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms existing in nature and animals and can be used in livestock and poultry breeding. Here, 240 1-day-old Arbor Acre (AA) broilers were used to study the effects of compound probiotics (CP) on antioxidant capacity, intestinal barrier function and caecum microorganisms. 2‰, 3‰ or 4‰ CP were added to the basal diet. Blood, jejunum, caecum and caecum contents of broilers were collected on day 60, and the jejunum histopathological observation, oxidative stress state evaluation, intestinal barrier function mRNA level and caecum microflora composition were carried out. The results showed that CP significantly improved the growth performance of broilers in 1-30 days. Moreover, CP supplementation increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) contents in serum, and increased the mRNA levels of zona occludens 1 (ZO-1), claudin-1 and occludin in the jejunum of broilers. 3‰ CP observably increased the ratio of villus height to crypt depth, and the abundance of the genus Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group and Phascolarctobacterium, decreased the abundance of the genus Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014, together with regulation of several genes that are responsible for signaling pathways involved in carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism and endocrine and metabolic diseases. Taken together, the supplementation of CP could reduce oxidative stress levels, increase the mRNA expression levels of tight junction (TJ)-related genes and the colonization of beneficial bacteria in the caecum, which has a promoting effect on the growth performance in broilers.

Compound probiotics alleviate cadmium-induced intestinal dysfunction and microbiota disorders in broilers.

Cadmium (Cd), a common environmental pollutant, seriously threatens the health of intestine. This research aimed to investigate the effects of compound probiotics (CP) on intestinal dysfunction and cecal microbiota dysregulation induced by Cd in broilers. A total of 240 1-day-old Arbor Acre (AA) broilers were randomly assigned to four groups. After 120 days of feeding, the jejunum tissues and cecal contents were sampled for jejunum histopathological observation, the intestinal barrier and inflammatory factors related mRNA and proteins examinations, and intestinal microbiota analysis. The results showed that Cd could cause jejunal villus damage and inflammatory cells infiltration, down-regulate the mRNA levels of intestinal barrier related genes (ZO-1, ZO-2, ZO-3, Claudin1, Claudin3, Claudin4, Occludin, and E-cadherin) and inflammatory factor related genes (IL-1ß, IL-18, IFN-γ, NF-κB), and the protein levels of Claudin1, ZO-1, Occludin, but up-regulate the Claudin2, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-10 mRNA levels. However, the addition of CP could effectively improve these changes. In addition, 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis showed that compared with the Cd group, supplementation CP increased the abundance of Lactobacillales, Clostridiales, Firmicutes, together with regulations on the pathways responsible for energy metabolism, translation and amino acid metabolism. In conclusion, CP could improve intestinal barrier damage and intestinal microbiota disturbance induced by Cd.

Molybdenum and cadmium co-induce mitophagy and mitochondrial dysfunction via ROS-mediated PINK1/Parkin pathway in Hepa1-6 cells.

Excessive molybdenum (Mo) and Cadmium (Cd) can adversely affect health status. However, the correlation between mitophagy and mitochondrial dysfunction caused by Mo and Cd and the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between mitophagy and mitochondrial dysfunction via the ROS-mediated PINK1/Parkin pathway caused by Mo and Cd. Here, Hepa1-6 cells were incubated with (NH4)6Mo7O24.4 H2O (600.0 µM Mo), CdCl2 (10.0 µM Cd), and the combination of reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenger (N-acetyl-L-cysteine, NAC, 100.0 µM), or mitophagy inhibitor (Cyclosporin A, CsA, 1.0 µM) for 24 h. Results revealed that Mo or/and Cd elevated the level of intracellular ROS and malondialdehyde (MDA) content, reduced superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities. Additionally, Mo or/and Cd could observably increase the percentage of cells with low membrane potential and decrease the content of ATP, elevate the number of autophagosomes and LC3 puncta, upregulate the mRNA and protein levels of LC3II/LC3I, Parkin, Pink1, VDAC1, downregulate mRNA and protein levels of P62. Moreover, treatments with NAC could significantly alleviate the changes of the above factors co-induced by Mo and Cd, and CsA intensify the changes of the above factors. In summary, our results reveal that Mo and Cd co-exposure can cause oxidative stress and mitophagy via the ROS-mediated PINK1/Parkin pathway in Hepa1-6 cells, and inhibition of mitophagy aggravates Mo and Cd co-induced mitochondrial dysfunction.

Selenium alleviates cadmium-induced mitophagy through FUNDC1-mediated mitochondrial quality control pathway in the lungs of sheep.

Cadmium (Cd) is a poisonous metal element that causes mitochondrial dysfunction. Selenium (Se) can reduce the damage of Cd to various organs of animals, but the protective mechanism of Se in Cd-induced lung injury has not been fully elucidated. For purpose of further illustrating the specific mechanism of Se alleviated Cd-triggered pulmonary toxicity, 48 sheep were divided into 4 groups, of which the sheep in the treatment group were taken 1 mg/kg body weight (BW) of Cd, 0.34 mg/kg BW of Se, and 0.34 mg Se + 1 mg/kg BW of Cd by intragastric administration for 50 d, respectively. The results indicated that Cd caused inflammatory cell infiltration and alveolar wall thickening, which facilitated mitochondrial vacuolation and formation of mitophagosomes in lung tissues. Simultaneously, Cd treatment impaired the antioxidant capacity of sheep lung tissue. Additionally, Cd treatment down-regulated the expression levels of mitochondrial biogenesis and mitochondrial fusion, but up-regulated the levels of mitochondrial fission and mitophagy mediated by FUNDC1. Moreover, the immunofluorescence co-localization puncta of LC3B/COX IV, LC3B/FUNDC1 were increased after Cd treatment. Nevertheless, co-treatment with Se improved effectively the above variation caused by Cd exposure. In summary, Se could mitigate Cd-generated mitophagy through FUNDC1-mediated mitochondrial quality control pathway in the lungs of sheep.

The beneficial effects of traditional Chinese medicine on antioxidative status and inflammatory cytokines expression in the liver of piglets.

Oxidative stress and inflammation seriously affected the growth and development of piglets. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescriptions has been used to prevent various diseases of piglets, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. Here, we identified the effects of Xiao-Jian-Zhong-Tang (XJZT) and Jingsananli-sepsis (JJS) on the oxidative stress and inflammatory in the liver of piglets. The piglets were fed with the basal diet (Control group), basal diet affixed with 10 g/kg XJZT (TCM I group), and basal diet affixed with 3 g/kg JJS (TCM II group), respectively. The serum was gathered on days 30 and 60 and the liver samples were also collected on day 60. Results showed that the TCM I and TCM II markedly increased the activities of the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and reduced the levels of malonaldehyde (MDA), TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 in serum. In addition, compared to the control group, Nrf2, SOD-1, NQO-1, and HO-1 mRNA expression levels and the protein levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 were significantly increased while NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 mRNA expression levels and the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB and IκB-α were decreased in TCM I and TCM II groups. Collectively, these findings suggested that TCM I and TCM II could enhance anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory capabilities in the liver of piglets via the Nrf2/NF-κB pathway, providing a basis for the functional exploration of TCM prescriptions.

Corrigendum: The beneficial effects of traditional Chinese medicine on antioxidative status and inflammatory cytokines expression in the liver of piglets.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.937745.].

Traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions (XJZ, JSS) ameliorate spleen inflammatory response and antioxidant capacity by synergistically regulating NF-κB and Nrf2 signaling pathways in piglets.

Weaning transition generally impairs the immune system, inducing immune disturbance, which may be associated with post-weaning diarrhea and high mortality in piglets. The spleen is a pivotal lymphatic organ that plays a key role in the establishment of the immune system. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescriptions, XiaoJianZhong (XJZ) and Jiansananli-sepsis (JSS), are widely used prescriptions for treating spleen damage and diarrhea. Here, we hypothesized that XJZ and JSS maintain the spleen physiological function by ameliorating antioxidant capacity and inflammatory response in weaned piglets. In this study, 18 weaned piglets were assigned to the Control, XJZ and JSS groups. By hematoxylin and eosin staining, hematological analysis, flow cytometric analysis, qRT-PCR and western blot, the effects of both TCM prescriptions on the spleen antioxidant defense system and inflammatory pathway were explored. Results showed that both TCM treatment significantly ameliorated the weaning-induced morphological damage in piglets, as evidenced by clearer and more perfect spleen histology, as well as higher relative area of white pulp. Meanwhile, both XJZ and JSS exerted better blood parameters, as supported by the changes of monocyte level and lymphocyte subpopulations CD4+/CD8+ ratio. Furthermore, the levels of inflammatory markers, IL1ß, IL6, IL8, and TNF-α in the spleen were markedly decreased after supplemented with both TCM prescriptions. Importantly, the inhibition of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) and its downstream effector genes (IL6, IL8, and TNF-α) in both XJZ and JSS treatment groups further confirmed alleviation of inflammatory responses in the spleen. In addition, both XJZ and JSS enhanced the antioxidant capacity of the spleen by activating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-activated antioxidant defense system. Notably, the results of PCA and network correlation analysis indicated that XJZ and JSS treatment altered the expression profiles of inflammatory and antioxidant-related factors in the spleen of weaned-piglets, which may involve the synergy of NF-κB and Nrf2 signaling pathways. In summary, our study showed that TCM prescriptions, XJZ and JSS could ameliorate inflammatory response and antioxidant capacity in the spleen by synergistically regulating NF-κB and Nrf2 signaling pathways in piglets.

Two kinds of traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions reduce thymic inflammation levels and improve humoral immunity of finishing pigs.

In animal husbandry, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a reasonable alternative to antibiotics has attracted more and more concerns to reduce microbial resistance. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with TCM prescriptions on serum parameters and thymus inflammation responses in finishing pigs. Thirty finishing pigs were randomly divided into three groups, which included the Con group (basal diet), the TCM1 group (basal diet supplemented with Xiao Jian Zhong prescriptions), and the TCM2 group (basal diet supplemented with Jingsananli-sepsis). The results showed that the contents of C3 and C4 in the serum were significantly increased in both the TCM1 and TCM2 groups compared to the Con group on day 30. Similarly, the levels of IgA, IgG, and IgM were increased in the TCM2 group, and only the level of IgM in TCM1 was increased on day 30. Meanwhile, the levels of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) antibodies had a notable increase in the TCM1 and TCM2 groups. Both TCM1 and TCM2 inhibited the levels of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway-related mRNA (TLR4, MyD88, NF-κB, IL6, IL8, and TNF-α) and protein (p-IκBα and p-P65) expression levels in the thymus. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with TCM could reduce thymic inflammation levels and improve humoral immunity of finishing pigs.