Molecular cloning and functional characterization of mitochondrial RNA splicing 2 in fish Megalobrama amblycephala, and its potential roles in magnesium homeostasis and mitochondrial function.

Mitochondrial function can be regulated by ion channels. Mitochondrial RNA splicing 2 (Mrs2) is a magnesium ion (Mg2+) channel located in the inner mitochondrial membrane, thereby mediating the Mg2+ influx into the mitochondrial matrix. However, its potential role in regulating the Mg homeostasis and mitochondrial function in aquatic species is still unclear. This study molecularly characterizes the gene encoding Mrs2 in fish M. amblycephala with its functions in maintaining the Mg homeostasis and mitochondrial function verified. The mrs2 gene is 2133 bp long incorporating a 1269 bp open reading frame, which encodes 422 amino acids. The Mrs2 protein includes two transmembrane domains and a conserved tripeptide Gly-Met-Asn, and has a high homology (65.92-97.64%) with those of most vertebrates. The transcript of mrs2 was relatively high in the white muscle, liver and kidney. The inhibition of mrs2 reduces the expressions of Mg2+ influx/efflux-related proteins, mitochondrial Mg content, and the activities of mitochondrial complex I and V in hepatocytes. However, the over-expression of mrs2 increases the expressions of Mg2+ influx/efflux-related proteins, mitochondrial Mg content, and the complex V activity, but decreases the activities of mitochondrial complex III and IV and citrate synthase in hepatocytes. Collectively, Mrs2 is highly conserved among different species, and is prerequisite for maintaining Mg homeostasis and mitochondrial function in fish.

The P4' Peptide-Carrying Bacillus subtilis in Cottonseed Meal Improves the Chinese Mitten Crab Eriocheir sinensis Innate Immunity, Redox Defense, and Growth Performance.

This study developed a recombinant Bacillus subtilis to carry the LGSPDVIVIR peptide (cmP4) isolated from the hydrolyzed products of cottonseed meal with excellent antioxidant and immune-enhancing properties in vitro. It was carried as a tandem of five cmP4 peptides (cmP4') to be stably expressed on a large scale. Then, its effectiveness was evaluated in Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) based on growth performance, redox defense, and innate immunity. A total of 280 crabs (mean body weight: 41.40 ± 0.14) were randomly assigned to seven diets including a control one (without B. subtilis) and six experimental ones with different doses (107,108, and 109 CFU/kg) of unmodified and recombinant B. subtilis, respectively, for 12 weeks. Each diet was tested in four tanks of crabs (10/tank). In terms of bacterial dosages, the final weight (FW), weight gain (WG), hemolymph and hepatopancreatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), lysosome (LZM), acid phosphatase (ACP) and alkaline phosphatase (AKP), and hepatopancreatic transcriptions of cat, mitochondrial manganese superoxide dismutase (mtmnsod), thioredoxin-1 (trx1), and prophenoloxidase (propo) all increased significantly with increasing B. subtilis dosages, while hemolymph and hepatopancreatic malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the transcriptions of toll like receptors (tlrs), NF-κB-like transcription factor (relish), and lipopolysaccharide-induced TNF-α factor (litaf) all decreased remarkably. In terms of bacterial species, the recombinant B. subtilis group obtained significantly high values of FW, WG, hemolymph, and hepatopancreatic activities of SOD, CAT, LZM, ACP, and AKP, and the transcriptions of mtmnsod, peroxiredoxin 6 (prx6), and propo compared with the unmodified B. subtilis, while opposite results were noted in hemolymph and hepatopancreatic MDA content and the transcriptions of tlrs, relish, and litaf. These results indicated that dietary supplementation with 109 CFU/kg of recombinant B. subtilis can improve the growth performance, redox defense, and nonspecific immunity of E. sinensis.

Effects of a high-fat and high-carbohydrate diet on appetite regulation and central AMPK in the hypothalamus of blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala).

Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a sensor of cellular energy changes and controls food intake. This study investigates the effect of a high-calorie diet (high fat diet [HFD], high carbohydrate diet [HCD] and high energy diet [HED]) on appetite and central AMPK in blunt snout bream. In the present study, fish (average initial weight 45.84 ± 0.07 g) were fed the control, HFD, HCD and HED in four replicates for 12 weeks. At the end of the feeding trial, the result showed that body mass index, specific growth rate, feed efficiency ratio and feed intake were not affected (p > 0.05) by dietary treatment. However, fish fed the HFD obtained a significantly higher (p < 0.05) lipid productive value, lipid gain and lipid intake than those fed the control diet, but no significant difference was attributed to others. Also, a significantly higher (p < 0.05) energy intake content was found in fish-fed HFD, HCD and HED than those given the control diet. Long-term HFD and HCD feeding significantly increased (p < 0.05) plasma glucose, glycated serum protein, advanced glycation end product, insulin and leptin content levels than the control group. Moreover, a significantly lower (p < 0.05) complex 1, 2 and 3 content was found in fish-fed HFD and HCD than in the control, but no differences (p > 0.05) were attributed to those in HED. Fish-fed HED significantly upregulated (p < 0.05) hypothalamic ampα 1 and ampα 2 expression, whereas the opposite trend was observed in the hypothalamic mammalian target of rapamycin than those in HFD and HCD compared to the control. However, hypothalamic neuropeptide y, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (pparα), acetyl-coa oxidase and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 were significantly upregulated (p < 0.05) in the HCD group, while the opposite was seen in cholecystokinin expression compared to those in the control group. Our findings indicated that the central AMPK signal pathway and appetite were modulated according to the diet's energy level to regulate nutritional status and maintain energy homoeostasis in fish.

Metabolism, antioxidant and immunity in acute and chronic hypoxic stress and the improving effect of vitamin C in the channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus).

Hypoxia is the most significant factor that threatens the health and even survival of freshwater and marine fish. Priority should be given to the investigation of hypoxia adaptation mechanisms and their subsequent modulation. Acute and chronic studies were designed for the current study. Acute hypoxia comprised of normoxia dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.0 ± 0.5 mg/mL (N0), low-oxygen 5.0 ± 0.5 mg/mL(L0), and hypoxia 1.0 ± 0.1 mg/mL (H0) and 300 mg/L Vc for hypoxia regulation (N300, L300, H300). Chronic hypoxia comprised of normoxia (DO 7.0 ± 0.5 mg/mL) with 50 mg/kg Vc in the diet (N50) and low oxygen (5.0 ± 0.5 mg/mL) with 50, 250, 500 mg/kg Vc in the diet (L50, L250, L500) to assess the effect of Vc in hypoxia. The growth, behavior, hematological parameters, metabolism, antioxidants, and related inflammatory factors of channel catfish were investigated, and it was found that channel catfish have a variety of adaptive mechanisms in response to acute and chronic hypoxia. Under acute 5 mg/mL DO, the body color lightened (P < 0.05) and reverted to normal with 300 mg/mL Vc. PLT was significantly elevated after 300 mg/L Vc (P < 0.05), indicating that Vc can effectively restore hemostasis following oxygen-induced tissue damage. Under acute hypoxia, the significantly increased of cortisol, blood glucose, the gene of pyruvate kinase (pk), and phosphofructokinase (pfk), together with the decreased expression of fructose1,6-bisphosphatase (fbp) and the reduction in myoglycogen, suggested that Vc might enhance the glycolytic ability of the channel catfish. And the enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) and the gene expression of sod rose significantly, showing that Vc might improve the antioxidant capacity of the channel catfish. The significant up-regulation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (tnf-α), interleukin-1ß (il-1ß), and cd68 under acute hypoxia implies that hypoxia may generate inflammation in channel catfish, whereas the addition of Vc and down-regulation of these genes suggests that Vc suppresses inflammation under acute hypoxia. We found that the final weight, WGR, FCR, and FI of channel catfish were significantly reduced under chronic hypoxia, and that feeding 250 mg/kg of Vc in the diet was effective in alleviating the growth retardation caused by hypoxia. The significant increase in cortisol, blood glucose, myoglycogen, and the expression of tnf-α, il-1ß, and cd68 (P < 0.05) and the significant decrease in lactate (P < 0.05) under chronic hypoxia indicated that the channel catfish had gradually adapted to the survival threat posed by hypoxia and no longer relied on carbohydrates as their primary source of energy. While the addition of Vc did not appear to increase the energy supply of the fish under hypoxia in terms of glucose metabolism, but the significantly decreased expression of tnf-α, il-1ß, and cd68 (P < 0.05) also were found, indicating that chronic hypoxia, similar acute hypoxia, may increase inflammation in the channel catfish. This study indicates that under acute stress, channel catfish withstand stress by raising energy supply through glycolysis, and acute hypoxic stress significantly promotes inflammation in channel catfish, but Vc assists the channel catfish resist stress by raising glycolysis, antioxidant capacity, and decreasing the production of inflammatory markers. Under chronic hypoxia, the channel catfish no longer utilize carbohydrates as their primary energy source, and Vc may still effectively reduce inflammation in the channel catfish under hypoxia.

Metformin attenuates high-carbohydrate diet-induced redox imbalance, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction in Megalobrama amblycephala.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary metformin supplementation on the redox balance, inflammation, mitochondrial biogenesis, and function in blunt snout bream fed a high-carbohydrate (HC) diet. Fish (45.12 ± 0.36 g) were randomly offered four diets, including a control diet (33% carbohydrate), an HC diet (45% carbohydrate), and the HC diet supplemented with 0.06% (HCM1) and 0.12% (HCM2) metformin respectively for 12 weeks. Compared with the control, feeding the HC diet significantly increased the hepatosomatic index (HSI), the mesenteric fat index, liver and muscle glycogen contents, liver and adipose tissue lipid contents, plasma glucose and glycation end products (AGES) levels and aspartate transaminase activity, plasma and liver malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, hepatic adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) contents, mitochondrial cytochrome c content, mitochondrial complex IV activity and ATP 6 transcription, but decreased plasma catalase (CAT) activity, muscle superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, hepatic antioxidant enzymes activities, and the transcriptions of transforming growth factor ß (tgfß) and interleukin 10 (il10). Compared with the HC group, metformin treatment (especially the HCM2 group) significantly elevated tissue glycogen contents, muscle SOD activity, plasma and liver antioxidant enzymes activities, the transcriptions of tgfß and il10, the sodium/potassium ATPase activity, the contents of mitochondrial protein and AMP, the level of p-AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK), and the p-AMPK/t-AMPK ratio, but lowered the HSI, tissue lipid contents, plasma levels of glucose, AGES and glycated serum protein, plasma, and liver MDA contents, the transcriptions of il1ß, NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 and ATP 6, the contents of ATP and cytochrome c, the ATP/AMP ratio, and the activities of complexes I and IV. In conclusion, metformin could attenuate the HC diet-induced redox imbalance, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction in blunt snout bream.

Single cell landscape of parietal epithelial cells in healthy and diseased states.

The biology and diversity of glomerular parietal epithelial cells (PECs) are important for understanding podocyte regeneration and crescent formation. Although protein markers have revealed the morphological heterogeneity of PECs, the molecular characteristics of PEC subpopulations remain largely unknown. Here, we performed a comprehensive analysis of PECs using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. Our analysis identified five distinct PEC subpopulations: PEC-A1, PEC-A2, PEC-A3, PEC-A4 and PEC-B. Among these subpopulations, PEC- A1 and PEC-A2 were characterized as podocyte progenitors while PEC-A4 represented tubular progenitors. Further dynamic signaling network analysis indicated that activation of PEC-A4 and the proliferation of PEC-A3 played pivotal roles in crescent formation. Analyses suggested that upstream signals released by podocytes, immune cells, endothelial cells and mesangial cells serve as pathogenic signals and may be promising intervention targets in crescentic glomerulonephritis. Pharmacological blockade of two such pathogenic signaling targets, proteins Mif and Csf1r, reduced hyperplasia of the PECs and crescent formation in anti-glomerular basement membrane glomerulonephritis murine models. Thus, our study demonstrates that scRNA-seq-based analysis provided valuable insights into the pathology and therapeutic strategies for crescentic glomerulonephritis.

Oral bovine serum albumin administration alleviates inflammatory signals and improves antioxidant capacity and immune response under thioacetamide stress in blunt snout bream fed a high-calorie diet.

This investigation looks at the impact of oral bovine serum albumin (BSA) on antioxidants, immune responses, and inflammation signals in blunt snout bream fed a high-calorie diet. 480 fish (average weight: 45.84 ± 0.07 g) were randomly fed a control diet, a high-fat diet (HFD), a high carbohydrate diet (HCD), and a high-energy diet (HED) in six replicates for 12 weeks. After the feeding trial, fish were orally administered with 10% BSA for 10 h, then blood and liver samples from five fish were randomly obtained after 10 h to determine plasma inflammatory markers and inorganic components. Also, the leftover fish were injected with thioacetamide, blood and liver samples were simultaneously obtained at 12, 48, and 96 h, respectively, to determine antioxidant, immune, and inflammatory signals, with survival rates recorded at the same time interval. After 10 h, plasma inflammatory markers such as tumour necrosis factors (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL6), nitric oxide (NO), Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1(MCP-1), and cortisol were significantly improved in fish fed HCD and HED as compared to the control. After thioacetamide stress, plasma lysozyme (LYM), complement 3, myeloperoxidase (MPO), and alkaline phosphatase activities, as well as immunoglobulin M, levels all increased significantly (P < 0.05) with increasing time with maximum value attained at 96 h, but shows no difference among dietary treatment. Similar results were observed in liver superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) content, but tended to reduce at 96 h. nf-kb, tnf-α, and mcp-1 tend to decrease with the minimum value attained at 48 h and gradually decrease with increasing time at 96 h. After 96 h of the thioacetamide (TAA) challenge, the survival rate of blunt snout bream fed with an HFD and HCD was significantly lower (P < 0.05) at 48, and 96 h before the administration of BSA. However, no differences were observed among dietary treatments after the BSA administration. Overall, this study indicated that oral dietary administration of BSA might greatly enhance the antioxidant capability and innate immunity and mitigates inflammation signals after TAA stress in blunt snout bream fed high energy diet.

Physical therapy for end-stage hemophilic arthropathy: a case report.

This report introduces a young adult who has been in bed for more than ten years with end-stage hemophilic arthropathy. He didn't have access to factor VIII (FVIII) in the early stage of hemophilia due to the high costs of clotting replacement therapy. As a result, he is experiencing some difficulties, such as joint contracture, muscular atrophy, severe pain, and poor function of cardiopulmonary. He came to visit us for a comprehensive rehabilitation program, and, finally, he achieved the basic goal of self-care in daily life.

A new alkaloid from Thespesia populnea endophytic fungus Penicillium sp. TM-Y1-1.

A new alkaloid (3), together with three known compounds, were isolated from the Thespesia populnea endophytic fungus TM-Y1-1. Their structures were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic methods. The absolute configuration of compound 3 was determined for the first time by ECD calculation and DP4+ analysis. All compounds were evaluated for antimicrobial activity. The results showed that compounds 1 and 2 both exhibited moderate inhibitory activity against banana Colletotrichum gloeosporioides with MIC value of 31.25 µg/ml.

A new chromone from Kandelia candel endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp. ZJ-68.

One chromone (1), together with four known alkaloids, were isolated from the mangrove endophytic fungus Aspergillus sp. ZJ-68. Their structures were elucidated by a combination of HRESIMS and NMR spectroscopic analyses. Compound 1 showed strong anti-inflammatory activity in vitro by inhibiting nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide-activated RAW264.7 cells with an IC50 value of 4.094 ± 0.8 µM, which was better than positive drug indomethacin (IC50=35.8 ± 0.5 µM).

Cottonseed Meal Protein Hydrolysate Improves the Growth Performance of Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis) by Promoting the Muscle Growth and Molting Performance.

Growth retardation and prolonged marketing cycle have been noticed in the practical aquaculture of Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) fed with artificial feed. Plant protein hydrolysates contain a large number of small peptides and free amino acids, which can improve the growth performance of aquatic animals. However, the potential mechanisms are still not well elucidated. In this research, the influences of cottonseed meal protein hydrolysate (CPH) on the growth, feed utilization, muscle growth, and molting performance were investigated in E. sinensis. A total of 240 crabs (mean body weight 37.32 ± 0.38 g) were individually randomly distributed to six diets supplemented with 0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.8%, 1.6%, and 3.2% of CPH for 12 weeks. These findings indicated that the addition of CPH at 0.4% significantly increased the survival rate, body protein gain, apparent protein utilization, trypsin and pepsin activities, and the methyl farnesoate content. When the dose reached 0.8%, the weight growth ratio, meat yield, ecdysone concentration, and the transcription of the ecdysteroid receptor all significantly increased, while the transcriptions of both myostatin and molt-inhibiting hormone significantly decreased. When CPH was added at 1.6%-3.2%, the feed conversion ratio, body crude protein content, Na+/K+-ATPase activity, and the molting ratio were all significantly improved, while the opposite was true for the transcription of the transforming growth factor-ß type I receptor. The investigation results indicated that when added above 0.4%, CPH could stimulate the growth performance of E. sinensis and promote the muscle growth and molting performance.

High-fat diet alters intestinal microbiota and induces endoplasmic reticulum stress via the activation of apoptosis and inflammation in blunt snout bream.

The primary organ for absorbing dietary fat is the gut. High dietary lipid intake negatively affects health and absorption by causing fat deposition in the intestine. This research explores the effect of a high-fat diet (HFD) on intestinal microbiota and its connections with endoplasmic reticulum stress and inflammation. 60 fish (average weight: 45.84 ± 0.07 g) were randomly fed a control diet (6% fat) and a high-fat diet (12 % fat) in four replicates for 12 weeks. From the result, hepatosomatic index (HSI), Visceralsomatic index (VSI), abdominal fat (ADF), Intestosomatic index (ISI), mesenteric fat (MFI), Triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) content were substantially greater on HFD compared to the control diet. Moreover, fish provided the HFD significantly obtained lower superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities. In contrast, an opposite result was seen in malondialdehyde (MDA) content in comparison to the control. HFD significantly altered intestinal microbiota in blunt snout bream, characterized by an increased abundance of Aeromonas, Plesiomonas proteobacteria, and firmicutes with a reduced abundance of Cetobacterium and ZOR0006. The transcriptional levels of glucose-regulated protein 78 (grp78), inositol requiring enzyme 1 (ire1), spliced X box-binding protein 1 (xbp1), DnaJ heat shock protein family (Hsp40) member B9 (dnajb9), tumor necrosis factor alpha (tnf-α), nuclear factor-kappa B (nf-κb), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (mcp-1), and interleukin-6 (il-6) in the intestine were markedly upregulated in fish fed HFD than the control group. Also, the outcome was similar in bax, caspases-3, and caspases-9, ZO-1, Occludin-1, and Occludin-2 expressions. In conclusion, HFD could alter microbiota and facilitate chronic inflammatory signals via activating endoplasmic reticulum stress.

D-galactose-induced cardiac ageing: A review of model establishment and potential interventions.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is highly prevalent in an ageing society. The increased incidence and mortality rates of CVD are global issues endangering human health. There is an urgent requirement for understanding the aetiology and pathogenesis of CVD and developing possible interventions for preventing CVD in ageing hearts. It is necessary to select appropriate models and treatment methods. The D-galactose-induced cardiac ageing model possesses the advantages of low mortality, short time and low cost and has been increasingly used in the study of cardiovascular diseases in recent years. Therefore, understanding the latest progress in D-galactose-induced cardiac ageing is valuable. This review highlights the recent progress and potential therapeutic interventions used in D-galactose-induced cardiac ageing in recent years by providing a comprehensive summary of D-galactose-induced cardiac ageing in vivo and in vitro. This review may serve as reference literature for future research on age-related heart diseases.

Interactions between dietary carbohydrate and thiamine: implications on the growth performance and intestinal mitochondrial biogenesis and function of Megalobrama amblycephala.

A12-week experiment was conducted to evaluate the influences of thiamine ongrowth performance, and intestinal mitochondrial biogenesis and function of Megalobramaamblycephala fed a high-carbohydrate (HC) diet. Fish (24·73 (sem 0·45) g) were randomly assigned to one of four diets: two carbohydrate (CHO) levels (30 and 45 %) and two thiamine levels (0 and 1·5 mg/kg). HC diets significantly decreased DGC, GRMBW, FIMBW, intestinal activities of amylase, lipase, Na+, K+-ATPase, CK, complexes I, III and IV, intestinal ML, number of mitochondrial per field, ΔΨm, the P-AMPK: T-AMPK ratio, PGC-1ß protein expression as well as the transcriptions of AMPKα1, AMPKα2, PGC-1ß, mitochondrial transcription factor A, Opa-1, ND-1 and COX-1 and 2, while the opposite was true for ATP, AMP and reactive oxygen species, and the transcriptions of dynamin-related protein-1, fission-1 and mitochondrial fission factor. Dietarythiamine concentrations significantly increased DGC, GRMBW, intestinal activities of amylase, Na+, K+-ATPase, CK, complexes I and IV, intestinal ML, number of mitochondrial per field, ΔΨm, the P-AMPK:T-AMPK ratio, PGC-1ß protein expression as well as the transcriptions of AMPKα1, AMPKα2, PGC-1ß, Opa-1, ND-1, COX-1 and 2, SGLT-1 and GLUT-2. Furthermore, a significant interaction between dietary CHO and thiamine was observed in DGC, GRMBW, intestinal activities of amylase, CK, complexes I and IV, ΔΨm, the AMP:ATP ratio, the P-AMPK:T-AMPK ratio, PGC-1ß protein expression as well as the transcriptions of AMPKα1, AMPKα2, PGC-1ß, Opa-1, COX-1 and 2, SGLT-1 and GLUT-2. Overall, thiamine supplementation improved growth performance, and intestinal mitochondrial biogenesis and function of M. amblycephala fed HC diets.

Gene expression network related to DNA methylation and miRNA regulation during the process of aflatoxin B1-induced malignant transformation of L02 cells.

Aflatoxin is a secondary metabolite secreted by Aspergillus flavus, parasitic Aspergillus, and other fungi through the polyketone pathway, and it can be detected in many foods. Aflatoxin has strong toxicity and carcinogenicity, and many studies have shown that aflatoxin is highly associated with liver cancer. In the present study, malignant transformation of L02 cells was induced by aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), and the gene expression, miRNA expression, and methylation level were detected by high-throughput sequencing. The gene and miRNA expression results showed that 2547 genes and 315 miRNAs were changed in the AFB1-treated group compared with the DMSO group. Among them, RSAD2 and SCIN were significantly upregulated, whereas TRAPPC3L and UBE2L6 were significantly downregulated. Has-miR-33b-3p was significantly upregulated, whereas Has-miR-3613-5p was significantly downregulated. The methylation results showed that 2832 CpG sites were methylated on the promoter or coding DNA sequence (CDS) of the gene, whereas the expression of DNMT3a and DNMT3b was significantly upregulated. Moreover, hypermethylation occurred in TRAPPC3L, CDH13, and SPINK13. The results of GO and KEGG pathway analyses showed that significantly changed genes and miRNAs were mainly involved in tumor formation, proliferation, invasion, and migration. The results of network map analysis showed that Hsa-miR-3613-5p, Hsa-miR-615-5p, Hsa-miR-615-3p, and Hsa-miR-3158-3p were the key miRNAs for malignant transformation of L02 cells induced by AFB1. In addition, the expression of ONECUT2, RAP1GAP2, and FSTL4 was regulated by DNA methylation and miRNAs. These results suggested that the gene expression network regulated by DNA methylation and miRNAs may play a vital role in AFB1-induced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Lipid metabolism, immune and apoptosis transcriptomic responses of the hepatopancreas of Chinese mitten crab to the exposure to microcystin-LR.

Global warming is favouring the incidence, intensity and duration of harmful cyanobacterial blooms. Microcystin-LR (MC-LR), a hepatotoxic agent, is produced during cyanobacterial blooms. To understand the molecular mechanisms of acute hepatotoxic effect of low doses of MC-LR in crab, we examined differentially expressed genes in samples of the hepatopancreas of Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) collected in 48 h after injections of MC-LR at doses of 0, 25, 50, and 75 µg/kg. The results revealed that MC-LR induced changes in corresponding gene led to the accumulation of triglycerides. MC-LR exposure affected sterol metabolism. Apoptosis-related genes such as Fas-L, Bcl-XL, Cytc, AiF, p53, PERK, calpain, CASP2, CASP7, α-tubulin, PARP, GF, G12, and PKC were upregulated. Conversely, expression levels of CASP10 and ASK1 were downregulated. Genes related to the regulation of actin cytoskeleton (Rho, ROCK, MLCP, MLC, PAK, and PFN) were upregulated. Further, expression levels of genes encoding fatty acid elongation-related enzymes were upregulated, but the expression of genes related to fatty acid synthesis was slightly down regulated. Taken together, these results demonstrated the hepatic toxicity and molecular mechanisms of changes in lipid metabolism, immune and apoptosis in Chinese mitten crab under the MC-LR-induced stress, which is the first report on crabs and performs a comprehensive analysis and a new insight of the molecular toxicological responses in crabs.

Dietary Leucine Supplementation Improves Muscle Fiber Growth and Development by Activating AMPK/Sirt1 Pathway in Blunt Snout Bream (Megalobrama amblycephala).

This research is aimed at evaluating the effects of leucine supplementation on muscle fibers growth and development of blunt snout bream through a feeding trial and a primary muscle cells treatment. An 8-week trial with diets containing 1.61% leucine (LL) or 2.15% leucine (HL) was conducted in blunt snout bream (mean initial weight = 56.56 ± 0.83 g). Results demonstrated that the specific gain rate and the condition factor of fish in the HL group were the highest. The essential amino acids content of fish fed HL diets was significantly higher than that fed LL diets. The texture (hardness, springiness, resilience, and chewiness), the small-sized fiber ratio, fibers density, and sarcomere lengths in fish all obtained the highest in the HL group. Additionally, the proteins expression related with the activation of the AMPK pathway (p-Ampk, Ampk, p-Ampk/Ampk, and Sirt1) and the expression of genes (myogenin (myog), myogenic regulatory factor 4 (mrf4) and myoblast determination protein (myod), and protein (Pax7) related to muscle fiber formation were significantly upregulated with increasing level of dietary leucine. In vitro, the muscle cells were treated with 0, 40 and 160 mg/L leucine for 24 h. The results showed that treated with 40 mg/L leucine significantly raised the protein expressions of BCKDHA, Ampk, p-Ampk, p-Ampk/Ampk, Sirt1, and Pax7 and the gene expressions of myog, mrf4, and myogenic factor 5 (myf5) in muscle cells. In summary, leucine supplementation promoted muscle fibers growth and development, which may be related to the activation of BCKDH and AMPK.

Effects of dietary xylooligosaccharide prebiotic supplementation on growth, antioxidant and intestinal immune-related genes expression in common carp Cyprinus carpio fed a high-fat diet.

This study investigated the effects of xylooligosaccharide (XOS) supplementation on growth, intestinal enzyme, antioxidant and immune-related genes in common carp Cyprinus carpio fed a high-fat diet (HFD). One hundred and ninety two fish with an initial weight of 19.61 ± 0.96 g were allocated into 24 tanks (eight fish per tank in four replicate) and were fed the control diet, HFD, HFD with 0.5%, 1%, 2% and 3% XOS supplementation. From the result, fish offered HFD with 1% XOS supplementation significantly obtained a higher body mass index and feed efficiency ratio, whereas condition factor was higher in fish fed HFD supplemented with 2% XOS but no difference was attributed to other supplemented group compared to control group. Also, fish fed HFD supplemented with 1%-2% XOS significantly improved protease, lipase, creatine kinase and sodium/potassium ATPase activities compared to other groups. Fish offered HFD were significantly lower in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPX), myeloperoxidase, acid phosphatase, lysozyme activities and immunoglobulin content, but the opposite result was found for aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase activities, malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl and cortisol content as compared with the control. However, this effect was reversed with HFD supplemented with XOS. Also, interleukin 1ß, interleukin 8, tumour necrosis factors, interferons, caspase-3 and caspase-9 in the intestine were all up-regulated in the HFD group, while the reverse pattern was found in SOD, GPX, lysozyme-C, complement 3 and mucin 5b (muc5b), than the control group. These effects were all enhanced by feeding the XOS diet, especially those fed 1%-3% supplementation. In conclusion, XOS inclusion can improve the growth, digestive enzymes, antioxidants and immune response of common carp fed HFD.

Feed types affect the growth, nutrient utilization, digestive capabilities, and endocrine functions of Megalobrama amblycephala: a comparative study between pelleted and extruded feed.

Nowadays, both pelleted feed (PF) and extruded feed (EF) have been widely adopted in the aquaculture industry. However, limited information is available comparing their utilization efficiencies and meanwhile interpreting the underlying mechanisms. This study aimed to compare the utilization efficiencies of both PF and EF by blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) based on growth performance, digestive capacities, and endocrine functions. Two feeds with identical formulas were prepared and named PF and EF. Fish were randomly distributed into two groups, including one that fed the PF continuously, and one that offered the EF continuously. The whole feeding trail lasted 8 weeks. The results showed that the protein efficiency (PER), retention of nitrogen and energy (NRE and ERE), viscera index (VSI), apparent digestibility of dry matter, protein, carbohydrate, and gross energy, whole-body crude protein and energy contents, intestinal enzymatic activities of protease, amylase, and Na+,K+-ATPase, intestinal villi length, crypt depth, muscular layer thickness, and the transcriptions of leptin (LEP) and cholecystokinin (CCK) of the EF group were all significantly higher than those of the PF group, while the opposite was true for feed intake and feed conversion ratio. These findings suggested that compared with PF, EF could improve the feed utilization and nutrient retention of blunt snout bream by enhancing the intestinal digestive and absorptive functions but reduce the feed intake through the stimulation of both LEP and CCK.

Interactive effects of dietary leucine and isoleucine affect amino acid profile and metabolism through AKT/TOR signaling pathways in blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala).

The purpose of this research is to explore the interaction between dietary leucine and isoleucine levels on whole-body composition, plasma and liver biochemical indexes, amino acids deposition in the liver, and amino acid metabolism of blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala). The test fish (average weight: 56.00 ± 0.55 g) were fed one of six diets at random containing two leucine levels (1.70% and 2.50%) and three isoleucine levels (1.00%, 1.20%, and 1.40%) for 8 weeks. The results showed that the final weight and weight gain rate were the highest in the fish fed low-level leucine and high-level isoleucine diets (P > 0.05). Furthermore, the crude lipid content was significantly adjusted by diets with diverse levels of leucine and isoleucine (P < 0.05). In addition, interactive effects of these two branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) were found on plasma total protein, blood ammonia, and blood urea nitrogen of test fish (P < 0.05). Additionally, the liver amino acid profiles were significantly influenced by the interactive effects of the two BCAAs (P < 0.05). Moreover, interactive effects of dietary leucine and isoleucine were significantly observed in the expressions of amino acid metabolism-related genes (P < 0.05). These findings suggested that dietary leucine and isoleucine had interaction. Meanwhile, the interaction between them was more conducive to the growth and quality improvement of blunt snout bream when the dietary leucine level was 1.70% and isoleucine level was 1.40%.