Ultrasound-activated prodrug-loaded liposome for efficient cancer targeting therapy without chemotherapy-induced side effects.

BACKGROUND: Off-targeted distribution of chemotherapeutic drugs causes severe side effects, further leading to poor prognosis and patient compliance. Ligand/receptor-mediated targeted drug delivery can improve drug accumulation in the tumor but it always attenuated by protein corona barriers. RESULTS: To address these problems, a radically different strategy is proposed that can leave the off-targeted drugs inactive but activate the tumor-distributed drugs for cancer-targeting therapy in a tumor microenvironment-independent manner. The feasibility and effectiveness of this strategy is demonstrated by developing an ultrasound (US)-activated prodrug-loaded liposome (CPBSN38L) comprising the sonosensitizer chlorin e6 (Ce6)-modified lipids and the prodrug of pinacol boronic ester-conjugated SN38 (PBSN38). Once CPBSN38L is accumulated in the tumor and internalized into the cancer cells, under US irradiation, the sonosensitizer Ce6 rapidly induces extensive production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby initiating a cascade amplified ROS-responsive activation of PBSN38 to release the active SN38 for inducing cell apoptosis. If some of the injected CPBSN38L is distributed into normal tissues, the inactive PBSN38 exerts no pharmacological activity on normal cells. CPBSN38L exhibited strong anticancer activity in multiple murine tumor models of colon adenocarcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma with no chemotherapy-induced side effects, compared with the standard first-line anticancer drugs irinotecan and topotecan. CONCLUSIONS: This study established a side-effect-evitable, universal, and feasible strategy for cancer-targeting therapy.

Molecular Synergistic Passivation for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells and Self-Powered Photodetectors.

The interface between the perovskite and electron-transporting material is often treated for defect passivation to improve the photovoltaic performance of devices. A facile 4-Acetamidobenzoic acid (containing an acetamido, a carboxyl, and a benzene ring)-based molecular synergistic passivation (MSP) strategy is developed here to engineer the SnOx /perovskite interface, in which dense SnOx are prepared using an E-beam evaporation technology while the perovskite is deposited with vacuum flash evaporation deposition method. MSP engineering can synergistically passivate defects at the SnOx /perovskite interface by coordinating with Sn4+ and Pb2+ with functional group CO in the acetamido and carboxyl. The optimized solar cell devices can achieve the highest efficiency of 22.51% based on E-Beam deposited SnOx and 23.29% based on solution-processed SnO2 , respectively, accompanied by excellent stability exceeding 3000 h. Further, the self-powered photodetectors exhibit a remarkably low dark current of 5.22 × 10-9  A cm-2 , a response of 0.53 A W-1 at zero bias, a detection limit of 1.3 × 1013  Jones, and a linear dynamic range up to 80.4 dB. This work proposes a molecular synergistic passivation strategy to enhance the efficiency and responsivity of solar cells and self-powered photodetectors.

Diagnostic biomarkers and aortic dissection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Aortic dissection (AD) is a serious and fatal vascular disease. The earlier the condition of AD patients can be assessed precisely, the more scientifically controlled the patient's condition will be. Therefore, timely and accurate diagnosis is significant for AD. Blood biomarker testing as a method of liquid biopsy can improve the diagnostic efficiency of AD. This study conducted a systematic review of the current blood diagnostic biomarkers of AD. METHODS: The PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase electronic databases were systematically searched from inception to January 1, 2023, using the terms "aortic dissection", "serum", "plasma" and "diagnosis". Stata 12.0 software was used to perform Random effects meta-analysis was performed using Stata 12.0 software to determine the effect sizes and corresponding 95% confidence intervals. Then, a summary receiver operator characteristic (SROC) curve was drawn, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated. RESULTS: D-dimer had the best sensitivity and AUC for AD, with values of 0.96 (95% CI: 0.93-0.98) and 0.95 (95% CI: 0.93-0.97), respectively. The sensitivity and AUC values for D-dimer with a cut-off value of 500 ng/mL were 0.97 (95% CI: 0.95-0.99) and 0.94 (95% CI: 0.92-0.96), respectively. In contrast, microRNA had a better specificity value for AD, at 0.79 (95% CI: 0.73-0.83). CONCLUSIONS: D-dimer and microRNA have good accuracy in the diagnosis of AD, but the specificity of D-dimer is worse, and studies of microRNA are insufficient. The combination of different biomarkers can improve the diagnostic accuracy. Other blood biomarkers are related to the pathological progression of AD and can be selected according to pathological progress.

Effects of midgut bacteria in Hyphantria cunea (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) on nuclear polyhedrosis virus and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bacillales: Bacillaceae).

Hyphantria cunea Drury (Lepidoptera: Erebidae) is a quarantine pest in China that can cause damage to hundreds of plants. As biological control agents, Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (NPV) and Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (Bacillales: Bacillaceae) (Bt) are commonly used to inhibit the prevalence of H. cunea. To investigate the role of midgut bacteria in the infection of NPV and Bt in H. cunea, we performed a series of tests, including isolating the dominant culturable bacteria in the midgut, eliminating intestinal bacteria, and respectively inoculating the dominant strains with NPV and Bt for bioassay. Two dominant bacteria, Klebsiella oxytoca Lautrop (Enterobacterales: Enterobacteriaceae) and Enterococcus mundtii Collins (Lactobacillales: Enterococcaceae), in the midgut of H. cunea were identified, and a strain of H. cunea larvae without intestinal bacteria was successfully established. In the bioassays of entomopathogen infection, K. oxytoca showed significant synergistic effects with both NPV and Bt on the death of H. cunea. In contrast, E. mundtii played antagonistic effects. This phenomenon may be attributed to the differences in the physico-chemical properties of the two gut bacteria and the alkaline environment required for NPV and Bt to infect the host. It is worth noting that the enhanced insecticidal activity of K. oxytoca on NPV and Bt provides a reference for future biological control of H. cunea by intestinal bacteria.

Isolation and characterization of gut bacteria associated with the degradation of host-specific terpenoids in Pagiophloeus tsushimanus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) larvae.

Insect intestinal bacteria play an important role in resisting defensive substances of host plants. Pagiophloeus tsushimanus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) feeds exclusively on camphor trees (Cinnamomum camphora, Laurales: Lauraceae) in China, causing substantial economic and ecological losses. It is unclear how the larvae of P. tsushimanus outcome the main secondary metabolites of C. camphora such as D-camphor, eucalyptol, and linalool. In this study, we isolated terpenoid-degrading bacteria from the gut of P. tsushimanus larvae by using selective culture medium. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses were performed with 16S rDNA sequences to identify the bacteria, and results showed ten strains belonged to four genera, including Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Serratia, and Corynebacterium. Then, gas chromatography was employed to determine the degradability of D-camphor, eucalyptol, and linalool by the isolated strains, results showed that Z5 strain (i.e., Corynebacterium variabile, Actinomycetales: Corynebacteriaceae), F1 strain (i.e., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonadales: Pseudomonaceae), and A3 strain (i.e., Serratia marcescens, Enterobacterales: Enterobacteriaceae) had the highest degradation rates of D-camphor, linalool, and eucalyptol, respectively. The intestinal bacteria were capable of terpenoid degradation in vitro, which suggested that these gut bacteria associated with P. tsushimanus play an important role in overcoming host plant secondary metabolite defense, thereby facilitating the host specialization of this pest.

Composition, processing, and quality control of whole flaxseed products used to fortify foods.

Whole flaxseed (flour) as a good source of omega-3 fatty acid and phytochemicals with excellent nutritional and functional attributes has been used to enrich foods for health promotion and disease prevention. However, several limitations and contemporary challenges still impact the development of whole flaxseed (flour)-enriched products on the global market, such as naturally occurring antinutritional factors and entrapment of nutrients within food matrix. Whole flaxseed (flour) with different existing forms could variably alter the techno-functional performance of food matrix, and ultimately affect the edible qualities of fortified food products. The potential interaction mechanism between the subject and object components in fortified products has not been elucidated yet. Hence, in this paper, the physical structure and component changes of flaxseed (flour) by pretreatments coupled with their potential influences on the edible qualities of multiple fortified food products were summarized and analyzed. In addition, several typical food products, including baked, noodle, and dairy products were preferentially selected to investigate the potential influencing mechanisms of flaxseed (flour) on different substrate components. In particular, the altered balance between water absorption of flaxseed protein/gum polysaccharides and the interruption of gluten network, lipid lubrication, lipid-amylose complexes, syneresis, and so forth, were thoroughly elucidated. The overall impact of incorporating whole flaxseed (flour) on the quality and nutritional attributes of fortified food products, coupled with the possible solutions against negative influences are aimed. This paper could provide useful information for expanding the application of whole flaxseed (flour) based on the optimal edible and nutritional properties of fortified food products.

Identification of a broad-spectrum lytic Myoviridae bacteriophage using multidrug resistant Salmonella isolates from pig slaughterhouses as the indicator and its application in combating Salmonella infections.

BACKGROUND: Salmonella is a leading foodborne and zoonotic pathogen, and is widely distributed in different nodes of the pork supply chain. In recent years, the increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistant Salmonella poses a threat to global public health. The purpose of this study is to the prevalence of antimicrobial resistant Salmonella in pig slaughterhouses in Hubei Province in China, and explore the effect of using lytic bacteriophages fighting against antimicrobial resistant Salmonella. RESULTS: We collected a total of 1289 samples including anal swabs of pigs (862/1289), environmental swabs (204/1289), carcass surface swabs (36/1289) and environmental agar plates (187/1289) from eleven slaughterhouses in seven cities in Hubei Province and recovered 106 Salmonella isolates. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed that these isolates showed a high rate of antimicrobial resistance; over 99.06% (105/106) of them were multidrug resistant. To combat these drug resistant Salmonella, we isolated 37 lytic phages using 106 isolates as indicator bacteria. One of them, designated ph 2-2, which belonged to the Myoviridae family, displayed good capacity to kill Salmonella under different adverse conditions (exposure to different temperatures, pHs, UV, and/or 75% ethanol) and had a wide lytic spectrum. Evaluation in mouse models showed that ph 2-2 was safe and saved 80% (administrated by gavage) and 100% (administrated through intraperitoneal injection) mice from infections caused by Salmonella Typhimurium. CONCLUSIONS: The data presented herein demonstrated that Salmonella contamination remains a problem in some pig slaughter houses in China and Salmonella isolates recovered in slaughter houses displayed a high rate of antimicrobial resistance. In addition, broad-spectrum lytic bacteriophages may represent a good candidate for the development of anti-antimicrobial resistant Salmonella agents.

Delivery of engineered extracellular vesicles with miR-29b editing system for muscle atrophy therapy.

Muscle atrophy is a frequently observed complication, characterized by the loss of muscle mass and strength, which diminishes the quality of life and survival. No effective therapy except exercise is currently available. In our previous study, repressing miR-29b has been shown to reduce muscle atrophy. In our current study, we have constructed artificially engineered extracellular vesicles for the delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 to target miR-29b (EVs-Cas9-29b). EVs-Cas9-29b has shown a favorable functional effect with respect to miR-29b repression in a specific and rapid manner by gene editing. In in vitro conditions, EVs-Cas9-29b could protect against muscle atrophy induced by dexamethasone (Dex), angiotensin II (AngII), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). And EVs-Cas9-29b introduced in vivo preserved muscle function in the well-established immobilization and denervation-induced muscle atrophy mice model. Our work demonstrates an engineered extracellular vesicles delivery of the miR-29b editing system, which could be potentially used for muscle atrophy therapy.

Exploration of suitable in vitro simulated digestion model for lipid oxidation of flaxseed oil emulsion during digestion.

BACKGROUND: The INFOGEST model is a standardized general in vitro digestion study, but it cannot accurately simulate the fatty acid release process of lipids in the stomach and small intestine. In this study, the internationally universal INFOGEST 2019 was used as the basic model and flaxseed oil emulsion was used as the research object. In various improvement models, the effect of fatty acid release rate on the oxidation stability of flaxseed oil was assessed by adding rabbit stomach extract and changing the order of bile salts addition. RESULTS: With the presence of rabbit gastric extract, flaxseed oil emulsion flocculation and coalescence in stomach were reduced, and the absolute value of ζ-potential increased. Moreover, the release rate of fatty acids in the small intestine increased by 12.14%. The amount of lipid oxidation product (i.e. hexanal) in the gastric and intestinal phases increased by 0.08 ppb. In addition, the fatty acid release rate in the small intestine phase increased by 5.85% and the hexanal content increased by 0.011 ppb in the digestion model of adding bile salts before adjusting the pH in the small intestine phase compared with the model of adjusting the pH first and then adding bile salts. CONCLUSION: The results obtained from this study will contribute to finding the most suitable static digestion model for simulating digestion and oxidation of lipid during lipid gastrointestinal digestion. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Digital Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification-Based Absolute Methylation Quantification Revealed Hypermethylated DAPK1 in Cervical Cancer Patients.

The aberrant methylation of many genes has been reported to be associated with various carcinomas. Accurate detection of the methylation level could provide critical insights into the diagnostic analysis of diseases. Here, a sensitive HpaII-edited absolute droplet loop-mediated isothermal amplification (HEADLAMP) method based on methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme (MSRE) HpaII was developed for the digital quantification of DNA methylation. Methylation levels of the death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) gene that is associated with many cancers were studied using ß-actin as an internal reference. DAPK1 (2.5 pM) with 0.01% methylation (250 aM) can be detected with the conventional HpaII-edited LAMP assay. Using HEADLAMP, as low as 1% methylation level can be distinguished with an estimated limit of detection of 5 aM (ca. 3 copies/µL). Moreover, HEADLAMP can detect low levels of methylated DAPK1 in normal L-02 cells, while the conventional assay cannot. Finally, HEADLAMP was applied to the detection of DAPK1 methylation in 20 clinical tissue samples, which revealed hypermethylated DAPK1 in cervical cancer patients. We envisage potential applications of this robust, specific, and sensitive HEADLAMP assay in epigenetic studies and early clinical diagnosis.

Hydrophobic-substrate based water-microdroplet manipulation through the long-range photovoltaic interaction from a distant LiNbO3:Fe crystal.

Development of photovoltaic water-microdroplet manipulation using LN:Fe crystals has to meet the requirement of the hybrid and heating-avoided design of biological lab-on-chips. To fulfill this, we demonstrate a successful manipulation of a water microdroplet on a hydrophobic substrate by utilizing the long-range photovoltaic interaction from a distant LN:Fe crystal (see Visualization 1). The maximal manipulation distance (MMD) is found to be dependent on the laser-illumination intensity at the LN:Fe crystal and it can be tuned up to a sub-centimeter level (∼4 mm). Basing on the two-center model of light-induced charge transport in the LN:Fe crystal, we establish an analytic model to describe the force balance during the microdroplet manipulation under a long-range photovoltaic interaction. Either shortening the manipulation distance or increasing the illumination intensity can enhance the photovoltaic interaction and increase the velocity of the microdroplet being manipulated. An abrupt shape change followed by a fast repelling movement of the water microdroplet is observed under a strong photovoltaic interaction (see Visualization 2).

Deriving acoustic properties for perfluoropentane droplets with viscoelastic cellulose nanofiber shell via numerical simulations.

Perfluoropentane droplets with cellulose nanofibers (CNF) shells have demonstrated better stability and easier surface modification as ultrasound contrast agents and drug delivery vehicles. This paper presents a theoretical model assuming a four-phase state "inverse antibubble," with the core filled with gas perfluoropentane surrounded by liquid perfluoropentane. A continuous, incompressible, and viscoelastic stabilizing layer separates the core from the surrounding water. A parametric study is performed to predict the frequency-dependent attenuation coefficient, the speed of sound, and the resonance frequency of the droplets which have a mean diameter of 2.47 ± 0.95 µm. Results reveal that the CNF-stabilized perfluoropentane droplets can be modeled in a Rayleigh-Plesset like equation. We conclude that the shell strongly influences the acoustic behavior of the droplets and the resonance frequency largely depends on the initial gas cavity radius. More specifically, the peak attenuation coefficient and peak-to-peak speed of sound decrease with increasing shear modulus, shear viscosity, and shell thickness, while they increase with increasing gas cavity radius and concentration. The resonance frequency increases as shear modulus and shell thickness increase, while it decreases as shear viscosity and gas cavity radius increase. It is worth mentioning that droplet concentration has no effect on the resonance frequency.

Photovoltaic splitting of water microdroplets on a y-cut LiNbO3:Fe crystal coated with oil-infused hydrophobic insulating layers.

We demonstrate the successful photovoltaic splitting of water microdroplets on a $y$y-cut ${{\rm LiNbO}_3}:{\rm Fe}$LiNbO3:Fe substrate coated with an oil-infused hydrophobic layer. The temporal evolution of the microdroplet contact angle upon a central illumination and the distinct behaviors of two sub-droplets during a following boundary illumination reveal that both electrowetting and electroosmotic effects induced by the dipolar photovoltaic potential on the substrate contribute to the water microdroplet splitting. The reciprocal relationship between the splitting time and the illumination intensity verifies the inherent photovoltaic nature of the water microdroplet splitting. The splitting time is found to be linearly dependent on the initial microdroplet size. These points are quite important to the practicalization of lithium niobate (LN)-based microfluidic chips in the biological field.

Epidemiological and genetic characteristics of porcine reproduction and respiratory syndrome virus 2 in mainland China, 2017-2018.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus 2 (PRRSV2) is a major threat to the global pig industry, particularly in China, the world's largest pig-rearing and pork-production country. Continuously monitoring the epidemiological and genetic characteristics of PRRSV epidemic strains is beneficial for prevention and control of infection. Previously, we reported the epidemiological and genetic characteristics of PRRSV2 in China from 2012 to 2016. Here, the epidemiological and genetic characteristics of PRRSV2 in China from 2017 to 2018 are reported. During these two years, we collected different types of porcine samples from 2428 pig farms in 27 provinces in China. Of the 7980 samples collected, 2080 (26.07%) were positive for PRRSV2 ORF5 by RT-PCR. The positive rate of PRRSV detection between different regions of China ranged from 8.12% to 29.33%, and from 7.96% to 55.50% between different months. Phylogenetic analysis based on the ORF5 gene revealed that the PRRSV2 strains currently circulating in China belong to five clades, and most of the PRRSVs detected are highly pathogenic PRRSVs (HP-PRRSVs; clade IV) and PRRSV NADC30-like strains (clade I). Sequence analysis revealed multiple amino acid mutation types, including amino acid changes and deletions in both the GP5 and Nsp2 proteins. The presence of these mutations may have an effect on the evolution of the virus by altering the viral titer and/or affecting the antibody response against the virus.

The Roles of Cyclin-Dependent Kinases in Cell-Cycle Progression and Therapeutic Strategies in Human Breast Cancer.

Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are serine/threonine kinases whose catalytic activities are regulated by interactions with cyclins and CDK inhibitors (CKIs). CDKs are key regulatory enzymes involved in cell proliferation through regulating cell-cycle checkpoints and transcriptional events in response to extracellular and intracellular signals. Not surprisingly, the dysregulation of CDKs is a hallmark of cancers, and inhibition of specific members is considered an attractive target in cancer therapy. In breast cancer (BC), dual CDK4/6 inhibitors, palbociclib, ribociclib, and abemaciclib, combined with other agents, were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently for the treatment of hormone receptor positive (HR+) advanced or metastatic breast cancer (A/MBC), as well as other sub-types of breast cancer. Furthermore, ongoing studies identified more selective CDK inhibitors as promising clinical targets. In this review, we focus on the roles of CDKs in driving cell-cycle progression, cell-cycle checkpoints, and transcriptional regulation, a highlight of dysregulated CDK activation in BC. We also discuss the most relevant CDK inhibitors currently in clinical BC trials, with special emphasis on CDK4/6 inhibitors used for the treatment of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+)/human epidermal growth factor 2-negative (HER2-) M/ABC patients, as well as more emerging precise therapeutic strategies, such as combination therapies and microRNA (miRNA) therapy.

All-optical splitting of dielectric microdroplets by using a y-cut-LN-based anti-symmetrical sandwich structure.

We demonstrate an all-optical active mode of dielectric microdroplet splitting in a sandwich structure consisting of two anti-symmetrical y-cut LN:Fe substrates. The dynamic process of the microdroplet splitting and the simulation of the electrostatic interaction inside the sandwich gap show that the combination of two anti-symmetrical substrates are capable to provide a sufficient dielectrophoretic force and to reduce the unbalance of the drag forces for a stable and efficient splitting of the microdroplet. The dependences of the splitting time on the illumination intensity and the initial microdroplet size are also studied, and the results show that the microdroplet splitting process is fully governed by the establishment of the superposed photovoltaic field inside the sandwich gap. A key ratio Er/E0, representing the microdroplet splitting difficulty for a given sandwich structure, is found linearly dependent on the initial microdroplet size. These points are quite important to the integration of splitting functionality on the LN-based microfluidic chip.

Visible-light-assisted condensation of ultrasonically atomized water vapor on LiNbO3:Fe crystals.

Optically massive trapping of the moisture in the air into an adjacent surface is a potential technique in the fields of bacterial adhesion and microfluidic generation, which is quite important to the development of LN-based biological lab-on-chips. Here we demonstrate on a LiNbO3:Fe substrate the visible-light-assisted condensation of the water vapor in a flowing stream created by an ultrasonic atomizer. Through analyzing the dynamic processes of the visible-light-assisted water condensation at different illumination intensities, it is found that the extent of the water condensation, the bending angle of water vapor trails and the interaction range of the condensation effect are highly dependent on the illumination intensity. According to these findings and the simulated trajectories of the water vapor stream at different illumination intensities, we propose that this visible-light-assisted water condensation is an aggregation process of tiny water droplets driven by the dielectrophoretic interaction of inhomogeneous photovoltaic field and also an electrostatic screening course of photovoltaic charges through the charged evaporation of condensed water. The prolonged condensation of water vapor after a high-intensity illumination and that of oil vapor at a super-low evaporation rate are also studied, and the agreement between the simulation and experimental results reinforces the above mechanism. The reported technique, employing the inexpensive, safe-for-cell visible laser beam, is quite convenient for the controllable generation of various biological microdroplets, and thus it is promising for the microfluidic functionality integration of LN-based biological lab-on-chips.

Functional characterization of duck TBK1 in IFN-ß induction.

TRAF family member-associated NF-κB activator (TANK)-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) serves as hub molecule at the crossroad of multiple signaling pathways of type I interferon (IFN) induction. The importance of TBK1 in innate immunity has been demonstrated in mammalian, however the characterization and function of TBK1 in avian remains largely unknown. In this study, we cloned duck TBK1 (duTBK1) from duck embryo fibroblasts (DEFs) for the first time, which encoded 729 amino acids and had a high amino acid identity with goose and cormorant TBK1s. The duTBK1 showed a diffuse cytoplasmic localization in DEFs and was extensively expressed in all tested tissues. Overexpression of duTBK1 induced IFN-ß production through the activation of IRF1 and NF-κB in DEFs. The N-terminal kinase domain and the ubiquitin-like domain in middle of duTBK1 played pivotal roles in IFN-ß induction as well as in IRF1 and NF-κB activation. Furthermore, knockdown of duTBK1 by small interfering RNA significantly decreased poly(I:C)- or Sendai virus (SeV)-induced IFN-ß expression. In addition, duTBK1 expression dramatically reduced the replication of both duck reovirus (DRV) and duck Tembusu virus (DTMUV) in DEFs. These results suggested that the duTBK1 played a pivotal role in mediating duck antiviral innate immunity.

Direct laser writing combined with a phase-delay probe.

We develop on lithium niobate crystals a photorefractive direct-laser-writing approach, in which we combine in one beam both direct writing and phase-delay probing functionalities to extract the in situ information of the refractive index or the electrostatic field. The phase-delay signal, predicted well by the photorefractive theory, is used as feedback for tuning the exposure time or scanning speed of the focused laser in order to control the refractive index change (Δn) at single points and scanning lines. Different features found in creating Δn at the points and lines are explained by the different photorefractive responses in the two cases.

Effects of Antarctic krill oil on lipid and glucose metabolism in C57BL/6J mice fed with high fat diet.

BACKGROUND: Obesity and other metabolic diseases have become epidemic which greatly affect human health. Diets with healthy nutrition are efficient means to prevent this epidemic occurrence. Novel food resources and process technology were needed for these purpose. In this study, Antarctic krill oil (KO) extracted from a dry krill by a procedure of hot pump dehydration in combined with freezing-drying was used to investigate health effect in animals including the growth, lipid and glucose metabolism. METHODS: C57BL/6J mice were fed with a lard based high fat (HF) diet and substituted with KO for a period of 12 weeks in comparison with low fat normal control (NC) diet. Mice body weight and food consumption were recorded. Serum lipid metabolism - of C57BL/6J mice serum was measured. A glucose tolerance tests (GTTs) and pathology analysis of mice were performed at the end of the experiment. RESULTS: The KO fed mice had less body weight gain, less fat accumulation in tissue such as adipose and liver. Dyslipidemia induced by high fat diet was partially improved by KO feeding with significant reduction of serum low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) content. Furthermore, KO feeding also improved glucose metabolism in C57BL/6J mice including a glucose tolerance of about 22% vs. 32% of AUC (area under the curve) for KO vs HF diet and the fast blood glucose level of 8.5 mmol/L, 9.8 mmol/L and 9.3 mmol/L for NC, HF and KO diet groups, respectively. In addition, KO feeding also reduced oxidative damage in liver with a decrease of malondialdehyde (MDA) content and increase of superoxide dismutase (SOD) content. CONCLUSION: This study provided evidence of the beneficial effects of KO on animal health from the processed technology, particularly on lipid and glucose metabolism. This study confirmed that as the Antarctic krill was extracted with a procedure of efficient energy, it might make it possible for Krill oil to be available for food industry.