Impaired brain equanimity and neurogenesis in the diet-induced overweight mouse: a preventive role by syringic acid treatment.

OBJECTIVES: In this study mice were fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks to establish diet-induced obesity and syringic acid (SA) was assessed for anti-obese, neuroprotective, and neurogenesis. METHOD: Animals were given HFD for 12 weeks to measure metabolic characteristics and then put through the Barns-maze and T-maze tests to measure memory. Additionally, the physiology of the blood-brain barrier, oxidative stress parameters, the expression of inflammatory genes, neurogenesis, and histopathology was evaluated in the brain. RESULT: DIO raised body weight, BMI, and other metabolic parameters after 12 weeks of overfeeding. A reduced spontaneous alternation in behavior (working memory, reference memory, and total time to complete a task), decreased enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, oxidative biomarkers, increased neurogenesis, and impaired blood-brain barrier were all seen in DIO mice. SA (50 mg/kg) treatment of DIO mice (4 weeks after 8 weeks of HFD feeding) reduced diet-induced changes in lipid parameters associated with obesity, hepatological parameters, memory, blood-brain barrier, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and neurogenesis. SA also reduced the impact of malondialdehyde and enhanced the effects of antioxidants such as glutathione, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total thiol (MDA). Syringic acid improved neurogenesis, cognition, and the blood-brain barrier while reducing neurodegeneration in the hippocampal area. DISCUSSION: According to the results of the study, syringic acid therapy prevented neurodegeneration, oxidative stress, DIO, and memory loss. Syringic acid administration may be a useful treatment for obesity, memory loss, and neurogenesis, but more research and clinical testing is needed.

Anti-obesity potentiality of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum E2_MCCKT isolated from a fermented beverage, haria: a high fat diet-induced obese mice model study.

Obesity is a growing epidemic worldwide. Several pharmacologic drugs are being used to treat obesity but these medicines exhibit side effects. To find out the alternatives of these drugs, we aimed to assess the probiotic properties and anti-obesity potentiality of a lactic acid bacterium E2_MCCKT, isolated from a traditional fermented rice beverage, haria. Based on the 16S rRNA sequencing, the bacterium was identified as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum E2_MCCKT. The bacterium exhibited in vitro probiotic activity in terms of high survivability in an acidic environment and 2% bile salt, moderate auto-aggregation, and hydrophobicity. Later, E2_MCCKT was applied to obese mice to prove its anti-obesity potentiality. Adult male mice (15.39 ± 0.19 g) were randomly divided into three groups (n = 5) according to the type of diet: normal diet (ND), high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD supplemented with E2_MCCKT (HFT). After four weeks of bacterial treatment on the obese mice, a significant reduction of body weight, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels, whereas, improvements in serum glucose levels were observed. The bacterial therapy led to mRNA up-regulation of lipolytic transcription factors such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α which may increase the expression of fatty acid oxidation-related genes such as acyl-CoA oxidase and carnitine palmitoyl-transferase-1. Concomitantly, both adipocytogenesis and fatty acid synthesis were arrested as reflected by the down-regulation of sterol-regulatory element-binding protein-1c, acetyl-CoA carboxylase, and fatty acid synthase genes. In protein expression study, E2_MCCKT significantly increased IL-10 expression while decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-1Ra and TNF-α) expression. In conclusion, the probiotic Lp. plantarum E2_MCCKT might have significant anti-obesity effects on mice.

Amelioration of obesity induction by a high-fat diet and related inflammation by Phasa fish (Setipinna phasa) oil in BALB/c mice.

We have extracted and characterized Phasa fish (Setipinna phasa) oil for the first time to evaluate the anti-obesity and related anti-inflammatory effects on obese mice. Inbred male albino BALB/c mice were segregated into three categories: control (C), Obese control group (OC), and Phasa fish oil treated group (TX). To establish the potentiality of Setipinna phasa oil for its anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory properties, it was extracted and characterized using GC-MS method. To evaluate the anti-obesity effect, different parameters were considered, such as body weight, lipid composition, obesity, and obesity associated inflammation. The physicochemical characteristics of Phasa fish oil revealed that the oil quality was good because acid value, peroxide value, p-anisidine value, Totox value, refractive index, and saponification value were within the standard value range. The GC-MS study explored the presence of fatty acids beneficial to health such as Hexadec-9-enoic acid; Octadec-11-enoic acid; EPA, DHA, Methyl Linolenate, etc. The application of Setipinna phasa oil on the treated mice group acutely lowered body weight and serum lipid profile compared to the obese group. In connection with this, leptin, FAS, and pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α genes expression were downregulated in the treated group compared to the obese group. The Phasa oil treated group had an elevated expression of PPAR-α, adiponectin, LPL gene, and anti-inflammatory markers IL-10 and IL-1Ra compared to the obese group. This study suggests that Phasa fish oil, enriched with essential fatty acid, might be used as an anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory supplement.

Synthesis of water-soluble novel bioactive pyridine-based azo coumarin derivative and competitive cytotoxicity, DNA binding, BSA binding study, and in silico analysis with coumarin.

The diazo coupliling reaction of 3- amino pyridine with coumarin in water medium produces water soluble 6-[3-pyridyl]azocoumarin. The synthesised compound has been fully charecterised by IR, NMR, and Mass spectroscopy. The frontier molecular orbital calculations reveal that 6-[3-pyridyl]azocoumarin is more biologically and chemically active in comparison to coumarin. The cytotoxicity evaluation confirms that 6-[3-pyridyl]azocoumarin is more active than coumarin against human brain glioblastoma cell lines, LN-229 with IC50 value 9.09 µM (IC50 value for coumarin is 9.9 µM). The compound (I) has been synthesized by coupling of diazotized solution of 3-aminopyridine with coumarin in an aqueous medium at âˆ¼ pH 10. The structure of the compound (I) has been characterized using UV-vis, IR, NMR, and Mass spectral studies. Frontier molecular orbital calculations reveal that 6-[3-pyridyl]azocoumarin (I) is more active chemically and biologically in comparison to coumarin. IC50 value 9.09 and 9.9 µM of 6-[3-pyridyl]azocoumarin and coumarin respectively obtained in cytotoxicity evaluation confirms the enhanced activity of the synthesized compound against human brain glioblastoma cell lines, LN-229. The synthesized compound also shows strong binding interactions with DNA and BSA in comparison with coumarin. The DNA binding study shows groove binding interaction of the synthesized compound with CT-DNA. The nature of interaction, binding parameters and structural variations of BSA in the presence of the synthesized compound and coumarin have been evaluated using several usefull spectroscopy approaches such as UV -Vis, time resolved and stady state flurescence. The molecular docking interaction has been carried out to justify the experimental binding interaction with DNA and BSA.

Comparison of the pathogenicity of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV)-1 and PRRSV-2 in pregnant sows.

To date, few studies related to the evaluation of the pathogenicity of different PRRSV isolates using a reproductive model have been undertaken, and the main focus has remained on respiratory models using young pigs. This study aimed to evaluate the pathogenicity of two PRRSV-1 isolates (D40 and CBNU0495) and two PRRSV-2 isolates (K07-2273 and K08-1054) in a reproductive model. Pregnant sows were experimentally infected with PRRSV at gestational day 93 or used as an uninfected negative control. Sera were collected at 0, 3, 7, 14, and 19 days post-challenge (dpc) for virological and serological assays. At 19 dpc, all sows were euthanized, and their fetuses were recovered by performing cesarean section and immediately euthanized for sample collection. Here, compared to the other isolates, the CBNU0495 isolate replicated most efficiently in the pregnant sows, and K07-2273 produced the highest rate of reproductive failure even though it did not replicate as efficiently as the other isolates in sows and fetuses, indicating that vertical transmission and reproductive failure due to PRRSV infection do not have any significant correlation with the viral loads in samples from sows and fetuses. Similarly, the viral loads and the histopathological lesions did not show any correlation with each other, as the PRRSV-2-infected groups displayed more prominent and frequent histopathological lesions with lower viral loads than the PRRSV-1-infected groups. However, viral loads in the myometrium/endometrium might be related to the spreading of PRRSV in the fetuses, which affected the birth weight of live fetuses. This study contributes to a better understanding of the pathogenicity of the most prevalent Korean PRRSVs in a reproductive model.

Sensitive assessment of groundwater-associated, multi-exposure health hazards in a fluoride-enriched region of West Bengal, India.

Ninety groundwater samples were collected from Khayrasole and Rajnagar blocks of Birbhum district, West Bengal, India, during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon in 2016 to assess the hazards of fluoride in groundwater. Fluoride concentration fluctuated from 0.3 to 17.6 mg/L, with 70% of samples reported beyond the modified regional optimal fluoride level (0.7 mg/L) with a statistically significant level of p < 1.7E-24. The average cation and anion concentrations exhibited a descending order of Ca2+ > Mg2+ > Na+ > K+ and HCO3- > Cl- > SO42- > NO3- > F-, respectively. Notably, groundwater quality in 50% of the places ranged from poor to unfit for drinking purposes in terms of water quality index. The mean total hazard index (THI) was 1.1 for adults and 1.9 for children, signifying a greater chance of non-carcinogenic threats to both age groups. In calculating the THI, ingestion and dermal pathways accounted for approximately 96% and 3% health hazards, respectively. The Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity analysis identified that the diurnal water ingestion rate, exposure duration, and fluoride concentration were the significant sensitive variables that triggered most groundwater-associated non-carcinogenic health issues, signifying more risks among children. Further, dental health surveys (N = 746), following Dean's norms for classification based on regional optimal fluoride level, designated the borderline grade of the community dental hazard. The subsequent hydrogeochemical characterization directed that dissolution from fluoride-bearing minerals and water-rock interaction, such as halite dissolution and calcite-dolomite precipitation, were the governing factors for F- enrichment in groundwater. This study will serve as baseline data for delineating fluoride-induced dental and other health hazards through sensitivity and spatial analysis in the GIS platform for hazard zonation and effective groundwater quality management.

Evaluation of local and systemic immune responses in pigs experimentally challenged with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.

The host-associated defence system responsible for the clearance of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) from infected pigs is currently poorly understood. To better understand the dynamics of host-pathogen interactions, seventy-five of 100 pigs infected with PRRSV-JA142 and 25 control pigs were euthanized at 3, 10, 21, 28 and 35 days post-challenge (dpc). Blood, lung, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and bronchial lymph node (BLN) samples were collected to evaluate the cellular immune responses. The humoral responses were evaluated by measuring the levels of anti-PRRSV IgG and serum virus-neutralizing (SVN) antibodies. Consequently, the highest viral loads in the sera and lungs of the infected pigs were detected between 3 and 10 dpc, and these resulted in moderate to mild interstitial pneumonia, which resolved accompanied by the clearance of most of the virus by 28 dpc. At peak viremia, the frequencies of alveolar macrophages in infected pigs were significantly decreased, whereas the monocyte-derived DC/macrophage and conventional DC frequencies were increased, and these effects coincided with the early induction of local T-cell responses and the presence of proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines in the lungs, BAL, and BLN as early as 10 dpc. Conversely, the systemic T-cell responses measured in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells were delayed and significantly induced only after the peak viremic stage between 3 and 10 dpc. Taken together, our results suggest that activation of immune responses in the lung could be the key elements for restraining PRRSV through the early induction of T-cell responses at the sites of virus replication.

Effect of polymorphisms in porcine guanylate-binding proteins on host resistance to PRRSV infection in experimentally challenged pigs.

Guanylate-binding proteins (GBP1 and GBP5) are known to be important for host resistance against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) infection. In this study, the effects of polymorphisms in GBP1 (GBP1E2 and WUR) and GBP5 on host immune responses against PRRSV were investigated to elucidate the mechanisms governing increased resistance to this disease. Seventy-one pigs [pre-genotyped based on three SNP markers (GBP1E2, WUR, and GBP5)] were assigned to homozygous (n = 36) and heterozygous (n = 35) groups and challenged with the JA142 PRRSV strain. Another group of nineteen pigs was kept separately as a negative control group. Serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected at 0, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days post-challenge (dpc). Viremia and weight gain were measured in all pigs at each time point, and a flow cytometry analysis of PBMCs was performed to evaluate T cell activation. In addition, 15 pigs (5 pigs per homozygous, heterozygous and negative groups) were sacrificed at 3, 14 and 28 dpc, and the local T cell responses were evaluated in the lungs, bronchoalveolar lavage cells (BALc), lymph nodes and tonsils. The heterozygous pigs showed lower viral loads in the serum and lungs and higher weight gains than the homozygous pigs based on the area under the curve calculation. Consistently, compared with the homozygous pigs, the heterozygous pigs exhibited significantly higher levels of IFN-α in the serum, proliferation of various T cells (γδT, Th1, and Th17) in PBMCs and tissues, and cytotoxic T cells in the lungs and BALc. These results indicate that the higher resistance in the pigs heterozygous for the GBP1E2, WUR and GBP5 markers could be mediated by increased antiviral cytokine (IFN-α) production and T cell activation.

Characterization of Clostridium novyi isolated from a sow in a sudden death case in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Multifocal spherical nonstaining cavities and gram-positive, rod-shaped, and endospore-forming bacteria were found in the liver of a sow that died suddenly. Clostridium novyi type B was identified and isolated from the sudden death case, and the isolate was characterized by molecular analyses and bioassays in the current study. RESULTS: C. novyi was isolated from the liver of a sow that died suddenly and was confirmed as C. novyi type B by differential PCR. The C. novyi isolate fermented glucose and maltose and demonstrated lecithinase activity, and the cell-free culture supernatant of the C. novyi isolate exhibited cytotoxicity toward Vero cells, demonstrating that the isolate produces toxins. In addition, whole-genome sequencing of the C. novyi isolate was performed, and the complete sequences of the chromosome (2.29 Mbp) and two plasmids (134 and 68 kbp) were identified for the first time. Based on genome annotation, 7 genes were identified as glycosyltransferases, which are known as alpha toxins; 23 genes were found to be related to sporulation; 12 genes were found to be related to germination; and 20 genes were found to be related to chemotaxis. CONCLUSION: C. novyi type B was isolated from a sow in a sudden death case and confirmed by biochemical and molecular characterization. Various virulence-associated genes were identified for the first time based on whole-genome sequencing.

Boundaries and Unphysical Fixed Points in Dynamical Quantum Phase Transitions.

We show that dynamic quantum phase transitions (DQPT) in many situations involve renormalization group (RG) fixed points that are unphysical in the context of thermal phase transitions. In such cases, boundary conditions are shown to become relevant to the extent of even completely suppressing the bulk transitions. We establish these by performing an exact RG analysis of the quantum Ising model on scale-invariant lattices of different dimensions, and by analyzing the zeros of the Loschmidt amplitude. Further corroboration of boundaries affecting the bulk transition comes from the three-state quantum Potts chain, for which we also show that the DQPT corresponds to a pair of period-2 fixed points.

Thiazolothiazole-Based Luminescent Metal-Organic Frameworks with Ligand-to-Ligand Energy Transfer and Hg2+-Sensing Capabilities.

Photoinduced electron and energy transfer through preorganized chromophore, donor, and acceptor arrays are key to light-harvesting capabilities of photosynthetic plants and bacteria. Mimicking the design principles of natural photosystems, we constructed a new luminescent pillared paddle wheel metal-organic framework (MOF), Zn2(NDC)2(DPTTZ), featuring naphthalene dicarboxylate (NDC) struts that served as antenna chromophores and energy donors and N,N'-di(4-pyridyl)thiazolo-[5,4-d]thiazole (DPTTZ) pillars as complementary energy acceptors and light emitters. Highly ordered arrangement and good overlap between the emission and absorption spectra of these two complementary energy donor and acceptor units enabled ligand-to-ligand Förster resonance energy transfer, allowing the MOF to display exclusively DPTTZ-centric blue emission (410 nm) regardless of the excitation of either chromophore at different wavelengths. In the presence of Hg2+, a toxic heavy metal ion, the photoluminescence (PL) of Zn2(NDC)2(DPTTZ) MOF underwent significant red-shift to 450 nm followed by quenching, whereas other transition metal ions (Mn2+, Fe2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+) caused only fluorescence quenching but no shift. The free DPTTZ ligand also displayed similar, albeit less efficient, fluorescence changes, suggesting that the heavy atom effect and coordination of Hg2+ and other transition metal ions with the DPTTZ ligands were responsible for the fluorescence changes in the MOF. When exposed to a mixture of different metal ions, including Hg2+, the MOF still displayed the Hg2+-specific fluorescence signal, demonstrating that it could detect Hg2+ in the presence of other metal ions. The powder X-ray diffraction studies verified that the framework remained intact after being exposed to Hg2+ and other transition metal ions, and its original PL spectrum was restored upon washing. These studies demonstrated the light-harvesting and Hg2+ sensing capabilities of a new bichromophoric luminescent MOF featuring a seldom-used photoactive ligand, which will likely spark an explosion of TTZ-based MOFs for various optoelectronic applications in near future.

Evaluation of the Inhibitory Effects of (E)-1-(2-hydroxy-4,6-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-(naphthalen-1-yl)prop-2-en-1-one (DiNap), a Natural Product Analog, on the Replication of Type 2 PRRSV In Vitro and In Vivo.

DiNap [(E)-1-(2-hydroxy-4,6-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-(naphthalen-1-yl)prop-2-en-1-one], an analog of a natural product (the chalcone flavokawain), was synthesized and characterized in this study. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is the most challenging threat to the swine industry worldwide. Currently, commercially available vaccines are ineffective for controlling porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) in pigs. Therefore, a pharmacological intervention may represent an alternative control measure for PRRSV infection. Hence, the present study evaluated the effects of DiNap on the replication of VR2332 (a prototype strain of type 2 PRRSV). Initially, in vitro antiviral assays against VR2332 were performed in MARC-145 cells and porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs). Following this, a pilot study was conducted in a pig model to demonstrate the effects of DiNap following VR2332 infection. DiNap inhibited VR2332 replication in both cell lines in a dose-dependent manner, and viral growth was completely suppressed at concentrations ≥0.06 mM, without significant cytotoxicity. Consistent with these findings, in the pig study, DiNap also reduced viral loads in the serum and lungs and enhanced the weight gain of pigs following VR2332 infection, as indicated by comparison of the DiNap-treated groups to the untreated control (NC) group. In addition, DiNap-treated pigs had fewer gross and microscopic lesions in their lungs than NC pigs. Notably, virus transmission was also delayed by approximately 1 week in uninfected contact pigs within the same group after treatment with DiNap. Taken together, these results suggest that DiNap has potential anti-PRRSV activity and could be useful as a prophylactic or post-exposure treatment drug to control PRRSV infection in pigs.

Plant synthetic GP4 and GP5 proteins from porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus elicit immune responses in pigs.

MAIN CONCLUSION: We demonstrated successful overexpression of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV)-derived GP4D and GP5D antigenic proteins in Arabidopsis. Pigs immunized with transgenic plants expressing GP4D and GP5D proteins generated both humoral and cellular immune responses to PRRSV. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes PRRS, the most economically significant disease affecting the swine industry worldwide. However, current commercial PRRSV vaccines (killed virus or modified live vaccines) show poor efficacy and safety due to concerns such as reversion of virus to wild type and lack of cross protection. To overcome these problems, plants are considered a promising alternative to conventional platforms and as a vehicle for large-scale production of recombinant proteins. Here, we demonstrate successful production of recombinant protein vaccine by expressing codon-optimized and transmembrane-deleted recombinant glycoproteins (GP4D and GP5D) from PRRSV in planta. We generated transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressing GP4D and GP5D proteins as candidate antigens. To examine immunogenicity, pigs were fed transgenic Arabidopsis leaves expressing the GP4D and GP5D antigens (three times at 2-week intervals) and then challenged with PRRSV at 6-week post-initial treatment. Immunized pigs showed significantly lower lung lesion scores and reduced viremia and viral loads in the lung than pigs fed Arabidopsis leaves expressing mYFP (control). Immunized pigs also had higher titers of PRRSV-specific antibodies and significantly higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-12). Furthermore, the numbers of IFN-γ+-producing cells were higher, and those of regulatory T cells were lower, in GP4D and GP5D immunized pigs than in control pigs. Thus, plant-derived GP4D and GP5D proteins provide an alternative platform for producing an effective subunit vaccine against PRRSV.

The prevalence and genetic characteristics of porcine circovirus type 2 and 3 in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Porcine circovirus-associated diseases (PCVAD), caused by porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), threaten the pig industry worldwide. Five genotypes of PCV2 were recently identified: PCV2a, PCV2b, PCV2c, PCV2d and PCV2e. In addition, a novel porcine circovirus from a case of a sow with dermatitis, nephropathy syndrome and reproductive failure has been identified based on metagenomic analysis and classified as porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3). Therefore, the current study was conducted to determine the prevalence and genetic characteristics of PCV2 and PCV3 in clinical samples. RESULTS: A total of 471 samples (161 tissue samples of lungs and lymph nodes from 34 farms and 310 serum samples from 47 farms) were tested for PCV2. Among them, 171 samples from 59 farms that had been positive for PCV2 were genotyped. Another 690 samples (296 tissue samples of lungs and lymph nodes from 91 farms, 108 samples of aborted foetuses from 26 farms, and 286 serum samples from 47 farms) were tested for PCV3. Based on PCV2 genotyping results, PCV2d was the most prevalent genotype (107 of 171 samples), and co-infections with combinations of PCV2a, 2b and 2d were identified in 48 samples from 17 farms. A total of 14 samples from 11 farms were also positive for both PCV2 and PCV3. For PCV3, 57 samples (9.8%) from 32 farms (23.2%) were positive. Among the 108 aborted foetuses from 26 farms, only 2 samples were positive for PCV3. Based on sequence comparisons, PCV2d shares 89.6-91.0% and 93.2-94.3% homology with PCV2a and PCV2b, respectively; 98.6-100% homology is shared among PCV2d strains. The PCV3 strains identified in this study share 98.0-99.5% homology. CONCLUSIONS: Our study concludes that PCV2d has become the most predominant genotype in Korea. PCV3 was also identified in clinical samples, though no significant association with clinical symptoms was observed in PCV3-positive cases.

In vitro immune responses of porcine alveolar macrophages reflect host immune responses against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome viruses.

BACKGROUND: Currently, an in vitro immunogenicity screening system for the immunological assessment of potential porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) vaccine candidates is highly desired. Thus, in the present study, two genetically divergent PRRSVs were characterized in vitro and in vivo to identify an in vitro system and immunological markers that predict the host immune response. Porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) collected from PRRSV-negative pigs were used for in vitro immunological evaluation, and the response of these cells to VR2332c or JA142c were compared with those elicited in pigs challenged with the same viruses. RESULTS: Compared with VR2332c or mock infection, JA142c induced increased levels of type I interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1α/ß, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-12) in PAMs, and these elevated levels were comparable to the cytokine induction observed in PRRSV-challenged pigs. Furthermore, significantly greater numbers of activated CD4+ T cells, type I helper T cells, cytotoxic T cells and total IFN-γ+ cells were observed in JA142c-challenged pigs than in VR2332c- or mock-challenged pigs. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, the innate immune response patterns (particularly IFN-α, TNF-α and IL-12) to specific PRRSV strains in PAMs might reflect those elicited by the same viruses in pigs.

Brassicaceae Mustards: Traditional and Agronomic Uses in Australia and New Zealand.

Commonly cultivated Brassicaceae mustards, namely garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata), white mustard (Brassica alba), Ethiopian mustard (B. carinata), Asian mustard (B. juncea), oilseed rape (B. napus), black mustard (B. nigra), rapeseed (B. rapa), white ball mustard (Calepina irregularis), ball mustard (Neslia paniculata), treacle mustard (Erysimum repandum), hedge mustard (Sisymbrium officinale), Asian hedge mustard (S. orientale), smooth mustard (S. erysimoides) and canola are the major economically important oilseed crops in many countries. Mustards were naturalized to Australia and New Zealand and Australia is currently the second largest exporter of Brassicaceae oilseeds to meet the global demand for a healthy plant-derived oil, high in polyunsaturated fats. Apart from providing edible oil, various parts of these plants and many of their phytochemicals have been used traditionally for both agronomic as well as medicinal purposes, with evidence of their use by early Australian and New Zealand settlers and also the indigenous population. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge of traditional and agronomic uses of Brassicaceae oilseeds and mustards with a focus on their importance in Australia and New Zealand.

The Attenuation Phenotype of a Ribavirin-Resistant Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Is Maintained during Sequential Passages in Pigs.

UNLABELLED: In a previous study, ribavirin-resistant porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) mutants (RVRp13 and RVRp22) were selected, and their resistance against random mutation was shown in cultured cells. In the present study, these ribavirin-resistant mutants were evaluated in terms of their genetic and phenotypic stability during three pig-to-pig passages in comparison with modified live virus (MLV) (Ingelvac PRRS MLV). Pigs challenged with RVRp22 had significantly lower (P< 0.05) viral loads in sera and tissues than pigs challenged with MLV or RVRp13 at the first passage, and the attenuated replication of RVRp22 was maintained until the third passage. Viral loads in sera and tissues dramatically increased in pigs challenged with MLV or RVRp13 during the second passage. Consistently, all five sequences associated with the attenuation of virulent PRRSV in RVRp13 and MLV quickly reverted to wild-type sequences during the passages, but two attenuation sequences were maintained in RVRp22 even after the third passage. In addition, RVRp22 showed a significantly lower (P< 0.001) mutation frequency in nsp2, which is one of the most variable regions in the PRRSV genome, than MLV. Nine unique mutations were found in open reading frames (ORFs) 1a, 2, and 6 in the RVRp22 genome based on full-length sequence comparisons with RVRp13, VR2332 (the parental virus of RVRp13 and RVRp22), and MLV. Based on these results, it was concluded that RVRp22 showed attenuated replication in pigs; further, because of the high genetic stability of RVRp22, its attenuated phenotype was stable even after three sequential passages in pigs. IMPORTANCE: PRRSV is a rapidly evolving RNA virus. MLV vaccines are widely used to control PRRS; however, there have been serious concerns regarding the use of MLV as a vaccine virus due to the rapid reversion to virulence during replication in pigs. As previously reported, ribavirin is an effective antiviral drug against many RNA viruses. Ribavirin-resistant mutants reemerged by escaping lethal mutagenesis when the treatment concentration was sublethal, and those mutants were genetically more stable than parental viruses. In a previous study, two ribavirin-resistant PRRSV mutants (RVRp13 and RVRp22) were selected, and their higher genetic stability was shown in vitro Consequently, in the present study, both of the ribavirin-resistant mutants were evaluated in terms of their genetic and phenotypic stability in vivo RVRp22 was found to exhibit higher genetic and phenotypic stability than MLV, and nine unique mutations were identified in the RVRp22 genome based on a full-length sequence comparison with the RVRp13, VR2332, and MLV genomes.

Tridax procumbens flavonoids: a prospective bioactive compound increased osteoblast differentiation and trabecular bone formation.

BACKGROUND: The Tridax procumbens extracts (TPE) are known for their ethno-medicinal properties to increase osteogenic functioning in mesenchymal stem cells. Recently, we found that the T. procumbens flavonoids (TPF) significantly suppressed the RANKL-induced osteoclasts differentiation and bone resorption. The TPF also promoted osteoblasts differentiation and bone formation demonstrated by increasing bone formation markers in cultured mouse primary osteoblasts. However, the effects of the TPF on in vivo bone formation remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the effects of the TPF on in vivo bone formation, injected the TPF (20 mg/kg) twice a day in the low calcium diet mice and killed them after 21 day. Radiographic and histomorphometric analyses were performed on the dissected bones to determine the anabolic effects of the TPF. RESULTS: Bone mineral density and bone mineral content of the TPF-treated mice were significantly increased compared to the control mice. Bone formation-related indices like osteoblast number, osteoblast surface, bone volume, mineralizing surface, mineral apposition rate and bone formation rate were significantly increased in the TPF-treated mice compared to the control mice. CONCLUSION: Our findings point towards the stimulation of bone formation by TPF, suggested that the TPF could be a potential natural anabolic agent to treat patients with bone loss-associated diseases such as osteoporosis.