Relationship between jejunum ATPase activity and antioxidant function on the growth performance, feed conversion efficiency, and jejunum microbiota in Hu sheep (Ovis aries).

BACKGROUND: ATPase activity and the antioxidant function of intestinal tissue can reflect intestinal cell metabolic activity and oxidative damage, which might be related to intestinal function. However, the specific influence of intestinal ATPase activity and antioxidant function on growth performance, feed conversion efficiency, and the intestinal microbiota in sheep remains unclear. RESULTS: This study analyzed the correlation between ATPase activity and antioxidant function in the jejunum of 92 Hu sheep and their growth performance and feed conversion efficiency. Additionally, individuals with the highest (H group) and lowest (L group) jejunum MDA content and Na+ K+-ATPase activity were further screened, and the effects of jejunum ATPase activity and MDA content on the morphology and microbial community of sheep intestines were analyzed. There was a significant correlation between jejunum ATPase and SOD activity and the initial weight of Hu sheep (P < 0.01). The H-MDA group exhibited significantly higher average daily gain (ADG) from 0 to 80 days old and higher body weight (BW) after 80 days. ATPase and SOD activities, and MDA levels correlated significantly and positively with heart weight. The jejunum crypt depth and circular muscle thickness in the H-ATP group were significantly higher than in the L-ATP group, and the villus length, crypt depth, and longitudinal muscle thickness in the H-MDA group were significantly higher than in the L-MDA group (P < 0.01). High ATPase activity and MDA content significantly reduced the jejunum microbial diversity, as indicated by the Chao1 index and observed species, and affected the relative abundance of specific taxa. Among species, the relative abundance of Olsenella umbonata was significantly higher in the H-MDA group than in the L-MDA group (P < 0.05), while Methanobrevibacter ruminantium abundance was significantly lower than in the L-MDA group (P < 0.05). In vitro culture experiments confirmed that MDA promoted the proliferation of Olsenella umbonata. Thus, ATPase and SOD activities in the jejunum tissues of Hu sheep are predominantly influenced by congenital factors, and lambs with higher birth weights exhibit lower Na+ K+-ATPase, Ca2+ Mg2+-ATPase, and SOD activities. CONCLUSIONS: The ATPase activity and antioxidant performance of intestinal tissue are closely related to growth performance, heart development, and intestinal tissue morphology. High ATPase activity and MDA content reduced the microbial diversity of intestinal tissue and affect the relative abundance of specific taxa, representing a potential interaction between the host and its intestinal microbiota.

Embryonic thermal challenge is associated with increased stressor resiliency later in life: Molecular and morphological mechanisms in the small intestine.

Developing chick embryos that are subjected to increased incubation temperature are more stressor-resilient later in life, but the underlying process is poorly understood. The potential mechanism may involve changes in small intestine function. In this study, we determined behavioral, morphological, and molecular effects of increased embryonic incubation temperatures and post-hatch heat challenge in order to understand how embryonic heat conditioning (EHC) affects gut function. At 4 days post-hatch, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum samples were collected at 0, 2, and 12 h relative to the start of heat challenge. In EHC chicks, we found that markers of heat and oxidative stress were generally lower while those of nutrient transport and antioxidants were higher. Temporally, gene expression changes in response to the heat challenge were similar in control and EHC chicks for markers of heat and oxidative stress. Crypt depth was greater in control than EHC chicks at 2 h post-challenge, and the villus height to crypt depth ratio increased from 2 to 12 h in both control and EHC chicks. Collectively, these results suggest that EHC chicks might be more energetically efficient at coping with thermal challenge, preferentially allocating nutrients to other tissues while protecting the mucosal layer from oxidative damage. These results provide targets for future studies aimed at understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying effects of embryonic heat exposure on intestinal function and stressor resiliency later in life.

Effects of rhamnolipid replacement of chlortetracycline on growth performance, slaughtering traits, meat quality and antioxidant function in broilers.

BACKGROUND: Rhamnolipids (RLS) are surfactants that improve the growth performance of poultry by improving the absorption of nutrients. This study aims to investigate the effects of RLS replacement of chlortetracycline (CTC) on growth performance, slaughtering traits, meat quality, antioxidant function and nuclear-factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) signaling pathway in broilers. A total of 600 one-day-old Arbor Acres chicks were randomly assigned to five groups with eight replicates in each group, raised for 42 days. Broilers were respectively fed a basal diet with no CTC or RLS, 75 mg kg-1 CTC, and 250, 500, 1000 mg kg-1 RLS. RESULTS: Dietary supplementation with RLS linearly increased the average daily gain, average daily feed intake, carcass yield, eviscerated yield, ether extract, enhanced total superoxide and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities, overexpressed the relative expressions of Nrf2, heme oxygenase 1, Copper/zinc superoxide dismutase, Manganese superoxide dismutase, GPx and catalase and decreased the lightness value at 24 h, drip loss and malondialdehyde contents of broilers (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, broilers fed 1000 mg kg-1 RLS reduced the drip loss and broilers fed 500 mg kg-1 RLS increased muscle crude fat content (P < 0.05). Compared with the CTC group, dietary supplementation with 1000 mg kg-1 RLS increased eviscerated yield (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: RLS could improve growth performance, crude fat content, meat quality and antioxidant capacity and activate relative expression of genes in the Nrf2 signaling pathway in broilers. It could be used as an antibiotic substitute in diets and the recommended supplemental dose of RLS in feed of broilers is 1000 mg kg-1. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

N-Acetylcysteine assists muscle development in offspring of mice subjected to maternal heat stress during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Heat stress (HS) has been shown to affect reproductive performance and muscle development negatively in animals. N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) plays a pivotal role in enhancing the antioxidant performance in animals as a recognized antioxidant. The present study assesses the potential of NAC to modulate the reproductive performance and antioxidant function in pregnant mice exposed to HS. The role of NAC in muscle development of offspring mice was also explored. RESULTS: The results showed that NAC supplementation from day 12 to day 18 of gestation increased the number of litters and enhanced the antioxidant function in pregnant mice under HS exposure. It improved the weight and body condition significantly in the offspring mice (P < 0.05). The alleviation of HS-induced muscle impairment with NAC was consistent with the alleviation of apoptosis, the enrichment of the proliferation and differentiation in the offspring mice muscle. N-Acetylcysteine also reversed HS-induced reduction in the cross-sectional area of the leg muscle and increased the proportion of myosin heavy chain IIx (MYHCIIx) in the muscle fiber. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study support the use of NAC at a dose of 100 mg kg-1 body weight as supplement for protecting the offspring derived from pregnant mice exposed to HS from muscle impairment by accelerating proliferation and differentiation. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of bamboo leaf flavonoids on growth performance, antioxidants, immune function, intestinal morphology, and cecal microbiota in broilers.

BACKGROUND: Bamboo leaf flavonoids (BLF) are the main bioactive ingredients in bamboo leaves. They have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and other effects. In this study, the effects of dietary BLF on growth performance, immune response, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal microbiota of broilers were investigated. A total of 288 broilers were divided into three groups with eight replicates and 12 birds in each replicate. Broilers were fed a basic diet or the basic diet supplemented with 1000 or 2000 mg kg-1 BLF for 56 days. RESULTS: The results showed that supplementation of BLF increased body weight (BW) and average daily weight gain (ADG), and reduced average daily feed intake (ADFI) (P < 0.05). The serum immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin M (IgM), and interleukin 10 (IL-10) content of broilers in the BLF1000 group was increased and the interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) content was decreased (P < 0.05). The levels of IgM and IL-10 in jejunum mucosa were found to be enhanced by BLF (P < 0.05). The BLF1000 group exhibited a significant reduction in the concentration of TNF-α (P < 0.05). Serum and jejunum mucosa total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) levels in the BLF1000 group were increased (P < 0.05). The serum catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) effects of the BLF1000 group and serum CAT effects of BLF2000 group were increased (P < 0.05). The CON group demonstrated a lower relative abundance of Christensenellaceae_R-7_group and Oscillibacter than the BLF group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Dietary BLF inclusion enhanced the growth performance, immune, and antioxidant functions, improved the intestinal morphology, and ameliorated the intestinal microflora structure in broiler. Adding 1000 mg kg-1 BLF to the broiler diet can be considered as an effective growth promoter. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Hericium erinaceus polysaccharide improves the microstructure, immune function, proliferation and reduces apoptosis of thymus and spleen tissue cells of immunosuppressed mice.

In order to study the effect of Hericium erinaceus polysaccharide (HEP) on the immune and antioxidation functions of immunosuppressed mice. The control group received distilled water orally and the model and experimental groups I, II, and III received 0, 80, 160, and 320 mg/kg HEP respectively for a fortnight after re-molding with cyoclphosphnalide (CTX). Compared with the control group, the secretion of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ, the activity or content of T-AOC, T-SOD, and GSH-PX, and the expression of PCNA mRNA in the thymus and spleen were reduced in immunosuppressed mice (P < .05 or P < .01). Compared with immunosuppressed mice, the levels of IL-2, IFN-γ, and GSH-PX and the PCNA mRNA expression of spleen and thymus were increased (P < .05 or P < .01), and the microstructure were also obviously improved in the experimental group III. Overall, 320 mg/kg of HEP significantly improved the immune and antioxidant functions.

Effects of dietary threonine on growth and immune response of oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense).

A 70-day feeding trial was conducted to ascertain the effects of threonine on immune response of juvenile oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense). Six isonitrogen and isolipidic feeds were formulated according to levels of dietary threonine (0.35%, 0.79%, 1.18%, 1.67%, 2.08% and 2.48% respectively). The juvenile prawns were divided into six groups with four replicates, and stocked into 24 tanks with 50 prawns per tank (initial weight 0.20 ± 0.02 g). The results showed a significant increasing trend of final body weight, specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio, and weight gain rate when threonine levels increased to 1.67% (P < 0.05). However, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and whole-body lipid composition significantly decreased as threonine levels in the feed increased up to 1.67% (P < 0.05). Moreover, haemolymph N-urea content was significantly lowest at 1.67% threonine level (P < 0.05), whereas glucose was highest at 0.79% followed by 1.67% of threonine levels in the feeds. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) enzyme activities were significantly decreased by an imbalance (except 1.67%) of threonine in the feed (P < 0.05). Activities of Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and albumen (ALB) were not significantly affected by threonine in the feed (P > 0.05). Excessive dietary threonine level (2.48%) significantly activated haemolymph catalase (CAT) activity (P < 0.05), whereas malondialdehyde (MDA) content was significantly affected by deficient (0.35% and 0.79%) dietary threonine levels (P < 0.05). Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity and haemolymph complement component 4 (C4) content were significantly decreased by deficient levels of threonine in the feed (P < 0.05). Excess threonine concentration significantly down-regulated Toll, Dorsal, Relish, and heat shock protein 60 (Hsp60) gene expressions in the hepatopancreas of M. nipponense (P < 0.05), while all genes were significantly up-regulated by the optimal (1.67%) threonine level (P < 0.05). The threonine level at which maximum specific growth rate of M. nipponense occurred was estimated by second degree polynomial regression analysis as 1.65% of threonine level, equivalent to 4.44% dry weight bases of protein in the feed.

Confirmation of efficacy, elucidation of mechanism, and new search for indications of radon therapy.

Indications of radon therapy include various diseases related to respiratory, painful, digestive, chronic degenerative, senile, etc. derived from reactive oxygen species, but most are based on empirical prescriptions. For this reason, we have evaluated the relation between the biological response caused by radon and the tissue/organ absorbed dose more quantitatively, and have promoted the elucidation of mechanisms related to the indication and searching newly. As a result, as a mechanism, a series of moderate physiological stimulative effects accompanying a small amount of oxidative stress by radon inhalation are being elucidated. That is, hyperfunction of anti-oxidation/immune regulation/damage repair, promotion of anti-inflammation/circulating metabolism/hormone secretion, induction of apoptosis/heat shock protein, etc. Also, new indications include inflammatory/neuropathic pain, hepatic/renal injury, colitis, type 1 diabetes, complication kidney injury, hyperuricemia, transient cerebral ischemia, and inflammatory edema. Furthermore, we examined the combined antioxidant effect of radon inhalation and antioxidants or therapeutic agents. As a result, it was clear that any combination treatment could enhance the suppression effect of disease. It can be expected that radon therapy can be used effectively by applying it in addition to usual treatment, since reduction in its dosage can also be expected by concomitant use for drugs with strong side effects.

Supplementation with Yucca schidigera improves antioxidant capability and immune function and decreases fecal score of dairy calves before weaning.

Yucca schidigera (YS) is a species of plant rich in antimicrobials, antioxidants, and immunomodulators. It has been used as feed additive to improve animal performance and decrease methane emissions in cattle. However, few studies have evaluated YS in dairy calves. In this study, we evaluated the effects of YS on the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and immune function in dairy calves before weaning. We randomly assigned 40 newborn female Holstein calves (4 d old; 40 ± 5 kg of body weight) to 1 of 4 treatments (n = 10 per treatment), which were fed 0, 3, 6, or 9 g/d of YS powder. The YS allowance was mixed into milk or milk replacer and fed twice daily. Dry matter intake (both liquid and starter feed) and fecal score were recorded daily, and body weight, withers height, body length, and heart girth were measured at 4, 14, 28, 42, and 60 d of age. Blood was sampled from the jugular vein at 14, 42, and 60 d of age after the afternoon feeding for analysis of serum antioxidant capacity and immune function. Feeding YS did not affect dry matter intake, but decreased the feed-to-gain ratio with a quadratic dose effect. Over the whole study period, the average daily gain tended to linearly increase with the increasing YS doses, and it was 6.8% higher in diets supplemented with 9 g/d of YS than in the basal control diet without YS. The YS supplementation linearly decreased fecal score in a dose-dependent manner, and the frequency of diarrhea was significantly decreased as the YS supplementation increased throughout the whole study period. The YS supplementation also linearly decreased maleic dialdehyde concentration in the serum compared with the control group. The activity of catalase tended to linearly and quadratically increase, and that of glutathione peroxidase increased linearly with the increased YS supplementation. Serum concentrations of IgA and IgG increased linearly with the increased YS supplementation, and that of IgG tended to increase quadratically. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that demonstrated that feeding YS to young calves could improve growth, feed efficiency, and immunity, and decrease fecal score and diarrhea. The results of this study indicated that feeding YS at 9 g/d may be recommended to benefit dairy calves before weaning.

Metabolism and biological activity of α-tocopherol derived from vitamin E-enriched transgenic maize in broilers.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the metabolism of α-tocopherol derived from vitamin E-enriched transgenic maize (VER) and its effects on antioxidant and immune functions in broilers aged 1-42 days. A total of 360 1-day-old male broilers were randomly divided into three groups containing six replicates with 20 broilers per replicate. The negative control (NC) group and the positive control (PC) group were given non-GM maize and non-GM maize plus exogenous vitamin E (VE), respectively, and the VER group was given VER, replacing the non-GM maize given to the NC group. Between days 1 and 21 and days 22 and 42, VE levels were 4.38 and 4.63 mg kg-1 in the NC group, and 14.11 and 14.91 mg kg-1 in the PC and VER group, respectively. RESULTS: The results showed that α-tocopherol from both VER and additives increased α-tocopherol transfer protein and cytochrome P450 concentrations. Serum α-tocopherol and α-tocopherylquinone levels of broilers in the PC and VER groups were also significantly higher than those in the NC group (P < 0.05). Compared with the NC group, broilers in both groups that received α-tocopherol had reduced NF-κB p65 concentrations, significantly decreased serum prostaglandin E2 , interleukin-6, malondialdehyde, and hydrogen peroxide levels (P < 0.05), and significantly increased glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, and total antioxidant capacity (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In summary, both VER and non-GM maize fortified with exogenous VE showed similar effects on broilers, indicating that the α-tocopherol in VER has sufficient biological activity. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of stale maize on growth performance, immunity, intestinal morphology and antioxidant capacity in broilers.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the effects of stale maize on growth performance, immunity, intestinal morphology, and antioxidant capacity in broilers. METHODS: A total of 800 one-day-old male Arbor Acres broilers (45.4±0.5 g) were blocked based on body weight, and then allocated randomly to 2 treatments with 20 cages per treatment and 20 broilers per cage in this 6-week experiment. Dietary treatments included a basal diet and diets with 100% of control maize replaced by stale maize. RESULTS: The content of fat acidity value was higher (p<0.05) while the starch, activities of catalase and peroxidase were lower (p<0.05) than the control maize. Feeding stale maize diets reduced (p<0.05) average daily feed intake (ADFI) throughout the experiment, feed conversion ratio (FCR) during d 0 to 21 and the whole experiment as well as relative weight of liver, spleen, bursa of Fabricius and thymus (p<0.05) on d 21. Feeding stale maize diets decreased jejunum villus height (VH) and VH/crypt depth (CD) (p<0.05) on d 21 and 42 as well as ileum VH/CD on d 42. The levels of immunoglobulin G, acid α-naphthylacetate esterase positive ratios and lymphocyte proliferation on d 21 and 42 as well as lysozyme activity and avian influenza antibody H5N1 titer on d 21 decreased (p<0.05) by the stale maize. Feeding stale maize diets reduced (p<0.05) serum interferon-γ, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-2 on d 21 and interleukin-6 on d 21 and 42. Broilers fed stale maize diets had lower levels of (p<0.05) total antioxidative capacity on d 42, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase on d 21 and 42, but higher (p<0.05) levels of malondialdehyde on d 21 and 42. CONCLUSION: Feeding 100% stale maize decreased ADFI and FCR, caused adverse effects on immunity and antioxidant function and altered intestinal morphology in broilers.

Effects of dietary inclusion levels of palm oil on growth performance, antioxidative status and serum cytokines of broiler chickens.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary palm oil inclusion levels on growth performance, serum antioxidative status and cytokines in Sanhuang broiler chickens. A total of 208 one-day-old female Sanhuang chickens were randomly allocated to four treatment groups with four replicates per group and of 13 birds each for a 42-day feeding trial. Dietary treatments were basal diet without palm oil (control) and diets containing 2%, 4% or 6% palm oil. During days 22 to 42 and the overall experimental period, chickens fed diets supplemented with 4% and 6% palm oil had a lower average daily feed intake (ADFI) (p = 0.019) and feed to gain ratio (F/G) (p = 0.031). Average daily gain (ADG) tended to be higher (p = 0.089) for palm oil inclusion treatments compared with the control treatment from days 1 to 42. Dietary 2% and 4% palm oil treatments significantly lowed serum malondialdehyde concentration on day 21 when compared to the control and 6% palm oil treatments (p = 0.027). Dietary 6% palm oil treatment significantly reduced the catalase (CAT) activity (p = 0.018) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) (p = 0.027) in serum in comparison with the control treatment on day 21. No significant differences were observed in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in serum among dietary treatments on day 21. There were no significant differences in T-AOC, CAT, SOD and GSH-Px activities among dietary treatments on day 42. Dietary inclusion of 4% and 6% palm oil significantly increased (p = 0.01) serum interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) content, but improved transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) content in serum on both days 21 and 42 (p = 0.032 and 0.022 respectively) as well as IL-10 content on day 42 (p = 0.022) when compared with the control treatment. Furthermore, dietary inclusion of 6% palm oil significantly reduced tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) content on days 21 and 42 (p = 0.021 and 0.001 respectively) compared with the control treatment. These results suggest that dietary inclusion of 4% and 6% palm oil could improve the growth performance, modulate the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and show limited effect on antioxidative status in Sanhuang broiler chickens.

The influence of mulberry leaf flavonoids and Candida tropicalis on antioxidant function and gastrointestinal development of preweaning calves challenged with Escherichia coli O141:K99.

This study investigated the effects of mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaf flavonoids and Candida tropicalis on the growth, gastrointestinal development, enzyme activity of gastrointestinal digesta, and blood antioxidant function of dairy calves challenged with Escherichia coli O141:K99. A total of 15 Holstein preweaning bull calves (age = 28 d; body weight = 51 ± 3.9 kg, mean ± standard deviation) were randomly divided into 3 homogeneous groups with no supplementation (control, CON), Candida tropicalis added at 1 g/calf per day (CT), and mulberry leaf flavonoids added at 3 g/calf per day (MLF). The feed efficiency was greater in calves fed MLF than in CON either before or after the E. coli challenge test. The fecal score increased after E. coli challenge, but it was greater in the CON group than in the CT treatment and in the MLF group at d 1, 2, and 3 after the E. coli challenge. Calves fed the CT diet showed decreased blood ß-hydroxybutyrate concentrations compared with those on the CON and MLF diets before the E. coli challenge. Dietary supplementation with CT resulted in lower blood superoxide dismutase activity than the CON after E. coli challenge. The calves fed CT and MLF showed much lower blood glutathione peroxidase activity than the CON group after being challenged with E. coli. The tunica mucosa of the duodenum was lower in CT and MLF than in CON. The lactase activity of the jejunal digesta was greater in MLF than in CON and CT. In summary, MLF and CT supplementation might effectively improve antioxidant function and reduce the incidence of oxidative stress after challenge with E. coli in 28-d-old preweaning calves, and this effect may be partially explained by the relative decreases in blood superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase as well as fecal score.

Astragalus Polysaccharide Protect against Cadmium-Induced Cytotoxicity through the MDA5/NF-κB Pathway in Chicken Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes.

Cadmium (Cd) is a known environmental pollutant that is associated with inflammation, oxidative stress, and cell apoptosis. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) is a major component of Astragalus membranaceus, a vital qi-reinforcing herb medicine with favorable immuneregulation properties. To study the effect of APS on the inhibition of the cadmium-induced injury of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) in chickens through the MDA5/NF-κB signaling pathway, PLBs acquired from 15-day-old chickens were divided into control group, Cd group, APS + Cd group, anti-MDA5 mAb + Cd group, BAY 11-7082 (a nuclear factor kappa-light chain-enhancer of activated B cells [NF-κB] inhibitor) +Cd group, APS group, anti-MDA5 mAb group, and BAY 11-7082 group. The transcription levels of melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5), interferon promoter-stimulating factor 1 (IPS-1), NF-κB, and inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-6 were measured by quantitative real-time PCR. MDA5 protein expression was measured by western blotting. Levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured by corresponding antioxidant kit. The morphological change of PBLs was measured by transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that Cd significantly increased the expression of MDA5, IPS-1, NF-κB, and their downstream cytokines, IL-1ß and TNF-α, IL-6 in PLBs. In addition, a high level of MDA was observed in the Cd treatment group; the activities of GSH-Px and SOD were significantly lower in the Cd treatment group than those in controls (p < 0.05). Ultrastructural changes of PBLs showed that Cd promoted autophagy, apoptosis, and necrosis in PBLs. However, APS can efficiently improve Cd-induced cell damage by decreasing the activation of the MDA5 signaling pathway. The effect is consistent with that of anti-MDA5 mAb or/and BAY. The results indicated that APS inhibited Cd-induced cytotoxicity through the regulation of MDA5/NF-κB signaling.

Impaired antioxidant HDL function is associated with premature myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that the predictive value of HDL cholesterol levels for cardiovascular risk stratification is limited in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). HDL function seems to be a more sensitive surrogate of cardiovascular risk estimation than simple serum levels. Therefore, we aimed to assess whether impaired antioxidant HDL function is involved in the development of premature acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS: In this multicentre case-control study, we compared the antioxidant function of HDL, measured by the HDL inflammatory index (HII), and HDL particle size in 184 patients comprising 92 patients with AMI at a very young age (≤40 years of age) and 92 age- and gender-matched controls. RESULTS: Antioxidant capacities of HDL were significantly impaired in the acute phase of AMI (HII of 1·50 [IQR 1·10-1·74] vs. 0·56 [IQR 0·41-0·86] in controls, P < 0·001 as well as in the chronic stable phase 1 year after the event (HII of 0·85 [IQR 0·72-1·03] vs. 0·56 [IQR 0·41-0·86], P < 0·001) compared to controls. Moreover, HDL function in the stable phase remained significantly associated with premature MI in adjusted logistic regression analysis with an OR of 2·24 per SD increase of HII (95% CI 1·28-3·91; P = 0·005). Analyses of HDL size revealed a significant correlation between all HDL subfractions and HDL function in controls, whereas this correlation was lost for large and intermediate HDL in AMI patients. CONCLUSION: Impaired antioxidant function of HDL is independently associated with the development of premature AMI. The maintenance of HDL function might evolve into a significant therapeutic target, especially in patients with premature CAD.

Thioredoxin of golden pompano involved in the immune response to Photobacterium damselae.

Thioredoxin (TRX) is one of the key systems responsible for keeping the intracellular environment in a highly reduced state. In this study, a full-length TRX cDNA sequence (ToTRX) from golden pompano Trachinotus ovatus was identified after pyrosequencing of golden pompano cDNA library. ToTRX cDNA is comprised of 786 bp, and contained a 324 bp open reading frame (ORF) encoding a 107 amino acid polypeptide, a 5' untranslated region (UTR) of 116 bp, and a long 3'- UTR of 346 bp. Multiple sequence alignment revealed that ToTRX contained the highly conserved redox active disulphide/dithiol site (CGPC) of the thioredoxin active family, and phylogenetic tree showed that ToTRX had a closer evolution relationship with TRX from Oplegnathus fasciatus and Anoplopoma fimbria. ToTRX mRNA is ubiquitously expressed in all detected tissues with the higher expression levels in the stomach, gill and fin tissues. The expression of ToTRX mRNA was significantly up-regulated in liver, kidney, intestine and spleen of golden pompano injected with Photobacterium damselae. The recombinant ToTRX protein (rToTRX) was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3), and then purified and refolded. The insulin disulfides assay was performed to investigate the enzymatic oxidoreductase activity of rToTRX, and the results demonstrated that rToTRX exhibited a high reducing activity in presence of DTT, while no activity was observed in the regroup without DTT and blank control group. Over all, the study provided the useful information to help further understand the functional mechanism of TRX in marine fish immunity.

No correlation is found for vegetables between antioxidant capacity and potential benefits in improving antioxidant function in aged rats.

Vegetables vary greatly in antioxidant capacity in vitro. This study was to investigate the actions of three vegetables different remarkably in antioxidant capacity in vitro on antioxidant function in aged rats. Sixty female aged Wistar rats were randomly assigned to the control, lotus root, rape and cucumber (high, moderate and low in antioxidant capacity, respectively) treated groups. After 6 weeks of feeding, there were no significant differences in plasma FRAP value and contents of vitamin C, vitamin E, uric acid and total phenolics among different groups, whereas the content of reduced glutathione was significantly higher in the rape and cucumber groups. Plasma superoxide dismutase activity also was significantly increased in the rape and cucumber groups. Plasma contents of malondialdehyde, carbonyls and hemolysis were decreased significantly in 3 vegetable-treated groups. Meanwhile, urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine excretion was lower significantly in the rape group and the ratio of comet tail length to total length of blood mononuclear cells was decreased significantly in 3 vegetables treated groups. These results suggest that 3 vegetables tested are effective in improving antioxidant function to some extent in aged rats and no correlation is found between antioxidant capacity in vitro and improvements of antioxidant function. The benefits observed in this study may come from additive or synergistic combinations of antioxidants contained in vegetables.

Effects of yeast culture on growth performance, immune function, antioxidant capacity and hormonal profile in Mongolian ram lambs.

Introduction: As effective growth-promoters and immune-modulators, yeast fermented products have shown positive effects in ruminants. To explore the mechanisms of yeast culture promoting growth and regulating immunity, this study investigated the effects of yeast culture, and ß-glucan as one of its main active ingredients, on the growth performance, immune function, antioxidant capacity and hormonal profile in Mongolian ram lambs. Methods: One hundred and five Mongolian ram lambs were randomly assigned to 3 groups, with 35 replicates in each group. The dietary treatments were: total mixed ration (TMR) as the control group, TMR supplemented with 50-70 g/kg yeast culture (YC) or 75 mg/kg ß-glucan. The test period was 137 days. All the sheep were weighed and 6 serum samples were collected in each group on days 0, 30, 60, 90 and 130, respectively. Results: The results showed that both YC and ß-glucan could promote the growth performance with increased average daily gain and decreased feed to weight gain ratio. Moreover, these two feed additives facilitated the immune function by selectively increasing the serum levels of lysozyme, IgG, IgM, INF-γ, TNF-α and some interleukins (IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-6 and IL-8); ameliorated the antioxidant capacity with higher total antioxidant capacity and enzyme activities of catalase and glutathione peroxidase; altered the metabolism-associated hormone levels with higher growth hormone and thyroid hormone T3 but lower cortisol and insulin. Discussion: In conclusion, both YC and ß-glucan could improve the growth performance, immune function and antioxidant capacity, and regulate the serum levels of metabolism-associated hormones, thus exerting effects of promoting growth and improving immune function. Therefore, YC could be considered as a suitable potential alternative strategy to antibiotics and be used as an animal feed additive. This article provides a theoretical basis for the clinical application of such yeast fermented preparations in mutton sheep husbandry.

Comparison of Polygonatum sibiricum Polysaccharides Found in Young and Mature Rhizomes.

The main active component of Polygonatum sibiricum (P. sibiricum) rhizome is Polygonatum sibiricum Polysaccharide (PsP) with antioxidant function. At present, only the mature rhizome of P. sibiricum is used to extract PsP, while the young rhizome of by-product is discarded directly as waste, resulting in significant wastage of P. sibiricum resources. We used ultrasound-assisted extraction-deep eutectic solvents (UAE-DESs) method to extract PsP of young and mature rhizomes, respectively. The extraction rate, structure composition and antioxidant ability of PsP between young and mature rhizomes were compared, so as to provide references for comprehensive utilization of P. sibiricum resources. The PsP extraction rate (33.88 ± 1.95%) of young rhizome was close to that (45.08 ± 1.92%) of mature rhizomes. The main component (PsP-2) of the PsP in young rhizome contained six kinds of monosaccharides, which belonged to acidic polysaccharides. The above characteristics of the PsP of young rhizome were similar to those of mature rhizome. The PsP of young rhizome also exhibited similar biological activity to that of the mature rhizome, which indicated even more advantages in DPPH free radical scavenging ability. The results of this study support the utility of the young rhizome, consequently helping to avoid unnecessary waste and provide reference for comprehensive utilization of P. sibiricum.

Moringa oleifera leaf extracts improve exercise performance in young male adults: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Moringa oleifera leaves are rich in bioactive substances. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of Moringa oleifera leaf aqueous extract supplements on energy metabolism and antioxidant function in young male adults. METHODS: Forty-four young male adults (26.3 ± 3.5 years) were randomly assigned to two groups: a supplement group (n = 23) receiving aqueous extract of Moringa oleifera leaves and a placebo group (n = 21). The supplementation period lasted for 30 days. Baseline measurements were taken at the beginning of the study, and further measurements were taken at the end of the supplementation period. Changes in upper- and lower-body strength, treadmill endurance, and certain blood biochemical parameters were evaluated. RESULTS: After 30 days of supplementation, participants in the supplement group exhibited enhanced performance in push-ups and treadmill exhaustion tests compared to the placebo group. Levels of glucose, urea, malondialdehyde, and glutathione peroxidase activity in serum were also improved in the supplement group. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that Moringa oleifera leaf aqueous extracts have the potential to improve post-exercise energy metabolism and antioxidant function in young male adults.