Effects of different phosphorus fertilizers on cadmium absorption and accumulation in rice under low-phosphorus and rich-cadmium soil.

Rice is the main food crops with the higher capacity for cadmium (Cd) uptake, necessitating the urgent need for remediation measures to address Cd in paddy soil. Reasonable agronomic methods are convenient and favorable for fixing the issue. In this study, a pot experiment was employed to evaluate the effects of two foliar (NaH2PO4, SDP; KH2PO4, PDP) and two solid phosphate fertilizers (double-superphosphate, DSP; calcium-magnesium phosphate, CMP) on uptake and remobilization of Cd in rice plants under the low-P and rich-Cd soil. The results revealed that these four phosphorus fertilizer significantly down-regulated the relative expression of OsNRAMP5 involved in Cd absorption, while up-regulated OsPCS1 expression and increased distribution of Cd into the cell wall in roots. Furthermore, phosphorus fertilizer resulted in a significant decrease in the relative expression of OsLCT1 in stems and OsLCD in leaves, decreased the transfer factor of Cd from shoots to grains, and ulterior reduced the Cd accumulation in three protein components of globulin, albumin, and glutelin, making the average Cd concentration of brown rice decreased by 82.96%. These results comprehensively indicate that in situations with similar soil backgrounds, the recommended application of solid CMP and foliar PDP can alleviate the toxicity of Cd by reducing its absorption and remobilization.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Selenium alleviates cadmium-induced aging via mitochondrial quality control in the livers of sheep.

Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal with toxicity that induces mitochondrial dysfunction and aging, and selenium (Se) can alleviate its toxicity. However, the underlying mechanism of Se alleviating Cd-induced aging in sheep livers deserves further study. This study was to explore the protective mechanism of Se on the Cd-induced aging in the livers of sheep. A total of forty-eight sheep weighing about 10 kg were randomly divided into four groups: control group, Se group [0.34 mg Se·kg-1·body weight (BW)], Cd group (1 mg Cd·kg-1·BW), and Se + Cd group (0.34 mg Se·kg-1·BW +1 mg Cd·kg-1·BW). The results showed that Cd caused vacuolization, granule denaturation, and mitochondrial vacuolization in hepatocytes. Furthermore, the levels of catalase (CAT), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), glutathione (GSH) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in liver mitochondria were down-regulated, but the levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malonaldehyde (MDA) were up-regulated under Cd treatment. Besides, the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 (P21) immunohistochemistry positive signal and the puncta of immunofluorescence co-locations of E3 ubiquitin ligase Parkin (Parkin)/ cytochrome c oxidase IV (COX IV) and light chain 3B (LC3B)/COX IV were increased under Cd stress. Moreover, Cd exposure decreased the levels of mitochondrial biogenesis and fusion related factors and minichromosome maintenance protein 2 (MCM2), but increased the levels of mitochondrial fission, mitophagy, and cell aging related factors. However, the variations mentioned above caused by Cd were effectively ameliorated by Se co-treatment. In conclusion, Se might alleviate Cd-induced aging via regulating mitochondrial quality control in sheep livers.

A Sweetpotato Geranylgeranyl Pyrophosphate Synthase Gene, IbGGPS, Increases Carotenoid Content and Enhances Osmotic Stress Tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Sweetpotato highly produces carotenoids in storage roots. In this study, a cDNA encoding geranylgeranyl phyrophosphate synthase (GGPS), named IbGGPS, was isolated from sweetpotato storage roots. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) was fused to the C-terminus of IbGGPS to obtain an IbGGPS-GFP fusion protein that was transiently expressed in both epidermal cells of onion and leaves of tobacco. Confocal microscopic analysis determined that the IbGGPS-GFP protein was localized to specific areas of the plasma membrane of onion and chloroplasts in tobacco leaves. The coding region of IbGGPS was cloned into a binary vector under the control of 35S promoter and then transformed into Arabidopsis thaliana to obtain transgenic plants. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed a significant increase of total carotenoids in transgenic plants. The seeds of transgenic and wild-type plants were germinated on an agar medium supplemented with polyethylene glycol (PEG). Transgenic seedlings grew significantly longer roots than wild-type ones did. Further enzymatic analysis showed an increased activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in transgenic seedlings. In addition, the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) was reduced in transgenics. qRT-PCR analysis showed altered expressions of several genes involved in the carotenoid biosynthesis in transgenic plants. These data results indicate that IbGGPS is involved in the biosynthesis of carotenoids in sweetpotato storage roots and likely associated with tolerance to osmotic stress.