Lactoferrin Alleviates the Progression of Atherosclerosis in ApoE-/- Mice Fed with High-Fat/Cholesterol Diet Through Cholesterol Homeostasis.

Lactoferrin (LF) is a multifunctional glycoprotein and has beneficial effects on the regulation of lipid metabolism. However, whether LF supplementation alleviates the development of atherosclerosis (AS) remains unclear. In the present study, all of 48 male Apolipoprotein E-/- mice were fed with high-fat diet with 1.25% added cholesterol and divided to four treatment groups with either distilled water (HFCD), LF solutions at 2 mg/mL (low LF), 10 mg/mL (middle LF or MLF), or 20 mg/mL (high LF or HLF) for 12 weeks. Oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) were performed at weeks 0, 4, 8, and 12. At the end of the experiment, lipids in serum, liver, and feces were determined. The livers, whole aortas, and aortic sinuses were pathologically examined. The protein expression of factors related to cholesterol synthesis, absorption, and excretion were detected through western blot. No significant difference in body weight, food intake, and OGTT was observed among the four groups. Compared with the HFCD group, the MLF and HLF groups had significantly decreased serum and hepatic cholesterol levels and significantly increased fecal cholesterol contents. LF alleviated the hepatic steatosis and lipid droplet, especially in the MLF group. LF also significantly decreased the average lesion areas in the whole aorta, especially in the MLF group. On the other hand, LF downregulated hepatic protein expression of HMG-CoA reductase (the rate-limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis) and upregulated cholesterol 7-alpha hydroxylase (the rate-limiting enzyme in bile acid synthesis from cholesterol). LF also downregulated the intestinal expression of Niemann-Pick C1-like 1 protein, which is known to bind to a critical mediator of cholesterol absorption. In conclusion, LF supplementation alleviates the AS in mice on HFCD likely by reducing the synthesis and absorption of cholesterol and increasing cholesterol excretion.

[Studies of the relationship between the breeding efficiency of anther culture and the use of different hybrid generations as anther-donor plants in wheat].

The wheat haploid plantlets from anther culture were of theoretical and applied interest. Induced haploid spirophytes may play a key role, not only in increasing the efficiency of breeding programs by producing pure lines rapidly, but also in the elucidation of fundamental genetics. However large number of experiments turned out that there are many problems with low rate of green plantlet from anther culture, difficulties of saving plantlets though summer, low rate of double chromosome, extrusive contradiction between technique of wheat anther culture and variety improvement. So wheat anther culture has not played a role in wheat breeding. Studies were carried out on the relationship between the breeding efficiency of anther culture and the use of different hybrid generations as anther-donor plants in wheat. It was shown that previously the low breeding efficiency of anther culture in wheat cross breeding was mainly due to the use of F1 as anther donors. Experimental results demonstrated that the breeding efficiency of anther culture in F1 generation was very low, especially when the doubled haploid population was very small. Based on the experimental results as well as the theoretical analysis this paper proposes that the use of F2 or F3 (especially F3) as anther donors in combination with the conventional selection in the fields will increase the breeding efficiency of anther culture. Under the guidance of this proposal two wheat varieties have been developed within 5-7 years through anther culture.