Breed-Related Differential microRNA Expression and Analysis of Colostrum and Mature Milk Exosomes in Bamei and Landrace Pigs.

Breast milk, an indispensable source of immunological and nutrient components, is essential for the growth and development of newborn mammals. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are present in various tissues and body fluids and are selectively packaged inside exosomes, a type of membrane vesicle. Milk exosomes have potential regulatory effects on the growth, development, and immunity of newborn piglets. To explore the differences in milk exosomes related to the breed and milk type, we isolated exosomes from colostrum and mature milk from domestic Bamei pigs and foreign Landrace pigs by using density gradient centrifugation and then characterized them by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA). Furthermore, the profiles and functions of miRNAs in the two types of pig milk exosomes were investigated using miRNA-seq and bioinformatics analysis. We identified a total of 1081 known and 2311 novel miRNAs in pig milk exosomes from Bamei and Landrace pigs. These differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) are closely associated with processes such as cell signaling, cell physiology, and immune system development. Functional enrichment analysis showed that DE-miRNA target genes were significantly enriched in endocytosis, the T cell receptor signaling pathway, and the Th17 cell differentiation signaling pathway. The exosomal miRNAs in both the colostrum and mature milk of the two pig species showed significant differences. Based on related signaling pathways, we found that the colostrum of local pig breeds contained more immune-system-development-related miRNAs. This study provides new insights into the possible function of milk exosomal miRNAs in the development of the piglet immune system.

Acupuncture for rheumatoid vasculitis complicated by refractory foot ulcer: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Rheumatoid vasculitis (RV) is a frequently encountered complication of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), wherein skin vasculitis lesions are observed as a common clinical manifestation, encompassing skin purpura, erythema, vascular occlusion, ulcers, and gangrene. As a matter of fact, it marks the most severe extra-articular manifestation of RA. And the resultant ulcers tend to pose a greater challenge with regard to therapeutic interventions. We report a case of RV complicated by refractory foot ulcer that was successfully treated with puncture. CASE PRESENTATION: A 62-year-old man with RV caused by RA developed refractory foot ulcers. Despite the application of topical antibiotics, the wound gradually expanded and remained unhealed for 7 months. Consequently, the patient sought an integrated therapeutic approach involving Traditional Chinese Medicine and was subsequently treated with acupuncture. After 12 weeks of acupuncture, the foot ulcers healed completely. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture has the potential to facilitate wound healing and may serve as a viable alternative treatment modality for wounds unresponsive to traditional therapeutic interventions.

Impact of selenium on rhizosphere microbiome of a hyperaccumulation plant Cardamine violifolia.

Cardamine violifolia is the only selenium hyperaccumulation plant found in China. It has been developed as a source of medicinal and edible products that we can consume as selenium supplements. Many planting approaches have been developed to increase the selenium content of C. violifolia for nutrient biofortification. However, the contribution of rhizosphere microbes of C. violifolia to selenium enrichment has not been investigated. In this study, four types of selenium, i.e., selenate, selenite, nanoparticles selenium from Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis-Se), and organic selenium from yeast (yeast-Se), were added to the soil that C. violifolia was grown in, respectively. Selenate led to the greatest accumulation of selenium in C. violifolia, followed by selenite, B. subtilis-Se, and yeast-Se. Except for yeast-Se, the concentration of selenium in C. violifolia positively correlated with the amount of selenium added to the soil. Furthermore, the different types of exogenous selenium exhibited distinct effects on the rhizosphere microbiome of C. violifolia. Alpha and beta diversity analyses demonstrated that rhizosphere microbiome was more obviously affected by selenium from B. subtilis and yeast than from selenate and selenite. Different microbial species were enriched in the rhizosphere of C. violifolia under various exogenous selenium treatments. B. subtilis-Se application enhanced the abundance of Leucobacter, Sporosarcina, Patulibacter, and Denitrobacter, and yeast-Se application enriched the abundance of Singulishaera, Lactobacillus, Bdellovibrio, and Bosea. Bosea and the taxon belonging to the order Solirubrobacterales were enriched in the samples with selenate and selenite addition, respectively, and the abundances of these were linearly related to the concentrations of selenate and selenite applied in the rhizosphere of C. violifolia. In summary, this study revealed the response of the rhizosphere microbiome of C. violifolia to exogenous selenium. Our findings are useful for developing suitable selenium fertilizers to increase the selenium hyperaccumulation level of this plant.

Sodium Selenite Enhances Antibiotics Sensitivity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Deceases Its Pathogenicity by Inducing Oxidative Stress and Inhibiting Quorum Sensing System.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen, is commonly found in clinical settings and immuno-compromised patients. It is difficult to be eradicated due to its strong antibiotic resistance, and novel inactivation strategies have yet to be developed. Selenium is an essential microelement for humans and has been widely used in dietary supplement and chemoprevention therapy. In this study, the physiological and biochemical effects of sodium selenite on P. aeruginosa PAO1 were investigated. The results showed that 0~5 mM sodium selenite did not impact the growth of PAO1, but increased the lethality rate of PAO1 with antibiotics or H2O2 treatment and the antibiotics susceptibility both in planktonic and biofilm states. In addition, sodium selenite significantly reduced the expression of quorum sensing genes and inhibited various virulence factors of this bacterium, including pyocyanin production, bacterial motilities, and the type III secretion system. Further investigation found that the content of ROS in cells was significantly increased and the expression levels of most genes involved in oxidative stress were up-regulated, which indicated that sodium selenite induced oxidative stress. The RNA-seq result confirmed the phenotypes of virulence attenuation and the expression of quorum sensing and antioxidant-related genes. The assays of Chinese cabbage and Drosophila melanogaster infection models showed that the combination of sodium selenite and antibiotics significantly alleviated the infection of PAO1. In summary, the results revealed that sodium selenite induced oxidative stress and inhibited the quorum sensing system of P. aeruginosa, which in turn enhanced the antibiotic susceptibility and decreased the pathogenicity of this bacterium. These findings suggest that sodium selenite may be used as an effective strategy for adjunct treatment of the infections caused by P. aeruginosa.

[Classification, distribution and change of Uighur medicinal materials resources].

With the development and change of Uygur medicine, The sources,medicinal parts and producing area of some Uygur Medicine have changed. It is more important to master the classification, distribution and change of Uygur medicinal materials. These were more than 1 200 kinds Uygur medicine in history were resaerched by field investigation, philological research, and textual research, which main source of original plant were 140 families, 510 genera, 840 species; and source of original animal were 76 families, 107 genera, the original animal 141 species; 55 kinds of original mineral, which main producer were Xinjiang and Central Asia, West Asia, the Mediterranean, and North Africa, Southeast Asia and other provinces in China, there are individual medicinal materials from the Americas, Europe and other places. Through this study the classification, distribution, source and evolution of specific families and genera of Uygur medicine resources have mastered.It is hoped to provide theoretical basis for further research and development of Uygur medicinal materials.

Protective Effects of the Ethanol Extract of Viola tianshanica Maxim against Acute Lung Injury Induced by Lipopolysaccharides in Mice.

Viola tianshanica Maxim, belonging to the Violaceae plant family, is traditionally used in Uighur medicine for treating pneumonia, headache, and fever. There is, however, a lack of basic understanding of its pharmacological activities. This study was designed to observe the effects of the ethanol extract (TSM) from Viola tianshanica Maxim on the inflammation response in acute lung injury (ALI) induced by LPS and the possible underlying mechanisms. We found that TSM (200 and 500 mg/kg) significantly decreased inflammatory cytokine production and the number of inflammatory cells, including macrophages and neutrophils, in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. TSM also markedly inhibited the lung wet-to-dry ratio and alleviated pathological changes in lung tissues. In vitro, after TSM (12.5-100 µg/ml) treatment to RAW 264.7 cells for 1 h, LPS (1 µg/ml) was added and the cells were further incubated for 24 h. TSM dose-dependently inhibited the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, such as NO, PGE2, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1ß, and remarkably decreased the protein and mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-6 in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. TSM also suppressed protein expression of p-IκBa and p-ERK1/2 and blocked nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65. The results indicate that TSM exerts anti-inflammatory effects related with inhibition on NF-κB and MAPK (p-ERK1/2) signaling pathways. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that TSM might be a potential agent for the treatment of ALI.

[Influence on Strychni Semen's Analgesic Effect and Toxicity of Milk-Impregnated- Processing-Technology of Traditional Uighur Medicine].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of different processing methods on analgesic effect and toxicity of Strychni Semen, and to provide the scientific basis of milk-impregnated-processing-technology of traditional Uighur medicine for toxic medicines. METHODS: Three different methods, frying with sand of traditional Chinese medicine (1), cooled milk-impregnated-processing-technology of traditional Uighur medicine (2), and heated milk-impregnated-processing-technology of traditional Uighur medicine (3) were used to process raw Strychni Semen and the processed products were compared with those in the raw drug (4). Karber method was used to caculate the LD50. RESULTS: The LD50 of (4), (1), (2) and (3)were 273.0, 289.3, 289.3 and 339.2 mg/kg,successively. Low dose group of heated milk-impregnated-processing-technology, low and high dose groups of cooled milk-impregnated-processing-technology had significant inhibition on the acetic acid-induced writhing reaction in mice (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Strychni Semen processed by cooled and heated milk can enhance the analgesic effect in mice while improving the LD50 of mouse, which illustrates milk-impregnated-processing- technology's pharmacological mechanism on efficacy enhancing and toxicity reducing of Strychni Semen.