Vitamin A with L-ascorbic acid sodium salt improves the growth performance, immune function and antioxidant capacity of weaned pigs.

Vitamin A is easily degraded by environmental factors. Therefore, it is very important to add antioxidants during Vitamin A production. In the past, ethoxyquin (EQ) was widely used, but recent studies have found that it has potential toxicity. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the antioxidant activities of 4 antioxidants in vitro: EQ, butylated hydroxytoluene, α-tocopherol and L-ascorbic acid sodium salt (Vitamin C sodium). In vitro experiments showed that Vitamin C sodium had better antioxidant capacity. Then, we explored the effects of different antioxidant types of Vitamin A on the growth performance, immune function and antioxidant capacity of weaned pigs. In total, 288 weaned piglets with an initial mean BW of 8.34 ±â€¯0.02 kg at 30 days old were randomly divided into three groups with four replicates and 24 piglets per replicate for 35 days of feeding. The experimental diets were as follows: i) basal diet without external Vitamin A (NC); ii) basal diet supplemented with 12000 IU/kg EQ Vitamin A and iii) basal diet supplemented with 12000 IU/kg Vitamin C sodium Vitamin A. On day 36, two pigs from each replicate were selected to collect serum samples. The in vivo results showed that pigs in the EQ Vitamin A and Vitamin C sodium Vitamin A groups had significantly higher final weight and average daily gain (P < 0.05). During the trial, the levels of IgG and glutathione peroxidase in the EQ Vitamin A and Vitamin C sodium Vitamin A groups were significantly higher than those in the NC group (P < 0.05), and the malondialdehyde content was significantly lower (P < 0.05). On the 36th day, the levels of IgA and total antioxidant capacity in the Vitamin C sodium Vitamin A group were significantly higher than those in the EQ Vitamin A and NC (P < 0.05) groups. Thus, Vitamin C sodium Vitamin A can significantly improve the growth performance, antioxidant capacity and immune function of weaned pigs. Meanwhile, Vitamin C sodium may replace EQ as an antioxidant additive for Vitamin A.

Overall assessment of antimicrobial peptides in piglets: a set of meta-analyses.

Developing alternatives to antibiotics is an urgent need in livestock production. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are regarded as powerful antibiotic substitutes (ASs) because AMPs have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities and growth-promoting ability. Here, we aimed to comprehensively assess the effects of AMPs on the growth performance, diarrhea rate, intestinal morphology and immunity of healthy or challenged piglets, compared with an antibiotics group or negative control group. We performed a set of meta-analyses of feeding trials from database inception to 27 May 2019. Among the 1379 identified studies, 20 were included in our meta-analyses (56 arms and 4067 piglets). The meta-analyses revealed that (1) compared with the negative control group, AMPs significantly improved the healthy piglets' average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), gain : feed ratio (G/F), levels of immune globulin (Ig) IgM and IgG, and intestinal villus height : crypt depth ratio (V/C) (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, AMPs significantly increased the challenged piglets' ADG, ADFI, G/F and V/C of the jejunum and ileum, and notably deceased the diarrhea rate (P < 0.05); (2) compared with antibiotics group, the effects of AMPs were slightly weaker than those of antibiotics in the healthy piglets, but AMPs have similar effects to those of antibiotics in challenged piglets. In a higher purity, the optimal dose of AMPs may be approximately 0.01%. Our findings indicate that AMPs can improve piglet growth performance, enhance immunity, benefit intestinal morphology and decrease the diarrheal rate. AMPs could be great ASs especially under infection conditions.

[Discussion on the curative effect and mechanisms of berberine in rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver].

Objective: To observe the curative effects of berberine in rats with high-fat diet induced non-alcoholic fatty liver and to further explore its possible mechanism. Methods: Twenty-six Sprague-Dawley rats (120-160 g) were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group (n = 8), model group (n = 10) and treatment group (n = 8). Rats in the control group were fed with regular diet, and the model group and the treatment group were fed a high-fat diet. At the 12th week, two rats in the in the model group were sacrificed to verify whether model was successful established. Subsequently, treatment group rats were given a gavage of berberine at a dose of 150 mg·kg(-1)·d(-1) for 4 weeks, and the control and the model group rats were given the same dose of normal saline. Rats were sacrificed at week 16th. HE staining was used to observe the changes in the intestinal mucosa of rats. Sudan black B staining was used to observe the fatty changes in liver. Immunohistochemical staining was used to observe the expression level of occludin protein in the intestinal epithelium. A real-time 16S rDNA PCR method was used to measure the number of escherichia coli, bacteroides and faecalibacterium prausnitzii in the feces of rats. Results: Model group had a higher serum levels of endotoxin (0.288 ± 0.045) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α (1.07 ± 0.11) than the control group (0.192 ± 0.049, 0.94 ± 0.07) (P < 0.05). Berberine intervention had significantly reduced endotoxin (0.213 ± 0.025) and TNF-α level (0.93 ± 0.07) (P < 0.05). The expression level of occludin protein was significantly lower in the intestinal mucosa of model group than that of control group (0.166 ± 0.014), and berberine had promoted the expression of occludin protein in intestinal mucosa (0.055 ± 0.009), but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). At the same time, compared with the model group (7.29 ± 0.47), the number of bacteroidetes in the control group (9.49 ± 0.59) was decreased, while the number of bacteroidetes in the treatment group was increased (9.77 ± 0.87). The number of escherichia coli (6.92 ± 0.77) and faecalibacterium prausnitzii (8.70 ± 0.62) in the model group were increased than control group (5.42 ± 0.63, 9.49 ± 0.59), while the number of escherichia coli (6.34 ± 0.71) and faecalibacterium prausnitzii (9.77 ± 0.87) (P < 0.05) was reduced with the intervention of berberine. Conclusion: Berberine could effectively protect the intestinal barrier function in rats with NAFLD and the possible mechanism of action behind it may be the regulation of intestinal flora.

miR-132 weakens proliferation and invasion of glioma cells via the inhibition of Gli1.

OBJECTIVE: Transcriptional factor Gli1 in Hedgehog signal pathway facilitates epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) and is associated with invasion or proliferation of multiple tumor cells. The previous study showed the correlation between miR-132 down-regulation and glioma pathogenesis. We investigated the role of miR-132 in mediating Gli1 expression and in affecting proliferation or invasion of glioma cells. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Dual luciferase reporter gene assay was used to confirm the targeted regulation between miR-132 and Gli1. Tumor tissues at different pathological grades (grade II, III and IV) were collected from glioma patients, in parallel with brain tissues from contusion surgery. The expression of miR-132 and Gli1 was measured by RT-PCR. Glioma cell line U251 was treated with miR-132 or si-Gli1 followed by measuring the expression of Gli1, E-cadherin, Vimentin and Cyclin D1. In addition, flow cytometry and transwell assay were performed to evaluate cell invasion potency. RESULTS: Bioinformatics analysis showed the complementary binding sites between miR-132 and 3'-UTR of Gli1 mRNA. Transfection of miR-132 mimic significantly reduced luciferase activity, indicating the targeted regulatory relationship between miR-132 and Gli1 mRNA. Compared with control group, miR-132 expression was decreased and Gli1 level was elevated in glioma tissues, both of which were correlated with the pathological grade. Transfection of miR-132 mimic or si-Gli1 remarkably suppressed the expression of Gli1, Vimentin or Cyclin D1 in U251 cells, up-regulated E-cadherin expression, suppressed cell proliferation and invasion. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicated that over-expression of miR-132 could inhibit proliferation or invasion of glioma cells via targeted inhibition of Gli1 expression.

Maternal dietary linoleic acid supplementation promotes muscle fibre type transformation in suckling piglets.

As meat quality is basically dependent on muscle fibre characteristics, it is important to know how muscle fibres are regulated and transformed. This study aimed to investigate the effect of maternal dietary supplementation on muscle fibre types using 3% saturated fatty acid (palmitic acid, PA) or 3% unsaturated fatty acid (linoleic acid, LA) from 80 days of gestation to the weaning of offspring (25 days post-natal). The results indicated that higher mRNA levels of MyHCI type genes were found in the soleus muscles of piglets that suckled from LA-supplemented sows than from PA-supplemented sows. In addition, LA treatment increased the gene expression of the type I muscle fibre marker troponin I (p < 0.01), suggesting that LA promoted muscle fibre type transformation to type I fibres. Moreover, PGC-1α (p < 0.01) and MEF2c (p < 0.05) mRNA levels were higher in the piglets from the LA treatment group than in those from the PA treatment group. Furthermore, LA supplementation also significantly increased AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) mRNA levels (p < 0.05), which is an upstream regulator of PGC-1α. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that maternal dietary LA supplementation promoted muscle fibre transformation to type I fibre and that this process may be mediated through an AMPK-dependent pathway.

Salidroside protects against premature senescence induced by ultraviolet B irradiation in human dermal fibroblasts.

OBJECTIVES: Salidroside, the predominant component of a Chinese herbal medicine, Rhodiola rosea L., becomes an attractive bio-agent due to its multifunction. Although it is well proposed that this herbal medicine may have photoprotective effect according to the folk hearsay, the direct supportive experimental evidences linking the drug with skin ageing have rarely been reported so far. The study was conducted to investigate the photoprotective role of salidrosdie and its related mechanisms in vitro. METHODS: First, a premature senescence model induced by UVB irradiation (250 mJ cm(-2)) in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) was established, and senescent phenotypes were evaluated by cell morphology, cell proliferation, senescence-associated beta-galactosidase (SA-ß-gal) activity and cell cycle distribution. Then the photoprotective effect of salidroside was investigated. Cells were pre-treated with various doses of salidroside (1, 5 and 10 µM) followed by the sublethal dosage of UVB exposure and then were harvested for various detections, including senescence-associated phenotypes and molecules, alteration of oxidative stress, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) secretion and inflammatory response. RESULTS: Pre-treatment of salidroside dose dependently reversed the senescent state of HDFs induced by UVB as evidenced by elevated cell viability, decreased SA-ß-gal activity and relieving of G1/G0 cell cycle arrest. UVB-induced increased protein expression of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors p21(WAF) (1) and p16(INK) (4) was also repressed by salidrosdie treatment in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, the increment of malondialdehyde (MDA) level in UVB-irradiated HDFs was inhibited upon salidroside treatment. Additionally, salidroside significantly attenuated UVB-induced synthesis of MMP-1 as well as the production of IL-6 and TNF-α in HDFs. CONCLUSION: Our data provided the evidences for the protective role of salidroside against UVB-induced premature senescence in HDFs probably via its anti-oxidative property and inhibition on production of MMP-1 and pro-inflammatory cytokines, which indicated its potential utilization as an active ingredient in the preparation of photoprotective formulation.

Beneficial effects of the herbal medicine Di Huang Yin Zi in patients with spinal cord injury: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the safety and therapeutic efficacy of Di Huang Yin Zi (DHYZ), a traditional Chinese decoction used to treat neurological disorders, in spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, patients with traumatic SCI and American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment grades B-D were randomized to receive DHYZ (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for 12 weeks. Both groups also received rehabilitation therapy during the study period. Motor and sensory function and activities of daily living (ADL) were assessed before treatment and at 4-week intervals. RESULTS: Significantly more patients in the DHYZ group showed an improved ASIA impairment grade during the treatment period (32.1%) compared with the placebo group (10.3%), and scores for sensory and motor function and ADL at the end of the treatment period were significantly higher in the DHYZ group than in the placebo group. No serious side-effects were reported. CONCLUSIONS: DHYZ was found to improve neurological function in patients with SCI and may be an effective adjuvant therapy to enhance functional recovery.

Preparation, characterization and immunomodulatory activity of selenium-enriched exopolysaccharide produced by bacterium Enterobacter cloacae Z0206.

The tolerant-selenium exopolysaccharide-producing bacterial strain Enterobacter cloacae Z0206 was batch cultured in PDA medium containing optimal concentration of sodium selenite. Selenium was accumulated efficiently in Enterobacter cloacae Z0206 during cultivation with selenium. Inorganic selenite could be transformed into organic forms. Selenium-enriched exopolysaccharide (Se-ECZ-EPS-1) was purified from the fermentation liquid. Selenium content of Se-ECZ-EPS-1 was 12.962microg/g. Se-ECZ-EPS-1 with Mw of 29,300Ka was composed of Glc, Gal and Mann with molar ratio of 8.530:0.061:0.706. Administration of Se-ECZ-EPS-1 to cyclophosphamide (CP)-exposed animals resulted in improvement of cellular and humoral immune responses. These findings indicated that Se-ECZ-EPS-1 may act as potent immunomodulatory agents.

Effects of dietary copper (II) sulfate and copper proteinate on performance and blood indexes of copper status in growing pigs.

160 crossbred (Duroc x Landrace x Yorkshire) gilts averaged 21.25 kg body weight were used to study the effects of dietary copper (II) sulfate (CuSO4) and copper proteinate (Cu-Pr) on growth performance, plasma Cu concentration, ceruloplasmin activity, and erythrocyte Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. All pigs were allotted to four treatments and fed with basal diets supplemented with 0 (control), 250 mg /kg Cu as CuSO4, and 50 and 100 mg/kg Cu as Cu-Pr. Growth performance was determined based on two growth phase (phase 1: days 0 to 15, phase 2: days 15 to 30). After 30 days of the treatment, 16 pig blood samples (four per treatment) were collected for indexes of copper status determination. The experimental results showed that compared with control, pigs fed with 250 mg Cu/kg as CuSO4 and 100 mg Cu/kg as Cu-Pr had higher average daily gain and average daily feed intake in the whole growth phase (d 0 to 30). In addition, 250 mg Cu/kg as CuSO4 and 100 mg/kg Cu as Cu-Pr enhanced plasma ceruloplasmin activity (P < 0.05), and 100 mg/kg Cu as Cu-Pr increased erythrocyte Cu/Zn-SOD activity (P < 0.01) compared with the control. There was no obvious treatment response on plasma Cu concentration in the present study.

Effect of cadmium in feed on organs and meat colour of growing pigs.

One hundred and ninety-two barrows (Duroc x Landrace x Yorkshire, initial weight 27.7 kg) were used to investigate the effects of cadmium in feed on the function of selected organs and meat colour of growing pigs. The pigs were randomly allocated into four different treatments. Each treatment included three replications with 16 pigs per replicate. The animals were fed corn-soybean basal diet and supplemented with 0, 0.5, 5.0, 10.0 mg/kg cadmium (as CdCl(2)), respectively. The feeding trial ended when the average body weight of the pigs reach 90 kg. The results showed that, compared with controls, addition of 10 mg/kg cadmium to the diet resulted in significant elevations of relative weight of liver and spleen by 18.3% (p<0.05) and 19.7% (p<0.05) respectively, and of serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) activities by 17.8% (p<0.05) and 27.4% (p<0.05) respectively; and significant decreases of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity in the liver by 24.6% (p<0.05), the redness of longissimus dorsi by 26.6% (p<0.05) and 24.9% (p<0.05) at 0.75 h and 16 h post mortem, respectively, and of the myoglobin content of longissimus dorsi by 19.4% (p<0.05). No changes were found in these indices above when the pigs were fed the diet supplied with 0.5 or 5 mg/kg cadmium (p>0.05), nor in renal functions among cadmium-treatment treatments (p>0.05) as indicated is the activities of urinary N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and the content of urinary protein. The study indicated the adverse effects of 10 mg/kg cadmium in feed on liver functions and meat colour of growing pigs.

Effect of excessive dietary fluoride on nutrient digestibility and retention of iron, copper, zinc, and manganese in growing pigs.

Ninety-six crossbred growing pigs were used to evaluate the effects of fluoride levels on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and the retention of minerals in tissues. Four dietary treatments were formulated by supplementing fluorine (as NaF) to a corn-soybean basal diet (39.75 mg/kg F) to provide the following added fluorine levels: 0, 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg fluorine. The results showed pigs of the 100 and 150 mg/kg fluorine-added groups had decreased average daily gain (ADG) and increased feed gain ratio (F/G) compared to the control (p < 0.05). Apparent digestibility of protein and calcium in 100 and 150 mg/kg fluorine-treated groups was significantly lower than that of the control (p < 0.05). On the other hand, iron, copper, zinc, and manganese levels in most tissues of the 100 and 150 mg/kg fluorine groups were markedly changed compared to the control (p < 0.05). However, growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and mineral concentrations in all tissues of pigs were not significantly affected by the addition of 50 mg/kg fluorine (p > 0.05). Thus, this study suggested that excess fluoride levels could decrease growth performance and change the retention of iron, copper, zinc, and manganese in pigs.

Effects on growth and cadmium residues from feeding cadmium-added diets with and without montmorillonite nanocomposite to growing pigs.

One hundred and ninety-two crossbred pigs (barrows, Duroc x Landrace x Yorkshine, initial weight 27.6 kg) were used to evaluate the effects of montmorillonite nanocomposite (MNC) on cadmium (Cd) retention in tissues of growing pigs. The animals were randomly assigned to 2 supplementations of Cd (0 or 10 mg/kg) and 2 levels of MNC (0 or 0.5%) in a 2x2 factorial arrangement. Each group was fed corn-soybean basal diets and consisted of 3 replications of 16 pigs. The feeding experiment lasted 83 d. Pig growth performances decreased significantly by addition of 10 mg Cd/kg (p<0.05) and improved with supplementation of MNC (p<0.05). Addition of MNC with Cd decreased Cd retentions in muscle, liver, kidney, spleen, thymus and lymphaden of pigs (p<0.05). MNC also decreased tissue Cd residues of pigs fed the diet without added Cd (p>0.05). There were decreased iron levels and increased copper levels in serum and liver of 10 mg Cd/kg treatment (p<0.05). Zinc content in serum and liver was not affected by the addition of Cd (p>0.05). Serum and liver iron, copper and zinc concentrations of pigs fed MNC without added Cd were unaffected by MNC (p>0.05).

Infections within the peritoneal cavity: a historical perspective.

Physicians in antiquity dreaded abdominal infections. Despite the fact that peritonitis was extremely common, reports of successful surgical interventions were only anecdotal before the past century. Medicine's comprehension of the pathophysiology of the peritoneal cavity is still evolving. The history of our understanding of the process could be considered to be as recent as the current literature. Despite this, the mortality rates for patients with secondary peritonitis have fallen in the last century from almost 100 per cent to less than 10 per cent.

Influence of 3,4',5-trihydroxystibene-3-beta-mono-D-glucoside on vascular endothelial epoprostenol and platelet aggregation.

AIM: To study the relationship between the inhibiting effect on platelet aggregation and the enhancing effect on epoprostenol (PGI2) released from vascular endothelium with 3,4',5-trihydroxystibene-3-beta-mono-D-glucoside (polydatin, Pol). METHODS: After having been incubated with Pol, the incubating medium was withdrawn from the bottles with newborn umbilical vein endothelial cells (VEC group, trypsin digesting method) and added to the platelets (washing method). The medium withdrawn from the bottles without VEC was designated as control group. Reduction of platelet aggregation rates (PAR, turbidity method) and changes of 6-ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha (6-keto-PGF1 alpha) and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) (radioimmunoassay method) in the supernatant of the aggregated platelets induced by thrombin were scrutinized. RESULTS: PAR in the control group showed no reduction, whereas PAR reduction (-10 +/- 10) and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha increase (108 +/- 30 ng.L(-1)) in the VEC group treated 10 min with Pol 0.41 mmol.L(-1) (vs that of distilled water, ie, 2 +/- 12 and 54 +/- 20 ng.L(-1)) occurred. CONCLUSION: Increase of PGI2 from VEC by Pol was involved in its (Pol's) inhibition effect of platelet aggregation.

[Good regulation of acupuncture in simple obesity patients with stomach-intestine excessive heat type].

In order to investigate the regulatory effect of acupuncture on obesity patients with the Stomach-Intestine Excessive Heat Type, the pre-acupunctural and post-acupunctural obesity index and biochemical indices of 718 patients with simple obesity was observed. It was showed that the marked weight loss effects was achieved in the cases by acupuncture, while the biochemical indices improved. It suggests that acupuncture had a good regulatory effect on the function of nerve, endocrine, digestion and energy metabolism.

[Screening of anti-simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) drugs from Chinese medicinal herbs].

The inhibitory activities of more than 40 species of Chinese medicinal herbs or their single chemical components against simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) have been studied. The study revealed that four species of the medicinal herbs and a single chemical component had more than 50% inhibition of SIV antigen expression and five other herbs' inhibitory rate of SIV antigen expression was between 30-50%. The results showed that Chinese medicinal herbs could inhibit the SIV activity.

Effects of selenium deficiency on Ca transport function of sarcoplasmic reticulum and lipid peroxidation in rat myocardium.

Two groups of weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a low-selenium basal diet (Se 0.009 mg/kg) and the same diet supplemented with sodium selenite (Se 0.25 mg/kg), respectively, for 1, 2, and 3 months. At each feeding time, the Ca(2+)-ATPase activity, Ca2+ uptake rate and the capacity of Ca2+ uptake in isolated cardiac sacroplasmic reticulum from the Se-deficient rats were decreased significantly compared to those from the Se-supplemented rats, the contents of lipid peroxide in postmitochondrial supernatant and isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum from the Se-deficient rats were significantly higher than that from Se-supplemented rats. Compared to the Se-supplemented rats, the cytosolic glutathione peroxidase activity in Se-deficient rats decreased significantly. In addition, significant linear negative correlations of lipid peroxide in postmitochondrial supernatant to sarcoplasmic reticular Ca(2+)-ATPase activity, Ca2+ uptake rate and to whole blood selenium concentration were observed. The results suggest that the enhancement of lipid peroxidation via the depressed glutathione peroxidase activity might be responsible for the decrease of Ca(2+)-ATPase and Ca2+ uptake activities in sarcoplasmic reticulum in Se-deficient animals.

[The protective effect of selenium on acute myocardial hypoxia at high altitude].

The protective effect of selenium on acute myocardial hypoxia due to exposure to high altitude were studied by light microscope and transmission, electron microscope. The blood concentration of selenium of Wistar Rats given with sodium selenium were examined by fluorometry began from lower altitude area and were killed after reaching each correspondent elevation areas. The experiment was similar to that human 'laddering Mounting' to high altitude. The results showed that myocardial lesions were less in the animals to which sodium selenium were given than those not given, and it was not easily detected. The blood selenium concentration was significantly higher in the former than the latter (P greater than 0.01). This suggest that the selenium has unprotective effect on acute cardiac hypoxia of rats exposed to high altitude, its protective mechanism is discussed in this paper.