Characterization of reproductive hormones and related gene expression in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in the egg-laying interval in White King pigeon.

The egg-laying interval (LI) directly reflects the laying performance of breeding pigeons, influenced by reproductive hormones. This study aimed to assess reproductive hormone levels in serum and the expression of related genes and their receptors in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in 4 stages: first (LI1), third (LI3), fifth (LI5), and seventh (LI7) days. The results showed that serum gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) level decreased from LI1 to LI7 (P < 0.01) and peaked in LI1. The serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels stayed at high levels from LI1 to LI5. The FSH level decreased slightly from LI5 to LI7 (P > 0.05), but the LH level decreased rapidly (P < 0.01). The prolactin (PRL) levels significantly increased in LI5 (P < 0.01) compared with LI1 and then stayed at a high level. The GnRH1 expression in the hypothalamus had no significant change in LI (P > 0.05). However, the GnRHR first decreased from LI1 to LI3 (P < 0.05) and then increased. The FSH mRNA level in the pituitary gland decreased from LI1 to LI3 and slightly increased in LI5 (P > 0.05). The change pattern of FSHR was similar to that of FSH and peaked in LI5 (P < 0.05). The LH expression level was the highest in LI5 and significantly higher than that in LI3 and LI7 (P < 0.05). However, the LHR mRNA level decreased in LI (P < 0.05). The expression patterns of PRL and PRLR were similar; they were upregulated in LI and peaked in LI7 (P < 0.01). The expression pattern of GnRHR was similar to that of FSH, LH, and FSHR, suggesting the critical role of GnRHR in LI. Furthermore, the expression levels of these genes peaked in LI5, closely correlating with the maturation of the first largest follicle in pigeons. PRL-PRLR signaling inhibited GnRH activity to promote ovulation. This study provided a basis for further investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of reproduction in pigeons.

[Clinical efficacy of local injection of platelet-rich plasma combined with double-layer artificial dermis in treating wounds with exposed tendon on extremity].

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of local injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) combined with double-layer artificial dermis in treating wounds with exposed tendon on extremity. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted. From December 2017 to October 2022, 16 patients were admitted to Department of Orthopaedic Trauma of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and 32 patients were admitted to Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery of Guiyang Steel Factory Staff Hospital. All the patients had wounds with exposed tendon on extremity caused by various reasons and met the inclusion criteria. There were 39 males and 9 females, aged 26 to 58 years. The patients were divided into PRP alone group, artificial dermis alone group, and PRP+artificial dermis group, with 16 patients in each group. The wounds were treated with autologous PRP, double-layer artificial dermis, or thei combination of autologous PRP and double-layer artificial dermis, followed by autologous split-thickness scalp grafting after good growth of granulation tissue. On the 7th day after the secondary surgery, the autograft survival was observed, and the survival rate was calculated. The wound healing time and length of hospital stay of patients were recorded. At 3 and 6 months after wound healing, the Vancouver scar scale (VSS) was used to score the pigmentation, height, vascularity, and pliability of scars, and the total score was calculated. Adverse reactions during the entire treatment process were recorded. Data were statistically analyzed with chi-square test, Fisher's exact probability test, one-way analysis of variance, least significant difference test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Nemenyi test, and Bonferroni correction. Results: On the 7th day after the secondary surgery, there was no statistically significant difference in the autograft survival rate of patients among PRP alone group, artificial dermis alone group, and PRP+artificial dermis group (P>0.05). The wound healing time and length of hospital stay of patients in PRP+artificial dermis group were (20.1±3.0) and (24±4) d, respectively, which were significantly shorter than (24.4±5.5) and (30±8) d in PRP alone group (P<0.05) and (24.8±4.9) and (32±8) d in artificial dermis alone group (P<0.05). At 3 and 6 months after wound healing, the pliability scores of patients in PRP+artificial dermis group were significantly lower than those in PRP alone group (with Z values of 12.91 and 15.69, respectively, P<0.05) and artificial dermis alone group (with Z values of 12.50 and 12.91, respectively, P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in pigmentation, vascularity, height scores, and total score of scar of patients among the three groups (P>0.05). In artificial dermis alone group, one patient experienced partial liquefaction and detachment of the double-layer artificial dermis due to local infection of Staphylococcus epidermidis, which received wound dressing change, second artificial dermis transplantation, and subsequent treatment as before. No adverse reactions occurred in the remaining patients during the whole treatment process. Conclusions: Local injection of PRP combined with double-layer artificial dermis is effective in treating wounds with exposed tendon on extremity, which can not only significantly shorten wound healing time and length of hospital stay, but also improve scar pliability after wound healing to some extent in the long term. It is a clinically valuable treatment technique that is worth promoting and applying.

Deep learning for the early identification of periodontitis: a retrospective, multicentre study.

AIM: To develop a deep-learning model to help general dental practitioners diagnose periodontitis accurately and at an early stage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: First, the panoramic radiographs (PARs) from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University were input into the convolutional neural network (CNN) architecture to establish the PAR-CNN model for healthy controls and periodontitis patients. Then, the PARs from the Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine were included in the second testing set to validate the effectiveness of the model with data from two centres. Heat maps were produced using a gradient-weighted class activation mapping method to visualise the regions of interest of the model. The accuracy and time required to read the PARs were compared between the model, periodontal experts, and general dental practitioners. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) were used to evaluate the performance of the model. RESULTS: The AUC of the PAR-CNN model was 0.843, and the AUC of the second test set was 0.793. The heat map showed that the regions of interest predicted by the model were periodontitis bone lesions. The accuracy of the model, periodontal experts, and general dental practitioners was 0.800, 0.813, and 0.693, respectively. The time required to read each PAR by periodontal experts (6.042 ± 1.148 seconds) and general dental practitioners (13.105 ± 3.153 seconds), which was significantly longer than the time required by the model (0.027 ± 0.002 seconds). CONCLUSION: The ability of the CNN model to diagnose periodontitis approached the level of periodontal experts. Deep-learning methods can assist general dental practitioners to diagnose periodontitis quickly and accurately.

Analysis of the factors influencing male infertility of reproductive age in Jinan.

OBJECTIVE: The World Health Organization (WHO) defines infertility as a person failing to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Infertility includes female infertility and male infertility. The aim of this paper is to study the etiology of infertility and related influencing factors in men of reproductive age in Jinan. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this study, 172 male infertile patients who attended the Department of Assisted Reproduction of Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Shandong, China and the Infertility Clinic of Jinan Central Hospital in Shandong, China from August 2021 to April 2022 are selected as the study population (infertility group). A convenience sampling method is used to select 257 men from couples attending the Obstetrics Department of Qilu Hospital in Shandong, China, the Obstetrics Department of the Second Hospital of Shandong University in Shandong, China, and the Obstetrics Department of Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Shandong, China from October 2021 to February 2022 as the study subjects (control group). A self-designed questionnaire is used to conduct the survey, which includes basic personal information, lifestyle information, marital and family-related information, and one-way and multi-way logistic regression analyses are performed. RESULTS: The average age of the case group and the control group are 34.03±5.13 years old and 33.61±8.18 years old; the average height is 175.80±5.91 cm and 176.78±5.25 cm; the average weight is 80.28±14.70 kg and 83.09±45.36 kg. The differences in age, height, and weight between the case group and the control group are not statistically significant by t-test. Moderate oligospermia is the predominant cause of infertility in men of reproductive age in Jinan. A multifactorial logistic regression analysis yields that academic qualifications (OR=2.518, 95% CI: 1.023 to 6.196), coffee consumption (OR=7.692, 95% CI: 1.623 to 36.460), living in a room that had been renovated within a period of time (OR=2.769, 95% CI: 1.104 to 6.949), stress level (OR=47.280, 95% CI: 23.656-94.494), quality of sexual life (OR=3.352, 95% CI: 1.331-8.442), and duration of couple separation (OR=3.851, 95% CI: 1.094-13.557) are the main risk factors for infertility in men of reproductive age in Jinan. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, a total of 6 risk factors are screened for male infertility in Jinan in the reproductive age, including high academic qualifications, coffee consumption, living in a room that has finished renovation within 3 months, high stress, poor quality of sexual life, and long spousal separation. Three factors can be controlled, avoided, or reduced through personal actions; the factors are coffee consumption, living in a room that has finished renovation within 3 months, and high stress, all of which may reduce the level of male reproductive health.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for menopausal mood disorder: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of acupuncture combined with Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) on mood disorder symptoms for menopausal women. METHODS: A total of 95 qualified Chinese participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: 31 in the acupuncture combined with CHM group (combined group), 32 in the acupuncture combined with CHM placebo group (acupuncture group) and 32 in the CHM combined with sham acupuncture group (CHM group). The patients were treated for 8 weeks and followed up for 4 weeks. The data were collected using the Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS), self-rating depression scale (SDS), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and safety index. RESULTS: The three groups each showed significant decreases in the GCS, SDS and SAS after treatment (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the effect on the GCS total score and the anxiety domain lasted until the follow-up period in the combined group (p < 0.05). Within the three groups, there was no difference in GCS and SAS between the three groups after treatment (p > 0.05). However, the combined group showed significant improvement in the SDS, compared with both the acupuncture group and the CHM group at 8 weeks and 12 weeks (p < 0.05). No obvious abnormal cases were found in any of the safety indexes. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that either acupuncture, or CHM or combined therapy offer safe improvement of mood disorder symptoms for menopausal women. However, the combination therapy was associated with more stable effects in the follow-up period and a superior effect on improving depression symptoms.

Different amino acid supplementation patterns in low-protein diets on growth performance and nitrogen metabolism of goslings from 1 to 28 days of age.

The investigation aimed to explore the suitable amino acid (AA) supplementation pattern for goslings under low-protein diets. A total of 364 1-day-old male goslings were randomly divided into 4 experimental groups, with 7 pens containing 13 goslings each. The 4 groups were control (CP, 18.55%), LPM (CP, 15.55% + major AA), LPA (CP, 15.55% + all AA), and LPR (CP, 15.55% + AA content reduced proportionally to the control's CP). The corn-soybean meal diets are formulated according to the ideal AA model of goose and its nutritional requirements. The results indicated that the ADG and BW were the lowest, and the F: G was the highest in LPR (P < 0.05); the other three groups were not significantly different (P > 0.05). The ADFI and mortality were not different among all the groups (P > 0.05). Among the AA content in serum and breast muscle, lysine in serum significantly decreased compared with the control (P < 0.05). The UREA content was approximately 2-fold higher in the LPR group than in the LPM and LPA groups (P < 0.05). No difference in IgA, IgG, IgM, and IgE levels was observed among the groups (P > 0.05). The nitrogen excretion was decreased in LPM and LPA compared to the control and LPR (P < 0.05). Nitrogen deposition did not differ among groups (P > 0.05). Nitrogen utilization was highest in the LPA and LPM groups, followed by the control group and LPR (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the patterns of supplementation of major AA and all AA in low-protein diets (CP, 15.55%) had no adverse effect on the growth performance compared with the control (CP, 18.55%) of the goslings. Besides, the two patterns could decrease nitrogen excretion and increase nitrogen utilization. Furthermore, from the perspective of dietary cost and environmental protection, the pattern of supplementing major AA in a corn-soybean meal low-protein diet is suggested.

Effects of betaine supplementation on reproductive performance of breeding geese.

1. An experiment feeding three concentrations of betaine was conducted using breeding geese to analyse the reproductive performance, serum biochemical indexes, egg quality and intestinal immunity.2. A total of 450 female and 90 male Jiangnan White breeding geese were divided into three treatments, with five pen replicates each containing 30 female geese and 6 male geese.3. The results showed that there was no significant effect on the reproductive performance, serum biochemical indexes or jejunal villi goblet cells of geese with different levels of betaine in the diet (P > 0.05). Compared with the control group, the addition of 2.5 g/kg betaine to the diet showed a tendency to increase egg mass (P > 0.05) the betaine content in the yolk (P < 0.05). Feeding betaine significantly increased the height of jejunal villi and egg yolk total cholesterol content in female geese (P < 0.05).4. In conclusion, adding betaine to the goose diet was effective in its ability to improve intestinal structures. Adding 2.5 g/kg betaine to feed significantly increased the content of TCHOL and betaine in goose eggs.

[Effect analysis of the modified wire-loop snare technique in retrieving severely tilted inferior vena cava filters].

Objective: To examine the application effect of the modified wire-loop snare technique in retrieving severely tilted inferior vena cava filters (IVCF). Methods: The clinical data of 18 patients (12 males and 6 females, aged (62.1±13.1) years (range: 29 to 78 years)) who underwent the modified wire-loop snare technique to retrieve IVCF at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao Eighth People's Hospital, and Jimo District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from November 2017 to April 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The applied filters included drum-type filters (OptEase in 7 cases, Aegisy in 2 cases) and conical filters (Celect in 6 cases and Denali in 3 cases). Preoperative CT angiography and intraoperative digital subtraction angiography showed that the filter was severely tilted and the hook was covered by hyperplastic intima of the vena cave vein. A modified wire-loop snare technique was used to retrieve drum-type filters and conical filters via femoral and jugular vein approaches, respectively. After successful puncture, the long sheath was placed, the 4 F (1 F≈0.33 mm) vertebral catheter and a snare were inserted through the long sheath, and the 5 F pigtail catheter was inserted simultaneously to guide a 0.035 inch soft guide-wire (260 cm in length) to pass through the top of the filter and turning back. The tip of the soft guide-wire was snared by the vertebral catheter and pulled out of the sheath. The 4 F vertebral catheter was inserted following the tip of the guide-wire to form a wire-loop using the vertebral catheter and the pigtail catheter. After fixing the tip and tail of the soft guide-wire in vitro, the long sheath was pushed forward to cut the hyperplastic intima and the hook was pulled away from the vena cava wall to retrieve the filter under the support of two catheters. Results: The filters were successfully retrieved in 17 cases, the operation time was (25.5±8.7) minutes (range: 15 to 45 minutes), no complication occured. The hook of one filter (Celect) penetrated out of the vena vava wall and the wire-loop could not pull the hook back into the vena cava. Then the filter was removed by laparotomy. Conclusion: The modified wire-loop snare technique could retrieve the severely tilted retrivable drum-type filters and conical filters, even when serve adhesion exists between the filter and the vena cava wall.

Effects of betaine on growth performance, intestinal health, and immune response of goslings challenged with lipopolysaccharide.

The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of betaine on growth performance, serum parameters, intestinal health, and immune performance of goslings in response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge. A total of 168 healthy male 15-day-old Jiangnan White Goslings were randomly divided into 4 groups, with 6 replicates per treatment and seven goslings per replicate. A 2 × 2 factorial arrangement included 2 factors, that is, LPS challenge (injection of LPS or physiological saline) and betaine (added 0 or 0.06% betaine in diet). The results indicated that LPS challenge significantly reduced the average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), and body weight (BW) at 21 D of the goslings, while dietary betaine supplementation tended to increase the ADFI during the LPS stress period (P = 0.08) and BW at 21 D of the goslings (P = 0.09). The LPS-challenged goslings showed higher pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1 [IL-1ß], interleukin-6 [IL-6], tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and Interferon-gamma [IFN-γ]) and lower anti-inflammatory cytokine (Interleukin-10 [IL-10]) (P < 0.05) at 21 D of age. Dietary betaine supplementation alleviated LPS-induced increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines. The LPS challenge significantly decreased duodenal and jejunal villus height (VH) and villus height and crypt depth ratio (VCR), while the addition of betaine significantly increased duodenal VH and VCR (P < 0.05). On the other hand, addition of betaine significantly alleviated decline of enzyme activity on lipase, amylase, trypsin, and chymotrypsin in the intestinal of goslings. The LPS challenge significantly increased the content of serum D-lactic acid (D-LA) and the activity of diamine oxidase (DAO) at 21 D of the goslings. The LPS challenge and betaine addition significantly increased the mRNA expression of Occcludin (OCLN) in jejunal mucosa at 28 D of the goslings (P < 0.05). In conclusion, our research demonstrated that betaine can alleviate the decline of growth performance and immune performance in goslings caused by LPS. The results also indicate betaine possesses anti-inflammation properties and improves intestinal barrier functions. We recommend that 0.06% betaine be added into the diet to improve the intestinal health and immune performance of goslings.

[Identification of traditional Chinese drugs containing active ingredients for treating myocardial infarction and analysis of their therapeutic mechanisms by network pharmacology and molecular docking].

OBJECTIVE: To identify traditional Chinese drugs that contain active ingredients for treatment of myocardial infarction (MI) and explore their therapeutic mechanisms using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. METHODS: The TCMSP database was used for screening the traditional Chinese drugs containing active ingredients for treating MI, and the related targets of MI and the candidate drugs were obtained from Genecards, OMIM, PharmGkb and PharmMapper databases. The common target network of the drug targets and disease targets was established using Venny2.1.0 software. GO and KEGG signal pathway enrichment analysis of the common targets was performed, and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed for the targets. The targets in the PPI network were analyzed to identify the key targets, for which GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed. Molecular docking was performed for the candidate ingredients and the key targets, and a total score ≥6 was used as the criteria for screening the therapeutic ingredients and their docking binding with key targets was verified. A human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) model of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) was used to validate the candidate ingredients and the key therapeutic targets for MI by Western blotting. RESULTS: Our analysis identified Salvia miltiorrhiza and Dalbergiae odoriferae as the candidate drugs rich in active ingredients for treatment of MI. These ingredients involved 16 key therapeutic targets for MI, which participated in such biological processes as inflammatory response, angiogenesis, energy metabolism and oxidative stress and the pathways including HIF-1, VEGF, and TNF pathways. Sclareol and PTGS2 in Salvia miltiorrhiza and formononetin and KDR in Dalbergiae odoriferae all had high docking total scores. Western blotting showed that at medium and high doses, sclareol significantly inhibited PTGS2 expression and formononetin promoted KDR expressions in the cell models in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Both Salvia miltiorrhiza and Dalbergiae odoriferae have good therapeutic effects on MI. Sclareol in Salvia miltiorrhiza and formononetin in Dalbergiae odoriferae regulate the expressions of KDR and PTGS2, respectively, to modulate the inflammatory response, angiogenesis, oxidative stress and energy metabolism and thus produce myocardial protective effects.

Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Sophocarpine from Sophora viciifolia Hance.

Sophora viciifolia Hance is an edible plant used in traditional Chinese medicine. Sophocarpine, a tetracyclic quinolizidine alkaloid, is one of the most abundant active ingredients in Sophora viciifolia Hance. Here, we study the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as the acute toxicity of sophocarpine from Sophora viciifolia Hance in mice. Sophocarpine (20, 40, and 80 mg/kgbw) significantly prolonged the delay period before a hot plate reaction occurred (all P < 0.05), and the delay before a tail-flick response was induced by a warm bath (P < 0.05; P < 0.01). Sophocarpine (40, 80 mg/kg) resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of the writhing reaction induced by acetic acid in mice (P < 0.05; P < 0.001, respectively). Sophocarpine (80 mg/kg) reduced the total duration of a formalin-induced pain response (P < 0.05). Sophocarpine prolonged the foot-licking latency of mice after the hot plate reaction, and this effect was antagonized by calcium chloride and enhanced by verapamil. Sophocarpine (20, 40, and 80 mg/kg) significantly inhibited xylene-induced ear edema (P < 0.01; P < 0.001; P < 0.001, respectively) and the penetration of acetic acid-induced dye into the peritoneal cavity (P < 0.01; P < 0.01; P < 0.001, respectively). It also reduced the levels of proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, and prostaglandin E2 (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.001) and those of serum nitric oxide (P < 0.05). The results of this study suggest that sophocarpine possesses certain analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities, which may be related to calcium and inhibition of the secretion of inflammatory factors.

[Herbal textual research on Chinese medicine "Fuzi"(Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata.)].

To ensure the use of aconite roots as much as possible in accordance with the traditional medication principles, this paper examines the species, origin and processing of the ancient aconite, attempting to provide a basis for the research and development of drugs in the perspective of "Jingdian Mingfang" (Chinese Classical Formulas). The study found that a species discovered after the Tang Dynasty, Aconitum carmichaelii Debx., became the mainstream of this species category. Following the Song Dynasty, this species became the main source of authentic aconite, called "Chuanwu". This species is also currently the source of aconite roots. From this situation, the dry daughter roots of Aconitum carmichaelii Debx. should be considered in the research and development of "Jingdian Mingfang", and the cultivation products of Sichuan Jiangyou and Shanxi Hanzhong as well.

Dietary supplementation of betaine promotes lipolysis by regulating fatty acid metabolism in geese.

Supplementation of betaine in the diet appears to regulate fatty acid metabolism and decrease fat deposition. This study aims to identify the effects of dietary supplementation of betaine on zootechnical performance, fatty acid synthesis, abdominal fat deposition, and morphology. Three hundred healthy, male, one-day-old Jiangnan White geese of similar body weight were randomly divided into 5 groups, with 6 replicates per treatment and 10 geese per replicate, and given the following amounts of supplementary betaine: 0 (group A), 600 mg/kg (group B), 1,200 mg/kg (group C), 1,800 mg/kg (group D), or 2,400 mg/kg (group E). Feed intake (FI), body weight (BW), abdominal fat and sebum thickness, clinical blood parameters, hepatic enzyme activity, and abdominal fat morphology were monitored during the experiment. All geese had free access to feed and water throughout the study. Our results indicate that supplementation of betaine increased zootechnical performance at 21 and 42 d of age. The percentage of abdominal fat and sebum thickness of geese at 63 d of age decreased linearly with the addition of betaine (P < 0.05). The triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TCHOL) content of serum decreased with the increased level of betaine when measured at 63 d of age (P<0.05). Hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) increased with the level of betaine (P<0.05). However, dietary betaine appeared to decrease the activity of fatty acid synthase (FAS) in the geese at 42 d and 63 d of age (P<0.05). The percentage of total area of lipid droplet decreased with the increased level of betaine supplementation. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of betaine increased lipolysis and decreased fat deposition in the finishing period of geese via reducing feed intake. However, the precise mode-of-action is yet unclear and warrants further research.

Protective effects of lycopene on mitochondrial oxidative injury and dysfunction in the liver of aflatoxin B1-exposed broilers.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of lycopene (LYC) on mitochondrial oxidative injury and dysfunction in the liver of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-exposed broilers. A total of 192 healthy 1-day-old male broilers were randomly divided into 3 groups with 8 replicates of 8 birds each. Birds in the 3 groups were fed basal diet (control), basal diet with 100 µg/kg AFB1, and basal diet with 100 µg/kg AFB1 and 200 mg/kg LYC, respectively. The experiment lasted 42 d. The results showed that AFB1 decreased average daily body weight gain (ADG), average daily feed intake, and gain to feed ratio (G :F) compared to the control group, the LYC supplementation increased ADG and G/F compared to AFB1 group (P < 0.05). Broilers in the AFB1 group had lower mitochondrial glutathione (mGSH) concentration and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), and thioredoxin reductase activities, and higher hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentrations than the control group (P < 0.05). The LYC increased mGSH concentration and GSH-Px and MnSOD activities, and decreased H2O2 and ROS concentrations compared to AFB1 group (P < 0.05). Broilers fed the AFB1 diet showed increased mitochondrial swelling and decreased adenosine triphosphate concentration than the control group, and LYC had opposite effects (P < 0.05). The AFB1 decreased the activities of mitochondrial electron transfer chain (ETC) complexes I, II, III, and V, downregulated the mRNA expression levels of hepatic MnSOD, thioredoxin 2, thioredoxin reductase, peroxiredoxin-3, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α, nuclear respiratory factor 1, and mitochondrial transcription factor A compared with the control group (P < 0.05), and LYC increased activities of mitochondrial ETC complexes III and V, and upregulated mRNA expression levels of these genes in comparison to AFB1 group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the LYC protected broilers from AFB1-induced liver mitochondrial oxidative injury and dysfunction by stimulating mitochondrial antioxidant capacity and maintaining mitochondrial biogenesis.

Morphine exposure alters Fos expression in a sex-, age-, and brain region-specific manner during adolescence.

Data in both humans and preclinical animal models clearly indicate drug exposure during adolescence, when the "reward" circuitry of the brain develops, increases the risk of substance use and other mental health disorders later in life. Human data indicate that different neural and behavioral sequelae can be observed in early versus late adolescence. However, most studies with rodent models examine a single adolescent age compared to a mature adult age, and often only in males. Herein, we sought to determine whether the acute response to the opioid morphine would also differ across adolescence, and by sex. By quantifying Fos positive cells, a proxy for neural activity, at different stages during adolescence (pre-, early, mid-, and late adolescence) and in multiple reward regions (prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, caudate/putamen), we determined that the neural response to acute morphine is highly dependent on adolescent age, sex, and brain region. These data suggest that heterogeneity in the consequences of adolescent opioid exposure may be due to age- and sex-specific developmental profiles in individual reward processing regions. In future studies, it will be important to add age within adolescence as an independent variable for a holistic view of healthy or abnormal reward-related neural development.

Assessment of vitamin A requirement of gosling in 0-28 d based on growth performance and bone indexes.

A dose-response experiment assessing 6 total dietary vitamin A (VA) levels (0, 3,000, 6,000, 9,000, 12,000, and 15,000 IU/kg) was conducted to study the effects of different levels of VA on growth performance and bone indexes of 0 to 28 d goslings. A total of 360 healthy 1-day-old goslings with similar body weights were randomly divided into 6 groups with 6 replicates in each group and 10 goslings in each replicate. The experiment duration was 28 d. The experimental results showed that the VA content in the serum and liver of gosling increased with increasing VA amount (P < 0.05). When the diet was supplemented with 9,000 IU/kg VA, the content of vitamin D in serum and the liver was higher than those in other groups (P < 0.05). The 28-day body weight and average daily gain in gosling in the 9,000 IU/kg VA group were higher than those in the 0, 3,000 and 15,000 IU/kg VA groups (P < 0.05). Growth hormone, thyroxine, and parathyroid hormone levels in the 9,000 IU/kg VA group were higher than those in the 0, 3,000, 6,000 and 15,000 IU/kg VA groups (P < 0.05). The insulin level in the 9,000 IU/kg VA group was higher than those in the other groups (P < 0.05). The osteocalcin (BGP) levels in the VA supplementation groups were higher than that in the no VA groups (P < 0.05). The tibia length and phosphorus content in the 9,000 IU/kg VA group were higher than those in the 12,000 IU/kg VA group and 15,000 IU/kg VA group (P < 0.05). The tibia shear hardness values in the 6,000, 9,000 and 12,000 IU/kg VA groups were higher than those in the 0, 3,000 and 15,000 IU/kg VA groups (P < 0.05). The tibia calcium content in the 9,000 IU/kg VA group was higher than those in the 0 and 15,000 IU/kg VA groups (P < 0.05). The tibia crude ash content in the 9,000 IU/kg VA group was higher than that in the 15,000 IU/kg VA group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the optimum dietary VA supplementation for 0- to 8 day gosling was 9,000 IU/kg.

Mobilization of recalcitrant phosphorous and enhancement of pepper P uptake and yield by a new biocontrol and bioremediation bacterium Burkholderia cepacia CQ18.

AIMS: Phosphorus (P) is a finite resource and inoculation of phosphorus-mobilizing bacteria (PMB) is a promising approach for the enhancement of soil P availability and plant P uptake. This drives scientists to search for the microbes effective in mobilizing legacy P in soils. METHODS AND RESULTS: The current incubation and greenhouse pot experiments were conducted to investigate P mobilization and pepper P uptake as affected by a new biocontrol and bioremediation bacterium Burkholderia cepacia CQ18. This bacterium converted Ca3 (PO4 )2 , FePO4 , AlPO4 , and lecithin into soluble inorganic P in the culture solutions and increased available P (including water-soluble P and Olsen P) in the soil. There were positive correlations between the soluble inorganic phosphorus and the exudates (protons, organic acids (oxalate and gluconate), siderophores and phosphatases) in culture solutions. Pepper plant biomass, fruit yield and P uptake changed in the sequence: chemical fertilizers plus bacterial inoculant >only chemical fertilizers >only bacterial inoculant >blank control. CONCLUSIONS: Taking into account the wide spectrums of P mobilization and simultaneous production of acid, neutral and alkaline phosphatases at a given pH, B.cepacia CQ18 may be a potential PMB used in soils with wide pH ranges. The mechanisms employed by this bacterium in the solubilization of recalcitrant inorganic P could be the efflux of protons, organic acids (oxalate and gluconate) and siderophores. Phosphatases could be of utmost importance in the mineralization of the organic P. The production of siderophores and phosphatases by of B.cepacia CQ18 could thus be crucial for not only the antagonism against plant pathogens but also the mobilization of soil sparingly available P. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Burkholderia cepacia CQ18 could be potentially developed into a biofertilizer.

[Variety evolution and herbal textual research on "Dihuang" in Chinese classical prescriptions].

Rehmanniae Radix (Dihuang in Chinese) is a commonly used medicinal herb in a long history, raw Dihuang, dried Dihuang, processed Dihuang and other varieties have been recorded in the classical prescriptions of past dynasties. In order to clarify the origin and variety evolution of different processed products of Dihuang in Chinese classical prescriptions, ancient herbal books were examined in this paper. Both ancient and modern Dihuang is derived from Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. in Scrophulariaceae, and R. chingii Li has been used as local medication. Dihuang has been cultivated since the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and the cultivation technique was mature in the Tang and Song Dynasties. Huaiqing Prefecture of Henan Province has been regarded as its genuine producing area. "Dried Dihuang" in Shennong Bencao Jing(, Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica) included raw Dihuang and processed Dihuang. Mingyi Bielu(, Alternative Records of Famous Physicians) has described "raw Dihuang" and "Dried Dihuang" separately, in which "raw Dihuang" should be fresh Dihuang in modern times. Bencao Tujing(, Illustration of Materia Medica) in the Song Dynasty has recorded "raw Dihuang" and "processed Dihuang" correspondingly. The "raw Dihuang" was similar to today's raw Dihuang. "Processed Dihuang" has been recorded in the prescriptions of the Qin and Han Dynasties, which was independently described in the Song Dynasty. The processing methods of processed Dihuang were various in the Ming Dynasty. Processed Dihuang mainly refers to the dried products after stewing with wine or steaming until dark, and the processing methods tend to be simplified in modern times. "Raw and dried Dihuang" and "dried and processed Dihuang" have been independently recorded first in ancient herbal books of the Ming Dynasty, which is the raw Dihuang and processed Dihuang, respectively. This paper has sorted out the varieties of Dihuang, providing a basis of herbology for the origin and processing of traditional Chinese medicinal materials of Dihuang.

[Folic acid supplementation before and during pregnancy and the risk of preeclampsia].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between folic acid supplementation and the risk of preeclampsia (PE). Methods: A total of 9 048 pregnant women were selected from the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University in Taiyuan from March 2012 to September 2016. Among them, 882 pregnant women with PE were divided into case group, and 8 166 pregnant women without PE were divided into control group. Information on demographic characteristics, folic acid supplementation, maternal complications, and other factors were collected by face-to-face interviews after child birth in the hospital. Unconditional logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the relationship between folic acid supplementation and the risk of PE and the effects of pre-pregnancy BMI on the relationship of folic acid supplementation with the risk of PE. Results: Compared with nonusers, folic acid supplement users had reduced risk of PE (OR=0.79, 95%CI: 0.64-0.96). Folic acid supplementation before and during pregnancy were negatively related with the risk of PE (OR=0.63, 95%CI: 0.49-0.81). Pregnant women who used folic acid tablets only or used both folic acid tablets and multivitamin containing folic acid had reduced risk of PE (OR=0.81, 95%CI: 0.66-0.99; OR=0.64, 95%CI: 0.49-0.85). No significant relationship was observed in the multivitamin group. Supplemental folic acid doses of <400, 400, and >400 µg/d were related with reduced risk of PE (OR=0.62, 95%CI: 0.42-0.91; OR=0.81, 95%CI: 0.66-0.99; OR=0.68, 95%CI: 0.49-0.94). After stratified by pre-pregnancy BMI, pregnant women who used folic acid supplementation, those with pre-pregnancy BMI<24.0 kg/m(2) had reduced risk of PE (OR=0.75, 95%CI: 0.59-0.96). However, no significant relationship was observed in women with pre-pregnancy BMI≥24.0 kg/m(2). Conclusions: Folic acid supplementation before and during pregnancy were related with reduced risk of PE. Pre-pregnancy BMI might affect the relationship between folic acid supplementation and the risk of PE. Appropriate folic acid supplementation should be recommend for women with different pre-pregnancy BMI.