Tea Polyphenols Enhanced the Antioxidant Capacity and Induced Hsps to Relieve Heat Stress Injury.

Keap1-Nrf2-ARE and heat shock proteins (Hsps) are important endogenous protection mechanisms initiated by heat stress to play a double protective role for cell adaptation and survival. H9C2 cells and 80 300-day-old specific pathogen-free chickens were randomly divided into the control and tea polyphenol groups and used to establish a heat stress model in vitro and in vivo. This task was conducted to explore the protection and mechanism of tea polyphenols in relieving thermal injury. A supplement with 10 µg/mL tea polyphenols could effectively relieve the heat damage of H9C2 cells at 42°C. Accordingly, weaker granular degeneration, vacuolar degeneration, and nucleus deep staining were shown. A strong antioxidant capacity was manifested in the upregulation of the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) (at 5 h, P < 0.05), Hemeoxygenase-1 mRNA (at 2 h, P < 0.01), superoxide dismutase (SOD) (at 2, 3, and 5 h, P < 0.05), and Nrf2 (at 0 and 5 h, P < 0.01). A high expression of Hsps was reflected in CRYAB at 3 h; Hsp27 at 0, 2, and 3 h (P < 0.01); and Hsp70 at 3 and 5 h (P < 0.01). The supplement with 0.2 g/L tea polyphenols in the drinking water also had a good effect in alleviating the heat stress damage of the myocardial cells of hens at 38°C. Accordingly, light pathological lesions and downregulation of the myocardial injury-related indicators (LDH, CK, CK-MB, and TNF-α) were shown. The mechanism was related to the upregulation of T-AOC (at 0 h, P < 0.05), GSH-PX (at 0.5 d, P < 0.01), SOD (at 0.5 d), and Nrf2 (at 0 d with P < 0.01 and 2 d with P < 0.05) and the induced expression of CRYAB (at 0.5 and 2 d), Hsp27 (at 0, 0.5, and 5 d), and Hsp70 (at 0 and 0.5 d). In conclusion, the tea polyphenols enhanced the antioxidant capacity and induced Hsps to relieve heat stress injury.

Proteomics analysis of chicken peripheral blood lymphocyte in Taishan Pinus massoniana pollen polysaccharide regulation.

The natural polysaccharides extracted from the pollen of Pinus massoniana (TPPPS) have been shown to be a promising immune adjuvant against several viral chicken diseases. However, the exact mechanism through which TPPPS enhances the host immune response in chicken remains poorly understood. In the current study, chicken peripheral blood lymphocytes were treated with varying concentrations of TPPPS and pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ, iIL-2 and IL-6 were measured to determine the optimal dose of the polysaccharide. A comparative analysis was subsequently performed between the proteome of lymphocytes subjected to the best treatment conditions and that of untreated cells. Protein identification and quantitation revealed a panel of three up-regulated and seven down-regulated candidates in TPPPS-treated chicken peripheral blood lymphocytes. Further annotation and functional analysis suggested that a number of those protein candidates were involved in the regulation of host innate immune response, inflammation and other immune-related pathways. We believe that our results could serve as a stepping stone for further research on the immune-enhancing properties of TPPPS and other polysaccharide-based immune adjuvants.

Taishan Pinus massoniana Pollen Polysaccharides Enhance Immune Responses in Chickens Infected by Avian Leukosis Virus Subgroup B.

Immunosuppressive virus, which can cause suppressed immunity and vaccination failure, frequently occurs in chicken flocks and seriously destroys the poultry industry. Our previous studies have reported that Taishan Pinus massoniana pollen polysaccharide (TPPPS) possess immunomodulatory effects and improve the immune effects of vaccines. In this study, avian leukosis virus subgroup B (ALV-B) was chosen as immunosuppressive virus to artificially establish immunosuppressive models in chickens, and the immune modulatory ability of TPPPS on the immune response of chickens was evaluated. Four randomly assigned groups (Group I-IV) of these immunosuppressed chickens were administered with TPPPS at doses of 0, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg (every kilogram chick), respectively. Group V was administered with saline as control. At seven day old, 10 chickens randomly selected from Group I-V were inoculated with the attenuated Newcastle disease (ND) vaccine. The results showed that during the monitoring period, TPPPS significantly enhanced weight of immune organs, peripheral lymphocyte proliferation, the percentage of CD4+ and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+, IL-2 and IFN-γ production, and ALV-B antibody positive rate of chickens in a dose-dependent manner, with 400 mg/kg TPPPS being the most effective. In addition, the antibody titer against Newcastle disease virus (NDV) in Group IV with 400 mg/kg was significantly higher than those in other groups. We observed the stronger immunity in the TPPPS group, which indicates that TPPPS could be used as an immunoenhancer to relieve immunosuppression caused by ALV-B in the poultry industry.

The Taishan Robinia pseudoacacia polysaccharides enhance immune effects of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus inactivated vaccines.

Robinia pseudoacacia flower, a common component in traditional Chinese medicine, has long been well-known for its high pharmaceutical value. This study aimed to assess the immunopotentiating effects of Taishan Robinia Pseudoacacia polysaccharides (TRPPS) in rabbits inoculated with a rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) inactivated vaccine. The rabbits were administered with the RHDV vaccine in conjunction with varying concentrations of TRPPS, and their blood samples were collected at different time points to analyze the ratio and number of blood lymphocytes. In addition, sera were prepared and analyzed to determine the overall antibody titer and the level of IL-2, a cytokine commonly used as an indicator of immune activity. The various TRPPS-supplemented vaccines were shown to be more effective in enhancing the immune functions of the inoculated rabbits compared to their polysaccharide-free counterpart, with 200 mg/mL of TRPPS exhibiting the most pronounced benefits that were comparable to those of propolis. In addition, the TRPPS-supplemented RHDV inactivated vaccines could significantly improve the survival rates of the immunized rabbits against RHDV infection. Our studies offered convincing experimental evidence for the development of TRPPS as a new type of plant-derived immunopotentiator.