Effects of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus and Selenium Deficiency on the Offspring Growth and Blood Glucose Mechanisms of C57BL/6J Mice.

This study aimed to explore the effects and mechanisms of maternal gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and selenium (Se) deficiency on the growth and glucose metabolism of offspring. Female C57BL/6J mice were divided into four groups as follows: a control group, a GDM group, a Se deficiency group, and a GDM with Se deficiency group. GDM animal models were established via S961. Pregnant mice fed their offspring until weaning. Then, offspring continued to be fed with a basic diet until adulthood. Body weight and fasting blood glucose were measured weekly. Se content, oxidative stress indicators, and the protein expression of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway were detected. GDM increased susceptibility to obesity in lactating offspring, with gender differences observed in adult offspring. The effect of Se deficiency on SOD activity only appeared in female offspring during adulthood but was shown in male offspring during weaning though it disappeared during adulthood. GDM and Se deficiency increased the risk of abnormal glucose metabolism in female offspring from weaning to adulthood but gradually decreased in male offspring. The influence on the expression of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway-related proteins showed the same trend. GDM and Se deficiency affected the growth and glucose metabolism of offspring through oxidative stress and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway-related proteins, and gender differences existed.

Recent advances in lanthanide-doped up-conversion probes for theranostics.

Up-conversion (or anti-Stokes) luminescence refers to the phenomenon whereby materials emit high energy, short-wavelength light upon excitation at longer wavelengths. Lanthanide-doped up-conversion nanoparticles (Ln-UCNPs) are widely used in biomedicine due to their excellent physical and chemical properties such as high penetration depth, low damage threshold and light conversion ability. Here, the latest developments in the synthesis and application of Ln-UCNPs are reviewed. First, methods used to synthesize Ln-UCNPs are introduced, and four strategies for enhancing up-conversion luminescence are analyzed, followed by an overview of the applications in phototherapy, bioimaging and biosensing. Finally, the challenges and future prospects of Ln-UCNPs are summarized.

Effects of Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide on growth performance, appetite, and hypothalamic inflammation in broilers.

We analyzed the effects of Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide (GCP) on growth performance, appetite, and hypothalamic inflammation-related indexes in broilers. One-day-old male AA broilers were randomly divided into four groups: Control, L-GCP, M-GCP, and H-GCP (0, 300, 600, and 900 mg GCP/kg feed), with six repetition cages for each treatment and 12 broilers in each repeat for a period of 42 days. From day 1 to day 21, the addition of GCP to the diet significantly improved the ADFI and the ADG of broilers, and the mRNA levels of NPY and AgRP were significantly increased while POMC and CART were decreased in the hypothalamus of broilers; GCP also significantly decreased the mRNA levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, TLR-4, MyD88, and NF-κB, and increased the IL-4 and IL-10 in the hypothalamus from day 1 to day 42. The concentrations of appetite-related factors and inflammatory factors in serum were changed in the same fashion. Supplementation with 600 mg/kg GCP had the optimal effect in broilers, and GCP has the potential to be used as a feed additive in the poultry production industry.

In this work, we analyzed the effects of Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide on growth performance, appetite, and hypothalamic inflammation in broilers. In the past, antibiotics were added to poultry feed to prevent disease and improve growth performance; however, the extensive use of antibiotics can negatively affect livestock and poultry, and endanger the health of consumers. Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide has many biological activities. In order to explore the possibility of Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide as a substitute for antibiotics, we evaluated the effects of Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide added to the diet of broilers for 42 days. Our research confirmed that Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide supplementation increased food intake by regulating appetite-related factors in hypothalamus and serum, and also alleviated inflammation.

Effects of dietary Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide supplementation on growth performance, intestinal antioxidants, immunity and microbiota in weaned piglets.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide (GCP) supplementation on growth performance, intestinal antioxidants, immunity and microbiota in weaned piglets. One hundred and twenty 28-day-old weaned piglets were randomly assigned into five groups (four replicates per group) and fed a basal diet with GCP at 0, 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 mg/kg for four weeks, respectively. Results showed that 1000 mg/kg GCP improved piglets' ADG and ADFI and reduced FCR (p < .05). Thus, the 0 and 1000 mg/kg GCP dose were selected for subsequent experiments. We found that 1000 mg/GCP increased SOD and T-AOC and decreased MDA in the jejunal mucosa (p < .05). Dietary 1000 mg/kg GCP also resulted in high levels of sIgA, IL-10 and TGF-ß, whereas IL-2 dropped dramatically (p < .05). The relative expression levels of ZO-1, CLDN, OCLDN, TLR-4, IL-10, TGF-ß, Nrf-2, SOD1 and CAT increased in the jejunal mucosa, whereas INF-γ decreased (p < .05). 1000 mg/kg GCP treatment altered the diversity and community composition of cecal microbiota in pigs, with increasing relative abundance of Bacteroidota and Lactobacillus at phylum and genus levels (p < .05), respectively. The results suggested that dietary 1000 mg/kg GCP could improve growth performance and intestinal health of weaned piglets.

Effects of dietary Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide on growth performance, blood parameters and immunity in weaned piglets.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide (GCP) on growth performance, blood parameters and immunity in weaned piglets. A total of 240 (10.33 ± 0.62 kg body weight) 35-day-old (Duroc × Landrace × White) weaned piglets were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments, with six replicate pens per treatment and 10 piglets per pen (five males and five females). The dietary treatments continued for 21 days and comprised a basal diet supplemented with 0 (control group), 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg GCP. The results showed that the inclusion of 1000 and 2000 mg/kg GCP increased the average daily gain and decreased the feed conversion rate compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The piglets treated with 500 and 1000 mg/kg GCP had a lower diarrhoeal incidence than the control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, supplementation with 1000 mg/kg GCP increased the counts of white blood cells, neutrophils, red blood cells, and platelets, and elevated alkaline phosphatase, total protein, globulin, glucose, triglyceride, immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G, and total antioxidant capacity levels (p < 0.05), and decreased malondialdehyde content compare with the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, relative to the control group, piglets fed 500 and 1000 mg/kg GCP had significantly lower expression of interleukin-6 mRNA in spleen (p < 0.05). Our results indicate that dietary supplementation with GCP can improve growth performance, blood parameters and immunity in weaned piglets. Our study suggests that adding 1000 mg/kg GCP to the diet had the most beneficial effect.

Antioxidant monoammonium glycyrrhizinate alleviates damage from oxidative stress in perinatal cows.

This study was conducted to evaluate the antioxidant capability of dietary supplementation with monoammonium glycyrrhizinate (MAG) in perinatal cows. Glycyrrhizic acid has been shown to have strong antioxidant activity and we hypothesised that the aglycone of glycyrrhizin and MAG, could reduce damage from oxidative stress in perinatal cows by enhancing antioxidant capacity. Blood and milk samples were collected from three groups of healthy perinatal cows that were similar in body weight, parity, milk yield in the last milk cycle, etc., receiving dietary MAG supplementation ([Day 0 = parturition]: 0 g/day, [n = 13)] 3 g/day [n = 13] or 6 g/day [n = 11]) from -28 to 56 day (0 day = parturition). Compared with 0 g/day controls (CON), milk fat was significantly decreased in cows fed with MAG, and 3 g/day had the greatest effect. A diet containing 3 g/day MAG decreased the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level compared with CON at -7 day post-partum. ALT was also lower at 5 day post-partum in cows fed with 3 g/day MAG compared to 6 g/day. The administration of 3 g/day and 6 g/day MAG decreased serum aspartate transaminase (AST) at 3 day post-partum. Supplementation of MAG in cows increased total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in serum, and cows given 3 g MAG per day had higher T-AOC than controls on post-partum 7 day. At the end of the experiment, we isolated and cultured primary hepatocytes to determine the effect of MAG on oxidative stress caused by incubation with the sodium oleate (SO). SO increased lipid synthesis, but pre-treatment with MAG prevented the fatty buildup. SO treatment increased AST and ALT levels and malondialdehyde concentration, but decreased T-AOC and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Incubation with MAG increased antioxidant capacity and inhibited oxidant damage in bovine hepatocytes. SO stimulated expression of the antioxidant genes, NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1) and SOD1, in the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) pathway, and catalase 1 (CAT1); this increase was accentuated by MAG pre-treatment. The results suggest that MAG can alleviate the damage caused by oxidative stress in perinatal cows by enhancing antioxidant activity.

Effects of dietary Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide on growth, serum biochemistry, immunity, and egg laying in quail.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with Glycyrrhiza polysaccharide (GCP) on growth performance, serum biochemistry, immunity, and egg laying in female quail. 300 1-day-old female quail were sorted into four dietary treatments with five replicate cages of 15 birds each. The basic diet in the four treatment groups was supplemented with 0, 500, 1000 and 1500 mg/kg GCP, and the experiment continued for 80 days. Results showed that dietary supplementation with GCP significantly (p < 0.05) increased average daily gain in a dose-dependent fashion, and decreased (p < 0.05) the feed-to-gain ratio and mortality. The relative weights of the thymus and bursa of Fabricius increased (p < 0.05) linearly with increasing dose of GCP from 0 to 1500 mg/kg on day 20. GCP birds showed higher serum levels of protein, glucose, immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin M, but lower serum triglycerides (p < 0.05) on day 50. GCP increased (p < 0.05) average laying rate and average egg weight linearly from days 60 to 80, whereas feed to egg ratio was decreased (p < 0.05). Taken together, these results revealed that GCP could improve growth performance, serum biochemistry, immunity, and egg laying in female quail. Therefore, GCP may be a potential replacement for antibiotic growth promoters in poultry.

Physical mapping of chromosome 4J of Thinopyrum bessarabicum using gamma radiation-induced aberrations.

KEY MESSAGE: Gamma radiation induced a series of structural aberrations involving Thinopyrum bessarabicum chromosome 4J. The aberrations allowed for deletion mapping of 101 4J-specific markers and fine mapping of blue-grained gene BaThb. Irradiation can induce translocations and deletions to assist physically locating genes and markers on chromosomes. In this study, a 12-Gy dosage of (60)Co-γ was applied to pollen and eggs of a wheat (Triticum aestivum) landrace Chinese Spring (CS)-Thinopyrum bessarabicum chromosome 4J disomic addition line (DA4J), and the gametes from irradiated plants were fertilized with normal CS eggs or pollen to produce M1 seeds. Based on genomic in situ hybridization analysis of 261 M1 plants, we identified 74 lines carrying structural aberrations involving chromosome 4J with the higher aberration rate in treated pollen (31.2 %) than in the treated eggs (21.3 %). We further identified 43 (53.8 %) lines with structural aberrations on chromosome 4J by analyzing another 80 M1 plants with 74 4J-specific markers, indicating that combining molecular and cytological methods was more efficient for detecting chromosome aberrations. Marker analysis thus was performed prior to cytogenetic identification on M2-M4 seeds to detect chromosome structural aberrations. Sixty-eight M3 lines with structural aberrations on chromosome 4J and six previously obtained chromosome 4J alien lines were then analyzed using 101 chromosome 4J-specific markers. After combining marker results with chromosome aberrations in each line, chromosome 4J was physically divided into 24 segmental blocks with 7 in the short arm and 17 in the long arm. The blue-grained gene BaThb was further mapped into the region corresponding to block 4JL-11. The chromosome aberrations and the physical map developed in this research provide useful stocks and tools for introgression of genes on chromosome 4J into wheat.