Prenatal choline supplementation attenuates spatial learning deficits of offspring rats exposed to low-protein diet during fetal period.

Prenatal intake of choline has been reported to lead to enhanced cognitive function in offspring, but little is known about the effects on spatial learning deficits. The present study examined the effects of prenatal choline supplementation on developmental low-protein exposure and its potential mechanisms. Pregnant female rats were fed either a normal or low-protein diet containing sufficient choline (1.1g/kg choline chloride) or supplemented choline (5.0g/kg choline chloride) until delivery. The Barnes maze test was performed at postnatal days 31-37. Choline and its metabolites, the synaptic structural parameters of the CA1 region in the brain of the newborn rat, were measured. The Barnes maze test demonstrated that prenatal low-protein pups had significantly greater error scale values, hole deviation scores, strategy scores and spatial search strategy and had lesser random search strategy values than normal protein pups (all P<.05). These alterations were significantly reversed by choline supplementation. Choline supplementation increased the brain levels of choline, betaine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine of newborns by 51.35% (P<.05), 33.33% (P<.001), 28.68% (P<.01) and 23.58% (P<.05), respectively, compared with the LPD group. Prenatal choline supplementation reversed the increased width of the synaptic cleft (P<.05) and decreased the curvature of the synaptic interface (P<.05) induced by a low-protein diet. Prenatal choline supplementation could attenuate the spatial learning deficits caused by prenatal protein malnutrition by increasing brain choline, betaine and phospholipids and by influencing the hippocampus structure.

Vitamin a supplements alleviate inflammatory responses in reproductive tracts of male mice infected with pseudorabies virus.

Vitamin A is largely thought to have immune potential for mammal health; however, no conclusive mechanisms exist regarding its role in the pathogen-initiated innate immune response, or in the linkage between the innate and adaptive immune system during sperm formation in the male reproductive tract. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the nutritional protective effect of vitamin A supplementation on reproductive performance and immune function of the male mouse challenged with pseudorabies virus (PRV). Sperm quality, testis toll-like receptors (TLRs) mRNA expression levels, and serum concentration of cytokines and immunoglobulins at 7 or 14 days post-injection were compared between control mice and PRV-challenged mice fed the same diet supplemented with vitamin A at 0, 4000, 10,000, 25,000 and 50,000 IU/kg, respectively. PRV- and phosphate buffered saline (PBS)-injection were performed when the mice in the unsupplemented group were marginally deficient in vitamin A. Sperm quality (sperm density and deformity ratio) of PRV-injected mice was significantly harmed by PRV, but this effect was attenuated by increased vitamin A consumption. Vitamin A supplements also attenuated PRV-challenge-induced increase in testis TLR3, TLR7, and TLR9 mRNA expression and serum pro-inflammatory cytokine (gamma interferon, IFN-gamma; and interleukin 1-beta,IL-1beta) concentration, and decrease in serum anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) concentration. Higher than normal vitamin A consumption was recommended to counteract the deleterious effects of viral invasion, possibly through the downregulated expression of TLRs, and thus to improve immunity and reproductivity of male mice challenged with an invading pathogen.

Effects of vitamin E on reproductive protection in pregnant mice infected with pseudorabies virus (PRV) via regulating expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and cytokine balance.

Vitamin E supplement and pseudorabies virus (PRV) infection have a reciprocal role in influencing the maternal immune response, a key determinant of the success or failure of pregnancy. However, it remains unknown whether vitamin E supplement provides protection against PRV-induced failure of pregnancy. This study was therefore conducted to investigate the effect of dietary vitamin E level (0, 75, 375, 750 and 1,500 mg/kg) on the reproduction performance, immunity and expression of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) of PRV-challenged mice. The mortality and abortion rate of PRV-challenged mice decreased with the increase in vitamin E consumption. Overall, PBS-injected mice had a higher live embryo number and live litter size than PRV-challenged mice. Both live embryo number and live litter size of PRV-challenged mice increased with increasing vitamin E levels. Vitamin E supplement resulted in decreased concentration of serum IL-2 and IFN-γ, but increased concentration of serum IL-10. The concentration of serum IgG, IgA and IgM increased with increasing vitamin E levels. In the uterine and embryo mRNA abundance of TLR3, TLR7 and TLR9 was higher in PRV-challenged mice than that in PBS-injected mice fed on the same dosage of vitamin E. The mRNA abundance of embryonic TLR3, TLR7 and TLR9 in PRV-challenged mice decreased with increasing vitamin E levels. Collectively, vitamin E supplement may improve reproductive performance of PRV-challenged mice by attenuating PRV-induced negative effects on the cytokine profile, immunoglobulin synthesis and TLR expression.

[Management of burn wounds with Hippophae rhamnoides oil].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effects of Hippophae rhamnoides oil, a preparation of traditional Chinese herbal medicine derived from the fruits of sea buckthorn, on the wounds in burn patients. METHODS: Hippophae rhamnoides oil dressing was applied on the burn wounds as an inner dressing and covered by disinfecting dressing. The oil dressing was changed every other day until wound healing. RESULTS: Totally 151 burned patients received the treatment with Hippophae rhamnoides oil dressing, which obviously alleviated the swelling and effusion of the wounds and relieved the pains. Compared with the control patients (treated with vaseline gauze), patients receiving the dressing showed more obvious exudation reduction, pain relief, and faster epithelial cell growth and wound healing, with statistically significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: As a valuable plant oil with wide uses in medicine, Hippophae rhamnoides oil for external application has definite effects on the healing of burn wounds.