A new insight on copper: Promotion of collagen synthesis and myofiber growth and development in juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella).

Copper (Cu) is a trace element, essential for fish growth. In the current study, in addition to growth performance, we first explored the effects of Cu on collagen synthesis and myofiber growth and development in juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). A total of 1080 fish (11.16 ± 0.01 g) were randomly divided into 6 treatments (3 replicates per treatment) to receive five doses of organic Cu, which were Cu citrate (CuCit) at 0.99 (basal diet), 2.19, 4.06, 6.15, and 8.07 mg/kg, and one dose of inorganic Cu (CuSO4·5H2O at 3.15 mg/kg), for 9 weeks. The results showed appropriate Cu level (4.06 mg/kg) enhanced growth performance, improved nutritional Cu status, and downregulated Cu-transporting ATPase 1 mRNA levels in the hepatopancreas, intestine, and muscle of juvenile grass carp. Meanwhile, collagen content in fish muscle was increased after Cu intake, which was probably due to the following pathways: (1) activating CTGF/TGF-ß1/Smads signaling pathway to regulate collagen transcription; (2) upregulating of La ribonucleoprotein domain family 6 (LARP6) mRNA levels to regulate translation initiation; (3) increasing proline hydroxylase, lysine hydroxylase, and lysine oxidase activities to regulate posttranslational modifications. In addition, optimal Cu group increased myofiber diameters and the frequency of myofibers with diameter >50 µm, which might be associated with upregulation of cyclin B, cyclin D, cyclin E, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, myogenic determining factor (MyoD), myogenic factor 5, myogenin (MyoG), myogenic regulatory factor 4 and myosin heavy chain (MyHC) and downregulation of myostatin mRNA levels, increasing protein levels of MyoD, MyoG and MyHC in fish muscle. Finally, based on percentage weight gain (PWG), serum ceruloplasmin (Cp) activity and collagen content in fish muscle, Cu requirements were determined as 4.74, 4.37 and 4.62 mg/kg diet (CuCit as Cu source) of juvenile grass carp, respectively. Based on PWG and Cp activity, compared to CuSO4·5H2O, the efficacy of CuCit were 131.80% and 115.38%, respectively. Our findings provide new insights into Cu supplementation to promote muscle growth in fish, and help improve the overall productivity of aquaculture.

Intestinal Microbiota Mediates Gossypol-Induced Intestinal Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Apoptosis in Fish.

Gossypol, the main antinutritional factor in cottonseed protein concentrate (CPC), could affect the growth conditions of fish, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, an 8-week feeding trial was carried out to investigate the effects of gossypol on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Three experimental diets were designed, including control diet (CON), control diet supplemented with 150 mg/kg gossypol (ML), and 300 mg/kg gossypol (MH). 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that gossypol significantly reduced the richness and diversity of the gut microbiota. Untargeted metabolite analysis revealed that most metabolites were down-regulated by gossypol, and riboflavin was the key metabolite with significant difference between CON-treated and gossypol-treated groups. Gossypol caused intestinal inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. Through fecal bacteria transplantation experiments, we demonstrated that intestinal microbiota mediated gossypol-induced negative effects, suggesting that intestinal microbiota and its metabolite may account for the harmful effects of gossypol.

[Ultrasound-guided needle-knife for trigger finger].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the efficacy of ultrasound-guided needle-knife with precise three-dimensional stereotactic localization of ashi points for stenosing tenosynovitis of flexor tendon (trigger finger). METHODS: A total of 74 patients were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 37 cases in each group. The patients in the observation group were treated with ultrasound-guided intrathecal injection and releasing method of needle-knife, while the patients in the control group were treated with ultrasound-guided intrathecal injection. The self-made 9-score scale of trigger finger was recorded before treatment, immediately after treatment, 1 month and 3 months after treatment; the curative effect of the two groups was evaluated. RESULTS: The results of self-made 9-score scale in the observation group immediately after treatment, 1 month and 3 months after treatment were lower than that before treatment (all P<0.01); the scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group at each time point after treatment (all P<0.01). The excellent and good rate immediately after treatment was 100.0% (37/37) in the observation group, which was superior to 8.1% (3/37) in the control group (P<0.05); the cured rates in the observation group were 100.0% (37/37) 1 month after treatment and 97.3% (36/37) 3 months after treatment, which were superior to 13.5% (5/37) and 10.8% (4/37) in the control group, respectively (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The needle-knife with three-dimensional stereotaxic location of ashi point could significantly improve the symptoms of trigger finger, with superior immediate and long-term efficacy.

Molecular cloning, characterization and mRNA expression of selenium-binding protein in abalone (Haliotis discus hannai Ino): Response to dietary selenium, iron and zinc.

Selenium-binding protein (SEBP) is believed to play crucial role in controlling the oxidation/reduction in the physiological processes. In this study, the cDNA of selenium-binding protein from abalone Haliotis discus hannai Ino (HdhSEBP) was cloned by homology cloning and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) technique. The full length of HdhSEBP cDNA was 2071 bp, consisting of a 5' untranslated region (UTR) of 55 bp, a 3' UTR of 522 bp, and an open reading frame (ORF) of 1494 bp. The deduced protein has 497 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 55.6 kDa and a predicted isoelectric point of 5.47. BLAST analysis reveals that HdhSEBP shares high identities with other known SEBPs from mammal, bird, fish and mollusk, etc. The mRNA expression patterns of HdhSEBP in hepatopancreas and haemocytes were measured by real-time PCR in abalone fed with nine different diets containing graded levels of selenium (0, 1 and 50 mg kg(-1)), iron (0, 65 and 1300 mg kg(-1)) and zinc (0, 35 and 700 mg kg(-1)) for 20 weeks, respectively. The results showed that the expression of the HdhSEBP mRNA increased and reached the maximum at optimal dietary selenium (1 mg kg(-1)), iron (65 mg kg(-1)) and zinc (35 mg kg(-1)), respectively. Deficient or excessive level of dietary selenium, iron or zinc, respectively, leaded to significant depression of HdhSEBP mRNA. It is concluded that the expression levels of HdhSEBP are affected by dietary selenium, iron or zinc.

[Chinese medicine for acute upper respiratory tract infection: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of new drugs of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for acute upper respiratory tract infection (common cold). METHODS: Reports regarding randomized controlled trials of Chinese medicine for common cold were reviewed. Related reports were selected and the methodological quality of the trials was assessed by the Jadad scale. Meanwhile, the stratified analysis was made according to different TCM syndrome types of common cold. RESULTS: Thirteen randomized controlled trials consistent with the inclusion criteria were selected and reviewed. As TCM treatment group was compared with control group, the meta analysis indicated that the relative risk (RR) for obviously effective rate was 1.10, and the 95% confidence interval (CI) was [1.05, 1.16]; the weighted mean difference (WMD) of the onset time of lowering body temperature was -1.70, and the 95% CI was [-2.76, -0.65]. There were significant differences in the above evaluation indexes between the two groups (P=0.000 2, P=0.002). The WMD of disappearing time of fever was -1.32, and the 95% CI was [-3.14, 0.49], while there was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.15). As the common cold patients with wind-heat syndrome in the TCM treatment group were compared with those in the control group, the meta analysis indicated that the RR for obviously effective rate was 1.11, the 95% CI was [1.05, 1.19], and there was significant difference between the two groups (P=0.000 7). As the common cold patients with wind-cold syndrome in the TCM treatment group were compared with those in the control group, the meta analysis indicated that the RR for obviously effective rate was 1.07, the 95% CI was [0.99, 1.16], and there was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.10). Serious adverse reactions had not been reported in the trials. CONCLUSION: TCM new drugs developed in recent years for preventing and treating common cold have better therapeutic effects than the old ones. They can accelerate the onset time of lowering body temperature and improve the symptoms of common cold without any significant adverse reactions. Because of lacking of placebo-controlled and blank-controlled studies, further high-quality trials are still needed.