Orostachys malacophylla (pall.) fisch extracts alleviate intestinal inflammation in Drosophila.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Orostachys malacophylla (Pall.) Fisch (O. malacophylla) is a succulent herbaceous plant that is the Orostachys genus of Crassulaceae family. O. malacophylla has been widely used as a traditional Chinese medicine with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-febrile, antidote, anti-Toxoplasma gondii properties. However, the biological function of alleviating intestinal inflammation and key bioactive compounds were still unknown. AIM OF THE STUDY: We used a Drosophila model to study the protective effects and bioactive compounds of O. malacophylla water extract (OMWE) and butanol extract (OMBE) on intestinal inflammation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Drosophila intestinal inflammation was induced by oral invasion of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) or Erwinia carotovora carotovora 15 (Ecc15). We revealed the protective effects of two extracts by determining intestinal reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antimicrobial peptide (AMP) levels and intestinal integrity, and using network pharmacology analysis to identify bioactive compounds. RESULTS: We demonstrated that both OMWE and OMBE could ameliorate the detrimental effects of DSS, including a decreased survival rate, elevated ROS levels, increased cell death, excessive proliferation of ISCs, acid-base imbalance, and disruption of intestinal integrity. Moreover, the overabundance of lipid droplets (LDs) and AMPs by Ecc15 infection is mitigated by these extracts, thereby enhancing the flies' resistance to adverse stimuli. In addition, we used widely targeted metabolomics and network pharmacology analysis to identify bioactive compounds associated with IBD healing that are present in OMWE and OMBE. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, our research indicates that OMWE and OMBE significantly mitigate intestinal inflammation and have the potential to be effective therapeutic agents for IBD in humans.

High-fat diet blunts T-cell responsiveness in Nile tilapia.

The reduced stress resistance and increased disease risk associated with high-fat diet (HFD) in animals have attracted increasing attention. However, the effects of HFD on adaptive immunity in early vertebrates, especially non-tetrapods, remain unknown. In this study, using Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) as a model, we investigated the effects of HFD on the primordial T-cell response in fish. Tilapia fed with an HFD for 8 weeks showed impaired lymphocyte homeostasis in the spleen, as indicated by the decreased number of both T and B lymphocytes and increased transcription of proinflammatory cytokines interferon-γ and interleukin-6. Moreover, lymphocytes isolated from HFD-fed fish or cultured in lipid-supplemented medium exhibited diminished T-cell activation in response to CD3ε monoclonal antibody stimulation. Moreover, HFD-fed tilapia infected by Aeromonas hydrophila showed decreased T-cell expansion, increased T-cell apoptosis, reduced granzyme B expression, and impaired infection elimination. Additionally, HFD attenuated adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity in tilapia lymphocytes, which in turn upregulated fatty acid synthesis but downregulated fatty acid ß-oxidation. Altogether, our results suggest that HFD impairs lymphocyte homeostasis and T cell-mediated adaptive immune response in tilapia, which may be associated with the abnormal lipid metabolism in lymphocytes. These findings thus provide a novel perspective for understanding the impact of HFD on the adaptive immune response of early vertebrates.

New insights into the influence of myo-inositol on carbohydrate metabolism during osmoregulation in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

A two-factor (2 × 3) orthogonal test was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary myo-inositol (MI) on the osmoregulation and carbohydrate metabolism of euryhaline fish tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) under sustained hypertonic stress (20 practical salinity units [psu]). 6 diets containing either normal carbohydrate (NC, 30%) or high carbohydrate (HC, 45%) levels, with 3 levels (0, 400 and 1,200 mg/kg diet) of MI, respectively, were fed to 540 fish under 20 psu for 8 weeks. Dietary MI supplementation significantly improved growth performance and crude protein content of whole fish, and decreased the content of crude lipid of whole fish (P < 0.05). Curled, disordered gill lamella and cracked gill filament cartilage were observed in the gill of fish fed diets without MI supplementation. The ion transport capacity in gill was significantly improved in the 1,200 mg/kg MI supplementation groups compared with the 0 mg/kg MI groups (P < 0.05). Moreover, the contents of Na+, K+, Cl- in serum were markedly reduced with the dietary MI supplementation (P < 0.05). The fish fed 1,200 mg/kg MI supplementation had the highest MI content in the gills and the lowest MI content in the serum (P < 0.05). Additionally, the fish fed with 1,200 mg/kg MI supplementation had the highest MI synthesis capacity in gills and brain (P < 0.05). Dietary MI markedly promoted the ability of carbohydrate metabolism in liver (P < 0.05). Moreover, fish in the 1,200 mg/kg MI groups had the highest antioxidant capacity (P < 0.05). This study indicated that high dietary carbohydrate would intensify stress, and impair the ability of osmoregulation in tilapia under a long-term hypersaline exposure. The supplementation of MI at 1,200 mg/kg in the high carbohydrate diet could promote carbohydrate utilization and improve the osmoregulation capacity of tilapia under long-term hypertonic stress.

Alleviation of the Adverse Effect of Dietary Carbohydrate by Supplementation of Myo-Inositol to the Diet of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

This study investigated the effect of dietary myo-inositol (MI) on alleviating the adverse effect of the high carbohydrate diet in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Six diets contained either low carbohydrate (LC 30%) or high carbohydrate (HC 45%) with three levels of MI supplementation (0, 400 and 1200 mg/kg diet) to each level of the carbohydrate diet. After an 8-week trial, the fish fed 400 mg/kg MI under HC levels had the highest weight gain and fatness, but the fish fed 1200 mg/kg MI had the lowest hepatosomatic index, visceral index and crude lipid in the HC group. The diet of 1200 mg/kg MI significantly decreased triglyceride content in the serum and liver compared with those fed the MI supplemented diets regardless of carbohydrate levels. Dietary MI decreased triglyceride accumulation in the liver irrespective of carbohydrate levels. The content of malondialdehyde decreased with increasing dietary MI at both carbohydrate levels. Fish fed 1200 mg/kg MI had the highest glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, aspartate aminotransferase and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase activities. The HC diet increased the mRNA expression of key genes involved in lipid synthesis (DGAT, SREBP, FAS) in the fish fed the diet without MI supplementation. Dietary MI significantly under expressed fatty acid synthetase in fish fed the HC diets. Moreover, the mRNA expression of genes related to lipid catabolism (CPT, ATGL, PPAR-α) was significantly up-regulated with the increase of dietary MI levels despite dietary carbohydrate levels. The gene expressions of gluconeogenesis, glycolysis and MI biosynthesis were significantly down-regulated, while the expression of the pentose phosphate pathway was up-regulated with the increase of MI levels. This study indicates that HC diets can interrupt normal lipid metabolism and tend to form a fatty liver in fish. Dietary MI supplement can alleviate lipid accumulation in the liver by diverging some glucose metabolism into the pentose phosphate pathway and enhance the antioxidant capacity in O. niloticus.

Holistically Engineered Polymer-Polymer and Polymer-Ion Interactions in Biocompatible Polyvinyl Alcohol Blends for High-Performance Triboelectric Devices in Self-Powered Wearable Cardiovascular Monitorings.

The capability of sensor systems to efficiently scavenge their operational power from stray, weak environmental energies through sustainable pathways could enable viable schemes for self-powered health diagnostics and therapeutics. Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) can effectively transform the otherwise wasted environmental, mechanical energy into electrical power. Recent advances in TENGs have resulted in a significant boost in output performance. However, obstacles hindering the development of efficient triboelectric devices based on biocompatible materials continue to prevail. Being one of the most widely used polymers for biomedical applications, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) presents exciting opportunities for biocompatible, wearable TENGs. Here, the holistic engineering and systematic characterization of the impact of molecular and ionic fillers on PVA blends' triboelectric performance is presented for the first time. Triboelectric devices built with optimized PVA-gelatin composite films exhibit stable and robust triboelectricity outputs. Such wearable devices can detect the imperceptible skin deformation induced by the human pulse and capture the cardiovascular information encoded in the pulse signals with high fidelity. The gained fundamental understanding and demonstrated capabilities enable the rational design and holistic engineering of novel materials for more capable biocompatible triboelectric devices that can continuously monitor vital physiological signals for self-powered health diagnostics and therapeutics.