RESUMEN
Colibacillosis, a bacterial disease caused by avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC), is a prevalent condition in the poultry industry, resulting in substantial economic losses annually. Previously, we identified PTEN as a crucial candidate gene that may play a significant role in chicken's immune response to APEC infection. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that the PTEN protein was unstable, hydrophilic and nuclear localization, with multiple putative phosphorylation sites and a high degree of similarity to duck and goose PTEN. Moreover, PTEN exhibited high expression levels in various tissues such as the stomach, cecum, small intestine, spleen, thymus, harderian gland, muscle, cerebrum, cerebellum, lung, and liver in comparison to heart tissue. Overexpression of PTEN resulted in a significant promotion of the expression level of pro-apoptosis genes and inflammatory mediators, as well as the production of NO, with or without APEC infection, which led to cellular injury. Furthermore, overexpression of PTEN was found to regulate the expression levels of autophagy related genes, regardless of APEC infection. Additionally, PTEN was a target gene of gga-miR-20a-5p and regulated by gga-miR-20a-5p upon APEC infection. Taken together, these findings establish a foundation for investigating the biological function of chicken PTEN, providing a potential target for future treatments against APEC infection as well as the breeding of genetically resistant poultry.
RESUMEN
The lipid matrix plays a key role in solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) embedding active ingredients. To investigate the influence of lipid matrix structure on arrangement, release, and stability of solid lipid nanoparticles, three phytosterols formulations with different carrier glycerides [glycerol monostearate (GMS), glycerol distearate (GDS), and glycerol tristearate (GTS)] were prepared and evaluated. X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry revealed the lowest crystallinity of phytosterols in the GMS matrix, corresponding to the maximum bioaccessibility (40.2%) in vitro experiments. Sustained release and better stability were observed from GDS and GTS matrices, which could be attributed to strong molecular interactions or a core-rich structure inside the nanoparticles. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated that the affinity between phytosterols and glycerides decreased in the order GDS > GTS > GMS, as well as explaining the release and storage capacities of the three nanoparticles. This study would facilitate the rational design of SLNs in functional foods.