Dietary supplementation of osthole and icariin improves the production performance of laying hens by promoting follicular development.

Osthole (Ost) and icariin (Ica) are extracted from traditional Chinese medicine Cnidium monnieri and Epimedii Folium, respectively, and both exhibit estrogen-like biological activity. This study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of combining Ost with Ica on the production performance of laying hens and to explore their possible mechanisms. The production performance, egg quality, residues of Ost and Ica in eggs, serum reproductive hormone levels, expression of ovarian reproductive hormone receptor, proliferation of granulosa cells in small yellow follicles (SYF), and progesterone secretion in large yellow follicles (LYF) related genes and proteins expression were detected. The results showed that adding 2 mg/kg Ost + 2 mg/kg Ica to the feed increased the laying rate, average egg weight, Haugh unit, and protein height of laying hens. Serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and progesterone (P4) levels increased, and the expression of ovarian estrogen receptor (ER), follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), and progesterone receptor (PGR) mRNA was up-regulated. Additionally, the mRNA and protein levels of steroidogenesis acute regulatory protein (StAR), cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage (P450scc), and 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3ß-HSD) increased in LYF. Furthermore, mRNA and protein levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), cyclin E1, and cyclin A2 were up-regulated in SYF. The residues of Ost and Ica in egg samples were not detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of Ost and Ica increased granulosa cells proliferation in SYF and increased P4 secretion in granulosa cells of LYF, ultimately improving the production performance of laying hens.

Nitrogen fertilization and precipitation affected Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in dryland the Loess Plateau of South Shanxi, China.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a staple crop worldwide, and its yield has improved since the green revolution, which was attributed to chemical nitrogen (N) fertilizer application. An experiment was conducted to set seven nitrogen application levels of N0, N90, N120, N150, N180, N210 and N240 kg ha-1 before sowing. The results showed that grain yield under the nitrogen rate of N210 kg ha-1 was significantly increase the water intake during jointing to anthesis, Soil water storage of dryland wheat in fallow period was higher than water consumption in jointing stage and the leaf area index at anthesis, the tiller percentage rate, the jointing-anthesis, and nitrogen accumulation were closely related to yield and its components. Nitrogen fertiliser rate N150 kg ha-1 significantly increased dry matter buildup from jointing to flowering in dryland wheat compared to N fertiliser rate N210 kg ha-1. The rise of nitrogen application rate, there were no significant variance in nitrogen accumulation of Stem + leaf sheath and cob + glume at maturity, respectively. N fertiliser rate N210 kg ha-1 compared to N180 kg ha-1 significantly reduced grain gliadin content in dryland wheat, respectively. Wheat crops under N210 kg ha-1 could achieve both high NUE and grain yield simultaneously with only moderate N fertilizer in South Shanxi, China.

Matrine Targets BTF3 to Inhibit the Growth of Canine Mammary Tumor Cells.

The canine mammary tumor model is more suitable for studying human breast cancer, and the safety concentrations of matrine and the biotin-labeled matrine probe were determined in canine primary mammary epithelial cells, and then selected canine mammary tumor cell lines CHMm and CHMp were incubated with matrine, and cell viability was detected by CCK-8. The biotin-labeled matrine probe was used to pull-down the targets of matrine in canine mammary tumor cells, and the targets were screened in combination with activity-based protein profiling (ABPP) and Genecards database, and verified by qPCR and western blot. The results showed that the maximum non-cytotoxic concentrations of matrine and biotin-labeled matrine probe in canine primary mammary epithelial cells were 250 µg/mL and 500 µg/mL, respectively. Matrine and biotin-labeled matrine probe had a proliferation inhibitory effect time-dependently on CHMm and CHMp cells within a safe concentration range, and induced autophagy in cells. Then BTF3 targets were obtained by applying ABPP and Genecards screening. Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) findings indicated that matrine could increase the heat stability of BTF3 protein. Pull-down employing biotin-labeled matrine probe with CHMm and CHMp cell lysates revealed that BTF3 protein was detected in the biotin-labeled matrine probe group and that BTF3 protein was significantly decreased by the addition of matrine. The qPCR and western blot findings of CHMm and CHMp cells treated with matrine revealed that matrine decreased the expression of the BTF3 gene and protein with the extension of the action time, and the impact was more substantial at the protein level, respectively.