Postbiotic-based recombinant receptor activator of NF-κB ligand enhanced oral vaccine efficiency in chicken.

Functional M cells are differentiated by receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) and capture of luminal antigens to initiate immune responses. We aimed to use postbiotic-based recombinant chicken RANKL (cRANKL) to promote M cell differentiation and test the efficacy of oral vaccines. Chicks were divided into three groups that were administered phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), cell extracts of wild-type Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis IL1403 (WT_CE), or cell extracts of recombinant L. lactis expressing cRANKL (cRANKL_CE). The expression of the M cell marker was measured, and the gut microbiome was profiled. The efficiency of the infectious bursal disease (IBD) vaccine was tested after 12 consecutive days of administering cRANKL_CE. The chickens that were administered cRANKL_CE (p = 0.038) had significantly higher Annexin A5 (ANXA5) mRNA expression levels than those in the PBS group (PBS vs. WT_CE, p = 0.657). In the gut microbiome analysis, no significant changes were observed. However, the relative abundance of Escherichia-Shigella was negatively correlated (r = - 0.43, p = 0.019) with ANXA5 mRNA expression in Peyer's patches. cRANKL_CE/IBD (p = 0.018) had significantly higher IBD-specific faecal IgA levels than PBS/IBD (PBS/IBD vs. WT_CE/IBD, p = 0.217). Postbiotic-based recombinant cRANKL effectively improved the expression of M cell markers and the efficiency of oral vaccines. No significant changes were observed in the gut microbiome after administration of postbiotic-based recombinant cRANKL. This strategy can be used for the development of feed additives and adjuvants. KEY POINTS: • Postbiotic-based recombinant cRANKL enhanced the expression of ANXA5 in chicken. • The relative abundance of Escherichia-Shigella was negatively correlated with ANXA5 expression. • Postbiotic-based recombinant cRANKL effectively improved the efficiency of oral vaccine.

Unveiling Neurocognitive Disparities in Encoding and Retrieval between Paper and Digital Tablet-Based Learning.

The widespread use of mobile devices and laptops has replaced traditional paper-based learning and the question of how the brain efficiency of digital tablet-based learning differs from that of paper-based learning remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in brain efficiency for learning between paper-based and digital tablet-based learning by measuring activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Thirty-two subjects were randomly assigned to the paper-based learning or the digital tablet-based learning group. Subjects in each group performed a memory task that required memorizing a three-minute novel (encoding phase) on a paper or digital tablet, followed by a test in which they answered four multiple-choice questions based on the novel's content. To compare both groups, behavioral performance on the test (retrieval phase) and activity in the PFC were measured. As a result, no significant difference in behavioral performance between both groups was observed (p > 0.05). However, the paper-based learning group showed significantly lower activity in the PFC in the encoding phase than the digital tablet-based learning group (p < 0.05) but not in the retrieval phase. The current study demonstrated that brain efficiency in encoding is higher in subjects with paper-based learning than those with digital tablet-based learning. This finding has important implications for education, particularly in terms of the pros and cons of electronic document-based learning.

A comprehensive longitudinal study of gut microbiota dynamic changes in laying hens at four growth stages prior to egg production.

OBJECTIVE: The poultry industry is a primary source of animal protein worldwide. The gut microbiota of poultry birds, such as chickens and ducks, is critical in maintaining their health, growth, and productivity. This study aimed to identify longitudinal changes in the gut microbiota of laying hens from birth to the pre-laying stage. METHODS: From a total of 80 Hy-Line Brown laying hens, birds were selected based on weight at equal intervals to collect feces (n = 20 per growth) and ileal contents (n = 10 per growth) for each growth stage (days 10, 21, 58, and 101). The V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene were amplified after extracting DNA from feces and ileal contents. Amplicon sequencing was performed using Illumina, followed by analysis. RESULTS: Microbial diversity increased with growth stages, regardless of sampling sites. Microbial community analysis indicated that Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla in the feces and ileal. The abundance of Lactobacillus was highest on day 10, and that of Escherichia-shigella was higher on day 21 than those at the other stages at the genus level (for the feces and ileal contents; p<0.05). Furthermore, Turicibacter was the most abundant genus after changing feed (for the feces and ileal contents; p<0.05). The fecal Ruminococcus torques and ileal Lysinibacillus were negatively correlated with the body weights of chickens (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The gut microbiota of laying hens changes during the four growth stages, and interactions between microbiota and feed may be present. Our findings provide valuable data for understanding the gut microbiota of laying hens at various growth stages and future applied studies.

The Effect of apoM Polymorphism Associated with HDL Metabolism on Obese Korean Adults.

BACKGROUND: Apolipoprotein M (apoM) is a recently identified apolipoprotein associated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in coronary artery disease (CAD), but the association between apoM polymorphism and obesity has not been reported. AIM: To investigate the association between apoM polymorphism and obesity prevalence in 584 Korean adults. METHODS: A total of 584 individuals aged between 30 and 80 years were recruited from Yonsei Medical Center in Seoul, Korea, and divided into obese (OB; body mass index, BMI ≥25) and nonobese (non-OB; BMI <25) groups. Anthropometric variables, lipid profiles, insulin-resistant profiles, reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) enzymes, HDL subfraction, and apoM polymorphism were determined. RESULTS: In OB with T-855C polymorphism, TT genotype carriers significantly showed 6.2% higher diastolic blood pressure (DBP), 1.3% lower amount of HDL2b subfraction, and 19.7% higher lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) mass than TC+CC carriers. OB subjects with the T allele of T-778C polymorphism significantly demonstrated 43% higher plasma insulin, 17.7% higher total cholesterol, 26.7% higher triglyceride, 40.7% higher leptin, 1.6% lower HDL2b, and 12.6% higher LCAT mass than those with the C allele. These results were reversed in non-OB with T-778C polymorphism regarding HDL subfractions and RCT enzymes. CONCLUSION: apoM T-855C and T-778C polymorphisms were found to be associated with obesity by regulating HDL metabolism, and the T alleles of apoM T-778C were shown to be more strongly correlated.

Effects of Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.) Ethanol Extracts Decrease Proinflammatory Cytokine-Induced Lipogenesis in the KK-Ay Diabese Mouse Model.

Rapid increase in the prevalence of obesity-related metabolic inflammatory diseases has led to research focused on nutraceuticals for their treatment. This study investigated the effects of the ethanol extracts of mung bean testa (MBT) on the metabolic inflammation-induced lipogenesis in gastrocnemius muscle of KK-Ay diabese mice. Ethanol extracts of MBT were orally administered to diabese KK-Ay mice for 4 weeks after diet-induced obesity model was generated by feeding a 60% high-fat diet for 3 weeks. Although there were no changes in body weight gain, MBT treatments decreased total weight of white adipose tissue. MBT also decreased triacylglycerol and total cholesterol levels in the muscle by 30%, which was correlated with suppression of lipogenic genes such as ACC, C/EBP alpha, PGC-1 alpha, and PPAR gamma. In particular, decreased levels of p-ERK1/2, PPAR gamma, and C/EBP alpha in the MBT-treated groups suggest that MBT might inhibit adipogenesis and decrease differentiation via the MEK/ERK pathway. Furthermore, significantly lower amounts of plasma interleukin (IL)-6 and intramuscular tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) were detected in MBT groups, confirming the anti-inflammatory effect of mung bean. In addition, our in vitro pilot study with 3T3-L1 cells showed that vitexin, the functional chemical in MBT, inhibited inflammation-induced lipogenesis with significantly lower amounts of IL-6 and MCP-1 after 14 days of vitexin treatment. Thus, the functional compounds in the mung bean ethanol extracts such as vitexin and isovitexin may regulate intracellular lipogenesis and adipogenesis via anti-inflammatory mechanisms and MEK/ERK pathway in the KK-Ay mouse model.