Milk fat globule membrane promotes brain development in piglets by enhancing the connection of white matter fiber trace.

Introduction: Brain development during infancy is crucial for later health and development. Although Milk Fat Globule Membrane (MFGM) has been demonstrated to enhance brain development, further investigation is needed to determine the optimal dose. Methods: In this study, 80 piglets aged 2 days were randomly assigned to four groups: Control group, MFGM-L (1.74 g MFGM per 100 g diet), MFGM-M (4.64 g MFGM per 100 g diet), and MFGM-H (6.09 g MFGM per 100 g diet). Daily body weight and milk intake of the piglets were recorded until 31 days postnatal. Learning and memory abilities were evaluated using the spatial T-maze test on day 15. MRI analysis was conducted to assess functional and structural changes in brain tissues. Additionally, mRNA and protein expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin-3 (NTF-3) in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex were evaluated. Results: The results indicated that the MFGM supplemented diet significantly improved the accuracy of the piglets in the T-maze test, with the MFGM-L group exhibiting the best performance. MRI showed no volumetric differences in the gray and white matter between the groups. However, the fractional anisotropy in the left and right hippocampus of piglets in the MFGM-L group was significantly higher than in the other three groups. Furthermore, there was a strong correlation between the accuracy of the T-maze test and hippocampal fractional anisotropy. Discussion: The MFGM supplemented diet also increased the expression of BDNF in the cerebral cortex. However, the changes in BDNF were not consistent with the results of the T-maze test. In conclusion, adding 1.74 g MFGM per 100 g diet can significantly improve neonatal piglets' learning and memory abilities, potentially by enhancing the connection of white matter fiber bundles in the brain.

Combination of Walnut Peptide and Casein Peptide alleviates anxiety and improves memory in anxiety mices.

Introduction: Anxiety disorders continue to prevail as the most prevalent cluster of mental disorders following the COVID-19 pandemic, exhibiting substantial detrimental effects on individuals' overall well-being and functioning. Even after a search spanning over a decade for novel anxiolytic compounds, none have been approved, resulting in the current anxiolytic medications being effective only for a specific subset of patients. Consequently, researchers are investigating everyday nutrients as potential alternatives to conventional medicines. Our prior study analyzed the antianxiety and memory-enhancing properties of the combination of Walnut Peptide (WP) and Casein Peptide (CP) in zebrafish. Methods and Results: Based on this work, our current research further validates their effects in mice models exhibiting elevated anxiety levels through a combination of gavage oral administration. Our results demonstrated that at 170 + 300 mg human dose, the WP + CP combination significantly improved performances in relevant behavioral assessments related to anxiety and memory. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that the combination restores neurotransmitter dysfunction observed while monitoring Serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), dopamine (DA), and acetylcholine (ACh) levels. This supplementation also elevated the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA, indicating protective effects against the neurological stresses of anxiety. Additionally, there were strong correlations among behavioral indicators, BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), and numerous neurotransmitters. Conclusion: Hence, our findings propose that the WP + CP combination holds promise as a treatment for anxiety disorder. Besides, supplementary applications are feasible when produced as powdered dietary supplements or added to common foods like powder, yogurt, or milk.

Dual-functional effect encompassing adsorption and catalysis by Mn-modified iron-based sorbents for arsenic removal: Experimental and DFT study.

Arsenic oxidation plays a crucial role in its removal, which has been identified in numerous studies. However, the mechanisms, especially reaction pathways of arsenic oxidation on sorbent surfaces remain inadequately explored. In this work, the effects of Mn doping on arsenic adsorption and oxidation were first verified by adsorption experiments. Subsequently, DFT calculations were carried out to identify alterations in the adsorption energies, active sites, and oxidation pathways. By integrating the experimental and simulation results, a dual-functional framework encompassing adsorption and catalysis of Mn-modified Fe-based material was distinctly established. For adsorption, the introduction of manganese into iron-based sorbent considerably enhanced As2O3 adsorption owing to the increased active sites available for As2O3 chemisorption and the promotion of surface nucleophilicity. Concerning oxidative catalysis, the incorporation of MnO2 augmented surface catalytic oxidation and provided a substantial amount of active Oload. Consequently, the arsenic oxidation occurring on the Mn-modified sorbent surfaces possessed a lower oxidation RDS energy barrier and a shorter oxidation pathway than those on the bare sorbent surfaces. These experimental and simulation results provide a theoretical basis for the design and application of efficient gaseous arsenic adsorbents.

Evaluating blood-brain barrier disruption and infarction volume concurrently in rats subjected to ischemic stroke using an optical imaging system.

BACKGROUND: Blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption is pivotal in the pathophysiological process of ischemic stroke and is often measured in rodent stroke studies. Traditionally, rodent BBB permeability increase is determined by measuring cerebral leakage of certain dyes such as Evans Blue or sodium fluorescein (NaFL). However, due to the special processing of samples for BBB permeability measurement, they cannot be used afterward for determining other essential parameters such as cerebral infarction volume. Therefore, using different batches of animals for assessing BBB permeability and infarction volume is typical. However, this would limit the stroke study's statistical power and scientific value while hindering the implementation of procedures for high standard animal welfare. NEW METHOD: The rats subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) were intraperitoneally injected with NaFL during the reperfusion phase. The brains were sliced and measured for BBB permeability using the small animal optical imaging system (IVIS® Lumia series III). Afterward, the same brain samples were either sliced or homogenized for tests that assessed infarction volume or other molecular changes. RESULTS: The sum fluorescence intensity of the ischemic brain slices under the IVIS® Lumia series Ⅲ showed a strong correlation with the infarction volume determined by 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining (r = 0.7440, P = 0.0087). The fluorescence intensity of the whole ischemic brain was correlated with the NaFL concentration of brain tissue homogenates (r = 0.8653, P = 0.0026) and cerebral infarction volume (r = 0.7282, P = 0.0072). COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS: The new method enables concurrent measurement of BBB permeability and infarction volume on the same batch of brain tissue samples without affecting most downstream biochemical assays. CONCLUSIONS: By applying the new method, we could use the same batch of ischemic rodent brain tissue for multiple assays, including BBB permeability and infarction volume. Through this, we would reduce the animal numbers in each study and help to maximize the scientific and statistical potential of future rodent ischemic studies.

Effects of repeated drug administration on behaviors in normal mice and fluoxetine efficacy in chronic unpredictable mild stress mice.

Mental disorders are characterized by high incidence and high recurrence rates, and only part of patients responded to drug medication. In this case, substantial preclinical investigations are needed. Most antipsychotics taken daily orally in clinics are administered through injection, oral gavage, or minipum implant in rodents, which may induce stress and affect the results of behavioral tests. How drug administrations on behaviors and drug efficacy remains an unsolved problem. In this study, we compared the intraperitoneal injection (IP), intragastric administration (IG), and tail vein injection (TVI) on behaviors, as well as the difference between administration-induced stress and chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Next, we studied the effects of IG on CUMS model and drug efficacy. We found that IP, IG, and TVI, especially IG, induced a behavior-like phenotype of depression and anxiety, which we call the "CUMS-like behaviors". However, such behaviors were not equal to depression. When treated CUMS mice with saline by gavage, they didn't show any aggravated phenotype compared with CUMS alone. We observed that fluoxetine by intraperitoneal injection was more effective than intragastric administration. Our study confirmed that repeated administrations lead to CUMS-like behaviors. Although these behaviors are not depression, they have adverse effects on drug efficacy.

Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion and blood-brain barrier disruption in uninjured brain areas of rhesus monkeys subjected to transient ischemic stroke.

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption is a pivotal pathophysiological process in ischemic stroke. Although temporal changes in BBB permeability during the acute phase have been widely studied, little is known about the chronic phase of cerebrovascular changes that may have a large impact on the long-term outcome. Therefore, this study was aimed to measure cerebral vascular abnormalities using CT perfusion in nine rhesus monkeys subjected to transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) for ≥1 year (MCAO-1Y+). The level of cerebral perfusion demonstrated by mean transit time was significantly higher in the ipsilateral caudate nucleus, white matter, thalamus, hippocampus, and contralateral thalamus in MCAO-1Y+ compared with the other nine age-matched control monkeys. The increase in BBB permeability measured through the permeability surface was found in the same ten regions of interest ipsilaterally and contralaterally. We also found decreased levels of Aß 42/40 ratio in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), suggesting a potential link between post-MCAO cognitive decline and Aß metabolism. Overall, we demonstrated significant cerebral hypoperfusion, BBB disruption, and CSF Aß decrease during the rehabilitation stage of ischemic stroke in a non-human primate model. Future studies are needed to elucidate the cause-effect relationship between cerebrovascular disruptions and long-term neurological deficits.

Ruptured brain aneurysm-induced subarachnoid hemorrhage with concurrent myocardial infarction in a rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta).

Brain aneurysm ruptured subarachnoid hemorrhages (SAH) are extremely rare except in humans. This study described a SAH caused by a ruptured anterior communication artery aneurysm and concurrent myocardial infarction, along with pneumonia and intestinal obstruction in a rhesus monkey, which is rather rare in animal experiments.

Nutrient combinations exhibit universal antianxiety, antioxidant, neuro-protecting, and memory-improving activities.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders and, without proper treatment, may lead to severe conditions: e.g., somatic disorders or permanent damage to central nervous system. Although there are drugs in clinical trials, this study focuses on exploring the efficacy of nutrients in treating these diseases. We built different zebrafish models and screened several nutrient combinations for their antianxiety, antioxidant, neuro-protecting, and memory-improving activities. Our results showed that the combinations of nutrients (e.g., Walnut Peptides + Theanine at 14.2 + 33.3 µg/ml) have similar or better activities than the positive control drugs. In addition, we discovered that the effects of the nutrients in the above four aspects were universal and highly related. This study is noteworthy as it suggested that nutrients could be healthier and greener drug alternatives and provide similar or better universal treatments for anxiety and related conditions.