Effects of Physicochemical and Biological Treatment on Structure, Functional and Prebiotic Properties of Dietary Fiber from Corn Straw.

Corn straw is one kind of agricultural by-product containing 70-80% insoluble dietary fiber (IDF). In order to develop corn straw dietary fiber, this study was conducted to increase soluble dietary fiber (SDF) yield and improve the structure, functional and prebiotic properties of IDF and SDF from corn straw treated by alkali oxidation treatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, microbial fermentation and the combination of these methods. The results demonstrated that the yield of SDF was significantly increased from 2.64% to 17.15% after corn straw was treated by alkali oxidation treatment + Aspergillus niger fermentation + cellulase hydrolysis, compared with untreated corn straw. The SDF extracted from corn straw treated by alkali oxidation treatment + Aspergillus niger fermentation + cellulase hydrolysis (F-SDF) exhibited a honeycomb structure, low crystallinity (11.97%), good antioxidant capacity and high capacities of water holding, water solubility and cholesterol absorption and promoted short-chain fatty acids production by chicken cecal microbial fermentation in vitro. F-SDF enhanced the antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus proliferations of Lactobacillus plantarum when it was used as a substrate for Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation. It could be concluded that the combined treatments could increase SDF yield from corn straw and improve its functional and prebiotic properties.

The role of exosome derived miRNAs in inter-cell crosstalk among insulin-related organs in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles secreted by almost all cell types, and carry diverse cargo including RNA, and other substances. Recent studies have focused exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) on various human diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic syndrome (METS) which accompany the occurrence of insulin resistance. The regulation of insulin signaling has connected with some miRNA expression which play a significant regulatory character in insulin targeted cells or organs, such as fat, muscle, and liver. The miRNAs carried by exosomes, through the circulation in the body fluids, mediate all kinds of physiological and pathological process involved in the human body. Studies have found that exosome derived miRNAs are abnormally expressed and cross-talked with insulin targeted cells or organs to affect insulin pathways. Further investigations of the mechanisms of exosomal miRNAs in T2DM will be valuable for the diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets of T2DM. This review will summarize the molecular mechanism of action of the miRNAs carried by exosomes which are secreted from insulin signaling related cells, and elucidate the pathogenesis of insulin resistance to provide a new strategy for the potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the type 2 diabetes.

Molecular Mechanisms and Roles of MiR-136-5p in Human Cancer and Other Disorders.

BACKGROUND: MiR-136-5p plays a vital function in regulating developmental processes as well as in the pathophysiology of diseases, with a notable record in tumor suppression. METHODS: This article summarizes the latest findings on the physiological and pathophysiological processes of miR-136-5p in diseases. We searched for relevant studies and selected research articles from the last five years on PubMed with miR-136-5p as the keyword. RESULTS: MiR-136-5p represents a class of microRNAs (miRNAs) that are involved in various human maladies, encompassing cancers, cardio-cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, inflammatory disease, tuberous sclerosis, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and polycystic ovary syndrome. Altered expression of miR-136-5p in specific ailments results in downstream gene expression imbalance, influencing cellular behaviors, such as migration, proliferation, and invasion. Furthermore, miR-136-5p is implicated in five signaling pathways, where it is critical in the onset and advancement of a number of illnesses. Additionally, it has the potential to promote drug resistance to a variety of medications. CONCLUSION: The current review aims to elucidate the role of miR-136-5p in both cancer progression and non-cancerous disorders, emphasizing dysregulated signaling pathways. It also sheds light on the potential of this miRNA as a prognostic biomarker in cancer, offering valuable insights and directions for future research.

Corn straw-saccharification fiber improved the reproductive performance of sows in the late gestation and lactation via lipid metabolism.

With the development of animal husbandry, the shortage of animal feedstuffs has become serious. Dietary fiber plays a crucial role in regulating animal health and production performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of three kinds of corn straw-saccharification fibers (CSSF) such as high-fiber and low-saccharification (HFLS), medium-fiber and medium-saccharification (MFMS), low-fiber and high-saccharification (LFHS) CSSF on the reproductive performance of sows. Thirty-two primiparous Yorkshire sows were randomly assigned to 4 groups, 8 sows for each group. Group A was the basal diet as the control group; groups B - D were added with 6% HFLSCSSF, 6% MFMSCSSF and 6% LFHSCSSF to replace some parts of corn meal and wheat bran in the basal diet, respectively. The experimental period was from day 85 of gestation to the end of lactation (day 25 post-farrowing). The results showed that 6% LFHSCSSF addition significantly increased number of total born (alive) piglets, litter weight at birth (p < 0.05), whereas three kinds of CSSF significantly decreased backfat thickness of sows during gestation (p < 0.001), compared with the control group. Furthermore, CSSF improved the digestibility of crude protein, ether extract and fiber for sows. In addition, the levels of total cholesterol, total triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in serum of sows were decreased by different kinds of CSSF. Further analysis revealed that CSSF regulated lipid metabolism through adjusting the serum metabolites such as 4-pyridoxic acid, phosphatidyl cholines and L-tyrosine. In summary, CSSF addition to the diets of sows during late gestation and lactation regulated lipid metabolism and improved reproductive performance of sows. This study provided a theoretical basis for the application of corn straw in sow diets.

miR-743b-3p promotes hepatic lipogenesis via branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) metabolism by targeting PPM1K in aged mice.

BACKGROUND: Lipid metabolism disorders appear to play an important role in the ageing process, thus understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the association of ageing with elevated vulnerability to lipid metabolism related diseases is crucial towards promoting quality of life in old age. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as crucial regulators of lipid metabolism, and some miRNAs have key roles in ageing. METHODS: In this study, we investigated changes in liver lipid metabolism of ageing mice and the mechanisms of the altered expression of miRNAs in the ageing liver which contributes to the age-dependent increase in lipid synthesis. Here we found that miR-743b-3p was higher expressed in the liver tissues of ageing mice through the small RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, and its target PPM1K was predicted and confirmed the target relationship of miR-743b-3p with PPM1K in the aged mouse liver tissues and the cultured senescent hepatocytes in vitro. Moreover, using the transfected miR-743b-3p mimics/inhibitors into the senescent hepatocyte AML12. RESULTS: We found that miR-743b-3p inhibition reversed the hepatocyte senescence, and finally decreased the expression of genes involved in lipid synthesis(Chrebp, Fabp4, Acly and Pparγ) through increasing the target gene expression of PPM1K which regulated the expression of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) metabolism-related genes (Bckdhα, Bckdk, Bcat2, Dbt). CONCLUSIONS: These results identify that age-induced expression of miR-743b-3p inhibits its target PPM1K which induces BCAA metabolic disorder and regulates hepatocyte lipid accumulation during ageing.

miR-155-5p promotes hepatic steatosis via PICALM-mediated autophagy in aging hepatocytes.

BACKGROUND: Hepatic steatosis, a lipid disorder characterized by the accumulation of intrahepatic fat, is more prevalent in the elderly population. This study investigates the role of miR-155-5p in the autophagy dysregulation of aging hepatic steatosis. METHODS: We established an aging mouse model in vivo and a hepatocellular senescence model induced by low serum and palmitic acid in vitro. The fluctuations of microRNAs were derived from RNA-seq data and confirmed by qPCR in 4- and 18-month-old mouse liver tissues. Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining observed pathological changes. Markers of senescence, autophagy, and lipolysis genes were analyzed using Western blot and qPCR. Bioinformatics analysis predicted miR-155-5p's target gene PICALM, confirmed by dual luciferase reporter assay and transfection of miR-155-5p mimic/inhibitor into senescent hepatocytes. RESULTS: Senescent markers (p21, p16, and p-P53) and miR-155-5p were up-regulated in aging liver tissues and senescent hepatocytes. Bioinformatics analysis identified PICALM as a target gene of miR-155-5p, a finding further supported by dual luciferase reporter assays. Inhibition of miR-155-5p reduced expression of senescent marker genes (p16, p21, p-P53), improved autophagy (evidenced by increased LC3B-II and ATG5, and decreased P62), and enhanced lipolysis (indicated by increased ATGL and p-HSL) in senescent hepatocytes. Oil red O staining confirmed that miR-155-5p inhibition significantly reduced lipid accumulation in these cells. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests a potential new therapeutic approach for age-related hepatic steatosis through the inhibition of miR-155-5p to enhance autophagy.

miR-871-5p/PGC1α Regulates Aging-Induced Lipid Deposition in Hepatocytes Through Fatty Acid ß-Oxidation.

This study investigated the role of the miR-871-5p/proliferator-activated receptor α (PGC1α) pathway in ameliorating hepatic steatosis. We examined miR-871-5p expression in liver tissues of aging mice and AML12 senescent cells co-induced by low serum and palmitic acid (PA). Bioinformatics and multiple experiments were employed to validate the expression level of the target gene PGC1α for miR-871-5p. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential role of miR-871-5p in regulating hepatic lipid deposition associated with aging. To do so, we performed in vitro transfection of both miR-871-5p mimic and inhibitor into senescent hepatocytes. Our results showed that miR-871-5p could inhibit PGC1α expression and cause lipid deposition in the liver due to aging. miR-871-5p controls this process by regulating PGC1α/fatty acid ß-oxidation. H&E staining displayed the appearance of fat vacuoles in the livers of aging mice, and fatty acid ß-oxidation-related genes (acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1 carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1α and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α) expression was significantly reduced. Lipogenic genes (sterol regulatory element binding protein 1C and fatty acid synthase) expression level was increased in the livers of aging mice. In AML12 cells co-induced by low serum and PA, miR-871-5p mimics decreased PGC1α expression and increased lipid droplet accumulation in senescent hepatocytes. Conversely, miR-871-5p inhibitor promoted PGC1α expression and reduced lipid deposition in senescent hepatocytes. Our findings suggest that inhibiting miR-871-5p could be crucial in ameliorating aging-associated hepatic steatosis. These findings offer valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms driving hepatic steatosis in aging.

Delivery of sPD1 gene by anti-CD133 antibody conjugated microbubbles combined with ultrasound for the treatment of cervical cancer in mice.

To explore new therapeutic options for cervical cancer, the inhibitory effect on cervical cancer of targeted CD133-loaded sPD1 gene microbubbles (MBs) combined with low-frequency ultrasound was studied and its mechanism was explored. We prepared microbubbles conjugated with anti-CD133 antibody to deliver the sPD1 gene and determined concentration, particle size, and potentials of MBs. In addition, we verified that CD133 targeted-MBs could specifically bind to U14 cervical cancer cells in vitro. A mouse model of subcutaneous xenograft cervical cancer was established and mice were divided into a control group, an non-targeted microbubble group, a CD133-MBs group, an sPD1-MBs group and a CD133/sPD1-MBs group. Compared with the control group, tumor growth was inhibited in each group, with the CD133/sPD1 group showing the strongest inhibitory effect after treatment. The tumor volume and weight inhibition rates in the CD133/sPD1-MBs group were 78.01% and 72.25% respectively, which were statistically different from the other groups (P < 0.05), and HE staining and TUNEL immunofluorescence showed necrosis and apoptosis in tumor tissue. Flow cytometry, lactate dehydrogenase, and indirect immunofluorescence experiments showed that T lymphocytes were activated and a large number of CD8-positive T cells infiltrated the tumor tissue after treatment, with the CD133/sPD1-MBs group showing the most prominent effects (P < 0.05). The combination of ultrasound with anti- CD133 antibody-conjugated microbubbles loaded with the sPD1 gene can inhibit the growth of cervical cancer, suggesting that the immunosuppressive microenvironment of the tumor is improved after treatment.

Glycyrrhinic acid and probiotics alleviate deoxynivalenol-induced cytotoxicity in intestinal epithelial cells.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the most prevalent mycotoxin contaminants, which posing a serious health threat to animals and humans. Previous studies have found that individually supplemented probiotic or glycyrrhinic acid (GA) could degrade DON and alleviate DON-induced cytotoxicity. The present study investigated the effect of combining GA with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) and Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) using orthogonal design on alleviating IPEC-J2 cell damage induced by DON. The results showed that the optimal counts of S. cerevisiae and E. faecalis significantly promoted cell viability. The optimal combination for increasing cell viability was 400 µg/mL GA, 1 × 106 CFU/mL S. cerevisiae and 1 × 106 CFU/mL E. faecalis to make GAP, which not only significantly alleviated the DON toxicity but also achieved the highest degradation rate of DON (34.7%). Moreover, DON exposure significantly increased IL-8, Caspase3 and NF-κB contents, and upregulated the mRNA expressions of Bax, Caspase 3, NF-κB and the protein expressions of Bax, TNF-α and COX-2. However, GAP addition significantly reduced aforementioned genes and proteins. Furthermore, GAP addition significantly increased the mRNA expressions of Claudin-1, Occludin, GLUT2 and ASCT2, and the protein expressions of ZO-1, Claudin-1 and PePT1. It was inferred that the combination of GA, S. cerevisiae, and E. faecalis had the synergistic effect on enhancing cell viability and DON degradation, which could protect cells from DON-induced damage by reducing DON cytotoxicity, alleviating cell apoptosis and inflammation via inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway, improving intestinal barrier function, and regulating nutrient absorption and transport. These findings suggest that GAP may have potential as a dietary supplement for livestock or humans exposed to DON-contaminated food or feed.

Combination of glycyrrhizic acid and compound probiotics alleviates deoxynivalenol-induced damage to weaned piglets.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) can affect health and growth performance of pigs, resulting in significant economic losses in swine production. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of glycyrrhizic acid combined with compound probiotics, i.e. Enterococcus faecalis plus Saccharomyces cerevisiae (GAP) on improving growth performance, intestinal health and its fecal microbiota composition change of piglets challenged with DON. A total of 160 42-day-old weaned piglets (Landrace × Large White) were used and the experimental period was 28 d. The results showed that supplementing GAP in the diet significantly improved the growth performance of piglets challenged with DON and alleviate DON-induced intestinal damage by reducing ALT, AST and LDH concentrations in serum, increasing the morphological parameters of jejunum, and decreasing DON residues in serum, liver and feces. Moreover, GAP could significantly decrease the expressions of inflammation and apoptosis genes and proteins (IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α, COX-2, Bax, Bcl-2 and Caspase 3), and increase the expressions of tight-junction proteins and nutrient transport factor genes and proteins (ZO-1, Occludin, Claudin-1, ASCT2 and PePT1). In addition, it was also found that GAP supplementation could significantly increase the diversity of gut microbiota, maintain microbial flora balance and promote piglet growth by significantly increasing the abundance of beneficial bacterium such as Lactobacillus and reducing the abundance of harmful bacterium such as Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1. In conclusion, GAP addition to piglet diets contaminated with DON could significantly promote the health and growth performance of piglets though alleviating DON-induced hazards. This study provided a theoretical basis for the application of GAP to alleviate DON toxicity for animals.

The Critical Role of microRNA-21 in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Pathogenesis.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has received worldwide scientific attention because of its rapidly increasing prevalence, and it has emerged as a serious public health problem in end-stage liver disease. Many factors are involved in the multifactorial development and progression of liver disease by influencing multiple signaling and metabolic pathways. Currently, many studies have demonstrated the critical role of microRNA- 21 (miR-21) in NAFLD pathogenesis. In addition, many studies have found that miR-21 is highly expressed in inflammatory bowel disease, which is associated with intestinal barrier dysfunction and altered gut microbiota. In this paper, we focus on the regulatory role of miR-21 in the progression of NAFLD and its effect on the gut microbiota, summarize the involvement of miR-21 through a variety of signaling pathways and metabolic pathways, as well as discuss some predicted miR-21 target genes and miR-21 pathways for future experimental identification.

Effects of compound feed additive on growth performance and intestinal microbiota of broilers.

The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effectiveness of compound feed additive (CFA) to replace antibiotics for broiler production. A total of 350 one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly divided into 7 groups, 5 replications in each group and 10 broilers in each replication. Group A was the control; group B was supplemented with 75 mg/kg chlortetracycline; groups C, D, and E were supplemented with 0.03, 0.06, and 0.09% CFA including glucose oxidase, curcumin, and Lactobacillus acidophilus; group F was supplemented with 0.03% CFA plus 0.50% glucose; group G was supplemented with 0.50% glucose. The feeding period was divided into the early (1-21 d) and later stages (22-42 d). The results showed that average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion rate (F/G) in group F in later stage were significantly better than those in the control and antibiotic groups; the diarrhea rates in the groups containing CFA in both stages was significantly lower than that in the control and antibiotic groups, indicating that CFA was better than antibiotics to improve growth and decrease diarrhea rate for broilers. Pathogenic E. coli challenge significantly increased diarrhea rates and decreased ADG for broilers; however, CFA addition could alleviate the above negative responses by increasing gut Lactobacillus abundance and decreasing Shigella abundance. It can be concluded that CFA can replace antibiotics to regulate intestinal microbiota, reduce diarrhea rate, and improve broiler growth.

Compound mycotoxin detoxifier alleviating aflatoxin B1 toxic effects on broiler growth performance, organ damage and gut microbiota.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of compound mycotoxin detoxifier (CMD) on alleviating the toxic effect of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) for broiler growth performance. One-kilogram CMD consists of 667 g aflatoxin B1-degrading enzyme (ADE, 1,467 U/g), 200 g montmorillonite and 133 g compound probiotics (CP). The feeding experiment was divided into 2 stages (1-21 d and 22-42 d). In the early stage, a total of 300 one-day-old Ross broilers were randomly divided into 6 groups, 5 replications for each group, 10 broilers (half male and half female) in each replication. In the later feeding stage, about 240 twenty-two-day-old Ross broilers were randomly divided into 6 groups, 8 replications for each group, 5 broilers in each replication. Group A: basal diet; group B: basal diet with 40 µg/kg AFB1; group C: basal diet with 1 g/kg CMD; groups D, E, and F: basal diet with 40 µg/kg AFB1 plus 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 g/kg CMD, respectively. The results indicated that AFB1 significantly decreased average daily gain (ADG), protein metabolic rate, organ index of thymus, bursa of Fabricius (BF), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and catalase activities in serum, and increased AFB1 residues in serum and liver (P < 0.05). Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining analysis of jejunum, liver and kidney showed that AFB1 caused the main pathological changes with different degrees of inflammatory cell infiltration. However, CMD additions could alleviate the negative effects of AFB1 on the above parameters. The gut microbiota analysis indicated that AFB1 could significantly increase the abundances of Staphylococcus-xylosu, Esherichia-coli-g-Escherichia-Shigella, and decrease Lactobacillus-aviarius abundance (P < 0.05), but which were adjusted to almost the same levels as the control group by CMD addition. The correlative analysis showed that Lactobacillus-aviarius abundance was positively correlated with ADG, SOD and BF (P < 0.05), whereas Staphylococcus-xylosus abundance was positively correlated with AFB1 residues in serum and liver (P < 0.05). In conclusion, CMD could keep gut microbiota stable, alleviate histological lesions, increase growth performance, and reduce mycotoxin toxicity. The optimal CMD addition should be 1 g/kg in AFB1-contaminated broilers diet.

Immediate Prosthesis Breast Reconstruction: A Comparison Between Ambulatory Surgery Versus Traditional Hospitalization Based on the Propensity Score Matching Method.

BACKGROUND: The positive benefits of immediate prosthesis breast reconstruction (IPBR) are incontrovertible. During the COVID-19 pandemic, health care resources became scarce. The implementation of outpatient immediate prosthesis breast reconstruction (OIPBR) can improve the efficiency of medical care and reduce viral exposure. Very few studies have focused on OIPBR and this study aimed to fill this gap by evaluating outcomes of OIPBR compared with traditional hospitalization IPBR (THIPBR) in terms of complications and quality of life. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study enrolled patients undergoing IPBR at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital between January 1, 2020, and September 30, 2021. Outcomes were defined as postoperative complications and quality of life before reconstruction and at 3-month follow-up. Quality of life was assessed by BREAST-Q questionnaire. Inverse probability of treatment weighting and propensity score matching (PSM) were applied to adjust for confounders. RESULTS: A total of 135 patients were enrolled, including 110 with THIPBR and 25 with OIPBR. After matching, baseline characteristics were well balanced. Patients with OIPBR had lower rates of lymphedema on the surgery side (p = 0.041) and readmission (p = 0.040) than patients with THIPBR. No statistically significant differences in the quality of life metrics of psychosocial well-being, sexual well-being, satisfaction with breast and physical well-being of the chest were found between the two groups. CONCLUSION: OIPBR is a safe and efficient alternative to THIBPR during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is recommended when medical conditions allow to conserve medical resources. Accelerated technical training for the performance of OIPBR at the hospital level should be expedited. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Nanobubble-based anti-hepatocellular carcinoma therapy combining immune check inhibitors and sonodynamic therapy.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide, posing a global threat to human healthcare, and current approved treatment strategies do not produce satisfactory outcomes. Here, nanobubbles (NBs) were prepared that carried Immune Check Inhibitors (ICIs), PD-L1 antibody (PD-L1 Ab) and sonodynamic agent CHLORIN E6 (Ce6); the anti-cancer properties of these NBs were analyzed from the point of view of immune and sonodynamic therapies. The PD-L1 Ab/Ce6-NBs could inhibit tumor growth through regulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, apoptosis, and most importantly, the function of associated immunocytes, including natural killer cells and lymphocytes. The tumor tissues highly expressed markers of immunogenic tumor cell death (ICD) in which the expression of calreticulin (CRT) and ICD-related immune cytokines (CD80, CD86, INF-γ, and IL-2) were increased in PD-L1 Ab/Ce6-NB treated mice. PD-L1 Ab/Ce6-NBs also promoted murine spleen lymphocyte proliferation and cytotoxic activity, as well as CD8+ T cell infiltration in the tumor tissues, and downregulation of the PD-L1 protein and mRNA expression. Furthermore, Bax expression was increased and Bcl-2 was inhibited at the mRNA and protein levels in a murine subcutaneous transplanted tumor model. These results indicate that PD-L1 Ab/Ce6-NBs can induce ROS-dependent ICD to further boost anti-cancer immune responses under the action of targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 immune check point in the tumor microenvironment as a promising therapeutic agent for HCC.

Glycyrrhizic Acid and Compound Probiotics Supplementation Alters the Intestinal Transcriptome and Microbiome of Weaned Piglets Exposed to Deoxynivalenol.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a widespread mycotoxin that affects the intestinal health of animals and humans. In the present study, we performed RNA-sequencing and 16S rRNA sequencing in piglets after DON and glycyrrhizic acid and compound probiotics (GAP) supplementation to determine the changes in intestinal transcriptome and microbiota. Transcriptome results indicated that DON exposure altered intestinal gene expression involved in nutrient transport and metabolism. Genes related to lipid metabolism, such as PLIN1, PLIN4, ADIPOQ, and FABP4 in the intestine, were significantly decreased by DON exposure, while their expressions were significantly increased after GAP supplementation. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that GAP supplementation promoted intestinal digestion and absorption of proteins, fats, vitamins, and other nutrients. Results of gut microbiota composition showed that GAP supplementation significantly improved the diversity of gut microbiota. DON exposure significantly increased Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacillus abundances and decreased Firmicutes, Lactobacillus, and Streptococcus abundances; however, dietary supplementation with GAP observably recovered their abundances to normal. In addition, predictive functions by PICRUSt analysis showed that DON exposure decreased lipid metabolism, whereas GAP supplementation increased immune system. This result demonstrated that dietary exposure to DON altered the intestinal gene expressions related to nutrient metabolism and induced disturbances of intestinal microbiota, while supplementing GAP to DON-contaminated diets could improve intestinal health for piglets.

Nanobubbles containing PD-L1 Ab and miR-424 mediated PD-L1 blockade, and its expression inhibition to enable and potentiate hepatocellular carcinoma immunotherapy in mice.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) therapy is the main type of immunotherapy for cancer. Current clinical trials are focused on enhancing anti-tumor effects through combinations of multiple ICIs with agents that cause tumor cell death and release tumor antigens. In this study, weprepared nanobubbles (NBs) to load programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibody andmiR-424gene to evaluate the combined anti-tumor activity of the targeted NBs.The miR-424 gene was chosen to be an anti-tumor gene, which can target PD-L1 and Bcl-2, through bioinformatics analysis and target gene verification. Then, PD-L1 Ab/miR-424-NBs were prepared by thin-film hydration. The optimal shape, size, and character of the NBs were determined by scanning electron microscopy and Zeta potential study. In addition, the antibody binding rate and gene loading of the targeted NBs were studied by agarose gel electrophoresis and flow cytometry, respectively. The synergistic immunotherapeutic effect of anti-PD-L1 antibody andmiR-424in vivo and their mechanism were evaluated using an H22 hepatoma transplanted tumor model in mice,whichproved that the targeted NBs mediated the PD-L1 antibody toblock the PD-1/PD-L1 signaling pathway and the transfected miR-424gene to downregulate the PD-L1 expression of tumor cells, both of which enhanced the antitumor immune effect mediated by T cells. It was also found that the targeted NBs activated T cells, which released a large number of cytokines, such as IFN-γ and IL-2, to recruit and activate macrophages and NK cells. It is suggested that ultrasound-mediated PD-L1 antibody NBs delivering miR-424 can inhibit the growth of subcutaneously transplanted hepatocellular carcinoma in terms of apoptosis and immunity. Therefore, ultrasound-mediated targeted NBs are a potential effective carrier for liver cancer, and PD-L1 antibody and miR-424 have a synergistic anti-tumor immunotherapy effect.

Nanobubble-mediated co-delivery of Ce6 and miR-195 for synergized sonodynamic and checkpoint blockade combination therapy with elicitation of robust immune response in hepatocellular carcinoma.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) is the tiny and highly conserved noncoding RNAs, regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by binding to the 3'-UTR of target mRNAs. Several studies found that miR-195 plays an unavoidable role in the regulation of cell proliferation, cycle and apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we constructed miR-195 and Chlorine e6 (Ce6) co-loading NBs (nanobubbles), making use of NBs as carriers to deliver miR-195 and Ce6 to mouse tumor models. Our results showed that the binding between PD-1 and PD-L1 was blocked by upregulating miR-195 expression. The analysis of CTL (Cytotoxic T Cell) immune activity in the treatment group was higher than the control group. Simultaneously, Ce6 was used as sonosensitizer to induce SDT (sonodynamic therapy) and trigger ICD (immunogenic cell death) of tumor cell via generation of ROS. Recent studies have found that ICD may further enhance anti-tumor immunity against PD-L1. Results indicated that combination treatment effectively stimulated infiltration of T cell and the activation of natural killer (NK) cells as well as the maturation of dendritic cells (DCs), and the combination treatment group exibited the highest CTL killing activity. These results indicate that a stronger antitumor immunity was triggered via combination of SDT-induced tumor cell ICD and immune checkpoint blockade of PD-1/PD-L1 mediated by upregulation of miR-195. In conclusion, we have successfully constructed an efficient delivery system with great potential to provide a new strategy for synergistic immunotherapy.

Effects of Compound Mycotoxin Detoxifier on Alleviating Aflatoxin B1-Induced Inflammatory Responses in Intestine, Liver and Kidney of Broilers.

In order to alleviate the toxic effects of aflatoxins B1 (AFB1) on inflammatory responses in the intestine, liver, and kidney of broilers, the aflatoxin B1-degrading enzyme, montmorillonite, and compound probiotics were selected and combined to make a triple-action compound mycotoxin detoxifier (CMD). The feeding experiment was divided into two stages. In the early feeding stage (1−21 day), a total of 200 one-day-old Ross broilers were randomly divided into four groups; in the later feeding stage (22−42 day), 160 broilers aged at 22 days were assigned to four groups: Group A: basal diet (4.31 µg/kg AFB1); Group B: basal diet with 40 µg/kg AFB1; Group C: Group A plus 1.5 g/kg CMD; Group D: Group B plus 1.5 g/kg CMD. After the feeding experiment, the intestine, liver, and kidney tissues of the broilers were selected to investigate the molecular mechanism for CMD to alleviate the tissue damages. Analyses of mRNA abundances and western blotting (WB) of inflammatory factors, as well as immunohistochemical (IHC) staining of intestine, liver, and kidney tissues showed that AFB1 aggravated the inflammatory responses through NF-κB and TN-α signaling pathways via TLR pattern receptors, while the addition of CMD significantly inhibited the inflammatory responses. Phylogenetic investigation showed that AFB1 significantly increased interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase (IRAK-1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activities (p < 0.05), which were restored to normal levels by CMD addition, indicating that CMD could alleviate cell inflammatory damages induced by AFB1.

Effect of the Combined Compound Probiotics with Glycyrrhinic Acid on Alleviating Cytotoxicity of IPEC-J2 Cells Induced by Multi-Mycotoxins.

Aflatoxins B1 (AFB1), deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA) are the three most prevalent mycotoxins, whose contamination of food and feed is a severe worldwide problem. In order to alleviate the toxic effects of multi-mycotoxins (AFB1 + DON + ZEA, ADZ) on inflammation and apoptosis in swine jejunal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2), three species of probiotics (Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pseudomonas lactis at 1 × 105 CFU/mL, respectively) were mixed together to make compound probiotics (CP), which were further combined with 400 µg/mL of glycyrrhinic acid (GA) to make bioactive materials (CGA). The experiment was divided into four groups, i.e., the control, ADZ, CGA and ADZ + CGA groups. The results showed that ADZ decreased cell viability and induced cytotoxicity, while CGA addition could alleviate ADZ-induced cytotoxicity. Moreover, the mRNA expressions of IL-8, TNF-α, NF-Κb, Bcl-2, Caspase-3, ZO-1, Occludin, Claudin-1 and ASCT2 genes, and protein expressions of TNF-α and Claudin-1 were significantly upregulated in ADZ group; while the mRNA abundances of IL-8, TNF-α, NF-Κb, Caspase-3, ASCT2 genes, and protein expressions of TNF-α and Claudin-1 were significantly downregulated in the ADZ + CGA group. In addition, the protein expressions of COX-2, ZO-1, and ASCT2 were significantly downregulated in the ADZ group, compared with the control group; whereas CGA co-incubation with ADZ could increase these protein expressions to recover to normal levels. This study indicated that CGA could alleviate cytotoxicity, apoptosis and inflammation in ADZ-induced IPEC-J2 cells and protect intestinal cell integrity from ADZ damages.