Facile Semiconductor p-n Homojunction Nanowires with Strategic p-Type Doping Engineering Combined with Surface Reconstruction for Biosensing Applications.

Photosensors with versatile functionalities have emerged as a cornerstone for breakthroughs in the future optoelectronic systems across a wide range of applications. In particular, emerging photoelectrochemical (PEC)-type devices have recently attracted extensive interest in liquid-based biosensing applications due to their natural electrolyte-assisted operating characteristics. Herein, a PEC-type photosensor was carefully designed and constructed by employing gallium nitride (GaN) p-n homojunction semiconductor nanowires on silicon, with the p-GaN segment strategically doped and then decorated with cobalt-nickel oxide (CoNiOx). Essentially, the p-n homojunction configuration with facile p-doping engineering improves carrier separation efficiency and facilitates carrier transfer to the nanowire surface, while CoNiOx decoration further boosts PEC reaction activity and carrier dynamics at the nanowire/electrolyte interface. Consequently, the constructed photosensor achieves a high responsivity of 247.8 mA W-1 while simultaneously exhibiting excellent operating stability. Strikingly, based on the remarkable stability and high responsivity of the device, a glucose sensing system was established with a demonstration of glucose level determination in real human serum. This work offers a feasible and universal approach in the pursuit of high-performance bio-related sensing applications via a rational design of PEC devices in the form of nanostructured architecture with strategic doping engineering.

Study of the molecular structure of proteins in fermented Maize-Soybean meal-based rations based on FTIR spectroscopy.

This research investigates the dynamic alterations that occur in protein molecular structure during the fermentation process of feed. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), coupled with deconvolution, second derivative and curve-fitting methodologies, was employed to comparatively analyse the protein molecular structures in fermented feed. At the 48-h fermentation mark, the α-helix and ß-sheet contents reached their peaks, while the random coil and ß-turn contents were at their lowest. Simultaneously, the ß-sheet/α-helix ratio was minimized. FTIR spectroscopy emerged as a comprehensive tool, revealing the nuanced changes in molecular structure throughout the fermentation process of corn-soybean meal feed. When integrated with spectral quantitative analysis, it provides a novel perspective for evaluating the nutritional value of fermented feed.

Nanowires Framework Supported Porous Lotus-Carbon Anode Boosts Lithium-Ion and Sodium-Ion Batteries.

The novel design of carbon materials with stable nanoarchitecture and optimized electrical properties featuring simultaneous intercalation of lithium ions (Li+ ) and sodium ions (Na+ ) is of great significance for the superb lithium- sodium storage capacities. Biomass-derived carbon materials with affluent porosity have been widely studied as anodes for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and sodium-ion batteries (SIBs). However, it remains unexplored to further enhance the stability and utilization of the porous carbon skeleton during cycles. Here, a lotus stems derived porous carbon (LPC) with graphene quantum dots (GQDs) and intrinsic carbon nanowires framework (CNF) is successfully fabricated by a self-template method. The LPC anodes show remarkable Li+ and Na+ storage performance with ultrahigh capacity (738 mA h g-1 for LIBs and 460 mA h g-1 for SIBs at 0.2 C after 300 cycles, 1C≈372 mA h g-1 ) and excellent long-term stability. Structural analysis indicates that the CNFs-supported porous structure and internal GQDs with excellent electrical conductivity contribute significantly to the dominant capacitive storage mechanism in LPC. This work provides new perspectives for developing advanced carbon-based materials for multifunctional batteries with improved stability and utilization of porous carbon frameworks during cycles.

Manipulating Surface Band Bending of III-Nitride Nanowires with Ambipolar Charge-Transfer Characteristics: A Pathway Toward Advanced Photoswitching Logic Gates and Encrypted Optical Communication.

The operational principle of semiconductor devices critically relies on the band structures that ultimately govern their charge-transfer characteristics. Indeed, the precise orchestration of band structure within semiconductor devices, notably at the semiconductor surface and corresponding interface, continues to pose a perennial conundrum. Herein, for the first time, this work reports a novel postepitaxy method: thickness-tunable carbon layer decoration to continuously manipulate the surface band bending of III-nitride semiconductors. Specifically, the surface band bending of p-type aluminum-gallium-nitride (p-AlGaN) nanowires grown on n-Si can be precisely controlled by depositing different carbon layers as guided by theoretical calculations, which eventually regulate the ambipolar charge-transfer behavior between the p-AlGaN/electrolyte and p-AlGaN/n-Si interface in an electrolyte environment. Enabled by the accurate modulation of the thickness of carbon layers, a spectrally distinctive bipolar photoresponse with a controllable polarity-switching-point over a wide spectrum range can be achieved, further demonstrating reprogrammable photoswitching logic gates "XOR", "NAND", "OR", and "NOT" in a single device. Finally, this work constructs a secured image transmission system where the optical signals are encrypted through the "XOR" logic operations. The proposed continuous surface band tuning strategy provides an effective avenue for the development of multifunctional integrated-photonics systems implemented with nanophotonics.

Vertical Diamond p-n Junction Diode with Step Edge Termination Structure Designed by Simulation.

In this paper, diamond-based vertical p-n junction diodes with step edge termination are investigated using a Silvaco simulation (Version 5.0.10.R). Compared with the conventional p-n junction diode without termination, the step edge termination shows weak influences on the forward characteristics and helps to suppress the electric field crowding. However, the breakdown voltage of the diode with simple step edge termination is still lower than that of the ideal parallel-plane one. To further enhance the breakdown voltage, we combine a p-n junction-based junction termination extension on the step edge termination. After optimizing the structure parameters of the device, the depletion regions formed by the junction termination extension overlap with that of the p-n junction on the top mesa, resulting in a more uniform electric field distribution and higher device performance.

Dietary lysozyme improves growth performance and intestinal barrier function of weaned piglets.

Lysozyme (LZ) is a purely natural, nonpolluting and nonspecific immune factor, which has beneficial effects on the healthy development of animals. In this study, the influences of LZ on the growth performance and intestinal barrier of weaned piglets were studied. A total of 48 weaned piglets (Landrace × Yorkshire, 22 d old) were randomly divided into a control group (basal diet) and a LZ group (0.1% LZ diet) for 19 d. The results showed that LZ could significantly improve the average daily gain (ADG, P < 0.05) and average daily feed intake (ADFI, P < 0.05). LZ also improved the intestinal morphology and significantly increased the expression of occludin in the jejunum (P < 0.05). In addition, LZ down-regulated the expression of interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß, P < 0.05) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, P < 0.05), and inhibited the expression of the genes in the nuclear factor-k-gene binding (NF-κB, P < 0.05) signaling pathway. More importantly, the analysis of intestinal flora showed LZ increased the abundance of Firmicutes (P < 0.05) and the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidota (P = 0.09) at the phylum level, and increased the abundance of Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1 (P < 0.05) and reduced the abundance of Olsenella and Prevotella (P < 0.05) at the genus level. In short, this study proved that LZ could effectively improve the growth performance, relieve inflammation and improve the intestinal barrier function of weaned piglets. These findings provided an important theoretical basis for the application of LZ in pig production.

Positive effects of selenized-oligochitosan on zearalenone-induced intestinal dysfunction in piglets.

This paper assessed the positive effects of selenized-oligochitosan (SOC) on zearalenone(ZEN)-induced intestinal dysfunction in piglets. Sixty piglets were randomly divided into 4 groups. Group C was fed the basal diet as a control and Group Z was supplemented with 2 µg/g ZEN in the basal diet; Group ZS1 and ZS2 were supplemented with 0.3 or 0.5 µg/g SOC (calculated by selenium), in addition to 2 µg/g ZEN in the basal diet. After 42 days, ileal mucosal structure, digestive enzyme activities, tight junction protein mRNA expressions, plasma D-lactate and D-xylose contents, and plasma diamine oxidase activities were determined. Compare with Group C, ileal villus height, value of villus height/crypt depth, trypsin, lipase and α-amylase activities, occluding, claudin-1 and ZO-1 mRNA expressions, and plasma D-xylose levels were significantly decreased (p < 0.01) in piglets of group Z; while compare to Group C, ileal crypt depth, plasma D-lactate contents and diamine oxidase activities were significantly increased in piglets of group Z (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05). Compare with Group Z, ileal villus height, lipase and α-amylase activities, occluding, claudin-1 and ZO-1 mRNA expressions, and plasma D-xylose levels were significantly elevated in piglets of group ZS1 and ZS2 (p < 0.01); while compare to Group Z, plasma D-lactate and diamine oxidase contents were significantly reduced in piglets of group ZS1 and ZS2 (p < 0.01 or p < 0.05). Compare with Group Z, value of villus height/crypt depth and trypsin activity were significantly promoted in piglets of group ZS2 (p < 0.01); whereas ileal crypt depth was significantly reduced in piglets of group ZS2 (p <0.01).Thus, SOC can mitigate ZEN-induced intestinal dysfunction in piglets.

Light-Induced Bipolar Photoresponse with Amplified Photocurrents in an Electrolyte-Assisted Bipolar p-n Junction.

The p-n junction with bipolar characteristics sets the fundamental unit to build electronics while its unique rectification behavior constrains the degree of carrier tunability for expanded functionalities. Herein, a bipolar-junction photoelectrode employed with a gallium nitride (GaN) p-n homojunction nanowire array that operates in electrolyte is reported, demonstrating bipolar photoresponse controlled by different wavelengths of light. Significantly, with rational decoration of a ruthenium oxides (RuOx ) layer on nanowires guided by theoretical modeling, the resulting RuOx /p-n GaN photoelectrode exhibits unambiguously boosted bipolar photoresponse by an enhancement of 775% and 3000% for positive and negative photocurrents, respectively, compared to the pristine nanowires. The loading of the RuOx layer on nanowire surface optimizes surface band bending, which facilitates charge transfer across the GaN/electrolyte interface, meanwhile promoting the efficiency of redox reaction for both hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction which corresponds to the negative and positive photocurrents, respectively. Finally, a dual-channel optical communication system incorporated with such photoelectrode is constructed with using only one photoelectrode to decode dual-band signals with encrypted property. The proposed bipolar device architecture presents a viable route to manipulate the carrier dynamics for the development of a plethora of multifunctional optoelectronic devices for future sensing, communication, and imaging systems.

Achieving Record-High Photoelectrochemical Photoresponse Characteristics by Employing Co3O4 Nanoclusters as Hole Charging Layer for Underwater Optical Communication.

The physicochemical properties of a semiconductor surface, especially in low-dimensional nanostructures, determine the electrical and optical behavior of the devices. Thereby, the precise control of surface properties is a prerequisite for not only preserving the intrinsic material quality but also manipulating carrier transport behavior for promoting device characteristics. Here, we report a facile approach to suppress the photocorrosion effect while boosting the photoresponse performance of n-GaN nanowires in a constructed photoelectrochemical-type photodetector by employing Co3O4 nanoclusters as a hole charging layer. Essentially, the Co3O4 nanoclusters not only alleviate nanowires from corrosion by optimizing the oxygen evolution reaction kinetics at the nanowire/electrolyte interface but also facilitate an efficient photogenerated carrier separation, migration, and collection process, leading to a significant ease of photocurrent attenuation (improved by nearly 867% after Co3O4 decoration). Strikingly, a record-high responsivity of 217.2 mA W-1 with an ultrafast response/recovery time of 0.03/0.02 ms can also be achieved, demonstrating one of the best performances among the reported photoelectrochemical-type photodetectors, that ultimately allowed us to build an underwater optical communication system based on the proposed nanowire array for practical applications. This work provides a perspective for the rational design of stable nanostructures for various applications in photo- and biosensing or energy-harvesting nanosystems.

TFEB coordinates autophagy and pyroptosis as hepatotoxicity responses to ZnO nanoparticles.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have drawn serious concerns about their biotoxicity due to their extensive applications in biological medicine, clinical therapeutic, daily chemical production, food and agricultural additives. In our present study, we clarified hepatotoxic mechanism of ZnO NPs through investigating the crosstalk between autophagy and pyroptosis, a remaining enigma in hepatocyte stimulated by ZnO NPs. Based on the effects of autophagy intervention by Rapamycin (Rap) and 3-Methyladenine (3-MA), and the observation of pyroptosis morphology and related indexes, the autophagy and pyroptosis simultaneously initiated by ZnO NPs were interrelated and the autophagy characterized by autophagosome production and increased expression of autophagy proteins was identified as a protective response of ZnO NPs against pyroptosis. According to the analysis of protein expression and fluorescence localization, the NLRP3 inflammasome assemble and the classical Caspase-1/GSDMD-dependent pyroptosis induced by ZnO NPs was modulated by autophagy. In this process, the adjustment of TFEB expression and nuclear translocation by gene knockout and gene overexpression, further altered the tendency of ZnO NPs-induced pyroptosis via the regulation of autophagy and lysosomal biogenesis. The knockout of TFEB gene exacerbated the pyroptosis via autophagy elimination and lysosome inhibition. While the alleviation of NLRP3 generation and pyroptosis activation was observed after treatment of TFEB gene overexpression. Additionally, the siRNA interference confirmed that TRAF-6 was involved in the TFEB-mediated global regulation of autophagy-lysosome-pyroptosis in response to ZnO NPs. Accordingly, pyroptosis induced by ZnO NPs in hepatocyte could be significantly avoided by TFEB-regulated autophagy and lysosome, further providing new insights for the risk assessment and therapeutic strategy.

Selenium-chitosan alleviates the toxic effects of Zearalenone on antioxidant and immune function in mice.

This study assessed the protective effects of selenium-chitosan (SC) against antioxidant and immune function-related damage induced by zearalenone (ZEN) in mice. In total, 150 female mice were allotted to five groups for a 30-day study. Control mice were fed a basal diet. Mice in the ZEN, ZEN-Se1, ZEN-Se2 and ZEN-Se3 groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with same dose of ZEN (2 mg/kg) and different doses of SC, 0.0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mg/kg, respectively (calculated by selenium). After 30 days, the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) level, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in plasma and liver, as well as Con A-induced splenocyte proliferation, plasma interleukins concentrations and liver interleukin mRNA expression levels were determined. The plasma and liver GSH-Px activities, liver T-AOC levels, Con A-induced splenocyte proliferation, interleukin (IL) contents and mRNA expression levels in the ZEN group were significantly lower than in the control group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), whereas plasma and liver MDA contents in the ZEN group were significantly higher than in the control group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). Additionally, plasma and liver GSH-Px activities, liver T-AOC levels, Con A-induced splenocyte proliferation, IL-1ß, IL-17A, IL-2 and IL-6 contents and mRNA expression levels in ZEN+Se2 and ZEN+Se3 groups were significantly higher than in the ZEN group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), whereas plasma and liver MDA contents in the ZEN+Se2 and ZEN+Se3 groups were significantly lower than in the ZEN group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). The plasma and liver GSH-Px activities, Con A-induced splenocyte proliferation, IL-1ß and IL-6 contents, IL-2 and IL-17A mRNA expression levels in the ZEN+Se1 group were also significantly higher than in the ZEN group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), whereas the plasma MDA content in the ZEN+Se1 group was also significantly lower than in the ZEN group (P < 0.01). Thus, SC may alleviate antioxidant function-related damage and immunosuppression induced by ZEN in mice.

Recent Progress on Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting of Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g-CN) Electrodes.

Graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN), a promising visible-light-responsive semiconductor material, is regarded as a fascinating photocatalyst and heterogeneous catalyst for various reactions due to its non-toxicity, high thermal durability and chemical durability, and "earth-abundant" nature. However, practical applications of g-CN in photoelectrochemical (PEC) and photoelectronic devices are still in the early stages of development due to the difficulties in fabricating high-quality g-CN layers on substrates, wide band gaps, high charge-recombination rates, and low electronic conductivity. Various fabrication and modification strategies of g-CN-based films have been reported. This review summarizes the latest progress related to the growth and modification of high-quality g-CN-based films. Furthermore, (1) the classification of synthetic pathways for the preparation of g-CN films, (2) functionalization of g-CN films at an atomic level (elemental doping) and molecular level (copolymerization), (3) modification of g-CN films with a co-catalyst, and (4) composite films fabricating, will be discussed in detail. Last but not least, this review will conclude with a summary and some invigorating viewpoints on the key challenges and future developments.

Recombination between NADC34-like and QYYZ-like strain of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus with high pathogenicity for piglets in China.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is an important pathogen that causes huge economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. Here, a novel variant of PRRSV strain named TJnh2021 was isolated from nursery piglets with morbidity rate (75%) and mortality rate (40%) in Tianjin Province of China in 2021. Phylogenetic and molecular evolutionary analyses revealed that TJnh2021 was highly similar to NADC34-like (lineage 1.5, isolated in North America in 2014) in the ORF1ab-ORF2 and ORF6-ORF7 coding regions, as well as to QYYZ-like (lineage 3, isolated in China in 2010) in the ORF3-ORF5, suggestive of a natural recombination event. Recombination analyses revealed that recombination events occurred in two interlineage recombination events between lineages 1.5 and 3, and two breakpoints in ORF2 (nt12196) and ORF5 (nt13628) (with reference to the VR-2332 strain). Animal experiments demonstrated that TJnh2021 caused mortality rates of 40% and exhibited higher pathogenicity in piglets compared to other lineage 1.5 strains reported in China. Taken altogether, NADC34-like PRRSV has undergone genetic exchange with Chinese local PRRSV strains and recombination might be responsible for the variations in pathogenicity and highlight the importance of surveillance of this lineage in China.

Food-Origin Mycotoxin-Induced Neurotoxicity: Intend to Break the Rules of Neuroglia Cells.

Mycotoxins are key risk factors in human food and animal feed. Most of food-origin mycotoxins could easily enter the organism and evoke systemic toxic effects, such as aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), ochratoxin A (OTA), T-2 toxin, deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), fumonisin B1 (FB1), and 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA). For the last decade, the researches have provided much evidences in vivo and in vitro that the brain is an important target organ on mycotoxin-mediated neurotoxic phenomenon and neurodegenerative diseases. As is known to all, glial cells are the best regulator and defender of neurons, and a few evaluations about the effects of mycotoxins on glial cells such as astrocytes or microglia have been conducted. The fact that mycotoxin contamination may be a key factor in neurotoxicity and glial dysfunction is exactly the reason why we reviewed the activation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial function changes of glial cells under mycotoxin infection and summarized the mycotoxin-mediated glial cell proliferation disorders, death pathways, and inflammatory responses. The purpose of this paper is to analyze various pathways in which common food-derived mycotoxins can induce glial toxicity and provide a novel perspective for future research on the neurodegenerative diseases.

Chicken Heat Shock Protein 70 Is an Essential Host Protein for Infectious Bursal Disease Virus Infection In Vitro.

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) infection causes pathogenicity and mortality in chickens, leading to huge economic losses in the poultry industry worldwide. Studies of host-virus interaction can help us to better understand the viral pathogenicity. As a highly conservative host factor, heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is observed to be involved in numerous viral infections. However, there is little information about the role of chicken Hsp70 (cHsp70) in IBDV infection. In the present study, the increased expression of cHsp70 was observed during IBDV-infected DF-1 cells. Further studies revealed that Hsp70 had similar locations with the viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), and the result of pull-down assay showed the direct interaction between cHsp70 with dsRNA, viral proteins (vp)2 and 3, indicating that maybe cHsp70 participates in the formation of the replication and transcription complex. Furthermore, overexpression of cHsp70 promoted IBDV production and knockdown of cHsp70 using small interfering RNAs (siRNA) and reducedviral production, implying the necessity of cHsp70 in IBDV infection. These results reveal that cHsp70 is essential for IBDV infection in DF-1 cells, suggesting that targeting cHsp70 may be applied as an antiviral strategy.

Targeting HMGB1 inhibits T-2 toxin-induced neurotoxicity via regulation of oxidative stress, neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis.

T-2 toxin, a food-derived mycotoxin, has been identified as a neurotoxin. Nonetheless, T-2 toxin-induced neuroinflammation has never been revealed. As an important therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases and cancers, the role of high mobility group B1 (HMGB1) in mycotoxin-mediated neurotoxicity remains a mystery. In current study, we found that PC12 cells were sensitive to trace amounts of T-2 toxin less than 12 ng/mL, distinguished by decreased cell viability and increased release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Oxidative stress and mitochondrial damage were observed in PC12 cells, manifested as accumulation of oxidative stress products, up-regulation of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), leading to mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. Meanwhile, we first discovered that tiny amounts of T-2 toxin triggered neuroinflammation directly, including raising the expression and translocation of NF-κB and promoting secretion of proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-1ß. Most interestingly, the increased of HMGB1 was detected both inside and outside the cells. Conversely, HMGB1 siRNA reduced T-2 toxin-mediated oxidative stress, apoptosis and neuroinflammatory outbreak, accompanied by lessened caspase-3 and caspase-9, and decreased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Taken together, T-2 toxin-stimulated PC12 cells simultaneously displayed apoptosis and inflammation, whereas HMGB1 played a critical role in these neurotoxic processes.

Olaquindox-Induced Liver Damage Involved the Crosstalk of Oxidative Stress and p53 In Vivo and In Vitro.

Olaquindox (OLA), a member of the quinoxaline-N,N-dioxide family, has been widely used as a growth-promoting feed additive and treatment for bacterial infections. The toxicity has been a major concern, and the precise molecular mechanism remains poorly understood. The present study was aimed at investigating the roles of oxidative stress and p53 in OLA-caused liver damage. In a mouse model, OLA administration could markedly cause liver injury as well as the induction of oxidative stress and activation of p53. Antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) inhibited OLA-induced oxidative stress and p53 activation in vivo. Furthermore, knockout of the p53 gene could significantly inhibit OLA-induced liver damage by inhibiting oxidative stress and the mitochondria apoptotic pathway, compared to the p53 wild-type liver tissue. The cell model in vitro further demonstrated that p53 knockout or knockdown in the HCT116 cell and L02 cell significantly inhibited cell apoptosis and increased cell viability, presented by suppressing ROS production, oxidative stress, and the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Moreover, loss of p53 decreased OLA-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and caspase activations, with the evidence of inhibited activation of phosphorylation- (p-) p38 and p-JNK and upregulated cell autophagy via activation of the LC3 and Beclin1 pathway in HCT116 and L02 cells. Taken together, our findings provided a support that p53 primarily played a proapoptotic role in OLA-induced liver damage against oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, which were largely dependent on suppression of the JNK/p38 pathway and upregulation of the autophagy pathway via activation of LC3 and Beclin1.

CD4+CD25+ Cells Are Essential for Maintaining Immune Tolerance in Chickens Inoculated with Bovine Serum Albumin at the Late Stage of Embryonic Development.

In this study, the role of chicken CD4+CD25+ cells during induced immunotolerance was tested. Properties of chicken CD4+CD25+ cells sorted by flow cytometry were analyzed. Results showed that chicken CD4+CD25+ cells express IL-10, TGF-ß highly and suppress proliferation of CD4+CD25- cells in vitro. To induce immunotolerance, embryos were inoculated with bovine serum albumin (BSA) via an intravascular route on embryo incubation day 20 (EID20), and after hatching chicks experienced BSA immunization four times at 7-day intervals. Serum anti-BSA antibodies and CD4+CD25+ cell ratio was analyzed. Results showed that humoral tolerance was obtained and the CD4+CD25+ cell percentage in peripheral blood lymphocytes increased along with this progress. Injection of anti-chicken CD25 antibody via an intravascular route on EID16 is applied to block CD4+CD25+ cells, and the CD4+CD25+ cell ratio decreased significantly up to 35 d post-hatch. Based on the above, injections of anti-chicken CD25 antibody on EID16 and BSA on EID20 were carried out sequentially, and tolerance level was contrasted to the BSA-injection group. Data revealed the anti-BSA antibodies increased significantly in the CD4+CD25+ cell-blocked groups indicating that immune tolerance level was weakened. In conclusion, chicken CD4+CD25+ cells are essential in maintaining induced immune tolerance.

Molecular mechanism of olaquindox-induced hepatotoxicity and the hepatic protective role of curcumin.

Olaquindox (OLA) is a chemosynthetic growth promoter, which could promote the treatment of bacterial infections and improve feed energy efficiency. Hepatotoxicity is still a poor feature associated with the adverse effects of OLA. The present study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of OLA-induced hepatotoxicity and the protective role of curcumin in mice and HepG2 cells. The result showed that representative biomarkers involved in mitochondrial pathway, p53 pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, autophagy and antioxidant pathway were activated. Furthermore, curcumin attenuated OLA-induced serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and liver damage in mice. In addition, cell viability of HepG2 was enhanced by curcumin pretreatment at 5, 10 and 20 µM. Meanwhile, curcumin markedly ameliorated OLA-induced oxidative stress, apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction. Moreover, curcumin pretreatment significantly up-regulated the expressions of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) and down-regulated the expressions of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kB) and p53 through reduced the nuclear translocation of NF-kB induced by OLA. In summary, our findings indicated that OLA-induced hepatotoxicity involved in mitochondrial apoptosis, autophagy, p53 pathway, Nrf2/HO-1 pathways, and curcumin regulated OLA-induced liver damage, oxidative stress and apoptosis via activation of Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and suppression of p53 and NF-kB pathway.