Histological study of Bactrian camel cryptorchidism and expression of immunoglobulin λ light chain in the testicular and epididymis of cryptorchid Bactrian camel.

Lambda light chains (λ-LCs) are frequently responsible for triggering the activation of inflammatory factors in autoimmune disorders, and an increase in their levels will cause various pathological changes in serum. The aim of this study was to determine the histological differences between the epididymis and testis of normal and cryptorchid Bactrian camels and the differences in λ-LC expression in the epididymis and testis of normal and cryptorchid Bactrian camels. Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was used to examine the pathological changes in cryptorchidism. The gene and protein levels of λ-LC were determined using RT-qPCR and western blot. The distribution of λ-LCs was assessed by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Compared with that in normal Bactrian camels, the diameter of the epididymal lumen and the thickness of the epithelium were decreased in the epididymis of cryptorchidic animals. Additionally, no sperm was detected in the cavity of the cryptorchidic epididymis. Meanwhile, the expression of λ-LC was significantly increased in the cryptorchidic epididymis at both the mRNA and protein levels (p < .05). The highest protein expression of λ-LC was found in epididymal epithelial halo cells and testicular Sertoli cells. These findings suggested that the structural changes observed in the epididymal epithelium of cryptorchidic camels affect its secretory and absorptive functions. Additionally, the high level of λ-LC expression recorded in halo cells suggested that these cells play an important role in epithelial immunity in cryptorchidic Bactrian camels. Furthermore, the high λ-LC expression levels detected in normal testicular Sertoli cells indicated that λ-LCs may be involved in spermatogenesis. The results of this study provide clues for an in-depth study of immunological sterility in cryptorchidic Bactrian camels.

The spatiotemporal patterns and network characteristics of emissions embodied in the international trade of livestock products.

Livestock production is greenhouse gas (GHG) emission intensive, and thus the increasing international trade of livestock products in recent decades has resulted in increased embodied emissions. Considering the varying emission intensity in production in different countries and the expected further increase in livestock product trade in the future, it becomes crucial to understand the spatial and temporal dynamics of such embodied GHG emissions for climate change mitigation in the livestock sector. In this study, we aimed to address such gaps and analyzed the spatiotemporal patterns and network characteristics of GHG emissions embodied in the international trade of seven major categories of livestock products among 228 world economies during 1986-2017. The results showed that the total volume of GHG emissions embodied in livestock product trade reached 92.0 MT in 2017, accounting for 2.6% of the total emissions from livestock production. Sheep meat has replaced cattle meat as the major contributor to embodied emissions. In 2017, the largest flows of embodied emissions were within Europe, followed by the flows from Oceania to Asia. The fluxes in intra-upper middle and intra-high-income economies accounted for most of the total embodied emissions. Although the global average emission intensity of livestock production declined in these four decades, the trade flows from high to low emission intensity economies increased, especially for cattle and sheep meat. This resulted in an overall increase of contribution from the global livestock trade in GHG emissions from the global livestock sector. Therefore, effective measures and policies must be designed from both consumption and production perspectives to ensure proper accounting of these embodied emissions and maximize the reduction potential for a sustainable food system transition.

Spatiotemporal Pattern Evolution of Food and Nutrient Production in China.

Ensuring food and nutrient supply is a crucial aspect of achieving food safety. With rapid population growth, urbanization, and social and economic development, the challenges related to China's food and nutrient production have become increasingly prominent. This paper analyzed the characteristics of the spatiotemporal pattern evolution of food and nutrient production in China from 1995 to 2020, utilizing the conversion of various food nutrients and the establishment of a gravity center model. The results showed that: (1) Food production exhibited increasing trends in China, six regions, and 90% of the provinces. Notably, the structure of food production underwent significant changes in China, East China, Central-South China, Southwest China, Northwest China, and 60% of the provinces. (2) The output of all categories of food nutrients demonstrated increasing trends in China, six regions, and most provinces. At three different geographical scales, the changes of six food nutrients production structure showed significant differences. (3) Natural, political, social, economic, and technological factors played pivotal roles in influencing the gravity centers of food and nutrient production in China. The gravity centers of cereal production shifted northeast, while those of root and tuber, oil crops, and stimulants production moved westward. Additionally, the gravity centers of sugar crop, pulse, vegetable, fruit, and aquatic product production moved southwest and those of livestock and poultry production shifted northward. (4) Affected by the food production, the gravity centers of food energy, food protein, and food carbohydrate production shifted northward, while those of food fat, food vitamins, and food minerals production shifted northwest, southwest, and westward, respectively. The results of this study are of great significance for policy adjustments pertaining to the distribution pattern of food production, food security stability, and sustainable development in China.

Cyprinus carpio Decoction Improves Nutrition and Immunity and Reduces Proteinuria through Nephrin and CD2AP Expressions in Rats with Adriamycin-Induced Nephropathy.

Cyprinus carpio decoction (CCD) is a well-known Chinese food medicine formula, accepted widely as a useful therapy in preventing edema and proteinuria caused by renal disease. However, the mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear. The current study investigated the potential mechanism of CCD in alleviating nephropathy induced by adriamycin (ADR) in rats. 70 eight-week-old Wistar rats were randomly divided into normal, model, fosinopril, YD, YG groups. All rats except for the normal group received 6.5 mg/kg·bw of ADR injection into the vena caudalis once. Different doses of CCD (11.3 and 22.5 g kg(-1)) were lavaged to rats in YD and YG groups, respectively. Then the serum biochemical values of the total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), electrolyte levels, and the urinary protein (UP) content in 12 hr urine were measured. Interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon (INF-γ) were measured by enzyme-like immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The pathomorphological analysis was observed using light and electron microscopy, and the expressions of nephrin and CD2-associated protein (CD2AP) in renal tissues were determined by immunohistochemical assay. The results indicated that CCD can relieve ADR-induced nephropathy (ADN) by improving the nutrition status, regulating the immunity, and inhibiting proteinuria by increasing nephrin and CD2AP expressions.

[Effects of selenium and zinc on the proliferation of human esophageal cancer cell line studied by serophysiology].

OBJECTIVE: The effect of serum from rats supplemented with selenium and zinc on the proliferation of human esophageal cancer cell line Eca109 was observed by serophysiology. METHODS: Rats were randomly divided into seven groups. Eight rats in each group were fed with basic feeds (deprived of both selenium and zinc). The experimental rat groups were supplemented with selenium or zinc at low or high dosage intragastrically for 30 days Serum selenium and zinc content of rats was measured by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GFAAS) and Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (FAAS). MTT assay,3H-TDR incorporation and flow cytometry were used to explore the effect of serum from different rat groups on the growth and proliferation of cancer cell line Ecal09 cells. RESULTS: (1) The content of serum zinc in the high zinc group was the highest and the content of serum zinc was the lowest in basic diet group. The content of serum selenium in high selenium and high zinc group was the highest and the content of serum selenium was the lowest in the basic diet group. (2) In comparing the growth of control cancer cell group cultured with calf serum, the growth of cancer cells cultured with the serum from high selenium and high zinc rats was inhibited in culturing for 72 h, but the growth of normal liver cells were also inhibited. The growth of cancer cells were promoted by serum from other groups. (3) Both MTT assay and 3H-TDR incorporation test showed that the DNA synthesis in cancer cells was inhibited by the serum from high selenium and high zinc group, but the DNA synthesis of normal liver cells was also inhibited by this type of serum. The result of DNA synthesis in other cell groups was closed to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Low serum selenium and zinc might promote the growth of EC cell. Elevating the content of serum selenium and zinc by increasing selenium and zinc intake might inhibit EC cell proliferation.

Characterization and Preliminary Application of Phage Isolated From Listeria monocytogenes.

Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is one of the four major foodborne bacteria that cause bacteremia and meningitis. To explore the control of listeriosis with natural phages, we used the double-layer agar plate method to isolate LM from slaughterhouse sewage and designated LP8. The result of electron microscopy indicated that the phage belonged to the family of Myoviridae. Whole-genome sequencing indicated that the genome size of LP8 is 87,038 bp and contains 120 genes. Mice were infected with LM and treated with penicillin G sodium, LP8, and the combination of these two. From the levels of lymphocyte subsets (CD4+, CD8+), the expression of cytokines (TNF-α, IL1ß, IL-10, and IFN-γ), observation of pathological changes in organs (heart, liver, spleen, kidney, and brain), and the bacterial load of the spleen, we concluded the therapeutic effect of LP8 against listeriosis and demonstrate the feasibility of a combined therapy to reduce the use of antibiotics. This provides a new avenue for the treatment of listeriosis.

Nutritional assessment and risk factors associated to malnutrition in patients with esophageal cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Esophageal cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in China. Patients with esophageal cancer are more likely to suffer from malnutrition. The purpose of this study is to assess nutritional status of patients with esophageal cancer from multiple perspectives and analyze the risk factors. METHODS: A total of 1482 esophageal cancer patients were enrolled in the study. We investigated the Scored Patient Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) scores, NRS-2002 scores, Karnofsky performance status scores, anthropometric, and laboratory indicators of patients. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the risk factors of nutritional status. RESULTS: PG-SGA (≥4) and NRS-2002 (≥3) showed the incidence of malnutrition were 76% and 50%, respectively. In the patients with PG-SGA score ≥4, the proportion of patients who did not receive any nutritional support was 60%. The incidence of malnutrition in females was significantly higher than that in males. Besides, abnormality rates of Red blood cell (P < 0.001), MAC (P = 0.037), and MAMC (P < 0.001) in males was significantly higher than that in females, while abnormality rates of TSF (P < 0.001) was lower than that in females. After adjusted with the other potential risk factors listed, unconditional logistic regression analysis indicated smoking (odds ratio: 2.868, 95% confidence interval: 1.660-4.954), drinking (OR: 1.726, 95% CI: 1.099-2.712), family history (OR: 1.840, 95% CI: 1.132-2.992), radiotherapy or chemotherapy (OR: 1.594, 95% CI: 1.065-2.387), and pathological stage (OR: 2.263, 95% CI: 1.084-4.726) might be the risk factors of nutritional status, while nutritional support can reduce the risk of malnutrition. CONCLUSION: Effective nutritional risk assessment methods and nutritional intervention measures can be adopted according to the research data to improve quality of life of esophageal cancer patients.

Identification and validation of a miRNA-based prognostic signature for cervical cancer through an integrated bioinformatics approach.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide. Increasing evidence has shown that miRNAs are related to the progression of cervical cancer. However, the mechanisms that affect the prognosis of cancer are still largely unknown. In the present study, we sought to identify miRNAs associated with poor prognosis of patient with cervical cancer, as well as the possible mechanisms regulated by them. The miRNA expression profiles and relevant clinical information of patients with cervical cancer were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The selection of prognostic miRNAs was carried out through an integrated bioinformatics approach. The most effective miRNAs with synergistic and additive effects were selected for validation through in vitro experiments. Three miRNAs (miR-216b-5p, miR-585-5p, and miR-7641) were identified as exhibiting good performance in predicting poor prognosis through additive effects analysis. The functional enrichment analysis suggested that not only pathways traditionally involved in cancer but also immune system pathways might be important in regulating the outcome of the disease. Our findings demonstrated that a synergistic combination of three miRNAs may be associated, through their regulation of specific pathways, with very poor survival rates for patients with cervical cancer.

Nutritional status and survival of 8247 cancer patients with or without diabetes mellitus-results from a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The number of cancer patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is steadily rising. Little is known about the nutritional status of this population. This study characterized the nutritional status and survival of cancer patients with diabetes compared with those without diabetes. METHODS: A total of 8247 cancer patients were prospectively enrolled from 72 hospitals in China and followed until August 2019. A global estimation of the nutritional status was performed for each participant using standardized tools. The outcomes were cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: The incidence of diabetes was 7.6% in the whole population. In comparison with the non-DM group, the DM group had greater body weight, but a similar fat-free mass, a lower handgrip strength and a decreased Karnofsky performance score. A higher proportion of patients with diabetes were overweight/obese as indicated by BMI. The percentage of patients who were at risk of malnutrition (evaluated by PG-SGA) was higher in the DM group (score ≥ 4, 56.7% vs 52.9%). Patients with DM showed a worse CSS (4-year CSS, 62% vs 73%) and OS (4-year OS 39% vs 52%). Diabetes was associated with an increased risk of both cancer-specific (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.282, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.070-1.536) and overall (HR = 1.206, 95% CI 1.040-1.399) mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Cancer patients with diabetes had a larger body mass but lower muscle strength, poorer performance status and higher incidence of malnourishment. Diabetes was associated with compromised survival. Tailored nutritional intervention is necessary for this subpopulation of patients.

[Application of total nutrient admixture in acute hepatic failure rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the therapeutic efficacy of total nutrition admixture (TNA) containing 30.6% BCAA, MCT/LCT, glucose, vitamin, electrolytes in rat with acute hepatic failure (AHF). METHOD: 30 Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: Normal control, AHF control, Fat-free nutrient admixture group, TNA group. AHF model was induced by D-galactosamine Liver and renal function, nitrogen balance, plasma total protein, albumin, prealbumin, fibronectin, hemoglobin, aminogram, tumor necrosis factor, lymphocyte transformation rate, glucose, blood fat tests etc were determined. RESULTS: The improvement of liver and renal function was better in TNA group than those in other groups. ALT ALP TBil BUN were lower in TNA group than those in other groups. TP, ALB, PA, N-balance in TNA group were significantly higher than those in other groups. The spectrum of plasma amino acids of the TNA group was close to the normal and the control group. The TNF in TNA group were significantly higher than that in Fat-free nutrient admixture group. The stimulation index in TNA group was significantly higher than that in other groups. The difference of triglyceride in TNA group and normal diet was statistically significant, The difference of cholesterol in TNA group and Fat-free nutrient admixture was statistically significant, The difference of lipid peroxidation in four groups was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Nutritional supportive treatment is necessary for AHF.

[Investigation on nutritional intakes for hospitalized children with blood disease].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diet and nutritional status of hospitalized children with blood disease in order to provide nutritional guidelines. METHODS: The patients' daily dietary intakes, including breakfast, lunch, dinner and additional meals, were recorded in detail for seven consecutive days. The intake amount of various nutrients was calculated using the dietary database. RESULTS: The majority of children with blood disease showed inadequate intakes of calories [mean 1825.81 kCal/d, 73.62% of the recommended intake (RNI)] and protein (mean 67.68 g/d, 81.34% of RNI). Intakes of vitamin E and riboflavin were adequate, but intakes of vitamin A, thiamine and vitamin C (66.67%, 77.78% and 69.89% of RNI, respectively) were inadequate. Iron and selenium intakes were adequate, but calcium and zinc intakes (41.11% and 56.21% of RNI, respectively) were grossly inadequate. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalized children with blood disease had decreased dietary intakes of calories, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamin, calcium and zinc. The dietary pattern and nutritional intake need to be improved.

The value of grip test, lysophosphatidlycholines, glycerophosphocholine, ornithine, glucuronic acid decrement in assessment of nutritional and metabolic characteristics in hepatitis B cirrhosis.

The liver is essential for the regulation of energy, protein and amino acids, as well as in other aspects of metabolism. To identify efficient indexes for evaluation of nutritional status and metabolic characteristics during different Child-Pugh stages of hepatitis B cirrhosis, 83 patients and 35 healthy individuals were enrolled in our study. We found that grip strength, triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), body fat and skeletal muscle of the patients were reduced compared to the control group (P<0.05). Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography data combined with mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) showed that levels of a variety of metabolites, including lysophosphatidylcholines (LysoPCs), glycerophosphocholine, ornithine and glucuronic acid were reduced in the serum of patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis (P<0.001). However, glycerophosphoserine and taurocholic acid levels were higher than in the control group (P<0.001). Moreover, grip strength was correlated with the Child-Pugh score (P<0.05). Serum albumin, total cholesterol, LDL, LysoPCs, glycerophosphocholine, ornithine, glucuronic acid, glycerophosphoserine and taurocholic acid were correlated with the Child-Pugh score (P<0.01). These findings suggested that grip strength and the above small molecular substances might be considered as sensitive and important indexes for evaluating nutritional status and metabolic characteristics of patients with hepatitis B cirrhosis, which may help assess prognosis and adjust nutritional treatment.