Maternal Vitamin D3 Supplementation in an Oxidized-Oil Diet Protects Fetus from Developmental Impairment and Ameliorates Oxidative Stress in Mouse Placenta and Fetus.

BACKGROUND: Fried food has increased in popularity worldwide. However, deep frying can increase the production of peroxidative toxins in food, which might be harmful to fetal development. The antioxidative effect of vitamin D3 (VD3) has been reported previously. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore how maternal VD3 supplementation in an oxidized-oil diet during gestation affects fetal antioxidative ability and development. METHODS: Pregnant mice were randomly assigned into 3 groups: Control group (diet with fresh soybean oil), OSO group [diet with oxidized soybean oil (OSO)], and OSOV group (diet with OSO and 10,000 IU/Kg VD3). Mice were fed with the corresponding diet during gestation. On day 16.5 of gestation, the placenta and fetus were harvested to analyze antioxidative status. RESULTS: Maternal oxidized-oil diet during gestation significantly reduced placental vessel abundance, labyrinth zone area, and fetal body weight. However, dietary VD3 supplementation prevented these negative effects of oxidized-oil diet. Maternal intake of oxidized-oil diet increased serum concentrations of malondialdehyde, total-nitric oxide synthase, and inducible nitric oxide synthase, whereas VD3 supplementation showed a protection effect on it. Additionally, maternal VD3 supplementation increased the levels of antioxidative enzymes and the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2), thereby protecting placenta and fetus from apoptosis and oxidative stress caused by an oxidized-oil diet. The gene expression and protein levels of a fatty acid transporter solute carrier family 27 member 1 in the fetal liver were increased by maternal VD3 supplementation under oxidized-oil diet. Notably, NRF2 could be co-immunoprecipitated with the VD receptor in the placenta. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal VD3 supplementation could protect fetus from oxidized-oil diet induced developmental impairment by alleviating oxidative stress in the placenta and fetus through the VD receptor/NRF2 pathway, at least partially. Thus, ensuring adequate levels of VD3 through supplementation is often critical during pregnancy.

Liver-derived FGF21 is required for the effect of time-restricted feeding on high-fat diet-induced fatty liver in mice.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which leads to insulin resistance, steatosis, and even hepatocellular carcinoma, is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, however, effective treatment is still lacking. This study determined the role of liver FGF21 and the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of time-restricted feeding (TRF) in NAFLD. FGF21 liver knockout (FGF21 LKO) mice and C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) mice were fed either a normal or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 16 weeks. Mice with diet-induced obesity (DIO) were also used. The mice were fed either ad libitum or in a time-restricted manner. Serum FGF21 levels were significantly increased after 16 weeks of TRF. TRF prevented body weight gain, improved glucose homeostasis, and protected against high-fat diet-induced hepatosteatosis and liver damage. The expression of genes related to liver lipogenesis and inflammation was reduced in TRF mice, but the expression of genes involved in fatty acid ß-oxidation was increased. However, those beneficial effects of TRF were blunted in the FGF21 LKO mice. Moreover, TRF promoted improvements in insulin sensitivity and liver damage in DIO mice. Our data show that liver FGF21 signaling was involved in the effect of TRF on high-fat diet-induced fatty liver.

Maternal folic acid and vitamin B12 supplementation during medium to late gestation promotes fetal development via improving placental antioxidant capacity, angiogenesis and amino acid transport.

BACKGROUND: Folic acid and vitamin B12 (FV), being B vitamins, not only facilitate the remethylation of homocysteine (Hcy) but also contribute to embryonic development. This study aimed to assess the impact of FV supplementation during late pregnancy on sows' reproductive performance, amino acid metabolism, placental angiogenesis, and related parameters. Twenty primiparous sows at day 60 of gestation were randomly allocated to two groups: a basal diet (CON) group and a group receiving a basal diet supplemented with folic acid at 20 ppm and vitamin B12 at 125 ppb. RESULTS: The findings revealed that dietary FV supplementation significantly reduced the incidence of intrauterine growth retardation compared to the CON group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, it led to a decrease in the Hcy levels in umbilical cord serum (P < 0.05) and activation of the placental mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway (P < 0.05). Additionally, FV supplementation lowered placental malondialdehyde levels (P < 0.05) and increased the expression of placental thioredoxin (P = 0.05). Moreover, maternal FV supplementation notably elevated placental vascular density (P < 0.05) and the expression of sodium-coupled neutral amino acid transporter 2 (SNAT2) (P < 0.05), as well as amino acid concentrations in umbilical cord blood (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Maternal FV supplementation during medium to late gestation reduced Hcy levels in umbilical cord blood and positively impacted fetal development. This improvement was closely associated with increased placental antioxidant capacity and vascular density, as well as activation of the placental mTORC1-SNAT2 signaling pathway. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Time-Restricted Feeding Ameliorates Uterine Epithelial Estrogen Receptor α Transcriptional Activity at the Time of Embryo Implantation in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet.

BACKGROUND: More than 30% of reproductive-age women are obese or overweight. Obesity and exposure to a high-fat diet (HFD) detrimentally affect endometrial development and embryo implantation. We previously reported that time-restricted feeding (TRF) improved ovarian follicular development, but whether and how TRF modulates embryo implantation are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effect of TRF on embryo implantation. METHODS: In TRF group, mice had 10 h of food free access from 9 pm to 7 am, and fed a normal diet or a HFD. Tail vein injection of Chicago blue dye was used to examine embryo implantation sites at day 5.5 (D5.5) of pregnancy. Serum collected at D0.5 and D4.5 of pregnancy was used to examine the level of estradiol (E2) and progesterone. Uterine estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor levels and their targeted aquaporins (AQPs) were measured. LC-MS was used to analyze bile acid (BA) composition, and primary hepatocytes were used to test the effects of BA on the expression level of SULT1E1, a key enzyme in estrogen inactivation and elimination. RESULTS: We found that TRF prevented HFD-induced embryo loss and alleviated the defect in luminal closure on D4.5 of pregnancy. The cyclic changes of E2 level were lost in mice fed ad libitum but not in TRF mice on the HFD. The HFD increased ER-α expression and transcriptional activity, which induced AQP3 and AQP5 expression on D4.5 of pregnancy. TRF prevented the negative effect of the HFD on uterine luminal closure. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo results showed that BA suppressed estrogen degradation by activating liver SULT1E1 expression. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated that TRF prevented HFD-induced defects in luminal closure, thereby improving embryonic implantation, and provide novel insights into the effects of dietary intervention on obesity and associated infertility.

Proinflammatory Polarization of Macrophages Causes Intestinal Inflammation in Low-Birth-Weight Piglets and Mice.

BACKGROUND: Low-birth-weight (LBW) animals suffer from intestinal damage and inflammation in their early life. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of macrophages in intestinal inflammation in LBW piglets and mice. METHODS: Major genes involved in intestinal barrier function such as claudin-1, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), occludin, and mucin 2 and inflammatory cytokines such as IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-10, and IL-13 were evaluated in 21-day-old, normal-birth-weight (NBW) and LBW piglets and mice. Macrophage markers such as CD16/32, CD163, and CD206 were also assessed by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Polarized and unpolarized macrophages were further transferred into NBW and LBW mice, followed by an evaluation of intestinal permeability and inflammation. RESULTS: Claudin-1 mRNA in LBW piglets as well as claudin-1, occludin, ZO-1, and mucin 2 mRNAs in LBW mice, was significantly downregulated. IL-1ß and TNF-α were significantly upregulated in LBW piglets (P < 0.05). LBW mice showed a reduced expression of IL-10 and IL-13 (P < 0.05), with a heightened IL-6 level (P < 0.01) in the jejunum. CD16, a marker for M1 macrophages, was significantly elevated in the jejunum of LBW piglets, whereas CD163, a marker for M2 macrophages, was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). Similarly, LBW mice had more CD11b+CD16/32+ M1 macrophages (P < 0.05) and fewer CD206+ M2 macrophages (P < 0.01) than NBW mice. Moreover, the transfer of M1 macrophages exacerbated intestinal inflammation in LBW mice. Furthermore, 2 major glycolysis-associated genes, hexokinase 2 (HK2) and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), were significantly upregulated in LBW piglets and mice (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed for the first time that the intestinal macrophages are polarized toward a proinflammatory phenotype in LBW piglets and mice, contributing to intestinal inflammation. The findings of this study provide new options for the management of intestinal inflammation in LBW animals.

Hydroxy-Selenomethionine Mitigated Chronic Heat Stress-Induced Porcine Splenic Damage via Activation of Nrf2/Keap1 Signal and Suppression of NFκb and STAT Signal.

Chronic heat stress (CHS) compromised the immunity and spleen immunological function of pigs, which may associate with antioxidant suppression and splenocyte apoptosis and splenic inflammation. Selenium (Se) exhibited antioxidant function and immunomodulatory through selenoprotein. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the protective effect of dietary hydroxy-selenomethionine (Selisso®, SeO) on chronic heat stress (CHS)-induced porcine splenic oxidative stress, apoptosis and inflammation. Growing pigs were raised in the thermoneutral environment (22 ± 2 °C) with the basal diet (BD), or raised in hyperthermal conditions (33 ± 2 °C) with BD supplied with 0.0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mg Se/kg SeO for 28 d, respectively. The results showed that dietary SeO supplementation recovered the spleen mass and enhanced the splenic antioxidant capacity of CHS growing pigs. Meanwhile, SeO activated the Nrf2/Keap1 signal, downregulated p38, caspase 3 and Bax, inhibited the activation of NFκb and STAT3, and enhanced the protein expression level of GPX1, GPX3, GPX4, SELENOS and SELENOF. In summary, SeO supplementation mitigates the CHS-induced splenic oxidative damages, apoptosis and inflammation in pigs, and the processes are associated with the activation of Nrf2/Keap1 signal and the suppression of NFκb, p38(MAPK) and STAT signal. It seems that the antioxidant-related selenoproteins (GPXs) and functional selenoproteins (SELENOS and SELENOF) play important roles in the alleviation processes.

Different Dietary Sources of Selenium Alleviate Hepatic Lipid Metabolism Disorder of Heat-Stressed Broilers by Relieving Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.

As global warming continues, the phenomenon of heat stress (HS) in broilers occurs frequently. The alleviating effect of different selenium (Se) sources on HS-induced hepatic lipid metabolism disorders in broilers remains unclear. This study compared the protective effects of four Se sources (sodium selenite; selenium yeast; selenomethionine; nano-Se) on HS-induced hepatic lipid metabolism disorder and the corresponding response of selenotranscriptome in the liver of broilers. The results showed that HS-induced liver injury and hepatic lipid metabolism disorder, which were reflected in the increased activity of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), the increased concentration of triacylglycerol (TG) and total cholesterol (TC), the increased activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase (DGAT) and fatty acid synthase (FAS), and the decreased activity of hepatic lipase (HL) in the liver. The hepatic lipid metabolism disorder was accompanied by the increased mRNA expression of lipid synthesis related-genes, the decreased expression of lipidolysis-related genes, and the increased expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress biomarkers (PERK, IRE1, ATF6, GRP78). The dietary supplementation of four Se sources exhibited similar protective effects. Four Se sources increased liver Se concentration and promoted the expression of selenotranscriptome and several key selenoproteins, enhanced liver antioxidant capacity and alleviated HS-induced ER stress, and thus resisted the hepatic lipid metabolism disorders of broilers exposed to HS. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of four Se sources (0.3 mg/kg) exhibited similar protective effects on HS-induced hepatic lipid metabolism disorders of broilers, and the protective effect is connected to the relieving of ER stress.

Acute Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Suppresses Hepatic Gluconeogenesis by Stimulating MAPK Phosphatase 3 Degradation.

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a widespread and harmful disease, and is closely linked to acute endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Previous reports have shown that acute ER stress can suppress hepatic gluconeogenesis and even leads to hypoglycemia. However, the mechanism is still unclear. MAPK phosphatase 3 (MKP-3) is a positive regulator for gluconeogenesis. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the role of MKP-3 in the suppression of gluconeogenesis by acute ER stress, as well as the regulatory role of acute ER stress on the expression of MKP-3. Results showed that acute ER stress induced by tunicamycin significantly suppressed gluconeogenesis in both hepatocytes and mouse liver, reduced glucose production level in hepatocytes, and decreased fasting blood glucose level in mice. Additionally, the protein level of MKP-3 was reduced by acute ER stress in both hepatocytes and mouse liver. Mkp-3 deficiency eliminated the inhibitory effect of acute ER stress on gluconeogenesis in hepatocytes. Moreover, the reduction effect of acute ER stress on blood glucose level and hepatic glucose 6-phosphatase (G6pc) expression was not observed in the liver-specific Mkp-3 knockout mice. Furthermore, activation of protein kinase R-like ER kinase (PERK) decreased the MKP-3 protein level, while inactivation of PERK abolished the reduction effect of acute ER stress on the MKP-3 protein level in hepatocytes. Taken together, our study suggested that acute ER stress could suppress hepatic gluconeogenesis by stimulating MKP-3 degradation via PERK, at least partially. Thus, MKP-3 might be a therapeutic target for DILI-related hypoglycemia.

The improvement of parturition duration by high intake of dietary fibre in late gestation is associated with gut microbiota and metabolome in sows.

Prolonged parturition duration has been widely demonstrated to be a risk factor for incidence of stillbirth. This study evaluated the supply of dietary fibre on the parturition duration, gut microbiota and metabolome using sows as a model. A total of 40 Yorkshire sows were randomly given diet containing normal level of dietary fibre (NDF, 17·5 % dietary fibre) or high level of dietary fibre (HDF, 33·5 % dietary fibre). Faecal microbiota profiled with 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, SCFA and metabolome in the faeces and plasma around parturition were compared between the dietary groups. Correlation analysis was conducted to further explore the potential associations between specific bacterial taxa and metabolites. Results showed that HDF diet significantly improved the parturition process as presented by the shorter parturition duration. HDF diet increased the abundance of the phyla Bacteroidetes and Synergistetes and multiple genera. Except for butyrate, SCFA levels in the faeces and plasma of sows at parturition were elevated in HDF group. The abundances of fifteen and twelve metabolites in the faeces and plasma, respectively, markedly differ between HDF and NDF sows. These metabolites are involved in energy metabolism and bacterial metabolism. Correlation analysis also showed associations between specific bacteria taxa and metabolites. Collectively, our study indicates that the improvement of parturition duration by high fibre intake in late gestation is associated with gut microbiota, production of SCFA and other metabolites, potentially serving for energy metabolism.

Maternal and Fetal Bile Acid Homeostasis Regulated by Sulfated Progesterone Metabolites through FXR Signaling Pathway in a Pregnant Sow Model.

Abnormally elevated circulating bile acids (BA) during pregnancy endanger fetal survival and offspring health; however, the pathology and underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. A total of nineteen pregnant sows were randomly assigned to day 60 of gestation, day 90 of gestation (G60, G90), and the farrowing day (L0), to investigate the intercorrelation of reproductive hormone, including estradiol, progesterone and sulfated progesterone metabolites (PMSs), and BA in the peripheral blood of mother and fetuses during pregnancy. All data were analyzed by Student's t-test or one-way ANOVA of GraphPad Prism and further compared by using the Student-Newman-Keuls test. Correlation analysis was also carried out using the CORR procedure of SAS to study the relationship between PMSs and BA levels in both maternal and fetal serum at G60, G90, and L0. Allopregnanolone sulphate (PM4S) and epiallopregnanolone sulphate (PM5S) were firstly identified in the maternal and fetal peripheral blood of pregnant sows by using newly developed ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) methods. Correlation analysis showed that pregnancy-associated maternal BA homeostasis was correlated with maternal serum PM4S levels, whereas fetal BA homeostasis was correlated with fetal serum PM5S levels. The antagonist activity role of PM5S on farnesoid X receptor (FXR)-mediated BA homeostasis and fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) were confirmed in the PM5S and FXR activator co-treated pig primary hepatocytes model, and the antagonist role of PM4S on FXR-mediated BA homeostasis and FGF19 were also identified in the PM4S-treated pig primary hepatocytes model. Together with the high relative expression of FGF19 in pig hepatocytes, the pregnant sow is a promising animal model to investigate the pathogenesis of cholestasis during pregnancy.

Arginine promotes testicular development in boars through nitric oxide and putrescine.

The present work aimed to explore the influence and underlying mechanisms involving arginine in testicular development in boars. To this end, thirty 30-day-old male Duroc piglets (7.00 ± 0.30 kg) were randomly sorted into two groups, maintained on either a basal diet (CON, n = 15) or a diet supplemented with 0.8% arginine (ARG, n = 15). Blood and testicular samples were collected during the experimental period to analyse amino acid composition and arginine metabolite levels. The results showed that dietary supplementation with arginine increased number of spermatogonia and height of the seminiferous epithelium (p < 0.05). Sperm density, total number and effective number of sperm of the boars in the ARG group increased significantly compared with those in the CON group (p < 0.05). Although arginine supplementation did not affect plasma amino acid levels, testicular arginine levels in 150-day-old boars exhibited a significant increase (p < 0.05). The level of serum nitric oxide (NO) and activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) also increased in 150-day-old boars in the ARG group (p < 0.05). Interestingly, dietary supplementation with arginine increased testicular levels of putrescine in 150-day-old boars (p < 0.05). These results indicated that arginine supplementation increased serum NO levels and testicular arginine and putrescine abundance, thereby improving testicular development and semen quality in boars.

Gut microbial metabolism of dietary fibre protects against high energy feeding induced ovarian follicular atresia in a pig model.

To investigate the effects of dietary fibre on follicular atresia in pigs fed a high-fat diet, we fed thirty-two prepubescent gilts a basal diet (CON) or a CON diet supplemented with 300 g/d dietary fibre (fibre), 240 g/d soya oil (SO) or both (fibre + SO). At the 19th day of the 4th oestrus cycle, gilts fed the SO diet showed 112 % more atretic follicles and greater expression of the apoptotic markers, Bax and caspase-3, and these effects were reversed by the fibre diet. The abundance of SCFA-producing microbes was decreased by the SO diet, but this effect was reversed by fibre treatment. Concentrations of serotonin and melatonin in the serum and follicular fluid were increased by the fibre diet. Overall, dietary fibre protected against high fat feeding-induced follicular atresia at least partly via gut microbiota-related serotonin-melatonin synthesis. These results provide insight into preventing negative effects on fertility in humans consuming a high-energy diet.

Multi-omics profiling highlights lipid metabolism alterations in pigs fed low-dose antibiotics.

BACKGROUND: In order to study the relations of hepatocellular functions, weight gain and metabolic imbalance caused by low-dose antibiotics (LDA) via epigenetic regulation of gene transcription, 32 weaned piglets were employed as animal models and randomly allocated into two groups with diets supplemented with 0 or LDA (chlorotetracycline and virginiamycin). RESULTS: During the 4 weeks of the experiment, LDA showed a clear growth-promoting effect, which was exemplified by the significantly elevated body weight and average daily gain. Promoter methylome profiling using liquid hybridization capture-based bisulfite sequencing (LHC-BS) indicated that most of the 745 differential methylation regions (DMRs) were hypermethylated in the LDA group. Several DMRs were significantly enriched in genes related with fatty acids metabolic pathways, such as FABP1 and PCK1. In addition, 71 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained by strand-specific transcriptome analysis of liver tissues, including ALOX15, CXCL10 and NNMT, which are three key DEGs that function in lipid metabolism and immunity and which had highly elevated expression in the LDA group. In accordance with these molecular changes, the lipidome analyses of serum by LC-MS identified 38 significantly differential lipids, most of which were downregulated in the LDA group. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that LDA could induce epigenetic and transcriptional changes of key genes and lead to enhanced efficiency of lipid metabolism in the liver.

Dietary supplementation with Lactobacillus plantarum modified gut microbiota, bile acid profile and glucose homoeostasis in weaning piglets.

Bile acids (BA) have emerged as signalling molecules regulating intestinal physiology. The importance of intestinal microbiota in production of secondary BA, for example, lithocholic acid (LCA) which impairs enterocyte proliferation and permeability, triggered us to determine the effects of oral probiotics on intestinal BA metabolism. Piglets were weaned at 28 d of age and allocated into control (CON, n 14) or probiotic (PRO, n 14) group fed 50 mg of Lactobacillus plantarum daily, and gut microbiota and BA profile were determined. To test the potential interaction of LCA with bacteria endotoxins in inducing damage of enterocytes, IPEC-J2 cells were treated with LCA, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and LCA + LPS and expressions of genes related to inflammation, antioxidant capacity and nutrient transport were determined. Compared with the CON group, the PRO group showed lower total LCA level in the ileum and higher relative abundance of the Lactobacillus genus in faeces. In contrast, the relative abundances of Bacteroides, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Parabacteroides and Ruminococcus_1, important bacteria genera in BA biotransformation, were all lower in the PRO than in the CON group. Moreover, PRO piglets had lower postprandial glucagon-like peptide-1 level, while higher glucose level than CON piglets. Co-administration of LPS and LCA led to down-regulated expression of glucose and peptide transporter genes in IPEC-J2 cells. Altogether, oral L. plantarum altered BA profile probably by modulating relative abundances of gut microbial genera that play key roles in BA metabolism and might consequently impact glucose homoeostasis. The detrimental effect of LCA on nutrient transport in enterocytes might be aggravated under LPS challenge.

Microbial insight into dietary protein source affects intestinal function of pigs with intrauterine growth retardation.

PURPOSE: Dietary protein, as important macronutrient, is vital for intestinal function and health status. We aimed to determine the effects of dietary protein source on growth performance and intestinal function of neonates with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) in a pig model. METHODS: Eighteen pairs of IUGR and normal birth weight (NBW) weaned pigs were allotted to be fed starter diet containing soybean protein concentrate (SPC) or spray-dried porcine plasma (SDPP) for 2 weeks. Growth performance, antioxidant variables, intestinal morphology and absorption capability, microbiota composition and short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) were assessed. RESULTS: IUGR led to poor growth performance, absorption capability and changes on antioxidant variables, while SDPP diet improved the growth performance, diarrhea index, intestinal morphology and antioxidant variables of IUGR or NBW pigs relative to that fed SPC diet. Importantly, SDPP diet improved bacterial diversity and increased the abundance of phylum Firmicutes, but decreased the phylum Proteobacteria in colonic digesta, associating with higher genera Lactobacillus and lower genera Escherichia-Shigella, linking to the increased concentration of SCFA. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that IUGR impairs the growth rate, intestinal function and oxidative status of weaned pigs, which could be partly improved by SDPP diet either for IUGR or NBW pigs, associating with the better antioxidant capability, composition of microbiotas and their metabolites.

Effects of silymarin supplementation during transition and lactation on reproductive performance, milk composition and haematological parameters in sows.

Silymarin has been shown to be a multiple-functional plant extract having antioxidant, hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, antihypertensive, antidiabetic and anti-obesity effects. In recent years, the galactagogue effects of silymarin in animals and humans have also been revealed. This research was conducted to test whether dietary inclusion of silymarin during transition and lactation could impact reproductive performance of sows and to explore the underlying mechanisms. From day 108 of gestation to weaning, sows were randomly assigned to receive dietary treatment of silymarin (40 g/day) or not and were designated as control group (CGP, n = 55) or treatment group (TGP, n = 55). The results showed that piglets' average daily gain and average weaning weight were higher in TGP than CGP sows. In comparison with the CGP sows, the TGP sows had higher serum concentrations of catalase (CAT) on day 18 of lactation and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) on day 7 of lactation. The TGP sows had lower concentration of TNF-α on day 7 of lactation and significantly lower concentration of IL-1ß on day 18 of lactation than CGP sows. There was significantly higher serum concentration of PRL on day 7 of lactation in sows consuming silymarin than sows from the CGP group. On day 18 of lactation, the protein and urea contents in milk were significantly increased while the serum urea concentration was significantly decreased in TGP sows. In summary, our results indicate that silymarin supplementation during transition and lactation can increase circulating concentrations of PRL transiently, reduce oxidative stress, increase feed intake and enhance protein metabolism, thereby significantly increasing milk yield of sows and subsequently improving growth performance of their offsprings.

Targeted metabolomics analysis of maternal-placental-fetal metabolism in pregnant swine reveals links in fetal bile acid homeostasis and sulfation capacity.

Cholestasis of pregnancy endangers fetal and neonatal survival, yet systematic knowledge of the cause and effect of disrupted bile acid (BA) homeostasis in pregnancy is limited. Here we show that gestation stage-associated BA dysregulation in swine correlated with fetal death resulting from compromised capacity for BA secretion and increased alternative systemic efflux. The balance of BA input and output in the developing uterus suggested little uptake and metabolism of maternal BA by the placenta-fetus unit, implying a protection role of placenta in preventing maternal BA transported into the fetus. We showed that the maternal origin of BA accounted for the increase in placental total BA, leading to dysregulated expression of genes involved in BA transport and potentially impaired transplacental export of fetus-derived BA. Correspondingly, the secondary BA, mainly derived from the mother, gradually decreased in the fetus. Finally, we identified that sulfation rather than glucuronidation played pivotal roles in maintaining BA homeostasis of the developing fetus. These novel and systemic findings contribute to a whole picture of BA metabolism in pregnancy and provide new insights into mechanisms responsible for maternal and fetal BA homeostasis. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We used a swine model to demonstrate the potentially impaired transplacental bile acid (BA) export, immaturity of fetal hepatic excretory function, and elevated BA synthesis in the developing fetus. Under these conditions, we have further identified that BA sulfation plays a pivotal role in regulation of fetal BA homeostasis, which appears to depend on the balance of BA synthesis and sulfation capacity. These novel findings have uncovered a previously unknown mechanism of BA homeostasis regulation in the developing fetus.

Identification of hepatic fibroblast growth factor 21 as a mediator in 17ß-estradiol-induced white adipose tissue browning.

Both ovarian E2 and hepatic fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) are critical for energy homeostasis and white adipose tissue browning. Estrogen receptor α (ERα) is abundantly expressed in liver. However, whether FGF21 has a role in E2-induced white adipose tissue browning remains uncertain. In this study, we showed that hepatic Fgf21 expression and secretion during estrus cycle changed with the tetradian oscillatory secretion of circulation E2 in adult, female mice, with their peak expressions and secretions at the proestrus. In addition, exogenous E2 robustly stimulated liver Fgf21 expression and elevated serum FGF21 concentrations, which induced browning gene expression and reduced the tissue weight in subcutaneous white adipose in mice with ovariectomies. The inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and of ERα blocked the induction effect of E2 on the expression of Fgf21 in primary hepatocytes, which revealed that E2 might stimulate FGF21 expression via the ERα-mTOR pathway. Furthermore, FGF21 liver-specific deficiency abolished E2-induced white adipose browning in mice with ovariectomies. This study indicates that ovarian E2 increased liver FGF21 expression directly, which in turn, functioned as an endocrine signal to influence inguinal white adipose tissue browning.-Hua, L., Zhuo, Y., Jiang, D., Li, J., Huang, X., Zhu, Y., Li, Z., Yan, L., Jin, C., Jiang, X., Che, L., Fang, Z., Lin, Y., Xu, S., Li, J., Feng, B., Wu, D. Identification of hepatic fibroblast growth factor 21 as a mediator in 17ß-estradiol-induced white adipose tissue browning.

Interpretation of Fiber Supplementation on Offspring Testicular Development in a Pregnant Sow Model from a Proteomics Perspective.

To study the effects of maternal fiber supplementation during pregnancy on the testicular development of male offspring and its possible mechanisms, 36 sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) were allocated to either a control diet (n = 18) or a fiber diet (the control diet supplemented with 22.60 g/kg inulin and 181.60 g/kg cellulosic; n = 18) during pregnancy. The body and testes weight of the offspring, 7-day-old piglets, was recorded. Testes were collected for further analyses. Results showed that the testicular organ index and the number of spermatogonia in single seminiferous tubule were higher in piglets from the fiber group than from the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, a significant increase in the concentration of glucose, lactate, and lipids in the testes was found in the fiber group (p < 0.05). Proteomic analysis suggested that there were notable differences in glucolipid transport and metabolism, oxidation, and male reproduction-related proteins expression between the two groups (p < 0.05). Results revealed that the most enriched signaling pathways in the fiber group testes included starch and sucrose metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and the renin-angiotensin system. mRNA expression analyzes further confirmed the importance of some signaling pathways in maternal fiber nutrition regulating offspring testicular development. Our results shed new light on the underlying molecular mechanisms of maternal fiber nutrition on offspring testicular development and provided a valuable insight for future explorations of the effect of maternal fiber nutrition on man reproduction.

Transcriptome Profiling of Placenta through Pregnancy Reveals Dysregulation of Bile Acids Transport and Detoxification Function.

Placenta performs the function of several adult organs for the fetus during intrauterine life. Because of the dramatic physiological and metabolic changes during pregnancy and the strong association between maternal metabolism and placental function, the possibility that variation in gene expression patterns during pregnancy might be linked to fetal health warrants investigation. Here, next-generation RNA sequencing was used to investigate the expression profile, including mRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) of placentas on day 60 of gestation (G60), day 90 of gestation (G90), and on the farrowing day (L0) in pregnant swine. Bioinformatics analysis of differentially expressed mRNAs and lncRNAs consistently showed dysregulation of bile acids transport and detoxification as pregnancy progress. We found the differentially expressed mRNAs, particularly bile salt export pump (ABCB11), organic anion-transporting polypeptide 1A2 (OATP1A2), carbonic anhydrase II (CA2), Na+-HCO3- cotransporter (NBC1), and hydroxysteroid sulfotransferases (SULT2A1) play an important role in bile acids transport and sulfation in placentas during pregnancy. We also found the potential regulation role of ALDBSSCG0000000220 and XLOC_1301271 on placental SULT2A1. These findings have uncovered a previously unclear function and its genetic basis for bile acids metabolism in developing placentas and have important implications for exploring the potential physiological and pathological pathway to improve fetal outcomes.