Background/Aims: To explore the effects of sulforaphane (SFN) on neuronal apoptosis in hippocampus and memory impairment in diabetic rats. Methods: Thirty male rats were randomly divided into normal control, diabetic model and SFN treatment groups (N = 10 in each group). Streptozotocin (STZ) was applied to establish diabetic model. Water Morris maze task was applied to test learning and memory. Tunel assaying was used to detect apoptosis in hippocampus. The expressions of Caspase-3 and myeloid cell leukemia 1(MCL-1) were detected by western blotting. Neurotrophic factor levels and AKT/GSK3β pathway were also detected. Results: Compared with normal control, learning and memory were apparently impaired, with up-regulation of Caspase-3 and down-regulation of MCL-1 in diabetic rats. Apoptotic neurons were also found in CA1 region after diabetic modeling. By contrast, SFN treatment prevented the memory impairment, decreased the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons. SFN also attenuated the abnormal expression of Caspase-3 and MCL-1 in diabetic model. Mechanically, SFN treatment reversed diabetic modeling-induced decrease of p-Akt, p-GSK3β, NGF and BDNF expressions. Conclusion: SFN could prevent the memory impairment and apoptosis of hippocampal neurons in diabetic rat. The possible mechanism was related to the regulation of neurotropic factors and Akt/GSK3β pathway.
The self-assembly of short amphiphilic peptides F m D n and F m K n is investigated by molecular dynamics simulation. The peptides are composed of hydrophobic phenylalanine (Phe, F), as well as hydrophilic aspartic acid (Asp, D) and lysine (Lys, K), and described by a coarse-grained MARTINI force field. Within ms-scale simulation, FD and FK only form loose polymeric clusters. Upon increasing the length of Phe residues in F m D and F m K (m ¼ 2 to 4), larger and more stable micelles are formed. F m K and F m D prefer to assemble into quasi-spherical and sheet-like micelles, respectively. For F 3 K n (n ¼ 2 to 8) and F 6 K n (n ¼ 4 to 12), the assembly capability reduces leading to smaller micelles when the length of Lys residues increases. For the formation of quasi-spherical micelles with distinct core/shell structure, the optimal ratio of hydrophobic/hydrophilic residues is found to be 3/4 for both F 3 K n and F 6 K n . This simulation study provides molecular insights into the assembly process and mechanism of short peptides, and it could facilitate the development of new peptides with desired morphologies.
Intestinal microbiota significantly influences the intake, storage, and utilization of body nutrients, as well as animal growth and development. The establishment of microbiota is affected by many factors, such as delivery and feeding modes, antibiotics, disease, and the surrounding environment. In this study, we selected Chinese indigenous Mashen and Jinfen White pigs as the study subjects. To explore the source and factors affecting the piglet intestinal microbiota, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed to analyze the microbial composition of the feces, saliva, vaginal secretions, and colostrum of parturient sows, feces and saliva of newborn piglets, and surrounding environment samples. The results showed that the microbiota of the saliva of sows and piglets is structurally similar to that of the environment and is dominated by the phylum Proteobacteria, including Acinetobacter, Actinomyces, and Pseudomonas. The core genus in the vaginal secretions and colostrum of sows was Pseudomonas. Among the fecal samples, the core bacterial genera in sows before and after delivery were Clostridium sensu_stricto_1 and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, while in piglets at 1 d of age, Pseudomonas and Escherichia-Shigella were most abundant. These results indicate that microbiota in feces, colostrum, and vaginal secretions of sows more easily colonized piglet intestines through a symbiotic effect. The environmental and salivary microbiota could also affect the early colonization and succession of the intestinal microbiota of piglets to some extent. This study provides a theoretical basis for sow delivery protection and early nursing of piglets and background for the research and development of microbial agents to improve piglet intestinal health.
Intestinal microbiota can affect the intake, storage, and absorption of nutrients in the body, thereby greatly impacting the growth and development of animals. In addition to diet, the breed and growth stages of pigs could also affect changes in the intestinal microbiota. However, research on the developmental changes in the ileum microbiota of piglets remains unclear. In this study, the ileum microbiota of Jinfen White and Mashen piglets at different developmental stages were investigated using 16S rRNA sequencing. Physiologically, the villus height of the ileum decreased, and the crypt depth increased during the development of the two pig breeds. Additionally, the serum antioxidant factors in the Jinfen White piglets were significantly higher than in the Mashen piglets at the end of the nursing stage. A total of 690 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to 21 phyla and 286 genera were identified, of which Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla during the development of both the Jinfen White and Mashen piglets, accounting for ∼90% of all OTUs. Further research revealed differences in dominant bacteria between the two breeds. With increasing age, the ileum microbial diversity increased, and in both the pig breeds, the proportion of Firmicutes increased, whereas the proportion of Proteobacteria decreased. Additionally, different samples were characterized by specific genera, and different Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were predicted at certain developmental stages. Finally, the correlation between the ileum microbiota and physiological features was analyzed, and it was suggested that the host and environmental factors play important roles in the formation of the microbial community structure in piglets. In summary, we delineated the structure, function, and differences in ileum microbiota between Jinfen White and Mashen piglets during different growth stages. This study helps to understand the development of the intestinal microbiota in local and hybrid pig breeds.
Background: Docetaxel (DTX) exhibits antitumor effects against breast cancer by stabilizing microtubules and increasing the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). DTX extravasation during infusion often causes skin injury. The present study aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of icaritin (ICT) on DTX-induced skin injury. Methods: The effects of ICT on the viability and apoptosis of HaCaT cells were measured by SRB assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Endogenous LC3 puncta and microtubules were determined by immunofluorescence. The number of mitochondria was measured by MitoTracker orange staining. ROS were determined by dihydroethidium staining. The expression of markers of ROS and autophagy were measured by western blotting. Chloroquine, compound D, and tamoxifen were employed as the inhibitor for autophagy and AMPK, estrogen receptors (ERs) modulator, respectively. Results: DTX inhibited the viability and decreased apoptosis of HaCaT cells, which can be rescued by ICT. ICT decreased microtubule bundles, increased the number of mitochondria, and attenuated ROS of HaCaT cells induced by DTX. ICT blocks autophagy and the autophagic flux. Compound C or tamoxifen diminished the protection effects of ICT on DTX-treated HaCaT cells. Conclusion: ICT alleviates DTX-induced skin injury by suppressing ROS, reducing microtubule bundles, and blocking autophagy via ERs. Our study indicated that ICT may be a potential candidate for DTX-induced skin injury.
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