Dietary Grape Seed Proanthocyanidin Alleviates the Liver Injury Induced by Long-Term High-Fat Diets in Sprague Dawley Rats.

In mammals, the liver is the most important organ that plays a vital function in lipid metabolism. Grape seed proanthocyanidin (GSPE) is a kind of natural polyphenolic compound primarily obtained from grape skin and seeds. Recent research found it had high bioavailability in defending against obesity, hyperlipidemia, inflammatory, oxidative stress, and targeting liver tissue.

Curcumin alleviated lipopolysaccharide-induced lung injury via regulating the Nrf2-ARE and NF-κB signaling pathways in ducks.

Background: Under the intensive modern poultry farming system, the lung of duck is one of the main target organs for various bacterial and viral infections. Curcumin is a kind of natural polyphenol compound for which various beneficial biological functions exist, including being an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiviral. The aim of this work was to investigate the mechanism of curcumin-alleviated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung damage by the nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-antioxidant reaction element (ARE) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway in ducks.

Polydatin Protects Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells Against Zearalenone-Induced Apoptosis By Inhibiting Oxidative Responses and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.

Zearalenone (ZEA) is a mycotoxin of the genus that can cause endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and Apoptosis in bovine mammary epithelial cells (MAC-T). Polydatin (PD), a glycoside purified from has antioxidant properties. This study aimed to explore whether PD can alleviate ZEA-induced damage on bovine mammary epithelial cells (MAC-T).

Zearalenone induces apoptosis in bovine mammary epithelial cells by activating endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Zearalenone (ZEA) is a common mycotoxin produced by fungi within the genus Fusarium. However, few studies have examined the direct effects of the toxin on the mammary glands. In the present study, the effects of ZEA treatment on bovine mammary epithelial cells (MAC-T) from dairy cows were investigated.

Lithium chloride's inhibition of 3T3-L1 cell differentiation by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and enhancing villin 2 expression.

The aim of this study is to reveal the relation among villin 2, Wnt/β-catenin, and adipogenesis by adding appropriate lithium chloride (LiCl). The study comprises three parts: the selection of LiCl concentration, the effect of LiCl on adipocyte differentiation during and after differentiation induction. By comprehensively analyzing the results of the experiments, we proved that LiCl can inhibit adipocyte differentiation and enhance villin 2 and β-catenin expressions not only during differentiation induction but also after it.

Selenium Deficiency Affects the mRNA Expression of Inflammatory Factors and Selenoprotein Genes in the Kidneys of Broiler Chicks.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of Se deficiency on the transcription of inflammatory factors and selenoprotein genes in the kidneys of broiler chicks. One hundred fifty 1-day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to two groups fed with either a low-Se diet (L group, 0.033 mg/kg Se) or an adequate Se diet (C group, 0.

Effects of dietary selenium deficiency or excess on gene expression of selenoprotein N in chicken muscle tissues.

Previous studies have determined the effects of dietary selenium (Se) supplementation on selenoprotein N (SelN, SEPN1), selenophosphate synthetase-1 (SPS1), and selenocysteine-synthase (SecS) mRNA abundance in chicken skeletal and cardiac muscles. To investigate collective responses of these genes to dietary Se concentrations ranging from deficiency to moderately high level in muscle tissues of chicken, 1-day-old chickens were exposed to a diet of deficient Se and supplemented with Se (0.15 mg Se/kg and 1.

The influence of isoleucine and arginine on biological activity and peptide-membrane interactions of antimicrobial peptides from the bactericidal domain of AvBD4.

In this study, the influence of isoleucine and arginine on the biological activity and peptide-membrane interactions of linear avian β-defensin-4 (RL38) analogs was investigated. Results of biological activities showed that the antimicrobial activities of AvBD-4 analogs were closely related to hydrophobicity and amphipathicity. The peptide GLI19 with high hydrophobicity value and amphipathicity displayed broad spectrum antimicrobial activity against both gram-negative and gram-positive, whereas GLR19 with increasing multiple charges only exhibited activity against gram-negative.

Biochemical property and membrane-peptide interactions of de novo antimicrobial peptides designed by helix-forming units.

Typical peptides composed of Phe, Ile, and Arg residues have not been reported, and the effect of the helix-forming unit (HFU) composed of the tripeptide core on biological activity remains unclear. In this study, multimers of the 3-residue HFU were designed to investigate the structure-function relationships. The in vitro biological activities of the peptides were determined.

Novel design of short antimicrobial peptides derived from the bactericidal domain of avian β-defensin-4.

Short antimicrobial peptides were designed and synthesized by C-terminal truncation and residue substitution of avian β-defensin-4. The biological activity of these peptides was examined to elucidate the quantitative structure-activity relationships and find a lead peptide for the development of a novel antimicrobial peptide. The results showed that the truncation of the avian β-defensin-4 eliminated the hemolysis of the peptide.

The effects of Leu or Val residues on cell selectivity of α-helical peptides.

In this study, the peptides were designed to compare the effect of multiple Leu or Val residues as the hydrophobic side of an α-helical model on their structure, function, and interaction with model membranes. The Leu-rich peptides displayed 4- to 16-fold stronger antimicrobial activity than Val-rich peptides, while Val-containing peptides showed no haemolysis and weak cytotoxicity. The peptides LR and VR showed an α-helical-rich structure under a membranemimicking environment.

Cell selectivity and interaction with model membranes of Val/Arg-rich peptides.

Antimicrobial peptides are major components of the innate self-defence system and a large number of peptides have been designed to study the mechanism of action. In the present study, a small combinatorial library was designed to study whether the biological activity of Val/Arg-rich peptides is associated with targeted cell membranes. The peptides were produced by segregating hydrophilic residues on the polar side and hydrophobic residues on the opposite side.

Effects of BmKNJX11, a bioactive polypeptide purified from Buthus martensi Karsch, on sodium channels in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons.

A long-chain polypeptide BmKNJX11 was purified from the venom of Asian scorpion Buthus martensi Karsch (BmK) by a combination of gel filtration, ion-exchange chromatography, and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The molecular mass was found to be 7036.85 Da by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Expression and characterization of recombinant gallinacin-9 and gallinacin-8 in Escherichia coli.

Gallinacins (Gal) are antimicrobial peptides that play significant roles in innate immunity in chickens. Two Gal genes--Gal-8 and Gal-9--were cloned and sequenced from chicken liver and tongue, respectively, by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In addition, the mRNA expression of these genes has been demonstrated across a panel of chicken tissues.

Fusion expression of bovine lactoferricin in Escherichia coli.

The drug resistance problem has been growing with the utilization of current antibiotics in feed and medical industries. LfcinB, a 25-amino acid antibacterial peptide derived from bovine lactoferrin, is one of potential alternatives of antibiotics. According to the bias of codon utilization of Escherichia coli, a fragment encoding LfcinB has been chemically synthesized, inserted into vector pGEX-4T-2 and expressed in E.