Publications by authors named "Demin Cai"

This study presents a comprehensive transcriptome analysis of canine intestinal epithelial cells following treatment with sulforaphane (SFN), a naturally occurring compound found in cruciferous vegetables with established anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Through high-throughput sequencing, we identified 29,993 genes, among which 1,612 were differentially expressed, with 792 up-regulated and 820 down-regulated in response to SFN treatment. Our analysis revealed significant enrichment of genes in pathways associated with the inflammatory response, lipid metabolism, oxidative stress response, and T-cell mediated immunity, suggesting SFN's potential in modulating these biological processes.

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  • C2H2-type zinc finger proteins (C2H2-ZFPs) are crucial transcription factors in eukaryotes, yet their role in birds is less understood compared to mammals.
  • This study annotates 301 C2H2-ZFPs in chicken, discovering unique characteristics such as the fast evolution of KRAB-ZFPs and a lineage-specific SCAN-ZFP prevalent in reproductive tissues.
  • The research also highlights tissue-specific expression patterns among C2H2-ZFPs, particularly their enrichment in early embryo development, providing insights into their evolutionary significance and potential functions in avian species.
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  • Dysregulation of circadian rhythm (CR) is linked to cancer, with the study highlighting a major shift in the function of the CR regulator REV-ERBα in tumors.
  • REV-ERBα transitions from a gene repressor in normal tissues to a gene activator in cancer, activating many tumor-related signaling pathways through its partnership with other proteins like FOXA1.
  • Targeting REV-ERBα with the drug SR8278 can reduce its function and, when combined with BRD4 inhibitors, effectively suppress tumor growth by disrupting tumorigenic gene programs.
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Heat stress (HS) is a significant concern in broiler chickens, which is vital for global meat supply in the dynamic field of poultry farming. The impact of heat stress on the ileum and its influence on the redox homeostatic genes in chickens remains unclear. We hypothesized that adding zinc to the feed of heat-stressed broilers would improve their resilience to heat stress.

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To assess the effects of a time-restricted feeding (TRF) regimen on meat quality of pigs exposed to high ambient temperature, a two-month feeding and heat treatment (HT) trial was conducted using a 2 × 2 factorial design. A total of 24 growing pigs (11.0 ± 1.

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Obesity is a prevalent chronic disease that has significant negative impacts on humans and our companion animals, including dogs and cats. Obesity occurs with multiple comorbidities, such as diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and osteoarthritis in dogs and cats. A direct link between lipid metabolism dysregulation and obesity-associated diseases has been implicated.

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  • The gastrointestinal tract plays a crucial role in protecting against harmful contaminants through various barriers, while mycotoxins from fungi pose significant health risks in food and animal feed.
  • This review focuses on the impacts of natural products on mycotoxicosis, particularly their influence on gut health and their rich content in beneficial compounds like polysaccharides and polyphenols.
  • Mycotoxins can damage gut integrity and disrupt the immune system, leading to serious health issues; however, natural products may offer therapeutic benefits, prompting further research into their role in gut health and disease prevention.
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Pigs can be colonized with and become established carriers. However, the mechanisms of the host's response to infection are largely unclear. This study was constructed with the infection model in vitro using porcine intestinal epithelial cells (IPEC-J2).

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Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a common mycotoxin that induces intestinal inflammation and oxidative damage in humans and animals. Given that lithocholic acid (LCA) has been suggested to inhibit intestinal inflammation, we aimed to investigate the protective effects of LCA on DON-exposed porcine intestinal epithelial IPI-2I cells and the underlying mechanisms. Indeed, LCA rescued DON-induced cell death in IPI-2I cells and reduced DON-stimulated inflammatory cytokine levels and oxidative stress.

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Zinc (Zn), an essential trace element for poultry, plays a crucial role in promoting growth, improving feed conversion efficiency, enhancing antioxidant activity, and preventing disease. This study investigated the impact of different levels and sources of dietary Zn supplementation on the growth performance, intestinal morphology and antioxidant activity of broiler chickens under heat stress conditions. In this experiment, 1024 Xueshan chickens were divided into eight groups and subjected to heat stress conditions with different levels of Zn supplementation (30 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg, and 90 mg/kg) using organic or inorganic sources.

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In the livestock production system, the evolution of porcine gut microecology is consistent with the idea of "The Hygiene Hypothesis" in humans. I.e.

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Developing effective strategies to prevent diarrhea and associated-gut disorders in mammals has gained great significance. Owing to the many health benefits provided by the commensal microbiota of the intestinal tract, such as against environmental perturbation, we explored the host phenotype-associated microbes and their probiotic potential. Based on the observations that the chronic heat stress-exposed weaned piglets present as heat stress-susceptible (HS-SUS) or heat stress-resistant (HS-RES) individuals, we confirmed the phenotypic difference between the two on growth performance ( < 0.

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Lipid metabolic diseases have substantial morbidity and mortality rates, posing a significant threat to human health. PPARα, a member of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), plays a crucial role in lipid metabolism and immune regulation. Recent studies have increasingly recognized the pivotal involvement of PPARα in diverse pathological conditions.

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Heat stress can cause intestinal inflammation, impaired barrier integrity, and decreased immunity in poultry. While zinc is known to mitigate the adverse effects of heat stress, how the dietary supplementation of different sources and levels of it can improve the heat stress capacity of Chinese landraces remains unclear. This study investigated Xueshan chickens, which are an important local breed in China.

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It has been for thousands of years in China known medicinal homologous foods that can be employed both as foods and medicines to benefit human and animal health. These edible herbal materials perform divert roles in the regulation of metabolic disorders, cancers, and immune-related diseases. Curcumin, the primary component derived from medicinal homologous foods like curcuma longa rhizome, is reported to play vital actions in organic activities, such as the numerous pharmacological functions including anti-oxidative stress, anti-inflammation and anti/pro-apoptosis in treating various diseases.

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Mycotoxin-induced liver injury is often accompanied by oxidative stress (OS) and inflammation. This research aimed to explore the potential mechanism of sodium butyrate (NaBu) in modulating hepatic anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation pathways in deoxynivalenol (DON)-exposed piglets. The results show that DON induced liver injury, increased mononuclear cell infiltration, and decreased serum total protein and albumin concentrations.

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As a member of alpha-coronaviruses, PEDV could lead to severe diarrhea and dehydration in newborn piglets. Given that lipid peroxides in the liver are key mediators of cell proliferation and death, the role and regulation of endogenous lipid peroxide metabolism in response to coronavirus infection need to be illuminated. The enzymatic activities of SOD, CAT, mitochondrial complex-I, complex-III, and complex-V, along with the glutathione and ATP contents, were significantly decreased in the liver of PEDV piglets.

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Deoxynivalenol (DON), one of the most common mycotoxins contaminating food and feed, has been shown to induce hepatotoxicity. Lactoferrin (LF) enriched in human milk is a critical functional food component and performs the hepatoprotection function. Here, we aimed to explore whether dietary LF supplementation can protect from DON-induced hepatotoxicity and uncover the underlying mechanism in mice and alpha mouse liver 12 (AML12) hepatocytes.

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Background: Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a major mycotoxin present in staple foods (particularly in cereal products) that induces intestinal inflammation and disrupts intestinal integrity. Lactoferrin (LF) is a multifunctional protein that contributes to maintaining intestinal homeostasis and improving host health. However, the protective effects of LF on DON-induced intestinal dysfunction remain unclear.

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The serum level of cholesterol and its biosynthetic intermediates are critical indicators to access metabolism-related disorders in humans and animals. However, the molecular actions of these intermediates on gene functions and regulation remained elusive. Here, we show that desmosterol (DES) is the most abundant intermediate involved in cholesterol biosynthesis and is highly enriched in red/brown algae.

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Deoxynivalenol (DON) is among the most prevalent contaminants in cereal crops and has been demonstrated to impair male spermatogenesis and induce oxidative stress, testicular apoptosis, and disruption of the blood-testis barrier (BTB). Lactoferrin (LF) is an iron-binding glycoprotein with multifunctions including anti-inflammation and antioxidation. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of LF on the spermatogenesis and integrity of the BTB in DON-exposed mice.

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Berberine (BBR), an isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from Coptidis Rhizoma, has a long history of treating dysentery in the clinic. Over the past two decades, the polytrophic, pharmacological, and biochemical properties of BBR have been intensively studied. The key functions of BBR, including anti-inflammation, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-obesity, and even antitumor, have been discovered.

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Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is the major cause of viral encephalitis in humans throughout Asia. In the past twenty years, the emergence of the genotype I (GI) JEV as the dominant genotype in Asian countries has raised a significant threat to public health security. However, no clinically approved drug is available for the specific treatment of JEV infection, and the commercial vaccines derived from the genotype III JEV strains merely provided partial protection against the GI JEV.

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