Chinese medicine, Qijudihuang pill, mediates cholesterol metabolism and regulates gut microbiota in high-fat diet-fed mice, implications for age-related macular degeneration.

Background: Traditional Chinese Medicines have been used for thousands of years but without any sound empirical basis. One such preparation is the Qijudihuang pill (QP), a mixture of eight herbs, that has been used in China for the treatment of various conditions including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the most common cause of blindness in the aged population. In order to explain the mechanism behind the effect of QP, we used an AMD model of high-fat diet (HFD) fed mice to investigate cholesterol homeostasis, oxidative stress, inflammation and gut microbiota.

analysis of bacterial metabolism of glutamate and GABA in the gut in a rat model of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Dysbiosis of gut microbiota has adverse effects on host health. This study aimed to determine the effects of changes of faecal microbiota in obese and diabetic rats on the imputed production of enzymes involved in the metabolism of glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and succinate. The levels of glutamate decarboxylase, GABA transaminase, succinate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase, and methylisocitrate lyase were reduced or absent in diabetic rats compared with controls and obese rats.

Characterisation of gut microbiota of obesity and type 2 diabetes in a rodent model.

Various studies have suggested that the gut microbiome interacts with the host and may have a significant role in the aetiology of obesity and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). It was hypothesised that bacterial communities in obesity and T2D differ from control and compromise normal interactions between host and microbiota. Obesity and T2D were developed in rats by feeding a high-fat diet or a high-fat diet plus a single low-dose streptozotocin administration, respectively.

Transcriptome-wide changes associated with the reproductive behaviour of male guppies exposed to 17α-ethinyl estradiol.

Although many pharmaceutical compounds (and their metabolites) can induce harmful impacts at the molecular, physiological and behavioural levels, their underlying mechanistic associations have remained largely unexplored. Here, we utilized RNA-Seq to build a whole brain transcriptome profile to examine the impact of a common endocrine disrupting pharmaceutical (17α-ethinyl estradiol, EE2) on reproductive behaviour in wild guppies (Poecilia reticulata). Specifically, we annotated 16,791 coding transcripts in whole brain tissue in relation to the courtship behaviour (i.

Etifoxine reverses weight gain and alters the colonic bacterial community in a mouse model of obesity.

Obesity is intimately associated with diet and dysbiosis of gut microorganisms but anxiolytics, widely used in treatment of psychiatric conditions, frequently result in weight gain and associated metabolic disorders. We are interested in effects of the anxiolytic etifoxine, which has not been studied with respect to weight gain or effects on gut microorganisms. Here we induced obesity in mice by feeding a high-fat diet but found that intraperitoneal administration of etifoxine resulted in weight loss and decreased serum cholesterol and triglycerides.

Characterisation of the transcriptome of male and female wild-type guppy brains with RNA-Seq and consequences of exposure to the pharmaceutical pollutant, 17α-ethinyl estradiol.

Waterways are increasingly being contaminated by chemical compounds that can disrupt the endocrinology of organisms. One such compound is 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2), a synthetic estrogen used in the contraceptive pill. Despite considerable research interest in the effects of EE2 on reproduction and gene expression, surprisingly, only a few studies have capitalised on technologies, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), to uncover the molecular pathways related to EE2 exposure.

Key metabolic pathways involved in xenobiotic biotransformation and stress responses revealed by transcriptomics of the mangrove oyster Crassostrea brasiliana.

The Brazilian oyster Crassostrea brasiliana was challenged to three common environmental contaminants: phenanthrene, diesel fuel water-accommodated fraction (WAF) and domestic sewage. Total RNA was extracted from the gill and digestive gland, and cDNA libraries were sequenced using the 454 FLX platform. The assembled transcriptome resulted in ̃20,000 contigs, which were annotated to produce the first de novo transcriptome for C.

Histological Characterization of the Dicer1 Mutant Zebrafish Retina.

DICER1, a multidomain RNase III endoribonuclease, plays a critical role in microRNA (miRNA) and RNA-interference (RNAi) functional pathways. Loss of Dicer1 affects different developmental processes. Dicer1 is essential for retinal development and maintenance.

A light in the darkness: new biotransformation genes, antioxidant parameters and tissue-specific responses in oysters exposed to phenanthrene.

Phenanthrene (PHE), a major component of crude oil, is one of the most abundant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in aquatic ecosystems, and is readily bioavailable to marine organisms. Understanding the toxicity of PAHs in animals requires knowledge of the systems for xenobiotic biotransformation and antioxidant defence and these are poorly understood in bivalves. We report, for the first time, new transcripts and tissue-specific transcription in gill and digestive gland from the oyster Crassostrea brasiliana following 24h exposure to 100 and 1000μgL(-1) PHE, a model PAH.

Effects of 17α-ethinyl estradiol exposure on estrogen receptors α and β and vitellogenins A, B and C mRNA expression in the liver of sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus).

This study aims to characterize the estrogen receptor (er) in sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus) and determine the temporal effects of 17α-ethinyl estradiol (EE2) on erα and vitellogenin (vtg) gene expression in males. Two partial cDNA sequences (erα and erβ1) are presented showing conserved structural features with ers of other species. Transcript levels for both ers were low in control fish but EE2 exposure (11 ng/L, for 29 days) increased both to a pattern similar to vitellogenic females.

Characterisation of genes transcriptionally upregulated in the liver of sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus) by 17α-ethinyloestradiol: identification of distinct vitellogenin and zona radiata protein transcripts.

The sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus), is a marine and estuarine teleost that is used in environmental, reproductive and behavioural studies of oestrogenic endocrine disruption. The xeno-oestrogen, 17α-ethinyloestradiol (EE2), induces expression of egg proteins vitellogenin (VTG) and zona radiata protein (ZRP) in male fish and impairs reproduction. Multiple forms of VTG and ZRP genes are found in other teleost species, yet the characteristics of VTG and ZRP in the sand goby are unknown.

Annual variation in the levels of transcripts of sex-specific genes in the mantle of the common mussel, Mytilus edulis.

Mytilus species are used as sentinels for the assessment of environmental health but sex or stage in the reproduction cycle is rarely considered even though both parameters are likely to influence responses to pollution. We have validated the use of a qPCR assay for sex identification and related the levels of transcripts to the reproductive cycle. A temporal study of mantle of Mytilus edulis found transcripts of male-specific vitelline coat lysin (VCL) and female-specific vitelline envelope receptor for lysin (VERL) could identify sex over a complete year.

Exposure to 17alpha-ethinyl estradiol impairs courtship and aggressive behaviour of male sand gobies (Pomatoschistus minutus).

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), natural or manmade, are known to interfere with the endocrinology of organisms and also cause behavioural changes. The aim of this study was to test how 1-4weeks exposure to 17alpha-ethinyl estradiol (EE2, 11ngL(-1)) affects nest building, courtship and aggressive behaviour of male fish. Our study species, the sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus) exhibits a polygynous mating system, in which males compete for females and defend their nest against intruders.

Pyrosequencing of Mytilus galloprovincialis cDNAs: tissue-specific expression patterns.

Background: Mytilus species are important in marine ecology and in environmental quality assessment, yet their molecular biology is poorly understood. Molecular aspects of their reproduction, hybridisation between species, mitochondrial inheritance, skewed sex ratios of offspring and adaptation to climatic and pollution factors are priority areas.

Methodology/principal Findings: To start to address this situation, expressed genetic transcripts from M.

An endocrine disrupting chemical changes courtship and parental care in the sand goby.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a diverse group of compounds that can mimic, block or modulate the synthesis of natural hormones. They are known to cause impairment of reproduction of aquatic organisms at very low concentrations. The aim of this study was to examine how exposure from 10 to 31 days to 17alpha-ethinyl estradiol (EE2, 41 ng L(-1)) affects the courtship and parental care behaviour of male sand gobies (Pomatoschistus minutus).

Integrating omic technologies into aquatic ecological risk assessment and environmental monitoring: hurdles, achievements, and future outlook.

Background: In this commentary we present the findings from an international consortium on fish toxicogenomics sponsored by the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council (Fish Toxicogenomics-Moving into Regulation and Monitoring, held 21-23 April 2008 at the Pacific Environmental Science Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada).

Differential expression of vitellogenin and oestrogen receptor genes in the liver of zebrafish, Danio rerio.

Environmental oestrogens are responsible for adverse effects in fish that affect reproduction. Availability of model fish to study the differential effects of endogenous and exogenous oestrogens and to test for oestrogenic activity of chemicals would be advantageous. Zebrafish could provide such a model, but the organisation and expression of vitellogenins (VTGs) and oestrogen receptors (ERs) are not completely understood.

Hepatic transcriptomic and metabolomic responses in the stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of dibenzanthracene.

A three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) cDNA array and one-dimensional 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy-based metabolomics approach, together with individual biomarkers,were employed to investigate the responses of male sticklebacks to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure. Fish were exposed to 1,2:5,6-dibenzanthracene (DbA) at concentrations between 0.01 and 50 microg per liter dissolved in the ambient water for four days, and hepatic transcript and metabolite profiles were determined in comparison with those of solvent-exposed controls.

Hepatic transcriptomic and metabolomic responses in the Stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) exposed to ethinyl-estradiol.

An established three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) cDNA array was expanded to 14,496 probes with the addition of hepatic clones derived from subtractive and normalized libraries from control males and males exposed to model toxicants. Microarrays and one-dimensional (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, together with individual protein and gene biomarkers were employed to investigate the hepatic responses of the stickleback to ethinyl-estradiol (EE(2)) exposure. Male fish were exposed via the water to EE(2), including environmentally relevant concentrations (0.

Sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus) males exposed to an endocrine disrupting chemical fail in nest and mate competition.

Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a widely studied group of chemicals that interfere with the endocrinology of organisms. So far, few studies have demonstrated the effect of EDCs on the reproductive behavior of aquatic wildlife. Here we show that sand goby males' (Pomatoschistus minutus) success in mating competition greatly decreases after an exposure for 7 to 24 days to 17alpha-ethinyl estradiol (EE2, measured concentration 4 ng L(-1)).

Disruption of sexual selection in sand gobies (Pomatoschistus minutus) by 17alpha-ethinyl estradiol, an endocrine disruptor.

In aquatic environments, endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that interfere with the reproductive physiology of males form a threat to the reproduction of populations. This is often manifested as decreased sexual performance or sterility among males. We show that exposure to EDCs can directly affect the mating system of a marine fish, the sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus).

Construction of subtracted EST and normalised cDNA libraries from liver of chemical-exposed three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) containing pollutant-responsive genes as a resource for transcriptome analysis.

The three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is ideally suited to laboratory studies, while its wide distribution in the northern hemisphere gives it great potential as a sentinel organism. In the setting of a UK-wide collaboration (Fish Toxicogenomics) we have developed a microarray for transcriptomic analysis of chemical responses in populations of G. aculeatus under laboratory and field conditions.

Bioindicators and reproductive effects of prolonged 17beta-oestradiol exposure in a marine fish, the sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus).

The effects of 17beta-oestradiol (E2) on mortality, growth rates, sexual maturation, hepatic vitellogenin (VTG) mRNA expression and reproductive success were investigated during an 8-month, water-borne exposure of a marine fish, the sand goby (Pomatoschistus minutus). Indicators of oestrogenic exposure were investigated as predictors of population-level reproductive success. E2 exposure concentrations were <5 (below limit of detection), 16+/-3, 97+/-20 and 669+/-151 ng l(-1) (bootstrap means and standard errors).

Androgen receptor gene methylation and exon one CAG repeat length in ovarian cancer: differences from breast cancer.

More than one neoplastic founder clone can exist in benign epithelial tumours. Although theories of clonal selection make pluriclonality appear unlikely in carcinomas, published data do not exclude this possibility. This study looked for evidence of multiclonal X inactivation in ovarian carcinoma using AR methylation as a marker.