Effects of fulvic acid on broiler performance, blood biochemistry, and intestinal microflora.

To study the effects of mineral fulvic acid (FuA) on broiler performance, slaughter performance, blood biochemistry index, antioxidant function, immune performance, and intestinal microflora, 360 Arbor Acres (AA) broiler chickens with similar body weights were randomly divided into 5 groups with 6 replicates in each group and 12 chickens in each replicate in the current study. Chickens in the control group (C) were fed with the basal diet, and chickens in the test groups (I, II, III, and IV) were fed with the diet supplemented with 0.05%, 0.

Symbiotic hemolymph bacteria reduce hexavalent chromium to protect the host from chromium toxicity in Procambarus clarkii.

Hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) is a cytotoxic heavy metal pollutant that adversely affects all life forms. Interestingly, the crustacean Procambarus clarkii exhibits a relatively high tolerance to heavy metals. The underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

A PITX2-HTR1B pathway regulates the asymmetric development of female gonads in chickens.

All female vertebrates develop a pair of ovaries except for birds, in which only the left gonad develops into an ovary, whereas the right gonad regresses. Previous studies found that the transcription factor Paired-Like Homeodomain 2 (PITX2), a key mediator for left/right morphogenesis in vertebrates, was also implicated in asymmetric gonadal development in chickens. In this study, we systematically screened and validated the signaling pathways that could be targeted by Pitx2 to control unilateral gonad development.

Effects of Enteritidis infection on TLRs gene expression and microbial diversity in cecum of laying hens.

Enteritidis (SE) is an important foodborne pathogen primarily causing human disease through contaminated food and water. In the current study, to assess the effect of Enteritidis infection on the immune system and the microbial diversity of cecum and oviduct in chickens, twelve 24-week-old SE-negative White Leghorn layers were randomly selected and divided into 2 groups. Chickens in the challenge group were orally inoculated with SE, and chickens in the control group received an equal amount of sterilized Phosphate Buffered Saline solution.

Integrated analysis of methylation profiles and transcriptome of Marek's disease virus-infected chicken spleens reveal hypomethylation of CD4 and HMGB1 genes might promote Marek's disease tumorigenesis.

Marek's disease (MD) is a lymphoproliferative neoplastic disease caused by Marek's disease virus (MDV). Previous studies have showed that DNA methylation was involved in MD development, but systematic studies are still lacking. Herein, we performed whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and RNA-seq in MDV-infected tumorous spleens (IN), noninfected spleens (NoIN), and survivor (SUR) spleens of chickens to identify the genes playing important roles in MD tumor transformation.

Phosphoproteomics Profile of Chicken Cecum in the Response to Serovar Enteritidis Inoculation.

serovar Enteritidis (. Enteritidis) is a foodborne pathogen, which can cause great threats to human health through the consumption of contaminated poultry products. This research combines TMT labeling, HPLC and mass-spectrometry-based phosphoproteomics on cecum of the F1 cross of Guangxi Yao chicken and Jining Bairi chicken.

Regulation of mRNA and miRNA in the response to Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis infection in chicken cecum.

Background: Salmonella enterica, serovar Enteritidis (SE) is a food-borne pathogen, which can cause great threat to human health through consumption of the contaminated poultry products. Chicken is the main host of SE. The mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles were analyzed on cecum of Shouguang chicken via next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics approaches.

The response of cecal microbiota to inflammatory state induced by serovar Enteritidis.

By combining the experiments of reciprocal crosses of chicken infected with serovar Enteritidis (. Enteritidis), we focused on the common response of cecal microbiota to an inflammatory state in respect of transcriptome and microbiome. The inoculation of .

FGF2 positively regulates osteoclastogenesis via activating the ERK-CREB pathway.

Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) plays crucial roles in the growth and development of several tissues. However, its function in bone homeostasis remains controversial. Here, we found that exogenous FGF2 supplementation inhibited the mineralization of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), at least partially, via up-regulating the gene expression of osteoclastogenesis.

Research Note: IsomiRs of chicken miR-146b-5p are activated upon Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis infection.

In order to enrich the knowledge of chicken transcriptomic response to Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis infection, 2-day-old chicks were orally inoculated with this bacteria (1.0 × 10 cfu/mL), and then the cecum tissues of 3 days post-inoculation were utilized for RNA sequencing (6 replicates each for treatment group and control group). After analysis, we found a variety of inflammatory genes were triggered at the mRNA level upon infection.

Nitrogen-Doped Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Enhance Bone Remodeling through Immunomodulatory Functions.

It has been reported that multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) can reportedly positively affect growth and differentiation of bone-related cells and therefore offer great potential in biomedical applications. To overcome negative immune responses that limit their application, specific doping and functionalization can improve their biocompatibility. Here, we demonstrated that nitrogen-doped carboxylate-functionalized MWCNTs (N-MWCNTs) enhance bone remodeling both and with excellent biocompatibility, via stimulation of both bone resorption and formation.

Chicken cecal DNA methylome alteration in the response to Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis inoculation.

Background: Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) is one of the pathogenic bacteria, which affects poultry production and poses a severe threat to public health. Chicken meat and eggs are the main sources of human salmonellosis. DNA methylation is involved in regulatory processes including gene expression, chromatin structure and genomic imprinting.

The correlated expression of immune and energy metabolism related genes in the response to Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis inoculation in chicken.

Background: Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) is one of the food-borne pathogenic bacteria, which affects poultry production and poses severe threat to human health. The correlation of immune system and metabolism in chicken after SE inoculation is important but not clear. In the current study, we identified the expression of immune and energy metabolism related genes using quantitative PCR to evaluate the correlation between immune system and energy metabolism against SE inoculation in Jining Bairi chicken.

Cecal CircRNAs Are Associated With the Response to Serovar Enteritidis Inoculation in the Chicken.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of endogenous noncoding RNA, which is different from linear RNA. CircRNA is an RNA molecule with a closed loop structure formed by reverse splicing. CircRNAs have been studied in several organisms, however, the circRNAs associated with the response to serovar Enteritidis (SE) inoculation in chickens are still unclear.

Anti-Toxoplasma gondii effect of two spider venoms in vitro and in vivo.

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an important pathogen that can cause serious public health problems. Currently, therapeutic drugs for toxoplasmosis present serious side effects, researches on more effective and novel substances with relatively low toxicity are urgently needed.

Anti-parasitic effect on Toxoplasma gondii induced by a spider peptide lycosin-I.

Toxoplasmosis is a widely distributed parasitic protozoan disease, caused by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). High prevalence of toxoplasmosis and limitations of conventional treatments lead to a search for new therapeutic drugs.

Expression dynamics of gonadotropin-releasing hormone-I and its mutual regulation with luteinizing hormone in chicken ovary and follicles.

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone-I (GnRH-I) has been identified in the ovaries of vertebrate species, and this decapeptide is a key regulator of reproductive functions. However, its biological action and regulatory mechanism in the chicken ovary remain to be characterized. In this study, the expression of GnRH-I gene in chicken hypothalamus and ovaries at different developmental stages and different sizes of follicles was investigated, and the effect of GnRH-I mRNA on chicken follicular cells was analyzed in vitro.

Cecal microbiome profile altered by , serovar Enteritidis inoculation in chicken.

Background: , serovar Enteritidis ( Enteritidis), an important zoonotic foodborne pathogen, can affect the microbiota of the chicken intestine and cause many enteric diseases, such as acute gastroenteritis. The gut microbiota contributes to the development and function of the host immune system and competes with pathogenic microbes. The interaction between Enteritidis and the host cecal microbiota is still not fully understood.

The peptide lycosin-I attenuates TNF-α-induced inflammation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells via IκB/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Objective: The peptide lycosin-I has anti-bacterial and anti-cancer capacities. However, the anti-inflammatory activity of lycosin-I remains unknown. We investigated whether lycosin-I could attenuate inflammation.

Vasodilator and hypotensive effects of the spider peptide Lycosin-I in vitro and in vivo.

Lycosin-I, a spider peptide isolated from the venom of the spider Lycosa singoriensis, has anti-bacteria and anti-cancer properties in organisms. However, cardiovascular effects of Lycosin-I have not been studied. In this study, we investigated for the first time the vasodilator and hypotensive effects of Lycosin-I and the possible mechanisms, in order to develop a promising treatment for hypertension-related diseases.