DNA methylation of imprinted gene control regions in the regression of low-grade cervical lesions.

The role of host epigenetic mechanisms in the natural history of low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN1) is not well characterized. We explored differential methylation of imprinted gene regulatory regions as predictors of the risk of CIN1 regression. A total of 164 patients with CIN1 were recruited from 10 Duke University clinics for the CIN Cohort Study.

The differences between copper sulfate and tribasic copper chloride on growth performance, redox status, deposition in tissues of pigs, and excretion in feces.

Objective: The objective of this experiment was to compare the effects of adding 130 mg/kg Cu from either copper sulfate (CS) or tribasic copper chloride (TBCC) on growth performance, mineral deposition in tissues, and the excretion in feces of pigs as well as changes in the mineral contents in tissues and feces when the supplemental Cu level was decreased from 130 mg/kg to 10 mg/kg.

Methods: A total of 72 pigs (32.6±1.

Urine RNA Processing in a Clinical Setting: Comparison of 3 Protocols.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare quantitative and qualitative RNA extraction results from clinical voided urine samples between 3 commercially available extraction protocols.

Methods: For phase 1, fresh voided urine samples from 10 female subjects were collected and processed in clinic and transported to the laboratory with cold packs. RNA was purified with 1 of 3 RNA extraction protocols: (1) TRI Reagent Protocol; (2) Absolutely RNA Nanoprep Kit; and (3) ZR Urine RNA Isolation Kit.

Effects of Active Immunization Against Akirin2 on Muscle Fiber-type Composition in Pigs.

The objective of this study was to investigate effects of active immunization against Akirin2 on muscle fiber-type composition in pigs. Here we showed that the titer of Akirin2 antibody in pigs immunized with porcine Akirin2 (pAkirin2) was significantly increased. Active immunization against pAkirin2 decreased succinic dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase activities and increased lactate dehydrogenase activity in the longissimus dorsi muscle of pigs.

Fungi in Gastrointestinal Tracts of Human and Mice: from Community to Functions.

Fungi are often ignored in studies on gut microbes because of their low level of presence (making up only 0.1% of the total microorganisms) in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of monogastric animals. Recent studies using novel technologies such as next generation sequencing have expanded our understanding on the importance of intestinal fungi in humans and animals.

Peritoneal recurrence in gastric cancer following curative resection can be predicted by postoperative but not preoperative biomarkers: a single-institution study of 320 cases.

To determine the risk factors for peritoneal recurrence in gastric cancer patients after curative resection, we included 320 patients with stage I-III primary gastric cancer between January 2008 and June 2012. Data on each patient's surgical and pathological information, preoperative and postoperative tumor markers were collected and analyzed retrospectively. The risk factors for peritoneal recurrence were investigated by univariate and multivariate analysis.

Blood monocyte transcriptome and epigenome analyses reveal loci associated with human atherosclerosis.

Little is known regarding the epigenetic basis of atherosclerosis. Here we present the CD14+ blood monocyte transcriptome and epigenome signatures associated with human atherosclerosis. The transcriptome signature includes transcription coactivator, ARID5B, which is known to form a chromatin derepressor complex with a histone H3K9Me2-specific demethylase and promote adipogenesis and smooth muscle development.

Dietary Sodium Butyrate Supplementation Promotes Oxidative Fiber Formation in Mice.

Sodium butyrate (SB), a sodium salt of butyric acid, has been shown to improve the animal production performance. The aim of this work was to test the effect of feeding mice with diets containing different dose of SB (1, 3, and 5%) on oxidative fiber formation. Dietary SB supplementation had no effect on body weights and food intakes.

Effects of MicroRNA-27a on Myogenin Expression and Akt/FoxO1 Signal Pathway during Porcine Myoblast Differentiation.

Skeletal myoblast differentiation is controlled by a multitude of transcription factors and signal pathways. Myogenin is a critical transcriptional regulator in the initiation and maintenance of myoblast differentiation. The Akt/FoxO1 signal pathway plays an important role in myoblast differentiation.

MicroRNA expression profiles differ between primary myofiber of lean and obese pig breeds.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding small miRNAs ~22 nucleotides in length and play a vital role in muscle development by binding to messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Large White (LW, a lean type pig) and Meishan pigs (MS, a Chinese indigenous obese breed) have significant postnatal phenotype differences in growth rate, muscle mass and meat quality, and these differences are programmed during prenatal muscle development. Little research shed light directly on the miRNA transcriptome difference in prenatal muscles between these two distinct pig breeds.

Arginine metabolism and its protective effects on intestinal health and functions in weaned piglets under oxidative stress induced by diquat.

The intestine plays key roles in maintaining body arginine (Arg) homoeostasis. Meanwhile, the intestine is very susceptible to reactive oxygen species. In light of this, the study aimed to explore the effects of Arg supplementation on intestinal morphology, Arg transporters and metabolism, and the potential protective mechanism of Arg supplementation in piglets under oxidative stress.

Maternal inflammatory diet and adverse pregnancy outcomes: Circulating cytokines and genomic imprinting as potential regulators?

Excessive inflammation during pregnancy alters homeostatic mechanisms of the developing fetus and has been linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes. An anti-inflammatory diet could be a promising avenue to combat the pro-inflammatory state of pregnancy, particularly in obese women, but we lack mechanistic data linking this dietary pattern during pregnancy to inflammation and birth outcomes. In an ethnically diverse cohort of 1057 mother-child pairs, we estimated the relationships between dietary inflammatory potential [measured via the energy-adjusted dietary inflammatory index (E-DII™)] and birth outcomes overall, as well as by offspring sex and maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI).

Arabinoxylan activates lipid catabolism and alleviates liver damage in rats induced by high-fat diet.

Background: Arabinoxylan was thought to have the potential to change lipid metabolism and redox homeostasis in human and animal. However, the effect of arabinoxylan on the liver damage induced by high-fat diet needs further exploiting.

Results: Six-weeks-old 30 male Sprague-Dawley Rats were assigned randomly to three groups (n = 10 per group), i.

Correction: Distinct Epigenetic Effects of Tobacco Smoking in Whole Blood and among Leukocyte Subtypes.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Histone H3.3K27M Represses to Accelerate Gliomagenesis in a Murine Model of DIPG.

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a highly aggressive pediatric brainstem tumor genetically distinguished from adult GBM by the high prevalence of the K27M mutation in the histone H3 variant H3.3 (). This mutation reprograms the H3K27me3 epigenetic landscape of DIPG by inhibiting the H3K27-specific histone methyltransferase EZH2.

Akirin2 regulates proliferation and differentiation of porcine skeletal muscle satellite cells via ERK1/2 and NFATc1 signaling pathways.

Akirin2, a novel nuclear factor, plays an important role in myogenesis. To investigate the role of Akirin2 in proliferation and differentiation of porcine skeletal muscle satellite cells, Akirin2 overexpression and Akirin2 silence technologies were employed. Our results showed that overexpression of Akirin2 markedly enhanced the proliferation and differentiation of porcine skeletal muscle satellite cells, whereas silencing of Akirin2 got the opposite results.

FTO Promotes Adipogenesis through Inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin Signaling Pathway in Porcine Intramuscular Preadipocytes.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that FTO plays an important role in adipogenesis. Herein, we designed a small interfering RNA targeting FTO to knock down its endogenous expression and investigated its effects on the proliferation and differentiation of porcine intramuscular preadipocytes. Its possible mechanism was also investigated.

Akirin2 promotes slow myosin heavy chain expression by CaN/NFATc1 signaling in porcine skeletal muscle satellite cells.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Akirin2 on slow myosin heavy chain (slow MyHC, MyHC I) gene expression and its molecular mechanisms. In this study, we showed that the protein expression of Akirin2 in pig slow oxidative Psoas major muscle is higher than that in fast glycolytic tibialis anterior muscle, suggesting that Akirin2 may play a role in myofiber typing. Knockdown of Akirin2 decreased the MyHC I expression and the calcineurin (CaN) activity, and also decreased the expressions of NFATc1 and MCIP1.

Dietary pea fiber increases diversity of colonic methanogens of pigs with a shift from Methanobrevibacter to Methanomassiliicoccus-like genus and change in numbers of three hydrogenotrophs.

Background: Pea fiber (PF) is a potential fibrous supplement in swine production. The influence of dietary PF on microbial community in the colon of pigs remains largely unexplored. Methanogens in the hindgut of monogastric animals play important roles in degradation of dietary fibers and efficient removal of microbial metabolic end product H.

The effect of arginine on the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway during porcine intramuscular preadipocyte differentiation.

Dietary l-arginine supplementation decreases backfat thickness and increases intramuscular fat content in growing-finishing pigs, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. In this study, the effect of arginine on differentiation of porcine intramuscular preadipocytes was investigated in vitro. We showed that the mRNA and protein expressions of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α were upregulated by arginine supplementation.

Distinct Epigenetic Effects of Tobacco Smoking in Whole Blood and among Leukocyte Subtypes.

Tobacco smoke exposure dramatically alters DNA methylation in blood cells and may mediate smoking-associated complex diseases through effects on immune cell function. However, knowledge of smoking effects in specific leukocyte subtypes is limited. To better characterize smoking-associated methylation changes in whole blood and leukocyte subtypes, we used Illumina 450K arrays and Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing (RRBS) to assess genome-wide DNA methylation.

DNA Methylation of Regulatory Regions of Imprinted Genes at Birth and Its Relation to Infant Temperament.

Background: DNA methylation of the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of imprinted genes is relevant to neurodevelopment.

Methods: DNA methylation status of the DMRs of nine imprinted genes in umbilical cord blood leukocytes was analyzed in relation to infant behaviors and temperament (n = 158).

Results: DMR levels were positively associated with internalizing ( = 0.

FoxO1: a novel insight into its molecular mechanisms in the regulation of skeletal muscle differentiation and fiber type specification.

FoxO1, a member of the forkhead transcription factor forkhead box protein O (FoxO) family, is predominantly expressed in most muscle types. FoxO1 is a key regulator of muscle growth, metabolism, cell proliferation and differentiation. In the past two decades, many researches have indicated that FoxO1 is a negative regulator of skeletal muscle differentiation while contrasting opinions consider that FoxO1 is crucial for myoblast fusion.

PAX3 skeletal muscle satellite cells retain long-term self-renewal and proliferation.

Introduction: Different populations of satellite cells (SCs) have been identified, but their functional difference remains unclear.

Methods: We used cell-surface markers and paired box transcription factor 3 (Pax3)/paired box transcription factor 7 (Pax7) expression to separate SC populations. In addition, self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation abilities of each population were analyzed.