Publications by authors named "Zhixiang Ni"

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), when a fetus does not grow as expected, is associated with a reduction in hepatic functionality and a higher risk for chronic liver disease in adulthood. Utilizing early developmental plasticity to reverse the outcome of poor fetal programming remains an unexplored area. Focusing on the biochemical profiles of neonates and previous transcriptome findings, piglets from the same fetus are selected as models for studying IUGR.

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Weaning process is commonly associated with gastrointestinal inflammation and dysbiosis of the intestinal microbes. In particular, the impact of gut bacteria and extracellular vesicles on the etiology of intestinal inflammation during weaning is not well understood. We have uncovered a potential link between gut inflammation and the corresponding variation of macrophage bacterial sensing and pro-inflammatory polarization during the weaning process of piglets through single-cell transcriptomic analyses.

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The mechanisms of how host-microbe mutualistic relationships are established at weaning contingently upon B-cell surveillance remain inadequately elucidated. We found that plasmacyte (PC)-mediated promotion of IgA response regulates the symbiosis between () and the host during the weaning period. The IgA-skewed response of PCs is essential for to occupy a defined gut luminal niche, thereby fostering stable colonization.

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