Biochemical Indices Research Articles

Association Between Peripheral Blood Regulatory T Cell Content with Inflammatory Stress Response and Immune Response in Children with Sepsis.

The study aims to analyze the correlation between Regulatory T(Treg) Cells and inflammatory stress response and immune response in sepsis patients. Sixty sepsis patients admitted between January 2021 and June 2023 were selected as the subjects and included in the observation group. During the same period, 80 healthy children who underwent physical examinations in the hospital were included in the control group. The Treg content, inflammatory mediators, and immune response biochemical indicators of two groups are compared. The Pearson correlation analysis verifies the correlation between Treg content and inflammatory stress response, and immune response. Treg content in the observation group exceeded that found in the control group (P < 0.05). Among the relevant biochemical indicators, Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α), Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Procalcitonin (PCT), and Hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) exceeded that found in healthy children (P < 0.05). The immunoglobulin IgA, IgM, and IgG in healthy children were below respective values in the control group (P < 0.05). The Pearson correlation data demonstrated that the peripheral blood Treg content in children with sepsis was positively related to inflammatory mediator indicators. It was negatively related with the immunoglobulin IgA, IgM, and IgG. In summary, when the Treg content in the peripheral blood of sepsis patients increases, it directly affects the body's inflammatory stress response and immune function.

Predicting sarcopenia risk in stroke patients: a comprehensive nomogram incorporating demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical indicators

ObjectiveAlthough there is a strong correlation between stroke and sarcopenia, there has been a lack of research into the potential risks associated with post-stroke sarcopenia. Predictors of sarcopenia are yet to be identified. We aimed at developing a nomogram able to predict sarcopenia in patients with stroke.MethodsThe National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycle year of 2011 to 2018 was divided into two groups of 209 participants—one receiving training and the other validation—in a random manner. The Lasso regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors of sarcopenia, and a nomogram model was created to forecast sarcopenia in the stroke population. The model was assessed based on its discrimination area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration curves, and clinical utility decision curve analysis curves.ResultsIn this study, we identified several predictive factors for sarcopenia: Gender, Body Mass Index (kg/m2), Standing Height (cm), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) (IU/L), Total Calcium (mg/dL), Creatine Phosphokinase (CPK) (IU/L), Hemoglobin (g/dL), and Waist Circumference (cm). Notably, female patients with stroke exhibited a higher risk of sarcopenia. The variables positively associated with increasing risk included Alkaline Phosphatase, Body Mass Index, Waist Circumference, and Hemoglobin, while those negatively associated with risk included Height, Total Calcium, and Creatine Phosphokinase. The nomogram model demonstrated remarkable accuracy in distinguishing between training and validation sets, with areas under the curve of 0.97 and 0.90, respectively. The calibration curve showcased outstanding calibration, and the analysis of the decision curve revealed a broad spectrum of beneficial clinical outcomes.ConclusionThis study creates a new nomogram which can be used to predict pre-sarcopenia in stroke. The new screening device is accurate, precise, and cost-effective, enabling medical personnel to identify patients at an early stage and take action to prevent and treat illnesses.

Fishmeal intervention after short-term novel proteins stimulates compensatory growth and affects intestinal health in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides).

This research utilized a compensatory growth phenomenon aimed at reducing the use of fishmeal in aquatic animal feed. However, the compensatory growth triggered by fishmeal restriction with novel protein replacement has yet to be understood. Five isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets containing different proteins were manufactured, with fishmeal serving as the control and diets containing novel proteins, i.e., Chlorella (Chlorella vulgaris), cottonseed protein concentrate, Clostridium autoethanogenum, and yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), serving as the experimental diets. Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) with a starting body weight of 4.73 ± 0.04g were respectively fed these five diets for the first 29days (first stage), followed by a fishmeal diet for the remaining 29days (second stage). The diet of fishmeal, Chlorella vulgaris, cottonseed protein concentrate, Clostridium autoethanogenum, and Tenebrio molitor was referred to as FM, ChM, CSM, CAP, and TM, respectively. All novel protein groups showed a 60-73% higher weight gain compared to the fishmeal group during the second phase; however, they did not reach the weight level seen in the control group. In addition, the second stage of fishmeal intervention resulted in a reduction of approximately 35% in the area of positive Alcian blue (AB) staining of intestinal tissues in the CSM group, and about 40% in the CAP group, compared to the first stage. Furthermore, the area of intestinal apoptosis in TM was enlarged after fishmeal intervention while it was decreased in other experimental groups. At day 58, gene expression analysis of the CAP group fish at the end of the trial revealed increased levels of the anti-apoptotic gene bcl-2, as well as higher expression of intestinal inflammatory cytokines il-1β, tnf-α, nf-κb p65, and il-10, compared to the FM group. In terms of the biochemical indices, the levels of catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were reduced in CSM on day 58. An assessment of potential microbial function at end of trial demonstrated that CAP could reduce the lipid metabolism and amino acid metabolism, and increased carbohydrate metabolism pathways in the largemouth bass intestine. In conclusion, both CAP and ChM groups showed promise to reduce fishmeal with respect to intestinal health rather than growth. This study should be of value to practitioners wishing to use novel proteins to reduce fishmeal via the utilization of the compensatory growth phenomenon.

Non-Targeted Metabolomics Analysis of Small Molecular Metabolites in Refrigerated Goose Breast Meat

Poultry represents a rich source of multiple nutrients. Refrigeration is commonly employed for poultry preservation, although extended storage duration can adversely affect the meat quality. Current research on this topic has focused on the analysis of biochemical indices in chilled goose meat, with limited information on changes in metabolites that influence the quality of the meat during storage. This study used non-targeted metabolomics and the random forest algorithm to investigate metabolite changes in goose meat over an extended storage period. The results showed a significant change in the composition of the meat as the duration of storage increased, with the identification of 121 distinct metabolites. Further analysis identified 18 metabolites that could be used as indicators of the degradation of carbohydrates, amino acids, nucleotides, and lipids. These metabolites could be used as markers to monitor the deterioration process. These intermediate metabolites tended to be transformed into lower-level products involving pyruvate, acetyl coenzyme A, and fumaric acid, used in the tricarboxylic acid cycle, performing substance transformation. This comprehensive analysis of metabolites provides a valuable reference for monitoring the freshness of goose meat, potentially improving the safety of domestic poultry products.

Evaluating the Clinical Applicability of Multifrequency Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis for Nutritional Status Prediction in Hospitalized Persons With Severe Motor and Intellectual Disabilities.

Persons with severe motor and intellectual disabilities (SMID) have difficulty using general nutritional assessments in the elderly and other populations because of their physical characteristics. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical utility of body composition, which has been suggested to be related to biochemical tests in persons with SMID. We calculated cutoff values of body composition predicting malnutrition and compared the usage of peripheral parenteral nutrition for the two groups divided by each body composition cutoff value. We also compared body composition at the baseline between nonsurvivors and survivors. Only group comparisons based on skeletal muscle ratio and extracellular water to total body water (ECW/TBW) cutoffs showed significant differences in the usage of peripheral parenteral nutrition. Nonsurvivors had significantly higher ECW/TBW than survivors at the baseline. In persons with SMID, skeletal muscle ratio and ECW/TBW measured using multifrequency bioelectrical impedance were associated with biochemical indices and ill health. Furthermore, ECW/TBW was also associated with mortality, suggesting that ECW/TBW is a significant measure for nutritional assessment in clinical practice.

Tongmai Hypoglycemic Capsule Attenuates Myocardial Oxidative Stress and Fibrosis in the Development of Diabetic Cardiomyopathy in Rats.

To investigate the effect of Tongmai Hypoglycemic Capsule (THC) on myocardium injury in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) rats. A total of 24 Sprague Dawley rats were fed for 4 weeks with high-fat and high-sugar food and then injected with streptozotocin intraperitoneally for the establishment of the DCM model. In addition, 6 rats with normal diets were used as the control group. After modeling, 24 DCM rats were randomly divided into the model, L-THC, M-THC, and H-THC groups by computer generated random numbers, and 0, 0.16, 0.32, 0.64 g/kg of THC were adopted respectively by gavage, with 6 rats in each group. After 12 weeks of THC administration, echocardiography, histopathological staining, biochemical analysis, and Western blot were used to detect the changes in myocardial structure, oxidative stress (OS), biochemical indexes, protein expressions of myocardial fibrosis, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related faactor 2 (Nrf2) element, respectively. Treatment with THC significantly decreased cardiac markers such as creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatine kinase-MB, etc., (P<0.01); enhanced cardiac function indicators including heart rate, ejection fraction, cardiac output, interventricular septal thickness at diastole, and others (P<0.05 or P<0.01); decreased levels of biochemical indicators such as fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, aspartate transaminase, (P<0.05 or P<0.01); and decreased the levels of myocardial fibrosis markers α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and collagen I (Col-1) protein (P<0.01), improved myocardial morphology and the status of myocardial interstitial fibrosis. THC significantly reduced malondialdehyde levels in model rats (P<0.01), increased levels of catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione (P<0.01), and significantly increased the expression of Nrf2, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1, heme oxygenase-1, and superoxide dismutase 2 proteins in the left ventricle of rats (P<0.01). THC activates the Nrf2 signaling pathway and plays a protective role in reducing OS injury and cardiac fibrosis in DCM rats.

Evaluation of drought and salinity tolerance potentials of different soybean genotypes based upon physiological, biochemical, and genetic indicators

The present study has evaluated different soybean genotypes to understand the salt and drought tolerance mechanisms based on physiological traits (photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, chlorophyll, and cell membrane stability), antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase), reactive oxygen species (H2O2 and O2•−), osmolytes (glycine betaine, proline, and Na+/K+), plant water relations (relative water content, water potential, and solute potential) and expression of related genes (GmCAT1, GmPOD1, GmSOD, GmP5CS, GmNHX1, GmAKT1, GmDREB1, and GmARF1). The experiment was conducted in a two-factorial arrangement using randomized complete block design (RCBD) with genotypes as one factor and salt, drought, and control treatments as the other factor. All physiological traits, relative water content, and water potential decreased significantly in all soybean genotypes due to individual and combined treatments of drought and salt stress, with significantly less decrease in soybean genotypes G4620RX, DM45X61, and NARC-21. Besides that, the activity of antioxidant enzymes, production of ROS, accumulation of osmolytes, solute potential, and Na+/K+ ratio were increased significantly in all soybean genotypes under salt and water deficit conditions. As a whole, the soybean genotypes G4620RX, DM45X61, and NARC-21 showed the maximum enzymatic activity with less increase in ROS and Na+/K+ in addition to a high accumulation of osmolytes and an increase in solute potential. Correspondingly, the genotypes exhibiting high physiological and biochemical tolerance to drought and salt stresses showed the high expression of genes imparting the stress tolerance. Moreover, correlation, heatmap, and principal component analysis further confirmed the varying physiological and biochemical responses of all soybean genotypes under individual and combined applications of drought and salinity stresses. Overall, the present study confirmed that plants opt for the integrated physiological, biochemical, and genetic approaches to counteract the harmful effects of environmental stresses.

Ninety-Day Subchronic Toxicology of Individual and Combined Toxicants from the Thermal Processing of Lipid-Rich Foods.

Oxidative derivatives of triacylglycerols (ox-TGs), aldehydes, and 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol esters (3-MCPDE) were simultaneously evaluated in a 90-day subchronic study, focusing on biological indicators, biochemical indicators, and serum metabolomics as the first part of integrated toxicity and interactions. After 90 days of feeding Kunming mice, coexposure to combined toxicants significantly inhibited the trend of liver weight gain, reduced the levels of total bilirubin (TBIL) and direct bilirubin (DBIL), and decreased uric acid (UA) compared to individual toxicant exposure. A total of 21 and 31 biomarkers in female and male mice were identified, respectively. Co-exposure to combined toxicants might mitigate the changes in cytidine, CDP, dUMP, and dUDP involved in purine and pyrimidine metabolism caused by a single exposure, but exacerbate the changes in l-tryptophan, 5-hydroxy-l-tryptophan, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, which are involved in tryptophan metabolism. These results provided new insights into a comprehensive toxicity and interaction evaluation model of multiple combined toxicants in food.

Using Aquaculture Waste Sludge and Agricultural By-products to Produce Organic Fertilizer

The study was conducted to turn aquaculture sludge and agricultural by-products into organic fertilizer as part of the circular production. The main raw materials included sludge from catfish ponds after harvest and organic materials from agricultural by-products (25% from growing cordyceps, 25% from growing oyster mushrooms, 25% from peanut shells, and 25% from coconut fiber). The aquaculture sludge (AS) and agricultural by products (ABP) are mixed at five different ratios: 10% AS + 90% ABP; 30% AS + 70% ABP; 50% AS + 50% ABP; 70% AS + 30% ABP, and 90% AS + 10% ABP. The results showed that the experiment with the ratio of 30% AS + 70% ABP optimized the decomposition of organic compounds and produced organic fertilizer with higher nutrient content than the other four mixing ratios. Comparing the quality of organic fertilizer produced with the organic fertilizer quality standards of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, 15/18 biochemical indicators have met the regulations. The results of the study can provide a guideline for the local people to optimize organic fertilizer production utilizing aquaculture sludge and agricultural byproducts, save input costs for agricultural production, and contribute to reducing waste to the natural environment.

Risk factor screening and prediction modeling of gastrointestinal adverse reactions caused by GLP-1RAs

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the risk factors for gastrointestinal side effects (GISEs) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) during treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) based on real-world data and to develop a prediction model for GLP-1RA-related GISEs.MethodsA total of 855 patients who attended the First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University from January 2020 to May 2023 were selected as the study participants, who were divided into the training set (598 cases) and the validation set (297 cases) using a simple random sampling method at a ratio of 7:3. The general information and biochemical indicators of the participants were collected to assess the risk factors for GLP-1RA-related GISEs, and multifactorial logistic regression analysis was used to obtain the best predictors. A nomogram prediction model was constructed. The Hosmer–Lemeshow test was used to assess the differentiation and calibration of the nomogram model, and decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate the clinical utility of the model.ResultsAge, gender, history of gastrointestinal disorders, and number of combined oral medications were found as risk factors for the occurrence of GISEs in patients with T2DM using GLP-1RAs (p &amp;lt; 0.05). The nomogram prediction model based on these four factors had good discriminability (AUC values of the training and validation sets of 0.855 and 0.836, respectively) and accuracy (Hosmer–Lemeshow test: p &amp;gt; 0.05 for the validation set). DCA showed that the prediction model curve had clinical utility in the threshold probability interval of &amp;gt;5%.ConclusionsThe established nomogram model has an excellent predictive effect on GISEs induced by GLP-1RAs in patients with T2DM.

The Effects of Nano Zinc on Humoral Immunity, Blood Biochemical Indicators, Thyroid Hormones, and Carcass Characteristics of Broilers

The Effects of Nano Zinc on Humoral Immunity, Blood Biochemical Indicators, Thyroid Hormones, and Carcass Characteristics of Broilers

Assessment of axonal injury in multiple sclerosis: combined analysis of serum light-chain neurofilaments and diffusion tensor imaging

BackgroundMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neuroinflammatory condition characterised by demyelination and axonal damage in the central nervous system. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) enables non-invasive investigation of microstructural white matter...

Salinity affects the lipid metabolism and intestinal microbial composition of swimming crab Portunus trituberculatus

The swimming crab (Portunus trituberculatus) is an aquaculture species with high commercial value. However, there is limited information available on the effects of salinity on the lipid metabolism and gut microbiota of P. trituberculatus. This study investigated the hepatopancreatic index, hepatopancreatic lipid metabolism, physiological and biochemical indicators and gut microbiota of P. trituberculatus cultured at salinity 28 ‰, 25 ‰, 22 ‰ and 19 ‰ for 8 weeks. The results showed that the highest expression level of SREBP1, FAS, LPR1, ACOX and FABP was found in 19 ‰ group compared to the 28 ‰ group, along with the enzyme activities of CPT1 and FAS. On the contrary, the expression level of DGAT1 and LPR2 in the 28 ‰ group was significantly higher than that of 19 ‰ group, along with the enzyme activities of LPS. The results of fatty acid content showed that only polyunsaturated fatty acids showed significant changes in response to salinity, such as C18:2n6, C20:2n6 and C20:3n3. Moreover, the intestine microbial α-diversity index of crab in the 28 ‰ treatment was higher than that of other groups. The dominant phylum in gut samples was Proteobacteria, followed by Firmicutes and Bacteroidota. Moreover, Mycoplasma, Candidatus Endoecteinascidia and Shewanella showed a significant decline in the 28 ‰ group compared to the 19 ‰ group. Bacterial functional pathway prediction has also shown that the KEGG pathways involved in ovarian steroidogenesis, NF-kappa B signaling pathway and regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes increased in 28 ‰ group compared with 19 ‰ group. In conclusion, hepatopancreatic fatty acid metabolism was more active in the 19 ‰ group, whereas the 28 ‰ group not only promoted triglyceride synthesis in the hepatopancreas, but also facilitated ovarian development of P. trituberculatus by influencing the gut microbial composition.

Use of Transcriptomics to Identify Candidate Genes for Hematopoietic Differences Between Wujin and Duroc Pigs

Hematopoiesis is a complex physiological process that ensures renewal of blood cells to maintain normal blood circulation and immune function. Wujin pigs exhibit distinct characteristics such as tender meat, high fat storage, strong resistance to roughage, robust disease resistance, and oxidation resistance. Therefore, using Wujin pigs as models may offer valuable insights for hematopoietic-related studies. In this study, twelve healthy 35-day-old piglets, including six Wujin and six Duroc piglets of similar weight, were selected from each of the Wujin and Duroc pig groups and housed in single cages. After 30 days of feeding, blood and bone marrow samples were collected. Routine blood indices and hematopoietic-related serum biochemical indexes of Wujin and Duroc pigs were determined, and bone marrow gene expression levels were analyzed using transcriptomics. (1) Hemoglobin (Hb) and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) levels in Wujin pigs were significantly higher than in Duroc pigs (p &lt; 0.05), and platelet counts and serum Hb levels in Wujin pigs were significantly lower than in Duroc pigs (p &lt; 0.05). (2) A total of 312 significantly differentially expressed genes were identified between the pigs. Their functions were mainly related to blood systems, inflammation, and oxidation. Six differentially expressed genes may be related to hematopoietic function. (3) By combining the differential genes screened through sequencing with Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis results, 16 hematopoietic function differential genes were obtained, mainly focusing on immunity, inflammation, and induction of apoptosis functions. Differences were present in the immune and inflammatory responses between Wujin pigs and Duroc pigs, suggesting that differences in hematopoietic function between the two breeds were related to antioxidant capacity and disease resistance.

Effect of Dietary Astragalus Fermentation Products on Growth, Intestinal Microflora and Disease Resistance in Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides.

Fermentation of Astragalus by Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus coagulans can increase the release of active components and degrade its macromolecular substances. This study investigated the effect of fermentation products (Astragalus + L. plantarum + B. coagulans, ALB) on largemouth bass. We specifically focused on growth performance, serum biochemical indices, intestinal microbial diversity, intestinal enzyme activity, immune gene expression and resistance to infections by Aeromonas hydrophila and largemouth bass ranavirus (LMBRaV). The largemouth bass were divided into five groups based on the amount of ALB added to the feed as following, (1) ALB0 (no ALB, ALB0.5 [0.5% addition of ALB], ALB1 [1% addition of ALB], ALB3 [3% addition of ALB], ALB5 [5% addition of ALB]). The feeding trial spanned 28 days. Comprehensively comparing the feeding results of different ALB concentration, the ALB0.5 group showed the best effect. The ALB0.5 group had significantly increased weight gain rate, alkaline phosphatase, total protein, albumin, digestive enzymes activities of lipase, trypsin and increased intestinal villi and thickness of muscularis propria. And it decreased feed conversion ratio, aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase of largemouth bass. Furthermore, the ALB0.5 group improved the richness and diversity of the intestinal microbiota. Increased abundance of dominant phylum and genus in the intestine of largemouth bass included Fusobacteria and Cetobacterium, which promoted the growth and immune performance of largemouth bass. After infection with A. hydrophila and LMBRaV, the survival rates were higher in ALB addition experimental groups than in the ALB0 group, respectively. And the survival rate of ALB0.5 group was higher than other groups. Meanwhile, the ALB added to the feed could regulated the immune gene expression (Mx, IRF-3, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-10), which also promoted the largemouth bass resistance to disease. In summary, adding 0.5% ALB to the diet of largemouth bass can boost its growth performance, immune genes expression, intestinal health and disease resistance.

Bovine Lung Peptides after Trypsinolysis Reveal Anti-Exudative Activity

Abstract Enzymatic hydrolysates of proteins isolated from cow lungs are used as anti-inflammatory agents for the growth and regeneration of new tissues. Hydrolysates were observed to inhibit the production of free radicals in cells and have a high anti-exudative activity even in low doses. In this study, we established the anti-exudative activity of peptides of protein hydrolysates isolated from bovine lungs. The anti-exudative activity of the peptides sum was compared with acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and prednisolone, and the dynamics of inflammation were studied by tumour formation using carrageenan and formalin. Between 1 h and 24 h after administration of the drug, the effect of the peptides sum showed a significantly better indicator than the rest of the means. In general, the anti-exudative activity of the peptides sum was 2–3 times higher than the rest of the preparations. Biochemical indicators of prednisolone and peptides sum in two doses of 10−6 μg/kg and 10−4 μg/kg were studied. As a result of the study, it was found that the peptides sum at 10−6 μg/kg dose enhanced alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity by 17.1% compared to those resulting from prednisolone treatment. In C-reactive protein (CRP) and antistreptolysin O (ASO) indicators, 10−4 μg/kg dose showed high activity. The sum of isolated peptides reduced ALT and ASO levels. This study provides additional support for preparing anti-inflammatory means from the peptides sum isolated from bovine lungs.

Ulva pertusa Modulated Colonic Oxidative Stress Markers and Clinical Parameters: A Potential Adjuvant Therapy to Manage Side Effects During 5-FU Regimen

One of the most used chemotherapy agents in clinical practice is 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), a fluorinated pyrimidine in the category of antimetabolite agents. 5-FU is used to treat a variety of cancers, including colon, breast, pancreatic, and stomach cancers, and its efficacy lies in its direct impact on the patient’s DNA and RNA. Specifically, its mechanism blocks the enzymes thymidylate synthetase and uracil phosphatase, inhibiting the synthesis of uracil, which cannot be incorporated into nuclear and cytoplasmic RNA. Despite being one of the most used drugs in oncology, it is associated with several significant side effects, including inflammation of the mouth, loss of appetite, and reduction in blood cells. In our study, we examined the reduction of side effects in a 5-FU regimen administered at doses of 15 mg/kg and 6 mg/kg for 14 days in 6-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats. On the 14th day, the rats were treated orally for 2 weeks with 100 mg/kg of Ulva pertusa, a well-known seaweed from the Ulvaceae family, which has demonstrated powerful biological properties. The administration of this green alga alleviated the side effects of 5-FU, improving several parameters including body weight, food intake, and diarrhea index. It also helped reduce side effects in the blood, kidneys, and liver. Histological and molecular analyses were conducted on serum and colon tissues from the rats, examining changes in colon structure and the release of oxidative stress markers such as iNOS, COX-2, and nitrotyrosine. Several biochemical indicators, including SOD, CAT, GSH, MDA, and ascorbic acid, were also evaluated. Overall, our data indicated Ulva pertusa to be a promising therapeutic against 5-FU’s adverse effects, therefore, it could be worthwhile to investigate the possibility of using this alga in safer cancer treatment formulations. Certainly, future preclinical and clinical studies could assess the alga’s efficacy in diverse cancer treatment regimens, exploring its role as an adjuvant therapy that may reduce chemotherapy-related toxicity without compromising therapeutic outcomes.

Supplementation of Eucalyptus Camaldulensis essential oils: Effects on haematology and serum biochemical indices of weaned pigs

Supplementation of Eucalyptus Camaldulensis essential oils: Effects on haematology and serum biochemical indices of weaned pigs

Necroptosis contributes to deoxynivalenol-induced liver injury and inflammation in weaned piglets

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the role of necroptosis in deoxynivalenol (DON)-induced liver injury and inflammation in weaned piglets.MethodsIn Exp. 1, 12 weaned piglets were divided into 2 groups including pigs fed basal diet and pigs fed diet contaminated with 4 mg/kg DON for 21 d. In Exp. 2, 12 weaned piglets were divided into 2 groups including control piglets and piglets given a gavage of 2 mg/kg body weight (BW) DON. In Exp. 3, 24 weaned piglets were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design and the main factors including necrostatin-1 (Nec-1) (DMSO or 0.5 mg/kg BW Nec-1) and DON challenge (saline or 2 mg/kg BW DON gavage). On 21 d in Exp. 1, or at 6 h post DON gavage in Exp. 2 and 3, pigs were killed for blood samples and liver tissues. Liver histology, blood biochemical indicators, and liver inflammation and necroptosis signals were tested.ResultsDietary or oral gavage with DON caused liver morphological damage in piglets. Dietary DON led to hepatocyte damage indicated by increased aspartate transaminase (AST) activity and AST/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio, and DON gavage also caused hepatocyte damage and cholestasis indicated by increased AST and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activities. Dietary DON caused liver necroptosis indicated by increased protein abundance of total receptor interacting protein kinase 3 (t-RIP3) and total mixed lineage kinase domain-like protein (t-MLKL). Moreover, DON gavage increased mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β in liver. DON gavage also induced liver necroptosis demonstrated by increased protein abundance of t-RIP3, phosphorylated-RIP3 (p-RIP3), t-MLKL and p-MLKL. However, pretreatment with Nec-1, a specific inhibitor of necroptosis, inhibited liver necroptosis indicated by decreased protein expression of t-RIP3, p-RIP3, t-MLKL and p-MLKL. Nec-1 pretreatment reduced liver morphological damage after DON gavage. Pretreatment with Nec-1 also attenuated liver damage induced by DON indicated by decreased activities of AST and AKP. Furthermore, Nec-1 pretreatment inhibited liver mRNA expression of IL-6 and IL-1β after DON challenge.ConclusionsOur data demonstrate for the first time that necroptosis contributes to DON-induced liver injury and inflammation in piglets.

Exploring the risk factors and clustering patterns of periodontitis in patients with different subtypes of diabetes through machine learning and cluster analysis.

To analyse the risk factors contributing to the prevalence of periodontitis among clusters of patients with diabetes and to examine the clustering patterns of clinical blood biochemical indicators. Data regarding clinical blood biochemical indicators and periodontitis prevalence among 1804 patients with diabetes were sourced from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database spanning 2009 to 2014. A clinical prediction model for periodontitis risk in patients with diabetes was constructed via the XGBoost machine learning method. Furthermore, the relationships between diabetes patient clusters and periodontitis prevalence were investigated through consistent consensus clustering analysis. Seventeen clinical blood biochemical indicators emerged as superior predictors of periodontitis in patients with diabetes. Patients with diabetes were subsequently categorized into two subtypes: Cluster A presented a slightly lower periodontitis prevalence (74.80%), whereas Cluster B presented a higher prevalence risk (83.68%). Differences between the two groups were considered statistically significant at a pvalue of ≤0.05. There was marked variability in the associations of different cluster characteristics with periodontitis prevalence. Machine learning combined with consensus clustering analysis revealed a greater prevalence of periodontitis among patients with diabetes mellitus in Cluster B. This cluster was characterized by a smoking habit, a lower education level, a higher income-to-poverty ratio, and higher levels of albumin (ALB g/L) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT U/L).