Effect of melatonin on visceral fat deposition,lipid metabolism and hepatic lipo-metabolic gene expression in male rats

Melatonin (MT) influences lipid metabolism in animals; however, the mechanistic effect of melatonin on liver fat and abdominal adipose deposition requires further clarity. In order to study the effects of melatonin on lipid metabolism, and hepatic fat and abdominal adipose deposition in animals, twenty Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats of 6 weeks of age with similar bodyweight were randomly divided into two groups: control (CTL) and MT-treated (10 mg/kg/day). During a 60-day experiment, food intake and bodyweight were measured daily and weekly respectively. At the end of treatment, blood samples were collected to collect plasma to quantify hormones and metabolic indicators of lipid metabolism. In addition, organ and abdominal adipose depots including liver, and omental, perirenal, and epididymal fat were weighed. Liver tissue was sampled for sectioning, long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) quantification, and gene chip and Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) analyses. The results showed that liver weight and index (ratio of liver weight to body weight) in MT group reduced by 20.69% and 9.63% respectively; omentum weight and index reduced by 59.88% and 54.93% respectively, and epididymal fat weight reduced by 45.34% (p = 0.049), relative to CTL. Plasma lipid indices, triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and total cholesterol (TC) with MT treatment decreased significantly compared with the control. Fat and 8 LCFA content in liver in MT group also decreased. Gene chip and qPCR demonstrated that there were 289 genes up-regulated and 293 genes down-regulated by MT. Further analysis found that the mRNA expression of lipolysis-related genes increased, while the mRNA expression of lipogenesis-related enzymes decreased (p < 0.05) with MT. This study concluded that melatonin greatly affected fat deposition, and hepatic LCFA supply and the expression of genes associated with lipogenesis and lipolysis.     

马氏珠母贝肉酶解产物的抗酒精性肝损伤作用

为探究马氏珠母贝肉酶解产物(Enzymatic hydrolysate from Pinctada martensii,EP)对酒精性肝损伤(Alcoholic liver damage,ALD)的保护作用,该研究将EP超滤分级为截留分子量>10 kD(EP-Ⅰ)、3~10 kD(EP-Ⅱ)和<3 kD(EP-Ⅲ)3个组分,检测其体外抗肝损伤活性及对ALD小鼠肝保护作用的影响。体外试验结果显示,EP-Ⅲ可显著激活体外乙醇脱氢酶(ADH)活性(P<0.01),3个超滤组分均具有一定的体外抗氧化能力且EP-Ⅲ>EP-Ⅱ>EP-Ⅰ;动物试验结果显示,与模型对照组相比,各超滤组分均能够显著降低小鼠血清中谷丙转氨酶(ALT)和谷草转氨酶(AST)活力、小鼠肝脏指数及肝脏中丙二醛(MDA)和甘油三酯(TG)含量,同时显著增强小鼠肝脏中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、乙醇脱氢酶(ADH)和乙醛脱氢酶(ALDH)活力,提高肝脏中的谷胱甘肽(GSH)含量。综上,马氏珠母贝肉酶解超滤组分对急性ALD具有一定的辅助保护作用,其中EP-Ⅲ的保护作用效果最佳,其机制可能与加快机体乙醇代谢和减缓乙醇对机体造成的氧化损伤相关。     

DTA-6对两种食用豆生理代谢及产量的影响

为探究2-N,N-二乙氨基乙基己酸酯（diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate,DTA-6）对食用豆叶片的生理代谢及产量的调控效应,选用芸豆（英国红）和小豆（龙垦2号）为试验材料,采用大田完全随机试验方法,于芸豆和小豆的初花期叶面喷施DTA-6,以喷施清水为对照（CK）,测定各生育时期叶片光合参数、碳代谢产物、干物质、产量及产量构成因素。结果表明：DTA-6提高了2种食用豆各生育期的SPAD值、盛花期和鼓粒期的净光合速率（P_n）、蒸腾速率（T_r）、气孔导度（G_s）和胞间CO₂浓度（C_i）,显著增加了叶片蔗糖和可溶性糖的含量,促进了叶片淀粉的积累;与CK相比,DTA-6提高了2种食用豆的地上部单株干物质积累量,并且显著提高了芸豆和小豆鼓粒期荚分配率;DTA-6可有效调控2种食用豆的单株荚数、单株粒数和百粒重,从而提高产量,DTA-6处理的芸豆和小豆产量分别较CK增加13.30%和12.91%,增产显著。     

2株可培养细菌氮代谢特性的研究

研究旨在分析土壤中可培养细菌菌株的氮代谢特征,并进一步探讨微生物在土壤氮素转化中的可能作用机制。以2株分离自苹果园土壤的细菌菌株SY5-4和SY11-10为试材,采用传统培养方法结合分子检测技术,分别测定菌株生长特性及其氮素转化能力。研究结果表明,异养条件下,菌株SY5-4和SY11-10的世代时间分别为243.5 min和202.7 min。菌株生长过程中,培养液中铵态氮浓度始终维持在较高水平,铵态氮、亚硝态氮和硝态氮浓度均表现出先升后降的趋势。硝化（amoA和hao）和反硝化（nosZ、norB、nirK和nap）基因检测结果表明,菌株SY11-10具有多种氮素转化潜能。综上,供试菌株培养过程中,培养液中氮素发生变化,并在菌体中检测到不同氮转化基因,表明菌株参与多种氮代谢途径。     

Intermediary metabolic response and gene transcription modulation on the Sub-Antarctic notothenioid Eleginops maclovinus (Valenciennes, 1930) injected with two strains of Piscirickettsia salmonis

Pathogen interactions with cultured fish populations are well studied, but their effects on native fishes have not been characterized. In Chile, the disease caused by bacterial species Piscirickettsia salmonis represents one of the main issues and is considered to be one of the important pathogens in the field of aquaculture. They have been found to infect native fish. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the impact of P. salmonis on native species of local commercial value, as well as the potential impact associated with the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of P. salmonis. Due to this purpose, the native fish Eleginops maclovinus was used in our study. Fish were randomly distributed in tanks and intraperitoneally inoculated with two strains of P. salmonis. No mortality was recorded during the experiment. Cortisol, glucose and total α-amino acid levels increased in fish injected with AUSTRAL-005 strain compared to sham-injected and LF-89-inoculated fish. Moreover, results showed an increase in the activity of carbohydrates and lipids metabolism in liver; and an increase in the carbohydrates, lipids and total α-amino acid metabolism in muscle after injection with AUSTRAL-005. Our results suggest that P. salmonis modulates the physiology of E. maclovinus and the physiological impact increase in the presence of the antibiotic-resistant strain AUSTRAL-005.     

茄子反向温敏雄性不育系可溶性糖含量及相关基因表达分析

为揭示茄子反向温敏核雄性不育(rTGMS)发生与糖类代谢的关系,以茄子rTGMS系‘05ms’及温度不敏感系‘S63’为试材,对不育期和可育期的叶片及花蕾的可溶性糖含量进行比较,结果表明,‘05ms’在不育和可育时期叶片和花蕾中的可溶性糖含量均显著低于‘S63’;进一步对‘05ms’花蕾进行转录组测序及对其糖类代谢相关途径进行分析,发现差异表达基因主要富集在3个通路:淀粉和蔗糖代谢、糖酵解/糖异生和氨基糖和核苷酸糖代谢,其中淀粉和蔗糖代谢通路的差异基因最多且大部分在低温条件表达下调,主要影响了葡萄糖和半乳糖醛酸的合成。此结果初步揭示了茄子反向温敏雄性不育系中糖类代谢响应温度变化的特点,为茄子雄性不育杂交育种提供理论依据。     

镉胁迫对烟草种子萌发和烟苗生长发育的影响

为探讨不同镉（Cd）胁迫对不同烟草品种种子萌发、幼苗生长的生理生态效应的影响,以吉烟9号、吉烟10号、延晒六号3个烟草品种为材料,研究了不同浓度的Cd溶液对烟草种子萌发以及烟苗生长发育的影响。结果表明,Cd胁迫下烟草种子发芽势、发芽率、发芽指数、活力指数、苗高均受到抑制;烟苗叶绿素含量降低,根冠比变小,生长受到抑制,CAT活性、SOD活性、可溶性糖含量随Cd浓度的增加呈先增后降的趋势,POD活性、MDA含量、Pro含量、Cd含量均随Cd浓度的增加而增加。可见Cd胁迫能不同程度地影响烟草种子萌发和烟苗生长发育,烟苗体内的抗氧化酶系统被破坏,多种酶活性不协调,生理生化过程紊乱,最终导致烟苗受害。     

Effect of oil source on growth performance,antioxidant capacity,fatty acid composition and fillet quality of juvenile grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

This study was conducted to evaluate the dietary use of vegetable oil sources in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Fish were fed diets having the same lipid level from fish oil (FO), palm oil (PO), rapeseed oil (RO), soybean oil (SO) or linseed oil (LO). The results showed that dietary vegetable oils significantly decreased the feed utilization and a significantly lower growth was observed in SO group, while palm oil showed no effect on the growth performance. Dietary vegetable oils suppressed intestinal digestion by inhibiting the activities of digestive enzymes. Vegetable oils significantly elevated the activities of lipase, hepatic lipase and total lipase in liver, and a phenomenon of intense lipid accumulation emerged in liver of PO and SO groups. Furthermore, linseed oil significantly decreased plasma antioxidant capacity, whereas no significant difference was found between RO and FO groups. Dietary vegetable oils caused a significantly lower EPA and DHA in muscle, and further influenced fillet quality through an increase in cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness and/or springiness, together with a decrease in hardness. Overall, our results indicated that rapeseed oil may be a suitable alternative oil source for grass carp from a point of growth, feed conversion ratio, antioxidative capacity and hepatic histology.     

Lipid metabolism in juveniles of Yellowtail,Seriola dorsalis,fed different levels of dietary methionine containing a low level of cholesterol: Implication in feed formulation

The involvement of dietary methionine in the lipid metabolism of Seriola dorsalis, at different levels of dietary methionine (Met), and low content of cholesterol was investigated. Four diets containing different Met levels and a low amount of cholesterol (0.23 g/kg diet) were prepared. One hundred and eighty juveniles (16.2 ± 1.5 g) were randomly distributed into each 12 500‐L ponds. After 60 days, the growth in weight (%) significantly increased following the Met supplementation, whereas SGR of all the experimental treatments was higher than the Basal Diet. The expression of the insulin‐like growth factor (IGF‐1) increased significantly (0.2‐fold) and was complemented by significant changes in Mat, BHMT and HMG‐CoA, for fish that were in the low and higher Met levels. The cholesterol content in the whole body and liver increased following methionine supplementation, similarly to that observed for crude lipids, in particular in the whole body and liver tissues. However, the relative amount of most fatty acids remained unchanged. Only the oleic acid increased at a higher amount of Met. Therefore, once the dietary requirement of methionine is met, the methionine is used to synthesize cholesterol. It is recommended to supply a higher amount of methionine to spare energy for growth.