Berberine attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced impairments of intestinal glutamine transport and glutaminase activity in rat

Berberine was reported to protect against the intestinal injury and improve the survival rate in sepsis, and glutamine deficiency was considered to be correlated with mortality in sepsis. We found that berberine pretreatment ameliorated lipopolysaccharide-induced direct intestinal injury and mucosal hypoplasia and attenuated impairments of intestinal glutamine transport and glutaminase activity, B⁰AT1 mRNA and protein expressions, and glutaminase protein expression. These findings showed the first time that berberine pretreatment could improve intestinal recovery and attenuate the impairment of glutamine transport and glutaminase activity in rat sepsis. This might be one of the mechanisms for the beneficial effect of berberine on sepsis.     

Protective effect of recombinant SCR15-18 domain of human complement receptor type 1 on intestinal ischemia and reperfusion injury

AIM: To investigate the protective effect of recombinant SCR15-18 domain of human complement receptor type 1 (CR1-SCR-15-18) on intestinal ischemia and reperfusion in a rat model. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: sham operation(SO) group, ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) group and CR1-SCR15-18 treatment group. The superior mesenteric artery of the rats was clamped for 30 min followed by 60 min of reperfusion. PBS alone or CR1-SCR15-18 protein (30 mg/kg) in PBS was intravenously administered 5 min before reperfusion. Intestinal vascular permeability, myeloperoxidase (MPO), malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured. The histopathological changes of intestinal mucosa were examined by HE staining and complement 3 was detected by immunohistochemical analysis. RESULTS: Compared with SO group, the vascular permeability, the activity of MPO and the content of MDA in I/R group were significantly increased, and the activity of SOD was decreased. HE staining demonstrated that I/R induced severe intestinal histological damages and the increased amount of complement 3 and its derivates were deposited in the necrosis area. Compared with I/R group, the vascular permeability, the activity of MPO and the content of MDA were decreased and the activity of SOD was significantly increased in CR1-SCR15-18 treatment group. CR1-SCR15-18 also significantly attenuated intestinal histological injury, and reduced the deposition of complement 3 and its derivates in the necrosis zone. CONCLUSION: sCR1-SCR15-18 protein exerts a protective effect against intestinal I/R injury in rats, possibly by inhibiting the activation of complement.     

Nuclear receptor and target gene mRNA abundance in duodenum and colon of dogs with chronic enteropathies

Nuclear receptors (NR), such as constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), pregnane X receptor (PXR) and peroxisome proliferator-associated receptors alpha and gamma (PPAR, PPARγ) are mediators of inflammation and may be involved in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and food responsive diarrhea (FRD) of dogs. The present study compared mRNA abundance of NR and NR target genes [multi drug-resistance gene-1 (MDR1), multiple drug-resistance-associated proteins (MRD2, MRD3), cytochrome P450 (CYP3A12), phenol-sulfating phenol sulfotransferase (SULT1A1) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST A3-3)] in biopsies obtained from duodenum and colon of dogs with IBD and FRD and healthy control dogs (CON; n = 7 per group). Upon first presentation of dogs, mRNA levels of PPAR, PPARγ, CAR, PXR and RXR in duodenum as well as PPARγ, CAR, PXR and RXR in colon were not different among groups (P > 0.10). Although mRNA abundance of PPAR in colon of dogs with FRD was similar in both IBD and CON (P > 0.10), PPAR mRNA abundance was higher in IBD than CON (P < 0.05). Levels of mRNA of MDR1 in duodenum were higher in FRD than IBD (P < 0.05) or CON (P < 0.001). Compared with CON, abundances of mRNA for MRP2, CYP3A12 and SULT1A1 were higher in both FRD and IBD than CON (P < 0.05). Differences in mRNA levels of PPAR and MRP2 in colon and MDR1, MRP2, CYP3A12 and SULT1A1 in duodenum may be indicative for enteropathy in FRD and (or) IBD dogs relative to healthy dogs. More importantly, increased expression of MDR1 in FRD relative to IBD in duodenum may be a useful diagnostic marker to distinguish dogs with FRD from dogs with IBD.     

The immune modifying effects of amino acids on gut-associated lymphoid tissue

The intestine and the gut-associated lymphoid tissue（GALT） are essential components of whole body immune defense,protecting the body from foreign antigens and pathogens,while allowing tolerance to commensal bacteria and dietary antigens.The requirement for protein to support the immune system is well established.Less is known regarding the immune modifying properties of individual amino acids,particularly on the GALT.Both oral and parenteral feeding studies have established convincing evidence that not only the total protein intake,but the availability of specific dietary amino acids（in particular glutamine,glutamate,and arginine,and perhaps methionine,cysteine and threonine） are essential to optimizing the immune functions of the intestine and the proximal resident immune cells.These amino acids each have unique properties that include,maintaining the integrity,growth and function of the intestine,as well as normalizing inflammatory cytokine secretion and improving T-lymphocyte numbers,specific T cell functions,and the secretion of IgA by lamina propria cells.Our understanding of this area has come from studies that have supplemented single amino acids to a mixed protein diet and measuring the effect on specific immune parameters.Future studies should be designed using amino acid mixtures that target a number of specific functions of GALT in order to optimize immune function in domestic animals and humans during critical periods of development and various disease states.     

特异性敲除肠道miR-146a对小鼠肠道菌群的影响

【目的】miR-146a作为抑炎因子,仍然不清楚其是否参与宿主与微生物间的互作,进而影响肠道稳态,因此本文旨在研究miR-146a对小鼠肠道菌群的影响。【方法】以肠道miR-146a特异性敲除小鼠(CKO鼠)及对照小鼠(Flox鼠)为研究对象,利用16S rRNA高通量测序法检测2组空肠段的微生物菌群分布。【结果】测序共获得1 134个用于物种分类的OTUs,包括37门、80纲、161目、198科、261属、117种的细菌;Flox组和CKO组小鼠的空肠微生物中共有46个相同的OTUs;各组肠道微生物中厚壁菌门Firmicutes、拟杆菌门Bacteroidota、疣微菌门Verrucomicrobiota、变形菌门Proteobacteria和脱硫杆菌门Desulfobacterota是优势菌门;2组肠道微生物群落组成整体相似,但CKO组梭状芽孢杆菌纲Clostridia的平均相对丰度高于Flox组(P=0.067),毛螺菌目Lachnospirales平均相对丰度显著高于Flox组(P<0.05),其他层级组成无显著差异。【结论】miR-146a敲除可改变宿主肠道梭状芽孢杆菌...     

新型发酵豆粕在断奶仔猪日粮中应用效果

旨在研究新型发酵豆粕对断奶仔猪生产性能、血液生化指标和肠道发育的影响.根据胎次、体质量相近原则,选择90头26日龄体质量为(4.75±0.38)kg的杜枫姜断奶仔猪,分为对照组、试验Ⅰ组(饲粮中添加17.5%发酵豆粕)和试验Ⅱ组(饲粮中添加35%发酵豆粕),每组3个重复,每重复10头.结果表明:试验Ⅰ组、Ⅱ组仔猪日增体质量显著高于对照组,分别增加13.90%(P<0.05)、50.55%(P<0.01),料重比较对照组分别降低19.47%(P<0.05)和4.21%(P>0.05).试验Ⅱ组(P<0.01)、试验Ⅰ组(P<0.05)仔猪腹泻率均显著低于对照组.试验Ⅱ组和试验Ⅰ组血清尿素氮(BUN)含量分别比对照组低5.23%(P<0.05)、4.13%(P<0.05).两试验组总蛋白(TP)和白蛋白(ALB)含量均有不同程度升高,血糖(GLU)均显著高于对照组(P<0.05).试验Ⅱ组的肠绒毛高度和绒毛高度/隐窝深度比值显著高于对照组(P<0.05),隐窝深度和肠壁厚度显著降低.新型发酵豆粕可改善断奶仔猪生长性能,显著降低腹泻率,提高饲料利用率,且可促进仔猪胃肠道发育.     

Wnt/β-catenin信号途径与早期内胚层及相关器官的发育

介绍早期胚胎发育中Wnt/β-catenin信号途径对早期内胚层以及肝脏、胰腺、肠等内胚层器官发育的影响和相关的分子机制。