Clinical use of a ceramide-based moisturizer for treating dogs with atopic dermatitis

In humans, skin barrier dysfunction is thought to be responsible for enhanced penetration of allergens. Similar to conditions seen in humans, canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) is characterized by derangement of corneocytes and disorganization of intercellular lipids in the stratum corenum (SC) with decreased ceramide levels. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of a moisturizer containing ceramide on dogs with CAD. Dogs (n = 20, 3~8 years old) with mild to moderate clinical signs were recruited and applied a moisturizer containing ceramide for 4 weeks. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin hydration, pruritus index for canine atopic dermatitis (PICAD) scores, and canine atopic dermatitis extent and severity index (CADESI) scores of all dogs were evaluated. Skin samples from five dogs were also examined with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) using ruthenium tetroxide. TEWL, PICAD, and CADESI values decreased (p < 0.05) and skin hydration increased dramatically over time (p < 0.05). Electron micrographs showed that the skin barrier of all five dogs was partially restored (p < 0.05). In conclusion, these results demonstrated that moisturizer containing ceramide was effective for treating skin barrier dysfunction and CAD symptoms.     

犬的免疫介导疾病的诊断和治疗

我们经常能看到一些犬表现出干燥和皮屑剥落的皮肤,变薄变稀的皮毛,泪流不止,足部过度舔,慢性腹泻,多动,不能长胖或情绪波动.这些症状最常见的诊断是跳蚤过敏性皮炎,环境过敏或饮食中缺乏脂肪酸.通常多作为治疗皮肤疾病的原因前往看兽医.然而,所有这些症状往往指向一种免疫介导缺陷的障碍—不活跃的免疫系统（免疫缺陷）,或过度活跃的免疫系统（自身免疫性疾病）.繁育者将带有隐蔽免疫介导缺陷的犬用于育种繁殖,将带来一些亚临床性质的问题.而一些兽医对此类问题的出现并不很了解,忽略了涉及免疫系统的缺陷和自身免疫性疾病的对症治疗.本文提供了先天的和适应性免疫的实际概述,并介绍这些宿主的防御机制是如何涉及健康和疾病的.     

Current experimental models,assessment and dietary modulations of intestinal permeability in broiler chickens

Maintaining and optimising the intestinal barrier (IB) function in poultry has important implications for the health and performance of the birds. As a key aspect of the IB, intestinal permeability (IP) is mainly controlled by complex junctional proteins called tight junction proteins (TJ) that link enterocytes together. The disruption of TJ is associated with increased gut leakage with possible subsequent implications for bacterial translocation, intestinal inflammation, compromised health and performance of the birds. Despite considerable data being available for other species, research on IP in broiler chickens and in general avian species is still an understudied topic. This paper reviews the available literature with a specific focus on IP in broiler chickens with consideration given to practical factors affecting the IP, current assessment methods, markers and nutritional modulation of IP. Several experimental models to induce gut leakage are discussed including pathogens, rye-based diets, feed deprivation and stress-inducing agents such as exogenous glucocorticoids and heat stress. Although various markers including fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran, expression of TJ and bacterial translocation have been widely utilized to study IP, recent studies have identified a number of excreta biomarkers to evaluate intestinal integrity, in particular non-invasive IP. Although the research on various nutrients and feed additives to potentially modulate IP is still at an early stage, the most promising outcomes are anticipated for probiotics, prebiotics, amino acids and those feed ingredients, nutrients and additives with anti-inflammatory properties. Considerable research gaps are identified for the mechanistic mode of action of various nutrients to influence IP under different experimental models. The modulation of IP through various strategies (i.e. nutritional manipulation of diet) may be regarded as a new frontier for disease prevention and improving the health and performance of poultry particularly in an antibiotic-free production system.     

栀子苷对酵母多糖致大鼠肠黏膜屏障损害作用的研究

目的 探讨栀子苷对酵母多糖（zymosan,Zym）致大鼠肠黏膜屏障损害的作用。方法 通过腹腔注射Zym-石蜡混悬液建立大鼠肠黏膜屏障损害模型,将模型大鼠随机分为模型组、栀子苷组、乌司他丁组,腹腔注射Zym后即刻干预,12 h后重复干预1次。另设正常对照组。造模24 h后测定大鼠血清肿瘤坏死因子-α（tumor necrosis factor-α,TNF-α）、白介素-1β（interleukin-1β,IL-1β）、白介素-6（interleukin-6,IL-6）、白介素-10（interleukin-10,IL-10）、D-乳酸（D-lactate,D-LA）、二胺氧化酶（diamine oxidase,DAO）、内毒素（endotoxin,ET）水平,并取小肠进行病理组织学检查。结果 模型组大鼠血清TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6、IL-10、D-LA、DAO、ET水平较正常对照组显著增高（P<0.01）;病理组织学检查可见黏膜上皮水肿,黏膜上皮细胞排列紊乱,黏膜上皮炎症细胞增多,固有层松散、充血;与模型组比较,栀子苷可降低肠黏膜屏障损害大鼠血清TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6、D-LA、DAO及ET水平,增加IL-10水平（P<0.05,P<0.01）,减轻肠组织病理性损伤。结论 栀子苷可以减轻Zym导致的大鼠炎症反应,对Zym引起的肠黏膜屏障损害具有保护作用。     

玉米秸秆对风沙土土壤微生物的影响

本研究以新型沙袋沙障为研究对象,分别对不同内部添加物、不同外层材料袋沙障内部、外部风沙土土壤细菌、真菌、放线菌及土壤微生物总量进行了测定。结果表明:沙袋沙障内添加玉米秸秆、玉米芯营养物质能够有效改善沙袋沙障内部风沙土环境,沙障内部微生物数量显著提高,微生物总数量分别达到了7.35×10~7 cfu/g、9.47×10~7 cfu/g,分别是对照(只灌装风沙土)沙袋沙障的113.11倍、145.62倍,并且添加玉米芯的作用效果更加显著,土壤微生物总数比添加玉米秸秆的高28.77%;添加玉米秸秆、玉米芯均对土壤真菌的影响较大,真菌数量可升高至微生物总数量的50%以上;玉米秸秆、玉米芯添加量越多,微生物数量越多,添加物体积百分比达到20%时,土壤微生物总数达到了1.01×10~8 cfu/g,随着添加量的继续增加,沙障内微生物数量无显著增加趋势;3种外层材料黄麻纤维、玻璃纤维、稻草沙袋沙障内部微生物总数排序为黄麻纤维>稻草>玻璃纤维,黄麻纤维沙障内部土壤细菌、真菌、放线菌三者总数分别比稻草、玻璃纤维的高58.80%、112.64%。     

Effects of dietary rosemary extract supplementation on growth performance,nutrient digestibility,antioxidant capacity,intestinal morphology,and microbiota of weaning pigs

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) extract (RE) has multiple pharmacological and biological activities, including the use as a food additive and medicine. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary RE supplementation on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology, and microbiota of weaning piglets. A total of 192 crossbred weaned piglets [Duroc × (Large White × Landrace)] (initial body weight = 6.65 ± 0.33 kg, weaned days = 23 ± 1 d) were group housed (six pigs per pen; n = 8 pens/treatment). Pigs were fed a corn–soybean meal-based control diet or the basal diet supplemented with 100, 200, or 400 mg/kg RE. Pigs were allowed ad libitum access to fed for 21 d. The growth performance and apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients, and intestinal morphology and antioxidant status were evaluated. The components of the microbial microflora were also determined in the cecal samples. Compared with the control, dietary supplementation with RE increased the final body weight, average daily gain, and average daily feed intake (linear, P = 0.038, 0.016, and 0.009, respectively), and decreased the diarrhea ratio in piglets (linear, P < 0.05). The digestibility of crude protein (linear, P = 0.034) and gross energy (linear, P = 0.046) increased with treatment with RE. Piglets fed RE showed longer villus height (linear, P = 0.037 and 0.028, respectively) and villus height/crypt depth (linear, P = 0.004 and 0.012; quadratic, P = 0.023 and 0.036, respectively) in the jejunum and ileum, in addition to a lesser crypt depth in the jejunum (linear, P = 0.019) and ileum (quadratic, P = 0.042). The addition of RE increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (linear, P = 0.035 and 0.008, respectively) and glutathione peroxidase activity (linear, P = 0.027 and 0.039, respectively) and decreased the content of malondialdehyde (linear, P = 0.041 and 0.013; quadratic, P = 0.023 and 0.005, respectively) in the serum and liver. Dietary RE supplementation, compared with the control, increased the number of Bifidobacterium (linear, P = 0.034) and Bacteroidetes (linear, P = 0.029), while decreased Escherichia coli (linear, P = 0.008; quadratic, P = 0.014) in the cecal contents. Thus, dietary RE supplementation can improve growth performance, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology, and the microbiota in weaned piglets, and 200 mg/kg may be considered the optimum dosage.     

沙柳沙障防风阻沙效益的研究

以库布齐沙漠穿沙公路和神东矿区巴图塔沙柳基地为试验区,对沙柳沙障体系内外风速和输沙量进行了野外观测,根据调查和观测资料,利用surfer(8.0)软件作出沙障体系内外的风速流场图,并运用粗糙度(z0)、摩阻速度(u*)等物理参数,对复式沙柳沙障的防风效益和阻沙作用进行了系统研究。结果表明:半隐蔽式、平铺式沙柳沙障防沙体系内外,风速比(V2 m/V0.3 m)的变化随着向沙障体系的逐渐靠近呈非线性增大;粗糙度(z0)的变化则随风速比(V2 m/V0.3 m)的增大表现出两种情况:当旷野风速小于起沙风速时,其趋势线方程为多项式函数,当旷野风速大于起沙风速时,其趋势线方程为指数函数;在沙柳沙障防沙体系内外,由于沙颗粒与沙柳体系内沙柳发生碰撞,输沙率随防沙体系远近的分布不再简单遵循对数或者指数关系,其极值出现的距离随风速的增加而波动,由于沙柳沙障构成的下垫面复杂多变,其对风沙流结构与风沙活动层风速廓线的影响很难确定。     

牛骨胶原蛋白肽的表征及其对Balb/c小鼠的抗疲劳作用

为了开发牛骨胶原蛋白肽(BBP)的抗疲劳功能,对BBP的氨基酸组成和肽段序列进行表征;选取16只7周龄、SPF级的Balb/c小鼠并随机分为2组,包括对照组(生理盐水)和肽干预组(w(BBP)=200 mg/kg)),每日定时灌胃。BBP干预4周后,测定小鼠的负重游泳时间和运动后血清代谢积累物含量。BBP干预18周后,测定血清氧化因子、炎症因子含量和肠道菌群组成。结果表明：1)BBP疏水性氨基酸比例为61.37%,大部分肽段来源于蛋白P02453(I型胶原蛋白的α1链)。2)BBP干预后小鼠负重游泳时间显著提高,且运动后血氨浓度显著降低、谷胱甘肽浓度显著升高(P<0.05),表明了BBP潜在的抗疲劳能力。3)BBP干预后,在非运动状态下小鼠血清SOD和GSH-Px显著升高,MDA浓度显著降低(P<0.05),表明了BBP潜在的抗氧化能力;在免疫方面,BBP干预后小鼠血清抗炎因子IL-10和促炎因子IL-6、TNF-α浓度均显著下降(P<0.05),主要的免疫器官胸腺指数显著下降(P<0.01),脾指数显著上升(P<0.05);在粪便中,潜在的有益菌Akke...     

超低氧贮藏技术研究进展

对超低氧保鲜技术在果蔬及粮食贮藏保鲜中的研究现状进行了综述,并对该保鲜方法的利弊进行了探讨,同时对该方法的应用前景及主要发展方向作一展望.     

Seaweed polysaccharide mitigates intestinal barrier dysfunction induced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli through NF-κB pathway suppression in porcine intestinal epithelial cells

This study aimed to investigate the protective effects and underlying mechanism of seaweed polysaccharide (SWP) on intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction induced by E. coli in an IPEC-J2 model. A preliminary study was done to screen optimum SWP concentrations by cell viability, cytotoxicity, apoptosis and proliferation evaluation. The regular study was conducted to evaluate the protective effects of SWP against E. coli challenge via the analysis of transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER), tight junction proteins, NF-κB signalling pathway, proinflammatory cytokines and the E. coli adhesion and invasion. Our results show that 4 h E. coli challenge down-regulated tight junction proteins expression, decreased TEER, activated NF-κB signalling pathway and increased proinflammatory response, which indicates that the E. coli infection model was well-established. Pre-treatment with 240 μg/ml SWP for 24 h alleviated the 4 h E. coli -induced intestinal epithelial barrier dysfunction, as evidenced by the up-regulated expression of Occludin, Claudin-1 and ZO-1 at both mRNA and protein level and the increased TEER of IPEC-J2 cells. Pre-incubation with 240 μg/ml SWP for 24 h inhibited the activation of the NF-κB signalling pathway by 4 h E. coli challenge, including the decreased mRNA expression of TLR-4, MyD88, IκBα, p-65, as well as the reduced ratio of protein expression of p-p65/p65. Also, pre-treatment with 240 μg/ml SWP for 24 h decreased proinflammatory response (IL-6 and TNF-α) induced by 4 h E. coli challenge and decreased the E. coli adhesion and invasion. In conclusion, SWP mitigated intestinal barrier dysfunction caused by E. coli through NF-κB pathway in IPEC-J2 cells and 240 μg/ml SWP exhibited better effect. Our results also provide a fundamental basis for SWP in reducing post-weaning diarrhoea of weaned piglets, especially under E. coli -infected or in-feed antibiotic-free conditions.