Introduction to the International Symposium on Lipid Science and Health and research progress in lipid science and health

The International Symposium on Lipid Science and Health (ISLSH), which was organized annually by Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (OCRI-CAAS) since 2016, has gained a strong reputation and attracted hundreds of delegates from around the world for discussion of lipid research trends and advances every year, to promote research and academic exchanges in the fields of lipid science and health. The 5th International Symposium on lipid Science and Health was successfully held in Wuhan, China, from October 23rd to 25th, 2020, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of OCRI-CAAS. The two-day symposium gathered well-known experts specialized in lipid science to share the current state of lipid research with emphasis on aspects covering: (1) lipid profiling and characterization, (2) lipid preparation and modification, (3) lipid improvement and regulation, and (4) lipid nutrition and health. The symposium was conducted by a combination of on-site and network meeting. More than 250 distinguished delegates from academia and industry participated in the on-site multidisciplinary meeting, and thousands of scholars attended the virtual event. This paper is as a record of the symposium proceedings and a brief summary of the advances and trends in 4 aspects of lipid science and health.     

Comparative lipid and lipoprotein metabolism

This review summarizes a number of recent reports in several areas of lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. Absorption of dietary lipids, cholesterol synthesis, and biliary cholesterol metabolism are mentioned only briefly to be complete. Comparative aspects of lipoprotein metabolism, however, are detailed in an effort to integrate the myriad metabolic events which characterize these important lipid transport particles. Where comparative information is known, those aspects of lipoprotein metabolism that may be protective against atherogenesis in certain mammalian species are also described. Efforts to understand atherogenic resistance comparatively in animals lends a better understanding of the metabolic events leading to coronary artery disease in humans. They also provide an important basis for understanding lipid metabolism in numerous veterinary species.     

外源乙烯对草莓果实微粒体Ca2+- ATPase活性和膜脂过氧化的调节

 以乳白期‘春星’草莓(Fragaria ananassa Duch．‘Chunxing’)果实为试材，研究了经钙调素(CaM)拮抗剂三氟拉嗪(TFP)、氯丙嗪(CPZ)各100 µmol·L^-1 和钙通道阻塞剂异博定(Verapamil)100 µmol·L^-1 预处理后再用乙烯(50 µL·L^-1 )处理的草莓果实中微粒体“Ca²⁺-ATP酶活性、O₂ 产生速率和MDA含量的变化。结果表明，外源乙烯对微粒体膜O₂ 产生速率无显著影响，处理早期提高微粒体膜Ca²⁺- ATPase总活性，对MDA含量影响不大；后期加速微粒体膜Ca²⁺- ATPase总活性下降，但仍保持较高的MDA含量和线粒体膜Ca²⁺-ATPase活性。CPZ、TFP和Verapamil预处理降低了上述乙烯处理下Ca²⁺- ATPase活性和MDA含量，但对微粒体膜O 产生速率亦无显著影响，这说明细胞内Ca²⁺-和CaM 可能参与了乙烯诱导的膜Ca²⁺-ATP酶活性与膜脂过氧化水平的调节。     

Affecting Lipid Metabolism Salivary MicroRNAs Expressions in Arabian Racehorses Before and After the Race

The active roles of microribonucleic acids (miRNAs) in gene regulation have made miRNAs a key point for the scientific world in the study of physiological processes. Although saliva includes the largest number of miRNAs, there is no miRNA study in saliva on horses has been found. Our study is the first study on miRNAs isolation from saliva in horses. In the present study, saliva was studied in Arabian racehorses to better understand the molecular mechanisms of expression levels that are effective in lipid metabolism of miRNAs and their target genes during the race. Identification of lipid metabolism of miRNAs and their target genes is an opportunity to provide information about biomarkers in Arabian racehorses on energy supply for race performance. Arabian racehorses have low glycogen content and high triglyceride storage capability, thanks to the high amount of oxidative type I fiber in their muscle tissue. Therefore, Arabian racehorses can provide higher levels of energy using more fat. The aim of this study is to determine the prerace and postrace expression levels of eight miRNAs in saliva that are known to affect lipid metabolism in Arabian racehorses. The expression level of eca-miR-33a was found to be statistically significant (P < .05). Target genes of eca-miR-33a have been copredicted as ABCA1, CROT, ABHD2, and SATB2, with three validated databases and other analysis tools. In conclusion, these findings revealed that both eca-miR-33a and its target genes could be potential core genes that play important roles in lipid metabolism in Arabian racehorses to provide energy during the race.     

Effect of miR-19a on lipid catabolism in hepatocyte LO2

AIM: To observe the effect of microRNA-19a (miR-19a) on the lipid catabolism of hepatocyte LO2, and to explore the potential mechanism. METHODS: miR-19a was over-expressed or silenced by transfection of miR-19a mimics or miR-19a inhibitor into LO2 cells, then the mRNA level of miR-19a was detected by real-time PCR. The potential target of miR-19a was found by the method of bioinformatics through internet website. The effect of miR-19a on the 3' UTR of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) was measured by dual luciferase reporter assay, and the protein level of PPARα and its 2 major downstream rate-limiting enzymes involved in lipid catabolism, acyl-coenzyme a dehydrogenase (ACADM) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1A), were detected by Western blotting. Meanwhile, the effect of miR-19a on the generation of ketone body was measured by beta-hydroxybutyric acid (β-OHB) detection assay. RESULTS: The mRNA level of miR-19a was dramatically elevated by the transfection of miR-19a mimics, and sharply decreased by the transfection of miR-19a inhibitor (P<0.05). PPARα was found as a potential target of miR-19a, and dual luciferase reporter assay and Western blotting confirmed the regulatory effect of miR-19a on the expression of PPARα, with the protein level changes of ACADM and CPT1A. miR-19a mimics down-regulated, while miR-19a inhibitor up-regulated the concentration of β-OHB in LO2 cells (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: miR-19a regulates the lipid catabolism of hepatocytes by targeting the PPARα and its 2 downstream rate-limiting enzymes.     

Cholinesterases as markers of the inflammatory process associated oxidative stress in cattle infected by Babesia bigemina

The objective of this study was to assess the influence of an asymptomatic experimental infection by Babesia bigemina on cholinesterase’s as markers of the inflammatory process and biomarkers of oxidative imbalance. For this purpose, eight naive animals were used, as follows: four as controls or uninfected; and four infected with an attenuated strain of B. bigemina. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 7 and 11 post-inoculation (PI). Parasitemia was determined by blood smear evaluation, showing that the infection by B. bigemina resulted in mean 0.725 and 0.025% on day 7 and 11 PI, respectively, as well as mild anemia. The activities of acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase and catalase were lower, while levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and superoxide dismutase activity were higher in infected animals, when compared with the control group. This attenuated strain of B. bigemina induced an oxidative stress condition, as well as it reduces the cholinesterasés activity in infected and asymptomatic cattle. Therefore, this decrease of cholinesterase in infection by B. bigemina purpose is to inhibit inflammation, for thereby increasing acetylcholine levels, potent anti-inflammatory molecules.     

侧风影响下喷头倾斜角度对雾滴飘移补偿

为研究植保喷雾作业中在不同风速和喷头倾斜角度下对水平喷雾的雾滴飘移的影响,设置3个风速水平（1、2、3 m/s）与4个喷头倾斜角度水平（0°、15°、30°、45°）进行喷雾试验,测定了不同水平的雾滴分布,以风速为0、喷头倾斜角度为0°的常规作业水平作为对照组,对垂直和水平两个方向的雾滴质量分布中心与变异系数进行分析。结果表明,垂直方向上,侧风风速与喷头倾斜角度对垂直雾滴质量分布中心的影响在±3 cm范围内整体影响较小,而侧风风速与喷头倾斜角度的增大都会使垂直方向变异系数减小,在1～3 m/s的风速下垂直方向变异系数减小的最大值分别为12.3、6.0、16.0个百分点,提高了雾滴在垂直方向上的均匀性。水平方向上,不同风速和喷头倾斜角度都会对雾滴飘移产生影响,随着喷头倾斜角度的增大,雾滴受风速的影响程度会减小,当喷头倾斜角的补偿量超过了当前风速下对雾滴的飘移量,会使雾滴飘移产生过补偿,在高风速时喷头倾斜角度的改变会带来更大的雾滴飘移改变。侧风风速与喷头倾斜角度对水平方向上变异系数会产生较大影响：随着喷头倾斜角度的增大,水平变异系数也随之增大,而风速的变化使水平变异系数呈现先增大后减小的趋势。拟合了喷头倾斜角度与风速对雾滴飘移的影响模型,并计算出在1、2、3 m/s风速条件下,最佳补偿的喷头倾斜角度分别为3°、7°、11°。该研究为植保作业中雾滴飘移改善技术提供参考。     

喷灌压力、喷嘴直径和喷洒历时对土壤入渗性能的影响

选取适宜的允许喷灌强度是避免喷灌条件下水土流失的重要措施之一。通过田间试验,测定了不同喷灌压力与喷嘴直径条件下土壤结皮厚度、表层土壤容重以及土壤入渗性能随喷洒历时的动态变化。试验处理包括2种质地土壤(壤质砂土和粉质黏壤土)、3个喷灌压力(103,138,172 kPa)和3个喷嘴直径(3.97,5.95,7.94 mm)。结果表明,喷灌压力越大,土壤结皮厚度和表层容重越小,土壤稳定入渗率越大。喷嘴直径越大,土壤结皮厚度和表层容重越大,土壤稳定入渗率越小。土壤结皮厚度和表层容重随着喷洒历时的增加显著增大,而土壤稳定入渗率则随之对数减小。喷洒动能强度是一个描述喷洒水滴对土壤入渗率影响的优选参数。研究结果为允许喷灌强度的确定提供科学依据。     

Drop size dependence of soil-water contact angle in relation to the droplet geometry and line tension

The soil-water contact angle is used as a measure of the surface hydrophobicity of soils. The contact angle for particular solid–liquid combination is considered to vary with the drop size. In this paper, we focused on examining the drop size dependence of contact angle on soil surfaces compared with homogeneous solid surfaces, and determining its relation to the droplet geometry and line tension. The contact angle estimated using geometric parameters of the droplets (θ _G) showed decreasing trend with increasing drop size from 5 to 50?µL irrespective of the deformations in the droplet shape in larger drops. This was considered to be a result of the corresponding deviations of the geometric parameters of the droplets. The directly measured contact angle (θ _A) first decreased and then increased with increasing drop size from 5 to 50?µL. The drop size at lowest θ _A for hydrophobized silica sand with 1?g?kg^–1 stearic acid (SA) and the acryl surfaces was 20?µL, whereas that for hydrophobized silica sand with 5?g?kg^–1 SA and siliconed paper was 30?µL. The decrease in θ _A with increasing drop size was explained as a result of the line tension effect using the modified Young's equation. Despite the surface heterogeneity, all the surfaces tested in this study showed positive line tensions on the order of 10?µJ?m^–1. Irrespective of the heterogeneity of the surfaces, the θ _A in this experiment agreed with the modified Young's equation for drop sizes up to about 20–30?µL, where the θ _A and θ _G were also in good agreement. Drop size dependence of contact angle was independent of the level of surface hydrophobicity. The θ _A on all the examined surfaces started to increase with increasing drop size when the deformation index, I _d, exceeded 5%, where the wetting radius, R exceeded the capillary length. The increase in θ _A with increasing drop size was attributed to the deformations of water drops due to the effect of gravity.