Effects of lycopene on abdominal fat deposition, serum lipids levels and hepatic lipid metabolism-related enzymes in broiler chickens

Wan Xiaoli,Yang Zhengfeng,Ji Haoran,Li Ning,Yang Zhi,Xu Lei,Yang Haiming,Wang Zhiyue 아세아·태평양축산학회 2021 Animal Bioscience Vol.34 No.3

Objective: The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of lycopene on growth performance, abdominal fat deposition, serum lipids levels, activities of hepatic lipid metabolism related enzymes and genes expression in broiler chickens. Methods: A total of 256 healthy one-day-old male Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly divided into four groups with eight replicates of eight birds each. Birds were fed basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg lycopene, respectively. Results: Dietary 100 mg/kg lycopene increased the body weight at 21 day of age compared to the control group (p<0.05). Compared to the basal diet, broilers fed diet with 100 mg/kg lycopene had decreased abdominal fat weight, and broilers fed diet with 100 and 200 mg/kg lycopene had decreased abdominal fat percentage (p<0.05). Compared to control, diets with 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg lycopene reduced the levels of total triglyceride and total cholesterol in serum, and diets with 100 and 200 mg/kg lycopene reduced the level of serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (p<0.05). The activity of fatty acid synthase (FAS) in 400 mg/kg lycopene treated broilers and the activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) in 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg lycopene treated broilers were lower than those fed basal diet (p<0.05). Lycopene increased the mRNA abundance of adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase α (AMPK-α), whereas decreased the mRNA abundance of sterol regulatory elementbinding protein 1, FAS, and ACC compared to the control group (p<0.05). Conclusion: Dietary lycopene supplementation can alleviate abdominal fat deposition and decrease serum lipids levels, possibly through activating the AMPK signaling pathway, thereby regulating lipid metabolism such as lipogenesis. Therefore, lycopene or lycopenerich plant materials might be added to poultry feed to regulate lipid metabolism. Objective: The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of lycopene on growth performance, abdominal fat deposition, serum lipids levels, activities of hepatic lipid metabolism related enzymes and genes expression in broiler chickens.Methods: A total of 256 healthy one-day-old male Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly divided into four groups with eight replicates of eight birds each. Birds were fed basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg lycopene, respectively.Results: Dietary 100 mg/kg lycopene increased the body weight at 21 day of age compared to the control group (p<0.05). Compared to the basal diet, broilers fed diet with 100 mg/kg lycopene had decreased abdominal fat weight, and broilers fed diet with 100 and 200 mg/kg lycopene had decreased abdominal fat percentage (p<0.05). Compared to control, diets with 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg lycopene reduced the levels of total triglyceride and total cholesterol in serum, and diets with 100 and 200 mg/kg lycopene reduced the level of serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol (p<0.05). The activity of fatty acid synthase (FAS) in 400 mg/kg lycopene treated broilers and the activity of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) in 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg lycopene treated broilers were lower than those fed basal diet (p<0.05). Lycopene increased the mRNA abundance of adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase α (AMPK-α), whereas decreased the mRNA abundance of sterol regulatory elementbinding protein 1, FAS, and ACC compared to the control group (p<0.05).Conclusion: Dietary lycopene supplementation can alleviate abdominal fat deposition and decrease serum lipids levels, possibly through activating the AMPK signaling pathway, thereby regulating lipid metabolism such as lipogenesis. Therefore, lycopene or lycopenerich plant materials might be added to poultry feed to regulate lipid metabolism.

An application of augmented Lagrangian differential evolution algorithm for optimizing the speed of inland ships sailing on the Yangtze River

Zhang Longhui,Peng Xiuyan,Liu Zhengfeng,Wei Naxin,Wang Fei 대한조선학회 2022 International Journal of Naval Architecture and Oc Vol.14 No.1

As an effective way to achieve energy conservation and emission reduction, the speed optimization of inland ships has received increasing attention. In this study, a modeling method for the speed optimization of inland ships sailing on the Yangtze River and a heuristic algorithm called Augmented Lagrangian Differential Evolution (ALDE) method are proposed. The ALDE introduces adaptive control parameters, an elite strategy, and opposition-based learning technology for optimization. To validate the performance of ALDE, it is compared with six other algorithms to solve several well-known constrained optimization problems, and the results show that the ALDE outperforms these six algorithms. To construct a speed optimization model, a discretization model for the Yangtze River waterway is established by segmenting the waterway. Considering the relationship among the environment, ship, engine, and propeller, a fuel consumption prediction model is built, and then, the objective optimization function for inland ship speed optimization is established by integrating the discrete model as well as the fuel consumption model. Finally, numerical simulation results show that the ALDE can realize less fuel consumption for an inland ship sailing from Yibin Port to Jiangyin Port, verifying the feasibility of the ALDE for speed optimization of inland ships.

Prolonged hypotensive effect of human tissue kallikrein gene delivery and recombinant enzyme administration in spontaneous hypertension rats

Huaichang Sun,Lei Zhang,Anping Wang,Zhengfeng Xue 생화학분자생물학회 2004 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.36 No.1

To evaluate the feasibility of treating hypertension by human tisue kallikrein gene (KLK1) delivery and by enzyme (rK1) administration, two recom-binant vectors expressing KLK1 cDNA were con-structed for gene delivery (pcDNA-KLK1) and recom-binant enzyme preparation (pOV-KLK1). Expres-confirmed by imunofluorescence and in sponta-neous hypertension rats (SHR) by enzymatic detec-tion. Following intramuscular or intravenous injec-tion with the pcDNA-KLK1 vector, systolic pres-sure of SHR was significantly decreased, which lasted for 20 d to two months depending on dose, route and/or time of injection. Eg white con-taining recombinant hK1 was prepared by injection of egg-laying hens with the oviduct-specific ex-pression vector pOV-KLK1 and administered into systolic pressure of the SHR was decreased to that of normal rats, which lasted for 3-5 d de-pending on the dosage used. These data sugest that both hKLK1 gene delivery and recombinant enzyme administration can be used as alternative strategies for treating human hypertension.

Evaluation of the susceptibility of coal to spontaneous combustion by a TG profile subtraction method

Yulong Zhang,Sheng Xue,Junfeng Wang,Yue Wu,Zhengfeng Li,Liping Chang 한국화학공학회 2016 Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering Vol.33 No.3

−It is imperative to have an in-depth understanding of the intrinsic reaction between coal and oxygen during low-temperature oxidation, as the reaction is the main source responsible for the self-heating and spontaneous combustion of coal. As low-temperature oxidation of coal involves a series of physical and chemical process and many parallel reactions, it is difficult to directly investigate the intrinsic reaction between coal and oxygen by conventional analytical method. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to investigate the intrinsic reaction between coal and oxygen based on the mass change. By means of the subtraction analysis method of TGA, the TG-subtraction curves were obtained by subtracting the TG-N2 curves from the TG-air curves. The results indicate that a TG-subtraction curve can better reflect the intrinsic reaction of coal oxidation than a TG-air curve by eliminating the influence of evaporation of water and thermal decomposition of inherent oxygen-containing groups. In terms of the rate of mass increase, the intrinsic reactions can be divided into three stages: slow oxidation stage, advanced oxidation stage and rapid oxidation stage. The activation energy at each of the stages, obtained by Coats and Redfern’s model, can be used to as a technical parameter to evaluate the proneness of coal spontaneous combustion. The optimum experiment conditions were also developed to study low-temperature coal oxidation with the subtraction method of TGA.

MicroRNA-375 is a therapeutic target for castration-resistant prostate cancer through the PTPN4/STAT3 axis

Gan Junqing,Liu Shan,Zhang Yu,He Liangzi,Bai Lu,Liao Ran,Zhao Juan,Guo Madi,Jiang Wei,Li Jiade,Li Qi,Mu Guannan,Wu Yangjiazi,Wang Xinling,Zhang Xingli,Zhou Dan,Lv Huimin,Wang Zhengfeng,Zhang Yanqiao,Q 생화학분자생물학회 2022 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.54 No.-

The functional role of microRNA-375 (miR-375) in the development of prostate cancer (PCa) remains controversial. Previously, we found that plasma exosomal miR-375 is significantly elevated in castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) patients compared with castration-sensitive PCa patients. Here, we aimed to determine how miR-375 modulates CRPC progression and thereafter to evaluate the therapeutic potential of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (hucMSC)-derived exosomes loaded with miR-375 antisense oligonucleotides (e-375i). We used miRNA in situ hybridization technique to evaluate miR-375 expression in PCa tissues, gain- and loss-of-function experiments to determine miR-375 function, and bioinformatic methods, dual-luciferase reporter assay, qPCR, IHC and western blotting to determine and validate the target as well as the effects of miR-375 at the molecular level. Then, e-375i complexes were assessed for their antagonizing effects against miR-375. We found that the expression of miR-375 was elevated in PCa tissues and cancer exosomes, correlating with the Gleason score. Forced expression of miR-375 enhanced the expression of EMT markers and AR but suppressed apoptosis markers, leading to enhanced proliferation, migration, invasion, and enzalutamide resistance and decreased apoptosis of PCa cells. These effects could be reversed by miR-375 silencing. Mechanistically, miR-375 directly interfered with the expression of phosphatase nonreceptor type 4 (PTPN4), which in turn stabilized phosphorylated STAT3. Application of e-375i could inhibit miR-375, upregulate PTPN4 and downregulate p-STAT3, eventually repressing the growth of PCa. Collectively, we identified a novel miR-375 target, PTPN4, that functions upstream of STAT3, and targeting miR-375 may be an alternative therapeutic for PCa, especially for CRPC with high AR levels.

Defining the N-Linked Glycosylation Site of Hantaan Virus Envelope Glycoproteins Essential for Cell Fusion

Zheng, Feng,Ma, Lixian,Shao, Lihua,Wang, Gang,Chen, Fengzhe,Zhang, Ying,Yang, Song The Microbiological Society of Korea 2007 The journal of microbiology Vol.45 No.1

The Hantaan virus (HTNV) is an enveloped virus that is capable of inducing low pH-dependent cell fusion. We molecularly cloned the viral glycoprotein (GP) and nucleocapsid (NP) cDNA of HTNV and expressed them in Vero E6 cells under the control of a CMV promoter. The viral gene expression was assessed using an indirect immunofluorescence assay and immunoprecipitation. The transfected Vero E6 cells expressing GPs, but not those expressing NP, fused and formed a syncytium following exposure to a low pH. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against envelope GPs inhibited cell fusion, whereas MAbs against NP did not. We also investigated the N-linked glycosylation of HTNV GPs and its role in cell fusion. The envelope GPs of HTNV are modified by N-linked glycosylation at five sites: four sites on G1 (N134, N235, N347, and N399) and one site on G2 (N928). Site-directed mutagenesis was used to construct eight GP gene mutants, including five single N-glycosylation site mutants and three double-site mutants, which were then expressed in Vero E6 cells. The oligosaccharide chain on residue N928 of G2 was found to be crucial for cell fusion after exposure to a low pH. These results suggest that G2 is likely to be the fusion protein of HTNV.