Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) suppresses follicle development marker expression and enhances cytokine expressions, which results in fail to granulosa cell proliferation in developing follicle in cows

Sleep deprivation aggravates lipopolysaccharide-induced anxiety, depression and cognitive impairment: The role of pro-inflammatory cytokines and synaptic plasticity-associated proteins

Growing evidence indicates that neuroinflammation plays a critical role in anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairment. Sleep loss disrupts the host's immune balance and increases neuroinflammation. This study explored whether chronic sleep deprivation aggravates lipopolysaccharide-induced anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairment and assessed the underlying mechanisms. Lipopolysaccharide (250 μg/kg) was administered to adult mice for 9 days, accompanied with daily intermittent sleep deprivation from 12:00 to 18:00 by using an activity wheel. Anxiety, depression, and cognitive function were evaluated using a task battery consisting of an open field, elevated plus maze, tail suspension, forced swimming, and Morris water maze tests. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and synaptic plasticity-associated proteins were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blot, respectively. The results showed that lipopolysaccharide increased anxiety- and depression-like behaviors, impaired cognitive function, uprelated interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95), and synaptophysin (SYN), which were aggravated by chronic sleep deprivation. These results suggest that chronic sleep deprivation exerted adverse effects on lipopolysaccharide-induced anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairment, which was associated with changes in pro-inflammatory cytokines and synaptic plasticity associated proteins.

Behavioral and Physiological Differences in Female Rabbits at Different Stages of the Estrous Cycle

Estrus involves a series of complex physiological signs and changes in behavior before ovulation, which play a crucial role in animal reproduction. However, there have been few studies that evaluate behaviors during the different stages of estrus cycle in female rabbits. Therefore, more detailed information is needed on distinguishing the various stages of the estrous cycle. This study explored the behavioral and physiological differences at various estrous cycle stages in female New Zealand White rabbits. The continuous recording method was employed to record the daily behaviors of twenty postpartum female rabbits during the estrous cycle. Compared with the diestrus stage, the duration of foraging and drinking behavior in estrus decreased significantly, and the frequency of grooming and biting behaviors increased (p < 0.05). Differences in reproductive hormone levels (FSH, LH, P4, and E2) and follicle development were measured at each stage via ELISA and HE staining. The FSH and LH levels showed an increasing trend and then decreased, with the lowest being in late estrus (p < 0.05). The P4 level was the lowest in estrus (p < 0.05), and E2 showed a gradually increasing trend. There was no significant difference in the number of primordial follicles at each stage, but the number of primary follicles in estrus was significantly higher than at the other stages (p < 0.05). To further understand the molecular regulation mechanism of the estrous cycle in female rabbits, we analyzed the ovarian transcription patterns of female rabbits in diestrus (D group) and estrus (E group) employing RNA-seq. A total of 967 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened from the ovaries of female rabbits between the diestrus and estrus groups. A KEGG analysis of DEGs enriched in the estrogen signaling pathway, aldosterone synthesis, and secretion pathway, such as CYP19A1 and IGF1R, was performed. The rabbits' behavior, related physiological hormones, and molecular regulation also differed at different estrous cycle stages. The results provide recommendations for the adequate management practices of postpartum re-estrus and breeding female rabbits.

The role of nutritional-immunological indices in estimating serum LPS and antioxidant enzyme activity and sepsis status in female dogs with pyometra caused by E. coli

The aim of this study was to diagnose pyometra and related sepsis status using cost-effective nutritional-immunological indices, antioxidants, and toxin levels in dogs and to investigate the utility of the indices in predicting toxin and antioxidant status. A total of 29 dogs were enrolled into the present study. Among these, 9 female dogs in their diestrus stages, were allocated for elective ovariohysterectomy. The pyometra group was also separated into two subgroups as Sepsis (+) and Sepsis (-). Blood samples were collected into two tubes containing EDTA for hematological analysis; without anticoagulant for serum progesterone, LPS concentration, and antioxidant levels at the time of diagnosis. Bacteriological and tissue samples of the uterus were collected after the ovariohysterectomy. Antioxidant activity, progesterone, and toxin concentration were determined by using commercial ELISA kits. Statistical analyses were performed using Stata version 16.1 and MedCalc 16 statistical software. Receiver operating characteristics curves were used for the threshold for evaluating pyometra and sepsis status. Pairwise comparisons were carried out of the area under the curve (AUC) for thresholds of nutritional immunologic indices (hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, platelet (HALP) score; prognostic nutritional index (PNI); Albumin hemoglobin index (AHI)), serum LPS and antioxidant activity. Linear regression model was used for the estimation of serum LPS and antioxidant activity by using indices. Mean serum progesterone, LPS concentrations, and Nitric Oxide (NO) production were greater, while serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), tissue SOD, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities were lower in dogs with pyometra. All nutritional-immunologic indices were lower in pyometra cases. Nutritional-immunologic indices (AUC of HALP:0.759; PNI:0.981; AHI 0.994), NO (AUC: 0.787) and SOD (AUC: 0.784) levels were useful for pyometra diagnosis. AHI and LPS were useful for the determination of sepsis status with the AUC values of 0.850 and 0.740, respectively. While AHI was useful for the estimation of serum LPS and NO concentration (p < 0.001), PNI was useful for serum SOD concentration (p = 0.003). In conclusion, PNI, HALP and AHI can be used in the diagnosis of pyometra, however, only AHI and LPS levels can be used in the diagnosis of sepsis. SOD and NO can be used to determine pyometra but have no effect on determining sepsis status. Additionally, the estimation of the levels of serum LPS, NO, and SOD activities can be done using the AHI and PNI values.