The inflammatory injury of heart caused by ammonia is realized by oxidative stress and abnormal energy metabolism activating inflammatory pathway

Golgi apparatus regulated pyroptosis through the miR-32-5p/Golga7/NLRP3 axis in chicken splenic lymphocytes exposure to ammonia

Ammonia, a common toxic gas, posed a hazard to both human and chickens. The Golgi apparatus, an essential organelle, helped maintain the internal environment of the organism and supported the protein foundation for the endoplasmic reticulum to be involved in pyroptosis. Thus, the Golgi apparatus has garnered significant attention. The purpose of our research was to explore the mechanisms of Golgin A7 (Golga7) involved in pyroptosis after chicken exposure to ammonia. To reach our goal, we first created an in vitro ammonia model to study the effect of ammonia on chicken splenic lymphocyte pyroptosis. Then, leveraging this model, we established Golga7 and miR-32-5p knockdown and overexpression models to investigate their roles in ammonia-induced pyroptosis. We found the ultrastructural changes in the nucleus, Golgi apparatus, and mitochondria of chicken splenic lymphocytes exposure to ammonia. The damage of mitochondria increased the level of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which caused the down-regulation of miR-32-5p. The miR-32-5p inhibitor increased the expression of Golga7 and pyroptosis-related genes (NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), Cysteine aspartase-1 (Caspase-1), Golgin A3 (Golga3), Nuclear Factor-kappa B (NF-κB), and Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α)), which induced the pyroptosis, but when miR-32-5p mimic/si-Golga7 (Golga7 inhibitor) was utilized, these effects were reduced. Our research demonstrated that miR-32-5p/Golga7 regulated NLRP3 involving in the pyroptosis of chicken splenic cells exposed to ammonia. Our study provided a valuable foundation for the prevention and treatment chickens ammonia poisoning in the livestock production.

Alteration of growth performance and characterization of pathological lesions in long-term ammonia-exposed pigs

Ammonia (NH3) is a major cause of odor emissions from swine farms, and exposure to high concentrations of NH3 in short-term periods has been reported to cause respiratory and systemic disorders in pigs. However, the impact of long-term NH3 exposure on pig health and productivity remain unknown. This study aimed to assess the impact of long-term NH3 exposure on growth performance and pathological outcomes in pigs. Pigs were reared in the treatment room [34.8 mg/m3 NH3 concentration (50 ppm); TRT group, n = 40] and the control room [5.6 mg/m3 (8 ppm); CON, n = 40]. The experimental period was 107 days (from weaning piglets to market age). Our findings revealed that long-term NH3 exposure results in severe respiratory and systemic pathological lesions, including chronic tracheitis, epithelial metaplasia of the trachea, severe interstitial pneumonia, myocarditis, and interstitial nephritis. In addition, the TRT group exhibited reduced productivity, with two deaths, indicating that uncontrolled NH3 concentrations on pig farms could be linked to a decline in growth performance and even death. Transcriptomic analysis revealed significant changes in immune and inflammatory pathways in lung from TRT pigs, including dysregulated cytokine signaling and incomplete inflammatory responses. The enrichment of DEGs in pathways, such as Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, JAK-STAT, and Toll-like receptor signaling, indicated chronic NH3 exposure disrupted immune homeostasis, contributing to chronic inflammation and impaired tissue repair. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the detrimental effects of NH3 exposure on pig health and productivity under farm conditions.

Exploring the metabolic implications of blue light exposure during daytime in rats

Excessive exposure to light is a global issue. Artificial light pollution has been shown to disrupt the body's natural circadian rhythm. To investigate the impacts of light on metabolism, we studied Sprague-Dawley rats chronically exposed to red or blue light during daytime or nighttime. Rats in the experimental group were exposed to extended light for 4 hours during daytime or nighttime to simulate the effects of excessive light usage. Strikingly, we found systemic metabolic alterations only induced by blue light during daytime. Furthermore, we conducted metabolomic analyses of the cerebrospinal fluid, serum, heart, liver, spleen, adrenal, cerebellum, pituitary, prostate, spermatophore, hypothalamus and kidney from rats in the control and blue light exposure during daytime. Significant changes in metabolites have been observed in cerebrospinal fluid, serum, hypothalamus and kidney of rats exposed to blue light during daytime. Metabolic alterations observed in rats encompassing pyruvate metabolism, glutathione metabolism homocysteine degradation, phosphatidylethanolamine biosynthesis, and phospholipid biosynthesis, exhibit analogous patterns to those inherent in specific physiological processes, notably neurodevelopment, cellular injury, oxidative stress, and autophagic pathways. Our study provides insights into tissue-specific metabolic changes in rats exposed to blue light during the daytime and may help explain potential mechanisms of photopathogenesis.

In-house ammonia induced lung impairment and oxidative stress of ducks

Ammonia (NH3) is a toxic gas that in intensive poultry houses, damages the poultry health and induces various diseases. This study investigated the effects of NH3 exposure (0, 15, 30, and 45 ppm) on growth performance, serum biochemical indexes, antioxidative indicators, tracheal and lung impairments in Pekin ducks. A total of 288 one-day-old Pekin male ducks were randomly allocated to 4 groups with 6 replicates and slaughtered after the 21-d test period. Our results showed that 45 ppm NH3 significantly reduced the average daily feed intake (ADFI) of Pekin ducks. Ammonia exposure significantly reduced liver, lung, kidney, and heart indexes, and lowered the relative weight of the ileum. With the increasing of in-house NH3, serum NH3 and uric acid (UA) concentrations of ducks were significantly increased, as well as liver malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX-Px) contents. High NH3 also induced trachea and lung injury, thereby increasing levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) in the lung, and decreasing the mRNA expressions of zonula occludens 1 (ZO-1) and claudin 3 (CLDN3) in the lung. In conclusion, in-house NH3 decrease the growth performance in ducks, induce trachea and lung injuries and meanwhile increase the compensatory antioxidant activity for host protection.

Pleiotropic attenuating effect of Ginkgo biloba against isoprenaline-induced myocardial infarction via improving Bcl-2/mTOR/ERK1/2/Na+, K+-ATPase activities

Objective

Myocardial infarction (MI) is linked to an imbalance in the supply and demand of blood oxygen in the heart muscles. Beta-blockers and calcium antagonists are just two of the common medications used to treat MI. However, these have reportedly been shown to be either ineffective or to have undesirable side effects. Extract of Ginkgo biloba leaves (GBE), a Chinese herbal product offers special compatibility benefits in therapeutic settings relating to inflammatory diseases and oxidative stress. In order to better understand how GBE affects MI in rats insulted by isoprenaline (ISO), the current study was designed.

Methods

The heart weight index, serum lipid profile, cardiac marker enzymes, endogenous antioxidants [catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), nitrites and malondialdehyde (MDA)], inflammatory mediators [tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)], immunohistochemical expressions of B-cell lymphoma factor-2 (Bcl-2), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and histopathological analysis were used to assess the cardioprotective properties of GBE.

Results

The findings showed that GBE effectively attenuated myocardial infarction by boosting the body's natural antioxidant defense system and reducing the release of inflammatory cytokines as well as heart injury marker enzymes. The expression of Bcl-2, ERK1/2 and mTOR was increased while the histomorphological alterations were reversed.

Conclusion

The cardioprotective effects of GBE may be due to a mechanism involving increased Bcl-2/mTOR/ERK1/2/Na+, K+-ATPase activity.

Short-term effects of PM2.5 and its components exposure on endothelial function in Chinese elders

Particulate matter (PM2.5) and its components have been studied widely around the world and are associated with many adverse health events (e.g. cardiovascular diseases and death). Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is a non-invasive assessment that is able to detect endothelial damage at an early stage, therefore, improving the prognosis of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The current study used data from Shanghai to explore the relationship between PM2.5 and its components and FMD using multiple statistical models. The results of the analysis of 812 patients' data (age ≥ 65) suggested that as PM2.5 level rises, endothelial function reduces. Among the five PM2.5 components included in this study, black carbon was shown by both models to be the dominating factor three days post-exposure (lag3). However, results from lag4 and lag5 were inconclusive in the two models with some evidence proposing the significance of sulphate, organic matter, and ammonium. Our results are in concordance with previous literature and further prove the significance of black carbon as an individual pollutant in the atmosphere. More research is needed to confirm the role of sulphate, organic matter, and ammonium as independent pollutants in relation to health.

Ammonia-induced oxidative stress triggered proinflammatory response and apoptosis in pig lungs

Ammonia, a common toxic gas, is not only one of the main causes of haze, but also can enter respiratory tract and directly affect the health of humans and animals. Pig was used as an animal model for exploring the molecular mechanism and dose effect of ammonia toxicity to lung. In this study, the apoptosis of type II alveolar epithelial cells was observed in high ammonia exposure group using transmission electron microscopy. Gene and protein expression analysis using transcriptome sequencing and western blot showed that low ammonia exposure induced T-cell-involved proinflammatory response, but high ammonia exposure repressed the expression of DNA repair-related genes and affected ion transport. Moreover, high ammonia exposure significantly increased 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) level, meaning DNA oxidative damage occurred. In addition, both low and high ammonia exposure caused oxidative stress in pig lungs. Integrated analysis of transcriptome and metabolome revealed that the up-regulation of LDHB and ND2 took part in high ammonia exposure-affected pyruvate metabolism and oxidative phosphorylation progress, respectively. Inclusion, oxidative stress mediated ammonia-induced proinflammatory response and apoptosis of porcine lungs. These findings may provide new insights for understanding the ammonia toxicity to workers in livestock farms and chemical fertilizer plants.

Selenium Alleviates Ammonia-Induced Splenic Cell Apoptosis and Inflammation by Regulating the Interleukin Family/Death Receptor Axis and Nrf2 Signaling Pathway

Ammonia (NH₃) is a harmful gas in livestock houses. So far, many researchers have demonstrated that NH₃ is detrimental to animal and human organs. Selenium (Se) is one of the essential trace elements in the body and has a good antioxidant effect. However, there was little conclusive evidence that Se alleviated NH₃ poisoning. To investigate the toxic mechanism of NH₃ on pig spleen and the antagonistic effect of L-selenomethionine, a porcine NH₃-poisoning model and an L-selenomethionine intervention model were established in this study. Our results showed that NH₃ exposure increased the apoptosis rate, while L-selenomethionine supplementation alleviated the process of excessive apoptosis. Immunofluorescence staining, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and western blot results confirmed that exposure to NH₃ changed the expression levels of interleukin family factors, apoptosis, death receptor, and oxidative stress factors. Our study further confirmed that excessive NH₃ induced inflammatory response and mediated necroptosis leading to cell apoptosis by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway. Excessive NH₃ could mediate spleen injury through oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dynamics disorder. L-Selenomethionine could alleviate inflammation and abnormal apoptosis by inhibiting the IL-17/TNF-α/FADD axis. Our study would pave the way for comparative medicine and environmental toxicology.

Co-application of biochar and compost with decreased N fertilizer reduced annual ammonia emissions in wetland rice

Ammonia (NH3) emission from rice fields is a dominant nitrogen (N) loss pathway causing negative impacts on farm profitability and the environment. Reducing N fertilizer application to compensate for N inputs in organic amendments was evaluated for effects on N loss via volatilization, rice yields and post-harvest soil properties in an annual irrigated rice (Boro) – pre-monsoon rice (Aus) – monsoon (Aman) rice sequence. That experiment was conducted using the integrated plant nutrition system (IPNS; nutrient contents in organic amendments were subtracted from the full recommended fertilizer dose i.e., RD of chemical fertilizers) where six treatments with four replications were applied in each season: (T1) no fertilizer (control), (T2) RD, (T3) poultry manure biochar (3 t ha−1; pyrolyzed at 450°C) + decreased dose of recommended fertilizer (DRD), (T4) rice husk ash (3 t ha−1) + DRD, (T5) compost (3 t ha−1) + DRD, and (T6) compost (1.5 t ha−1)+ biochar (1.5 t ha−1) + DRD. The N loss via volatilization varied twofold among seasons being 16% in irrigated rice and 29% in the pre-monsoon rice crop. In irrigated rice, T6 had significantly lower NH3 emissions than all other treatments, except the control while in pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons, T6 and T3 were alike. Pooling the three seasons together, biochar (T3) or biochar plus compost (T6) reduced NH3 loss via volatilization by 36-37% while compost alone (T5) reduced NH3 loss by 23% relative to RD. Biochar (T3) and biochar plus compost mixture (T6) reduced yield-scaled NH3 emissions by 40 and 47% relative to the RD of chemical fertilizer (T2). The organic amendments with IPNS reduced the quantity of N fertilizer application by 65, 7, 24, and 45% in T3, T4, T5, and T6 treatments, respectively, while rice yields and soil chemical properties in all seasons were similar to the RD. This study suggests that incorporation of biochar alone or co-applied with compost and decrease of N fertilizer on an IPNS basis in rice-based cropping systems can reduce N application rates and NH3 emissions without harming yield or soil quality.

Association of distance to swine concentrated animal feeding operations with immune-mediated diseases: An exploratory gene-environment study

BACKGROUND

Concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are a source of environmental pollution and have been associated with a variety of health outcomes. Immune-mediated diseases (IMD) are characterized by dysregulation of the normal immune response and, while they may be affected by gene and environmental factors, their association with living in proximity to a CAFO is unknown.

OBJECTIVES

We explored gene, environment, and gene-environment (GxE) relationships between IMD, CAFOs, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of prototypical xenobiotic response genes AHR, ARNT, and AHRR and prototypical immune response gene PTPN22.

METHODS

The exposure analysis cohort consisted of 6,464 participants who completed the Personalized Environment and Genes Study Health and Exposure Survey and a subset of 1,541 participants who were genotyped. We assessed the association between participants' residential proximity to a CAFO in gene, environment, and GxE models. We recombined individual associations in a transethnic model using METAL meta-analysis.

RESULTS

In White participants, ARNT SNP rs11204735 was associated with autoimmune diseases and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and ARNT SNP rs1889740 was associated with RA. In a transethnic genetic analysis, ARNT SNPs rs11204735 and rs1889740 and PTPN22 SNP rs2476601 were associated with autoimmune diseases and RA. In participants living closer than one mile to a CAFO, the log-distance to a CAFO was associated with autoimmune diseases and RA. In a GxE interaction model, White participants with ARNT SNPs rs11204735 and rs1889740 living closer than eight miles to a CAFO had increased odds of RA and autoimmune diseases, respectively. The transethnic model revealed similar GxE interactions.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest increased risk of autoimmune diseases and RA in those living in proximity to a CAFO and a potential role of the AHR-ARNT pathway in conferring risk. We also report the first association of ARNT SNPs rs11204735 and rs1889740 with RA. Our findings, if confirmed, could allow for novel genetically-targeted or other preventive approaches for certain IMD.

Evaluation of L-Selenomethionine on Ameliorating Cardiac Injury Induced by Environmental Ammonia

L-Selenomethionine is one of the important organic selenium sources. The supplementation of L-selenomethionine in diets is significant to improve the health of pigs. Ammonia is a major pollutant in the atmosphere and piggery, posing a threat to human and animal health. Although ammonia exposure can damage the heart, the mechanism of cardiac toxicity by ammonia is still unknown. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of cardiac injury induced by ammonia exposure in pigs and the protective effect of L-selenomethionine on its cardiotoxicity. The results showed that the blood ammonia content of pig increased significantly in ammonia group, the expressions of energy metabolism-related genes (LDHA, PDK4, HK2, and CPTIB) and the oxidative stress indexes were significantly changed (P < 0.05), the AMPK/PPAR-γ/NF-κB signaling pathways were activated, the chromatin edge aggregation and nuclear pyknosis were observed in ultrastructure, the apoptotic cells were significantly increased (P < 0.05), and the mRNA and protein expressions of apoptosis-related genes (Bcl-2, Bax, Cyt-c, caspase-3, and caspase-9) were significantly affected (P < 0.05). The above changes were significantly alleviated in ammonia + L-selenomethionine group, but there were still significant differences compared with the C group (P < 0.05). Our results indicated that ammonia exposure could cause energy metabolism disorder and oxidative stress and induce apoptosis of cardiomyocytes through AMPK/PPAR-γ/NF-κB pathways, which could lead to cardiac injury and affect cardiac function. L-Selenomethionine could effectively alleviate the cardiac damage caused by ammonia and antagonize the cardiotoxicity of ammonia.

Organic Selenium Alleviates Ammonia-Mediated Abnormal Autophagy by Regulating Inflammatory Pathways and the Keap1/Nrf2 Axis in the Hypothalamus of Finishing Pigs

Ammonia is a significant pollutant in the livestock houses and the atmospheric environment, and excessive ammonia would harm the health of livestock and breeders. Previous studies have shown that ammonia exposure could damage the tissue structure of the nervous system, but the molecular mechanism of ammonia-induced hypothalamus damage was still unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of excessive ammonia in abnormal autophagy of pig hypothalamus and whether selenomethionine would have a mitigating effect on ammonia toxicity. Twenty-four 18-week pigs were randomly divided into four groups: the control group (C group), the selenium group (Se group), the ammonia + selenium group (A + Se group), and the ammonia group (A group). In our study, the expression levels of NF-κB, IL-1β, iNOS, TNF-α, IKK-α, p-IKK-α, Nrf2, ATG5, ATG 10, ATG 12, LC3 I/II, HSP60, HSP70, and HSP90 were increased after ammonia exposure; meanwhile, IFN-γ, IKB-α, p-IKB-α, Keap1, P62, mTOR, AKT, p-AKT, PI3K, SQSTM, and Beclin1 showed decreasing trends. The results indicated that excessive ammonia inhalation inhibited the AKT/mTOR pathway to acclerated autophagy through oxidative stress-mediated inflammation in the porcine hypothalamus. L-selenomethionine could alleviate hypothalamus injury induced by ammonia exposure.

Recent evidence for toxic effects of NH3 exposure on lung injury: Protective effects of L-selenomethionine

Ammonia (NH₃) is a common air pollutant, which poses a serious threat to farm animals. L-selenomethionine is organic selenium (Se), which can inhibit intracellular ROS generation, block ROS-dependent autophagy, promote mitochondrial energy metabolism, and enhance the body's immunity. Lung, as an important organ of the respiratory system, is highly susceptible to the toxic effects of NH₃. However, there were few studies on the mechanism of toxic effects of NH₃ on lung tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of NH₃ on the lungs in pigs and the alleviating effect of L-selenomethionine. Twenty-four Large White*Duroc*Min pigs were randomly assigned to 4 groups: control group, NH₃ group, Se group, and NH₃ +Se group. The results showed that exposure to NH₃ caused damage and inflammation in lung tissues and significantly increased blood NH₃ concentration. NH₃ induced changes of oxidative stress indexes (GSH, GSH-Px, SOD, MDA, Keap1, Nrf2, and HO-1) and expressions of energy metabolism related genes (HK1, HK2, PFK, PK, LDHA, and HIF-1α). Ultrastructure showed that mitochondrial damage and autophagosome increased significantly, and the expression levels of autophagy related genes (Beclin1, ATG5, ATG7, ATG10, and p62) changed. However, the addition of L-selenomethionine alleviated the above changes, but there was still a significant difference compared with the control group (P < 0.05). This finding can provide a new evidence for mitigation of NH₃ toxicity.

Evaluation of potential cardiotoxicity of ammonia: l-selenomethionine inhibits ammonia-induced cardiac autophagy by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

Ammonia is a major harmful gas in the environment of livestock and poultry. Studies have shown that excessive ammonia inhalation has adverse effects in pig heart. However, the mechanism of ammonia-induced cardiac toxicity in pigs has not been reported. L-selenomethionine is a kind of organic selenium (Se) which is easily absorbed by the body. Therefore, in this study, twenty-four 125-day-old pigs were randomly divided into 4 groups: C (control) group, A (ammonia) group, Se group (Se content: 0.5 mg kg-1), and A (ammonia) + Se group. The mechanism of ammonia-induced cardiotoxicity and the alleviating effect of L-selenomethionine were examined. The results in the A group showed as follows: a large number of myocardial fiber edema and cytoplasmic bleakness were observed in the heart; a large number of mitochondrial autophagy were observed; ATP content, ATPase activities and hematological parameters decreased significantly; Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) markers (GRP78, IRE1α, ATF4, ATF6, and CHOP) were significantly induced in the mRNA and protein levels; PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway was activated; and autophagy key genes and proteins (Beclin-1, LC3, ATG3, and ATG5) were significantly up-regulated. The results of comparison between the A + Se group and the A group were as follows: the degree of edema of cardiac muscle fiber in the A + Se group was somewhat relieved; the level of mitochondrial autophagy decreased; ATP content and ATPase activities increased significantly; the mRNA and protein levels of ERS markers were significantly down-regulated; the expression level of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway was decreased; and the mRNA and protein levels of key autophagy genes were decreased. However, the changes of these indexes in the A + Se group were still significantly different from those in the C group. Our results indicated that L-selenomethionine supplementation inhibited ammonia-induced cardiac autophagy by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, which confirmed that L-selenomethionine could alleviate the cardiac injury caused by excessive ammonia inhalation to a certain extent. This study aims to enrich the toxicological mechanism of ammonia and provide valuable reference for future intervention of ammonia toxicity.

Ammonia induces autophagy via circ-IFNLR1/miR-2188-5p/RNF182 axis in tracheas of chickens

Ammonia (NH₃ ), an air pollutant in the living environment, has many toxic effects on various tissues and organs. However, the underlying mechanisms of NH₃ -induced tracheal cell autophagy remains poorly understood. In present study, chickens and LMH cells were used as NH₃ exposure models to investigate toxic effects. The change of tracheal tissues ultrastructure showed that NH₃ exposure induced autolysosomes. The differential expression of 12 circularRNAs (circRNAs) was induced by NH₃ exposure using circRNAs transcriptome analysis in broiler tracheas. We further found that circ-IFNLR1 was down-regulated, and miR-2188-5p was up-regulated in tracheal tissues under NH₃ exposure. Bioinformatics analysis and dual luciferase reporter system showed that circ-IFNLR1 bound directly to miR-2188-5p and regulated each other, and miR-2188-5p regulated RNF182. Overexpression of miR-2188-5p caused autophagy and its inhibition partially reversed autophagy in LMH cells which were caused by ammonia stimulation or knockdown of circ-IFNLR1. The expressions of three autophagy-related genes (LC3, Beclin 1, and BNIP3) were observably up-regulated. Our results indicated that NH₃ exposure caused autophagy through circ-IFNLR1/miR-2188-5p/RNF182. These results provided new insights for the study of ammonia on environmental toxicology on ceRNA and circRNAs in vivo and vitro.

Development, optimization, and validation of a method for detection of cartap, thiocyclam, thiosultap-monosodium, and thiosultap-disodium residues in plant foods by GC-ECD

A method was developed for the simultaneous determination of four nereistoxin-related pesticides, viz. cartap, thiocyclam, thiosultap-monosodium, and thiosultap-disodium, in 20 plant foods. The samples were extracted using a hydrochloric acid solution containing cysteine hydrochloride, derivatized to nereistoxin under alkaline conditions, and analyzed by gas chromatography with electron capture detector. The average recoveries of the method were 72-108%, with relative standard deviations (RSDs) of 0.3-14.7% (n = 1200, p < 0.05). The intermediate precision and reproducibility experiments using established methods were also carried out. All the results passed the Cochrane and Grubbs tests (n = 2400, p < 0.05). The RSDs of intermediate precision and RSDs of reproducibility among laboratories were in the ranges 1.7-10.9% and 2.4-15.3% (n = 2400, p < 0.05), respectively, indicating that the accuracy and precision of the method are satisfactory. This method can be used to detect nereistoxin-related pesticides in plant foods.

Selenomethionine protects against ammonia-induced apoptosis through inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress in pig kidneys

Ammonia (NH₃) emission is a common threat to farm animals. Selenium (Se) is known for its antioxidant property and can resist several stressors affecting farm animals. The aims of this study were (Ⅰ) to determine how excess NH₃ exert nephrotoxic effects in pigs and (Ⅱ) to investigate whether selenomethionine has an alleviative effect on NH₃ toxicity. Two diets supplemented with different doses of Se (0.22 mg/kg or 0.50 mg/kg) and two concentrations of NH₃ (< 5 mg/m³ or 89.8 mg/m³) were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design trial for a period of 30 days. The results showed that NH₃ exposure caused apoptosis and increased the number of apoptotic cells in pig kidneys. Further, the activities of antioxidant enzymes were decreased, and the transcriptional and translational levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes, Bcl-2 and Caspase family members were increased under NH₃ exposure. In addition, Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was suppressed after NH₃ treatment. Dietary supplement with selenomethionine appears to offer protection against NH₃-induced kidney injury in pigs and the pathologic changes above were alleviated. Our findings provide additional insight into the mechanism of NH₃ toxicity in pigs while elucidating the role of Se as a potential antidote against NH₃ poisoning.

METTL3-mediated M6A methylation modification is involved in colistin-induced nephrotoxicity through apoptosis mediated by Keap1/Nrf2 signaling pathway

Colistin is a cationic polypeptide antibiotic. Despite its nephrotoxicity, it is still widely used as a last-line antibiotic against infection worldwide with the emergence of multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacilli. N-methyladenosine (m6A) methylation-mediated degradation of RNA is essential for kidney development. However, m6A methylation impacts not only RNA stability, but also other RNA metabolism processes. How RNA decay affects the nephrotoxicity of colistin is largely unknown. Therefore, in this study, we verified that colistin could induce mouse kidney apoptosis through some apoptotic indicators, and confirmed the relationship between methylation and apoptosis through the detection of m6A methylation, thus elucidating the potential mechanism of colistin nephrotoxicity. The results showed that the renal tubule dilation and tubular structure were observed in the colistin group, and the oxidative stress index and ATPase activities were significantly different from those in the control group. Under electron microscope, the kidney in colistin group showed typical apoptotic morphological changes such as nuclear pyknosis, chromatin edge aggregation, and intact nuclear membrane, accompanied by significant changes in apoptosis-related genes. The level of m6A in the colistin group was significantly decreased, accompanied by downregulation of METTL3 mRNA and protein levels, and METTL3 was significantly correlated with apoptotic gene proteins. Data from this study suggested that m6A methylation was involved in oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis in the mechanism of colistin nephrotoxicity.

Ammonia exposure causes the imbalance of the gut-brain axis by altering gene networks associated with oxidative metabolism, inflammation and apoptosis

Ammonia is an acknowledged environment pollutant in atmosphere with irritating smell. Previous studies have shown that excessive ammonia has toxic effects on farm animals and humans. However, the detail toxicity mechanism of ammonia to pigs is still unknown so far. In order to clarify the mechanism of ammonia toxicity, we established a porcine exogenous ammonia poisoning model and assessed the effects of ammonia on the gut-brain axis by transcriptome sequencing, histological observation and chemical analysis. Our results showed that after 30 d of ammonia exposure, 578 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 407 DEGs were obtained in the hypothalamus and jejunum, respectively. These DEGs were enriched into Gene Ontology terms associated with inflammation, oxidative metabolism, apoptosis, and the highly expressed genes among these DEGs were verified by real-time quantitative PCR. The content of glutathione and the activities of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase were significantly decreased, while malondialdehyde content was increased after ammonia exposure. Corticotropin releasing factor, substance P, 5-hydroxytryptamine and ghrelin contents in serum elevated significantly. Furthermore, pathologic observation in the ammonia group revealed infiltration of lymphocytes in the hypothalamus and significant decrease of jejunal epithelial cells. Our results indicated that ammonia exposure mediated changes in transcriptional profiles, pathological damage, oxidative stress and brain-gut peptide of the pig jejunum and hypothalamus, and induced the imbalance of the brain-gut axis through the "oxidative stress-inflammation-apoptosis" interaction network. Our study not only provides a new perspective for the toxicity assessment of ammonia, but also enriches the toxicology mechanism of ammonia.

Immunosuppression, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in pig kidney caused by ammonia: Application of transcriptome analysis in risk assessment of ammonia exposure

Ammonia (NH₃) is a recognized environmental contaminant around the world and has adverse effects on animal and human health. However, the mechanism of the renal toxicity of NH₃ is not well understood. Pigs are considered an ideal model for biomedical and toxicological research because of the similarity to humans in physiological and biochemical basis. Therefore, in this study, twelve pigs were selected as research objects and randomly divided into two groups, namely the control group and the NH₃ group. The formal experiment lasted 30 days. The effects of excessive NH₃ inhalation on the kidney of fattening pig were evaluated by chemical analysis, ELISA, transcriptome analysis and real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) from the renal antioxidant level, renal function, blood ammonia content and gene level. Our results showed that excessive NH₃ exposure could cause an increase in blood NH₃ content, a reduction in renal GSH-Px, SOD and GSH, as well as an increase in MDA levels and an increase in serum creatinine, urea and uric acid levels. In addition, transcriptome analysis showed that NH₃ exposure caused changes in 335 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (including 126 up-regulated DEGs and 109 down-regulated DEGs). Some highly expressed DEGs were enriched into GO terms associated with immune function, oxidative stress, and apoptosis and were verified by qRT-PCR. The qRT-PCR results were comsistent with the transcriptome results. Our results indicated that NH₃ exposure could cause changes in renal transcriptional profiles and kidney function, and induce kidney damage in the fattening pigs through oxidative stress, immune dysfunction and apoptosis. Our present study provides novel insights into the immunotoxicity mechanism of NH₃ on kidney.

Excessive ammonia inhalation causes liver damage and dysfunction by altering gene networks associated with oxidative stress and immune function

Ammonia (NH₃) is a major gaseous pollutant in livestock production and has adverse effects on production, health and welfare of animals. The liver is one of the target organs of NH₃, and excessive NH₃ inhalation can induce liver damage. However, the toxicity assessment of NH₃ on pig liver and its mechanism have not been reported yet. Recently, transcriptome analysis has become a major method to study the toxic mechanism of pollutants in environmental toxicology. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the effects of excessive NH₃ inhalation on the liver of fattening pig through chemical analysis, ELISA, transcriptome analysis and real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). Our results showed that the transcriptome analysis database of fattening pig liver under excessive NH₃ exposure, and 449 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (including 181 up-regulated DEGs and 168 down-regulated DEGs) were found. Some genes associated with the 3 Gene Ontology (GO) terms (liver function, immune, antioxidant defense) were validated by quantitative real-time PCR. In addition, the activities of GPT and GOT in NH₃ group were significantly increased by 63.5% and 37.4% (P < 0.05), respectively. Our results indicated that NH₃ exposure could cause changes in transcriptional profiles and liver function, and induce liver damage in fattening pigs through oxidative stress and immune dysfunction. Our study results not only provide a new perspective for the toxicity assessment of NH₃, but also enrich the toxicological mechanism of NH₃.

Hydrogen sulfide of air induces macrophage extracellular traps to aggravate inflammatory injury via the regulation of miR-15b-5p on MAPK and insulin signals in trachea of chickens

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is an environmental contaminant to cause the airway damage. The release of macrophage extracellular traps (METs) is the mechanism of immune protection to harmful stimulation via microRNAs, but excessive METs cause the injury. However, few studies have attempted to interpret the mechanism of an organism injury due to H₂S via METs in chickens. Here, we investigated the transcriptome profiles, pathological morphologic changes and METs release from chicken trachea after H₂S exposure. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that 10 differentially expressed genes were related to the METs release, the MAPK and insulin signaling pathways. Morphological and immunofluorescence analysis showed that H₂S caused airway injury and MET release. H₂S activated the targeting effect of miRNA-15b-5p on activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2). Western blotting and real time quantitative PCR results showed that H₂S down-regulated the levels of dual specificity protein phosophatase1 (DUSP1) but up-regulated p38 MAP Kinase (p38) in the MAPK signal pathway. And the expression of phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1), serine/threonine kinase (Akt), and protein kinase ζ subtypes (PKCζ) in the insulin signal pathway were increased after H₂S exposure. These promoted the release of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and degradation histone 4 (H4) to induce the release of METs. Taken together, miR-15b-5p targeted ATF2 to mediate METs release, which triggered trachea inflammatory injury via MAPK and insulin signals after H₂S exposure. These results will provide new insights into the toxicological mechanisms of H₂S and environmental ecotoxicology.

Ammonia exposure causes the disruption of the solute carrier family gene network in pigs

Ammonia is the main harmful gas in livestock houses. However, the toxic mechanism of ammonia is still unclear. Therefore, we examined the effects of ammonia exposure on different tissues of fattening pigs by histological analysis and transcriptome techniques in this study. The results showed that there were varying degrees of pathological changes in liver, kidney, hypothalamus, jejunum, lungs, spleen, heart and trachea of fattening pigs under ammonia exposure. Notably, the extent of damage in liver, kidney, jejunum, lungs, hypothalamus and trachea was more severe than that in heart and spleen. Transcriptome results showed that ammonia exposure caused changes in 349, 335, 340, 229, 120, 578, 407 and 115 differentially expressed genes in liver, kidney, spleen, lung, trachea, hypothalamus, jejunum and heart, respectively. Interestingly, the changes in solute vector (SLC) family genes were found in all 8 tissues, and the verified gene results (SLC11A1, SLC17A7, SLC17A6, SLC6A4, SLC22A7, SLC25A3, SLC28A3, SLC7A2, SLC6A6, SLC38A5, SLC22A12, SLC34A1, SLC26A1, SLC26A6, SLC27A5, SLC22A8 and SLC44A4) were consistent with qRT-PCR results. In conclusion, ammonia exposure can cause pathological changes in many tissues and organs of fattening pigs and changes in the SCL family gene network. Importantly, the SCL family is involved in the toxic mechanism of ammonia. Our findings will provide a new insight for better assessing the mechanism of ammonia toxicity.

Resveratrol Supplementation Attenuates Cognitive and Molecular Alterations under Maternal High-Fat Diet Intake: Epigenetic Inheritance over Generations

Environmental factors such as maternal high-fat diet (HFD) intake can increase the risk of age-related cognitive decline in adult offspring. Epigenetic mechanisms are a possible link between diet effect and neurodegeneration across generations. Here, we found a significant decrease in triglyceride levels in a high-fat diet with resveratrol (RSV) HFD + RSV group and the offspring. Firstly, we obtained better cognitive performance in HFD+RSV groups and their offspring. Molecularly, a significant increase in DNA methylation (5-mC) levels, as well as increased gene expression of DNA methyltransferase 1 (Dnmt1) and Dnmt3a in HFD + RSV F1 group, were found. Furthermore, a significant increase of N6-Methyladenosine methylation (m6A) levels in HFD+RSV F1, as well as changes in gene expression of its enzymes Methyltransferase like 3 (Mettl3) and FTO alpha-ketoglutarate dependent dioxygenase (Fto) were found. Moreover, we found a decrease in gene expression levels of pro-inflammatory markers such as Interleukin 1β (Il1-β), Interleukin 6 (Il-6), Tumor necrosis factor-α (Tnf-α), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10 (Cxcl-10), the pro-inflammatory factors monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (Mcp-1) and Tumor growth factor-β1 (Tgf-β1) in HFD+RSV and HFD+RSV F1 groups. Moreover, there was increased gene expression of neurotrophins such as Neural growth factor (Ngf), Neurotrophin-3 (Nt3), and its receptors Tropomyosin receptor kinase TrkA and TrkB. Likewise, an increase in protein levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and phospho-protein kinase B (p-Akt) in HFD+RSV F1 was found. These results suggest that maternal RSV supplementation under HFD intake prevents cognitive decline in senescence-accelerated mice prone 8 (SAMP8) adult offspring, promoting a reduction in triglycerides and leptin plasma levels, changes in the pro-inflammatory profile, and restoring the epigenetic landscape as well as synaptic plasticity.

Exposure to the environmental pollutant ammonia causes changes in gut microbiota and inflammatory markers in fattening pigs

Ammonia (NH₃) is a major pollutant in livestock houses and atmospheric environment. It has been demonstrated that NH₃ can cause a series of damage to animals and human. However, toxicity evaluation of NH₃ on farm animals was rarely reported, especially in the intestinal microflora. Therefore, in this study, twenty-four 125-day-old fattening pigs were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, NH₃ group (88.2 mg m^-3 < NH₃ concentration < 90.4 mg m^-3), Se group (Se content: 0.5 mg kg^-1), and NH₃ + Se group (88.2 mg m^-3 < NH₃ concentration < 90.4 mg m^-3, Se content: 0.5 mg kg^-1), and the effects of NH₃ and L-Selenomethionine on the microbiota composition in the jejunum and the levels of inflammatory markers in feces of fattening pigs were examined by 16S rDNA and ELISA, respectively. Our results showed that the content of Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), Myeloperoxidase (MPO), Lactoferrin (LTF) and Calprotectin in the ammonia group (A group) were significantly elevated compared to the control group, and the content of MMP-9, MPO, LTF and Calprotectin in the A + Se group were significantly reduced. A significant difference in microbiota composition in the phylum, class, family and genus levels was found in the A group and the NH₃ + Se group. There was a negative correlation between Streptococcus and Calprotectin. Our results indicated that excessive NH₃ inhalation could cause changes in inflammatory markers and beta diversity of intestinal microflora in fattening pigs. We found there was a positive correlation between MPO and Pseudomonas. In addition, we first proposed that L-Selenomethionine could improve the imbalance of microbial flora and the inflammatory injury caused by NH₃. Changes in intestinal microflora and inflammatory markers can be used as important indicators to evaluate NH₃ toxicity, and studying changes in intestinal microflora is also an important mechanism to reveal NH₃ toxicity.