Effects of branched-chain amino acids on immune status of young racing horses

Transcriptome analysis reveals organ-specific effects of 2-deoxyglucose treatment in healthy mice

OBJECTIVE

Glycolytic inhibition via 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) has potential therapeutic benefits for a range of diseases, including cancer, epilepsy, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and COVID-19, but the systemic effects of 2DG on gene function across different tissues are unclear.

METHODS

This study analyzed the transcriptional profiles of nine tissues from C57BL/6J mice treated with 2DG to understand how it modulates pathways systemically. Principal component analysis (PCA), weighted gene co-network analysis (WGCNA), analysis of variance, and pathway analysis were all performed to identify modules altered by 2DG treatment.

RESULTS

PCA revealed that samples clustered predominantly by tissue, suggesting that 2DG affects each tissue uniquely. Unsupervised clustering and WGCNA revealed six distinct tissue-specific modules significantly affected by 2DG, each with unique key pathways and genes. 2DG predominantly affected mitochondrial metabolism in the heart, while in the small intestine, it affected immunological pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that 2DG has a systemic impact that varies across organs, potentially affecting multiple pathways and functions. The study provides insights into the potential therapeutic benefits of 2DG across different diseases and highlights the importance of understanding its systemic effects for future research and clinical applications.

Comparative Analysis of Maternal Colostrum and Colostrum Replacer Effects on Immunity, Growth, and Health of Japanese Black Calves

Maternal colostrum (MC) is an important source of nutrients and immune factors for newborn calves. However, when colostrum is unavailable or of poor quality, a colostrum replacer (CR) may be a suitable alternative to MC. As stock-raising farmers must make informed decisions about colostrum feeding management, this study was conducted to determine the effect of feeding MC versus CR on the promotion of immunological status, growth, and health in pre-weaned Japanese black (JB) calves. Sixteen newborn JB calves were fed MC after birth, and 16 JB calves were fed CR. For the MC group, the numbers of γδ T cells, CD4+ cells, CD8+ cells, CD4+CD8+ cells, B cells, and MHC class II+ cells were significantly higher compared with the CR group. Furthermore, the expression levels of interleukin (IL)-1β-, IL-2-, and interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-encoding mRNAs were significantly higher in the MC group compared with the CR group. A lower incidence of disease in 1-month-old calves and higher carcass weight in the MC group were observed compared with the CR group. These results suggest that CR activates the immune system delayed in calves compared with MC. MC increases populations of various immunocompetent cells, which can reduce infection rates and improve body weight gain.

Correlation between branched-chain amino acids intake and total lymphocyte count in head and neck cancer patients: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Cellular immunity as reflected by total lymphocyte count (TLC) has been proven to be related to overall survival rate cancer patients. Lymphocyte proliferation is regulated, to some extent, by nutritional factor. Branched chain amino acid (BCAA) is documented as one of numerous nutrients that play important role in lymphocyte proliferation through its effect on protein synthesis and DNA replication. Many studies describe the correlation between BCAA and TLC in hepatic cancer patients. This study emphasized the observation of that links in head and neck cancer patients.

METHODS

Eighty-five subjects were included in final analysis, aged 18-75, mostly male, with head and neck cancer who had not received treatment participated in this cross-sectional study at the Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital's radiation and medical haematology oncology clinic. The BCAAs intake was assessed using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Flow cytometry method was used to quantify TLC.

RESULTS

Overall, the subjects' nutritional status mostly was considered normal, with the median intake of 1505 (800-3040) kcal/day of energy and mean of 73.96 ± 23.39 g/day of protein. Moreover, subjects' average BCAA intake was 10.92 ± 0.48 g/day. Meanwhile, 17.6% of subjects were found to have low TLC level. From thorough analysis, we did not find a strong correlation between BCAA level and TLC (r = 0.235, p = 0.056).

CONCLUSION

In participants with head and neck cancer who had not received chemoradiotherapy, there is no correlation between BCAA intake and TLC. The contribution of non-BCAA amino acids from dietary sources to lymphocyte proliferation requires further investigation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Retrospectively registered, with clinical trial number NCT05226065 on February 7th 2022.

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Organ-Specific Effects of 2-Deoxyglucose Treatment in Healthy Mice

OBJECTIVE

Glycolytic inhibition via 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) has potential therapeutic benefits for a range of diseases, including cancer, epilepsy, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and COVID-19, but the systemic effects of 2DG on gene function across different tissues are unclear.

METHODS

This study analyzed the transcriptional profiles of nine tissues from C57BL/6J mice treated with 2DG to understand how it modulates pathways systemically. Principal component analysis (PCA), weighted gene co-network analysis (WGCNA), analysis of variance, and pathway analysis were all performed to identify modules altered by 2DG treatment.

RESULTS

PCA revealed that samples clustered predominantly by tissue, suggesting that 2DG affects each tissue uniquely. Unsupervised clustering and WGCNA revealed six distinct tissue-specific modules significantly affected by 2DG, each with unique key pathways and genes. 2DG predominantly affected mitochondrial metabolism in the heart, while in the small intestine, it affected immunological pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that 2DG has a systemic impact that varies across organs, potentially affecting multiple pathways and functions. The study provides insights into the potential therapeutic benefits of 2DG across different diseases and highlights the importance of understanding its systemic effects for future research and clinical applications.

Effects of Probiotics on Growth and Immunity of Piglets

Growth promoting antibiotics are used in modern animal husbandry to promote growth and avoid infections. Negative effects of these antibiotics on human health are a big concern and they need to be replaced. Probiotics are expected to be a good replacement for growth promoting antibiotics. In this study, we evaluated effects of probiotics on growth and immune status of liver and secondary lymphoid organs of piglets. Body weights of probiotic-fed piglets were heavier than those of control piglets (p < 0.05) at days 30 and 45 of the experiment. Relative populations of CD4+ and IgM+ cells isolated from the liver were significantly increased (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively) in probiotic-fed piglets compared to control piglets. CD4+CD8+ T cells were significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in jejunal Peyer’s patches of treated piglets. Phagocytosis of MHC class II+ cells isolated from the liver of probiotic-fed piglets was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of control piglets. Phagocytosis of granulocytes isolated from the liver and peripheral blood of probiotic-fed piglets were also higher than those of control piglets. These results indicate excellent effects on growth and immune status of piglets. In conclusion, probiotics have beneficial effects on the growth and health of piglets and could be good replacement for growth promoting antibiotics.