High-throughput sequencing reveals the effect of Bacillus subtilis CGMCC 1.921 on the cecal microbiota and gene expression in ileum mucosa of laying hens

This study evaluated the effects of Bacillus subtilis CGMCC 1.921 supplementation on the production performance, cecal microbiota and mucosal transcriptome of laying hens by 16s rRNA gene sequencing and RNA-seq. A total of 144 27-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were allocated into two treatments, namely, a basal diet without additions (T0) and the basal diet supplemented with 1.0 × 108 cfu/g (T1) B. subtilis CGMCC 1.921, with six replicates of 12 birds in each for 24 weeks. The results showed that T1 significantly decreased feed:egg ratio compared with T0 (P < 0.05). Dietary supplementation with B. subtilis CGMCC 1.921 increased the Shannon index (P < 0.05) which indicated enhanced diversity of cecal microflora. An increasing trend in Observed species index (P = 0.072) was observed in hens fed with diets supplemented with B. subtilis CGMCC 1.921 that showed a higher species richness. And T1 modulated cecal microbiota by increasing the relative proportion of Alistipes, Subdoligranulum, Ruminococcaceae UCG-014, Anaerotruncus, Ruminiclostridium 5, Ruminococcaceae UCG-010, Erysipelatoclostridium, Ruminococcaceae UCG-009, Family XIII AD3011 group, Bacillus, Faecalicoccus, Firmicutes bacterium CAG822, Oxalobacter, and Dielma at genus level (P < 0.05). In addition, there was a tendency of increase in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus (P = 0.055), Anaerobiospirillum (P = 0.059) and Family XIII UCG-001 (P = 0.054), Peptococcus (P = 0.078), and Ruminococcaceae UCG-004 (P = 0.078). Moreover, heatmap analysis indicated that the abundance of Campylobacter and Clostridium sensu stricto 1 was lower than T0. A total of 942 genes were identified by differential expression analysis, among which 400 genes were upregulated and 542 genes were downregulated. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that the upregulated genes were involved in Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway, starch and sucrose metabolism, glycine/serine/threonine metabolism, and galactose metabolism, which may promote nutrient absorption. This study provided novel insights into the probiotic mechanisms of B. subtilis on laying hens.

Effects of long-term Bacillus subtilis CGMCC 1.921 supplementation on performance, egg quality, and fecal and cecal microbiota of laying hens

This study evaluated the effects of long-term Bacillus subtilis CGMCC 1.921 supplementation on the performance, egg quality, and fecal/cecal microbiota of laying hens. A total of 360 28-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were randomly allocated into 5 treatments with 6 replicates of 12 birds each for 24 weeks. The experimental treatments included a basal diet without additions (Con) and the basal diet supplemented with 1.0 × 105 (B1), 1.0 × 106 (B2), 1.0 × 107 (B3), and 1.0 × 108 (B4) cfu/g B. subtilis CGMCC 1.921. The results showed that feed:egg ratio significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in groups B1 (wk 13 to 16, 17 to 20, 21 to 24, and one to 24), B2 (wk 13 to 16, 17 to 20, and 21 to 24), B3 (wk 13 to 16, 17 to 20, 21 to 24, and one to 24), and B4 (wk 13 to 16, 17 to 20, 21 to 24, and one to 24). However, egg production, egg weight, and feed intake were not significantly different (P > 0.05) among treatments. Eggshell strength significantly improved (P < 0.05) in groups B1 (wk 8, 16, 20, and 24), B2 (wk 20 and 24), and B3 (wk 8, 16, 20, and 24). Fecal E. coli counts significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in groups B1 (wk 16), B2 (wk 12, 16, 20, and 24), B3 (wk 12, 20, and 24), and B4 (wk 16, 20, and 24). Lactobacillus in cecal digesta of groups B1, B3, and B4 increased significantly (P < 0.01). Bifidobacterium in cecal digesta of groups B1, B2, B3, and B4 increased significantly (P < 0.05). Bifidobacterium counts increased linearly (P = 0.015) and quadratically (P = 0.004) as B. subtilis CGMCC 1.921 supplementation increased. Compared with Con, E. coli in the cecal digesta of groups B2 and B4 decreased significantly (P < 0.01). C. perfringens in the cecal digesta of groups B3 and B4 decreased significantly (P < 0.05). E. coli:Lactobacillus ratio decreased in group B1 (P < 0.05) and B2, B3, and B4 (P < 0.01). Therefore, the probiotic B. subtilis CGMCC 1.921 effectively improved performance and egg quality via the reduction of fecal E. coli and beneficial modulation of cecal microbiota.

Pin1 inhibition exerts potent activity against acute myeloid leukemia through blocking multiple cancer-driving pathways

Background

The increasing genomic complexity of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the most common form of acute leukemia, poses a major challenge to its therapy. To identify potent therapeutic targets with the ability to block multiple cancer-driving pathways is thus imperative. The unique peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase Pin1 has been reported to promote tumorigenesis through upregulation of numerous cancer-driving pathways. Although Pin1 is a key drug target for treating acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) caused by a fusion oncogene, much less is known about the role of Pin1 in other heterogeneous leukemia.

Methods

The mRNA and protein levels of Pin1 were detected in samples from de novo leukemia patients and healthy controls using real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot. The establishment of the lentiviral stable-expressed short hairpin RNA (shRNA) system and the tetracycline-inducible shRNA system for targeting Pin1 were used to analyze the biological function of Pin1 in AML cells. The expression of cancer-related Pin1 downstream oncoproteins in shPin1 (Pin1 knockdown) and Pin1 inhibitor all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) treated leukemia cells were examined by western blot, followed by evaluating the effects of genetic and chemical inhibition of Pin1 in leukemia cells on transformed phenotype, including cell proliferation and colony formation ability, using trypan blue, cell counting assay, and colony formation assay in vitro, as well as the tumorigenesis ability using in vivo xenograft mouse models.

Results

First, we found that the expression of Pin1 mRNA and protein was significantly increased in both de novo leukemia clinical samples and multiple leukemia cell lines, compared with healthy controls. Furthermore, genetic or chemical inhibition of Pin1 in human multiple leukemia cell lines potently inhibited multiple Pin1 substrate oncoproteins and effectively suppressed leukemia cell proliferation and colony formation ability in cell culture models in vitro. Moreover, tetracycline-inducible Pin1 knockdown and slow-releasing ATRA potently inhibited tumorigenicity of U937 and HL-60 leukemia cells in xenograft mouse models.

Conclusions

We demonstrate that Pin1 is highly overexpressed in human AML and is a promising therapeutic target to block multiple cancer-driving pathways in AML.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13045-018-0611-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Effect of feeding Rumen-protected capsule containing niacin, K2SO4, vitamin C, and gamma-aminobutyric acid on heat stress and performance of dairy cows

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplemental rumen-protected capsule (RPC) on animal performance, serological indicators, and serum heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) of lactating Holstein cows under heat stress (HS). During summer months, 30 healthy multiparous lactating Holstein cows with a parity number of 3.1 ± 0.44, 70 ± 15 d in milk, an average body weight of 622 ± 62kg, and an average milk yield of 32.28 ± 0.96kg/d, were used. The cows were randomly allocated to two groups: a control group and an RPC-supplemented group (0.13373kg K₂SO₄, 0.02488kg vitamin C, 0.021148kg niacin, and 0.044784kggamma-aminobutyric acid per cow). During the 42-d experiment, ambient air temperature and relative humidity inside and outside the barn were recorded hourly every day for the determination of temperature-humidity index (THI). Milk and blood samples were collected every week, and body weight and body condition scoring were measured on day 0. Based on the THI values, the animals had moderate HS. On day 42, the RPC group had lower HSP70, adrenocorticotropic hormone (P = 0.0001), lactate dehydrogenase (P = 0.0338), and IL-6 (P = 0.0724) levels than the control group, with no significant differences in creatine kinase, glucocorticoid, or IL-2 levels. Milk yield, energy-corrected milk, and dry matter intake were higher in RPC than in the control group (P = 0.0196). There were no significant differences in milk fat or daily protein levels between the two groups; however, daily protein and milk fat levels were higher in the RPC group than in the control group (P = 0.0114 and P = 0.0665, respectively). Somatic cell counts were no different between the two groups. In conclusion, RPC may alleviate HS and improve dairy cow performance.

Effects of heme oxygenase-1 recombinant Lactococcus lactis on the intestinal barrier of hemorrhagic shock rats

This study aimed to investigate the effects of heme oxygenase-1 recombinant Lactococcus lactis (LL-HO-1) on the intestinal barrier of rats with hemorrhagic shock. One hundred Sprague-Dawley male rats (280-320 g) were randomly divided into healthy control group (N group) and hemorrhagic shock group (H group). Each group was subdivided into HO1t, HO2t, HO3t, PBS and LL groups in which rats were intragastrically injected with LL-HO-1 once, twice and three times, PBS and L. lactis (LL), respectively. The mortality, intestinal myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, intestinal contents of TNF-α, IL-10 and HO-1, and intestinal Chiu's score were determined. Results showed that in N group, the HO-1 content increased after LL-HO-1 treatment, and significant difference was observed in HO1t group and HO2t group (P<0.05). In H groups, MPO activity and Chiu's score decreased, but IL-10 content increased in LL-HO-1-treated groups when compared with PBS and LL groups (P<0.05). When compared with N group, the MPO activity reduced dramatically in LL-HO-1-treated groups. Thus, in healthy rats (N group), intragastrical LL-HO-1 treatment may increase the intestinal HO-1 expression, but has no influence on the intestinal barrier. In hemorrhagic shock rats, LL-HO-1 may significantly protect the intestinal barrier, and repeating the intragastrical LL-HO-1 treatments twice has the most obvious protection.

MicroRNA Bta-miR-181a regulates the biosynthesis of bovine milk fat by targeting ACSL1

MicroRNA (miRNA) are a class of small noncoding RNA that function as important posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression. The acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 1 (ACSL1) is an important enzyme in the process of milk lipid synthesis. In a previous study dealing with incubations of stearic acid in bovine mammary epithelial cells, an opposite expression pattern was observed between ACSL1 and miR-181a. Bioinformatics analysis with TargetScan and PicTar revealed ACSL1 as a potential target gene of miR-181a. The objective of this work was to determine the potential function of miR-181a on milk fat synthesis by defining the regulatory relationship between miR-181a and ACSL1. Primary bovine mammary epithelial cells were harvested from mid-lactation cows and cultured in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium/F-12 medium with 10% fetal bovine serum, 0.5μg/mL of insulin, 10 ng/mL of epidermal growth factor, 5μg/mL of transferrin, 1μg/mL of hydrocortisone, 1μg/mL of progesterone, 5μg/mL of estradiol, and 5μg/mL of prolactin. Cells were transfected with an miR-181a mimic to increase its expression and an miR-181a inhibitor to decrease its expression before culturing for 48 h. The results revealed that the overexpression of miR-181a inhibited the expression of ACSL1, whereas the downregulation of miR-181a increased ACSL1 expression. Western blot analysis of ACSL1 revealed similar effects. Oil-red-O staining indicated that cellular lipid droplet synthesis was decreased with the overexpression of bta-miR-181a, and treatment with the bta-miR-181a inhibitor increased concentration of lipid droplets. Furthermore, overexpression of bta-miR-181a resulted in a decrease in concentration of triacylglycerol in the cells, whereas inhibition of bta-miR-181a increased concentration of triacylglycerol. Therefore, the results indicated that bta-miR-181a may contribute to negative regulation of lipid synthesis in mammary cells via targeting ACSL1.

[Recombinant polypeptide of N-terminal heparin-binding domain of fibronectin antagonizes hepatic failure induced by endotoxin in mice]

OBJECTIVE

To study the preventive effect of recombinant polypeptide of N-terminal heparin-binding domain of fibronectin on hepatic failure induced by endotoxin in mice.

METHODS

The 40 hepatic failure Balb/C mice were established by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and d-galactosamine (GalN). The mice were randomly divided into two groups, one for polypeptide treatment, the othe for saline treatment.Another 20 mice were used as normal control. Half hour prior to, 1, 2, and 3 hours after injection of LPS and GalN, the rhFNHN-29 polypeptide (10 mg/kg) was injected through the tail vein of mice. The same volume of saline was given to the saline treated group and the normal control group.Six hours after the injection of LPS and GalN, 250 microl blood was taken from the eye vein of each mouse for plasma TNFalpha testing, and 72 hours after the injection, mortality rates of the mice of different groups were observated. The liver, lung, heart, kidney, and brain tissues of the survival mice were examined for histopathology after 72 hours. The Liver tissue was also examined for electron micrograph and for mRNA expression of TNFalpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 by RT-PCR.

RESULTS

The 72 hours mortality rates in saline-treated and polypeptide treated-mice were 70% and 15% respectively (P < 0.01). The histopathology showed that necrosis occurred less on the hepatocytes of polypeptide treated mice than on the saline treated ones. The ultrastructure of hepatocyte under the electron microscope showed that cell apparatus of saline treated mice were destroyed and cytoplasm become loose. The expression level of TNFalpha, IL-1beta, IL-6 mRNA on hepatocytes in polypeptide treated mice was significantly lower (1.26 +/- 0.37, 0.98 +/- 0.21, 0.43 +/- 0.17, 87.43 +/- 16.7 respectively) than that in the saline treated ones (1.98 +/- 0.56, 1.24 +/- 0.35, 0.64 +/- 0.25 and 236.11 +/- 32.7, respectively) (P < 0.01). Similarly, the plasm TNFalpha level (87.43 +/- 16.7) in polypeptide treated group was significantly lower than that (236.11 +/- 32.7) in the saline treated group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

The rhFNHN-29 polypeptide can prevent and treat hepatic failure induced by endotoxin. The mechanism by which the polypeptide takes the effect may involve its ability to down-regulate expression of those inflammation factors such as TNFalpha, IL-1beta, IL-6.

[The potential prognostic influence of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor in acute leukemia]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the potential influence of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) on the prognosis of patients with acute leukemia(AL).

METHODS

In 171 evaluable cases with AL, the complete remission (CR) rate post first course of chemotherapy, CR rate, effective rate, duration of leucopenia post chemotherapy, CR duration, lifespan and the relationship between the dosage of G-CSF and CR duration or lifespan were retrospectively analyzed with Chi-square test, paired t-test, Cox regression, Kaplan-Meier and rank correlation method. For remission induction and postremission therapy, the cases with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) received chemotherapy regimes based on daunorubicin + ara-C (DA), homoharringtonine + ara-C (HA) or mitoxantrone + ara-C (MA). The patients with acute lymphocyte leukemia (ALL) were treated with regimes based on vinblastine + daunorubicin + prednisone (VDP), vinblastine + adriamycin + prednisone (VAP), vinblastine + mitoxantrone + prednisone (VMP) or cyclophosphamide + vinblastine + daunorubicin + prednisone(CODP). In G-CSF group, the patients whose WBC count fell below 1.0 x 10(9)/L after chemotherapy were given rhG-CSF (1.5-6.0 microg.kg(-1).d(-1)) until WBC count restored to 2.5 x 10(9)/L.

RESULTS

(1) Patients administered applied with G-CSF had shorter duration of leucopenia. However, there was no statistical difference between the two groups in the CR rate post first course of chemotherapy, CR rate and the effective rate of treatment. (2) Use of G-CSF did not affect CR durations of ALL patients, but shortened that of AML patients. (3) The application of G-CSF had little effect on the lifespan of ALL patients. By contrast, it showed clearly negative effects on that of AML patients. (4) No relationship between the dosage of G-CSF and CR duration or lifespan in AML patients.

CONCLUSION

With AML patients, the administration of G-CSF must be very cautious.

Value of postoperative radiotherapy for thyroid cancer

A series of 405 patients with thyroid cancer treated by surgery with or without postoperative radiotherapy from February 1958 through 1979 is reported. The immediate evaluation of the operation was that it was either incomplete or complete. Incomplete surgery implied that there was (1) possible residual tumor in the operative field, the result of difficult dissection of the tumor off the neighboring organs or tissues, as assessed by the surgeon; (2) multiple (more than five) lymph nodes involved; (3) positive border of the removed lesions; or (4) microscopic evidence of tumor in the operative field. Complete surgery implied through extirpation of cancer grossly and microscopically. In 297 patients who had complete surgery, 238 patients treated by surgery alone had a 5-year survival rate of 92% (218/238), while 59 patients who received postoperative radiotherapy had a 5-year survival rate of 78% (46/59). The optimum dose of postoperative radiotherapy was 50-70 Gy in 5 to 8 weeks, with the spinal dose kept under 40 Gy. Our experience shows that postoperative radiotherapy did not improve the survival of patients who had had complete surgery. Yet, in 108 patients who had incomplete surgery, surgery alone yielded a 5-year survival rate of 33% (19/57), while surgery plus radiotherapy yielded a 5-year survival of 71% (36/51). Our observation shows a remarkable benefit with postoperative radiotherapy in patients who have had incomplete surgery (P less than 0.05). According to pathologic criteria, postoperative radiotherapy was more effective in well-differentiated cancers than in poorly differentiated ones. It was equally effective in untreated as well as recurrent lesions. The prognosis for younger patients was better, but the sex of the patients did not affect prognosis.