Dietary supplementation of osthole and icariin improves the production performance of laying hens by promoting follicular development

Osthole (Ost) and icariin (Ica) are extracted from traditional Chinese medicine Cnidium monnieri and Epimedii Folium, respectively, and both exhibit estrogen-like biological activity. This study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of combining Ost with Ica on the production performance of laying hens and to explore their possible mechanisms. The production performance, egg quality, residues of Ost and Ica in eggs, serum reproductive hormone levels, expression of ovarian reproductive hormone receptor, proliferation of granulosa cells in small yellow follicles (SYF), and progesterone secretion in large yellow follicles (LYF) related genes and proteins expression were detected. The results showed that adding 2 mg/kg Ost + 2 mg/kg Ica to the feed increased the laying rate, average egg weight, Haugh unit, and protein height of laying hens. Serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and progesterone (P4) levels increased, and the expression of ovarian estrogen receptor (ER), follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), and progesterone receptor (PGR) mRNA was up-regulated. Additionally, the mRNA and protein levels of steroidogenesis acute regulatory protein (StAR), cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage (P450scc), and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) increased in LYF. Furthermore, mRNA and protein levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), cyclin E1, and cyclin A2 were up-regulated in SYF. The residues of Ost and Ica in egg samples were not detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of Ost and Ica increased granulosa cells proliferation in SYF and increased P4 secretion in granulosa cells of LYF, ultimately improving the production performance of laying hens.

Functional polymorphisms of the FAS/FASLG genes are associated with risk of alopecia areata in a Chinese population: a case-control analysis

BACKGROUND

The Fas/Fas ligand system plays a key role in regulating cell growth and apoptosis. Previous findings have suggested that FAS and FASLG polymorphisms are associated with systemic lupus erythematosus, autoimmune hepatitis, vitiligo and other autoimmune-related disorders. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no reported study on the associations between FAS and FASLG polymorphisms and the risk of alopecia areata.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the associations between FAS and FASLG polymorphisms and the risk of alopecia areata in a Chinese Han population.

METHODS

In a hospital-based case-control study of 84 patients with alopecia areata and 84 controls, we genotyped FAS 1377G>A, FAS 670A>G and FASLG 844T>C polymorphisms and assessed their association with alopecia areata risk.

RESULTS

We found that a reduced risk of alopecia areata appeared to be associated with the FAS 670AG genotype [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 0.43; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.22-0.86] when compared with the FAS 670AA genotype, but no risk was associated with any of the FAS 1377G>A and FASLG 844T>C genotypes. In the combined analysis, we found that the presence in individuals of two at-risk alleles of the three FAS/FASLG polymorphisms was associated with a lower risk of alopecia areata (adjusted OR 0.21; 95% CI 0.05-0.89) when compared with the presence of six at-risk alleles.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that genetic variants in the FAS and FASLG genes may contribute to the aetiology of alopecia areata.