Amblyopia is a common visual development disorder and is the main cause of monocular vision impairment in children and adults. Photobiomodulation(PBM), a non-invasive treatment method, has gradually gained attention in the field of ophthalmology. This paper begins with the macroscopic manifestation of light on the animal model of amblyopia. Additionally, it discusses the pathological changes of the amblyopic retina and the human eye's central nervous system, as well as the influence and mechanism of PBM on the visual perception and processing system and its chemical effect on the visual system through dopamine and melatonin. It examines its mechanism of action, current clinical application status, and future development direction in order to provide new ideas and theoretical foundation for amblyopia treatment.

Objective Through integrative bioinformatics analysis of multi-source transcriptomic data, potential biomarkers to asthma epithelial cells were identified. The expression of these candidate target was subsequently validated in lung tissues and epithelial cells from asthma models. Methods The gene expression profile data of epithelial cells from three asthma patient cohorts and corresponding healthy controls were integrated from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Differential expression analysis and gene co-expression network analysis were performed to identify key genes and biological pathways associated with asthma. The key genes were validated in lung tissues and epithelial cells in asthma animal models. Results Differential gene expression analysis revealed 1121 upregulated and 1484 downregulated genes in epithelial cells from asthma patients compared with healthy controls. The biological pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the upregulated genes were mainly involved in glycosylation processes, whereas the downregulated genes were mainly associated with immune cell differentiation process. The gene co-expression network analysis revealed that module 9, enriched in glycosylation-related pathways, was significantly positively correlated with asthma, whereas module 17, associated with insulin and other signaling pathways, showed a significant negative correlation with asthma. We identified the genes of polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 5 (GALNT5), pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 1 (PYCR1), and carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 5 (CEACAM5) as key genes within module 9, all of which were significantly upregulated in asthma. Finally, we validated that the expression levels of GALNT5, PYCR1, and CEACAM5 were significantly upregulated in epithelial cells from asthmatic lung tissue. Additionally, using a rat asthma model, we further confirmed that the protein levels of these three genes were significantly upregulated in lung tissues of the model group. Conclusion Through data integration and experimental validation, this study identified key genes and biological pathways closely associated with asthma pathogenesis. These findings provide a novel theoretical basis and potential targets for the diagnosis and treatment of asthma.
Asthma/metabolism* ; Humans ; Epithelial Cells/metabolism* ; Animals ; Biomarkers/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Transcriptome ; Gene Regulatory Networks ; Rats ; Computational Biology

OBJECTIVES: To explore the mechanism of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei E6 for improving vinorelbine-induced immunosuppression in zebrafish. METHODS: The intestinal colonization of L. paracasei E6 labeled by fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) in zebrafish was observed under fluorescence microscope. In a zebrafish model of vinorelbine-induced immunosuppression, the immunomodulatory activity of L. paracasei E6 was assessed by analyzing macrophage and neutrophil counts in the caudal hematopoietic tissue (CHT), the number of T-lymphocyte, and the expressions of interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ). The contents of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in L. paracasei E6 fermentation supernatant and the metabolites of L. paracasei E6 in zebrafish were detected by LC-MS/MS-based targeted metabolomics. The immunomodulatory effects of the SCFAs including sodium acetate, sodium propionate and sodium butyrate were evaluated in the zebrafish model of immunosuppression. RESULTS: After inoculation, green fluorescence of FITC-labeled L. paracasei E6 was clearly observed in the intestinal ball, midgut and posterior gut regions of zebrafish. In the immunocompromised zebrafish model, L. paracasei E6 significantly alleviated the reduction of macrophage and neutrophil counts in the CHT, increased the fluorescence intensity of T-lymphocytes, and promoted the expressions of IL-12 and IFN-γ. Compared with MRS medium, L. paracasei E6 fermentation supernatant showed significantly higher levels of acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid, which were also detected in immunocompromised zebrafish following treatment with L. paracasei E6. Treatment of the zebrafish model with sodium acetate and sodium propionate significantly increased macrophage and neutrophil counts in the CHT and effectively inhibited vinorelbine-induced reduction of thymus T cells. CONCLUSIONS L. paracasei E6 can improve vinorelbine-induced immunosuppression in zebrafish through its SCFA metabolites acetic acid and propionic acid.
Animals ; Zebrafish/immunology* ; Acetic Acid/metabolism* ; Propionates/metabolism* ; Fatty Acids, Volatile/metabolism*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy of Lactobacillus plantarum ZG03 (L. plantarum ZG03) for ameliorating oxidative stress in zebrafish. METHODS: We evaluated the growth pattern of L. plantarum ZG03, observed its morphology using field emission scanning electron microscopy, and assessed its safety and potential efficacy with whole-genome sequencing for genetic analysis. FITC-labeled ZG03 was used to observe its intestinal colonization in zebrafish. In a zebrafish model of 2% glucose-induced oxidative stress, the effect of ZG03 was evaluated by assessing the changes in neutrophils in the caudal hematopoietic tissue (CHT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based targeted metabolomics was used for analyzing short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the zebrafish, and the antioxidant effects of the key metabolites (acetate, propionate, and caproate) were tested. RESULTS: On MRS agar, L. plantarum ZG03 formed circular, smooth, moist, and milky-white colonies with a rod-shaped cell morphology. Genomic analysis revealed abundant sugar metabolism gene clusters. After inoculation of FITC-labeled L. plantarum ZG03 in zebrafish, green fluorescence was clearly observed in the intestinal bulb, mid-intestine, and hind intestine. In zebrafish with glucose-induced oxidative stress, L. plantarum ZG03 significantly reduced ROS levels and the number of neutrophils in the CHT with increased SOD activity. L.plantarum ZG03 significantly increased the content of SCFAs including acetic acid, propionic acid, and caproic acid in zebrafish metabolites. In addition, sodium acetate, sodium propionate, and sodium caproate in the SCFAs significantly increased SOD activity in the zebrafish models. CONCLUSIONS L. plantarum ZG03 ameliorates oxidative stress in a glucose-induced zebrafish model through its metabolites, particularly the SCFAs including acetic acid, propionic acid and caproic acid.
Animals ; Zebrafish/metabolism* ; Oxidative Stress ; Lactobacillus plantarum/metabolism* ; Fatty Acids, Volatile/metabolism* ; Probiotics ; Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism* ; Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism*

Objective To explore the mechanism of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei E6 for improving vinorelbine-induced immunosuppression in zebrafish.Methods The intestinal colonization of L.paracasei E6 labeled by fluorescein isothiocyanate(FITC)in zebrafish was observed under fluorescence microscope.In a zebrafish model of vinorelbine-induced immunosuppression,the immunomodulatory activity of L.paracasei E6 was assessed by analyzing macrophage and neutrophil counts in the caudal hematopoietic tissue(CHT),the number of T-lymphocyte,and the expressions of interleukin-12(IL-12)and interferon-γ(IFN-γ).The contents of short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs)in L.paracasei E6 fermentation supernatant and the metabolites of L.paracasei E6 in zebrafish were detected by LC-MS/MS-based targeted metabolomics.The immunomodulatory effects of the SCFAs including sodium acetate,sodium propionate and sodium butyrate were evaluated in the zebrafish model of immunosuppression.Results After inoculation,green fluorescence of FITC-labeled L.paracasei E6 was clearly observed in the intestinal ball,midgut and posterior gut regions of zebrafish.In the immunocompromised zebrafish model,L.paracasei E6 significantly alleviated the reduction of macrophage and neutrophil counts in the CHT,increased the fluorescence intensity of T-lymphocytes,and promoted the expressions of IL-12 and IFN-γ.Compared with MRS medium,L.paracasei E6 fermentation supernatant showed significantly higher levels of acetic acid,propionic acid and butyric acid,which were also detected in immunocompromised zebrafish following treatment with L.paracasei E6.Treatment of the zebrafish model with sodium acetate and sodium propionate significantly increased macrophage and neutrophil counts in the CHT and effectively inhibited vinorelbine-induced reduction of thymus T cells.Conclusion L.paracasei E6 can improve vinorelbine-induced immunosuppression in zebrafish through its SCFA metabolites acetic acid and propionic acid.

Objective To investigate the efficacy of Lactobacillus plantarum ZG03(L.plantarum ZG03)for ameliorating oxidative stress in zebrafish.Methods We evaluated the growth pattern of L.plantarum ZG03,observed its morphology using field emission scanning electron microscopy,and assessed its safety and potential efficacy with whole-genome sequencing for genetic analysis.FITC-labeled ZG03 was used to observe its intestinal colonization in zebrafish.In a zebrafish model of 2%glucose-induced oxidative stress,the effect of ZG03 was evaluated by assessing the changes in neutrophils in the caudal hematopoietic tissue(CHT),superoxide dismutase(SOD)activity,reactive oxygen species(ROS)levels,and malondialdehyde(MDA)content.Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based targeted metabolomics was used for analyzing short-chain fatty acids(SCFAs)in the zebrafish,and the antioxidant effects of the key metabolites(acetate,propionate,and caproate)were tested.Results On MRS agar,L.plantarum ZG03 formed circular,smooth,moist,and milky-white colonies with a rod-shaped cell morphology.Genomic analysis revealed abundant sugar metabolism gene clusters.After inoculation of FITC-labeled L.plantarum ZG03 in zebrafish,green fluorescence was clearly observed in the intestinal bulb,mid-intestine,and hind intestine.In zebrafish with glucose-induced oxidative stress,L.plantarum ZG03 significantly reduced ROS levels and the number of neutrophils in the CHT with increased SOD activity.L.plantarum ZG03 significantly increased the content of SCFAs including acetic acid,propionic acid,and caproic acid in zebrafish metabolites.In addition,sodium acetate,sodium propionate,and sodium caproate in the SCFAs significantly increased SOD activity in the zebrafish models.Conclusion L.plantarum ZG03 ameliorates oxidative stress in a glucose-induced zebrafish model through its metabolites,particularly the SCFAs including acetic acid,propionic acid and caproic acid.

Acute kidney injury(AKI),a clinical syndrome caused by various factors,is characterized by a rapid decline in kidney function in a short period of time.AKI affects the short-term prognosis of patients and may also induce chronic kidney disease(CKD).However,the current treatment options for AKI mainly focus on symptom management.Specific therapeutic measures available for the prevention of transition from AKI to CKD are very limited in number.Histones are basic proteins that intricately bind the DNA in chromosomes.After translation,histones undergo various modifications on their amino-terminal tails,such as methylation,acetylation,phosphorylation,ubiquitination,and lactylation,collectively forming the"histone code",which affects the expression of genes mainly by regulating the elastic structure of chromatin or recruiting specific proteins.Extensive research conducted in recent years on histone post-translational modifications(PTMs)has also sparked continuous interest in their association with the AKI-to-CKD transition.Therefore,this paper highlights the significant role of PTMs in the process of AKI developing and progressing to CKD,with a view to finding new approaches to preventing the progression of AKI to CKD.

The identification of oleaginous yeast species capable of simultaneously utilizing xylose and glucose as substrates to generate value-added biological products is an area of key economic interest. We have previously demonstrated that the Cutaneotrichosporon dermatisNICC30027 yeast strain is capable of simultaneously assimilating both xylose and glucose, resulting in considerable lipid accumulation. However, as no high-quality genome sequencing data or associated annotations for this strain are available at present, it remains challenging to study the metabolic mechanisms underlying this phenotype. Herein, we report a 39,305,439 bp draft genome assembly for C. dermatis NICC30027 comprised of 37 scaffolds, with 60.15% GC content. Within this genome, we identified 524 tRNAs, 142 sRNAs, 53 miRNAs, 28 snRNAs, and eight rRNA clusters. Moreover, repeat sequences totaling 1,032,129 bp in length were identified (2.63% of the genome), as were 14,238 unigenes that were 1,789.35 bp in length on average (64.82% of the genome). The NCBI non-redundant protein sequences (NR) database was employed to successfully annotate 11,795 of these unigenes, while 3,621 and 11,902 were annotated with the Swiss-Prot and TrEMBL databases, respectively. Unigenes were additionally subjected to pathway enrichment analyses using the Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Cluster of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COG), Clusters of orthologous groups for eukaryotic complete genomes (KOG), and Non-supervised Orthologous Groups (eggNOG) databases.Together, these results provide a foundation for future studies aimed at clarifying the mechanistic basis for the ability of C. dermatis NICC30027 to simultaneously utilize glucose and xylose to synthesize lipids.

Leishmaniasis is a prevalent cause of death and animal morbidity in underdeveloped countries of endemic area. However, there is few vaccine and effective drugs. Antimicrobial peptides are involved in the innate immune response in many organisms and are being developed as novel drugs against parasitic infections. In the present study, we synthesized a 5-amino acid peptide REDLK, which mutated the C-terminus of Pseudomonas exotoxin, to identify its effect on the Leishmania tarentolae. Promastigotes were incubated with different concentration of REDLK peptide, and the viability of parasite was assessed using MTT and Trypan blue dye. Morphologic damage of Leishmania was analyzed by light and electron microscopy. Cellular apoptosis was observed using the annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis detection kit, mitochondrial membrane potential assay kit and flow cytometry. Our results showed that Leishmania tarentolae was susceptible to REDLK in a dose-dependent manner, disrupt the surface membrane integrity and caused parasite apoptosis. In our study, we demonstrated the leishmanicidal activity of an antimicrobial peptide REDLK from Pseudomonas aeruginosa against Leishmania tarentolae in vitro and present a foundation for further research of anti-leishmanial drugs.

The present study was performed to investigate the seroprevalence and risk factors for Dirofilaria immitis infection in cats from Liaoning province, northeastern China. From October 2014 to September 2016, sera of 651 cats, including 364 domestic cats and 287 feral cats (332 females and 319 males) were assessed. They were tested for the presence of D. immitis antigen using SNAP Heartworm RT test kit. In this population, the average prevalence was 4.5%. Age and rearing conditions (feral or domestic) were found to be associated with the prevalence of D. immitis. The prevalence was significantly higher in feral cats compared with domestic cats (8.4% vs 1.4%, P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between males and females (4.7% vs 4.2%, P>0.05), but older cats (≥3 years old) showed a statistically higher prevalence compared with younger cats ( < 3 years old) in feral populations (16.8 vs 2.4%, P < 0.01), while the difference between the age groups was not statistically significant in domestic cats (2.4% vs 0.51%, P>0.05), all these results suggest that outdoor exposure time may be one of the most important factors for D. immitis prevalence in cats. Results reveal that D. immitis are prevalence in domestic and feral cats in northeastern China, which indicates that appropriate preventive measures should be taken to decrease the incidence of feline heartworm disease in Liaoning province, northeastern China.
Animals ; Cats* ; China* ; Dirofilaria immitis* ; Dirofilaria* ; Dirofilariasis ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Male ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Seroepidemiologic Studies*