外源性H2S对糖尿病小鼠肝纤维化的作用及其机制*

目的: 探讨外源性硫化氢(H₂S)对糖尿病小鼠肝纤维化作用及其相关机制。方法: 将 C57 雄性体重为(22±2)g 24只小鼠随机分为3组(n=8):①正常对照组(Control):小鼠腹腔注射生理盐水,注射时间同实验组;②糖尿病模型组(HG):按体重(150 mg/kg)一次性腹腔注射链脲佐菌素(STZ)诱导小鼠建立糖尿病模型;③NaHS 处理组(HG + NaHS):方法同组别②,只是糖尿病模型建立后,腹腔注射NaHS(100 μmol/L·kg·d),每天一次,连续12周。HE染色检测肝细胞损伤;Masson染色检测肝纤维化;Western blot检测相关蛋白胱硫醚-β-合成酶(CBS,内源性H₂S产生的关键酶)、胶原I (Col-I)、胶原III (Col-III)和基质金属蛋白酶-9(MMP-9)的表达。结果: 与对照组比较,糖尿病模型组肝细胞损伤及肝纤维化均显著加重,CBS 蛋白表达显著减少(P＜0.01),Col-I、Col-III和MMP-9蛋白表达均显著增加(P＜0.01)。与糖尿病模型组比较,NaHS处理组肝细胞损伤及肝纤维化均显著减轻、CBS 蛋白表达显著增加、Col-I、Col-III和MMP-9蛋白表达均减少(P＜0.01)。结论: 外源性H₂S可抑制糖尿病小鼠肝纤维化,其机制与降低胶原含量和基质金属蛋白酶-9的表达相关。     

双乙酸钠对小鼠肠道菌群结构和功能的影响

肠道菌群在功能和代谢方面的研究日益成熟,但针对食品添加剂双乙酸钠对人体肠道菌群作用的研究目前仍鲜少有报道。为了探究其对肠道菌群及人体健康的潜在益处及危害,以小鼠为模型,以双乙酸钠为干预物质,干预剂量为0.3 g/(kg·d),干预1周后,收集实验小鼠和空白对照组小鼠的粪便并用菌群16S rDNA高通量测序进行肠道菌群的物种鉴定和丰度检测。对所得数据进行分析,得到小鼠肠道菌群的多样性与丰度比例等指标。结果显示,实验剂量下的双乙酸钠干预后,小鼠的肠道菌群无论是菌群种类还是丰度都有了显著改变,属水平新增447种,减少142种。根据丰度比例变化最显著的9种菌,如拟杆菌属(Bacteroides)、AKK(Akkermansia)等,并结合菌群代谢功能预测,脂肪酸合成显著上调,碳水化合物代谢、氨基酸代谢、脂代谢等明显下调,推测摄入高剂量的双乙酸钠可能有增加肥胖、过敏、慢性炎症和肠胃炎的风险。     

Effects of captivity,diet, and relocation on the gut bacterial communities of white‐footed mice

Microbes can have important impacts on their host's survival. Captive breeding programs for endangered species include periods of captivity that can ultimately have an impact on reintroduction success. No study to date has investigated the impacts of captive diet on the gut microbiota during the relocation process of generalist species. This study simulated a captive breeding program with white‐footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) to describe the variability in gut microbial community structure and composition during captivity and relocation in their natural habitat, and compared it to wild individuals. Mice born in captivity were fed two different diets, a control with dry standardized pellets and a treatment with nonprocessed components that reflect a version of their wild diet that could be provided in captivity. The mice from the two groups were then relocated to their natural habitat. Relocated mice that had the treatment diet had more phylotypes in common with the wild‐host microbiota than mice under the control diet or mice kept in captivity. These results have broad implications for our understanding of microbial community dynamics and the effects of captivity on reintroduced animals, including the potential impact on the survival of endangered species. This study demonstrates that ex situ conservation actions should consider a more holistic perspective of an animal's biology including its microbes.     

The pathogenic potential of the combined action of chronic Opisthorchis felineus infection and repeated social defeat stress in C57BL/6 mice

Parasitic food-borne diseases and chronic social stress are frequent attributes of day-to-day human life. Therefore, our aim was to model the combined action of chronic Opisthorchis felineus infection and repeated social defeat stress in C57BL/6 mice. Histological examination of the liver revealed inflammation sites, pronounced periductal fibrosis, and cholangiofibrosis together with proliferation of bile ducts and hepatocyte dystrophy in the infected mice, especially in the stress-exposed ones. Simultaneously with liver pathology, we detected significant structural changes in the cerebral cortex. Immunohistochemical analysis of the hippocampus indicated the highest increase in numerical density of Iba 1-, IL-6-, iNOS-, and Arg1-positive cells in mice simultaneously subjected to the two adverse factors. The number of GFAP-positive cells rose during repeated social defeat stress, most strongly in the mice subjected to both infection and stress. Real-time PCR analysis showed that the expression of genes Aif1 and Il6 differed among the analysed brain regions (hippocampus, hypothalamus, and frontal cortex) and depended on the adverse factors applied. In addition, among the brain regions, there was no consistent increase or decrease in these parameters when the two adverse treatments were combined: (i) in the hippocampus, there was upregulation of Aif1 and no change in Il6 expression; (ii) in the hypothalamus, expression levels of Aif1 and Il6 were not different from controls; and (iii) in the frontal cortex, Aif1 expression did not change while Il6 expression increased. It can be concluded that a combination of two long-lasting adverse factors, O. felineus infection and repeated social defeat stress, worsens not only the hepatic but also brain state, as evidenced behaviorally by disturbances of the startle response in mice.     

Strategic Habitat Conservation for Beach Mice: Estimating Management Scenario Efficiencies

The Perdido Key beach mouse (Peromyscus polionotus trissyllepsis), Choctawhatchee beach mouse (P. p. allophrys), and St. Andrew beach mouse (P. p. peninsularis) are 3 federally endangered subspecies that inhabit coastal dunes of Alabama and Florida, USA. Conservation opportunities for these subspecies are limited and costly. Consequently, well-targeted efforts are required to achieve their downlisting criteria. To aid the development of targeted management scenarios that are designed to achieve downlisting criteria, we developed a Bayesian network model that uses habitat characteristics to predict the probability of beach mouse presence at a 30-m resolution across a portion of the Florida Panhandle. We then designed alternative management scenarios for a variety of habitat conditions for coastal dunes. Finally, we estimated how much area is needed to achieve the established downlisting criterion (i.e., habitat objective) and the amount of effort needed to achieve the habitat objective (i.e., management efficiency). The results suggest that after 7 years of post-storm recolonization, habitat objectives were met for Perdido Key (within its Florida critical habitat) and Choctawhatchee beach mice. The St. Andrew beach mouse required 5.14 km² of additional critical habitat to be protected and occupied. The St. Andrew beach mouse habitat objective might be achieved by first restoring protected critical habitat to good dune conditions and then protecting or restoring the unprotected critical habitat with the highest predicted probability of beach mouse presence. This scenario provided a 28% increase in management efficiency compared to a scenario that randomly protected or restored undeveloped unprotected critical habitat. In total, when coupled with established downlisting criteria, these quantitative and spatial decision support tools could provide insight into how much habitat is available, how much more is needed, and targeted conservation or restoration efforts that might efficiently achieve habitat objectives. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.     

薏苡叶和淫羊藿配伍对小鼠抗疲劳及耐缺氧的作用*

目的: 探讨薏苡叶和淫羊藿及其配伍的耐缺氧抗疲劳作用。方法: 按体重随机将小鼠平均分为6组:空白对照组、薏苡叶组、淫羊藿组、薏苡叶淫羊藿1∶1配比低中高3个剂量实验组。3个剂量实验组分别给予1.5,4.5,7.5 g·kg^-1·d^-1的对应浓度提液,空白对照组灌以生理盐水,薏苡叶组和淫羊藿组分别给予1.5 g·kg^-1·d^-1浓度的对应提取液,连续灌胃21 d后,观察不同剂量的实验组对小鼠游泳时间,常压耐缺氧时间、爬杆时间、断头后呼吸维持时间及肝重系数的影响。结果: 与对照组比较,实验组抗缺氧耐疲劳作用较好(P＜0.05),其中中剂量组差异均极显著(P＜0.01)。在抗疲劳实验、肝重系数及断头后呼吸方面体现出两味药配伍具有复合作用(P＜0.05),而在常压耐缺氧方面并未表现出复合作用。结论: 薏苡叶和淫羊藿及其配伍对抗疲劳有显著的复合作用,中剂量组耐缺氧抗疲劳效果最好。在耐缺氧方面仅对肝重系数与断头呼吸时间上体现出复合作用。