Effects of the total replacement of fish-based diet with plant-based diet on the hepatic transcriptome of two European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) half-sibfamilies showing different growth rates with the plant-based diet

Background: Efforts towards utilisation of diets without fish meal (FM) or fish oil (FO) in finfish aquaculture have been being made for more than two decades. Metabolic responses to substitution of fishery products have been shown to impact growth performance and immune system of fish as well as their subsequent nutritional value, particularly in marine fish species, which exhibit low capacity for biosynthesis of long-chain poly-unsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA). The main objective of the present study was to analyse the effects of a plant-based diet on the hepatic transcriptome of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax). Results: We report the first results obtained using a transcriptomic approach on the liver of two half-sibfamilies of the European sea bass that exhibit similar growth rates when fed a fish-based diet (FD), but significantly different growth rates when fed an all-plant diet (VD). Overall gene expression was analysed using oligo DNA microarrays (GPL9663). Statistical analysis identified 582 unique annotated genes differentially expressed between groups of fish fed the two diets, 199 genes regulated by genetic factors, and 72 genes that exhibited diet-family interactions. The expression of several genes involved in the LC-PUFA and cholesterol biosynthetic pathways was found to be up-regulated in fish fed VD, suggesting a stimulation of the lipogenic pathways. No significant diet-family interaction for the regulation of LC-PUFA biosynthesis pathways could be detected by microarray analysis. This result was in agreement with LC-PUFA profiles, which were found to be similar in the flesh of the two half-sibfamilies. In addition, the combination of our transcriptomic data with an analysis of plasmatic immune parameters revealed a stimulation of complement activity associated with an immunodeficiency in the fish fed VD, and different inflammatory status between the two half-sibfamilies. Biological processes related to protein catabolism, amino acid transaminations, RNA splicing and blood coagulation were also found to be regulated by diet, while the expression of genes involved in protein and ATP synthesis differed between the half-sibfamilies. Conclusions: Overall, the combined gene expression, compositional and biochemical studies demonstrated a large panel of metabolic and physiological effects induced by total substitution of both FM and FO in the diets of European sea bass and revealed physiological characteristics associated with the two half-sibfamilies

Lipid Composition of the Human Eye: Are Red Blood Cells a Good Mirror of Retinal and Optic Nerve Fatty Acids?

International audienceBACKGROUND: The assessment of blood lipids is very frequent in clinical research as it is assumed to reflect the lipid composition of peripheral tissues. Even well accepted such relationships have never been clearly established. This is particularly true in ophthalmology where the use of blood lipids has become very common following recent data linking lipid intake to ocular health and disease. In the present study, we wanted to determine in humans whether a lipidomic approach based on red blood cells could reveal associations between circulating and tissue lipid profiles. To check if the analytical sensitivity may be of importance in such analyses, we have used a double approach for lipidomics. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Red blood cells, retinas and optic nerves were collected from 9 human donors. The lipidomic analyses on tissues consisted in gas chromatography and liquid chromatography coupled to an electrospray ionization source-mass spectrometer (LC-ESI-MS). Gas chromatography did not reveal any relevant association between circulating and ocular fatty acids except for arachidonic acid whose circulating amounts were positively associated with its levels in the retina and in the optic nerve. In contrast, several significant associations emerged from LC-ESI-MS analyses. Particularly, lipid entities in red blood cells were positively or negatively associated with representative pools of retinal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), retinal very-long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC-PUFA) or optic nerve plasmalogens. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: LC-ESI-MS is more appropriate than gas chromatography for lipidomics on red blood cells, and further extrapolation to ocular lipids. The several individual lipid species we have identified are good candidates to represent circulating biomarkers of ocular lipids. However, further investigation is needed before considering them as indexes of disease risk and before using them in clinical studies on optic nerve neuropathies or retinal diseases displaying photoreceptors degeneration

Implante de stents en ramas de arterias pulmonares en cardiopatias congenitas: Experiencia multicentrica en 10 años

Introducción: La angioplastia con implante de stent es considerado el tratamiento de elección para la mayoría de los casos de estenosis congénita o adquirida post quirúrgica de ramas de arterias pulmonares en pacientes portadores de cardiopatías congénitas. Sin embargo, aún persisten dudas sobre la efectividad clínica e incidencia de complicaciones de esta técnica que necesitan ser esclarecidas. Material y métodos: Estudio multicéntrico descriptivo- retrospectivo-observacional. Los procedimientos fueron realizaron desde enero del 2005 hasta abril del 2015. Un total 25 pacientes fueron sometidos a angioplastia con implante de stent en ramas de arterias pulmonares los cuales fueron seguidos evolutivamente en su estado clínico y por diferentes métodos de imágenes. Se definió buena efectividad clínica al mejoramiento clínico sintomático y/o anatómico persistente del paciente intervenido.   Resultados: La totalidad de la cohorte de 25 pacientes tenían una edad promedio de  9,48 años (2 meses–34 años), un peso promedio de 27,54 kg (3-104) y 44% correspondieron a sexo femenino. Las cardiopatías congénitas de base intervenidas fueron en su mayoría tetralogía de Fallot y sus variantes, seguido por corazones con fisiología univentricular post cirugías de Glenn bidireccional y/o Fontán-Kreutzer. La presión sistólica del ventrículo derecho y de la arteria pulmonar disminuyeron significativamente post-intervención (68,3 mmHg a 45,8 mmHg  y 47,4 mmHg a 32 mmHg, respectivamente) (p< 0,0001). El mínimo diámetro de la lesión a tratar  incrementó significativamente post-procedimiento (3,98 mm a 9,82 mm, p< 0,0001). La incidencia de complicaciones fue del 8% (2 pacientes) y una buena efectividad clínica fue registrada en 22 pacientes (88%).Conclusión: La angioplastia con colocación de stent en las ramas de arterias pulmonares resultó en una técnica segura y eficaz aunque desafiante, con una marcada mejoría clínica y anatómica de las lesiones tratadas. Representa una alternativa a la cirugía disminuyendo el riesgo de reintervenciones en pacientes con cardiopatías congénitas.Background: Stent implant is considered the treatment of choice for most cases of congenital or postoperative pulmonary artery branch stenosis in patients with congenital heart defects. However, there are still doubts on the clinical effectiveness and the incidence of complications of this technique that need to be elucidated.Methods: This multicenter study has a descriptive, observational and retrospective design. The procedures were performed between January 2005 and April 2015. Twenty-five patients with pulmonary artery branch stenosis underwent stent implant and were followed-up both clinically and by different imaging tests. Persistent clinical and/or anatomic improvement defined clinical effectiveness.Results: Average age was 9.48 years (2 months-34 years), mean weight was 27.54 kg (3-104 kg) and 44% were women. The most frequent congenital heart defects in the treated cohort were tetralogy of Fallot and its variants, followed by single ventricle heart physiology after bidirectional Glenn shunt and/or Fontan-Kreutzer procedures. Right ventricular systolic and pulmonary artery pressure decreased significantly after the intervention (from 68.35 mmHg to 45.8 mmHg and from 47.4 mm Hg to 32 mm Hg, respectively) (p < 0.0001). The initial minimum diameter of the treated pulmonary artery branch increased significantly after the procedure (from 3.98 mm to 9.82 mm, p < 0.0001). The incidence of complications was 8% (n = 2) and the clinical effectiveness of the procedure was good in 22 patients (88%).Conclusions: Stent implant in pulmonary artery branch stenosis is a safe and feasible though challenging technique, with significant clinical and anatomic improvement. The procedure represents an alternative to surgery and decreases the need for reinterventions in patients with congenital heart defects

Parental haplotype-specific single-cell transcriptomics reveal incomplete epigenetic reprogramming in human female germ cells

Stem cells & developmental biolog