Probiotic-Based Nutritional Effects on Killifish Reproduction

Probiotic bacteria used as dietary additives seem to offer an attractive choice inducing overall health benefits to the host organism. It is well known that reproduction, in all vertebrates, is regulated by the reproductive axis and that nutrition affects reproductive events, from puberty to adult gametogenesis, in both sexes. Consequently, reproductive events are very closely aligned with the nutrition. The aims of this study were to investigate the effects of dietary probiotic administration on the marine teleost Fundulus heteroclitus and the effects of such broodstock dietary treatment on the growth and survival of the new progeny. Lactobacillus rhamnosus IMC 501® was administered daily as a feed additive, at a final concentration of 106 cfu ml-1 for 8 days. Gonadal growth (gonadosomatic index, GSI), fecundity, embryo survival and hatching rate of larvae from broodstock fed probiotic-supplemented diets were analysed as well as the biometric parameters (body weight, BW; total length, TL). The results demonstrated the beneficial effects of probiotics on the reproductive performance of this marine teleost, as the GSI, fecundity and embryo survival were significantly enhanced by probiotic administration. On the contrary, no effect on the hatching rate was shown. Moreover, broodstock probiotic-based nutrition affected the early stages of larval development of the new progeny: in detail, a significantly higher TL was shown throughout the experiment in the progeny derived from the probiotic (PRO) group bloodstocks compared to the control (CTRL) group; mean BW was significantly higher only at 30 days post-hatching (dph) while no change was observed in terms of larval survival. These results confirmed the positive effect of L. rhamnosus IMC 501® on the reproductive process of this marine teleost, but further work is required to better understand the mechanisms by which probiotics act on the reproductive axis as well as the nutritionally-/immunologically-mediated maternal effects on embryo and larval development and growth

Polydatin beneficial effects in zebrafish larvae undergoing multiple stress types

none8noPolydatin is a polyphenol, whose beneficial properties, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, have been largely demonstrated. At the same time, copper has an important role in the correct organism homeostasis and alteration of its concentration can induce oxidative stress. In this study, the efficacy of polydatin to counteract the stress induced by CuSO4 exposure or by caudal fin amputation was investigated in zebrafish larvae. The study revealed that polydatin can reduced the stress induced by a 2 h exposure to 10 µM CuSO4 by lowering the levels of il1b and cxcl8b.1 and reducing neutrophils migration in the head and along the lateral line. Similarly, polydatin administration reduced the number of neutrophils in the area of fin cut. In addition, polydatin upregulates the expression of sod1 mRNA and CAT activity, both involved in the antioxidant response. Most of the results obtained in this study support the working hypothesis that polydatin administration can modulate stress response and its action is more effective in mitigating the effects rather than in preventing chemical damages.openPessina A.; Di Vincenzo M.; Maradonna F.; Marchegiani F.; Olivieri F.; Randazzo B.; Gioacchini G.; Carnevali O.Pessina, A.; Di Vincenzo, M.; Maradonna, F.; Marchegiani, F.; Olivieri, F.; Randazzo, B.; Gioacchini, G.; Carnevali, O

Recurrence of non-hydropic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL): a literature review

Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL) is typically defined as the acute onset (less than 3 days) of a perceptive hearing loss of more than 30dB over at least three contiguous frequencies on pure tone audiometry. The exact incidence of SSNHL is uncertain, since many patients have a rapid and spontaneous resolution of symptoms and therefore don’t reach medical attention. Estimate of incidence ranges from 5 to 20 per 100.000 individuals, and bilateral involvement is very rare; it increases in the older patients (>65 yo)(77 per 100.000) the in younger population (<18 yo)(11 per 100.000) [3]. The true incidence of paediatric SSNHL is not established in literature; 40% of examined child with SSNHL, showed anatomic abnormaliti

REPORT OF THE 2019 ICCAT WORKSHOP ON SWORDFISH BIOLOGY STUDIES FOR GROWTH, REPRODUCTION AND GENETICS

This report describes the June, 2019 ICCAT workshop on swordfish biology studies for growth, reproduction and genetics, hosted by the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera, Olhão, Portugal . The major objectives of the workshop were to 1) refine sampling and biological data collection protocols, 2) develop protocols and start the sample processing and analysis, and 3) plan for the project future steps. The biological sampling program was established by ICCAT’s Swordfish Species Group in 2018, aiming to improve knowledge of the stock distribution, age and gender of the catch, growth rate, age at maturation, maturation rate, spawning season and location and diet. This work will contribute to the next major advance in the assessment of swordfish status, by permitting the development of more spatially and biologically realistic population models used in both Atlantic and Mediterranean populations assessments and within the ICCAT Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) for North Atlantic swordfish.En prens

Lactobacillus rhamnosus lowers zebrafish lipid content by changing gut microbiota and host transcription of genes involved in lipid metabolism.

The microbiome plays an important role in lipid metabolism but how the introduction of probiotic communities affects host lipid metabolism is poorly understood. Using a multidisciplinary approach we addressed this knowledge gap using the zebrafish model by coupling high-throughput sequencing with biochemical, molecular and morphological analysis to evaluate the changes in the intestine. Analysis of bacterial 16S libraries revealed that Lactobacillus rhamnosus was able to modulate the gut microbiome of zebrafish larvae, elevating the abundance of Firmicutes sequences and reducing the abundance of Actinobacteria. The gut microbiome changes modulated host lipid processing by inducing transcriptional down-regulation of genes involved in cholesterol and triglycerides metabolism (fit2, agpat4, dgat2, mgll, hnf4α, scap, and cck) concomitantly decreasing total body cholesterol and triglyceride content and increasing fatty acid levels. L. rhamnosus treatment also increased microvilli and enterocyte lengths and decreased lipid droplet size in the intestinal epithelium. These changes resulted in elevated zebrafish larval growth. This integrated system investigation demonstrates probiotic modulation of the gut microbiome, highlights a novel gene network involved in lipid metabolism, provides an insight into how the microbiome regulates molecules involved in lipid metabolism, and reveals a new potential role for L. rhamnosus in the treatment of lipid disorders

The impact of controlled ovarian stimulation hormones on the metabolic state and endocannabinoid system of human cumulus cells

Different Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) formulation and Luteinizing Hormone (LH) are used in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) to induce follicles development and oocytes maturation, but it is still under debate which protocol is to be preferred. In the present study, the different effects on cumulus cells (CCs) of three controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) protocols, based on urinary FSH, recombinant FSH, or human Menopausal Gonadotropin (hMG) administration, were assessed. CCs were obtained from 42 normal-responders women undergoing COS, randomly divided into three groups according to the used gonadotropin formulation. Differences were found in the expression of genes belonging to the endocannabinoid system (the receptors CNR1, CNR2 and TRPV1, and the enzymes involved in the metabolisms of anandamide, NAPE-PLD and FAAH, and 2-acylglycerol, DAGL and MAGL); consistently, changes in lipid (PPARα, and FASN) and carbohydrate (GLUT1 and GLUT9) metabolisms, in CCs’ macromolecules composition (highlighted by Fourier Transform Infrared Microspectroscopy, FTIRM), and in the number of retrieved oocytes were found. For the first time, statistically significant evidence on the differences related to each COS protocol on the endocannabinoid system, metabolism and macromolecular composition of CCs was found, representing a proof of concept to be further confirmed in a larger cohort of patients

Inner-ear disorders presenting with air–bone gaps: a review

Air–bone gaps (ABGs) are commonly found in patients with conductive or mixed hearing loss generally due to outer-and/or middle-ear diseases such as otitis externa, tympanic membrane perforation, interruption or fixation of the ossicular chain, and chronic suppurative otitis media. ABGs can also be found in correlation with inner-ear disorders, such as endolymphatic hydrops, enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome, semicircular canal dehiscence, gusher syndrome, cochlear dehiscence, and Paget disease’s as well cerebral vascular anomalies including dural arteriovenous fistula. The typical clinical presentation of inner-ear conditions or cerebral vascular anomalies causing ABGs includes audiological and vestibular symptoms like vertigo, oscillopsia, dizziness, imbalance, spinning sensation, pulsatile or continuous tinnitus, hyperacusis, autophony, auricular fullness, Tullio’s phenomenon, and Hennebert’s sign. Establishing a definitive diagnosis of the underlying condition in patients presenting with an ABG is often challenging to do and, in many patients, the condition may remain undefined. Results from an accurate clinical, audiological, and ves-tibular evaluation can be suggestive for the underlying condition; however, radiological assessment by computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance imaging is mandatory to confirm any diagnostic suspicion. In this review, we describe and discuss the most recent updates available regarding the clinical presentation and diagnostic workup of inner-ear conditions that may present together with ABGs

Effect of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus on the expression of genes involved in European eel spermatogenesis

[EN] Positive effects of probiotics on fish reproduction have been reported in several species. In the present study, 40 male European eels were weekly treated with recombinant hCG for 9 weeks and with three different concentrations (10(3), 10(5), and 10(6) CFU/mL) of probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus IMC 501 (Sinbyotec, Italy). The probiotics were daily added to the water from the sixth week of the hCG treatment. Males from the treated and control groups were sacrificed after 1, 2, and 3 weeks of probiotic treatment (seventh ninth weeks of hCG treatment); at this point, sperm and testis samples were also collected. Sperm volume was estimated, and motility was analyzed by computer-assisted sperm analysis software. Alternations in transcription of specific genes involved in reproductive process such as activin, androgen receptors alpha and beta (ar alpha and ar beta), progesterone receptor 1 (pr1), bone morphogenetic protein 15 (bmp15), and FSH receptor (fshr) were analyzed in the testis. After 2 weeks of probiotic treatment, sperm production and sperm motility parameters (percentage of motile cells and percentage of straight-swimming spermatozoa) were increased in the European eel treated with 105 CFU/mL compared to controls or to the other probiotic doses. These changes were associated with increases in messenger RNA expression of activin, ar alpha, ar beta, pr1, and fshr. Conversely, after 3 weeks, activin and pr1 expression decreased. No significant changes were observed on bmp15 expression throughout the duration of the treatment with 10(5) CFU/mL dose. The lowest and highest probiotic dose (10(3) and 10(6) CFU/mL, respectively) inhibited the transcription of all genes along all the experiment, except for ar alpha and ar beta after 1 week of probiotic treatment when compared to controls. The changes observed by transcriptomic analysis and the sperm parameters suggest that a treatment with L rhamnosus at 10(5) CFU/mL for 2 weeks could improve spermatogenesis process in Anguilla anguilla. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.This study was funded by the European Community’s 7th FP (grant agreement no. 245257, PRO-EEL) and COST Office (Food and Agriculture COST Action FA1205: AQUAGAMETE) Victor Gallego and M. Carmen Vilchez have predoctoral grants from MINISTERIO DE ECONOMIA Y COMPETITIVIDAD (BES-2009-020310) and UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE VALENCIA PAID Program (2011-S2-02-6521), respectively. Fondo Ateneo 2012 to Oliana Carnevali.Vilchez Olivencia, MC.; Santangeli, S.; Maradonna, F.; Gioacchini, G.; Verdenelli, C.; Gallego Albiach, V.; Peñaranda, D.... (2015). Effect of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus on the expression of genes involved in European eel spermatogenesis. Theriogenology. 84(8):1321-1331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2015.07.011S1321133184

Potential Impact of Microplastics and Additives on the Health Status of Loggerhead Turtles (Caretta caretta) Stranded Along the Central Adriatic Coast

AbstractLoggerhead sea turtle (C. caretta) is the official European bioindicator of marine litter in the Mediterranean Sea. In 2019, 8 sea turtles, out of 28 specimens loggerhead on the Adriatic coast of Molise, were subjected to necropsy. The intestinal contents were collected and the microplastics until 0.45 μm were extracted. Qualitative and quantitative assessments were performed by stereomicroscope observation and spectroscopic analyses (attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ATR-FTIR and Raman microspectroscopy, RMS). Moreover, the analytical quantification of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polycarbonate (PC), para phthalic acid (PTA) and bisphenol A (BPA) in fat and liver tissues was performed by LC-MS/MS. Microparticles ranging from 0.45 μm to 1 mm were found in all turtles, for a total of 623, while plastic litter greater than 1 mm were found only in 4 specimens (ranging from 0.03 to 0.11 g). Nineteen different polymers and 10 pigments, including polyester (100% of animals), high-density polyethylene (50%) and polypropylene (50%) were identified. BPA, PTA and PET were detected in fat and liver tissues of all animals, while PC was found only in 50%. A major prevalence was registered in the abdominal fat tissue, although only PC compounds were significantly higher in abdominal tissue (p < 0.05), except for free PTA with liver tissue being the most contaminated (p < 0.05). Microplastics and additives surely impact the health status of turtles that showed gastrointestinal impairment and an important level of contamination in tissues. Graphical abstrac