Effect of different dietary protein levels on reproductive performance of paradise fish Macropodus opercularis

In this study, the effect of different protein levels, on paradise fish growth and reproduction were investigated. Thus, number of one thousand paradise fish (0.5 ± 0.01 g) were collected from hatchery bred brooders and divided into six group, each group was offered one of six experimental diet comprising different protein levels (25%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45% and 50%). After six month feeding period, the highest weight gain (5.96± 0.17), the highest weight gain percentage (90.8 ± 0.31) were submitted in the group fed 40% protein. Moreover, the highest feed conversion ratio (0.9 ± 0.3) as well as daily growth was observed in this group. In the reproduction, the highest eggs released by the group fed with diet containing 45% protein. The GSI and the egg diameter and larval length were highest in 45% protein group. The group of 25% and 30% the reproduction efficiency was the lowest. Protein increment up to 50% had no effect on reproduction performance. No differences were seen in biochemical composition and amino acid profile of the ovaries between groups

The effect of L-arginine supplementation on obesity-related indices: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials

The clinical studies regarding the effect of L-arginine in human anthropometry have not been fully consistent, therefore, we carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials in order to precisely evaluate and quantify the efficacy of L-arginine on weight, waist circumference, and BMI. We searched online databases including PubMed, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar for relevant articles up to September 2017. Eligible articles were reviewed by two independent investigators. Mean differences of the outcomes were used for calculation of weighted mean difference (WMD) derived from the random-effects model. Statistical heterogeneity between studies was examined using Cochran's Q-test and I2index. Funnel plot and Egger's tests were performed to assess the publication bias. In our initial search, we found 1598 publications, of which 8 RCTs (9 treatment arms) were included. The results of the meta-analysis displayed a significant reduction in WC following L-arginine supplementation (WMD: -2.97 cm; 95 CI: -4.75 to -1.18, P = 0.001). However, L-arginine intervention had not elicited a significant effect on BMI (WMD: -0.51 kg/m2; 95 CI: -1.11 to .08, P = 0.09) and body weight (WMD: -0.57 kg; 95 CI: -1.77 to 0.61, P = 0.34). Subgroup analyses displayed that longer-term interventions (�8 weeks) had a positive effect on body weight and using < 8 g/day L-arginine with longer duration (�8 weeks) could significantly decrease BMI. In conclusion, this meta-analysis result suggested L-arginine supplementation could reduce waist circumference without any significant effect on body weight and body mass index. © 2021 Hogrefe Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. All rights reserved

The effect of endurance training intensity on the expression of perlipin-A protein of visceral adipose tissue, serum glucose and insulin levels in STZ-induced diabetic rats

Background and aims: Changes in the expression of lipid droplet adipocyte proteins, such as prelipipin A (PLINA) cause alter lipolysis and insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to compare the three endurance training intensities (low, moderate and high) on the expression of PLINA protein in visceral adipose tissue, serum glucose and insulin levels in male diabetic Wistar rats. Methods: 40 male Wistar rats were assigned to five groups (n=8) including diabetic group with low intensity endurance training, moderate intensity group, high intensity group, diabetic and healthy control groups. After induction of diabetic rats by injection of streptozotocin, endurance training was performed with different intensities for eight weeks, three sessions per week. The relative expression of PLINA protein was measured by western blot technique. One-way variance analysis and Tukey's post hoc test were used to determine the difference between the groups. Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference between PLINA levels in healthy and diabetic control groups with endurance training groups (with low, moderate and high intensity) (P=0.018). These differences were between low intensity training and healthy control groups (P=0.033) and between diabetic and healthy control groups (P=0.020). Serum glucose and insulin levels were significantly different between the diabetic control and endurance training groups (low, moderate and high) (P=0.001). This difference was between high-intensity training group with low intensity training (P=0.046), diabetic control (P=0.001) and healthy control (P=0.011) groups. Conclusion: Moderate and high intensity endurance training can compensate for the loss caused by diabetes in the expression of the PLINA protein and reduces serum levels of insulin and glucose in these mice. It seems that more intensity endurance training leads to more increase in PLINA expression in diabetic rats

Bioengineered lungs generated from human iPSCs‐derived epithelial cells on native extracellular matrix

The development of an alternative source for donor lungs would change the paradigm of lung transplantation. Recent studies have demonstrated the potential feasibility of using decellularized lungs as scaffolds for lung tissue regeneration and subsequent implantation. However, finding a reliable cell source and the ability to scale up for recellularization of the lung scaffold still remain significant challenges. To explore the possibility of regeneration of human lung tissue from stem cells in vitro, populations of lung progenitor cells were generated from human iPSCs. To explore the feasibility of producing engineered lungs from stem cells, we repopulated decellularized human lung and rat lungs with iPSC‐derived epithelial progenitor cells. The iPSCs‐derived epithelial progenitor cells lined the decellularized human lung and expressed most of the epithelial markers when were cultured in a lung bioreactor system. In decellularized rat lungs, these human‐derived cells attach and proliferate in a manner similar to what was observed in the decellularized human lung. Our results suggest that repopulation of lung matrix with iPSC‐derived lung epithelial cells may be a viable strategy for human lung regeneration and represents an important early step toward translation of this technology.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142929/1/term2589.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142929/2/term2589_am.pd

Alveolar epithelial differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells in a rotating bioreactor

Traditional stem cell differentiation protocols make use of a variety of cytokines including growth factors (GFs) and inhibitors in an effort to provide appropriate signals for tissue specific differentiation. In this study, iPSC-derived type II pneumocytes (iPSC-ATII) as well as native isolated human type II pneumocytes (hATII) were differentiated toward a type I phenotype using a unique air–liquid interface (ALI) system that relies on a rotating apparatus that mimics in vivo respiratory conditions. A relatively homogenous population of alveolar type II-like cells from iPSC was first generated (iPSC-ATII cells), which had phenotypic properties similar to mature human alveolar type II cells. iPSC-ATII cells were then cultured in a specially designed rotating culture apparatus. The effectiveness of the ALI bioreactor was compared with the effectiveness of small molecule-based differentiation of type II pneumocytes toward type 1 pneumocytes. The dynamics of differentiation were examined by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry. iPSC-ATII and hATII cells cultured in the ALI bioreactor had higher levels of type I markers, including aquaporin-5(AQ5), caveolin-1, and T1α, at both the RNA and protein levels as compared with the flask-grown iPSC-ATII and hATII that had been treated with small molecules to induce differentiation. In summary, this study demonstrates that a rotating bioreactor culture system that provides an air–liquid interface is a potent inducer of type I epithelial differentiation for both iPS-ATII cells and hATII cells, and provides a method for large-scale production of alveolar epithelium for tissue engineering and drug discovery

Fate of Distal Lung Epithelium Cultured in a Decellularized Lung Extracellular Matrix

Type II cells are the defenders of the alveolus. They produce surfactant to prevent alveolar collapse, they actively transport water to prevent filling of the air sacs that would otherwise prevent gas exchange, and they differentiate to type I epithelial cells. They are an indispensable component of functional lung tissue. To understand the functionality of type II cells in isolation, we sought to track their fate in decellularized matrices and to assess their ability to contribute to barrier function by differentiation to type I alveolar epithelial cells. Rat type II cells were isolated from neonatal rat lungs by labeling with the RTII-70 surface marker and separation using a magnetic column. This produced a population of ∼50% RTII-70-positive cells accompanied by few type I epithelial cells or α-actin-positive mesenchymal cells. This population was seeded into decellularized rat lung matrices and cultured for 1 or 7 days. Culture in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium +10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) resulted in reduced expression of epithelial markers and increased expression of mesenchymal markers. By 7 days, no epithelial markers were visible by immunostaining; nearly all cells were α-actin positive. Gene expression for the mesenchymal markers, α-actin, vimentin, and TGF-βR, was significantly upregulated on day 1 (p=0.0005, 0.0005, and 2.342E-5, respectively). Transcript levels of α-actin and TGF-βR remained high at 7 days (p=1.364E-10 and 0.0002). Interestingly, human type II cells cultured under the same conditions showed a similar trend in the loss of epithelial markers, but did not display high expression of mesenchymal markers. Rat cells additionally showed the ability to produce and degrade the basement membrane and extracellular matrix components, such as fibronectin, collagen IV, and collagen I. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed significant increases in expression of the fibronectin and matrix metalloprotease-2 (MMP-2) genes after 1 day in culture (p=0.0135 and 0.0128, respectively) and elevated collagen I expression at 7 days (p=0.0016). These data suggest that the original type II-enriched population underwent a transition to increased expression of mesenchymal markers, perhaps as part of a survival or wound-healing program. These results suggest that additional medium components and/or the application of physiologically appropriate stimuli such as ventilation may be required to promote lung-specific epithelial phenotypes

Effect of grape products on blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Previous studies have suggested that grape and its products may possess blood pressure (BP)-lowering properties. Due to inconsistencies in results, we aimed to systematically examine the effect of grape products on BP by conducting a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science (ISI), and Cochrane Library databases were comprehensively searched until March 2020. Human clinical trials which reported the effect of grape products supplementation on systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) were included. Data were pooled using a random-effects model and expressed as a weighted mean difference (WMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Twenty-eight studies comprising a total of 1344 subjects were included in our meta-analysis. The overall outcome of the meta-analysis indicates that grape products consumption can significantly reduce SBP (WMD: −3.40 mmHg, 95% CI: −6.55, −0.24, p = .03, I2 = 93.4%) and DBP (WMD: −1.69 mmHg, 95% CI: −3.12, −0.27, p = .01, I2 = 80.4%). This meta-analysis found a moderate and statistically significant reduction for either SBP or DBP with grape products compared with controls. Additional high-quality studies are needed to further evaluate the causal conclusions

Evaluation of sperm quality and different nutrient levels on sperm efficiency in male rainbow trout

Considering the importance of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in supplying required protein of people and effort to increase the efficiency of these fish reproduction, some related factors such as sperm quality and potential fertility of male are necessary. The aim of this study was to find out the effects of different dosages of Arginine on the biochemical parameters (including LDH, AST, ALT, ALP, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, chloride, calcium, sodium, Potassium, cholesterol, uric acid, urea, fructose, glucose, total protein and pH) of rainbow trout seminal plasma. For this purpose, five practical diets (each consisting of 3 triplicates) were supplemented with Arginine at 0.00 (Control), 0.50, 1.00, 1.50 and 2.00%. Broodstock feed last for 90 days. At the end of the feeding period one fish was captured from each replicate in order to collect their semen. Results indicate that there were no significant differences in LDH, ALP, Fe^2+ and P content among different treatments. The lowest level of AST and ALT and the highest level of Ca^2+ and Mg^2+ ions were observed in the treatment fed with 1.50% of Arginine which showed significant differences with other treatments (p<0.05). Moreover, the amount of Cl^-, Na^+ and K^+ ions were significantly increased in the seminal plasma in fish which were fed on diets containing arginine in comparison to control. As the amount of Arginine were increased, the levels of uric acid stepped up significantly in contrast to the urea and glucose. The highest amounts of cholesterol, fructose and total protein were observed in the treatments fed on 2.00, 0.50 and 1.00% of Arginine, respectively, that showed significant differences with other treatments (p<0.05). The highest pH value was assayed in the 1.50% of Arginine treatment. The results of the Pearson correlation coefficient showed a significant positive correlation between Ca^2+ and Mg^2+ ions and Na^+ with K^+ and Clions (r=0.750, r=0.769 and r= 0.938, p<0.01), respectively. On the other hand, a significant negative correlation between cholesterol with Cl^-, Na^+, K^+, ALT and LDH (r=- 0.764, r=-0.724 and r=-0.728, p<0.01) and (r=-0.531 and r=-0.560, p<0.05) and also a significant positive correlation between K^+ and Clions (r=0.836, p<0.01) were observed. Finally, it can be expressed that the levels of most of the ions were increased and there was a reduction in the levels of enzymes in seminal plasma of fish which were fed with practical diet including 1.5% of Arginine. So it can be recommended that adding this value of Arginine to the diets of rainbow trout broodstock, would improve the sperm quality which results in the enhancement of efficiency in rainbow trout reproduction

Human iPS cell–derived alveolar epithelium repopulates lung extracellular matrix

The use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has been postulated to be the most effective strategy for developing patient-specific respiratory epithelial cells, which may be valuable for lung-related cell therapy and lung tissue engineering. We generated a relatively homogeneous population of alveolar epithelial type II (AETII) and type I (AETI) cells from human iPSCs that had phenotypic properties similar to those of mature human AETII and AETI cells. We used these cells to explore whether lung tissue can be regenerated in vitro. Consistent with an AETII phenotype, we found that up to 97% of cells were positive for surfactant protein C, 95% for mucin-1, 93% for surfactant protein B, and 89% for the epithelial marker CD54. Additionally, exposing induced AETII to a Wnt/β-catenin inhibitor (IWR-1) changed the iPSC-AETII–like phenotype to a predominantly AETI-like phenotype. We found that of induced AET1 cells, more than 90% were positive for type I markers, T1α, and caveolin-1. Acellular lung matrices were prepared from whole rat or human adult lungs treated with decellularization reagents, followed by seeding these matrices with alveolar cells derived from human iPSCs. Under appropriate culture conditions, these progenitor cells adhered to and proliferated within the 3D lung tissue scaffold and displayed markers of differentiated pulmonary epithelium