Immunomodulatory effects of vitamin d supplementation in a deficient population

In addition to its canonical functions, vitamin D has been proposed to be an important mediator of the immune system. Despite ample sunshine, vitamin D deficiency is prevalent (>80%) in the Middle East, resulting in a high rate of supplementation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of the specific regimen prescribed and the potential factors affecting an individual’s response to vitamin D supplementation are not well characterized. Our objective is to describe the changes in the blood transcriptome and explore the potential mechanisms associated with vitamin D3 supplementation in one hundred vitamin D-deficient women who were given a weekly oral dose (50,000 IU) of vitamin D3 for three months. A high-throughput targeted PCR, composed of 264 genes representing the important blood transcriptomic fingerprints of health and disease states, was performed on pre and post-supplementation blood samples to profile the molecular response to vitamin D3. We identified 54 differentially expressed genes that were strongly modulated by vitamin D3 supplementation. Network analyses showed significant changes in the immune-related pathways such as TLR4/CD14 and IFN receptors, and catabolic processes related to NF-kB, which were subsequently confirmed by gene ontology enrichment analyses. We proposed a model for vitamin D3 response based on the expression changes of molecules involved in the receptor-mediated intra-cellular signaling pathways and the ensuing predicted effects on cytokine production. Overall, vitamin D3 has a strong effect on the immune system, G-coupled protein receptor signaling, and the ubiquitin system. We highlighted the major molecular changes and biological processes induced by vitamin D3, which will help to further investigate the effectiveness of vitamin D3 supplementation among individuals in the Middle East as well as other regions.Funding: This work was supported by National Capacity Building Program grant from Qatar University (ID# QUCP-CHS-17\18-1)

Effects of dietary canola oil level on growth, fatty acid metabolism and physiology of red sea bream fingerlings and spring chinook salmon parr

Lipids are an invaluable dietary component for fish because they furnish the indispensable essential fatty acids (EFA) that are required for normal growth and development of the animal EFA generally refers to 18:3n-3, 18:2n-6 and their metabolic derivatives, 20:5n-3, 22:6n-3 and 20:4n-6. Marine and freshwater species have distinct EFA requirements largely due to differences in the lipid compositions of their naturally available diets as well as differences in their metabolism of lipids and fatty acids (FA). Nonetheless, marine fish oils (FO) are the traditional lipid sources for finfish aquafeeds in both the marine and freshwater environments. However, recent environmental and economical constraints have generated interest in non-marine sources of lipid in finfish aquafeeds. This thesis examined the physiological effects of partially substituting canola oil (CO) for FO in practical commercial diets of two high-value finfish species during their early development. In the first experiment, triplicate groups of red sea bream fingerlings (Pagrus major) were fed 4 soenergetic, isonitrogenous and isolipid commercial diets with varying levels of refined CO up to 70% of total dietary lipid content over a 12-week period. In the second experiment, triplicate groups of spring chinook salmon parr (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) were fed practical dry diets in which CO comprised up to 72% of total lipid (mostly FO) over a 30-week period. No adverse effects of diet on growth and whole body proximate constituents were found in either study. Whole body FA composition correlated strongly to the diet FA compositions. Signs of specific FA retention were observed in both species, but to a much greater degree in the spring Chinook salmon. Nonetheless, specific FA were strongly retained in the red sea bream liver polar lipids. Ionoregulatory development in the spring chinook salmon was uncompromised by diet treatment. However, whole body [Cl⁻] was influenced by diet at week 10 and 15, where body [Cl⁻] was - negatively correlated to dietary CO content. Overall, results demonstrated excellent potential for CO to be the main source of supplemental lipid in commercial aquafeeds for juvenile Japanese red sea bream and spring chinook salmon parr.Science, Faculty ofZoology, Department ofGraduat

Transcriptomic profile investigations highlight a putative role for NUDT16 in sepsis

Sepsis is an aberrant systemic inflammatory response mediated by the acute activation of the innate immune system. Neutrophils are important contributors to the innate immune response that controls the infection, but harbour the risk of collateral tissue damage such as thrombosis and organ dysfunction. A better understanding of the modulations of cellular processes in neutrophils and other blood cells during sepsis is needed and can be initiated via transcriptomic profile investigations. To that point, the growing repertoire of publicly accessible transcriptomic datasets serves as a valuable resource for discovering and/or assessing the robustness of biomarkers. We employed systematic literature mining, reductionist approach to gene expression profile and empirical in vitro work to highlight the role of a Nudix hydrolase family member, NUDT16, in sepsis. The relevance and implication of the expression of NUDT16 under septic conditions and the putative functional roles of this enzyme are discussed

Erratum to: Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition) (Autophagy, 12, 1, 1-222, 10.1080/15548627.2015.1100356

non present