Effect of Fermented Sauropus Androgynus Leaves on Blood Lipid Fraction and Haematological Profile in Broiler Chickens

This study was conducted to evaluate effect of fermented Sauropus androgynus leaves on blood lipid fractions and haematological profiles in broilers. One hundred and twelve broilers were distributed to 7 treatment groups. One group was fed diets without Sauropus androgynus leaves as the control, and other six groups were fed Sauropus androgynus leaves fermented by Neurospora crassa, Lactobacillus sp. or Saccharomyces cerevisiae at level of 25 g or 50 g/kg diet. Experimental results showed that the treatments had no effect on cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and atherogenic index, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-c) and triglyceride concentration (P>0.05). It was shown that fermented Sauropus androgynus leaves significantly affected red blood count (RBC), white blood count (WBC), packed cell volume (PCV), trombosit dan erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (

HCV-specific T cell responses in seronegative, aviremic hemodialysis patients.

<p><b>(A)</b> Direct <i>ex vivo</i> IFN-γ ELISpot assay was performed to examine HCV-specific T cell responses in PBMCs of 76 hemodialysis patients. Five patients were seropositive with viremia (left side), and 71 patients were seronegative and aviremic (right side). PBMCs were stimulated with the 49 matrix mixes of 600 overlapping peptides covering the complete HCV polyprotein sequence (Materials and Methods and <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0062319#pone.0062319.s001" target="_blank">Figure S1A</a>). The sum of A-X mixes and the sum of AA-YY mixes were calculated respectively, and their average value was presented for total HCV-specific T cell responses in each patient. Box with dashed lines denotes seronegative, aviremic patients with obvious T cell responses. <b>(B)</b> In the eight seronegative, aviremic patients with obvious T cell responses (CMI-1 to CMI-8), the results of IFN-γ ELISpot assay were presented by each peptide mix (A to X). Relationship between peptide mixes and HCV proteins are also displayed. <b>(C)</b> IFN-γ ICS was performed to identify the T cell subset responding to HCV epitopes. PBMCs were stimulated with epitope peptides identified in the IFN-γ ELISpot assay in the each patient. FACS dot plots are representative data from two patients, CMI-1 and CMI-4.</p

Seronegative, aviremic hemodialysis patients with HCV-specific T cell responses.

*<p>N.D., not determined.</p

Polyfunctionality of HCV-specific T cells in seronegative, aviremic hemodialysis patients.

<p>PBMCs were stimulated with an epitope peptide or a peptide mix, and production of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2, and MIP-1β was simultaneously assessed in multi-cytokine ICS in order to evaluate polyfunctionality of HCV-specific CD4⁺ T cells. In each patient, the fraction of T cells positive for a given number of functions is presented as bar graphs. In the patient with CD8⁺ T cell responses (CMI-4), cytotoxic degranulation function was also evaluated by CD107a staining in addition to multi-cytokine ICS for IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2, and MIP-1β.</p

Cytokine profile of HCV-specific T cells in seronegative, aviremic hemodialysis patients.

<p><b>(A)</b> After stimulating PBMCs with an epitope peptide or a peptide mix for 3 days, culture supernatant was harvested, and the concentrations of IFN-γ and TNF-α determined in the culture supernatant by CBA. There are two groups of patients in terms of cytokine profile: group I, patients with IFN-γ and TNF-α responses; group II, patients with TNF-α-predominant responses. <b>(B)</b> TNF-α ICS was performed in the patients of group II. FACS dot plots are representative data from two patients, CMI-7 and CMI-8.</p

Hemodialysis patients with secondary nested RT-PCR (+).

*<p>N.D., not determined.</p