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Background: Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) is an extensively used nutrition supplement in dairy food because of its beneficial effects on cognition. To find an effective DHA intervention for the synapses in the cortex during this period, this study aimed to use targeted lipidomics to evaluate the lipid composition of prefrontal-cortex (PFC) tissue in different DHA interference methods. Methods: Analyzed samples were taken from interfering feeding Bama pigs (BPs) (3 months) fed with soybean oil (Group B), blended oil (Group M), naturally DHA-supplemented milk with blended oil (Group OM), and DHA from fish oil (FO) with blended oil (Group Y). We also examined the protein expression levels of BDNF, GAP43, and MBP. Results: The lipidomics analysis identified 80 different related negative-ion lipid content and filtered the biomarker lipids in PFC tissue. We observed significant lipid composition changes between group Y and other groups, especially for content levels of phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS), and sphingomyelin (SM). The same observations were made from mRNA and protein expressions related to lipid transportation, phosphatidylserine (PS) synthetase, and synaptic plasticity in PFC tissues between group Y and other groups, including the mRNA expression levels of CD36, BDNF, and PTDSS1. The analysis of protein expression levels showed that the metabolism mode of DHA intervention from FO benefited the PFC, PS metabolism, and PFC synaptic plasticity of infants. Conclusions: The results highlight further prospects for the DHA intervention mode, which provides new routes for other studies on polyunsaturated-fatty-acid (PUFA) interference for infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Synbiotics have revealed the possibility of improving constipation through gut microbiota. The synergistic efficacy of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BL-99 (BL-99) and fructooligosaccharide (FOS) on constipation have not been investigated. Methods: Loperamide-induced constipated mice model was established to explore the effect of BL-99, FOS, and BL-99+FOS on changes of defecation-related parameters, gut microbiota and metabolites. Results and discussion: The results showed that BL-99, FOS, and BL-99+FOS each alleviated constipation, with the synbiotic showing significant efficacy in the first black stool defecation time, fecal number, fecal weight, and the gastrointestinal transit rate (P < 0.05). Additionally, significant increased in serum 5-HT and IL-10 were observed in the BL-99+FOS group, alongside an increased relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Blautia , and Clostridium sensu stricto 1 , while significantly reducing the relative abundance of Alistipes and Bacteroides. These changes facilitated alterations in short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) metabolism, and were closely associated with the expression of genes related to the 5-HT pathway and the modulation of serum inflammatory factors. This study provides a theoretical basis for BL-99 and FOS synbiotics to improve constipation by regulating the gut microbiota and metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chicken yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) is a natural immunologically active antibody extracted from egg yolk and can be used as a natural dietary supplement for the treatment of inflammation and damage to the intestines. In our study, IgY was embedded in a double emulsion (W/O/W; DE) to explore the therapeutic effect of the embedded IgY on Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced jejunal injury in mice. The results showed that W/O/W-embedded IgY as a dietary supplement (IgY + DE) attenuated LPS-induced damage to mouse small intestinal structures and protected the integrity of the jejunal mucosal barrier. IgY + DE increased the amount of related transcription factors (Math1, Spdef, Elf3, and Klf4) and promoted thrush cell differentiation. IgY + DE ameliorated LPS-induced reduction in mucin quantity and markers. It promoted the expression of Muc1 and Muc2 and increased the mRNA expression levels of Muc1, Muc2, Muc3, Muc4, Muc13, and Agr2 (p < 0.05). IgY + DE increased the expression of several glycosyltransferases involved in mucin glycosylation. IgY + DE also neutralized the LPS attack on the expression of jejunal inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, IL-4, and TNF-α. In conclusion, the IgY-embedded double emulsion can be used as a dietary supplement for immunotherapy to prevent LPS-induced jejunal injury in mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oxidative stress is closely linked to aging. Probiotics, whether viable or heat-inactivated, have shown antioxidant properties; however, their effect and mechanism of action in reducing oxidative stress during aging remains underexplored. This study examined the effects of viable and heat-inactivated Lactiplantibacillus plantarum TY-Y10 (L. plantarum TY-Y10) on D-galactose (D-gal)-induced aging in mice, aiming to uncover potential anti-aging mechanisms. Mice were induced to age with D-gal injections, then treated with sodium ascorbate (positive control) or varying doses of L. plantarum TY-Y10 for eight weeks. After treatment, oxidative stress markers, gut microbiota, and liver health were analyzed. Results showed that L. plantarum TY-Y10 decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) and inflammatory markers while increasing antioxidant levels (glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase). Liver damage was reduced, and expression of Nrf2 and related antioxidant enzymes improved. Additionally, L. plantarum TY-Y10 enhanced the abundance of short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria, boosting fecal short-chain fatty acid levels. In short, both viable and heat-inactivated L. plantarum TY-Y10 mitigated oxidative stress in aging mice by modulating gut microbiota and activating liver antioxidant pathways through the gut-liver axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important part of public buildings, the school’s energy consumption and carbon emissions have received widespread attention. Relying on the existing building energy conservation situation and the energy consumption of Tianjin Yaohua High school, this paper puts forward the existing problems and energy saving space of high school. Based on the goal of low-carbon transformation, the roof and other utilizable conditions were analyzed, the transformation scheme of low-carbon energy system was brought forward, which realizes clean heating, electric energy replacement and domestic hot water supply with PVT coupling with heat pump. According to calculation, it can realize 70% replacement of school electricity, 100% clean heating and 100% consumption of renewable energy. Based on economic analysis, it has strong feasibility, which provides a reference for the subsequent low-carbon transformation of existing high school.

The existing campus has a large building area, a low level of energy saving, less renewable energy utilization, higher energy consumption, and obvious energy-saving space. Based on the energy audit of Nankai University, this paper proposes a low-carbon campus transformation technology system combining building energy saving, clean heat supply and distributed photovoltaic in view of its problems such as high municipal heating energy consumption, low comfort, high electricity bill, and tight electricity consumption. Because the campus has both winter holidays and there is tidal phenomenon in teaching buildings and dormitory buildings, etc., the heating demand is reduced, so its heating and energy-saving space is large. At the same time, the number of campus building floors is low, the roof is conducive to the installation of photovoltaic, it is estimated that the annual power generation of rooftop photovoltaic installation can reach more than 70% of the campus electricity consumption, combined with energy-saving transformation and smart energy management, it is easy to achieve its low-carbon goals.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now recognized as the most prevalent liver disease globally. Pea albumin (PA) has demonstrated positive impacts on reducing obesity and improving glucose metabolism. In this research, a mouse model of NAFLD induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) was employed to examine the impact of PA on NAFLD and explore its potential mechanisms. The findings revealed that mice subjected to a HFD developed pronounced fatty liver alterations. The intervention with PA significantly lowered serum TC by 26.81%, TG by 43.55%, and LDL-C by 57.79%. It also elevated HDL-C levels by 1.2 fold and reduced serum ALT by 37.94% and AST by 31.21% in mice fed a HFD. These changes contributed to the reduction in hepatic steatosis and lipid accumulation. Additionally, PA improved insulin resistance and inhibited hepatic oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. Mechanistic studies revealed that PA alleviated lipid accumulation in HFD-induced NAFLD by activating the phosphorylation of AMPKα and ACC, inhibiting the expression of SREBF1 and FASN to reduce hepatic lipogenesis, and increasing the expression of ATGL, PPARα, and PPARγ to promote lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation. These results indicate that PA could serve as a dietary supplement for alleviating NAFLD, offering a theoretical foundation for the rational intake of PA in NAFLD intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the implementation of China’s two-carbon strategy, how to achieve clean heating, especially the construction of a heating system with electricity as the core, has become a research hotpot in the industry. Among them, air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps and energy storage have become important technical measures. In view of the capacity increase of urban heat exchange stations, combined with regenerative electric boilers and electricity price reform, this paper uses valley electricity for heat storage, and based on economic analysis, the municipal heat network is increased in flexibility and cleanliness, air energy, coupled energy storage clean and low-carbon heating transformation strategy.

Background A decade ago, we proposed an index of physiological dysregulation based on Mahalanobis distance (DM) that measures how far from the norm an individual biomarker profile is. While extensive validation has been performed, focus was mostly on Western populations with little comparison to developing countries, particularly at a physiological system level. The degree to which the approach would work in other sociocultural contexts and the similarity of dysregulation signatures across diverse populations are still open questions. Methods Using 2 data sets from China and 3 from Western countries (United States, United Kingdom, and Italy), we calculated DM globally and per physiological system. We assessed pairwise correlations among systems, difference with age, prediction of mortality and age-related diseases, and sensitivity to interchanging data sets with one another as the reference in DM calculation. Results Overall, results were comparable across all data sets. Different physiological systems showed distinct dysregulation processes. Association with age was moderate and often nonlinear, similarly for all populations. Mahalanobis distance predicted most health outcomes, although differently by physiological system. Using a Chinese population as the reference when calculating DM for Western populations, or vice versa, led to similar associations with health outcomes, with a few exceptions. Conclusions While small differences were noticeable, they did not systematically emerge between Chinese and Western populations, but rather diffusively across all data sets. These findings suggest that DM presents similar properties, notwithstanding sociocultural backgrounds, and that it is equally effective in capturing the loss of homeostasis that occurs during aging in diverse industrial human populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy use behavior analysis method can dig out the user’s energy use behavior rules from the energy use big data, thereby improving the quality of the grid-side management service in the integrated energy system. Firstly, it summarizes the characteristics of the integrated energy system and constructs the integrated energy system service system; secondly, it summarizes the data-driven electricity consumption behavior analysis research model. Then, it elaborates on the collection and aggregation of electricity consumption information, and refined user classification. Next, the comprehensive application of energy consumption behavior analysis in load forecasting, demand response modeling and other typical scenarios is deeply analyzed. Finally, the challenges that may be encountered in further research are clarified and the follow-up work is prospected.

In this work, the adsorption of CO onto the surface of the transition metal Ni at different coverage levels was explored based on the density functional theory (DFT). The corresponding periodic slab plate models were established, and the adsorption parameters and CO electronic states on different nickel surfaces under different coverage (0.11 mL, 0.25 mL and 0.5 mL) were calculated. The results showed that the most stable adsorption sites on Ni (111) and Ni (100) crystal surfaces were valley sites, while the most stable adsorption sites on a Ni (110) surface was a short bridge site. By comparing the energy of the same adsorption sites, it was found that the adsorption of CO on a Ni (100) crystal surface was superior to the other two surfaces. Furtherly, from the perspective of the electronic structure, the density of states (DOSs) of Ni atoms and CO molecules were calculated before and after adsorption. The density of states showed that the main factor of surface adsorption generation originates from hybridization among the orbitals. This article provides insight into the mechanisms of the nickel adsorption of CO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is a commonly used antibiotic for both human and animals. The frequent detection of SMX in natural water bodies and sediment has become an issue of great environmental concern due to its potential risk to induce antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. In the present work, the catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) was investigated to remove SMX with sludge-derived carbon (SC) as a cheap alternative catalyst. Different acids were used to modify SC. It was found that SC modified with sulphuric acid (SC-H2SO4) demonstrated the best catalytic activity. The removal efficiency of SMX and TOC was 97.7% and 65.7%, respectively, after 260 min, at pH 5 with a dosage of 220 mg/L H2O2. The effects of temperature, initial pH and H2O2 dosage were also investigated. The study demonstrated that the increase of temperature could significantly improve the degradation of SMX from 10.0% at 20°C to 94.7% at 60°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two 65 nm bulk CMOS test chips, each containing several different types of flip-flop chains, are designed and tested. Heavy ion results are given and analyzed across ion LET and in proposed time domain. The single event upset (SEU) and single event transient (SET) performance of various DFFs are compared and discussed, concluding several practical implications for radiation hardening by design (RHBD). The effectiveness of redundant delay filter (RDF) on mitigating SETs is proven by experiment for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Co3O4 with high capacities and energy density has potential applications to be electrode materials for lithium ion batteries, one of the most important power sources. For improving the cycling stability, the Co3O4 nanostructures are required. Herein, we report successful construction of Co3O4 hexagonal nanorings and nanoplates/nanoparticles via treating Co-based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) with organic amine. The studies show that the release rate of Co(II) to the reaction system and the spatial hindrance of the organic linkers of MOFs determine the final morphology of Co3O4. As an anode for lithium ion batteries, Co3O4 hexagonal nanorings with 1370 mA h g-1 specific capacity after 30 cycles displayed higher reversible capacity and better stability than commercial Co3O4 particles with only 117 mA h g-1 specific capacity after 30 cycles. The improved performance of Co3O4 hexagonal nanorings could be attributed to the shortened transfer path for Li+ afforded by the special morphology. It is expected that plentiful metal oxide nanostructures could be constructed from MOFs due to the available versatile categories of MOFs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] LiFePO4/C composites with various particle sizes and carbon contents were prepared. [•] Factors affecting low temperature performance were studied by electrochemical method. [•] Low temperature performance of LiFePO4 is determined by electronic conductivity. [•] Low temperature performance of LiFePO4/C is determined by ionic conductivity. [•] Guidance to select LiFePO4 cathode of fine low temperature performance is suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Cu Fe oxygen carrier (OC) with oxygen uncoupling capability is proposed to be applied in chemical-looping gasification with oxygen uncoupling (CLGOU) technology to increase the gasification rate. Density functional theory analysis shows that a chemical reaction occurs after Cu 4 O 4 cluster adsorption onto α - Fe 2 O 3 (001) surface. Extension of bond length and transfer of charge indicate the composite oxide has been activated. An optimal molar ratio of 2:1 of CuO to Fe 2 O 3 is determined for the preparation the OC and the oxygen transport capacity is determined at 3.65 wt% with a starting oxygen uncoupling temperature is 749.5 °C. The composite OC exhibits good low-temperature oxygen uncoupling characteristics. This OC exhibits stable behaviour and satisfactory oxygen recyclability over 15 consecutive redox cycles at 900 °C / 700 °C oxygen uncoupling and absorbing temperatures. The high stability is corresponding to the calculation result (high adsorption energy of CuO onto Fe 2 O 3). And oxygen uncoupling rates are much higher than the lower limit (0.4 wt%/min) for cracking. The chemical phases and surface micromorphology all retain stable after cycles. Using combined Coats-Redfern and Malek method, the oxygen uncoupling kinetic model of Cu Fe OC is determined as a shrinking core model (m = 3). • A novel biomass gasification process of chemical-looping gasification with oxygen uncoupling is proposed. • The Cu Fe composite oxygen carrier with low reaction temperature has been successfully prepared. • DFT calculation is introduced to investigate the activity and stability of CuO onto α - Fe 2 O 3 (0 0 1) surface. • The oxygen uncoupling characteristics and kinetics of Cu Fe oxygen carrier has been determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of blood flow restriction (BFR) combined with low-intensity resistance training (RT) on cardiovascular risk factors in obese individuals. Methods: Twenty-six male obese college students were recruited and randomly assigned to a control group (CON, n = 8), a low-intensity RT group (RT, n = 9), and a combined BFR training and low-intensity RT group (BFRT, n = 9). Results: The subjects in BFRT group showed significant reductions in body fat percentage and waist-to-hip ratio and a significant increase in lean mass and muscle mass; the peak torque, peak power, and endurance ratio of knee extensors and elbow flexors were significantly upregulated; the root mean square (RMS) for the medial femoral muscle, lateral femoral muscle and biceps significantly increased; the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) showed a significant decrease. The BFRT group also showed significant up-regulations in RMS of the difference between the adjacent R-R intervals (RMSSD), high-frequency power (HF) of parasympathetic modulatory capacity, the standard deviation of R-R intervals (SDNN) of overall heart rate variability (HRV) changes and low-frequency power (LF) of predominantly sympathetic activity. In addition, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C), insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) were all significantly downregulated in BFRT group. In parallel, low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) significantly reduced while high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) significantly increased in BFRT group. Conclusion: BFR combined with low-intensity RT training effectively improved body composition index, increased muscle mass, improved neuromuscular activation, enhanced muscle strength and endurance, which in turn improved abnormal glucolipid metabolism and enhanced cardiac autonomic regulation., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Su, Wang, Wang, He, Yang and Luan.)

Glioma is the most common and fatal primary brain tumor in humans. A significant role for long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in glioma is the regulation of gene expression and chromatin recombination, and immunotherapy is a promising cancer treatment. Therefore, it is necessary to identify necroptosis-related lncRNAs in glioma. In this study, we collected and evaluated the RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/, Data Release 32.0, March 29, 2022) glioma patients, and necroptosis-related lncRNAs were screened. Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis were performed to construct a risk score formula to explore the different overall survival between high- and low-risk groups in TCGA. Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analysis (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG)) were performed to identify the function of screened genes. The immune correlation analysis showed that various immune cells and pathways positively associated with a patient's risk score. Furthermore, the analysis of the tumor microenvironment indicated many immune cells and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment of glioma patients. Six necroptosis-related lncRNAs were concerned to be involved in survival and adopted to construct the risk score formula. The results showed that patients with high-risk scores held poor survival in TCGA. Compared with current clinical data, the area under the curve (AUC) of different years suggested that the formula had better predictive power. We verified that necroptosis-related lncRNAs play a significant role in the occurrence and development of glioma, and the constructed risk model can reasonably predict the prognosis of glioma. The results of these studies added some valuable guidance to understanding glioma pathogenesis and treatment, and these necroptosis-related lncRNAs may be used as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for glioma prevention., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The reviewer GY declared a shared parent affiliation with the authors to the handling editor at the time of review., (Copyright © 2022 Chen, Dou, Liu, Xu, Hu, Kuang, Yao, Zhao, Yu, Li, Wang and Guo.)

The aberrant expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) is implicated in cancer development and progression. This study was aimed to investigate the expression and clinical significance of lncRNA NONHSAT129183 in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), and to explore its roles in PTC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Our results demonstrate that lncRNA NONHSAT129183 is upregulated in human PTC tissues when compared with that in adjacent noncancerous thyroid tissue. Moreover, its expression is correlated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stage in PTC patients. lncRNA NONHSAT129183 silencing also significantly suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in PTC cell lines. In conclusion, our results suggest that lncRNA NONHSAT129183 plays a critical role in the regulation of PTC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, providing new insights into PTC pathogenesis.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are well known as important regulators in various cancer development. In the present study, we focused on the expression and biological function of miR-1291 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Compared with adjacent non-tumorous tissue samples, qRT-PCR data showed significant downregulation of miR-1291 in 54 ESCC tissue samples (P<0.05), which was also significantly associated with lymph node metastases and clinical stage (P<0.05). Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, Transwell and flow cytometric apoptosis assays were performed to detect the effect of miR-1291 upregulation, and the results showed inhibition of the proliferation, invasion and promotion of apoptosis in EC9706 and EC-1 cells. Using bioinformatic analyses, we found that mucin 1 (MUC1) was a potential target for miR-1291. Luciferase assays were performed to reveal that miR-1291 inhibited MUC1 expression by targeting the seed region of MUC1 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR). We also found that the expression of MUC1 lacking in 3'UTR abrogated the anti-invasion and pro-apoptosis function of miR-1291. Our results demonstrated the importance of miR-1291 in targeting MUC1 for the regulation of esophagus cancer growth, invasion and apoptosis, and may be helpful for developing new targets for early diagnosis or new therapeutic targets for ESCC.

Objective: To investigate the effects of different microenvironments on the differentiation of mouse induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into neuron-like cells., Methods: Mouse iPSCs were cultured in suspension and became embryoid bodies (EBs), and then the EBs were randomly divided into all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) group, brain slice co-culture group, and brain tissue homogenate supernatant group. The above three groups were induced to differentiate into neuron-like cells. Morphological changes were observed under an inverted microscope. Immunofluorescence staining technology was used for cell identification. The expressions of nestin, microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were detected by Western blotting., Results: The three different culture conditions could all induce mouse iPSCs to differentiate into neuron-like cells. These neuron-like cells could be marked by neuron markers like nestin and MAP2. The levels of nestin, MAP2 and GFAP proteins in the ATRA group were significantly higher than those in both the brain slice co-culture group and the brain tissue homogenate supernatant group, but there was no significant difference between the brain slice co-culture group and the brain tissue homogenate supernatant group., Conclusion: Both brain slice microenvironment and brain tissue homogenate supernatant can induce the differentiation of mouse iPSCs into neuron-like cells, but the effect is inferior to ATRA.

INTRODUCTION:: The aim of this study was to investigate whether combined epidermal growth factor (EGF) and gastrin can correct the hyperglycemia induced by streptozotocin (STZ) in rats and to determine the involvement of the transcription factor pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (PDX1) in this process. METHODS:: Rat diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of STZ. The mRNA and protein levels of insulin and PDX1 were determined by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. Serum levels of C-peptide and insulin were analyzed using radioimmunoassay kits. RESULTS:: The combined administration of EGF and gastrin efficiently reversed the hyperglycemia induced by STZ. Elevated insulin concentration was detected in diabetic rats treated with EGF plus gastrin. The authors also found that both insulin and PDX1 expression were reduced in STZ-treated rats. Interestingly, the combination treatment also significantly enhanced the mRNA levels of insulin and PDX1, and that of their protein products. CONCLUSIONS:: Therapy with EGF plus gastrin corrected hyperglycemia and maintained insulin content in STZ-induced diabetic rats via up-regulation of PDX1 expression, suggesting that this combination treatment may provide a valuable approach for pancreatic islet neogenesis in vivo.

CD1d-restricted natural killer T (NKT) cells and CD4+CD25+ regulatory T (Treg) cells are two thymus-derived subsets of regulatory T cells that play an important role in the maintenance of self-tolerance. Yet the functional changes of the two subsets of regulatory T cells in the development of diabetes in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice remain unclear, and how NKT cells and CD4+CD25+ Treg cells cooperate functionally in the regulation of autoimmune diabetes is also uncertain. We provide evidence that in NOD mice, an animal model of human type 1 diabetes, the functions of both NKT cells and CD4+CD25+ Treg cells decrease in an age-dependent manner. We show that treatment with alpha-galactosylceramide increases the size of the CD4+CD25+ Treg cell compartment in NOD mice, and augments the expression of forkhead/winged helix transcription factor and the potency of CD4+CD25+ Treg cells to inhibit proliferation of CD4+CD25- T cells. Our data indicate that NKT cells and CD4+CD25+ Treg cells might cooperate in the prevention of autoimmune diabetes in NOD mice treated with alpha-galactosylceramide. Induced cooperation of NKT cells and CD4+CD25+ Treg cells could serve as a strategy to treat human autoimmune disease, such as type 1 diabetes.