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Introduction: Maternal vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is associated with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), but the exact mechanism remains unclear. Here we explored the mechanism through which VDD induced IUGR.Methods: Female SD rats were fed a control normal diet (VD > 800 IU/Kg) or VDD diet (VD: 0 IU/Kg) for 8 weeks. Then, females were mated with 12-week-old male SD rats, and fetal and placental tissue were collected on the gestational day 13 (GD13) or 18 (GD18) to analyze the effects of VDD on pregnancy outcome and embryonic development. In vitro, the VDR gene of HTR-8/SVneo cells was knocked down to establish VDD model. Then, HTR-8/SVneo cells were treated with the MST1/2 inhibitor XMU-MP-1 or 0.1 μM/L calcitriol for 24 h (h). The mechanism of Hippo-YAP signaling pathway in VDD-induced placental dysplasia was further investigated by western blot, invasion assay, wound healing assay and Hoechst/PI staining.Results: The IUGR of the pregnant rats in the VDD group was significant, the placental structure and function were damaged, and there was an obvious inflammatory response, accompanied by a significant increase in the level of the transcription co-activator YAP phosphorylation. In vitro, VDD significantly inhibited the migratory and invasive abilities of HTR-8/SVneo cells, accompanied by decreased EMT capacity and increased apoptosis. When intervening with XMU-MP-1 in advance, we found that the effects of VDD were neutralized by Hippo-YAP signaling blocker.Discussion: Maternal VDD causes placental dysplasia and IUGR, and these abnormal changes may be associated with the activation of Hippo-YAP signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flaxseed oil is a rich source of n-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid which has been identified as having significant cardioprotective effects. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of partial replacement of lard with flaxseed oil on atherosclerosis and investigate the underlying mechanisms. Apolipoprotein-E knockout mice were given a normal chow diet, a lard based western-type high-fat diet (WTD), or a WTD with partial replacement of lard with 10% flaxseed oil (w/w) for 16 weeks, respectively. Results demonstrated that partial replacing of lard with flaxseed oil significantly ameliorated atherosclerosis, as well as improved lipid abnormalities, oxidative stress, and inflammation. These data were associated with modification effects on expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism (SREBP-2, HMGCR, SREBP-1c, and ACC), oxidative stress (NADPH oxidase), and inflammation (TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, and VCAM-1). Our data providing evidence that flaxseed oil could be a promising functional food in cardiovascular health promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Maintaining the integrity and stability of the gut tract is essential for the health of the body. Autophagy is a promising target for balancing gut homeostasis, and numerous studies have focused on regulating autophagy to improve gut health. In this study, we found that glycyrol (GC), a representative coumarin compound isolated from Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch (used for medicine and food), can attenuate colon injury by activating autophagy. Specifically, we demonstrated that GC can act on ubiquitin-specific protease 8 (USP8), inhibit the interaction between SQSTM1/p62 and USP8, promote the ubiquitination of p62, and activate autophagy. Collectively, the findings of the present study suggest that GC is a novel and promising colon protector and deserves further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of neurodegenerative diseases is severely increasing with ageing. Lycopene (LYC), a carotenoid pigment, has been reported to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the ameliorative effect of LYC on D-galactose (D-gal) induced cognitive defects and the underlying mechanisms. Forty-five female CD-1 mice (2 months old) were separated into three groups to be fed with either a normal diet or a LYC diet (0.03%, w/w, mixed into normal diet). Meanwhile, the mice were treated by intraperitoneal injection of normal saline or D-gal 150 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks. The behavioral test results indicated that LYC alleviated D-gal induced cognitive impairments. LYC ameliorated brain ageing by decreasing the number of SA-β-gal- stained neurons, downregulating the protein expression of the cellular senescence associated genes P19/P21/P53, increasing the activities of the antioxidant enzymes GSH and SOD, downregulating the level of ROS, inhibiting the activation of MAPKs signaling and downregulating the levels of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNFɑ in mouse brains. LYC ameliorated synaptic dysfunction by increasing the expression of the neurotrophic factor BDNF and synaptic proteins. Moreover, LYC attenuated D-gal-induced mitochondrial morphological damage, and promoted the expression of mitochondrial functional proteins. LYC also promoted insulin signal transduction in mouse brains through the regulation of IRS-1/AKT/GSK3β signaling. Lycopene attenuated D-galactose-induced cognitive impairment by alleviating oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and brain ageing and further enhancing mitochondrial function and improving insulin signalling in the brains of female CD-1 mice. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lycopene (LYC) has been regarded as a nutraceutical that has powerful antioxidant and hepatoprotective bioactivities. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the beneficial effects of LYC on hepatic insulin signal transduction under oxidative stress conditions and the possible involvement of FGF21 and mitochondria pathways. Two-month-old CD-1 mice were treated by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose (D-gal) 150 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks and received 0.03% LYC (w/w, mixed into diet). The results showed that LYC increased the expression of FGF21, alleviated mitochondrial dysfunction and improved hepatic insulin signal transduction in D-gal-treated mice. Furthermore, knockdown of FGF21 by small interfering RNA notably suppressed mitochondrial function and blunted LYC-stimulated insulin signal transduction in H2O2-treated HepG2 cells. Moreover, suppressed mitochondrial function via oligomycin also inhibited insulin signal transduction, indicating that LYC supplementation ameliorated oxidative stress-induced hepatic dysfunction of insulin signal transduction by up-regulating FGF21 and enhancing mitochondrial function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]