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Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a common pollutant, and its health risk has attracted much attention. Studies have shown that PM2.5 exposure is associated with liver disease. The composition of PM2.5 is complex, and its hepatotoxic effects and lipid metabolism process are not well understood. In this study, we detected the concentrations of PM2.5 and its components (metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs)) in the winter in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China, from 2017 to 2020 and then assessed the health risks. We also investigated the effects of different components (whole particles (WP), water-soluble particles (WSP), organic particles (OP)) of PM2.5 on the cytotoxicity and lipid metabolism in human liver cell line (HepG2) after 24 h of treatment. The changes in cytotoxicity indexes (LDH, IL-6, reactive oxygen species (ROS)) and lipids (triglyceride (TG), free fatty acid (FFA)) were measured after 24 h. The mRNA expression of lipid metabolism-related factors (SREBP1, CD36, MTTP) was determined by real-time quantitative RT-qPCR. Finally, the correlation between metals and PAHs with higher PM2.5 content in 4 years and biomarkers was analyzed. The results showed that: (1) The PM2.5 pollution was severe in Taiyuan during winter in 2017 and the subsequent four years. The calculation results of the metal enrichment factor (EF) value and PAHs characteristic ratio of PM2.5 showed that PM2.5 pollution sources differed in different years. (2) Exposure to metals and PAHs in PM2.5 did not cause a non-carcinogenic risk. Metals had no cancer risk, while PAHs inhaled in PM2.5 in 2017 and 2018 had a potential cancer risk. The atmospheric PM2.5 pollution in Taiyuan has had a downward trend, but the PAHs in the PM2.5 of 2017–18, when the pollution is relatively serious, have a potential carcinogenic risk. (3) WP, OP and WSP inhibited cell survival rate from 2017 to 2020, and OP had higher cytotoxicity at the same concentration. (4) WP, OP and WSP increased the levels of LDH, IL-6, TNF-α, ROS, MDA, TG and FFA, and inhibited SOD activity in a dose-effect relationship. The organic components in PM2.5 are more toxic to HepG2 cells and affect the expression of lipid metabolism-related factors at the transcriptional level. (5) The mRNA expressions of factors related to lipid synthesis, uptake, oxidation and output were up-regulated after treatment with PM2.5 and its components, suggesting a lipid metabolism disorder. (6) The biomarkers were associated with certain metals (Zn, Pb, Cu and Cr) and PAHs in PM2.5. These suggested that PM2.5- and PM2.5-bound organic matter caused HepG2 cytotoxicity and affected lipid metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the contamination levels of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the landfill leachates and their correlations with the bacteria. Methods and results: Using HPLC‐MS, quantitative PCR and high‐throughput sequencing, we measured the pollution levels of 14 antibiotics and 10 ARGs in the leachates of the landfill in Taiyuan, China, and analysed changes in the bacterial community and the correlations of bacteria with antibiotics and ARGs. The main results showed high levels of antibiotics (like enrofloxacin, pefloxacin and oxytetracycline) and ARGs (like sulfonamides, tetracycline, macrolides, quinolones and β‐lactam‐resistance genes) in the landfill leachates, along with higher diversity and richness of the bacteria. Some types of antibiotics had positive correlations with their corresponding ARGs. The dominant bacteria in the landfill leachates were Pseudomonas, Defluviitoga and Sulfurimonas, which correlated with the antibiotics and ARGs and might have potential effects on degrading them. Conclusions: Antibiotics and ARG pollution existed in the landfill leachates, while bacteria were closely associated with them. Significance and impact of the study: It will provide helpful information for the potential application of the bacteria in antibiotics and ARGs pollution control and landfill leachate management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The atmosphere's fine particulate matter (PM2.5) can enter the liver through the circulatory system, leading to hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. As a non-flavonoid polyphenolic compound, resveratrol (RES) has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective effects, but the molecular mechanisms of liver fibrosis induced by PM2.5 exposure are still limited. In this study, we established an in vitro cell model to investigate the intervention effect of RES with different concentrations (5 and 20 μmol/mL) on mouse hepatic stellate cells (mHSCs) injury induced by PM2.5 (100 μg/mL). We determined the cell viability in mHSCs after treatment with PM2.5 or/and RES for 24 h. We investigated the intracellular oxidative stress by detecting the changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels. We also measured the protein expressions of fibrosis-related genes (α-SMA, Collagen I and Collagen III) and key genes (SIRT1, NF-κB, NLRP3, Cleaved-Caspase1, IL-1β) in the NLRP3 pathway in mHSCs exposed to PM2.5 with or without RES. The results showed that (1) PM2.5 has cytotoxic effects on mHSCs, whereas RES (5 μmol/L and 20 μmol/L) inhibited PM2.5-induced cytotoxicity and LDH leakage; (2) RES effectively reduces ROS and MDA production caused by PM2.5 while concurrently enhancing SOD levels, thereby improving cellular anti-oxidant capacity; (3) the expression of α-SMA, Collagen I and Collagen III were notably downregulated in the PM2.5 plus RES treatment group compared to the PM2.5-exposed group; (4) RES significantly increased SIRT1 expression and decreased the expression of NF-κB, NLRP3, Cleaved-Caspase1 and IL-1β in mHSCs exposure to PM2.5 compared to the PM2.5 group. These results demonstrate that RES can up-regulate SIRT1 and mitigate PM2.5-induced fibrosis by suppressing oxidative stress in mHSCs and the SIRT1/NF–κB/NLRP3 pathway activated by PM2.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We characterized a novel stearoyl‐CoA desaturase gene from Pinctada fucata, named PfSCD, and investigated the expression levels in various tissues of high and low carotenoid contents (orange and white groups) and the responses to high temperature stress (from 26°C to 30°C). The complete cDNA sequence consisted of 1,576 bp with a 945 bp open reading frame encoding 315 amino acid residues; it included four transmembrane domains and three conserved histidine‐box motifs. Pinctada fucata was clustered with molluscan SCD genes. The relative expression level of PfSCD mRNA, total carotenoid content (TCC) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was greatly up‐regulated in orange group as compared with the white, with the highest in hepatopancreas and followed by gonad tissue and the lowest in foot. The relative expression level of PfSCD increased first and then decreased during the stress period of temperature 30°C from 0 to 96 hr in the orange group with the peaks at 6 and 12 hr. Meanwhile, TCC and TAC decreased gradually during the stress, with a significant increase at 6 hr in the hepatopancreas and gonadal tissues, respectively, in the orange group, corresponding to the rise of PfSCD at 6 hr. It suggested that carotenoids can be up‐regulated by PfSCD. Moreover, the positive correlations of PfSCD mRNA with TCC and TAC were both disrupted under the high temperature stress. These findings suggested that SCD and carotenoids can be up‐regulated by each other and concertedly enhance the resistance of the oyster to high temperature stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thymosin β4 is a multifunctional protein in vertebrates that participates in physiological processes, such as wound healing, immune response, cell proliferation and migration. We assessed the multifarious roles of this small peptide in Pinctada fucata , an oyster commonly used in pearl culture in China. Our results showed that when P. fucata was challenged by bacterial pathogens or LPS, the relative expression level of Pfthymosin β4 mRNA was significantly up-regulated, suggesting its involvement in immune response of the animal. Recombinant Pfthymosin β4 (rPfthymosin β4) was produced and showed in vitro different antibacterial activities against different pathogenic bacteria; the inhibitory effect of rPfthymosin β4 on bacterial growth was relatively stronger in the broth culture than agar culture. The overexpression of Pfthymosin β4 in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) cells could improve their resistance to Cu2+, Zn2+, Cd2+, and H 2 O 2 , suggesting that Pfthymosin β4 is likely involved with antioxidant. rPfthymosin β4 also significantly promoted the proliferation and migration of mouse aortic vascular smooth muscle cells as indicated by MTT assay and cell scratch assay, respectively. In addition, chemically synthesized or recombinant Pfthymosin β4 could transiently increase the circulating total hemocytes counts but down-regulated by RNAi in P. fucata. Taking together above results and previous studies suggested that Pfthymosin β4 is potentially able to promote wound healing through enhancing antibacterial activity and antioxidant capacity, promotion of cell proliferation and migration, and increase of circulating hemocytes in P. fucata due to nucleus implantation injury. Thus, the future of recombinant Pfthymosin β4 should be promising in the culture of pearls in P. fucata. • Recombinant Pfthymosin β4 was prepared and used in different activity assays. • It possessed antibacterial activity and enhanced antioxidative capacity of cells. • Pfthymosin β4 was stimulated by different pathogens and immunostimulants. • Pfthymosin β4 increased the number of circulating hemocytes. • It can be used in pearl culture to prevent infection and to enhance the immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing experimental evidence suggests that there are some forms of specific acquired immunity in invertebrates, in which Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play vital roles in activating innate and adaptive immunity and have been comprehensively investigated in mammalian species. Yet, the immune mechanisms underlying TLR mediation in mollusks remain obscure. In this study, we identified a TLR13 gene in the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata for the first time and named it PfTLR13 which consists of a 5′-untranslated terminal region (5′-UTR) of 543 bp, an open reading frame (ORF) of 2667 bp, and a 3′-UTR of 729 bp. We found that PfTLR1 3 mRNA was expressed in all tissues examined, with the highest level in the gills. The expression of PfTLR13 in the gills of oysters exposed to Vibrio alginolyticus or pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) (including LPS, PGN, and poly(I:C)) was significantly higher than in the control group. Interestingly, the immune response to the first stimulation was weaker than the response to the second stimulation, suggesting that the primary stimulation may lead to immune priming of TLR in pearl oysters, similar to acquired immunity in vertebrates. Furthermore, we found that PfTLR13 expression was differentially associated with allograft and xenograft in the pearl oyster P. fucata , with the highest expression levels observed at 12 h post-allograft and 24 h post-xenograft. Overall, our findings provide new insights into the immune mechanisms underlying TLR mediation in mollusks and suggest that PfTLR13 may play a crucial role in the specific acquired immunity of pearl oysters. • PfTLR13 was identified and characterized from Pinctada fucata. • PfTLR13 was universally distributed in seven tissues, and mainly expressed in the gills. • The primary immune response was weaker than the second after double stimulation with V. alginolyticus or PAMPs. • PfTLR13 was significantly increased in hemocytes after nucleus insertion. • PfTLR13 may play a vital role in inducing adaptive immunity and is associated with acquired immunity in P. fucata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ｈｏｌｌｙ ｈｉｌｌ ａｎｄ ｂａｒｒｅｎ ｈｉｌｌ ｂｏｔｈ ｅｘｉｓｔ ｉｎ ｋａｒｓｔ ｌａｎｄｆｏｒｍ, ｋａｒｓｔ ｆｏｒｅｓｔ ｉｓ ａ ｆｒａｇｉｌｅ ａｎｄ ｌｏｗ-ｂｉｏｍａｓｓ ｅｃｏｓｙｓｔｅｍ ｗｉｔｈ ｂａｒｒｅｎ ｓｏｉｌ ａｎｄ ｌｏｗ ｒｅｓｉｌｉｅｎｃｅ ａｎｄ ｒｅｓｉｓｔａｎｃｅ ｃａｐａｂｉｌｉｔｉｅｓ ｔｏ ｄｉｓｔｕｒｂａｎｃｅ. Ｔｈｅ ｈｏｌｌｙ ｈｉｌｌ ｉｓ ｔｈｅ ｐｌａｃｅ ｗｈｅｒｅ ｔｈｅ ｖｅｇｅｔａｔｉｏｎ ｉｓ ｗｅｌｌ ｐｒｏｔｅｃｔｅｄ ｂｙ ｔｈｅ ｉｎｄｉｇｅｎｏｕｓ ｐｅｏｐｌｅ ｗｈｏ ｌｉｖｅ ｎｅａｒｂｙ ｂａｓｅｄ ｏｎ ｔｈｅｉｒ ｂｅｌｉｅｆｓ, ｔｈｅ ｂａｒｒｅｎ ｈｉｌｌ ｉｓ ｃｏｍｐｒｉｓｅｄ ｏｆ ｒｏｃｋｙ ｋａｒｓｔ ｆｏｒｍａｔｉｏｎｓ ｔｈａｔ ｃｏｎｔａｉｎ ｔｈｅ ａｒｅａｓ ｏｆ ｅｘｐｏｓｅｄ ｂｅｄｒｏｃｋ ｄｕｅ ｔｏ ｈｕｍａｎ ｄｉｓｔｕｒｂａｎｃｅ. Ｔｈｅ ｓｔｕｄｙ ｉｓ ａｂｏｕｔ ｃｏｍｐａｒｉｓｏｎ ｏｆ ｃａｒｂｏｎ ｓｔｏｒａｇｅ ｏｆ ｅｃｏｓｙｓｔｅｍ ｉｎ ｈｏｌｌｙ ｈｉｌｌ ａｎｄ ｂａｒｒｅｎ ｈｉｌｌ, ｔｈｅ ｃａｒｂｏｎ ｓｔｏｃｋｓ ｏｆ ｈｏｌｌｙ ｈｉｌｌ ａｎｄ ｂａｒｒｅｎ ｈｉｌｌ ｅｃｏｓｙｓｔｅｍｓ ｗｅｒｅ ｓｔｕｄｉｅｄ ｔｈｒｏｕｇｈ ｆｉｅｌｄ ｗｏｒｋ, ｌａｂｏｒａｔｏｒｙ ａｎａｌｙｓｉｓ ａｎｄ ｓｔａｔｉｓｔｉｃ ａｔ Ｌｕｏｃｈｅｎｇ, Ｇｕａｎｇｘｉ, Ｃｈｉｎａ. Ｔｈｅ ｒｅｓｕｌｔｓ ｓｈｏｗｅｄ ｔｈａｔ ｖｅｇｅｔａｔｉｏｎ, ｓｏｉｌ ａｎｄ ｌｉｔｔｅｒ ｃａｒｂｏｎ ｓｔｏｒａｇｅ ｏｆ ｈｏｌｌｙ ｈｉｌｌ ｅｃｏｓｙｓｔｅｍｓ ｗｅｒｅ ７.４２, ５.９ ａｎｄ １.１ ｔｉｍｅｓ ｔｈｏｓｅ ｏｆ ｂａｒｒｅｎ ｈｉｌｌ ｅｃｏｓｙｓｔｅｍｓ ｒｅｓｐｅｃｔｉｖｅｌｙ. Ｃａｒｂｏｎ ｓｔｏｒａｇｅ ｗｅｒｅ １３７.０６, ９３.７３ ｔ􀅰ｈｍ-２ ａｔ ｈｏｌｌｙ ｈｉｌｌ ａｎｄ ｂａｒｒｅｎ ｈｉｌｌ ｅｃｏｓｙｓｔｅｍｓ ｒｅｓｐｅｃｔｉｖｅｌｙ, ｓｏｉｌ ｃａｒｂｏｎ ｓｔｏｒａｇｅ ｃｏｎｔｒｉｂｕｔｅｄ ｍｏｓｔ ｉｎ ｔｈｅ ｔｗｏ ｅｃｏｓｙｓｔｅｍｓ, ａｎｄ ｕｎｄｅｒｓｔｏｒｙ ａｎｄ ｌｉｔｔｅｒ ｃｏｎｔｒｉｂｕｔｅｄ ｌｅｓｓ. Ｔｈｅ ｃｏｍｐａｒｉｓｏｎ ｏｆ ｃａｒｂｏｎ ｓｔｏｒａｇｅ ｏｆ ｈｏｌｌｙ ｈｉｌｌ ａｎｄ ｂａｒｒｅｎ ｈｉｌｌ ｒｅｆｌｅｃｔｓ ｔｈｅ ｉｍｐｏｒｔａｎｃｅ ｏｆ ｐｒｏｔｅｃｔｉｎｇ ｋａｒｓｔ ｆｏｒｅｓｔ, ｋｅｅｐｉｎｇ ｔｒａｄｉｔｉｏｎａｌ ａｂｏｒｉｇｉｎａｌ ｃｕｌｔｕｒｅ ｍｅａｎｓ ａ ｌｏｔ ｆｏｒ ｐｒｏｔｅｃｔｉｎｇ ｅｃｏｌｏｇｉｃａｌ ｅｎｖｉｒｏｎｍｅｎｔ ａｎｄ ｉｍｐｒｏｖｉｎｇ ｃａｒｂｏｎ ｓｅｑｕｅｓｔｒａｔｉｏｎ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese traditional food, fermented semi-dried sea bass (FSSB), is famous for its unique flavor. The microbiota succession and flavor formation during fermentation remain unknown. This study utilized high-throughput sequencing to investigate the evolving microbiota and chemical determination to explore volatile compounds. The relevant abundance of microorganisms in the middle-fermented stage was significantly (p <.05) higher than that of the post-fermented stage. In addition, the main microbial phyla during fermentation were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. In conclusion, this study contributes to understanding the changes in flavor substances during fermentation and the varying patterns of change among different floras. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PM 2.5 caused inflammation, oxidative stress, and pathological damage in the hearts. • PM 2.5 induced heart histopathological and cardiac hypertrophy in rats. • PM 2.5 increased β-MHC and GATA4 expression and ratio of β-MHC/α-MHC expression. • MiR-208a/b associated with β-MHC/GATA4 expression in rats' hearts exposed to PM 2.5. Ambient air fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) may increase cardiovascular disease risks. In this study, we investigated the miR-208/GATA4/myosin heavy chain (MHC) regulation mechanisms on cardiac injury in rats after PM 2.5 exposure via an animal inhalation device. The results showed that PM 2.5 exposure for 2 months caused pathological heart injury, reduced nucleus-cytoplasm ratio, and increased the levels of CK-MB and cTnI, showing cardiac hypertrophy. Oxidative stress and inflammatory responses were also observed in rats' hearts exposed to PM 2.5. Of note, PM 2.5 exposure for 2-month significantly elevated GATA4 and β-MHC mRNA and protein expression compared with the corresponding controls, along with the high-expression of miR-208b. The ratios of β-MHC/α-MHC expression induced by PM 2.5 were remarkably raised in comparison to their controls. It suggested that the up-regulation of miR-208b/β-MHC and GATA4 and the conversion from α-MHC to β-MHC may be the important causes of cardiac hypertrophy in rats incurred by PM 2.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the mechanism underlying immune rejection in pearl oyster Pinctada fucata following allograft (P. fucata mantle pieces) and xenograft (P. maxima mantle pieces) transplantations, we analyzed serum samples collected at multiple time points (6, 12, 24, 48, 96, 144, and 192 h) after transplantation using a proteomics approach. We identified 2127 proteins with high confidence according to the selected peptides (false discovery rate = 0.01), among which 1148 exhibited quantitative differences. Functional enrichment analysis revealed significant changes in protein functional categories, including signal transduction, translation, cytoskeleton, and post-translational modifications. Immune-related proteins, such as the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2, apoptosis-linked gene, heat shock protein, and apoptosis inhibitor 5 were associated with allografts and xenografts. Notably, the PI3K-Akt signaling, focal adhesion, and extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction pathways were enriched among upregulated proteins (xenograft vs. allograft), while the ribosome pathway was enriched among downregulated proteins. These findings suggest that implantation stress may affect protein biosynthesis or activate multiple molecular pathways involved in key immune proteins. Furthermore, the xenograft group demonstrated greater sensitivity in recognizing and responding to foreign substances compared to the allograft group. This heightened responsiveness enabled the xenograft group to rapidly activate humoral immune factors, which triggered the signaling pathway responsible for suppressing the inflammatory response. This study provides novel insights into the immune reactions of host oysters to grafted mantle pieces, particularly xenografts, and may offer strategies to improve xenograft transplantation technologies in the pearl culture industry. • Interspecific immune rejection of pearl oysters was studied and a total of 2127 proteins were identified. • Implantation of mantle pieces may trigger molecular pathways involving many key immune proteins. • The xenograft group rapidly activated humoral immune factors to inhibit the inflammatory response. • The xenograft group demonstrated greater sensitivity in recognizing and responding to foreign substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several strains of pearl oysters (Pinctada fucata) are distributed in the coastal areas of South China. To explore strategies for genetic improvement, additive genetic, heterotic, and strain reciprocal effects on growth traits were estimated by performing a full 3 × 3 diallel cross of three pearl oyster strains that are local to Beihai, Guangxi Province; Xuwen, Guangdong Province; and Sanya, Hainan Province. The simultaneous production of progeny for all crosses was achieved using mass spawning in Lingshui, Hainan Province. For body weight, the Beihai strain showed the highest additive genetic effect (+ 5.7%) and the Sanya strain showed the lowest (− 4.3%), with similar additive genetic effect patterns for shell length, shell height, and shell width. The averaged heterotic outcomes were significant (P < 0.01) for all growth traits, varying from + 6.1% for shell length to + 19.1% for body weight. Reciprocal cross effects were determined for growth traits, with a relatively high correlation for all traits between strain additive performance and total performance (r2 = 0.72 to 0.85). These findings reveal the potential to exploit strain additive variation to improve P. fucata culture stock using direct selection methods for increased productivity of pearl oyster cultivation in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Penicillin G (PG) in milk is unsafe for human and is a big problem for the foods industry. Hence, the better analytical and eliminative techniques are demanded. We investigated a PG molecular imprinted polymer (MIP), which can sensitively detect and extract the PG from milk and other samples. The MIP synthesis involved a β-lactam antibiotics PG, methacrylic acid (MAA) and dimethyl formamide (DMF). Its properties were analyzed with Scatchard plot, which showed that there were two affinity sites of the PG polymer. The first equilibrium dissociation constant of the high-affinity binding sites Kd1 was 1.14 × 10-4 mol/L and the binding capacity Qmax1 was 46.01 µmol/g; the second equilibrium dissociation constant of the low-affinity binding sites Kd2 was 1.35 × 10-3 mol/L and the binding capacity Qmax2 was 72.55 µmol/g. Furthermore, two PG determination methods using the polymer were developed. The first was carried out quantitatively with a spectrophotometer and the detection limit was 1 ppm. The other one was the combination of the MIP particles with milk fermentation for PG analysis and the sensitivity was 10 ppb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]