Visceral adipose tissue predicts severity and prognosis of acute pancreatitis in obese patients

Acute pancreatitis is a common systemic inflammatory disease, manifested by a spectrum of severity, ranging from mild in the majority of patients to severe acute pancreatitis. Patients with severe acute pancreatitis suffer from severe local and systemic complications and organ failure, leading to a poor prognosis. The early recognition of the severe condition is important to improve prognosis. Obesity has risen in tandem with an increase in the severity of acute pancreatitis in recent years. Studies have revealed that adipose tissue, particularly visceral adipose tissue is associated with the prognosis of acute pancreatitis. This review discussed the role of visceral adipose tissue in obese patients with acute pancreatitis and explored the possible mechanism involved.

Comparison of microRNA profiles of human periodontal diseased and healthy gingival tissues

MicroRNAs （miRNAs） have been clemonstrated to play an important role in regulation of the immunoinflammatory response; however, the function of miRNAs in periodontal inflammation has not been investigated. The objective of this study was to explore the properties of miRNAs in periodontal inflammation by comparing miRNA profiles of inflamed and healthy gingival tissues. Gingival tissues were obtained from 10 periodontitis patients and 10 healthy subjects. After RNA extraction, miRNA profiles were analyzed by microarray, and expression levels of selected miRNAs were confirmed by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction （RT-PCR）. Analyses using two computational methods, Targetscan and MicroRNA.org, were combined to identify common targets of these miRNAs. Finally, the individual miRNA expression levels of three toll-like receptor （TLR）-related miRNAs from inflamed and healthy gingival tissues were evaluated by RT-PCR. Ninety-one miRNAs were found to be upregulated and thirty-four downregulated over two-fold in inflamed gingival tissue compared with those in healthy gingival tissue. Twelve selected inflammatory-related miRNAs, hsa-miR-126＊, hsa-miR-20a, hsa-miR-142-3p, hsa-miR-19a, hsa-let-7f, hsa-miR-203, hsa-miR-17, hsa-miR-223, hsa-miR-146b, hsa-miR-146a, hsa-miR-155, and hsa-miR-205 showed comparable expression levels by microarray and real-time quantitative RT-PCR analyses. In addition, the putative inflammation targets of these miRNAs were predicted, and three that were tested （hsa-miRNA-146a, hsa-miRNA-146b, and hsa-miRNA-155）, showed significant differences between inflamed and healthy gingiva. This remarkable difference in miRNA profiles between periodontal diseased and healthy gingiva implicates a probable close relationship between miRNAs and periodontal inflammation. The data also suggest that the regulation of TLRs in periodontal inflammation may involve miRNA pathways.

Phenolic and flavonoid contents of mandarin (Citrus reticulata Blanco) fruit tissues and their antioxidant capacity as evaluated by DPPH and ABTS methods

The total phenolic and flavonoid contents in the fruit tissues （peels, pulp residues, seeds, and juices） of 19 citrus genotypes belonged to Citrus reticulata Blanco were evaluated and their antioxidant capacity was tested by 2,2-diphenyl-l-picrylhydra- zyl radicals （DPPH） method and 2,2＇-azino-bis（3-ethylbenzthiozoline-6）-sulphonic acid （ABTS） method. The total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and their antioxidant capacity varied in different citrus fruit tissues. Generally, the peel had both the highest average of total phenolics （27.18 mg gallic acid equivalent （GAE） g^-1 DW） and total flavonoids （38.97 mg rutin equivalent （RE） g^-1 DW）. The highest antioxidant capacity was also the average of DPPH value （21.92 mg vitamin C equiv- alent antioxidant capacity （VCEAC） g^-1 DW） and average of ABTS value （78.70 mg VCEAC g-1 DW） in peel. The correlation coefficient between the total phenolics and their antioxidant capacity of different citrus fruits tissues ranged from 0.079 to 0.792, and from -0.150 to 0.664 for the total flavonoids. The antioxidant capacity of fruit tissues were correlated with the total phenoilc content and flavonoid content except in case of the peel. In addition, the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity varied in different citrus genotypes. Manju and Karamandarin were better genotypes with higher antioxidation and the phenolic content, however Shagan was the poorest genotype with lower antioxidation and the phenolic content.

Prepartum body conditions affect insulin signaling pathways in postpartum adipose tissues in transition dairy cows

Background: Overconditioned dairy cows are susceptible to excessive lipolysis and increased insulin resistance during the transition period.The associations among body fat reserve,insulin resistance,and lipolysis in adipose tissues(AT) remain to be elucidated.Therefore,this study aimed to investigate whether excessive fat reserves influence the insulin signaling pathway in AT postpartum.Results: Twenty multiparous dairy cows were selected and assigned to one of two groups,according to prepartum body condition score(BCS): Control group(BCS = 3.0–3.5;n = 10) and Overconditioned group(BCS ≥ 4.0;n = 10).Blood samples were collected on days-14,-7,-4,-2,-1,0,1,2,4,7,and 14 relative to parturition.Subcutaneous AT were collected on day 2 following parturition for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot analyses.No differences were observed between the two groups in serum glucose,non-esterified fatty acids,β-hydroxybutyric acid,tumor necrosis factor(TNF)α,insulin,or leptin concentrations during the experimental period.Compared with the control cows,the overconditioned cows had lower serum triglyceride levels and higher adiponectin concentrations.In the AT postpartum,insulin receptor mRNA and protein levels were lower in the overconditioned cows than in the control cows,and no differences were found in glucose transporter 4 mRNA.Compared with the control cows,the overconditioned cows had lower mRNA levels of TNFα and higher mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma(PPARγ) in AT postpartum.The phosphorylated protein kinase B(AKT) content and phosphorylation rate of AKT were increased in the overconditioned cows compared with the control cows,which suggested that the downstream insulin signaling in AT was affected.Conclusions: In the present study,transition dairy cows with higher BCS did not show more fat mobilization.The changes of insulin signaling pathway in AT postpartum of overconditioned cows may be partly related to the expression of PPARγ and TNFα,and the secretion of adiponectin.

Photon attenuation parameters for some tissues from Geant4simulation, theoretical calculations and experimental data:a comparative study

Mass attenuation coefficients, effective atomic numbers, effective electron densities and Kerma relative to air for adipose, muscle and bone tissues have been investigated in the photon energy region from 20 keV up to 50 MeV with Geant4 simulation package and theoretical calculations. Based on Geant4 results of the mass attenuation coefficients, the effective atomic numbers for the tissue models have been calculated. The calculation results have been compared with the values of the Auto-Zeff program and with other studies available in the literature. Moreover, Kerma of studied tissues relative to air has been determined and found to be dependent on the absorption edges of the tissue constituent elements.

Nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics and metabolic pathway networks from patient-matched esophageal carcinoma,adjacent noncancerous tissues and urine

BACKGROUND Several studies have demonstrated a correlation between esophageal cancer(EC)and perturbed urinary metabolomic profiles,but none has described the correlation between urine metabolite profiles and those of the tumor and adjacent esophageal mucosa in the same patient.AIM To investigate how urinary metabolic phenotypes were linked to the changes in the biochemical landscape of esophageal tumors.METHODS Nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics were applied to esophageal tumor tissues and adjacent normal mucosal tissues alongside patient-matched urine samples.RESULTS Analysis revealed that specific metabolite changes overlapped across both metrics,including glucose,glutamate,citrate,glycine,creatinine and taurine,indicating that the networks for metabolic pathway perturbations in EC,potentially involved in but not limited to disruption of fatty acid metabolism,glucose and glycolytic metabolism,tricarboxylic acid cycle and glutaminolysis.Additionally,changes in most urinary biomarkers correlated with changes in biomarker candidates in EC tissues,implying enhanced energy production for rapid cell proliferation.CONCLUSION Overall,these associations provide evidence for distinct metabolic signatures and pathway disturbances between the tumor tissues and urine of EC patients,and changes in urinary metabolic signature could reflect reprogramming of the aforementioned metabolic pathways in EC tissues.Further investigation is needed to validate these initial findings using larger samples and to establish the underlying mechanism of EC progression.

Repair cell first,then regenerate the tissues and organs

Wound healing,tissue repair and regenerative medicine are in great demand,and great achievements in these fields have been made.The traditional strategy of tissue repair and regeneration has focused on the level of tissues and organs directly;however,the basic process of repair at the cell level is often neglected.Because the cell is the basic unit of organism structure and function;cell damage is caused first by ischemia or ischemia-reperfusion after severe trauma and injury.Then,damage to tissues and organs occurs with massive cell damage,apoptosis and even cell death.Thus,how to achieve the aim of perfect repair and regeneration?The basic process of tissue or organ repair and regeneration should involve repair of cells first,then tissues and organs.In this manuscript,it is my consideration about how to repair the cell first,then regenerate the tissues and organs.

Detection of HBsAg, HBcAg, and HBV DNA in ovarian tissues from patients with HBV infection

AIM: To investigate the presence of HBsAg, HBcAg, and HBV DNA in ovarian tissues from patients with HBV infection.METHODS: HBsAg and HBcAg were examined in ovarian biopsy tissues from 26 patients with HBV infection by immunocytochemistry, and HBV DNA was detected in ovarian tissues by PCR.RESULTS: HBsAg and HBcAg were present with the same positive rate of 34.6% (9/26). The total positive rate was 46.2% (12/26). HBsAg and HBcAg were positive in 6 (23.1%) of the 26 patients. Brown positive particles were diffusely distributed in ovarian cells. The positive rate of HBV DNA was 58.3% (7/12).CONCLUSION: HBsAg, HBcAg, and HBV DNA can be detected in ovarian tissues from patients with HBV infection. The presence of HBsAg and HBcAg in ovarian tissues does not correlate with the HBV markers in serum.

Paraben Content in Adjacent Normal-malignant Breast Tissues from Women with Breast Cancer

Objective Accumulation of estrogenic compounds and other carcinogens in normal breast tissues contributes to unpredictable breast cancer incidence during adolescence and throughout life.To assess the role of parabens in this phenomenon,the paraben content of adjacent normal-malignant breast tissues is measured in women with breast cancer living in Isfahan Province,Iran.Methods Adjacent normal-malignant breast tissue samples were obtained from 53 subjects.The parabens including methyl-paraben(Me PB),ethyl-paraben(Et PB),propyl-paraben(Pr PB),and butylparaben(Bu PB)were extracted from the sample supernatant and then subjected to gas chromatography analysis.Results Some risk factors for breast cancer were stimulated by parabens in adjacent malignant-normal breast tissues among young and middle-aged women with breast cancer.We observed a significant association for dose-response pattern of Me PB[OR=98.34(11.43–185.2),P=0.027]for both ER+and PR+women and Me PB[OR=164.3(CI:112.3–216.3),P<0.001]for HER2+women than women with negative receptors.The risk of 95-fold increase in Me PB dose and 164-fold increase in∑PBs dose were significant for women with hereditary breast cancer in first-degree relatives.Conclusions These results may promote future epidemiology studies and strategies to improve women's lifestyle and consume paraben-free products.

Immunohistochemical assessment of angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma and surrounding cirrhotic liver tissues

AIM: To investigate whether vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was over-expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or in surrounding cirrhotic liver tissues.METHODS: Immunohistochemistry was performed to investigate the expression of VEGF proteins in HCC tissues from 105 consecutive patients undergoing curative resection for HCC. The immunostaining results and related clinicopathologic materials were analyzed with statistical methods. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate survival curves, and Log-rank test was performed to compare differences in survival rates of the patients with positive HCC staining and negative VEGF.RESULTS: VEGF-positive expression was found in 72 of105 HCC patients (68.6%). Capsular infiltration (P= 0.005),vascular invasion (P = 0.035) and intrahepatic metastasis(P=0.008) were observed more frequently in patients with VEGF-positive expression than in those with VEGFnegative expression. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that VEGF-positive expression was associated with a shorter overall survival (P = 0.014). VEGF-positive expression was found in 47 of tissues 68 HCC (69.1%), and VEGF-positive expression was found in 54 of 68 surrounding cirrhotic liver tissues (79.4%). VEGF-positive expression was significantly higher in surrounding cirrhotic liver tissues than in HCC (P= 0.017).CONCLUSION: VEGF may play an important role in the angiogenesis and prognosis of HCC, as well as in the angiogenesis of liver cirrhosis.

Engineering vascularized organotypic tissues via module assembly

Adequate vascularization is a critical determinant for the successful construction and clinical implementation of complex organotypic tissue models. Currently, low cell and vessel density and insufficient vascular maturation make vascularized organotypic tissue construction difficult,greatly limiting its use in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. To address these limitations, recent studies have adopted pre-vascularized microtissue assembly for the rapid generation of functional tissue analogs with dense vascular networks and high cell density. In this article, we summarize the development of module assembly-based vascularized organotypic tissue construction and its application in tissue repair and regeneration, organ-scale tissue biomanufacturing, as well as advanced tissue modeling.

Novel methylation gene panel in adjacent normal tissues predicts poor prognosis of colorectal cancer in Taiwan

BACKGROUND It is evident that current clinical criteria are suboptimal to accurately estimate patient prognosis.Studies have identified epigenetic aberrant changes as novel prognostic factors for colorectal cancer(CRC).AIM To estimate whether a methylation gene panel in different clinical stages can reflect a different prognosis.METHODS We enrolled 120 CRC patients from Tri-Service General Hospital in Taiwan and used the candidate gene approach to select six genes involved in carcinogenesis pathways.Patients were divided into two groups based on the methylation status of the six evaluated genes,namely,the<3 aberrancy group and≥3 aberrancy group.Various tumor stages were divided into two subgroups(local and advanced stages)on the basis of the pathological type of the following tissues:Tumor and adjacent normal tissues(matched normal).We assessed DNA methylation in tumors and adjacent normal tissues from CRC patients and analyzed the association between DNA methylation with different cancer stages and the prognostic outcome including time to progression(TTP)and overall survival.RESULTS We observed a significantly increasing trend of hazard ratio as the number of hypermethylated genes increased both in normal tissue and tumor tissue.The 5-year TTP survival curves showed a significant difference between the≥3 aberrancy group and the<3 aberrancy group.Compared with the<3 aberrancy group,a significantly shorter TTP was observed in the≥3 aberrancy group.We further analyzed the interaction between CRC prognosis and different cancer stages(local and advanced)according to the methylation status of the selected genes in both types of tissues.There was a significantly shorter 5-year TTP for tumors at advanced stages with the promoter methylation status of selected genes than for those with local stages.We found an interaction between cancer stages and the promoter methylation status of selected genes in both types of tissues.CONCLUSION Our data provide a significant association between the methylation markers in normal tissues with advanced stage and prognosis of CRC.We recommend using these novel markers to assist in clinical decision-making.

Expression of connective tissue growth factor in tumor tissues is an independent predictor of poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer

AIM: To examine the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), also known as CCN2, in gastric carcinoma (GC), and the correlation between the expression of CTGF, clinicopathologic features and clinical outcomes of patients with GC. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-two GC patients were included in the present study. All patients were followed up for at least 5 years. Proteins of CTGF were detected using the Powervision two-step immunostaining method. RESULTS: Of the specimens from 122 GC patients analyzed for CTGF expression, 58 (58/122, 47.5%) had a high CTGF expression in cytoplasm of gastric carcinoma cells and 64 (64/122, 52.5%) had a low CTGF expression. Patients with a high CTGF expression showed a higher incidence of lymph node metastasis than those with a low CTGF expression (P = 0.032). Patients with a high CTGF expression had significantly lower 5-year survival rate than those with a low CTGF expression (27.6% vs 46.9%, P = 0.0178), especially those staging Ⅰ+Ⅱ+Ⅲ (35.7% vs 65.2%, P = 0.0027). CONCLUSION: GC patients with an elevated CTGF expression have more lymph node metastases and a shorter survival time. CTGF seems to be an independent prognostic factor for the successful differentiation of high-risk GC patients staging Ⅰ+Ⅱ+Ⅲ. Over-expression of CTGF in human GC cells results in an increased aggressive ability.

Discrepancy of Classical Swine Fever Virus in Different Tissues by One-Step RT-PCR and Nested RT-PCR

Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used for the detection of classical swine fever virus (CSFV) in blood and tissue samples of field cases and experimentally inoculated pigs. The distribution of CSFV in different organ samples showed some discrepancies in infected pigs. Four weaner pigs were inoculated with C-strain vaccine virus, then samples of spleen, tonsil, lung, mesenteric lymph node, kidney and brain were collected after slaughter and tested for E2 and NS5B genes using one-step RT-PCR and nested RT-PCR. Using the same method, 12 field cases were simultaneously studied. A discrepancy of CSFV in different samples was found upon detecting the target gene. The most reliable diagnostic organs were spleen and tonsil, and the nested RT-PCR assay provided a highly sensitive and specific method with comparable performance to the one-step RT-PCR assay.

Interplay between mesenchymal stem cells and macrophages:Promoting bone tissue repair

The repair of bone tissue damage is a complex process that is well-orchestrated in time and space,a focus and difficulty in orthopedic treatment.In recent years,the success of mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)-mediated bone repair in clinical trials of large-area bone defects and bone necrosis has made it a candidate in bone tissue repair engineering and regenerative medicine.MSCs are closely related to macrophages.On one hand,MSCs regulate the immune regulatory function by influencing macrophages proliferation,infiltration,and phenotype polarization,while also affecting the osteoclasts differentiation of macrophages.On the other hand,macrophages activate MSCs and mediate the multilineage differentiation of MSCs by regulating the immune microenvironment.The cross-talk between MSCs and macrophages plays a crucial role in regulating the immune system and in promoting tissue regeneration.Making full use of the relationship between MSCs and macrophages will enhance the efficacy of MSCs therapy in bone tissue repair,and will also provide a reference for further application of MSCs in other diseases.

Assessment of XAF1 as A Biomarker to Differentiate Hepatocellular Carcinoma from Nonneoplastic Liver Tissues

Objective： XIAP-associated factor 1 （XAF1） expression has been shown to be related with apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. However, the correlation of XAF1 expression with HCC tumor grade has not been intensively assessed. XIAP-associated factor-1 （XAF1） is an important apoptosis inducer in human HCC. The aim of this study is to determine the correlation between XAF1 expression and HCC histopathological grades. Methods： The mRNA levels of XAF1 in 24 paired HCC-nonneoplastic specimens were quantified by real-time reverse transcription PCR （RT-PCR）. Protein levels of XAF1 in 110 paired HCC-noncancer tissues were investigated by immunostaining specimens on a tissue microarray （TMA）. Correlations between XAF1 mRNA levels or protein expression and clinicopathological features were assessed by statistical analysis. Results： Both XAF1 mRNA and protein were significantly under-expressed in HCC tissues compared to their non-neoplastic counterparts. No significant relationship was found between XAF1 mRNA or protein expression and histological tumor grade. Conclusion： All these data suggest that XAF1 is a potential biomarker for differentiating HCC with noncancerous tissues.

Berberine Inhibits Gluconeogenesis in Skeletal Muscles and Adipose Tissues in Streptozotocin-induced Diabetic Rats via LKB1-AMPK-TORC2 Signaling Pathway

The effect and potential molecular mechanisms of berberine on gluconeogenesis in skeletal muscles and adipose tissues were investigated.After adaptive feeding for one week,8 rats were randomly selected as the normal group and fed on a standard diet.The remaining 32 rats were fed on a high-fat diet and given an intravenous injection of streptozotocin(STZ)for 2 weeks to induce the diabetic models.The diabetic rat models were confirmed by oral glucose tolerance test(OGTT)and randomly divided into 4 groups(n=8 each),which were all fed on a high-fat diet.Berberine(3 g/kg per day)or metformin(183 mg/kg per day)was intragastrically administered to the diabetic rats for 12 weeks,serving as berberine group and metformin group respectively.5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide1-β-D-ribofuranoside[AICAR,an agonist of AMP-activated protein kinase(AMPK),0.5 mg/kg per day]was subcutaneously injected to the diabetic rats for 12 weeks,serving as AICAR group.The remaining 8 diabetic rats served as the model group,which was given a 0.5%carboxyl methylcellulose solution by oral gavage.Fasting serum insulin(FINS),OGTT as well as lipid parameters were tested by commercial kit.The protein levels of liver kinase B1(LKB1),AMPK,phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase(p-AMPK),transducer of regulated CREB activity 2(TORC2),phosphorylated transducer of regulated CREB activity 2(p-TORC2),phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase(PEPCK),and glucose-6-phosphatase(G6Pase)in skeletal muscles and adipose tissues were examined by Western blotting.The results showed that berberine significantly decreased the body weight,plasma glucose,insulin levels,and homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance(HOMA-IR)of diabetic rats compared with those in the model group.Meanwhile,the serum total triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(TC),and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)levels were markedly decreased and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C)level was significantly increased after the treatment with berberine.In addition,we found that berberine significantly increased the expression of p-AMPK and LKB1,while decreasing the p-TORC2 levels in skeletal muscles and adipose tissues.Moreover,the expression of PEPCK and G6Pase was significantly down-regulated after the treatment with berberine compared to the model group.It was suggested that the mechanism by which berberine inhibited peripheral tissue gluconeogenesis may be attributed to the activation of the LKB1-AMPK-TORC2 signaling pathway.

Application of an indirect immunofluorescent staining method for detection of Salmonella enteritidis in paraffin slices and antigen location in infected duck tissues

AIM： To detect Salmonella enteritidis （S. enteritidis） in paraffin slices and antigen location in infected duck tissues. METHODS： The rabbits were immunized with purified bacillus to obtain S. enteritidis-specific antibody, which were then extracted by the caprylic-ammonium sulphate method, purified through High-Q columns. An indirect immuno-fluorescent staining method （IFA） was established to detect the S. enteritidis antigen in paraffin slices. Detected S. enteritidis in each organ tissue of ducklings experimentally infected with S. enteritidis. RESULTS： The gland of Garder, heart, kidney, spleen, liver, brain, ileum, jejunum, bursa of Fabricius from S. enteritidis experimentally infected ducklings were positive or strongly positive, and the S. enteritidis antigen mainly distributed in the infected cell cytoplasm.CONCLUSION： IFA is an intuitionist, sensitive and specific method in detecting S. enteritidis antigen in paraffin wax slices, and it is a good method in diagnosis and antigen location of S. enteritidis. We also conclude that the gland of Garder, heart, kidney, spleen, liver, ileum, jejunum are target organs in S. enteritidis infections of duck, and S. enteritidis is an intracellular parasitic bacterium.

Endotoxin-induced alterations of adipose tissue function:a pathway to bovine metabolic stress

During the periparturient period, dairy cows exhibit negative energy balance due to limited appetite and increased energy requirements for lactogenesis. The delicate equilibrium between energy availability and expenditure puts cows in a state of metabolic stress characterized by excessive lipolysis in white adipose tissues(AT), increased production of reactive oxygen species, and immune cell dysfunction. Metabolic stress, especially in AT, increases the risk for metabolic and inflammatory diseases. Around parturition, cows are also susceptible to endotoxemia. Bacterial-derived toxins cause endotoxemia by promoting inflammatory processes and immune cell infiltration in different organs and systems while impacting metabolic function by altering lipolysis, mitochondrial activity, and insulin sensitivity. In dairy cows, endotoxins enter the bloodstream after overcoming the defense mechanisms of the epithelial barriers, particularly during common periparturient conditions such as mastitis, metritis, and pneumonia, or after abrupt changes in the gut microbiome. In the bovine AT, endotoxins induce a pro-inflammatory response and stimulate lipolysis in AT, leading to the release of free fatty acids into the bloodstream. When excessive and protracted, endotoxin-induced lipolysis can impair adipocyte's insulin signaling pathways and lipid synthesis. Endotoxin exposure can also induce oxidative stress in AT through the production of reactive oxygen species by inflammatory cells and other cellular components. This review provides insights into endotoxins' impact on AT function, highlighting the gaps in our knowledge of the mechanisms underlying AT dysfunction, its connection with periparturient cows' disease risk, and the need to develop effective interventions to prevent and treat endotoxemia-related inflammatory conditions in dairy cattle.

Comparison of T-2 Toxin and HT-2 Toxin Distributed in the Skeletal System with That in Other Tissues of Rats by Acute Toxicity Test

Twelve healthy rats were divided into the T-2 toxin group receiving gavage of 1 mg/kg T-2 toxin and the control group receiving gavage of normal saline. Total relative concentrations of T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin in the skeletal system（thighbone, knee joints, and costal cartilage） were significantly higher than those in the heart, liver, and kidneys（P 〈 0.05）. The relative concentrations of T-2 toxin and HT-2 toxin in the skeletal system（thighbone and costal cartilage） were also significantly higher than those in the heart, liver, and kidneys. The rats administered T-2 toxin showed rapid metabolism compared with that in rats administered HT-2 toxin, and the metabolic conversion rates in the different tissues were 68.20%-90.70%.