Hesperidin ameliorates H_(2)O_(2)-induced bovine mammary epithelial cell oxidative stress via the Nrf2 signaling pathway

Background Hesperidin is a citrus flavonoid with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential. However, its protective effects on bovine mammary epithelial cells(b MECs) exposed to oxidative stress have not been elucidated.Results In this study, we investigated the effects of hesperidin on H_(2)O_(2)-induced oxidative stress in b MECs and the underlying molecular mechanism. We found that hesperidin attenuated H_(2)O_(2)-induced cell damage by reducing reactive oxygen species(ROS) and malondialdehyde(MDA) levels, increasing catalase(CAT) activity, and improving cell proliferation and mitochondrial membrane potential. Moreover, hesperidin activated the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway by inducing the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and the expression of its downstream genes NQO1 and HO-1, which are antioxidant enzymes involved in ROS scavenging and cellular redox balance. The protective effects of hesperidin were blocked by the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385, indicating that they were Nrf2 dependent.Conclusions Our results suggest that hesperidin could protect b MECs from oxidative stress injury by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway, suggesting that hesperidin as a natural antioxidant has positive potential as a feed additive or plant drug to promote the health benefits of bovine mammary.

Primary Culture of Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells

[ Objective] To investigate the feasibility of the primary culture of bovine mammary epithelial cells in biochemical incubator. [ Method] In vitro, bovine mammary epithelial cells were isolated and cultured by the tissue explant method in order to investigate the optimal culture conditions. The morphology observation and identification of the cultured cells were performed by inverted microscope observation, Giemsa staining and cytokeratin immunohistochemistry. [ Result] Observed with inverted microscope, most of the bovine mammary epithelial cells were polygonal and displayed typical slabstone-like appearance. As it can be seen from cell staining results, the cell body was big and the nucleus was stained dark blue and was round or oval in shape, with clearly visible nucleoli, generally 2 -4 nucleoli. The tissue-specific expression of cytokeratin 14 and cytokeratin 18 genes in mammary epithelial cells was identified by cytokeratin immunohistochemistry. [ Conclusion] Primary bovine mammary epithelial cells were successfully cultured in biochemical incubator.

Lactogenic hormones alter cellular and extracellular microRNA expression in bovine mammary epithelial cell culture

Background： Bovine milk contains not only a variety of nutritional ingredients but also microRNAs （miRNAs） that are thought to be secreted by the bovine mammary epithelial cells （BMECs）. The objective of this study was to elucidate the production of milk-related miRNAs in BMECs under the influence of lactogenic hormones. Results： According to a microarray result of milk exosomal miRNAs prior to cellular analyses, a total of 257 miRNAs were detected in a Holstein cow milk. Of these, 18 major miRNAs of interest in the milk were selected for an expression analysis in BMEC culture that was treated with or without dexamethasone, insulin, and prolactin （DIP） to induce a lactogenic differentiation. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction （qPCR） results showed that the expressions of miR-21-Sp （P = 0.005）, miR-26a （P = 0.016）, and miR-320a （P = 0.011） were lower in the DIP-treated cells than in the untreated cells. In contrast, the expression of miR-339a （P-- 0.017） in the cell culture medium were lower in the DiP-treated culture than in the untreated culture. Intriguingly, the miR-148a expression in cell culture medium was elevated by DIP treatment of BMEC culture （P = 0.018）. The medium-to-cell expression ratios of miR- 103 （P = 0.025）, miR-148a （P 〈 0.001）, and miR-223 （P = 0.013） were elevated in the DIP-treated BMECs, suggesting that the lactogenic differentiation-induced secretion of these three miRNAs in BMECs. A bioinformatic analysis showed that the miRNAs down-regulated in the BMECs were associated with the suppression of genes related to transcriptional regulation, protein phosphorylation, and tube development. Conclusion： The results suggest that the miRNAs changed by lactogenic hormones are associated with milk protein synthesis, and mammary gland development and maturation. The elevated miR-148a level in DIP-treated BMECs may be associated with its increase in milk during the lactation period of cows.

The protective roles of tea tree oil extracts in bovine mammary epithelial cells and polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Background: Tea tree oil(TTO) plays an important role in antibacterial activity and alleviating the inflammatory responses. Bovine mammary epithelium and polymorphonuclear leukocytes(PMNL) can actively respond to bovine mastitis infection. However, regulatory effects of TTO extracts on the innate immune response of bovine mammary epithelial cells(BMECs) and PMNL remain not reported. Therefore, aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of TTO extracts on the m RNA levels of the genes involved in the innate immune response of BMECs and PMNL.Results: Our results demonstrated that addition of 0.025% and 0.05% TTO increased the proliferation of BMECs, and significantly enhanced(P < 0.05) the viability of BMECs exposed to Staphylococcus aureus(S. aureus). An inhibitory effect was observed against the growth of S. aureus by TTO incubation. The 0.05% TTO reduced S. aureus biofilm formation, association and invasion of S. aureus to BMECs, and changed the morphological and structural features of S. aureus. The proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α were decreased(P < 0.001) by the incubation of TTO. Interestingly, the expression of IL-8 known for PMNL chemotactic function was elevated(P < 0.05) by 0.05%TTO treatment. Consistently, 0.05% TTO increased the migration of PMNL in S. aureus-exposed BMECs when compared with S. aureus treatment alone(P < 0.05). In addition, PMNL incubated with 0.05% TTO decreased the levels of NFKB inhibitor alpha(NFKBIA) and TNF-α.Conclusions: Our results indicate that use of TTO can relieve the BMECs pro-inflammatory response caused by S.aureus and promote the migration of PMNL to mount the innate immune responses, and it may be novel strategy for the treatment of bovine mastitis caused by S. aureus.

Effect of Semen vaccariae and Taraxacu mogono on Cell Adhesion of Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells

The aim of this study is to reveal the regulation mechanism of the effect of Semen vaccariae and Taraxacu mogono on the cell-cell adhersion molecule, E-cadherin and β-catenin on the proliferation role and secretion function of bovine mammary epithelial cells cultured in vitro. Firstly, the epithelial character of bovine mammary epithelial cells was authenticated using immunofluorescence, then the cell grow curve was observed and investigated after S. vaccariae and T. mogono treatment. On the effect of S. vaccariae and T. mogono, cell adhesion molecules E-cadherin, β-catenin and CycinD1 mRNA and protein were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The results showed that the cellular keratin 18 expressed positively and proliferfated vigorously after S. vaccariae and T. mogono treament. The mRNA and protein levels of E-cadherin and CycinD1 were remarkably higher （P〈0.05） in 36 h after S. vaccariae and T. mogono treatment. The cell proliferation at 36 h was increased significantly （P〈0.05）. In conclusion, S. vaccariae and T. mogono have a positive impact on the cell proliferation and an effect on the adhesion molecules E-cadherin, β-catenin and CycinD1 in the Wnt signaling pathway.

Transcription factor EB(TFEB)-mediated autophagy protects bovine mammary epithelial cells against H_(2)O_(2)-induced oxidative damage in vitro

Background:Bovine mammary epithelial cells after calving undergo serious metabolic challenges and oxidative stress both of which could compromise autophagy.Transcription factor EB(TFEB)-mediated autophagy is an important cytoprotective mechanism against oxidative stress.However,effects of TFEB-mediated autophagy on the oxidative stress of bovine mammary epithelial cells remain unknown.Therefore,the main aim of the study was to investigate the role of TFEB-mediated autophagy in bovine mammary epithelial cells experiencing oxidative stress.Results:H_(2)O_(2) challenge of the bovine mammary epithelial cell MAC-T increased protein abundance of LC3-II,increased number of autophagosomes and autolysosomes while decreased protein abundance of p62.Inhibition of autophagy via bafilomycin A1 aggravated H_(2)O_(2)-induced reactive oxygen species(ROS)accumulation and apoptosis in MAC-T cells.Furthermore,H_(2)O_(2) treatment triggered the translocation of TFEB into the nucleus.Knockdown of TFEB by siRNA reversed the effect of H_(2)O_(2) on protein abundance of LC3-II and p62 as well as the number of autophagosomes and autolysosomes.Overexpression of TFEB activated autophagy and attenuated H_(2)O_(2)-induced ROS accumulation.Furthermore,TFEB overexpression attenuated H_(2)O_(2)-induced apoptosis by downregulating the caspase apoptotic pathway.Conclusions:Our results indicate that activation of TFEB mediated autophagy alleviates H_(2)O_(2)-induced oxidative damage by reducing ROS accumulation and inhibiting caspase-dependent apoptosis.

Bta-miR-34b controls milk fat biosynthesis via the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway by targeting RAI14 in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Background:The biosynthesis of milk fat affects both the technological properties and organoleptic quality of milk and dairy products.MicroRNAs(miRNAs)are endogenous small non-coding RNAs that inhibit the expression of their mRNA targets and are involved in downstream signaling pathways that control several biological processes,including milk fat synthesis.miR-34b is a member of the miR-34 miRNA cluster,which is differentially expressed in the mammary gland tissue of dairy cows during lactation and dry periods.Previous studies have indicated miR-34b is a potential candidate gene that plays a decisive role in regulating milk fat synthesis;therefore,it is important to focus on miR-34b and investigate its regulatory effect on the biosynthesis of milk fat in bovine mammary epithelial cells(BMECs).Results:In this study,elevated miR-34b levels reduced milk fat synthesis,upregulated 1,999 genes,and downregulated 2,009 genes in BMECs.Moreover,Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)analysis of differentially expressed genes suggested that miR-34b may play an inhibitory role in milk fat synthesis via the protein kinase B(Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR)signaling pathway by reducing phosphorylation levels.Notably,the mTOR activator MHY1485 rescued the inhibitory effect of miR-34b.Furthermore,we demonstrated that retinoic acid-induced protein 14(RAI14)is a target of miR-34b via TargetScan and immunofluorescence assays.RAI14 mRNA and protein levels were significantly decreased by the miR-34b mimic and increased by the miR-34b inhibitor.Moreover,the reduction in RAI14 levels led to the inhibition of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.Conclusions:Overall,our results identified a miR-34b-RAI14-Akt/mTOR regulatory network,while also providing a theoretical basis for the molecular breeding of dairy cows.

MiR-140 downregulates fatty acid synthesis by targeting transforming growth factor alpha(TGFA)in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Fat is an indispensable nutrient and basic metabolite for sustaining life,and milk is particularly rich in fatty acids,including a variety of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.MicroRNA(miRNA)and mRNA play an important role in the regulation of milk fat metabolism in mammary gland tissue.It has been shown that lipid metabolism has a complex transcriptional regulation,but the mechanism by which milk fat synthesis is regulated through miRNA–mRNA interactions is poorly understood.In this study,we performed transcriptome sequencing with bovine mammary gland tissue in the late lactation(270 and 315 days after parturition)to identify the key gene that regulating milk fat metabolism.A total of 1207 differentially coexpressed genes were selected,828 upregulated genes and 379 downregulated genes were identified.The transforming growth factor alpha(TGFA)gene was selected as the target gene,and luciferase reporter assay,Western blotting and q RT-PCR were used for further study.The results demonstrated that miR-140 was an upstream regulator of TGFA,and miR-140 could inhibit(P<0.01)unsaturated fatty acid and triglyceride(TAGs)production in bovine mammary epithelial cells(BMECs).In contrast,TGFA promoted(P<0.01)unsaturated fatty acid and TAG production.Rescue experiments further indicated the mi R-140/TGFA regulatory mechanism.Taken together,these results suggest that the mi R-140/TGFA pathway can inhibit(P<0.01)milk fat metabolism and improve milk quality by genetic means.

NH4Cl promotes apoptosis and inflammation in bovine mammary epithelial cells via the circ02771/miR-194b/TGIF1 axis

Excess ammonia(NH_(3))in the circulation of dairy animals can reduce animal health and the quality of products for human consumption.To develop effective prevention and treatment methods,it is essential to examine the molecular mechanisms through which excess NH_(3) may affect the mammary gland.The present study used bovine mammary epithelial cells(BMECs)to evaluate the effects of exogenous NH_(4)Cl on the abundance of circular RNAs(circRNAs)using high-throughput sequencing.Among the identified circRNAs,circ02771 was the most significantly upregulated by exogenous NH_(4)Cl(P<0.05),with a fold change of 4.12.The results of the apoptosis and proliferation assays,transmission electron microscopy,H&E staining,and immunohistochemistry revealed that circ02771 increased apoptosis and inflammation.A double luciferase reporter assay revealed that circ02771 targeted miR-194b,and the overexpression of circ02771(pcDNA-circ02771)reduced(P<0.05)the expression of miR-194b and led to apoptosis and inflammation.Circ02771 also enhanced the expression of transforming growth factor beta-induced factor homeobox 1(TGIF1),which is a target gene of miR-194b.Overall,this study suggests that the circ02771/miR-194b/TGIF1 axis plays a role in mediating the effects of NH_(4)Cl on BMECs.Therefore,this axis provides a novel target to help control hazards within the mammary gland from high circulating NH_(4)Cl levels.

Inhibiting nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2-mediated autophagy in bovine mammary epithelial cells induces oxidative stress in response to exogenous fatty acids

Background:In early lactation,bovine mammary epithelial cells undergo serious metabolic challenges and oxidative stress both of which could be alleviated by activation of autophagy.Nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2(NFE2L2),a master regulator of cellular redox homeostasis,plays an important role in the regulation of autophagy and oxidative stress.Thus,the objective of this study was to investigate the role of NFE2L2-mediated autophagy on oxidative stress of bovine mammary epithelial cells in response to exogenous free fatty acids(FFA).Results:Exogenous FFA induced linear and quadratic decreases in activities of glutathione peroxidase(GSH-Px),catalase(CAT),and superoxide dismutase(SOD),and increases in the contents of reactive oxygen species(ROS)and malondialdehyde(MDA).Protein abundance of LC3-phosphatidylethanolamine conjugate(LC3-Ⅱ)and the number of autophagosomes and autolysosomes decreased in a dose-dependent manner,while protein abundance of p62 increased in cells challenged with FFA.Activation of autophagy via pre-treatment with Rap attenuated the FFAinduced ROS accumulation.Importantly,FFA inhibited protein abundance of NFE2L2 and the translocation of NFE2L2 into the nucleus.Knockdown of NFE2L2 by siRNA decreased protein abundance of LC3-Ⅱ,while it increased protein abundance of p62.Furthermore,sulforaphane(SFN)pre-treatment attenuated the FFA-induced oxidative stress by activating NFE2L2-mediated autophagy.Conclusions:The data suggested that NFE2L2-mediated autophagy is an important antioxidant mechanism in bovine mammary epithelial cells experiencing increased FFA loads.

Long intergenic noncoding RNAs differentially expressed in Staphylococcus aureus-induced inflammation in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Cow mastitis is the most common disease that affects the dairy farming industry and causes serious harm to dairy cows and humans,and Staphylococcus(S.)aureus is one of the main pathogens that cause mastitis in dairy cows.In this study,a mastitis model was established through the infection of bovine mammary epithelial cells(BMECs)with S.aureus(bacterial concentration of 1×10^(9)/mL),and these cells and a blank group(untreated)were analyzed by flow cytometry(10000 cells,200 cells collected per second),hematoxylin and eosin(H&E)staining and immunohistochemistry.In addition,the lncRNAs(long non-coding RNAs)in the normal and S.aureus-infected BMEC group were screened by second-generation sequencing.Flow cytometry,H&E staining,and immunohistochemistry assays were performed to verify the successful construction of an S.aureus infection model in BMECs.A close relationship was found between the differential expression of lncRNAs and S.aureus mastitis.The total original sequencing reads were 627.13 M,and the average reads from each sample were approximately 104.52 M.After removing the unwanted reads,the total clean reads were 606.43 M,and the average reads from each sample were approximately 101.07 M.After S.aureus infection,30 lncRNAs were differentially expressed,and these included 21 upregulated and nine down-regulated lncRNAs.This research will not only expand our understanding of the lncRNA map in dairy cows but also help us hypothesize the function of lncRNAs in the genome and identify novel molecular markers of mastitis.

Metformin alleviates LTA-induced inflammatory response through PPARγ/MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Mastitis is a common inflammatory cow mammary infection;that causes significant economic loss in dairy industry.Given the interesting connection between metformin’s anti-inflammatory function and mastitis model induced by LTA in pbMECs,our objective was to prove that metformin was beneficial in suppressing proinflammatory response induced by LTA through modulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-κB)signaling pathways and activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ(PPARγ)in pbMECs.The proliferation of cells and mRNA expression were measured using EdU assay and quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR).Immunoblotting and immunofluorescence analysis were conducted to evaluate the expression of target proteins in inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses to metformin and LTA.Finally,pbMECs were allowed to treat with the PPAR antagonist GW9662,and inflammatory markers were detected in the cells.Our results showed that LTA concentration at 100μg/mL significantly stimulated the MAPK14,IL-6 and IL-1βmRNA expressions compared to the control cells(P<0.05)in dose-dependent tests for LTA.Metformin suppressed the phosphorylation expressions of MAPK(ERK1/2,p38,and JNK)in LTA-stimulated pbMECs.Metformin also reduced the protein expression of NF-κB,interleukin-8(IL-8),interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and interleukin-6(IL-6)in pbMECs pretreated with LTA.Metformin administration activated PPARγphosphorylation by up-regulating the expression of PPARγin LTA-stimulated pbMECs.Treatment with GW9662 resulted in increased IL-6 expression,which was reversed by metformin.These findings collectively indicated that metformin act to attenuate LTA-stimulated inflammatory response in pbMECs by suppressing MAPK and NF-κB activation via a mechanism partially dependent on PPARγactivation.These results suggested that metformin could function as an anti-inflammatory drug in the treatment of mastitis.

Hexokinase 1 and 2 mediates glucose utilization to regulate the synthesis of kappa casein via ribosome protein subunit 6 kinase 1 in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Glucose plays a vital part in milk protein synthesis through the mTOR signaling pathway in bovine mammary epithelial cells(BMEC).The objectives of this study were to determine how glucose affects hexokinase(HK)activity in BMEC and investigate the regulatory effect of HK in kappa casein(CSN3)synthesis via the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1(mTORC1)signaling pathway in BMEC.For this,HK1 and HK2 were knocked out in BMEC using the CRISPR/Cas9 system.The gene and protein expression,glucose uptake,and cell proliferation were measured.We found that glucose uptake,cell proliferation,CSN3 gene expression levels,and expression of HK1 and HK2 increased with increasing glucose concentrations.Notably,glucose uptake was significantly reduced in HK2 knockout(HK2KO)BMEC treated with 17.5 mM glucose.Moreover,under the same glucose treatment conditions,the proliferative ability and abundance of CSN3 were significantly diminished in both HK1 knockout(HK1KO)and HK2KO BMEC compared with that in wild-type BEMC.We further observed that the phosphorylation levels of ribosome protein subunit 6 kinase 1(S6K1)were reduced in HK1KO and HK2KO BMEC following treatment with 17.5 mM glucose.As expected,the levels of glucose-6-phosphate and the m RNA expression levels of glycolysis-related genes were decreased in both HK1KO and HK2KO BMEC following glucose treatment.These results indicated that the knockout of HK1 and HK2 inhibited cell proliferation and CSN3 expression in BMEC under glucose treatment,which may be associated with the inactivation of the S6K1 and inhibition of glycolysis.

Sodium acetate promotes fat synthesis by suppressing TATA element modulatory factor 1 in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Short-chain fatty acids are important nutrients that regulate milk fat synthesis.They regulate milk syn-thesis via the sterol regulatory element binding protein 1(SREBP1)pathway;however,the details are still unknown.Here,the regulation and mechanism of sodium acetate(SA)in milk fat synthesis in bovine mammary epithelial cells(BMECs)were assessed.BMECs were treated with SA supplementation(SAþ)or without SA supplementation(SA-),and milk fat synthesis and activation of the SREBP1 pathway were increased(P=0.0045;P=0.0042)by SAþand decreased(P=0.0068;P=0.0031)by SA-,respectively.Overexpression or inhibition of SREBP1 demonstrated that SA promoted milk fat synthesis(P=0.0045)via the SREBP1 pathway.Overexpression or inhibition of TATA element modulatory factor 1(TMF1)demon-strated that TMF1 suppressed activation of the SREBP1 pathway(P=0.0001)and milk fat synthesis(P=0.0022)activated by SAþ.Overexpression or inhibition of TMF1 and SREBP1 showed that TMF1 suppressed milk fat synthesis(P=0.0073)through the SREBP1 pathway.Coimmunoprecipitation analysis revealed that TMF1 interacted with SREBP1 in the cytoplasm and suppressed the nuclear localization of SREBP1(P=0.0066).The absence or presence of SA demonstrated that SA inhibited the expression of TMF1(P=0.0002)and the interaction between TMF1 and SREBP1(P=0.0001).Collectively,our research sug-gested that TMF1 was a new negative regulator of milk fat synthesis.In BMECs,SA promoted the SREBP1 pathway and milk fat synthesis by suppressing TMF1.This study enhances the current understanding of the regulation of milk fat synthesis and provides new scientific data for the regulation of milk fat synthesis.

坏死性凋亡在奶牛乳房炎源性无乳链球菌诱导bMECs炎性反应中的机制研究

奶牛乳房炎是牧场最常见的疾病之一,无乳链球菌引发的奶牛乳房炎在发达国家和我国的流行率逐年上升。假激酶混合谱系激酶样蛋白(MLKL)是细胞坏死性凋亡的关键信号蛋白,当MLKL被磷酸化激活后,可易位至细胞膜并诱导膜透化,从而导致坏死性凋亡。为了探究MLKL介导的坏死性凋亡在无乳链球菌诱导奶牛乳腺上皮细胞(bMECs)炎性反应中的分子机制,本试验通过构建无乳链球菌C28和B19菌株感染bMECs的体外模型,采用Annexin V-FITC/PI双染法、Western blot试验、免疫荧光和酶联免疫吸附试验对凋亡、坏死、坏死性凋亡和炎性指标进行检测。结果显示,与感染0 h相比,C28和B19菌株感染9 h时bMECs凋亡细胞数量开始下降,坏死细胞数量增多,丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶3(RIPK3)和磷酸化假激酶混合谱系激酶样蛋白(p-MLKL)表达量显著升高(P<0.05或P<0.01),含半胱氨酸的天冬氨酸蛋白水解酶-8(Caspase-8)表达量显著降低(P<0.05),表明无乳链球菌诱导bMECs死亡的方式为程序性坏死。无乳链球菌诱导bMECs中大量MLKL定位至线粒体,p-MLKL向细胞膜转位。与C28和B19菌株感染组相比,沉默MLKL基因可显著降低p-MLKL表达量(P<0.05),表明MLKL参与无乳链球菌诱导的bMECs程序性坏死。与C28和B19菌株感染组相比,沉默MLKL基因可显著降低无乳链球菌诱导的bMECs中核苷酸结合寡聚化结构域样受体热蛋白结构域相关蛋白3(NLRP3)、含半胱氨酸的天冬氨酸蛋白水解酶-1(Caspase-1)和含半胱天冬酶募集结构域表达的凋亡相关斑点样蛋白(ASC)的表达量(P<0.05),极显著降低TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6和IL-18的释放量(P<0.01,P<0.001或P<0.000 1)。结果表明,MLKL作为无乳链球菌诱导bMECs引发坏死性凋亡的执行蛋白,可激活bMECs中NLRP3炎性小体信号通路,最终促进炎性反应的发生。

The in vitro effect of lipopolysaccharide on proliferation, inflammatory factors and antioxidant enzyme activity in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Lipopolysaccharide(LPS) was selected as a stimulus to investigate its effect on cell viability and oxidative stress in bovine mammary epithelial cells(BMEC) by detecting the cell relative growth rate(RGR),antioxidant indicators and inflammatory factors. This information was used to provide the theoretical basis for the establishment of a LPS-induced oxidative damage model. The experiment was divided into two parts. The first part used a two-factor experimental design to determine the appropriate incubation time of LPS by detecting the RGR. The third-passage BMEC were divided into 24 groups with six replicates in each group. The first factor was LPS concentration, which was 0(control), 0.1,1.0 and 10.0 μg/mL;the second factor was LPS incubation time(2,4, 6, 8,12 and 24 h). The optimum LPS incubation time was6 h according to the results of the first part of the experiment. The second part of the experiment was conducted using a single-factor experimental design, and the third-passage cells were divided into four groups with six replicates in each group. The cells were incubated with culture medium containing different concentrations of LPS(0 [control], 0.1, 1.0 and 10.0 μg/mL) for 6 h to select the appropriate concentration of LPS to measure the antioxidant indicators and inflammatory factors. The results showed the RGR was significantly reduced as the concentration of LPS and the incubation time increased;the interaction between concentration and incubation time was also significant. The cells treated with0.1 μg/mL of LPS for 6 h had no significant difference in the activities of glutathione peroxidase(GPx) and superoxide dismutase(SOD)(P > 0.05) compared with the cells in the control group. On the contrary,catalase(CAT) activity and malondialdehyde(MDA) content were markedly lower and higher, respectively, in the 0.1 μg/mL LPS-treated group for 6 h compared with the control group(P < 0.05). The activities of GPx, CAT and SOD in the BMEC treated with 1.0 or 10.0 μg/mL of LPS were significantly lower compared with the cells treated with 0.1 μg/mL of LPS and cells in the control group after 6 h of incubation; however, the opposite trend was detected in MDA content. There was no significant(P > 0.05)difference between the 10.0 and 1.0 μg/mL LPS-treated groups. Compared with the control group,interleukin-1, interleukin-6 and nitric oxide concentrations and the activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase in the 0.1 μg/mL LPS-treated group significantly increased(P < 0.0001), but the levels of tumour necrosis factor did not significantly change(P > 0.05). All of observed indicators were higher in the 1.0 and 10.0 μg/mL LPS-treated groups(P < 0.0001) compared with the other groups, but there was no significant(P> 0.05) difference between the 1.0 and 10.0 μg/mL LPS-treated groups. The results indicated that a concentration of 1.0 μg/mL of LPS and an incubation time of 6 h were the optimum conditions necessary to induce oxidative stress in the BMEC and establish a model for oxidative damage.

Leucine and histidine independently regulate milk protein synthesis in bovine mammary epithelial cells via mTOR signaling pathway

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of leucine（Leu） and histidine（His） on the expression of both the mammalian target of rapamycin（mTOR） signaling pathway-related proteins and caseins in immortalized bovine mammary epithelial cells（CMEC-H）, using a single supplement through Western blotting. The Earle＇s balanced salt solution（EBSS） was set as the control group and other treatment groups, based on the EBSS, were added with different concentrations of Leu or His, respectively. The results showed that, compared with the control group, the expression of caseins and the phosphorylation of mTOR（Ser^2481）, Raptor（Ser^792）, e IF4E（Ser^209）, and e EF2（Thr^56） increased with the Leu concentrations ranging from 0.45 to 10.80 mmol/L（P〈0.01）. The P-4EBP1（Thr^37） at 10.80 mmol/L Leu, and P-RPS6（Ser^235/236） at 5.40 to 10.80 mmol/L Leu all decreased. Similarly, the His supplementation from 0.15 to 9.60 mmol/L increased the expression of αs2-casein, β-casein, κ-casein, P-mTOR（Ser^2481）, P-Raptor（Ser^792）, P-S6K1（Thr^389）, P-4EBP1（Thr^37）, P-e IF4E（Ser^209）, and P-e EF2（Thr^56）（P〈0.01） in CMEC-H, whereas the αs1-casein expression was only reduced at 9.60 mmol/L His, G protein β subunit-like protein（GβL） at 0.15 and 9.60 mmol/L His, and P-RPS6 at 4.80 to 9.60 mmol/L His. Our linear regression model assay suggested that the αs1-casein expression was positively correlated with P-mTOR（P〈0.01）, P-S6K1（P〈0.01）, and P-e EF2（P〈0.01） for the addition of Leu, while the expressions of β-casein（P〈0.01） and κ-casein（P〈0.01） were positively correlated with P-e EF2 for the addition of His. In conclusion, the milk protein synthesis was up-regulated through activation of the mTOR pathway with the addition of Leu and His in CMEC-H.

Traditional and emerging Fusarium mycotoxins disrupt homeostasis of bovine mammary cells by altering cell permeability and innate immune function

High incidence of traditional and emerging Fusarium mycotoxins in cereal grains and silages can be a potential threat to feed safety and ruminants.Inadequate biodegradation of Fusarium mycotoxins by rumen microflora following ingestion of mycotoxin-contaminated feeds can lead to their circulatory transport to target tissues such as mammary gland.The bovine udder plays a pivotal role in maintaining milk yield and composition,thus,human health.However,toxic effects of Fusarium mycotoxins on bovine mammary gland are rarely studied.In this study,the bovine mammary epithelial cell line was used as an in-vitro model of bovine mammary epithelium to investigate effects of deoxynivalenol(DON),enniatin B(ENB)and beauvericin(BEA)on bovine mammary gland homeostasis.Results indicated that exposure to DON,ENB and BEA for 48 h significantly decreased cell viability in a concentration-dependent manner(P<0.001).Exposure to DON at 0.39μmol/L and BEA at 2.5μmol/L for 48 h also decreased paracellular flux of FITC-40 kDa dextran(P<0.05),whereas none of the mycotoxins affected transepithelial electrical resistance after 48 h exposure.The qPCR was performed for assessment of expression of gene coding tight junction(TJ)proteins,toll-like receptor 4(TLR4)and cytokines after 4,24 and 48 h of exposure.DON,ENB and BEA significantly upregulated the TJ protein zonula occludens-1,whereas markedly downregulated claudin 3(P<0.05).Exposure to DON at 1.35μmol/L for 4 h significantly increased expression of occludin(P<0.01).DON,ENB and BEA significant downregulated TLR4(P<0.05).In contrast,ENB markedly increased expression of cytokines interleukin-6(IL-6)(P<0.001),tumor necrosis factorα(TNF-a)(P<0.05)and transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)(P<0.01).BEA significantly upregulated IL-6(P<0.001)and TGF-β(P=0.01),but downregulated TNF-α(P<0.001).These results suggest that DON,ENB and BEA can disrupt mammary gland homeostasis by inducing cell death as well as altering its paracellular permeability and expression of genes involved in innate immune function.

丁酸钠通过G蛋白偶联受体41介导蛋白激酶B/哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白信号通路刺激牛乳腺上皮细胞增殖

本试验旨在研究丁酸钠(SB)刺激牛乳腺上皮细胞(BMECs)增殖的分子机制。采用单因素设计,以含不同浓度(0、15、30、45、60和75μmol/L)SB的DMEM/F12培养基(含10%新生胎牛血清)培养BMECs,通过细胞计数试剂盒(CCK⁃8)检测细胞活性,确定适宜SB浓度。然后以对照(0μmol/L)和适宜SB浓度培养BMECs,并采用蛋白激酶B(Akt)阻断剂(AKT⁃IN⁃1)、哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白(mTOR)阻断剂雷帕霉素(Rap)或小干扰RNA(siR⁃NA)沉默G蛋白偶联受体41(GPR41)对信号通路及受体进行处理,检测BMECs细胞增殖、凋亡以及GPR41和Akt/mTOR信号通路相关基因和蛋白表达的变化。结果表明:1)与对照组相比,60μmol/L的SB显著提高了BMECs细胞活力(P<0.05),75μmol/L的SB显著抑制了BMECs细胞活力(P<0.05);60μmol/L的SB极显著增加了增殖细胞核抗原(PCNA)、细胞周期蛋白A2(CCNA2)和细胞周期蛋白D1(CCND1)的mRNA相对表达量(P<0.01),显著增加了PCNA和细胞周期蛋白A1(CCNA1)的蛋白相对表达量(P<0.05)。2)与对照组相比,60μmol/L SB显著或极显著提高了B细胞淋巴瘤2(BCL2)的mRNA和蛋白相对表达量及BCL2/B细胞淋巴瘤2相关X蛋白(BAX)比值(P<0.05或P<0.01),显著或极显著降低了BAX、半胱氨酸天冬氨酸蛋白酶-3(Caspase⁃3)和半胱氨酸天冬氨酸蛋白酶-9(Caspase⁃9)的mRNA和蛋白相对表达量(P<0.05),同时显著或极显著提高了磷酸化蛋白激酶B(p⁃Akt)/Akt和磷酸化哺乳动物雷帕霉素靶蛋白(p⁃mTOR)/mTOR比值(P<0.05或P<0.01)。60μmol/L的SB对Akt和mTOR信号通路的激活被AKT⁃IN⁃1极显著阻断(P<0.01),而Rap抑制mTOR完全逆转了60μmol/L SB对BMECs增殖的促进作用以及增殖基因和蛋白表达的改变(P<0.05或P<0.01),但不影响与凋亡和SB激活的Akt信号通路相关的mRNA或蛋白表达(P>0.05)。3)与对照组相比,60μmol/L的SB极显著提高了GPR41的mRNA相对表达量(P<0.01),显著提高了GPR41蛋白相对表达量(P<0.05)。GPR41 siRNA沉默GPR41后完全逆转了60μmol/L SB对BMECs增殖的促进作用以及Akt/mTOR信号通路相关的增殖基因和蛋白的mRNA或蛋白表达(P<0.05或P<0.01)。由此可见,60μmol/L SB可通过GPR41介导Akt/mTOR信号通路促进BMECs增殖。

基于RNA-seq鉴定金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠杆菌型乳房炎的关键应答基因

该研究旨在通过转录组测序技术发掘金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠杆菌型奶牛乳房炎相关的关键应答基因,为发掘乳房炎防治有关的生物标志物奠定基础。于体外采用金黄色葡萄球菌处理MAC-T建立了金黄色葡萄球菌乳房炎细胞模型,并进行了转录组测序。同时从公共数据库中收集了9份金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠杆菌处理的乳腺上皮细胞转录组测序样本,结合生物信息分析技术进行了金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠杆菌型乳房炎关键应答基因的发掘。结果发现,乳腺上皮细胞中与金黄色葡萄球菌处理显著关联的差异表达基因有449个,其中上调差异基因有223个,下调差异基因有226个;另有347个差异表达基因与大肠杆菌处理显著关联,其中上调的差异表达基因116个,下调的差异表达基因有231个。功能富集分析发现,金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠杆菌型乳腺上皮细胞中的差异表达基因主要富集到IL-17信号通路。蛋白质互作分析发现,383个金黄色葡萄球菌型乳房炎特异性差异表达基因形成了21个调控网络,其中最大的调控网络包含了67个差异表达基因。另外,281个大肠杆菌乳房炎特异性差异表达基因形成了16个调控网络,其中最大的调控网络包含了33个差异表达基因。利用Cytoscap插件CytoHubba进一步筛选出金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠杆菌型乳房炎的关键应答基因各10个。这些关键应答基因的发掘将为进一步阐明金黄色葡萄球菌和大肠杆菌型乳腺炎的发生发展作用机制奠定基础。