Pro and anti-inflammatory diets as strong epigenetic factors in inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is the consequence of a complex interplay between environmental factors,like dietary habits,that alter intestinal microbiota in response to luminal antigens in genetically susceptible individuals.Epigenetics represents an auspicious area for the discovery of how environmental factors influence the pathogenesis of inflammation,prognosis,and response to therapy.Consequently,it relates to gene expression control in response to environmental influences.The increasing number of patients with IBD globally is indicative of the negative effects of a food supply rich in trans and saturated fats,refined su-gars,starches and additives,as well as other environmental factors like seden-tarism and excess bodyweight,influencing the promotion of gene expression and increasing DNA hypomethylation in IBD.As many genetic variants are now associated with Crohn's disease(CD),new therapeutic strategies targeting modi-fiable environmental triggers,such as the implementation of an anti-inflammatory diet that involves the removal of potential food antigens,are of growing interest in the current literature.Diet,as a strong epigenetic factor in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disorders like IBD,provides novel insights into the pathophysio-logy of intestinal and extraintestinal inflammatory disorders.

Ameliorative effects of Lactobacillus fermentum isolated from individuals following vegan, omnivorous and high-meat diets on ulcerative colitis in mice

Lactobacillus spp.can be beneficial for the prevention or treatment of ulcerative colitis(UC).In this study,153 participants who followed vegan,omnivorous,or high-meat diet were recruited.Compositional analysis of the Lactobacillus community in feces revealed that Lactobacillus fermentum strains were significantly affected by diet.Administration of mixed L.fermentum strains from vegans significantly improved inflammation compared to that from omnivores and high-meat consumers,as evidenced by a significant reduction in colonic tissue damage,improvement in inflammatory cytokines,enhanced expression of ZO-1,occludin,and claudin-3,and a significant increase in short chain fatty acids concentration.The effect of a single strain of L.fermentum was similar to that of a mixed strains of L.fermentum group.Genomic analysis suggested that L.fermentum strains from the guts of vegans possessed a higher prevalence of genes involved in carbohydrate catabolism than those from the guts of omnivores and high-meat eaters.In particular,the ME2 gene is involved in the biosynthesis of acetate,a compound considered to possess anti-inflammatory properties.In conclusion,this study indicates strain-specific differences in the ability of L.fermentum strains to alleviate UC in mice,influenced by habitual diets。

Comparative proteomic analysis of the effects of high-concentrate diet on the hepatic metabolism and inflammatory response in lactating dairy goats

Background： To understand the impact of feeding a high-concentrate diet to mid-lactating goats for a long time on liver metabolism and inflammatory response, two dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis（2-DE） and real-time PCR method were employed to detect proteins differentially expressed in liver and their m RNAs expression in goats fed high concentrate diet（HC） or low concentrate diet（LC）. Twelve lactating dairy goats were randomly assigned to either a HC diet group（65 % concentrate of dry matter; n = 6） or a LC diet group（35 % concentrate of dry matter; n = 6） for 10 wk.Results： Twenty differentially expressed spots（≥2.0-fold changes） in the hepatic tissues were excised and successfully identified using MALDI TOF/TOF. Of these, 8 proteins were up-regulated, while the rest 12 proteins were down-regulated in HC goats compared to LC. Differential expressed proteins including alpha enolase 1（ENO1）, glutamate dehydrogenase 1（GLUD1）, glutathione S-transferase A1（GSTA1）, ATP synthase subunit 5β（ATP5β）, superoxide dismutase [Cu-Zn]（SOD1）, cytochrom c oxidase subunit Via（COX6A1） and heat shock protein 60（HSP60） were further verified by real-time PCR and/or western blot at m RNA or protein expression level. Consistent with the 2-DE results, a significant decrease of β-actin protein expression and SOD enzyme activity was observed in liver of HC goats（P 〈 0.05）, while ENO1 protein expression was significantly up-regulated in HC compared to LC goats（P 〈 0.05）. However, western blot analysis did not show a significant difference of hepatic HSP60 protein between HC and LC group, which did not match the decrease of HSP60 content detected by 2-DE analysis. Real-time PCR showed that glutathione S-transferase P1（GSTP1） and SOD1 m RNA expression was significantly decreased in liver of HC goats, while cytochrom c oxidase（COX3） and ATPase 8（ATP8） m RNAs expression were markedly increased compared to LC（P 〈 0.05）. Gene Ontology（GO） analysis revealed that HC diet resulted in altered expression of proteins related to catalytic and mitochondrial metabolism in the liver, and may increase the stress response with up-regulating the expression of differentiation 14（CD14） cluster and serum amyloid A（SAA） as well as C-reactive protein（CRP） in the liver.Conclusions： These results suggest that feeding high concentrate diet to lactating goats for 10 wk leads to the activation of the inflammatory response, and decreases the anti-oxidant capacity, and subsequently impairs the mitochondrial function in the liver.

Debaryomyces hansenii supplementation in low fish meal diets promotes growth,modulates microbiota and enhances intestinal condition in juvenile marine fish

Background The development of a sustainable business model with social acceptance,makes necessary to develop new strategies to guarantee the growth,health,and well-being of farmed animals.Debaryomyces hansenii is a yeast species that can be used as a probiotic in aquaculture due to its capacity to i)promote cell proliferation and differen-tiation,ii)have immunostimulatory effects,iii)modulate gut microbiota,and/or iv)enhance the digestive function.To provide inside into the effects of D.hansenii on juveniles of gilthead seabream(Sparus aurata)condition,we inte-grated the evaluation of the main key performance indicators coupled with the integrative analysis of the intestine condition,through histological and microbiota state,and its transcriptomic profiling.Results After 70 days of a nutritional trial in which a diet with low levels of fishmeal(7%)was supplemented with 1.1%of D.hansenii(17.2×10^(5) CFU),an increase of ca.12%in somatic growth was observed together with an improve-ment in feed conversion in fish fed a yeast-supplemented diet.In terms of intestinal condition,this probiotic modu-lated gut microbiota without affecting the intestine cell organization,whereas an increase in the staining intensity of mucins rich in carboxylated and weakly sulphated glycoconjugates coupled with changes in the affinity for certain lectins were noted in goblet cells.Changes in microbiota were characterized by the reduction in abundance of several groups of Proteobacteria,especially those characterized as opportunistic groups.The microarrays-based transcrip-tomic analysis found 232 differential expressed genes in the anterior-mid intestine of S.aurata,that were mostly related to metabolic,antioxidant,immune,and symbiotic processes.Conclusions Dietary administration of D.hansenii enhanced somatic growth and improved feed efficiency param-eters,results that were coupled to an improvement of intestinal condition as histochemical and transcriptomic tools indicated.This probiotic yeast stimulated host-microbiota interactions without altering the intestinal cell organization nor generating dysbiosis,which demonstrated its safety as a feed additive.At the transcriptomic level,D.hansenii pro-moted metabolic pathways,mainly protein-related,sphingolipid,and thymidylate pathways,in addition to enhance antioxidant-related intestinal mechanisms,and to regulate sentinel immune processes,potentiating the defensive capacity meanwhile maintaining the homeostatic status of the intestine.

Impact of numerous larval diets on the biology of pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella(Saunders)(Lepidoptera:Gelechiidae)under laboratory conditions

Background Pink bollworm,Pectinophora gossypiella(Saunders)(Lepidoptera:Gelechiidae)has become a poten-tial pest of cotton by causing substantial yield losses around the world including Pakistan.Keeping in view the facts like limited research investigations,unavailability,and high cost of artificial diet’s constituents and their premixes,the present research investigations on the dietary aspect of P.gossypiella were conducted.The larvae of P.gossypiella were reared on different diets that were prepared using indigenous elements.The standard/laboratory diet com-prised of wheat germ meal 34.5 g,casein 30.0 g,agar–agar 20.0 g,sucrose 10.0 g,brewer’s yeast 5.0 g,α-cellulose 1.0 g,potassium-sorbate1.5 g,niplagin 0.5 g,decavitamin 0.01 g,choline-chloride 0.06 g,maize-oil 3.30 g,honey 2.0 g,and water 730.0 mL.Alternatives to cotton bolls and wheat germ meal were okra seed sprouts,okra fruit,cottonseed meal,and okra seed meals,which were included in the study to introduce an efficient and economic mass-rearing system.Results The larval development completed in 19.68d±0.05 d with a weight of 20.18mg±0.20 mg at the fourth instar fed on the cottonseed meal-based diet instead of wheat germ meal based diet.On the same diet,84.00%±4.00%,17.24 mg±0.03 mg,and 7.76d±0.06 d were recorded as pupae formation,pupal weight,and pupal duration,respectively.Adult emergence,76.00%±1.00%was recorded from pupae collected from larvae raised on cottonseed meal-based diet.These male and female moths lived for 40.25d±0.10 d,and 44.34d±0.11 d,respectively.Females deposited 21.28±0.04 eggs per day with the viability of 65.78%±0.14%.The larval mortal-ity at the fourth instar was 37.20%±1.36%and malformed pupation of 12.00%±1.41%was recorded.Replacement of wheat germ meal with that of local meals(cottonseed and okra seed)in the standard laboratory diet has saved 463.80 to 467.10 PKR with 1.62 to 1.63 cost economic returns,respectively.Conclusion This research is of novel nature as it provides a concise and workable system for the economic and suc-cessful rearing of P.gossypiella under laboratory conditions.

Effects of different diets on intestinal microbiota and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease development

AIM To study the effects of different diets on intestinal microbiota and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) development at the same caloric intake.METHODS Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into five groups(six rats each). The control diet(CON) group and free high-fat diet(FFAT) group were allowed ad libitum access to a normal chow diet and a highfat diet, respectively. The restrictive high-fat diet(RFAT) group, restrictive high-sugar diet(RSUG) group, and high-protein diet(PRO) group were fed a highfat diet, a high-sugar diet, and a high-protein diet, respectively, in an isocaloric way. All rats were killed at 12 wk. Body weight, visceral fat index(visceral fat/body weight), liver index(liver/body weight), insulin resistance, portal lipopolysaccharide(LPS), serum alanine aminotransferase(ALT), serum aspartate aminotransferase(AST), and liver triglycerides were measured. The intestinal microbiota in the different groups of rats was sequenced using high-throughput sequencing technology.RESULTS The FFAT group had higher body weight, visceral fat index, liver index, peripheral insulin resistance, portal LPS, serum ALT, serum AST, and liver triglycerides compared with all other groups(P < 0.05). Taking the same calories, the RFAT and RSUG groups demonstrated increased body weight, visceral fat index, peripheral insulin resistance and liver triglycerides compared with the PRO group(P < 0.05). The RFAT group also showed increased portal LPS compared with the PRO group(P < 0.05). Unweighted Uni Frac principal coordinates analysis of the sequencing data revealed that the intestinal microbiota structures of the CON, FFAT, RSUG and PRO groups were roughly separated away from each other. Taxon-based analysis showed that, compared with the CON group, the FFAT group had an increased abundance of Firmicutes, Roseburia and Oscillospira bacteria, a higher ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes, and a decreased abundance of Bacteroidetes, Bacteroides and Parabacteroides bacteria(P < 0.05). The RFAT group showed an increased abundance of Firmicutes and decreased abundance of Parabacteroides bacteria(P < 0.05). The RSUG group showed an increased abundance of Bacteroidetes and Sutterella bacteria, higher ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes, and a decreased abundance of Firmicutes(P < 0.05). The PRO group showed an increased abundance of Bacteroidetes, Prevotella, Oscillospira and Sutterella bacteria, and a decreased abundance of Firmicutes(P < 0.05). Compared with the FFAT group, the RFAT group had an increased abundance of Bacteroidetes, higher ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes, and decreased abundance of Firmicutes and Oscillospira bacteria(P < 0.05).CONCLUSION Compared with the high-protein diet, the NAFLDinducing effects of high-fat and high-sugar diets are independent from calories, and may be associated with changed intestinal microbiota.

Low-protein diets supplemented with casein hydrolysate favor the microbiota and enhance the mucosal humoral immunity in the colon of pigs

Background:High-protein diets can increase the colonic health risks.A moderate reduction of dietary crude-protein(CP)level can improve the colonic bacterial community and mucosal immunity of pigs.However,greatly reducing the dietary CP level,even supplemented with all amino acids(AAs),detrimentally affects the colonic health,which may be due to the lack of protein-derived peptides.Therefore,this study evaluated the effects of supplementation of casein hydrolysate(peptide source)in low-protein(LP)diets,in comparison with AAs supplementation,on the colonic microbiota,microbial metabolites and mucosal immunity in pigs,aiming to determine whether a supplementation of casein hydrolysate can improve colonic health under very LP level.Twenty-one pigs(initial BW 19.90±1.00 kg,63±1 days of age)were assigned to three groups and fed with control diet(16%CP),LP diets(13%CP)supplemented with free AAs(LPA)or casein hydrolysate(LPC)for 4 weeks.Results:Compared with control diet,LPA and LPC diet decreased the relative abundance of Streptococcus and Escherichia coli,and LPC diet further decreased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria.LPC diet also increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus reuteri.Both LP diets decreased concentrations of ammonia and cadaverine,and LPC diet also reduced concentrations of putrescine,phenol and indole.Moreover,LPC diet increased total short-chain fatty acid concentration.In comparison with control diet,both LP diets decreased protein expressions of Toll-like receptor-4,nuclear factor-κB,interleukin-1βand tumor necrosis factor-α,and LPC diet further decreased protein expressions of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain protein-1 and interferon-γ.LPC diet also increased protein expressions of G-protein coupled receptor-43,interleukin-4,transforming growth factor-β,immunoglobulin A and mucin-4,which are indicators for mucosal defense activity.Conclusions:The results showed that supplementing casein hydrolysate showed beneficial effects on the colonic microbiota and mucosal immunity and barrier function in comparison with supplementing free AAs in LP diets.These findings may provide new framework for future nutritional interventions for colon health in pigs.

Studies on Reducing Nitrogen Excretion: Ⅰ. Net Energy Requirement of Finishing Pigs Maximizing Performance and Carcass Quality Fed Low Crude Protein Diets Supplemented with Crystalline Amino Acids

Two experiments were conducted to in- vestigate the effects of net energy （NE） level on the performance and carcass traits of finishing pigs fed low crude protein （CP） diets supplemented with crystalline amino acids （CAA）. A total of 216 （Exp. 1） and 360 （Exp. 2 ） barrows （ Yorkshire × Landrace× Duroc ） were allotted to one of six treatments （n =6）. The experimental diets were based on corn and soybean meal, and consisted of a high-CP diet that contained approximately 16% CP and 2.50 Mcal/kg of NE as well as five low-CP diets in which the CP level of the diet was reduced by approximately four percentage units but was supplemented with crystalline lysine, methionine, threonine, and tryptophan. The low CP diets provided 2.64, 2.58, 2.50, 2.42, or 2.36 Mcal/kg in Exp. 1 as well as 2.45, 2.40, 2.35, 2.30, or 2.25 Mcai/kg in Exp.2. In Exp. 1, a linear （P=0.03） increase in weight gain was observed with decreasing NE level while the ratio of gain to feed was unaffect- ed （P 〉 0.05） by NE level. There was a linear in-crease （P = 0.01 ） in the percentage of fat-free lean and a linear decrease （ P = 0.03 ） in the percentage of total fat with decreasing NE levels. In Exp. 2, a sig- nificant quadratic （ P = 0.03 ） effect of NE level was observed for weight gain. The ratio of gain to feed demonstrated a significant （P 〈0.01 ） quadratic effect with pigs fed 2.35 and 2.40 Mcal/kg of NE, Pigs fed the diet containing 2.40 Mcal/kg of NE had the lowest percentage of total fat （36. 95% ） and the highest percentage of fat-free lean （49.36%）. The overall results of these experiments indicate that feed- ing either a surplus or a deficiency of NE is detrimen- tal to both pig performance and carcass composition when low CP diets supplemented with CAA are fed. Our results indicate that when the CP content of the diet is reduced by four percentage units and the diet is properly supplemented with CAA, maximum per- formance and carcass quality will be obtained if the diet provides approximately 2.42 Mcal/kg of NE.

Dynamic changes of postprandial plasma metabolites after intake of corn-soybean meal or casein-starch diets in growing pigs

Background: Postprandial nutrients utilization and metabolism of a certain diet is a complicated process. The metabolic feature of pigs after intake of corn-soybean meal or casein-starch diets are largely unknown. Therefore,this study was conducted to investigate the dynamic postprandial changes of plasma metabolic profile using growing pigs using metabolomics.Methods: Twenty-four growing pigs with average initial body weight(BW) about 30 kg were placed in metabolic cages and then fitted with precaval vein catheters. Pigs were fed daily 4% of initial body weight. Two experimental diets were included:(i) a starch-casein based purified diet(PD) and(ii) a common corn-soybean meal diet(CD).Plasma was collected before feeding and 0.5 h, 1 h, 2 h, 4 h, 8 h after feeding.Results: In both diets, compared to prior to feeding, the concentrations of glucose, most amino acids, metabolites such as 5-aminopentanoic acid, pipecolic acid, ornithine and 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan were significantly increased in plasma during the first hour, whereas the concentrations of plasma triglycerides, glutamate, glycine, palmitelaidic acid, 13-HODE and oleic acid were decreased in the first hour. Compared with PD group, concentration of plasma leucine and isoleucine declined at 30 min in CD group. Plasma linoleic acid, sphingosine and many dipeptides were significantly higher in pigs fed CD.Conclusion: Most significant metabolic changes occurred during the first hour after feeding and then became relatively stable after 2 h in both diets. These results show a broad scope picture of postprandial changes in plasma metabolites after intake of PD and CD and could be a reference for further nutrition intervention as well as the design of nutritional studies.

An initial investigation replacing fish meal with a commercial fermented soybean meal product in the diets of juvenile rainbow trout

The inclusion of PepSoyGen (PSG), a commercially-available fermented soybean meal product, was evaluated with juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss in an initial 70-day feeding trial, with a supplemental trial involving a subset of the experimental diets continuing for an additional 40 d. Six diets containing 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, or 50% PSG, with the PSG directly replacing fish meal, were used in the first trial. There were no significant differences in weight gain or feed conversion ratio between the fish meal-based control diet and diets containing up to 30% PSG. However, weight gain was significantly reduced and feed conversion ratio significantly increased with the 40% and 50% PSG diets. No health assessment differences were observed in fish receiving any of the diets, and no evidence of gross gut inflammation was evident. There were no significant differences in weight gain or feed conversion ratio among the four dietary treatments ranging from 0% to 30% PSG which were fed for an additional 40 d after the initial 70-d trial (110 days total). Based on these results, juvenile rainbow trout diets can contain up to 30% PSG without any loss of rearing performance, thereby replacing at least 60% of the fish meal.

Diets, functional foods, and nutraceuticals as alternative therapies for inflammatory bowel disease: Present status and future trends

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) is a serious health concern among western societies. The disease is also on the rise in some East Asian countries and in Australia. Health professionals and dietitians around the world are facing an unprecedented challenge to prevent and control the increasing prevalence of IBD. The current therapeutic strategy that includes drugs and biological treatments is inefficient and are associated with adverse health consequences. In this context, the use of natural products is gaining worldwide attention. In vivo studies and clinical evidence suggest that wellplanned dietary regimens with specific nutrients can alleviate gastrointestinal inflammation by modulating inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor α(TNF-α), interleukin 1(IL-1), IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-10. Alternatively, the avoidance of high-fat and highcarbohydrate diets is regarded as an effective tool to eliminate the causes of IBD. Many functional foods and bioactive components have received attention for showing strong therapeutic effects against IBD. Both animal and human studies suggest that bioactive functional foods can ameliorate IBD by downregulating the pro-inflammatory signaling pathways, such as nuclear factor κB, STAT1, STAT6, and pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, COX-2, TNF-α, and interferon γ. Therefore, functional foods and diets have the potential to alleviate IBD by modulating the underlying pathogenic mechanisms. Future comprehensive studies are needed to corroborate the potential roles of functional foods and diets in the prevention and control of IBD.

Cardiovascular disease risk factor profiles in children with celiac disease on gluten-free diets

AIM:To describe the cardiovascular disease(CVD)risk factors in a population of children with celiac disease(CD)on a gluten-free diet(GFD).METHODS:This cross-sectional multicenter study was performed at Schneider Children’s Medical Center of Israel(Petach Tiqva,Israel),and San Paolo Hospital(Milan,Italy).We enrolled 114 CD children in serologic remission,who were on a GFD for at least one year.At enrollment,anthropometric measurements,blood lipids and glucose were assessed,and compared to values at diagnosis.The homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance was calculated as a measure of insulin resistance.RESULTS:Three or more concomitant CVD risk factors[body mass index,waist circumference,low density lipoprotein(LDL)cholesterol,triglycerides,blood pressure and insulin resistance]were identified in 14%of CD subjects on a GFD.The most common CVD risk factors were high fasting triglycerides(34.8%),elevated blood pressure(29.4%),and high concentrations of calculated LDL cholesterol(24.1%).On a GFD,four children(3.5%)had insulin resistance.Fasting insulin and HOMA-IR were significantly higher in the Italian cohort compared to the Israeli cohort(P<0.001).Children on a GFD had an increased prevalence of borderline LDL cholesterol(24%)when compared to values(10%)at diagnosis(P=0.090).Trends towards increases in overweight(from 8.8%to 11.5%)and obesity(from 5.3%to 8.8%)were seen on a GFD.CONCLUSION:This report of insulin resistance and CVD risk factors in celiac children highlights the importance of CVD screening,and the need for dietary counseling targeting CVD prevention.

Nutritional and health benefits of semi-elemental diets: A comprehensive summary of the literature

AIM:To critically review and summarize the literature on nutritional and health outcomes of semi-elemental formulations on various nutritionally vulnerable patient populations who are unable to achieve adequate nutrition from standard oral diets.METHODS:We conducted a comprehensive literature search of Pubmed and Embase databases.We manually screened articles that examined nutritional and health outcomes(e.g.,growth,disease activity,gastrointestinal impairment,mortality,and economic impact)among various patient groups receiving semi-elemental diets.This review focused on full-text articles of randomized controlled clinical trials and other intervention studies,but pertinent abstracts and case studies were also included.Results pertaining primarily to tolerance,digestion,and absorption were summarized for each patient population in this systematic review.RESULTS:Results pertaining primarily to tolerance,digestion,and absorption were summarized for each patient population.The efficacy of semi-elemental whey hydrolyzed protein(WHP)diet have been reported in various nutritionally high risk patient populations including-Crohn’s disease,short bowel syndrome,acute and chronic pancreatitis,cerebral palsy,cystic fibrosis,cerebrovascular accidents,human immunodeficiency virus,critically ill,and geriatrics.Collectively,the evidence from the medical literature indicates that feeding with a semi-elemental diet performs as well or better than parenteral or amino acid based diets in terms of toler-ance,digestion,and nutrient assimilation measures across various disease conditions.CONCLUSION:Based on this comprehensive review of the literature,patient populations who have difficulty digesting or absorbing standard diets may be able to achieve improved health and nutritional outcomes through the use of semi-elemental WHP diets.

Age-related decrease in aromatase and estrogen receptor （ERα and ERβ） expression in rat testes： protective effect of low caloric diets

Aim： To examine the effects on rat aging of caloric restriction （CR1） and undernutrition （CR2） on the body and on testicular weights, on two enzymatic antioxidants （superoxide dismutase and catalase）, on lipid peroxidation and on the expression of testicular aromatase and estrogen receptors （ER）. Methods： CR was initiated in 1-month-old rats and carried on until the age of 18 months. Results： In control and CR2 rats an age-related decrease of the aromatase and of ER （α and β） gene expression was observed; in parallel a diminution of testicular weights, and of the total number and motility of epididymal spermatozo was recorded. In addition, aging in control and CR2 rats was accompartied by a significant decrease in testicular superoxide dismutase, catalase activities, and an increase in lipid peroxidation level （thiobarbituric acid reactive substance）, associated with alterations of spermatogenesis. Conversely, caloric restriction-treatment exerted a protective effect and all the parameters were less affected by aging. Conclusion： These results indicate that during aging, a low caloric diet （not undernutrition） is beneficial for spermatogenesis and likely improves the protection of the cells via an increase of the cellular antioxidant defense system in which aromatase/ ER could play a role. （Asian J Andro12008 Mar; 10： 177-187）

Nutritional and Metabolic Consequences of Feeding High-Fiber Diets to Swine： A Review

At present, substantial amounts of low-cost, fibrous co-products are incorporated into pig diets to reduce the cost of raising swine. However, diets that are rich in fiber are of low nutritive value because pigs cannot degrade dietary fiber. In addition, high-fiber diets have been associated with reduced nutrient utilization and pig performance. However, recent reports are often contradictory and the negative effects of high-fiber diets are influenced by the fiber source, type, and inclusion level. In addition, the effects of dietary fiber on pig growth and physiological responses are often confounded by the many analytical methods that are used to measure dietary fiber and its components. Several strategies have been employed to ameliorate the negative effects associated with the ingestion of high-fiber diets in pigs and to improve the nutritive value of such diets. Exogenous fiber-degrading enzymes are widely used to improve nutrient utilization and pig performance. However, the results of research reports have not been consistent and there is a need to elucidate the mode of action of exogenous enzymes on the metabolic and physiological responses in pigs that are fed high-fiber diets. On the other hand, dietary fiber is increasingly used as a means of promoting pig gut health and gestating sow welfare. In this review, dietary fiber and its effects on pig nutrition, gut physiology, and sow welfare are discussed. In addition, areas that need further research are suggested to gain more insight into dietary fiber and into the use of exogenous enzymes to improve the utilization of high-fiber diets by oils.

Experimental Study on Treatment of High-concentrated Sulfur Wastewater by Process of Depositing Natrojarosite and Its Environmental Significance

High-concentrated sulfur wastewater with sodium and COD （chemical oxygen demand） up to 26000 mg/L from a chemical plant, Jiangsu Province of China has been treated by deposition of natrojarosite in lab. The results indicated that the COD of the wastewater was decreased sharply from 26000 mg/L to 1001 mg/L, with removal rate of COD up to 96% by twice precipitations of natrojarosite and twice oxidation of H202. The treated sulfur wastewater reached the requirement of subsequent biochemical treatment to water quality. The optimal operational parameters should be controlled on pH value between 2.50 and 3.20 and 50 g FeCly6H2O solid added in per liter wastewater. The study provided an experimental basis for pretreatment of high-concentrated sulfur wastewater and proposed a new mineralogical method on treatment of other wastewaters. Depositing process of jarosite and its analogs should be able to be used to treat wastewater from mine and other industries to remove S, Fe and other toxic and harmful elements, such as As, Cr, Hg, Pb, etc. in the water.

High-Lard and High-Fish Oil Diets Differ in Their Effects on Insulin Resistance Development, Mitochondrial Morphology and Dynamic Behaviour in Rat Skeletal Muscle

Fish oil (mainly omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids), differently from lard (mainly saturated fatty acids) has been suggested to have anti-inflammatory effects associated with amelioration of insulin sensibility. An important role in skeletal muscle insulin resistance development has been recently attributed to mitochondrial dynamic behavior. Mitochondria are dynamic organelles that frequently undergo fission/fusion processes and a shift toward fission process has been associated with skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance development. The present work aimed to evaluate if the replacement of lard with fish oil in high-fat diet positively affect skeletal muscle mitochondrial dynamic behavior in association with the improvement of insulin-resistance. Body weight gain, systemic insulin-resistance (glucose/insulin ratio), serum TNFα levels and skeletal muscle lipid content were assessed in rats fed a high-lard or high-fish-oil diet for 6 weeks. In skeletal muscle sections, immunohistochemical analysis were performed to detect the presence of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) and tyrosine phosphorylated IRS1 (key factor in insulin signalling pathway) as well as to detect the main proteins involved in mitochondrial fusion (MFN2 and OPA1) and fission (DRP1 and Fis1) processes. Skeletal muscle mitochondrial ultrastructural features were assessed by electron microscopy. High-fish oil feeding induced lower body weight gain, systemic inflammation and insulin-resistance development as well as skeletal muscle lipid accumulation compared to high-lard feeding. Skeletal muscle sections from high-fish oil fed rats exhibited a greater number of immunoreactive fibers for MFN2 and OPA1 proteins as well as weaker immunostaining for DRP1 and Fis1 compared to sections from high-lard fed rats. Electron microscopy observations suggested a prominent presence of fission events in L rats and fusion events in F rats. The positive effect of the replacement of lard with fish oil in high-fat diet on systemic and skeletal muscle insulin sensibility was associated to changes in mitochondrial dynamic behavior.

Peculiarity of Precursors of Gastric Cancer and its Relationship with Diets in Northern China Inhabitants

Types and characteristics of gastric dysplasia werestudied histopathologically. Besides the adenomatous,cryptal and globoid dysplasias, regenerative type of gas-tric dysplasia was described, especially about its histo-pathological features and histogenesis. The peculiarityof this type of gastric dysplasia just coincided with thefindings of gastric mucosal changes found in the inhabitantsliving in Liaodong Panisula-a high incidence area ofgastric cancer. According to the epidemiologic and histo-pathologic studies on the inhabitants of Zhuanghe Countyof Liaodong Panisula, it was found that high salted foodse.g. the salted pork and fish etc. showed strongmutagenecity. The authors detected that these were therisk factors and might be the leading cause of the gastricmucosal erosions and following by epithelial regenerativechanges. Malignant changes were detected in the regene-rative dysplastic lesions in pathologic sections. Therefore,gastric mucosal regeneration should not be oper looked asa precursor of gastric cancer in some cases.

Effects of Low Protein Diets Supplemented with Ami-no Acids on Production Performance,Carcass Qual-ity and Input-output Ratio of Pigs

[ Objectives ] To study the effects of low-protein diets supplemented with amino acids on the production performance, carcass quality and input-output ratio of fattening pigs and growing-finishing pigs. [ Methods] Two studies were conducted on fattening pigs and growing pigs respectively. Pigs in two experimental groupswere fed with low-protein diets supplemented with amino acids and normal diets respectively, and the initial weight, final weight, feed consumption and car- cass index of the tested pigs were measured. [ Results] The average final weight of fattening pigs in test group was 2.4 kg lower than that in control group, while the difference was not significant （P 〉 0.05 ）. The average daily gain of fattening pigs in test group was 60 g lower than that in control group, indicating that low protein diets had a tendency to decrease the growth rate （P 〉 0.05 ）, and reduction of daily weight gain in low protein diet pigs reached 7.6%. The development of pigs in low protein diet group was poor, however, the difference was not significant. Carcass backfat thickness in low-protein diet group was slightly higher than that in control group, the difference was significant （ P 〈 0.05 ）. There was no significant difference in input-output ratio between low-protein diet group and control group. Finalweight of growing-finishing pigs in low-protein diet group was 3.22 % lower than that in control group, the average daily weight gainwas 6.91% lower than that in control group, feed intake in test group was 5.48% lower than that in control group, and difference between the two treatments was significant （P 〈 0.05 ）. Feed meat ratio in low-protein diet group improved, however, the difference was not significant（P 〉0.05）. [ Conclusions] Production performance of the pigs would be decreasedand the input-output ratio could not be improvedwhen the adding contents of crude protein in diets was reduced 3% -4%. Therefore, it is recommended that the crude protein level should be enough when pigs were fed with low-protein diets.

Impact of Different Diets on Adult Tri-Spine Horseshoe Crab,Tachypleus tridentatus

Effective culture and management of adult tri-spine horseshoe crab,Tachypleus tridentatus can ensure that stock enhancement programs and aquaculture systems are maintained.To explore suitable feed for animals during the breeding season,Pacific oyster(Ostrea gigas)(oyster group;OG)and frozen sharpbelly fish(Hemiculter leucisculus)(frozen fish group;FG)were selected to feed 20 T.tridentatus male and female pairs,respectively.At the end of the experiment,intestinal samples were obtained to measure digestive enzymes activities.The intestinal flora were determined by 16S r DNA sequencing.No eggs were observed in the FG and one T.tridentatus adult died.No animals died in the OG,and 9.7×10;eggs were obtained.These results show that oysters are more suitable for the development and reproduction of adult T.tridentatus than frozen fish.Additionally,the digestive enzyme activity analysis revealed that animals in the OG exhibited higher protein digestibility than those in the FG,but no significant differences in lipid and carbohydrate uptake were observed between the groups.Furthermore,the intestinal flora analysis showed that operational taxonomic units(OTUs)and the Chao1 index were significantly higher in the OG than in the FG,but no significant difference was observed in the Shannon or Simpson indices between the groups.Our data indicate that the oyster diet improved the intestinal microbial diversity of T.tridentatus.We hypothesize that nutrients,such as oyster-based taurine,proteins,and highly unsaturated fatty acids,improve protease activity in the T.tridentatus digestive tract,alter the intestinal floral structure,and improve the reproductive performance of T.tridentatus.