Project description:Oral administration of an extract of compost fermented with thermophiles to pigs reduces the incidence of stillbirth and promotes piglet growth. However, the mechanism by which compost extract modulates the physiological conditions of the animals remains largely unknown. Here, we investigate the effects of compost extract on the gene expression in the intestine of the rat as a mammalian model. Gene expression analyses of the intestine indicated that several immune-related genes were upregulated following compost exposure. Thus, thermophile-fermented compost can contain microbes and/or substances that activate the gut mucosal immune response in the rat.
Project description:Oral administration of an extract of compost fermented with thermophiles to pigs reduces the incidence of stillbirth and promotes piglet growth. However, the mechanism by which compost extract modulates the physiological conditions of the animals remains largely unknown. Here, we investigate the effects of compost extract on the gene expression in the intestine of the rat as a mammalian model. Gene expression analyses of the intestine indicated that several immune-related genes were upregulated following compost exposure. Thus, thermophile-fermented compost can contain microbes and/or substances that activate the gut mucosal immune response in the rat. In Male Wistar rats aged 3 weeks, tap water was supplemented with 1.0% (v/v) compost extract for the experimental rats, whereas water only was given to the control rats. The rats received water ad libitum for 12 weeks. Fresh gut samples were collected from individual rats at the end of the feeding test and stored at -80°C. The intestine were separated from the gut and used as samples for the isolation of total RNA. otal RNA was then subjected to microarray experiments using the Whole Rat Genome (4x44k) Oligo Microarray (Agilent Technologies, Inc.)
Project description:In this study, BS-seq technology was used to analyze the epigenomic analysis of liver tissues of Rongchang pigs at three important feeding stages. There was little difference in DNA methylation profiles among the neonatal, weaned and adult groups. However, we observed significant changes in DNA methylation in the gene body and promoter regions of metabolic and immune-related genes from neonates to adulthood. Correlation analysis showed that the methylation level of gene promoters was significantly negatively correlated with gene expression. In neonatal Rongchang pigs, most genes related to nutritional metabolism lost DNA methylation and mRNA expression increased. The few fatty acid metabolism-related genes that were hypomethylated and highly expressed in the early development of Rongchang pigs may satisfy the nutritional requirements of Rongchang pig neonates, and their immune-related genes may be related to the establishment of liver immunity.
Project description:In this study, the SAF and VAF development was characterized and compared in SAF and VAF of Bama pig during postnatal development (infancy, puberty and adulthood) using RNA sequencing technologies (RNA-Seq). We profiled the transcriptome of SAF and VAF isolated from 1-, 3- and 6-month-old pigs and identified 23636 expressed transcription units. Of the them, 1165 genes were differentially expressed between the despots and /or developmental stages. Upregulated gene in SAF of Bama pigs showed significant function and pathway enrichment in central nervous system development, lipid metabolism, oxidation-reduction process, cell adhesion while genes involved in immune system process, actin cytoskeleton organization, male gonad development, hippo signaling pathway preferentially expressed in VAF. Short time-series expression miner analysis demonstrated the differentiation in gene expression patterns between the two deposit was corresponding to their distinct responses in sextual development, hormone signaling pathway, lipid metabolism as well as hippo signaling pathway. Transcriptome analysis of SAF and VAF in Bama pigs suggested that the depot differences of the adipose tissue are not only related to lipid metabolism and endocrine function, but also closely associated with sextual development and organ size regulation.
Project description:Infertility is a growing global health concern affecting millions of couples worldwide. Both overweight and underweight individuals face reproductive issues, resulting in infertility. Due to small size and short life, mice are not necessarily suitable animal models for human infertility. While, pigs having large size, anatomical and physiological similarities with human are considered as more ideal animal model of human disease. Leptin is a well-known adipokine that serves as an endocrine signal between adiposity and fertility. However, the exact mechanisms underlying leptin's effects on reproductive function remain unclear. To shed light on this, our study focused on pigs genetically engineered to overexpress leptin. These leptin-overexpressing pigs exhibited several reproductive abnormalities, including reduced body weight and size, decreased back fat thickness, and displayed late onset of puberty, and irregular estrous behavior characterized by increased inter-estrous interval and more breeding attempts until pregnancy. This reproductive impairment in leptin pigs was followed by hormonal imbalances and altered steroidogenesis. Bulk RNA sequencing of the ovaries revealed neutrophilic infiltration followed by upregulation of inflammation related genes. To gain a deeper understanding of the cellular levels, we employed single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq), and found that leptin overexpression triggered immune response, suppressed follicle development and luteinization, imposing metabolism dysfunction and hormone imbalance in ovary. Further, trends of phenotypical infertility symptoms and endocrine changes in underweight female patients mirrored the alterations observed in our leptin pigs. These findings suggest that leptin-overexpressing pigs could serve as a valuable animal model for studying infertility and investigating potential therapeutic interventions.
Project description:Dysregulation of lipid metabolism is the pathological basis of the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis.The pig is an ideal animal to study human cardiovascular diseases. However, the specific changes of lipid metabolism in its atherosclerotic plaques, as well as the underlying mechanisms, remain to be elucidated. To investigate the alterations of lipid metabolism related pathways, especially ceramide synthesis related genes, in the abdominal aorta of atherosclerotic pigs induced by high-fat, high-cholesterol, and high-fructose (HFCF) diet, we performed RNA-Seq on abdominal aorta tissue from Wuzhishan pigs fed either normal chow diet or HFCF diet for six months.
Project description:In summary, we have for the first time generated a Dox inducible and switchable tdTomato pig strain with dual knock-in at Hipp11 and Rosa26 locus. This pig model provide a versatile tool model to produce stable transgenic pigs with inducible overexpressing any gene of interest by using the technology of phiC31 integrase-mediated cassette exchange. Based on this approach, an inducible hKRASG12D-expressing pig model line was established and tumor formation was induced after Dox administration. We expect that the inducible tool pig model would greatly facilitate the production of controllable transgenic pigs, and broaden the applications of transgenic pigs in biomedicine and agriculture fields.