Project description:We found that low protein diet consumption resulted in decrease in the percentage of normal Paneth cell population in wild type mice, indicating that low protein diet could negatively affect Paneth cell function. We performed fecal microbiota composition profiling. Male mice were used at 4-5 weeks of age. Fecal samples were collected for microbiome analysis.
Project description:We found that western diet consumption resulted in decrease in the percentage of normal Paneth cell population in wild type mice, indicating that western diet could negatively affect Paneth cell function. Subsequent generations of western diet consumption further reduced percentages of normal Paneth cell population. We performed fecal microbiota composition profiling. Male mice were used at 4-5 weeks of age. Fecal samples were collected for microbiome analysis.
Project description:Morphine causes microbial dysbiosis. In this study we focused on restoration of native microbiota in morphine treated mice and looked at the extent of restoration and immunological consequences of this restoration. Fecal transplant has been successfully used clinically, especially for treating C. difficile infection2528. With our expanding knowledge of the central role of microbiome in maintenance of host immune homeostasis17, fecal transplant is gaining importance as a therapy for indications resulting from microbial dysbiosis. There is a major difference between fecal transplant being used for the treatment of C. difficile infection and the conditions described in our studies. The former strategy is based on the argument that microbial dysbiosis caused by disproportionate overgrowth of a pathobiont can be out-competed by re-introducing the missing flora by way of a normal microbiome transplant. This strategy is independent of host factors and systemic effects on the microbial composition. Here, we show that microbial dysbiosis caused due to morphine can be reversed by transplantation of microbiota from the placebo-treated animals.
Project description:Opioids such as morphine have many beneficial properties as analgesics, however, opioids may induce multiple adverse gastrointestinal symptoms. We have recently demonstrated that morphine treatment results in significant disruption in gut barrier function leading to increased translocation of gut commensal bacteria. However, it is unclear how opioids modulate the gut homeostasis. By using a mouse model of morphine treatment, we studied effects of morphine treatment on gut microbiome. We characterized phylogenetic profiles of gut microbes, and found a significant shift in the gut microbiome and increase of pathogenic bacteria following morphine treatment when compared to placebo. In the present study, wild type mice (C57BL/6J) were implanted with placebo, morphine pellets subcutaneously. Fecal matter were taken for bacterial 16s rDNA sequencing analysis at day 3 post treatment. A scatter plot based on an unweighted UniFrac distance matrics obtained from the sequences at OTU level with 97% similarity showed a distinct clustering of the community composition between the morphine and placebo treated groups. By using the chao1 index to evaluate alpha diversity (that is diversity within a group) and using unweighted UniFrac distance to evaluate beta diversity (that is diversity between groups, comparing microbial community based on compositional structures), we found that morphine treatment results in a significant decrease in alpha diversity and shift in fecal microbiome at day 3 post treatment compared to placebo treatment. Taxonomical analysis showed that morphine treatment results in a significant increase of potential pathogenic bacteria. Our study shed light on effects of morphine on the gut microbiome, and its role in the gut homeostasis.
Project description:This study is the first to report a genome-wide comparative DNA methylation map of adult pig sperm in three commercial pig breeds using WGBS technology. Our results showed that DNA methylation was more conserved in the three commercial pig breeds. Moreover, our results indicated that breed-specific HMRs are related to phenotypic changes and economically complex traits for each breed. The conserved HMRs between pig sperm and testis close to or located in the promoter regions of important genes are mainly involved in DNA repair and spermatogenesis.
Project description:Obese and lean-type pig breeds show obvious differences in adipose deposition and muscle growth; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenotypic variation remains unclear. Landrace (a leaner, Western breed), Rongchang (a fatty, Chinese breed) and Tibetan (a feral, indigenous Chinese breed that has not undergone artificial selection) pig breeds were used in this study. We collected eight diverse adipose tissues and two phenotypically distinct skeletal muscle tissues from three well-defined pig models with distinct fat rates, and studied mRNA expression differences among breeds, males and females, and tissues. These results highlight some possible candidate genes for porcine adipose deposition and muscle growth and provide some data on which to base further studies of the molecular basis of energy metabolism. The mRNA expression differences of eight diverse adipose tissues and two phenotypically distinct skeletal muscle tissues from three well-defined pig models with distinct fat rates are measured.
Project description:Obese and lean-type pig breeds show obvious differences in adipose deposition and muscle growth; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying this phenotypic variation remains unclear. Landrace (a leaner, Western breed), Rongchang (a fatty, Chinese breed) and Tibetan (a feral, indigenous Chinese breed that has not undergone artificial selection) pig breeds were used in this study. We collected eight diverse adipose tissues and two phenotypically distinct skeletal muscle tissues from three well-defined pig models with distinct fat rates, and studied mRNA expression differences among breeds, males and females, and tissues. These results highlight some possible candidate genes for porcine adipose deposition and muscle growth and provide some data on which to base further studies of the molecular basis of energy metabolism.