Search Results (73)

Muscle aging and atrophy in the elderly are closely associated with increased oxidative stress in muscle tissue. Bioactive peptides derived from protein hydrolysates have emerged as promising functional ingredients for alleviating sarcopenia due to their antioxidant properties and enrichment in essential amino acids. In a preliminary screening, mackerel protein hydrolysate (MPH) showed notable protective effects in a myotube atrophy model. This study evaluated the anti-atrophic potential of MPHs produced using different enzymes in H₂O₂-treated C2C12 myotubes. Among five hydrolysates, the alcalase-derived hydrolysate (MHA) demonstrated the most potent effects in maintaining myotube diameter, restoring myosin heavy chain (MYH) expression, and downregulating the atrophy-related genes MAFbx and MuRF1. Mechanistically, MHA activated the Akt/FoxO signaling pathway and inhibited NF-κB activation, thereby reducing muscle protein degradation. Additionally, MHA significantly lowered intracellular ROS levels and showed strong direct antioxidant activity. Amino acid and molecular weight profiling revealed high levels of essential amino acids and low-molecular-weight peptides, suggesting a synergistic contribution to its bioactivity. These findings suggest that MHA is a promising food-derived functional material with anti-atrophic and antioxidant properties and may be useful in preventing or managing age-related muscle loss such as sarcopenia, warranting further preclinical validation. Full article

Cortisol, the main glucocorticoid in teleost, plays a central role in mediating the physiological response to stress by regulating metabolism, immune function, and growth. While its transcriptional effects are well known, its role in modulating chromatin accessibility in fish skeletal muscle remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the epigenomic and transcriptomic changes induced by cortisol in a juvenile rainbow trout’s (Oncorhynchus mykiss) skeletal muscle using ATAC-seq and RNA-seq. Fish were treated with a single intraperitoneal dose of cortisol (10 mg/kg) or vehicle, and muscle samples were collected 3 h post-treatment. ATAC-seq analysis revealed a total of 163,802 differentially accessible regions (DARs), with an important enrichment of open regions near transcription start sites and promoters. A total of 1612 and 1746 differentially accessible genes (DAGs) were identified in the cortisol and control groups, respectively. Motif enrichment analysis identified 89 transcription factors to be significantly enriched, among which key stress-responsive regulators such as Fos, AP-1, FoxO1/3, Mef2a/b/c, Klf5/10, and ATF4 were prominently represented. RNA-seq analysis identified 4050 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with 2204 upregulated genes involved in autophagy, mitophagy, and FoxO signaling, while 1864 downregulated genes were enriched in spliceosome and chromatin remodeling pathways. Integrative analysis revealed 174 overlapping genes between ATAC-seq and RNA-seq datasets, highlighting pathways linked to autophagy and ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling. Four selected DEGs (sesn1, sesn2, cullin3, samtor) were validated by qPCR, showing high concordance with transcriptomic data. These findings provide new insights into cortisol-mediated regulation of chromatin dynamics and gene expression in teleost skeletal muscle and underscore the importance of epigenetic mechanisms in fish stress responses. Full article

This study investigates the performance of a mixed dual-hop free-space optical/underwater wireless optical communication (FSO-UWOC) system employing a decode-and-forward (DF) relay protocol, particularly under a comprehensive hybrid channel fading model. The FSO link is assumed to experience Gamma–Gamma atmospheric turbulence fading, combined with air path loss and pointing errors. Meanwhile, the UWOC link is modeled with generalized Gamma distribution (GGD) oceanic turbulence fading, along with underwater path loss and pointing errors. Based on the proposed hybrid channel fading model, closed-form expressions for the average outage probability (OP) and average bit error rate (BER) of the mixed dual-hop system are derived using the higher transcendental Meijer-G function. Similarly, the closed-form expression for the average ergodic capacity of the mixed relay system is obtained via the bivariate Fox-H function. Additionally, asymptotic performance analyses for the average outage probability and BER under high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions are provided. Finally, Monte Carlo simulations are conducted to validate the accuracy of the derived theoretical expressions and to illustrate the effects of key system parameters on the performance of the mixed relay FSO-UWOC system. Full article

On the one hand, convex functions are important to derive rigorous convergence rates, and on the other, synchronous functions are significant to solve statistical problems using Chebyshev inequalities. Therefore, fractional integral inequalities involving such functions play a crucial role in creating new models and methods. Although a large class of fractional operators have been used to establish inequalities, nevertheless, these operators having the Fox-H and the Meijer-G functions in their kernel have been applied to establish fractional integral inequalities for such important classes of functions. Taking motivation from these facts, the primary objective of this work is to develop fractional inequalities involving the Fox-H function for convex and synchronous functions. Since the Fox-H function generalizes several important special functions of fractional calculus, our results are significant to innovate the existing literature. The inventive features of these functions compel researchers to formulate deeper results involving them. Therefore, compared with the ongoing research in this field, our results are general enough to yield novel and inventive fractional inequalities. For instance, new inequalities involving the Meijer-G function are obtained as the special cases of these outcomes, and certain generalizations of Chebyshev inequality are also included in this article. Full article

Excessive deposition of abdominal fat will cause a waste of resources. In order to explore the key miRNAs and circRNA/lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA regulatory network involved in regulating abdominal fat deposition, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was performed on abdominal fat tissues of ducks in the high abdominal fat rate group (HF) and low abdominal fat rate group (LF) at 21 and 42 days of age, and whole transcriptome sequencing was performed on abdominal tissues of ducks in the HF and LF groups at 42 days of age. The results showed that the number of adipocytes in ducks in the HF group was significantly higher than that in the LF group at 21 days of age (p < 0.001), while the number of adipocytes in ducks in the HF group at 42 days of age was significantly lower than that in the LF group (p < 0.001). In addition, transcriptome sequencing screened out a total of 14 differentially expressed miRNAs (10 miRNAs were significantly up-regulated, and 4 miRNAs were significantly down-regulated). By predicting the target genes of these differentially expressed miRNAs, a total of 305 target genes were obtained. Further analysis of miRNA target genes using GO and KEGG functional enrichment analyses revealed that these target genes were significantly enriched in the GnRH signaling pathway, the PPAR signaling pathway, insulin resistance, the mTOR signaling pathway, the AMPK signaling pathway, the FoxO signaling pathway, and other pathways related to adipose development. In addition, miRNA-205-x, miRNA-6529-x, miRNA-194-x, miRNA-215-x, miRNA-3074-x, miRNA-2954-x, novel-m0133-3p, and novel-m0156-5p were found to be important candidate miRNAs for abdominal fat deposition in ducks. These miRNAs were related to the expression of FOXO3, LIFR, Pdk4, PPARA, FBN1, MYH10, Cd44, PRELP, Esrrg, AKT3, and STC2. Based on these eight candidate miRNAs, a ceRNA regulatory network of circRNA/lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulating abdominal fat deposition was successfully constructed. The results of this study will provide a useful reference for accelerating the understanding of the molecular mechanism of duck abdominal fat deposition. Full article

Neonatal mammals must rapidly adapt to significant physiological changes during the transition from the intrauterine to extrauterine environments. This adaptation, particularly in the metabolic and respiratory systems, is essential for survival. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate various physiological and pathological processes by binding to the 3′ untranslated regions of mRNAs. This study aimed to identify miRNAs involved in the early extrauterine adaptation of neonatal piglets and explore their functions. We performed small RNA sequencing on six tissues (heart, liver, spleen, lung, multifidus muscle, and duodenum) from piglets 24 h before birth (day 113 of gestation) and 6 h after birth. A total of 971 miRNA precursors and 1511 mature miRNAs were identified. Tissue-specific expression analysis revealed 881 tissue-specific miRNAs and 164 differentially expressed miRNAs (DE miRNAs) across the tissues. Functional enrichment analysis showed that these DE miRNAs are significantly enriched in pathways related to early extrauterine adaptation, such as the NFκB, PI3K/AKT, and Hippo pathways. Specifically, miR-22-3p was significantly upregulated in the liver post-birth and may regulate the PI3K/AKT pathway by targeting AKT3, promoting gluconeogenesis, and maintaining glucose homeostasis. Dual-luciferase reporter assays and HepG2 cell experiments confirmed AKT3 as a target of miR-22-3p, which activates the AKT/FoxO1 pathway, enhancing gluconeogenesis and glucose production. Furthermore, changes in blood glucose and liver glycogen levels in newborn piglets further support the role of miR-22-3p in glucose homeostasis. This study highlights the importance of miRNAs, particularly miR-22-3p, in the early extrauterine adaptation of neonatal piglets, offering new insights into the physiological adaptation of neonatal mammals. Full article

Here, we investigate a three-dimensional Schrödinger equation that generalizes the standard framework by incorporating geometric constraints. Specifically, the equation is adapted to account for a backbone structure exhibiting memory effects dependent on both time and spatial position. For this, we incorporate an additional term in the Schrödinger equation with a nonlocal dependence governed by short- or long-tailed distributions characterized by power laws associated with Lévy distributions. This modification also introduces a backbone structure within the system. We derive solutions that reveal various behaviors using Green’s function approach expressed in terms of Fox H-functions. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sarcopenia is characterized by the loss of muscle mass and function, increases in mortality rate, and risk of comorbidities in the elderly. This study evaluated the effects of Alnus japonica hot water extract (AJHW) and its active compound, oregonin, on muscle atrophy and apoptosis in vitro. Methods: AJHW underwent phytochemical analysis. C2C12 cells were subjected to H₂O₂ and dexamethasone to induce oxidative stress and muscle loss, after which AJHW and oregonin were administered to assess their impacts on cell viability, apoptosis, muscle protein synthesis stimulation, and muscle protein degradation inhibition. Cell viability was assessed via an MTT assay, and apoptosis was analyzed by measuring Bcl-2, Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved PARP through Western blotting. Western blotting and RT-PCR were utilized to analyze MyoD, Myogenin, Atrogin-1, and MuRF1 protein and gene expression in a muscle atrophy model, as well as the Akt/mTOR and FoxO3α pathways. Results: AJHW was confirmed to contain oregonin, an active compound. AJHW and oregonin significantly increased cell viability and reduced apoptosis by upregulating Bcl-2 and downregulating Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved PARP. They significantly enhanced muscle protein synthesis through the upregulation of MyoD and Myogenin, while diminishing muscle degradation by downregulating Atrogin-1 and MuRF1. The activation of the Akt/mTOR pathway and inhibition of the FoxO3α pathway were also observed. Conclusions: AJHW and oregonin effectively prevented muscle cell apoptosis, promoted muscle protein synthesis, and inhibited muscle protein degradation in vitro. These results suggest that AJHW and oregonin could serve as therapeutic agents to prevent and treat sarcopenia. Full article

It is well known that the function of granulosa cells (GCs) is closely related to follicular development, and FoxO1 and histone methylation have been implicated in follicular development. However, the specific mechanisms by which FoxO1 and histone methylation regulate follicular development are still largely unknown. To explore the specific mechanism of FoxO1 in regulating follicular development, in this study, we showed that the expression of FoxO1 in immature ovaries and small follicles was significantly higher than in mature ovaries and large follicles of sows, respectively. FoxO1 was found to inhibit the secretion of testosterone and proliferation of porcine GCs and promote the secretion of progesterone and apoptosis of porcine GCs. Furthermore, H3K27me3, as a transcriptional inhibitor, can inhibit the transcription of FoxO1. FoxO1 could promote the transcription of CYP1A1, and CYP1A1 was found to inhibit the proliferation and facilitate the ferroptosis of porcine GCs. Collectively, our results revealed that the H3K27me3-FoxO1-CYP1A1 pathway might participate in follicular development, and these findings could provide potential targets for improving follicular development in sows. Full article

Objectives: Acute temperature stress was explored in Hippocampus abdominalis through a comprehensive RNA-seq analysis. Methods: RNA-seq was conducted on 20-day-old H. abdominalis after 24 h of temperature stress. Four experimental conditions were established: a control group (18 °C) and three temperature treatment groups (21, 24, and 27 °C). Results: Seahorse larvae were found to be unaffected by 21 °C and 24 °C and were able to survive for short periods of time during 24 h of incubation, whereas mortality approached 50% at 27 °C. The sequencing process produced 75.63 Gb of high-quality clean data, with Q20 and Q30 base percentages surpassing 98% and 96%, respectively. A total of 141, 333, and 1598 differentially expressed genes were identified in the 21, 24, and 27 °C groups vs. a control comparison group, respectively. Notably, the number of up-regulated genes was consistently higher than that of down-regulated genes across all comparisons. Gene Ontology functional annotation revealed that differentially expressed genes were predominantly associated with metabolic processes, redox reactions, and biosynthetic functions. In-depth KEGG pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated that down-regulated genes were significantly enriched in pathways related to steroid biosynthesis, terpenoid backbone biosynthesis, spliceosome function, and DNA replication. Up-regulated genes were enriched in pathways associated with the FoxO signaling pathway and mitophagy (animal). The results indicated that temperature stress induced extensive changes in gene expression in H. abdominalis, involving crucial biological processes such as growth, biosynthesis, and energy metabolism. Conclusions: This study provided key molecular mechanisms in the response of H. abdominalis to temperature stress, offering a strong basis for future research aimed at understanding and mitigating the effects of environmental stressors on marine species. Full article

Heat stress resulting from global climate change has been demonstrated to adversely affect growth, development, and reproduction of marine organisms. The Zhikong scallop (Chlamys farreri), an important economical mollusk in China, faces increasing risks of summer mortality due to the prolonged heat waves. The heart, responsible for transporting gas and nutrients, is vital in maintaining homeostasis and physiological status in response to environmental changes. In this study, the effect of heat stress on the cardiac function of C. farreri was investigated during the continuous 30-day heat stress at 27 °C. The results showed the heart rate of scallops increased due to stress in the initial phase of high temperature exposure, peaking at 12 h, and then gradually recovered, indicating an acclimatization at the end of the experiment. In addition, the levels of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) exhibited an initial increase followed by recovery in response to heat stress. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis of the heart identified 3541 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in response to heat stress. Subsequent GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that these genes were primarily related to signal transduction and oxidative stress, such as the phosphatidylinositol signaling system, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, MAPK signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, etc. In addition, two modules were identified as significant responsive modules according to the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The upregulation of key enzymes within the base excision repair and gap junction pathways indicated that the heart of C. farreri under heat stress enhanced DNA repair and maintained cellular integrity. In addition, the variable expression of essential signaling molecules and cytoskeletal regulators suggested that the heart of C. farreri modulated cardiomyocyte contraction, intracellular signaling, and heart rate through complex regulation of phosphorylation and calcium dynamics in response to heat stress. Collectively, this study enhances our understanding of cardiac function and provides novel evidence for unraveling the mechanism underlying the thermal response in mollusks. Full article

Monoamine oxidases (MAOs), mitochondrial enzymes that constantly produce hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) as a byproduct of their activity, have been recently acknowledged as contributors to oxidative stress in cardiometabolic pathologies. The present study aimed to assess whether MAOs are mediators of valvular oxidative stress and interact in vitro with angiotensin 2 (ANG2) to mimic the activation of the renin–angiotensin system. To this aim, valvular tissue samples were harvested from 30 patients diagnosed with severe primary mitral regurgitation and indication for surgical repair. Their reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were assessed by means of a ferrous oxidation xylenol orange (FOX) assay, while MAO expression was assessed by immune fluorescence (protein) and qRT-PCR (mRNA). The experiments were performed using native valvular tissue acutely incubated or not with angiotensin 2 (ANG2), MAO inhibitors (MAOI) and the angiotensin receptor blocker, irbesartan (Irb). Correlations between oxidative stress and echocardiographic parameters were also analyzed. Ex vivo incubation with ANG2 increased MAO-A and -B expression and ROS generation. The level of valvular oxidative stress was negatively correlated with the left ventricular ejection fraction. MAOI and Irb reduced valvular H₂O_2. production. In conclusion, both MAO isoforms are expressed in pathological human mitral valves and contribute to local oxidative stress and ventricular functional impairment and can be modulated by the local renin–angiotensin system_. Full article

Increasing evidence suggests that the gut microbiota, through the “microbiota–gut–brain axis”, can regulate anxiety, mood, and cognitive abilities such as memory and learning processes. Consistently with this, treatments altering the gut microbiota, such as antibiotics and probiotics, may influence brain function and impact behavior. The mechanisms that underlie the interplay between the intestinal microbiota and the brain have been intensively studied. We aimed to investigate the effects of two probiotic lactobacilli strains, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus 12L and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 8PA3, on behavioral disorders in mice induced by a two-week parenteral treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics. On completion of the treatment, the mice were subjected to behavioral tests, including the open field test (OFT), novel object recognition test (ORT), and T-maze test. Antibiotic-treated mice demonstrated anxiety-related behavior, decreased cognition, and retarded exploratory activity that were ameliorated by the administration of probiotics. As was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), both tested strains produced serotonin and its metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), as well as dopamine, which was further metabolized into norepinephrine by L. plantarum 8PA3 and epinephrine by L. rhamnosus 12L. Moreover, these lactobacilli were found to harbor catecholamines and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) in their biomass when grown on MRS broth. Additionally, L. plantarum 8PA3 and L. rhamnosus 12L were able to impact oxidative stress via H₂O₂ production and antioxidant activity, as determined in this study by the ferrous oxidation–xylenol orange (FOX) assay and the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay, respectively. The results obtained in this study support the role of probiotics as a promising therapeutic for neurological disorders. However, more investigations are required to confirm the clinical significance of this finding. Full article

The principal aim of this paper is to introduce the extended Voigt-type function ${\mathbb{V}}_{\mu ,\nu }(x,y)$ and its counterpart extension ${\mathbb{W}}_{\mu ,\nu }(x,y)$, involving the Neumann function $Y_{\nu }$ in the kernel of the representing integral. The newly defined integral reduces to the classical Voigt functions $K(x,y)$ and $L(x,y)$, and to their generalizations by Srivastava and Miller, by the unification of Klusch. Following an approach by Srivastava and Pogány, we also present the multiparameter and multivariable versions ${\mathbb{V}}_{\mu ,\nu }^{\left(r\right)}(x,y),{\mathbb{W}}_{\mu ,\nu }^{\left(r\right)}(x,y)$ and the r positive integer of the initial extensions ${\mathbb{V}}_{\mu ,\nu }(x,y),{\mathbb{W}}_{\mu ,\nu }(x,y)$. Several computable series expansions are obtained for the discussed Voigt-type functions in terms of Humbert confluent hypergeometric functions ${\Psi }_2^{\left(r\right)}$. Furthermore, by transforming the input extended Voigt-type functions by the Grünwald–Letnikov fractional derivative, we establish representation formulae in terms of the associated Legendre functions of the second kind $Q_{\eta }^{-\nu }$ in the two-parameter and two-variable cases. Finally, functional bounding inequalities are given for ${\mathbb{V}}_{\mu ,\nu }(x,y)$ and ${\mathbb{W}}_{\mu ,\nu }(x,y)$. Particularly interesting results are presented for the Neumann function $Y_{\nu }$ and for the Struve ${\mathbf{H}}_{\nu }$ function in the form of several functional bounds. The article ends with a thorough discussion and closing remarks. Full article

Needed for cosmological and stellar nucleosynthesis, we are studying the closed-form analytic evaluation of thermonuclear reaction rates. In this context, we undertake a comprehensive analysis of three largely distinct velocity distributions, namely the Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution, the pathway distribution, and the Mittag-Leffler distribution. Moreover, a natural generalization of the Maxwell–Boltzmann velocity distribution is discussed. Furthermore, an explicit evaluation of the reaction rate integral in the high-energy cut-off case is carried out. Generalized special functions of mathematical physics like Meijer’s G-function and Fox’s H-functions and their utilization in mathematical physics are the prime focus of this paper. Full article