Search Results (506)

Maternal aging is associated with increased oxidative stress and decreased mitochondrial function, which deteriorate oocyte quality. Ginsenoside Re (GRe), an antioxidant derived from Panax ginseng, has been reported to alleviate cellular damage and extend healthy lifespan. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of GRe on in vitro-matured bovine oocytes and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. Oocyte aging-like oxidative stress conditions were induced by adding 20 mg/mL D-galactose (D-gal) to the in vitro maturation (IVM) medium; GRe treatment involved supplementing the medium with various GRe concentrations (25, 50, and 100 μg/mL). GRe treatment significantly improved maturation, with 50 μg/mL GRe showing the most pronounced effect. This recovery was accompanied by reduced accumulation of reactive oxygen species and improved mitochondrial capacity and biogenesis, mediated by SIRT1/Nrf2 signaling. Consequently, GRe improved embryonic developmental ability. These findings suggest that GRe may improve oocyte quality in the context of aging and associated oxidative stress. Full article

A hard protein corona was engineered onto tannic acid-modified magnetic nanoparticles (SAMN@TA), a magnetic and luminescent core–shell nano-carrier, using bovine serum amine oxidase (BSAO), an enzyme catalyzing the oxidation of polyamines and producing the corresponding aldehydes and hydrogen peroxide. The absorption and intracellular bioactivity of the self-assembled multimodal SAMN@TA@BSAO were investigated on an intestinal barrier model built with human colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cells. The tailored BSAO corona possessed fouling resistance and, at the same time, was able to activate the clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) mechanism. Despite its size and intrinsic complexity, the nano-vehicle was effectively transported across the cell layer, safely transiting across the cell cytoplasm and reaching the lumen. As a function of intracellular polyamine concentration, the system’s biological activity induced intracellular oxidative stress, leading to the activation of the Keap1/Nrf2 oxidative protection pathway. The SAMN@TA@BSAO effect was well described by a dose–response curve with an EC₅₀ of around 30 µg mL⁻¹ and a programmable killing efficiency (>50.0%), recalling the feasibility of a low molecular weight drug administration. The present study contributes to the nascent knowledge on engineering protein corona as a key to rationally design nanomaterials for biomedical applications. Full article

The in vitro expansion of bovine skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs) is critical for cultured meat production. Here, we investigated the role of ribosomal protein S27-like (RPS27L) in regulating satellite cell proliferation and differentiation. RPS27L knockdown markedly inhibited proliferation and promoted myogenic differentiation, whereas RPS27L overexpression exerted opposite effects. Interestingly, both RPS27L depletion and overexpression activated the p53 signaling pathway. Further analyses revealed that disruption of RPS27L homeostasis, regardless of direction, induced nucleolar stress. These findings suggest that proper RPS27L dosage is required to maintain nucleolar homeostasis and normal satellite cell function. Aberrant RPS27L expression activates the nucleolar stress-p53 axis and alters the balance between proliferation and differentiation in bovine skeletal muscle satellite cells. These findings reveal a non-canonical mechanism of p53 regulation in which disturbance of RPS27L homeostasis, rather than simple loss of RPS27L function, activates the nucleolar stress-p53 axis. Full article

Background/Objectives: Bovine heat-stress RNA-seq studies differ in tissue, age, physiological state, and exposure design. We asked which responses recur across these contexts and which depend on the evidence base. Methods: We reprocessed 107 libraries from five in vivo Bos taurus studies and synthesized within-study heat-minus-control log₂ fold changes using restricted maximum-likelihood random-effects models with modified Knapp–Hartung inference. Eight tissue- and age-aware scenarios tested the cross-context estimate. A six-component heat-stress transcriptomic stability index (HSTSI) was benchmarked against five simpler rankings, and an independent mammary single-nucleus dataset provided cell-resolved comparison. Results: Of 266 FDR-significant pathways, 259 retained direction across all five study deletions and 21 remained significant in every deletion. Translation, ribosome, protein folding, endoplasmic-reticulum processing, proteasome, and heat-response programs formed the most recurrent axis. Four principal sensitivity scenarios retained 0.920–0.932 gene-direction agreement and 0.957–0.981 effect-rank correlation with the five-study analysis. In the single-nucleus dataset, leading-edge genes from the principal proteostasis programs showed 89.4–100% pooled-nucleus direction agreement and 94.7–100% agreement among published cluster-level differentially expressed genes. HSTSI had the highest mean top-200 held-out direction agreement (0.583 versus 0.516–0.562), with variation among folds. None of 16,756 genes met a modified Knapp–Hartung FDR below 0.10. IL1R2 and SDCBP2 were externally concordant, whereas GZMK and CD8A were context-dependent. Conclusions: A coordinated proteostasis program was the most transferable heat-stress signal. Energy remodeling, immune-associated bulk signals, and individual genes showed greater context dependence and define priorities for tissue-matched follow-up. Full article

Background/Objectives: Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) remains a major concern in cattle research, and the long-term effects of vaccination on health and immune responses are not well defined. This study compared gene expression in vaccinated (VAX) and unvaccinated (NOVAX) preweaned calves and subsequent BRD development during backgrounding. Methods: Whole blood was collected at four timepoints (TIME; T1-4; median age 107, 114, 183, and 230, respectively) from 73 bull calves enrolled in a blinded randomized controlled trial; VAX calves received a commercial attenuated multivalent viral vaccine at T1 and T3. Results: Whole-blood transcriptomics was used to quantify mRNA, identifying 5364 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for TIME, 84 DEGs for vaccination (VAX), and 129 for BRD status using both glmmSeq and QLF testing (glmmSeq only DEGs: 11,068 TIME, 358 VAX, and 9241 BRD). VAX calves at T3 were clustered uniquely with the enrichment of pathways related to the cellular response to stress, neutrophil degranulation, and antigen processing and presentation compared to NOVAX cattle and VAX at other timepoints. Interferon pathways, natural killer cell responses, and neutrophil activity were generally absent across all timepoints, while antigen presentation pathways were persistently enriched. Regardless of vaccination or future BRD diagnosis, immunological development over time was indicated by DEGs related to adaptive immunity, lymphocyte development, and inflammatory resolution. At T4, cattle diagnosed with BRD during backgrounding had differential gene expression related to oxygen transport, hemoglobin function, and metabolic processes compared to cattle that remained healthy. Conclusions: This study provides insights into the possible genomic mechanisms underlying vaccine responses and preclinical BRD susceptibility in preweaned beef cattle. Full article

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is a pathogen of globally significance in cattle that has two biotypes: non-cytopathogenic (non-cp) and cytopathogenic (cp). The cp biotype arises from the non-cp through genome rearrangements, which frequently involve the insertion of host cellular RNA sequences, often accompanied by viral genome duplications. Here, we performed a systematic analysis of insertions across all complete BVDV genomes available in GenBank. Despite a 10-fold increase in available sequences over the past 10 years (from 59 to 670), the repertoire of known rearrangements associated with the cp phenotype has expanded only modestly, with insertions occurring predominantly at five conserved genomic hotspots. Notably, independent acquisitions of similar insertions—such as DNAJC14 (Jiv), ubiquitin-like sequences, the NS4B-NS5A cleavage site, and the PYPDPQTLG motif—in phylogenetically unrelated virus lineages reflect a limited number of permissive sites. Our analysis further demonstrates that many insertions are mosaic and suggests multiple recombination events that are poorly compatible with template switching by viral polymerase. Mechanistically, we propose that non-replicative recombination provides the most consistent explanation for the observed insertion patterns, particularly common coupling of cellular RNA acquisitions with viral sequence duplications. Both the steric proximity of virus replication to the endoplasmic reticulum and the RNA end requirements (2′-3′ cyclic phosphate and 5′-OH) suggest that non-replicative recombination is likely mediated by the endoplasmic reticulum-associated IRE1 RNase and RtcB ligase, which are responsible for the alternative cytoplasmic splicing of cellular mRNA. Full article

Bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 (BoHV-1) acute infection induces respiratory tract disorders and conjunctivitis and suppresses immune responses that may cause bacterial pneumonia. BoHV-1 infection establishes lifelong latency in sensory neurons in trigeminal ganglia (TG), the central nervous system, and certain cells in the pharyngeal tonsil. BoHV-1 is a chronic problem in the cattle industry because stress, including the synthetic corticosteroid dexamethasone, triggers reactivation from latency after an intravenous injection. The BoHV-1 immediate early transcription unit 1 (IEtu1) promoter drives expression of infected cell protein 0 (bICP0) and bICP4, two viral transcriptional regulators. Stress activates the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and Krüppel-like factor 15 (KLF15) cooperatively transactivates the BoHV-1 IEtu1 promoter if both GR response elements (GREs) are intact. Since the bICP0 gene contains a separate early (E) promoter, we tested the hypothesis that GR+KLF family members transactivate the bICP0 E-promoter. GR+KLF4, both pioneer transcription factors, cooperatively stimulate bICP0 E-promoter activity in mouse neuroblastoma cells (Neuro-2A), and stimulate productive infection. Notably, the bICP0 E-promoter lacks GREs, suggesting that a novel mechanism triggers transactivation. CA motifs and C-rich Sp1 binding sites in bICP0 E-promoter sequences are crucial for transactivation and binding to GR and KLF4. Full article

Milk preservation requires technologies that extend shelf life while minimising undesirable changes in product quality. This study compared the effects of pasteurisation, sterilisation, and high hydrostatic pressure processing (HHP) on the physicochemical properties and protein profiles of raw whole bovine milk. The samples included untreated raw milk as the control, pasteurised milk (72 °C for 42 s), sterilised milk (121 °C for 15 min), and HHP-treated milk processed at 300, 400, 500, or 600 MPa for 5 min. Colour, pH, rheological behaviour, SDS-PAGE, and Native-PAGE were evaluated. Sterilisation caused the greatest total colour difference (ΔE* = 13.95), whereas pasteurisation resulted in a barely perceptible change (ΔE* = 0.64), and HHP-treated samples showed perceptible but lower colour differences (ΔE* = 3.42–3.97). Sterilisation also caused the most pronounced pH decrease and the highest shear stress values over most of the measured shear-rate range. SDS-PAGE profiles of raw and HHP-treated milk remained broadly similar, while Native-PAGE revealed pressure-dependent reductions in native β-lactoglobulin band intensity, particularly at 500 and 600 MPa. Pasteurisation and 600 MPa treatment reduced the κ-casein-associated band intensity by 54% and 58%, respectively. Overall, HHP induced less pronounced physicochemical and electrophoretic changes than sterilisation, although higher pressure levels caused measurable protein restructuring. Full article

Product Shezi (PS) is a polyherbal African traditional medicine (ATM) formulated from six known South African medicinal plants and is used for treating cutaneous wounds. However, its ethnopharmacological properties have not been scientifically validated. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities of PS in vitro. Aqueous and methanolic extracts were prepared and qualitatively screened for phytochemical constituents. Cytotoxicity in fibroblasts and macrophages was assessed using an ATP-based viability assay. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging and a hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced oxidative stress model. Anti-inflammatory effects in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated macrophages were measured using the Griess reagent system, a human prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) ELISA, and a bovine serum albumin (BSA) anti-denaturation assay. Antimicrobial activity was assessed by twofold serial broth microdilution, agar well diffusion, and a crystal violet biofilm assay. Phytochemical screening confirmed the presence of saponins, alkaloids, tannins, glycosides, terpenoids, flavonoids, and steroids. PS exhibited IC₁₀ values of 3 and 10 μg/mL in fibroblasts and macrophages, respectively. PS (1–5 μg/mL) showed 70% DPPH scavenging potential and potent H₂O₂ cytoprotection (p < 0.001). Nitric oxide inhibition was non-significant (p > 0.05) whilst PGE₂ decreased significantly (p < 0.05) compared to LPS-stimulated cells. BSA denaturation was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.05). Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis were the only microorganisms susceptible to PS (MIC 650–5000 μg/mL) with low SI (SI ≈ 0.05–0.06), while others were resistant. PS showed no antibiofilm activity (crystal-violet assay). Overall, PS demonstrated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and selective antibacterial effects against planktonic bacteria in vitro. However, further optimization of extraction methods, detailed mechanistic studies, and in vivo investigations are warranted to substantiate therapeutic relevance. Full article

Background: Energy dissipation reflects the viscoelastic behavior of biological tissues and plays a key role in arterial elastic recoil and diastolic flow support. In the native aorta, efficient storage and release of mechanical energy are essential for maintaining ventriculo–aortic coupling. The energy dissipation ratio (EDR) quantifies the proportion of mechanical energy lost during a loading–unloading cycle and may provide insight into the biomechanical performance of aortic substitutes. Bovine pericardial patches (BPPs) are widely used in cardiovascular surgery for arterial reconstruction, patch angioplasty, and tubular replacement. Today, EDR has not been systematically investigated in BPPs. Methods: Forty glutaraldehyde-treated BPPs from four commercial manufacturers (n = 10 per supplier) were subjected to low-cycle fatigue testing using a uniaxial tensile system under controlled physiological conditions (37 °C). Standardized bone-shaped specimens were tested at progressive strain percentage levels. Thickness, EDR, and the percentage of specimens failing to reach progressively higher strain levels were evaluated from stress–strain hysteresis loops. Results: BPPs thickness ranged from 0.253 to 0.608 mm, with no significant differences among most groups. For the 10% strain, all BPPs reached the target deformation and demonstrated comparable EDR values. In detail, the mean EDR was 21.40 ± 7.02% for Edwards Lifesciences, 24.95 ± 6.80% for Supple Peri-Guard (Baxter), 24.99 ± 6.04% for Xenosure (LeMaitre), and 23.37 ± 6.12% for Invengenx–Tisgenx, with no statistically significant intergroup differences (p > 0.05). For the 20% strain, only 18.75% of specimens remained structurally intact, and variability increased. At 30% strain, structural failure occurred in nearly all samples. No significant orientation-dependent differences were observed. Conclusions: Commercially available BPPs exhibit similar biomechanical behavior under moderate deformation. However, tolerance to higher strain is limited. EDR analysis provides a clinically relevant parameter to assess elastic performance and may contribute to optimizing aortic substitute selection. Full article

Heat stress negatively affects bovine fertility and embryonic development, while cryopreservation imposes additional cellular stress that may impair embryo survival. The present study investigated whether controlled heat treatment applied during the early morula stage could influence subsequent blastocyst development, molecular stress responses, and post-thaw survival of bovine embryos. In vitro-produced bovine embryos were exposed to controlled thermal treatment involving gradual elevation in temperature from 38.8 °C to 40.0 °C followed by subsequent cooling. Blastocyst formation, post-thaw survival after slow freezing, and the expression of stress-associated genes and microRNAs were evaluated. Heat treatment did not significantly affect blastocyst formation rates or post-thaw embryo survival compared to the control groups. However, significant alterations in the expression of stress-associated markers were observed. The expression of HSP90AA1 and HSPB11 was significantly reduced following heat treatment, while cryopreservation induced increased expression of these markers compared to embryos exposed only to heat treatment. Significant alterations were also detected in the expression of several stress-associated microRNAs. These findings suggest that controlled heat exposure during the morula stage may induce molecular changes associated with the embryonic response to heat stress without compromising developmental competence or cryosurvival. The results contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying embryonic responses to thermal and cryogenic stress and may support future optimization of embryo production and cryopreservation strategies. Full article

Atriplex halimus is a medicinal plant traditionally used for various therapeutic purposes. This study evaluated the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, genotoxic, and anti-arthritic activities of the A. halimus aqueous extract (AHA). Anti-arthritic effects were investigated in Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritic rats treated with AHA (150 or 300 mg/kg) for 21 days. AHA significantly reduced paw swelling and arthritis severity and improved body weight, while a non-significant reduction in spleen enlargement was observed. Hematological and biochemical parameters were restored toward normal values, indicating anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and nephroprotective effects. The extract also reduced oxidative stress by decreasing nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and increasing glutathione (GSH) content and catalase (CAT) activity. Histopathological examination confirmed reduced inflammatory infiltration and protection against bone damage. Phytochemical analysis revealed polyphenols, flavonoids, and tannins, consistent with its antioxidant activity in DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, and o-phenanthroline assays. AHA also showed anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting bovine serum albumin denaturation. The extract induced a moderate concentration-dependent reduction in HeLa cell viability without cytotoxicity toward HaCaT cells. Comet assay results demonstrated DNA damage in HeLa cells at higher concentrations, while AHA significantly suppressed zymosan-induced IL-1β gene expression. These findings indicate that AHA is a promising natural source of bioactive compounds with diverse biological activities. Full article

Bovine Mycoplasma bovis pneumonia (MBP) is an important component of bovine respiratory disease, and its management is complicated by persistent infection and antimicrobial stewardship concerns. Houttuynia cordata Thunb. has reported anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities, but its potential host-directed mechanisms in MBP remain unclear. This in silico study used network pharmacology and molecular docking to identify candidate compounds, common drug–disease targets, enriched biological functions, and predicted ligand–target interactions. A total of 145 putative targets of H. cordata and 474 MBP-associated disease targets were obtained from TCMSP, GeneCards, OMIM, and CTD, yielding 43 common drug–disease targets. Dual-confidence STRING analysis, cytoHubba ranking, and MCODE module analysis prioritized TNF, IL6, IL1B, PTGS2, PPARG, IFNG, CASP3, and MMP9 as candidate core targets. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment indicated convergence on cytokine-mediated signaling, inflammatory response, immune regulation, oxidative stress, IL-17 signaling, and TNF signaling. Molecular docking suggested favorable predicted interactions for quercitrin–PTGS2, quercetin–TNF, quercetin–IL6, and quercitrin–CASP3. These computational findings suggest that H. cordata may be associated with host inflammatory and immune-response modulation in MBP, mainly through flavonoid-related interactions with inflammation- and apoptosis-related targets. Further bovine-specific experimental validation is required before biological activity or practical application can be inferred. Full article

Background: Bougainvillea species have been used in traditional Mexican medicine, but their bioactive compounds and mechanisms of action are insufficiently studied. This is the first comprehensive evaluation of fractions from the acetone extract of Bougainvillea × buttiana Holtum & Standl (var. Rose), combining phytochemical profiling with in vitro multitarget bioactivity assessment. Methods: Eleven fractions were analyzed for total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant capacity using the DPPH assay. The most active fractions were further tested for nitric oxide (NO) scavenging, protection of erythrocytes and bovine serum albumin (BSA) from oxidative damage, inhibition of enzymes involved in inflammation (PLA₂, COX, LOX) and carbohydrate metabolism (α-glucosidase, α-amylase, tyrosinase), cytoprotective effects in L929 fibroblasts exposed to hydrogen peroxide, and their main metabolites were qualitatively identified by HPLC-UV-Vis. Results: All fractions showed significant TPC and TFC and concentration-dependent antioxidant activity. The fractions with the highest antioxidant indices were F5, F7, and F9. These effectively scavenged NO, protected erythrocytes and L929 cells (maintaining viability at 82.0%, 75.6%, and 72.0%, respectively), and inhibited key enzymes. Seven major compounds, mainly flavonoids, were identified. Conclusions: These findings showed that flavonoid-enriched fractions from B. × buttiana exhibit coordinated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and cytoprotective effects, suggesting potential to treat oxidative stress-related disorders. Full article

Mastitis is recognized worldwide as one of the most expensive and common bovine diseases, severely affecting bovine health and milk quality. Mitochondria, known to play important roles in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs), not only provide energy for milk synthesis but also participate in the regulation of the intracellular redox balance, inflammatory reactions, calcium signal transduction, and apoptosis. Mastitis destroys the dynamic balance between the intrinsic repair and damage mechanisms of mitochondria, which leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and aggravation of mammary cell injury or apoptosis. Plant extracts are rich in bioactive substances and are promising antibiotic substitutes for alleviating bovine mastitis. This paper reviews the mechanism through which plant extracts promote mitochondrial repair by interfering with mitophagy, dynamic balance and biogenesis, and alleviate mitochondrial damage by inhibiting mitochondrial ROS, calcium homeostasis imbalance and permeability changes, resulting in the regulation of the mitochondrial function of mammary cells under inflammation and oxidative stress. Elucidation of these mechanisms can provide new strategies for the targeted control of bovine mastitis. Full article