Restorative Methods for Mutant SPASTBased Innate Spastic Paraplegia
African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes a devastating disease of swine that has caused outbreaks in Central Europe since 2007, spreading into Asia in 2018. ASFV is a large, structurally complex virus with a large dsDNA genome encoding for more than 160 genes, most of them still uncharacterized. p22, encoded by the ASFV gene KP177R, is an early transcribed, structural virus protein located in the ASFV particle. Although its exact function is unknown, p22 has recently been identified as an interacting partner of several host proteins. Here, we describe the development of a recombinant ASFV (ASFV-G-∆KP177R) lacking the KP177R gene as a tool to evaluate the role of p22 in virus replication and virulence in swine. The recombinant ASFV-G-∆KP177R demonstrated that the KP177R gene is non-essential for ASFV replication in primary swine macrophages, with virus yields similar to those of the parental, highly virulent field isolate Georgia2010 (ASFV-G). In addition, experimental infection of domestic pigs with ASFV-G-∆KP177R produced a clinical disease similar to that caused by the parental ASFV-G. Therefore, and surprisingly, p22 does not seem to be involved in virus replication or virulence in swine.Resistant maltodextrin (RMD) is a water-soluble and fermentable functional fiber. RMD is a satiating prebiotic, reducer of glucose and triglycerides in the blood, and promoter of good gut health, and its addition to food is increasingly frequent. Therefore, it is necessary to study its potential effects on intrinsic bioactive compounds of food and their bioaccessibility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adding RMD on the bioactive compounds of pasteurized orange juice with and without pulp, and the bioaccessibility of such compounds. RMD was added at different concentrations 0 (control sample), 2.5%, 5%, and 7.5%. Ascorbic acid (AA) and vitamin C were analyzed using HPLC, whereas total phenols, total carotenoids (TC), and antioxidant capacity were measured using spectrophotometry. find more After that, sample in vitro digestibility was assessed using the standardized static in vitro digestion method. The control orange juice with pulp presented significantly higher values of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity than the control orange juice without pulp (p less then 0.05). RMD addition before the juice pasteurization process significantly protected all bioactive compounds, namely total phenols, TC, AA, and vitamin C, as well as the antioxidant capacity (AC) (p less then 0.05). Moreover, this bioactive compound protective effect was higher when higher RMD concentrations were added. However, RMD addition improved phenols and vitamin C bioaccessibility but decreased TC and AA bioaccessibility. Therefore, the AC value of samples after gastrointestinal digestion was slightly decreased by RMD addition. Moreover, orange pulp presence decreased total phenols and TC bioaccessibility but increased AA and vitamin C bioaccessibility.A disturbed interaction between the gut microbiota and the mucosal immune system plays a pivotal role in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Various compounds that are produced by the gut microbiota, from its metabolism of diverse dietary sources, have been found to possess anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties in in vitro and in vivo models relevant to IBD. These gut microbiota-derived metabolites may have similar, or more potent gut homeostasis-promoting effects compared to the widely-studied short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Available data suggest that mainly members of the Firmicutes are responsible for producing metabolites with the aforementioned effects, a phylum that is generally underrepresented in the microbiota of IBD patients. Further efforts aiming at characterizing such metabolites and examining their properties may help to develop novel modulatory microbiome therapies to treat or prevent IBD.Cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and aortic valve sclerosis involve inflammatory reactions triggered by various stimuli, causing increased oxidative stress. This increased oxidative stress causes damage to the heart cells, with subsequent cell apoptosis or calcification. Currently, heart valve damage or heart valve diseases are treated by drugs or surgery. Natural antioxidant products are being investigated in related research, such as fucoxanthin (Fx), which is a marine carotenoid extracted from seaweed, with strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor properties. This study aimed to explore the protective effect of Fx on heart valves under high oxidative stress, as well as the underlying mechanism of action. Rat heart valve interstitial cells under H2O2-induced oxidative stress were treated with Fx. Fx improved cell survival and reduced oxidative stress-induced DNA damage, which was assessed by cell viability analysis and staining with propidium iodide. Alizarin Red-S analysis indicated that Fx has a protective effect against calcification. Furthermore, Western blotting revealed that Fx abrogates oxidative stress-induced apoptosis via reducing the expression of apoptosis-related proteins as well as modulate Akt/ERK-related protein expression. Notably, in vivo experiments using 26 dogs treated with 60 mg/kg of Fx in combination with medical treatment for 0.5 to 2 years showed significant recovery in their echocardiographic parameters. Collectively, these in vitro and in vivo results highlight the potential of Fx to protect heart valve cells from high oxidative stress-induced damage.The Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) is a behaviour change model showing promise in positively changing youth sport coaches' injury prevention behaviours. This study incorporated the HAPA model into coach training workshops for Activate, an efficacious rugby injury prevention programme. Primary aims were to investigate the effect of the workshop on schoolboy rugby union coaches' (1) perceptions towards injury risk and prevention, (2) Activate adoption and adherence. Secondary aims were to (3) assess the differences in post-season HAPA constructs between workshop attendees and non-attendees, (4) explore associations between HAPA constructs and Activate adherence. In the pre-season, all participants (n = 76) completed a baseline survey, with 41 coaches electing to attend a workshop. Participants completed a post-season survey assessing HAPA constructs and Activate adoption and adherence throughout the season. The workshop did not affect coach perceptions of injury risk and prevention. Attendees had significantly greater rates of Activate adoption (95% vs.