Berberine ameliorates the progression of primary sclerosing cholangitis by activating farnesoid X receptor.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a rare cholestatic disease characterized by biliary infiltration, hepatic fibrosis and bile duct destruction. To date, treatment options for PSC are very limited. Therefore, the current study is aimed to investigate the therapeutic potential of berberine (BBR) against PSC. The disease was induced by feeding the mice with 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydro-2,4,6-collidine (DDC) for four weeks. The serum biochemistry and liver histology were analyzed. Furthermore, the expression of farnesoid X receptor (FXR) was also evaluated by real-time PCR. The results indicated that berberine prevents the progression of PSC by modulating the expression of FXR which ultimately regulates other genes (including Cyp7A1 and BSEP) thus maintaining bile acids homeostasis. Furthermore, the docking analysis showed that berberine interacts with the binding pocket of FXR to activate the protein thus acting as an FXR agonist. In conclusion, data indicate that berberine protects the liver from PSC-related injury. This effect might be due to the modulation of FXR activity.

The Role of Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in Supporting Gut Health in Horses: An Updated Review on Its Effects on Digestibility and Intestinal and Fecal Microbiota.

To support the overall health of horses, it is essential to maintain an optimal gut health (GH) status, which encompasses several physiological and functional aspects, including the balance and functionality of intestinal microbial populations and, accordingly, the effective digestion and absorption of nutrients. Numerous biotic and abiotic stressors can lead to an imbalance of GH, such as the quality of forages and the composition of diet, e.g., the inclusion of high energy-dense feeds to meet the energy requirements of performance horses. To support the digestive function and the intestinal microbial populations, the diet can be supplemented with feed additives, such as probiotic yeasts, that promote the ability of cellulolytic bacteria in the hindgut to digest the available fiber fractions, finally increasing feed efficiency. Among the different yeasts available, S. cerevisiae is the most used in horses' nutrition; however, results of digestibility trials, as well as data on intestinal and fecal microbial populations, are sometimes contradictory. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to summarize the effects of S. cerevisiae on in vivo and in vitro digestibility, providing an updated overview of its effects on the intestinal and fecal microbial population.

Yeast-Derived Products: The Role of Hydrolyzed Yeast and Yeast Culture in Poultry Nutrition-A Review.

Yeasts are single-cell eukaryotic microorganisms that are largely employed in animal nutrition for their beneficial effects, which are owed to their cellular components and bioactive compounds, among which are mannans, ß-glucans, nucleotides, mannan oligosaccharides, and others. While the employment of live yeast cells as probiotics in poultry nutrition has already been largely reviewed, less information is available on yeast-derived products, such as hydrolyzed yeast (HY) and yeast culture (YC). The aim of this review is to provide the reader with an overview of the available body of literature on HY and YC and their effects on poultry. A brief description of the main components of the yeast cell that is considered to be responsible for the beneficial effects on animals' health is also provided. HY and YC appear to have beneficial effects on the poultry growth and production performance, as well as on the immune response and gut health. Most of the beneficial effects of HY and YC have been attributed to their ability to modulate the gut microbiota, stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria and reducing pathogen colonization. However, there are still many areas to be investigated to better understand and disentangle the effects and mechanisms of action of HY and YC.

An Investigation into the Accumulation of Air Borne Trace Metals in the Lungs of Common Myna Acridotheres tristis and Bank Myna Acridotheres ginginianus Captured from Urban and Semi Urban Areas of Lahore and Pattoki, Pakistan.

With increasing urbanization and industrialization, clean air is becoming a scarce resource. During the present investigation, concentrations of metals (Pb, Ni and Zn) in the atmosphere and their subsequent deposition in the lungs of two common avian species, common myna, Acridotheres tristis (n = 30) and bank myna, A. ginginianus (n = 20), captured from urban areas of Lahore city and semi-urban areas of Pattoki city 80 km away from main city of Lahore were determined. The obtained results were analyzed statistically using Independent sample t test and Pearson's correlation. A comparison of trace metal concentrations in air of both the cities was also carried out. Statistically, significant variations were recorded for Pb (t (7) = - 4.276, p = 0.001) while non-significant differences were observed for both Ni (t (7) = 0.049, p = 0.962) and Zn (t (7) = 1.555, p = 0.146).

Electromyographic analysis of upper trapezius, abductor pollicis longus and abductor pollicis brevis during smartphone use in different positions among young male and female subjects.

BACKGROUND: Smartphone use has increased tremendously in recent times and there are various adverse musculoskeletal consequences associated with its use. Alteration in the activation patterns of muscles in certain positions may be the reason behind the development of musculoskeletal disorders in smartphone users; however, it has not been thoroughly investigated by the existing literature. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the electromyographic (EMG) activity of upper trapezius (UT), abductor pollicis brevis (APB) and abductor pollicis longus (APL) during smartphone use in three different positions (standing, sitting on the chair and sitting cross legged on the floor) in young male versus female subjects. METHODS: Twenty-six young male (age: 23.77 ± 2.47 years) and 26 young female (age: 22.45 ± 2.32 years) smartphone users were recruited from Centre for Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India. EMG activity of UT, APB and APL muscles was examined using surface electrodes during a smartphone task in three different positions, i.e. standing, sitting on a chair, sitting cross-legged on the floor. The smartphone task consisted of typing English quotations for 20 s 3 times with a rest period of 10 s between each quotation and a 5-min interval between each position, respectively. RESULTS: EMG activity of the UT muscle was found to be significantly reduced when sitting on a chair as compared to standing (p < 0.001) and sitting cross-legged (p = 0.008) during smartphone use. APB and APL muscle activity were not significantly different between the three positions (p > 0.05). Moreover, the activation patterns of these muscles did not differ in male and female subjects (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that the UT muscle is least activated when sitting on chair as compared to standing and sitting cross-legged during smartphone use. Moreover, the activity of neck and thumb muscles does not vary significantly between male and female subjects during smartphone use in different positions. As UT muscle activation significantly varies with the position of smartphone use, thus, the position adopted during smartphone use should be taken into consideration and the position which causes least strain on muscles, i.e. sitting on the chair should be adopted.