• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.56 no.2
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• pp.135-145
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• 2018

Due to the critical location and physiological activities of the retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cell, it is constantly subjected to contact with various infectious agents and inflammatory mediators. However, little is known about the signaling events in RPE involved in Toxoplasma gondii infection and development. The aim of the study is to screen the host mRNA transcriptional change of 3 inflammation-related gene categories, PI3K/Akt pathway regulatory components, blood vessel development factors and ROS regulators, to prove that PI3K/Akt or mTOR signaling pathway play an essential role in regulating the selected inflammation-related genes. The selected genes include PH domain and leucine- rich-repeat protein phosphatases (PHLPP), casein kinase2 (CK2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1). Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), we found that T. gondii up-regulates PHLPP2, $CK2{\beta}$, VEGF, GCL, GST and NQO1 gene expression levels, but down-regulates PHLPP1 and PEDF mRNA transcription levels. PI3K inhibition and mTOR inhibition by specific inhibitors showed that most of these host gene expression patterns were due to activation of PI3K/Akt or mTOR pathways with some exceptional cases. Taken together, our results reveal a new molecular mechanism of these gene expression change dependent on PI3K/Akt or mTOR pathways and highlight more systematical insight of how an intracellular T. gondii can manipulate host genes to avoid host defense.

• Journal of Aquaculture
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.105-111
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• 2009

In this study, we carried out an experiment for estimation the larval digestibility in aspects which digestive enzymatic activities and nutrition of the rotifers, Brachionus rotundiformis. Thus we enhanced the digestive enzymatic activity through the addition of starch for the increase of digestibility of rotifer (starch-rotifer), and compared with the feed efficiency through rearing of the olive flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus used rotifer lipid-enriched with Algamac $2000^{(R)}$ (CE-rotifer). The digestive enzyme activities (except for TG-lipase), total protein contents, total essential amino acid, essential amino acids (methionin and phenylalanine) of starch-rotifer (the rotifer used a starch as additive, and enriched not) was assayed significantly higher than CE-rotifer (P<0.05). And total lipid, lipid classes (except for sterol) and fatty acids as DHA and EPA showed higher in CE-rotifer than starch-rotifer (P<0.05). But, sterol contents and ST/TG ratio were shown significantly higher in starch-rotifer (P<0.05). The flounder larvae supplied the two rotifers showed standard length and body weight that not significantly differed with ranges $3.72{\sim}3.79\;mm$ and $32.9{\sim}37.8\;mg$/larva on 6 days after hatching (DAH), respectively (P>0.05). However, these of 12 DAH showed the values of significantly higher to $5.94{\pm}0.249\;mm$, $144.0{\pm}23.86\;mg$/larva and $26.2{\pm}12.13%$ in standard length, body weight and survival in CE-flounder than that of starch-flounder (P<0.05). The hydrolytic enzymatic activities of flounder larvae severally supplied the two rotifers showed the significantly higher activities in acidic -amylase, neutral -amylase, TG-lipase, lysozyme and acidic phosphatase in starch-flounder on 5 DAH (P<0.05). But neutral $\alpha$-amylase, three proteases and two phosphatases of CE-flounder on 11 DAH showed the significantly higher activities than that of starch-flounder (P<0.05). Therefore, for the flounder, Paralichthys olivaceus larvae just depleted yolk was more beneficial to supply the feed, rotifer, enhanced the digestibility than to supply the feed lipid-enriched for aspect of larval digestibility up to 6 DAH, thereafter nutrition of absorption due to the development of digestive organs suggested that enrichment effect appeared with larval somatic growth. Consequently, investigation more detailed about the larval digestive physiological and nutritional requirement variations after 6 DAH will be necessary, thereafter.