Browsing by Author "Dong-Liang, Li"

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    Inhibited carnitine synthesis causes systemic alteration of nutrient metabolism in zebrafish.
    (2018-05-09) Jia-Min, Li; Ling-Yu, Li; Xuan, Qin; Pascal, Degrace; Laurent Demizieux, Demizieux; Samwel Mchele Limbu; Xin, Wang; Mei-Ling, Zhang; Dong-Liang, Li; Zhen-Yu Du, Du
    Impaired mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation has been correlated with many metabolic syndromes, and the metabolic characteristics of the mammalian models of mitochondrial dysfunction have also been intensively studied. However, the effects of the impaired mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation on systemic metabolism in teleost have never been investigated. In the present study, we established a low-carnitine zebrafish model by feeding fish with mildronate as a specific carnitine synthesis inhibitor [0.05% body weight (BW)/d] for 7 weeks, and the systemically changed nutrient metabolism, including carnitine and triglyceride (TG) concentrations, fatty acid (FA) β-oxidation capability, and other molecular and biochemical assays of lipid, glucose, and protein metabolism, were measured. The results indicated that mildronate markedly decreased hepatic carnitine concentrations while it had no effect in muscle. Liver TG concentrations increased by more than 50% in mildronate-treated fish. Mildronate decreased the efficiency of liver mitochondrial β-oxidation, increased the hepatic mRNA expression of genes related to FA β-oxidation and lipolysis, and decreased the expression of lipogenesis genes. Mildronate decreased whole body glycogen content, increased glucose metabolism rate, and upregulated the expression of glucose uptake and glycolysis genes. Mildronate also increased whole body protein content and hepatic mRNA expression of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mtor), and decreased the expression of a protein catabolism-related gene. Liver, rather than muscle, was the primary organ targeted by mildronate. In short, mildronate-induced hepatic inhibited carnitine synthesis in zebrafish caused decreased mitochondrial FA β-oxidation efficiency, greater lipid accumulation, and altered glucose and protein metabolism. This reveals the key roles of mitochondrial fatty acid β-oxidation in nutrient metabolism in fish, and this low-carnitine zebrafish model could also be used as a novel fish model for future metabolism studies.
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    Inhibited fatty acid β-oxidation impairs stress resistance ability in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)., 68: 500-508.
    (Elsevier, 2017-07-31) Han, Pan; Ling-Yu, Li; Jia-Min, Li; Wei-Li, Wang; Samwel Mchele Limbu; Pascal, Degrace; Dong-Liang, Li; Zhen-Yu, Du
    Energy metabolism plays important roles in stress resistance and immunity in mammals, however, such functions have not been established in fish. In the present study, Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was fed with mildronate, an inhibitor of mitochondrial fatty acid (FA) β-oxidation, for six weeks subsequently challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila and ammonia nitrogen exposure. Mildronate treatment reduced significantly l-carnitine concentration and mitochondrial FA β-oxidation efficiency, while it increased lipid accumulation in liver. The fish with inhibited hepatic FA catabolism had lower survival rate when exposed to Aeromonas hydrophila and ammonia nitrogen. Moreover, fish fed mildronate supplemented diet had lower immune enzymes activities and anti-inflammatory cytokine genes expressions, but had higher pro-inflammatory cytokine genes expressions. However, the oxidative stress-related biochemical indexes were not significantly affected by mildronate treatment. Taken together, inhibited mitochondrial FA β-oxidation impaired stress resistance ability in Nile tilapia mainly through inhibiting immune functions and triggering inflammation. This is the first study showing the regulatory effects of lipid catabolism on stress resistance and immune functions in fish.
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    Lipophagy is essential for lipid metabolism in fish.
    (Elsevier, 2018-05-30) Jing, Wang; Si-Lan, Han; Ling-Yu, Li; Dong-Liang, Li; Samwel Mchele Limbu; Dong-Liang, Li; Mei-Ling, Zhang; Zhen-Yu, Du
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    The Physiological and Metabolic Differences between Visceral and Subcutaneous Adipose Tissues in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).
    (The American Physiological Society, 2017-11-09) Ya-Wen, Wang; Ji-Lei, Zhang; Jian-Gang, Jiao; Xiao-Xia, Du; Samwel Mchele Limbu; Fang, Qiao; Mei-Ling, Zhang; Dong-Liang, Li; Zhenyu, Du
    Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT) have different structures and metabolic functions and play different roles in the regulation of the mammal endocrine system. However, little is known about morphology and physiological and metabolic functions between VAT and SCAT in fish. We compared the morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics of VAT and SCAT in Nile tilapia and measured their functions in energy intake flux, lipolytic ability, and gene expression patterns. SCAT contained more large adipocytes and nonadipocytes than VAT in Nile tilapia. VAT had higher lipid content and was the primary site for lipid deposition. Conversely, SCAT had higher hormone-induced lipolytic activity. Furthermore, SCAT had a higher percentage of monounsaturated and lower polyunsaturated fatty acids than VAT. SCAT had higher mitochondrial DNA, gene expression for fatty acid β-oxidation, adipogenesis, and brown adipose tissue characteristics, but it also had a lower gene expression for inflammation and adipocyte differentiation than VAT. SCAT and VAT have different morphological structures, as well as physiological and metabolic functions in fish. VAT is the preferable lipid deposition tissue, whereas SCAT exhibits higher lipid catabolic activity than VAT. The physiological functions of SCAT in fish are commonly overlooked. The present study indicates that SCAT has specific metabolic characteristics that differ from VAT. The differences between VAT and SCAT should be considered in future metabolism studies using fish as models, either in biomedical or aquaculture studies.
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    Soybean and cottonseed meals are good candidates for fish meal replacement in the diet for juvenile Macrobrachium nipponense. , 26(1): 309–324.
    (Springer, 2017-11-13) Yujuan, Huang; Nannan, Zhang; Wujiang, Fan; Yanyan, Cui; Samwel Mchele Limbu; Yunlong, Zhao; Fang, Qiao; Liqiao, Chen; Zhenyu, Du; Dong-Liang, Li
    Macrobrachium nipponense is a new aquaculture species with high market demand and is preferred as food by Asian consumers. However, its nutrient requirements and optimal dietary sources have not been fully evaluated. In the present study, we examined four common plant protein sources (soybean meal, cottonseed meal, rapeseed meal, and peanut meal) as partial replacement for 25% fishmeal protein in five isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets in M. nipponense for 8 weeks. The nutritional effects of the four plant protein sources were compared by means of growth performance, feed efficiency, histology, biochemical composition, oxidative stress, total hemocyte count, and in vitro digestion. Prawns fed the diets containing soybean (730.96 ± 33.50%) and cottonseed meals (672.32 ± 74.52%) had higher weight gain than those fed on rapeseed (503.71 ± 50.85%) and peanut (507.79 ± 52.10%) meal diets (p < 0.05). Similarly, the feed conversion ratios of prawns fed on soybean (1.66 ± 0.12%) and cottonseed (1.88 ± 0.06%) meal diets were significantly lower than those fed on rapeseed (2.37 ± 0.10%) and peanut (2.77 ± 0.16%) (p < 0.05) meal diets. No significant differences were found among groups in the hepatopancreas and intestinal histological characteristics, activities of antioxidant enzymes, and hemocyte number. The amino acid composition in diets and prawn muscles was comparable among groups. Soybean meal showed the highest in vitro digestibility. Taken together, soybean and cottonseed meals could be good candidates for partial fishmeal replacement in M. nipponense diets.