Anti-TLR2 polyclonal antibody

Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), mainly comprising protein and fat, has been reported to have multiple biological functions for relieving intestinal inflammation and enhancing growth performance. We hypothesized that MFGM supplementation into sows' diet during late gestation can have a positive impact on the intestinal microecology of sows and their piglets, as well as on the growth of neonates. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate such effects and their potential mechanisms. Twenty-two pregnant sows were selected and randomly divided into the CON group (basal diet) and MFGM group (basal diet supplemented with 9.9 g per day MFGM). The feeding period began from d 85 of gestation and until farrowing. The concentrations of albumin (ALB), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) in plasma and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in feces of sows from the MFGM group were determined. The concentrations of growth hormone (GH), immunoglobulin A (IgA), glucose (GLU), and NEFA in the umbilical cord blood in the MFGM group were significantly higher than those in the CON group. Piglets from the MFGM group showed improved growth performance, increased villus height in the jejunum, decreased crypt depth in the duodenum and jejunum, upregulated mRNA expressions of tight junctions (namely, Occludin; Claudin-1, Claudin-2, and Claudin-4; zonulin-1 (ZO-1)); mucins such as Mucin 2, Mucin 4, Mucin 13, and Mucin 20; and immune-related genes, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interferon-gamma (INF-gamma), interleukin-22 (IL-22), toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), and toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). In addition, the abundance of Prevotella in the feces of sows at farrowing and the abundance of Christensenellaceae_R-7_group in the feces of 21 day-old piglets from the MFGM group were significantly higher. Further correlation analysis revealed that the Christensenellaceae_R-7_group was positively correlated with the relative mRNA expressions of Occludin, Claudin-1, Claudin-2, Claudin-4, Mucin 13, TLR2, and TLR4. In conclusion, MFGM supplementation during late gestation improved the physiological status of sows by improving their plasma parameters and intestinal microecology. The improved provision of nutrients through the umbilical cord blood and optimized microbiota colonization in neonatal piglets were beneficial to the intestinal morphological structure and barrier functions, consequently improving the growth performance of neonates during lactation. These findings provide insights into the future applications of MFGM with regard to maternal-fetal nutrition and a new option for nutritional intervention of neonates through maternal dietary manipulation.

Background Altered innate immune function plays an important role in the initiation of inflammatory response in Behcet's disease (BD). Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are the master regulators of the innate immune system. Because the role of TLRs remains unknown in the pathogenesis of BD, the present study aimed to evaluate the expression levels and methylation status of the TLR2 and TLR4 promoters in patients with BD. Methods In the present study, Iranian Azeri BD patients (n= 47) with an active (n= 22) and inactive (n= 25) period, and healthy controls (n= 61), were matched according to age, sex and ethnicity. TLR2 and TLR4 genes promoter CpG islands were predicted with the Eukaryotic Promoter Database (https://epd.vital-it.ch). Methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) was conducted. Results The results showed that mRNA of TLR4 was significantly increased in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of BD patients with an active phase compared to the control group. Differences in mRNA of TLR4 between the inactive BD and control groups were not significant. Differences in TLR2 mRNA levels in the PBMCs of the active and inactive phase BD and control groups were not significant. The methylation rate of TLR4 gene promoter was significantly lower in the active and inactive BD groups compared to the control group. The difference between the active and inactive BD groups was not significant. There was no significant difference in the methylation rates of the TLR2 gene between studied groups. Conclusions Our preliminary findings suggest that the hypomethylation of TLR4 gene may be involved in the pathogenesis of BD via increasing TLR4 expression.