Macrophage-expressed gene 1 [Mpeg1/Perforin-2 (PRF2)] is an ancient metazoan protein belonging to the membrane attack complex/perforin (MACPF) branch of the MACPF/cholesterol dependent cytolysin (CDC) superfamily of pore-forming proteins (PFPs). However, the mechanism of Mpeg-mediated bacterial damage remains unclear in invertebrates. In the present study, a macrophage expressed gene was identified in Crassostrea gigas and designated as CgMpeg1a. The complete cDNA of CgMpeg1a is 2641 bp in length, containing an ORF of 1953 bp, which encodes a putative protein of 650 amino acids with a predicted 1-20 aa signal peptide and a MACPF domain at 140-339 aa. CgMpeg1a mRNA was detected in all the tested tissues. The mRNA expression levels of CgMpeg1a in hemocytes and gills increased significantly after Vibrio splendidus stimulation. The recombinant CgMpeg1a protein (rCgMpeg1a) could bind various bacteria. The number of damaged bacteria, antibacterial activity and the contents of K[+], ALP and LDH in the bacterial supernatant were all enhanced after the incubation of bacteria with rCgMpeg1a. The results indicated that invertebrate Mpeg1 exerted cytotoxic function to destroy the invading pathogens.

Background/Objectives: Overlapping clinical and imaging features complicate the early differentiation between spontaneous spinal cord infarction (SCI) and seronegative acute myelitis (SAM). We aimed to compare the clinical and laboratory characteristics of SCI and SAM and, as an exploratory analysis, to develop and internally validate multivariable diagnostic models evaluating whether routinely available laboratory parameters provide additional discriminatory information beyond selected clinical features. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 75 patients (34 SCI, 41 SAM) treated between January 2017 and June 2025. Between-group laboratory comparisons were adjusted for multiple testing using the Benjamini-Hochberg false-discovery-rate procedure. Penalized logistic regression analyses were performed using clinical variables, laboratory variables, and their combination, with candidate variables defined on clinical and data-quality grounds rather than by univariate statistical significance. Model discrimination was evaluated using repeated nested cross-validation. Bootstrap optimism correction was additionally performed for the full-data combined model, and decision curve analysis was conducted as an exploratory secondary analysis. Results: SCI patients were older, more often male, and had higher prevalence of hypertension and diabetes. Radicular pain was markedly more common in SCI. After Benjamini-Hochberg correction, five laboratory parameters remained significantly different between groups: CRP, triglycerides, monocyte percentage, and absolute monocyte count were higher in SCI, whereas HDL cholesterol was lower. In the combined penalized analysis, age, hypertension, radicular pain, CRP, triglycerides, absolute monocyte count, and absolute eosinophil count were retained. The clinical, laboratory, and combined models yielded AUCs of 0.821 (95% CI 0.718-0.910), 0.756 (95% CI 0.633-0.865), and 0.871 (95% CI 0.776-0.947), respectively. Compared with the clinical model, the combined model showed a modest increase in discrimination (ΔAUC 0.050, 95% CI 0.005-0.101, p = 0.030). Bootstrap internal validation of the full-data combined model yielded an optimism-corrected AUC of 0.902, compared with an apparent AUC of 0.937, with a mean optimism of 0.035. Exploratory decision curve analysis showed a potential net benefit of the combined model across a range of threshold probabilities. Conclusions: Spontaneous SCI and SAM showed distinct clinical and laboratory profiles in this retrospective cohort. Routine laboratory parameters provided modest additional discriminatory information beyond clinical features, and the combined model maintained discrimination during internal validation. These findings are exploratory and require validation in larger, independent cohorts before clinical application.

Polystyrene nanoplastics (PS-NPs; nominal diameter, 100 nm; unmodified and negatively charged) and imidacloprid (IMI) are common freshwater contaminants, but little is known about their combined toxicity in benthic fish. In this study, loaches (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) were exposed for 21 days to clean water, 100 μg/L PS-NPs, 78 μg/L IMI, or 78 μg/L IMI combined with 25, 50, or 100 μg/L PS-NPs. Each treatment contained 90 fish distributed among three replicate tanks. Survival, hepatic oxidative-stress indices, inflammatory gene expression, histopathology, and intestinal transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles were evaluated. Survival decreased across the co-exposure groups, with a significant overall difference among treatments (log-rank test, p = 0.0027). Hepatic CAT, SOD, and GSH levels decreased, whereas MDA increased, with the strongest changes observed in the higher PS-NP co-exposure groups. Pro-inflammatory genes, including IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α, were upregulated, whereas IL-4 and IL-10 were downregulated. Histopathological injury of the gill, intestine, and liver was most pronounced in the NIH group. Transcriptomic analysis identified changes in pathways related to digestion, cell-cycle regulation, cholesterol metabolism, and lipid metabolism, while metabolomic analysis revealed alterations in glycerophospholipid, sphingolipid, fatty-acid, and carbohydrate metabolism. HMGCS1, CEL, CYP8B1, APOB, and APOC1 showed treatment-associated expression changes, with APOB displaying a non-linear response across the co-exposure groups. Overall, PS-NP co-exposure was associated with stronger IMI-related adverse responses under the tested conditions and substantial disruption of intestinal lipid homeostasis.

Hallmarks of aging are highly variable among individuals, and sexual dimorphism may contribute to these differences. However, the details are unclear.The gut-metabolism axisin naturally aging wild-type and Nrf2 knockout (KO) mouse models was investigated. In this study, intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests were performed on 12- and 48-week-old wild-type and Nrf2 KO mice to assess glucose tolerance. Serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein levels were measured using biochemicaltest kits. The estradiol and testosterone levels in the serum were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Liver and adipose tissue morphology were examined using hematoxylin and eosin staining, and gut microbiota composition was analyzed using 16S rDNA sequencing of fecal samples.The results showed that glucose tolerance was significantly impaired in aging male Nrf2KO mice, and lipid accumulation in hepatic and adipose tissues increased in aging wild-type (WT) miceandaging Nrf2KO mice of both sexescompared with that in their young counterparts.Aged miceand Nrf2 KO mice exhibited divergent responses in their serum lipid profiles.Notably, female Nrf2 KO mice showed a significantly lowerα-diversity in gut bacterial composition, compared with both male Nrf2 KO mice and female WT controls.In conclusion, the resultsindicatethat aging and Nrf2 deficiency promoted weight gain and tissue lipid accumulation in both sexes but elicited sex-dimorphic differences in blood glucose stability, microbiota composition, and the magnitude of adiposity. Therefore, sex is an important factor contributing to age-related variations in gut microbiota and metabolism.

This study aimed to investigate the association between sedentary behavior and complex multimorbidity among American adults, verify the mediating role of the high-sensitivity C-reactive protein/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (hs-CRP/HDL-C) ratio in this relationship, and provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of chronic diseases. A total of 8246 adults aged ≥20 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015 to 2020 were enrolled as study participants. Sedentary time was collected via questionnaire surveys, while hs-CRP and HDL-C levels were obtained through laboratory tests. Complex multimorbidity (defined as the coexistence of ≥3 chronic diseases) was determined based on clinical diagnoses. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between sedentary behavior and complex multimorbidity. A mediation effect model was applied to quantify the mediating effect of the hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio, and subgroup analyses were conducted to explore population heterogeneity. The prevalence of complex multimorbidity in the study population was 25.72%, with a mean daily sedentary time of 5.87 hours. After adjusting for potential confounding factors, each 1-hour increase in daily sedentary time was associated with a 3.46% higher risk of complex multimorbidity (odds ratio = 1.03, 95% confidence interval: 1.02-1.05, P < .001). Restricted cubic spline analysis revealed a linear association between sedentary time and complex multimorbidity. Mediation effect analysis indicated that the hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio exerted a partial mediating effect on the association, accounting for 5.17% of the total effect (95% confidence interval: 0.0001-0.0004, P < .001). Subgroup analyses demonstrated that this mediating effect was more pronounced in individuals aged 45 to 64 years and in males, with mediating proportions of 2.67% and 5.86%, respectively (both P < .05). Sedentary behavior may be positively associated with the risk of complex multimorbidity among American adults, and the hs-CRP/HDL-C ratio partially explain this association.

The present study evaluated the effects of dietary inclusion of fiber derived from tucumã peel (Astrocaryum aculeatum) on the zootechnical performance and physiological responses of juvenile tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum). Five approximately isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets were formulated with increasing levels of tucumã peel (0%, 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12%). A total of 225 fish were distributed in a completely randomized design with three replicates per treatment. Ten fish per experimental unit were individually identified using microchips to allow accurate monitoring of individual growth while minimizing handling stress. After 45 days, growth performance, hematological parameters, and plasma biochemical indicators were evaluated. Dietary fiber inclusion did not affect growth performance or hematological parameters, which remained within normal physiological ranges. However, increasing fiber levels significantly reduced plasma cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, suggesting a modulatory effect on lipid metabolism. The results indicate that tucumã peel can be included as a dietary fiber source for tambaqui without adverse effects on performance under the conditions tested, although further studies are needed to determine optimal inclusion levels and long-term effects.

To enhance cellulose enrichment and functional properties of okara insoluble dietary fiber (ISF), a ternary deep eutectic solvent (DES) composed of choline chloride, oxalic acid, and ethylene glycol (ChCl/OA/EG, denoted as COE) was developed. The effects of different OA/EG ratios on the composition, structure, and functionality of okara ISF were systematically investigated. DES treatment effectively removed proteins, hemicellulose, and lignin, leading to significant cellulose enrichment. Among the tested systems, COE-4, with a ChCl:OA:EG molar ratio of 1:1.5:1.5, showed the best performance, with cellulose content increasing from 56.3% to 80.33%. The treatment preserved the cellulose Iβ crystalline structure while promoting fiber bundle disintegration, reducing particle size, increasing the absolute ζ-potential, and generating a more porous structure. Consequently, the water-holding, swelling, and oil-holding capacities, as well as glucose adsorption, cation exchange, and cholesterol binding capacities, were markedly improved, whereas nitrite adsorption showed limited enhancement. Molecular dynamics simulations qualitatively suggested that an appropriate OA/EG ratio facilitated preferential enrichment of OA at key cellulose sites and disrupted the hydrogen-bonding network through competitive interactions, together with enhanced interfacial mass transfer. Overall, this study presents a ratio-controlled ChCl/OA/EG ternary DES treatment for okara cellulose, identifying COE-4 as the optimal formulation and linking its functional enhancement with molecular-level mechanistic interpretation.