Article
Cell Biology
Jie Yang, Guangliang Shi, Yafan Gong, Jingzeng Cai, Yingying Zheng, Ziwei Zhang
Summary: The study found that selenium deficiency upregulates ATG7 expression, while miR-17-5p inhibits cardiomyocyte autophagy by targeting ATG7. Additionally, LncRNA 0003250 regulates miR-17-5p, thereby affecting ATG7 and autophagic cell death.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kexin Yin, Xinyue Sun, Yaxin Zheng, Wenyue Zhang, Hongjin Lin
Summary: This study indicates that selenium deficiency and BPA exposure induce tracheal tissue pyroptosis in chickens through the NF-KB/NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway. Additionally, BPA exposure exacerbates selenium deficiency-induced tracheal pyroptosis.
COMPARATIVE BIOCHEMISTRY AND PHYSIOLOGY C-TOXICOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Kai Zhang, Shuang Li, Qingyu Zhao, Jing Li, Yunsheng Han, Yuchang Qin, Junmin Zhang, Chaohua Tang
Summary: This study investigated the interaction among redox status, energy metabolism, and inflammation in nutritional muscle dystrophy induced by dietary selenium (Se) deficiency. Results showed that Se deficiency led to redox imbalance, reprogramming of muscle central carbon and lipid metabolism, enhanced glycolysis pathway, and decreased phospholipid synthesis. Inflammation and apoptosis were observed in response to Se deficiency-induced muscle oxidative stress, possibly associated with extracellular matrix remodeling, suppressed focal adhesion and PI3K/AKT signaling, and activation of the NF-kappa B signaling pathway.
JOURNAL OF NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ruili Zhang, Rong Guo, Qing Liu, Guangxing Li, Bin Sun, Xiaodan Huang
Summary: The study investigated the impact of selenium deficiency on the toll-like receptor (TLR) signal transduction pathway in the spleen of chickens, revealing a potential relationship with inflammatory spleen injury. Findings suggest that TLR4 plays a crucial role in regulating inflammatory cytokine expression in Se-deficient chicken spleens, possibly leading to inflammatory injury through the TLR4/TRIF/NF-kappa B signaling pathway.
BIOLOGICAL TRACE ELEMENT RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Zhe Li, Tong Xu, Xue Fan, Kai Chen, Chunyan Wan, Xiang Li, Hang Yin, Shu Li
Summary: The study found that both bisphenol A (BPA) and selenium (Se) deficiency can affect the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs), which play a significant role in cardiovascular injury diseases by regulating its target mRNA and inducing apoptosis. The experimental results showed that BPA exposure and Se deficiency caused overexpression of miR-215-3p, aggravated oxidative stress, inhibited activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway, promoted mitochondrial division, increased expression of apoptosis-related genes, and ultimately led to apoptosis of chicken arterial endothelial cells. These findings provide insights into the toxic mechanism of BPA exposure and Se deficiency and reveal a new regulatory model of apoptosis damage in vascular diseases.
JOURNAL OF CELLULAR PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Xiao-Han Sun, Mei-Wei Lv, Ying-Xin Zhao, Hao Zhang, Muhammad Asmat Ullah Saleem, Yi Zhao, Jin-Long Li
Summary: This study determined the mechanism of nano-Se antagonism in Cd-induced hepatocyte pyroptosis by targeting the APJAMPK-PGC1 alpha pathway. The results showed that Cd activated the NLRP3 inflammasome and caused hepatocyte pyroptosis. Furthermore, Cd also increased hepatic fibrosis. However, the co-treatment of nano-Se and Cd significantly reduced the degree of fibrosis.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pei-Chao Gao, An-Qi Wang, Xue-Wei Chen, Han Cui, Yue Li, Rui-Feng Fan
Summary: Mercury is a highly toxic heavy metal that can affect human and animal health through diet, while selenium is a heart-healthy trace element that can attenuate heavy metal-induced myocardial damage. This study found that selenium alleviated mercuric chloride-induced myocardial injury in chickens. Selenium prevented cytoplasmic calcium overload and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium depletion, which can lead to apoptosis of cardiomyocytes. Additionally, selenium reversed the activation of heat shock proteins and the alteration of ER-settled selenoprotein expression induced by mercuric chloride.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Yuanzhe Li, Huayan Zhao, Guiying Sun, Yongtao Duan, Yanjun Guo, Lina Xie, Xianfei Ding
Summary: In this study, the effect of aminophylline administration on the intestinal flora and metabolites in septic rats was investigated using microbiome sequencing and metabolomic assays. The results showed that aminophylline could regulate disordered intestinal flora and metabolites, suggesting a potential protective mechanism in septic rats.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ruili Zhang, Qing Liu, Rong Guo, Di Zhang, Yang Chen, Guangxing Li, Xiaodan Huang
Summary: The study revealed that selenium deficiency activates the ChTLR4/MyD88/NF-kappa B signaling pathway in the chicken bursa of Fabricius, leading to the induction of autophagy. Autophagy was hindered when the TLR4 signaling pathway was inhibited under Se deficiency, indicating a relationship between autophagy and the ChTLR4/MyD88/NF-kappa B pathway.
BIOLOGICAL TRACE ELEMENT RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kanekwa Zyambo, Phoebe Hodges, Kanta Chandwe, Caroline Cleopatra Chisenga, Sebean Mayimbo, Beatrice Amadi, Paul Kelly, Violet Kayamba
Summary: This study found widespread selenium deficiency in Lusaka province, Zambia, with low selenium concentrations in both adults and children. Low socioeconomic status was associated with selenium deficiency, and there was a positive correlation between children's selenium concentrations and age. Supplementation or agronomic biofortification may be needed to address the selenium deficiency.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Min Wang, Yueyue Wang, Size Wang, Lulu Hou, Zilin Cui, Qi Li, He Huang
Summary: Cadmium (Cd) is a common heavy metal pollutant with toxic effects on the testes. Selenium (Se) can antagonize the toxicity of Cd, but the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, chicken testis samples were collected after Cd exposure and Cd/Se treatment to investigate the effects on oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), and programmed necrosis. The results showed that Se alleviated Cd-induced damage by improving histopathological changes and restoring antioxidant levels. Se also inhibited the expression of stress-related proteins and regulated programmed necrosis markers. Overall, Se can protect against Cd-induced toxicity in the chicken testis by mitigating oxidative stress, ERS, and programmed necrosis.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yujiao He, Lin Peng, Xiaochun Zhao, Xue Fan, Xinyu Tang, Guangliang Shi, Shu Li
Summary: Selenium deficiency can lead to intestinal damage and induce inflammation. This study found that selenium deficiency reduces the levels of antioxidant selenoproteins in the chicken intestine, causing oxidative stress and compromising the integrity of the intestinal barrier.
BIOLOGICAL TRACE ELEMENT RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jing Mu, Lei Lei, Yingce Zheng, Jia Liu, Jie Li, Ding Li, Guanbo Wang, Yun Liu
Summary: This study investigated the effects of selenium deficiency on oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, and necroptosis in the lungs of weaning calves. The results showed that selenium deficiency caused pathological changes, decreased antioxidant capacity, and activated apoptosis, inflammation, and necroptosis processes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gabriela de Freitas Laiber Pascoal, Gabriela Machado Novaes, Monique de Paula Sobrinho, Andre Bubna Hirayama, Inar Alves Castro, Thomas Prates Ong
Summary: The study indicates that selenium supplementation during puberty/young adulthood could improve male physiology in the context of obesity, and potentially positively affect offspring health.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Huijie Chen, Yue Zhang, Xue Qi, Xu Shi, Xiaodan Huang, Shi-Wen Xu
Summary: This study described the exacerbating effect of low selenium diet on autophagy in chicken kidney treated with bisphenol A (BPA), and elucidated the involvement of nitric oxide (NO) and AMPK/mTOR signaling pathways. These findings will enhance our understanding of the nephrotoxicity of BPA and the detoxification effect of selenium in chickens.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yonghua Liu, Hanqing Chen, Nali Zhu, Jing Zhang, Yufeng Li, Diandou Xu, Yuxi Gao, Jiating Zhao
Summary: Mercury pollution is a global concern due to its high toxicity, and recent progress in nanotechnology for Hg remediation, particularly using green nanomaterials, shows promising results in terms of efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ying Zhou, Shuofeng Yuan, Kelvin Kai-Wang To, Xiaohan Xu, Hongyan Li, Jian-Piao Cai, Cuiting Luo, Ivan Fan-Ngai Hung, Kwok-Hung Chan, Kwok-Yung Yuen, Yu-Feng Li, Jasper Fuk-Woo Chan, Hongzhe Sun
Summary: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the need for sensitive methods for diagnosis and prognosis. Researchers have developed a multiplex metal-detection based assay method using metal-tagged antibodies, which allows for high multiplexing capability and improved sensitivity and specificity compared to ELISA. By utilizing data exploration and machine learning algorithms, COVID-19 patients can be classified into different subgroups based on distinct antibody landscapes, and specific antibody types have been identified as potential biomarkers for disease severity stratification.
Editorial Material
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yuliang Zhao, Chunying Chen, Weiyue Feng, Zhiyong Zhang, Diandou Xu, Weiqun Shi, Shuao Wang, Yu-Feng Li
CHINESE CHEMICAL LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hongxin Xie, Lina He, Xue Tian, Wei Zhang, Liwei Cui, Lihai Shang, Jiating Zhao, Bai Li, Yu-Feng Li
Summary: Mercury selenide can serve as a source of mercury contamination in the environment and can be absorbed and methylated by rice plants. This raises concerns about the usage of selenium to reduce mercury contamination in farmlands. Furthermore, this study deepens our understanding of the biogeochemical cycle of mercury.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Xiaoying Lin, Hongxin Xie, Yanfei Zhang, Xue Tian, Liwei Cui, Nianqiu Shi, Liming Wang, Jiating Zhao, Lihui An, Jing Wang, Bai Li, Yu-Feng Li
Summary: This study evaluated the LD50 of different sizes of nano-sized PET (nPET) in mice and studied the health effects of single exposure to these nPETs. It was found that the toxicity and health effects were size-dependent, with smaller nPETs causing more damage. The study also found that nPET disrupted gut microbiome and metabolome, particularly lipid metabolism, and had adverse effects on weight, organ function, and mortality in mice. This is the first report on the systematic toxicity of nPET and further studies are needed to understand the long-term effects.
FOOD AND CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Hongxin Xie, Xue Tian, Lina He, Jincheng Li, Liwei Cui, Xin Cong, Bochong Tang, Yi Zhang, Zhiying Guo, Aiyu Zhou, Dongliang Chen, Liming Wang, Jiating Zhao, Yong-Liang Yu, Bai Li, Yu-Feng Li
Summary: Spatial metallomics was used to visualize the distribution and speciation of selenium in a single seed of Cardamine violifolia in Enshi, China. The study found that methylated selenium species were mainly located in the seed coat, providing the first visual evidence of their in situ distribution in C. violifolia seeds. This research deepens our understanding of selenium tolerance in C. violifolia and could have implications for studying tolerance of heavy metals/metalloids in other hyperaccumulators.
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Xue Tian, Xiaoying Lin, Jiating Zhao, Liwei Cui, Yuxi Gao, Yong-Liang Yu, Bai Li, Yu-Feng Li
Summary: Mercury (Hg) is harmful to the environment and human health. This review paper summarizes the impacts of inorganic Hg (IHg) and methyl Hg (MeHg) on gut barriers and extraintestinal effects, shedding light on the importance of considering the gut as a target tissue for Hg exposure.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jingjing Yuan, Yi Liu, Shun Chen, Xiaotong Peng, Yu-Feng Li, Songjing Li, Rui Zhang, Wang Zheng, Jiubin Chen, Ruoyu Sun, Lars-Eric Heimburger-Boavida
Summary: This study reveals that there are differences in the sources of mercury in chemosynthetic food webs and trench food webs in the deep sea. Chemosynthetic food webs mainly assimilate mercury from ambient seawater, sediments, and hydrothermal fluids formed by percolated seawater through magmatic/mantle rocks. In contrast, trench food webs mainly assimilate mercury from the monomethylmercury (MMHg) pollutants in the upper marine photosynthetic food webs. The findings suggest that mercury isotopes can be promising tools to trace the deep-sea mercury biogeochemical cycle.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jincheng Li, Xue Tian, Jiating Zhao, Liwei Cui, Lixia Wei, Yuxi Gao, Bai Li, Yu-Feng Li
Summary: This review summarizes the temporal changes in blood mercury concentrations in newborns and the general public in China from the 1980s to the 2020s. It is revealed that the blood mercury concentrations of newborns exhibited a downward trend, although not significant. The general public mercury concentrations showed a trend of initial increase followed by a decrease. Most of the cord blood and venous blood mercury concentrations in China were lower than the USEPA reference concentration of 5.8 μg/L. Continuous attention should be paid to reduce maternal and neonatal mercury exposure due to the potential effects on fetal and neonatal development.
JOURNAL OF TRACE ELEMENTS IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Hongxin Xie, Xue Tian, Xiaoying Lin, Rui Chen, Saima Hameed, Liming Wang, Yong-Liang Yu, Bai Li, Yu-Feng Li
Summary: This review summarizes the biological effects of nanoplastics (NPs) in vivo (plants and animals) and in vitro (cells). NPs can be ingested and accumulated in organisms, affecting growth, development, and reproduction at each trophic level. Factors such as surface charges, size, exposure dose, and exposure time impact the biological effects of NPs. More research is needed on the risk assessment of commonly used plastics in daily life, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), for better understanding of the potential harm caused by NPs.
REVIEWS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Liwei Cui, Xue Tian, Hongxin Xie, Xin Cong, Lihong Cui, Han Wu, Jianxu Wang, Bai Li, Jiating Zhao, Yanshan Cui, Xinbin Feng, Yu-Feng Li
Summary: Cardamine violifolia, a selenium hyperaccumulator, can accumulate mercury in its roots and aboveground parts at concentrations up to 6000 μg/g. The bioaccumulation factors of Hg reached 1.8-223, and the translocation factor reached 1.5. The study revealed a positive correlation between Hg concentrations in plant tissues and soil. The findings provide insights into the mechanisms of Hg hyperaccumulation in C. violifolia and suggest its potential use in remediation of Hg-contaminated farmlands.
JOURNAL OF FOOD ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Frantiska Hruba, Milena Cerna, Chunying Chen, Florencia Harari, Milena Horvat, Kvetoslava Koppova, Andrea Krskova, Jawhar Laamech, Yu-feng Li, Lina Loefmark, Thomas Lundh, Badiaa Lyoussi, Darja Mazej, Josko Osredkar, Krystyna Pawlas, Natalia Pawlas, Adam Prokopowicz, Gerda Rentschler, Janja Snoj Tratnik, Johan Sommar, Vera Spevackova, Zdravko Spiric, Staffan Skerfving, Ingvar A. Bergdahl
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate regional differences in blood levels of toxic elements in children and identify factors associated with exposure. The findings revealed that children living in certain areas were at a higher risk of exposure to toxic elements.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yunyun Li, Nali Zhu, Wenjun Hu, Yu-rong Liu, Wen Jia, Guoming Lin, Hong Li, Yufeng Li, Yuxi Gao, Jiating Zhao
Summary: Sulfur can effectively treat mercury pollution, but recent studies have found conflicting effects between reducing mercury mobility and promoting mercury methylation. The potential mechanism of MeHg production under different sulfur-treated species and doses is not well understood. This study investigated MeHg production in Hg-contaminated paddy soil and its accumulation in rice under elemental sulfur or sulfate treatment at different levels. The results provide insights into the mechanism of sulfur-induced MeHg production and suggest potential strategies for decreasing mercury mobility.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Haoyue Guan, Wenxue Ma, Qiong Wu, Jingzeng Cai, Ziwei Zhang
Summary: This study constructed an in vitro model of zearalenone toxicity in porcine small intestinal epithelial cells and conducted various tests. The results showed that zearalenone can cause oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and apoptosis in porcine small intestinal cells, causing damage to the intestinal tissues. The study of zearalenone's effects on the intestinal tract of swine is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of zearalenone infection in swine.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jingjing Yuan, Yi Liu, Shun Chen, Xiaotong Peng, Yu-Feng Li, Songjing Li, Rui Zhang, Wang Zheng, Jiubin Chen, Ruoyu Sun, Lars-Eric Heimburger-Boavida
Summary: Recent studies have indicated that deep oceans receive mercury from various sources, but the sources of mercury in deep-sea chemosynthetic food webs are still uncertain. In this study, the researchers investigated the mercury concentrations and isotopic compositions in indigenous biota at hydrothermal fields and cold seeps. They found that hydrothermal sulfides were highly enriched in mercury, and the biota in these regions had slightly positive Delta 199Hg values. The authors suggest that deep-sea chemosynthetic food webs mainly assimilate mercury from ambient seawater/sediments and hydrothermal fluids, and the transfer of monomethylmercury from photosynthetic food webs is limited.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
