Project description:Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the colon, associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis. While global studies have explored this link, region-specific microbial profiles remain underreported. This pilot study aimed to characterize and compare, for the first time, the gut microbiota of Lebanese UC patients and healthy controls using 16S rRNA gene sequencing (V3–V4 region). Fecal samples from 11 UC patients and 11 healthy individuals were analyzed. Alpha and beta diversity metrics were computed, and gut microbial composition was assessed across taxonomic levels. Statistical comparisons used Mann-Whitney and Fisher’s exact tests. UC patients showed significantly reduced microbial diversity based on Faith’s Phylogenetic Diversity and Shannon index (p < 0.05), though evenness was unaffected. Beta diversity also revealed significant group-level dissimilarities (p < 0.05). At the phylum level, Bacteroidota was elevated in UC, while Bacillota and Actinomycetota were reduced. Genera such as Ruminococcus, Fusicatenibacter, Mediterraneibacter, Eubacterium, and Coprococcus were depleted in UC. Faecalibacterium, commonly reduced in UC, showed no significant difference. This first analysis of gut microbiota in Lebanese UC patients reveals a distinct microbial signature that partially diverges from global trends, supporting the need for region-specific microbiome studies and personalized microbiota-targeted therapies.
Project description:Five healthy Laoshan dairy goats (four years old, third lactation) from Qingdao Laoshan dairy goat primary farm (Shandong Province, China) were used. The mammary gland samples were collected surgically after general anaesthesia using Xylazine Hydrochloride injection solution (Huamu Animal Health Products Co., Ltd. China) at corresponding lactation stage, including early, peak and late lactations.
Project description:Previous work has demonstrated that elevated maternal lipid intake (particularly from dairy products) is associated with increased lipids and altered fatty acid profile in milk produced by healthy lactating women. We investigate our primary hypothesis that a maternal diet rich in full-fat dairy products would simultaneously increase milk lipid percent and expression of genes related to the uptake and/or de novo biosynthesis of milk lipids.
Project description:Previous work has demonstrated that elevated maternal lipid intake (particularly from dairy products) is associated with increased lipids and altered fatty acid profile in milk produced by healthy lactating women. We investigate our primary hypothesis that a maternal diet rich in full-fat dairy products would simultaneously increase milk lipid percent and expression of genes related to the uptake and/or de novo biosynthesis of milk lipids. Within a a randomized, crossover study we performed a microarray analysis comparing 6 lactating women with diets rich in full-fat or non-fat dairy products. Each woman consumed one of the two diets during timepoint one, and after a two week washout period, switched over to the other diet. The timepoint value indicates whether the particular dietary treatment was consumed first or second.
Project description:The objective for this study was to elucidate differences in cellular diversity of VAT and SAT in dairy cows at the single-nuclei level.
Project description:The objective for this study was to elucidate differences in cellular diversity of VAT and SAT in dairy cows at the single-nuclei level.
Project description:In animal production the use of probiotics supplements to promote animal health is increasing. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of probiotics administration on global gene expression in dairy cows. Lactating Holstein Friesian cows (n=10) from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University dairy herd were used for the study. Treatment was a 10 ml oral drench of FASTtrak microbial pack (Probiotics) (Conklin Company, Kansas City, MO) at the recommended dose in water or water only (control). This treatment was carried out for 60 days. Whole blood was collected at the beginning (Day 0) and end of the study (Day 60) for microarray analysis. We employed microarray expression profiling as a discovery platform to identify genes with potential association with probiotics supplementation in cows. Gene expression analysis identified 10,859 differentially expressed genes- 1168 upregulated genes and 9691 downregulated gene. Results for pathway analysis showed significant pathways associated with innate immunity such as the Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathway, inflammation response and Wingless (Wnt) signaling pathway. Real-time PCR was used to validate gene expression of members of the TLR and Wnt signaling pathway. Treatment affected the expression of innate and adaptive immune response, cytokine and Wnt pathway genes. Daily administration of probiotics to dairy cows impacts global gene expression and particularly the expression of innate immune genes in dairy cows. Ten animals were enrolled in the study and an initial blood sample was collected (Day 0). Animals (n=5) received either daily supplementations with FASTtrak microbial pack (Probiotics) (Conklin Company, Kansas City, MO) or water daily (control animals) for 60 days. Blood samples were collected at the end of the study from probiotics-treated and control animals for RNA extraction and microarray analysis. In vitro effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) endotoxin treatment was evaluated using blood samples collected from probiotics-treated animals (Day 60 samples) to serve as positive control array. A pooled sample was generated by taking equal concentration of RNA from experimental animals in each group. Pooled samples from each group was hybridized on Agilent one color bovine v2 bovine (v2) 4x44KÂ array slides.
