The study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary stevioside (STE) supplementation on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced intestinal mucosal damage of broiler chickens. A total of 192 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly divided into four treatments: (1) basal diet (CON); (2) basal diet supplemented with 250 mg/kg stevioside (STE); (3) basal diet + LPS-challenge (LPS); (4) basal diet supplemented with 250 mg/kg stevioside + LPS-challenge (LPS + STE). LPS-challenged groups received an intraperitoneal injection of LPS at 17, 19 and 21 d, whereas the CON and STE groups received a saline injection. The results showed that dietary STE supplementation normalized LPS-induced changes in protein expression of p-NF-κB and p-IκBα, mRNA expression of inflammatory genes (TLR4, NF-κB, and IFN-γ), tight junction-related genes (CLDN2, OCLN, and ZO-1), and antioxidant genes (Nrf2 and HO-1). LPS-induced decreases in serum diamine oxidase (DAO) level, villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, apoptotic index, and protein expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were reversed with dietary STE supplementation. Additionally, STE supplementation ameliorated the redox damage by reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) content and increasing total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and antioxidant enzyme activity. In conclusion, dietary stevioside supplementation could alleviate LPS-induced intestinal mucosal damage through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in broiler chickens.

Hawthorn-leaves flavonoids (HF), extracted from hawthorn leaves, were reported to exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and hypolipidemic properties. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of dietary HF on the reproduction performance and liver lipid metabolism of aged breeder hens. A total of 270 aged Qiling breeder hens (60-wk-old) were randomly divided into 3 treatments: 1) basic corn-soybean diet (CON); 2) basic corn-soybean diet supplemented with 30 mg/kg HF (LHF); 3) basic corn-soybean diet supplemented with 60 mg/kg HF (HHF). The results showed that supplemented HF significantly improved the egg-laying rate and hatching rate of aged breeder hens (P < 0.05). HF treatment reduced the serum TG, T-CHO and L-LDL levels (P < 0.05), and upregulated the mRNA expressions of ESR1, ESR2, VTGⅡ, ApoB, and ApoVI in the liver (P < 0.05). Serum estrogen levels in HF treated groups were elevated compared with the CON group (P < 0.05). In the HHF group, the number of the primordial follicles was higher in comparison with the CON group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, dietary supplementation with HF improved the activity of antioxidant enzymes (T-AOC, GSH-Pχ) (P < 0.05), following with the reversed ovarian apoptosis and morphological damage. In addition, 60 mg/kg dietary HF upregulated the protein expression of PCNA and Nrf2 in the ovary (P < 0.05). In summary, dietary supplementation with HF could improve the reproduction performance through regulating liver lipid metabolism and improving ovarian function in aged breeder hens.

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is one of the principal causes of female infertility, and although its causes are complex and diverse, autoimmune deficiency may be involved. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs) can be used for tissue regeneration and repair. Therefore, the present study was designed to determine the role of UCMSCs in immune factor-induced POF in rats. In this study, different concentrations of UCMSCs were injected into induced POF rats. Ovarian functions were examined by evaluating the estrus cycle, follicular morphology, hormonal secretion, and the proliferation and apoptosis of granulosa cells. Our results showed that the estrus cycle of rats returned to normal and follicular development was significantly improved after transplantation of UCMSCs. In addition, serum concentrations of 17-estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4), and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) increased significantly with treatment. Transplantation of UCMSCs also reduced the apoptosis of granulosa cells and promoted the proliferation of granulosa cells. All of these improvements were dose dependent. Furthermore, the results of related gene expression showed that transplanted human UCMSCs upregulated the expression of Bcl-2, AMH, and FSHR in the ovary of POF rats and downregulated the expression of caspase-3. These results further validated the potential mechanisms of promoting the release of cell growth factors and enhancing tissue regeneration and provide a theoretical basis for the clinical application of stem cells in the treatment of premature ovarian failure.